Riding the Pink Plane

MoodyFoodyJudy.com

2010-07-10T17:47:00.000-04:00

Please update your bookmarks. I have moved this blog to:

Flat Day

2010-07-10T13:18:00.001-04:00

No hills here. Just the flat apartment floor I spent the morning/afternoon puttering around. I slept GREAT and stumbled out of bed to coffee and Kashi Crisp.

The cereal was tasty, but for some reason, breakfast, although one of my favorite meals, can be hard to eat some days. Chewing and swallowing seems to become a job of its own.

Lunch was simple and tasty. It feels great to be getting some fiber in my day—the last couple days were lacking.

whole wheat pasta + peas + 2 tsp olive oil + salt + pepper + 2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Trying to motivate and go to the Farmer’s Market. Although it is only half a mile away, I can’t guarantee that I’m going to make it happen. Sweatpants may win.

Uphill Battle

2010-07-09T22:38:00.003-04:00

This morning, while planning the day, Raj suggested a 30 mile bike ride.

Out loud, I said “ Isn’t your tail bone bothering you? Won’t that be uncomfortable?”

In my mind, I said “30 miles? Hell no, I want to wear a dress today, look cute and relax.” Three hours later, I longed for the bike ride. Read more below. Hardest workout of my life!

Breakfast never really happened – we went to Zakey around noon for falafels, hummus and pita:) It was tasty, the decor was really cheesy, but the food was good and fast.

After picking up iced coffee (note how fresh and clean I look) and checking out fun coffee mugs, we hopped in the car and drove about 30 miles west to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

And then….we drove up to Lake Michigan Overlook, 450 feet above Lake Michigan—the views were spectacular and breathtaking. Immediately, we noticed the people running (yes running!) down the dunes and frolicking in the gorgeous water below.

While wearing a dress and carrying a camera, I thought, what the hell. We are in decent shape. As we passed SO MANY people crawling, on hands and knees, back up the dunes, I thought that they must be exaggerating and felt grateful for my regular exercise routine.

Um, yeah. About that. Ten feet up the climb, I wanted to sink into the sand and sit there forever. OK, I did sink into the sand, but luckily for only about five minutes. We would literally take thirty steps up the ~~dunes~~ glacial hill and then rest. My heart was pounding, my dress was drenched and my sweat blurred my vision. An hour and some change later, we conquered the monster.

Start time: 2:39 pm

End time: 3:33 pm

Some little girl told me she did it in 26 minutes. Silly youth.

I want to go on a bike ride.

Turn around you crazy person! I felt bad for that guy on my left. Then I learned.

The aftermath.

NOTE THE FLYING SHOE AND SOCK. Raj’s. He left it with me so he could trot ahead and take a picture of me on the tail end of our journey. I was none too happy and threw it at him. Take that.

On a serious note, it felt great to climb this beast. It felt like quite an accomplishment and there was no way to quit once we started:)

We hit the road and stopped at the first place we saw, Gemma’s. We shared a BLT, fries and a HUGE lemonade.

Four hours later, a pit stop at a cherry stand (haha), McDonalds and No Thai!, we are back in Ann Arbor and I am in desperate need of a shower!

Thursday in Traverse City

2010-07-09T10:23:00.001-04:00

Raj and I walked downtown, passed a team race –people dressed up themselves and a bed that they had to carry down the street!

Saw our future.

We had treats at Morsels: velvet and satin, charlie brownie, quarter cup cake and tall on taste.

Stopped by Cherry Republic and sampled jams, peanut butter, BBQ sauce (yummy!) and chocolate covered cherries.

We ate a leisurely dinner at Poppycocks, a restaurant that uses local ingredients to shape their menu. The service was super slow, but the sweet potato chips and guacamole made it worth the wait. The soups were OK, the main dishes were pretty good, but I would have been happy with multiple orders of the chips:)

Descriptions taken from their site:

Swiss chard and tomato soup, vegan Greek soup and black bean tortilla soup.

Sweet Potato Chips with Guacamole: Fire roasted tomatillo guacamole and cumin scented sweet potato chips drizzled with five pepper oil.

Hangar Martini Steak: Hanger steak marinated with thyme infused Hangar 1 Vodka. Served with a gorgonzola-olive tapanade and local arugala

Drunken Chicken: Red wine marinated chicken breast,sautéed mushrooms, basil risotto and crumbled chevré with a balsamic drizzle

And then:

People watched.

Relaxed.

Bingo.Two games, two losses.

Got spooked out by vines.

Walked back to the hotel.

Traverse City

2010-07-08T16:38:00.002-04:00

A few years ago, Jamie and I ran a 10k. I remember passing a woman wearing a shirt that said “why run slowly when you can walk fast?” OK - maybe she passed me.

I am a slow poke when it comes to running. I get tired, I feel like I am running fast, but these feet barely make contact with air. But, that is OK. For a long time, I was mortified by my, um, patience with my pace, but who really cares? As long as I am moving, all is well. After running 3 miles in 34:36 at the gym, Raj and I shared Panera’s new Cuban chicken sandwich.

I am not a big meat eater and definitely can’t handle more than one kind of animal in my mouth (unless it is bacon, of course). This sandwich contained many slices of ham that were not advertised — how should I know the Chicken Cuban has ham? —after removing them, it was OK, but nothing special. The sweet pickles were good, but not enough to make me go back for more.

The frozen raspberry lemonade, however, was amazing! Loved it.

A few hours into the drive, we pulled over and ate at Subway. Typically, I get their veggie patty, but not all Midwest locations have them. Guess it being a big meat eating area and all. I had a veggie sandwich, topped with pepper jack cheese and honey mustard. Yummy:)

We checked into our hotel and are resting before heading out and exploring. Lots of great events going on, because it is the middle of the National Cherry Festival!

Cherry Bound

2010-07-08T08:35:00.003-04:00

Woke up this morning, finished packing, drank LOTS of coffee +

banana
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup oats
1 scoop 365 chocolate protein powder
raspberries
swirl of honey

Off to the gym and then hitting the road for a couple of hours. Some treats for the road:
I have about 100 pages left in The Ruins and the book has left me speechless. Mostly because there is nothing good that I want to say about it. I lovedlovedloved A Simple Plan and expected equally good things from this book.

Not so much. Basic gist: young travelers go looking for a lost brother, get stuck on a hill, can’t leave hill or Mayans will shoot them. Vines, yes vines, attack them on the hill, eat their body parts, talk to them, laugh at them, etc. Vines with pretty red flowers on them.

Modern day little shop of horrors? Smith writes so well, so this is a bummer!

Have a great day and watch out for those small plants, garden vegetables and any other vegetation that may reach out and grab you.

Shifting my perspective.

2010-07-07T22:47:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, Raj and I had lunch with one of our friends. We dined at Saica, a Japanese restaurant near North campus. While we ate our meals (teriyaki of some form for all of us!), we talked about the challenges of balancing strength training, cardio and yoga within an exercise program. Something I think about frequently.

When I focus on one area, I tend to let another slip. For example, if I do yoga, I cut back on strength training. Some weeks, I love cardio and focus only on that. Hmmm….how to integrate it all and make it habitual. Still working on that one.

I am, however, fighting my “all or nothing” mentality. Ironic that I train people in their homes, but never exercise at home. If I don’t go to the gym, I don’t work it! SO, tonight, I decided throw out that slogan and insert my new one:

~~All or nothing~~ Small and something.

I knew that I wouldn’t have the time to get to the gym tonight, because I would be training someone, so in the spirit of my new approach, I did a quick 25 minute cycle at home:

Jump roping, I did 15 seconds on, 15 off. My heart rate was pounding once I finished my workout.

Eats from my day:

Snack—throwback to childhood

Random dinner = brown rice + chickpeas + orange bell pepper + carrots + scallions + tomatoes + spinach + rice vinegar + sesame oil + soy sauce + honey + salt + pepper + sriracha sauce

Late night snack = vanilla soy milk + raspberries + 365 protein powder = DELICIOUS

Off to pack! Heading to Traverse City, MI tomorrow for a cherry festival:)

Yummy

2010-07-07T08:39:00.001-04:00

So, I set my alarm for 6 am and managed to, quite unconsciously, hit snooze for an hour. No gym time for me this morning! I will be at the apt, writing and eagerly awaiting FedEx’s arrival—yay for getting my lap top fixed. The mouse button was sticking and I finally sent it in to get fixed. I have been working/playing on Raj’s net book and while it is convenient and a lot lighter to lug around, I miss my big, red chunk of computer.

This morning, I feasted on watermelon and whole wheat bread, topped with avocado and salt. Actually, it was funny-after I took a pic of the watermelon, I forgot about it and just saw it on the counter. Time to dig in!

Compared to Zingermans, OK, or probably any other kind of bread, Kroger’s whole wheat bread tastes very sad. For some reason, I am cheap when it comes to bread?!? I eagerly grab the $1.79 loaf and ignore the slightly sad color and long list of ingredients. While good food doesn’t really need a lot of ingredients, it definitely seems like a given that bread only needs a few. Time to break free from this bread ~~frugality~~ cheapness and upgrade!

One of us has a coffee problem, I’m not pointing any fingers.

What is going on?

2010-07-06T22:08:00.001-04:00

Once again, this week, I feel ambivalent about blogging. I like doing it, enjoy it afterwards, but feel some kind of block right now. I make a meal, think of taking a photo of it it and then, nah…

I think that my obsessive tendencies are sneaking up on me, tapping me on the shoulder and saying: “be careful with this one, have fun, but don’t turn it into an obligation or expectation.”

Since I moved to MI, I have been trying to drop a couple extra pounds that I added during the past year. I recognize that I am healthy, but my body just doesn’t feel as light, fueled or energetic as it did before I added a bit extra Judy. I HATE calorie counting, not saying that it is bad for others, but it is SUPER BAD for me—turns me into a nut, consumes all my thoughts and makes me feel cooky. I know it works for others, but it definitely does not work for me. SO, here is the dilemma: I enjoy taking photos of my meals, but sometimes think that I am doing it to monitor what I eat. Which isn’t always a bad thing, right? But, I walk a fine line between healthy guidelines and being consumed by them.

SO, based on what I wrote a couple weeks ago, that I make more effort to choose healthy foods and put more love and effort into meals when I photograph them, I am going to give it a whirl. But withdraw if I feel that little tap on my shoulder.

I love reading food blogs and checking out others’ daily eats, but feel kinda guilty or weird about keeping my own. Weird. Sometimes I feel trivial focusing so much on my food and how it fuels my body, but the reality is that I think about it, so why not own it.

SO, on that note…Dinner was tasty:

Tofu BBQ + Brussels sprouts + watermelon

Raj and I stopped by Whole Foods and each had a piece of their pizza. Seems like this is turning into a weekly treat!

Happy Birthday Kathleen and Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T13:11:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to Kathleen, my sweet roommate from Hartford ‘o2-‘03. It seems like so long ago when we bonded over ice cream (courtesy of Brian’s placement), nights out downtown and exploring the city as part of JVC. Hopefully you are celebrating in Seattle!

Kathleen, Adam, Becca, me & Brian:)

Kathleen, at her placement, in Hartford. Cute!

This morning, I dined on Greek squash frittata, a dish I made a few months ago and loved. The dill, parmesan and mint make an amazing team.

Raj and I hustled to the gym—it closed at 12 pm and we wanted to get a quick workout in. I did 3 (and some 2) sets of the following cycle:

Bicep Curls (15 reps, 10 lbs, 12 lbs)
Plie squats (15 reps, 20 lbs, 24 lbs)
Stork row (15 reps, 12 lbs, 15 lbs)
Chest press (15 reps, 12 reps, 12 lbs, 15 lbs)
Jumping lunges ( 12 reps)
One foot bench dips (12 reps)
Shoulder L’s (5 lbs, 14 reps)
Hamstring curls with stability balls (15 reps-2 sets)
Bridge (10 & 15 reps)
Plank (45 seconds – 2 sets)
Triceps Extension (15 reps, 20 & 25 lbs)
Lat pull down (30 & 40 lbs)

Came home and had a tasty shake:

1 cup silk vanilla soymilk
banana
strawberries
blueberries
swirl of honey
scoop of 365 chocolate protein powder

Time to watch some more True Blood!

Prepping

2010-07-03T20:53:00.001-04:00

Ahh..yummy dinner.

Followed by me prepping for tomorrow’s breakfast:

Off to Whole Foods to get watermelon and start a True Blood marathon:)

Simple Soup and A Simple Plan

2010-07-03T18:53:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, I prepared a soup that I made frequently while we were in Paris. For some reason, when I make this soup, I have flashbacks to playing in my backyard and making stew out of sticks and stones. This soup, tastes a bit better, but is just as fun to make;)

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 lemon (juice)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bouillon Not-Chick’n
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
pepper, to taste
2 handfuls of spinach
can of kidney beans, drained

Directions

Heat oil in pot. Add bell peppers, garlic and onions. Stir fry for a few minutes.
Add tomatoes, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
Add kidney beans, water and bring to a boil.
Add bouillon cube, reduce heat and add spinach.
Add lemon juice and serve.

We dipped Zingerman’s sourdough bread in ours and it was a delicious and satisfying lunch.

After lunch and a lazy afternoon, we walked to the library and checked out a bunch of books—mostly mystery. His Dad will be visiting soon and it seems like an opportune time to have books on hand…especially when jet lag hits!

Also snacked on:

1 cup

While in Paris, I devoured A Simple Plan by Scott Smith and can’t wait to dive into The Ruins, another one of his books. Which brings me to another point…Go and see The Square, it is one of the most suspenseful movies I have ever seen. It reminds me of A Simple Plan. Read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Lol, and yes—Soo, Jamie, Debbie and Raj—I know that you have! This movie gives you that same feeling that the book brings—sitting on the edge of your seat, not wanting it to end and then mourning such a great piece of work when you do finish it. GO SEE IT.

Now, I am sitting here on the couch. Patiently waiting for Raj to turn the pic below into this.

Dinner and Breakfast:)

2010-07-03T13:19:00.001-04:00

Last night, I repeated a dish I made a few months ago—Spicy Sweet and Sour Tofu. Tres delicious!

This morning, I tried a new Kashi cereal: Toasted berry crumble. Sometimes, I think that their cereals are a bit dense and take some effort to chew and get through. Not this one—really good, filling and it tastes great topped with blueberries.

I noticed a couple of things this past week, while I was not blogging:

I made less effort to make well rounded, flavorful and interesting meals when I was not blogging about them
My days were less productive and structured (the opposite of what I thought would happen—I thought that I would get more done in other areas, but that was not the case)
I missed my imaginary friend, lol

SO, back to blogging for me, more meals, more practicing with the camera and more silly thoughts. Off to make soup!

Pressing Matters

2010-07-02T14:18:00.001-04:00

It has definitely been one of those weeks. My period, combined with fatigue (for no known reason) really threw me for a loop. I had no desire to blog:( and little motivation for much. Oh well. Luckily, the sun is out and it is the weekend:)

On a fun note, our TofuXpress arrived and we tried it out last night. Usually, I wrap tofu in paper towels and stack cutting boards, pots and anything heavy on top of it. Probably not the safest method, but it did drain the tofu.

The press is great, no mess, no stack and it does all the draining for me:). After it drained, I heated a little canola oil in a pan and fried the tofu. Every three minutes, I rotated the tofu to brown it on each side. 15 mins later and voila:

Lunch = brown rice + tofu + mixed veggies + kidney beans + soy sauce + sriracha sauce

Summertime Dinners

2010-06-29T15:46:00.001-04:00

Ever since Debbie made a delicious black bean quinoa salad for my parent’s 40th, I have been checking out some recipes online. For some reason, I alwaysalwaysalways go to Eating Well’s site for new recipes. I found a recipe for quinoa, black bean and mango salad and gave it a whirl last night;)

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 small mango, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
2 scallions, thinly sliced (dope, forgot to buy these puppies)

Directions

Toast quinoa over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it pops and crackles—about five minutes.

Remove from heat, rinse quinoa in a sieve and add 1 cup of water. I don’t have a sieve, so I just cooled it for a second and added water. Simmer, cover and heat on low for about 15 or 20 minutes, until the quinoa absorbs the water. Check in often to prevent it from burning:)

In a bowl, combine:

+Black beans (and scallions if you remember to buy them)

It was tasty, but next time I will use only 2 tbsp of OJ and definitely remember to get scallions. It was tasty, but a bit tarter than I like.

Zingerman’s Dinner

2010-06-27T20:39:00.001-04:00

This evening, Raj called me while out and the conversation follows as:

R: So, I’ll stop on my way home to keep up our tradition.

J: OK, I am on the other line, so I’ll see you soon.

Phone: click

My thoughts: What the heck is our tradition?!?

A couple of weeks ago, after returning from out trip, Raj stopped by Zingerman’s and picked up a variety of salads and sides and we had an impromptu buffet for two. We talked about making it a weekly tradition, but clearly one the two of us has short term memory issues.

I am not sure of all the names, Zingerman’s uses fresh ingredients, often from the local Artisan’s market, so their sides and salads are always changing and their site does not necessarily reflect what is available.

Sesame chicken salad & some kind of sesame/broccoli/hazelnut side (Raj just told me it is called Sumi salad)

Panzanella salad

Spinach hummus, Swiss potato salad (Redskin potatoes, Nueske's bacon, Oakvale King gouda, sea salt, Tellicherry black pepper, scallions, mayo and dijon mustard) TO DIE FOR & garlic potato salad (Redskin potatoes, mayo, parsley, garlic, Tellicherry pepper, sherry vinegar and sea salt) Can you tell which ones I found posted on their site?

After dinner, we walked downtown and got frozen yogurt. I said to Raj:

I am surprised more cars don’t stop at crosswalks and let us cross the street. We are in the Midwest now.

Raj answered:

They would probably stop if we cross the street halfway.

Yikes! I sure hope so;)

Spicing it up

2010-06-27T16:33:00.001-04:00

When I make chole masala, also known as chana masala, I use a Hooked on Heat recipe that bursts with citrus. Raj’s take on it is as equally delicious, but fulfills more roles: pleasing the taste buds, while clearing up the sinuses. Topped with cilantro (we were out) and served on whole wheat pita, it is a perfect meal.

Don’t be intimidated by all the different powders, they are all available at Indian stores, clearly labeled and really cheap. Hopefully I get his ingredients right!

Ingredients

2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala
3 tsp amchur powder (mango)
2 tsp dhana jeera powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ginger powder
4 vine tomatoes
2 onions, sliced
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cans chick peas, drained

~~Raj is not home, so I am going to have to update instructions later. I realize, I have no idea what he does! Lol, I could make an educated guess, but why bother? Will post later.~~

Directions:

Heat oil in cast iron or pan. Add onions, turmeric, sugar and stir fry until onions are translucent.
Add tomatoes and everything else and stir.
Lower the heat to medium heat, cover and let it cook. Stir every few minutes, letting the tomatoes melt.
Once tomatoes are completely melted, add chickpeas, add little water, stir and cover for 10 minutes.

You can top with cilantro, chili peppers or a chutney if you want:)

Lunch was followed by sweet goodness:

Dinner & A Breakfast

2010-06-27T11:25:00.001-04:00

Last night’s dinner hit the spot, was easy to make and reminded me of summer meals when I was growing up. For some reason, mixing baked beans and cole slaw also tastes great to me. Thanks to Eating Well for the recipe for Tofu BBQ Sandwiches. I made a couple of minor changes and think this recipe has a lot of wiggle room to tailor it to your tastes;)

Ingredients:

1/2 package of tofu
slices of red onion
whole wheat buns
1/4 cup of BBQ sauce
1.5 cups of coleslaw mix
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp low fat mayo
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices (the long way), wrap in paper towels and place heavy items on top of it. LOL, I used a fruit bowl and a cutting board. Press for about 30 minutes or longer
Heat oil in pan, medium heat, and cook tofu slices in it, rotating about every four minutes. Cook until browned on both sides—this took me about 25 minutes, mostly because the tofu was not fully drained.
Reduce heat to low, add BBQ sauce to pan and coat tofu with sauce. Heat for three minutes, then turn off stovetop.
Combine coleslaw mix, salt, mayo, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, mayo and pepper.
Turn on broiler to high and heat buns for 1 minute (more or less, dependent upon your oven).
Top buns with tofu, slaw, red onions and any remaining BBQ sauce. Tasted great with a side of baked beans.

The slaw is supposed to serve four, but that would be kind of skimpy! The tofu was enough for three sandwiches:)

I have been reading a lot of different food blogs that recommend making “kale chips,” so I gave it a whirl last night. I used curly kale, which is apparently a little bitter. People swear that they taste like chips—I think they crunch like chips, but I am not sold on them yet. Granted, I was lazy with the toppings and didn’t seek out dinosaur kale (sweeter), so maybe it is too early to throw in the towel. I am going to experiment some more with them this week! Here is what I did:

Preheat oven to 400 (will actually do 350 next time)
Wash and cut kale leaves and then spread them on a cooking pan.
Brush with olive oil (minimal amounts to avoid making them soggy) and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Cook for 12 minutes, flipping them every three minutes

Before, with olive oil, salt and pepper:

After:

SO…..10 hours later, I woke up at 7:30 (go me, trust me, that is early!) and made Raj and myself some pre-gym shakes:

(For 1):

1 cup vanilla soymilk
couple strawberries
handful blueberries
1 banana
1/2 scoop whole foods vanilla protein powder
swirl of honey

Nut the the right lunch.

2010-06-26T15:56:00.001-04:00

I was excited to make a quinoa recipe I found on Eating Well and happily pulled out some of the ingredients before realizing I drank the (much) needed OJ required for the recipe. Boo. So, I made do with:

Peanuts

Quorn patty, whole wheat bun, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, pickles, ketchup and mustard

After lunch I drank Bru, an Indian instant coffee drink that is 1/2 coffee, 1/2 chicory and that I . It is available in Indian stores and is very tasty. Here is how I like to prepare it:

Pour 1 cup of soymilk (or regular milk) into a pot. Regular milk tastes better, but gives me the ebbey jeebies. Bring to a boil at a low/medium heat.
While milk is heating, add 2 tsp bru, bit of sugar, about a spoonful of water to a coffee mug. Whip together for a few moments.
Pour milk into cup, stir and enjoy! When I pour the milk, I use a spoon to block any of the milk that congeals on the top of it while it heating. That also gives me the ebbey jeebies.

Productivity Contest

2010-06-26T12:31:00.001-04:00

Who do you think starts her day with a sense of accomplishment?

Me:

The daddy long legs who infiltrated my bag during the night and created a home for herself:

Vote for the wrong team and I will send a certain little gal and her many legs your way.

Breakfast was delicious: fresh watermelon, strawberries & a whole wheat bun topped with avocado and salt.

I have been feeling really lazy about preparing food since we returned from Louisville and think I might have to force myself into the kitchen to get some good veggies and fruit into my day. After just a few days of eating some greasy and tasty food, I feel like I am ready to give up healthy eating. LOL, OK, not that dramatic, but it does seem easy to forget just how much I really do like fruits and veggies.

Green day.

2010-06-24T13:13:00.001-04:00

For some reason, I have been craving some form of pea soup. For lunch, I made Eating Well’s Spring Pea and Scallion Soup with a couple of tweaks.

The soup if very thin and may benefit from a couple of extra ingredients tossed in: lemon, asparagus, corn and garlic are going to make appearances next time. Definitely garlic.

Definitely not a main course, but a good way to get in some fiber and veggies on the side;) And surprisingly good for how little effort and minimal amounts of ingredients.

Ingredients

3 cups frozen peas
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups of water, 2 cubes of “Not-Chick’n” broth
ground pepper to taste
1/8 tsp salt (I used more, tasted as I went)
bit of thyme sprinkled in at the end

Heat oil in cast iron or large pot.

Stir fry scallions for two minutes.

Add water, bring to boil and add bouillons and peas. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes and transfer to blender. Eating Well recommends a food processor, but mine is TINY and would take forever.

Return processed soup to pot and reheat for a few minutes. The site’s instructions recommend pressing the soup through a sieve before placing it back in the pot: I don’t have one and don’t mind somewhat chunky soup, so I just threw it back in the pot, as is.

My soup joined forces with an avocado sandwich inspired by Harriet the Spy. Used to love those books and always wanted a tomato, lettuce & mayo sandwich after reading them (she ate them every day). Although, I used safflower mayo, which is quite tasty and threw on a little banana peppers, salt and pepper.

Toast, Indiana & a Tornado.

2010-06-23T23:57:00.001-04:00

This is going to be a LONG post. Bear with me.

I hate anything touching my neck. Hate it. Hands, necklaces, sweaters—I don’t discriminate. Just get them off of me. Last night, I woke up in bed and shrieked, “you are strangling me!”

Sure enough, Raj had flung his arm across the bed and his hands found a happy home on my neck. I woke up in a state of terror, darted out of bed and ran into the main area of the suite we were staying in. I think I scored a few “nutso points” with him last night.

This morning, we woke up bright and early (after falling back asleep after my, um, incident and made our way to Toast on Market, located in East Louisville.

The decor was great & the food was delicious.

My breakfast, above: Dijon vinaigrette, gorgonzola, crispy applewood bacon and eggs, served with hashbrown casserole. The sandwich was great, not too impressed with the casserole.

We hopped in the car and drove to Purdue University. There was a small food “cafe” set up in the engineering building Raj went to for his meeting. We ate a quick lunch and I ordered the California rolls.

The lady asked me, “spicy or the variety?”

“Variety, please.”

And folks, I don’t know how people roll in Indiana, but cheddar cheese in a California roll??? I thought variety meant cucumbers, avocadoes, etc. I couldn’t bring myself to even try it.

Food place is to the right of the column! I popped into Jimmy Johns and ate an unsatisfying, but predictable, veggie sandwich (after removing two of the four slices of cheese!).

Purdue is a very pretty campus and is surrounded by a lot of greenery:)

After getting back to Ann Arbor and making a pit stop at Kroger's, super loud sirens went off throughout the city, signaling a tornado warning. Now, I have always wanted to see a tornado, but have never really been near one. Yeah, not so much, when there is actually the possibility of one. I am happy never seeing one. Well, we are a’OK and besides a major thunderstorm and sitting in a hallway closet with Raj for about an hour, the storm left us untouched (a tornado did touch ground about 15 miles away!)

And for the record: opening a bag of Cape Cod chips while sitting in a closet (that has no light) and waiting for a storm is not a smart move.

del.icio.us Tags: toast on market,purdue,ann arbor,tornado,jimmy johns,indiana

La Bodega

2010-06-22T23:14:00.002-04:00

This evening, Raj and I ate at La Bodega, a tapas restaurant on Bardstown Road in Louisville. I was surprised by the decor—kind of mismatched and looked a bit thrown together, but throw the music and the lighting into the mix and they pulled it off.

While I just gave my spiel about how my body feels better when I don’t eat a lot of meat, I didn’t let up on any tonight and enjoyed Sangria with our meal:) The winners of the night follow as:

avocado and fried green pepper on a baguette
chicken croquetas
grilled lamb with Madeira

The lamb was, hands down, the best—I loved the Madeira sauce. It was fun to see Louisville outsides of the business district. The area reminded us of Jamaica Plain (Boston). Funky, lots of cute stores and independent grocers and restaurants.

So, this pic got me thinking it is time to do something new with my hair. Cut it to my chin? Thoughts suggestions?

Tomorrow morning, before we head to Indiana, we are going to Toast on Market, and if the place is as cute as their website, I will be breaking out my camera!

On the way back to the hotel, we drove through Cherokee Park, a gorgeous wooded area studded with baller houses. Seriously. I expected to see horses and pearls while we drove through.

And my tummy says thanks.

2010-06-22T16:24:00.002-04:00

This afternoon, I snacked on Einstein Bros Bagels. “Veg Out” : half of a honey whole wheat bagel, topped with red onions, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and avocado –yummy!
Followed it up with a mixture of fruits from Einstein Bros. bagels. **Sigh** It feel so good to get some healthy foods in my body;)

While walking back from lunch, I saw a guy staggering across an intersection. He was walking strangely, mostly because he was reading while walking. Which, unfortunately, I am guilty of doing on many occasions.

As I got closer, I noted that he was reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest and I couldn’t help but smile. The series is so great and definitely ranks as some of those books I am sad after I finish reading them. And feel jealous when I see others enjoying their first (presumably) experience with a book that I love.

I would happily walk crooked, backwards and hop on one foot while reading Stieg Larsson if it meant that I could read just one more sentence.

Possibility City

2010-06-22T13:56:00.001-04:00

Our trip to Louisville is winding down – tomorrow we head to Purdue University (Raj has a talk/meeting) and then back to Ann Arbor.

We ate lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express and I ate the Mu Shu pocket sandwich…It was..OK…came with parmesan chips, which were tasty and mixed greens. No matter how OK it tasted, it sure did a number on my tummy:( Enough so that I have no desire to go back there!

Today has definitely been a coffee day (x2!)

Got back to the hotel and am going to write for a bit/watch Law and Order reruns. It has been fun to see some of the South—minus a short trip to New Orleans, I have not really spent any time in the south (can’t justify counting Orlando and Miami as the south).

Since I have been trying to eat more “whole” foods and get away from processed foods, I definitely noticed a different in the way my body feels after eating some of the foods that I have been during this trip (nachos, Philly cheese steak, French fries). Don’t get me wrong-they taste great, but my tummy has gotten upset twice and I just don’t feel as energetic when I have meat and/or dairy in my system.

Got back to the hotel and loved the cute way the cleaning woman “tucked in” the toothbrush.

Louisville & Chop Shop Salads

2010-06-21T14:17:00.002-04:00

I spent the morning at Borders, writing a few articles and people watching. For lunch, I ventured to Chop Shop Salads and tried their Veggie Delight Salad: romaine lettuce, grilled asparagus, chickpeas, hearts of palm, cucumbers, carrots, white mushrooms and beets. I topped it off with their Thai ginger dressing and edamame.
Here are my thoughts on my salad (sure you are dying to know, haha):

Came with two slices of pita that I threw out. To avoid sounding vulgar, it tasted how a back alley might smell. And I am not picky.
The dressing was great.
There were only about 10 chickpeas scattered throughout the salad, so I was really glad I added edamame.

Pita chips and hummus sealed the deal—otherwise, lunch would have been a little bit sad.
I saw some really cute flowers (how come I don’t know the names of anything that grows out of the ground?) and really cool street lamps.

I was very impressed by the cute “star” ring my Pepsi bottle left on the table. Takes a lot to impress me, eh?

301, Gin Blossoms & Brunch

2010-06-20T12:29:00.004-04:00

Last night, we ate at Bistro 301: the decor was cute and the food was delicious. We started with the Spicy Bourbon Glazed Jumbo Wings, which were good and messy—far too messy for me to justify touching the camera while eating them.

Raj moved on to the Mussels and Frites, while I ate the Chicken and Brie salad: Mixed greens with granny smith apples, red grapes, candied pecans, melted brie cheese atop caramelized chicken breast with port wine vinaigrette. The pecans and melted brie were so good. I could have gone without the chicken, it didn’t add that much:)

After dinner, we wandered over to Fourth Street Live, Louisville’s nightlife hub. The bouncer questioned Raj’s ID when we entered and made him tell him his address. Seriously? Lol, I am pretty sure he looks older than 21, but hey, take it when you can get it!

The Gin Blossoms were giving a free concert in the courtyard between the many bars/clubs. Yikes, they are looking pretty old…While the people watching was fun, the area was really cheesy—very Kate Gosselin meets Jersey Shore meets “put some more clothing on!” Am I getting old??? Is it appropriate to wear only a bikini top while you are out?

Sunday morning, we treated ourselves to room service: oven fired frittata with spinach, feta cheese, calamata olives, toast, fresh fruit and coffee. It was delicious and I fell in love with the tiny Tabasco sauce that came with the meal.

So, I am reading David Busch’s instructional book for my camera and I am amazed by how much there is to learn and how little I know about it. ISO? Shutter speed? Time to get reading.
Happy Fathers Day Pops!!!

Hats off to KY!

2010-06-19T20:14:00.002-04:00

We checked in a bit ago and are getting ready to head out for dinner @ Bistro 301. The hotel is super cute and very spacious. Before we got here, Raj teased me about getting a hat to wear. Sure enough, since we arrived I have seen about 10 women wearing Easter (or derby, lol) style hats..Yikes. Not my style, but why not rock it if you like it:)

A few of my favorite things.

2010-06-18T13:58:00.002-04:00

I was tempted to go out and get lunch, but Raj and I are going to Noodles & Company after I pick him up from the airport tonight. The fridge is a little low—we are going to Kentucky tomorrow, so I wanted to use up some of the eats we have in there.
I opted to make a black bean concoction, using a few of my all time favorite ingredients: red onion, scallions, garlic (sorry Nana) and cilantro. Hard to go wrong with these;)

Ingredients:

can of black beans, drained
hot sauce
chopped cilantro
chopped scallion
chopped red onion
1 slice canned roasted red pepper
canned corn
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tsp cumin
1 lime, juice
1 whole wheat pita, split in half the long way
salt, to taste

Random Tip: Buy your cumin and others spices at an Indian store or Asian Market. 7 oz of cumin costs me $1.99 at the Indian store, while 1.7 oz of McCormick Gourmet Collection Cumin costs 5.69 on peapod. That means that 7 oz would cost me about $23.00.
Directions:

Heat pan with a bit of canola oil or cooking spray
Stir fry scallion, red onion, corn, bell pepper & garlic for a few minutes
Add black beans, cumin, salt, hot sauce, cilantro, roasted red pepper, lime juice and stir for a few minutes
Broil/toast pita

Enjoy!
I have chronic sinusitis, so I use a lot of seasoning—add the cumin and salt incrementally and taste as you go:)

Happy Birthday Rooberoo!

2010-06-18T11:56:00.002-04:00

Happy 25th little sister:)

Over the years, thanks for:

those really long massages you would give me while we discussed life, or at least while I “hmmed to whatever you were saying to encourage you to keep releasing my knots;)”
planning SO much of my wedding with Raj and being my maid of honor
sharing your makeup and fashion tips (clearly, I appreciate, but don’t absorb them all, haha)
being a great listener

And much more!

Smoothie Take 3

2010-06-18T09:46:00.002-04:00

In an effort to make the smoothie less tangy, I swapped the juices for soymilk, resulting in a very bland mix:( I threw the ingredients back in the blender and added some honey. Still tastes unimpressive. Maybe half soy milk, half juice? Haha, I am very dedicated to the avocados and raspberries.
Ingredients:

1 banana
1/4 cup of frozen raspberries
1/2 avocado
1 cup vanilla soymilk
handful of spinach
1/3 cup of oats
swirl of honey

I tucked myself into bed last night at 11:00 pm –early for me—with the goal of untucking myself at 7:00 am and getting an early start with the day. Does hitting snooze for 2 hrs count for something?

Feeling better:)

2010-06-17T19:33:00.001-04:00

I was supposed to meet a friend for drinks tonight, but we rescheduled for next week, since we are both feeling a bit under the weather.

So, to help shed the crummy mood, I went to the gym and did 15 mins on the bike, 15 on the elliptical and another 30 walking. It did relax me a bit, so that was good:)

Dinner was good, I enjoyed 2 soy corn dogs + an orange + cucumbers + carrots + tasty Blue Moon. Lets just say that today has not been very productive and I made me legs march out of the apt and up to Sweetwaters to finally write some articles and drink some tea.I stopped on the way and chatted with a little friend. Time to be productive.

Summer eats

2010-06-17T14:49:00.001-04:00

So, the headache is sticking around today and I am guessing it is sinus related. Adding the banana and oats to the smoothie definitely made it a more rounded meal. Lunch was tasty, I was happy to get in some veggies and use up the leftover honey ginger dressing.

Lunch = brown rice + red kidney beans + spinach + frozen veggies + honey ginger dressing + soy sauce + semi-ripe apricot

So, on top of the headache, I feel a bit like one of the 7 dwarves: grumpy. No good reason and I can’t blame it on PMS. Hmm…..

Making breakfast stick.

2010-06-17T11:45:00.002-04:00

I woke up this morning with a massive headache. Tight jaw muscles clued me into the grinding I must have been doing all night:(.
Well, since yesterday’s smoothie was tasty, I recreated it, but threw in some extras ingredients, hoping it will fuel me a bit better. The new ingredients:

banana
1/3 cup of oats
4 oz 100% raspberry juice
4 oz 100% orange juice
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 avocado
handful of spinach

I forgot about the soymilk and going light on the OJ—it was a bit tangy and I did have to keep it in the blender for a bit to make sure the oats were annihilated, but on the whole, it was tangy and tasty:)

Can’t quite tell – hungry or full?

2010-06-16T22:42:00.001-04:00

After I finished my article, I stopped by Kroger to pick up eats for a late dinner. I was starving, probably because my breakfast was not so filling and I didn’t eat a heavy lunch.

I had soy corn dogs (x2!)
garlic parmesan triscuit crisps (x2!)
Newman’s own peanut butter cups

So, I was definitely hungry after the soy dogs and the triscuits helped, but then I really just felt eating more. I am trying to figure out if it was a hunger thing or if I am HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, tired). My guess is it was the latter, because I felt a little bit guilty while eating the chocolate –which is not cool!

Pumping Iron.

2010-06-16T19:59:00.002-04:00

Exercise	Weight	Sets	Reps
Ball Bridge	body	2	15 with 30 second pause on last rep
Mountain Climbers	body	2	10 on each side, remain in plank the whole time
Squats with arms lifted in front of body, parallel to the floor	Body	2	15
Hammer curls with external rotation	12 lbs.	2	15
Dips with pause in lowered position	body, on bench	2	15
Bosu squat jumps	body	2	9 on each side
Stork Row	12 lbs.	2	15
Press with leg lowering	12 lbs.	2	15
Lateral raises with calf raises	5 lbs.	2	15
Triceps rope extension	20, 25 lbs.	2	15, 12

Today was a fun and challenging workout! Mixing it up will be essential to my plans—I tend to stick to certain exercises, all the time knowing that variety is key. Lets see, today I was pouring out the sweat during the bosu squat jumps and I was happy when it was all done.
Check out how to do the hammer curls with external rotation. They are a fun way to work your shoulders while keeping your biceps engaged and working the whole time.
I came home and snacked on a sandwich:

whole wheat pita
Lightlife faux turkey
banana peppers
lettuce
tomato, about to go bad!

Talked with Raj for a bit and he sent me a really cool photo he took with his blackberry:

And I am holed up in a local coffee shop, where I have been pumping out some articles for the past few hours:)

Lunchtime

2010-06-16T14:09:00.001-04:00

This morning’s smoothie was, good, but didn’t fill me up for too long. Short on carbs, I was hoping fat from avocado would do the trick. Maybe throwing some Kashi or granola into it tomorrow will do the trick.

Lunch was leftover salad, mixed with brown rice and the other 1/2 of the avocado:)

Raspberry Avocado Smoothie

2010-06-16T11:11:00.002-04:00

I made an Eating Well smoothie and threw some spinach into the mix. Mostly, I loved the colors that I threw into the blender (hello avocados and raspberries).
It was a bit tangy for my liking, so tomorrow, I might cut down the OJ and throw in a little vanilla soymilk:) My guess is that there is a LOT of wiggle room in this recipe and any fruit will taste good:)
Ingredients

1/2 avocado, peeled
3 oz of 100 % OJ
3 oz of 100% raspberry juice
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
handful of fresh spinach

Throw in the food processor and enjoy!

Fitness, hmm?

2010-06-15T22:51:00.002-04:00

So, snacking was great this afternoon, followed by a tasty dinner. I notice that I make healthier food choices when I photograph the meal. I throw in veggies or fruits to add more color—I guess this is one way to be healthy.

The almond and coconut KIND bar is amazing. For some reason, I thought that they were a Whole Foods brand (maybe the coloring is similar to the 365?), so I was tres excited to find them in Kroger today.
Dinner was a mash up that I enjoyed while watching Liam on Ustream playing with his Ipad:

Barilla Plus Penne
Marinara sauce
broccoli

I think that he might be more productive than me!
OK, so about the blog post: I ran/walked 3 miles in 36:02, which is A’OK with me, being that I am the tortoise and can’t imagine being the hare. But…the kicker was this: I hopped onto the stair climber, which I used to do all the time in VA. Granted, that was 5 years ago, but still…..After 6 minutes on level 5, yes that is right, SIX MINUTES, I was tired. Yikes. Time to get these lungs a bit stronger.

Duck….duck…..

2010-06-15T15:36:00.002-04:00

Lunch was one of my favorite salads. So tasty and crisp, it makes my tummy happy every time I eat it.

After going to the post office, the grocery store and the dry cleaners, I stopped by Island Park for a play date with my camera. I stumbled across an adorable family of ducks. The kiddies seem confused about mom’s bathing, try to make a run for it and then happily swim away with her. I have to figure out how to make pics larger/easier to see the details on here….

Chocolate Dreams

2010-06-15T11:12:00.001-04:00

I am not a morning bird, but I want to be! I love reading Zen Habit’s entry: How I became an Early Riser, but can’t seem to get myself into or out of bed earlier. I know this won’t get much sympathy, since my schedule allows me to set up my own hours…But, still, there is something so nice about getting a lot done in the wee hours of the morning.

Today, after dropping Raj off at the airport, much earlier than I usually start my day, I popped into Panera and wrote for a couple of hours.

While relaxing, I snacked on (healthy) decadence:

Chop banana and freeze it
Place banana in food processor, add swig of soymilk, scoop of peanut butter for ~~deliciousness~~ protein.
Blend, grate, chop or what have you and then enjoy:)

Account-of-ability #1 Roundup

2010-06-14T21:57:00.001-04:00

Ok, so tonight marked the 7 days of yoga. The last two days’ sessions were a bit shorter than the first couple of days, but I am OK with that. If it weren’t for the project, I would have scrapped them and not done any yoga at all.

This evening, I did yoga downstairs and thought I would share some of the poses with you:)

The yoga definitely quiets down my mind and steers my mind away from obsessive thoughts. When I get worried or stressed, I want to control something (typically, calories or something boring like that). None of that this week! Which feels amazing;)

Pose names are listed below. Click on it to check out Yoga Journal’s instructions. These are a couple of the ones that I did tonight. Why not plop down a mat and go through the quick sequence right now? Soo? Debbie? hahaha.

Happy 2 yrs!

2010-06-14T20:12:00.002-04:00

2 yrs ago, Raj and I tied the knot. While today was not quite as rainy as our wedding date and the Superpowers didn’t grace us with their musical talents, it was a lovely day:)
We made pizza with yesterday’s dough and then played around with the camera.

Looks like a heart, right?

Made with lick your lips good marinara sauce. Off to do my final yoga routine!

Dinner and a pose, day 6

2010-06-13T23:24:00.001-04:00

Today marked an exciting purchase: The Canon Rebel:) Eager to learn about the camera, I snapped away while Raj was in the kitchen. OK, to be fair, he did some snapping too, but I was roughing it.

I know you like the clean kitchen.

Then, on to a favorite dinner: sweet and sour balti tofu. Check out this post to get the recipe.

Tomorrow marks our 2 yr anniversary, so I ~~pounded~~ kneaded some bread dough and then set it in the fridge to do its thing overnight.

I felt very non-yoga like while doing my self created yoga session this evening. I was a bit focused on the clock and getting it done, rather than focused on my breath. But, hey, I did it. Here is the low down:

Cat pose
Child’s pose
Downward Dog
Pigeon
Plank
Warrior II
Triangle Pose
Sun Salutation
Chair squat (?) Is this the name of this pose???

Yoga, Day 5

2010-06-12T22:11:00.002-04:00

Dinner was amazing. So amazing, Raj snapped a photo with his Blackberry so I could document the deliciousness. I made a feta-lentil-pasta recipe, courtesy of Carrots ‘N’ Cake and Raj picked up bacon potato salad (OK, I like pork in my potato salad;) and a fresh salad from Zingerman’s. Everything was so tasty, I want more!

Around 9:15 pm (on a Saturday night, at that!) I trekked upstairs to do a yoga video. I did Healing Yoga for Common Conditions. Although I initially lacked motivation and excitement (mostly because of the title), I was pleasantly surprised by the moves and enjoyed the video.
Only two weird things:

The guy kept saying “this pose will make you drop excess weight”…huh?
He kept saying “your common condition” and I felt left out.

After 5 days in a row of yoga, I envisioned myself walking barefoot in a white tank top, casual jeans, light make up and slightly wet hair. And glowing, of course. Hmmm…not so much. But, my hamstrings are a bit looser, so that counts.

There is pork in my cereal. Really.

2010-06-12T13:48:00.003-04:00

I flirt with vegetarianism and always think twice before eating meat. After returning from Paris, I have been cutting down on my consumption (maybe 1x a week).

Today, I glanced at the ingredients in Sweetened Wheat-fuls, a cereal typically present in our pantries (and my belly, consequently). GELATIN! Seriously? I quickly drew up the company’s website, hoping it was vegan gelatin. But, nope..right there in the company’s Q & A, they state they use pork based gelatin.

Gelatin freaks FREAKS me out. Don’t get me wrong— every now and again, I will turn a blind eye and pop some candy in my mouth, pretending there are no animal products in it. But, once I think about it and consider what it means, the product is dead to me (at least until ignorant bliss hits me again).

I don’t think it is fair that I have to know what gelatin is to realize that there are animal products (and scary animal parts for that) in my wheat cereal. I think I should be able to assume that if the cereal contains grains, it is made of grains. OK, I realize that they need to make the sugary stuff stick to the top of it some how, but I just can’t believe that cow skin, cartilage and bones can be the only way to go.

Day 4 of yoga.

2010-06-11T17:09:00.001-04:00

Sniffle, sneeze. Guess who has some kind of sinus infection? Postnasal drip woke me up several times last night—lovely, I know. After writing for a bit, I forced myself to go walking at the gym. A little circulation and heat went a long way: after 4 miles, I started to feel a little bit better.

Raj and I are going to dinner with friend this evening, so I tried out a Netflix “view instantly” yoga video: Yoga for Health: Basics and Headaches. I had one eye open whenever they were supposed to be close and definitely found it harder to stick with some poses (shoulder stands). My mind wandered throughout the video, reinforcing how much I like going to class. I enjoy the communal aspect and while I don’t feel competitive during yoga, I do feel encouraged by the people around me.

Last night, the instructor discussed emotions stored in the hips. Well, I don’t know if it is the yoga, but this girl is feeling emotional! I woke up yesterday with a physical nostalgia for my childhood, friends, events and people that have played a role in my life. And then I felt really sad about it. Sad that life goes by so quickly and that so much of it becomes memories before I even have time to process it. Maybe part of this has to do with moving to a new state and making new friends, creating a new life, etc. Maybe it makes me think more about old friends and different periods of my journey.

Private Office?

2010-06-11T10:42:00.001-04:00

I am at Barnes and Nobles typing away and attempting not to notice:

The woman singing while watching a music video on her computer.
The man skyping in the corner.
The loud IM’ing “ting!” next to me.

Hmmm….I understand that this is a public space, but seriously? I just glanced across the cafe and saw a bunch of senior citizens reading magazines. Maybe I should relocate?

Yoga, take three.

2010-06-10T23:19:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I am noticing a trend on my 7 day yoga project. I did cardio on Tuesday, but have since then neglected it (and lifting). I am OK with skipping the weights this week (trust me, my arms are KILLING me from all the planks and pushups), but I am none too happy about my lack of cardio.

At night, I tell myself that I am going to get up and do cardio in the AM and top off the evening with yoga. Yeaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh…Well, I am topping off my night, but not so much in the morning.

Tonight’s class felt great, but if it were not for the challenge, I would have skipped out—I am kind of tired, my sinuses are flaring up and motivation is lacking a bit. But, of course I felt better after and am glad that I went to class.

I am definitely going through camera withdrawal and miss taking pics. I have more motivation to cook fun meals when I can can document the preparation and final project.

Good night!

Yoga, day 2

2010-06-09T20:47:00.001-04:00

This evening, I went to an hour “Yin Yoga” class. While it wasn’t that challenging, I did some great hip openers. Apparently, yin yoga focuses on stretching and relaxing the deep muscles—it seemed similar to a restorative class that I took before.

The instructor was nice, but I missed the intensity that comes with lots of planks, lunges and balancing poses. Put it this way, I would go again if it is the only available class at the time, but I won’t see it out.

During the class, I thought about the different reasons I like yoga (whoops, so much for focusing on my breath!):

I feel less tense and anxious throughout the day—I am typically in a physical state of anxiety. Lol, while my mind might be OK, I tend to tense and clench my muscles all the time.
I feel graceful throughout the day.
My muscles feel longer and leaner after yoga.
After yoga, I want to fuel my body with fruits, veggies and other good foods. It shifts my thoughts forwards and makes me think about how well I want to treat my body after working it. When I lift or do cardio, I tend to think about food that I have already eaten and often judge myself or my decisions. Yoga definitely nurtures my body image.

We did pigeon for three minutes on each side tonight, so that rocked. Definitely one of my favorite poses of all times and opens up my super tight booty. Check out Yoga Journal’s instructions on how to do this pose.

Account-of-Ability Project #1

2010-06-08T22:07:00.001-04:00

Today marked the start of my first project: do yoga 7 days in a row. After a long flight back to the States last Friday, followed by a 9 hour car ride yesterday, my body was begging for yoga.

I went into the class with tight muscles, a headache and a creaky neck. I came out with a sweaty body, less tension and only neck pain. Not bad! During the two weeks in Paris, we went to yoga 8x, more than I had ever been in 14 days and I really want to integrate yoga into my life regularly.

On a funny note, I never hesitate to watch an hour of TV at night, but for some reason, going to a yoga class seems like such a time commitment. Laziness, anyone?

Busted.

2010-06-08T18:00:00.001-04:00

My parents celebrated their 40th anniversary this past Sunday. All seven children, partners (and children) surprised them with a lovely lunch and dinner on Saturday. Everyone under the same roof was a ton of fun and is a rare occurrence. Raj and I landed from Paris the night before, Diana flew in from San Francisco, Annie from Dakar and all the siblings in the VA area made it for the big day.

Right before the festivities kicked off, I hopped off the couch and simultaneously dropped and busted my camera:( While I am eager to buy a new and better one, my “fun” budget can’t really justify such a purchase right now. So, it looks like this will be a great time to see how much I really like to blog. It is a lot easier (and prettier) to fill the pages with pics, rather than words.

My mom, 40 years ago:) Sorry Dad, don’t have a pic of the both of you on my computer.

Blé Sucré & Mexican Food

2010-06-03T16:35:00.001-04:00

Oh my goodness. The most divine pastries I have ever tasted. Blé Sucré is located near the Market Aligre and is tucked away on a cozy street. The decor and presentation of the place is fabulous—makes you want to eat their food and buy their treats. We tried three different treats: an apple pastry, strawberry treat and a chocolate éclair (OK, and a Madeline and many to go treats!). The strawberry was my favorite. Poor Raj earned his treats after a miserable/afternoon sorting out our flight info with British Airways (yahoo for strikes).

The chocolate éclair was pretty good, but I prefer the éclairs that we used to eat at Cafe Vanille, in Boston.

Needless to say, I spent most of the afternoon in a food coma and woke up feeling rather grumpy and lazy. After dragging myself to yoga, we randomly ate at Fajitas, an AWESOME Mexican restaurant:)

Sangria, round one!

Round two!

Mercredi

2010-06-02T12:39:00.001-04:00

Lunch was super easy, tasty and has been a staple meal throughout our time in Paris:

Ingredients

can of crushed tomatoes
olive oil
4 (or more) garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
bell pepper (any color)
1/2 can of green beans
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
broth (any type) bouillon style
can of red kidney beans
cayenne pepper
salt & pepper
one lemon

Directions

Heat olive oil (tbsp or so), sauté shallots, bell pepper and garlic for a few minutes
Add can of crushed tomatoes and then add two cans worth of water
Add green beans and kidney beans and bring to a boil
Add bouillon cube, salt pepper and cayenne pepper (I used all liberally, just taste as you go)
Add 1 lemon’s juice and throw in spinach

By they way, the bread is delicious—tried to do it the French way last night and nearly broke my fingers tearing it. Today, I happily sliced it:)

After lunch, I packed my bag and set out to explore some more. I take back “my peace with my lack of geography”. Last night, I got lost on the way to yoga and subjected Raj to my shrieks and declarations “Google map must be wrong! there is no way I wrote it down wrong!” Rigggghttt……Well, today I only went the wrong way THREE times. ***sigh***

I finally made it to the outside of the Louvre and enjoyed the people watching and crowd. I love the Louvre Pyramid and spent a bit of time looking at it:) I noticed a couple doing their wedding photo session (I am assuming—maybe they were just really dressed up?)

I wandered through the Jardin des Tuileries. While it was pretty, I prefer le Jardin du Luxembourg—the trees make you feel like you are lost in a secret forest and are stepping back in time.

Poilâne

2010-06-01T08:39:00.002-04:00

OK, if you know me well, you know that geography is not my specialty and I am at peace with that. So….you can imagine how excited I was after this morning’s post to literally stroll by Poilane on my way to the memorial plaque. I popped it an bought a loaf of their bread. The store is SO cute and the lady who worked there was really friendly, which makes me want to eat more of their bread;). I am waiting till our post yoga dinner tonight to try it.

When I got home, I ate cauliflower and asparagus soup mixed with whole wheat pasta (yay!) and sprinkled with spinach:) Bread would have gone well with it, but the loaf is too pretty to break before Raj sees it!

Vél’ d’hiv’ Round-up

2010-06-01T08:23:00.002-04:00

Taken from Mass Violence.org’s website:

The greatest mass-arrest of Jews ever carried out on French soil is known as the Vél’ d’hiv’ Round-up. It involved 13 000 victims from Paris and its suburbs. Over slightly more than two days, the Round-up involved nearly a third of the 42,000 Jews deported to Polish death camps in 1942.

I knew nothing of this until I read Sarah’s Key. The novel tells two equally interesting stories: the narrative of a young girl and her family during the round up and a present day story of a journalist affected by the young girl’s story. After reading the story, I wanted to check out Paris’ memorial plaque; another is in Drancy. I walked about two miles from the apartment and eagerly approached 8 boulevard de Grenelle. The area around the plaque was unkempt and it sits in front of a tall apartment building. Now that I am home and read more online, I know that further down there is a monument honoring those who died during this period. I wish I had seen it, but am glad to know about it, because…well…the plaque looks really sad and neglected. So many children died during this! It is heartbreaking:( Definitely read the novel.

I didn’t take this pic, but here is the memorial.

Trekking Through Tuesday

2010-06-01T04:19:00.002-04:00

After a tasty breakfast, Raj headed out to his conference and I got ready for my day. The strawberries here are so sweet (and cheap!), I am going to miss them when we head back on Friday. The bread is from Poilane—we didn’t go to the actual bakery to get the bread; I can only imagine how great it must smell there! From their website:

In 1932, a young baker from Normandy came to Paris to open his first shop.
The bakery was located on 8 rue du cherche-midi in the artsy Saint- Germain des Prés district. Despite the fierce competition, he was determined to bake the traditional French sourdough loaves which were not as popular as baguettes.
At the time, there were 5 bakeries on rue du cherche-midi. Today, there is only 1.

The bread is crisp, light and so good I don’t even care it doesn’t contain any whole grains.

One of our favorite treats here is Michel & Augustin’s vanilla yogurt. If you are in Paris, try it! With many great flavors including banana, strawberry and mango, you can’t go wrong. They are so creamy and taste like a dessert.

Packed a snack for the road I am off to grab a coffee and then head out and explore. Have a great day! Still no ideas here on my goal for June (maybe to come up with a goal for June?) :)

Wok Bar, Bread & Roses and a Stroll Through the Garden

2010-05-31T17:09:00.002-04:00

Continuing with the Asian theme, Raj and I ate at Wok Bar, a cheap and quick spot down the street from us. While I hoped for brown rice and tofu, I was OK with white rice, chicken, veggies and teriyaki sauce. I realize, today, how much I miss ginger and cilantro!
Although our bellies were content after the meal, a short walk through the the garden encouraged us to pop into Bread & Roses for dessert. We shared a chocolate tart that was AMAZING. Although, I felt like I was going to bust out of my skirt after we ate it, I was so full:)
I am churning a personal goal for June, but am not sure what: related to food, fitness, friends, etc???? Any ideas?

Adequate.

2010-05-31T10:13:00.002-04:00

I noticed many people reading this book and excitedly downloaded it. I was disappointed—I did stick with it and found it really interesting to read at some points, I didn’t love it on the whole. In fact, some of the parts were a bit cheesy and ready like an 1800s Nora Roberts book. I wanted more suspense, but oh well. If anything, it is a great cover!

Credit Crackdown: Week 15

2010-05-31T09:11:00.001-04:00

Wow, it has been a really long time since I reported in on my debt reduction. I have been plugging away—less so these last couple of of weeks since we have been abroad (ok, not less so, none since we left Ann Arbor!)

Feb 15 total (day 1 crackdown): 12, 836.11

May 28 (end of week 15): 8,617.19

For a grand total reduction of: $4,218.92

Not bad, I am averaging a little over $1,000 a month and plan on picking up speed when we get back to Ann Arbor.

Mian Fan

2010-05-31T08:53:00.002-04:00

Raj’s conference starts tomorrow and both of us are pretty wiped out from checking out Paris (trust me, that is not a complaint, just an acknowledgment!), so low key is the theme of the day. After breakfast, we lounged around and ventured down the street for lunch. On our way home last night, we passed Mian Fan, a super cute Asian fusion restaurant. The food was very tasty and I was so pleased to be eating some fiber and veggies—I have been neglecting both areas!

I love the decor! The hot pink walls and the chandeliers throughout the restaurant give it a great, festive vibe. The friendly staff and quick preparation made my mood and mouth happy:)
I want to get some cool chopstick holders:)

We started with the Yam neua nam tok: Thai salad with beef and lemongrass. I was not a fan of the beef, but Raj really liked it. To be fair to the beef, I am not a huge meat eater and for some reason, this tasted a bit “sea-foody” to me. The actual salad was light and very refreshing—it contained mint and that was surprisingly delicious.
Raj ordered a beef soup that also contained mint—very yummy and topped with cilantro.

I dined on the vegetable wok: soybeans, sprouts, shitake mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, cabbage, black mushroom and cilantro. After taking a few bites I remarked on how little noodles they gave compared to American standards. Lol, then I looked closer (or Raj pointed out) that ALL the “noodles” were indeed bean sprouts and that the dish contained no noodles. I read the menu wrong and definitely ordered a very, um, simple dish. Thankfully, Raj parted with some of his dish and threw some of his noodles on my plate:)

Le McDonalds

2010-05-31T06:17:00.001-04:00

Dinner last night was great— good company and tasty food:) with wine. For some reason, the coffee and creamer that we bought has not been hitting the spot. The creamer is runny and the coffee tastes weak. So, we walked around the corner to McDonalds and opted for their coffee, rather than ours. I didn’t want my coffee to feel lonely, so I let it hang out with a friend (le McMuffin) before consuming it.

Ce Soir

2010-05-30T13:59:00.002-04:00

This afternoon, Raj and I popped into Christian Constant to pick up some treats. Raj and I are going to his friend and colleague, Florent and his girlfriend Chloe’s for dinner this evening, so we want to bring them some treats. They had us for dinner when we were here two weeks ago and it is crazy to think that time has flown by so quickly!

Chilling in the apartment before we head out:)
Like the repeat offender in the right corner? It is just too good.

Lunging into Lunch

2010-05-30T09:49:00.002-04:00

Raj and I did a trial Anusara yoga class at the Centre de Yoga du Marais. The studio is on a side street, is cozy and carries a warmth. The instructor, Anne, was very welcoming and taught the class in English to accommodate us and our ignorance of the French language. The class was the hardest class I have ever taken. EVER. In Boston, India or Ann Arbor—I have never wobbled or wanted to cry as much as I did during this. Of course, that means that I LOVED it. We did so many lunges and I have to thank Yoga Time for their sessions last week—they warmed me up for today:)

I love the beams on the ceiling! This is a close up of what is on the second shelf in the previous photo.

Lunch was NOT as satisfying as the yoga class. We walked through Marais and stopped at a falafel place. It was very greasy and made me feel tired, rather than energized. After eating the falafel balls and picking through the topping and a bit of the pita, I ended up trashing it. The eggplant was dripping in oil – not my style! Raj said that his was OK, nothing great. Since he didn’t finish it, I am guessing we had a similar experience!

Don’t be fooled by its looks!

Technorati Tags: Anne Vandewalle,Centre de Yoga du Marais,Falafel,Anasura,Paris

A Day of Treats and Happy Bday to Avery!

2010-05-29T15:37:00.001-04:00

Today is Avery’s 3rd bday—I am sure she is whooping it up with her familia:) Today, was a great day—one of those days that just unraveled itself as time went by…After resting, here is what we did:

Snacked on some oranges before setting out for a long walk. Saw this random statue on our way to the Jardin du Luxembourg. Such a small head! Left the garden and stumbled upon Christian Constant. Bought some treats and headed back to the garden:)

This was my favorite:) Not sure of the exact flavors, but who cares? Hee hee…..

We found ourselves at a math conference for kids at St.Sulpice—it was so sweet to see the kids exploring ideas.

Since Raj is here for a math conference, I decided to create my own. One block. two block…..three block….

After the hard work counting, we walked across the river and shared a small vanilla ice-cream.

And then rested! We were about four miles or so in on our walk and my ole feet were starting to get tired.

Raj read about this restaurant in the New York Times and we ate dinner there. The atmosphere was super cute, laid-back and the pizza was very good.

While we dined in, the restaurant has a really cool option for people who want to eat outside: after ordering your food, they give you a pink balloon. You walk to the park by the canal and hang out with your friends and your balloon. When dinner is ready, the delivery person finds you (via the balloon) and brings your food to you! If it weren’t rainy, it would have been cool to do:)

Basil, tomato and cheese—very good! The dough was light and crispy, Jamie would approve!

The Obama: bacon, cheese and a pineapple chutney. While I acknowledge that it was good, the pizza was too meaty tasting for me and I was not a fan of the chutney.

Lazy Day

2010-05-29T08:14:00.001-04:00

Well, Raj is napping while I am typing away, updating the last couple of days. After a slow start to the day, Raj hauled our dirty clothes to a nearby laundry mat and I cleaned up the studio. While the place we are staying in is cute and in a great location, it is definitely not the cleanest! It is a bit dusty in here and while I choose to view the atmosphere as artistic, it was starting to get a bit nasty. A vacuumed floor, clean dishes and one scrubbed floor later, the apt was ready for pics:) It is about 320 square feet! And we thought that our Boston place was small. My favorite part is the bathroom, to the left of the tall bookshelf. You can’t actually shut the door, because your legs jut out of it! Note the bathroom door that is ajar.

At night, I think someone is watching me. Oh wait, that guy is.

These stairs are not for the weak of knees or anyone with bad balance!

The blackberry = the new teddy bear?

In the ~~kitchen~~ shower

Shower is on the left!

Friend by the fridge.

Yoga Time

2010-05-29T07:53:00.001-04:00

Raj and I joined a local yoga studio, Yoga Time, for 10 days. Only 29 Euros and in the heart of Champs-Elysees—not a bad deal! So far, we went Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed & Friday and sometimes stayed for two classes. The studio is friendly and it is comical/challenging to figure out some of the poses. Sure, I know how to say right and left in French, but try figuring out what you are supposed to be doing while lying on the floor with your eyes closed:) It has been relaxing and bit challenging at time—a great combo for vacation. Both of us decided that we wouldn’t want to go there long term (if that were a possibility, haha) and that it seems like a studio geared towards beginners. Last night, we went to “Vitality”, which consisted of stretching out our hip flexors and lying still for about 20 of the 60 minutes. Lol, I felt like we were in geezer yoga! Tomorrow, we are going to check out an anusara studio:)

Montmartre

2010-05-29T07:35:00.001-04:00

After a rainy day, Raj and I boarded the metro and made our way to Montmartre. When we got off the train, we glanced in all directions, unsure of how to get to Sacre Coeur. A little old man happily jumped in and pointed us in the right direction. He was super sweet and I could tell that he stands there and helps out tourists all day:) Lunch was a bust—so much so, that I thought about taking pics and decided not to. We sat outside at a large corner cafe/restaurant. I ordered salad with veggies—which translated into greens, topped with roasted veggies and balsamic vinegar. I could barely look at it, let alone eat it. There was something about the roasted veggies that looked borderline creepy. So, when my burger (not bad) arrived, the waiter took away my barely touched salad. The other waiter/cook? made him bring it back to me, because (I am assuming) that he thought that I was not done with it. It was pretty funny and I am sure I responded “yes” too quickly and too loudly when he asked me if my lunch was good….The area was jammed with tourists, less so than the last time we went with my parents. The stairs were as high and as long as always and the church was just as beautiful. This time, I remembered to wear a t-shirt. Last time, I wore a tank top and was not allowed to sit in the pews (!).

Chez Plumeau: this is where I wish that we ate lunch! Note the amazing tree winding its way through the restaurant, or I guess the restaurant built around the tree:) When we passed this spot, neither of us were hungry, but I am happy to document its great atmosphere for future visits or anyone heading that way:) The area is ripe with graffiti and buses are ~~trashed~~ adorned with marks. I did, however, like this:

When we came to Paris for our honeymoon, two years ago, Raj discovered this little nook on the top of these stairs. The nook gave way a gorgeous, breathtaking view of the city. The alleyway was locked up and closed for two reasons: vandalism and a hotel now sits on its property:( It was a sad moment—it is a jewel of a spot.

A Rainy Day in Paris…

2010-05-27T08:25:00.001-04:00

Raj and I woke up and decided to go to Montmartre. After doing so, rain started pouring down, so we scratched our original plan and opted to lose ourselves in the areas surrounding Montparnasse. After strolling through the Jardin du Luxembourg, where I experienced my first encounter with the Statue of Liberty(!), we stumbled upon a very cute and tasty bakery, Bread and Roses.

I enjoyed an asparagus, goat cheese and leek quiche, while Raj dined on a mushroom, herb and hazelnut quiche. While they were both equally delicious, I was intrigued by the hazelnut. I am used to hazelnut in chocolate and coffee—this was my first time having it in a quiche and it was superb. The spring salad was light and refreshing. While the place was pricey – 18 Euros for a quiche, the organic ingredients, cozy atmosphere and delicious taste makes it worth it. They have take away sandwiches for less than 5 Euros that look really good.

Technorati Tags: Paris,Bread and Roses,quiche,hazelnuts

Lunch at the Jardin du Luxembourg

2010-05-27T04:55:00.001-04:00

I have been a bit slow updating the blog—now that I conquered jet lag and slept till 9 am, I will update my blog at night. A few days ago, Raj and I grabbed baguettes and ate them at the garden. Monday was a holiday here – a celebration of the Pentecost, so many Parisians were out and about. And running through the garden! People watching wise, this made my day. There were people running in jean shorts and dress shirts, among many other interesting outfits. Some were trucking it and some represented my running style and were barely moving. All the while, we enjoyed a salami and pickle baguette and a chicken and sundried tomato baguette.

Confessions of an American Tourist

2010-05-27T04:49:00.001-04:00

Every Wednesday and Saturday, there is a local famers market in Montparnasse. Channeling my inner Julia Child, I woke up excited to explore the vast offerings: fruits, vegetables, cheese, brain (eww!). Determined to find a few great items, take them home and whip up a gorgeous meal, I happily wandered through the market. And then remembered: Farmers Markets intimidate me! What the hell am I supposed to get? Everything looks good, but everything looks the same…Do I need a kilo? Should I order a kilo because that is what is listed and it is easy to pronounce? Do I feel like cooking. Will the vendor be able to hear me as I whisper my poorly articulated French mutterings? Raj and i made it to the end of the Market and sampled a Lebanese treat—not what I expected to gravitate towards at the market, but really easy to point at! Don’t even ask about the meal I did not prepare last night! :)

Take note of the guy in the white shirt in both pics! While I was taking the first one, he noticed that I was snapping shots. Like how he turned and posed for the second one? I was worried for a second that he was going to tell me to put my camera away!

Happy Bday Liam + Ooh la la

2010-05-23T18:25:00.002-04:00

Yummy start to the day! Spanish avocados are so flavorful and I wake up excited to eat them. Granted, I am jet lagged and have been waking up at strange hours, but still.....Monoprix, a major grocery store is right across the street from where we are staying in Montparnasse. The area is very artsy and has a great feel to it:)

To celebrate his 1st bday, Raj and I treated ourselves to fabulous Berthillon ice cream. I tried the Noisette (hazelnut) and Raj opted for our last trip's favorite: Gianduja, or chocolate orange ice cream. Mine completely hit the spot. or like I told Raj: my soul. Haha, don't ask, it was amazing--and a great way to celebrate the little guy's first year!

I can't believe that I didn't take a photo of dinner! We were repeat offenders and went back to Maoz Falafel....a favorite haunt from the last time we were here. It was very good, but I think that I like thinking about how wonderful it is when I am away more than I actually enjoy eating it! Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

“30”

2010-05-15T12:59:00.001-04:00

Raj and I headed to Chicago to bring in my big “30”….We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel—it was great to be back there, it really is such a lovely place! On Thursday night, we walked over to the Chase Auditorium and watched a recording of NPR’s “Wait wait…don’t tell me!” It was a blast. My favorite part was watching the retakes—when they redid audio clips from the night. It was amazing! Ice T was the celebrity guest and that rocked. Now, I am tired though…since I am 30 and all..

VA

2010-05-03T07:39:00.001-04:00

Good morning, good morning, good morning. I am just about to go change Liam’s position, but thought that I would pop in and say hello. I have been in VA for one week now, helping out while Nana is in Disney Work with the Troy Bruens. It is amazing to see how much stronger Liam has gotten in the past three weeks—his fine motor skills are much more developed, he is holding his smiles for a longer period of time and has become much more communicative. He also has a wicked little giggle that he is using to get what he wants and to express what a great time he is having with his Aunty Judy (pat myself on the back)..Hmm…although, last week when I was holding him, he wanted nothing to do with me! He was crying, so Jamie picked him up and handed him off to Soo. The little bugger fell asleep after staring dreamily into her eyes. ***pout***

Focus, Judy, focus.

2010-04-17T11:52:00.001-04:00

I was browsing different websites this morning and came across the following blurb in Psychology Today

Success is the process of actualizing the steps consciously, continuously and courageously. Success does not happen one time. Success occurs every time you work on your plan, whether that is to show up at the gym or pay off a little more on your credit card debt. In other words, success is a process, not a final result.

I also love the title, “Spinning into Control”. It is easy to lose sight of the big picture and recognize progress. For example, I looked at past financial notes and realized that I have reduced my credit card debt by $7,000 since Sept. Not bad, right? Still, it seems to go so slowly. I know that I am due for a check in, but am stalling until next Friday. That is the day I want to have one credit card ANNHILATED.

Working It

2010-04-16T20:43:00.001-04:00

Do you think it is strange that my current running pace looks pretty similar to my speed in this pic? Hmm…you would think that I would have built up some endurance by now!

Pizza Party

2010-04-11T19:20:00.001-04:00

Last night came together quite nicely. Raj and I finished rolling the pizzas, cleaning and set out some fresh flowers to get the night started. We were a little bit nervous about the pizzas and how they would turn out—essentially, we have been practicing them all week. I have been dreaming about dough! And not in a cute way…more like nightmares:) Anyways, the food was excellent and the company was wonderful. Good conversation topped off with Greg’s home brew and tasty desserts made for a good time!

Pizza Anxiety

2010-04-09T13:35:00.001-04:00

Last week, Jamie prepared an amazing pizza feast..It was so delicious that when I got back to Ann Arbor, Raj and I ran out and bought the book. Well, needless to say, I have been experimenting with doughs this week and realize that pizza making brings out the crazy in me. At heart, I am a bit of a control freak and making dough presses my magic buttons. There is something so final about putting the dough in the over and wondering, will it come out OK? I recognize that this is a bit kooky, but I really like that I can tweak and stir while cooking on the stove top. Maybe this all will help me become a more patient person. We are hosting a dinner tomorrow night and putting the pizzas to the test. Fingers crossed! Off to experiment.

The Long & Steep Road

2010-04-08T17:15:00.001-04:00

Now that the weather has been sunnier and warmer, I have been trying to get out and do more walking. Living here, I realize how much I took for granted how active living in a city made me! In Boston, I lugged around weights and workout equipment five days a week and probably trekked close to 5 miles a day.

This past week, I have been walking to North Campus with Raj—at the end he veers right towards his office and I wander over to Panera to do some writing for a bit. It has been lovely to get moving and reintegrate walking into my daily routine.

For some reason, I have been very anti-blog this week—kind of like that whole, want to talk to a friend, but too lazy to pick up the phone situation.

Friday Fun

2010-04-03T17:14:00.001-04:00

Last night, Jamie made delicious pizza—which was an extra treat, given that she is making five doughs/different toppings on Saturday night! I am impressed with the recipes and tempted to try them out myself:)

Off to Centreville

2010-04-02T12:14:00.001-04:00

Like how hip I look getting ready to pull away from the Troy Bruens? Oh, wait! That was Avery doodle pretending to drive home for me:)

I landed at my parents and was greeted with Jamie’s very delicious Focaccia bread—amazing!

Soo came by and enjoyed the treat, while we chilled on the deck with Liam—enjoy the “Jaws” like experience when Soo and Liam’s feet meet:)

What day is complete without a little bit of chocolate?

Capping the Beer

2010-04-01T20:16:00.001-04:00

Last night, Greg and I spent about three hours filling bottles with five of his different home brews. I got to taste each one and needless to say, the capping became a bit harder by the end of the evening.

Chili & Beer

2010-03-31T10:29:00.001-04:00

We opted to save Mexican food for Wednesday night and enjoy Greg’s homemade chili instead. He spent the day laboring over it and the smells and the looks of it made it too hard to pass up last night. Court was a very memorable experience. I went it to it thinking, “hmm…I wish this was Law and Order”…and wait, it was! Did I mention that I was at a full stop at a red light when the guy slammed into me? Well, he contested the charges and said that I was changing lanes, driving negligently and in a reckless manner. What?!? He also represented himself. The judge told him that he could ask me questions, but told him “this is not like on TV, you are just asking her to clarify anything that she said, not to catch her saying something that makes you say ah-ha! she is responsible”. Well. He ignored that advice. Asked me crazy questions---were Raj and I sharing a seat? Were there probably or definitely cars in front of me? Totally nutty questions! I guess that pics of the accident are kind of like DNA tests—they speak for themselves. The judge decided that it would be hard to swerve out of the way of a reckless driver (me, in this story) and slam directly into the back of the car. Hmmm….The chili was enjoyed with one of Greg’s home brews—a German Bock. Sweet, strong and coppery, it was nice and chewy (a favorite of Raj’s). Like my description and how I sound like I know what I am talking about? Greg’s influence is pouring onto these pages. The beef was delicious, it game from Polyface Farms, a place I have been curious about since reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Avery is watching me blog. When she saw the pic of Greg, she reached towards the screen and “grabbed” the beer with her fingers. Followed with a “thank you dad!”

C-ville

2010-03-30T12:07:00.001-04:00

I am in Charlottesville for a couple of days kicking it with Greg, ‘Nise, Cole, Avery & Quinn:) We spent a relaxing evening together and Avery and I are doing some serious reading (Tarzan) before I get ready to head to court. Raj and I were sitting at an intersection two years ago and a guy slammed into the back of us. He thought that we were moving. At the red light. At a complete stop. Hmm….!?! Well, he didn’t have insurance and Geico has been chasing him down for a couple of years, so I am going to stop by the courthouse and give my best dramatization. Hahaha. After Denise gets her hair cut, we are all going to wander around the downtown mall and go for Mexican! Yummy:)

Fun Weekend

2010-03-30T11:48:00.001-04:00

Saturday was a jam-packed, fun day. Soo and I walked around the Farmer’s Market, wandered downtown and relaxed for a good portion of the afternoon.

Around 4 pm we got our toes done and then headed home for more relaxation.

Raj, Soo and I went to the Jolly Pumpkin for dinner and opted for a beer sampling. We tried all nine beers and it was super fun and filling. The sampler includes 5 beers, but the bartender gave us the four other beers on tap and charged us a whopping $1 for the extra!

Fun times:)

2010-03-27T11:33:00.001-04:00

While trekking around downtown Ann Arbor, Soo was introduced to Comet’s amazing cappuccino. So delicious! Off to explore the Farmer’s Market (for the second time in 7 mos, haha-shh…don’t tell her that, let her think I go every weekend, haha).

Have a great weekend!

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-25T19:18:00.001-04:00

Soosoo is coming to visit tomorrow for the weekend, so I am hard at work making the place sparkle and glisten:)

The Windy City

2010-03-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

My bathroom buddies:)

Definitely going to pull the shade before showering!

We just arrived in Chicago--I am here for the night and Raj will head off to Madison, Wisconsin tomorrow. The Hard Rock Hotel is amazing! Very cool decor and a great location:)

Coffee Break

2010-03-22T14:55:00.001-04:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned caffeine above a urine level of 12 micrograms/ml. This would be the result of drinking 4 large cups of coffee.

Maybe I underestimate its potential effects.

Jalabi

2010-03-21T19:26:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, Raj and I walked to North Campus. We hopped into the Indian store and were quickly drawn to the dessert display. My hands down favorite Indian treat is jalabi—fried, orangey goodness. I don’t know how to make it, what exactly is in it or the nutritional value. AND I NEVER WANT TO KNOW. I just want to go on enjoying it and eating it like it is my job.

Mixing it up.

2010-03-21T19:21:00.001-04:00

I had a feeling that the salad dressing I made last week would go nicely with stir fry. I am embarrassed to say the salad’s name (Asian Tofu Salad) because it seems so lame-o and like Eating Well had a lazy week naming recipes. Why not ginger sesame salad? Or something a bit more original or eye catching?

Pasta Night

2010-03-20T12:26:00.001-04:00

~~Thanks Debbie, Adam…~~ Adam’s Mom for dinner two nights ago! I was lazy about updating, but have been happily eating the leftovers for a few days now:) A couple of notes—I upped the red pepper flakes to 1 teaspoon for a little bit more heat, used frozen spinach and would NOT recommend the soy italian sausage that I used—it was really bland. I should have listened to you Debs and stuck to the good stuff. This is nice and tangy and I really it with the beans. I am a huge fan of chewy meals and this one is nice and hearty:)

Check out the Wegman’s recipe.

Credit Crack out: Week 5

2010-03-20T12:18:00.001-04:00

S O, if you know me well, you probably know that I get a bit obsessive and then get a bit anxious about feeling obsessive. Lol, so…In the spirit of taming neuroses, I am going to report in every month instead of every week. And the small font is me blushing about it. So, April 12 it is. See you then.

Lazy Lunch

2010-03-18T14:34:00.001-04:00

Lunch was super fast and easy—I got back from writing a little before 2 pm and my stomach was grumbling. I am really not a fun person to be around once I get hungry!

Here goes:

whole wheat pasta
homemade marinara sauce
peas
quorn
parmesan cheese

Dear Lock,

2010-03-17T15:33:00.001-04:00

Today, I got into a fight. See opponent below. I know that I had not finished my article quota for the day, but seriously? I had a hair appointment. Oh, why wouldn’t you just turn and lock for me? Very disconcerting when your lock won’t lock.

Right before I stepped out, I feasted on yesterday’s leftovers.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

2010-03-17T10:50:00.001-04:00

Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck. ~Author Unknown

Pancakes, “take two”

2010-03-17T10:27:00.001-04:00

Scrumptious Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes.

Always tastes better when someone else makes it….

2010-03-16T20:32:00.001-04:00

This evening, Raj made dinner while I lounged on the couch. Not a bad deal! He made one of his favorites, Tofu Manchurian. Last night, we went to a HUGE Asian market and had a great time reconnecting with some food that we have not had over the past 8 mos. In Cambridge, we lived down the street from a tofu factory and used to walk over there to get tofu puffs—an item we have not been able to find here in Ann Arbor. They had them! He definitely has this recipe mastered and I think that there is a 3 part reason—1. he uses way more chili peppers than I do (10 vs 4) 2. He patiently chops ginger and garlic, while I throw in paste 3. He reallyreally loves it and I think his passion for it sneaks into the taste.

Refreshing to see….

2010-03-16T14:48:00.001-04:00

Check out any school budget and watch as physical education gets pushed off of the page. I was browsing and found this in ADDitude magazine:

“More schools are including exercise in their curricula to help kids do better in the classroom. A school in Colorado starts off students’ days with 20 minutes of aerobic exercise to increase alertness. If they act up in class, they aren’t given time-outs but time-ins — 10 minutes of activity on a stationary bike or an elliptical trainer. “The result is that kids realize they can regulate their mood and attention through exercise,” says Ratey. “That’s empowering.”

I like to wonder what would happen if grown ups were forced to spend 8 hours a day slammed into a small room—with no exercise, stretch breaks, etc. Lots of time outs, would be my guess!

Make this as soon as you can.

2010-03-16T13:50:00.001-04:00

I hit the gym this morning—I walked 3 miles on a slight incline, followed with a super quick upper body circuit:

2 sets:

bicep curls
dips
lat pull down
chest press with leg lowering (go abs!)

I crashed and convinced myself that I will do some lower body and core work at home tonight. Hopefully, writing this will keep me honest!I realize that I like a lot of the recipes that I try, but lunch was hands down one of my favorite and I look forward to making it many times in the future (of course it is from Eating Well). I changed the directions, since I only made it for one! That means 3 servings of dressing leftover-yay! Curious to see if Raj wants to try this tonight…

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce package extra-firm, water-packed tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cups mixed salad greens
2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 large cucumber, chopped

Directions:

Whisk canola oil, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and salt in a bowl.
Place 1 serving of tofu and 2 tsp of the dressing in a pan. Cook over medium-high heat, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes total. Remove from the heat, add 1 tsp of the dressing to the pan and stir to coat.
Toss greens, carrots and cucumber with 2 tsp dressing. I added whole wheat pasta for staying power and threw in some baby corn. Serve immediately, topped with the warm tofu.