All Kim Can Eat Chocolate

September 21, 2012 by 2 Comments

I will start this post off by saying that I like chocolate…but I don’t love chocolate. At least not the same way that many others profess that they do. The Fella is one of those people, if a cake is not chocolate it is not worth eating. He would never dare to eat an apple strudel or slice of lemon meringue pie. So, many months back when I saw a Living Social deal for a chocolate tour of New York City I signed us up thinking we’d have a romantic day of desserts.

Fast forward to present day and I put off scheduling our tour because I was busy with work and now it’s expiring and the only day left is a Thursday and The Fella teaches at a local community college on Thursdays, so I took my non chocolate loving self and my non chocolate loving friend out for a romantic date of desserts.

I have never taken a walking tour before, but I was so incredibly impressed with my tour guide who appeared to know the entire history of New York and could rattle it off as we walked from shop to shop.

Facts like our meeting spot, Chelsea Market, the trendy mall/business venue that now hosts such places as Google, iVillage, and Oxygen used to be the National Biscuit Company factory and it was where the Oreo cookie was invented.

Oreos are New Yorkers!

He also told us that the structure is one of the oldest that remains from the early colonization of New York, similar to the cobble stone streets of the financial district (think Gangs of New York) and there are very strict zoning laws in those areas and that is why the street signs are black. I had never noticed that the street signs were black before, but now I’ll keep an eye out for that sort of thing.

Alex, our tour guide, looked like he was barely out of college. He also had a nifty French accent, and told us his mother is Italian and his Father, American, so that although he grew up in Paris he doesn’t have a French passport. If you’re looking to rob someone of their French passport, don’t choose him.

Our first stop was Jacques Torres for some Wicked Hot Chocolate

Super rich cocoa with cinnamon and chili powder

My date.

Our next stop was Li-Lac Chocolates which is one of the oldest chocolate shop in New York City, having opened in 1923.

While there we sampled the dark chocolate which was 74% cocoa.
I learned that there’s actually a correct way to eat dark chocolate; first bite off a small piece and let it sit on your tongue, roll it around a bit, then chew, then proceed to eat normally. Apparently chocolate is a lot like wine.

The next stop was Chocolate Bar for some sea salt chocolate.
This you don’t let sit on your tongue you just go right ahead and chew to break up the salt crystals.
This was at the top of my list for favorite chocolate experiences.

Our fourth stop was the original Magnolia Bakery.
Since Sex and the City featured this cupcake hub they’ve grown exponentially, popping up with shops all over New York City.
Honestly, I think the cupcakes are a bit over-rated…but that didn’t stop me from eating one.

Sprinkles anyone?

Friends fans, this is the building used as the exterior for Joey, Monica, Chandler, Rachel, and Phoebe’s building.
The restaurant below, The Little Owl, is the inspiration for Central Perk.

I knew that before the tour, score one for Kim!

Our next stop was at Milk & Cookies Bakery for some double chocolate cookies

That’s my “I’m trying to look psyched about this cookie the size of my head, but I’m chocolate-d out” face

Random sculpture of Picasso’s second wife.
She looks like she was burgeoning on a sugar coma too.

This bakery was featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay (my Food Network crush), and the cannoli’s here put Bobby’s to shame.

I have to agree, they were pretty excellent.

Our next stop, Xocolatti is owned by a 24 year old, and focuses on reimagining chocolate flavors.
You won’t find any milk chocolate bars here, they have things like basil and olive oil chocolate.

I was a bit nervous about trying the mango paprika white chocolate bark. I’m not exactly adventurous when it comes to sweets, but I was amazed.

This tiny nibble rocked my world. The paprika really compliments the buttery sweetness of the white chocolate and the crystalized mango really closed the deal in regard to taste bud bliss.

Dudes Chobani has a storefront shop! We didn’t go in it, but you can bet your sweet patooties that next time I’m in Soho I’m stopping by for some yogurt. My friend told me that they just opened and have specialized yogurt flavors. Consider my world rocked.

Our last stop of the day was Vosges. You may have seen their creative bars in Whole Foods. They’re the ones that make the bacon chocolate bar.

We tried a red pepper toffee that I wasn’t a big fan of.
They can’t all be winners.

I did make a friend there. Vosges gets an A+ for decorating.

As far as sweets go, I’m pretty sated for the foreseeable future. Despite the fact that for the most part a chocolate lovers tour is really wasted on me, I really enjoyed this experience. I think I’ll look for more walking tours to partake in. I have no shame about playing tourist in my own city.

For folks that may want to retrace my steps, the whole tour happened between the neighborhoods of Chelsea, the West Village, and SoHo. All are very close to one another.

 

 

 

 

 

Kim

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Time for a Tour

August 31, 2012 by 7 Comments

Last night was my first solo night in my new apartment. The Fella left for a bachelor party in Israel, and I have a few days to get accustomed to my new space by myself before I head to the Holy Land for a little rest and relaxation.

I slept like a rock. Not too shabby having a Queen-sized bed to myself.

I still feel weird walking around my new neighborhood. I knew all the coffee shops, boutiques, and tree-lined streets that my old Brooklyn neighborhood had to offer. The Upper West Side of Manhattan still feels a bit like Roy’s neighborhood to me, but I’ve been making it a point to go on a walk every day and see the sights.

So far the sites I’ve gotten to know best are Whole Foods and TJ Maxx. There was neither in Park Slope!

Since we’re almost completely unpacked, I figured it may just be time for the big reveal of the new digs.

If you’re not a New Yorker, I’m not going to go so far as to say this is a typical New York City apartment. New York has such varied architecture, depending on the part of the city you’re in, that there is no “typical.” There are also a lot of rundown buildings because the demand for housing is so high that landlords can do very little to maintain a space, and still find renters for it. Our place is, however, pretty standard for a 100 year old brownstone in the Upper West Side—which is exactly what it is, and in relatively good shape. Cool fact: Babe Ruth used to live in the building next door!

Living Room

The couch folds out into a queen sized bed!
Who wants to sleep over?

The fireplace is my favorite part of the apartment.
For the winter time we bought a portable glass encased fireplace to slip in so there so we can have a real fire!

I put The Fella in charge of finding us a television.
OMG it’s huge! I didn’t know that TVs came in 55″ but apparently there is now a movie theater in my house.

This is the area where we are not unpacked yet. This is Roy’s comic book collection. I think we’re going to have to look into renting a storage space when we get back from vacation.

Behind the boxes is my reading nook…

…and the table that will eventually be unfolded. I have a feeling we’ll be eating our meals on the coffee table for a little while.

Kitchen


This kitchen is way smaller than my old one, but we’ve made it work. We’ve adapted two IKEA bedroom armoires (the white thing on the side) into pantries.

And we’ve added our own impromptu counter space.

My favorite part of the kitchen is our pin-up themed cooking area.

Bathroom

Ehh, I didn’t photograph the bathroom. It looks like a bathroom.

Bedroom


We’re still looking into art to put over the bed, so the room isn’t completely done yet.

My favorite part of the room is the drawer in my armoire that I converted into a preening center.
Maybe I’ll start wearing makeup more now. Probably not.


This is where the working happens.
The Fella built me those shelves, now I have to figure out what to put on them.

And that, my friends, is where I write my blog from…now that I’m stealing Internet from a very kind/unsavvy about password protection neighbor. When we get back from our trip we’ll do fun things like set up Cable and Internet and I’ll never have to leave the house again!

Oh wait, that’s a bad thing.

Breakfast


Watermelon

Lunch


Left overs

Dinner

I met up with some girlfriends for dinner. I hadn’t seen them in FOREVER, seeing as how I put most of my life on hold while working on the book. Topics of conversation ranged from bra size to vibrators. It’s been a while since I had the kind of conversation that garnered looks of disapproval from surrounding tables. Fun!

I blame the beer

We each had a salad and split a pizza

Exercise: Since my cardio is pretty much limited to walking right now thanks to my broken toe and lack of gym membership in my new neighborhood, I spent a good three hours yesterday walking.

Kim

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I wanna be bad…at stuff

February 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My name is Kim, and I’m a perfection-aholic.

While it’s certainly one of my more motivating characteristics, I consider it one of my biggest flaws.

I tend to be pretty realistic when it comes to the natural limitations of other people, but when it comes to myself I expect nothing less than super-human strength and stamina, Einstein-like intelligence, and the patience of Mother Theresa.

Anyone else feel like this?

The problem with this equation is that I am not in fact super-human. This little fact continues to surprise and disappoint me.

What I’m working on now is figuring out a way to make my life work. I feel like everything in my life is amazing, and yet I don’t have enough time, energy, and brain space to manage it all. And in disappointing myself, I often feel like I’m disappointing other people.

Many years ago, I remember arranging a meeting with my then boss. People had just been let go and I’d taken on a whole slew of new responsibilities. The point of the meeting was to establish my priorities. I had so many things on my work plate, I wasn’t sure how to manage them all, and I wanted clarification about what duties took precedence. As we went down the list what we came up with was that they were all priorities.

It wasn’t a particularly helpful meeting.

I’ve been going over my priorities list in a similar fashion these days. Finishing my manuscript is my numero uno priority. Cranking out a 300 page book in six-months is pretty intimidating for a girl who makes her living blogging (everything I write is 500 words max!). In addition, I still have a job as a gossip columnist, work part-time at a magazine, have relationships with family, friends, and The Fella that I would like not to let fall by the wayside, and of course would like to maintain a moderately active lifestyle. They all seem like priorities.

So, I’m going to do something that is very hard for me to do. I’m going to try really, really hard to not try to be perfect (again, not saying I am, but I’m usually trying to be). There are going to be days that I’m a rock star at everything, but most days I probably won’t check off everything on my to-do list. I’m going to cut back my gym going from six days a week, to three, and use exercise videos (<3) to keep me from being completely sedentary on my off days—even if they’re super short ones. I may have to tell my freelance employers that I’m working on a big personal project and may have to take time off when needed. And I may have to be a bit hermetic when duty calls—I’m pretty sure my parents, friends, and boyfriend will still like me when I emerge from my writing cocoon.

Not trying to do everything right is going to be quite the challenge. If rational thought and self-assurances don’t work at quieting my inner perfectionist—candy usually shuts her up.

 

Breakfast

Scrambled egg whites
Orange
Trader Joe’s gluten-free English muffin (the consistency is more like a biscuit than an English muffin, but biscuits are good too)

Lunch

Salad with roasted kabocha squash, grilled tofu, mandarin oranges, and sesame ginger dressing

Dinner




A friend invited The Fella and I over for dinner. Not only is she a fantastic cook, but she kept everything super healthy:
Roasted vegetables, pita, tabouli salad, and shakshouka

Exercise: None. Sigh.

Kim

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Finding Silver Linings

November 9, 2011 by 2 Comments

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
~Redd Foxx

I learned something today: You’re never supposed to put citrus fruit in the refrigerator. Apparently it ruins the consistency and makes it pulpier. How have I gotten this far in life, and eaten this much mediocre citrus fruit, without learning the rules of proper produce storage?

Other happy discoveries of the day:

  • Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf now exist in NYC! They were a favorite of mine when I lived on the left coast.
  • I’m back down to my lowest adult weight. Technically I was planning on maintaining my weight a few pounds ago, but I think the stress of the last week caused an uptick in my weight loss. I’m not complaining.
  • I have amazing friends that will head into NYC at 9pm after a 12-hour work day, for the sole purpose of cheering me up.
  • Cold butternut squash in a salad is AMAZING.
  • Kabocha squash, roasted and mashed tastes a lot like mashed sweet potatoes only with a fraction of the calories and fewer carbohydrates
  • My parents bought a condo!

Okay, the last one is really big news. My parents have been trying to buy a new condo for over a year, and last week were told that the sale they’ve been waiting for had fallen through and they’d lost thousands and thousands of dollars and my mother shed quite a few tears, on a home that would never be theirs. Then, out of nowhere, the condo was theirs. They closed today. My parents have a new house. I’m looking forward to helping them decorate and spending the holidays in their new home.

If you haven’t noticed I’ve been in a pretty melancholy mood for the last week or so and I definitely needed a little good news in my life. It was that good news early in the day that reminded me of an old trick I did back when I was feeling particularly sad: I took note of everything, no matter how small, that made me happy. I’ve decided to reinstate that old practice until I’m feeling like my old self, hence the list above. Honestly, just seeing a bulleted list of things that are worth smiling over makes everything seem a little more manageable.

How do you cheer yourself up when you’re feeling down?

 

Breakfast

Multi grain tortilla with egg whites and salsa

Morning/Afternoon Snacks


Whey protein with almond milk x2 (one in the morning, one in the afternoon)

Lunch

Salad with lettuce, tomato, chick peas, butternut squash, carrot and orange vinaigrette

Coffee Date


A long lost friend (lost meaning he lives and works in New Jersey) found his way into New York tonight so that we could catch up over caffeine.
Four shot latte with skim milk—I’m still tired. Damn my caffeine resistance!

Dinner

Baked tofu, mashed kabocha squash, and steamed zucchini

Exercise: AM: 45-min strength training session; PM: 45-min spin class

Kim

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Coming in first

November 3, 2011 by 1 Comment

Here’s a life lesson for you: Sometimes you have to put yourself first.

Even if it’s not fair, even if it will make people angry, even if you will feel guilty about it—sometimes the only thing to do is the thing you need to do for you.

I think this lesson comes easier to some than others. For me it’s been a long time coming. And then this week happened. This week is even “Hellier” than last week’s Hell week. This week I have to get down and dirty with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (although, I hope that after this once there’ll be more-in-a-lifetime). The trouble here is that it coincides with some other important moments for the people I love; including my parents and my best friend.

Not only do I feel overwhelmed mentally, but I’m totally emotionally spent.

I have resolved myself to doing the best I can for those I love, without sacrificing the time and dedication needed over the next week for my dreams to come true. People will be disappointed in me, but I’ll be even more disappointed if I waste this opportunity. Sometimes you have to be your own first priority.

So, I called out of work for a week, took  some time off from helping my parents move, and told my best friend that I wouldn’t be riding in the limo for her bachelorette party (although I’ll be there for the rest of the actual partying) so that I could spend as much of the day writing as possible. I feel like a terrible employee, daughter, and friend, but I’m doing the best I can.

Do you have a hard time putting yourself first? Disappointing others?

Breakfast

Egg white omelet with sautéed onions and peppers, topped with salsa

Lunch

Half a wrap with avocado and mushrooms
Salad with lettuce, feta, oranges, and candied walnuts, raspberry vinaigrette

Post-Workout Snack


Half a protein bar

Café fare while writing


Earl Grey tea with soy milk

Dinner


I probably won’t have Internet access later tonight, so no dinner pics for you.

Exercise: 60-minutes strength training, 30-minutes stairmill

Kim

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Bread, Butter, and the Meaning of Life

October 4, 2011 by 1 Comment

And now, an ode to bread and butter:

I met up with a group of writing friends tonight. Not only was dinner fun and inspiring (nothing like hanging out with a bunch of super talented writers to make you want to go home and write), but it was delicious.

It was delicious because there was bread, and there was butter. When the waitress brought the bread basket over I realized that I haven’t been greeted by warm buttery bread in a long time (I guess I haven’t been going to the right kinds of restaurants). Then I wondered if my cohorts would think it was weird if I caressed the bread and whispered sweet nothings to the butter.

I didn’t do it, but I thought about it. I also thought about putting the whole basket in my purse. When my lustful ways subsided, my philosophical ones kicked it; I started pondering the reasons why bread and butter is so good.  Seriously, it’s the least exciting food there is, it’s so simple.  But I think it’s because it’s simple that it’s so good, as are most of the good things in life.

Whether it be food, fitness, or just good old fashioned fun, it’s the simple things that make me (and I’m going to guess a lot of us) the happiest. A sweet crispy apple, a relaxing walk around the neighborhood, a warm blanket on a cool day–it seems like the simpler it is, the more comforting it is.

Simple often seems like an offensive adjective, but I think it’s time we reclaim the word. There’s beauty in simplicity and comfort in the little things. I’m not one to turn down an elaborate meal or a trendy new fitness class. I love me some extravagant vacations, and fancy clothes, but between you and me those things are best when consumed in moderation. I’ll take a run over the newest boot camp, and jeans over sequins any day.

What’s your favorite “simple” thing (food, fitness, fun, friends, Friday nights?)

Breakfast


Brown rice tortilla, egg whites, tomato and hot sauce

Snack


Strawberry kefir

Lunch


Butternut squash, turkey meatloaf and ketchup

Dinner


You know in old prison movies how prisoners only got to eat bread and butter?
I never got why that was a bad thing.


Salad with grilled chicken and vinaigrette

Exercise: Cardio day: 30-minutes stair mill; 30-minutes elliptical

Kim

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Let Kim eat cake!

September 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It was a love and food filled weekend for me.

On Saturday I got to spend the day with my family, immediate and extended.

My great-aunt Ethel just turned 95, and my mom, dad, aunt, and uncle headed to my cousin’s house for a family visit to celebrate. If I could be anyone when I grow up it would be Ethel, I think she’s just about the most amazing person that has ever existed. And let me just say, that woman makes 95 look good!

Forget 95, I hope I’m in half as good shape as she is when I’m 35!

Sunday was my best friend’s bridal shower.

I couldn’t be more excited for a wedding if it were my own. My best friend and her fiancé (also one of my closest friends) have been together for ten years, and have been engaged for half that time. They’ve been saving for their dream wedding for years, and now it’s right around the corner!

Isn’t she going to make the most beautiful bride?

I consider myself extremely lucky to count these two foxy ladies as my bestest friends.

After all the celebrating and hugging was done I was ready for a nap. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I may have had my fill of cake for a while…

Who am I kidding, there’s no such thing as too much cake!

 

In the meantime I’m returning to regularly scheduled eating and exercise.

Breakfast


Oatmeal/cottage cheese/egg-white (tastes better than it sounds)pancake with maple syrup

Snack


Chocolate protein shake with almond milk

Lunch


Whole wheat wrap with tofurky, tomato and onion
Steamed broccoli

Snack


Post workout chocolate muffin

Dinner


I had class tonight, a class that conveniently caters dinner. Salad with candied pecans and oranges—yummo!
Half a goat cheese, pesto, and vegetable sandwich

Exercise: 35-minute jog, 30-minute stair climb, 60-minute strength training (with personal trainer)

Kim

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Gym vs Bar?

August 24, 2011 by 1 Comment

FYI: The gym is totally the new cool hangout spot.

I got a text from a friend today asking if I want to meet up tomorrow for an aerobics class. We’ve been trying to schedule time to hang out for a while now, and the gym seemed like a nice meeting spot that will not only make us feel social, but healthy. So tomorrow we’re meeting up for a lunch time spin class followed by a little actual lunch time.

She’s not the only one with this exciting idea, in the past couple of weeks I’ve had three friends ask for guest passes to my gym or to meet up in the weight room. Could it be that the gym is usurping the bar as the new place to meet up?

Or is it just because I’ve stopped drinking and my friends are trying to figure out what to do now? Either way I LOVE IT!!!!

I think it’s awesome to meet up for a little heavy breathing with a friend. It’s also really motivating; it’s pretty lame to phone in those lunges when your friend is staring right at you. If anything I push myself harder when I know people are watching me.

I could get used to the buddy system!

Do you work out with friends?

Breakfast


I hit up Starbucks for a little latte and writing time this morning
I also grabbed a bistro box with grapes, apple slices, cheese, an egg, peanut butter, and pita
No foam soy latte (my signature drink)

 

Sometime in the afternoon I started getting a stomach ache and my waist started to get seriously bloated. It’s probably just a gas pocket (my mom thinks everything is gas), but still, eating lunch didn’t seem particularly appealing. By the time dinner time rolled around I needed to eat something belly-ache or not.

Dinner


Veggie kabobs and an organic pork chop

 

Exercise: I ended up skipping my workout today. I blame tummy troubles.

Now I’m going to bed and hoping to wake up sans stomach woes.

Kim

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Drink No More

August 18, 2011 by 4 Comments

I stopped drinking recently.

I spent a good portion of my last year working the bar/nightlife scene for a news outlet that I write for. Between writing, dating, and nights out with friends I really started to feel the effects of the constant stream of alcohol in my system.

While my eating and exercise habits remained fairly consistent, I definitely saw an uptick in my weight from liquid calories. Not only that, but my sleep was effected, my skin felt dry and patchy, and the worse part of it all was that I actually started craving alcohol.

That part scared me.

Luckily, a couple of months ago I was able to talk to my producer and work out a new column for myself, one that didn’t consist of cocktails six nights a week. When that changed I decided to go a month without alcohol to clear out my system, I’d overheard the term “Dry July” from a friend and decided that was my mission—one month of alcohol free living. Low and behold, my sleep habits started to improve, as did my skin, and well, I’m still working on taking the excess poundage off but I’m a little bit lighter than I was when I started out the summer.

The hardest part of my little experiment was going out. In the summertime it seems like cocktails abound, and friendly outings usually come with a frothy frozen margarita to accessorize with. I hadn’t actively decided to extend my dry spell into August, but as the summer progressed and more and more opportunities to imbibe arose, I found myself passing the drink menu along and ordering a club soda instead.

Tonight I met up with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while, as the sangria got passed around I again opted for a glass of water and announced that I had given up drinking.

“Forever?” was the predominant response.

“For a while.” It wasn’t until I declared my teetotalling ways aloud that I realized that it was truly what I wanted. I’m not sure what I expected, perhaps the same sort of peer pressure that abounded when I was 16, but my friends took it in stride and resumed banter on queue.

I even overheard one say, “Kim’s always on a health kick.” It’s true, I am J

Breakfast


Frittata with mushrooms and spinach
Cherries

Lunch


Vegetable soup
Watermelon

Dinner


Chicken with avocado and hot sauce
Roasted summer squash

Exercise: Strength training- Shoulders and Arms

Kim

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What’s Making Me Happy: Weekend Edition

August 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I definitely fell off the weekend happy-blogging bandwagon, but I think it’s time to restart this little tradition of mine. Mainly because I’m pretty happy.

I’ve recently been introduced to TLC (The Lite Choice). It’s basically crack in the form of a low-cal/fat-free ice cream like substance. This weekend I had peanut butter TLC with Oreo crumbles (all for less than 150 calories!)

The stairmill doesn’t exactly make me “happy” but it makes my butt look better in jeans—and that makes me happy.
The last time I regularly stairmilled was when I was training for the American Lung Association Stair Climb. My butt was never better than it was in that phase of my life. I’ve decided to restore it to its former stair-climbing glory.

Picnicking on the lawn at Lincoln Center

True story: I just saw Star Wars for the first time!

News that a dear friend found her wedding dress!
It looks like Operation Hot Bridesmaid may last a wee bit longer J

 

What’s Making You Happy This Weekend?

Kim

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