Clean Cava Copycat Salad

And so the week of leftovers continues to yield great discoveries!

I love the idea of Cava- a Chipotle-esque salad place. But I don't love spending twelve dollars on a salad. The BF made this based on his favorite twelve dollar lettucy concoction and is apparently never going to need to go back to Cava again.

Prep Time: 30 minutes (if you are using leftover turkey burgers like we did then it's 10 minutes)

Cook Time: 20 minutes for the burgers, if you have leftovers then 0 minutes

Servings: 1 filling salad serving for a 250 lb manchild (to me this is 3 servings)

Ingredients:

• 3 handfuls of arugula ($1.00)
• 1 handful of spinach ($.50)
• 1/2 bell pepper- diced ($.90)
• 3 slices onion- diced 
• 1 tomato ($1.00)
• 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms ($1.00)
• 1 heaping spoonful of Tahini flavored hummus
• 1 garlicy turkey burger cut up into little pieces OR if you don't have the turkey burgers made you could 1/8 lb of lean turkey meat and combine with garlic and a few slices of chopped up onions and get the same taste/texture

In a small frying pan saute the bell pepper, onion and mushrooms. Combine all the ingredients, including the sauteed veggies and toss together. We do this in a giant tupperware so we can put the lid on and shake it up niiiiceee and gooood. This was actually really good and we are definitely eating it again.

Clean Cava Copycat Salad

Friday, August 30, 2013

$5 Happy Hour at Local 16

Average Drink Price: $5 (everything is $5)
Service: Great and fast! The bartender was really honest and recommended/discouraged certain menu items (i.e. stay away from the #4)
Good for Groups: Yes- and the service is fast enough that everyone in your group won't be waiting eons for drinks 
Mood: Chillin
Outdoor Seating: Rooftop patio
Try the: Signature Cocktail #3 and meatballs 

Local 16's $5 Happy Hour Menu

This is a great place to come chill out, specifically at 5:30 pm after the world's longest Thursday ever. We sat at the downstairs bar (too hot to go to the patio) and ordered a few drinks- the best by far was the #3 (pictured below). It was minty/limey/kind of mojitoey and super refreshing, and served in a mason jar which really gets some people excited--not quite my thing, but I did appreciate how big the mason jars are.

We at the hummus that was nice and flavorful, and the pita bread was fresh out of the oven (definite plus) followed by the meatballs--yall, the sauce was everything. So good. The bartender explained the process the sauce goes through to get that delicious and I lost focus after he said something about "setting for 2 hours", but it's awesome. 

Sidenote- did anyone else know that Local 16 owns Tropicalia? 

The #3. Just look how refreshing that is.

$5 Happy Hour at Local 16

Why HIIT? Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training

HIIT workouts allow you to keep muscle so you can look more like Lady Gaga (yes please) and not twiggy and ano like Miley (no thank you). Sidenote: Lady Gaga's body is my new fitspiration.. Double sidenote: can we discuss how much her body changes?? Who is her trainer and how do I get in touch?

My most common excuse for not working out is that I'm too busy, especially in the summer (so many rooftop happy hours, so little time!). But now that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has stepped into the spotlight, even university research studies are telling me that "too little time" isn't a valid excuse. Doing HIIT for 15-20 minutes three times each week yields better cardiovascular and muscle-building results than 60 minutes of jogging each day. Clearly this sounds too good to be true so I did some deep digging and here's what I found (most of this info came from Shape Magazine, Men's Health, and a research study from American College of Sports Medicine):

• While this is 15-20 minutes of hell, after 2 weeks of consistent (3xweek) HIIT workouts, a study by American College of Sports and Medicine says your aerobic capacity will see the same improvement as 8 weeks of endurance training (!!!). Another study I read showed the same aerobic results for subjects after 60 minutes of HIIT each week vs. 160 minutes of treadmill workouts each week. Suddenly 15 minutes doesn't seem so bad...
• You are supposed to feel like you are dying a slow death by suffocation. This lack of oxygen is essentially putting your body in "oxygen debt" and your body stays burning cals for 24 hours (YES 24 HOURS) afterwards trying to "repay" this "debt", i.e. speeding up our metabolism. Sidenote: This reminds me of when I was in middle school and my fiends and I decided that fat and calories must not count after you work out so I would come home from a run and binge eat Gushers and Dunkaroos because it "didn't count". I was real dumb back then which is probably why I research everything in depth now before I do it.
• HIIT increases your HGH release by 450%, meaning those 15 minutes a day are slowing the aging process (yeah y'all)
• HIIT makes your metabolism adapt in a way that uses fat as fuel. Fat. As. Fuel. I'd like to go ahead and sacrifice my saddlebags for fuel...
• Oh yeah, and it's 100% free. You don't need a gym, equipment, or space to do HIIT .I do it in the tiny space between my bed and wall.

Here is what HIIT looks like: 1 minute of torture (squat jumps, high knees, burpees, etc) in which you are working so hard you shouldn't be able to talk (my favorite class instructor at the Y used to say 'if you can sing right now you're not working hard enough!') followed by 1 minute of rest. This minute of rest is important! When I first started I was like "I'm hard core I don't need rest!" but the rest is important- it's allowing your body to replenish the anaerobic part and then shocking your body when you start up again. Then another minute of torture, another minute of rest and so on.

Fitness Blender has great free Youtube videos. I recommend switching up the videos because when I know what to expect (please no, not the burpees please no) I have a hard time staying motivated. Here are a few of my favs:

For beginners

More advanced:

Check out Fitness Blender's youtube channel for more workouts

Why HIIT? Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training

Boots for Under $40

Welp just got paid and bought these babies from JustFab.com for $39 with FREE SHIPPING.

 

Sorry not sorry, I love boots and I've been waiting since March to buy mine this season. This is my first pair of boots I have ordered from justfab but so far I have been really satisfied with the quality of items I get from this website (like my big girl work bag). I got the Autumn design from JustFab, but they have lots of other looks for under $40:

CAN I PLEASE!! Patagonia from Justfab

Perry Boot from JustFab

Bryce boot JustFab

Boots for Under $40

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Clean Eating: Fruity Summery Salad

Notice the keyboard in the back? I prepped this and ate it at my desk. #multitasking

So I didn't have time to do my usual Sunday routine of grocery shopping and preparing meals for the week because I had to spend all day at the pool (thanks for the first weekend pool day all summer, Mother Nature) and at night I was too busy losing my ish over this:

Image from http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2013/08/ryan-gosling-nsync-vma-gosling-darfur-2005.

 
Sidenote: They aren't reuniting for a tour and I am crushed. All 90 seconds of the VMA reunion was every bit as exciting as when I was in 6th grade and my dad borrowed a rusty limo from a  friend to take my best friend and me to our first concert ever-*N Sync- followed by a drive-through supper at McDonald's. That was a special evening, and so was Sunday's VMAs. Double sidenote: is that Ryan Gossling performing in the bottom corner??!?!

But anway! I've been forced to throw together whatever is in my fridge which has led to the discovery of this delicious fruity salad. And let me just say- I'm not really a salad person. I hate when I say I'm doing clean eating and people send me a million salad recipes. I'm trying to stay full here, people. But this is a good one. Here's the breakdown:

Prep Time: 10 minutes (I threw the ingredients in a bag and did all the prepping at my desk)
Cook Time: 0, it's a salad
Servings: 1 heaping saladful

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 3 slices of onion, chopped
• 1 apple, diced
• 1/2 cup grapes, halved
• 1/4 avocado, diced
• 1/8 cup chopped walnuts (or any nuts)
• 1/8 cup craisins
• Balsamic Vinegar 

Throw it all together and toss it with some balsamic vinegar. Holy smokes this is good. Good think there are a full 3 days of summer left for me to enjoy summer salads. Are salads the same as fashion? Like can I eat summer salad in November or is it the same as wearing sundresses in November?

Clean Eating: Fruity Summery Salad

Clean Eating Tuna Salad Lunch

Sidenote: How great is the COMPARTMENTALIZED tupperware? And the lids snap on. From Costco

First off, this is tuna in a salad- not nasty mayoed out creamy tuna salad. It's my go-to because it costs approximately ten cents to make and is incredibly easy and tasty.

Prep Time:  <5 mins
Cook Time: 0
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 can tuna in water ($.99)
• 1 tomato ($.80)
• 3 slices of onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup Craisins ($.50)
• 2 slices avocado, diced
• 1 handful Arugula
• 1 handful Spinach (bag of spinach is $3.00 sooo...$.50?)
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Throw it all together and enjoy! If you do lunch on the go I recommend storing the lettuce and tuna/veggie mixture separately so the leaves don't get soggy (ew).

Also dogs love this dish so be careful where you set it down:

Clean Eating Tuna Salad Lunch

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

VMA Fashion: The Broke & Bougie Edition- Naya Rivera

And the VMA for strangest paradox goes to- Naya Rivera! I mean really she's on Glee and doesn't she date Big Sean? And then shows up in a dominatrix slash Halloween witch look. Whatever for some reason I like her sexy dress and some day I want to wear this Sears version on vacation somewhere (maybe not DC...just..maybe not). Sidenote- what's with the model's face? And did they purposely pick someone who looks like Naya?

VMA Fashion: The Broke & Bougie Edition- Naya Rivera

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

VMA Fashion: The Broke & Bougie Edition- Everyone's White Dress Look

Since the weather has been like 50 degrees when I wake up I kind of forgot it was summer therefore kind of forgot about white clothes. But I do love a good white dress that doesn't make me look like a toddler on her way to the Easter church service, and this year so did about half of the VMA attendees. I seriously think I counted 14 all-white-everythings on the red carpet. My favs were one half of Danity Kane (they're still here?) and Carly Aquilino.

My favorite white dress for $29 (and going on even better clearance ANY MINUTE I've got my eye on it) is Sears' Studio 1 Women's Party Dress . Besides the fact that this doesn't look like I'm trying too hard, I like the pleated waistline that makes me feel just a little bit skinnier. And just look- it has POCKETS. That is as much of a selling point for me as when the clothes are sized extremely low ("This is a size 2?? why yes I have miraculously discovered an extra $70 for this one skirt, Banana Republic).

VMA Fashion: The Broke & Bougie Edition- Everyone's White Dress Look

VMA Fashion: Broke & Bougie Edition- Shaliene Woodley

Ok so who is Shalene Woodley? I don't even know but her VMA outfit was everything. And something I feel like I could actually wear out in public outside of LA (i.e. in Ugly People's Hollywood i.e. DC). I know all of this is Forever 21 but there really isn't anywhere else in DC I can invest $10 in for something I only want this season. And I wash my Forever clothes in the shower with shampoo so they do indeed last...forever. Otherwise they get torn up in the washer after approximately 2.5 washes. And c'mon I figured out this entire look for about $60

1. Forever21 Standout Net Crop Top $12.80 
2. Forever21 Geo Print High-Low Skirt $11.80
3. Forever21 Edgy Star Cuff $8.80
4. Women's Mossimo Pamela Point Black Heels $29.95 (gotta love when your shoes cost more than the whole outfit combined. But it's a necessary investment in DC where the daily obstacle courses include cobbleston, construction sites and uneven sidewalks. My Target heels held up really well in DC)
5. Orange Round Ball Studs from Etsy.com $3.00

VMA Fashion: Broke & Bougie Edition- Shaliene Woodley

VMA Fashion: The Broke & Bougie Edition- JHud

When it comes to the awards shows I like to figure out how I can pull off the looks. So this is my interpretation of VMA Fashion translated into the real world.

First off, JHud can do no wrong. Everything she does and is is what I want to do and be. So here's how my broke self is going to copy her VMA look:

1. Kardashian Kollection Women's Cami Houndstooth Check from Sears $22.99
2. H&M Imitation Leather Skirt $29.95
3. Forever21 Regal Bib Necklace $8.50
4. Forever21 Woven Curb Chain Bracelet $11.80
5. Forever21 Stretchy Faux Stone Ring $5.80
6. Target Mossimo Pointed Toe Black Heel $29.95

VMA Fashion: The Broke & Bougie Edition- JHud

FREE FOOD Happy Hour at Piola (Always)

• Average Drink Price: $4 ($4 wine, $3 beer, $5 specialty drinks)
• Service: So so so nice. As a new bar I think they're trying to establish regulars (they won me)
• Good for Groups: Yes! You can sit anywhere in the restaurant/patio/bar and get HH specials
• Mood: It's nice and bright and chill. Turning up was encouraged
• Outdoor Seating: Rooftop patio
• Try the:SPECIALTY PIZZA. ALL PIZZA IS FREAKING $7

That glass of wine was $4 and that mostly eaten food is FREE. FREE.

Ok I know it's kind of rachet to include a picture of mostly-eaten food, but just had to re-iterate that the food. is. FREE. When my friend first told me she went to Piola and they give out free food I was like a) yeah free food like nuts and Chex Mix? yeah no and b) this place is probably a sh*t hole. Wrong and wrong. Servers come around with trays of finger food, and I kid you not, one of these finger foods is pizza. PIZZA! YALL I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN DC. Two of us got the $4 white wine which was poured generously (raise your hand if you hate when happy hour wine = 1 shot of wine), and the other got a $5 specialty strawberry drink where they actually crush strawberries in the glass. My friends and I will be regulars. The only downside is that the bathroom is in the basement, but it's clean so I'm over it.

Also please note their brunch special- it's like Cici's for grown ups. Bottomless pizza and bottomless mimosas for $30. Oh and they have nutella pizza. I can't. I just cannot.

THIS IS THE REAL BRUNCH MENU

FREE FOOD Happy Hour at Piola (Always)

$25 Mani/Pedi at Revo Nails

Price: $25 mani/pedi
Service: Friendly and attentive
Quality: Thorough and good!

Cleanliness: Looked good to me!

Gotta walk to the back wall to find the colors on U St

When I first saw the giant banner hanging outside Revo Nails I rushed to the computer and looked fothe catch- $25 Mani/Pedi? Where am I- NYC?? These prices just don't exist in DC, even in the burbs. After sifting through Yelp reviews (because they don't seem to have a website- red flag?) it seemed legit, and I consulted my good friend who is a nail connoisseur and she told me she goes there on the reg, so I gave it a try. And you know what? It was much better than I was expecting for $25 in DC.

Yelp had complaints about Revo not having a good selection of colors, but when I walked to the back of the shop there were two walls of nail polish. I mean maybe 1/4 of the colors were OPI and there were 4 Essies but I buy whatever is $.99 at CVS so I'm not complaining. I went at 1:00 on a Friday afternoon and there was zero wait, but my nail friend told me if you get there after 5pm you usually have to wait. My nail technician was super sweet- actually awkwardly sweet (NT: "You're soo pretty, I love you pretty hands, does your boyfriend love your pretty hands?" Me: "Umm actually people always make fun of my baby hands...I'm kind of insecure let's not talk about my baby hands anymore please this is so awkward?"). The pedi jet tub worked, massage chairs worked, the whole time, which is a major improvement over the last place I got a $25 only-available-Wednesdays-before-4pm pedi. For an extra $10 they would have thrown in a salt massage but I'm not into spending money (duh) so I passed. Plus they were really thorough with the pedi cleaning so I didn't really feel like I needed it.

The only down side was the lack of AC. I know I'm sweatier than the average person, like prescription deodorant sweaty, but this was out of control hot. I was afraid my freaking fingernails were sweating and the polish would run right off (they weren't and it didn't). But I was satisfied when I left- the mani lasted a solid week (the norm for me...I'm pretty destructive) and the pedi is still on a month later. So my recommendation: if you go to the U Street location wait for the weather to cool down, or just try out the other locations. But hey, for $25 I'm down for anything.

$25 Mani/Pedi at Revo Nails

Monday, August 26, 2013

Week 2 Clean Eating Meal Plan and Grocery List

Breakfast:
Egg White Breakfast Casserole
Filling Fruit Smoothie
Ice Coffee

Lunch:
Clean Eating Taco Salad
Leftover Italian Quinoa Bake

Snacks:
Fat-Free Greek Yogurt with Fresh Fruit
Nuts with Dried Fruit Trail Mix (found it at Rite Aid- 1 lb for $4.49!!)
Popcorn
Cashews (Rite Aid has a killer sale on cashews this week! so you know I stocked up for the month)

Supper:
Monday: Italian Quinoa Bake with steamed broccoli and cauliflower
Tuesday: Tuna Melts with sweet potato chips
Wednesday: Steak with Cucumber, Tomato and arugula Salad 
Thursday: Taco Night!! (Lettuce Wrap Edition). We used Fat-Free Greek Yogurt as sour cream substitution and served with avocado sauce  home made pice de gallo, and sauteed bell peppers with onions
Friday: Leftover Schmorgishborg

Shopping List:

• Dozen Eggs
• Frozen Fruit of your choice (my go-tos are strawberries and blueberries)
• Bananas
• Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
• Almond Milk
• Quinoa
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cans of tuna
• 1 can black beans
• 4 avocados
• 5 tomatoes
• 1 Sweet potato 
• Italian seasoning/fresh herbs of your choice
• 1 zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 2 bell peppers
• Lettuce of your choice (I always pick arugula and spinach)
• 1 loaf of Ezekiel Bread (found in the freezer aisle) 
• Frozen veggies to serve as sides
• Mozzarella Cheese

Week 2 Clean Eating Meal Plan and Grocery List

Clean Eating Taco Salad with Avocado Sauce

Look I LOVE Mexican food. It doesn't matter what kind or what's in it or how clean/dirty the restaurant serving it is- give me some hot sauce and I'll eat the whole thing. So on Sunday I prepped all the ingredients for my taco salad and had pretty much the best week ever (my food plays a big role in how my week goes ok?). This is so easy to make, easy to store for the week, super healthy and filling and completely clean.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins (for the quinoa)
Servings: 5 (one week's worth of lunches)

For the Taco Salad
Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans ($1.00)
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tomato chopped ($1.00)
• 1/4 large onion diced ($.25)
• 1 avocado diced ($1.50)
• 1 head of lettuce or bag of lettuce- I mixed spinach, mixed greens, and arugula ($3.50)
• Small container of fat-free Greek Yogurt ($2.00)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa ($1.00)

Combine beans (undrained), garlic, tomato and onion into a sauce pan and mix together. Cook over medium heat on the stove for 5-10 minutes or until it is aromatic. Store the bean mixture, lettuce, avocado and Greek Yogurt separately. Put it all into a tupperware in the morning for an easy to-go taco salad. I switch up the avocado and avocado sauce to keep things exciting.

For the avocado sauce:

• 1 avocado diced ($1.50)
• 1 tomato chopped ($1.00)
• 1/4 large onion diced ($.25)
• 2 cloves garlic minced 
• Handful of cilantro or parsley (I had fresh parsley that was about to go bad, it worked!)

Put all this in the food processor or blender. If you're using a blender put it on "liquify" or an equivalent setting and let 'er rip. If you're using a food processor pulse it until you get a creamy green substance. Instead of the tomato/onion/garlic/etc you can use just combine a clean salsa with the avocado (Trader Joe's has a lot of great options, but so does the regular grocery store. Check the label and make sure nothing unclean is in it like corns syrup, sugar, artificial flavors, etc).

Clean Eating Taco Salad with Avocado Sauce

Happy Hour at Poste Modern Brasserie

• Average Drink Price:$7 (all local!)
• Service: SUPER friendly, fast
• Good for Groups:YES- the courtyard bar has 24 seats and is surrounded by open space with lounge chairs and incredibly comfortable couches
• Mood: Classy, relaxing
• Outdoor Seating: Huge courtyard. In the winter they have fires and heat lamps going so everyone can still enjoy the outside
• Try the..: Sparkling Wine ($7), Rickey Bobby (not on the happy hour menu but worth all $12 of deliciousness)

Just look how comfy those loungers are

So I don't know how I've been missing out on this Penn Quarter outdoor spot for the last two years but Poste, located inside the Hotel Monoco (the dining room is where the Post Office sorting room used to be- they have preserved a lot of the historical decor, really neat) is AWESOME. Everything is from the DMV- the food, the beer (what up DC Brau!), the cocktails, everything. While it isn't one of the cheaper places to turn up in Penn Quarter, the courtyard and quality of drinks make it worth it. The loungers were sooo comfortable, the kind where if you're my height you scoot all the way back and your entire body is comfortably resting on the fluffy cushions. After a long day someone in our group may or may not have taken a little nap...

The only weird thing is the apparent "open seating" policy they have. The couches are big, so if your group is only taking up half of the couch then other people will come sit on the other half. A bro came up and joined us after his group left him and he had apparently been enjoying the local libations all day. Before he left he said "Hey I'm glad I came and sat with yall. You know what they say- You only YOLO once!" Ahh yes you only live once once. But all this to say there were fun people our age there having fun. As the happy hour wore on a lot of suits and fancy dresses showed up and we started to feel a little under dressed. I will most definitely be coming back to this Penn Quarter Gem.

Here's the happy hour menu (shoutout to the Poste menu maker who ordered the menu by price. Really helping a sister out)

Local Happy Hour Fare
~You don’t have to be local to eat local~
$4
Beer Nuts
sweet and spicy Virginia peanuts with Old Bay 
$6
P3 - Poste Pickle Plate
house pickled local vegetables, Polyface Farms egg with grilledpumpernickel, Port City Porter mustard and Chocolate City Copper Ale aioli
$8
Fried Rappahannock Oysters
herb crust, tomato jam
$8
Polyface Farms Wings
smoked and grilled chicken wings, Catoctin Creek Rye and apple butter glaze
$8
Maryland Blue Crab
crab and potato croquettas, Gordy’s Sweet Pickle and Old Bay aioli 
$8
Warshore Clams
chili braised kale, DC Brau “The Public” Pale Ale, bacon, grilled bread

Available daily in the bar and lounge from 4-7pm.
Please advise your server of any food allergies prior to ordering.

Local Happy Hour Libations
$6 Beer
DC Brau “The Public”
Port City Optimal Wit
Chocolate City Copper Ale (Draft)

$7 Spirits
Green Hat Gin
Catoctin Creek Rye

$8 Sparkling
Thibaut-Janisson Virginia Fizz
*share a bottle for $40

Please ask your server about our other daily wine and spirit Happy Hour
offerings.

Poste is a longtime supporter of local farmers, brewers,
distillers, and artisans who provide us the freshest possible
products. We strive to cut down on our carbon footprint
and give back to D.C. and the surrounding communities.
~
All items on this menu are sourced from D.C., Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
~
We hope you enjoy the local flavors and visit us often

Happy Hour at Poste Modern Brasserie

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Happy Hour at Cafe Citron

Average Drink Price: $5
Service: See below
Good for Groups: Yes! Room at the upstairs and downstairs bar, couches downstairs, and plenty of tables upstairs. Happy hour is available anywhere in the restaurant
Mood: Chill Party Mode- could go either way.
Try The: MOJITO PITCHERS!! JUST DO IT

This is officially the Summer of the Mojito for me, so the mojito tour continued this week at Cafe Citron in Dupont. We got a table for our eight person group and were able to chat and enjoy each other while we went through two (or three?) $30 mojito pitchers. The mojitos were amazing and perfectly refreshing as we escaped the 90 degree heat. I came here for National Margarita Day last year (yeah yall, that's a thing) when they were selling shitty sour margaritas for $4.00. They burned my stomach enough that I'll never order margs here again. One of the girls got a quesadilla which was...well, a really basic quesadilla that reminded me of Applebee's. We also got the guacamole which is NOT on happy hour special. Our server was fine, I think she had a lot of tables? But we spent a lot of time waiting to order refills which is not cool. We all paid and a few people left, which was when chaos ensued.

Something went wrong with the tip or the computer system or something and the owner came out and asked us for our cards back to have us repay. Everyone was (kind of drunk?) angry and going off about how they aren't going to let her charge us twice for our drinks. The owner was seriously seriously heated (for her mistake?) and started yelling in Spanish. Thankfully one of our Latina Heat Waves was with us and gave it right back to her in Spanish (does anyone else get nervous when people are yelling in Spanish? why does it always sound so angry?), then my friend informed us that it was fine give her the cards, then the owner brought back shots of tequila. I may never know what went down in that fight, or really even who won, but tequila transcends all languages so it was fine. It was a little stressful for happy hour, and tequila shots are a little intense (my college self would never believe I'm saying this) for happy hour, or really life in general, but whatever. The mojitos were good enough and priced right and my bank account was only charged once so I'll be back for happy hour. Moral of the story: if you want to save money, drink your pitchers and leave right after you pay. The others in our group didn't get charged at all.

Happy Hour at Cafe Citron

Friday, August 23, 2013

Clean Egg White Casserole

Breakfast for the week! Last week's breakfast quiche was a little too "busy" with flavors and textures for me. This one was not quite "busy" enough. BF loved it and ate it for breakfast AND lunch so it may just be me.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: A week's worth of breakfast for 2

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper, diced $.88
• 1/2 large onion, diced $.50
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 handfulls of spinach
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey ($3.00)
• 3 eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the turkey with sea salt and pepper and cook on the stove. While it's cooking beat the eggs and egg whites together in a medium sized bowl. In a larger bowl combine the red pepper, onion, garlic and stir together. Add the beaten eggs and dry mustard and mix together. Spray an oven-safe pan (I used a 9x13 pan and the casserole came out really thin, next time I'm going to try 9x9) with cooking spray and pour the mixture into the pan. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the egg is completely cooked.

Slice up, microwave in the mornings and enjoy!

Clean Egg White Casserole

Work Wear: Kohl's Clearance Rack Edition

 

My favorite thing about shopping at Kohl's might be how the receipt shows how much you saved at the bottom. HA yeah don't mind me, just saving almost $100 today! My second favorite thing about shopping at Kohl's is how nothing is ever NOT on sale. Every time I go to the register I get a sale surprise..and am that girl who celebrates with the cashier "I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS $4!!!!!! LET'S HUG!!" The third thing I love is that my girl Lauren Conrad has a clothing line there. As someone who feels they went through high school with the Laguna Beach class, then had a summer internship in LA at the same time The Hills was airing (really who didn't feel the regret with LC when she returned from her horrible summer at the beach with Jason instead of going to PARIS), I feel like I'm supporting an old friend when I buy her clothes. Call me crazy but I know at one point or another everyone in my generation of MTV watchers feels it too.

I got a nice pair of Elle Skinny Twill Ankle Pants for $25! I have kept my eye on every sale that comes up (Express, The Loft, Anne Taylor, etc) and searched Targets and TJ Maxxs (wait is that how you pluralize Maxx?) far and wide for a good pair of black dress pants for under $40 that don't look like Mom Pants and this is the best deal. I got two blouses from LC's line (one is called Coachella Sunrise- you're too cool, LC) that I will pair with blazers and cardigans or wear with my pencil skirts. I also grabbed a Croft & Barrow Open Front Long cream colored cardigan to wear with dresses as the weather cools off.

So thanks, LC for getting me through high school, being there for me in LA, and now dressing me for work. Go girl.

All of the clearance items are also available for the same price on kohls.com .

Work Wear: Kohl's Clearance Rack Edition

Clean Eating Easy Tuna Melt

Mmmmm warm melty tuna mellllt

This is a quick and easy lunch to make. I just discovered Ezekiel Bread in the grocery store freezer section which is a clean, flourless bread and let me just tell you, it has taken clean eating to a new level. I actually like it better than any other breads. So here's my quick tuna melt

Prep Time: 2 minutes (open the can, cut a slice of onion, cut a slice of tomato...)
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna ($1.00)
• 1 slice of Ezekiel Bread (the whole loaf is $5.00)
• 1 slice of onion
• 2 slices of tomato
• A sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

Put it all on top of the bread and let it cook in the toaster oven (or real oven) for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty. Sprinkle some pepper on top.

YEAH YALL, CLEAN BREAD. 

Clean Eating Easy Tuna Melt

Happy Hour at Chicha

http://www.latinconcepts.com/chi-cha

Average drink price: $5. $10 for hookah (!!!)
Service: so-so
Good for groups: Yes. Tables, couches, chairs and lots of space around the bar allow for groups
Mood: Real chill
Try the: Sangria, Rose and Mint Hookah

The other day someone was like "OMG I can't believe you smoke hookah that's as bad as cigarettes!" and started spouting off all kinds of OMG Statistics. As a profession, I manipulate data and statistics to make people want to donate money and I have a feeling someone (not as) smart as myself made up these statistics. I smoke hookah maybe every two weeks while cigarette smokers smoke cigarettes, what, every two hours? I'm no scientist but I'm not seeing how it all adds up.

But anyway, that conversation got me in the mood for hookah so a friend and I popped over to Chi-Cha on U Street for their hookah happy hour. $10 hookah and $5 drinks hallloo! We mixed guava and peach and ordered a vodka martini, a mojito (what's with my mojito kick?) and the empanada trio (oopsies clean eating cheat) and really enjoyed ourselves. The mojito was fine- I've had better but trust me I've had much worse. I also like their sangria, it's sweet and fruity. There is always some kind of weird nudey movie playing on the TV which is kind of distrating but I guess it goes with the wall decor which includes paintings of boobs and coochies. There were only a few other people there but service was still slow as the bartender and the manager were chit chattin away at the end of the bar. But hey, hookah and mojitos are meant to enjoy slowly and chilled out so it's fine. We each had two drinks, the empanada trio and a hookah for a grand total of $30.


Here's the happy hour menu:

Happy Hour at Chicha

My Clean Eating 101 & Go To Foods

A lot of people do clean eating differently and that's ok! I'm trying to make a sustainable, healthy life change and my version of clean eating is cutting out processed foods, sugar, and flour. I give myself one cheat day each week, and have tried to cut down on alcohol but that's REAL hard in the summer. When I first started eating clean I lived for my cheat day, but our bodies are crazy and I have really stopped craving a lot of things that used to be my weaknesses (sour gummy worms, candy, chips, bread, did I mention candy?). My rule at the grocery store: if it has more than 3 ingredients then I don't buy it. My body feels better, I have had a lot less stomach problems, and I don't hit my dreaded 4:00 crash anymore because of cutting out sugary snacks.

These are my Clean Eating Go-Tos (sidenote: I'm a huge snacker)

• Nuts: especially pistachios, almonds and cashews. I usually pack some in a ziplock baggie and take them with me for the day to avoid getting hangry in public. At first I was like "um these 12 nuts are going to fill me up the way Goldfish used to?" and you know what, these little protein packed morsels fill me up better than Goldfish. We buy $12 bags of nuts at Costco that last MONTHS. Nuts at the grocery store can be really expensive so I stock up when I find good prices.
• Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt: HELLO power food. It's 20% of your daily recommended calcium, 30% of your daily recommended protein (6 oz of Greek yogurt = protein of 3 ounces of meat) and the straining process it goes through makes it much easier on lactose intolerant stomachs like mine. I mix it with fruit/vanilla/honey, put it in smoothies, and substitute it for sour cream, mayo and cream cheese. It really is a magical food, and I can usually find it on sale for less than $5.00
• Quinoa: This little seed is easy to cook and is packed with protein, calcium and fiber. It's great for wacky stomachs like mine (the dietary fiber regulates a lot of stuff going on in there) and is rich in antioxidants. It takes our stomachs a long time to break all the protein/fiber down so it keeps you full for a long time. I substitute it for rice and pasta. A little bit of quinoa goes a long way so I don't feel bad dropping $10 on a box of it.
• Spinach: 100% of daily recommended vitamin K- Vitamin K clears up your skin and fights the bad guys in your body that break down bones. It's also high in dietary fiber which, again, is great for those of us with stomachs that act up all the time. I put it in breakfast smoothies, make salads out of it, saute it for side dishes, and at the end of the week throw left-over meat/fruit/nuts on it to make salads. I can usually find a bag of spinach to get us through the week for $3.00
• Eggs:  I used to live in fear of egg yolks (all that fat!) but I've had to change the way I think about healthy fats found in eggs and avocados. There are so many benefits to eggs- high protein, they make you feel full longer, they make your hair shinier and your nails stronger, they aid in muscle repair, and they taste good with everything, and you can boil them and throw them in your lunch bag for a snack. The two of us go through a dozen eggs a week right now- thank goodness that costs $2.50 which is much less than a box of sugary cereal.

My Clean Eating 101 & Go To Foods

Bottomless Brunch at Mad Momo's

Lots of light, 2 stories, grits.

Some day drinking girlfriends of mine and I purchased a Capitol Deal at Mad Momo's in Columbia Heights and tried it out a few Sundays ago. Upon first walking in (let me stress walking- it's not close to the metro but there are about a million buses that go right there) I was in love. The host was probably the friendliest and most accomodating host I've ever dealt with- I got to pick our seats and none of that "everyone in your party has to be present to be seated" game. I understand why that policy is in place, but honestly when it's the morning after Saturday night please just hand me a mimosa before this hangover kills me and don't make me wait for last 2 who have never been on time in their lives, I swear they are coming because I am so type A that I have been texting/Tweeting/SnapChatting every person in the party since 9 a.m. to make sure they are on the way. Since it's summer in DC it was unbearably hot and sweaty outside so I picked a couch with 5 overstuffed comfy seats surrounding a table next to the giant bay window. Close enough to see everyone walk by yet still inside.

Here's the breakdown:
Bottomless Mimosas: $15
Average Brunch Plate: $10
Check Splitting: Easy
Bathrooms: Clean, no lines

Pros:

• Brunch lasts ALL DAY SUNDAY 
• Guava juice mimosas- DELICIOUS. Also they don't burn your stomach after 20 the way OJ does
• GRITS- the grits were everything. every. last. thing. Honestly I don't really remember what I ate because I was so distracted by the fluffy, sticky, perfect grits. I could have eaten a bowl of those puppies and sipped guava mimosas all day and been 100% satisfied.
• Lots of vegan/vegetarian options and even clean menu items. I had to cheat. The grits. THE GRITS.
• A lot of food options in general (I hate places where it's like pancakes or eggs which one do you want?). They were actually ranked as DC's hottest spot for foodies.
• Friendly staff
• Eco friendly, green and local (yay for day drinking and supporting good things!)
• Clean bathrooms (but why is someone's law school diploma hanging in the women's bathroom?)
• Ample outdoor seating that would be great once the temperature drops below 1000 degrees

Cons:

• Constant empty mimosa glasses (blessing in disguise?)
• Our waitress seemed rude. Every time we asked for anything including refills, it seemed like a major labor for her. Sidenote- She was Eastern European. Not to stereotype but I used to work with a Ukranian who was a former Disney on Ice ice dancer (yes, ice dancer). He once told me the story of Aladin toppling off an elephant during a show and landing unconscious face down. I asked if Aladin was ok and he replied "Huh? I don't know I never see him again, ze show must go on. Ze show must always go on". Sooo that's my theory on her behavior. Ze show must always go on, and we must always be serious
• 2 hour brunch limit. It was enforced. Wait looking back maybe our waitress hated us?

Moral of the story: I will definitely go back. Bang for your buck and THE GRITS. Y'all I swear I had a dream about these grits just last night.

Bottomless Brunch at Mad Momo's

Thursday, August 22, 2013