It didn't last long though. I woke up at 8am after about 5 hours of sleep. My body was totally shot, every inch of me hurt and I was exhausted. My brother wanted to take my mom to the Chocolate Trade Show in NYC because he thought she'd like it so we all decided to head in early and surprise her with tickets. It was cool, she was super surprised and had a great time. Go figure one of the first tables we saw was a company that boasts certified vegan, all natural treats. I struggled a little with whether or not I should taste anything because of my cleanse, but I decided that the amount I would be eating would not affect it and you don't get to sample these treats all that often so I indulged in a little chocolate. I had a sip of vegan chocolate mint hot chocolate with an almond milk base, a small sample shard (best way I can describe it) of AMAZING 82% dark chocolate, a small shard of 71% dark chocolate and a small shard of dark chocolate infused with chili. I've always wanted to try it and it was so good. The heat snuck up on you and it was awesome because I love spice.
I walked out of the show with these two bars to try after my cleanse. It is from the vegan booth and it is all organic, with all natural sweeteners like agave. They had the awesome mint hot chocolate I tried. They wholesale local to me actually and I can't wait to try! I got an almond bar and a crispy brown rice bar :)
I haven't had a lot of energy and I've been really sore since Saturday so I decided to have a hearty and energizing bowl of oats for breakfast. I added my grains back a day early but I felt it was necessary and I'm glad I did it.
Had some chopped salad for lunch after I got home from work.
I snacked on some frozen grapes before my workout. I'm totally obsessed with these. Check out the little frost crystals. :)
For dinner I had a random plate of veggies and hummus. Great as usual. I need to go get some stuffed grape leaves. Been craving them!
I've been looking for recommendations on things my omni friends want to see me try and veganize. Kind of like a little challenge for the winter when I have more time to get in the kitchen and do some serious cooking. So far my friend asked to see some real Greek style spinach pie (why yes, he IS greek, go figure ;]). Is there anything you guys want to see me make this winter? I'm making a little list so all suggestions are welcome!
Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Looking forward to not rushing out of bed tomorrow. It is also my niece's first birthday tomorrow! She is such a cutie and she has such a funny personality, she is the best. I'm hoping to get out of work a little early to join in the festivities :)
I hope you're getting lots of rest--it sounds like you could really use it. Vegan mint hot chocolate? Sounds awesome! I love super dark chocolate too. I'd like to see you veganize some of my old Italian food favorites like cannolis and pizzelles. Man, I miss pizzelles...
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated note, I finally decided to take my health seriously and I signed up for a personal trainer. My first session is tomorrow night, and I fully expect to have my butt kicked. Any advice on working with a trainer?
I've been looking for mint chocolate milk for weeks now with no luck. I'm jealous that you had some! Spicy chocolate is so good, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the frozen grapes. I should really freeze some, too. It's been a long time!
Mint hot chocolate, how great! Food shows are the only trade shows I'd bother with. Sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteDinner looks great, and the oats are a welcome sight, and I'm sure you felt so too!
Glad you tasted some of the vegan chocolate! I really love the sound of the crispy bar...you'll have to let us know how they are. All the food looks so vibrant and healthy as usual...hope your pains have all gone away!
ReplyDeleteAs for veganizing projects...how about a vegan lemon meringue pie?
Sage - I'm trying to rest, plan on staying in bed for a bit tomorrow before work so hopefully I can sleep it off tonight. The mint hot chocolate was amazing. oooh cannolis would be yummy! As for the working out with a trainer...the first thing is to make sure you really like your trainer. I have found that this will make or break the sessions. I dread sessions with trainers I don't like and I always look forward to sessions with trainers I do like. My other piece of advice (and it seems silly) but just do what they say. I know that you won't do this but I've seen people that just hang out and chat and argue with their trainers to get out of exercise. The way I see it, I'm paying A LOT for these sessions and I want to get the most out of it, so whatever he asks me to do, I do it! Good luck, definitely let me know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteMolly - The hot chocolate was a bit different from the chocolate mint milk that has been popping up, haven't had that either but I want to try it! The spicy chocolate was delicious. And I'm totally obsessed with frozen grapes ;)
FF - It was delicious! This was my first trade show, food or otherwise. It was really cool, but it was SO crowded. That kind of tested my patience a little bit (especially because I was a little cranky to begin with from being tired) but I enjoyed it a lot. I definitely was very happy to be eating oats again! So great this time of year, even with the unseasonably warm weather!
Rose - I'm excited about the crispy bar, I'll definitely review it once I try it. Thanks, I'm feeling better, good enough to train tonight but I could still use another good night of sleep. Whoa vegan lemon meringue, that is a serious challenge! I'll have to see what I can do!
Hmm...I'll have to think of a suggestion (but I do like Rose's!). I prefer my grapes non-frozen, but my kids and husband go through frozen ones like crazy!!!
ReplyDeleteYour random food plate looks super yummy. And, in my opinion, chocolate - shards, chunks, bars, sauce, etc. - is the perfect cure for all body ailments.
ReplyDeleteThe frozen grapes seem like they'd be crunching into ice. Might have to freeze a couple to see what they're about.
ReplyDeleteChocolate is always worth getting out of bed for. :o) I would have gone crazy at that trade show!
ReplyDeleteYay...you added grains back. I didn't realize how much I love my grains until this detox that you're doing. I think I may need to start limiting mine to once a day. I eat way to many!
I hope you're feeling better today!
Glad to hear you have a day or two to relax. Those long days are really taxing! I bet that was the best tasting oatmeal, seeing as you had gone so long without it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet gone in for a massage, but it sounds like you could use one, too! I'll probably just go for a quick chair massage (it's cheaper!).
I'm still thinking of ideas for the veganized recipe challenge; I'll get a few to you soon! :)
Jenny - The first time I tried frozen grapes I didn't like them but they've grown on me a lot!
ReplyDeleteBlessed - I totally agree, chocolate is the magical cure-all!
Shen - They are quite solid when they come right out of the freezer but after a few minutes they have a great icy texture but not solid. Definitely give them a try!
Michelle - The trade show was really great. I love that I got a lot of great ideas from it.I missed my grains a lot! I am with you, I need to try and limit my grains too but I'm ok with some oats for breakfast and some rice at lunch. The right kind of grains are good for you :)
Ingrid - It really was the best tasting oatmeal! ;) I am so with you, I could definitely use a massage and I would go chair too. We have some really great inexpensive places...I should really try it out. Definitely let me know when you come up with something!