My Hero

Today was a proud day.  My Dad was being honored at the 22^nd Annual Fire Fighter of the Year Ceremony in Worcester, MA.  The ceremony started at 12:30 and it was an hour away.  I knew I needed a good breakfast because I wouldn’t be eating lunch until after the ceremony.

I whipped up an omelet  with spinach, broccoli, and feta.  I added a splash of Frank’s, of course.

 My Dad, along with other Fire Fighters from his department were being honored for a large fire that happened this summer.  A gasoline tanker was hit by another car and exploded on route 1 in my town.  There were 8 other cars involved in the crash.  The gasoline spill leaked into the Saugus river and the river caught on fire.  A few surrounding houses and a local business were also  involved in the fire.  The fire was the largest one my Dad has ever been in charge of.  He was the Incident commander for this fire.  

That's my Dad! His middle initial is NOT N, but that's ok.

My Dad, the chief and the other captains on his department were given  the Excellence in Leadership award.  I was very proud and happy for him that he was recognized for his hard work this close to his retirement.  I was touched by the kind words about the Fire Fighters.  They really do act without any regard for their own safety.  They would risk their own life to save another's.   I really wished I had my new camera to take pictures of this moment!

It was a very moving ceremony.  They honored many towns’ fire fighters for their bravery in different situations.  I am glad to be a part of the Fire Fighter community.  

After the ceremony we went to lunch to celebrate.  I was so hungry because it was almost 4 pm and I had eaten breakfast at 9am.  I ordered the Haddock sandwich with sweet potato fries.  Delicious!

 Now I’m off to the gym!

Two Milestones

1. We’re buying a DSLR! My first professional Camera!
2. We're buying it together… it’s our first big purchase!

We did a lot of research for this.  We talked to lots of people, we tested the cameras out, we scoured the internet for deals, and then we finally decided on this:

Canon 60D with the Tamron 15-70mm 2.8 and the Canon 50mm for lenses.

And when I say talk to people, I mean stare at them and nod while they  talk about things like ISO and aperture.  My camera experience is limited to my trusty canon point and shoot.

Which I <3.

 

I realize I have a lot to learn, but I know I can do it.

We bought the camera body through Best Buy since they threw in a free camera bag and a free book of our photography from Shutterfly.  How nice of them.    

I’ve always had an interest in photography so I can’t wait to get started and learn to use this giant complicated camera.  I promise to show you all of the pictures that I take. :)

For today’s workout I took the Pilates class at my gym.  It was short, only half an hour, but I definitely felt the burn.  I used to dance, so I’ve had some experience with Pilates but I still find it very challenging.

This is my high school dance team- the Blue team.  I'm not kidding that really was our name.

  

I'm third from the left.

After the class I ran a quick two miles on the treadmill.  I was pretty sweaty by then end of it all but I love that because I feel like I really pushed myself.

Sweating=working hard!

Another reason that I wanted to run tonight was because I was close to reaching the next level on Nike+.  The first level is yellow and its 1-30 miles.  Tonight I made it to the orange level which is 31-154 miles! I’m so proud of myself (though I have a feeling I’ll be in orange for a while).  Basically the more miles you log the higher up you go in levels.  It’s a great way to motivate yourself to run farther and more often.

Only 123 miles until the next level!

Warren Tavern & the best movie theatre in the world

On Saturday, the bf and I had to dog/house sit in Charlestown.  I suggested that we go to the Warren Tavern to check it out.  I've been there a few times, but not recently, and the bf has never been there.  It's a really cool place because it's so old.  It has been operating since 1780!  I thought it was the oldest tavern in Massachusetts but I found out that a few other places also claim that title.  Bell in Hand claims to be the oldest Tavern in America (est. 1795).  Hmmm that’s a few years after Warren Tavern...but it’s the Green Dragon that has the oldest date of establishment, 1654.  The Union Oysterhouse calls itself the oldest restaurant in America, but it wasn't established until 1826.   

Anyways, we watched the Bruins and ordered some food and beer.  We both got the Shipyard Pumpkin with the Cinnamon and sugar rim, of course.  He ordered the burger with cream cheese and I got the crab cakes appetizer.  

The food was delicious! My bf didn't even know that I liked crab cakes.  But I didn't know that he liked cream cheese on his burgers, seemed weird to me!

Also, very exciting news:  I  noticed that they served a variation of macaroni and cheese with peas  called Polish Mac&Cheese! I can add this restaurant to my list! For that, I award Warren Tavern 5 out of 5 peas!

Here's some grainy photo-graphical evidence: 

On Sunday, we went up to the BEST movie theater in the world called Chunky’sCinema Pub.  It’s an actual pub, as in they serve drinks and food while you watch the movie.  It’s a fun place because all the chairs are actually old car seats from old Cadillacs and Lincolns.  The menu is really cute because they name all the entrees and drinks after movies.  I had already eaten dinner, so I just ordered a Butter Beer float.  If you aren’t a nerd like me and don’t know what that is, it’s a drink from the Harry Potter books/movies.  

 
Guess what movie we saw?

The MUPPETS!

I <3 Kermit.

You don't need a gym to workout

Today I did a little bit of yoga in my room, and then did a short run on the treadmill.  Even if you don't have a treadmill or fancy workout gear, you can still get in shape at home.

I have this really great yoga mat that shows all the poses.

All the tools for my run, Nike+ band and sneakers.

There are lots of ways to stay in shape without going to the gym.  Remember, working out is free and it feels great!  Here are some of my favorite ways to workout without the gym:

Go for a walk/run: Find a local park or just take a stroll around your neighborhood.  Try to take walks during your break at work. If  you have a dog, take him/her for a nice long walk, whenever you can.

Always opt to take the stairs:  I used to work on the 13th floor, and once a day, instead of taking the elevator, I'd take the stairs.  It was quite challenging, but it was worth it.  Some days it was the only exercise that I would get.

Find workouts on the internet:  This website is great for workouts, they call it the Home Workout Movement,  and Zuzana is amazing at showing you how to workout with little to no equipment.  I used to do her workouts when I was in college.  You can also find tons of work out videos on youtube.

Work out with your TV:  If you have On Demand, there's a section called Sports&Fitness that has workout videos.  I used to do them when I moved home from College and didn't have a gym membership.  There's lots of different ones from dancing, to yoga, to pilates, to boot camp.  You can try lots of different workouts this way to see what you like.

Remember, every little bit of movement adds up.  Try to be active in some way, everyday!

Day-After-Turkey trot

I skipped the black Friday shopping this year and slept in.  After lounging around my house and eating some leftovers, I felt like going to a run.  It was super nice out!  Since I ate my fair share of turkey, stuffing, and desserts yesterday, I needed to go for a day-after-turkey trot. 

I ran the same loop that I did a few weeks ago.  It's about three and a third miles.  The last part of the run is all uphill, so it's usually my slowest and most difficult part.  It's such a great feeling when you climb those last few hills and don't give up.

A few years ago when I worked at a gym, I signed up for some personal training sessions.  I'll never forget what my trainer told me.  Every time I would quit or give up on the last few push-ups, he would always say, "you are only cheating yourself."  He was right, and after that I realized it wasn't fair for me to cheat myself out of what I deserved. 

That's how I feel every time I reach the end of my run.  I don't want to cheat myself anymore.  I just have to dig deep and do it.   Even if it's slow, like my last part of my run,  I just kept going.  It's amazing how much you have left in you when you feel like you've reached the end.  I love the feeling after a run where you know you gave it your all.

Motivated yet?

When I met my friend at the gym later on, I didn't have much steam left.  You know when your muscles are just all out of energy?  Even though I felt like that I still gave it everything I had left.  It was a pretty good work out.  It's always helpful to have a buddy to cheer you on and keep you motivated.  We did some of my most hated exercises, such as burpees and push-ups.  I know they are good for you, but I usually avoid them at all costs.  It was good to have someone there to give me the little push that I needed.  I'll definitely be sore tomorrow!

Thanksgiving 2011

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!  Since my five year high school reunion was the night before, I spent the morning recovering on the couch, cuddling with my cat and watching the Purina Dog Show.  Well, mostly my cat was cuddling with the bf, because she loves him way more than me.  Look at that loving gaze!

what a model

I love watching the dog show.  It's way better than football and the Macy's Day parade, in my opinion.  I never knew how many different breeds of dogs there are!  It really made me miss my dog who passed away this summer.  I miss you Rex!

Here's my favorite picture of him:

Rex

While watching the dog show, I snacked on some "pickies".  My mom always makes these little cinnamon things, which my boyfriend described as shrunken stale cinnamon rolls.  They taste better than they sound,  To make them:
Roll out a pie crust to about 1/4".  Spread butter/margarine over the whole thing.  Sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over the butter.   Cut into strips about 6 inches long and an inch wide.  Roll them up and pop them in the oven until they are slightly brown.  They are very easy to burn so keep an eye on them.

Since we were having dinner at my bf's house this year, I didn't get to have dinner with my family.  But there are tons of leftovers that I'm pretty excited about.  I can't wait to have one of these, that my aunt brought:

whoopie pies!

Today, I'm meeting a friend at the gym later this afternoon.  I hope he can show me how to use some of the weight machines, since I usually stick to the Cardio side of the gym.  I'm definitely a Cardio Junkie, but I'm looking to learn more about strength training.  I'll let you know how it goes!


I need to give a shout out to my 3 newest readers:  Serena, Melissa, and Holly! 3 peas in a pod!

Mexico Lindo

Tonight after work I headed to a little Mexican restaurant for dinner to meet my family.  The restaurant was called Mexico Lindo, and my parents LOVE it there.  They have home made tortilla chips, pitchers of maaaahgaritas, and gigantic portions. 

I had no clue what to order so I got the most boring thing on the menu, one beef taco and one chicken enchilada with a side of re-fried beans and rice.  I'm so exciting, I know.

I had planned to photograph the food but for the second time I forgot my memory card at home!  I was so disappointed, but the lighting wasn't very good in there anyways... oh well! You all know what a taco looks like.

For my drink, I copied my brother's girlfriend and ordered a Strawberry margarita.  It wasn't the best, but it was pretty strong, which is ok by me. :)

On a scale of one to five, I give Mexico Lindo 3 and a half peas.  (I think this will be my new thing)


My workout for tonight is opening and closing my eyes every few seconds.  Gotta tone those eyelids!

Accidental Fudge

This will be that last time I take baking advice from my boyfriend.  But since I am a pro at seeing the silver lining, I didn't get too upset with him and found a way to salvage our baking blunder. 

Here's what happened:   

We set out to make Oreo balls.  

Oreo Balls Recipe:

One bag milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips

One package Oreos

One package Cream cheese

Tools: baking sheet, bowl, toothpicks, freezer bag

Directions: Crush up the entire package of Oreos.  We tried a few methods, but we found the best way was to put the Oreos in a freezer bag and smack them around.  We crushed then with an ice cream scooper, a rolling pin, and the floor.

After Oreos are completely pulverized, but the remains in large mixing bowl.  Add the package of cream cheese and knead them together,  whichever way you see fit.  Since I don't mind getting my hands dirty, I dove right in and started mashing them together.  After all Oreos and cream cheese is mushed together, roll them into balls.  I did mine in various sizes.

Place the balls on a baking sheet.  Put them in the freezer or fridge to harden.

After 15-20 minutes, remove from freezer/fridge.

While they are hardening, melt the chocolate chips.  

 Using the double boil method, we put a glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water.  We added the chips to the bowl, and started mixing until they were all melted.  

This is where it started going down hill.

BF: "Hmm, I think we need to thin this out, what do you think?"

Me:  "I think it will be ok, let me try one."

:: Dips naked Oreo ball into melted chocolate::

Me: “looks ok to me....”

BF: “No, I definitely think we should add some milk”

Me: “Ok, if you say so....”

::Pours a splash of milk into melted chocolate::

BF:  “Uh Oh, I think we just made fudge.... oops”

The melted chocolate chips seized!  Clearly a rookie mistake.  After a quick goggling session we realized that adding any liquid to the melted chocolate chips would cause them to seize up.  I thought oh well, and put it in a tupperware container labeled “fudge”.   Someone in my house will eat it.

After another run to the grocery store, we tried it again, and even though the chocolate was still a little too thick, we dipped them anyways, and then put them back in the freezer to harden.  I think they turned out just fine.   :)

 

Running in the Cold

Saturday morning I was planning on going to the gym, because it seemed cold and windy outside.  On the way to the gym I changed my mind and continued driving to the Quannapowit Lake.  Quannapowitt lake is a little more than 3 miles long, and it's often used for 5ks.  Hello! Perfect training opportunity. 

A few weeks ago I realized that I should be training more outside, to get used to running in the cold.  Since this morning was about 45 degrees, and really windy, I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant.  I decided to buck up and give it a try.

It wasn't too bad since I was dressed warmly.  During the first mile, the balls of my feet became numb, but they warmed up in mile two.  In the third mile, it got super windy and I felt like I was running against the wind.  I thought I was going slow, but when I plugged in my Nike+, I saw that my pace wasn't slow at all.  Go me!

In fact, I ran the second mile in 8 minutes and 11 seconds.  Not bad at all!  My total time for 3.28 miles was 30 minutes and 16 seconds.

I'm so glad I chose to run outside instead of the gym.  I was proud of myself for not wimping out.  

Today, I had big plans to go for a run around the city in the neighborhood where I was dog/house sitting, but when I woke up, I just wasn't feeling it.  You know when you just want to lay around, drink tea, and read every magazine you can get your hands on?  That's the kind of mood I was in.

I went to the gym a little later in the afternoon to do some weight training and to run a quick mile on the treadmill.  I realized, running outside > treadmill. 

Can't wait for the Jingle Bell run!

Red Bones

Tonight I went to dinner with my good friend.  She wanted to go to Red Bones, a popular and delicious Barbeque place in Somerville.  And while my bf is away enjoying authentic Philly cheese steaks in Philly this weekend, I decided to indulge in some Southern Barbeque.  I've only been here once before and I was excited to try it again. 

I was hoping this blog would be more about what I cook and bake, but it seems to be more about the restaurants I go to.   Hmmmmm, an honest reflection of my life?  I'd say so.  I'd like to cook more, but I always seem to end up eating out.  I eat my paycheck!

I promise more recipes in the near future.

At Red Bones, my friend got the pulled chicken and I got the pulled pork, and they looked identical!  Luckily the server could tell them apart, because we couldn't.

With the drinks served in mason jars, and the decor, Red Bones had a charming diner feel.

I drank a Smuttynose Pumpkin

 The Smörgåsbord

 

We got a side of mac&cheese (of course)

I liked Red Bones a lot.  The dining area is really small and the tables are super close.  We overhead a family sitting next to us having a funny conversation about beers.  The dad was explaining about different beers to his son.  He said, "the worst kind of beer they have here is P.B.R, it stands for Pabst Blue Ribbon, and I don't know why it's popular right now."  We were chuckling to ourselves and wondering the same exact thing.

Fajita's and 'ritas!

Last night I had dinner with my Aunt. We went to Border Cafe, famous for its giant neon "EAT" sign and it's $5 Maaaahgaritas (as I like to call them). We started of with a bowl of baked tortilla chips and salsa, and two Margaritas (house for her, strawberry for me). As usual I spilled salsa all over my menu (hey that's why they're covered in plastic right?)

 For my meal I ordered the vegetable fajitas, and she got the shrimp fajitas.
They came to our table still sizzling in their skillets.
The lighting wasn't very good for pictures, but here's what I got:

When I got home, the bf asked what I got. When I told him it was veggie fajitas he said, "Babe.......did you stop eating meat again?"

Last time I gave up meat, he couldn't understand why, and made fun of me for months! Why do men love meat so much?

Today at work was our monthly birthday lunch. But like a dummy, I forgot and brought my leftover fajitas. oops. I guess I'll have them for dinner.

This month's lunch was make your own sushi. I've never done it, so I was super excited.

We had all sorts of fun things to add:
ham, avocado, pickled radish, eggs, beef, chinese spinach, carrots, wasabi, and a few other things.
we spread rice out on seaweed papers and then added the toppings, then we used the bamboo roller to roll them all up.

My boss said the trick is to add a variety of colors so it looks pretty.

Mine came out like this:

I didn't spread my wasabi very evenly and I got a big bite that burned my nose and made my eyes water. That will clean out your sinuses!

 AND today was our office bulding's tenant appreciation day. They were serving pies and baked goods. Here's my loot:

 Pumpkin Pie topped with whipped cream and cranberries.

I was in a food coma for the rest of the afternoon.

I must be prepping my stomach for Thanksgiving.