Cauliflower Gratin

Last week, Tim and I had a sweet little date at home. There was wine, and our "french cafe music" pandora station, and some delicious dinner. We had, courtesy of Tim, oven-roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower gratin. It was delicious, and simple, and a nice vegetarian Thursday. The cheese sauce, which is really all it was, and not a true gratin, was smooth and creamy, salty and with just the right tang. Tim's roasted brussel sprouts were the perfect accompaniment, the sprinkling of salt over the crisp leaves divine. It really felt like our own Parisien cafe!

We've been trying to eat healthier and simpler in the post holiday madness, slimming our waistlines a bit. We had baked potatoes with homemade (lightened!) wedge salads one evening, some black bean and spinach soup another - note: spinach ruins black bean soup. One night recently we had big spinach salads with hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and cucumbers with a  meyer lemon-honey-mustard vinaigrette. While the salad was delicious, and the perfect light end to a day, the true star of the meal was the GGB (ghetto garlic bread) made from rosemary and garlic loaf. Not homemade, but so completely delicious and wonderful. I could have eaten the entire loaf in one sitting.

So far, simple and low-key has been the motto of 2011. And I'm loving every minute of it.

Half Marathon Training Begins!

I have decided to run a half marathon.

This is something I've wanted to do for some time, and I've been too scared. After much debate, I realized I should at least try, or I'll never know if I can do it. If I don't succeed, at least I'll have put myself out there.

I did my first run this morning. Here's my confession: at just three miles, this is actually the longest I've ever run without stopping. And it felt amazing. Although my chest hurt and I was winded, it was completely possible. Music kept me motivated. It takes me away to places I've been and places I've only dreamt about. Today I visited Australia, rolling hills in Ireland, the deserts of the American west, and a plane high above the Atlantic ocean. I love the power the music has to clear my thoughts more than anything else. Although I never feel my mind is completely clear, running or driving and listening to music I enjoy is the closest I get, and I feel more at peace with the world. What is that power?

The Arrival of 2011

I started 2011 with a sunrise walk and a gorgeous view of the Cascades. The grass was frozen and crunchy, and it was definitely chilly outside. I snuggled my face into my scarf from time to time, and walked Eddie to Diva for coffee. They were open! And one of the only places open, as I walked by at least two other closed coffee shops. I decided to treat myself to a Marzipan Latte (healthy eating doesn't have to start until Monday, right?) and treated Eddie to a free dog biscuit. Aren't I so generous?

Although it was quiet and peaceful on the streets, there were more cars and people about than I was expecting for 8 AM on the first day of the new year. Everyone I passed was smiling and warm greetings were spread through the brisk air. I passed some shops that had "For Lease" signs in their windows, other shops that had closed and were empty, some of which have been that way for a long time. I hope that 2011 brings new beginnings for many people, and that the crushing force the poor economy has had on so many will lighten it's load.

Later today, Tim and I will paint pictures on canvasses we bought about a year ago. We'll eat some more junk food and drink a bottle of champagne. We'll watch movies and laugh. It's going to be a wonderful day, and a great start to a new year!

My sunrise walk was the perfect new beginning for me.

Sepia-toned Eddie on 1.1.11