Sunday, October 30, 2011

Weekend Recap: Don't Just Know Your Local Farmers... Party with Them!

This Halloween weekend was filled with great fall festivities including: delicious locally-sourced food, a pick-up soccer game, a polenta experiment, and a long hike. No haunted houses or costumes for me... Here we go!
Friday night, I had a nice little dinner date with this good-lookin' guy...
We ordered the hot and sour soup, a spicy yellow squash dish (with seitan!), and veggie lo mein. The yellow squash dish in the very back of the picture was definitely my favorite! Seitan is an alternative to tofu made from wheat. It has the texture and consistency of roast beef - a bit interesting, but kind of tasty! For dessert, we shared a dish of coconut ice cream that was divine. Yum!
Saturday morning I was up bright and early to run the 13 mile St. Jude course around town. Only 33 days until race day! Eek! I was pretty sore after this run... but I made it! Again, I used those Gu Chomps to fuel only these ones had caffeine! I think that improved my game a bit. I was able to make it to about mile 9 before I felt like I just might die rather than only about 6 miles. Woohoo! Also, I know this picture has been floating around a lot on the internet lately... but I still crack up every time I come across it! It's so true!
Love it. :-)
This weekend was the last Downtown Farmers Market for the season. :-( To celebrate, they held a little party for all the volunteers and vendors which was a lot of fun. So much good food!! Someone made this awe-inspiring potato salad out of sweet potatoes. Mmmm! After filling up with good eats, one of the other volunteers roped Will and I into a round of soccer. Definitely a fun time (even after having just run 13 miles)!
Polenta success!
That evening I cooked up Jenna from eatliverun.com's Baked Polenta with Mushrooms, Gorgonzola Cheese, and Tomato Sauce. (Recipe!) It was really simple to make and quite tasty. Per Will, it might be better to layer the polenta and toppings - I agree! The only tweak I made to the recipe was replacing the Gorgonzola with mozzarella.
To finish the weekend, we went on a long, relaxing hike with Honey at Meeman-Shelby Forest. The leaves are  finally starting to change around here.
Broken bridge? Stand on it!
Honey had lots of fun!
Time for another week spent trying to convince some of the local Vets to eat a little more fruits and veggies and a little less BBQ-smothered pork. :-) Got my work cut out for me!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Thoughts for Thursday

-Erica sent me this pic the other day that she took on the trolley when all my friends were here. I love it. :-)

-You know that "Friday" song by Katie Perry? I may or may not turn up the volume and rock out to it when I'm driving by myself. Just maybe.
-I love The Oatmeal's new comic, "If My Brain Were an Imaginary Friend". My brain seriously plays that censored trick on me whenever I meet someone new. If I just met you... I'm sorry I can't remember your name. Now you know, it's not my fault!!
-Whenever people start talking football after running group, I think my eyes start to glaze over... Totally clueless.
-Just finished a fluffy chic lit novel called The Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin. You need one of those every once in a while. You know?
-Why do girls my age have to dress like sluts for halloween? Can't I go out dressed as Laura Ingalls Wilder anymore?!
So much cooler than a "naughty nurse"
-A new class of interns started their dietetic internship at our hospital this week. They all have those first week jitters and bubbly excitement. It makes me miss my friends/co-interns back in Cleveland. Sigh...
-I love it when I have patients who you could say are... characters? It makes my day more special. (I'm talking about you Ms. X with the red Ray-bans! -You never know when it's going to get real sunny in your hospital room.) :-)
-The announcer on the loudspeaker this afternoon totally called for "Semore Butts" to go to the lobby and "Amanda Hugankiss" to report to clinic. Classics from The Simpsons. LOL!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Pumpkin Explosion!

This is embarrassing. Really embarrassing. But since embarrassing is something that happens to me often... I thought I'd share! So, this morning I was mixing up a pumpkin smoothie in my blender and since I put peanut butter in it, I sometimes have to scrape off the sides to get it to blend in with the rest. I know one of the cardinal rules of using the blender is to never take the lid off while it is on... but I had gotten away with it before! So, this morning, I was using my spoon to scrape down the sides when I dropped it. Eeek! All of the sudden pumpkin smoothie was flying everywhere!!! It splashed all over the counter, up the wall, and even a bit flew onto the ceiling in my kitchen! LOL! Talk about a wake up call!!! By some crazy miracle, I managed to not get any on my clothes. Whew! If only I had a picture to capture my face in that moment. I felt so ridiculous that I had seriously just let that happen!! Lol.
After work snack! :-)
For the potluck at work, I made the pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing. I remember Lydia's mom making them in college and they were so delicious! The icing on mine ended up being just a little um... chunky? I have yet to invest in a mixer and thought I could get away with mixing it up by hand. Yeah right. I used Will's mixer in the morning to try to break up the bits which helped a little. Mentally taking note for next time! They still turned out being pretty tasty though. I used this recipe --> Pumpkin Bars.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Soup(er) Start to My Week!

At the Farmer's Market this weekend, I picked up a head of broccoli and a humongous bag of mustard greens. I sauteed a few greens on Sunday with some garlic and sesame oil which turned out well, but I was still overwhelmed with large pile that remained in my vegetable draw. It had been a while since Will and I cooked together, so I suggested we come up with a greens based soup. It turned out pretty well I must say! :-)
Green Goblin Soup/Bisque
(We didn't really use a recipe, so I'll do the best I can trying to recall the ingredients!)
Ingredients:
-2 tbsp butter
-2 tbsp flour
-1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
-1/4 cup shredded cheese
-1 medium sized broccoli floret (chopped)
-3-4 cups of mustard greens
-2 cloves garlic
-1/2 onion
-2 cups broth
-Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
To make the roux:
1. Melt butter in small sauce pan. Cook until it just starts to bubble/brown. Add the flour and stir vigorously to incorporate. Once combined, slowly add the milk about 1/2 cup at a time. Stir after each milk addition and heat to thicken until sauce-like before adding next 1/2 cup. Continue to cook until thickened to desired consistency. Mix in cheese and stir until melted.
To make the soup:
1. In a separate pan, melt another tbsp of butter. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for just 1 minute. Next add the broth and the green vegetables.
2. Simmer vegetables with the lid on the pot for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the vegetables are softened.
3. In a food processor, combine 1/2 of the roux and 1/2 of the cooked vegetables and blend. Pour into bowl and continue with the next batch. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Feel free to add any other seasonings! We threw in a dash of paprika!)

Of course, I served mine up with a grilled cheese on the side because seriously, there is no better companion for soup than grilled cheese. It's like peanut butter and jelly. Or a good book and a cup of coffee. Or Batman and Robin. They belong together. :-0

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Weekend Recap: Filled with Food, Art, and... Zombies!

Howdy y'all! I'm seriously so excited that it is finally beginning to feel like fall here. Yipee! Now I can drink pumpkin spice lattes and eat hot oatmeal without breaking into a sweat! :-) One thing I am really missing though is the fantastic fall foliage that this season brings back home... Memphis can be pretty in it's own way, but it's just not the same. I'll just have to be content with all the fun fall pins on Pinterest for now! Anyways, here's a glimpse of my weekend!
-After a long week at work, I was craving some Mexican... and a margarita! Will and I headed to Molly's again. It just might be the best Mexican in town. Their black beans are freakin' fantastic! Yummy!!!
So much foood!!!
-Afterwards, we (I mean mostly Will) helped our friends Tanecia and Sandeep (basically our only friends in Memphis!) move some of the larger things out of their apartment. They left for Little Rock yesterday. :-( We'll have to go visit sometime!
-Saturday I had that epic 11 mile run around town with StarRunners and afterwards met Will at the farmer's market to shop. Next week is the last market of the season... so sad!
-That afternoon, we strolled around the River Arts Fest that lined the street right outside my apartment building. The best part was the booths they had set up where you could watch artists at work. At some point in life I really want to take a community college art class.


-Afterwards, we were hungry. So, we headed to Trolley Stop for some slices of pizza! Sun-dried tomatoes for me - artichokes for Will. :-)
-Saturday evening we went to a small theater in town to see the play, Look Away! A Civil War Zombie Tragedy. That's right - it was a play about zombies! I am not a big fan of horror movies or haunted houses, so I was bit skeptical when Will suggested it. However, it turned out to be pretty entertaining! I managed to jump only a few times!
-Sunday was a pretty chill day. That eleven miler really tired me out. So much so that I had to take a nap today even though I had slept in! This afternoon, I got to talk with some of my favorite people: Dean, Charis, and Lydia! As much as I tell myself that I hate talking on the phone, I am always filled with such warm feelings when I finally do get to catch up, even if it is over the phone. :-)
This week is shaping up to be a busy one as usual! The new intern class starts tomorrow which means there is a potluck to cook for in the near future - I'm thinking a pumpkin dish would be nice...

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Reflections from the Long Run

When you are on your feet and running for almost 2 hours, you have a lot of time to think about things. This morning, I joined my fellow StarRunners as we did 11 miles of the St. Jude Half Marathon route in town. Here's a few of the kinds of that run through my mind...
-11 miles. You got this. You've done this before. Just. keep. going.
-Are we done yet?
-Need to drink more water. Fuel time! Last time, I tried to fuel with raisins but in order to get the 30 grams of carbs that you are supposed to eat to fuel for about 2 hours you have eat a little over 1/4 cup of raisins. The problem, it is really hard to eat that many raisins and run at the same time! Today, I thought I'd try these "Gu Chomps" to fuel. They were so chewy! It was so hard to chew, breathe, and swallow at the same time!
-What should I eat after the run? Hmmm... pumpkin oatmeal? pumpkin-peanut butter toast? pumpkin spice latte? All of the above? :-)
-Need to get those presentations done for work. Did I put that milk in for Mr. X? The new intern class starts on Monday! Eek!
-Mmm... what's that smell?? Warm bread... it's Wonderbread! (The factory in town was along our route!)
-What do I have in my fridge? What should I pick up from the farmer's market later?
-Dean's birthday is coming up soon! What to get?!
-Am I done now?!?!? Only one more mile.
-Try really hard to not let the snot run out my nose! (Why does your nose run so much in the cold?!) So embarrassing!
-One last push to the end. You can do it... you did it!!! 11 miles, check!
-Dude my legs are sore... lol.

Of course, I am also chatting with my friends. There was a group of about 6 of us that kept together the whole run. They definitely helped me make it through! Now, Will and I are heading to the River Arts Fest this afternoon - it's happening right outside my apartment building so I figured, I can't miss it!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

I'm Obsessed... with Pumpkin!

So... I'm going to be like so many other food bloggers out there right now and rave about some of the tasty pumpkin dishes I've been savoring over the last few days. :-) Honestly though, pumpkin is pretty awesome. It's just so versatile! Mix it with peanut butter for a great sandwich spread, add it to quick breads, oatmeal, yogurt, or eat it straight out the can! (JK... sort of...)
Here are a couple of the delish things I've been doing with my pumpkin.

Pumpkin Delight Oatmeal
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup oats
-3/4 cup milk
-1/2 cup pumpkin puree
-1 tbsp peanut butter
-1 tbsp honey
-1/8 cup raisins
-Sprinkle of cinnamon
Directions:
1. Prepare oats using milk. Once cooked stir in the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee! :-0

Before my run this evening, I was trying to come up with what to have for dinner. I looked in my cabinet and saw my last can of pumpkin sitting by a bag of rice and I thought... how about pumpkin risotto?! A quick internet search and a creamy, fall-like side dish was born!

Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Risotto
(Adapted from this recipe from Tasty Kitchen)
Ingredients:
-2 tbsp butter
-1/2 onion, diced
-1-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 cup rice
-1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
-3 cups vegetable stock (I didn't have quite enough stock so I used 1 cup water and 2 cups stock)
-Salt and pepper to taste (But feel free to try other seasonings like a bay leaf, thyme, oregano... whatever your little heart desires!)
-1/2 cup shredded cheese (The recipe online called for parmesan, I used Monterey Jack and it was delicious!)
-3 tbsp whole milk
Directions:
1. Melt butter in medium saucepan and add onion. Cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
2. Add rice and stir to coat with butter/onion mixture. Stir in pumpkin and 1 cup stock. Simmer until all the stock is almost completely absorbed. Add the second cup of stock/water and cook until almost gone. Do the same with the final cup of stock/water.
3. Season to taste with your choice of S+P or herbs. Stir in cheese and milk. Enjoy!! Perfect for a rainy, chilly evening like we have here in Memphis. :-)

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Weekend Recap

After all the fun times I had with my friends in town last weekend, we decided to just relax the last few days. Which was much needed! So, other than my long run we didn't do a whole lot other than do some grocery shopping, watch a few movies, and try out this new little church dowtown this morning. Earlier this week, I finished Tina Fey's book Bossypants. I had been waiting to get my hands on this book for so long! Although, it wasn't quite the funny/inspirational book I had hoped for, it was a fun read. It was actually an autobiography of growing up and her career path from a travelling improv group, to SNL (no one will ever forget those Sarah Palin skits!), to producing her own show 30 Rock. I hadn't fully realized how much of a pioneer for women in comedy she and Amy Poehler have been. Before they came along, it would seem that women were left to only flat, cookie-cutter roles. This morning, I started The Monster of Florence by Douglas Prestor which is the next book on the agenda for book club. It's pretty intense! This work week will likely be a busy one. I've got a few presentations coming up as well as the quarterly department newsletter to edit. Plus, the new dietetic intern class will be starting in just a few weeks so I am trying to gear up for that as I will be able to act as a preceptor this time. Eek! I'm getting nervous!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Pushing the Limit

No kidding!

9 miles. 9 miles is definitely enough to intimidate. So far, the runs I have done with the group StarRunners have peaked at 7. For some reason, 7 miles felt totally fine last week. In fact, it was pretty awesome. Tagging on an extra 2 however, just put me over the edge. It may not just be the distance, but also a little something to do with that caution sign - it isn't to be taken lightly! When the schedule listed this as a "hilly" run, that was no joke! The city of Memphis is relatively flat so we had to drive out to Meeman Shelby State Park to find these babies. Since we did a lollipop shaped loop through the park, there were 3 hills to tackle twice on the "stick" part of the loop. I'll admit, I had to walk a few feet the second time around! The one embarrassing thing about hills is that they make me breathe sooo hard, I'm sure I sound like a freight train fighting it's way up a mountain. (I'm like the "Little Engine that Could"! - Only not so cute... and much sweatier...)  Everyone else seems to be able to pass so quietly! Not fair! Although, I guess it could be considered a good thing as I'd definitely ward off any bears if I were running in the woods by myself. I most certainly make enough noise to scare them off! Haha.
Now that the torture is over though, I remember what it is about running that I love so much. There is definitely a certain thrill in being able to push yourself that hard for that many miles, which is rewarding. Plus, I find so much serenity in being able to put on my headphones, start my watch, and let my mind go as I find my pace. On hard runs like today, it's not only physically taxing, but mentally as well. You have to work hard to convince yourself that you indeed can make it to the crest of that last hill, even though all of your muscles are shouting "NO!". (This explains the reason for the comatose state in which I walked around the garage sales with Will this morning! Lol.) Also, it's sort of addicting. Races instill a sense of competition within yourself. Can I beat my last 5K time? Can I break that 2 hour Half Marathon mark? Another reason I love running? It's been a great way for me to meet some new people and make new friends here in Memphis!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Soup(er) Wednesday

When I left work today the sky was pasty gray and the rain was just starting to fall. It was just enough to cool things here and I was feeling  like I needed some kind of warm comfort food for dinner. Therefore, soup was on my mind! When my friends were here over the weekend, we made a very similar soup with sweet potatoes, acorn squash, etc. Since I still had a few of those veggies left over, I set about recreating that same soup. I've made this soup a lot over the last year or so with some minor variations each time. Yet, it never fails to turn out great! Here's the recipe:
Perfect for cool fall evenings!
Beta Carotene Power Soup
Serves ~4?
Ingredients:
-3 small sweet potatoes
-2 small turnips
-1 acorn squash
-2 cloves garlic
-3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (approximately...)
-Salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Halve the acorn squash, scoop the seeds out with a spoon and microwave for 2-3 minutes until softened. Let squash chill in the microwave until it's no longer too hot to handle.
2. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes. Cube the potatoes and turnips. Bring 2 cups of the broth to simmer (uncovered) on stove. Add the chopped potatoes and turnips. Scoop the flesh out of the skin of the acorn squash and add to the pot.
3. As that begins to simmer, mince the garlic and add to the pot. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are softened. Add the S+P and red pepper.
4. Bring out your blender (dust it if it hasn't seen the light of day in a while!) and puree the soup in batches (adding the rest of the vegetable broth to achieve desired consistency).
Usually I pair this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping. I topped mine with a bit of spicy black beans and goat cheese. Delish!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Warm Fuzzy Feelings

Lots of things give me warm fuzzies. Like fresh baked cookies. Scarves and skinny jeans on a cool fall evening. Campfires. Smores. Coffee. Holding hands. Curling up with a good book and a cup of chai tea. Hiking in the woods. Watching the sunset.
This weekend was especially full of warm fuzzy feelings as my best friends from Bluffton all came down South to visit me in Memphis! I felt so, well... loved. :-) Here's a pictorial recap of a bit of their tour of "the birthplace of Rock n' Roll"!
Bar Dog for dinner - well known for their house-made hot dogs. Will enjoyed it!
Booya! Dad, a Little Rock band who we saw at The Buccaneer. Top hit: "Ode to My Bros Who Work at Lowes". LOL.
Lots of photo ops on the trolley tour of downtown!

Homemade dinner on the rooftop.
Rooftop dining.
Quick stop at Emily's wedding reception. Such a gorgeous bride!
Breakfast crepes made by Erica!
Tasty crepe fixins - plums, mint, and goat cheese.


Everyone obviously enjoyed the lovely brunch!
History fix at the Civil Rights Museum
Walking tour of Cooper Young
Now it's back to the daily grind. Cheers to warm fuzzy feelings! I miss y'all already!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Goals


As my training has begun to get more serious for the St. Jude half, I've been thinking that maybe I should actually create a goal for myself for this race. In the past, I've just signed up for races without a whole lot of contemplation about a goal time other than a random guess the morning of the actual race. So... for the St. Jude, I knew I wanted to try to run my fastest! I looked back at my times from previous races to get an idea of a realistic PR for myself. Here's a recap of what I've done in the past...
- Nittany Valley Half Marathon (12/6/09) = 2:01:06; 9:15 Pace
- Cooks Forest Half Marathon (3/27/10) = 1:59:45; 9:05 Pace
- Cleveland Half Marathon (5/16/10) = 2:02:41; 9:21 Pace
- Lactic Acid 5K (8/4/10) = 26:46; 8:37 Pace
- Applefest 5K (10/2/10) = 24:34; 7:54 Pace
- Forrest Spence 5K (8/27/11) = 28:47; 9:16 Pace (Fail. Haha.)
- Cooper Young 4 Miler = 34:03; 8:31 Pace
After looking at that, I know I want to try again for another sub-2 hour half. If I aim for a 1:58 finish time, I'll definitely have to be pushing myself harder than I have at any other races, but I really want to get better. Plus, I need some kind of goals in my life! Also, if I broadcast that goal on the internet, maybe I'll be more inclined to work for it. (Haha!) Hopefully, it will be achievable since this time I will have been coached through it all. For my long run tomorrow (7 miles!) she is encouraging us to consider fueling during the run. I've never really felt the need to go all out on sports drinks, gels, goos, chewies, etc. so this should be a fun adventure/addition to my training!
Speaking of fueling. One thing I like to have around are muffins. They're such a perfect snack! :-) I finally found some pumpkin at the store today (yippee!), so I used it to make these.
Vegan (Fail) Pumpkin Muffins
(Adapted from this recipe from Joy the Baker!)
Ingredients:
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-3/4 cup whole wheat flour
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-1/8 cup granulated sugar
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-2 tablespoons ground flax seed
-1/2 15-once can pumpkin puree
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1/8 cup honey (I thought I'd be cool and finally make a vegan dish. Joy called for maple syrup and all I had was honey - not vegan. Vegan-fail.Haha. Oh well. Next time!)
-1/4 cup raisins
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients (flour through flax seed) in a mixing bowl. Combine all of the liquid ingredients (pumpkin through honey) in a second bowl. Pour liquids into the dry ingredients and combine. Fold in raisins.
3. Fill muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Makes ~14 tasty, moist muffins. :-)

Death Cab for Cutie... in Memphis!

I've been looking forward to this concert for a few weeks. Death Cab has been one of my favorites since my first year of college. They tend to be a little dark lyrically perhaps at times, but their melodies make it worthwhile. They played at the Mud Island Ampitheater which may be one of my favorite venues! It's outdoors with the stage right on the riverside. Love. Will and I biked and then took the footbridge over the river to reach the stage - which meant lovely views along the way.
The bridge in the background leads to Arkansas.

"How I wish you could see the potential; the potential for you and me. It's a book elegantly bound but, in a language that you can't read. Just yet. You gotta spend some time Love, you've gotta spend some time with me. And I know that you'll find, Love. I will possess your heart." ~ "I Will Possess Your Heart" on Narrow Stairs
Telekinetics opened for Death Cab. The guy on the far right looks exactly like Charlie from "It's Always Sunny"!
"I wish the world was flat like the old days, then I could travel just by folding a map. No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways; there'd be no distance that could hold us back." ~"The New Year" on Trasatlanticism

"If I could open my arms, and span the length of the isle of Manhattan. I'd bring it to where you are, making a lake of the East River and Hudson." ~"Marching Bands of Manhattan" on Plans 
"The glove compartment is inaccurately named, and everybody knows it. So I'm proposing a swift orderly change. Cause behind it's door there's nothing to keep my fingers warm; and all I find are souveniers of better times..." ~"Title and Registration" on Transatlanticism

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Being an Adult: Not All that it's Cracked Up to Be!

This is all sooo true!! (borrowed from Hyperbole and a Half!)
The last few days I've found myself stressing over bills, appointments, shopping, banking, budgeting, etc and it's exhausting! Yet, every time I find myself rushing off on errands or trying to keep my cool after being put on call waiting for years... I think of this Hyperbole and a Half comic and it makes me smile. :-)
This is Why I'll Never Be an Adult (Read it; you'll love it! I promise! Also, I'm pretty sure I mentioned this comic before... oh well! It's still funny the second time!)  
Another internet comic that has made me laugh after a stressful work day? This new one by The Oatmeal called "Hammer Pants vs. Hipsters". Love it. My favorite comparisons? Hideous mustaches and man cleavage. Seriously. Who thought that was a good idea?! (Hmm... maybe I'm not one to talk. I have a cloudy recollection of owning a fuzzy furry hot pink sweater back in the day...lol.)
Anyways! That's all. Just thought I'd share some laughs. :-)

Monday, October 3, 2011

Monday "Fun"Day!

"Gonna shake hands around the world; down by the riverside; down by the riverside..." The weather has become absolutely gorgeous here in Memphis this weekend. It has finally cooled down so that the high temperature is now lingering the lower 70's (as opposed to the mid 80's last week). So much more pleasant! Fall? Please?! Therefore, I've been trying to enjoy every minute of it. Since I went attempted rollerblading yesterday evening I wanted do something different today since cross training was on my half marathon schedule. I thought to myself, this sunset was meant to be enjoyed on the seat of a bike! Will and I rode along the river past the Pyramid and then to Mud Island, soaking up the sunset as we went along.
Happy for sunny fall-ish days!
Of course, I must admit, the Mud Island bike ride wasn't totally for the enjoyment of the weather and great outdoors. We had pizza on the brain! Mud Island is also home to one of the better pizza places in Memphis, and Mondays are $10 1-topping pizza nights. Sweet!
All that biking made someone hungry! ;-)
Today was also a "fun" day at work since I talked to this really entertaining patient and his wife about his diet post Nissen "fun"doplication surgery (hehe!). They do this surgery for patients who have a lot of acid reflux and/or a hiatal hernia. Basically they take the top of your stomach and wrap it around the bottom of your esophagus to reinforce the muscle/valve that is there. Anyways, I had quite the entertaining conversation with this guy about preventing gas and alleviating diarrhea. Yep, that's
Here's what it looks like...
right. The job of a dietitian isn't as glamorous as you may think. I talk to patients everyday about gas, diarrhea, bowel movements (or lack thereof), nausea, acid reflux, etc. I guess he was having a bit of this "gas bloat syndrome" some people develop after this surgery as a result of making the valve too tight so they can't burp.  Instead, he has to wait uncomfortably for it to come out the other end...
Anyways, days like this remind me how, as with most things in life, it really helps to have a sense of humor!

PS- Another new thing that I learned today from my office-mate?!

Not kidding! Eat candy corn and salted peanuts together and it becomes a PayDay explosion in your mouth! Yum!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Back to Routine

Weekends get-aways are awesome. Week-afters - not so awesome... I'm kidding, it hasn't been so bad! I've just been feeling in a bit of a funk since I went back to work after being home -trying to get up-to-speed on the new patients on my ward after a couple of days off, restocking my fridge again, failing to blog (oops!), you know the drill. Now, I think things are relatively back to normal. It has been a busy month of weddings and travel!
This weekend was pretty laid back (which was much needed!). Friday we headed over to Rizzo's, a new restaurant that opened down the street from my apartment. We know the owner from volunteering at the farmer's market so we thought we'd support him. The meal was tasty! I tried that stuffed avocado salad which was a great combo of sweet, spicy, and creamy.
Hummus, polenta, ricotta appetizer. Yummy!
Afterwards, we went to see that new movie with Seth Rogen and Joseph Gorden-Levitt. It was so good! Definitely a tear-jerker, but Seth Rogen highlights the movie with a bit of comedy that makes it worth watching.
Yesterday, I went on a 6-mile long run with my running group and then headed to the farmer's market for shopping and pet-sitting. :-) Later in the afternoon, Will and I headed to the bike trail in town called the "green-line" where they were having block parties to celebrate their 1-year anniversary. There was great live music, superb weather, and lots of bikers!
Awkward photo... haha. 
For dinner that night, we cooked up some BBQ catfish and macaroni and cheese. A classic Southern-style meal. Will had picked up this BBQ dry rub and sauce from Central last week. I'm beginning to appreciate BBQ! In the macaroni, we threw in some market mustard greens (greens are back, yay!) and tomatoes. Mmm-mmm!
Mac'n cheese and BBQ = best friends.