We sleep on the same side of the bed each night, and we typically wake up at the same time each morning. We buy the same 10 items at the grocery store, which is where Martha & Marley Spoon comes to the rescue! We all have habits and routines, and I was curious to find more about those of our staff here in our NYC office!
As for me, I'm a night person who desperately wishes she was a morning person, so needless to say, 7:00 AM isn't exactly my most cheerful hour. I secretly love my commute, however, which I know is perhaps a sacrilegious thing for a New Yorker to say. But my subway line in Brooklyn runs above ground, so the morning light shines through my train car, I'm able to catch up on news and messages on my phone, and as we approach Manhattan, I get this gorgeous view every day.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_YTndSnUjI/?taken-by=heyappletreee
Audrey Fischer, Finance Manager I start my mornings before Martha & Marley Spoon by feeding my coffee addiction followed by some sort of physical activity to get the day going. My most recent regimen also includes taking my vitamins with a concoction of bee pollen, raw honey, royal jelly and propolis from Andrew's Honey, which I found at the Union Square Greenmarket here in NYC (he likes Martha too!).
https://www.instagram.com/p/88-kS4K-g_/?taken-by=autreeefisha
Sanae Lemoine, Assistant Culinary Editor Mornings are my favorite time of the day, when my mind is at its sharpest. When I was teaching, I’d always use those first hours of the day to read student essays and grade. Now that I’m at Martha & Marley Spoon, my mornings are fairly regimented so I can make it to work in time. Ideally I’ll leave before 8:15 to avoid the morning rush and a jam-packed subway. I’ll wake up at around 6:00, open the curtains in the kitchen/dining room area—I’m obsessed with the natural light we get in our apartment since we used to live in a basement room. I start the day by grinding coffee beans, the scent alone is inspiring! While the coffee is on the stove (I was using an aeropress for a few months but I missed my stovetop espresso maker, plus who has the strength to push down on that contraption first thing in the morning?), I’ll splash my face with cold water until I’m a little more awake. Then I’ll write, edit, or read for the next hour and a half. At some point I’ll pause to make breakfast, lately it’s been toast with salted butter and honey. I’m happy with either baguette or a slice of whole wheat crusty bread and I’ll always keep a few slices in my freezer. Once toasted, they taste just as good as fresh bread. Then I’ll hurry to shower, put on my contacts, get dressed, and I’m out the door. Thank god I’m not a makeup person, otherwise I’d have to wake up even earlier! Oh, and I’ll usually eat a second breakfast once I get to work, either another slice of toast or cereal. That way I’m not starving by 10:00, and am better prepared for a day of eating in the test kitchen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH4xYYmBPZp/?taken-by=sanaelemoine
Grace Parisi, Senior Culinary Editor I am a super early riser so I can take care of a bunch of tasks. Plus, I love a quiet house. First I make coffee, then unload the dishwasher while I'm waiting. Water my window boxes and make lunch for my son, usually sandwiches - deli meat/cheese/lettuce on a roll. Then head out for a run or cycle. I run mostly in Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, about 8 miles mid-week and 10 or more miles on weekends. Back home, I put a load of clothes in the washer, take a shower, and head out the door. Breakfast is at the office - I've eaten the same thing nearly every day for a decade: granola, fruit, and yogurt. I started making granola before it was cool (and expensive) and I usually have plain yogurt with jam and seasonal fruit (peaches in summer and apples in winter).
https://www.instagram.com/p/dHmnZCjphM/?taken-by=recipegoddess
Dana Coutant, US Customer Care Lead I’m not really that interesting, I take a shower, get dressed, and then during my commute I think about what I’m going to do at work that day. I don't really eat anything before I get to the office. It's bad, I know. But at the office sometimes I'll have a handful of almonds, a banana, or yogurt. Yogurt almond banana is my holy trinity.
(This picture below is unrelated to Dana's breakfast, but it was a dog she saw on her way to work in the morning, so it counts.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJYStK4gt9g/?taken-by=tacoandtuna
Theo Kaloudis, Culinary Assistant I think I’m going to say that making my iced latte is the most important part of my morning ritual. It's the calm moment at the beginning of the work day where I gather my thoughts and assess what needs to be done that day. I use espresso beans from Prodigy Coffee, their espresso is delicious and it's my current favorite. I try to avoid dairy whenever possible, so almond milk is my go-to. I steam it just a little bit to aerate it and create a little bit of foam before adding it to my latte. I also use maple syrup instead of sugar. It’s tasty and a natural sweetener and it has a more complex flavor that plays well with the espresso and the nuttiness of the almond milk.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEtOOdZC0jD/?taken-by=misspanakopita
Tai Dang, Logistics Manager I'll wake up at 5:00 AM and walk the dog - her name is Snuggles. For three days of the work week I hit the gym. I'll listen to deep house music on the 35 minute train ride to the office, and then I'll swap to something inspirational for the walk from the train station to the coffee shop. I'll grab a cold brew coffee, black with four Splenda and cinnamon in the summer, but probably switch to a hot black coffee during the winter.
(Below is Snuggles. Easy to tell how she got her name!)
Mardi Miskit, Social Media and Content Manager It’s important for me to have a peaceful morning, which is no easy feat as a non-morning person who lives in NYC and has a lengthy commute into work. I set my alarm early and hit the snooze button (most often one too many times) as many of us do. There’s something about getting out of bed the moment my alarm goes off that sets my day off on an anxiety-ridden note. I always make coffee or tea as soon as I get out of bed, and then head to the shower. On rare mornings I even stop to light some palo santo and just breathe for a minute. But the most important part of my morning is taking time to eat breakfast before I leave the house. It’s something I’ve always done. It’s my me time to just relax. Even when I’m in a rush, I make sure to take that time. I also don’t function well on an empty stomach. My go-to is sprouted grain toast - either with hummus and fresh sliced tomato (with a little lemon, salt, turmeric and black pepper!), or miso paste and honey (trust me on this one). If I’m lucky I run into my neighborhood friend on my way to the subway and stop for a few seconds to say hello - he’s an older man who walks around the park near my apartment every morning. We met after passing one another every morning for months. Seeing him always brightens my morning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/6ygounFsVS/?taken-by=mardikins
And finally...
Martha Stewart (we presume you know who she is) wakes up to this gorgeous view of her farm each morning. So peaceful!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJfT9angtro/?taken-by=marleyspoon&hl=en
What else would you like to know about the Martha & Marley Spoon Team? Ask away in the comments below!
