✧ O(h)

✧ M(e)

✧ G(a)

First of all anyone who really knows me is aware of my profound and undying love for Upbeet.  Ever since they opened on the West-side [insert gang sign throwing emoji here] almost a year ago, I’ve been a regular (read OG blog post here).  Since I live across 75 in Midtown, I don’t frequent it as much as I would like to.  Which is ridiculous because I’m like, only 10 minutes away. But since Ponce City Market, aka PCM if ya live in my ‘hood, and Krog Street are a quick walk or bike ride away, I tend to default to what’s in my 5-minute bubble.  

Lame, I know.

So lately I’ve been making a conscious effort to schedule dining dates with friends, colleagues or clients to go so I can get my regular fix.  And it makes me oh. mega. so. very. happy.  Did you catch that, me trying to be clever?  So I ordered the Oh Mega bowl then I referenced it above.  Great if you caught that but did you catch it at the top?  Or did you think, “ok so what’s up with the Oh. Me. Ga?” Originally I had plain ol’ O. M. G. and then I realized that Oh Me Ga is the bowl I chowed down on.  Ok, maybe it’s just me but I thought it was quite ✧clever✧…..

Anyway, where was I- back to Upbeet…. um, ok I love it.  Oh yeah and not just because the food is health, fresh and tasty -not necessarily in that order ‘cuz it’s hard to choose the order, per se, but also because I have leftovers to enjoy at my next meal.

My very first Upbeet experience, in case you didn’t click that link in the first paragraph but do(!), that was not (Hnat) the case.  AT. ALL. So if you’ve never been and go but don’t walk out with a doggie bag, don’t feel bad or judge yourself.  Enjoy the experience and accept that it happens to all of us.

Truth is, after practicing what I preach, the mindfulness piece when it comes to eating, I now stop when I am content.  Like I could eat more and I want to because the food is YUM, and I want to eat more, and I USED to eat more, but I don’t.  

The bonus to this is I have leftovers.  Not enough for an entire meal! But something to build on.  Get inspired by. Make a new meal.

Right here is where I would post the picture of the awesome salad I made if Apple would upload my recent pictures without picking and choosing… like I’m not paying enough for storage or something.  Pleazzze get on it Apple.  Everyone is dying to see what I created and you’re putting a big damper on my post here!

Currently I’m doing a low FODMAP diet (I tried once and the timing was wrong) and it’s definitely using a new part of my brain when it comes to mealtime.  Which is cool because I really got into a blah place hitting repeat on the same ol’ familiar foods that I was defaulting to. Which serve its purpose, no doubt, but I’m excited to shake things up again and be challenged!

So tonight I repurposed my leftover Oh Mega bowl (brown rice, quinoa, kale, watermelon radish, red cabbage, walnuts, hemp seeds, sustainable steelhead trout and miso ginger dressing) by adding in the following goodies I had in my fridge:

✧ green leaf lettuce

✧ curly kale

✧ red and yellow bell peppers

✧ kalamata olives

✧ coleslaw mixture of red cabbage, shredded Brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes and cucumber

✧ leftover brown rice pasta and veggies, cold

✧ pumpkin seeds (oh these are no ordinary pepitas, these coveted dark green nutritional gems were imported from Switzerland last year from our snowboarding trip and I have o.n.e. bag left BOO!)

✧ homemade dressing of hemp oil, coconut vinegar, mustard and a teeny drizzle of maple syrup (this is my default dressing and takes <90 seconds to make)

And there ya have it.  My 5-minute dinner secret.  How to turn teeny leftover lunch scraps from Upbeet into a scrumptious dinner that caused my hubs to be jealous.  You know you nailed it when you get that side-eye glancing-thing going at the dinner table.  Food envy… sorry babe, this is all mine.

Leftover luv,

xx Jennifer