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Hungry Heart: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

No Time For Rest

I feel like I have been going non-stop since the opera on Thursday!
Friday night we went to a lovely wedding at Twin Pond Golf and Country Club.We had a great time dancing, eating, and drinking with my co-workers.

Seafood stuffed haddock with roasted veggies and wild rice

Saturday morning was the Ranger Run 5K at the Great American Irish Festival. I was pleased with my time of 31:20, a 32 second improvement from last year. Not bad considering the 3.5 glasses of wine I drank at the wedding the night before!
Jerry ran an amazing race. He won in 17:22. I can't find previous results online, but I'm pretty sure it was a course record. We waited around for 2 hours for him to pick up his award. It only seemed logical to have a few beers while we waited.

I dressed for the occasion!
Harp for me, Saranac for Jer
Then we raced off to Albany to watch my cousin's baseball game. They live in Delaware and they have travelled twice to NY for tournaments this summer. It was so nice to see my aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Go Michael!

Last night we had dinner in Albany with my parents and Aunt Pam and Uncle Mike (AP and UM) at the Pump Station. They had been there the night before, but we weren't really familiar with dining options in Albany, so we decided to go there again. The food and beer were excellent.

The Evans Ale Sampler

NY Strip with Gorgonzola and red onion chutney
We even had a visitor that wanted to drink with us.

That is one drunk fly!
My Uncle Mike sent the beer back. His only complaint was that fly drank too much of it.
I really wish AP and UM didn't live so far away. They are so much fun!


Today is another gorgeous day outside. Jerry has already ran 10 miles and I threw together my Nan's Pineapple Pasta Salad. (I will post the recipe later). 
We are headed off to Hinckley Reservoir State Park for some fun in the sun!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Brava!

We had such a great time at the opera! And I know I've said it before, but I love having a date night in the middle of the week.


When we got to Glimmerglass, we picked up the picnic dinner we had pre-ordered and found a table to eat at.
Jerry had the 'Grilled Lemon Chicken Breast on Baby Greens with Mediterranean Orzo and a Fresh Berry Tartlet'.
I had "Jumbo Crab Cakes with Champagne Remoulade, Tri-Color Coleslaw, Potato Salad, and a Coconut Cupcake".


To be honest, I expected our dinner to be better. Both meals were a little bland. The only thing we really enjoyed were the crab cakes. They were flavorful and crispy.
Even my cupcake was pretty dry. But I did love the frosting!


If you make the trip to Glimmerglass, I would recommend packing your own picnic.
We did remember to pack some wine for our dinner. We shared a bottle of Swedish Hill Viking White. It was very good. Light and slightly sweet.


After dinner we walked around the grounds of the opera house for a few minutes.

Alice Busch Opera Theater
The performance of Medea was wonderful. Keep in mind that this is only the 2nd opera I have ever been to, so I am certainly no expert.
Medea is performed in Italian, but the opera house has super titles above the stage to help you follow the story. This particular opera had a very simple plot, and only a handful of main characters. But this was a very intense opera, and most definitely a tragedy. Not surprising since it is based on Greek mythology. It was all about betrayal and revenge. The woman who played the role of Medea was absolutely amazing. She got many "Brava"s and a well deserved standing ovation.

I would highly recommend Glimmerglass Festival to anyone. And if the thought of an opera scares you, I encourage you to give it a try. I thought Jer would be hesitant about going to an opera. He confessed the real reason he was willing to see an opera over our picnic dinner. In one of his favorite movies, Philadelphia, Tom Hanks' character explains to Denzel Washington why he loves the aria La Mamma Morta. It is one of Jerry's favorite scenes.



If I couldn't convince my husband to see an opera, I'm glad Tom Hanks could  :)

As usual, we have a busy weekend ahead of us. Tonight we are off to a wedding for a co-worker's daughter. Tomorrow Jer and I are running the Ranger Run 5k at the Great American Irish Festival. Then it is off to Albany for the afternoon to watch my cousin's baseball game. The weather looks great, so we are hoping to hit up either the Irish fest, or a state park on Sunday.
Happy Weekend!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Feelin' Fast

What a beautiful morning for a run! I managed to get up and get 3 miles in this morning. The temperature was a cool 58 degrees.


It has been about a week since my last run, so I am not surprised that my legs felt pretty good today. After an 11 minute first mile warm-up, I kept the pace under 10 minutes. That is fast for me! I'm feeling pretty good heading into the Ranger Run 5k on Saturday. Hoping to beat my time of 31:52 last year.


I am rewarding myself with a jar of overnight oats for breakfast. Almond milk, chia seeds, rolled oats. And blueberries! Picked by yours truly yesterday afternoon.



Floating on top is leftover blueberry crisp from last night. Oh yes, I put it in my breakfast. Not even feeling guilty about it.
I didn't get a good picture of the crisp when it came out of the oven last night. I guess that means I will have to make another one!

Tonight is a date night for me and Jer. We are going to see Medea at the Glimmerglass Festival, in Cooperstown. 
I am so excited. We won tickets to see an opera there last year (Puccini's Tosca), and it was incredible. We had never been to an opera before, and we were a little nervous. But we both loved it. The Alice Busch Opera House is casual and open. The grounds are beautiful, and we ordered a picnic dinner to have outside before the show.
A pretty dress, a picnic, a show, and my husband. I can't think of a better date night!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Sadie's Story

In case you haven't noticed, I love my dog.


Jerry and I got Sadie from the Stevens-Swan Humane Society. It was May 2008. Jerry and I were engaged, and I had just moved into the house. We both love dogs, so it seemed like a great idea to adopt one. I saw a picture of her online, and we went to meet her. We walked past rows of dogs. Dogs that looked sad, dogs that looked old. I wanted those dogs too. But then we saw Sadie. Standing in her pen on her back legs. Hopping in circles. A big grin plastered on her face. She looked so excited to see us. We took her home later that week.
I'll be honest, after having Sadie for a week, Jerry and I thought we made the wrong decision about adopting a dog. We had been warned that she had already been adopted and returned. I just kept saying, "Who would return a face like that?!". Now I understand why. Sadie was not really a 'house pet'. She is very high strung. She didn't sit still the entire first year we had her. Not even long enough to be pet. I have never met a dog with more energy.
We have had Sadie three years now, and she has settled right into our family. Despite her "issues" (she licks everything. She does not get along with cats. Or chickens), she is a very good dog. She loves to run with Jerry, stalks the backyard for squirrels, and naps like the true hound she is. She is a daddy's girl, and much prefers Jerry.


We affectionately call her "Moo". She will do anything for a treat. Even pose for this picture.


I usually sit at our kitchen table while working on the blog. Writing posts, editing photos, etc. Sadie is usually  outside, hanging around the same window.

"Mom, are you done with that blog post yet?"

"Hi, Dad!"
"Are you cooking chicken for dinner?"
Does anyone else try to imagine the dialogue going on in your pet's head? Clearly I do.

Sadie has a good nose, I was making chicken for dinner last night.


Chicken Milanese topped with tomatoes and an arugula red onion salad
Somebody kept me company while I took photos of dinner. Doing her best Elvis impression.


I have my fingers crossed that I am going blueberry picking after work. Or at the very least to go buy some just-picked berries. Stay tuned for a post featuring a blueberry dessert!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

One of Those Days

Sometimes, you just have "one of those days". I had such high hopes for Monday after our relaxing weekend. But Monday quickly turned into "one of those days".
I thought I was going to be working outside on Monday, but there was a change of plans. No big deal, except that I didn't attempt to do anything with my hair in the morning. It was supposed to be under a hard hat. I spent the day looking like a drowned rat.
Just before lunch I looked out the tiny window in my office and saw a sky full of dark, menacing clouds. Woops, I had left Sadie outside for the day. I ran home on my 30 minute lunch break to let her in, and subsequently ended up with my left pant leg being soaked from the knee down. Of course, Sadie was perfectly dry inside her dog house.
When I am having a bad day, I tend to comfort myself with food. It is a very bad habit.
I shoveled some tortilla chips and ice cream into my mouth when I was home for lunch. How nutritious.
After work I munched on about 4-5 servings of Quaker Oh's. This resulted in those evil little Oh's doing a dance in my stomach during kickboxing. Ugh.

I tried to get back to my healthy ways for dinner. Jerry was in the mood for fajitas. Since it was Meatless Monday, I decided on fajitas with refried black beans and avocado. This came together so fast I can barely call it a recipe.

Black Bean Fajitas:
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (2 if you want it spicy)
  • large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 Tbls canola oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 can refried black beans (I recommend Amy's Refried Black Beans)
  • avocado, thinly sliced
  • flour tortillas, fajita/taco size
Heat the canola oil over med/med-high. Toss in the peppers and cook for a minute. Add the onions and spices, and cook about 3 more minutes. You want the veggies to still have a nice firm bite.
(Note: I used an 8 inch pan and had to cook the veggies in two batches. If you put too many in the pan they will start to steam and get a little mushy). Go light on the salt, since both the beans and tortillas are high in sodium.


 Smear some warm beans on your tortilla, then pile on the peppers and onions, and add a slice of avocado.



This was delicious, nutritious, and so fast. Thanks to the canned beans, the whole thing took well under 30 minutes. I felt much better after about my Monday after getting something a little more nutritious in my tummy.

Then I ate another bowl of this with my husband:

My new favorite!
You know, because it was just one of those days.


My 'bad mood food' is crunchy dry cereal. What is yours?

Monday, July 25, 2011

Camping Adventures

There is nothing like a weekend in the woods to make you awake feeling refreshed on a Monday morning. The weather, food, and friends were ideal.
Here's my weekend in photos (and food!):

Path to our campsite

Despite the bugs, we highly recommend this site.

Camping sure requires a lot of stuff!
Super Camper
He even remembered a door mat for our "house".
Dinner #1: Hoffman Snappy Griller and Amy's Organic Chili, grilled portobello, tomato/mozz/cucumber salad

One Eyed Jack? OR:

Toad In the Hole. Which do you call it?
We kayaked on the pond
And then hung out on the beach.
We had fun despite this sign:

We headed to the bustling metropolis of Raquette Lake for ice (and some ice cream).


Some cards, some beer, then dinner #2:

Chicken, potatoes, corn


Beans!


Of course, S'mores were eaten




 Breakfast the next morning was amazing. Coffee, eggs, bacon, and grilled cheese.

Grilled cheese and tomato in Kevin and Sara's Hobo Pie maker
Grilled cheese, toasting in the fire
Best camp breakfast ever
Overall, we had a great time.

We drank many of these...
Made a new friend...
And luckily, we didn't see any bears.....  Or did we?!


I probably still smell like campfire and bug spray, but I am ready for the week.

This week we have a wedding to attend, date night at the opera to look forward to, as well as a 5k to run.

Many thanks to our friends Kevin and Sara for a great weekend!