Just got my birthday present a mere 38 days before the BIG 30!! I am heading out to California to visit my friend Terri. I will get to see her, husband Jim and her little baby boy Aidan. I am super excited.
I was a little worried that I would not go. I have been planting the seed with my friends since February and last weekend I emailed both Terri and Thu to check and make sure it is still okay. Unfortunately, Thu canceled on me, and I thought the same will happen to Terri but it is still a go. I am on my way out to California way.
This is so exciting. The ticket was only $259.30 so not too bad. I will be staying with Terri so room and board is free. I will probably bring about $250 for the 4 days I am there. That should be enough (hopefully). Maybe I will even get to see Liza from Boston College. I am so stoke, never been to California and that will mean that I traveled to 6 different states this year. I am loving life right now. Until I write in you again...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
My marathon journey
So I completed another wonderful activity by running in the First ever Cincinnati Half Marathon on October 23, 2010. How awesome is that :) Let me recreate this journey.
I started running with the Running Spot in July with the goal of running in the Oxford Marathon September 26. Ann and I joined this club totally afraid and wondering what did we get ourselves into. I never thought that I would be able to run but I raced with my running group which was HARD. I used to hard core run on the treadmill but taking that to the outdoors is difficult. As time went on during my training, running on the treadmill got boring and all I craved was to run outdoors. During my running my right ankle would hurt but after running a certain distance the pain would go away (apparently that was my endorphins kicking in). But one morning, August13, I decided to run up Dixie Highway for a total of 11 miles. It took my 2:45 minutes. I was proud of myself and felt good about myself and my upcoming race.
The downside is that after that run, my right ankle began to hurt constantly. Nothing I could do would help the pain. I stopped running for weeks which turned into months. I went to a clinic and was informed that I should not take part in the Oxford Marathon. I cried and came to grips with the fact that I can't run. I spoke to Caleb and Danae and felt better and in time decided to do the Cincinnati Half. I decided that doing the Cincinnati half would be the best thing to do because it was the first ever for Cincinnati, close to my home, and the course was advertised as being flat.
I registered for this race, Danae registered and I decided that I needed to train again. Too bad that I decided to train 2 weeks before the race. The cool thing I kept telling myself is that I ran 11 miles before, I can do it again.
Race day 10/23/10 went off well. Caleb, Matt and Doreen saw Danae and I off. Around mile 3, Maggie was on 5th Street cheering me on, I saw Doreen around mile 5, I saw Joe my coach around mile 8 and at the finish line I saw Maggie and Ann cheering me on with a completion time of 2:53. I could not believe it. I did the race that fast, under 3 hours. I felt so amazing and I pushed myself but not too hard. I met up with the rest of my friends 20 minutes later or so. I felt so accomplished and the thought in my head was that I will never run a half again, but then again I decided that maybe every year I will take part in the Cincinnati half. I don't know, it is too early and I am in too much pain to commit.
Danae ended up finishing too, so proud of her and every step of the way she had a smile on her face and tunes on her iPod. After taking pictures and coming down from the great high, we all left the area. We had a celebratory 22 oz of Woodchuck and Caleb took me to Zip's for the best burger ever and dessert at Aglamesis Brothers. It is amazing how great the day was and how far I have come to make this journey. It was a great end to the perfect day.
I started running with the Running Spot in July with the goal of running in the Oxford Marathon September 26. Ann and I joined this club totally afraid and wondering what did we get ourselves into. I never thought that I would be able to run but I raced with my running group which was HARD. I used to hard core run on the treadmill but taking that to the outdoors is difficult. As time went on during my training, running on the treadmill got boring and all I craved was to run outdoors. During my running my right ankle would hurt but after running a certain distance the pain would go away (apparently that was my endorphins kicking in). But one morning, August13, I decided to run up Dixie Highway for a total of 11 miles. It took my 2:45 minutes. I was proud of myself and felt good about myself and my upcoming race.
The downside is that after that run, my right ankle began to hurt constantly. Nothing I could do would help the pain. I stopped running for weeks which turned into months. I went to a clinic and was informed that I should not take part in the Oxford Marathon. I cried and came to grips with the fact that I can't run. I spoke to Caleb and Danae and felt better and in time decided to do the Cincinnati Half. I decided that doing the Cincinnati half would be the best thing to do because it was the first ever for Cincinnati, close to my home, and the course was advertised as being flat.
I registered for this race, Danae registered and I decided that I needed to train again. Too bad that I decided to train 2 weeks before the race. The cool thing I kept telling myself is that I ran 11 miles before, I can do it again.
Race day 10/23/10 went off well. Caleb, Matt and Doreen saw Danae and I off. Around mile 3, Maggie was on 5th Street cheering me on, I saw Doreen around mile 5, I saw Joe my coach around mile 8 and at the finish line I saw Maggie and Ann cheering me on with a completion time of 2:53. I could not believe it. I did the race that fast, under 3 hours. I felt so amazing and I pushed myself but not too hard. I met up with the rest of my friends 20 minutes later or so. I felt so accomplished and the thought in my head was that I will never run a half again, but then again I decided that maybe every year I will take part in the Cincinnati half. I don't know, it is too early and I am in too much pain to commit.
Danae ended up finishing too, so proud of her and every step of the way she had a smile on her face and tunes on her iPod. After taking pictures and coming down from the great high, we all left the area. We had a celebratory 22 oz of Woodchuck and Caleb took me to Zip's for the best burger ever and dessert at Aglamesis Brothers. It is amazing how great the day was and how far I have come to make this journey. It was a great end to the perfect day.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The reasons I...
I hate you for many reasons and it is time that you understood why. I hate you because you are beautiful, I hate you because you want to be who you are, I hate you because you are everything I am not, I hate you because I am selfish, I hate you because I do not understand, I hate you because I am bored, I hate you because you don't look like me, I hate you because the Bible justifies it, I hate you because I am one of the elite, I hate you because I have nothing better to do, I hate you because I am afraid, I hate you because it makes me part of a group, I hate you because it is easy, I hate you because I believe I am doing God's work, I hate you because of my twist on the past, I hate you because I can not move on, I hate you because your religion is different then mine, I hate you because deep down I hate myself in some way. Even after this tirade of ignorance I am still wondering why people have hatred?!?!?!
I love you because you are beautiful, I love you because you want to be who you are, I love you because you are everything I am not, I love you because I try to be selfless, I love you because I understand, I love you because I am interested, I love you because you don't look like me, I love you because that is the best thing to do, I love you even when I am afraid, I love you because it makes me a better person, I love you even when it is hard, I love you because you are one of God's creatures, I love you because the events of the past, I love you because I can see your faults and accept that, I love you even if our religion differ, I love you because deep down we all want and need to be loved, I love you even when you make me cry, I love you when you don't understand me, I love you when your not around, I love you because I want to, I love you even when you hate me, I love you because that is all I know how to do. What a wonderful world to live in if we were like this.
Hopefully my love will touch others and hate will disappear. No I am not naive, I know hate exist in the world and I am sadden by it. The hate in the world if it win out would prevent me from having the life that I have now. If hate prevailed, the people in my life would not be in my life and that would make life unbearable. There is nothing positive that can come out of hate, but the possibilities are endless if there is love.
I never really thought about being hated. Maybe I just had rose colored glasses. Looking back on my 29 years of life, I have been called the "n" word several times, I have been overlooked, I have been talked about negatively just for being black, I have lost communication with people because of the choice I made regarding who to spent time with, and when I think of that I have cried but I never get angry because I know that I am not WRONG and I will continue to be who I am. If you can not accept that, that is your loss. So for the people who choose not to get to know me because I am Black, guess what???? You are losing out an knowing a great person if I say so myself :P
I think that who you love and who you are is something wonderful, special and unique with the only thing I have to say to that is be true to yourself and know that I love because I do....and if you doubt that just revisit the reasons why I love list :)
I love you because you are beautiful, I love you because you want to be who you are, I love you because you are everything I am not, I love you because I try to be selfless, I love you because I understand, I love you because I am interested, I love you because you don't look like me, I love you because that is the best thing to do, I love you even when I am afraid, I love you because it makes me a better person, I love you even when it is hard, I love you because you are one of God's creatures, I love you because the events of the past, I love you because I can see your faults and accept that, I love you even if our religion differ, I love you because deep down we all want and need to be loved, I love you even when you make me cry, I love you when you don't understand me, I love you when your not around, I love you because I want to, I love you even when you hate me, I love you because that is all I know how to do. What a wonderful world to live in if we were like this.
Hopefully my love will touch others and hate will disappear. No I am not naive, I know hate exist in the world and I am sadden by it. The hate in the world if it win out would prevent me from having the life that I have now. If hate prevailed, the people in my life would not be in my life and that would make life unbearable. There is nothing positive that can come out of hate, but the possibilities are endless if there is love.
I never really thought about being hated. Maybe I just had rose colored glasses. Looking back on my 29 years of life, I have been called the "n" word several times, I have been overlooked, I have been talked about negatively just for being black, I have lost communication with people because of the choice I made regarding who to spent time with, and when I think of that I have cried but I never get angry because I know that I am not WRONG and I will continue to be who I am. If you can not accept that, that is your loss. So for the people who choose not to get to know me because I am Black, guess what???? You are losing out an knowing a great person if I say so myself :P
I think that who you love and who you are is something wonderful, special and unique with the only thing I have to say to that is be true to yourself and know that I love because I do....and if you doubt that just revisit the reasons why I love list :)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
July's Specials
So I have a new love affair with Chicken Salad. Granted not everyone makes it so yummy but I just love how creamy, and just how awesome it is. So for my first July meal I wanted to make a cool and tasty Chicken Salad with all of the ingredients that I wanted in it. So this is an original and it was very good. As Caleb would say, "I should open a restaurant".
Here are the steps to follow to make Keyta's Awesome Chicken Salad:
1lb of boneless, skinless chicken
2 TBS of olive oil
2 stalks of celery
1/4 cup of diced green onions
1/3 cup of dried cranberries
3 TBS of chopped pecans
2 TBS of sour cream
1/2 cup of mayo
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash and dice chicken into cubes
2. Boil water and place chicken and 2 TBS of olive oil into pan (special note, I remade this reciep in October and instead I used bone in chicken with the skin and I baked it-I still put the olive oil on the chicken, by baking it the chicken is more juicy but either way baked or boiled this is great, the only thing is after baking let cool, remove skin and then cut chicken off the bone and continue following directions).
3. Drain chicken and place in medium bowl
4. Add sour cream and mayo (more can be used to make salad creamier)
5. Add dry ingredients (pecans, celery, cranberries & green onions)
6. Enjoy because it is good ( I added cheddar cheese and placed on a warm tortilla wrap)
My next meal was Ribs, Greens, Macaroni & Cheese. I wanted to do something different to my ribs so this time I marinaded them. I also just wanted to make some side dishes to make a filling but delicious meal.
Ingredients:
1 pk of Collard Greens
1 small hamhock for seasoning
2 TBS of olive oil
1 pk of Pork or beef ribs
For marinade (1-2 cups of red vinegar, salt & pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar)
barbecue sauce
3 cups of macaroni
2 cups of cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 TBS of butter
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash greens and place in pot of water with hamhocks and 2 TBS of olive oil (total cooking time is 3-5 hours)
2. Mix together ingredients for the marinade then place ribs in for 35-45 minutes
3. After ribs have marinaded, bake for 1-2 hours, take out add barbecue sauce and put back in the oven for 25 more minutes
4. Cook macaroni as directed on box
5. In skillet mix butter, sour cream, milk, cheese, salt and pepper until you have made a cheese sauce
6. Mix cooked macaroni in skillet and add to baking pan
7. Add more cheese if desired and cook for 35-45 minutes
8. Remove from fire and enjoy your meal
*9. I did not make the corn muffin but it made an excellent addition.
Here are the steps to follow to make Keyta's Awesome Chicken Salad:
1lb of boneless, skinless chicken
2 TBS of olive oil
2 stalks of celery
1/4 cup of diced green onions
1/3 cup of dried cranberries
3 TBS of chopped pecans
2 TBS of sour cream
1/2 cup of mayo
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash and dice chicken into cubes
2. Boil water and place chicken and 2 TBS of olive oil into pan (special note, I remade this reciep in October and instead I used bone in chicken with the skin and I baked it-I still put the olive oil on the chicken, by baking it the chicken is more juicy but either way baked or boiled this is great, the only thing is after baking let cool, remove skin and then cut chicken off the bone and continue following directions).
3. Drain chicken and place in medium bowl
4. Add sour cream and mayo (more can be used to make salad creamier)
5. Add dry ingredients (pecans, celery, cranberries & green onions)
6. Enjoy because it is good ( I added cheddar cheese and placed on a warm tortilla wrap)
My next meal was Ribs, Greens, Macaroni & Cheese. I wanted to do something different to my ribs so this time I marinaded them. I also just wanted to make some side dishes to make a filling but delicious meal.
Ingredients:
1 pk of Collard Greens
1 small hamhock for seasoning
2 TBS of olive oil
1 pk of Pork or beef ribs
For marinade (1-2 cups of red vinegar, salt & pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar)
barbecue sauce
3 cups of macaroni
2 cups of cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 TBS of butter
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash greens and place in pot of water with hamhocks and 2 TBS of olive oil (total cooking time is 3-5 hours)
2. Mix together ingredients for the marinade then place ribs in for 35-45 minutes
3. After ribs have marinaded, bake for 1-2 hours, take out add barbecue sauce and put back in the oven for 25 more minutes
4. Cook macaroni as directed on box
5. In skillet mix butter, sour cream, milk, cheese, salt and pepper until you have made a cheese sauce
6. Mix cooked macaroni in skillet and add to baking pan
7. Add more cheese if desired and cook for 35-45 minutes
8. Remove from fire and enjoy your meal
*9. I did not make the corn muffin but it made an excellent addition.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
My 10 on 10
So I decided to do a 10 on 10 on the best day ever 10/10/10. I got this idea from my bestie Kara who got the idea from some other smart individual. That is the beauty of blogging, you have your idea and you look at others and gain inspiration. But, today was a fun filled day that I truly enjoyed and it was even better capturing it all in picture form.
This will be a day that I will remember and one that I will cherish. The highlight as always is that I got to spend the day with my guy Caleb and I had the opportunity to go to my second Bengals game of the season. Even though the Bengals lost terribly, it was still an interesting day with the best guy a girl can ask for. So here is my day, from the first thing I see in the morning, Buddy Jo to my awesome Phillippe rounding out my day. So please enjoy my day, because I did :)
The first sight I am blessed to see every morning :)
Caleb helping me make some breakfast...yummy
Wanted to grab some items from the local CVS before heading downtown.
The Bengals game is about to begin :)
Get it together boys....
My favorite picture of the day :)
Ref made a BAD call... but that still would not have helped us
While still at the stadium, I needed to capture something pretty after an ugly loss.
The fountain of knowledge....
Last pic of my day
This will be a day that I will remember and one that I will cherish. The highlight as always is that I got to spend the day with my guy Caleb and I had the opportunity to go to my second Bengals game of the season. Even though the Bengals lost terribly, it was still an interesting day with the best guy a girl can ask for. So here is my day, from the first thing I see in the morning, Buddy Jo to my awesome Phillippe rounding out my day. So please enjoy my day, because I did :)
The first sight I am blessed to see every morning :)
Caleb helping me make some breakfast...yummy
Wanted to grab some items from the local CVS before heading downtown.
The Bengals game is about to begin :)
Get it together boys....
My favorite picture of the day :)
Ref made a BAD call... but that still would not have helped us
While still at the stadium, I needed to capture something pretty after an ugly loss. 
The fountain of knowledge....
Last pic of my day
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
June's Masterpieces
So I decided that instead of following someone else's how to I wanted to be creative all on my own. This month I made some Chicken Fried Rice and Chicken Pesto Pasta. I was more impressed with the Chicken Fried Rice. I will totally make that dish in a heartbeat. The Chicken Pesto Pasta is something that I need to restructure and do over. I am not saying that it was bad, because who wants to say that they made a horrible dish, I am just saying that it could have been a LOT better. A note, the meals below are single serving but just add more in order to accommodate the crowd you are feeding. Well, without further pause here are the creations I made in June.
Chicken Fried Rice: hopefully the picture does this dish justice.
Ingredients:
1 cup of brown rice
4-6 oz of boneless chicken
1 egg
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/4 cup of soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Rinse off chicken and cut into bite size pieces- rinse green & red bell peppers- slice and cut into pieces- in heated skillet add Tbsp of olive oil, chicken, red & green peppers-add salt and pepper as desired. Cook rice for 10 minutes then drain.
Once chicken is cooked, add rice and another tbsp of olive oil. In separate bowl scramble egg and add to skillet. Cook until egg is done, add soy sauce and ENJOY!!
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
4-6 oz of boneless chicken
1 cup of pasta
3 tbsp of pesto
2 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Romano Cheese
Directions:
Rinse off chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Cook pasta for 7-10 minutes, until tender. In skillet add olive oil, chicken, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes and add drained pasta. Add pasta to skillet and add pesto. Cook for an additional five minutes. Put on plate, add cheese and enjoy your pasta.
Chicken Fried Rice: hopefully the picture does this dish justice.
Ingredients:
1 cup of brown rice
4-6 oz of boneless chicken
1 egg
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/4 cup of soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Rinse off chicken and cut into bite size pieces- rinse green & red bell peppers- slice and cut into pieces- in heated skillet add Tbsp of olive oil, chicken, red & green peppers-add salt and pepper as desired. Cook rice for 10 minutes then drain.
Once chicken is cooked, add rice and another tbsp of olive oil. In separate bowl scramble egg and add to skillet. Cook until egg is done, add soy sauce and ENJOY!!
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
4-6 oz of boneless chicken
1 cup of pasta
3 tbsp of pesto
2 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Romano Cheese
Directions:
Rinse off chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Cook pasta for 7-10 minutes, until tender. In skillet add olive oil, chicken, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes and add drained pasta. Add pasta to skillet and add pesto. Cook for an additional five minutes. Put on plate, add cheese and enjoy your pasta.
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