A Goal Reached!

Well, some good things are happening.

First, I got my glass of wine!  Well, a bottle rather.  My birthday was lovely and my boyfriend and I spent a great evening dining at Frida Bistro, one of my favorite restaurants in the city.  I purchased a Chilean wine for the occasion, and it was perfect.  Root:1 is a wine that I hadn’t tried before, and it was one of the better wines in its price range that I have had in a long time.  We had the Cabernet and it was rich, but also super mellow with hints of dark chocolate–the tannins are also very subtle.  It was almost velvety.  And, at about $12 a bottle, it is super affordable.

********

Second, a major weight loss goal has been reached!  I am not talking about numbers here people (weigh in is Sunday)….I am talking about clothing.  I had this sleek black pencil skirt that I haven’t been able to fit into for a while now.  I actually tried to fit into it the last week in December when I got a little teary-eyed that I could get the zipper more than half way up.  I folded the skirt up and left it on my dryer as a reminder of where I wanted to be.  This past birthday weekend, I zipped that baby up with no problem and may or may not have jumped around the house a little bit with a big grin on my face.  Ok, let’s be honest, I totally did.  In fact, today, I am wearing the skirt at work, feeling great.  It is amazing how good hard work feels in the end.  And, while I am not to my end goal in numbers (yet)–I have a tropical Key West vacation ahead of me to look great for–so, my motivation is amped up!  Bikini season, here I come.

Anyway, have to share success right?

This weekend I am doing a review of Maxwell’s downtown!  Hoping it is a good one.

-Nosh

Chanon Thai–Melt Your Face Deliciousness!

Face melting–that is right.

I had my first trip to Chanon Thai last week–and then quickly after that, a second trip.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it after trip number one.  The cozy & quaint location, the welcoming and kitschy decor, the scent of hundreds of spices wafting form the open kitchen, the lovely wait staff, and of course–the flavor of the beautiful food at Chanon Thai were like a dream…

A good friend of mine, who works at the record store across the street (Randy’s Records), had been telling us he went to Chanon at least once or twice a week for lunch. So before we all went to see a show a few nights back, we met at Chanon for dinner.  The first thing I noticed about their menu was that calories, carbs, and most ingredients were listed.  This was the most amazing thing for me, as my diet is still pretty strict.  The Calamari was breaded in whole wheat, so we went for it.  Hands down, this is the best and most fresh calamari I have had in Salt Lake.  The cuts of squid are large and the sauce is perfectly sweet and spicy.  There wasn’t a hint of chewiness or fishiness.  Perfection.

Chanon Thai has a large menu with many different selections–from seafood, pork, and chicken–to being able to order nearly any dish vegan.  I am particular to tofu in my Thai food, so we went with a large order of Tom Yum Soup, which was outstanding.  I love the lime in Tom Yum soup, and Chanon nailed it by using lime leaves, rather than the actual fruit.  Previously, I have loved the Tom Kha Gai soup at Thai Siam, but sometimes the lime can be a bit overwhelming.  Chanon Thai nailed that part. I could order just this and be super happy.

By now, we are pretty much full, but we have some amazing main courses coming as well.  I ordered the Gang Dang (Red Curry), which was so full of flavor–and also spicy.  I ordered the meal mild, since I am a baby when it comes to heat–and it was still pretty hot.  Chanon Thai offers mild, medium, and hot on a scale of 1 – 5.  If you can eat a 5, you are made of steel.  I have no idea how one can eat such spicy food!  My boyfriend ordered his meal at a 2 and the smell of it was even spicy.  However, for those who love things with a kick (or a BANG even), you will definitely not be looking for more heat at this restaurant.  And for those of you who are like me and can’t handle a lot–remember that even the mild food at Chanon Thai is spicy.

The Gang Dang had acorn squash, zucchini, eggplant, bamboo shoots, tofu, and everything else delicious.  The coconut mixed with the curry spice was creamy and filled with heat all at once.  This dish is a Thai food lovers dream.

Everyone couldn’t say enough about how enjoyable the food and service was at Chanon Thai.  It is certainly going to be one of those places I crave on a regular basis from here on out.  Go check it out for yourselves, melt your face with spicy tastiness, and support a great local spot.  I honestly don’t think you could order anything from this restaurant that wasn’t prepared with quality ingredients and lots of LOVE!

Chanon Thai

278 East 900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

(801) 532-1177

Is it too Early to Plateau?

I haven’t lost any more weight this week, despite keeping up with the diet.  And for all of you who love TMI, it was that time of the month, so I am blaming it on the terrible-ness of shark week.  🙂

I didn’t cheat this week–so getting on the scale with no reward was lame.  However, all I can do is plug along and remember all my clothes fit better and that I am back to waring clothes from a few years ago–which was sort of the goal.  I am going to try to not let the scale depress me too much.  5 weeks in and 3 to go, I should be very happy with 15 lbs.  Hopefully, by summer, it will be twice that…it is just slow going now.  And let me reiterate–this is not just a 5 week diet that will end with me going back to eating pizza every weekend.  This is a life change, that just gets a little less strict over time.

So, here is some food from the recent past.  Highlight:  I made cookies!  Peanut butter cookies!  Thank the food gods for coconut flour–which has about 9 carbs for a whole cup!  Meaning, these beautiful babies have about 2 carbs per cookie (or less!!).  You can find the recipe here, along with some other great ones with coconut flour, almond flour, and peanut flour!

This was also another recipe that was sort of to die for.  Grilled Chicken Brushetta.  Super easy and very fresh and full of flavor.  It was even good the second day for lunch.  A must try!

I have still been on the sparkling water and berry kick.  That hasn’t gone anywhere.  The blueberries right now are soooo amazing.  I have no idea why, in the middle of February, the blueberries are so plump and flavorful.  Makes me wonder about my carbon footprint…but not enough to stop buying them.

Zucchini has still been my best friend.  This is some delicious zucchini noodles with marinara and ricotta cheese.

The best few meals I had out and about where brunch at the wonderful Finn’s Cafe and actually, if you can believe it, the Chicken Caesar Salad (minus the croutons) at Noodles and Company.  It is true.

So, here is to hoping that this week the scale is nice to me!  In the meantime, I am going to make more cookies. 🙂

-Nosh