Kelocity.com

A runner with an appetite for adventure!

I Flew Across the Country for Hoodsie Cups! January 17, 2012

Filed under: Babies,Boston,Family,Food,Friends — Kelocity @ 7:44 pm
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This past weekend I traveled back home to Boston for a few days. Flights were SO CHEAP! I scored a deal on Jetblue that came to about $99 each way plus tax! Couldn’t say no! I was so glad that I did. It was nice to see family and friends and have absolutely no plans. There was no big event or reason for my visit, so everything was relaxed and fun and I got to spend some time with some of my favorites.

I crashed and took a 2 hour nap when I got home, and then met up with my mom, grandmother and sister for lunch at an Irish Pub nearby. It was so fun to have a girls lunch and catch up. That alone was worth the plane ticket.

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And for dessert… I ordered a Hoodsie Cup!!!! If you’re not from New England, you have probably never had one of these, but it’s SO GOOD! I crave them on the west coast and was happy to introduce the baby to the joy of Hoodsies. =)

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In the afternoon, Mom and I ventured to Buy Buy Baby to do some research. I was numb by the end, so many decisions to make! How do you know what kind of crib/car seat/stroller/high chair/bottles/etc/etc/etc you need?! I walked away with the Baby Bargains book (it was on my to-do list this week anyways!) so hopefully that will help in some of those decisions. It was so fun though and got me so excited to meet the little one.

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On Sunday, I helped my mom clean up her computer (she downloaded a virus. sigh). It took all day to get it all straight again, but it was nice because in between we played games of scrabble and went shopping. Things I really never get to do with my mom when I come home for Christmas or something.

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In the evening I met up with my high school friends for an awesome dinner at a place a few towns over. I miss these girls so much and it was awesome to spend a whole night with them. Hi Steph and Court!

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Katie is 6 weeks ahead of me and it was fun to compare notes. =)  Wish we lived closer! But maybe our kids can be pen pals some day!

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After dinner, we watched the Golden Globes…. and had another Hoodsie Cup!!!!! Yes. They are that good.

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Monday morning I got the pleasure of having breakfast with this guy!!! I can’t believe how big he has gotten, he was a little man, entertaining us while we ate. I gave him lots of kisses and hugs and in return he gave me tons of smiles and giggles.

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His momma and I also enjoyed a morning of scrabble, laughing and trying on maternity clothes (I’m a lucky girl, she gave me so many shirts!) One morning is never enough, but I was happy to be able to hang out!!

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And that was it! The weekend went by way too fast but it was one of the best.

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Living far away is tough, but if you scoop up good deals when you can, it’s do-able. Although I think my parents were much too sad to see me leave this time. I’ll be back soon though!

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My flight was an hour delayed leaving Boston, but Jetblue made up for it with free movies on board. Add that to the free checked bag and empty seat next to me and all was forgiven. (Take note US AIR!)

I skipped Yoga last night. I was so sad because I had been looking forward to it, but I was jetlagged and just exhausted from the trip. I have to start listening to my body I suppose. Plus it was the kind of night where you break a glass in the sink and then have to fight back tears (yea, I was tired). But I feel much better today and all is right in the world.

 

Navigating the Holidays… while eating for two! December 9, 2011

Filed under: Baby,Food — Kelocity @ 8:40 am

The Holiday Season is here! I love this time of year! But with all the holiday parties, mixers and get-togethers, how are you supposed to get through it pregnant? All my favorite food and drinks are off-limits!

Let’s start with food… cheese and crackers sounds harmless. Oh wait, that brie isn’t pasteurized? Guess I’ll skip and grab some finger sandwiches. What? Deli Meat? The carnal sin of pregnancy. Might get listeria, better pass on that too. Cesar salad or anything with mayo? Has raw egg, must avoid. And those cute little hotdogs on a toothpick? Packed with Nitrates. Awesome. Now I’ve made it all the way around the buffet table and have nothing but a dinner roll and some green beans on my plate.

Ok, I’ll skip the food and just grab a glass of eggnog. Excuse me? That’s off limits too? That’s ok, let’s be honest, I never liked eggnog anyways. Obviously alcohol is on the black list, so no martinis, spiked punch or Baileys & hot cocoa for me this year. I could have coke… but too much caffeine. Diet coke? Aspartame. Guess I’ll stick with water. It’ll wash down my green beans well.

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I kid, I kid. In 3+ months of pregnancy I’ve had a single hotdog, a few bites mayo-laden mac salad, a green salad or two with soft cheeses on top and my daily cup of tea. And you know what? I’m ok with that. It’s not like I eat that stuff day in and day out, you can’t take those lists too seriously, right? I’d go crazy with guilt if I did.

In general, I try to eat healthy, rounded meals. I take my vitamin daily and guzzle water all day long. Baby seems to be growing according to plan and everything has been like clockwork so far, a textbook pregnancy, really.

So bring on the Ho Ho Ho’s and the Jolly good times, I’ll be partying with the best of them this season—with Martinelli’s of course.

 

The October Recap! November 3, 2011

Filed under: Food,Friends,Los Angeles — Kelocity @ 8:25 am
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Hi friends! Sorry, I know it’s been a few weeks since blogging last! I’m here! We’ve just been insanely busy. We haven’t been home for more than two weekends in a row since the beginning of June. Now that it’s November, it’s starting to catch up with me. I’m excited to stay put for a couple of weeks now.

But let’s rewind. Back on October 22, we went with our friends Janet and Noah (and baby) and Erika and Timmy (and baby) to a pumpkin patch up in Simi Valley. Irving and I started this tradition years ago and called it “The Fall Festival of Love”.
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We had a great time walking around the farm and seeing all the animals. They had all kinds of animals to look at and feed.
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Even though it’s 90* in LA, who says you can’t at least pretend it’s fall here?
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We attempted to find our way out of the corn maze, but six adults and two kids wasn’t enough to figure it out. We got lost for half an hour and then decided to walk back out the entrance in favor of grabbing lunch instead. HAHA Maybe next year!
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We had a GREAT time with our friends enjoying the morning together.  (PS. why didn’t we get a group picture?!)
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One weekend later, we took the Amtrak train down to San Diego to meet up with Jake and Janie (Irving’s aunt and uncle). We spent the weekend relaxing by the pool, taking walks along the beach and exploring Coronado Island. (I know, tough life, right?)
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While New England was getting a blizzard, we were napping poolside. My mom and sister kept texting me pictures of the snow.
(I know it was mean, but I texted back a picture of a palm tree). haha
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The rest of our weekend was spent watching this guy. He talked back to us and mimicked our actions, it was so cool!
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Finally, Halloween night was a BLAST. We had some friends over and hung out before walking around the neighborhood.
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Doesn’t your trick-or-treat night look like this?
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There were parties in the streets, DJs spinning in front yards, haunted houses to enter and plenty of awesome decorations to see.
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This guy had a whole pirate ship in his front yard!
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We had so much fun walking around with our friends. We were out for two hours and could have done a couple more, but we were getting tired.
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So there you have it. The cliff-notes version of where we’ve been for the past few weeks. Regular blogging should return soon.

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The winner of the Football Snacks giveaway is Janie! I’ll notify you via email. Thanks!

 

Eastern Europe: Bite by Bite October 20, 2011

Filed under: Contiki,Dining Out,Europe,Food,Travel — Kelocity @ 6:24 am
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Oh Europe, why do you make such amazing food. As if your chocolate wasn’t delectable enough, you have to have things like strudel, schnitzel and french fries (why, WHY are the fries so darn good in Europe?!) I admit, I’m not much of a foodie. I don’t venture out to try strange foods, taste the art of famous chefs or pick restaurants based on reviews. Maybe someday my palate will be more refined, but that’s not to say I didn’t thoroughly enjoy my culinary experiences while on our recent trip.

Here is my recap of all things food from our 17 days over seas, grouped by category.

THE RESTAURANTS
We dined at so many different restaurants. 15 full days x 3 meals a day = 45 places to eat. Here’s a few of our favorites! I think the winner goes to Zapieck in Krakow for their award winning pierogies.
Exteriors

SOUPS
Some highlights included Borsht in Warsaw, Paprika Soup in Budapest and French Onion Soup in Vienna.
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SALADS
I ordered mainly vegetarian meals every night (with the exception of a few chicken dishes) so I really enjoyed the European salads. The goat cheese is creamy like in Greece, and totally melts in your mouth. And all of the veggies were fresh from the earth. And the tomatoes! Oh, they were fantastic.
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CHICKEN
Skewered on kabobs, deep fried, swimming in sauce and paired with rice or fries. Nothing special, but all delicious.
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BRATS
I admit, I am not a huge fan of brats, but my husband LOVES them. I think there were some that went photographed, because there were a lot of brats on this trip. His favorite were the boiled ones from the Hofbrauhaus.
Brats

BREAKFAST
Breakfast was included each day of our tour. Some hotels had better choices than others. My favorite (by far) was the IBIS in prague because they had fresh watermelon both days they were there.
Breakfast

MAIN COURSES
Irving ate just about everything, but I opted for mostly vegetarian. Contiki definitely does a great job accomodating and I felt satisfied after each meal. Here’s just a sample of the good (carb loaded) food that we ate.
Main Course

SHNITZEL
There are no words. We thought the chicken was better than the pork and our favorite was served at the Summer Palace in Vienna. Austria sure does love this dish. There is even a fast food chain called Wienerwald dedicated to serving schnitzel.
Schnitzel

PIEROGIES
I’ve already declared my love for Pierogies in my post about Poland, but here they are again so we can honor their amazing-ness.
Pierogi

PIZZA
It’s Europe. Pizza costs about $4 for a whole pie. There was lots of pizza for on-the-go lunches and quick snacks. And you don’t have to share. You’re expected to eat the whole thing. Love.
Pizza

FRIES
Yes. European Fries get their own collage. They are SO GOOD. And they go with juuuust about everything.
Fries

DRINKS
We aren’t huge drinkers to begin with, but we did indulge when appropriate (ie. German Beer Halls).
Drinks

PRETZELS
It goes with beer. Enough said. (I always try to buy mine without salt though.)
Pretzels

DESSERT AND SNACKS
I’m pretty sure I had dessert every night we were there. The hands down favorite was the Hotel Sacher chocolates from Vienna. Coming in a close second would be my nutella crepe from Slovakia. My least favorite? The Rum Raisin custard from Krakow.
Dessert and Snacks

 

Something Green and Something for YOU! October 6, 2011

Filed under: 30 Day Challenge,Food,Giveaway,Photography — Kelocity @ 6:07 am
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First up, the Photography Challenge! I’m having a problem finding time to take pictures during daylight hours. I might have to start taking my photos on the weekend when I have more natural light to work with. That’s photography 101, right?

DAY 4 – Something Green
I was looking all over for a green subject to take pictures of. And then I realized what the perfect item would be. My sprouting chives!! I definitely don’t have a green thumb, but I’m told chives are easy to maintain, so I’m giving it a shot. New chutes are coming up and I’m so excited!
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My herbs may be a sign of spring, but it actually poured in Los Angeles today. I was so sad I couldn’t ditch work in favor of some puddle jumping. The first rain of fall is always an exciting moment here in California. I was giddy when I heard it on my window when I woke up.

And now that fall has officially decided to join us here, I’m hoping it will stick around for a while. I love fall. The rain, Halloween, sweaters and cozy weekends. It’s also football season. Sometimes I put the games on just to hear the commentators. Football reminds me of home when Sunday Football was the thing to do on the weekends. I’m from Boston. Sports are a religion.

We need a team in LA, don’t you think?

Being the official sport of America… Football = FOOD. (Tell me I’m not the only one who gets excited for Superbowl purely for the buffalo dip and nachos that go with it!) But football doesn’t have to equal calories. There are smart ways of indulging without resorting to carrot sticks and water.

 

Here are a few snack ideas for your next big game:

  • Craisins Original Dried Cranberries: Surprise your taste buds with the sweet, delicious taste of Craisins® Dried Cranberries. Made with real fruit and good as a snack or in a recipe, they’re naturally fat-free and cholesterol-free. Plus, they’re a good source of fiber and 1/3 cup is equal to a serving of fruit.
  • Smart for Life protein bars: Eliminates post-exercise hunger, so you gain muscle not fat. Supports healthy cardiovascular function, helps promote weight loss, boosts metabolism and controls hunger.
  • Medifast Cheese Puffs: These sweet and savory products will tempt taste buds and keeps you feeling full plus they offer a daily requirement of 24 vitamins and minerals!
  • HINT Water: Staying hydrated, refreshed and in shape is a must, which is why HINT Water is offering great flavors like Strawberry-Kiwi, Mango-Grapefruit and Pomegranate-Tangerine without adding those extra calories.

 

What’s your favorite Sunday Night Football dish? Tell me in the comment section of this post and I’ll randomly choose a winner to receive a Prize Pack of each of these products on October 31st.