With school closed for winter break this week, I am even more confused as to what day it is (let alone knowing the actual date on the calendar) than usual.
I am convinced that babies/children take naps for the sole purpose of giving parents the opportunity to recharge their own batteries in silence, a chance to regroup from the madness that is parenting and to witness the sweet sleeping faces of their innocent babies.
Turning around to see this face suddenly peaceful and quiet the other afternoon just melted my little heart.
Just like when he was a baby napping in the car, I got myself coffee from the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru and proceeded to circle the neighborhood to keep him sleeping so I could rest my ears (he talks an awful lot) and so he could take a nice nap.
He’s up way too late these days on the phone and by phone I mean FaceTime. Kids don’t actually hold a phone to their ear anymore which is something I will NEVER understand. I do not want to see you or what you are doing while I talk to you via phone.
So I have this problem. It’s a good problem to have but it’s still a problem.
They opened so many good places in our new “dining district” at the mall that I don’t know what to do with myself.
I wanted to try this pota-topia but it’s right next to Maoz and I can’t resist Maoz!
Look at all of that hummus!
My son said something genius though – why can’t I just order from both next time? He is right.
A side of loaded sweet potatoes would go perfectly with my loaded Maoz salad bowl, don’t you think?
I looked up pota-topia’s menu and they have all sorts of potatoes, both sweet and regular, in various smashed, baked and fried forms with lots of toppings to choose from, including vegetarian and healthy options too!
There’s also another place from the city which opened a few steps away called The Little Beet which has beautiful roasted sweet potatoes too along with an awesome selection of vegetarian side dishes.
Can you imagine all of this healthy goodness in your mall? And yes, there is a Red Mango too.
I am a sucker for free samples. I usually hover around the counters with a smile and when I make eye contact with one of the employees, I sweetly ask to try something even if I have already tried the food before.
I didn’t get to sample those sweet potatoes but I tried The Little Beet’s roasted cauliflower and it was great.
I couldn’t get the image of those sweet potatoes out of my mind though so I replicated them at home based upon appearance.
We haven’t been eating home much this week but in the minutes I have been in the kitchen, I also whipped up some chocolate chip cookie bites which you may have caught a glimpse of on instagram.
They are lightened up with a vegan option — recipe next week!
Time for me to go eat and run. Be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today!
[bctt tweet=”Thinking Out Loud During Winter Break Week @maozvegetarian #potatopia #thelittlebeet #diningdistrict #newyork”]
If you have kids, do they like to nap in the car? At what age did they stop napping everyday?
Favorite potato toppings?
Are you running inside or outside today?
The Cookie ChRUNicles 
Looks like Roosevelt field has gotten some great new options! I feel like when I worked there I lived off of Burger King and Pretzels. Since I haven’t been feeling 100% this week I’m not running today (I ran on the alter-g treadmill last night which has ended up being a great option with the weather lately!) I am planning to try a pilates class tonight through class pass. I am really nervous because I haven’t ever done pilates in a studio and I always used to struggle through the videos when I did those at home!
The pretzel place is still upstairs but they moved that entire food court area to a different spot nearby. I don’t know what they are going to do with the food court area now though. Good luck with pilates, I took it once and couldn’t handle it but maybe now I am stronger and could!
I think between Maoz Pota-topia and Red Mango, you don’t really have any reason to leave the place, like ever. You could even just run laps around the mall! I don’t understand Facetime. Skype, I get–you can just sit at your computer and talk. But Facetime, for whatever reason, just seems like a hassle to me…
Ha- plenty of people use the mall for their exercise, they get there before the stores are open to walk laps.
I do think babies nap to give their parents time to rest. Could you imagine parenting in the baby years without naps? Then again they don’t sleep at night so that theory might not hold up. The loaded SP and the cookie bites are making me hungry!
If my child didn’t nap, even just those 30 minute quick ones, I think I would have completely lost my mind back then! And I remember saying that I needed him to take some form of a nap plus sleep a bit at night, I couldn’t make it all day holding out for bedtime lol. I think I almost forget how challenging a baby/toddler can be, in a totally different way than older kids (who are challenging in a WHOLE other manner).
Wow that salad bowl looks absolutely amazing. And a place the tops sweet potatoes – count me in! Of course there is a Red Mango 🙂
Haha I knew you would like to know there’s a Red Mango. It’s a good one too.
I saw your insta yesterday of the chocolate chip bites and I immediately craved cookies. Too bad KBT got home from work too late to make them. Also you just made up my mind on dinner tonight. Potatoes with my salad are happening. I go through phases and that’s the phase I’m in right now. I don’t hate it. I usually just cook them with some salt and a little olive oil (or pam) and I eat them plain. No toppings for me… shocking 😉
A salad with a baked potato is the perfect simple easy tasty dinner in this house! And really, you could have made the cookies after you made the brownies! I am going to email you when I find a second, this week has been nuts with school closed!
I just wrote you a whole comment and I don’t see it! Ugh!
I LOVE Tzatziki on potato (espcially sweet potato!) 🙂
That sounds really good…I love just about anything on a sweet potato! Avocado is great and even peanut butter!
I am so jealous of your food options! All we seem to have is fast food chains and a potato place, but no sweet potatoes in sight 😦
I am telling you – this is so brand new to have so many great food options in the mall, it’s really exciting! There were good restaurants (and Red Mango) but they totally revamped the “fast food” area.