Finally
So frustrated last night…I was almost done with this post and WordPress went down. I’m a day late and a dollar short but here it is…
I never thought it would happen…but I finally went to Paul Martin’s American Bistro tonight. If you’ll recall I’ve tried to go twice before only to be foiled by Maya and her vomit. But this time I decided come hell or high water I was going to make my way there. I wanted to eat at a place that didn’t involve stepping over a stray bunch of peas. I wanted to go somewhere that didn’t involve children’s colorable placemats and crayons. I needed to go to a place with mood lighting and a non-laminated menu. I wanted to dine in a bit of style for a change.
Paul Martin’s was worth the wait.
The restaurant had a very cool, modern vibe. I loved the ceiling lamps. The lighting was dim, hence the photos. Of course user error can also be attributed to the terrible photography. But I managed to get a decent shot of my meal:
Mesquite Grilled Swordfish with blistered tomato relish and sautéed green beans. It. Was. Delicious. I could have eaten this X 2. Easily.
Ali had the audacity to order dessert knowing that I couldn’t partake (still Fat Flushing). Luckily he chose the Banana Cream Pie which I’m not normally a huge fan of. Actually I am not a fan of bananas in general, unless they are submerged in a bowl of oatmeal.
That was me last night minus the cute shoes and good hair.
Westwood is a great place to live but the problem is the lack of mass merchandisers. So when I am in the vicinity of a Target I feel compelled to stop off and buy things we don’t really need. At 9pm on a Saturday night hundreds of other people had the same idea. They are open until midnight these days. Never know when you might need a Mossimo T-shirt, right?
We left the store with Ali’s best friend, Excedrin and a Michael Jackson’s #1’s CD. Some things just can’t wait until the next day.
I forgot to mention that earlier in the day I finally purchased new running shoes.
I love you DSW…I bought these New Balance shoes for only $70. They are very light and super comfortable which is great when I run. Last year I went to a running store and had my feet “professionally analyzed.” They told me I overpronate and need a pair of $115 Avia’s along with some $30 Superfeet inserts. A year later I still overpronate and my knee still hurts. So no need to waste that kind of money again. I’ll overpronate in cheaper shoes thanks.
No post would be complete without a Maya photo…she specifically requested I take a close up of the face painting she had done yesterday at the Century City Mall.
Squash Isn’t So Scary
I’ve always been intimidated by vegetables. Sounds ridiculous, I know. Only recently, since it has come to light that I am allergic to everything in the world, have I become a bit more adventurous. Actually, I am super daring now. I’ve gone from eating carrots and corn every day to things like zucchini and sweet potatoes. Just call me Evel Knievel.
I was absolutely not interested in eating anything today. It wasn’t that I wasn’t hungry but I simply couldn’t face another lunch of eggs and vegetables. After much debate in my head and a trip to Whole Foods, guess what I ate? Eggs and vegetables. I realized I was more tired of thinking of something to eat than I was of eating the same thing.
For dinner though, I decided to live it up. A friend came over and I threw together a random butternut squash soup because I seemed to have all the ingredients sitting around. I really go out of my way for my guests.
I dropped some flaxseed in mine because it needed some crunch and I needed to reach my flax quota for the day.
Allow me to steal one of Ali’s adjectives – “it was decent.” Actually my friend totally loved it and took home the leftovers. Strange that I was so indifferent about it when she was raving about it. Since I have yet another stomach ache maybe I couldn’t really judge the soup properly? So I’ll share the recipe and let you decide for yourself:
Butternut Squash Soup – serves 6
1 medium butternut squash
2 carrots
2 potatoes
1 small onion
4 cups of vegetable stock
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
salt and pepper
Cut the squash in half and roast in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Remove the seeds and outer peel. Chop into bite sized pieces.
In the meantime, chop the carrots, potatoes, and onion and boil in the vegetable stock until soft. Add the cubed butternut squash and boil together for another 5 minutes. Puree half the soup in a blender and then add back. Add salt and pepper to taste.
While I was slaving away on the stove, Maya had other ideas:
She decided to forgo the “decent” soup for some hand tossed pizza. If I were able to eat carbs I could tell you for sure but I am still fairly certain her dinner came out better than mine.
I’d have her post the recipe but its bedtime and lord knows we both need the 10 hour break.
Ahhh the silence….
7 Things I Learned Today
My dad always said that a day without learning at least one thing is a completely wasted day. He also said that I think like an accounting clerk and I was destined to flip burgers at McDonald’s. Needless to say that I learned a long time ago to chalk most of his comments up to some crazy type of reverse psychology that he must have learned in India. So instead of getting upset I simply turn whatever I can into a positive.
So Abou (aka Dad) here are the things I learned today:
1. Putting anything in Villeroy & Boch stemware makes it taste 100% better. Even when it has the consistency of Milk of Magnesia.
2. Maya lies when she says she’ll turn her head to cough. She will always end up coughing on the clean silverware she is “helping” me empty from the dishwasher.
3. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a good conditioner. This one rocks the socks off of the expensive Aveda stuff I bought. It might have a few unsavory ingredients but I’m going to pretend they aren’t there. Jillian I tried to Master My Metabolism by buying things with natural ingredients but they just can’t control the giant disaster called my hair.
4. Dr. Seuss is scary. My brother was right when he said that children shouldn’t be read a story about spooky green pants riding a bicycle with no head or limbs attached. I hope Maya won’t need counseling in the future.
5. Anything is palatable with Trader Joe’s salsa on it. Anything.
6. My dad is really funny in his old age.
7. It’s okay to shut your computer down after typing for 8 hours and watch Top Chef instead. Take note of this one Abou. It is okay to shut your computer down!!
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 
