Rum tasting

Veggies and I have a love relationship right now. I heart Bok Choy!!

I sauteed the veggies in my usual soy sauce and sesame oil mixture along w. a bagel turkey sandwich.

We went to a Milk and Honey rum tasting last night. They had a free tasting event every first Tuesday of the month for members and 1 guest. I love being a plus one :)

They started us off with a Bacardi daiquiri while the guest speaker prepared to give his little schpeal on the history of RUM.

While he was talking, he passed around 6 different bottles of rum. A bit dangerous to let guests pour their own measure dontcha think? The first one had hints of vanilla and coffee.

The second one tasted like canned corn. It reminded me of the sugar and corn fields we drove past almost every day in Hawaii.

Third.

Fourth.

Fifth

and last but certainly not least: the 8 year aged Bacardi. The tasting was a unique way to try different rums straight instead of mixers that mask the true taste. That being said, I think I still prefer my mojitos :)

By the time we were finished with the tasting, I was feeling warm and hungry!! We stopped at Don San for dinner. I justified eating past 9 p.m. since I hadn't eaten any dinner prior to going to M&H.

The pajun had a very nice taste to it and it included plenty of seafood. YUMMY!!

Side dishes

T just had to have his sushi. It was mediocre. I definitely wouldn't come back here for the sushi.

T's bibimbap with thinly sliced pieces of raw beef that slightly cooks in the hot hot hot stone bowl.

My sundubuchigae. It was lovely and perfectly spicy.

Time to finish up my outdoor circuit programme!

Smart Goals

We've learned in class that setting SMART goals help clients achieve their goals by making them specific and measurable.

The actual acronym stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Framed. Here is one of my SMART goals.

Specific- I want to lose 5 lbs and fit comfortably into my jeans
Measurable- I will weigh myself every 2 weeks and should notice that my jeans are fitting a bit looser around my waistline.
Achievable or Action oriented- My book says A stands for Achievable but its a bit too similar to Realistic so my goal will be Action oriented. I will have one cheat day a week and the other days eat healthy. If I eat past 9 p.m., I will choose healthier snack options. If I choose to drink, I will allow for the calorie addition by cutting back elsewhere.
Realistic- Losing 5lbs is very realistic since I was at that weight prior to winter. I was comfortably at this weight without any drastic lifestyle changes.
Time Framed- I will lose this excess weight by May 1. I'm aiming to lose a pound every 2 weeks.

I know my goal doesn't include anything about working out but I know that for me, my body responds best to my diet. I also believe in the motto that the way your body looks is 80% diet and 20% fitness

Lunch yesterday: I sauteed some kale and mushrooms in the wok.
http://www.discoverkale.co.uk/

Multigrain turkey and cheese bagel sandwich.

with some Green & Blacks 55% dark chocolate w. cherries.

Dinner: Bigham's Macaroni n. Cheese

A nice crispy layer formed on top of the gooey cheesy middle. Delish!

With a side of shallot and minced garlic sauteed asparagus and spinach mix.

My fitness business cards have been ordered! Yippee!! Nothing says professional like having your own business card and saying the word Yippee! ;)

Back to Lahore!

 

T got free tickets to the Carling Cup Final 2011: Arsenal v. Birmingham City

We stopped inside the Champagne and Seafood bar to get a snack and drinks before the game. Fresh green beans, onions, potatoes, generous chunks of tuna and an egg on top.

Fresh peeled prawns. These little guys packed so much flavor.

Pesto covered potato salad.

The stadium was packed and a sea of blue (Birmingham) and red (Arsenal)

I swear I heard more from the blue side.

The game was very fast paced and exciting. I thought Arsenal had possession of the ball most of the time but Birmingham's defense stopped them from scoring more than once.

Celebration of Birmingham's first c

 

Birmingham FTW. What an awesome game. Final score: Birmingham 2; Arsenal 1

Dinner was at Lahore Kabab House. We decided to give them another shot. This time with an actual reservation :)

We were supposed to meet a friend there for dinner who had flown into town but as sort of expected, he didn't show up. What friend doesn't call or message and keeps us waiting? Grrr... thanks for proving us right. :-D Okay enough of my immature rant. Onto more important things like the great company we had instead and the tasty dinner.

We started off with the usual salad

Lamb samosas. Crispy and flaky with yummy minced lamb pouring out from the middle.

Delicious lamb chops. Very nicely cooked and tender.

Chicken tikka

Butter chicken. The sauce for this dish was muy bueno. Yummmmy!!

There was something about this saag paneer that tasted a bit off. It tasted sort of like vitamins maybe? Not my favorite..

Meat biyriani. The rice was very flavorful and had the perfect balance of spices.

My overflowing plate. Blergh. So full. Overall, I thought the food was pretty good. I still think my favorite is

http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/. I'm glad we tried it though to wash that ugly taste from my mouth of having to wait for an hour the last time.

Agenda: BoxFit, work on nutrition homework, work on outdoor programme, relax :)

Griglia

My gosh darn left foot. I think I might have:
a.) sprained it while doing outdoor circuit training
b.) hurt it while dancing
c.) a combination of both a & b

I was able to run for about 20 minutes this morning before I decided to give my foot a rest. The sun was out and calling my name :)

Dinner on Friday at Griglia formerly known as Metro Gusto:

The wonderful complimentary bread basket. The breads were salty, garlicy and carb-o-licious.

Burrata appetizer with courgettes and aubergines. I loved the combination of the cold cheese with warm vegetables. Mmmmm..

Green pappardelle with veal meatballs and artichokes. Very hearty and satisfying dish of pasta.

Rosemary infused potatoes

Fried skinny courgette fries.

I would definitely recommend Grigilia. The ambiance was romantic, service friendly and the food very delicious!

Saturday lunch: Jerk chicken and rice n' beans. YUMM-O!!

We stopped at this Carribean jerk chicken restaurant in Chapel market for a quick and very cheap bite. My jerk chicken n rice was only 3 pounds (inc. a drink). I forgot how much I appreciate spicy and delicious Jamaican food :)

Late afternoon snack at Assa:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=assa+in+london&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=assa&hnear=Westminster,+London&cid=16499239970845492574

Seafood ramen with rice. This dish brings back memories of my childhood. I would always make ramen and then add in some rice after eating all the ramen noodles because the broth is just that good! :). T's bibimbap was sort of a letdown but we would definitely go back to try some other dishes.

Off to the Arsenal v. Birmingham city football match today w. a 3 course lunch and champagne reception. Woo hoo!!!  :-D