Van Morrison + Bike ride = Bliss

RIDING

Happy Monday!

I forgot to tell you guys of my recent purchase. I've been looking to buy a bike for a while and finally found a great deal on Craigslist. It's a 2008 Specialized Crossroads Sport. It's a hybrid bike that is super fun and comfortable to ride. For $85 (STEAL!) the only thing I needed to replace were the tires. Thanks to my handsome handy man, I'm all set and ready to go.

Handy man tuning up my bike




Staying in on a beautiful Sunday afternoon is just sinful. I took advantage of the great weather we've been having by going on a what was suppose to be short bike ride yesterday. I had a 10 mile ride in mind but with the great music, peaceful scenery, and soothing weather I ended up going 19 miles! Basically to the end of the trail. Since getting back into shape it's really helped me appreciate the beauty that nature has to offer. Sadly I forgot my memory card in my laptop after the last post so I wasn't able to take pictures for y'all. Next time. Here are a few pictures of the plants from my ride the morning before, not quite as great as what I saw yesterday but still pretty amazing. Hope you guys are taking the time to reap in the beauty of the outdoors.








Here are the stats from my ride:
Started: Mar 28, 2010 4:56:21 PM
Ride Time: 1:42:29
Stopped Time: 4:40
Distance: 19.26 miles
Average: 11.28 miles/hr
Fastest Speed: 19.05 miles/hr
Climb: 427 feet
Calories: 957

Cupcake cure all?

TREATS

In efforts to try and get some fresh air, I dragged Newton to La Encantada to walk around and browse the selves at Crate & Barrel and Anthropologie ♥ We didn't end up getting anything, even thought I was tempted to pick up the Sprinkles* red velvet cupcake mix at William Sonoma but for $15 I decided to try to find a recipe online instead. I guess cupcakes were still on Newt's mind because while I was trying on a dress at Anthro, he went picked us up some treats from Mini's downstairs. A little red velvet never hurt anyone, right?





The agenda for the rest of the day: BIKE RIDE AND RELAX!

Fish Maw Soup

Fishy...yum

Happy Funday everyone!

Newton has been sick the last few days so I haven't been able to post much. Last night he asked me to pick up some fish maw soup from a local Chinese restaurant on my way home. After realizing how much I paid for so little soup I got I decided to try to make this for him this morning. I searched high and low for a yummy looking recipe online but results came up short so I just winged it. The results is pretty tasty and with a little experimenting, it's was great. So lets get right into it:

Chopped Shrimp:


Boiling fish maw


Added 'shrooms:


Added egg:


Enjoy:


RECIPE:

4 cans of chicken broth

2 cans of water (empty chicken broth can)

2 large pieces of fish maw (re-hydrated in warm water for 15 min)

2 eggs

1/2 lbs. shrimp peeled and chopped

1 jar of crab meat

1 can of straw mushrooms or whatever kind you like.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Soak dried fish maw in a bowl with warm water for 20 minutes or until softened then rinse and wring out water and re-soak with clean water. Do this until you like the texture and taste of fish maw then chop into small pieces. NOTE: the more you wring out the water the less fishy it will taste. In a pot, combine chicken broth and water and bring to a boil then add fish maw and reduce to medium heat. In a smaller pot fill with enough water to boil chopped shrimp. Add shrimp and boil until 90% cooked and drain. Add the shrimp to large pot with fish maw. Open and drain the can of crab meat as well as mushrooms and add them to the large pot as well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add mushrooms. Leave it at a high simmer while in a small bowl combine 1 tbsp of cornstarch with two 2 tbsp of COOL - COLD water. NO HOT WATER! It will gelatize the starch! Slowly add this mixture to the large pot. Repeat cornstarch mix until soup is at the consistency you like. Lastly beat the eggs and while slowing stirring soup in a circular motion add in egg to create ribbons. Be careful of over seasoning the soup because the fish maw is loaded with tons of flavor so no need to use the shrimp water or crab juice, it can get very seafoody.

THATS it! Simple right? Just bowl it and enjoy with some ground white pepper on top.

To yogi or not to yogi?

Bikram

Has anyone tried it? I friend of mine recently asked me to join her in her Sunday classes but I'll be honest, I'm afraid. I'm not an avid yogi or by any means close but I enjoy doing it and once in a while will take a class. I was wondering if any of you have tried the Bikram method and how advanced in yoga are you? I've only heard great raves about it so I'm sure once done I'll be glad I did it but I'm just afraid I'll make an ass of myself slipping in a pool of my own sweat or do something like this:

Wake up Sleepy head

BREAKFAST

Morning Toots!

I'm happy to report that Newton is feeling a lot better. His fever is gone *knock on wood* and he's cracking jokes again, sure sign that the storm has past? I hope so.

For the past week or so I've been staying up waaay past my bedtime (11 P.M.) so I literally CAN NOT get up in the morning. Starting tonight I really need to turn off the laptop or better yet leave it at work so I can hit the sack earlier so I can get back on track with my morning workouts.

I was so tired this morning so breakfast was pretty bleak. I made myself a toasted cream cheese bagel with two slices of ham and a slice of non-fat cheddar cheese. It did the job but nothing to really go crazy over. I did, however, get a chance to try out Stonyfield's Oikos Greek yogurt. Kristina from the company was nice enough to send me some samples of their yogurt. This morning I had the honey yogurt that had 120 calories, 18g of carbs, 0 fat, and 13g of protein. It was so creamy and delicious. It's closer in texture to American yogurt so it's not as thick as your traditional Greek kind. For those who love Greek yogurt but miss the smoothness, you'll find it in Stonyfield.





Oooh and I'm so excited over the mug that Newton got me. It's a ceramic double walled coffee/tea cup that looks like a disposable Starbucks cup. I ♥ it.

Chicken Noodle Soup

DINNER

Boy did the day not end the way I thought it would. I had plans to meet up with Jessie to go to a yoga session but Newton ended up coming home from work early due to a brewing cold/flu? "Body aches, headaches, fever all require lots of love," his words, not mine. I decided to take off work early as well and went to Costco to pick a rotisserie chicken to cook him some chicken noodle soup. While there I also picked up some blackberries and two jars of pepporchinis. I ♥ pepporchinis and blackberries! Not together, of course. With cooking the soup and trying to make Newt comfortable, time just ran short so we decided to nix yoga.

When I got home I realized that I forgot to stop and get egg noodles so I used left over wheat penne pasta instead, it worked out fine. The recipe really was all improvisation. I really didn't know how it would come out but I'm glad to report it was quite tasty. Here are some pictures.

Bad photos, sorry. My hands were too messy to deal with the settings


Yes, that is bacon you see. Only two slices to give it flavor since I didn't have any chicken broth either. I told you I was improvising ;)



RECIPE:


Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth - or water
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth - or water
* 1/2 a rotisserie chicken - shredded
* 1 1/2 cups egg noodles or whatever you like
* 1 cup sliced carrots
* 1/2 an onion
* 1 parsley
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 tsp of garlic powder
* 2 tsp of fried onion - optional
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tbsp of cornstarch
* 1/2 cup of water
* 1 tsp of peppercorns - optional

Directions

In a small bowl combine 1/2 c of COLD water and cornstarch and mix until there are no lumps. set aside

In a large pot over medium heat cook bacon until done and drain the oil but be sure to just a little to cook garlic. Saute garlic in bacon oil until just yellow, don't burn. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths or water and noodles/pasta. Bring to a boil and cook pasta until it's almost al dente. Add in carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add cornstarch mix one tablespoon at a time to see how thick you like it. Then add onion, parsley, shredded chicken, salt and pepper to taste.

Easy does it

BRUNCH

Afternoon Foodies.

How's it going everyone?

Today has been so easy breezy. I slept in until a late 8 A.M. and it felt so goooooood! I had at doctors appointment at 9:30 but didn't have to be at work until noon so my morning had been very relaxed, I love getting to wake up and not feel pinched for time. At my appointment Dr. Mittal decided that the time was due for my tetanus shot so the visit wasn't as pleasant as I'd hope for. Fret not! This means that I totally deserved a little treat for being such a big girl and taking the shot without any complaints. *pat pat on the back*

A trip to Walgreens was in order. There I picked up a couple of new magazines and then headed over to SAUCE* for a yummy lunch that included a turkey and feta salad loaded with corn and avocado in a delicious walnut vinaigrette. For only $7.50 it also included a side of pasta or a soup and a drink. Talk about bang for your buck! But in lieu of continuing with my good girl status I decided to be a bad girl and go for the broccoli chicken pasta with creamy garlic sauce. Let me tell you...I ate everything except for the bread roll. It was all soooo good! I managed to get in some good pics of the food before my camera battery died. Hope you enjoy and have a great rest of hump day!





I also included (not pictured) is OXYGEN magazine. This was my first time reading it and I ♥! It had so many great articles and loaded with tons of workouts and recipes. I definitely have to look into getting a subscription

Nom Nom Nom Nom...

LUNCH

Hey folks!

I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday. The weather here in Tucson is SOOOOOOOO incredibly fickle, one day its bright and beautiful (evidence) and the next it looks like it can be the backdrop for an old Hitchcock flick. Despite the caliginous weather my day has been busy and fun. I got to see some great clients that always make me laugh and my energy level is waaay up. Not bad for a Tuesday, eh?

Often times lunch is such a rushed meal for me being that I just eat and go due to work rather than set time aside to enjoy it, so often times I rarely have anything exciting to blog about. BUT, lunch today was definitely worth posting. I had yummy homemade Vietnamese beef noodle soup aka Phở. For those who haven't had the pleasure of being introduced to this special soup, you're definitely missing out.

The creation of the broth is a timely process of boiling beef bones over night and requires a lot of attention and patience not to mention a plethora of different spices and ingredients. The finish product is topped with different cuts of beef and eaten with rice noodles and fresh basil. I love to eat this soup but it's been years since I've made it myself at home. Sometime this month I will be making it for a weekend dinner for both Newt and my parents and I promise I will post the recipe. In the mean time...enjoy the pictures ;)

I guess the weather girl wasn't lying when she said it was going to be 10* cooler today


Here are the goods:



And for fun's sake...here's Boogsie

Free Pastry day! Gimme gimme!

BREAKFAST

Up and at em'! Rise and shine! Good Morning!!!

Sorry was I too loud? ;) I'm a little wired this morning. Thanks to twitter I learned that today is was free pastry day at Starbucks. Before heading to work I had to stop in and grab my iced coffee and pick up a slice of their reduced-fat very berry coffee cake. I ended up giving the cake to my Dad because I'm just not a morning sweets girl but the coffee was very deeee-lish, as always. The stimulant in coffee always leaves me feeling full so breakfast was pretty tame, also I skipped my workout this A.M. so my appetite wasn't as fierce as usual. I just ended up chewing on a Clif bar.





Lunch will be much more exciting. On today's menu: Homemade Vietnamese Pho!

Hello Spring!

BRUNCH

Happy Monday!

Isn't Spring so beautiful? I love transitional seasons. The summers in Arizona are so brutal that we love to embrace the preceding and succeeding seasons that surround it. I love the first signs of change in the season from the blooming flowers to the change in temperature to just the smell of the new air. Here are some pictures of the first signs of spring around our home.




After such a great day outdoors yesterday, I wanted to start off this morning with the same enthusiasm. When Booger had to be let out at 5 A.M. I didn't hesitate to hop out of bed the slightest bit. It was great to be so energized at that hour so I decided to put it to good use and went for a jog. I ran along the Rilito River again to take advantage of the nice weather before it expires and we rocket into 100*+ heat. I was able to do 5 HIIT intervals for half of the jog and fast walked the entire way back, I wasn't able to run because I decided to stop at Albertsons for some eggs, ham, bagels, cheese, and some Cascade Ice. The scenery and solitude was amazing and made me wonder why it took me so long to finally discover this trail.

You can't beat beating the sunrise.

solitude


Since I took extra time grocery shopping when I finally made it home I was in a mad rush to cook, eat, shower, and get ready for work. I whipped us up a quick bagel sandwich stuffed with eggs, tomatoes, cheese, and a slice of ham. It was simple but filling and very tasty.



Once at work I grabbed a yummy classic iced coffee. Can't beat this start to a new week

Have an awesome week everyone!

Sunday is Funday!

BRUNCH

Good morning Bloggies!

What a jam packed day. Even though I had this post typed up last night, I wasn't able to send it until now because our internet went out at home. Let's get to the point. We had a lot planned for yesterday, it started bright and early at 8 A.M. Newton dropped Booger off to get his spring shaving. He went from looking like this:



to this:



I know I know, he looks so much cuter with his shag but he kept getting knots in his hair and it's beginning to get hot out so it's time. So sad...

After Boogs got his shag cut Jessie came over and joined us in taking advantage of the beautiful weather. The high was in the low 80s but with the light wind it was blissful. Newton, Maddy, and Booger went to the dog park while Jessie and I took a walk along the Rilito River. There was still evidence of our wet winter flowing so soothingly in the wash. It's the first time I'd been on this trail despite living only across the street from it.





Here are a few of the other pooches at the dog park. Booger had such a great time socializing and towards the end of our visit the park got really crowded so we got to see a lot of pretty pups.

This guy, Hoover, was Boog's favorite despite the size difference.

Boogs wasn't the only one getting a good workout.



After burning all our energy at the park, it was time to do some shopping and grab a light lunch before we had to head home and get ready for a friend's BBQ. We stopped at La Encantada. The view from upstairs was gorgeous. The terracotta colored walls against the blue sky was breathtaking. I ended up picking up a stainless steel spoon/straw at Crate&Barrel. I've been wanting one for the longest time. One step closer to a greener lifestyle. :)


For brunch I grabbed a salad from AJ's filled with bells, pepperchinis, cheese crumbles, onions, and grilled chicken with a champagne vinaigrette. MMmmmm. Jessie had her own Southwestern salad loaded with beans, jalapenos, eggs, and seeds while Newton and Maddy both had a slice of pizza. Lunch as light and relaxing as we sat on the patio watching passersby.



Someone loves ranch



By the time we were finished with lunch and shopping it was 3 P.M. and the BBQ was starting at 3:30. Needless to say we dashed home to get ready and I still had to beat up some whip cream to top the key lime cheesecake I made the day before. The cheesecake turned out great and so did the BBQ. Daniel did a great job with his backyard and an even better job marinating the ribs and chicken. Overall the day was productive and relaxing all the same. I only wish everyday was a sunday...I hope y'all had a great Funday as well! Here's to a new week! Sorry for the lack of pics from the BBQ, my camera batter was running looooowww.