Lynnie Loo’s blog

So I found this recipe a few weeks ago and I've been wanting to try it. I've been eating a ton of hard boiled egg whites lately and I'm getting bored of them. I figured this would be a good way to have a easy portable breakfast for weekday mornings.

The original recipe I found is here but of course I did my own thing.

Ingredients:

8 JUMBO eggs (or a dozen large)

4 Vegan Sausage Patties

3 handfulls of baby spinach

0. Preheat oven to 375. Put liners in muffin pan.

1. Crumble sausage patties. I used the Morningstar Farms Veggie Breakfast Sausage Patties - wicked healthy and soooo tasty! I like them better than real sausage. Put equal amount of sausage in each muffin cup.

2. Remove stems and chop baby spinach. Put equal amount in each muffin cup. You will now be about 75% full

3. Beat eggs. Add salt & pepper as desired.

4. Pour egg mixture in each muffin cup.

5. Bake for 25 minutes.

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They came out looking fine and tasted yummy, but I did have a problem. The bottom half of the muffin was just one big air bubble. Ryan didn't complain though and said they were excellent. It might be because I didn't spray the liners with nonstick spray as the original recipe suggested....so when I make these again I will definitely do that step. I would also add cheese the next go around. These tasted great fresh out of the oven but this morning when I reheated two for my breakfast they tasted too much like healthy food! haha....maybe just a little goat cheese next time.....that would be realllllly tasty! (plus you don't need too much so it will still be good for you) You can add whatever you like to them but I liked the fake sausage and spinach combo.....a mexican spin might be nice though, like avocado, peppers, and tomato? (but might get too wet)

So one of the greatest things about moving to NYC has been getting to spend TONS of time with Nicole & Diane. Every week we try to get together for family dinner night. Usually we alternate back and forth between Manhatten and Brooklyn. This past Friday, Ryry and I headed out to the BK for a fun night!

The only problem with going to their house is itty bitty Eggplant. She has it out for Ryan!

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She's deciding if she should start her hissing and swatting now, or wait until after dinner. Thankfully, she chose AFTER dinner.

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Cheers to Family Dinner Night! Diane and Nicole made incredible barbeque pulled chicken in the slow cooker with cole slaw and a mix of sweet potato and regular potato french fries. We all ate two sandwhiches and gobbled up everything else! It was so tasty!

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After dinner we had dessert. I made "Marshmallow Cereal Bars" with fruity cheerios.....hey, I only had 30 minutes to whip something up and with the picnic feel of our dinner I thought these would go well.

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They were def tasty. AND pretty! After dinner we just hung out and listened to the Decemberist vinyl that Diane had picked up when we went to the concert a few weeks ago. It was so relaxing and chill. Unfortch I wasn't feeling 100% and ended up falling asleep before midnight. So we went home pretty early but still it was a great dinner night. Can't wait for next weeks! I think I need to get that pulled chicken recipe.....so good!

Fall Photo Shoot!!!

On a recent trip to South Windsor, Franks and I had a fall photo shoot outside Ryry's parents house. It was such a beautiful day and I've only been taking pics of Franks in the apartment lately and they seem to all be on the couch so its getting a bit boring. We needed a change of scenery.

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We don't usually get too many of the full profile.......as you can tell from the above two he's usually doing a partial profile.

Just last week I finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini's second book.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini

I loved Kite Runner but the book wasn't as special to me since I had seen the movie already (and already fallen in love with the story)......A Thousand Splendid Suns really spoke to me. Maybe because it was focused around women, or that the main characters weren't as priveleged at in Kite Runner. I'm not sure. I sped through this book so quickly. I couldn't put it down. I kept taking breaks at work to go read it. I found myself thinking about all the females roles that I play and the ones that I see people play around me. And sure, I know I have it way easier than Mariam or even Laila, I can still see some of the differences in what my role is and what my husbands role is. And at some points while reading the books I started to feel really oppressed, even though I'm obviously not, but still, the book was so strong that I was just feeling what these women felt and it was starting to affect my life. Like lying in bed with my husband was making me think about poor Laila and Mariam. Their pain was so immense that I couldn't even really enjoy this simple pleasure for myself. I also found learning about Pakistan and Afghanistan really fascinating. I feel like this is a whole world that I just don't know enough about and this book helped me to further my understanding of some of the history and culture there. This weekend Ryan and I went to the Met. They have an Islamic Art section but unfortunately it was closed for renovations and they only had a small selection of pieces on display (conveniently in the Balcony Bar). I really want to go back when that section is finished with renovations.

Does anyone else know any good books similar to A Thousand Splendid Suns that they can reccommend? I def suggest reading this book to all my girlfriends. Hopefully you'll love it as much as I did.

So our stupid bath tub drain is always slow. And its so gross to stand in water up to your ankles when you are taking a shower, even when you know its your own dirty water.....I've gotten so many bottles of Liquid Plumber and all that type of junk and nothing helped.

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1. Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings (Today Show Book Club #25)

Christopher Moore

Yes, another Christopher Moore book. I'm addicted. I really wanted to read his newer book, "Fool" but it cost over $20 for the eBook at Barnes & Noble....total rip off....so I got this one instead.

I really like this book because it was just fun. It was def one of his more sci-fi books but the aquatic themes kept me really interested. Since Ryry is so obsessed with all the animal in the ocean this book felt familiar. The book was fun but I still love Lamb the most. I think I'm tired of Christopher Moore for a while now though.

2. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: A Novel

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: A Novel

Rebecca Wells

This book, by Rebecca Wells, the author of the Ya-ya series, was so sweet and cute. I know this sounds majorly dorky but it really made me want to be a better person. To just be kind and sweet and gentle to the people around me. I know that this isn't realistic, but Calla Lily just seemed so understanding and forgiving. I wish I could be more like her.

I read the Ya-Ya series so long ago and loved it. This book seemed calmer then that series. It was just calming to read.

I even tried to act more like Calla Lily after reading it. I know this is going to sound so unbelievably dumb, but one day I was at McDonalds and all the customers were angry and mean. The people behind the counters were definitely frazzled and kept messing everything up. People were slamming things down in their frustration while waiting for their simple orders, and everythign seemed to be spiraling worse and worse for the workers. I tried to be more like Calla Lily and when I got to place my order, instead of showing how mad I was for having to wait so long, I tried to just smile and talk slowly. First answering thier mandatory "Hi How are you?" and asking it in return, and then actually listening to what he said. I placed my order and threw in tons of smiles. I smiled while I waited for the order. And said thank you nicely when I (finally) got it. The guy behind the counter still seemed a little flustered because there were still some angry/frustrated customers but I like to think I helped a little. Or at the very least didn't add to his chaos. But its pretty pathetic that I had to actively say to myself, BE NICE, BE LIKE CALLA LILY. I wish I was just more like her to begin with.

So, I guess the point is, I recommend this book if you. Its not all rosey, but it will def leave you feeling good.

3. The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, #1) by James Patterson

The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1)

James Patterson

I read this book for two reasons: 1. It was a free eBook download from B&N, 2. Mandi loves this writer.

I was so excited to tell her that I was finally reading one of his books. Unfortunately her response was along the lines of, yeah I read that but those books are certainly not the reason why I like the author. The book was fun to read but I didn't download any of the rest of the books in the series. I would read them if they offered them for free though. Its just a quick cute read.

4. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner Illustrated Edition

Khaled Hosseini

Unfortunately for me, I had seen the movie before I read the book. I loved the movie and loved the book. But unless I am remembering something wrong, the movie seems pretty accurate. This is a case where I didn't feel that the book was better than the movie. So if you have a long list of books to read.....just rent this one on Netflix.

That being said, I love his style of writing so I am currently reading his other novel, "A Thousand Splendid Suns". So I guess the book, in a way, better than the movie.

I made this soup last night for my sicky husband, who refuses to eat chicken noodle soup. (and I refuse to NOT serve chicken soup when someone is sick!)

I altered this recipe a little, and was very happy. I can't wait to make it again and add a few more alterations.

Ingredients:

Drizzle of olive oil (I used the Lime Infused Olive Oil I have from Napa)

Small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 Teaspoon of minced garlic (I used it from a jar)

1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger

6 turns of pepper grinder

1 quart of low sodium chicken broth

1 can (13+ oz) of Reduced Fat Coconut Milk (unsweetened)

5 teaspoons of soy sauce

1 pound of thinly sliced chicken breast, cut into strips

1 small can of bamboo shoots

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1/2 pound of long thin pasta

Hot Pepper Seeds and Suracha Sauce (to taste)

Directions:

0. Start water boiling to for pasta.

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes

2. Add ginger, garlic, pepper, coconut milk, chicken broth, soy sauce, lime juice, and bamboo shoots.

3. While soup is coming to a boil, cook pasta until done. Drain and keep hot.

4. When soup reaches a boil add chicken. Cook until done.

5. Serve in large bowls. Place pasta in bowl. Ladle soup on top.

6. Add pepper seeds and suracha sauce to tase!

I love Coconut Chicken Soup so much! But its usually so rich that if I eat it at dinner it gives me an upset stomach. This one didn't at all. Plus with the pasta it made it a whole meal! And it was pretty cheap to make. Next time I make this soup, which is going to be soon, I'll add those little mushrooms and possibly some shrimp? I think some other green veggie could be good in it too but I haven't figured out which. Also I'll add the cilantro from the original recipe on top before serving.

(Sorry - No pics! Too worried about nursing Ryry back to health!)

So I started this boot camp class on Monday with my friend Teresa. Its at this boxing gym called Trinity Boxing Club NYC and its lead by this army guy who used to be a Green Beret. Its pretty serious. (More info - click here!)Its a month long course of 3 workouts a week. The first and last class are fitness tests. I'm posting my starting scores (pretty pathetic but whatever...the point is to improve) and I'm really excited to see my final scores.

Pushups - 2 (!!)

Sit ups - 37

2 mi Run - 20:24

I had my second class this morning and I don't think I'll be able to move my arms until about next Monday....if I'm lucky! The people in the class are all nice and the instructor is very encouraging (not at all scary). We just do normal things that any one could do, you don't need any equipment.

Today's Workout Included (but I may have forgotten some):

3 sets of 2mins of doing full sit ups (all the way up to your knees......not "crunches")

3 sets of 2mins of doing push ups

4 sets of 30 seconds of kicking both legs up together (partner pushes them down) and not touching the floor

4 sets of 30 seconds of flutter kicks

Countless squat thrusts and other excercises that are similar (don't know the names)

So at the end I should be able to keep doing these exercises. Can't wait to see how he tortures us on Friday!

Class last night went really went. The teacher complimented my painting when he was critiqueing everyones work at the end of class. He said he could tell I had put a lot of thought into my peice, that I had the right idea about the colors and the shadows and with a little more time I'd have it. Then he said I need to practice my drawing because my drawing needs to be a little more accurate, my drawing limited me this time because I couldn't place all the features right.....but still.....I was so happy to get a good critique finally, instead of him just saying "Don't worry, you'll get better"....

I'll post all the paintings at the end of the class so you can see my "progress"

What's the biggest frustration in your life right now?

Portrait Painting class at the School of Visual Arts. It's soooooo hard!! I love doing the class, its a big challenge for me, which I kind of need right now. Its something to do, "on my own" (which really meanswith my sis-in-law Diane, but its the first thing I've done without Ryan). It makes me feel like much more of a New Yorker.....because who does this kind of thing? Just takes a portrait painting class? Plus it ensures that we get together as a family one night a week, with Nicole and Ryan, to do our homework, which normally means a fun time of dinner and drinks!

It's just soooo hard to paint faces right! I actually started crying during our last homework session. I kind of freaked everyone out too. But I think next time I just need to stop and take some breaks or something. When I look at my homework now I don't want to cry, so it isn't THAT bad....Plus, I'm supposed to get better as the class goes on, so I'm sure it will get less stressful.

Either way, its def the most frustrating thing. You have no idea how hard it is to get all the colors right. Its oil paint, so you aren't "shading" like you would with drawing, you actually have to mix all those tones and colors. I have such a hard time getting the colors right and making them warm and cool....its so much to concentrate on. Plus, theres the whole matter of trying to paint something that looks like the person in front of you, which feels impossible right now! At the end of class maybe I'll put my paintings on the blog......if I get enough courage!