12/29/12

Making Sexy Meatloaf... is hard.

Hey kids

Last month the hubs took me out to Cracker Barrel and decided to venture out and have Meatloaf and it was surprisingly very good. Ever since its been lurking in my mind and I've been pondering about this mystery meat.

Meatloaf is something I've read about in books and it seems to be a staple dish in most American households... yet I had no idea how to make it. Search Google and there are tons of recipes BUT I was severely reluctant to just use a random strangers recipe. I had to find a real person who enjoys this load of meat.

After a several inquires my friend Stacie sent me her mother's recipe. Unfortunately for the nitpickers --the recipe does not have any measurements. I faltered a bit in creating the dish but the below are the true encounters of my experiment  I'm adept at creating sexy dishes but I'm gonna have to think outside the box to create a sexy meatloaf.

**As a precaution I didn't use the entire meat, I decided to freeze the raw meat/veggies for another day**

Stacie's Mom's recipe. "Meat loaf doesn't sound appealing, but please believe me when I say it BANGS every time my mom makes it. HARD, trust me." -Stacie 



1. In a bowl combine ground turkey with ground beef
2. Add garlic powder
3. Add onion 
4. Add salt
5. Add pepper **I was accidently generous with this**
6. Add packet of Lipton’s soup to season it
    a. You can use Lipton’s beefy onion, or onion mushroom ** I used onion mushroom**
7. Chop fresh garlic **I used 2 garlic cloves**
8. Chop onions **I used ¼ cup of red onion**
9. Green bell peppers **I used ¼ cup**
            a.  you can mix ALL with the raw meat. 
10. Add Italian bread crumbs (not crackers) **I was overly generous with this**
11. Add egg **I used 2 eggs** 
12. Stir all the above ingredients together  
13. Place in bread pan and put in the oven
14.  Cook at 325F or 350F until you don't see any pink, about an hour.
15. Once it cooks combine tomato paste, and Hunts four cheese pasta sauce together, and drizzle it over the finished meat loaf.

Now here is where it gets difficult…. 

•Stacie said “Follow this recipe. You also have to know how to perfectly season the meat loaf. Don't overcook it and make it dry.” 

I forgot direction #15. I put the meatloaf in at 325F and only for 20 minutes. I took it out and combined the tomato paste and the pasta sauce. 

Put the loaf back in the oven for 15 more minutes. It was looking very watery and because I put the paste/sauce on the meat I couldn’t tell if it was pink. AND it looked quite watery. 

So the husband said to put it back in for 15 MORE minutes. 

So all of that was 50 minutes of cooking at 325F.

 I took it out it looked like it was solidifying, and I upped the temperature to 350F ... and I put it in for 20 minutes, saw that it was solidifying a lot more, put it in for 10 more minutes... It looked okay so I put it on for 10 more minutes. 

The hubs still wasn't satisfied with the liquid content so we let the meatloaf sit in the oven for 10 more minutes... please note the top of the loaf was sufficiently cooked (burned). 

I think the big issue was that I added the paste/sauce too early. 

So next time I make meatloaf I'll follow the directions to the letter. Because this is annoying!!!!! 

The husbands thinks that it taste like meatloaf it just looks like meat for spaghetti
Per Stacie’s suggestion: I made 2 sides.
  • Garlic mashed potatoes (I used pre-cooked bag of course, using almond milk as a substitute for regular milk, and sprinkled in parsley, salt, and garlic powder) 
  • Corn – for the corn I sprinkled olive oil, roasted coriander and black pepper over the corn while cooking it on the stove) as sides. 
My thoughts, combine the sides w/the meat and it taste like Shepard's Pie. Oh and next time I'm only going to use Turkey instead of Beef. 
Bon Appetite. 


After that headache I figured I’d class dinner up with a glass of Merlot. 



PS. So Christmas in Rhode Island was excellent ... once I finish being lazy I'll post some pictures, upload a video about the trip.... and yes I still have yet to upload my Thanksgiving-ish.

12/21/12

Adventure on Standby

930am:

So i had this uber lovely post created about my upcoming trip to NYC. Yet due to weather & American Airlines weve been HAD. We missed our connecting flight. This is a first experience for us. Yay. Im not as perturbed as i thought but i am perturbed...if that makes any sense.

No flight until evening tomorrow and with no family in Chicago, i guess well hole up in a hotel and eat pizza.

And apparently they dont give vouchers for hotels O_O!!! At Dulles they do.

So now we are sitting in Chicago a bit bummed playing the game of "call my name" for Standby. Wouldnt it be our luck for only one of us to make the plane....

11: 12am:

We are ANTSY! So ready to go! On standby for a different flight to Laguardia and our original flight was to Westchester County Airport. Our rental car will hold for us until midnight unless were delayed further..... so now we wait to see if well get on the flight.. the only missing item is our checked bagged

Three things i learned thus far:
flight attendants battle over jump seats to LA.
Christmas traveling is insane and utterly irrational.
Either way were gonna have to hustle to figure out manuvering from Laguardia to HPN....and what an adventure that will be

11:45am:

Foiled again! We are now on our third plane for standby

12:15pm:

The third time is the charm :) 

Idk if were still doing NYC tho. :(

Updates soon.


12/17/12

xoxo Gossip Girl Season Finale

My running commentary as Gossip Girl ends....

"The only who wears a hoodie." -Georgina Sparks.

Sheesh.

So its Dan...ugh... Really its Dan. ...

Not Dororta? Not Jenny?!

I guess....... I mean ... but.. siiigh... its Dan. I kinda figured when last week's episode when Dan told Rufus he's been working on his entrance to  the Upper East Side.

But Serena's fine with it.

I'm more excited that Chuck & Blair are married.. but I needed a bigger splash.. and I love their wedding outfits. I'm glad Serena looks blah.

So Gossip Girl is dead.

BUT WAIT... the writers said WAIT until the last 10 minutes...as I sit here watching the Carrie Diaries (maybe I'll check that out in the Spring).. I'm wondering who REALLY is Gossip Girl. They tied this up way to neatly.... wayyy to neatly.

Maybe it was Lily.. and what happened with the Lily/William/Ivy story?? Please don't tell me William get's Lily.. Rufus get your woman back... but I need this Gossip Girl to continue.

sigh.. what the heck man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and why is Jack being so helpful??? There are so many tie-in's that I just want to fix... know... sigh I just might be really sad that Gossip Girl is ending.

I've been watching GG since its inception AND read the books first..

FIVE YEARS LATER??? umm they better make this a movie.

and did anyone Graduate from College??

awww they had a son! I love it. yay for a momentary return of Jenny & Eric!....

so Dan marries Serena.. whatever.. Lily gets with William.. I guess... Who the heck is Rufus with? Georgina with Jack?....

So now there's a new GG... hmmm I guess I'm excited they grew up but I noticed Nate didn't have a date.... and I kinda missed the bit about the Ivy League.....

It feels weird. 6 years. wow. No more Blair & Chuck or Lonely Boy/Serena.

I'ma miss them. But I guess its time to grow up. Goodbye to my favorite characters Queen Blair & Chuck Bass.



12/12/12

The Struggle: graduate assistantships

So no one told me the hardest part of graduate school is seeking out assistantships. Mind you the degree of difficulty to spell assistant correctly. My eyes ache from scouring KSU's departments, offices, and when I call... of course I've missed the deadline or they have none, or its filled, or they have no idea.

Imagine trying to convince an undergraduate that I am saying it right and no I don't want you to transfer me. I'm waiting on several phonecalls..but I'm mostly in awe that there is no centralized website listing all the grad-ships

Weird.

I was so happy a week ago to be accepted now I'm wondering what the heck did I just do? School doesn't start till January and I already feel like a headless chicken. Well time to go make more calls/read The Hobbit.

Signed,
No longer anticipating my masters.


11/11/12

Curvy BBQ's + Natural Boardroom (ootd)


  1. MENS BLAZER, $7, THRIFTED, SOUTH KOREA, in BLAZERS
  2. SHIRT, $10, OUTLET MALL IN SOUTH KOREA, in SHIRTS
  3. SILVER BANGLE SET, $6, WETSEAL, in JEWELRY
  4. CLUTCH, $9, THRIFTED, SOUTH KOREA, in BAGS
  5. EARRINGS, OUTLET MALL IN SOUTH KOREA, in JEWELRY
  6. FAUX SUEDE WEDGE BOOT, $20, WETSEAL, in LEATHER HEELS & WEDGES

Go Hype this look for me on my Lookbook! http://lookbook.nu/eighty7pages

Happy Veterans Day! Thanks too the Armed Forces, present & past for your service.

11/1/12

Casual. Outfit of the Day. Autumn. OOTD. Thirfted Finds

Hey Kids,

Today I woke up with the urge to discard my sweats and hoodies. I miss my street fashion. This afternoon I attended a random "meet & greet" at Starbucks. The "meet & greet" was so Army Wives could get to know each other. Most of the wives knew each other via facebook, and I knew some through the Wine Parties I've  attended since arriving in Kansas. It was an okay event. Nothing spectacular. Like at all. I only stayed for 1.5 hours, than got popeyes with a wife I met there. Popeyes was not a good idea. 800 frickin calories!!! I feel like there is a stone in my belly.

So I'm off to Total Body X: I haven't worked out in 2 days so I know I will be hurting!! :)

Ciao

Sunglasses from Barcelona, Earrings from Seoul, Ribbon-thrifted

Purse- thrifted in Seoul

skirt is really tanktop! <-- boots-www.shoebuy.com="boots-www.shoebuy.com" lol="lol" td="td" tights-idk="tights-idk">
leather jacket-from Munich, shirt-thrifted in Seoul




Thanks to the hubby for taking the majority of the pictures :)

10/30/12

Butternut Squash/Sweet Potato 2.0

Hey Kids,

So the hubby (shoutout to our 1 year anniversary!) is not a fan of my soup. His words were "I wish there was something chewy in it" and "it looks like baby food."

As an aspiring cook I'm not too happy with the 'baby food' comment, so I've been playing around with this soup.

The first bit was adding more water. Again I have issues with measuring, but basically I added enough water to cover the soup and than some (because when I reheat it on the stove, the water will dissipate (no one wants that). Adding the water was the easy part, I definitely liked it more soupy and the flavor remained.

When the hubby said "chewy" I thought veggies. Nope, he wanted an animal in there! lol We tried the soup with "sweet italian turkey sausage" which was really good as a side. Next I tried some leftover baked chicken, which was super delicious, but it was a leftover. Lastly, I tried canned chicken. This worked pretty well. I used two cans for the left over soup, and although the chicken was bland, it went well with the soup. <--- br="br" check="check" lol="lol" out="out" s.="s." those="those" w="w">
Next time I'll season the chicken-- more than likely with cumin or curry. 

Oh and a quick note... if you are a horrible chopper (like me), than your soup will have bits of garlic cloves & onion throughout. I would suggest blending the onion & garlic clove and maybe pouring the blend in the olive oil to saute. I'll let you know how it goes.

Good Luck & Lemme know how your soup goes! :)

ps: this past Sunday, the husband and I celebrated 1 year of marriage! woohoo. To commemorate we did a series of Q/A. Enjoy.

10/25/12

Heavenly Hibernating Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Spinach Curried Soup #nomnom

Hey Kids,

As you know I'm trying to get my life together by working out and eating right. I've gained a workout buddy/Beach Body coach (Shanee) and we meet at her house to do Turbo Fire (at 6am!). We've also been hitting the gym for the Total Body X, TRX (Shanee also blog's. Click the link to see her latest post), Zumba, and Spinning classes (I LOVE Spinning!). I even tried out P90x (not a huge fan) and Insanity <--- iDIED!

Shanee and I have motivating each other and made a goal to burn 1000 calories. I've hit that 1000 several times, which is super exciting. I'm in my 4th week of consistently working out (6 days a week) and on Sunday I'll be re-measuring myself. Hopefully I lost some inches. I don't think I lost any pounds. My husband notices a difference but that might just be him encouraging me. He also tries to bribe me with CHIPS! (smh)
Spinning & TRX

So today we did a Turbo Fire HIIT 25 session, and only burned 192 calories. I didn't push hard, like at all. I need to work on getting my legs off the ground. Darn you thighs! grrr! I've only had a tablespoon of peanut butter since I've been up (545am), and I want a burger... chicken wings... french fries... brownies.. reeces cup, steak... sigh I need to get my life!

I keep saying I'll make a green smoothie: kale, baby spinach, frozen strawberries, and celery. <-- hasn't happened yet!

But the thought keeps annoying me! For some reason I have lasagna in my fridge!!! Darn you hubby. I don't even want pasta but I keep glancing at it. lol

Trying to motive myself to eat healthy and workout, is getting harder. It's colder. I want to snuggle & cuddle. Watch K-Drama's. I have my final class for this semester, something about literacy and I'm determined to ignore it.

Go away school, papers, discussion classes! 


I'm pretty sure I should be hibernating right now! 

To get my mind off school work, that annoying pile of laundry I've created without a recipe my very own Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Baby Spinach Curried soup! #yum .. I think I'll make this soup for Thanksgiving! <--deets coming soon :)


1 butternut squash
1 medium size sweet potato
2 tbsp purple onion chopped
2 tbsp purple onion blended *
1/2 bag of baby spinach 
5 baby carrots

almond milk** as needed. I used maybe 3 cups for this soup.**
Culinary Broth Thai Coconut Curry** as needed. I used over half of the container for this soup.**



ground ginger
1 tsp Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste **I added in maybe 3 tsp**
2 tsp cayenne pepper
olive oil
1 garlic clove blended*
1 garlic clove chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
  1. Roast: Butternut Squash & Sweet potato on 400 F for 1 hour. I sprayed Pam's olive oil spray on both veggies, placed them on a tin foiled cookie sheet.
  2. Once the veggies are done. Put them in a bowl, with a top. Pop in the fridge for the rest of the day.
  3. Use a pot: heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the chopped garlic & onion 
  4. Blend the sweet potato (skin included), pour almond milk & the culinary broth in the container. Once blended add to the sizzling oil, garlic, and onion. Don't forget to stir!
  5. Pour in 1 cup of almond milk
  6. Blend the butternut squash, garlic clove, onion, baby carrots, culinary broth, almond milk (skin included, discard the seeds and the stringy stuff) --don't forget to chop off the root. Add to the pot. STIR! 
  7. NOTE! Make sure you check your blended items. You don't want chunks in the soup. That'd be rude! :)
  8. Between adding the squash, et, al- to the pot, throw in some baby spinach leaves. Stir it in the pot. Add in the curry paste as well.
If your soup is sitting low, add in more culinary broth. We want the broth to be a bit higher than the veggies. I'm aiming for a creamy soup. If you want it thicker add flour.
  1. Add in the rest of the baby spinach. Remember I used half a bag. 
  2. STIR!
  3. Please note I did not add in spices yet! Taste the soup. It should be sweet. 
  4. Now turn the soup low, give a few shakes of cayenne pepper (I like spicy food), several shakes of the ground ginger, and a healthy shake of black pepper. 
  5. As of now I have not added in salt. I'm aiming to reduce the sodium in my life. :)  I also let it sit for awhile and than added in 1 tsp of butter, just for a bit of richness.
    Bon Appetite.
    ps. omg I love Korean dramas!!! Currently watching The Princess's Man via Hulu. Also check out Moon Embracing the Sun via Hulu. I can sit on hours and just watch K-Dramas!

    pss. I'm also annoyed because I've noticed the water is drying out my skin & hair. I'm super itchy and now I'm on the hunt for a water filter or water softner. Any suggestions? 

10/18/12

Voting for Social Media

Hey Kids,

I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican. I'm not apart of the Independent, Green, Socialist, Constitution parties; I am simply Moderate. As I'm primarily noncommittal, I like to think I'm not easily swayed by the honey-tongues of politicians. No worries I'm not pessimistic about campaigns or voting. Nor am I disillusioned that polticians will succeed in all their promises.

I'm more interested in the social media aspect at play during our General Election.

As a moderate I am not fan of voting per party lines, because as Boardwalk Empire shows us, no one is above a bribe. In my opinion social media is neutralizing the impact influence and power may have on deciding who wins the election. Voters are taking to Google to research County Commissioners or using Bing to get detailed info about levy's.

http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Voter-Supression1.jpg
Social media may be the end-all for schmoozing as we know it. Supreme Court Justices are being implicated for Campaign Financing... and voters are getting a chance to see beyond the gazillion letters to the heart of the issue. Comparing candidates based on their values, what they have voted for and/or against is becoming a foothold on deciding the election. Voting for President is not the only issue, other positions matter, most especially who is elected for Justice of the Supreme Court, or County Commissioner, and yes State Representatives, County Treasurer. ...

IDK maybe I've watched too much of Boardwalk Empire but I'm just quite skeptical of the rhetoric that voting among party lines will ensure success for whomever is elected president. Need I remind you of recent events? The Defense of Marriage Act got struck down by a Republican judge AND Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. who compromised for ObamaCare. Voting Republican or Democrat is not bad. It just means you're open to the idea that you may not have all the ideas. (wordy I know lol)

Voting for a certain party does not equate success nor does it guarantee that American fundamental rights will be upheld.

I'm not interested in becoming a lawyer or even a judge. I'm just interested in knowing who I'm voting for, their stance on issues, on whether they can be impartial and if the truth aligns with the U.S. Constitution.

I'm sure my grammar & punctuation is all over the place, disregard that and focus on the key thing. Find out who you should vote for. Find out what the issues are. Vote to preserve your liberty and sanity. Vote because it's necessary. So Google candidates. If they don't have a website give their office a call and ask "Why should I vote for you?"

But seriously, its 2012 why don't you have a website, a blog, or a facebook page?! Get It Together Peoples!

10/14/12

I was Gypsy for awhile... Can I put it on my Resume?

Hey Kids

Recently, while applying for a graduate school program I was trying to figure out how to list my international experiences in my goals/statements portion. I've also wondered how to list it in my resume. Is it possible to list your experiences without sounding like a braggart or overly technical? Apparently so check out these links below.


PS. There is nothing wrong about bragging about how many stamps you have in your passport :)

PSS. I've been overly despondent since returning back to the USA after a 3 year absence, I can help but bring up Asia & Europe. It's difficult resettling AND moving into such a slow moving environment. This link is very helpful for those in similar situations. http://b2b.meetplango.com/2010/02/next-steps-easing-into-re-entry/

10/9/12

Detox. Green. Spicy. - Pinterest Inspired

Hey Kids,

My body HURTS! Calves, abs, thighs. Lemme tell you how serious I am on loosing 20 lbs by T-Giving! I took a detox bath the other day -- filled the bath with Apple Cider Vinegar -- I didn't feel a difference but it was relaxing. I've been going hard core with my Turbo Fire, burning calories left & right.

 Last week I burned over 600 calories, it felt so good and my heart rate stayed up.

Yesterday I jogged 3 miles (at a very slow pace, maybe 2-3mph) in 40 minutes. I'm used to jogging on the treadmill and running on actual ground is so much harder. The inclines, the declines, the cars passing by looking at you struggle. Sheesh it was a hot mess. Beyonce almost didn't get me through it. I was so over pace, I would speed up during hills but I just loathed the entire process. BUT I'm feeling it. I am feeling it!!!! Did I mention I was FEELING IT!!! RAWWWRRRR

Anyhoo, yesterday I took another detox bath (hydrogen peroxide & ground ginger) ... I saw it on Pintrest (shrugs)

So clearly DETOX is my thing this week. and again inspired by Pinterest. I made a Green Detox Soup and again I failed to use measurements.


olive oil (to fill the bottom of the pot, an inch worth)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
diced purple onion (I like a lot of onions)
fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (maybe a teaspoon)
fresh broccoli, cut up (I used one full tree)
1lb fresh spinach leaves
4 baby carrots, chopped (the original recipie called for parsnips, which I don't have, a quick google search told me potatoes or carrots. I went with carrots, although I LOATHE cooked carrots).
2 ribs of celery, chopped
parsley, like 6 shakes
1 can of bean sprouts
Fresh water (8 2/3 cups)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Apple Cider Vinegar (cap full)
Cayenne Pepper




  • I only have 1 pot (which means I need to go pot shopping! woo hoo)
  • heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the garlic, onion, and ginger, broccoli, and bean sprouts & bean sprouts water (After being in Korea, my husband and I have fallen in love with bean sprouts...so delish with the right seasoning)
  • Add the broccoli, spinach, celery, carrots
  • Add water throughout. (I like my soup - soupy.. So I added lots of water to cover the veggies... probably too much so feel free to cut back.--  but don't add too much water in the beginning, wait till the end/middle)
  • I cooked everything a low simmer, covering the pot. I think I cooked it for 20 minutes or so until the veggies are softened.
  • Add ACV.
  • Add Cayenne pepper, I went heavy on this.

**The soup smells so good! I sprinkled parsley on top before consuming**
---
So how does it taste? A little watery but spicy. I think I'll play with it more next time.
Loving my Korean bowl & chopsticks.. and the mat and the little plate in front. haha
Enjoy :)

***** Stay Motivated. Help Keep me Accountable. Follow me on MY FITNESS PAL APP, username 87PageS http://www.myfitnesspal.com/87pages ***********

INSPIRED BY: 
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/01/detox-green-soup-recipe-with-broccoli.html?m=1




10/4/12

Sweet Potato, Chickpea, Sweet Pea Soup

Hey kids

Since getting married last year I've been trying my hand at cooking. I've had some successes and I've had failures but my favorite dish to cook (I've only had 2 mistakes) is Indian inspired food. One of my best friend is Punjabi - American (PT we went to Thailand & Bangkok together remember?) and her mom makes the most dee-lish samosas and dal ever!! I've been hammering PT for the recipe for the longest, haven't got it yet. I love curry and it's become a staple in our house. I make curry atleast once a month. My favorite curry is with chicken or veggie.

Today, I wanted spice but I wanted soup.
I've been nursing a cold for the longest and while sitting in my chunky sweater I thought "why not make soup"... not such a radical idea.. but each time I try to make soup it  looses the soupyness and is just thick. I call it goulash but that is not correct. My faux soup is just a hot delicious mess.

My husband has been on a sweet potato kick and I've been using them to make fries but today I used the last two for soup.

Chickpeas, sweet potatoes, sweet peas.. that's an outrageous combo but I just had to try it. It turned out so delish!! Now here's the sad part I didn't measure ANYTHING! so if you were hoping for great details I've failed in that. But I made an awesome soup. Next time I make I'll post exact deets.

This is for sure a recipe I'll be using all Fall/Winter.

Ciao. xoxo.

Recipe:
Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper
Paprika
Black Pepper
Salt
Ground Cumin
Ground Ginger
Thyme Leaves
Garlic Powder
Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
1/4 purple onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can of sweet green peas
1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 medium size sweet potatoes
1 can of Coconut Milk
1 tsp of butter
1/4 Lemon Extract
  • Before cooking, Peel, dice, steam the sweet potatoes, place them in a medium size bowl filled with water, cover the bowl with saran wrap, than put in the microwave for 15 mins.
  • When the potatoes were done, I began by heating oil in a pot on medium, adding spices--except garlic powder & Thyme (for the spices I just sprinkled a bit, season according to your taste. I like my food flavorful)
  • Next I started chopping and maybe 3 minutes after the oil had set, I began adding things to the skillet as they were chopped: onion, garlic cloves, don't forget to stir!
  • Next I added the full can of coconut milk, and a teaspoon of the Thai kitchen Red Curry Paste
  • STIR
  • As the pot simmered, I got the sweet potatoes and blended them (water included). I dumped them into the pot
  • Next I put the chickpeas in the microwave for 1 min (this is optional)
  • Than I blended half the chickpeas (Sans chickpeas juice) dumping them into the pot -- note DO put the whole chickpeas into the pot as well.
  • I blended half the sweet peas (sans sweet pea juice) dumping them into the pot -- note DO put the whole sweet peas into the pot as well
  • STIR--- sprinkle in the garlic powder & thyme (I did at least 4 shakes for the thyme)
  • After tasting I needed more salt and I added 1/2 tsp of the Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste & lemon extract
  • I let it sit for awhile and than added in 1 tsp of butter, just for a bit of richness. 
My husband was still hungry so I baked

Salmon:
drizzling olive oil onto a cookie sheet, sprinkled pepper & ginger on top of the salmon. I think I put it in for 20 minutes or so... lol

Biscuits: 2 1/4 cups of bisquit mix, 2/3 cup of almond milk: using a regular tablespoon, drop them onto a cookie sheet --spray first with PAM.. bake for 8 mins.
.... um I have no idea why these bisquits aren't fluffy. I followed the recipe. Maybe its the almond milk... but it's pretty annoying.

Bon Appetite

595 Calories #yum


Soup Recipe Inspiration: 
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/09/sweet-potato-red-pepper-and-coconut-milk-soup.html
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chickpea-and-sweet-potato-curry.html
http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2010/03/31/sweet-potato-chickpea-soup/
http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/moroccan-sweet-potato-and-chickpea-soup-312286
http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/dinner-diary/sweet-potato-coconut-milk-soup

10/2/12

#bodyrevolution #90daychallenge #turbofire

Hey Kids,

So its been 14 days since my last post. I've been working out! Spinning, Zumba, Treadmill, Elliptical you name it. I've been using my leftover IT WORKS WRAPS (BODY APPLICATORS) and I just started TurboFire this week. Today I did High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) 15, it was a LOT of jumping! I'm loving it. Feeling the workout and feeling skinny. I doubt I lost anything in the past 2 weeks but I feel better now that I'm active.

I am also altering my meal plans. Someone in my fitness group mentioned "studies had show people who ate the same or nearly the same thing daily lost more weight than those who ate different foods all the time. I guess it's because your body knows what it's going to get and so it settles in to losing or maintaining?" 

It's going to be hard but I can do it. Here's my Meal list for every day. Dinner is up in the air because I usually cook for my husband, so I'll just limit that to every day. Breakfast-Snack-Lunch-Snack will not change. At the end of the week I'll post my dinners on here. I'll stick to one small plate.

8:30 Breakfast - Cereal

12:30 Snack - Green Smoothie ... assortment of veggies & fruits

1:30 Lunch - Plain tuna wrap w/ hummus

3:30 Snack - Almonds (10)

6:30 Dinner - small plate, free choice, one serving

No eating after 7pm. <---- I will struggle with this. 

More info on TurboFire


9/19/12

My name is Star and I am a Chip-a-holic

The struggle is real. It's hard. Many can attest that it is SO easy to snack, chow down, have one last bite... and many more will testify how hard it is too loose those snacks, bites, second helpings. I'm not sure how it happened. It was an lethal assualt and I am fighting the scars. Since the middle of June I have gained about 15 pounds. The same 15 pounds that I was able to easily snip away in Korea.

The Korean weightloss clinics how I miss them so. If I were to walk into a clothing store, Adjuma would bustle me out because indeed I would be "too big" because they only have "small size." I find it interesting that I instantly compare myself to other women, exulting that "at least I'm not as big as her" or "why can't my thighs get smaller. Whilst in Korea, I was quick to revile the Americans in-tuned with food. Now I only revile myself and the bad habits I have eagerly leaped towards.

I wish it was only McDonalds or Burger King, but I haven't even tasted a chicken nugget since being in America, and only last week did I taste a BK chicken wrap. No my demon is my lack of activity. Eating healthy was a chore in my younger days. Now, I'll drink a kale/strawberry/apple smoothie and forgo the Krispy Kreme donuts that have been haunting my footstep since I left Korea. (note, I only had the delicious donut once while in Korea... it's a plague on my sensibilities... its soooo good).

The first day of Autumn (my fave season) is only a few days away. I'm determined not to succumb to the pressures of being an American food-whore ... no matter how tasty it is. I am also pledging to be active... a 90 day challenge of activeness. Ideally 2 hours of activity per day. In my house, on the street, in the gym, in the pool. I'm going to do it. I refuse to enter the New Year heavier than when I entered it.

No bueno.

Join me in my 90 day challenge. Starting today. September 19, 2012 - December 18, 2012

We will work out 1.5-2 hours. Eating light & healthy.

My food plan for the next 90 days will consist of; a variety of fish, turkey, and chicken (not fried), raw & cooked veggies, raw fruit, fruit/veggie smoothies. Tortilla wraps; but sparingly. I might throw in some crackers every now & then, but they'll mostly be for the hummus.

Wine & beer occasionally -- look don't judge me. I'm dropping chips, the number 1 threat to my thighs. So hush and let me enjoy my Merlot. -_-
 
I'll be drinking lots of water so there.



Want to join me? Watch my progress? Boo or Encourage: tweet me @87PageS



9/7/12

Am I stuck in Asia... or something

oh sheesh. you know how it goes when you have the best intentions.... yeah mine just like disappeared after I came back from Vacation back in May/June.

Once I finish completing my Ethics & Legal Education papers for this week, I will have a new blog for you all. Thanks to everyone who has been consistently checking the blog out. Don't forget I'm very active on Twitter so follow me there!!

TTYL

5/30/12

Nitpicker

Before the trip to CEBU, I could find lots of worthless information. Ok not worthless but not as detailed say as traveling to London or Berlin. I'm realizing that Asia is a underdeveloped when it comes to blogging. Information is sparse, un-detailed. Reviews mainly deal with resorts on TripAdvisor--which is lowkey suspicious in my opinion. How do you know if the person reviewing the place is getting a commission to write their opinions. With a blog it's a bit neutral. Some people are lucky enough to get paid to write their initial thoughts but most are not.

So in a series of parts, I'll detail from beginning to end my trip to CEBU and I'll do the same for BANGKOK. Get ready for lots of info peoples, cuz I have a lot to say haha.




5/28/12

3 am bonding moments

Just yesterday I was warm, safe, sleep with my husband. Today I'm sitting at the gate waiting to board for my trip to Cebu. My legs & feet are killing me due to yesterday's excessive hiking adventure. PT and I hiked Mt. Soyasan in honor of loosing carbs but was swept up in the embrace of Buddhism.

May 28 is Buddha's birthday and We were treated with such hospitality and warmth. It was inspiring the laughter we shared as we were moderately encouraged to climb to the top (we tried) and mayhap to enjoy life.

Now 17 hours later I am again encouraged to Carpe Diem. Traveling is a huge passion of mine--budget traveling to be exact... I'm looking forward to my trip and I only wish my husband could attend next time.

Ps. On May 28, we celebrated our 7th month anniversary of marriage. Love u babe :)

Pss. Switching currency at airport blahhh

5/23/12

Could you be a patriot for your country?



Result of Finger torture

wax figures in cell
Yesterday PT and I visited the Seodaemun Prison History Hall in Seoul, it was PT's first time visiting a prison museum, a couple years ago I visited Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site in Germany, yet still I found it unsettling and disturbing that less than 90 years ago people were tortured and killed for no reason at all. Granted it happens today in ways I can't even imagine but to walk in a building or within a solitary cell just makes me feel so.... I don't know. I didn't like it. I couldn't imagine it. Would I have been able to withstand the pressure? Would I have held onto my convictions whilst experiencing finger torture or water boarding? These Koreans were patriots/martyrs for the sake of gaining freedom for Korea. Could I do it?

PT and I agreed that attending the museum definitely made us appreciative and guilty of what we have acquired through life and how we moan about superficial mischievousness. It's day 3 of PT being in Korea and I can't stop thinking, "what would I do" if faced with being bold versus complacent. Is it wrong to be complacent? Is it wrong to be bold?
wax figures in cell

Korean Patriot: Lee Byeong-hee

5/21/12

The Eagle has Landed

PT walks out her bedroom and the first things out her mouth are "I'm so hungry I want hash-browns." She walks over to the fridge, and sees a Korean flyer "omg FRIED CHICKEN". See this is what happens when you deprive yourself in order to loose weight/get healthy. And you know what, it feels GOOD.. kinda, I really wanted to dip wheat crackers in spinach dip.. yes for breakfast lol

My hubs is so sweet. He got PT a welcome to Korea basket; filled with a bottle of Nuvo, a can of Korean bear, Soju (cheap Korean alcohol), Korean & American chocolate, a card, flowers, and finally a cake..that he didn't know was an icecream cake until it started melting on the table lol. I got PT a mini bottle of Patron. ... I told PT she has a party-girl rep and I think she's perfectly fine with it haha.

Clearly excitement and relaxation has kicked in. I don't start my Leave Without Pay until Friday or Monday, but I'm almost tempted to begin today. So tired of 4 hours of work and all I wanna do is play. Inexpensively play of course.

So PT and I are off too see the sights of Korea but we'll first start the day with 20 minutes of cardio and a fruit/veggie smoothie. yay  -_- :)

PT's arrival in Seoul yesterday

5/5/12

Do you absolutely need this (fill in the blank) in your life?

Furniture. Beds. Mattresses. Curtains. Rugs. Chairs. Art works. Cups.

I can't make a decision. My current apartment is not decorated or furnished by my individuality but by of the typical foreigner based apartments. We have butterfly wall paper in one room, a air conditioner with intricately laced flowers, faux wooden floors, all white cabinets, and butterscotch curtains. Oddly enough it fits. I'm not against it. I like my Korean apartment a lot and I could see myself growing into it and supplying it with my personality. Unfortunately we'll be leaving Korea in the next 4 months and resettling elsewhere --location TBA.

 So now my fingers are constantly pinning home decor, comparing color schemes, and pondering why a chair costs 300$. It's hard to live in style. I already have difficulty with decisiveness but its becoming worse because Sam and I are not in unison on what we want.

 HE has an idea, minimalism, muted colors, pictures of us, pillow top mattress, a super comfortable couch, 42' tv, xbox, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, spacious
SHE has an idea, bohemian Parisian, muted colors spiced with oranges & purples, 4-5 dressers/cabinets, a living room with a couch, several chairs, a sitting room, tea sets, art work, painted doors, book shelves etc

Clearly we want specific things. Sam has an issue with clutter. I have an issue with not having enough coat rack stands. Everything I can see myself living. He can't.

Recently we've come to an agreement, when we do move into our new location. We'll get the bare essentials and buy furniture as we live, that way we can save money and aren't forced to buy items we don't geniunely like.

Our current furnishments include:

  • wooden expandable dining room table and 4 wooden side chairs.
  • microwave
  • crock-pot
  • dell desktop
  • dell laptop
  • acoustic guitar
  • pots & pans
  • silverware & cooking ware
  • 4 plates, 4 bowls, 4 mugs (all blue), 4 glasses (clear)
  • 1 baking dish
  • armories 
Essentials we need :
  • mattress
  • car
  • dressers

Essentials we want:
  • headboard
  • sofa or sectional
  • chaise ** all me**
  • 30-42' screen tv **all sam**
  • xbox **all sam** .. I'd rather get a wii
  • book shelves
  • coffee tables
  • lamps
  • living room chairs
  • sofa table
  • art work --paintings/posters
  • coat racks
  • rugs
  • accent pillows
  • accent cabinets
  • chandeliers
  • decorative items
  • vases :)
  • leaning mirrors
  • dresser mirrors
  • vanity
  • guest bed
  • cedar chests 
  • arm chairs
  • china cabinet 
  • media cabinet 
  • computer desks & rollie chairs
  • etc, etc, etc, etc,
My bff suggested that since we did not have a wedding, we should have a reception whenever we come back to the states. IDK.. it seems a lot to "ask" of people. I'm also of the gypsy mindset where I don't like to be tied down to material items (excluding my laptop and phone) ... so we'll see.

I'll continue to wander the furniture websites but I'm more interested in thrifting items.... although I'm going to need someone else to refurbish or paint it.

http://pinterest.com/87pages/decor-interior/ <-- my pintrest fantasy
http://www.ourfirst100days.com/2011/12/01/day-30-chief-inspector-of-russia/ <-- home inspection checklist for those moving into a new place

ps. I really like the "Our First Day Blog" I get great insight and relevant topics that are happening in my life or things I'm thinking about. I used sentence from their blog post for my own post.. and even my discussion today is somewhat mentioned in their blog... For instance, the "Monk Chat Room" post concerning :...

On Detachment From Materialism

The second oldest monk, 32, gives us his interesting take on why wearing the saffron robe helps him to refrain from want of possessions.
“When a leaf falls from a tree and dies, it becomes an orange-yellow color. The same color of our robes. Wearing this color is a reminder to me that all things die. I will die, too. There is no need to be attached to anything.”
...this is a great view to have and I know I need to subscribe to it

pss. I may be disenchanted with school but I got a 3.5 for my first graduate semester.. 1 A, 1 B <--- :)

psss. only 16/17 days until my bff PT comes to visit me in SoKo:)

4/29/12

Disenchanted with Education


The Midevil Crime Museum in Rothenburg, GE 2010

lowkey I'm definitely considering becoming that 50 year traveling gypsy woman with partial credit in 15 different masters programs.

ps. Lady Gaga was AMAZING! pictures & videos coming soon
pss. check out my newest youtube vid

4/24/12

Just realized I need a Swimsuit

No couch surfing or exclusive inexpensive rentals on the beach or staying at the cheapest motels.

Yesterday Sam said --in reply to my wanting to couchsurf- "No, because I don't want to have Matt Laurer asking me Why didn't I stop you or do more, when they find your body chopped up in small pieces. So you can get fussy but I'd rather you find a inexpensive quality hostel and stay there vs sleeping on somone's couch."

Cute right?

It's weird to have someone worried for you. Concerned about your well-being 24/7. It's also strange that there is another person who gets to make life-decisions with/for you. Sam has been telling me "No" and "I don't like that" quite a bit recently. So we sat down yesterday and talked this out.

Before when we were dating I lived 2 hours away and I traveled all the time. Visiting people, attending local events/parties, and random sleepovers --if the train had already stopped.

After we got married my travels slowed down a lot. To focus on the marriage and build a foundation. It was super hard and distressing because I like my freedom and I love traveling. Of course you can imagine the heated debates centered on these two words; freedom/travel. Yet, Sam and I are trying to compromise and I think this SE Asia adventure trip (I really need to think of a cooler name) is going to be a huge test.

Ps. In other news my ipod touch is broke AGAIN. The screen buttons wasn't working and so I tried to fix it... and now it looks quite disgusting.

Pss. I really need to finish up my grad school course. This was by far an easy class but I didn't do well in it. I'm sure I'll be getting a C, but hopefully it'll be a low B. I'm not going to ask the professor for extra credit, mainly because I chose not to apply myself and I wallowed in procrastination. It sucks but hey thats how the cookie crumbles. I'm realizing graduate school is nothing like undergraduate.

Psss. Couchsurfing like all hostels, hotels, motels, guesthouses, can be quite dangerous if you don't do your research. Check out the legit non-profit website and read up on the members who offer a bed/room/cot to travelers. I know several people who have CS'd in the states/abroad and they had a great experience. http://www.couchsurfing.org/

Pssss. Anyone know of any inexpensive but cute one piece or tankinis?

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265789179255&c=Page&cid=1332988402837&pagename=vsdWrapper