exploring your town on two wheels.

when we decided to move downtown, one of the things we were most excited for was the opportunity to bike ride to tons of places. i'm happy to report we've done just that. 

we've challenged ourselves to "two-wheel weekends" -- no driving allowed. it's been really fun and we've found bike riding to be the optimal way to get intimately familiar with your 'hood. you're not distracted, the fresh air is great, you notice things you wouldn't in a car, i have a much better sense of direction and we've been forced to try new restaurants, bars and boutiques because some of our go-to's aren't in biking distance. give it a try this weekend.  

may is national bike to work month.

there he goes with his backpack to the office! back in march, d challenged himself to bike to work for 30 days and as long as his schedule permitted, he did it. he's sporadically kept it up every since, and although it's starting to get a wee bit too warm, he's still been pedaling to the office observance of may's national bike to work month. 

trader joe's easy & delicious greek gyros.

hers & his chicken sausage gyros made with all trader joes ingredients in less than 6 minutes

{mine with extra tzatziki, his with spicy sriracha}

we eat these a lot. just ask my husband. i'm kinda addicted to them. they're super easy, light & tasty.

...the ingredients... 

(any pre-cooked trader joe's chicken sausage flavor you'd like. we mix it up each time.)

trader joe's middle eastern flatbread. so delicious.

veggies: chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce & slivers of pepperoncinis.

...the steps...

                         1:  slice-up 1 chicken sausage per gyro & heat as directed (microwave or stovetop) 

                         2:  shred lettuce, chop tomatoes & pepperoncinis (also consider cucumbers & onions) 

                         3:  heat up flatbread for 20 seconds & spread tzatziki sauce all over.

                         4:  add warm chicken sausage, veggies & sprinkle with fat-free feta cheese and pepper

                         5:  serve with a side. we like hummus & pita chips, fries, couscous or a greek salad 

approximately 305 calories per gyro 

apoláf̱ste
(enjoy in greek. duh)

how you can advance alzheimer's research & help doctors find a cure.

it's pretty awesome how one medical researcher is using social media and online tools to conduct major research.

a genome expert hopes to test 1 million people for a major Alzheimer's study. 

"Before we can discover new treatments for brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, we need to understand the human genetic blueprint - DNA - that determines how the brain works in healthy individuals," said said. "Then we will be better equipped to develop new medicines and therapies for individuals with brain disorders." Read more here.

anyone ages 18 to 80 can take the 10-minute online memory test. the test will be used to gather clues into cognition and find subjects for a Phase II clinical trial to determine how people's memory changes as they age and whether there are lifestyle choices that might lead to clues into Alzheimer's and other brain disorders. My results were kinda scary. 

Want to be a part of Project MindCrowd? 

Click Here To Take The Test Now.

do it. and share it with your friends and family.

the great expiration date debate.

danny's a freak about expiration dates. if it's a day over - it's trashed. period. 

i'm more in the camp of "if it still looks and smells okay, it's probably fine." 

but things do get a little hairy sometimes. i'll admit that. and how long do things in the freezer really last? 

should you put all your veggies in the fridge? leave them on the counter? 

i'll be printing this nifty infographic for the inside of our kitchen's pantry doors. 

The Shelf Life of Food infographic by LindsaySnowOsborn.

our first spaghetti squash.

(yes, i changed half way through making dinner because i knew the white knit sweater was going to be bad news)

have you made spaghetti squash before?

it was our first time and we didn't really know what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised. 

danny was happy it didn't taste like squash. because apparently he "hates" squash. 

making spaghetti squash is super duper easy (watch this video) and obviously a much healthier "pasta" option.

for the red sauce, we did diced tomatoes, italian chicken sausage, diced onion, basil and parsley. 

all topped with a sprinkling of parmeasean cheese, of course.  

pretty good. i won't be craving it anytime soon, 

but will def keep it in mind for the next night we're craving comfort food but want a lighter option. 

a sunday polaroid.

i love this bike. love.

p.s. how red does my hair look in the sunshine?

my (new to me) 1970's french mixte.

with a big red bow and everything! 

on sunday, december 9th we hosted danny's family's christmas brunch (early, we know. but it was the only weekend that worked for everyone) and i got a big christmas surprise from ting!

he found an old 1970's french mixte bike, ordered all kinds of parts and then spent hours resorting and modifying it to make it perfect for moi. i'm beyond obsessed with the double basket on the back. how great is that? 

i feel like i should have a fresh bouquet of flowers, a bottle of wine and baguette in the back at all times.

 checking things out while hunter & makaela check each other out.
let's be real, this bike is way cooler than i am. 

babe, i love it. 

and i know how much time you've been spending in the back house working on 

mysterious things (i was really starting to wonder). merci! merci! merci!

je t'aime
(i love you en frances)

the first annual gobble wobble.

danny, tricia & i did our first annual day-after-thanksgiving gobble wobble, an 8-mile hike through Tucson's Sabino Canyon. look at that picture - it was an absolutely gorgeous day in the canyon. beyond the scenery, it was so great to spend three uninterrupted hours together chatting about life, love and family. it's a tradition i hope we keep.

off into the canyon we go.

saguaros everywhere

it's not nice to point, mr. cactus.

danny the desert kid. him & tricia are full of desert knowledge. animals. plants. all the 411.

 we made it to the top! 

proof i made it - had to touch the palo verde plant at the top.

arizona's version of fall colors in the desert canyon.

do you see the brother & sister ants marching along? 

very extreme signage.

me and the thousands of cacti.

totally strange and awesome - we saw a deer and her baby crossing the trail!

i was on a quest for the biggest saguaro i could find... this one is pretty good.

desert beauty.

the self-pay was full when we pulled up. so after our hike, we searched for someone to give our $5 parking fee to. we ended up in the visitor's center and they were so grateful and surprised that we went out of our way to pay post hike, they gave us a parking pass for a future trip! it pays to be honest.

---

and to all you phi's out there - how random is this? during our hike, the three of us were trying to get a photo together for danny's Instagram (@dancendan), but it was not working so i finally asked a woman who was approaching if she'd mind taking our photo. as she got closer and i wasn't being blinded by the sun, we did a "teri?" "cindy?" -- it was cindy nock and her adorable little family walking through the canyon. she happily took our picture. (cindy and i were in the same sorority at the University of Arizona). super small world. 

eating local, an intimate boho farm dinner in arcadia.

a couple of weeks ago i was invited to a super unique dinner party. a local couple, caroline + david, have an amazing farmhouse in arcadia (right down the street from our old home) and have an actual farm in their backyard - tons of fruits, veggies plus a chicken coup complete with a chandelier. we've been to their home's backyard once before when they opened it up to local vendors to sell their goodies to the in a community market style format.

alicia has got to know caroline through her hot chick aprons business - they're both very active in the local indie business community - and invited me to attend the annual sunday night "boho evening at the coop." everything caroline + david served was grown on their property (minus the steak from local singh farms) and everything from the butter and chutney to the french fries and ice cream were homemade. it was decadent and delicious.

isn't that such an awesome way to bring people together to encourage supporting local enterprise? it's a really cool and intimate idea to promote shopping and buying local produce, meats and products.

cozy farm style dining

miss alicia crackin' open the vino

 

THE MENU

Homemade BOHO chevre with our spicy apple chutney, maple pumpkin butter served with crostini

Poached egg salad, Eddie's bacon and farm greens

Chicken consomme

Meat Shoppe hanger steak with pomme frites, and céleri rémoulade

Oaxacan chocolate pear tart with homemade cardamon vanilla ice cream and fresh tea tisane

rachel came along, too! 

how great is their home? and how sweet of them to open it up to the community! 

the spacious arcadia backyard

great setting for a cozy fall night with girlfriends

fancy chicks

stripes were also on the menu.

our starter. to die for.

caroline, our gracious hostess, explaining the courses and wearing her hot chick apron, of course!







next course: unreal good.

chicken consomme made using the home's chicken feet. eek! so good, tasted like french onion soup.

one of the best steaks ever + homemade to-die-for fries. 

dessert, if you dare. un-snap your pants and dive in. 

full bellies & happy hearts. 

 

learn more about the boho farm, it's offerings & events here.