Chili & Beer

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

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

C-ville

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

Fun Weekend

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

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

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

Fun times:)

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

Have a great weekend!

Spring Cleaning

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

The Windy City

My bathroom buddies:)

Definitely going to pull the shade before showering!

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

Coffee Break

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

Maybe I underestimate its potential effects.

Jalabi

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

Mixing it up.

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

Pasta Night

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

Check out the Wegman’s recipe.

Credit Crack out: Week 5

 

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

Lazy Lunch

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

Here goes:

• whole wheat pasta
• homemade marinara sauce
• peas
• quorn
• parmesan cheese

Dear Lock,

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

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

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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

Pancakes, “take two”

Scrumptious Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes.

Always tastes better when someone else makes it….

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

Refreshing to see….

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

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

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

Make this as soon as you can.

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

2 sets:

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

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

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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

Good Morning

Today, I ventured into the world of pancakes. I have never really been a pancakes kind of gal and on the few occasions when I did attempt to make them, I relied on Jemima J. Although, I have to say I would never make it through the meal—the density of pancakes  (or at least the density involved with ready made, out of the box mixes) makes it hard for me to get past the first 5 or 6 bites. I found this Eating Well recipe for Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes and decided to break out the whisk and give it a whirl. The result—fantastic! Fluffy and the cinnamon gives it a lovely taste. Topped with sliced bananas and organic maple syrup, it is definitely a breakfast that I will revisit:)

Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms & Basil

Kudos to Eating Well (yet again!) for dinner. The dish was easy and flavorful—definitely a Spring meal. I reduced the oil to 1 tbsp (original recipe called for 2) and used shredded instead of Parmesan cheese (I prefer it), but stuck to the directions otherwise.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, (1 ounce)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided (only had 1/4 cup at home, so I added 3 tsp of dry basil. I get nervous about overdoing herbs)

Next time, I am going to nix the water—made it too soupy. Probably would taste great with spinach or broccoli. Or both!

Springtime Brings Cupcakes

What a beautiful day! After Raj got off of work, we walked up to Cake Nouveau and had a treat. And to celebrate Nana’s birthday and have a cupcake in her honor. I opted for my regular (regardless of what cupcake place I frequent) and had vanilla bean. The place is super cute and the cupcake was good—you can tell the owner is really passionate about the place and it is fun to see someone doing and creating what she loves. And what is not to love about cupcakes?