Widget

For my fellow MAC owners out there rockin' the OSX operating system, there's a great Widget I came across the other day called "Twin Calendar." It displays the Badi/Baha'i Calendar. It even includes the names appointed for the days of the week & months, sunrise and sunset times (too bad the Fast is coming to an end), as well as the Baha'i Year & all Holy Days. You can download it at: www.apple.com. Enjoy!

The Little Rockstar

Here's our dear Chloe all wide-eyed and bushy tailed.

The Fast Chronicled: Day 16

Breakfast:
• Chocolate Chip Pankcakes topped with fresh Strawberries
• Persian Tea

Dinner:
• Bean & Cheese Burrito with Chimichurri (or "Pico de Gallo," as it's known in the U.S.)
• Applesauce
• Silk® Chocolate Soy Milk

The Fast Chronicled: Day 15

Breakfast:
• Fruit Salad—inspired by Jere McKinney's breakfast fruit shake (you can see the yummy fruit ingredients at: www.bumpastuff.com)—with Strawberries, Nectarines, Papaya, Banana & Mango.
• Whole Wheat Toast with Jam

Dinner:
• Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes
• Side Salad
• Banana Bread with Nutella Spread (amazing combo!)

The Fast Chronicled: Day 14

Breakfast:
• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
• Toast with French Feta Cheese & Hummus (Thanks D!)
• Tangerine Juice
• Water

Dinner:
• Homemade Pizza (whole wheat pita bread with olive oil, tomato basil sauce, mozzarella cheese, smoked turkey, bell pepper slices & fresh tomatoes)
• Glass of Silk® Chocolate Soy Milk

The Fast Chronicled: Day 13

Breakfast:
• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
• Pita Bread with French Feta Cheese
• Glass of Orange Juice

Dinner:
• Combination Lo Mein
• Wonton Soup
• Glass of Water

The Fast Chronicled: Day 12

Breakfast:
• 1 Big Bowl of Newman's Own® Cereal
• Glass of Water

Dinner:
• Subway© Sweet Onion Chicken Sub (Everything on it. Extra jalapeños)
• Glass of Water
• BBQ Soy Chips

The Fast Chronicled: Day 11

Breakfast:
• 2 Belgium Waffles
• 1/2 Sliced Peach
• Glass of Water

Dinner:
• Combo #8 from McDonald's
(I don't eat it very often for obvious reasons, but I do love McD's chicken strips with sweet & sour dipping sauce. I'm totally crazy about McD's fries too. Is there's something in them other than potato though? They're addictive!)

The Fast Chronicled: Day 10

Breakfast:
• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
• 1 Piece of Whole Wheat Bread
• Laughing Cow® Cheese
• Sliced Tomatoes & Avocado
• 1 Peach
• 1 Bowl of Newman's Own® Macadamia & Cranberry Cereal

Dinner:
• Pollo Tropical (the most amazing Latino fast food chain!) Chicken Tropi-Chops
• Side Order of Plantain
• Chicken Soup

Leo's Bad Habit

Ahhh...a break from food posts!

Lately, Leo (that's one of our kitties that's not so much a kitty anymore but rather a deliciously round cat) has developed a pretty bad habit. He just loves to drink from our cups! He's particular about it too—it must be water. I guess that's a good thing though. I would hate for him to start drinking coffee or something. Not to mention how unhealthy that would be for a cat! Anyways, it's gotten to the point where I feel like he drinks more from our cups than from his own drinking fountain! I don't know what we're going to do about this. He is terribly cute though, isn't he? : )

The Fast Chronicled: Day 9

Breakfast:
• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
• 1 Piece of Whole Wheat Bread
• Laughing Cow® Cheese
• Sliced Tomatoes & Avocado
• 1 Peach
• 1 Bowl of Newman's Own® Macadamia & Cranberry Cereal

Dinner:
• Pollo Tropical (the most amazing Latino fast food chain!) Chicken Tropi-Chops
• Side Order of Plantain
• Chicken Soup

The Fast Chronicled: Day 8

Dinner: For dinner, we had the bounty of breaking the Fast with our dear friends Marzieh & Jalil Thurber—they hosted a lovely dinner at their home in Miami Beach for some of the young Baha'is in the area. Great company, great food. Pics coming soon. Here's what we ate:

• 2 Chicken & Steak Fajitas
• Plate of Yellow Rice & Beans
• Homemade Salsa & Chips
• Lemon Sorbet
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

The Fast Chronicled: Day 7

Breakfast:
• 1 Belgium Waffle
• 1 Banana
• Persian Tea

Dinner:
• Enchiladas w/ Salsa Verde, Rice & Beans
• 1 Piece of Red Velvet Cake
• Glass of Ice Tea

The Fast Chronicled: Day 6

Today's list:

Breakfast:
• 1 Belgium waffle with freshly sliced peaches atop
• 2 Hard boiled eggs
• 1 Piece of whole wheat toast with French feta & tomatoes
• Tall glass of water

Dinner:
• Lobster-stuffed ravioli (Costco rocks!)
• Side salad
• 1 Oatmeal Raisin cookie
• Glass of chocolate Silk® soy milk

Looks like the months of writing menu copy for restaurant ads are finally starting to show in my writing! I'll have you know though, the information isn't nearly this formal in my head.

The Fast Chronicled: Day 5

I'm strongly beginning to question whether these chronicles were such a good idea after all. Sure makes the Fast seem like it's going by so slowly! But oh well...I started it so, in the tradition of following through, I must finish. Thanks for the posts, Bahi & Diane! I'd love to hear about what you guys are eating. Maybe it'll give me some more ideas. So, here it goes again...

Breakfast:
• Bowl of Paul Newman's Macadamia & Cranberry Cereal
• Whole wheat pita bread with French feta cheese, tomatoes & cilantro (estilo Persa)
• 1 Peach
• Glasses of water

Dinner:
• Plate of leftover Singapore noodles & curry chicken
• Mint Chocolates (notice any trends?)
• 1 Banana
• Glass of chocolate Silk® soy milk

The Fast Chronicled: Day 4

Breakfast:
• Plate of Gallo Pinto
• 1 Belgium Waffles
• Pita with feta cheese
• Glass of water

Dinner:
• Signapore noodles
• Curry chicken
• Egg roll
• Water, water, water
• Pita with Nutella

The Fast Chronicled: Day 3

Breakfast:
• 2 Belgium Waffles
• 1 Peach
• 1 Pita w/ French feta cheese
• 1 8oz. glass water

Dinner:
• Plate of Khoresh-e-Bademjan (Persian eggplant & beef stew in tomato based broth)
• Glass of water!
• Chocolate, chocolate & more chocolate!

The Fast Chronicled: Day 2

Breakfast: Our alarm didn't go off! It's sad when that happens. No breakfast for us :(

Dinner:

• Chicken Parmesan

• Steamed Veggies

• Side Salad

• Brownies (note—chocolate is eaten once a day in our household)

The Fast Chronicled: Day 1

Breakfast:

• Plate of Gallo Pinto (traditional Costa Rican rice & black bean breakfast dish)
• 1 Slice whole wheat bread with Laughing Cow cheese spread
• 1 Nectarine
• 1 8 oz. glass of water

Dinner:
• Salisbury steak in mushroom sauce w/ rice
• Side salad
• Steamed carrots
• Chocolate......of course!

So Long Overdue, It's Not Even Funny

..But better late than never, I suppose. Here are some photos from back in May 2006 when our dear friends Jere, David, Giannina, Vahid & Darren paid us a visit in Nashville, as well as pics from Jennifer Block's bachelorette dinner held that same weekend. Sorry it's taken so long guys!

Darren, myself, Sabs, Gianni, David & Vahid at Cafe Coco.

A very dear friend of the Seals family, Jere McKinney.

Sweetest couple, Gianni & David.

Holley, Genevieve, Neda, Bahar, Jennifer, Giannina, myself & Andrea.

Attractive, eh?

St. Pete's

This post comes to you via the Hilton Homewood Suites in St. Petersburg Florida, where I've been boarded up for the last week receiving training for work. I'm anxious to get back to Sabs, my kitties and my own bed, although the bed here is quite comfy I must say—6 fluffy pillows and a cozy down comforter...yum! (And it's a good thing, considering that all I want to do after attending day-long classes is crawl into bed and sleep...hehe)

Required sightseeing on the schedule tonight before the drive back to Miami tomorrow? The Salvador Dali museum. Don't want to miss it, and apparently no one here wants us to either—they keep mentioning it. Seems locals are really proud of the Dali museum, and rightfully so, being as it is the largest collection of his work in the US. I'm looking forward to the art and the gift shop too! As the Brits say, "Cheerio!"

The Closing Of An Era

Thanks to dear friend Jere McKinney who came across it, here is a memorable photo of the Seals family, circa 1982, taken at the Bahá'í Music Conference in Panama (I believe). This picture comes to me at a time I consider "the closing of an era." Almost the entire Seals family (sadly Carmencita missing due to work schedule) convened in Costa Rica over the Christmas Holidays. This visit was made special by the fact that the home we grew up in, which served as our family's pioneer post for more than 25 years, will shortly be up for rent (whew...not "sale" thank God!). However, despite the home's unavailability for future visits, the love and gracious hospitality extended by our dearly loved Bahá'í friends, has encouraged us to continue to visit the place I still call home. Much love to all of you and we look forward to seeing you in CR again soon!