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A PureLeaf and Butter Afternoon Equals A Match Made in Heaven

Last Saturday I had the great pleasure to not only catch up with some lovely local bloggers but also sample new products and experience one of New York City’s top restaurants. The wonderful Lipton Tea and their PR company, Ogilvy, treated a number of local bloggers to a luxurious Saturday afternoon luncheon to celebrate their new bottled tea, Lipton PureLeaf 0 Calorie.

As an avid Gossip Girl fan, I’d heard of Butter not only through my tattered Zagat and countless friends but also from the episode regarding Lil J and a big party scheme. This combined with the news surrounding the head chef, Alex Guarnaschelli, had me very excited. For those of you who don’t know Alex has been featured on Iron Chef, Chopped, and her own show, Alex’s Day Off. In addition, she is an accomplished female chef who has made her mark at Michelin quality restaurants. That in itself is quite a feat and I only hoped that we’d have an opportunity to not only learn about Lipton’s wonderful teas but also Alex. I knew Lipton was dedicated to education and spreading the knowledge of tea from Kath’s journey last year with Lipton. 


Saturday’s event started at 11:30 when a black car picked me up from the apartment. This was such a treat and I thoroughly enjoyed being chauffeured into the city rather than taking the subway. I enjoyed the sites as we crossed over the bridge and ventured downtown towards Butter. Once I arrived the Lipton and Ogilvy folks ensured that I had a name tag and found the bar. The bar was setup with a special drink menu featuring the Lipton PureLeaf teas. I was excited when I found out that they didn’t all feature alcohol. I knew that I needed to avoid alcohol due to Sunday’s race. I quickly chose the Blackberry Spritzer which featured blackberry puree, sparkling cider, and PureLeaf Raspberry tea. 


003Holy yum! This was delicious especially since I was able to enjoy it with fellow bloggers. I was excited to catch up with Megan, Melissa, and Diana all of whom i’d met previously at the David Burke FoodBuzz dinner, blogger brunches, and other events. 

After we were all seated we had the opportunity to hear from Gilbert Kendzior. Gilbert is a hilarious older British man with a nack for tea. As Lipton’s Master Tea Blender he was able to explain the different types of tea, how he chooses tea, and more. Some of the information was difficult to hear due to the space’s acoustics but for the most part we all learned a great deal. He also discussed Unilever and Lipton’s commitment to sustainability. They have put many “green” practices into place over the past few years and have gone so far to educate, care for, and house those people who work on their farms! While he finished his discussion, we were able to sample the teas. They were better than I was expecting! Due to the fact that it isn’t sweetened with Splenda but instead the natural alternative, stevia, there was no artificial aftertaste and the tea is very refreshing. I prefer the lemon as it isn’t quite as sweet as the raspberry. Both were delicious served over ice. 



As we finished our last sips, the service began! We were all elated and were anxious to see what Butter would serve. 


First Course: Delicious biscuits with two types of butter (traditional and chive) both of which are made in house. The biscuit was perfectly moist and crumbled in my mouth ever so slightly. I told myself that I would only eat half of each thing served so that I would make it through the meal and Sunday’s race. 


Amuse-Bouche: A deliciously green arugala-leek soup topped with toast and truffle butter. Unfortunately my toast fell into the soup which meant it was laden with truffle butter flavor. But, I loved the base and would like to try this at home. It seems like the perfect summer soup and was exploding with fresh leek flavors.
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Second Amuse Bouche: Crispy Florida shrimp paired with a pickled vegetable salad.  The shrimp was delicious but the sauce had a bit too much horseradish for my taste.
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First Course (can you believe it?!): Roasted squash caponata with celery root, mache, and a lemon tea dressing. This was one of my absolute favorites and made me want to pick up mache at the grocery store that night. The flavors were light but intricate as Alex experimented with celery root and mache to create an untraditional salad. This was the one course that I ate 100%.





Second Course: Lots of wows, oohs, and aahs were released when the chef and kitchen staff surprised us with a HUGE striped bass. This striped bass, after being paraded around the table by the sous chefs, was cut into small portions and served with brussel sprouts, roasted heirloom potatoes and a tea buerre blanc. The combination was perfect and the fish could not have been prepared any better. Alex admitted that she was a bit apprehensive preparing such a large fish for the event but she delivered it flawlessly!


Our final course, was of course dessert. But, Alex put a twist on it by serving a Coffee and Tea dessert. This was coffee ice cream, struesel, lemon tea caramel, coffee granita and tea-soaked golden raisins. This was not my favorite as I don’t care for coffee flavored ice cream and this was more like ESPRESSO! It was very intense. But, the surprise dessert was a huge winner. After the coffee and tea, we were presented with delectable petits fours. The white chocolate with lemon tea and toasted almond praline was absolutely divine. I have a huge soft spot for white chocolate and this was some of the best white chocalte i’ve ever tasted. I normally do not care for fruit and chocolate pairings but the praline and lemon matched perfectly. I did not try the dark chocolate with citrus as I was too full and my taste buds were spent!

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Photo courtesy of Diana at Soap & Chocolate


This event was wonderfully executed by Ogilvy and Lipton. I was honored to be included and look forward to restocking my fridge with more PureLeaf 0 once it hits stores in a few weeks! Thank you Rachel, Priya, Nyala, and Kevin for the opportunity to enjoy Butter, catch up with fellow bloggers, meet Alex, and learn more about one of my favorite drinks! **Thank you Diana and Megan for pictures as my camera is at the office. Tomorrow I will update with my own pics.**
In addition, for reader’s enjoyment, Lipton has provided a recipe: 




LEMON TEA FORBIDDEN RICE
8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes  

Cook Time: 40 minutes    

Stand Time: 10 minutes    
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 bottle (16 oz.) Lipton® Pure Leaf™ Iced Tea 0 Calories Lemon
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups Chinese black rice
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2  cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
Melt butter in 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and cook red onion, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until tender. Add Lipton® Pure Leaf™ Iced Tea 0 Calories Lemon and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 30 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, then let stand 10 minutes.

Fluff with fork. Spoon into large bowl and garnish with green onions, basil and radishes.


Disclaimer: Ogilvy Public Relations extended an invitation to the PureLeaf 0 Calorie event on behalf of their client Lipton. I was not provided monetary compensation nor was I required to post about the event or product upon accepting the invitation. These opinions are my own.


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An Epic Day: NYC Half Marathon

Sunday, March 21st was an epic day for me as I was able to accomplish many goals.

1) Run the NYC Half Marathon. Two years ago, from the window of his 6th floor apartment on West Street,  Bo and I watched the runners as they sprinted towards the finish line on the West Side Highway. We were unpacking boxes and dreaming of our future in NYC. This was the first weekend of our new life in NYC and we decided that one day that we would join the New York Road Runners and run the NYC Half Marathon. We wanted to race through the streets with a feeling of freedom as the cars were halted and for only the second day in a year the runners were given the ride-away. We wanted to experience the beauty of the city on foot while thriving from the excitement of bystanders cheering and friends waving. In our eyes, this is what being New Yorkers was all about! On March 21st, 2010 Bo and I both ran the New York Half Marathon and soaked in every single minute. I love that since we ran separately we had very different experiences but followed the same course. It’s amazing how differently two people can see and experience the same event. 


2) Overcome my fear of running a race alone. Unbeknownst to many, I have a fear of running races longer than 5k alone. I have always felt like i’d get tired and give in to my aching muscles. I felt like i’d become that girl who started walking or never crossed the finish line. I think it is partially due to the natural intimidation one fears when participating in races with a large group like the NYRR. There are both elite and novice runners who participate in the races but many times seeing the striders in their jerseys and the elite runners prepping gives me chills. Chills of excitement and chills of intimidation which force me to question why i’m at the same event. I think this is also due to the fact that I ran the first ELEVEN races (2 5K, 2 5 milers, 1 8K, 1 10K, and five half marathons) with someone for the entire race. I started running 4.5 years ago so I could join my best friends in their annual Macon Labor Day Road Race tradition. After graduating college running was one of the things that kept my best friend Amy and I connected during our first few years with P&G as we would train for races virtually together and then travel to Charlotte or Philadelphia to run the actual race together. Before we were each married and living with our significant others we would spend hours talking each week about our training plan, schedule, and dream of the next race. Therefore, it wasn’t until this year that I had to worry about running alone. I was able to manage the shorter NYRR events as they were only 4 mile races and even those i’d often find a running partner in a blogger friend like Dori or Melissa. I started getting anxious about the NYC Half Marathon last week when Dori told me that she intended to run this race on her own since it was her first half marathon and she needed to do it for herself. I understood this rational but immediately went into panic mode. What if I got tired? Who would push me through the hills? Who would be my pacer? At the end of the day, Bo helped me realize that like Dori, I needed to do this for myself and I needed to prove, once and for all, that I would be my own motivation. Sunday morning, as my corral started moving towards the starting line, I took one deep breath in as I took in the scenery. These were my people. In this moment, I was just as much of a runner as the next person. I had woken up at 5:30am, prepped the night before, eaten my pre-race ritual breakfast of peanut butter and banana on toast, and pinned on my bib just like the runner next to me and the elite runners towards the front. In that moment I found an inner peace that helped me focus on my race, my time, my pace, and my breath instead of everyone else’s. Maybe this is why I didn’t see the multiple people who saw me during the race as they waved from the crowds. I was focused and determined.

3) Overcome my fear of hills. I grew up in the very flat town of Savannah, Georgia. Our town is so flat that they have to bring in dirt to raise the lots so that the homes are above the flood plain for insurance reasons. When I moved to New York City and ran in Central Park for the first time my legs thought they’d just entered the Rocky Mountains or the seventh circle of hell. I had never experienced hills nor knew how to handle them. Over the last year i’ve merely pushed through them, cussed them, or walked them during the numerous NYRR events. But, this year, in preparation for the half marathon, I read about hills on Runners World and talked to more experienced runners.  I knew that these could be my advantage if I approached them correctly. On Saturday I checked my form (shoulders down, neck and back straight, arms lower, body leaned ever so slightly forward) before entering each hill and pushed backwards on my iPod so each hill started a new song. This helped me power through the hill, focus on the music, and overcome even my steepest conquest at the northernmost part of Central Park. I was able to power through hills similar to the ones below without walking, crying, or aggravation. In fact, I dominated the hills so much that I set a PR for my 5K time (28:30) which could explain why the last 3 miles of this race were so hard for me. I was EXHAUSTED. 
Thanks Leslie for the hill photo. 
4) Run the best half marathon I’ve run in 2.5 years! While my NYC Half Marathon time may not seem amazing to most people (2:20:24) this was my best time in 2.5 years and included THREE porta potty stops which were very inconvenient. These three stops accounted for 6:22 on my time which means that without them my time would have been a 2:14 which would have been a PR. I can’t sit here and say “shoulda, coulda, woulda” but I can say that I purchased Immodium AD to keep in my race box next to the pins, Glide, and hair bands. I refuse to let silly porta potty stops get in my way next time. But, outside of these, my race was fabulous. I PR’d my 5k portion, found my pace again after my too fast start, set into a steady stride for the middle 8.5 miles, and didn’t find exhaustion or pain until the last two miles. But, the entire time I was smiling, enjoying the sites, relishing in the fact that i’m living in NYC and have the opportunity to experience events like this, and jammed to my music. I can’t wait for the official race pictures as i’m sure there will be some hand waving, head jamming, and maybe even some hip dancing as I ran through the park and Times Square. I’m already looking forward to next year and a PR! Thank you everyone for your warm wishes, support, and motivation! It was great to train and motivate each other as we trained together and congratulations to the other ladies who ran on Sunday:Katie, Melissa Z, Dori, Leslie, and Megan who also ran the race yesterday I’ll need more of the same as I begin training for the 2010 New York City Marathon!

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Devil In Disguise Surprise No Longer

At least two times per week, I have a morning meeting which features a catered breakfast. Some people would look at this as a blessing as it means that they don’t have to worry about packing or buying breakfast. My co-workers watch the door with bated breath as the Cosi, Pax, or Europa cart wheels in to see what the morning surprise is. This is a new temptation for me as I worked from home during my previous role. While I’d like to say that I normally eat my oatmeal during the meeting it is often akward to eat something different than everyone else especially if it’s an external meeting. Therefore, i’ve been enjoying my favorite breakfast offering each week for the last few months. I figured that it was the lesser of all evils. It isn’t quite as decadent as the scones are donuts, it isn’t all empty carbs like the bagels, and it isn’t laden with fat like the bacon. But, let me tell you, my “lesser of all evils” was a devil in disguise!
Cosi Strawberry Yogurt Parfait
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 11.5 oz
——————————————————————————–
Amount per Serving
——————————————————————————
Calories 426 Calories from Fat 54
——————————————————————————–
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 257mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 84g 28%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Protein 13g 26%
——————————————————————————–
——————————————————————————-
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 12.7% Carbs 78.9%
Protein 12.2%

When I saw these facts I knew it was time for an intervention! Therefore, yesterday I brought the ingredients for my own healthier version! I even put it in a Cosi cup we had sitting in the office kitchen so I didn’t stand out during the meeting. It was a delicious alternative and kept me full for hours! As Spring and the warmer months arrive I think this will replace my winter morning oats! I hope you enjoy this too!

1 carton yogurt (I used WW Blueberry since it was on sale this week)
3/4 c sliced fruit (I chose strawberries since they’re in season)
1/3 c Grape Nuts
3/4 c Special K Protein Cereal
Layer the yogurt, cereals, and fruit for a parfait replacement. This healthier version boasts lots of healthy protein, fiber, and calcium for HALF the calories!
 
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