Delicious vittles I have eaten as of late...

Here are some delicious vittles I've eaten this week.  Don't hate me cause ya ain't me.  Pics are from Uchi happy hour and Olivia.  PS I saw Matthew Mcconaughey and his hot baby mama at Uchi, and omg what a gorgeous couple.  I'm way too tired right now to elaborate on the cuisine, basically, so the pictures below will just have to suffice.  Let's just say that it was all damn good and leave it at that.

Also, I could really use a pep-talk since (1) I have 10 more weeks of my ridick marathon training and (2) This endeavor is, by far, one of the top 3 hardest things I've attempted to do in my life.  I'm not being dramatic either.  Yes it's physically exhausting but it's way more than that.  The mental part is what is difficult.  It's been quite an emotional process.

I've been thinking about a running mantra.  My friend Monica suggested I come up with one to get me through the difficult moments when I want to kill people or quit this endeavor.  I came across this quote recently and it resonated with me:

"Don't let anybody tell you what the fuck to do. I'm a unicorn. And fuck anyone who says I'm not!" - Tyler The Creator

So, I think my mantra is: I'm a unicorn. And fuck anyone who says I'm not!

From now on, when I'm running in 100 degree Texas heat and I want to pass the f out and say EFF THIS and go get a snowcone or a cocktail with my friends, I will remember that I am a unicorn and fuck anyone who says I'm not.  When I'm running in the darkness at 6:00 am and want to be sleeping, I will remember that I am a unicorn.  I've got this, suckas.  I'VE GOT THIS!  Unicorns are majestic and powerful creatures.  They can do anything.  They can poo glitter, doncha know?  UNICORNS ARE THE SHIT.

But I digress.

Ok, so on to the food pics, see below:

That is all.

I have truly outdone myself. Fo real.

For several weeks I've wanted to cook scallops.  Several times I've heard that they are really easy to F up so I was nervous.  I found a pretty simple recipe on The Food Network website.  Also, I asked the guy behind the seafood counter at Sprouts Farmers Market to hook me up with his scallop wisdom.  The result:  It was the mf'ing bomb yo!

The scallops were seared in olive oil with salt and ground pepper for two minutes on each side until they were a light brown. I squeezed a whole lemon and decided to not use butter.

As a side, I made broccoli marinated in a sesame ginger vinaigrette.  I cut up some strawberries as another side.

Last week I went to dinner at my friend Ayda and Monica's house.  Monica cooked this amazing orzo salad that was outrageously good.  I decided to try to replicate it.  The result:  Also the mf'ing bomb yo!  I cooked up some orzo in olive oil and salt and mixed it with spinach, zuccini, squash, baby tomatoes, cucumber, more olive oil and salt and ground pepper.

Finally, for dessert: chocolate chip cookies.  Mmmmmmhmmm.  None of that fruit salad nonsense this week, oh no ma'am.

TWO SNAPS AND A TWIRL, OK?!

Eat your heart out fools.

Lemon Shrimp Farfalle with Mixed Vegetables, no thanks to Obama

Tonight was my night to cook for my running peeps.  I knew what I wanted to cook and I was on a time-crunch.  Since I had to run 3 miles after work, I had to account for time to shower, walk the dog and pick up some ingredients at Whole Foods.  No problem, I figured, since dinner wasn't until 8.

Yeah, as f'ing if.

Obama was in town and he was literally 3 blocks from my office.  It took me FOREVER to get out of downtown and I had no time to get to Town Lake or Whole Foods.  I definitely had to deviate from my original plan.  Since I couldn't get to Whole Foods to get the special dressing and gluten free pasta I wanted, I had to make due with H.E.B.  Also, since I couldn't make it to Town Lake, I had to run on my treadmill.  Groty.  I hate running on treadmills.  The run ended up being awesome.  I ran 10 minute miles which is unheard of for me.  Wheeeee!

Now, the food.

I cooked up some farfalle in olive oil.  On a skillet, I cooked shrimp and mixed in edamame, asparagus, broccoli, red peppers, lemon juice, salt, pepper, sesame ginger vinaigrette, and olive oil.  I mixed it all together.  Corn on the cob and for dessert, peach cobbler and strawberries instead of ice cream.

It turned out pretty good!  Not my favorite but it was aight.

See pics below.  That is all.

honey mustard marinated chicken, tra la la

Tonight was my turn again to cook for my friends.  I was going to try to make another seafood dish, perhaps even branch out and do crab cakes or scallops.  Instead, I went with chicken because a request was made to do anything but fish.

I bought some chicken breasts marinated in a honey-mustard/garlic marinade.  Also, I chopped up some yellow squash and some zuccini along with some broccoli, seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper and some ginger sesame marinade.  By the way, that ginger sesame marinade is the best $5 I've spent in a long ass time.  I highly recommend you try some of Annie's marinades/salad dressings because they are amazing organic pure deliciousness, for shizzle.  You can get them at Whole Foods.  Here is her website:  http://www.anniesnaturals.com/

I heated up some basmati lime cilantro rice that I got at Whole Foods and voila!

Dessert was a pineapple, strawberry, cantaloupe, blackberry fruit medley.

I think it was a hit because they ate it all and got seconds too.  Yay.

Also, I really, really, REALLY want to experiment with poached eggs.  I've never made one before and I really want to replicate this amazing spinach salad/poached egg awesome-ness that I had at Paggi House a few weeks ago.  So, if anyone wants to come over and poach eggs with me, that would be mighty fine, ya dig?

That is all.