awesome and awkward

[care package goods]

awesome:

• awhile back, i got a sweetly-timed okie care package from my dad (see above). without knowing it, he'd been collecting all kinds of goodies related to my beloved home state. everything from maps to different orchards and farms to rhythm and blues trails separated by music genre to state parks. it even has a classic road map of the state! it's probably one of the best snail mail deliveries i've ever received and i'm so excited to work my way through it. 
• last friday, T and i finally finished the new netflix series stranger things. if you are on the fence or thinking, "i'll get to it after ___", make sure to bump it to the top of your queue. it is well-worth it, and it will take you on quite the journey. we can't wait for season two.
• i've recently found a few favorites in flavors - mango and lime popsicle dipped in chili powder, key lime greek yogurt, and coconut greek yogurt with chunks of pineapple.  

awkward:

• while on lunch, i picked up a popsicle from a shop nearby to snack on while walking back to the office. being that it is the middle of summer, it started melting everywhere so i tried slurping it up as quick as i could. right then, a girl walked up to me to ask where a nearby building was. i could barely answer her questions without drooling or spilling sticky fruit juice everywhere. 
• on a particularly long day, i went to pick up a little late lunch for T and i. upon walking in the shop, the gentleman asks if i'd like a water. i told him, "no, i'm just this sweaty all the time". he looked confused, and i realized he'd only asked just because...and not due to the fact that i was hot.

[family dinner]

[window blooms]

[lunch]

["only you can prevent forest fires"]

[the moment our friend found out she won her election]

life, according to my iphone

[dinner party goods; factual signage]

lately, i've been trying to expand my horizons when it comes to cooking. not to say i stick to the same thing, but i've been attempting cooking genres i've been unfamiliar with. anything from thai dishes to matzo ball soup to homemade pasta. its been so fun to take on each challenge, and thankfully, each dish has been delicious! 

but now i can't think of what to try next. i want to keep the momentum going, so if you have any ideas of what i should try out next, let me know :)

[rosey path; dumpling break]

[yum; welcoming the newest family member]

[quesadilla pie; prom pose]

[that time my mom met an otter]

[quick dinner; a going away fest]

[the "did you get the shot" look; keeping cool]

[layers of green; farm delivery]

[sir pouts-a-lot; garden viewing]

[his and hers x's 2; open skies]

[shade patterns; classic architecture]

[lush; summertime treat]

[favorite workout partner; dinner with friends]

[pool lounging; swirls]

[one of the best mom 'n pop shops in tulsa; delicious vegan treats]

[prepping for pizza; hey leonardo]

[colorful veggie mix; shade lounging]

goro ramen

a couple of weeks ago, T and i got together with m+j to check out the newly opened goro ramen. i'd been eagerly counting down the days until they'd open as i couldn't seem to make it to their pop-up dinners. then, it seemed the stars finally aligned as they were set to open the week we got back from colorado! 

like a good husband, T noticed every update i'd give on goro ramen, and planned for us to try it out that weekend. 

[drink decisions]

i'll admit, there was a bit of a wait, not surprising because of the owners' local following. so, we put our names down for a table and walked down the way to grab margaritas. i mean, how else do you wait? side note, cocoritas may be a new favorite of mine now. 

when our names were next up, we headed back to grab drinks on goro's patio and wait to be seated. 

[textures galore]

[clockwise from the top: beer (sorry, i didn't pay attention which was ordered) with "hawk in the heavens" sake, pai mei, cucumber chuhai, and the negroni-ish] 

the cocktails were inventive, unique, and flavorful. jana's pai mei was like sipping matcha, my cucumber chuhai was a burst of refreshing cucumber, and T's negroni-ish had all the makings of a negroni with just a hint of something different. as an added bonus, the sake was perfectly smooth and delicious. but, truth be told, i would have been hard pressed to dislike a sake with the name, "hawk in the heavens" ;)

[appetizer #1: shrimp + pork wontons]

before we got to the main attraction, we ordered several appetizers and snacks. we were big fans of their shrimp + pork wontons, brussel sprouts salad, tebasaki (fried chicken wings), and chicken nikuman (panko-fried chicken on a steamed bun). with each dish we kept thinking it couldn't possibly get better. and with each dish, we were pleasantly proven wrong. 

[top: spicy miso ramen; bottom: tori paitan ramen]

then, the moment i'd been waiting for...ramen!! everything, start to finish, was what i'd been hoping for from the pork belly to the garnishes, that gorgeous soft-boiled egg, and don't even get me started on that broth. it was creamy, but not heavy, somehow silky, and wonderfully homogeneous in flavor. 

[michael getting all that extra broth]

[yum]

[#brothbelly]

the best part though? T, who wasn't interested in it at all, loved it and said, "that was really filling, i think next time when we come back, i'll get a bowl for myself". no joke, i squealed when he said this. 

see you soon goro ramen, and thanks for treating us to such a great night!

cositas

[smokey the bear]

happy monday everyone. i hope your weekend was equal parts wonderful and relaxing. sadly, ours was less relaxing, but amazing all the same. we went up to tulsa for the weekend where we checked out a new (to us) restaurant, drove to porter for the peach festival, visited with out of town family, and saw our friend's band play (who were amazing by the way). then, we got back to norman sunday just in time for another movie date with my co-workers, a mini block party thrown by our friend, and celebrated national ice cream day. a very busy, but full weekend. i really do love how full those summer days can be. 

[seasonal sangria]

[downtown walking]

[fresh produce]

[wildflower picking]

['rents gorgeous urban garden]

breaking in breck part two

[stunning blooms]

the next day, brian and michael set out to go mountain biking while the rest of the gang went hiking. but not before a little am yoga with the girls, and a delicious breakfast thanks to nemone and michael. 

[T's colorado gym, very rocky-esque]

with brian's recommendation, we took the gondola up to peak seven for our day hike and post-hike cocktails. 

[gorgeous gondola views]

[my gang, minus brian and michael]

located in the white river national forest, peaks trailhead winds through gorgeous stretches of forest featuring several creeks and views of the rockies therein. plus, for those who are up to it, the trail can take you all the way to frisco and back. 

[testing out how chilly the water was]

[early christmas decorating]

[T found a tipi]

[creek crossing]

the hike was beautiful, but left us feeling a bit parched. so we made our way back to a nearby bar to take in the surrounding views and sip a few craft cocktails. 

[the pepino diablo, and an avalanche]

[a very happy T]

[signage confusion]

then, we took the gondola back down where we split up to grab lunch and shop a bit. 

[truffle fries, and the best lamb burger i've ever had (not pictured)]

[strawberry shake complete with fresh 'berries and a sugar cookie]

later, we all met back up at the condo to warm up by the hot tub, and have dinner courtesy of brian. once we had our fill of spaghetti and meatballs (which were so good), we walked downtown to hit a couple of bars - one of them was haunted!

but not before stopping by a shop that made a batch of fresh cookies...i mean, how can you turn that down?

[pool lessons]

[warming our toes before walking home]