Three Day Juice Cleanse

I just got out of a three day juice cleanse program from Pressed Juicery! If my unreliable weighing scale  was telling me the truth, I lost seven pounds in three days! Yikes! I'm so happy! I've been wanting to do this for quite sometime now but I didn't think I was strong enough to resist food cravings back then. 

But I gained so much weight in the last few months I couldn't even weigh myself because I'm scared. I felt heavy, fat and ugly it was so depressing. My pants hardly fit me anymore it was so annoying. My skin was oily and disgusting and pimples keep popping just about anywhere. They're unstoppable. That's when I finally decided to do something. I knew I needed to get back to healthy eating. I chose a three day juice cleanse program to jumpstart my "healthy lifestyle" Yeah whatever! 

 I got the idea from a Filipina blogger who tried out Juju Cleanse in Manila. So I googled cleansing programs available here in the United States. There are plenty of options out there. If you live in a big city like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, you can even get your fresh juices delivered to your doorstep everyday. But since I live in a small town, they have to deliver all the juices at once. I chose Pressed Juicery among others mainly because they have the cheapest shipping. Some companies charge you like $175 for shipping alone! WTF?! That's like the price of a 1 day cleanse program. Anyway, I received a big box of juice via FedEx  Priority Overnight service on a Tuesday morning. Pressed Juicery emailed me the tracking number the day before.  They also have a one day cleanse and a five day cleanse available. 

It came in an insulated packing container with ice packs. I scheduled it on days I didn't have to work so I don't need to do much therefore I won't be tired and hungry. 

Aside from the tracking number, they also sent me an email on how to prepare myself for the cleanse which I didn't quite do because I'm stubborn. 

Six juice bottles were numbered in a specific order. I  had to drink it in order which actually didn't happen because there were a couple of times where I drank 2 bottles alternately for variety.  The fifth bottle was so freakin disgusting I never finished it. It was a mix of carrot, apple and ginger. it was too spicy for me. And also, the taste and smell of ginger lingers in my mouth I just really couldn't take it. I tried to not smell it when I drink it but it didn't help me at all. Yeah I know.. I'm such a baby. There were two other bottles that don't have numbers on them. The aloe vera water was supposed to be taken before sleep and the chlorophyll water can be taken all throughout the day.

They also advised me through email to tone down my usual workout activity which I didn't have any problem with since I hardly do it anyway. Yeah! I'm effin' lazy I don't know why! 

I thought I would be hungry and desperate on those three days but surprisingly, I wasn't. I wasn't even grumpy. I was just annoyed a couple of times when I saw Peter eating his big fat sandwiches shamelessly right in front of me. 

I also had occasional headaches while doing the cleanse but they said its normal so I took afternoon naps to ease it. I actually think that it's partly because I wasn't drinking coffee during the cleanse. That was my biggest challenge the entire time. A world with no coffee seemed unthinkable but hey, I survived.

On the third day, they emailed me again to give me instructions on how to break the cleanse. I love the results and I wanted to do it regularly from now on. Maybe every three months or something. I also felt so much healthier and better. No more bloating, less pimples and more energy for me. 

I made a promise that I will not eat pork from now on. I also want to limit my beef consumption to a minimum. Iw anted to stick to a veggies, fruits, seafoods and chicken. *crossfingers* I'm trying okaaay! 

Afternoon tea at Bosie

Just before we said goodbye to the Big Apple, I had to trick Peter into going to Bosie Tea Parlor.

I tried to stay away from Starbucks the whole time we were in New York because all the other coffee shops in NYC has something different to offer.

Maple and bacon and peanut butter and jelly macarons were so freakin awesome I want them all!

I almost died at the sight of this!

Aside from a wide array of delicious pastries they have, they also have lunch and dinner items like soups, salad, quiche, panini, cheese platters and tea sandwiches. They also have an afternoon tea service which has become my instant favorite. 

We picked a corner table at the back of the teahouse. The place was perfect for either a cozy chat with friends, and intimate afternoon tea date and even a relaxing 'alone' time with myself. 

Freshly brewed pot of oolong tea for me and a cup of cappucino for Peter.

We also got an afternoon tea tray for two. Happiness!

Everything  was so yummy! I couldn't believe one could fit heaven in a three tier afternoon tea tray!

First tier had three kinds of tea sandwiches which were all oh so delicious by the way...Made to order cucumber with cream cheese and dill on white toasts, smoked salmon with red onion, lemon zest and cream cheese on pumper nickel and my favorite chicken breast with golden raisins and curried mayonnaise on multi grain.

Second tier had four macarons of my choice. I picked salted caramel of course, peanut butter and jelly, vanilla cheesecake and coffee. It also had four mini loaves of European tea cakes. Lemon, matcha tea, candied fruit and chocolate. Carb overload!

Of course I saved the best for last. Four petite scones topped with crunchy sugar pearls served with cream and homemade raspberry jam. I ate all the scones of course. Oh I so loved it! <3

Peter didn't mind because he's got all the leftovers boxed up. Oh how cute! 

Food Porn Action in New York City continues..

I had to force myself to finish up this post. I've been awfully busy this past few weeks with graduation, house hunting, loan processing and all that. Anyway, I finally made the time to finish my NYC posts. 

Our second day in New York involved a lot of walking, map reading and more importantly.. eating. We got hungry while walking around East Village and I wanted to come back to Krystal's Cafe 81 to feast on Filipino foods. Unfortunately, it was closed that day. I can tell by the looks on Peter's face that he's rejoicing about it. He's not a fan of restaurant repetition. So we walked one block and saw Virage which serves French/ Italian/ Middle Eastern cuisine. 

I saw  Boeuf Bourguignon on the menu and instantly remembered Julia Child so I just had to get it. The beef was slowly cooked with shallots, mushroom, red wine, thyme and served with mashed potatoes and haricot vert. 

Peter got Spinach Fettuccine with grilled chicken, roasted tomato, cream and shaved ricotta. 

After a couple of drinks, we went on wandering around East Village, Soho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Wall Street. That was a hell lot of walking and subway. Subway system is horrible if you're not familiar with it.   I spent most of the time fumbling through my phone for directions. Good thing there were good NYC subway apps available. 

We then went to see Evita on Broadway. That was fun! I have not seen a play in awhile and I didn't even realize how I miss theater until I watched Evita. I loved every minute of it!

I loved our spill proof Jack and Coke and Malibu and Pineapple although we have to pay 30 bucks for 2 drinks. I also loved Ricky Martin's performance. He has this certain charisma that just captures you. Totally hot I'm not gonna lie. 

We had dinner at Mr. Robota Grill and Sushi Bar after the play. They have exceptional sushi menu which of course also comes with exceptional prices.

We ordered Mallard Duck Breasts and Foie Gras with caramelized apples and drizzled with warm strawberry sauce  for appetizer. Every bite screams calories but it's totally worth it!

We also tried out their special maki rolls. I got New York New York for myself. It has spicy tuna, macadamia nuts, toro scallion and avocado wrapped in seared tuna and topped with wasabi cream cheese, eel sauce and a rice cracker. 

Peter had Dreams Come True for himself. It has lobster tempura, caviar, coconut, mango and avocado, wrapped in orange soy-paper and topped with wasabi cream cheese, yuzo miso and sriracha. Dreams come  true indeed!

There was one item on the menu that caught my eye but I wasn't able to order it coz I won't have room for sushi if I did. They have a soup called Foie Gras Cappucino. It sound weird and intriguing. I'll have to try it next time.

At midnight we took out the car from the garage and drove around Manhattan. It's the only way you can drive around the city without losing your temper. We tried to see the Brooklyn Bridge Park but our GPS was having a dumb moment that time so we got lost in Brooklyn. on the way back, we stopped in at Gray's Papaya and ordered the Recession Special [two hotdogs and a 14oz drink] for our midnight snack.

I stopped counting calories and weighing myself for a few weeks after that. 

Disappointed in T Sushi

Last Sunday, we were wandering around State St. looking for a place to eat. A new sushi place called T Sushi caught our eye  and so we decided to try it out. WRONG MOVE. Aaahh.. 

I don't know how long this restaurant has been opened because I have not been to downtown in awhile but boy it's so disappointing. There were only five tables in the restaurant so anyone would think that they are capable of providing an acceptable customer service. There were two waitstaff, a hostess who also busses tables, a bartender, three sushi guys and a guy in the kitchen doing whatever it is he's doing. Pretty fine day huh?! 

So we ordered drinks. Even if we waited for our drinks by roughly 10 minutes after we ordered it, it was still the best part of our customer experience. Not because the drinks stood out but because it was less worse than everything else.

We ordered immediately when our waitress came back.  And then we waited.. and waited.. and waited.. and friggin waited! It's not even the worst part. Thew worst part was that the food was actually ready. It's sitting on the table waiting to be picked up by someone.

While the manager or owner or whoever was in charge was sipping his coffee by the bar. 

Oblivious to the fact that there were hungry people in the restaurant and tons of food waiting to be expedited. Unbelievable.

After 35 minutes of waiting, food finally came. I'm not gonna say a lot about it because it's mediocre. The 'volcano' (center) was too spicy that all you can taste were the sauces in it. It overpowered the flavors of everything else. The other two were bland. Period. 

It seems to me that you haven't quite figured it out just yet. I hope customer service improves soon. Takara, across the street has a very impressive menu and already has a local following. Sushi Muramoto which is a few blocks away has all you can eat sushi nights, an awesome menu and is frequented by all types of crowd even during Monday night. Sushi competition is tough in downtown. It takes more than fancy chandeliers to lure the crowd. 

Food Porn Action in New York City (part 1)

While everybody is busy working out to shred unwanted fats and achieve the perfect body for summer, I chose to defy the rules of society and packed on pounds. It was a four day feast in sugarland and calorie paradise. I don't regret it at all. I don't mind the extra five pounds. I don't mind my maxed-out credit cards. Oh well, not until the bill comes.

My first stop as soon as I got in NYC was a Krystal's Cafe 81, a little Filipino Restaurant in East Village. 

Photo credit: Google Images

Last time I was in New York, I had to go all the way to Queens to get a taste of some delicious Pinoy delicacies.

We finished up the Sizzling Sisig in seconds. Sisig is a staple in any drinking session in the Philippines. It's made up of pork's head and liver. It's broiled, fried with onions then served in a sizzling plate topped with raw egg, pork cracklings and chili. It's an appetizer best paired with beer but I ate it with rice. Hell, I eat everything with rice.

Peter tried Red Horse Beer. The only beer I like. He didn't care much about it though.

I also ordered Sinigang na Hipon for the main course. It's a shrimp dish boiled in sour broth with vegetables. The server brought it in a big bowl and two servings of rice in a separate plate to our table. With it also comes two small individual bowls and plates for both of us. While I immediately rolled my sleeves up and get down to business, Peter was more concerned about how much dishes are we using. I rolled my eyes in disbelief. He must have felt sorry for the dishwasher.

Since I don't come to New York very often, I didn't pass up the opportunity to visit Laduree. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's a popular macaron shop in Paris. They opened their first and only North American location in the Upper East Side last year.

Gazillions of macarons are displayed in the store window. I had to wait in line to even get into the store. Peter thought it was ridiculous to wait in line to get pastries. Not until he finished off most of my macarons.

I got two boxes. One with all the fifteen flavors and one with just salted caramels and pistachios.

I also bought financiers and madeleines. I overheard one guy asking one of the associates if they make it there fresh everyday. The lady said that everything is made in Paris and delivered to New York everyday.

We went to Sarabeth's Kitchen next. They have several locations all over Manhattan but we visited the one right next to Central Park.

Photo credit: sarabethspc.com

It was sunny and breezy so we sat outside.

Central Park Summer: vodka, watermelon liqour, sierra mist and grenadine

The cocktail menu was my favorite. They have an awesome list of drink concoction. I love their champagne cocktails too. I ordered Central Park Summer and Watermelon Crush (vodka, watermelon liqour, pineapple juice and OJ) for starters. Yes that's right. For starters.

Cream of tomato soup topped with cheddar chives and basil oil.

Peter had the Flat Iron Steak Frites served with bernaise sauce and french fries. He paired it with some local tap beers.

I had the Pan Roasted Salmon served with fingerling potatoes, crispy leeks and sundried tomato vinagrette. Oh so yummy!

We also shared the Creme Brulee for dessert. I don't have pictures because we finished the whole thing before we could take pictures.

We were bloated by the end of it. But we didn't stop there.

Out and About in New York City

First on my to do list before summer is to get away, reenergize and get inspired. And boy we nailed it all in New York City. It was my second time and I was able to appreciate the city even more this time. Since I've been in the city before, I decided to skip most of the tourist attraction and just enjoy and absorb all the energy in the city.

One of the major things I absolutely love about the New York City is the architecture. All the buildings have its own unique character. We spent a lot of time walking from the Upper East Side, down to East Village, West Village, Soho, Chelsea and Downtown just looking at buildings and old houses. 

It's totally different from the Dells where every apartments or houses and even the cabinets are made the same way.

Peter loves fire exits. Weirdo.

We can't help but stop in our tracks and just stare at these buildings in awe. All the little carvings are just lovely.

We took a little break from walking when we reached Central Park. We sat on top of one of those ginormous rocks and watched kids play, lovers kiss and friends laugh. Life is beautiful. 

More walking on the second day for us. I was so in love with brick townhouses in New York. This one was in West Village. I wish to live here. 

The Saint Patrick's Cathedral is probably the most beautiful building in Manhattan. 

No wonder that the cathedral is visited by over 5 million people per year. St. Patrick's reminds me of  Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church both located in Manila. God I miss home!

We picked one spot in Times Square where we can just sit and watch people do whatever it is they do. We sat there for hours, barely talking, watching people pass us by. Very unproductive yet so much fun!