Bundled Up

It was 38 degrees when I woke up this morning. WTF Mother Nature?!?! It's only October 15th. Boston's average temperature at this time of the year is 62. To make things worse, the water turned ice cold halfway through my shower. I had another cup of Boston Common Coffee Co.'s Breakfast Blend to get the chill out of my bones. We grind the beans just before we brew it. Smells great and the coffee tastes fresh!

I normally use Equal to sweeten my coffee. I am down to my last 2 packets and I'd like to switch over to something healthier and more natural. Any suggestions?

~What do you use to sweeten your coffee?~

I had to break out the winter gear for my commute to work. No gloves though...and the steering wheel was ice cold for the first 5 minutes of driving!

Always taking the lazy route, I made a package of Raisins, Walnuts, and Spice Quaker instant oatmeal. I sprinkled blueberry flax seed on top. I am becoming such a flax enthusiast that I need to buy another bag soon, possibly in a different flavor.

Continuing the oatmeal theme of the morning, I snacked on a Luna bar. I'm still really cold so I'm warming my hands in front of my space heater in between typing. I'm already craving a warm bowl of soup for lunch. And dreading the yard work that needs to get done later today!

Brisk Morning

~How do you stay warm as the weather gets colder?!?!~

It was so chilly this morning. I didn't want to leave the warmth of my down comforter to shower and get ready for work. I had a cup of coffee right away. Boston Common Coffee Co.'s Breakfast Blend is ok. I feel like I'm in the mood for something flavored and seasonal. We go through bags of beans pretty quickly so I'll opt for something else in a week or two.

I think I was still wearing my glasses when I photographed my coffee. My prescription is too weak so I didn't even realize that the photo was blurry. Time to make an appointment with the eye doctor!

I was so hungry when I got to work so I dug into my breakfast as soon as I sat down at my desk. I'm usually loyal to Chobani but Stonyfield Farm Oikos was the only Greek yogurt at Shaws when I did my last grocery shopping. It was good. I think I'd like to try more flavors. I know I bought strawberry Oikos but this blueberry one was the last container left. I bet Jared ate the rest!

Self-portrait as I worked away the morning and snacked on an apple. I have a huge project to finish by Thanksgiving so I'd better get going...

Columbus Day

I made a Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie for breakfast with...

• 1 frozen banana
• 2 tablespoons of blueberry flax seed
• 1 cup of vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup of milk
  
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of jelly
• 1 ice cube
  

In a few gulps, it was completely gone. Tasted just like the sandwich, but colder and without any bread. I loved it! The jelly added just the right amount of sweetness and the banana made it thicker and more filling.

It took a few hours of lounging, blogging, and cleaning the apartment before I got showered and ready for the day.

I had a leftover piece of pizza for lunch, and a few vanilla wafers that I didn't bother photographing.

Jared brought Chris's heat lamp to our apartment. Chris is moving to PA so we inherited it. Hopefully it will come in handy at our backyard party next weekend. It's supposed to be cold. I did some raking and planning for yard work that needs to happen later in the week.

We took the T to Haymarket and walked to the North End. Polcari's was closed so we had to look elsewhere for coffee options.

We went a few stores down and grabbed beans and fresh cups of coffee from Boston Common Coffee Co. I tried the North End blend. It was a little too strong for my taste. I'm hoping the Breakfast Blend we brought home will be more to my liking.

I convinced Jared to walk home. It was a crisp day, but it was nice to be out and about. Plus it helped to move around and shake off some of the soreness from the 1/2 marathon yesterday. I'm not in any pain, but Jared has been complaining that his knees are bothering him.

The Boston Common looked pretty in the autumn light.

Jared had to photograph this crazy little skeleton that appears as road graffiti around Boston. Anyone who walks around the city should know what I'm talking about. It's a robot-skeleton looking creature. I've seen it in several crosswalks including this one near the Common and another along Comm Ave. I don't know who makes it or why it's there. Anyone have any ideas?

Jared and I went out for dinner at Giacomo's South End location. We both ordered a glass of Pinot Noir and enjoyed a few pieces of bread dipped in olive oil.

We split a Caprese salad as an appetizer. After walking past all of the Italian places when I was in the North End, I was craving some fresh mozzarella.

I ordered the gnocchi for my entree. It was stuffed with goat cheese and red peppers, and served in a red sauce with chicken, spinach, and tomatoes. It was beyond delicious! I wish we had gone here to fill up on carbs before the race. Mmmm, pasta heaven!

Jared ordered the squid ink papardelle with swordfish and tuna. He didn't leave any leftovers so I'm guessing it was good. (Our table was in the middle of the restaurant and the lighting was very dim. My pictures don't look that great, but the food looked, smelled, and most importantly, tasted amazing!)

As the day's final ode to Fall, Jared and I split a piece of pumpkin cheesecake. I liked the simple way it was served, and loved the real pumpkin flavor. Nothing artificially sweet about it!

Giacomo's is cash only, so it's not always the easiest option. But it was where Jared and I went on our first date and it was nice to revisit for some cozy Italian dining.