Attack of the Allergies

So, while running yesterday I thought about all the cute little flowers and pretty little trees all abloom, and wondered when I would be under full allergy assault. It only took a few hours to find out the answer of that question. After a night of fever sweats and a super groggy am, it become clear my sinuses are in a loosing battle. Every spring, we go through the same thing. They say if you've never had allergies, move to Northern California, and then you will. Never had them in LA or Boston, but man, do I get them here! Typically, I try to tough it out, and usually get a sinus infection that knocks me out BAD. Last year earned me chest x-rays, allergic reactions to medications, and almost a trip to the ER, so this year my goals is to play it safe. The year before that I was chronically sick for the entire spring season. No good.

So, no 10 miles today. Sad to already start missing long runs. But maybe I'll make it up midweek. I need to beat 15.5 miles this week! (Hear that dreadmill? I'm coming for you!)

Instead, I decided to sleep it off. And go grocery shopping while there was still bread and milk on the shelves. Gotta love a Sunday.

A few years back I was pretty stoked to create my quick fish tacos recipe from breaded fish fillets in the freezer section. Recently, I am proud of my recent creation of BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. Although I am an avid reader of Food and Wine and love to get down with all my Cuisinart and Kitchen-Aid gadgets to create moments of culinary bliss, I can't get my cook on as much as I'd like because I'm a workin' girl doing grad school on the side. So although that recipe to make gnocchi with homemade ricotta sounds heavenly, it just isn't in the schedule. (who has time to make homemade ricotta? Seriously!).

It started as a solution for a leftover rotisserie chicken special. I had half a chicken and wanted to do something tasty with it. It took about 5 minutes to shred the chicken off the bone, and another ten to reheat it in a skillet with some BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's). Sauté some onions on the side and throw it on a sandwich roll, and you've got something as good as the local BBQ joint can whip up. You really don't need cheese on them like the photo above, there is already enough flavor. Now I buy chickens solely for this purpose. You could probably make 3 sandwiches with half a chicken, although we have no concept of portion control and just use all the meat on two. The sandwiches are always too big, but I will never learn. Making this at home instead of buying the tub of Lloyd's bbq chicken from the deli section has less sodium, no preservatives, and less fat because it using both white and dark meat.

I love cooking and miss having time to tool around in the kitchen. I already have my first culinary endeavors planned: The weekend I finish my masters I am going to make a grasshopper pie (with homemade mint dark-chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate cookie crust, and chocolate ganache topping) and Guinness Ice Cream on St. Patty's day. The pie is to celebrate Pi day March 14 (I'm such a math geek). The weekend after that, I'll be making seared ahi for my Mom and some other asian fusion dish. I'll probably make her some homemade orange juice and omelets for breakfast. I have been really into fresh squeezed orange juice lately, even though I have never been a big fan in the past. Maybe I'll make a lemon sorbet as well. Just thinking of all the yummy things I am going to make makes me excited. I wish I had more people to eat up my creations!