Tuesday, April 19, 2011

3 Years Strong


Yesterday was our 3 year "anniversary". I use quotes because we aren't married, so I feel weird calling it a true anniversary. Here's what I got as my anniversary gift:

I got us tickets to see A Perfect Circle in July at the Greek Theater in Berkeley as my gift to him. We're going to Tahoe this weekend, hopefully. I plan to grab us some Heavenly lift tickets while we're there (or early, if they can get mailed to us in time). It's just nigh of season's end, so I figure we go big! Heavenly's my fave and I haven't been in a few years anyhow. It'll be nice for a change of scenery, since we almost always go to Kirkwood.

I stayed home from work again yesterday, sick. Yeah, still that silly cough. I thought maybe staying at home would help me to get better. Not so much. It just made me feel a little useless, in my pj's watching instant movies on Netflix. So here I am today, at work, hacking every now and again and wishing I stayed home today. I feel fine, but I hate coughing so much! I feel like everyone around me is wondering why I am here, spreading my germs around the office. Popping cough drops like they're candy. At least this batch I bought sugar-free. Anyhow, we were supposed to try a new place in Novato for our anniversary dinner, but I forgot to check their hours and of course they are cosed on Mondays. Sheesh. So we went to our local steakhouse. Love that place! I had a seared ahi tuna crusted with coriander. Yum! Ryan had tenderloin with a dijon, brandy, and green peppercorn sauce that I should learn how to make ASAP. The problem with cooking and trying out things we've had at restaurants is that it makes going out to restaurants less special. Don't get me wrong, learning to make it at home has is merits (saving $$$), but I then try and healthify the meal, so it doesn't even taste as good. So it's like losing on 2 fronts, really. I should just leave the deliciousness to the pros, I guess. Since I've been sick, I haven't been counting calories. It just seems like too much. Of course, since I've started counting calories, I can sort of keep a tally in the back of my head so I don't completely overdo it.... but I'm sure I overdo it just the same. Sometimes I just need a break from the worry and want to make some good ol' fashioned comfort food. Tonight I'll make stroganoff. In an effort to healify this go-to meal, I've reduced the pasta to 2-3 oz of whole wheat pasta per serving (depending on my calories for the day), doubled the fresh mushrooms (crimini or other wild mushroom, never the boring white ones anymore)and onion, only use fat free sour cream, and cut the meat by half (now only ground turkey, no red meat). I think tonight I'll add a bag of baby spinich to boost the nutrition (without boosting the calories). Here's my recipe and nutrition info (maybe pics to follow, if I remember):

Sarah’s Stroganoff
•3 Jennie-O Hot Turkey Sausages, casings removed
•12 oz. Whole Wheat Pasta (rotini or bow-ties work well)
•1 can Cream of Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Soup
•1 cup fat-free sour cream
•4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
•1 medium onion, diced
•1 lb. mushrooms, sliced or quartered
•1 tsp. Salt-free Italian Seasoning
•1 tsp. poppy seeds, if desired
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions
1.Heat sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Break up into crumbles.
2.Just as sausage starts to brown, add mushrooms, onion, garlic, and herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and all the liquid has evaporated.
3.Add the can of soup to the sausage and mushroom mixture and simmer over low heat.
4.While the sauce thickens, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles until al dente per package directions. Drain noodles and toss with poppy seeds. Set aside.
5.Temper the sour cream by adding a spoonful of the hot sauce and stirring well. Add the tempered sour cream to the sauce and stir well to combine.
6.Add the reserved pasta to the sauce and stir until warmed. Split among 4 plates.

541 Calories per serving
12.8 g Fat/3.4 g Sat/1.7 g Poly/1.2 g Mono
76.8 g Carbs/11.6 g Fiber
31.8 g Protein
272.5 mg Cholesterol
1430.6 mg Sodium
1331.4 mg Potassium
8% Vitamin A/19% Calcium/7% Vitamin C/26% Iron

Friday, April 15, 2011

Giant Effing Q

DayQuil makes everything better... unless you need to remember words or add numbers. Clearly, I cannot do either under my current circumstances. But at least I'm only coughing once every 10 minutes instead of once every minute like earlier this morning. Did I mention how much I actually despise coughing? Because I do. Not that other people love to cough, that's silly talk! But ever since that whooping cough debaucle a year and a half ago, I thought it would be rather lovely to never cough. Again. Ever. I mistakenly thought that once I quit smoking cigarettes, this stupid cough/cold I seem to catch once a year would stop attacking my poor bronchial tubes. Alas, here it is. Neon phlegm in all its glory. And me, high as a kite on DayQuil.
Weeeeeeeeeee!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

New Job, New Life

So, I'm 30 now. I don't really feel 30. It's kinda weird. I never really wanted to have kids, but I sort of understand that ticking clock thing now. I feel like if I do change my mind, it better be soon. I didn't really want to have as huge of a gap between me and my children as I have with my parents. That said, it did take me this long to start my real life... career and whatnot. So it really wasn't an ideal time, until recently. Still haven't decided if I want kids... but the thought has been crossing my mind more often as of late.

Living in Novato with Ryan is finally settling in. We moved almost 3 months ago. It's not too far from home, ~40 miles, but it's far enough. Not like when I moved to Chico, because I knew that wasn't for forever, you know? This has the potential of being for forever. I'm still adjusting to the new job and surroundings, finding my bearings. I like it and I don't. This is not what I went to school for, so I feel like I'm settling. I could go back for my ph.D, but another 6 years? Really? I'm kinda over it at this point. Ready to move forward, not in reverse!

Sigh. Enough for now. Maybe more to come, since I remembered this things still exists.