Gluten free chili

On November 10, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Ok, Boston–I’m finally giving up the ghost and admitting that winter is around the corner. Cold weather always makes me crave one thing: a big, heaping bowl of chili. Chili is the ultimate comfort food for me since it was one of our go-to recipes growing up. The thing I love most about chili is just how dang versatile it is–we used to eat ours vegetarian so that we could have cheese on top (ah the joys of keeping kosher) but now I love my chili with some lean ground meat or turkey. I’ll share the basic recipe we’ve used for years, and then offer up some ways to alter it.

Note: I like my chili to be pretty thick–there will be no watery or soupy chili up in my house. This recipe makes a sturdy, hearty chili, but if you like a thinner/more soup-like texture, feel free to cut down on the rice (or quinoa, whatever floats your boat).

Chili a la David (this is what my mom’s recipe card says)

1/2 cup rice, 1 cup water

1 tbsp. oil

1 onion, sliced

2 tbsp. chili powder (for medium, 1.5 for mild or 3 for hot)

1 dash garlic powder

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 can kidney beans including the liquid

2 tbsp. white vinegar

Directions

Cook rice. Saute onions in oil and stir in cooked rice. Add spices and then beans and sauce. Put over low heat for 45 min or so, til it thickens up. Makes 3 small servings (we usually double it).

How easy AND affordable is that?? I bet you have most of the ingredients sitting in your pantry! This is the basic, vegetarian (and incidentally also free of gluten and dairy) version. Here are my tips, tricks, and additions if you want to get all fancy with it:

Dress it up! Serve with chips, cornbread, or a green salad. My favorite toppings are cheddar cheese (family favorite: Cabot seriously sharp), chopped scallions/chives, greek yogurt, or sour cream. The sky’s the limit–go crazy here!!
Topped with cheese and avo, and accompanied by cornbread, because YUM.
Add it in! If you’re cooking for kids or picky grown-ups, chili is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies. I’ve added sweet potato (pre-cooked), kale, peppers, butternut squash, zucchini, and spinach, but pretty much anything would work. Add them in close to the end of the cooking time so they don’t get too mushy.
Sneaking some extra tomatoes in (shh don’t tell)
Get spicy! The basic recipe tastes amazing, but I’ve tweaked it over the years to increase the depth of flavor and spice. I like to add a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes (perhaps my all-time favorite spice) while the onions are sauteeing. One of my GFFs suggested adding a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder–a definite “wow” factor if mole is your thing. Also, the brand of chili powder you use makes a big difference. To really treat yo self, try Penzey’s.
Pump up the protein! Adding meat into the recipe is a great way to switch things up. I recommend half a pound or so of ground meat of your choice. You vegetarians can also use fake meat crumbles and never know the difference, but keep in mind most brands are not gluten free. Curse you, Morningstar!
Get creative! Pretty much everything in this recipe is super replaceable. I’ve subbed the rice for brown rice or quinoa (or a mix) and used black beans, lentils, white beans, or light kidney beans as substitutes for the kidney beans.

Happy chili eating!

– Leah

Treat Yourself Tuesday: Tufts 10K for Women Race Recap

On October 21, 2014October 21, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized7 Comments

I know what you’re thinking–really, your weekly treat was a 10k?? Nope! I’m not that crazy–races are tough, but this one was filled with new-to-me before and after treats I’m psyched to share. Here’s a recap of my treatful race day! (And click here to read Becky’s fabulous blog and learn more about #treatyourselftuesday.)

9:00 a.m. Wake up. A race that doesn’t start before 8:00am? HURRAH!
9:30 a.m. Make pancakes. I tried this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie and they were amazing! Cakey, not too sweet–yum. Excuse the weird color due to the fact that I used frozen blueberries. Do not excuse the banana slices and generous maple syrup drizzle. Yum!
11:15 a.m. Arrive at my friend R’s apartment to pin on bib numbers and tag team over to the race. In-depth discussion of outfit options. Change into tank top.
11:50 a.m. Wedge my way into the crowd at the 8:00 min/mile corral. Figure I can drop back when I need to.
12:00 p.m. We’re off!! Pass lots of people at the beginning and wonder whether they quite understand what the 8:00 min/mile corral means.
12:15 p.m. Feeling good, feeling speedy! I don’t have any timing devices on but I’m pushing a medium hard pace.
12:20 p.m. Someone is yelling my name. Clearly there must be another Leah. Someone yells my name again. My brother came over from his office and is cheering me on! Well, by cheering, he’s mostly just yelling at me to go faster.
12:20-12:30 p.m. More “encouragement”–he paces me around the halfway mark (in jeans, mind you) and points out girls I should try to pass. Lots of cell phone pictures ensue. Take down a couple of speedy ladies. Peer pressure FTW.
Oh hey Boston!
12:30 p.m. Damn you side cramp! SO close to finishing! Take teeny tiny walk break and attempt to breathe.
12:40 p.m. Pick it back up and haul it on home. High five Joan Benoit Samuelson! Finish in 49:46 with an average pace of 7:51–my fastest average in a race ever, by 8 seconds!!
Stolen photo alert. My favorite part is the girl giving me the stank eye.
1:00 p.m. Load up on free treats which are ALL GLUTEN FREE. I was so happy I had to arrange them into a smiley face when I got home 🙂

1:30 p.m. Find my speedy friends.
2:00 p.m. Wrap it up with a Sweetgreen salad. I was too hungry to stop for a pic, but their new menu is fabulous. I had the Harvest Bowl with added brussels sprouts… om nom.

Overall, this was a great race! It attracts a nice range of runners, so there’s a spot for everyone. The course is flat and fast, and the event is well organized–nice t-shirts, lots of water stops, good food at the end, etc. If you’re looking for a challenge beyond a 5k, this is a great one to start with. Keep an eye out for next year’s race at here!

10350523_10100381244624518_7335028303524707023_n — PRs all around for these gals! Fun fact: I am the only person in this photo who is not a future doctor.

Have you ever run a 10k? Or an all-women’s race? Hope you had some great treats this week!

Leah

My first #thinkingoutloud Thursday: why I love yoga!

On October 16, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Happy Thursday to all! I’m super pumped to be linking up with Amanda for my very first #thinkingoutloud Thursday.

Thinking-Out-Loud2 — Check out Amanda’s awesome blog at http://www.runningwithspoons.com/!

I want take a minute to tell you about my yoga class last week. It was one of the best I’ve ever been to.

It was, at times, gut-wrenching (both literally and figuratively), volatile, joyful, insurmountably difficult, and supremely tranquil.

In the course of 90 minutes, I felt:

Strong and confident: I got this, easy peasy lemon sqeezy. I’m the queen of the yoga mat and quite possibly also the entire world. Almost immediately followed by…
Humble: I’m trying to do something I never in a million years thought I could even attempt. I’m no where near being able to do it. But then I was…
Elated: I just did something incredibly challenging for the first time. It was terrifying, but I overcame my own fear. And I never could have done it if I wasn’t…
Utterly supported: I don’t just mean supported by my teacher’s hands, I mean supported by a room full of people who want each other to succeed. Strangers and friends alike. Even though at times I couldn’t help but be…
Disappointed: There are things that just weren’t going to happen yesterday. I couldn’t be more proud that I tried them, but they weren’t in the cards. So I had to practice some…
Acceptance and forgiveness: Which led me to the end of class. An extra long shavasana, during which I felt…
At peace: Utterly, totally, and completely. With myself–what I did, what I didn’t do, and the limitless bounty that is what I have yet to learn.
Doing mountain pose on a mountain! Ommm.

I have a lot of competing demands in my life right now, and every day is a little obstacle course of challenges. I have moments when I feel (and swing wildly between) these emotions every single day. And that, ladies and gents, is why I love yoga. It teaches me to feel deeply, forgive readily, and move forward with courage and resolve.

What makes you love (or hate) yoga? Does your exercise routine help keep the rest of your routine in check? As always, I would love your thoughts and feedback!

Namaste,

Leah

Eat out, gluten free, anywhere!

On October 7, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized5 Comments

Like most social media lovin’ foodies, when I have a fabulous meal at a restaurant, I love to share it. Isn’t that what Instagram is for, after all?? (Follow me here if you want to see all of my daily adventures @leahohh!) Today, however, I’m going to give you a much broader sense of the types of restaurants that usually are good choices for us gluten free folks. I’ll throw in my personal Boston recommendations, but hopefully these tips can help you out wherever your lives and travels happen to take you!

Salads: I have very mixed opinions about this, but if you don’t have much of a say in where you’re eating, the salad section of the menu is your best bet. No, I’m not a health nut all of the time, and yes, it sometimes makes me viscerally angry when my only option at a restaurant is to eat rabbit food. I run a lot, which means I’m hungry a lot. Heck, I’m hungry anyway. I do not want to be the girl miserably gnawing on lettuce while you chow down on your chicken fingers and fries (or soft and doughy pizza, or drippy cheesy panini… anyway, I digress). But sometimes you do what you have to do and order salad. I officially give you permission to chase that salad with a giant ice cream covered in hot fudge. You’re welcome. MyGFBoston recommendations: Sweetgreen or Life Alive (duh) or my recent discovery: this Cambridge Commons breakfast salad.

It's still health food even if it has bacon on it, right? — It’s still health food even if it has bacon on it, right?

Mexican: Great Mexican restaurants abound in Boston, and lucky for us, they tend to have lots of amazing naturally GF options. In fact, once you get over the fact that you can’t have a burrito, you’ll notice that Mexican menus tend to be mostly GF–from corn tortillas, rice, beans, veggies, and meat to guac, salsa, and cheese, these are some safe menus! When can we ever say that?? So vamanos a los restaurantes mexicanos. MyGFBoston recommendation: The Painted Burro, or these glorious nachos from Sunset Cantina.

Mmm nachos and margs... — Nachos and margs, my favorite game day treat

Restaurants with gluten free menus: Before you go smacking your forehead and giving me a big ole DUH, let me explain. There is nothing in the world as glorious as being handed a separate gluten free menu when you didn’t know there was one. Of course, having a GF menu doesn’t necessarily mean that things are safe to eat (frustrating but true) but it is a great starting point. Especially if you know you’re super sensitive, take care to call ahead of time and ensure that separate utensils and prep areas are being used. MyGFBoston recommendation: Zaftigs or Not Your Average Joe’s.

That would be my pre-dinner roll and a giant puddle of olive oil and cheese.

Sushi: Sushi is a quick and healthy option, and as long as you steer clear of anything breaded/tempura-ed or anything that comes with sauce on it, it’s pretty much naturally gluten free. Soy sauce, however, is not! So bring your own (I love Little Soya!) or ask–sometimes they’ll have some around. MyGFBoston recommendation: Oishii Sushi or Genki Ya.

I hope these tips help you the next time you’re trying to decide where to eat out! Are there any other kinds of restaurants you’ve found to be particularly GF friendly? Other Boston faves?

On music and exercise

On September 18, 2014September 18, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized3 Comments

A huge part of my healthy gluten free lifestyle is keeping myself fit and happy from the inside out and from the outside in. For me, this means exercising 5-6 days a week. If you asked me six years ago if exercise was an important part of my life, I probably would have laughed in your face. I was hitting the gym once or twice a week, where I’d cruise on the elliptical or struggle through a pilates class. And I’d follow that class up with a couple of gluten-full beers and a plate of pasta from the dining hall. No wonder I wasn’t feeling great! Today, I’ve run six half marathons and I get cranky if I don’t get to the yoga studio 2-3 times a week. I feel amazing, and as a bonus, I finally lost that lingering college weight!

Part of what helped me make exercise a real part of my life was canceling my gym membership. I’m not anti-gym, but I am anti-exercise-that-isn’t-fun-and-doesn’t-make-you-happy. (I’m also anti anyone who is anti trying new things, so please don’t tell me you “can’t run” or “can’t do yoga” if you haven’t given it a fair chance.)

Personally, I plain old didn’t like going to the gym. I do enjoy yoga, and as it turns out, I really really like being outside. Whether I’m hiking, walking, running, x-c skiing, or downhill skiing, give me someone to chitchat with and some fresh New England air and I’m a happy camper.

As easy and breezy as that sounds now, it has taken me a while to get to this point–and I’m not ashamed to say that music is one of my biggest motivators. I love popping in my headphones and cruising down the Charles River bike path with my Spotify playlists blasting. I also learned to love yoga to the beats of Erica and Caitlyn’s fabulous hip hop yoga yoga classes at Back Bay Yoga. Nothing distracts you from the sweat dripping down your face 65 minutes into a killer vinyasa class like Jay Z, #amiright?

Something funny happened recently, though–I started to find the music distracting. And not in that fabulous, makes-the-time-fly-by kind of way, but in the irritating, I-can’t-find-my-rhythm kind of way. Both during my yoga practice and my runs, I’m starting to work on dropping into the groove and listening to my body and breath instead of the music. It’s a funny mindset switch for me. I LIKE listening to music while I work out–I know lots of hardcore runners and yogis who are morally opposed, and I have no such problem. But I also like that I’m at a place where I’m not using the music as a crutch. Also, I’m hoping this will help me pace my runs a little bit better and work on running not just farther, but faster. Maybe even a full marathon someday. I still let loose with the occasional hip hop yoga class, and I’ll likely plug in for my longer runs, but in the meantime I’m going to work on listening to my body, my breath, and the sounds of my favorite city. I’m pretty excited about it.

Crossing the finish line of my first half marathon without headphones!

Do you run with headphones in? What kind of music gets you through your toughest workouts? What’s your stance–is music a crutch, a necessity, or a nice added bonus?

It’s my birthday and I’ll eat what I want to!

On September 14, 2014September 14, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hello friends–and greetings from the land of being in your late twenties! That’s right, I’ve reached the ripe old age of 27, and now that I’ve reached the age of wisdom I think I know what birthdays are all about: eating delicious treats all week long!

Props to my friend C for getting me the best birthday card ever.

Despite the fact that I just started classes and a new job, I did 27 up right. My actual birthday was on a Wednesday, so rather then hauling the crew out on a weeknight I requested a family sushi making party. We’ve been making sushi for years, and I have to say we do a bang-up job.

It’s definitely a little bit time-consuming but making sushi at home is actually pretty easy–keep an eye out for my super simple sushi tutorial in an upcoming post! Plus it saves you a TON of money versus going out, and you’re able to be 100% sure everything is gluten free.

More of the feast, featuring tuna, cuke, carrot, and scallion.

We capped things off with a couple of bites of an assortment of gluten free cupcakes from Treat Cupcake Bar. I loved that they make so many flavors gluten free–although the red velvet were a little bit dry and pasty. I highly recommend the oreo cookie and the pumpkin pie!!

After taking a day to digest, I had some friends over for wine and cake on Friday night. Basically I wanted an excuse to play around with the recipes in my new America’s Test Kitchen How Can It Be Gluten Free cookbook. I’ve been craving a good carrot cake, so I dove right in.

Can we finish taking pictures so I can dive headfirst into this cake??

Damn, was it fantastic! Moist, not too dense, sweet, and covered in cream cheese frosting–just the way I like it. I had heard great things about the ATK book and it didn’t disappoint.

All in all, it was a fabulous birthday week filled with great eats! How do you celebrate your birthday? Is everyone as food-focused as I am? Is anyone else as super impressed with the ATK cookbook as I am??

No more pity parties: how to be a great gluten free guest

On September 7, 2014September 7, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized3 Comments

The number one biggest gluten free challenge for me is what to do when I get invited over to someone’s house for dinner. I understand and value what a lovely thing it is for someone to welcome me into their home to break (hypothetically gluten free) bread. I love the intimacy of sharing a home-cooked meal. In our hyper-rushed culture, it’s so special to share a relaxed meal and to linger over it for as long as you want.

The trouble here is that when someone goes out on a limb to have me over, the very last thing I want to have to do is to tell them what to cook and how to cook it. It feels intrusive and critical. In my experience, however, I have found that most hosts appreciate the heads up and are happy to be accommodating. If it’s not someone I know very well, I’ll admit that I dread having to make the request. After stumbling through a few faux pas, my advice is to ALWAYS say something beforehand. If you don’t, you’ll more likely than not end up having to explain to the entire group what happens to you when you eat gluten (gross) and the host might leave the table to make you a separate meal (awkward). Better to face the music beforehand! If you’re nervous, here are my top tips:

Offer to bring something. This is a perfect way to bring up your dietary needs to the host in a constructive manner. Even if they decline, they’ll know what your needs are and be able to accommodate appropriately.
If it’s not a sit-down dinner, bring a snack or eat beforehand. If you’re going to a party where there will be apps and drinks, often your best bet is just to come to the party full. There might be some crudite, nuts, or something else GF, but at least for those as food-focused as I am, better safe than hungry! This is especially important for events (like weddings) with passed appetizers, which tend to be heavily breaded/fried.
Use your GFFs (gluten free friends): If you don’t feel comfortable telling the host yourself, have someone else do it! This isn’t copping out, this is asking for help from those who you love and rely on. If you’re attending an event with a significant other, family member, or friend, feel free to ask them to reach out to the host for you.

It’s definitely an ongoing challenge. What do you do when you’re eating at someone else’s home? Any other tips and tricks that work for you?

Treat Yourself Tuesday: Gluten Free in Berlin, Krakow, and Prague

On September 2, 2014September 2, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized6 Comments

Happy Tuesday! I’m dedicating my second #treatyourselftuesday to my biggest treat of the summer: my trip to Europe. Click here to read Becky’s fabulous blog and learn more about why she believes in the power of treating yourself every week. Happy to be linking up!

We celebrated my last summer of “freedom” (aka no grad school) with a week and a half of vacationing and adventuring. The trip was incredible, and thanks in large part to my exhaustive (anal?) pre-research, I got to treat myself to some of the local cuisine safely and gluten freely.

1) Stop number one: Berlin! The most surprising thing about Berlin, for me, was just how much of an international city it is. People like to compare it to Brooklyn–the city is stuffed to the gills with hipsters from all over the world, cute coffee shops, clubs, hole-in-the-wall bars, and brunch places. But if you’re looking for German food, German culture, or even German people, Berlin isn’t the place. That said, it is a fascinating city and definitely one I hope to come back to.

Late night at one of the cute local bars in Prenzlauer Berg — Late night at a cute local bar in Prenzlauer Berg

Due to the influx of trendy ethnic food and English speakers, it was super easy to navigate around the food scene. We had fabulous tacos and margaritas at Santa Berlin, which clearly marks all of their gluten free options right on the menu. A great, affordable choice for a dinner out–just be prepared to wait a bit for a table.

Since we had so many sights to visit, Berlin was a great place to grab groceries and store them in our Airbnb kitchen.

Healthy breakfasting at our Airbnb home! — Healthy breakfasting at our Airbnb home

We stopped by LPG Biomarkt (there are a bunch of locations around the city) for groceries and it had a GIANT gluten free section. Their bread and granola lasted me all the way to Prague.

2) From Berlin we hopped on a quick flight over to Krakow. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but Krakow was a truly lovely little city and a pleasure to explore. In addition to a finding a shocking number of gluten free eats, some pretty magical things happened in Krakow: J and I celebrated our second anniversary and I officially accepted a new job. Can’t really complain! Onto the eats…

We got to the city late and were pretty ravenous, so we followed our hostel’s recommendation to a salad bar called Chimera. While it wasn’t a salad bar in the traditional serve-yourself American sense, the food was fresh and plentiful… and they had gluten free cake on display! I knew good things were in store. The next afternoon, we had amazing potato latkes with mushroom sauce at Cafe Mlynek, a vegetarian joint in the Jewish district.

Our anniversary dinner at Pod Baranem, however, absolutely blew me away. I had done some research on this one and it exceeded all expectations. The gluten free menu was extensive, the service was absolutely impeccable, and the traditional Polish food was DELISH (and very reasonably priced)! I didn’t take many photos since we were busy celebrating but these pierogies were probably the best thing I ate in Europe.

Pierogies--filled with beef, cabbage, and potato! NOMS. — Pierogies–filled with beef, cabbage, and potato

Don’t skip Restaurajca Pod Baranem if you’re in Poland!

3) Our last stop in Europe was in Prague.

I was last in Prague 14 years ago, and it was such a treat to be back in such a magical city–especially since we got to visit my wonderful great aunt on her home turf.

J, Mom, Dad, Aunt V, and me! — J, Mom, Dad, Aunt V, and me

Finding food in Prague was a little bit tricky–the city just hasn’t seemed to embrace the gluten free trend the way that Krakow and Berlin have. Regardless, I dragged the crew to Švejk Restaurant U Karla, where I treated myself to a traditional Czech goulash with dumplings and a Celia Lager (my new favorite gluten free beer).

Overall, I had a fabulous time in Europe–the trip was a treat in itself, filled with lots of gluten free treats!

The BEST gluten free beer!

On August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized1 Comment

I’ve been a bit radio-silent on the blog front recently–for several reasons. Life has been pretty hectic recently: I moved, accepted a new job, and am starting grad school in a couple of weeks. On top of all of that craziness, I just happened to have a 2 week international vacation on the books. On top of THAT, part of the vacation (and the impetus for it) was my very dear friend’s wedding in Israel.

Still with me? To recap: new home, new job, new school, and a huge trip to a potentially war-torn area of the globe.

Putting aside all of the crazy new and exciting life things for a minute, let’s focus in on my vacation adventures. First and foremost, clearly I am home and safe. Thankfully there was a cease-fire in effect the entire time we were in Israel, so everything went off without a hitch. And we had a wonderful time during the first two thirds of our trip, which we spent in Berlin, Krakow, and Prague.

Barring a few mishaps and challenges, I ate and drank my way through Europe and Israel like a gluten free queen!! While I’ll chronicle my eating adventures in at least a couple of upcoming posts, I wanted to shout out my most important discovery: I found THE BEST gluten free beer. Hands down. I was diagnosed with Celiac at 21 and I’ve tried em all: Dogfish Tweason’ale, Omission, Glutenberg, Redbridge, Bard’s, New Planet, Trader Joe’s NGB, Estrella Damm Daura, etc., etc… and this one takes the cake.

To back up: J and I spent our second anniversary exploring the beautiful little city of Krakow.

Sunset in Krakow's main square — Sunset in Krakow’s main square

I was a little bit nervous to be somewhere slightly off the beaten path–which generally makes it tricky to find things that I can eat. Boy, was I ever wrong! This gorgeous little city was bursting with gluten free gems. When I saw this sign I knew good things were coming my way.

Enter: Celia Lager, from the Zatecky brewery in the Czech Republic. (Sidenote: it is apparently brewed in a castle. Yes, a magical castle that brews gluten free beer. I want to go to there!) The beer was light, crisp, refreshing, and tasted GOOD–none of the metallic, sour, or vegetable-like edge that other gluten free beers have.

Apparently I was so excited I forgot how to pour beer.

It even got two thumbs up from J and from my dad–I sometimes bring in ringers to see if something actually tastes good or if it just tastes good to me since I can’t really remember what gluten-ous foods taste like.

Ladies and gents, this one is a winner. I found it again in Prague and happily slurped down another bottle. So here’s the challenge: while the delicious treat is all the rage in the UK, the interwebs seem to be telling me it’s not available here in the US. Why oh why, Celia?? We need you here–big time!

Do they need a spokesperson? I think I would do an excellent job!

Does anyone know where I can find this wondrous beer stateside? Have you ever tried it? What’s your favorite gluten free beer?

My first Treat Yourself Tuesday: NYC edition!

On July 29, 2014 By shorterandfasterIn Uncategorized3 Comments

I’m super excited to be linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Becky from Olives n’ Wine, for my very first Treat Yourself Tuesday!

I’m cheating just a little bit because these treats are from a couple of weeks back, but I had such a wonderful treat-filled girls weekend of gluten free fun in NYC that I can’t resist sharing it.

We kicked things off with an out-of-this-world incredible meal from Del Posto. Since it was a couple of days after my GFF E’s birthday, we wanted to go all out and celebrate with a super fancy shmancy lunch. From the live pianist to the extremely attentive (and maybe just a touch over the top) service, Del Posto didn’t disappoint. While my lamb was a teensy bit too salty, the gluten free focaccia and pumpkin tortellini were mind blowing. They brought us some fabulous little extras in between courses and the cocktails were delish. It’s definitely a splurge, even for lunch, but absolutely worth it.

After lunch we walked it off with a much-needed stroll on the High Line and then met up with friends in Central Park for a free NYC Philharmonic concert. The lighting was gorgeous and I think about half of Manhattan came out to join us–it was packed!

Saturday we kicked things off with an obligatory brunch at The Grey Dog, where I had to snag a gluten free blackberry muffin and a giant iced coffee with almond milk. Not gonna lie, it wasn’t my first or last iced coffee of the weekend… #treatyoself.

The rest of the weekend continued with lots of strolling, a stop to refuel with cupcakes at Tu-Lu’s, manicures, and a phenomenal performance of Matilda!

I’m a huge musical theater nerd, and I was blown away by the cast, score, set design, and music–it was a spellbinding couple of hours. I also appreciated how closely they stuck to the plot of the original Roald Dahl novel, which was one of my favorites growing up.

Before our bus on Sunday, we grabbed a green smoothie at Westerly Natural Market which had one of the most extensive selections of gluten free goods I’ve ever seen. They were pretty pricey, but I got some microwaveable Annie’s and granola bars on mega sale.

I love how easy it is to zip down to NYC for the weekend, and it was so wonderful to catch up with friends old and new. New York is such a mecca for gluten free deliciousness–can’t wait to be back soon!

Did you get a chance to treat yourself this week? Any favorite gluten free spots in NYC?

	Laura Norris on Race Recap: Charles River…
	Leah O – Charl… on Race Recap: Charles River…
	Race Recap: Charles… on The Boston Marathon that broke…
	HoHo Runs on TNF Endurance Challenge Race R…
	thisrunnersrecipes on TNF Endurance Challenge Race R…

Shorter and Faster

Author: shorterandfaster