What do you know? We all lived!

No ice.  No snow.  No sub-freezing temperatures.  No natural disasters.


Today, I ran.  First time in well over a week!  Let me just say that the experience was nothing short of incredible.  Any inclination that I'd forgotten how to do it was soon forgotten, and I was off.  The day, while brisk, wasn't nearly as bad as it had been prior to my stumblepades, and it felt like I was awake and alive.


I was, of course, neither of these things until I found a wee-bit of sidewalk to trip over.  What ensued was an epic battle between me and gravity, a 10 yard lurch-fest (would likely, in slower motion, be Ministry approved) which would determine whether I'd finally go for the face plant.  


I won!  So the 2011 stats stand as such:  Sidewalk 1, B'klyn<3 1.  And we know that sidewalk got that win because ice assisted when the ref wasn't looking.  

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Thai Chicken Stir-Fry.  Deliciousnessness!

Tonight's dinner consisted of two WeightWatcher recipes, both which I was very eager to try out.  The first was Thai Chicken Stir-Fry, a ridiculously simple recipe to make with fabulous flavor results... and who doesn't want that in a dinner?  We did adjust some of the ingredients to suit our palate: more green onion, more garlic (ah, gaaaaahlic!), and more chili sauce.  Very spicy and tasty, though it is no Mongolian Beef, the clear winner in our Asian themes week, which started more than a week late and then lasted more than a week.


We did try out another dish tonight featuring Bulgur, the wheat product I never heard of until I read about it in Real Simple magazine.  Bulgur certainly doesn't have the name of something I'd think about eating, but lately I've been intrigued by the new (to me) and different (to me, all right, I do live under a rock and the clear large percentage of things I've eaten in my lifetime is devoted to pizza, sue me).  


The recipe, Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Bulgur, had Bulgur in the title, as well as two other things I love (especially with each other).  When I saw spinach was also invited to the party, I knew this was the dish that had to introduce me to this product.


My expectation being that high, I have to say that while the dish proved somewhat disappointing, I think that was more due to operator error and I'd try both this dish (which was tasty, but not quite made right) and will certainly eat bulgur again.  It's that good!  

Not the greatest of food pictures, but it was hot and we were hungry!

The Husband assisted on this dish, and he realized that while the recipe called for 3 cups of liquid to the 1 cup of bulgur, the package directions only had 2 cups liquid.  I think the cook times were about the same (I haven't checked yet), so the bulgur came out a little ... er, damp.  Perhaps it's meant to be this way?  Also, he'd forgotten to salt and pepper the mix (perhaps fearful the Feds would come and take his shaker away?)  He carefully scooped the bulgur into the mushroom and onion mixture to reduce the amount of liquid, and when we tasted it, it was good.  When I added a (wee bit, Feds, just a wee bit) of salt... it was fabulous!


Both dishes I think I will do again with a remodel.  Thai needs color of some sort, so I may add actual peppers?  Woo!  The bulgur dish I thinks needs more onion, as I felt that flavor was a little lost.  Good stuff!

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Now, all of the other/remaining news:

• Sadly, no cooking for the next couple of nights.  Wait, what?!  Heck no, I'm not sad.  Well, I am because I really enjoy exploring recipes and trying new stuff and everything.  Tomorrow is our regularly scheduled sushi night, and Wednesday will be a company celebration at a pizza joint.  Will I be doomed.  Utterly.  When it comes to pizza, I know no inhibition, which is why I'm planning the hell out of that day's meals and exercise.  
• About semi-annually, I crave chocolate.  Lasts a few days and goes away, as I'm one of those rare women who don't really go for chocolate (I'd take apple caramel pie any day).  Back in the days, I'd reach for a Snickers bar or 7.  Today, while I know there's Cadbury Crunchie in this house, I'm not ripping it apart to find them.  I've grown.  Thankfully, I've found two new indulgences in Fudgsicle No Sugar Added bars (good) and Jell-O Sugar Free Double Chocolate Pudding (omg where has this been my entire life why was I not a chocolate person and eating this forever?!?!)  So that was nice.
• Knitting set-back, as I screwed up the back panel pattern.  I seem to be using yarn and needles every day now... but why is it always negative progress?

Ah, is that the time?  Time to take a nap before my next run.  To be on the safe side folks... prepare for 8 feet of snow, or possibly Gamera battle.