elyssa: clean week, version 2.0

location: toronto

wondering where you are. the things you've seen. the places you've been. the food you're eating. italy seems both exotic and familiar. maybe that's because i'm writing this sitting in my favorite italian cafe.

fancy coffee day with the law school girls - a weekly tradition

at l'espresso bar mercurio.

remember when we went there together?

don't worry, in your absence, i'll keep our baby blog alive.

the boy and i had a momentous weekend. on sunday, we hunkered down for 'planning day'. we sifted through our hopes, dreams, and fears for the next 12 months. it was terrifying, but ultimately - rewarding. the day began with muffins - recipe from nutrition nut on the run:

the warmth of pumpkin filled the entire apartment.

and ended with pizza. the boy really enjoyed the 'build your own' aspect :)

girl's pizza: whole foods spelt crust. garlic and thyme infused olive oil. goat gouda. spinach. figs.

boy's pizza: portabello. bell pepper. mozzarella. homemade marinara.

turns out i'm a vegan that eats eggs, goat dairy, and sushi (on a regular basis) - and cream, meat, and poultry (on rare occasion). so, not a vegan - but yea, that's how i choose to self-identify because most of the time i eat like this:

pea and spinach soup from fall soup frenzy I

chia wheat-free bread with nutritional yeast

grilled tofu. homemade marinara. wilted spinach. goat gouda.

planning day was definitely food-heavy - but calories don't seem to factor in on those very special days when the air outside is cold and damp, and inside the mood is warm and happy - cocooned by love.

homemade pumpkin latte.

almond milk. vanilla. dollop of pumpkin - gently heated.

mixed with espresso. more almond milk. foam. cinnamon.

days like that make me feel like this:

thomas kinkade: a cheesy favorite.

new challenge:

thanksgiving (canadian) is around the corner, and seeing that it's the beginning of a new month - i declare this clean week. this clean week is different from the previous incarnation. this week i'm focusing on mindful eating and minimal splurges - without extracting the little pleasures that bring me so much joy in my day to day eating. if i want to drown my breakfast souffle in agave in the morning, so be it. i'm just trying to make sure it all evens out at the end of the day.

i'm happy to report that we're 1 month into school and i'm still maintaining a strong exercise regime. i took a moment to compare my exercise schedule from last september (2009) - and i definitely wasn't hitting up the gym nearly as much as i am now. for my overall health and mental alertness, i do best when i exercise 6 days a week. some days include a rigorous kickboxing session, other just a long drawn out yoga practice - but i need to get my blood flowing each of those 6 days. on the 7th, i rest. completely rest.

september success.

the elliptical as of late has looked unappealing and just all around boring - so i've been incorporating more high intensity interval training (HIIT). i can do this on the treadmill at home, or at the gym. with music, or without. with tv, or without. it just comes naturally, and offers tremendous stress relief. 30 mins total. lately i've preferred 1 minute intervals - 1 of rest. the following as fast as my legs will take me. you look like a maniac that can't sustain a normal running pace for the life of them - but the time passes quickly, and the workout is effective.

current obsessions:

making a huge slow, slow cooked batch of homemade marinara. kidney bean corn soup. yoga with friends. coffee from the french press.

elyssa: the perfect friday

location: toronto

just stopping by to say hello and recount my splendid day. today marks my 2 year anniversary living in my little apartment in the heart of downtown toronto. i can't believe how fast the time has passed.

it was the view that sold me.

but it's the little things that make it home.

anthropologie cabinet knobs (a gift from the boy).

october started off right with an orange monster:

run to your kitchen and make this now: half frozen banana. half cup pumpkin. almond milk. protein powder. tad vanilla extract.

cessy approves.

and yes, i've taken to freezing my bananas (mainly so people dont eat them all when they come over..)

whole foods had a sale on pumpkin!

not the grocery store shelf, but my own pantry.

peppers at a bargain as well.

dal as promised - thrown on a piece of kamut bread.

the air was brisk and cool, so after morning yoga and church —> i put my homework aside and went shopping for new workout clothes.

from the gap: gfast capris + fit tanks in various colors. thank you 30% off coupon - AND from roots: tara tank and what i now believe to be the greatest shirt ever: the batwing top. thus ends my quest for class-friendly gym wear.

a stopover at winners for a discount yoga towel like this one.

last but not least, new boots - the nine west tierney. 30% off. yay.

finishing off the evening with sushi and gossip girl reruns before it's back to the books.

the sushi restaurant down the street from my house is my life. it's the boy and i's go to place - we've been there 100s of times in the 2 short years i've lived here - mostly at 1 am for only a roll or a shared miso soup. if ever i could hope to be recognized as a 'regular', it would be at sushi inn - my 2nd home.

next week is going to be clean week, version 2.0. more on that to come. for now, i'm excited to go do some HIIT downstairs on the treadmill and break in my new workout clothes.

current obsessions: traveling (paris, all of a sudden?). kidney beans. deciding what to do for tomorrow's nuit blanche. regular coffee (i know).

elyssa: the dark and stormies

location: rainy toronto

midweek check-in:

this week brought the death of a loved one. rain and wind. a sense of uncertainty persists - and yet, the view from my window shows a twinge of yellow in the trees.

change is in the air. hope.

but most of the week - it's been looking like this.

and, apparently, i'm an herb killer.

feeling the start of a cold coming on. i'm taking it as an invitation to spend obscene amounts of time on the couch.

pile on as many plaid blankets as i can find.

never let the tea pot go empty.

..and eat lots of apples because i only like apples in the fall. and i only like apples sliced.

when life is dark and stormy, i feel like i am presented with a choice. let the storm wreak its havoc - return to old habits, indulge in self-pity, eat mindlessly. or settle in with a book - wait it out. i choose option b.

then the unexpected occurs: a postcard arrives from a far off corner of the world. a simple note reminds me that outside the dark place i've created for myself - the greater world goes on.

a postcard from nepal. a bag of lentils in the cupboard. time for nepali dal soup? i sense the return of fall soup frenzy. only good things can come of this. either the simple act of chopping and stirring, freezing and storing lifts my gloomy mood - or the blues linger on, and i can settle down a little longer on the couch, a cup of steaming soup in hand..

blog moment: a flash of inspiration from the front burner's vegan mushroom cream sauce

current obsessions: finding more workout clothes (ie anything class-friendly that doubles as gym gear). stirrup leggings (don't judge). the return of grey's anatomy. this vest.

hira: living a dream (albeit frustrating dream)

wow, what a week. a beautiful weekend spent in milano--i never, ever thought i would be able to say that. the day started early--like 5:00 am early. we wanted to ensure that we got the most out of our day, taking our time to hit all the sites, shopping, and leaving enough time for mindless wandering. essential.

a 1.5 hour train ride later (perfect nap-time with the ipod), and i'm suddenly staring at the milano centrale platforms with walls covered in ads by cristiano ronaldo. things are definitely starting off right ;). what started as a rainy day, quickly turned into a sunny afternoon and evening--we made our way to the Duomo, the Arc de Pace, the Castello Sforzesco, the Teatro alla Scala, and Santa Maria delle Grazie--housing the Last Supper. so much well-preserved history.

surrounded by fashion week milano--i can assure you that we took advantage of the fashion capital and strolled the shops and gallerias, stopping for a coffee or panino.

the day ends, and i find myself back in torino--home. its a good feeling. i can happily wander the streets because i am finally familiar with major streets, piazzas and bus routes. this week, i have been forgoing the bus during the day and instead walking to my destinations--it is never more than an hour away and i really enjoy the walk. i can never get bored of walking through the gardens of parco dello valentino, crossing the bridge over the river po, or standing in the middle of piazzas and admiring baroque architecture. it's not better or worse than our home in the states--just different. different is a good feeling.

i started a little tutoring project with two girls, meeting them each once a week to help them in their english lessons. i have to say, its a mutual learning experience--it's quite humbling to learn so much from a 9-year old. again, i'll choose to walk to their houses, even though it's a 35-40 minute walk. i find that i've been craving that lifestyle--we both know that we cannot do much walking to our destinations on the mountain. except maybe to the cornfields. it's easy to lead a healthy lifestyle here--i never feel deprived, i'm always eating bread and cheese and dolce--but in moderation and so fresh. my daily yoga on the balcony helps me stretch out my legs and realign my spine. my days end with dinner that we cook in our tiny apartment, followed by a walk for digestion and perhaps a nightcap.

goals accomplished:

- i cook at home approximately 6 days a week. it saves me so much money, and i can relish the time i spend on cooking for myself and my roommates. slowing down.

- walking everywhere, and exploring torino on foot, be it running or walking. things are kind of blurry behind autobus window panes anyway.

new goals:

- drink more water! last week, i started slacking in my water intake and can definitely notice an increase in 'hunger' (i.e. thirst). its essential to keep me moving.

- invert eating patterns so that i eat a bigger lunch and therefore, less in the evening.

currently obsessed with: the entire ZARA store. new season of gossip girl. navy slacks. new boots. uva fragola---a hybrid grape-strawberry fruit eaten in italy.

elyssa: my yoga teacher sat on me

location: toronto

..and i liked it. after morning class at the law school, i made my way to my favorite yoga class of the week - a particularly brisk ashtanga session. i bravely wore my yoga clothes to school - and despite some awkward looks - made it out unscathed. fyi, lawyers don't do casual.

you know when you're in downward dog and your heels are almost flat on the ground but not quite? well, the instructor decided to remedy the situation by sitting/laying on my inclined back. utterly priceless.

midweek check-in:

school is rough. i should know this after 6 years of university - but the beginning of fall term always takes some getting used to. i'm already swamped, stressed, and overwhelmed - but determined to get my sleep in, exercise daily, and eat healthy meals.

in many ways, life these days is all about uncertainty. uncertainty as to which class i'll be in tomorrow. uncertainty as to where i'll be living come june. my professional/academic life has never been so uncertain - and yet the certainty that i am loved and cared for has never been more present.

in these uncertain times, i gravitate toward comfort food.

kamut bread with sliced banana and chocolate 'pudding' (ie cocoa, avocado & agave)

i make fast and flavorful dinners.

chickpeas thrown into curried lentils (from fall soup frenzy I) nutritional yeast, cilantro

agave glazed tofu, soy sauce, frozen butternut squash, wilted spniach

i drink green monsters like my life depends on it.

spinach, almond milk, cocoa powder, 1/2 frozen banana, protein powder, chia seeds

and i continue to freeze and store, freeze and store batch after batch of soup.

this week: roasted red pepper soup with corn and cilantro from food52

the most incredible recipe. i left mine chunky (partially due to laziness, partially to a personal preference for chunk) - ohh so good.

i'm sure this last year as a full-time student will bring highs and lows, stresses and triumphs - but for now, i'll just keep making soup.

current obsessions:

roasted garlic. roasted anything. finding the perfect lorelai gilmore puffer vest. obsessively watching the leaves for signs of fall color.