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.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

I bought some new shampoos and conditioner yesterday. I tried the CHI Infra Shampoo this morning and then used a small squirt of CHI Silk Infusion while I was drying my hair. Even on this rainy day, my hair feels nice and smooth. I blow dried it but I didn't use my straightening iron so I'm surprised that the frizz did not set in.

I had 3 small slices of Apple-ana bread for breakfast. Please excuse the butter substitute on top of each slice. I don't remember what brand it is, but it was leftover from the boyfriend's fridge before we moved, and I'm trying to use the last of it before buying something that I think is healthier.

I didn't get a photo balancing on the edge of the tub in my heels yesterday morning. But rest assured that I did an outfit check before I left, and then safely photographed it at work.

I was more daring today, but had to grab the curtain rod just in case! We need a new mirror ASAP.

By the time I left for work, it was POURING. I hydroplaned and crashed my car about a year and a half ago. I still get really nervous driving in torrential rain storms. I was very cautious today because parts of the street had huge puddles and I didn't want to lose traction.

During my safe commute, I sipped on Pecan Rum ice coffee that had been sitting in the fridge for several days. We're still out of milk so I used soy milk. I was quite impressed that the coffee still tasted great. I've never tried it with soy milk before, but it ended up being a good decision. The last of the Polcari's Pecan Rum coffee gave me a nice caffeine kick to start my day.

PB & Oats

All of the big-time bloggers use nearly empty jars of peanut butter as bowls for their oatmeal. I decided to make a small portion of stove top oats and give it a try.

My mix included:

• 1/2 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
• 1/2 banana
• Maple Syrup
• Sprinkle of Cinnamon

I was much happier cutting the serving size in half. This mix was delicious and so filling. Even with a smaller amount of oatmeal, I still had trouble finishing the whole bowl. It's been over 2 hours since I ate breakfast and I am still full. So different from when I eat cereal and then end up snacking by mid-morning!

I tried an ice version of the Pecan Rum coffee. I burnt the top of my mouth eating the oatmeal so it was soothing to my palate. I love drinking coffee on the way to work. It's a relaxing distraction from traffic and it decreases my road rage!

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear! Yeah, I'm waiting at a red light by the Pru and the Christian Science Center.

Start Your Engines

Jared brewed our new Pecan Rum coffee. It made the whole apartment smell yummy.

When I went outside with the dog, I found the world's tiniest snail crawling on our deck. Aww! Look at the little guy!

I made French Toast for breakfast. I mixed 1 egg, milk, and a bit of cinnamon together, and then dipped 3 pieces of wheat bread in the mixture.

Topped with some warm berries and syrup. Amazingly delicious!

The Polcari's Coffee was SO good. The flavor wasn't as strong as the smell, which was a good thing. I don't like flavored coffee that is too sweet and overwhelming.

We watched last night's SNL while enjoying cups of coffee.

Once we're done digesting it's going to be time for a RUN.

Picture Perfect Day

Jared was in charge of making lunch while I was getting ready to go. He prepared turkey sandwiches with Wheat Thins, baby carrots, and apple slices.

We walked from the South End to the waterfront. It was such a nice day. I felt bad that we were heading inside but for desserts, I made the sacrifice.

Tasty treats, this way!!!

I was in love with the leopard print wrapping around these cupcakes. So cute! I am definitely having cupcakes at my wedding someday!

Pretty flowers to add to the atmosphere.

Wedding cake with slices for sampling

Chocolate fondue provided by the Melting Pot

We walked to the North End and wandered into Polcari's Coffee. Such a cute and old school shop. They're cash only so I'll hit the ATM before I head back there.

We bought 0.5 pounds of Pecan Rum flavored beans. It smells like heaven and I can't wait til tomorrow morning to brew it! I wanted to try the Pumpkin flavored coffee but they had JUST sold out. There are tons of tasty flavors to pick from so I'll be back to sample more.

Cute silverware in the sidewalk...only in the North End where there's an Italian restaurant every 50 feet.

We walked past Haymarket where there were lots of fresh fruits and vegetables for sale.

There was a charity bike race in Government Center. Pat the Patriot was there for the mascot race. We met up with Chris, Mark, and Maggie to enjoy the festivities.

Mascots lined up and ready to go!

The men's race started around 5. The riders did 0.7 mile laps for about 90 minutes. Some of the turns were really tight, and really scary to stand on the corners and watch.

We got bored and cold after watching for 30 minutes so we walked to The Living Room for dinner and drinks. I started with a glass of Blue Moon.

Then I dined on macaroni and cheese and a side salad. Mmmm!

On the walk home, the guys started arguing over who could ID beers in a blind taste test. So we decided to create our own.

They were blindfolded and sampled glasses of Coors Light, Miller Light, and Bud Light. Jared was the winner, getting all 3 correct. Mark and Chris didn't get any right. Sorry guys; maybe next time!

We're all hanging out and watching the Penn State/Iowa game.

So obviously Jared and I didn't go for a short run like we had planned. More proof that we're not morning people. We ran out of time and then just needed to get to the Dessert Showcase. I'd like to think we made up for it by walking around all afternoon and by sampling much fewer desserts than we planned. (FYI, I think I had 1 cupcake, 1 bite of cake, iced coffee, 1 chocolate covered strawberry, and 1 bite of a coconut brownie bar)

We're definitely going running tomorrow. The weather will determine whether we do our 8 mile training run or a quick 3 miler. If it's crappy and we only run 3, we're going to have to do a long run sometime during the week.