#TUESDAY

I just wanted to share this experience with you.

This morning I put on some black wedges that I officially feel comfortable walking around in. I thought it matched my black and white striped shirt very well. 

During my lunch break I noticed my left shoe was starting to come apart when I walked. It was opening and closing, making a clapping noise every time I took a step. I figured I could drag my left foot a little bit and maybe people would think I injured my foot and not notice the back of my wedges coming apart.

I've gotten to know the baristas at the coffee shop down the street from my work. They know my name but I don't know theirs... go me.

There are four of them, all older than me and are extremely sweet. 

I tried not to make any sudden movements while I was in there..  I tried to keep the integrity of my shoe together.

Leaving the coffee shop, one of the baristas was outside smoking a cigarette with his buddies. They were all so nice and asked me how my day was. I smiled and pretended I was very busy and needed to rush back to work.

The attention was on me because I am the likable, polite customer that always comes in with a smile and asks them how their day is going and I was all of the sudden too busy to stop for small talk.

I start walking up the hill, limping like I have a foot injury and all I hear and feel are BOTH of my feet clapping up and down, making noise and detaching themselves more and more.

It was like someone hit the 'mute' button.

The street was silent. The cars were driving by in slow motion and the drivers were crashing into each other carelessly with their jaws dropped and their angry eyebrows scrunched up with disbelief.

I could feel the looks I was getting from behind.. 

Here I am too busy to talk, limping like I have a serious foot injury, trying to drag my feet walking uphill and my shoes are falling apart right before their eyes. 

~drag, clap, drag, clap, drag, clap, spill coffee~

When I got to the top of the hill I stopped to gather myself. 

Okay my shoes are about to fall off and my building is right across the street. If I can make it inside maybe these people can go back to their daily lives and try to move on from this horrific scene.

As I get ready to cross the street I lifted my left foot up to see how much time I had until this wedge decides to finally jump ship. And when I lifted my foot, the wedge stayed on the ground.

It jumped.

I picked up the broken wedge and was now walking with one flat shoe and one tall wedge. 

A true reason to limp. 

As I crossed the street I saw a girl who looked my age walking in my direction. As I limp with my broken wedge in my hand I look at her for relief. I smile and smirk like, 

Tuesdays right?!?

She does not laugh. She does not smile.

She doesn't get it.

I finally get inside my office building. 

I am safe. I can hear the street start to move again. 

At work I always take the stairs. I do it for exercise. Even if my shoe is broken.

As I walk up the stairs my right shoe starts to fall off and I burst into laughter.

WHAT IS THIS?!?

Before I could do anything else I stopped to take a picture.

My shoes turned into flats.

I threw my dead wedges in the trash and went back to work.

As I write this my co-worker is drying her shirt with paper towels from spilling soy sauce all over her chest.

#tuesdays

My weekend and faux biscuits -n- gravy

After a long and relaxing weekend, I feel refreshed. Normally my love and I try to get out and go hiking or visit some new places, but this weekend we spent most of our time at home and it was lovely.

Friday started off with a half-day at work. Work, by the way, is going great. I'm given more responsibilities every week and feel like I'm building a good amount of trust with my co-workers. As I sit here and write this I notice the dirt under my fingernails is gone. I never disliked dirt under my nails, I just didn't think it'd ever really go away.

 After work my love and I went to Vik's Wheelhouse after a long and dreadful visit to the DMV. 

Why does the DMV always feel so eery?

Either way, we are officially California residents.

Woohoo!

Our initial plan was to go to Mare Island Brewing Company and get a beer but they don't open until 5pm on Fridays and it was 4:30pm. We didn't want to wait and the floating barge at Vik's Wheelhouse was seriously calling our name. 

We got a couple delicious Anchor Steams and sat out on the deck in the sun. 

Looking out into the water and drinking beers with your babe is where it's at!

We got the mixed seafood boil and what a treat! 

Whole lobster, crab legs, mussels, shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn swimming in garlic butter and broth.. worth every penny. We also got the clam chowder and it was amazing. 

Vallejo is showing us its charm slowly but surely.

Saturday we finally hung some pictures in the house. What a difference pictures and mirrors make. 

Our new home finally feels like home.

Adjusting to new settings makes for a new kind of home. 

It's been fun decorating a little differently. New windows, new trees and new plants all shifted my decorating style. Leaving the windows open and the blinds pulled up exposes all the natural lighting and green outside. I decorated trying to match the exterior throughout the yard and house.

That night we made some chicken tacos. Using dried ancho and pasilla chiles changes everything. I take two of each and lightly toast them in oil in a pan.  

You can use the same oil from the chiles for further cooking like searing chicken. 

Then I take them out and rehydrate them in simmering water for a few minutes until soft. Deseed and stem them, then buzz them up in a blender with a few raw garlic cloves, a handful of cilantro and white vinegar. Add the paste to chili, a sauce or mix in some braised meat. 

So good!

Sunday morning we were in the mood for something southern. 

Or, we are always in the mood for southern food. 

As I've mentioned before, trying to find organic meat around here can be arduous. I am still a fan of using Torfurky products every now and then. This time was particularly awesome.

Faux Biscuits -n- Gravy

Use half a yellow onion and cut small dice. Sweat the onions in a pan over medium low heat in olive oil. Throw in a bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the onions are soft, add your tofurky "ground beef". You're just getting the "ground beef" nice and hot. Then add about a tablespoon of AP flour and stir. You want to incorporate the flour completely.

The onions and "ground beef" will start to soak up the flour and get thick. 

Because we are not actually vegetarian, I added a little homemade chicken stock for flavor. You can skip this step or add vegetable stock. You can really do whatever you want.. At this point, you could throw everything on the ground and let your dogs have a field day. You know, adjust as needed.

 I let the chicken stock reduce down and then I added non-fat milk. Season generously with cracked black pepper. I also added white pepper. I love the musky-ness of white pepper. Salt to taste.

Simmer this on low until the consistency is nice and thick. Continue to stir every now and then. 

As it cooks, it gets darker.

I warmed some wheat english muffins in the oven and cooked some eggs over-easy.

Cut your english muffins, biscuits or croissants in half, pour over the seasoned gravy and top with eggs. 

I like my gravy thick faux sho.

My love said he couldn't even tell it wasn't the real thing.

But it is real! It was a flavorful and delicious breakfast that filled us up and made us happy. 

That's all that matters.

Sunday night we made deviled eggs, grilled some chicken and vegetables and watched The League. We LOVE The League.

A great weekend spent mostly inside cooking, flirting, drinking wine, playing with the dogs and lounging on the couch.

How was your weekend?

Hair masks and face yoga

Last night I tried a hair mask with two extremely ripe bananas, 1/2 cup of raw honey and 1/2 cup of olive oil. I forgot about the bananas overtime so they were nice and black on the outside and extremely soft on the inside. I  smashed them with the back of a fork until smooth. Honey next, then olive oil. I drizzled in the olive oil and whisked vigorously,  much like a vinaigrette to get it nice and emulsified.

Do this in your bathroom over your sink and don't even attempt to stay clean. 

It gets a little messy..

Make sure you brush your hair before using this hair mask. The honey and banana gets sticky and if you do this with tangled hair... good luck.

Start at your roots and comb it through to the tip. I did this over the same bowl the mask was in to catch the mess. I got most of it back in the bowl..

Comb it all the way through on every side until it's completely soaked with the mixture. Leave it in for 10-20 minutes.

Warning: 

It starts to drip after a few minutes so keep a washcloth handy to keep your face and neck dry.

This is a silly picture but the reality of this hair mask says it all on my face. 

Sticky and runny..

After 10-20 minutes, thoroughly rinse, shampoo and condition.

Results: 

my hair does feel softer, more on my roots than tips. 

However my hair has natural ombre from neglect to recolor it so my roots are my natural color and my tips are still dyed. 

This morning while styling my hair, it does seem to be overall softer.

Maybe doing this once or twice a week would show better results.

This mixture makes about 3 cups. I used half and saved the rest in my refrigerator for another day.

Also, music and red wine made this experiment way more fun.

Now for Face Yoga...

I'm on day four of trying this exercise. I know it's too early to see results so I'm going to stick with it for a few weeks and see whats happens.

As of today, all I can say is my jaw and entire neck is sore.

Here are some embarrassing pictures of face yoga..

FIRM UP YOUR CHEEKS

take a deep breath in and puff as wide as you can. 

hold for 10 seconds, exhale completely. 

repeating this 10 times.

EYEBROW LIFT

pull back on pressure points.

repeat ten times a day.

KISSING FACE

strengthen jaw line.

when doing this, start in a kissing face and end in a tight fish face.

side note:

I washed my face last night in coconut oil instead of water and face wash for the second day in a row.

Start by pulling your hair back and out of your face. Get a nice dab of coconut oil and rub between your hands and all over your face. Take a soft wash cloth and wipe away the make-up and dirt.

For moisturizer I used all natural, organic almond oil.

This much oil will get in your hair so adjust accordingly.

This morning I moisturized with Avalon Organics Lavendar Luminosity Night Cream.

I love their products! 

I've had eczema since birth and these products are gentle on my skin.

And there you have it!

Weird photos and instructions from me.. bare face and half drunk.

Enjoy.

  

Shut up and feel fabulous

I read an article the other day about Face Yoga. 

I laughed when I first read it but it definitely has me super intrigued. I tried a few moves at the office and was terrified someone was going to come around the corner and think I'm having a seizure.. 

And in the car, I look insane. 

But who cares.

I've done it for two days and my face feels a little sore and my ears feel like they're opening up. Face Yoga is supposed to help tone your face and neck. I'm going to keep it going and see what happens. 

I've been trying to find a good hair mask too.

I'm growing my hair out and the split ends are starting to show themselves. 

Tonight I will experiment and report back tomorrow.

I'm very new to taking the time to beautify myself in a detailed manner.

Meaning, I never used to paint my nails, wear hair masks, do yoga, sit up straight or workout my face muscles for crying out loud.

It's crazy what being in a rut can do to your mind and ultimately start showing on the outside. First you doubt yourself and then convince others to do the same. 

"fake it til you make it"

Do it for as long as it takes.

In a rut and feel gross today? 

Put your hair in a high bun, put on a oversized sweatshirt and skinny jeans or leggings and some lip gloss. Smile at everyone.

Feel like your hair is as dry as the desert? 

Try a hair mask! You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Massage your scalp when you shampoo to stimulate hair growth and enjoy the massage.

Comb conditioner through your hair in the shower and let it sit a few extra minutes before rinsing it out. 

Take control of your own body. Be gentle on yourself.

Your body is capable of so much more. The hardest part is convincing your mind.

Lucky Charm Milkshake

This weekend was so nice...

~Dog lovin'~

~Yard work~

~Yoga~

~Eating~

On Saturday we had breakfast at the house. 

I made two over-easy eggs, brussel sprout hash and toast.

For lunch we had burgers from Bud's Giant Burgers in Vallejo. 

They are simple burgers on a simple bun but the burger patties are well seasoned and the thinly sliced, white onions bring the whole thing together.

For dinner, Baldo's. 

Its kind of authentic, kind of not. The salsas are homemade and very flavorful. They have a setup of nacho toppings over fries and California burritos for people like me.

I love burritos.

Sunday we searched for some Asian grub. 

More specifically, Vietnamese Pho.

It was EXACTLY what I needed. It has to be spicy enough to  make me sweat. It burned so good..

Tripe, tendon, flank steak, meatballs, chewy noodles, jalapenos, cilantro, bean sprouts, Sriracha and fish sauce.

Along side it is a super strong Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk. 

High five to these guys..

Pho Lee Hoa Phat

For dinner, I made vegetarian tacos to try to balance out all the insane gorging that took place previously.

So far I'm finding the cost of tofu or Tofurky products are about the same price, if not cheaper than meat alone.

One problem I have here in Vallejo, California is the access of organic meat. If I want organic meat I have to drive four towns over. Most times, I don't want to.

So vegetarian cooking is the way we go..

Okay..

~The best and MOST IMPORTANT part of my weekend...

LUCKY CHARM MILKSHAKES!~

It was AMAZING!

Lucky Charms now makes Chocolate Lucky Charms. YES.

Chocolate cereal pieces. 

No longer do you have to divide cereal into three bowls.. 

One bowl of cereal, one empty bowl, one bowl for marshmallows.

You take all the marshmallows out of the first bowl and put into an empty bowl, separating marshmallows from cereal pieces. 

Then you pour yourself a new bowl of cereal and add the separated marshmallows on top. 

Discard the bowl of just cereal pieces..

No? You don't do that?

Okay.

So for the milkshake..

4 scoops of vanilla ice cream

1 1/2 cups of CHOCOLATE Lucky Charms

3 ice cubes

1 cup of milk

Blend on high for a smooooooth consistency.

Top with more lucky charms.

I use a Ninja Professional Blender and it works like a charm. 

Happy Monday!!

How we did our mid country road trip.

One of the first things I focused my attention on when we were preparing to move was what we were going to eat on the road. It became quite an obsession..

There are limited food options to choose from when you're trying to maintain good timing, keep your budget on the low end and not gain 5lbs in one week.

I knew with three dogs and space for our suitcases, I couldn't go crazy like I really wanted to.

So here is what I made and brought:

4 quarts of chickpea hummus

1 quart of tuna salad

1 dozen boiled eggs

1 loaf of bread

1 pack of good ol' processed American cheese

1 jar of peanut butter

1 box of cereal

1 container of milk

1 container of cold-pressed coffee

1 bottle of simple syrup

A few bags of Doritos

2 bottles of champagne

Igloo - 60 quart cooler

2 bags of ice

iPhone dock for navigation

Lots of blankets.. mainly for the dogs

2 pillows

An air mattress

Neck pillows.. Extremely helpful

A few books 

1 joint

This took some serious tetris-type maneuvering but I made it work. 

For the dogs we put the backseats forward. This gave them the option to spread out more and even go in the trunk if they wanted to. At first they stayed close to us. By the second day, they were all over the place. They loved it.

 We layered six blankets down so it was comfortable for the dogs to lay on.

We also purchased prescribed puppy Xanax from their vet. Being in the car that long can make anyone go nuts so this helped tremendously.

When traveling with dogs, you should stop to let them out every three to four hours.

We stayed at La Quinta every night. They're dog friendly and were conveniently everywhere. On average we spent $75 - $100 a night for a room. Not too bad.  

The first day was nothing but excitement. The further and further we drove away from home, the more excited I became. 

We're really doing it!

The first hotel we arrived at was quite a show. The dogs were so confused and anxious, when we let them out of the car they nearly ran away. They frantically circled the thankfully, gated parking lot completely bewildered. Even when we got them inside our room and on the bed with us, they were anxious. One thing about dog friendly hotels, there are a lot of other dogs all around you, all barking and crying at every noise. 

I almost ate their Xanax for myself. 

I didn't..

The second day was great. The dogs became more comfortable with traveling and my love and I decided to dig into some podcast options..

Comedy Bang! Bang!

A podcast with Scott Aukerman as the host, where he does hilarious 45 minute conversations with an amazing selection of celebrities, comedians and characters. It is something I can't recommend enough. Driving across the country with your loves in the car, laughing so hard together that you can't breathe is amazing. This made time fly by. 

Okay.. even though I tried to fill the car with awesome snacks, we couldn't eat just those things. We totally ate McDonald's egg McMuffins and coffee for breakfast, Wendy's baked potatoes and chicken sandwiches for lunch and second lunch. Yeah.. I said second lunch. And Sonic cheeseburgers for dinner.

Am I ashamed? No!

It's called survival and not caring too much about the small stuff. We don't normally eat fast food but we did this time. Eating a Sonic cheeseburger after driving all day in your hotel bed after a hot shower.. the best.

Third day.

We made great timing. We drove 10-12 hours most days. 

A total of 2,482 miles and 35 hours.

When we finally reached California we were so excited and nervous. 

That's when everything finally hit me. 

I thought about everyone I left back home. My job, my friends, my co-workers and my family. 

They were so supportive. This was taken the day we left.

We were so excited the closer we got, we turned the radio off and just drove in silence. 

I think I was sitting straight up, leaning over into the dashboard as if I was trying to escape through the windshield.

As you can see, I like to throw up the peace signs.... This is my duck face smile as well.

Podcasts, coffee, snacks, egg McMuffins, breaks to walk around every few hours, 12 hour driving days, positive vibes and 1 joint got us home.

No regrets.

Conversations in the workplace

In a broken whisper.. 

"You went to cooking school? Shhhhhh.."

Me: "Oh, yes. I graduated from there."

"You have resume with cooking experience, I saw.."

"Yes, a little bit."

"Do you want to work for Subway? You could be sandwich artist."

"Oh.. Hmmm.... They're hiring?"

"Yes. Don't tell anyone.. I know the manager and you could be sandwich artist and in a month, manager."

"Wow. Thank you for thinking of me. Can I think about it and get back to you?"

"Shhhhh!"

"Okay..."

"Yes. You think about it. The pay is not good but... you could be sandwich artist. 

Then.. manager."

"Okay.... Thank you.........."