Culinary Adventures

It is not unusual to find me cooking in the kitchen with unidentifiable items that may or may not appear edible. While originally skeptical and slightly concerned, my roommates have now become intrigued by my "culinary adventures" as we call them. My cooking is always quite the spectacle. It is not exactly traditional...

Today I set out with some odd looking vegetables... chiefly, celeriac and kohlrabi. Little did I know, I was in for a workout. As it turns out, chopping raw root veggies is quite the upper body work out. With olympic table tennis on in the background, I channeled my inner Olympic athlete and pressed on. After peeling and dicing sweet potatoes, celeriac, parsnips, and kohlrabi, I felt I deserved a gold medal. Instead, I was rewarded with delicious roasted vegetables over a bed of quinoa with a side of plums on the dinner table an hour later. 

I have come a long way in the past year. The girl who couldn't cook a pot of rice is now making delicious, involved meals. I must add a disclaimer here: Delicious is in the eye of the beholder and I hope the beholder has an adventurous taste palette.... Nonetheless, I have come to enjoy my uninhibited time in the kitchen. Since I never follow recipes, each meal is a little experiment. I love creating something that will fuel my mind and body, allowing me to feel and perform at my best. It's merely a nice bonus when they turn out tasty!

If I ever offer to make dinner for you, I hope this post doesn't scare you out of it. If it turns out bad, I will call in pizza. :)

A Slice of Home

One of the pitfalls of living in Pitt (pun intended) is the utter lack of familiarity. Being the adventurous soul that I am, I chose to attend a school where I knew no one. Indeed, I had no family or friends in the area when I moved here (that is before I made new ones in my home away from home!). Tonight I was blessed to see some dear family friends for dinner. There is something irreplaceable and invaluable about being with the ones who have seen you grow up. In my case, the one who believed in my voice and even the one who baptized me!

We had a delicious dinner. I ordered a warm goat cheese and beet salad topped with wild caught atlantic char... amazing, to say the least. However, the best item I got tonight wasn't on the menu.... I was given a slice of home. Sometimes, the most beautiful moments in life are indeed in uncharted territory- new experiences, new places- but with long time loved ones. Ones who share a familiar smile, loving embrace, and truly caring thoughts and advice. I am a lucky girl.

Bucket List

After a long day at work, I am unwinding on the couch watching the Pirates game. I have only been to one game at PNC park and didn't make it to the bottom of the ninth (friends left early). A remaining question mark in my mind... why do people leave sports events early? I digress... There are so many events unique to Pittsburgh that I would like to partake in before I graduate.

Yesterday, I got to cross a few items off my bucket list as I adventured in Squirrel Hill. Get ready, this is epic and life changing. Brace yourself. Are you sitting? Because you should be..  I found an independent coffee shop that makes pretty designs with cream in their coffee. The venue: Commonplace Coffee Company. The website: http://www.commonplacecoffee.com/. I highly recommend this coffee shop to every coffee lover out there. Come study time during the school year, you can find me set up camp in this coffee shop with endless supplies of espressos and lattes.

The second item crossed off my bucket list- I went to see To Rome with Love at the Manor Theatre in Squirrel Hill. The few independent movies on display are sure to please. They are charming both in plot and cinematography. This particular movie was enchanting with its combination of dry humor, character development, and imagery. I will keep my review brief for anyone who has not yet seen it! If you're searching for the perfect date night or an activity with friends, look no further. Sink into the giant leather seats and escape the world outside for a few hours.

There are a few more items I would like to cross of my Pittsburgh Bucket List before I graduate and move on from the city I have come to love. Here are a few:

1. Go to the Pittsburgh Zoo! 
2. Run the Great Race
3. Ride the incline and have a picnic atop Mount Washington
4. Spend the day at Kennywood or Sandcastle (or both?) :)
5. See a Pirates game, Steelers game, and Pens game. I cannot leave the city without this one.
6. Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season at Light Up Night
7. Kayak or take a boat out on the rivers. 
8. Watch the sun set at the Point

That's all I've got for now. For all you Pittsburghers out there, any items that I should add? Until next time, I sign off with a picture of my newly discovered pretty coffee- one of the keys to my heart.

Run Forest, Run.

Per request from a certain daddy of mine, I have returned to the blogging world. Here I like to recount adventures, life, and life lessons in the smallest big city in the world- Pittsburgh. It just happens to be my favorite part of the day: early morning. I am lounging in bed, sipping my coffee (mmm), basking in the light flooding into my open windows. I am most certainly a morning person who derives great pleasure from living life while the rest of the world is sleeping.

Yesterday, the crazy morning girl that I am, I awoke at 8 am to go for my run. Running on about 5 hours of sleep, I set out to run more miles than hours I had slept. Running has always been my gift to myself. I am not an indulgent individual. I truly cherish the few moments I take for myself: coffee in bed and my runs. Eight miles later, I had run along the rivers, taken in the most gorgeous skyline I have ever witnessed, skipped through sprinklers, gotten lost, thankfully gotten found, and seen the Grand Prix car show! Of course, it was a brief sighting and set in motion.

I am never sure how long I will be out when I lace up my running shoes. I can say, with certainty, that I always return with a newfound sense of happiness and balance. Thank you, endorphins. If I'm lucky, from those who know me, I'll even get a "Run Forest, run!" yelled hanging out the window of a moving vehicle. Yes, I was blessed with the name Jenny from a certain motion picture. It gives me a good laugh every time.

In the few quiet moments you get to yourself, contemplate what part of your day you always look forward to. Maybe it's a phone call from home, the big game, or just your daily walk to work. Acknowledge and cherish the little things. Looking back, they are the big things.