Italian for Corkscrew

Tonight, a few friends and I went out to Cavatappo, my favorite Italian restaurant in the city. Luckily, it happens to be 2 blocks away from my apartment and very cheap — we’re talking $8.50 for a plate of homemade pasta. Had a very tasty shrimp risotto (a daily special). I’m sure I’ll be back again soon!

Tokyo!

Went out to see the movie Tokyo! at CC Cinemas near Bloomingdales. It was a lot of fun! Very reminiscent of Paris Je T’aime. A few short “love stories” between the main characters and the city. Also, made me want to visit Japan, though I think I’d prefer Kyoto over Tokyo.

Speaking of all things Japanese, I’m really thinking about going to DC or the Cherry Blossom festival over my birthday weekend. Looks absolutely beautiful — hopefully I’ll have good weather!

Vegan isn’t a 4 Letter Word

OK. So I am coping with this no eggs/no dairy/no fun diet. This weekend I cooked rice for the first time (yes, it was Uncle Ben’s boil-in-bag, but it counts!) and have been eating a lot more guacamole and peanut butter. Yum! Here is a list of other things I want to check out that will make me happy:

1. Whole Foods’ organic/vegetarian/vegan departments
2. Baby Cakes NYC — vegan, organic cupcakery in the LES
3. Go to the movies — apparently all major chains have vegan popcorn

Any other suggestions?

The Reluctant Vegan

Found out last night that I’m allergic to cow’s milk (not lactose, but the proteins in milk – whey/casein) as well as egg whites. Not good news for a lactoovopesca vegetarian! I had some blood tests taken after getting hives and feeling sick after eating seafood. Turns out scallops and tuna had nothing to do with it…but I still don’t feel comfortable trying them again.

Anyway, I’m supposed to cut out dairy and eggs for at least a week, and see how I feel. Then I can slowly start re-introducing foods and figure out what I can eat. Can you even imagine living without cheese, ice cream and milk chocolate?

To Do:
1. Buy rice and beans
2. Figure out how to cook rice and beans
3. Check out vegan chocolate, cookies, soymilk
4. Stop pining for a Shamrock Shake

In Like a Lion

March certainly made its entrance! In such terribly cold weather, there’s really nothing to do besides eat oatmeal and hang out indoors. Luckily, Jamba Juice is giving away $1 oatmeal with this coupon until the end of the month. Last night I had the blackberry/blueberry combo, and I’m wondering if I should get banana tonight. That might be oatmeal overload.

Anyway, I’ve also spent a lot of time working on my website (and not venturing out into the arctic wilds of the Upper East Side). If you have the time/inclination, check my progress at www.lauramarch.com. I’d love to hear any suggestions on how to make it better!

Warm thoughts!

Confessions of a Shopaholic vs. He’s Just Not That Into You

It was a double-feature chick-flick weekend, with Confessions on Saturday and HJNTIY today. I hate to admit it, but I really was excited to see them (esp. HJNTIY). However, they both fell a little flat.

Confessions just had terrible timing, and I’m not sure many twentysomething girls could empathize with Isla Fischer’s character — even if we love her hair. When it comes down to it, we’d much rather pay our rent than buy the next hot Gucci bag. And I’ve worked in publishing (albeit online, across the floor from our magazine counterparts) for awhile now, and I can promise you the field isn’t nearly that glamorous. I’m pretty sure no Editorial Assistants, Associates or even Managing Editors make enough money to afford the lifestyles described in the plot. Probably because we can be replaced so easily.

I really did have my hopes up for HJNTIY, but it felt a little like an extended lecture. Perhaps it would’ve been more enlightening if I didn’t already believe in its message — if a guy acts like a jerk, he’s not worth your time.

Girls, I’m serious. If a guy acts like a jerk, he’s not worth your time. Wouldn’t you rather be reading a good book or watching Lost In Austen?