Lobstah!! When I think of Maine, I dream of Lobster.

Here’s a pic to make you keep reading:

Yes. This is real life.

Welcome to Portland, Maine!

I got sent up to Portland for my first shoot with Channel One: a feature on a local high school’s innovative seed saving program. And when I heard Maine… I heard Lobstah!!

And I’m not alone in my foodie expectations. Portland was named America’s foodiest small town - so obvs I had high hopes.

Here is my trip to Portland, Maine – in eating (and working) chronological order:

* The trip started out strong – Within our first two hours in Maine, my producer and I were knuckle deep in lobster. Based on my research for the shoot (read: my comprehensive analysis of Portland’s food blogs) we choose Street and Company for their epic seafood spread. And Maine’s best finger food did not disappoint - we were sucking those lobster legs clean!

* Perfect way to cure a Lobster Belly? A night time stroll on Portland’s cobblestone streets!

* How does one top off a seafood overload induced sleep? A morning Cappuccino – Obvs. I knew I had to get some caffeine pumping in me before my first shoot, and let’s be real – I’m always down for a Cappi Hunt. So up and off to Bard Coffee I went for a soy cappi, oatmeal, and a cold pressed iced coffee to go!

*With my cold pressed coffee in hand – we hit the road!

* After a 2 hour ride sight seeing Maine’s waterways, we arrived at our road trip destination: A local high school’s horticulture class (and yes, this made me think of Harry Potter.) One step into their greenhouse and I knew this shoot was right up my alley – look at all the pretty plants and flowers! Hello plant biodiversity!!

* Here’s what I learned on my first shoot: This is what lettuce seeds look like! Boom – some plant knowledge for ya face.

* The shoot is wrapped… so obviously it’s time for our next meal! With no plans except a map through Maine and 5 hours until our flight… we began our meandering. Lucky for us, Lobster Fate was on our side. We pulled up alongside a little roadside shack on the water selling Lobster Rolls… little did we know, these weren’t no regular folk Lobster Rolls – these were Red’s Eats‘ world famous Maine Lobsah Rolls!

* And then we took said world famous Maine Lobstah Rolls and ate them water side… Can I get a collective Lobstah Belly happy sigh?? Oh yeah, there it is.

* And now… A Girl and Her Lobstah: A photo collective.

* Apparently this is the face I make when I think I drop a piece of Lobster. And no, I am not overreacting.

* And after a long day of eating (and working…), I just needed to buy these lobster slippers for my feet. I mean, it was a necessity.

* Spark notes: this sign for a local Portland bar perfectly sums up my relationship with Portland, Maine.

Big props to Portland, Maine for showing my tum a grand time!

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Let’s Take It To The Blogs -

- IndieTravelPodcast‘s list of the top five things to do in Portland starts with Eating and Drinking… so you know it’s legit.

- FromAway eats their way through all of Maine – Portland included!

- The New York Times calls Portland – “one of the best places to eat in the Northeast”

- Food and Wine and Epicurious both offer up their fav Portland Eateries.

- TheAwl delivers great summertime activities in Portland… Lobstah included!

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What’s your best Lobster Belly experience??

Next Stop: Channel One News!

Obligatory photo shoot in front of the CBS sign during my first week? Yup.

My ode to The Page Program said bye bye to the first chapter of my career in NYC, and now it’s time for a big ole hello to the next stop: Channel One News.

According to Wikipedia (yes, I am quoting Wikipedia here), Channel One News is a 12 minute news program partnered with CBS. It is broadcast via satellite to middle schools and high schools across the United States and is produced with the teen audience in mind. Channel One is owned by Alloy Media + Marketing and based in New York City.

What does all this mean for MaggieTalksLoud?? Well, I’m gonna have a whole lot more to talk loud about!! In addition to in-studio hosting and reading news headlines, the anchors/reporters for Channel One work as correspondents on packages in the field – Read: Adventures!!

So world – let the adventures begin!!

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Have a story you think our teens would like to hear?? Or, just have an adventure you wanna talk about?!? Let me know

Tags: career, cbs, channel one, jobs, New York City, News program, NYC, page program

The best $3 coffee around!

My love affair with Organic Avenue is well documented. And even though their high prices (while justified) normally prohibit me from buying as many shakes and salads as I would like… I still pop into every Organic Avenue I walk past just to get a quick hit of that wonderfully intoxicating smell of fresh, organic veggies (and BTW – they frequently hand out free samples!!)

On my last impromptu (read: I walked a half mile out of my way so that Organic Avenue was on my way) stop in, I noticed a new visitor on the shelf: COFFEE.

But in true Organic Avenue style… this ain’t no normal coffee. This cold pressed brew is less acidic than normal java and most importantly – It’s FABULOUS.

And, at $3 – it’s actually affordable! Okay… a caveat on the whole 3$ thing – at 7 oz it’s a prrrretty small coffee. But I wanted to use the whole $3 thing to hook ya’ll in for the big whoooah: The Cafe Latte Smoothie. At $6.50 this baby is a little pricier – but TOTALLY worth it. Made with that same cold pressed coffee (did I mention it’s fair trade? Obvs.), mix in some creamy cashew hemp mylk and irish moss?? And because it’s cold pressed, it’s pre-chilled and perfect for the hot summer days ahead.

In sum: It’s absolutely craveable.

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Let’s take it to the Blogs -

- Eatpure and somamagazine both share their love (and some great pics) of OA locations.

- And props to The Denim Guy for loving his OA so much that he ordered his green juice two days in advance of his NYC trip and had it waiting for him at his hotel… that’s dedication I can respect!

- Wanna make some cold pressed java at home? The Kitchn puts together a great list of home brewed techniques.

- The Veggie Nook emphasizes the health bennies of low acid cold pressed coffee.

- and Urban Domestic Diva simply says cold pressed just tastes better!

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Do you have a favorite coffee drink for summer? (That’s still kinda maybe sorta still healthy?!)

Bye Bye Page Program!

As all you avid loud talking readers may have noticed (read: my Mom)… I’ve been a little absent from my loud talk recently.

But bear with me please, I’ve had a life career swing. I have said good-bye to the NBC Page Program and a big ole HELLO to Channel One News!! I’m super excited about my new job as an anchor/reporter at Channel One, and you better believe you can expect plenty of loud talking about Channel One adventures soon… but first: A little bye bye to PageLife.

My time in the Page Program was filled with spectacular people (shout out to the Pages!),  surreal experiences (riding in elevators and casually chatting with people you normally only see inside your TV), and once in a lifetime opportunities (working SNL, writing for an MSNBC blog, just simply hanging out with the aforementioned awesome Pages in the PO).

So I’ve decided to say bye to the Page Program in the only way I see fitting… A PAGE PHOTO SHOOT!! So while this may be of no interest to anyone besides myself (and you Mom!)… just let me indulge one last time in Page Life. Please.

30 Rock!!

At the NBC!

Yes, pointing was a job requirement. And I was Fabulous.

Me and my friend Matt!

And no, this is not me standing next to a card board cut out of Matt Lauer…

Welcome!

My daily entrance!

Home to the best 8 min video in the studio TV tour biz!

Living it up one last time in my fav coffee break spot… Magnolia Bakery!

and then the peeps at work got me Magnolia bread pudding on my last day.

And it was awesome.

And I gotta give a shout out to my wonderful photographer who left work mid day to come on this ridiculous photoshoot with me

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Cocomama and I are bringing some Umami to your face.

What? You say you’ve never had Umami straight to the face before? Well, all of that is about to change. And you’re welcome.

Meet Miso. Your new Umami Best Friend.

Photo Credit: Catherine Rulli

Which brings me to one of my all time favorite meals – and it just happens to be a Cocomama 15 min meal as well:

Miso Rice Bowls!

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THE DEETS… Sparknoted:

* MISO = a fermented food  loaded with protein and probiotics.

* Umami (oo-mä-mee) = The fifth basic taste (up there with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter). It’s super savory, buttery, rich, earthy and just plain awesome.

* Here’s the recipe… straight from the Cocomama blog!!

Miso Rice Bowl Base

1 c rice, cooked
1 tbsp miso
1 tbsp lukewarm water

For fastest prep, cook your rice in advance to save time.

1. Grab a big bowl (you’ll need it) and add in 1 cup of warm cooked rice.
2. In a separate bowl, mix miso with lukewarm water to dilute the paste down to a sauce-like texture.
3. Pour sauce over rice and stir until rice is thoroughly coated with the miso.
4. Get creative with your toppings. You really can’t go wrong with your favorite veggies and proteins. Ideas include: leafy greens, squash, edamame, Brussels sprouts, onions, mushrooms, beans, eggs, tofu, chicken or fish.

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If you wanna wow your friends (and your own taste buds) with a complex dish that boasts a bold depth of flavor and leaves your guests guessing… “oh my, what exactly am I tasting that makes this bite so delectable?” Just keep adding that Miso.

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Let’s take it to the Blogs -

- Specializing in all things plants and whole foods, I had to give Umami Girl a shout out in this post!!

- Love how 4seasonsoffood mixes up her miso bowl with quinoa… and peanut butter!

- And another love shout out to how ZestyVegan and DevourBakery makes their miso bowls with noodles… and tahini!

- Cauldronsandcupcakes soupifys her miso bowl and describes her dish perfectly: “self nurture in a bowl”.

- The Naked Kitchen turns her bowl into a salad a brussel sprouts!

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So, how do you Umami??

Remember that time I WON MARCH MADNESS.

Okay… so it’s not over yet. But right now, in this very moment – I am the winner. And obviously I’m talking loud about it.

Forget the fact that my winning team didn’t even make it to the elite 8 this year… I’m still in the lead. Although, I’m not sure if this says more about my ability to pick teams – or my opponents…

Let’s preserve this moment forever… shall we??

Don’t worry, I’ll let you in on my secrets… check out My Mad March Madness Skills right here.

Not feeling so hot about your bracket picks this year? Let’s Take it to the Blogs to make you feel better -

- The WashingtonPost schools us in some math: The odds of picking a perfect March madness Bracket? 1-in-100 million trillion… the same odds as wining Powerball three consecutive times. So… you’re saying there’s a chance??

- If you always pick the highest seed to win, The Book of Odds informs us that you have a 1 in 35,360,000,000 chance of scoring that perfect 100%.

- The best we’ve seen so far?? That award goes to Mike Cooper who nailed a perfect score through the first two rounds.

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How’s your bracket lookin??

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It’s Time for a Loud Celebration… So Let’s Eat in Honor of the Hunger Games: A Menu

Two truths about Maggie Rulli:

1) I gladly accept any reason to celebrate anything.

and 2) Every celebration deserves a menu.

 

Which brings me to my current situation… A menu to celebrate the release of Hunger Games.

But what to serve in honor of a movie that revolves around starving districts? Desperate for some Hunger Games Menu inspiration, we’re gonna

Take it to the Blogs early in today’s post -

- Yum Sugar shows us how to eat our way through the Hunger Games, including this easy recipe for tasty, no-kneed bread that would make even Peeta proud.

Photo Credit: Camilla Salem over at Yum Sugar

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- HuffingtonPost took their celebration to the next level with their no nonsense list of Capitol worthy fare.  Lamb, fig and olive stew, creamy carrot soup, lamb chops with fizzled onions, Rosemary Orange Chicken and Shortbread… just to name a few of the drool worthy dishes Katniss devours on her way to the Capitol.

Photo Credit: Eating Well over at The Huffington Post

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- If ya wanna get all fancy pants at your party, peep these beautiful cupcakes from Fictional Food. Lit on fire from the inside out and finished with a Capitol worthy frosting job – Fictional Food shows us the how to create these little bites of delight.

Pics over at FictionalFood

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- Another cupcake sure to be the envy of every district is this winner from The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Hunger Game Dish contest. Please… you had me a salted caramel Tracker Jackers.

Shout out to  Julie Eisenberg for this sweat, salty, non-deadly tracker jacker recipe.

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- SheSuggests really nailed it with her version of a Hunger Games menu – heck, her entire Hunger Games Party is a celebration I aspire to throw! She Suggest – I tip my blogging hat to you my friend.

Capitol’s honey pudding pic over at SheSuggests

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- Need  more ideas?? How about 150 more Hunger Games inspired treats?? Oh, there’s a Hunger Games cookbook for that.

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After scouring the interwebs for inspiration, here is my It’s Time for a Loud Celebration… So Let’s Eat in Honor of the Hunger Games: A Menu -

- Hot chocolate - On her train ride to the capitol, Katniss gets her first hit of rich, sweet, creamy hot chocolate decadence a treat so good it makes her shudder. Oh yeah, I want in on that.

- Strawberries - The night of the reaping, Katniss gathers strawberries to eat with her family. While morbid and depressing to associate strawberries with her family’s final meal before the games… remember that strawberries are coming into season and about to be super ripe and tasty. So just eat up and enjoy!

- Loaf upon loaf of bread! –  From Peeta’a kind gesture in the very beginning, to the role of sustenance throughout the games – some people might say bread has a starring role in Hunger Games (and by some people, I mean me. Just now.) So indulge with two types: Hearty, whole grain bread for survival, and a lavish, sweet baguette for fun.

- Goat Cheese – In honor of Prim and her precious goat, I’m putting out a nice spread of goat cheese. Slather some on those bread loaves and Boom – hunger Games’ meal.

- Mint Tea – Katniss reminisces about the mint tea she shared with her family in district 12. For a spring treat, steep some mint in hot water, cool over ice, add a splash of lemon and a hit of agave – you got yourself some tasty iced, mint tea!

Enjoy! And May the odds be ever in your favor. (I just couldn’t help myself…)

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What’s on your Hunger Games Menu??!