Archive of ‘Family’ category

Dry Cleaner Love Story

Hi all.

First things first. I would like to announce that the Holey Donuts Jumbo Reduced Fat Cinnamon Buns are gone. Eaten up.

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Can you blame us?

Guest Post
Hop on over to MelonCauliflower to see my guest post about Channeling Your Inner Bethenny! I describe a few situations where I tried to incorporate Bethenny’s ten rules into my eating thoughts.

Henry’s
On Saturday, the family celebrated my Aunt Dale’s 60th birthday party at Henry’s. I was very excited for a number of reasons:

 – I would see my adorable 2- and 4-year old cousins
 – We got my aunt a really nice present that I was excited to give to her
 – My grandma came in for the party (surprise to my Aunt)
 – My little brother Matt Matt (aka the original Henry) came in for the party! (surprise to my Aunt) 
 – The restaurant was called Henry’s! As I’ve mentioned, my brother’s middle name is Henry and I often call him a variation of the name (Hen, Henries, Henny, Hens, etc). I’ve also established Henry Day, a holiday that occurs sometimes as well as National Henry Day (rare) and International Henry Day(rarer — and coming up soon!). This is the day that all the Henries of the world unite. On Rosh Hashanah we celebrated, for the second year in a row, the Year of the Henry.  

Here I am in front of Henry’s.

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Me and my own little Henry, my brother Matt:

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He is the cutest little boy ever! I want to smush his face all day.

The restaurant provided warm mini muffins before the meal. They had a cornbread-like consistency, which I loved. The banana flavor was especially great. They didn’t have any Mango Mimosas, but they had an extensive drink menu so I was happy with my cocktail choices anyway. Have you heard of Sweet Tea flavored Vodka?! I had a drink with that, lemonade and a splash of 7-up. So good! And I got  the Warm Crepes. They had a wonderful thin ricotta cheese filling. I ate it all.

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Henry had a message for us:

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OK ! And I collected some Henry paraphernalia!

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The birthday turned out really well!

Later that night the boy and I went over to my mom’s to spend more time with my brother and we pulled out the 2nd grade notebooks. It turns out I was wrong by saying eksusize. My brother actually wrote eksusis. I will make this change going forward.

Dry Cleaner Love Story
There is a dry cleaners conveniently located 2 doors down from my apartment. I used to go there all the time and during that time they changed ownership. I eventually established a rapport with the new man that worked there, Juan. He was always very friendly with me and very nice.

Until he became creepy. I would go there and before I would leave he would take my hands and hold them for a very long time. Sometimes he would come out from behind the counter to give me a hug. It made me very uncomfortable but he had a heavy accent and sometimes we couldn’t understand each other and I am not always comfortable saying anything. One day I worked from home and went over to the cleaner’s in the afternoon. He told me he was wondering where I was since I didn’t walk past the store in the morning. Sometimes he would ask if he could call me. I’d brush it off and at other times mention my “boyfriend”. At one point I brought my friend (I hadn’t yet met the boy) and introduced him to Juan as my boyfriend.

I thought that would end Juan’s creepiness. It didn’t. He was still just as touchy.

So I stopped going there. Not only did I stop going there, I stopped walking PAST there, even though it was on my way home! I would go the long way around the block to avoid going past, or I would try to cover my face up and sprint past. When he saw me, he would come out after me to say hi. I didn’t let him see me after that.

I thought the problems were over until he started emailing me. It is my fault he had my email. He asked for it and I felt bad and figured it was harmless.

Email #1
Subject: hi dori

I want be a best friend have good night

 - He wants to be my best friend? Or just someone’s best friend?

Email #2
Subject: HI DORI

I hope you are well a lot time did’t see you
I ll’see you soon have great time. DORI
FROM JUAN.

 – He didn’t see me because I stopped going there. Have a great time doing what? I do kinda like the random DORI at the end.

Email #3
Subject: HAPPY HOLidays

HI DORI,
IT Was a blessing of god known you take care

I miss you and your smiler
you are a good person that never forget.

 – I get lots of compliments on my smiler. But sometimes I forget things. I do have a good memory though. Thank you for noticing. And how did he know how to make those flowers!

I ignored these emails. And as I had mentioned, I stopped going to that dry cleaner. Then one day I was on my way home from work, a few blocks from my apartment, and I RAN INTO JUAN! I was shocked to see him out of his element, the store. He told me that he didn’t work there anymore (!) and he worked at two different dry cleaning locations.

Relief! I was freeeeee! I could go back to the convenience of having my dry cleaner next door again. And that was that.

Or so I thought.

My cell phone rang today and it was an unfamiliar number. I decided to answer it. Guess who it was? He called me today — months AFTER he stopped working at that dry cleaner. That means he took my phone number from the store’s database and saved it.

He said he wanted to say hi. I told him I was at work and couldn’t talk. I just saved the number he called from as Do Not Answer.

I know I didn’t handle the situation that well. At least it’s more manageable now!

No Gym Month Workout
I went to Core Fusion Open last night and enjoyed it. I always feel so great after these classes. I finally made the long agonized over decision to join for this month only. When I went to do so, however, I found out that there is a 60 day minimum on ALL monthly memberships. Uhh. How is that monthly then? I did not join.

I thought maybe I’d do Physique 57 for the month. But when I called them they told me that I wouldn’t be able to even get into any classes the first few weeks since they’re all filled up. When I pointed out the irony of joining for a monthbut not getting to use the full month, they responded, “That’s everyone’s predicament here.”

Well… if that is everyone’s predicament — paying for a service that they don’t get to use — then Physique 57 should seriously consider expanding to a larger studio with accommodations for many more people to take classes. This seems ridiculous to me.

So I decided I will wait for my 10 Core Fusion class pass to arrive and just use that and reevaluate my knee situation when I go back to the doctor in a few weeks.

Book Update: I am 570 pages into I Know This Much Is True — and loving it!

Note to people swiping your MetroCard: I have said this before and I will say it again. When you swipe your card and it says INSUFFICIENT FUNDS, do not keep swiping it. Insufficient Funds means there is not enough money on your card to pay for your trip. It means you need to put more money on the card. Swiping over and over will not result is anything aside from holding up the entire line. Believe me!

Holey Donuts? HOLEY YUM.

I was very excited when I won Melanie’s Holey Donuts giveaway, since I have been wanting these forever! I did get to try some last week, but I wanted my own to eat at my convenience, rather than shoveling a taste of everything down my throat as I did last week.

Holey Donuts

Holey Donuts offers a delicious, healthier alternatives to the doughnuts we’re familiar with. Their website explains:

Did you know the average donut has 15-20 grams of fat and as much as 480 calories?

Our patented cooking process avoids deep frying, creating a light, fluffy donut with as little as 3-4 grams of fat and 150-250 calories. You’d actually have to eat 4 of our full-sized, delicious donuts to get the amount of fat in just one traditional donut. What’s more amazing is that we do not use any artificial sweeteners or fat substitutes to make our great tasting donuts. Unlike other “lite” or low fat foods, nothing about these donuts tastes low fat.

Our donuts are hand-made, flash frozen and delivered via express mail to arrive at your door, picture perfect and delicious! Keep in your freezer for a great low fat and low calorie treat anytime!

As soon as I got home and the doorman gave me the giant box of Holey Donuts, I needed to open this box up and see what I was dealing with! Sure, I was in a rush to get somewhere. But honestly, what could possibly be more important than delicious, low fat doughnuts. Right?

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And look at these beauties (after I took 2 from the box — because how could I possibly wait!):

60 Low Fat Cinnamon Glazed Donut Holes:

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From the site:
Soft, light and just amazing, like the marriage of a glazed donut and a cinnamon bun without all the fat, calories and guilt! http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-compliments-donut-holes-glazed-i90848

We all love those little donut holes but did you know an average serving of only 4 of those delicious, tiny treats has about 10 grams of fat and who can stop at just 4? But don’t take our word for it, look at these belt busting nutrition facts:

In order to get that same 10 grams of fat in 4 store bought donut holes you would have to eat about 10-12 of our full sized Low Fat Cinnamon Glazed Donut Holes!

And look at the comparison chart they sent me — on my coupon for 30 Free Cinnamon Glazed Doughnut Holes with any order!  Uhhh yeah that is very scary about Entenmann’s fat content — I used to LOVE those little munchkins!

These would also be a great option for parents who bring Dunkin Donuts munchkins in for their kids’ birthdays. This way, they can share a lower fat treat!

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I tore into the rest of the boxes to see what we had! They weren’t labeled which made opening all 4 boxes essential. I was happiest of all to see BOSTON CREAM! That just happens to be my favorite doughnut flavor of all time. It’s like they knew! Here we have the Boston Cream Lovers Assortment :

• 3 Fudge Crumb Boston Cream • 3 Vanilla Frosted Boston Cream

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After I  got home from the Nalini Method, before dinner, I was starving and heated up one of the Fudge Boston Creams (that’s why there are only 2 left in the box pictured above!)

OMG. It tasted just as good as Dunkin Donuts, I swear! It was heaven. I couldn’t believe I was eating a guilt-free Boston Cream doughnut. Look at the gooey goodness:

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So much cream! So much deliciousness. No guilt.

Here we have one that I  tried last week and can assure you it tastes no different from Cinnabon!

Jumbo Reduced Fat Cinnamon Bun

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From the site:

(4) Jumbo Reduced Fat Cinnamon Buns

These sinfully delicious, handmade cinnamon buns blend the flavors of
cinnamon, glaze and vanilla with a bit of apple and spice. Replacing
the butter, fat and hydrog-enated oils found in other cinnamon buns
with our mouth watering apple filling which contains real bits of fresh
apple and cinnamon, fools your taste buds into thinking, “Wow this is
so moist and delicious it must be fattening!”

And in the final box, we have the flavor the boy opted to try. I asked him what flavor it was but he had no idea, as he DIDN’T MICROWAVE IT! He ate it right from the freezer, totally frozen! Silly boys.

Low Fat Original Glazed

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Site says:

(6) Low Fat Original Glazed: This Holey Donuts!® Low Fat Original Glazed donut is not only our best
tasting and most requested, but is also one of our lowest in fat and calories.

Pop one of these in your microwave and you’ll forget the day you ever had a Krispy Kreme! Did you know, you’d have to eat 5 of our full sized glzed donuts to get the fat in just one of those “other” donuts.

 150 calories in a delicious doughnut!

So these doughnuts are amazing and I love them and I am SO happy I won the giveaway! I’ve been wanting them every day. The flavor on the site I’d most like to try is Banana Cream Oreo Cookie! A special order might be in my future.

From the site:

Banana Cream oreo Cookie Holey Donuts

Wow. If you want to learn more about Holey Donuts — including view nutritional stats and comparison to popular doughnut chains, click here.

Guess what? They are putting the finishing touches on a Holey Donuts retail store concept that will allow people to own their own Holey Donuts store! If they pair these stores up with some great coffee, I’d be so happy! I hope they come to NY soon.

Nalini Method
Last night I met Missy and Melissa for another class at the Nalini Method. It was different from the first and even harder if that’s possible. The hardest part of class? Holding myself up in a C position with ankle weights around my ankles and 3 sets of weights on my feet while hugging a SmartBell to my chest. I despise the C position, which is actually my main complaint with Core Fusion as they depended on it for most of abs in the class I took. Maybe they vary it up though. Rupa kept us in that position the entire time and I just couldn’t hold myself up. Yes, it was a major challenge. But I far preferred the ab work we did in her class last week, against the wall gripping on to the band. And I was sorer from that since I was actually able to DO it more.

Rupa was wonderful once again and made sure we were always in the right position. We did a lot of work with the Smart Bell which created an extra challenge. The butt work on the floor, using the resistance band on my thights, burned my butt SO much. It was painful but amazing. I looked over at Melissa at the end, knowing she had never quite experienced anything like this in her other classes. “That was amazing,” she gasped. She was right.

Thighs burned more yesterday, and we even did some moves standing against the mirror, holding the Smart Bell and raising it up and down, or in and out, while staying in a slightly squatted position. Intense. I was very careful with my knee and shoulder throughout the entire class. Then, at the very end, the last stretch we did was to lie on our stomachs and reach our arms back to pick up our legs. I know that putting my arm behind me hurts my shoulder. I know that. But I momentarily forgot. I did the move. Just like that, I was in pain.

Next time I will remember not to do that move with my left arm!

No big deal — the class was still amazing. In fact, I was sweating and pushing myself even harder so I am sure I got an incredible workout! I wish I could take this class all the time. I wish there were a more comprehensive schedule! But now I am more excited to try Core Fusion Open and hopefully join there for a month, where there are classes offered all the time. And I have my 10 class pass that I purchased there, too. 

Weekend
Tomorrow is my Aunt’s 60th birthday party at Henry’s! You heard me right – HENRY!!! Me being me, I already studied the brunch menu and have a pretty good idea of what I want. Mango Mimosa! I hate orange juice, but maybe this means it is made with Mango instead? I  hope! And look at this: Warm Crepes: Ricotta Cheese, Mixed Berries. That sounds good! And they have sweet potato fries. Mmmm…  I think I can definitely like Henry’s! I am excited to see my adorable cousins, who are 2 and 4. So cute!

More YUM
Annie’s Deluxe Mac & Cheese
was on sale at my supermarket for $1.99 a box (normally $3.79)! I bought 4 boxes.

Annie's Deluxe Mac and Cheese

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