I have always lost weight while in relationships, not gained and after thinking on it and even asking others I’m still perplexed at where this idea comes from. Does being in a relationship really make you fat? And if so where is this happening? I’m looking at you Dr.Oz, tell me!

I haven’t posted the post, because well, I might disagree with my statements now, I may have to jump on the bandwagon and say that being in a relationship just MIGHT (might) make you gain weight.

It all depends on who you are dating…

In my unposted post I outline that yes you go out and dine more with a partner but I think you are more conscious of it. You share things like apps and deserts, and you wait to eat with no snacking as to not ruin your appetite, and after your big meal is done your ready for other after dinner activities. Your meals are more planned out. More timely. You and your partner plan to do lunch there for you don’t spend all afternoon eating a sleeve of puddings. You mix it up more, not ordering Chinese then eating the leftovers for 2days and then reordering Chinese. I don’t think a relationship is cool with splitting a muffin and a bag of left over movie popcorn for dinner, but when it’s 10pm and I’ve realized I haven’t eaten yet the muffin/popcorn combo works fine for me.

I’ve dated alot of guys who made comments about my weight, or my appearance. And yet at those times I was like half the size I am now. Maybe I’ve been more aware of it in the past cause the guys I was with made me so. Maybe them telling me I was fat or that I should watch my weight made me more conscious then the average. Made me in a sense not be the norm and actually lose weight while in a relationship.

Also I’ve dated a bunch of vegetarians, strike that I’ve dated way too many vegetarians! Now don’t get me wrong I love a big dinner salad, and get them all the time. And I don’t judge them for not eating chicken (for not eating bacon I do!)

Ok so maybe it’s not the vegetarian thing at all. Maybe it’s that I’ve dated alot of guys who overly care about their appearances and like their women to fit into a pretty little not over a size 8 box. In fact, I think that might be it. In fact, I’m sure of it.

Maybe all along not only have I been dating the wrong guys but my waistline has been too.

So here’s the thing: I love food! I eat. I try new things like I’m just experiencing them, cause alot of times I am. I grew up in a house where I don’t think salt even was/is present. Sugar kids cereal was the luxury, and there are no real restaurants around. When I went to undergrad University I slowly weaned myself back onto gluten and boy is gluten good! And tried things for the first time like chocolate milk!  I started traveling and experienced the pleasure of that. Cause the true test of being an adult is making the choice to only eat gelato for two days when in Rome.

And then I moved to NYC and the foodie in me was unleashed like a razor to Britney’s head. Add on top of that that American portions are bigger then my face, and I’ve falling in love with spice, butter, and meat. And although NY street meat has got nothing on Toronto’s it’s a hell of a city to fall in love with food in. Thus I started to gain alittle, or maybe a lot….

Maybe I just need to fall for the right guy too! Maybe my stomach has been on a hunt. A hunt not only for the perfect hotdog but well for the perfect “hotdog”. A hunt for a guy who introduces me to things called ”Combos” or “Popeye’s Chicken” and even “Pop Tarts”. A guy who makes me nachos for dinner and indulges in the idea that we each get a desert and share them.

A guy who likes me for me and even though I might be at the biggest I’ve ever been in my life by like 20 pounds, holds my hand while we walk for street side tacos at 2am, and tells me I’m beautiful as I have taco grease running down my chin….maybe falling in love with the boy who loves ‘All’ of me is something I can really sink my teeth into.

SIDEBAR: I hate hate hated the book Eat, Pray, Love. Gag me with a spoon!

Like most people I have my drink of choice. I’m a top-shelf gin and tonic girl, extra lime please. However, I love me a good (scratch that) great Mojito!

SIDEBAR: a Mojito is not supposed to be too sweet and when there isn’t a ton of sugar in them they are divine! I have been known to devour quite a few when the occasion arises.

So if you don’t know what a Mojito is that’s cool I’ll forgive you guys, all I will say is a major component is Mint. Yummy yummy crushed up mint.

Here is something I’ve always noticed and always commented on when out drinking Mojito.

I always get a stick! Now I’m sure getting a bit of stick attached to the mint steam has happened to lots of people. But this happens to me every single time. One drink after another, one bartender after another.

I always have this short piece of stick in my Mojito! Always!

Maybe it’s a sign of something. Maybe it’s Dionysus or some other drinking God alluding to facts unknown in life. Maybe my life has been one giant stick, or better yet maybe my dating life, my love life always seems wonderful, seems perfect, is much like a delicious Mojito but deep down inside is a shark little stick, a small flaw getting ready to pock me and bust the bubble.

And then again you never know. Cause about two months ago I went on a amazing first date, and in the spirit of being honest had about 5 (maybe 6) Mojito over dinner, and not one, NOT A ONE had a stick in them….

Hmmm… maybe it was a sign or something.

I order her cookies, and to this day her gingersnap cookies are the BEST gingersnap cookies I’ve had in my entire life (don’t tell my grandma!) And considering they were allergy free (no soy, no eggs, no nuts, no dairy, and yup no gluten) that says a lot!

Since then I’ve made orders, made a suggestion for a new flavor (cranberry orange) that were also very amazing, or should I say much better then the cranberry orange cookies I’ve made.

I have always kind of prided on myself on my ability to bake great tasting allergy free cookies, but after having Elizabeth’s cookies, I never wanted to feed people mine again! I couldn’t hold a torch to her.

Betsy & Claude Baking Co. is no longer making the cookies I love to order, but is now doing special event catering! It makes me want to meet a nice boy and get married just so I can have Betsy & Claude Baking Co. make a cake of amazing gingersnap cookies!

So if I can’t order the cookies, why would I pick this as my Something-Else Saturday you might be asking?  EASY!

Elizabeth is now an author! Her first cookbook dropped a few months ago. And I have been feverishly making my way through my copy.

Allergy-free Desserts is calk full of recipes of cakes, cookies, pie, bars, and even breads that will leave your taste buds satisfied, and even better if you happen to suffer from food allergies your body happy! (Plus a great glossary of ingredients, amazing photos, and little stories)

Because here’s the thing, you don’t have to have an intolerance or allergy to enjoy these foods, and just because you don’t doesn’t mean you should be scared to try them. TRUST ME gluten, egg, nut, soy, milk free deserts CAN taste good.  In fact sometimes they will be the best you have ever tasted! Plus, any doctor would agree that a gluten free lifestyle (or limited life style) would do your body wonders!

The cinnamon swirl rolls are these chewy amazing rolls of straight up GOODNESS!

The chocolate crinkle cookies were the first thing to go at the party I took them too.

I’m pretty positive the lemon ice box pie got me into a boys pants!

And I have a date with the chocolate zucchini cupcakes this week!

If you like to bake, know someone who does, or you need to add to your cookbook collection to impress girls with, this book is a must!

You can get this book  from Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble.

Also check out Elizabeth’s Blog for more great recipes and stories, and some great cooking videos on YouTube! She is also one of my oldest twitter friends, so check her out @AllergyFreeLife !

Happy Baking, and I’ll see you next Saturday!

It’s March. When did that happen? And to top that all off it is March 2010! Seems like only a year ago I was professing my love for Peeps on Twitter.

Note to self: Profess love for Peeps on Twitter.

The last few months have been busy. Filled with stress, heart breaks, and new exciting ventures. New people, new adventures, and being officially moved into my new apartment.

Not to self: Rethink all white bedroom, given my food/drink accident ratio.

Exciting changes and announcements are on the way here at LostPlum.com

It was not one of my New Years resolutions but I’m adding to that resolutions list to be better at not only posting daily but also responding to your comments and fun emails. I do try, and yeah, sometimes I just sleep in and watch Netflix’s all day.

But if you come here to my little site and find I haven’t posted in a few days you should do the following:

A: Send me mean emails telling me that the only excuses for not posting is my fat ass was busy getting less fat at the gym.

B: Get a life. It’s my blog, and I’ll post if I want.

C: I guess I twitter everyday so you could always just go there if you’re missing out on my amazing wit and charm.

Here’s too all the many  posts to come…whether they be good or not.

FACT: This is a throwaway lame ass post….I know. See bullet B: !

I just had to write about it.

1. I woke up smiling, and the sun was shinning in.  I live in NYC we all don’t have the pleasure of having sunny bedroom windows.  If I wake up to the sun it might be a miracle, but I love waking up to the sun so much! And on top of that I was just really happy when I woke up, but that may have been because I slept in, but that’s ok too.

2.  I woke up with really great hair, and even good bangs, this never happens.

3.  I found a parking spot right across the street. I literally moved the car from one side to the other.  SCORE!

4.  Hot Chocolate was my wakeup meal.  If you haven’t already noticed I’m a fan of the term “wakeup meal”. A wakeup meal is whatever you eat first upon waking up.  Because sometimes you wake up or eat way past breakfast time.  Hot chocolate in the morning is the way to my heart.

5.  I’m really positive about work right now. I may be behind on the billions of things I have to do, but I’m very positive about what is going on.

6.  Brace yourself for this one….I went to the gym! And Ieft with even better hair then I walked in with.

SIDEBAR: WOW…My hair looks great today!

All the men are buying vegetables: not buying fruit. (could be a good thing)

So being the engineer my parents wished  I had become, I came up with a game I like to call.

MAN BOWLING

Rules of the Game: take one piece of fruit and roll (bowl) it towards an attractive man, and try to get it as close to him (the pin) as possible. Upon rolling quickly and flirt-erly chase after the fruit! Giggling is encouraged!

If you look at my states from yesterday, the fruits with the highest probability of ‘scoring’ were round and rolled well (oranges, coconuts, lemons)

Also, this game allowed me a greater playing field, I didn’t have to wait for a man to walk by me, I could roll my orange from produce into the meat section or frozen section (depending on the store) very easily.   

Also, this game is much more physical then just dropping fruit; it combines food and sports (2 of the best things ever!) 

SIDEBAR: If you are going to act like a foul and drop fruit to pick up men, you might as go for it and throw fruit allover the place to reach the really cute one way over there!  

FACT: The funny thing is, I’ve never really been bowling.  Unless, you count the tiny ball, more pins, I’m not an American bowling.

* This game is not to be confused with MAN-BASEBALL, the chances of getting a date out of that, aren’t as high….. believe me!

One woman asked a question about specific places, and techniques to meet men. One of the “men” answered with this technique and place for meeting men: Go into the produce section and when you spot a good-looking man drop a piece of fruit. If he picks it up start a conversation, and if he doesn’t you don’t want him anyways.

FACT:  This is just ridiculous! And Simon Agreed! She also offered up a challenge, and I always up for a challenge agreed!

So over the last few days I have visited 4 WholeFoods stores (at different times and multiple occasions). I picked WholeFoods based on the fact that Boot Camp referred to it as an “organic” place to meet men, and I love a good lame pun!

SIDEBAR: The purpose of this adventure is to try the technique, thus, I used it on men I didn’t always find attractive.

At first it seemed just odd to be doing, but then, like any adventure I set out on, I found it to be fun, and a challenge, and at times maybe a little dangerous.

On the fist day at around 7pm a very nice employee at WholeFoods, came over to me out of concerns that I could not “hold onto” my produce.  He was concerned I needed help shopping, or even medical attention.  I assured him I was fine, bought my three pieces of fruit (he followed me all the way to checkout, carrying my fruit), and left and headed further downtown (with 9 business cards in my bag I might add!)

The next WholeFoods wasn’t as successful, and as I looked around thinking this was a bust, I notice another employ behind the meat/seafood counter. He was looking at me, and not in a good way.  He then game me that “come over here” motion with his finger.  I slinked over thinking, shit, I’m in trouble.

Him: What are you doing?

Me: Buying fruit, sorry, I’m clumsy.

Him: (gives me a stern look) You are much more attractive then the older woman who was trying that trick earlier!

(I laugh, what else was I to do)

Success = being asked for my number, and or being presented with a business card. Produce success:

Apple: 2 out of 18

Lemons: 13 out of 20

Coconut: 8 out of 9

Oranges: 13 out of 22

Mango: 4 out of 9

Potato: 19 out of 20 (boys are always buying potatoes)

FACT: I’m left with some bruised up fruit cause I felt bad and had to pay for it.

(reason #___why I’m single: No idea! I can drop fruit like the rest of them)

So as I watch it right now, and she is discussing the soon to be death of her cat. I’m thinking about the sadness that is my depressing  non-cat-filled life.

I’m watching TV on DVD which I’ve seen at least 5 times, eating cereal, and twittering while writing this.

(reason #___why I’m single: I think cereal is a food group on it’s own)

Now if these pictures were for her husbands eyes only why are they are her phone, who else is she showing them to (or sending them to) or why the fuck does she need to keep looking at her self, it’s called a mirror sweetie.  Anyways, I’m ranting off topic.  She has her pictures leaked because: SHE LEFT HER PHONE AT A MCDONALD’S!

really sweetie, come on now!

So now instead of taking the high road and responsibility for being well STUPID, the Sherman’s (Phillip is the husband) are suing McDonald’s for $3 million. They are blaming McD’s for their emotional distress.  $3million, seriously, I think McDonald’s has caused me emotional distress too! Like that time they gave me the girl toy when I clearly asked for the rocking transformer boy toy with my happy meal.  That was gender bias and discrimination….maybe I should sue them for say $500, I could use $500 right about now!

FACT: Anything digital finds it ways to the masses. Just watch any movie!

SIDEBAR:  Mother has always told me: “Even boys who love you will love money more. So never make a sex-tape or let them take pictures of you with your panties off”

FACT:  You know there was no “lost” cell phone, and they leaked it themselves!

Yet every once and a while you find out about a place, a seat, a show, a drink, a dish, or a desert that sounds just too good to be true. Thus, us New Yorkers drag ourselves down/up/out/in, and get the lowdown on what “people are talking about!”

Now after many absinthe adventure in Europe on many different occasion.  The thought of ordering an absinthe drink/cocktail just doesn’t do it for me.  I’ll pass it over almost every time.  

BUT one thing that has always got my heart racing and always will is candy!  I love me some gummi candy! 

So when I heard the phrase “absinthe” and “gummi bear” used in the same sentence.  I did my very best head turn and mentally took as many notes as my exploding mind could take at the time!

Let’s get this straight:

Absinthe Gummi Bears! (Yup that’s right…..let’s say it all together!)

So of course being the the gummi freak, the booze nut, and food lover I am, I was already planning an adventure to TAILOR in SoHo.

(Let’s forget the venue junk and get right to the good stuff)

Like all good drinking excursions moderation is the key! And in keeping with that, nestled right next to a warm cup of espresso sitting on my spoon was my Green Gummi Bear God (a God Made of 85% alcohol might I add)  Now I don’t usually take my booze with a side of espresso, but I must say it worked. And packed a nice little punch in the face!  And although I’m not a licorice fan (which is what absinthe tastes like) I will say my little green friend, like all gummi, was worth it!

On another note Tailor’s menu will keep you blushing, and afterwards you can always head downstairs for another drink to wet your whistle.  The specialty drink menu is a feast! I highly recommend the pumpernickel raisin infused scotch (I hardly ever order scotch at bars, but here I always do!)

“High adventure that’s beyond compare”:

Tailor

525 Broome (between Thompson and Sullivan)