#16 - We're Home Owners!!

16: Buy a home

When people say that buying a home is stressful, I think they actually mean unnerving. I found it incredibly disconcerting to fall so hard for a condo and not know whether or not we could actually have it in the end! Because no matter how much you want it, someone else just might want it more (throw down a bigger offer if you end up in competition,) or just have luck on their side and get their offer accepted first (like we did!)

We got word of this place from our realtor the morning it was posted on the market (for realtors' eyes only), but before it was actually available to the public. We booked a viewing for the next day, and when we walked in, I believe my words were something like, "whooaaaahhaaOOOHH myyy god. Wow. Can we get it? I think this it, I want this place, Luc...I WANT IT!" Something resembling a little kid seeing a power wheels car for the first time. The really nerve-wracking part though, for me, was after signing countless documents with the realtor to get our offer in writing....then waiting to hear back from the sellers. Would they counter? Would they outright reject our offer? Would they accept right away?? Needless to say, it was a rather sleepless night and what followed was a distracted day at work, wherein I checked my cellphone more often than I check my twitter feed.

We had put in the offer at 8pm on Monday night, and by about 3pm on Tuesday afternoon we had received a counter from the sellers - and word from our agent that 3 other viewings had been arranged for the next day, two of which were second viewings. The good thing was, the counter-offer was fantastic, so we accepted it immediately, signed the documents, and were whisked away into more paperwork...a home inspection...more paperwork...yadda yadda yadda, we move in on November 24th!

The night that we accepted the offer, Luc and I played a little game called, "I'm most excited for..." The list was long and included things like:
-Having an island in the kitchen
-Being able to blow dry my hair without shorting out all of the power
-Being able to walk to work rather than take 2 skytrains and a bus
-The enormous patio (and the BBQ that we're going to put out there)
-Having in-suite laundry rather than battling it out with neighbours for washer time
-A concrete buliding...meaning, no worries about noise
-Having an ensuite bathroom so I don't have to walk into the dark, scary hallway at night

The only hard part left...waiting another 6 weeks to move in!!

Beef and Bean Chili Topped with Avocado

I found this recipe while browsing an issue of Real Simple on the flight home from our honeymoon. I made a few small tweaks to the ingredients (added carrots and red peppers) and spices.

Beef and Bean Chili

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 large carrots
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1.5 ounces tomato paste
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 avocadoes

-Heat the oil in a large pot over medium. Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots and garlic, stirring occasionally, until tender for about 10-12 minutes.
-Add the beef, increase heat to medium-high and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it's no longer pink, for 8-10 minutes.
-Add the tomato paste, chili powder and cumin, cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
-Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), beans and chocolate. Also add 1/2 cup of water, salt and pepper to taste.
-Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Stir in the vinegar and serve topped with thick avocado slices.

For me, the avocado was what really made this special. It seemed unusual at first, but now I can't imagine the chili tasting as good without it!

On some recent accomplishments

It's been a while, yes, but I'm back from wedding mania and home from the honeymoon and I have lots to report. I'm just going to start with some things that I recently knocked off my 101 Things To Do in 1001 Days list.

Let's start from the top...

#13 - Get a job in publishing
Check! I was fortunate enough to be offered a full-time position by the company I did my internship with. I start in a week and I couldn't be more excited. Although working full time means writing my thesis will take a bit longer (pushing graduating to a later date), this is the kind of opportunity I've been hoping for since I went back to school. And bonus, we can finally start looking for our own condo! So maybe that "buy a home" item on the list will be the next thing to be checked off?

#26 - Order room service
A honeymoon is the perfect time to indulge, so I'm happy to say that this item can be checked off several times! Pictured below is a champagne breakfast on our balcony. This is moments before I shot the cork off the champagne bottle into the pool area below. Whoops!

#47 - Read 100 books
I'm getting ever closer to my 100 books. My most recent conquest was "Committed" by Elizabeth Gilbert, the infamous "Eat Pray Love" author. I received it as a birthday gift and thought it would be an appropriate post-wedding read. Maybe not, though. Although Gilbert eventually comes to peace with her second marriage and finds her own nesting spot in legal matrimony, the entire book is basically her squinting skeptically at the strength and longevity of modern marriage. There was a bevy of fascinating historical information on marriage, but it was a little bleak for a beach read.

#54 - Swim at the bottom of a waterfall
We left our resort for one full day, and on our agenda was climbing a waterfall. We took a tour bus down the North coast to Ocho Rios, where we climbed Dunn's River Falls. It's a 700 foot high, unique waterfall that is broken into several shelves. Many spots involve linking hands in a human chain to increase stability when scaling the rocks. The most fun was swimming around at the bottom of the falls and the spot where the rocks had formed a waterslide.

#73 - Watch a sunrise
It's pretty much against the rules of vacationing (let alone, honeymooning) to get up at 5:00am, but after watching several amazing sunsets, we really wanted to take in the sunrise as well. We actually snuck onto the roof of the hotel...and it was worth it.

#80 - Take Luc to the spa for a massage
Not only did Luc get a massage, but we also did the sauna, steamroom, hot tub, water therapy, freezing cold plunging pool, and couples facials. He probably doesn't approve of me telling my blog readers that...but after my lengthy absence, I'm not even sure how many of you there are left!

#98 - Go an entire week without checking the stat counter on my blog
Needless to say, with the wedding and the honeymoon I've been pretty disconnected from everything digital. And it's been a nice break. But make no mistake...it's nice to be back!

# 56 - Way better than the Grouse Grind

56: Hike the Squamish Chief

Here's a look at our hike to the peak of the Squamish Chief...in photos for now, for I am too tired and lazy to write about the tourist with the unbelievably large Nikon camera, leather dress shoes and jeans...or the refreshing dip in the glacier-fed waterfall pool. Overall, the hike was fantastic and it was immensely more enjoyable than doing the Grouse Grind, which I blogged about last summer. 

#62 - Bringing my A game from the ladies tee

62: Golf on a real golf course (not a pitch and putt)

Our good friend Justin was visiting us from Saskatchewan this past week, so we were motivated to do something exciting on the weekend. Not that I'm saying golf is exciting...it's a funny, frustrating game for me. If I had a lesson or two, I might enjoy it more, but as it stands, I would label my abilities as poor to moderately poor. Please, don't let the plaid shorts fool you, I'm a hopeless duffer.

The entire day was nearly over before it began. On our way to the greens on the first hole a neighbouring golfer hollered "fore"...and with good reason. I was busy checking out my surroundings and the rogue ball came swooping down and landed right at my feet, missing my face by a matter of inches. I think if I had been looking up for the ball, I may have actually gotten it right in the teeth. Good thing I'm oblivious!

Despite the sketchy start and my weak performance, I'm still calling the game a success because I only had to scream "fore" once at the top of my lungs. In retrospect though, I would have been OK with my crooked shot nailing the guy on the opposite fairway. He was milling around on his cellphone and probably could have used a little tap on the head from a golf ball. Or at least in the shins so that he got off his phone and started paying attention. I'm no pro, but the last time I checked, cellphones were frowned upon when you're mid-game, standing in the fairway. 

I learned a few important lessons that I will take with me for next time:

1. Always go pee before you start 18 holes of golf

2. When someone yells "fore", duck and cover

3. Plaid shorts do not elevate your game

4. The ball washer never gets old, nor does asking your friends if they would like their balls washed

#30 - Everything tasty has coconut milk

30: Come up with 12 healthy "go to" dinner recipes (6/12)


If you love coconut milk as much as I do, do yourself a favour and avoid the nutritional information. Go straight to the light coconut milk- it's just as tasty and wayyyyy less fattening. This recipe is really great served with pita bread and a glass of Gewurztraminer. A nice, light, spring dinner, if I might say so. 

African Curried Coconut Soup

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes, canned 
• 1 tablespoon curry paste (or powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1 cup cooked basmati or brown rice

In a medium-large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry paste, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to ensure curry paste is mixed in well. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (coconut milk and rice) and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5-7 minutes. 

(Editor's note: due to a white onion shortage I had to use red onions....yellow would have been even better)

365 days of feverish photography

As if the constant stresses of grad school and wedding planning weren't enough, I'm going to add to my anxiety with a little side project. I was browsing my epic 101 Things To Do in 1001 Days list, and realized, I'd better get down to bidness. But instead I'm going to start a '365 days of photos' project (which was foolishly excluded from the list). My projection for tomorrow...starting it off with a bang: photo of my laptop, perhaps? I've gotta keep it real...and if I'm keeping it real, it's a photo of my laptop, my coffee mug, or the jeans that I wear every day because I'm too lazy to think up anything better to wear. And now you're all surely on tenterhooks for tomorrow's big reveal! I promise I won't disappoint! The photos will have their own page on my blog which can be found here: 365 Days of Pics

#63 - Being festive

63: Paint my nails candy-apple red


My original intentions for going to Shopper's Drug Mart were to mail Christmas cards and buy Christmas cards. After mailing the cards, I was left to battle with about 5 old ladies who were also buying Christmas cards. They were all crowded around the rows that held "for someone special", "for mom", "for dad", and "funny", leaving me with the "for grand-daughter", "for grand-son", "religious", and all of the other crappy ones. It's just that I don't have any grandchildren yet, and I don't like to be too intense with my card-giving. So to kill time before the crowds around the good cards cleared, I loitered in the makeup section. I ended up picking up some red nail polish, and voila! 

Going for a manicure would have been way more fun than painting my own nails while watching Seinfeld reruns, but this still turned out all right.

#30 - Basically using whatever is left in the fridge

30: Come up with 12 healthy "go to" dinner recipes (5/12)


Chunky Salad on Rice

Salad:
2 coarsely chopped avocados
1 coarsely chopped red Pepper
3/4 of one long english cucumber coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion (or more if you're a big onion person)

Toss ingredients (delicately) in a bowl

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp paprika
dash of salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a container with a lid that won't leak. I like to use one of my magic bullet containers and the screw on lid. Once all of the ingredients are inside, throw that lid on and shake like hell.

*You can play around with the portions of dressing ingredients - I always just wing it, eyeball it, whatever you want to call it.

Basmati Rice
*I like to use basmati rice and cook it with slightly less water so it turns out light and fluffy.

Serve the salad on top of a pile of rice and drizzle (or dump on!) as much dressing as you prefer. I don't dump, but I drizzle until it's smothered...

My voracious appetite got in the way of remembering to take a photo of the finished product, but I'll be sure to snap some next time around and post the photos here.

27 - Being all domestic...or giving it my best shot

#27: Bake a batch of cookies and surprise a friend (in this case...I gave cookies to the neighbours, still counts!)

Friday night, making cookies with my friend....

The instructions say to "put the butter and sugars in the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment..."

So naturally, I pull out this....

Please note the tape holding it together, the stylish shade of green (yellow?), and that both of the beaters are broken on the ends where they are inserted. And so, my dear friend Kate, not wanting to make me feel bad, goes along with it and tries to mix the batter with this ugly, semi-functioning, relic of a hand mixer. One minute later...

Kate: "Uhhhh...is it supposed to sound like that? I....I think it's broken."
Me: "Yeah....yeah don't worry, it always sounds like that...and smells like that...."

a few minutes of futile effort pass....

Me: "You know what, maybe we should just use a wooden spoon?"

And that is why the first item on our wedding registry will be a kitchen aid mixer.

79 - Does this count?

#79: Do a hilarious group costume for Halloween

Just to prove that I haven't completely forgotten or abandoned my "101 Things to do in 1001 Days" list, I'm doing a few posts on things missed and things recently accomplished.

Yes, this is old news ....but since Halloween fell on a weekend, which is (as my friend put it) "the last time we'll have Halloween on a weekend before we have KIDS"....it's worth reposting!

7 - What a ride

#7: Ride a cable car in San Francisco

While I understand that riding a cable car for the first time can be an exhilarating experience, I don't think it calls for constant screeching, giggling, hollering and uncontrollable flapping of the arms. On a ride from Nob Hill to Union Square (which is downhill the whole way), I was one of the standees on the inside track - meaning, when another cable car passed by, you sucked it in and hoped that the oncoming standees were doing the same.

On this particular ride I was second from the front, and beside me was an extremely over zealous, screechy arm flapper. This girl was white knuckling the handrail with one arm and waving at people, animals, trees, and storefronts with the other arm....all the white emitting a constant stream of high-pitched giggles, squeals and of course, "ohhh...ohhhh...OHHHHH, WOOOOOOOO!! Heee hee heeeee....WOOOOO...heee heee hee." It was hard to enjoy the breeze ruffling my shirtsleeves and whipping through my hair when this girl (and when I say girl I mean roughly 25 years old) was 5 seconds away from a self-induced hyper-excitement seizure. I kept thinking to myself, "how do I tell her kindly to shut her pie hole? Would people think I was rude if I held her flapping arm down and tied it to the handrail? Doesn't she know the whole Kate & Leo Titanic thing is only funny at the front of a boat? Did she just wave at a mailbox?" When all of a sudden, like the universe was doing me (and everyone else on that cable car) a favour.....SLAP!!!! Someone in an oncoming cable car reached their arm out and slapped little miss screechy across the face. It happened so fast but it my mind I could almost see it coming in slow motion. Screechy was hanging her body out and flapping her arms in the wind, she was doing one of her crescendo oooh's when someone in the oncoming cable car outstretched their arm, cocked their wrist, and intentionally or not, slapped screechy right in the middle of her cheek. SMACK! The cracking noise of palm to soft cheek silenced her only momentarily, and then it was a whole new kind of screeching, but a quiet, indignant screeching. She wasn't really hurt, so I didn't feel bad laughing. I still turned my face away so that she couldn't see that I was having a pretty good giggle over this, and I noticed that all of the people sitting down were doing the same thing. We laaaaaughed and we laaaaaughed!

It was certainly the most eventful of all my cable car rides while in San Francisco. Although we walked most places, I managed to get a few good rides in. Below is a picture of a cable car down at Fisherman's Wharf.

I've been busy!

We're back from San Francisco and I was just looking through my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days and realized something...there are a handful of things that I've done (embarrass myself at a karaoke bar) that I have yet to write blog posts for. So although this week will be hectic with my first days at school - I will slowly start pumping out some stories that are sure to give you a few laughs.

35 - A toast to my temporary freedom and many other things!

#35: Celebrate something with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot

Thursday was my last day at my job, a day that I had been anticipating for the past 5 months when I was accepted into my masters program. I had wanted to quit ages ago, but because of the difficult job market I figured it wasn't worth the risk. For once in my life, practicality overruled my emotions and I stayed in that position much longer than I could withstand, resulting in many tears of frustration and too many venting sessions on the drive home. Now I've got one week of complete freedom before school starts, so this champagne celebration was a toast to a few things in my life. First and most importantly we toasted my emancipation from my emotionally draining administrative assistant position, because I will never again have to deal with someone asking me, "where was that piece of paper I had in my hand yesterday?" Secondly, leaving my job also meant one week of vacation time before school starts - one action packed week of friends, wedding celebrations, birthdays, traveling and some deep breaths of relief! And thirdly, we celebrated the start of my school year, a year that is going to be stressful, but the kind of stress that I signed up for! And of course, one of my best friends got married this weekend (a 3-day celebration that will be capped off by a reception in Vancouver this evening), so we drank to the start of her new life with her husband. Cheers!!

#44 - Short and sweet

44: Write the story of how Luc and I met

I'm thick in the middle of sending out our save the dates - which means I have to finish our wedding website since it's listed on the cards. Some things can wait (registry, hotel bookings) and have been noted as such on the site, but some things had to be tended to (the homepage banner which will be done next week and "our story"). Here is a succinct version of how Luc and I met going to school in Quebec in May 2005.

---

In 2005, Kristen signed up for a French-study program but was put on the waiting list. Disappointed, she made other plans for the summer and got on with her life.

Over in Saskatoon, Luc had signed up for the same program, and upon only getting his 3rd choice of school, decided that he would not participate. The students were chosen through a lottery, and Luc and Kristen had both drawn the short straw...at first, that is.

A few days prior to the start of the program, Kristen got a call from the administrators informing her that a spot had opened (only her 3rd choice of school) and it was hers for the taking. She was remiss to accept the spot at first, but decided that it was an opportunity that would not come around again, so she bought a plane ticket, said goodbye to her friends, and 3 days later arrived in the Montreal airport.

Luc was also grappling with a similar decision; do I stay or do I go? In the final days, Luc changed his mind and took a chance, abandoning Saskatoon for 5 weeks of school in Trois Rivieres. He was settling for his third choice of school, but he had heard that the program was just one big party anyway and thought it beat 5 weeks of working.

During the first week of the program, Luc and Kristen met at a party in the residence buildings. She was misinformed and thought he was a Newfie, and he thought she was cute for showing up to a party in sweatpants. (editor’s note: had she known it was a party she was going to, she would have donned the proper apparel).

Lookout readers because here come the clichés! They hit it off, sparks flew, it was love at first sight, and the two were inseparable. Excuse the cheese, but Kristen and Luc really are best friends in love. The two were smitten – they spent every day together for the remainder of the program; whispering grammatically incorrect sweet nothings into each other’s ears (en francais! But of course!), holding hands on the midnight streets outside of the residence buildings and sharing muslix in the cafeteria. They had the Quebecois version of a French love story.

Facing the final days of the program, they began to make plans to see each other again that summer. What followed were countless flights back and forth, snail mail, e-mail, text messages, phone calls, messenger pigeons…anything to bridge the gaps between seeing each other. In April 2006, Kristen got on her last solo flight to Saskatoon and returned with a green Sunfire packed to the ceiling with boxes and the love of her life behind the wheel.

Four years, one week and 2 days after Luc and Kristen’s first kiss, Luc got down on one knee with a stunning diamond ring and asked Kristen if she would be his wife. Through happy tears she said “yes” and fell into Luc’s arms where she would stay forever.

#61 - You CRAZY, Vancouver!!

61: Do the Grouse Grind

Bright and early on Saturday morning, I dragged my lethargic ass out of bed and downed a bowl of fiber-licious cereal. Today was the day that I would FINALLY follow in the steps of every other Vancouverite and do the Grouse Grind. For those unfamiliar, the "Grouse Grind" is a strenuous hike from the foot of Grouse Mountain to the very top. The total hike is 2.9km (1.8 miles) with the base at 274 metres (900 feet) above sea level and the summit at 1,127 metres (3,700 feet). I don't know how the hell this thing got so popular, or why the parking lot was already PACKED at 9:00am, because it was freaking torture!!! At the bottom you say your farewells to your friends, plug in your earphones and haul ass until you can't possibly lift your tired, shaking leg onto one more rock or stair.

It was my first time so I didn't know how to pace myself, which is why I was on the heels of the guys for the first 12 minutes before realizing that if I kept it up, my heart would beat right out of my puffing chest and explode. I slowed down significantly, cranked the volume on my ipod and went on my merry way. I figured that if I kept the upbeat tunes going and maintained a moderate pace, it would be challenging, yet TOTALLY easy at the same time. So...was it challenging? Incredibly. Entirely. An overwhelming challenge. It was a challenge in every sense of the word. It was a battle against the mountain and a one hour struggle with myself. It was a literal and figurative uphill battle of mental and physical strength. I think the biggest issue for me was that it was just not at all enjoyable. It wasn't like when you're working out really hard at the gym, sweating your ass off, you're exhausted, your mind keeps saying, "ok...ok...that's enough, that was a good workout, it's been fun but let's go home," and you say FUCK YOU MIND this is tough but I feel AWESOME and I'm going to power through. No...nothing like that. My mind kept saying, "shit...this is NOT FUN," and I was all, "I KNOW!!! Let's get the hell out of here! Where's the escalator??" I didn't feel that rewarding feeling you get while suffering through an intense workout. It just didn't feel good.

If you've ever been really intensely hungover where you get to the point that you're about to throw up, you feel like a wave of nausea is washing over and drowning you, you're on the brink of vomiting....that feeling, that crippling feeling sustained itself for the entire second quarter of the hike. To make matters worse, when I saw the first sign on the trail I thought to myself, "wow, half way...not bad, I can do this, let's crank it up," only to realize that it said "1/4 Mark", not "1/2 Mark"!! Devastating!! 

I resisted the temptation to peek at my stopwatch, took a few swigs of water, blew my runny nose all over my tank top (yes...and that certainly wasn't the first or last time), lifted my heavy legs one after the other, and blew through the mental barrier that I had built up in my head. Don't get me wrong though, I still detested every strained, sweaty second of it. I thought about a few things over and over on the way up: Why does everyone do this? How can I communicate my utter displeasure with this hike accurately in a blog post? When the hell did I get so out of shape?

I was wearing a really cool fanny pack (I won it at a charity brunch and never thought I would use it...who knew!) so I had room to pack my camera. I indulged in a few breaks here and there, taking some pictures of the beautiful, steamy forest. I'm still convinced that the "fog" you see is just everyone's hot, tired breath. During the nauseous phase, I took my earphones out (they were making me feel worse, like puke was going to come out my ears and the earphones would plug it up into my brain) and listened to my own feverish panting. It was a fascinating silence, because I could still hear everyone breathing, but I was constantly staring at the path ahead so it was almost like nobody else was around and the trees

were alive. Then again, maybe I was just hallucinating? Your body does some pretty strange things when you're at the brink of collapse. 

Upon reaching the 1/2 Mark I was semi-revitalized. I don't want to mislead and say that I was "revitalized" because that would insinuate that I got a second wind or became somewhat lively. The 1/2 Mark inspired me to keep going, because now I knew that turning around and going back was just as far as continuing to the top. In all honestly though, I would never have given up, but at times, I really felt like I wanted to. I'm too competitive to let my initial efforts go to waste - if I start something, you'd bet your ass that I'm going to finish it. Even though I can clearly remember how painfully boring and torturous I found this hike, I'm already contemplating doing it again to beat my time. Insanity peppers...I must have eaten insanity peppers for dinner because I can't even believe that I'm writing that. I was going to title this blog post "The worst hour of my life" and I'm already making tentative plans to relive that hour of unpleasantness. Granted, I am getting sick (yep...here come the excuses!!) and I've been more sloth-like in my workout regimen than usual, so I think if I were to relive this horror show, it might be a little less painful of an experience. 

By the time I hit the 3/4 Mark I had conquered my mental road blocks completely and I was almost getting into it and enjoying the "great workout" aspect of the hike.....OK, not really, but by the time I could see the sun shining down from the opening at the top of the trail I broke out into a kind of bizarre looking gallop/prance. I sprung from step to step, losing my steam after about five. I learned that lesson earlier (but I guess forgot) when I had wanted to pass someone. I ran up about 10 stairs in a very poorly thought out burst of false energy. After that foolish sprint I had to stop and compose myself, and you guessed it, the person I had passed was now passing me at their slow and steady pace. Total dumbass move. Below you can see the final short stretch to the top of the trail. The only thing that could have looked sweeter was if an edible chocolate bunny was standing at the opening with my school tuition in his arms.

Reaching the top of the trail was triumphant, yet not as rewarding as I had thought it would be. As you can already tell, I didn't enjoy it! And I'm the kind of masochistic person who gets pleasure out of brutal workouts and strenuous physical activity, so this surprised me. I'm not one to judge something (or someone) too harshly on first impressions, so I think I'll get my butt back to the gym and give the grind another solid effort. I'm also hoping that next time, the city isn't blocked by an annoying layer of clouds! On the gondola ride down we broke through the cloud cover, but I had really been looking forward to the view from the very top. I guess that's nature's way of telling me that I've got to come back and give it another try. 

#30 - Something the whole family can enjoy

30: Come up with 12 healthy "go to" dinner recipes (4/12)

This is definitely one of my favourite recipes, not only because it's easy, healthy and deliciously mouth-watering, but because you can take the finished product and do whatever you want with it. Don't feel like eating healthy? Smother it in mozzarella and mayo and cheddar and as many condiments as you can stand to put on one bun. Or eat it open faced, eat it on bread, eat it with no bread at all, just a naked burger on your plate, begging to be eaten and spared the humiliation of sitting undressed in front of all the other burgers with the nice buns. And FYI, they heat up really well the next day for lunch at 

work. You can take my word on that one. I even had one for dinner tonight that was left over from last night. Just now. I literally just finished eating it, and that's why I'm writing this because I remembered, "oh yeah, I was going to post this recipe..." sooooo, here we go!

Tarragon Turkey Burgers

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 cup coarsely shredded zucchini

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 tbsp fresh (or dried...I use dried) tarragon leaves

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

3 grinds black pepper

2 large eggs

Preheat broiler or grill.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and shape mixture into patties.

Cook 5 minutes per side or until browned. 

I like to cook for 5 mins on each side, then flip for one minute, then flip again and add a bit of shredded mozzarella cheese. Once the cheese is melted, I take them off and eat them on whole wheat hamburger buns with mayo and iceberg lettuce.

 

#30: Winging it

30 - Come up with 12 healthy “go to” dinner recipes (3/12)

The past two recipes were my slightly modified versions of other recipes that I found. The recipe that I am posting today is my own creation. It's called: making something with all the shit in my fridge. Enjoy!

1 spaghetti squash

1 tbsp olive oil
3 chicken breasts, cubed
1 tsp rosemary
2 red peppers coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 handfuls of green beans cut into 1 inch sections
salt to taste

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1 tbsp dill weed
1 tsp lemon juice

Cut the squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds. Put both halves (open side facing up) in a casserole dish with an inch of water and microwave on high for 10-15 mins (my feeble microwave needs 15 mins). Remove from microwave, cover and let stand for 5 mins.

Saute the chicken in half the olive oil (1/2 tbsp) until it is almost fully cooked (about 10-12 mins). Drain some of the liquid from the cooked chicken and add the other 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, rosemary, green beans, red pepper and garlic. Salt to taste and cook for another 10 mins, or until the green beans are tender. I like to cover the pan with a lid to speed up the cooking process of the green beans.

Sauce:
Melt the butter on med-high in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring for 1 min. Gradually whisk in the milk, whipping cream, white wine and salt, stirring until the sauce boils and thickens. Add the mozzarella and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the dill weed and lemon juice, mixing well. Sauce is ready to serve once thick.

Run a fork across the flesh of the squash, pulling up the strings. Pile spaghetti squash strings on a plate and top with chicken mixture and desired amount of sauce. Voila! This will serve 3 hungry people. Or as I prefer, it will serve 2 and the remainder will wrap up nicely in Tupperware for lunch at work the next day.

*I made this last night and completely spaced out and didn't take any pictures. So if you're curious to know what it looks like in the end...I'll make it again next week and post the results!

#74 - Fire in the sky

74 - Watch a sunset

Each summer in Vancouver there is a string of nights where countries compete in, I guess what you would call a fireworks display contest called Celebration of Light. Each night a different country puts on a spectacular, large-scale fireworks display set to music. Everyone flocks to the beaches in the evening to stake a good blanket spot and cozy up for the show. Luc and I bolted straight to the beach from work to meet our friends for a little BBQ before the big show.

There's something incredibly relaxing about lounging on the beach in the evening - the afternoon crowds have thinned, the air feels still, the sun still gently warms your shoulders, the waves break in rhythmic swishing noises that can be heard over quiet murmurs from neighbouring blankets. After changing out of our work clothes, I took off my heels and dragged my feet slowly through the sand, swirling my toes along the surface then plunging them deeper, where the sand is still cool. There were so many perfect moments that it's better to just say it was a perfect evening all together. We inevitably took out the camera to capture the west coast beauty laid out before us, and I inevitably got carried away. It wasn't until after taking a long string of scenic pictures that I realized, "hey...the sun is setting, that's on my list of 101 things to do..."

I immediately stopped what I was doing and parked myself on a log to take in the ambiance of the setting sun. This was only after answering a flurry of questions from my friend regarding the validity of watching this sunset and being able to cross it off my list. There really weren't any specific rules or requirements, just me sitting somewhere and the sun setting in the sky. That's all! Just a peaceful few moments in appreciation of nature. Luc joined me and we both watched as the sun shone a fiery orange, slowly tumbling down behind the mountain range in the distance.

Thanks to Kate for taking this picture of us basking in the glow of the sunset ;)

#30: Spicy Adventures with Turkey Chili

30 - Come up with 12 healthy “go to” dinner recipes (2/12)

This recipe took a significant amount of experimentation - specifically with the spices. The first time making it we had to chase each bite with a mouthful of bread and a douse of milk to put out the inferno. I'll list the original measurements for the spices, and those of you brave enough can try it the way the recipe intended...everyone else, follow me, here we go...let's make chili!

Ingredients:
2 tsp butter
1 lb lean ground turkey
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 and 1/4 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion
2/3 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder (original: 2 tsp)
1 tsp paprika (I do just a pinch less than 1 tsp)
1 tsp ground cumin (again, just a pinch less than 1 tsp)
1 pinch of ground hot cayenne pepper (original: 1/8 tsp)
14 1/2 oz plum tomatoes, chopped (canned with juice is best)
1/2 cup chicken stock

-Heat 1 tsp butter in a saucepan over high heat
-Add the turkey and season with salt & pepper
-Break up turkey and cook until browned thoroughly
-Remove turkey and keep in a covered bowl

-Reduce heat to med-low and heat 1 tsp butter
-Add red pepper, onion, celery and garlic, cooking for approx 5 mins or until vegetables begin to soften
-Add chili powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring for 1 min
-Increase heat to med-high and add tomatoes and chicken stock, stirring
-Bring to a boil over high heat
-Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 mins
-Add the browned turkey, stir and simmer for 5 more minutes

-Serve with toasted english muffins (or at least that's what we like to do!)


*I would also like to point out that the recipe says "serves 4".....this is definitely only enough for 2 people!