Month: July 2013

This Week

LaurenLeave a comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about busy-ness lately.  It’s quite the double-edged sword, isn’t it?  Being too busy is stressful and exhausting.  Being not busy enough feels boring and unproductive.  I’m trying to embrace both ends of the spectrum and accept that life ebbs and flows between the two.

This week has been on the busy end of things.

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On Sunday, we received news that we’d gotten an awesome offer on Joey’s house.  I mentioned we were putting that up for sale, right?  Also note how I’m saying “we” even though I have no monetary claim to the house.  I feel kind of weird about that…  Anyways, we didn’t even hesitate to accept the offer and now it is officially under contract and things are moving right along.  Eeee!

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On Monday, we headed up to Red Rocks for Film on the Rocks.  They were playing The Hunger Games, which neither of us had seen (or read) and Vicci Martinez, of The Voice fame, was the opening act.  I thought she sounded great and she was so amazed by Red Rocks.  I still feel that way every time I see it too 🙂

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We got there a little late and it was pretty full, but we were able to squeeze our blanket in and eat a little picnic dinner.  I love that so many people do that for FOTR.  You definitely don’t see much of that going on during concerts, although tailgating in the parking lot is highly encouraged.

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I really expected the movie to be cheesy, stupid and unenticing but I ended up really liking it!  Don’t worry I’m not about to go all “Teem Peeta!” on you.  Also, we sat behind 3 girls who were buying alcoholic drinks (aka they had to have been at least 21) and spent the entire night taking “selfies” and checking Instagram and Facebook obsessively.  I’m not even sure they spoke to each other the whole night.  I’m sad for the future of society.  Guess it’s better than having a giant tournament where teenagers fight to the death though, right?

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On Tuesday…we headed up to Red Rocks…again.  This time for the John Mayer concert, so I’m not complaining.  This marked the 5th time I’ve seen JM in concert and the third time I’ve seen him at Red Rocks.  I guess you could say I’m a fan.  We had the good sense to get there early and “tailgate” with Chipotle and beer beforehand.

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And had the bad sense to hike up these stairs to get to the amphitheater.  No joke, I counted this as my workout for the day and no joke, my calves are still sore 3 days later.  There’s nothing like a bunch of stairs to make you feel out of shape and like your heart is going to burst out of your chest.  This is for you, John Mayer!!!

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Blown away by how beautiful my little sister is 🙂

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As for the actual concert, yes, John Mayer has had throat surgery –does it freak anyone else out that he gets botox injections in his vocal cords?– so no, he can’t hit high notes like he used to BUT I still thought he was amazing.  He’s still a phenomenal guitar player (coming from someone who knows nothing about playing the guitar…) and he puts on a great live show.  In other words, I love him and he can do no wrong.

On Wednesday, we went to Red Rocks.  No, wait that’s wrong.  On Wednesday, Hannah came over so we could drink wine and talk wedding details.  When I said that to Joey, his brother and his cousin (ahem, three men), they looked at me like that was some kind of torture.  Guys are no fun!

This Thursday (and every Thursday, actually) went like this: work —> bowling —> me asking how many more weeks are left of this torturous league/threatening to leave halfway through our three games.  If I didn’t really like my teammates and watching the dorky old music videos they play on the TV screens next to the scores, I would probably pretend to be sick every week.  For the record, I bowled SIX gutter balls in the first game.

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Today is Friday and I couldn’t be happier!  The arrival of the weekend is just the cherry on top of what was a fun and eventful week.  Plus I have leftover Japanese Pan Noodles in the fridge for lunch.  (I know Noodles & Co. is just a boring old chain, but I was craving this dish all week.)  Plus I was invited to go check out a few wedding venues with the bride and groom to be this weekend.  Can’t wait!

Amidst all the post-work plans, I barely had time to wash any dishes but still managed to watch every showing of Big Brother.  Priorities, people.  Happy Weekend to you all 🙂

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Do you like being busy?

What are you doing this weekend?

When was the last time you went bowling?

CSA Things: Familiar Things

Lauren3 Comments

Okay, if I had a dog I would totally name it “Zucchini.”  Wouldn’t that be cute?!  Ahem, I swear there’s a tie-in somewhere here.  Oh right, this week we got zucchini from the farm and they were so cute.  In addition, we got a bunch of other things that I’m pretty familiar with.  Half the fun of a CSA is working with never-before-seen/heard of/eaten/used/all-of-the-above produce but some weeks it’s nice to just get a bunch of stuff you already know how to work with.

CSA Pick-Up #4 Included:

  • Carrots (orange AND purple!)
  • Zucchini
  • Beets
  • Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Cabbage
  • Fresh Oregano

What We Cooked:

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We like to have something super quick and easy on our menu for the night that we actually do our pick-up since it takes a good 45 minutes to get there and another 45 minutes to get back home.  This week’s no-brainer dinner was pesto pasta (we already had the pesto made from garlic scape week) and decided to sauté up one of the zucchs to mix in with the pasta and cherry tomatoes.  This meal was so simple but also really flavorful.  The pesto makes it!

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So funny story.  When I fired up the grill to make this Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Mango Salsa (and Sesame Wonton Crisps, of course), a huge flame exploded out of the grill and literally singed my arm hair off.  I sprinted to the bathroom to make sure my eyebrows were still there — they were — then wandered around my apartment like a stupefied zombie, trying to calm down and not throw up.  I coped by eating mass amounts of this Asian slaw, made with our CSA cabbage.  It was so fresh and crisp!  Also, I ended up adding a tablespoon of soy sauce to the slaw because, well, I heart soy sauce.

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We used up the beets in these Berkeley Veggie Burgers and let’s just say our version didn’t look exactly like Cooking Light’s.  But since when do homemade veggie burgers hold together like they’re supposed to?  Instead of looking at messy burgers, let’s look at the inside of this amazing beet, shall we?  Too cool.  Also too cool?  The grater attachment on my food processor.  I love a good opportunity to use that thing.  I half expected these “burgers” to turn out horribly but we were both surprised by how good they were.  A definite re-make meal.

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How cute are these onions?!  That red bell pepper is supposed to help you gauge their size.  I’m pretty sure all 4 amount to one normal grocery store-sized onion.  I love them.  And I used them for something else I love; Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas.  Nothing beats making a casserole for an easy reheat and eat lunch option, right?  Right!  Plus what’s not to love about 3 layers of cheese?  Also, I made my own enchilada sauce.  Hey look, I’m a domestic!

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I was pretty hesitant when Joey suggested we choose oregano — we had our choice between the oregano, parsley, mint, thyme and garlic — but I ended up using all of it pretty easily.  It went in a fajita marinade, in my enchilada sauce and someplace else that I can’t exactly remember.  I just know I used it all.  I wish I could say I really tasted the fresh oregano but I’m not really sure it could compete will all the other Mexican flavors in both dishes.

As for the fun-colored carrots and the lettuce, simple hummus snacking and side salad eating.  Hardly blog worthy, but convenient and quick.  Oh and one last cute thing for this post…little llamas on the farm! 🙂

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Have you ever eaten a purple carrot?

What herb do you prefer to eat fresh?  Basil all the way!

What’s your go-to no-brainer dinner?