It’s not very often that I get a yearning for something that I am actually allergic to: shellfish. But ever so often (at least once a week to be more exact) I get the craving for raw fish rolled in seaweed and rice, adorned with various garnishes and sauces.
To simplify: I Need sushi. Even as my stomach is telling me that I am going to regret my decision, I head to my car and drive to my favorite sushi bar. It’s been just long enough for my head to forget the pounding and sweating; just enough time passed for my body to have forgotten the feeling of the cool porcelain and tile floor of the bathroom. I soldier on, not letting my intuition win the battle over my hunger cravings. Sushi: Here I come!
Hopefully my own personal health issues will not distract from the fact that the sushi of this particular restaurant, Shoga, is exquisite. The fish is always fresh and the variety of seafood rolls and dishes cannot be matched anywhere in Utah County.
Shoga is the place to go for fresh sushi without the crowd. After trying every sushi restaurant in the Valley my husband and I happen to stumble upon this place after hearing how highly recommended it came.
When you enter the restaurant there’s a young, contemporary vibe, and candlelit tables that create a relaxing ambiance. The hip restaurant is located right next to Outback Steakhouse, on the corner of University and State Street in Orem.
The seafood is the best I’ve had in the area. I have visited other sushi restaurants and the fish seems to taste several days old. Shoga serves a selection of different dishes from the Don-Buri noodle bowls, soups, salads, teriyaki meats, and of course a variety of sushi rolls.
I started with the house salad, which I expected to be the regular plain iceberg lettuce with the creamy, soy-ginger dressing. Instead, I was served a colorful array of lettuce greens, shaved carrots, with the perfect sweetness of mandarin oranges on top and a sweet ginger dressing. The salad is delicious and a great way to calm those hunger pains.
But the main attraction is the sushi, which is as good as any I’ve had. Shoga makes several specialty roles like the Playboy role, Black-Eye roll, and Mama Mia roll. My favorite roll is the ‘Playboy roll,’ for no underlying reasons. The playboy consists of shrimp tempura, cucumber and avocado, topped with tuna, spicy mayo, unagi sauce and tobiko. Each sushi roll is served with 6-8 rolls, we loved our sushi so much we ordered two more rolls.
The service was very prompt and friendly, and similar to Happy Sumo all the hosts and waiters were very attractive, a helpful tip for all you single fella’s. The cost is quite affordable, each roll is between $8-$13, but you will probably need more than one roll to satisfy your cravings. You might also want tempura veggies or miso soup, which if you order a meal comes complimentary.
It should be understood and emphasized that despite my allergic reactions from eating most seafood, I still choose to go and enjoy the sushi at Shoga. That’s how good it is! I don’t care that I may pass out later on in the day from some newfound violent illness in my body. I don’t care that my husband will be asking me if I am crazy with the look on his face of “I told you so,” It’s completely worth it!
For this brief moment I am in food heaven and in my personal food heaven, there is no such thing as a stomach ache unless it’s an ache of stuffed satisfaction. There is no worry of what will come for now, I am eating sushi.
Food Review: Shoga Sushi
Nike Pro Combat: The Complete Collection
So you may know that I am a big sports fan. You may also know that I am into fashion. This combination is perfect for me:
Starting Saturday, Nov. 14 (and appearing throughout the month), 10 very special college football teams will get to fill Oregon’s shoes as a canvas for Nike Interns as they take the field wearing the “futuristic” Nike Pro Combat uniforms.
Though I still think that Oregon has the best uniforms/uniform combinations, I really like the new designs and it's nice to see some other schools getting some love. I appreciate the fact that Nike is taking a simple, almost historic approach to the uniforms, while adding newer trends and design styles. They are pretty freaking ridiculous... ridiculously awesome!
Anyway enough exhibition, take a peek at what look and slogan they cooked up for Virginia Tech, TCU, Ohio State, Florida State, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, LSU, Mizzou, and Miami:
VA Tech:
TCU:
Ohio State:
Florida State:
Oklahoma:
Florida:
Texas:
LSU:
Mizzou:
Miami:
For more info visit the website:
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/usnikefootball/en_US/rivalries09
Chasing Pirates
No, I'm not chasing pirates. Although, I did run into one at a Starbucks once. Weirdest encounter of me life. true story- picture for all you nay-sayers.
Norah Jones's latest album creates euphoric moments, Greatly recommended. 
Sorry it begins weird, but about 20 seconds into the song, it goes to the music vid.
Glorious Hats
I have accumulated many hats throughout the years and they have become such fantastic accessories (and disguises) to my many rough days.
Theres just something so comforting about a hat. When I'm having a bad hair day,or just don't want to deal with the hassles of fixing it, the dependable hat is always there. OR when my forehead becomes too much for my concealer to diminish, the hat does the trick.
It seems that hats have transcended throughout the last years and we are no longer confined to the ball cap or beanie style. Theres now a plethora of options; fedoras, top hats, cowboy hats, boaters, berets,bucket hat,flat cap,etc.. All bringing diversity and style to our once boring outfits. 
This week in Sports
I love this time of year: the leaves start to change color, there is a bite in the air and there isn't a single better time to be a sports fan!
you've got the NFL and NCAA football season in full gear, basketball pre season is underway and finally, after a long (i mean long) hot summer of baseball, it's playoff time!
so far, there hasn't been a nail biter of a series in the playoffs, but I'm sure the AL and NLCS should be much more entertaining. In the american league, we've got the angels playing everyone's least favorite team, the Yankees. The NL will have the Dodgers playing the winner of Colorado and Phili. I'm personally torn since I have to root for the Rockies (being that i grew up watching games at Mile High) but I'll be in Philadelphia next week and would like to see a game. Oh well... i guess it's kind of a win-win for me.
on another note:
While some say that the Broncos AFL throwback uniforms were among the worst ever, I'd have to disagree. You can't complain about the uniforms if they beat the AFC favorites, New England Patriots. (whose throwbacks i like much more than the Disney captain EO space commander look-a-like uni's they normally sport).
Way too Spacey! 
My next article for the UVU Review is going to be on 'Soles for Souls.' I absolutely love these shoes, they come in all different colors and textures and your money is given to a good cause!
For every pair you buy, a pair goes towards a child in need.
So, if you own a pair, let me know so I can get a quote from you for my article! :)
If you dont, buy a pair and donate to a child. i bought a pair today.. dont tell josh.
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