Life: The Epic Journey

The cutest…

2013-05-20T14:11:00.001-04:00

…baby sister in the world.

Sometimes I wonder why my parents didn’t have two dozen children, we are all so stinkin’ adorable. (haha)
I mean, come on, how many three-year olds eat a hot dog with such poise and serious concentration?

She’s almost eleven now. Unbelievable.

Blog Every Day in May | A Quote

2013-05-04T10:52:00.001-04:00

I didn’t have to think twice about my favorite quote for today’s Blog Every Day in May Challenge.

A few years back, I was going through a very difficult time emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
It seemed like everything about my life was being controlled by the people around me, or in the case of my health, just completely out of my control. I was at the point where I wanted to tell the whole world (and God) to just shut up and leave me alone. I had enough problems of my own, but I felt like all the stress and pain in my life was being caused by other people.

At my lowest point, I discovered a quote by Steve Jobs that really slapped me across the face. Although I knew these things before I read the quote, seeing it from someone like Jobs really woke me up. He had amazing successes, but he also had incredible failures and heartbreak. What I admire most about him, is that he was his own person- and he didn’t let other people (or cancer) control the outcome of his life.

I printed off a copy of his words and stuck it to the front of my refrigerator, where it stayed for two years. By the time he passed away, I had been able to overcome most of the things (and people) that had been controlling my life. Steve Jobs had played a small part in taking back my life, so on that sad day, I stood in front of the fridge, tears rolling down my cheeks, and said “Thanks.”

So without further ado, Steve Jobs at the 2005 Stanford University Commencement Ceremony:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.
Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
Everything else is secondary.”

*Anyone else notice the lady with the book on her head?

Blog Every Day in May | Things That Make You Uncomfortable

2013-05-03T09:43:00.001-04:00

The fashion industry lies. This is what the windblown
look really looks like.

This is a fun prompt for me, because almost nothing makes me uncomfortable.
In fact, I’m the type of person who thrives on making other people uncomfortable.

So, I’ve decided to change up today’s post a bit, I’m retitling it “Things that I do to make other people uncomfortable.”

1. If I am going to be sitting in the car for awhile, I purposely park in a way that I can easily make people in other cars uncomfortable.
Example:
A couple weeks ago, Andraé and I were together, and we dropped by the internet provider to pay our bill. The parking lot was almost empty, except for a little, old man sitting in the passenger seat of a car. Of course, I asked Andraé to park right beside him so I could see if I could make him uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the little man wasn’t paying attention, or he might have noticed my face plastered against the window of my car.

2. When someone asks me something, I almost always say no.
You wouldn’t believe the reactions I get from people who don’t realize that I am a jokester.
Example:

Friend: “Can I borrow your pen?”
Me: “No.”

Stranger: “Do you have the time?”
Me, looking down at my watch: “No.”

Storekeeper: “This is our best-selling scent, do you like it?”
Me: “No.”

Sister: “Will you put my hair up?”
Me: “No.”

Classmate: “Can I see your homework from yesterday?”
Me: “No.”

Husband: “Will you get me some water?”
Me: “No.”

The reactions are priceless.

3. Talking about bathroom stuff.
Example: A few weeks ago, I had a 24-hour stomach bug. When I got back to school, I zeroed in on a friend who is always asking extremely personal questions that they have no business asking. Picture this: we’re standing side-by-side, each taking melting points of our compounds in Org Chem lab.

Classmate: “Where were you yesterday?”
Me: “OMG, you would not believe the stomach bug I had.”
Classmate: “Ehh.”
Me: “I was completely stuck to the toilet all day yesterday.”
Classmate: “…….”
Me: “I was scared to come to school, scared I’d have to stop by the side of the road.”
Classmate: “……………..”
Me: “You just wouldn’t believe how much I went.”
Classmate: “That’s gross…..”
Me: I just cackled and walked away.

4. Discussing my future funeral plans.
I have been planning my funeral for my whole life. I think I was about 12 when I told my parents which funeral home I had picked out.
I have good reason for this though, I have been to some really, really, REALLY bad funerals.
I’m not talking about a PA system going out or something. I’m talking about deep mountain, near snake-handling funeral services that I actually had to get up and leave from. I’m talking about southern gospel songs being played for people who didn’t listen to it. I’m talking about strangers officiating your funeral. I’m talking about the deceased’s family members so angry about the service that they got up and left.
So, with that in mind, I randomly have genius ideas that I freely share with my family members. And I’ve threatened them all with hauntings after my death if they don’t follow through.

5. Blogging about uncomfortable things. Because right now, I’d say you’re feeling pretty darn weird after reading this.

If you would like to see more things that make people uncomfortable, go over to Jenni’s blog at Story of My Life and check out today’s link-ups!

Sugar 'n Spice Salmon

2013-05-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

Recipe added January 2009
Edited, May 2013

I first added this recipe several years ago, but with summer coming on, I thought it deserved a repost! Originally from Taste of Home.

Sugar 'n Spice Salmon

4 salmon filets, 5 oz. each
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. hot spicy mustard or Dijon if spicy is not available1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
4 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small cubes

1.) Place salmon in greased 9x13 pan.
2.) Combine top 5 ingredients.
3.) Rub mixture lightly onto salmon with fork or spoon.
4.) Top with butter.
5.) Bake uncovered, at 375 for 20-23 min or until flakes easily with fork.
6.) Meanwhile, combine salsa ingredients. Serve with salmon.

Fruit Salsa

1/2 cup. Manderin Oranges
1/2 cup. chopped, peeled Kiwi
1/2 cup. chopped, peeled Mango
1/4 cup. finely chopped Red Onion
3 Tbsp. minced, fresh Cilantro
3 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 Tbsp. chopped Jalapeno Pepper

Blog Every Day in May | Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at: Cooking with Garlic

2013-05-02T10:59:00.001-04:00

Today is day two in the Blog Every Day in May Challenge from Jenni @ Story of My Life.

How do you feel about cooking with garlic?

I find that a lot of people don’t actually cook with fresh garlic. We are a nation of garlic powder/salt people.
I’ve actually talked to people who were scared to cook with it.

Really? Scared of a little, white, onion-like bulb? Scared of bad breath? What is it?
(My father-in-law is one of these people who refuses to eat garlic. I’m working on him.)

Now, my perception of the public’s opinion of garlic is probably skewed, after all, I grew up eating Amish food (blandest food in America) in Indiana, and southern food (most delicious food in America) in Tennessee. Amish food is seasoned with lard. Southern food is seasoned with lard, butter, and salt.

So you understand that my love for garlic has been an uphill battle since birth.

I feel very strongly about garlic. I love it. I use it every-single-time-I-cook. Do I cook an inordinate amount of Italian? Yes, probably.
But I also put garlic in everything else too. In fact, if garlic brownies were a thing, I’d probably try it. (It couldn’t be worse than the brownies
and orange juice that my cousin and I downed in the preteen years.)

So, I’m here to tell you that fresh garlic is not a scary beast that produces terrifying breath. In fact, if your recipe leaves you teary-eyed and dragon-breath’d (is that a word?), then it’s a bad recipe- not bad garlic.

First let me tell you how not to cook garlic.

Do not the heat oil in the pan until it’s smoking.
Do not cook the garlic on high.
Do not cook it until it is brown.
Do not cook it until it even begins to turn brown.
It should not be crispy.

Notice the browning along the edges.
I was in a hurry and the result was bitter and strong.

One more thing. If you’re scared of garlic, don’t start with a recipe that calls for fresh, un-cooked garlic.
The pasta dish below would bring even the heartiest Italian to their knees. Fresh tomato, fresh basil, and fresh garlic.
It actually burned like fire going down my throat. But I’m positively healthier for it.

Now that you are thoroughly terrified of my cooking skills, let me tell you how I like to cook garlic.

1 Tb of butter mixed with 1 Tb of olive oil, heated on mid-low to medium heat. Add your garlic, and slowly caramelize.

So easy. I think I just drooled on the keyboard.

And that, my friends, is how you achieve the sweetest, most succulent garlic that you’ve ever had in your life.

You’ll never be scared of garlic again, and your recipes will go from good to great.

Stuffed Mushrooms and Bruschetta

Pasta al Pomodoro

One more tip.
Don’t stand there and peel the freaking head of garlic.
Take a tip from the pros:

Maybe you don’t want to peel a whole head, just a couple cloves?
Try this:

Good luck in all your garlic endeavors.

Blog Every Day in May | The story of your life in 250 words or less

2013-05-01T17:34:00.001-04:00

Happy May Day!

I’ve decided to take the blogging challenge sent out by Jenni at Story of My Life for the month of May.
Coming off the stress of the past few months, I don’t feel very inspired to blog right now, but I really want to.
Jenni came up with a list of prompts for the month, so maybe it will help me find inspiration for the next few weeks.

It’s actually similar to an idea I had, but I’ll push it off until this summer.

For today, I am supposed to tell you my life story in 250 words or less.
Since I’m in the middle of finals, I’ll go with “or less.”

So basically, I was born in Indiana, in Amish country. 2 parents, 1 brother, a gaggle of animals. But no geese.
Roll ahead 14 years, about 3 moves across state lines, and a lifetime’s worth of dogs who ran away and we meet my little sister.
Roll ahead another 4 years, another 2 moves across state lines, and the final dog who ran away (or rather into a car) and I find myself happily married in East Tennessee.

I believe that’s 66 words.

Au Revoir.

Tales From Cloud Nine

2013-04-26T19:47:00.000-04:00

I've been waiting a long, long time to write this post.

Through the past four years of my undergrad, I've often wondered if I would ever be smart enough or strong enough to follow my ambitions.

It's been a scary journey at times. Science isn't necessarily what I think I'm good at.

I'm good at humanities, history and culture, the touchy-feely stuff.

It turns out that I'm good at science too, but at times it's a bit outside my comfort zone. Imagine being dropped into a foreign country, knowing that your entire future depends on your ability to learn the language ASAP. Every slip lessens your chances of survival, or in my case, acceptance into grad school.

Stress is my bff.

On the flip side, science is where all the fun is. This semester I've had all Biology, Physics and Organic Chemistry classes. I've had more fun than I ever did in humanities/elective classes. Sometimes I laugh when I think about how much I struggled with the decision to pursue pharmacy over history. It's a no-brainer, this is where I want to be.

But I'm getting all touchy-feely, so I won't delay any longer.

Sit up straight, I've got an announcement to make:

You can start calling me Dr. Robinson.

For practice, of course. =D

You heard me! Reserve my velvet cap and gown, because I've been accepted into the PharmD program!!!

I'm still in shock.

I got a message on a Friday from the national pharmacy application website, Pharmcas, that my application had been sent to the school I was applying to. On the following Monday morning I got a phone call from the school, asking me to come in for an interview. Just a few days later, I found myself sitting in a conference room, staring across the table at the other interviewee.

I suspect it's natural to size up the competition. I wanted to say, "Don't let my sweet smile fool you dude, I'm getting ready to destroyyy you in this interview."

I joke, I joke. I actually hope he made it in, he seemed like a great guy.

The "interview" consisted of an orientation, two interviews, a talk with the school's dean, another with the dean of student affairs (?), a tour with a P2 student, and lunch with one of their researchers and a PharmD who specializes in Medication Therapy Management.

Four and a half hours later, as I walked back out into the sunshine, I was feeling pretty drunk on success. In my experience, feeling successful is a bad omen, so I kept trying to remind myself of all the reasons why I wouldn't be accepted. The admissions board was supposed to meet five days later, and I so dreaded having to wait for news.

But fate, you could say, had other plans.

Around three hours after my interview, I was getting ready to walk into my Dr's office when I happened to look down at my phone and noticed a missed call.

It was the dean.

Out of 700+ applicants, I made it onto the happy list of 80 accepted students.

My friends, Cloud Nine is a real place.

Celebrating with the Family

Hello, Anybody There?

2013-04-23T11:49:00.001-04:00

Tomato Soup | Tuesday Soupsday

2013-03-05T10:02:00.000-05:00

I first discovered this recipe in 2010 while on the hunt to replicate
the roasted tomato soup that we served at our wedding reception.

I’ve made it a gazillion times since.
Weekly x 3 years = 156 times.
Ok, maybe I haven’t quite made it weekly, so maybe 137 times.

You can’t mess this recipe up- it’s divine.

Growing up, I absolutely hated tomato soup because like any good American child,
I thought that Campbell’s was the only kind of tomato soup in the world.
Gag. Who wants that nasty sweet stuff that tastes like watery tomato sauce?

Not this girl. I want a spicy, tomato soup with the pungent aroma of basil wafting through the air.

Enjoy.

Tomato Soup

½ cup diced onion
1 tsp. minced garlic (fresh or dried)
1 Tb olive oil
1½ cup chicken broth
1 large can whole tomatoes
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup milk
salt to taste

(1) Sauté first 2 ingredients in oil until softened.

(2) Add next 3 ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.

(3) Puree with an immersion blender until creamy.

(4) Add milk, season with salt, and simmer 5 more minutes.

(5) Garnish with croutons, cheddar cheese, and fresh basil from the garden.
(Dried basil works as well.)

I love to serve this with Basil-Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Smoked Turkey Avocado Wraps,
or under extreme duress, a good, old fashioned, grilled cheese sandwich.

iPhones aren’t famous for their focusing abilities, but you get the idea.

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup | Tuesday Soupsday

2013-02-26T08:02:00.000-05:00

This soup is super easy, so creamy, and delicious served with a hot sandwich!

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Recipe from my Mother-in-law

¼ cup chopped onion
1 TB butter
2 cup milk
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
¾ lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
10 oz. package chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
(I use Steamin' Easy from the freezer section.)

(1) In a medium saucepan, sauté onion in butter until tender.
Reduce heat to medium.

(2) Add milk and cream cheese, stir until cheese is melted.

(3) Add remaining ingredients, heat and stir until melted and mixed thoroughly.
*Mix constantly to prevent burning.

Serve & Enjoy!!

Try with these yummy Basil-Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup | Tuesday Soupsday

2013-02-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

This favorite recipe of mine was clipped from a magazine, but I fail to remember which. Either Southern Living or Bon Appetit.

If you don’t like sweet potatoes, this soup probably sounds ehh, but trust me- it’s delicious!

Imagine all your favorite things about fall (or at least my favorite things): spiced cider, sweets, long nights around a bonfire…

It’s all in this soup- I’m telling you. However, the soup is light and creamy- another one to serve year-round!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

2 TB butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 lb carrots, chopped (or about 2 cups)
1 apples, peeled/cored/chopped
42 oz chicken broth (3 x 14oz cans)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 cup orange juice

(1) Melt 2 TB butter in large pot over medium heat.
Sauté onion until tender; add carrots and cook 3 minutes more.

(2) Add chopped apple, broth, 1 cup water, sweet potatoes, bay leaves and allspice.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

(3) Remove bay leaves and discard.

(4) Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

(5) Mix in orange juice and heat 5 more minutes.

Serve with cornbread & enjoy!

For a garnish:
chop a second apple and sauté in 1 TB butter until slightly softened.
Add 2 tsp orange zest; add to bowl when serving.
or, throw a fresh bay leaf on top! (Don’t eat it…)

*An immersion blender makes this process much easier than
using a conventional blender. But if you don’t have one, try these steps:

Transfer heated soup by 2 cupful's to blender and blend;
pour blended soup into a large bowl.
Continue process until all the soup is blended,
returning to the pot to reheat at the end.

With garnish

French Onion Soup | Tuesday Soupsday

2013-02-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Now granted, my pictures don’t do justice to the magnificent Soupe à l'oignon, but for a first try? None too shabby.

I love onions. The very idea of cooking an onion for hours makes me want to forget life and go live on a patch of dirt
with a handful of onion bulbs.

This soup is definitely a cold-weather recipe- it’s really rich & super hot. Even when you cool it for a few minutes, it seems to retain its heat.
So, if you are still freezing to death (It has actually snowed in Tennessee this year, like for real) try this soup out!

I adapted this recipe from one I found on Ken Broadhurst’s blog. He lives in the Loire Valley, which makes me insanely jealous.

Bon Appetit.

After cooking your onions for a lifetime…

… add some flour…

…add some other stuff…

…smother with bread and cheese…

…bake & voila!

French Onion Soup

1.5 lbs. onion, sliced thin
3 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
salt/pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tb flour
40 oz. broth, chicken or beef
bay leaf
dried thyme
1/2 c dry white wine or apple cider
baguette, sliced thick (1 inch)
Swiss cheese, shredded

(1) Warm butter and oil in large pot.
Add onions and sauté quickly on high heat. (About 5 minutes)
Don’t burn!

(2) Add some salt and sugar.
Cook on low for 45 minutes.

(3) Add flour and stir for 1-2 minutes.

(4) Add broth, bay leaf, pepper, thyme and wine.
Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

(5) Pour soup into ramekins and top with a slice of toasted bread; sprinkle cheese over top.

(6) Bake at 400°F until cheese turns golden brown.

Serve & Enjoy!

Mom.

2013-02-10T22:04:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my Mum’s birthday, isn’t she beautiful?

She’s given me everything-
from a love of flowers that I never knew I had,

to a fantabulous sense of humor.

She’s an amazing and healthy cook- which gave me a high standard
to learn to cook to. I’m incredibly grateful.

She married my gorgeous Dad and gave me a beautiful
Sister and a handsome Brother.

She homeschooled me, a great sacrifice for any mother,
but she understood the importance of education-
setting me up for the successes that I have today.

She taught me how to be the perfect hostess,
that when it comes to food and parties-
it’s all in the details.

[Loved Mom’s Pumpkin Trail to the restroom at Dad’s Campfire Birthday Party.]

She encouraged my love of reading,
ignoring the strange contortions that readers begin
to occupy after hours inside a book.

She taught me that its ok to stand up for what you
believe in- even when it’s hard.

She shows me compassion for others,
in the ways she loves and cares for the people around her.

She never lets me forget that I used to call tadpoles “sadpoles”
and flowers “flashers.”

She taught me that family comes before anything else. Period.

I could write about a million more things that she does for me everyday,
but I’ll just say that the best thing she’s ever done…

…was to be my friend.

I love you Mom, Happy Birthday!

Tuesday Soupsday

2013-02-06T08:36:00.001-05:00

Lately I’ve been thinking about doing a series on soup, an ode to my love of big, bubbling pots of goodness.
After posting a recipe for Roasted Corn and Jalapeño Soup yesterday, I decided- what the heck! I’m doing it.

Why is this a big deal? Because the idea of a scheduled series rains on my fluid and spontaneous
method of blogging. [Insert comment about procrastination and slothfulness.]
Despite this, I am going to steel myself and choose to give this series some sort of a schedule.

Tuesday Soupsday sounds good to me, you?

On Tuesdays from now until eternity (ok, maybe not that long), you should expect to find one of my favorite recipes on the blog.
I’ll do my best post weekly, but don’t hold me to it.

So, enjoy.

Roasted Corn and Jalapeño Soup | Tuesday Soupsday

2013-02-05T17:16:00.001-05:00

I originally found this recipe via Pinterest at howsweeteats.com, where the dish is better known as Spicy Roasted Corn and Poblano Soup. I tweaked it a bit to satisfy our tastes and make it a little more effortless.

I’m a bit of a connoisseur of soups- winter soups, summer soups, fall soups and even spring soups! And not yo mama’s potato soup either, which is actually a long and sad story for me. (I can’t make regular potato soup, it drives me crazy! It’s always too watery and tasteless. I wish my Mother would zap me with her potato soup making skills.)

This recipe gets 5 stars for being easy and super tasty! It’s a great soup to serve year-round that’s filling without being too heavy.

Begin by roasting your corn with olive oil and sliced jalapeño:

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in a 1:1 butter and olive oil mixture.
I use a lighter olive oil for better flavor with the butter, but extra virgin still works well!

By step 3, you’ll be trying to stuff your face down inside the pot, amazing aroma!

Serve with cornbread, crackers, sandwiches…even pizza!

Roasted Corn and Jalapeño Soup

1 bag super sweet corn, frozen
1 jalapeño, seeded & chopped
olive oil
2TB unsalted butter
1 small vidalia onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2/3 cup half-half
1 cup chicken broth

(1) Drizzle corn and jalapeño with olive oil in 9x13 pan and broil on high until roasted.
(Some of the top kernels will begin turning black on edges, this means it’s done.)

(2) Sauté onion and garlic in butter and 2 TB olive oil for 5 minutes.

(3) Add corn/pepper, chicken broth and 1/3 cup half-half to onions/garlic,
bring to a boil and continue cooking 5 minutes.

(4) Add remaining half-half

Serve & enjoy!

*If you prefer a creamier soup, use an immersion blender after step 3 to blend the ingredients.

blended version:

The best part? 15 minutes from freezer to table!

It’s a little late for resolutions.

2013-02-04T16:55:00.001-05:00

It’s February fourth.

Holy Mother. Where did the time go?

I looked back, and the last decent post I wrote was 3 months ago. Before that? Uhhh, 6 months ago?
Is it surprising that I only have 200 fab followers on Twitter? I’m a freakin’ bum. A blogger bum. (Not a blogger’s bum, that’s another thing entirely.)

I should give myself some credit though, life has been pretty busy. I am, after all, taking a few difficult classes, trying to get into graduate school (think 700 applicants for 80 seats), studying for 3 days for a test that most smart people would spend a few months prepping for. Actually, make that two tests. The PCAT was a grueling 4-hour ordeal, while the PTCB was a relatively short 90 minutes. Add that to helping create a new hospitality team at church- and I am pooped at the end of the day.

How do you do it with kids?

And anyone who tells you that it’s easy to become a pharmacist is fooling you. Wait, no-one says that. What was I thinking?

All funny aside, I am so excited about a future in pharmacy. Everyday I find another reason that makes me happy that I am choosing this path. I never talk about it on the blog because I don’t like to talk about things until I am 100% committed to the process. During the first couple semesters, I was still in that “If it doesn’t work out, I can fall back on something in humanities” mindset.
But, now I’m sure- and I’m pretty passionate about it… so I guess it’s ok to tell the world.

World, I can’t wait to be a pharmacist. The prefix is definitely a perk too.

So why did I forget humanities? Because while I may derive my own sustenance from literature and history, I have absolutely no desire to share that love with anyone else. I get way too bent out of shape when I start trying to explain why appreciation of art, history and literature is vital to society. No-one seems to care. So English or history teacher is out. I think everyone thought I would go that direction, but can you really see me teaching? I might accidently say what I’m thinking and hurt some little person’s feelings. Or worse, get fired for calling them dopey.

I am going to try to improve on a blogging schedule- but it doesn’t look too promising. I’ve started tutoring chemistry, I’m working on getting more volunteer hours, and I have to start working on my application for school.

So Happy Valentine’s Day-St Patrick's Day-Easter-April Fools in case I’m MIA.

P.S. I would sell my right kidney for a trip to the Caribbean, it’s so cold here.
Does anyone know why I would sell my right one and not my left?

Wachbataillon Kompanie

2013-01-28T11:18:00.001-05:00

Have you heard about the poor German guys who are growing breasts on their left side?

The men from the Wachbataillon, an elite German guard, stimulate hormones when they slap their rifles against the left side of their chests.

Poor guys.

Their drills are pretty unbelievable… skip forward to 2:20.

You know you’re famous when you start getting parodies.

2013-01-18T20:16:00.001-05:00

Remember this video I posted last summer in Paris?

My sister decided to parody with a cheese quesadilla.

Enjoy.

It’s Snow Fun!

2013-01-17T16:03:00.001-05:00

Does is snow on Christmas? No

Does it snow for New Years? No

Does it snow on the first day of school when you are a) not wearing a coat b) without a cell phone and c) without a car because your husband drove you to school so you wouldn’t have to walk through the rain? Yes.

Does it snow and cause the school to close an hour before your dearest one is scheduled to pick you up? Yes.

Does it snow and cause worst case scenarios to cross your mind like “What if the roads are bad and someone hit him and he can’t call me and then the school police will force me to stand outside in the snow without a coat until my father and/or father-in-law gets word that I am stranded and comes to rescue me. But what if he doesn’t know which door to go to and drives around in circles while I slowly succumb to hypothermia and die?”
Yes.

It snow much fun.

Craving Goodness

2012-12-24T01:32:00.001-05:00

So I’m officially done with Christmas. I love the holiday, but my tummy is screaming for healthy food. I’m so tired of sweets and bread and potatoes and ham and cookies and eggnog.

I’m craving grilled steak, asparagus, squash, tomatoes, corn, peppers & onions…all drizzled in olive oil.

Come quickly Summer, please come quickly.

Winter Break

2012-12-19T11:18:00.001-05:00

Winter Break began last weekend, and while it was nice to lose the pressure of school, I’ve been bombarded with a million other things. It’s crazy how much you can push off until the semester is over. Then BOOM.

During the “BOOM” I finally organized my favorites folder, finding all the little things I had saved to look at when I had more time.

If you’re bored, take a look at some of my favorite links from the past semester…

A Swedish artist illuminates America’s past via TIME LIGHTBOX.

The poster I am buying.

How to make a 5-stranded braid.

I think it would be fun to try this.

I love these free Printables from A Pair of Pears.

A list of the most common cooking mistakes. These are bad mudders.

What is this thing on my head?

2012-12-03T16:36:00.001-05:00

I posted this photo on twitter this summer, it cracks me up every single time.

The cone shaped contraption on my head is a hat I found in the camping section at Mast General Store.

Whadya think? I need one for gathering rushes or something. (What are rushes, anyway?)

November Instagram

2012-11-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

I came to the sudden realization last night that my Mother never gets a chance to see any of my pictures because she isn’t on instagram, twitter or facebook. She actually has a life. Like a real one. Not a cyber life, like mine.

So, for all my family members who are sensible enough to stay off social media, I give you November:

*warning: graphic depictions of unhealthy foods.

.: it’s party time :.

.: one of my favorite burger joints reopens :.

.: frittata & roasted red potatoes :.

.: stuffed mushrooms & bruschetta :.

.: i eat entirely way too many cheeseburgers :.

.: mixed m&m’s :.

.: latest reading :.

.: oreo pudding :.

.: its time for a cold :.

.: moleskine surgery :.

.: date at the barter theatre, sherlock holmes & the christmas goose :.

.: who ya callin’ a goose? :.

.: caroline, sweetest baby in the world :.

.: water guns are serious business :.

.: yo, cocoa :.

.: master cookie swirling :.

.: molten lava cookies :.

.: what time is it? :.

.: my humor :.

.: tree along wilderness road :.

.: we :.

.: thanksgiving fun :.

.: family :.

.: cousins :.

.: hottie :.

.: post thanksgiving partying chicken hair :.

.: white lights :.

.: sweet bliss :.

.: my icy little friend :.

Dumb Ways to Die

2012-11-26T12:37:00.001-05:00

This song makes me infinitely happy. I’ve been singing it for two days.

Enjoy.

Thanksgiving 2012

2012-11-22T16:13:00.000-05:00