Jesse got in late from his trip to D.C. last night and it's so nice to have him back at home. Aside from the fact that I genuinely enjoy his company, he also makes me coffee in the morning. It was rough not having him around for a few days and I had to (gasp!) brew it myself. Also, when he's not around, I kind of eat like a bachelor -- not necessarily bad food, just quick food. I found myself scrounging for leftovers and making a meal out of just about anything that would reasonably sandwich itself in a corn tortilla.
Wednesday evening, I made Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to celebrate his arrival. Instead of Guiness (as indicated in the recipe), I used a good stiff porter. The cupcakes are nice because the cake itself is rich, but not terribly sweet and the frosting is decadent -- a perfect combo.
I was thankful that the sun was out this morning. It gave me the initiative to get out early and tackle my scheduled one mile run. Unlike Tuesday when I got to the one mile point and nearly died, today I didn't really feel bad at all. So, I decided to go for a few more blocks. Then, I went a few more after that. Before I knew it, I was back at home and had run 1.5 miles. I was sweaty and a little out of breath, but in a good way. I'm not sure if I had a mental block on Tuesday about running 1.5 miles (a distance that I haven't conquered since we moved to Portland) or that banana and giant glass of water that I consumed before heading out the door this morning was just the right amount of fuel. Regardless, the stars aligned and I finished the 1.5 mile loop without stopping. I have to admit, I forgot how good I feel after a morning run. Endorphins rock.
I ate breakfast, showered, and was ready to get started on a new task for the day -- pickled beets. I purchased a bunch of red and golden beets over the weekend to make a salad for dinner sometime this week. However, as I was roasting the beets I remembered how much Jesse likes pickled veggies as a snack or over greens. My Mom used to pickle beets quite a bit; she'd just leave a giant bowl in the fridge that we would pick from here and there. So, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out (I think the golden ones are particularly beautiful). Unfortunately, they're supposed to sit in the refrigerator for at least three days, so I'll have to try and restrain myself until then.
My true goal for the day though, was to break my streak of not-so-interesting food. I walked over to Whole Foods and picked up some fish and fresh veggies. I initially planned on having baked fish with lima beans and greens, but the limas weren't anywhere near ready by dinner time. So, plan B was to whip up something else delicious. Since I had a nice bunch of parsley and cilantro, we settled on fish tacos with a chimichurri sauce (I know, I know, dinner involved corn tortillas, but this meal was infinitely more sophisticated than my fare earlier in the week). In addition to the fish, we stuffed our tacos with a cabbage slaw, pan seared potatoes and onions, fresh tomatoes, and doused it with the incredible green sauce.
Today was a good day.
Today I had my last cavity filled. Last night I had a nightmare (for the third time) that the dentist realized that all of my teeth were totally shot and the only solution was extract them one by one. This scenario wasn't entirely in my imagination, it happened to a friend's cat. Nonetheless, it was terrifying and I woke up with sweat on my brow. I was so anxious to get this last appointment over with that I actually showed up nearly 30 minutes early to the dentist's. The appointment went rather well, pleasant even. I really like my dentist.
I found out that I don't have to go back until September for my routine cleaning. I was so excited to hear the news that I actually had a bounce in my step. I feel like a new woman and almost jogged home with excitement -- like when my dog, Coco, is freshly bathed and gets frisky and bolts around the house. Despite the fact that it rained and hailed on me during my walk home, spring has sprung. Everything in Portland is green and ready to burst into action (as soon as the temperature decides to climb above 45 degrees). I'm not sure how I'm going to spend the rest of my day, but whatever I do will feel so much better knowing that I'm in tip-top shape (teeth wise). Well, except for those pesky wisdom teeth, but I'll think about that another day!
I'm starting to think that no news is not good news on the job proposal front, so maybe I'll direct more attention at my resume and start practicing my typing and word processing skills so I'm ready to sign up with the temp agency if that plan falls through. Although, maybe I'll take a break for the afternoon and work on a few sewing projects that need to be finished ASAP!
Wednesday evening, I made Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to celebrate his arrival. Instead of Guiness (as indicated in the recipe), I used a good stiff porter. The cupcakes are nice because the cake itself is rich, but not terribly sweet and the frosting is decadent -- a perfect combo.
I ate breakfast, showered, and was ready to get started on a new task for the day -- pickled beets. I purchased a bunch of red and golden beets over the weekend to make a salad for dinner sometime this week. However, as I was roasting the beets I remembered how much Jesse likes pickled veggies as a snack or over greens. My Mom used to pickle beets quite a bit; she'd just leave a giant bowl in the fridge that we would pick from here and there. So, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out (I think the golden ones are particularly beautiful). Unfortunately, they're supposed to sit in the refrigerator for at least three days, so I'll have to try and restrain myself until then. 
My true goal for the day though, was to break my streak of not-so-interesting food. I walked over to Whole Foods and picked up some fish and fresh veggies. I initially planned on having baked fish with lima beans and greens, but the limas weren't anywhere near ready by dinner time. So, plan B was to whip up something else delicious. Since I had a nice bunch of parsley and cilantro, we settled on fish tacos with a chimichurri sauce (I know, I know, dinner involved corn tortillas, but this meal was infinitely more sophisticated than my fare earlier in the week). In addition to the fish, we stuffed our tacos with a cabbage slaw, pan seared potatoes and onions, fresh tomatoes, and doused it with the incredible green sauce.
I found out that I don't have to go back until September for my routine cleaning. I was so excited to hear the news that I actually had a bounce in my step. I feel like a new woman and almost jogged home with excitement -- like when my dog, Coco, is freshly bathed and gets frisky and bolts around the house. Despite the fact that it rained and hailed on me during my walk home, spring has sprung. Everything in Portland is green and ready to burst into action (as soon as the temperature decides to climb above 45 degrees). I'm not sure how I'm going to spend the rest of my day, but whatever I do will feel so much better knowing that I'm in tip-top shape (teeth wise). Well, except for those pesky wisdom teeth, but I'll think about that another day!
