Work 1, Lisa 0...but not for long!

Phew!  This past week at work was absolutely horrible!  I haven't experienced stress like this before.  Two of the three departments that I oversee are going through major changes...and seem to be slowly sinking.  The third department is treading water in the big sea of crap.  Corporate is the captain and is standing back and laughing while watching everyone slowly drown in this sea.  I'm standing on the bow of the ship and am not able to throw out any life-preservers for fear that Corporate will throw me out in there too.  That's all the details that I want to go into here, but it's tough right now.

It's put me in such a funk, and I've had a really hard time getting out of it.  I've been completely and utterly exhausted...both physically (nausea, headaches, heart burn, chest pain, etc.) and mentally.  I haven't even been able to exercise much, which is a bit uncharacteristic of me.  But NO MORE!!!!  Today is the day that I'm turning all of this around!  I spent a lot of time today reminding myself of what is truly important and what isn't.  It's important to get a paycheck.  We all need money to live.  Most of us (me especially) need to feel a sense of accomplishment too.  Work usually gives me that...but not for several months.  I think that along with having to make some tough decisions that I don't agree with is what has been weighing on me.  I'm going to try my best going forward to really leave as much of that as I can at work.  As my boss often says, "All I can do is give 100% when I'm at work...and that has to be enough."  I have a great personal life, and I'm going to start focusing more on that when I'm home.

Onward and upward!

 

Ready for the weekend...

I'm the type of person that cannot stand a stressful professional life at the same time as a stressful home life.  You all know that I've been complaining about work for some time now...and it only seems to be getting worse.  It's quite impossible these days, and I really don't see it getting any better.  So, of course, this week started out just the same.  I was ready for a drink by the time lunch rolled around...and so was Kristine.  Ha!  So we decided to try out a newer place downtown after work Monday...Lola.  It has some really creative drinks and some pretty good food too!  Very cute patio.  Check it out...

At least I was off Wednesday, but it was mostly so I could make several appointments.  Luckily I was able to schedule all of them in the morning.  Chad took the day off to and helped me paint all afternoon.  (Thanks, babe!)  The painting in the dining room is seeming to take forever, but it looks like we will be done on Saturday...even though I have to sacrifice the STL Heritage Beer Festival.  Boo!  I'll be very glad when all of this is done and I can move the furniture back into place.  At least then I'll be able to cease going to the living room for salt, pepper & paper towels.  Ha!

Chad and I will have some fun this weekend though.  We're planning to go to the Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival in Belleville tomorrow night, and I'm sure we'll hit up Rick's on Saturday evening.  Hopefully I'll be able to post some dining room pics by the end of the weekend.  Cheers!

Painting, painting and more painting...

This weekend was pretty uneventful.  I recently had my dining room ceiling repaired and re-plastered, so the next step was painting.  My previous dining room colors consisted of a light beige on 3 of the walls, 1 dark red wall and white trim.  Since there is a possibility that Chad and I could be moving in a year or so, I decided to tone it down with the paint.  Sabrina Soto (HGTV) says that neutral sells.  : )

Chad and I settled on a light brown on all 4 walls.  This should coordinate with the other colors in the house.  I still like my red, so I plan to accent with it instead.  Saturday we primed everything with Kilz.  I forgot how much I hate priming.  It's so much harder to apply primer than regular paint!!  Anyway, today we primed and painted the window trim & door trim.  It was in desperate need of some attention!  I'm off on Wednesday this week for a couple of appointments, so I'm hoping to get the actual paint on then.  Man, I can't wait to get the dining table out of the kitchen and the kitchen island out of the living room!  Every time I need salt, pepper or paper towels, I have to head to the living room.  The wine rack is in the living room too temporarily, but that's a bit more convenient.  Ha!
I'll be sure to post some pics of our project when it's complete.

I'm not a big fan of being cooped up in the house all weekend, so Saturday night we got cleaned up and headed out to Rick's (Olivia's).  All 6 wines on the tasting menu were super tasty!  We ended up purchasing a red blend from Cline Cellars...Oakley Five Reds.
We also had some yummy Manchego cheese at Rick's.  I hadn't heard of this before, but I'll definitely be looking for it at the store in the near future.  After Rick's we headed to dinner at Seven in downtown Belleville.  We hadn't been there in quite a while, but it didn't disappoint...and neither did the martini.  Tonight we're laying low in front of the TV.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a better week at work, but I'm probably just dreaming.  It's been crazy busy lately and I don't really see an end to it.  : (
It's a shame because I really used to like this job.  It's always been challenging (in a good way) but now it's challenging (in a bad way) and tests my limits daily.  I'm just hoping I can hang in there for awhile.  It's got to get better, right?  So for now, I'm just going to keep my sites set on the weekend.  This weekend is Wine, Dine & Jazz in downtown Belleville.  We're hoping to head up there one night.  

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Back to reality!

It's been quite hectic...but fun since we returned from vacation.  Mom picked us up from the airport, and we went straight to Rick's place (Olivia's).  Ha!  Let me explain...

There was quite a bit of fun being had back here in Glen Carbon while Chad & I were away.  John's sister, Laurie, came to visit from California.  Her visit brought another of John's sisters, Becky, and brother-in-law, Tom, in from Indy.  His brother, Tim, even though local has been visiting a bunch too.  The whole Gill clan has been hanging out and drinking George's delicious wine all week long.  Laurie's S.O., George, has a vineyard and has made some wonderful wine!  (Thanks, Laurie, for saving us a bottle!)  Now I'm rambling.  Ha!  The Gill clan met Chad, Mom and I at Olivia's for some wine tasting Saturday night.  They pulled out all the stops!  We had fruit, cheese, Rick's wine & George's wine.  It was sooooo much fun!  Everyone enjoyed themselves!!

Sunday we headed back over to Mom & John's to hang with the fam, eat, drink and play some hand-and-foot.  (I have to brag.  I don't think I lost a game all weekend!  Ha!)  Tom made some mouth-watering jambalaya Sunday night and John grilled some delicious sausages (and a portabella cap for me) on Monday afternoon.  Many of us were attacked by the "sticker monster" (AKA Lehni) this afternoon while playing cards.  Lesson learned...Grandma should only give her one sheet of stickers at a time!  There were stickers everywhere...chairs, tables, faces, arms, & backs!!

Now it's back to the old grind stone tomorrow.  I spent a couple of hours already tonight going through emails, so I don't have to waste too much time on it tomorrow.  Chad's been working too.  It's quite a busy time for him right now...and it took quite a lot for him to take this much time off.  Thanks, babe!

On a side note...found out on vacation that the camera flash was smoking when it was used.  Ouch!  So luckily it was still under warranty with Canon.  We're sending it back for repair.  So there won't be anymore pics for a bit.  The Gill clan (above) got the last pic for now.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Ahhhh...relaxation!

Since Chad & I will both be so busy when we get back home, we decided to take full advantage of our vacation...and do a whole lot of nothing the last few days. Thursday was another poolside day filled with reading & piña coladas. Thursday night we headed to a local Italian joint in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Nick's Italian. Very reasonably priced with yummy food! Chad ordered the chicken parm. and I got the seafood papadelle rustica...shrimp, scallops & papadelle pasta in a seafood broth with olive oil, tomatoes & garlic. (Sorry no pics of this meal. ). We found a little wine bar across the street, 33rd St. Wine Bar, for a little after dinner drink. They even served the wine in Riedels!

Friday was our final beach day. We rented a couple of lounge chairs & an umbrella for the day. This provided some much needed shade that we did not have at the pool. The water was very calm, so it was quite crowded. We were both able to finish our books & enjoy the water! Serious relaxation!



Friday night we grabbed some fresh sushi at Sushi Rock Cafe on Las Olas Blvd. (Again, I failed to take any pics.)

This morning Chad & I spent our last morning chilling on our deck eating breakfast & then took a stroll on the beach. Quite peaceful! We topped off our stay here with a wonderful lunch at The Blue Moon Fish Co. in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. We had a view of the boats on the intercoastal waterway & the drawbridge letting them through. This is quite an expensive restaurant but they have a 2-for-1 lunch, which is really nice. I opted for the Lobster Roll & Chad chose the Filet Mignon Panini.






I haven't had a relaxing vacation like this in many years. I will truly miss waking up without an alarm, breakfast on the balcony with the paper, wine on the balcony in the evening, the ocean across the street, and, of course, the amazing seafood!!!


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Day 6 - Poolside

Today was a poolside day...all day. We both really needed it after a busy Monday & Tuesday. I even got a workout in at the Fitness Center.

We decided to hit the pool at the other resort...Wyndham Royal Vista. The pool here doesn't even compare. Here's a couple pics of their pool...









We did encounter a large rain shower later in the afternoon, so we headed in and got ready for dinner. We chose Casablanca Cafe on a recommendation from a local bartender. It was fabulous! It is right on A1A and overlooks Ft. Lauderdale Beach.








We had baked Brie & fresh fruit for an appetizer. Chad ended up with Lobster Ravioli & I picked the Chili Dusted Sea Scallops with Chipotle-Orange Caramel Sauce. Yummy,yummy! We post so many pics of food you'd think that's all we did was eat. Ha! We always appreciate great food though. Here it is..












Cheers!

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The Keys...good food, great drinks & Hemingway

Days 3 and 4 of our Florida trip consisted of a road trip down to the FL Keys, which is about a 4 hour drive from the Pompano Beach area where we've been staying.  This was a gorgeous drive down once we got to the Keys...and past the swamplands.  Although beautiful, it is a slow drive...kind of like the pace of the lifestyle down there...a bit slower.  The highway is 2 lanes almost all the way down and the speed limit averages around 45 mph.  This does give you a chance to take in the scenery though.  The water is a gorgeous green-blue color and so calm!

 
We stopped in Marathon, FL (a little over half-way through the Keys) at a restaurant I found on the internet...The Island Fish Co.  Boy did I make a good choice if I do say so myself!  This place has an amazing view and wonderful food.  It was hot outside but we sat under a little tiki hut and there was a small breeze the entire time.  Here's a view from our table...

Prior to the trip several of my friends/family mentioned that we HAD to try conch fritters.  My mom actually said that her and John went on a quest to find the perfect conch fritter when they were down in the Keys several years ago.  So, of course, we ordered the conch fritters.  Chad had a lobster sandwich, and I had the salad special...grouper pan-fried in coconut on a bed of lettuce with fruit slices and a coconut dressing.  Yumm-o!  

We finally arrived in Key West in the afternoon and drove straight to The Southernmost Point.  (No pics to post just yet.  We took most on the camera, so you'll have to wait until we get home and are able to download them.)  There is also a small beach and pier near here, so we checked that out too.

We stayed at La Concha Hotel, which was right on Duval Street amidst all the action.  This was probably one of the only hotel-like places to stay on Key West.  Most accommodations are at inns or B&Bs.  It was a nice hotel...a bit older...but remodeled and clean!  It was within 2-5 blocks of everything we needed.  There isn't much parking in Key West, so we were able to park and walk!  The drink of choice that afternoon was a mojito.  Here's our first one!

 We hit up a few other places on the Duval Crawl...Jack Flats, Hog's Breath, & Rum Barrel.  We had dinner at a Cuban place with tapas cuisine...El Meson de Pepe...and boy did we have a spread.  I even tried ceviche for the first time.

We did take in the sunset at Mallory Square and watched a few of the vendors/artists.  It was a great sunset, but seriously crowded with tourists!

This morning we took in a brunch at Banana Cafe, which specializes in crepes.  I had La Ratatouille...mixed veggies in a red sauce wrapped in a crepe with a fried egg on top.  Chad had a burger crepe.  Here's mine...

After breakfast, we toured Ernest Hemingway's home.  Very beautiful!  My favorite, of course, was the 6-toed (and one 7-toed) cats!  (Sorry, pics to come later.)  Our final stop in Key West was Peppers.  This was Chad's heaven.  It is a boutique store that caters to hot sauces.  They even have a "tasting bar".  Several of the sauces were made right there in the Keys.  We tasted several and bought 3 hot sauces and 1 BBQ sauce.  Luckily they have a website.  I anticipate we'll be ordering from there often.  


On the way back we realized that we had just spent a day in the Keys and hadn't stepped foot in the water, so we stopped on the side of the road in Islamorada and walked out into the water.  They have very large sandbars there, so you can walk quite a ways out and still not have the water above mid-calf.  It was amazing how HOT the water was...kind of like bathtub water.  Lastly we stopped for a quick snack and a drink at Wahoo's Bar & Grill in Islamorada.  We had our third (and least favorite) batch of conch fritters here.  (Our favorite was the fritters at Island Fish Co.)  The view at Wahoo's was amazing as well.  It's a harbor and caters to the boat crowd.

We were exhausted when we got back to the Pompano Beach area.  (We hit Miami at rush hour and wasted an extra 45 min in backed-up traffic.)  We hit a local dive for some carry out pizza...Stingers.  We did sit and have a drink while we were waiting for the pizza.  This gave us the chance to chat with a local and get some good ideas on where to eat and what to do with the remainder of our time here.

We've had a busy last couple of days, so we're planning a beach/pool day tomorrow with dinner out somewhere.  We're quite excited to lay around, get some sun and read our books tomorrow.  Ahhhh!  Relaxation!

See you soon!

Day 1 - Part 2

We chose Wild East Asian Bistro for dinner.




Some of the best sea bass I've ever eaten.




Round 1 - saketinis at Wild East. Chad's was lychee & mine was a French saketini.












Round 2 was at Big City Tavern...




Headed back to the condo early tonight. Off to Key West in the morning!

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Day 1

Today was our first full day I'm the area. It started out with a few clouds.








Our condo is across the street from the beach and just has a small pool. The sister condo, a block down the street, had 2 pools, a beach, larger tiki bar, sundeck & exercise facility. Luckily, we have full access to this resort. We hit up the beach late morning.




Later we decided to head to Las Olas for dinner. On the way, we have to drive through Lauderdale-By-the-Sea. Just in case we need a doctor...




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We made it!

Well we finally made it to FL! I didn't think vaca was ever going to get here!! The weather is beautiful and out condo is superb! We're staying at The Wyndham - Santa Barbara! Thanks, Mom! We ended up with a 1 bedroom deluxe condo, which means kitchen, dining room, living room, 2 bathrooms (one for each of us), king bed & a jacuzzi! We even have an ocean view from one of our two balconies.





It was quite a long day today. So we opted for a casual dinner. We ended up at The Whole Enchilada...kind of a dove with amazing mahi mahi tacos on corn tortillas! Yumm-o!! We washed it down with a Modelo Especial & a lime. Then we headed up to Las Olas Blvd...kind of a trendy boutique area with lots of restaurants that we want to try later this week. On our way back to the condo we drove all the way down A1A from Ft. Lauderdale to Pompano Beach. All I have to say is...

A1A Beachfront Avenue!!










A1A in the Ft. Lauderdale area looked like it got mobbed by "spring breakers". Here is a place I read about on Yelp that I wanted to try...The Elbo Room.  It was classified as a dive bar. Whatever! We're going to see what it's like during the week. Hopefully it's not so crazy.





Now we're back at the condo sipping some wine on the patio.




Looks like we might be heading to Key West on Monday. We better get going on finding a place to stay while we're down there.

Wish you were here!


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Location:Pompano Beach, FL

Sunday afternoon chef...

I really like to cook and try new receipes...BUT only when I have the time.  Well, I had plenty of time this afternoon.  I LOVE egg salad.  Mom made some for me last weekend, so now I'm craving it.  Here's what I made for work this week.  (Sorry the pic isn't pretty.  I'm saving it for my lunches.)

Egg Salad with a Kick
4 servings

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled & chopped
1/4 cup light mayo
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 Tbsp & 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp chopped red onion
2 Tbsp real bacon bits
Salt & pepper

Stir everything together in a bowl.  Add salt & pepper to taste. 

Here's what I made for dinner.  The risotto is soooo yummy.  It might need some added spice is you're eating it alone...but it's so good with these spicy brussel sprouts.

Shittake and Sweet Pea Risotto
4 servings
Courtesy of Cooking Light

4 cups fat-free, low-sodium broth (chicken or veggie)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic, divided
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 Tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 Tbsp EVOO
4 cups thinly-sliced shiitake caps
2 tsp chopped fresh-thyme
3/4 cups frozen peas
1/4 tsp freshly group black pepper

1.  Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Keep warm over low heat.
2.  Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion & cook 2 minutes.  Add 1 tsp garlic & cook 30 sec.  Add rice & cook 1 minute while stirring constantly.  Add wine & cook 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed stirring frequently.  Stir in the remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time waiting until liquid is absorbed each time.
3.  Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms & saute 5 minutes or until tender.  Add remaining 1/2 tsp garlic & 1/2 tsp thyme and saute 1 minute.  Set aside.
4.  Stir mushrooms, remaining 1 tsp thyme, peas, 1/4 cup cheese and pepper into risotto and cook 3 minutes.  Spoon into bowls & top with cheese.


Pan-Braised Brussel Sprouts
4 servings

1 lb. brussel sprouts, halved
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1.  Add oil, garlic, mustard, paprika & salt to a bowl.  Toss with brussel sprouts to combine.
2.  Cook in pan with oil for about 10 minutes or until tender.     

Beautiful Day for a Beer!

Saturday morning Chad and I set out for a day of drinking with friends.  We headed out late morning for a brunch at Cracker Barrel!  You have to have some sustenance before a day like yesterday.  

Next we met Ashley & Chad and Angie & Kyle at the STL Microfest in the Muny parking lot in Forest Park!  What a blast!  The first stand I stopped at once we entered the festival was this gentleman selling vintage brewery T-shirts with logos imprinted on them from breweries that aren't around any longer.  They were quite awesome.  Check them out at Yesterbeer.

Here are some pics of our day...

Chad and I

Ashley and Chad

Angie and Kyle

Cheers!

April Showers...

Wow, it's been a bit since I've blogged.  Here's what I've been up to.

Chad and I hit up our second Opening Day festivities for the Cardinals in early April!  This year was soooo much better!!  Last year Chad and I froze our asses off with Julie & Rob!  It was so cold & snowy.  Can you believe it?!?!  This year was much warmer.  There's nothing like taking off a half-day from work on a nice day, kicking back, and drinking some beers while watching the Cards!  It's even better that I can see the office from Busch and know that all my colleagues are still working.  He he!

Here's a couple of pics...

 

Yes, it's true.  April showers bring May flowers.  I've been really behind on all of my yard work this year since it rained for the last few weekend.  So I decided to take the day off today and get a bit caught up.  Lucky for me...Mom was off today too.  I got so much more done with her help.  Thanks, Mom!

Here's a few pics of the newly mulched landscaping.  (Please disregard the ugly window flower boxes and the dilapidated porch railing.  Those are my next projects.)

My lilac bush!  It smells so good when it blooms.  I wish I had more of these.

This is a very old azalea bush that was here when I moved in.  It barely bloomed before last year when Mom pruned & fertilized it.  Go Mom!

Tomorrow we're off to the STL Microfest in Forest Park!  Very excited!!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

Veggie Black Bean Burgers

It's been great weather lately and I've been wanting to grill but...I'm not able to eat much of what goes on the grill.  (I haven't learn to grill fish yet.)  So I tried my hand at making my first batch of Black Bean Veggie Burgers along with some Spicy Chili French Fries.  We didn't do too bad of a job.

Veggie Black Bean Burgers
Courtesy of www.allrecipes.com
6 servings

• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup water
• Two 16oz. cans black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 green bell pepper, halved & seeded
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. hot sauce 
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs                                                                                                       

1. Bring brown rice & water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover & simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. (About 45-50 min.)
2. Preheat grill.  Lightly oil sheet of aluminum foil. (Read my note at the end of this recipe.)  Mash black beans in a large bowl with a fork until thick & pasty.
3. Place the bell pepper, onion, mushrooms & garlic into a food processor bowl and chop finely.  Stir this mixture into the mashed beans.  Place the mozzarella & brown rice into the food processor & process until combined.  Stir rice mixture into bean mixture.
4. Whisk together the eggs, hot sauce & spices.  Stir egg mixture into the black bean mixture.  Stir in the bread crumbs adding additional if needed until mixture is sticky & holds together.  (I added about an extra 1/2 cup.)  Divide into 6 patties.
5. Place onto foil & grill until browned (about 8 min on each side).

Note:  You can also bake these burgers instead of grill them.  Bake at 375 degrees on a lightly oiled baking sheet (about 10 min on each side).  
We opted to grill these, but they tended to stick to the foil regardless of the oil.  We instead put one of those grill pans for fish/vegetables on the grill, sprayed it with Pam, and it worked out just fine.  They are fairly fragile burgers, so be careful when you turn them.

Spicy Chili French Fries
Courtesy of www.allrecipes.com
4 servings

• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/4 inch thick fries
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. dried onion granules
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. salt 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a large baking sheet.
2. Fill a large bowl with cold water, add potatoes & allow to soak for 10 min.
3. Whisk together the oil, vegetable juice, sugar & spices in a large bowl.
4. Drain potatoes & pat dry.  Toss the potatoes in the oil & spice mixture.  Stir until evenly coated.  Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 20 min, turn & continue to bake for additional 20 min.

Enjoy!