January 29, 2015

TAXES — DONE!

What a blessing and huge relief. All my W-2s right where I needed them.

January 28, 2015

Tofu scramble!

Finally got to try this recipe for breakfast and man oh man was I ever so thankful for the protein/carb punch my breakfast provided. I ended up being able to skip lunch…and delay dinner. I just was satiated and full. I definitely snacked in between: banana, nuts, etc.

The tofu scramble, once a daunting task, is nothing more than drying a block of tofu between two paper towels and then mashing it to pieces… and then frying it in a pan of sautéed onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and spices. I threw in some fresh spinach, too.

The taste: It will never be egg. It’s not supposed to be. But, it did taste good enough to eat and kept me full. And for that, I am thankful.

January 27, 2015

Today was another day for me in the Endocrinology clinic for thyroid FNAs. I don’t know why Im getting so worked up over this clinic. I’m thanking God for the blessing of having worked at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia right after cytology school. This first job really laid the foundation for my success in navigating the tricky entity of fine needle aspirations, not only being proficient but quick. I revisited the same quick paced rotations while at Methodist Hospital in Houston and then again at Upper Chesapeake Medical with endo-bronchial aspirations.

So.. I know I will be ok. .. but my nerves have me spooked and shaky — Im surprised the endocrinologist was able to follow my scope session at all with me shaking so badly (I mean WHOLE BODY SHAKES!!! haha)

But thank God for my background and experience, this, too, will definitely pass.

January 26, 2015

Mondays usually suck but today was a great day. Lots of blessings in my day today, Pa clearing off my car for me in the morning, easy commute despite the snow, yummy lunch that I shared with my coworkers from Sunday night, Kale chips (see Trader Joe’s if you have no clue what these are — they’re incredible!) but Im most thankful for the opportunity to help out at Hopkins House… its essentially a housing facility for families who stay with sick children being treated at the hospital. Volunteers can come and cook dinner on site in the kitchen. The house in its capacity houses 14 families. Volunteers prepare dinner and then eat/interact with the families, sometimes children, too. For one of my favorite organizations, Maryland Association of Cytology, I wanted to schedule an event each month on a regular basis.

I spoke with the coordinator tonight and am so thankful that we were able to secure the last Saturday of every month to serve brunch! Dinners are usually popular and filled quickly but brunch is a novelty and is what they need. I’m so happy I thought of it (brunch is so much more exciting to cook!!) and am so looking forward to cooking brunch for the house once a month this whole year beginning this Saturday, January 31st.

January 25, 2015

Sundays are for cooking. One of my favorite little blessings to mankind: masala channay (curried chick peas). One very well-known southeast-asian breakfast is halwa poori that consists of a sweet dish – halwa usually made of cream of wheat but there are tons of different types, channay and curried potatoes and poor is — a flaky thin bread of sorts. YUM!

I am not fond of halwa and honestly the pooris — eh, no big — my fave is the channay and potatoes. Mom and I went out and shopped for all necessary items and then came home and cooked. Quantity is an issue here because there are only three of us and I cannot repeat a meal too often so we only made just enough for today and some for Monday lunch.

It was my first time making the potatoes by myself. The dishes were amazing.

January 24, 2015

Yay Saturday morning with nothing to do — its so cold out … I feel as though getting out of a warm bed is a complete waste of time and part of me feels like if I were dying of thirst.. I’d skip walking to the kitchen to get a drink.

I want a lazy day. But lazy days never work when you are alone. I need a partner. Not just any partner but one that is the number one shamer of lazy people and lazy days so I don’t have anyone to ruin my lazy day later.

Mom.

Yes, the cute little harmless-looking Pakistani woman that all people who meet her love, ma is the perfect partner. She joined me in a youtube HumTV drama binge-fest. We watched all De Ijazat Jo Tu. Good drama. Watch it if you get the chance.

January 23, 2015

Thank God for sweet Food Truck owners!

So today was a great day — not because it was Friday — but because the Greek food truck would be parked near Hopkins hospital. I heard my co-workers excitedly looking forward to this day all week and naturally, a Greek-loving gal, I was excited to finally be able to join in food fun at work (being vegan pretty much leaves me with indian day and little else, so yes Greek truck woohoo — that was me).

Ok first things first: no falafel. And yes, I will admit I’m a little slow with ethnic cuisines but I could have swore falafel, though not being Greek in origin, was usually found on the menu somehow. No falafel. No big deal, nothing beats yummy fresh-grilled veggies, rice, warm and wrapped in a pita with — WHAT?! No TAHINI sauce either?!?! What else am I to top my sandwich with!?

Second, be weary of sneaky ingredients that somehow magically find their way into your sandwich but are not listed. So I had to go back to the truck — with my grilled veggie and rice sandwich with my supervisor – who refused to let me let the additive slide while going hungry. Thankfully, the owner apologized and made me another sandwich — without rice this time because he very politely informed me that the rice was cooked in chicken stock.

Even with all the above.. .it was a very, very yummy sandwich.

January 22, 2015

Puffins!

I don’t know why I never thought of it before, but I shall never again eat cereal with milk. Puffins is my latest find… its a cereal sold at Trader Joe’s. It’s vegan. It’s a bit like Capn Crunch PB cereal but way better — more adult (ahem!).

It’s not as sugary or calorie dense as other PB cereals and it’s a great mid-morning afternoon snack.

January 21, 2015

Gobstoppers!

I’m not diagnosed with hyperglycemia, but I’m borderline and every now and then — when I find myself delaying lunch with no snacks I get a little … whoozy. Enter Gobstoppers. My latest obsession. These little candies come in individual packs of three and they are absolutely perfect for a sugar pick-me-up, negligible calories of course.

January 20, 2015

New Balance Shoes!

Ok, shoes in general are a big blessing — they cover our feet, protect us from things we would not otherwise step in if it weren’t for them, help us look fashionable and (ladies) give us sexy confidence — no not Doc Maartens!

I’m so extra grateful for my New Balance sneakers today — running from one building to the other for procedures and having to stand the entire afternoon these bad boys came in handy. I love my heels but I will shout this from the mountains (which I would climb thanks to these sneaks!), “I BIG TIME HEART SNEAKERS!”