Week 4 of 52: Elk Meat

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week 4 of 52 (January 21^st, 2013 to January 27^th, 2013): Elk Meat

                As we approach the end of this month, things for me have been getting busy! For anyone who doesn’t know I work about 30 hours a week and go to school full time. On top of all of that, I have a lot of other responsibilities that keep me extremely busy.

                This week’s adventure was nothing spectacular, but definitely something that I have wanted to do for a long time, and that is try Elk. My brother invited me over to his house and we cooked up from ground Elk meat, that a buddy of his had just shot the weekend before. The great part about this, was that I knew it was fresh and that it was all organic.

                So we cooked up some rice to go with it, and let me tell you, it was delicious! It is very similar to hamburger, but MUCH better tasting. It felt like I was eating meat, and not some processed garbage meat. I have had Buffalo (which is my favorite), but Elk is a close second. Bottom line is that Elk meat not only tastes better, but is also better for you. I would recommend trying it. Like I said, it tastes like hamburger, but less greasy and much higher grade. It tasted a lot more like high end steak that was ground up. Really good!

Week 3 of 52: Secret Menus, Elevators, American Flag Underwear and Chocolate.

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week 3 of 52 (January 14^th, 2013 to January 20^th, 2013):  Secret Menus, Elevators, American Flag Underwear and Chocolate.

                Have you ever tried the secret menu at Jamba Juice? They have smoothies with names like “Berry Depressing”, “Hello Jesus”, “Tropical Awakening” and “Lemonade Lightnin’” to name just a few. I decided while waiting to pick up my brother at the airport I would see if this “secret menu” was actually known. I really didn’t know what to pick, but decided to go with “Peanut Butter and Jelly”. Let me tell you, it might sound gross to some people… but essentially it tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich blended into a smoothie. My reaction was a little different from most people, I enjoyed it. While others find the idea of a blended up peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a little gross. (which by the way is basically just a strawberry smoothie with Peanut Butter added), it really isn’t as disgusting as it sounds.

                Oh, and while I was waiting for my brother, I saw the guy pictured below. Haha welcome to Portland! Nothing like a guy wearing American Flag underwear and nothing else at the Airport, yep keep Portland weird alright! How often to you get to see that? I can check that off my bucket list! Haha.

                So my week could not be complete with just an order of blended up Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich and seeing some guy prance around the airport wearing nothing more than just an American flag! Oh no, my week is just getting started!

                One thing that I find interesting about all my new adventures is that I always do things that I can’t believe I have never done before. For example, I was out on Friday night with some friends who decided, while riding in an elevator to jump right as the elevator goes down (sorta defying gravity for a second). Who has never jumped in an elevator? Isn’t that something that everyone has done, at least once in their life? Well, apparently I didn’t get the memo as a kid or, I was one lame kid… because I have never done that! Well, the good news is that I finally did it, and at a really cool location! We went to the Portland Oregon Zoo, where you can find an elevator that drops 28 stories in 25 seconds! This elevator only has two stops ground level and the enterance to the tunnel, which happens to be the deepest transit center in North America and one of the deepest in the world at 260+ feet below the surface of the earth!

                You would think that after seeing a guy in America flag underwear, drinking a liquefied peanut butter and jelly sandwich and jumping in an elevator that drops 260 feet in 25 seconds (which now seems like a stupid idea) I would have called it a week… but oh no, I had to end it all with LOTS of Chocolate!

Yesterday, I went to Chocolate Fest! Which started as a Portland tradition in 2006, when the World Forestry Cener (a non-profit organization) decided to create a Fundraiser  “…that would not only expose visitors to wonderful chocolate products, but educate about the tropical cacao tree and how chocolate is made from bean to bar…(they) gathered a few local vendors and held the event… in Portland’s Washington Park.  That first year a little over 1,000 people came to sample and savor some of the best chocolate Portland had to offer. Now seven years later, ChocolateFest has grown into a Northwest tradition. With over 8,200 people attending in 2010…” (from their website: http://chocolatefest.org/about-contact/) This year easily topped 8,000 people as I could barely move!

I have to admit that the best Chocolate there, hands down was the Hand Crafted Milk Chocolate with Aztec Spices! It was heavenily. I don’t know how to describe it, except that a very small piece can make your mouth really happy. It is like an explosion of flavor that stays with you for a few minutes. The spices were strong, but in a sweet way. It would definitely wake you up in the morning and I am not suggesting that chocolate should be for breakfast… wait a minute… who am I trying to kid? That sounds like an awesome idea! But at $8 a bar, it is something that has to be truly savored! It hurt my wallet a little, but I think it is totally worth it!

Until next time!

Week 2 of 52: Murder Mystery: The Dinner Detective

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week 2 of 52 (January 7, 2013 to January 13, 2013):  Murder Mystery:  The Dinner Detective

                Trust no one! Everyone is a suspect!

                Yesterday I had the opportunity of attending a fantastic Dinner Detective; Murder Mystery Dinner Theater! It was held at the Marriott in downtown Portland, Oregon. The show offers a full-four course dinner, complete with:  Hors d’Oeuvres, leafy green salad, chicken and pasta and cheesecake for dessert! During the show you have absolutely no idea who is an actor and who is part of the audience! You really can trust nobody! Everyone in the show is required to have a different name, mine was “Sean Astin”, and my dates name was “Jessica Biel”. One of the craziest names I saw someone pick was “Baby Jesus”.

                Throughout the entire night from about 6:30 to 9:30 they slowly bring out the four courses while you attempt to solve a crime, who stabbed Jamie? The entire show is hilarious and they do a really good job of keeping you in the dark as to who is an actor and who is just attending the show. I actually did not guess certain people were even part of the show at all, while others were much more obvious. All and all is was super fun and something that I would definitely do again!

www.thedinnerdetective.com

Week 1 of 52: Eggnog, Pepsi and Marshmallows?

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...
Week 1 of 52 (December 31, 2012 to January 6, 2013):  Eggnog, Pepsi and Marshmallows?

The first week of 2013 has gone by really quickly! Christmas, the New Years it all seems like it went by way too fast! I really enjoyed the extra days off from work, and thoroughly enjoy my break from school. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end; tomorrow I start my full schedule of both work and school, which means keeping up with my new year’s resolutions of going to the gym and doing one new thing per week quite the challenge! But life is a challenge, and with all challenges comes the reward.

                So, you are probably wondering what the deal is with; Eggnog, Pepsi and Marshmallows? That seems like a great way to start off the New Year right? Well a while back a co-worker and friend of mine told me that mixing Eggnog and Pepsi for the Holidays was the best thing ever. My fellow co-workers and I looked at her like she was crazy! Well, I was at the grocery store, last Tuesday (1/1/2013) and saw that they still had some eggnog in the store; I guess it was the leftovers. But it still had not expired, if anyone was wondering! So I decided what the heck… I am going to try this mix of Pepsi and Eggnog! So I bought some eggnog and Pepsi.

                The first step was to pour just a little bit into the bottom of the glass. There really is no science to this, just pour a little into the bottom. 

Then you fill the rest with Pepsi. And the result, looks a lot like a rootbeer float.

                Then you drink and enjoy. 

Honestly I was shocked that this actually was not bad. It tasted pretty good. I don’t think I would do it all the time, but I might make this a Holiday tradition and enjoy one glass of Pepsi and Eggnog in the future!

                Now, you might be thinking to yourself, what about the Marshmallows? Well, a few days in the week had gone by and come Thursday afternoon my throat started to itch, my guess is from the colds that have been going around, and possibly from the lack of sleep I have been getting from the New Years Eve parties, etc. But I saw that I was getting sick and with a full schedule of work and school coming my way, I did not see getting sick as an option! So I hunkered down and slept (hoping a combination of over the counter drugs and lots of sleep would cure me), well I woke up the next day with a sore throat! So I decided to search the internet for home remedies, one caught my eye… Marshmallows  What?! Apparently they worked to soothe sore throats. So I thought, “why not!” so I went to the store and bought a bag of marshmallows, and like magic it soothed my sore throat better than any other cough medicine or other drugs could! Who would have thought? $1.99 bag of Marshmallows helped to soothe my throat, preventing me from coughing and thus helping my body and throat heal! Amazing! From what I found, no one knows why it helps, but it could very well be the gelatin in the marshmallows that helps to soothe your throat when everything else hurts to eat.

                So Week 1 of 52, I learned that Eggnog and Pepsi are actually a tasty combination, when in moderation (like one glass per year) and I also learned that our tasty little campfire friend, the Marshmallow can actually help to soothe sore throats. Who would have ever thought?

                Just remember: “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish” – John Quincy Adams. Until next time!

Happy 2013!

Can you believe that it is 2013, already!?! Last night WAS CrAzY!!

                       
                                                    

This New Year popped up out of nowhere! But the exciting part of the New Year? It's NEW! Which means that we ALL have a CLEAN slate! So what will you be doing in 2013? 

“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” 
― Brad Paisley

Every year I make new goals from myself and analyze how well I did on the goals that I had previously set. It is a great way to see where you fell short, and where you were on top! A lot of people make New Year's Resolutions and then don't even try to keep them. Life is busy, and at times life can hand you quiet the adversity and with that may come lots of struggles... but life is meant to be lived and it really truly is a test of how well we can deal with that adversity in our lives. Lets face it, no one is without some sort of struggle in their lives. Not everything can be controlled, but our attitude can be!

So, now that we are in the first day of 2013, make goals for yourself! I will share of few of my goals from last year, and some for 2013:

In 2012;

•  I made a weight loss goal of 54 lbs, to be lost by the end of the year. I only lost 23 lbs. But I did lose those 23 lbs! 
• Did I fail? Some people might say, yes. But I don't think I failed. I still did lose weight and better myself physically and mentally. Success.
• I made a goal to keep a food log, and exercise log. I kept one about 80% of 2012. 
• Did I fail? No. Why? Because I became more aware of my good, and bad eating habits. Most of which I have put into effect. Success.
• I made a goal to earn more and save more money. From 2011 to 2012 I received 2 raises at work, managed to work more hours and in the end made an end of the year salary difference of a few thousand dollars. I also managed to put away 10% of what I earned through the year and put it into my savings account.
• Did I fail? Absolutely not. This was a complete success. Something I will continue throughout 2013 and beyond! Success.
• I made a goal to finish up at the Community College and transfer into my field of study in 2013.
• Did I fail? NOPE! I have one more term that starts in a few days and then I will be entering the Business Management program at Portland State University. Success.
• I made a goal to read through the Old Testament and Blog about it.
• Did I fail? I could've done a lot better with this one, but I still made it to 2 Chronicles, which is about half way. But, I learned a lot and have the desire to continue reading the Bible in 2013! You can follow that Blog, here: Zach's Scripture Study. Success, in my eyes!

So what are my goals for 2013?

• Yes MAN! Have you ever seen that movie? If not GO SEE it! This is my general overall theme for 2013! You don't have to say YES to everything, but we should be more open to experience life. I am going to say YES more often then I say NO. That's my underlying goal for 2013! I am not going to hold back! =)
• Weight loss/Health:
• Lose 36 lbs, I will do this! That's only 3 lbs, per week! Piece of cake.
• Social: 
• Make many new friends! 
• Be more outgoing!
• Smile more!
• Find a good girl to be with.
• Financial:
• Continue saving money, 10% or more.
• Grow my business.
• Time:
• Budget my time more appropriately. 
• Make time to do good.
• Activities:
• Have fun, enjoy life.
• Finish 52+ New Things in 2013.

These are just some of my goals for 2013, what are yours? If you haven't already made goals for 2013, sit down, today and make them. Like I wrote about, it doesn't matter if you don't finish your goals, exactly the way you wrote them down. Get out there and do what YOU want to do. Don't let anyone hold you back! If you even complete a small percentage of your goals, you did more than you would have, without the goals! 

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure"

- Bill Cosby.

Go and make the changes you want in your life!