Good Eats

We spent this past weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina for GD's annual Ethics Film Festival. J and co-worker K's video was a finalist again. Friday night we ate at a great new (or new to us) restaurant in Downtown Charlotte.

Here's the hype: Zink American Kitchen’s creative menu and “speakeasy” décor offer Uptown Charlotte guests a unique and memorable experience. The menu, which is overseen by Executive Chef Tom Condron and Chef de Cuisine Jon Fortes, takes traditional American comfort foods and reinvents them into “cool” dishes that give this restaurant its distinct style. From small plates of Maryland crab fritters to sushi and Artisan cheeses, fresh seafood, apple cider pork chops, and grilled burgers and steaks, guests are presented with a variety of New American cuisine to consider. As “cool” as the food, is the restaurant’s deep crimson décor which offers a relaxing ambiance that’s both modern and fun. This chic, understated elegance is the perfect backdrop for the restaurant's impressive 30’ Zinc bar and bustling patio which overlooks the heart of Uptown Charlotte. Zink’s impressive menu together with its extensive wine list, beer selections and specialty drinks makes it a great place to dine anytime.

J got the American Wagyu Burger. Apparently Wagyu Beef is like Kobe Beef from North Carolina. I ordered the special which was the same kind of meat but in steak form and with a side of mushroom gnocchi. So yummy! Find more info at their website. I wish I would've taken pictures!! But really, how weird would I be for taking pictures in a nice restaurant.

It was a great trip and we have all good food! We were full after Zink's, a great luncheon at the hotel and a night full of eating catered food at the races.

Inspired

I've been inspired in a few different ways recently...

This is Customer Service week at my work. As a receptionist I've been in charge of going through all the nomination emails that have been flooding in. As I enter them into a spreadsheet, I have the opportunity to read what people are saying about their co-workers. There have been emails coming in that are just ridiculous and funny because some people just want to nominate their friends. But there have also been truly inspiring emails. I think it's sad that it takes reading about how other people are being praised for a job well done for me to want to do better at my job. I've never been the worker bee type. I've always wished I could stay home and be a home maker and mother. This has led to a lot of discontentment in my job situations. There is never the right job if I don't have the right attitude. Anyhow, I have been inspired my the dedication of my fellow employees. And I have been reminded that as a believer I should have a better attitude about the daily routine.

I am inspired by my mom. She can run like 3 miles! She started running this year and I never ever remember her running. She did the race with me in the spring and has faithfully continued. I even saw her wearing her "skinny jeans" the other day. Go MOM!! Another area that she inspires me is as a wife. Before I got married, I never realized what a thankless job it is. It's hard to serve my household by cleaning and whatever else is asked of me without expecting a thank you. I now realize the perseverance she has shown in our home.

Heather also inspires me in a similar way. She is always striving to be a good housekeeper. I admit I am not. I hear Heather talk about how she cooks and cleans and does her family's laundry while she works at least 40 hours a week and has a social life. I'm impressed! I think I'm going to start taking notes.

Abby inspires me with her dedication to growing spiritually. We are doing a Bible Study once a month on the names of God. I know how busy Abby is with her family but she still finds time to spend with the Lord, searching through His Word. We have a month, a MONTH between each study and I still manage to wait until the night before and hope to have something valuable to share. It's not that I don't want to study, I actually enjoy it a ton when I get going. I love studying my Bible with my Strong's concordance! I just don't exercise the discipline to set aside time to dig into the Word this way. Thanks Abby for inspiring me with your openness and words of wisdom.

This could get long if I go through everyone I know! But these are the people that have been on my mind and I've noticed in recent days. I'm also noticing a trend... I keep talking about exercise both physical and spiritual. And I'm sure I need emotional exercise! Don't we all! :)

Healthy Ideas

I just read this interesting article from SELF Magazine via the Today Show. Please read the full article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27069944/ for more info and to find out where their research is from. I just outlined the main points.
9 ways to lose weight without dieting
Self magazine on how to shed the pounds and not stress over a single bite.
Great news! You can ditch your diet for good and still hit your happy weight. Science has finally proven what you've probably suspected for years — that following a restrictive food plan can make you more likely to overeat. We at Self have a better way to slim down: nine simple lifestyle switches that will help you shrink your waist effortlessly!
Eat more good stuff. Focus on healthy foods and eat fiber.
Go to the dogs. Volunteering at the pound could help you lose pounds.
Sleep it off. Getting enough sleep can keep your body from storing fat. Sleep deprivation increases cravings for sweets and starches.
Spice things up. The spices like garlic and pepper make people focus on the sensory characteristics of the food — its smell and taste. The foods were more enjoyable, so people felt fuller faster and didn't eat as much.” Sniffing the dishes was key because 90 percent of what you taste is determined by what you smell.
Give yourself props. Simply applauding your everyday calorie-burning activities can help you shed pounds. Previous research suggests that having a positive attitude may help reduce overall stress levels — which can make eating healthy easier.
Eat when you're hungry. Women who eat when hungry and stop when satisfied have a lower average body-mass index than those who eat for other reasons. Women who are satisfied with their body are more likely to eat when they're hungry, and vice versa.
Breathe away weight. Inhale, exhale and then step on the scale. Meditating before and during meals helped the dieters eat less and enjoy their dishes more. In other words, enjoy your food instead of scarfing it down.
Surrender the salt shaker. Salt may be calorie-free, but it can still contribute to body fat — and not only because it piggybacks on greasy snacks such as fries and chips. Salt leads to thirst. So if you indulge in something salty, don't wash it down with something sweet.
Savor a good laugh. Watching a funny show caused adults to experience a 20 percent jump in heart rate and resting metabolism in a study at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Laughing uses up a lot of energy because it engages a variety of muscle groups, including your abs.
For more health and fitness tips, visit Self.com

So I found this article interesting. I feel like most of the 9 steps are helpful even though some of their suggestions are silly. And they're all such easy and obvious tips. I mean, who doesn't need to laugh some more! I've been trying to exercise more and be more conscious of what I eat. I never paid much attention to what I ate or how much exercise I got as long as my jeans still fit. But my husband has pointed out that fitting in your clothes or staying at the same number on the scale doesn't mean your in shape. Earlier this year I did my first "competitive" run. Even though I waited until the last minute to start running was still happy to participate. I was proud that I ran the entire 3K without stopping. Believe me, I wanted to stop. I hadn't run consistently since a few early morning bleary-eyed adventures with my roommate and before then not since Jr. High track. I was hoping that this would inspire me to have a love of running and a desire to do it a few times a week.
Sadly this didn't happen. I found that I do enjoy running but only when it's not too hot or cold. I enjoy the fresh air and the sense of accomplishment I feel went I make it back to the house in one piece. But I am very easily distracted and fill my time with other things. So this month, Heather asked me to do another race. I am once again putting off preparing to run until the last minute. This time it's a 5K so some training might really come in handy. I am praying for discipline and nice weather for the next 2-3 weeks! :)

Party!

Last week I hosted a Mary Kay party for my sister-in-law. It was Heather, Carlene, me, Kim and Amber. This is our after picture.Here's a 'in process' picture including Amy.
I don't feel like writing so I'm just sharing these pictures and saying it was a blast!

Long Days

Just a quick post since it's been so long since I've blabbed.
Life has been busy these days! We have started our house decorating projects. We ordered a rug which will arrive soon and then I'll have pictures. We started looking at furniture, blinds and landscaping options. I'm really excited to start seeing some progress in this area. I'm looking forward to completing our home!

When I started this blog, I felt like I had a lot to say. I admit the feeling is fading. I still enjoy blogging and will keep posting updates but they will be a little sparse. It's too easy for me to spend too much time on the computer trying to think of words to write that I put my life off schedule. And when I get focused on writing a certain amount of times on my blog, I get grouchy when that doesn't happen. Blogging was supposed to be fun and stress-free. So in an effort to return to stress-free, fun blogging, my new goal is only one post per week! So until next week (unless I have something actually exciting to share)! :)

Day with Granny

Sorry, there will be no pictures. I actually didn't think about it until I started this. But, really who takes pictures of a regular day at your grandparents? I sure don't. I'll have to take some pictures of the final product.

Yesterday I attempted to wake up at a decent hour and get to my grandparents house by 10. This did not happen. My morning plans are always a mess! I did finally make it on the road and arrived at almost 11. And Granny was ready! We spent the day canning peaches. Yum! I can't wait until they're ready to eat. We had watermelon and roll kuchen (yes I know I don't know the official spelling) for lunch. I was excited to learn that I could request whatever I wanted for lunch! This is my favorite summer lunch and summer's about over.
Back to the peaches - I was pleasantly surprised that canning peaches really isn't hard. It was in fact down right easy!
First I asked Granny to order peaches from Pameida. They get them from Colorado. Then we let them wait a couple days in Granny's basement until they're nice and ripe. Then have a canning day...
Step 1: start boiling water in a big canning pot, in a regular saucepan with a strainer that fits in it and in a pot that holds 2 quarts of water.
Step 2: mix 13 cups (i think) of sugar into the 2 quarts of water. This will make as simple syrup once it boils.
Step 3: put a couple peaches at a time into the saucepan of nearly boiling water. This makes the skins soft and loose so you can just peel them right off.
Step 4: peel off all those peach skins and half the peaches. Soak the halves in salted water to save the nice color while you work.
Step 5: once you have a crock full of peaches (very scientific measuring) start filling jars. Get the jars as full as you can and then drain out the salt water.
Step 6: fill all the jars with the simple syrup and put on the lids. Make sure the rims are clean before you put on the lids, otherwise they won't seal and you'll have a mess.
Step 7: boil the jars in the big pot of water for 15 minutes.
Step 8: take out the jars and let them cool completely before you transport them to your basement for storage. I've been warned that if you move them too soon they'll explode in your car. Not good.
So 8 steps to canning. And it only took about 4 hours to do 2 lugs of peaches! Now we have peaches to enjoy all winter and tease my dad with. :) Two years ago my sister canned peaches for Dad's birthday and he's down to 2 jars or so. I heard someone is hoarding their peaches! But then, I would too.

So after a day at Granny's, I went to my parent's for supper. We ate waffles and Mangzel. Yum, yum. If you haven't heard or aren't Mennonite, Mangzel is heaven in pudding form on waffles! I also was given the grand tour of Dad's barn. I'm beginning to think this is more of a castle than a barn. I'm pretty proud that my Dad is so creative in his building projects. My (future)kids are going to have the most broken bones and the best Grandpa ever!

A day at home is always a restful day, even when it seems like you're working.

Foodie

I wanted to share with you all a great site I have been reading. I have enjoyed the Pioneer Woman at the recommendation of my husband. She just did a dairy recipe contest and they look delicious. Check out the Pioneer Woman for more great recipes and great reading.

This picture is a collage of the winners dishes. The Cheese Muffins, Blueberry Muffins and Black bean soup sound amazing. I am planning on trying out these recipes! You can find them linked in the dairy section.

Well, when I started this post I was drooling over the wonderful sights of these dairy inspired foods. I am not feeling that way now. I had the flu today and that really doesn't inspire me to dream about food. Today's diet consisted of water, applesauce and saltines. Yum. But I know this day will pass so I will look forward to trying out these recipes down the road.

Please share your food fantasies! What are your favorite recipes? And what recipes are you dying to try?