Plain Jane

Week 2: Greek Inspiration

2012-02-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

Success! So Monday was the night that worked for everyone for dinner party night which worked out perfectly. Sunday turned out to be very productive for me as I sat and menu planned for the whole week, and taking note from Week 1 of Donna Hay Instant Entertaining I read over the recipes I was going to cook several times, made a very detailed grocery list, and planned my attack. Here was the menu.

Appetizer: Cucumber & Tomato salad with parsley and crispy feta cheese

Entree: Oregano Lamb with a mustard honey dipping sauce, Dill & Parsley Potato Salad

Dessert: Lemon Panna Cotta with Blueberries (and raspberries for the sister not keen on blueberries)

Plan of Attack: Made dessert on Sunday evening. Recipe called for the dessert to cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours so the "Instant" part of the "Instant Entertaining" was lost on me. Glad I read the recipes thoroughly beforehand as I have had recipes backfire as I did not see the resting time. Next, pre-mix dressing for potato salad and let marinade together. The potato salad called for warm to room temperature so making it beforehand and putting it in the refrigerator was not the best plan. Last thing was to clear off and set the table. I wish I had taken a picture of the table (I blame my photographers) as I thought it was cute with my fun napkin folding and center piece of citrus fruit. Next time photos, I swear!

One thing I must mention was that the menu called for a certain cut of lamb. After my last dinner I wanted to get that exact cut of lamb and not accidentally buy an inferior cut. Well I went to four stores and could not find the cut, back strap boneless and trimmed. So I ended up getting a cut as close to it as I could. My sister and I discussed that Donna Hay is from Australia where lamb, especially all types of cuts, are more readily available and available all year long whereas in the US lamb is usually seasonal. I don't know why as lamb is very good and very easy to cook. The meal was paired with Four Vines Biker (can you tell I picked it out) and was great. Well most of it. The starter salad was killer, in my opinion. The taste and textures of the salad melded well together. The recipe called for the cucumber to be cut in half, then seeded, then cut into strips. I had reservations but I stuck with the exact recipe figuring if I wanted I could modify the next time. Well this needed no modifications and is definitely a keeper. The potato salad was sweeter than I am used to but worked well. I might scale back on the amount of red onion though. The recipe called for 1/2 a red onion thinly sliced. I put in less than half, but will hold back even more next time. Perhaps my red onion was larger than usual, who knows? The lamb. Oh the lamb. Wrapped in fresh oregano leaves, it needed to cook a bit longer than the recipe stated but that might be because my oven is stupid and likes to over-heat and under-heat on a whim. The lamb was perfect and that dressing/dipping sauce was to die for! I wish I could say it was this complex recipe but alas it was one part honey and one part mustard (I only had whole grain which was perfect!). Dessert, less sweet than American desserts which is not a bad thing, but the texture was closer to ricotta than pudding and a bit more dense than I would like. I am going to try and modify the recipe as the flavors were there, but it just needed some tweaking.

Two weeks down, twenty-eight to go!

Bistro Basics

2012-02-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

Good morning from a grumpster. Well, I am not actually grumpy but I am miffed that I accidentally left my alarm clock on for Saturday morning and did not get to sleep in. By sleep in I mean wake up at 7am. Oh the life of a grownup. So since I am up so early I am posting just for you!

Last night marked the first night of my 2012 commitment. What commitment? Well you see I have been toying around with this idea for a while and decided to take the leap. I love cookbooks. I drool over cookbooks. I flip through them reading the recipes and dream up dinner parties and picnics. So consequently I have collected a few cookbooks as well. To be honest I have only actually cooked a few recipes from each book. Such a waste of wonderful ideas just sitting there begging me to give them a try. Well, I decided that in 2012 I am going to cook through one of my books starting with the very first one I purchased after sitting at the library for hours flipping through the pages. And surprise, surprise it is a Donna Hay book. The book I chose is called The Instant Cook. (Check it out here on Amazon.com) The book is filled with 30 different meal ideas. Yes you read correctly, meals not recipes. Each meal has 3 different recipes which start with an appetizer then the entré and finally the desert.

All week I have meant to make a bistro type meal as the farmer's market finds I purchased were asparagus, portobello mushrooms, and a large sweet potato. Doesn't that yell bistro with a little steak fillet? Well Friday night I decided it was time to make the meal and just consulted Donna Hay and found a very close menu to what I wanted. Dying to hear it? Well here was the menu.

Starter: Asparagus With Simple Lemon Hollandaise

(toped with rocket or arugula)

Entre: Garlic Butter Steaks

(mustard garlic butter marinade used for the steak and whole portobello on a bed of wilted spinach)

Dessert: Molton Chocolate Cakes (accompanied by fresh raspberries)

Oh so many things were learned from this experience, as was expected. To start, making dinner always takes longer than you think. For instance, I went to make the dessert first and have it in the oven while I made dinner only to discover I had to bike over to the store for more chocolate as I had only purchase the filling amount for the cake. Darn it, mental note on that one. Next, I learned the choice cut of meat is imperative to the meal and that I need to become more familiar with the different cuts. I am not a big red meat eater/fan, in fact I make myself choke down protein because my body requires a lot of it and I would rather just have eggs. So consequently I had no idea what cut of meat to purchase. I ended up grabbing sirloin as it was package in 3 cuts and there were 3 of us for dinner. Perfect, I thought. Well luckily the people I had dinner with are big red meat eaters and seemed perfectly fine with my choice of meat. (I have a feeling any choice would have been fine with them.) I on the other hand have made a mental note to learn which cut of meat I like and don't like and sirloin is on my don't like list. Although I cooked it medium rare it was a bit chewy for me and a bit too thick. Also, red meat that is not marbled is just not as tasty. On the other hand the sauce I made to go with the meat and portobello mushroom was very good just needed more of it and a little more garlic. I made a sticky note note in my recipe book to make sure that I double the sauce recipe next time and that 1 garlic clove means 1 large clove or 2 small cloves. Next I noted that although I love the skinny asparagus that I think for this menu they needed to be a little thicker. The hollandaise sauce needed a bit more lemon juice.

Then there was dessert. I need to purchase ramekins to cook the dessert in as they were pretty puny and hard to dislodge from the cupcake tin. The almond meal needed to be ground down more to a finer texture. Also...I forgot the butter in the lava cake. (Paula Dean would disown me.) Don't you hate when you have something great and forget a key ingredient? I was suppose to measure out 2 servings of butter, one for the hollandaise sauce and one for the molton chocolate cake. Well I only portioned out one and forgot to put it in the cake. The cake still tasted great, but the texture was a bit off. Darn! But I did learn that fresh raspberries were the key as that dark chocolate and raspberries were a match made in Heaven.

I know you might be thinking I am such a Negative Nelly (phrase coined by my middle sister and I when jesting with our brother-in-law) but over all I thought the meal was a success. I just wanted to take these notes and put them on stickies in my cookbook for the next time to ensure the perfect dinner party.

Anyway, below are pics snapped by my guests on their iPhones. Thanks goodness they took pictures as I was scrambling and hardly remembered to turn the oven off.

One menu down, 29 to go!

Happy New Year

2012-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Translation: Best wishes and congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year! Traditional Chinese greeting on the Chinese New Year.

Well today is the Chinese New Year, year of the dragon to be precise. Yesterday we celebrated by having a Chinese dinner. I made Orange Peel Shrimp which tasted just like take-out so I consider it a success. I like to celebrate the Chinese New Year so it gives me that extra time to think about the year ahead and make goals (not resolutions). This year I have a few loose goals, more of things I want to just make part of my life. For instance:

1. Cook through a cookbook. I have a weakness for cookbooks but I admit, I have some I haven't made one recipe out of. I want to chose one and make every recipe in the book. The loose part of the goal is just to cook more recipes out of the books I own. Of course you will see when I proceed with this as I will post pictures on the site.

2. Run a race every month. My friend Christina asked if I wanted to run a 5k through the vineyards of Temecula and I said yes. The last couple of weeks I have been going to the gym after work and running to prep. There were (countless) nights that I just wanted to go home and blow off of the gym but I didn't because I had signed up for that darn race. Well this last weekend I went down to Temecula and we ran the race in the rain, wind, and mud. It was fun. (More fun than I care to admit.) So I want to stay motivated and do a running event each month. February is looking a bit rough as that is my busiest month at work and it appears that there aren't too many races around here then. Well maybe two in March would make up for that.

Okay, so I have just two goals for now, but I am on my path to make more and to be inspired. Dare I say, post more posts in 2012 than I did in 2011? Well, I can't commit to that just yet. Happy New Year and here is to new goals and endless possibilities!

Think About It Thursday

2012-01-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

“If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Hey, hey Donna!

2012-01-15T13:29:00.001-08:00

Hello blog world. I have been gone for quite a while but I will not apologize. Life gets busy and honestly I was hoping to do away with blogging. *gasp* You see, blogging takes time and energy, both of which I have been lacking. But today I made an effort to take pictures and am sitting down to share with you.

My sister and I have this little love obsession with Donna Hay. I have talked about her a lot, but what you don't know is that I would stay up for hours and night and just watch her Australian tv on YouTube and dream of cooking and living in Australia as she sous chef. (It can still happen.) Well the sister and I have been talking forever about doing a blog in homage to Donna and calling it "Hey, hey Donna!" (spelling yet to be determined) Well this weekend we set the date and time to do our first photo shoot. My sister had her stellar camera and set up going on while I through together a very healthy frittata for lunches with week. The whole process was quick and seamless and here are the fruits of our "labor".

There is still a lot to learn and practice with food photography but it encourages us to cook and practice those shooting skills. And of course, we will have to start taking pictures for the cookbook I am putting together of my favorite recipes. So thank you Donna Hay for the inspiration and dragging me back into the blogging world.

Chicken Cacciatore

2011-11-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at chicken cacciatore in honor of Snow White & The Huntsman coming out soon. Hunter in Italian is cacciatore which inspired me. Sidenote, I bought the organic free-range chicken from Trader Joe's and carved it myself for the first time. Maybe next time I will ask the butcher.
I wish you could smell this picture. I almost ate the roasted veggies before the chicken was done because it smelled so good. Man, Sunday dinners are the best!

A body in motion...

2011-10-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

So Sunday morning I woke up after sleeping in and as I lay in bed thinking I could physically sleep the day away and be fine with that decision Newton's law of motion came to mind. A paraphrase, "A body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest stays at rest." I glanced at my clock and decided that I was going to force myself to get up and go to the farmer's market. I was going to be a body in motion.

Going to the farmer's market is always a good idea because I get the best tasting local veggies and when I buy them I incorporate them in my meals for the week not wanting anything to go to waste. I got to the market as it was opening, spent my allotted $20 in no time at all and then off to the grocery store for things not sold at the market. Once home I decided to stick with Newton and made a list of things to do on my favorite office supply, the index card. As the day went on I was more and more productive and scratched things off my list like I was sword fighting with my pen. Make Aunt Jan's recipe for green beans and vinaigrette for a dish dish for dinners. Check. Make roasted red pepper hummus to go with lunch for the week. Check. List my tv/dvd/vcr on Craigslist. Check. Put up shelves above desk. CHECK. (This was a long time coming and by far my favorite accomplishment. See gritty picture below.) Do laundry so I can have clean workout clothes. Check. Wash sheets. Check. Organize said desk. Desk. Rearrange hallway furniture with living room furniture. Check. Make Laura Calder's Caramelized Onion Tart to take to wine class this week. Check. (Really wanted to eat this as it smelled amazing and looked just perfect but I maintained some self control.) Empty trash and recycling in bed room and bathroom. Check. Clean out refrigerator. Check. Wash and dry al dishes. Check. Put away all laundry. Check. Put up picture in room. Almost check. Apparently we are out of long nails. Who knew? Make run to Goodwill. Still open due to lack of time but that was thrown on last minute and I can do later when they are open.

All in all it is amazing what you can do when unhindered and have a check list. My room feels a million times more organized now that my shelves are up above my desk. So many obstacles have been in my way fo these shelves but Sunday was the day or reckoning. And there is just something about having all of your laundry done and going to bed in clean sheets that puts one's mind at ease. My sense of accomplishment knows no bounds. I finally sat down in the evening and watch one of my favorite movies, Stranger Than Fiction, with my sisters before calling it a day. Hope you guys had a great weekend too!

(Did I mention Saturday was my Cake Decorating Class? Loved it!)

My little desk area. (Trust me, it was really bad before.)

Cake Decorating Class

2011-10-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Harvest from the DSA

2011-08-30T16:35:00.001-07:00

My mom picked these today from her garden.

Aren't they great? I have tons more pictures from our visit this weekend that I will post later.

My less than $5 dinner

2011-08-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Salmon was $7.99/lb from Sprouts. I always ask the butcher to give me a quarter of a pound to try to get as close as possible to 4 oz which is a serving size. This was almost 6 oz but I had just worked out and was pretty hungry. Salmon was coated with spice rub from Williams Sonoma. I highly recommend their spice rubs, truly addicting.

Cantaloupe was $2 for a whole melon from the Long Beach Farmer's market

Asparagus (one of my favorite vegetables) was $2.50 for a huge bunch. This was only 1/3 of the bunch.

Salmon - $3.04

Asparagus - $0.83

Cantaloupe - $0.25

TOTAL $4.12

Wouldn't you know

2011-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

I find it quite hilarious and ironic that my last post was all about eating close to the source and my discipline and that night I went for wine and appetizers and had artichoke dip and crackers and wine which we all know are not close to the source. (It was planned for so I had eaten less calroeis the previous days.) So despite going way over my calories for the day last Thursday I was almost dead on for the week. That is why I like tracking for the whole week. You go over one day then the next you go under. You don't have to stick to those calories exactly every day. I mean, for goodness sake, that would be no way to live. It is more about being disciplined and then taking those breaks for celebrations.

On a side note, I have really enjoyed making my self breakfast, lunch, and dinner. First of all, I am saving money by not going out. Secondly, I know exactly what goes in my food and where it came from. And lastly, I have been trying new recipes and am inspired to be creative and try more. My lunches are pretty standard, but I am getting ready to mix that up soon. Anyone have any suggestions of some fun and tasty lunch recipes? If so, let me know!

Tired Thursday...but still thinking

2011-08-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Apparently I was pretty tired this morning. I am that no-nonsense person that sets their alarm and when it goes off I get up immediately and go get ready. Well this morning I was that lazy, glassy-eyed person that decided to hit their snooze bottom 3 times before I got out of bed. Apparently I was tired. Is it because I have been working out a bit with Tony Horton so much lately or because I have been going to bed later than usual? Oh how I dream of getting a steady 7.5 hours sleep a night and eventually it will happen. Who knows the reason, all I know if that I needed that extra sleep.

My daily life has change a bit recently. Along with working out with Tony Horton and P90X I am also being fairly strict with my calorie intake and the types of food that go into my body. All this week 80% of what I have eaten came straight from the farmer's market, the other 20% were from Trader Joe's. I am aiming to have a 1/3 ratio for protein, carbs, and fats and have been doing great. Sure I have had to choke down some protein that made me gag (salmon) but I am keeping that ratio. Being the fast oxidizer I am, I need to have around 40% of my calories be from protein. When I do eat that way I have noticed a steady stream of energy throughout the day and am less hungry, unlike my sister who loves eating protein but is actually a slow oxidizer and can maintain her energy on more carbs than protein. For me, being less hungry and not used to the large amount of protein = having to choke down salmon last night. It is amazing to me when you eat food straight from the source (raw fruits & veggies, cooked fruits and veggies, eggs, & fish) how MUCH you eat and how LITTLE calories are in them. Currently I am snacking on about 4 cups of veggies that total less than 100 calories. (In those veggies are string beans from my mother's garden. Man are they good!)

Anyway, my energy is good today and I am planning on going to bed at a decent time tonight. Just trying to get to be the best I can be and the healthiest I can be. Makes me wonder how much better I could have felt in the past on those down days where coffee and carbs were calling my name.

Wordless Wednesday: Conservatory of Flowers

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Operation healthy

2011-08-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, apparently I fell off the fit train a few months back. I have gained weight since my record low in January and I am not too happy about it. After seeing my very fit uncle in San Francisco I was motivated to hop back on the train. He is the first person to tell me about the Lose It! app and he has lost over 30 pounds and looks great. I decided I wanted to feel stronger and kick up my health level once again. Started tracking my nutrition with the Lose It! app and doing P90X again. (Did night #1 last night and wanted to puke afterwards. I guess that is a good thing...)

Anyway, here is part of my yummy lunch. I am loving my spinach, mushroom, and scallion quiches. Super easy to make, fast, travels well, and totally healthy. Kicking up that protein level one step at a time. Also, I am loving plain, non-fat Greek yogurt for breakfast. Who knew?

Come on, get back on the train with me!

Can I just say...

2011-08-15T20:54:00.001-07:00

How much I love my aunt and San Francisco! Last week I took a last minute trip up to the Bay for some much needed R&R. My aunt and uncle were going to be there and I ended up spending the whole time with my aunt while my uncle competed in the World Laser sailing tournament. We went to the Farmer's Market at The Ferry Building, discovered an amazing Italian grocery store in Cow Hollow, checked out garden stores, a cool paper store where I got a great bicycle bag and bicycle stamp ( sense a theme?), chatted up strangers in a book store, ate the most amazing ice cream sandwich from Miette, and went to the Wicked Plants exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. We walked so much I thought my feet were going to fall off. It was great! Discovered the ins and outs of the SF bus system and narrowly made the plane ride home with the help of a few strangers. There is just always something magical about that city to me that draws me to it. One day I am going to live there, if even for a moment. It was great spending time with my aunt as we have common interest and find the same things funny. I can't tell you how long we were in that paper store reading ridiculous greeting cards. Oh, did I mention we had a Rummikub tournament while watching my uncle sail at the St. Francis Yacht Club? ( She may have won a few more times than me, dang it!)

Anyway, I was sad to leave and am already thinking about my next trip. San Francisco, until we meet again...

Think About It Thursday

2011-08-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way." - Henry David Thoreau

Pulled Pork anyone?

2011-07-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

So I decided this past weekend that I was going to give making pulled pork another go. You see, I never ate pork growing up. This was not due to religious purposes, merely that my mother never bought it and when I was out I never ordered. I believe that was a hidden fear of getting a disease from pork but I have no clue where that came from. As an adult I have tried to expand my palate and that has included pork. I have made a lovely Donna Hay recipe or apple pork chops wrapped in puff pastry. Pretty tasty and east to make. Next, I tried a Robin Miller recipe and hated it. Her recipe for pulled pork was not up my flavor alley. So when the pork bug hit me again this past weekend my sister recommended a recipe from the new show Kelsey's Essentials. I road my bike over the the grocery store, came home, popped the ingredients in the slow cooker and 4-6 hours later a memorable dish was ready to be eaten. So succulent and flavorful. I have tons of meals for the week. I might ever freeze some just for an emergency meal. Man, I need to use the slow cooker more often. I mist say, I altered the recipe only slightly. Here is the recipe I used:

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork (adapted from Kelsey Nixon)

1 (15-ounce) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 (3-pound) pork shoulder (or butt), trimmed of excess fat

salt & pepper

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 yellow onions, dice

1/4 cup lime juice

Puree diced tomatoes. To puree add chili powder, brown sugar, coriander, and cumin and mix well. Put sauce in the bottom of slow cooker and add meat. Turn meat to coat all sides. Add onions and garlic and toss to coat. The rest can be found HERE.

Any recipes you can recommend?

Another day in the got garden

2011-07-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

They're alive!! Look at those tomatoes...mmmm, mmm! And there is more where that came from! My sister and I did I quick garden trip to my mother's house this weekend and surveyed the happenings of the garden. All of the tomato plants are kicked into high gear with tons of fruit (or vegetables) on their way to ripening. The second picture is the cucumber seed I planted a few weeks back. Man is it loving the sun out there! Sad to say that only one survived. For some reason so I have planted another seed so I will let you know how that goes. Third picture in the row is the-little-parsley-that-could. We trimmed back the sage that was hogging the sun and most likely soil from this little guy, but he hasn't died so I think he is a fighter and should spring up more soon. The sage and thyme (pronounced "time") are still acting like they are on steroids because they are huge and refuse to die. We have hacked the crap (pardon my French) out of them and they keep coming back which I love and apparently so do the bees. I love that they are getting nectar and that I am part of that reason. I love the little hum they make when gathering nectar. I am thinking of making a t-shirt for our gardening service that says "We feed bees". What do you think?

On man, do you know what this is? It is a Pablano Pepper that is slowing growing!!! Man, just thinking about those suckers is making me salivate. Just me? Can't you smell that smokey flavor that is longing to be turned into a sauce and nice mild Mexican dish? Sad to say for some reason the serrano pepper plants keep dying. It is like the soil knows that is my favorite pepper and just wont acquiesce to my request to spring forth and multiply. Any suggestions out there in the gardening world?

Speaking of peppers... above the a shot looking down through a cut-out soda bottle onto some bell peppers. My mom threw a bunch of seeds in a whole and up sprouted 11 plants! She made me take all but the strongest out of the ground. I couldn't just leave 10 good little sprouts to die so I replanted them elsewhere in hopes that we will have tons of pepper plants and can roast and jar them to be used at a later date. We put the cut-up bottle over them for a few reasons. First, this helps warm the soil and plant which peppers love. Second, it makes a little terrarium which helps with the watering process. Third, and most important, it deters stupid evil grasshoppers from eating the young leave which they love and have been known to do. (Fact: grasshoppers are my least favorite bug of all time.) I really hope these little guys do well and that we are giving them the best chance possible.

Now for something sweet (and something my mom did all on her own)....cantaloupe melons!!! She has three cantaloupe melon plants growing; two she planted and one that was a volunteer. They are taking my advice and going forth and prospering. Look at the little guys! Man, I hope they get huge and that my mom turns them ever so often so that they grow well rounded! (Yes, I love puns.)

Aw, the Japanese eggplants...slowly growing, but doing well. For some reason the American eggplants are stunted. Perhaps this is due to the recent budge crisis? Okay, I will stop now before I spout off a 120-page dissertation on our current politics. But the eggplants are up and coming...

That is all for now folks. Any gardening advice is welcome if you see something I might need to know. Also, political comments are fun to read regardless of if I agree with you or not!!! Happy gardening and here's to a balanced budget!!!

Think About It Thursday

2011-07-20T21:00:00.001-07:00

"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them." - Michael Jordan

Aww nature

2011-07-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

Nothing like going for a bike ride and on the way back snagging a few free figs from the neighborhood tree. (Community tree, I would never take fruits or vegetables from someones garden.) As I was munching into the fig I couldn't help but have a nerd alert and draw a similarity to the inside of a fig and a sea anemone. Pretty cool.

More in the fun science and nature genre, check out these sprouted cucumbers!

My sisters and I are continuing or hard-labor, I mean DSA (daughter supported agriculture) at my mother's house. Things are progressing and she even has a cool watering system down for her Japanese eggplants, beans, and cantaloupe. What made me really smile though were the cucumbers. Last time we were out there we wanted to plant something in a area we had de-weeded. My middle sister had wanted to plant zucchini but apparently we did not bring that set of seeds. So just for good measure I threw in some cucumber seeds. I was doubtful of them actually sprouting, but low and behold they fought through the heat and the nutrient depleted soil and are alive!

In other miraculous news, we usually take home a basket of lemons each time we leave my mother's house. Her lemon tree produces the best lemons I have ever had. Well I kept joking about planting a lemon tree back at our place. One day I come home and see pot of dirt sitting in the middle of our patio table. I asked my sister if I could put the soil back in the bag when she informed me she had taken one of the seeds from a lemon and planted it. We both started cracking up. That little pot has been sitting there and we water it every time we water out other edible plants, not because we really thought it would grow, but just to keep the joke alive. Again, my doubt was rebutted with the sprouting of our little lemon tree!!! (Lemon tree name still undecided.)Isn't it the cutest thing? Somehow growing a plant from seed is one of the most rewarding things to me.

"Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God, nothing seems to me more surprising than the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof." - Julie Moir Messervy

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-23T22:02:00.001-07:00

Think About It Thursday

2011-06-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

"The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community." ~Ann Strong

Think About It Thursday

2011-06-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

"Thinkers think and doers do. But until the thinkers do and the doers think, progress will be just another word in the already overburdened vocabulary of the talkers who talk."

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T06:25:00.001-07:00

Lemon & Anise Biscotti

2011-06-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday mornings sometimes are meant to be cooking little treats for the week like this Lemon & Anise Biscotti.

Recipe from Luscious Lemon Desserts

Breakfast Donna Hay Style

2011-05-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am loving this extra day off and to celebrate I am relaxing all day and decided to make myself a little egg breakfast inspired by Donna Hay. I had watched her video on her version of Caesar Salad and decided eggs for breakfast with a little fresh herbs from the garden sounded perfect. Hope you are enjoying your day off too!

Bon appetite.

No Spring Chicken

2011-05-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

I had someone tell me this week that I am no longer a spring chicken! Funny and sad at the same time. The comment was made in reference to me running again and the calories I had burned (or not burned) when working out. She reminded me that my hay day was 5 years ago when I was able to run and run and not hurt and burn tons of calories. My June challenge might have been a bit more than I was anticipating. I was shooting for 3-4 good workouts a week to meet my goal but that might not be fisible.

You see, back in my "hay day" I used to go run or to the gym after work to unwind. What I did not take into account when setting up my next challenge was just how hard I used to work out. It would take me hours to unwind from my high-stress job and I would be at the gym for hours thus burning copious amounts of calories. As much as I really do like the gym, I don't want that to be my life! A friend told me that perhaps a distance challenge would be good and we could work from there. (I hate it when he is right.)

So, I am rethinking my June challenge, but will commit soon!

Fun Fact: The last time a Republican was president and was not from the state of Texas or California was Calvin Coolidge in 1923. Crazy!

June Challenge

2011-05-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you might have noticed I have slacked about posting my monthly goals. Well that might be because I haven't really had any. Okay, for Lent I gave up sugar treats which was extremely hard and extremely easy at the same time. (Think about it.) Other than that I have not really set concrete goals for the month as I didn't know I would have the energy to complete them. Well May has flown by and should have been my back to basics month for me, but surprisingly it was still pretty busy and is just now slowing down.

So how did I come up with my June challenge you ask? Well last week was my last week of spin class until the Fall semester, pending the teacher, and so my workout routine, what little there was, is now up in the air. I said once spin was over I was going to start running again and it seems that time is now. The idea of running again sent me back in time to when I first started in 2006 and what changes I made in my life at the time. One of the tricks that motivated me was 1) competition with friends and family, and 2) a heart rate monitor. One of my friends also taught Jazzercise in her free time and told me it was a great investment. Well she was right. I used that to push myself and to track my progress. A few months ago my heart rate monitor said goodbye to me and I just never got around to replacing it. The last few weeks I have been thinking about running, challenges, and the lessons learned from the past. This morning I committed to buy a new heart rate monitor and it should be here byt Thursday this week. Now for the challenge.

As you are all well aware, one pound is equal to 3,500 calories. My challenge is to strap on that heart rate monitor and to go out and exercise and burn at least 3,500 calories in recorded workouts for the week. Now that could be 3 1/2 huge workouts in which I burn 1,000 calories at a time or seven smaller workouts where I burn 500 at a time. The point is to increase my calorie burn and challenge myself and track my progress. Now there is no point burning extra calories only to make up and consume them later so the background challenge is to maintain my eating habits if not improve them.

It is a lofty task but one I challenge to you to take. After all, the status quo takes you know where.

Well it is not Thursday

2011-05-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

All week I have been a day ahead. Monday was automatically Tuesday and it just continued from there. Imagine my surprise last night while I was out with friends and realized I still had to get up in the morning and go to work. Now I love my job, but there is something about thinking it was Friday and then having to do it all over again. I have noticed I have a pattern or trying to hurry my life up I want things to happen on my time schedule and that is not always the case. In fact, it is usually not the case and I find myself constantly being tested for patience.

"I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait." - C.S. Lewis

Currently I am house hunting and after being outbid on my favorite place in my favorite neighborhood I have found the same few months of looking exhausting. I find myself often questioning on whether or not I will have be able to find and purchase a place ever? I know, I sound pessimistic and I know I will be able to buy a place someday but I just want that perfect place and don't want to settle. Anyway, I guess I am just asking for prayer for patience or prayer that the place that is meant to be will be presented to me.

Other than that, happy Friday...again.

Garden show at South Coast Plaza

2011-04-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

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Farmer's Market Saturday

2011-04-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

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Umm..gym...

2011-04-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

You ever have those days where you back your bag for the gym and when you get there you realize 1. You forgot your hair tie, 2. you for got a towel, and 3. that is not a sports bra. Yea, so I guess going running was not in the cards for me tonight. Instead I came home and made this.

Artichoke, tomatoes, lemon, and tuna pasta. Pretty darn good and easy, thank you Fitness Magazine. It did call for black olives but the ones we had were so old I did not want to chance it. After, I had a granola bar with a spoonful of the yummy Greek yogurt. I call that dessert not breakfast.

Breakfast was made at the office my microwaving 2 eggs (yes, I did say microwave) and a whole wheat tortilla with cilantro. On the side was the remaining mango from when I made couscous. I did not feature the picture because sometimes the taste is good and the look is not. I knew a good picture would feature the egg wrap cut open but it was tricky even wrapping it that I didn't chance it. I have never claimed to be a great picture taker, but I at least know when a picture is too bad to publish.

Lunch was panzanella with less bread. I brought left over red snapper to add for protein but it smelled fishy and I started gagging so it had to be tossed out. Less protein than I wanted, but at least it still packed a bunch of flavor. Followed the lunch with a snack of hummus and carrots. I have a weird love for orange and yellow food. Lemons, yellow pepper, golden beets, yellow tomatoes, sweet potatoes, you name it, I love it!

I am not going to lie, I am glad the gym didn't work out. I have had a longer week than I had anticipated and I just wanted to go home. I ran all of my errands, made some calls, am finishing up laundry, and I am about to sit down and maybe pop in a Netflix. Oh, I have to remember to DVR the Royal Wedding for my sister to watch later (I might join her). Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday, I need a break.

But I am really looking forward to the weekend!!

Impromptu Wine Night

2011-04-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Once again, my breakfast reminds me of a crazy animal. This time I picture a hair-crazed monkey in the jungle. So besides having the same breakfast as I did on Monday, it looks so different to me....yes, I am still a little kid.

Lunch was a strawberry, brie, and walnut salad with tuna. The recipe called for chicken but as I am not eating meat beyond eggs and fish I opted for tuna. It was amazing how strong and sweet the strawberries were in this salad. I am not sure I would make the combination again with tuna, but maybe add a few more fruits and vegetables and have a nice summer salad for a picnic.

I had already had lunch when my boss informed me that we were going to lunch, so instead of give in to the temptation of the smell of sweet potato fries I had a root beer. It was tasty considering root beer is the only soda I will drink and I have it once to twice a year. We went to lunch as it was a co-workers birthday and she invited me to a wine night at her house after work. Best laid plans...I went to her house to celebrate her birthday and had 3 slices of cheese, a palm-full of grapes, 2 crackers, and a couple glasses of wine (all not featured). It wasn't ideal for my dinner and I was bummed that I didn't get to make the baked eggs I have wanted to try all week. But I had a good time and exercised restraint. I was glad I had gone to spin class and ate well the rest of the day.

Speaking of best laid plans, it turns out that I was suppose to have my baked eggs on Tuesday and the salmon cakes on Wednesday to avoid having two meals a day with eggs. Don't get me wrong, I would eat eggs all the time, but I still have that voice from back in the 80's talking about not eating too many eggs regardless of how silly the notion is now considering I heard the statistic that "eggs are the next best thing to consume for nutrients and vitamins next to breast milk" and I am not going out and buying breast milk. Yuck, I just grossed myself out.

So Thursday is a new day and I am sticking to my plans for meals for the day. In fact, I have my gym bag packed as well as my breakfast and lunch sitting next to me right now. Hey, planning is the key, the rest of up to me.

Dessert for breakfast?

2011-04-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Dessert for breakfast anyone? Well that is what this breakfast tasted like. It was a pear crumble.

No, that is not whipped cream, but it was a very sweet Greek yogurt with drizzled honey. I seriously might make this again but for dessert. It was great to eat, but a little too sweet for me in the morning.
Lunch was panzanella. I have wanted to make panzanella for a long time now and this was a perfect recipe for flavors. By flavors I again mean just the taste of the veggies and sprouted bread. I might add a little less bread next time and perhaps some tuna or other protein. It did have white beans in it, but I was definitely hungry later in the afternoon .

I hit up the gym after work and ran (more like jogged) a 5K. I told myself that I needed to start running again so I am phasing myself back into the distance runs. I am also a little motivated as a few of my friends are running a half marathon this weekend and I am going to cheer them on. Anyway, the jog went well and by the time I got home I wanted to eat right then. One thing I really like about this fitness magazine recipes is that most of them take a short amount of prep and cook time. Tonight's menu feature salmon cakes.

Ok, so call me late to the game, but I had no idea that making fish cakes was so easy and rewarding. I tossed in some salmon, an egg, bread crumbs, and some chopped scallions and was good to go. Just cooked 'em up for 3-4 minutes per side and I had a delicious disc of protein and flavor. The picture above shows the cakes with a spicy mayonnaise the recipe called for and while the mayonnaise was good, I ended up wiping most of it off as the cakes were delicious enough for me.

Two days down, three to go.

Oh, and while I am posting, anyone out there have any suggestions on some good songs or workout mixes I should check out? My songs are older and I need something new to motivate me. Hope your week is still on the up and up!

Monday Meals

2011-04-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Oh breakfast and your pre-made quiche.

Asparagus & Mushroom quiche, sliced orange, and a slice of Ezekiel bread. This totally hit the spot right after spin class.
Lunch, yummy! Whole wheat tortilla with tuna, baby spinach, and brie. The rest of the apple was my side. One question, why is it whenever they tell you what to put in a wrap does it never fit and it turns into a taco? Just one of these days I want my wrap to actually be a wrap and not a taco.
Have I ever mentioned that I do not love fish? In fact sometimes I don't even like it. And don't get me started on how much I loathe poached fish. But sometimes you have to eat it. I grilled some red snapper which was on sale from Ralph's and for a reason as it was not as fresh as I would have liked. If you are going to buy fish do yourself a favor and spend the extra cash to get the better quality. The carb is a combination of couscous, black beans, mango, and cilantro. This was a winner and will definitely be used again. No other seasonings, just pure natural flavor. Last, but not least steamed sugar snap peas which tasted like heaven! A great dinner, all in all.
Oh, and...umm...dessert. I bought these for Easter but they were not delivered until today so I had some...and I liked it. Hey, with my spin class I still had calories to spare even with the dessert.

So overall, what did you think? Easy to make and tasty. See anything you like?

Back to the old menu planning

2011-04-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Yep, those are my groceries for the week. All $70 worth. Yikes! Got to love our dependence on foreign oil and the fact that our food travels an average of 5,000 miles to get to the groceries stores causing prices to sky rocket. I missed the farmer's market yesterday so I did not buy locally this week and my wallet sure felt the effect of that. But enough about politics and on to the food.

I got my new Fitness Magazine and they had a new weeks worth of meals feature which I love and took to planning me week. Now that it is not my busy time at work I have a little more time in the mornings and evenings to prepare my meals. You see every January - April I always get busy and stressed with work and gain a few pounds due to lack of time management on my part. Well, this year was no different. This will be my first week of going back to a normal schedule and I wanted to start off on the right foot. As you can see there are tons of fruits and veggies and I am also having fish and eggs for my protein. Have I ever mentioned how much I love eggs and would love to have my own laying chickens one day? I haven't? Well ask my sisters, they are sick of hearing me talk about it. Once you have had a fresh natural egg straight from a chicken and know how cheap it is to maintain you too will go out and buy Homemade Living: Keeping Chickens by Ashley English (and maybe the rest of the books, and maybe your sister will buy the collection too.)

Anyway, I am going to try to take pictures of my meals this week and be held accountable for what goes into my body. To be honest, healthy food just tastes better and my body can definitely tell the difference.

So lesson for the day, even though you might have slacked for the last week, month, or even year, today is a new day and you can always chose to take a step in the right direction of your activities and the the food you eat. Happy week of eating right!

You know you are in Texas when...

2011-04-20T03:25:00.001-07:00

This is your door handle. Having a great time here. Took the tour of Cowboys Stadium. It was amazing!!! More to come.

I think I am in love

2011-04-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Look what I discovered at the Cal State Fullerton plant sale. It combines 2 of God's greatest creations into one! This place has been amazing. Great buys helpful and knowledge people, and did I mention bees?! If you are in the area definitely check it out!

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Caramelized Onion Tart

2011-03-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

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Winning!

2011-03-07T19:46:00.001-08:00

My farmer's market dinner. I especially love the rosemary potatoes.

Vegan cooking

2011-03-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

"I think vegan cooks need to learn to cook vegetables first then maybe they can be allowed to move on to meat substitutes." - Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Why ruin a good day?

2011-02-28T19:45:00.001-08:00

Had such a good day, I had to share. Marinated grilled (wild) salmon with grilled plantains. Cheers!

Starting Off The Week Right

2011-02-28T12:15:00.001-08:00

Living Trash Free?

2011-02-28T06:02:00.000-08:00

Just had to share this link I have saved. It is about a couple living trash-free for a year. It is quite inspiring and I keep going back to it. I hope you guys enjoy it too.

Living Trash Free

Think About It Thursdays

2011-02-24T05:47:00.000-08:00

Cheese schmeese

2011-02-22T05:37:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love cheese? Okay, who doesn't love cheese who is not lactose intolerant? Everyone loves cheese, especially stinky artisan cheeses or those fresh balls of mozzarella that when cooked string out for miles upon miles. (I might exaggerate, but only a little.)

I am currently taking a 4-week California wine course which has proven to be quite informative and very fun of course. So in the spirit of progression I was thinking, "what class should I take next?" My oldest sister has mentioned this cheese-making course offered through Cal Poly San Luis Obispo but the cost is a bit much for me right now. But that got me thinking and then researching and then watching YouTube videos and next thing I know I am on my way to my local natural foods store to buy some citric acid and rennet to make my own mozzarella.

Well I hate to say this, but my first attempt did not produce what I was hoping for. I ended up somehow making cheese with the consistency of ricotta. Shoot. Darn it. There went my plans to make eggplant parmesan for lunch for the week. So I went to the internet and researched what I did wrong amongst my cries of, "But I followed the instructions to the T!" Oh Google, how I love you... Google produced search results of similar woes that suggested 1) I used too much citric acid. I quickly ruled this out as I was super careful in measuring. 2) I did not use "un-homogenized milk". Shoot. Darn it. Why didn't the video start out with that little detail? Back to the old drawing board. I went back to my local health foods store and picked up some un-homogenized, raw milk. I have to at least try it another time; the lure of fresh mozzarella is just too strong to ignore.

I promise, if my second attempt later on this week turns out I will post a lovely picture showing you the fruits of my labor. *fingers crossed*

January Goals Update

2011-01-31T20:16:00.000-08:00

Seriously? It is the end of January already? This has been the fastest month for me ever. Things have been really busy and even when I have down time I find that I am counting until I have to get going again. Perhaps in February I can learn to relax a little more. So here is the status on my goals....

1. Make a music mix for my spin class instructor. Hmm... well I made the mix, just haven't given it to him yet as it turns out one song has a curse word which is against the rules and frankly quite tacky in a public spin class. It is being revised and shall be given to him soon.

2. Take vitamins 3 times a week. Fail. This last for 2 weeks. It is a lot harder than it seems. You guys try it. I am now continuing this goal into February....just took some right now so that I am ahead of the game.

3. Keep a food journal. I did pretty well on this one. The eating part could be a lot better. The weekends have been a zone of slacking for me and I need to not undo all the good I did during the week. Another goal to continue into February.

4. Keep better track of my activities. I did this one! Okay, 90% I did this. I doubled booked again, but only one time after I made the goal. I am getting better and that is all that matters now.

Currently I am making a quiche to take for lunch for the week. I haven't made a homemade one since I moved from Northern California. (Yes, you have to make the crust too.) This quiche consists of grape tomatoes, broccoli, and canned tuna. Not sure why I am on a canned tuna kick and the combination may sound weird, but man does it smell good. Can't wait to try some tomorrow. Hmm... this gives me a few ideas for my moms garden and planting...

Until next time!

Someone got a new pair of shoes!

2011-01-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

Think About It Thursdays

2011-01-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

I was having a conversation with a friend this week and I brought up this verse in the Bible that I am trying to incorporate into my life more and more. I hope you all will too.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God."

- Ecclesiastes 3:11-13

Food that looks like animals

2011-01-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

So here is my breakfast. An asiago cheese bagel half with cottage cheese and a kiwi. I set the plate down and had to take a second look. Is it just me or does it look like a monkey face? And the answer is yes, I am still a little kid at heart.

View from the ride

2011-01-24T22:13:00.000-08:00

Salad to Quiche Ratio

2011-01-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

Don't be too jealous of my lunch. Can you tell how much I love spinach? So far I am keeping up with my goals. Taking vitamins with my lunch today. Hope you enjoy your lunch and sunny Thursday!

Keep It Simple

2011-01-11T06:17:00.000-08:00

Hello blog-sphere. Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote. You see, actually sitting down and writing a blog requires time and somehow I have just not had it for a while. Life is busy and good and full right now. As you might recall I moved back down to Southern California and started a new job. I love my job and feel like the biggest nerd for that, but I really enjoy what I do. I am spending a lot of time with friends and family and moving forward in my life which feels great. And you know what, more changes are on the wind for this year. I am hoping to, before the year ends, be a home owner but that needs more prayer, time, and money. I'll let you know.

Anyway, I am going to try to keep this short and to the point. It is the beginning of the year and the buzz/taboo word is "resolutions". Well I never make New Year's resolutions but I do make monthly goals for myself which seems to work much better for me and keeps the stamina going throughout the year. If resolutions work for you that is great. It not, try making small monthly goals like I do. You might be surprised at how well you do.

As things have been quite busy and I am now going to spin class 3 days a week (getting up at 5:30am...when did I become old?) I am trying to keep January's goals simple but practical.

1. Make a music mix to give to my spin teacher. (My oldest sister knows why.)
2. Take vitamins 3 times a week. Everyone should take multivitamins and I need to specifically take iron so I figure I will take them on the same day every week to try to get into the habit.
3. Keep a food journal. There is this great app on the iPhone/iPod Touch called "LoseIt" which let's you keep track of your food and exercise. It tracks calories and other nutritional items like carbohydrates, sodium, fiber, fats, and protein. Using a food journal really helps me see what I am putting into my body and helps me more regimented about my calories and protein intake. Consequently, it is amazing to see how many calories one can burn in an hour long spin class. (On the days I do spin I can eat a whole other meal because of the calories burned. Woohoo!)
4. Keep better tracking of my activities on my calendar. Ask anyone of my friends, I have a habit of double booking outings. I have a BlackBerry phone which I used to use the calendar religiously. There is no excuse not to use it and it is so convenient and portable. I am going to keep better track of my commitments.

That is all. I will keep you informed as to how things are going. Hope you guys have some good goals and resolutions for January and the New Year!

Ode to Buttermilk

2010-11-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

So when my sisters and I were little I remember my mom making a big jar of ranch dressing with buttermilk. Man, I loved salads growing up and that was probably in part to the dressing. I remember making buttermilk pancakes when I was little as well but couldn't exactly tell you whether I loved them or not because I can't quite remember. Well, I have a knew vigor for the love of buttermilk, especially this week.

I have early mornings where I literally through on my workout clothes and leave the house at 5:30am with my bags packed the night before for my day. Due to he slight rush in the morning I like to have breakfast and lunch prepared and ready to grab on the way out the door. I also am trying to watch what I eat and incorporate more protein into my diet which can be limiting when you are a vegetarian who solely eats eggs and fish for protein. Well my CSA basket came in and among the contents were leeks. I immediately think of leek and potato soup and was going to make that for lunch when an idea struck me. I could make mushroom and leek frittatas ahead of time and take them for breakfast. Healthy, full of protein, and very convenient. After looking through a gaggle of recipes I noticed a few mentioned using buttermilk instead of heavy cream with all of those fatty calories. Buttermilk is surprisingly healthier and still has a great flavor to add to the complexity of the dish. Man oh man where those little frittatas great tasting and I got so many comments on, "what smells so good" "where can I buy some of those" "oh my gosh, do you have any extra? Needless to say, I am adding those little suckers to my standby recipes.

The weather has become cold, finally, with the exception that it is suppose to be 78 degrees this weekend at the beach (ah, Southern California), but while it was cold this week I took advantage and made some soup. Cauliflower soup. Simple. Easy. Delicous. Healthy. I basically took a box of veggie stock, good quality is the key, one head of cauliflower, 1/2 cup of , you guessed it, buttermilk, and salt and pepper to taste. If I hadn't promised my sister I would save her some I would have had the entire batch of soup. This was off the scale good. And just that hit of buttermilk added again to the complexity and flavorings of the soup. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and serve piping hot.

So what to do with my leftover buttermilk, as there was still some left. Certainly not just drink it from the carton (Dad). So while at Costco this week with my sister I found a cookbook that had my hooked from page 1 and I had to buy it despite trying to pair down on my books. My sister said if I did not buy the book she would. It is called "Heart of the Artichoke" by David Tanis who also wrote "A Platter of Figs" and is one of the full-time chefs at Chez Panisse. What was that first recipe? Jalapeño Pancakes made with none other than buttermilk. Continuing my love for spicy food and of course utilizing my leftover buttermilk I decided this morning to make those pancakes. I must say I made them with serrano chilies because I had those on hand and I like to kick it up a notch. O...M....G... they were out of this world good. I could have eaten the entire batch but decided to share and had my brother-in-law and his brother try them out. We were all in agreement that this was a repeat recipe. We are thinking that next time we will top it with Mexican Sour Cream (also made with buttermilk) and perhaps some scallions.

As an aside, I highly recommend this cookbook. Not only are the pictures vivid and the recipes packed with flavor, but his stories and the way he expresses his food stumblings is captivating and invited you to read on and on. Here is just a little taste of the recipes he has to offer...

(sorry, I wish I had taken more pictures)

Jalapeño Pancakes

Ingredients:
 1 cup all -purpose flour 
2 tsp baking powder
 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup buttermilk (I used 1%)
 1 egg, beaten 
1 Tbsp melted butter or olive oil (if you have to chose between butter or oil, go with butter) 
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion or scallion (next time I will add more for a little more texture) 
1 or 2 jalapeno chilies, sliced thin (if you like hot go with serranos, 2-3) 
1/2 tsp toasted coarsely ground cumin (I used toasted cumin seeds)

Directions:
Mix up the batter, and stir in the onion, jalapenos, and cumin. Heat up the griddle, and make your pancakes. (I might have devoured one before it could even hit the plate.)

Happy cooking....now go buy yourself some buttermilk!

Lent in November

2010-11-01T06:20:00.001-07:00

Okay, so Lent isn't officially going on but I am deciding to do a Lent-type project for the month of November. Why, you ask. Here is a prime example of why. Last Wednesday someone in my spin class brought muffins and really wanted us to take one. I tried to slip out without it but was caught. Fine, one muffin never killed anyone. Well an hour later and the same thing in my Italian class. Two muffins! But wait, that is not it. I get to work and a lady I work with just found out she is having a baby granddaughter and so made pink cupcakes for us all. Seriously?! Two muffins and a cupcake. I took the cupcake and when no one was looking I through it out. I was not about to pump that much sugar and calories into my body. Since when did a simple "no thank you" to muffins or other food offerings become an insult? But that is a topic for another blog post.

So do you see where I am going with this? My brother-in-law likes to call this time of year "Eating Season" and unfortunately that is what it seems to have turned into. There are candies and sugary things everywhere I turn and I want a strong and polite way to say no, hence Lent in November.

I propose a challenge of no sugary things, open for your own interpretation as I am still planning on eating fruit, until Thanksgiving where you can celebrate with a slice of homemade pumpkin pie. And really, is not eating sugar for 20 some odd days really going to kill you? The answer is no. And after a while you might just stop craving that white devil.

Day 1 begins today!

Healthy looking

2010-10-28T20:02:00.001-07:00

Mmmm, don't you love when food looks great and tastes great too? I am trying to work on increasing my protein intake and decided to make fish with my sister tonight for dinner. What a difference a spice rub can make in flavor and style! Tonight we used the chili-lime spice from Williams-Sonoma. I highly recommend it. Salad from our SFG or CSA basket, I can't remember which. Oh, and did I mention I ate the persimmons from last weeks basket and it was phenomenal! We got more in this basket and I can't wait for it to ripen so I can eat it.

Happy Healthy Eating!

Still kind of summer in Cali

2010-10-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Well the weather is being fickle and despite it being Fall my backyard garden still has tomatoes on its vine. Perfect for the curry stir-fry or scrambled eggs. Yummy, healthy, and home grown.

My goodness, life can get busy

2010-10-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks back I went to Portland for a good friends wedding.

After I got back I was on my feet running with a busy week of work followed by a weekend where I was out of commission because I got sick. Booo! I am finally better and things are back to normal.

Picked up my CSA basket. Hmm, persimmons, what to do with those?

Oh yea, did I mention I am biking the Long Beach Marathon this Sunday??? I am. I am super excited too. Well, I am very excited, I had to downgrade because apparently it is at 5am. Grr, but I love biking and have been taking a spinning class which definitely helps with the conditioning so I can't wait to go and snap some pics. And did I mention I get a medal? Yep, I do.

Now, back to the 20 hours of homework I have for my computer class and Italian class. Hmm... grocery shopping and menu planning is next on the list.

Think About It Thursday

2010-10-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
-1 John 3:18

Quick Update...I bought a helmet

2010-09-26T11:49:00.001-07:00

I went for another bike ride today at the Back Bay and wore my helmet. I did not feel like a total dweeb and it was surprisingly comfortable. Also, I opted for sunglasses today instead of a baseball cap and I am glad I did. I shall now refer to them as windshields for the eyes considering how many bugs committed suicide on them But my eyes were protected so yea!

Why I will now buy a bike helmet

2010-09-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well apparently God wanted me to breakdown and finally buy a bike helmet. I have signed up to bike the Long Beach Marathon this year, my first, and I am super excited about it. Biking 26.2 miles is a bit (a lot) easier than running it and I have always wanted to so I signed up. I love biking, always have, always will. Ever since I was a kid you couldn't get me off of it. I take my bike with me every where and even if I can't take it, I rent a bike...and ride without a helemet. Helmets are for kids, right? WRONG.

I was meeting up with a friend this week to bike the Back Bay, about a 17 mile ride, and she was running a bit late so I was sitting in my car waiting for her. Well wouldn't you know it, while I was waiting I witnessed a car make a u-turn right into a biker about 30-feet from where I was sitting. The biker went flying through the air and landed half on the street and half on the curb. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet and was able to respond to questions after a few minutes, but the way he landed scare me and I was just glad that he wasn't hurt more than a few bad cuts, bruises, and being pretty shaken up. I ended up calling the police and giving a statement while the man was checked out by paramedics. I was just glad that he was going to be ok.

Now the Back Bay is a biking and jogging path so I felt relatively safe that night biking without a helmet and it is only at the end biking back to where I was parked where cars were present. Let's be honest, unexpected things can happen anywhere and at anytime. It is better to be safe than sorry. I was pretty shaken up witnessing the accident and it finally pushed me over the edge, I need to invest in a good helmet for my rides. Lesson learned, thank you God.

When in doubt...

2010-09-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

So I have had a bunch of items from my CSA basket that I was unsure what to do with. When in doubt make you own pasta puttanesca and that is what I did! I had dinner ready for when my sister got home and we got to enjoy a healthy dinner that, if I can say so myself, tasted amazing!

As for the rest of my life, all is well and insanely busy. I will catch you up soon!

Think About It Thursday

2010-09-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

"Competence is derived from a synthesis of education and experience." - Professional Ethics of Certified Public Accountants

The Orange County Fair

2010-08-30T05:49:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks back the Orange County Fair was going on. Now what you need to know is that I live about 10 minutes away from the fairgrounds and all the years that I have lived here I have never once been to the fair. Well this year I finally went and it did not disappoint. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy. (And yes I did have a bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeño. And no, I did not have a chocolate dipped bacon stripe but I wanted to!)

My Tzatziki Sauce!!!

2010-08-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, not to make my head puff up or anything, but this is the best tzatziki I have ever had! I started with a recipe I found of FoodNetwork.com but ended up changing it so much I had to write down what I did. By the end, it was a completely different recipe but man was it good. Here it is for you all to try to. May I suggest with either lamb, roasted veggies, toasted pita chips, or with some chopped up raw veggies. Enjoy!

Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients
• 7-8 oz. Greek yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded
• 2 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cut of ends of cucumber and then cut cucumber in half length-wise. Scoop out seeds. Thinly slice cucumber, use a mandolin if you have one. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt on cucumber and place in strainer over bowl and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. After an hour ring out liquid and place cucumber in mixing bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and stir. Flavors will meld more over time.
Yield: 8 servings

Can I get some culture up in the house?

2010-08-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

So if you know me in real life and we hang out, chances are that we have gone to eat at an ethnic food place. I love trying all types of cultural food, new spices and sensations, and I like to bring that home with me and use it in the kitchen. Well looking back on the foods of the week, there is no shortage of ethnic food here. With the CSA basket I had I tried to expand my lunch and dinner recipes and also being Pescatarian has made me stretch my imagination when it comes to cooking as well. I wish I had started taking more pictures sooner, but here is a listing of my fun lunches and dinners ethnic style!

Greek Lunch: Grilled veggie pita sandwiches with homemade tzatziki sauce.

French Dinner: Savory Mushroom & Serrano Chile Crepes (I need to add these more to my repertoire, the batter is very easy and so tasty. And have I mentioned my love for Serrano chilies?)
Spanish/Portuguese Dinner: Black bean, corn, cilantro, and cotija cheese empanadas (I even made the dough!)

Cuban side dish: Homemade sweet potato fries sprinkled with cotija, cilantro, and lime

Chinese Dinner: Vegetarian Pot Stickers

So, tomorrow I will post the tzatziki recipe I came up with this week and am going to add to the sister cookbook because I loved it so much! Happy cooking...and eating!

Football Season!!!

2010-08-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love football season? Well I feel it is the best part of the year. Fall, holidays, football, all things great. I love my DALLAS COWBOYS and had the amazing opportunity to go see their training camp in Oxnard, California. A couple years ago I even went to see them in pre-season down in San Diego. One of my life goals is to go to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas and hopefully see them beat the Eagles. (I spit on the Eagles.) Any who, just wanted to inform those of you who live in a box that the official season kicks off Thursday, September 9th at 5:30pm (PST) and is featuring the Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings vs. Reggie Bush and the New Orleans Saints. Should be a great game so make you beer, I mean appetizer plans now! And if you don't already have a team to cheer for, might I suggest America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys!!!!

I have internet and a CSA basket!

2010-08-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

So moving back down south meant no internet or tv. I have been bumming internet off of my other sister's house when I go over there so to have it installed today made me feel like a grown up again. Yea!

As for the CSA basket, here goes. I no longer have a garden to grown my veggies. My oldest sister has offered me a plot in one of here square-foot boxes but that is not enough to live one. I have been doing research on CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) baskets for at least a year and decided to take the plunge and sign up. 100% organic and locally grown. And today was my first day picking it up. I was so excited that when I saw someone else picking up their basket I asked a million questions and gushed like a little girl. The CSA farm I am supporting also sends an email for each week you get a basket with a description of the veggies and fruit as well as yummy recipes. Here are the quick snapshots I took of the basket and a few recipes they sent. And if I need any other produce I can still go to my local farmer's market. Enjoy!

My box this week included:

Grapefruit, Nectarines, Pluots, Peaches, Carrots, Cucumbers, Basil, Beans, Kale, Lettuce, Dill, Reid Avocado, Grapes, Corn, Cabbage, Valencia Oranges, Summer Squash

Recipes:

Green Bean, Orange, and Green Olive Salad

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

12 ounces haricots verts or small slender green beans, trimmed

2 oranges, all peel and white pith cut away

1/2 cup small green olives (such as picholine)

1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cook beans in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and pat dry. DO AHEAD Dressing and beans can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Cut oranges in half, then crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices; place in large bowl. Mix in olives, parsley, beans, and dressing. Transfer to shallow dish.

Green Goddess Green Beans

Gourmet Magazine | April 2005

1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook beans in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. When beans are cool, drain in a colander and pat dry.

Purée parsley, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and toss with beans.

Succotash of Fresh Corn, Lima Beans, Tomatoes and Onions

Bon Appétit | October 2008 by Amelia Saltsman

In this side dish, the veggies are cooked until just tender to retain their fresh-from-the-market flavor. For a delicious finishing touch, a handful of sliced basil is stirred in right before serving.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

Coarse kosher salt

1 large garlic clove, minced

3 cups chopped red tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 1/4 cups corn kernels cut from 4 ears of corn (preferably 2 ears of white corn and 2 ears of yellow corn)

2 cups fresh lima beans (from about 2 pounds pods) or 10 to 11 ounces frozen lima beans or baby butter beans, thawed

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with coarse salt. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, corn, and lima beans. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until corn and lima beans are tender and tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing. Stir in basil and serve.

Southwest Corn Frittata

Bon Appétit | August 1998

4 large eggs

1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears of corn) or frozen, thawed

1/2 cup (packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas, cut into small wedges

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

Preheat broiler. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. Mix in corn, cheese and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix in tortillas.

Heat oil in heavy medium broiler-proof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Pour egg mixture into skillet and stir to blend. Cover skillet. Cook frittata over low heat until eggs are almost set, about 8 minutes. Uncover skillet; broil frittata until top is set and starting to brown, about 1 minute. Slide frittata onto plate. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro. Cut into wedges and serve.

Manic Monday

2010-08-16T10:30:00.001-07:00

So I didn't have to be in to work until 11am and I figured I would take advantage of the time and do some errands. Well you know what they say about the best laid plans. Here was my morning:

1. Get ready for the day. Make my yummy healthy lunch from my weekly menu plan. CHECK.
2. Make doctors appointments and other appointments via hands free while driving. CHECK
3. Return clothing items that I deemed to not make the cut. Well the items were in my car but I started driving on automatic pilot and completely missed my exit. Not check.
4. Go to AAA. Renew membership and DMV tags for car. Renewed membership but forgot paperwork for DMV. Half check.
5. Mail Netflix and talk to Post Office about not receiving my forwarded mail. CHECK.
6. Go to grocery store and pick out healthiest option for lunch as my healthy lunch is sitting on the table at home not being enjoyed. CHECK (I am determined to now have it for dinner but am sad I had to buy a disposable water bottle.)
7. Get over my follies of this morning and make a new plan with more details for Wednesday to complete my errands.

Now off to work and starting the day with a fresh perspective.

Think About It Thursday

2010-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

"When deeds and words are in accord, the whole world is transformed." - Chuang Tzu

From chaos to clutter

2010-08-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

So I am still unpacking boxes. I hate living in disarray but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Me moving back to Huntington Beach has forced my sister and I to go through the spare room which was kind of our personal storage unit and we have been purging.For example, above is just one of the loads I took to the Goodwill. Either clothes I haven't warn in a while, clothes that don't fit, or clothes that I don't like how they look on me, everything must go! I have also been selling some of my old furniture as well on Craigslist. I posted my dresser and guitar at noon on Saturday and by 8pm they were both sold and gone. Thank you Craigslist!

I have been organizing my closest and shoes.

My new job is business casual and I hate to say this, but I do not own one piece of business casual dress attire. I either lived in jeans or wore a full suit for my last job. There was no in between. I guess I am going to have to invest some money in Dockers which is fine by me!

So in the year that I lived up in Santa Rosa I gained 8 lbs. Hmm, I would have much rather the reverse, but I am working on making the number go away. Since I have been down here I have lost 3.5 lbs. as of this morning. Yea! I admit I was worried as the sister I am living with and I can be bad influences on each other. If there is sugar in the house I will eat it which is consequently why I don't buy sugary things. She is the opposite with that so it can quite easily take a turn for the worse. Instead, we have been good influences on each other. She has been dragging me to try new fitness classes at our gym while I buy the healthy snacks and we have a light healthy dinner, sometimes with wine, instead of other choices we could have made. Living with someone who encourages and strides with you to make healthy choices is one of the best things I could have asked for.

Above is from when my brother-in-law and I made grilled fish tacos for dinner. It is amazing what a good spice rub can do. And can I just say that red snapper is quickly becoming my favorite fish. Oh, and the best spice rubs that I have come across are from Williams-Sonoma. They can be pricey but it is worth the investment. If any of you know a good cookbook for spice rubs or even your own recipe I would love for you to share!

As for now, I am going to go play with these guys.

That is Annabelle and Oliver, my mother's cats that my sister and I are watching for her. I have had Annabelle since I was 10 years old. (I am now 28 so you do the math. ;D ) Yea, vets are amazed she is even alive at this age let alone in such good shape. I think it has to do with the fact that every so often I feed her her favorite food, tuna fish. :) She can smell the can from a mile away and comes running. It is kind of cute. This week I made a salad with tuna on it and as I was walking to sit down she was right at my feet purring and waiting for her share. I laughed and gave her some. What can I say? I am a sucker for animals. Which reminds me, I can renew my Wild Animal Park pass now that I live down here again. So exciting!!!

Hope you all have a terrific day!

Think About It Thursday

2010-08-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

"We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them." - Kahlil Gibran

Wordless Wednesday - Monochromatic Lunch

2010-08-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

My life in numbers

2010-08-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

So I have made the move back to Southern California. Yea! Here are my stats.

Miles Per Gallon I have got on the drive down: 40.
Number of time biked to the beach this last week: 2.
Number of times I went to Eat Chow for dinner last week: 3.
Number of bruises on my body from moving: upwards of 20.
Number of time I have washed my car in the last 2 weeks: 0.
Number of times I have said I wanted to keep my Papasan Chair: 35.
Number of minutes it took me to realize the Papasan Chair must go: 25.
Number of trips made to the Goodwill after cleaning out the house: 3.
Number of items to sell on Craigslist: 9 and counting...

My dad always says, "Life evolves." One year ago I faced a life dilemma. I was putting offers down on houses in Dana Point and looking at the future of being a home owner when I found out that two partners at my job were leaving. The news hit me pretty hard and I found myself in deep reflection. It took me sometime to realize that I had not been happy at work and the only things that were holding me there were these two people I enjoyed working with and their management style. I realized that they had been on the only thing tethering me to the job and that without them there I did not want to continue. As I was contemplating the news I found out that the house I had bid on I lost to a higher bidder of about $20,000. When I greeted the news with relief instead of sorrow I knew my mind had already been made up. Getting that house would have made the link to my job permanent and would have meant I would have to stay there and I knew that with the news of these two people leaving that it was my time too.

I needed a pause and a reset. I had been devoting all of my time to work that I was neglecting my life. Ok, I was neglecting having a life. I decided to get away from what had always been, Southern California, my job, everything I knew, and to pack up my life and move to Northern California. I would live frugally and live off of my savings and study to finish up my CPA.

Fast forward a year...

The houses in the neighborhood I was looking to buy in are now $100,000 less and there are more options. I am in discussion with a place of work that is close to Dana Point in which I would be working there and not living out of a suitcase, from 9 to 5 and I would actually be getting to do something I believe in and enjoy. I have a new perspective on life and a new goal. I have passed the cumbersome CPA exams and wrapping up the final details for my license number. I am close to my sisters and to good friends and the beach! My positive attitude is mounting and gosh darn it, I am going to have a clean car soon! I can't help but think what a difference a year makes. I was so lucky to take that break and to come away with a new perspective. And you know what? I am signing up for that Italian class I have always wanted to take. And that spin class. And perhaps another 10k race. Who knows what else? The sky is the limit. I am just glad that I am living a life I can enjoy.

Number of sisters that live within 50-feet of me: 2.
Number of meals I have cooked with family this past week: 3.
Bottle of wine consumed this last week by family: 5.
Number of time better the food tastes when eating with family: 100 million.
Number of times I have regretted moving back: 0.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Crazy life...

2010-07-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in a bit as my life seems to be crazy busy right now and change is in the air. I am actually moving back down south to Southern California. I cannot tell you how excited I am. Living away from there has given me a lot of perspective and what can I say, I love it there! I will have to go into more detail, but let me just say a year ago I was faced with a future that I did not like and I decided to take myself out of the equation, work on bettering my life, and I am happy to say that year was not a waste and has gotten me to a much better place. Hopefully I will be able to explain soon. That is all for now on this crazy moving Monday!

P.S. Did I mention I was gone all weekend at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, Santa Cruz,and Monterey? Yea, that is another story...

Think About It Thursday

2010-07-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

"At the core of the Millennial phenomenon is that they do not have the same need or know-how to build relationships with their managers or authority figures. Previous generations had to take initiative to relationally connect in order to gain information and access. It is a natural arrangement that has played itself out for generations. Things are different now. The rules have changed. A Millennial with a wireless laptop can usurp the authority of a decorated professor in her own classroom. Builders, Baby Boomers, and GenX cannot help but sense the shift, "Why don't they ever come and ask me questions?" We suggest that either they do not think they need to or they do not know how. The dichotomy is that they desperately want mentors or career advocates. That leads us to believe that most Millennials just do not know how to relate to someone who is in authority that is not already perceived to be "for" them."

- Managing the Millennials by Chip Espinoza, Mick Ukleja, Craig Rusch

Wordless Wednesday - my baby avocado plant

2010-07-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - my old home

2010-07-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

So I've been biking...

2010-07-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I pretty much think I was born on a bike. All of my favorite childhood memories were biking. My mom let me biked to school for a few year and I loved it. And in order to get to my best friends houses I would bike there. When in Paris I insisted we bike through the gardens of Versailles and it was so much fun. (We even went back for a second round.) Now that the weather is warmer and the sun is shining I have been biking quite a bit more. Biking has now turned into my exercise of choice as my heel starting hurting a few weeks ago and is still giving me some problems making running take a back burner. Last week I went on a bike ride everyday and have been exploring my city. I just get on and peddle with no direction and end up discovering great things. My roommate always told me that the creek in our town dead ended and that it was gross and to be careful of homeless people living there. Well I have discovered things have changed a lot since she was last down there as a great deal of it is paved along the creek's shore and murals are painted under the bridges. And the trail goes on forever! Also along my discovery bike rides I came across the cutest house! I went back and took a few snapshots because I loved it so much. It is this old house is a very kept up neighborhood that is off white with two white hydrangea bushes on either side. What really caught my eye was the off-white and sky blue Vespa in the front. I told my sister I would show her the pics so here they are for all to enjoy. I hope you get outside and take a trip exploring new neighborhoods in your town. Enjoy the fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and summer!

Update on my garden

2010-07-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

I did not feel the pressing need to update my garden post because it is pretty much status quo from last week. I do however have several tomatoes that are now in the orange/red stage and should be ready for picking this week. My hydrangea continues to die and then come back to life. I think perhaps the spot I chose was too sunny. Well you garden and learn, that is what I have come to recognize. Now for me I am off to church and then to watch the World Cup. My heart isn't really in it as Italy and the US were knocked out in the earlier rounds, but a good game is still fun to watch. I guess I should pick a team to cheer for. Hmm... Netherlands or Spain, what do you think?

You take the good, you take the bad

2010-07-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

You take them both and then you have... The Facts of Life... Ah come on, you know you know the song! So a lot of my garden dies last week when I was gone, but some of it survived and I am reaping the rewards. This week I picked my first tomato...
and made a egg scramble with goat cheese and said tomato. Can I just say, in all honesty, that might have been the best tomato I have ever eaten. Hand to God.
So here are a few pictures of the other survivors. I still have two tomato plants, one serrano pepper, one bush peas (they were supposed to be pole peas), four carrots, one basil, one watermelon, four romaine lettuce, one sage, one mint, one cilantro (that has gone to seed! errr), one chive, and a dying hydrangea. If that hydrangea survives after all if has been throw it will be one strong bush. My roommate informed me that she forgot it was there and so did not water it. Poor little bush. So there are the facts...of life. Did I get that song in your head yet? :) This weekend is suppose to be extremely hot as well but I am on top of it. I will be watering early morning to try to keep their temperatures down in the 90+ degree weather. Ahhhh! Did I mention how much I miss living by the beach? :) Well any who, that is the update. Just enjoying what I still have for the time being. Oh, and I did plant another cucumber seedling after my other one was killed, but that is all. Hope your weekend is fun and cool.

Think About It Thursday

2010-07-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

"True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable. " - Dave Tyson Gentry

Garden Update

2010-06-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hello internet, I am back home. After going down south for Father's Day and to visit friends, go to bridal showers, birthday parties, etc. I rolled in last night and it was 95 degrees! It was mid 70's down south and I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so hot here. I had my little fan on all night just so I could sleep.

And with this crazy hot weather my plants were needing extra attention. I had asked my roommate to water while I was gone, but with it being in the 90's they needed a lot of extra love and care and I am sad to say I lost a few while I was gone. I lost a few carrots, a pepper plant, my cauliflower both went to seed, my squash is barely hanging one as are all of my lettuce. I watered last night to help them hydrate and cool down, but it might be touch and go for a bit.

I am trying not to take it too hard as I am going to be moving in the next month. It is up in the air if I am going back down south or to San Francisco, but either way, my garden is going to have to be backed up and some left behind. With that in the back of my mind I still want to enjoy my garden while I have it. Hopefully my next residence will have room for it as well!

Think About It Thursday

2010-06-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

"There are no evil thoughts except one, the refusal to think." - Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Father's Day recap

2010-06-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

I drove down south for Father's Day and of course had to start the trip off at my mother's house gardening. Little by little it is looking better. My mother just retired so she has been working on the backyard as well. I forgot to take pictures, but trust me, it looks better.

As for Father's Day my sisters and I pulled our efforts to make a huge dinner for my dad and other family members. We had originally planned on making lobster but the number of guests kept increasing so we switched it over to good old meatballs and a bunch of other stuff. Here's the menu:

Mostaccioli means "little mustaches" in Italian because it is penne with homemade sauce so it looks like little mustaches. And I found this blog post about cute napkins for Father's Day so of course I had to do it. It's all in the details. Also the menu does not list the garlic bread, but it was there as what is an Italian dinner without it. It was there and it was good. Here are a few pictures. We had a good time and the wine flowed for hours. Hope you all had a Happy Father's Day too!

I am not a fan of eggplant...

2010-06-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of eggplant, but I will try anything once. Vegetarian Times had some great recipes for the July/August issue and I tried a few on Thursday. I have never liked eggplant but decided to take a chance and try something new and made their Eggplant Parmesan from their "Meals for one" section. (Love that as I am not always cooking for 6 or more people.) And I must say, I liked it...a lot. The flavors were great and it was super easy to make. Unfortunately the recipe I used is not on their website but if you want to know the recipe just let me know and I will send it to you. See below for (rushed) pictures.

On a sad note, I did try a dessert from their magazine, the Chocolate S'Mores Pie, and took 3 bites and felt sick. Let's just say it was not my cup of tea. The marshmallow was too sweet, the chocolate was not dense enough and I am not a huge fan of dark unsweetened chocolate. But of the trials at least one worked out, right?

Think About It Thursday

2010-06-17T13:28:00.001-07:00

"No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again." -Buddha

Garden Update!

2010-06-05T07:06:00.001-07:00

Not sure if you checked the weather but it was in the 70's and raining here yesterday. What are we in Hawaii? Before that, the rest of the week had been pretty warm and my plants seemed to like that so yea! Check them out.

My herb garden.

My cilantro seem to be turning a little yellow so now I want to check if they also need nitrogen in their soil like my basil did. Any ideas? The chives, mint, and sage seem to be doing ok.

The box.

Basil is doing a lot better since I put in a plant nanny that had some miracle grow for veggies in it. According to the guy at the farmer's market, my basil needed nitrogen and this was the best way. And it is working so yea!

One cauliflower looks big and beautiful. It has about an eight-inch circumference. The other however looks like this.

I might be mistaken but isn't this what it looks like when it bolts and goes to seed? I don't really understand why it would do that considering I planted them at the same time. Anybody have answers as to why it looks like this?

These suckers looks great and I can't wait to eat them! Must wait until they are red, although I have heard some interesting nutritional information about green tomatoes....no, I must wait for red!

These babies are coming along. Can't wait for the rainbow carrots. Lettuce is doing well. The squash seems to be taking forever to grow! Come on squash!

Now my spinach is another story. One just died on my and the other one is growing tall but has very tiny spinach leaves. Anyone know if my spinach is okay or else what I can do to fix it?

Serrano has not grown much but is still alive. The sugar daddy peas are growing like mad and the broccoli has made a come back. It appeared to be dying and had been nibbled on by a mysterious bug. I trimmed the small leaves and now it is growing again. Is this to thank due to the small pruning job?

Then there are my random plants around the garden. This starter watermelon was on 98 cents from Home Depot so I had to give it a try considering a I love melon. And this hydrangea that I had thought for sure I killed is growing taller and greener everyday.

Something I have noticed is that things take a very very long time to grow. I am sure a lot of that has to do with this weird weather and my lack of gardening skills, but I can't help but thinking that I am no where close to being able to rely on my garden for a good portion of my veggie needs. But as everyone else I have talked to, gardening is a hobby that takes years and you can come close, but one can never become a perfect gardener as weather, bugs, and just bad seeds are beyond your control. But for what I do have now, I am trying grateful and excited. Happy Saturday!

I've been reading!

2010-06-04T17:50:00.001-07:00

So I was looking back at my blog and realized it has been a while since I have done a book review. This is not due to lack of reading as I have been reading tons. I started to write a book review of my recent book but realized I would have to write it in a three part series as it was a trilogy I just finished. (It was so good by the way.) So until I get around to the long review, take a look at what is on my list.

Currently At Home
Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka
The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen
What Was She Thinking? by Zoë Heller

On Hold
Cutting the Stone by Abraham Verghese
How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Paris To The Moon by Adam Gopnik
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Danielle Ganek
Walks With Men by Ann Beattie

Hope you have a list and are getting to your summer reading!

Challenge for June!

2010-06-03T09:10:00.001-07:00

I know it is Think About It Thursday, but I couldn't help but post about my June challenge. Ready for this? Can you hardly contain the excitement you feel?? The challenge is to eat 1 cup of fruit of veggies with breakfast each day.
Now this might seem like a hard challenge, but really it isn't. For instance this morning with my egg-white omelet I had some grape tomatoes with an apple. When I make french toast I heat up some frozen berries and make a nature-sugar syrup. Or you can be like my uncle who is trying to eat a big salad every morning for breakfast after reading Born To Run. Or like my dad who throws a pound of fruits and veggies into his Vita-Mix for a weird yet delicious drink. I am not quite at the salad for breakfast stage and one day I hope to own a Vita-Mix, but 1 cup of fruits and/or veggies each morning with my breakfast is a start. You are then starting off your day with tons of vitamins and minerals and good healthy fiber to clean out your system. I hope you will join me for the June challenge. Do it, do it, do it!

Think About It Thursday

2010-06-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

"Do you know how to determine if something is on fire? Because it ignites the materials around it." - Pastor George Hulse, The Shoreline Church of San Clemente

Think About It Thursday

2010-05-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that, but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing." - William Yeats

VT Grilled Portobello Tacos = Yum

2010-05-26T07:03:00.001-07:00

As you might recall from my blog post Wordless Wednesday - Tribute to Mushrooms or all of THESE posts, is that I really love mushrooms, that is except for portobello mushrooms. For some reason portobello mushrooms have always seemed too chewy to me and so are the one mushroom I skip. Well as I said early this week, I went through a few recipes and magazine and planned out my week of food and I decided to a Vegetarian Times recipe for Grilled Portobello Tacos. Conclusion: they were delicious! I am not sure if all the other places I have had portobellos just cooked them too long, but mine were not chewy at all and added tons of flavor. Another recipe is a keeper. I need to start keeping these recipes in a book like my sister to track all of the ones tried and must make again. (A sidenote, I did not use their salsa verde recipe but instead used my Aji Sauce which you know I love and adore.)
There were way too many topping to fit into two tacos so I made myself a little cabbage salad with what was left of the topping and ate that as as side. You can never have too many vegetables.

A day of food...

2010-05-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

As I sit here looking through my stack of Vegetarian Times magazines for fun new recipes it dawns on me that I don't really consider myself a vegetarian. Yes, I stopped eating meat with the exception of eggs and some seafood, but I guess I just don't feel like a vegetarian. And whatever vegetarians look like, I am certain I don't fit the mold. Sorry, just random musing from me.

This past weekend I menu planned my dinners for the week and even decided to switch up breakfast a bit. Lunch is pretty standard as you will see. Anyway I thought it would be fun to take pictures and share with you my food from yesterday. Yesterday my meals were all from different ideas from Fitness Magazine with a few changes and improvises.

Let's start with breakfast. French toast with a berry sauce.

I could not tell you the last time I made or even ate French toast but man was it good and nutritious! I used two slices of Cinnamon Raise Bread, one egg, and one egg white for the toast. Cooked as usual. For the sauce I macerated some frozen berries with a teaspoon on sugar and poured over the toast. The original recipe said to have fruit and syrup but I would much rather berries than syrup and man was it tasty.

Lunch I had one of my old standbys, the Veggie Burger with some veggies on the side.

Around 3pm everyday I get really hungry so here is my snack. Orowheat Sandwich Thin with peanut butter and banana. It is amazing how this combo tasted like a dessert to me.

Now dinner was something new. Salmon with a mango-cilantro-jalapeño-salsa, accompanied by roasted potatoes and a side salad.

Potatoes get a bad wrap when in actuality they are quite healthy for you. Did you know that a medium potato is only 70 calories (less than an average slice of bread) and is packed with vitamin C and potassium. And not to mention the herbs they came with. Herbs are ridiculously nutritious. According to a podcast I listen to, The NutritionDiva, fresh oregano is 8 times higher in antioxidant capacity than spinach. How crazy is that?

So that was Monday of fun new foods. Can't wait to try the Grilled Portobello Tacos from Vegetarian Times tomorrow!

Kitchen Staples

2010-05-24T06:53:00.001-07:00

So everyone has kitchen staples that they always have on hand. Onions, celery, pasta, tomatoes, whatever it may be. Well one of the my staples is this little Peruvian sauce called Aji Sauce or as Inka Grill in Costa Mesa calls it, Gringo Killer.

Now if you don't like hot and spicy, then this sauce is definitely not for you. I however do love hot and spicy and have been eating this sauce with raw veggies or as my salad dressing. I decided to share the recipe with you. I found a close enough recipe online and made a few modifications.

Aji Sauce

1/3 cup mayo *
2 tsp lime juice 
1/2 head iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped 
1 cup cilantro leaves (stems removed as best you can)
 5-6 serrano peppers, seeds and white membrane removed**
 1 tsp minced garlic 
3 chicken bouillon  cubes
7 saltine crackers  **

Combine all ingredients into a food processor or VitaMix and blend until a smooth consistency.

* I have also tried using Greek yogurt instead and it worked with the consistency but lost a little of the taste. It is a little healthier if you want to give it a try.
** The recipe I found called for saltines which changes the texture a bit and also takes the heat down a bit. You can also make it without the crackers which I have a few times.
*** I use 6 serrano peppers but you can take it down to even 3 if you like it a little less spicy.

When I have had it in the restaurant they serve it with bread or else on top of rice. So yummy.
I hope you guys try this recipe out. Enjoy!

Would you like a garden update?

2010-05-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Exciting news in my garden! Ok, I am going to get this out of the way. I lost my cucumber to the unknown monster that keeps uprooting my plants. I guess the soil was not wet enough that night and my cucumber was too weak to survive a re-planting. I may have lost a soldier but the battle is still on. Take a look.

My basil is growing, albeit slowly, but does anyone know what the brown spots are and how to get rid of them and how to get bigger greener leaves?

Spinach is shooting up! This is one of two I planted months ago and it is finally liking the weather enough to grace me with its' presence.

A rouge beet that has not died, but has not grown too much either. I keep hearing that the plants are having a hard time this ear due to the fickle weather going between almost warm to cold again. Come on Spring!

My rainbow carrots are alive! I planted 9 and 7 appear to be growing so I am going to take what I can get. Can't wait to eat them when they have grown bigger.

My squash is still alive. This is from the random seedling I noticed started growing a few months back even though I planted it in September! Crazy to think how a seed will just sit there and grow when it thinks it is a good time. Here's to hoping something comes of it.

My little beefsteak tomato is growing. Funny how things never grow fast enough for me, but it is just cool to see that something you started from a seed has grown so much bigger and is still doing well.

Now this giant is from the OCC plant sale I went to over Mother's Day weekend. It is doing well and look at the little tomatoes growing!

Mesclun seedlings I started a while ago. They are still alive but not much growth. Again I was told this is because of the weather. Booo!

Whatever the weather my Sugar Daddy Peas seem to be liking it and are growing. Woohoo!

Sorry this picture is a little out of focus, but here is my yellow bell pepper. Can't wait!

Check out the lone broccoli rabe.

And now to my crowning glory...drum roll please....my CAULIFLOWER! My two plants are doing great and I finally saw the fruit of my labor growing. Two baby cauliflower heads are starting to grow. I am super excited!

That's all for now folks. I will give you another update next weekend. Now go outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Think About It Thursday

2010-05-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Quotes that I liked from the book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry

"It is such a secret place, the land of tears."

"I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies."

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

"One runs the risk of weeping a little if, if one let's himself be tamed..."

Armstrong Woods

2010-05-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

What did you do on Sunday? I hope it was as much fun as I had hiking and jogging through Armstrong Redwoods. It was perfect temperature and just gorgeous there. My roommate and I had talked about going for months now and I just decided if I want to do something I need to stop waiting on people and just go and do it myself. So I did. Armed with my camera, iPod, and keys I headed out into the unknown. I was originally planning on going jogging and tracking it via my Nike chip but I kept stopping to take pictures as I was trying out different white balance settings and the chip kept stopping so I gave up. Don't worry, I didn't actually listen to music there as the quiet of nature is one of the best sounds in the world and I wouldn't want to miss that!

I ended up going all over the place, directionless, but that is the best way to discover a some place new. Just wander, get lost, and find your way back. Fortunately each time I was truly lost a person just happened to be around when I needed directions. It was weird, but I almost felt that they were angels somehow looking out for me. Ever get that feeling? But as you can tell I made it back safely and felt the high of the hike/jog the rest of the day. I am definitely going back there sometime soon.

Here are some of the hundreds (seriously) of pictures I took. Enjoy!

Saturday was good

2010-05-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

So before the fun pictures I am going to preface with the fact that I ate oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, ran 5-miles, and then had a salad and grill fish for lunch. Ok, and now to Saturday evening that balanced out the day.

Lobster dinner! Here is my plate before and after. (I ended up only eating the lobster tale as I was getting stuffed, but it was some of the sweetest lobster ever!)

Ended the evening going over to a friend's house where I surprised my roommate with a late Happy Birthday cupcakes that looked like pirates. She loves pirates and they were her favorite flavor of cupcakes. Unfortunately I was too stuffed from dinner to have one but they still looked darn cute. It was a good day with great food! Mmm lobster, one of my four favorite foods. Soo great. Hope you had a good Saturday!