A Brief Pause

Hi everyone! I have so much to share:

• A restaurant review of : Local 188 restaurant in Portland, Maine 
• My Thanksgiving adventure
• A GREAT treadmill interval workout!

However, my internet isnt working so I am taking a brief pause until it works again! Hopefully by Tuesday!!

What I learned from my Foxwoods Trip 2010

Oh Foxwoods.

I learned a few lessons:

• That busses full of senior citizens are a little LOT crazier, cruder and louder than you may think-- If I didnt think I'd get sued I would put the video of them singing perverted songs on this post.
• However, that same bus full of "joyful" French-Canadians are apparently good luck for me. Or maybe it just my 100% French Canadian Mimi watching down on. I won bingo once and a raffle for a Subway gift card. SWEET!

• I love the great outdoors a lot a lot a lot. Being stuck inside a unnecessarily large hotel/casino for two days drove me crazy. I couldnt wait to get outside.

My mom and aunts are just as crazy and fun as I thought they were.





We Laughed, We Cried, We Gambled....:)


• That you can still find ways to exercise there! The gym, pool, and spa area were beautiful. I even got in a great run and weight training session the next morning!
• That James Dorsey is Hilarious and I must see him doing stand up again in my life.

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Definitely one of the most ridiculous places I have

 been.

Definitely a place I wont be back to for a long while.

Foxwoods

Is it weird that Foxwoods reminds me of the 90's? I guess I'll see for myself tomorrow...

I am planning on bringing 20 dollars. hmph. Let you know how that goes..

Date Night and Distractions

Hello! Hope you are having a wonderful week before all the Holiday craziness sets in. Anyone still send out Christmas Cards?


This is my family photo from last year: (I am on the top right)

Haha, no that is actually from awkwardfamilyphotos.com ... that website is amazing!

But yeah, this is my picture last year with my girlfriends. Dont you love our sweaters?! We found them at a thrift store for a buck each.


Last night, Andrew took me on a nice little date to the Olive Cafe on Commercial Street in Portland.


I have been here once before and had a good experience.

I should have taken a picture of the sign outside because it truly paints an ugly picture. The font they use for their sign is this really kid-like, curly stupid font that completely throws you off. I thought I was going to walk into some totally tacky restaurant with bright curtains, plastic chairs..you know the deal---very Macdonalds-esque.

I actually LOVE the interior of the cafe. It is very quaint and simple. You can tell they were so thoughtful putting it all together. The tables are all matching dark wood with creamy white chairs. Just change that sign. Please :)

 There are candles lit everywhere which just adds a nice ambiance and truly makes you feel relaxed.

Andrew and I started off the meal with the:

 MEDITERRANEAN BRUCHETTA
TOMATOES, FRESH MINT AND CILANTRO WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE SERVED ON TOASTED ORGANIC RUSTIC BREAD WITH MELTED PARMESAN

This was soo good. I always just use basil for bruchetta but the mint was such a refreshing addition. We were both very impressed with this-- the tomatoes were perfectly ripe. It was a perfect serving for two people as well.


The Olive Cafe also serves pita chips with tzatziki sauce to every table in place of a bread basket.


For my entree, I decided to go with:
GREEK SALAD
GREENS, TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS, KALAMATA OLIVES, RED ONIONS, FRESH MINT, AND FETA CHEESE WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Mmm, this salad was amazing! Andrew thought I was weird for saying my favorite part about it was that everything was chopped up so small. However, it is a small gripe of mine when salads have huge chunks of vegetables and cheese. This salad was delicious and a perfect dinner portion. I am not sure if there was any balsamic dressing on it but that was okay since the olives and feta cheese add so much it doesnt really need dressing.


Andrew decided to go with the:
FISH TACOS
FRESH HADDOCK BLACKENED OR PAN-SEARED SERVED IN FLOUR TORTILLAS WITH FIELD GREENS AND CILANTRO LIME CREMA,
WITH A SIDE OF COLESLAW AND ROASTED VEGETABLE SALSA


Andrew chose to get the fish pan-seared. It is nice to have that choice. I have never seen that on a menu for fish tacos.

These were amazing as well. The fish was perfectly cooked- not dry at all. This came alongside some of the best sweet potato fries I have ever had. I dont think they were fried either-- which is obviously great. They were perfect. I am so happy sweet potatoes are good for you because they are definitely in my diet every week it seems.


All in all, you should GO to the Olive Cafe for a great meal and great ambiance!


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Before I went out to dinner, I went to the gym for a lovely workout. Sometimes, all it takes to get myself there is a few mental distractions. As soon as I decided I wanted to go the gym I turned on some music and zoned out while I got ready to go. I look up an interesting treadmill workout from my favorite blogger. Trust me, changing up things on the dreadmill makes it go by so much faster. Play with the speed and the incline so its always a little bit challenging and a whole lot more interesting!
Finally, once I got there, I decided I was going to have a great workout and I did. I think I may have to give some credit to these guys:

WAYNES WORLD! Definitely one of my top 10 favorite movies ever. It was on TV while I ran and I may look like an idiot running and laughing my butt off--but atleast I am getting through my workout!

~~~

Have a great weekend!

Po Boy's Po Pickles..

After my gym workout the other day, I was driving home and passed Andrew driving in the other direction. I called him up to see where he was heading. He gave me strict orders to not eat. First thoughts, I am obviously offended. Is he calling me fat? Did he spill something foul in the fridge and doesnt want me to see it? Good Lord, I am paranoid...


I showered and waited for his arrival. OH! Now I get it as he arrives with two carry-out bags , he was picking up lunch. He chose Po' Boys and Pickles on Forest Ave in Portland. I had been wanting to try this place for a while. It is a New Orleans style take out restaurant. For lunch, he ordered 2 sandwiches:
Pulled Pork with cajun coleslaw, tomato and bbq sauce, and the
Golden Fried Oyster sandwich as well as a
Beet salad with meslun greens, goat cheese, beets, and toasted walnuts and Sweet Potato Fries.

The Pulled pork sandwich was really delicious but the oyster sandwich was just okay. Kind of blah tasting--definitely in need of a sauce or another spice. However, the whity rolls were fresh and possibly made in-house?
The sweet potato fries were really good. The beet salad was delicious and I would order this again for sure. Andrew knows me so well to pick a salad with beets, goat cheese, and a red wine viniagrette.

Everything tasted super fresh from Po' Boys and we will definitely be back.

Perfect Fall Saturday with Friends

Hmm..can you guess where we are?

I'll start with breakfast and go from there.. :)

We ventured down to Bintliff's American Cafe for brunch on Saturday morning with my sister and her boyfriend Kevin. We were celebrating my sisters new job (!!!) so I took her out.

You must go here! I suggest going during the week or on Saturday oppose to Sunday. Only if you want to wait downstairs in a line that can stretch out the door.

We all started our meal with hot coffee. Service was great and we were checked on several times to make sure we were doing okay.

I asked our friendly and helpful waiter what type of omelette was popular there. He reccomended one with roasted capers, spinach, chevre cheese, and smoked salmon. I am so happy I asked him! This was wonderful. The potatoes were good, but not great (to me). They were cut a little bit too thick and had rosemary on them which I am not really a fan of. The toast was good though.

Andrew went with 2 of the peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes. These were bigger than his head so I am happy the waiter ensured him that he would be full after 2 instead of a full stack of 3!

These pancakes were thin and slightly crispy on the outside. They were worth every syrupy sugary bite (that I stole). I am definitely one of those girlfriends who hopes her boyfriend orders something "sinful" so I can try a few bites... Who isnt?! Emily got homefries with poached eggs and veggies. Kevin got eggs benedict. I know they were both happy with their meals!

This brunch was a wonderful day to start our day.

After brunch, we headed to Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth. It was a perfect day for it since the weather was about 60. Sixty.. in Maine.. in November? I cant complain at all. We havnt even turned on our heat yet-- that is unheard of!

I would post more amazing pictures of Fort Williams, but blogger wont allow me to. Boo :( Anyways, I hope you have a relaxing Sunday!!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things (As of lately..)

My new boots from Target: they are really comfy and fit me like a glove!

Black Kitty Kats: that still grace my door the week after Halloween ;)

Cheap plain organic yogurt:  Did you know how much sugar flavored yogurts have in them?! Try plain and sweeten a little w/ honey.  This Trader Joe's brand is very tart- but nothing a little honey and peanut flour cant change. Peanut butter flavored yogurt..healthy and delicious!

This is not a sand pile--it is the peanut flour :)

Baked Tofu on a Big Salad: I first wrapped the tofu in paper towels and put it in on a baking trap. I then put a heavy plate PLUS three big cookbooks on top of it. This expells the water from the tofu. After this, I cut the tofu into 1 inch slices and put it in a marinade of honey, seasonings, and olive oil. I then baked at 375 for 30 minutes. So good!



This Cookbook:

I made the "Hearty Lasagna" for Andrew to have to take to work and such..It was wonderful! He didnt even know I added lots of mushrooms and spinach...sneaky sneaky!

This Monster:

Source


Such a great workout. Dont be intimidated next time and try it out :)


I am going to a hair appointment now. I will definitely post pictures so get excited...
Have a wonderful evening!

A Trader Joe's Review and a Humpback Whale

Hi all!
I'll start with another Trader Joe's Review..

Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce: I love curry sauces.. they are so warm and perfect to enjoy during the colder months of the year. This one has a great ingredient list- nothing weird about it.

Upon first taste, I thought something was a bit off. I decided to try it anyway. I sauteed up some red onion and brocolli. Once the vegetables were tender, I added about a tablespoon of the sauce. I then served it on a bed of mesclun greens. WOW! This was delicious and I highly reccomend this stuff.

I started off my day today with some errands and exercise on foot.  It was so windy out today.

Has anyone else glanced at the signs around the Back Bay Trail?

Hmm.... this makes my day. I would be so excited to see a few humpback whales frolicking in the bay..dont think it will happen anytime soon ;)

Have a wonderful day!!

Love me some Sunday

My favorite day of the week is definitely Sunday. For three main reasons:

·         SLEEPING IN: Well, sort of. Sleeping in for most is 10 A.M or later. For me, sleeping in means waking up around 8:30 and laying in bed thinking about how nice it would be to be able to sleep in :)
·         DAY OFF: No work one day a week. Pretty sure anyone would be happy about this. No work also means no workouts. I have myself convinced that the gym is closed on Sundays, it is right?

·         FOOTBALL SUNDAYS: This ones clearly a lie.

This Sunday started off with a shift I had picked up at the restaurant. It was insanely busy! I picked up the shift because I wanted to counter balance my budget with my (worth it) trip to Forever 21 and Target.

I picked up a black pea coat at Forever 21 and some really cute boots at Target. Oh yeah, and a black skirt too!

The boots shown here with my favorite homemade apron :)

We had people over for dinner. Our guests were my sister Emily, her boy Kevin, and our great friends Megan and Krissy. It was a great way to end the week.

I decided to make roasted root vegetables. So good!
Andrew cut the vegetables with my apple slicer. Worked great!

I roasted sweet potatoes, beets, and regular potatoes for about an hour and 15 minutes in Olive Oil, salt and pepper. So easy and so delicious.

My sister made baked chicken with an red onion and cremini mushroom sauce. The onions and mushrooms were sauteed in olive oil and homemade pesto sauce. Once the onions and mushrooms softened, Emily added some flour to thicken it. It was amazing!





A little worker bee.

I love having people over! It is so fun to make a meal together and catch up on life.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the curious eye of a child-- our own two eyes. All is a miaracle." -Thich Nhat Hanh

Awkward gym moments among other things..

The place: Planet Fitness, Portland, ME

After a sweaty 35 minute work out on the stairmaster, I am one hot mess. I decide to finish my work out with some lunges and other leg exercises.

I enter the stretching room and am relieved to see it pretty much empty. I set up my stuff in my own little corner. Water bottle: check. Weights : check. Enormously large gym bag: check.
 

 

As I am doing some leg lifts on the mat, a woman walks in, probably in her 20's like me. She looks around and for some reason feels so compelled to stretch directly next to me. Now, I am all for meeting new people but this is a little claustrophobic. As I scoot over to the end of the mat to get some space, I am pretty sure she moved along side with me.. Hrmm.. Ill be puzzled with this one for a while.

I LOVE the stair master by the way. I sware the first 3 work outs on it are by far the worst.

So, I tried another TJ's Product.

Definitely pretty boring--but nothing a little hot sauce and frozen corn can't fix. ;) 3 out of 5.

Also, I LOVE the peanut flour so far. It is like corn starch in consistency and has a light peanut taste.I have been using it as peanut butter and it is really delicious and fairly cheap. For 3.49, I got a product that will last me a few months for sure. To use it for PB, I just add 1 tbsp to 2-3 tbsp water and a dash of salt and mix. The dash of salt is necessary for it to taste good! It is a great source of protein for you body builders out there! hehe.

In other news, this has been my view of my boyfriend lately :)

He is working so hard on the fish tank! It looks amazing though :) This picture is for you, Mr. and Mrs. Harner!

 I am working tonight then maybe a drink with some people in the Old Port. Have a wonderful Saturday!