Hannah Lives

Smashburger Hits the Twin Cities

2011-10-21T23:18:00.001-05:00

If anyone knows me, they know I love a good burger. It isn't something I crave often, and it isn't something a dream about, but when I want a good burger, I want a good burger. And because I am somewhat of a burger snob it isn't something that I order out that often. I would much rather thoroughly pick my meats (80/20 lean/fat ratio), bun (soft egg bun), and toppings (bacon, blue cheese, mushrooms, and caramelized onions topping the list) and cook them to my specific liking, to ensure the perfect burger experience!

So when I received an invitation to attend the preview night for the new Smashburger in Highland Park (a St. Paul neighborhood) I thought about saying no. But, if anyone knows me, they know my significant other LUHVES burgers, any way you serve it, it will be eaten. And I would surely be shot for turning down such an opportunity. So I accepted, and off we went.

Smashburger is your basic fast casual restaurant with reasonable prices. Smashburger's namesake is their signature certified angus burgers that are "smashed" on the flat top grill. But they also offer a selection of chicken sandwiches, salads, a hand-crafted black bean burger (which can be substituted for any of their burgers), hot dogs, sides, and hand-spun Haagen-Dazs shakes, malts, and IBC Root Beer Floats.

You can order the burger patty in 3 different sizes (small smash, smash, or big smash), and pick from one of their already formulated burgers, or create-your-own. We chose the BBQ, Bacon, and Cheddar burger. Their signature Smashburger, bbq sauce, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and haystack onions on an egg bun.

We also decided to get the burger that was specifically formulated for us, well not us, as in me, but us as in Twin Citians. The Twin Cities burger is topped with garlic grilled onions, swiss cheese, cheddar bar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on an onion bun.

The BBQ, bacon cheddar burger was good, but the real star was the Twin Cities burger! It was so good! Garlicy, and slightly sweet onions, the ooey gooey melted mild swiss, and sharp cheddar worked perfectly together! But I am telling you the onions MADE the burger!

We also got several sides.

Fried pickles with buttermilk ranch. Yum. My favorite side of the night. Crispy, not greasy at all, and pickle-y.

The Rosemary fries were good in theory, but they lacked some flavor.

The rosemary sweet potato fries on the other hand were delicious. Second favorite of the night. Crispy, crunchy, sweet and savory!

The chili cheese fries weren't good at all. They use the same fries as they do in the rosemary fries, but the chili tastes canned, and there wasn't enough cheese.

But the Veggie Frites were reeally good! Flash fried carrots, asparagus, and green beans, served with buttermilk ranch. They were a little greasy, but nothing a little napkin dabbing won't fix! They are tender without being flabby, and slightly crisp on the edges! If I had kids that said they didn't like veggies, this is what they'd be eating!

We also got to try some of their Haagen-Dazs shakes, which is what I was really holding out for! They were thick, and rich, and creamy. But I will take ice cream any way I can get it, and Haagen-Dazs tops my list of grocery store ice creams.

All in all we really enjoyed our meal at Smashburger, and are already planning our return. I am so glad to finally have one in the Twin Cities (even though they chose the less hot twin). There are 8 locations in the Twin Cities Metro area, and if you are looking for a good, quick, and reasonably priced meal Smashburger is a great place to go!

Thanks to Becca, and Smashburger for the invite, I can't wait to make my second visit!

5 Months Later...

2011-10-11T12:55:00.001-05:00

I didn't want to show up out of the blue (i just typed blew... fitting, because I blew it) and give you a run down of the last 5 months of my life after ditching you. Because I like you read blogs, and get to know people, and start to think of them as my friends (if you don't I don't want to hear that I am the only creeper out there), and I hate when I get attached to a friend, and then they fall off the face of the earth.

People who do that are crappy friends. So, I am coping to the fact that I have been a crappy friend. But people change, and if you disagree with that then let's just say that people can try really hard to change the habits that they know can hurt themselves and the others around them. So that's what I am going to do, try really hard to win back your affections, and be a better friend. That is what we are after all, friends.

As a thank you for being awesome friends and coming back to see me (which you obvi have since you are reading this), I have come bearing yummy gifts. This was a dinner I made up this week. I'm working on eating better right now, and I really had a hankering for chili but after watching Food Inc. (which was, um... scary) last week I'm trying to cut down on my meat intake, so I made a vegetarian chili. Vegetarian, not Veggie. I didn't have a lot of veggies in my fridge, but I did the best I could with what I had. It was tangy from the beer, slightly sweet from the pumpkin smokey from the cumin and chili powder, and a little spicy from the cayenne and chili flakes, and I think it turned out pretty dang delicious. You get lots of protein from the beans, and served over a little brown rice, with cheddar, and greek yogurt on top with a wedge (or half of a pan) of honey cornbread, you have got yourself a winning meal to share with a friend, that makes a really great, "Thank You!"

Vegetarian Two-Bean Chili

Serves: 4

Time: 20 minutes prep, 1 hour cooking

2 Tbls Olive Oil

1/2 Large Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced (or microplaned)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbls Cumin

1 Tbls Chili Powder

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Cayenne

6 oz. can Tomato Paste

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes

12 oz can Beer

1 Cup Water

15.5 oz Can Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

2 Cups (about 2 15.5 oz cans) Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 Cups Frozen Corn

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Warm oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat, saute onions for 3 minutes

Add garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt, saute until onions are soft and almost translucent, about 3 minutes

Add all of the spices, and stir allowing oil to draw out flavor and toast spices, about 2 minutes

Add in tomato paste, and pumpkin puree, making sure to scrape up spices off the bottom of pot, increase heat to medium-high

Add in beer, allow to cook for 2 minutes

Add in crushed tomatoes, and water, bring to a simmer

Stir in both beans and corn, season with salt and pepper to taste (I used approx. 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper)

Turn down heat to low, cover (crack lid to keep from bubbling over) and simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally

Serve hot with brown rice, shredded cheddar, plain greek yogurt, and avocado slices

Oh... And, if I didn't tell you already, Thanks!

Orthotics Will Straighten Out My Life... I mean, Feet

2011-05-19T14:54:00.001-05:00

I've had a busy last couple of days, I had meetings, and more meetings, my mom went out of town, and asked me to watch Pherroshus. I had an appointment with my podiatrist, a quick grocery trip, a haircut for Pherroshus, car trouble, and today's (car trouble related) depression. But let's start by looking at some food pictures!

Food

Tuesday's breakfast. 2 over-easy eggs, 3 pork sausages, whole wheat toast, and fruit salad, with an iced coffee.

Tuesday's dinner. Cheese tortelloni with sauteed cremini mushrooms, spinach, and shrimp, in a cheesy cream sauce. And a big glass of iced tea.

Wednesday's breakfast started out as a leftover fruit salad protein smoothie and iced coffee, drunk through my new stainless steel straws. But I had three sips, and decided that it was gross, and I didn't want to drink the smoothie because I really wanted something savory. So, I gave it to Boomer, and I reheated some leftover pasta.

Which looks weird and gloopy, but I promise it was delicious. I also enjoyed a side of blackberries, because I have this thing where I need to have fruit with every meal.

Breakfast today was a mushroom/spinach/cheese omelet with 1 egg, and 2 egg whites.

I have spent most of the week so far outside because the weather has been so amazing! It has taken forever for it to warm up and stop raining, and I am so excited that I can say it actually feels like spring, in fact it's starting to feel more like summer. We may have skipped the spring this year.

And I'm hanging out with this guy while my mom is out of town.

That is the same dog in both pictures above. It is just his before and after shot. Because his undercoat is so thick it gets matted really easily in his armpits, around his face, and legs. So if my parents aren't really diligent about brushing him (which isn't easy because he hates it), when we cut his hair he gets a buzz cut. I think he is embarrassed, and loves it at the same time. He doesn't like his picture taken when it's this short, but he loves sun-bathing like this. Weirdo.

Workout

If you have checked the new "Work It Out" page, you know that that is where I am recording my completed, and planned workouts for each week so I can keep track of it all in one place. You also know that on Tuesday I took a 45 minute yoga class via ExerciseTV On Demand. And Wednesday, I ran 2.46 miles with a run/walk ratio of 90/120 sec. in 42 minutes.

Today is a rest day. And I plan on doing just that. Resting. B-Money and I may take a walk with the dog, but that's about it.

I really wanted to talk about injuries today. Being a dancer, I started experiencing shin splints in high school. And because I was so hard-core I just danced through the pain, no resting, no icing, no compressing, no R.I.C.E.-ing. So they never fully healed. It was to the point that whenever I was just walking around my shins would hurt, and pretty soon I hated walking anywhere. When I wanted to start running I knew I had to address the pain and do something about it so that I felt well enough to run/walk for more than a block. So I starting icing, wearing compression sleeves, and bought new shoes. It helped, a lot, and I have been able to run, and walk with minimal pain. But I started to experience some pain in my arches, so I decided I should go see the doctor. I always get nervous when I get 2 injuries that could be connected. One injury causing another, is bad news bears.

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I made an appointment, and 3 days later I was in my podiatrist office getting an exam. The told me I had flat feet (which I knew), and that I have a tendency to over pronate slightly (which I figured, given the flat feet), they also told me that shin splints are quite common in flat footed people because not have an arch means I have virtually no shock absorption in my feet, which means my lower legs are taking the brunt of the force. He said that they may never fully heal, especially because I've had them consistently for almost a decade, but I just have to do my best to keep them from getting any worse. Sufficient rest in-between high-impact workouts, ice, compression socks during and after high-impact workouts, and anti-inflammatories. He also said that I have weak ankles (mostly my right), and weak tendons from multiple sprains, which is making my heel stick out. So he is having me fitted for custom orthotics that will correct my ankle alignment and bring my heels back underneath my ankle, and give me some arch support.

Source

Basically I am crooked, and it is throwing off everything in my body. He says that they should help with the arch pain, as well as the shin splints, as long as I keep icing, and compressing, and cutting down my workouts by 10% every time it hurts more than usual. It will even help with my tight hips, because once one thing is not in line the whole building starts to fall apart. So soon my legs will be perfectly stacked on top of my feet, and I will be almost pain free. I am also guessing I will be about 2 inches taller, have a college degree, and be debt free once I'm straightened out. ;-)

What do you do when you have an injury?

-I read as much as possible about my aches and pains, and try to figure out what it could be, I also ice the inflamed, and heat the achy. If nothing else works I go to the doctor. I have a phobia of going to the doctor, and having them tell me nothing is wrong, or there is nothing they can do. Ahem... remember when I had pneumonia?

Disclaimer: The above advice, and wisdom is from my personal experience, Google, my general physician, and my podiatrist, and what works for me. I have no real knowledge of anything, except how to switch majors 13 times, and drag out your bachelor's degree so that you never graduate. If you have an injury do what you need to do, wether it be see a witch doctor, physical therapist, or psychic. Take my words with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Easy Runs and Peanut Butter Fingers in my Dreams

2011-05-16T14:46:00.003-05:00

Late to bed, and late to rise is a pattern in my life. And so are weird dreams. I find that the later I get to bed, the weirder my dreams get. Last night I got home from work around midnight, stayed up dilly-dallying until I got tired, and went to bed around 1:30 a.m. hoping to get up around 10 a.m. for my training run. But Boomer got home around 2 a.m. and woke me up. We stayed up until 3 a.m. talking and listening to music, and watching music videos on our cell phones (yes, we do this regularly). Once Boomer fell asleep I couldn't, so, I was up until 4 o'clock this morning.

I had a dream involving visiting Costco, eating samples until my belly was full, and purchasing 3 bags of Almond Rice Pops, because they haven't been there the lat 2 times I've visited Costco. I also had another dream involving Miss Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers, her husband, and her dog. I lived in the Orlando, FL area (which is nowhere near my Minneapolis neighborhood) and we were buddies. In my dream I went on a walk with her, her husband Ryan, and their dog Sadie. It was uneventful, but strange. By the way, she is nicer in person (via my dream) than on her blog! Not to mention the dream I had Saturday night, after a late night of drinking, and games at my girl's night potluck, where all my friends were talking about how terrible my food was, and that they would not be inviting me to any other gatherings if I was bringing food (in real life they love my cooking... I think).

You know a girls needs to get a hobby when all she dreams about is food, and the people she reads about in blogs. Don't judge me for being a big fat loser. I hope to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight (I work again, so reasonable is 12-1a.m.), and avoid dreams about people I've never met, and food I wish to eat.

WORKOUT

2.13 miles in 36 minutes. Including 5 minute warm up, and 5 min cool down. Avg pace 16:54/mile. 90 sec run/ 120 sec. walk.

Boomer came with me on this run, for the first time since my first training run. I find that I push myself more when Boom Boom is there, because subconsciously I don't want to disappoint B-diddy. Which is backwards because the only reason Boom comes with me is to support me. This run felt easy, which was a nice change from my last 2 training runs. It was especially nice because this is the first jump in the run/walk ratio. It motivates me to keep at it since it feels like it's getting easier. And I am happy with the pace that we kept! The weather didn't hurt either!

We decided we wanted to go all the way around the lake today since the weather was so nice (I usually just do a third, and back), so we ended up walking an extra .31 miles in 6:16 minutes.

After that we stretched by the lake, and had a photo sesh.

Look! It's downtown Minneapolis!

Doesn't this photo remind you of a "Senior Picture"?

LUNCH

Lunch (aka my first meal of the day... I told you I woke up late) Was a 6" Subway sammy. Turkey and Pepperjack cheese toasted on Wheat with lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, bell peppers, pickles, and honey mustard. Wtth a gallon of water. 'Twas delicious!

A quick run to Target Boutique (in my best french accent) for ice packs, and band aids in preparation for the pain I will be putting myself through. And then the Bucks for Vanilla Soy Iced lattes.

Now I am home, on my patio, blogging and icing my shin while Boomer Gardens! My wireless has never worked outside, and that fact that it is right now is making me really happy! This is seriously the life! Back to reality in approximately 1 hour when I have to shower and get ready for work... Work is so inconvenient sometimes.

23 is the New 15

2011-05-14T12:01:00.001-05:00

Remember when I was talking about stifling self-doubt. Yeah well, now we have another problem. I woke up bright an early (well, for me) this morning, and got my butt to the lake for a wog. And before I get to far into my story...

Dear people I live with,

Yes I know it is raining. But I appreciate that you feel the need to tell me that what the weather is like in your incredulous tone whenever I'm leaving the house in my running gear. Not really though, because it makes me feel like you are questioning my ability to see water falling from the sky. I watch the news, I check the weather, I have eyes. They work great. And I have seen rain before, I also assure that as big of a "rhymes with witch" as I am, I will not melt when met with precipitation. You are underestimating my humanity, and my sanity -which I am almost positive I lost the day I signed up for my 10 mile race,but that's besides the point- and I do not appreciate it. But thanks for the forecast.

Love, Hannah

Anyway. Now that that is off my chest. Since talking with my BIL (Brother-in-law), and seeing him again last night at a birthday dinner, and hearing that I've inspired him to start running again, I've felt the need to get my butt in gear. So I made sure to be up before noon to get my wog in before my day of errands, and prep before the night ahead of me. Even though it was raining, and hovering around 45*, I put on my sports bra (which I am coming to thank my lucky stars that I found so early in my running journey), laced up my sneaks, and got myself out the door. Last night before bed I told myself that if it wasn't raining I would work my way around the entire lake walking, and jogging as much as I could handle, but it was, so I stuck to the 15 minutes out, 15 minutes back routine I've been doing for 2 weeks now. During a walking break in the first leg of my morning wog I heard an approaching group of people, as the first few passed me I realized it was a group of teenage boys on some sort of training run, once their entire group was in front of me their coach turned around, and it was none other than my high school crush... AWK.

My initial confidence, and pride that I had been feeling for actually getting out and doing my wog for the second time this week in the rain quickly dissipated, and my cheeks got hot with embarrassment. Which was a lot of embarrassment, because I was freezing! Suddenly I was a 15 year-old again. I immediately turned around, and headed in the other direction, while watching them closely making their way around the other side of the lake to make sure I wouldn't run into them again, only face first this time. I don't think he recognized me because my back was to him, my hood was up, and my stature is considerably larger than it was the last time I saw him back in high school. But I can't shake the embarrassment. And I can't shake being embarrassed for being embarrassed. I never considered the fact that I would run (figuratively, of course) into people I knew way back when, while making my way around the numerous lakes in my city! But being a towny (I use this term loosely since my "town" has a population of over 370,000 people), I have to face that fact. Especially because I live in south Minneapolis, which is a very small community considering how large it is (does that make sense?). It is guaranteed that you will see at least 3 people you know (or knew in a previous lifetime) anytime you go to a south Minneapolis lake in the months of May-September (depending on the weather). And chances are, while I am coasting along in complete oblivion of the world around me in my "Runner's High" (aka trying in desperation not to pass out, and drown in my own sweat) sprinting (dragging) my way around Lake Calhoun, there are bound to be people who will see my jiggly bits jiggling. I'm thinking maybe I'll just run circles around my house instead. Well, at least until my jiggly bits stop jiggling.

Workout: 1.69 miles in 30 minutes. It was more walking than running because I forgot to put on my compression sleeves, my shins hurt, really bad. And so did my pride.

Breakfast: Cinnamon raisin bagel thin, lingonberry preserves, cheddar, a slice of deli ham, and a fried egg. A very berry Chobani Champion, with blackberries. Along with a 50/50 mix of Coconut Water, and O.J.

Enjoyed while icing my shins to numbness.

The plan for the rest of the day includes a quick trip to the grocery store (my fourth this week), and quite a bit of cooking before heading out for an exciting girl's game night in!

Have a great weekend er'body!!

Stifling Self-Doubt

2011-05-12T18:57:00.001-05:00

Well hello there! Howsitgoing?

I have mentioned before what I thought my biggest hurdle would be in training for my 10-miler, and today I want to talk more about that. Let me start by telling you that I am a dweller. I dwell on the negatives, and the what-ifs, and I freak myself out with self-doubt, and worry myself sick. I know this about myself, and I try to embrace it, and then overcome it, because I have come to terms with the fact that I can't change it.

I am well aware of the fact that my biggest obstacle in my training is the self-doubt. Growing up I thought I could do anything! And most things came easy to me, I did have this strong fear of failing, and disappointing the ones that I love, but that changed in high school. During my senior year of high school I failed my first class ever. But instead of beating myself up about it, and making myself sick like I normally would have done, I forgave myself for my bad choices, and realized that failing is part of the journey. Sounds healthy, right? Well, this realization brought on an irrational fear of failing at everything. Whenever something started to go well, I found myself saying, "Hannah, you're probably gonna screw up this next thing, it's only a matter of time until you mess up again." I am a firm believer in self-fulfilling prophecies, and by me just having these thoughts, I had already screwed myself.

Since then college has been a struggle for me, so has balancing a checkbook, finding a job, and getting healthy. I start out by deciding to make a change, doing all of the research, getting all of the tools, trying, and then quitting because I don't believe I can turn it around. And I don't believe the people around me believe I can turn it around.

Running has to be different for me. I have been hesitant to tell people in my "real life" about my race. A few of my friends know (the one that told me about it, and a friend I was trying to recruit to run with me), and Boomer knows. But that was it. I didn't want to tell my family, because I was so scared that they would scoff at my attempt, or tell me I'm crazy, and not believe I'd be able to do it. But I told my eldest sister last weekend, and she is probably one of the most supportive people I know (she takes after our mom), and I'm not scared to disappoint her. She had the reaction I thought she would, she was proud, and excited for me, and even a little bit envious (I'm trying to get her to register with me). But her husband (my brother-in-law), I was scared to tell him. He has some very firm beliefs, and values about sports, what makes a sport, nutrition, and the like. He doesn't consider dance to be a worthy sport, or physical activity (a sport that I devoted 13 years of my life to), he thought I was running my family (financially) into the ground, because competitive dance is not cheap. I love my brother-in-law, I know he cares for me, but sometimes I worry about what he really thinks of me. I think as a person, and a person with values he thinks highly of me, I think he knows I have a good head on my shoulders, but I also think he thinks I'm a bit of a screw up. He is on of the people in my life that I am scared to disappoint.

But last weekend, after telling my sister, I told him. His was very proud of me. And was excited for me, and immediately launched into advice for me about running (he was a track star back in his hay-day), he even offered to do training runs with me. He even warned me that it wasn't necessary for me to run long distances to lose weight, that just being consistent (3-4 miles, 3-4X's a week) about it would help me get to my goal. And when I said to him that running 10 miles wasn't about the weight for me (although it is something I'm keeping my eye on), it was more about setting a goal, and achieving it. He seemed even more excited! He told me that I can do anything, and achieve anything I want as long as I am willing to put the work in. When I told him I was terrified, he reminded me to never let fear get in the way of something I want, because fear is only going to keep you away from discovering new passions. Although he never outwardly said he was proud of me, having that conversation, and hearing how eager he was to help me, and the way he looked at me really lit a fire under me. I want to prove my naysayers wrong, and I want my brother-in-law to always be proud of me. And knowing that I have that support, knowing that I have an experienced runner (and loved one) in my corner to help me, and guide me is going to take me far.

He doesn't know how much his approval means to me. But it means the world. I have newfound strength to get out there, push myself, test my limits, and not be scared. I refuse to let self-doubt get the best of me. As long as I put in the time, and log the miles, and believe in myself, I will get there!

So in an effort to silence "the voice" that creeps into my mind everyday when I hit the trail, and look across the lake watching all the other runners run, and says, "there is no way you will ever be as athletic as those people, and there is no way you will ever run 3 miles non-stop," I am taking it one step at a time, one minute, at a time, and reminding myself that no matter how fast, or how far I go, I am doing something good for my body, and doing more than I was doing last year, and I am going to be proud of that.

I am also looking for new ways to distract myself while running. Something else to focus on, so that I'm not focusing on how far I've gone, how far I have to go, my lungs exploding, or the 70 year old man that has lapped me twice already.

Here are the methods that I think will help me in silencing "The Voice":

Focus on the good that I am doing, whether I'm doing it well or not, at least I am trying!

Distract myself with something else, new music, a friend to chat with.

Be proud of what I have accomplished! Whether it's the miles I've put in that week, or that day!

Prove "The Voice" wrong! Whenever I hear that nagging, just prove it wrong! Show it who is boss!

Do you have any more techniques for me to squelch the self-doubt?

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While surfing the webs, and trying to catch up on blogs I discovered a new blog last night, and stayed up until 4 a.m. reading back posts. She is funny, and real, and I want to be her friend. So, Cely, if you read this, call me! You should go read her blog too, I promise you'll love it! But the point is that she listens to audiobooks while she runs! I'll admit that I have considered it, but I am such a visual person I didn't think that I would really know what was going on in the book if I wasn't reading the words. But I get so lost in books I think it would be a good thing to silence "the voice". So, today I paid $23 to download the audio version of a book that is probably $10 in paperback, and vowed to only listen to it while running. And I hit the trails (for the first time in a week)!

It helped! I didn't not once hear "the voice" in the back of my head screaming that I was crazy! I didn't hear it at all! I was so focused on the story, and not missing anything that I didn't once think I wasn't capable! I did walk more than I ran, and my shins started to hurt so bad at one point that I had to sit down at a picnic table for a while. But I covered 1.45 miles in 27 minutes.

When I got home I was starving, so I threw together a huge lunch!

Leftover brown rice and salmon cake over baby spinach, romaine, and cherry tomatoes with the last drips of TJ's Champagne Gorgonzola vinaigrette, and a little plain greek yogurt blended with garlic.

I bought Thomas' Bagel Thins this week after drooling over Julie's bagelwiches for weeks! And they're good, they aren't bagels, but they're good, and for 100 calories, it satisfied the craving. But then again, I've never had an authentic, chewy, New York City bagel. Along with my salad I had a cinnamon raisin, Muenster, lingonberry preserves, and pear bagelwich inspired by Julie! It was as good as it looked on her blog!

And now I am lounging, job hunting, reading, and watching Wheel of Fortune (sidenote: anyone have Comcast, and get switched over to Xfinity? I didn't ask them to do it, and I hate it). I am also craving another bagelwich, and thinking about going out for another walk so I can listen to Something Borrowed.

There is something wrong with me.

What I Did This Week

2011-05-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a much longer, much more emotional, much more motivational post.... But it won't be done for much more time (I know it isn't grammatically correct, sue me). But I wanted to say hi, and let you know I have not run since last Wednesday. In fact, I have done not a lick of exercise since then, and I am not proud of myself. I have been slacking off, and it's time to cut it out. But for now, here is what I did do this week....

Stats from my run on Wednesday

Started a new book

Post run tropical smoothie!

Trader Joes' Orange chicken, brown rice, and green beans

Helping with Audrey's Spa themed birthday party

Making s'mores on the fire pit

There was also some work, a birthday breakfast for one of my really good friends, doing my sister's hair, and a raging game of kickball with the neighborhood kids! My abs, quads, and calves are killing me today! Who knew kickball was such a workout?! I don't ever remember being sore the day after a recess time game of kickball in 4th grade!

I slept most of the day today, don't judge me. It was a late night. I'm gonna go run some errands now, and then make use of a Groupon for dinner tonight! I'll be back in the morning with a run stats post, and a weigh-in update! Have a great night ya'll!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T17:43:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the fantastic moms out there! Especially mine...

(Nana with 3 of the 5 grandchildren)

Dear Mom,

You are one of, if not the strongest, most determined, resourceful, generous, and loving people I know. I thank you for everything that you have given, taught, and sacrificed for my sisters and me. Your hugs, tears, love, and support has not gone unnoticed, and is never taken for granted. Thank you for giving me the tools to know that I am capable of doing, and achieving anything that I set my mind to. Thank you for letting me know that I have your support whether my choice is right or wrong, and thank you for letting me know the difference. Thank you for allowing me to make my mistakes, and giving me the guidance to learn from them. Thank you, for being you.

Love,

Your Daughter

Happy Birthday Audrey!

2011-05-04T20:48:00.002-05:00

Today is my niece Audrey's Birthday. She is eleven years old today, and I just wanted to take a moment to wish her a very happy birthday!!

Audrey on her 7th birthday

Happy Birthday Boog!! I can't believe you how big you've gotten, and I am very proud of the young lady that you have grown into! I look forward to watching you grow into the woman I know you will be! I love you!

Love, Your Auntie Hannah

Vitamin D, and a Fresh Coat of Paint

2011-05-04T20:06:00.001-05:00

Hola! Let's get this done!

Tuesday's Workout: .94 miles easy walk around Hiawatha

Yesterday was a GORGEOUS day in Minneapolis. It was sunny, and warm most of the day. There was a slight breeze, but I'm not gonna complain considering Monday it was 34*. I woke up late (per usual) and ate my riblet, potato, and corn leftovers for breakfast.. No it wasn't breakfast time, or traditional breakfast food, but it certainly broke my fast! And then Boomer and I decided to take advantage of the weather, and take a walk. During my couch-to-5K training I'm only run/walking 3 days per week. The other 3 (I take one rest day each week) I cross train (yoga or strength training), or I'll just take a walk to get my legs moving. So we went for a walk, and thought we should take Pherroshus with us. So we headed to my mom's house, grabbed the pup and off we went....

With all the snow, and rain we've had most of the lakes, and the creek are flooded. The water has flooded the marsh habitats lining the lake, and has make it's way up the shore and flooded this section of the walking path.

The beach is also mostly underwater. The lifeguard chair in now in the lake, when there is usually about 15 yards of beach between it and the lake. But look at that sky!

A Heron nesting

Random dude fishing in the creek... weirdo. There is nothing in there home dog. Unless you're trying to catch bait...

We covered about .94 miles, dropped the pup off, and headed home. I did 40 minutes of Bethenny Frankel yoga On Demand hoping to stretch out my tight muscles that are currently suffering from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It didn't work. This yoga was much more akin to yoga sculpt, and yoga flow. We held some poses for a few seconds but never exceeding a minute. It did stretch me out a bit, mostly because I skipped some flow to hold certain poses for longer. But I was schweating by the end. Bethenny is a Yogi Beast. I love her more now than ever before, and I didn't think that was possible. If I have never professed my love for her before, allow me to do it now. I love Bethenny (Frankel) Hoppy.

LUNCH

I dropped Boomerang off at work and headed to Subway for lunch.

I ordered a footlong 9-grain honey wheat with turkey and pepperjack toasted, lettuce, spinach, tomato, cucumber, green bell pepper, and fat-free honey mustard. It was delicious! I ate half the sandwich, along with half of my harvest cheddar Sun Chips, and unsweetened iced green tea.

After lunch I got a much needed mani/pedi! I thoroughly enjoyed my pedicure whole enjoying a snack of some apple slices from Subway.

After heading home I blogged, read some blogs, and then enjoyed the rest of my lunch for dinner with a Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss. It is one of their year round beers, but I thought it would be most appropriate for summer, it was very fruit, and tasted like BeerJuice. That sounds like BeetleJuice. "BeerJuice BeerJuice BeerJuice!"

Boom-O got home from work and was hungry and made some nachos. Organic white corn tortilla chips, cheddar, chicken, romaine, avocado salsa verde, and sour cream. I helped myself to a few!

Yesterday was a pretty great day in my opinion! I used to really not enjoy going for walks, but as I've been doing it more over the last couple of weeks I've grown to love it! I am especially loving it this week because the weather has improved exponentially, and so has my mood!! I was in a serious funk Monday night after the softball game and Soul Daddy being closed, but Tuesday... man. All I needed was a little sun, and a fresh coat of paint! Which got me thinking....

Does the weather impact your general mood, and level of happiness? Are you happier in warmer months, or cooler months?

-- Yes!! I am a crabby, no fun, lame-o, balloon buster during the winter! I need vitamin D in the form of sunshine to make me a happy girl! And I generally prefer warmer temps! My disposition is infinitely more sunny in the spring and summer months!

What was the best part about your day?

-- My walk with Boomer and Pherroshus! It is quickly becoming the best part of my week!

P.s. My family would really love it if you friended me in DailyMile. They worries about my social skills sometimes, and are always happy to know I am making friends. There is even a fancy little doo-hicker over on the left you can send me some motivation right from this page! If you do, I'll send you a cookie.

Someone Get Bobby Flay On The Phone!

2011-05-03T21:44:00.001-05:00

Yo! I hope everyone's week is off to a good start!!

My wireless has been down for almost 24 hours, and I really wanted to post when it started working again, but alas, no time. So let's play a little catch-up.

So, yesterday after my Elvis Smoothie, I showered and headed out to watch Boombastic's softball game. The weather didn't get any warmer. And I was a whiny, pouty, crabbykins about it. It was still 34* on the 1st of May and I was sitting outside, wrapped in a Mickey Mouse blanket, trying not to freeze to death. I'm still bitter about it. Boom Boom was nervous AAAALLLLLLLL day about the game! Truthfully I was sick of hearing about it, but I was excited to get out there and root for my team! And my Boo hit a single! Woot!

[Meet the Devils]

EATS:

After the game (tied 10-10), we were starving and wanted to get dinner from America's Next Great Restaurant, Soul Daddy at Mall of America. Did you ever watch that show on NBC. I was obsessed, and became so invested, and excited for the restaurant to open at #MOA! Well, the finale was Sunday, and the winner Soul Daddy was opening on Monday!

Unfortunately, they experienced such a high volume of customers (a 2 hour wait at it's peak) that the kept running out of food (I'm watching #thevoice right now, and instead of food just typed music...), so they closed 3 hours early! I was bumbed, and mad, and irritated! Didn't they know that it was gonna be really busy on opening day?! I mean, it was a national television competition! What did they think was going to happen!? They said they were going to try to better prepare themselves, and reopen Tuesday at 11 a.m., and stay open until they ran out of food. I'll probably try some other day, but... Whatever. I'm mad. I might call Bobby Flay and complain. And p.s. the fried chicken didn't make it back on the menu. I really should call Bobby Flay.

We were starvin' marvin by this time, and opted to go next door to Tony Roma's. Boomer had never been, and I could care less what I was gonna eat, as long as I ate. IMO it was a little overpriced (but I was at the Mall of America, where everything is a little overpriced), but it ended up being pretty good. I ordered a starter salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

There was a hair in my salad, which for me is no big deal. I work in food service, and have for almost 10 years, stuff happens. But because I work in food service, and there is a hair in my food, I examine it carefully to make sure it isn't my own. It wasn't, not to mention it was buried in the bottom of my salad, and no matter what you say, if a hair falls out of my head, and into a plate of food in front of me for no more than 3 minutes (I had JUST started eating), there is no way it is going to wiggle itself down into the bottom of the bowl, with just a little bit sticking out. The manager on duty dropped off out drinks from the bar, and since she was there already I politely mentioned the hair, and just asked if I could have a new one. She said yes, brought one out, and proceeded to tell me that all their kitchen staff where hairnets, and are very careful, and it rarely happens, but she would take it off my bill... No apology, and a passive aggressive way of saying to me that it was probably my hair. I work in food service. You aren't fooling me. I mastered that tone.

Anyway... I then got Rib tips, garlic mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob.

Yum. The ribs were tender and meaty, the sauce was sweet, smoky and vinegary, the mashed potatoes were smooth, and buttery. The corn was eh, but it's the corn's fault, not Tony Roma's. I pulled all the bones out of the ribs, smooshed my potatoes, and scraped all the corn off the cob. It was soo good, and exactly what I wanted! I only ate about two-thirds of it, because I was saving for dessert....

GELATO from Paciugo!!! This place opened up in the mall not too long ago. And while I love Freeziac fro-yo, and Haagen Daz for my cool dessert choices in the mall, I love me some gelato, and was real excited to try their fancy flavors! They offer straight up cups of gelato (and you can get multiple flavors in one cup), gelato in a cone, gelato shakes, gelato sundaes, affogato, and something they call sparkling shakes! Boomdawg and I split a Medio (medium) cup of 4 flavors!

We chose: Organic Maple Caramelized Bacon, Brown Sugar Waffle Cone, Cappuccino, and Chocolate Orange Saffron!! They were all thick, dense, creamy and smooth! The Chocolate Orange Saffron was a little too orangey, it over powered the other flavors, and that's all I could taste. But, the other 3 were heavenly! And the Organic Maple Caramelized Bacon had little bits of salty bacon in it. It was fantastic, I promise!

Yesterday was a fun, busy, and delicious day, but this post has gotten long! Until tomorrow lovelies....

When you're at a restaurant and get food that isn't right (according to how you ordered it), not good, gross (hair, foreign objects, etc.), or something else goes wrong do you say something, let it go, or reflect your experience in the tip?
--- I'm pretty understanding when it comes to service, if the food takes a while and it's busy, or if it comes out of the kitchen wrong if it's outside of their control. I'll definitely say something (not making a big deal about it) expecting the problem to be corrected. But Boomer HATES when I "complain."

Do you prefer ice cream, fro-yo, sorbet, sherbet, or gelato?
--- I don't discriminate. Cold, and creamy? I am all over it!

Light-Headed Legs

2011-05-02T16:28:00.003-05:00

Good afternoon friends!

I hope ya'll are had a great weekend!

My weekend was uneventful. My sleep schedule was all out of whack, so Sunday I slept until 3:30 p.m., got up, showered, dressed, and went to work. Work was reeaally slow, but I got a 17-top at 9:40 p.m. (20 minutes before close), of out of towners wanting to just sit and have a couple drinks, so I let them. If I was gonna be at work, I might as well make money! So I didn't leave until after 11:30 p.m., which was not as late as I was expecting! Cha-Ching!

Breakfast... which was more like lunch because I rolled out of bed around 11:30...

2 over easy eggs, hashbrowns, 2 sausages, and 1/2 a whole wheat strawberry muffin with lingonberry preserves, and a side of pineapple. I also had a small glass of orange juice, but I literally had a sip before I was over it.

The weather in Minneapolis is less than stellar. My theory that waiting until May to train would be perfect because it would be warm enough everyday for me to not make excuses, but I was wrong. It was 34* today when I was ready to head out for my wog. THIRTY FOUR DEGREES. That is 2 degrees above freezing. It was lame. But I knew if I didn't go today, if I didn't start today, I would keep putting it off, keep putting it off, and then I would look at the calendar and realize there was no way I was going to have enough time to train. And then I would quit, and fall into a downward spiral of self-loathing, self-hatred, embarrassment, and self-destruction. And I'm not down with that. So, I did it. I don't regret it yet, but that's because my toes are still at the "so cold they're numb," stage and not the "OMG, WTH was I thinking, my toes are on fire," stage.

Workout: 5 min warm-up walk. 60 second run, 90 second walk, repeat until 30 total minutes. I lost track of the time a few times, but I tried to make up for it by addign on 10 seconds of running every time, as well as running the last 1:30. And, drummroll please....

My very first Garmin Picture!! I got my Garmin on Friday, and have been holding my breathe until I could use it! It made my wog much easier to keep track of, especially because I am wogging according to time, not distance. I completed 1.79 miles in 30:15, which is about an average 16:00 minute mile. But my max speed was a 9 minute mile, which is cray-cray! This wog actually felt good. I was never too out of breathe (my lungs did start to hurt around minute 20, but I think it was the cold air), and even though I was freezing, and my legs went all numb and light-headed (can legs feel light-headed?), it was doable. And as long as it warms up (it is supposed to), I should complete my workouts with ease this week.

After my wog with Boom-Boom (who basically told me my workout was too easy), I made us smoothies for lunch.

Lunch: I was going for a chocolatey, peanut buttery smoothie. Something that tasted like a Reese's peanut butter cup, but I added too much banana, and not enough chocolate. So Boomtastic, and I decided it was more of an elvis smoothie!

(Ignore my lizard hands, and chipped nail polish please)

Elvis Smoothie for 2

1 Banana, frozen

2 Tblsp crunchy peanut butter

2 Tblsp Vanilla protein powder

2 tsp cocoa powder

2 Tblsp Chia Seeds

1 Cup milk

4 Ice cubes

Put it all in a blender, and Whirl until smooth

This smoothie was good, but not what I was craving...

Afterwards I stretched a little (probably not enough), enjoyed my smoothie, uploaded pics for this post, read blogs, and watched Dr. Oz (do you like The-Oz? I love him, did you see today's ep.? The Dukan Diet sounds like a crock!).

I'm about to hop in the shower, and get ready for Boom-diddily's softball game. And probably find something else to eat... But I will leave you with this hottness until next time...

(yes, I do spill on myself on a daily basis)

On a Totally Unrelated Note...

2011-04-30T14:31:00.001-05:00

Workout: None. I was going to walk yesterday, and today, but the weather isn't cooperating. Yesterday was up at 4:45 a.m. to watch the #royalwedding, and went back to sleep for a FOUR HOUR nap It was accidental, but it felt good. By the time I got up the weather was kinda cold, and windy, so I put off my walk until today. Not realizing that today would be equally cold and windy, andrainy. I might do some Jillian in my living room, but I doubt it.

Breakfast: I usually only post highlights of my meals here on HL. Mostly because I haven't mastered the food porn thing, my meals are usually pretty boring, and I haven't gotten over the self-conciousness of whipping out my camera and taking pics of my food at every meal... especially because the people I live with don't know about the blog. The reason I am telling you this is because breakfast today was most definitely a highlight. And because it was ugly, and I am shy, I didn't take a picture..... But imagaine, sausage, 1 egg + 1 egg white, asparagus, onions, and a Swiss Laughing Cow cheese all scrambled together. God, it was good. I had it with grapes, whole wheat toast, and OJ/Coconut water.

Since I should have posted at least 2 more times this week, and I should be exercising right now, let's talk about something totally unrelated....

Have you seen that video? No? Well, now it's story time. The first time I heard "The Lazy Song" By Bruno Mars I was appalled. It's a song all about being lazy, and not doing anything, and just laying in bed all day. I mostly felt that way because I am in the thrawls of an internal battle about getting a full-time job, or a second part-time job, getting back to school, paying off my debts, eating better and getting active. I resented him being able to sing about not doing anything all day. And I felt that he had a responsiblity to his young impressionable fans to be a role model, and not be an advocate for inactivity and obesity.

Then I fell off my soapbox, and got jiggy with it. It's a catchy song, it isn't his responsibility to teach our kids about ambition, and health, and let's face it, it's darn catchy (did I say that already?). It's a fun song.

And then last weekend I went out for a friends birthday (Happy Birthday Ricky!), and saw the music video. I don't watch music videos. Unless it's an artist that I obsess over, and await their next single, and stalk them on Twitter (follow me). [Sidenote: Remember when MTV actually played music videos? I remember running home from the bus stop in elementary, and middle school to catch TRL with Carson Daly's baby face (not to be confused with Babyface).] So, when I go out, I am transfixed by the giant T.V. screens playing music videos. It was there that my like for "The Lazy Song" turned into full blown L.O.V.E. Let me show you why...

You feel better now don't you?! You're welcome.P.s. If you are a child of the 90's/2000's please click on all of the links above.

Wogging with Jiggly Bits

2011-04-28T00:00:00.003-05:00

Monday's Workout: Gorgeous 1.5 mile walk around Lake Hiawatha. It was a pretty great day weather wise! And I had Pherroshus, and Boomer with me!

Workout: 2.44 mile walk around Lake Nokomis. It was freezing, and windy, and my legs went numb! But I finished! Hooray!

I have (kinda) started my training plan. I'm walking this week, getting myself mentally prepared for the workouts to come. I think the biggest things I have to overcome in the upcoming weeks are mental. Getting over my shyness of wogging (walking/jogging) around the lake, around other people, looking at me, watching me, laughing at me....

I know they aren't really laughing at me, but like I said, I'm mental... I mean, IT'S mental. I just really need to get over myself, and focus on what it is I am doing. I know that all the people around the lake aren't paying any kind of attention to me, they are there to do what they do, but there is a level of self-conciousness involved starting to run out in the open. Me wogging around, with all my jiggly bits jiggling, and such. I also know that they aren't laughing at me for walking as slow as I run. Sarah, Leslie and Bud told me to do it (the authors of Run Your Butt Off! ).

My other mental wall is believing I can actually do it! Walking around Nokomis today I looked at Boomer and said, "I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I am attempting to ultimately run 10 miles!" Boomer was more than amazing, and helped me think I could do it. But, even just walking 2 miles, and looking across the lake at the path that I had yet to cover it was so overwhelming. I don't know how many times I drove around that lake watching runners, and thinking, "I could never do that!" But here I am, trying to do it.

I keep telling myself that whether I do it or not is totally based on the level of effort I put in. And I am putting the effort in. I've already made the decision. There is no going back.

A few more things:

Books I am reading...

For running information:

This book has proven to be full of great information, and a great training plan! I want to delve further into this in a separate post, but I think this book is going to be a great reference point for me over the coming weeks!

For running sarcasm, fun, and a good laugh at myself and every other runner out there:

The Non Runner's Marathon Guide For Women by Dawn Dais. I started reading this book on Amazon, and thought it was well written, funny, and realistic. It has an every-woman's view on running. Only funnier. It makes fun of the insanity that it takes to be a marathoner, and the cold hard reality that goes into being a runner. The blisters, the chafing, the early mornings, and the desire to punch your trainer in the face are all out in the open for you to read!

For new lighter recipes:

I have only thumbed through this, but the reviews and the pictures alone have me sold. Bring a culinary school drop-out, I learned a lot about cooking with tons of butter, oil, and salt, and I need to learn to bring it down a notch. Especially after learning everything that I have from Run Your Butt Off! (RYBO).

Let's do some recent eats:

What things do you do to get you over that mental hump, in anything you do?

-- I look to a loved one for encouragement, or break down whatever it is I am doing into doable steps so it isn't so overwhelming.

Read any good books lately? Please share!

-- My library is opening on Saturday after and extensive remodel, I cannot wait to check it out and bring home some books that I didn't pay for! So let me in on what you love!

The Training Plan

2011-04-22T23:03:00.001-05:00

I cannot express how excited and terrified I am for my race. I told someone about it yesterday, and they asked me if I was going to win... Um..... sure, yeah, I'm going to win.

Winning and finishing is that same thing right?

As long as I finish (conscious) I'll consider that a win.

I was planning on getting my legs used to the movement by walking every day this week. But the midwest weather hasn't been cooperating. Rain, hail, or snow every day this week. It's got me bummed, stressed, and overwhelmed. And has me in Type-A, OCD, planner, worrier, freak-out mode.

There are 22 weeks from Easter Sunday to race day. Before registering I did some research and figured it would take about 20 weeks to safely train, at a level I thought was doable. And after some serious down and dirty research, I have devised a strategy.

I'm starting with the Cool Running Couch-to-5k Program. It is based on the run/walk principle, which I think is ideal for me (and any beginner), especially because of my shin splints, and my lack of running skill.

Once I have successfully completed my Couch-to-5K program, I will take on the following 10 mile training plan, which starts at 3 miles. It has me upping my running from 3 days a week (6-9 miles/wk), to 4 days a week (13-25 miles/wk). I will probably be continuing the run/walk program through my 10 mile training, and hopefully building up to run it non-stop. The plan that I am following has the days I am not running as rest days, but I will be cross training those days, alternating between weight training, and yoga. I want to be able to tone up while doing all of this new cardio, and yoga to keep my muscles loose, and to try to stay a step ahead of DOMS. All of my runs the first few weeks will be followed by an ice bath, and once my legs get used to running, ice baths will be reserved for after long runs.

This gives me a 19 week training program. Which gives me about a 3 week cushion should anything go wrong. I plan to walk (fingers crossed) next week, and then start the C25K program on May 1st.

Are you bored yet? I am so overwhelmed now. Do you know how long 19 weeks is? Oy! I am almost set to go! I've got 3 running related books in my to-read pile, compression sleeves for my shin splints, and next week I want to go for a shoe fitting and gait analysis! I am trying to be as prepared as possible for this! I want to avoid, injury, and unnecessary pain as much as possible! So I need your help!

Is there any advice you have for me? I know there are much more seasoned runners out there, and I need all the help I can get! Whether it's training, equipment, cross-training suggestions, I am open, and willing to try/read/do (almost) anything!

Do you think I am at risk for overuse?

Am I over thinking this?

Am I crazy?

Guess What I just did...

2011-04-19T02:23:00.007-05:00

I registered for my first race ever!

On September 25th, 2011, I will be running the Women Run The Cities 10-Miler! I am really excited, and really freaking nervous!!

After a long (albeit drunken) talk with good friend Micaela (who is a phenomenal woman, and runner) and watching the Boston Marathon yesterday I decided to take the plunge!

I don't talk about it a lot on the blog, but I has a slight obsession with running, and runners. But I don't actually run. I would love to, and one of my major life goals is to finish a marathon. I have talked about getting into running for years, but haven't gotten further than week 2 of the Couch-to-5K program. I told myself, and even advertised on the blog that I was going to run the Valentine's Day 5k this year, but I made that decision before realizing that I had a (huge) dance competition that day, and I wasn't going to be able to do both. After that realization, signing up for a race fell to the wayside, for one reason or another (i.e. lack of time, weather, self-doubt, my weight, shin splints).

But after talking with Micaela, I realized I was being a wuss, and learned some very important things...

I need take Nike's advice, and Just Do It! No excuses, I have to just get up, and start walking, then running, and hopefully the rest will come.
I don't have to be an athlete to be a runner... I just have to run.
It's ok to start out slow. It's been months since I have worked out regularly, and hearing that it is ok to start by just walking a couple of miles a day before even starting a run/walk program puts me at ease.
Spending the money on the race will help push me to get going. I am poor, I can't afford to just throw away $40.
I'll have a running buddy, and buddies make it better. Right now I don't have anyone to run, or even work out with! And I know from past experience that committing to working out with someone totally holds me accountable. And with Micaela (who lives over an hour away) moving back to the Twin Cities in 2 weeks, and I am geeked to run with her!

Fundamentally these are all things that I already knew. Having someone close to me, who has experience in the sport reiterate all of these things makes it more feasible, and relaxes me about it. But we are our own worst critic, and I hate to fail/disappoint myself and others. But I think I will regret not taking the risk more than never trying.

So, here goes nothing!

Happy Birthday Pherroshus!!

2011-04-13T09:06:00.009-05:00

Hey guys!

So today is a very special day!

Today is my favorite person's birthday!

Over the last 18 months this little guy has made such an impact on my life, and has taught me so much about life, love, and loyalty.

Happy 2nd Birthday Paw-Paw!

Love, Hannah

And the second thing that makes today a very special day is we find out who the winner of theO.N.E. Coconut Water Giveaway is! I had so much fun being able to host this giveaway, and I want to thank O.N.E. Coconut Water for the opportunity! This is the biggest giveaway I've ever had, and I hope that all of you new readers stick around for what is definitely a good time!!

But without further a due, the winners are...

If you ladies will e-mail me at hannah [at] hannahlivesblog [dot] com with your full name, and mailing address, I will forward that to O.N.E. Coconut Water, and they will get your cases out to you!!!

Thanks everyone for entering! Have a great Wednesday!

Rainbow Gooey Butter Cookies

2011-04-07T03:54:00.006-05:00

*Make sure you go check out my O.N.E. Coconut Water Giveaway and enter. Now. I'll wait.

I made some cookies yesterday.

They were good.

They were a riff on my friend Paula Deen’s recipe. And because of a certain someone I’ve developed a habit for rainbow sprinkles.

But there are worse habits to have, right? I’m not going around the neighborhood kicking puppies or anything.

This post just took a morbid turn, I apologize.

The point is, I really like rainbow sprinkles. They are happy, and colorful, and make me wish it was my birthday. If i had kids this is probably the treat I would send them to school with to share on their birthday. But I don't have kids, so I'll just have to eat them myself.

I also really like gooey, cream-cheesy, sugary, goodies.

So if you like super sweet, cream-cheesy, ooey, gooey goodness, that are a little more of a cakey, chewy cookie, than a crispy, chewy cookie, these definitely fit the bill.

The ingredient list is short, and the product is a very sweet, gooey, cakey cookie with a crackled surface, and fun rainbow interior! And they couldn’t be easier to make! It would be a very good idea to make these. A very good idea.

Rainbow Gooey Butter Cookies

Yields: approx. 24-1.5 inch cookies

Adapted from: Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

1-8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

1-18 oz. box of Super Moist Yellow cake mix

2 Tbls rainbow sprinkles

1 Cup Confectioners sugar

Cream together room temperature butter, and cream cheese until smooth
Beat in egg until fully incorporated
Add in vanilla extract, and beat until combined
Dump in cake mix, and mix until fully incorporated, dough will be sticky-don’t fret!
Fold in sprinkles until even distributed
Wrap tightly in saran wrap and set in fridge to chill for at least 1 hour
Preheat oven to 350*, and place confectioners sugar in a bowl and set aside
Once chilled, remove dough from fridge, unwrap, and scoop about 2 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and roll into a ball
Place dough balls in bowl of confectioners sugar, and shake (in batches) to coat
Place sugar coated cookies on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes until puffed up, and slightly golden on the bottom
Allow to cool on baking sheets, and Enjoy!

I have said "ooey, gooey, cream-cheesy, sugary, blah blah blah," approximately 1,200 times in this post. That has got to count for something, right?

O.N.E. Coconut Water is a Lifesaver + Giveaway

2011-04-05T13:13:00.007-05:00

After being so busy with work, and being a typical early-twenty-something the last couple of weeks, I have re-learned the importance of hydration.

I constantly have water with me, I drink it all throughout the day, and it is the last thing I do before I go to sleep, and the first thing I do when I wake up (right after running to the little girls room). Especially when I'm really busy, or partaking in a lot of alcohol. But sometimes, water just doesn't cut it. Sometimes I need something more.

This is where O.N.E Coconut Water comes in.

I have been drinking O.N.E. Coconut Water for almost a year now, and it is a lifesaver! Coconut water is a natural sports drink that contains five of the essential (and naturally present) electrolytes we need during rigorous workouts, with less sugar than a sports drink, and fruit juice. It also hydrates better than water!

And it tastes delicious! It comes in four flavors, regular, mango, pineapple, and (my personal favorite) pink guava. They also have smaller sized juice boxes whose flavors are more geared towards children as a better alternative to fruit juice boxes, and sports drinks for active little ones! I have tried all four flavors of O.N.E Kids, and they are all good (raspberry lemonade being my fav)!

I attribute O.N.E. with getting me through tough workouts, long weekends, and illness (when I had pneumonia in January O.N.E. was the only thing I could keep down). It is also a big factor in my weight loss thus far! I love this stuff! And I first got the chance to try O.N.E. Coconut Water because of a blog giveaway, and I am so excited to share that the nice people at O.N.E. are giving me an opportunity to share my love for their products with you!

Courtesy of O.N.E. Coconut Water I will be giving away five (5) cases of O.N.E. Coconut water to (all) 5 of my fantastic readers!!

There are 3 ways to enter:

Leave me a comment! Say anything you want!
Follow me @HannahLivesBlog on Twitter and tweet: "Enter to win a case of @OneCoconut at @HannahLivesBlog and get hydrated - http://bit.ly/hB14jE" Leave a comment telling me you did so!
Follow @OneCoconut on Twitter! And, leave a comment telling me you about it!

Contest closes at 10p.m. (CDT) on Tuesday April 12, 2011. Winner will be chosen via random.org, and announced on Wednesday April 13, 2011.

I hope you are feeling lucky!

Playing Catch-Up

2011-04-04T14:05:00.011-05:00

Let's play catch-up. Another week (or more) had passed, and while I do apologize, I haven't exactly been sitting on my bum avoiding you. I actually struggle with this on a regular basis. Every couple of weeks I get in a routine that works for me. A schedule that allows me to work, eat right, exercise, blog, sleep, and get everything done on my to do list on a regular basis. But then my schedule changes (usually I end up working more), and that routine goes out the window.

And then the soul-searching begins, and I try to figure out what it is I am doing wrong, and thinking there has to be a better way. And trying to figure out a new routine. But I work nights, and it can be really tough for me and my sleep schedule, blogging routine, and exercise regime. I end up working from 5p.m.-12 a.m.-ish, get home, get a second wind, go to bed around 3 (or 4) a.m., and I'm up around noon.... (I'm one of those people that needs 9 hours of sleep to function) and Oops there goes my day. At that point I shower, eat, do a load of laundry, and get ready to leave for work. It's an ugly cycle, but I am going to work on it.

Here are some ways I have thought to help with getting in a routine:

Blogging when I get home from work at night
Forcing myself out of bed a little earlier in the afternoon to hit the gym
Making most of my blog-worthy recipes on my day off
Try to have at least 2 days off each week
Spend more time outside, soak up the sun, and relax

Enough with the talking. Let's see what has been going on outside of work:

It's spring! I walked to mi madre's house, and took Pherroshus for a walk on Saturday. We went along the creek, and around the lake. The creek is completely melted, and the lake is almost thawed! And there is life, the Mallards are home!

With my schedule being a little crazy, and backwards, my eating is out of wack! I haven't been cooking nearly as much as I would like, so I've been trying to start out my days with Green Monsters so that I know I am getting fruits and veggies in!

I made a trip to Trader Joe's (twice!), AND Whole Foods this week! I got some goodies. Sunflowers to brighten my life, Sunflower Seed Butter to feed my belly, Dark Chocolate Almonds to feed my soul, and TJ's Very Green Supplement to nourish my body!

I've enjoyed a few Cookie Dough Balls from my freezer, and iced milk...

I've done some work on my inspiration board...

I ate a GIGANTIC Strawberry! It was huge! Like the size of a tennis ball, huge!

And I was "in" a wedding, along with my friend Jess! My friend Julia got married a little over a week ago to a really great guy. The three of us have been friends since 3rd grade, and I love them so much! I say I was "in" the wedding because it was a small courthouse ceremony (so no formal wedding party) and dinner, but the reception is in August.

Along with all that I've been working 6 days a week, and trying to work out 3 days a week. I'm working on getting my schedule in check, and hopefully we will be getting back to normal around here soon!

Time (doesn't) Stand Still

2011-03-25T10:35:00.001-05:00

I am only writing this today because I don't want to look around and see that it has been 2 weeks since I have posted, time definitely does not stand still! Annnnnd I wanted you to know what I'm been doing.

I have been working, and living (read: partying) like a mad woman. I haven't cooked/baked anything "new" in a very long time. Sticking to staples: smoothies, yogurt bowls, fried eggs and toast, coffee, tequila, chocolate chip cookies, bacon, oranges, and the last few pears of the season :-(. As well as...

I've also been loving on these...

It's been fun, and crazy, and lovely the last two weeks! And, I am glad that I had the chance to sit down and share with you!! My plans for the weekend? I wedding tonight, a Pure Romance party after that, and then lots of sleep... Tomorrow, we will see what happens! Have a great weekend!!

Progress

2011-03-14T14:46:00.002-05:00

After telling you about my lenten sacrifice (pop, and swearing) I went back and looked at my 101 things in 1,001 days. Let's see if I've made any progress, shall we?

source

Start Date: January 5, 2011
Completion Date: October 2, 2013

In Progress is in Italics
Completed is in Bold

Travel:
1. Visit 3 new states (0/3) Hopefully I'm heading to Tennessee next month!
2. Visit a new country
3. See the Grand Canyon
4. See Mount Rushmore
5. Visit Ground Zero
6. See Golden Gate Bridge
7. Fly first class
8. Go to a blogging conference (Foodbuzz, Blogher, EatWriteRetreat)- Have you read my blog post about Fitbloggin'?
9. Take the train to Duluth
10. See the Vikings play outside of Minnesota

Personal:
11. Get a brazilian wax
12. Read 10 new books (yes, cookbooks count!)- I have started PW's BHTW
13. Run a 5K
14. Run a 10K
15. Run a 1/2 Marathon
16. Run a Marathon
17. Take a dance class
18. Go on a dance audition
19. Wear a bikini (in public)
20. Ride a motorcycle
21. Play a round of golf
22. Get my tattoo
23. Wear 5" heels
24. Write a list of 25 things I like about myself
25. Walk through a haunted house
26. Go Skydiving
27. Adopt a dog
28. Get my own place
29. Take a ballroom dance class
30. Purchase a DSLR 2/15/11
31. Take a photography class
32. Make a family calendar with photos I've taken
33. See a musical on Broadway
34. Purchase the t-shirt quilt I have been eyeing for 4.5 years

Health:
35. Lose 20 lbs
36. Lose 50 lbs
37. Lose 75 lbs
38. Lose 101 lbs
39. Drink 2 liters of water a day for 21 days
40. Run everyday for 21 days
41. Exercise everyday for 21 days
42. Take a daily vitamin for 21 days-I am on the Gummy Vitamin Train!

Skills:
43. Understand basic html
44. Learn the game of golf
45. Learn to play a song on the guitar
46. Learn to speed read
47. Plant a successful herb garden
48. Get CPR certified
49. Learn to play one card game, really well
50. Learn to knit
51. Knit an infinity scarf
52. Learn to drive a stick shift

Blog:
53. Purchase Domain name 2/18/11
54. Design (or contract) a personalized header
55. Develop and post 30 new recipes (0/30)
56. Maintain an average of 4.4 posts per week
57. Write 4 guest posts for various blogs- if the opportunity arises (0/4)

Education/Career:
58. Complete bachelor's degree
59. Get a full-time job- I am looking every day!
60. Get a freelance writing job
61. Go to 3 networking events (0/3)

Organization:
62. Purchase an Erin Condren planner, and use it
63. Buy an external hardrive, and organize said hardrive 02/11
64. Get a closet organizer
65. File all of important papers (in a file cabinet)
66. Get rid of all clothes not worn in last 12 months
67. Get ANOTHER shoe organizer

Money:
68. Pay off credit cards
69. Save $1,001
70. Save for and purchase a new-to-me car
71. Invest more than the minimum to IRA for 6 months (0/6)

Food and Drink:
72. Drink only water for one week
73. Eat at 10 new(to me) local restaurants
74. Eat in for 1 whole month - I started this in January, and then got sick... and all I could keep down was wonton soup from a local chinese place
75. Give up pop for 1 year
76. Eat at 3 "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" joints (0/3)
77. Try 5 new foods (1/5) (Blood Oranges 03/11,
78. Make, pack, and enjoy a gourmet picnic
79. Visit a local farmer's market 3 times per season (0/9)
80. Host at least 4 dinner parties a year (february 2011,
81. Host a pizza party
82. Serve a gourmet 4-course dinner

Relationships:
83. Start and maintain a monthly away from home date night with Boomer
84. Write and send 1 "Just to say, Hi!" note every month for 6 months (0/6)
85. Start and maintain a bi-weekly girls night with Jules and J
86. Throw a kick ass bachelorette party for Jules
87. Foster relationships with 3 old friends-to the "hanging out/texting" stage (0/3)

Giving:
88. Write and post 20 Operation Beautiful notes (0/20)
89. Give 5 "just because" gifts (0/5)
90. Volunteer at least 10 hours to a new charity (10 hours each) (0/10)
91. Give Blood
92. Let my sister know how much I appreciate her
93. Raise $300 for ADA's Step Out Walk
94. Actually RUN ADA'a Step Out Walk

Indulgences:
95. Get 2 full body massages (0/2)
96. Get hair extensions
97. Get monthly manicure/pedicure from April-September (0/6) - I started early, got 1 in March!
98. Get a professional bra fitting
99. Buy 1 high quality bra

I'm 69 days into this challenge, and while I definitely could be doing more.The verdict is: Ok. There are 4 categories that I am not actively working on an item from. And there are quite a few that I could be working on "inactively." And the ones I am working on, I could definitely be doing more.

In progress: 10 items

Completed: 3 items

I'm 69 days in and it is time to get my butt in gear!

Can you help me with any of my goals? Tips, tricks, or advice?

Do you have a 101 in 1,001 goals list? Link to it in the comments.

My list is a little short, so what would you add?

Five Things

2011-03-11T22:46:00.004-06:00

My week has been a whirlwind. I had a really great Monday, and ate some great veggies. Tuesday, I made a meat free decision, and then changed my mind, and was also the longest day of my life (I'm so dramatic). Which, made it necessary for a Mental Health day on Wednesday. Thursday I entered a contest to get a ticket to Fitbloggin' 11. And today I am looking ahead to a busy and fun couple of weeks, and reminding myself of all the things that made me smile this week despite the really awful 24 hour period I lived through.

Seared Ahi Tuna, so good it makes you wanna slap your momma.

This fortune cookie fortune that forces me to believe in myself.

Sitting in Barnes & Noble, drinking a Starbucks skinny vanilla latte, reading cookbooks I can't afford... Especially ones about Bacon.

This gift bag I found that I thought about buying, and framing. But then I Googled it and found these. Even better.

My favorite orangey/red O.P.I Cajun Shrimp Mani/Pedi that I got, to try and will spring to come faster. I don't want to be sad anymore.

Let's Go to Fitbloggin' 11

2011-03-10T22:33:00.003-06:00

I've been reading healthy living, fitness, and food blogs for the better part of two years. And just recently became active in the community, via commenting, e-mailing thanks, and congratulations to bloggers, and most obviously this blog. I love this community, and I have developed friendships with these bloggers (in my head), and think of them as friends. I have learned so much about food, fitness, and life, and I want to learn so much more.

I have heard of, and read about many of the different conferences that go on throughout the year, and while I have thought about what I great time all of these bloggers are having, I never really thought about going myself. That is until this year....

I have pledged to myself that I will attend at least one blogging conference before October 2013 (101 in 1,001). And Fitbloggin' is giving away 5 tickets to Fitbloggin' 11 in Baltimore this May! This is my chance!

Fitbloggin' is a conference for fitness, wellness, and healthy living bloggers to come together and "educate, network, and make friends." I would really love to go to Fitbloggin', especially this year. They've created a 3 track structure for the conference this year. So along with the 5K run, and fitness classes, and expo on Day 1, Day 2 features 15 different sessions, falling under one of the three tracks: Lab, where you'll learn hands on skills to apply to your blog; Discussion, a group of panelists will discuss hot topics, providing insight and inspiration; and Newbie, which is specifically designed teach new bloggers the basics, and an informal format for them to ask questions.

I am most excited about networking and meeting other bloggers, and potentially making friends. But as far as sessions go I am so excited for, "Building an Online Community," "Better Blog Photography," and "Design 101." I am excited so excited to learn from so many smart, and talented speakers, including some of my favorite bloggers; Jenn Emmert - a fellow Minnesotan (PriorFat Girl), Kath Younger (Kath Eats Real Food), Monica Olivas (Run Eat Repeat), Tina Haupert (Carrots 'N' Cake), and last but not least Matt Frazier (No Meat Athlete)!!

I think this sounds like a blast, and I would love to go! if this is something that interests you, I suggest you click on the fancy little countdown doo-hickey up there and get to registering. Maybe (hopefully) I will see you there!

The Funk

2011-03-09T19:20:00.001-06:00

I am currently on my coach eating radiatore and shrimp in a tomato cream sauce, drinking wine, and watching American Idol.

I've had a never ending stream of bad news, mishaps, hiccups, and just plain old bad mojo since yesterday afternoon. Things just aren't going according to plan. So I apologize for the last (this makes) three posts not being "normal" (not that I know what normal is for this blog yet), but I'm trying to get my shiz together, and get in a groove, and a routine.

I've got a lot of things planned for this blog, and my life, but for the last 24 hours there has been a roadblock at every corner. After giving myself a migraine this morning, I took some Excedrine, and decided to stop feeling sorry for myself. I pulled myself out of bed at around 5:30 pm., and through myself into the kitchen. The plan was to make so much stuff that the only things in my head were, butter, sugar, cream, pasta, cheese, temperatures, recipes, cooking times, and boiling water. It worked until I was about to finish off my turkey enchiladas, and realized I was out of cheese. And then I had one more thing to list on my growing heap of ~~bullsh~~ bologna.

So, for now, I am going to finish watching this played out show, eat my pasta, drink some wine, bake some cookies, and ignore the fact that I feel like this:

And hopefully tomorrow I will feel a little more like this:

P.s. I'm giving up swearing for Lent (and pop too, because it is one of my 2011 goals, and 1,001 things, and I have kinda failed thus far). My mother reminded me that I gave up meat last year, and told me I was lame. So... bye-bye F-bombs!

A Mental Health Day

2011-03-09T13:43:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a very long day for me for many reasons. One of which is that I was up until about 4 a.m., and then woken up at 7 a.m. And am now suffering the consequences. I had a blog post to write, a job to hunt, some food to cook, and workout to do. But, instead I am going to sleep, read, and wish I was in a cozy hotel room looking out on the North Shore.

I'm taking a mental health day. Have a fabulous Wednesday!

Oops

2011-03-08T21:49:00.001-06:00

I changed my mind.

Call me a wuss.

Judge me if you must.

But it's almost the eleventh hour and I am buckling under the pressure!

BUCKLING I SAY!

HEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!

The Final Meat Free Decision

2011-03-08T15:02:00.000-06:00

Good afternoon!

Let's keep it short and sweet, and then get to the matter at hand.

Workout

Day 2 of 30 Day Shred. I didn't work as hard today because I'm really sore, and my shins were on screaming even during the first circuit. I feel like a bit of a wuss because of it, and Jillian's yelling started to get to me, so I pushed harder during circuits 2 and 3.

Eats

P.F. Chang's leftovers. Buddha's Feast with brown rice (with sriracha), and approximately 2.5 Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

I was feeling snacky afterward, so I had a clementine...

And a LaraBall, while icing my shins and reading blogs. This is my homemade version of the LaraBar. I love Larabars. But they are pricey, and so I had to do something about it. I bought a big thingamajig of Medjool dates, and got to work one day. I made peanut butter chocolate chip LaraBalls. I keep them in a bag in the freezer, and eat them cold, they're good.

Question, how long am I supposed to ice my shins for? It's starting to hurt.

So... the Meat Free Decision. I'm going to go Pescatarian. Little emphasis on the Pesc. And implementing Friday as a free day. I chose Pescatarian because I worry about my protein intake. I know it's probably bullocks because I'm an American, and of all the nutrients we lack, protein is not one of them. I worry that I won't have the good sense to do my research and find other sources of protein (besides tofu), and being slightly anemic, not getting enough iron. I've started taking a multivitamin, so it should combat my worries, and inefficiencies, so I do want to limit my seafood intake to no more than 3 servings per week. And the new institution of Friday Free day is mostly because I just went grocery shopping and I want to get through some of it. My mind may change again by the end of the day, I'll let you know.

The Best Vegetables I've Ever Eaten

2011-03-07T23:03:00.000-06:00

So, I'm still on the fence about the "Meat Free Decision." And I still need your input. I weighed the options with Boomer, but we are still trying to figure out what is best for us. I'm leaning more towards Meatless Monday, and maybe Wednesday, and Friday too.

Workout

I was going to hold off on sharing but I'm kinda proud of myself. I bought Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred a couple months ago, and I've been putting off starting the program for a while, mostly because I am the queen of procrastination and excuses. But I did it, I finally did it! I started day 1 of the program! I started with level 1, it was hard, and I had to stop for a second during most sets (usually only missing 1 rep) to catch my breathe, but I got in a good sweat, kept my heart rate up and finished strong. I want to keep this up for the full thirty days, and maybe somehow work it in as part of my lent thingamajigger. And maybe when the 30 days are up I'll be able to start running! My shin splints started to hurt during the 30 second intervals of jumping jacks, and ~~ass~~ butt kicks, but I'm gonna try my compression socks, and icing them from here on out!

Eats

After my workout Boomer got home, so I hoped in the shower, got dressed and we headed out for dinner and a movie. We ended up at P.F. Chang's, and as we pulled into the parking lot I had already decided what I was gonna get.

Buddha's Feast. It's a "Vegetable medley (included sugar snap peas, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms) with five-spice tofu served steamed or stir-fried," I chose stir-fried. These are the best vegetables I have ever had. This is my second favorite thing on the menu, and I try to get it every time I'm there, but sometimes all Boomer wants is Orange Chicken. But my faaaavorite thing is.....

Seared Ahi Tuna!! "Sushi grade for the sushi fan. Served cold with spicy mustard and fresh mixed greens," but what really makes this good is the seasoning seared onto the tuna. Yummy. I also really love the spicy mustard. It was happy hour (yes, I ate dinner at like 4:30 p.m.), so we also got some cheapy happy hour stuff.

Chang's Chicken Lettucs Wraps, "Quickly-cooked spiced chicken served with cool lettuce cups." I had never tried these before, but I guess they are famous for them. They were really good, cool, refreshing, sweet, salty, garlicy, and a little ginger. It had water chestnuts in it, which aren't my fav, but I could hardly tell they were there.

We also had an order of vegetable spring rolls, which I didn't know they were fried when I ordered them, but the waitress warned us and we got them anyway. And I am glad I did, it was light and crispy, and fresh!

My Plate:

I had a second lettuce wrap, and double the veggies. I also finished the salad "garnish" on the ahi tuna plate (the spicy mustard sauce is so friggin' good)! Everything was perfect, and exactly what I needed!

I ended the night with a fortune cookie, that had the perfect fortune in it. Which added to the whole, "exactly what I needed" feeling.

After dinner we saw....

You should know something about me. I looooove the 80's. Love 'em. I was born in the wrong decade. Ahh to be a teen in the late 80's. I thought this movie was gonna be kinda dumb, I didn't really know what it was going to be about, but the trailer was just so cheesy, and it had Topher Grace (Geek God) in it, so it was a must see. And it was so cute, and funny, and pretty perfect for the transitional place that I am in, after college, finding a job, relationships, living with the parents, wondering what to do with my life, etc. Love it! If you like 80's music, and crude humor, see it.

I brought my own movie snacks, but I didn't eat any of them, I was too busy laughing!

Now it's time for a little t.v., and some shut eye!

What was the best thing you ate today?

Um... Buddha's Feast, and Seared Ahi. Duh!

What movie, that is in the theaters now that you can't wait to see?

Not gonna lie. Justin Bieber's Never Say Never.

The Meat Free Decision

2011-03-07T13:45:00.001-06:00

I am by no means a devote Catholic. I don't think I even count as Catholic (should Catholic be capitalized?). I consider myself Spiritual Agnostic, however many moons ago I was baptized catholic. I don't ever recall going to a catholic church growing up, but I know my parents say they are Catholic, and then there is the whole baptism thing, so for all intended purposes let's just say I'm catholic.

Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday. Which means, Lent. I really like participating in Lent. Whether I'm catholic or not, I like the idea of giving up something in the name of something holy, or spiritual, sacrificing for a higher power. Now as I said before, I'm not really catholic, so I don't really know a lot about Lent, and the story/reason behind it (please enlighten me), but that is the reason I've built in my head. I've participated in lent since high school and my "sacrifices" have run the gamut from giving up pop, to pray/meditating every day, to volunteering X amount of time at the homeless shelter.

But this year, I have been struggling to come up with what I can "sacrifice" or give back. And I thought I wanted it to be something that will benefit me, and the greater good. And what came to mind was going vegetarian.

I don't want to say for sure, because truthfully I don't know that I can live without bacon, or seafood. I just don't know that I could actually do it. I've thought about just doing Meatless Monday, but I almost feel like that's not enough, and I've thought about participating in Fish Friday, but again, it seems like not enough. I'm one of those all or nothing people, which I know isn't helpful to anyone, so help show me that it's ok to compromise. Or tell me that I'm a big baby, suck it up, and Just Do It!

Breakfast:

2 eggs over-easy on a sandwich thin with melted cheddar, 2 strips of bacon, and a cup of coffee with milk. Why yes, that is Minnie Mouse peeking out behind my eggs!

It was a Disney kind of day! ;-)

Rounded out with a 2% Mango Cho! This was delicious! I've never had 2% Cho, and it was so creamy. And Mango (along with Pineapple) is def one of my favorite flavors now!

I took a little nap after this. I worked late last night, and didn't get to bed until 2 a.m., and woke up around 7 a.m., so I took a nice 2 hours nap. I'm still not all that hungry for lunch yet. I think I'm going to squeeze in a workout, and then have a late lunch. Off I go!

Do you observe Lent? If so, what luxury are you giving up, or plan on doing differently?

What would you do in terms of going vegetarian for Lent? Do I observe meatless monday, 2 meatless meals a day, meatless Sat.-Thurs.? Or do I go with my all-or-nothing attitude?

My Weekend

2011-03-06T10:45:00.000-06:00

This is actually my second time writing this post.... Let's hope it turns out ok...

I spent a lot of the weekend job hunting. I thought I was going to get a job I interviewed for but I'm losing faith. I've spoken to the woman that interviewed me ever week since the interview, but I'm starting to get the feeling that maybe they don't know how to let me down.... So i've been eating my way through my feelings, stressing out, and job-hunting.

In my Five Things Friday post I mentioned I had a weird week. The job thing was part of it, but I was also in a bit of excitement, and despair regarding this blog, and this life of mine. But I came across a new blog, and it totally inspired, and rejuvenated what I want to do with this blog, and my life if we wanna get real deep! Enter, Run, Eat, Repeat. Monica is hilarious, and real, and I can learn a lot from her, as well as with her. If that makes sense.

On to the eats! I ate a lot, and yet have very few photos to show for it. I guess I forget to grab my camera every time I reached for a handful of Quaker Oatmeal squares, Crazy Core Skittles, clementines, granola, and yogurt. Oops, My bad. But, here is what I did document.

Friday night Freeziac run! I love self serve fro-yo, and I love this place, it has such a variety of fro-yo, and toppings, and it's yummy. I don't love that it's in the Mall of America, but oh well. I can still be in and out in 10 minutes. In the mix: tart strawberry, and lemon, sweet peanut butter, mocha cappuccino swirl, and dulce de leche. On top: fresh strawberries, blackberries, mangos, kiwis, and raspberry sauce, and cookie dough bits, and chocolate chips. Double Yum!

Saturday morning breakfast was 2 over easy eggs with swiss, on a sandwich thin, a smoothie with greek yogurt, berries, 1/2 frozen banana, grapefruit juice, almond butter, ice, and a lil granola on top (i'm out of spinach, and wished I had had some for my smoothie, I don't think I can drink a smoothie without the green stuff ever again). With a side of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. But then I felt guilty and got back to job hunting.

I used my frozen perfect pizza crust, jarred marinara, sausage, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, swiss cheese, and blueberry vanilla goat cheese. It may sound weird but it was good! Swiss is such a mild cheese so I went ahead and added the goat cheese. The sweetness from the blueberries really complemented the salty sausage, and sweet onions, and you still got the unmistakable tang from the goat cheese! Freakin' delicious!

Boomer also got a Neti-Pot type thing from a co-worker and used it last night. I took some pictures because I thought it was heeelarious at the time, especially Boomer's freak-out, but now the pictures just look gross. So, I'll spare you.

What has been the highlight of your weekend?

-- Fro-yo and goat cheese pizza. Yes, my life is centered around food!

What kind of eater are you? Do you eat when you're stressed, bored, tired, sad, happy, angry, hurt, or just plain old hungry?

-- All of the above, but I'm working on only eating when I;m hungry.... speaking of... is it lunch time yet?

I'm SAD.

2011-03-05T13:39:00.001-06:00

I want to show you something.

Welcome to my life. I don't think my SAD is going away any time soon.

Let's cry together.

Five Things

2011-03-05T01:51:00.001-06:00

I've had a weird week. I came home from a vacation. Had my end of the year banquet for dance. Cleaned for two days straight. Had blogger's block. Made some treats. And then bought lots of Boomer food from Trader Joe's. Tried a new fruit for the first time. Cried a little. Started a new adventure by signing a Foodbuzz contract. Hoped to hear from a potential new job, got put off another week. Cried a little more. Did a lot more job-hunting. And ate more sweets. Started reading a(nother) new blog, and got inspired. Then decided it was positivity from here on out. Made some decisions about my life. And I intend to follow them. So, in the style of Emily (whom I wish I could do everything in her style), here are Five Things I am really loving this week!

These roses I got from my dancers at the banquet. I love them all very much, and it touches me that they feel the same way... (at least I think they do).

This pup and his crazy underbite getting his staples out, and being 100% again!

Crazy good Paneer Tikka Masala, and Garlic Naan from Trader Joe's. Seriously. Delish.

I still have 4 of these frozen in my freezer (duh), just 10 minutes away from consuming. And I have plans to make more tomorrow.

Importing pictures from two cameras, and finding pictures like this that remind you what awesome people you have in your life!

P.S. Go! Team! Canada!

Weird.

2011-03-02T10:24:00.001-06:00

I have an urge to talk about something other than food today. Weird, I know. I haven't cooked anything new since coming home from Lutsen. And, I have cooker's block. But let's cover Breakfast first.

Breakfast

Green Monster (for 2):

1 handful of spinach (I finished it!)

1/3 cup frozen berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry)

1 frozen banana

Black cherry Chobani

1/2 cup grapefruit juice

2 Tblsp Almond Butter

4 ice cubes

Quaker Oatmeal Squares and milk, and coffee with half and half

My appetite is kinda weird this week. I never wake up hungry, but I try to eat within and hour of getting up because I know I should, and once I start putting my breakfast together, I end up getting hungry. But, today I wasn't hungry at all. And I only ended up eating half of the cereal, half of the coffee, and I'm like 1/3 of the way into my smoothie about 1.5 hours later. Weird.

But what I would really like to talk to you about is sleep. I love to sleep. But, naturally, I am a night owl, and a late sleeper. If I let my body do it's thang naturally, no alarms, no nothing, I would go to sleep sometime after 1 a.m. and wake up any time after 11 a.m. I usually dislike mornings. But on the days that I get out of bed early, I feel that much more productive, and part of humanity.

source

But lately I've been forcing myself to bed between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m., and setting my alarm anywhere between 6:30 a.m., and 8 a.m.

I know that getting a sufficient amount of sleep will make me healthier, and happier, as well as aid in weight loss. I also know that when I don't get enough sleep I am cranky, and more susceptible to getting sick. But I really want to get on a "normal"schedule. So here is my problem, even on the nights that I am up late, I force myself out of bed in the morning.

The other obstacle is work. I work nights. So, if I wake up at 7 a.m. on the nights that I work I am dead tired halfway through my shift, and when I get home after 1 a.m. it's a struggle to get to sleep because I have usually gotten my second wind by then. Thus, I am up until 4 a.m., and then sleep until 2 p.m. trying to catch up. And any effort I made throughout the week, is out the window. Needless to say I'm struggling. And I'm not sure what I should be doing to get on track. I really don't like being a night owl, especially because I know I like to get 9 hours of sleep. I feel like I can't get as much done when I sleep late, and it's going to be really hard to adjust once I have a full-time job, and I absolutely HAVE to!

What do you think is the best way to approach getting on a regular sleep schedule?

How many hours of sleep do you need to get each night in order to function?

Are you a night owl, or an early bird?

A Comfortable Day

2011-03-01T20:01:00.001-06:00

After a long weekend of booze, dancing, and junky eats all I wanted Sunday night when I got home was to go for a run and eat vegetables.

But then I remembered I don't run (not yet anyway), and that I had a fancy dance banquet to attend at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Mmmm... meatballs. At least I had a salad.

After going to bed with a food baby Sunday night, I woke up after about 12 hours of sleep Monday morning... er... afternoon, and went for a walk with Paw Paw, and ate vegetables. All. Day. Long. It was glorious.

Today is a different story. All I wanted was comfort food. And to finish the 3 lb tub of baby spinach in my fridge that is on it's last leg.

My morning started out with a Berry Green Monster (grapefruit juice, frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, banana, cherry chobani, spinach, and milk), and cheesy scrambled eggs and toast.

I was just going to have eggs and toast, but the spinach was taunting me. And made my wallet hurt (I hate throwing away food).

After a 30 minute walk with the pup (and boy was he pooped after, he doesn't quite have his energy back after surgery),

some cleaning around the house, and a trip to the corner store to fax something, it was lunch time.

A tuna melt with sharp cheddar, mayo, pickled relish, salt, and pepper, on a sandwich thin. Ketchup for dippage. Sauteed mushrooms and spinach, 1/2 a red bell pepper, and the leftover tuna salad that didn't fit in my sandwich. With a caramel iced coffee. 'Twas yummy. That's Pherroshus (Paw Paw/pup/stupidhead) peeping on my lunch.

After a second trip to the corner store to attempt to fax something, I did some blog work, some job hunting, made some phone calls, and read some blogs and then made dinner.

Oven fried chicken tenders. I loosely followed Jessica's recipe over on How Sweet It Is, unknowingly. I was gonna go the traditional route and pan fry these in a cast iron, so they've been soaking in buttermilk for 24 hours. But I decided I didn't want to deal with the grease, and the mess, and the greaseball feeling afterward, so I decided to dredge them in seasoned whole wheat flour, and panko, put them in a rack and bake them. I knew Jessica had a version so I popped over there to see what temp she cooked her's at, and low and behold it was pretty much the same recipe. My additions:

In the buttermilk;

salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika

In the flour mixture:

Whole wheat flour, Panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne (go light on the seasonings here, because a lot of flavor will have soaked into the chicken already-if you marinated for 8+ hours)

I used chicken breasts and thighs, so I cooked them a little longer more like 15 minutes on the first side, flip, spray again, and 12 minutes on the second side.

Look how CRUNCHY! Yum!

To go alongside MORE SPINACH! But mostly mac 'n' cheese. I was going to go ahead and finish off the spinach, but I decided I wanted some for a smoothie in the morning

- I just cooked the pasta to just shy of aldente.

- Made a roux of equal parts butter and flour, and poured in skim milk, and brought to a bubble, whisking out all the lumps

- Reduced milk to a simmer and added in sharp cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella, and parmesan. It was a mish mash of the cheese nubs leftover in my freezer.

- Seasoned with salt, lots 'o black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg

- I then sauteed some spinach in a little bit of non stick spray, and folded it into the cheese sauce with the pasta

This is my quick weeknight mac and cheese, and is more of a method than a recipe. Tonight's version was a little grainy because I used frozen cheese, and a random mix of cheeses too.

My after I finish eating, the rest of my evening will consist of snuggling with Paw Paw, and catching up on my DVR. Grey's, Private Practice, Castle and then Glee, Raising Hope, and whatever else is on. Which by the way... what is the deal with the spring hiatus?! Seriously networks? What am I supposed to do for 8 weeks? Catch up on blog work? Read? Wash my hair? Clean out my car? Spring Clean? I don't Spring clean! Or Summer clean, or Fall clean, or Winter clean! And I sure as heck am not about to start now!

A Perfect Pizza

2011-02-28T18:51:00.000-06:00

I have not always been a pizza lover. Growing up I didn't get it. When I was a kid, if you asked me what my favorite food was it wasn't pizza. As long as I can remember my favorite food was my daddy's fried rice, and steak. I didn't get the appeal of greasy pizza that came in a cardboard box. Or the pizza that you bought in the freezer aisle, which was always too crispy, or too artificial tasting.

But as I got older, I started to eat out on my own, and really tasted pizza. Like, good pizza. We have some great places that specialize in gourmet pizza around the Twin Cities. And I have had the pleasure of tasting a few. But, since my favorite place to get pizza doesn't deliver to my hood, and because most of the appeal of getting pizza is the convenience of delivery, I had to take matters into my own hands. And I am now a proud lover of homemade pizza.

The key to good homemade pizza is the crust. And for this I turn to Baking Illustrated. I first saw this on Annie's blog, and it is my absolute favorite pizza crust, and is extremely versatile. It is thick, and chewy, but also has a nice crusty crispiness when cooked on a pizza stone (which is also a crucial element to pizzeria quality pizza at home). But I don't always have bread flour on hand, so when that happens The Pioneer Woman's Favorite Pizza Crust, it comes in at a close second.

Usually pizza night at my house means defrosting and letting rise a dough ball that was frozen the last time a made a big batch, and throwing whatever I can find in the fridge in the crust. But last week was Blogger Tribute Week, and I made a lot of blogger recipes that didn't make the blog. This is one of them. And it was oh. so. good.

Traditional Pizza Crust

Makes: 2 large pizza crusts*

Lightly adapted from Baking Illustrated via Annie's Eats

1 3/4 cup warm water (about 110°)

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 ½ tsp. salt

olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

-Measure the water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, stir in brown sugar. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes.

-Add the oil and stir to combine.

-In a large bowl mix flour and salt, slowly add in yeast mixture and mix with a spoon until a cohesive mass forms.

-Remove dough from bowl, and place on lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes depending on how much muscle you use (this can also be done by stand mixer with a dough hook).

- Split the dough into 2 equal portions. If not using both wrap one in plastic wrap, and then place in a freezer bag, freeze until ready to use. If using right away, place a dough ball into a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

-To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Form dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

-Shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes.

- When ready to use frozen dough, unwrap dough ball, coat in oil and place in a oiled bowl, cover with towel and allow to thaw/rise in a warm place until doubled in size, and follow the remaining directions

*For the purposes of pleasing my loved ones, and trying not to have leftovers because we would be out of town the following 4 days I took one crust, divided it into 2 and made 2 smaller pizzas, one white clam, one traditional (tomato sauce, sausage, onions, mushrooms, peppers). And I ended up rolling the crusts a little bit thinner than I usually do. They weren't as puffy and chewy as it is when I make one large crust, but it was still delicious, and slightly chewy, and crispy!

** And truth be told it is better for you to use a pizza stone. Your crust will undoubtedly be crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. But I don't have one, so I dust a large cookie sheet with cornmeal, and bake close to the bottom of my oven.

White Clam Sauce

Makes: Approximately 2 cups sauce, enough for 1-12" pizza, or 1lb linguine

Lightly Adapted from Good Clean Fun

1 Tbsp.unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. flour

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 (6.5 oz) cans of minced clams, drained, juices reserved

1/4 cup reserved clam juice

1/4 cup cream or half and half

1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

chopped fresh parsley for garnish

- Combine butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. once butter has melted, add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

- Add flour and stir for 1 minute. pour in wine and stir well until smooth.

- Add clam juice and simmer until reduced by half. stir in clams, cream, and parmesan and stir well until smooth.

- Spread on pizza crust, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (if using), and bake according to crust directions

-Toss with cooked linguine, and sprinkle with parmesan. sprinkle with fresh parsley and enjoy!

The Drive. The Debauchery. The Border. The Bear.

2011-02-25T14:53:00.000-06:00

For the last 8 years a group of my friends goes up to Lutsen, MN for a long weekend of bonding, drinking, skiing, and debauchery. This is my second year of attendance, and while the group size can range from 10-30, it is always a good time. We play games, drinking and otherwise, tell stories, point an laugh at each others goofs, and get closer. But this year (since the majority of attendees are female) we also thought it would be a cool idea to do some sightseeing, and touristing.

Let's start at the beginning....

The drive...

The Debauchery...

(I kind of can't believe I'm posting this, possibly the most hideous face I have ever made.)

Karaoke may have been involved.

Then, breakfast with the girls at Blue Water...

Two eggs over easy, hashbrowns, whole wheat toast, and two sausage patties (that were HUGE). It was greasy, and delicious. It was exactly what I needed to start my day, and fight of a hangover.

After breakfast we hit up the Grand Portage Casino, for all of 30 minutes. We each gambled some money, I lost $5. :-( And then we were off to Canadia! Well not really we just looked at the border. You need a passport to cross that big white line these days, and we were not prepared.

See those trees back there? Those are Canadian trees! They wouldn't let us get any closer than this, and they wouldn't let me buy any maple syrup, fat back bacon, or hug a Mountie. Dreams... dashed.

And then we brought our butts back to Minnesota, and decided to be real cool, pull over in front of the border on the side of a freeway and run to the median to take a picture with a giant cut out sign of our home state! Aren't you glad you're my friend?!

"Minnesota (and Hannah) Welcomes You!"

On the way back to the house we stopped at Ryden's Border store. We found lots of knick knacks of the American and Canadian variety that cost an arm and a leg, and "100% Pure Canadian Maple Syrup" that was made in Minnesota, and cute souvenir clothing. I bought a sweatshirt. You will see photos of me and Miss Erin matching. It will be epic. We also found a friendly bear. I named him Fred.

In case you can't read the sign it says, "PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE BEAR. FONDLING DRIVES ME CRAZY."

Fondling drives me crazy to Fred.

Until tomorrow friends. Get ready for some more debauchery (with a capital D), in Canadian apparel!

Oh yeah, and I have no cell service and no internet (I said that already but I want you to know how upset that makes me), so Twitter will be silent. We're going old school, so if you wanna tweet me, smoke signals work.

Not really.

Strawberry Scones

2011-02-24T07:47:00.000-06:00

The first time I made scones I was in 10th grade. I made them for Easter brunch with my family. Every holiday I brought a dish for the bunch, I loved to cook, and was good at it. But I couldn't bake unless it came from a box, or was my Famous Lemon Bars. I usually brought Lemon Bars to Easter, but I was burnt out after having made 6 batches that week for other people's families, and a bake sale. So when it came time to make my own batch I was over zesting, and squeezing lemons, and just wanted something easy. I had watched Ina make scones on the Food Network many a late night, and thought that making my own would be easy, impressive, and delicious. I heard her warnings about mixing gently, and how most people don't like scones because they're dry and hard, but I wasn't worried. I was a cooking goddess at the ripe age of 15.

Verdict? My scones were nast. Just like Ina said they'd be if I wasn't careful. Hard, dry, crumbly, and flavorless. Instead of lemons bars for dessert that Easter Sunday, I got a big ol' slice of humble pie.

I haven't made scones since.

That is, until yesterday.... I made Jacob's Famous Strawberry Shortcake Scones. And let me tell you, all the hype, about his scones, it's all true! These were amazing! Best scones I have EVER tasted! And I've eaten a lot! My own scone flop has sent me in a tizzy to find a flavorful, moist, tender scone, every coffee shop, bakery, cafe, "I'll take a donut, oh.. and a scone, please!" None stack up to these! A gentle lemon flavor, chewy strawberry bits, a slight crunch from strawberry seeds, buttery flaky dough, moist, tender crumb, thick luscious glaze! Oh. My. Lanta. Please, please, please make these. They may seem a little labor intensive but most of it is waiting time. They really are easy, and well worth forgetting every dry scone you have every tasted. I made half a batch (roughly 12 scones), and only baked off half of those (froze the rest), and they are gone. 6 fluffy, tender, buttery, sweet, delicious scone, gone. If I weren't going out of town tomorrow morning I would bake off the rest now. Instead, I will go into every coffee shop, bakery, cafe, and grocery store and tell them that their scones aren't as delicious as mine (er... Jacob's) and snicker

Strawberry Scones

Adapted From: Jacob's Kitchen

Makes 24 Scones

4 cups AP Flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tblsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 sticks cold butter, diced

1 cup cold heavy cream

4 eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon zest

1 1/2 cup diced dried strawberries

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 Tblsp lemon juice

-In a large measuring cup measure heavy cream, beat eggs into cream, and add zest, vanilla extract, and strawberries, combine, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes

- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

- Cut the butter into the flour mixture, until the texture resembles coarse meal.

- Add wet mixture and very gently stir until just barely combined

- Dump out onto a floured board and shape into a rectangle, roll it out to 1/2 inch thickness and then fold over in thirds. Roll out again, and fold in thirds. Repeat this once more

- After the final fold roll the rectangle out to 1 inch thickness. And cut in desired shape, you can use a biscuit cutter, or cut into squares, then triangles, and then smaller triangles

- Place the cut scones on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill in fridge for 1 hour (in the meantime clean up)

-Preheat oven to 400*

- Brush the chilled scones with a beaten egg (if not using glaze sprinkle with turbinado sugar)

- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown, and when nudged move as a cohesive unit

- While the scones are baking mix your glaze. In a large bowl combine sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and half the cream, whisk, slowly add more cream while mixing to achieve desired consistency

- While the scones are just warm enough to touch begin glazing. You can dunk the tops in the glaze to completely cover, drizzle glaze over scones, or spoon glaze on top

- Let stand for 30 minutes for the glaze to firm up, and enjoy!

Drown 'em in glaze. You won't be sorry.

Grapefruit Margaritas

2011-02-23T11:16:00.000-06:00

I don't know if you know this, but yesterday was National Margarita Day!

That's right folks, the fifty nifty United States has dedicated a whole 24 hours to my favorite mixed drink. The Margarita. And you know what other holiday yesterday was? National Tortilla Chip Day! I mean, hand in hand or what?!

Now margs are my favorite, I don't drink them often because I only like good margaritas. I don't like sour mix, or pre-made margarita blends, I prefer fresh citrus, and fruit juice, and silver tequila. So, I'm usually not ordering them out because that bright green liquid in that blast bottle doesn't do it for me. I will say that there is a great pre-made margarita in a bottle made my Jose Cuervo that is delicious! So I am not a total snob, when I don't feel like going to the grocery store (never happens) and the liquor store, I just go to the liquor store and pick up a bottle of this.

But that is not what this post is about. This post is about the Grapefruit Margarita that I am currently sipping on at 9a.m. No, I am not an alcoholic. But by the time I got these mixed up in celebration last night the sun had gone down. If you follow me on twitter, you'll notice I tweeted my justification for drinking tequila before noon.

But to make a long story even longer I also, hereby proclaim this week "Blogger Tribute Week." This week you will not find any "original" recipes here. All of the recipes this week I have found on another blog, and loved, and wanted to remake for you (and myself). Most of these are recipes that I have had bookmarked for months, and some are very recent that have caught my eye! I'll probably tweak to suit my tastes but I really want to show you some of the awesome talent around the blogosphere, and what I've been up to this week! So without further adieu...

This recipe came to me after watching "The Best Thing I ever Ate" on the Food Network. The episode covered favorite beverages. And I saw the best looking Grapefruit Margarita I had ever seen. I vowed to create my own since I couldn't find the recipe for it. But Page beat me too it. Her recipe is a single serving. Mine is for a pitcher. Making a drink one at a time is a waste of time for me. She obviously has more control. And I'm not good at multiplication So I just winged it, and measured in 1/4 cup at a time until I had the perfect balance of sweet, and sour. Don't be ashamed to run to the store right now and mix one up when you get back. I'll wait, well, actually I've already started, but I'll be here... 10 a.m. is the new happy hour.

Grapefruit Margaritas

Inspired by: Good Clean Fun

Makes 4 Tall Servings

1 1/2 Cup Silver Tequila

3/4 cup Triple Sec

1 1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

zest from 1 grapefruit

zest from 1 lime

zest from 1 lemon

Additional sugar for rimming

- In a small saucepan combine water and sugar, bring to a simmer, cook until sugar is dissolved

- Remove from heat, and add in citrus zest, cover and let steep

- Once simple syrup is cool strain, and set aside

- In a large pitcher combine tequila, triple sec, juices, and 1 cup of the citrus syrup, stir

- Dip rim of serving glass in water, or run a grapefruit around the edges, and dip in sugar to coat rim

- Add ice to glasses, pour margarita over ice and serve with a grapefruit or lime wheel, and umbrella

- Serve, enjoy!

Citrus Berry Pancake Cake

2011-02-21T13:16:00.007-06:00

You’re really going to like this.

At least I hope you really like it.

No... I’m sure you’re going to like it. Why?

Because it’s delicious.

This idea is stolen. I’ll admit it, I am a blogger stalker. And a huge percentage of the foods I make are based off of blogger recipes. Because let’s face it, all these bloggers out here are really smart cookies. And they have great ideas, and the cooking chops to back it up. So when I make their recipes I try to make it better (which, is not always possible, because it can’t get any better), or suit it to my tastes. So when I saw this in Peanut Butter Fingers, I knew Julie was on to something.

And so my quest for the Pancake Cake began. A baked pancake that is light and tender, with a crispy exterior, and lots of flavor! It took three attempts, and a lot of reading, but I got it. It’s perfect. Don’t change a thing. And I am usually an advocate for “make it your own” but really, make it as is first. And then add chocolate... I know I would.

Citrus Berry Pancake Cake

Serves 2

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

3 Tbls melted butter

Zest of 1/2 a medium size lemon (~ 1 tsp)

Juice of 1/2 medium size lemon (~ 1 tsp)

2 Tbls sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup AP flour

1/4 Whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp salt

Topping:

1/3 cup frozen mixed berries

1 Tbls sugar

- Preheat oven to 425*

- In a medium size bowl beat egg and milk with hand mixer (or stand mixer) for about 3 minutes, until light and foamy

- Beat in melted butter, lemon zest, juice, sugar and vanilla

- Mix in flours, baking powder and salt, stir until just incorporated, batter should be lumpy

- Spray 6X9 pan with non-stick spray, spread batter in to pan

- Sprinkle top with berries, pushing them down slightly (berries should not be covered with batter), and then sprinkle with sugar

- Bake at 425* for approximately 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

-Serve with maple syrup, or powdered sugar, and sweetened whipped cream

MIYO (make it your own)

The toppings and mix-ins are endless. Here are a few combos that I plan on trying:

- Beat pumpkin into wet ingredients, with cinnamon, and nutmeg

- Beat a mashed banana (or melted peanut butter) into wet, and mix in chocolate chips

- Almond extract, sliced almond, and orange zest/juice

- Top it with maple syrup, powdered sugar, chocolate shavings, sweetened whipped cream, powdered sugar glaze, nuts, fruit coulis, sprinkles

Good to the last drop.

A Rough Day

2011-02-18T17:05:00.004-06:00

I'm trying really hard to not be whiny, or a downer debbie, and try to keep this a space for happy things like unicorns, bacon, and cheese, but some days I'm just not up for it.

Today is one of those days.

I don't have any pets. I had a dog, cats, and fish growing up but I personally have not owned a pet since 2003. Not for lack of trying, I begged and begged my mother to let me get a puppy but she wouldn't budge. But the summer of 2009, a couple of months after I moved out of my parent's house they got a puppy. I was bitter, and mad, and refused to meet him. And then I did, and I fell in love. And he in turn, fell in love right back.

Meet Pherroshus. He is a 22 month old Shih Tzu/Poodle mix. He loves ham bones, tearing pillows apart, and mounting a big, white, teddy bear holding a red heart.

He is my favorite animal. I love him a lot. And I am his favorite human. Ask anyone in the family. He can hear me coming up the walkway at my parent's house and always loses his mind when he does. Barking, jumping up an down, wagging his tail. He is the only person that happy to see me. My parents and sisters have a hard time taking care of him because they aren't animal people, they got him as a companion for their grandkids that live with them, and visit regularly, but they just aren't equipped to take care of him like he needs to be. I would take him but where I presently live doesn't allow dogs.

Anyway, the point of the story is he doesn't have enough supervision and lots of kids means lots of small toys that don't get put away, and a small puppy that chews on everything is trouble. Needless to say he started vomiting last night, and it continued into the morning. He wouldn't eat or drink anything, and was so weak he couldn't get up to go to the bathroom. My mom called my frantic this morning asking if I would take him to the vet. I did. They ran tests did some x-rays, and found something lodged in his intestine. So they did surgery, and he is doing fine now. They are keeping him overnight for observations, and I'll pick him up tomorrow.

Look at that face. My poor sick puppy.

Because I started my day with a scared, sick puppy, and 3 hours at the vet's office, and another 3 hours worrying about how he did in surgery I've had a rough day. A rough, unproductive, stressful day. Made worse by the fact that the people I've surrounded myself with seem to not have much sensitivity towards me, and the fact that I am so concerned for my boy. I had one person say to me that it would have just been cheaper to put him down. I'm not interested in that. Even if that is how you feel, keep it to yourself, when I am crying over my sick dog, don't tell me it's cheaper to put him down. I don't need that. And please understand that if I break

plans with you this weekend it's because I don't want to leave him alone while he is recovering. And please understand that.

I'm gonna sign off for the weekend, unless I am feeling extra cheerful tomorrow when I see him, and he is back to his rambunctious self. Otherwise, well wishes are appreciated! And we will talk on Monday!

Have a great weekend everyone!

24 hours in Pictures

2011-02-16T14:09:00.028-06:00

I'm still in the process of transferring files and setting up my new computer exactly how I want it, and I haven't gotten a new blogging application yet. I thinking Ecto, any suggestions for Macs?

Anyhoo. Yesterday got away from me, between babysitting, and cleaning up after babysitting, and getting my camera in the mail, reading the manual, going for walks to take pictures, and dinner with friends I got home late, exhausted, and instead of uploading 200+ pictures to blog, I went to bed.

If you follow me on Twitter, the last two mornings I've talked about the Pancake Cake. I tried a whole wheat version today... both recipes still need tweaking. I may have to try a half AP/half whole wheat approach. Hopefully I'll have a recipe for you tomorrow. For now, here is the last 24 hours in photos.

Boomer's V-day Surprise

2011-02-15T11:40:00.008-06:00

So my Valentine's day gift broke tradition this year. Ever since we have been together Boomer and I have done the same thing for valentine's day every year. We get takeout from Noodles & Co. (Wisco. Mac & Cheese, with chicken), and I usually make a few apps, and dessert. We end up with a 3 course meal that is delicious, budget-friendly, and romantic.

This year Boomer decided it was time I had a meal made for me. Boomer never cooks (unless it comes from a box, bag, can, or involves eggs), so this was a treat. I ended up stepping in to help with prep because I was scared Boomer was going to have a nervous breakdown, but I did all the easy stuff. The menu included Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Avocado and a Spicy Mayo, Hasselback Potatoes, Shrimp Scampi, Roasted Asparagus and...

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

And...

Parmesan Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms

It also involved a good bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and lots of ice water.

Dessert was chocolate dipped strawberries, but we put them in the freezer to harden quickly, forgot about them, and now the strawberries are mushy inside the chocolate shell. So, we put them back in the freezer with the excuse that we'll use them in smoothies. Chocolate dipped Strawberry Smoothies anyone?

All of the recipes that Boomer so diligently researched, shopped for, and made were great. The tomatoes, and mushrooms were my favorite! And I cannot wait to make them again and share the recipes with you!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day... I know I did! :-)

All Things New

2011-02-14T14:27:00.005-06:00

After breakfast Peyton and I dropped Boomer off at work, and then headed to my nieces school for her talent show.

She sang Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me." She did fantastic! I am so proud of her! She sang so that the whole room could hear her, and really got into her performance, and so did the whole crowd! It was a lot of fun! All of the kids in the show (37 total) did really well, and you could tell they were just having a blast! Peyton really liked one of the last little boys that did the robot to the Black Eyed Peas song "Boom Boom Pow." He was great, and after he was done Peyton kept saying, "Bring the robot back!"

I apologize for the dark photo, we were sitting very far away.

For lunch Peyton had Pb & J, and I had all things new.

A little of this: Chobani Pomegranate. I've never had this flavor, and it was delicious. I love that it has actual Pom arils at the bottom. It makes me feel like I'm eating real fruit, and give texture. I'm glad I went back to Target today to stock up on all the new and (new to me) flavors since they are on sale for $1!!

I tried a new recipe for black bean burgers, modified it to my liking, it was good, but it didn't turn out exactly how I would have liked, so I need to modify some more and then I'll post the recipe. I also had a new kind of boxed mac and cheese, and it was less than delicious. I'm sure it was my fault because after I drained the pasta I remembered I didn't have milk. Go, figure.

So lunch was a little lackluster today, but I know dinner will more than make up for it. Right, Boomer?! ;-)

Happy Love Day!

2011-02-14T09:23:00.004-06:00

It's Valentine's Day! I know most think that it is a Hallmark holiday, and commercial, and sappy, and yucky, and stupid. But I love Love Day. It is my favorite holiday, and I enjoy it every. single. year. I love the idea that you have a day to tell everyone you love, that you love them! Some will argue that you should tell them every day, but the truth of the matter is we don't always spread the love like we should! I like having a reminder, a day to wear pink, and red, and cut out stupid hearts to put every where, a day to stop and think about how incredibly lucky I am to have such wonderful, generous, supportive people in my life.

This year, we are breaking tradition and Boomer is making me a romantic dinner, from scratch. Boomer has never made me a scratch meal. Ever. So, I am excited!

But first breakfast:

A Valentine's Day Green Monster for 2:

Serves 2

~1 Cup frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

2 Handfuls Spinach

1-6oz container greek yogurt

2 Tbls Almond Butter

1 Dark Chocolate Slimfast 3-2-1 Shake (or chocolate milk, or cocoa powder and milk of your choice)

-Throw all ingredients in your (janky) blender, and blend until smooth.

This was yummy! I love a chocolatey green monster!

Now, I am waiting for Boomer's cousin to drop off her daughter (I'm babysitting today) and Peyton and I are heading to my nieces talent show, where she will be performing a Taylor Swift song. A girl after my own heart!

I'll see ya'll on the flip side!

xoxo

Happy Friday!

2011-02-11T17:02:00.005-06:00

My morning started off bright and early! After not getting to bed until almost 2 a.m. due to nerves, my cold, and the inability to put my new computer down, when my alarm went off at 6:53 a.m. I was less than thrilled. Especially because despite the Vitamin C, Zinc, tea, chicken broth, and veggies I have been downing I'm not feeling much better. My breathing is getting laborious again, which worries me. But not enough to see a doc. I hate the doctor.

I wanted to make sure I got something in my stomach before leaving this morning so I wasn't at my meeting with a grumbly tumbly.

Breakfast

I had an oldie but a goodie, a fried egg sandwich: and over-easy egg, ham, and cheddar on a sandwich thin. I usually fry them over hard, breaking the yolk, but leaving it over easy made it much more satisfying. I love a drippy yolk. But it makes it more difficult to eat it with your hands.

Enjoyed with a cup of green tea, and a splash of honey. I loved my mug this morning! This is how I have felt all week, behind the curve, feeling like I was forgetting something, like I had missed the boat. Hahaha hohoho!

I really liked my outfit today for my meeting. But I decided to cover it up with my coat to show you because I liked it even better with my coat on. Even though my coat is missing a button, I love a good wool pea coat. And I loved my scarf this morning. I have a slight obsession with scarves, and I pulled this one out of the abyss of my closet, and I really liked it with my brown coat.

Pardon the orange face, apparently I hit the tanning bed this morning... or the yellow lightbulb in the entry way decided to add it's own addition to my complexion.

You know what else I learned today is that when you don't cook, you don't have recipes to blog about. Weird huh. I haven't made a meal in almost a week. We've been living off of what I affectionately call Boomer-food for a week. I need to get over this cold and stat. I miss real food.

Making it Last

2011-02-09T19:44:00.003-06:00

I've been complaining on Twitter for a couple of days now about my health. I'm sorry for annoying you. But, I'm sick. Again. And it's getting old. I've had a sore throat since Monday night, and I'm congested, and have a runny nose (don't ask me how). Last night I had a fever of 100.5 degrees. And I hardly ever get fevers. So when I do, chances are I'm about to get real sick, Exhibit A: 103 degree fever for 7 days = Pheumonia. But I took tylenol right away, went to bed, and woke up with a temp of 96.7. Which is actually pretty normal for me.

I did the math, and as we are almost 6 weeks into the new year, I have been sick for 4 of those weeks.

Feel free to feel sorry for me.

I got home from dance tonight and decided while I was hungry, I was too tired to make anything for myself to eat. And then my sister called and said she had my Girl Scout cookies to deliver. Dinner is served!

Don't judge the fact that we are 2 people who purchased 6 boxes of cookies. The truth is, this is only half of what I will purchase this year. Two of my nieces are Girl Scouts, and thus every February I buy enough GS cookies to last me the entire year (FYI We finished our last box of last years GS cookies in November).

The truth is I only really like (meaning I eat them by the sleeve/row/box) the Lemon Chalet Cremes, and the Peanut Butter Patties (I don't care if the box says Tagalongs-when I was a Brownie they were Peanut Butter Patties, and that is what they will forever be). Carmel deLites (reference the Tagalong comment, and while were at it.. ahem Trefoils? please. Shortbread), are not my thing, not a coconut fan. And Thin Mints I only like crushed up in a blizzard (a la Dairy Queen) with hot fudge, so I try to stay away from those. But these Lemon Chalet Cremes are a godsend I love them. They are delicious. If you know me I am a sucker for lemon anything. In fact the first recipe I ever made, all by myself, from scratch, following a recipe was Lemon Bars. They were soo good my family requested them for family events, and even when they were asked to bring a dessert to a party from the time I was 7 until I was 17. I miss those Lemon Bars.

These things are like crack Oreos. Lemon flavored Oreos, which makes them better (don't argue). I eat them like Oreos too. Seperate, lick the creme, eat the cookie, grab another. I have almost completely finished one sleeve. If you haven't tried them, and love lemon anything, go find your local Girl Scout, and fork over th $3.50 for a box.

I'm enjoying these with a mug of Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Green Tea. This stuff is so good, I don't even need to sweeten it. And I don't really like peppermint tea, but this does taste almost like a candy cane. And it pains me that I only have one box of this stuff left. Until next December I guess....

Unless this box lasts like my Girl Scout cookies. I feel better already.

P.s. I don't think this batch of Lemon Cremes is gonna last me until November.

What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie?

-Lemon Chalet Cremes. Duh.

What are you having for dinner?

-Lemon Chalet Cremes. Duh. Oh, and Candy Cane Lane tea. Maybe a frozen veggie burger, if I ever get off this couch.

What do you do to get healthy when you feel like you're getting sick?

-I eat very nutritious foods, and exercise. Syke! I sit on the couch, drink tea, and beg Boomer to bring me fried eggs, dry toast, and chicken noodle soup. And eat Girl Scout cookies, apparently.

Tags: musings, illness, favorites, tea, cookies

Guess what's coming....

2011-02-07T18:28:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to be working with CSN again. Only this time when they contacted me, I jumped at the opportunity to do a review of their products, and their site, and customer service! CSNstores.com has everything. Literally. They have everything from cookware, to furniture, to exercise equipment, to swingsets! I. Mean. Really. I am so pumped to get this going! And I cannot wait to come back and tell you about my experience!

Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

2011-02-05T15:38:00.002-06:00

It wasn't until I was in about 1st grade that I realized that not everyone ate how my family did. That not everyone had tripe and butter beans on Sunday. And it confused me a little.

As I got older and realized that my diet was not that of your average american kid I was embarassed. I didn't like having friends over because they would always turn their noses up when dinner time rolled around, and told me my house smelled funny. Most of my friends eventually got over the smell of pigs tail, and stewed peas, and stuck around for what would undoubtedly be one of the best meals they had ever had. And the ones that didn't are not my friends now. I frequently get e-mails from childhood friends recalling meals they had in my home as a child, and how they had a serious craving fried plaintain (in Jamaica we pronounce it 'plahntin'), fried rice, and these chicken wings.

Sticky Chinese Chicken is another one of my Daddy's dishes. It was something that he would frequently make to bring to potlucks, block parties, and church luncheons (well, he would have had we stayed for the church luncheon).

These wings also use the same Pearl River Bridge mushroom soy sauce* that I mentioned in my Fried Rice post. And while I suggest you buy a bottle, for this I will not require it. You can use Kikkoman, it's ok. Just know that they won't be as good. ;-)

Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings
Serves 4-6

3 lbs chicken wings
1/4 C mushroom soy sauce
1/2 C mushroom soy sauce
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (the powdery pre-ground stuff)
1/2 tsp salt

- Clean and trim chicken wings, if serving as an entree leave wings whole and tuck wing tips behind drummie, if serving as an appetizer, seperate at joint and save wing tips for stock
- Massage wings with 1/4 C mushroom soy sauce and let sit in fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best)
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400* and remove chicken from fridge, let come to room temp
- In a small saucepan bring 1/2 C soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper to boil
- Reduce heat to simmer, and reduce mixture by half
- Place chicken wings on foil lined baking sheet and brush with sauce, place in oven and roast for 30 minutes
- Remove chicken from oven, flip and brush with more sauce, roast for an additional 30 minutes
- Remove chicken from oven, flip and brush with remaining sauce, turn up heat on oven to 425*, and roast for another 15 minutes to crisp up skin
- Chicken is cooked through if juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a knife
- Serve hot with fried rice, and ginger sesame sugar snap peas

I'll tell my Daddy you said thank you!

*Sidenote: Pearl River Bridge didn't pay me to say anything nice about their soy sauce in this post or the Fried Rice post. I just love it something fierce. And I have nothing against Kikkoman, it just has no place in this recipe.

Tags: recipes, daddys recipes, sticky chinese chicken wings, chicken wings, appetizers, chinese, mushroom soy sauce

Note to Self:

2011-02-04T18:59:00.003-06:00

When you land a job interview (!!!) and feel invigortated about life after a crumby day, and feel invincable and decide to start using your Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred DVD for the first time 4 months after purchasing it, and can't find it because your significant other used it first and is physically incapable of putting anything back when they're done using it, don't get mad at them.

Because chances are, while you are trying to upload videos from their camera onto the computer you will probably, most likely, almost definitely, accidently delete them all. And you will have to bake a big batch of the same chocolate chip cookies that they request every week, and then sign your womb away to them, and birth the 12 children that you previously refused to have, as an apology.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by Hannah Lives.

"Jamaican Me Crazy Good Fried Rice"

2011-02-03T15:10:00.002-06:00

Seriously, Hannah? What is wrong with you?! The title of this post is completely lame. And truth be told, being (almost) Jamaican I really hate the stereotypical jokes, the "Jamaican me crazy" and the "ya mon." Hate 'em. But I get the appeal. I get how they are funny. Sorta, kinda.... Not really.

Sidenote: Happy Chinese New Year!! It is the year of the Rabbit this year, and I am so excited for all of my future fellow Rabbits to be born in 2011. Not to mention that After last year's Tiger year, I am looking forward to a much more delicate/gentle year!

Anyway, this dish is something I have been eating my whole life. This may have been the first solid food I ever tasted. Right after ice cream.

Now, my dad makes this the absolute best. This is sort of his signature dish. Anytime we have strays friends over to my parents house for the first time, he makes this. His way of impressing people. My dad isn't the best at first impressions, but this totally makes up for it.

I feel like I should share a story about it. But I don't think it has one. But I'll tell you what I think is the story as far as I am concerned. I'm a mut. Culturally. Both of my parents, and all of my sisters, were born and raised in Jamaica. Jamaica is a tiny island in the Carribean, and a very ecclectic country. It was owned by the british, has tons of Cuban influences (given the fact that you can see Cuba from the north shore), tons of Chinese immigrants. The food is a mix of all of those things. My dad's dad is chinese. And he has learned many a recipe from him. This is one of those. My only gripe is that for the average non-Jamaican cook you need one exotic ingredient, and it may be hard to find. But it is worth it. You need mushroom flavored dark soy sauce. This soy sauce is different than your run of the mill soy sauce because it is thicker, richer, deeper in flavor, and has less sodium. A little goes a long way. But it is so good, I use this soy sauce in every recipe that involves soy sauce because the flavor is so much better, and I'm keeping my blood pressure in check.

The one I linked to is the brand that my dad, and I have always used, and I trust it. But if you are able to find a different brand, do what you gotta do. You can probably find it in your local oriental, or west indian market. Or on Amazon.

People always think that fried rice is labor intensive, but it's really meant to be a leftover dish. Whenever someone new tastes my Dad's fried rice they tell us we should box it up and sell it. And we probably should, but I am about to post it on my blog. So there goes that idea.

Jamaican Me Crazy Good Fried Rice
serves 4

6 cups cooked rice (day old is best)
4 eggs, beaten
1 bundle of green onions (about 5 onions), diced
1/2 lb cooked leftover meat, diced (I used leftover pork roast, but chicken, beef, and shrimp work great)
2 Tblsp mushroom soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tblsp canola oil (any light tasting oil will work, not olive oil)
2 Tblsp butter (or non-stick spray)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large high sided skillet melt 1 Tblsp butter over low heat. Once melted, pour half of your beaten egg into the pan, swirl pan to coat with a thin layer of egg. Allow egg to set and then flip. Finish cooking on second side, slide out of pan, and repeat with remaining butter, and egg.

You now have 2 large crepe-like egg pancakes. Slice it, and then dice it in the opposite direction so that you have small squares of cooked egg, set aside.

Turn heat under skillet up to medium, and add oil. Heat until almost smoking. Crumble in rice being sure to seperate each grain, and sprinkle with garlic powder. Turn rice around in pan to coat each grain with oil, stir in green onion (the key is to key the rice moving, and scraping the sticky bits off the pan as you go). Add in meat, and egg, keep stirring. Pour soy sauce over rice, and stir, stir, stir coating all of the rice. It may not look like enough at first, but keep the rice moving and it will eventually coat all the rice (if it doesn't, add more soy sauce, 1 tsp at a time). Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings, and Ginger Soy Sugar Snap Peas (recipes coming soon).

You can really customize this however you want. I've added a little bit of ginger to the oil, bean sprouts, water chestnuts (blech), you can even add vegetables like they do in the americanized asian restaurants. But I won't condone that. I don't like vegetables in my fried rice. At all. But the real secret ingredient is that you are supposed to be on the tipsy side of the sober spectrum.

Just make sure you have supervision, so you don't burn the house down.

Tags: recipes, fried rice, daddy's recipes, mushroom soy sauce, rice, side dish, chinese, main dish

Biting the Bullet

2011-01-25T22:57:00.002-06:00

Hey!

I know you! My name is Hannah, I write on this here blog. Well I used to...

The month of January is not over yet, and my resolution of maintaining a 4 post per week average has fallen to the wayside. In fact I haven't posted in over 2 weeks, which hasn't happened since.... August.

But I have a good excuse. At least I think it is a good excuse. I was dying.

And not in the stage four cancer, chronic illness, sort of way (which is totally serious, and sad, and valid). But in the, omgimsosickputmeoutofmymisery sort of way.

I had pnuemonia, with exacerbated asthma. It felt like I was dying. But I wasn't.

There is a long drawn out story involving two ER visits, being under medicated. Then being over medicated, getting sick in the second ER, not being able to breathe (that still continues today), a doctor visit, more medication, and 7 days of bed rest, but I won't bore you with the details. Just know that I was sick for 2 weeks straight, was on bed rest for one week, and am still not 100%.

But I am determined to get back to normal this week. Which is convenient, because my huge, annual, dance show fundraiser is this Saturday, and I have tons of work to catch up on for the show. Not to mention I didn't blog for the entire 2 weeks because holding up my head long enough to type anything was not happening, so there is catching up to be done here.

I have some posts nearly finished and lined up, and a lot of cooking to do as well.

But the important thing is I am better, and ready for action! So, I hope you are too!

Substitutions

2011-01-11T11:55:00.006-06:00

I had grandiose plans for today. Including some job hunting, meal planning, coupon clipping, bill paying, baking, blogging, and cleaning this:

Making this, and washing dirty clothes:

And washing these:
But I will be substituting a little of this:

(chicken noodle soup)

And drinking gallons of this:

(Chamomile, and green tea with honey)

Last night started out splendidly. I came home from dance (it was a drama filled practice but I got over it), and made a fantastic meal to make up for the crappy eats yesterday (i.e. bowl of cereal, fried egg, leftover, hasbrowns, toast, chobani, and blackberries) by making steak au poivre, pomme frites (french fries- I'm trying to make myself feel fancy), and a gorgeous green salad. With a lemon cream cheese pound cake for dessert. Then y throat started to feel scratchy, so I took vitamin C, a pain killer, drank of cup of tea, and went to bed. Only to wake u feeling like I'd been hit with a mach truck. Sore throat, cough, body aches, headache, runny nose.... I've got it all.

I am doing everything in my power to fight this thing, because I have a to-do list a mile long (per usual), and not enough hours in the day. So if you will excuse me, Boomer just got home from Blockbuster, the water for my tea is boiling, and the couch is calling my name.

It Ends Today

2011-01-06T11:21:00.001-06:00

Christmas is coming down today.

I'm not one of those people that Christmas decorations has to come down on the first of the year. Christmas is a drug for me, and I need to slowly ween myself off of it. Especially because my decorations went up late this year. Between school, work, coaching, and the blog here, I didn't have the time right after Thanksgiving like I would have hoped. So they went up after the 1st of December, which is very unlike me.

For me after New Years I get a little bit SAD. It's all very anti-climactic for me. There is so much build up for this month and a half of festivities, and then it's over, and everyone is back to normal. It's no fun.

So with being 6 days into the new year, and school starting (for me) again next week, I am putting my decorations away, while listening to Christmas music (cringe if you must), and gearing up for the new year. Between my 2011 "to-do" list, and 101 things in 1,001 days, I'll be pretty busy this year.

Now if you will excuse me Bing Crosby just told me that Santa Claus is coming to town, and I need to set him straight.

Love,
Hannah L.

101 in 1,001

2011-01-05T05:31:00.001-06:00

We is 'bout to get real wordy up in here!

This whole 101 goals in 1,001 days thing I blame on my friend, Kristin. She posted her list on the 1st of the year, and after pouring over her's for almost an hour I decided I should write my own. While I do have an ongoing list (who's deadline I have pushed back twice) I have rolled that list over into this one, added a few more, and set a farther out deadline.

I like this concept of 101 things in 1,001 days because it really forces you to come up with big and small measurable goals. And gives you more than 2 years time (versus mine, where I gave myself a year) to complete. Which given the fact that it is much more extensive, is good, but it also takes the pressure off a bit, because some of these are easliy remedied with a trip to the mall. But, it has taken me approximately 4 days to compile this list. And after reading over it again, I find that a lot of these overlap, and by completing one goal, it takes me one step closer to completing another. Which, I believe, is key in keeping up the motivation.

I suggest you make a list of your own. It will really make you think.

Start Date: January 5, 2011
Completion Date: October 2, 2013

In Progress is in Italics
Completed is in Bold

Travel:
1. Visit 3 new states (0/3)
2. Visit a new country
3. See the Grand Canyon
4. See Mount Rushmore
5. Visit Ground Zero
6. See Golden Gate Bridge
7. Fly first class
8. Go to a blogging conference (Foodbuzz, Blogher, EatWriteRetreat)
9. Take the train to Duluth
10. See the Vikings play outside of Minnesota

Personal:
11. Get a brazilian wax
12. Read 10 new books (yes, cookbooks count!)
13. Run a 5K
14. Run a 10K
15. Run a 1/2 Marathon
16. Run a Marathon
17. Take a dance class
18. Go on a dance audition
19. Wear a bikini (in public)
20. Ride a motorcycle
21. Play a round of golf
22. Get my tattoo
23. Wear 5" heels
24. Write a list of 25 things I like about myself
25. Walk through a haunted house
26. Go Skydiving
27. Adopt a dog
28. Get my own place
29. Take a ballroom dance class
30. Purchase a DSLR
31. Take a photography class
32. Make a family calendar with photos I've taken
33. See a musical on Broadway
34. Purchase the t-shirt quilt I have been eyeing for 4.5 years

Health:
35. Lose 20 lbs
36. Lose 50 lbs
37. Lose 75 lbs
38. Lose 101 lbs
39. Drink 2 liters of water a day for 21 days
40. Run everyday for 21 days
41. Exercise everyday for 21 days
42. Take a daily vitamin for 21 days

Skills:
43. Understand basic html
44. Learn the game of golf
45. Learn to play a song on the guitar
46. Learn to speed read
47. Plant a successful herb garden
48. Get CPR certified
49. Learn to play one card game, really well
50. Learn to knit
51. Knit an infinity scarf
52. Learn to drive a stick shift

Blog:
53. Purchase Domain name
54. Design (or contract) a personalized header
55. Develop and post 30 new recipes (0/30)
56. Maintain an average of 4.4 posts per week
57. Write 4 guest posts for various blogs- if the opportunity arises (0/4)

Education/Career:
58. Complete bachelor's degree
59. Get a full-time job
60. Get a freelance writing job
61. Go to 3 networking events (0/3)

Organization:
62. Purchase an Erin Condren planner, and use it
63. Buy an external hardrive, and organize said hardrive
64. Get a closet organizer
65. File all of important papers (in a file cabinet)
66. Get rid of all clothes not worn in last 12 months
67. Get ANOTHER shoe organizer

Money:
68. Pay off credit cards
69. Save $1,001
70. Save for and purchase a new-to-me car
71. Invest more than the minimum to IRA for 6 months (0/6)

Food and Drink:
72. Drink only water for one week
73. Eat at 10 new(to me) local restaurants
74. Eat in for 1 whole month
75. Give up pop for 1 year
76. Eat at 3 "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" joints (0/3)
77. Try 5 new foods (0/5)
78. Make, pack, and enjoy a gourmet picnic
79. Visit a local farmer's market 3 times per season (0/9)
80. Host at least 4 dinner parties a year
81. Host a pizza party
82. Serve a gourmet 4-course dinner

Relationships:
83. Start and maintain a monthly away from home date night with Boomer
84. Write and send 1 "Just to say, Hi!" note every month for 6 months (0/6)
85. Start and maintain a bi-weekly girls night with Jules and J
86. Throw a kick ass bachelorette party for Jules
87. Foster relationships with 3 old friends-to the "hanging out/texting" stage (0/3)

Giving:
88. Write and post 20 Operation Beautiful notes (0/20)
89. Give 5 "just because" gifts (0/5)
90. Volunteer at least 10 hours to a new charity (10 hours each) (0/10)
91. Give Blood
92. Let my sister know how much I appreciate her
93. Raise $300 for ADA's Step Out Walk
94. Actually RUN ADA'a Step Out Walk

Indulgences:
95. Get 2 full body massages (0/2)
96. Get hair extensions
97. Get monthly manicure/pedicure from April-September (0/6)
98. Get a professional bra fitting
99. Buy 1 high quality bra

I am 2 short. This is mostly frustrating because I don't want to have to go back and re-number this list if they fall into one of the above categories.

Have suggestions? Share! For realisies. I need help!

Are you going to write a list? If so, please link! I would love to read it!

Tater Tot Hotdish

2011-01-02T03:00:00.001-06:00

If you are from the northern midwest, specifically Minnesota, you have heard of a little thing called hotdish. It runs deep in our Lutheran-scandinavian veins, right along with lefse (yum!), and lutefisk (yuck).

And yes, I am talking hotdish. NOT casserole. Casserole is the pyrex, or Blue Cornflower corningware you put your hotdish in.

Sidenote: Yes, the blue cornflower design is a big deal in these here parts. I'm pretty sure every woman born in (or has a mother that was born in) Minnesota has at least one piece of corningware with the fantastically stylish blue cornflower design on it in her possession. I have sniped several from my mom's collection, but the quantity you see today was for a much larger crowd, so I made it in the largest roasting pan I could find.

Hot dish is something every Minnesota kids grows up eating. It is the ultimate church supper, pot luck, block party dish. And while we all grew up eating it, everyone has their own version of it. Hot dish is definetly the state dish, but there is no right recipe for it. That's the beauty of Minnesota, we embrace individuality. To each her own.

But, most have a few ingredients in common: some sort of protein, usually canned tuna, shredded chicken, or ground beef, Cream of something soup (cream of mushroom is typical, and I later found is referred to as the "Lutheran Binder"), usually a vegetable (canned or frozen), and starch (sometimes multiple) including but not limited to tater tots, pasta, or potato chips. Some people think rice is an acceptable starch, but I firmly disagree.

"Baked rice does not a hot dish make." I think my mother said that... or yoda... or yoda dressed as my mother... my blonde-haired, blue-eyed, scandinavian mother... or it was a dream.

Does my mother have a recipe for hotdish? Yes. Is it the perfect example of the "typical" hotdish? Yes. Do all of her children now make it in their own homes? Yes.

Is my mother blonde-haired, and blue-eyed? No. Is she in the slightest bit scandanavian? Definetly, not. Does she know a thing about hot dish, other than this recipe that she recieved from a coworker almost 30 years ago? No.

Is this recipe delicious? Absolutely.

My Jamaican Momma's Minnesota Hotdish

2 lbs ground beef
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 lb bag frozen peas
1 can milk
2 lb bag of frozen tater tots
3 tsps garlic powder
3 tsps paprika, divided
salt and pepper

-Preheat oven to 375*
- Heat a deep-sided skillet on high, and brown ground beef, drain fat
- Remove from heat, and stir in both cans of soup.
- Fill on of the empty soup cans with milk, and add to pan
- Stir in peas, a couple handfuls of tater tots, salt and pepper (remember-unless you buy low sodium soup the mixture may not need any salt), garlic powder, and 2 tsps paprika, taste mixture, adjust seasonings
- Pour mixture into 13"X9" casserole dish, and even out
- Arrange remaining tater tots on meat mixture in a pretty pattern
- Bake in oven from approximately 1 hour, until the filling is bubbly, and tots are browned
- Enjoy!

It really is a complete meal in one dish, and the only necessary accompaniment is ketchup. And for dessert? Bars. But that may be another post for another time.

Tags: recipes, hotdish, Minnesota Classic, food

What day is it?

2011-01-01T16:22:00.001-06:00

What time is it? What year am I in? What decade is this?

Happy New Year!!

It's 2011!! Can you believe a decade has come and gone already?! A lot of growth has happened in these last 10 years.

For your viewing pleasure: A Night in Pictures

My mom must think I am a huge lush. Because she is the only one that reads this.

Dear Mom,

I swear I am sober at least 3 days a week. No need to call that Intervention show. Or Dr. Phil. Or Oprah. Please not Oprah... I have always wanted to be on her show, but not under these circumstances... on second thought... I am a raging alcoholic and the only thing that will cure me is an appearance on Oprah... and a brand NEW CAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Love,
Your alcoholic, POS car driving daughter

Tags: musings, new years, oprah, intervention

Hi, my name is Hannah...

2010-12-31T14:47:00.001-06:00

and I'm addicted to Cookie Dough Dip.

I'm addicted to regular chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and soon to be double fudge, and peanut butter chocolate.

My addiction is beginning to affect my life because I won't let anyone else touch my bowls or spatula, my future bro-in-law caught me singing to my cookie dough dip laden spatula, and I have become violent when they try to take it from me.

Cookie dough dip is a gateway drug. And I am here to remedy my addiction....

by passing it along. Head on over to How Sweet It Is, and make the Cookie Dough Dip.

Make it.

Eat it.

Love it.

Neglect your loved ones for it.

The next Cookie Dough Dipaholics Anonymous meeting will be held here, same day, same time, next week.

Tags: recipes, cookie dough dip, musings

What to do in 2011

2010-12-31T02:41:00.005-06:00

True story: I hate making new year's resolutions. I feel like it is a cop out. Waiting until the new year to set a goal for yourself, that chances are you should have done yesterday annoys me to no end.

I think it also annoys me because I have always sucked at making resolutions.

But, this week I have read so many blogger write posts about their resolutions, goals, etc. that it's got me thinking.
There are tons of things that I find I want to accomplish on a daily basis (i.e. Look to the left and find my list of things to complete by the time I'm 23 24) that maybe I need to look at resolutions as something to work toward that will aid in me achieving all of my daily/weekly/monthly goals. So, instead of putting, "lose weight" on my list, I'll add, "eat cleaner."

So, here goes nothing...
To Do: 2011 Edition

1. Believe in myself. This is probably the biggest of my

goals. There are so many times that I second guess myself, and my abilities. Which, inevitably

means that I am not fulfilling my greatest potential. This blog for instance, I signed up for

blogger almost 2 years ago, and it took me over a year to really decide what I could write about that people would want to read.

And then I came to the conclusion that I wanted to blog for myself, I wanted a

place to put all of my thoughts and ideas, and if people enjoyed them it was just a bonus!
2. Take more leaps of faith. This goes hand-in-hand with #1. I need to learn to let go, and just go for it! I tend to be over

analytical, and a planner. Which is why I love baking, because it is so precise, and methodical. But it is also the

reason I love cooking because I am not controlled by the fear of the outcome of the dish. Once a cake is done, it is done, you

can't do much to fix it. But if your shrimp is under seasoned you can add salt... I'm on a tangent, sorry. Bottom line, I

need to trust that sometimes the universe is working in my favor, and not plan so much. I need to just do it!
2. Stop drinking pop. Yeah, yeah, I know. I said I wasn't going to make definitive goals. I

lied. It's a girls prerogative to change her mind. I need something measurable. I'm not going to drink pop this year,

because it is bad for me. And I need to be good to me.

4. Stop being scared of

failing. When I was in the 6th grade, at the tender age of 11, I was given and assignment to write a paper about our greatest

fear. While my classmates wrote about spiders, snakes, and being burned alive, I said my biggest fear was failing.

Profound, no? I would say it still is my greatest fear (along with losing my parents). But I need to learn that failing is not

the end all be all. That you have to fail to find success. Fall down 7 times, get up 8, right?
5. Treat myself better. To me this means stopping fat-talk, which is an ever present,

daily thing in my head. This also means that I need to eat cleaner, and get more active. I

committed to running my first race (a 5K in February), but when I registered, I failed to

realize that it is the same day as a dance competition that I will be at alllll day. So I will be finding a new race to run in the

spring. I'm taking the 80/80 approach. I'm going to eat 80% clean, 80% of the time. I think that this could work for me
6. Be a better blogger. I am still very new to the blogosphere, and I am still

feeling my way around the Internet, and my own blog. I want to think that Hannah Lives is evolving along with me

, and that whoever finds me here is ok with that. I want to focus more on developing my own recipes, sharing more

about the goings on in my life, my journey to a balanced lifestyle, being funny. I want to work on my photography, and

writing, and like I said, recipe development.
So that's all I got. I could add more. Things I can measure. Because I like measuring things. I could say take X

amount of photo classes, save up for a DSLR, lose 100 lbs, graduate college, brush my hair everyday, and shave my legs at

least once a month between October and March, but lets not get carried away.
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have a safe, happy, and hopeful New Year!

source

Seafood Stuffed Tilapia

2010-12-30T14:36:00.001-06:00

So, this recipe is a little unseasonal, and untimely. It is just a few days before the new year and I should be sharing recipes for appetizers, cocktails, and black eyed peas but, I'm feeling naughty.

I made this for Boom-diggity and I a couple weeks ago. Mostly because I wanted Red Lobster. Because if you didn't know Red Lobster is the poor man's Le Bernadin. Almost. It has decent seafood, and is moderately priced, and while I am sure someone can think of some reason for me not to love it, I don't want to hear it. Because, R.L. has some BANGIN' seafood, and some BALLER cheddar bay biscuits.

I've just used up all the cool and hip slang I've learned from my high schoolers.

And now I've negated that by saying, "hip."

Irregardless (which I am well aware is not a real word, but that has never stopped me before), this was one of those restaurant recipes that I wanted to recreate so that I can enjoy R.L. even when my checking account balance is .26 cents (true story).

P.s. Cheddar Bay Biscuits will be coming soon. The recipe isn't quite perfect yet, more work needs to be done, but I need to buy more cheese first.

Seafood Stuffed Tilapia
4 tilapia filets
8 small (51-60) count raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can lump crabmeat, drained
4 Tblsp butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp paprika, divded
1 whole lemon
Salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 375*
- Melt 2 Tblsp butter in a skillet, add shrimp and cook until pink, and slightly opaque. This will take no more than 2 minutes per side over medium high heat. Remove from pan. Let cool, and chop into small-ish pieces.
- Add remaining butter to pan, and melt over medium low heat.
- Add onion, garlic, parsley, 1 tsp paprika, and juice of half a lemon to pan, sweat onions until soft
- Add in heavy cream, and simmer until thick and reduced by half
- Put shrimp back into the pan, and season with salt and pepper
- Put shrimp mixture in a large bowl with crab, and breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper again
- Season both sides of tilapia with salt and pepper, and then take 1/4 of the stuffing and place on half of the filet, fold the other half over the stuffing, and secure with toothpicks, repeat with 3 other filets
- Place stuffed filets in buttered baking dish, squeeze juice of the other half of the lemon over the filets, and sprinkle with remaining paprika
- Place in over and bake for about 25 minutes, until fish is firm, slightly browned, and stuffing is hot throughout.
- Remove toothpicks, serve, and enjoy!

Tags: recipes, red lobster, restaurant recreation, seafood stuffed tilapia

Four Things... I stole

2010-12-29T18:44:00.001-06:00

Just Kidding!

I didn't steal four things. If I did my mother would surely bring me back to where ever I stole it from, make me return it, and apologize.

And there would definitely be a swift slap to the bottom.

What I did steal is this Four Things post from Jessica over at How Sweet It Is.

Who stole it from Caitlin over at The Twenty Fifth Year.

Don't judge me. Caitilin told me to do it.

1. Four T.V. shows that I watch
- Dexter
- Glee
- Leverage
- Gossip Girl

2. Four things that I'm passionate about:
- Food
- Writing
- Shoes
- Family

3. Four words/phrases I use a lot:
- "Don't judge me" (insecure much?)
- "I know, right?!"
- "I mean, really."
- "I'm Busy."

4. Four things I've learned from the past:
- If it's worth having, it's worth fighting for
- Mistakes are inevitable, what you learn from them isn't
- Always say you're sorry
- Bacon makes it better

5. Four places I would like to go:
- Santorini (a la Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
- Paris
- Jamaica (the motherland)
- Spain

6. Four things I did yesterday:
- Went to lunch at Chili's for the first time ever
- Shopped at Target and bought absolutely nothing, for the first time ever
- Took a nap
- Did laundry

7. Four things I am looking forward to:
- Making 2011 even better than 2010
- Running my first race
- Not having to wear closed toe shoes everyday
- Burgers on the grill

8. Four things I love about winter:
- Mittens
- Having the urge to drink hot coffee, and hot cocoa
- Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes (uh... sorry, I watched The Sound of Music today)
- Not having to carry deodorant in my purse because I break into a nasty sweat every time I leave the house

Things I've learned... Over the Christmas Holiday

2010-12-28T00:28:00.001-06:00

It takes approximately 7 hours, 1 yogurt, 2 helpings of tater tot hotdish, 3 dishwasher cycles, and 3 cups of coffee, to bake 50 biscotti, 300 cookies, 60 chocolate dipped pretzels, and a 13"X9" pan of peppermint marshmallows.

And I'm not counting the bottle of tequila it took me to get through a week of cutting, baking, decorating, and cooling sugar cookies.

I'm kidding.... about it taking a week to get through a bottle of tequila, it only took me 4 days.

I'm only kidding...

I can scoop and pan 25 chocolate chip cookies in 6 minutes.

I can scoop, form, sugar, and pan 20 gingersnaps in 4 minutes.

I can unwrap 22 Hershey's milk chocolate kisses in 1 minute.

I am stonger than I think..... AND I will never buy plastic handled utensils ever again.

This is one, of TWO plastic spatulas I broke.

If a recipe calls for a small saucepan to boil sugar, cornsyrup, and water in... use a large saucepan.

4 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of tequila, and Boomer's "3-pack" is not enough alcohol to help you cope with 5 Family Christmas' in 3 days. But it is enough to almost keep you from 1 Christmas morning brunch.

My classy pants, love monkey, proceeded to steal procure 3 different beers in 2 different sizes, from 3 different christmas parties, and stick them in a plastic 6 pack holder, and borrow my camera to take a picture. This is what love looks like.

I'm really bad at remembering to take pictures at parties. So, I'm sharing Boomer's butter igloo.

My baby is an arteest!

I also wanted to show you some of my uber cute Christmas decorations before they come down. I don't really like showing you pictures of my house because I live in a dark cave, with artificial lighting, and wood paneling, but if you promise not to judge my wood-paneled, sans chair-rail walls, dirty dishes, and pile o' junk. I'll show you. Because this place was hecka cute like 3 days ago before my family had an outrageous party and trashed the place.

There are 4 bottles of wine missing from that wine rack -- Don't mind the beer signs, I live in a bar ... or the dirty dishes.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, full of food, fun, family, and laughter, and is easing back into your regularly scheduled programming. I am taking a cue from my neighbors to the north, and enjoying today off by celebrating Boxing Day. Those Canooks are smart cookies.

Merry [Day After] Christmas

2010-12-26T11:38:00.003-06:00

This is undoubtably the worst time of year.....

This is when I fall into a sad state of depression, because most of the people in my life want the decorations to come down immediately, the music to stop, and they want the regularly dinner menu back....

How can anyone be sick of holiday leftovers, yet?! I realize you probably had a good week or two after Thanksgiving, and you have been eating christmas sweets for the last 1-2 weeks. But, I mean, really... quitch'ur complainin'!

I'm headed back to work today.... (bleh)

But I had fresh from the freezer Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Biscotti with Coffee and Eggnog for breakfast

(Source)

For lunch I'm having mashed potato cakes. Which are ~~probably~~ better than you can imagine. And I will be sharing the recipe this week. This is usually something I make after Thanksgiving, but I didn't have any leftover mashed potatoes after T-giving... I was sure hell froze over.

Breakfast tomorrow will be Shirred Eggs. Because believe it or not the amount of heavy cream left in my fridge is giving me convulsions. I am almost positive I cooked something wrong because there should be no reason for my to have 2 pints of heavy cream in my fridge on the 26th of December.

You may have noticed the lack of tonight's dinner on the above menu, but that is because I am looking forward to a 5th Christmas dinner (in 3 days) tonight with my another branch of my family tree. I have never been so full, and so hungry all at the same time.

But after Shirred eggs tomorrow, I will only be eating lettuce for the next month, and changing the name of this blog to, "Rabbit Food."

I'm only kidding. I'll be eating bacon to.

E(a)ternally hungry,

Hannah L.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-12-18T12:33:00.001-06:00

Disclaimer: It has taken me almost a week to post this because it has taken me almost a week to get a picture of the final product. Life has gotten away from me. And as I sit here at a dance competition listening to teenage girls squeel, and sing Justin Beiber songs, while inhaling massive amounts of AquaNet, I feel myself losing my mind. And decided to post it without the final photo, and instead, a few randoms of the weather, and the process. Enjoy, and maybe I will post a photo tonight... If i don't pass out from the fumes first!

Last Saturday when I was trying to survive #SnowMG 2010, I decided it was a good idea to make some soup.

I mean, the boys and Boomer were out shoveling, and snow-blowing (including digging my car out from being parked on the street, and moving it to the driveway), Laura was at work, and I figured the least I could do was feed them something hot and comforting when they got home. Aren't I sweet?

I have my moments.

Now everyone has their own version of Chicken Tortilla soup. And to be honest I was totally winging it as I went along. The final product ended up being completely different than what I was initially going for, but this soup turned out to be delicious, comforting, hearty, and a little spicy. And it's easy, chances are, if you have a well stocked pantry, you could go make this right now!

But, as good as this soup is, I have to be honest, the star of the show is the toppings!

Who doesn't love a good topping?! The fixings are what make the dish solely yours. They make that particular serving uniquely you. And everyone likes knowing that they are an individual, and I am giving you that opportunity! I care about your feelings, and your self-esteem, and I want you to feel like this soup was made just for you! The options are endless!

So the next time it's cold out, or there is a blizzard outside your window, or it's Tuesday, make this soup.

You won't regret it.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
A Hannah Lives Original Recipe

1 lb chicken (skinless boneless chicken breasts)
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Onion diced
3 Garlic cloves minced
2 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Paprika
Pinch Cayenne
2- 4 oz cans of roasted green chiles
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
19 oz. can your favorite enchilada sauce
15 oz. can Black Beans
15 oz. can Whole Kernel Corn
Salt
Pepper

Toppings:
Crispy tortilla strips (recipe below)
Sour Cream
Shredded cheese (I like Monterey jack for this)
diced onion
salsa
diced or sliced jalapeno
diced avocado
lime wedges
tortilla chips

- Open cans of black beans, and corn. Drain and rinse, set aside
- In a large soup pot melt butter over low heat, add in onion and saute until soft
- When the onions are soft add in the garlic, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes
- Add in all of the dried spices, mix around until they are completely incorporated into the fat
- Add in green chiles, diced tomatoes, and enchilada sauce, then fill the enchilada sauce can with water and add to pot (~1 1/2 Cups) season with salt and pepper to taste
- Place chicken breasts in poot, and bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is cooked through (about 20 minutes)
-Once the chicken is cooked remove from liquid, allow to cool, shred, continue simmering liquid while the chicken cools
- Stir in beans, corn, and shredded chicken, simmer for another 5 minutes just to warm up the beans and corn
-Taste, and adjust salt and pepper, ladle into bowls and serve with toppings!

(the secret ingredient)

Crispy Tortilla Strips
A Hannah Lives Original Recipe

5-6 Flour Tortilla (I used the small taco sized tortillas)
1 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable oil (Or non-stick spray- olive oil flavored)
1 tsp salt
-Preheat oven to 400*
- Cut tortillas into thin strips, about 1/2" wide
- Cut strips in half
-Place tortilla strips on baking sheet and toss with oil and salt
-Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown, and crispy

Notes:
1. To make this go even faster you could use leftover chicken that has been shredded, or a rotisserie chicken, and then use store bought chicken stock, or broth for the liquid.
2. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, because that is what I usually have in my freezer, but I think it would be even better with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Once cooked discard skin and bones (but save the bones for homemade stock).
3. The enchilada sauce is my secret ingredient. I love the stuff. Any Tex-Mex dish can be improved by enchilada sauce. And I have yet to concoct a recipe for homemade that is better than the canned stuff. It gives the soup a flavor that gives the impression that it has been simmering all day. I don't judge canned foods. But if you don't like it, leave it out, it'll still taste great... just not as good as mine. :)
4. Some people hate when recipes say, salt and pepper to taste. I believe that recipes are more guidelines than anything. And I have a very hard time even writing recipes with specific measurements, because everyone's taste buds are different. I looooooove cumin, that is why I have 2 full tablespoons in this, but if you don't like, add 1 tablespoon, or heck, even just a teaspoon. My sister, for instance, is a salt fiend. Her taste buds are decidedly half dead so she has to add 2, or 3 times as much salt as a normal person. This has taught me to not get offended when I feed people, and they feel the need to salt their plates. What my wonderful older sister thinks is perfectly seasoned, I find inedible. It's a matter of taste, and your prerogative. But my advice is to start out slow. Salt, and pepper it, taste it, salt and pepper it again, taste it again. A little at a time. It's easy to add more, but it is nearly impossible to take it out.

How To Dice an Onion

2010-12-13T15:18:00.003-06:00

During all the madness that was #snowmageddon, #snowpocalypes, and #SnowMG this weekend, I decided it was a very appropriate time to get some cooking done. Standing over a hot stove, stirring a pot made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And when anyone so much as looked at me with a shovel I was able to avert my gaze, and quickly retort, "Sorry, can't, I'm making soup! Someone has to feed you when you come in from the cold!"

And they would walk away cursing me under their breath.

And I would beam them in the back of the head with a snowball.

Kidding,

I would only think about beaming them in the back of the head.

But only think.

To make a long story longer, this is not a recipe for soup.

What I am about to show you is one of the most important skills you will ever learn.

It's right up there with wiping your own behind, and knowing throwing wrinkled clothes back into the dryer with a dryer sheet for a few minutes allows you to avoid learning how to iron.

I am going to show you how to dice an onion. I do this every day. And while, any way you choose to cut an onion is really fine with me. I'm not the onion police. But I can't promise that I won't turn you into them.

This is the true, and proper way. The way I learned in culinary school. The way that I paid about $10,000 to learn. And I am teaching you for free.

You can thank me later.

First get an onion and a sharp knife.

Cut off the root, and stem ends.

Then stand your onion up on one of the cut ends...

and cut the onion in half vertically. If the onion were the world you would cut it in half along the prime meridian, or from the north to south poles.

Here on Hannah Lives I offer all kinds of free services, cooking, laughing, and geography.

Again, thank me later.

I missed a picture... or two. But at this point you will peel off the papery outer layers. Depending on the onion, the day, and whether aquarius is in the 7th house, the layers you remove could be 1 , 2, or 3. Just go with your gut.

Then you're gonna lay it flat on the last cut you made.

You are going to make horizontal slices in the onion. You will want to lay your palm flat on top of the onion, keeping your fingers out of the way. The pressure will help keep the layers intact.

My hand isn't there because I'm taking the picture. It's hard to believe that this is a one-woman operation with all of the epic photography, fantastic lighting, and unbelievable writing (please note the sarcasm). Make several horizontal slices in the onion without going all the way through.

(Remember what I said about epic photography? I am so proud!-and did the orientation change make you a little dizzy to? Sorry about that, one-woman operation... remember?)

Now you make vertical slices, evenly spaced, across the onion, without going all the way through.

So at this point the end of the onion looks like this. You see all off the itty bitty squares that will make a very nice dice? But notice that I am holding the onion at the end and it isn't falling apart? That is because I didn't cut all the way throught the onion! It's Genius!!

Take a moment and feel overwhelmed with pride by what you have just done.

Aaaannnnd.... That's enough.

Now, you can't see my fingers but they are tucked up, like a little claw. I need all 10 of my digits, you see, so I do that so I don't lose one while I dice like a crazy person.

Oh, and it you are crying at this point it is ok, it happens. Let it out. The only surefire way to avoid onion tears is to use a very sharp knife, grow your own onions, ensuring they are fresh as can be, and wear goggles.

Keep the tip of your knife on the board, slice the onion moving toward your fingers. These slices should be perpendicular to your vertical slices.

I offer geometry tutoring also. But not algebra. Bleh. Definetly not algebra. Don't ask me what X equals.... But I'm pretty sure it's 3.14123998373... Pie. No, Pi. But I prefer Key Lime.

Whoops, tangent.

See? Look! You are dicing an onion!

Now, this is where it gets dicey... badda bump!

Sorry, moving on...

This is what you are left with. A beautiful dice of onion, and a little nub of an onion. This is the piece that you didn't make cuts in.

So, at this point I lay it flat on my board, and make slices the long way.

Give it a little quarter turn, and slice again, into a psuedo dice.

And there you have it. A perfect (almost), flawless (nearly), dice. This is pretty much the foundation for everything that is good and right in the world. That is savory, that is.

Now that you know how to make a perfect dice let me suggest some recipes from some of my favorite blogs to allow you to hone your skills:

The Pioneer Woman's Sloppy Joes

Jenna's Mom's Homestyle Turkey Chili

Jaden's Creamy Whiskey Mushroom Sauce

Oh, and if you are planning on thanking me, you can make and freeze some of that Creamy Whiskey Mushroom sauce and send it to me... or just send the bottle of whiskey.

You're Welcome,
Your friendly bloggerhood educator

Tags: how-toTags: dice an onion, sloppy joes, turkey chili, creamy whiskey mushroom sauce

No Words...

2010-12-12T14:04:00.001-06:00

Maybe one... #Domepocalypse

#SnowMG

2010-12-11T17:02:00.002-06:00

It's been snowing for about 18 hours here in good ol' Mini-Apple!

Judging from my very technical measuring abilities.... were at about 13" of snow.....and counting.

Now, let me tell you something about this city that I live in. We are not afraid of snow. We relish in the opportunity to show up any city in the nation with out ability to handle an avalanche of snow. MN department of transportation has many flaws, but plowing, salting, and sanding the roads is not one of them.

Mail is always delivered. Public transportation is always running. Airport never closes. Stores never close. Public school never closes. Nothing is ever cancelled.

But today, Minneapolis needs to collectively buy a diaper, because this snowmageddon has made us shit our collective pants.

I didn't get mail today. Metro Transit has suspended buses (trains are still running). Many of the stores in the Mall of America never opened, are closing, or will close early. Things that normally happen on Saturdays like ACT, and SAT testing, extra-curriculars, and concerts are cancelled. The airport is closed, and the New York Giants are not in MN yet, so they may not be playing my beloved MN Vikings tomorrow... I smell a forfeit.

But it isn't just the snow that is hindering our ability to... live.

Winds are at about 30 MPH. Which means that as soon as you shovel, snow-blow, or plow, a gust of wind comes along and blows that big pile of snow you made on the side of the sidewalk/road back in your path.

So for now I am in my PJ's, thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner and getting "chocolate wasted" (name that movie)!

Have a good day! I hope yours is less snowy than mine. Food will be posted tomorrow. Once I dig my car out of the driveway.

Barefoot Bloggers: 2 for 1

2010-12-10T01:11:00.005-06:00

I spent the last week doing the school thing (finals week), cleaning my house, putting up Christmas decorations, making Christmas lists, Christmas baking, and dying.

Don't worry about me though. I will be fine. Because on Tuesday, even though I really didn't want to. Because I was in a bad mood, and tired, and I just wanted to be a hermit, sit on my couch and eat ice cream, I had friends over for dinner. It was all Boomer's idea, so, I didn't have to clean.

Since I failed to make Ina's Lemon Chicken last week for Barefoot Bloggers, I decided that this was as good a time as any to make it, AND this weeks recipe: Roasted Summer Vegetables.

The chicken was bright lemony, and juicy. I love the combination of lemon, thyme with chicken. It is a classic, and every whole chicken I have ever roasted is done this way. And every roast chicken I have ever made was divine. Not to toot my own horn but, toot toot (hehe).

And the vegetables were soft, and sweet. I had never roasted fennel before, but I love it raw on a crudite platter, sauteed and layered in dauphinoise potatoes, and the previous BB recipe French Onion Soup. There was zucchini too but these are photos of leftovers, and my friends are real classy and picked it out of the medley.

The only changes I made were using dried thyme instead of fresh, and boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of bone-in, skin on because that is what I had, and I am not trying to make it a habit of going to the grocery store 5 times in one week. So my suggestion to you is this: make this for someone you love, or someone you want to love you.

Lemon Chicken Breasts

Adapted From Ina Garten's How Easy is That?!

1/4 C olive oil

3 Tbls minced garlic

1/3 C dry white wine

1 Tbls grated lemon zest (~2 lemons)

2 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 whole lemon

Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add garlic, and cook for just 1 minute, don't allow garlic to brown. Off the heat, add wine, zest, juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 tsp salt. Pour mixture into a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.

Pat chicken breasts dry and nestle in sauce. Brush tops with sauce and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cut lemon into wedges and tuck in among chicken pieces.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through, cooking time will vary depending on size of chicken breasts. Remove from oven, and cover pan tightly with tin foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with pan juices, an roasted summer vegetables.

Roasted Summer Vegetables

Adapted from How Easy is That?!

2 medium zucchinis

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 fennel bulb

1 small red onion

2 Tbls olive oil

1 Tbls minced garlic (~3 cloves)

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Trim ends off of zucchinis and cut them diagonally in 1/4-inch thick slices (the slices may seem large but they will shrink while they cook). Cut the peppers lengthwise in 1 1/2-inch wide slices, discarding the stem, and core. Trim the fennel stalks, and cut the bulb through the core into 1-inch wedges. Peel the onion and slice it in 1/4-inch-thick rounds, leaving the slices intact.

Toss the vegetables with oil, thyme, salt and pepper and spread them out over 2 sheet pans. You don't want them to be crowded, otherwise they will steam, instead of roast. Roast for 10 minutes, turn the vegetables over, and roast for another 5-10 minutes, until all the vegetables are browned, and tender, but still crisp. Serve hot.

I served the chicken and veggies with my roasted garlic mashed potatoes. And what you see above is the beauty of a salad I had for lunch the next day. It was glorious. I chopped up the leftover chicken, and vegetables, and added cucumbers, and avocado to spring mix, and dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, and of course, a little bit of mashed taters on the side.

Make more than you think you will need of the above two dishes. They make fantastic leftovers! ;-)

I told you I was famous.

2010-12-06T02:07:00.006-06:00

If you don't already know this about me, I am a giganto nerd.

Not the uncool kind.

The cool kind. The kind that writes a food-ish blog, and likes reading other food-ish blogs.

The kind that wishes they were good at math.

The kind that thinks a great weekend involves baking a sweet treat, cooking up something spectacular, sweating my face off, a sugar-free vanilla soy latte from Star-Bizzle, and a good book.

.... OK maybe I am not so cool.

But my mother tells me I am, and she would never lie.

.... would she?

Don't answer that.

In this instance I am a giganto nerd because I love Joy the Baker.

(Source: Swiped from Joy the Baker)

She is all kinds of cool, that I am not.

She lives in L.A.

She went to the school of hard-knocks to learn how to bake.

She is funny.

And writes a kick ass blog.

And if you read her blog today, you might have seen a not-so-familiar face.

Mine.

Word.

I told you I was famous.

Go check me out!

I'll have my people call your people,

Hannah "Tinsle-Town" Lue