5Kake

Wow.  I am just a ball of creativity when it comes to blog post titles.

That would stand for 5K + Cake!  Clearly.

First off… Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!  Are you wearing green??  I totally get this from my mom…always wearing Green on St Patty’s day, pink or red on Valentines Day…etc.  Cheesy, but it also does help me pick out my clothes a little easier by narrowing down my choices ;)  I am also noticing a lot of green around the office so clearly I’m not alone here!

Here’s my glamour shot for today…complete with background bathroom accessories!

Green sweater dress – Banana Republic
Scarf – Old Navy
Brown Tights – Nordstrom (DKNY….BEST tights!!)
Over-the-knee brown suede boots – Chinese Laundry (via Macy’s like 3 years ago when I saw them on Gossip Girl hehe)

I’ve always wanted to do some “fashion” on the blog, but just never got around to it…too much good food to photograph apparently.  I also really need to find a better way to get these pictures done!

anywho

Plans today??  Beer? Potatoes?  Corned beef and cabbage?? 

In some ways I wish I could head into Boston and go to a pub or two, but I’ve always had a love-HATE relationship with “going out” on this day.  Sounds like its going to be nice out, but usually it’s COLD, and unless you can take the day off work and go in EARLY, you wait in line for at least an hour at any of the bars in Boston, only to be crammed in, pay extra in cover charges, and other than that it’s no different than any other night out at the bar.  One year it was so cold, and after waiting in line for about 1.5 hours to get into a not-so-special bar near Faneuil Hall, my feet were numb and I was too annoyed with the whole situation to even have a good time.  So yeah, I’m not a huge fan anymore. 

Enough of that…onto my cakes and 5K haha!

I hope you all took advantage of a free petite treat from Starbucks last weekend??  I sure did…twice. 

That would be one of their new Cake Pops!  This was the Birthday Cake flavor, and I am officially in LOVE! 

They first reeled me in with the work PETITE!  I am a lover of all food items that come in miniature sizes.  Sometimes all I need is a taste to satisfy a craving.  

I ordered a small iced non-fat latte, and picked out a free Cake Pop in the Birthday Cake flavor. 

**Bonus points for being pink and with sprinkles!"**

It’s like funfetti on a stick.  I mean, yeah, it tastes like your standard boxed cake/canned frosting combo…but don’t you ever just crave that canned vanilla frosting?!  I never make it, but if there is funfetti cake around, I am PSYCHED!  

I remember seeing cake pops from Bakerella years ago and thought they were adorable and sounded awesome.  I think I am going to have to try my hand at these soon! 

The mixture of cake and frosting, makes like a cake-truffle consistency.

I even managed to save a small bite for Brian who was equally enamored by this little pink ball of joy. 

So, of course, the next day we plan a long walk with the dog to…Starbucks!

You’d think I’d try one of the other petite treats, but no, Birthday Cake Pop was on my mind.  With a half Passion-half Black iced tea!

 
When I opened the paper bag, Bromley decided he wanted some…  Sorry dude, water only for you!

Enough cake…for now.

Sunday was the Ras ne hEireann in Davis Square.  Luckily this year the weather was 10 times better than last year!  Even though last year was still my best time…probably didn’t help that there were probably 3000 MORE people than last year. 

Pre-Race Breakfast:

TJ’s Sprouted Wheat bread toast, with PB and a little raspberry preserves, a banana on the side, and an iced latte

We arrived with just enough time to meet up with my friend who had our numbers, get my gear on, and get to the start! 

Unfortunately, on our walk from the car to the race my foot started bothering me.  Hmmmm, why now?!  It wasn’t bad, just a slight pain, and this was the first I’ve felt any foot pain in over a year! 

So then we race! 

I had a momentary panic about 30 seconds before it started when my iPod wasn’t working!!!!  Thankfully a re-boot fixed things…phew!  My Garmin was also dead…woops, lesson learned. 

I felt good and Brian and I stayed together the whole time.  There was a good amount of weaving in and out of people, and it was SOOO frustrating at the end when I was trying to speed to the finish…the last segment is on a bike path and this caused MAJOR bottlenecking.  Basically I had to slow down a bit, try and run on the mud to get around people, and then there was no choice but to slam on the breaks when you reached within 30’ of the finish line.  So I had to walk, SLOWLY WALK, the last 30-40 seconds…grrrr.  

Officially, my time was 31:01, but I’d like to think I would of finished a lot sooner if it weren’t for the MASS amount of people squeezing down the bike path.  Oh well. 

Of course once we finished (and I had to buy water because they ran out!) the foot pain came back.  Dammit!  This was different than the plantar fasciitis pain I had last year, this is more on the outside/bottom of the foot.  Hurts more wearing flats/sneakers…pain goes away in high heels surprisingly!  So I’ve rested it since then, aside from Hot Yoga Tuesday night, and it’s going away but it’s still not gone completely.  :( 

On the bright side, I had a delicious post race lunch at Cambridge 1 in Harvard Sq with Brian and my bff Jocy!

We started with an arugula salad with parmesan, olive oil, and lemon juice.

 

Then split 2 pizzas:

spinach, artichoke hearts, chevre, slow roasted tomatoes:

and Italian sausage, ricotta, tomato, fontina:

They were both incredible!!  Super thin crisp crust and all the toppings were so fresh.  I was lucky enough to save some leftovers to have for lunch the next day.

We also grabbed a few cupcakes after the race from Kickass Cupcakes in Davis Sq. 

Brian got a Red Velvet

I opted for the “Lucky” - luscious lemon cupcake with white chocolate buttercream and candied ginger, comes with a fortune

 

I found the cupcakes to be good, not great, but the “fortune” was hilarious:That says: “If life is a garden, you don’t want to be a hoe” 

So true, so true.

Had to get a PupCake for the Bromster…

He devoured it

Any fun Green plans today??  Green beer?? 
I have a “normal” Thursday…work, gym, and dog training class!  I’m hoping to get some cardio in so I think I’ll stick to the elliptical today…thank god I brought a magazine!!

Winding Down

This has been one hectic week! So after work I started the weekend off right with a manicure! I love having my nails done, and it helps me stop biting/picking at them...I've gotten a lot better over the years but my nails are still pretty short.

The day also started on a fun note because I got to use my new fun iced coffee travel cup!!

How sweet is that?! It's like drinking an iced Starbucks ALL the time!
For more drinking pleasure, I had a green drink for dinner last night. I decided on a late night gym trip so thought this would be light enough for a pre-workout dinner.

• 1 cup Almond Breeze

• 5 frozen strawberries
• 3/4 scoop protein powder
• 4 leaves of Kale!

This one came out so pretty! It was like a beautiful seafoam green.Because I got in a workout last night, my motivation to go tonight rapidly declined once I came home after my manicure and made some dinner.

I cooked up 1/2 cup whole wheat rotini, and in another pan cooked some garlic, onion, and red pepper in a little olive oil
I added some cooked broccoli from the other day, as well as some jarred sauce (this was a quick dinner)This came out delicious, and just what I was craving! I love bulking pasta up with veggies because the serving of rotini was 3/4 cup and I was able to drop that down to 1/2.Once I sat down, I knew I was done for the evening. I had the apartment to myself and needed this alone time SO badly. I caught up on some 90210 episodes I missed from last month, talked on the phone with my friend for like 40minutes and all of a sudden it's 9:30!

My big COMFY bed is calling my name! :)

Don't worry there's no short of activities tomorrow...did you think anything otherwise?

Meeting my friend at 8:15am (!!) at a Starbucks location, then we're off to an appointment at the same rental company I am using so she can pick out her wedding linens!

Then straight from there I am meeting my mom to take her into Boston for Mother's Day tea! I started taking her for tea a couple years ago and now it's become a little tradition.

This year we are going to The Taj Boston for afternoon tea.

Then it's straight off to my cousins 21st Birthday party! Man another long day, but at least its all fun stuff :)

Anyone doing something fun with mom this weekend?

Dinner Notes and Spring Color

Busy work week = no time for anything else. The past two days I've worked 12-hour days and its amazing how much more draining of energy working at a desk for 12 hours is compared to a regular work day + a good workout!! Expending my energy through physical activity is way less exhausting than using my brain...haha!

Must of been perfect timing for the 31-day Yoga Challenge, because at least I know if nothing else I will get in 20min of yoga on these long days.

Last night was my night for staying at Brian's (although I had to miss his soccer game as I was still at work)...but he was cute and left a note on some leftovers that I could eat in the fridge. He made Shrimp scampi the other night and labeled it so:Haha...he used "modified" because he did not have the classic linguini or angel hair pasta usually used...he used rotini! For me, 90% of the time pasta is pasta and I don't care the shape :) (Actually I really don't like Angel Hair...not enough bite to it).It was DELICIOUS!! Garlicky, flavorful, and simple. I also found some frozen green beans to round out my quick dinnerOf course there is usually 1 or 2 things in his apt that I normally do NOT purchase but love to have as a treat when I am here...this time it wasOh yes, that's right, SPRING time Double Stuffed Oreos!!
I had one...And maybe went back for a half of one later :) This reminds me of college...one of my roommates would always by only the colored holiday double stuffed Oreos when they came out, and she would totally hoard them in her room hahah!

Other bright Springy colors from yesterday...

• TJ's Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
• Strawberries, Raspberries, and a couple stray Blueberries!

Sugar Snap Peas!!!! LOVE these! I munched on these crunchy fresh pods with my lunch.

And maybe not springy, but I treated myself to Star Bizzle this morning

Grande Non-Fat Cappuccino with Caramel Drizzle on top...mmm, Caramel!

Well it's still crazy busy here...glad I squeezed this post in!! Happy Thursday!

Blogger Tea Party and Furry Animals

I mean how can that not put a smile on your face!! Yeah, yeah, yeah he saw his shadow (shocking!), and there's 6 more weeks of winter...but did you really think it was going to get warm around here anytime sooner than that!? I'd be ecstatic with 6 weeks until spring! I love littler furry animal...they are freaking adorable!

Ok, back to the topic at hand...Tea! I was lucky enough to be invited to a media/blogger event at a Starbucks location in Boston this past Saturday. I was actually quite nervous as this blog is definitely more of a hobby/interest of mine and I am by no means a professional media person. Not to mention I still haven't shared my blog with my friends or family...I know I know... my fiance, roommate, and mom know I have it but I still have been reluctant to show it to them. I'm sure I will soon.

I finally met some other awesome bloggers!!

Well I arrived a few minutes early and knew I was at the right place when I saw this...On a table with ALL of this...
And this...My only regret was eating a big bowl of cereal after Hot Yoga class that morning...I wish I had saved my sweet tooth!!

I have seen these Tea Lattes on the menu for a few weeks and have been very curious to try them, but always had that fear that I wouldn't like it and then wished I had ordered something else. Although that seems silly since I really love tea.

The "tea tasting" was presented my Starbucks specialist Missy! She has been a manager for 10 years at the Starbucks in the Westin Copley hotel...hmmm career change maybe? ;)

And so it began...
#1 - Black Tea Latte
paired with either the Apple Bran Muffin or the Lemon Loaf
"Full leaf black teas sourced from the premier growing regions of northern India. Sweetened with classic syrup and topped with steamed milk and velvety foam."

This was delicious! If I ever do add milk to tea it's always with black tea...it's classic. This brought it to a new level though, because the tea is steeped in water (about half the cup), then frothy creamy steamed milk tops it off. The recipe calls for the addition of classic syrup...if you like to add sugar or other sweeteners to your tea this would be great...I, however, do not. I love to really taste the tea flavor, and I would order mine without any sweetener...and I did do just that at the end when we were able to get any of these tea drinks to go!

This was also the first time for me to try many of the sweet treats!! I LOVE sampled :)

The Apple Bran muffin was one of the best Bran muffins I've had...moist, flavorful, and at 310 calories and 7 grams of fiber it's a great choice for a muffin on the go!

The Lemon Loaf, however, was out of this world amazing! I guess I'm very partial to lemon-y things, but it was sweet and tart and refreshing and moist....mmm. However, this was definitely more on the "indulgent" side as a whole slice has 470 calories!
** I only had 1 or 2 bites of everything as I didn't want to get completely sick feeling...although that pretty much happened by the end. I split many of the treats with my table neighbor Pam!

#2 - London Fog Tea Latte paired with Petite Vanilla Bean Scone and Raspberry Scone
"Full leaf black tea with citrusy Italian Bergamot and a hint of lavender. Sweetened with vanilla syrup and topped with steamed milk and velvety foam."

I wouldn't exactly call it a hint of Lavender...it's much more prominent, but with an Earl Grey I think it's very fitting and very delicious! If you love the floraly tastes and aromas of Earl Grey teas you will love this...if you don't then you may really dislike it. It's a very strong tea, and although the milk and vanilla syrup makes it more mellow, it's hard to ignore the tea flavor. I really like Earl Greys and may order this tea plain with just hot water.

The Petite Vanilla Scone (on the right) was the "healthier" option merely because its pint sized...don't be fooled it's still a sweet scone.
I'd much rather have a small piece of one of the Raspberry Scones (on the left)! The Raspberry scones were much more classic (i.e. not overly sweet), with fruit raspberries scattered throughout. I went back for more on this one!
#3 - Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte
paired with the Petite Vanilla Scone again or the Red Velvet Cupcake!

"Full leaf African rooibos tea(naturally caffeine free), also known as red tea, paired with Tahitian vanilla and cinnamon. Sweetened with classic syrup and topped with steamed milk and velvety foam."

Missy said she recommends this to people who ask for a decaf version of a Chai Latte. It's definitely not a spiced as Chai, but it has a delicious subtle spice...and mellowed by the steamed milk. She also said that you can your friends it's pronounced "ROY-BUS" :)

The name may cause you to think Vanilla Syrup is added, but actually the vanilla is part of the tea infusion and classic syrup is added. I REALLY liked this one and would order it with no sweetener as I bet the vanilla would give the tea a natural sweet aroma. Although I think this particular tea would work the best as a sweetened latte because of the cinnamon and vanilla notes in the tea.

I found no picture of this sample in my camera...probably because I was more enamored with this:

Oh yeah! Too bad I was verging on sugar overload at this time and couldnt thoroughly enjoy it...but I always have room for delicious cake and icing!!

#4 - Berry Chai Tazo Tea Infusion
paired with the Low Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake

"Combines Chai Tea concentrate with a proprietary blend of aronia berry (tart berry similar to cranberry) and black currant (dark colored berry with a sharp, sweet taste) juice."
I think one of my fellow tasters put it best when he said this reminded him of mulled wine! The berry juice base is very STRONG, and combined with the spicy chai as a hot drink makes me feel like I should be sitting next to the Christmas Tree! It was good for a taste, but I definitely wouldn't be able to drink a whole cup of this. This would really warm you up on a cold day though.

So...I don't have a pic of the coffee cake so I grabbed one from google images:
Moist and delicious...classic coffee cake batter meets blueberry muffin...mmmm.

#5 - Apple Chai Tazo Tea Infusion
paired with Low Fat Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Apple Fritter!!

"Combines Chai Tea concentrate with apple juice to create a spicy sweet beverage."

MMMmmmm...this brought me back to memories of apple picking and drinking hot cider with munching on a cider donut. Delicious!! I had actually tried this before; Brian ordered it a week or so ago...I suggested it because he loves Chai and Apple anything! I was also curious because I have tried a similar drink at TeaLuxe called Apple Chaider (basically chai steeped in cider). This was SO SO SO good! Especially with the little piece of fritter...basically like a glazed apple donut :)Brian has also ordered that fritter before...this is SUCH his combo! I have a feeling I will be asking for this a lot in the fall!

Other Tea Facts/Notes:

• These drinks are all customizable... sweetened, unsweetened, whole, 2%, or skim, more or less milk/water ratio...pretty much anything you may do with your espresso drinks.
• The teas used in these new lattes are Full Leaf teas...not the normal tea bags...they are bigger tea bags with the full tea leaves for a much fuller flavor.
  
• They are a great alternative to an afternoon decaf coffee drink
• My mom and fiance will be very exciter as both HATE coffee! (so weird :)
• You can get any of these iced!! Although I think Missy said that the Rooibos will take a little longer as there is no pre-made iced version but if you have an extra 5 minutes it's no problem!

Try a Starbucks Tea Latte!!