Beef Noodle Bowl 2

So I guess today is technically Traveling Tuesday, but seeing that I did a travel post yesterday I decided to give you guys a break!  Today I am brining back the recipe post and since I rarely cook these days this is a treat!

This recipe may look vaguely familiar to you if you have seen my post on Beef Noodle Bowl.  This is a different take on the same recipe.  That is the great thing about this recipe, you can change it around numerous times and never get tired of it!  I hope you enjoy Beef Noodle Bowl 2!

what you need

1/2 lb. whole wheat angel hair, uncooked
2 zucchini, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/2 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

how to make it

cook pasta in a large saucepan as directed on package.

heat oil in large nonstick skillet.  add zucchini and onion until soft and translucent.  place in glass bowl and cover to keep warm. 

in the same skillet add more oil and the meat; cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing and teriyaki sauce; cook 2 min. or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. 

drain pasta; place in large serving bowl. Add meat and vegetable mixture; toss to coat.

Enjoy!

The Pennington's

Europe 2013: Day Five

Day Five: Dublin!

Hello from Dublin!  We arrived in Dublin late in the evening on day four, so we were ready to hit the ground running the next morning.  Day five was full of sites of the city with a local tour guide and some free time to explore on our own.

We started the morning with Shane, our local guide, and we took a drive around the city to see some of the high points.  We rode by the Guinness Factory (which you can tour), the site of the 1916 Easter Rising (early fight for Irish independence), and Phoenix Park (the largest park in Dublin- bigger than Central Park).  We took time to get off the bus at a few places, but mostly just saw the city at a glance.  Our first actual stop of the day though was St. Patricks Cathedral.

St. Patrick's Cathedral was built in Dublin based on the legend of its namesake, Saint Patrick, passing through the area in as early as the 5th Century.  According to the legend, on his journey through St. Patrick used a well to baptist and convert Christians in the area.  Years later in the 1100's a wooden building was built in this area and was later replaced by the structure that is there today.  In the early 1900's Celtic graves were unearthed and what was thought to be the remains of the well that was used by St. Patrick.  Today the Cathedral serves much as a museum, even though it still operates as a church.  All types of artifacts from Irish and Catholic history have been preserved within the church.

After we left St. Patrick's we had a few minutes of free time so we went to a department store on the same street.  They were offering free truffle pops that day, because it was Easter Sunday and it was also an attempt to raise money for cancer patients.  I gladly donated some euros and grabbed a delicious truffle.  It was amazing!

We then headed off to Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university established by Queen Elizabeth I.  The college was not really what we were there to see, rather the infamous Book of Kells and the Irish Declaration of Independence.  The Book of Kells is an illuminate manuscript of the Gospels and New Testament written in Latin by monks during the 8th or 9th Centuries.  It was breath-taking to see and amazing to think how much time and effort it took to create such detailed work.  Sadly, we were not allowed to take pictures of the Book of Kells, but check it out online.  After the tour of the book we went into the library to see the Irish Declaration of Independence, as well as old original copies of books by famous authors like Charles Dickens, and the oldest harp in Ireland.

Lunch was calling my name by the time we finally finished all the activities of the morning.  So off we headed to an authentic Irish pub.  I probably should have been more adventurous in my eating that day, but nothing sounded more appetizing at that moment than a cheeseburger and that is exactly what I got!  It was really good, but I think anything would have been by that time of the day!          

After lunch we spent the remainder of the day exploring Dublin.  We went up and down the main streets popping into local stores and grabbing some souvenirs.  The big sight seeing of the afternoon was the National Museum of Ireland.  We had heard that they had some bog bodies on display and were eager to check out 2000 year old remains.  They did not disappoint.  Many of the bodies (dated back to the BC era) had hair, nails, and recognizable features still in tack.  It was found that the bog bodies were so well preserved, because of chemicals from the bogs.  Bodies were sacrificed into the bog once a year as part of a Pagen tradition.  A sacrificial victim would be chosen, "fattened" up and then killed and given to the bog.  After the museum, we just took a walking tour of the city and enjoyed a little bit of free time in Dublin.

This cross supposedly held a portion of the cross of Christ at one point.

After a dinner of Bangers and Mash (not my thing) we decided to turn in early for the night, because we had an early wake up time for the next morning.  On day six we crossed the Irish Sea and took this adventure to the United Kingdom!        

Happy Wednesday Day!

This cool cat wishes you a Happy Wednesday!

Back tomorrow with more on Europe!

Europe 2013: Day Four

Day Four: Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel

An early start was on the books for day four since we had many places to see.  We headed out of Killarney and began the trek to Dublin, but with planned stops at Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel along the way.  I enjoyed my time in Killarney immensely, but I was eager to move on and cross something off of my bucket list... Kissing the Blarney Stone!

Blarney Castle is a sunning site to see.  While much of the castle is in ruin it is still beautiful and the grounds are gorgeous.  We quickly began our ascent to the top of the castle to see the infamous Blarney Stone, but as we traveled through you could not help but to be impressed with the people who lived in Blarney Castle during its prime.  The people who use to live and work in the castle had to be able to navigate the narrow and steep stairways in which the steps were not even and handrails did not exist.  I also felt very sorry for the cooks, because the kitchen was on the third floor!  Even though the up and down of the stairs probably made it very difficult for them, It made sense once we read the explanation   They placed the kitchen on the third floor in an effort to prevent fire from spreading through the entire castle.  Also, it was conveniently located near bedrooms and if there were ever unwanted guest the hot oil could be quickly used to announce to them that it was time to leave!!

Once we reached the top of the castle we got in line for our turn to kiss the Blarney Stone.  It was a little more tricky of a task than you might think, because you have to lay down on a mat and with the assistance of a worker you hold onto the bars and lower yourself upside down and backwards to kiss the stone.  It was thrilling and nerve wrecking at the same time, because you could see the crowds of people down below.  The man who was working that day was absolutely precious and kept saying things like "You like to kiss don't you, yes you do!"  It was an experience that I will never forget!

After some photo opts around the grounds and stumbling upon a Downton Abbey look-alike home we headed back towards the town for lunch.  There is a giant shop and eatery near the castle called The Woolen Mill.  It is a great place to purchase items made of real lambs wool and a good lunch stop as well.  I had one of the best meals on the trip at the market place style restaurant.  I had a chicken and brie sandwich on focaccia bread with malt vinegar and sea salt chips.  We spent a little time shopping around and then it was time to hit the road again.

After a little more time on the coach we arrived at one of Ireland's most historical sites, the Rock of Cashel.  This legendary rock of St. Patrick supposedly is a part of Devil's Bit (a mountain) on which St. Patrick banished Satan and the rock flew and landed in its current location.  It is also the place at which the King of Munster was converted by St. Patrick in the 5th century, thus creating a lineage of Christian rulers.  In the 1100's it was donated by the King of Munster to the Church and is now largely a tourist attraction due to its failing structure   It is the home of some beautiful Celtic artwork and medieval architecture.  If you are in the area I strongly encourage a visit.  

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about our visit to the Rock of Cashel was hearing and seeing about the visit that Queen Elizabeth made there in 2011.  She was on a tour of Ireland and this was one of the places that she personally requested to see, so they organized a visit for her.  She and her husband, Prince Philip, were shown around the grounds and even signed a visitors ledger to show that they had attended.  The coolest part was that they went on my birthday!!  I love anytime my life intertwines with the life of the royals!

After the tour ended we quickly loaded the buses to finish our two hour drive into Dublin.  When we arrived in the city we were immediately taken to our dinner reservation which was Irish Fried Chicken. I'm not sure that is actually what they called it, but that's what we will go with.  It would not have been to bad, but they loved brown gravy at many of the restaurants we ate in and this place was no exception.

Irish Fried Chicken?

Looks like home :)

No worries though, because once we checked into our amazing hotel I found the snack bar.  We stayed at a hostel called The Generator, which had single beds for rent for those youngster backpacking through Europe, but also private rooms for those people like us who required a little more privacy.  The students on the trip and myself included really enjoyed the young vibe of this hostel.  It was not like the creepy, dirty hostels that we see on television. It had a bar with live music, lounging areas, and a cafe.  I enjoyed hot chocolate both nights we were there and sampled a little taste of home with french fries and a coke one night!  Overall I recommend the Generator if you are looking for an expensive, no frills place to stay, particularly if you are in your teens, twenties and even early thirties.

How To Run A 5K

If you follow along with my blog at all, you would know that I have an on again, off again relationship with running.  One week I am posting I am running a half-marathon, the next I am saying who needs running or exercise.  But when it really comes down to it I really do enjoy running.  I think it is something you either like or do not.  For me (as a former college athlete) it is a form of competition that I now have a lack of in my life.  The other part for me is I LOVE to eat!  So if I can eat what I would like and go run it off, then I am a happy girl!

Daniel and I set out on the task of training for a 5K back in February.  I posted a long time ago about my first 5K experience.  I knew this time I was really going to train and push myself.  Yeah right!  I got about 3 weeks into the training and life happened.  I started staying late at work making sub plans and spending my afternoons getting things together for my trip to Europe over spring break.  To make a long story short, the training just stopped.

Now add two weeks in Europe to the equation.  No time or access to running coupled with exhaustion made it impossible for me to pick up my training schedule.  Needless to say I arrived back in the States booked for a 5K and no time to train.  The only advantages that I had going into the race were that I am athletic and Daniel did not train at all, so we could suffer through it together.    

The morning of the race arrived and we were pumped.  The goal was to finish the race.  We took it nice and slow, not pushing ourselves beyond what we were physically capable of handling.  In the end we both crossed the finish line in pretty decent times (33-34 minutes) and had a blast.  We are even trying to figure out what the next one will be... granted there will be training involved with that one!

I told you all that, because I want to stress two things.  First of all running a 5K is a reality for almost anyone.  There were people at that race from all ages and all types of physical capabilities.  With the right amount of training and the right program it is something that anyone can aspire to complete.  The second thing is that training is essential.  Unless you have been very physically active in your life leading up to this you will need to train to ensure your safety.  By gradually building up your distance it makes it seem like such a doable task and much more enjoyable.  

Below I have shared by training schedule that I followed (for a little while) during the training for this last 5K.  I made it a really long time ago, but I think I used Hal Higdeon's 5K Novice training plan.  His website is a great resource for all distances.  Another great tool is the Couch to 5K Program, which starts you off very slow with small intervals of running mixed in with walking.  Both programs offer applications to download on your smartphone as well and they walk you through your exercises.     

I hope this helps any of you considering walking or running a race of any distance in your future!  Check out the following resources for more information about races in your area:

Run The East 

Running In The USA

Road Race Runner

High Five For Friday

What a week?  I have spring fever.  My students have spring fever.  And only 28 instructional days stand between us and exams.  This semester is flying by.  However, this week did not.  But it is Friday and we made it!

1- Spending time with my man is the best part of any week.  Double the pleasure this week, because we took my mom out to dinner!

2- I completed my second 5K this past week and it was so fun!  Its fun to enjoy the challenge of competing with myself, but I realized I need to actually train before I take on the next one!

3- The search for lampshades is going on week 2 now!  These were the second ones that I have bought only to get them home and realize that they had a pattern on the inside that you could see when you turned on the lamp :(  Hopefully the third time will be the charm!

4- Disney knows how to get to me.  In the midst of a busy week they can lift my spirits and get my mind on vacation planning with a simple email.  What do you say Mr. Pennington?

5- Isn't Pinterest just full of amazing things.  Case in point this absolutely adorable t-shirt that my husband will have in his closet very soon!


Have a great weekend everyone and I will see you Monday for a continuation of my European adventure!

Europe 2013: Day Three

Day Three: The Ring of Kerry

On the third day of our trip we explored an area of western Ireland referred to as The Ring of Kerry.  This 112 mile route around the Lakes of Killarney is full of breathe-taking views.  It is an area that is a balance of rural villages and beaches, with ample wildlife (sheep) and lush green fields.  Most of the day we spent getting on and off the bus as we drove the route, unfortunately though I had extreme motion sickness that day and it was not the most ideal way to spend the day.  

The first stop of the morning was a small museum called The Kerry Bog Village.  This was a recreation of an 18th/19th century village that produced bog for local areas.  Bog is a naturally occurring product (referred to as peet grass in the US) that when dried out can become flammable and be used as a type of fuel.  There were numerous neat things at the museum, particularly the statue of King Puck.  This statue of a goat is in honor of an old Pagen tradition in which the local village would select a goat from the wild, clean it up, place a crown on its head and keep it in the middle of town for three days while having a huge celebration.  The goat is treated like a king for the three days of the festivities and then released back into the wild.  They actually still participate in the tradition today!  The Irish Wolfhounds and miniature ponies stole my heart though!  Additionally, they had life size recreations of the homes and workspaces of real villages from hundreds of years ago.  

We returned to the road and stopped at multiple spots along the route.  We stopped at a small beach covered in rocks and pebbles.  This spot was the coastal hideaway of the infamous Charlie Chaplin and his family in the early 1900's.  After we left the beach the highlight of the day occurred   We had stopped for another scenic view and we had a chance encounter with a man with baby lambs and a deer.  I got to hold two of the lambs and see a 2-day old deer!  It was absolutely magical and they were so soft and sweet.  From there was stopped for lunch and I chose the traditional Shepherd's Pie.  I must admit that my homemade version is much better!  After lunch we finished the tour of the Ring of Kerry and made a pitstop in a small town called Sneem.  It was absolutely beautiful and I found many cute souvenirs   My favorite thing I saw was a bike bell that said "Pog Mo Thoin" aka Irish for "Kiss My Butt!"  

When we arrived back in Killarney late that afternoon some people took the opportunity to take a ride on the famed Jaunting Carts, but I still did not feel well so I opted for a rest in the hotel and spent time working on my travel journal.  When everyone returned we had dinner and then I headed into town with a small group.  We were in luck that evening, because some of the main streets had been blocked off for a road race and we partook in all the festivities.  Killarney is a great example of a bustling town, that is still very walkable and has the small town vibe while offering lots of options.  When we heard about the race we got hot chocolates, found a spot by the DJ (playing amazing music!), and cheered on the marathon runners as they finished their 26.2 mile journey!  We finally headed back to the hotel and got to bed soon after, because we had a big day in store the next day.... Blarney Castle!!  

I couldn't fit day 3 & 4 in one post, so check in later (or tomorrow) for more on Kissing the Blarney Stone and the Rock of Cashel!

Europe 2013: Day One & Two

I may be alone in this, but nothing brings out excitement in my soul quite like arriving at an airport.  The anticipation of travel is at its highest and you are so close to beginning your amazing journey.  At the same time, leaving behind loved ones that you would like to take with you is a difficult experience in itself.  Saying goodbye to my mom and Daniel for two weeks was no fun, but Europe was awaiting my arrival!

After a short flight to Newark, New Jersey we settled in for a long 5 hour layover before beginning our international flight.  It was a fight for food and charging stations.  I stuffed myself with an amazing cheeseburger and grabbed the first plug in station that I could find to charge up my phone for the flight. We borded around 6:40, but did not actually take off until an hour after our intended departure time, due to a faulty coffee maker.  Once we were in the air though I tried to settle in and enjoy the luxury of having my own tv screen to choose movies from, but nothing seemed to settle me.  It was a long 7+ hour flight that involved very little sleep.  But Ireland was on the horizon, so I cannot complain.

Once we arrived in Shannon, Ireland we hooked up with our guide for the tour, Gavin and loaded up in our coach.  I have to give mad props to the guys in our group for hauling all our luggage in and out of the coach for two weeks.  We took a brief stop at a medieval castle called Bunratty and then continued on to our first stop of the trip, Killarney.  Killarney is a beautiful, quaint town with lots of things to see. We ate up a lot of our day making our way from Shannon to Killarney, so we when got to the town we settled into our hotel and set out to see a little bit of the town itself.  This was one of the things that I liked best about our trip.  We sort of settled into the trip slowly and built up to the larger experiences.  This gave our bodies time to recover and adjust.

Bunratty Castle

My first meal in Ireland was at a little local pub called Tatler Jack.  My goal for the trip was to eat only at places that were local or native only to Europe.  I mean who goes to Europe to eat Burger King?  BK did seem to be very big in Ireland though, there was one on every street corner.  At Tatler Jack's I decided on a loaded spud with Bacon and Cheese.  The bacon in Ireland is more like ham and while I had to take some of it off, because it was so thick, the taste of the spud and salad was delicious!  

Tatler Jack

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, sight-seeing, and napping.  Napping is not ideal on your first day after traveling a long distance, because you don't want to get your body off schedule.  However, when you are tired, you cannot resist the comforts of a soft bed, especially considering your last bed was an airplane set (that would not recline)!  We had dinner that night at a restaurant near by and I am sad to report it was not much worth mentioning.  We found from day one that most of our dinners in the UK and Ireland consisted of vegetable soup, some type of meat and potato dish, and was rounded out with ice cream.  My fellow teacher and roommate on the trip settled into our rooms around 6:30 and woke up at 10:30 realizing that we had unintentionally slept the evening away.  We quickly changed for bed and turned out the lights, because we had a big day of exploring the Ring of Kerry on the agenda for the next day.

See you guys tomorrow for Day 3 & 4!

Hello World... I'm Back

Hey guys, I am finally back on the blog and looking forward to sharing all of my recent adventures with you.  I am fresh off of the plane from the United Kingdom and still shaking off my jet lag.  Nothing throws you out of sorts worse than jet lag mixed with going back to work.  I am happy to be back on a normal routine though and I hope that means a normal routine for the blog too.  Tune in for the next couple of days (maybe weeks) for all the details on my travels in the United Kingdom and Ireland!