We've been talking about buying a DSLR in the future, maybe in a year or two, so its heaven to get one fo free.
Here are my favorite shots from this weekend. Taken by Dave and I.
hopeitsnicewhereyouare<3
12 hours ago
Monday, October 24, 2011
Rebellion
Dave's friend Jeff came to visit this weekend on short notice. In exchange for our awesome free tours of the Alaska countryside and a free place to stay, he gave us a camera. A Canon Rebel. Its amazing.
We've been talking about buying a DSLR in the future, maybe in a year or two, so its heaven to get one fo free.
Here are my favorite shots from this weekend. Taken by Dave and I.
Best thank you gift ever.
hopeitsnicewhereyouare<3
We've been talking about buying a DSLR in the future, maybe in a year or two, so its heaven to get one fo free.
Here are my favorite shots from this weekend. Taken by Dave and I.
hopeitsnicewhereyouare<3
Monday, September 19, 2011
Something New
I don't know about you, but I have a number of meals that I make frequently. I swear we have chili at least once a week. And Dave and I are both ok with that. Chili is awesome.
Sometimes I change up my tried and true recipes, I'll add a little something or look up a new recipe. And sometimes, I go completely out of my comfort zone and make something totally new.
Enter Indian food. Never had it, ever. But a few of the nutrition/cooking blogs I read just RAVE about it, so I thought, why (the heck) not try something completely new and foreign.
Baingan bharta, or eggplant curry is a dish common in the Punjab region of India/Pakistan. Apparently the different regions of India have all have very different types of food, who knew.
This is the recipe I used
(from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
Sometimes I change up my tried and true recipes, I'll add a little something or look up a new recipe. And sometimes, I go completely out of my comfort zone and make something totally new.
Enter Indian food. Never had it, ever. But a few of the nutrition/cooking blogs I read just RAVE about it, so I thought, why (the heck) not try something completely new and foreign.
Baingan bharta, or eggplant curry is a dish common in the Punjab region of India/Pakistan. Apparently the different regions of India have all have very different types of food, who knew.
This is the recipe I used
(from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
1.
|
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230
degrees C).
|
|||||||||||
2.
|
Place eggplant on a medium baking
sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from
heat, cool, peel, and chop.
|
|||||||||||
3.
|
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over
medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is
tender.
|
|||||||||||
4.
|
Mix ginger garlic paste, curry
powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in
yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and
cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and
continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
 Sorry for the less-than-stellar picture. What I changed:
First of all, I crock-potted this beast. I'm in love with my crockpot right now, probably because its so dang cold and humid here. One hour high, and then on low five ish hours. So I just peeled and chopped the eggplant and threw it in the pot. BTW, how weird are eggplants.
I used ground cumin,1 tsp chopped garlic and 1/2 tsp of ginger and Greek yogurt.
If this would have been any other type of cuisine(something I've made or actually eaten before) I probably would've made some more changes, but I decided to try this recipe as closely as possible for my first Indian experience.
I also made naan, a slightly puffy, grilled, pita type thing. Here is the recipe I used, also from allrecipes.com.
Final Product and Review:
Dave and I LOVED the naan, we were stuffing out faces with it right off the grill, so I made some brown rice to put the eggplant curry on, just in case we ate all the naan.
  I kinda think it looks like barf, smells a little like barf (with a whole bunch of curry). Not really a fan, we kept taking small bites and then looking at each other to see if we were going to keep eating. I didn't hate it. I just didn't like it. Oh well, I found out I really LOVE naan, so I'll be making that again. If you like Indian food and all the curry, I won't hold it against you :) Hope its nice where you are :) |
Monday, September 12, 2011
What I Miss
Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful. And I have been pleasantly surprised with the variety of stores here.I love the variety of colors here, and the calm, steady weather. Its SO green, not nasty brown and tan like everything in Arizona.
But....
There are definitely a few things that I miss about the "outside" aka the lower 48. There are things I've been missing since I left for Arizona last June, and the list has only gotten longer here
1. Chipotle - you might think its silly I have a restaurant as my number one, but right now, chipotle sounds SO GOOD. I miss those chips, and my burrito bowl. wah. All they have here is Qdoba, similar, but definitely not Chipotle.
2. Bath and Body Works. Yes I can order online, but how in the world am I supposed to smell the new fall scents!? I miss my 2 for 20 candles.
3. 70+ degree heat. I guess I took living in the land of perpetual summer for granted. I am super jealous of everyone with their 80 degree heat. The hottest it was here was 70. blah.
4. Hanging out with friends.
5. Family get-togethers. Birthdays, July 4th, Mothers/Fathers Day.
6. Good malls. More choices. Tucson I miss you. Mall of America, not so much, but those Tucson malls were great. I actually really miss Tucson in general. Oh, and Woodbury Lakes in Minnesoty. H&M, the Buckle, DSW so many stores I never realized I would REALLY miss. Its so sad haha :(
7. Dunn Bros Coffee, oh how I am missing my daily visits. And working there.
8. The sun. Yesterday we had a mostly clear, beautiful sunny day. I realized it had been a while since I had ACTUALLY SEEN the sun. I just closed my eyes and soaked it in. Its always cloudy here. And its only gonna get worse.
Look, you can see the sun on the hills!
9. Thunderstorms. Kind of a weird thing to miss, but when you spend 22 years of your life experiencing them, its really strange to not ever have them.
10. Thunder Mountain Community Church
I'm not trying to complain, especially with 9/11 on my mind I am even more thankful for all I have, never-the-less, I do miss things.
Hope its nice where you are-
Courtney
But....
There are definitely a few things that I miss about the "outside" aka the lower 48. There are things I've been missing since I left for Arizona last June, and the list has only gotten longer here
1. Chipotle - you might think its silly I have a restaurant as my number one, but right now, chipotle sounds SO GOOD. I miss those chips, and my burrito bowl. wah. All they have here is Qdoba, similar, but definitely not Chipotle.
2. Bath and Body Works. Yes I can order online, but how in the world am I supposed to smell the new fall scents!? I miss my 2 for 20 candles.
3. 70+ degree heat. I guess I took living in the land of perpetual summer for granted. I am super jealous of everyone with their 80 degree heat. The hottest it was here was 70. blah.
4. Hanging out with friends.
5. Family get-togethers. Birthdays, July 4th, Mothers/Fathers Day.
6. Good malls. More choices. Tucson I miss you. Mall of America, not so much, but those Tucson malls were great. I actually really miss Tucson in general. Oh, and Woodbury Lakes in Minnesoty. H&M, the Buckle, DSW so many stores I never realized I would REALLY miss. Its so sad haha :(
7. Dunn Bros Coffee, oh how I am missing my daily visits. And working there.
8. The sun. Yesterday we had a mostly clear, beautiful sunny day. I realized it had been a while since I had ACTUALLY SEEN the sun. I just closed my eyes and soaked it in. Its always cloudy here. And its only gonna get worse.
Look, you can see the sun on the hills!
9. Thunderstorms. Kind of a weird thing to miss, but when you spend 22 years of your life experiencing them, its really strange to not ever have them.
10. Thunder Mountain Community Church
I'm not trying to complain, especially with 9/11 on my mind I am even more thankful for all I have, never-the-less, I do miss things.
Hope its nice where you are-
Courtney
Monday, August 22, 2011
South Beach
So lately, I've been working my butt off, trying to get back in shape. And to lose weight. Its not that I am overweight. I am just over the weight I feel comfortable as. Back in college, I never gained the freshman fifteen so I assumed I wouldn't gain the "newlywed nine", but oh boy, I did. I guess that's what sitting on the couch being a housewife for a year does to you. And all that deep frying we did last summer. NOT WORTH IT.
I have been working out 3-4 times a week at the base gym. Typically I do 20-45 minutes cardio, stretch, and then weights. I don't do weights every time I work out, but most of the time. I've gotten frustrated with the lack of change in my body. Well, not completely. I can tell I am already in much better cardio shape, I think that is what is motivating me.
blah blah blah.
Now to what I actually wanted to talk about! Diet.Yay! Honestly, right now, I feel great. I am eating really good. Before this week I was calorie counting, which was a little hard for me. I felt like I couldn't eat what I really wanted to without feeling guilty. And I really don't think guilt should be a motivator. I want to be healthy, not starving my body or filling it with empty calories. So yesterday I started the South Beach Diet. I've done this diet before, only because I agree with the science behind it. Our culture is VERY sugary. And its not always good sugar. Most of the time its not good sugar. It is no wonder our nation has more obesity than any other, but that's another day.
I like SB because I can eat things I like and stay full, and it has very clear rules that are easy to follow. BUT, Its always really hard for me. The first two weeks are supposed to be no sugar, fruit, or grains (because they break down to sugar) and light on the diary-and this Wisco girl loves her diary. I have never lasted two weeks. Not even close. I usually last a few days and then cry when I open the fridge to get some food because nothing looks good. This time is a little different, because I can completely control what is in my fridge. I have been doing really good. I actually discovered a recipe that I am going to make regularly its so yummy!
Baked Chicken Strips with Mustard, Almond, and Parmesan
Makes 3-4 servings, but can easily be doubled. Recipe adapted from Cooking New American.
2 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
marinade:
2 T mayo (low fat is ok, but don't use fat free)
2 T Dijon mustard (or use any mustard that appeals to you)
1 T white balsamic vinegar (or use slightly less than 1 T white vinegar)
1 T water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
coating:
2 T parmesan cheese (freshly grated or coarsely grated, not the kind that comes in a can)
3/4 cup almond meal (you can also grind 3/4 cup almonds in the food processor, but the pre-ground almond meal is a bit more finely ground)
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn't use much salt)
Trim any visible fat or tendons from chicken, then cut each piece into crosswise strips about 1 inch wide. Whisk together mayo, Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, water, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Place chicken strips and marinade in plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or as long as all day.
When ready to cook, let marinated chicken come to room temperature while oven pre-heats to 450 F. Use a food processor to finely grind the almond meal, Parmesan, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and put coating in large flat bowl. Spray non-stick baking sheet well with non-stick spray. Dip each chicken piece into coating, turning to coat both sides, and arrange in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake without turning for 15-20 minutes, or until top side is quite browned and underneath is starting to brown. Then use metal turner and go under each piece of chicken to be sure it's not stuck to the pan, then carefully turn each piece. Some of the coating will fall off and possibly get too browned in the pan, so don't worry about it. Cook 10-15 minutes more until chicken is well browned and cooked through. Total cooking time will be 25-30 minutes, depending on your pan. Serve hot. (Edit: if you're reheating this in the microwave, be very careful not to overcook or it will get very dry. It is definitely best fresh from the oven.)
DELISH.
I'm not going to lie though. I made some serious revisions. You can't blame me, I was in a hurry, and my ideas worked wonderfully. I used almond butter- whattt?!(buy at Costco, you won't find it cheaper, like $6 for a HUGE thing- or $6 at the grocery store for 6 oz-lame), mustard, garlic and a little water and made a thin paste. I then dipped the chicken in the paste and rolled it in the parmesean, poultry seasoning and pepper. And then I baked it. IT WAS AMAZING. And I wasn't even super hungry, but it tasted like something tastes when you are super hungry. You know what I mean. So try it.
I also dipped it in ranch mixed with mustard. Yes, I agree a little weird. I have found a new appreciation for mustard. Who knew.
Sorry for so many words, and no pretty pictures. :)
Here's my dinner!
And here's the joy of breakfast :D
Hope its nice where you are ;)
I have been working out 3-4 times a week at the base gym. Typically I do 20-45 minutes cardio, stretch, and then weights. I don't do weights every time I work out, but most of the time. I've gotten frustrated with the lack of change in my body. Well, not completely. I can tell I am already in much better cardio shape, I think that is what is motivating me.
blah blah blah.
Now to what I actually wanted to talk about! Diet.
I like SB because I can eat things I like and stay full, and it has very clear rules that are easy to follow. BUT, Its always really hard for me. The first two weeks are supposed to be no sugar, fruit, or grains (because they break down to sugar) and light on the diary-and this Wisco girl loves her diary. I have never lasted two weeks. Not even close. I usually last a few days and then cry when I open the fridge to get some food because nothing looks good. This time is a little different, because I can completely control what is in my fridge. I have been doing really good. I actually discovered a recipe that I am going to make regularly its so yummy!
Baked Chicken Strips with Mustard, Almond, and Parmesan
Makes 3-4 servings, but can easily be doubled. Recipe adapted from Cooking New American.
2 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
marinade:
2 T mayo (low fat is ok, but don't use fat free)
2 T Dijon mustard (or use any mustard that appeals to you)
1 T white balsamic vinegar (or use slightly less than 1 T white vinegar)
1 T water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
coating:
2 T parmesan cheese (freshly grated or coarsely grated, not the kind that comes in a can)
3/4 cup almond meal (you can also grind 3/4 cup almonds in the food processor, but the pre-ground almond meal is a bit more finely ground)
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn't use much salt)
Trim any visible fat or tendons from chicken, then cut each piece into crosswise strips about 1 inch wide. Whisk together mayo, Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, water, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Place chicken strips and marinade in plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or as long as all day.
When ready to cook, let marinated chicken come to room temperature while oven pre-heats to 450 F. Use a food processor to finely grind the almond meal, Parmesan, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and put coating in large flat bowl. Spray non-stick baking sheet well with non-stick spray. Dip each chicken piece into coating, turning to coat both sides, and arrange in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake without turning for 15-20 minutes, or until top side is quite browned and underneath is starting to brown. Then use metal turner and go under each piece of chicken to be sure it's not stuck to the pan, then carefully turn each piece. Some of the coating will fall off and possibly get too browned in the pan, so don't worry about it. Cook 10-15 minutes more until chicken is well browned and cooked through. Total cooking time will be 25-30 minutes, depending on your pan. Serve hot. (Edit: if you're reheating this in the microwave, be very careful not to overcook or it will get very dry. It is definitely best fresh from the oven.)
DELISH.
I'm not going to lie though. I made some serious revisions. You can't blame me, I was in a hurry, and my ideas worked wonderfully. I used almond butter- whattt?!(buy at Costco, you won't find it cheaper, like $6 for a HUGE thing- or $6 at the grocery store for 6 oz-lame), mustard, garlic and a little water and made a thin paste. I then dipped the chicken in the paste and rolled it in the parmesean, poultry seasoning and pepper. And then I baked it. IT WAS AMAZING. And I wasn't even super hungry, but it tasted like something tastes when you are super hungry. You know what I mean. So try it.
I also dipped it in ranch mixed with mustard. Yes, I agree a little weird. I have found a new appreciation for mustard. Who knew.
Sorry for so many words, and no pretty pictures. :)
Here's my dinner!
And here's the joy of breakfast :D
Hope its nice where you are ;)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ho boy
Well its been a while.
My toe is still broken, though it only hurts if I walk around barefoot or if it get squished. Like when I try to sleep. I can't complain though, it hasn't interfered with my life really at all. I can still work out, which is good because I am really enjoying going to the gym. I will definitely post about my workout/gym love, as soon as I start seeing results ha!
Dave has been gone two and a half weeks now, and it hasn't really been as bad as I anticipated. I was only REALLY sad one day so far, I consider my stable mood to be a BIG blessing. I really do hate sleeping alone though.
My dear friend Chelsea visited for 5 days. I was fun to take her around to the Alaska sights. And it was nice to have someone in the house with me.
Yep. That's a big ol bullwinkle. He was just having lunch when we walked by in the park. Thankfully a man let us know where he was before we were surprised so we got some good pictures of the guy.
That is Flattop. The creativity of the name is not phenomenal, but at least its easy to remember.
Blueberries! How cute right? There was two moms and their kids picking bucketfulls when we were there, it would have totally been something my mom would have brought us to do. I plan on going back up there soon to pick a bunch!(Edit: Just looked these up and they are actually crowberries, not as sweet as blueberries but twice the vitamin C, and I hear they make a mean pie!)
Its beautiful, this new place I live.
Hope its nice where you are :)
My toe is still broken, though it only hurts if I walk around barefoot or if it get squished. Like when I try to sleep. I can't complain though, it hasn't interfered with my life really at all. I can still work out, which is good because I am really enjoying going to the gym. I will definitely post about my workout/gym love, as soon as I start seeing results ha!
Dave has been gone two and a half weeks now, and it hasn't really been as bad as I anticipated. I was only REALLY sad one day so far, I consider my stable mood to be a BIG blessing. I really do hate sleeping alone though.
My dear friend Chelsea visited for 5 days. I was fun to take her around to the Alaska sights. And it was nice to have someone in the house with me.
Hope its nice where you are :)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Clumsy
Currently making a big deal of this
Sprained toe :( boohoo. I can't even tell you how many toes and fingers I have sprained. During softball one year, I actually counted that I had 7 sprained knuckles at one time, and that was just from practice. This injury was the result of me unintentionally kicking a ten pound dumbbell. Yay me! I usually get my toes caught on corners of walls and dressers and such, resulting in an avalanche of unintelligible screeches and moans. I've never been one to swear, I don't even have to think about it, the words of pain that exit me are "mwaaaaggg" geeeeee" ughamamama". Followed by silence, where I try to will the pain away. I don't know why I am so clumsy. Just yesterday, I was out for a jog ( ok, I mostly walked, but during this story I was actually jogging) and I rolled my ankle... ... on nothing. The tendons and ligaments in my ankle just decided to stop working so I could try to continue jogging on my lower shin. I have rolled my ankle three times now since we arrived in Alaska. Once was right out the front door, and another at a gas station, where I proceeded to smash my arm in to the hood of a poor unsuspecting chevy blazer. My shoulder still hasn't healed. But enough whining! I'm really not in much pain, but I do wonder how I haven't seriously hurt myself over the years.
Hope its nice (and pain-free) where you are!
Hope its nice (and pain-free) where you are!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Dos
Yup, second post of the day. I can't help it. I have to share this.
This woman constantly inspires me. If I could strive to have any life (though I am more than happy with my own) it would be hers. And if I could pick any superpower-it would be her voice. I cried twice while watching that video. She always has that affect on me. Watching her, experiencing a small part of her life moves me deep down in my soul. She expresses herself the way I yearn to. She is a shining example of what it means to be an artist and is obviously fulfilling the amazing plan God wrote out for her.
When I saw her live, I bawled my eyes out, unashamed, because she really is THAT talented. Its refreshing.
And she makes a darn good cleaning/unpacking playlist.
This woman constantly inspires me. If I could strive to have any life (though I am more than happy with my own) it would be hers. And if I could pick any superpower-it would be her voice. I cried twice while watching that video. She always has that affect on me. Watching her, experiencing a small part of her life moves me deep down in my soul. She expresses herself the way I yearn to. She is a shining example of what it means to be an artist and is obviously fulfilling the amazing plan God wrote out for her.
When I saw her live, I bawled my eyes out, unashamed, because she really is THAT talented. Its refreshing.
And she makes a darn good cleaning/unpacking playlist.
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