Deva by Definition

A long (birthday) weekend

This weekend, The Boy and I took a few extra days off to celebrate my birthday – which fell today. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend, visiting with my parents, going to see The Secret World of Arrietty, picking up some new supplies to support my running habit, and taking a trip to Sephora so I could get some new foundation, bronzer, makeup brushes, and my Sephora birthday gift – some mini Fresh Sugar lip balms!

We also enjoyed some chocolate cake and cookies and crème ice cream, dinner at Montgomery Inn, and a trip to Jungle Jim’s to pick up some Meiji chocolate, soba noodles, and Japanese curry mix. It has been a very fun and relaxing long weekend and I am glad I took the time off to enjoy it. I’ve been able to sleep past nine almost every day I’ve been off, and even got to enjoy two very nice runs in forty and fifty-degree temperatures!

I am eager to get back to regular blogging as the week continues, and will be back tomorrow with another half marathon vlog. For now, though, I think I am going to wrap up my birthday weekend with some more cake and perhaps some Fraggle Rock on DVD.

What did you do this weekend?

Vlogging the Half Marathon: Week Three

Just a few things:

1. I’m a little chatty in this video

2. I really like sleep!

Vlogging my Training: Week Two

No notes to add – but if you want me to talk about something specific, please let me know!

La Mexicana: A Review of some Tasty Food

Ever since The Boy and I bought our house, we have been exploring our new area. Our exploration has included running routes for me, and entertainment and food spots for us to enjoy. I've already found a fun coffee shop that I love, and we've discovered two delicious pizza spots within walking distance of the house, as well.

This weekend, after getting up early to run five miles, followed by a lot of errands to get our license plates and driver's licenses updated to reflect our move, we were famished and wanting something to eat. I didn't care what we had, as long as it was food and it was edible, I was okay. Granted, I was somewhat craving pancakes, but really wanted something protein-rich, dense, and filling.

The Boy and I sat in our dining room, flipping through the Urban Spoon app on our phones before finally deciding that we wanted Mexican food, and that we wanted to give a Mexican restaurant called La Mexicana a try. Their menu was simple, but all of the food sounded delicious, so we set out for the restaurant, hoping to find one that would quickly become a favorite.

Once at La Mexicana, The Boy and I took our seats, and were quickly given a basket of chips and a spicy green salsa. While perusing the menu, we dove into the chips, which tasted fresh and nutty and weren't overly salty at all. I was excited to see that the restaurant offered more than 8 different types of meat, including goat and tripe, to allow you to customize your meal.

The service was fabulous, and within five minutes of placing our order, our plates were in front of us, filled with fresh, hot, delicious-looking food. The Boy ordered a quesadilla, which was enormous, filled with pork, cheese and lettuce. The tortilla was fried and crispy and when he offered me a bite, I was glad to accept. His quesadilla was delicious - full of flavor but not heavy, with lots of stretchy cheese.
I opted to try a different dish, one that I discovered while visiting San Antonio two years ago: the flautas. The first time I tried flautas I loved every rich and delicious bite – fried tortillas stuffed with chicken or beef, smothered in cheese? Amazing.

The flautas at La Mexicana were deep fried and filled with my choice of meat - shredded beef. They were topped with crumbled cheese, cream, fresh-sliced avocado, lettuce, and tomato. Served with sides of rice and beans, this was a huge meal - and I had a huge appetite. I tried my first flauta (there were four), without adding any of the toppings beyond the cheese and cream. It was incredibly delicious - the deep-fried tortilla was crispy without being greasy, and the cheese and cream enhanced the rich flavors of the beef.

I actually found that I loved eating my flautas with the slices of avocado and some of the tomato/lettuce mixture, which added some amazing flavor and texture. I loved the addition of the avocado, for it added a mildness without overpowering the beef and corn tortilla. The rice and beans were equally as amazing, with the rice being well-seasoned without being overdone, and filled with all sorts of vegetables, including green beans.

After devouring half of my plate, I was full, and even though I was eating fried food covered in cheese, I did not feel heavy at all. My insatiable post five-mile run appetite was satiated, and we found a restaurant we cannot wait to go back to.

What is your favorite cuisine? Restaurant?

Playing Catch-Up

It’s been a while! I decided to take a break from blogging while I was at home for Thanksgiving. My grandparents were in town, and I wanted to soak up every moment I could with my family while I could, especially since I don’t see them as often as I’d like.

Thanksgiving dinner was AMAZING. My parents really outdid themselves this year and everything was delicious. My dad brined the turkey and roasted it along with sixty mushrooms (yes, they did count them), and several carrots, which came out delicious. The turkey was tender and filled with flavor and was complemented nicely by the accompaniments: roasted homegrown butternut squash, roasted brussels sprouts and grapes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, homemade rolls, and homemade cultured butter made from local cream and buttermilk. Each bite was full of flavor and texture. I loved the tang of the cultured butter and the sweetness of the caramelized butternut squash.

This was only part of what I enjoyed on Thanksgiving, I definitely went back for seconds – and pie!

I was glad to be able to spend Thanksgiving at home this year, and spent a good bit of time snuggling and petting my dog. I hadn’t seen her since last Thanksgiving and was happy to be able to pet and spoil her a bit while I was home.

I also got to take my younger brother ice skating on Thanksgiving, which was a blast! He plays hockey and is quite the awesome skater. I had to work to keep up with him!

While home, I actually stayed at my sister’s place in town. She’s a student at the university and has a very cute apartment. It was nice to get to sit and watch movies with her late at night, to catch up and talk about boys and other fun stuff we have going on in our lives, and of course, to be able to walk with her to donkey coffee in the morning for my much-loved lattes.

I, as always, bought a bag of beans to bring back with me. It made my car smell like a coffee house while I was driving home Sunday night, which made me smile.

There was a lot of conversation and joking this weekend, as well as a family trip to see The Muppets. We are a Muppet family, and I’ve loved the Muppets since probably before I could talk. I was thrilled to be able to see this latest installment into the Muppet genre with my family. At least half of our group of six was singing “Rainbow Connection” at the end of the movie – my favorite Muppet song.

All in all, it was a great, relaxing, fun weekend. I was sad to leave on Sunday and am already thinking of when I want to go visit again. I felt very thankful for my family this holiday, and I am already eagerly awaiting the next time I get to see them.

What did you do for Thanksgiving?

I did it… Or–My First 5k

I’ve been planning and training to run this 5k for a couple months now, and today was the day I was going to go out and rock it. I couldn’t believe it last night when I was gathering my things together to get ready for the race. It was finally time for me to run my FIRST 5k race.

I was nervous and I was excited. This morning I rolled out of bed and got dressed for a chilly, mid-morning run. I layered a pullover over a light-weight long-sleeved shirt, yanked on some pants, grabbed my gloves and fleece headwrap, and was ready to go. I should point out here that my ears and hands get cold when I am running in temperatures under 45 degrees. It was projected to be 43 degrees and windy at race start time, and I didn’t want to chance having painfully cold ears.

My friend Erica was running the race along with me, and she arrived at our apartment around eight-thirty this morning. After pulling on my shoes, I was ready to go and we were out the door – headed for the Girls on the Run 5k.

When we got to Sawyer Point, the area was brimming with girls, their families, and other race participants. Erica and I picked up our bibs, pinned them on, and walked around the area to see where the start was. There was music booming and girls dancing everywhere. The energy in the air was palpable and energizing and I was excited to get the race started.

Right before we made our way to the starting line, I asked The Boy to snap a photo – I was so excited to get running!

Before I knew it, we were waiting in the tunnel, counting down to start, and then – we were off! I had my iPod with me so I could keep track of my pace (the race was untimed) and not overdo it. We were running with a variety of runners of all abilities and ages, and we were surrounded by cheering spectators for the first half-mile.

The group we were in spread out quite a bit within a few minutes of the start, and Erica and I were left weaving in-and-out of runners, working to maintain a steady pace. We ran past the ballpark and the football stadium, before reaching our halfway point near the Bengals’ practice field. At this point, I was feeling awesome – I stopped to walk briefly, but after about 100 feet, was off and running again – I didn’t want to stop!

Erica and I chatted off and on throughout the race. Our goal was to finish in under 40 minutes, and I kept an eye on our pace as we continued back toward Sawyer point, passing the awesome cheer zones that had been organized by GOTR Cincinnati. It was incredible to have spectators’ energy to help keep me going, especially when I was hit with a side stitch and had to focus to keep moving.

The race was an out-and-back course, so we passed all of my favorite parts of downtown again on the way back, and before I knew it, we were running back through the tunnels, passing the three-mile marker, and running through the largest group of spectators I had seen since we had started the race. Erica spotted The Boy, who snapped a picture as we raced past him along the course.

(we’re on the right, in the teal top and blue-striped pants)

The spectators at the end of the race were INCREDIBLE. Lots of screaming, encouragement, noise-making, and high-fives. It took everything in me not to sprint the last tenth of a mile, I was so excited to be finishing! The finish line came up quickly, and the time clock set up at the finish showed 35:00 as we crossed it. I almost cried out of happiness when I realized that not only had I just finished my first 5k – I had run it in thirty-five minutes. Checking my pacing app confirmed it, and I had the biggest grin on my face as we walked through the finisher’s area to get our goodie-bags, t-shirts, snacks and water.

I was so proud of my finish, and so thankful I got to run my first race with Erica. All day today I’ve been thanking The Boy for coming out to see me race – it meant so much to me that he was there. I am beyond proud of myself for sticking to it and finishing, and have hardly stopped smiling all day.

I think GOTR of Cincinnati put on a GREAT race today, and think the organizers and volunteers did a wonderful job of keeping us on course, encouraging all of the participants to keep going to the finish line, and offering up a variety of entertainment to get us ready for the race. I had such a great experience with this race that I am already looking for another one to run.

I think I’m hooked – on racing.

Just a Bowl of Coffee

Our weekend was a busy one! We went to the mall and Crate + Barrel Saturday, where I was able to replace one of my tiny ceramic spoons and get a new coffee mug! We also got a print to hang in our living room, as well as some new coat hooks – which I am very excited to put up! Sunday was a relaxing day. I started the day at church, and after we had lunch, we made our way to Newport to see The Rum Diary. It was an amusing, light, and interesting movie – one I’d watch again. We spent Sunday night chilling out at home, watching The Simpsons start a food blog and entertaining the cats.

I was excited to find a giant coffee mug at Crate + Barrel because I love bowl-sized coffee mugs. I have ever since Gilmore Girls was on the air. I mean – a coffee mug that will hold the entire contents of my four-cup coffee pot? Amazing. I had to use it this morning – I just couldn’t resist making a yummy, milk-and-sugar laced cup of coffee to enjoy with my cookie dough cereal.

Even with a hefty pour of milk, the contents of my French Press didn’t even come close to filling up this big mug! It was definitely yummy coffee, and I can’t wait to enjoy oatmeal, cereal, and even soup out of it as well. I still have my big mug like this one from college, and it was one of the most-used dishes in my dorm room. I imagine that this mug will become a well-used dish, too.

Now, I think I am going to sign off – I have some zucchini bread in the oven, and a cat who wants to play.

What did you get into this weekend?

Oyakodon

What do you get when you combine all of this:

With some chicken, onion, egg, and rice? You get this:

Oyakodon! The Boy told me not long after returning from Japan that this had been one of his favorite meals while there. It sounded simple to make – as well as delicious – so I decided to see if I could make it at home.

Googling extensively led me to this recipe. Surprisingly, we were able to find all of the ingredients at our grocery store. It took some hunting through the international section, but we eventually had everything we needed to put together a delicious and filling meal. It took about twenty minutes to assemble – including fixing the sticky rice – and once it was finished cooking, we were ready to eat!

I mixed mine all up in my bowl, and dove right in. It was delicious – hot, light, and definitely filling!

We enjoyed our oyakodon along with some miso soup. I finished mine before taking a picture, but it was amazing.

We did eat our meal with chopsticks, which was surprisingly efficient! I am so happy I decided to try to fix this dish. We definitely will be enjoying it again in the future!

Slow Saturday

Good evening, friends!

Today was the first Saturday in probably a month that I slept past nine. I loved getting to sleep late and have a lazy autumn morning. There were oats for breakfast, followed by Friday’s for lunch, and some delicious French onion soup.

We declared this weekend one where we wouldn’t make plans, and decided after lunch to run a few errands. I needed new running shoes, and The Boy needed some new sneakers, so we decided to explore the sporting goods store, pet store, and Best Buy. We picked up a handful of much-needed items before coming home to relax for the remainder of our afternoon.

I was excited to find new running shoes in the brand and style I enjoy. They were on sale and extremely comfortable. I forget how nice a new pair of running shoes feel compared to a worn-down pair right up until the new ones are on my feet.

I can’t wait until tomorrow when I can take these out on a run, to see how they fare (and if, perhaps, I will run a bit faster).

While I caught up on blogs, The Boy did some work with our electronics, and before I knew it, it was dinner time. I fixed some cottage pie for dinner, sautéing together onions and carrots and combining them with browned beef and gravy, topping it all with some creamy mashed potatoes. I cheat a bit when I make cottage and shepherd’s pie – I used pre-made mashed potatoes from the refrigerated section at the grocery store. It’s quicker and uses a few less dishes.

Along with dinner, I enjoyed a delicious Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest.

Crisp and refreshing, it was a perfect accompaniment to our hearty dinnertime meal.

Once we finished eating, we settled into the living room. I had some laundry to catch up from the week, and once that was finished, I joined The Boy for some video games, trying out the PlayStation Move for the first time.

We had a blast playing, and tried the archery, bocce ball, and table-tennis games. We wanted to try to play the volleyball game, but realized that we didn’t quite have enough room to play just yet. Maybe next time.

It has been a lovely, relaxing start to the weekend. I am excited for tomorrow, to enjoy the fall air, to try out my running shoes, and to spend some time with The Boy.

What are you up to this weekend?

Friday Five

I got this idea from a few blogs, and since so much was going on today that I can’t pick just ONE thing to blog about, I figured I would blog my five favs!

1) Compression tops for winter-time running. I’ve decided to register for next year’s Flying Pig half marathon. With this decision came the realization that I don’t own much for running out in the cold. I came across a purple compression top at Target this afternoon and snatched it right up. I love it.

2) Long weekends. I took today off so I could catch up some things around the house AND run a few errands (and go to a concert)– which meant I ran all over the place this afternoon. I loved sleeping in and playing with the cats this afternoon. It was restful.

3) Concerts! The Boy and I love to go to concerts throughout the year. We’ve been to a lot of them since moving to Cincy, too. Tonight’s concert was a co-headliner: Bush AND Chevelle, along with Filter. It. Was. Amazing. Bush put on a GREAT show, I was super impressed. Chevelle was amazing – playing a good mix of old and new. We’ve now seen Chevelle four times, and never get tired of seeing them live!

4) Warm weather. It would figure that I would buy a compression top for cold-weather running during a weekend where temperatures are going to top out in the eighties. I’m one-hundred percent okay with the warmth, though – I am soaking up every minute of it that I can. I know before too long, it will be cold and I will be wishing for summer again.

5) The library. While I have a nook and love it, sometimes I need to read a paper book! The librarian I spoke with today said her goal is to have books available to her 24/7, which is something I aspire to. I replenished my supply of library books today, with mostly light reading. I can’t wait to setting in on the sofa with a good book this weekend!

What made you happy this Friday?