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Where in the World is Pa-ri-ta?!

written by Parita Leave a Comment

For those of you who guessed Washington DC, you are correct!!!  I’m in the nation’s capital for the week! 

I absolutely love DC!  It’s such a fun place to be…there’s always something going on.  I am staying with one of my best friends from college tonight and then will be at training for the rest of the week.  It’s going to be busy, but I’m really looking forward to it. 🙂  I’ll be sure to keep y’all posted as I already have fun stories to share.

We are heading to Cafe Asia for dinner tonight.  Chelsey’s post the other day gave me sushi cravings, so hopefully this place delivers!  I’ll have full report out tomorrow. 🙂  Have a great night!

What are your plans for the weekend?  Anything fun coming up?

Written on February 19, 2011 Related:Friends, Restaurant, Travel

More Hours in the Day Please!!

written by Parita Leave a Comment

What a busy day!  After work I headed to TJs to pick up my favorite treat…LARABARS!  I am going to a fun city next week for work, and I want to be sure to have plenty of healthy snacks on hand.  So, I am packing nuts, Larabars, etc.

I’m not going to tell you where I am going…yet!  Let’s see if y’all can guess the destination.  I know there are hundreds of cities in the US, so I’ll narrow down the choices for you.

A. New York City

B. Washington DC

C. Chicago

D. Miami

A, B, C, and D are all super fun cities, but only one is correct.  Take a guess and let’s see if you are correct. I will post the answer on Saturday evening once I arrive in [enter city name here]!  And if you are a friend or family member who already knows where I am headed, please don’t guess!  It’s not fair!

So, I really wish there were more hours in the day.  For someone who works 9 hours a day, comes home and works out, makes and eats dinner, watches TV, BLOGS :), and wants to read a book before bed, there are just not enough hours in the day!  Who’s with me!?

As you can probably tell, my day today was packed.  After TJs I headed to Lovin Spoonfuls for dinner with my co-workers!  They wanted to have a farewell dinner for me at my favorite Tucson restaurant!  It was lots of fun!  I tried something new this time, but unfortunately I forgot my camera at home, so no pictures…sorry!  I ordered the Route 66 Burger, which was a “cheeseburger” with “bacon.”  The quotes mean that everything was soy.  In case you haven’t read my earlier posts, Lovin Spoonfuls is a great vegan restaurant that I frequent often!  Oh, I also had a vegan chocolate chip cookie!  YUM!  After dinner, I headed to Target to pick up a few things.  Then I came home, started laundry, and started packing.  Bleh!  It’s funny how when you have LOTS to do, all you want to do is park your butt on the couch!

Before I peace out for the night, I wanted to share a couple of more things with y’all.  First, check out the super cute wireless mouse my manager got me…it’s pink!

There’s actually a pretty funny back story to this gift.  One day, I asked my manager if he had an extra thumb drive I could borrow.  He came by my desk to drop off the drive and also had another small box in his hand.  He gave me the box, and I got super excited because I thought it was a wireless mouse.  I think I even said, “Wow!  How did you know I needed one of these?”  Well, the “mouse” ended up being something else, and  he could tell from my face once I realized that it wasn’t what I thought it was, that I was a little disappointed because I said “Ohhh, thanks.”. Haha!  So, he got me this mouse because he knew “it was what I REALLY wanted!”

The other thing I wanted to share today was a book I am reading called “Helping – How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help” by Edgar H. Schein.

It sounds (and looks) kind of boring, but it’s actually really interesting!  It’s kind of text book”y” with examples and stories mixed in, but I enjoy those types of book…what can I say, I miss school.  Nerd alert!  Anyways, I am half way through the second chapter, and I can’t wait to read more.  The author addresses three different kinds of helping situations – formal, semi-formal, and informal.  And he attacks the topic from a cultural and sociological viewpoint versus a personality and character one.  I will be sure to highlight some of the main points when I am done, so you have something to look forward to!  I think the world can use better helpers!

Next time I’m on here, you’ll find out where I’ll be blogging from for the next week!  🙂

Written on February 17, 2011 Related:Book, Friends, General, Restaurant

Mediterranean Feast For One

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Happy Tuesday!  I am exhausted today, and honestly can’t wait to crawl into bed and fall asleep!  But before I do that, I have a few fun things to share (as always) about my day!  😉

For some reason, my workout yesterday really made me sore today.  I worked out to the Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones DVD, and my muscles are feeling it today!  Maybe it’s because I haven’t done it in a while.  So today I ended up going for a power walk in the park.  Check out these views!  I have always thought that I was strictly a beach/water person, but I really do love my mountains!

That's the moon in the top right corner!

After a 45 minute walk, I decided I wanted Mediterranean food for dinner, so I headed to Zayna Mediterranean Cafe.  And it didn’t disappoint!  I ordered the Vegetarian Plate, which included hummus, baba ghannuj (eggplant dip), salad with a lemon vinaigrette dressing, za’tar pita, falafel, grape leaves, and a plain pita.  I know what you y’all are thinking, THAT MUCH FOOD ALL FOR YOU!?!?  Yes, I didn’t finish it all, but I was pretty close.  The pita was so soft and pillowy,  hummus was rich and creamy, and the baba ghannuj was chunky and tasted like a roasted eggplant.  The falafel was crispy but not at all oily, and the grape leaf filling was flavorful (so rare to find in my opinion).  After hearing all this, don’t you think I made the right choice?!

A Mediterranean Feast!

Today must have been my lucky day because I even got a complimentary baklawa!  Oh my deliciousness…it was the perfect combination of nuts, flaky pastry, and butter. 🙂  So good!  If you’ve never tried this dessert, please do so the next time you have the opportunity.  It’s different from most traditional American desserts, but the flavor and taste are very comforting.  Loved it!

Something to Think About

The last thing I wanted to talk about today was something I heard at work.  During a leadership call today, a senior leader talked about a book called “Off Balance On Purpose” by Dan Thurmon.  I’m sure the title gives away the premise, but something that was said on the call really got me thinking.  The leader said that we are in a constant state of small corrections, and that it’s ok to make adjustment’s based on life’s obstacles and the changes that come our way.  We should be happy in the pursuit of this frame of mind.

A major goal of mine is to find balance (as it is for many others), but this concept of essentially just living life and constantly adjusting makes me think that maybe the goal isn’t to find balance as much as it is to constantly adapt to our environment and situation.  Maybe “finding balance” really is just that.  I hope I haven’t confused anyone too much!  I’m going to have to think about this some more, but I just found the whole idea of living off-balance on purpose really interesting. 🙂

Have you read this book?  What do you think about the core concept?

Written on February 15, 2011 Related:Book, Inspirational, Restaurant

Keeping an Open Mind

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Before I delve into a semi-deep blog post, I wanted to share details about my dinner tonight.  It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!  I know some of you may roll your eyes when I say this, but Tucson really does have some of the best restaurants.  AND the food is reasonably priced, which is always a plus in my book!

Dinner tonight was at Acacia, and honestly, I will not be able to do the restaurant any justice by describing it in my own words, so I thought I would share a description verbatim off the menu:

“Acacia is proud to announce the next generation of seasonal menu offerings. Emphasis has been placed on sustainability as well as value. We believe that locally produced foods are inherently fresher and contribute greatly to the Arizona economy. Whenever possible we buy local, all natural, pesticide and herbicide free as well as certified organic products. A special thanks to the micro farmers of southern Arizona, University of Arizona Agricultural co-operative and Meat Sciences Department for making many of their products available to us.”

How cool does that sound?!?!  I love restaurants that support their local communities and this one definitely places a lot of value and emphasis on its relationship with farmers in southern AZ!

For my entrée, I had the corn and chile custard with a variety of veggies that included spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, sweet potato, etc.  Here’s a fun pic (from my NEW camera that came in today!).

The custard was savory and creamy and really did melt in my mouth.  The veggies were perfectly grilled and seasoned and very tender.  YUM!

On to more serious things… 🙂

I think it’s important for all of us to keep an open mind when it comes to trying new and different things.  For example, I know that in the past I have missed out on a lot of cool opportunities just because I didn’t want to get out of my comfort zone.  I look back and realize that my mindset back in the day was just plain ridiculous!  You really don’t know what you don’t know!  Now, I love to try out new restaurants, new forms on exercise, new foods, etc.

A major part of all this is being comfortable with change.  And again, change was something that did not resonate well with me in the past.  I enjoyed the status quo.  Something Vishnu likes to say is, “you should never be satisfied with the way things are in life”…definitely did not live by that!  I’ve learned over the past couple of years that change is inevitable, and that the more I actively take part in my own life and the seek out new opportunities, the better I will feel about myself.  So now I seek out new adventures everywhere I go!  By adjusting my mindset, I feel like I’ve really grown as a person.  The old Parita would never go hiking and running outside.  She would never eat/crave oatmeal for breakfast.  She also would not have taken the initiative to follow her heart and start this blog.  (She was kinda boring). 😉

So, the next time you find yourself being complacent, please go out and actively look for something new…a new place to eat, a new recipe, a new friend, a new book, etc.

This post reminds of a great quote I read at work, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”  –Alvin Toffler

We should all strive to continue growing and learning.  As my high school teacher used to say, “we are all a work in progress, never complete but always growing.”

What is something new you’ve tried recently?   Do you find yourself getting complacent and ok with the status quo at times and how do you combat that?

the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and releam.–Alvin Toffler.

Written on February 7, 2011 Related:Inspirational, Restaurant, Uncategorized

A Tour of Southern Arizona

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Eating, hiking in the canyon, eating, driving up a mountain, eating, touring a cave, eating…

That pretty much sums up the weekend!  Oh, did I mention we ate a lot!?!?

Roshni and Sweeti’s flights got in late Friday night, but we still managed to get up at 6 AM on Saturday to go hiking.  Yes, I did say 6 AM!!! I took them to Sabino Canyon because of the beautiful views.  We hiked a total of 8.4 miles!  It was so fun!

 

We were exhausted by the end of the hike, but it was totally worth it. 🙂

After relaxing and showering we headed to Mi Nidito (yes, I go there often)!  Roshni and I each ordered a bean enchilada with a side of rice and beans.  That sounds boring, but it was really delicious!  Sweeti ordered the Flat – Old Fashioned enchiladas – essentially corn cakes smothered in sauce and cheese…very unique and filling.

 

Flat Enchiladas

 

Next, we drove up Mt. Lemmon to experience some breathtaking views of Tucson.

Before we headed home, we made a pit stop at Frost, a local gelateria.  Unfortunately, I devoured my dark chocolate gelato and completely forgot to snap a picture. 🙁  Sorry!  I won’t forget next time!

Later that night we headed out to experience Tucson night life.  It was a very interesting night but LOTS of fun nonetheless!  It totally reminded me of our undergrad days!!!

The next day we got ready and headed to Lovin’ Spoonfuls (yes, I frequent this place a lot too!).  I decided not to branch out and ordered the usual – a Club Sandwich with a chocolate chip cookie on the side.  🙂  My meal didn’t disappoint!

 

Club Sandwich

 

Kartchner Caves was next on the list, so we headed out and drove about an hour south(ish).  If you’re ever in Southern Arizona, you should definitely try to visit and tour these caves.  We saw beautiful stalagmite and stalactite formations and learned about how the cave has evolved over thousands of years.  In my opinion, some of the formations were unreal!  And to think, they were formed from drops of water…craziness!  We couldn’t take the camera into the caves, so I don’t have pictures for y’all, but if you’re interested, please visit the official site for more information (Kartchner Caves).

Our night ended with more Mexican food (can’t get enough) at Guadalajara Grill.  GGrill has a fun atmosphere and ambiance.  I ended up ordering a cheese enchilada with a side of beans.  This restaurant introduced me to my very first Tucson Mexican food experience, but I must say, nothing beats Mi Nidito.  Hey, we all have our favorites!

 

Fresh, made-to-order salsa!

Our night ended with Bollywood songs via YouTube!!!  For those of you who may not know what Bollywood it, it’s the Indian version of Hollywood.  Don’t worry, I will dedicate an upcoming post to Bollywood so you are all well-informed!

 

That was my weekend!  I was so sad to see it end, but I know there are more fun times ahead!  🙂  Even after a 2 hour nap, I am still exhausted.  Off to bed I go!

Written on January 31, 2011 Related:Food, General, Restaurant

Eatin’ Out

written by Parita Leave a Comment

My weekend was filled with great food, awesome friends, and my wonderful family!  On Friday, my friends and I went to a local restaurant called Lovin’ Spoonfuls for dinner.  This is, hands down, my favorite restaurant in Tucson!  It’s absolutely delicious and 100% vegan.   Tuscon visitors should not leave the city until they have been to Lovin’ Spoonfuls (even meat eaters).  In fact, it’s so good that I went again today with my family for lunch. I have never walked out of this restaurant feeling unsatisfied!

On Friday, I got the Santa Fe plate, which consisted of baked polenta, tomato and basil relish/sauce, and black beans.  I washed all of that down with a soy milkshake called the Mexican Delight (a combination of chocolate and coffee).  YUMMY!  I am definitely going to try to recreate that dish and shake at home.

Today, I got my usual, the club sandwich with China Black Tea.  This is probably one of the best sandwiches I have ever had.  It’s made with soy ham and turkey, vegan mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, and oat grain bread.  DELISH!

It’s a good thing that Lovin Spoonfuls is a healthy place because dinner last night was definitely no where near healthy.  My family and I went to Mi Nidito.  Mi Nidito is a well-known Mexican restaurant in Tucson that’s been around since the 50’s.  It serves real Sonoran food, which equals delicious, cheesy goodness!  I ended up ordering a bean enchilada with a side of rice.  We also ordered the guacamole to share.  Everything tasted so fresh compared to other Mexican restaurants.  Mi Nidito’s tortillas, guac, beans, and rice are the BEST!  Another Tucson gem worth trying!

Since balance is my new favorite word, I plan on balancing out all of the eating I did this weekend by doing some yoga this evening.  I’ve been wanting to get Jillian Michael’s Yoga Meltdown DVD for awhile now and finally made my way to Target to buy it.  I LOVE her workouts and plan on blogging about all 4 of the DVDs I own soon!

Wish me luck!

Written on January 23, 2011 Related:General, Restaurant

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