This Is Why I Have To Exercise

The tail end of October was really awesome. The weather finally cooled down some and we were usually in the high 60’s and mid-70’s. On the weekends we usually go running somewhere scenic and this is not an unusual view midway through my run.


On Saturday 10/27, we invited Anne & Gilbert over to watch the Buckeyes vs Penn State. Of course, football gatherings require dips and treats. I found a recipe for Baked Black Beans With Chorizo and had to try it out.

It was super-yummy with tortilla chips!

I found another recipe for Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies and emailed it to Todd. He felt it was imperative to include it in the game time treats. But he did make a couple of them with raisins instead of chocolate chips for Anne, who doesn’t like chocolate.



This game was the battle of the bowl-ineligibles, but the Buckeyes soundly beat the Nittany Lions 35-23.



Even Noodle got into the Buckeye spirit by posing with Brutus the Buckeye.


On Sunday 10/28, Todd usually goes on his longer bike ride. But his back was stiff from doing P90X, so he skipped it. Instead, we went to try a new-to-us restaurant called Izakaya Sakura. Mainly because their Champon Noodle Soup was on the cover of the current issue of San Diego Magazine.


And that’s exactly what I ordered.


The broth was really good, and I loved all the ingredients and noodles.


Todd got chicken katsu.


It was yummy and definitely worth going back. The Champon Noodles will feel especially comforting when it’s winter. Oh wait, we don’t get below 50 degrees here in the “winter”. Ok, I still love noodle soups though! After that, we had to check out this Asian bakery called “Big Joy Family Bakery”, also featured in San Diego Magazine.

They are known for their wide selection of homemade macaroons, but Todd and I had the Taiwanese shaved ice with vanilla ice cream, red beans, sweetened condensed milk, and fresh fruit instead. Yes, the running and 30 Day Shred video workouts seem like a good idea now?

Before we leave the topic of food… Todd made these Greek Cod Cakes and they were delicious. First he mixed steamed cod fillet with the egg & panko mix.

Then he cooked them in a skillet.

It was really delicious.


And the last bit of awesomeness from end of October? The San Francisco Giants won the World Series! I was so geeked that I took a picture of my TV screen.

MY Giants. I grew up in the Bay Area and the Giants were my team. When I was 15 years old, I ended up watching a 16-inning SF Giants baseball game on TV. I would have normally turned to another channel because I didn’t understand baseball. After that 16-inning game in which anything that could have happened did happen, I understood everything from pinch-hitting to suicide squeeze. A lot of my teenage memories has to do with going to baseball games or watching them on TV. :)