And now....the diet begins.

This is what happens when you don't blog for 3 weeks...you come to a point of critical mass where you have so many pictures and life updates to share that you have an inordinate number of photos on your phone to download and it takes over an hour for Dropbox to handle them all. (Don't worry, I only picked the best ones to show you.)

So, what have I been up to? Well, I've been doing my normal thing around Boston, killing it at work, seeing friends, annnnnnnnnnnnnnd...hosting visitors! I had Simon visiting for the first part of this week and my mom here for the long weekend. Let me tell you...I've never eaten so much good food in such a short amount of time in all my life. Wait - I take that back...maybe when I went to London this past spring (when I see Simon, we tend to splurge on gastronomic delights...it's kind of our thing)...or maybe when I studied abroad in Paris those years ago....oh wait, maybe it was growing up eating my Dad's homecooked dinners and my mom's desserts and country-style breakfasts....

I think you all see where this is going: I eat. A lot. All the time. Hence the blog title - it MUST happen. Not a diet in the sense that I'm going on the Adkins or South Beach or Paleo or gluten-free or whatever else is out hot off the press. No, I just mean I'm going to do common sense eat-your-fruits-and-veggies-and-lean-proteins-and-exercise kind of diet. Oh and go to hypnotherapy for weight loss...yeah I'll let you know how that goes in another post.

Ok, that's more talking than I normally do, so on to the photos!

I love flowers. Anyone who wants to get on my good side (as if I had a bad one) take note...

...future suitors as well...

My baby turned 1000! Bittersweet...

Hahaha saw this on Instagram and immediately cracked up

Latest obsession (inspired by CJ) - mix cocoa powder, chia seeds, and ground flax...

...then sprinkle it over oatmeal with strawberries and honey! Yum...

I've been really proud of myself lately - I've made a real effort to wake up at 5 am, go work out, and come back and read my Bible, journal, and meditate before heading into the office. I've notice that my energy levels are higher and I'm more productive on the days where I get this done, so I think I'll keep it up :)

Yup, that just happened....(leave a comment if you don't get it) ;-)

LOVE LOVE LOVE this little boy :)

DADDY SENT ME COOKIESSSSSSS - nom nom nom no bakes 

Happy Emily eats her cOOkies 

On the drive home...

We always find the craziest things

#besties for life

You know what this means...

He's here!!!!

Silly faces, of course, while sipping our aperitifs at OAK Long Bar in Copley (love the ambiance in this place)

On to dinner at Mistral - of course I got whatever thing had foie gras (one of my absolute *favorite* foods)

You'll notice a theme as you go through this post... 

Next day - late lunch at Neptune Oyster. I had been battling with myself on whether or not to go here or Island Creek Oyster, but the Yelp reviews won me over to Neptune.

I love this kind of decor - the marble countertop, country linen napkins, navy blues and dark wood.

First up - oysters on the half shell

Simon opted for the "Clam Bake"

(you're catching on)

I went for the hot lobster roll (unlike its cold counterpart, which comes with mayo, this is just drenched in butter)

Poor wittle wobstah

Demolished

Watching the oysters being shucked 

Until we meet again...

To let our food settle, we had a nice relaxing stroll in the Commons before heading to drinks with Sarah and Gavin 

First time at Top of the Hub! Can't believe I've been here for over 2 years and never been.

We came at the perfect time - got to see the daytime view...

...and the nighttime one too :)

The bar (loved the different colored alcohol highlighted by the sun)

Ironical hipster - complete with sunglasses and duck face while biking in Cambridge

More drinks - this time at Area Four for a light lunch

(I think you get it by now)

Om nom nom - house-made mozzarella and corn salsa for me, Smoked Bluefish Salad for him

Bourbon caramelized onions and gorgonzola with scallions on a pizza - GENIUS

Alexander Calder installation at MIT (back when I studied abroad I saw an exhibit at Pompidou of Calder pieces and fell in love)

I absolutely *LOVE* this city

Artwork scavenger hunt around MIT - we finally found the Rodin piece! Yeah yeah, so it was on the 2nd floor... 

'Alchemist'

Does it now become art since it made me stop and think of it as a piece of art? And around we go...

Last night in Boston - have to go to Drink (one of the best bars I've been to)

Ramos Gin Fizz for me, of course...Simon had something with gin and cucumber I think

:)

Last night dinner at No. 9 Park

Heirloom Tomato Salad

grilled peppers, feta, melata

2012 Terre Nere Etna Rosato

Atlantic Hake

littleneck clams, plum, hazelnut

2010 Cave Caloz Heida-Païen “Les Bernunes”

Ravioli d’Anatra

basil bagna cauda, summer truffle, Parmigiano-Reggiano

2008 Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore “Quadrio”

Prune-Stuffed Gnocchi*

foie gras, almonds, Vin Santo

2010 Le Petit Chambord Cour-Cheverny Moelleux “Cuveé Renaissance”

Torchon of Hudson Valley Foie Gras
bacon rillette, marcona almonds, Greek yogurtRare Wine Co. Madeira Boston Bual

My absolute FAVORITE FAVORITE course - the foie gras was melt-in-your-mouth, the berries were tart and crisp, the yogurt was chilled and refreshing...on brioche...my mouth is watering all over again

(so pleased)

Poached Crystal Valley Chicken Breast

sweet corn, jamón royale, American caviar

2011 Hirsch Pinot Noir “Storyteller’s Cuvée”

Prime Strip Steak*

zucchini, Burgundian escargot, eggplant

2009 Château Artigues Arnaud Pauillac

Making our selections

I. Love. Cheese.

Cucumber Melon Granita

mint sherbet

Milk Chocolate Crémeux

lemon, Maine blueberry, black olive

2011 Kracher Beerenauslese Zweigelt

Beautiful...

To remember...

Last day, last cocktails at Douzo

Fitting decor for a modern sushi restaurant

You better believe we devoured the whole thing...

~el fin~

(one parting shot)

(Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)

But wait - it's not over! Now it's Mom's turn!!! Wonderful birthday dinner for my momma at L'espalier

To remember...

New England “clam bake” with Casco Bay lobster, 

Ipswich steamers, sweet corn purée, chorizo, and 

new potato

Foie gras “torchon” with anise hyssop, plum and 

smoked chocolate-almond trail mix

East Coast halibut with Apple Street Farm summer 

squash, oyster-spinach emulsion and compressed fennel; 

walnut oil and plankton fumet

Assiette of lamb with garlic sausage and 

sweetbreads; fig roasted in its own leaf with walnut 

and eggplant 

Love you Mom!

Grand fromage

Apple Street Farm “Bee Garden”: Sunflower-honey 

sponge cake with pansies, apricot and honey frozen 

yogurt

(make a wish!)

Can you tell we're related?

Breakfast of champions the next morning - Union Square Donuts

Soooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooooood....

Then on to some delectable seafood at Clam Box in Ipswich 

Pit stop at Tendercrop Farm in Newbury - beautiful store

Apples to 'pick' inside the store!

It was overcast enough to enjoy a nice walk on Plum Island Beach

Traditional jumping pictures :)

My beautiful momma :)

Farewell dinner at Istanbu'lu...(please don't go!)

Turkish coffee in a cute little teacup!

Adorbs

Upon a friend's recommendation, we sought out 'the honey store' - Follow the Honey near Harvard Square

Absolutely beautiful store! All the honey you could ever dream of, a honey bar for tasting, and all sorts of honey/bee products

Even the bathroom was decked out!

I would consider using this in my own home....

And now...back to 'real life' - making breakfast/lunch for the week

Here's lunch. I stumbled upon Blue Apron - what a cool concept! You get fresh ingredients for 3 different meals shipped right to your front door - everything included, everything already measured out, with beautiful, step-by-step recipe cards to follow. Well worth it for people on the go who only have one or two mouths to feed (this will make me 6 meals)

Breakfast - caramelized onion and gorgonzola frittata

Quick break from the food - so proud of this DIY project! Found an abandoned TV stand on the side of the road and rescued it from assured destruction...cleaned it up and painted it navy to match the living room! 

Breakfast this morning

Lunch today

Am I the only one who has a snack drawer at their place of work?

Dinner this evening - Kale and chorizo soup, salad with freshly made lemon dressing, crackers and cheese, and a glass of lovely merlot...

And TA-DA - the past 3 weeks of my life typed up in a digestible (ha ha - see what I did there?) blog post for all to enjoy. I truly miss my wonderful visitors, but can't wait for our next adventures :)

Now that I've had my fun, though, it's time to get to work - SERIOUS WORK. I'm going to be fully committed to waking up early, working out, eating right, and putting 110% into my job and power through the next few months until the holidays...hopefully I'll resurface now and again for a post here and an update there...and possibly a few pounds lighter ;-)

Xoxo

Em