Merry Winter: Taking Stock

Have you missed me?

I have missed writing, that's for certain. At the end of each year, I like to take stock of what has happened over the past 12 months and prepare for a new year. This year has held a lot of changes and challenges, as most do. In 2013, I started out as a nanny, switched to working at a residential mental health facility, and then got hired as a substitute teacher. Currently, due to other circumstances, I am searching for a new job. Other circumstances include an end to my relationship and engagement, as well as needing to find a new place to live. This meant that I had to leave the substitute position. However, as of Saturday, I will be relocated and continuing my search for the perfect job.

Looking for jobs always makes me wonder: do most people love their jobs? I want to LOVE my job ... I don't want to live for work, I want to work so that I can enjoy life. However, I want my job to be something that corresponds with who I am and does some good in the world. Is that too much to ask? I think not and hopefully soon I will get positive news on the job front.

Okay, what else am I taking stock of this year? I have been able to stay active this past year, with running and joining a gym -- although with my second job, I did not consistently work out. I was able to run in the Warrior Dash, which was amazingly fun and I actually signed up for another one in June 2014. I also half jogged/half walked the Vegas Rock and Roll Half Marathon -- it was fun because of the people who ran with me, but I was surprised that there was not more music in this so-called "Rock and Roll" 13.1 miles... The trip to Vegas was a ton of fun, which makes me think of traveling. I have been able to visit my family, which is always fun and also, I was able to travel internationally to France! I have been so blessed with my ability to travel both nationally and internationally - thank God!

What else, you ask? Well, I have been a lot better about making time to try out new recipes. Some weren't my favorite, but out of all the recipes I tried, I have expanded my collection of possible meals, which is DELICIOUS! Also, at the beginning of the year, I challenged myself to read 35 books within 2013. I am currently at 32 books read. Currently, I am in the middle of reading one and I have one that I set aside a while ago that I will try to finish. I am still hoping that I get the chance to read all 35 - I still have time before New Year's Day!

Would you like to know what I've learned or taken away from the reflection of 2013?

• To trust my instincts
• To stay optimistic - I have faith that amazing things are in store for my future
• To take time to be grateful of all the blessings in my life: family, friends, my cats, the opportunities I have experienced, love, support, good health, loyalty, etc...
• That only I can make time for what is important to me - I know that it is easy for me to get caught up with work or stress, but I am the only one who can change my thoughts and actions - to take time to enjoy the world around me.

For instance, today I saw the most beautiful sunset. The sun was so large and seemed to fill the most of the horizon. The sunset included so many variations of deep oranges, yellows and even some red tones -- absolutely beautiful. Instead of getting frustrated about being slowed up in traffic, I took a breath and thanked God for the beauty of that sunset.

Well, what have you taken away from 2013? It's almost time for New Year's Resolutions! : )
Seeing as how the year is not over yet, two of my goals for the remainder include finishing my current book, the other book I put aside and one final book to give me 35 books read this year and also, to continue cooking new meals. In fact, here's a meal that I cooked about a month ago, that I thought was delicious!

Harvest Soup with Apple bits and Bacon!

This "Harvest Soup" was really good; however, I made some alterations that I believed changed the consistency of the soup. When I think of a hearty, harvest soup, I imagine a condense soup, but this was definitely a thin soup. I included the butternut squash, turnip (I would add more because I LOVE turnips), apples, sweet potatoes, but I did not include the celery root. I did not include celery root because, honestly, I couldn't find it and did not know what to look for - I definitely advocate for researching unknown items before heading to the store, but I did not on that particular day. Even though I did not add all of the ingredients listed, I did include all of the liquid that the recipe called for; next time, I would like to cut back slightly on the amount of liquid and add more vegetables, like more turnips!

Well, I am sorry it took so long for me to catch up, but I'm glad I was able to write this post. Have a happy holiday season and happy New Year!

FALLing for Food!

Some of my favorite aspects of fall are:

• Crunchy leaves and crisp air
• Raking leaves (yes, I said it)
• Cooler weather and windy days
• Cinnamon, spice and all things nice!
• Pumpkin picking/apple picking
• COMFORT FOOD!!!

Nothing comforts me more than snack food that I used to eat in the fall growing up. One such snack is called Taffy Apple Dip; this is a cream-cheese based dip that goes apple slices. I prefer Granny Smith apples, but this goes well with Red Delicious, Gala, any apple of your choosing!



Taffy Apple Dip with apple slices

You know what also makes me think of Autumn? Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup! However, sometimes I am actually creative and try to improve upon some classics, such as the grilled cheese sandwich. My thoughts? I wanted to spice it up a bit and add some protein -- so I created my Grilled Cheese sandwich, with pepper jack cheese and a fried egg (sometimes a over medium egg depending on my mood).

 

 



Grilled Cheese with Pepper Jack and Egg

 

So, you may ask - why has it taken so long for me to blog? Last you knew I was training for a half marathon -- well, I am excited for the race, but to be honest, I have not trained since the last time I posted. I jogged in a Warrior Dash, which was awesome! I haven't really been cooking anything new lately. Until this past weekend, when I tried some new recipes that I found on Pinterest. Yes, I am a newbie to Pinterest and I enjoy being able to post idea boards for the future.

 

Tonight I used the slow-cooker to make pork loin with apples, onions, cinnamon and honey. Extremely easy recipe; make slits 3/4 of the way through the pork loin and place the apples in the slits, topped with onions, honey and cinnamon. The pork was slightly dry, but the juice in the bottom of the slow-cooker and the onions and apples helped make this meal juicy! I served this with mashed potatoes, all of which are delicious!

 

Pork Loin with Apples and Onions

Lastly, I made some Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls -- they were a perfect dessert, so of course, we ate them before dinner! (Had to wait for the slow cooker to make dinner hahaha) Below are pictures of the cinnamon rolls with pumpkin spice filling and then the pumpkin rolls with the delicious cinnamon icing! YUM!!!

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls

 All in all, I have been enjoying this autumn greatly -- loving the weather, my family, including G and the cats, as well as friends when I get a chance to see them. : ) Good times had by all!

There's a Cat in the Bathtub...

Indeed, there is a cat in the bathtub. My cat is awesome and the most lovey, snuggly cat ever. He is such a lap-cat and sweetheart that sometimes it hurts my heart just to leave the apartment. However, I must to go to work, or grocery shop, or go for a run/to the gym and live life...

The boy named Filbert aka "Bubbies"

Speaking of leaving the house to go for a run, I did promise to give an update about my half marathon training. Last week, I started off on Thursday with yoga and then Friday I went for a 60 minute run. First, yoga was relaxing; I think it would have been slightly more relaxing in a yoga studio where there are less distractions, like my cat who thinks that the yoga mat is his and tries to lay on my torso when I am doing backbends. However, I felt all limber and bendy afterwards until Friday, when my hamstrings felt like over-adjusted violin strings, ready to snap! I must remember to stretch before and after workouts. That is one of my downfalls; I think I can do any workout and my muscles won't retaliate. I tend not to stretch and then I am overly tight the next time I want to do a workout, which does not lend to having the best workout.

That being said, on Friday I woke up with tight hamstrings and a day of thunderstorms. This did not enthuse me to leave the house, but I headed to the gym (thank goodness I hadn't cancelled my membership yet haha) and ran on the treadmill. I dislike running on a treadmill because I become bored out of my mind and I do not enjoy watching TV while running. I feel as though it rots my brain and also, I tend to veer to the side where the TV is and that can causes treadmill accidents. : )

Anyway, I followed my new training plan which does not go by mileage, but by minutes. I ran for 60 minutes on the treadmill, which actually went better than I thought. I slowed down to a walk about 30 minutes in for only two minutes to sip some Gatorade and then continued to run until 52 minutes in. Then I slowed my jogging and finally walked for 5 more minutes for a cool down at the end. For my first training run, I was able to run 50 out of the 60 minutes, which made me feel proud. I enjoyed running for the time rather than the distance because I felt I was able to go by my own pace rather than struggling to keep up with a certain pace per mile. It turns out, I run about a 10 minute/mile at the moment. Nothing to be super excited about, I would like to get it back down to an 8.5 minute/mile, but for now I will work slow and steady!

This past week, I struggled to get out of the house in the morning before my night shifts and complete my trainings. I did not even get a chance to do my cross-training on Thursday, which is a day off for me. Friday I did complete my 60 minute run,  but this time I went to a local park and ran on trails. Some were paved, like sidewalks, but then I also ran through a wooded trail for part of the run. The struggle for me here was trying to figure out how far I should run out before I turn around. Once I get more comfortable with my pace, I should be able to measure that better and not have to be distracted thinking about when to turn around and head back the way I came.

The park where I run - there's a lovely, large lake

One way that I will get help with this is practice, the other may be in the form of an App... On Friday, I used the app called Nike Plus Running, which is AWESOME. If you already plan on running with your phone on you, which I always recommend, NOT so that you can take a phone call, but so that you are safe in case of an emergency, this app is really cool. It allows you to shuffle your music, whether you want to shuffle a certain playlist or all of your music on your phone; you don't have to run to music, but it is an available feature that I enjoyed. During your run, it lets you know your mile markers; so when you reach mile one, it tells you, as well as your time and your average min/mile. I found this motivating and I was glad it told me when each mile happened. Apparently, you can set it to tell you at more frequent markers as well, such as every quarter-mile, but I think that would just psych me out of the run psychologically.

During my trail run on Friday, I realized that my biggest barrier is definitely my mind. In order for me to have an amazing run, I need to get out of my head. Since this past Friday was my first day on a new trail, I am very aware of everything around me, people, cars, my surroundings. This is normal for me when at a new location; however, it was frustrating because I was more focused on my surroundings than on the actual run and I found myself dragging my feet about a half an hour into the run. I was unsure whether this was due to my legs, my breathing or my brain at first so I did some minor tests: first, I tried to take deeper, longer breaths and that worked fine. Then, I tried some sprints to see if it was my legs that were tired, but I was able to lengthen my stride and put some more bounce in my step. The meaning? I was psyching myself out; my brain was telling my body it was tired, but in fact, my body was fine. My biggest running block ... is mental.

This is my biggest struggle. Mentally psyching myself up for a run, whether it is a training day or not. Of course, you can condition the body, the lungs and likewise, you can condition your brain. Did you know it takes about 30 days for a new habit to form? That means that if I am consistent for 30 days, I can make running a positive habit for me to fall back on and my mind will stop psyching me out. However, I need to be consistent. My hope is that through writing in this blog and talking to my friends who are also training at the moment for the same race, I will hold myself accountable for this training and actually follow through. What will come out of that? I will be a runner again... and there is no greater reward than that!

The Not so Chocolate Starfish...

This title, although amazing, has nothing to do with this post. However, an amazing friend, let's call her Mrs. Krinkle Pimpernell, gave me this suggestion and I thought it was creative.

Do you ever have trouble titling something? You know what you want to talk about, you may even follow the rule of writing everything and then choosing a title, but still a title alludes you? That's what happened today. Luckily, I was able to count on a friend for help!

Today is a momentous day. Number one, it is my weekend. Number two, I am starting to train for my half marathon. This will be my third half marathon and I am not sure I am currently prepared. No matter... I will start training today. I have this awesome Athleta/Iron Girl Training Guide that I am going to try and follow. It is different from the training guides that I usually find from Runner's World in the fact that it recommends that I run by time versus running by the mileage. I am interested to see how this works. Today, however was a cross train day; I chose to do some yoga.

I have been practicing yoga, on and off, for about 10 years. I love to go to classes; my favorite classes are at the small yoga studios, dedicated specifically to yoga. I have been to yoga classes at larger gyms and they are okay, but today I opted to do a home video. My favorite video instructor by far is Seane Corn, who exudes the meaning of yoga. The videos I have of hers are beginner videos, which I still need because I do not practice consistently, but in each video she starts off with a message and an explanation about the practice of yoga. One of my favorite state of mind ideas from Seane Corn is that as we enter into situations throughout each day, we should acknowledge the pieces that are uncomfortable and those that we can benefit from and think: here is my pose, here is my breath.

What a concept... to move fluidly from one situation to the next, simply breathing through it. Not getting caught up with the past, not holding on to negativity, just moving from one pose to the next. It sounds so graceful!

My yoga practice today was lovely ... not as fluid, since I haven't practiced lately, but I felt some good stretches and was able to de-stress slightly. Tomorrow I am supposed to run for 60 minutes at a moderate pace. I have been doing 3 mile jogs, so this will definitely be more miles, but it will be interesting to see how running for a timespan rather than a mileage goes. I will report back next week about how training is going!

Before I close out this post, I will share another meal that I made a couple of weeks ago: cod cakes with roasted red pepper sauce. These were good; I am still working on making the cakes stay together better, but they tasted good. Maybe a 3/5 star meal ... Regarding the roasted red pepper sauce: I did roast the red peppers. However, I did NOT take the skins off of the red peppers, which is what the recipe recommended. The taste of the sauce was delicious, but there were little chunks of the skin in the sauce, which could take away from the eating experience for someone who prefers smooth sauces.

Cod Cakes

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Out of the mouths of babes...

I recently read a story that really hit home and is my monthly message to live by, which I would love to share with you:

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

 

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

 

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

 

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

 

 Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.”

 

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

 

He said,”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?”

The Six-year-old continued,

”Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

 

It is amazing how children and animals just know certain things. How simple life is, even when we adults run around like chickens with our heads cut off. I am guilty of doing this, of not taking the time to stop and smell the roses. Even at work, I find myself stressing all day and clenching my teeth... then I wonder why I come home with a headache or migraine. No es bueno...

Quotes like the one above remind me that life is what I make of it; it doesn't matter what I do for my job or what I choose to do in my free time. Lately, I have been planning every second of every day. I have been focused on what I want to do, want to have, etc. It is great to have goals, but I find myself thinking so much of the past and the future that I at times forget to enjoy the present. I have a wonderful fiancé, an adorable, lovey cat, as well as supportive and caring family and friends. In short, I am blessed. It is time to remember how blessed I am and how all I need is faith to continue to live a happy life. Although I love to run and practice yoga, to write and to cook, I need to take a step back and see life in its simplicity. It doesn't matter if I don't make it to the gym, or how often I am able to make some new meals, or even if I have a rough day at work. All I need to do is take a breath, say a prayer and look around me at the amazing blessings in my life.

Along with my goal of realizing what I have around me, I have not been making too many new dinners lately. Instead, I have stuck to some family classics and some of my fun creations that I can make with whatever is left over in the fridge and pantry. The first, is an amazing summer dish: Zucchini and Squash Casserole. I love this in the summer, especially since I can get the zucchini and squash from the farmer's market; saving money and getting amazingly, fresh quality. Add some penne pasta and cheese and you have an amazing casserole. Relatively cheap, superbly delicious and easy to make!

Squash and Zucchini Casserole

In addition to a summer favorite, at times when it is just me in the apartment... or, let's be honest, when I don't feel like cooking a full meal, I go to something simple. We all love a classic grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup. Similar to making an omelet, I like to add a little something extra. For my grilled cheese, I love to use pepper jack cheese slices, to add a little spice, and I add an egg. Sometimes I cook an egg over hard or over easy, sometimes I make a scrambled egg with green pepper. Adding spinach is also another favorite combination to add some green to the meal! If I do not have pepper jack cheese, I will add some hot pepper flakes to give it that little kick. It is an extremely simple dinner, but reminds me of being a kid and tastes great too!

My Grilled Cheese! (This one just has an egg and cheese, but I love
to add green pepper and/or spinach when I have it)

So the moral of this blog? Sometimes I need to stop being so caught up in the expectations of society and just appreciate what I already have and the plans that have already been made for me. I will continue to live in faith, acknowledge my blessings and enjoy the simplicity of enjoying time with loved ones.

Television Smut

My apologies for the belated blog post - life has been hectic! I have been enjoying life with a new job, we are wedding planning, looking for places to move, and my poor future hubby is laid up with an injured leg.

After work, I have been trying to come home and relax as best as I can before the next hectic day. Some ways to unwind for me include reading, walking/running/biking, and when it is crummy weather out, sometimes I like to watch some TV. Unfortunately, I have found that most television shows are moronic or have been done before ... I also despise putting something on just to have something in the background. I would much rather listen to music and read, while drinking tea!

That being said, I am really annoyed with all of these reality shows. HOWEVER, I have found an exception, which is titled: Whodunnit?

Oh ... my ... goodness! If you have seen Clue, this reality show is loosely based on the premise of having random guests arrive to solve murders. It was surprisingly great, fun, and original. Granted, I have only watched the first episode, so it could take a turn for the worst, but for now, it is fun and will be taped!

Okay, enough about TV! I tried another new recipe, as well as cooking one of Grif and my favorite recipes from this past year that I have not posted about.

New Recipe? Eggplant pizza on Ciabatta bread -- it was delicious! Again, not a meat lover's dream, but it was hearty! Also, tasty - I mean, do you see the mozzarella cheese on top?! It was a bit heavy for summer, but overall, I would say that Grif and I rate this meal as a 3/5 stars.

Eggplant Pizza on Ciabatta Bread

Our staple meal that I decided to cook this past year was Chicken Piccata. This is a much lighter meal, with the lemon juice and capers; it was light and refreshing! This is one of our favorites; definitely a 5/5 stars.

Chicken Piccata

I am heading to the grocery store tomorrow and have two more new recipes coming up later this week, so stay tuned!

Home Sweet Home

Have you ever noticed after a trip or a transition that it takes some time to get readjusted to a "normal" routine? After returning from France I started a new job, which I know I am going to love. I just started last week, but it already feels like a fit for me. So, not only did I have to readjust after the trip, but also I am trying to figure out a new routine with this new position. Also, we are in the process of trying to move as well; there are a lot of new transitions going on!

However, I am starting to get back into the groove, including cooking new meals. So, let's catch up with what I have made since I returned from France:

First, I made one of G's and my favorite salmon recipes. Is it a recipe if I put our favorite rub on salmon? Whether it is just a rub or an actual recipe, I made salmon with a sweet chili glaze. For a side dish, I made barley risotto with garlic, spinach and mascarpone.

Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze
Served with Barley Risotto

 As I said, the salmon rub is one of our favorites; the barley risotto was a new recipe and was good. In fact, when I have leftover barley risotto, sometimes I like to put it into an omelet, which is super delicious and filling! Sometimes though, especially during a time of transition, we just need good, old comfort food. So, I also made stuffed peppers, which I have made before, but they are ALWAYS delicious!!!

Stuffed Peppers - YUM!

Those were the recipes I made the week after my return, but last week, with the new position, I was a bit busier and only had time to cook one new meal. I have to say that on the day I made this new meal I was having one of "those days". When I got home, I realized I did not have the pasta I needed (or any pasta). Then, I was trying to use my relatively new food processor and things were not going smoothly. I think this is partly because I have the family habit of making more food than I need, so I tend to add to/adjust recipes as I see fit. Anyway, I made Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, which was absolutely amazing! In Grif's honor I decided to add some meat; however, since we did not have traditional meat, what did I add? Bacon Bits!

The meal was delicious all on its own, but I have to say that the Bacon Bits were a fun addition, especially since they re-hydrated in the oven and were larger than usual. It was a cool, fun, happy accident! This is definitely something I will cook again, but I may create a puree out of both cauliflower and broccoli next time to add some more color! Another substitute I made was instead of using traditional bread crumbs, I used panko bread crumbs, which I also enjoyed!


Cauliflower Mac & Cheese



Mac & Cheese close-up!

 

I have a three-inch binder, which is chock full of recipes that I have not tried yet. For recipes that I have tried and have been deemed as "keepers" go into my recipe box. So, I will have to take a look through my binder to see what new recipes to make this week.

 

Any suggestions?

As always, stay tuned!!!

France cont'd - Culture and Food

Previously I talked about my trip to France, traveling to both Paris and Provence (Montpellier). As I think I have mentioned before, one of my favorite parts about traveling, other than learning the history of said countries/cities/towns, is finding out more about its culture and trying new, local food.

So first, here are some things I learned whilst in France. Similar to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, when you are eating at a restaurant, you will NOT be given then check unless you ask for it. It is definitely something to get used to and I really appreciated it; it was a reminder that things don't need to move so fast. I enjoy having the reminder to take time to stop and smell the roses, or to stop and have some tea and bread! At Musee Rodin, we stopped in the garden café, and I ordered some Jasmine Tea and banana bread. Finding herbal tea was a little difficult in France, but most cafes generally offered regular, decaffeinated, jasmine and even Darjeeling tea!

Jasmine Tea with banana bread at Musee Rodin

Another popular French food is bread, especially croissants! My favorite was pain du chocolate -- yes, that is a croissant (pain = bread) with chocolate pieces -- YUM!!! Crepes are also very popular; you can often order either sweet or savory crepes. Below is an example of a savory crepe: with ham, egg and cheese (jambon, oueff, and fromaggio).

Whole wheat crepe with ham, egg and cheese

 In Paris, we actually went to an Italian themed restaurant, of which there are more than I would have expected. I got a French beer, called Meteor - it was a light beer and was just okay. I also had Salmone Pizza: what do you think was on the pizza? Salmon, you say? So smart! It was delicious!!! Thin slices of salmon with cheese on a thin crust - amazing!

Meteor Biere

Salmone Pizza

 Another French staple is Croque Monsieur - which is two pieces of toast with ham in between the pieces, and the top piece is covered with cheese. There is another version called Croque Madam, which includes an egg on top, as seen below.

Croque Madam

 While in Paris, I also tried Confit du Canard (Duck Confit) -- if you have not eaten duck often, as was the case with me, it is very fatty. The leg of duck I had was delicious, but I had to take off the quarter of an inch layer of fat - I never knew they had such fatty meat! I swear I had a picture of this, but I cannot find it.

When we went to the Provence area of France, I tried an entrée of Aubergines, as shown below. I am guessing that these thin slices of eggplant (aka aubergines) were sautéed in olive oil with marinara sauce on top - absolutely delicious. Something I learned from this restaurant (Les Templieres in Aigues-Morte) is that entrée means appetizer and plats are the main meal. Therefore, entrees in France are not main meals.

As you can imagine, the food in Southern France has an Italian influence. My absolute favorite meal was a lunch in Montpellier; the meal was called Salmonaccio. Basically, thinly sliced salmon (do you see a theme?) in olive oil with parsley and served with lemon and toast. I love the simplicity of this meal; it was fresh, light and delicious. Absolutely my favorite meal in France!

Salmonaccio!

 Another French staple that I tried was Quiche Lorraine (pronounced Loren), which also had ham, egg and cheese. It was also delicious! I am not sure if this quiche was supposed to be served cold or warm; I got it in the train station and ate it on the train. I have a feeling that it was supposed to be served cold. Either way it was tasty!

Quiche Lorraine

I had so many more delicious meals, but these are the one that have pictures to go along with it - when I find that picture of the Duck Confit I will share it as well, but until then, I hope you enjoyed my cuisine journey from France!

France: Paris and Provence (Montpellier, Arles, St. Remy and Le Baux)

Yes, it's true... I am back in the states. Actually, I have been back for almost a week, but am finally getting around to posting some pictures and some stories.

We arrived in Paris, France to a sunny, yet chilly city. Our hotel, Hotel Napoleon, was right down the street from the Arc du Triomphe. We then walked down the Champs d'Elysees, which is a large street with lots of shopping opportunities. At Le Grand Palais (a HUGE building that was built for the 1900 World Fair), we walked across the bridge, where we caught this sight of the Eiffel Tower.

 

Eiffel Tower

 Across the bridge, we came across the Hotel National des Invalides, which is mostly used as an Army museum currently, but also remains a hospital for about 400 veterans. Around the corner from this hospital/museum, we arrived at Musee Rodin, where we checked out tons of sculptures created by Rodin. Here is "The Thinker"! I loved looking at the sculptures - they were so intricate; I am awe-inspired by those who have the insight and ability to bring their imagination to life via art and sculpture.

 

Rodin's "The Thinker"

Flower found in the garden in Musee Rodin

 After, Musee Rodin, we headed to Musee d'Orsay, which used to be an old train station, but is currently used as an art museum for impressionist art. We were pretty exhausted from our red-eye flight, so this was about all we did on the first day. The next day we had a driving tour of the city of Paris and started off checking out the Eiffel Tower (up close) and also to my favorite place in Paris, Notre Dame.


Notre Dame

Notre Dame also included intricate details that are just impeccable; did you know it took 200 years to build? I am absolutely fascinated and amazed by the enormity of such a feat! We also checked out the Louvre, which was amazing. I never knew that the museum was as large as it was - it would have taken days to see every single piece of art. The Mona Lisa was cool; extremely crowded - almost like it was a popular painting or something haha...

When we left the Louvre, it was raining and we headed back to our hotel and grabbed an early dinner since we were leaving the next day for Southern France. We left rainy, cool Paris by train and arrived in Montpellier three hours later. It was cool here as well, but at least it was sunny! We were talking to the locals who said that this was the coolest season they had had in a while. Lucky us! ; )

Our hotel La Mercure: La Grande Mott, in Montpellier is right along the Mediterranean Sea, but it was much too chilly to do any beach time when we arrived. The next day, which was going to be warmer, we tried to sit out by the pool, but the wind was insane (this area is known for its wind and the windows at the hotel have special safety features for this reason). So, we decided to go exploring and headed to a small town, surrounded by ramparts, called Aigues-Morte, which I learned means "dead port". This town, known for housing Saint Louis, at one point was an important port, but the waters have dried up and are really just marshes now, hence dead waters/dead port.

Small town charm in Aigues-Morte

 While in the town of Aigues-Morte, we checked out some local shops, which had soaps, lavender, herbs de provence, as well as other pottery and figurines made my local artists. We then had lunch at a restaurant called Les Templieres, which is part of a hotel. During lunch, we noticed that there were three turtles walking around the outdoor patio where we sat. In the picture below, the smaller turtle kept ducking his head in and crashing its shell into the back of the larger turtle -- I guess the larger one wasn't moving fast enough! They were too cute!

Turtle silliness at Les Templieres

 The next day was the warmest day of the whole trip; possibly reaching 70 degrees Fahrenheit. We headed to the beach and put our feet in the Mediterranean! Let me preface this by saying that when I head to the beach, I generally head up north to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire where even on hot days at the end of the summer, the ocean water can still numb your ankles in less than five minutes. That being said, the water was relatively warm, but the beach was too windy for me to lay out. That did not stop several nude bathers though. I did sit out at the pool, and even swam some laps in it, but I didn't venture far enough and adopt the practice of bathing and swimming nude.

Feet in the Mediterranean Sea

Along the port in front of our hotel

 On Friday, we had a full day driving tour planned and we headed to Arles, St. Remy and Le Baux, which are all in Provence. Technically, Montpellier is part of the Camargue region on France and is part of Arles, making Arles the largest city in France. This is due to the amount of land only though, not the population. I thought that was interesting! Once you cross the Rhine, you enter the Provence area, and that is where we started off in the town of Arles, which is well known for being the inspiration of many of Van Gogh's paintings, including the hospital where Van Gogh tried to go after cutting off his ear. The working staff and other patients were nervous to have him there though and they sent him to an asylum in St. Remy, where he also got inspired to create some of his paintings.

Le Café La Nvit - one of the inspirations for a Van Gogh painting

 After Arles, we headed to St. Remy and I noticed as we were driving, that many beautiful wild flowers covered the landscape. My favorite flower by far were poppies; the color was so rich and they were so beautiful! My camera could not capture the beauty as well as I would like...

The Poppies of Provence

We also headed to the town of Le Baux, which was carved into the top of a mountain. The next day, we took the train back to Paris and checked out the Montmartre area of Paris. This section is well known for Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur church, and being a location that houses many artists: musicians, theaters, actors, artists, etc. We walked around this area, with many cute shops, although highly geared towards tourists, walked down Champs d'Elysees again and got an early dinner.

The next day was Sunday, and we flew back to the United States from Paris, France. It was an amazing trip, with beautiful sights and cool culture. I even picked up enough French (a couple of phrases and words) to help a cute couple on the plane order their coffee! I will have to write another post on the culture and food of France; this is enough for tonight!

As much as I enjoy traveling, coming home to my hubby-to-be and my lovey cat Filbert makes me insanely happy. Hope you enjoyed hearing about my travels! Stay tuned for food and culture sometime this next week!

One for the road...

I know in my previous post I discussed my trip to France, but I cooked a new meal tonight and wanted to write about it before my trip.

Although I have not been consistent lately, I love to run. It helps to calm me, see things in perspective, and also importantly it is great exercise. I enjoy running in races: 5K, 10K, 10 milers, even Half Marathons. I will never win any of these races, nor will I receive any medals for fastest, strongest, etc. I never used to call myself a runner for these reasons; I don't compete against others in any of these races. Honestly, I have no desire to win or receive medals; I set a PR (personal record) for myself for each race and try my best to train and achieve that goal. I would love to be able to continue running for the rest of my life.

That being said, I don't have the stereotypic running "look"; I am a curvy, average height woman, who loves to eat. Several years ago though, when reading my Runner's World magazine, I read something that was so simplistically awesome, I never forgot it. To paraphrase, the article was discussing that if you are someone who loves to run and does so, then you are a runner. Period. End of story. I love that! Now, I can acknowledge that I am a runner.

I also can find amazing recipes in my Runner's World magazine - this is one subscription I won't give up; there are too many great running tips, advertisements for upcoming races (I am always on the outlook for something fun and new), and great healthy recipes/life tips.

The following recipe I found out of said magazine: Naan Pizza with Asparagus.

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

 

In this recipe, I had to substitue naan bread for whole wheat pre-made pizza dough. Definitely not the route I wanted to take, but I did not have time to go to the grocery store which is farther away. I do love naan though and am excited to try this pizza with that someday. On top of the dough is a pesto/ricotta cheese mix; the pesto is also premade, but again, I would like to try this recipe making my own pesto next time in my awesome food processor.

 

On top of the pesto/ricotta cheese mix, you place asparagus and canadian bacon (um, yum!). Heat this in the oven for about 10 minutes, then add some Fontina cheese on top (yum again!). Once you have done this, about 5 more minutes in the oven or until the cheese is melted. Super easy recipe and it was delicious!

 



 Well, that's the last post until I come back from my trip and blog about my adventures! As always, stay tuned for more!

Vόστιμα - Greek for "delicious"!

First and foremost, Happy Mother's Day to all those mamas out there!
I have an awesome Mama and we actually both get to celebrate today  -- for her, it is mother's day and for me, it's my birthday! I have had an amazing day watching Grif play football this morning, going to Church, and then playing a softball double header. Perfect way to celebrate my birthday.

After a long, busy day, I came home to cook a new meal. This was a Greek stuffed chicken (with spinach and feta cheese) and it was delicious!!! I also served Uncle Ben's Vegetable Harvest rice for our carb; I love that all I have to do is steam it in the bag for 90 seconds!  The only setbacks tonight were that I had to bake the chicken longer than I thought because they were very thick chicken breasts. Also, I had two kitchen mishaps: cut my thumb with a knife and burned my arm when taking the dish out of the oven. My Sito, which means grandmother in Arabic, always says to put Greek yogurt on burns to prevent scars and help it heal. Although I know this and was making a Greek dish tonight, I did not have any on hand... oops!

Lazy Baked Greek Chicken stuffed
with spinach and feta cheese

This was a delicious meal; apparently "delicious" in Greek is νόστιμα. Wish I knew how to say that - anyone know Greek? I love to travel, learn about new cultures, and new phrases/languages. I am extremely lucky in my traveling opportunities; I have been to England, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and some islands: Bahamas and Jamaica.

Speaking of, I am heading to France on Friday! When I get back, be prepared for pictures and descriptions of where I went and what I did. I will also have to post about some other explorations and places I traveled previously. Stay tuned for more on my travels to France, along with food I ate, drinks I drank and places I visited!

Recipes Update!

Good evening everyone! I know that I have been remiss in posting about my recent meals, so here goes!
 

My hubby-to-be, Grif, is a carnivore (herbivore, but meat is a must). Every week when I make the grocery list and ask what he would like, he always mentions meat. So, I was surprised when I completed a week's meals without meat as a main course and there were no complaints! The first is the Barley Tex-Mex below (yes, I took a picture of a picture). Made only with barley, black beans, tomatoes, jalepenos, with crushed tortilla chips on top, Grif loved it! Plus, it had enough protein for both of us despite use of less meat this week.

 

Barley Tex-Mex

 After a couple of days, I then made Farro Mac & Cheese, using the Farro that I got from the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago (which does have bits of bacon in it, so not completely vegetarian). Grif loves bacon (who doesn't, really?) and we both enjoyed this meal. Next time though, I need to cook the farro like I do barley and make sure to cover it; it wasn't specified in the recipe and it was my first time cooking it and the farro was a bit tough. Despite that, it was tasty - bacon and super cheesy!

Farro-Bacon Mac and Cheese

The previous two meals were delicious, but honestly I learned something extremely important: barley and farro are HIGH IN FIBER. Next time I will be sure to spread out these meals and not cook them in the same week! Well, I think enough is said on that subject!!! ; )

It's great to try new things; in fact, I I have three inch, 3-hole-punch binder filled with recipes that I collect - it is full too! I like to try one new meal a week, but today I made a tried-and-true recipe: some comfort food that G and I love!

Below is a picture of Pasta with Sausage and Peppers; today I used Fusilli (because I had some in the pantry and cannot stand to waste food), but I usually like to use Penne pasta (the sauce holds to it better). Another great part of this pasta dish is that G and I enjoy spicy sausage with crushed red peppers - we like a little kick to our meals - as well as cream cheese, which makes it nice and creamy! Yum, yum!

Sausage & Peppers Pasta

Later this week I am trying another new recipe, so stay tuned!
I hope you enjoyed this post - as usual, feel free to ask about the recipes!

Back to Nature - Back to Basics

Whenever I feel stressed out, I find it helpful to return to basics - to spend some time in nature. This morning I took the time to go for a walk along the trails of Peace Valley park. Don't you love that name?!



Here are some pictures I took while walking -- I love how beautiful nature is all on it's own.

Not sure what these plants are called; they looked like
large cabbages though!



Did I take the right path? Very cool!

I love how the roots of the trees come out of the ground
and into the water - beautiful!

 

This was reminiscent of my time in Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland where I took many pictures of the wild flowers.

 

I couldn't get any closer to this beautiful bird; it wasn't a robin,
not sure what it was other than AMAZING!

My favorite of the day - the TWISTY tree!

 How do I feel now? Relaxed, awe-inspired by natural beauty, and rejuvenated! I love nature!

In a Slump...

I have noticed that it is difficult to keep things going, not because they are not important enough, but because sometimes there is just a natural slump. For instance, I play on a co-ed softball team and for the life of me, I cannot seem to bat well; I may hit the ball poorly or even swing and miss. It's been a while, but this season, I cannot seem to get on base.

Some other slumps? Well, I haven't been so great about my training for the Las Vegas Half Marathon in November or updating my blog about the meals I cook and the events in my life, even though I cook about 3 meals (most new) per week and stay busy. Or writing down my Sito's family recipes or typing up my stories.

There are so many things that I want to accomplish - why is it sometimes so hard to achieve? In my case, it can sometimes be related to what completing a certain task will mean. Possibly a struggle with saying "good-bye" or maybe a feeling of insecurity. At the end of the day though, when I feel that nagging guilt, it's mostly because I am concerned about others' view of me and what I am doing.

I spent an amazing weekend with some girlfriends from high school - spending time with these girls helps me to gain perspective; these ladies know me from elementary, middle, and high school. I have absolutely grown since my childhood and teenage years. Understandably, back when these girls first knew me, I was still working on figuring myself out. Let's be honest, I still am, as are most people; life is a continual learning experience. However, when I find myself wondering what people are thinking of me or realizing that I feel guilty because I may not be living up to others' expectations of me, I think back to one of my favorite quotes ever:

 

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

 

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

 

IF you are honest, people may cheat you.

Be honest anyway.

 

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

 

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

 

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

 

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

It never was between you and them anyway.

-Mother Teresa

 

 

As I said, I do not think that any of us are completely self-aware; however, I strive to improve my self-awareness. Realizing that I am trying to please others instead of trying to please myself and enjoy life to my fullest is what I tend to do, whether I am having a proud moment or holding on too tightly to my ego.

 

In times like these, I try to remind myself to let go of my pride, let go of my ego, because in the end it isn't about others. It's about me and my path before I meet my maker. Yes, I love my friends and family; I would give anything to help any one of them. I also hope to help others (acquaintances, strangers, mankind, animals, nature, etc.) to the best of my ability. However, it is important to not lose myself through my journey.

 

So, what is a slump? For me, it is when I realize I am holding on too tightly to my pride and ego, rather than enjoying everything I can about my life. My goal today, this week, this month is: let go and let God. This is how I will get through my slump and enjoy happiness - stop comparing myself to others or worrying about their expectations. Be myself, try my best and love as much as I can. I feel happier already!





April Showers Bring May Flowers...

I am awe-inspired by the resilience of people, which I shared in my previous post. I would like to make the world a better place and one of my favorite quotes is the following:

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, to start off in leaving the world a better place, I think I will start with a garden patch!
Today, I was able to go to the Farmers Market in my town - not only did I purchase farro for a recipe I plan on making tomorrow, but I purchase three herb plants: chives, rosemary, and parsley. So, for the first time in my life, I potted these plants and am going to begin a journey in learning how to garden and take care of plants. I have been known to kill plants (oops), but I am certain that I can start this. Hopefully all goes well; I will certainly let you know and if we have success, I can add on once I have a yard! Very exciting times!

You know how I love to post recipes -- I tried two new meals this week and they were both DELICIOUS!

This is the meal I tried tonight: Steak with red wine sauce and a spinach with barley combination below. This was an amazing meal that was hearty, but not too hot to cook in the spring and summer. Something to keep in mind! Also, I was able to use some rosemary from our new plant to garnish! I LOVE that!!! I know it's easy to think that fresh herbs are the same as the dried herbs, but the fresh ones have infinitely more flavor. YUM!


I tried this meal earlier in the week and was pleasantly surprised - Chicken and Roasted Peppers in a plum tomato sauce; the key is to also have some great Italian or French bread with it to sop up all the tomatoey goodness after eating the chicken and peppers!


If you are interested in these, or any other recipes, please let me know and I can send them your way!

Compassion is Served...

Yesterday was the Boston Marathon and if you are following the news, you know that two horrific bombings took place. It is sad to say that occurrences like this are happening more often lately, whether it is the tragedy in Newtown, the terrorist attacks of September 11th, or any other senseless act of violence. However, one thing I have noticed after each of these incidences, is the overwhelming camaraderie, persistence and compassion for others.

Watching the news reels from yesterday, I watched as seconds after the first bomb, individuals rushed towards the explosion to help other human beings. On Facebook and other social media, I watch as friends, family and strangers send out prayers and positive thoughts to the victims, their families, friends and to all mankind that we stay safe, healthy and happy. Such compassion for others is awe-inspiring and moves me practically to tears. As a fellow runner, there is already a camaraderie between the supporters who watch races, the volunteers (who spend hours setting up, helping the runners, and making sure the streets are clean after the races), and the runners themselves. It is truly like a network of family members out there supporting you as you run, even though the race itself is an individual event.

Through all these incidents, I have seen another network of family members and that family is all of mankind. Yes, I have seen Americans band together in times of these acts of terror, but I see this more on a global scale and not just with mankind. Daily, I see individuals filled with so much compassion, that they are not only doing great acts of kindness for their fellow human being, but also for the animals of this world and for the beautiful nature found within.

I often post recipes, meals or thoughts on being self-sufficient and growing the food I will eat. There is a need to take care of nature and the animals within nature - whether they are our pets or wild animals - to treat all others with compassion. I was reading my Spirituality and Health magazine and I found an article with this quote:

"Until we extend the circle of our compassion to all living things, humanity will not know peace." - Albert Schweitzer (scientist and humanitarian)

That is the epitome of how I feel - and thankfully, every day I see more and more people treating others with compassion and bravery to help others. I am so thankful that God has put such amazing people on this planet. Yes, there are individuals and groups who commit these acts of terror, but there are many more people who are doing good and being selfless in their kind deeds for others.

Thank you to all those who take some time out of their day to make others happy, safe and healthy.
Keep doing what you are doing whether you are helping people in a crisis, volunteering for a good cause, sheltering an animal, advocating for animal, human or environmental rights, and much more. God bless us all.