HAPPY HAPPY WEDNESDAY (probably Thursday now?), everyone! Thank you for all your sweet wishes to recover- I am happy to report that my hearing and ear is almost back to 100%. What a ride! I won’t take the ability to hear for granted any longer.
I’m thankful that I was sick when I was though. I start work on March 20th, so truly, if that was going to happen thank goodness it did sooner than later! I felt so isolated these last couple weeks being sick, so Friday when I slightly started turning the corner, I decided to go out for a nice run!
These trees!!!
During the day I was able to get my butt moving and get the house clean, get laundry done, all that jazz. On my way home from an errand I spotted a little hole in the wall place broadcasting Malaysian cuisine. Naturally, I flew to YELP, and this unassuming storefront had raving reviews. As it was Friday date night, I texted DJ to see if he would be interested in trying it out. He is always down for literally whatever always, so we eagerly awaited what this Malaysian cuisine entailed.
He has been arriving home later than usual with the new job. It’s totally fine- just an adjustment for planning out dinners and everything. As soon as he walked in the door I had my shoes and coat on ready to go- I was HUNGRY hangry. We jetted to Layang Layang on S. De Anza Blvd.
It felt authentic as they come. It was also jam packed which is always an excellent sign. The decor screamed Malaysian (at least I think? I don’t know much about Malaysia). It actually reminded me a touch of the ethiopian restaurant we tried out, but the food was not at all similar.
Malaysian food mirrors thai food incredibly closely (which makes sense). Thai is definitely one of my favorites, so I was salivating while scrolling the menu.
We started with their Satay Tofu, which was decent, but not the greatest tofu in the world.
I settled on a red curry tofu and DJ tried their Hakkien Mae with thick yellow noodle in heavily flavored soy sauce with chicken, shrimp, and veggies.
DJ, surprisingly, loved it more than I did. I’m still convinced Olarn has the BEST red curry around. I still have to take DJ there because he is a big red curry fan too.
Saturday DJ had to work, and I was squeezing in a long 14 mile run for my marathon training. One of our friends from church is moving to Oakland and borrowed our truck for the day to help with the move. As a thank you, they brought us these out-of-this-world donuts from Donut Savant. Like, holy moses, I can’t even explain— the FLAVOR! AHHH! I want to go here again and try all their flavors. The pecan one may have been my favorite, and DJ said their glazed was competitive with some of his top tiers. The one next to the pecan one is actually a candied ginger with a light vanilla frosting. It sounds like a strange combination- but it was pleasantly palatable.
We didn’t do much Saturday night. It was rainy out and we were both exhausted. I still didn’t feel like I had my mojo back all the way and we decided to have a chill evening. I’m trying to take advantage of them while I can because I know soon they will be few and far between. I still hate just laying around without doing something productive. I get far too ancy. DJ will plead with me to relax, so as soon as I can concoct something productive to do while sitting and “resting”, I give in. I decided to go through the photos on my laptop and delete any randoms, multiples, etc. I went from 14,000 photos to about 7,000 photos. There is just something about getting rid of stuff that is like a weight lifted. I’ve had that on my “to-do” list for a looong time and it’s such a nice relief that it’s actually done!
When Sunday came we went to church bright and early. I only stayed for the first service because my ear was not hanging in there well. The noise and music sounded chaotic and the drum started to throb.
BUT. It was the commissioning service for the leaders of the church. I had been sick and had my interview, so I missed two sessions and will make them up next round. DJ graduated though, and I am immensely proud of the humble, loving, kind, strong leader he is!
When he plopped on the couch in the afternoon I made him a big lunch and then he declared he had a sweet tooth. The sun was shining (an unusual occurrence), so we decided to take a walk to CREAM! I mentioned this place in one of my VERY first posts from moving here, and we haven’t been back together since.
Long overdue.
This place is crazy. They make the most mouth-wateringly delicious ice cream sandwiches around with endless flavors, some of which are unique like their green tea ice cream and vegan cookies. HELLO, CALIFORNIA!
I wasn’t having too much of a sweet tooth, and decided to just nibble on whatever DJ got. Sharing is caring 😉
Lucky for me, he ordered more than enough. He decided to try their Sundae of Champions. This consisted of two fresh baked cookies, three scoops of ice cream, one LARGE crumbled brownie, a do’sant sandwich (donut ice cream sandwich), and whipped creme with sprinkles. This diabetes in a cup sundae was a sight to see! Everything tasted fresh and delicious. The brownie was our personal favorite part.
And of course, I had to take more than enough pictures to document 😉
On Monday, I had a hike planned with one of my good friends. This is the first day that I felt my ear wasn’t entirely muffled. We planned to meet at 9 am and when I parked the car I saw a bunch of turkeys just roaming around. I feel like lately I have seen so many random wild birds. So here is your wild bird of the post!
Despite the annoyance of the rain (it was raining this morning too a matter of fact), it was a gorgeous hike with sprawling green foliage and cascading moss everywhere you looked. It felt like a fairytale. We decided to hike for about an hour.
We hiked….
and we hiked….
and we hiked some more…
Annnnnd then I realized we were lost.
After about two hours of going straight up the mountain in the rain, I knew that we were not on the path I thought we were on…. WHOOPS
We saw one lady at the top, who may have been scarier than the mountain lion I enountered. She didn’t speak great english, and she kept asking us,”What path you take?” “You take that path”?!” “Avoid the dead bodies!” “Oh, good!”. We exchanged perplexed looks and just told her we had taken wildcat trail.
“Oh good!! No dead bodies!”
She hurried off in the other direction and I looked at Danielle super confused. I go, “Did she say dead bodies?!”. Danielle said, “that’s what I heard- unless she was mispronouncing something like a trail name. Let’s keep an eye out on the news”. Hahaha.
I really do not even know how to comment on that encounter. It was one of the strangest things to ever happen to me.
I apologized profusely to Danielle for getting us lost in the rain and mud and on behalf of the crazy lady. She was SUCH a trooper about it all.
This was taken at the top of the mountain. Unbeknown to us, we still had an hour of hiking left!
Three hours later, with stomachs growling, shoes thick with mud, and tons of laughs we made it back to the car with the guidance of some helpful ladies we saw hiking.
We decided to try Bill’s Cafe which has a notorious reputation for being one of the best breakfast and lunch spots in San Jose. Luckily, it wasn’t crowded when we arrived around 12:30 and we were seated right away.
Their menu has everything you can imagine for breakfast. They have a section for pancakes, waffles, benedicts, scrambles, omelettes, skillets, french toast, etc. etc. EVERYTHING. Danielle ordered this parisienne french toast which was a giant CROISSANT baked fresh dipped in egg batter and grilled sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. She graciously offered me a taste, and WOWZA- we were both impressed with just how much flavor was packed in it. Now we know- make french toast with croissants. (You can see the creation in the second picture below)
I ordered their french garden omelette. It had goat cheese, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, and basil. I usually order my omelettes with egg whites, but after this accidental hike, I could use all the refueling I could get! It was one of the greatest omelettes I’ve ever had. The sun dried tomatoes in it tasted so fresh and I wanted to ask what kind they used. It was maddeningly delicious!
This week I did an order of Blue Apron (WOOHOOO!). I love love love love Blue Apron and for my birthday I got a giftcard (Obviously someone knows me well ;)). I could talk about it for days. I may make a separate post to describe in depth all the pros/cons and share all my thoughts!
For the first meal on Monday, I made a Moroccan Chicken for DJ and had my giant salad to use up some leftover veggies in the fridge. I don’t have a ton of experience cooking meat dishes, so Blue Apron is great with helping me learn in that arena.
I tried the sauce and it was SOOOOO good! I want to recreate this with tofu!
Monday night- BACHELOR! We made two mega cookies for this one- our usual chocolate chip tollhouse and then a massive hot cocoa tollhouse one (they are addictive, beware).
Yesterday I made the Spicy Shrimp Coconut Curry from Blue Apron for dinner. I’m mad at it for not turning out too photogenic, but it was delicious!
Today I have to go to the mall to find “business casual” clothes. UGH. I’m dreading it. I may be the only girl on the planet that truly just does not enjoy shopping all that much- especially when I have to find something.
BUT…. there is a very exciting weekend ahead, and I can hardly control my excitement…
Hope you all are having a beautiful week so far!
xo <3
All of this amazing looking food is making me HUNGRY. Your encounter with that lady sounds like a unique one! So glad to hear you’re getting better! X
Heheh hope you had some good lunch (or whatever meal it is in your time zone! lol!). The encounter was unique to say the least! Still so weird to think about. Hahah. Hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead, lovely!
MacKenzie you are so adorable! The food and restaurants look amazing and all your stories are a joy to read 😍😍 I hope you’re feeling better soon and good for you for keeping active while recovering. Btw I am just like you when it comes to shopping it’s a big UUGGHH! 😜
Awwwww!!! Thank you for your sweet comment, Jennifer!!! <3 I'm so so glad you enjoyed reading 🙂 I am feeling so much better- today was nearing 100%!!! Thank you for those well wishes! And it's great to know I'm not the only woman in the world who dreads shopping like that- hehe. Hope you have a great weekend ahead!!!
Hey !! Hope you are very much fine now. You would have been feeling so refreshed with the outing now
Hey Payal!!! SO good to hear from you, dear!!! I am much, much better 🙂 Thank you! Have such a beautiful weekend, dear!
Get well soon ,wish you the same dear
<3!!
Glad you’re feeling better…that’s crazy about the “Dead bodies” what was she talking about?! :-O I don’t think I’ve ever tried Malaysian before but I LOVE Thai so I’m sure it would be a winner!
Heather!!!!! Thank you! And OooOOOooo my goodness- it was alll just too crazy for me to handle- I have no idea what she was talking about. We were at the VERY top of the mountain too and it was rainy and eerie- seriously the scene of like some scary movie. Hahaha. And you would love malaysian if you like thai! They are SUPER similar- nearly identical! (At least from my experience)
It all looked good, but the donuts looked amazing!! Fun post!
Kinlee!!! So excited to hear from you again! Girl, the donuts were the BOMB. I’m salivating just thinking about them!
OMG all of the food looks so amazing!! Such a fun post! I’m glad you’re feeling better too! 😊
Theresa! I just hopped over to your blog and you are just the cutest! Thank you for stopping by here so I can now follow along yours 🙂 And girl— the foooood- so gooood. Have a beautiful weekend, dear! XO
Mack! You really do know how to have a weekend jam-packed with fun and adventures! I had no idea that you were training for a marathon! I can’t wait to hear more about your training and the actual marathon itself! I’m currently on a running hiatus and just doing something called intuitive exercise haha. After a long break from running due to my stress fracture and not running for winter track, I fell back on running more than I wanted to and right now, I don’t feel too much of an urge to go running although the weather has been so nice lately! I’ve been going on more walks and yoga sessions and as for right now, that seems to be working. Hopefully I can get back into running since runners high is the best feeling! Despite that um, interesting (is that the right word?!), hike, I’m glad that you and your friend were able to get back back safely and end it with a great lunch. I wish you all the best for finishing this week strong and I can’t wait to see what this weekend entails for you! xo, Stephanie
Kenz, your hiking trip sounds like it was scary but all the good food to follow sounds wonderful. All the sweet goodies and the meal at home and also the blue apron that are delivered to your door, wow!! Glad you satisfied sweet
tooth of DJs
Love you and miss you
Gramma
Awww, thanks Gramma. You know how much I love your comments!!! It was one crazy hike, but the food made it all so worth it 🙂 I would love to tell you more about blue apron. We can chat about it when I call you next. MWAH. Love you and miss you so much! Ps. Is that sweet tooth truly ever satisfied? hehee 😉
Hey Stephanie!!!!! I have kept the marathon training a bit underwraps because I’m not 100% sure I’ll be able to run the one I’m signed up for with the new job (It’s April 30th- Big Sur!). I LOVE the idea of intuitive exercise!!!!!! I LOVE intuitive eating- so transitioning that into exercise sounds like an excellent way to go! I’m sorry about your stress fracture- AH the worst! 🙁 But it sounds like you are doing alllll the right things- yoga and walking are tremendously relaxing and amazing for overall health. I need to add yoga back into my weekly routine- it truly makes such a difference in even just my emotional state. I hope you have a beautiful weekend ahead, love! XO
I’m sure you’ll be able to train up for the Big Sur marathon at the end of April, but if you “intuitively” think you can’t, then of course, you can always run another marathon at a later time. While marathon training isn’t necessarily intuitive exercise, you can still incorporate that by making sure you’re checking up on yourself during your training and evaluating if you can really run the marathon or not. And haha yes, intuitive exercise has worked out quite well for me this past week hopefully I can continue reaping its benefits this week! Xo, Stephanie
Hehe – it’s not really about physically being able to right now it more schedule! I literally don’t know if I will be able to get work off to go run it! Fingers crossed 🙂 and I like your thinking!!!! Happy exercising this week, girlfriend ! I definitely will be passing that “intuitive exercise” idea onto others too!!!! XO
Ah gotcha! Hopefully your work schedule can work out with the marathon! Haha thanks, Mack! Happy running to you! Xo, Steph
Thanks, girlfriend <3!!!!
😘
Omg I was just telling my boyfriend about CREAM!!! I wanna go soooo bad. Those ice cream sandwiches look AMAZING
GIRLLLL – you guys NEED to go!!! It’s just the best. It’s the only thing that even contends with Coldstone- it may even top it in my opinion! Have SUCH a great weekend, Diam. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
14,000 to 7,000 holy moly you must’ve been looking at pictures for hours girl! But I honestly feel you I feel so much lighter after I do that every so often (although I don’t have 14,000 to go through) buttt I honestly love purging through pictures, it makes me so nostalgic when I go back and reminisce each photo/moment/time/experience…Anyhow, how SUPER creepy of that lady on the hike, hopefully she had nothing to do with those potential dead bodies (eerie!!!!) I probably would’ve just instantly ran away in terror with my arms wailing in the air lol I love how you instantly yelped the Malaysian restaurant- I literally do the same thing with anything I find….gotta check out the yelp reviews, its important!!! Which btw, when I was reading along I was totally envisioning an Ethiopian-like appearance too…weird. Can’t believe you get to start your dream job so soon!!! EEK exciting! Its going to be a great experience! Also, I’m glad you’re finally feeling better again! YAY!
xo, JJ
JENNY!!! I haven’t gone through my pictures since 2012- it was rough. Hahaha. I am not even going to confess how many hours I spent going through those!! It was fun though! Like you said with going through the memories and feeling allll the nostalgic feels!
It was SOOO eerie with the lady. Also- we were super isolated at the top of the mountain and it was raining. The whole thing felt straight out of a horror film. So strange. I may stop hiking at that location. Hahahah. First the mountain lion/bobcat then this…
YESSSSS YELP!!!! I honestly do not know what I’d do without it.
Have you had Malaysian?! It’s sooo good! That’s crazy that you were thinking it looked similar to Ethiopian too! I love how cultures overlap and influence each other like that. Living here it’s super fun trying out allll the different foods! So different than Indiana.
HAVE SUCH A GOOD WEEKEND, love! XOXOOXO
I love Cream! It’s so incredible and the one near me has crazy flavors. Nice post!
YESSSSS!!!! SOO good, right?!? what’s your favorite?! Thanks for stopping by, Natalie <3!
Oh dear gosh between all the amazing food you ate and how beautiful the trails near you are i am crazy jealous. what a week!
Hahah- it was NUTS! But so fun! I am trying to soak it up while I can, life is about to get so different and so hectic! Thank you for stopping by, dear! XO
I so loved catching up on what you’ve been up to, which all sounds amazing! Your first Blue Apron meal was so pretty, and I loved all of your “lost” hiking photos. 😉 Such strange occurrence for sure! Good luck shopping! I’m right there with you. If I have to shop for something in particular, then it feels like a chore.
Awww thanks, Kori 🙂 Have you ever done Blue Apron?! It’s super fun! They have some organic ones too like Green Chef that is quite fun & tasty!
That hike… it was something to say the least!! Haha.
And THANK GOODNESS I’m not the only female out there that feels that way hahaa. I was in SUCH a bad mood all day, but came away with a couple good finds so I guess it all worked out. Have such a great weekend :)!
Glad to hear you are better. 🙂
Thank you soooo much!!!!!
Have a nice week-end Mac.
I’m a bit late to this but thank you tons!!! I hope you had a wonderful weekend yourself!!
Yes thank you. 🙂
Love this week’s blog. Good luck with casual clothes shopping and preparing for your next step in your career!
Aw, thanks Uncle Page!!! Thanks for taking the time to read. Luckily I had some success at the mall- just glad that’s over with. Hahah! Have a great weekend!
Hi Mackensie, I am glad you are feeling better and getting back to normal☺ You do want to be ready when your new job starts. Enjoy the time you have between now and then. I felt bad for you getting lost on the hike, but it was nice those ladies guided you back. I love the pics of all the foods you created or were served. The Malaysian restaurant looks fun. Also I would love to try Cream . The sundae looks SO good! I hope you found some clothes at the mall. It can be hard picking new outfits. I hope you have a wonderful exciting weekend Mackensie, huggs Terri 💗
Terri, your comments ALWAYS make my day! I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and always leave such sweet feedback 🙂 I am definitely trying to relax and soak it alll up (as hard as it is!). And Cream is a national chain I believe- so maybe there is one not terribly far from you!?! I did have a bit of success! I need to fill in a couple gaps with shoes and such, but I think I have the basics covered! Thank goodness for Old Navy and Express 😉 Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Aww, that is so sweet of you to say Mackensie ❤ I love the quality and quantity in your posts, You have such energy in all that you do. I will look and see if cream is in Minnesota. I am glad your shopping expedition went well, enjoy the weekend Dear, huggs Terri 💖
Awww!! Thank you, Terri <3 < 3 And if they do not have one there, California always is calling 😉 Hope you had the best weekend!
I am so so glad you’re feeling better now, girl!
I totally feel you on not loving clothes shopping! Whenever I am actually looking for clothes for a reason, I can NEVER find anything! I hope your shopping trip is successful though, girlie!
Thank you, girlfriend!!!!! Ahhh I am SO glad you understand! It was pretty successful- still need a few “loose ends”, but I’m finally starting to get more of a big girl closet. Hahahah. Have such a good weekend!!
Lovely pics! The food ones made me really hungry! 😝
Aww thank you, Sheema!!! I love your name- gorgeous! I take far too many food pictures always 😉 Have a great weekend!
That’s so sweet – thank you so much! My uncle will be very happy to hear, it’s an old Arabic/Persian name 💕 Oooh and I absolutely love your food pictures.. you have a lovely weekend too hun 💕🌸 xx
Oh wow- it truly is so beautiful!!!!! And thank you <3 I hope you are having a great week so far 🙂
Thank you so much lovely! You have a lovely week ahead! 💜 xx
I’m so glad to hear you’re feeling better and on the way to feeling 100% back to normal! Being sick is no fun, and I know all about hearing issues! In the past few years, I’ve started losing my hearing and have even tried out hearing aids (so hard to get used to, but I’ll probably need them at some point in the future, haha) so I know what you mean about not taking it for granted! Our sense are truly such a lovely gift from God!
I love that DJ is up for anything all the time. That reminds me a lot of my hubby. And you having to do something productive while resting totally describes me! I have the hardest time just sitting on the couch! I have to be coloring or reading or something!!
Thank you, Allie!!!!! I’m so sorry about your hearing giving you a hard time too 🙁 No fun- but thank goodness for modern day hearing aids right?! They are incredible! And YESSS for the laid back husbands!!! I can get some crazy ideas, so I’m glad he’s always willing to try them with me. I need to try coloring too! I hear it’s super therapeutic!!!
WOW that ice cream Sunday looks INCREDIBLE!
Girl, it was THE BOMB!!!!!!! I still can’t get over how good it was!!! The do’sant in it was probably our favorite- yummmmmmy! What’s your favorite ice cream place?!
I love this ice cream place in Austin, TX called Amy’s ice cream that has the BEST Mexican Vanilla and this flavor called Saturday Morning Cartoons that’s fruit loop milk flavored. Soooooo good!
AHHHHHH that sounds SOOOOO delish! My mom travels to Austin for work sometimes so I’ll have to let her know about it (and of course write it down for when we find ourselves there next!).
Finally getting a chance to read your posts! Oh my gosh I hate when hiring turns into the never ending trail of wilderness. BUT what a gorgeous place to be lost in! Though the “Avoid dead bodies” would totally freak me out! And girl, both you and your friend look gorgeous after hours of hiking! I need in on your secrets!
That ice cream shake seriously looks ah-may-zing! I need to put San Jose on my list next time I visit!
As always your food pics make me sooo hungry! (And I literally just ate my way through trying to stuff myf ace with all my favs! 😉 It was soon amazing to see you and I hope you have an amazing weekend! <3
And I’m FINALLY having time to sit down to respond to this sweet comment <3 <3 I hope ya'll made it back safe and sound. I'm itching to read allll your posts! You are wayyyy too kind about the hiking pictures haha- secret: FILTERS! Lol!!!! And YES YES YES! Next time if you have time we could make a day out of the SJ area for sure! I can't put into words how excited I was to spend even a small amount of time with you!!! Have a perfect rest of your week, love! XOXO
Haha I love it! Time truly flies and gets away from us! I have been slacking something fierce this week! We did thanks. Made it just before the storm, but Sarah and her salon got stuck here a couple extra days ( during which I could show all of them how New Yorkers handle a snowstorm ;p)
Oh my gosh I love it! Well that secrets worked well because you guys looked gorgeous!
Now that I have been to San Francisco twice I definitely need to start exploring more of California! And SJ is at the top of the list! I would love that!
You are the sweetest! I was so excited to see you! We did so much fun stuff, but seriously, I was counting the days down to Thursday! It was one of the highlights of my trip! Thanks beauty I hope you have an amazing weekend! <3
Those cookies and ice cream are making me crave something sweet reaaaal bad! I need to stay away! Bikini season is around the corner! Good running into you today. So glad you are doing better! And I also need to tryout blue apron! <3
Girl, this ice cream Sunday is worth compromising bikini season and the next! Hahaha- SOOOO good! We will have to go together sometime soon! And it was super nice seeing you Sunday too– and yesssss Blue Apron is amazing. LOVE it! Let me know if you do- if you go to my about page you can get $30 off your first order!!!
OK, I can’t tell you the last time I have even had a donut, but this post made me want one really really bad! Our local donut shop makes glazed croissants and I want one of those too! 🙂 And you are not the only girl who doesn’t like shopping that much. I’m the exact same way! I think it’s when I know what I want, I have a one track mind and if I can’t find it I give up. lol Glad you’re feeling better and good luck starting your job!
GIRL- you need a donut in your life. I am convinced they help my running. Hahaha. And those glazed croissants sound HEAVENLY! I am SOOOO glad you feel similar to me about shopping. Occasionally the shopping bug bites once in a grand while, but when I actually need something- forget it! It begins a stress fest! And thank you tons!!! <3
All of it is just mouth watering!! 🙂
http://www.alifyalifestyle.com/
It trulyyyy was!!! <3
Beautiful pics!
Thanks, girl! <3
Outstanding
Thanks!
Mack!! How was your first day of work? <3 Hope everything went so well.
Very glad that you're feeling better, and I agree – going out for a run is an excellent choice. 🙂
Those donuts look absolutely divine.
So many blessings your way and to DJ — Debbie
Hi Debbie!!!! It went SO well!!! I have a little recap paragraph at the end of my most recent post if you have a moment 🙂 thank you TONS for asking ❤️ and yess to the run! With all the rain we have had I take advantage of every nice day! The donuts were perfect! I loved the bite size too- great for sampling a couple! And sooooo many blessings to you too! How was the retreat?! I know it was a few weeks ago, but I’m dying to hear! Did you write about it in a post?! Sending hugs! 💕
YAY Mack, that’s wonderful! Can you send me a link to your most recent blog? I have trouble finding the latest ones you did, for some reason. <3 The retreat was great – it's actually a Soul-Centered Professional Coaching program. I'm starting forgiving coaching and small groups on making peace with yourself. <3 So blessed and inspired. Have a great week!! Love, Debbie
Oh no! I’m sorry about that! If you type in mackmarie.com, it’s the first article on the left of the three at the top (the three most recent)! I totally see how it could be confusing – but here is the link- https://mackmarie.com/2017/03/20/weekend-recap-first-day-on-the-job/ 🤗 No worries if you don’t have a chance to read though! And that is AMAZING! (The retreat). You truly are changing lives each day. I’m thankful to know your beautiful soul!!! ❤️ hope you are having a great week so far! Two days until the weekend! 🎉
Just read it and commented! Yippee!
<3