My newest obessesion.....fruit.....

There aren't many things that can get me excited like a new local market. Lately I have been OBSESSED with exotic fruit. Living in New England in the dead of winter it's hard to find anything beyond apples, flavorless berries and cheap grapes. I have been on the hunt for Cherimoya, Mangosteen, Limonstello and Bread Fruit. So there is no other place in the Boston Area to find such things other than..... Russo's in Watertown.

This market has been here for decades but I have never made time to adventure down there. It's been on wish list though. Hands down this is one of the best fruit and vegetable markets in the Boston Area for unique and interesting items. It's perpetually summer in here with wide variety...sun chokes people...sun chokes.... (*here's where I get REALLY geeky with food)

It was an anxiety induced mad house in there (controlled chaos) so the next time we go it will be on an "off time" because it was more of mad dash to get in and get out as soon as possible then it was to leisurely walk around but still a VERY successful trip. 

We scored the elusive Cherimoya (it's the texture of custard but the flavor of apple, pear and pineapple. If you scoop out the insides and put it in the freezer it tastes like a fruity ice cream), Guava, prickly pear (this isn't too hard to find but wanted to get one because it was so cheap and I was on some sort of exotic fruit high), very SWEET italian grapes (I forget the name), Pineapple Quince (no idea, need to google this more), some meyer lemons and an Oroblanco (sort of like a sweeter white grape fruit). Hands down the most expensive thing was the Cherimoya but all told only $20 for everything. I am in love with it all. 

My goal this week was to try a new fruit or vegetable and people...mission accomplished!!!! Beyond accomplished. 

And to top it off....I learned how to make REALLY good Korean Bibimbap. 

BOOM!!!!!

The key is finding those stone korean hot pots, season them with sesame oil and get them SMOKIN hot. 

 I normally wouldn't gloat about these kinds of things but it was three weeks in the making so any one who wants to come to our little love shack I would be HAPPY to bless you with the new gift I have that is making Bibimbap! Plus after spending $50 on these pots I want to get some use out of them!!!

How was your weekends?? Tell me all! That's all that's going on in my little life. I am off to watch Alex eat two boxes of girl scout cookies (he bought them last night WHILE WE WERE LEAVING A BAR....sneaking girl scouts...Very sneaky!) And when I dare question him about this purchase he goes, "We are giving back to the community!" UH?! So now I am watching the cookie crumbs fly and about to judge celebrities on the red carpet from the comforts of our house in my pjs! Happy Sunday Peeps!

New Year and a New Subscription Box.....

Hello Friends...I am your Vitameatavegamin Girl! Are you tired, run-down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? The answer to all of your problems is in this little bottle. Vitameatvegamin. Yes, Vitameatvegamin contains Vitamins, Meat, Vegetables and Minerals. Yes, with Vitameatavegamin, you can spoon your way to health. All you do is a take a great big tablespoonful after every meal. Mmmmmmmm......It's so tasty too! Taste just like candy! So why don't you join all of the thousands of happy peppy people and get a greta big bottle of Vitameatavegamin tomorrow! That's Vita-meata-vegamin! (wink) *I LOVE, I love Lucy!!

So yet again I am trying out a new subscription box. This time though they contacted me to review their box for three months and blog to you folks about it. It's called Bulu Box. It's a health food, weight loss and general health box.

Every month they send you either the "weight loss box" or the "regular bulu box" which is still healthy themed but not necessarily just about weight loss. My first box wasn't a typical monthly box but one for me to review and share with all of you.

The box was nicely packaged and came with a card which described everything in the box, how much a full size version of each product would cost and how many servings are in the full size version. (so you can get your money's worth)

This box had a few things that I actually was excited to try...

- The smarty pants gummies, I have actually had before, It's the adult gummy vitamins. They taste great and give you a whole array of fabulous vitamins, minerals and oils. I don't think I would buy a full size bottle of these because I don't mind taking vitamins but for someone who did this is a great option because they are a multi vitamin that also has Omega 3's and Vitamin D. 

- Rootology Nasal Health, I received two samples of this which couldn't have come at a better time. I am on the tail end of a nasty cold and plan on taking these right away to see if I can get some extra relief. It's suppose to help with seasonal allergies too which I get pretty bad so again if it helps and it's cheaper than an allergy pill why not give it a shot. It's all natural herbs and vitamins to help combat my sneezing, sniffles and everything else...I am in!

- Slimming Smoothie in Chocolate Truffle - 110 Calories, GMO free, No Gluten and made with Stevia....it works out to being about 2 WW points per smoothie and has 26 grams of GMO free soy protein. I have NO clue how this could taste but if it taste good and keeps me full throughout the morning it would be a total keeper for breakfast or afternoon snacks! I will keep you posted on this.

There was also a protein pancake mix which makes about 8 pancakes in the box. I am not a huge fan of pancakes but Alex is so we might try this out next weekend in the morning. It's not super low cal but I like that it's GMO free and has Quinoa flour to help increase the protein in the pancake. I will keep you posted on how these puppies taste. 

The last thing in the box was some kind of chocolate gummy vitamin thing...it was NASTY...I chewed it for about 10 seconds and spit it out. Not worth my time or taste buds. 

Anyway everything in the box was only samples but sometimes I would rather get a sample to see if I like the product first then a full size version. Either way I am not disappointed in this box and excited to see what the January boxes are! 

If you want to join me in this adventure here's a coupon code (just copy the code and click on it to send you to the site) for 50% off your first box or first subscription (3, 6 or 12 months), BULUGAN880.. Let me know what you think!!!! More reviews to come! (wink)

Snow...Snow...Snow and more Snow

Why did I leave San Diego again?!?! It's 3 degrees outside and still snowing. I am FINALLY feeling better. Still taking dayquil (which makes me feel woozy all day long) but I don't have tissues permanently shoved up my nose so I look at that as a true improvement. I have some serious cabin fever right now. I am debating in a few hours to go to the local Marshalls to just get out of the house and walk around some place.

Last night when Alex finally got home from work I literally bombarded him with words. I am a people person...I NEED to talk all day long. Since I was so isolated because of this god damn snow storm he was the first person I had spoken to all day long. Poor Alex.

Since we both knew we weren't going any where last night we decided to make the most of it and break out a game that two people could play....Hello JENGA!

We had some serious rounds of Jenga and then decided to go back to Son's of Anarchy. We are at the end of season 4 and it's getting REALLY good. Alex wants to get a HOG and join a bike gang. I am going to draw the line if he starts calling me his "old lady". 

In other news Alex made some REALLY good low cal chocolate chip cookies on New Years Day. Yesterday I was home making lunch and saw the two tuppies filled with cookies. I said to myself, "Self...don't eat a cookie before lunch...you can have one after lunch...don't do it..." 

I didn't listen to myself and reached right in, grabbed a cookie, took a bite and then guilt took over so I put it back. I said I would finish the cookie after lunch. Well I am not going to lie to you the 6 year old in me took over and I did eat two cookies after lunch but I decided to take two NEW cookies for a snack after lunch rather than the one I bit BECAUSE I wanted two of the bigger cookies. Holy shit I have issues. 

Alex finishes dinner and goes for two cookies,

 he goes, "Honey..." 

Me "Yes dear?"

A "Why is there a bite taken out of a cookie here?"

Me "Oh....ummmmm....ahhhhhhhh.......welllllllll" 

A (cuts me off from digging my own grave on this one) "I see" 

He walks over to the living room (which happens to be our kitchen and dining room space too (oh condo living) with a couple of cookies. I look at his cookies and say, "Oh did you take the cookie?" Alex says, "No, I left that for you".....

I have decided to eat around this cookie until it is the last one left. God I need to get out of this house!!!!!!

Saying Good Bye to 2013 and Hello to 2014!

Well here we are all again....about to say good bye to another year together and hello to a fresh start and new promises to one another whatever those may be. Some of you may or may not know this about me but I ALWAYS make a list at the beginning of the year of things I would like to accomplish through the year but that's not what this post is about.

I am sick...I am sick with a bad cold sick that Alex has kindly given me. Not that I blame him at all here people. I 100% saw this coming last week but there is not many worse things I can think of then to have a week off from work and happen to be sick the whole time. The only good thing is now I have an excuse to lay around, watch as much tv as I can, online shop and nap on and off all day long. Really when you put it like that it doesn't sound all that bad.

Last night to ring in the new year I made us some veggie pho...it was AMAZING! I have no idea why I don't do this more often.

 I called Alex on his way home and said, "What do you feel like for dinner"

A "Ummmm...oh I don't care. Whatever."

Me "Are you sure? There is nothing you want?"

A "Nope."

So veggie pho it is! He walked in and when I told him what we were having it was like someone ran over his puppy. And then when I said the leftovers were for lunch the next day it was like the same person backed right over said puppy again. He ate it and then chased this healthy meal with a captain and diet coke with a large bowl of chocolate.

We did the count down till 8pm....

said cheers with some sparkling apple cider and both asleep by 9:30pm. Honestly as much as I would have loved to gone out and see some great friends it was almost a blessing in disuguise to have me sick so we could have an excuse to stay home and do nothing together. I always feel like New Years Eve (among many holidays) puts such pressure people to go out and live like there's no tomorrow. After bartending for 12 years I saw too many people trying to accomplish this and decided that I didn't need to be that person. I would rather chew broken glass then pay a cover for a bar that you would normally walk in, get a seat and drink without a problem or it costing $65 for the fun memory of having some puke on you.

Enough of that so this morning we woke up to the heat in our house being broken. SO SAD! Tomorrow we are suppose to get about a foot of snow here in the Boston area and we are without heat. The high on Friday....15. YEP 15! Oh people it's time to get cozy! We called the heating guy (we got a guy!) and they are going to try and come by tomorrow which I am sure will cost a pretty penny but for now we are bundling up and I told Alex to bake something in the oven, HOPING that will add some extra heat into the mix.

Don't feel too bad for us. I usually keep our house heated to 70 or 71 in the winter. If I can't live in San Diego god dammit my house will feel like. Right now it's a ripe 65 and I am bundled up on the couch. I am about to put on another sweater shirt, thicker socks and another blanket. Alex is loving it. He's trying to make the perfect bloody mary and watching hockey on tv. Oh man!

Well much more to come about our holidays but for now I bid you all a very happy new years and cheers to a fabulous year ahead!

xoxox

My obsession with subscription boxes continues......

I have been meaning to write about this company but other things just keep coming up. So here I am, sitting home on Saturday night with the Christmas lights on, cup of tea and the snow is coming down!

When I was a kid the big thing was to sign up for those music clubs (BMG I think it was called) and get the free cassette tapes (and then after a few years) or cd's in the mail. When you signed up they would let you pick (I think) 10 different albums and send them to you in the mail. After that you had to buy (again just guessing here) 5 or 6 more for a like $20 a tape over the course of a year. Could've been less but when your income is only $10 a week for an allowance that you are doing next to nothing for every penny counts. So there was NO way I was going to actually buy the tapes but god dammit I wanted the new Pearl Jam album and NOTHING was going to stop me from getting it.

I must have signed up for every club to get as many free tapes that I could. Once I maxed out the companies with my name I then signed my little brother up for it (he was 7), the family dog and ANYONE I could think of (dead or alive) because what I realized was that there was no limit to the household address, just the name of the person. Awwww to be 10 and thinking I have figured it all out! What I didn't realize was there was a little thing called "collection agencies". Needless to say my poor parents had to have MANY phone conversations to these companies explaining that Jake Eross is the family dog who DOES NOT have thumbs and CAN NOT sign up for these services. (My poor poor parents)

But this is where I think my obsession with getting fun things in the mail started....so glossy box. I am OBSESSED with glossy box. I think I like these monthly subscription boxes so much for two reasons, it's like opening a present when they come (who doesn't love that) and what girl doesn't love to play with new beauty products! I think it's the adult version of going into your mom's bathroom and smearing red lipstick and blue eye shadow all over your face. The little girl in you just squeals with joy!

Glossy box is a monthly service that hand selects higher end beauty products and ships them in a BEAUTIFULLY package themed boxes.

I decided to sign up for the year and with that I also got the holiday bonus box for free (see above). The service is $18 a month when you sign up for the year and they give you about $50 or so in deluxe samples and full size beauty products each month.

The holiday box had $150 worth of full sized beauty products in it. Which range from body wash to clay masks to fun nail polish.

Each box usually has about 5 to 6 items it and range from makeup, skin care to hair products. So far out of the two boxes I have received so far 3 out of the 5 products were organic. I think one of the things I love about these boxes is it really feels like I am opening a present each month because it is so beautifully packaged.

This box had a body scrub, clay mask, body wash, some make up that made you look "dewy"(when you put it on it almost brightens your skin), a lip gloss (bright red) and bright red lip pencil. I don't wear a lot of make up any more but I like the deluxe sample sizes because I have a hard time using up the normal sized beauty products. I end up throwing things away after a year or so and this way I can try a bunch of new things without committing to a large size. Who doesn't like variety!?

Each box comes with a beauty card explaining each product and the value which for me is good because half this stuff I have no idea what to do with. And the things I can't use or already have something similar I am putting aside and sending friends and family so it's a win win for all. 

If anyone does decide to do this let me know. I can send you a promo code for the holiday box (i think it makes it 30% off). 

Hope you are all having a fabulous cozy evening! 

HAPPY BETHMAS TO ALL!!!!!

What is Bethmas you ask?! It's the day I graced this world with my presence and because my birthday is 12 days before Christmas (I am the partridge in the pear tree or in this case more like a hippo hanging on to a maple leaf...I've gained a few lbs)

 I have renamed my birthday, Bethmas! I know it sounds a little self absorbed but it's not. If you feel this way it's because you are only jealous that a. you didn't think of this first for your own special day and b. your name doesn't rhyme as well as mine with a near by holiday. Is it a national holiday?! No but it should be....I try to take it off work every year. So I say to you, HAPPY BETHMAS TO ALL!!!!!

Enough about me (more to come the closer we get....It's Friday, the 13th you still have time to finish your Bethmas shopping!) Dinner tonight was OUTSTANDING.....make it and let me know what you think. 

Chickpea Cranberry Pecan Salad Sandwiches 

*the pictures I took are HORRIBLE because I was so hungry after work I didn't take the take to take a good picture but trust me it was EXCELLENT and so easy to make! For a 1/3 of the bowl it was 7 WW points (if you are counting) but I think I could have made 4 portions out of this. 

Here's what you need:

3 stalks of celery (if they are bigger use two), chopped up

1/4 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas

2 scallions (green onions), chopped up

Salt 

Pepper

1 TBSP of vegan mayo, tahini or regular mayo

2 TBSP of a good Vinegar (I used Trader Joes Orange Champagne Vinegar, if you can't find that I would use Apple Cider)

You can put this on chickpea salad on bread, in a pita, over greens...whatever tickles your fancy....

Toss the chickpeas in a bowl and smashed the with a potato masher. (Yep) Then toss in the celery, scallions, nuts and cranberries....toss it around. 

In a different bowl put the mayo (or whatever you would like to use), Vinegar, Salt and Pepper....wisk (or mix with a spoon) until it all comes together. 

Mix the "dressing" with the chickpea bowl and there you have it!

DONE!

It was DELISH!

*I told you, it's not the greatest picture but it was DAMN good! 

One of Alex's talents that some of you may or may not know is he LOVES to bake. For everyone's birthday he ALWAYS asks what they would like as their special dessert. Most years I say nothing but a cupcake because I am always watching my weight. Well I said to hell with that and picked out a tricky dessert. He stayed up until about midnight this morning making it for me (HOW SWEET IS HE)...drumroll please.......

Mini Sea Salt Chocolate Caramel Tarts!!!!! 

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to dive into one of this bad boys. It is taking every ounce of me not to eat one right now. The dessert blog I found these on is hands down what I would consider dessert porn. It is rich, beautifully done, creative and I gain weight just looking at them. 

On that note I will leave you with one other very good deed our Alex did this week. It's cold, VERY cold up here in the Boston Area. Alex isn't one of those guys who thinks to buy me flowers often. (I think in the 6 years we have been together he's done it 4 or 5 times total) but I can tell you what's better than flowers..... this.....

He will, without question, get out of a cozy, toasty warm car and pump my gas on a FREEZING cold night after dinner and drinks. He is the best!

So with that Happy Happy Bethmas to all of you! On Friday evening raise your glass and send me some good cheers because I would give it all to be with all of you in a room sharing some laughs and making some memories! xoxo

The words everyone dreads most......

"So I think I MIGHT have figured out what's wrong with the shower!?"

Cut to the last two weeks of our lives.....COLD, ok more like LUKE WARM showers. This would be fine in let's say July but when it's 20 degrees outside, dark and you have to motivate yourself to get up and go to work the LAST thing you want to do is get into a luke warm shower. This is just like dreaming about the last of vanilla ice cream in the freezer and diet root beer in the fridge that you have been saving for that rough day mid week (YEP I eat my stress). And all you want to do is make a root beer float after dinner only to find that someone drank said root beer with their lunch and ate the last of the ice cream at his 1am late night snack attack the night before while crushing episode after episode of Always Sunny in Philadelphia. (I am still upset about this one...Bitter table for one!)

Ok maybe not that bad but the luke the warm shower is pretty bad. I must have finally whined enough  because this morning Alex woke up early and started "fixing" the shower after I left for work. He calls me tonight on my way home and goes, "So I think I might have figured out what's wrong with the shower?!"

Me, "Wow! Really that's great! What's the problem"

Alex, "Well...blah blah blah blah blah blah (I can't remember what he said because to be honest I was yelling at the car in front of me)......BUT (got my attention) I think I found something!"

Me, "What?!"

Mr. Fix It "A SMALL leak!"

Me, "Uh?! In the shower!?"

Bob Vila Jr "And I think I may have made it worse....."

Me, "Uh...."

Bob Vila Jr "BUT I am going to stop by Home Depot on my way home and don't worry I will have it fixed before morning!!"

Me, "Ok, great!"

I hang up the phone and the first thing I think....Shit I am 100% going to have to go to the gym in the morning and even better...going to have to take a shower there!

How did this end you ask?! Well as of right now the shower is running....hot water is coming out and that's good enough for me! 

In other news from this past week...... Got the band back together and realized we can not play Rock Band at all....nor should anyone be subjected to it in public....

Made this little guy over the weekend....Alex named him Olly

And amazon.com STRIKES again! I thought I was ordering a small bag of stuffing for little projects like the one above and ended up getting this instead....

Say it with me people.... "HOLY SHIT BALLS!"