I am sick

I am sick of my work.
I am sick of paleo.
I am sick of my "last kilos".
I am sick of my clothes.
I am sick of my hair.
I am sick of my problematic skin.
I am sick of having to plan my future.
I am sick of waiting for my boyfriend to ask me to marry him.
I am sick of EVERYBODY asking me when will I get married and have children.
I am sick of my biological clock.
I am sick of all the responsibility.
I am sick of saving money.
I am sick of spending money.
I am sick of reading love stories.
I am sick of ballet.
I am sick of working and doing everything alone.
I am sick of making important decisions EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I am sick of myself to do more, to learn more, to earn more, to be more and feeling guilty if I don't.
I am sick of planning to live my life instead of actually living it.

And now I would like to hit a RESET button and start from the scratch.
Because most of all I am sick of being an ungrateful whining bitch.

It's just fruit

Russia may be the land of vodka, Scotland the land of whiskey, France the land of wine, but Central Europe is definitely a land of  fruit distillates. Slivovica, hruškovica, malinovica, etc. You take plums, pears, raspberries, apricots, any fruit, you name it... and I bet that people in here can AND WILL turn it into an alcohol. Alcohol production is a fairly typical part of our lives (yep, never the truest words did I say before). I actually never met a Slovak whose family didn't produce their own wine or distillate (if not every year then at least once in their lives). My family was big on wine and as a kid I spent every September grape picking. The tradition lives now with my cousins (and luckily for me no grape picking anymore). Yep, my laziness is talking for me, again.
So what I am trying to say - yesterday I had an opportunity to attend a tasting of fantastic R.Jelinek Moravian fruit distillates. Unfortunately I didn't grab my camera so I'll try to improvise.
The line up looked like this:

Plum, Pear, Cherry, Raspberry, Strawberry and Apricot
Yes, we call them as we call the fruits they are made of. It always sounds nice (and innocent) to drink pear or plum, doesn't it? But these puppies pack a punch, holy moly 40%.

We all got empty little glasses and glasses of water and I started to pray that I will not get drunk TOO QUICKLY. First we tasted bare distillates and then we moved on to cocktails. I preferred the taste of cherry, while Mary liked pear and Jarush liked plum. We all agreed that raspberry and strawberry tasted kind of fake. And of the cocktails - the ginger, elderberry with pear was the best one!
After the tasting we proceeded to have a serious discussion about Apple and Android. - Yep, we started to have a serious argument. You know, first world problems. So I decided to change the topic to cars and let me tell you, after about 30 minutes of us (me and the guys) showing each other the videos of BMWs and Audis and Maseratis, the girls were none too happy about it.
So we decided to move on to Wine-bar in the centre of Nitra where a friend of Jarush is working. It's a perfect little cozy place.

And we continued to do our tasting of Slovak alcohol - with a lovely Devin wine from Repa Winery. The four of us - me, Mary, Jarush and Marek (I don't know why but we always end up like this - the four of us. But I like it veeery much). We polished of some plates of prosciutto and olives and sun-dried tomatoes as if we were starving. So I ordered another big plate of different cheeses and another prosciutto and olives. And let me tell you, even if I had my camera I wouldn't be able to take a picture of it. The food disappeared as if by magic. Good times.

The Cracklin' Chicken / Chrumkavé kurča

It's April FINALLY - all the taxes are done and my twelve hour workdays are over! To review - I finished 59 tax declarations, I haven't cooked, run, played the piano, attended ballet lesson, learned Italian, eaten Paleo, cleaned the house or done any laundry at all in the final weeks. My man put on 6 kilos and the only reason I haven't is that I rarely ate any dinner because I usually came at home after 8pm and exhausted fell into bed.
I feel like I have a serious case of PTSD. I am completely wrung out. And I am serious about changing my career. I have reached the point when I have only two options - to train to become a tax adviser and employ other accountants or train to become an auditor and work next five years for free as an assistant auditor. I have learned everything I could about accounting, I have established a successful company and I am sick of being responsible for other people's money. The stress is slowly killing me and this way I'll be gray haired by the time I'll be forty. It's time to move on.
And it's time to live again. My man took me to an amazing dinner to my favorite restaurant in my city - The Golden Key. And next time I promise to take my camera and take the pictures of all the delicious food we ate. My brother took me and my mom to an amazing lunch today - to another great restaurant - Palenica Jelsovce. Yet again no camera.

But I finally cooked a dinner tonight and I managed to snap some pictures.
The recipe is from nomnompaleo - The Cracklin' Chicken. And it is DELICIOUS. And so EASY to make. And super FAST.

Buy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Take some kitchen scissors and remove the bones.

Flatten the meat with your fists a little bit. Put some salt on the skin side and salt and spice of your choice on the meat size.

Heat ghee on your pan. Fry your skin side for 7 to 10 minutes until it's golden and crunchy. Cover with splatter screen.

Turn the meat and cook for three more minutes. And you're done.
I tossed a quick salad to compliment the meat - mangold, lamb's lettuce, pear, blueberries, almonds, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Enjoy.

SK: Apríl, konečne! Všetky daňové priznania sú hotové a moje dvanásťhodinové pracovné dni sú za mnou. Bilancia - 59 hotových priznaní, osledné týždne som nič nevarila, nebola som behať, nehrala som na klavír, nechodila som na balet, neučila som sa po taliansky, nejedla som Paleo, neupratovala som a neprala som. Môj muž pribral šesť kíl a jediný dôvod prečo som JA nepribrala je ten, že keď som zvyčajne po ôsmej večer prišla domov z práce, vôbec som nevečerala a len som vyčerpaná padla do postele.
Cítim sa ako vojak, ktorý sa práve vrátil z vojny, myslím, že mám seriózny post-traumatický stresový syndróm. Som úplne vyšťavená. A seriózne zvažujem zmenu kariéry. Dostala som sa do bodu, kde mám len dve možnosti -  buď sa stanem daňovým poradcom a začnem zamestnávať alebo sa stanem audítorom a nasledujúcich päť rokov makám takmer zadarmo ako pomocný audítor. Naučila som sa o účtovníctve všetko, čo sa dalo, rozbehla som úspešne biznis a som už chorá z toho, že som zodpovedná za peniaze cudzích ľudí. Stres ma pomaly zabíja a týmto spôsobom života bude v štyridsiatke šedivá. Prišiel čas pohnúť sa ďalej.
A prišiel čas opäť žiť. Môj muž ma zobral na úžasnú večeru do mojej obľúbenej reštaurácie v našom meste - do Zlatého kľúčika. A sľubujem, že nabudúce si zoberiem so sebou aj fotoaparát a odfotím všetky skvelé jedlá, čo sme jedli. Môj bráško zobral mňa a mamičku dnes na úžasný obed - do ďalšej skvelej reštaurácie - Pálenica Jelšovce. A zase som so sebou nevzala foťák.
ALE dnes som konečne po dlhom čase navarila večeru a dokonca som bola schopná odfotiť pár záberov. Recept je od nomnompaleo - Chrumkavé kuracie stehná. A je fakt CHUTNÝ. A vážne JEDNODUCHÝ. A super RÝCHLY.
Kúpime horné kuracie stehná s kožou aj kosťami. Kuchynskými nožnicami odstránime kosti. Mäso na doske trochu päsťami zarovnáme na rovnakú hrúbku. Posolíme stranu s kožou. Posolíme a okoreníme stranu s mäsom. Rozpálime na panvici ghee a opečieme asi 7 až 10 tú stranu s kožou. Prikryjeme mriežkou proti prskaniu. Keď je koža zlatá a chrumkavá, mäso otočíme a dopečieme asi 3 minúty. Voila - je to hotové.
Ako prílohu som narýchlo urobila šalát - mangold, valeriánka, hruška, čučoriedky, mandľové plátky, olivový olej a balzamikový ocot.
Dobrú chuť.

I love Slovakia

Since the last few weeks I've been working 12 hours a day, every day, I don't have time to do anything except work, eat and sleep. But to keep me in a good mood, sometimes I like to watch this:

Banana-coconut-pineapple Paleo Pancakes / Banánovo-kokosovo-ananásové paleo lievance

What really fascinate me is the fact that when people call me on Sunday in March with questions like what are you doing? where are you? and I answer - working - at work - they seem really shocked. And that leaves me absolutely baffled because I always tell people that in February and March I work 24/7 - actually I love to rant about me working EVERY SINGLE DAY! (We all need some weird hobbies - this is mine obviously).
But I like to feel like I actually had a weekend - so I like to do stuff on weekends that makes working without pause less dreadful - stuff like sleeping a liiiiitle bit longer or drinking a glass of wine at the evening (or two glasses and then my man likes to reproach me - jokingly I hope - that I am drinking his expensive wine) or making sweet breakfast.
Since sugar, flour, milk and myself are no longer friends (and mostly I am looking at you Milka! I loved you so much and you betrayed me thus - I saw the pimples on my forehead you left me! Now I won't be able to trust you or any other milk chocolate for that matter - you left me completely milk-chocolate-phobic!) I have to improvise how to reach my goal of sweetness.
So I give you these pancakes with no sugar (only the natural one in the fruit), milk or flour. Amazing, I know - High five!

You'll need:
2 bananas
3 eggs
50g of shredded coconut
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 tbsp of pineapple cut into small pieces
2 tbsp of blueberries
coconut oil for frying

Mix bananas, eggs, coconut and cinnamon in the food processor. Then add pineapple and blueberries and mix with the spoon. Heat coconut oil in the pan over medium heat and add small tablespoons of batter to the pan to make small pancakes. When done on one side, flip. That's it. Enjoy with fruit! (Or with fantastic cup of Italian espresso from coffee a friend of mine bothered to bring me from Italy. Some people are so cool!)

SK: Čo ma vážne fascinuje je, že keď mi niekto zavolá v nedeľu počas marca s otázkami ako čo robíš? kde si? a ja odpoviem - pracujem - v práci - že ten niekto je z toho v šoku. A to ja vôbec nechápem, pretože ja sa s radosťou každému, kto ma počúva, posťažujem, že vo februári a v marci pracujem nonstop - v skutočnosti milujem, keď sa môžem porozčuľovať, že pracujem KAŽDÝ BOŽÍ DEŇ! (Každý máme nejaké hobby a toto je očividne moje.)
Ale aby to nebolo až také hrozné a aby som mala aspoň pocit, že som mala víkend tak robím veci, ktoré mi to trošku uľahčia ako napríklad pospinkám si o troooošku dlhšie alebo si dám pohárik vína večer (alebo dva a potom mi muž zo srandy - aspoň dúfam - nadáva, že mu pijem jeho drahé víno) alebo si navarím sladké raňajky.
Keďže cukor, múka, mlieko a ja sa už viacej nekamarátime (za toto hlavne viním teba, Milka! Ja som ťa nesmierne milovala a ty si ma takto zradila - videla som tie pupáky na čele, čo si mi zanechala! Od teraz už nebudem schopná ti viac veriť a ani inej mliečnej čokoláde - kvôli tebe mám fóbiu z mliečnej čokolády!), musela som improvizovať a nájsť spôsob ako dosiahnuť môj cieľ sladkých raňajok.
Výsledkom sú tieto úžasné palacinky bez cukru (ak nepočítame prírodný cukor normálne sa vyskytujúci v ovocí), bez mlieka alebo múky. Fantázia, ja viem - High five!
Potrebujeme:
2 banány
3 vajíčka
50 g strúhaného kokosu
1 lyžička škorice
2 lyžice ananásu nakrájaného na malé kúsky
2 lyžice čučoriedok
kokosový olej na pečenie
V mixéri vymixujeme banány, vajcia, kokos a škoricu. Pridáme ananás a čučoriedky a vmiešame ich lyžicou do cesta. Zohrejeme na miernom ohni kokosový olej na panvici a pridáme po lyžiciach cesto na panvicu a urobíme malé lievance. Keď sú hotové z jednej strany, otočíme na druhú. To je celé. Podávame s ovocím! (Alebo s talianskym espressom z kávy, ktorú mi priniesol kamarát z Talianska - niektorí ľudia sú fakt úžasní!)

Country ball

Yep, this picture is for real! Soak it in! Look at it again! Notice the sultry look of one lady and the sexy shoulders of the other one. It's quite obvious what the authors of this calendar were thinking - sex sells - so why not combine womanly beauty with that of a bovine variety? And the result is this! I know that as a woman I am not the targeted audience but I have to admit I am a willing recipient. Because every time I see this picture it makes me seriously LOL! (And we know how important laughter is - it makes your skin better, your life longer etc. And this calendar is a seriously great way how to prolong my life - it's effing hilarious! What - a - gem!) And I know that I am going to enjoy this picture and several other very similar ones this whole year - cause this, ladies and gentlemen, is a fantastic calendar we won - at a local Country Ball! (We actually won a yearly subscription of Vinotéka magazine - this was only a gift, I guess - but it pales in comparison to this calendar.)

We all know Murphy's Laws so what happens when you have a full closet of gorgeous dresses (here)? Well, the answer is obvious - you'll go to a country ball where you get to wear - you guessed it - your gorgeous jeans and shirt. Damn! Just my luck! But on the bright side - it was enormously comfy! (And of course, the whole evening was great fun - well, it was with a bunch of great people - so it was expected! )

SK: Áno, nerobím si prdel, ten obrázok, čo vidíte je naozajstný. Videli ste už niekedy niečo také úžasné? Ak nie, poriadne si to vychutnajte. Všimnite si zvodný pohľad jednej slečny a sexy ramená tej druhej. Je očividné, aký cieľ mali tvorcovia tohto kalendáru - sex jednoducho predáva - tak prečo by sme neskombinovali ženskú krásu s tou kravskou? A výsledkom je toto! Uvedomujem si, že ako žena nie som cieľovou skupinou, ale musím sa priznať, že som vďačným recipientom. Pretože zakaždým, keď sa naň pozriem, tak sa musím seriózne zasmiať. (A všetci predsa vieme, aký je smiech dôležitý - zlepšuje pleť, predlžuje život atď. A tento kalendár je fantastický spôsob ako si predĺžiť život - podľa mňa je totižto neuveriteľne popi*i! Čistý skvost!) A tento obrázok a ďalšie podobné si budem vychutnávať po celý rok - pretože, dámy a páni, tento fantastický kalendár sme vyhrali v tombole na Country bále! (V skutočnosti sme vyhrali ročné predplatné časopisu Vinotéka - toto bol asi len darček navyše - ale predplatné na tento kalendár nemá!)
Všetci poznáme Murphyho zákony, takže čo sa stane, ak máte k dispozícii celý šatník krásnych šiat (tu). Odpoveď musí byť každému zrejmá - idete na country bál, kde máte príležitosť si obliecť - áno, uhádli ste - svoje nádherné - rifle a košeľu. Do prčíc! Ale na druhej strane - bolo to nenormálne pohodlné. (A samozrejme, celý večer bola strašná sranda - ale veď to bolo s partiou super ľudí - takže sa to dalo očakávať!)

Armed and dangerous...but wait...I'm missing something...

A drink! 

Now it's perfect

My New Personal Trainer

After my last experience with running - remember I got "exercise induced anaphylactic shock" - I haven't done any real running at all. (I still chuckle about that one - I mean how stupid it sounds to get allergy from EXERCISING?!?! If I were a liiiiitle bit more lazy I would seize it as a best excuse not to exercise ever! I mean - I have a real legit paper from the doctors. Alas I am not that lazy. Sad face.) But March - accountants' everywhere nightmare is coming and I have to do SOMETHING else besides work otherwise I would go crazy. And our puppy, or as I like to call him a little calf - 'cause that puppy ain't small at aaal -(read in real American southerner accent - I've been watching Hart of Dixie A LOT lately, sorry) is getting through puberty and needs an outlet. So I seized him as a best excuse to exercise again and made Denny my new personal trainer. And boy oh boy, is he excited when he sees me coming. We run every other day and usually end up at the local Romanesque church from 11th century colloquially called Kostolík (Little Church). And the scenery is breathtaking (well, as is running). And all of a sudden I have no problem to run uphill (and I swear one day I will lose my teeth trying to follow Denny when he runs downhill, but even dentist have to earn their living somehow ;)). And I think that apart from best running legs I will acquire amazing biceps (here comes the part about being a little calf - the boy has a strength - but looks like I am still stronger AND more stubborn - and getting stronger with every run!)

SK: Po mojom poslednom zážitku s behaním - ako som dostala "cvičením spôsobený anafylaktický šok" - som v podstate vôbec nebehávala. (Keď si na to spomeniem vždy sa musím dobre zasmiať - vážne, dostať alergiu z cvičenia? Keby som bola len o trooooošku viacej lenivá, tak by som sa toho chytila ako najlepšej výhovorky prečo viac necvičiť! Ešte aj papier od doktora mám na to. Bohužiaľ AŽ taká lenivá nie som :( (I keď v posledné dni mám pocit, že na úrovni mojej lenivosti poriadne pracujem!). Keďže prišiel marec, t.j. nočná mora všetkých účtovníčok, rozhodla som, že okrem práce musím navyše robiť niečo iné, ináč sa zbláznim. A naše šteniatko, alebo ako ho ja rada volám - malé teliatko - si prechádza pubertou a vážne sa potrebuje nejako zbaviť zvyšnej energie. Tak som sa rozhodla, že ho použijem ako najlepšiu výhovorku, prečo znovu začať cvičiť a urobila som z Dennyho svojho osobného trénera. A to vôbec nepreháňam, keď poviem ako neuveriteľne sa na naše behávanie teší. Behávame takmer každý druhý deň a väčšinou skončíme pri Kostolíku. Ten výhľad mi vždy zoberie dych (tak trochu ako to behanie). Vybehnúť hore ku Kostolíku zrazu nie je problém (malé teliatko ťahá dobre aj do kopca ;) a prisahám, že jedného dňa si tak vyrazím zuby, keď sa snažím stíhať za Dennym ako beží dole kopcom, ale zase aj zubári musia z niečoho žiť ;) A okrem najkrajsích nôh z behu budem mať fantastické bicepsy (tu je ten dôvod, prečo ho volám malé teliatko - chlapec má riadnu silu - ale zatiaľ to vyzerá tak že som silnejšia A tvrdohlavejšia).