Hi loves! Ever had a day that starts off terribly and ends up doing a complete 180? That was today for me. I certainly can’t complain- it’s always nice to be pleasantly surprised!
Last night I ended up going to a friend’s house where we had a pretty intense confrontation. I won’t go into the details, but it’s a disagreement that’s been brewing for awhile, and I was very hurt by the exchange. Hopefully it will resolve itself eventually, but I’ve realized in the past few years that there will always be new people weaving in and out of our lives, and the ones who are truly important will always stay. Regardless, I woke up this morning kind of bummed. Obviously some cereal for breakfast made it a little better:
Kashi GoLean, bloobs and almond milk
Since it was raining, I decided to hit the gym. I did an easy 50 minutes on the elliptical, covering 4.5 miles. Hopefully the weather cooperates tomorrow and I’ll be able to get a run in- I’d like to improve my speed for my second half at the end of the month!
Lunch was full of produce I need to use before heading home on Thursday:
Smucker’s Natural Creamy PB and a banana on a Tumaro’s honey wheat tortilla, plus a Fuji, clementines and baby carrots
Despite my funky mood, things definitely started getting better in the afternoon! Remember my horrible substitute from French class last Wednesday? Today my professor apologized to all of us, saying that she didn’t follow the lesson plan he’d given her and that he was sorry if she’d offended any of us. Definitely made me feel a little better! Between classes I munched a chocolate decadence Vega bar:
In my Paris class, the professor brought in croissants in celebration of our last day, and performed a hysterical French rap for us. Not a bad class either! I didn’t snap a picture of my croissant for obvious reasons, but it was delicious J
After class, I headed to Chelsea to meet Marina from A Veggie Girl (And Her Cat) at Blossom restaurant. On the way there I got a massive chocolate craving, so I stopped at a deli for a bar of Lindt 70%:
Minus a bite…almost forgot a picture!
I’ve been wanting to try Blossom for ages, and since Marina had only ever eaten brunch there, we decided it would be a great place to meet up!
We split the porcini cigars as an appetizer:
Hand-rolled phyllo filled with porcini mushrooms, almonds, and ground tempeh, served over a cashew pesto, finished with pomegranate seeds
These were delicious; many of you know I hate mushrooms, but they didn’t bother me one bit in this dish! The sauce was also excellent. Our only problem was the portion size- for such a yummy dish, we definitely would have liked a few more!
For my entrée I chose the vegetable mezze plate:
Our Chef’s preparation of fresh vegetables: roasted fennel, brussels sprouts, sweet potato puree, sautéed kale, and tri-color cauliflower, accompanied by spiced quinoa
The sweet potato puree immediately caught my eye, and since I’d never eaten kale or fennel before, I decided to give them a try! Fennel just may be a new favorite vegetable! Everything was very well prepared- my favorites were probably the fennel and spiced quinoa.
Of course, no vegan dinner would be complete without a dessert!
Lavender coconut crème brulee
This was absolutely a perfect dessert for today’s hot weather; the custard part had a great lavender flavor and the carmelized top tasted like pure toasted coconuts. Yum!
Overall, it was a wonderful experience! Marina and I had a great time chatting, and all of the food was incredibly well done. I just love how many great vegan restaurants there are in New York! This meal was the perfect end to an ultimately pretty good day!
Hope you all have terrific Tuesdays- I’ve got to study, study, study!
Have you ever had to let go of a friendship because you just couldn’t agree on something important? I don’t expect to agree with my friends on anything, but if I don’t feel like my views are being respected, then I start to question just how good of a friend they are.
What’s your favorite warm-weather dessert? I absolutely love strawberry-rhubarb pie!
46 comments:
Everything looks so fresh and is so uniquely prepared at Blossom! I can't wait to try it out! I love Marina's blog as well!
When my lifestyle changed and I started becoming more health conscious (and vegan) I could really tell who my real friends were and who were there out of convenience. It's very eye-opening. And fav dessert is probably Fage 0% topped with mixed berries and a drizzle of honey.--- or newman's own dark chocolate!
I'm sorry to hear about your friend confrontation, that's always hard. =/
I love that you abbreviate blueberries as "bloobs," I always get weird looks for saying that!
And I like having fro yo for dessert when it's warm out!
That veggie plate looks awesome! I love sweet potatoes :)
p.s. YOU WON MY GIVEAWAY girly! Send me your address to mlsurdyk@gmail.com
Loved your quotes btw!
Happy monday :)
xo-Molly
www.givinganythingbutup.wordpress.com
I am so incredibly jealous of all of your vegan meals! Seriously, they always look incredible! Including your dinner tonight, yum! I have never had fennel before, one of the few veggies I haven't tried.
I'm so sorry that your day started off on the wrong foot! But at least it turned around :)
My best friend and I actually don't agree on MANY things. But the thing is, we both respect each others view's.. we agree to disagree, so to speak. But it's different when you disagree from one you feel like you are being attacked for your views.. that's just not right. Friends are going to argue, yes, but if they are a true friend they will respect your views anyway. And you are right, the people who really matter STAY. Others will come and go.. that's life. But I really do hope that everything works out between you and your friend, I really do!!
Love you girl, always in my thoughts and prayers!
yea i had a facebook argument the other day. gotta love those. not! i hate how girls can be gossipy and caddy. she 'unfriended me" from fb....real mature. i dont want to be around people who bring me down and make me feel crappy, u know? i want to surround myself who are confident and kind and only good intentions!
Favorite warm weather treat is definately fro yo or ice cream!
Gahh Blossom! So jealous! I've been dying for some vegan creme brulee...and LAVENDER flavored?!
Meh, I disrespect my friends' opinions all the time, so no lol.
Sorry to hear about your confrontation with your friend. I think everyone experiences some thing like that with friends. I know I have, and I had to let some friendships go. It is hard, but you also have to remember some people come into our lives to teach us something. So take what you can from the friendship and be grateful that person came into your life to teach you whatever the lesson maybe, although sometimes you do not realize the lesson till later. But hang in there, things will work out one way or the other.
lavendar coconut sounds so good! ive had lavendar ice cream and it was fabulous :) i'm glad your day turned around and turned out great too girl!
You beat me to it! lol I was JUST done posting my re-cap! haha Anyways, it was SO great seeing you and I loved the dinner. Blossom really is excellent. If only they gave us more appetizer, but oh well! ;)
Let me know when you'll be back in the city this summer! And frozen yogurt and ice cream are my summer staples... oh, and lots of fruit juice! :)
And I'm glad your day did a 180! I actually love it when that happens! Sorry to hear about your confrontation with your friend though. That's always hard.
I hope the weather gets better for you so that you can enjoy running outside :). Blossom looks amazing and I'll definitely have to check it out next time I'm in NYC. I must admit, I'm quite jealous of all the vegan restaurants you have access to! And vegan creme brulee? Is that even possible?! Please take me with you ;).
Have a lovely day (and I hope the thing that was "terrible" gets better) !
xox
Sorry about your confrontation - that is a poopy situation.
Blossom looks so good!! and creme brulee is my fave!!! -
hmm... favorite summer dessert: probably a trifle!
Hope tomorrow brings a better day :)
I've had quite a few falling outs over the years, and its completely true what you said some people weave in and out of our lives but the ones who are meant to stay stick around. I hope everything works out for you and this doesn't hang over your head during finals/your finals days at school.
Good luck with everything and your dinner looks delicious!!
I haven't really fought with a friend for quite a while, but I did have one friendship that became really toxic in my second year of college. Neither of us was good for each other so we had to stop being friends...it is hard, but sometimes you need to do it. Once again, your food looks great! I hope your week is getting off to a good start!
I have definitely have had to let friends go who I didn't feel were healthy for me to have because they messed with my psychy and were selfish. I think that even the friends that I still have now, we respect our opinions even if we do not agree on everything (politics, vegetarianism, etc). I love Blossom! I love all your nyc vegan posts...makes me miss it so much.
I am happy to hear your day turned out great by the end. night lady!
I had a similar day today; morning seemed icky but I felt much better after looking at some Operation Beautiful notes in the afternoon!
Sorry about the friend. Friendships can lift us up and make us feel wonderfully connected, but they can also be very draining. I have had friendships of both kinds. It's hard to know what to do when you love and care for a person but they upset you. Sometimes a direct conversation with the person can help (although not always).
Glad you got to try a new restaurant! I am going to have to explore lots of restaurants this summer when I have a bit more time. And my favorite summer dessert is ice cream, plain and simple. I treated myself to a cup from Ben and Jerry's the other night and it was divine.
Have an awesome study week love!
While I love a good debate, I expect my friends to respect my beliefs and opinions. That really is a good way to figure out who your real friends are.
My summers at home were never fulfilled until I got my creemee fix at a local stand - it's what Vermonters call soft serve.
So glad your day turned around. Sounds like NYU treats you right! I might be a dork, but my classes always brighten my day.
Blossom is aaamaaazziiinggg. We went there for Mother's Day last year and I'm trying to convince my mom that we need to go to another vegan place this year. I still salivate over the meal I had there...
Friends DEFINITELY come and go. Especially in college - everybody is on this journey of self discovery at the same time and sometimes your discoveries clash with other peoples. And sometimes, people just...aren't meant to be in your life anymore. I actually left my sorority because I felt completely disrespected by a group of girls who I'd once called my friends. Respect is the word, I give it to everyone I encounter, but when it's not returned, I don't need to expose myself to that anymore.
Hope things keep staying bright for you dear.
first you have no idea how truly blessed!!!!! you are to have the calibur and amt of vegan restaurants in your area. i mean honestly girl, you have no idea. Savor it!!!! AS i know you are savoring that frosting :)
Ok friendships. You're young and people your age are pretty much involved in their own lives and everyone's life changes 17 times in 6 mos and honestly, if you wind up in 10 yrs even talking to 3 girls you went to college with, i will be impressed. Basically let any drama or drama-oriented ppl fall by the wayside, sooner rather than later to spare yourself.
I worried far too much about certain matters and in all honesty, those ppl are long gone and the entire DECADE of your 20s will be like this. Ppl are finding themselves and everyone's changing so much..just align w/ ppl you resonate with and let the rest...go.
xo
omg that phylo and mushroom dish looks sooo amazing!!! HOw yummy!!!
My favorite warm weather dessert is anything with fruit and some form of frozen yogurt!!! light and fresh with some sweetness= amazingness
Glad to hear your day turned around. I find as I get older (I'm such an old lady) that it's harder to agree with friends and sometimes it's OK to take a break from the toxic ones.
Hope you are doing OK!
i am so sorry to hear of you & your friends disagreement.. sometimes i think things happen for a reason (i am not sure why but they do). i hope you guys can either agree to disagree or if it just doesn't work out i believe that doors close for another to open.
seriously i have cut many 'friends' out of my life for various reasons (different life values, disagreements...etc..) and in all honesty i do not regret any of the decisions, i just went with my gut feeling.
i am sorry girl. keep your chin up and remember to breathe and smile.
<3 you
That banana/pb wrap had my mouth watering!!! And your dinner looked equally as good! I totally had the same kinda day, started out pretty bad but then got better! Love when that happens :) Have a great day tomorrow pretty girl!
Wow, that vegan dinner looks incredible!
It's funny I LOVE mushrooms, but not so much a fan of rhubarb! I would have to say fro yo or ice cream would be my go-to dessert for warmer weather!!
I'm sorry you're having trouble with your friends.. I know drifting apart and/or conflict can be really rough. I agree though, it's so important to stand your ground, especially on those important issues. Something is telling me that (while you aren't airing 'dirty laundry' so to speak in the blog world) I'm sure you're legitimate in your argument and anyways I hope everything is resolved in one way or another :/
Take care girl!
<3 Night.
Girl,
you are so right, there are always people that will come in and out of our lives, and the real and importants ones stay, I really believe that with all my heart as well : )
sorry about the problem you had with your friend.
Love ya girl and what a fun and yummy meetup! NY does have so many vegan places!!! love it!!!
Hope you have a better day!!!!
xoxoxo love ya!!!
Hey this is my first comment. I love your blog!
I'm sorry to hear about your friend troubles. I hope things work out! People are in your life for a reason, and those who are meant to be in your life will stay. :)
That restaurant looks fabulous. You're lucky you have access to so many amazing vegan restaurants in NY!
I am glad that your day got better as it went!
I have had a disagreement that ended a friendship...for the time being. It's kind of funny, because 10 years after the fact, I saw her e-mail address and just e-mailed her to see how she was doing and what was going on in her life. We will never be the best of friends like we once were, but we do e-mail from time to time. It made me realize that even though we were upset at the time, anger and frustration fade.
My favorite summertime dessert: Lemon Icebox Pie
After seeing your cereal mix on the blog, I bought a big thing of frozen blueberries and have started putting them in my cereal and oatmeal. So delicious!
Ughhh so sorry about the friend thang! I now have a frenemy, namely because she had 30458548 different personalities and I never knew how to respond. It was bizarre.
I'm delayed on this, but congrats on the 100th post!!! That's big, ma!
I DO love that your day turned around, though! Amazing when that happens!
Hmm, fave hot-weather dessert is ice cream/gelato/froyo. Yumskies. (Where the H did that come from?)
Hope you have a faaab Tuesday! Love ya! xoxoxo
1. I'm so sorry for everything with your friend. In the past I've always just withdrawn from people at the first sign that they've treated me unfairly, but lately I've realized it's important to stand up for yourself. The end of the semester sees a lot of things like this, so as much as it sucks--you're not alone.
2. Hmm...a French pastry shop where I live serves vanilla macarons with a tropical sorbet center. You have to get them fresh because both components are so fragile, but they're awesome.
I'm sorry to hear that you had a confrontation with your friend, love. I've definitely been in that position before. True friends respect each other's opinions, even if they differ. If someone isn't willing to be understanding and do that, it means their "friendship" wasn't the real deal and it's probably better to let them go. I'm glad to hear that you felt better as the day went on though.
I think my favorite hot weather dessert would have to be an iced vanilla latte. Love them!
I had a huge falling out with one of my best friends (of like 13 years!) about 6 months ago. It actually still really hurts, but eventually I just had to let it go. The history we had together is not worth having her treat me as poorly as she did. Boy it's not easy to let go though!
wow, I am so sorry about this btwn you and your friend...hopefully if shje is an important person in your life, you two will work through it, but if it is such an important issue, i can see where the arguing can occur! some of my friends in college I am no longer with just because they were those 'mean girls' they treated everyone in their path like dirt...they were my roomates and the second I graduated I was so happy to be away from all of the meanness and drama!!
on another note those porcini cigars look So beyond good!!
if you and your friend can respect each other's opinions,can "agree to disagree," then you are good to go - if it only leads to more frustration, it might be time to reevalaute, as hard as that is (SO hard, i know, been there).
I have lost various friends because we did not agree on certain values or aspects of life. It is tough realizing that a person that was once such a good friend has become so different from you. Well, at least thats what happened to me with some of my high school best friends. I know now that people change, we grow up, and some friendships the bond might grow stronger while others drift apart. The ones that are meant to be in your life will stay and thats all that matters :)
Sorry about the rought night with your friend, but I am glad your day got better. I usually can just realize we have different views and then move on, but if those views shape our actions, then it is a different story.
Ah! I need to get to NYC soon. If I wasn't staying in DC for the summer, I'd be in NYC every weekend. My fav summer dessert would be smores. MUST find a vegan/raw version now!
I love your plug on HTP! I defff eat dessert everyday!
Sorry about your confrontation. That's a bummer. I didn't let a friendship go over a disagreement, but I did have to let a friend that wouldn't grow up go. It was sad, but I know in my heart it was the right decision. You'll make the right decision for you.
I am so sorry to hear about the tension between you and your friend, girlie. Trust me, I know what that's like. PLEASE let me know if you want to chat about it k? I'm always here to vent to whenever you need me. **HUGS!!!!!!!**
Keep smiling for me angelface! muah!
You are so right: The people that mean the most will be by your side NO MATTER WHAT. I'm glad that the next day was much better. :)
The vegan restaurants you write about sound fantastic. I'm going to be visiting New York this summer and may be e-mailing you for recommendations!
wow, that meal out looks amazing! i love the vegetable plate, but those phyllo wraps sounds delicious!
i've had friends come and go and come and go in my life and you're right, the ones that are real are the ones that stick around...everyone had disagreements but we move through them and come out stronger!
fav summer dessert: ice cream...err, fro yo. or oreos and cold milk...nomnomnom.
Boo, sorry about the friend thing. I have had ONE horrible confrontation thing like that in my life. I am a very agreeable person usually, but this friend (not a friend anymore) and I disagreed so much that we just couldn't do it. It was a sad thing...
Hang in there! At least you got to eat at that fantastic restaurant!
Hey girl!!!
Thanks so much for the congratulations on my 1/2!!! I had a lot of fun!!
What do you think of your Garmin? I know you use one when you run and I've been wanting one!
Your wrap looks soooo good by the way!!!!
Hope you have a great evening!!!! :) :)
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