Tombolino's Lunch Special

11.95 gets you: Eggplant Rollatini, Soup or Salad (neither is even close to skimpy, the soup is a meal on its own), dessert and coffee or espresso. Even on Saturdays. (Other entrees were 2-3 dollars more, unless you want steak which will run you around $22.) So is it good?

You bet your socks! The kind of socks that you need because you're suffering from severe blisters. So bet 'em.

First, the white bean escarole soup on display in the picture was hearty, and not overly-beany which I despise. Plus, the taste was fantastic. I wanted a whole jug of it to save for the upcoming winter months. Unfortunately, the soup by itself is $8.00 Boo. But I loved it. Adored it. Yet another reason why I need a food processor. Though, I probably don't for that type of soup. Tomatoes, onions, white beans, and escarole in a tomato-esque, chicken (I think) broth.

The eggplant rollatini portion size was small by appearance, but I was so stuffed from the soup and Addeo bread (best bread in the BX, maybe the country) that it was fine. Tasty morsel, with delicious broccoli (yes, delicious) and a giant tater tot creation that probably has a fancy French name I can't spell on the side. I took most of it home, and can't wait to eat it for lunch one of these days.

I opted for the espresso and the Italian vanilla ice cream sprinkled with almonds and topped with a maraschino cherry over the Italian cheesecake. I'm not a huge cheesecake fan in general, and the Italian version is a bit too cakey for my taste. Lovely, and the perfect topper to a great lunch.

But better than that was the company, my amazingly awesome 90 year old grandfather, who kept me entertained with stories the entire time. Lunch special was great, company was great, price was great. Can't go wrong!

Turkey Thursdays and Pumpkin Brownies

So today I found a bargain that nobody could turn down. A 7 lb turkey for 99 cents a pound. So seven bucks and I had myself a turkey!

I put oven at 350, poured half a container of Chicken broth, tossed some Herbs de Provence, and put a little butter in the cavity. I covered it in tinfoil and left it in for an hour. Checked it, cranked it up to 400, removed the tinfoil, and left it in for another 30-40 minutes. When it said 165 on the thermometer, I took it out and let it cook itself to 180 degrees. Delicious.

Then, I made a dark chocolate brownie mix adding nothing but a can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix). No eggs, no oil, no water. Baked at 350 for 35 minutes in an 8x8 glass dish. Fudgey amazingness.

New Balance Minimus 20 Trail Running Sneakers & Gu

Wowzers.

A. I ran 10 miles.
B. I did it in the new "barefoot" style trail shoe by New Balance.
C. I'm living to tell about it.

So, first of all, Brad and I signed ourselves up for the Manasquan Reservoir 5 Miler. We figured that we had to run 10 anyway, so why not run 5 with some other people, and then just loop around again? Trails are nice, there are gentle rolling hills, and we get a t-shirt and donate some money to the foundation that keeps the park clean and preserved. Win-Win-Win.

People were insanely friendly, the race was meticulously organized, and the t-shirt was pretty cool, with no sponsors on the back (all the proceeds go to the park), and a different, off-white color. (Sorry fashionistas, not sure if it's ivory, beige, or what. But it's cool.)

I promised I wouldn't race the 5 miles, and I didn't. In fact, I have some weird pacing monitor in my brain that I really can't explain. My goal was 10 minute miles, and when we looped around the first time, we clocked in at 48 minutes. Only 2 minutes FASTER than "ideal" pace. So I was stoked. My feet felt good, they announced our names and where we live over the loudspeaker when we crossed the line, and they handed me a water bottle. I casually threw a, "Thanks" over my shoulder, wearing a big grin, and we continued right around again. Some guy in a Rutgers hat pulled a Jamie and said, "Going again for good measure." Brad thinks he was proud of us. I know we were proud of us.

So, now let me interject with a quick review of the NB MT20. Awesome shoe. Supposed to fit tight, like a glove, and mine definitely do. There's a strange bottom with circles for traction, and while, unfortunately, some girl behind us WIPED out, we felt traction-y and safe the entire time. You can definitely feel the rocks a little more, with the thin Vibram sole, but it's not painful. Plus, the shoe only weighs 7.5 ounces. Insane. I bought the men's version, as did Brad. I can't get over how light weight they are, and they're pretty stylin' and profilin' on top of it. Now, the shoe does come with warnings about using it as only 10% of your running at first, because the minimalist style will force you to run more on your midfoot, which could make your calves burn and other such running injuries. However, I am no woman of caution, and I already have a mid-foot strike, so I charged right ahead. Brad opted to do the same. Both of us were fine after 10 miles, granted, fine as in that's the longest we have ever run in our lives and we were both still standing. My calves burned for two days after, and getting out of bed in the morning was more like the creation of Frankenstein's monster, but alas, that probably would have happened with my Asics as well.

So, around mile 7, we decided to Gu it up. Previous to the race, we consumed those new-fangled jelly beans that you can find at check-out counters at sports stores. They tasted pretty gnarly, but neither of us had breakfast before the race, and we felt pretty energized, so I think the beans did the trick. I had the fruit punch flavor, and while they tasted more like vitamins than anything else, they weren't completely awful. So, we saved the gu for down the stretch. The reason we brought gu is because after an hour and ten minutes of running, you're supposed to consume some semblance of calories. I went for chocolate, and Brad went for the Pineapple Roctane version. Mine had caffeine and his did not. Anyways, mid-race, this stuff tasted like brownie dough magic. It was insanely frustrating trying to rip open the stupid package with my teeth while running, but once I made a hole large enough to squeeze some of the Gu out, I was in heaven. Delicious heaven.

About 15 minutes later, Gu kicked in and I felt like I could go for miles.

Not long after that, a long hill stretch came and put me back in my place.

Anyway, with the half marathon only 2 weeks away, I'm feeling pretty confident. I know I can finish it, I know Brad can finish it, and I'm excited for the medal so I can hang it on my wall and scream "HOLLLLAAAAAAA."

Oh, and we finished in 1 hour and 39 minutes with the stop at the end of the 5 mile race included. Almost perfectly on track for pacing.

WOWZERS!

Baked Apples

It's apple picking season! So here's the best, easy apple dessert/snack that's mostly healthy... Got this from Martha Stewart. I normally leave out the gingersnaps and definitely use a lot less butter... But surprisingly the sour cream and maple syrup concoction is fantastical! And love those dried cherries.

Ingredients

4 Gala or Rome Beauty apples
1/3 cup dried cherries, or golden raisins
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons crushed gingersnaps
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Core apples with a melon baller, making a 3/4-inch-wide cavity, stopping 1/2 inch from the bottom. Peel top inch of apples; fill with cherries and walnuts. Arrange in an 8-inch square baking dish.
Drizzle maple syrup over apples; top each with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Bake, brushing occasionally with accumulated juices, until apples are tender, 45 to 60 minutes.
Transfer apples to a plate. Pour liquid from dish into a bowl; whisk in sour cream. Drizzle over apples; sprinkle with gingersnaps.

Blenders and Broccoli Soup

Picture does not do this amazingness justice.

I need a blender. But, even without one, we had a delectable, creamy, healthy broccoli soup. And the best part? Sans cream.

I took a recipe from wholeliving.com and changed it just a little bit. But, in general...

In a pan, saute 1 chopped yellow onion with 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp olive oil until translucent.

Then, add 1 15 oz can of cannelloni beans and 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth. The recipe actually calls for chicken stock, but Stew Leonards had organic chicken broth on sale... So broth it is.

A little salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Steam one package of broccoli florets. Add to soup after it's simmering, remove from heat, and puree in something that works better than the sad excuse for a blender I own until Monday morning garbage takes it away. Even not pureed, it's still delicious though! The beans add a nice texture. And it's healthy! I recommend serving with one slice of sourdough bread. Yum.

Woodlawn Run For A Cause 2011

Brad and I totally broke our PR record by almost 2 full minutes! We finished the 5k (according to my time, which I pushed after we crossed the line) in 23:57. According to the "official" clock, which started for everyone at the same time, we did it in 24 minutes. And that was good enough to earn me third place in my age group! Insane. So I got a Woodlawn pint glass and a $25 gift certificate to New Balance. Plus, my picture was taken for years to come. Awesomeness! Just had to share. Time for pizza. Ciao Ciao!

Woodlawn 5K, Yoga, and Personal Goals

So there's this great market in Liberty, NY called Catskill Harvest. Delicious, homemade soups and sandwiches, old school sodas, (Cheerwine included!) and delectable local and organic goods. Needless to say, while living upstate, I frequented this establishment quite often. One of the items that I purchased and "used" today is their chocolate covered coffee beans. I say use, because I ate them pre-run.

I was rather upset about the run Brad and I had on Tuesday. 3.1 miles and it took us over 30 minutes. Granted, hills were involved, but still, we should have at least broken 30, especially with a 5k coming up this Saturday. We've been training for distance, not speed, but I still want to post a good time on Saturday because it's my home turf of Woodlawn. So I had to regain my confidence. And much to Brad's chagrin, I did. Thanks to coffee beans and my own insanity.

Today we ran 4 miles, 2 uphill and then turn around and run 2 downhill. Our 5k time was 26:19 and our 4 mile time was an insane 33:25. A new PR! I've never been so proud. Brad thinks that it might mess with our chances of posting a good time on Saturday, but it boosted my confidence so I know I can still, or rather, we can still run fast. So now I'm off to my very first yoga class at the Bronxville adult school to stretch it out. Thank you dark chocolate covered coffee beans. Thank you!

Mas Mas!

So Mas in Spanish=more.

Mas in French=farmhouse.

Hence, Mas Mas!

Mas is one of my all time favorite restaurants in NYC. Silverware magically appears and disappears. The short ribs are what dreams are made of. The wine pairing is generous to say the least. And now, they're opening a sequel! Mas (La Grillade).

It's going to be located: at 28 7th Ave S and both Zagat and Urbandaddy are offering early tickets before the official opening. Zagat's is tonight, 4 courses with wine pairing for $110 (tax and gratuity included), and Urbandaddy's is Sept. 30 for 5 courses and $125 per person. I'd loveeee to be on that list!

Hopefully I'll get there eventually so I can give a real review. But if it's anything like the original, then prepare to die and go to heaven. Or just go to the original to be sure and order the short ribs. Sigh, happy face, sigh.

Hot, Cranky, Monday Night Dinner

What do you do when you're sweating through your dress shirt, everyone at the address has had a bad day, and the last thing you want to do is cook?

Create amazingness.

Southern "Fried" Chicken (it's healthy! and not exactly fried...) on top of a bed of greens. Delish. AND... It only takes about 5 minutes of prep.

Salad:
Spinach, grape tomatoes, a little cheese of your choice, and red onions.
(Dressing of your choice, I like Kraft's free ranch or Italian when chicken is involved.)

Chicken:
Soak in a mixture of one cup buttermilk and 2 tbsp hot sauce for at least an hour, but better if you're uber organized and do this for 24 hours. Yeah right.
*If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to 1 cup milk. Voila, buttermilk. The name makes it sound like it should be awesomeness. Labels lie.

While that's soaking up the juices, throw the following in a plastic bag:
1-2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tsp-tbsp onion powder
1 tsp-tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp parm (or shredded cheese which is what I did)

Once the chicken is sufficiently soaked, throw it into the plastic bag and shake and bake like you love Nascar.

Then, place on tinfoil in a baking dish and shove it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After approximately 30 minutes, shove the chicken into the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Take it out, let it cool for 2-5 min, slice it up, and toss it on top. FANTASTIC!

Kudos to Runners World Mag for the chicken recipe :-D

8 Mile

I have to be honest. I don't really know what they eat in Detroit. But I do know that I ran 8 miles today, up and down some major hills. Intense. And obviously how Brad and I spend our last precious hours at the cabin. :) So how does one celebrate?

Filet Mignon.

And obviously football.

So I'm tempted to give away my super-secret amazing filet mignon recipe. But alas, it's so good, and soooo easy, that I feel like the mom in Ray Romano's tv show. I kinda have to keep it for myself. At least for now. Let's just say it involves 3 ingredients. And it's exceptional.

But, I will comment on something food-wise. Harvest spice coffee from Quickchek? Definite go, even if they did use it to replace my all-time favorite of marshmallow. Also, the bell pepper soup is delicious. Slightly creamy from the cheese, flavor, a small kick... Quite delicious. If you don't have a WaWa, don't fear tooooo much if you can get to a Quickchek. Not as amazing, but definitely not awful.

Leather, Costco and Cherry Wheat

New couch! Finally! Let's talk about football, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, and Costco salmon dinners. Ohhhh heaven is a place on Earth. And that place is my living room.

So we finally sucked it up and bought a couch.

And a Costco membership.

Both, brilliant moves on our part. The boneless, skinless, individually packaged Purdue chicken at Costco is actually insanely tasty. Plus, they have delicious freeze-dried, individually packaged Wild Alaskan salmon, which means it's good for you (not farmed) and easy to make (13 minutes at 400 degrees). I highly recommend both. And throw in a bag of their frozen veggies which are terrific at breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Also, the chicken salad with the cranberries and walnuts. Delicious. And perfect on the 40-calorie-per-slice light Arnolds bread with a pink lady apple on the side. Great lunch. Healthy, easy to make, and insanely tasty.

Oh, and the Sam Adams cherry wheat is just icing on the cake, care of the McLean discount beer joint practically across the school from my old Catholic elementary school.

Plus, I have a certain GB QB in fantasy which made last night's football game even that much more enjoyable. After running 4 insane miles on extremely fatigued legs (ran 3 miles in 24:07 on Tues, and being on my feet all day for work is something new), this was a perfect evening. Granted, I fell asleep somewhere in the 3rd quarter, but still, I have a couch that's so comfortable I can fall asleep on it!

Work may have started, but life is GOOD!

One Month of Training, Good News, and Going Forward

Labor Day Weekend. Wow, you came fast.

So here's a quick update since the only people who purport to read this are friends/family anyways...

1. Best news of the week: No students 'til Thursday!!! I thought they were coming Wednesday. They're not! I love you, UFT. Finally, a chance to get into the groove before the halls are crowded with hugging teenagers.

2. Kerri persuaded me to attend my 10 year high school reunion. Day after Thanksgiving at Theater Bar in the city. Kerri might just be the only person I remember. Haha. Go Stuyvesant! Way to represent at the MTV music awards, by the way. <3 Beastie Boys.

3. Brad and I are in week 4 of 1/2 marathon training. We started a week earlier, so this is technically our 5th week of running, our 4th week of training. I feel great: motivated, accomplished, stronger... So far, so good! Seaside half is still about 1 1/2 months away and we haven't signed up yet--I wanted to make sure we had significant running under our belt so I don't pay and get injured like Asbury. So I'll be signing up in the next week or 2 I believe. I'm very excited about it--one of my bucket list goals.

4. One more weekend in the cabin. Kind of sad. But it was a great summer--felt long and relaxing and I'm so glad we had that opportunity.

5. Sunday=Funday at the races. Baltimore is going to be shut down so Indy cars can race along its streets. And yours truly will be in attendance, thanks to the fact that ABC is a "family first company" and loves racing. Whistles go Whoooo Whooooooo!

Ok guys. That's my life in a nutshell. Wishing these clouds away, looking forward to the beach tomorrow and the B&T tomorrow night. Plus, our 3 miler and 7 miler respectively in the next 2 days. Hope there are some good waves! I'd like to bring my 7" fun board down and hit the surf!

September 1st PRs: Celebrate with Bradford's Pork and Beans

So Brad and I had a 5 mile tempo run to accomplish today. 2 miles easy, 3 miles fast. After nursing a recurring hamstring/groin injury, I was feeling nervous about that, though rather confident overall with my new kicks. So we kicked it up a notch. And then kicked it up again.

And posted a Turkey Trot reminiscent time of 42:41.

Holla! And that was with a pretty slow first mile.

So proud.

So, time to protein it up, though I now know that's a fallacy... but still...

Brad cooked tonight. First, we made organic green lentils, which I love. Very simple. Throw them in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 40 minutes.

In the meantime, we took Shea to the lake to play. Good times had by dog.

Next, we added Boston Baked Beans and chopped up hot dog pieces. Let it simmer for a few minutes more. And there you have it folks. Post run love.

Oh, and Giants football. XOXO World.