Me Day.

so i have been having a stressful few weeks at work and i finally talked myself into having a couple days off from work. and i have enjoyed every finger licking day!

i planned a couple of things but for the most part i just went with the flow. i did exactly what i wanted - no interruptions.

i ordered breakfast at one of my fave spanish bakeries. but i don't go in there for the typical spanish breakfast, pan, (pan is for us what muffins are for americans. except pan is much larger and sweeter. most people dip their pan in their coffee. soggy goodness.) i go in for a torta. mmmmm....torta. this is something that i surely can't eat everyday, unless of course i want to work out and we know that's not gonna happen. so i enjoy a torta every now and again. a torta is basically a sandwich, but better. it's on freshly baked bread - more like a mini loaf - with mayo, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, and your choice of ham, chicken or beef. and finally the sandwich is grilled.

the bread is a mix of soft inside with the crunchy just grilled exterior. the cheese melts into the mayo. the avocado and tomato mix together into a veggie galore. this "sandwich" makes your mouth water and biting into it is a little bit of food goodness. food that makes you dance a little when you eat it.

i took my breakfast sandwich and drove over to one of the local parks. i sat, ate and watched the birds dance in the sky. my favorite part of the morning at the park is the silence. people glanced at each other with mild smiles. you hear the soft passing of cars. the birds chirping. the soft breeze. the morning is still wet and slightly cool. the sun hides shyly behind small clouds. perfection.

after the quiet, almost meditative breakfast. i head over to the subway. i park my car and decide that if i will be traveling to various parts of the city, going on the train is my best option.

sometimes letting someone else take you to your destination is relieving. all you have to worry about is getting off and on the right stops. growing up in the city, you learned to ride the train before you knew how to ride a bike. it's just something everyone did. owning a car was rendered useless. of course, once my family moved to maryland, that no car concept changed. i rarely ever take the train. so it was enjoyable taking a seat and reading a book.

dc is great because of all the places that there are to see. and if it isn't a place there's always an event. seriously if you ever see the tourism site for dc there's something to do every single day and night! having a dull day is almost impossible. i also believe that its a borderline sin if you live in or near the city and have not seen any of the historic sites, monuments or museums!

i visit my favorite museums at least once or twice a year - they are always changing the exhibits. however, there was one that i hadn't visited in quite some time. the National Museum of Natural History. as a child this was the first museum my mom took me to and it changed my whole concept of life. you know that the world is large and vast but coming here made me realized how great this world is and how immense knowledge is. it boggled my mind and forever changed me. this place was the foundation for my drive and thirst for knowledge. this place truly changed me and coming here was like meeting up with an old friend. and i always feel like i'm going on a expedition when i enter this place!

after spending a couple of hours here, i finally decided that i wouldn't be able to see the whole place but that i would return another day. i walked out to one of the food stands, bought a Nathan's hot dog and coke. i picked out a nice shaded spot under a tree, laid my jacket over the grass, sat down and enjoyed the view and food.

This view can't be beat - the Capitol on the left - the Smithsonian in the center - and the Monument on the right

After a nice break, i decided to go shopping! Yes, shopping! Seriously, am a woman how could i resist the temptation of shopping. A couple of hours later and a few new items, i went to one place that i've been trying to go to for some time but never had the time, District of Pi. i had passed this place dozens of time and it's hard to ignore it and the wonderful, tasty aroma seeping through the doors. However, until me day, i never had the time to go in. so needless to say i was rather excited to finally get a chance to try the pizza.

I was immediately offered a seat either at the bar or table. I wanted to relax and enjoy so I sat at a table. My waitress was so helpful and attentive. i had the Caesar salad and the south side classico pizza. this big portion of salad was tasty and full of creamy Caesar dressing. but of course my main purpose for this visit was the pizza. when this deep dish pizza was placed on my table, i knew immediately that i wanted to eat all of it but i wouldn't be able to. firstly i ate my entire salad and even though i ordered the regular size pizza, the thing was quite massive. so of course this makes me happy. my first bite and i could taste the richness of the thick tomato-y sauce. then the layer of the sausage, cheese and veggies mix in together. and not too many people like pizza crust, this is not me. the crust was crunchy and crispy. i absolutely loved it. overall i was beyond happy that i finally made into this place. i am a pizza fanatic, seriously i can have it like 2-3x a week and never be bored of it. but this pizza is a new level of pizza making. i won't call it gourmet because this pizza is not pretentious, it's inviting. except it's different, tasty and rich with fresh ingredients. this is a big recommend. so i ate about 3 slices and saved the rest for leftovers for P.

after all the sights and food, it was time to go home. me and my boxed pizza walked over to the subway station and took the train home. as i walk out of the station and headed towards my car. i remembered that i still had one more place to visit, the nail salon. a perfect way to end the day, a relaxing mani/pedi.

i truly suggest that everyone takes at least one day to themselves, do whatever you want. my goal was to see places i hadn't in a long time, relax, take my time and eat. and i did just that. you would think that i would be exhausted from all this running around, but truth be told i was refreshed. i needed this time strictly to myself. and if a thought of "oh my goodness, i forgot this or that" entered my mind, i kindly reminded myself that it could wait till my day was over. it was liberating.

this day was the fresh breath of air that was much needed. it was perfection.

Chicken Wreath.

I first had this tasty, fatty, and oh so yummy dish a few years back. My best friend made it for dinner once and I instantly felled in love with it!

When I tell you this is good, its better than good. Its God little gift to my tummy!

So I finally decided that I should try my hand at duplicating the recipe. I was able to find a basic and simple recipe online and ta-da!

I bring you the chicken wreath!

What I love about this recipe is that you can add pretty much add whichever vegetable you like or if you don't like veggies you can omit that.

I didn't add the water chestnuts, added extra cheese and I brought some store made rotisserie chicken (I was in a bit of a hurry, but it worked just as well). Pair up the done and freshly baked wreath with some sour cream and you have yummy, creamy, delicious cheesy goodness.

Everyone I know who has tried this, has fallen in love with it as much as I have. Even my niece who absolutely hates veggies, loves this dish. I'm sure this will be the next hit at the dinner table!

Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups...

This dish is the faster way to getting that taste of lasagna without actually slaving in a kitchen all day long trying to make homemade - from starch - lasagna. So I present to you chicken lasagna roll ups!!!

I almost completely forgot about this dish, if it wasn't for P who kindly reminded me that I hadn't made it in a while. ---- I must admit it did make me feel kinda nice that P like a dish of mine so much that he reminded me that well, he missed it and wanted some.

Sorry for the crap-tastic photo. We ate, put leftovers away and I forgot to take a pic. So this was so last minute, full tummy, sleepy, fudge it photo.

I tend to add a bit more spices for the chicken, as it tastes rather bland with just the Italian seasoning and crushed red peppers. And of course I add loads of cheese. I love cheese!

Enjoy!

Spiced Beef Empanadas w/Lime Sour Cream...

You must know that I love trying out new recipes, although it always takes me a lot longer than what the recipe calls for, I love it! You just never know when you might make something that you'll absolutely love and it might become the staple of a family dinner.

Mr. P is a meats man. I remember one time I made soup and grilled cheese for dinner and he just looked over at me and asks where the meat is. So I must keep this in mind when making any plate of food. Plus he loves spicy food. Whereas I am still getting used to the idea of heat in my food. Makes things a little interesting sometimes.

So I had some ground beef thawing, and the thought of burgers or burritos just sounded boring. So of course I went to my go to website, and found something that looked quite appetizing.

Do not make fun of my aluminum foil covered stove! ps.com it's not my stove, not that that matters anyways. 

I decided to add corn, jalapeños, and some hot peppers. (not pictured) I wanted a little more flavor. The recipe calls for yellow raisins, which add a sweetness to the dish, which I really liked but you know I had to add a little bit of my flair and heat. 

I didn't have any cookie cutters at hand, so I just used the rim end of the cup. Worked just as well. 

I would suggest you hold the dough in your hand. And proceed with the steps, while still holding the dough in your one hand. When I did it on the plate, the dough got stuck on the plate. Which is why some of the empanadas started to tear and get holes. 

Ta-Da! They were really tasty. I liked that the raisins added sweetness, but I do like a little kick to my food. I added some other vegetables, so you can too. Just make sure you cut the dough pieces bigger to accommodate. I've also made these empanadas with my own recipe and with corn dough(mesa) instead of flour dough. And if you want some cheese with your empanadas, add some cheese on top and melt. Enjoy!

Lent...

Although I was raised Catholic, as an adult I really haven't practiced much of my Catholic roots. As I grew up I started to develop my own thoughts on religion as a whole. Don't get me wrong, I still believe that prayer is a wonderful type of mediation. And I admire people who have a strong sense of faith in their own religions. But I also believe the people have the right to choose their beliefs or lack there of.

So getting to the point. Me and my boss were talking about Lent and she let me know that she was giving up all meat products. Not just meat, but anything that comes from an animal!!! Burgers, steaks, chicken, milk, eggs, major vegan! Let's just say I don't think....no I know I wouldn't be able to do that.

But I got to thinking, what would I give up for 40 days. I've never really practiced Lent because
A. I didn't know what to give up
B. I would always forget when Lent was
C. I lack the will power and concentration to remember that I have given up anything.

So this time I decide why not give this a shot, just for the hell of it. Gosh, I just said hell. I'm so simple sometimes. So here I am trying to figure out what I can give up for 40 days that is going to be challenging, but also reasonable. I know a lot of people give up meat, but I don't want to do that. Some people give up the Internet or the use of social media outlets, this isn't reasonable for me, since I use for my job, and I'm also addicted to it.

I finally figured it out and I am kinda mad at myself for even thinking of this. But indeed this will be a challenge.

No bread for 40 days.

So for some of y'all, this may be nothing. But to me, bread is well...the bread of my life. I eat bread just about everyday. I always said if I opened my own business, other than a florist shop, I would open a sandwich shop.

I mean think of the possibilities. Tuna sandwich, meatball sandwich, ham & cheese sandwich, tomato & onion sandwich, BLT, hot dog sandwich, grilled cheese. The list goes on and on. And I've eaten all of these sandwiches, but now I must not have them with the bread part, at least for the next 40ish days.

Needless to say this is going to be a challenge for me(did I say that already?) but I hope to get some insight to my eating habits, lose some lbs, and hopefully prove to myself that I can live without something that I love so much(for 40 days anyways)

Losing It...

So since this is my first official blog I’ve decided to call the following “losing it”. Ha! (Haven’t gotten to say that in a long time) If you don’t get it you don’t get it.

I have many reasons for starting a blog mainly b/c I’m trying to stay hip to the times…just kidding. That would be really dorky of me if I said that. Honestly the main reason will not be disclosed, the reason that will be disclosed is that I want to express and opinionate. You’ll agree or disagree with me, both of which I’m pretty sure I’ll appreciate. If I don’t, I’ll just delete your comment! Lol! I guess I’ll share the world from my point of view.

There will be a lot of random things/comments/posts on here, but that’s how I am, a little bit of everything.

I will tell you, if you love food, you’re in the right place. Cause I LOVE food!!!! Even though I personally have a love/hate type of relationship with food, I will try my best to blog about places I go to eat, so you can go out and eat!

So till later, check me out!