Vacation Prep!

Hey there!  How’s it going?    I spent all damn day packing for our trip tomorrow, and I am freaking exhausted!  I don’t travel often, and when I do I tend to overpack, but I always figure it is better to have too much stuff than not enough, right?  (RIGHT?)  We’ll be gone for seven full days (our flight leaves before 8am tomorrow morning and we won’t get back to Dallas until after 10pm next Monday night), and I’m only bringing five pairs of shoes, so some might say that I packed lightly.    I have plane snacks (these, which I’ve been dying to try- I’ll start making my own if I like ‘em!  Also nut mix, my beloved, single-serve packs of nut butter, of course a few of these), extra camera batteries, some workout dvds (I got a sweet deal on a portable dvd player from Target!  It’ll come in handy when we do road trips with the kids later in the summer, too), magazines to read on the plane and my MP3 player.  I really think I’m set.  Does anyone else get excited about little travel-size toiletries?  Maybe part of it is that you don’t normally buy them unless you’re about to go on some kind of trip, but I was like a kid at Christmas today, picking out little mini-shaving cream canisters, toothpaste tubes and body lotions.   

My Grandma will pick us up from the airport tomorrow, and we’ll stay with her for a night.  She lives in Edmonds, which isn’t far from Seattle.  On Wednesday afternoon we’ll take the ferry over to Kingston, where my Uncle will pick us up.  We’ll spend the rest of our trip with my Aunt and Unk in their lovely home in Sequim, and I simply cannot wait.  Lots of good food, wine, hiking, relaxing, and sleeping in are in store… oh, it will be glorious!  The timing of this trip is perfect- right after a tough semester of school for me and B’s college graduation- and I’m going to enjoy every second of it. 

Speaking of graduation…

Doesn’t B look handsome? 

That night we dug in to our leftovers from Bob’s!  Just as good the second time around, oh yes…

And then there was cheesecake…

Marbled Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake, to be exact…

It was insane. 

***

Sunday was the first day we’ve been able to really kick our feet up with all the graduation hustle and bustle, so we decided to take the kids to the Grapevine Main Street Days festival.  The weather in Texas has been ridiculously gorgeous lately, and this festival was poppin’!  The grown-ups drank (severely over-priced) wine, and the kids rode (severely over-priced) rides.  It was a lot of fun!

On the way home we ate at Luby’s (per B’s enthusiastic request!), but my camera batteries had died earlier in the day at the festival.    I will say that I was ravenous after an afternoon of wine-drinking and walking around, but the food was tasty- B and I both got the chicken fried steak, fried okra, a roll and macaroni & cheese (the kids had chicken fingers).  I really really really like white gravy.  Sadly, later in the night my stomach decided that it didn’t really enjoy all that fried food after all, but it was damn good while I was eating it!  B had the leftovers today for lunch, so his new nickname is Belly o’ Steel. 

***

Today I tried a new workout, Cathe’s Low Impact Circuit.  I freaking LOVED it!  I’ll definitely write a review when I get back from vacation.  I definitely appreciated the easy-to-follow format and joint-friendly exercises.  The time flew by and my ass was thoroughly kicked at the end.  After that workout plus a day of running around, I was starving.  Tonight’s dinner was simple but delish.  We picked up some Cajun-marinated chicken breasts from Market Street, some baby yellow potatoes and an eggplant.  B drizzled olive oil on the vegetables, seasoned the potatoes with grill seasoning (genius!) and the eggplant with sea salt and pepper, and we baked everything in a 400 degree oven.  Easy, but really good..

HIT. THE. SPOT.

Gah, why are the pics so small?  Freaking WORDPRESS.  Ah well.  It’s an early night for us so I’m going to go have some Ben & Jerry’s and watch the season premiere of the Real Housewives of New Jersey.  See ya from Washington! 

xo,

S.

Graduation Celebration

Last night was a lot of fun.  We went to Bob’s Steak & Chop House to celebrate B’s and his brother’s graduations.  Since we don’t dress up often, I had my brother take some pics of us to prove that I do in fact own clothing that isn’t made of denim and full of holes…

Gah, long live my hideous tattoo.  Oh well.

Our reservations were for 6:30.  B and I each had a drink at the bar, and once everyone arrived and we settled in at our table, B’s mom ordered a bottle of wine.  We started with white (Chardonnay, I believe) and ordered onion rings and a shrimp platter to share.  The onion rings were huge and perfectly done, and I tried a shrimp remoulade that was also amazing.  B’s mom said, “This shrimp tastes like it just came right out of the ocean.”  It was incredibly fresh and flavorful. 

I should probably point out that I took exactly 1522095 pictures, but very few of them turned out.  A photographer who has had lots of wine + dim lighting = BAD PICTURES.  It might help if I actually tried to learn how to properly use my camera in different conditions, but that would take actual effort. 

There was also a big crusty loaf of bread, and it looked and smelled so good that I had to have a chunk, which I happily slathered with butter.

For my meal I ordered the broiled salmon along with garlic smashed potatoes and a side of asparagus. 

All of Bob’s entrees come with a signature glazed carrot, which I thought was really good.  The potatoes were creamy and airy and light, with perfect garlic flavor.  The asparagus was cooked exactly how I like it- soft but still crisp to the bite.  And the salmon!  Oh, the salmon…

The salmon simply could not have been better.  I love seafood, and this was the best fish I have ever eaten in my life!  It was ridiculously flaky and tender, and the maitre d’ butter on top added a remarkably rich, indulgent flavor- it took everything I had to not eat every morsel and lick my plate clean, but I somehow managed to save about half of my meal, because I knew it would be worth it to have the leftovers for dinner tonight after B’s graduation ceremony.  Holy hell, I can’t wait to come home and tear into the other half of that salmon!

B went with the 12oz. ribeye, and I had a bite- it literally melted in my mouth, so I had to close my eyes and regain my composure.  Yes, me and that bite of steak shared a special moment.    He chose the skillet fried potatoes to accompany his steak, which come covered in sautéed onions and peppercorn gravy- good grief they were effing good.   

I should mention that we had two bottles of insanely good wine over the course of the meal- the white with our appetizers and a red with our meal.  I’m no wine buff (Yellowtail all the way, baby), but B’s bro got some recommendations from a wine expert friend of his, and I was really impressed.  My favorite was definitely the red, which I believe was a Groth Cabernet (I’ll need to double-check on that).  It was full-bodied and smoky in the best way- I just loved it!  Everyone did, even the non-wine drinkers. 

We all got dessert, and B let me pick.  I went with the marbled chocolate amaretto cheesecake.  We didn’t want to leave the restaurant uncomfortably full, so we asked the waiter to pack up our dessert to-go, which means that we will be enjoying it tonight after our leftovers.  I expect no less than 28 foodgasms in a row.  We wrapped things up with coffee.  I had mine with Kahlua, Irish Cream and Frangelico in it, topped off with a dollop of sinfully rich whipped cream.  It was pretty much a drinkable dessert.  I think it was called the Happy Coffee, which is self-explanatory.  It made me very happy indeed!    I also had a bite of B’s dad’s key lime pie, which was crazy-good, and two bites of B’s mom’s banana nut rum bread pudding, which I could have stuck my entire face in.  Lucky for everyone around me, that kind of behavior is frowned upon in fine dining establishments such as Bob’s.  Silly etiquette rules!

I don’t eat at swanky joints often, but I would definitely go back here again to celebrate an extra special occasion.  The food was well worth the price, and the ambience was surprisingly laid back and friendly, which immediately put me at ease.  I tend to get nervous at ritzy restaurants, because I’m the clumsy girl who always spills her water or makes a poorly timed inappropriate joke, but Bob’s was high-end without being stuffy.  It was a memorable night with B’s family, and I’m so glad that I got to be there to celebrate!

***

Today I kicked things off with some strong coffee followed by Power Hour, which completely kicked my ass.  I’m taking E to B’s graduation ceremony in a couple of hours, and we’re all really excited.  I’m so proud of B!  Stay tuned for graduation pictures, and for cheesecake pictures… that’s gonna be the other highlight of my day.    We leave for Sequim on Tuesday, and I am dying with excitement.  I’m a crazy list-maker, so tonight or tomorrow I’ll probably start jotting down all of the stuff I want to pack. 

Do you make lists when you pack for a trip? 

(LIE TO ME.)

Have a fantastic Saturday! 

Sara

Self-Esteem & Chicken for Breakfast

I watched an excellent documentary of sorts the other day called Killing Us Softly.  This one was the 4th dvd in the series, which focuses on advertising’s portrayal of women and the resulting social consequences.  I’m guilty of thinking that just because I tend to tune out commercials they don’t affect me at all, but I guess that’s not necessarily true.  An advertising executive was quoted with saying something about how ads and commercials are designed to chip away at the subconscious mind, so even though most of us aren’t consciously going to go buy something just because we saw it on tv, there’s something else at work there on a whole different level that most definitely affects how we feel about ourselves and our lives.  Some of the ads discussed on the film were incredibly horrifying- fashion ads glamorizing violence against women and beer ads where the women are dehumanized and actually become the beer, to start- and almost all of them featured female models in submissive, silenced poses, while men in print ads are usually shown in positions of power.  Women are supposed to be sexy yet virginal at the same time, and it is awful to think about the potential effects that these messages have on young, impressionable girls.  Killing Us Softly is a really informative, smart, eye-opening flick, so if you have 45-minutes to spare, definitely check it out.  I got it from the local library, so check with yours to see if they carry it.  (If they don’t, you may be able to request that they order it!)  I’m definitely planning to watch the rest of the series.

This got me thinking- how many parents talk to their kids about tv, the media, and advertising?  There are so many awful messages being thrown at us every single day, it’s impossible to dodge them all.  As parents, I think it’s our responsibility to teach our kids that they can’t believe everything they read or see on tv, and it’s important to communicate that the women and men they see in magazines are not real people at all.  I don’t want my boys to grow up looking for a mate that fits that perfect, pouty-lipped, cellulite-free, obedient, long-legged, 90-pound, blemish-free mold of a woman who is depicted in advertising, thinking that she actually exists.  If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t want her to grow up thinking that these are the standards that she must strive to achieve, despite the fact that they are absolutely unrealistic and damn near impossible.

Have you discussed advertising and the media with your kids?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

When I finally gave up dieting nearly four years ago, I also stopped watching celebrity gossip channels and reading fashion/fitness magazines.  I noticed that any time I would flip through Cosmo or Vogue or Shape magazine or watch trash about how Britney Spears gained five pounds on E!, HOLY FREAKING CRAP, my self-esteem would take a nose dive.  It really is very depressing, the emphasis that our society as a whole puts on looks and on being perfect, and for those of us that have dealt with eating disorders or grew up lacking self-confidence, I think that actively avoiding those messages is a good idea.  I can now flip through a fashion magazine without bemoaning my ample ass afterward, and I’m hopelessly addicted to all of the Real Housewives reality shows (where looks and money are what make their worlds go ’round), but I think that giving up those things for a while really did me a world of good.

***

To-dos have been minimal the last couple of days: lots of coffee drinking, paperwork sorting, errand running, unrushed workouts, wine drinking, and cooking.  Last night we did a Make Your Own Panini dinner with some family and friends, and it was a hit!  B grilled some rib eye while I sautéed mushrooms and onions, and everyone built their own sandwich.  A few minutes on the panini press and dinner was done!  It was really easy and casual, which was fitting because we downed quite a bit of wine- we were in a celebratory mood since yesterday was B’s last day of school.  Tonight we’re going to this restaurant to do some more celebrating, and I’m ridiculously excited.  We’ll be dining with B’s family, so it is definitely going to be a good time. 

I’ve been slacking on food pics the last few days.  I had every intention of documenting last night’s paninifest, but alas, it just didn’t happen.  I do have a few pics on the camera…   

Leftover tofu & veggie stirfry from Wednesday’s lunch at Cosmic Cafe, which I had for lunch yesterday…

Side salad…

Sautéed ’shrooms (the only pic I snapped from last night that actually turned out!):

And here is breakfast from today…

Yep, I had the leftover chicken breast and brussels sprouts from Tuesday’s dinner for breakfast today.  I woke up with a wee hangover and was also starving, and this hit the spot.  Hey, I just roll with it. 

Oh, here’s a pic of me and B that his sis-in-law snapped last night:

Holy wine drinking.

Do you know what B wants for his graduation present?  For me to take him to eat at Luby’s.  I’m serious.  When I think Luby’s I think about eating dinner at 4pm, and visions of bright green jell-O cubes dance in my head.  As much as I enjoy teasing B about his Luby’s love, me and the kiddos will make his fine dining dreams come true this Sunday for dinner.  It should be interesting a good time.  I will deeeeeeefinitey be getting pictures of that experience.  I was wrong about Aerosoles, so perhaps Luby’s will end up being my new favorite restaurant.  I haven’t eaten there since I was 8, so maybe they’ve really stepped it up in the last 23 years.   

I’m off to do some cardio!   

What are your Friday plans?

See ya later.

S.

Summertime Slackin’

Dude.  I haven’t even been able to really wrap my head around the fact that school is OUT.  Not only that, but I rocked all my classes, and I leave for an amazing vacation in less than six days.  I still have that looming what projects do you need to work on? feeling going on, but I’m sure that will subside within another day or so.  B has his last exam tomorrow, and I can’t wait to watch him walk across the stage this Saturday to accept his well deserved degree.  I’ve been a smidge more relaxed about my wine drinking since wrapping the semester up yesterday, but OH FREAKING WELL.  It’s the summer, yo, and I’m gonna celebrate.  Yeah?  Can I get a HELL YEAH?  *cups hand to ear*  I CAN’T HEAR YOU!  *cups hand to ear, pours another glass of red*  Fine.  Suit yourselves. 

Dinner last night was delish.  I made Angela’s AMAZING 15-minute Creamy Avocado Pasta (if you haven’t made this yet and you like avocado even a teeny tiny bit, give this a whirl and I will personally come to your house and cook for you if you don’t like it- seriously, it is simply amazing!), citrus-marinated baked chicken (marinade from a packet, because I am an amazing chef du jour), and roasted brussels sprouts (cooked Barefoot Contessa-style, because there truly is no other proper way to prepare brussels sprouts)…

See that little bit of lemon zest there atop the pasta?  Gah, I love stuff like that.  It just makes a meal special.    I’m kind of a nut, but you totally knew that already, so no news flash here.  Sometimes the best meals are the most simple ones- the put it in the oven and forget about it baked chicken, the toss it with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until browned to your liking brussels sprouts, and the done in 15 minutes from start to finish pasta- you really can’t beat it. 

Ok, I take that back.  Tonight B made homemade fish & chips, and it was probably the best meal I’ve had in a long time.

I know!  I know!  I say that all the time!  Look, I am kind of a food loon.  I love looking through food magazines and cookbooks in the same manner that a 13-year-old boy looks through his dad’s Playboy, I enjoy shopping for fresh ingredients, I love hosting dinner parties, cooking has some crazy kind of therapeutic effect on me, and I absolutely love to EAT.  I look forward to my meals, and I put a lot of thought and effort into them.  When I say something is good, I definitely mean it.  Last night’s dinner rocked!  But tonight?  Tonight B’s fish & chips completely blew me away.  The “chips” were brown and crispy on the outside yet soft and tender on the inside, and the fish was perfectly moist and flaky on the inside with a crispy, crunchy, spectacularly seasoned golden crust on the outside.  Not only that, but I totally could have done shots of the simple mayonnaise-dijon mustard-lemon juice sauce that accompanied the fish.  B did everything, and I know they often say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but what about us chicks?  I’m pretty sure that the way to my heart is also through my stomach, and B is never getting rid of me now.  No way.  Not a chance. 

He adapted the recipe from Rachael Ray’s Fish & Chips recipe, page 94 of her latest magazine issue.

Panko breadcrumbs, ready for toasting…

Fresh tilapia filets…

Sweet potato “chips”, before…

…and after

A simple mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper tartar sauce…

Toasted breadcrumbs!

Dredged and ready for baking…

Ready to eat! 

My plate:

Yeah, this meal was ridiculous.  I’m a lucky girl. 

Today, my first school-free day in what seems like forever, was spent working out (kickboxing!), having lunch with a good friend, giving myself a pedicure, drinking wine, celebrating B’s mom’s birthday, and eating this amazing dinner that he prepared.  I think it’s gonna be a really good summer.    Tomorrow is B’s very last exam, so tomorrow night we’re having some family and friends over for drinks, steak, mushroom and onion paninis, and board games.  Yeah, I always think that board games sound lame, but they’re really fun!  My favorites include Apples to Apples, Tripoly, and Cranium.  I may be a total dork, but I know how to have fun, dammit!  Wine + board games = a damn good time. 

Until tomorrow!

xo,

Sara

Good Grades and a Pita Baby

Well.  Three finals done, one more to go.  And it looks like I pulled off an A all-around in chemistry!  I managed to score an A on my final exam, which honestly really surprised me, because I missed the review session due to being in the hospital and didn’t study much on my own because of those smokin’ hot Dallas Mavericks.    I did work hard this semester, and I’m so glad that things are finally wrapping up.  Unless I bomb tomorrow’s final, I’ll be finishing strong and getting As in all four classes.    B has done well in his classes, too, and he will proudly walk the stage this Saturday to accept a well-deserved accounting degree.  I’m so excited for him! 

***

Mother’s Day was a lot of fun.  I did some yoga and just kind of lazed about for the first part of the day, and enjoyed some leftover Indian-style sweet potato salad, sautéed squash and a poached egg topped with hummus for lunch.  I’m obsessed with softly poaching an egg and slathering it in hummus, I tell ya.  It is my new favorite thang and I can’t get enough! 

I love when leftovers come together to create a delicious and easy meal!

Yesterday afternoon we trucked it to my sweet Gram’s house.  The entire family got sucked into the Mavs game, and it was awesome to see such an incredible sweep.  Jason Terry is my favorite player, not only for his mad ballin’ skills, but because of those damn socks that he pulls up to his knees.  For some reason that makes me like him more.    We decided to keep the family shindig relatively hassle-free, so instead of sitting down to any kind of formal meal, we all just brought some kind of snack over to my Gram’s house, and we all drank wine and nibbled while hanging out and watching the game.  It was a lot of fun! 

My mom surprised me with Tina Fey’s new book, Bossypants, which I wasn’t expecting at all.  (Thanks, Mom!)

My boys made me a key chain out of a domino!  I could not love it more!  It looks kind of vintage-y, which is awesome.  Best Mother’s Day gift ever…

So, so sweet.  They were really excited to give it to me, too, which is the cutest thing in the world.

***

For dinner last night, B and I made Chicken Tikka Paninis.  They were amazing.  We used our usual multigrain ciabatta rolls (toasted and garlic-rubbed, of course):

Topped them with mango chutney and yogurt sauce…

A giant handful of spinach…

And the gloriously tender and flavorful leftover Chicken Tikka from Friday night…

ANYTHING can be made into a panini.  Anything!  It is definitely my favorite way to use leftovers, if you haven’t noticed. 

Good grief, this was so damn good.

***

Today was the first day that I didn’t have to wake up early and drive to campus.  We got to take our time in the morning, and after I dropped the tots at daycare I studied briefly and took my next to last exam.  Afterward I was in the mood for a butt-kicking cardio workout, so I opted for the step and low-impact HiiT premix from Intensity (premix #6).  I was sweating buckets and beet red in the face when it was over, and it felt great.  I’m really looking forward to starting STS at the end of the month!  Besides STS, I have two other workouts that are still in their wrappers: Low-impact Circuit and Body Max2.  I just didn’t have time during the end of this crazy-busy semester to watch these through so that I could actually do them.  I’ll have all the time in the world later this week and for the next few months! 

***

After my workout and a shower I was craving another poached egg- I know!  I know!  I really can’t get enough!  I decided to roll with a big salad that consisted of spinach, baby carrots, snap peas, sweet yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced green onion, chickpeas, a runny poached egg, roasted pine nut hummus and balsamic vinaigrette.

I love chickpeas.  So, so much.  This was the best salad I’ve thrown together in a long time.

***

Dinner tonight was something… what’s the word… epic?  Incredible?  Gloooooorious?  I need to expand my vocabulary, obv. 

We made “Steak ‘Em Up Pitas” from page 129 of Rachael Ray’s newest magazine issue, and they were so good that I wanted to cry.

Really.

We modified the recipe slightly and scaled it down for two.  We used:

• Oat bran pitas
• two 5-ounce (before cooking) filet mignon
• baby spinach
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 T. mayonnaise
• 4 T. prepared horseradish sauce (the recipe calls for 2 T. horseradish, drained, but we accidentally bought horseradish sauce.  So, I doubled the amount of this stuff to pack extra horseradish flavor)
• 1/4 c. Greek yogurt (we used nonfat because that’s all I could find)
• 1 medium yellow onion
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra-virgin olive oil

 

Slice the onion into rounds, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat and grill the onions until golden, around 10 minutes.

Remove to a plate or bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl, mix together the horseradish, mayonnaise, garlic, and Greek yogurt. 

Set aside.  Pat the filet mignon dry, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill over a medium to medium-high flame until done to your liking- we like our steaks RARE.   

Remove to a cutting board and let rest for five minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the pitas in the grill pan until warm (not crispy!).

Remove from heat and slice the top third off the top of the each pita.  Slice the filet mignon into thin strips.

Spread some of the horseradish-mayo on the inside of the pita pockets.  Stuff with the grilled onions, baby spinach, and sliced steak.  Top with more spinach, onions and a dollop of the horseradish-mayo.  Run to the table, because you can’t wait to dig into this bad Johnny…

OH MAH GAH are you kidding me?  Take a bite already!

If this meal sounds good to you, I promise it is even better than you could ever imagine: the soft, warm pita bread filled with sweet caramelized onions, the creamy tang and kick of heat from the horseradish-mayo, a slight crunch and burst of bright color from the spinach, and the tender, juicy, bacon-infused strips of steak… my GAWD, people.  This was simply amazing.  And easy.  And quick!  B and I both left the table smiling big goofy smiles from total and complete dinner satisfaction. 

***

We leave for Sequim, WA a week from tomorrow!  I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am.  We leave the 17th and come back the 23rd, and it is going to be the best vacation ever.  I can’t wait to see my Aunt and Uncle, to run in the snow-topped mountains of Sequim, to just relax and unwind and spend lots of time outdoors, to sleep in and linger over meals and not really have to worry about much else.  I’m really excited about vacation blogging, too!  I’m already making a mental list of the things I need to bring, and at the forefront of my exercise-obsessed mind are my Nike running shoes, my Travel Fit dvd and resistance band.  Back in my dieting days when I exercised for no other reason than to burn calories, a vacation away from my normal workout gear would send me into a fit of panic.  I’m so glad that isn’t the case anymore!  I really look at traveling as a chance to try new things, and I’m definitely going to take advantage of the cool outdoor temperatures of Washington and the breath-taking scenery.  I’m especially excited about getting outside and just letting my feet take me away.  I don’t usually run much anymore, but running in Texas and running in the gorgeous hills of green, cool, mountainous Sequim are definitely not the same thing.  That plus my Travel Fit dvd, some power yoga, hiking and whatever else we get into will definitely keep me moving.  I am STOKED. 

I’m going to go digest my pita baby and relax with my new book.  Have a fantastic night! 

xooxxoo,

Sara

The Light at the End of the (chemistry) Tunnel…

Hi there!  How’s it going?  I’ve really missed blogging in the last week.  BUT!  The good news is that CHEMISTRY IS OVER.    Also?    My final exam was yesterday afternoon, and though I didn’t study nearly as much as I probably should have (because I was distracted by the incredibly intense Mavs game the night before) (also: boo for cumulative tests!), I feel like I did ok.  Final grades have already been posted up for chem lab, and somehow… somehow… I was one out of only three people who pulled off an A.  I must have slipped the professor a couple hundred-dollar bills at the start of the class, because chemistry- no, science in general- has never been my thang.  I’m just glad it’s over, and I’m even more glad that the feelings of self-doubt that have haunted me for much of my life- those skeptical, negative little voices that kept me from getting my degree earlier- are being squashed more and more with every class that I dominate.  It’s a damn good feeling. 

Anyway, summertime is coming fast, and I plan on spending a lot of my free time writing and giving this blog a bit of an overhaul.    It’ll be glorious when my to-do list consists of: drink coffee, work out, blog.  I need a nice little break.

I’m happy to have my desire to cook back, along with my appetite.  No calls from the lab regarding the culture they did earlier in the week, but I’m feeling 100% normal today, thank goodness.  No news is good news, I freaking guess, even though I think that doctors should call you no matter what they find out, good or bad.  A brief, “Hi, this is Nancy from the lab.  Just calling to let you know that your test results came back normal” goes a long way, I think.  I hate waiting.

Back to food!    Thursday night I hosted a girl’s dinner here.  The menu was light, meat-free and simple, but really delicious.

Grilled veggie salad with balsamic (my friend C made this, and it was incredible!), plus garlic bread in the background that my girl R brought.  (Shout out to R for bringing me some awesome wine as a hostess gift!  I drank some yesterday and really liked it.)

Angel hair pasta topped with this spicy tomato-zucchini sauce, red pepper flakes and grated parmesan cheese.  It was really easy to make and quite tasty, though next time I will quadruple the amount of red pepper flakes in the recipe, because it wasn’t very spicy at all.   (I love spicy!)

C also brought some lemon squares, which she glammed up with fresh blueberries.  (SO FLIPPIN’ GOOD.)

I love lemon anything.

Oh YES. 

Friday during the Mavs game, B and I drank wine and made Rachael Ray’s Chicken Tikka with Indian-style Sweet Potato Salad.  Holy yum…

(GO MAKE IT NOW!)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/3 cup (half of a small bunch) chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 6 tbsp. fruit chutney, such as mango
• 3 tbsp. EVOO
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs.), each sliced lengthwise into 8 wedges

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, cilantro and scallions; season with salt and pepper. Measure out 1 cup and transfer to a small serving bowl; refrigerate. Measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; add to the large bowl with the remaining yogurt mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir 2 tbsp. chutney, 1 tbsp. EVOO and the mustard into the medium bowl of yogurt mixture.

 

(Be sure to use a kiddie spoon.)

 

Preheat a large grill pan over medium heat. Toss the sweet potatoes on a plate with the remaining 2 tbsp. EVOO; season with salt and pepper.

 

 

Arrange on the grill pan and cook, turning once, until lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer to a plate. Let cool before cutting into bite-size pieces; toss with the yogurt chutney.

 

 

 

 

Oil the grill pan and cook the chicken over medium to medium-high heat, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

 

 

Serve with the remaining 4 tbsp. chutney, the refrigerated yogurt sauce and the sweet potato salad, topped with the cilantro leaves.

 

This chicken rocked my face off!  It was so ridiculously tender from the yogurt marinade that it practically fell apart, and the contrast of slightly sweet and spicy from the chutney with the cool, onion-y richness of the yogurt sauce made for an incredible combination.

The sweet potato salad was really good, too.  Tip: cut all your sweet potato strips to equal thickness to ensure even cooking (we had a few crunchy bits, but I didn’t mind!).  The chutney glaze on the sweet potato chunks was surprisingly delicious.  I had some leftovers today for lunch!

Aaaaaaaaaaaand, we are going to make paninis using the leftover chicken tikka tonight.    A little yogurt sauce, a dollop of mango chutney, and a handful of spinach on some ciabatta bread along with the tender, yogurt-marinated chicken is going to be EPIC.  I can feel it!

Last night B and I joined some good friends for an arena football game, where we enjoyed some severely over-priced wine and game food for dinner.

I opted for the grilled chicken sandwich basket, which I slathered with mayonnaise, mustard and jalapenos, and B went with the chicken tenders basket.  Both came with (man I hate to say this) some of the best french fries I have ever had.  (!)

Definitely could have been worse. 

***

Have you heard the news?  Cathe is filming an entire series of dvds as we speak that are all about delivering a high-intensity, ass-kicking workout but with very low impact.  My joints are jumping for joy!  There are 10 new workouts total, which you can preorder now.  Check out the line-up:

Afterburn (low-impact HiiT cardio)

Cardio Supersets

Athletic Training (a bootcamp-style low-impact circuit workout)

Slide and Glide (soooo stoked about this one!  A low-impact cardio workout followed by total body strength training, using nothing but slide discs.)

Low-impact Challenge (step cardio)

Turbo Barre (stretch/strength workout inspired by pilates, yoga, and ballet- unlike anything I’ve ever done before, so I’m really excited to try this!)

Total Body Trisets (total body weight workout)

Yoga Max/Yoga Relax (two yoga workouts- one a more intense strength-focused routine, the other a more soothing, quiet workout that focuses on relaxation and flexibility)

Cycle Max (an indoor cycle cardio workout)

You can preorder the series with or without Cycle Max.  You know I preordered right away!  I’m addicted!  I went with the 9-workout set, since I don’t own an indoor spin bike…. yet.    Since each dvd will probably cost around $22 once they are released individually, the preorder price of $90 for 9 workouts is a freakin’ steal ($100 if you want the cycle workout).  You also get a pair of Cathe’s slide & glide discs with your preorder.  I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited.  It’s a sickness, really.  I truly, really, whole-heartedly enjoy working out, and I can’t wait to incorporate these rad-sounding workouts into my routine.

***

I have a Mother’s Day celebration at my Gram’s to go to this afternoon, so I’ll leave you with this week’s menu. 

Sunday: Leftover Chicken Tikka paninis!

Monday: Rachael Ray’s “Steak ‘Em Up Pitas” (man, these look so good… filet mignon and grilled sweet onion-stuffed pitas with a tangy horseradish sauce- OH MY GAWD YES.  Page 129 of her latest mag issue!) 

Tuesday: Citrus-marinated grilled chicken, roasted brussels sprouts, and Angela’s INCREDIBLE 15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta (I made this last week and really want B to try it.  He loves avocado!)

Wednesday: B cooks  (He’s going to make Fish & Chips from RR’s newest mag issue, page 94.  YUM!)

Thursday: Steak, Mushroom & Horseradish paninis using the leftover steak and horseradish sauce from Monday’s dinner 

Friday: Graduation dinner with B’s fam- B and his brother both graduate this weekend! 

***

Ok, I’m out.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the lovely ladies out there!  I hope your day is a great one and that you’re treated like royalty.     My day has been awesome so far: I slept in, sipped coffee, did some Power Yoga and blogged.  Not too shabby!

See ya tomorrow!

xo,

S.

Mindfulness tip ‘o the day: Before you eat your next meal or snack, take one minute to think about how that food got from the earth to your plate.  Taking a minute to give thanks to the people/animals who were involved in growing/preparing your food is a simple yet powerful act.  It can help you to be more mindful when you eat, and may even help you to eat a little less.  Just a thought! 

Happy International No Diet Day!

I wanted to take a quick break from studying for my chem final tomorrow and recovering from this week’s mystery sickness to wish you a Happy International No Diet Day.   

Read up on the history of this day

Scale back

Choose health, choose yourself

Dieting Myths, busted

Send an International No Diet Day eCard to your friends

10 reasons to give up dieting for good

Take the No Dieting pledge!

More resources

Happy Friday. 

Sara

(And goooooooooooooo Mavericks!!!  I’ll be watching the game while cramming for my test!)

Dinner x 2 & Hospital Visits

Well hello there.    The crazy life streak I’ve been experiencing lately wasn’t ready to come to an end just yet- I spent all night in the emergency room.  At around 3pm yesterday, I started feeling sick to my stomach, feverish, and achey all over.  I had a low-grade fever so I popped an ibuprofen, which made me feel better long enough to cook dinner for my mom and sis (more on that later!).  After dinner I started feeling crappy again- I was freezing, incredibly sore from head to toe, extremely nauseated, and ended up passing out in misery.  Half an hour later I woke up writhing from throbbing lower back pain, shivering uncontrollably, and I got sick.  My mom tried to get me to the car to take me to the hospital, but I almost fainted once we got past the front door, so I just sprawled out on the front porch, not knowing what the heck to do next.  My mom called an ambulance, and the next thing I knew I was on my way to the local hospital on a stretcher. 

We were in the emergency room by midnight, and I didn’t get to an actual room until, oh, 4am?  I kept feeling faint, so I set up shop on the floor of the ER- yeah, not normally how I would roll, but when sitting upright makes you feel like you’re going to projectile vomit all over the person next to you and all you see are stars, lying down is probably the way to go.  The ER experience was an awful one, but things turned around when I got to my room.  My first nurse was an awesome dude who had an actual sense of humor, so that was something.  My doctor was a kind, soft-spoken, older man who was definitely someone’s Grandpa, and he expressed genuine concern for my well-being, which made me feel much better.  This is what we thought: (Boys, hide your eyes for this part.) My birth control for the last year has been the IUD ParaGard.  I loved the hassle-free convenience of it (once it’s in place, you don’t have to do anything until it’s time to remove it) and the cost savings (it was under $600 and lasts 10 years), but it was causing me some pretty brutal lower back discomfort, especially when that lovely girlie time of the month rolled around.  Last night that lower back pain had me doubled over in tears, and paired with the chills, aches and fever, it was cause for concern.

The Amazing Grandpa Doc had some blood work done, administered some intravenous fluids, and had the nurse give me a ridiculously strong shot of the narcotic pain reliever Dilaudid, which I’d never heard of before and MY GAWD… it was like getting an epidural for your entire body after drinking three bottles of wine.  That’s the only way I can describe it.  I sunk into a splendid sleep coma once the pain subsided (which was pretty much immediately).  Not long after, the doctor performed a pelvic exam, and I told him to just take the IUD out.  I didn’t want to go through this discomfort again, and we still didn’t know if it was causing me the fever, aches and vomiting via some sort of infection.  Because I was all doped up I didn’t feel a thing, which was a miracle.  (Getting ParaGard put in was less than fun.  The opposite of fun, really.)  I hope B is ready for a baby!  (Heh, just kidding.  HahahahaHAHA, and stuff.)

My blood work came back showing an abnormally low white blood cell count, and they sent the IUD off for a culture (the results will be in within three days).  In the meantime, some pain pills, a couple of days of rest and plenty of fluids are in order, and I finally started to feel better around 5pm today.  I got some sweet souvenirs, too!  Like a hospital bracelet…

And a vomit catcher (not to be confused with a wind catcher)…

I hope I don’t have to go back to the hospital for a loooooong time.  Not my favorite place, but a good nurse and caring doc definitely make a world of difference!

***

Tonight B made dinner, which was the sweetest thing ever.  I hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours, and my appetite finally came back earlier in the evening.  The menu: green chile-pepper jack turkey burgers from Market Street topped with sautéed mushrooms, spinach and mayo on Kaiser rolls, plus sautéed zucchini and squash. 

 I’m not much of a pain pill person and didn’t get my Rx filled, so I opted for a glass of this instead:

I could not have asked for a better meal, really.  Everything was amazing. 

***

Last night my sis was over for Chocolate, Basil and Brie paninis.  She brought dessert, which was freaking EPIC.  Behold:

This panini forever has my heart… (and my stomach).

For dessert, my sis brought over some blood orange Italian soda…

And some mango sorbet…

And we made Italian soda sorbet floats!    It may have been the best idea my sister has ever had… it was simple, yet somehow sophisticated, and a fine dessert choice to balance out our rich chocolate and brie panini dinner.

You can’t get much more sophisticated than a frosty Coors Light glass, am I right?    Unfortunately this excellent dinner/dessert combo did not stick with me for long (RALPH), but it was good while it lasted!  (I should call this the TMI blog, I think.)

***

It’s good to be home, it’s good to be back with B, and it’s good to feel like my old self again. 

Tomorrow is a girl’s dinner here.  The menu is Food Network’s Capellini with Spicy Zucchini-Tomato Sauce, garlic bread, grilled veggie salad, and lemon-cheesecake bars for dessert.  I am STOKED.  My sis is coming over, as are our good friends C, R, and S… I’m really looking forward to it. 

I’m going to relax and enjoy what’s left of the evening.  Hope your Wednesday was a good one!

See ya later,

Sara

GO MAVS!!!!!!

Let the sun shine…

Hey hey hey, it’s Monday.  Batshit crazy weather moved into Texas overnight, and I woke up to 40-something degree temperatures and pouring rain- not my favorite.  I didn’t get a whole lot of  studying done for my chemistry test yesterday, despite my best efforts, and the seemingly never-ending thunderstorms kept me (and E) up for much of the night.  I was dragging this morning, but I crunched out a solid cardio interval workout  (I did intervals 1-5, premix option #3) and trudged through the rain to take my dreaded test.  I ended up squeaking by with a B, and my gosh, I’ll take it.

Family dinner yesterday was pretty awesome, except it was weird not having B around.    We had burgers (I had a ‘shroom burger), potato wedges, black bean and corn salad, and pumpkin bread for dessert!

Delightful. 

After school today I snarfed a Greek yogurt/strawberry/almond butter/agave nectar combo…

…and then B came over to pick up his stuff.

I cried.  A lot.  It was hard.  But you know what?  We really freaking love each other.  Sometimes you think things are broken beyond repair, but man.  The strongest, oldest, happiest couples that I know have broken up at some point in their relationship, and some of them have made it through things that I can’t even wrap my head around. 

We want to be that couple, so we’re going to push forward and see if we can’t work things out.  I think that spending this last week apart made us both realize just how much we can’t live without each other, how much we don’t want to live without each other.  So, it looks like Team BS (that’s what we’ve always referred to ourselves as, because we are THAT COOL) is back in action.

I’m rooting for us, big time. 

***

I had to get creative with dinner since I haven’t done my grocery shopping for the week, so I made a giant chicken and bean fajita salad of sorts.  I warmed a sprouted grain tortilla…

And topped it with vegetarian refried beans…

Then I piled on spinach, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, a scoop of leftover black bean and corn salad from last night…

…along with some slices of my very good friend, avocado. 

I seasoned a chicken breast with cumin, cayenne pepper, olive oil, salt and pepper, and baked it in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes…

…sliced up half and put it on my salad, and then finished things with a couple of good spoonfuls of hot salsa, a drizzle of bacon ranch dressing, garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper.

It was damn good, if I do say so myself.  A little bit of everything: lean protein from the chicken, a few servings of fresh, nutrient-rich veggies, fiber and protein from the beans, complex carbs and fiber from the tortilla, healthy fat from the avocado, and a little extra somethin’-somethin’ from the drizzle of full-fat bacon ranch dressing.  Good stuff. 

I usually eat it like a salad, and then roll up the tortilla and eat it like a burrito. 

Because I’m a weirdo. 

Tomorrow we’re making the highly anticipated Panini with Chocolate, Basil and Brie… it is going to be glorious!

I’m going to sleep so well tonight.  I think I’m coming down with a wee cold, but I don’t care.  Stress will do that to ya, I guess.  Life is good, and I’m smiling once again. 

G’night!

Sara

Not a smile or a frown…

The end of the week has definitely been just as sucktastic as the beginning.  Tomorrow starts my last dreadful week of the semester, so that’s something.  I have two chemistry exams in the next six days (TWO!  Wtf?), the last and final one being on Saturday (SATURDAY! Wtf?).  The end is near, and it is going to feel so damn good. 

I bought a new pair of strappy wedge sandals on Thursday, despite the fact that they are Aerosoles brand, which I’d never considered buying before because I always just assumed they were for older people with foot problems.  Not sure where I got that idea from, but it has prevented me from ever stepping foot in one of their stores.  Anyway, my sweet find came from Ross for $21, and I wore them for the first time to a baby shower yesterday.  They are the most comfortable sandals I have ever worn, and I was standing/chasing after my kids for the better part of the afternoon.  It’s a miracle, I tell ya.  Though Aerosoles definitely carries some dud styles, they also have some really freakin’ cute ones, too!  I want these.  And these.  And maybe these.   (Gah, shoe intervention, anyone?)  Lesson: cute shoes that are inexpensive and shockingly comfortable?  Make a bad day a little bit brighter. 

You know what else makes me smile?  Babies.  Fat, soft, toothy, bright-eyed, squealing BABIES!  And I was surrounded by them yesterday at my good friend J’s shower.  Being surrounded by old friends and seeing my kids play with their kids is a really cool, heart-warming feeling.  And seeing an old friend glowing from head to toe, bursting with baby belly, and the proud papa beaming at her side is pretty much priceless.  She’s having a girl, and though I’ve never really wanted a girl, seeing all those pink bows and tiny pastel-colored socks and little mary jane shoes seems like it could almost be enough to drive even the most anti-child woman straight to the sperm bank. 

(Almost.)

My kids were amazingly well-behaved, despite the fact that my youngest was missing his nap (because the baby shower invitation basically said TIME: right smack dab in the middle of your child’s regularly scheduled afternoon snooze).  Hey, it’s not their fault that I couldn’t get a sitter.  I wouldn’t have missed this baby shower for the world!

Delirious, but he made it through relatively tantrum-free.

Food at the shower was amazing, but I didn’t spend too much time taking pics of it.  I had what I heard referred to as Texas Caviar, which is basically a mix of beans, onion, bell pepper, garlic and spices, and it was ridiculously good.  I also had a scoop of brisket (phenomenal!) and a spoonful of the mac & cheese.  There was a ton of food, and I was asked to bring a bottle of wine.  I rolled with Coppola Cab Sauv, which I’d never tried before.  It was good, but it was also $21 where I bought it.  (!!!)  I think I’ll stick to my usual $6 Yellowtail in the future.  More expensive wines never impress me much.

There were also three different desserts: banana pudding, key lime pie, and lemon cupcakes.  The kids ate about 16 pounds of the pudding plus a cupcake each, so it must have been good.

The mama-to-be’s dad actually made all those sweet treats, which I thought was so cool!  I hate baking!  I always love a guy who knows his way around the kitchen.    (Not that I’m interested in her dad, but you know what I mean.  You don’t come across Master Baker Dad’s very often.)

(Also: heh, masterbaker.)

Dinner last night was a to-go Greek salad from Palio’s, which rocked my face off as expected.

I’m not in the most enthusiastic cooking mood lately, but I’m doing my best.  I’m still eating well and working out as usual, but I’m definitely missing some pre-breakup gusto in my cooking.  I’m going to try to focus on cooking meals that provide easily transformed leftovers, since I’m cooking for one now.  Man, that sounds pitiful.  It’s just that I refuse to get sucked into the “what’s the point of cooking, it’s just ME” mindset.  I’m sure time will help, and I’ll be cookin’ up a storm again in no time.

In any case, here is this week’s menu:

Sunday:  First Sunday of the month means it’s family dinner night.  My ma is cooking up some burgers for the meat lovers and portobello caps for us more adventurous eaters, some black bean salad, and a few other side items.  My sister says there will be pumpkin bread for dessert, which I am always in the mood for.  I’m definitely looking forward to some family time.  (And wine…)

Monday:  Not quite sure… My original dinner plans were cancelled, so I’ll get creative in the kitchen with what’s on hand or make a supermarket run on a whim.  I’m always up for a kitchen challenge! 

Tuesday: Giada’s Panini with Chocolate and Brie.  I am so excited to be making this again!  My sis is coming for dinner, and she’s bringing dessert.  STOKED.

Wednesday: Rachael Ray’s Chicken Tikka with Indian-style Sweet Potato Salad 

Thursday: Girl’s dinner here with a couple of my good friends    I’m not sure what the menu will be just yet, but it’ll be vegetarian, since my girl C is a veg-head.  A girl’s night will be good for me, I think.

Friday: Leftover Chicken Tikka paninis!  I’m thinking that the yogurt-marinated chicken will rock pressed between slices of ciabatta bread with some fresh cilantro and mango chutney. 

That’s all I got.  I hope your weekend was a good one.  Wish me luck on my next-to-last chemistry exam tomorrow!  See ya tomorrow night, when I’ll be in a better mood. 

(Well, maybe.  No promises.) 

xo,

S.