Liquor Tasting and a Creamy Bean Soup Recipe Variation

Where has the week gone? I know I was busy this week but it seems like the week has flown by, not that I am complaining mind you. ;-)

Breakfast for Dan was his usual oatmeal with wheat germ, freshly ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, powdered ginger, wild blueberries (higher in antioxidants than cultivated blueberries) and walnuts. He never gets tired of this.

I had leftover Greek inspired bean soup over quinoa. I added a tablespoon of chia seeds to the quinoa in my bowl and topped the beans with fresh tomatoes and parsley. Thank goodness for intentional leftovers.

After I finished exercising I had a snack of banana with okara and almond butter (this nut butter never gets old for me). Then I decided to walk to the restaurant to talk to Ian, drop off the cuitlacoche and a few tempeh recipes to inspire him. I also thought he might like the cardamom tea I just bought (we both love cardamom) so I took that too.

While I was walking I took a few more pictures of the neighborhood to share. I tried to get some that show you how hilly the terrain is here. I love walking up and down the hills it is a much better workout than flat ground. However I will admit that by the time I get to the top of some these hills I am sucking wind big time. ;-)

I also liked these two pictures of garden entrances.  Aren't the tulip populars pretty when they are in full bloom.

I was not surprised to hear that Ian has used cuitlacoche before LOL but I had to try. We talked a bit and when I find things that I think are unusual I am going to pick them up for him when I buy some for me. I love to see how his mind works with food. Being around Ian is always great inspiration for me.

Next I hung out at the bar with a while drinking a pot of green tea. It was good to finally meet Taylor who I had talked to on the phone but never met. I was at the restaurant between the lunch and dinner shift which is fun. Everyone lets loose a little when there aren’t customers there which I always enjoy.

The liquor vendor came in while I was there with a few new items. Corey asked me to taste the new products too. I am really not kidding when I say we are part of the family. There is an interesting liquor that they will be carrying soon with hibiscus, cardamom (my favorite), ginger and sugar. The color is beautiful deep red/purple with a lovely aroma. Both Corey and I were thinking this would be good with Prosecco or sparkling water and either lime, orange or grapefruit. It sounds great right?

I stayed for about an hour and a half and hiked back up the hill home. Funny thing is getting there is easy (all downhill) but heading home is much tougher. LOL, I wonder why? ;-)

We are having dinner Friday night with Walid and Jackie at their place after work. Since they eat meat and Jackie had a great idea for dinner. She is going to make a big veggie stir fry which we will add different proteins to (shrimp from them baked tofu for us). We are also going to have crudités, hummus, salsa, whole wheat pitas, and baked chips. I am going to make a dessert, no idea what yet and a few other veggie items. Jackie asked me to bring my cheeseless queso dip which both she and Walid like. Sounds like a good spread doesn’t it?

We also decided that I would make soup to add to the menu just in case there wasn’t enough food LOL. She told me about a creamy curried red lentil soup that they buy which I knew I could make a variation of. I used my usual red lentil and tomato soup that Dan loves but pureed it with some raw cashews rather than coconut milk and finished it with lime zest, lime juice and cilantro. That is what we had for dinner tonight since I made a vat of soup like usual.

Happy thoughts:

There is so much to be thankful for that I am not sure where to start. That is always a good sign right? ;-)

• Thursday was a beautiful spring day. We had temperatures in the 60’s with a very gentle breeze. It made a nice walk through the neighborhood and to the restaurant and back. I also enjoyed having a pot of green tea (or two) while I was there.

• Thank you Corey for letting me taste the new liquor. It was delicious. Good thing we aren’t drinking much these days that stuff could be dangerous. I can’t wait to see how you use it.

• We have dinner with Walid and Jackie tonight and are also going out this weekend just the two of us. I love having time to spend with my friends and of course with my hubby.

• I am also thankful that this week is over. It has been a hectic week and not nearly as productive as it should have been. However now I have the weekend to make up for lost ground.

• Whenever I go out for walks I am reminded of how much I love old architecture. It is wonderful to live somewhere where the houses are old and all different. I also love the mature trees and the hilly streets. I hope you are starting to see Baltimore through my eyes rather than what is portrayed on TV. Baltimore really is a beautiful old east coast city but that isn’t news worthy I suppose.

Signing out:

Time for me to get moving and prepare the items I am taking to dinner tonight. I am really looking forward to seeing Walid and Jackie. I miss having them just a short walk away.

Talk to you guys again tomorrow. Hope your weekend starts off well.