I live, I eat

It is the beginning of the fourth week, and stuff is hitting the fan all around me.  How does this happen?  It's like a giant sign that goes on.   With everything going on with my business and personal life at the same time, I feel stretched too thin.  I haven't been able to workout to the intensity that I like, and had started to wane, but thankfully picked it back up again. Eating has been difficult, also with everything going on and all of my obligations.  It's not like your meetings are going to stop because you need to eat your apple, almond butter, and rice crackers.  Which by the way, is not the easiest meal to eat at once.  I ended up making a almond butter sandwhich and eating the apple on the side.  And of course when you need rice crackers, suddenly there is a shortage. WTF!!!! Okay, so the sad news.  I will not be able to continue on this path with the Lose weight Stay in Shape with Sara Fennell.  There are a couple of re...

Okay, I'm compiling a list of places that I like and recommend to people.  You may not see a place on the list.  This either means I wouldn't put it on my list of recommendations, or I haven't tried it. If you have a question about a particular restaurant here in town, just ask in the comments.  I will try to get back to you quickly.  I haven't finished the list of descriptions, but will work on it as I have time.  I will then endeavor to add links to the websites or something similar to help you find these places. ANCHORAGE Downtown Alaska Cake Studio - Cake and coffee yum. Good location for while walking around. Simon and Seaforts - Good menu, but try out the bar for quick service and the drink specials. Orso - Brewhouse's sister.  Okay mix, not as busy as Brewhouse, Still need reservations on weekends. Food is good. Nice wine list Glacier Brewhouse - Make a reservation.  Seriously. Good food, noisy. Popular year round with locals and to...

So breakfast can actually be a hard thing to seemingly find in downtown Anchorage, but after scouring the downtown area and trying some places out, I've come up with a small alternative list. 1.  Snow City Cafe - 1034 W. 4th Ave   Snow City Cafe Website Snow City can make a great breakfast.  They have two soups that change out and are available for early lunch, so if you are having a late breakfast it gives you some more options.  They also have a specials menu that you can preview on their site.  (For lunch the salad special is usually yummy.)  The service is generally slow but usually nice.  The drip coffee is actually drinkable here.  The food is tasty and well prepared.  The portions are big. This place gets PACKED!!!!!  You have the five million tourists during the hot season and then all of the local business people that come in for breakfast/lunch/coffee year round.  They have somewhat recently added the ability to put i...

I have fallen in love.  I've been on the lookout for things to do with Chinese healthy eating and medicinal food.  Mostly this is for my stomach, which is almost always in turmoil and for weight loss.  I know, I know... I need to go get a full allergy testing done.  But for some reason I can't make myself.  Maybe I am happy in my ignorance.  I do hate the thought that I would not, in good conscience, be able to eat all the foods that I love if I know what they do to me. I came across a recipe for congee on one of my searches.  It also goes by the name of jook, depending on where you are in China.  You would actually find this recipe all over Asia, and it is the go to meal for when you are not feeling well.  It is also a great breakfast food. I had recently purchased my new Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.  OMG!! This machine is awesome.  It's a 6 in 1 pot that is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, soup and chili maker...

I used to get shipments from Full Circle a long time ago.  They used to only do a couple of states and now they do many more.  When I was first getting shipments, I was impressed.  Their customer service was excellent, and the food, though a bit pricey for me at the time, was the best way to get good fresh organic produce in Alaska during the winter months.  They also had a grocery that you could order extra items from.  I would pick my box up at a local store by my work before heading home and then store everything appropriately so it could last until my next box. I cancelled my subscription back then because I just couldn't spare the money anymore.  But my thoughts of the produce and the service were still excellent. Now, if you check, they serve many states and you can order different size boxes.  I did not think that the descriptions for each size really gave me an idea of how much I would really get, so when I restarted my subscription I went ...

Let's just say that I have been going to the original I Love Sushi since they opened.  Brandon, the chef/owner is very dedicated and imaginative.  It was always easy to have something made to my specifications for whatever crazy diet I was on.  I always have my favorites too.  They had expanded the original restaurant a while back and it was very upscale looking.  Recently Brandon and his wife, Min, bought the old Tempura Kitchen.  It has the same upscale flair.  It looks beautiful. It's clean and bright, and I love the updated menu. Brandon and crew pretty much had to gut the old restaurant when they got it, which it definitely needed.  The restaurant is somewhat split up.  To the left is regular seating, with a large area for large parties or private functions.  To the right are tables with hot plates with vents above, and the sushi bar is across from that. It is located on Spenard right after you turn off of Minnesota if you are c...

Here I am again at Yamaya.  One of my favorite japanese restaurants in Alaska. This place is run by Sam and Kay, and sometimes their grand daughter Jada is working there.  This is some really great food in a very small restaurant.  If you have a party of 3 or more people, I suggest you call ahead and reserve a table.  Otherwise, when it's busy, you may be turned away.  When it's slow, there are sometimes only one or two people in here.  If you are by yourself, you can sit up at the bar (not drinking bar) which is quite popular.  They open at 5 pm and close around 9, Monday through Saturday.  Closed Sunday. When you walk in you may not think much of the place.  In fact I see a lot of people open the door, look in really quick, and go back out.  98% of those people are off of the cruise ships.  Which is fine by me that they do not find this hidden gem.   When you come here, the menu is on two walls.  There's is also ...

My husband and I took our camper down to Soldotna and Homer for fourth of July weekend.  We noticed that a lot of campsites were not taking reservations, and it can be kind of hard to get a spot on the holiday weekends.  We got to Homer and my husband wanted to stay at one of the sites on the spit.  Not really my idea of a great spot.  They are close to all the boardwalk shops, and have great views, but its all rock and windy.  Not to mention how cold it gets next to the water.  The weather was extremely warm during this time of July, and unlike Soldotna and Kenai, the mosquitoes were barely noticeable. All of the lots on the spit were taken (and crammed in), so we took a look in town.  I recently review the Seaside Inn, and they have a small RV park there, but they were full.  I was looking on the Homer website and saw the Ocean View RV Park on there.  I made a call and they had two spots left.  It was $50/night with full hookup. ...

Okay, its been a while since I've been here, but I had promised a review of this place.  The  Historic Driftwood Inn  has a variety of room options, and is very reasonable in rates (I think it was 80 bucks).  We were a group of three and we go a room with a double and bunk beds.  The beds were comfortable and the rooms were clean.  The bathrooms were a good size, and we didn't feel cramped.  We got the room on the first floor, as recommended to me when I made the reservation and we could walk out on the deck and take in the waves.    The accommodations itself were modest and not fancy, but I wasn't looking for a hotel like that.  The picture on the site are pretty true to what you get. Did I mention this hotel was right by the beach?  Very cool.  It is also pretty well located in general.  It has AJ's across the street which I've already reviewed.  You can go a block away and do a mead tasting  at Ring of Fir...

I am going to Mexico in a week.  It looks like its time for a Almased fast to make sure that I am swimsuit ready. I have strategically placed blender ball mixers at the house and at work.  I also made sure to have a brand new canister, almond milk, and some stevia.  I'm not too sure about loading up on other flavors to add.  I really do enjoy the taste.  I think the only downside to Almased is the bit of chalky texture that it can get.  But its not nearly as bad as another name brand vegan protein shake mix I have, so blessings counted. I'm going to start with the three shakes a day.  I start my mornings with a glass of water.  I have a pitcher that I put some sliced cucumber and orange in to up the flavor. Definitely makes it easy to get your water in.  Then I have my cup of coffee.  (I've cut way down on coffee, and after my trip to Europe, I've found American coffee severely lacking.  Perhaps I can get a coffee maker ...

I've been loving eating raw foods.  There are some things that can be difficult when starting.  One thing is that I've been conditioned to think that all sugar is the devil.  So, even high sugar fruits were out and rarely ate the lower sugar fruits like berries. My goodness you should have seen me with my bag of oranges the other day.  I juiced half of the bad and had it in the morning and cut up the rest for snack and lunch.  So glorious.  Also, to sit with a melon and mow away as much as I want!! Second thing, is that I need to make sure that I have some fruit before I leave work, because by the time I get home I don't want to do much and make my excuses and eat "filler food".  You know that food... It's the crap that tastes like cardboard and has tons of fat and sodium.  Let's not forget how processed or even fake it can be.  Generally, I would just throw all of this crap out, but I live with my husband.  And though, he will eat v...

It has been so cold lately.  I must admit that I am being a bad dog mommie with the walks.  I know they need more exercise, but I've been cutting the walking distance.  I'm a wuss.  I did however get a new pair of Boggs so I can at least walk them without my toes going numb on me.  Perhaps that will do the trick. The skies are clear and there is only a small amount of snow on the yard.  The streets are clear except for some ice patches and it is turning out to be a really weird winter here so far.  Usually we are dumped on with snow and it warms up a bit.  Sometimes I cannot believe that I live in a place that is buried in snow most of the year, when the sky is covered it means that its warmer out, and that when the temperature goes from -6 to 10 you start thinking about if you need your coat. Today is the day after Thanksgiving.  My husband is sick, so we ended up not going to my brothers for dinner last night.  And, of all things, ...

So I am subscribed to Rawmazing, which I totally recommend.  Recently she made a post of a new recipe for cookies.  These things are soooooooo delicous.  I brought a couple batches to work, sent some off with a friend for their trip.  And the nice thing is that they are raw!! They are comprised of almonds, chia seeds, coconut, salt, vanilla, grapeseed oil, sweetner, with a puree of fresh strawberries on top, then dehydrated.  I used a flaked coconut that I ground down, the almonds were soaked and dried and for my sweetener I used coconut nectar and a touch of stevia.  So yummy!!  I might try it with blueberries instead of strawberries next time. http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-strawberry-thumbprint-cookies/   Photo from Rawmazing

So I haven't been feeling quite up to par, so I changed my diet again.  It's helped somewhat, but it was a major struggle.  Meat is out.  I am not juicing every morning, but I am trying for about every other.  LOTS of veggies, and trying for mostly raw.  This of course takes some prep due to making it work around my schedule, but now that I've kind of gotten into my groove, it's not too bad. Recent items that I made include: Radish Kimchi ( which I got from Maangchi, http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kkakdugi and made with soy not fish sauce) Marinated veggies (faux stir fry) with shiritake noodles Veggie rolls with nonroasted nori  Cashew cheeze Flax "Pizza" chips (made with leftovers from my juicing and some extra ingredients) Munchie mixture (Golden berries, goji, mulberry, raw cacao nibs, raw cashews) My average juice contains: Romaine 1/2 cucumber 1" ginger small handful parsley 4-5 carrots 3-5 stalks collard greens 1 lemon (whole...

We were staying at the Driftwood Inn in Homer for our girls trip, and they were so super nice and accommodating.  I will put in a separate review for them, but it is to note that right across the street was AJ's Old Town Steakhouse and Tavern.  Now, after a 4 hour drive with a bunch of crazy girls, a beer is just what we all needed to wind down. So......we cross the street to the tavern. Upon entry we are greeted enthusiastically.  There are two regular patrons at the bar and then the three of us.  The bar is much bigger than how it appears on the outside.  There is a dance floor to the back with a stage.  All weekend they had bands playing with a very good turnout. If any Alaska bands are looking to play somewhere, you might want to head this direction.  The bar is long with a curve at the end.  We figured the end of the bar has some bad juju, because everyone that sat there got into an argument with each other. For every night we came to thi...

I took a recent trip to Homer for an extended weekend with the girls.  We had a blast and while there tried out a couple of treats. I am going to break this up into separate reviews, with this one being on Wasabi. Wasabi is Homer's fine dining restaurant.  It obviously has Japanese food, including sushi.  As far as I know, it's the only sushi place in Homer.  That made it a must see for us. The decor is upscale and the view is fantastic, so get a window seat.  The bar is very central, with chairs around if you only want to come in for a cocktail.  The parking lot is small, but did not seem to be much of a hassle to get in and out. My meal started with a screwdriver.  I was impressed by the excellent pour (which you get all over Homer).  We ordered a plate of sushi to share, and I got the Mac n' Cheese ($30.00) that so many reviewers rave about.  The service was quick and attentive, even thought she had to list the specials (which there ...

Lest I say, this is my most favorite sushi place to go.  Brandon, chef/owner, is so imaginative and willing to alter anything to your needs.  The menu has some excellent choices for cooked and non cooked items.  If I'm in the mood for something hot I like the sauteed mushrooms.  Yummy! Prior to this most recent trip, one of my friends and I were talking about meeting up for sukiyaki at another local place downtown called Kumogoro.  (We had previously been there for shabu shabu.)  I mentioned this when I stopped off for sushi to Brandon, and he said that he would make it for us.  What a treat.  I mentioned it to my friend and it was a no brainer decision. I started this trip right after work.  One of my girlfriends was going to meet me and was already there, but Cody and I were planning on going a bit later.  So I met up with the girls for an appetizer.  Normally this would have been sushi roll happy hour but Min (Brandon's wife)...

I've been eating out like a mad man.  This last adventure is a place close by to my work, Bangkok Cafe.  I've been here many times yet stopped going after they messed it up that last time too many.  After my hiatus I return with low expectations. My order:  Hot tea with sugar, fresh rolls, and mild chicken Kow Pad (Thai style fried rice). Service was swift yet seemed that the two were not synched yet which makes me think that the one at my table was new.  I ordered my dishes, which were some of my usual fav's and made sure to order mild (which is usually hot and I am not weak).  The tea tasted like Lipton.  Not one of my favorite's but was nice to have on a colder day while warming up, and apparently their heat was not really working well. The fresh rolls arrived and looked fresh.  The sauce was thin, but tasty.  Most places around here give you a honey based sauce, which just leaves me with sticky hands no matter how hard I try.  Th...

Crush in downtown Anchorage is generally one of my favorite places to go to hang out with a glass of wine or to get a small nibble (especially when going to a show at the PAC).  This time around I went in for lunch, which is rare for me, but I was at Nordstrom on a Saturday and was trying to figure out where to go. Lest it be said, parking downtown can be a nightmare.  Spaces are limited on the street and there are pay lots, but instead of being the ones that you pay a dollar and hour, it's five dollars for 0-2 hours.  Another option is to park in the JCPenny parking garage, which I tend to do in winter.  Crush is attached to the 5th Avenue mall, so if you are shopping, there is also the B street parking garage. Crush is owned by a group of guys that are very knowledgeable and you can see them variably every day you come in to the place.  The decor is sleek and they are part of the Friday art walk so you can check out the new work every month.  The tabl...