Turkey And Zucchini Quinoa Pasta Casserole With Mozzarella

One of my girl friends told me about this recipe and I couldn't wait to try it especially because the recipe would make enough for 5 servings.  And, one serving contained tons of protein, which is always a good thing!  I am all about meal prepping and freezing these days so that I don't have to cook as often.  This was an awesome addition to the two ziploc bags of white chile chicken and one ziploc bag of turkey chili I already had in my freezer.

If there were such a thing as a lazy cook, that would be me.  In order to not have to wash another cutting board, I squished everything onto one.  Two tomatoes, half a red onion, minced garlic, one bell pepper, and two zucchinis.

 Cook the red onion and minced garlic first.  Then, throw in 2lbs of ground turkey.

Mix in the veggies once the ground turkey is almost fully cooked.  Add one cup of chicken broth and 2 cans of 6 oz. tomato paste.  Cover the pan, lower the heat, and wait for it to simmer.  

 While waiting for the meat and veggies, you can split the quinoa pasta into 5 mini loaf pans.  Then, pour the mixture on the top of the pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.  Pour a little bit of the remaining chicken stock in each pan to ensure moisture.  Then stick all five into the oven at 375F for 20 mins.

 Voila, all done!

 Pretty good!  I would just add that it can be a little bland if you don't add any salt (which the recipe does not call for), so season to taste!  Also, I had leftover meat even though I packed each loaf pan to the max...probably enough for 2-3 more!

 Here's the nutritional value of the casserole based on my portions.  Thumbs up for 32g of protein in one serving and not having to cook the next few meals!

Holiday Party For Kids

Today, my bootcamp and I hosted a holiday party for kids who live in transitional homes by bringing Christmas gifts, tempting sweets, and gingerbread houses for the them to decorate.  It was nice to spend time with people who have a heart to give back and see innocent smiling faces to boot!

So many generous boot campers pitched in and bought presents for 11 kids; each kid got two gifts each!  Some also generously donated cash so that we could throw the party!

Setting up the tables.  Luckily, the rain didn't set in until later in the day after the party was over!

Setting up a gingerbread train in advance so that the little kids could start decorating without having to build!

Serving one of the tenants.  Few people showed up at the beginning, but more tenants joined toward the end of the party!

The awesome team who helped with planning, set-up and strike down.  They were amazing - all of them showed up on time and stayed for the whole duration.  So thankful to have met these wonderful people through this event!

Singapore Part 2

This is the Voice!  Messing around at the office.

Early morning swim before the sun even rose

Chicken rice is popular here, so I met up with an old colleague to try it out and was not disappointed.  We went to Boon Tong Kee on Balestier Road, one of the oldest streets in Singapore.

Singapore Part 1

Hello!  I am in Singapore for a week for work.  First day consisted of delayed flights resulting in an unplanned 6 hour layover in Hong Kong, checking in to my hotel room at the butt crack of dawn, and heading straight into the office for meetings.  

Delicious snacks courtesy of Cathay Pacific's business lounge.  I think I ate nonstop thanks to the benefits of sitting in business class.  Did you know they serve juicy wonton noodle soup as a snack?!  

 

My room at the Mandarin Oriental - beautiful view!

Day and night time view from my room

I went for a run before the sun even rose intending to run 2 miles, but ended up running for over an hour because I got SO lost.  Every person I asked about getting back to my hotel responded with "you are really far away!".  Nevertheless, glad I got in those extra miles and burned those extra calories since I am eating like a little pig over here!

Turkey Trot 2015

This year marks the 3rd year that I ran the Turkey Trot and to kick things up a notch, I decided to run the 10K this year.  I met up with my Fitbody clan before the race and sipped some coffee to pump some caffeine into my anti-morning body.

The gang before the start of the race with the 150+ bags collected for the Thanksgiving food drive!

I was so happy that one of my girl friends decided to run with me at the last minute

 Quick shot with my coach seconds before the race started

 Halfway through - still feeling pretty good!

 The last mile was painful, but we did it!  The medals were quite disappointing this year because they were made of rubber and plastic.  But the important thing is that I achieved my goal of running under an hour (barely!) and hitting sub 10/mi!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Veterans Day Run

In honor of Veterans Day coming up, we ran a 5k at Griffith Park this past weekend.  The race was low budget and small (approximately 300 runners) and the entire course was on dirt/sand which made running a little more difficult, but better for our knees nonetheless.  Another bib and medal achieved!

 We warmed up with a 1 mile run prior to the race starting - it was so cold!

Great looking medal! 

Not as quick as the Rock/Roll 5k, but faster than we had thought for running "chill"!

Pumpkin Themed Baby Shower

My sister and brother-in-law are having a baby and I am going to have a new nephew in December!  I started thinking about ideas a few months ago and spent this past week preparing for their shower. Here are some photos from their special day!

 Gift table

 Closer look at the diaper cake

 Light appetizers: turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's, garlic hummus dip for veggies and chex mix scrambled with autumn mix sweets

 Interactive station: guess the celebrity baby, baby well wishes, and guest sign in

 I was in such a hurry that I didn't notice the well wishes card printed with black spots on the banner - argh!  I chose a guest sign-in that was more personalized, allowing guests to write a sweet message to baby boy and the final product can be used as decoration in his nursery

 Here's the final product of the guest sign-in!

 Dessert table: sweets from Trader Joe's, cheesecake from Portos and lots of pumpkin flavored candies

 Decorate a pumpkin contest!

 Group photo!

 With the proud parents to be!

Rock n Roll 5K

I participated in the 5k Rock n Roll race this past weekend in DTLA.  It was a last minute decision to run and I really wanted to beat my personal best.  Since parking is so expensive in DTLA and my Dad had access to a parking garage a mile away, I figured I would park there and do a 1 mile warm up run to the starting line.  When I got off the freeway, every. single. street. was blocked and I had no idea how to get to the parking lot otherwise and started to worry I wouldn't make it before the start time, so I pulled into the first street parking spot that I found and got out of the car and ran.  Little did I know I parked on a street where the homeless have made their home.  A little freaked out, I made my way over and all was well.  

I started my iPhone application to track my pace and started my race alongside a girlfriend of mine.  Fired up, I started at a sub 9 mins/mi pace, but little did I know, my friend continued at that pace the ENTIRE duration.  I really wanted to ask her to slow down and then book it at the end, but I wanted her to have a shot at getting a personal best herself, so I sucked it up and tried to keep pace.  At the end, we practically sprinted, wanting to just keel over and curl up into a fetal position, but we made it!  We were ecstatic when we checked the app on our phone to find that we most likely finished the race at a less than 9 mins/mi pace.  Personal best and goal checked off for me!

 Pre-race - the sun isn't even fully out yet!

 Post-race - I did it!

 Jump for joy!  New personal best!

We anxiously waited for the results to be posted to confirm our suspicion.  When they finally posted, I was disappointed because we finished at a 9:01 mins/mi pace.  SERIOUSLY?!  If we had ran 6 seconds faster, we would have made it under 9 mins/mi!!  Even though it felt like torture, we really weren't going as quickly as we had thought.  I can't even imagine going any quicker either!  I guess this means we will need to run another race to try to hit that goal again, but until then, I'll be joyful that I did get a personal best this time around.  My next 5k is in two weeks benefiting veterans, so maybe I'll take another stab at it then!  Um, probably not because I think if I had run any fast, I would have puked!

Chicago

It is amazing what a few days getaway can do you for you, especially when you are surrounded by so much love.

 I went to the Art Institute of Chicago museum and found my favorite exhibit of all time!  Of all the exhibits I have visited around the world, this is by far my most favorite!  There were 68 miniature rooms visible through a small glass window with the most exquisite details and realistic portrayal of European interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s and American furnishings from the 17th century to the 1930s.

Dinner at RPM Italian was a must try because I am a long time fan of the Rancic family.  I was very impressed by how busy the restaurant was on a Monday night, but more importantly, the food did not disappoint!  Everything was delicious.  I can't wait to go back and try their other restaurant RPM Steak!

My trip would not be complete without playing "stalker" and taking a photo in front of the Rancic's house.  I was hoping I would get lucky and see them taking a stroll in the neighborhood, but I guess it would have been a little too chilly for little Duke.

That's What Friends Are For

It has been an excruciating couple of weeks where I have found myself on my knees at any given time and scouring the internet and the Bible for any hope that I can cling on to.  Typically, I internalize my struggles, but this time, I felt so weak that I had no choice but to lean on friends to pick me up off the ground and lend me their shoulders to cry on.  I am truly amazed at how they have been there for me.

Throughout my childhood and into my early 20's, I never felt like I had a core group of friends that would be there for me through thick and thin.  In fact, my so called friendships were filled with betrayals leaving to me to feel utterly alone and unworthy of true friendship.  Today, I find myself surrounded by so much love and support that I am truly humbled.  This is a testament to how good God is...that He will never give us more than we can handle and because I have Him and these dear friends in my life, one step at a time, I will be able to move forward.  Most of them don't have access to my blog, but even still, I feel compelled to "publicly" declare my gratitude for a few who truly have gone above and beyond to love and support me.

J&D - This couple I met only a year ago and J has been there for me beyond belief.  I didn't realize the magnitude of her commitment to me until the day I texted her the news and she immediately cancelled her girls night out with her friends and drove to my house to merely sit and listen.  Her hubby D joined us shortly after and together we sat in my backyard talking and laughing until 4AM.  They have opened their home to me and Echo when we needed to spend the night and have checked in with me almost every day to make sure I was "okay".  I know that though our friendship is young, they will always have a place in my heart.

D - She is a long time friend that I first met through work and has been with me every step of the way.  I try not to bug her with my problems because she juggles a full time job and is Mommy to 2 adorable kids, but when she called to say hello, I immediately shared with her my struggle.  I told her I needed to get away and without ANY hesitation, she booked a flight to meet me in my city of choice.  I now have something to look forward to over the next couple weeks.  Seriously, I am so humbled by her kindness and heart.  I love her.

K - I first met K back in 2002 during a trip to Hawaii and then lost touch for several years.  We recently reconnected and timing couldn't have been better.  He has listened to me cry for hours over the phone and repeatedly helps talk me through the process, picking up my broken pieces one at a time.  I know his heart truly has my best interest in mind and that he is there to listen to me fumble over the same regrets, the same fears, and the same "what-if" scenarios with endless patience.  Gosh, how did I end up so blessed to randomly meet someone who would end up helping me through one of the worst times of my life?

B&H - These two have the busiest schedules with demanding jobs, but B has reached out to me on a regular basis just to check in.  That is HUGE for her because she is not the best at keeping in touch, so for her to reach out several times a week...it's amazing!  Even when she and H were on their pseudo-honeymoon, she managed to text me to let me know she was still there, even if her responses were not as quick.  H has offered me insight and hope and has given me tangible advice to help me take one step forward, a day at a time.  What comfort it gives me to know that I can rely on them to offer me sound and practical advice.

S - This girl...she's really in the thick of it with me.  Like the others, she checks in with me on a regular basis and always offers to meet me wherever I am so that I am never alone.  I think she was the first person I called when the crap hit the fan and she listened to me cry for hours without judgement.  I love her because she loves me so much that it actually emotionally frustrates her to see me going through this.  Those are the best friends...the ones who get angry with you and cry alongside with you.

G - My amazing brother.  He isn't one to get emotional nor is he very good with comforting words, but his actions speak so loudly.  I know that I can rely on him during this period and that means the world to me.  I love him.

Last and certainly not least...God.  The mere fact that God has surrounded me with such an amazing support group says it all.  He may not be physically visible, but I know that He is here with me through my amazing friends and family.  I am learning what it means to truly rely on Him and to let go and allow Him to fight my battles for me.  I know that He can make all things new and can resurrect what is already dead, if it is in His will.  He knows the desires of my heart.  I don't have to do anything as my only "job" is to trust in Him, to seek Him and to rely on him 100%.  How comforting is that?  

Birthday Boys

This past Sunday, we celebrated J's and my youngest brother's birthdays.  It is a tradition of ours to celebrate our birthdays just with our immediate family with a cake and take a photo at the dining table ever since we were 1 and we have extended this tradition to our significant others.  A simple tradition, but a meaningful one.  I really have a deeper appreciation for my family now realizing how warm and welcoming they are to all of our significant others.  One of the most common issues in a marriage is attributed to in-laws / families from hell.  I may be biased but I truly believe that all of our significant others are pretty darn lucky to have married into our family. 

My parents go out of their way to make our significant others feel welcomed.  My mom will cook their favorite foods or my dad will make sure that he orders one of everyone's favorite dish when dining out.  Everyone gets a hefty red envelope on Chinese New Year, on their birthday, and even sometimes for Christmas!  I have never heard my parents judge, bad mouth or gossip about any of our significant others and give us all the freedom to live as we please.  They also continue to be parents...they continue to provide for us (they took us to Vegas for New Year's!) and they have created a life for themselves that allow their children to lead their own lives without the burden of having to worry about them much.  My siblings all treat J like a brother and are so thoughtful and considerate of him just as I treat their significant others like my own brother or sister.  It brought me so much joy watching J celebrate amongst my family and opening his gifts because he was surrounded by so much love.

Singing happy birthday

Focusing hard on making their birthday wishes

Kids photo

A trendy weekend bag for little bro

Amazon gift card for J