I survived...

So I survived 14 days of South Beach Phase I diet.  Let me just put it out here in the beginning that I don't believe in diets, rather I did this to rid myself of my addiction to sweets and sugar and in the end, it really helped.  I did lose 13 pounds but the true test of this type of situation is if you can keep the weight off two weeks later, so hopefully I have good news to report. I am a firm believer in programs such as Weight Watchers where you learn skills to make changes to live a healthy lifestyle.  I lost my first 55 pounds on WW and am a serious believer in the program.

Back to the SB saga, though: The thing that was the most surprising to me was that I didn't miss cupcakes, chocolate, or wine as much as I missed good old fashioned cereal.  I am not really used to eating eggs for breakfast which I did for 14 days straight.  I made a delicious frittata which made it easier, but eggs are just not always the food I want when I wake up, however, I did learn that 2 hard boiled eggs kept me full straight to lunch.  Something to remember.

Back to normal life.  Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the opening gala for the National Symphony Orchestra with my good pal.  Renee Fleming and Ling Ling performed with the orchestra and they were both amazing.  Renee was completely beautiful and even though I was way, way up in the nosebleeds, she sounded lovely!  Here's a sweet pic of her that I got JUST before I was told to put my camera away, stat:

And one more of the prettiness!

Finally, one cupcake item to report.  After two weeks of no sweets, I told myself I could have a treat because if you never have any treats, sooner or later you will go bonkers and OD on treats.  When the Sweetbites treat van pulled up near work today, I went to get a cupcake as I had never tried theirs before.  I ordered a Red Velvet for $3 (cut it in half and gave the rest to a colleague, go me!) and ate it.  Okay, so the cake was delicious but the frosting was gross!  Instead of a deliciously creamy cream cheese frosting, I had some type of whipped frosting that tasted a little like cream cheese but mostly like Cool Whip.  Sick.  I will never have another Sweetbites cupcake, and this is reason 999,999 that Georgetown Cupcake still "takes the cake". And, for the record, I loved Georgetown Cupcake waaaaay before the show D.C. cupcakes! I am an original GC LOVER!

More later.  This weekend is the Crafty Bastards sale in D.C. and I couldn't be more excited!

Maybe this will help?

Since I'm giving up desserts in a few short days (guys, seriously, I'm addicted to sugar and I have to do it), I wanted to blog about my FAVORITE chocolate - Valhorna.

My most favorite desserts are cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake.  I'd like to point out that I loved these cupcakes WAY before the show D.C. Cupcakes which has only made my life more annoying by a) not being that good of a show, and b) making the Goergetown location be bonkers at any time of day.  I mean, I would wait 40 minutes in line for one of their cupcakes, but that's not feasible over a lunch hour - even I know cupcakes are not worth being fired over!  Anyways, Georgetown Cupcake exclusively uses Valhorna Chocolate which is super delicious.  You can find it at Whole Foods and I'd go for the dark - with my personal favorite being somewhere between 50-65% cacao (any more is just too bitter).

Valhorna Chocolate = OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.

Lessons Learned - 9 airplane trips in 30 days.

If you wondered why I couldn't get my lazy self to post in August, it is because it was one of those months that flew right by with the blink of an eye and I did a TON of traveling.

For most of the first week in August, I travelled to Portland, Oregon (via Los Angeles) to be the maid of honor in the wedding of a dear friend.  During the third week in August, I flew to Las Vegas for work (via Chicago), then to Minneapolis for a family visit (via Chicago) and then back to DC (via Milwaukee).  All in all, it was 9 flights total on three different airlines - Alaska Air, United Airlines, and Midwest.

What are my lessons learned here? I spent a ton of time packing and in airports and flew on Alaska Air and United for the first time (I might have flown on United earlier in life, but not since I can remember).  Props to Alaska Air and Midwest for only charging $20 for luggage, but I still think that paying for luggage is ridiculous which leads to my second lesson learned try to avoid bringing extra carryon luggage if you're not a pre-determined United Airlines baller.  Why do I say this?  Well, every other airline chooses the way the passengers board the aircraft in a meaningful or at least more fair way, such as by boarding the airplane from the back to the front, by row or by zone (this is, of course, after the first class folks are onboard and drinking their OJ).  Interested in how United boards? By status.  What does this mean for low graded people like me?  If you don't regularly fly United, you are going to board dead last and have no room for any carryon luggage, as all of the overhead compartments are going to be full from the people with the ginormous roller bags.  How the heck is it fair that just because it's my first time flying an airline that I have to board the airplane last?  This drives me crazy because there are many fliers who refuse to check their luggage so they bring oversized roller bags on the plane and then store their second bag in the overhead compartments too.  What does this mean for me? I need to take my appropriately sized laptop bag AND purse and store them under the seat in front of me and have no leg room for 5 hours.  It's frustrating. I don't necessarily blame the passengers; I think this is a result of the luggage fee, however, airlines do a super crappy job of making sure people have the right amount of carryon luggage.  I mean, I saw a person board a plane with 5 different bags.  WTF?!

Okay, end rant.  I am not sure how we can ever fix domestic air travel so it is not a complete and total PITA, but I hope we can make some improvements soon, including but not limited to:

• Having expert travel lanes in all airports so I don't have to ever stand in line behind someone who does not now how to handle their liquids; 
• Take AWAY the separate baggage fee and add it into the airfare - this has the same economic effect (but in reverse) that the D.C. plastic bag tax has.  Because people now have to pay a small among (5 cents) per bag they receive at the grocery store, they've purchased their own bags.  It's not because the money amount is large, rather, it's a larger behavioral pattern that people don't want to pay extra for anything.
• Cap the price of a bottled drink after security.  How is it fair that I am price gouged when I can't bring liquid into the airport?

Needless to say, I didn't let any of these travel shenanigans stand in my way of having good trips, but seriously people!! Check your luggage if you need to!

A Garlic-y Weekend Recap

I made a super delicious recipe this weekend, but also learned a valuable lesson:  butternut squash is NO JOKE.

When I saw a butternut squash at the grocery store, I grabbed it and marched along my merry way.  Seeing it on the shelf triggered my memory that there was a recipe from the Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast cookbook that I wanted to try.  This cookbook is one of the two Everyday Food cookbooks I own - I love both of them and think if I only owned two cookbooks, these would be the two!

So the recipe calls for carrots, red onions, garlic, potatoes, and squash.  I chopped up everything and saved the squash for last.  It was then I realized I was in trouble.  It was Me vs. Squash and my only weapon was a wimpy peeler.  Was I smart enough to pick up a Y-peeler? No.

I knew I had to attack the squash or not eat all the veggies I purchased.  After a good 25-minutes later, my kitchen looked like a squash peel war zone.  How was I supposed to know that you have to peel the squash multiple times to get to the good orange stuff that you need? Let's just say that the suggested 20-minute prep time could easily be doubled because it took me 25 minutes to fight the squash alone.

That being said, all's well that ends well. Tthe recipe turned out delicious and it's very healthy (228 cal, 5.5 g fat, 6.6 fiber).  I'm glad to have it to eat before I go out of town this weekend.  My only lesson learned here will be to get pre-cut squash.  Normally I don't do thinks like this, but I think I can make an exception. If I don't get pre-cut, I'll have to purchase a machete and there is surely no room for weapons in my kitchen!

I can feel the electricity savings already...

For the first time in weeks, it was less than 90 degrees out today and I could even turn off the a/c for the night.  After over 42 days of above 90 degree temps, I am ready for some fresh air.  Who cares that I can hear the CSX train rumbling down the tracks at all hours of the night? NOT ME!! I think it was a little unfair that the first summer I had to pay my own utility bills was the hottest June-July on record, but let's face it, there are far worse things to worry about.

I better breathe in all this cool air now, because I know we'll be back in inverno-ville soon enough....

Shot Guns, Mountains, and Apple Butter - Must be West Virginia...

West Virginia is to Washington D.C. as Iowa is to Minnesota.

By that I mean that Minnesotans laugh at people from Iowa for being country bumpkins that are born, grow up, and grow old in the same small town. People from the D.C. metro area look at West Virginia like it's another world, but honestly, it really is. As much as Minnesotans can make fun of Iowans, they are pretty darn similar even though Minnesota has more large urban centers. West Virginia, on the other hand, would be the polar opposite as D.C. with the state motto being "Wild and Wonderful".

We stayed at a lodge in the Allegheny mountains to escape the heat, pollution, and general rat race of D.C. and the time away was both needed and well spent. Driving through the rolling mountains of WV made us quote John Denver more than once. We all got our share of apple butter, local honey, and I saw more gun/tobacco/family dollar stores than I will ever see again in my entire life. We found a delicious Dairy Queen, rode a chair lift to take a woodsy hike, visited a general store, and stayed in the Raven Lodge.

West Virginians - I could NEVER EVER live in your state (I was entirely too excited to have cell service, Starbucks, and Target stores on the way home), but you're BEAUTIFUL.  Thanks for having us!

Welcome, Pals

Hi pals, bienvenidos to my new blog. I hope you all enjoy reading, but most importantly, I hope I keep up in writing about it. The more I thought about it, so much of my life in the city revolves around adventures I have owning my condo, out on the town with my gal-pals, and watching the city, Washington D.C., change around me.

Without further delay, here is a preview of what these posts will offer.

Are You Kidding Me - Despite D.C. being an awesome city, some things happen here that are unbelievable.

Culinary Adventures - Recipes and stories from the approximately 5 feet of counter space in my kitchen.

Condo Conundrums - First time home ownership at its best.

I'm Secretly a Grandma - Sometimes I am a 70-year-old trapped in a younger body. You'll enjoy these.

The Cupcake Files - Most of you already know that I love cupcakes and like to try the near and far. Sad for you, you'll only get to see pictures and I will do all the eating!

Out and About - My various adventures.