Take Us Out to the Ball Game!

Hi, Friends! Speaking of Friends… I started the TV series for the first time. They are taking it off Netflix in 2020, and my friend Sara has been begging me to watch it. So it’s now or never! I’ve tried once before- and couldn’t get halfway through the first episode. She said to give it five and then make a decision. I am on episode 2 and already liking it a bit more than the first time around. I love having something light and fluffy to watch in the background of working on case studies, other assignments, etc. because the school content/life feels pretty overwhelming right now. It creates a nice balance.  When life itself feels stressful I tend to enjoy comedies and baking shows (that’s specific) even more- and when life is feeling more day-to-day or easy going I crave more dramatic shows.

I’m already digressing, and I haven’t even begun the post, haha. So where were we? June 10th was back to reality. My sister and I hunkered down at Peets and enjoyed our coffee while I studied and she worked on her to-do list.

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We came home early and whipped up some chicken and cheese quesadillas for DJ.

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For ourselves, we enjoyed some roasted asparagus, a seafood blend from Trader Joe’s, and some cauliflower mashed potatoes. Plus, (not pictured) but my sister made some absolutely to-die-for lentil stew. I have to get the recipe from her to share it here.

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On the morning of July 11th we enjoyed acai bowls with lotsa cashews, PB, and strawberries.

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And off to studying we go! We went to Philz coffee this time. I have always been “anti-Philz” because their coffee literally makes me shake (and I’m loyal to ol’ Peets). But we wanted to have a change of pace and gave it a go. We actually loved it- and since we both got decaf we didn’t get the coffee jitters. It was quite delicious!

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I also love that they offer oat milk! This was my first time trying it, and this might be my favorite milk alternative. It’s so wonderfully creamy.

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In the evening, it was Bachelorette night! We wrapped up around 6 pm at Philz and headed home to make dinner. Halston’s good friend (and basically my other little sister), Marissa, moved to the area the week prior. Since she is a big Bachelor franchise fan too, she came by our apartment, and I made us all tacos (half regular/half vegan) with all the fixin’s to gear up for the show. Can you guess which is which? It was such a fun night! I’m on the edge of my seat for the finale tomorrow..

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On June 12th we worked at Starbucks for the day and then went to an impromptu SJ Giants game since we finished up everything we had set to do!

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We walked around scoping out where we’d want to eat. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

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We settled on Turkey Mike’s for food… usually the go-to.

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We even got featured on their Instagram page with all our yums in hand!

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Found our seats!

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We loved our veggie subs… but I always particularly look forward to the coleslaw and baked beans from the stadium.

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We then popped into the press box to say hi to DJ & I took him a hot dog..Naturally, I had to get a photo of it before giving it to him- haha. He’s a trooper.

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And now- for the star of the show- The ever-so famous San Jose Churro!!!

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These are a “must” try if you go to a game. People say these churros are better than Disney World’s. I have never actually tried a churro before (That I can remember?), so I didn’t know much what to expect.

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It was tasty! I don’t know that personally I would go out of my way to have one- I think I’d prefer just enjoying an ice cream cone or garlic fries, but if you do like churros- these are the ones to try!

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And last up on the list- Somi Somi! Halston wanted to save this place for her last stop before flying out the next morning.

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It did not disappoint! I am forever convinced this is the best ice cream treat you can ever have.

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On June 13th, I had to drop Halston off at the airport- talk about a sad morning! But it helped knowing I would see her again in a month 🙂 I started the morning with an acai bowl again.

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Then I went to Philz in the afternoon to study with Smalls. I guess I can’t honestly say I don’t like Philz anymore, hehe.

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In the afternoon I enjoyed some tilapia with asparagus and a murasaki potato with vegan butter and Fage.

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The next few days were just a ton of studying and packing. I’m still on my stuffed sweet potato kick as an afternoon snack with vegan cheese, boca crumbles, an unnatural amount of jalapeños and Fage.

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On June 16th I was able to make it outside for my traditional walk route. I will say I am so excited to find a new route here! There is a river right near us, so I think that will be the place to start looking for one.

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On June 17th, I worked hard all day on school work, and then since I hit a mental wall, I texted Tammy to see if she could come over to watch the Bachelorette! Right before, I ate a dinner of tilapia, murasaki potato and a ton of roasted veggies.

8ac74fe7-ff30-4f03-b9a2-fe339fd5fc81During a commercial break, we tried out some face masks Tammy bought over. We laughed pretty hard at how the mask refused to stay on my face, and every time I breathed the mask around my nostrils would flare in and out. bahah. But the face mask did feel amazing! Even the next day my skin felt silky smooth. They are called 111 Skin Rose Gold.I added an Amazon affiliate link here if you’re interested!

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June 18th, back to Philz I gooo.

e8be47ab-302d-43b4-a243-a43a3bc3f3adMidday for a change of scenery I went to our apartment conference room to study. 92f9e0aa-1a7e-43fc-a255-12580e9904c0

I think I forgot to mention this, but funny(ish) story- I was trying to use up everything in our fridge/pantry before the move. I had a chicken-based dish I wanted to make for DJ later in the week and just needed a couple chicken breasts. Since he was going to the store I asked if he could pick a pack up. He got a large, I mean massive, super-sized pack of chicken … a week and a half before the move, lol. I cracked up when I saw it, and he was like, “What? You said to pick up a pack of chicken!”. I soo appreciated his effort- he just went a bit above and beyond (with enough to feed an army), but it gave us a good chuckle … or shall I say cluckle . 🐔 Anyways, I had to get creative to use it up, so for dinner one evening I made him some chicken tacos instead of beef- same ingredients otherwise. I didn’t know if it’d throw the whole taco off, but he actually really enjoyed them!

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I was craving my garden bowl per usual. This is definitely my summer go-to.

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On June 19th I made BBQ chicken with rice and a wedge salad.

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Eating amongst the boxes.

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Time to get back to studying!
Questions for you:

  • Do you like the show Friends?
  • Best churro you have ever had?

xo <3

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Friday Favorites #24!

Happy Friday one and all! Although..maybe Happy Saturday when you read this considering I am writing it Friday evening. I finished up everything I wanted to get done for today, so I figured why not share some favs?!

  1. It’s-It ice cream sandwich! On a podcast I was listening to, the host was raving about how tremendous these are. I have passed by It’s-It brick and mortar shop plenty of times on Interstate 280, but have never thought to pay it a visit.

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This place was established in 1928 and has gained fame in San Francisco with this ice cream sandwich of vanilla ice cream in between two oatmeal cookies that are coated in dark chocolate. I was bummed we were going to miss out on this famous creation considering we wouldn’t have time to try them before we left. BUT.. while at Safeway (local grocery store), I stumbled upon them in the ice cream aisle!!!

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I had high expectations… and it met every bit of them. Highly recommend tracking these down if you are the west coast. It’s unlike any other ice cream sandwich I’ve ever had before. YUMMMAYY.

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2. Peets. I am soaking up every single last moment at Peets. I have gone nearly every day this week to study. The last day I knew I’d see my favorite barista, we exchanged numbers to stay in touch. I’ll miss her!! I gave her my blog name too- so if you are reading this- Hi, Connie! You make the best Cafe Au Laits in all the land! <3

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Connie has been there from the beginning when I studied for my NCLEX before I was even a nurse. It was hard to say goodbye, but I will always be thankful to know her. She rooted us on through so many seasons & continues to do so. Endless learning & growth took place at Peets. It’ll always be way more than a coffee shop to me. (I know it’s sappy, but it’s true).

3. Living minimalistically <– dat a word? We got rid of so much while packing up & since our movers came Tuesday we have been living with the absolute bare minimum. I feel like having so little around really has cleared my head, made me more productive & focused. It makes me want to get rid of even more! (Pictured is my little study spot I made since we have no couches or chairs to sit on right now- hehe).

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4. Tofu Tacos!! Yes, you read that right. When I first made these, I was a bit nervous how DJ would feel considering tofu is a bit spongier than meat. But he loved them! So much so he was still talking about them the next day.

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Roughly estimated recipe: They are super simple to make- just sauté mixed peppers and white or yellow onion in a sauce pan over medium heat with minced garlic. Once caramelized add crumbled extra firm tofu with your choice of vegan (or regular) Mexican cheese. Then add  your decided amount of taco mix (for a batch of taco seasoning : TBSP chili powder, 1 TBSP ground cumin, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika & 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper- sprinkle in as desired). Add a little bit of slice jalapeno for an extra nice kick!

5. Sunsets. The sunsets have been just gorgeous this week. I have tried to take moments away from the busyness to just enjoy a moment in awe of the beauty. God is the ultimate artist.

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I’ll miss these mountains <3

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6 & 7. Sonicare electric tooth brush with extra soft bristles & activated charcoal toothpaste. Okayyy, this combo is a game. changer. It was time for me to upgrade my tooth brush & with all the tea I have been drinking lately I feel like my teeth are staining (weirdly, coffee doesn’t stain them – only tea?). I was a little skeptical about how activated charcoal would work, but WOWZA Mctrowza…. I woke up after using it in the evening and already noticed the stains were disappearing! The toothbrush is awesome too- it feels like it is thoroughly cleaning my mouth, but without any harshness on the gums.

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8. Ok, a bit embarrassing to admit, but guys, I am lovin’ this season of The Bachelorette. I adore Hannah. I think this may be my favorite season yet actually. I don’t know any spoilers either, and I don’t feel like there is a clear front runner. Cannot wait to see what happens these coming weeks! I hear it’s wild…..

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9. Nathanwpylestrangeplanet on Instagram (good luck saying that three times fast)… is my new favorite Instagram account. DJ showed it to me, and it basically is a couple of aliens that make parodies of humans through cartoons. They are ingenious & hilarious.

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10. Always Be My Maybe. Sigh, I just loved this movie (even though it did take me over three weeks to actually finish it, lol). I am not a fan of chick-flicks usually. I typically think they are just so darn predictable… but this one.. this one I loved (even though it was just so darn predictable 🤪). I think it’s because it took place in SF & I loveeed all the local shots & references. I don’t know that I would have enjoyed it as much if we didn’t live in the Bay Area… but it’s so cute nonetheless & anything Ali Wong I am here for.

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What is one of your favorites from this week? Any new food items, songs, TV shows, etc.?

xo <3

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**There are affiliate links in this post, but all opinions are my own!**

Foodie, foodie, foodie bloggin’ everywhere

Before we dive into the recap, I want to quickly say a quick note of thanks for allll the shared excitement about our move on the last post. After reading your comments and good words about Austin I’m even more excited about the move! I just love y’all!!! <3

I realized it’s been a while since a full recap! I’m sitting here on my balcony coffee and avocado smoothie in hand enjoying the clouds looming over the mountains. It’s my favorite type of morning- the kind that feels like it is on the verge of a storm. I find myself trying to be more present in each second knowing that our time here has a cemented end date.

On Saturday March 2nd, I ran a few miles on the treadmill while reading for school then walked to the coffee shop nearby and picked up a Pellegrino to accompany me on a walk. I was craving some time outside to clear my head after all the intense reading.

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I worked on school work most of the day. In the evening I made DJ some tacos with Old El Paso Spicy Cheddar Flavored Taco Shells from Target.

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For myself, I had some tilapia with tahini, hummus, grape leaves (dolmas), pita, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh vine tomatoes.

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Sunday March 3rd was church in the morning followed by a full day of editing a paper before submitting it. The only picture I have from the day is this somewhat low quality photographed salad (but high quality flavor) with all the veggies, avocado, tzatziki, and balsamic.

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On Monday March 4th, I woke up early to get a run in before hitting the books for the day. Then I headed to Peet’s to camp out at my second home. My favorite barista, Connie, was working. We held up the line again catching up, whooopsies!

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I packed a little lunch for myself of a no-cow protein bar, apple, and a yogurt with berries and almonds to accompany my liquid gold.

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Around 4:30/5ish I headed home, and then started on dinner for the evening. This night it was a margherita pizza on Trader Joe’s pizza crust. I mixed a bit of pizza sauce with olive oil for the base, added a touch of garlic, buffalo mozzarella, vine ripe tomatoes, and after out of the oven some fresh basil.

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On Tuesday, March 5th I grabbed coffee with one of the future Austin campus pastors. It was my first time meeting her, and we hit it off immediately!! I officially have at least one friend in Austin! Also, Crema, the coffee shop where we met in San Jose is my kinda coffee shop- it’s so warm, eclectic, and has great rainy day vibes. I will have to go back soon to work on some assignments & snag some photos. The coffee was wonderful & served in a steaming mug!

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After returning from our coffee date mid-morning I was craving a snack. I had a no cow protein bar & Power of Seven juice from TJ’s. I am not a huge “juice” person, but I’m obsessed with this stuff. It tastes great and I feel energized almost immediately upon sipping it. I feel like it’s nourishing every cell in my body.

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Dinner was just leftovers from the night before.

Wednesday, March 6th I had a hair appointment in the morning. It was long overdo! I am trying to incorporate my roots back into my blonde so I can go longer and longer without getting my hair done- the last time I had this done was super early December, and I’m hoping to go until July this time!

Thursday March 7th, I had a protein bar to start the day, then for lunch had a purple sweet potato with vegan “meat” crumbles, vegan mozz cheese, and Fage with red crushed pepper.

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For dinner I made us grilled cheese and tomato soup! I just use vegan cheese for mine.

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On March 8th in the morning I was running a bit low on groceries, but I made together a bowl of dragonfruit smoothie, Fage yogurt, and PB powder.

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Mid-morning I had toast with avocado, tzatziki, and hummus over Dave’s toast- mmmm mmmm!

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I was out of my protein cookies at this point, so I whipped up some more to accompany my morning avocado smoothies!

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For dinner I made DJ gyros with tzatziki and tomatoes over pita. I had one of them big garden trough salads, as I call em’.

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Saturday March 9th, I did this workout from Fitness Blender, then the rest of the day must have been allll in the books, since I have zero pics.

Sunday March 10th, at church they had a little yogurt/berry/granola bar. MMmm! I had already had breakfast, but who can resist that?!

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My phone broke at this point & I needed to get a new one *sigh*. I was excited to upgrade, but also wish I could have gone a little longer. They did have an AWESOME trade in deal for the Iphone that was not going to continue much longer, so I had to take advantage of that while I could. Anyways, I’m pretty stoked about the new phone and am excited to upgrade my pics too!

In the evening I made dosa and TJ’s Indian food. I have never made dosa at home before- I think it’s supposed to be a bit thinner than it turned out, but the flavor was absolutely delectable. It almost is like a healthier version of a pancake! I actually ate the leftovers the next morning with butter and syrup & it did taste just like eating pancakes. They are made with rice and lentils, so much healthier than regular pancakes too. If you are looking for a healthy pancakey indulgence, I’d recommend these! I bought the mix from a local Indian food grocery store, but I bet you can find it in regular grocery stores.

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March 11th was a ho-hum day. All the veggies were starting to look wilted, so I sautéed up all the veggies in a pan and topped with Fage and tons of different seasonings all over a purple sweet potato.

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March 12th, I ran to the Post Office to drop off some Poshmark items. (woot woot!). Love that site. I will say, you have to be very patient. I suggest spending one day posting all your items, and every month slowly drop the price! Things will randomly sell out of nowhere that I’ve had posted for over five months. They send the shipping label straight to your e-mail, so it’s easy peasy (much easier than Ebay).

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In the evening, I realized the flowers were all the way dried out from Valentine’s Day, so I clipped them from the stems and put them in my bowl of “Roses from DJ” 🙂

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On the morning of March 13th, I made some dragonfruit over toast with PB2 powder on top! This is one of those “we-are-low-on-groceries-what-can-I-make?” snacks that turned out really yummy. I have been repeating this almost everyday since!

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I turned in a big assignment for school and then in the afternoon headed to the mall (groan!). BUT it was successful! I was going to a blogging event and wanted to grab a new shirt since I haven’t bought a new shirt in ages. I feel like all I like to buy are dresses haha. I found an $11 shirt from Zara & paired it with a belt and some earrings from Express and Francesca’s. I am good on shopping for about six more months- it wears me outttt haha.

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Anywho- I have to take a minute to say I am officially much better at curling my hair! If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know that I literally did not know how to curl my own here a year ago. It’s been a work in progress, but I’m getting better!

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In the evening I was invited to Flights to sample out their new menu by celebrity Chef Kyle Kingrey. 

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Tammy was my guest for the night & it was soo much fun having her there! Thanks for going, Tam, and lighting up all the dishes for meh 🙂

Let’s get started! We were all able to order a drink flight to start (there were about 8 other food bloggers there). I ordered the champagne since I thought it was make for good pics with the bubbles 😉 I sampled the different champs & was blown away by how crisp & delicious they were! Highly recommend !

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So, Flights totally revamped their menu. They have some classic favorite flights (like their fry flight) but now have all of one item flights and actual entrees! Chef Kyle came to the table and told us all about how they chose each dish specifically based on research from the area. It was interesting to hear what goes into the creation of a menu! He explained the goal is to make dishes that allow you to try a variety of flavors that doesn’t leave you feeling bloated or uncomfortable by the end of the meal and that also pair well with drinks for socializing. By the end of the tasting I can say mission accomplished! They also have options for every need- vegan, vegetarian, gluten free… and they will do their best to accommodate additionally if needed.

First up were the corn tostadas with avocado mousse and cojita cheese. I loved these!

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Next up were the truffle & parmesan croquettes- anything truffle has my attention! These I will order again! They were such a yummy app with truffle crema, grana, and fresh herbs.

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Coming in HOT- the red chili empanadas with fresno pepper, oaxaca cheese, and cilantro-line crema. These weren’t my favorite- but that’s because I’m not a big fan of a lot of that thick breading that often makes up empanadas. I will say the inside with the oaxaca cheese was just scrumptious & I loved the red chili flavor.

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Next round! We tried the Ancho BBQ Shrimp with black beans, pico de gallo, and cilantro. YUM! This shrimp was soo juicy.

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Then we had smoked paprika salmon with crispy falafel, mint-lime raita, and cilantro. This was my favorite dish!!! When it was set down on the table the smell of it engulfed us and the flavor was truly phenomenal. The salmon nearly fell off the fork it was so perfectly cooked- like butter. The falafel underneath was a perfect accompaniment.

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One of my favorites has always been their tuna flight! Once again I was amazed at the fresh, savory, light refreshing flavor of each type of tuna.

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The Korean “Buffalo” Chicken was next. This had celery & carrot slaw with creamy blue cheese. I didn’t want to tempt my fate with meat, but Tammy said they were great!

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And last up, their spaghetti and meatballs. Okay, confession- I really don’t care for spaghetti. There are just so many other types of pastas I’d choose first. But everyone seemed to really enjoy it- so if you do like this classic dish, I bet you’d enjoy this dish!

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Thank you, Flights, for the incredible meal!!!

Question for you:

  • HOW IS IT MARCH 20th ALREADY?!?!
  • Which dish would you like to try from Flights?

xo <3

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**Flights provided the meal free of charge, but all opinions and ideas are my own** 🙂

Travelin’ & Universal Studios Part 1

Hey heyyy!! Oh man, am I ever excited to share this trip with you all! I have taken a few days to even get this post out because I wanted to get my final exam done before any blogging. I finished up my semester yesterday & all went very well 🙂 One step closer to that Doctorate degree!! So let’s jump right in because we have got a lot of ground to cover (I mean quite literally, these parks are MASSIVE!! So glad I brought my walking shoes ;)). This will take several parts, no doubt. This vacation was with DJ’s side of the fam to celebrate many birthdays (including Mickey’s 90th, of course) and to just all be together in one place. We rarely can get everyone together for a few hours, nonetheless a few days! This was such a treat and truly a vacation of a lifetime. And before I start I have to shoutout my Mom-in-law for planning this absolutely spectacular vacation & making it all possible!

Back to the beginning…in the evening of December 3rd I meal prepped a bit for the plane. I can’t go a few hours without having a snack, but buying snacks at the airport is pricy. So I made overnight pumpkin oats with cranberries and yogurt and a salad with protein crumbles & hummus. I also had grapes and apples and protein bars to munch on.

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I put everything in my Pack It lunch box in my carry on. It keeps it nice and cool the whole flight since there are built in ice packs!

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After getting through security, you know the first place I went (even though it was in the opposite direction of our gate, hehe)…

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Breakfast & study time!

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On the plane I studied a majority of the plane ride, enjoyed my salad & protein bar, and sipped on some seltzer water.

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We arrived in Orlando in the evening around 5:30 pm, and headed directly to the Walt Disney Dolphin Resort to meet up with the family. This hotel lobby is just breath-takingly stunning, but also fun & exotic!

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After getting the family all together we headed to The Boathouse.

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If you are going to the Boathouse for dinner a reservation is a must!! This is a popular spot and rightfully so. The decor from the moment you step in is exactly what you would anticipate- fish, boats, netting.. it is a sundry of all things nautical!

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They have some awesome unique drinks too- even their lemon drop martini is served with a rock candy stick.

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They started us with some melt in your mouth rolls- so good!

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For the table we shared a couple rounds of oysters- some Rockefeller and some regular.

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I had never had Rockefeller oysters before- and although they had bacon in them I tried a little nibble of just the creamed spinach and oyster, and it was an explosion of flavor. The regular oysters were the definition of “fresh”.. mmm mmm!

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I ordered the cedar plank salmon for my main dish & DJ had the Maine Lobster and pasta skillet- holy maloly it was all so scrumptious! I would recommend the pasta skillet over the salmon though!

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^^ Perfection.

& The decadently delicious desserts all around…

Key lime pie in a Mason Jar

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Macadamia Turtle Pie

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Double Chocolate Bundt Cake

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I probably don’t need to explain how good those are, huh?

Walking back to the hotel we passed some beautiful Christmas decor lit up in the evening. It was wonderful catching up with everyone & just chatting the night away. I kept feeling like I needed to squeeze everything into one conversation, but then remembered we still had several days ahead of us to chat and hang out!

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Despite getting up so early, I was not tired one bit. It was technically only about 7 pm Pacific time once we returned, so I decided to go run to wind down from the traveling day. I actually was able to get my studying done that I had planned for the next day, so that felt productive!

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I loved the workout room- they had a separate smaller room where you could choose HITT routine programs, and they even had a punching bag.

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Time to hit the hay! I actually couldn’t fall asleep until about 5 or 6 am, and we woke up around 7.. hence, the sleep was very minimal that evening. Jet lag always throws me off no matter how tired I am. When I went to India I couldn’t sleep for over 48 hours straight (and melatonin does nuthin’ for it for some reason!).

Anywho- this was a gorgeous view to wake up to!

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I grabbed my protein bar and headed downstairs with DJ to get some coffee before heading out for the day’s festivities!

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There was a little place in the lobby called “fuel” that had just anything and everything you could want food/drink wise. Their coffee shop was SO good. I loved the cafe au lait I had there.

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I paired it with my No Cow bar in the morning to get a protein boost before getting the day started.

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Time to head to Universal Studios!

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We rode a bunch of rides to start out the day- the Minion Ride (such an insanely fun virtual reality ride!), Rock It Hollywood Rollercoaster, & the Shrek Virtual Reality ride. I was blown away by the detail, high technology, and deep immersion of it all.

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For a little pick me up, I grabbed a cup of jo at Boulangerie.

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This place was super cute, but their coffee was awfully bitter!

We continued along in the park and passed another mammoth Christmas tree.

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We were so taken aback when we saw this sign below. There is actually a faux “San Francisco” in Universal Studios. We laughed saying we traveled across the country just to end back up in San Francisco.

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They recreated notable spots in SF pretty darn well!

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I mean there was even a “Ghirardelli Square”.. too funny

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And it was located right on the water- how perfect.

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I’ll end here. In the next post we head to Harry Potter World (eeeek!!!!!!). It was a day to remember, I’ll tell ya that much! Can’t wait to share. But for now I will leave us in San Francisco… And you thought you were getting a travelin’ post, eh? 😉

Question for you:

  • Highlight of your week so far?

xo <3

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All the Carbs, Please!!

Hey, Hi, Hellur! I worked my tush off this week promising myself I could blog a bit tonight if I could get “x” number of assignments done! Annnd here we are! Wooohooo!!! The last week and a half was stuffed to the brim with soo many fun things. I cannot wait to share!

Sunday October 28th we went to church in the morning. I came home and whipped up a stuffed purple sweet potato with some leftover crab from my giant sushi burrito, avocado, and fage.

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It hit the spot! In the afternoon I worked on a massive school assignment that is due at the end of November while DJ worked on grad school schtuff. For a little break I ran to TJ’s.

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^These pumpkin biscottis were mighty tasty with some coffee!!!

img_1275  On my way home I received this text from my mom- in case anyone has a Boarshead near ya I thought you’d appreciate me passing it on 😉 How good does this sound?! Has anyone tried any dessert hummus?

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When I came home from our massive haul I whipped DJ and me up a Margherita Pizza.

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The way it bubbles gets me every time 🤤

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Monday October 29th all my new assignments were released. I worked, worked, worked as did DJ. For dinner I made him Bison Tacos per his request (I swear he never gets sick of these things haha), and I made myself a giant garden salad.

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October 30th was the same ole’ as the day before. Except for dinner I used some mini raviolis I found at Trader Joe’s to make mac n’ cheese ravioli.

I also tossed in a little tomato sauce and a bit of parm on top. I love the texture of parm on top of any pasta- always the perfect finishing touch!

img_1235I had a tiny bit with my favorite salad, and DJ pretty much destroyed the rest 😉

In the evening I perused through Food & Wine magazine to get ideas brewing for Thanksgiving. I am PSYCHED to cook up a storm this year.

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In the morning of October 31st (Happy Halloweeeen!), I had a nice long run outside greeted by a beautiful day. The sky said summer, but the leaves were begging for fall. Welcome to California autumn, haha. I am LIVING for all of your autumn pictures you guys have been posting. It’s so different here. I still love the weather, don’t get me wrong- but I do miss the gray skies, chill and smell of “fall” in the air.

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I worked all day on assignments, and then headed into the city to meet up with my friend, Cynthia, from my residency cohort! I haven’t seen her since we graduated from the program in March. I’ve missed her! We have stayed in touch, but haven’t had a chance to get together. As I drove into the city a beautiful palette of colors greeted me along the skyline.

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Of course, pictures never do justice 😉

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We went to her favorite local pizza joint, Ardiana’s. We have similar taste buds, so we decided to split a couple dishes. First up was the roasted Brazillian broccolini, white anchovies, chili oil, preserved lemon, and pecorino romano. It was beyond delightful. Oh my! I don’t know the last time I’ve had anchovies- but I’m allll about um’ now! The combo was perfection.

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We followed this dish with a pizza with funghi, caramelized onions, thyme, fontina, and moltinero truffled pecorino. The truffled flavor is something I have dreamt about ever since. This was easily one of the tastiest pizzas I have ever tried. Better than Pizza Antica even! I dare say it was even better than Jack Rose Libation House which before stood as my favorite.

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I stayed at my SIL, Amy’s, apartment for the evening since I was a bit nervous driving all the way home late on Halloween evening. I slept so well and woke up to this gorgeous view on the morning of November 1st.… I just love this city <3 Not a bad way to start the month 🙂

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At around 7:30 I headed toward the Embarcadero to squeeze in a run before heading home. I have been craving a run on the Embarcadero lately. Do you all remember when Annie lived here? I used to love staying at her apartment and getting up early to sneak in a run on the water. It is the bestttt.

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After my run, I decided I still had time before I wanted to head back to Cupertino. I was loving loving loving being in the city. I went back to the car, grabbed my laptop and school materials then headed to Peet’s in the Ferry Building.

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I grabbed a quest bar for breakfast and had to see what this vegan eggplant “bacon” was all about. It wasn’t too bad, but way too expensive for what it tasted like. I actually prefer my homemade eggplant strips to this!

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I was happy as a stinking clam. I just missed Kate because this is the Peet’s where we first met in person! I sent her a little snap of the table we sat and chatted at.

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I was surprisingly productive for being so giddy. I knocked out one solid assignment and decided to head home to eat up some groceries rather than spend more money eating out.

On Friday November 2nd, I had a gala for Boys & Girls Clubs. Okay, I haven’t really mentioned this on the blog yet…. but this has been a big part of my life for the last couple months. This also probably explains why I haven’t been able to get out my posts in a timely manner, haha. First, I help third graders with their homework on Thursdays. I just adore these kiddos and always get the cutest little drawings haha. Yes, I have one eye in the middle one 😉

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It has been one of the most rewarding, lovely, amazing experiences. Truly a highlight of my week! Next, I have been mentoring a high school girl and helping her get ready to compete in something called “Youth of the Year” (YOY). They choose three outstanding high schoolers from the program, they each write a speech about what the club has done for them, and then compete for a scholarship. I have grown close to the girl I’m mentoring, and when the opportunity came to volunteer for the gala I eagerly signed up since it meant I could see her give her speech!

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I chatted with her and the other two YOY contestants before, we ran through their speeches, and then just all hung out trying to calm their nerves. I then went to help out at the raffle table when the event began.

Oh, and if you are a fan of Happy Days or Holes, you may recognize Henry Winkler, the guest speaker for the evening. He was great and entertaining!

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I wasn’t planning on taking pictures for the evening, but since I was tucked away in the corner at the raffle with no one around me for dinner time (except a couple third grade twins I was watching for the evening) I decided to sneak in a few shots 🙂 I had the butternut squash ravioli. It was tasty but unfortunately a bit cold when it came out- that’s whatchya get with banquet food sometimes! I know, I worked in the banquet industry. Difficult to keep all that food warm for sure.

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For dessert they brought out a raspberry mousse stuffed cookie. This was just incredibly delicious. I savored every little bit of this thing!

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Here are all the awe-inspiring, amazing students lined up!

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She didn’t win, but to say I was SO proud of her would be an understatement. I was bursting with pride watching her speak so eloquently and confidently. She vulnerably shared parts of her life and demonstrated a courage that amazed me. It was a wonderful night. I hope to continue to mentor her in some way even though this event is over. DJ attended our church gala, and although I was sad I couldn’t be in two places at once he shared every detail with me! I will save that for the next post.  Oh, and next recap is a travel post- yeeehaw! 🙂 **I don’t have time to edit this post because we want to watch Haunting of Hill House, so please excuse errors that I will cringe at when I find them tomorrow, lol. Goodnight one and all!**

Questions for you:

  • Favorite pizza toppings?
  • Pizza or pasta? I know, I know.. cruel to make you even choose!

xo <3

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Apparently… I Eat a lot of Green Cuisine!

Hey y’all– time for a little update, whaddya say? On Monday September 17th, I woke up early, looked at my new round of assignments for the week, headed to Peets and did school work with my packed snacks all day long. Obnoxiously large salad for dinner. Dexter in the evening. Same ole’ same ole’.

Tuesday September 18th, I woke up and immediately inhaled a buncha coffee and noshed down on a rice cake with Dannon’s vanilla yogurt, a sliced dried apricot, a couple raisins, and a chopped up walnut. Mmmm!

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I went for a nice run in the morning (I prefer long runs on Tuesdays because it’s when all the new episodes for the podcasts I listen to are released!).

There are so many fruit trees in this neighborhood. I just loved how this apricot tree was cascading over this fence. 🍑

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After making a dent in my schoolwork for the day and downing my massive salad, I decided to get creative with a dinner for DJ. I had tomato sauce, chicken, eggs, cheese, and leftover crackers.

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I crushed up our cracker crumbs to make bread crumbs, basted the chicken in some eggs and then put the cracker crumbs on top. I baked it in the tomato sauce and put cheese on top too. I told DJ I made chicken parm, since that’s what it most resembled. It felt good to use up those cracker crumbs that probably would have gone stale sitting in the pantry otherwise.

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I wasn’t home when he had it because I had already headed to SF to see A Simple Favor with my sister in Law, Amy. I was so excited when he said he loved the dish- it was definitely a shot in the dark without following any recipe.

I enjoyed a beautiful drive into the city. SF never gets old. I love the pastel colored apartments and the character on every street corner.

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The sunset was stunning too with contrast of the clouds. Hard to capture, but I gave it a go!

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I know I mentioned it in my FF post, but A Simple Favor was soo good. It’s a must see. Never have I ever seen anything quite like it.

Wednesday September 19th, I reverted back to my summer go-to of rice cake with avocado toast and hummus. And here we have green food #1.

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I had an interview in the afternoon for a new organization I’ll be volunteering with then made DJ ground turkey tacos for dinner! He’s not sick of the different takes on tacos just yet! Haha.

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I packaged them up so they would be ready for him when he got home.

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Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st included more just cranking out school work, grabbing fill in groceries from TJ’s, and of course, cranking out more Dexter episodes right before going to sleep. However, we did have a wonderful date night on Friday night. We tried for the first time ….. GEORGIAN FOOD. Yes, food from the country of Georgia!

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This restaurant is called Bevri located in downtown Palo Alto. It has a large menu- although it’s quite a challenge pronouncing anything on it!

Luckily, it has black boards across the restaurant explaining what everything means,  what the menu items are, and how to eat them.

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They also have crayons on each table so you can draw on their paper tablecloths. Unfortunately, when we sat down we didn’t have any crayons. I was so tempted to steal some from another table- but our table was kinda small and we had to have a ton of room for all our food. ha! Anyways, if I had to give an overall definition of Georgian food I would say it is combined Chinese and Mediterranean food.

We started with eggplant rolls. They were pretty good! They are stuffed with a nutty spinach combo. I felt it could use a bit more flavor, but they were still refreshing.

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And the presentation was beautiful!

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I also had to try the khinkali with mushrooms. These are a lot like dumplings- and gosh freakin’ dang- they are delish! I have craved these since I tried them. Green food #2.

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Now for the star of the show- DJ ordered their must try Adjaruli which is a boat shaped bread boat with cheese, butter, and an egg. It’s freaking phenomenal. It’s like pizza… but even better. (Which I didn’t think was possible to say, because pizza is forever one of the greatest things on earth).

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Overall, it was a fantastic meal. The only thing I would say is if you go make sure to order all items to be delivered at the same time. I ordered essentially two appetizers as my full meal, but they were brought over a half an hour before DJ’s food came. My dumplings were a bit cold (but still good) by the time DJ got his food— although he did insist I didn’t wait on him– but I insisted right back that I would be sad when my food was gone and I would have to just watch him eat, so I waited. Anyone else just sad when you finish your food before the other person? Haha.

Saturday September 22nd both DJ and I had a run in the morning, but different lengths. DJ has been running a ton lately too!

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We walked out to the starting point together, but I decided a coffee sounded better than running for the time being. I found my SB cardholder card from 2014 (yes, four years ago) and discovered it still had a $10 balance on it. I decided to make it a goal to use this up before buying anymore Peet’s, even though that’s where my loyalty lies (lays? lie?). He went off on his run and I grabbed a coffee and walked for a couple miles before starting my run.

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It was also the massive garage sale weekend in Cupertino. I had to stop by even though I wasn’t planning on grabbing anything. It was still fun to poke about though! I think I stopped by about 4 garage sales on my walk.

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In the afternoon I was having a hankerin’ for a stuffed sweet potato. I nommed on a purple one with Fage, avocado, morning star vegan crumbles, and Daiya vegan cheese. I’ve been eating this on repeat this past week.

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Sunday September 23rd DJ left for a business trip to Des Moines, Iowa. After dropping him off at 5:30 at the airport, I ran about nine miles, went to church, and then hit up Ozumo again with my friend Tammy for some yummy brunch!

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I was ready to chow down.

First, we ordered jasmine tea to share. I tried to capture mid-pour with portrait.

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But I spilled in the process, lol! Smoooooth.

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Speaking of smooth- this tea was so smooth. I am not a huge tea guy- I really gotta be in the mood. But this was just so satisfying and delicious- it didn’t require any sweetener or anything (I usually will put a touch of sugar or stevia in tea).

We started with the Ozumo roll with salmon, cucumber, jalapeno, mango, yuzu sauce, and micro shiso. Their sushi is the definition of fresh. You cannot go wrong here!

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This was followed by the Ozumo scramble with onions, bell pepper, sweet potato, kale, cauliflower, eggs and micro wasabi. I don’t know how they roasted these stinking veggies, but they were so full of flavor and complimented the eggs perfectly. I also loved the touch of green onion- this is something I’ll have to try to make at home.

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And last, but certainly not least, we had the matcha pancakes with whipped cream, red bean, raspberries and matcha powdered sugar. The red bean was a nice touch!!! Green food #3.

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I dare say they are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. It helps that I’m a matcha freak, but I also love thin pancakes that are nice and crisp. These. were. everything. I need to take DJ back to try them since he is the pancake king after all.

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I cozied up on the couch in the afternoon to get some school work done.

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The rest of the day was just the same- study, snack, dinner, blog a bit and then hit the hay!

Monday September 24th I ran on the treadmill reading a couple chapters for the week.

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I hunkered down to “go to school”, but I was craving some roasted veggies, so I whipped up roasted eggplant to munch on with hummus while watching lectures.

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I kept coming back for more pieces throughout the day and by the end of the day there were none left. Didn’t think it was possible to eat an entire eggplant in one day? I am here to tell you it is! 😂

Another snack I loved that day was a purple sweet potato with Fage and cinnamon. This is one of my favorite snacks in the autumn.

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I’ll recap the rest of the week in my next post since this is getting a bit lengthy 🙂

Oh, and for those that are curious… here is a sound bite of our upstairs neighbors. Listen about seven seconds or so in, and you will start hearing it. We’re still trying to work things out, but all parties are in communication and aware of how frustrating this issue is- so we’ll see in the next few weeks what our solution will be. Management has been attentive and helpful as they can be.

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xo <3

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All we do is Eat, Eat, Eat no matter what!

Got food on our minds, can never get enough!!

Happy Friday!!! I worked my tush off this week so that I would have today to catch up on blogging for a couple hours 🙂 I am sitting at Peet’s so I don’t have to listen to the upstairs banging at home. Usually during Savings September I won’t buy coffees out, but this warrants it for my own sanity. We will go ahead and classify it as a necessity.  DJ and I don’t have too much planned for the weekend besides school stuff (and him applying for grad school), so we are gonna take it nice and easy. I am going way back to recap our Labor Day weekend- I have been sooo excited to finally have a chance to share this fun weekend with y’all.

On Thursday, August 30th, my mom and stepdad, Pete, arrived around noon from Texas! They came for a wedding in Santa Cruz (and we happen to live so close so it all worked out perfectly to spend the weekend together!).We headed to none other than Bill’s Cafe per their request.

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Pete tried their delicious hash brown skillet

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& My mom and I split their Smoked Salmon Benny- probably my favorite item on the menu (Or the French Garden omelette- depends on the mood, ya know?).

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We also split their Belgium waffle. I don’t usually go for waffles for some reason, but this was just fantastic. I would 100% order this again!

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My mom also surprised me with a bunch of Butterscotch See’s Candies lollipops! Eeek, she knows me well. I am like a child, and I LOVE these lollipops. I just love all candy. Sometimes when I go out for walks I take one with me, load up a podcast and am just happy as a clam. Seriously, I am five.

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****Present moment****In an attempt to lick the foam off the side of my cup I just burnt my chin, that’s a first!

**re-re-re winding it back**.. in the afternoon after settling in, chatting at home, and a tour of Main Street Cupertino we decided to go get some happy hour drinks at Eureka.

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We each tried a glass of white wine. We aren’t picky at all, but my mom and I tried two different types of sauvignon blanc, which actually tasted more like chardonnays, so we weren’t the biggest fans. Pete’s Pinot Gris was actually the best of the three! Eureka is more of a beer & cocktail type place, so I think next time I’ll stick with that. **Re-reading the paragraph…. I guess we sound kinda picky haha**.

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Ahhh I just love um’!

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That evening they went to the rehearsal dinner located in Santa Clara for the wedding. Deej had a late game, so I just did school work until they came back home. For dinner I had some leftover butterfly trout, sweet potato, quinoa, mixed greens, and hummus!

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The next day, Friday August 31st, my mom and I woke up early to do hot yoga at 7:15 am together. This was her first time doing hot yoga and she annihilated it! She did so well- I was thoroughly impressed!! After getting ready for the day and us all nomming down my special avocado toast & eggs, they headed to Henry Cowell State park to see the redwoods and spend time on the Boardwalk and Pier in Santa Cruz before the wedding.

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I went for a nice long walk (with my lollipop), chatted with my grandma and Aunt, then hit the books for the day. DJ had another late day, so in the evening I decided to make myself a flatbread pizza with my “Skip the sandwich wrap” and blog up my Friday Favorites post! But whoooopsies- I took a big ole’ bite of the pizza before thinking of getting a picture— what are ya, new?!

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I snuck in a run in the morning of Saturday, September 1st (where is this year going?!). My mom and Pete returned around noon, and I was ready to have some fun since I finished my school work for the week!

First up- 85C Bakery! This is a chain Chinese Bakery that is super popular around here. I’ve never tried anything from it even though I pass it all the time. Part of the reason I haven’t is their baked goods are massive, so I’d want to share them (DJ isn’t a huge baked goods guy besides donuts and cookies), and there are so many options it’s overwhelming for an indecisive like me.  BUT, luckily, there is no one better to try out bakeries with than Pete- he is always down for a baked goods tasting challenge! I was psyched that he wanted to try this place out.

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First, you get a giant tray with a pair of tongs and just go crazy. People LOAD their trays up. I don’t know where they all put it?! Like I’ll see tiny middle and high school girls meet up there all the time and probably get like 10 items each. It’s pretty cheap, but I am genuinely curious how much of it they eat!

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We tried out several items- their sugared cream cheese brioche, a caramel pastry, and an almond danish (I think).. They were all so good, but I think the sugared cream cheese brioche was the tastiest. These all would be sooo great with coffee too. I’ll need to go back soon to grab something in the morning.

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After, we went to Steins to try out some of their tap beers. I just love Steins, and usually they have great sours on tap, my favorite type of beer.

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We tried a variety of beers, and overall they were just ok. But the company was great, and that’s all  that matters!

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Time to go to DJ’s work! This was the main thing my mom and Pete wanted to do while they were here. And boy oh boy was it fun.

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(If it’s not clear from the pictures we are at Municipal Stadium for a San Jose Giants game 😉 )

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She’s so cute

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We tried some delicious grapefruit beer while watching the game.

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Around the seventh inning we became pretty hungry, so we used our vouchers to get some Turkey Mike’s and of course, the famous garlic fries!!! (The garlic fries are 87.8% of the reason why I go to the games).

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We got a lot of food…. Pete had their pulled pork sammy, and my mom and I enjoyed every nibble of their veggie sub! I swear- is there anything better than stadium food?!?! I could live on those sides- they have some yummy baked beans, and I have zero self control with that coleslaw.

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The whole game the Giants were down, but they came back in the bottom of the ninth with a grand slam. I mean, probably the best game of the season, and we were there to witness it! It was SUCH a fun time. In the next post I will recap our time in SF and Napa!

PS. My prayers are with all my classmates, family, and everyone affected by Hurricane Florence 🙁 SO scary. Please stay safe everyone.

Questions for you:

  • Have you ever been to a minor league baseball game? Do you have a team you cheer for?
  • Favorite stadium food item?

xo <3

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Kels and Kenz Take on the Bay: Part 6!

Aaaand finally- we are at our final post in the Kels & Kenz take the Bay series nearly a month later. Yes, part 6. You read right. This is the longest series recap I’ve ever done- but you can’t say we don’t seize the day! Carpe stinkin’ diem! If you want to catch up on the other parts here they are….

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

I am sad this is the last post in the series, but I’m thankful I can immortalize these memories forever (and ever and ever and ever). Cause the Internet IS forever, kids.

After our incredible day at Facebook Headquarters, we left to see the wondrous Golden Gate bridge… cause did you actually visit San Francisco without a picture with the Golden Gate?

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Unfortunately, Karl was out to play per usual, BUT we did find a part near the bridge to snag pictures that you can somewhat make out the kinda famous big red bridge.

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Also, I’ll consider this a PSA- if you’ve never been to SF and decide to visit, bring LAYERS on LAYERS… anywhere within a 10-15 mile radius of the city, it can be nearly 80 degrees, but as soon as you get deep into the city, the temp can drop rapidly due to the microclimate on the Bay. Don’t expect sunny and 75 if you are staying in the city- especially in the summer. There is a reason there is the saying, “The coldest winter I have ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” 😉

Take tips from this girl, she wears SF well!!!

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We walked around the city after and saw this little guy hanging around outside a restaurant. I couldn’t help steal a shot!

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And there was one more bucket list place I wanted to take Kels! DrumrolllSmuggler’s Cove!!! This very tucked away spot (basically only locals are aware of) has some of the best rum based drinks around. The history of this place is just fascinating and kinda wild. If you join the club and work your way up the rungs (and essentially try 400 rums in the process) the owner will fly you to his island to sample the rums there… or something like that haha. You can read about it on the website. Anywho… here we go!!

It’s multiple floors, pretty dimly lit much to my blogger thirsty dismay, but it is set up to feel like an Island Oasis. The bartenders were just too fun. We actually went on one of their biggest days of the year where they have a giant rum tasting… these were some pictures of glasses I took of some people sippin’ at the bar. I found it funny that they did Rum tasting in wine sorta looking glasses.img_2309-1

I didn’t get anything since I was driving back, but Kels ordered whatever the bartender recommended. He made her The Mastodon… we’re not entirely sure what was in it, but Kelsey loved it! I tried a sip and it was delicious- so veryyy refreshing and tasty!!!

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Here is from a top view down into the main entrance area

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We drove back to Cupertino…somehow missed all the traffic?! wahhoooo… and were CRAVING some good Thai. I’ve gotta say, this super hole in the wall Thai restaurant within walking distance from our apartment (dannngerrouuus) is still the best Thai I’ve had to date!! I went here for the first time with Rachel and again with my sister in law, Amy! I was psyched for any opportunity to go back. DJ had never been and he had another free night where he could join us for dinner 🙂

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Something I just adore about this place is its authenticity. We opted to sit in their section that you have to take your shoes off for cultural respect. (There is a little spot under the table where you can tuck your legs in). DJ was so confused at first thinking we had to sit cross legged for the meal haha.

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First, if you ever go here you MUST order their Roti. It. is. so. delicious. It’s perfectly crispy, and whatever the heck sauce they serve with it is just something divine.

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Deej ordered their yellow thai curry. Even last night he was still talking about how good this dish was!

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I ordered their pumpkin red curry. Their red curry is my favorite! It’s phenomenal. I usually only eat half, but I ate nearly the whole thing this time. Thai food may be my favorite. I just cannot get enough. I crave it daily. The only thing I will say is I asked for it as spicy as possible, and it had no spice. I asked for the spice rack and nearly poured the red pepper and various spices into my curry. I want my esophagus to have actual burns after eating the Thai . Ok, that’s dramatic- but kinda true.

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Kels had their Pad See Ew (I think that’s right), and I tried some of the noods’. Gosh, y’all. I could eat those noodles for dinner every single day for the rest of my life. UGH, I think I have a new favorite. I’m gonna be so torn next time we go back!

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We scraped up every little bit!

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Why does he put up with me, really.

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We spent the last night on the balcony, eating ice cream and watching a Hulu comedy show. We also had a second dinner around 9 pm when we chowed down on Oren’s hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, pita bread, and cheese.

On Kels’ last day (August 1st) there were just a couple last things we had to knock out before her flight. Philz Coffee is a Bay Area favorite… we basically have one in our backyard. I will say I don’t care for Philz. I like my Cafe Au Lait from Peetys, and I will stand by that forever and ever. However, you have to experience Philz while you are here.

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Kels really enjoyed hers. I felt like I was cheating on Peet’s.

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Annnnnd did you actually go to California without trying In-n-Out?! We found an In-N-Out close to the airport, and since it was something Kels wanted to try I was not about to let it slip past the agenda. We were shocked how crowded it was for 10:30 am. Hahah.

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We got the fries animal style and a regular cheeseburger.

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Kelsey wasn’t sold on it. I took a tiny nibble of the burger, and I thought it tasted pretty fresh, but meat burgers just don’t do it for me anymore. And let’s be real- nothing beats McDonald’s fries. (But DJ is a die hard In-N-Out fan).

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I saw Kels off on her flight out of Oakland and drove back to SF jus’ trying to keep the tears away. These memories were so precious. I will treasure them truly forever, and I cannot wait until the next time we can reunite <3. I have so many other exciting things to recap that have happened since this week. I will try to roll those out the rest of this month. Hope you are having a great week 🙂 Happiest of all hump days! wait… it’s probably Thursday when you read this… so happiest of all Friday Eves!

Questions for you:

  • What is the single best burger you have ever had?! It can be vegetarian too of course!
  • Favorite fries? I guess this is all just gonna be food related right now.. 

xo <3

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Home Sweet Second Home: TC Michigan

Hey hey! Where to begin?!?! The last few weeks have been non-stop and filled with unforgettable times. I have mentioned this before, but I started this blog as sort of a journal to record special memories, adventures, and moments. These next few posts probably will contain details that seem extraneous, but are momentous to me- so as always feel free to skim where you see fit 🙂 I start graduate school in just a couple weeks so I am soaking up these precious moments of spending time with family and friends before 3.5 years of grinding through the books commences.

I think it is going to take me all of August to recap these adventures, but I am biting at the bit to share all the fun times and a crazy amount of good eats. I can’t wait to catch up on your lives as well!

So let’s begin with my first trip to Traverse City, Michigan to celebrate my Grandpa’s birthday!

Traverse City, Michigan is known as the Cherry Capitol of the World, but to me it is much more. It is the place growing up where I spent many weeks of the summer on the water, and many winters on the slopes. My grandparents live there (as do my Aunt and Uncle now too!). My mom’s side of the family all grew up there so it is home to a big chunk of the fam.

Unfortunately, DJ couldn’t go with work, but he was very missed. To prepare to return to my second home, I packed a ton of food for the airplane.  I packed boom chica pop, a sweet potato with a black bean chipotle burger and hummus, tomatoes, carrots, grapefruit, an apple, almonds, and a ton of protein bars. (I put the perishables in my lunch box that I once included in my Friday Faves). I hate spending an arm and a leg in airports, so this was perfect! I ended up spending $15 total for the trip all on liquids- a coffee, a vitamin water, and a regular water.

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I headed out on July 19th. After going through TSA, I found an outlet friendly seat and blogged a bit while sipping on my cafe au lait & munchin’ on my protein bar.

Everything went super smoothly (initially). I even did a free trial of CLEAR through TSA- which was effortless! If I traveled more often I would totally do it permanently. Highly recommend.

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You will get a kick out of this. I had been desperately trying to finish the fourth book of HP (as you probably know)….. welll, I literally did not have five extra seconds to finish the dang thing so I quickly screen shotted each page so I could finish it while traveling. The ending was a page turner! (below is the screen shotted frame of all my individual screen shots on my camera roll, lol). So, yes— I am officially done with The Goblet of Fire- ya proud?!

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Anyways, while sitting on the Tarmac for over 30 minutes, the pilot finally said in that pilot’s voice “Uhhhhhh folks, if you have a connection, uhhhhhhh, you may want to make other arrangements.  Uhhhhhh looks like we won’t be getting off the tarmac for a while. Uhhhhh”. He said we were free to get off the plane at that time. I figured I would just grab a hotel near O’Hare’s airport rather than rescheduling my whole trip. While waiting, I was so grateful for all my snacks! I feel like I ate the whole flight.

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As we were getting close to landing in Chicago, I thought, “I could really still make this connecting flight!!” The connection was set to leave by 9:30 pm. Boarding ended at 9:00 pm. The pilot said to make sure to let those with connections into the aisle right away. My neighbors were SO friendly, and were cheering my on to make my connection. I sprinted, legs burning, through the airport. I was that person- bags flying, limbs flailing… you know, that person.

I arrived to the gate at 9:12 pm (the terminal was totally on the other side of where we landed). Womp womp. I missed it by literally 12 minutes and could see my plane sitting on the tarmac. Sadly, I missed it by O’Hare…..

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I waited with all the others who missed their connections in the customer service line, absolutely sure that I was going to have to stay overnight. I was slightly excited to stay the night in Chicago, but also bummed that I wouldn’t make it sooner to see my family.

When I made it to the front finally, the customer service rep said there was one seat left on the American flight they would comp for free, but it was about to board. I hustled ran like a crazy maniac once again through the airport and arrived to H1B with one minute to spare. “Boards in 1 minute” displayed on the screen sent a wave of relief through me. I made it!

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Once I arrived finally at 12:30 pm, my momma took me to the 24-7 Meijer to get necessities that I wouldn’t have since my luggage was going to be a day late. It was one of those memories I will treasure, just the two of us in the quiet Meijer grabbing essentials while catching up while the rest of the town was asleep. I just love hanging with her- any time or place! After stocking up, we drove to my Aunt’s in Sutton’s Bay where we were staying for the week.

In the morning I had avocado toast on Dave’s bread with hummus and avocado & the BEST Tim Horton’s coffee. Someone knows me well and had the fridge stocked 😉

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After working out on Saturday the 20th, Momma bear and I went to Grand Traverse Bay Company to pick up a pie for my Grandpa’s B-day party.

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Once back to my Aunt Terry’s house, we got ready for dinner and soaked in the calming, gorgeous views. It feels like staying at a resort! (Oh also fun fact- this is where DJ purposed to me  & you may also remember one of my VERY first blog posts was a trip here).

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We then went from Sutton’s Bay to Traverse City where my grandparents live (and truly my second home through my childhood).

We greeted one another with tons of hugs and then finished getting ready for dinner.

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But always before dinner is cocktail hour at Gma’s and Gpa’s- which includes your drink of choice and grandma spoiled us with her famous cheesy crab english muffins and pretzels with cream dip. The cheese crab english muffins are pure magic, and I wish I could share them with you!

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And ALWAYS ALWAYS a blue cheese stuffed olive from grandpa. Any other blue cheese stuffed olive fans in the house?!

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We all went out to the deck to enjoy our drinks and apps.

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This is Halston (my sister) and Kevin (her boyfriend). Can ya stand it? Tooo cute.

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Sista sista

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For dinner there were ribs, refreshing coleslaw, my grandma’s famous three bean salad, and mashed potatoes. My mom made her and I seitan ribs since we don’t eat meat- it was PHENOMENAL.

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And of course- dessert. Key lime pie…. (yummers)

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And chocolate mousse pie.yumyumyum.

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My Uncle Jeff from Asheville & I. <3

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It was such a lovely evening.

In the morning of July 21st I used Aunt Terry’s gym to do a nice 6ish mile run while reading Sharp Objects. Gosh, Gillian Flynn is a truly adroit writer. The book is undeniably dark, but goodness the storyline is tremendous & well written.

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We all got ready for the BIG day- my Grandpa’s bday party. Get a load of this living room. *heart eyes*

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The food was on another level. I mean this would out-do most restaurants. The smoked salmon is something I still dream about.

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Time for photos! I took an asinine amount, so I kindly narrowed them down to just a few, haha.

My sister, Halston, and her bf Kevin. <3 My favorite couple

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My mom and I

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My stepdad, Pete, and Grandpa!

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The gang – just missing Deej

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The girlies! My mom, me, Halston, Aunt Terry (Left to Right).  Can ya tell we’re related? Haha.

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And the man of the hour with our Grandma surrounded by all their good friends <3. These two role model what it means to have a beautiful marriage and relationship.

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Family picture!

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My sister, Uncle Jeff, and I <3

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Me, Halston, Aunt Terry and Uncle Jeff & Kevin (LOL). This picture kills me every time.

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They had such a lovely little bar area & set up for the party too.

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My Aunt even made cucumber lemon water. She so effortlessly hosts the best parties!

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Before eating we said a prayer all together, and I read a poem to my Grandpa for his birthday. It was easy to write because he is one of the best individuals I have ever known, along with my grandma <3

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After these special moments, time to eat!!!

A bowl of carbs is just a bowl of happiness

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Below is an avocado salad my momma made that was one of the most refreshing, delicious, tasty concoctions ever. SO good.

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Annnnd it wouldn’t be a party without my Grandma’s famous potato salad. Good lawwwd.

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My Uncle Pat went above and beyond with this steak. I didn’t try any since I don’t eat meat- but it looked pretty darn perfect!

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LOVED this cake <3 My grandpa loves to mow the lawn, so this was just perfect. Haha.

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These two . CAN. YOU. STAND. IT. ?!

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We finished the evening with the delicious key lime pie from Grand Traverse Bay company. Seriously the best key lime pie I have ever had.

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It was an spectacular day, and a stunning evening.

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I will recap part two of the trip soon!

Questions for youuuu!

  • Blue cheese stuffed olive fan?! Yay or nay?
  • Where is your “Second home”?
  • Have you been to TC, Michigan?

xo <3

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Finding my [[ Center ]] & Fighting Self Care Guilt

Happy Friday Eve, everyone! I have been spending the last couple weeks finding my center per the title. *Cue the yoga mudra*. This sounds like some serious Californian crap, but ohhh well, it’s trueeee.

Leaving off from the last post, I entered into the next week determined to do some serious self care.

Self care is difficult for me because I tend to feel like I have to be dying on my sword, exhausted in every way before I allow myself to take a darn bubble bath. But that’s what these couple of months are for before diving back into the deep end in August. I am struggling though because if I’m rested, calm, and moving less than the pace of a tornado- am I doing something wrong?! The guilt has been knocking at the door… but I had to remind myself of the beautiful lesson I learned about seasons/transition times when I moved here, and I am going to soak up these next few weeks best I can. After all, I have to be rested before I can give my all, right?

My sister, Andi, and I chatted on the phone on Father’s Day reminiscing about our Dad and life in general. I told her how I’m feeling a bit strange not being busy busy busy. She said the awesome thing about these phases and seasons is that you are available- truly available for whatever God might have for you.

Case and point- I was on a run today and saw a debit card on the sidewalk. In all my busyness previously, I honestly may have just left it, not bothering myself with it. But since I had the time, I was able to run the card to the nearest Police Station- It felt good being able to just do something that I selfishly probably wouldn’t have if I was in one of my busy seasons. The police called back and said the man was incredibly grateful. I also feel like I’ve just been able to be there for my friends and family a bit more this last couple weeks. Usually, I just keep my phone on “Do not Disturb” because when I was at work I obviously couldn’t answer, and when I wasn’t at work I was running around getting ready for work or trying to sleep. It resulted in a endless games of phone tags and a full voicemail box. Now, I actually have my phone on and am able to chat with my friends and family who are going through some tough stuff right now. I’m so glad I can be there to just listen.

So what does this self care look like? Well first, I have allowed myself to sleep without an alarm (which is a challenge when usually I set an alarm even when I don’t need one). My body has been thanking me though- I am breathing easier and feel like my feet are actually on the ground. My circadian rhythm is resetting- and not only physically- but emotionally too.

I’m beginning to actually feel like myself again.

Second- I am cutting out the artificial sweetener drinks and sticking to water. I love those ICE drinks and Vitamin Water Zero- but I have decided to try to just drink pure water. I have noticed the difference in two things- bloating & energy. I love my flavored wa’ (pronounced wah), but time to hydrate the old fashioned way.

Next, this past year in nursing I have severely damaged my back, actually more than I realized. I am working on doing more stretching and some yoga to help it, but DJ suggested I get a massage. I decided Monday June 11th to get one at Elements Massage in Los Gatos with a coupon. Although the masseuse  talked the entire time and we ended up talking about her family’s medical issues, it was still enjoyable. A nurse is never really off duty ;). Haha.

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Monday during The Bachelor(ette) season is my favorite night of the week! I love that DJ watches with me because he has the most hilarious commentary. We took a nice lazy walk on Sunday night on Main Street and passed Rootstock Wine Bar. We decided we would hop in there the next night for a glass of wine before the Bachelorette.

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It’s pretty expensive, but sooo delish, and a nice date place every once in a while. They always have some of the best wine. I also love the whole ambiance- it’s rustic, yet chic, and comfortable. On some nights they have live music playing. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed our glass of wine before walking home to eat our Tollhouse  chocolate chip cookies and watch maybe the silliest shows on television. (Although.. it does look like it could win an Oscar next to the Proposal- ew, that show– awful. Do not even get me started!).

Tuesday morning, the 12th, I tried my first Orange Theory class!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I used the arm band for the first one, so I don’t think it was accurate- but it a fantastic workout. I don’t think I’ll stick to the courses because it’s very similar to Insanity (with the HITT routine) that I already do. But every once in a while with some friends it would be fun!

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Almost every night this last couple weeks (That DJ doesn’t have a game of course), Deej and I have been going on evening walks after dinner. This has been one of my favorite parts of the day. We used to take walks often when we lived in Indiana, but have just been so on the go since moving here. It’s been great to have that time together to chat, unwind, and reconnect.

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Wednesday, the 13th,  I did Insanity then realized a new Handmaid Tale episode was out on Hulu. To Peet’s we go with popcorn in tow!

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After, I rounded up our groceries for the week from TJ’s and did some meal prep the rest of the day. In afternoon I started the book, “Behind Closed Doors”. It’s a difficult read from a content perspective, but goodness I could not put it down. Has anyone read it?

Thursday morning, the 14th, I made the same avocado toast that I’ve been having every morning while enjoying it out on my balcony. It has a slice of seeded bread, 2 TBSP hummus, 1/2 avocado, and pink himalayan salt and pepper. I think I’ll be on this kick for a while.

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I went for a run, although somehow I think a sweat bee got caught in my mouth and stung me or something. I was okay, but it was a bit of a shock and hurt! I don’t even know how that happened, lol, but the bee season is in full swing right now. I then was proceeded to be chased by killer crows on the last rung of my run. They followed me about 1/4 mile even when I changed direction and then started flying in front of my face. It was so scary!!! I dove across four lanes of traffic and finally lost them. (A few days later, I heard on the radio this is a thing in Canada!). Mack vs. Nature- 0-2.

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I then caught up on e-mails, laundry, etc.

One of the meals I meal prepped for the week was salmon, broccoli, wild black rice, and ciabatta bread from Trader Joe’s! We gobbled this up for dinner.

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Friday I headed to my first Bar experience!! I had heard about Barre3 from Kori, and when my friend invited me to try The Bar Method, I jumped on it. I think there are some differences between those two- but generally the same idea.

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The boutique was immaculate, quiet, and adorably decorated.

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So my thoughts on bar: I’m such a cardio junkie- so this was a fantastic new challenge for me! I loved how much they focused on strength through micro-movements. It was a workout unlike anything I’d ever done before. I still don’t know that I can totally depart from my cardio- but I would love to incorporate the idea of focusing on such specific muscles into my normal workout regimen more. No wonder Kori & Kaci (Kori’s twin) have the most perfectly toned arms!!

The rest of the day Sara, my friend, and I went back to her house to binge watch our show & snack.

In the evening I headed to Harry Potter Night to watch the San Jose Giants play!

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