January/ February Randoms

I'm over Winter. When will the warmth come? I'm trying to keep spirits up, and honestly we've had a couple of days of sunny and 60 degrees, which I am grateful for. But I can't wait for continuous sunshine.

We're currently training for the Illinois Marathon 5k. I know to some people a 5k seems like a piece of cake, but this will be my first official run. I'm proud of the progress we've been making and training and conditioning has given me something to look forward to every week. Plus it helps me keep track of my food consumption, which we all know about my monster appetite. 

Here are some random pictures from the first two months of the year. Enjoy!

Pulled pork toast with fried egg and salsa verde

Matching my baby

Roasted root veggies: radishes, carrots and fennel

Bone broth, yum

Yeah I ate pie with Doritos and wine. Sorry not sorry

Steak sandwiches

Grease fruit and bacon egg bowls for breakfast

Snow bing, coffee and macaron for scrabble date night

Shrimp spaghetti with tomato basil sauce

Frozen lake and Crystal Lake Park

Witches hats, I ate like five

More snow bing

Meat and cheese from Pizza Antica

Getting fancy at Art Party Studio

60 degrees and drinking outside in shorts. So Midwest

Soon it will be Spring and I'll head home for a week and run a 5k. Many things to look forward to, including my last birthday as a 20-something year old. Eekkkk!

-Akemi-chan

Slow Cooker Ribs with Dr Pepper BBQ sauce

When pork is on sale, it's time to play. Ribs always seem so tedious, as they should. The right combination of sweet and savory, char with meaty. But who has time for that? 

As much as I like going out for barbecue, I sometimes just want an affordable meaty meal with slathered sauce, from home. If we went to our local barbecue spot, we would have an amazing meal, for around $30 for two. Since pork ribs were on sale, this rib meal, with potatoes and veggies on the side, cost under $15. 

It might not be the high caliber, smoky, charred, barbecue from down the street, but it sure beats the McRib. 

Slow Cooker Ribs with Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

12 oz Dr Pepper soda

2 cups ketchup

1 tbsp Worcestershire 

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

4 oz apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 lbs of baby back ribs

In a medium pot on medium-high heat, combine soda, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, sea salt, liquid smoke and apple cider vinegar. Whisk for five minutes. Once all the ingredients are combined, bring to simmer for 10 minutes. 

Coat ribs in brown sugar, reserve any extra. Once sauce is complete, add ribs to slow cooker (I had to cut the slab in half to fit them). Add remaining brown sugar to pot. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of bbq sauce and pour the rest over the ribs. 

Cook on low for 5 1/2-6 hours. Rotate ribs occasionally to make sure they are coated in sauce. Serve with reserved sauce for dipping/ smothering.

Enjoy!

Quick Chicken Salad

It's Summer, which means sunshine, picnics, grilling and light and refreshing foods. I've been soaking up every ounce of sunlight that I can muster. Shorts, tanks, sunglasses and sandals have been my off-duty uniform and I wouldn't have it any other way. These days I take any excuse to go for an afternoon walk and an ice-cold drink on the porch. It's Summer and I'm loving it.

I've been trying to eat lighter. It's not just a wedding diet, but a seasonal thing as well. I don't want to eat heavy filling foods that prevent me from taking my afternoon stroll. I want something that is crisp and refreshing and leaving me feel energized and ready for the rest of the day. Tea helps too, ice of course.

One afternoon, Bryan and I decided to have lunch in the backyard with the puppydog. Although I consider this to be a hodgepodge of ingredients I happen to have in the fridge, it still did the job.



Quick Chicken Salad

1 large chicken breast, grilled and cubed

3 cups of fresh spinach, washed

1 carrot, sliced diagonally

2 strips of bacon, chopped

1 Fuji Apple, cubed

1 single serving sized plain Greek yogurt 

1 lemon

2 tsp chives

1 tsp chopped garlic

Salt and pepper

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, chives and garlic. If the dressing is too thick, add more lemon juice. In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and toss in yogurt dressing. Simple and easy, just like Summer.

Perfect with a glass of lemonade or iced tea, this salad was the perfect way to stay cool inside and outside. Enjoy!

-Akemi-chan

March Randoms

I'm 27 years old. It's crazy to think that I'm that old. But I wouldn't trade my life for anything else. I'm incredibly lucky and 27 is going to be a great year.

Rum, pineapple juice and grenadine never looked so good

St Patty's shopping

Our first time makings ribs

Skyy ginger, lemon and thyme martini

Stalking the local chickens on our walk

Seared tilapia on sauteed kale, red onion, radishes and tomato

My tea fix

Date night at Aroma Cafe

Drinks at Boltini

Sweet potato fries, fresh veggies and yogurt dipping sauce

"Mexican" hot chocolate: Milk, cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne

Bringing a little bit of Japan to New Orleans

Reading on the plane, instead of sleeping

Birthday dinner at Sushi Kame

Looks like all I did in March was drink. Maybe I need to reassess my lifestyle?

September/ October Randoms

September and October have a a busy couple of months. I've been slacking on the blogging, especially in wake of our Eurotrip. But I haven't been slacking on the picture-taking. Here's some snippets of September and October. 

Apple, frisee, fried egg, garden tomato and grilled onion salad

My little work friend

Silly squirrels leaving our tomatoes on the ladder

Roasted eggplant, portabella mushroom and kale tower with pork loin with cane syrup, coffee gravy

Roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, eggplant and rosemary

First time Shepard's pie

Sweetest Day pan au chocolat and chai latte

Crushing grapes from California

Turkey, mustard, arugula and green apple wrap... and The Chew

Snow White worthy apple

Sparkling blood orange margarita from The Wedge

Chin watching Thursday Night Football

Nick Offerman Mustache cupcake from Cream and Flutter

Brownies, bananas and walnuts

Fall is here

Feeling Autumnal 

Sweet Heat Latte (Cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper and honey)

Bacon, egg and banana pepper pizza

Tomorrow, I'll be heading out to San Francisco to visit some dear friends. It seems like forever since I've seen them and it gives me even more reason to make a quick weekend trip to California. Wish me luck!

-Akemi-chan