Mia in… Houston
While in Texas for work this week, I overhead someone say “Texans don’t care where you eat, it’s how much you’re eating!” and instantly knew there might not be much ambiance in the Houston area. Luckily, an editor I was meeting with suggested one of the most charming little coffee shops in all of Texas, Tiny Boxwoods Cafe.
From huge mugs of delicious lattes and espressos to homemade cookies and healthy sandwiches, this darling cafe was definitely a hidden gem I was happy to have been introduced to!
Warm up with Lentil Soup
It’s still hard to believe that last month there was snow in EVERY state except for Florida! As snow days are becoming a component of daily life, they are the perfect opportunity to cook a hearty, health meal at home. My friend Steph and I made this delicious Lentil Soup last week. The picture doesn’t do it justice and looks like a mash of random things, but in reality it is chocked full of delicious veggies. Check out the recipe below!
Prep:
In a large saucepan heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté squash, stirring occasionally, until golden. Transfer squash to a bowl. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan and cook onion, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Reduce heat to moderate. Stir in garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add lentils, water, and broth and simmer 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Add squash and remaining ingredients except pepper and simmer 3 minutes. Season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
(pole) Dancing For Cardio
Having been a ballet dancer for the majority of my life, I am fully aware of the effects that leaping, piroutte-ing and pique-turning has on your heart rate. However, i never would have expected pole dancing to be as strenuous!
Saturday night, a group of girls gathered together for a private pole dancing class to celebrate my friend’s birthday. It was held at Shockra Studios which conviniently was located 2 blocks from my apt in Gramercy on 28th and Lexington. The cute studio was dimly lit and had 8 poles with plenty of space to shimmy and shake without knocking into your neighbor. At only $28 a person, it was cheaper than a lot of other fitness classes in NYC!
You can’t tell by this picture, but the class was HARD! We were all sweating by the end, and I couldn’t move my arms for the next few days after pulling myself up on the pole. Not to mention sore legs from twirling down! And although I was I could have accomplished this “feet”, the shoes are only for show and I did not wear them during the class ;)
Park Avenue Blooms In February
Despite the massive amounts of snow, there are still some flowers blooming on Park Avenue! Artist Will Ryman is working with the Paul Kasmin Gallery and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation to “plant” huge flowers on the streets of Manhattan. Ranging from 3 feet to 25 feet in height, nearly 40 flowers will be installed, as well as scattered petals along the sidewalks as well. The exhibit, entitled “Roses by Will Ryman” will juxtapose the strength of nature with the strength of the city’s concrete and steel. 
Feng Sui… your desk
I’ve always been interested in feng sui-ing my apartment, but it has seemed like such a hassle to reorganize a place that I spend so little time in. I recently read an article in Whole Living that taught you how to Feng Sui your desk. What a great idea! Considering I sit here for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, I would like to make my area as calming as possible.
In the article, Feng Sui expert Jayme Barrett describes how to reorganize your desk space. Here is a diagram of how your desk should be organized:
You can read more details here. I did this to my desk last week and love it already!
Snow bunnies!
This Saturday, my roommate and I went with the ski group Urban Sherpa to Hunter Mountain. What a great way to escape the city and actually take advantage of the tremendous amount of snow we have gotten this year!
I highly recomend traveling with Urban Sherpa. We paid $120 each which included round trip transportation, an all day ski pass, and rentals. The mountain was perfect for us- tons of beginner and intermediate trails, a well-rounded food court and huge bar where we ordered apres ski drinks (spiced hot cider? YUM!) We are already planning on going back in February.
PURE food (and wine)
Thanks to a Groupon special, I finally got a chance to try the unique raw foodie restaurant right down the street from my apartment, Pure Food and Wine. Famous for turning typically glutinous dishes into raw and pure versions, I had been dieing to see if the food would actually taste as good as their unhealthy conterparts.
The verdict? Well the food was definitely different (and expensive) but worth the experience. I got raw Spanikopita, which utilized greek yogurt instead of cheese and crackers instead of the typical crust. A side of juicy green grapes were certainly a fresh surprise! My friend got raw Pad Thai, which was comprised of Kelp Noodles instead of the typically carb-filled noodle.
Oh and I can’t forget to note the amazing drinks, ranging from organic wine and sangria to fresh mojito’s blended with fresh fruits!
a REVolution for PIzza
Pizza is one of my favorite guilty (and drunk) pleasures, so when I found out a new healthy pizza parlor was opening up in M Hill I was overjoyed. Rev’d Up Pi claims that each slice has less than 170 calories and is baked utilizing only healthy and natural ingredients.
There tons of pizzas to choose from, such as the “Mermaid Pi” topped with Shrimp and Scallops and the Vegan-friendly “Lean and Green”. Each kind comes in three sizes: slice, personal pizza or large pizza. The menu also includes salads, healthy calzones, and homestyle dinners such as eggplant parm.
I was boring and got the low-fat cheese and tomato sauce “3.14 Pi”, but it was DELICIOUS! Who knew there could be such science behind PIZZA?
Rev’d Up Pi is located at 31st St and 3rd Ave.
ABstract EXpressionism NYC
I’m going to start this post off by saying that the new ABstract EXpressionism exhibit at the MoMA is one of the best I have ever seen. There are many reasons why abstract expressionism is one of my favorite types of art- the fact that the painters are from NYC, the vibrant colors, mythical and yet somtimes politcal subject matters, and its direct influence on grafitti and street art. Here are some of my favorite paintings, but you will have to check out the exhibit yourself to see everything else!
Here is one of my favorite paintings in the exhibit, “She-Wolf” by Jackson Pollack:
There were also many of Pollack’s “drip paintings”, which I appreciate but aren’t necessarily my favorite:
I also LOVE this de Kooning, one of my other favorite painters:
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