ball wacking

it has been an odd couple of days. thank goodness for The Moon is Down. with it, I can keep my peace.


tennis has been my most recent addition in sports exploration. I should stick to soccer to say the least but new experiences make me laugh at myself. and laugh hard. and that's a most excellent set of muscles to work.
in the middle of my tennis rally with my running buddy, I decided to punish myself every time I hit the ball in the net by doing 5 pushups. the good thing about this was that the more tired I got, the more accurate I was wacking my balls. (heh) the bad thing about this was that I got tired.
seems like a fair trade-off.


in other news...
...camels sleep 2 out of every 24 hours. it's true.
...there is a science to tennis balls and their ball firmness and ball fuzziness.
...one should not run with eyes closed on a treadmill.. even IF someone on television does it.
...someone always sees you trip.. even if you can't see them.

the soup nazi

I slept like a rock last night. which helped a lot when I got up early this morning to meet up with my hiking buddies. we tackled Quicksilver today.. no problems there. it was an easy hike.. pleasant with brief 1 minute interludes of 'huffy puffy'. fortunately for me, but unfortunately for my buds, I decided to talk a lot to make it more difficult. heh.

if you haven't woken up early on a Sunday to drive around looking for a hike and think you're lost even though you have your GPS but it isn't working because of all the trees and then you eventually find the entrance and you get out and find your camel back has a hole and has leaked in the back of your car, then you should try it some time.

there is just nothing that beats getting outside and smelling eucalyptus air and finding tarantulas and deer and wild turkeys and making it to the top without realizing it and being rewarded with a view of the valley. and the earlier you get out there, the more crisp the air is. ahhh... no words.

what I do have words for is the soup I made today... not to be confused with the one I made YESTERDAY. no see, this is a very different soup with a tomato base.

Today Soup (not the same as Yesterday Soup)

leeks / bok choy / green onions all chopped

olive oil / salt / pepper

Saute above ingredients until soft. Add the following:

Diced tomatoes in rich juice (can)

16oz chicken broth (reduced sodium)

carrot chopped

fresh sorrel fresh basil / garlic salt / italian herbs / pepper

Saute until carrots are soft.

while I was making this, my husband said 'smells good'. but after all the ingredients had been sauteeing for a lengthy amount of time, he said 'smells like tomato sauce!!' with a much excited look on his face. that's when I announced NOW I'M DONE.

in other news...

...how high can tarantulas jump? need to look this up as a precaution for the next hike

...RAID for ants also works on yellow jackets

...Nick is no longer allowed to make his salsa as he just keeps making it hotter and hotter every time

...Romeo has a sun-bathing cat gene in him somewhere

D licious Saturday

today is my day to relax. I slept in, cleaned house, went shopping (bought nothing), went grocery shopping (bought a ton), and am now making a soup that smells D licious.

D licious soup
olive oil / salt pepper
3 leeks (chopped)
1 bok choy (chopped)
green onion (chopped)
fresh basil sprigs
Saute ingredients above until soft. Then add the following:
1lb yellow potatoes (1" cubes)
16oz chicken broth (I used reduced sodium)
10oz water
carrot (1" cubes)
Saute with lid on until potatoes / carrots are soft. Pull potatoes / carrots / greens (anything chunky) out of pot and in to food processor. Process until no longer chunky. Plop in to different bowl that can be refridgerated. Mix with some sour cream (add and stir in plop by plop to taste). Refridgerate until chilled! Add lemon to taste.
so much yum.

so that is what I have been making and I cannot wait to sit down with an entire bowl-ful. in the meantime I decided to sit down with a glass of BIG HOUSE RED... which is entirely tasteful and amazing. I was not expecting such happiness from a single glass - let alone the first one. mmmm.

in other news...
...taking an 8 month break from a video game like say.. RockBand for example.. will actually make you BETTER. but it will still keep you up at night.
...tight pants are only positive if you BOUGHT them tight.
...one should never talk LOUD when talking about VIAGRA because everyone else in the sushi restaurant will hear you say "VIAGRA" in the middle of your story and then assume you are taking it even though you might just be saying "I think that VIAGRA commercial with the men having band practice in the garage is hilarious!".
...watching Extra on TV for more than 10 minutes is like feeding my brain to maggots.

peeing in the woods

my entire afternoon was full of stress. before I knew it, my running pal was in the parking lot waiting for me to come out and play. my afternoon had flown by and I was left with sore temples from all the gum-chewing I was doing to try and make myself feel more at ease.

I word-vomited in the car the entire way to our running destination before I realized I was out of breath from talking so much and apologized to my poor friend.. who was quietly giggling at my stories. sigh. word-vomiting (not to be confused with actual vomiting) makes one feel so much better (although I guess actual vomiting can make one feel better as well, but not till after).

anyway, my Two Small Farms friend (ms. marisa) recommended an excellent sounding soup that will utilize not only the sorrel I'm getting tomorrow but also my leeks.. which is a plus + plus. I think I might just minus the peas though... and the puree step.. and turn it in to more of a veggie / potatoe thing. yum.

in other news...

...while others might have a need for speed, I have a need for cheese.

...the new coach of the san jose sharks looks so much like my friend from college, Shad Stack, who is not a porn star as his name might suggest

...I miss the smell of the ice, the breeze of my speed, and the sound of my blades. let's go to Logitech

...if I do not go camping again soon, my face just might retract in to my head and my neck will disappear

goody good good

it's been a solid day.

I have hydrated, dehydrated, and rehydrated. eaten dairy, vegetables, whole grains, and fruit. and am now sitting on my couch whilst watching the tely with my stinky self. I went for a run over at Rancho San Antonio after work - and it's so wonderful compared to the gym. it makes me make the sound people make in commercials after drinking Coca Cola.
*ahhhhhhhhhh

did anyone watch the debate tonight? I have an important question that I should have emailed in.
"Do you have a plan, a recipe, which uses sorrel?"
because I can't seem to find one that doesn't involve either eggs, or cream. and if you don't know what sorrel is, join the club. I had to look it up. Sorrel is a perenniel herb that is cultivated as a garden herb or leaf vegetable. and from what I have learned thus far, I can substitute it for spinach in some recipes but it should be known: sorrel has a flavor similar to kiwifruit or sour wild strawberries. it is also a laxative.
super.

in other news...
...4:30pm is a good time to go trail running if you like the breeze the high school cross country runners create for you while passing.
...horses should not poop and trot. at the same time.
...the 'spritzer' low calorie salad dressings make better room spray deodorizers than lettuce flavorizers.
...just because it is now Autumn does not mean I need to wear sweaters. it's still hot outside. duh.

I keep an eye on them

sigh. monday.


I have come to the conclusion that my dog got drunk on Saturday night, threw up before he went to bed, and then slept off his hangover on the couch next to me. poor Romeo. well I guess that's what you get for drinking one tablespoon too much of Heineken. little four legged alcoholic.


in other news...
...bruschetta is pretty damn good and should be eaten with goat cheese.
...nothing is wrong with you after eating lots of beets. it's the beets that make your pee 'that' color.
...vitamins should come in jello cases to make it easier to swallow.
...men fart more the older they get. evidently.
...every morning I wake up and look for Russians outside my window.

Food & Wine & Twenty Nine

my husband turned 29 yesterday. happy 30-1 nicky!

I took Friday off in order to prepare for it.. running around here and there the entire day until it was time to fall asleep. then I spent my entire day yesterday in the kitchen getting ready to feed somewhere between 11 and 22 people (RSVPing is always appreciated!).

4 layer yummy dip

- 1 can vegetarian fat free refried beans

- low fat sour cream

- cheese

- tomatoes

yummmmm

Bruschetta

- 2 baguettes

- olive oil, garlic salt, oregano, parsley all mixed

- parmesan shavings

- basil leaves

- tomatoes

brush baguette slices with olive oil mixture and top with a couple pieces of parmesan. broil until cheese melts and looks pretty, delicious, and pretty delicious. top with a basil leaf, and tomato slice.

italian kabobs

- fresh mozzarella

- basil leaves

- cherry tomatoes

- balsamic vinegar

kabob 1 tomato, 1 basil leaf, and 1 mozzarella block. line kabobs up on platter and sprinkle vinegar on top.

chicken

- thin chicken breasts sliced in to mouth size bits

- lime juice, olive oil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, italian herbs, garlic all mixed for marinade

marinate chicken for up to 8 hours. can throw on kabobs or just pan fry.

sausage

- make husband do the sausage

strawberries and dip

- phone a friend

cut up bell peppers with hummus

- self explanatory

veggie platter

- phone another friend

chips and salsa

- make husband make the salsa

burnt almond cake

- la patisserie

pigs in a blanket

- friend's surprise contribution!

after doing all that, saying "you're 2 years older than me now!" to my husband and several glasses of wine is my reward. happy birthday nick. 364 days till 30.