What a week! Eleven hours of class, twenty-one hours of field work (+ long commute)… it’s going to be a lot. Time management is key! I want to make sure I get all my reading done and feel ready for class, but it’s also really important that I spend time with B and maintain my friendships, too. It’s possible, right? If any of you have tips on work-life-school balance, I’d love to hear them!
This weekend we did a pretty good job, though.
Friday marked the end of the Conscious Cleanse, so we celebrated with a date at Beyond Sushi. When we first tried the place out back in September, we loved it so much we vowed to go back at least once a month. Life got in the way and that didn’t happen, but we were just as in awe of the elaborate, creative (vegan!) sushi as we were on our first trip. Beautiful, hearty, and filled with so many surprising flavors! We took a nice, long walk in the cold after dinner, then watched a couple episodes of Breaking Bad. Pretty much the perfect night.
On Saturday, we went to our friend Melissa’s housewarming party!
A bunch of us got together for a build-your-own taco night (bean, fish, chicken), which was so much fun. I always forget how much I love corn tacos. Nomnomnom!
I brought this Farro Salad with Leeks, Chickpeas and Currants. Hearty and comforting, it was a lovely dish for a cold January night. And roasted leeks just may be my new favorite garnish.
This morning, my friend Ryan and I met at Queens Kickshaw for brunch. Kickshaw is one of my favorite standbys… it’s consistently delicious, cheesy, and cheap! I’ve sampled all of the fancy grilled cheese sandwiches on their menu, and was excited to try out their new brunch menu. I had a hard time choosing from their egg-centric brunch menu, but eventually settled on the layered potato cake with sunny-side up eggs, gruyere, and toast. Very rich, and very good! And a soy latte… my first cup of coffee in 3 weeks. Amazing.
Chobani sent a little care package as part of their #tastereal campaign! It included their two latest flavors: pear and banana. Yum!
Now that I’m eating dairy and eggs again (they weren’t part of the Conscious Cleanse) my cravings have been unreal. Yesterday around noon, I was hit hard with a craving for egg salad. I couldn’t tell you the last time I had an egg salad sandwich, but it really hit the spot.
Take yourself back to your school-lunch days!
EGG SALAD FOR ONE
Ingredients
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (I used 2% Chobani)
- 1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
- salt + pepper to taste
In a small bowl, mash eggs with a fork. Stir in celery and yogurt, and season with salt and pepper.
Place a thin layer of cucumbers on each slice of toast, and cover with egg salad. Enjoy!
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So, back to the Conscious Cleanse. Some of you have asked about any “benefits” or “results” I noticed while (anti-) “cleansing.” To be honest, I wasn’t eating that differently than I usually do, I just wasn’t having any dairy, eggs, alcohol, coffee, or sugar. I know that sounds like a lot of restrictions, but it really wasn’t that hard! I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the most valuable lesson I learned these last two weeks was to plan out your meals. It saves time and money, and you’re more likely to make yourself a nourishing meal when you have all the ingredients you need on-hand. You don’t have to make elaborate meals or use complicated recipes… just knowing that on Monday night you’ll be eating a bowl of broccoli soup and a salad can take a lot of the anxiety out of mealtimes.
Back to the “benefits.” I did notice that my skin seemed improve, and I was also sleeping better. This might be because I wasn’t drinking alcohol or coffee, or eating any added sugar. My stomach was better, for the most part, than it’s been in the past few months. However, after my first day off the “cleanse,” my troubles started back up again. Unfortunately I wasn’t very careful about reintroducing foods back into my diet, so I’m not 100% sure what caused it. If I had to guess, though, I’d say it was alcohol and sugar, both of which I’m going to try and be more conscious about.
Just a reminder, if you want to try out the Conscious Cleanse for yourself, they’re offering $25 off the two-week program for new members here (enter code RFCC912). Let me know how you like it!
Well, it’s get-down-to-business time. We found a nice desk on Craigslist, so I’ve now got a cozy little corner of the living room to call my “study station.” Lots to do!
How did you spend your weekend?
