A Taste of Argentina

Today was great!!  I didn't have much to do and neither did Mark, so of course we got together and had a lot of fun:]

We had to run a few errands individually, so we just went with each other to make it easier.  While making a few stops, we found an Argentine grocery story/market place one of Mark's friends was telling him about.  We stepped in and I totally felt lame because I didn't know what anything said nor what it was.  Good thing I wasn't alone and Mark has years of experience with Argentine culture and speaks spanish, so that was a huge plus!  Mark had the great idea to cook some Argentine food at his house for lunch, which I was totally game for.  It sounded awesome.

He decided on Empanadas! I had never had them before, so might as well try 'em.

We grabbed a few things from the store that we didn't have already: 

1.) Small, frozen, disc-shaped dough slices.

2.) Yerba Mate (he said I had to try it)

3.) Alfajores: Bon o bon (cookie-type things)

4.) Chimichurri (some sauce)

With a hint of orange flavoring... but I don't think that helped the taste at all.

This bag is just filled with herbs.  Looked like a Bag o' Grass or something.

Really vinegary sauce.

Yum!

Firstly, I would like to add that the Mate is truly one of the weirdest drinks I have ever attempted to consume. To drink it, you have to have a type of straw that has filter at the bottom of it. 

This is just a picture of one I found online. But notice the filter?

Boil some water, put it in a cup with some of the herbs, and this is what you get!

See why you need the filter? Without it, you'll drink a cup of water and herbs/grass. 

Lookin' good with his Mate and sweet straw:]

Woo hoo!

My first ever empanada I created!

It was surprisingly easy.  But I'm sure there are bigger and better ways to make them. 

Step 1: Grab a dough slice and put some meat on it (we used chicken and added some onions).

Step 2: Stick your finger in a cup of water and slide your finger around the circumference of the dough so it will stick together when you fold it. 

Step 3: Fold it! easy enough, right?

Step 4: Use a fork and press down the edges of the dough together (as you can see in the picture) on BOTH sides of the empanada.

Step 5: Just put them on a pan and cook 'em! 

Mark was telling me that empanadas can be baked, or fried. And use any kind of meat.  Sometimes people put olives or raisins in them with the meat too!  I'm down with olives, but raisins?? Sounds awful. 

Finished product

Chimichurri with the empanada

They were excellent!  I would love to make them again but try a different kind of meat and put olives and stuff in them.  Just to try it out.  I was really impressed with Mark's skills! :D

Final Verdict on Food: 

Empanadas = So tasty!!

Chimichurri = Yummy with empanadas, but  really vinegary.

Mate = Not a favorite of mine.  Not disgusting, but just so weird and very very bitter!  I'm glad I got to try it though.

Alfajores = So good!  I quite loved them, actually. 

I would love to try more Argentine food.  Thanks Mark for your help!

Weekend: Holmes and Jazz

Alright friends.  It was pointed out to me by Mark that my blog is pretty much about food....and you know what?  Eh, oh well:]    I do try to throw in some variety now and again, but hey, food is good!

This weekend was freakin swell, if I do say so myself.

Friday
Mark was kind enough to come with me to start my Christmas shopping endeavor.
What you have to understand is that I do love giving gifts.  It is great to know I got someone something that they will use / enjoy / really like, and that is awesome:]  BUT, I am absolutely awful at thinking of gift ideas and then finally committing to a gift.  I always second guess my ideas and then that's when all hell breaks loose.  Not good.  But I was actually somewhat successful that day!  I still have quite a bit more to do, but at least I started.
We also had dinner at Iggy's and saw "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows."  Something you must understand is that I loved...LOVED...the first one.  The first movie had excellent actors, acting, plot, music, comedy, and everything else!  It is an absolutely glorious film that everyone needs to see.
The second one was good too!  NOT as superb as the first one, no doubt, but still good.   The only complaint I have is that they didn't develop the villain very well.  From the beginning, he was just there and a bad guy, and we were left with very little information until the ending let everything fall into place.  It was still quite good!

Saturday
After work at about 4:30 I was finally able to head downtown to see the Utah Jazz scrimmage game.  It was free with no assigned seating, so everyone had to fend for themselves!   Mark and his brother Tim (who I met for the first time that night and he is super cool, by the way) had been waiting in line (Big Jazz fans these ones) for about 2 hours in the freezing cold with very unprepared attire.  I was lucky enough to drive down there after work and have a spot in line saved for me:]  I only had to wait about a half an hour in the cold, so I was very lucky. Kudos and thanks to you guys!
Once the doors FINALLY opened, Mark and I ran, yes...RAN through the doors, down the hallway, and down the stairs.  We got amazing seats!  FLOOR SEATS to be exact. Yeeeahh!!

Not to mention we got high fives from a few of the players!  Okur, Gordon Hayward, Raja Bell and a few others.  Best Friend status right here!

What up Millsap??

Even if it was only a scrimmage game, it was still fun.  They could have shortened/gotten rid of some of the added "silly, fun things" they had before the game, but we all had a good time!

Mark and I actually ended up getting floor seats and his brother Tim and his friends got about 2nd row seats, so the second half we traded them to be fair.

Tim, Mark and Me!  

Pretty epic night actually:]

Sunday wasn't all that exciting sadly.  I just chilled at home with my day off and watched the Denver Broncos game...which was a very disappointing, sad game and I would prefer to not think about it...

Hope your weekend was just as great as mine!

Food!

First order of business.....School Is Out!  Thank God....  that's all I have to say.   Out until January; but still! This is a very much needed break.

But I have to confess that during finals week, I skipped the gym.  A WHOLE SE7EN DAYS with no work out! (studying and work took up a lot of my time)  I felt awful.  Just gross and lazy.  Not to mention I didn't care what I ate, really.  So I didn't exercise, got stressed out over tests, and ate like crap.  Needless to say I felt guilty and am ready for fun!
I also have to keep in mind that a setback on a workout/healthy eating regimen is only normal.  So I just need to get back at it and act like it never happened.  Which is what I have been doing the past 2 days. So that is good news!

RANDOM STUFF

My dinner at work I have quite a bit.  It is a microwave asian noodle soup thing. It is vegan:]

It really is pretty good!  Even if it does look like worms...

TASTY SNACK

Have you ever had Cottage Cheese?  I love it.  So much!  If you throw some of that in a bowl with some fruit, I'll be a happy camper. 

I realize it looks absolutely disgusting, it really does. BUT, it is delicious!  

Oranges in cottage cheese is amazing

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

I feel as though this title says it all.  Wow. They were so good!

Last Saturday Mark and I were hanging out and having a swell time as always.  He ended coming up with the idea to make a Reeses-type dessert.  Because I am a peanut butter fiend(ha!), I was game.   

It was SO simple too!  We found a recipe online, went to the grocery store to grab a few items, and were on our way to creating these great things!

The Recipe For Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Our mini cupcake paper cups.  We had to spray them with Pam so they wouldn't stick...obviously.  But that can had some serious spray power, so we had to hold it up high and spray. We still just sprayed the table the majority of the time and kept missing the cups.  We are talented folk. 

This picture is absolutely awful.  My phone camera didn't want to focus for some odd reason.  But this is the peanut butter inside mixture.  Which Mark and I discovered was pretty good all on its own....

Before we put them in the fridge to chill for a few hours.  

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the "after."  But they were absolutely delicious. Mark and I (and his friend Ty) did an amazing job!  They may not have been pretty, but at least they tasted good! Which really, is the ultimate goal. 

After making our awesome dessert and put it in the fridge for awhile, we decided to go see the lights at Temple Square.  It really is a pretty place during Christmas, regardless of your beliefs.  This was the first time he had ever seen the lights downtown around Christmas time, so that was cool I could be the one he went with!  We had tons of fun!  

I'll try to get better at blogging! 

I have just been too busy.  Work, school, finals, papers, and I have to throw in a social life.   Things have been going fantastic lately, and I am absolutely loving it:D