What's on your Photo Friday Menu?

Is that at Heavenly Sheila? We went there in 2013. I'm very much a beginner skier, and my goal for the week was to get high enough on the mountain that I could see the Lake from the ski hill. I finally did it on one of the Blue runs.

Yes it is! I LOVE Heavenly. Last weekend there was so much snow that most of the runs were powder.

My family snowboards, and I tried last year in Utah unsuccessfully. So I stick to skiing while they snow board. It's hard to learn a new sport when you haven't done since you were kids.

whoa!! great pictures -- the heart is amazing but so is the view of the lake from the mountain!!

Gorgeous pictures, Sheila!

Mornin' All!

sunny but cold today here in Wisco-land. Too bad since yesterday we actually got above freezing for once. It felt downright balmy compared to what we've had! I think temps are supposed to be normal next week, though, and not much snow in the forecast - YAY! I can't wait for winter to be over!

I'm going to my clinic later on this morning to present to the pre-op group. Then I have to hit the grocery store for this dinner I'm making for tomorrow night - then car appt at 5:00 (oil change and tire rotation). My Turkish friend may be joining me this afternoon at the store and car appt - depends on how much he gets done in his lab today. He'll be with us all day tomorrow, though...and part of Sunday.

QOTD: So tomorrow - I'll be making a Turkish dinner for our friend, and I asked him if he wanted to invite this other Turkish person who works in his lab (a woman). He was all excited about this prospect and is going to ask her today. Hopefully both can make it - but he'll be here either way. Then Sunday he's planning on going to a yoga class with me. He's been wanting to try it, and this class is pretty gentle, so it'll be perfect for a first-timer.

Accountability was great yesterday, but my weight was up slightly this morning. I think it's because I've been having a real problem lately with dehydration when I wake up in the morning (dry mouth and headache), so I drank more than usual last night, and I also drank another 2 C of fluid (a Bai) when I got up at 3:00 am to use the bathroom. Although it could have been just normal weight fluctuation, too...

3 years 8 months out:

B: 3 protein pumpkin pancakes topped with 1/3 C homemade Greek yogurt and 1/2 C homemade apple compote (no sugar added), coffee with half & half

MS: protein shake

L: salad with 2 oz shredded chicken breast

AS: light yogurt and/or baby carrots with 2 T hummus or raw cauliflower w/ ranch Greek yogurt

D: 1/2 C cottage cheese whipped with Splenda and unsweetened cocoa powder over 1/2 C protein oatmeal, topped with raspberries

ES: same as AS

Here are recent pics of 1) me and our Turkish friend with our university's mascot 2) me and one of my fur babies

I'm curious. What's a typical Turkish dinner?

the food in western Turkey is pretty similar to Greek (and other Mediterranean) cuisines - lots of fresh fruit and veggies, lean meats, seafood, etc. In eastern Turkey, it's more Middle Eastern (e.g. spicy things, hummus). This guy is from central Turkey on the Mediterranean coast - although I suspect he (like most Turks) do eat both types of foods. I have three Turkish cookbooks, though, and he wasn't quite as familiar with some of the traditional eastern dishes, like Circassian chicken (shredded chicken in a sort of spicy walnut sauce). But anyway, tomorrow I'm making:

spinach & feta cheese borek (similar to the Greek spanakopita)

red lentil soup

this eastern dish that he's heard of but never had - it's a lamb stew (made with spices & tomatoes) served over pureed eggplant that's got cheese and cream mixed in (so it's creamy). But I'm making it with chicken instead of lamb since he doesn't eat red meat, and I'm not a huge lamb fan

I thought about making this ice cream I used to make for other Turkish friends made with rose water and pistachios, but I'm got some cinnamon ice cream I made a couple of weeks ago for a potluck and haven't touched since, so I'll serve that. It's great, but I need it to be gone....

Oh how could I forget - kebobs and baklava - hugely popular all over! (I thought about making baklava, but the last thing I need is 3/4 of a pan of leftover baklava lying around!!)

Homemade baklava???

If I could put my hands on it I would risk dumping and worse for some baklava!! YUM!!!

I love it, too! I haven't made it in forever, though - too dangerous to have it around! There's a Middle Eastern bakery in one of the Chicago suburbs that makes a sugar free version of it. I'll sometimes buy a few pieces to take home. It lasts for a long time in the fridge, so I'll have a small piece once a week or so. It's not as sweet as the real thing (which is OK - some baklava can be a bit cloying), but it's pretty good.