The Best Things in Life Are Surprises

The best things in life are surprises.

Like realizing my car has a sun roof. I really didn't know. I don't know how I didn't know. But now I know. 

Like falling asleep on the way to the Berkshires, and waking up to jazz music and to ice coffee that is still ice cold. 

Like finding waterfalls, and stony ledges, and expansive vistas. And, at the peak of Mount Greylock, a historic lodge, built of stone and shingles, with views that say, "Sit here. Really."

And, back in the city, like looking up from my harborside glass of rose and seeing a slice of blue sky.

Stolen Summer

We are stealing moments of summer. 

Falling asleep with the windows open to the smell of a bonfire and waking up in smoke scented sheets.

Cracking open lobster claws in Rockport.

Flying a kite on Stratton Mountain after hours of yoga and sunshine. 

Napping on a striped blanket laid out in the shade.

Eating slushy, citrus-y Italian ice on the deck of the ICA.

Grilling corn in the backyard, grabbing the cobs off the grill, and dipping them in queso fresco.

Convincing the dock guys to let me take out the last paddleboard of the day, catching a view, and spinning around in the middle of the Charles.

Getting home and going straight to the freezer for a homemade blueberry popsicle. 

These moments are stolen. But they add up to a summer.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

I have an adorable habit of pretending it's not really that cold in Boston. I've lived here for 10 years and, up until this winter, I never got around to buying warm winter boots (I gave in only because Sorel boots are warm and cute). I routinely under dress for the weather and then I'm all surprised when I'm cold. I drink iced coffee when there is a better than average possibility of getting frostbite. I mean, iced coffee is just really, really delicious. And I make smoothies year round.

I have a love-love relationship with smoothies. I love smoothies. For breakfast, for a snack, for dessert, pre-workout, post-workout, whatever. I love smoothies. Banana, frozen blueberries, vanilla protein powder, almond butter, almond milk. Or, strawberries, frozen blueberries, peanut butter, almond milk. Or, frozen mango, Greek yogurt, almond butter, almond milk. I could go on. But you get it.

Pressed Boston opened today in Beacon Hill... Hooray! When I walk in, I am the most excited. And the staff is excited and all of the other customers are excited, so we are all excited together. So excited!

I order the Charge smoothie (raw cacao, almond butter, cold brewed coffee, almond milk). I really like it. It's a little crunchy - I think maybe from the homemade almond butter? - but really delicious. All of the Superfood smoothies are priced at $10 which, let's be real, is a little pricey. But let's be more real: a $8-10 price tag is now totally the norm for this kind of smoothie.

And like I said, it's really delicious and the shop is spectacularly trendy. It's an upper level Beacon Hill storefront with antiqued, paned windows but, inside, we're talking 2015, re-purposed materials, compostable straws, and bar stools with a Charles Street view. Hours are Monday-Friday 7am-8pm, meaning there's time to swing by between an AM run and work. Works for me!

Welcome, Pressed. Beacon Hill is excited you're here.

Movement

There are big moments, small moments, experiences, peoples, places that make us stop. They get us out of real life and into something beautiful.

Like #MoreMovement last night.

We met up at Dewey Square at 5pm and there was that nervous, fun, jumpy adrenaline energy that happens when you don't really know what's about to happen. We ran a few miles, with some jumping jacks and burpees thrown in, following Brogan to our super secret spot for part two: yoga with Goldie.

We ran up and down side streets downtown and alleys in Chinatown and then deep into the South End. When we got to SoWa Vintage Market, the energy was up and the music was already jamming and we filled that old brick building with more energy and more noise and yoga mats and a whole bunch of sneakers.

I flowed with gravel on my mat (because, hey, it's an open market and there's gravel) and with my sunglasses on (because, hey, that strong summer light was streaming in). And something about the gravel and the light and the super cool DJ and the vinyasa was unreal. After a week of what I will call too much realness, #MoreMovement was unreal in the best possible way.

There are a lot of things that have done that for me. Running SeaWheeze. Colorado. Wyoming. Wanderlust. There are big, impactful, beautiful experiences that make me hit the re-set button in a powerful way.

But there have to be smaller experiences and moments in daily life too, and I am lucky to have them. There was last night. There was Saturday at Narragansett Town Beach. There is Boston. I don't have a backyard, but I do have every Boston sunrise and sunset. There will be tomorrow morning with the November Project.

And there will always be movement.

Highlights, High Fives, and Volume on High

The week is over. Let's recap.

Started Monday with the November Project. Casual 8 mile run, 5 minutes of wall jumps and planks, 7 minutes of burpees. BG said to be impressive. I think we nailed it.

I also nailed my shin. See that wall below? I left some skin there. It's cool. No tears allowed. Just high fives and good vibes.

Bought these Lululemon tights. Black mesh panels? Come at me. I will wear them to yoga and I will wear them to the office (yup).

Walked Memorial Drive to Meadhall. 7:30pm looked phenomenal. Boston, you are phenomenal.

Ate hyper-local kale (ugh I feel pretentious just typing that, ugh I'm the worst) at The Sinclair with new friends.

And found this remix. Very much a summer Sunday long run jam. 10 miles down, volume up.

 

Healthy Is As Healthy Does

D and I had a really interesting conversation about granola bars a couple of days ago... you know, how some bars are "healthy" but have added sugar or weird ingredients. And then we started talking about health.

Health is such an intensely personal thing. Every body and each body are so incredibly different. And what does health feel and look like anyway?

When B asked me a few months ago if I have always been healthy, I didn't know how to answer. Because my own definition of health has changed and evolved. I have eaten things that I thought were healthy but actually made me sick (7-grain bread, I'm looking at you. You devil you.) It has been a process of trial and error to find the foods that make me feel happy and healthy, to create an active life, and to make sure that my diet and my physical activity work in tandem.

This means fruit and vegetables and protein. Nothing processed. This means a boatload of water. This means quinoa and oatmeal (grains I can eat!). Coffee, because I (really) like coffee. Almond butter. Berries. Spinach. More protein.

This means running. This means strength training. Bootcamp. Barre classes. Plenty of yoga. And it also means November Project because I like forty stadium sections at sunrise and planks in the mud (read: dirt, sweat, and endorphins). 

I have been stoked to see new food and fitness options come to Boston. Flywheel. Barry's Bootcamp. SoulCycle. Plus, Exhale Spa just added a Core Fusion Barre + Cardio class. I like the kale and the quinoa at Boloco and Sweetgreen and there are finally more and more smoothie bars. These are all good things, especially when it's cold as sh*t outside and you need a fun new workout and something delicious to eat. 

{Cue the smoothie/snow montage}

Love Alive from Life Alive

PB&J from Fuel Bar at Barry's Bootcamp

Especially the smoothies. I'll hike to Southie for Nourish Your Soul, I have a crush on the PB&J smoothie at Fuel Bar, and today I tried CocoBeet, the new organic eatery near Government Center. I scoped out the menu beforehand and I was pumped to try it post-Sunday run. Granted, I was a little bummed that the smoothies and juice are bottled and not made to order. CocoBeet also does not serve food on the weekends, so it's really just open to sell the smoothies and juice (I think this business model may be a bit questionable, yeah?).

Regardless, I'm happy Cocobeet is there. I bought the Blue Coconut and the Kale Karma (points for fun names!). I liked the Blue Coconut - I definitely tasted the almonds and coconut oil. The Kale Karma is in my fridge for tomorrow.

I'm excited for kale and November Project tomorrow. I'm excited for yoga class this week and running in San Francisco next weekend. I'm excited for health, always.

It's Peanut Butter and Jelly Time

I love everything about smoothies. I love the fruit, I love the protein, I love the highly saturated colors that look Photoshopped but are real. I make a smoothie most days. (There are also those days when protein powder and coconut milk go into a blender bottle and that's it. Those are the lazy days.)

Last Friday, L and I tried Barry's Bootcamp for the first time. It was totally my kind of workout. When I lift, I like to keep my heart rate up and Barry's does that by alternating intervals on the treadmill and weights on the floor. The music was loud (perfect), it was sweaty (perfect), and we. worked. out. (Perfect!)

After class, we went to the Fuel Bar at Barry's for smoothies. The smoothie menu is solid and most of the smoothies are priced at $7 and clock in around 300 calories or less. I picked the PB&J and, really ever since then, I've been thinking about peanut butter. It was that good. (And filling too!)

Here's my version:

PB&J Smoothie
3/4 cup milk (I used SoDelicious coconut milk)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Blend all ingredients until smooth and drink up!

48 Hours

Five course tasting menu at Asta. Ballet class. Steaks and bourbon. Bowling and beers at Jillian's. Run through Chinatown and the Theater District. Shopping for shiny, pretty things and soft, warm sweaters. Sunset over Boylston Street and dusk on Newbury Street. A plate of oysters. Three episodes of The Only Way is Essex.

Can't wait until next weekend, can't wait to do it all over again. 

Thursday

Today started at 7am. Well actually it started at 6:20 when the alarm went off, but really I think it started at 7 when L and I went to spin class at Recycle Studio. If you didn't start your day with dance remixes of Ellie Goulding... well you should have.

The rest of the day? It was cool. Ya know. Work. Getting things done. I spent a big part of the afternoon switching between working and trying to register for the SeaWheeze Half Marathon. Last year, I fell in love with Vancouver and I PR'ed at SeaWheeze. This year, I want to have a little rendez-vous with Vancouver and I want to PR again. That's the plan. That is, if I can get a spot. (The registration site crashed today. Twitter and Facebook exploded with Lululemon smack-talking. Hopefully the site is back up tomorrow. Fingers crossed.)

TBT to sunset yoga at Kits Beach. Just another reason to go back to VanCity.

And at the end of the day, when drink plans fell through, L and I went to get pho at Pho Pasteur. Any day I get to see L twice is a very good day indeed. I detoured through the park and, oh Boston, if you're trying to make me love you more, you're doing a great job. Boston, I love you in the sun and in the snow. I love you forever and ever. (And I love pho too.)

Today was a great Thursday.

More Tea, Please

Tuesday night, another snowstorm rolled through Boston. Everyone was all, "BLIZZARD. BLIZZARD. BLIZZARD." Full on blizzard panic mode.

At the end of the day, I made a major detour to go to David's Tea on Washington Street. I bought some chai tea, my very first infuser, and a cup of tea to go and I walked home the loooooooong way. The snow was falling, I sipped my tea, and my heart almost burst right out of my chest because downtown Boston was just so perfect in the snow and I was just so cozy in my big jacket and wooly hat.

So what does one do on a snowy night at home? Well, one drinks more tea. Obviously. This time, I made a tea latte. This tea latte is creamy, a little spicy, and a little sweet.

Chai Tea Latte with Cocoa and Cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon loose chai tea (I used Chocolate Chili Chai from David's Tea) or 1 teabag *
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Chinese Cassia cinnamon
1 cup milk (I used whole milk)

* I used chai tea because I like a little kick, but you can use any kind of tea! 

Bring water to a boil. Put loose tea in an infuser or use a tea bag. Steep tea in boiling water for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk over medium-low in a saucepan and stir in cocoa and cinnamon. Stir to make sure the cocoa and the cinnamon are fully dissolved and to prevent the milk from burning. When the tea is ready, froth the milk using a milk frother (mine is an Aerolatte) in a separate mug and pour the milk on top of the tea. Sprinkle additional cinnamon and cocoa powder on top, if desired.

P.S. I didn't sweeten this recipe, but the friendly sales girl at David's Tea suggested using a little honey. 

How Do I Feel About Weekends? I Feel Great.

It was a good weekend, a slow weekend. Cider at Meadhall Friday night, sleeping in Saturday. Saturday afternoon, we saw Wolf of Wall Street, which led to Googling Wolf of Wall Street, which led to watching YouTube videos of Stratton Oakmont parties, which led to downloading the Kindle book. Yup.

Also FYI the song in the trailer is Black Skinhead by Kanye. As T said: "Anything you're doing you can do better if you're listening to that song." The song is completely uncivilized and so is the movie. 180 outrageous, offensive minutes. And that's why it's so good.

Rainy Saturday nights are meant for staying in and staying out of trouble. I Googled Wolf of Wall Street and I made chocolate-coconut "fudge." I call it "fudge" because it's adapted from Sarah Wilson's healthy, sugar-free recipe. It would be a little disingenuous to call it dessert. So I won't. But the fudge tastes pretty rich and the coconut is sweet, so it's satisfying. No photo for you. Fudge doesn't really photograph well. If you can photograph fudge and make it look good, well... let me know. We should hang out.

Sunday? Sunday was for Sunday things and getting Sunday things done: running and working. The sun was out and it was a totally different Boston. I couldn't have asked for a happier or lovelier run.

And that's a weekend.

Chocolate-Coconut "Fudge"
Adapted from Sarah Wilson's Bounty Bars

Coconut layer
1 cup coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Chocolate layer
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
2 tablespoons almond butter

Coconut layer: Melt the coconut milk and oil together in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Stir in the shredded coconut and take the saucepan off the heat. Pour the coconut mixture into a square glass pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set. While you're making the chocolate layer, put the pan in the freezer so the coconut hardens a bit more.

Chocolate layer: Melt the coconut oil and cocoa powder in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Then add the almond butter and stir until well combined. Let the chocolate mixture cool slightly, then pour it over the coconut layer.

Chill the bars in the freezer 5-10 minutes or until hard to the touch. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated.

What Do You Do With Frisee & Other Blizzard Stories

As you probably know if you live on the East Coast, Boston got slammed with weather last week. We got 14 inches of snow and subzero temperatures and everyone got a snow day. Which is cool and all, but cabin fever is a real thing. So is my caffeine addiction. So I went out... to Starbucks, to Back Bay Yoga, and to Border Cafe for frozen strawberry margaritas with Z and B. Because when Boston is a frozen tundra, it makes sense to drink frozen tequila. Right? Right.

On Saturday, it warmed up so we decided to go about our usual Saturday business.

What Saturday business really means is produce shopping at Haymarket. But Haymarket was closed because of the weather, so we detoured to Russo's in Watertown. Russo's is wonderful. It has every kind of produce you might want. Did I need three kinds of lettuce? Nope. Did I buy three kinds of lettuce? Yep.

Somehow we got out of there without buying a Buddha's Hand. Thank goodness. Because what the hell would I have done with a Buddha's Hand?

What I bought: lettuce, zucchini, avocado, pears, pineapple, escarole, frisee, baby shiitakes, and a $10 wedge of Manchego cheese (Because it's all about balance, guys). Impulse buying, defined.

But it turns out that the frisee, the shiitakes, and the cheese play nice together. They make a quick, warm salad. So I don't feel so bad about my shopping. And having lunch at home (because it is SO cold out there) is looking pretty good.

Frisee Salad with Warm Shiitakes and Manchego

3 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 cup frisee, diced, at room temperature
1 cup baby shiitakes, cleaned
Manchego cheese, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute the shiitakes about 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine white wine vinegar and the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and toss the frisee with the dressing. Top the frisee with the shiitakes and the Manchego. Serves one.

A Weekend Away, A World Apart

I spent the weekend taking photos of firepits. There are so many firepits in Denver. And everytime I saw one, I took a photo and texted the specs to M ("This one is gas operated!"). I want a firepit. I don't know where we'll put it. I really don't. But I want one.

Maybe I'll publish a book of firepit photos. I'll call it Real Firepits of Colorado. I am seriously in love with firepits. Seriously.

I love what firepits mean. They mean hiking the mountains and then going to a brewery for a beer. They mean sitting outside, all bundled up, fireside. In Denver, the mountains are omnipresent and being outside is natural. We don't have firepits in Boston and we don't have that life either. Sure, we run outside and some of us row or kayak on the Charles, but we don't get really really REALLY outside. And most of us hate winter. We hate it a lot.

There are so many places to visit. And so many lives to live. And the life in Denver? It's a beautiful one.

I flew back to Boston today. The afternoon light of a Northeastern sunset filtered through the plane windows and, as we descended, the sun was a glowing pink orb hovering just above the horizon line. It became dark quickly. When my cab popped out of the tunnel, all of the downtown city lights were spread out against the sky like twinkly stars.

And I thought: Home is a pretty great place too. Home is a pretty great life too.

Five Things

1. My new neon peach Wunder Unders. They are neon and I love them. I guess it's the season of black yoga leggings, but I wear white after Labor Day and I wear neon yoga leggings year round.

2. La Bayadere at the Boston Ballet. It's an incredibly dramatic performance, though, at two hours and forty-five minutes, it does run long. But the costumes and scenery are visually lush (think draped silks, sequins, and highly saturated colors), so it stays engaging.

3. Phantogram. And when this song plays during yoga class. Class was full of twists, half moon, twisted half moon, and warrior three. Hard stuff. But sometimes the right song plays at the right time and it all comes together.

4. Dia de los Muertos at Taza Chocolate. Never have I ever celebrated Dia de los Muertos... before last weekend. We ate fish tacos, drank Mexican coke, and tried every kind of chocolate. My favorite was the Vanilla Chocolate Mexicano. The bourbon vanilla makes it smooth and sweet.

All dressed up for the occasion.

5. Last weekend. Halloween weekend and the Red Sox parade coincided and it was as if the entire city of Boston decided to rage. Sometimes Boston has just got to celebrate, you know? It was a weekend for the books.

Boston Strong

Tonight, I sat on my couch, refreshed ESPN, and scrolled through tweets (I don't have cable TV). When the Sox won, I got a little teary. The last time I sat on my couch and cried for Boston was the afternoon of the Boston Marathon bombings. This time, I'm just exceptionally happy for Boston.

I hear helicopters over Boston. I'm guessing that they are from local media outlets. The last time I heard this many helicopters was the day of the citywide lockdown. This time, we're celebrating.

Boston is its own species of city and we Bostonians are our own species of human being. We were always proud, always stubborn, always tough. But now? Proud doesn't even begin to describe it. We've had a hell of a year and, now, here we are with another World Series championship.

Boston Strong, tonight and every night.

Will Run For Sunsets, Will Run For Boston

I ran tonight. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. I'll go ahead and tell you right now: I didn't take any photos. Because I was running.

I ran up and down Storrow and Memorial, back and forth across the Mass Ave Bridge and the Craigie Drawbridge. It was cold, it was clear, and the sky was lit up dusty blue at sunset. And as I crossed the Mass Ave Bridge, I looked over my shoulder at Boston.

It was as if the heavens had reached down and swathed Boston in light.

From the Prudential Tower to Government Center, there was a halo of golden pink light. The Charles reflected the pink and the water turned mauve.  There were little clusters of sailboats too, but from far away all I could see were bright white triangular sails skimming the water's surface.

Sometimes, I love this city fiercely, like Big Papi last spring at Fenway:

But more often, I love this city quietly. I love this city not with my words, but with my soul. I love this city everyday. I love this city most of all when I'm running by myself, the wind pushing me forward, the sunset lighting the way.

Sunday: Brunch, Boats, and Bars

We went to brunch this morning at Catalyst. I chose it purely based on proximity to Harvard Square and the Head of the Charles Regatta. I also chose it because this is on the menu:

Banana bread with peanut butter Nutella. I was all kinds of hungry and tired. These carbs, plus coffee, made me feel human again.

I had the breakfast burrito, stuffed with fresh salsa, pulled chicken, and avocado. Zero complaints. Zero. And it came with these potatoes. Beautiful, aren't they?

The potatoes are not that big in real life. I blame the zoom button on my camera.

I was over breakfast potatoes long ago. However, these potatoes are game-changing. Butter. salt. pepper. A little parsley. Oh yeah. And would you just look at that cute little cast-iron pan?

The restaurant itself is super cool: It's a big, light-filled space with mid century modern chairs and a two-way fireplace. I thought the glass light fixtures were abstract representations of grapes, until I realized that they are atomic chains. That makes a lot more sense. Can you tell that I wasn't a chemistry major?

After brunch, we walked to Harvard Square and found a spot to sit. And sit we did. The view was good and the weather was even better.

When I got home hours later, I had only a few things on my to-do list. Put pajamas on. Watch the Real Housewives of Orange Country. And, for my 6am pre-workout snack tomorrow morning, make another round of Super Bars. This time, they're gingersnap. A 1/4 teaspoon of ginger brings a kick and the sliced almonds make the bars a little crunchy. I know I'm supposed to save them for tomorrow morning. But I'm going to sneak a bite anyway.

Gingersnap Super Bars

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup tightly packed pitted unsweetened dates 
3 heaping tablespoons nut butter (I used Justin's Almond Butter)

Mix the coconut, almonds, and spices.

Grind the dates in a food processor or coffee grinder for 30 seconds or until they form a rough paste (I grind the dates a 1/4 cup at a time). Add the date paste to the coconut mixture. Then add the nut butter tablespoon by tablespoon, mixing well with your hands. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs and should be very sticky to the touch.

Press the mixture into a glass pan lined with aluminum foil or into a foil disposable pan (I like the loaf pan size). Smooth the top and refrigerate at least two hours. 

Cruisin Down the Coast Goin' Bout 99 (Route 1, Summer, and Sol Bean)

As far as I'm concerned, everyone should take themselves on a drive up Route 1, play 101.7 so loudly it drowns out Google Maps, steer with one arm, and dance with the other.

Lana Del Rey kept playing today. I didn't mind. On an Indian summer kind of day, driving somewhere I'd never gone before, it seemed right. You know, DJs used to play Will Smith's Summertime when the weather got warm. Now they play Summertime Sadness.

One summer ago, I spent a lot of time on Route 1, going up to Revere Beach or the North Shore. For me, it's impossible to be on that road and not think of summer. With the sun streaming through the car windows and a smoothie to look forward to, I could still pretend that it was summer today.

At Sol Bean in Middleton, I got a Tropical Colada smoothie (coconut water, pineapple, spinach, mango, and coconut butter), plus an Athena quinoa bowl with chicken. The smoothie was so good. It was green and refreshing and it tasted like straight up pineapple. Best parts of the quinoa bowl? A seriously ample portion of hummus (totally beat the chicken for flavor) plus warm quinoa. The menu is huge and I would happily try another smoothie (maybe the Purple Rain next time).

I sat outside on the porch. Yeah, the porch overlooks Route 114. But at least it's a pretty part of 114 (green leaves, green hills, and cows) and I was happy to be outside.

When it was time to leave, I got in my car and turned the volume to low. I had to pay attention to get back to Route 1 and I got confused. But as soon as I was back on Route 1, it was a straight shot to Boston. So the music came back on.

What Kind of Wednesday Is It?

It's the kind of Wednesday...

When I put it all on the line in an early morning workout at Harvard Stadium. I'm pretty sure the stadium is covered in my sweat. (Too graphic? Sorry.)

When I'm one of the first customers at Trident Booksellers (so peaceful on a weekday morning!) and I buy this:

Source: www.roughguides.com

And then I buy these. What can I say? 'Tis (preemptively) the season, y'all. (Also let's talk about my pink nail polish and gold bracelets and the pink/gold holiday cards. I did not do that on purpose.)

When a hot pink sports bra is the basis on which my outfit is built. (No photo. Come on. What kind of girl do you think I am?).

When my afternoon coffee break and escape from percentages/clauses/dollar signs turns into an afternoon Life Alive break. That there is the Coconut Alive.

What kind of Wednesday is yours?

Monday Night on Someone's Stoop

I'm walking home from a meeting. I'm detouring to pick up sushi takeout (naturally) and talking to J on the phone (naturally). I get my sushi and now I'm almost home, but I know that I'll lose reception the minute I walk in the door. So I borrow someone's stoop and I sit, with my trench coat in my lap. I eat my tuna and California rolls and I talk with J about IPOs and consumer goods and equity and employer-sponsored MBAs.

This makes sense, I think. Because why would I go inside? It's a beautiful Boston night. It's a great night to talk business with one of my favorite people in the world and eat some sushi.