Edinburgh to Dundee

Where do I start?

Wednesday

I woke up and ate my last breakfast at Dunedin Guesthouse before I walked down the road to the next guesthouse (I had trouble booking the same guesthouse for more nights after hearing of the impending airline strike). Both mornings, I requested a poached egg with toast. I ate it while I listened to the other American tourists debate what a poached egg actually is. Dunedin is a good teacher; they can poach an egg.

I rolled my suitcase to Aonach Mor, the second guesthouse. I was greeted by an attractive, young couple who informed me that my room was upgraded. I originally booked a smaller single with shared bathroom. My new room was the Jacobean suite.  The lighting made it difficult to photograph, but it was spectacular.

Since it was my last day in Edinburgh, I decided to visit my favorite pub: Reverie. This place has great service, friendly staff, and consistently delicious food. I did go there three times in three days. 

I ordered the ravioli. It was stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and ricotta.  I don’t know if stuffed it is the right word. It was mega-stuffed? Yes, that will work. The sun-dried tomatoes took center stage in the stuffing. It had huge chunks of sun-dried tomatoes. The pasta was thicker than usual ravioli and that is because other ravioli is not thick enough. This is the best ravioli I have ever had in my life. Hands down, ever. This is huge. I eat ravioli all the freaking time.

I ordered (again) the sticky toffee pudding, which was topped with ice cream and this fantastic toffee sauce. If Jon Hamm was a dessert…

And, I washed it all down with a hot toddy. I like saying those words–”hot toddy”–don’t you?

Thursday 

I woke up to a blaring television. I think I kept it on while I slept, because I thought the room could be haunted. And ghosts hate television? Sure. whatever. I packed quickly and ate a delicious breakfast of bacon and pancakes. It was served along with berries in cream and this thick golden syrup. It was a nice send off by Edinburgh, indeed.

I walked about 45 minutes through Edinburgh to make a bus, that would take me to a shuttle at the airport, that would then take my fellow colleagues and I to our new home: Dundee. I’ll be living here for 6 weeks, so more pictures will surely come. Here is one for now (see below). This is the view from the freaking grocery store. “Shoot did I remember eggs….SHABAM BEAUTIFUL VIEW.”

Dayton Breakfast and Ramblings

I have more pictures of Dayton food, but I thought I’d pick out the highlights. Particularly: breakfast. We visited two places for breakfast while in Dayton.

1. The Golden Nugget Pancake House 

Peopled loved this place on Yelp. It was full of grandparents and their grand kids. I remember only going out to breakfast with my grandparents (not my parents), Lars says its because they are up so early. Lars ordered the bacon waffle, which was fantastic. I ordered the whole wheat pancakes. These were surely whole wheat, and only tasted good with syrup on them. This syrup/pancake marriage was delicious. The waitress was really good at refilling my coffee. Need the stuff.

2. Tim Horton’s 

On our first trip to Dayton, I realized we had entered Tim Horton’s paradise. I love donuts and I love Degrassi, so of course I’m going to love a Canadian donut joint. They are all over Dayton!!!! I ordered a Cruller donut and a Maple-dipped donut. I LOVE CRULLER DONUTS more than anything. These were especially eggy, just like I like them.

Dayton aside (we got back Sunday), Tuesday has been eventful. I got my oil changed, worked on a conference paper, went to a meeting, and my new netbook arrived. My Dell computer, which is a piece of shit, is slowly dying a tragic death. Tragic for me; I think my laptop is laughing its ass off. I put it in my travel backpack yesterday, to see if I could take my dying computer to Scotland, and I felt like I was carrying 5 small children on my back. NO; not happening. I cannot afford my Mac yet, so I thought I’d buy a netbook until I am more financially stable. Oh, speaking of finances: I was excited to find out that I will get summer financial aid. So much relief, so much more student loans.

Oh, well. My new netbook is a Asus Eee Pc 1018P. It is 10-inches, thin, and passed the backpack test. As exciting as that is, I got better news. One of my best friends, Rachel, is going to be in London/Edinburgh while I’m abroad. I’ve planned a week to visit her in London including Hamlet at the Globe, a play with Rupert Everett, and Harry Potter. I’m pretty excited.

Guess what? I worked out today. I attended a 1-hour step class and it was tough. My calves burn. I want Tim Horton’s.

I am relaxing tonight and hopefully cleaning. I have to get a filling tomorrow, because a baby tooth keeps breaking. I say pull it, but whatever. I hate the dentist and driving all the way to Indy to fix it.

I’m okay, just bitching.

SNOW DAY!!!

So, I was told the Midwest is supposed to have the snow storm of the century. Last night (Monday) I was flipping out. Lars is stuck in Ohio. My mom called frantically asking if I had flashlights, because the power may go out. People were going crazy on Facebook. I thought: What should I have for my last meal?

When I was getting my Master’s at Miami University (of Ohio, not Florida…boo), I had few options for restaurants. I would say three places. During our last semester, my friend and I would enjoy some Wild Bistro after our evening seminar. Lately, I have been missing Wild Bistro’s Steamed Broccoli and Chicken. I thought I would recreate it for my last meal.

I used my wok to steam chicken and broccoli, but at the last minute I decided to throw in 3 mini vegetable potstickers.

For a dipping sauce, I mixed Hoisin and Low-Sodium Soy Sauce.

It was a filling, yet light, meal. The picture is not the most appetizing, but I am making this again tonight. The chicken was so juicy and the sauce was baller (Lars’s recipe).

I did not sleep well last night. I woke up at 2:23, 5:33, and finally at 6:30. I could hear the ice rain hitting my window all night. I thought, “OMG, I’m going to be blown away. I’m too cute for this shit.” At 6:30 I was awaken by a text message saying school was postponed…at Miami. Crap, I forget to stop my emergency text messages from my Master’s institution. But then…Hooray! I got a text message from my school saying all classes were cancelled. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I decided to make the breakfast of snow day champions: pancakes! I’m not a Bisquick fan, but we had it and I wanted to save my flour for the scones I am making later. It was nothing dark chocolate chips cannot fix! I also poured a glass of V8 Fusion Light’s Pomegranate Blueberry juice. It was a quick breakfast for a day of relaxation. And by relaxation I mean reading school crap all day, but at my speed.

Stay safe!

Scattered Memories of a Saturday

Saturday was full of adventure. Today is not. Sunday schoolwork is not so bad when you have the memories of such a great Saturday.

Memories start…now!

Lars and I woke up early for the first tailgate of the season. We slept longer than planned, so we decided to buy cookies at a local bakery: O’Rear’s. We picked out some sugar cookies decorated like footballs (I didn’t try these) and these delicious M&M cookies. The M&M cookies were thick and moist. Holler.

No Purdue game is complete without an awesome outfit for my beer! With everything ready, Lars and I made our way to the fields!

The tailgate was full of spirited fun. We drank, ate, and people-watched.

I didn’t sleep much this week, so I could only last to halftime (we won, though). Lars and I needed food before a long hibernation, so we stopped by Oishi. We have eaten just about everywhere, but this Japanese place was new to us. I’m so glad we went. It was so fantastic that we are going back on Friday.

For an appetizer we started off with scallion pancakes. The pancakes had these perfect layers, which I tore apart and devoured so slowly. Yummmm…

I’m having a moment.

Lars ordered Shabu-Shabu, which I define as a boiling pot of Japenese adventures. Anyway, it comes with this boiling broth and a tray of ingredients. You add these ingredients randomly, not really all at once, but enough to make a good bowlful. Then, thank you sir, may I have another.

I played it safe and got some fried soft noodles with chicken. Safe, but fantastic.

Lars and I passed out afterwards. We woke up to a new world adventure: GermanFest! Sounds like a good dinner to me. Lars picked up some Schnitzel, which he enjoyed.

I got a pretzel with cheese. It was good, but I could have gotten it in the frozen aisle. I’m pretty sure Germany would not appreciate this pretzel.

For dessert, Lars got chocolate pie and I got apple pie. The chocolate pie had this weird liquor taste, and the apple pie needed more sugar. I am also very picky about pie, though.

We would have loved to stay and dance to some polka music and enjoy some Deutsch beer, but I had to go study. We played Scrabble/read at the local coffee shop. It got late and I needed food. Well, I wanted to give the pie community another chance. And, it was this bourbon pecan pie. And, I stayed in and studied both Friday and Saturday night. And, sometimes health food bloggers eat pie…twice.

It was a-cup-of-chocolate-chips short of a Derby Pie, but it was the highlight of my weekend. I would run miles for this.

Sorry for the scattered thoughts, but hopefully the delicious pictures fill in the cracks.

Sorry, I’ve been hiding under a cardboard box.

Yes folks, I am alive. Sorry I’ve been missing, but I have been moving. Right at this very moment I stare at a sea of cardboard. Moving was very frustrating. Let’s just say I cried twice. Let’s just say my eating hasn’t been fantastic. Let’s just say I’ve been drinking plenty.

I have fled to the nearest coffee shop because I have been drowning in this cardboard sea and I needed a quick breather. Further, I needed internet since ours is not working. Blogging is resuming, but will be a bit spotty.

UGH! Packing blows.

Lars and I still have A LOT of unpacking to do. We tried to put a large dent in it yesterday but we were having issues with our internet, putting an IKEA kitchen island together, and spending 3 hours in Target getting food and living essentials. With what we have been able to unearth, I was able to throw a dinner together last night and a breakfast this morning.

Last night, I made a simple Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Ginger Sauce. I got whatever pork was on sale, searched in crumpled newspaper for the food processor, and whipped this bitch together. Let me just say: EASY! Lars and I don’t have a grill. If you haven’t been able to tell, we are pale people and avoid going outside. So, why would we own a grill? Anyway, I used Lars’s cast iron grilling skillet. I paired it with a salad with Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette from Trader Joe’s. Yum. And since moving sucks, I had a beer. Lars and I ate this during Mad Men. I’m so glad Dreamy Draper is back. He is the only man I will consider having kids with.

Sorry. I made dinner at 9 PM, so the lighting wasn’t fantastic.

If I drink enough maybe I won't noticed all the boxes.

I felt bad for Lars because he had to wake up early to teach after such a stressful weekend. So, I made him whole wheat chocolate pancakes (I just switched in white whole wheat flour) . I messed up the recipe several times because I hadn’t had coffee, but they were still tasty. It went well with strawberries and powdered sugar.

Lars and I have a full day/night planned. We will unpack and clean the entire kitchen. I don’t care what it takes! THUS, I will be able to share pictures of my new kitchen to my fellow bloggers. I love my new kitchen. We live in the “historic district” of the city, so our kitchen has some personality. Cannot wait to share it, and I cannot wait to get back to blogging. I’ve missed y’all!

I had a boring, but relaxing day. Don’t you just need boring sometimes?

Today was a breather between two stressful groupings of days. I slept in until 9 AM, and rewarded my awesomeness with blueberry pancakes and apple slices. I didn’t finish it all, but it was a nice to “cook” again.

I spent the morning dealing with some boring tasks and watching daytime television. My mother bought me some Risotto chips, so I finally cracked open the bag for lunch. I like them a lot. They would make the perfect hummus chip. I also ate some strawberries and roasted green beans.

I was stressed about getting my immunizations done before Purdue, but the doctor said they had an opening today. Lucky me. Before heading to the doctor’s office, I stopped by Starbucks for some academic reading. I was preparing myself for the crap load of reading coming up in my near future. I made sure to drink a lot of liquids so I could pee in the cup at the doctors. Once I spilled the pee cup on myself. Hmm. I also ate some fruit bark and a granola bar.

The doctor’s went well. The shot was painless, although I felt pressured to start a family while sitting in the waiting room. The waiting room only had Parenting and Fit Pregnancy for reading, and they kept playing songs about love making. I think it is a good strategy for getting more patients, but I’m not falling for it.

Immediately after the doctor’s appointment, my sister and I ate at Scotty’s Brewhouse. My family eats here often. So much so that my father has a pile of gift cards. My sister and I helped take a few off his hands, because we care. I ordered the house merlot, Latin Chicken with a side of steamed broccoli. The chicken was a spicy piece of grilled chicken atop a bed of Mexican rice, and salsa. I ordered it from their new gluten-free menu. I loved it. I have been sick of Scotty’s since we eat there so often, but it was nice to see some changes.

To continue the gluten-free theme, I ordered their gluten-free chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Although the color was blah, the cookie had a nice toasty pine nut taste. I ate one, and saved the rest for later.

I plan on spending the rest of the evening riding my bike and watching television (including Jersey Shore). I also wanted to plan Lars and my first week of eating. After cleaning out the last apartment, I realized how much food I buy on impulse or just throw out. I think meal planning will save some money. Do you meal plan? Any tips?

Hope the week is wrapping up nicely. I look forward to catching up on your blogs!

Jammin’ Pancakes

I finally got my butt out of bed at 7. Holler! Word.

I went to the gym and did some elliptical work. I was dripping in sweat. I was intimidated by this girl next to me. She looked like the Tomb Raider and continuously punched the air while on the elliptical, all while going extremely fast. I found myself speeding up. One day I will be the Tomb Raider of the gym. Now, I’m just Carrie Bradshaw. I’m also that girl that randomly laughs, because she’s listening to goofy podcasts.

After a nice shower, I made pancakes! I used a recipe from Whole Grain Gourmet for Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes. These turned out fantastic. They have a nice sweetness to them, even when I left out the orange zest. I cut the recipe in half. I also substituted eggs with Egg Beaters because I was out of eggs. (Note: go to grocery store)

Enough with the pretty presentation…I attacked my pancakes with triple-berry jam. RRRRRrrr!

This was a delicious treat, because jam pretty much rocks, especially when the Amish make it.

What is your favorite jelly/jam flavor?

Stay tuned for the flavors of lime, coconut, and chocolate!

I got a new bike!

Whew! Okay, I finally have a chance to sit down and blog (but only for a bit). I woke up this morning, ran on the treadmill, and then cooked my family breakfast. I baked them my favorite breakfast pizza and some multi-grain pancakes, which I topped with some Triple-Berry Jam.

I also tried the new Starbucks Via Iced, which I got from my mom. It was good, but I my coffee prefer unsweetened.

For lunch my sister and I had McAlister’s. I kept it simple with a sweet tea and a croissant. I also stole my sister’s pickle.

But, I got a new bike! It was a graduation gift (although I paid for 30% of it, no complaining though) for my Master’s. Doug, the very cute sales person, helped me pick out this beauty: Trek’s Allant WSD. It is a cute light olive green color. I love it! I also bought a lock, helmet, and front basket. Yippee!

I came home starving so I had a bowl of Crispix and an apple.

So, I haven’t had a bike since Jr. High…Do you have any biking tips or advice!?

Being Put to the Test

Well the day has finally come for my oral exam/thesis defense. I woke up this morning to find a lovely digital card in my inbox. I have such great friends!

I wouldn’t really be able to eat lunch until after the defense (so around 2), so I thought it would be best to eat something with some carbs to keep me going. So I decided to make what I ate before every big soccer game…pancakes. I used a mix since I rather use my time to study, but they were delicious!

I made three pancakes and settled on two. I topped them with some strawberries and just a tiny bit of syrup (Mrs. Butterworth’s Lite; the picture is pre-syrup).

Our plans had to change from a German pub to a dive bar for my post-exam celebration, so my challenge is to eat healthy at a dive bar . I think that is the real test today. Okay, my oral exam is a little more intense. I’m trying to relax this morning for an hour before I hit the books one last time. I am watching Save by the Bell and I never realized how big of a jerk Zack is. I am watching the one where he convinces all his friends that Slater has a life-ending disease, so that they help convince him to move to Hawaii for treatment (he overhead Slater’s dad say he was getting relocated for his job to Hawaii; it’s confusing…he’s a schemer). I mean, Zack, what kind of sick joke is that? I don’t know why I ever thought he was cute. He even attacked DJ Tanner in a Lifetime movie, so I should really hate him. Okay I’ll be back later today to share photos from the funeral/festivities. Have a great morning.

I’m going to sit here and enjoy my coffee and think about my future success (?).