Meatless Monday Dishes

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend.  As I mentioned in my post on Friday, I've been gravitating towards meatless dishes these days.  It seems like many of us start off the New Year with an intention to eat healthier and/or try new recipes, so I thought I'd share some of the meatless dishes I've been making lately!  Plus I haven't done a recipe post in ages so I figured I was due for one!
 

First up, here is a new idea for an appetizer.  It's a Greek layered dip which is really easy to make and was a hit when I brought it to a get-together earlier this month.  Here are the layers:

6 oz. container of plain Greek yogurt
1 container of hummus (I used roasted red pepper)
1/4 - 1/2 a cup of sliced kalamata olives
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1-2 T. chopped parsley
Feta

I served it with carrots, sliced cucumbers, and gluten free crackers

 Next up, 2-bean vegetarian chili.

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded (I don't seed mine as I like it spicy!)
2 carrots, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 T. chili powder
1 t. oregano
1 t. cumin

1.  Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion, jalapenos, carrots, green pepper, and garlic.  Saute for 5 minutes.

2.  Add tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin.  Bring to boil and then let simmer for about 20 minutes or until chili thickens (longer is better for more flavor).

Lastly, another favorite of mine is Rogan Josh, which is a recipe from the Penzey catalog that my aunt shared with me which I have adapted a bit. You could serve it over rice but I actually eat mine plain and find it filling enough without a carb. Rogan Josh is a spice that can be found at specialty spice markets, but if you can't find it, you could substitute curry powder.

1 c. lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf
4 c. water
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. Rogan Josh
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen peas (optional)
1 t. salt
1-2 T. lemon juice

1.  In a 2-quart pot, combine the lentils, bay leaf and water.  Boil the lentils until tender (about 30 minutes).

2.  Heat oil over medium heat.  Saute onions and garlic until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add Rogan Josh and let cook until fragrant (15-20 seconds). Add the tomatoes and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the cooked lentils and bay leaf.  Ad the peas (optional), salt, and lemon juice.  Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

So there you have it - 3 easy meatless dishes!

Have you made any new recipes lately?

Five Things Friday

Oh boy, this week craaaaawled by for me.  I am not used to being the office 5 days as I got really used to traveling for work this fall.  I don't have any work trips planned for January so I will have to get used to being around more!  Here's hoping the weeks go by a little faster going forward!

I'm closing out the week with 5 things that are on my mind!

1.  My CFA Charter arrived in December and despite the fact that I don't have an office (or even a cube) with a wall to hang it on, I still decided to get it framed.  It's 17" x 22" so is MASSIVE and of course that is a strange document size so it requires a custom frame. It was a little spendy, but I worked so hard for the CFA designation, I couldn't not frame it!

2.  Ever since moving to Charlotte, I have really gravitated towards eating meatless dishes.  It's a combination of not craving it, not having a grocery store close by where I feel comfortable buying meat (big chain grocery store meat grosses me out) and the fact that meat-free recipes tend to draw my eye more than those that contain meat.  I certainly am not and will never be a vegetarian, but I sometimes go weeks without consuming meat - and can go well over a month without consuming red meat, and I don't see this changing anytime soon.

3. I am kind of having a tough RA month.  I had site reactions to my last 2 injections which is apparently a normal side effect, but uncomfortable for me (swelling, red skin, itchy).  And while I have seen improvements, I am so sick of the limitation this disease places on my body.  I tried to do a new class at the gym on Monday and it just did not go well. I finished the class because I had too much pride to walk out mid-class, but my joints definitely weren't ready for it.  So pretty much my workouts are limited to spinning and using the elliptical, and I am going to join the senior citizens and try water aerobics this weekend. I know what I am able to do is better than nothing but I miss being able to do whatever exercise I wanted to do.  My joints should heal with time, but after almost 5 months of dealing with RA symptoms on top of 4+ months of being in a boot from a stress fracture, I'm totally sick of being limited.  I miss running.  I miss being able to do strength training.  I miss yoga.  Hurry up and heal, body.

4.  It's actually been cold here this week.  I usually roll eyes when people talk about cold weather here, but this week I will actually say it's been cold.  It's certainly nothing compared to the temps that the Midwest has had, but we dipped down to the single digits on Tuesday and the windchill was -5.  Luckily it's short-lived as we'll be back up to the 40s today and will climb into the 60s this weekend which will feel glorious. 

5. A year ago yesterday was the day I found out about my relocation to Charlotte. That day will undoubtedly go down as one of the hardest of my life.  I am really trying to put all that happened in 2013 behind me and to instead focus on what is ahead, but I felt especially sad yesterday as it was hard not to think about all of things that happened over the past year. Here's hoping a year from now I am in a better place both figuratively and literally.

What's on your mind today?

Looking Forward

This fall, I focused a lot on planning things to look forward to as a coping mechanism for living in Charlotte.  The thought of too many unplanned weekends in a month made me downright anxious, so I bought plane tickets like they were candy bars and visited as many east coast friends as I could.  But I can't keep traveling at that pace (or spending so much of my disposable income on plane tickets) so the next 3 months are going to be different for me.  I still have things planned, but far less than I was used to.  It makes me a little bit anxious to look at a less packed calendar, but when I sit down and think about it, I still have things to look forward to.

Here's what I am looking forward to these days!

This weekend I am looking forward to trying a new recipe.  I am going to try making Skinny Taste's butternut squash and spinach lasagna rolls.  They sound super tasty so I am excited to give this recipe a try. 

This month I am looking forward to a long weekend in Charleston, SC.  Some friends from my Minneapolis run club are running the marathon over MLK weekend so I am heading down to hang out with them and cheer them on.  I have heard nothing but amazing things about Charleston so I am excited to check it out.  It's about 3 hours away from Charlotte so I hope to visit this area more than once before moving!

This quarter I am looking to traveling to Austin, TX to visit my college best friend, Heidi!  My other college best friend, Brooke, is flying in, too.  The weekend falls around both mine and Heidi's birthdays, so it will be such a treat to get to celebrate our special days with some of my favorite people!  It's pretty rare for all 3 of us to be together for more than a couple of hours at a time, so I am really excited about this!

This year I am looking forward to traveling to Iowa to attend Amber's wedding!  I got to meet her fiance, Bill, when I ran the Des Moines marathon in October of 2012.  It's been exciting to watch their relationship develop and I am so happy for Amber.  Her wedding is in July so I just hope and pray I am driving distance away from Iowa by then but regardless of where I live, I am going to really try to be there for her big day.  If by some chance I am still living in Charlotte, I will just combine my trip for her wedding with the lake vacation I will take in the summer.  My life is so up in the air for the year so I am not planning much, but this is one date on my calendar that is circled and I am determined to make it there.

I actually could have written about more things I am looking forward to like becoming an aunt again, a trip home and a visit from a good friend! There are definitely some really fun things on the horizon for me!

What are you looking forward to these days? 

2014 Goals

I don't do resolutions.  Instead I like to use the word goals.  Before diving into my 2014 goals, I thought it'd be good review my 2013 goals!  So here goes:

1.  Pass Level III of the CFA.  DONE!  Woo hoo.  Best moment of 2013 was certainly finding out I passed that test.  I worked so freaking hard towards that goal.  I don't think words exist to sum up the relief that the CFA is behind me.

2.  Pay off my undergrad student loans.  DONE!  I paid them off with my bonus in March, which felt great.

3.  Run a sub-4 hour marathon.  Not done. Totally out of my control.  My body failed me this year.

4.  Read 52 books.  DONE!  With ease!  I read 79.

Accomplishing 3 out of 4 goals is pretty good!

Now for my 2014 goals!

1.  Get out of Charlotte.  This is obviously my big goal for the year; if I achieve no other goals besides this, I will consider 2014 a smashing success.  April 8th is my relocation contract release date, which means that I can resign at that time with no financial repercussions.  I will be attacking this goal like it's my job, but I will not be sharing much about my progress towards this goal because while I am sure my bosses in Charlotte won't be surprised when I resign, I don't want them privy to the timeline, etc.  I doubt they would find my blog, but you never know.

2.  Pay down 2/3 of the balance of my grad school student loans.  I am attacking my student loan balance aggressively right now.  I put more towards them every month than I put towards rent.  But I want to attack them even more aggressively in 2014 because my goal is to pay them off in 2015.  This is going to be a tough goal, but I know I can do it. 

3.  Read 52 books.  I am not adjusting this goal to a higher number because 2013 was an outlier.  I think a book a week is still a good goal!

4.  Return to running.  I don't like to put things on my list that are sort of out of my control, but I am making an exception and adding this one to my list because it's really important to me to find a way to get back to running.  My RA pain is still not 100% managed so I know this is a ways off, but I hope and pray that I can get back to running, even if it's just a 5k or 10k race.  Ideally, I'd love to run a half marathon in the fall.

What goals have you set for yourself in 2014?

Minnesota Christmas

Happy Friday!  I imagine this has been a short week at work for everyone, so hopefully it was a good one!  I had an absolutely wonderful Christmas.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas I was kind of worn down due to all of the travel I had been doing and I was feeling very down about life in Charlotte, but this trip home was really good for me.  I slept well, relaxed a lot, and enjoyed spending time around family.  And no one brought up Charlotte - which I was thankful for as it's a topic I don't enjoy discussing.  For the rest of the post, I'll let the pictures (mostly) do the talking.

My trip home definitely did not get off to a good start, though.  I spent 6 hours at the airport as they kept delaying my flight due to mechanical problems and then they ended up cancelling it.  I was a sad, crying mess and going back to my apartment in Charlotte that night was the most depressing thing ever, but I got re-booked on the first flight out in the morning.

After connecting via Minneapolis, I flew into the tiny airport in Fargo, ND.  You know you are in the heart of the Midwest when there is snow removal equipment on display in the airport terminal!

My mom picked me up, we grabbed some lunch, and were on our way to the lake!  It was so good to be reunited with some of my nephews!

The weather was bitterly cold when I was home...  I did not complain at all.  I was just happy to be home.

Since it was so cold, I spent a lot of time huddled up on the couch in front of the fireplace, reading.  Most mornings I was awake before anyone else and it was really peaceful to start the day reading by the fireplace with a cup of coffee to warm me up.

While reading during the day, I'd often have the company of my Godson, James.  I'd read, he'd play on my mom's iPad, and we'd snuggle up together.  I am glad he's not 'too cool' for his aunt yet!

One afternoon we had a little Dance Dance Revolution face-off, which was a lot of fun (and a really good workout, I might add).  No one could beat aunt Lisa!  :)

Christmas Eve started off with me receiving a bracelet made by my nephew Matthew.  He is so thoughtful - he remembered to use my favorite color (pink).  Handmade gifts are the best. 

I was impressed with how well the boys all played together.  With 4 boys under the age of 10, it can get a bit rowdy at times, but that is to be expected.  It's tough to get them to sit still for a picture, but I managed to snap one of James and Charlie on Christmas morning.

And before I knew it, it was time to come back to Charlotte.  The time at home went incredibly fast and I wish I would have taken some pictures of the delicious food my mom and brother prepared. I also wish I would have remembered to take a picture with my parents and with my Grandma on Christmas Day but it just slipped my mind.

The trip back to Charlotte went better than when I came back in November.  I made it through the goodbyes and the flight without crying.  I think it it helps to come back knowing I am just over 3 months from my relocation contract release date.  For the first time, I came back knowing I could start to look for a new job opportunity, and I have an action plan.  Having a plan really helps.

Luckily, I came home to a bunch of Christmas mail which really brightened my day.  I think this is the most cards I have ever received!  So if you sent me one, thank you very much!  I look at them every day!

And so another Christmas season has come and gone.  To be quite honest, I am glad this one is behind me.  It was tinged with heavy emotions of sadness and anxiety, but like I said in my New Years Eve post, I am hopeful that 2014 will be a better year.

I'll be back on Monday with my goals for 2014!

New York City at Christmas

So I know everyone has seemed to have moved on from Christmas and is focusing on the New Year (myself included), but I can't let the Christmas Season come and go without recapping my trip to NYC in mid-December.  Plus, technically the Christmas Season lasts until the Epiphany, which is on Sunday!  So I am getting this post in right before the season ends!

I planned my trip to New York to coincide with Alli's birthday, which was on the 15th.  I have never been to NYC during the holidays (well, I went shortly after Christmas one year but it's not the same as going before Christmas) so I was thankful that I could find an inexpensive ticket.  I landed on Friday evening and was treated to a delicious meal of steak fajitas and a very fun mocktail.  Due to my RA med interfering with my liver function, I am only able to have 1-2 drinks/month, so I really have to ration my consumption of alcoholic beverages.  It was very nice of Alli to craft a mocktail in a martini glass so I could still enjoy a fun drink!

We woke up to snow on Saturday morning, which I was so excited about.  I have really missed having snow around during the month of December as it just doesn't feel like Christmas without snow and cold weather.  We got bundled up, grabbed some Starbucks, and headed down to Rockefeller Center to check out the beautiful tree!

It was awesome to see this iconic tree in person.  There were a lot of people in the area, but it didn't bother me.  We checked out the skaters...

And then walked towards Saks to view the tree from another vantage point.

Our next stop was the windows at Saks, which were so impressive!  A series of windows told the story of Yeti, which unbeknownst to me is another name for the Abominable Snowman.

We also popped into Saks to warm up and check out their indoor tree displays, which were all so unique and beautiful. 

After warming up, we headed up 5th Avenue to check out all the holiday decorations.  We stopped at the Eloise store at The Plaza Hotel before heading to the Columbus Circle holiday market.  Unfortunately at this point my fingers were just too cold to take out my phone and snap photos!  The market was so cool and featured many small vendors.  At this point, Alli and I had been outside for over 3 hours and were both really cold, so we headed back to her apartment to warm up and eat lunch.

That evening, we met up with Alli's boyfriend Chris and went out to a Greek restaurant for her Birthday dinner.  The restaurant was so cute and our waiter handled Alli's food allergies and my gluten intolerance well (we were probably definitely his most high maintenance table of the night!).  At the end of the night, we managed to get a picture together!

The next day, Sunday, was Alli's actual birthday.  I got up and went to mass at this beautiful church in her neighborhood and we grabbed Starbucks again, walked around a cute outdoor market (which had an awesome pickle vendor) and then met up with Chris for brunch at a cute restaurant on the Upper West Side.

Sadly, I had an afternoon flight back to Charlotte, so I had to head to the airport after brunch.  I ended up being in NYC for less than 48 hours, so it was a whirlwind trip, but I am so glad I went.  It was great to see NYC in all its holiday glory, spend time with Alli, meet her boyfriend (who is the perfect match for her), and help her celebrate her birthday. 

Have you ever been to NYC during the holidays?  I highly recommend going during the holiday season as it's such a magical time to visit!  

I'll be back tomorrow with a recap of my Christmas in Minnesota!

Music, Books, Miles, and Looks of December

Woo hoo!  It's 2014!!

Music:

 
Make Me Crazy by Keri Noble - This is another song that I was introduced to by a compilation album that a Minneapolis radio station releases each year.  The vocals in this song are amazing!

Books:

I finished off the year with another super strong month of reading, thanks to my Paris trip and the many flights I took this month. My favorite book was The Little Way of Ruthie Leming; my least favorite was The Death of Bees.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes - 3 stars
The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher - 5 stars
The Consolation of the Forest by Sylvain Tesson - 3 stars
The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell - 3 stars
The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani - 3 stars
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - 4 stars
Lowcountry Boil by Susan Boyer - 3 stars
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) - 4 stars
Gastien:  The Cost of a Dream by Caddy Rowland - 3 stars
The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure - 4 stars
Orpahn Train by Christina Baker Kline - 4 stars
I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Palmieri-Hayes - 4 stars

Miles:

I will probably start to track my bike and elliptical miles, but I didn't start doing that this month.  I got in a decent number of workouts, except for when I was home for Christmas and my only workout was playing DDR with my nephews.  I didn't clock a lot of miles on my feet, but I flew a lot of miles, as I flew back from Paris, had work trips to Denver and Houston, flew to NYC for a weekend, and flew home to Fargo, ND for Christmas.  I made Silver on 2 airlines this year and flew a total of 70 flights - which is a lot compared to the 30 I flew last year! 

Looks:

I didn't wear anything noteworthy in December, but I did buy some Hunter brand boots when I was in NYC, which you can see in this picture.  It was cold & snowy that day, so I am bundled up and am rocking a white girl 'fro in that photo but I still love that photo as it was magical to see that tree in person. I still need to recap my NYC trip - I ran out of time as life was so hectic after I got back between a work trip and my trip home for Christmas!  But I'll do a belated recap tomorrow!