Category Archives: green monster

by | July 12, 2010 · 8:22 am

Surprise Training!

     Hello all! I hope you had an amazing Sunday! I had to work, but it was actually a really good day, overall! It helped to start with this:

This baby had 3 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/3 a cup of frozen cherries, 1/2 a banana and lemon juice!
     I missed my Monsta! I had a full shift at work today, so after a lovely Monsta and cup of coffee, I headed out. When I got inside, I was surprised to find that I had four hours of training today. That would’ve been good to know before I’d arrived, but I can deal! The most important change that the training brought around: TWO LUNCHES!!!
     First lunch was…
Subway! I had a 6-inch on wheat with turkey, roast beef, pepperjack cheese, spinach, cucumber, tomato, green peppers, a little mayo and mustard. And a few chapters of my newest bike book!
     Training was not as painful as I was expecting! It was very interactive and basically involved lots of girls chatting and throwing around ideas. The time didn’t drag, and at the end of it, I got to have my second lunch!
GELATO! I got a small with peanut butter cookies, mint chocolate chip and amaretto chocolate chip. I LOVE TRAINING DAYS!!!
     The rest of work was interesting – we got two counterfeit $100 bills that somehow slipped by unnoticed (if I hadn’t been in training, this wouldn’t have happened :P) : people can be really clever/awful nowadays. Acid-washing bills is common now??? 
     I came home to an awesome dinner that the roommates had made – Indian-spiced chicken tenders and grilled vegetables.
This was delicious! The chicken was pre-marinated from Trader Joe’s and very salty, but no salt was involved in the veggies, so it balanced out.
And a Stockyard! This is a cheaper-priced, better quality beer than New Belgium’s 1554. I’ll be repeating this one, for sure!
     Well, that’s all the pictures I’ve got for you, folks! Nice and easy, eh? I’m currently watching ‘New Moon’ (which I own, as well as Twilight – I saw Twilight in theatres and hated it, and as soon as it came out on DVD, I bought it. I told you I was weird!) while sipping the remains of my beer and trying to plan out a productive day tomorrow. I’ll leave you now with the question of the day:
What do you most look forward to in your week?

5 Comments

Filed under beer, green monster, grilled vegetables, Indian-spiced chicken, Paciugo, Stockyard, Subway, work

by | July 10, 2010 · 9:31 am

Happy Birthday, Dad!

     Happy birthday to my pops!!! We had a jam-packed schedule today, and I was lucky enough to be able to sleep in, then woke up to this:

My mom made the monsters! No idea exactly what’s in these, but I know they were green and delicious! Thanks, mom!
     My dad had a little work to do before we headed out, but my mom and I were able to pry him away to give him his presents.
I think he’s pretty happy with his new iPad! My mom got him that – I bought him shirts, ’cause I’m poor.
     With my crazy metabolism, I got hungry around 10am and heated up a little whole wheat pasta. I also had a honey stick to keep up the blood sugar. I’m obsessed with honey sticks!
 
     We left the house around 11:30am and made our way up to Santa Barbara. There was some consideration about stopping at The Taj in Ventura, but instead we passed right on by and went to The Taj in Santa Barbara. A very dramatic difference, I know.
Mango Lassi followed by chicken curry, veggie korma, saag and some fried potato thingies.
A second serving of chana masala and veggie korma, buttery-carrots-dessert (I really should learn the name for that), sugary doughnut and shiny garlic naan.
     This gigantic meal left us all in a lot of wonderful pain, so we wandered State Street on foot for awhile and checked out some of the local stores. Lush is a new discovery that’s always fun for the girls out there! My dad wasn’t a fan, but was sweet enough to let us stop in for a few minutes.
     For his birthday, my dad decided he wanted to go kayaking! He’s been searching for one to purchase to help with his ocean-fishing habit and wanted to give a different style a try. We went to the harbor in Santa Barbara and stopped by Paddle Sports for a trial. 
Kathy helped us out – such a helpful, sweet woman.
So many colors! And he’s off!
This was a Hobie Mirage Revolution that has a pedal-system. It slices through the water at crazy speeds, and if you decide to be a purist, you can pluck the paddle from the side and get your upper body workout as well. Have you ever tried a pedal-kayak? Do you have a preference?
     My mom and I watched him cruising in the open ocean for about half an hour, then retired to Brophy Bros. to split a beer and enjoy the harbor views.
We split an Anchor Steam. I wasn’t a big fan of this one – it was pretty bitter, but it sure tasted good enough for a warm, breezy day spent on the ocean!
     My dad test drove another kayak for an hour, then returned to shore tired and ready to refuel. This called for Dargan’s!
I’ve been trying new beers lately. This one is a simple Firestone Double Barrel Ale, which I’d never had before. It was all right. Nothing to write home about, or try again.
My pops had his favorite – A Black Velvet: Half Strongbow cider, half Guinness.
     We also split massive quantities of food. My dad had the big workout, but his appetite afterwards was contagious.

We had spicy chicken skewers with curry sauce and peanut sauce and Irish potato skins.
Next came seared ahi tuna with a sesame dressing and spring greens. I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. YUM to the ahi tuna, MEH to the beer.
     The highlight of the meal came last: Irish Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Irish Cream! 
A La Mode! This was the most amazing dessert I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a LOT of desserts in my lifetime, so this is saying something! 
The bread was soft and chewy with swirls of cinnamon and dense chocolate chips strewn throughout. Irish cream was drizzled over the top and blended with the chocolate sauce. The ice cream slowly melted and was absorbed by the sticky-sweet bread. I freaked out. I may have cried tears of joy.
     We walked around Ventura for a little, visited the used book store again, then headed back home. Firefly, one of the most amazing/cancelled shows ever is now playing on DVD as my dad plays with his new iPad and a cool breeze whispers through the open windows. I love being home with my family :).
     Tomorrow we’ll start with a breakfast/brunch at Coogie’s Beach Cafe in Malibu, and a lovely drive along the coast. I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and to be able to spend so much time with them! I hope you all have equally incredible Friday nights. 
Give your parents a hug – physical or emotional. It’s all good.

3 Comments

Filed under Bread pudding, Dargan's, green monster, irish pub, kayak, ocean, Santa Barbara

by | July 9, 2010 · 10:28 am

Weight Watchers?!

     Ahhh, I love my Friday! That’s right, I am DONE with work for two whole days! My dad’s birthday is tomorrow, so I’ll be spending the next two days with the parental unit, spoiling him like crazy. Wait, I also get to have indian food and beer when I take him out for his birthday lunch? I didn’t know that! What an unexpected surprise!

     As always, I started my day with a Monsta!

2 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/3 a banana, 1/4 a cup of frozen cherries, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
      I woke up ridiculously perky, and ready to get back on the trails! We did the same trail as yesterday, and I brought my camera to document.
  
The marine layer was thick, and the air was very chilly and lovely. We hiked 2.86 miles in about an hour, and took our time to enjoy the views.

     After the hike, I had a mini-lunch of protein pasta:
This was some Barilla Plus with marinara sauce and a little goat cheese.
     This mini-lunch was followed by… ANOTHER mini-lunch!
THIS was whole wheat pasta with bell pepper, spinach, zucchini, marinara sauce and more goat cheese. The first pasta was protein, this was whole wheat. Total balance :).
     A little fro-yo seemed necessary after the sweaty hike up the hill, and the double serving of hot pasta!
A small chocolate, peanut butter and cake batter yogurt, topped with strawberries, brownie bits and cookie dough.
     Today was…. wait for it…. FARMERS’ MARKET DAY!!! Prepare yourselves: picture overload ahead:
ORANGE and YELLOW raspberries?? Why were they not offering samples? I’m dying to try them!

Carrot overload and fresh corn. I love summer!
 So many flowers!
Local and organic: My favorite way to buy!
     We picked up a bunch of different veggies, fruits and fresh eggs for upcoming recipes:
Spinach, mixed baby greens, potatoes, parsley and oregano, broccoli, corn, a massive onion, strawberries, fresh eggs and honey.
I’m very confused… the last time I made my chimichurri sauce, I requested oregano, but I think they gave me marjoram, because today the vendor gave me something I didn’t recognize. Any input? Can you tell if this is oregano or marjoram (14th picture down – I couldn’t link the specific picture) ? HELP!
     For dinner I made Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder with all the fresh farmers’ market ingredients. Yes, this is a Weight Watchers recipe that I stumbled across, but it’s a good one!
Some adjustments I made to the recipe: I used unsweetened soymilk instead of regular milk, used 6 small potatoes instead of 1 yukon, added a little more celery and red bell pepper than recommended, and DRENCHED it with TJ’s Jalapeno Pepper Hot Sauce. This recipe took a total of 20 minutes to make, including husking the corn! 
All of the ingredients were fresh from the market, and made the soup taste like it was JUST picked, which it probably was :).
     I had to scarf down a bowl of this soup in 5 minutes in order to get to work on time. I still wound up a few minutes late. Whoops. I figured a small gelato would help me get over my tardiness-guilt.
This had rocky road, mint chocolate chip, and amaretto chocolate chip. It filled all the air-holes in my stomach from eating the chowder so fast. Yes, I had two frozen desserts today! Yes, it was so worth it!
     Work consisted of packing boxes, unpacking even more boxes, and a friend stopped by to hang out and help me pass the time without going completely crazy. Before I knew it, I was headed home. At home, I was welcomed by something that I NEVER have… WINE!
This is Brochelle Rose. It’s a known fact that I do not like wine. That is, I didn’t like it until I met this wine!
Me gusta mucho! I find that red wines are too heavy, white wines are too vinegary, but this is a perfect blend of soft and sweet, and almost feels like it has a little carbonation!
     I had two glasses of the wine, watched two episodes of Glee, and am now ready to spend the next two days spending some quality time with the parental unit, enjoying their lovely company. Have I mentioned yet that I have the best parents? It’s just a fact. Yeah.
Any big plans for your weekends? If you need ideas, I recommend painful hikes and bike rides! 
🙂
     

10 Comments

Filed under chowder, farmers' market, frozen yogurt, green monster, tutti frutti, weight watchers

by | July 8, 2010 · 10:07 am

Blog Name Redeemed!

     I am back on the exercise wagon!!! Today, I completely overdid my workout and loved every second of it! I hiked. I biked. I ate! Boo to the yah!

     First, we’ll start with first things first. Firstly…

I had breakfast before my monster! This was an omelette with 2 eggs, 1/2 a cup of spinach, 2 teaspoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I use the ones that are soaked in oil, then drain them – the flavor is so much better than dry!), and 1 teaspoon of goat cheese.
     My roommate was up late last night, and me, being the wonderful person that I am, decided to wait until both my roommates were awake to share the awesomeness that is the Green Monster!
By the time they were both awake, I’d eaten my omelette and was pretty full, so I had a half of a Monsta. Mine had 1 cup of spinach, 1/3 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/8 a cup of frozen cherries, 1/3 of a banana and lemon juice.
     We got on the trail very, very late. For a change, my roomie and I tried a different trail – this was decided halfway to the national park while we were in the car, and I had no camera to document. It was beautiful! There was a thick marine layer and we walked through mist for the entire hour. This trail was a steep downhill for 1.43 miles, but that meant that it was another 1.43 miles back up that steep hill. It hurt. I loved it!
     After we got back to the house, I decided that since I was all sweaty and gross anyway, I might as well get on my bike! I biked down to the local library to return some books, and pick up some more. It took me about 5 minutes to lock my bike because I wanted to lock my wheel and frame to the bike rack, but alas, it wouldn’t fit. 
I figured that since I’m not at UCSB anymore, no one will be out to steal my tire or bike seat.
It was still there when I came out! Yay!!!
     I biked around with a full backpack – about 6.75 miles of which only the last .2 miles KILLED me! I don’t think I can detail the hill I live on enough to make you understand the pain that is involved in the climb up. I’ll have to post a picture tomorrey.
     I finally removed the 40 pounds of books that I’d had strapped to my back, and collapsed onto the couch.
My interests of the week: Flexitarianism, Veganism and mountain biking!
     I read the flexitarian book and wasn’t very inspired. It’s not as much of a nutritional info book as it is a mixture of random recipes. Meh. Next! The Veganomicon book (included in my favorites –>) is pretty cool! I’ll probably be dabbling in that during the next week – I’m going to do a week of veganism, just to see if I can! If you haven’t noticed, I really enjoy ridiculous challenges that have no real purpose to them except to prove that I can do anything :). The other books I’ll get to tomorrow.
     After showering, I chugged about 48 ounces of water immediately, then had a mini-salad to calm my stomach while I sauteed some zucchini.
1 cup of chopped lettuce and 1/4 a cup of chopped bell pepper with 1 teaspoon of homemade balsamic dressing.
Lots of Herbes de Provence!
Lunch was 1/4 cup of Barilla Plus pasta with tomato-basil marinara, 1/8 a cup of my sauteed zucchini and a teaspoon of goat cheese.
     After fooding, I fell into the barcalounger and flipped through some of my books. Before I knew it, my alarm was going off to remind me that I had to go to work. I threw on some clothes and makeup (blah), grabbed some books and headed out.
     My first stop was to get a little more calories into my system. I worked hard today!
OOOOOH YEAAAAH! I had a small with amaretto chocolate chip, rocky road and Grandma’s Penuche from Paciugo. This totally made my day!
     I actually had work to do at work! I was slammed with unpacking and repacking of boxes, cleaning counters and all that fun stuff, so the time flew by. It’s such a nice change to not be staring at the minutes creeping by on the clock.
     When I got home, I was going to have a nice hot cup of tea, but instead I went for this:
Stockyard Oatmeal Stout! This had a wonderful mocha smell, and tasted like a rich coffee with some toffee/chocolate mixed in. It was very smooth and had a great amount of carbonation – some of you may know that I don’t like flat beers I.E. Guinness and the like. I’ll be back for this one, especially since it’s only a dollar down at my local Trader Joe’s!
     I now feel warm and sleepy – the perfect way to feel after a beer, so I’m off to read some of my mountain biking books and prepare for another day tomorrow full of exercise, FARMERS’ MARKET, cooking and another late shift at work.
Anyone up for a week-long vegan challenge? C’mon, give it a try!

4 Comments

Filed under beer, bike, green monster, hike, library, marine layer, omelette, Paciugo, pasta, salad, vegan, zucchini

by | July 7, 2010 · 9:26 am

A Vegan Day!

     Today was a whirlwind! I went vegan for the entire day – mostly by accident, but I changed my tune at the end of the day. It was exhausting! Have you ever tried being vegan for an extended period of time? My brother has been a vegan for 10 years – I think I rebelled again veganism because of that, but I’m open to try again…. maybe…. eventually….

     I woke up to some beautiful “June” Gloom in July, and finally got to start the day with a big mug (or two) of coffee!

It’s been very difficult for me to be at the LBM house where they have no coffee maker! I don’t know how they survive!
     I used up the last of the spinach this morning, and discovered that we were out of berries, so after digging through the freezer, my roommate came up with a bag of frozen mango. Don’t ask me how long it’s been there… I don’t even want to think about it.
2 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/4 a cup of frozen mango, 1/2 a frozen banana and the juice of 1 lemon.
     I jumped in my car and got on the highway to head into LA for class. I was running a little late and didn’t have time to stop and get food stuffs, so I grabbed a banana and a kiwi from the fruit bowl before I left the house. Since I ate the banana on the freeway on the drive out, I figured taking a picture would probably be frowned upon by police/other drivers/many people who read the blog.
     Class today was “small, medium and large” day. We got our scenes, ran lines outside for an hour, then came back and got our running order. Basically, the scenes are shown in order from the “smallest”, meaning the most conversational, to the “largest”, which means the most dramatic/comedic ones, that usually include lots of sight gags and screaming. Mine was a medium scene which was mostly just a conversation except for the one line I got to get pissed off and storm out the door. Wheeee!
     My audition afterwards went amazingly! I got to the casting studio early because I’ve been called in to this place many times before, and if you don’t show up early, you end up with a line of 5 people in front of you, which can take up to 45 minutes to get through. After a short wait, they brought me in and I had 2 scenes with the new (and very cute) casting assistant/reader. It always helps to have someone cute to read with when you need to have chemistry in a scene ;-). I got to have a southern accent, flirt, and argue. The CD gave me an adjustment, we ran the first scene again, then did profiles on camera. I spent a few minutes afterwards chatting and reconnecting with the CD, then headed out. Happy, happy times! I don’t think it could’ve gone any better, and for now, that’s good enough for me :).
     When I finally got to the talent manager’s office (about an hour later than I was supposed to because of my audish), I sat down and was treated to an apple/strawberry juice by the sweet older lady who shares another area of the office building.
Lots of delicious fiber and hard work going on here!
I sliced up my kiwi and inhaled it. I used to eat kiwis by cutting them in half and scooping out the insides with a spoon, but I discovered a few weeks ago that the skins are edible, and now I’m hooked!
     Work was really busy! Episodics are finally casting again! The past few weeks have been pretty slow with a few pilots and a few features, but now that the regular shows are back from hiatus, I’m working non-stop with no breaks until I leave at 7pm. It’s hard work, but I really do like it!
     I swung by Trader Joe’s on the way home and picked up a bag of spinach and frozen berries for my monster tomorrow, as well as a bag of lettuce to make a vegan KSS for dinner, and a new beer.
This had 3/4 a bag of chopped baby lettuce, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils, 1/4 a cup of chopped bell pepper, 2 small zucchinis that were sauteed in olive oil and herbes de provence until soft and caramelized, and a teaspoon of homemade dressing.
     The shocker comes here – I didn’t drink the beer! I just wasn’t feeling it today – are you concerned? Instead I had a tall glass of water, collapsed on the couch and watched an episode of That 70’s Show. Tomorrey will be a day full of hiking, filming auditions, and then working a late shift. I’m looking forward to being back on the trails! It’s been far too long.
How’s the weather in your area? Are you jealous of the Cali chill?

2 Comments

Filed under Acting, audition, casting director, fiber, green monster, juice, kitchen sink salad, kiwi

by | July 2, 2010 · 8:28 am

Mediterranean Delicacies

     GOOOOOD Thursday, all! I hope you got to start your day off as wonderfully as I did!

This Monsta was nothing but FRESH! 3 cups of fresh spinach, 3/4 a cup of soymilk, 1/2 a cup of fresh blueberries, fresh lemon juice, 1/2 a fresh banana and some fresh ice! 🙂
     I had a full day at work, but the good news is that it’s now officially July, which could mean only one thing… FREE GODIVA (If you belong to the Godiva Rewards Club, you get a free piece every month). Yes, I track time through chocolate. What’s wrong with that?
Godiva is kind of a diva. It doesn’t like to be photographed and always comes out blurry – it’s a defense mechanism.
     I didn’t make breakfast after the GM, so I had to snack on the Clif bar I had leftover from Tuesday.
     I was planning on going to the farmers’ market for lunch and feasting on the samples, but when I stepped outside in my all-black ensemble (mandatory for work) I realized that it was about 90 degrees, and the parking lot where they hold the market would be quite painful. Instead I went to Lazy Dog for a farmers’ market-inspired meal.
This is the Mediterranean Veggie Foccacia Sandwich. Grilled eggplant, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, sliced onions, fresh goat cheese, and sun-dried tomato hummus on rosemary foccacia bread. Oh yeah, and french fries :).
     I had half the sandwich and half the fries, as well as a few edamame on the side. I was so full, I didn’t even have the room to stop at Paciugo! After an hour back at work, I did need to have a little See’s, just to keep me awake!
Scotchmallow, apple pie truffle, dark peppermints and a tipperary bon-bon.
     I got home around 6:30pm and it was still very warm out, so I sat out back with a glass of Magners and listened to Owl City’s new/old song “Brielle” while watching the sunset.
A nice, crisp cider for a warm night out – perfect! An Owl City soundtrack to accompany the view? Priceless!
     Dinner was the remaining half of my sandwich, with a chocolate soy ice cream sandwich for dessert. 
So. Full.
     I’m going to be crashing super early tonight in preparation for tomorrey! There will be lots of pictures, lots of words, and lots of happiness! 
Have an amazing Friday! I’ll see you here tomorrow night 🙂
(A compilation of artwork my coworkers and I made 🙂 We be creative.)

Comments Off on Mediterranean Delicacies

Filed under farmers' market, Godiva, green monster, Lazy Dog Cafe, See's Candies, work

by | July 1, 2010 · 9:30 am

My Trip Around the World

     I absolutely love waking up with nothing on my schedule! Those days are very few and far between, so if I can find one, I’ll embrace it with open arms. Today wasn’t quite one of those days. To be fair, the only thing I had on my schedule was getting my hair done, so I guess it still counts :).

     I had an hour and a half in the hot seat at the salon (at 8:30am, mind you!) and got back home with half a pound less of hair on my head, and ready to eat half a pound to balance it out!

I cooked up some roast beef hash from Trader Joe’s, threw an egg in the middle of it, then made it all fancy with some ketchup lines. Gourmet!
     I had a second gigantic mug of coffee to try and wake up some more, and then did something I’ve never done before. MIDDAY MONSTER!!!
Okay, not that epic, but it was good! 3 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of soymilk, 1/4 a cup of fresh raspberries, 1/2 of a frozen banana, a handful of frozen strawberries, the juice of 1/2 a lemon and a handful of ice.
     My Monsta liquid lunch wasn’t quite enough, so I stopped by Tutti Frutti to get some frozen yogurt.
A little bit of non-fat chocolate raspberry, birthday cake and cookies ‘n cream with dark chocolate chips, fresh strawberries, brownie bits and a chocolate pirouette. 
     What else would I do with my day off, you ask? Well, I went on a trip around the world! The first stop was New England.
     Then we headed to Sicily…
     Then to a small town by Florence…
     And then finally to Japan…
     Okay, so it wasn’t around the world, but HOW AWESOME IS MY TOWN??? I drive 15 minutes and I get all of this :). JOY!
     I got to open up my latest fancy beer – Alesmith Decadence Anniversary Ale.
Holy POW! Beware: this is a STRONG beer (11% ABV)! It was very, very sweet, and has a very raisin-y taste to it. There is a bitter finish that helps balance out the sweetness, but doesn’t cancel it! Very sweet! It’s difficult to have more than one glass, but either way, be careful with this one!
     Dinner was a huge KSS! HUGE!
This had an entire bag of chopped baby greens, 1/2 a chopped bell pepper, a cup of sauteed yellow squash and asparagus that was liberally sprinkled with Herbes de Provence, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils and a cup of egg white salad with 1 teaspoon of homemade dressing.
     I had a hard time finishing the salad (don’t fret, I did eventually finish it), but somehow found a way to fit two hunks of pineapple upside-down cake into my belly. The cake was made with Betty Crocker angel food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple. Very simple, relatively healthy, and way too addictive. I also had a chocolate soy ice cream sandwich. That beer rid me of all of my self-control!!! I blame the high ABV!
     I watched the movie “When In Rome” tonight. Um… I can’t recall any time I’ve ever seen anything so painful in my life. I was literally cringing throughout the entire thing. I forgave Will Arnett because he’s Will Arnett. I forgave Josh Duhamel because he’s pretty. I don’t forgive Jon Heder, but I do feel bad for Efran Ramirez (Juan aka Pedro) who probably begged the producers not to credit him on IMDB. Dax Shepard was the only redeeming part of this film, and he was just playing himself. It just… I can’t… I mean… Ouch…
     I’ll leave you with one last image of peace before I embark upon a full shift at work tomorrey. Keep guessing about Friday! No correct answers yet 🙂
A lovely lake on a quiet afternoon. Happy Sigh.

6 Comments

Filed under day off, eat, FOOD, green monster, kitchen sink salad, movies, When In Rome

by | June 29, 2010 · 9:45 am

Sick Days

     The beginning of the work week is always a little sad, isn’t it? Luckily for me, today was the END of mine! Kinda… I still have class tomorrow, and working at the talent management office, but that’s stuff that I really enjoy doing! Hooray!
I started the morning in the usual way: 3 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, the juice of half a lemon, 1/4 a cup of frozen cherries and 1/2 of a banana.
     Today was rough – I was feeling pretty sick the whole day – no fun! I sucked it up and went on an hour long hike in the marine layer anyway. It was nice and cool out for most of the hike because we woke up early and got out before 8:30am. The hike was rough overall, but I’m very glad I did it, because that gave me an extra excuse to do nothing all day!
My post-hike snack consisted of a big mug of unsweetened jasmine green tea and a tipperary bon-bon I had leftover from yesterday’s trip to See’s.  
     I did all my fun errands around the house – took out the trash, cleaned the kitchen, and heated up some lunch.
I’m sorry if it looks gross – that’s the Chicken Divan from two days ago. My roommate realized that she forgot to add one of the most important ingredients, curry (but who can blame her, she made her own dairy-free cream of chicken soup! And cooked for the other roommate and me! No complaints on my end!), so I sprinkled some on top and also added a little garlic/mustard aioli.
     The rest of my day was pretty much spent. I sat on the couch with a mug of tea and rotted my brain on some CNBC special about obesity (woohoo…), then took a quick 20 minute power nap.
     When I woke up, I had to throw on some clothes that were acceptable for work. Apparently pajamas won’t cut it. Bummer. I didn’t even bother with makeup, so you can really get a grasp on how I felt. I subject all the customers to that horror! I sense some traumatized complaints coming through management!
     I realized too late that I’d run out of time to eat dinner, so I decided to hit up Paciugo and treat myself to a small gelato.
Get ready for this: I ATE DAIRY! AAAAH! This had one scoop of peanut butter/caramel, one scoop of turtle cheesecake, and one scoop of amaretto chocolate chip. It actually helped me feel better, believe it or not! BELIEVE IT!
     My roommate, who had to leave the house to get away from my whining, apparently had stopped by on her way to a meeting, and left me a surprise in the cabinet where I stash my purse.
Two apple pie truffles and two scotchmallows from See’s! Best. Roommate. Ever.
    
     I actually spent the entire night working: can you believe it? I found a way to sit down the entire time: organizing all of the cabinets that hadn’t been touched or dusted in years, and recycling a bunch of old papers that were out of date. The night actually flew by! Who would’ve guessed that working would make the time go by faster?

     I got home and had a gigantic cup of Vanilla Sleepytime tea (I used to live directly across the street from Celestial Seasonings in Colorado, so I’m partial to their teas) as well as another plate of Chicken Divan – heavy on the broccoli. After putting the leftovers back in the fridge, I noticed that we were… OUT OF SPINACH!! Oh NO!!!

     I guess tomorrow will be excessive amounts of coffee, and I may swing by Trader Joe’s to pick up a prepackaged green-juice-drinky-thingy, as well as a sandwich and some fruits before I begin the long drive in so I’m not subsisting on chocolate tortilla chips like last week, which would be difficult in itself because I ate them all last Tuesday.

     I really need quick and easy to-go food options that stay good without a refrigerator. Any suggestions?

Here’s to hoping for good traffic!

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Filed under broccoli, Celestial Seasonings, Chicken Divan, curry, green monster, See's Candies, sick, work

by | June 26, 2010 · 8:47 am

In Love with a Russian… Stout!

     FRIDAY! What a wonderful word! I’m sitting on the couch listening to one of my favorite bands, Mumford & Sons and typing while a cool breeze rolls in through the windows and candles flicker on the counter. It is possibly my favorite way to spend the evenings – I’m such a homebody!

     I set my alarm for 7am today and woke up to my lovely Owl City tone (a GREAT way to wake up!). I rolled out of bed, brewed a cup of coffee and rudely awakened my roommates with the blender.

I NEED my GMs in the morning, especially on a work day! This had 3 cups of spinach, 1/2 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/4 a cup of frozen berries, 1/2 a frozen banana and LOTS of lemon juice – the spinach was on its last day and needed the lemon to make it drinkable :P.
     The spinach has almost turned, so I don’t think I’ll be Monsta-ing tomorrey… I don’t know what I’ll do! Maybe I’ll try Vegan Overnight Oats again? I’m not sure, I’m pretty scared after last time!
     After a thrilling rally at work to get company moral up (give me a break, seriously! I could have still been in bed during this!), I opened all my registers and was berated by my stomach for not feeding it often enough. I grabbed a coupon and headed to Subway for a cheap Sunrise Melt.
This was an english muffin with an egg, turkey, black forest ham and goat cheese, toasted. It was edible, but I much prefer a scramble with lots of veggies!
     I got a lot done at work! Very, very productive, if I do say so myself.
I made these cool little paper ladders and read about 100 pages of “Insatiable” by Meg Cabot over the course of the day.
     I was craving unhealthy things at lunch, but restrained myself and instead had some sushi.
A mini-spicy tuna roll with brown rice.
     After lunch I took to my couch and read even more of my book, and also found some time (and room in my stomach) to fit in Paciugo.
I had a child size of soy chocolate and strawberry-balsamic sorbet. If you think strawberries and balsamic vinegar sounds like a bad combo, you need to try this right away!!! It will change your life – it’s that good!
     I stopped to pick up ice after work because my roommate had called to let me know that she found Magners Cider locally!!
This was the beginning to my Friday night. Notice the cool new Pumpkin Ale glass – a gift from my wonderful mom! You’re jealous, I know.
     For dinner, my roommates and I ordered Pizza Hut. Personally, I think some Fridays just beg for junk food and brews.
I got a personal pan with double pineapple and green bell peppers. There’s green on it, therefore it is healthy. I ate half of this. 
And then I ate the other half…
     Yesterday I decided that instead of drinking my standards in beer – Fat Tire, Franziskaner, Spaten Optimator, etc., I would start purchasing different beers that were well-rated in my beer book, review them and learn even more about the brewing process via tastings.
    Tonight, I got to break open the first of the fancy beers I picked up yesterday – Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.
WOW! This beer is incredible! It’s similar to 1554 by New Belgium, but a lot richer and thicker. This had a dark coffee aroma, sweet, but not overbearingly so, and a very light bitter aftertaste. I normally don’t enjoy any bitterness in my beer, but this was very well balanced! The aroma and taste became a little more bitter over time as the beer came up to room temperature. 
I’m in love!
     After sipping this beer for over an hour, I feel like someone wrapped a warm blanket around me and covered my eyes with fluffy pomeranians.
Who wouldn’t like that? Awww, my baby Buddha!
     I am ridiculously content now after a single bottle of that beer (it is 9% alcohol though, so drinkers of legal age, beware!), and am now ready to retire to my book while listening to some relaxing music. There is no other way I’d want to spend this night. How do you typically spend your weekends?
Happy Friday to you all! Relax, breathe and LIVE!

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Filed under Buddha, Friday, green monster, homebody, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, pomeranian, sushi

by | June 23, 2010 · 9:30 am

An L.A. Kind of Day

     Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

     To me, Tuesdays say:

MONSTERS (of course every day says monster for the past 3 weeks)! For some reason the GMs I’ve been making have been getting really, really thick recently. I think my blender is on its last legs: two of the five motor-prong-thingies have broken off. I may have to empty my entire savings account to get a Vitamix blender!!! IN MY DREAMS!
     Tuesday ALSO means a day off from work! I made a lovely mini-breakfast – an omelette with one egg, a teaspoon of goat cheese, 2 teaspoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a handful of wilted spinach.
 
     Unfortunately, a day off from work doesn’t mean an actual “day off”. It means fighting the freeways so I can make it to my acting class in Los Angeles by noon.

     Holy crap. Here’s the thing – I don’t live IN Los Angeles. I live a short distance away on the outskirts, but add rush hour traffic into that and it equals HELL. LA freeways and I have had a very strained relationship. We were on good terms when I lived in the center of it – WeHo (West Hollywood) area, but now that I’ve cheated with one of its close relatives, it makes me pay dearly.

     Once I finally pass the traffic, I receive a lovely LA welcome.

I love overhead wires!
I love anti-landslide plastic!
Hollywood!
Aaah, the beautiful panorama of white skies, smog and palm trees!
     Honestly, I don’t have any real issues with LA. The thing is, I’m a small-town girl! I love the blue skies, clean air, traffic-free side streets, bike paths, clean rivers and FREE PARKING that small towns have! The crazy part is that to have the career I really want, I need to be in close range to this town. Until I’m working here on a consistent basis, I’ll live in my clean-aired, small-ish town paradise and make the painful commute. Then I will proceed to whine about it to you :).
     I didn’t have time to pack a lunch, so instead I had some super-healthy chocolate tortilla chips in my car.
On Tuesdays, I’ll accept calories from any source because I don’t have enough time between class and work to stop for a real meal! Pitiful :(. What “on-the-go” meals do you make for days when you have no time to stop and eat?
     Class was the usual – we get a scene, go outside with our partner to rehearse for 30 minutes, then head in and perform in front of the class and get critiqued. All the lines are memorized by performance time, but we keep our sides at hand just in case we need them. 
     This class is more of a business class than an acting class – we focus on the networking aspect, and learn how to sell the product that we’re offering (ourselves, in a non-hooker way). In the real world, it’s not about the art anymore: It’s about business – making connections and making producers/directors realize that they would enjoy spending two or three months (or more for TV shows) on set with you.
One scene of the day. 
Faces are blurred out of respect for our famous actors :). (We actually do have a few that have starred in some network shows. The Old Spice commercial guy, the “Swagger Waggon” Toyota girl and one of the leads from “Arli$$” may or may not also be three of them 😉 ).
Today was “easy day” in class. Last week was “casting director workshop” day which makes everyone incredibly nervous and awkward unless they’ve had a lot of experience in the audition room, so this week helps everyone realize that even though they may have bombed last week, acting is still fun!
     I had a scene with the lovely Rosanna which involved lots of ghetto head-bobbing and girl-fighting – FUN! Note on that: there are NEVER good fighting scenes out there for actors unless they are the stars of the show. I got some good screaming scenes in Lonelygirl15 though, so I’m one of the lucky ones!

     After class I worked at the talent manager’s office for a few hours. I called some actors that received auditions for tomorrow, sent some e-mails, submit many, many actors for different roles on the many feature films that are casting right now, and got to eat a banana!!!

(Picture omitted because I was so hungry I inhaled it)
     When I FINALLY got home at 8pm after fighting yet another rush hour, my wonderful roommate had made me a gigantic KSS!
AND a Fat Tire! She is honestly the BEST roommate ever! This KSS had about 4 cups of chopped lettuce, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils, 1/2 a cup of egg white salad, 1/2 a cup of chopped bell pepper, a teaspoon of goat cheese, and homemade dressing made with 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
     Now I am completely stuffed, completely exhausted, and completely ready to fall into bed and crash – and yes, I realize it’s only 10:30pm Pacific Time, but I’m an old soul and exhausted and not ashamed to admit it. 
I’m off to sleep before yet another full shift at work!

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Filed under Acting, banana, Chocolate, Class, green monster, kitchen sink salad, Los Angeles, SUCKS, Tortilla, traffic, Vitamix