Cowles Mountain Hike + WIAW

February 17, 2016 By Laura

I’m pretty impulsive.

In case you didn’t get that from the time I ran away and got married…

Yesterday I decided I didn’t want to go to the gym and would instead go for a hike. Not so impulsive… except that it was already getting late, it’s been in the 80s here, the previous day was leg day, and I’m still supposed to be rehabbing my ankle from my PRP treatment.

No matter. At 3 pm I headed out to Cowles Mountain. It’s only about a 20 minute drive inland… but that resulted in a 10 degree difference in temperature. It was 91 degrees when I started the hike.

The gorgeous blue sky and visible midday moon was a nice distraction from the heat.

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Red Wine Pasta with Almonds & Parsley [Recipe]

February 12, 2016 By Laura

Apparently you can cook pasta in any liquid.

Why not choose a liquid you love?

Pasta is an easy go-to dinner, but you can make it extra fancy with a strange but incredibly good twist. Why not boil the pasta in red wine? This simple move makes a complex, beautiful pasta.

Seems appropriate for Valentine’s Day, no?

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Red Velvet Protein Dip [Recipe] + WIAW

February 10, 2016 By Laura

Is everyone pumped for Valentine’s Day?

Like most holidays, I’m just here for the food.

Ever since Vegas came into my life I’ve become a bit more mushy. We were both just laughing at how cheesy we are. It’s ~~awesome~~ disgusting.

After learning her favorite dessert is red velvet cake, I’ve been creating red velvet everything. This Valentine’s Day it’s Red Velvet Protein Dip.

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Truth Telling and Sunday Eats [WIAW]

January 27, 2016 By Laura

I actually love politics.

Who doesn’t like to see well-educated people look ridiculous on stage?

If you know me, you know my favorite people to make fun of are Sarah Palin and Donald Trump. They make it too easy sometimes though. Palin endorses Trump… then her son gets arrested… then she lies about his PTSD and tries to blame others for his bad behavior. Just wow.

But, you have to laugh. Otherwise you’ll cry. In that spirit, here are some things that DO always tell the truth:

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Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Salad [Recipe]

January 25, 2016 By Laura

I know most of you guys are freezing (sorry).

Finally moving to SoCal is REALLY paying off.

It’s been pretty warm here – 60s during the day. It feels hotter in the sun. Especially after the gym. This means a lot of salads for us. I’ve started marinating chicken in the morning while I make breakfast so it’s ready to grill by lunchtime. 10 minutes later, we have a fresh Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Salad for lunch!

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Bike Riding & Cooking for One [WIAW]

January 20, 2016 By Laura

I can walk!

With a little limp.

It’s been almost a week since my PRP treatment to regrow a ligament my ankle. I can’t think about running yet, but I can ride a bike! I’ve been doing 10 miles at verrrrry low resistance on the old folks bike. You know the one – with the reclined back lounge chair. No shame!

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Skiing, Snowboarding, and Brusing [WIAW]

January 13, 2016 By Laura

I can ski pretty well.

I was one of those 6 year olds on the slopes.

While I grew up skiing, I never wanted to try to snowboard. I don’t get to the snow very often and when I do, I don’t want to spend my time ~~falling~~ trying to learn something else.

Vegas and I are in Big Bear right now. I spent day 1 skiing while she spent the day in snowboarding school. I had a blast shooting down double blacks and navigating a few moguls.

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Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Chicken in Red Wine [Recipe]

January 8, 2016 By Laura

Having a gas stove is great.

Until you don’t have gas.

Tuesday night we were awakened by a pounding on our door and someone yelling “fire!” Never a good feeling (as we learned in last April’s fire).

The good news is that we all got out safely and no one’s living space was harmed. Unfortunately, our landlady lost her art studio.

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