Day 19

Yesterday was a good Sunday. Had breakfast with my mom and sister and the dogs at OHSO, ran some errands, watched more Homeland. I needed to buy new sheets and went to Homegoods to get them. I was very excited to see a set of Diane von Furstenburg super soft sheets for only $16.99, but when I got home and laid them out, turned out to only be the top sheet.. No matching fitted sheet, no pillow cases. Big bummer, but the sheet was super soft and cozy so I decided to keep it anyway.

The day ended with the series finale of Breaking Bad, a show I've been following not since the beginning, but for awhile now. I'm relieved that I feel satisfied from the finale, but still sad not to have those characters in my life anymore. It's crazy how attached we become to our tv families, isn't it?

And for Day 19, I tried yet another recipe. Baked Mahi Mahi with a Wine & Herb Sauce. This recipe ended up being a complete dud.. And I was pretty bummed to say the least. I can't remember the last time I tried a new recipe and it didn't turn out awesome, so I felt defeated. It took a lot of prep time, the ingredients sounded so good, and the fish was fresh, but when the SO took his first bite and said "It tastes like chicken", I knew it was doomed. Just so bland and flavorless, despite the awesome ingredients of fresh rosemary from my flower box garden, my favorite Whole Foods wine, fresh lemon juice, thyme, etc. But that's okay, you win some you lose some. Cooking fish is new to me, so I'm bound to have a couple of fails here and there. Even though it didn't give me the turn out I had hoped, at least I tried another new recipe and completely a task for Day 19.


Cheers!

Day 18

Went to breakfast at my favorite breakfast place Crackers & Co. with the SO this morning before work. Even got to sit outside since the weather is actually started to change. Very enjoyable!

Then worked a decently busy work day, nothing too crazy, went home and watched some Homeland. I know I'm being the trend, but I just started watching it this week and easily I'm hooked. Very interesting show so far.

So for Day 18, instead of taking a nap after work, I did some working out at home. I did some arm weights, and some ab workouts, and I did this video that I find very beneficial for just a quick 10 minute work out.

I do some of the work outs from this video when I'm brushing my teeth, or waiting for water to boil while cooking. It's easy to fit in little moves that keep you active when you get a chance. And if you have a really busy time where you can't go to the gym or yoga, this 10 minute work out is a great way to feel like you've done something good for yourself for just a few minutes, something that's very important in our daily routines.

I know it's small, but it's something. Going over to a friend's house for the rest of the evening. It'll be fun to see some friends I don't see too often (or often enough!).

Cheers!

Day 17

Today I went to work in the morning, had lunch with my mom (finally able to see me after the tattoo news), and then accompanied her to get some new work clothes for her business trip she has coming up. I love my mama. Also cleaned up a bit around the apartment. It's amazing how many times I have to clean the kitchen in a week. I don't understand how it gets so messy so quickly?

So for Day 17, I tried a new recipe. Black bean and spinach enchiladas I found over at The Garden Grazer. I've never made enchiladas before and I think they turned out very successful. They were easy and the SO was happy with the turn out, even though he had quite a long wait for them after somehow losing one of the ingredients, and discovering that he had grabbed parsley instead of cilantro.. Boys. I will post the recipe for them in a little bit.

I love trying new recipes, it's exciting to see what the outcome is going to be and I love being pleasantly surprised by how tasty it ends up, or enjoying a laugh when it's a disaster.

Cheers!

Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas

I know the picture doesn't make them look that awesome, but trust me they totally are. And easy to boot!

For the sauce:
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
Pepper to taste

Make the sauce in a saucepan. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomato paste, flour, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Cook 1 minute, whisking. Whisk in broth, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Pepper to taste, and set aside.

{Or if you're crunched for time or just feeling lazy, I'm sure using canned enchilada sauce and adding your own spices would be just as awesome.}

For the enchiladas:
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can corn
Bundle of fresh spinach
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
3 cups shredded three cheese blend
6-8 whole wheat or flour tortillas (I ended up using 6 medium sized)

Preheat oven to 375.
Saute the spinach in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly wilted.
In a large bowl, combine beans, 2 cups cheese, spinach, corn, green onions, 2 cumin, and cilantro.
Lightly spray a 9x13-ish inch baking dish, and pour a small amount of the sauce to coat the bottom.
Generously fill tortillas with mixture, roll up tightly with ends tucked in, and place seam side down in dish. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, coating evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese on top.
Bake about 20 minutes, and garnish with cilantro and/or green onions if you're feeling fancy. Obviously I wasn't.

And I gotta say, they made AH-MAZING leftovers the next day. I just pooped one in my toaster oven for a few just to warm it up, and ugh, de-lish.

Let me know if anyone tries this!

Olay!

EDIT: It's hard to believe, but they make EVEN BETTER 3 am munchies!!

Day 16

Yesterday was my best and longest friend Janell's birthday. So for Day 16, I went out with her and celebrated.

I'm really not a huge 'going to crazy bars on Mill Ave' type of person. I prefer a dirty dive bar with pool tables, or just hanging at someone's house. But Janell is definitely a party-er and wanted to go out on Mill. I only knew two of the people going, and there were a few more I didn't know. This kind of thing makes me really uncomfortable and a lot of time I end up bailing for a quiet night instead. But I pushed myself to do something out of my comfort zone and go out with them, and very glad I did. Everyone was really nice, I ran into some old friends from high school, went to some new places I've never been, and had an awesome time overall. Definitely was feeling it this morning at work though..

Janell is really a wonderful person and although we don't see each other weekly, I am so glad she is in my life and will be for a very long time I'm sure. I'm so glad we've been able to spend so many birthdays together.

Cheers!

Day 15

For Day 15, I took some time to have a great, long conversation with my boss. He's really a great guy who I admire, and I might not be working with him much longer which makes me sad. But today at work we got some good one-on-one time. He has all kinds of weird sayings, is completely witty, and has an answer for everything. He does not let me give in to gossip or complaining for the sake of complaining, which is very important in work life. He has been a positive influence on my professional career and spending time with him on the rare chance I get is something I look forward to.

Short and sweet but that's what I've got today.

Cheers!

Day 14

For Day 14, I went to a movie by myself. There's a weird stigma about people going to the movies alone, and I think people fear it more than they need to. I've only gone by myself to a movie once before, and honestly I don't mind it at all. I think that all depends on what film you chose though. I chose Lee Daniel's The Butler, something I've been wanting to see since it came out. If it was say a thriller, maybe a Seth Rogan film, I'd want a buddy with me to share the experience, but this one I felt perfectly comfortable seeing with myself.

There's something about going out by yourself that encourages others to talk to you, something I really appreciate. For example, the nice man who takes your ticket stubs at the entrance who had to put on his glasses to read my ticket. He told me it was a great movie choice and we started a conversation about how it is in his top give movies of this year. If I had been with someone else, I'm sure he would have been perfectly kind and still compliment our choice of movie, but since I was alone I felt comfortable responding back with more than a thank you, and instead asked questions back. I think we all need to do this more often. There are so many people in this world we will never speak to, and it's refreshing to make a connection with a stranger, even if it's just for a minute.

Although I felt a little uncomfortable about going to the movies alone at first, it made me feel a sense of confidence once I actually went. I did not feel lonely, and the movie was wonderful. It was just a small, insignificant action, but this kind of thing is exactly what I had in mind when starting this project.

Cheers!