Last Night's Dinner

I found an easy, healthy recipe for zucchini fries and we tried it out last night...success!

They were sweet, crispy and super easy to make.  A delicious side dish to the salmon fillets we also had.

Here is the recipe and will definitely try it out again!

Ingredients:
2 zucchini
1 egg white
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Vegetable cooking spray

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425°. Cut zucchini into 3-inch sticks. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add milk. Combine Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Currently

Loving:  DJP!  I love him all of the time, but after spending a few nights away from him last week I really missed him.  "Reunited and it feels so good! " Hahaha

Watching: We started watching Mad Men and so far so good.  Its definitely interesting to see how our society has changed over the past decades and the how the gender roles are depicted.

Thinking About:  My family dog, Bella the Beagle.  She has a torn ACL in her hind left leg and the vet suggested surgery.  I sure do love that dog...

Anticipating:  The weekend.  We don't have any concrete plans and I like it that way.  Its only Tuesday, but I'm exhausted and want a break from work.

Listening To:  Frank Turner's England Keep My Bones.  Its a mix of punk and folk and kept me company on my hour long drive this morning.

Working on:  Motivating myself to exercise on a continually basis.  I'm lazy by nature and then add on 8 hours of work and the last thing I want to do is go to the gym for an hour.  My brother has been a good workout buddy, but with our work schedules and vacations we got off track.  There is always tomorrow...

Wishing:  My apartment would clean itself...yea, yea, yea keep wishing Emily!

Currently

 I have found this idea for a post on many different blogs and thought I'd give it a try...

Loving:  I just recently picked up crocheting again and I forgot how much I truly love it.  Its such a good feeling to see the end product and appreciate the time and energy you have put into it.  (I love making blankets, even though they can be the most time consuming.)

Watching:  I am not afraid to admit that I am a reality TV junkie.  I'm not particular and will watch anything from RHONY to Chopped.  But my current fav is the Glee Project...bring on the cheesiness!

Thinking About:  I've been reflecting on this summer and all of the changes and challenges it has presented in both my personal and professional life.  Yes, this is vague, but I'm not ready to really divulge too much info about me here.  Not just yet.

Anticipating:  My upcoming trip to Hampton Beach...c'mon Thursday!  It has been years since my sister, brother, and I have been on a beach vacation together and since this is something we did annually as kids, I cannot wait!  As an added bonus, my sister's gf is joining us and that will just enhance our fun. :)

Listening To:  The Beatles have been on repeat on my iPod for the past few weeks.  I'm looking for new music, so send me your recommendations.

Working on:  Being happy and present.  Enough said.

Wishing: The car dealrship rectified the huge error they made that cost me moolah.  They said it was taken car of last week, but they are a shady bunch.

Hong Kong Part 4

A few months after the fact, but better late than never.

On Day 5 of our adventure we left Hong Kong, boarded a ferry and headed to another country...Macau.  Last Christmas I bought DJP Frommer's travel guide for HK and Macau.  We decided to use one of their recommended historical walking tours to see this interesting country.  It has strong Portugese and Chinese heritage which is evident in the architecture, food, and people.

Our first stop was Senado Square.  This large plaza was bustling with tourists and excited energy.

We then climbed the hill up to the Ruins of St. Paul's.

 

 Across the street from the ruins was the Macau Museum.  The museum was built into an old city fortress and we were able to see beautiful views of the city from the rooftop gardens.

 (In the distance you can see the hotels and casinos that have made Macau the Vegas of Asia.  We weren't in the mood for gambling this trip so we stuck to the historical and cultural sights.)

Our last destination before dinner was a relaxing stroll through Camoes Garden.  We sat under a canopy with a perfect view of all of the birdcages on the ledge.  The birds were in the park to socialize while their owners all sat by in silence.  It was definitley not your average dog park that Americans are used to.


We were both exhausted and ended our day with dinner at O Porto Interior a Macanese/Portugese restaurant.  Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly what our main dishes were, but we both had their seafood supreme soup that we were very impressed with.


One more day in HK to post about and hopefully I can motivate myself to do it sooner rather than later. :)

July Foodie Pen Pal

This month I received a box filled with yummy snacks from Yashica.  She generously loaded me up with healthy snacks that were perfect for on the go.

I received the following:
-A variety of Fiber One and Nature Valley bars
-Sun Chips Harvest Ranch
-Skinny Cow Chocolate PB crisps
-Quaker oatmeal bowels
-Dried Pomegranates (which I plan on putting into a nice summer salad)
-Snyders veggie chips
-Lipton Strawberry and Acai tea packets (probably would be delicious with some rum)
-And my favorite...True North Almond Pecan Crunch pieces (sweet and salty)

Thanks again Yashica!

5 Reasons

... I'm happy today

1.  I got a free 15-minute chair massage at work, SCORE!
2.  Frank Turner  "I Still Believe"
3.  Red Sangria. Mmmmm
4.  Writing lists...
5.  Checking things off my lists

TGIF!

The Great Outdoors

A few weekends ago DJP went camping with our friends Dan and Geanna.  We ate great food, drank delicious beverages, went on a mini hike to a waterfall, and most importantly were carefree and back in nature.  We hope to plan another trip this summer/fall because we rather enjoy each other's company. :)

June Foodie Pen Pals

So, the beginning of June I came across this foodie pen pal program on a friend's blog.  It is a pretty awesome idea that anyone who enjoys trying new foods would really appreciate.   You are matched up with a pen pal from somewhere in USA on the 5th of every month.  By the 15th you have to have you goodie box packaged up and sent to your FPP and then on the 30th you do a blog post about the treats you received (I'm a day late because we went camping, which deserves its own post).  There is a price limit of $15 and you can send anything food related, store bought treats and home made snacks, to cooking supplies and the such. 

I received a yummy package from Emily over at Emily's Healthy Home.  She has delicious recipe posts and even sent me a jar of her vanilla honey almond butter.

Here's what came in this box:
- White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter:  I immediately opened this jar to indulge in a spoonful...so addictive!
- HALO Smores Bar: This was a yummy, healthy snack, although I didn't think it tasted like a Smore.
-Cashew Cookie Larabar:  First time I ever had a Larabar and I can't wait to try the other flavors.
-Purity Pretzels:  Unfortunately, when the pretzels arrived they had melted, I thru them in the freezer to firm up and although I haven't tried them yet...who doesn't love a chocolate covered pretzel?!
-Roasted Seaweed Snack: Not may favorite, too strong of a taste for me.
-Soledad Almonds: Another excellent snack that was sweet and salty with a little kick.
-Cadbury Flake:  This chocolate brought me back to when I was living in London and would eat a Cadbury choclate bar too often to count.
-Baking cups: I plan on using these for some cupcakes for DJP's upcoming birthday!
-Vanilla Honey Almond Butter:  I haven't tried this yet, but I'm looking forward to it since it was homemade.

My cat Piper was also excited about the treats and claimed the box as her own. :)

Happy Eating...

Summer is here!

Today was a goregous summer day, 80 degrees and sunny.  DJP and I decided to take advantage of our free day and headed up to Thatcher Park (NY State Park).  We had a delicious picnic of strawberries, salmon, cheesburgers, corn on the cob, and some sweet onion potato chips.  After lunch we relaxed and chatted and I couldn't help smiling at the fact that I am so in love with this guy.  Five years and still going strong!  Lunch was very filling and to help digest we walked the Indian Ladder Trail.  Hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

Sweets for my Sweet

It has been a crazy couple of weeks around here, but today is the day to update and catch up.

- DJP came home last Thursday!  We spent Memorial Day weekend attending BBQs, visiting family, and relaxing.
- My best friend for over 18 years had her first child, a handsome little gentleman that I cannot wait to spend more time with.
- I was offered a promotion at work and starting Monday I will be the supervisor for my department.  The only downside of this promotion is that my supervisor and dear friend is moving on to another job.

The way to DJP's heart is through is stomach (same with me).  So, I had a few hours this afternoon and decided to bake him my favorite cookies.  This recipe was found about 3 years ago on the Now...you're cooking! website when I wanted to bake for Christmas.  I have used this recipe multiple times and think it is delish!

Hershey Kiss Cookies


Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additional sugar
5 dozen kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375

In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add butter and peanut butter and mix until smooth.  Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Make balls out of level tablespoons of dough-add flour if needed.  Roll in sugar.

Bake 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and add 1 kiss to the center of each cookie.  Return to oven and bake for 2 minutes.

Cool and Enjoy!

What to Expect When Your Friends Are Expecting

The past 5 years of my life have been filled with engagements, weddings, and as of last September babies.  None of which were my own, except for that one time in Vegas...just kidding!  Currently, two of my closest girlfriends are expecting their first babies and another dear friend had her beautiful daughter last September.  Charlotte has even started a blog about her little "banana".

It is interesting to see how our relationships have changed over the 10+ years.  We are all at different stages of our lives and our priorities vary, but we still "get" each other and for that I am grateful.  

There are tons of books for moms-to-be and dads-to-be but what about those childless pseudo aunts and uncles-to-be?  Of course I realize our friendships are going to dramatically change. The amount of time we spend together is going to drastically shrink.  No one knows what the future holds, but I'm excited to see what is in store for all of us!

T- minus 19 Days

In 19 short days I will no longer be living alone.  The love of my life will be returning home from Hong Kong and we can hopefully get back to our "normal lives".  I feel like I have managed well on my own, but man do I miss him!  Today I started a deep cleaning of our apartment and even went out to purchase a few new things.  It will certainly be an interesting transition as we learn to be a couple again, but I can't wait.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

(These beauties are missing him too!)

Hong Kong Part 3

** Side note:  Most likely all of the people reading this blog know me and what/who is in my life.  With that being said my love is extremely supportive of me writing my thoughts and experiences here, but is a very private person and wants his involvement to be minimal.  Therefore, he will be known as the bf just in case strangers stumble upon my posts.

Day 4:

The only thing I was adamant about doing when I arrived in Hong Kong was to go to the Tian Tan Buddha.  I've been practicing yoga for the past 2+ years and have read many books on Buddhism, so going to see the Tian Tan Buddha was so very exciting.  However, visiting the Big Buddha was less of a spiritual experience and more of a tourist trap. Booo!

We started the day by taking the MTR to Lantau Island.  It was very windy and cloudy, but we decided to go for it and bought tickets for the Ngong Ping 360 gondola ride.  We splurged and bought a round trip in the "Crystal Cabin" where the bottom was made out of glass and we could see the beautiful blue green bay and mountains right below our feet.

We arrived at the Ngong Ping Village and headed straight to the Buddha.

 After hiking up the many stairs and taking in some absolutely breathtaking views we headed over to the Po Lin Monastery.

It was raining and cold so after the sightseeing we boarded the gondola and headed back to the MTR station.  FYI:  You are not allowed to bring your sheep or cattle with you in the gondola.

That night we went to Temple Street market and bought some more souvenirs.  I also spotted my FAVORITE restaurant (Hui Lau San) and the bf agreed to another night yummy of mango desserts.

More to come...

5 Reasons...

...I'm happy today

1.  My sweet, loving kitty cats.
2.  The ridiculous and crazy antics that happened at work.
3.  Exactly one month from tomorrow my love will be home!
4.  The much needed rain our flowers and gardens needed.
5.  Old School Law and Order episodes, I'm an addict.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Monday.  What has made you happy today?

Hong Kong Part 2

Day 3:
We boarded a ferry and headed to Cheung Chou, a fishing village on one of the surrounding islands.  After a short ride we disembarked and were shocked by the amount of visitors to the island.  We assumed it was due to the Easter holiday and many people had the week off.

The first thing we did was stop at a street vendor so the bf could get a fresh waffle with butter, peanut butter, and about fifty pounds of sugar.  I could only handle a bite, but I think he secretly wanted to get a second.

Mr. Tour Guide had previously been to this island and wanted to take me on a short hike he had come across.  We decided to walk along the coastline to find the trail and had to make a conscious effort not to get hit by one of the many bicyclists.  There were even the bicycles with the cart attached behind and I tried to convince the bf that it would be excellent exercise to peddle me around the island, he declined my generous offer.

The fog was getting thicker by the minute and the mountaintops we could visibly see when we arrived were slowly being absorbed into the sky.  We walked almost to the tip of the island before the sky opened up and it down poured.  It was around lunch time so we used our hungry stomachs as an excuse to get out of the rain; and we also realized we walked past the head of the trail so the hike was a no go.  Thankfully, the menus were written in both Cantonese and English so we knew what we were ordering.  This was also the first time I experienced a Chinese bathroom...a porcelain hole in the ground with a grab bar for balance.  The rain hadn't let up by the time we finished eating so we headed back to the Ferry Terminal and went back to Central.

That night we went to one of the many notorious Hong Kong street markets, Ladies Market.  I am a terrible bargainer/negotiator and of course that is how business is conducted at all of these markets.  It was definitely a little intimidating, but the bf is excellent in this area and helped me buy a few souvenirs and he bought me some beautiful bracelets.  I also learned a very, very important travel tip...always carry toilet paper with you when in Asia!  The public restrooms are generally not stocked with t.p. and you could find yourself in quite the predicament.

Until Next Time Friends.

Hong Kong Part 1

I recently returned home from an amazing trip to Hong Kong and it was quite the experience. My wonderful tour guide/boyfriend kept us very busy and I feel like we were able to see the best of what this country has to offer.

Day One:
I arrived in HK around 7pm (7am Eastern Time) and after 18 hours of travelling, I was exhausted!  So the bf met me at the airport (yes, even after only 3 months apart I still had butterflies in my tummy) and we headed to the hotel to check in.  We arrived in Mong Kok and went up to our room that was literally the size of a freshman dorm room; tiny, but adequate.  After grabbing a quick bite to eat we headed over to Central and went to the rooftop of the IFC building.  There we enjoyed the beautifully lit skyline and two bottles of wine. Mmmmm

Day Two:

Surprisingly, I wasn't too jet lagged the next day and we ventured out to the bf's University and current stomping grounds.  We walked to Kowloon City to grab some lunch at one of his favorite Thai restaurants.  (My poor feet were very achy after this trek, but I only developed one blister and by the end of the trip I could walk the whole island!  Well, maybe not the whole island...)

Shah Tin was the next destination and we visited the 10,000 Buddhas Temple.  As we walked up the hundreds of steps we took pictures with our favorite Buddhas and used that as an excuse to take a breather.  Once we reached the temple we heard the beautiful chanting of monks and could smell the strong scent of incense burning.  I had never been to a Buddhist temple before and even though it was extremely touristy, it was beautiful and well worth climbing all of those stairs.

That evening was spent down by the water walking The Avenue of the Stars, similar to America's Hollywood Boulevard.  The humidity had finally dropped and the breeze off the water was refreshing.  We came across a stall selling teriyaki octopus jerky that the bf had previously tried.  Being in the spirit of the adventure I tried the jerky too.  Although it wasn't as unappetizing as you would expect, I could only manage one bite and my partner in crime gladly devoured the rest.

To Be Continued...