Foodie for a Day - Two Little Red Hens

There’s something about cupcakes and NYC that seem to go hand-in-hand.  Though when we think about it, we’re thinking the go-to places are Crumbs or Magnolia, right?  While those places may have good cupcakes (I can only stand by Magnolia, never been to Crumbs), I was introduced to the hidden gem of cupcakes on the Upper East Side while in New York a couple weeks ago.

Lisa and I had an afternoon free before yoga and decided to walk around the Upper East Side going into some of her favorite thrift stores but before we even hit a single store, Lisa asked “do you like cupcakes?”  “Why yes, yes I do.”  “Do you like chocolate?” “OF COURSE!”  “Let’s get cupcakes!” “Okay!!”

So Lisa and I walked over to Two Little Red Hens for the best lunch ever!

(Disclaimer: By best, I do not mean healthy in any way, shape or form.)

The place was adorable with very country-like decorations but what brings you coming back are the delicious cupcakes.  We decided to split two - a chocolate cupcake with chocolate fudge in the middle and a chocolate frosting and a chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter filling and a peanut butter and chocolate swirl frosting.

Did I mention how good these were? 

So good that baby carriers are now used for transportation of cupcakes!

They may not the best fuel for yoga but we did eat 1/2 a pickle after walking around the thrift stores!

After a quick stop back at the apartment to grab our stuff for yoga, Lisa and I took the long way to the subway (ie: skipping the cross-town bus) by walking through Central Park.  We were on a mission for some berries of some sort and while we couldn’t find them, we did get a nice walk in the park on a beautiful sunny day.

The Street Aesthetic of New York City by Christian Andersen

One of my friends and coworkers posted this video on Facebook and when I saw it this morning I needed to share it. If I didn't already miss NYC, you know this video took it over the top. NYC is one of my favorite places and gives me this unexplainable feeling that LA has never been able to give me. This video is absolutely gorgeous, so please check it out!

The Street Aesthetic of New York City from Christian Andersen on Vimeo.

It's a mental challenge too....

Officially 11 days in and I think the initial “glow” is wearing off and this challenge is becoming more mental for me.  I succeeded at my task to focus and let go during last night’s Restorative Flow but was definitely looking forward to getting back to a nice sweaty flow.  My morning started out rather rough and I feared for the direction my day was going to go and was pleasantly surprised when it turned itself around, making this morning more of a minor setback.  I found I was being calmer and getting less frustrated with people and events that generally really aggravate me.  Instead, I was being open to taking on additional responsibilities that I thought would help everyone, including making my life easier down the road.  I left work in a good mood, stopped at the bank and continued onto yoga.

...I think I forgot how difficult last week’s class was with Chani.  I looked back at my post-flow notes and I definitely noted the difficulty of the class, but boy it got me today.  It was physically challenging for sure but what I struggled with today was the mental challenge.  The process of letting go, focusing and breathing felt like a nearly impossible task.  My brain kept floating away and going to another thought (including craving frozen yogurt?!).  It was strange.  I left feeling like a got a decent workout but frustrated and without my usual yoga glow.

I decided to stop and feed into my frozen yogurt craving (I’ve been good so it was okay) and then came home.  After a frustrating drive home, making me realize just how much I dislike driving since I moved to LA, I paused to question if selling my car is an option.  Maybe? But not now.

And THANKFULLY I had good news awaiting me today: Tracey and Laura are coming to California at the beginning of June!! :-D 

It’s such an awesome coincidence that Tracey’s best friend from high school (ME) and Laura’s best friend from high school (Jenny) both live in the LA area and have requested their presence, AND they were able to make it happen!  I’m super excited to have a couple days off in the beginning of June and be able to spend time with the two of them, especially before they leave for Spain later this year. Thank you to Tracey and Laura for making my day - I needed that! 

Tracey and I when her and Laura visited me while I was living in NY

Tracey and Laura during their trip to NY :)

I can't wait to see you guys soon!! :)

A Photo of Your Favorite Place to Eat - Day 10

This topic is rather boring to me.  I do consider myself a bit of a foodie but I’m also super cheap and don’t allow myself to go out and eat that often because I’d rather save the money.  I’d have to say since moving to LA though, I do eat out more often especially since at my last job we went out for lunch everyday.  There were two places that were almost always on the top of my list for lunch - Bay Cities Italian Deli and Tacos Por Favor.

Apparently when I started working at GPS, they had recently been introduced to Tacos but it was quickly a weekly stop for lunch.  It’s a very hole-in-the-wall, what appears kind of sketchy place, but the food is delicious!  It’s very much a popular lunch spot and there’s often lines to the door during the lunch hours of people waiting to get their tacos and burritos.  I always ordered a veggie burrito, always! 

Another favorite is Bay Cities Italian Deli.  When GPS moved offices, it was a lifesaver because we longer needed to sit in the Bay Cities traffic line just to get into the too small parking lot, but instead we could just walk.  It’s one of those places that you need to plan ahead that it’s going to be your lunch because it takes 45-60 mins for them to prepare your order due to high demand.  You place your order online and then drive to go pick it up.   There’s also a “walk-in” deli but why would you put yourself through that torture when you can just quickly make your order online and go in and pick it up?  That was another weekly habit and since leaving GPS, I haven’t had it! :(

Anyway, today is my day off and I’m trying to get motivated to do something.  I will be hitting the gym but since I couldn’t get out of bed until 9:30 and yesterday the gym was packed at 9:30 (why?!), I decided to start off with my breakfast and coffee first.  There’s a meeting at work tonight but other than that, it’s just a day to get errands and band work done.  I also have a to-do list of things to do around the apartment, but it’s not sounding particularly enticing.  

Also, while I love snow and sometimes feel rather neutral about LA, with the crazy winter weather that has been going on back home in IL and out east in NY, I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here right now.  I’m sorry for all of my family and friends who are stuck inside or trying to dig themselves out of their homes, look on the bright side - you get a SNOW DAY! :)

I know a lot of people who have been moving lately and I’m getting a little jealous.  While I initially really liked my studio, I’m over it.  I’m over feeling like I have to tip-toe around management because their have been so many problems since I moved in, they’re sick of dealing with me (and honestly, I’m sick of dealing with them too).  I also feel like I’m having trouble finding the best flow for the space that I have.  I loved my studio in Boston and while my current space is larger, the layout isn’t working as well for me.  I think it’s also difficult to go back from having LARGE 1 bedroom apartments in NYC suburbs to a space for all of your stuff that is about 1/3 the size.  This place is quite a bit cheaper than the ones I had before, but when it comes time to move, I have some serious thinking and money crunching to do.  Until then, I really want to find ways to organize this space, but that also doesn’t make much sense to me when the organizational needs may change in about 2 months...

Oh well, that's enough from me for today.