life.

Time has been flying by and there is so much to do before April. First thing on that list would obviously be finding an apartment. Next would be working a ton to save money up before I leave my job. Third would be the actual move - packing, unpacking (maybe.. I could always leave that part for someone else ;) haha kiddddding), arranging, rearranging... but I honestly don't know if I'll have time for any of the moving. It will be something fun for me to throw myself into when I get back. I hope that this is a space we are able to make ours for a few years. I want to paint and decorate and have our own things and feel at home somewhere.

My dream apartment has the following: old, hardwood floors, classic lines, bookshelves built into the walls, a fireplace, a double sink (heaven), exposed beams on the ceiling, a bathtub, a kitchen with a lot of counter space and the ability to set up stools so we can sit and have conversation in between the chopping and the cooking, a little beauty nook - makeup vanity (it is sooooo annoying to try to put on my makeup or dry my hair while my guy is trying to shave or brush his teeth), and windows... a lot of tall windows. Oh, a terrace would be nice. I also really like having a big living room. It makes it easier to entertain guests and I love to entertain guests.

We are having a hard time finding an apartment that is old and classic while still a bit modern (not an old kitchen). We have found either old apartments that look old or newer apartments that are trying too hard to be modern but in a very cheap-looking way. I am confident we will find "the one" soon.

In the midst of all that is going on here, I am also really looking forward to going home mid-April. I always love spending time with my family. Although I miss them all the time, there is something a bit more... romantic, sentimental, heart-grabbing, about only having so much time with them when I see them. I feel like it's a constant race again the clock. I want to soak up every minute with them. I don't want the alarm to sound telling me my time is up. I don't think we cherish the time we spend with people enough when we see them all the time.

There are a lot of people I am anxious to see. It isn't fun being here without girlfriends, and I think it's about time we drink some champagne and dance on tables! Who's in??!! ;)

Did I mention I will get to spend a few weeks in sunny Florida with my best friend in the world!? Walks, bike rides, shopping, watching the dolphins from the comfort of home (!!), sunset drinks at On the Edge, FRESH fish sandwiches, more shopping, apple strudel at the market, the BEACH, and so much more with my Mom. I always loved and was proud of her a TON before but she has lost 50 (!!!) pounds and looks like her high school superlative winning self (class cutie woo woo!!!). She is such a babe, and she radiates beauty on the inside and out. She has inspired me to get my butt in gear and get exercising. She really is just an amazing person.

So that's all for now. I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. I made homemade chicken pot pie in mini casseroles for the first time last night and the judge gave it two thumbs up! When I asked him if it's something he'd like me to make again, he pointed to the plate he had licked clean! :) Winning!

What I'm listening to right now... I really love this song.

Thai Curry

I may have mentioned this before, but I will say it again. We love Thai food so much that almost every weekend we drive around 40 minutes to a nearby town that has a good Thai restaurant. I started to think that this was a silly thing to do. The trip is never a total waste as there is a movie theater with films in English, a Subway (to take home with us), and a lot of shops we like (Nespresso, Zara, H&M, Sephora, G Star, etc.).

I decided that I really needed to learn how to cook some Thai food. It would save us a lot of money and time. So, I searched the internet and found a recipe but it wasn't just right. I started to combine a bunch of recipes. I took clever ideas from each and tweaked them to make what I think is a delicious combination. I, of course, add a lot of veggies as I don't put chicken in the meal but it's definitely an option to add chicken or beef. We often top our meal with shrimp.

Here's my recipe.

Ingredients:

 -2 tablespoons olive oil

-1 medium onion, chopped (however you like it)

-1 medium red bell pepper, chopped - my new thing has been buying a jar of roasted red peppers - super quick and adds a nice kick if you buy a jar soaked in a spicy oil (if you try this, add it at the end as it's obviously already cooked)

-1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped (I leave some seeds - or all - to add a kick because we like it HOT HOT HOT)

-1 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes

-2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

-2 cups vegetable broth (I break apart 1 cube of bouillon into 2 cups of hot water)

-dash of ginger powder

-1/2 an eggplant, skinned and cubed

-1/2 a zuchinni (I use the peeler to make lines so it's prettier - see the pic)

-about 15 fresh or frozen long green beans

-1/4 cup bamboo shoots

-1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (and preferably seeded but I leave the skin)

-2 teaspoons curry powder

-salt and pepper to taste 

-1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)

**I also found a pâté of red curry (basically a red curry paste) in the super market which I add at the end because it's good and spicy) - I never did this before and it really made such a difference

-some white white - as much as you like

Directions:

1. Add oil to hot pot

2. Add onion

3. When the onion is soft and translucent, add the peppers -chili pepper and if you're not using the jarred red pepper then add your bell pepper here, too and the red pepper flakes.

4. add the garlic, eggplant, and zuchinni and if you're using fresh green beans then them, too (I use frozen because I always love to have green beans)

5. Let the veggies soften a little on a lowish-mediumish temperature. You want them to soften but not burn or crisp. 

6. After the veggies have softened up, add the vegetable broth and all spices - ginger, curry, salt and pepper (I always adjust these to tase).

7. After everything is nicely cooked and flavored at a medium heat, add the tomatoes, bamboo shoots, and frozen green beans at this point (I always soak and thaw the green beans in cold water because I don't like the flavor the frozen-ness gives off).

8. Add the coconut milk. Let cook at a low heat for about 10 minutes. Don't put the coconut milk in until you're about 10 minutes away from preparation.

9. The last step would be adding a bit of salt and pepper to taste and if you buy the red curry paste, add that, too.

To Serve:

Add a scoop of rice to a plate or bowl and ladle the Thai curry mixture on top. Add the garnish. I put some cooked shrimp on top, too. You can cook any meat directly in this meal but I like to keep it vegan and have the option of adding shrimp at the end. 

I think this is a wonderful meal, if I do say so myself. Let me know if you try it! Of course, add or don't add things according to what you like. When my guy isn't here, I add chickpeas for my protein source. You can omit some of the veggies or maybe if you like add something like broccoli. It's really up to you how you want to tweak the recipe. If you do tweak it, let me know what changes you made!

Bon Appétit et bon weekend aussi !

invisible children. kony 2012.

Watch this. Be inspired. Be informed. Get off your feet. Do something. KONY 2012. 

living in the moment.

I haven't blogged in a while. My weeks have been super busy as I'm trying to get a lot of hours in before I have to leave my job. I have also been working out a lot. It is sometimes hard to find the time, but I always feel so good afterwards. I've been keeping healthy through diet and exercise and it has become something so important to me (not that it ever wasn't!).

I've been using the an iPhone app called MyFitnessPal and you can also keep track through their website. It's a good way to be aware of what you eat by keeping track of how many calories, protein, iron, calcium, carbs, fat, etc. are in the food you eat. You can keep track of how many glasses of water you drink, too. Then, you add your cardio workout to let you know how many calories you burned so you can stay consistently at 1200 calories a day of intake - if you burn calories, you eat more to be at that 1200 calorie goal. The more you burn, the more you can eat!

I have still been suffering off and on with these stomach aches and tomorrow I will go for an echo to figure out what the problem is. I also had blood-work done but haven't had the chance to go and pick up the results. All in all, it has been very busy.

Last weekend I did find the time to wind down and relax. My guy and I had breakfast out Saturday morning, and then I went for a nice run (Well, I was only outside for my run to the gym) but while on the treadmill, the window was open which was so refreshing. I was seriously smiling the whole time I was running. After, I went to lunch with a friend. I had a wonderful three course meal - green salad, salmon filet, and a café gourmand. It was such a beautiful day.

café gourmand - espresso with a few miniature desserts

Last week was one of those glorious weeks that teases you with a hint of Spring. It was poncho/no coat wearing weather. I didn't have to wait for my car to heat up in the morning (love that!) and even cracked the window a few times.

During the weekend we did some pre-birthday celebrating for my guy because we knew Monday night we'd both we working. I gave him a beautiful Montblanc pen which he loved. I wrapped the pen in a shoe box and then in a cologne box so he had to open three boxes to get to the surprise! The pen arrived a few weeks ago and I had been counting the days until his birthday because I could not wait to reveal my surprise!

Besides that, there's nothing new. However, I do want to post my Thai Curry recipe because I think I've finally mastered it!! :)

What I'm listening to right now: