Tracie's World

For several years now I've participate with the Salt Lake Chapter of an organization known as the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis), and have even been fortunate to serve on it's board for a large portion of that time. And I really can't express adequately what a blessing it's been in my life. When I was first starting down this career path, I was a bit of a lone wolf. I was the only one at my previous company that had an interest in growing my career as a Business Analyst, and it was often a lonely road to try and find career validation there. But through a bit of miraculous intervention (a friend in my Mid-Singles Ward was colleagues with some folks who were connected with the chapter), I found the IIBA. Not only did I find the IIBA, but I found friends (my BBAFF's - Best Business Analysis Friends Forever), mentoring, and a professional community. I was able to get a certification in my career path, and eventually I found my way to my current j...

The Business Systems Analyst team got together for an outing last week, and one of the activities was a service project for a local Senior Citizen Rec Center. We raked, and trimmed back vines and bushes, and in general helped to spiff the place up. It was hard work, but fun to get out from behind the desks. They're a great group of people that I really enjoy, and that I've learned a lot from. Here's a photo of us after all our efforts. That's me in the orange, with the red face (my Mom and my Sisters will totally understand that comment). (Note to self: Keep an eye on this place for when I turn 55. They have got quite the sweet set up, and I can definitely see some pickle ball in my future!)

My visiting teachers popped over the other night, and brought me this lovely vase of cut tulips, which are my fave. They made a wonderful addition to my dining room, don't you think?

Spent my Flex Friday morning taking a pleasant walk along Arbor Lane, which is in my ward and just around the corner. Holladay is generally busy, with a lot of traffic, but it's really surprising how quiet and lush it gets back in there. And with the cemetery, it's a really reverent feeling. I love it.

Thought I'd share some photos of my recent cooking adventures... My version of Spaghetti with browned butter sauce and mizithra cheese. I adore my SpagFac, but my version turned out almost identical to the real thing. As my pal Pink would say, "Delish!" This my version of PlantPure Nation's vegan buffalo cauliflower "wings". I'm not much of a chicken wing fan, so these are a nice alternative. Tasty!

I don't know that I've ever talked about it, but for the last 3 or 4 years, I've followed a diet all my own that I call "Mostly Vegetarian" or "Flexitarian". The idea is that for the most part, I follow a vegetarian lifestyle, with the occasional serving or two of meat when I feel like I need it. A few years ago, I was going through a rough patch. I had gained a few pounds, and my only vegetable intake was in the form of salsa or V8. So one January as I was trying to identify some goals for the year, I decided to eat 2-3 servings of vegetables a day, and I would start strength training. I started working on those two things, and an unanticipated result was that weight started to come off. I ended up losing about 15 pounds, and I found that I enjoyed vegetables so much (who knew?) that I started eating more of them. And the more vegetables I ate, the less meat I ate. Over the years, I've felt so good for the most part that I've stuck with it. ...

I recently watched a Documentary called "Plant Pure Nation", brought to us by the people who made "Forks over Knives". Both films advocate the benefits of a plant-based diet. I was hooked from the get-go, especially when they got to the part where the evil agri-business lobby convinced the Kentucky Legislature to vote against a Finding of Fact that stated a primarily plant-based diet was healthier. Seriously - I think the scientific community has pretty well proved that. But I digress. After watching the movie, I went to the website, and saw they've got many ways to get involved in the topic, and that they also have a cookbook. So right away, I went to Amazon and bought it. There are a variety of recipes, and it all comes with gorgeous photos. Yesterday, for family dinner, I made their recipe for veggie balls. Basically, it's a vegan version of "meat"balls, and the recipe suggested I  serve them with marinara sauce. I did them one better, ...

Shopping at my local Sprouts Farmer's Market the other day, and happen upon a glorious pile of Spaghetti Factory's Mizithra Cheese. For the uninitiated, "...mizithra cheese is a traditional Greek whey cheese that has been enjoyed in Greece for thousands of years...".  And let's just say it's been enjoyed here in the SLC for quite a few years now as well.  There's only one thing I ever order at my beloved Spag Fac, and it's the Manager's Special with browned butter sauce and mizithra cheese (according to the Spag Fac website, it's their most popular dish, which means I'm in good company). And now I'll be able to try making it at home. Can't wait! (Now if I could just find a recipe or a bottle of their house creamy pesto dressing, my meal would be complete.)

Our long national nightmare is over, and Major League Baseball is finally back. Yowza! I can deal with the months between the World Series and the Super Bowl, but when the Super Bowl is over, and we're left with nothing but basketball for two months, it is nightmarish indeed. My beloved Dodgers started out well, absolutely roasting the Padres by a final score of 15-0. Luckily I was able to catch the game, courtesy of ESPN, and my subscription to SlingTV. Here's hoping it's a good omen for the rest of the season!