Mangia! Pizza! Updates!

I dare you to tell me that you don't like pizza. Do it. I will call b.s. on you so fast your head will spin! I don't care what form it's in, if there's no cheese, no sauce, just dough with some greens on it, it's pizza and YOU LOVE IT.

I was really craving pizza, but of course I was doing my No Eating Out challenge, and in all honesty I very rarely get delivery pizza anymore. If anything, I go to Papa Murphy's where I can control the toppings and get a thin crust.

With no delivery or takeout options available to me, what was I to do? Make my own of course! I picked up some whole wheat pizza dough from the grocery store, and I had everything else at home already. The dough is convenient, but next time I'm going to make it from scratch, it can't be that hard.

At first I was thinking Meatless Monday, but then I remembered I had some turkey pepperoni in the freezer and I couldn't resist. I rolled out the dough, ladled out my sauce, and sprinkled on shredded mozzarella. For toppings I added the pepperoni along with mushrooms, olives, red peppers, pepperoncinis, and a handful of feta cheese.

It turned out delicious! My pizza craving was satisfied and I didn't feel guilty.

To update you all on the No Eating Out Challenge, I can say that yes, I made it the whole two weeks without eating out. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but I will say that there were invitations I had to turn down and temptations I avoided. I even sat and talked with friends while they ate at a restaurant and I sipped on a soda.

Success? Meh. I wasn't super happy with the results, except for maybe in my bank account. I still need to work on time management and meal planning. I may not have gone out to eat, but some nights I got home fairly late and didn't have anything prepared for dinner. I ended up eating crappy stuff like ramen noodles and even *gasp* boxed mac n' cheese. The whole point of this was to save money and eat better, but I definitely fell short on the eating healthier part. While all in all I eat much better than I have in the past, I could definitely use some help in planning out dinners. Breakfast with my smoothies are easy, and lunch is usually chicken and veggies so no problem either as long as I make sure to have my work fridge stocked. With dinner I either need to wake up earlier to prep before I go to work (yugh!) or I need to spend Sunday evening getting my dinners for the week made and ready to go. As much as I hate waking up early (I am a total She-beast for the most part in the morning before coffee), I still think that may be the way to go since I am usually pretty beat after my Sunday hikes.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, I'll keep posting recipes and updating you all on successes and failures as they come. I like to think that every day is a new chance to improve on something you've done in the past, and I'm not going to beat myself up for trying.

Franklin Falls and Denny Creek

Okay I've finally motivated myself to upload the pictures of this hike from my camera! I'm going to have to make sure I upload my blog posts either the same day or at least before I go on another hike or adventure. When I let a few days go by they seem to turn into weeks before I get a chance to post! Work has been busy and I have had a ton of hikes and trips I've gone on, so I'm excited to update you all on what I've been up to!

I really enjoyed this hike to Franklin Falls and Denny Creek. I thought the weather was great, it got a bit hotter throughout the day and with less cover, but we had a fun and energetic group as well as icy creek water and snow to keep us entertained and cheery. 

The crew at the start of our hike

The first part of our hike took us to Franklin Falls. This part of the hike was really short as the way to the falls is only about a mile. It was a small but pretty waterfall. What amazed me is that you can actually see the freeway above the falls, but I never realized I've driven past here countless time without realizing there was a pretty hike and view below me!

Here I am, cheesing it up at the base of the falls. It felt really nice with the mist from the falls blowing on us. It was already getting warm, and it was going to get even warmer as the day went on. 

One of my fellow hikers brought her dog Buddha. Buddha was pretty chill, but this is a pic where she is staring so intently at the cascading water of the falls you would've thought she was imagining a fire hydrant or some other doggy oasis. I love it when I get to hike with dogs, I find they bring their boundless, happy energy and it rubs off on everyone else.

After a short stop at Franklin Falls we headed back to the beginning of the trail so we could begin our hike to Denny Creek. It wasn't too long before we reached the creek, maybe half a mile. The creek crossing was a bit sketchy, with a bunch of fallen trees and branches in the water for us to traverse. Instead of falling fully into the water as my klutzy self would be inclined, I chose to get my feet a bit wet as I made my way across.

It would have been easier if I could have hitched a ride here like my smart doggy pal Maxwell. Alas, I had to pull my big girl undies up and do it myself. With the temperature rising, my socks and shoes dried off quickly enough. We continued past the creek up the trail and soon reached Keekwulee Falls. I thought it was a beautiful view, and there was still snow up above it and the surrounding area. 

We were in for even more snow as we continued towards Melakwa Lake. We decided as a group to turn back before we reached the lake since we weren't sure about the snow in some places. I took the opportunity to make a snow angel before we headed back. How many people do you know who can say they've made a snow angel in July?

Yes, I know I look like a dork but I could care less

We capped off the hike with testing out the waters at the creek. I was surprised so many families were splashing around in the water because it was still pretty darn cold. The rock in some areas of the creek is so smooth that children were having a blast sliding down in the water before running back out, shivering but shrieking with happiness. 

I'd recommend this hike to both families and people wanting to relax down by the water as well as trekkers who want to do a full day-hike.

Under Cover of Night:Hiking with the Stars

I've hiked up to Rattlesnake Ledge more times than I can count, and I can honestly say that it is one of my favorite short hikes, for many reasons. The surrounding area holds so many sights and scenes to explore. I spent many a summer swimming in Rattlesnake Lake, and later mountain biking on the Iron Horse - John Wayne Pioneer Trail. It holds a special place in my heart, and for some reason I always feel really peaceful and at ease when I'm there.

This hike was going to be a bit different. This was going to be the first time hiking up to the ledge in the evening. I was looking forward to watching the sun go down and star gazing. I had my hiking gear and my trusty headlamp with a flashlight for back-up.

It was a beautiful day, and I got up to Rattlesnake Lake a bit early so I could get out, stretch, and enjoy the view of the water. Some summers the water is so low that you could see all the tree stumps that are normally hiding under the depths. Once I even walked across the lake as it was completely dry! Today the water was high, and lots of people were out swimming, barbecuing, and enjoying the great weather we've been having. This summer has been great so far! It annoys me when people complain all the time about the weather, like if it's been great and then it rains for one day. Like that one day of rain makes them forget about all the nice days. Get over it and just live one day at a time, that's how I feel. Unless it's snowing. But I have months before I need to start thinking about snow.

I met up with my group and we headed out. Maybe because I've been doing longer and more challenging hikes lately, but I felt like we reached the ledge in less than 40 minutes.

View of Mt. Si from Rattlesnake

It was still pretty light out when we came to the end of our short hike, but the scenery was lovely. It was definitely not as busy later in the evening, unlike early morning and afternoon when hordes of people scramble up to hang out and enjoy the sights. 

The sun made it so bright that some pictures are a bit washed out, so it really doesn't do justice to the lake and area surrounding. You'll just have to go to Rattlesnake yourself and check it out to get the full experience!

We stayed up on the ledge with a few other groups of people for almost an hour, snacking and chit-chatting. We were originally going to stay until complete darkness to see the full moon, but realized we would probably have to stay for at least another hour. This wouldn't have been a problem besides being attacked pretty vigorously by a gang of mosquitoes. Having enjoyed our time once again up on Rattlesnake Ledge, we  conceded to nature's little bloodsuckers and headed down. The group voted and had decided we could spend our time looking at the moon and stars down by the lake.

It was absolutely necessary to have a headlamp or at least a flashlight when heading down, and I gladly loaned out my spare flashlight to a group member who had forgotten hers. If you don't have a headlamp yet for late hikes or even just camping, I highly recommend one. Having both hands free is very helpful and sometimes necessary when out on hikes that run longer than planned or are scheduled for evenings, especially if you are using trekking poles. I don't have a headlamp that's super fancy, I actually picked mine up from a hardware store for less than five bucks for late night potty trips on a camping trip. I plan on getting a nicer one soon, but that all depends on the ol' budget.

Soon enough all of our group members were down at the lake. A symphony of frogs were happily croaking their froggy lungs out. I thought it was amazing, the closer you got to them, it actually became hard to talk or hear the people around you!

I don't know which of my group members took this to credit them, but can you see the froggy?

 I didn't stay out as late as the rest of the group, because I had to wake up early for another hike to Franklin Falls and Denny Creek in the morning. I had a fun evening and yet again enjoyed my time at Rattlesnake. If any of you have yet to go to Rattlesnake Lake and hike up to the ledge, I highly recommend it!

Golden Grains of Sand

Saturday. July 7th. This day will live in my memory. Why? This was the day I went to Golden Gardens Park, and it was glorious. The weather had been so fantastic lately, and since my roomie had also never been to the park, we decided to check it out.

We headed out around 2:30pm after I got off work. We packed lunches and bevvies, and off we went! Traffic for a Saturday really wasn't too bad, except for some construction right before we got to the park. If I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't even realize where Golden Gardens was. I thought it was in the same area as the Ballard Locks. Boy was I in for a surprise!

Parking was a bit dicey, we ended up parking up the hill from the park and trekking down. It was definitely worth the short hike down, because we were in paradise!

The water was a glimmering beauty. The sand felt deliciously hot and silky between my toes. We spread out our beach towels and commenced relaxation. Jack Johnson serenaded us as we lounged and people-watched. 

Okay, this picture above doesn't even look like we're in Washington, right? I've never seen so many happy Washingtonians sunbathing in one spot, bahahahaha! 

We soaked up the sun, ate our lunches, and lounged in the golden sand along the beach. I ventured down to the water to wade in, and brrrrrr it was chilly! I can't wait to come back when it's warmer and I feel more bikini-ready.

My one regret is that we couldn't stay for long, because I had to head back to get ready for an evening hike up Rattlesnake Ledge. It would be great to go back to Golden Gardens and make a complete day of it, with a morning walk up the beach, BBQ and frisbee in the afternoon, and a bonfire at dusk! 

Turkey Cupcakes, Mmmmm!

Alright guys and gals, I've been a busy lady lately so I need to catch up with my posts!

How many of you thought I'd lost my mind when they read "Turkey Cupcakes," huh? It's alright, I promise I haven't been combining meat with dessert to save time. Although believe me, if it could be done and not be disgusting, I'd probably try it! Well maybe. I know they make mince meat pies...uh never mind...

So Thursday after my hiking adventure I was starving. Thanks goodness I had already shopped at Trader Joe's for dinner ingredients or I probably would have just made a smoothie and called it a night. I had decided earlier in the day to make a comfort food in a healthier way. I adapted a recipe from the awesome Hungry Girl and made individual turkey meatloaves. Here's my version:

Individual Turkey Meatloaves

1 small sweet yellow onion

1/4 cup ketchup

1 lb. raw lean ground turkey

1 egg

1 10oz. can of regular or sweet corn kernels

1 6oz. box of stuffing mix (I used Stovetop Chicken flavor but other ones like Cornbread, Turkey, or Whole Wheat would be great too)

garlic powder

sea salt

cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a box grater, grate the onion into a big bowl. I LOVE THIS TIP! Thank you Hungry Girl! I try not to be super picky with my food but I've always hated that raw, uncooked texture of diced onions, and this gave you the flavor of onion in the meat loaf but not that crunchy onion texture I hate.

Add all the other ingredients to the bowl. I didn't add measurements to the garlic powder, sea salt, and cayenne pepper because I think you should add according to your own taste. I sprinkled each throughout mixing the ingredients so the spices were evenly distributed.

Prep your 12-cup muffin pan. You could either use nonstick spray or cupcake liners, I went with the cupcake liners for an easier clean up later. The original recipe only made 9 mini meatloaves, but with the addition of the stuffing mix mine ended up making 12 generous portions. Evenly distribute the mixture, and top each with ketchup. I made a little swirly pattern on the top of mine just for the heck of it.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. What I did was set my oven for 35 minutes and I checked on them. I did end up cooking them for almost 40 minutes. Let them sit for a bit (the original recipe says 5 minutes) or if you're like me just grab the pan and "nom nom nom" because you're starving!

These turned out great! While they make 12 individual servings, the average person would probably be able to eat two of these along with sides for dinner. For my sides I had baked sweet potatoes which I mashed with a pat of Smart Balance and a sprinkling of brown sugar, and I love corn so I also had some more with a splash of lime juice and cayenne pepper.

Not the prettiest plate color-wise, but the meal was delish and hit the spot for me. Quick comfort food that doesn't sacrifice your health, it's an A+ in my book!

Quick (?) and a Lil' Dirty

Today was a gorgeous day, and after sleeping in and relaxing a bit I was determined to go out and enjoy the sunshine. Woke up, made my coffee and smoothie, and munched on some nectarines, cherries, and blueberries. After last night's Fourth of July festivities it was nice to be laid-back, puttering around the house and playing with my cats Boo and Tigre. Sometimes I think they both like it when I have the day off, other times I think they just want to nap all day.


I left my house later in the afternoon, around 3:30. My destination was Ardmore Park , located in Bellevue. Even though I've lived in the Bellevue area for awhile, I had never heard of the park until I read Rachel's posting in Huckleberries and Rain and I thought it would be a fun, quick trail hike.

The park is located in a really quiet, peaceful neighborhood, and while people were in the playground area and on the grass, I didn't meet many on the trail. I'm assuming a lot of people were back at work after the holiday. It was hard to believe that this park with it's beautiful little trails has been here this whole time and I had never checked it out. It is really nestled in a quiet neighborhood so I'm guessing not many people pass by it. I'm glad I had a chance to experience it on such a beautiful day. It's such a surprising juxtaposition to have a forested trail with such lush vegetation right along with an urban setting, I almost forgot where I was for a moment.


After enjoying the short trail, I had planned to stop by my local Trader Joe's for dinner ingredients. I had a craving for something comforting and homey, so I decided I'd make meatloaf along with veggies and a sweet potato mash. After my shopping trip I took the longer way home to avoid traffic, and couldn't help stopping to check out another area in Bellevue I've always meant to check out.

I passed by the Lake Hills Greenbelt all the time when I was working at the restaurant with my Mom. but I never stopped to walk around. I was happy I did today because I got to see the gorgeous view at Phantom Lake. I think you can walk further down along other trails, but since I had groceries in the car I just stopped for a moment a the lake. 

Lovely lily pads 

The reflection of the trees on the water was breathtaking

A really pretty spot to have a picnic or read a book. It was fairly quiet, but a few people were walking around with their dogs or just sitting and soaking up the sun.

You'd think my outdoor adventures for the day would be winding down, huh? I thought so too as I headed home, but something came over me as I drove towards my home and passed the Coal Creek Trail-head. I've driven past it so many times, always meaning to check it out, but parking is usually full or there's some other excuse. I was so enjoying being outdoors and exploring new places that I decided I was going for it. I went home, dropped off my groceries, and turned right back around. 

When I got to the Coal Creek Trail-head marker, I saw that it was only 1.4 miles to Sandstone Falls. I thought, why not? It seemed like a short trek and I'd get home to make a late dinner. It was about 6:30 in the evening when I started out, and the sun was still shining high in the sky. 

The weather was still balmy, and the trail was nice and relaxing. The one big thing about this trail is that I wish it was more clearly marked at key points. I was walking for a good while and thought to myself that it sure felt longer than 1.4 miles. I kept hiking and climbing, and took what I thought would be a trail towards the waterfall. I kept walking until I reached...the YMCA?!? Apparently this was not the trail I had meant to be on. I backtracked and went left instead of right, in search of this elusive waterfall. I asked a woman I passed how to get to the waterfall and she said to go right once I reached a gravel road, and then left further up. I kept hiking up this new trail and followed her directions to...the Red Town Trail-head?!? What.the.frick. Albeit a lovely day, I was starting to get pissed at this waterfall. Why was it messing with me?  I turned around and backtracked some more. As I passed an area I had been by earlier, I noticed a sign I hadn't seen earlier. It pointed in the direction of my white whale, the Sandstone Falls! Oh did I mention this was about two hours into my "short" hike? Oh and what was below this sign? A "Trail Closed" sign. Cue dramatic climax music, ending with a Hitchcockian scream. Oh the sound and the fury that I wanted to bellow at the trail gods. I calmed myself, thinking back to the baby bunny I saw hippity hoppiting down a trail early. Cute, fluffy bunny thoughts Tina.Don't do anything stupid Tina. Well, to put it in a nutshell, I did something I probably shouldn't have and it involved stinging nettles, water hazards, and an ominous rustling of leaves that had me screaming like a little girl back to civilization. Trails are closed for a reason people, and I don't advise ANYONE to blaze a trail because you never know what you could be getting yourself into. You bested me, waterfall!!!

I stumbled back towards my car, a little bit pissy but still thankful for such a beautiful day. I got to see so many new sights that had been long overdue on my part to experience. I perused a pretty park, I languidly lounged at the lake, and I manically meandered through my local trails. Overall today I walked more than six miles! I got some exercise and soaked in some sun in my beautiful Pacific Northwest 'hood, not a bad day off at all. 

Red, White, and Blue for Me & You!

Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! The weather was amazing, and I was excited to spend time with friends and enjoy the fireworks on Lake Union in the evening.

I wanted to spend time with my friends Meena and Steve before heading over to a party at my bestie Kacie and her hubby Mark's later in the afternoon. With my challenge still going on, I met Meena and Steve at their place for a home cooked breakfast. I promise I'll be posting more meals and recipes for you guys, but I'm not going to lie, I love hanging with Meena and Steve and eating and laughing with them! We always have fun and as a bonus when I go over to their home I get to hang with their kitty, the adorbs Benzo. 

There was an awesome spread of Belgian waffles, eggs, hand made chicken sausages, and turkey bacon along with super strong coffee (Yay!) that I heart. I wish I would have snapped a pic, but Benzo is a total daddy's boy and jumped up in Steve's lap for scratches and snuggles after our meal. He didn't seem to interested in our leftovers but he was in heaven getting attention from Steve. 

After breakfast we spread out before heading over to Kacie and Mark's. Meena went to go get ready, Steve played this creepy game called Limbo that I was fascinated with. For those of you that didn't know, I am a bit of a video/computer gamer geek girl when the mood hits me. I have this weird quirk that if it's a scary game I would rather watch it being played by someone else. The puzzles fascinated me, and I jumped every time the character died or was killed. In between peeking at Steve's game-play I put myself to work baking the cookies I mentioned in my last post. I was curious to see how cookies made from cake mix, whipped cream, and an egg would turn out. I mixed up the batter and rolled each ball in powdered sugar. I was happy with the look of the cookies after they came out of the oven, crinkly and crackly with chocolate and powdered sugar. They turned out light, fluffy, and chewy, a triple win according to my taste buds. They were so easy to make I'm excited to try different flavor combinations. What does everyone think of carrot cake mix with french vanilla whipped cream? Yummy!

I was excited for the way my cookies turned out, and I also had the blue and red jello shots I'd made the night before with canned whip cream to top off the red, white, and blue theme. I'm going to give the dessert of the day to Meena though, she rocked the house with her cake pops! They were Funfetti flavored with a lemony frosting, and their presentation was gorgeous.

With our goodies in tow, we headed off for Seattle. Traffic was alright but parking was horrible as expected. We ended up parking farther away from the party than we would have liked, but Kacie came and picked us up to head down to the party. Kacie and hubs Mark just bought a house which is awesome, but this will be the last year of our amazing fireworks view off their balcony. I planned on soaking it in and enjoying it for sure. 

As you can see, the barge with the fireworks display was literally right in front of our line of sight. I kept rubbing my hands together in anticipation like a mad scientist. I am completely a little kid when it comes to the absolute glee I get from seeing those fireworks light up the night sky. 

It may be a bit hard to tell, but across the water is Gas Works Park, and there was a sea of people hanging out and waiting to watch the show in the evening. 

Our group was the first to arrive, and I was ready to get down and party! As some of my friends know, in the past I was notorious for hiding away somewhere and falling asleep if I got a bit too crazy too fast, so I definitely wanted to pace myself so I wouldn't gas out before the fireworks. 

I had bought red, white, and blue leis from the Dollar Store, so we were reppin' for the holiday, and I love love LOVED Meena's great patriotic stunna shades!

More people started to slowly trickle in, and eventually most of the group had arrived and we all commenced enjoying the adult bevvies and great spread of party food. I don't indulge like this too often, so without guilt I enjoyed hot dogs and treats while catching up with friends. I enjoy eating clean and healthy when I can and especially during the work week so I can enjoy food I wouldn't normally have large quantities of during special occasions or on a weekend day. While I want to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and diet, I don't ever want to come off as preachy or judgmental of others. I'm not perfect in any way, I'm just a short and sassy girl trying to make her way in the world ^__^

The anticipation was building for the fireworks, and everyone started gathering onto the deck the closer it got to pretty bang bang time. A little after ten in the evening, the magic started!

Ooooooooo!

Ahhhhhhhhh!

I'm not going to fill this post up with fireworks pics, which I could do, but the show was even more amazing in person and there wasn't anywhere else on Earth I would've wanted to be than to be surrounded by my family of friends. Well, maybe besides seeing the fireworks in Hawaii like my brother David was. I was a bit jealous of that. I was surrounded by love and lights, and it doesn't get much better than that.

Ready, Set, Relax!

I'm so excited for the 4th of July and to have some time off! It has been a crazy week so far, and I'm in dire need of some R&R.

I was so busy during the day that I was running on autopilot for my No Eating Out Challenge. My morning smoothie was pretty simple: mango pineapple water, spinach, banana, vanilla Greek yogurt, frozen peaches, and a handful of the fresh raspberries I bought yesterday.

Had to decline a lunch out with a coworker. I had my leftover chicken pasta from last night, and some cherries and raspberries after. I wasn't very hungry but I wanted to eat something so I wouldn't be starving when I got home.

I wanted three things after work: wine, cheese, and chocolate, in no particular order!

My little plate was a great way to unwind and relax after work and I put some raspberries in my sauvignon blanc. I thought it looked really pretty!

I wasn't super hungry for dinner so I made my contribution to the 4th of July shindig I'll be attending tomorrow: jello shots! I thought it would be pretty to do blue raspberry and cherry jello shots and bring whipped cream to rep those red, white, and blue colors. 

Did a grocery store run with my roomie to stock up on some necessities and decided I should probably eat something. I don't know if it's the weather being kind of muggy lately, but I don't really want anything super hot to eat in the evenings. I settled for one of my green smoothies and I made a yummy salad with spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, and balsamic dressing. It hit the spot!

Oh and speaking of cucumbers, that bad boy was huge! I have to show you all the size of this cucumber: 

It was gigantic! I couldn't stop giggling. Yes, I am immature and ridiculous at times. Don't care, still got the giggles even now looking at the picture, tee hee hee!

Ok, enough shenanigans, On to my next cooking project for tomorrow's party. I'm going to attempt this cookie recipe I saw on Pinterest because it looks tasty and fun. I guess we'll see tomorrow how everything pans out! Good night all!

So it Begins!

Okay folks, not gonna lie, today was the first day of my No Eating Out Challenge and I was soooo tempted to grab something quick and on the go! Today was HECTIC.

Breakfast as usual was easy-peasy. I blended some mango pineapple water with spinach, a banana, vanilla Greek yogurt, and no salt added cottage cheese. Sounds weird but I dig it and it gives me enough protein to keep my energy up until lunch.

Lunch was also nice and kind of a no-brainer, as I had things ready to go at work. I usually keep frozen veggies and pre-cooked chicken breasts on hand for a quick fix. Today I also walked over to my local grocery store and picked up raspberries and blueberries for an after lunch treat. Now, a coworker asked me if I was cheating if I purchased pre-made items from the store, for example something like hot soup. I had to think about that for a moment. My main reason for this challenge is to hold myself more accountable financially and to not rely on restaurant food because I didn't plan ahead for meals. I didn't stipulate that I had to have all the items needed to make my meals before the challenge started. If that was the case I'd be in deep trouble for the next two weeks. My meals from the current state of my pantry would be some gnarly mish-mash that I'd probably be too ashamed to photograph. While I am endeavoring to be better at meal planning and doing all my shopping a week at a time, I'm still at the point where I'm going to the store almost daily to pick up some last minute item for a meal. So my answer I decided was no. I won't consider myself cheating on my challenge unless I am paying someone to prepare something for me from start to finish at any type of eatery. Basically anyplace I'd be adding a tip to my meal because someone else cooked it all and served it to me or packed it up for takeout. Besides looking at overall calorie and fat intake, I am also watching how much sodium is in the food I eat. Therefore pre-made deli food or sodium-laden soups aren't on the top of my list lately. As much as I can I want to cook or assemble all my meals.

Work was really fast-paced and crazy today, and I ended up staying a half hour later than usual. This made me late in picking up my Little Sis. For those of you who are just getting to know me, I am a volunteer Big Sister with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program. For the privacy of my Little Sis I will simply call her "Z" if I post anything about our time together. So Z and I were going to hang out after I got off work. She is on summer break so we can spend more time together in the evenings without my worrying that she's going to be too tired for school the next day. So after picking her up we went to my house to watch a movie and catch up. Z had already eaten, but wanted a snack so I made her some popcorn. I was starving at this point, and there was nothing more I wanted than to have a hot meal magically placed in front of me. I had leftover chicken from my trial run dinner, so I cut up some of the chicken breast and heated it up in the remaining red pepper cream sauce. I boiled up some whole wheat rotini, and finally I threw together a quick salad of spinach with raspberries and a pear champagne vinaigrette. It was quick and tasty, and there was so much pasta, half of it is going to be my lunch tomorrow!

Z and I caught up and chatted about some of the things we'd been up to, and I mentioned my hike and told her how nice it was to be out in nature and getting exercise. Z told me she'd never been on a hike and that she might be interested in trying one with me on a nice day in the near future! I was so stoked that she  expressed enthusiasm in doing what I consider to be such an enjoyable pastime, I'm really looking forward to sharing that with her. It means a lot to me that I can share my experiences with others and make a difference in their lives, no matter how small. From the tiniest ideas have come the greatest adventures, and I can't wait to share more with all of you!

I survived the first day of my challenge, yay! I already had to turn down a restaurant breakfast outing, so I know that I'm still going to need plenty of willpower in the upcoming weeks. I'd love to hear any of your tips or methods for meal planning or grocery shopping strategies!

Broads, Beer, and...Soap?

I'm getting sleepy but if I don't post this tonight my goodies will have been lathered and drunk, in no particular order!

After my hike, some of the gals in my group joined me at the Snoqualmie Brewery & Taproom for a celebratory drink. I'm not a huge drinker, but I like to have a good time with friends, food, and tasty beer (or wine...or hard alcohol...) on occasion.

The four of us shared some delicious nachos and indulged in an adult beverage. I chose the Black Frog Nitro Oatmeal Stout. Not too shabby if I don't say so myself, and I like to support local breweries.

Speaking of supporting local breweries, I stepped into the small store in the back room and found a couple things that made it back home with me.

There were different soaps that were for sale, but this one intrigued me because it has a Kona coffee scent to it. Bathing in beer and coffee? I like it!

After drinking my stout, I decided to take another to try at home. This particular stout is called the Louis Quatorze 14th Anniversary Imperial Stout. Our server told me it was part of the last of the stock they had. It'll get in my belly soon enough...

No Eating Out Challenge starts TOMORROW!

After the Granite Mountain hike, some of the gals joined me at the Snoqualmie Brewery & Taproom for a brew and a snack. When I got home all I wanted to do was jump in the shower and pass out, in no particular order, or perhaps both of those things at the same time!

After a short nap, all I could muster up the energy for was to cut up some white cheddar, throw some reduced fat crackers on a plate, and whip up a smoothie. I didn't want anything too heavy, so I just blended up a banana, some spinach, and some frozen mangoes, pineapple, and strawberries with flavored water.

My cat Tigre is posed exactly how I feel right about now: Tuckered out!

That's all for today folks, I'm going to brush my teeth, zone out to some quality television (Bahahaha!) and pass the heck out!

Granite Mountain Hike

Hike Description: 8.6 mile trail with a 4000 ft. elevation gain located near North Bend. I get most of my trail/hike info off of the AllTrails app, I love it! This trail was rated as difficult, and as I sit here this evening I can tell you that I feel pretty sore so I'm giving you fair warning if you attempt this hike. You will definitely feel the burn with this one guys and gals! Some of my hiking buds brought trekking poles, and I decided after this hike I am going to be investing in a pair!

I met up with my lady friends and we carpooled in. We started at the trail-head around 9:30 in the morning, there were already quite a few cars parked at the site.

It was drizzling lightly when we started out, but under the cover of trees we stayed relatively dry. The fog looked so beautiful coming through the trees! The terrain started out relatively innocuous, but we soon began  our ascent and then sh*t got real! We went through an avalanche chute and climbed. Then we climbed some more. Did I mention we did some climbing? I was simultaneously trying not to die while being proud of myself, because the old me six months ago really would have croaked on that trail! I am so grateful for the strength my body gives me, and I hope to continue to treat it well and take good care of myself so I can continue to enjoy pursuits like these.

I'm a geek when it comes to trying to classify the different flora and fauna I see when I'm out in nature. I was not disappointed on this trail! Lots of cool stuff to see, I wish I had taken more pictures but in between photo ops I was huffing and puffing up that seemingly endless trail. I didn't want to be the whiny "Are we there yet?" person so I took my time and enjoyed the scenery.

I looked through my friend Rachel's flower book after the hike while we were drinking beers at the Snoqualmie Brewery & Taproom. The flowers on the left were Canadian dogwood. It's fitting to see this today, as it happens to also be Canada Day! I have Canadian cousins, so I hope they're partying it up in the Great White North! The picture on the right shows Beargrass, which I think looks really beautiful. I wonder if it's related to the Allium genus? Now the purple flowers I couldn't find in Rachel's book, and I didn't know what they were off the top of my head. They were very pretty, especially with the dew/condensation on the leaves. 

Pretty little waterfall along the trail

Not many people were on the trail, which was nice compared to some of the other more popular local trails. The people we did run into were very friendly, and as a bonus many of them brought dogs! My cats Boo and Tigre would murder a dog that dared enter their domain, so it's nice to get my doggy fix when I'm out and about.

Getting close to the top

As we got closer to the top of the mountain, there were more patches of snow scattered about. While everyone in my group wore their good sturdy hiking boots, not everyone brought trekking poles for traction in the slushy, slippery snow.

Other folks attempted the trek up through the snow, but our party decided to play it safe. We hung out near the top, talked to other hikers, and enjoyed our well deserved lunches. We decided that next time we would all come more prepared and hike up to the very tippy top! The cloud cover was very dense up at the elevation, so I hope the next time is more clear and sunny so we get an unobstructed view. We made the trek back down and reached our cars around 2:30 in the afternoon, so we finished the hike in the average posted time of roughly five hours. I enjoyed the hike and the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie the day brought, but something tells me my body is going to give me some payback in the next couple days for putting it to work!