You may or may not know this, but today was National pie day. No not 3.14 pi day but national EAT pie day! It was just a happy coincidence that Danielle and I planned a pie bake off for our law school friends last night!

You may or may not know this, but first year classes in law school are organized into sections that you take all your first year classes with. Our section could have been renamed the baking section. Not only did one of our professors make bake us cupcakes but there were several people that would always show up to parties or class with pies, cookies, brownies, or best of all, cookie cake pies. You have no idea. It’s a wonder I managed to lose weight last year.

Anyways, Danielle and I, while on our baking bender, decided that we needed to have an official bake off to determine the true champ. I consider myself to be more or a cook than a baker because I like to be less precise in my cooking but I managed to make a chocolate cream pie from the Flour Cookbook.

I figured anytime I combined this…

you couldn’t go too wrong.

I mean really…

It turned out pretty well.

Confession: I was a lazy blogger at the pie party. There are no pie pics. Whoops. I will say that in addition to my pie we have Linda’s key lime pie, Rachel’s chocolate walnut pie, Danielle’s peach pie and her pear pie (which won!) and we had cupcakes and homemade pumpkin ice cream.

We also had vino which obviously always makes for a happening shin dig.

I did get a photo of Danielle and I. We dressed up as “Stepford Wives” complete with pearls and all!

I think we pulled off the look well. I wore pearls, j crew ruffle tank, white a line Ann Taylor skirt (bought second hand) and while heels from Nordstrum Rack and an apron from Antro.

Seriously. If you marry me, provide me with health insurance and pay my law school loans I promise to bake pie every day in return. Just kidding…… kind of.

In any case, it was a great party and I ate tons of tasty, delicious pie and had a fantastic time!

Happy Friday everyone! How is it going? I’ve had a great day. I got a good nights sleep, went to yoga where I was able to kick up into a headstand on my own. I was pretty psyched about it. Then I went to Trader Joe’s because grocery shopping is my favorite chore. Another great day in So Cal. I’m feeling so mellow and happy. I realize that I’ve had several posts gushing about how happy I’ve been recently, but I can’t help it. I am feeling great!

Last night I made a recipe from this months Real Simple, whole grain spaghetti  with garlickey kale and tomato. This was a quick meal and it had kale, which is a super food!

I started by cooking two portions of whole grain spaghetti (hell ya coupon from Whole Foods) and then got started on the sauce.

I sliced up 1/2 of a red onion and 2 cloves of garlic and sliced up 1 plum tomato. The recipe called for grape tomato but I didn’t want to have way too many tomatoes so instead I just sliced one plum tomato.

Then I sauteed the onion and the garlic in EVO with salt and pepper for 5 mins.

Once the onion and the garlic has cooked I added 2 handfuls of kale, sliced.

Look how green! I let the kale cook down for about 4 mins and then added the tomato to the mix and let it heat up for about 3 mins. I took the kale mix off the heat and combined it in the pasta in the pasta pot.

I also added a handful of slivered almonds, a tablespoon of pecorino. After mixing I served and topped with a little more pecorino.

Yum! Another light and delicious meal. I’m having a major red onion moment and I have to say that kale is quickly becoming my one of my favorite foods. Good thing too because its super healthy. I especially liked this pasta because it had some tomato in it but it wasn’t a full fledged tomato sauce.

Something to read: Monica at Run, Eat, Repeat’s husband wrote the Top 10 reasons to marry a healthy living blogger. I propose we change the title to “top ten reasons to date a healthy living blogger” and have it made into pamphlets to distribute to potential dates. Read it here!

Tomorrow I am hosting a bake off with my friend Danielle! I’ll be making a chocolate cream pie! Get excited!

Its been a long time since I’ve seared a scallop. Too long. That’s why I was happy when I got a recipe suggestion from my Mother. The apple doesn’t fall far from the foodie tree. I mean who doesn’t want a crispy leek? Its nice to be related to people who understand the importance of crispy leeks and their need to be shared.

This recipe is so simple, quick and healthy. Seriously, seared scallops sound so fancy but they take less than ten minutes to actually make.

I started by making the leeks. I used one stalk, only the white and light green parts. I cut off the “head” and “tail” and cut the leek length wise in quarters. Then I washed the leek.

I made sure they were toweled off and then I combined in a small bowl with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

After mixing I arranged on a baking sheet and cooked for 10 mins at 425 degrees, tossing occasionally.

Meanwhile I used the same mixing bowl I combined salt, pepper, basil, and garlic powder. I left out the flour (whoops). After tossing the scallops I cooked them with EVO for 3 mins on each side.

It was around this time that the leeks came out of the oven and the brown rice that I was making was about finished.

Yum! Let me tell you, crispy leeks are where its at. They have a delightful crunch without breading or frying. Almost like a better, different onion ring. Personally, while I love onions, I really like the milder taste of a leek. The only thing I would do differently in the future is use less salt. It was wicked salty. I’m still working on the $3 bulk brown rice (love you WF) and the scallops were fresh, light and super satisfying. I need to make them more often. They are so easy so there is no excuse not to make them more.

Did I mention that the leeks and the scallops were 185 calories? Yep. More reason to add scallops and crispy leeks to every meal. Who said healthy food can’t taste good?

Want to make this dish? Try it for yourself!

What is your favorite recipe that someone else shared with you?

Sorry for the blogger break. I’ve been having a rough time getting back into school mode. This semester is a little different for me because I have mostly afternoon classes. I’m still trying to figure out when I will work in runs, yoga, homework and blogging. I’m starting to get the hang of it.

One of the benefits is that I was able to go on a glorious run this morning. It wasn’t as hot as its been so it was basically the perfect running conditions. I ran a super speedy 4 miles and after I made an epic sandwich for lunch.

Lets break it down. There was 2 slices of sesame Ezekiel bread, spinach, red onions, avocado, carrots, and a small amount of brie cheese.

Let me tell you: the brie makes the difference. The red onion was also instrumental to making this sandwich amazing. Otherwise it would just be spinach.

This semester is looking better and better.

I feel like I bad blog Mom. I totally forgot my 1 year blog birthday! It was the 14th. Apparently I was too busy doing headstands to remember. Either way, happy birthday to me! I plan to celebrate by eating Chunky Lola Cookie Dough later tonight.

But in all seriousness, when I started this blog 1 year ago I had no idea that it would be such a big and wonderful part of my life. Through my blog I’ve been connected to an amazing community and some great people. I’ve been inspired to run longer than I ever thought I would run and I’ve challenged myself to cook things like homemade pasta and baklava. Here is to another great year of blogging!

Yesterday was truly a beautiful day.It all started with waffles with honey and a little bit of unsweetened coconut:

I have a ton of leftover coconut and I’m having a good time finding new ways to incorporate coconut into my diet. I’m thinking my next use will be a tropical smoothie.

After breakfast I went to the FM and then took a walk along the coast.

83 and sunny on January 15th. I love this city.

I made a friend:

See the lizard?

Then I explored a new to me LA landmark: The Brentwood Country Mart. You might know the Brentwood country mart because Sean Penn beat up a pap there about a year ago. I always run by it but I never go in so I decided to explore a little bit on my way home. I poked into some great stores including a wonderful book store which I will have to return to. Also, there clearly needs to be a stop at the Sweet Rose Creamery in the near future. I finally settled at Caffe Luxxe which I have read is one of the best coffee shops in LA according to Laist.

The interior of Caffe Luxxe is small, but very cute. There was literally no one there when I arrived which was mildly shocking for 10 am on Saturday. The menu is small and they are known for having great coffee so I didn’t mess around with anything fancy. I just got a non fat iced latte. The coffee is more costly than Starbucks but, in my opinion, it is much better than Starbucks and thus worth the price. Again, because there were very few people at Caffe Luxxe I was able to snag a shady study spot.

Remedies for security regulation fraud is boring (sorry to those who find it engrossing) but this latte was tasty and made the reading tolerable! One of the best lattes I’ve had in all of LA. With plenty of free parking I foresee this becoming a regular hang out for me.

Now I am watching the Golden Globes and tweeting about it. As you may know, I love award shows so this is kind of like a super bowl playoff game for me (we all know the Oscars are the main event). Hope your enjoying the show!

I have an announcement: Los Angeles is my happy place.

…and not just because it was 78 degrees today, sunny, and the beginning of a 4 day weekend.

LA is my happy place because no matter what is going on I cannot look outside and NOT be happy. This city just makes me feel so calm and at ease. I’ve literally never been this relaxed and satisfied in my life.

It also helped that even though I went out last night I still got to my early yoga class. There really is no better way to start a weekend. I was the only person in class (!) so I got extra attention and let me tell you, there was a lot of hip cracking.

And then I did this for the first time…

Source

No, that’s not me. And yes, I did this against a wall. But it was an exciting first. I don’t have killer abs because, lets face it, who has that kind of dedication to core work? Not me! Doing my first headstand was pretty awesome. I had a total yoga high after this posture and and amazing meditation. I felt like I was floating on air all day.

Yesterday was a beautiful day too! I went on a great 5 mile run. The sun was out and the miles flew by. After I come home and stretched out I put “blendy” to good use by making a green monster.

In the mix we have two handfuls of spinach, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a spoonful of Greek yogurt and pineapple.

So fresh and so green.

After chocolate milk, this is my favorite recovery drink. Literally, its like drinking a slightly sweet creamy salad. I feel like a green machine.

Speaking of green machine… another reason today was awesome? White wine orzo with kale, asparagus, and lemon.

I made a garlicky white wine sauce, like this. While the sauce was simmering I added asparagus and kale. Then I combined with orzo and topped with a little bit of squeezed lemon and Parmesan.

When I opened my fridge I really just wanted something light, fresh and veggie packed and this dinner totally delivered. And it only took about 10 mins. Kale is my new favorite add in for any pasta dish and when its cooked in the white wine sauce it loses a bit of its bitterness and tastes so good. It’s a super food don’t you know!

Phew.

and finally,  Amanda and Andy are doing What I wore this week and in its honor I present…

What I wore this week: Going Out Edition.

Yesterday night Danielle and I went to bar review at BLVD 3 in Hollywood. For those who don’t know, Bar Review is a bar event that the law school hosts every Thursday night. No Friday class obvious equals dirty gin martinis. For the occasion I dressed up a little bit:

Top: The bebe outlet for $8 because it had a button missing which I reattached. Great deal!

Bottoms: J Crew matchstick jeans

Earrings and necklace: Express

Clearly it’s all about the shoes…

Shoes: from Buffalo Exchange which, like, the best place on earth for bargains. I got an INSANELY (read: 100’s of dollars) marked down Catherine Malendrino dress with the tags still on today. Love.

And that is that! I’m still rocken’  a yoga high from class and I am looking forward to a nice long weekend!

Do you have any weekend plans? Do you have a long weekend?

Yep. I went there. Ha ha.

I have been dying to recreate this Moroccan tofu dish since last October when I went to the Nasoya Tofu event. You might remember that I downed about 9 spoonfuls and it ignited my liking of tofu. I would say love but let’s not lie, I’m still warming up to tofu. Anyway, the other night I remembered that Nasoya posts all the recipes on their website and I decided it was time to make Moroccan tofu.

It all starts with the sauce: honey, orange juice, cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper.

Saute carrot and onion in canola.

Mixed with golden raisins, green olives, and cubed tofu.

Add the sauce and simmer.

While all the tofu simmering was happening I made whole wheat cous cous. Why? Because it’s quick and easy. After letting it simmer I added the cous cous and served with raw blanched slivered almonds.

Reunited and it feels so good!

It was a bit weird eating this in a bowl and not off of a tiny spoon. It was also a little sweeter than I remember (I only have creamed honey so maybe that was the difference). The sweetness of the honey sauce is broken up by the raisins and the green olives. The almonds on top were crunchy and gave this dinner a little something extra. The tofu was small and, lets face it, drenched in orange and honey so what was there not to like?

You should make it too! Here is the recipe!

I was recently tagged for a Stylish Blogger Award by Kate and Madeline! Thanks for tagging me 🙂

And now I am supposed to tell you 7 things you probably don’t know about me! Here we go…

1. The first thing I ever “wanted to be when I grew up” was a meteorologist.

2. I was obsessed with US Weekly when I was in high school and I read it religiously every week.

source

3. My favorite book is “To Kill a Mockingbird” but I also love everything written by Jhumpa Lahiri, especially the Namesake.

Source

4. When I was in college I was on the Student Government Executive Board for two years. I served as Student Affairs Officer and VP! E board 06-07 and 07-08 represent!

5. My favorite TV show of all time is “Arrested Development”. I can reference it at the drop of a hat.

6. I didn’t strictly go to law school to become a lawyer. Crazy, I know. After working on social psychology and policy research surrounding race and education I wanted to go to law school to learn about critical race theory, civil rights, policy, government, and law. I love law and fully expect to practice but I also love government and policy. At heart, I still consider myself to be a social scientist and I want to have a long career crossing many different fields.

7. When I was in high school I once sneaked an entire lunch from Burger King complete with a large drink into a movie theater. I was a wild child.

Well, that’s that! I hope we all learned something new. I’m supposed to tag 15 bloggers but I feel like everyone I read has been tagged… but I will tag

Lea at Healthy Coconut

Melissa at Trying to Heal

Say hello to a new addition to the Left Coast Contessa kitchen…

It’s a mini blender! I am taking suggestions for a name. The most creative thing I could think of was “blendy”. Yep, because I’m uber creative. I’ve wanted a blender for a while but I don’t have that much room and I wanted to make sure I got a good deal. I research this one online and ordered it online from Kmart and was able to pick it up same day in store. Also, because I ordered and paid for it online it was 10% off. Major savings. The ability to pick it up in store is really nice because I hate paying for shipping.

This blender is only large enough for one drink. It only has one setting and the blender doubles as a to go cup! It can’t be used in a dish washer but hey that’s ok because I don’t have one.

I had a late class last night and afterwords I made a little pick me up: a pineapple ginger smoothie. I adapted this from this months Everyday Food. I love Everyday Food. It has great recipes and they print nutritional information. I combine frozen pineapple, crystallized ginger (for a tiny bit of added sweetness), unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a spoonful of Greek yogurt.

And I mixed it up!

Fantastic smoothie!

I love pineapple and I wasn’t sure I would be able to find it frozen but TJ’s delivered like it always does. The ginger gave the sweet pineapple a little bit of bite and the yogurt gave the smoothie a thickness.

I will be making this again and I foresee many more smoothies happening in the near future. I reallllllllly want to make a Green Monster. Maybe tomorrow after my run 🙂

There is another new addition to the blog!

Amanda and Andy have added a feature to their blog called What I wore this week. I’m a little shopping obsessed so I love the idea of doing a little fashion spot light. Sadly, unlike Amanda and Andy, I don’t have anyone to take a picture of me, you know, until I can teach Iz how to work a camera. But I still tried!

Top: Wilster (bought from Haute Seconds on Wilshire in West LA)

Bottoms: J Crew Matchstick jeans

Shoes: Michael Kors Silver Flats (bought second hand at the Buffalo Exchange in Westwood)

And now we all know whether or not my bathroom is clean! I like playing with proportions and pairing a loose top with a pair of skinny jeans.

Awesome idea Amanda!

I am beat! Hope you all had a good hump day 🙂