windshield diaries

Goodbye Miss Albany

2012-02-13T04:53:00.000-05:00

Our beloved Miss Albany Diner closed for business on Friday February 10, ans we didn't get a chance to make it back one last time. The owners sold the building because they wanted to retire from running the diner, but they kept the rights to the name and the recipes, so unless they decide to open up somewhere else, it's gone for good. And even if they did open somewhere else, it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't in that old diner car on Broadway. We hadn't had a chance to go back in a while, I guess we kind of figured it would always be there. We were wrong. Congratulations, Jack's. You're now number one in our books.

(read our post reviewing the Miss Albany diner here)

(read the New York Times article about the closing of Miss Albany here)

suggestions

2012-02-10T04:52:00.000-05:00

1. xoxo cushion cover

2. xoxo hand stamped spoon

3. xoxo trinket bowl

4. xoxo men's leather bracelet

5. xoxo manatee valentine card

6. xoxo vintage letterpress necklace

letters

2012-02-09T04:41:00.000-05:00

Dear Siesta Key Beach,

I'm counting down the days until we will be walking down you again!

Dear Emmett,

Can you please, please, PLEASE learn to be more civil with the cats? They can't take the rough way you like to play with other dogs. They are delicate and temperamental. Be nice, please.

Dear Animal Products,

I ain't missing you at all.

Crazy Sexy Cleanse Week 1

2012-02-08T05:13:00.000-05:00

Day 1 - Feb 1

The day started with a warm glass of water with a dash of cayenne and a squeeze of lemon followed by a pint of Green Juice. I used the Crazy Sexy recipe instead of the recipe we used for our previous juice fast, and I must say this recipe is much more palatable. The one part of this cleanse I was not looking forward to was the Green Juice every morning, but now I don't mind it at all! Lunch was a delicious spinach, avocado and tofu "egg(less) salad" bowl. In the afternoon I snacked on a pear with some almond butter. Dinner was a mix of raw veggies in a almond butter based thai sauce that I made in the blender. For an evening snack I had some fresh strawberries and a one inch square of 72% cacao dark chocolate. Throughout the day I sipped green tea with cinnamon, almond milk, and a touch of agave. Not bad, right? I found that at the end of the day I still had a ton of energy, where as I am usually ready to drop dead by 11pm. Day one completed, and I'm still psyched for the next 20 days (and beyond!)

Day 2 - Feb 2

Again had the cayenne/lemon water and green juice in the morning. By 10:30 I was fairly hungry, though it is suggested not to eat until after noon, so I sipped on green tea all morning. Being at work and smelling the bagels my co-workers were toasting and enjoying was a bit difficult, but I'm committed! Also, today was community lunch day at work where we all eat a catered lunch together at a round table. I had lots of questions to field as to why I was eating raw veggies and quinoa instead of the delicious smelling mexican food. I found that I didn't even crave the Mexican and was MORE than happy with my delicious home made lunch! Day 2 was also the day that Emmett got neutered, so I left work a little early to pick him up. By the time I got home around 5:30 I was starving because I had skipped an afternoon snack. My dinner of spinach, avocado, and tofu "egg(less)" salad hit the spot. I rounded out the night with some green tea and a snack of a sliced pear and almond butter. So far, so good!

Day 3 - Feb 3

Reflecting a lot on some of the negative feedback I've been getting for doing this cleanse. Most people are supportive and I'm really starting to believe that those who are not supportive may just be ignorant and closed minded. I'm still holding strong and loving it! However, I did have a dream last night that I ate a piece of toast with butter, and I woke up so upset with myself for ruining the cleanse. Then I realized that it was just a dream!

Day 4 - Feb 4

Still going strong and feeling great! In Kris Carr's book, Crazy Sexy Diet, where this cleanse is outlined, she offers supportive affirmations for each day. Today's affirmations are all about dealing with the naysayers and the judgement of others. I have to say, her words of encouragement on this topic came at the best time. I'm not doing this to make anyone else happy. This is for me. If you have an opinion of the choices I've made, you can keep them to yourself. I don't need them.

Day 5 - Feb 5

Sunday mornings are usually my time to weigh in for the week. I toyed with the idea of holding off until completing an entire week of the cleanse, but curiosity got the best of me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that weight loss was indeed one of the many health benefits of this cleanse. I lost 2 pounds in the first 4 days, not bad! Now I have to muster up the will to go to the grocery store on super bowl Sunday so that I can prep my lunches and dinners for the week!

Day 6 - Feb 6

Getting into the routine of this! Bought a bunch of Lara Bars to try - vegan, gluten free, raw, and delicious! The only thing I still crave daily 6 days in: frozen yogurt!

Day 7 - Feb 7

The TRUE test of will. Today was an office birthday. And the office catered lunch. I happily munched on my spinach and egg-less salad while all of my co workers enjoyed macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie, cookies, brownies, and eventually birthday cake. I was expecting the desserts to be the hardest thing to turn an eye too, but honestly, I didn't even really want any. I was craving the Blueberry Pie Larabar that was waiting in my purse for a mid afternoon snack. This is a MAJOR deal. Usually sweets, and especially chocolate, are impossible for me to resist. Go cleanse!!

Mock Egg Salad

2012-02-07T04:57:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite cleanse-friendly recipes so far. I like it so much that I've been eating it for lunch every day!

Crumble two blocks of tofu in a large mixing bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients, and dig in with your bare hands to mix it together. I haven't had this much fun cooking since I was a little kid.

This recipe makes SIX servings!!

You can spread on some Ezekiel bread, but I prefer to eat mine with a couple handfuls of spinach and a sliced avocado.

I also mix well before eating, to get all flavors combined nicely for each bite!

Tofu Eggless Salad

2 blocks of firm tofu

1 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/3 cup parsley

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

#janphotoaday

2012-02-06T04:49:00.000-05:00

suggestions

2012-02-03T04:56:00.000-05:00

1. Vintage Zodiac Aquarius Ring

2. Aquarius Necklace

3. Aquarius Brass Constellation Bracelet

4. Aquarius ultra fine cashmere silk yarn

5. Aquarius Birch Pitcher and Basin

6. Vintage 70s Aquarius patch stitched to a trucker hat

Letters

2012-02-02T05:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Self,

So you've reached Day Two of the cleanse. You're doing great, don't give up! Please remember that the choices you are making right now are helping you to be stronger and healthier. You are going to feel so much better when you make it through this month a healthier person!

Dear Emmett,

Today you are un-becoming a man. Sorry, dude.

Dear Friends,

I am so excited to see you all on our road trip, I don't think that I can wait until April gets here!

Crazy Sexy Cleanse

2012-02-01T05:09:00.001-05:00

Today is February 1, also known as Day 1 of my 21 Crazy Sexy Cleanse. As you may know, M and I tried a juice fast about a month ago and lasted 48 hours. After posting about this juice fast, a few people recommend I check out Kris Carr's story. I was so inspired that I bought the book, Crazy Sexy Diet right away and read it cover to cover in a matter of days, resolved to change the way I look at food and how I eat for good.

While reading this book, I also watched a documentary on Netflix called The Beautiful Truth that was even more eye opening. If you know anyone struggling with Cancer, Diabetes, or another chronic disease, I highly recommend that you watch this documentary with them. I'll admit that the narration can be a bit ...hard to take at times. But all of the information you can get from this film makes it worth enduring. Some people dismiss this film as "quackery," but on the heels of reading about Kris Carr, the ideas in this film make perfect sense to me.

Adopting these diets may not be for everyone, and obviously I'm not a trained medical professional, but I do believe that eating a more plant based diet and incorporating juicing is the key to my own personal health.

So.

Today is Day One of my 21 day vegan, gluten free, Crazy Sexy Cleanse. I can't wait to share my experience with you all. It's going to be quite a month!

Crazy Sexy Chocomole

2012-01-31T04:54:00.000-05:00

Attention Banana "soft serve" lovers: I have a new guilt free dessert recipe for you! Stay with me here, because I know that you are already thinking that this is INSANE.

Throw all of your ingredients in the blender, along with 1/2 cup of water, and pulse to a smooth, pudding consistency. You'll probably have to scrape the sides a few times & keep pulsing til it's just right.

The best, healthiest, richest tasting Dark Chocolate Pudding, or Chocomole, you will ever eat.

Throw some fresh strawberries on top, and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Pudding

(aka Chocomole*)

1 ripe Avocado

2 tbsp Agave Nectar (you may want to add more if you like it a bit sweeter)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

4 HEAPING tbsp of Dark Cocoa powder

1/2 cup water

*this recipe was adapted from a recipe you can find in Kris Carr's book Crazy Sexy Diet....more on this to come!

Bottling the Brew

2012-01-30T12:46:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was bottling day! M spent the morning sanitizing everything while I shot some custom print requests for my Etsy shop.

Emmett could tell our attention wouldn't be centered on him for a bit, so he pouted on the couch.

Sanitized bottles all ready to go!

I didn't get any photos of us transferring the beer from the fermenting bucket to the bottling bucket because it was quite the process. But here is what's left behing in the bottom of the fermenting bucket: a thick layer of sludge.

M is testing the alcohol content of the beer with the hydrometer.

Sanitized caps ready to go!

I had the honor of filling 47 bottles.

This was the set up. And yes, I'm in my pajamas. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon.

M was the capper, because I have no upper body strength.

Our batch made 2 cases of beer. It needs to sit in the bottles for 2 more weeks until it's ready to be tasted. Stay tuned!

suggestions

2012-01-27T04:30:00.000-05:00

Let It Snow...

1. Snow Flurries

2. Snow Bunny

3. Winter woodland art

4. Snow Falling On Trees

5. London Snow

6. Winter Trees

letters

2012-01-26T05:05:00.001-05:00

Dear April,

I'm so excited for you to get here already! Please hurry!!

Dear Crazy Sexy Diet,

You are amazing, you make sense. Now I just need to acquire a taste for Green Juice, and we're all set.

Dear Dairy Products,

You make my tummy feel funny. I've known this for years. Yes, I can take a pill to make you more agreeable. Yes, there is nothing more tasty than a glob of melted cheese. I'm sorry, but we're taking a break. It may not be forever, but I think it's in my best interest if it is. It's been fun, but it's over.

#febphotoaday

2012-01-25T05:02:00.002-05:00

I know many of you have already been participating in the #janphotoaday, but are you ready to commit to the entire year? Chantelle at FatMumSlim has unleashed the prompts for February. I'm so happy she's created this! I had been thinking of doing a 366 project this year because it's a leap year, and these prompts will help keep that project from getting stale. In other words, there won't be 366 photos of just Emmett ;)

Are you down? Here's what to do:

1. Using the list as inspiration, take a photo each day.
2. Share it on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #FEBphotoaday. You can also share on your blog or on Facebook ... or even keep the photos privately for yourself.
3. Check out other people's photos and like them or comment on them.

date day: let's get real

2012-01-24T05:10:00.001-05:00

M and I made a "resolution" so to speak of turning our weekly diner breakfast into a day trip. So far this year, we've gone to an out of town diner twice. This week we had planned trip number three, but when that morning rolled around...sleeping until noon seemed more appealing. So off to our local favorite: Jack's.

M will probably kill me for posting this photo, but let's be real: we went out in public like this, so why can't our friends on the internet see it as well. ;)

In the spirit of keeping it real, here's what M was staring at: me without anything done to my hair and no makeup. Scary, right? But real.

Our waitress at Jack's is so awesome. I think she could recite our order to us before we even open our mouths. She asked us here we'd been lately, and had to tell her that we recently moved a few towns over. Her reply, "well, that's not too far!"

After breakfast, we went over to browse the bookstore. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is one of my favorite books. I haven't seen the movie yet because I can't convince M to watch it. Despite being a HUGE Tom Hanks fan, he's iffy on the 9/11 story line.

M was checking out some Maximum Rock n Roll best of 2011 lists, and I spied the cover of MAD Magazine over his shoulder.

What are your real date days like?

Snow Dog

2012-01-23T04:30:00.001-05:00

Emmett definitely enjoys being out in the snow more than I do...

letters

2012-01-19T11:20:00.000-05:00

Dear Winter,

You finally started to show up. Now how about a little snow with the cold temps?

Dear Job,

I love you.

Dear Emmett,

Let's try to focus a little more in your classes instead of playing. This is important stuff you need to learn!

Trouble a-brewin'

2012-01-18T04:02:00.000-05:00

My and I recently brewed our second batch of beer. We made a small batch of IPA a couple of months ago, but because it was our first time, it didn't turn out as well as we had hoped for. We think we got it right this time with round 2!

We picked up a kit for a Robust Porter....and we did a little research and added our own secret ingredients to make it a bit unique. Hopefully this won't effect the final drinkability ;)

We had to gate sad little Emmett out of the kitchen. Hops are very bad for dogs and we couldn't take the chance of him accidentally eating some!

M put the grains into the steeping bag and steeped the water, turning it to wort.

And steeped some more...

Finally after 20 minute of steeping, the wort was ready for the boil.

The wort was boiled for 60 minutes, with additional ingredients being added at different intervals.

Emmett got bored of this project and crashed.

We had a boil over, oops!

After the 60 minute boil, the wort takes an ice bath so that it can be cooled down enough to add the yeast. Then it's placed in a bucket for 2-3 weeks of fermentation.

To be continued...

Blue Benn

2012-01-17T04:31:00.000-05:00

On the recommendation of one of M's co-workers, we took a day trip to Bennington, Vermont on one of the coldest days of the year. Our destination: Blue Benn Diner.

When we pulled up to the front, I realized that I had eaten here with friends about 6 years ago, and remembered it being pretty good.

The two stained glass panels in the front were awesome.

It was a shame we had to enjoy them while waiting for a table on their enclosed front entryway. That wasn't heated. On the coldest day of the year.

Luckily, the wait for a booth ended up being less than 10 minutes, and soon enough we were seated. Though it was still pretty cold inside because of the drafty nature of vintage diner cars.

Each booth has an authentic jukebox, which we loved.

I ordered the huevos rancheros. It was pretty decent, but had a bit too many jalepenos on it for my taste.

M ordered his go-to: eggs benedict. His homefries were undercooked, to the point where he said a few bites had the texture of biting into an apple. And they were bland and unseasoned. He also thought something was off with the hollandaise sauce, that it was a bit too eggy.

We ordered "cinnamon swirl" french toast, and were a bit disappointed when this showed up. It looked like they had taken some Pepperidge Farm cinnamon raisin bread, egged it, and threw it on the grill. I guess we were expecting something more. However, they did offer us REAL Vermont maple syrup, a little cream pitcher full for the small up charge of $1, which we thought was much more reasonable than most local diners charge for the real thing.

The interior reminded us a lot of our beloved Miss Albany Diner, which I guess is why we expected more of this place. We were expecting the same caliber of a more gourmet breakfast, and were presented with just "diner diner" food.

After our disappointing breakfast, we decided to drive around a little bit. We went up to a giant Revolutionary War monument, but because it was so cold outside, we didn't really take much time to enjoy the town like we could have. We'll be back Bennington, but maybe not until June or July!

Dinner with the fam

2012-01-16T04:49:00.001-05:00

My Dad's birthday was late last week, so we got together for a nice family dinner out. Eating out with my family is one of my favorite things. I'm always amazed by all the new things my two year old nephew has learned since the last time I saw him. Of course he wondered why Emmett wasn't eating dinner with us.

suggestions

2012-01-13T04:30:00.000-05:00

1. Snowball Cake Pops

2. Winter Coat

3. Winter Woodland Art print

4. Winter Leg Warmers

5. Vintage Leather Winter Boots

6. Winter Woodland Chandelier

letters

2012-01-12T04:26:00.001-05:00

Dear Dad,

Happy Birthday! I love you!

Dear Emmett,

You survived your first run in with a not-so-friendly dog. I know you were terrified, but trust me little buddy, I was just as scared as you. I'm just so glad you weren't seriously hurt. That little bite wound on your cheek should heal up in no time.

Dear Netflix and Hulu,

You are making it very difficult for me to stay focused on getting projects done.

Dear Juicer,

So far I've only made juice with your that has been kind of gross tasting, but I just stocked up on lots of fruit and I'm looking forward to making some delicious juice!

Poughkeepsie Palace

2012-01-11T04:36:00.000-05:00

M and I took a day trip to Poughkeepsie, and of course we had to hit up a local diner while we were there.

We did a little internet research, and found a top rated place to check out.

The Palace Diner sure hit the bill on exterior decor!

The menu was extensive and hit the mark for both "diner-diner" food AND upscale diner food.

We were seated at a booth with a jukebox, and our awesome waitress had us sipping on coffees in no time. Truth be told, the coffee was a little bitter, but everything else more than made up for it.

M ordered his short stack with REAL maple syrup, and this little gem was delivered at his request.

I had my staple: two eggs over easy, ham, home fries, and rye toast. It was delicious.

M's short stack had a pat of butter and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

M's eggs benedict. He said this was good, but no where NEAR as good as the eggs benedict that he gets at Jack's in Albany.

I ordered a short stack of sweet potato pancakes. I can not tell you how delicious these are! It was like eating sweet potato pie in pancake form.

Eating at the Palace made me wish that it was close than 2 hours away. If you ever find yourself in the Hudson Valley, this is definitely a place worth checking out.

chili lime kale chips

2012-01-10T04:09:00.001-05:00

We're trying to be super healthy in 2012, so I decided to try making some kale chips.

The first step: rip the leaves off of the stems in bite size pieces and pre- heat over to 300 degrees.

Step 2: Gather the ingredients you would like to use to season your chips. I decided to use chili powder, lime, and sea salt.

Step 3: Toss your kale with a little bit of olive oil, squeeze a whole lime over the kale, and sprinkle liberally with the chili powder. Then toss again to be sure all of the kale gets some of that yummy seasoning.

Step 5: Lay the kale out on cookies sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt. The over should now be pre heated, so pop these in for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rotate the sheets and bake for 10 more minutes.

You will get a crunchy, crispy, flavorful, HEALTHY snack for when you're craving something salty!

inaugurating the kitchen aid

2012-01-09T04:58:00.000-05:00

For New Years Eve, I decided to whip up some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip cookies to break in the Kitchen Aid I got for Christmas.

Ready to roll!

Works like a charm!

The little Kitchen Aid did all the hard work for me!

The cookies sheets are lined with parchment paper, and they are ready to be popped into the oven!

The bottoms came out a little burnt, but they still tasted great!

Windshield Diaries Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups oats

1 cup unbleached flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 bag of Hershey Chocolate Chips

1 bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and egg.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

4. Place heaping tablespoons of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

6. Devour!