I realize there are plenty of skinny chefs, but this made me smile. :] Everyone has a different idea of “skinny” – but we should all have the same idea of fit. Eating healthier and focusing on better-for-you foods and exercises. Again, this could be different for all – but we can definitely agree on one thing.
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FOOD!
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Food is wonderful. Scrumptious. Decadent. Freeing. That’s it! Food is freeing!
I look so much like the chef from The Muppets when I’m banging pans around in the kitchen. The beau says it’s a real sight to see. Sometime soon I’ll post a video of my cooking adventures. I tend to talk to the fruits and veggies, and usually apologize to the carnes when I get ready to sear them.
Anywho…
Let me tell you how this all relates to booty-shaking! You see…my students taught me how to twerk. Well, they twerked and I laughed because there is no way that is ever appropriate to do [seriously, never] and I can’t dance like that. Maybe, at all.
That said, I don’t much like to use dance as a positive form of weight loss. [An ex-boyfriend completely ruined DDR for me. Long story.] Since I can’t bust my rump in the comfort of my own home, I’ve decided to switch things up a bit. I’m taking ideas and options please, so share them!
After falling off the fit-truck over the past few weeks (and gaining 5 pounds)…I finally made it out to the rock gym! I’m even stoked about running again. My muscles miss the yummy ache of a five mile run. How are your weight loss goals going?
I hope you’re shaking your groove thang and shedding those pounds!
In good ‘ol Tejas, we experience the oddeststrangest damn near psychotic weather.
One day, there are tornadoes and flash floods, the next – it’s sunny and 85.
Today was one of those days – you know, the type that makes you want to go for a 5 mile jog, then come home and sip sweet tea on your massive wrap-around porch?
[Come on…I know I’m not the only one who does things like that.]
The weather was gorgeous! Sunny, not too hot and just the lightest breeze to tickle your skin. It reminded me of iced coffee, cake pops and frozen yogurt. Utter. Bliss.
Then it hit me.
Winter is leaving.
Peanuts – C. Shulz
Soup for dinner will be unacceptable. The awkward cold salad recipes will overflow my inbox (and seriously, like we haven’t had enough avocado + cucumber + kale remixes?) I’ll actually need to shave my legs. Goodbye Yeti season…. There are so many things I’m going to miss about my winter.
Mostly? The snowflakes.
In a proper send off to my favorite 3 months of the year – I’ve decided to add my apple pie recipe to the list of scrumptious “must eats” for you!
Sarah’s Cheater Apple Pie
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees! Then get to preppin’.
You start with the apples! [4 cups, or 3 medium-large apples]
I heart me some Braeburns, baby! They’re not too sweet and dance with just the right bit of tart. Dice ’em up or slice ’em. You’re choice. I prefer smaller cubes. No need to have ginormous slices that can’t fit in your mouth…right? Or maybe, that could be hysterical! we’ll research this.
Don’t fret about their slight tartness, loves. We’ll add in a cup of sugar and sweeten them up to perfection!
Now, zest in half a lemon and the juice from that same halfsie. Leave the seeds, please!
This acid balances out the sweet, and is barely discernible. However, take it out…and your guests will notice. Hand to heaven!
Shake in half a teaspoon of salt.
Toss in a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Voila!
The filling is complete. :]
Now, you’re wondering…where’s the “cheater” part?
It’s all in the crust!
I love using refrigerated dough for pies. It’s wonderfully cheap college-budget friendly, and already chilled. You’ll need one package, 2 crusts, to make one pie. I’m not a fan of open-faced pie. You need to have all that flaky goodness!
Just pop the dough out of the wrapping, unroll it and place it in a 9-in. pie pan. [I just inherited a wonderful pie dish, about 20 years old. What a beaut!]
Don’t forget the buttah!
Spoon the filling on the crust in the pie dish. Spread out the deliciousness and try not to eat much of it. [insert evil kitchen genius laugh here and totally eat a spoonful – or two]
Take a few (3-4) half teaspoonfuls of butter [the real stuff] and plop them around the pie, right on top of the filling.
Roll the second pie crust on top of the filling and sploosh, crimp, close the crusts together with a fork [or your sexy baking fingers] and make sure it’s sealed.
Cut a few slits in the top of the pie and stand back for a second.
Admire that PIE!
B-E-A-utiful, no? Of course it is!
Now, scoop it up and pop it into the oven you preheated to 450 degrees. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
Once the timer dings, turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees and continue baking that fabulous pie for another 30 minutes.
Just wonderful.
I caution you to wait a moment [or close to 10 minutes] before gobbling it up.
Also, if you have some yummy vanilla bean ice cream (or old-fashioned vanilla) in that glorious freezer – add a scoop and make your dish a la mode!
Valentine’s Day makes people do weird things (or insanely hurtful ones).
So I’m told.
A girl can dream, right?
I think this is a feeble excuse for jerks, arses, cheaters, players (…I could go on, but why give them more airtime?) to break hearts all over the darn place.
I do not discriminate here. There are plenty of horrid people out there, men & women alike. Unfortunately, I know one of these dastardly persons and am so disappointed in their actions this lovely weekend.
Why waste time on someone who treats you badly?
Love is cruel. Sometimes it just pounds us to a pulp and spits us out.
Then we find someone we think we love and put our heart through the cheese grater all over again. It’s a psychotic process, really.
But, we all seek out love. I wish it could be wonderful and beautiful for everyone. But what can I say?
Who wouldn’t love a guy with a library like his?Perfectly cute.
Disney ruined us all.
I truly hope your weekend was full of yummy dishes and tons of kisses, but if your V-day weekend got squished by a less-than-lovely character, ditch ’em!
Move on to happier things and spend some time on yourself. Instead of wallowing in the crux of heartache, toast some champagne and delve into those leftover chocolate boxes (now 50% off, and still scrumptious…maybe even better at a discount)!
Of course it does.
As for me, tonight I’m baking an apple pie and putting in some much-needed kitchen time. I’ll be sure to post the delicious recipe soon!
Snow is just about the most precious thing, ever.
Soft, cold, beautiful.
Mine & Angel’s reactions when winter comes to Texas.
Growing up in deep south Texas, I rarely experienced snow. Instead of hitting the beaches with many of my friends on Spring Break – I flew to colder places to snow board and dance in the powder. Some might say it’s because I’m not always around crazy wintry areas that allows me to enjoy this cold miracle, but that’s not why I love snow.
Can you think of anything else so powerful, mysterious and gorgeous?
Everything about snow makes the deep down warm & fuzzy parts of my heart just melt away into delicious ecstasy. Waking up to these flurries was amazing. Watching flakes tumble with a side of Mexican hot chocolate has been incredibly blissful.
I’ll be sure to test healthier versions. Until then, I recommend Abuelita hot chocolate by Nestle. Mmm, reminds me of my childhood! It’s scrumptious! You can check out this recipe too. YUM!
Take a moment to enjoy the simplest thing today. A sexy afternoon text to (or from) your sexy-half; perhaps a lazy lunch at your fave pop-stand; a smile from your barista; make a memory! Even if it isn’t snowing where you are, let the little joy of sheer wonderfulness fill your soul. Be happy!
The first step to getting fit is being happy with yourself. Engulf yourself in happiness. Trust me. Working out, running or even dancing around in your funderwear (totally just made this up)…it will all be glorious – so long as you’re happy.
Frozen Fractals Are The Best Spring Break Buddies!
Snow makes me happy. More than you could ever imagine. This brilliant gift from precipitation marrying frosty temperatures is one small thing I am grateful for today.
Being fiscally responsible means suffering a bit while you save for something greater.
Thus, we shall move into a smaller apartment and try to get the most bang for our buck. In Dallas, that dollar doesn’t stretch nearly as much we hoped.
Thanks, reality slap!
Pros for the new digs:
Closer to Starbucks…yes – this matters.
Intramural-like Events (because, who doesn’t love to watch sweaty guys throw an ultimate frisbee around, right?)
Less space to clean, but not much less
Cons for this place: The kitchen, the kitchen, the kitchen!
For the love of all that is gooey and delicious….why do we have to skimp on the kitchen?
Seeing it was pretty awful. My first thought was:
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
This kitchen is, in all urban definition, ratchet. [My students would be so proud of this verbage]
It’s galley-style, teeny weeny and might be the very reason I lose tons of weight this year. [Maybe not a total con then…]
Or….I may bake extra for everyone just to prove I can make this work!
I’ll make this kitchen worthy, damn it!
Who else has a small kitchen?
Let’s make wonderful kitchen love together and churn out kick-ass dishes! Mmk?
Send me plenty of food-porny pics and I’ll be sure to post bundles here too!
Today I’ve eaten more Thai food than I care to admit.
My new workout plan is about to get Dixie Chick serious.
Fo’ Real, yo!
A bestie and I decided to have our eyebrows waxed…isn’t this the way all good stories start?
We met at the salon, and I was called back first.
The beauty technician was nice enough, for being insanely quiet and yielding hot wax. Eeesh!
So, I’m laying on the table and the word vomit thing I do [when placed in awkward situations] erupted.
I tried asking how her day was…fine.
Ah, not so great then? …mhm.
So…how does a bikini wax work?
::crickets::
Seriously, I’ve always wondered how any woman can get her nether regions trimmed and sculpted by a complete stranger. Is that weird for you? ….Oh, no, no. You can’t do wax there? Too big. Umm…me? I’m too big?… Yes. Too big. I No do.
Now, weighing in at 160ish is still borderline obese according to the BMI chart. I’m well aware of this. But…
As in, you do realize you said that out LOUD to a paying customer, right?!
I was thinking of shrieking at whole new pitch. Wounded.
Angry. Hurt. Pissed-off. A breath away from crying.
But a split second later, a blink in time to process the harshness, I realized that this woman does not know me. She has no clue how hard I worked over the last six months to shed 35 pounds. She has no clue that I haven’t eaten ice cream in over a year.** (No, I do not consider fro-yo “ice cream,” nor have I eaten any in the longest time). This person does not rock climb with me or understand just how far I’ve come to be this “big.” I mean, damn. But, props to her for being honest.
Was she kinda-sorta-really hurtful? Hell to the YES. Did she mean it? Who the hell knows? I’m hoping she was just being observant and stating a fact.
Yes, I am big. Truth be told, I’m a size 10 [12 on a bloated day]. The typical size of an American female.
Do I want to be thinner? Sure.
Am I working to get there? Not at this moment. But, usually – yes.
Right now, I’m enjoying Thai Food and coffee runs. I love my Sunday Brunch date and weekly food challenge.
Why?
Because you can’t get huge in ONE DAMN DAY! Or in a couple of days.
I do count calories and work out (bit of honesty – another run here and there certainly wouldn’t kill me, though I’m sure I’d swear it would if the beau would relent and let me curl up on the couch).
It’s a process, but I’m making progress.
So after I processed her comment, I thought:
So fabulous, honey.
Now my eyebrows look great and I’ll be back at the gym tomorrow.
But tonight, my size 10 derriere and I will be playing couch potato; drooling over the recipe to share with you in tomorrow’s blog post. Get excited!
Oh, and the bikini wax? Maybe I’ll get brave enough to try one in the near future and tell you all about it.
Don’t go placing your bets just yet…
Much love,
CerebellumChef
**Edit: The beau pointed out that we ate vanilla bean ice cream last week when we were at MesoMaya. Damn my inability to run from deliciousness. And cake. The cake always wins.
This somewhat pint-sized establishment packs a big punch, when the chef is on his game.
It’s not too tiny, an occupancy of nearly 125 – including the adorable open-air atrium.
Truly, not sure how we missed it before.
Mid-size menu with a variety of Latin options
It’s located off the frontage road, right next to El Fenix [a review for another time, avoid all but the original], across from The Perot. This block has 3 restaurants on it – Meso Maya, El Fenix & La Ventana…a trio of Latin fusion.
Meso Maya may be a hidden gem. We’ve been twice, last week and today, and – both times – the restaurant was considerably empty. There is no lack of service, as there are several waiters and an eager hostess ready to sit you the moment she sees you. Super friendly. Like her bunches!
We sat and placed drink orders all around. The coffee was nothing special, but they do serve the milk/creamer in a super cute mini-milk bottle, about three inches tall. Sadly, that doesn’t make up for the average cup o’ joe.
Their brunch menu boasts $2 mimosas, bloody marys and sangrias.
We tried all three. The mimosa and bloody mary need some serious help. The orange juice is bitter and so is the champagne, leaving nothing for the palate to enjoy except the tingly sensation. I tried my first BM here last week and was less-than pleased. It’s a tinged-blood orange color, much like rusty water – which is exactly what it tastes like.
Sangria wins, hands down!
Now, I’m not new to having alcohol with my brunch, but after trying several drinks at multiple locations, I decided that maybe it isn’t for me. I can’t be fancy and eat my eggs with wine, beer or champagne. They get lost in the flavor of the alcohol and then I’m pissed-off because my brunch is flavorless. Eww, right?
[On another note, if your dish can’t stand up to a little ol’ liquor, maybe it wasn’t as wonderful as I thought.]
The beau cleared things up for me here. He said “the sangria and mimosa are for pre-gaming. You drink them with the chips and salsa, then move onto your dish when it comes out. Leave the alcohol alone. It’s delicious.”
Well, he may have a point. I’ll test his theory another time.
Take my advice, steer clear of the cheap drinks here. You’ll thank me for it later.
You can however, proceed to shove copious amounts the their house-made chips and salsa down your eager gullet.
Ooo-la-la!
Note to you – if you are at a Mexican restaurant and their chips and salsa are bad…it’s highly likely that your dish will be any better. These chips, my friends, are wonderful. They are not greasy, perfectly crispy and “mouth-sized,” as they take a tortilla and slice it multiple times.
This salsa is glorious. Tomatoes, salt, pepper, poblanos, onions and just the right salt/pepper ratio.
It’s nothing short of addictive – consider yourself warned!
If you eat too many of these, you’ll be hating yourself (calorie-wise) and wishing you hadn’t when your chosen dish finally makes it to you.
I think these chips are so damn good, because of how insanely long it takes to receive your food. Chief complaint.
We ordered an appetizer, to stave off the hunger. It looks wonderful, but was a total flop.
The coagulated cheese received was beyond difficult to cut through and the spinach, though a cute pop of color, was lifeless. No flavor. The chorizo and sauteed mushrooms were an afterthought. The real show-stopper here was the amount of oil in this mozzarella party. So gross. Not even the yummy tortillas could save this queso.
Queso Fundido
When our food finally came, about 35 minutes later, everything looked scrumptious. Sadly, it was a serious Monet effect.
My dish was the Huevos Borrachos – cubed potatoes, diced poblanos, mozzarella and chorizo scrambled up in fluffy eggs. Its sidekicks? White rice and black beans. Neither of which you could go wrong with here, except that this dish was also leaning more toward cold than warm. Semi-cold eggs are quite disgusting. Don’t believe me? Make some, then let them sit for about fifteen minutes. Enjoy the grossness. I warned you.
“Monet” – looks great, tastes average.
Last week I tried this same dish and loved it. Today it was a semi-cold disaster. Maybe the chef was different today? Please bring the other one back, if that’s the case.
We also tried Los Benedicts – which are, unfortunately, nothing to write home about. My favorite part of this dish was the perfectly poached egg that sat atop the brisket basket. The brisket was a bit slimey and too stringy. The amount of sauce is negligible, which I prefer, but whatever it was marinated in needs to be tossed out!
Chipotle Hollandaise…Imposter!
This Benedictine tragedy appeared on our table. The chipotle is barely discernible in the hollandaise, considerable masked by the less-than barbeque it underneath it. The biscuit was toasty, which made for a nice texture difference – the only good thing this dish had going for it. Poor guy.
We were terribly full, the chips did their work here. Delectable corn chip treats. YUM!
Planning on leaving, the waiter stepped in and asked if we’d like dessert. Horrible person!
He suggested the chocolate cake, and I went weak at the knees. Of course we ordered it!
Just unzip your pants now…
What a glorious combination of chocolate torte, delicate strawberries and vanilla-corn ice cream.
Yes, I said vanilla-corn. Try it once – the addition is not nearly as gross as you might think. The corn kernels add a unique crunch and texture to the ice cream, but I could have done without the corn taste.
This cakey goodness was soft and gooey. Just the right amount of thick chocolate sauce, but not too fudgey. There was no overwhelming chocolate taste here. Balanced by the vanilla ice cream, the souffle-like cake practically melts on your tongue. Cheers, to the pastry chef!
We clearly hated this…
  Overall, I give Meso Maya a 6 out of 10. Their made tortillas and chips are a gift from chef genius. Just wonderful. However, their dishes are not consistently great – which is quite unfortunate. The service is above average, though the length of time it takes to receive your main course is much too long. especially for a slow Sunday morning.
Their chocolate cake is worth a dessert run, but their dishes need work.
Over the past few weeks I’ve had to explain several Hispanic traditions to many non-Hispanic friends. Realizing Hispanics celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving much like the stereotypical “American” family, well – it baffles the heck out of them. Sure, we throw in tamales, barbacoa, bunuelos, calabaza con pollo and enchiladas between the turkey, ham and green bean casserole…but who’s judging? We like our options. Unfortunately, let’s face it, heftiness and bovine qualities are a serious issue in America; even worse in the Latin-American families. The statistics are shocking and we all blame one thing – genetics.
To be fair, genetics does bring a lot to the table, but it is possible to work your derriere off and shed those unruly pounds. Yes…even the last 10 from that incredibly denigrating tummy pooch that you hate oh-so-much.
What? don;t believe me?
Let me guess – the idea of saying “NO” to another taco, more barbacoa or that last slice of pastel… is outrageous?
I mean, how dare you!? Right?
She doesn’t want more comida? Ay no! Que trajedia!
WRONG!
You tell that sweet-peddling, delicious pastry-baking, guilt-tripping family member to get to steppin’!
If you’re constantly trying to eat, just to make sure your comadre, Tia, or Suegra doesn’t get offended, then you’ve resolved to be a fata**.
Definitely not sorry for slapping you with this bit of harsh reality.
Confidence is one thing, but please – wear clothes that fit. Not those that make you look like a snausage. Eww. Seriously, go visit The Opinionated Man.
Honestly, it’s no wonder why we set weight-loss goals for the new year when we gorge ourselves to close off the previous one. Again, gluttonous much?
Ignore the flying spoon…someone was dessert induced and forgot we needed to snap this picture!Sushi @ Kumori Sweet Georgia Brown BBQ
You and I, we are foodies.
When you eat like we do, you can’t blame genetics – but you can bet that extra doughnut you’ll gain a pound every week if you eat lard and think you won’t gain an ounce.
Remember “chew like you have a secret!”
Stop making excuses.
I have none, nor should you!
This fitchick loves to eat! No shame in that.
But we need to relish the flavors of yummly foodles and then make sure to keep balanced by working out.
What NYEs did you make this year? How’s your progress going?
I started my first week of grad school with a fever and pretty disgusting snot balls. Eww, right? It should go without saying, I haven’t done much work in the kitchen.
Luckily enough, the beau knows how to cook. Bless this man! He normally operates by the “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” mentality and throws in whatever sounds good. That said, since we moved in together, he rarely spends a split second in the kitchen. I view this as a good and bad thing. Amazing, because he’s basically a bonafide food tester who can make me a spot-on cup of coffee at the drop of a hat, but terrible in the sense that I’m largely left to my own devices.
Sometimes we end up with horrific recipes – like rubbery french toast, made from a recipe at another blogger’s site. She will remain unnamed, but I hope she knows how terrible her portions are. Ugh.
Honestly, the only good thing about this baked french toast is the strawberry compote I added to it…
Being out of the kitchen has been nice, because the beau has been all a bustle. He made me my fave! Potato, egg and cheese tacos. I used to [and pretty much still do] call this dish, Porridge.Exactly like the kind in the story of the 3 bears. My brothers and I had no clue what porridge was (blame the Hispanic upbringing, if you will), but knew it was breakfasty…so we claimed it as our favorite. Grandmother bear made it for us all the time [and still does]. Feeling crumtastic kept me away from banging around pots & pans, so it was a yummly surprise when the beau set this treat down.
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Porridge makes everything better!
I’ll be sure to share our recipe, in all its somewhat-unhealthy glory. Because…it’s amazing!
After two days home and a serious amount of rest, I’m starting to feel much better. It doesn’t hurt to have this guy around either. Hopefully this week will get rid of this strep and bring me plenty of sneeze/cough-free moments.
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Too much dork for one frame.
I sincerely hope you have a snot-free week. Much love!
[Despicable Me, Minions] AHHH! So excited!My great friend Melissa gifted me a Cuisinart One cup coffee maker! As a new teacher, I can’t even begin to tell you how invaluable this snazzy tool will be for me. Seriously, it’s amazing!
It’s super cute, in silver, and came with a smorgasbord of coffee and teas. EEEP!
I’ll try it out today and then take it to school tomorrow. Fan-flippin-tastic!
::swoon::
Mom bought me a Starbucks Espresso tumbler as a Christmas gift. If you don’t know about the wondermous tumbler, it gives me free espresso beverages for the entire month of January. I’m loving it! Best. Prezzie. Ever! I was sad about the coffee awesomeness running out. Honestly, paying an average of $5 for my caramel macchiatos is kinda heart-breaking. As a new graduate student, I can promise that my SBUX habit will take a dive for the next few months.
Disappointed? Yup.
Thankfully this new gift will get me through the slow-poke mornings. I can keep a super cute set of mugs in class and make my coffee during my conference period. It’ll be a wonderful way to start the day, don’t ya think?
