The happy steak owner

Last Saturday night Nicole Richie hosted a party at the Cooper Square Hotel in NYC for her new clothing line, Winter Kate. Nicole’s tunic above is from the collection. Inspiration for the collection is drawn from Richie’s favorite animals, like peacocks, and includes mostly tops.

For years, Nicole has been accused of being too thin, but I’m happy to report she looked healthy and vibrant. And to drive the message of heath and happiness an extra mile… she was standing perched by a shelf at the penthouse party, all by herself, chowing down on a steak and fries like nobody was watching. It was wonderfully refreshing— and it looked delicious!

NY-based celebrity doctor Richard Ash, MD, shares 3 interesting positive correlations between steak and your well-being. (Note: Dr. Ash is not saying steak is “healthy,” but read on for some reasons why you could do worse.)

3 Reasons to Feel Great About Eating Steak, from Dr. Ash MD

1. “Initially people feel better when they eat meat because it makes their body alkaline (the effect you get from eating a lot fruits and vegetables) for the first 24 hours,’ Dr. Ash said. “But then the rest of the week will trigger your body to do the reverse.” Crash and burn! At least she’s living in the moment

2. “Steak is also a good balancer. If you’ve been on antibiotics or you have acid reflux, or if you have chronic candidia (yeast overgrowth) – steak will help you feel better.” Not sure if Nicole had any of the above, but if she did, 2 more points.

3. Also, according to Dr. Ash, “If you’re trying to gain weight, you don’t want to use steak and fries – it’s not something that will necessarily promote weight gain.” So, there are better foods for this— so you don’t have to feel as though you are deliberately injecting yourself with fresh cow lard every time you take a bite.

This should all come as great news for carnivores worldwide! Also, for famous party hosts: It’s your party, you can house a steak in the corner if you want to!

Okay, so she didn’t quite clean her plate – a lesson in moderation from Nicole Richie

Photo credits: www.lastnightsparty.com

I have a date tonight.

Back in November I was invited out to dinner by a man by the name of Hagan Blount. For a last-minute girl in a city of last-minute men where dates tend come into existence the week-of, if not the hour-of (one of the great thrills of living in New York!)—this was certainly no ordinary invitation.

Hagan Blount is The Wandering Foodie, and after his last stunt (24 meals in 24 hours), Hagan has asked over 50 NYC food bloggers, myself included, to join him for a meal along the way on his latest epicurean adventure, 93 Plates.

For the entire month of January, Hagan is eating every single meal—breakfast, lunch and dinner—at one of New York City’s best restaurants, documenting every last bite. Thirty-one days, three meals a day = 93 Plates.

Why? The Wandering Foodie says: Why not?

Read more at WanderingFoodie.com and check back here to read the juicy details of our meal tomorrow. Oh… where are we eating? That’s a very good question. The destination has changed 3 times within 3 food genres and 2 boroughs in the past 48 hours… and at 2:30 PM, with bated breath I wait. Even for a non-date with an organized, super-charged foodie on the loose, nothing’s different—it’s still New York!

Follow us on Twitter for the live table talk: @H18 and @michellejoni

AFTER THE DATE UPDATE:

Just after posting this, Hagan informed me that our dinner was at a little Italian place in Queens called Vesta. Last time I had been to Queens for dinner was never. I was excited to try out a new borough, and my expectations were wildly surpassed.

A note on Hagan: “Wandering Foodie” is a 100% accurate representation of his current existence. With a laptop on his shoulder and only the clothes on his back (well, and the ones in his sublet), Hagan wanders from restaurant to Starbucks, blogging and eating and blogging and eating without much else in between.

It was fun to take on the role of a true food blogger for the night, photographing each dish in the best lit spot of the restaurant, jotting down notes on each bite, ingredient, flavor, spice, texture and opinion. Enjoy eating vicariously through our meal, and I’ll link you when Hagan posts his detailed review.

Appetizers:

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan, one of the dishes they are rightfully known for. If you love roasted brussel sprouts... it's because you've never tried them fried.

Bibb Salad: Some of the freshest, buttery smooth lettuce I've ever had, topped with fried leeks, bacon with a farm egg; yolk drizzled on top with a light dressing.

The Meatballs: The breadcrumbs and Parmesan stole the spotlight - the ball is in their court completely.

Main Course:

Porkbelly with Sweet Potatoes, Pearl Onions and Prune Sauce blended beautifully. Porkbelly was too fatty for me to enjoy, as porkbelly tends to go for me. But was a well prepared dish for fat-lovers.

Cheesy Campinelle: Beats any macaroni and cheese. Again, breadcrumbs stole the show, creating flavor-filled fireworks in my mouth with every bite.

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Escarole: Too oily and not enough flavor compared to the other competitors on the table.

Dessert:

Pound Cake with Apricot Sauce: Better without the sauce. A decent cake, nothing to write home about.

Baby Jesus Cake: Hagan loved it. I thought it was just okay. Hagan also thought there was gingerbread in it. I assured him there was not. I was right.

Check out The Foodie‘s version of our meal at Vesta.

Last night, Team SPA WEEK had a festive holiday celebration at Del Frisco’s steakhouse, near the famous Rockefeller Center Chistmas Tree in New York City. We wanted to share a little glimpse of the evening with you, so we passed around the camera and made a little slideshow below! We’ll also put the pics up on our Facebook page and tag ourselves if you’d prefer to check them out that way.

There’s always fun to be had during the week in our office, located by NYC’s Union Square, but it was wonderful to be able to push all work aside and spend a night eating, drinking, laughing (and gossiping) around a non-conference table.

SPA WEEK Media Group has been growing like crazy; this year’s holiday party more than doubled in size from last year’s (and more than quadrupled in awesomeness, so I hear). It’s a really exciting place to be! Last night was yet another assurance to us all as to how lucky we are to be part of such an amazing group of people.

On behalf of the company, we thank you so much for your support; it’s you that keeps us going and we wish you could have been there too! Have a very happy SPAliday.

Alright kid, if you can do it I can do it.

The gym and I.

What a wacky 10 year relationship we’ve been in. On again off again, love to hate, hate to love, either rocking my body or weighing heavy in the back of my mind… and behind. He (yes, it’s a he for the sake of this stream of thought) has always been there for me, but so many times I’ve just abandoned him, never appreciating all the things he’s done and could potentially do for me.

As I sat in the Equifit assessment room yesterday trying to explain my lackluster gym routine to Tom, the big, burly, corn-husking half of my new two-man training team at Equinox Fitness Club on 19th street in New York City, he stopped me: “I know,” he offered. “Your lifestyle doesn’t allow for you to be a fitness nut.” It was the nicest and most truthful way anyone had every put it.

He’s absolutely right. I work a full-time job, I work voluntary overtime, I’m a sucker for dinner plans, I often have functions after work, and I barely sleep as it is. Coordinating my schedule, the need to shower, the impetus to tote sneakers and gym clothes somewhere for the sake of getting sweaty… it’s just much too much.

But as you may have noticed, our little blog got a little makeover, and Health + Fitness is not only a tremendously important part of Spa Week Daily, it’s a critical component of living a healthy spa lifestyle. If you’ve ever had trouble losing weight, getting in shape, making fitness a part of your everyday life, or just plain figuring out what to do with an ab ball… I’m right there with you! That’s why I’m taking you with me, so we can learn together about this wild world of working out, and how to make it work out for US.

As Tom pinched my fat, took my measurements, tested my balance and learned about my inability to do a single solitary push-up, there was a lot to be learned even before any formal workout. To start you off, I’m going to share with you my 2 favorite, highly important, simple-as-can-be take-home tips from Tom that can do wonders for your body without even sweating an ounce.

1.    Don’t get sitters disease.

Tom made up the name, but it’s a real problem that occurs when you sit too much. The 90 degree angle of your thighs and torso causes a tightening of your hip flexors—the group of muscles that flex your leg and pull it upwards. This tightening is what causes the strain in your lower back that you feel when you get up after sitting for too long, and over time it can lead to chronic lower back pain. This doesn’t mean you should trade in your accounting job and pursue your mother’s dreams of you becoming a figure skater. QUICK FIX: Ease the strain by making sure you stand up at least once an hour.

2.    The golden rule: Drink water!

Of course you know. But knowing and doing are two entirely different things. Water not only helps maintain a healthy appetite, it flushes unhealthy toxins that fill your body. Tom offers this IDEA:  Keep a big water bottle on your desk or in front of you at all times. Empty or full, just let it sit there and stare you in the face. You’re much more likely to remember and get closer to your 8 daily glasses.

Stick with me as I learn a wealth of fitness tips and how-to’s from Tom and Rich, the less-intimidating half of my training duo, over the next few months. Email or Tweet me any questions you have for them, or any demos you’d be interested in seeing on video. If you’re in the NY area and ever want to join me for a session… let me know that too. That’d be fun! Or… feel free to just watch and be amused as they kick my out-of-excuses butt into shape.

Training sessions sponsored by Equinox

From Surno's "The Smallest Canvas."

New York City artist Molly Surno has completed a visually fascinating, emotionally understated photography installation based around a most unusual subject: nail polish.

In Surno’s “The Smallest Canvas”, close-up photographs of dramatic nail art alternate with behind-the-scenes photos of nail salons in Surno’s home borough of Brooklyn.  Her topic is small in scope, but the photographs of ordinary people getting manicures and pedicures are oddly touching.

The installation showed at Capricious Space here in NYC earlier this month. In service of her theme of beauty rituals as a cultural touchstone, nail artists were on hand at the opening on November 5th to help those inspired by Surno’s work acquire a little nail art of their own.

You can view the series at Surno’s website.