Melbourne foodies

So I have been in Australia now for almost 2 weeks. I love it here, especially in Melbourne where I have spent some time catching up with friends and family and just relaxing. We have also spent much of this time together over fabulous meals. We had a wonderful brekkie (breakfast) at a local spot in St. Kilda on Fitzroy st called Banff. I ordered the eggs florentine with a side of fresh avacado. It was so great I ordered the same thing the very next time we had the chance to go there for sunday brunch. We had a great Greek meal the other night (did you know Australia has the largest population of Greeks aside from Greece itself!) filled with grilled and buttered pita bread and dips, dolmathes (grape leaves stuffed with rice and spices), lamb souvlaki and roasted veggies. Thinking about this fabulous meal makes me want to go back tonight. But nothing is better than the Australian burger that I snagged a few bites off from my boyfriend while we where in Sydney by the harbor. An Aussie burger is a beef patty with a fried egg, beetroot slice, lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese. I cannot even begin to tell how I savored those few messy bites I took! Everthing was fresh and made to order right by the water on what is called The Rocks alongside the Sydney harbor. Because I am not able to handle full burgers all in one sitting I opted for a freshly made fruit and veggie juice in the open air market just up the road. It had carrot, celery, pineapple, watermelon, green apple and orange. It was filling and refreshing and on the hot day by the water just right!

I'm off now for a day of vintage shopping with Dan on Chapel St in Melbourne. But before we go we are grabbing a cup of coffe (flat white to be exact) at the local bakery hotspot on Fitzroy right by Banff and the Medina hotel. I cant think of the name now but I will post it for a later date. The coffee is amazing and reminds me of stumptown coffee which I have a small love affair with in NYC. YUM!

Tricks or treats?...always treats for me

ok so its Halloween, the official candy holiday. I could really go for something sweet right now as I prepare to head out in this horrible weather (how was it 70 degrees earlier and now its pouring rain?) A cupcake would be divine, but I have to remind myself that I will be in warm Australia (and maybe see a few beaches while I'm there) in 2 weeks! So after dinner I had a few peanut butter puffins (amazingly addictive cereal) and some flaxseed hemp granola with almond milk. It was just enough sweet to satisfy my craving. I figured I was truly dehydrated so I also poured myself a mug of hot water (best way to hydrate the body and kill sweet tooths!) Now its off the couch and into my fav go to outfit: black denim, black boots, and a black shirt of some sort...its raining and I cant be bothered. I'd rather stay home and eat cupcakes but that dream has long been killed! Happy Halloween!

Australia = salads

Ok so I just got the word that I will be traveling to Australia in a mere 3 weeks. Its nice and cold here in NY, great for covering up with knits, long sleeves and boots. However, in Australia they are entering the summer season so that means ahhhh gotta get back in action and really focus on the gym membership and adding more salads back into my diet. Dont get me wrong I love salads and I dont think of them as torture or punishment. They can be soooo delicious and satisfying if done the right way. I add beans for fiber and protein, fresh veggies like peas, peppers, mushrooms (great for boosting vit D the happy vitamin!) and red onions. I toss in some tempeh or tofu if I am making it a meal and not a side dish. I love making my own honey balsamic vingerette to top it all off! The possibilities are endless and it looks like for the next 3 weeks I better add more of these great salads into my daily routine! 

back in action

OK I know its been a long time since my last post. The wrist is almost 100% healed so I am very thankful for that. I can tell you that over the last few months of trying to be an active person running my business and juggling all that life throws your way (all with a broken wrist) had a huge effect on my eating patterns! I just came back from 3 weeks overseas on tour with my bf (he is a singer) and it was so hard to stay on the healthy path. But I did manage to make it to the various gyms and or fitness rooms in the hotels a total of 4 times! That made me feel like I was getting back to some type of routine. It was hard to resist a biscuit with my afternoon cups of tea and dessert after dinner (esp sticky toffee pudding). But thankfully there was a Wholefoods market when we stayed in London so a few days out of the 3 weeks I was able to make very healthy choices of mixed salads and fresh fruit, yogurt and granola. Needless to say life on the road is thrilling, draining and hard work. Making smarter eating choices and working out definitely made it a lot easier to handle. Now that I am back in the states and no longer in a cast, its back to the farmers market and yoga classes. I have never been so excited! Happy eating and remember to make the healthiest choices you can, that way no matter what life throws your way you will be that much more prepared to handle it!

cooking with one left hand

So I have not been blogging lately for a few reasons: been busy with work and traveling and I broke my right wrist! As a righty that means a complete road block in my daily life! I have so many wonderful eating and food experiences I want to share and hopefully in a few weeks I will be more capable to do so. For now eating is a lot harder with my left hand but not impossible. I have made 2 omletes for my boyfriend and I continue to try and do as much as I can for myself (with a cast past my elbow its not much). This has really forced me to slow down even more and appreciate life and everything we take for granted. I know have to rely on my friends and family more and that can be a blessing and a curse! Independence is a very wonderful thing, but it is also very great to know that at the end of the hard days you have a few people that will always be there to help you out, even if its to open the peanut butter jar!

sUmMeR cLeaNse...

So it has been getting very humid and hot lately in NY. This makes me crave cool refreshing drinks, and lots of them. What a great way to get hydrated and give your body a lil cleanse in the process. Here are some of my favorite choices: Iced Mint tea with a fresh squeeze of lime or lemon, chilled coconut water (my all time go to drink of choice), and a sweet fresh fruit smoothie (pineapple mint, mango peach banana, etc). You can never go wrong with any of these choices. My sister and I walked along side the FDR this morning and right when I got in the door I downed some Zico coconut water. If I could have that stuff on tap, I would be one happy (and hydrated) gal. Oh and since we are on the topic of summer cleanse, I will share some great safe for cleansing snacks. I just made some kale chips! A-m-A-z-I-n-G! So easy to make too. Get some fresh organic kale wash it and dry it and spread it on a baking sheet. Set the oven to 375, drizzle the kale with extra virgin olive oil and lightly salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes and enjoy the crisp kale strips! yummy and super healthy, a great way to get your greens in and also satisfy that snack need! ENJOY 

Fresh Start...

I am tired and still coming down from being jet-lagged. Trying to handle the days pressures and stress can be a lot when your not feeling your best. So this morning I decided to try my  best at getting a good start. I made myself some steel cut oatmeal (yes the one that takes about 25 min to cook) with sliced bananas sprinkled with fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon. I chopped some walnuts up and added those on top too. It satisfies me like no other breakfast can. I feel healthy and full and ready to take on this day! I may have woke up tired and semi stressed from all that is going on in my life(running my own business, traveling, being in a serious relationship that is long distance at the moment), but eating well definitely makes me feel a lot better about life and my position in it. I am enjoying my life and all that comes along with it. For today I am choosing to handle stress with nourishing food choices and not the sweets and sugary comforts I usually reach for. I'm taking it one day at a time. That's all anyone can really do ;)