Last Week of Holidays & Udon Noodle Recipe

I went back to work on Monday, which went well.  It doesn't take long to get back into the swing of things, and I feel prepared and excited for the new school year. 

Buuuuuut the week before I made the most of my last week of holidays.  I spent plenty of time outside and went for a walk around the lake each day.

One day I met up with my sister and nephew for lunch at Roots.

This was our first time visiting this restaurant, and we were impressed with the food.  The menu was big and had many things that sounded good, so I am sure we'll be back.  I want to try their breakfast next time.

Giovanni had the spicy shrimp tacos and thought they were great, and my sweet potato fries were perfect.

We stopped for a coffee at Perk & Taps after lunch.

Another day I met up with Christopher for lunch at Western Pizza.

In the afternoons I usually sat outside with iced tea, Spitz, and a book.

We BBQd bison sausage with mushrooms and potato one evening:

The leftovers were good for breakfast the next day:

I am feeling non-traditional breakfasts lately.

Another evening we had Korean chicken with halloumi stuffed bell pepper:

On cooler evenings we ate beetnicks and beet risotto:

On the Friday night we had Chinese food at Christopher's parents' house:

Then we went back there the next day for an early birthday celebration for our niece Charlotte.

Last Sunday I had my friend Fanta's baby shower which was fun!

Later in the day, we started to get some food ready for the week.  We made coconut braised chickpeas with spinach and roasted sweet potatoes for my breakfasts:

Enough for a few days, and SO filling.

And Udon pork noodles for our lunches:

Udon Pork Noodles

Ingredients:

- 1-2 T sesame oil
- 3 T ginger, minced (or more to taste)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
- 1 pkg. ground pork (about 1 lb.)
- 2-3 cups bok choy, thinly sliced
- 4 packages udon noodles
- sriracha to serve

Sauce:

- 4 T soy sauce
- 4 T sesame oil
- 4 T brown sugar
- 2 T oyster sauce
- 2 T sake or white cooking wine
- pepper to taste
- 2 T cornstarch dissolved in about 1/4 cup cold water

Heat sesame oil in a wok over medium.  Add half of the garlic and ginger, and cook for a minute.  Add the pork, and cook until done.  Drain some fat if it's fatty.  Add the bok choy, and rest of the garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes. 

 * Meanwhile, mix up the sauce, combining everything except the cornstarch slurry. 

Add the sauce and noodles to the wok, separating the noodles with your hands as you add them.  Stir and cook a few minutes, until the noodles are softened.  Add the slurry, and cook another couple minutes.  Serve with loads of sriracha.  Reheats really well.

How was your week?  

What are you up to this Labour Day long weekend?

We're going out on the town tonight!

Starbucks Card WINNER!!!!!!! And 2 Day Re-Cap

id you miss my 24, 24, 24 Dinner Re-Cap?
Check Here!

$25 Dollar Starbucks Card Giveaway WINNER:

True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 50 Result: 6

The winner is: AMBER (Girl with the Red Hair)!! Please contact me with your mailing address and I will get the gift card to you right away!!

Sunday Re-Cap:

Breakfast/ Lunch - 2 scrambled eggs with Sriracha hot sauce, and a glo-bar:





Dinner at In-Laws - Perogies, sausage, potatoes, pickle, cheese:





With a glass of Icetea:



Snack Sunday night - Grapefruit:



Monday Re-Cap:

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day!! Spring has definitely sprung in Regina. It was about 14C.
I started my day with a bowl of banana maple walnut oats:


(1/2 cup maple coffee, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 t maple flakes, 1/2 banana, 1 tsp walnuts).



Lunch was leftover bison and Saskatoon berry ragout on rice, with an orange and a yogurt:



Dinner was a veggie burger and a salad with mixed greens, tomato, cucumbers, Gruyere, bacon bits, and Saskatoon berry vinaigrette:





I went for a run this evening. I am pretty crappy. I can only run about a quarter mile at a time, and then I am huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf. BUT, I have improved (yes, I used to be worse!) When I started I could barely run a minute. You should have seen me. I was pathetic. Still am, but at least I am improving!

My next run on the C25K plan is about a quarter mile MORE than what I am doing now. I don't know how I will run a half mile straight ... then walk a couple minutes, then do it again. I am scurrrrrrrrrrred!

On Friday morning the hubby and I will be leaving for NYC! We will be there for a week.

Are any NY bloggers interested in a blogger meet-up?
Let me know!!

What do you have planned for the Easter weekend?

This will be the first time my hubby and I won't be with family over Easter. We will have to check out the Easter Parade in NY, and see what else is happening! We will also be there for the hubby's 29th B-Day which is on April 6th!

Kids? A BIG Giveway? Coming Soon (Enough)!

n Monday I was contacted by Jason from CSN Stores.

CSN Stores has a number of websites with great products ranging from modern decor to kids furniture and cookware. Of course, I was instantly interested in the cookware, although maybe one of these days I will be thinking more about kids furniture - *Nudge nudge, wink, wink.* (Don't get too excited - see the Q and A below!!)

Jason presented me with the opportunity to either try and review a product from one of CSN Stores' sites myself, OR do a giveaway with my readers.

I decided that I would like to let you, my lovely readers, in on the action and do a giveaway instead of a product review.

The stuff on these sites is AMAZING, and I don't need to try it out to know that!

I am very excited that on Monday I will announcing another BIG giveaway!!
You won't want to miss out!!

Now for my eats ...

Breakfast was a smoothie.

Open up!


Mmmm, chocolate smoothie goodness. This was made with 1 cup unsweetened almond breeze, 1 T almond butter, 1 pack Chocolate Amazing Grass, 1 pack Kids Chocolate Amazing Grass, 1 scoop chia seeds, 1 scoop of the power blend that Navitas Naturals gave me to try.

This smoothie kept me full all morning.

I didn't have anything to take for lunch today, so I had to pick something up. I decided that Booster Juice would be the healthiest option. I had a vegetarian Greek wrap:



And some fresh juice (4 carrots, ginger, and apple) that I just about gagged on.
Too much ginger - blech!



The hubby and I were craving breakfast for dinner this evening. We made omelets and then put them on top of toasted whole wheat bagels, topped them with cheese, and broiled them for a couple minutes. I smothered mine in Sriracha. I have a problem.



Dessert was a grapefruit with a sprinkle of stevia (thanks to NuNaturals for the stevia).



I was recently asked this question as part of my "Ask Me Anything Feature":

It seems like you have a good career and a happy marriage. Are babies the next step?

Yes, the hubby and I are happily married (nearly 6 years now!!) and we both have our careers in full swing. We own our own home, have two cars, and a landscaped yard. I'd say babies are the next step :-) But we might sneak another trip or two in first! I think 28 would be a good age to get pregnant. I would also like to try and convince some of our couple friends that they should have a baby around the same time!! None of our couple friends have kids yet!! Crazy hey!!

So, tell me about your thoughts on kids.
Do you have them? Want them? When? How many?