Today’s Five Things Friday post is by Audrey Flores.
Audrey Flores is a freelancing horn player in New York City. She attended the Juilliard School and the Mannes College of Music, and regularly plays in Broadway productions and with orchestras in the tri-state area. She plays a 2007 Engelbert Schmid Triple Horn with a medium hand-hammered bell that was also made in 2007, purchased brand new from The Horn Guys in Los Angeles in 2008.
Formerly Principal Horn of both the Allentown Symphony and Symphony in C in Camden, NJ, Audrey has also played with the New World Symphony, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra, and the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble. She was a musician in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra in 2011 and 2012, and in the New York Spectacular in the summer of 2016. She released her first solo album in June of 2017.
Ever have those days where you leave your apartment as the sun comes up, and get home when the stars are long gone? Days like this can be hard on your health, and harder still if you end up starving and spending your hard-earned cash on overpriced food before you’ve even gotten paid. Here are Five Things To Bring and Eat on a long day. Eat well and don’t forget your toothbrush!
1. Thick soups and stews: So easy: put some chopped veggies, proteins of your choice (tofu is great for this!), rice or pasta if you want, and zap it with a spice blend like my sacred Adobo or even a leftover ramen packet. Cover it all just to the top with liquid and cook it down on a medium heat. I like to have it thick so it’s easy to eat on the train, or even as I’m walking. It yields at least 10 servings, so I pop one in a takeout container with a plastic spoon and I’m good.
2. Tacos and wraps: One of the first things my husband said after meeting my family was “wow you guys eat a LOT of tacos.” Leftovers, lunch meat, even the remainders of your thick stew can go into a corn tortilla or, if you’re watching your waist like I am, a romaine lettuce leaf. Just bring the filling and wraps along separately and put them together when it’s time to eat, so they don’t get soggy like a sad sandwich that gets tossed around and mangled.
3. Protein Packs: We’ve all been super hungry and run into a pharmacy or certain coffeehouse, and we leave $10 poorer for a couple of almonds, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Put these together the night before your long day and throw ‘em in the expensive case you’re still paying off! I may or may not customize mine with a piece of fancy/junky chocolate.
4. Fresh fruits and veggies: Always have an apple, orange, or chopped veggies you can eat between jobs. Peanut butter for dipping is a nice add-on, but not necessary.
5. Water Bottle and instant coffee packets: There are some individually-sized instant coffee brands out there that are great, and you can drink them cold or hot. It saves a ton of money in the long run, which leaves a budget for those end of the long day drinks with your friends.