Las Mañanitas

A few blog posts back, I mentioned how I'm aging graciously and gracefully, grudgingly and kicking and screaming.  We celebrated our friend's 28th birthday last weekend.  I made reservations at Cenacolo located on 5th Avenue.  They promptly called me back to confirm.  When we arrived, we were quickly seated and served complimentary cheese and wine.  I'm not very knowledgeable about the different kinds of cheeses, but it tasted like a Parmesan.  We all ordered appetizers, I had a Caprese Salad, and after our meal, most of us ordered coffee.  The birthday boy even received a complimentary dessert and the wait staff sang Las Manañitas. (Happy Birthday).

 My Caprese Salad.  This was better than my meal.

All of us are right around the same age, 27 and 28 and after dinner we were all a little tired.  This is only going to get worse, huh?  But we were troopers and stayed out until 2am!  We talked and had a few beers, but mostly just enjoyed the quiet evening out in PdC.

Birthday boy with the most delicious flan I've even tried.

The boys in front of Cenacolo. 

Ace has worms!

I swear I'm a good mom to my doggies.  I give them all their shots, heart worm meds, flea and tick preventers, and lots of treats!  But last week, after Ace's morning ritual, I noticed... worms!  I was severely grossed out, and promptly called my Dad, he's a veterinarian and all-around optimist!  He gave me the name of the medication I needed and what likely caused the worms... Fleas!  So with this new knowledge, I set out to the veterinarian here in PdC.  My vet is great, affordable, and speaks English.  If anyone needs a recommendation, send me an email!  The vet gave me the pill and a little treat for Acers.  Ace is now worm-free and he's playing like a puppy! 

Prepare yourself!  You will now be bombarded with another photo shoot of my bulldog Ace.  He is currently accepting modeling jobs.

The vet gave Ace a bone.  

I'm trying to recreate this image, Ace is not having it.

Tofu Fajitas

Last night Jade and I decided to have a movie date.  We went to see Avengers.  All my "friends" on Facebook said this movie was awesome and really entertaining, so I was excited to see it.  The movie was just okay.  I am a HUGE fan of the X-Men movies, but Iron Man and the Avengers just didn't do it for me.  I still had a great time because, honestly, the one thing I look forward to the most about going to the movies is the popcorn.  Especially in Mexico.  Going to the movies is pretty affordable here.  On Tuesdays, they have 2 for 1 tickets and 2 large drinks and a large popcorn is less than $10!  Mexican movie theaters also have a VIP theater.

Reclining in the VIP chair!

You get your own private waiter, a nice reclining chair, and whatever you want to eat and drink.  Seriously, beer, wine, alcohol, coffee, chocolate cake, sushi, candy, hot dogs, popcorn.

Before we went to the theater, I made Tofu Fajitas and served them with rice, beans, and guacamole.  Jade isn't a big fan of tofu, so I made him taco meat.  Most of the time he is pretty good about eating my vegetarian cooking, but every so often I end up preparing 2 meals.  Pick your battles couples!

When buying tofu, I prefer to buy firm or extra firm.  I like my tofu to hold its shape.  If adding to spaghetti sauce, soft or medium is fine.  It will grumble and incorporate well into the sauce.

Tofu Fajitas

1/2 block of extra firm tofu
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 green pepper
1/4 red onion
1/2 jalapeno
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
Black pepper
2 TBS soy sauce
1 lime
cilantro

Drain tofu in a strainer and gently push excess water out with a spatula.  Cut tofu in strips.  Coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil (1 TBS) and heat over medium heat.  Add all spices and mix well.  Add tofu strips and stir fry until brown.  Meanwhile, cut all vegetable into strips.  Add to frying pan.  Add soy sauce and juice from 1 lime.  Continue to stir fry until vegetables are tender and tofu is nicely browned.

Serve with tortillas, cheese, beans, and guacamole, and garnish with cilantro.

Today, I was planning on going for a long run on the beach, but I woke up to this

And it's been raining all day.  I guess I'm just going to settle for Pilates tonight with some friends.

Some quotes that make me think twice

Do you ever come across something that makes you stop and think twice?  I love reading articles and books that challenge me to think a different way.  I usually come across something and type it into my iPhone Notes app.  Here are some I've accumulated over the past few months.


“Don't think about making life better for other people who don't even deserve you, rather, focus on making your life the best, for yourself and those who love you.”
― C. JoyBell C.

“No, I am not bitter, I am not hateful, and I am not unforgiving. I just don't like you.”
― C. JoyBell C.

"I discovered very quickly that criticism is a form of optimism and when you are silent about the shortcomings of your society you're very pessimistic of your society.  It is only when you speak truthfully about it can you show your faith in that society.  Something the US and Mexico should think about."
-- Carlos Fuentes

"For why is gambling a whit worse than any other method of acquiring money?  How, for instance, is it worse than trade?  True, out of a hundred persons, only one can win; yet what business is that of yours or of mine?"
- The Gambler, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"You learn to appreciate someone when you discover what makes you laugh, but you can not love someone really until you discover what makes you cry." 
- Unknown


"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget."
- Arundhati Roy

"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism...all of which appear to give one peace of mind...but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a person than a secure future. The joy of life comes from our encounter with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. That, people...IS LIFE."
- John Tansioco


"Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use; A right heart exceeds all."
- Benjamin Franklin

"Luck is the residue of design."
- Branch Rickey

I feel old

Because I'm slightly vain, as mentioned in this post and maybe a few others, I constantly worry about aging.  My friend turns 28 today, the hubs turns 28 in 2 months, and I'm shortly behind them.  Jaders tells me to accept it and age gracefully.  I just want to go kicking and screaming into my 30's.  Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited for my 30's.  The hubs and I will start a family, settle down, buy a house, and grow old together, but can't I wait a few years?  

I found this link on a Facebook friend's website... Does this make anyone else feel old?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/things-that-will-make-you-feel-old

I was thinking of a few others too.  Remember these?

1.  Skip-It from the late 80's?  It was my favorite toy.  I also think I had this girl's outfit.  Rockin' the scrunchy!

2.  Teddy Ruxpin.  The first Teddy Ruxpin debuted in 1985.  I couldn't have gotten mine much afterward. 

3.  Full House- This show was one of my all time favorites.  It started in 1987. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen started Full House when they were just one year old.  Today, they are 26!

 4.  Slap bracelets- I think I had one in every (neon) color I could find.  I would love to bring these babies back in style!

I gotta go drink my Ensure and get a walker now, I don't wanna break a hip!

What are some of your favorites from childhood?  

Diving Disappointment

In my last post, I alluded to the fact that I had a disappointing dive Monday.  We went on my first wreck dive called Mama Viña.  Mama Viña is a shrimp boat that was purposely sunk to create a false coral reef at about 100 feet or 30 meters deep.  I was so excited to complete this dive because on my tenth dive I would make it 100 feet.  Well, after checking my dive computer, I only made it 90 feet.  I was really disappointed and made myself preoccupied, creating buoyancy problems.  Swimming through the boat, I touched the fire coral and I ended up ascending a little too quickly.  On a brighter note, I had no problems equalizing or with nausea.  We saw tons of fish inside the shrimp boat, and a hungry barracuda waiting patiently outside.

Check out the You Tube videos of  Mama Viña!  So cool!

The barracuda reminded me of Ace with his under bite!

Okay, Ace is way cuter!

Yesterday, Husband and I hosted a party for my Mexican friends and family.  It was a lot of fun.  We played pool water polo, hired a taco truck, and laughed so hard my face hurt!  I'm having a great time learning Spanish and practicing with my new friends. 

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

- a friend of the hubby's is celebrating his 28th birthday... it might get crazy!

TED talks!

"We don't need god or government to tell us what to do.  It's all inside us."  - Paul Zak

After my slightly disappointing dive this morning, more on that later, the hubs and I wanted to relax. He has been working really hard and needed a break, and I was exhausted from my extremely hectic lifestyle! Haha!

We turned on Netflix, isn't it amazing? For $7.99 a month we can stream hundreds of shows, movies, and documentaries. To offset my Jersey Shore watching, I browsed through the documentaries.  I guess Snooki falling down drunk and The Situation putting his diseased "situation" inside attention-seeking hoochie mamas is not intellectually stimulating.

I am kind of ashamed that I watch this show, but it IS a train wreck... I can't look away.

The hubs found the TED talks on Love and Relationships.  We watched several in the series then moved on the Food and Taste series. Jaime Oliver started the Food series. I just love him and his drive to make our country healthier and educate families about food and obesity.

Feeling inspired, I decided to make yet another vegetarian dish and new recipe.  I found this one on Food Network.  Enjoy!

Black Rice Risotto- Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 1/2 cups black rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the wine until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
Ladle in 3/4 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed, 6 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining broth, adding 3/4 cup at a time, until the rice is tender but somewhat chewy, about 50 minutes.
Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Divide among bowls. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and the basil.

Serves:4

Calories 450

Total Fat 13 grams

Saturated Fat: 5 grams

Total Carbohydrate: 65 grams

Protein 21 grams

Sugar: 3 grams

Fiber: 6 grams

Cholesterol: 15 milligrams

Sodium: 780 milligrams 

*I think this recipe makes much more than 4 servings.  Jade and I were stuffed and we didn't make a dent.

** This was my first time cooking black rice.  I wasn't sure what texture to expect, but it was a bit more chewier or grainier than brow rice.  I really enjoyed the flavors and the mouth feel... and no, that's not what she said!

Good night!

Chichen Itza: 7 Wonders of the World

Yes, we finally made it to the 7th Wonder of the World, Chichen Itza.  The size of this ruin is absolutely unbelievable.  I took dozens of photos, we walked around the entire archeological wonder, but we weren't able to climb any of the pyramids.  In 2006, an 80-year old woman slipped and fell about 60 feet to the ground.  I hate to be the a-hole here, but if you are 80-years old, don't climb the pyramids.  This should be implied.  Oh, and thanks for ruining all the fun for everyone else.

This is Chichen Itza. meaning "mouth of the well at Itza.  It is the most visited archeological site in Mexico.

 This is Kukulkan Pyramid.  There are 365 stairs, one for each day of the year. 

During the spring and fall equinoxes the side of the staircase is illuminated, creating a lighted image of a serpent climbing down the pyramid.

Templo de los Guerros y 1000 columnos

 

 The hubs and I posing for a quick pic in front of Piramide de Kukuklan

Jaders found a friend.

We saw this basilisk, a portent of death, on the side of the tomb with skeletons and skulls.  Anyone superstitious and think this may be an omen??

I workout!

While paroozing on Facebook, I mean reading my dictionary- seriously, who has a dictionary anymore?- I came across this squirt-coke-out-your-nose, hilarious website.

http://spotmebro.com/the-12-wackiest-exercises-ever-caught-on-camera/

Check out this video too

I'm having trouble with the video showing up on my page.  You can find it on You Tube by searching for: 

Don't be that guy at the gym.

 

We have all seen these moves and these guys at the gym.  Hopefully, none of US are these guys!

Happy Friday!  I'll leave you with a photo shoot of the sweetest 4-legged man in my life.

Going Deeper

Yesterday was my ninth dive!  I went 65 feet, so I'm not very deep yet, but I'm getting deeper. The hubs keeps telling me to take it easy.  Most people never go 65 feet, never mind 100 feet.  BUT, my next dive I will go 100 feet! 



The dive we did is called Las Tortugas and it didn't disappoint.  We saw 5 turtles swimming, eating, and just catching some waves like in Nemo!  I picked up a sand dollar and brought the delicate shell all the way to the boat without breaking it.  As I was climbing up the ladder... crack... Yep, I broke off a little corner.  I hate when things aren't perfect.  Check out our cool treasures!

  

Tonight, I am making Lentil Soup for dinner.  It is one of Jade's favorite soups AND vegetarian.   This was my first time making Lentil Soup, but it was delicious!

Lentil Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 a medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
500 grams of lentils or approx 1 pound
3 blanched and peeled tomatoes
1 liter vegetable broth, or approx 2 quarts
1 tsp cummin
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt to taste

In a large sauce pan, saute the onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil.  Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add the lentils, broth, tomatoes, and seasoning.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and cover.  Cook for 45 minutes or until lentils are soft.  If desired, use a stick mixer to puree to desired consistency.

While browsing online, I found this photos.  Have you hugged your dog today?

Calories burned scuba diving

Because I'm a little bit shallow, I always wonder how many calories I burn doing certain activities.  Now that I started scuba diving, paddle boarding, running on the beach, snorkeling, and power yoga, I am curious how many calories I have to burn to look like a supermodel..., ummm infinity! 

Check out the chart I made below.  There is limited information on how many calories you burn paddle boarding, but if it could give me a body like Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson, I going to keep doing it!

Calories Burned during Weight in pounds Scuba diving Paddle boarding Running on beach Snorkeling Power Yoga 100 205 500 720 205 254 105 233 781 233 257 110 261 840 261 259 115 289 904 289 262 120 317 960 317 264 125 345 1021 345 266 130 373 1080 373 269 135 400 1139 400 271 140 428 700 1200 428 274 145 456 1261 456 276 150 484 1320 484 278 155 512 1379 512 281 160 540 1440 540 283 165 568 1501 568 286 170 596 1560 596 288 175 624 1000 1619 624 290 180 652 1680 652 293 185 680 1741 680 295 190 707 1800 707 298 195 735 1859 735 300 200 763 1920 763 302 Last night, the hubs and I went to our local fruit and vegetable market.  We loaded our bags full of fresh fruits and veggies.  Seriously, we got all this for less than $13.  Whoo hoo! I made Eggplant and Zucchini Spaghetti Sauce with Cheese Raviolis and Garlic Bread.  YUM! Eggplant and Zucchini Tomato Sauce   First, chop 1 zucchini and 1 eggplant into quart slices.  Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until golden.  Meanwhile, saute 1 clove of garlic and 1/4 of an onion in 2 TB of olive oil, until tender.  Add 1 tomato and 1tsp of sugar.  Cook until tender.  Add 1 jar of prepared spaghetti sauce and cook until bubbly.  Add eggplant and zucchini and simmer. Cheese Ravioli Cook raviolis according to package instructions. Garlic Cheese Bread Cut a French baguette in half and spread 1 TB of butter on each side.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan and Romano cheese.  Broil in oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy! First, I sauteed garlic and onion in olive oil until tender.