Monthly Archives: May 2011

Our First Wedding Anniversary

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Court’s Aunt Pat and Uncle Don are super generous people, and allowed us to borrow their rocky mountain retreat home over the weekend. 
It’s the nicest house I’ve ever set foot in, and we were so lucky/grateful/excited that they let us celebrate our first wedding anniversary there!
After work on Friday, we hit the highway to Canmore and arrived around 8pm… just in time for a late dinner. We were greeted by rain and snow (ugh) but thankfully it didn’t ruin the weekend.
We headed over to “The French Quarter”, a cajun creole place I was dying to try.  We ordered wine, and snacked on warm cornbread while mulling over the menu. 



Cajun restaurants are pretty few and far between in Alberta, and since I wanted to eat everything, I chose seafood gumbo and a “Naw’lins platter” which included snapper, garlic shrimp, crawfish, fried oysters and roasted veggies. Court had the Sweet Potato Chicken. I scraped my plate clean then dug into Court’s plate. Let the gluttony begin…
The French Quarter was Court’s first cajun food experience, but it was a little too ‘casual’ for his liking. I agree. When I’m on vacation, I want the best of the best!
After dinner, it was time to unwind in the mountain mansion, but first, Court surprised me with a huge bouquet of flowers he had delivered to the house.
He’s so thoughtful! 
Pat and Don’s vacation home is so beautiful, inviting and warm… I wish it was ours!
view of the back of the house

main living area

main living area

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living area/kitchen

They even have an elevator! “Handy if you have a bad knee”, Don once said to me. My IT band agrees!
As if an elevator wasn’t shocking enough, we found this framed photo in the loft:

Yep, just Don enjoying a fishing trip… with George Bush.

We spent the remainder of Friday evening lounging in front of the fire with glasses of wine, and a treat we picked up from a local shop.

Sooooo good! 
When it was time to call it a day, I climbed into a memory foam mattress bed (naturally) and snuggled in to read a few chapters of The Help. Perfect end to a perfect evening!

One Year Ago…

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Court and I are off to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary this weekend. I cannot believe we’ve been married for a year already! Since we can’t be in Kauai to celebrate (sad), we’re off to the Rockies to wine, dine, and hit up some hiking/biking trails.

I miss being a bride! Planning the wedding was the best part. Choosing flowers, a cake, location, jewelry…. I wish we could renew our vows on Kauai every year!

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I tried the oats-in-a-jar for the first time this morning. Like like like!
I added 1/3 c cooked oatmeal, almond milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds to a left over pb jar. Each bite was filled with peanut buttery goodness.
On the side, 3/4 c greek yogurt and berries. I’m full.
I let frozen berries thaw in the yogurt overnight, which helps to sweeten the yogurt naturally.
Lunch – maple glazed salmon on a bed of spinach, quinoa and roasted zucchini. (Also last nights dinner)
To make the maple glaze, I combined 
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 pkts soy sauce (classy)
1 tsp minced garlic
salt & pepper
Brush salmon and broil for approx 12-15 mins. 
I failed at exercising most of the week. Its been too rainy/cold to run and I’m feeling run down. Exercising has seemed like such a chore and I’ve only got a couple 20 minute elliptical sessions in. My body is craving rest, and I’m ok with that. 

Avocado Quesadillas

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I was so jealous that this guy got to stay home and snuggle in bed all day. Rainy days make me blah.
Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms, green pepper
+ Vans waffles 
Lunch
veggie wrap on whole wheat
white bean soup
Dinner
Avocado quesadillas…I think these might be the best thing I’ve ever made!
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, combine
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 chopped tomatoes
2 ripe avocados, chopped
1 finely chopped jalapeno, seeds removed
3 tbsp cilantro
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
salt & pepper to taste
Lightly brush 2 tortillas with olive oil (I use whole grain mini tortillas), place a layer of fresh spinach onto 1 wrap and  spoon avocado mixture on. Top with cheese, place the second wrap on and bake for 10 mins or until cheese is melted. Broil for a few mins on low until lightly browned.
Serve with fresh salsa and plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Mmmmm.
Daily exercise: 1 hr walk… in the rain… 

Reading List/Spring 2011

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Cool, rainy days have been putting a damper (ha!) on my training schedule. Gloomy weather makes me feel sleepy, and last night I couldn’t wait to crawl into bed with a book.
Aside from my KitchenAid mixer, my e-reader is my second best friend. We go everywhere together!
Presently, I’m reading The Help.
In recent weeks, I’ve also read Water for Elephants (meh), Sweet Valley Confidential (haha), Summer in the City, and my favourite book I’ve read in a long time, Two Kisses for Maddy.
Despite the tragedy which initiated Matt Logelin’s blog/book, it’s not a depressing, sappy read. Two Kisses for Maddy is heartfelt, funny and inspiring. Love love.

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On Sunday morning I made blueberry oats with chocolate almond milk instead of my usual vanilla. I’m wild. When I offered some to Court he was NOT impressed. “What is that? What are you doing? Ugh, No Thanks” 
Unfamiliar food combos scare him a little. I made him try the pb/spinach wrap the other day, (which initially had him horrified) and when he took a bite was pleasantly surprised; proclaiming, “Wow! Why is that good?” 
I made THE BEST black bean soup for lunch, with a recipe I found on Women’s Health website.

1/2 C chopped red onion
      2 tsp olive oil
      1 tsp minced garlic
      3/4 tsp oregano
      3/4 tsp cumin
      15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
      2 C chicken broth
      1 tbsp feta cheese
Directions
1.In a large saucepan, combine onion, oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt
to taste. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in beans and broth. Reduce heat to medium-low.
2.Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Mash some beans against side
of pan. Serve sprinkled with feta and cilantro (optional).

I like low maintenance, minimal effort recipes and this simple soup is packed with flavour.  
Buttered mountain grain bread + black bean soup = perfect rainy day lunch. 
My mom invited us over for Sunday dinner, where she served baby back ribs (I rarely eat red meat, but I caved and had to try some.. they smelled SO good!), corn, roasted potatoes, and salad which was packed full of roasted, candied almonds.
DESSERT (my favourite) Broxburn pie! My Mom and I shared a slice of strawberry pie last weekend, and we were drooling over the apple pie when we left the cafe.
She ordered apple and a Broxberry (strawberry, blueberry, currants) pies and we loaded our plates  sky high. I had a slice of each. I HAD TO.
Broxburn pies are made without a ton of sugar, allowing the natural sweetness and flavour of the fruit to shine through.  I like it when food tastes like its supposed to.

Daily exercise: 1 hr walk in the morning +  5k walk/run in the afternoon

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Weekend breakfast = looooove. Court and I enjoyed our pancakes while sitting outside basking under the warm morning sun.

I made a batch of protein pancakes with layers of strawberries between each cake. Yes.

perfect bite
Protein pancakes are the perfect pre-workout breakfast. I went for a 40 minute run after, and I nearly sprinted the whole time. My legs were flyin!
 
Later on, I picked up ground coffee and treat from my favourite coffee shop, Express. They always have treat samples out, and I usually come home with something new to snack on.
Mango Cherry Chipotle candied nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Salty, sweet, spicy. Delightfully confusing to my tastebuds.

We packed a picnic for dinner and headed down to the river bottom again.

my wine to-go mug
Broccoli slaw, bbq chicken skewers, cheese, olives, seed bread and strawberry-basil-feta-balsamic salad. Oh, and coffee mugs filled with wine. We’re bad.
Court… and a deer
I ran the 1 mile hill again… nearly died… again. Damn you hills…

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My Friday breakfast: 1/2 c plain greek yogurt, strawberries, topped with a handful of oats. For some added protein, I ate two eggs.

I normally buy organic strawberries, but haven’t been able to find them lately. During my last trip to the grocery store, I was forced to buy frankenberries. (#whitegirlproblems)

They were surprisingly good! Sweet, juicy and the size of a chihuahua.

Lunch, another PB Spinach wrap and more frankenberries.

Dinner: 3/4 cup whole wheat spiral noodles (I’m not good with pasta names!), topped with a few heaping spoonfuls of Courts delicious homemade marinara sauce. Instead of ground beef, he used local, organic bison.

I stuffed my face while watching Oprah’s Ralph Lauren interview. Such a good interview,  I love seeing the inside of celeb homes and hideaways.

After dinner, we headed out on a short walk through the riverbottom. We were craving ice cream more than exercise; we didn’t make it far.

While Court drove up the coulees, I chose to run the very steep 1 mile hill.

I nearly died at the end, I don’t run hills… ever. I made it up and out of the coulees within 8 mins, but it felt like an eternity!

We opted for gelato, instead of our usual DQ cones.

I had a mixture of no sugar coconut and chocolate

The chocolate was the best part,  thick and gooey, and was just like eating frozen brownie batter.

blueberry banana yogurt bowl

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My breakfast looked so good this morning I didn’t want to eat it! I sliced up a banana, and put half of it in the bottom of the bowl, then added 3/4 c plain greek yogurt, a handful of oats, frozen blueberries, the rest of the banana and a tsp of chia seeds.

Breakfast kept me satiated for most the morning and I give it a 6/10 on the “keep me full until (almost) lunchtime” scale.

Todays lunch:

Peanut Butter Spinach wrap. Don’t roll your eyes/gag – its really good! I swear you can’t taste the spinach, and its adds just a hint of crunch. Baby carrots, broccoli slaw and pineapple completed my meal.

Dinner:

Roasted zucchini, broccoli slaw, and curried salmon with cucumber mint yogurt sauce.
Dessert (the highlight of my day)

mango soft serve;

1 c frozen mango, a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, blended until smooth, then topped with sprinkles and 2 graham crackers.

Today’s workout: 70 minute walk and Abs (planks and V-ups, as many as I can handle!)

Ultra Thin Crust Pizza

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Following Wednesday nights 6k run, I was craving carbs, and got to work in the kitchen creating super thin crust pizzas. I used a whole grain wrap instead of pizza dough (Court made his on whole wheat pitas).

I made pizza sauce using a can of tomato sauce and seasoned it with s&p, oregano, garlic and basil.

While the oven was preheating to 375, we prepped our pies with spinach, basil, mushrooms, sauteed red onion with lots of cheddar and feta.
 
The end result:
Served with a side of broccoli slaw.
After dinner, we went for a 45 min walk through the riverbottom where I saw a beaver for the first time! How I’ve never seen one is beyond me. (I saw my first coyote a couple months ago)
I NEEDED ice cream after our walk and picked up small DQ cones on the way home
Ohhh soft serve, I love you so much.