Mid-Week Music – Howlin’ for You by The Black Keys

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Howlin’ for You “smears gnarly blues over a glam beat.” Basically it’s just bad ass.

Whenever I go for a run, this is always my go-to-song when I need a boost of energy.

Running Update Month #1 (just to hold myself accountable!)

I am hitting about 2 miles/run and am running about 4 times a week now! In total, I have run about 45 miles in the past month or so. And in all honesty, I am loving it! Although sometimes it’s hard dragging myself to the gym after a long day, I never regret it. Combined with weight training once a week and my twice a week Power Vinyasa Yoga class, I have become best friends with the PSU Rec Center.

And the best part? They are open late, so I still have time to sneak in a happy hour or two with friends before a run! 

The holidays are HERE!

My Christmas-ed apartment

The holidays are officially here and I couldn’t be more excited!

My last couple days have been epic in terms of the holidays. Here’s a breakdown of my last couple holiday-filled days.

Thursday: Thanksgiving dinner with Steven’s entire family! Then a trip to visit my family (where of course we had another dinner!)

Friday: Portland Holiday Parade with Steven. Then a date with miss Chicago herself Karen Vance!

Saturday: Steven and I made our own little Thanksgiving! And it was in fact super delicious!

Sunday: Iranian Thanksgiving dinner with my family! Then we decorated my apartment and little “Charlie the Christmas tree.”

Tons of food, tons of laughter, and tons of Christmas music! I feel bad for Kian…Steven gave me about 60 new Christmas songs and I have been playing them non-stop in the apartment.

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whose that handsome man on the left?!

Also! If you are looking for an awesome, Christmas-y thing to do, check out The Grotto Festival of Lights. It’s absolutely gorgeous and Steven’s quartet is singing Christmas carols there every Monday!

It’s Time.

beautiful video – it’s time - marriage equality

Mid-Week Music – Kind & Generous by Natalie Merchant

In lieu of Thanksgiving, I wanted a song that was about…well thankfulness. (please excuse the creepy clown man, this music video is actually really good!)

I am so extremely thankful to have wonderful and supportive people in my life.

To my wonderful family who has been there for me through everything and has cared for me deeply. To my rock of a boyfriend Steven for his unwavering support and love. To my fabulous friends, old and new, who have laughed and cried with me through every step and misstep. To my family in Iran, who I think of often and miss dearly. To Prichard Communications for giving me a home for the summer and teaching me everything about PR. To the University of Portland Marketing & Communication Department and John F. who believed in me enough to turn me from an intern to a full-time staff member.

I am grateful for so many people in my life. And it’s the people I am surrounded by that I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Also, Happy Birthday to my mom Tammy!

Yours truly on I Live Here: PDX!

I have totally forgotten to blog about my appearance on I Live Here: PDX!

I Live Here: PDX is about Portlanders from all around the city. Each person has to answer the same set of questions and then is photographed in their neighborhood.

According to their site, I Live Here: PDX is a “love letter to Portland and an anthology of its residents, neighborhoods and moods. The idea was inspired by a similar project in San Francisco. As native Portlanders who’ve chosen to make our lives here, we want to be a part of celebrating the city we live in and exploring how others live in it.“

The blog is run by two women, a writer and a photographer. It’s a wonderful project and anyone can participate! Check out their participation page for more details.

I Live Here: Roya Ghorbani-Elizeh

My name is Roya and I am a Twilight fan…

I was debating if I should preface this post with a very serious “don’t judge me, remember my charming smile and sunny disposition…” remark.

I saw “Breaking Dawn: Part 1″ last night with Bridgette (a fellow closeted Twilight fan).  I have read all of books seen, seen all of the movies.

And I love Twilight. 

I can never tell if I should be embarrassed about this or if I should just own up to it.

So I will publicly admit, I drank the Twilight Kool-Aid.

I should also admit that I have read many feminist articles blasting the messages in the Twilight series. And for the most part, the feminist in me agrees with many of the points presented. But damn it Stephanie Meyer, you got me…and you got me good.

I have had a lot of friends question my taste level. Yes, the books aren’t literary works of art. And the movies are really bad. So why do I love Twilight?

Twilight was the perfect thing at the perfect time. 

When the movie came out in November 2008, I was going through a painful break-up (hello college romance gone bad). My best friend Karen and I went to a showing one random night, mostly just to check what all this hype about vampires was about.

We were done for by the time the credits started rolling.

I came home, stole the books from my little sister (sorry Kara!), and read the four book series within a week. All I could talk about through winter break (and let’s be honest, my entire sophomore year) was Twilight.

It was the perfect storm. A 19 year old, facing adolescent heartbreak and confusion. I was basically the demographic that Stephanie Meyer was trying to hit. I lost myself in that series during that time. I was never one to get into fantasy/sci-fi story lines, but a love triangle a human, vampire, and werewolf totally captivated me.

For your sanity and my own, I won’t list the 526 reasons why I love the series. But knowing that I am a sucker for romance can answer a lot of your questions.

Looking back, Twilight in some ways reminds me of the 19-year-old version of myself. It’s a scrapbook of that time in my life. The characters, the setting, the music, the romance. I remember sitting with the Kenna Hall girls discussing the books and movies, decorating dorm rooms with posters, and attending midnight premieres. It all transports me back to four years ago.

And no matter how old I am or how much my life has changed, I will continue to love Twilight. It’s a small part of me that I don’t think will ever go away because it reminds me of how far I have come.

Some people have Harry Potter. Some have Star Wars.

I have Twilight. 

(Breaking Dawn: Part 1 confession – I cried about 3.2 times during the movie. The wedding scene totally got me…)

I adore Portland

Thanks to some friends on Facebook (hi Erin M. and Katie H.!), I stumbled upon this video of a time-lapse of Portland, Oregon. 

There is no place that I would rather call home.

Behold the majesty of Portland, Oregon…

video made by paginglance

Mid-Week Music – No Rain by Blind Melon

The first intense rainy day in Portland calls for another 90′s flashback!

I have loved this song forever. It’s become a classic that is stilled play regularly on 94.7 FM Alternative Portland. It’s funny how the band has faded into the past, but everyone seems to know (and love) this song.

This is also one of those rare instances where a music video makes a song ever better. Everyone feels like the dancing bee sometimes.

Pay attention to 2:27 in the song. “Oh yeah” sounds like “Roya.” Like this song needed another reason to be cool…

Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup = SUCCESS!

Chicken Tortilla soup has always been a favorite of mine. Every time my mom would make it, I would devour bowl after bowl. Never in a million years did I think that I could make it (mostly because I could barely make anything in a kitchen). But this easy recipe and my pre-cut veggies made it super simple! It was the perfect meal to cook for Steven because it was fast (so I could spend more time with him), but also delicious (I think he was impressed with my cooking skills!).  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

modified from the Hungry Girl cookbook

Ingredients:

- 3 cups chicken broth

- 4 ounces cooked chicken breast

- 1 can diced “fire-roasted” tomatoes, undrained

- 1 can sweet corn kernels

- 1/2 cup chopped onion

- 1 can mild green chilies, drained

- 1 tablespoon lime juice

- 1 packed of fajita seasoning

- 1 teaspoon minced garlic

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro, olives, sour cream, tortilla chips

happy (and hungry) boyfriend

In medium pot sprayed with non-stick spray, cook onions, garlic, spices and seasoning on medium heat for 8 minutes

Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes

Add corn and diced tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes

Add chicken, chilies, and lime juice. Stir for 2 minutes.

Makes four servings.

101 calories/cup

Easy and super delicious! Next time I am going to double the recipe so I can have more leftovers for the week’s lunches/dinners.

Being lazy to be healthy

For the past month, I have been trying to have a health overhaul. I am proud to say that along with my new running regime, I am also trying to eat healthier! The easiest way to do this is to cook my own meals while incorporating more vegetables and fruit into my diet as possible.

When it comes to food, I’m pretty lazy. That’s why takeout and eating out was my go to… it was fast, easy, and I didn’t have to do any of the prep-work!

I love to cook now (I know, I can’t believe it either!), but the prep is takes to cook a healthy meal can be killer. After work, the last thing I want to do is to chop an onion or cut up a green pepper.

So I came up with a system that just rocks. I do both my farmers market shopping and my grocery shopping during the weekend. I set aside some time on Sunday to cut up all of my fruits and vegetables. I found that if I just do it all at once and store them in tupperware, I have ready ingredients for my week’s breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners. I know the fruits and vegetables I have, and I know that they need to be used up by the next weekend’s shopping trip. So I am proactive for one hour so I can be lazy for the entire week.

It’s an extremely small step, but it has helped me immensely! That way any meal I have, I can throw in some chopped vegetables or fruit to make it healthier and to make me happier.