LOVE NOTE #157: Happy Christmahanukwanzaka!

Hello Friends!

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season! I hope you had the chance to spend time with your loved ones, reflect on the past year, and be thankful for life's blessings. Sometimes the every day gets so hectic. We lose ourselves in the to-do lists forgetting what really matters most: our family and friends:)

I love Christmastime because I get to trim the tree and write out Christmas cards - doing all this with a glass of wine (okay, okay, okay...it was really more like a bottle...) and other, shall we just say, "Holiday Concoctions" all the while listening to Christmas carols in the background. Pure joy! Painting my nails a festive shade of green is even appropriate this time of year:)

I wanted to make an apple crisp for Christmas Eve dinner, but somehow mismanaged my time. I suppose I should have just stuck to one glass of wine;) But you know what always saves the day? Cupcakes from a box! Fail safe! I did substitute the oil on the package instructions for applesauce and they still came out yummy! Oh, and please pardon my frosting skills. Blame it on the lack of practice as well as some of the cupcakes falling off the plate during their photo op. Despite some minor mishaps, it was so fun! I loved decorating the cupcakes in red, white, and green frosting. And of course I had to feel like I looked the part. I made a quick stop at my local JoAnn Fabrics to make my matching holiday apron and hat!

Wishing everyone a safe and wondeful holiday season!

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #156: Perfectly Pumpkin Soup

Hey Friends,

I hope you are having a December to Remember! I must say that in MA we are having an unusually warm winter with hardly any snow fall, so far anyhow. I'm sure soon after I post this, we very well could be hit with some wacky but seasonable snowstorm! Until that time comes, I will enjoy the mild winter for as long as I can:)

I'm crazy for soups and the crisp and chilly air makes me even crazier for them! The good news about soups is that they help fill me up without having to worry too much about calories & fat! One soup that is extremely hard to find is pumpkin soup. And the first time I had it was actually last month! I met one of my bestie's at Au Bon Pain just to catch up, get coffee, and a quick bite to eat. She told me she was in love with their pumpkin soup. This intrigued me as I had never heard or sampled this type of soup before. Well, with the first spoonful, I was hooked!

This soup is somewhat seasonal, and on a subsequent visit, there was none to my avail. And of course, I was craving it like mad that day! So after some thought and research, I was able to create a pumpkin soup that is just as good as the one the one I had at Au Bon Pain! Now I don't have to be at their mercy, and can whip up a batch anytime of the year using canned pumpkin!


Ingredients:

1 can 100% Pure Pumpkin (16 oz)
3 cups of 2% milk
1 tablespoon butter/margarine
1 teaspoon sugar or 1 packet of Splenda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Over medium heat, combine pumpkin, milk, butter/margarine, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the soup slightly thickens stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Not only is it so tastey, comforting and warm, pumpkin is high in fiber and low in fat. Many recipes that I found online did call for the use of cream, but 2% worked out deliciously:) This perhaps is the most basic pumpkin recipe out there with ingredients that are already in your cabinet!

Until next time...

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #155: Sunday's Best:)

Hello Friends!

Hoping everyone had a fabulous weekend. I know I did, what with the much anticipated match-up between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. In fact, I was excited about it since the previous weekend, with my countdown starting after the Broncos game against the Chicago Bears. What's gotten into me? I didn't realize how exhausting this whole football thing could really get. I guess this is what happens when you have been in love with the same boy for over 10 years who lives, breaths, eats anything sports related. It use to be only football, basketball (NBA and college), and baseball. Over the past 5 years however, we have now added European soccer to that list. Yes to football and basketball. The others, not so much... for now anyways;)

Well, onto yesterday's game! What do I think? I called a New England win, although with Vollmer, Chung, and slew of other injuries makes for one of the weakest defenses in the NFL. The one good thing? Brady loves to make passes which throws numbers on the board, and quick. As for Tebow and crew, although on a winning streak, the Broncos have been able to score very little over the past several weeks. I still don't understand why Belichick decided to defer after winning the coin toss, and I was further made anxious when Tebow powered into the end zone on the first possession yielding an instantaneous 6 points. However, with the Pats first possesion, it was wide receiver Mr. Chad Ochocinco who scored the winning TD (his first this year!) making it even easier to like him yesterday! As much as I like Ocho, he really hasn't been contributing much since he was signed on with the Pats this year. On the Broncos second possession they scored again, a rally giving my usually low-blood pressure the spike it shouldn't be getting. In fact, Tebow was successfully passing quite a bit, which was very unusual.

In the second quarter, it was the Pats who gained momentum of the game with 3 fumbles by the Broncos. It was Tebow's old college teammate, Hernandez, who stepped up and showed his mad athleticism as both Gronk and Welker seemed to be swarmed by the defense. Once again, the brains behind the crew, Belichick, outsmarts his opponent. The culmination: 41-23 Patriots.

And the highlights of the day? When Carter was injured and Tebow came over to show some awesome sportsmanship - genuine concern for a member of the other team, that tugged at my heartstrings! What a great kid. I hope he stays squeaky clean and the news about Ms. Vonn is only a rumor. Or hopefully she only has eyes for his brother, Robby. And of course, when Brady ran for the touchdown and then spiked the ball! It's nice to see that fire from Brady when usually it's always Mr. Cool, Calm, and Collected on the field. Well, minus last week's incident on the sideline with the blowout with offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. Oh, and when Ochocinco can't complete a pass, he gets some meanface from Brady on the sidelines too. That's what you get when you don't study the game Ocho, and getting someone on the team based on some bromance with the head coach... sigh. Well, after all it is Ocho, and he made up for it yesterday. Bygones be bygones:) Finally, seeing Tom and Tim meet for the first time at the end of the game, the genuine smiles and camaraderie were refreshing. I saw it a few weeks ago between Tom and arch-nemesis Manning. Can we say great photo-op? But that was an easy conversation as it looks like Manning may be retiring due to his injury earlier this year. (There is another future HOF-er!) And with the first round pick going to the Colts, it's most likely that Stanford's Luck will be filling Peyton's shoes next year.

All in all, I was soooooo happy with the outcome! Next week, I can't wait to cheer on the Pats and the Broncos. Still, mad love for Tebow, what a positive role model that the kids these days really need.


And yes, next post will be food... I promise. As all this football has left me emotionally exhausted.

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #154: TEBOW TIME!

Hey Friends!

Football Sundays are filled with feel-good foods and a day where it's okay to watch TV until you drop:) One of our favorite foods is these Honey Stung Drummies which are the best from Roche Bros. However, we don't have them as often as we like because this market is about a 5 minute drive from our home. Close, I know, but after being so spoiled by having a market that is in walking distance that I choose to drive to (about a minute!), anything longer becomes "Too Far!"

I've been fascinated with Tim Tebow since his years as a Gator and his sophomoric Heisman Trophy win. His squeaky clean image is refreshing. It's nice to see a good boy do well, and his wins seem to be of the miraculous sort. Yesterday's match-up with the Bears was one heck of a game! I don't know football all that well, blame it on a sports-fanatic fiance and well, it has rubbed off on me. I knew this was becoming somewhat problematic as I found myself watching ESPN when I was overseas, with no fiance nearby to impress.

Although a Pats fan, the win over the Skins was expected. However, I must admit that the game was too close and and surprisingly anxiety provoking. What I was really looking forward to was to see what would happen with the Broncos. In typical fashion, the first 58 minutes was a snorefest. It wasn't until about the last two minutes that some sort of magic became apparent. Some have argued that the win by the Broncos was more due to the mistakes made by the opponent, but there is no doubt that a 59 yard field goal in the 4th quarter made by Prater took some skill. This drove the game into OT. With the coin toss won by Chicago, I wondered how much Tebow could do this time. But the glaring out-of-bounds mistake made by Barber stopping the clock and again Barber coughing up the ball only to be recovered by the Broncos, things started to look miraculously hopeful. I scratched my head as my heart was pounding as for most of the game Tebow had very little rhythm or accuracy, so I was yelling something that made no sense as my body was in mid-air - ecstatic at the turn of events! Finally, the win came with another 51 yard field goal! It was amazing! Camera to Elway and I was in hysterics thinking this man needs to stop looking so disgusted with his own team winning.

My only question now is, will Tebow breed a new type of quarterback? The unconventional quarterback who likes to run as much as he can throw. Although the MVP obviously will go to Aaron Rogers, my vote for QB of the year is Tebow. I understand he is very polarizing with his views on faith, but what is so inspiring is his ability to pull his team together with the power of his optimism. When things look destitute, he doesn't let it get to him, and I feel like this resonates with his teammates. Now that is a mark of a good leader. I'm excited to see what else will transpire with this one... and I promise to not turn this into a blog about sports and Tebow (well, all the time anyways!)

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #153: Cheers to Good Health!

Hey Foodies!

I hope everyone is having a terrific Tuesday so far:) I can tell you that I have been so stressed out as I am moving to Chicago in a few weeks. I will be in Lakeview East with Lincoln Park literally down my street! I think Potato is going to enjoy his long walks around his new neighborhood! With some mandatory tests done at the doctor's office, and everything so far so good, I'm happy to report that I'm relatively healthy:) Although I don't boast the picture-perfect diet, and I do have the biggest sweet tooth on Earth, I guess everything in moderation has saved me so far! And incorporating diabetic recipes into my diet too (No, not pre-diabetic or diabetic, but a lot of studies have shown that following a diabetic diet is very healthy!) Anything to ward off Type II! Oh, and maybe the jogging in place while watching TV and doing my at-home exercise videos that all my friends make fun of me for doing have done something good for my heart all these years! Afterall, it's about consistency! On a bad week it's 3 days, on a good week it's 6 days of cardio, and sometimes doubles ... not that I'm bragging;) Although to look at me as one nice Russian classmate put it in her thick accent, "You workout a lot... but I cannot tell." Okay, maybe not so nice... The big BUT is that I'm in good health! Sooooo happy! I have ducked any form of blood pressure and cholesterol medication this time thank goodness! I must say I'm proud that my blood pressure reading is 117/70... Woot-woot! Now I just have to work on these jiggly parts...

I learned that my former doctor retired, and I would be seeing a new one today. I must say that I was somewhat anxious, but when I met her, she was just as sweet and encouraging as my last physician! Might I add I was intimidated by all her Ivy League diplomas, but she was so genuine and supportive. When she found out I was in medical school, she understood what I was going through and had just the right things to say and told me my rotations would fly by and quick.

She told me all sorts of funny stories while she was doing her rotations too. How one time she was in surgery and it was around the 6th hour helping the surgeon with keeping the stomach open during a Whipple procedure and her head dropped right onto the sterile pan... her take home message was to not fall asleep! I think she told me the story because I gained 10 pounds since my last visit (I emphasize relatively good health!), but she told me to not fret as I would be lucky to eat sometimes. During her surgery rotations she had to force herself to eat a muffin in the morning because her surgeon wouldn't let anyone leave the operating room - and that could be like hours. She told me once she was in surgery for 15 hours!

If anything I took away from this visit was that you can be both a strong woman and be so kind, sweet, funny and non-pretentious. Usually it's one or the other, picking a corner and staying there. You know the type, strong woman, bossy, abrasive edge - a witch with a capital B. Or the other side is the fragile flower so sweet and kind and DOCILE. Or the funny girl just completely way too kick back to bother taking anything seriously. This juxtaposition was something I have never experienced. It's something I want to be someday, what an inspiration!

Anyways, whenever I visit my doctor's office, I have to visit the Asian market that is in the same town. I was able to get some of my favorite treats! Vitasoy is so delicious and of course aloe water! I was able to find aloe water that is sugar-free! Yum! With the move and studies it's been tough to keep cooking. Of course I couldn't leave without my steamed vegetable buns - microwaveable in a minute and a half!

Until next time...

XoX,

Marikym