Exploring A Different Side to Eating.....

Lately, I've been into cooking up vegetarian dishes. There's something about how my body and mind feels after eating a vegetarian meal and I love it. 


I'm not saying gone are the days of me enjoying a big juicy steak.  I do love me a big hunk of meat.

 But these days, I'm just trying to adjust my lifestyle to where I incorporate more vegetables and fish into my lifestyle. I'm trying so hard that I even committed myself to a Vegetarian Cookbook.

So far,  from the book, I've made Saag Peaneer. 

and Roasted Chickepea Tacos.

Source

Oh, and I can't seem to break away from these yummy roasted green bean fries. They are so addicting! 
  
So far,  I'm enjoying the vegetarian recipes. They are super easy to put together and not to mention, so fast! Personally, I think my favorite out of the twoso far is the chickpea taco's. 


Mr. Dubyah isn't missing the meat....yet. He says he feels pleasantly full but I do think he compensates the healthy vegetarian meal by indulging in a bowl of ice cream. 

NKOTB + BSB Concert.

On Monday July 4th, I slept for nearly 20 hours. It was that much of an epic weekend. Loved every single moment of it.

First up, on Saturday night, I headed down to San Jose with some of my girlfriends to attend the most wanted concert of the year:  New Kids on the Block and BackStreet Boys, aka NKOTBSB. Who's with me on this? 

  

A few of my friends are big time NKOTB fans groupies. They always splurge on the VIP packages that usually cost around the $500 mark and go on the NKOTB cruises. Lucky girls! At this concert, they spared no expense. 

One of them shared what was in their VIP swag bags. I was perplexed. 

NKOTB panties. It even came with a eye mask. Really??? 

My swag were these $30 tshirts!

While our friends settled into their seats on the floor, we settled in ours which were pretty good.  We were on the lower level and dead in the center. 

The stage was shaped like a penis (I'm not even joking.)One of the Backstreet Boys, AJ, mentioned it in the program calling it the penis stage, so I guess it really is shaped like a penis shaped. 

We were seated at the tip of the penis. 

 The concert was awesome! I totally relived my highschool days.

 

Dinner Fail.

Yesterday I attended my first turbo kickboxing class and had a blast! I was a little nervous as I was afraid I wouldn't catch on to the routine and look like a fool, but, thanks to my experience with Billy Blanks back in the mid 90's, I was able to look like a semi-fool. 

I loved the energy and the music.  My friend warned me that I was going to feel very achy in the morning. Sure am! It's a good achy though and I can't wait to return! 

For dinner, I made some stuffed squash and zucchini's after seeing a recipe and picture on Pininterest. (Love that website, by the way!!!). 

I wish I could tell yah how these turned out but I got the sudden craving of having a slice of pizza and a salad instead. Yeah, I know! I'm bad. Will find out how these taste today though!!! 

Have you guys ever done that before? Cooked dinner and then eat something else? It's probably just me, huh?

4th of July Colored Inspired Lunch

This is my third smoothie that I've made so far within the week and I'm loving it! I just can't seem to break away from them. This morning, I made it with:

1 packet of Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Frozen Banana
A Handful of Spinach
About 1 tsp of Xantham Gum
1/2 Cup of Strawberry Kefir

It was really good and creamy! I think the added Strawberry Kefir helped with the creaminess this time, which by the way was my first time ever to try Kefir.

My coworker has been raving about this stuff since he's been on a diet. I think I'm going to be another raver, too about this stuff! It's yummy!


For lunch, I made a tuna melt on sprout bread. I tossed the tuna with some lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of salt and pepper.

 Perfect for a hot summer lunch as it was refreshing! 


Ok, off to watch Pretty Little Liars for the day. I'm addicted to the books. Just received disc 1 in the mail today via Netflix! 

Better than a Fish Filet!

I bought a box of grilled mahi mahi burgers from Trader Joe's awhile back and when I initially had them, I thought they were good, but then I just suddenly stopped eating them and forgot about them in my freezer. 

Today, I got to finish the last one in the box (I love cleaning out my pantry, freezer, fridge, etc--makes me feel as though I'm doing my part in not wasting food.) and thought to myself, what the heck was I thinking risking these to get frost bitten? 

I put it on a toasted bagel thin, fresh spinach leaves for some crunch and nutrients, and spread a good layer amount of tartar sauce with dill and jalopeno's that I recently picked up at TJ's too.

 I definitely think the tartar sauce made the sandwich--no doubt! If you are like me, I love anything mayo based. This tartar sauce hit the spot with the sandwich. Had just the right amount of kick from the jalopeno's.  I definitely think the tartar sauce made the sandwich--no doubt! If you are like me, I love anything mayo based. This tartar sauce hit the spot with the sandwich. Had just the right amount of kick from the jalopeno's.  

 It was a fantastic lunch served along side with some juicy plump grapes! 

First Time Shakes

I finally got around to trying my hand at making my very own protein shake. After reading about them, here, here, and here, I gathered up my ingredients at the store such as protein powder (vanilla flavor), bananas, and some xantham gum (that stuff is so expensive!). 

 I can see (and taste) what all the hype is about. This stuff tasted good and I was full instantly. I didn't think I would be able to drink all if it, but I forced myself to in hopes that I will stay full for a few hours, which I did. 

Next smoothie experiment, chocolate banana but with spinach!!! Oooooh!!! 

p.s. I'll be hitting the pavement very shortly again! I'm excited!

A Hot Day with a Refreshing Snack!

Today's weather high was 90 degrees!!! It's only 4 days into May and we are already at 90 degrees--crazy! I'm wondering if these are signs of us going to have a sweltering heated summer. 

Today, I spent the early afternoon with the BFF. She was craving sushi and I couldn't say no! Plus, I wanted to try out some DavePops at our local farmer's market. 

They are nothing like the icy popsicles that you buy at the grocery store. The texture is smoothie like--thick and creamy, which I later found out is how they are actually made--just like a smoothie! Oh, and they are not bad in the nutrition department. About 100 calories per pop and they are made of whole fruits, juices, and some are made with soy or nut milks. I saw that some are made with soda drinks and energy drinks, but I didn't try those out at all. A Red bull pop doesn't sound appealing.

Taste of Summer.

It already feels like summer is here on the west coast. The weather has been nothing but gorgeous. All I have to say, is keep the sun shining! 

Last night's dinner was some yummy chicken with asparagus and mushroom stir fry compliments of Mr. Dubyah. I always tease him that since his ethnicity is Chinese that he makes the BEST stir fry ever. Hah!

 We indulged after dinner and went out for some family ice cream at a local creamery called, Leatherby's. I just wanted a scoop of my favorite flavor, toasted almond. 

Even Maddie got in on some family ice cream. We bought her favorite peanut butter and banana ice cream cup. It's an organic dog ice cream called Yoghound.  

She always seems to know when we buy it that it's her "special" treat. I love that! I can tell that she loves it because usually when a dog passes by, she'll try and greet them, but when she's busy licking away on her ice cream, she pays no attention to them. Oh Maddie, you are so funny!!!




 

A Relaxing Weekend

I had a very relaxing weekend this past weekend. I got to spend the day with some of my closest girlfriends, aka, "PLC" (Puma Love Club) at the spa and then have a very indulgent dinner at Tyler Florence's restaurant, Wayfare Tavern. 

One thing we wished we did was have earlier appointments so that we could use the amenities much much longer. So, what do we do? We plan for our next spa day in a month!

We spent majority of our day at Burke Williams Spa in San Francisco. Its located inside the mall which is a girl's dream to be in a spa surrounded by all sorts of stores.

They think of everything to have from the facial moisturizer, makeup remover, to the curling and flat irons and hairdryers. You really don't have to bring anything from home except your swimsuit and change of clothes. 


Dinner was pretty exciting as we were hoping and praying that Mr. Ultimate himself would show. Unfortunately, he was a no show as he recently opened two other restaurants. One in Mill Valley and the other in Napa and so his time is split up between all three restaurants. Boo. 


The husband surprised all of us by purchasing a bottle of some yummy Prosecco in celebration of our friend's upcoming nuptials and birthday. Awwwww :)I was a very proud wifey, needless to say.

The food was good, but to be honest, I wasn't blow away by it. I did enjoy my 48 hour cooked pot roast and the fresh green peas that were sprinkled about. Look how ginormous those green peas are!

 

Trying Out Something New.

Every time Peanut Butter Fingers posts her breakfasts that consist of an Alternative Bagel, slice of cheese, and a spread of jam, I get curious about it more and more. 

Weird combination, yes, but for some odd reason, I think it does mesh well. 

So this morning, I gave it a go since I was able to find Alternative Bagels at my local Henry's store.

I toasted my bagel and melted the cheese for about 15 seconds in the microwave.

 and here we go....

 The verdict: I thought it was pretty good. The bagel is really a good alternative as it's only 140 calories versus a big ole' regular bagel at close to 300 calories. I purchased the Sweet Wheat flavor and spread the bagel with grape flavored jam and a slice of Colby Jack Cheese. Can't wait to enjoy it again!


Thanks PBF!

 

What a Week!

I know it hasn't been quite a whole week yet, but for me it has. Since I work 12 hour shifts, every two weeks or so, I get 7 days off and currently, I'm on my 7 days off. Woohoo, for 12 hour shifts!

During my 7 days off, I try to take advantage of stuff to do around the house as much as I can and cook some real food dinners, ofcourse!

What I got completed this time around was plant my flowers, herbs and veggies for the season. I've been growing tomatoes for the past two years now and so far so good.

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to these things. I have no clue what I'm doing and I especially feel that way when I read articles on growing your own veggies and herbs at home.

This season, I planted Roma tomatoes, Jalopeno's, Cilantro and..... 

 and... for the very first time and I'm totally freaked out by it, I planted a dwarf Eureka lemon tree. 

I'll just be happy if this tree last a week with leaves and all. 


I can't wait for summer to enjoy this loveliness. 

 

Save the Dolphins!

Ever since Mr. Dubyah purchased spontaneously (which he rarely ever does) a blue ray wifi dvd player, we have been Netflix fiends.

The recent movie we watched was The Cove. I've always heard that this documentary was extremely sad and I was a little bit scared to even dare watch it. But, I wanted to know what it was all about, so I braced myself.  

It really opened my eyes to dolphin captivity. Makes me want to ban Sea World. 

What I can't understand and it's mind boggling to me is that why do they have to kill every single dolphin they capture? 

Have any of you guys seen this movie? What are your thoughts?

Food Truck Heaven

It's no secret that food trucks have taken over the world, well except for the capitol of California, Sacramento, which is unfortunately, the city of where I reside. No bueno. 


Sacramento imposes regulations for food trucks making it hard for them to stay in a spot for more than 30 minutes and park at certain places in the city. 


So, what do we Sacramentoans have to do? Well, this Sacramentoan, travels to San Francisco to attend the Off the Grid food truck event at Fort Mason. Yes, I'm officially crazy and guess what? This isn't even the first time I've travelled to SF for a food truck event. Can you just call me insane? Or a fatty! 

 {Imade by SF Eater}

I already mentally knew what I wanted when we arrived at the event and that was, Spam and Egg Tacos from the WOW truck and  peking duck musubi's from the Musubi Kings.

For those that love Spam, and I know there are alot of you especially closet Spam lovers!,  the Spam taco was awesome! At $3 a taco, you definitely get your money's worth as it's not a itty bitty taco and it's chock full of lots of goodiness.

The peking duck musubi. Oooooh, yummy! Yah'll know how I love musubi's. This musubi was absolutely deeeeeelicious!  

 We also noshed on buttery dulche de leche cookies and fresh buttery empanada's from the El Porteno truck. 

Oh, and tikki marsala burrito's from the Curry Up Now truck that was to die for! At a whopping $7 and change, it was pretty tasty and very satisfying. Definitely a burrito to share with people. 

This food truck was definitely fun. Good times shared with my lovely fam-bam. 

Fit Flops and Bestie Visits

One of my besties from Las Vegas came into town a few weekends ago. Yay for "bestie" visits! Anne is a long time friend of mines dating back to the highschool days. She was even a bridesmaid in our wedding and we were able to plan our weddings together as they were only a couple months apart!

 FYI: Anne is the beautiful bridesmaid to the left of me.

Ofcourse, there was some good eating involved. We started the day with having some lobster rolls at Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City. Been hearing tons of good things about this place. Needless to say, I was excited. More excited than everyone else in the party which was pretty lame. 

I got the "maine" lobster roll which is the basic roll with lobster and mayo mixed in. Comes with fries and coleslaw. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. It was lacking in flavor =( Boooo. So much for that! But, I was really excited and enjoyed my very first root beer on tap. Never before had root beer on tap and I have to say this is the only way to go when it comes root beer. You taste all kinds of flavors ranging from vanilla to molasses. 

 Since her husband is not originally from California, but from West Virginia, we played tourist in San Francisco for him. Walked a ton around the city in different neighborhoods. Can you believe I've never in all my 30+ years have never been to the Haight Ashbury district? It was tons of fun seeing all the different stores and smelling the "lovely" fresh air. 

We also wandered the Mission district because our favorite ice cream shop is there. It's called Bi-Rite Creamery. If you are ever in the SF area, specifically the Mission District, you MUST try this place. Long lines, yes, but I promise you, you won't be disappointed. They have the most unique flavors that are out of this world. We had our usual, roasted banana. But, I tried a new flavor which was their Earl Grey and holy! It was sooooooooooooo good!

It was such a beautiful day, we thought we'd take Anne's husband to the Castro area.  

Fun Anne's Husband Fact: Did you know he thought Berkeley was in Oregon? 

So, yeah we head over to the Castro area and we couldn't get over the fact how there were so many "fallic" names for stores. We saw a store named " Mobey Dick", then "Hand Job" which was a "spa" shop. Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. 

All the walking we did around the various neighborhoods had my feet screaming in pain. I was wearing flip flops that had absolutely zero support and to make matters worse, they were thin and flat. It was mucho no bueno. I was so envious of Anne's fit flops that she purchased and was happily walking around the city with no problems whatsoever. Whaaaaaat?? I need to get some of those asap and I certainly did! 

I love them, too! I ordered the Pietra style in black just like Anne.  I love how they can be dressy when worn with jeans that are a bit flared or boot cut because it has a jeweled tone thong. A bit pricey, yes, but in my words, worth it. I already took Maddie on a walk with them, too!