Upside-down Caramel Doppio Con Panna

Took a long lunch today at work and stopped by Starbucks. Tried an upside-down caramel doppio con panna at the recommendation of the barista.

It is a double-shot of espresso and whipped cream and caramel served "upside down" where they put the whipped cream and caramel syrup in the bottom of your cup first, and pour the shots of espresso on top of it. The cream will rise up through the coffee and get all intermixed with it, but won't completely melt. At the end you get a shot of concentrated caramelized sugar.

Yum.

Can't move...

Started working out again... went for a jog on Sunday. Then Monday after work I did a jog-boxing-jog-abs workout... and today I can't move at all!

I can't believe how much weight I've gained since I started working at Rapp. Since I started working I:
(1) Stopped my weight training (used to be 2-3 sessions a week with a trainer)
(2) Stopped running
(3) Stopped boxing
(4) Stopped yoga
(5) Started eating 3 full unhealthy meals a day
(6) Snack on chocolate at my desk
(7) Started a new relationship (we all know that's like 5 pounds right there)

So it's no wonder I gained 7 pounds :(

Anyways it's time to stop. I will start working out regularly again. I promise. I didn't yesterday because I didn't leave work until 7:30, but I will starting tomorrow. Today I'm just way too sore. :P

So here are my goals. (It might be easier for me to achieve them if I write them down)
- "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a pauper. Wise words from my friend Linda. Basically it translates to eat bigger meals earlier on in the day. Dinner would ideally be a protein shake before working out.

- Go to the gym at least 2 times a week for boxing and/or weights.

- Cardio in the form of running 2 times a week. Can be a combination of running on the treadmill, running around the block, or doing the Santa Monica stairs on the weekend.

- Bikram yoga once a week. Great stretching session and sweat out all those toxins.

- No more chocolate. It makes me fat AND breakout. Why can't I learn this lesson!?

P.S. Wow didn't realize I'm really into parenthesis. (Right?)

Farewell to Aai

So Aai finally left for Indiana on Saturday afternoon. We all knew this day would come! Really not much has changed at the apartment since she spent the last few months glued in front of the computer and not really doing much else at all.

Wondering what she is doing right now in West Lafayette, Indiana? Running through the fields? Enjoying the greenery outdoors? Shopping for groceries at the local mom and pops store?

Nevermind, she just facebook'ed me.





Lulu is going to miss her hand-holding buddy.

Chefmakers in Manhattan Beach

Last Wednesday I went to a celebratory outing with the Toyota team & clients to Chefmakers in Manhattan Beach. It was a chef school type event where we got to prepare and cook our dinner hands-on as well as drink wine and just kick back. The coolest part? I got to take off from work at 4PM :)

Bon apetit!


A long island was set-up in the front of the classroom. We all got our chopping, mixing and grinding assignments and got to work.


Rappers with knives = dangerous!


I started with my specialty, cutting up mushrooms.




Beverlee (the Toyota client), Annie and Lanchau, wining before dining.


Some of my co-workers decided to sit back with a glass of wine and just watch. (and drink)


I just realized I'm starting to get chubs.


We actually got Lanchau to cook! Well, chop.


Monica preparing the French Onion soup like a pro.


Voila! Our first course... French Onion soup. I can't believe how many ingredients (and how much effort) went into this soup!


Next up, main dish. Getting the bacon fat prepared to cook to chicken.




Youngins on our team... Rachel is 23 and I think Kristin is 20. (She was our intern for 6 months)


The view from the back of the class.


Jesse and I get to work flour-ing the chicken.


Yecch... sticky fingers.






On to some cooking! "Green fried rice"


All of a sudden it got real complicated real fast...








And the finished product! Rosemary chicken in a lemon-glaze sauce and green rice.


Curt and Jesse making the drunken berries.


Yum!

Goodbye Aai

Farewell to Aai... we are going to miss seeing the back of your head as you sit in front of the computer on myspace (now facebook) all day.


Joanna with her parting gift... a DS that we bought on the way to the airport so it had no batteries and she wasn't able to play with it on the plane... hahaha.