Peoria, Arizona: Mariner were "away" again today - though victorious - so we had a day to rest up, relax and get ready for tomorrow. You know I am kidding, right? After running three (me) or four (DT) miles, we headed out on errands. First on the list was a replacement for the replacement/spare of my NIKE+ chip that "someone" accidentally washed last week. A girl must prepare herself for any laundry disaster. Someone needed cargo shorts. (Not me.) Someone needed a tote bag. (Not DT.) Later, we gathered a few supplies for our adventure next week, and then stopped for lunch at Jason's Deli in Glendale, Arizona. Jason's is a counter-service joint, yet they are into organic and local produce and provide nutritional information for all their foods. They want you to eat well and want you to know what you are eating. Jason's Deli has 200 locations in 25 states... and they are trying, people, they are trying. Jason's Deli is actually hoping to ban high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks. Good luck!
This is the New York Yankee Sandwich ($7.29) from Jason's Deli. It features corned beef and beef pastrami. Even my big hitter couldn't even begin to finish this sandwich.
I ordered the "Nutty Mixed-Up Salad ($7.49) with organic field greens, grapes, grilled chicken breast, feta cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, raisins and organic apples served with a balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious salad, but - again - too much food.Which brings us to dinner - hours later. I marinated chicken leg-thigh pieces in lemon juice (remember, we have a lot of lemons thanks to Joan & Don), fresh oregano, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, white wine and olive oil. DT grilled the chicken on our O-Grill
. I also made a Mexican-inspired rice. I sautéed yellow onion, garlic, jalapeno and green pepper in a little olive oil, then stirred in a cup of white rice. I added chopped tomato, cilantro and a little salsa, then cooked the rice in a bath of chicken stock. The combination was delicious and Dad and DT really enjoyed the dinner. I also served a salad of watermelon, orange segments, strawberries and raspberries.
Working together, DT and I can turn out a decent meal.
After dinner, we three were sucked into a mind-blowing display of beauty on the Discovery Channel as they premiered a new 11-part series - LIFE. Oprah Winfrey narrates this fabulously-filmed nature series produced by the same people who brought us "Planet Earth" a few years ago. If you get The Discovery Channel and you have HDTV, you are golden. The photography is simply breathtaking.
Magical.Until my next update, from the Peoria Sports Complex, where I had better be seeing Ichiro, I remain, your awed-by-LIFE correspondent.
RV Park: Valley of the Sun RV Park. Bare-bones facility behind the Ramada Inn on Grand Avenue near the 101 Ring Road. $230 for a week. Our site is one of the few with 50 amp service. Back-in site over quickly-collapsing asphalt. Bath house and laundry and it seems RV guests can use the motel pool.