Now with Three Times the Paprika!

30 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Time for another soup recipe – ahhh, it’s been awhile!  And to get inspired, I reached for one of my most cherished cookbooks, The South American Table, by Maria Baez Kijac.  How long had this treasure sat dormant and idle in my cookbook stash before I realized what gems lie in these pages?  Years!

I had a partially filled bag of organic quinoa sitting on my counter, pretty much screaming silently at me to cook more of it!  [Side note:  I absolutely adore Bob’s Red Mill products. I’ve got everything from corn meal, pearl barley, the quinoa and even xanthan gum; if you’re into gluten-free cooking you know what that is!] But man oh man I wish they came in resealable packaging!  I just don’t have enough canisters and the fold-and-seal-the-plastic-bag-with-scotch-tape method is far from foolproof.

Doesn’t it feel great when you have a well-stocked pantry and end up with very few items on your shopping list when you want to try a new recipe?  Ahhh, maybe I’m slowly turning a corner there.  But I always do that ol’ smell test on my spices before I head out the door just in case.  If they’re not pungent, out they go and it’s time for a new jar.  This is an absolute must!

OK, so let’s get to it – here’s the recipe!

Sopa de Quinua con Chancho (Quinoa soup with pork)  Serves 8 to 10
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground annatto or sweet paprika
  • 1/2 C chopped scallions (white part and 1″ of the green)
  • 1 C finely chopped leeks (white part and 1″ of the green), washed well
  • 1 medium-sized ripe but firm tomato (5-6 oz), peeled and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 lb lean pork from the leg or shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 6 C hot water
  • 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
  • 3/4 C raw quinoa, cooked
  • 1/4 C unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts or natural peanut butter pureed with 1 C milk
  • 1 C frozen peas
  • 8 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over low heat.  Stir in the annatto (or paprika), then add the scallions, leeks, tomato, garlic paste mixture and cumin.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium and add the pork cubes.  Cook for a couple of minutes, tossing so they are well coated with the vegetable mixture.  Add the hot water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes, quinoa and peanut puree.  Partially cover and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add the peas, basil and cayenne and cook for a couple of minutes to heat the peas through.  Taste for salt and black pepper.

Serve hot, garnished with the parsley.

Fivenineteen notes:  I went truly organic with almost all of the ingredients in this recipe and headed out to the PCC Natural Market a short drive from my house to purchase the pork, frozen peas and fresh vegetables.  This is an organic grocery store co-op, and if you need high-quality specialty ingredients the nice people there will go above and beyond to find them for you.  I’m always fascinated by the products and the local, boutique-y brands.

As with lots of soup recipes, the chopping and prep work is the most time-consuming – but once you’re ready to rock it comes together quickly.  This was only a two pot meal, so not a lot of clean up.  Given the 45 minutes of simmering required, this is a perfect time to prepare the quinoa AND load the dishwasher!  I’m pretty anal about cleaning up as I go when I cook; I’ve been teased that sometimes it doesn’t even look like anyone’s been cooking when I’m done!

I chose not to seed the tomato and just chopped it up coarsely.  I was wondering if this would water down the soup too much because of the liquid-y tomato ‘meat,’ but it didn’t.  And I don’t understand the need to peel a tomato as this recipe calls for (and have no idea how to do it effectively – if anyone has a good method I’d love to hear from you). 

My eyes popped when I read the step about pureeing peanut butter with a cup of milk!  Wow, that’s a new one for soup…and in general!

Now, a few months ago I ranted about my small appliances kitchen battle.  My large Cuisinart food processor became useless as the lid would no longer latch onto the workbowl properly.  I ended up ordering a new lid and pusher assembly thingy online and last night was the time to test if it worked.  Thankfully, I’m occasionally pretty resourceful and I tested the food processor before putting the peanut butter and milk in it.

No dice.  Fuck! I STILL could not get the new lid (which has a slightly different type of plastic latch attached from the old one) to latch onto the damn workbowl!  I guess I should have ordered a replacement workbowl too.  If the parts don’t engage and lock perfectly, the appliance won’t run.  And I guess that’s a good thing for safety with those super sharp blades.  Grumble grumble…so now the nice people at Cuisinart will be sending me a new workbowl.  Now I’ve spent $100 on spare food processor parts, which is a little less than half the cost of a brand new one.  Will it be worth it?  Will the damn thing work again when the new bowl arrives?  Stay tuned.

Thankfully my smaller mini Cuisinart was large enough to puree the peanut butter and milk. 

Now, as I was getting underway heating the oil and paprika and adding the vegetables I glanced at the recipe again.  I’d plopped a beautiful tablespoon of paprika into the sauce pan and was mixing away…what a heavenly aroma…

…only to realize the recipe called for one TEASPOON of paprika, not a tablespoon.  And yep folks, there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon.  Fuck again!!

At this point I just thought screw it, I’m not going to mess with trying to remove some of the paprika out.  I just went for it and added the rest of the ingredients – in the correct amounts.  Thankfully the paprika did not overwhelm the soup.  The other spices are a nice counterbalance.

Here’s the author’s introduction to the recipe: “This is one of the oldest soups made in South America, dating back to the time of the Inca Empire.  After the conquest, pork and seasonings were added to it.  It is absolutely superb – full of wonderful flavors and nutrition.”

And in my version, a nice dose of paprika! 

Buon appetito!

The Active Equinox

23 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome, Autumn!  And welcome Spring to my southern hemisphere readers!  The season changes are such a sensuous time of the year. Along with obvious changes like the longer shadows during the day, a slight chill in the air and a longing to put away the sandals and rock my fall shoes and boots, I truly believe – if you breathe really deeply into the Universe – that you can FEEL the change.  The vibration shift.  The motions that are perhaps unconscious to us but are all around us.

I remember watching the Cosmos TV series (on PBS) as a young teen.  This was a special Sunday night ritual with my Dad (my Mom didn’t seem too interested in it).  While much of what Carl Sagan talked about was too complex for my young mind to understand, it stirred something within me.  As if to say that seeds were planted – you might not understand everything now, fivenineteen, but your curiosity will grow throughout your life with an ongoing hunger to learn.

One of his segments talked about motion – how even if we appear to be still, we are not.  I may be standing still on the ground, but the ground is not motionless.  The Earth is turning on its axis.  The Earth is revolving around the Sun.  Our solar system is cruising along in some random outer arm of our galaxy (or perhaps in and out of galaxy arms – some say that is the reason for our planet’s Ice Ages)…AND our whole galaxy is whooshing through the universe too!  To where I have no idea.  Or how fast.  All of this is mind-blowing to me when I try to make sense of it all.  And believe me, Carl Sagan explained those last few sentences far better and far more eloquently than I ever could.

So, I made some of my own tiny motions into the Universe this weekend – both mentally and physically.  My resume was overdue for an update, and it felt good to sit for a few hours and really focus on capturing my latest work activities.  It’s funny, for as much as I love to write, I sometimes run into writer’s block about my career.  How can it be so hard to summarize my latest accomplishments and job responsibilities into a few short sentences and bullet points?  I’m much better at speaking about it than writing about it, resume-style.  The work I’ve done over the past year and a few months is something I’m so very proud of.  And my team is dynamite – I truly, truly believe that NO ONE ever does it alone and that many helping hands make the load lighter.  This team embraces and breathes this same philosophy as well, and it shows.  It’s not lip service.  It’s something practiced constantly.  I know this work engagement is ending to free me up for my next opportunity (and also for practical reasons, such as the budget for my role runs out later this year), and it’s like stepping off with a leap of faith that the right next step WILL happen.  I’ve been through this cycle a few times over the past 6 years and I feel better taking that next unknown leap now that the job market has improved somewhat compared with the 2009-2010 era.

That was Saturday.  Man it felt so good to just breathe and savor the change of seasons.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful.  Plus I was able to get my car emissions test done on Friday afternoon (part of the requirement to get new license tabs), rather than gobble up part of a cherished Saturday driving a ways out to the site and waiting in line.  Ugh.  It’s a necessary thing to do but the car emission test site is one of those evil vortexes where time slows to a painful crawl.  Same with the oil change places too!

And Sunday I joined my dear friend T and her friend D (whom I’ve met once before) and D’s adorable chocolate Lab, Lucy, to walk in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Pacific Northwest benefit!  This was an easy, relaxing, two-mile walk along South Lake Union, north of the downtown Seattle core.  This walk raised over $280,000 for Alzheimer’s research!  T, D and I learned in chatting that we had each lost a grandmother to Alzheimer’s, so this was an especially important cause for each of us personally.  T is also on the Seattle board – so proud of her generous donation of time and talent, especially having just started a new (unrelated) full-time job herself! 

Now, if you haven’t been around the South Lake Union area recently, you’re in for quite a wonderful surprise.  The area is transforming.  Beautifully.  Sure, there is some temporary pain, such as crazyass road closures, maze-like swirls of lanes blocked off and general confusion, especially for someone like me who tends to drive past this neighborhood rather than have it as a destination.  I’m so glad today’s Alzheimer’s Walk showed me just how beautiful a transformation this is, and it stirs up my hunger again to someday live and work in Seattle proper, rather than the suburbs where I currently call home.

I was a little bleary and tired when the three of us met up for our carpool (there’s that darn ol’ ‘not a morning person’ flaw again), but by the time we were ready to walk and walking I felt more energized.  The sun was out but not too strong given the time of year, the lake was beautiful, people dressed in purple were everywhere (the color for Alzheimer’s awareness) and it was nice to savor this part of Seattle on foot.  Honestly I tend to just drive and whiz through the South Lake Union area or more recently avoid it all together given all the construction and transformation underway.  So it was fun to see the lake, the Kenmore Air seaplanes taking off and landing and the view of Gasworks Park (my very first apartment after college graduation was just up the hill from it – dumpy apartment but great views – you have to start somewhere!)

On my way home I felt on a roll and made a beeline to my gym (where my trainer, B, is kicking my ass every Wednesday night).  I had made a commitment to get in the gym Sunday nights, but I had a party to go to, so I figured why not get some more gym time in while I’m feeling good and on a roll from a fun but not too-strenuous-walk earlier? 

I think I’m going to be addicted soon to the rowing machine.  What a nice change from the treadmill.  I love how it relaxes tension in the upper back and shoulders.  It just feels like more of a full-body workout than the treadmill, and I truly appreciate B showing me the basics on how to use it, from the resistance settings, the “10 and 2” rocking motion back and forth (as in 2:00 forward and all the way back to 10:00 and so on) to getting your feet placed properly in the grips.  I rowed 2000m (1 mile and 427 yards) in 12 minutes!  My goal is to get up to 5000m at a stretch.  I also did some weight and lunge work, lat pulldowns, plus the somewhat-evil hamstring strengthener using a fitness ball for resistance.  Yep, I think I will be feeling all of this tomorrow for sure.

And I topped off the weekend with a party with my hockey teammates at our co-founder’s soon-to-be-second new donut shop!  It was great to see everyone and share a few laughs and hugs.  I love these guys like brothers and/but know my decision to take this season off is the best one for me.  I was happy that they were open to having me come back next summer season.  It’s never guaranteed – I don’t take that for granted – but it is nice it might be an option for next spring.  It will all depend on where I am at that point and if I really, truly miss the ice and the game of hockey after my break.  I have a feeling I will.

While I appreciated the food (and donuts!) provided at the party, I kept it to just one slice of Canadian bacon pizza and one beer. 

After all, I’m proud of the progress I’m making physically.

Yoga’d…and Blessed

16 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

OK, first of all, fivenineteen is officially THREE!  Three years old!!  The (my?) official birthday was Saturday September 15.  9/15.  WOW…I never realized how that’s an exact mirror image of 5/19.  Where is that Twilight Zone music?  Honestly, that’s just a beautiful accident (or was it?). Absolutely was not intended….but I love it and I laugh how I just noticed that this year.  Thank you to my followers – old and new – and to everyone out there who stumbled in here by accident!  Welcome to my big ol’ ball of random!

This weekend reminded me how blessed I am to have incredible women in my life.  Great friends – old and new – and my Mom. 

Yesterday was all about getting the girls together and playing in jewelry!  Many of you know that I am a Silpada Designs representative, representing an incredible line of .925 sterling silver jewelry, handcrafted with semi-precious stones.  I’ve been a fan of the jewelry for around 6-7 years – I’d purchased pieces at home shopping parties or for fundraisers – and never thought I’d give direct selling on my own a try…but I started doing this nearly two years ago and I love it!  It’s easy to share what you love when you love what you represent!  I love sharing how .925 sterling (92.5% silver + 7.5% copper & zinc for strength – pure silver is too soft on its own for jewelry) is the highest grade of sterling silver there is.  It’s the same grade that Tiffany’s uses in their jewelry, and believe me Silpada’s price points are nowhere near Tiffany’s!

I tried something totally different and fun, for I had my jewelry on display at a restaurant inside a hotel where my team meets monthly…a combination of current pieces plus a lot of retired pieces marked down, gift boxed and priced to move!  In the process I had a lot of people stop by while I was setting up – even the executive chef stopped by to introduce himself and snap a pic of a necklace to see if his wife wanted one for herself!  It just ‘feels’ good in there – the restaurant staff is so gracious and accommodating…believe me when you get 20 of us jewelry reps together at a big table for meetings and throw in wine and munchies we can get a little rowdy!  Those meetings are a fun way to blow off steam from the workday, or for those who are stay at home Moms to get out of the house for a few hours for some adult time with girlfriends!

It was fun seeing friends of mine meet one another for the first time, plus having everyone meet my Mom!  Heck, even my Mom – who has the most exquisite taste in fine gold jewelry – is starting to take a shine (no pun intended) to sterling silver! Plus the mixed metal look (combining gold and silver) is super hot right now and I think it’s a trend that will continue far into the future.

So we had fun playing with jewelry, and it was both fun and nice to have a lot of my retired, discounted pieces find new homes.  I never thought I’d have “too much jewelry,” but after doing this for a couple of years my jewelry box has really grown, enough to where it was time to scale back and streamline.

And this morning…drum roll…Yours Truly got her butt out of bed early!  Meaning, an 8am meetup!  For carpooling to yoga!  Now, I’ve probably posted way too much in here about how I’m not a morning person, especially on the weekends.  While I feel I’m wasting the day when I sleep in until 10:30 or so on a Saturday or Sunday, I listen to my body’s rhythms.  It needs it and I’m not going to fight it off.

When I knew I was going to take a sabbatical from hockey (starting this fall season – and wow, looks like the NHL is doing the same with the lockout – ugh) I entertained ideas of what I’d do with this new, freed up spare time (and money).  Try yoga again – or try working out with a trainer? Revisit trying to learn Norwegian again for a someday-someday trip to the arctic?  So far the personal training is underway – 5 sessions done so far with B’s weekly ass kickings and I’m slowly rediscovering muscles that were long dormant.  My hamstrings and triceps are still on fire from last Thursday’s workout!

So to add fuel to that fire, I joined my dear friend D and her friend K for what I like to call “drop in yoga.”  [kinda like drop in / pickup hockey, ha ha.]   D recently moved to Austin, TX for a wonderful job opportunity, and her amazing energy just seems to swoop in whenever it’s needed.  Here she was in town for a few days, with a spontaneous invitation for me to join her and K for a free, open house yoga session at Lila.  D is probably one of the few (well, more than a few) who can motivate me to wake up, meet at a Starbucks and whisk me away in the morning for something beautiful, new and fun.  That and the 5Ks that P inspired me to start doing a few years ago with her.  Yep, those two take the prize.

So before I could walk into the Starbucks at Carillon Point to grab a double-tall nonfat latte, D and K arrived to scoop me up and take me to yoga!  Which I have not done in nearly 9 years!  In fact, I tried yoga for the first time the same weekend I started learning to play hockey.  What an intense Saturday-Sunday that was, pushing myself physically in two different ways I’d never tried before.  In fact, I had a third opportunity that fall in 2003 to join a friend for belly dancing lessons but my dance card was full.  I like to joke with people that I had a choice between belly dancing and hockey, and hockey won out.

So here we were at Lila (LEE la), which means Divine Play (I learned that from their website).  I was so grateful that K had an extra yoga mat for me to borrow – mine is buried deep somewhere in my garage.  I was impressed with the studio layout, how friendly everyone was, the beautiful light streaming through the studio – I love the beautiful Madison Park neighborhood in Seattle – and how the instructor took the time to greet each of us newcomers with a handshake, smile and personal welcome before we got started.

Oh man, what a wake up call!  The yoga memories of that introductory course nearly nine years ago came flooding back to me.  How inflexible I am…or where I actually am somewhat.  The poses – so hard to hold after a few cycles of repetition…if you have not tried yoga it is not just sitting and meditating – you work up a sweat!  But at the same time re-centering with your inner calm and confidence.  Inner glow.  And I remember the wise words of my instructor from 9 years ago when I would get frustrated at my lack of flexibility or difficulty holding a pose.  “Just give it 10 years,” she said in a soothing voice.  Aha!  That’s when I learned that yoga really and truly is NOT a quick fix.  Rather, it’s a lifelong practice and lifestyle.

It was a wonderful re-centering experience – just what I needed.  D and I headed back to the suburbs afterwards and grabbed a late breakfast at The Brief Encounter Cafe in Bellevue – a perfect place for hearty food, nice service and post-yoga sweats and leggings. 

And then I went home and took a two-hour nap.  I was stunned at how I was back home before noon.  So much of the day ahead…with a much-needed nap to celebrate Sunday.  And I smile, relishing the amazing friendships I have in my life.  Ahhhh, bliss. 

Namaste.

When There’s Nothing to Say at Three

09 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Well hmmm…and WOW.  Here I am at the keyboard.  Hi, everyone!  It’s my typical, wonderful Sunday blogging ritual unfolding before me – I SO look forward to this time – and I have nothing. And yet I don’t normally worry about not having something to write about on these Sunday afternoons.  Sometimes I get inspired early in the week and just ‘know’ that’s what I want to write about.  And sometimes I don’t get inspired until late on Saturday, or even when I wake up on Sunday.  Sometimes – rarely – it’s been a big ol’ crickets chirping and I’ll take a mental vacay.  Sometimes I like to blog about my latest cooking adventure – lately it’s been a soup passion a-brewing within.  But last night was a (fabulous) repeat…I made Crema de Cangrejo (crabmeat soup, my own way – unpureed) – I’ve had this wackadoodle seafood craving for the last few days and figured, why fight it?

But I didn’t want to take a mental vacay today, so I’m bravely sitting here just rambling.  This is an important week here in fivenineteen land, for this Blog turns THREE on September 15th!  I can’t believe it!  I distinctly remember the day I sat down and got started.  And I remember reading lots of advice about blogs and how to start them, attract followers, keep people engaged and all that.  Oh, and to always have a theme in mind for your blog.  Theme?  Well, I said fuck that.  Things are eclectic and all over the place in here and most don’t seem to mind (right??).  Ramblings on cooking, makeup, shopping, hockey, fitness or lack thereof, homeowner freakouts (oops, I mean projects), work or lack of work…it’s all here and it’s all me.  I’m closing in on 200 posts which is pretty mind-blowing.  And survived a move earlier this year from Blogspot over here to WordPress land – sooo worth the effort. And bonus – I got rid of the “-” in my url name – hooray!  Have I ever told you all that a few years ago – long before fivenineteen – that I met with an intuitive healer (aka psychic) who told me that I have things to write about that others will want to read.  I honestly had not made that connection between that conversation and being here now.

So I guess things are in a comfortable groove right now.  There’s still much to do though.  The popcorn ceiling scraping project is moving along at a snail’s pace – L and I have talked about this and he’s promised we’ll finish as much as we can this month.  I have a slew of jewelry I’m getting ready for my first ever retired sample sale next weekend, and I’m having it in a restaurant rather than my house.  I’m so excited for this because it’s something I’ve never tried before – who knows, it could turn into an annual event!  I now have a new garbage disposal – damn I have the best plumber in the world – and so that’s a huge relief off my shoulders (stupid, mysterious leaks no more).  I’m getting back in the gym and working out with a trainer on Thursdays and it’s been amazing.  So many eye-opening discoveries about my shoulders and posture and muscle tone that need work…not to mention everywhere else (hello, core, I’m talkin’ to YOU).  And I need to get my resume updated pronto…as of right now my work contract is scheduled to wrap up in November.  They may be able to find budget to keep me on through January – which would be awesome as that’s our project launch timeframe – but that’s still not confirmed.  And it’s so refreshing to know it’s nothing personal…having transparent conversations with your manager is bliss.  Believe me, it’s not always that way when you do consulting/contracting work, as much as I strive for it.  Healthy is best!

Speaking of not taking things personally, that’s a hard one sometimes.   Especially when it’s a shift in close friendships…meaning, close friendships that have blossomed for years and years that somehow have devolved and have been downgraded to arms length acquaintance or to the type now that you only now “see” on Facebook.  This hurts.  It sucks.  And notice I’m using the word frienshipS.  Plural.  ‘Cause there’s TWO of them that are threatening to fade to black.  And it makes me sad…and angry too.  My knee jerk reaction is what the fuck.  What the hell have I possibly done to piss either of these two ladies off (who don’t know each other, by the way).  Why won’t you return my phone calls, emails or texts saying hey, would be great to see you and catch up, how are you and blahblahblah.  Or even worse…respond to me with very nice things to say but nothing in response to the ‘hey let’s get together part.’

But, sometimes no answer is your answer.  I get it that we’re all busy and whatnot.  Oh wait, make that “CRAZY busy.” Sometimes I think being busy is almost like bragging rights.  Well, look at me here and how busy I am…I’m FAR busier than you, therefore I’m superior. 

And AHA!  HERE’S the article about this that totally sang to me.  Where did I find it?  On Facebook, of course!  “… I recently wrote a friend to ask if he wanted to do something this week, and he answered that he didn’t have a lot of time but if something was going on to let him know and maybe he could ditch work for a few hours. I wanted to clarify that my question had not been a preliminary heads-up to some future invitation; this was the invitation. But his busyness was like some vast churning noise through which he was shouting out at me, and I gave up trying to shout back over it.”

Anyone out there have a friend who drops off the map when he/she gets into a new relationship?  I’ve been guilty of that too.  One of these ladies has been in a relationship that apparently is pretty serious (from what I see of all their Facebook pictures…see where I’m going with this?).  Or ever have a friend who will now only do things as couples, hence us single folks get left off the invite?  Hell, I’ve been a 3rd, 5th, 7th wheel at many parties and it’s no problem for me.  I guess it is for others.

So, I’m sad…it almost feels like two mini ‘deaths’ of sorts and even more painful because they’re both happening at the same time.  And perhaps I’m a little jealous too, but no, probably not as I’m not a jealous type.  I have to just keep looking and moving forward and, if both of these friendships DO fade away, that opens my soul up for whatever/whoever is supposed to come into my life next.

It just sucks in the meantime.  And wow, I guess I really DID have something to say today after all.

Ceviche!

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Woweee….here we are in September already!  And it’s a long Labor Day weekend, which is turning out un-laborious for me with a change in plans.  L and I were going to get back at the popcorn ceiling removal project here in the townhouse, but he’s landed some new business and needed to do some work before heading out of town later this week.  I reminded him how *happy* I will be when we are finished and that we’d made a goal to finish in September, hint hint.  September is pretty decent weather-wise, but October and onward is a crap shoot downhill.  Meaning, this ceiling scraping work (and the priming and painting we still need to do) requires you to keep the windows open for ventilation and in rainy weather that’s not a good idea.  And I’d really, really like my tub back; it’s full of pillows and knick knacks from the bedrooms as I’ve had an ongoing shell game upstairs here moving stuff out of the way depending on where we’re working.  I do have a separate shower in another bathroom, but I’m craving a good soak in the tub.

Oh and what was the deal with the water leaking under my sink from last week?  My plumber, R, came by on Friday (whew, he wasn’t out of town!) and turns out I just need a new garbage disposal!  A small hole had rusted through it on the far side.  He’s going to replace it for me later this week – what a relief to know what the problem is, and that it’s not a major repair job!  I REALLY let that drag me down once I discovered that moldy puddle of water under my sink the other night, ugh.  I know I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, but that’s the DNA hard at work.

I had a major, major seafood craving yesterday – guess it’s been awhile since I’ve grabbed sushi for lunch or sautéed a little shrimp for my pasta at dinner.  And I thought, why not CEVICHE?  I haven’t made it in ages, and it will be a fun, cross-hemisphere toast to my friends P and B who are enjoying a fabulous Bucket List adventure visiting Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and later into Peru to see Macchu Picchu!  Follow along with incredible stories and pictures here! 

So whether you spell it cebiche, seviche or ceviche, it’s a relatively easy and SUPER flavorful, healthy dish!  The only catch is to allow a few hours for marinating in your fridge. You can prepare it as an hors d’oeuvre or first course or enjoy it as a main course.  Say it with me now….”seh VEE chay.”  [Note that entradas, or first courses, are essential in authentic South American cooking.]

Ceviche is fish or seafood “cooked” by citrus juice.  Lemon, lime and orange juices are most typically used, but more recently passion fruit and tamarillos are sometimes used as the base for the marinade.  Maria Baez Kijac, author of The South American Table describes it this way: 

“Cebiches can be made with just about any type of seafood – fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, squid, langostinos or lobster.  They can also be made with chicken, duck, mushrooms, hearts of palm, lupini beans, avocados, broccoli and so on.  The common demoninator among the countries that prepare them is the lemon and lime juices used as the basis for the marinade.  The fish is ‘cooked’ by the acid in the marinade.  Depending on the type of fish and the thickness of the pieces, this ‘cooking’ takes anywhere from three to six hours, until the fish is opaque.  Shellfish is usually cooked or blanched first before adding it to the marinade.”

Kijac’s cookbook contains SIXTEEN different ceviche recipes – this is heavenly reading for sure!  I chose a shellfish recipe – Cebiche Mixto.  As Kijac explains, “this is classic cebiche from the coast of Ecuador and has become a favorite of the highlands as well.  It can be made with fish (cebiche de pescado), just shrimp (cebiche de camarones), or any mixture of shellfish (cebiche mixto).  It is wonderfully refreshing and light, ideal for the hot-weather months.  This type of cebiche is served with a variety of side dishes, such as tostado (toasted dried corn), popcorn, chifles (green plantain chips), and sometimes French bread.”

“Cebiche Mixto usually contains shrimp, assorted shellfish and sometimes fish.  If you order cebiche mixto in a restaurant, expect to get squid and octopus in the dish.”

Cebiche Mixto – Serves 6

  • 4 C water
  • 1 scallion (white part and one inch of the green), sliced
  • 1 pound medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 pound bay scallops, thoroughly rinsed
  • 1/4 C dry white wine
  • 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 16 baby clams (optional)

Marinade:

  • 1/3 C fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 C fresh lime juice
  • 2/3 C fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 C chicken broth
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • hot pepper sauce to taste (I used 1 T cayenne pepper sauce)

Garnishes

  • 1 medium-sized ripe but firm tomato (5-6 ounces), peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup), rinsed with hot water and drained
  • 2 T minced fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 T minced fresh parsley leaves

In a large saucepan, bring the water and scallion to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp, remove from heat and let stand for a few seconds until the shrimp turn pink.  Remove with a slotted spoon (reserving the cooking liquid) and rinse under cold running water (rinsing will prevent the shrimp from becoming rubbery).

To the cooking liquid in the saucepan, add the scallops.  Bring back to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 3 minutes depending on the size of the scallops.  Cut a scallop in half to see if it is cooked through (it should be milky white in the center).  If so, drain and rinse under cold running water.

Place the wine, mussels and clams (if using) in a large skillet and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and let continue to boil until the shells are open, 3 to 5 minutes.  Discard any clams or mussels that do not open.  Remove the clams and mussels from their shells and discard the shells.

To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a large glass bowl.  Stir in the shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams.  Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Right before serving, taste for salt, sugar and hot pepper sauce.  Serve in small glass bowls or stemmed glasses, each garnished in the center with 1 tsp each chopped tomato, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and parsley.  Serve with the side dishes.

Fivenineteen notes:  I purchased pre-cooked shrimp, but I still went through the motions of adding it to the cooking liquid; I just didn’t let it sit too long given it was already cooked.  It turned out great – the shrimp were flavorful, tender and not too tough.  I substituted a red bell pepper for a green one (green bell peppers are not my thing).  For the tomato, I chose an organic heirloom tomato and did not peel it. I used a small, yellow sweet onion.  I also prefer the flat, Italian leaf parsley rather than the curly style.

Side dish?  I had a small bag of Basmati rice staring at me on the kitchen counter and served it with that instead.  That’s not authentic, but practicality won out.  I put the leftover cilantro and parsley in glasses with a little water to see if they will last a little longer this way, rather than in the ventilated Tupperware in the fridge.

The colors and flavors of this recipe are fantastic – and I can’t WAIT to savor the leftovers tonight! 

Buon appetito!

Cold Cream of Tomato and Peach Soup

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Yes, we’re back with another fantastic soup recipe discovery!  I love hot soup any time of the year, but a chilled soup is a delectable way to celebrate summer!   And here in the Seattle area we cherish and appreciate our summers, because they’re typically quite short!

I had the pleasure of enjoying this soup at my cousin’s bridal shower earlier this month.  It was the first course in a delightful luncheon honoring J, who is getting married later this fall on Catalina Island – a destination wedding!  It will be absolutely glorious.

The shower was hosted by family friends of my aunt, uncle and cousins – I’ve heard great things about them over the years and it was wonderful finally meeting them in person!  The two families get together often, and their big tradition is preparing a huge feast together every Christmas Eve – with friendly, dueling master chefs at work!  Wow, I’d love to drop in on one of those gatherings…when chefs compete EVERYONE wins!

I am not sure where this recipe comes from, otherwise I would gladly provide the link.  Here it is, straight up!

Cold Cream of Tomato and Peach Soup

Cook 1 chopped onion in 2 T butter for 5 minutes.  Add 2 pounds of chopped tomatoes (recommend heirloom tomatoes at top of season), and 1/2 pound chopped, peeled peaches.  Simmer until the tomatoes break up.  Add 1/2 C chicken stock and 1/2 C cream.  Puree and chill.

Garnish with fresh, chopped tarragon, a small slice of peach and a drizzle of cream.

NOTES:  this is not a vegetarian soup given it uses chicken stock – this was understandably an issue for the woman sitting next to me at the shower who is vegan (both the stock and cream were no-no’s).  I am not sure how vegetable stock would alter the flavor for vegetarians but it couldn’t hurt to try.

When I first heard this soup had peaches in it, I cringed a tiny bit.  I don’t care for peaches at all – not even peach-flavored ice cream [a weird quirk of mine but that means more peaches for the rest of you to love].  But the combined flavors of the peaches with the tomatoes and the fresh tarragon garnish is fantastic.

Heaven in a bowl!  Buon appetito!

Leaking and Vulnerability

26 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m having one of those weekends where I really hate being a homeowner.  I just want to pull up stakes and run away!  Arrrghh!

This time it’s the kitchen sink plumbing.  And maybe the dishwasher has crapped out too.  I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.  And that’s why I feel so damn vulnerable when shit like this happens. 

And I feel even more like a ding-dong on how I discovered this problem.  The other night I was digging for something deep in the cupboard under the sink – a spray bottle for my plants or something.  And there it was – a puddle of water about a half-inch deep on the floor of the cupboard.  And the plastic bottles and stuff sitting in said puddle were all moldy when I pulled them out.  Ew ew ew!!

I about puked!  How long in the hell has that puddle of water been there?  Where else is it leaking?  What does this mean…is it a simple leak fix or do I need to replace everything?  And how much are new dishwashers these days?

So as I mind was racing I sacrificed a couple of old towels for the cleanup job of the moldy puddle.  And I tried not to beat myself up too bad mentally but it was too late.  Old habits are hard to change sometimes. 

Then I wanted to figure out what was causing the leak to calm my mini panic attack. Was it just the dishwasher or was it the sink too?  I ran the dishwasher on a quick rinse cycle and sure enough, water leaked again.  I guess it’s all connected through the sink drain too though?  I don’t know.  But then I ran the sink and it didn’t leak at all.  I went to sleep that night somewhat satisfied.  OK, I found a problem, I’ve cleaned up what I can and I think I know what caused it. And I need help to fix it.

Although now this morning it leaks too when I run the sink faucet.  OK, OK, time to call my plumber.  This is where I should remember to be grateful, as years ago I got referred to a wonderful plumber by a friend here in the area.  She and I are not in contact any longer sadly (no drama – people sometimes come and go in our lives and it’s OK), but R the plumber has been my hero quite a few times here in the townhouse, and I’ve referred him to a couple of friends with great success.  See my Refrigerator Drama post from a couple of years ago for a hilarious recap of what it took to get a new refrigerator ready to install. [I use the word ‘hilarious’ loosely and sarcastically, be warned.]  Ah, there are my words “…my post from a couple of years ago.”  September 2010 it was.  OK, going that long between needing plumbing repairs isn’t TOO bad, right?  Back in 2008 or so he helped me out quite a bit – the water supply connector for one of my toilets had failed (there we go with a leak again) and so we agreed to proactively replace all of the water supply connectors and those twisty turnoff valves that go into the wall for every toilet and sink upstairs and down. Mine were still the old school type and outdated – and starting to fail.  Whew, it was pricey but great peace of mind.  OK, that makes me feel a little better now.  Guess it really is every two years or so.

Stuff like this happens all the time with homeownership, right?  Of course I know the answer is yes.  My townhouse is 32 years old.  Heck, I know newer construction has its problems too.

And OK, I’ll say it.  When home repair problems pop up, it reminds me just how much I hate being single.  Funny how the brain works sometimes with a leap like that.  Now I know I’m not truly ‘alone’ in the sense that I have great friends, family and a lot of people very happy to help me out.  It’s hard to explain, for as much as the help is always so much appreciated, I still sometimes feel like I’m swimming upstream alone.

Yeah, I even cried a bit too.  You know what, I even teared up a teeny tiny bit this past Thursday at the gym.  This was my second workout with my trainer, B, and I arrived with my brain in knots.  It was kind of a tough day at work, my car was on fumes and I was crawling along in unexpected traffic hoping I could get my car a couple quick gallons of gas, not run out of gas in traffic, and not be late for my training appointment (I have to leave work a little earlier than usual which is fine; I was stunned at how bad traffic was on the route I chose). 

So while I was excited to work out, my brain still needed to unwind and refocus.  B started me out with these planking exercises that were way beyond where I am right now in my ability.  Of course when he demonstrated them he made them look easy.  I can do various planking exercises but with not as many reps or for as long of course.

Anyone ever tried planking where you’re on your side, propped up with your forearm AND holding a medium-sized fitness ball between your feet?  Then you raise and lower yourself up and down, keeping your body in a straight line.  Oh dear Lord – that fitness ball makes it super unstable (as it’s supposed to) and while I did eek out a few raises on my right side, my left side was an epic disaster – I rolled all over the place and could hardly do one lift.  B made an interesting point that I’m probably slightly stronger on my right side because of hockey.  I’m a left-handed shot and so my body is used to twisting more in that direction so my core’s in slightly better shape on the right.  Interesting theory!  He says he sees it all the time with golfers too.  So I’ve got a ways to go with that exercise – what an eye opener.  But a frustrating way to start off our session.  I ended up attempting a few planking side lifts without the fitness ball.

I think B picked up on how frustrated and upset I was.  We moved onto other work, mostly focusing on upper body, shoulders, back, triceps and pecs.  Plus some lunges too.  I really enjoy the upper body workouts because it helps me fight off tension from being at a desk all day.  And my muscle tone has really declined.  I want to be able to wear tank tops and feel great without saggy triceps and that darn ol’ ‘back/bra chubby’ bulge we as women are so prone too in our mid back. Yay, middle age!

So that’s the deal…I’m hoping to hear back from R soon so this sink problem can get fixed.  In the meantime, time for a bucket and towels underneath!

I almost called this post “Leaking in the Sunshine,” because the weather has been so wonderful these past few days…we cherish the end of August!  But then I changed my mind.

‘Leaking in the sunshine’ sounds like someone’s peeing outside.

Reunited and it feels so good…and so painful

19 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ah yes…there actually ARE muscles in there, way down deep in my core.  And my hamstrings and my pecs…

And I’m still feeling the burn, 3 days after that workout!  Truly hilarious.  Oh wait – it’s not good for me to laugh too hard right now – my abs hurt when I do!

So what’s going on here?  Well, as mentioned last week I am committed to shifting my routine and getting back to basics with physical fitness.  Hockey is going to take a sabbatical and I’m going to use money normally budgeted for league fees and put it toward my kick ass personal trainer, B.

Who, really and truly, kicks my ass.  B first started training me back in 2009 at the gym I’ve belonged to for now nearly nine years.  I’d never worked with a personal trainer before, but I was inspired by my manager at my job at the time, who took the plunge and hired a personal trainer for himself.  And I got to thinking, hmmm…my gym had finished undergoing a major remodel, complete with brand new exercise equipment throughout.  It would be fun to learn how to use it with a professional!  I was in the process of doing Couch to 5K, a running program for beginners and felt on a wee bit of a fitness roll!

Everyone at the gym recommended B.  He’s been training there a long time and is a fixture.  But hardly with his style…no, he is all about variety and creativity with workouts, which is EXACTLY what I need.  I’d seen him working with other clients over the years so I had a general idea of his demeanor.

I enjoyed working out with him so much…we’d meet up Tuesday nights and Sunday late mornings.  Try as he might to get me to join his Sunday morning spinning class I always opted out – it was too early for me on a day of the week I cherish sleeping in.  Never once was his workout for me exactly the same – truly inspiring and impressive.

Then the economy tanked and I was out of a job.  Ah yes, summer 2009…so wonderful with personal accomplishments and yet so damn shitty with the job market.  So while I clung to my gym membership – I truly needed it to keep me sane during those unemployed months – I had to make personal, financial cutbacks and training with B was one of them.  Of course he totally understood – things like this happen all the time.

So last Thursday – after 3 years – we got back to business.  Ironically it was one of the hottest days of the year so far – highs in the mid 90s (36c).  It seemed a little odd to be heading indoors on such a beautiful evening but on the other hand, I was jazzed and motivated to get back to it.  “Let’s Rock & Roll,” as B always says before our workouts!

Planks.  UGH.  I’m wayyyy out of practice doing them, so he had me do some variations on ab crunches to get started.  I also did some step up exercises on a stool so he could gauge my balance on how well I can step without needing to push off with my lower foot.  Sad but true, after age 40 or so we as women can start to lose our sense of balance.  And I have a small handful of stories to totally prove that true – a few female friends/co-workers have taken tumbles on stairs or outside on office steps shortly after turning 40.  I too have had a few klutzy incidents – thankfully most with no witnesses (meaning, at home).

I also did some upper body work (man, that feels great to bust through the neck/shoulder tension after slaving away on a hot laptop all day) and some diagonal lunges with hand weights.  And side moves with kettlebells to target those obliques. Believe me, that hour went fast.  It was intense and I was dripping in sweat by the time we were finished.  What a great feeling!

…Until the next morning.  Oh man I was in agony, but not in a bad way.  Although changing positions while sleeping, getting out of bed and simple things like walking down stairs, sitting down on the – ahem – throne and getting out of my desk chair at work after a bit was excruciating.  I was probably walking around looking like I was severely constipated.  HA!

The plan is for us to train Thursday nights and I’ll get in the gym on my own on Sunday nights and Tuesday nights.  Starting this Tuesday, ha ha.

This weekend was all about FOOD.  Lots of great, glorious food.

One of my cousins is getting married later this fall on Catalina Island.  We had a bridal shower luncheon on Saturday in her honor, hosted by a family friend with a beautiful home in the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle.  Such an elegant menu as well…the soup was a chilled puree of tomato, peach, a little chicken stock, cream and fresh tarragon.  It was so unexpected and heavenly and I’m in hot pursuit of the recipe so I can post it for all of you here – simply glorious!  We also had small sandwiches, spinach Quiche, an arugula salad and a trio of small scoops of sorbets for dessert with hot coffee.

And if I thought I’d never be hungry again the next day, I actually was.  I went to visit L (my guy BFF) today, as he had finished designing and printing new business cards for my Silpada jewelry business.  I’m thrilled how the cards turned out and can’t wait for the new batch of accompanying postcards too! 

Lunch was in order and L was in a burger/sports bar mood.  On our way in the car we passed Thai Siam, a longtime, casual and fabulous Thai restaurant in Seattle’s Crown Hill neighborhood, just north of Ballard.  And they were having their annual benefit buffet, so we thought, why not?  An all-you-can-eat buffet of incredible Thai food benefitting local causes (Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission and Cancer Lifeline…that’s a no-brainer!)

My goodness Thai Siam brings back memories.  In the early 1990s when I’d finished college and was just starting out working full-time, eating out was a luxury I craved (I hardly knew how to cook save for mac & cheese and Boboli pizza).  Heck, anything beyond basic rent and utilities (and other basics like pantyhose but that was the era then) seemed a luxury.  But a mutual friend of my roommate’s raved about Thai Siam, and while it is not pricey in the general sense it was a splurge – and well worth it – on my entry-level salary.  And how wonderful to visit it again after 20+ years!  Along with live Thai music and dancing, a spontaneous barbershop quartet grabbed the microphones and sang a few songs, including Happy Birthday to a man celebrating his 21st with his family!  The waiter walked up to him with a smile and asked him, “hey, do you want a beer?”  Before he could answer his mother piped in with a flat-out “NO.”  Hilarious!

I love spontaneous weekends like this.  And I catch my breath that it’s mid August – we hold tight to summer here in Seattle for it’s often too fleeting and brief.  But when the sun shines here, there is nowhere on Earth more beautiful.

Now, where did I put my Motrin?

Shifting

05 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Last night I had a really cool flash of inspiration – a catchy title for today’s post.  Now of course I have zero idea what it was so it’ll be “shifting” for now unless something more awesome pops into my head.

It feels like AGES since my last post…but nope, sure enough it’s been a week just like my usual routine.  Which I adore, by the way…fivenineteen’s been such a great outlet and solace for me – and hopefully some entertaining reading for those of you who stumble in here by accident or follow along (thank you and thank you, by the way!!).  I love the slower pace of Sunday…time to mentally recharge, refresh, dream and wonder.

And for the past near week my gut has been both whispering and shouting at me that it’s time to make some changes (no, it’s not the voices in my head).  Starting with hockey.  The game that has changed my life these past nine years – my God, 1/5 of my life!  I’m going to take a sabbatical after our summer season playoffs wrap up – which could be as soon as tonight if we don’t win our game.  I have so many memories of all these years of hockey I could ramble on forever about it (and I have occasionally in here I’m sure). 

Know that feeling when you KNOW what you need to do and then talk about it…and you can’t help but be so happy and excited because it’s the right decision and you sound so goddamn authentic?  I had a great chat at the rink with my team Captain last Monday…and it felt so wonderful to tell him!  I have a ton of respect for him too – he’s fairly young (24) but far beyond his years in leadership and organization.  Hockey is a big time commitment and big financial committment too – believe me, I would never spend as much time or money as I have on hockey if it was not worthwhile to me. 

9 years.  NINE – OK, well almost nine, as it was some time in September or October 2003 that I suited up in brand new hockey gear and took to the ice, joining an adult beginner hockey clinic on a total random whim!  I had absolutely NO idea how much fun I would have, the amazing people I’d meet along the way, and all the crazy experiences of late nights and weird hours (11pm faceoffs on Sunday nights…in the dead of winter?  That soon became ‘normal’ for me.)  The charity games, benefitting our local Ronald McDonald House.  The off the chain tourneys in Vegas…fantastic!  And I had no idea I’d still be doing this all these years!

Along with so many fabulous memories, what hockey has provided for me is the incredible benefit of Sunday night exercise.  I used to stress out on Sunday nights, restless and squirmy on my couch watching TV, or sometimes having dinner at my folks’ house.  I’d stress out about stuff coming up at work mostly.  Skating my ass off Sunday nights broke that spell – so freeing and joyous!  When I’m on the ice nothing else matters.  And getting great exercise with great people, along with the bright lights and cold air at the rink…just an amazing experience.

Now I’m going to continue this glorious tradition of Sunday night exercise…back at my gym!  Which I have not set foot in in…probably a year and a half.  Ridiculous, right?  It’s like flushing money down the toilet every month.  And I’m going to take the money I normally budget for hockey league fees and get back to working out with a personal trainer.  I contacted B, and we’re going to meet later this week to talk about my goals and put together a plan!  I’m so excited!  B trained me for a few months 3 years ago, and I had to pull the plug when my work contract ended. 

That all seems like a long time ago…I was out of work but still in the gym every other day, training for my very first 5K.  And just trying to keep mentally sane through the unemployment.  I was so grateful for hockey during those months too, as I always knew when it was Sunday (because that was usually our game night).  Unemployment was awful in so many ways…and not knowing what day it was when I woke up was bizarre.

So now I will focus on improving my physical fitness.  Nine years ago I was, well, nine years younger and probably 30 pounds slimmer.  I was also skating 3 or 4 times a week, dropping in on various practices and scrimmages.  How the hell did I have the time and energy for that?  Nowadays, skating once a week is about all I can manage, and that’s definitely not enough to maintain fitness or improve my game.  Life is different for me now – I’m busier in different ways, I’m probably not as energetic and it’s harder for me to get home from work and springboard back out the door to a weeknight practice or scrimmage.

Working out at the gym with B will help me tackle the groan of middle age weight gain and improve my muscle tone.  My core is not anywhere near as strong as it used to be – my back hurts if I’m on the ice too long during a shift.  My abs and upper body need work, and I’d sure love to find more of my waistline again!  The plan is to work out with him twice a week, and then work out on my own on those all so important Sunday nights.  Maybe it’s time to get back in the pool or try yoga?

Yes, I guess my life really HAS changed a lot in nine years!  Seven different jobs (I do contracting/consulting work), new friendships, a few romantic relationships, a few 5Ks, the launch of this blog in 2009 and a totally new stretch starting my Silpada jewelry business.  I’m definitely not a slacker!

And yesterday I took a look at the clutter here in the home office.  This room pretty much looks like it’s barfed, as everything from the 3rd bedroom is moved in here while L and I finish up the popcorn ceiling scraping work.  Ugh.  Books piled up everywhere.  It suddenly dawned on me that a lot of these books have been just sitting in my bookcase (and now on the floor) UNREAD!  I haven’t opened a lot of them in 15 or more years…and probably never will!  So I jumped out of my chair and grabbed a few grocery bags.  Voila…35 books off to Goodwill – hurray!!  It’s still cluttered in here, sadly, but at least I made a small dent in it.

Tonight I will head to the rink with a smile…it’s our first playoff game and given it’s single-elimination playoffs, it might be my last time on the ice for a while if we lose.  Whatever happens is what was meant to happen…and either way I’m so excited about the rest of summer and fall and my plans…new adventures await!

Packin’ (for) Heat!

29 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

There’s nothing like a 5-day weather forecast for highs in the 100s / lows in the 80s – plus humidity and the heat index – to strike terror in a Seattle girl.  Aiiieeee…those lows are higher than the highs we’ve had this summer so far!  What the hell do I pack?  Will I melt or combust??

I spent 5 wonderful days in Kansas City, MO and am still riding the high!  The high of a fabulous Silpada Designs National Conference…my first ever!  And first time visiting KC!

Silpada is hand-crafted .925 sterling silver jewelry – the highest grade of sterling silver.  There are nearly 33,000 representatives all over the USA, Canada and the UK!  I’m so proud to be one myself – it will be two years this November since I took the plunge!  I fell in love with the jewelry at a party a friend hosted nearly 7 years ago and am beyond impressed.  Everything from the quality of the product (nothing is plated and there is NO nickel in the jewelry), the unique designs, the lifetime warranty and the support provided by corporate offices…I hit the jackpot signing up!

And now I was off to KC to experience the high energy of National Conference for the first time with nearly 5000 fellow reps!  But first…quelles horreurs…what the hell to pack?  We had the agenda and suggested dress code for each day…most was business casual with one night a more formal night.  Sounds great, but how do you try to dress for that in blasting hot heat?  And when your wardrobe is, well, lacking a few ‘nicer’ items because most you can’t fit into anymore?  Thankfully I had great advice from my local team – we meet once a month and it’s so much fun!  They all said not to stress about it too much…just go with comfortable.

OK, that sounds good, but there was a teeny part of me that wanted to be impossibly chic and fresh – cute sundresses and sandals and all that.  So one night after work I headed to Nordstrom at Bellevue Square.  And I realized how long it’s been since I’ve gone CLOTHES shopping.  I spend my money on shoes, boots and handbags (and jewelry of course!).  My clothes are mostly J. Crew clearance, given I work in an uber-casual environment. I wanted something fresh with a little more pizzazz for this trip, but I had an awful time finding things I liked that fit me.  I learned right then and there that the larger you get in size, the fewer choices you have in clothes and you risk looking frumpy.  I would rather walk around naked than wear frumpy clothes!  Hell, when I’m 80 – Lord willing I live that long – I will NEVER be frumpy!  I even choked back tears in the dressing room a couple of times.  Maybe THIS was the in-your-face that I needed to vow to get back in shape and drop some poundage.

So I ended up with a couple of pairs of pants (one khaki, one black) some loose-fitting black leggings, a purple gingham checked shirt (which I didn’t bring to conference but is pretty cute), two layering tank tops – one in white, one in light khaki – a lightweight sweater which would be good for the plane ride and a couple of t-shirts.  I tried on countless sundresses that didn’t fit quite right, and while I found a cute maxi dress it would have needed a LOT of alterations (and hemming) which I didn’t have time for.  I went home $500 poorer and frustrated.  I STILL didn’t feel like I had the ‘right’ stuff I wanted to bring on this trip.  But this was reality and the body I have to dress today.

Once I got packed and on the plane, I stopped stressing about my clothes.  I knew there would be an opportunity to do a little shopping during the convention, so maybe I could find something there?  Turns out I didn’t have much time to shop, other than a quick ‘drive by’ through the booths they had (soooo cute). I grabbed a small wristlet for going out (no need to lug a purse around).

I was also a little nervous about traveling with a large amount of jewelry, because that’s not something I typically do.  I knew to pack it in my carry on (NOT in checked baggage – never never), but it still felt odd to me.  But, I trusted the advice of my fellow reps and purchased a cute ‘jewelry roll,’ which is a tri-fold soft cloth case with TONS of zippers and pockets for packing up jewelry.  It fits great in your carry on, they said!

Then there was the problem of the carry-on.  As in I COULD NOT FIND MY CARRY ON.  This was probably a day or two before I left…I swore it was on a closet shelf where it’s been for years.  It’s a cute, black nylon Nine West messenger style bag…and it’s GONE!  I even looked in my garage.  How could it be gone? I’d NEVER consciously decide to get rid of something like this!!

Well, thank goodness for a spare laptop bag!  My current consulting firm provides us each with a laptop bag…I use a larger Tumi briefcase for work that I’ve had for years because it has built-in padding for cradling my laptop.  I knew that smaller laptop bag would be PERFECT for a carry on…and yay, no need to pack a laptop in it for this trip!  It held my jewelry roll and catalogues great and was not too heavy or bulky!  Love it!

I also knew to bring an extra Ziploc bag for airport security.  Once I arrived at Sea-Tac I removed the jewelry I was wearing and placed it in a Ziploc bag and placed it in my purse.  That way I wouldn’t be “that girl” holding up security, having to remove jewelry right then and there in the walk-through screening.  This is a GREAT tip, by the way, for anyone who likes to wear a lot of bling!  [I was at the airport by 5am and the line for security snaked for what seemed like MILES.]  Once I got through security I simply put my jewelry (and shoes) back on and was good to go!

I had a two-hour layover in Denver…thankfully it whizzed by quickly.  When I arrived in KC I prayed my luggage would not get lost (whew, it didn’t) and checked in to wait for the shuttle to my hotel!  My roommate (and business sponsor) was already in KC and our texts were flying back and forth!

How wonderful to discover my shuttle-mates were all fellow Silpada reps!  Most of us were attending for the first time…THIS is what was so special and bonding about conference…it’s easy to spot a fellow rep in her fabulous jewelry…and just walk up and start talking with her! 

Thursday:  travel time to KC via Denver!  I was so excited to finally arrive…that 4:30am shuttle pickup at home was a distant memory and my adrenaline kicked in hard.  It was late afternoon when I arrived and after what seemed like eternity I finally got to the hotel, checked in and got back in a shuttle to the convention center.   There was a continuous flow of (free) shuttles every day for us to hop on to get to and from the convention center from our hotels.  So nice and convenient not having to rent a car or grab a cab every time!

I got registered, got my name tag and a beautiful sterling silver charm (check out the pic at the top of this post)!  It’s a gorgeous “15” design, as this year is the 15th anniversary of Silpada’s founding!  On the back it’s engraved with “keep the party going,” this year’s convention theme!  I actually wore it as a pendant, as it’s a bit large on a charm bracelet.

After what seemed like ages, I finally found L (my business sponsor) and a couple of others of our team in a large area that was set aside for supply shopping!  Calculators, post it notes, new yearly planners, pens, t-shirts…so much fun!  They also had a photo booth set up to get a headshot to include on your website.  I was sure I looked a wired & tired mess so I skipped that.

A few of us headed out to the Power & Light district to check out the scene and live music!  True confession…I’m not into country music but hey, when in Rome right?  The P&L district is full of shops, restaurants and bars and has a central, open area perfect for live music and dancing.  And it’s super easy to spot fellow Silpada reps out and about…we’re all decked out in our jewelry…and so happy to be doing what we do! 

My God it was hot that night…105 degrees (41 C) and a little humid.  Thankfully I’d worn one of my new tank tops under the sweater I wore on the plane.  Off goes the sweater and it ties around my shoulders…great music, friends and a couple cocktails and we were doing just fine.

Friday:  we grabbed a quick breakfast in the convention center (breakfast and lunch was provided each day…wonderful!) and headed into the main arena for opening general sessions.  Bill Rancic kicked us off as our keynote speaker…I just adore him and now love him even more!!  He spoke for about an hour with fantastic motivation and advice for us fellow entrepreneurs!

We then had the choice of 3 different training sessions.  What I liked about this was that each of the 3 repeated itself twice, and there was plenty of room in each area for seating.  No need to pre-register…we each had a booklet of which sessions were offered each day and sat down as a team to figure out which ones we each wanted to go to.  Some we did as a group and for others we chose to divide and conquer so we could share what we learned!  I also liked that we each had a pre-printed booklet of each sessions talking points, so even if we couldn’t attend everything we still had the scoop! 

THEN…a pizza party for dinner with our team – cute matching t-shirts too – and time for NEW JEWELRY PREVIEW!!  Oh my goodness what a moment this is!  Every year in July a new Silpada catalogue is unveiled…and lots of new jewelry too!  All 5000 of us packed into the convention center and were treated to a beautiful fashion show with models showing off the new jewels – gorgeous!  And by the time they were done we were whipped into a frenzy!

It’s a STAMPEDE of jewelry reps running to the jewels!  And this is unbelievable…they set up 30 huge tables, EACH with the entire new catalogue’s jewels displayed, all for us to touch and try on!!  That’s about 450 pieces of jewelry per table…this is truly THE biggest jewelry party in the WORLD!  This is one of the new bracelets and is absolutely incredible…and not too heavy!   It’s solid .925 sterling silver, handcrafted and is $199.  Want to find out more about this piece?  Please message me! 

What do you do after ooh’ing and ahhh’ing over all the new jewels?  Grab your packet of (free) new catalogues, your Sharpies or post-its, get a cocktail and have a seat on the convention room floor with your team. Lots of pages to pour over!! 

Saturday:  More training sessions and closing general sessions in the main arena.  I have so many notes to type up…my notepad is chock full of my chicken scratching! 

Was this the morning L and I spent FORTY MINUTES waiting in line for Starbucks?  I think it was.  Just agonizing.  Thankfully we’d allowed enough time but WOW that Starbucks near the convention center could kick it up a notch or two, especially with huge events like ours.  Although I noticed the pace was a tad slower in general from what I’m used to.  Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming to us…is this that famous midwestern hospitality?  Not that people in Seattle are rude, it’s just a different vibe and not as laid back.  In fact, my first night heading to the convention center I was the only one on the shuttle, and my shuttle driver even took a few extra minutes to drive around and show me some key points of interest in KC before dropping me off at the convention center!  Too funny…and nice. 

Saturday was awards night, and time to get a little more dressed up!  Here’s where I’m glad I didn’t pack a nice dress…I went with my new, loose black leggings, bling-y flat sandals and a sequined J. Crew tank top with a white tank layered under it (it’s a little low-cut).  By the time I met up with the rest of our team in the convention center, they already had a mini bar set up…big tumblers of vodka tonics!  I cracked up…are these award ceremonies THAT bad?  Everything’s been so amazing! 

When I found out that the awards would go on for THREE HOURS, I knew why we mixed a few tonics.  After about an hour we ditched and headed back to the Power and Light district for some dancing!

This time instead of a live country artist it was a DJ on main stage blasting 80s and 90s music.  I’m SO glad we decided to go dancing…earlier the talk was we’d go to karaoke (which I absolutely cannot stand either doing or listening to, heh).  We grabbed food at the Dubliner and headed up to one of the dance clubs.

There were easily 2 or 3 bachelor and bachelorette parties going on that night…love it!  And perfect for a bunch of 30-40 something bling-loving ladies to mix it up with them on the dance floor!  Awesome.

I was even sort of getting used to the hot weather.  Emphasis on sort of.  We ended up back outside where the DJ was cranking out music and dancing around on the pavement.  Somehow I ended up in the arms of a very handsome cowboy – and a great dancer too.  Man, how long has it been since I got twirled around like that?  Too funny.  My sweaty feet were a little slippery in my sandals but I did alright.

I also met a few more reps too…we exchanged business cards and hoped to meet up the next day for our tour of corporate offices!  I figured OK that sounds great, but with so many of us it’s hard to plan sometimes!

My roommate L headed back to the room early, as she had an insane shuttle pick up time…something like 3:00am.  At that point it’s not even worth going to sleep!  She was catching a standby flight home and had to get up early to start waiting.  The rest of us grabbed a cab later…poor cabbie got an earful of 3 sheets to the wind jewelry reps who needed to bust a move after being on a structured schedule for a few days! 

Somehow I slept well and woke up with no hangover.  Does the hot weather make me sweat out all that booze?  Ha. 

Sunday:  it was weird waking up that morning with L already long gone.  Many people were flying home that day, but for me there was still much to do…starting with a tour of Silpada’s world headquarters!

A short shuttle ride away is the town of Lenexa, KS.  We crowded the streets in KC, piling into shuttles as we did every morning.  When I finally got onto one…oops…it was already full!  I turned around and got in line for the next one.  Lo and behold I ran into ME, one of the reps I’d met out dancing the night before!  What are the chances?  It was totally meant to be…she and I hung out the entire time for the tour and just really hit it off! 

I’m so impressed with the corporate offices and nearby huge distribution center…overall the campus sits on 29.5 acres!  Everything is beautiful and immaculate.  I was also impressed to learn about the bar coding and order processing…they process 20,000 orders a day, with capacity for double that!  And the warehouse workers only work a day shift…there’s no swing or graveyard!  How’s that for quality of life!!  Wow.

The corporate tour was the last official event for conference…I was brimming with so much energy, excitement and empowerment!  I’m not alone in doing this business…I’ve got a huge network of Silpada sisters who are doing exactly what I’m doing (or trying to do) in growing my business!

Now I was on my own…had to figure out for myself what to do to keep entertained!  I had the rest of Sunday and a good chunk of Monday still in town!

I walked over to the Westin Hotel (there are a few skybridges linking the various hotels) and ended up at Brasserie.  An early dinner sounded good!  I chose chicken prepared with asparagus, crab, artichoke and tarragon.  Delicious!  I came back later to my hotel room, freshened up a bit and wandered back down to one of the restaurants to see if I knew anyone…or could spot any fellow reps in their jewelry who were still around! 

Amazingly, I ran into D.  D and I are a part of a huge, private Facebook group just for Silpada reps….there’s over 3700 of us in it and growing.  And she and I are Facebook friends too…and there she was!  I couldn’t believe it!! We ended up hanging out that entire evening, and I went with her upstairs to keep her company while she finished packing. 

I just love these types of days where you have zero idea what you’re going to do, and the most wonderful, random things happen!

Monday:  I grabbed a coffee and bagel and finished packing.  Checked out of the hotel and had them hold my suitcase and carry-on…I needed to do some shopping, and had a little time to kill as my flight didn’t leave till that afternoon.

So I grabbed a cab and headed for the Country Club Plaza!  WOW this place is stunning.  I’m so in awe of outdoor shopping destinations, for in Seattle they are not the most popular way to be set up for obvious reasons!  I’m glad I got there when I did, before it got too hot (but boy it was cookin’) and that I was there during a not so busy time (Monday morning).  Damn, I burned my fingers on the ATM buttons outside!  Youch.

I knew I needed to keep my last purchases small as my suitcase and carry-on were already packed full.  I ended up with some new MAC makeup and some wonderful green tea-scented solid perfume from L’Occitane.  I’ve never had solid perfume before and thought this was a great idea…it comes in a round tin just like lip balm…and no spilling or breakage in your purse!

And my flight home…was a non-stop on Alaska Airlines.  Would you believe we arrived a half hour early?  I guess the jet stream is so far north from where it normally is that we had nothing in our way as we flew west!  And my suitcase was one of the first ones handed off in baggage claim!  Hooray!  Off to the shuttle I went, excited to be home a little earlier than I planned.

Well, I guess it all evens out in the end.  Turns out our shuttle driver was doing his VERY FIRST RUN after his classroom training. He had a mentor riding shotgun with him.  It was awful.  It was like I was spying on someone taking their driver’s test and I felt dirty.  God, it was painful…the guy acted like he never had driven in his life and I’d put him around late 50s or so in age! 

I am SO inspired and energized about Silpada now more than ever!  I KNOW I’ve hit the jackpot representing this amazing product and cherish the friendships I’ve made at conference!!

If you’re interested in learning more about the jewelry or why I have “the best part-time job in the world” as a rep please message me!