Good morning, good morning! 

I'm so sorry I don't have a picture for you this morning!  We did go walking in the Park but it was just SO drizzly and rainy and gray that I didn't feel like capturing the magic for you :) 

It was nice and warm, though.  44 degrees! 

I have a date with the mouse room this morning.  Meaning I'll be in the mouse room until noon once I go in to work.  I have to do a "mouse census" because the animal facility people moved all of our mice into another part of the animal facility and now they aren't in the right order.  This doesn't seem to bother anyone but it is driving me insane.  The mice need to be in the right order!  I also don't know where half my breeding cages are and who has litters and who doesn't.  It's a mess down there. 

Basically I'd better go get a good playlist or podcast going ahead of time so that I don't get too bored. 

Yay.

Carpe diem,

J

Well folks, this is about all I have to show you today.  It was pouring this morning in NYC.  I walked the doggies around the block and that's all they would tolerate.  Especially Sofie - she is not having the rain.  Then I ran to the gym where they told me the gym was closed.  I was soaking wet and actually pleaded with the desk guy to let me go get in my workout.  I've become addicted to the morning workout - it makes me feel SO GOOD for the rest of the day.  The thought of waiting until after work was just too much.  He relented and told me he hoped I didn't get him in trouble. (He won't get in trouble). Supposedly there was going to be some sort of med student "show" down in the gym.  But seriously?  at 7:15am?  There was no one about so I ran in the dark on the treadmill and watched Good Morning America.  I swear the news is trying to single handedly get everyone who watches to go kill themselves either from how screwed up the world is or how stupid people are.  It's like they alternate between "Another shooting leaves 10 dead" and "Man raises housecat as elephant and releases it into Serengeti to fend for itself." I just made those headlines up but they sound like something you'd hear on the news, right?  So then I put my music in and wished I was out in the midwest where it looks like they're gearing up for quite a winter storm.  Exciting!!  "Children have to sleep at school" read the headline.  Exciting!!  I'm pretty sure the only thing more awesome than a snow day is waking up already surrounded by all your friends!!

I digress.  It was not a successful park-walking day for little dogs.  Probably explains why they're going insane thrashing the new box that my running shoes came in.  I think they're actually cats.  Don't tell anyone.

Carpe diem,

J

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
(Sofie)

Good morning, folks!  The weirdest thing happened this morning.  At around 5:52 I awoke gently to the sounds of birds singing outside.  The sun was coming up, and I felt no need to go back to sleep.  I was wide awake and alert, in fact! I felt/feel fantastic.  I harnessed up the pups for our morning walk and it just had the feel of Spring in the air (despite the fact that there is apparently a snowstorm headed our way).  We had a nice walk, saw our usual buddies, and Bear met his lady/love/heart's desire.  In case you were wondering, his heart's desire is actually another non-neutered male Cocker Spaniel.  They're both so jazzed up all the time and most other dogs semi-ignore their advances.  I think they're confused about each other because they're the only ones that give the respective other the time of day.  It's a hilarious sight seeing the two of them flirting madly away.  I know I ascribe human emotions to them, but seriously, if you saw this....it's flirting if I've ever seen it. 

Then I got home, woke Brian up by jumping onto the bed w/ the two ruppies, then went to the gym!  I ran 6 miles, felt euphoric for about 5 mins, and now am home drinking coffee and eating oatmeal.  It's ok I'm going into lab late - I was in til 7 yesterday.  Plus I can do what I WANT!! I LOVE oatmeal.  Especially the way I make it - it's the bomb.  Lately I've been making a half cup of non-quick cook + 2 heaping tablespoons of unhulled, raw flax seeds + 1 handful walnuts.  Yay for omega 3's & protein!!  I can't decide which I like better - toasted wheat germ or flax seeds.  I kind of like the taste of flax seeds better but they get stuck all up in mah teeth, which the wheat germ does not.  Flax seeds are also cheaper. 

Boring...

Anyway, listen for chirping birdies!  It's made me look every which way for sprouting crocus & daffodils but I think I'm too early for them yet. 

Carpe diem,

J

Sunday, February 24th, 2013

Hello there, folks.  I did a lot of experimenting this weekend.  I cooked a lot of things.  I cooked with coconut oil for the first time.  I ran in a new pair of shoes (that might seem trivial but my old pair I've had over a year and 1000 miles).  I went to the movies with Brian last night - Side Effects.  I snuggled my dogs.  I read.  I didn't work on my ACE. 

First things first.  I made a baked good this weekend that was simply put - delicious.  I don't really think baked goods count towards my "15 new vegetarian recipes." Coconut oil used to be "a thing that is very bad for you."  However, that opinion was due to the prevailing view that saturated fats are bad - and I'm not sure that's entirely true if you eat them in moderation.  Trans fats are definitely bad - so never never never eat fast food, frozen packaged foods, margarine, or donuts.  The reason that trans fats are bad is that like saturated fats, they increase your bad cholesterol, but actually decrease your good cholesterol, too.  Very, very bad.  Coconut oil doesn't have trans fasts, but it does have some saturated fat.  It kind of tastes like chap-stick to me - I definitely like butter better but this is cool for some things.  Despite the fact that health food people are now championing coconut oil for it's health benefits, I think the jury is definitely still out.  For good fats - that is - Omega 3's - stick to fish, nuts, beans, spinach.

Side note: I just re-read that bit about running in a new pair of shoes - I'm so boring I can't even stand it.

Back to recipes.  I'm not going to count this coconut thing because who puts meat into baked goods & it's surely not healthy,  but I am going to share it with you. 

Double Coconut White Chocolate Chip Muffins: 
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup raw, unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips

Mix together the flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup of the coconut into a large bowl.  Allow your egg and yogurt to come to room temperature - otherwise they re-solidify the coconut oil and it's really hard to stir.  Melt your coconut oil in a small saucepan - this happens really quick - what I did was just heat my saucepan up for a minute with nothing in it then add my coconut oil and it all melted in about 20 seconds.  Mix together the coconut oil, yogurt, vanilla, and egg in another bowl and then combine with the dry ingredients.  The mixture is very cookie-doughesque and not cake-batteresque.  Spoon into muffin tin and top with the remaining coconut - you could top with a macadamia like I did.  Bake it at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Shout out to Deb Perelman @ the Smitten Kitchen for this recipe.  I absolutely love coconut.  Absolutely love it.
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/02/double-coconut-muffins/

Now for the healthy thing I made TWICE this weekend because it was so good.

Vegetarian recipe #7 - Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Tahini, Lemon, and Smoked Sweet Paprika:

- Peel your sprouts so all the gross outer leaves are off (I can almost guarantee my mother does not do this because she's just Oregoney and earthy) - I on the other hand don't like the gross outer leaves. 
- Cut your sprouts in half
- Line a cookie tray with some olive oil, coconut oil, or butter
- Toss your sprouts onto the tray and shake em' around
- Roast at 350 for 15-20 minutes - shaking every so often

Top warm sprouts by drizzling with a tablespoon of raw tahini then juice from about 1/3 of a lemon.  Sprinkle a dusting of smoked spanish paprika - a thing I very much like on everything. 

I'd like to talk about tahini for a moment.  It's a common ingredient in middle eastern food.  It's made out of pureed sesame seeds and has a texture similar to peanut butter but much runnier.  The first time I tasted it I was not sold - it wasn't what I expected.  I expected sweet or salty - tahini is just...tahini.  It is a tad bitter and sort of lemony and savory.  I now enjoy it so much that it has completely replaced peanut butter for me - which is good because I can't have peanut butter in the house because I have no self control when I know it's just a spoon away.  You can make salad dressings with it, marinades, put it straight onto sandwiches like mustard or mayo.  It's also good as a dip for vegetables. 

When I was a child I used to feed Mundi Brussel's Sprouts under the table.  I also once hid them in my socks and thew said socks down the laundry shoot where they were subsequently washed, dried, and turned into a very strange powdery green material. 

I now love Brussels Sprouts.  They are good and good for you.  I had no appreciation for anything being good for me back then.  Really, though, these sprouts are SO GOOD.  Make 'em - you'll like 'em. 

I also crossed 1000 mile marker for my last pair of running shoes - Nike Free's - RIP.  I did my first 2 runs in my new Brooks Pure Flows2 - which I very much like.  I had no calf pain, toe joint pain, or heel pain - which are all things that sometimes happen when I get new shoes (which is why I  rarely get new shoes). 

Have a fantastic evening! 

Carpe diem,

J

2/22/13
Central Park East - 6:12am

This is why I love the mornings.

Carpe diem,

J

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

Good morning!  I feel like this morning is a Monday after my 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' yesterday.  My Dad was in town before he went home to Oregon so I took off work yesterday so we could do fun stuff.  We went to The Frick Collection yesterday - which I had never been to see despite the fact that it is less than 6 blocks from my house.  Henry Clay Frick was a steel guy in the time of Carnegie, Rockefeller, and JP Morgan.

When he was a live, he built a ridiculously palatial house on an entire city block on 5th avenue across from Central Park.  It's kind of neat to go in, because you definitely don't feel like you're in a museum - you feel like you're in a really, really rich person's house.  Many of the rooms are even decorated with the original furnishings and in the same orientation as when he and his wife lived there.  As you walk through the house - you can't help but not be struck by how wealthy he was.  Priceless works of art are everywhere and this house is in NYC - it feels like Versaille or something.  The collection is also manageable - you can see everything in an afternoon, whereas at some of the bigger museums you can feel a bit overwhelmed.  In NYC in particular the Met is almost always really crowded - so it's tough to browse and linger and get lost.  At the Frick it was pleasantly non-crowded and the fee for students was only $10 - a great deal.  Another thing I thought was interesting about the collection that they mentioned in the little film they showed you in the "Music Room" of the house was that the collection has a very personal feel to it.  You can feel the way that the art was "domestic" and would have appealed to his wife and was pleasant for him to look at - that's a touch of personality that's missing from most other art museums. 

I saw a lot of paintings and sculptures that I liked but there were a few that stood out as favorites.  I really liked Rembrandt's "The Polish Rider."  I also really liked Bellini's "Saint Francis of Asissi in the Desert."  My absolute favorites, though, were William Turner's pair of paintings that line one of the house galleries.  They are enormous works and one depicts the harbor in Cologne at sunset and the other shows the harbor at Dieppe at sunrise.  These paintings really appealed to me because I kind of identified with how Turner felt about light at changing of the day.  His paintings feel a bit magical and unreal - which is sometimes how early or dusky light can make a place feel and look.  I've attached links below so you can see the paintings I really liked. Finally, of the sculpture, my favorite were the pair by Giovanni Susini "Lion attacking a Horse" and "Leopard fighting a Bull."  In particular, the Leopard fighting the bull was really neat because if you looked very closely, you could see that Susini had etched delicate, barely visible spots all over the leopard.  Susini meant to represent the Horse and Lion as the valiant struggle for life - The horse is giving it a good fight.  On the other hand, the bull falls to his knees when the leopard attacks - he accepts the inevitability of death honorably. 

The Harbor at Cologne:
http://collections.frick.org/media/view/Objects/136/3427;jsessionid=C9FD643B935A3054E0F5D911D3C99119?t:state:flow=ca25856f-7ba6-498b-acf1-fa1befa3e558 

The Harbor at Dieppe:
http://collections.frick.org/media/view/Objects/268/3428?t:state:flow=c97d2e48-a3f4-4ad7-b3c1-78d5204e0da5

Lion Attacking a Horse:
http://collections.frick.org/view/objects/asitem/search@/0?t:state:flow=9cec9834-ed4d-4cdc-8c8e-33493113c532

Leopard Attacking a Bull:
http://collections.frick.org/view/objects/asitem/People@423/0?t:state:flow=6cf8f510-e601-4e41-9d39-5c7994916dd0

The Polish Rider:
http://collections.frick.org/view/objects/asitem/search@/0?t:state:flow=b44f76f0-2be3-40ac-9f7d-9e4a79566bfd

Saint Francis in the Desert:
http://collections.frick.org/view/objects/asitem/People@46/0?t:state:flow=3c70d0ce-9f29-4232-973b-e57287641a9f

My Dad also brought some treats for us as you can see above - Hawaiian coffee & macadamia nuts - there is nothing better - NOTHING!  We also got some new toys from Grandma for Sofie & Bear - which have gotten a thrashing already.  We also got a late X-mas present from Uncle Keith & Aunt Jeanne - a framed photo of Brian, Sofie, Bear, and I while hiking last summer in Oregon :) :) :)

After the Frick we all went out for dinner at the Palm.  It was great service and a great meal, as usual.  We started with some cocktails - Dad got a vodka martini, I got a lemon drop, and Sarah got some pomegranate thing.  Brian got a beer.  Then we had some salads and finally swordfish steak for me topped with cherry tomatoes, capers, and kalamata olives; Dad got a big steak; Sarah got a smaller steak, and Brian got crabcakes with a mango salsa.  We all shared green beans, frites, and a bottle of Malbec.  Finally we finished by sharing some coffee, NY cheesecake, carrotcake, and Dad had a bit of Glenfiddich Scotch - which I tasted and actually really liked.  I have never tried Scotch before but I expected it to sting and burn and make you feel like you could breathe fire kind of like Whiskey - not so - it was very smooth.

All in all we had a GREAT night and a GREAT meal.  It was so much fun.

This morning Dad left at like 5:50am.  I was totally out of it when I said good bye and ended up sleeping in until 6:40am.  No workout for me this morning! haha!

Anyway, I hope you all have a great day!  The only thing missing from last night was Mom!!  (though we would have needed to order another dessert if she had been there :))

Carpe diem,

J

Good morning!

Today was well, just sort of blah - that's why I have no picture for you.  On the East coast, usually late February through early April is an ugly time of year.  Spring has not really sprung, yet it's damp and dead out.  Nothing bounces back until early April around here.  Another thing is that it starts being light in the morning again, which I know I shouldn't complain about, but I like seeing the sunrise and feeling like I'm out at some special time of day. 

When it starts feeling officially warm again, I dig it, but that just won't be for awhile yet.  I'm also holding out for 1 more blizzard - come on...give me some SNOW!!!

Carpe diem,

J

Monday, February 18th, 2013

Good morning, folks!

Happy President's Day, Happy President's Day, indeed!  I had a great gift bestowed upon me today (as I usually do on weekends as well).  Brian is home from work today (but I am not) so he said he would get up and take the dogs so that I could sleep in (there are no better gifts than sleeping in - I defy you to give me a better gift!) - as he did yesterday & Saturday!  He is so the best!  How it works is he gets up at 7:45 to take them and I sleep until they get back & it is glorious.  This morning I just got up when they left and have been sitting here having my oatmeal and checking my email. 

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy my walks.  However, I thoroughly enjoy sleeping in as well.  The photos I've posted show a lot of what we've been doing lately.  Runkies sleeping while I work on my ACE and eat salmon & brussels sprouts.  My brain needs all the good oils it can get!!

Well I have lab meeting today so I should hustle my butt off the computer and go get ready for work.

Have a wonderful, wonderful day - hopefully home from work!!

Carpe diem,

J

Thursday, February 14th, 2013

Good morning! 

You may have noticed that neither of these photos is recent.  Actually - the top photo is from when we first got Bear and he was just a wee pup.  The bottom photo of Brian is from almost 4 years ago (cannot believe that) when we went camping in the Adirondacks. 

I won't be gag-inducing, but since it's Valentine's day I'll just express my love and appreciation for the 3 of them. 

I'm so glad I get to love these 3 every day.  They make everything in life brighter and happier.  My dogs teach me how to love, pay attention, have patience, and play, and Brian is my friend, my love, my sharer of tasks, protector, and fellow dreamer of dreams. 

I love you three! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Carpe diem,

J

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

Top 2 photos I took last night when the pizza delivery guy came.  It cracks me up every time when the buzzer rings because the dogs have learned that that means a stranger or a friend is coming up to our door next.  They get very anxious and hop around near the door whining.  When it's a stranger with pizza or something, Bear (not usually Sofie) gets a little territorial and sometimes barks to go out and check things out.  Brian has to go out by himself to get the pizza because otherwise Bear will run after the delivery guy down the stairs.

Guess what?  I signed up for a dog agility class!  It's time I stop pretending and just admit to what I truly am - a nutty dog person.  You could get a pretty good picture of who I am by the following:

Loves animals (especially kittens, cows, horses, chinchillas, lions, tigers, bears, and goats), Merrell snowboots, cotten v-neck T shirts, quiet, crime shows, stars, yoga, snowstorms, Ghirardelli Coconut Rendezvous bars or (toasted almond-equally good), brightly colored things, treehouses (*someday I will live in one), things that glow in the dark, those bent/linked together puzzle nails, my family, pizza, lentil soup, ratatouille, running, brightly colored leaves, mountains, woods, James Herriott books, cheese, tattoos, science, and DOGS!! 

Yep, that pretty much sums me up - & in less than 60 words!! - but mostly I'm just a crazy dog lady.

So back to agility.  I'm going to do it - starting April 24th.  It is my prospective present to myself for passing the ACE (which I hopefully will have by then).

Carpe diem,

J

Tuesday, February 12th, 2013

Good morning! 

Here's to a good morning.....a morning where I got up extra early, walked the dogs, got to the gym - workout in hand, changed, and realized I FORGOT MY SHOES!!!! :-(

So, I went to Dunkin' Donuts for a bagel.

Here's to yoga tonight. 

Carpe diem,

J

 Sofie - Thanks, Matt for taking such a great pic!

 Bear - rompin'

 Bear front - Sofie back - rompin'

 CP is a playground when it snows

Winter wonderland

 Bear right, Sofie left

 Bear licked inside my mouth

Monday, February 11th, 2013

Good morning, folks!  Lots-o-pictures today!  These pictures are all from Saturday morning.  This morning it was raining too hard for me to go to the Park :(

This weekend was fantastic (you all know I love snow)!  It had been snowing hard all day long - beautiful view of it swirling all around from my 14th floor window. 

I left work late despite all the "impending disaster talk."  I had to work on my ACE &  I was pretty sure I could make it 3 blocks.  Quite a bit had accumulated by the time I left & so Brian and I took the doggies for a quick walk while I took off from working out.  (I usually take Fridays and Mondays off - though I work pushups & abs on Mondays).    Brian and I made ravioli and hung out while Nemo built up some force outside.  Around 10pm I decided I just had to go out for a walk.  Had to.  I took Bear with me, though he made me cut it short because he was shivering by Park avenue.  I enjoyed a beautiful, quiet, walk through the snowy streets.  It was so lovely to be out when it was so deserted.

On Saturday we woke up early and took the dogs to the Park.  It was a most joyous scene.  Sledders, kids, parents, happy dogs, happy people everywhere.  I had a big smile from the minute we started our walk to the end.  There was about 6 inches - maybe? - of snow.  Significant.  When we got home we warmed up with coffee & egg & cheese sammies.

I worked on my ACE for awhile then worked out ridiculously hard at the gym on the treadmill.  I didn't realize that I had accidentally set the incline on 2% and so I was working for 60 minutes.  By the end I literally lost vision out of my left eye for a minute - I haven't had that happen since BASKETBALL days!!!!  Don't worry - I think it's some weird thing that happens when you work out really hard.  You sometimes lose hearing out of 1 ear or sight out of 1 eye for a few seconds.  I realize that sounds like a stroke - lol -  but it's really not - I know others that it happens to. 

So then I had lots of endorphins going, came home, walked ruppies, then I made lentil soup (round 2 of that soup I posted about a week ago - so good), and Brian made himself homemade crabcakes - which he thoroughly enjoyed.  We then watched one of the best movies I've ever seen (top 15) also - it's a Norwegian film called "King of Devil's Island."  It's about a Norwegian island called Bastoy that is basically a prison for "troublemaker" boys.  It's also based on a true story.  This prison was extremely harsh - sleep deprived them - deprived them of food - and worked them nearly to death.  The guy who ran the prison was also a major as*hole.  He looked the other way when some of the weaker boys were raped by another really bad guy who ran the disciplining/punishment.  Well a new boy gets sent to the Island whose not having any of it.  He fights back and inspires the rest of them to stand for what's right.  It was great - I highly recommend it.

Sunday morning we slept in and then went running in the Park then made chili and cornbread.

Booya.

Great weekend.

Carpe diem,

J

Friday, February 8th, 2013
*I'm aware I look a little creepy in the top pic - Bear looks cute so I figured I'd post it :)

Good morning!  A snowy morning is a good morning!  It was already snowing hard and sticking this morning at 6am.  The pictures make it look like it's not snowing - but it was actually snowing really hard.  I'm not sure why my camera couldn't get it.  I'm sure you have all heard about the "mega super crippling terrible snow storm" that is headed our way (by "our" I mean the North East).  Let me just start by saying I am totally psyched for this storm.  I always find it humorous when people make big deals out of snow - ok - yea it can be a problem - but seriously?  You mean to tell me you don't want an excuse to not go to work, sleep in, make pancakes, and play in the snow????

Every single adult who hears the doomsdayers harping on about the snowstorm secretly is fantasizing it's epic enough to lose like a week of work.  Don't even tell me that's not true!!

What they say out loud to one another:
"Darn this snow!  It's just very inconvenient.  I'd like to get to work and carry on with the important, pressing things I have to do."

What they're actually thinking:
"Could this storm be as big of a disaster as the weather channel says?  If only it could be bigger - then I'd get off even more work.  I would love an excuse to do nothing but hang out and eat pancakes and build snowmen.  I wish it weren't wasted over a weekend and tomorrow was a Monday."  

I know it is!  We're all back in our 10 year old days when you'd get an awesome snow day from school. 

Since my work is the kind which can be done literally anywhere - I have no excuses - but I'm still hoping! 

Carpe diem,

J

Thursday, February 7th, 2013

Good morning!  I was treated to a breathtaking sunrise this morning in the Park.  The pictures are beautiful, yet I still don't think they captured the morning fully.  Those streaks of pink extended way far across the sky - I didn't have enough camera to get it.  The top sunrise pic is around 6:34 and the bottom is around 6:40.  It was just an explosion of color.  The very top picture is Sofie - in case you were wondering :)

I'm in the midst of my ACE right now - that is "Admission to Candidacy Exam."  This basically means that I have to come up with my own novel idea and propose how I would test it, how it fits into the literature, and why there's enough evidence to support my hypothesis.  It starts with an outline - you do that between the months of January and March.  Then you write a full proposal, and then you defend your proposal orally while getting grilled by a bunch of people who want to see whether you deserve to remain in the program.  Basically every day now I just wake up, walk the dogs, work out, then read, write, think, and drink coffee until around 7 - at which point my eyes are glazed over and I can no longer form sentences.  This morning literally the first thing I thought of when my eyes opened was my idea.  It's hard to think about anything else right now - I think I sometimes seem far away when people talk to me - and it's true - I'm just not really great at paying attention to anything else right now. 

Sometimes when Brian asks me about my day it reminds me of a scene from this show I like called The Big Bang Theory.  Leonard's character is a physicist and his girlfriend is an ER doctor.  Over dinner, Leonard asks his girlfriend how her day went.  She replies with all of the amazing things she did and people she saved in the ER.  When she asks him about his day he replies: "Well I thought about stuff."  When she gives him a ridiculously look like he didn't actually do anything he follows up with: "Well I wrote some of it down!"  LoL.

and on that note...I'll leave you for my reading & thinking about stuff.

Carpe diem,

J 

Wednesday, February 5th, 2013

Good morning, folks!  These pictures are actually from yesterday morning's winter wonderland.  Yesterday was one of those days I wait all year for - seriously.  I've been working out after walking the dogs of late, and so I've been getting up a little earlier than usual.  Yesterday when my alarm went off at 6am, I immediately rolled over and reset it for 6:40 - "Screw running." 

*Immediate brain punishment*

"Ok, fine I'll just get up." 

When I walked outside, I was delighted to find it snowing and wintry outside.  YES.  I LOVE SNOW.  This is one reason why I don't think I could ever live permanently somewhere hot - I don't love bitter cold, but I love snow and mountains.  I don't have mountains here, but at least I got a little snow yesterday. 

So I walked to the Park and when I got there, it was dark and deserted and beautiful and quiet.  The sky was a little grayish purple.  Heavy, low, and filled with snow.  I imagined I was wandering along in the woods of Bend, OR - snowshoeing perhaps.  Or maybe had just fallen through the back of the Wardrobe and had ended up in Narnia.  Either way - for an hour yesterday, I was somewhere else - somewhere magical - accompanied by a troupe of small, joyful dogs who were sharing in my euphoria. 

Yesterday morning will stay with me for awhile - tide me over when NYC's frustrations threaten to get the best of me.  It's morning's like that that reinforce why I get up early - why I treasure that part of the day with my pups. 

Carpe diem,

J

Monday, February 4th, 2013

Ok, folks.  I know.  This is a dog blog.  But I've been cooking lately - what can I say I've been inspired.  This recipe is not easy, but so, so worth it (especially if you really love garlic, which I do).  We didn't add the sharp Asiago because I forgot to get it at the store, but it would have made such a difference - the saltiness would have paired perfectly.  It was a perfect hearty winter night's meal.  The beans add so much heartiness that you really don't need as much pasta - which is a good thing - less carbs. 

By the way, let me go ahead and recommend both of the things I posted yesterday.  The soup may be the absolute most ridiculously wonderful thing I've ever made.  It's incredible.  And I KNOW soup.  Of all the things I make - I make SOUP.  Sarah tasted it tonight and what she said sounds kind of "foodie" but it's true - it's just got dimension.  A lot of dimension.  

Vegetarian Recipe #6 - Pasta & White Beans with Garlic Rosemary Olive Oil

2 smallish carrots or 1 big carrot - peeled and chopped big
1 celery stalk - chopped
6 cloves of garlic - leave em' whole
1 small onion - chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 14oz can white beans - I used Navy beans
1 tablespoon finely minced rosemary
1lb pasta - your choice
pinch red pepper flakes
salt/pepper to taste

Combine the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes and pulse in the food processor until it's not quite pureed but finely chopped up. 

Add 1/4 cup olive oil into a large sauté pan or wok.  Heat up the oil then add your vegetables from the food processor.  Cook for about 8 minutes until some of the moisture has evaporated and the vegetables have taken some color.

Add the tomato paste and a cup of water and cook about 10 minutes until almost all of the water is absorbed.  Then add the can of beans (that had been drained and washed) and 1.5 cups of water.  Simmer about 15 minutes and add salt & pepper to taste. 

Just when the sauce is about done, take 1 cup and puree in the food processor - this thickens the sauce dramatically. 

Add your pasta (cooked al dente), and stir into your sauce.  Serve hot and garnish with a little of the minced rosemary and sharp asiago cheese. 

I adapted this recipe from the Wizard of Cooking Deb Perelman over at The Smitten Kitchen

You can check out her version of the recipe here:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/01/pasta-and-white-beans-with-garlic-rosemary-oil/

Sunday, February 4th, 2013

Hello folks, it's been quite the weekend.  I worked a full 8 hours yesterday only to finish seeing that my massive experiment didn't work.  yaay.  So I felt depressed and went home to pizza and a movie with Brian.  We watched the Swedish version of "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo."  It was awesome.  This morning our friend Brendan came to see us and run the New York Road Runner's Gridiron Classic - a 4miler in Central Park.  It was race #1 of my 9+1 to the NYC Marathon commitment.  I saved a little Cocker Spaniel that ran into the race away from his owner and was headed out of the Park in a panic.  I still finished in 28:39 - booya. Then I cooked - to stave off feelings of dread for the tomorrow that is analyzing shit data and then showing it to my boss. 

Vegetarian Recipe #4 - Spiced Red Lentil & Tomato soup

2 carrots
3 celery stalks  
3 cloves garlic
2 small onions
1 bay leaf
11/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked spanish paprika
dash cayenne pepper
1.5 cups red lentils
salt & pepper
14 oz can diced tomato
5-6 cups vegetable broth

Sauté garlic & onion for about 5 minutes in olive oil.  Add celery & carrots (chopped), and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  Add spices & bay leaf & stir.  Add the diced tomatoes + water, then the vegetable broth, then the lentils.  Bring to a boil then simmer 15 mins when the lentils will be tender & fluffy.  Red lentils break down and soften very quickly - the soup will be thick like a stew. 

*This is adapted from the lovely veggie lady at OhSheGlows.com

Here's my pictures:

Then I made another thing! 

Vegetarian recipe #5 - Sugar & Spice Candied Nuts

I'm not sure this is healthy or anything, but I never said it had to be.  I'm planning on putting these on some vanilla bean ice cream this evening.  They're f*cking really good.  'Scuse my French

1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper + pinch of smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 lb of walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds (I used walnuts)
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
dash of vanilla

Beat the egg white, water, and vanilla until it's frothy.  Coat your nuts evenly (hee hee), and then toss with the sugar and spice mixture until it's evenly coated.  Bake in the oven at 20 minutes or so at 300, tossing frequently. 

My picture doesn't do them justice but you can check out the recipe that I adapted from Deb Perelman at the Smitten Kitchen

Carpe diem,

J

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Good morning!  Well folks, we've made it to February.  I'm in the thick of lots of work & school stuff.  The ACE has officially started and I'm working on that every day.  I also have been going in late at night to work to do some things for experiments I have going.  Today (and tomorrow) :( will be busy days.  Sunday I'm running the NYRR Gridiron Classic as my first official race of the 9+1 series! 

I'm now in need of coffee....need...coffee..

Carpe diem,

J