A Cold Welcome to 2013

When winter decides to act like winter, I end up doing one of three things: hiking in the cold, planning future trips, or cooking up weird food. Since it's -3 deg F, I am currently brainstorming a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for later this year.

For inspiration about the Smokies and also recommended to me by a colleague, I am reading A Walk in the Woods By Bill Bryson. It is a tale about how Bryson stumbled upon the Appalachian Trail in his backyard and felt compelled to hike it, having no experience in thru-hiking or camping. Bryson's account is comedic and honest, making it a charming read. M already finished the book and I am planning to finish reading it tonight. With this trip in mind, M and I realized we need new backpacks in order to do the multi-day hikes we would like to do. While I figure out the hikes and areas we will visit, M's job is to research new packs.

Besides reading and planning lofty trips that may or may not happen, I finally cleaned out my closet. Per M's coercion, I got rid of two large garbage bags full of clothes and will donate them later this week. With cleaning done, we will pursue buying new packs and getting in shape for strenuous future hikes. I'll leave you with some food ideas I had when I was trying to get rid of excess veggies in my fridge.

Breakfast burger with sausage patty, lettuce, tomato, jalepeno, sharp cheddar cheese on a wheat english muffin.

Pho with bean sprouts, meatballs, and jalepenos.

Japanese buckwheat noodles stir fried with sausage, jalepeno, red bell peppers, and onions. (I had  a plethora of jalepenos and needed to use them up asap.)

Turkey and pepper jack cheese on whole wheat with dressed arugula.

This isn't food but it is a hair donut?

When I left work today, I saw the tail(?) of a rainbow peaking out of the sky. Nice way to end this cold day.