Culinary Dropout

My company decided to do an annual birthday celebration so they could do something bigger and better without costing the firm more. The receptionist wanted to get everyone's orders ahead of time but I was still messaging with someone from the restaurant on FB by the time we went. She also had asked for cupcake orders so I went to Gluten Free Creations Bakery yesterday to get cupcakes.

Pumpkin Spice cupcakes

We went to Culinary Dropout, which is a Fox Concepts Restaurant. I generally have good luck at their restaurants so the chef talked with me and we decided I could have a burger and sauteed veggies (in olive oil.) They don't use any soybean oil. I used the mushrooms and onions on top of the burger so I didn't even need anything else like ketchup.

Looks simple, tastes good.

Culinary Dropout is one of the restaurants around The Yard so we went out there to play some games. There was cornhole, ping pong, and Foosball. I played a couple rounds of Foosball. I'm not good but it was fun! I didn't play any more after that because I was already sweating and was concerned I would be stinky. My over-sweatiness is a problem without end.

J drove back to the office so we stopped by her place to let her dogs out and I got to check out her digs. Cute place. She's making progress on her renovations.

*****

I've been going to a free weekly yoga class (it's only 8 weeks so I'm really trying to take advantage of it while it lasts.) Last week, the instructor told us it's not "zombie yoga" when she was reminding us to breathe.

Free yoga tonight included Halloween themed music. Very weird. I had a lot of trouble with my left hip popping and spasticity in my lower left leg so I wasn't able to really do some things on both sides. So annoying.

Pasta dinner

It took me a little while after I got home to get started on dinner. I had to wait for the Advil to kick in. I'm glad I didn't get my cramps during the weekend but it would be even better if I didn't have to get them at all.

Costco is selling rice pasta in a box containing 4 bags of pasta. The directions are so different from any other pasta I've cooked. It is boiled for a few minutes and then left in the hot water, burner off, for 15 minutes. I kinda messed up, forgot to stir it so it clumped, but it cooked (maybe a little too much.)

Well, it works. My dinner was yummy. And yes, that is zucchini from our garden!

Yum.

Octoberfest 2014

We had a larger group for Octoberfest this year, so in addition to my FIL driving us, dropping us off, and picking us up, we had a second driver, our friend M who lives near us and doesn't drink. And apparently is SO nice--who doesn't drink and then spends his Saturday driving drunks?

This coaster gets a big glass mug!

Someone backed out last minute so my cousin came with us. Mick wanted to be there early so it was a little bit of a slow start but we had a blast.

R bought shots. Of course.

There were lots of "saved" seats and a lot of them never filled up. We liked the signs.

I go both ways. Or do I?

I knew I wouldn't be able to eat anything or drink the beer so I brought chili, cornbread, Tito's and lemonade.

Suns Cheerleaders

Most of the group spent the night. R made breakfast. The person who had backed out of going was also supposed to go to the Cardinals game with R and his girl, so Mick was able to go instead. And I was able to spend the day relaxing.

Saddle Mountain Brewery

Last night, we went to our neighbor's grand opening. As I understand it, this is the first brewery to open in Goodyear. The service was terrible but it looks promising and hopefully they will work it all out. Mick invited our friend M, which surprised me since he doesn't drink (and some other reasons outside the scope of this blog), but it is a restaurant too. My SIL called and said Dr. Q told her to go out with me this weekend so I invited her too since Mick had already invited M. YES, my doctor told my SIL, who I sent to him, to go out with me.

I had sweet tea and a bunless burger with a "bare" side salad. My dinner came much later than everyone else's (pretty sure they messed it up and had to remake it) so I forgot to take a photo. The salad actually came first but since it had no dressing, I thought I'd wait. It was spring mix and spinach with cranberries and tomatoes. I finally decided I couldn't wait and ate most of by the time my burger arrived. The salad and burger were good. I think Mick and M really liked their pizzas and my SIL liked her sandwich. M and my SIL got a flight of beers and found one they both liked.

Even with the service hiccups, we had fun. They came back to our house to hang out a little before heading home.

Yep!

Today, I got my hair color done--wash those grays away! I mentioned to a couple people, including Mick, that I was thinking of going a little redder. Since I have some red undertones anyway, my hairdresser said she wanted to mix my old brown color in with the redder color this time, see how it takes, and then go all with the new color next time. It turned out fantastic.

When I came home, he told me he doesn't like the color. WTH. Can a wife get a muther-effin compliment in here? (The answer to that is NO, in case you don't know.)

Update: I have a photo on tomorrow's post if you want to see the color. No compliments necessary. I got them from M (who knew I was having it done) and my coworker/friend J (who did not know I was getting it done.)

Update 2: I sent Mick the free head shot I got at my recent conference and he replied with a comment about "hottie" so apparently I CAN get a muther-effin compliment! A little more often would be nice but I guess that's what I have friends for.

The Lagasse Girls

I received this gift from my generous coworker. I hope to find a few things I can make. I should look at my old Emeril Lagasse cookbooks and see if I can make anything from those....

Hodgson Mill cornbread mix

I made chili using a couple of pounds of the ground elk from Mick's hunt. I decided to try a cornbread mix I picked up at Albertsons. This is Hodgson Mills; I used egg replacer for the two eggs. I accidently only made enough for one replacement egg and then had to add the second one last minute. 

I made them as muffins.

It wasn't bad but a little denser than I like. I think I would use applesauce for one of the eggs next time, and maybe a double amount of applesauce so it would be less dry.

Sprinkles

Our office admin sent a cute email today about our upcoming birthday celebration. It even had a photo of a Minion. We're ordering cupcakes from Sprinkles.

Well, that's a bummer. I mean, I never get to take part in the food stuff anyway, but the admin actually came into my office and get my order. She was pretty sure I could have something. So I looked it up and they don't list ingredients but they do have a gluten-free cupcake and a vegan cupcake. She thought vegan meant also gluten-free, so just an FYI, y'all, um, vegans don't eat animal products but they can have wheat, um-kay. Somewhere between a combination of those two, I might be able to have a cupcake, but alas, never shall the two be combined.

I guess I'll make a trip to Gluten Free Creations Bakery to pick up my own cupcakes so I don't feel totally left out. FML. It never fucking stops. It will never fucking stop. This is my life, for the rest of my life. Will I ever get over the sadness of it all?

Successful or happy

My naturopathic chiropractor, Dr. Q kind of acts as my therapist while he is adjusting my everything and dealing with how my body holds stress. I like getting his (male) perspective, even though I know to a degree it must be biased because he only hears my side of whatever we are discussing. But he knows how it makes me feel--my body is telling him!

I usually lay on the table face down, then face up, but today, he had me stand first while he did adjustments on my shoulders and arms. Then we moved to the table. I had some painful areas that might be sore later.

Chasing Success or Happiness

My life

Today's hike was at one of my favorite trails at Thunderbird Park. My friend B came from the other end of town and he was even early. M meet us at my house and he was just a little early too.

We headed north and met my friend/coworker J with her little dogs. My friend R who I know through B was supposed to meet us but overslept.

I forgot that we are perhaps not really in shape for this hike yet. At the end, B called it easy and M later called it fun but I thought he might not make it when we were on the ascent. B has a manual job; that's all the exercise he gets. M has a sedentary job and gets no exercise. I have a sedentary job but I get some exercise!

I offered to make waffles so we all headed to my house but made a stop at the grocery store first so B could use the restroom and J could get strawberries. M and I stayed in the car and waited. When they returned, J had a package of Reese's peanut butter cups and was handing them out. When I said I couldn't have it, her reaction and B's reaction....I forget how people are sometimes. I'm more prepared when it's not friends but I forget that some of my friends aren't around all the time for these things. B made some comment about how much my life sucks and for just a moment, I felt like I was going to fall apart. Yeah, if fucking sucks. But it's the only life I have. I think I covered it up okay for J and B; I just tried to jokingly say FML, yeah it sucks. But it didn't get past M. I don't think he gets it but he knew it upset me. My cover is blown!

Back at my house, I made waffles and bacon. I'm not sure if B liked them or not but J did and M said he was surprised but the waffles were "amazing." YES! There are a lot of things I still don't know how to make in a way that I'd serve it to regular people but I think I've got the waffles covered.

North Italia

My drive to work was terrible. Like the I-10 was closed kind of terrible. But I made it in and our lunchtime meeting was canceled so someone was planning a lunch out of the office. They choose North Italia, thinking I'd be able to eat there.

I wasn't so sure. I'm sure I've been there before and had an okay salad. But today. Today, they did me right.

They have a corn based gluten free pasta that does not contain amaranth. (I'm guessing Schar brand.) Most of their pasta sauces contain dairy but the waitress recommended the spicy shrimp.

It was fantastic. Garlicky and yummy. A coworker tried some of nearly everyone's lunch and proclaimed my lunch the second best, after her gnocchi. Winner!

Visitors

We had "my" favorite cousin visit from Indiana. Okay, J is Mick's cousin, but she's my favorite person in his whole family. She brought her husband and son (little one) for 4 days and 5 nights.

She was very helpful in the kitchen and got the cross contamination thing right away. They are early morning people so they made themselves at home and figured out where to find things.

Happy hour!

The first day, little one got to see the F16s and F35s flying over our house. Then we went for a walk in the neighborhood. It was kind of hot and I actually got some sun on my shoulders.

We had the family over for a surf and turf lunch. The kids had a great time, running and playing. Cassi almost sat on the little one at the end of the day--he was on the couch where she wanted to curl up and sleep.

Cajun Halibut with rice, elk steak, artichoke spaghetti squash, salad

We went hiking with friends at White Tanks, the Waterfall Trail. It was a little bit hot still. I feel a little bad they didn't get to go on a bigger longer higher trail but it was a perfect starter trail for our group that hasn't been out for months.

Mick and the husband went quail hunting with my FIL and Teka. They got 3 and I had a couple in the freezer. That's enough for an appetizer!

Almost gone.

That was tiring--no naps but lots of go. They are really active as a family--playing football and Frisbee when I'm recovering from ask the rest. I can't wait for them to come again.

Sick

I've been sick for days. I'm back to work but experiencing diarrhea with cramping. W. T. F.

I don't think I've had anything I'm not "supposed" to have so this is baffling. I had it a couple days ago but not nearly as bad.

I'm skipping free yoga tonight. Hopefully this is the only one.

Pancakes via zulilly

I got a box of gluten free allergy friendly products from zulilly. The first to try: pancake mix.

Bacon!

It wasn't bad but seemed kind of bland. It's okay once I put berries and syrup but I think this pancake mix needs something for mixing in like pumpkin or Enjoy Life chocolate chips.

Sick days

Yeah, I caught something at the office. When I went home sick on Thursday, I stopped at True Food to pick up some curry for lunch (because who wants to cook when they're sick, and it's even harder for me) and some juice.

Beets and carrots

I've been out for a couple days plus the weekend so I went to the doctor. I got into a room pretty quick and then had to wait forever for the doctor. She told me to stay home another day and gave me some antibiotics.

I bought some cough drops for the night, when it's the worst. These are gluten-free. And weird. Not good. Not effective for how I use them at night--they aren't hard, but more gummy although you aren't supposed to chew them either. I guess I'll stick with the Ricola drops although I think they might not really agree with me.

Drops

I have slept so much; I'm going to have trouble going back to work.

Free yoga

A coworker notified us that there are free yoga classes once a week for 8 weeks at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Resort. It's outside on a patio in front of "the Falls" in the evening.

I got there late (it's farther and more traffic than I expected) and it was very crowded, but it was a good yoga class.

Yoga while facing the Falls