When I got up yesterday morning to attend my yoga class, I didn’t think anything was different.  I shut the alarm off, washed up and got dressed for class.  But when I walked out to the street where I have parked my car every day and night for the past four years, I noticed something.  Actually, I should say that I didn’t notice something.  My car was nowhere to be found on the street.  I walked up and down the sidewalk frantically looking for my car, trying to figure out if I had left it elsewhere.  As I began sweating and my heart was racing, I realized that the last place I parked my car (and the last time I saw my car) was at the very exact space where I was standing.  And there was not a trace of it to be found.

(I took this pic this morning, not yesterday when I noticed it was stolen.  This is where my car is usually parked on the street, but today there was nothing…)

I turned around to walk back to my house in a frantic state.  Who would want my car?!  It’s over 10 years old, isn’t flashy, isn’t fast and certainly wasn’t the nicest car on the street.  So who would have wanted to take it?  I felt so sick and so wronged.  Tears started filling my eyes as I dialed the police department’s phone number.  However, I had to be re-directed about three times before actually reaching someone who could tell me about my car.  I was informed that I had to find out if it had been towed before I could actually report it as being stolen.  Was I supposed to know this?!  All I knew was that it was gone, that it wasn’t illegally parked and I didn’t have any outstanding or unpaid violations.  So just where in the heck was my car?!  The third person I spoke to was kind enough to look up my license plate to see if it had been picked up or found by their department.  Sure enough, my car was towed on Sunday evening, about 40 minutes after I had parked it for the night.  Instead of being in Boston, my car was now about four cities over, just sitting there idle in a tow yard.  Yessirree, my car was gone in less than 60 minutes from when I safely parked it.  WOW.  I couldn’t believe it.

Image Credit – carinsurancequotes4all.com

This is what I imagine happened to my car, since the window was never broken…

The pleasant gentleman at the tow yard informed me that my car was involved in a hit and run in the same city as  where the tow yard was located.  Apparently, the person who stole my car, didn’t know how to drive it and hit a parked car.  Naturally, he fled the scene on foot before he could be caught.  The owner of the parked car called the police to report the hit and run and that is when my car was towed.  Needless to say, my car was now broken into, involved in an accident, towed away and pretty damaged.  Zoinks!

Ouch!

My poor car…

The passenger side mirror is gone, too…

Look at the ignition just hanging there…

Take a look at how far back the driver’s seat is…It’s no wonder the thief crashed my car.  How could he see?

At least the thief left me my car parts…

And my American flag…

And if my day wasn’t already fun-filled enough, my next step was to go to the police station to report my car as being stolen.  I’m not sure if I looked as if I was the criminal or if the people at the front desk were having a bad day, but I was treated as if I wasn’t telling the truth.  Because my car was stolen from one city, was then involved in an accident and found in another city, my story was a bit too complicated for them to comprehend.  Finally, I must have broken through to the two ladies because they believed me and my paperwork started getting processed.  But before that was completed, I was asked, “why do you have an American first name and a Chinese/Japanese last name?”  And then I was asked, “why are Asians mostly short, small and on the skinny side?”  And finally I was asked, “why do Asians like to drive cars like Hondas and Toyotas?”  I didn’t feel like answering any of this woman’s questions, but I really didn’t have a choice.  I was at her mercy and just wanted this process to be over.  After over an hour of time, I was finally set free.  Not only was my car stolen and I felt violated, but over an hour of my time was robbed from me and I felt violated once again with the treatment I received at the police station.

Image Credit – cafepress.com

All in all, it wasn’t the best of days.  However, it certainly wasn’t the worst by any stretch.  I wasn’t hurt, no one was hurt in the accident, my car was recovered and it can be repaired.  Patrick was able to help me today during my adventure at the police station and was there when I completely freaked out at home this morning.  While a material possession such as my car was taken from me, the things that matter the most were not.  I still had a safe home to come back to and the support of my husband (and family – thank you Michelle, Dad and Mom for listening and making me laugh!).  When I was at the police station, I heard calls coming in for incidents involving assault, a restraining order and a gun shot wound, and I even heard someone loudly screaming in the background as they were getting booked.  My car being stolen seemed quite trivial in comparison to some of the other issues that were going on around me.  And while today won’t go down in the books as a happy day, it’s definitely a memorable one, and one from which I will learn.  Being able to find the lesson or the moral in a ‘not-so-pleasant’ situation is something I like to do.  It helps to remind me that life is never perfect and is constantly teaching us, if we are willing to learn.  And this is something that can never be taken away from me.

Do you have an alarm on your car?  I know people who don’t even lock their car doors.  Do you use one of those steering wheel locks?  I’m thinking I need to get one…

Namasté,
Nicole

From reading most of your posts (sorry, I’m still so behind in my blog reading!), it appears that you had happy, fun, festive and relaxing New Year’s Eves and New Year’s Days.  Happy, happy everyone!

Much like many of you, I also had a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration.  While Patrick and I in recent years have spent New Year’s Eve in a more low-key fashion, this New Year’s Eve was a bit different and a lot more special.  Our close friends, Matt and Laura, were moving to Italy on New Year’s Day and because New Year’s Eve would be their last official night in Boston (until they move back to the States, which hopefully, will be soon), we decided to live it up and celebrate the birth of the new year with our friends at a local bar.  I can’t think of a better way to end a year and start a new one than one being surrounded by the love and good spirit of friends.

Apparently, we were the first to start our New Year’s Eve partying at The Living Room, the North End bar where we decided would be the best place to usher in 2010.  When we walked in, the bar was festively decorated with an ice sculpture, balloons, party hats and noise makers and lotsa champagne!  I guess it’s good that we arrived early since the place was empty and I was able to take some good pictures (the things bloggers seem to appreciate, huh?).

Nothing says ‘party’ like helium-filled balloons!

A fully stocked bar…

Fancy hats and noise makers!

Cool, huh (get it?)

Actually, I changed my mind.  Nothing says ‘party’ like champagne!

Within a few short minutes, all of our friends had arrived, as well as our guests of honor.  Then, it was really time to PAR-TAY!  Everyone was dressed to the nines and had their party faces on.  I think when it’s New Year’s Eve, people tend to be in a more footloose and fancy-free mindset and because it was our last night with Matt and Laura, we all had on our party shoes tied on tightly (some more so than others!).

The Italy-bound Matt and Laura

Hey Bud!

Carolyn and Greg – 1st New Year’s Eve together!

Mrs. and Mr. Healthy Chow

Carolyn, Sabrina and Laura – looking fierce!

Troy and Patrick

Me and Toni (what a cute mommy-to-be!)

The music took awhile to actually come on.  I guess the DJ was having issues with his equipment (TWHS!)?  Kinda lame since it was New Year’s Eve and who has a party without music?!  But once the tunes started playing, our party elevated to a whole new level.  I saw some dance moves and party faces that I haven’t seen in a long time.  It’s a good thing I had my camera because they definitely needed to be captured!

What’s so funny?

Greg and Carla

Looks like a serious conversation to me…

Sister-in-laws Lauren and Laura – strike a pose!

Newlyweds Mark and Jen

Another set of sister-in-laws!

Miss New Year 2010!

I can’t even comment…

Don’t worry, I didn’t give anyone the cold shoulder – hahaha!

Lauren and Troy working the dance floor!

Gettin’ silly…

And finally, we get to see Patrick’s patented dance move…

As you can see, the night was a blast!  While we partied the night away, said goodbye to 2009 and welcomed 2010 with open arms, it was bittersweet seeing our friends all together and knowing that that night was the last time we’d be seeing Matt and Laura in Boston for some time.  Don’t get me wrong, we definitely had our fair share of laughs and giggles (actually, some had more than their fair share…).  But, the end of the night did involve some tears (yes, I am a big cry baby!) and long hugs.  It’s never easy for me to say goodbye to anything – whether it be to go back home after a fun-filled vacation, a relative living out-of-state, a pair of my favorite beat-up shoes, an old year or dear friends moving abroad.  And while most of my tears have dried from that night, my heart still aches even as I am writing this post.  However, the beginning of a new year is the beginning of a new chapter in life for everyone.  I know Matt, Laura and their daughter, Giulia will have a wonderful life in Italy, just like there are plenty of wonderful of things on the horizon for me.  I’m excited for the prospect of what’s to come; it makes embracing 2010 that much easier.  And looking backwards or wishing for the past, is never really the healthiest way to live.  That said, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year and will keep the memories of 2009 safely in my mind and heart.

Good luck Matt, Laura and Giulia!  We all love you and miss you already!

What are you looking forward to most in the new year?  Did you have a happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day?

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you ever get up and just have one of those mornings?  A morning that consists of you quickly slamming that snooze button more than a few times, but then slowly crawling out of bed because you know you just have to?  I think I managed to get about 6.5 hours of sleep last night but instead of going to bed with an empty stomach, I went to bed full.  Bad Healthy Chow, bad girl (she slaps herself on the wrist)! In fact, I ate so much that I woke up full.  Yeah, not good. You would think that that would have motivated me to jump out of my warm sheets and get my sweat on, but I even considered pulling the blankies over my head and sleeping until my fullness and general yuckiness dissipated.

Image Source – plaisirssimples.blogspot.com

This would be me if I were a golden retriever (Hi Colby!)

But then I heard a voice.  It was this little voice inside my head that kept me from closing my eyelids again.  Actually, I think it was Morgan’s voice (even though I don’t have a clue as to what Morgan’s voice sounds like) and she was telling me “remember in every situation, you have a choice.”  The other night when I was ‘meeting’ new bloggers, I came across Morgan’s post and it really resonated with me.  We can choose to be happy or unhappy, we can choose to work through all the pain and discomfort to get to the bliss, we can choose to be healthy or unhealthy and we can choose to make it a great day or just a day.  Yes, my dear bloggies, we have the power to make that choice!

Image Credit – thevoiceforschoolchoice.wordpress.com

So, with Morgan’s voice in my head and the sun shining through my window telling me to get the heck up, I shut off my alarm clock and got up.  I made that choice. I got dressed and made my way out the door for my morning yoga class.  And then I was greeted with so much traffic that I thought the cast of New Moon was somehow standing in the middle of  Commonwealth Avenue causing this major ruckus.  Nope. It was just the usual morning traffic jam that’s been going on for the past couple of months due to some sort of ‘necessary’ construction.  I moved about a foot in distance in about 15 minutes, and I was getting heated (which was a good thing since my car was not).  And then I remembered again that I had a choice.  Should I get angry and annoyed or choose to make the most out of my situation?  I chose the latter.  Here is how I kept myself preoccupied…and don’t worry, the car was definitely NOT moving!

Finally, I arrived at the yoga studio and made it just in time for class.  The class was packed with yogis needing as much de-stressing and detoxing as me, but together, with the guidance of our teacher, I managed to have one of the best classes I’ve had in quite some time.  I felt great!  However, I didn’t feel so hot (lame pun intended) at the beginning of class.  I kept thinking about all the food I had eaten the night before and why I can’t break this bad habit, and then I chose to let those negative and unhelpful thoughts go.  I focused on my breath and on feeling better and that is exactly what happened.  I felt better!  Just like I had to make my way through all that morning traffic to get to the studio and I had to drag myself out of my cocoon of a bed to get myself out the door, I felt better after I worked my body and mind through the ‘gunk’ that was inside of me.

So what are you going to choose today?  What decision will you make, big or small, to make it an extraordinary day versus just an ordinary day?

Image Credit – fotolog.com

Random Question: Do you wake up with an alarm clock?  Or, are you one of those amazing people that can wake up with their internal alarm clock?  If you’re like me and need an actual clock, do you wake up with music or with an alarm?

Namasté,
Nicole

Back for some more New York City action, huh?  Well, I can’t blame you!  In yesterday’s post, I gave you the lowdown on our first day and night in the big city.  Boy, did we have a great time!  We checked into our lovely and fabulously located hotel, we had a quick and delicious lunch at Cranberry Café, we witnessed the grandeur that Times Square has to offer and we enjoyed a laugh-filled dinner at Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant.  But that was just the tip of the iceberg! Thank goodness, we all got our much needed beauty rest.

After getting a good night’s sleep in preparation for our Sunday celebratory festivities, we were refreshed and had a full tank of gas, just rearing to go.  With our breakfast scheduled at 9:30am, I knew we had to be up by no later than 8am to get our day started.  However, I’m not sure if it was the cool temperature in our hotel room or the fact that I was electrified by the fact that we were in the New York, but I was wide awake at 7am (that’s not a normal thing without an alarm clock for Healthy Chow).  Patrick must have been on the same sleeping pattern as me, because he was also ready to greet the day before the alarm went off.  That said, we jumped into our workout clothes and made good use of the hotel’s fitness center.

The Millennium Broadway Hotel’s fitness center was pretty impressive.  There were two separate areas to work out in: one was for weights and weight training and the other was for cardio.  The gym was clean and had multiple televisions available for use.  Other than two other people, Patrick, David and I were the only ones in the gym.  It was great! No lines and no incessant yapping from other guests.  Plus, I got to stare at the tops of the New York City buildings as I was speedwalking and working up a good lather.  With a few yoga stretches, 25 minutes of speedwalking and regular walking on the treadmill and some cool down stretching, I was completely energized.  While I got a good workout in, I probably could have pushed myself further.  But, I also didn’t want to be tired (or sore) for the rest of the day.  My quick cardio session was just enough to get my blood pumping and to do some much needed detoxification.

Wow, it looks like we both worked up a good sweat!

After quickly showering and getting dressed, we only had a few moments to spare before it was breakfast time.  And this wasn’t just any ordinary breakfast, it was a special breakfast for a special girl.  In addition, breakfast wasn’t going to be served at just any ol’ restaurant, it was being held at a place that is undeniably, a little girl’s fantasy.  For Casey’s 5th birthday party, Lisa and David planned a breakfast at none other than American Girl Place.  I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but when we arrived, I was blown away.  To be able to see all the children so giddy with excitement and joy was truly endearing.  Plus, this place was amazing and huge! There were about four or five floors filled with shopping, activities for girls and their dolls, a restaurant and more shopping.  I could not believe how popular this store was – it was filled to the brim with families and dolls! Crazy!

Our breakfast destination!

Not only did the guest of honor, Casey, have a blast at her birthday party, but we all did as well.  The staff was hospitable, friendly and prompt.  In a large restaurant with so many customers, one usually expects and receives less-than-stellar service and not-so-great food.  This was the complete opposite!  Our main server, Anthony, couldn’t have been more accommodating and polite.  Plus, the menu offered more than ‘kid friendly’ options and everyone seemed quite pleased with their selections and the quality of the food.  The decorum of the dining area was also fantastic.  I felt like a doll living in a dollhouse or at least, a big (but not that big) little girl having her dreams come true.  As the conversation flowed, the coffee flowed and the good times and laughter were continuously being rolled out much like our hot breakfast entrées.  There were even souvenirs (a hair elastic with a hot pink bow) for all the guests and fun little conversational question cards available at the table.  It’s truly a blessing to be able to spend time with your family and to be able to be in the presence of such wonderful company.  I can only imagine the greatness that both Dan and Ellen felt just watching their family interact and have such a joyous time and knowing that this all stemmed from the love they created 40 years ago.

The guest of honor with her dolls

Taylor with her Papa

Taylor with Grammy

Who’s the bigger doll?

Everyone smile for the camera and say, “Healthy Chow!”

How’s that smoothie?

The American Girl Breakfast Menu

My Breakfast: Eggs Benedict Florentine - poached eggs served with wilted spinach and English muffin topped with hollandaise sauce (I had mine on the side) and accompanied by home-style potatoes and fresh fruit

Flower Power Pancakes with Fresh Bananas and Whipped Cream – served with fresh fruit and sausage links (and some Country Breakfast Eggs)

Country Breakfast - scrambled eggs with home-style potatoes, onions, sausage and peppers topped with cheddar cheese and served with a side of avocado, salsa and sour cream

Classic French Toast – topped with warm apples and cinnamon fresh fruit kabob, served with a side of apple wood smoked bacon and maple syrup

Chocolate Mousse Flowerpot with Butterfly Cookie

The whole gang

Question: Who would you want to trade places with for one day?  Why?

Taylor’s Answer: “I pick you, Nicole, because you’re a lot of fun and you look like a teenager.  For real!”

Too much!

Once breakfast was over, the gang broke free to explore the rest of American Girl Place.  While the little ladies got their shopping on, I managed to check things out and get a lay of the land.  Holy moly, words can’t describe the magnitude of this place.  If you have an American Girl doll, this is the place to go for your doll.  There is everything and anything you could possibly want or need here for your American Girl.  I think both Taylor and Casey were more than happy with their purchases.

An hour and a half?!

The Doll Hair Salon

After getting back to the hotel to drop off our purchases, we freshened up and decided to make a trip to the Empire State Building.  While most of the group was in on visiting this tourist attraction, some decided to make good use of the amazing weather and make a visit to Central Park.  Since my MIL and I love shopping and enjoy each other’s company (we share the same sense of humor!), we decided to branch off from the group and have some mother-in-law and daughter-in-law time.  We ventured off and hit some of the nearby shops as the rest of the group made the trip to the top of the Empire State Building.  Patrick was in the Empire State Building group and thus, became the interim photographer for my blog.  He did a pretty fancy job snapping some great pics.  Thanks Patrick!

By the time all of our tours were over, it was late in the afternoon.  But with our dinner reservation at 6:30pm, we had only a few moments to rest and recharge.  But when you’re in New York, who needs to rest, right?  For our final dinner and celebration in the big city, we decided to have dinner at the Italian restaurant, Becco (thanks for the recommendation, Billy!).  Becco was about a ten minute walk from our hotel, which was key since it was about 6:15pm by the time we left.  We made it just in time and with even a few minutes to spare! While we all congregated in front of the restaurant, we decided it was the perfect time to take a group photo. Don’t you love it when you can grab a complete stranger off the street and ask them to take a picture and it actually turns out well?

What a night to remember!

Becco’s menu was incredible! There were so many delectable sounding choices and quite fairly priced for a New York City restaurant.  After much deliberating both to myself and out loud, I finally chose the Pesce Spada (grilled swordfish paired with spaghetti squash, stewed cherry tomatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds & pumpkin seed oil).  It was divine and certainly had its fair portion of both vegetables and fish.  Not to mention the swordfish was grilled to perfection and the stewed cherry tomatoes were deliciously sweet.  While I originally thought I had ordered ‘the best’ entrée on the menu, I soon questioned my belief after sampling some of Patrick’s Sinfonia di Paste (Becco’s renowned unlimited table side service of Becco’s Chef’s Three Daily Pasta Preparations) and David’s Costolette di Maiale alla Maniera dello Chef (brined double cut pork chop grilled, topped with figs poached in Apianae & roasted fingerling potatoes), I soon realized that there was just more than one ‘best’ entrée at Becco.  Actually, everyone was more than thoroughly pleased with both the food and the service at this restaurant.  You really could not go wrong with any item ordered off the Becco menu.  Our waitress, Anne, was a pleasure and was gracious throughout our entire meal.  And while the food was excellent, the restaurant itself was quite charming as well.  It had a rustic feel and almost felt like a North End restaurant with it’s exposed brick and close fitting dining area.

Our coat check tag and table reservation number from breakfast- both were 40, like Dan and Ellen’s anniversary!

Fresh mozzarella with roasted red peppers, toasted pine nuts & golden raisins

Fresh prosciutto

Caesar salad – very tasty but way too much dressing for my liking…

Now that’s a meatball!

Pesce Spada – Grilled swordfish paired with spaghetti squash, stewed cherry tomatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds & pumpkin seed oil

Costolette di Maiale alla Maniera dello Chef - Brined double cut pork chop grilled, topped with figs poached in Apianae & roasted fingerling potatoes

Sinfonia di Paste - Becco’s renowned unlimited table side service of Becco’s Chef’s Three Daily Pasta Preparations

Trancio di Salmone – Pan-seared salmon with braised cauliflower & extra virgin olive oil

Bistecca – Grilled Black Angus rib eye, dry-aged & rubbed with porcini mushrooms
with garlic mashed potatoes & seasonal vegetables

Of course, we had to have dessert!

Happy 40th Anniversary!

Once dinner was over, we made our way through Times Square once again to get one last look at the the city lights.  They were as bright as ever and the city was even more jammed with people than when we last saw it.  I saw a bunch of cameras and even brighter lights at the center of Times Square and people clamoring around as though there was something being filmed.  As we made our way over, I realized that it was Entertainment Tonight’s The Insider being filmed.  With my MIL, Ellen, being a huge fan of The View, as soon as I realized it was Star Jones sitting on stage, I just knew this would be one of the highlights of her trip.  Not only was Ellen excited to see Star, but she was even more thrilled to see that the guest anchor was none other than Levi Johnston! Ellen, I will have to admit, Levi was pretty cute!

Hey there!

Our trip to New York City was certainly a memorable one.  We shared as many laughs and smiles as we did bites of food and dessert.  When you’re in a special city celebrating occasions such as a wedding anniversary and a birthday with your entire family, everyone is lucky enough to receive a gift.  I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and to have been able to be a part of the New York trip.  It is sure to go down as one of my favorite family vacations.  And while we were able to see so many sights and do so many things in the city, there was one common theme that remained throughout and that was love.  Like the lights in Times Square that brighten up the sky morning, noon and night, and guide the city’s people, it is the love of family and the love between an extraordinary couple, like Dan and Ellen, that remains a constant and continues to fuel the fire of life.

What’s your favorite city you’ve ever visited?  Do you wish you could live there or would you rather keep it as a favorite vacation spot?

Namasté,
Nicole

Remember this guy?

Image Credits – www.bbc.co.uk

Well, I certainly do.  He might be a cartoon to most of you, but I think I married Sport Billy close to 3.5 years ago.  In Patrick’s world, sports might hold the number two spot in his heart (number one goes to me, obvi).  Patrick grew up playing and excelling in sports, his father, grandfather, siblings and other relatives were sports legends and now when we’re together as a family, one of the televisions is usually on ESPN’s SportsCenter.  Needless to say, I married into the world of sports.  But that’s fine by me.  I knew what I was getting into and now, I’ve just come to live with it.  If you can’t beat ‘em, might as well join ‘em, right?

A few weeks ago, Patrick surprised me with tickets to the Boston Celtics’ first pre-season home game.  I say he ’surprised’ me because I wasn’t expecting to go, not because this game was something I was dying to see.  But as a former Celtics season ticket holder, this is one of my husband’s favorite times of the year (I’d say his number one favorite is college basketball season) and he wanted me, his loyal wife, to partake in the excitement.  I would have been just as happy sitting on my cozy couch in my sweaties watching the C’s, but I knew how much this meant to Patrick.  Heck, it was a Friday night and I didn’t have too much going on.  So, I decided to go.  What did I have to lose?

When we arrived at the TD Garden, there was a definite energy in the air.  Even though this was just a pre-season opener and not an official game, the fans were out in full force sporting their team jerseys and spirit for the game.  The place was packed! I think I might have been the only person in the stands not wearing green.  You would have thought there was a St. Patrick’s Day parade going on; there was a sea of green going on for miles.  Oh well, at least I stood out!

KG!

Being the nosy person that I am, I have a tendency to like to people watch.  To be honest with you, the game played for at least 15 minutes before I even realized (or asked) who the Celtics were playing.  Patrick had to keep nudging me to watch and I did, but from time to time my eyes would be drawn back into the crowds.  I also tend to be quite the daydreamer.  I can watch a two hour game and can be so completely consumed by my own thoughts that I won’t even know who won.  But then the newly acquired forward, Rasheed Wallace, hit a three-pointer and the crowd went wild! The base from the music and the roar of the fans sent my heart racing.  I couldn’t believe how excited the crowd (Patrick included) was getting; you would have thought the Celtics were playing in a playoff game.  To see the smiles on the fans faces, both young and old, definitely pumped me up.  And as the crowd cheered louder, it seemed as if the Celtics played harder.  The voices from the stands electrified the arena and the sound of the ball swooshing down the basket simply added to that electricity.

Can you spot the Big Three?

There’s Rasheed!

Way to be, Rondo!

By half time, the Celtics were up 12 points. While it was a cool and rainy October night in Boston, the Garden was hot - figuratively and literally! I was really starting to work up a sweat and couldn’t wait to get something at the concession stand.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one with that idea in mind.  I just wanted something cold and refreshing, but not the alcoholic kind.  Perhaps an ice cream or frozen yogurt? I figured since I wasn’t looking for a beer, the stand I going to be ordering from would not have a wait.  Uh, not so much. It felt as if half the Garden was standing in line with me.  It was loud, hot and stagnant.  The ice cream orders from the people waiting ahead of me became more and more complicated as I grew more and more frustrated.  Half time was now over and the game was starting, but I was still waiting in line.  I was just about to give up when Patrick assured me we were in no rush and to just get what I wanted.  I had the notion in mind that I wanted a scoop of ice cream on a waffle cone but when I finally got to the front of the line, the fruit cup was calling my name.  And, it was worth the wait!

Naturally sweet and refreshing!

With my fruit cup in hand and the entertainment of the crazy fans vying for the attention of the JumboTron, I was refreshed within five minutes.  Just watching all the nutty antics of the crowd as they competed for some face time on the camera had me in stitches! Other than the action from the actual game, this was easily the most entertaining part of the night.  If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought these people were getting paid to perform.

The kids are the cutest!

Smile ladies, you’re on camera!

Oooooooh, bay-beh!

The night was a huge success!  Not only did the Celtics beat the Knicks by 14 points, but Patrick and I had a great night out.  While attending a Celtics game isn’t usually at the top of my list of things to do, I’ll have to admit that I had a blast.  I think because I know I’m not the biggest sports fan, I’m not going to have fun at a sporting event.  However, just seeing how excited my husband was throughout the game as his beloved Celtics made the hometown fans proud in their pre-season opener, was enough to make me want to ‘love’ the game.  But watching the crowd squeal in delight as every point was made and every shot was blocked made me understand just what it’s like to be a true fan.  To be able to fully put your heart and soul behind a team and support them through thick and thin is such dedication and shows an undeniable commitment.  Hopefully, if I keep attending events like this, I too, will begin developing my deep love for the game.  Now that’s something to root for, isn’t it?

Go C’s!

Look at all those banners!

The year I was born!

Who is your favorite team?  Do you have a favorite sport?

Namasté,
Nicole

I’m a city girl (for now).  I live within walking distance from just about everything I need – a grocery store, restaurants fancy and not-so-fancy, coffee shops (both locally owned and major franchises), a reputable hospital, a couple of malls and most importantly, three different Trader Joe’s.  I’m also steps away from public transportation, so if I can’t get there by foot, there’s always the T.  And oh yeah, the Red Sox play right around the corner from my house.  Needless to say, I live in a great area.

Image Credits – destination360.com

However, while I love where I live and I’m not quite ready for my large house (but a large kitchen would be nice), sometimes I do long for a driveway, my own backyard to hang out in, a basement for storage (Healthy Chow has a lot of stuff) and most importantly, a place to grill.  Don’t get me wrong, I would never say a bad word about my beloved George Foreman grill, but the Foreman just doesn’t give my food that charcoal-y taste.  Don’t hate me, Mr. George Foreman grill, you know I love you…

So the other day when I was rummaging through my freezer, I noticed that we had about a bazillion pounds of chicken breasts (OK, not that many, obvi).  There was seriously a huge mound of poultry just sitting there and it was starting to look a little like Frosty the Snowman (and not in a good way).  That said, when my sister, Michelle, offered (OK, I invited myself) to let us use her grill at her house in the country, I said yes without any hesitation.

OK, so Michelle doesn’t really live in the country.  I like to kid.  She actually lives in Wayland, which is a suburb located only about 20-25 minutes from Boston.  I say she lives in the country because her house has so many trees surrounding it, because there is a lake about 15 yards from her backyard and because she has wildlife such as deer and snakes paying her visits on more than one occasion.  WOW!  Although Michelle doesn’t live very far from me at all, it feels as if our homes are worlds apart in terms of similarities.  So when Healthy Chow gets the chance to cook in a big kitchen, she hops right on it!

The frozen chicken breasts were almost completely thawed by the time I loaded them up in my cooler in my car.  By the time we got there, they were just about ready for marination.  We used Italian dressing (unsure what the brand was), some fresh garlic, dried oregano, dried rosemary, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  We let the chicken marinate in that mixture in the fridge for a few hours as we hit the mall.  By the time we got back, the chicken was ready for some country grilling.  You’ll have to excuse Healthy Chow – she forgot her camera at her home in the city and thus, you’ll just have to envision chicken sitting on an open flame.  I would imagine it being something like this:

Image Credits – eHow.com

When I got home, I remembered (finally) to grab my camera and take a picture of the grilled chicken in real life.  I think you’ll be happy with the results.

I told you there was a lot of chicken…

With all this chicken already prepared and cooked, I knew we could make more than a few quick meals out of this platter of poultry.  It was just a matter of how creative I could get.  I had to channel my inner Robin Miller; I knew she was deep down inside there, somewhere.  Here are a few pictures of how my grilled chicken became ‘Quick Fix Meals‘:

1) Grilled Chicken with Festive Salad Greens and Feta – This pretty much explains it all.  For our first meal, we sliced up and heated the chicken and ate it over a humungo salad.  It was honestly put together in a few short minutes.  But the simplicity of this meal was what really made me happy.  Grilled chicken cooked on an outdoor grill is divine.  The chicken was cooked to perfection (Thanks Jonathan!) and was juicy and tasty enough where I didn’t even have to add dressing to my salad.

I let Patrick be in charge of the chicken and I think he may have thought we were having guests over.  Boy, that’s a hecka lota chicken!

The salad contained romaine lettuce, baby spinach, baby carrot slices, cucumber, tomato, grilled marinated eggplant and broccoli slaw.

So simple, yet so good!

2) Pita Stuffed with Grilled Chicken, Tzatziki Sauce, Romaine Lettuce, Tomato and Cucumber – This was for lunch one Saturday afternoon when we had both had just come home from working out (Healthy Chow – yoga and Patrick – run around the Charles River) and we wanted something quick and on the lighter side.  I remembered recently eating at a Greek restaurant and having tzatziki sauce to dip my pita bread into and I wanted to recreate that for the sauce in our sandwiches.  To make my version of tzatziki, I combined the following:

• heaping 1/4 cup of nonfat plain yogurt (I used Trader Joe’s European Style Plain Nonfat Yogurt)
• 1/4 cup of chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded)
• 1/2 tsp of chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
• few dashes of dried dill
• salt and pepper

After mixing the above ingredients in a bowl, I let it sit and chill (literally) in the fridge for about 30 minutes while we showered and changed for lunch.  Once chilled, I heated the chicken, stuffed each whole wheat pita with romaine lettuce, cucumber and tomato slices and then poured the tzatziki sauce over the sandwich innards.  For a side, I sautéed some summer squash with thyme, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt and pepper.  It was the ideal lunch!

Ready for the tzatziki…

Cool as a cucumber…

Check out all that color, Ma!

3) Grilled Chicken with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese and Whole Wheat Ravioli – Patrick and I were in the mood for some pasta and gooey cheese every one night but I really didn’t feel up to making anything elaborate.  Ding, ding, ding!  Cue the frozen ravioli!  This was another item that I had forgotten all about until I spotted the bag in my freezer the day I was getting my chicken.   That said, I grabbed my mozzarella cheese, my jarred tomato sauce and my almost forgotten whole wheat ravioli and went to town. While the ravioli was boiling, I heated up the chicken with some melted mozzarella on top along with some tomato sauce that I jazzed up with some dried basil, garlic powder, and dried oregano.

How could I forget I had ravioli?

Hmmm, melted cheese…

Patrick and I shared this plate of food.  I just kept it on one plate for easier picture taking.  Not pictured was the side salad of baby spinach and cucumber we had.  Gotta get in those greens!

There you have it.  The first three meals made from cooking (grilling) just once.  I felt as if these three were all pretty different from one another and definitely ones that could be put together in a matter of minutes.  By having the chicken already cooked, I didn’t have to stress about defrosting it, making sure it was cooked all the way through or having to marinate or season it.  With just a few simple ingredients that I already had on hand in my fridge and pantry, I was able to have my ‘Quick Meal Fix’.

Stay tuned for my next post, as I will show you part II of 6 Meals Made From 1…

Are you a city dweller or do you live in the suburbs?  Do you like living where you are or do you wish to move elsewhere?

Namasté,
Nicole

I grew up on the eastern side of Massachusetts.  To get to Boston by car from my house, it would take you about 15 minutes.  All of my family lived within 30 minutes from my childhood home.  I attended college in Boston; it was about a ten minute drive from my house.  My first job after I graduated was in Waltham, another 15 minute drive from Boston.  And now I live in Boston.  Needless to say, Healthy Chow likes Massachusetts and the Boston area.  And why wouldn’t I?  Boston is a great place to be.  Suffice it to say, I never strayed too far from home.

However, when I met Patrick, I ‘discovered’ there was another side to Massachusetts.  Patrick is from Springfield, which is in western Massachusetts.  Perhaps I grew up in a box or I was just too ignorant to realize there was more to Massachusetts than what was within Route 128, but I had never been to western Massachusetts until I met my husband.  It’s a whole other world out there!  Where had I been?  What else was I missing out on?  Now whenever I go to Springfield or any other part of western Massachusetts, it’s like a pure adventure for me.  Instead of it being the other side of the state to me, I think of western Massachusetts as being the side of the state that needs to be explored.

Last Saturday when the sun was shining and the temperature was still warm enough where a coat was not needed, we decided on taking a day trip to visit Patrick’s parents.  Springfield is less than an hour and a half away from Boston and since we didn’t have much on our plate (notice the food reference) that afternoon, we figured it was the perfect time to make the trip out west.

For the car trip, I figured the most important thing other than gas was snacks (but I guess that’s gas for our bodies).  Since we were meeting Patrick’s parents for a late lunch/early dinner and I didn’t want to spoil my appetite, I only brought a few emergency essentials.

But of course as soon as we started driving by all the various rest stops along the highway and I kept seeing the signs for all the fast food restaurants, I started getting a hunger pang and immediately wanted something to eat.  Plus, since I hadn’t had my morning coffee, I knew that that was going to be on my agenda.  As we began pulling off the highway and onto the rest area to ‘rest’, I saw the most unusual thing.  It was a farmers market! Of course I jumped at the chance to go shopping (and take pics) and thus, jumped out of the car to check it out.  While the farmers market was a small one, they sold things such as locally preserved jams, raw honey, bee pollen, locally grown vegetables and fruits, flowers, fresh herbs and my personal favorite, honey crisp apples.

I really enjoyed both my coffee and fruit and yogurt parfait from Mickey D’s.  While it’s always tempting to be lured in by a hot and cheesy Egg McMuffin, I managed to stick to my guns and ordered a lighter, but still enjoyable meal.  It definitely hit the spot.  Plus, my refueling gave me the much needed energy to gaze at the beautiful scenery along the highway.  While it’s still a bit early for official leaf peeping, the trees and leaves were breathtaking and definitely ready for fall (or ‘to fall’).

I guess my picture taking and scene gazing really kept me busy because we made it to Springfield in no time.  And as we arrived at the door, we were greeted by a friendly face.  Lexi is my in-laws’ French Bulldog.  She’s only about a year and a half old (in human years) and is quite the energetic dog.  Don’t you just love that little face?

Because my mother-in-law is an avid reader and loves to clip out articles of interest from various newspapers and magazines for her children and children-in-law, Healthy Chow was armed with a healthy stack of good reading.  You know I love my recycled magazines and all those recipes you save me, El!  If you get a stack of reading material from this woman, you know she likes you.  By the looks of my stack, Ellen must really love me.  Thank you!  You’re the best, Ellie!  And no trip back to my in-laws’ would be the same if I didn’t get to check out some family photos.  I definitely found some good ones

Look at Patrick the studly soccer jock!

Awww, young love at the beach

While the sun was still shining, Ellen and I decided to take a short drive over to this newly developed shopping area in the neighboring town.  We visited a family member who works at Ann Taylor and chatted it up with her for a bit.   And then continued walking the shops and enjoying our day out in the sun.  It was such a fun afternoon and a lovely shopping area.  I’m glad I had the chance to visit.  Before we knew it, it was close to 5 pm and the ‘boys’ were at home waiting for us to have dinner.  Patrick went to watch his father referee a football game and what a perfect day it was for it.  There was not a cloud in the sky, nor a hint of a cool breeze.  It’s days like this where you cherish both the weather and the company you’re fortunate enough to keep.

My stomach was growling by the time we made it home to Patrick’s parents’ house.  So we quickly decided on one of our favorite places to go when we’re in the area.  We went to Ginger Blossom, a Chinese-American food restaurant a few minutes up the road.  It’s a cute little place that serves your standard Chinese-American cuisine, as well as sushi.  While Patrick and his dad ordered the sample appetizer platter (it was huge!) along with beef teriyaki and chicken fried rice for their entrée.  My mother-in-law and I shared some ‘lighter’ fare and opted for steamed shrimp with mixed vegetables and a lite ginger sauce on the side with brown rice.  Everything was sooooo good! I sampled a few items from the sampler platter and each bite was divine.  It’s always fun when the table shares their entrées and we can eat ‘family style’.  And my family certainly loves to share.  I’m truly blessed with having such wonderful people in my life!

Because it was still light out and we needed wanted to burn off some of the food we had just savored, we decided to go for a ride to Randall’s Farm and Greenhouse in Ludlow.  This place was so amazing!  I had no idea this place even existed.  It’s essentially a large farm stand/marketplace with a bakery, a deli, a greenhouse selling plants and flowers, a huge produce section, a grocery aisle with various gourmet and gluten-free items, a large selection of beer and wine and my personal favorite, the creamery.  The creamery was Randall’s spot to get ice cream and frozen yogurt.  They had picnic tables set-up outside but because it was now dark and the temperature was no longer ‘Indian summer-esque’, we decided to take our dessert inside.  We found an open table in the greenhouse and had some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted.  I didn’t order my own ice cream, instead I helped myself to shared everyone else’s dessert.  That way, I was able to get the best of everyone’s world (sorry, at this point my camera battery decided to go nighty-night.  So, you’ll have to envision some gorgeous ice cream and a gorgeous girl eating it (that would be me!) ).

What a great day it truly was!  Again, I had the opportunity to visit the ‘other side’ of the state and experience some of the things I would have missed if I had not made the choice to venture out.  I was able to spend time with my in-laws, have a lovely time shopping with my mother-in-law, enjoy some yummy food (and dessert) and visit both a farmers market and farm.  It was one of those glorious days that just sort of piece together by chance.  Who says you have to travel far in order to have a mini adventure?  If you can stay at home and have a ’stay-cation’, then you can certainly visit another part of your state or hometown and make it an ‘explor-stay-tion’.

This was a little sign I saw being sold at Randall’s Farm.  I thought it was such an appropriate notion with which to end our wonderful day…

Do you like seasonal flavored foods like the pumpkin and spiced apple flavored ice cream at Randall’s?  If so, what is your favorite?

***I just wanted to wish my mother a happy birthday!  Happy birthday, Mom!  I love you and I hope you have an amazing day!  I love you!***

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you remember in a recent post when I talked about how I don’t like change?  I said I was a creature of habit and wasn’t one for surprises.  Well, in relation to that, I’m also one who prefers to stay inside her comfort zone.  I don’t like when I feel out of place and I don’t like when I’m caught off guard.  I guess it’s just that safe warm, feeling I enjoy and that I’ve gotten used to.  For that reason, when someone gives me a challenge or there’s a situation presented to me where my surroundings will be new or foreign to me, my first reaction is to shut down or to say no.  I know it’s really not the ‘healthiest’ way to conduct my life.  I realize that by living this way, I will miss out on many opportunities and for that reason, I decided this weekend to move as far away from my comfort zone as I possibly could.

My usual routine Sunday mornings is to get up at 6:15am for my early morning yoga class.  When I can’t go to class for whatever reason, I get that uneasy feeling inside.  It’s that feeling that arises when my routine gets broken and all of the sudden, I can’t expect the ‘norm’.  A few weeks ago, one of my yoga teachers, Chanel Luck, made an announcement after class about an event she was planning and leading that was going to take place on a Sunday morning.  It was Global Yoga Mala – Boston; a day where ‘the Boston area yoga community will gather for a day of yoga practices to bring awareness and raise consciousness for peace and Mother Earth‘.

The purpose of the Global Mala is to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a “mala around the earth” through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 on Sept. 21st and 22nd, Fall Equinox as the yoga world’s offering to further the UN International Peace Day. Each center offers their form of a Yoga Mala according to their yoga tradition and inspiration:

* 108 Sun Salutations (or variations of 27, 56)
* 108 rounds of mantra such as the Gayatri or Maha Mrityanjaya
* 108 rounds of a kriya
* 108 minutes of meditation, kirtan, movement meditation

Proceeds from this event will go to a local and a global charity. (***Trees for the Future and the Food Project)

Chanel was inviting us to attend.  It sounded like a wonderful cause and something so unique and incredible.  However, it wasn’t like anything I had participated in before and was totally going to take me out of my norm.  I immediately told myself, “this isn’t something you’d want to do.  It’s not you.  You’ll feel out of place.”  And besides, how the heck would I ever do 108 sun salutations?

But the more Chanel talked about Global Mala, the more I became intrigued.  Something inside of me told me that this time, I needed to be forced out of my state of complacency and this time it was going to be totally worth it.  Man oh man, if that wasn’t the understatement of the year, I don’t know what is…!

Yesterday, I participated in an event so extraordinary, that I’m still beaming from all the excitement and energy.  I am proud to say that I was a part of Global Mala Boston 2009 (can’t you just feel my giddiness?)  My excitement (and a bit of nerves) started the night before.  I had to be at the Boston Common, where the event was being held, at 8:30am.  That meant I had to be out of bed by 7:15am (which meant I had an extra hour to sleep per my usual Sunday morning wake-up time) and out the door no later than 8:00am.  But for whatever reason, I just kept waking up in the middle of the night.  I kept thinking I was going to miss my alarm.  I kept dreaming of what the event was going to look like.  I kept wondering how the yoga teachers were going to demonstrate the 108 sun salutations.  And, I kept pondering if I was going to be able to keep up.  My nervous energy was at an all-time high, but because I made a commitment to attend this event, nothing was going to keep me from going.  And besides, the wonderful Patrick gave me a ride to the Common, so my morning was already starting off on the right foot (thanks Patrick!).

Getting ready for the big event…

The bare necessities (mat, Yogitoes towel, water and snacks)

Because I got to the Common in about 5 minutes, I was one of the first people to arrive.  Luckily, I found another early bird yogi and we became fast friends (it was fun hanging with you, Kerry!).  My nerves were pretty much put to rest once I saw Chanel and the other yogis started arriving.  Within a few minutes, the event started.  Because I was one of the first on the premises, I had the chance to get the front and center spot (literally).  At first, I was going to move my mat a bit farther back.  But because this was going to be my full immersion into my ‘dis-comfort zone’, I chose to stay.

Squirrels can do yoga, too…

Roberto Lim, co-founder Global Mala Boston

The message of the day…

Image Credits – omgal.blogspot.com

Yup, that’s Healthy Chow sitting in the front row…

Words cannot describe the energy and power that filled the Common yesterday.  The smiles on both the teachers’ and the yogis’ faces were enough to illuminate the darkest of skies.  Even though it was a rather chilly morning, the spirits were high and the fire in our hearts were enough to keep us warm.  It was awe-inspiring to be surrounded by so many individuals who were all so inviting and friendly and who were all there supporting the same cause – peace.  And to know that close to 400 Mala events were occurring in 35 countries around the world on the same weekend, made me feel even more special and grateful for this opportunity of which I made the most.

Chanel welcomed us and briefly gave some opening words.  What struck me the hardest was what she said at the end.  Chanel said that there were going to be different teachers leading us and that each had their own way of teaching and that it may not be what we are used to.  But instead of having a closed mind, we should be open to the differences and welcome the change.   Hello?  I felt as if she was speaking directly to me!

Yogis gettin’ their stretch on…

Where’s the sun?

Chanel Luck, co-founder Global Mala Boston

Our goal was to complete 108 sun salutations, meaning each of the nine yoga teachers were going to lead us through a series of 12 sun salutations.  I thought that things would be a tad repetitious, considering we were doing so many of the same thing.  I was so wrong! Each teacher had their own style, personality and charm and truly excelled at leading us through our practice.  It was if they were honored to be guiding us.  They were all so grateful for being able to be a part of the Global Mala and just wanted us to share in that compassion.  The mood was so uplifting and the atmosphere was so inspiring.  We practiced yoga yesterday morning as if we could solve all the world’s problems as that moment.  And when it was time to dance and skip around the Common (something Healthy Chow could never previously picture herself doing), we laughed and smiled as if it were the last day of school. I didn’t get an official headcount, but I am guessing there were over 100 attendees.  However, on Sunday, we were acting as one and breathing as one.  We were united by this one cause and although we all were unique in appearance and came from different backgrounds, we were all the same that morning.

Chanel and Rebecca

As we saluted the sun, the sun began rising over the tall buildings and tree tops.  It greeted us with its warmth and we certainly welcomed it.  I’ve always thought that one of the best feelings is to have the sun shining on your face; yesterday was definitely not an exception!  We had onlookers stroll by and watch us throughout the three hours and they too, could feel our power.  Just being able to see their smiles along with their admiration and intrigue in us, empowered me to make it to the end of the 108 (Healthy Chow’s arms and shoulders were getting a bit tired, you know what I mean?).

Image Credits – omgal.blogspot.com

Saluting the sun…

Finally, Chanel took center stage (or mat) again and led us through the last sun salutation.  I couldn’t believe it had gone by so quickly.  Being able to gaze at the sky, the green grass and trees and of course, the sun, made me feel as if I was practicing something I had never done before.  My senses were completely wide open and I was open to receiving anything and everything.  Gone were my fears of being able to keep up.  I no longer had my nervous energy.  I didn’t want to shy away from my discomfort, I welcomed it.  Giving myself the chance to experience this event was something I never thought I would do.  But seeing how amazing I felt during and after the event, makes me realize that perhaps my comfort zone shouldn’t be so comforting.  By playing it safe and never wanting to change my routine, I’m really just being a danger to myself.

When Rebecca Pacheco guided us through the first sun salutation, she told us a quote that resonated with me and it was something that stuck in my mind during the event and throughout the day.  She said to us, “when you were born, a possibility was born.  And that possibility will stay alive as long as you are alive.”  We have the possibility and the ability to be and to do whatever we want in life.  It could be as huge as creating peace on Earth, or as small as finding peace from within our minds and souls.

So how do we look after completing 108 sun salutations?

Healthy Chow’s t-shirt and souvenir from the event – love that burnout embellishment!

Tom Lena and musicians leading us through kirtan

Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits jammin’ out

Peaceful…

What an amazing day!

Have you ever participated in a Global Mala or an event for peace?  If so, how did it make you feel?  If not, would you ever consider it?

Namasté,
Nicole

Are there any foods out there that you’ve seen thousands of times and have considered trying millions of times and yet still have not eaten?  Well, there are many foods that fit that description in my life but one in particular is falafel.  I know, I know!  Can you believe it?  Up until the beginning of this year, I had never had falafel.  It’s not as if it doesn’t sound appealing to me or as if I don’t ever go to Middle Eastern or Greek restaurants.  For some reason, when I am having Greek cuisine, I tend to lean towards the salad with grilled chicken or the rotisserie chicken with the hot sides (I don’t know why, but that term always cracks me up!).  I think I order the grilled or rotisserie chicken because it usually is accompanied by vegetables and/or a salad.  For years, all I ever ordered was grilled chicken with a salad because to me, that was what I considered ‘healthy’.  Don’t get me wrong; I know that it is healthy.  However, after many moons of ordering ‘the usual’, I would end up feeling unsatisfied after my meal was finished.  I would start picking at Patrick’s plate and wishing that I ordered something a little more fun or just something different from poultry and leafy greens.

About a week or so ago, while trying to figure out what we wanted to eat, we ended up driving right outside the Boston area.  You see, for Patrick and me, it’s seldom that we have an actual specific place in mind at which to dine.  We usually end up driving around until one of us shouts out the name of a place the other agrees to, or we end up just going to one of our favorites.  That afternoon, we decided to pay a visit to one of our favorites.

Esperia Grill is a Greek restaurant located in Brighton, MA.  It’s owned and operated by a lovely family and that’s just the feeling you get when you’re dining at Esperia Grill – family.  Tim manages the restaurant and does everything from take food orders, prepare the take-out/delivery meals, clean tables, walk the entrées from the kitchen to the tables and of course, schmooze with the guests.  Tim’s wife, Georgia, is the head chef and can also be seen making everything from the fresh Greek salads to the delectable moussaka.  When you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately greeted by either Tim, or one of his sons and the wafting smells from the meat roasting on the tall vertical spit.  Esperia Grill is a place where when you walk up to the counter to order your meal, you immediately start second guessing yourself because everything looks and sounds so wonderful.

Instead of ordering my usual, I decided to mix it up and order something a bit uncharacteristic for Healthy Chow.  When I was dining at another Greek restaurant earlier in the summer, I had tried the falafel and was impressed by just how tasty and filling this vegetarian dish could be.  After seeing the fresh components for pretty much all of the meals housed in the hot and cold cases at the front of the restaurant, my mind was made-up and the deal was sealed.  I just had to try the falafel wrap (plus, it even said so on the chalk board!).

There are about 12-15 tables at Esperia where guests are able to seat themselves.  Once your food is ready, it is brought over to you by Tim or one of the friendly servers.  Usually at restaurants where you don’t have a designated waiter/waitress, in my experience, the tables are usually left a bit dirty and the dining area itself is a bit unkempt.  However, at Esperia Grill, you could literally eat off of the floor (not that I would have, but I was pretty hungry).  The tables are constantly being maintained and the guests are constantly being catered to.  Plus, the atmosphere is quite eye catching.  The restaurant is well lit and has some unique decorum that will keep you interested until your meal arrives (which is not very long).

My falafel wrap was fala-nomenal (hehehe)!  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but from my previous experiences there, it was sure to not disappoint.  And, I was far from being disappointed!  Just check out those sexy grill marks on my wrap:

Talk about being hot off the press!  My wrap was filled with a thick and creamy garlicky hummus and falafel so rich in flavor, that I wouldn’t even be able to begin to guess what was contained in it.  I’m assuming it was the usual ground chickpeas, breadcrumbs and garlic but everything else I can only conclude as being ‘magic’.  The actual wrap was soft and thin and was the perfect vehicle for my Greek deliciousness.  I really wanted to save the other half for my lunch the next day, but I just could not stop myself.  I savored every last bite!

Patrick ordered the gyro on pita and while his looked as equally as divine as mine, my fork never wandered over to his plate.  I was so completely happy with my meal, that I never once wished I had ordered something else or longed for more food.  I guess it goes to show that when you order something you want versus something ‘you think you should order’, you end up being more fulfilled and simply more full.

I’m so glad that I ventured from my norm and ordered the falafel wrap.  It was such a fantastic treat for me and while it was rich and indulgent, it was exactly what my body wanted that day.  And when you listen to your body and allow it to speak, instead of always letting your mind get the first word, you might just learn something.  I certainly did that night at dinner and to that, I say “opa!”

Random question: Do you ever crave something sweet to eat after having a meal that is loaded with onions?

Namasté,
Nicole

People seem to feel badly when they forget your birthday or when they can’t celebrate with you on the very exact special day.  They always say things like, “oh, is it OK if we celebrate it next weekend?” or “sorry, I forgot to wish you a happy birthday on your birthday, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.“  Now I know I mentioned in a previous post that I’m not one who likes to make a big deal about her special day and I’m not one for celebrating for the entire week prior.  However, if someone wants to take me out and shower me with gifts, Healthy Chow says, “heck ya, bring it on!”

That said, my mother and her boyfriend, Darrell, wanted to take me and my twin sister, Michelle, out for a belated birthday dinner.  We’ve all had quite the busy summers, but my mom and Darrell just finished moving and having some home renovations done.  This past weekend was literally the first weekend we were all available.  So, we made the most of it and went to a restaurant that I’ve been dying to try.  Score one for Healthy Chow!

Gaslight is a brasserie located in the South End of Boston.  According to their website, Gaslight:

offers its guests French brasserie cuisine of impeccable quality and improbable value in an informal, old world, is new again setting. With its hand crafted Parisian zinc bar, reclaimed wood floors, mosaic tiles, beamed wood ceilings, nicotine stained walls and antique mirrors, Gaslight’s decor is warm and inviting.

We had 7:30 pm reservations and it’s a good thing we did have reservations because this place was hopping!  When Patrick and I first arrived, we were one of the few guests at the bar area.  But by the time our whole party arrived (which was only about ten minutes later), the brasserie was swarming with diners.  I really liked the vibe and pretended that people were out because they knew it was my belated birthday dinner.  Hahaha!  Full of myself, much?

The atmosphere at Gaslight was really different.  Not that I’ve ever been to France, but the restaurant definitely exuded a funky, hip and French feel.  While the lighting was quite dark (sorry, some of my pics might not be so great), it definitely set the appropriate tone for the ambiance of the restaurant.  Because we had a party of six, we were seated at a large table that was semi-sectioned off from the rest of Gaslight.  However, as my eyes made a quick scan as we were seated at our table, I noticed there were various types of seating such as cafe tables, booths, bar stools and larger tables like ours.  It was quite the eclectic mix and indicative of the menu.

Because I like to be prepared, I looked at the menu online before arriving at the restaurant.  Thus, I had an idea of what I wanted to try and what I was probably going to order for my entrée.  The menu had a vast variety of hors d’oeuvres (appetizers), plats du jour (dishes of the day) , les fruits de mer (seafood), assiette du fromages (plate of cheeses), plats principaux (entrées) and garnitures (trim/sides).  I really enjoyed seeing the selections written in both French and English.  And I think I enjoyed trying to pronounce each item even more (I just want to apologize to the country of France for butchering their lovely language)!

Darrell is the king of appetizers and since he and my mother have dined at Gaslight before, we let Darrell take the lead on ordering our hors d’oeuvres (say that three times fast!).  Plus, Darrell speaks French, so it was nice to hear someone actually pronounce the selections correctly (ahem, ahem).  To start,we had two orders of the fried mussels a la greque (Greek style?), two orders of shrimp cocktail and an order of escargots de bourgogne (French Burgundy snails served with garlic and parsley butter).  But before the hors d’oeuvres even arrived, we were promptly served their house bread.  But this wasn’t just any old bread, it was a pipin’ hot fresh baguette served in its own little paper bag.  I usually try not to partake in the bread basket because as you all know, I <3 carbs and can literally inhale a loaf in a millisecond, but this bread I could not resist!  It was crusty, light and airy and probably some of the best restaurant bread I’ve had in a long, long time.  And forget the butter, the bread was so tasty, it was fine au naturale!

Because we were all having such a great time chit chatting with one another and catching-up, we were almost shocked when our hors d’oeuvres arrived.  They seemed to appear on our table within seconds of us placing our order.  I guess time does fly when you’re having a good time.

The fried mussels were delicious.  I think I was expecting more of a mussel in the shell type of dish, but I was not disappointed when I tasted it.  It was quite similar to fried calamari, but not as chewy in texture.  The remoulade sauce had the perfect amount of creaminess and a little bit of a kick and the bed of greens the mussels were served on gave the dish a refreshing and light feel.  Plus, the extra sauce gave me something to dip my heel of bread into.

These were some of the plumpest shrimp I’ve ever seen!  Sometimes, in my experience, the big shrimp can be less tasty and sort of bland tasting.  Not these babies!  Patrick, who could live on shrimp cocktail, was in heaven.  Needless to say, we sat one of the orders directly in front of him.

The escargot were also quite tasty, but nothing spectacular.  I like anything cooked with garlic and herbs, so this little dish was right up my alley.  However, while I’m not a connoisseur of snails, these were just mediocre.  I dipped my bread into the snails and it tasted just like garlic bread

Here’s a picture of my sampling of hors d’oeuvres.  I had maybe one or two more of the the fried mussels.

And if we weren’t full enough just yet, our entrées were then served.  You know there’s a lot of food, when a table that seats six needs to condense plates in order to make room.  I ordered the roasted salmon fillet, which came with garlic braised escarole and vinaigrette of lemon confit.  It was just the right amount of food for my main meal.  Because I had already had a healthy sampling of the hors d’oeuvres, I didn’t have too much room left for my dinner.  Plus, I knew I wanted dessert, so the real estate in my belly was getting tight.  My salmon was roasted to perfection and not the slightest bit greasy.  I’ve ordered salmon that has wronged me on occasion due to the grease factor (sorry, TMI) but fortunately, this was not one of those times.  The escarole was quite simple and served as a light and citrusy accompaniment to my fish.  I really enjoyed the fact that my dish was not served with a rice, potato or some other carb.  If that were the case, I know I would have eaten it and that would have overfilled me.

My mother ordered the rotisserie chicken with sauce moutarde violette and garlic herbes frites.  She said the chicken was delicious, but the herbed french fries stole the show (or plate).  I’m so glad that I was able to sit next to her because it gave me the chance to steal them from her share them with her.

Darrell ordered my second choice, which was the rock shrimp tagliatelle with green onions, smoked ham, and cantal beurre fondue.  He also loved his dish and was happy as a clam (or shrimp) with both the hors d’oeuvres and his selection.  I told Darrell that the sauce in his dish would be great to scoop up with the heel of the bread.  And while I knew that that meant ‘scarpetta‘ in Italian, Darrell informed me that that meant ‘fondue‘ in French.  Merci beaucoup, Darrell! (Funny enough, I told our waiter ‘gracias‘ after he took my order and the whole table cracked up.  Hahaha!)

This picture is going to kill three birds with one stone.  Patrick, Michelle and Jonathan (Michelle’s boyfriend) all ordered the bar steak with caramelized shallots, mustard cream sauce and frites.  While Jonathan seemed to love his meal (he cleaned his plate – atta boy!), Michelle claimed that the sauce was a bit too salty for her taste.  Patrick really enjoyed this selection as well, but thought there were a few too many shallots for his liking.  He also wondered why he had plain frites while my mom’s were herbed.  Don’t worry, Healthy Chow slid him over a few!

Dinner was quite delightful overall.  We all seemed to thoroughly enjoy our meals, but not as much as each other’s company.  I honestly can’t think of a time when I wasn’t laughing or someone else wasn’t cracking up.  The conversation flowed and the relaxing vibe of the restaurant must have seeped into the food.  We were all in such a mellow mood and sat around that table for six for nearly two hours.  What a fantastic way to spend my belated birthday dinner!  I love being able to try new restaurants, and it’s even better when they turn out to be a hit and when I can enjoy them with my loved ones.

Goodness, my mom just doesn’t seem to age – ever!

And finally, what would be a birthday dinner without dessert?  Well, it wouldn’t be complete in my book!  We ordered two for the table to share: gateau aux pommes (apple and caramel cake with vanilla ice cream) and molten chocolate cake with crēme chantilly.  While I wouldn’t kick either out of bed for eating chips (hehehe), the apple and caramel cake definitely reigned supreme.  I think I’m really a sucker for anything à la mode.  But the buttery caramel sauce and the soft cinnamon-y apples was what took the cake (I’m on a roll…).  The molten chocolate cake wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t ‘molten-y’ enough in the center.  I think if we had another scoop of vanilla ice cream for the molten chocolate cake, it would have been much better!

This was our waiter for the evening.  He told me my French was ‘absolutely melodic‘.  I think he might have been lying to me…

And if hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dessert, lotsa gabbing and tons of laughing weren’t enough, I also managed to get a few belated birthday gifts.  My sister and I have had the recent tradition of exchanging ‘mini’ gifts on our birthday.  Rather than buy each other fancy presents on our day, we just give each other a little somethin’, somethin’.  I gave her a cosmetic bag, a toe separator for home pedicures and some trail mix on our actual birthday and that night, she gave me some Trader Joe’s goodies (raw almonds, wasabi, wow! (wasabi peas, nuts and dried fruit mix) and fruit leather – she must think I’m nuts and a bit fruitty).  My mom gave me a cute paisley top along with a card with love (aka cash).  Decent haul, Healthy Chow!

Dinner at Gaslight definitely gets the green light!  It was the ideal place to have a carefree, yet delectable meal.  The brasserie had fast and friendly service, delicious food that was moderately priced, many options to choose from and free parking.  Now that’s a true find in the city of Boston!  I guess that helps to set the tone for your dinner.  If you don’t have to stress about parking, you’ll walk in relaxed, in a good mood and ready to eat.  I was relaxed and in a good mood because I truly treasure the time I spend with my family.  I am so blessed to have such extraordinary people in my life.  These are people I honestly love and adore and want to spend time with.  I’m not sure if it’s my age that’s making me sappier, but I went home pleasantly pleased.  My belly was full, as well as my heart.  While the evening was meant to celebrate my birthday, it was really a celebration of my family.  I may have received some great birthday presents, but it’s the time I have with my loved ones that are my true gifts and ones I’ll cherish forever.

What’s your favorite French food?  Or, French dessert?

Namasté,
Nicole