If you can't grow it, don't eat it!

This morning my Dixie baby and I headed to the farmers market downtown. I've been trying to adopt the mantra, "If you can't grow it, don't eat it." I know processed foods are horrible for me so I try to stick to veggies, fruits, whole grains ect. So, this morning Dixie and I picked up some locally grown tomatoes, potatoes, pop corn and of course some organic dog treats! The lady at the Tailz Are Waggin booth didn't even look twice at me when I told her I promised Dixie she could get a treat on the way over..hahah...

When we got home I whipped up an egg white omelet in the microwave, ever since I found out I could nuke my eggs it's been wonderful! So I heated up some egg whites, mushrooms (bought already chopped and washed) some green, red and yellow peppers I had already chopped and keep in the freezer.

Once the omelet was done I sprinkled a little cheese on top and chopped up one of my fresh tomatoes from the market and some avocado I had in the fridge! This was delicious! I also toasted a piece of 100% Whole Wheat bread that I bought at the grocery store. The bread is made locally by Nature's Bread Basket Bakery and is so tasty! I picked it up because there are only a handful of ingredients that go into making the bread which means less or no preservatives!

That's been my morning so far! O, and at the market I saw a booth that serves Iced New Orleans Style Coffee, this is on my list to try next week!! Yum!

i left my heart in nola

Where do I start? This past trip to NOLA was a blast! It was so much fun to be there with Julie and Trish!! Between Trish and myself we have a lot of pictures! I'm going to try and sum this trip up quick and let the pictures speak for themselves. No one got sick! No one was hungover. There was a lot of Abita, some crack drinks from Pat O'Briens, handgrenades, seafood, beignets, ghost stories, palm reading, Goth bars turned gay bars, a pseudo celebrity sighting, Absinthe experimenting, cafe au laits, pralines, walking, new bars, good cheese and lots of fun times.

back on track with a healthy dinner

new orleans kicked my ass!! i ate and drank and slept..luckily we did a ton of walking and i managed to squeeze in two work outs so hopefully it all balanced out. i'm working on a slide show now which i will post later!

tonight i made a wonderful fresh summer salad and fish tacos.

All the fixens, including a great peach, pineapple salsa


Tilapia with about half of a chicken taco seasoning packet


Fresh corn tortillas cooking up


A delicious salad with corn, black beans, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeno, fresh lime juice, cumin and garlic powder, and a little lettuce


Dinner

nola here we come!

Rain is predicted for the next 4..5..6..7..days in New Orleans and there is a coastal flood warning! I am hoping that it misses NOLA but regardless I know we will have a great trip! My blogging may be a little slow for the next few days!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!

Adios!

"life is like one big mardi gras"

So Ellen says! Her commencement speech at Tulane University in New Orleans had me laughing outloud! It was also inspiring!!

another beautiful evening

The weather today was just as gorgeous as yesterday. Me and the babies are outside loving it as much as we can! Tonight I hit the gym after work. It was sooo flippin hot in there, it really pissed me off. 60$ a month and they can't crank up the AC in the heat? Anyways, I was only able to run 2 miles, I was aiming for three, and I did some weights. I did get a 30 minute walk in at lunch so not too terrible.

Tonight the beer of choice is a fav of mine, Leffe. It's a Belgian Abbey Ale. Really tasty and lighter at only 6.5%



For dinner we had delicious turkey burgers made with an awesome chipotle season pack I picked up at Target. We also had grilled corn on the cob and some grilled veggies.

a tweet worth mentioning

I just realized that as a woman,the beauty of being in your 30s is that you notice&appreciate the best moments of your life as they happen.

Dita Von Teese

if only my scanner was working...

Today Mike took his last final and it finally feels like SUMMER! Right now me and my babies are out on the patio grilling up some salmon and enjoying a cold duvel!! YUM and YUM! today it finally hit me... WE ARE GOING TO NEW ORLEANS IN 3 DAYS!!!!!!!!



Dinner!


I cannot tell you how much I need this vacation and how EXCITED I am. It's been a stressful year for me, not to have a pity party...but moving to another state, and a much smaller city after almost 10 years of living in Chicago can be pretty traumatic. Luckily my middle of the night panic attacks have recently stopped.

Our friends Julie and Trish will be joining us on the trip this time which will be a lot of fun since Trish is a NOLA virgin!! I only wish my scanner was working right now because Julie and I went together with my brother and a certain ex bf back in 2001! We had an amazing time and some stories I like to tell over and over again. The chartreuse story...Julie's haircut...a certain few people sharing the toilet after a little too much fun! (Brad and Julie)!!

I'd love to be able to post some of those memories, I look back at those pics now and we all look like BABIES! Maybe I'll tinker around and see what I can do!

Another day at the park

Mike and I took our babies trail walking again at Scott County Park. I couldn't resist posting a couple pics! I realize it's a little nutty that we treat our dogs like our kids, but for now, they are.

Dixie loves the water! Drinking it and swimming in it! It may not be the best thing for her but she didn't get sick so!


Mike found a skull in the woods!


Dixie chillin after our walk.


We had a picnic and they were beat! I love how resourceful Finn is! He headed under the table for shade!



When picking up some goodies for our picnic I stumbled upon Pop Chips in the organic/health section at HyVee. I've seen these "pop" up on many of the blogs I follow and sense they come in individual bags these were perfect for our picnic! I was reading the info on the package and learned that these chips are all natural, not fried and not baked! I guess they have a secret method that involves popping and pressure, not sure what it is, but they are sure good, and even better, guilt free! Try them for yourself sometime!

Another Year Bites the Dust

Last Thursday I celebrated my b-day with the hubs and the fam. After coming home to a beautiful flowers from my sweetie, we had a wonderful dinner at Osaka! My first 3 courses looked something like this:






Then the p's and my sis showed up and we were seated. This was the first time the p's had sushi! We ordered a few apps and a variety of maki. I, of course, had to have my hot sake. YUM!







After dinner we headed back to the p's for presents and cake! I was lucky enough to get some great gifts this year! An awesome tent from my Dad! Mike and I are both excited about this because we plan to do some camping this summer at Scott County Park and can't wait to take Finn!

My Mom gave me some great smelling stuff from one of my favorite shops here, The Soap Box, and all Iowa made! Can't wait to try it all! My sis gave me a really cool starfish necklace and my mother and father in law sent me a cool owl necklace which you might notice in some of the pics!



After we ate a slice of suzy q cake my Mom made, Mike and I headed back home where we had another cake that my sweetie picked up. Mike went to Old Towne Bakery and had them make an almond cake with a raspberry filling... ummm AMAZING! I managed to force down a piece lol!






All in all is was a great birthday! Can't wait for next year! O, wait, yes I can!! I forgot, once you are in your 30's you don't mind if the year drags on!! So, Cheers to a long year!!

Hump Day Slump Day

This has been a rough week already. I am so exhausted and I have no idea why? Last night I fell asleep on the couch at 8:00! I was fighting it too, ask Mike. I yelled at him a few times when he told me to go to bed..oops! I get really crabby in my sleep sometimes. This morning I couldn't wake up! To make matters worse, before Mike left he brought baby Dixie in, she curled up right next to me and we snuggled for a bit. That made it really tough to get up.

Last week I was doing so good! Working out before work, walking the dogs. I really hope I am not getting sick again. Seems to be an every other week pattern. My fingers are crossed that Mike and I both stay healthy since we are leaving for our New Orleans holiday on Thursday next week.

Anyways. A fellow blogger posted this earlier today. I thought I'd give it a whirl, an attempt to brighten my day if you will. Nothing like a little narcissism to boost ones spirits.

1. Thought for the day: Give me a day off, NOW PLEASE, or I might die!

2. Song of the moment: On Call, Kings of Leon

3. Drink of the moment: Coffee, after 3 months I broke down and bought a Starbucks this morning, you may remember I gave it up during the week and switched to green tea.

4. Currently I spend too much time: stressing about everything!!

5. Word or quote of the week: "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. "
Elbert Hubbard

6. Currently annoyed by: silence

7. Currently reading: Alice Hoffman's The Third Angel

8. Last movie you watched: Rachel Getting Married

9. Currently day dreaming about: Last night I dreamt I had a baby and started a new job... strange!

10. Currently enjoying: Easy access to nature, something I did not have in Chicago


Looking forward to a few of these next week!

Holey Donuts

I've been wanting to try these tasty creations for a while and one of the blogs I follow is having a giveaway! Woo hoo! I do love donuts and used to indulge once in a great while after a long run when I lived across the street fom D&D in Chicago. Since then, I've managed to steer clear of the temptation but these Holey Donuts are guilt free! Yum Yum!

Tipsy

I can home a little tipsy last night after hanging with my friends Trish and Julie who were visiting from Chicago. We had a fun night drinking champagne at the river, playing in the skybridge and even stopped at the casino! I discovered a new favorite drink, vodka and club soda with a splash of cranberry which I can drink like a champ and not have a hangover! Mike and I kept the party going after Trish and Julie took off and when we got home we had some fun with our babies! They love it when their mommy is tipsy because I let them get away with more. Last night I even let Finn on the couch!







Julie gave me the most amazing bday gift! A while back Julie discovered an artist on etsy.com, she sent me the link and I fell in love! Check out Obsolete World on etsy! Julie got me one that I mentioned to her was my fav titled "All The Time We Are Gone"


and another "Trailing The Funeral Of Some Lofty Vision"


There is something about these paintings that I find sadly romantic in a beautiful way. Julie even framed the two prints for me! They look great, and I can't wait to hang them!

Holy Yummy Sandwich!

Yesterday Mike and I hit a deli that's been on our list since we moved to Iowa. The Village Corner Deli is within walking distance of our house which is awesome since we miss all the walking we did in Chicago.

The deli is very quaint inside, the charm comes from the friendly staff and creative menu! Mike decided to try the Mad Irishman, go figure, which was smoked ham, sharp cheddar, bbq horseradish on marble rye served hot. This sandwich was AWESOME! I tried a bite so I can attest!

I opted for a build your own sandwich. I went with honey turkey, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, pickles and light mayo on marble rye. Again, great sandwich! Many other clever names filled the menu board: The Ranch Head, The Ivory, The New Yorker...just to name a few.

What I also really enjoyed was the great side selection. Mike tried the olive salad which I stole many bites of, I was trying to spare some calories and opted not to order my own but they also had various types of pasta salads and chips.

I snapped a picture of my sandwich with my cell about half way threw. Not the best, but you get the idea! I have a feeling we will be going back again soon!

you can get something for nothing

I am a sucker for registering on websites whether it's for a newsletter, special promos or simple reminders I'm happy to oblige. The main reason is that I visit so many websites I usually forget about them once they fall out of my normal rotation. A month or two later, if I receive an email from them, it jogs my memory. Anyways, May is my birthday month and I've already received a few special offers to help me celebrate my day! Today I received a coupon for a free Little Joe pizza from Happy Joe's, I'll take taco please and last week I received a free entree and Bass Street Chop House, this was a score for me because I hear they have great seafood. Yum! I wonder what else is coming?

p.s we did not find any mushrooms tonight but we have the weekend ahead of us!! i am hopeful!

Shroom Hunting

It's morel season and apparently they are a hot commodity here!! Mike and I have gone trail walking the last two weekends, scavenged the woods and have yet to find them!

Yesterday my sister cooked some up that were given to her by our cousins boyf, I was able to try them, but it only made me want to find my own even more! Today a coworker came in with bags of them! So what are Mike and I doing wrong?

Looking after rain falls - check
Looking around dead trees - check
Looking in shaded areas - check

I tried to get my coworker to tell me where she finds hers but she stuck to the true morel hunter mantra which is to never reveal your source!

I did manage to squeeze a few more tips out of her.

Look on hillsides
Look around elm trees

Tonight Mike and I will be running on the bike trail after work. We plan to take a few detours and hit the woods to hunt some more. Come hell or high water we are finding morels this season!

This weekend was no good

I wish I had a fun recap of our weekend activites but I, again, was sick. It hit me Saturday morning around 4am and kept me bedridden all day. I'm not sure what I had, a flu, food poisoning...but there where body aches, a temp and stomach aches. ugh. I feel like I have been sick all winter and the times I haven't been the hubs has been sick.

Maybe it's stress, maybe my immune system is just in a rut, I suspect maybe our house has mold. When we looked at the place it was July of last year. The previous tenants had turned the AC off when they moved out and the place was sweltering. Upon realizing this, the landlord turned on the AC but it may have been too late, mold was already growing on the walls in the basement.

The LL said he bleached the walls, but what about what's underneath the walls? Mike called today to asked him to do a mold test, we haven't heard back but I hope we do soon. I think this may be why we can't stay healthy.

Unfortunetly I'm still not feeling great and I'm super bummed because I have not been able to work out since Friday. grrrr. Hopefully I'll have my health back soon, this is really unlike me!