ashleyd /

A Post Long Run Wonderland

On Saturday, I had the great opportunity to enjoy my 9 mile run with Dori and Melissa. I had never met Melissa before but by the time we hit the 1 mile mark the three of us were all laughing and finding common topics. It was a very successful “blind date run” if I do say so myself. We ran 5 miles from Dori’s apartment towards the park and then around the park before entering for the NYRR Race for Haiti. Unfortunately, we had about 15 minutes standing around before the race started. But, we used this opportunity to stretch a bit, pretend we were 7 minute milers, and check out some awesome running peers. At one point I was standing next to a woman who had completed an Ironman Triathalon and a guy about 6’5 who was wearing a backpack and sporting badges from multiple continents. He definitely looked like an adventure runner! The four miles in the park went pretty well though I’ve found that I will never PR if I talk during the run. I’m too new at talking while running to also keep a challenging pace. Therefore, our pace during the first three miles was around a 10:15 vs the normal 9:45 i’d try to keep in races. However, talking did ensure that any hills went by VERY easily. I think the hills are getting easier since i’ve done them every weekend for the past month. The final mile was tough for me as I got a horrible side stitch/cramp. I don’t know why this happened but it meant that my final mile was not a sprint but a bit of a hobble. I finished strong and never gave into walking though which made me proud! I’ve decided that i’m definitely doing the NYRR Coogan’s 5k on March 7th in hopes of setting a PR. I’ve been building speedwork into my weekly training plan along with the hills so it will be great to see what my legs can do. I’d love to break 28:30!

After the race Dori had to hurry off to her fabulous behind the scenes tour of the Lite Choice with LilVeggiePatch. (Bo has already told me that he wants a tour of Lite Choice as he has always wondered how they make the flavors. Hopefully it’s in our future!) While Melissa and I didn’t have any awesome plans like that, we decided that 9 miles and a new friendship definitely deserved a delicious brunch.  Melissa quickly named multiple places in the area but as soon as I heard Alice’s Tea Cup I was sold! Two weeks ago, after the blogger brunch Meghann and I stopped in here to pick up some delicious tea to go. I’d never heard of this divine, cozy, restaurant until last weekend and had been craving it ever since! We were within three blocks of Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II which is located at 156 East 64th street.

Alice’s Tea Cup was a dream come true for its two founders. After a lifetime of enjoying afternoon tea, they finally started their own cafe where patrons could enjoy delicious teas and healthy fare. Each item on the menu is made to order and each tea is given at least 3 minutes so it brews to perfection. Entering Alice’s Tea Cup makes one come alive with the whimsical and light hearted colors and paintings around the space recreating the images of Alice in Wonderland. However, this is not a place only for the young but also the young at heart! They serve breakfast, lunch, and such from 8am until 8pm Monday through Friday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday until 3pm. In addition, they serve great drinks like Mar “tea” nis during brunch and their happy hour! I definitely think there needs to be a blogger meet up there soon for a happy hour!

After a 20 minute wait Melissa and I were seated upstairs surrounded by other runners. We were overwhelmed by the amazing menu which is more than FOUR PAGES long! We started by choosing two teas to share, Alice’s Tea and Chai Tea. Alice’s Tea is their most popular tea and was filled with rich spice flavors. The chai tea was served with skim milk already added so it was like a wonderful latte! These teas were the wonderful warmth we needed after the chilly run. Their brunch selection is amazing and is sure to please any patron whether they want a cheeseburger with sauteed onions or divine french toast. Dori suggested their french toast which is mini bites of french toast infused with brandy baked bread pudding style. WOW! After a long debate we decided that their Mad Hatter for Two was the perfect brunch option for two girls who wanted to sample everything. We were able to share two sandwiches (Albacore Tuna and lapsong smoked chicken/herbed goat cheese/apple), three scones (pumpkin, chocolate, and cheese/ham), tea, and cookies. We were only able to enjoy the sandwiches, tea, and 1/2 the pumpkin and chocolate scones before our fullness stopped us from sampling more. Melissa and I thoroughly enjoyed everything and never stopped chatting once during the hour and a half brunch. There was so much to talk about since we’d only met a few hours earlier! I look forward to another running date and hopefully a double date with she and her boyfriend soon.

They happily boxed the leftovers for me so Bo could enjoy them later for lunch. Everything was absolutely delicious including the leftovers. Bo said the ham and cheese scone was a delightful savory mixture that reminded him of everything that he loved about the South’s bacon and biscuits. He devoured it for lunch as soon as I walked through the door!

Thank you Alice’s Tea Room for an amazing post run brunch. I can’t wait to return!

Get excited! The wonderful Zesty Cook is giving away ANOTHER website makeover! Hop over to http://zestycook.com/its-makeover-giveaway-time/comment-page-1/#comment-17530 to enter!


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ashleyd /

Rewind….


Happy Sunday! I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful weekend thus far. New Yorkers have been celebrating the sunshine in full force! Yesterday over 10,000 runners and walkers were able to enjoy the seasonable and sunny weather while raising over $400,000 for Haiti through the NYRR Run for Haiti! WOW! But before that, it’s time for a quick rewind back to Thursday.
Before meeting my girlfriend for dinner at Candle Cafe, I was on a mission to find a new gym bag. My large, akward, floral Vera Bradley bag just wasn’t cutting it anymore as an everyday gym bag. While the size afforded me room to carry TOO much, it wasn’t suitable for carrying to work events and other social outings. I discovered this the hard way Wednesday evening when I almost knocked over someone’s wine at a networking event due to it’s size. I also received one too many stares lugging that bad boy around. I realized that the UES Lululemon (66th and 3rd) store was conveniently located between work and Candle Cafe. What luck? 🙂 Upon entering the UES location I was in LOVE! It was huge and the perfect pick me up after a long day due to the colorful displays, friendly staff, and rocking music. I saw a couple of great bags in the window but wanted to make sure I picked the best one for my needs. The staff quickly helped me see the differences between each bag (inside dividers, removable bag or not, large enough for work clothes and gym clothes or not, color selection, price, etc) until I found the perfect one! I also picked up an I LOVE RUNNING Sigg bottle to replace my daily water bottle. It’s bright pink and that alone makes me smile and want to drink more water. 🙂 I also found out that in NYC, each Lululemon location has a different focus. The one near Lincoln Center is Dance focused, the UES (66th and 3rd Avenue)is running focused, etc. This made total sense as this one is near the park and has a Spring/Summer running club! In fact, the running club kicks off on Wednesday, March 3rd at 8pm with an info session led by the running coach, Michele Solomon. Then, on March 10th at 6:45pm the outside runs begin! I’m excited about this as the location is close enough to work that I should be able to make both these events! Anyone want to join? If so, RSVP to runeast66thnyc@lululemon.com by March 3rd!
After the shopping was complete, I headed down 3rd a few blocks to Candle Cafe. Knowing that Bo was out of town on business gave me the perfect excuse to meet my girlfriend Liz for dinner at Candle. I hadn’t enjoyed Candle’s vegetarian goodness in over a year and was therefore very excited! This cozy location is located on 3rd avenue between 74th and 75th. Upon entering, each patron can quickly see what their goal and mantra is:
Candle Cafe is dedicated to bettering the health of the individual and the planet by serving food fresh from farm to tableâ„¢. Our organic vegan cuisine is rooted in sustainability, eco-friendly practices, local farming, and compassion for animals.
There is a small juice bar near the front that doubles as a wine and beer bar during the evening hours. Luckily this area wasn’t too crowded while Liz and I waited for our table. Unfortunately, they don’t accept reservations for a party of 2 so there is normally a short wait involved. We didn’t mind however as there was room for us to stand out of the cold and we were able to watch all the amazing food pass and catch up. Once we were seated we quickly ordered an appetizer and wine since we were both starving. The seitan chimichurri which included herb marinated seitan skewers was amazing. The texture was perfect and the flavor was right on with a bit of subtle sweetness due to the citrus. Ordering dinner was far more challenging as everything sounded wonderful and neither Liz nor I like to make the dinner decision first. Normally we wait to see what everyone else orders and then chooses something last minute. But, we finally decided on the tuscan lasagna and paradise casserole. The tuscan lasagna was exactly what I was craving and better than any lasagna i’d had in ages. The seitan ragout tasted

just like a flavorful meat combination and I quickly forgot this was a vegitarian entree. My only complaint was the chunkiness and texture of the tapioca cheese. It didn’t melt like normal cheese does in lasagna and therefore mostly got pushed to the side. Liz’s paradise casserole was MASSIVE and a feat to even enjoy half as it was filled with delicious sweet potatoes, black beans, and millet over greens. I especially enjoyed the flavor combination of all three paired together in a bit. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at Candle Cafe and would return often. The service was friendly and quick while the food delighted each and everyone of our cravings. The wine option was an added bonus as I had forgotten this option and assumed they only had a juice bar. In addition, the prices are very reasonable for a weeknight meal. I can guarantee that if Bo and I end up moving to the UES this April that i’ll be ordering takeout frequently from Candle Cafe. I highly recommend this for a casual meal on a weeknight or weekend! If your plan is to enjoy it with a larger group, call ahead for reservations!

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Candle Cafe: Delicious Vegetarian Delight

Thursday evening, after my shopping was complete, I headed down 3rd a few blocks to Candle Cafe. Knowing that Bo was out of town on business gave me the perfect excuse to meet my girlfriend Liz for dinner at Candle. I hadn’t enjoyed Candle’s vegetarian goodness in over a year and was therefore very excited! This cozy location is located on 3rd avenue between 74th and 75th. Upon entering, each patron can quickly see what their goal and mantra is:

Candle Cafe is dedicated to bettering the health of the individual and the planet by serving food fresh from farm to tableâ„¢. Our organic vegan cuisine is rooted in sustainability, eco-friendly practices, local farming, and compassion for animals.

There is a small juice bar near the front that doubles as a wine and beer bar during the evening hours. Luckily this area wasn’t too crowded while Liz and I waited for our table. Unfortunately, they don’t accept reservations for a party of 2 so there is normally a short wait involved. We didn’t mind however as there was room for us to stand out of the cold and we were able to watch all the amazing food pass and catch up. Once we were seated we quickly ordered an appetizer and wine since we were both starving. The seitan chimichurri which included herb marinated seitan skewers was amazing. The texture was perfect and the flavor was right on with a bit of subtle sweetness due to the citrus. Ordering dinner was far more challenging as everything sounded wonderful and neither Liz nor I like to make the dinner decision first. Normally we wait to see what everyone else orders and then chooses something last minute.

Lasagna Love

But, we finally decided on the tuscan lasagna and paradise casserole. The tuscan lasagna was exactly what I was craving and better than any lasagna i’d had in ages. The seitan ragout tasted just like a flavorful meat combination and I quickly forgot this was a vegitarian entree. My only complaint was the chunkiness and texture of the tapioca cheese. It didn’t melt like normal cheese does in lasagna and therefore mostly got pushed to the side.

Liz’s paradise casserole was MASSIVE and a feat to even enjoy half as it was filled with delicious sweet potatoes, black beans, and millet over greens. I especially enjoyed the flavor combination of all three paired together in a bit. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at Candle Cafe and would return often. The service was friendly and quick while the food delighted each and everyone of our cravings. The wine option was an added bonus as I had forgotten this option and assumed they only had a juice bar. In addition, the prices are very reasonable for a weeknight meal. I can guarantee that if Bo and I end up moving to the UES this April that i’ll be ordering takeout frequently from Candle Cafe. I highly recommend this for a casual meal on a weeknight or weekend! If your plan is to enjoy it with a larger group, call ahead for reservations!

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