Parma: Home of Parmesan Cheese

If people from Milan are Milanese, and people from Rome are Romans…does that make people from Parma

Parmese or Parmans?

This beautiful Saturday morning, research led me to Parma, Piacenza’s friendly and cheesy neighbor.  We took the RV (there are several different trains-IC, EC, RV, Freccia*, etc…) and in a mere thirty minutes, we hopped off at the Parma station.  There was a lot of construction (or should I say caution tape, boards, and no workers) happening, which made it difficult to find our way out.

We had some time to check out the open air market.  It was long; merchants set up in three distinct aisles, for as long as the eye can see.  It was PACKED.  People crowding around bins with handmade sale signs; Burberry trenches next to factory fabric leftovers, 50 cent socks next to genuine leather belts.

The concept of the open air market never fails to fascinate me.  The mercato is the only place in Italy where you will see people of all nationalities: Italians (of course), Chinese, Egyptians, Tunisians, Eastern Europeans, Africans, and everyone in between.  The social barrier that divides the town is somehow broken or forgotten when the mercato is in action.  The foreigners are no longer shunned upon; somehow a community forms during the five hour window span of the market (8 am-1 pm).  The interactions between the vendors and buyers/browsers are friendly and active.  All activities and sense of community ceases at 1 pm, when vendors pack up their goods and streets become desolate.  No worries.  The market happens twice a week.

Heading towards the museums/palace courtyard

The beautiful inner courtyard Playing around in the warm 50 degree Parma sun!

What’s Good? Food. Mama Ko and I have been eating incredibly well.  By well, I mean healthy WHOLE foods.  A few nights ago, we enjoyed a delicious meal of merluzzo with parsley and lemon, followed by a crisp arugula salad with fresh pomodoro.

Fish is ridiculously overpriced here in northern Italy.  Perhaps overpriced isn’t the correct term, but it is not cheap.  Fish is one of my favorite foods.  I love the fatties like salmon and tuna (BTW full of heart healthy omega 3’s), but I love the simple skinny fish as well.  The merluzzo we had was meaty and had a great bite!

Mama Ko’s zucca e carote soup= one of my favorite soups

You can see the steamy goodness!

 

Mama Ko baked a delicious loaf of French bread.  I am a carb-lover.  I have tried many different kinds of bread living in Italy.  No lies.  Her bread is to die for! She has a secret to bread making, which makes every artisan loaf melt-in-your-mouth perfect.  I begged her to make me enough of her amazing whole wheat rolls to store in the freezer (prior to her departure).

 

With my wrist immobilized and on bed-rest since last Tuesday, I limited the high intensity cardio.  Luckily, living here doesn’t give me to the excuse to not walk.  Walking being the only form of transportation means I get to log in an easy 3-4 miles a day of pure walking.  I went for an easy jog (with my wrist in a support brace) yesterday at the park which felt great! I paid close attention to the natural form of my arms swinging, making sure I wasn’t tensing my elbows, hands, or wrists.  MT is back on track!  Tomorrow will be a long run day. Yikes.

 

xOxo Michelle

 

 

Power of Power Walking (on Roman Cobblestone)

With a pair of solid leather boots and a will to see everything Rome has to offer, walking not only becomes a form of transportation, but a good stamina-builder and workout.

The Fulbright Mid-Year Meeting was held this year at the American Academy in Rome, on top of a hill near Monteverde.

Again, the commission hosted us at the Villa Maria in Largo Berchet, an adorable little hotel in between Trastevere and Monteverde.

MamaKo and I had a fabulous 3 days in Roma, eating delicious meals and burning off calories visiting all things Roman via public transportation or on foot.

Back to the hotel’s location, it is high up a hill.  A Steep hill. With steep staircase sets. My stamina is pretty high, but I felt the sweat forming by the time I got to the top.

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SO. MANY. STEPS.

I felt my pants getting more loose with every step I took.  Which is great because I got to enjoy pizza, pasta, panini, and wine for 3 days!

Okay, perhaps, my pants weren’t getting loose, but MamaKo and I trekked all of Rome.

Cobblestone. Brick. Uneven pathways. Lack of sidewalks. Fabulous.

My week two of MT was pushed back due to the Fulbright meeting, not enough space in the suitcase to pack my sneakers, and my wrist being out of commission.  Power walking in Rome was the solution.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/life-style/dieting/2009/03/16/power-walk-this-way-shed-the-pounds-by-pounding-the-streets-115875-21202452/

Up and down steep hills, dodging bad drivers, and trying to catch trams!

 

PS Happy Valentine’s Day to All!!!

 

xOxo Michelle

 

Choo-Choo Training Week 1

I am following the Rookie Marathon Plan.

Monday-I had a sweat-brewing indoor workout (30 minutes of watching Italian television and doing the following: 50 Jackies, 20 Knee Highs, 20 Froggies, 10 PU’s, 10 full SU’s, repeat)

Tuesday-I shot for 4 miles, but ran 3 slowly (it was freezing cold). Really close to my apartment is a private little park (very little-will post picture soon) where I estimate about 10 laps around to be equivalent to one mile. It’s very clean, and has an actual path/sidewalk (something this country lacks) with benches, a residential garden, and plenty of areas to jazz up my workouts.I came back to yucky wind-chapped lips.  I need to remember to put on chapstick.

Wednesday– It rained. I didn’t want to go out in the fog/rain.

Thursday– The plan says “EASY 3-4 miles,” but the run was anything but easy. All week, this town was foggy, to the point where you can’t even see 30 feet ahead of you. The moisture and mist in the air + runny nose ick = UNCOMFORTABLE 30 minutes outside. I lost count after 22 laps around, so I alternated between jogging and sprinting laps until I was completely exhausted (didn’t take too long =D)

Friday– YAY FOR REST DAY! This is only week one, but seeing the words REST DAY made me happy! I had a meeting in Milano, so Mama Ko and I were up at 6:30 am as usual. Had a delicious b-fast of whole grain biscotti, coffee (her), caffeine-free tea (me), fruit yogurt, and a gala apple. She mastered the art of baking whole grain bread (very very difficult)-I call it Mama Bread. We were out the door by 8:45 am with 2 baby loaves packed for the road, and walked 15 minutes to Piazza Citadella. We made our way to the train station (another 15 minutes) and waited for the train. 45 minutes later, we arrived at Milano Centrale and set out on foot. After my meeting, we headed towards Corso Buenos Aires and struck gold. It was my first time shopping on Corso BA, and thanks to the lovely end-of-season sales, I could afford to shop!

The goods:

The perfect, preppy black pumps for this spring (almost like Sperry’s big girl heels) –10 euros.

Leather collegiate side pack from Sisley – 20 euros (70% off)

Gold layover earrings from ISI- 1.40 and long chain necklace- 2 euros

2 classic long wool sweaters (black and blue 70% off) – 10 euros each

We walked down Corso BA, Corso Venezia, Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, around the Duomo, up and down 7 floors of La Rinascente (Milan’s version of Saks). We took a short break at a park where art students (a model, 2 photographers) were awkwardly doing wardrobe changes and shooting pictures. The integrale (whole grain) bread was PERFECT-filling (yay for fiber), slightly sweet, slightly salty. Around 4 pm, we hopped on the metro back to Centrale, went up up up all the stairs to the actual train station, bought/validated our tickets for Piacenza, took the bus from Piacenza station back home. Using public transportation in Italy is very convenient once one becomes familiar with the way things work.

Example: For the bus, you must have a ticket. You cannot buy this ticket on the bus (nor pay on the bus). Rather, you must purchase a biglietto at a tabacchi (tobacco store). Then, you must stick it in the yellow box inside the bus to validate (VERY important), making it valid for 60-70 minutes depending on the city.

Mama Bread. This is the most amazing bread ever! Fiber packed, delicious, and full of love & energy!

Saturday – I was up early for a rehearsal room I reserved at the conservatory, so I had my usual b-fast of whole grain biscotti, yogurt, fruit, multivitamin, and tea…then I was off! It was unusually warm today, so I went for my 3-4 miles around 2:30 pm. Saturday is family day in Italy. People EVERYWHERE. In pairs. In trios. In the middle of the street. The road perpendicular to my apartment is exactly 1 mile back/forth, so it was easy to measure my distance. I ran around the little park ONCE-it was horrifying. It was full-grandmas, babies, kids playing soccer, benches full. As I ran around the pathway, I couldn’t help but feel everyone’s eyes on me, looking at me with dropped jaws as if they’re thinking, “WHAT on earth are you doing?” That was a sprint lap. I was in. I was out. I blasted my old Abercrombie house playlist that my old co-worker mixed and enjoyed the wonderful spring weather! Pre-run I had a delicious egg omelette with sautéed spinach and artichokes with whole grain toast and some yogurt.

The lovely institution I grace my presence, flute shebang, and American-ness with everyday! (except Sunday)

This town gets packed on the weekends with animal-wearing, bike riding, strolling locals.

 

What’s good? Italian Pre-packaged, home baked FOCACCIA. Mama Ko baked it with EVOO, sea salt, cracked black pepper, loads of spinach, and low fat mozzarella!

Sunday (Today)- What a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the weather is warm.  I set out for my run, and my big toe feels very strange.  I ignore the pain, telling myself to stop being a wimp.  My big toe kept throbbing like “HELLO, something is wrong!” I did the minimum-2 miles.  Afternoons seem to be perfect for working out here; Monday-Friday, the least amount of people outside.  Mornings and evenings are way too foggy!

The type of sidewalks I get to work with..with grocery bags or a large winter coat, the cars touch you as they drive by

 

Week One-Complete =)

 

xOxo Michelle

 

MADE in Milan: Marathon Edition

Age 12: I remember having to run around MLK Middle School in 7th Grade and hating every second of it.  I would be out of breath, have pain in my legs, and despise the kids that kept shooting by me.  I hated finding out that I didn’t meet the time requirement, and that I would be one of the unfortunate kids having to repeat it the next day.

Age 22: I still hate it.  The act of running.  What I do love-it relieves tension and stress from practicing.  It makes me feel strong.  It also makes my skinny jeans fit nicely-more fitted, less snug (meaning  my lower half will explode out if my button breaks)

Rehearsals and research take up most of my time and I need a stress relieving outlet-running is the perfect answer

Pros:

• It’s FREE
• Relieves Stress
• Pushes your mental and physical strength
• You can do it ANYWHERE
• Again, it’s FREE
• Achieve a lean, mean, STRONG physique

My research will be taking me to several different cities over the next few months.  Therefore, I crossed out the idea of a membership at the nearby luxurious gym/spa/PALACE.  The last thing I need after being indoors with all things flute and Fulbright related, the last thing I need is to go into yet ANOTHER building to workout.

I enjoy the show MADE (on MTV).  Laugh all you want. It’s the only show broadcast in English with Italian subtitles (minus Jersey Shore).  I learn a lot of Italian watching (and reading simultaneously).  So far, I’ve seen obese  girls MADE into ballerinas and figure skaters, nerds MADE into jocks, and shy kids MADE into popular kids.

I’m going to be MADE. Into a Marathoner.  My coach will be my own stubbornness and muscle tension from my daily lifestyle in Italy.  Running a marathon has been on my BUCKET LIST for life (along with building orphanages in Uganda).  Something I planned on doing in the future (not sure when the future is-just not now) What I learned when I moved to Italy, is that to accomplish something (like learning to live in a foreign country) it requires one (or all) of the following:

1. Money
2. Blood/Sweat/Tears
3. Willpower

I’m not willing to sacrifice money for this goal (perhaps because I have none), but I can definitely afford to sweat a bit and push my willpower to it’s limit.

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the breakdown:

Goal: 16 weeks of training in Italy.  Running my first marathon when I get back home to the States.  I am not going to try and discourage myself with a time-goal.  I want to finish. Simple.  Just cross the finish line with my legs in tact and maybe a little bit of grace?

Current Level: I can run 3-4 miles easily. I define “easily” as non-stop running without getting the “jello leg” feeling.   The furthest I’ve ever run is 9 miles and it took me days to recover.

 

5Ker to Marathoner?

I will blog about my fitness journey of training for my first marathon!

xOxo Michelle

Quickie Pumpkin Soup

It’s cold outside.  Not as brutal as the States right now, but this snack is my fave (while my mom is here at least) because it’s guilt-free and completely nutritious.

I love to snack.  Dangerous habit, yes.  But not so dangerous when I keep nutritious goodies available at hand.

Especially when my research is keeping me in front of a laptop for 5+ hours a day.

Cappuccino serving of orange goodness

Ingredients: Pumpkin (I got mine from a little nonna named Carmen at the Monday     mercato) Bought half a pump for 1.50)

pinch of sea salt

tablespoon of honey

spices (I like curry or cinnamon)

1. Prepping:  CAREFULLY slice the pumpkin into thick chunks and peel the skin away.
2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and throw in a dash of salt.
3. After placing the naked pump chunks in the water, close the lid and allow the magic to happen.
4. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
5. When it gets to a smooth consistency, bring down the heat and flavor to taste!

Why it’s awesome:

• Low Carb (~6 grams per serving)
• High Fiber =) (~4 grams)
• Low Cal (~50 kcal)

In Korea, there is something called HoBakJuk-pumpkin porridge.  Delicious? Yes! Good for you? NO.

Recipes call for a cup of sugar, and several cups of corn starch and rice powder to thicken up the consistency (bowl of Elmer’s Glue)

I’m not a fan of consuming glue, when I can pick the REAL thing and give my body the vits and mins (and beta carotene) it craves.

GO OUT AND BUY A PUMPKIN BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR (Winter produce)

 

Note to self: SO GLAD I invested in these boots last December.  I have a pair of black Sperry rain boots that are practical but sad looking (BLACK).  These bright pink Hunter’s make the horrible gray and rainy days (99% of the week) feel much more cheerful.

Italians don’t care too much for my highlighter boots, in fact, I get stares whenever I wear them.  Oh well.  Pink makes the world a happier place in a sea of black/blue/brown (Northern Italy) I think that deep down, they really like my boots.

 

 

xOxo Michelle

 

 

 

 

 

Shopping & Ferrari’s

It was impossible to find a good sale here in Italy since I arrived in October.  I would walk into a store, nonchalantly glance at the price tag, freak out, and walk out.

January 6th 2011-The SALE signs appeared…and boy, did they appear! 50, 60, 70% off everything in EVERY store! Even the boutiques!

Yesterday, I found a fabulous pencil skirt at Benetton for about 25 euros, and a solid black button down (also Benetton) for 15 euros.

It is so difficult for me to find good business casual attire.  My body doesn’t ever fit into one category according to Cosmo’s “What body shape are you?” quizzes.  I am neither an apple nor a pear.  When I find a good piece of clothing, I run with it.  Especially when it’s on sale.

Italians love sales.  Women are out and about during lunch hours grabbing basics, accessories, chunky sweaters, and leather goods.  There are still 2 months of this cold weather left, and I guess they are preparing for next year.

If I lived here, I’d probably do the same.  Several stores have signs up saying “Will Return February 20th”.  I find that kind of odd.

During the week, stores are open 10-1 and 3:30-7 pm.  Closed Thursdays and Sundays.

Closed most of December (holidays), January, and February

Closed in August (vacation month for the entire country)

Interesting…How does a store stay afloat in this country?

With my mom here, walking around town is much more enjoyable! We have been exploring areas that I didn’t even know existed! We found a goldmine! By this, I mean an ethnic food grocery store.  Rice, fish, chili sauces, soy sauce, spices, mmmmmmm!!!

Yesterday was mercato day, and we went out to get some produce-interesting looking greens (almost bok choy like), finocchio (fennel), and some more no-name greens.

Sauteed Greens=DELICIOUS.  Will post food pictures soon. Simple, Healthy, and TASTY.

Typical Day at the Piazza: a bunch of Ferrari’s and art students drawing/painting

PS My mom baked the most delicious bread this evening. I have yet to master BREAD making.  She is a domestic goddess. Perfect brown crust.  Soft and pillow-y inside.  Crusty buttery bottom.

Sigh.  Must run off the extra goodness tomorrow morning before heading to the conservatory.  It’s been snowing all day today.  I don’t like indoor workouts.  The small park near my apartment is perfect for running.

I think I want to spice up my workout tomorrow with sprints and jogging.

I hope I wake up early enough.

 

xOxo Michelle

 

Cold + Cheap = Skinny?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/central-heating-may-be-making-us-fat/?ref=health

This article caught my eye.

In a nutshell, people are gradually turning up the heat to a warmer temperature every decade (went from mid 50’s to about 70 degrees Fahrenheit) It claims that turning down the heat would shed some pounds by default-non shivering thermogenesis.

Favorite Part:

“That is not to say exposure to cold is a major driver of obesity: overeating and lack of exercise are the main causes.

But could lowering the thermostat make a notable difference in people’s weight?”

HA.HA.HA.

Observation:

I pinched my pennies (or centissimmi) living alone from October-December.  I waited until I was literally shivering cold to justify turning on my heat.  I was also about 8 pounds lighter around late-November. I ate less.  I moved my body a lot more to warm up (i.e. blasting old Abercrombie house music and jumping around)

It is now almost February, and my heat is blasting all day.  It’s cozy.  I don’t need to move as much.  I feel heavy.  Hrmmm…

The few Italian homes I’ve stayed in or visited…common denominator-They were ALL FREEZING COLD! My fingers and toes would be numb.  Maybe it’s another secret of the lean Europeans.  Clean Foods (senza the morning brioche or croissant) + Cold Homes + Constant Walking.

I just turned off my heat.

xOxo Michelle

Nutri-licious Gennaio

It’s my Mom’s 4*th birthday! We celebrated with delicious food and wine, a Sunday stroll outside, and a relaxing weekend.  I am in the process of digesting the following: Ciabatta Bread baked with Rosemary, Pecorino, and Olive Oil, Chicken Breast stuffed with Spinach, Creamy risotto with zucchini, pancetta, and peas, arugula salad with shredded carrots and balsamic, antipasti platter, and tiramisu (dessert).  For our wine, we chose a local Lambrusco Secco! Fizzy, almost wine-spritzer like.

 

This past week was ridiculous.  I had a meeting in Milan with the Director of Milan Libraries and his assistant, in Italian! I was able to keep up with the Milanese (FAST) Italian, and discussed the details of my project.  Well, I made a ton of progress, and located all of the manuscripts! They are ALL OVER Italy-Venice, Sicily, Naples, Bergamo, and Rome.

Research is going fabulously well (stressful, but productive)

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We have been walking at least 5 miles a day.  It’s wonderful.  I just finished a short indoor circuit workout:

50 jacks

20 push ups

20 sit ups

Repeat as many times until you’re out of breath.  Do some stretches until the heart rate returns normal.  Repeat. I just do it until I sweat up a nice yucky storm.

I am becoming a huge fan of yoga.  It’s a wonderful (cheap) massage when done correctly.  It calms my nerves and soothes my muscles.  Am I almost a yogi?

 

Some pictures:

 

Where else in the world can you find delicious wines for under 2 euros? However, today we splurged a bit and bought the 3 euro wine (1.5 liter bottle)! Ballers, yes.

 

xOxo Michelle

Mangi Mangi Mangi <3

Check out some yummy pictures of my last few meals (with mama ko):

Crostini with Smoked Salmon, Capers, Ricotta, Diced Onions

Arugula Salad with onions, pickled peppers, spices, and a few shaving of pecorino (and of course evoo + balsam)

Mama made Korean food!!!!! in Italy! from left to right-miyuk gook (seaweed soup), spicy salad (in place of kimchi), delicate egg souffle with cracked black peppercorn, and of course, RICE

It felt FABULOUS eating soup and rice =) healthy, hearty, and reminds me of home (though we eat Korean food once a week-maybe, haha)

My mom is an AMAZING cookie.  This was the best pasta ever.  The pasta itself is called pizzoccheri (hard grain wheat+durum wheat+semolina) The protein and fiber (YES) content make this pasta a SISISI pasta

She cooked it with broccoli rabe (blanched then sauteed) in bacon infused olive oil, then added some delicious garlic and onions into the mix. MAGIC!! Yummy yummy yummy.  I am so excited to eat her delicious HEALTHY cooking

We are checking out the gym/spa tomorrow to see how much the rates are…if they’re reasonable, then we’re treating ourselves to a one-month membership. Feeling a bit soft…haha

Research and practicing are taking up a lot of time…I assume that’s a good thing…I really want to focus hard and produce some awesome results.

 

xOxo Michelle

 

 

 

3 weeks of nonstop pastries and pasta

Hibernation Preparation

Since December 13th, I have been consuming nothing but brioches, croissants filled with nutella or crema, panettone, pasta (all sorts of pasta) and carbie goodness that I have been missing out on while living in Italia (solo)

Not once had I ever stepped into a pasticceria by myself, or a fast food joint for that matter.

Wow, Italia has some GOOD pastries.

I am neither encouraging nor discouraging anyone to simply (NOT CARE) about what goes in their mouth and tummy.  I am a foodie but I am also very conscious about the quality of the food I put in.

For the first time, perhaps since high school, I ate what I want, when I wanted.

My month of traveling in a nutshell:

Florence-BEAUTIFUL! If you love art and architecture, you MUST visit.  Food wasn’t too memorable here…Biggie and I made several trips to McDonald’s to get LARGE (american SMALL) cups of coffee.

Naples-Home of PIZZA…it is REALLY good. I wish I took a picture of my pizza with bufala (fresh mozz cheese), anchovies, tomatoes, and basil.

Rome-Juice cups of wine, fresh bread, cheese, dark chocolate=perfect indoor picnic (Day after getting pickpocketed-Fabulous) 3 mornings of small cups of coffee and LARGE costco sized FRESH pastries (cream for me, chocolate for biggie)

Paris-Got canceled due to snow =(

Milan-Christmas Eve dinner with Leslie (cheesy creamy risotto, roasted green beans, sauteed chicken, fruit tarts, cream puffs, panettone, lots of wine)

Venice-Christmas Day, P and I found a fabulous ristorante within the touristy San Marco area…great wine! pizza wasn’t too memorable.  The second night, we went to another ristorante and ordered shrimp (baby cocktail) with lemon, pasta bolognese for P, penne con salmone for me (a little salty)

Sicily-Staying at a 5 star place called Relais Santa Anastasia, we assumed there would be plenty of food options (since we usually have to have a post dinner dinner) Little did we know that the hotel/estate was on top of a mountain. BEAUTIFUL view, fabulous food brought to us on beautiful silver platters…just not ENOUGH food.  We arrived pretty late (around 11 pm)to check in, and they brought us a plate of meats, cheeses, bread (of course), and some pate.

Funny side note: We had to order our breakfasts by checking off what we wanted the night before.  A list containing the usual: caffe, american coffee, milk, tea, cornetto (filled or empty), eggs, eggs with bacon, yogurt, fruit, fruit salad, plate of meats, plate of cheeses, muesli, etc…

We check off 3/4 of the paper.  It took the maitre-d’s 3 trips to bring us our breakfasts.  =) They weren’t ready for our American appetites.  P and I pretty much had big breakfasts in the morning that carried us until dinnertime.

Lovely manager explained that they weren’t used to having people order more than coffee and a pastry..*angel face*

Breakfast is Good.

Rome-We found the BEST BEST BEST restaurant in all of Rome, specifically in Trastavere.  It is called IVO.  You MUST visit this place.  It is run by the cutest little old couple, and there are people waiting for tables EVERYWHERE.  Using my fake-awesome Italian, my Fitalian, I greeted the signore like I would to my grandfather.

Guess what.  P and I didn’t have to WAIT! He told us to follow him and he took us to a table where there were already at least 10 people waiting.  We didn’t get many happy glares, but oh well, we got seated!

I wanted to order the fried zucchini flowers, a Rome specialty, but they were sold out. We ordered the fried rice balls (about 1.50 each)-DELICIOUS. We ordered 2 rounds of bruschetta (one tomato, and one porcini mushroom)…portions were FABULOUSLY LARGE, and prices were VERY reasonable (about 3 euros)

We ordered 2 different pastas-calcio e pepe (literally Rome’s mac and cheese, spicy version), and P’s was almost identical but with pancetta and more veggies (yummier) These only ran about 7.20 each

P also ordered a steak (slightly pricier at around 16, but prepared SOOOOO well) For about 50 euros we had an AMAZING meal (perfect crazy Italian ambiance and great food) AND a wonderful bottle of red..perfect way to end our trip

We came back to Piacenza on New Year’s Eve with just enough time to run to the grocery store to cook our NYE dinner

Menu: Seafood Risotto with zucchini and mushrooms (with mussel broth), Good local red wine, steamed mussels in a white wine/butter sauce, fresh bruschetta with mozzarella and basil, braised veal with a tomato/ricotta reduction (prepared by P), and roasted potatoes with rosemary and olive oil.  For dessert (by the recommendation of Biggie) we got a profiterole/panettone…DELICIOUS

Not to sound conceited or anything, but P and I cooked an AWESOME meal (that tasted more flavorful than ALL of the restaurants we went to,  in my opinion)

We killed the profiterole in less than 24 hours.

Not going to lie…I was scared to step on the scale…first time since early December (when I was running and doing yoga regularly) hahaha damage wasn’t too bad…a few kilos…eek hehe

I had a fabulous carbie month…time to get back to my normal regimen! Local produce, healthy food options, cooking…YAY! I’m excited! Traveling, food, and friends…twas fun! Time to get back to research, practicing, and studying! WOOOOOOOOO

 

xOxo Michelle