Tag Archives: dinner

My Love-Hate Relationship with Running

I mostly have a love-love relationship with running, but even the best relationships hit rocky points, right?

Towards the end of marathon training, I was feeling equal parts burnt out and in love with running.

Since the marathon, I’ve wanted to run and I’ve wanted to run fast, but my legs have had other ideas, like staying nice and slow and working out all the remaining lactic acid and…stuff.

This morning, I had plans to meet up with Gia and some of her friends to knock out 6-7 miles—which definitely would have been my longest post-marathon run. I ended up screwing around in my apartment for too long, and left too late to meet her, so I did my own thing, which ended up being running to Columbus Circle, up to 77th Street, then east and through the park back to Columbus Circle and back home for just about 5 miles.

 

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It was around 40 degrees when I started out, but after about 5 minutes, I warmed up and started feeling great. I think I’m almost fully recovered.

We’re back to love-love.

 

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This photo is mostly a note to self: a long-sleeved top and running tights are perfect for me for 40ish degrees.

I came home and got ready and came out to NJ—my baby cousin’s christening is tomorrow, and I had some errands to run out here, so I came out today.

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What do you think of this red lipstick? I’m still getting used to it. This is a big step for me—I usually just do some sort of gloss. (Also, you’re obviously supposed to have some sort of pensive look like this on if you’re wearing red lipstick.)

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I can make these scallops just like my mom does, but I like when she makes them, so I usually wait until I come home for them. I also made some roasted balsamic Brussels, but I think I didn’t let them roast long enough, because they weren’t very crispy…or really very good.

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But this salad was—walnuts, cranberries and goat cheese over spinach.

Good luck to everyone running Brooklyn and Philly tomorrow!!!

Treating Myself

As a single, unemployed, busy girl who lives alone, cooking involved meals is not usually one of my top priorities. Fast and easy is my bag. (FOR MY FOOD. Mind out of the gutter.)

But for some reason, I wanted to make myself something nice last night. Maybe I was inspired by the Food Network event, but I wanted to make myself a nice meal.

Scallops are one of my favorite foods and something I know I can easily cook without ruining, so I stopped to pick up some scallops on the way home.

I didn’t have a recipe in mind, so I searched my Google Reader when I got home. I don’t follow anyone who makes super-fancy, complicated meals all the time, so I knew I could probably follow any recipe I would find in my reader.

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I found this great orange-glazed scallop recipe from Kath and decided to give it a try.

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Ah, yes. This is why I am a lazy chef. I hate cleaning up the kitchen after I cook.

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I cooked the scallops in butter and then set out to make the sauce. I didn’t have red peppers, so I used grape tomatoes instead. What? They’re still red. I also used chardonnay instead of vignonet.

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I also made a batch of couscous and grilled some asparagus in my grill pan, and I had a lovely little dinner.

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This little guy was no help. He just monkeyed around while I was cooking and cleaning.

All kidding aside, cooking this relatively easy, but still nice, dinner was such a great little pick-me-up last night and really wasn’t any harder than making a bunch of veggies, a protein and throwing it over a carb and calling it a stir fry or pasta.

Today I’m at a social media for nonprofits conference for Junior League. I’ll let you know if I learn anything good.

Also, you might want to check out a piece I wrote for Brazen Careerist about five unexpected ways losing 50 pounds is helping my job search.

What do you want to know about social media? Junior League? Bailey? Do you cook nice dinners if it’s just you or do you just make some lazy-girl version? (I really never realized what a nice pick-me-up a decent diner I made for myself could be.)