New Favorite Thing: My Blender

A few weeks ago, when my mom was in town, we went to Costco to get dog food for our new puppy and some other supplies like paper towels, etc.  I also went for a blender and some frozen strawberries and mixed berries.

Nearly every day since I got the blender, I've been making a berry smoothie with a handful (or two) of strawberries and mixed berries with vanilla bean yogurt and a splash of milk.  The smoothies are delicious!

Source

I've been thinking about trying a kale smoothie as that would help me get more of my dark green veggies into my body.  I'm scared though that I'll be totally yucked out by it.  Do you have a good green smoothie recipe to share?!

Any other smoothie suggestions?  What else can I make in my blender that's delicious and good for you?

What's For Dinner?!

It is not a bad day in Seattle - in fact, it was quite pleasant with the sun shining brightly!  Yesterday was pouring rain and so when I made my list of meals, I focused on comfort food.  I pulled a recipe from my "archive" of recipes that I haven't tried yet but seemed perfect for a Monday night.

This Vegetable-Parmesan Stew from Food & Wine is a healthy, comfort food option served with a loaf of warm, crusty bread.

Source

INGREDIENTS
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds (about 2 ounces each)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound small white button mushrooms, stemmed and caps quartered
1 pound small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 large leek, white and tender green parts only, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper 

2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped 

3 ounces capellini, broken into 1/2-inch pieces 

2 tablespoons finely chopped basil 

Toasted peasant bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS
1.    In a large saucepan, combine the broth and Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the rinds are very soft and the broth is reduced to 4 cups, about 30 minutes.
2.    Meanwhile, in a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil along with the zucchini, peppers and leek and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until slightly broken down, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and the Parmigiano rinds and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
3.    In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the broken pasta and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir the pasta into the stew and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Discard the rinds and stir in the basil. Serve the vegetable stew in deep bowls, passing toasted bread at the table.

On Being Thankful

This year was not necessarily an easy year but it was one full of reasons to be thankful on this day of Thanksgiving:

1. Mark and I made the decision to leave San Francisco to a city where the cost of living is not a sieve and we were fortunate to land in Seattle - another beautiful city - with Mark in a wonderful new position and a comfortable (temporary) roof over our heads

2. I put my mind to making my PR consulting career path actually happen since I launched it a little more than two years ago and with the support of friends and family and my own hard work, it has taken off

3. In spite of this tough economic time that many people in the United States and around the world are facing, Mark and I are financially stable

4. Our bodies are (more-or-less) healthy and our minds are clear

5. We brought a new addition into our family a little more than four weeks ago, Winston, and we can't imagine our lives without him (I can't imagine how spoiled an actual baby will be given how spoiled our little guy Winston is...)!

There are so many other reasons to be thankful that can go unspoken.  Many times people tell me that I'm lucky.  I tell myself that I'm lucky too.  But, is it luck?  Or is it just life?  I've worked hard to be where I am in life and I work hard to maintain it.  It takes a lot of work to make a marriage successful.  It takes a lot of work to keep financially healthy.  It takes a lot of work to take care of a puppy :)

I guess overall I'm trying to say that while I'm thankful for the things in my life, I also am grateful for the people in my life who support the hard work that I do to make my life the way that it is...my husband, my parents, my friends.

Source

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving Day?

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

xo,

What's For Dinner Tonight?

Thinking about what to make for dinner tonight made me sit down and review what we had earlier this week:

Sunday: Taco night with gluten-free corn tortillas

Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs (I threw out the GF for the night)

Tuesday: Roasted chicken with brown rice and salad

Wednesday: Beef stew with tomatoes and green pepper with garlic roasted potatoes

Thursday: I went to dinner with a friend and Mark had an oven roasted chicken breast sandwich

This is not Winston but it looks kind of like him (Source)

So the question is what should I make for dinner tonight?  I've found a few yummy ideas on one of my favorite food bloggers Eat, Live, Run: 30 minute lemon brown sugar chicken and beef tenderloin with apricot and olives.  Both sound delicious but I'm not quite sure which I'll make tonight.  Maybe I'll buy the ingredients for both and make one tonight and the other a different night!

What are you making for dinner tonight?

Hilarious!

I want a camel for a pet!

A Good Cause: I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation

In addition to the clients I have who help me contribute financially to my household budget, I also do pro bono PR for a non-profit group that I've come to hold dear to my heart.  The I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation is in place to help young adults (15-39) facing a cancer diagnosis.  Started by Matthew Zachary in 2007, i[2]y helps young adult cancer survivors find resources that help them deal with issues surrounding a cancer diagnosis as well as connect them through social networks in person and online.

This coming March, i[2]y is holding their 5th annual OMG! Cancer Summit for young adults.  If you or someone you know is a young adult cancer survivor, patient or caregiver of a young adult with cancer than this summit is for you.  I encourage you to register and attend the summit either in person in Las Vegas or virtually.  You can register here.

You can also support i[2]y with a financial contribution that is 100% tax deductible and will help Matthew keep the organization running and keep all of the resources that i[2]y provides available for free or at limited cost to participants who are already facing significant financial challenges.  You can make a donation here after reading this appeal from Matthew.

If your corporation can sponsor i[2]y or the OMG! 2012 Cancer Summit, please leave a comment with your contact information and I will contact you.

Thanks in advance!  This is a wonderful organization making a difference.

xo,

Seriously can't wait: Hunger Games

March 23, 2012 could not come any faster.  I'm so excited for the Hunger Games movie to come out.  I'm a day late but better late than never; I just watched the trailer and it looks really good!

 I'll probably be one of those people who goes opening weekend.  I loved the books so much.  The series was the one and only "book club" that Mark and I have done together.  We're still looking for another book to read together ever since.

Are you looking forward to the movie too?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Sunday was my birthday.  Yikes!  The weekend was spent with Mark and Winston.  It was a low key weekend but much needed after time with my mom (not in a bad way but busy way) and then immediately off to Chicago for 36 hours.  It was also nice to start a new routine with our little guy.

Source

Mark took me to dinner on Saturday night to a place called Dahlia Lounge in Seattle.  It was really nice to relax over a romantic meal.  The food was pretty tasty and the wine was delicious.  I started with a glass of Prosecco and we shared a half bottle of wine over dinner.  The service was decent too.  We probably won't go back for some time but only because there are soooo many other places to try here first! 

I didn't get any presents because Winston was my early and very fun birthday present - even though we share him! Mark did give me a very lovely and special birthday card.  I love my husband so much!

On Sunday we took a drive to the suburbs north of Seattle and found that while nice they just weren't really us.  There is one town just outside of Seattle that we didn't see so we'll have to do some more exploring.

Getting to know Seattle is a lot of fun and I know in the coming months we'll start to narrow in on which neighborhood we'll want to settle - either in the city or out.

Overall, I had a wonderful birthday with lots of lovely birthday wishes from friends and family around the globe.

When I turned 30 (several years ago), I was so excited because I knew that many of the "big" things in life would happen in my 30s - marriage, kids, etc.  I've knocked off marriage from that list...I can't wait to see what this next year of life brings me.

xo,

Gluten-Free Update

Life with a puppy is a challenge.  Not having a baby or child, I can't compare but...I change newspapers when they get dirty - sometimes right after I've changed them...I make sure he eats on a schedule...I can't leave him for too long at a time.  It's a lot of fun too.  We play games together and we snuggle together.  He is very consuming right now.  That's my long way of saying that his attention is not giving me much time to blog.  All of my spare time is spent on client work and getting other things done around the house.

 Last week, I was in Chicago very briefly for a client meeting.  I stayed with Mark's sister and her family.  It was lucky because it was Halloween and I got to go along with the trick-or-treaters.  It was a blast.  However, it is hard to travel and eat gluten-free.  It's unfair to impose dietary restrictions on others and it is really hard to eat on the road without encountering gluten.

My two weeks of gluten-free were up last Monday, the day that I left for Chicago.  I tried my best to avoid it but it was inevitable and I'm 99% certain that I ate gluten in my first meal at the airport - a salad.  I picked off the bread crumbs but...then for dinner after trick-or-treating, we ordered in Chinese food and the chicken that I ate had breading on it :(

Now, my reaction was not one that I thought I would have but I'm fairly certain that I do have a gluten intolerance - maybe not though an allergy.  My stomach had some problems that I won't describe but the hives did not show up as I thought they would as that was the symptom that I was trying to eliminate and did successfully once going off gluten.

So, the result?!  I probably have an intolerance.  My plan is to continue to avoid gluten when possible but I won't get too upset if I eat anything with it by accident when out or on the road.  I do feel better when I avoid it and it can't hurt anything by avoiding it!

Eating gluten-free (for the most part) for a little more than three weeks has been a lot easier than I thought and I'm getting the hang of it!  I even bought a blender so I can start to make smoothies for breakfast and snacks.  I'll add kale for my greens :)

Have you been inspired to try a gluten-free diet?  Any good recipes to share?

Winston Update

My mom was in town - yay!  Then I was off to Chicago for a quick business trip.

The first week with Winston has been incredible and exhausting.  I'm in love and having a little puppy is so wonderful.  I'm catching up on life but thought I'd post some photos for the time being!

All photos taken by me on my iPhone.