Thankful Thursday

It's official. We've made our decision about the vacation. Yesterday we threw Italy into our decision bucket with Thailand and Turkey, and after multiple midnight discussions (no, seriously), we've decided to go to...

Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC

Haha! Did that surprise you as much as it surprised me? After much back and forth, and running numbers as well as planning for future vacations, it made the most sense. I'm always a little ashamed that I've been so FEW places in my own country, though so many around the world. So though I've been to New York a couple times, and driven through Washington DC, I feel like this will be a chance for us to really appreciate our own roots. And take in some good Broadway shows along the way! Other factors into the decision are the fact that we're planning a very extended trip to Southeast Asia and the Pacific in a year and a half (so why fly all the way to Thailand when we're planning to be there soon again anyway?), that we have TONS of Southwest miles to spend, and that Italy and Turkey would be fun to do when we have a little more time and cash to blow on pizza and gelato. And we'll be out of the country a few more times before residency ends anyway, so we might as well look around here!

So! America the beautiful it is! And I've already figured out which shows will be on Broadway while we're there...



This week:

1. I'm thankful that we figured out where we're going, finally! So much pressure = gone. Now the exciting part of trip-planning begins!
2. I'm thankful for my trip to Atlanta next week! I'm getting antsy with my daily routine and need a little change thrown in.
3. I'm thankful for my gym! I had a personal training session this week and it was glorious. New obsession: foam rolling. I already feel loads better and somehow even stronger. However, I spent an hour at work this morning with a hard baseball wedged between my upper back muscles and the chair, rolling around on it and working knots out (yesterday was a back workout day) and trying not to groan out loud. Time to invest in my own foam roller for home, I think.
4. I'm thankful for the weather starting to warm up and the days starting to get just slightly longer. Trust me, when you're used to driving to work with an iced-over windshield and it's pitch black outside, you notice when things start to thaw and lighten up a bit. Spring is coming!
5. I'm thankful for the joy of novelty! Whether it's new food (we've been creative lately!), or switching up work-out routines, I love trying new things!

What are you thankful for?

Pre, pre, pre-vacation stress

We have another fun vacation coming up in May, and I know that is a little ways off, but we've gone back and forth and back and forth about how to spend it. So my final decision is due to Nolan tonight for where we're going (Turkey or Thailand are my final choices, eek!), and it's just...so much pressure! Because what if we hate wherever I choose? Or what if it ends up being way too much travel in-country and not as much adventuring, or what if, or what if...

The possibilities are endless. Sigh.

So instead, I'm taking a little break from trip-researching, and thinking about dessert. Because that's my favourite thing to think about, isn't it?

I made this little cheesecake (faux cheesecake, don't worry! It was healthy :) ) souffle last week, and enjoyed it while my mouth hung open and I gaped in horror at what's happening on Downton Abbey.

The sad thing is, I have a picture of that dumb souffle, but not of the amazing meals we had this weekend! We travelled to 2 countries (with friends this time!), and it was oh-so-delicious. But again, in the midst of cooking and enjoying every bite, I forgot to take pictures! So bad. Maybe next time?

Saturday night we divvied up main courses and came together with our prizes, ready to enjoy. We had spicy Pad Thai, Massaman Curry (with a South Indian twist to it!), Thai Iced Tea, Rice, Vegetables, Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce, and of course Mango on Sticky Rice with Coconut Sauce. So we travelled to Thailand! It was SO GOOD. I've been having leftovers each day since.

Sunday night we went on more of an adventure, to a place we've never been (or remembered existed!). We had Mouton aux Arachides (Lamb with Peanuts) with Rice and Flan au Citron (Lemony Flan) with Blackberries. So...we went to Benin!

Sunday afternoon, we spent being lazy before our big dinner, and doing one of our favourite things: games. Nolan took this picture at some point while I was contemplating my next move. Consider this a picture of me in the wild, because I generally don't include nasty pictures like this of me in my jammies and robe. But I guess it's accurate, even down to the detail of Milo in the bottom of the frame :)

Next time I'll remember to dress up a little for game-playing.

Thankful Thursday

We had a small sort of mystery/adventure this week.

I came home from work and found a package for Nolan that he was not expecting. We checked the handwritten return address, and had NO idea from the name or address how we might know this person. His name and address were carefully scribed on the front, so it was no mistake. So...we opened the box, and inside was...

note the expression on his face...clearly says "what the..."

A random afghan, with Stanford-esque colours. Handmade, and huge. The best part? No note inside.

So yes. Just a random intricately handmade afghan in a box from a sender whose name we didn't know.

The rest of the night we spent trying to figure out who could have sent it and why. We went through different scenarios, people we knew, tried googling the sender's name and address, and came up empty-handed. Finally Nolan went with a text to his mom, asking if a very distant relative who had the same first name as the sender could possibly have the same last name. The answer came back yes.

So we solved who sent it...but still have no idea why, as this person has had no contact or relation or reason for relation with Nolan in many many years. Bizarre! Milo's thoroughly enjoying a fuzzy new blanket, while Nolan and I figure out what to do now. We could send a note, but what would it say? Nolan's suggestion was "thanks for the afghan...?". I think that could use improvement, but he's got a point.

But anyway!

1. I'm thankful for life's randomness, even in the form of afghans from long-lost distant relations. It makes things fun!

2. I'm thankful for seeing Nolan over the weekend. It was so nice! Even if he was groggy most of the time :)

3. I'm thankful for Milo. It's good to not be totally home alone when Nolan's on night shifts.

4. I'm thankful for our new dishwasher! It was a P A I N to get it installed (and I almost popped a cap on the installation guy), but it's here and it works and it's glorious.

5. I'm thankful for lots of holidays and trips and days off this first month of 2013, because otherwise January can be a downer of a month! Here we are almost at the end and I've hardly noticed! End of winter = bring it on.

What are you thankful for?

On being a doctor's wife.

More than halfway through January, and I've finally snagged Nolan's phone and camera to get some Christmas/winter pics off of it. So let's go back:

The day we arrived for our Christmas break, my aunt and uncle and grandparents came over for the day and for some food and fun. We spent a lot of time listening to Opa and Michael reciting "The Cremation of Sam McGee". If you haven't heard that poem before, not only is it wildly dark and twisted, but it's also extremely long. But it was the beginning of a new Akin tradition - one we hope will stick around!



Mom listening to the poem with the dogs.





Most of the party, listening.

Opa and Michael taking turns with stanzas, while Aunt Trish does fact-checking :)



It was already past my bedtime here...can you tell?



Then of course we were joined by Nolan's family a couple days later, and I do happen to have some more pics of that! Like this sweet one of Nolan and his mom and sister.

And of COURSE our adorable nephew...who Nolan thought would like playing in the cat tree.

He wasn't amused (the next picture in the series is him crying).

We had our annual silly string fight before opening presents (one of my favourite traditions!). Nate got pwned.

The general damage.

The gang on Christmas Day! Minus my dad, who was taking the picture. Note the crowns! Another tradition is the English popper that we each get after dinner. They always have crowns inside among other random stuff.

At some point, the boys (and Summer!) went shooting out by the pond. I think this pic is Rory.

But Nolan also happened to have a very short video of my dad in action!

When we went back up the hill a week later for skiing and vacation, I found these few pictures:



Nolan on the mountain!



This was towards the end of the day, when we were painfully cold.



Nolan with his new cork project. I can't wait to see the finished product!



I have to throw a little note in here too about this, because I was thinking about the funny norms I've gotten used to. I've learned over the past several years, that I have to expect certain things, and consider others as normal, that your general wife would not.

Example 1: Husband walking in the house smelling of urine with blood spattered on his clothes.

Normal response: OMG/What happened?!?/What is that SMELL?!

Physician's wife's response: Ugh, take that off before hugging me please.

Example 2: After asking how his day at work was, immediately pulls out iPhone and adds colourful commentary to a video he took of a man's leg being consumed by maggots a couple hours ago.

Normal response: *blank stare*/*retching*

My response: Awesome! But show me after dinner, please.

Example 3: Not seeing husband for days on end, and then he finally stumbles in, acting intoxicated, around 3am and wants to cuddle.

Normal response: Where the hell have you been? What's the matter with you? Don't touch me!

My response: Reciprocate cuddle because this is normal and will most likely be repeated many times over.

Example 4: Instead of flowers or swag from the office, husband brings home free pregnancy tests from work. (Hey-o free stuff!)

Normal response: What the...

My response: Cool, thanks!

*parents: don't read into this one.*



Thankful Thursday

Is it really Thursday? I feel a little bit like I'm missing something, and it's actually only Tuesday. I guess it's a good thing that I'm closer to my holiday weekend, but strange nonetheless. Honestly, what I'm looking forward to most this weekend is seeing Nolan on Saturday. After so long of seeing him ALL the time, a few days without seeing him feel hard! Saturday I'm also doing a fun workout and run with my friend Julie, and then having a nice protein-brunch with her afterwards. Then Nolan will be waking up shortly after that! Sounds like a promising day already.

This morning I forgot that my alarm had been turned off the day before, so instead of waking up at 5 for my workout, I woke up at 5:22, and those 22 minutes were just enough that I couldn't squeeze a workout in AND make it to work when I wanted to. So that means a workout after work, while dinner is cooking. I can't even tell you how lazy I felt getting ready for work without having gotten my heart rate up at all yet. Early morning exercise is a lovely habit - my favourite- and it's a tough one to miss. At least I didn't make any other plans tonight!

So this week...

1. I'm thankful for friends! I just started connecting with folks again since before the winter holidays, and it's refreshing! I like having a packed social calendar with good friends :)
2. I'm thankful for new weight training exercises I discovered. I was in need of varying my gym routine a bit, and found some new exercises that challenge me and are really fun! I can't say enough how great it is to do weights during the week as a complement to the Insanity program.
3. I'm thankful for a chance to see Nolan a bit this weekend! I miss him. It's weird seeing someone asleep next to you but not having actually "seen" them in several days.
4. I'm thankful for so much fun skiing and seeing friends and family last week! It was a really peaceful and restorative vacation and I feel great.
5. I'm thankful for days starting to get a little bit longer. I know it's only by a few minutes at this point, but when you're up and off to work way before the sun rises, and home after it sets, it's nice to think about seeing daylight again soon!

What are you thankful for?

snow days

Last week was Nolan's first vacation of the year, so he headed up the mountain for some skiing and quality time in Placerville with my family. I joined him Tuesday night and we whiled away the week relaxing by the fire and hot tub, playing games, reading, seeing friends and of course skiing. I haven't been skiing since high school (just snowboarding since!), so I was a little nervous, but with some tips from my own personal instructor ;) I was able to pick it right back up! I now realize what a terrible snowboarder I was.

Down side of the whole week? Getting so ridiculously cold on the mountain that my fingers weren't moving and I had to call it quits for the day mid-afternoon. I'm not sure if it's sad or just plain pathetic that I had tears of pain running down my cheeks on the last run, while at the same time feeling slightly elated about carving down the mountain. Weird.

Coming home from vacation is always the WORST part. Especially when you have no prep time between vacay and going back to work. Blah. It's now Tuesday and I just finished unpacking our things and have some cleaning still left to do. I was this close to letting Nolan talk me into taking another PTO day and staying up there another day (and he tried!).

So, I do have pictures somewhere. Probably on Nolan's camera and phone, but as I'm tired and don't have either of those with me, I'll add pictures later. I think I have some late ones on there from Christmas too. Oh well.

Happy Tuesday!

Thankful Thursday

It's late and I have an early start for skiing tomorrow, so I'm going to make this short and sweet! A lot to be thankful for again this week!

1. I'm thankful for warm clothes and a roof over my head. It's been frigid here (if you live elsewhere in the country, go ahead and laugh at us Californians for thinking 30 degrees F is cold...but it is!), and I can't imagine being homeless or not having proper clothing for this kind of weather, or being hungry while trying to keep warm. I am so grateful for everything God has blessed me with, including those things I usually take for granted.
2. I'm thankful for so much time with Nolan! It's great to be on vacation already again and have time to just relax and be at our leisure and go skiing and eat dinner slowly together.
3. I'm thankful for a chance to catch some extra sleep! Who knows when next we'll get days on end to sleep in again. I slept until 7:40 this morning and it was glorious.
4. I'm thankful for time to spend with my brothers! I love spending time with all of my family, but I am extra thankful for time getting to know the extraordinary men in my life.
5. I'm thankful for my health. So many people have gotten hit hard with sickness or incapacity this year, and I feel very lucky to not be one of them (knock on wood!).

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday (this is going to be a long one!)

Get comfy, put on your pj pants and settle in, because I haven't blogged since vacation started, and I've got a lot to share! At least I think so. And pictures - finally I remembered to take some! Kind of.

I mentioned my DIY Christmas project a few times recently, but now that the gift-giving is done (mostly), I can finally post some pictures I took to document the fun! On on the one hand I am totally and completely crafted out. On the other, it was so much fun to think of what a person might like, and find a way to make it myself! That's why I took pictures of each and every item. Here we go:

Of course you've seen the stockings - had to include them again!

 A bread warmer...

 A burlap and lace table runner with 6 utensil holders!

 A bib for you-know-who...

 A warm and fuzzy beanie :)

 A wine and glass holder for out near the hot tub (notice the corks lining the bottom).

 A book of memories!

 An earring holder...

 Wallet/phone cases made from ties!

 Bay Rum Aftershave and Peppermint Sugar Scrub...

 A brimmed beanie!

 Candied orange peel!

 They all came together to make our living room look super festive:

Christmas break was a whirlwind - we had 10 people staying in the house, sharing 2 bathrooms and a cozy space, and nobody killed anyone. Instead the fireplace was roaring, the spa was on each night, and the food was delicious. It was good quality time with our favourite people in the world! Nothing beats family together on Christmas. And of course we had to hit up Sweetie Pie's (I had an egg white and veggie omelet - I never thought I'd see the day that happened!)

Nolan and I went to Chinese food with my parents at some point, and this was in Nolan's fortune cookie. I am totally serious. We didn't swap or anything.

We got to see our ever-growing mammoth of a nephew after a 6-month hiatus and he is a drooling machine! It's crazy how much can change in a little person in 6 months!

We also made sure to fit in Insanity every day with whoever was willing to do it. It's so much more fun to work out with people rather than alone! One of the days I didn't burn off enough energy, and woke up the next morning feeling like a psychopath. So I did Insanity, then went for a 3-mile run, and an hour later lifted some weights while the boys did their Insanity. My knees deeply regretted all this later.

We also went to our absolute favourite Sushi spot, Amerikan Ichi. I'm still so pleasantly surprised that the best sushi place is in Placerville! We have big plans for going there again next week.

We even got to take Rory and Summer (and Nate!) out for dinner and drinks to celebrate Summer's 19th birthday. I think there is a picture somewhere, but I will have to add it when I find it.

Sometime on the trip I noticed my old shoes that I was wearing had a remnant of my past on them - graffiti that Nolan had put there sophomore year of college. 19-year old Anneliese should have said no to Nolan writing on shoes, because I love those shoes still! If you can't read it, I'll enlighten you: it says dork.

When we came home and picked up Milo, he was angry that we had left him for so long. So Nolan cuddled him hard to make him happy again. It was also probably part of this game that Nolan likes to play called "show Milo who is the alpha in this house". It always works.

New Year's Eve, Nolan was working the night shift at the hospital, so I got to celebrate with some dear friends who took us out to Green's (!) for dinner in San Francisco, then to Nectar for some bubbly and ringing in the New Year! I love this couple - and it says a lot that I didn't feel like a third wheel even for a second! I think I went to bed at 2am, and if you know me...yeah. Yikes. I think I spent the 2 hours before they picked me up listening to loud dance music and drinking coffee. Preparation.

So what did I do with the several free days I had, you might ask? Besides checking items off of my long to-do list and being luxuriously busy (that's my theme for winter break), I cooked. A lot. I even did breakfasts - like a tofu and pumpkin french toast bake (divine!) And then I started a fun tradition: each meal was from a different spot around the world. It started when we had almost nothing in our fridge but cauliflower florets. So I made a cauliflower crust pizza - and finally got it right! It was nice and crispy, with homemade tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, chicken, a little mozzarella and garlic, etc. Then I decided we needed a nice Italian-style salad to go with it. So we went to Italy - and the concept was born! The next night, I was trying to health-ify enchiladas. I knew Nolan loved them, but I didn't want to use crappy tortillas or sour cream or cheese (though I did end up putting a tiny sprinkle of cheese on top at the end just for looks) or tons of sodium and oil. So? I made coconut flour and egg white tortillas (yum!), sauteed chicken in coconut milk, cumin, green chilies, tomato puree, cayenne, garlic, and a tiny dash of seasoning salt, etc...and I stuffed the tortillas with the chilies, olives, chicken, and avocados, and poured the delicious sauce over the top. It was fantastic! So we went to Mexico.

Then I stopped worrying about the healthy factor and kicked it up a notch. The next night took more time - I decided on something a little more challenging. I ended up making braised lamb shoulder chops in a red wine and fig sauce and rubbed in roasted fennel. It braised for hours and made the kitchen smell like savoury heaven. Meanwhile, I made healthy fig nut squares as a treat and made a little pumpkin spiced gnocchi while I prepared a fig and pine nut salad with sun dried tomatoes, arugula, and a red wine and mustard dressing. We had a solid red wine to pair with this, and it. was. delicious. So we went to the Mediterranean (a little Lebanon, a little Greece and a little Italy in there with the pumpkin gnocchi)!

But our favourite meal so far, the one we were drooling over?

Tuesday night, Nolan requested something I hadn't made him since the night before his MCATs. Chicken Cordon-Bleu. There are a million recipes out there, but I have the golden ticket. Really and truly, there is something special about this recipe. Thin chicken fillets, stuffed with a delicate ham and a strong Swiss (I've also used provolone and prosciutto, but the store was out of prosciutto this time!), rolled and dusted with a paprika flour, and pinned into neat pinwheels. Then I browned them in a bubbling butter, added a fair amount of white wine and a little bit of chicken bouillon granules, and whipped in frothy cream towards the end. Meanwhile, I took a couple of french popovers out of the oven and prepared the delicate salad, which I'll share with you in a second because it was that good. We lit candles and sipped the rest of the white wine and chewed slowly...because it was the best food we've had in a long time. So we went to France.

Salad recipes can sometimes be boring, but trust me on this one. If you're making a nice meal and need a unique salad to go with it - this is it.

Winter Vegetables with Sweet Orange and Warm Goat Cheese
Each small salad plate has a small bed of arugula as a base. I added thin pieces of Belgian Endive along the sides because I love it. I also added slivers of beet for the colour! You top this with a lightly boiled mix of:
- thinly sliced radishes
- quartered brussel sprouts
- very small chunks of peeled butternut squash
- any other winter veggies you like!
Drain those after lightly boiling, and let cool. Arrange on top of arugula and endive. Then I toasted some hazelnuts and halved them after they were browned. Sprinkle these very lightly on top of arranged mix. I sprinkle the vinaigrette (below) over all of this.
Honey-Orange Vinaigrette
-1/2 clove minced garlic
-1 tbsp dijon mustard
-1 tbsp honey
-1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-3 tbsp hazelnut oil
-3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
-salt and pepper to taste
The coup de grace is something that took me a little bit to master - the warmed goat cheese. Because what I was aiming for was a liquified form that still had the strong flavour of goat cheese. If you add milk or any other liquids to goat cheese, it tends to lose all flavour. So I experimented and found that if you add about 1/4 cup of goat cheese in a small saucepan over the lowest heat to about 1 1/2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream and stir gently, you get a good consistency. To keep the flavour, I added some pepper, a tiny bit of tarragon, a pinch of bouillon granules, and just kept tasting to get it where I wanted it. I spooned a generous amount next to the salads on the salad plates so that each person could take as much per bite of salad as they wanted (I know it's a strong flavour!). So there you have it. My new favourite recipe.

Pictures? Nope - we completely and totally forgot to take any pictures! Bummer.

Okay, so are we finally back to the whole point of this post? I guess so. It should be easy this week! The theme will probably be time!

1. I'm thankful for so much time with family - we are immensely blessed to have such a big, beautiful family that all love each other.
2. I'm thankful for so much time off for the holidays! I feel a little bit like I've been reset - which is exactly what I needed. See picture for reference! I also took a nice long bath...but I'll spare you that picture.

Ready for yoga!

3. I'm thankful for hours and hours with Nolan, even if we were doing nothing. It's good being lazy with your partner-in-crime and having good cuddle and conversation time.
4. I'm thankful for a good job to come back to - it made January not so depressing after all! Who knew I'd actually be looking forward to getting back to the office?
5. I'm thankful for an exciting year ahead of us - with so many plans already in place and so many surprises in store, we already know we're blessed. And we're grateful in advance for what this new year will bring.

What are you thankful for?