TruOrleans Still Getting Its Sea Legs

Hurricanes at TruOrleans

On Monday night, some fellow Tulane alum friends and I headed to H Street to check out the two-week old TruOrleans, a restaurant which boasts New Orleans flair, food and cocktails.

You might say we're something of a critical crowd, having spent the better part of four years in the Crescent City and also searching for the best po' boy in our new city.

We had high hopes for TruOrleans. Its exterior could come straight out of Bourbon Street, with a cute French Quarter-esque balcony. We settled into the bar for a cocktail, and three of us ordered Hurricanes, one of New Orleans signature drinks. TruOrleans offers three levels of strength - Categories 1, 2 and 3. Tyler ordered the 3, which I thought tasted the most authentic. I stuck with a level 2. (Don't bother with the level 1 - I tried it Friday and it was not good). We agreed that they were pretty tasty, but we missed the side of piano bar that comes with the Hurricane's New Orleans home base, Pat O'Briens.

But that's pretty much where the good times stopped rolling. We sat to eat, and when two of my fellow diners tried to order Abita (a Louisiana beer) on tap, they were told they had none on tap (even though the menu advertised three kinds - later we discovered tons of empty kegs in the basement - guess the restaurant had a fun weekend?). Settling on Turbodog bottles, we moved to order.

First, they were out of three sides: maque choux, grits and hush puppies (of course, those were three we wanted to order). The waitress didn't tell us until we were making our orders (my pet peeve), so we had to regroup. We were wondering, how can you make corn bread and not hush puppies? Better yet, how can you make corn bread and not CORN (which is the main ingredient in maque choux)? Then, the kitchen was entirely unaccommodating for my vegetarian friend's request to get a large order of red beans and rice without the sausage on top (she was willing to eat around a little meat - just didn't want giant chunks of it). So we started off the meal a little salty.

I settled on a fried platter of soft shell crab, which comes with two sides. I chose red beans and rice and cole slaw (I really wanted maque choux - bummer). This is definitely the best bang for your buck at the restaurant - $15 was not much more than what my other friends spent ordering sides and appetizers a la carte. The fry batter was so-so. The cole slaw was fine. We all agreed the red beans were a little different/less authentic than we expected or wanted. It needed some Tabasco also. Tyler really enjoyed his BBQ Jalapeno Shrimp appetizer, but wanted more food, so ordered a salad - which didn't arrive until all of our plates were cleared. Our cooked entrees came out faster than a plate of bagged lettuce.

Basically, this restaurant was a huge letdown to us. The service was mediocre at best and the food left a lot to be desired. We agreed we'd go back for hurricanes and Abita (if they ever have any).

My dining companion Jenna said it best when she said, "It's like they told me in grade school: You have a lot of potential; you're just not living up to it."

So we're not writing off TruOrleans forever, but we left wanting a lot more.

Review: Blueprint Cleanse

Around the holidays, I was a little let's say lax with my diet and overall health. A new schedule has wreaked havoc on my eating schedule and has made packing my own lunches and working out drop on the list of priorities. Obviously that needed to change ASAP - the longer you let yourself slide, the harder it is to pick yourself back up. So I wanted the BluePrint Cleanse to be a swift kick in the butt to get me into gear for the last month before my trip to St. Thomas (hello, bikini body) and the last few months before I commit to buying a wedding dress!

I ordered my cleanse back in December. I had a coupon code, and I thought it would be a great way to kick of the new year. Well, then things kept springing up - friends in town, last week at work (which means parties!)... So after changing my cleanse date around three times, I finally decided on the week after Valentine's Day.

Mistake. Who knew I'd be working late (and I mean LATE) surrounded by delicious, free take out every single night

Blue Print Cleanse offers three levels of cleanse: Renovation (Beginner), Foundation (Intermediate) and Excavation (Advanced, and honestly, it sounds baddd... Excavation? ew). My fiance, who fortunately decided to do the Cleanse with me, and I went with Foundation cleanse both times, because I like to challenge myself, ya know?

The cleanse consists of six juices a day: three green juices made with romaine, celery, cucumber, kale and green apple (plus other assorted goodies) interspersed with three other liquid concoctions (a pineapple mint juice, a spicy lemonade a la Master Cleanse and a delicious cinnamony cashew milk). You can order one, two or three days, but I think you can go longer if you'd like.

They tell you to ease your body into and out of the cleanse - avoid dairy products, meat, alcohol, etc. in the days before and after the cleanse. Considering the Fiance and I enjoyed a delicious prix fixe meal for deux at Wolfgang Puck's the Source for Valentine's Day, I had one day to get my body ready. So I paid (way too much) for some fruit from the cafeteria for breakfast and for salad bar (lettuce, cucumber, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots) for lunch, and I had some mushrooms, asparagus, lettuce w/ salsa and air-popped popcorn (corn is a vegetable... right? I know... I couldn't resist). And then T and I shared some of the Wolfgang Puck truffles we'd been gifted upon leaving. That I really couldn't resist.

So I didn't exactly abide by the rules - they are hard! But I have to say, I didn't go into the cleanse with a sense of dread that I felt the first time. I felt excited and ready to clean my body of some of my worse transgressions (RBVLs anyone?), and hopeful of the beneficial results.

Day 1
The green juices (of which I will drink three today) do not taste as bad as my first experience with Blue Print Cleanse. I read somewhere that it tastes better when you're healthier, so I guess that's brownie points for me. Actually, I'm mostly feeling good, until the office decides to order Thai food for dinner. It smells amazing, and as I watch a woman munch on some pad thai, my stomach starts to rumble. Get me out of here.

Luckily, I'm able to leave soon. I go home and polish off my cashew milk in maybe just a few minutes and chase it with water and herbal tea. Both the fiance and I are like, yeah let's go to bed early tonight. My stomach was rumbling as I got into bed, and I pondered the setback of eating a piece of roasted asparagus. Full of willpower, I abstain.

Day 2

I wake up feeling not hungry and somewhat refreshed. I start with a mug of hot water with lemon, straighten my hair and head to work. I wasn't in a rush to start my juices today. But then 2 pm hits me like a ton of bricks. I'm feeling a little laggard, my freezing office feelslike it would never get warm, and my head is hurting. Keeping myself busy is the only way to pull through (luckily, there is a LOT to do). Then we get an email that we are being treated to BARBEQUE tonight. I want to throw myself off a cliff.

Day 3
I'm feeling good, but I'm filled with dread knowing it's increasingly likely I'm going to be at work very late. I make it to dinnertime - I actually feel OK - but I finally eat some salad and a little chicken. At work until the wee hours of the morning (literally... I crawled into bed at 6:00 am), it was just not realistic for me to work 18 hour days on juice only. Coffee at midnight was a necessity.

Overall
I felt much more prepared to do this the second time around. I know my general health habits have vastly improved from the last time I did this. I wish I could say I had the energy to work out like they promise but I didn't. I totally slacked on my training for the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler.

I'm frustrated that I sort of wasted my cleanse (and, in turn, the money) and I couldn't commit to three days of no food, but it just did NOT work into my schedule this time around.

So my final say on the Blueprint Cleanse is this: Do it if you have a week to commit to avoiding temptation. Honestly, I can't say that I have a week anytime in the near future where I don't have post-work commitments of happy hours and dinners. I don't think I can say there isn't a chance of me working late and being surrounded by both temptation and high-stress, high-energy situations that require more energy than juice can give me.

I would love to give BPC another go. And when I have 14 days (ha!), I'd love try the Remove Cleanse, which got great reviews on FitSugar.

Mark Your Calendars: Bitches Who Brunch Summer Brunch Soiree

I'm excited: The lovely ladies over at Bitches Who Brunch are combining two of my favorite things - brunch and fashion - for a Summer Brunch Soiree at the delicious Ris in the West End. We're talking bottomless mimosas, gourmet passed small plates from a fabulous DC chef, fashion the uber-chic boutique Rue 14, tunes and more!

As if you needed more reasons to go, the event benefits a much-deserving charity, The DC Farm to School Network, which provides healthy, local, sustainable foods to DC area schools and educates children and families on nutrition, exercise, and environmental consciousness.

The details:

What: Summer Brunch Soiree to benefit DC Farm to School

Who: The Bitches Who Brunch and other fabulous, fun DC brunchers

When: Saturday, July 9, 12-3 pm. 

Location: Ris, 2275 L St NW, Washington, DC

Cost: $45, which includes bottomless mimosas, passed apps, a fashion show, DJ-spun tunes, a dance performance, an art show, and goodie bags!

 

Tickets are available through Eventbrite. Tickets will not be sold at the door. you must pre-purchase them here: http://bitchessummerbrunch.eventbrite.com/

Hope to see you there!

This Week's Facts:

Best dressed of the week: Jennifer Lopez's nude/sparkle combo. PS love the shoes, but not necessarily with this outfit. (Credit: The Cut)

• The Cut wonders who is behind Michelle Obama's evolving style.
• Speaking of, add this to the "to-read" list: "Power Dressing: First Ladies, Women Politicians and Fashion," a book about how women dress to execute political strategies. Right up my alley.
• Move over, Alexa Chung. There's a new class of Fashion It Girls in town. 
• Elements of Style has proved me with my fashion inspiration for... the rest of my life. Check out these gorgeous shots of Francoise Hardy and Jane Birkin and be inspired yourself.
• Pretty party inspiration from Cupcakes and Cashmere...
• Lacking jewelry organization? There are some adorable solutions to this age-old problem out there, like these tea cups from Because I'm Addicted and this file cabinet-cum-jewelry dresser at Project Beltway.
• Lots of great DIY projects this week: a woven chain bracelet from Stripes and Sequins, a Lanvin pearl drop necklace from ...Love Maegan and disco tassel earrings from WhoWhatWear.
• Need some party snacks to bring to your Super Bowl get-together? How about Oreo Balls from One Bite at a Time, Chimmichurri Chicken Wings from Thrillist or my go-to, Hungry Girl's Spinach Dip!

A little about my journey toward healthy living...

(Warning: This blog post isn't super exciting, has no pictures (mostly because I left my camera in Utah) and isn't about fashion. But hopefully some of you will find it interesting! And not too preachy...)

The other week, I shared my new year's resolutions. They are pretty general - not so much big changes as gradual improvements I'd like to see in myself over the year.

A big chunk of my resolutions were inspired by healthy living blogs. Over the past few months, I've really gotten into these "healthy living" blogs. Prompted by my interest in losing a few lbs. before the wedding and then further piqued by the much-discussed (and, IMO, pretty one-sided) Marie Claire article, I discovered a group of blogs by young women around my age.

Most of these women struggled with their weights, particularly during their college years, and have adopted healthier, more natural lifestyles to find their Feel Good Weight. Inspired by these women, I've been trying to make real food, activity and positive thinking a bigger part of my life. Rather than consciously make these decisions, I want them to become intuitive, second nature.

So I thought I'd share with you two tangible changes I'm making this month - and moving forward - to improve my health:

1. Going green: I've started drinking smoothies in the morning. I am the last person that would think I'd be satisfied by a smoothie for breakfast, but that was until I discovered this: spinach+banana+almond milk+flax seed. I know, I know. You are like, ew, spinach for breakfast? In a smoothie? But with a little banana and vanilla flavoring from the almond milk, I promise, you won't even tell. Plus you can change up the recipe as you'd like. I've added in blueberries, apples, truvia... some people even use chocolate! Even The Fiance is a convert.

The best thing I have to say about these smoothies is my energy level. I no longer rely on coffee to help me power through the mornings. I feel refreshed and rejuvenated, but not weighed down.

Find more recipes and inspiration here.

2) Challenging myself: For physical activity, I've given myself must-do exercises. The first is training for the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler - which is in 79 days! Eek. The Ten Miler is very popular in DC - in fact you have to enter a lottery and be chosen to participate. And they have strict rules: You have to finish under a certain time and you have to maintain a certain pace - which means NO WALKING. Talk about pressure. So I've been using Hal Hingdon's Ten-Miler training program to get my rear in gear. Sure, I've run a few 5Ks but it's nothing compared to ten miles...

Secondly, I've been doing my own personal Whittle Your Waist challenge. For this, I'm accountable only to myself. Five days a week, I do a series of ab exercises and track my improvement. I've already seen great improvement in how long I can hold a plank - especially my side planks. I really recommend this as a fun little add-on to your normal workout routine! (At least I enjoy it - I'm no expert).

And if you have any interest in reading some wonderful healthy living blogs, here are my favorites:

1. The Fitnessista

2. Kath Eats Real Food

3. Carrots N Cake

4. Healthy Tipping Point

5. Meals And Miles

6. Oh She Glows

Foodie Fashionista: Lo-cal ice cream

On Friday, I learned about Arctic Zero. I was told that it's a super low-calorie ice cream, available at Whole Foods. How low-cal? Try 150 calories per pint - that's right, PER PINT. Well, I had to stop at Whole Foods to pick up some produce anyway so I just had to try this seemingly mythical creation.

I'm of the mindset that a great meal is (almost) always topped off with something sweet. I actually advocate having dessert because you change tracks. New York Housewife Bethenny Frankel agrees, saying in her book Naturally Thin that if you stop eating one delicious food and have a bite of another, totally different food, you stop yourself from overindulging. Keeping small, sweet treats around, like Weight Watchers Minibars or Fudgsicles, satisfies my cravings for something sweet and also stops me from going back for seconds or polishing off an entire Subway foot-long.

That said, I don't want to waste all of my day's calories on a giant piece of chocolate cake. I can indulge my sweet tooth without overindulging. So I am always on the hunt for tasty, light treats, like the aforementioned minibars, sugar-free Jello pudding, Fudgsicles, Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, etc. Food manufacturers are recognizing the consumer desire for smaller portions - which is why you see 1/2 cup servings of Ben and Jerry's in the frozen section now. But don't be tempted - Ben and Jerry's is still Ben and Jerry's and has a ton of fat and calories - even in super small portions. Luckily for us, Arctic Zero is there to take its place.

And luckily for me, they had it at my local Whole Foods. The myth materialized before my eyes I couldn't help myself (they were on sale!) and bought all three available flavors: chocolate, vanilla maple and strawberry banana.

The chocolate flavor is great if you are a chocolate fan like myself. However, I'd liken it to watered-down frozen yogurt. It will definitely satisfy your chocolate craving, but it's not going to beat Edy's Slow Churned double chocolate.

The strawberry banana was my least favorite. It tastes like an artificial fruit-flavored candy. I actually think if you blended it with some ice and real fruit, it would make a great smoothie though.

The vanilla maple was my favorite, which pleasantly surprised me. As we all know, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who like chocolate and those who like vanilla. I always fell into the former category, but this ice cream might make me a convert! A strong vanilla flavor with a touch of warm maple syrup-y sweetness, this would be AMAZING with some nuts on top.

Arctic Zero, for what it is, is unbelievably brilliant. It tastes good, and it gets the job done. I am now on the hunt for the coffee and pumpkin spice versions. Let me know if you can find them!!

Thursday's Facts: Just keep trucking

Photo courtesy of bmurray

• Are you as obsessed with DC's food trucks as I am? BYT has organized as Curbside Cook-off. To vote for the 20 trucks you want to participate, vote here. Also, check out the latest truck on the scene: BBQBandidos!
• Refinery29 features some super cute and easy outfits to take you into fall.
• The Obama family didn't love it when a toy company sold Sasha and Malia dolls or when nutrition companies referenced the first fam on billboards. But is it OK to use them in a marketing campaign for the President's new book? The Washington Post asks.
• For those of you who hated the diaper effect of harem pants, rejoice. The Cut says super slouchy pants are on their way out. Now I just need to assess whether my Theory pants qualify as "harem."
• Lucky Magazine loves the retro modern trend.

Wednesday's Facts: If you're hungry for more

Credit: Huffington Post

• Did you miss the Christian Louboutin sale on Outnet? I'm a little traumatized that I was unaware that this was going on. But don't worry. If you're a slacker like me and missed today's work shoe sale, The Outnet will have weekend and evening CLs on deep discount debuting soon.
• Are you a desk monkey like me? FitSugar gives us some easy tips to get fit and stay healthy even if you spend most of your day sitting.
• Do you have $100 and a desire to be draped in cheap cuts of raw beef? Grub Street New York has ID'ed the raw materials Lady Gaga used for her disgusting VMAs dress.
• Zero calories. Zero carbs. Zero fat. Zero gluten. There's no way I could be talking about pasta, you're thinking. But I am. Chicago Tribune introduces us to NoOodle, a new version of my favorite pasta sub-in, the hard-to-find-except-at-Whole-Foods Tofu Shirataki, which is aimed squarely at the Western world. 
• After Fashion Week wraps up tomorrow, I promise I will begin debuting my favorite looks from this year's runways. In the meantime, peep the collections yourself at Style.com or The Cut.

Foodie Fashionista: Where to find great recipes

Image courtesy of Hungry Girl

 I like cooking for myself and for my fiance. It sounds a bit Donna Reed, but I feel like I'm taking care of him when I make him a delicious and satisfying dinner. (FYI, he cooks for me pretty regularly too. He is a master at meat, whereas I'm better with the chicken/fish/veggie dishes).

Cooking can be fun. But more importantly, cooking for yourself is the easiest way to eat healthfully. Whatever your goals - improved health, weight loss, or even just trying to save money - cooking is a great way to achieve them.

The best way to start cooking is to find something you are excited to cook - maybe your favorite food or something using the newly in-season ingredient you bought at the farmer's market. I love finding great recipes on foodnetwork.com - but, let's be honest, Paula "butter is the elixir of life" Deen and Guy "peroxide is to my hair what butter is to Paula Deen's cooking" Fieri don't exactly make the heart-healthiest of recipes.

So where can you find delicious recipes that taste good and won't make you break the scale? Here are my favorite websites:

• Hungry-girl.com - Lisa Lillien parlayed online newsletter success into four books and regular morning show appearances. Her success is due in no small part to her amazing supermarket finds, her staple replacement ingredients (40 cal. tofu shirataki vs. 200 cal. pasta)  and her flavorful recipe swaps. Some of my favorites are:
• BBQ Chicken Salad a la California Pizza Kitchen
• Rockin' Restaurant Spinach Dip (this is a much beloved party staple now)
• Stuffed 'n Squashed Mushroom Foil Pack (this is an amazing app or light meal)
• Skinnytaste.com - I just discovered this website recently while on the hunt for slimmed down Italian recipes, and I am a woman obsessed. Here are some amazing-looking recipes: Panzanella; Spicy Crunchy Tuna Tartare; and Mexican Carnitas.
• FitSugar.com - In addition to finding great recipes, this wellness website also provides workout and happiness tips.
• Ellie Krieger's page on foodnetwork.com - Ellie cleans up a lot of recipes so that they are delicious, nutritious and use quality ingredients. I love her mac and cheese recipe.
• Shape and Self magazine websites - Although there is a lot of content shared between the glossy mags and their online editions, these websites also provide great unique content. Self will send you weekly recipe emails with a wide range of recipes, and Shape recently posted some delicious 400-calorie Italian recipes.

If you want to invest in great cookbooks, try any of Hungry Girl's great books (I have the first book and 200 Under 200). Tyler, a huge fan of the recently slimmed down Rocco DiSpirito, bought the celeb chef's Now Eat This, which focuses on comfort food favorites with low calorie counts, and we've really enjoyed his fried shrimp po' boy and chicken parmigiana.

Now, go eat some cheesey Italian food - and still fit into your skinny pants.

Wednesday's Facts: Putting it all together

The fashion blogosphere has been flooded with Fashion's Night Out news, focusing heavily on events that are not happening in DC and making me extremely jealous I'm not in NYC (as much as I love it here). So, I tried to distract myself with the following:

• The new issue of DC magazine hit newsstands last week. I'm pouring over my glossy copy of the magazine (what can I say, I'm old school like that), but you can read it online here.
• Capitol Hill Style, inspired by a recent New York Times piece, discusses the many virtues of being smaller chested. Personally, I love being able to wear deep v-necks without looking trashy.
• Both Garance Dore and Carine Roitfeld love the Equipment blouse I featured earlier today. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that the designer is Roitfeld's longtime partner).
• Refinery29 features a super cool and easy look: black mini, white blouse, choker and boots. I bet you can create this out of your closet!
• Love Groupon? Check out VillageVines. Make a reservation, pay a small fee and get a BIG discount on your dinner at some of your city's best restaurants. Today's DC offerings are Vidalia, Caucus Room and Cabanas on the Georgetown waterfront.

Stay tuned to Martafacts. Tomorrow, I'll talk about more fall trends and suits stylish enough for a hip working girl, plus review Birchbox, a new service that delivers deluxe samples of beauty products to your door every month!

Foodie Fashionista: Savvy Eating for the Labor Day Weekend

I love food! I've been more conscientious of what I eat as I prepare for my wedding (and so I can look fabulous in all the clothes I covet), but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a delicious meal as much as the next girl.


Labor Day is summer's last hurrah! There's no better way to toast the end of summer than with a delicious burger, fries and a cool drink in hand. But, of course, I put a healthy twist on them so I can enjoy them sans remorse.


Thanks to Weight Watchers and Health for the delicious ideas, upon which I put my own spin.


Feta-Stuffed Chicken Burgers
(serves four)


For a delicious twist on your standard burger, make this Greek-inspired burger for the weekend. Chicken is super moist, so you don't need too much additional moisture to make it delicious. Mayonnaise is totally optional with these guys, but if you're like me and need some on your bun, Hellman's has fat-free mayo that's delish!


1 lb uncooked ground chicken breast
3/4 tbsp fresh oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp chili powder
8 tbsp fat-free or reduced fat feta, crumbled
4 light hamburger rolls
4 tsp light mayonnaise (if you like)
1 cup of lettuce
2/3 cup roasted red papers, sliced (without oil)


1. Preheat grill (or broiler).
2. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder and feta; divide mixture into four balls and then form them in patties.
3. Grill or broil patties until internal temperature of burgers reaches 165°F, about 8 minutes per side.'
4. Serve each burger on a bun with 1/4 of lettuce, 1/4 of peppers and 1 tsp of mayo as desired.


Zucchini Fries
(serves four)


I love zucchini! It's my favorite vegetable. Use this recipe to cook them in a totally unique way - but each serving has only about 100 calories! Amazing.


Cooking spray (olive oil kind tastes best with this recipe)
1 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tsp table salt
3/4 cup dried Italian Seasoned bread crumbs (I like Ian's)
2 medium zucchini, about 7-inches each, cut into 4 chunks, then each chunk halved
2 large egg whites


1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil, then coat with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl, and egg whites in a third.
3. Dredge zucchini fry in flour mixture, then egg whites, then bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on baking sheet. Repeat for all fries.
4. Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. You'll get about 8 fries per serving.


You can also use this with summer squash, yellow squash, onions or eggplant for a tasty, veggie treat. If you like your fries extra crispy, cook them at 500°F but for only 10 minutes.


But what would Labor Day be without cocktails or beer? I am a huge fan of Bud Light Select, which has only 55 calories per bottle. You don't lose much of the flavor, and they don't skimp on the alcohol content.


If you're a cocktail kind of person, Health has some awesome-looking recipes for low-cal margaritas, including Bethenny Frankel's delicious recipe! If you try the other recipes this weekend, let me know how they are!