we're better suited for a fictional world

universally

2012-02-01T08:12:00.000-05:00

Need a break from this universal bitch-slapping. Seriously.

in my head (and heart)

2012-01-30T22:54:00.002-05:00

A favorite of my dad's. A favorite of mine.

sunday drive

2012-01-29T21:04:00.001-05:00

The Great River Road - Alton, IL 2012

uh huh

2012-01-28T23:45:00.001-05:00

Banana Chip Cookies. Awesome.

on the menu 1/28

2012-01-28T11:29:00.000-05:00

So last week we went out to dinner one night, and to a friend's for dinner another night, which means there are two leftover meals to have this week. This is particularly good because I don't get paid until Tuesday, and we are BROKE!

Red Rice and Macadamia - From last week. We're going to need to have this soon, though, because I bought fresh green beans and they have a limited life span. Note to self: check those green beans before going to the store.
BLT - Didn't end up making these, either, but we still have everything we need. I might pick up an extra avocado just to be on the safe side. If the original is still good, that's ok. I'm sure I can find a time to eat the other one.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup - We're on a budget. But also, a friend of mine was talking about this meal on a dreary day and started a craving. And look, I love the tomato soup in the can, but I'm going to have to do a little research since I've been more conscious of my sodium intake. I also feel like I should work some kind of green veggie into this... hm...
Rigatoni and Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce - This is one of my favorites from F&W. I was trying to keep it lighter this week, but I don't think I've succeeded. At least the cream is light this time, right? The nice thing about our grocery store here is that they sell the loose sausage, so you don't have to hassle with removing the casings. We've made this with both a mild Italian sausage, and a spicy one. Both are great.
Crispy Kale and Tofu Salad with Coconut - I adore you! Honestly, if you haven't made this yet, I implore you! And as always, I only have to buy the kale and the tofu, because I have everything else. I'm on a roll, here, too. Kale two weeks in a row. Can this trend continue?
Tempeh Curry - I was torn between this, and between making a red Thai curry to use up the red curry paste that I opened the other week. I think it will keep until next week, though, and I'll hunt down a great red curry recipe in the mean time (suggestions welcome!). I like this one a lot, and I've found that it's better if you double the amounts for the sauce only. As I always say, aren't we all just in it for the sauce?

Initially, I didn't think I was going to make a dessert this week (yeah, right). But then I came across this recipe for Banana Chip Cookies. I'm liking these fruit-centric cookies, although I would make a few changes to the strawberry cookies from last week. Also, I'm really craving this Mocha Rum Cake that I saw. I haven't made it because I don't have any rum, but I honestly don't know how much longer I can hold out. Maybe next week?

situational food

2012-01-27T22:39:00.001-05:00

(Somewhat of a continuation on yesterday's post)

A hoagie and a beer smuggled into the movie theater
Apples when I'm in a bad mood
Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a morning flight
Cheese and peanut butter crackers at the beach
Aerosol cheese and crackers in a canoe
Coke Slurpee and a soft pretzel on a really hot day, in the car with the AC on
French fries and a chocolate milkshake on a long drive
Popeye's at the Atlanta airport
Pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day
Chili on the first day of regular season football
Coffee and a donut on a snow day
Bourbon after a really bad week
Slice of pizza with a fountain soda
Hot dog at the ball park (duh)
Cookies and cream ice cream at the Devon Horse Show
Chocolate soft serve on a cone with chocolate jimmies on the boardwalk
Cheese fries with ketchup after a day of shopping
Huge sandwich (any kind) after the blood drive
Huge salad (any kind) on business trips
Thai take-out when Dan's away
Iced tea on the deck on a warm afternoon
Rum and pineapple juice by the pool
Fried chicken and beer at the drive-in, or
Club sandwiches and beer at the drive-in, and
Kettle corn at the drive-in
Latte in the middle of a bad day at work
Soup in the winter
Salad in the summer
Omelettes with my bro
Cold beer in the shower after gardening in the summer
Pretzel sticks in chocolate ice cream
Bacon on a bagel with cream cheese
Cheese and crackers when you just don't know what else to have for dinner

in the hallway

2012-01-26T23:56:00.002-05:00

"Don't we all just need a warm place to eat oranges?"

yoga

2012-01-25T22:26:00.003-05:00

Today at yoga I did Feathered Peacock Pose.

I hated every second of it.

state of the union

2012-01-25T08:26:00.002-05:00

I was a little disappointed that in the State of the Union address last night, the president called for "comprehensive immigration reform" and essentially left it at that. Everyone calls for that. It means nothing. It means that no one has any ideas. It means, "the plan is that we don't have a plan, but we're going to try to come up with a plan."

It's a cop out.

Otherwise, it was a good speech.

miracle of miracles

2012-01-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

Stop the presses - Dan went to yoga with me tonight!

What the what?!

And he hung in there the whole time.
And then he said he liked it.
And then he said he would go again.

Color me impressed.

a textbook case

2012-01-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

So the class I'm taking right now has a required text book that cost $188. Yes, seriously. At the community college. And the real kicker is that the tuition for this class is only $264. So that book cost more than half as much as the class.

I was able to buy it online for $150. Not much, but it's a start, and hopefully I'll be able to sell it back... or sell it to someone... or something.

And now, 4 days after I got the book, I haven't started reading it. What is the matter with me? I didn't even take it out of the box until Sunday night. But I swear, I'm closing this laptop and starting right now.

After Hoarders.

finds

2012-01-22T13:49:00.002-05:00

Three internet finds:

There's a zombie run in St. Louis? I sincerely hope some of my out-of-town folks will come in for this one.
Am I the only person who's thinking Craigslist cannibal???
A favorite blog discussing the absurd claims of detox diets led me to this delightful yearly feature in Bon Appetit magazine.

on the menu 1/21

2012-01-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

I really tried to keep this grocery list under control since it's the end of the pay period and I'm sort of broke... but I can't help it. There are just too many delicious things that I'm in the mood for...

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and sauteed kale with cashews - This past week I knew I was craving either meatloaf or chili. I make chili far more often than I make meatloaf, and given that it's wintry-mixing outside, meatloaf and mashed potatoes sounds perfect. I went with kale because I wanted to try this recipe, and because kale is a superfood. Also, since we've been so light on meat in our meals, I don't actually feel all that great if I don't have something green with a heavy meat-n-potatoes meal like this.
BLT - Look, I'll admit something. I like meatloaf with bacon on top. I know, grasp your heart and call your cardiologist. Since I'm buying bacon, I thought I would make another meal out of the rest of it. And we all know how much I love sandwiches. I'm of the opinion that since a BLT contains lettuce, tomato, whole wheat bread, and in my case, avocado, it definitely isn't the worst sandwich you could be eating.
Fettuccine with Gorgonzola and Broccoli - And on that healthy note above, we take a dive into overly-indulgent insanity. (Although, out of curiosity, I entered it into the LiveStrong calorie counter, and it came up as 662 per serving. That's not as bad as I thought it would be. I should note, though, that I calculated it as five servings, since we almost only get two dinners and three lunches out of a pound of spaghetti.) But look, there is a lot of broccoli in this, and that is no small thing. It also lets me use up some leftover veggie broth, and an open bottle of white wine.
Red Rice Salad - My sister-in-law and I were talking about this recipe while we were in Australia (interesting note: the stores do not carry molasses down under), and so naturally I've been craving it. The downside is that I'm going to have to go to Whole Paychecks to get the red rice, since it's actually cost effective in the bulk section. The upside is that this is delicious, and we haven't had it in ages. Oh, and major fail - I didn't buy macadamia nuts while I was in Australia, which I should have, because they're better and cheaper than here.
Almond Soba Noodles - Here we go, noodles twice in one week. Does it count if these are sobas? I still have half a jar of almond butter in the fridge. I was reluctant to use it, because lately I've been finding it so enjoyable with apples, but I'll make do. I really love the use of pea shoots in this. It's just enough to make this noodle dish more like a salad. I have to check to see if I have any red curry paste. I don't actually want to go all the way to Global Foods, and I don't want to buy the grocery store kind, so hopefully I still have it stocked.
Blackened Tempeh Po' Boy - This was such a hit last time that we're having it again. I know, sandwiches twice in one week? Not necessary, but delicious. The craving for avocado might be withdrawal from Australia, where I was eating it every day. Again, this has lettuce and tomato, in addition to the avocado, and it doesn't actually have meat, so I'm sure there are far worse things I could be eating.

Last week I went nutzoid with baking - two breads and a huge batch of cookies. Since I'm having two meals that require bread this week, I'm going to resist the urge to bake any other breads, and I'm going to make just one batch of cookies so that I can focus on homework instead of kitchen projects (boo!!!). I know these strawberry biscuits are billed as crackers, but they look like little shortbread cookies to me. I also know that strawberries are a summer thing, but Trader Joe's sells frozen strawberries, so these little cookies will be mine. I'm probably going to use my flower cookie cutter, but I brought a whole bag back from my mom's house over Thanksgiving, so I might peruse them and see if there is a shape that suits my fancy.

right now

2012-01-20T18:55:00.000-05:00

Right now there is freezing rain, and a winter weather advisory until midnight. I really want a burrito and a beer, but I'm not sure how i'm going to make that happen, short of constructing a poor man's burrito out of the odds and ends in my kitchen. I also realize that what I actually want more than a burrito and a beer is for it to be nice and warm out when I have my burrito and beer.

I won't lie, I'm having a really hard time transitioning from my summer vacation back into my freezing cold winter life. No matter what I do, my skin looks like a alligator. My sinuses hurt. When I get cold, I feel tired. That sounds like hypothermia.

I know that in a few months it will be summer, and I'll be complaining about things like two week stretches of 100 degrees or more, 90% humidity, overnight temperatures that don't fall below the mid-90s, and my electric bill. I know that. But just give me this. It's 28 degrees and I just want a burrito.

recreations

2012-01-18T21:31:00.000-05:00

In Australia, we went to dinner one night at the Lennox Hotel.
We sat on the deck, and when it started to rain, we found that the roof didn't quite cover our table, so we all slid down to one end.
My nephew lost a tooth at the table. When the waiter found out, he gave my nephew and my niece each a Freddo.
My niece had calamari, which was on the kids menu, and declared that it was the best thing she ever ate, and that she wanted it every night.
My nephew had spaghetti bolognese and said it was too spicy (tasted sweet to me).
I had a spicy coconut chicken salad, and ever since then I've been craving it. I'm going to have to try to recreate it now.

Suggestions welcome.

brussels sprouts

2012-01-17T20:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight I had frozen Brussels sprouts for dinner. I think I can safely say that frozen Brussels sprouts are why people don't like Brussels sprouts. Yuck.

storms

2012-01-17T08:21:00.001-05:00

Nothing quite like a little thunder, lightning, hail, and tornado sirens to help you sleep. Yikes. Where did that storm come from? I thought it was January.

a day of service

2012-01-16T08:12:00.000-05:00

It annoys me to no end that Martin Luther King Day is not a holiday at my office. It should at least be a day that we do community service as a company.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King. And thank you.

sundays

2012-01-15T20:56:00.002-05:00

Time seems to always get away from me on Sundays.

on the menu 1/14

2012-01-14T15:15:00.001-05:00

Welcome back, food obsession!!! This is the first list of recipes I will be making this year, and the first since vacation. I'll be honest, there isn't a whole lot of new stuff this week because mostly I'm taking care of cravings I experienced while overseas. It happens to the best of us.

Mushroom and Tarragon Soup - I missed soups. Normally what happens is that I experience a long, cold winter of making soups here, and by spring, I've gotten my fill and never want to see another soup ever again as long as I live (and then by fall I'm drooling over them). This time, though, I was pulled right out of the middle of soup season and thrust back into the world of BBQs and salads, and I found I missed my soups a little bit. Fortunately when we got home, I cracked open a few that were leftover from the freezer, and the withdrawal symptoms stopped immediately. This soup is another from my little soup cookbook. I was looking for something hearty but vegetarian, and recently I can't get enough of tarragon.
Pizza - I bought pizza dough from Trader Joe's when I got home last week because it makes for a quick and easy meal. As it usually happens, when I make pizza one week, I usually make it the next week, too. Not sure what we'll have on this, but there will be a few options to choose from.
Hot and Crunchy Chicken Cones - I craved this while we were in Australia. Big time. I was going to try making it there, but there were a couple things stopping me - chiefly one size only tortillas. I also would have had to leave out the spicy parts for the kids ("too picy!"). But now that I'm home, I can't wait any longer. We're having these tonight.
Cavatappi with Pepperoni - I was looking at the 'you might also like this' links on the F&W website when I came across this. I can't remember what I was looking for in the first place, but I uncovered a bunch of great pasta recipes. Not that we need to eat more pasta. But I will maintain that if you eat whole wheat pasta, don't eat it that often, and use it as a delivery method for veggies, it can't be all that bad, right? We don't usually eat pasta more than once a week, so I'm not worried...
Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter - Ok, I lied. We're eating pasta twice this week, and neither are particularly healthy. But I have my reasons. Mainly that I was going to have this one last week, but we ended up going out for dinner instead. We had this recipe a few weeks ago and it was fantastic, but I will admit that it's not the healthiest thing you could eat. Again, though, it isn't like I have it daily...
Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples - I craved this, too. I actually crave this dish all the time, not just while I'm out of the country. I am out of good maple syrup, though, so I'll either have to fork out the money for the good kind, or revert to the emergency bottle of the cheap stuff...

I must admit that I really missed my kitchen. I was legitimately excited yesterday when I came across this recipe for Black Bread, because I realized I was looking forward to spending some time in my kitchen and baking. If this bread comes out, we'll have it tomorrow with the soup. Also this week we had a snowstorm, so I worked from home. I found myself craving Cinnamon Swirl Bread while I watched the snow fall, so I'll make that today. If I recall correctly, Cinnamon Swirl Bread was the first bread that I ever attempted to make.

Toward the end of our trip to Australia, Dan started trying to organize a ride home from the airport. He promised a batch of home made cookies to whoever picked us up (real nice, since I would obviously be the one to make them). In the end, not one of these jokers stepped up to the plate, so we took a cab instead. Since I'd already had it in my head to make cookies, I'll do that today and keep them all for myself! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Suckers.

2012 goals

2012-01-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

40 more goals:

take Spanish lessons
take a sign language class
master crow pose in yoga
do another form of exercise
start horseback riding again
go to the dentist
take better care of my car
be more financially responsible
pay off capital one card
pay off express card
start a 401k at my current job
cut student loan balance in half (currently $5k)
go to the Kentucky Derby
go to the Little 500
go to BlobFest!
visit Southern Louisiana with Dan
get Erik to go to Australia
explore the states bordering Missouri
take a kick-ass 5th anniversary trip
make a donation to 3 organizations (any 3)
volunteer with an immigration program
apply for dan's citizenship
keep cooking something new weekly
eat meat for two meals a week or less
learn to like one more kind of seafood that isn't fish and chips or fish tacos
master bread making
buy a CSA share
visit the farmers market more often
be a more conscious consumer
have more dinner parties
make friends in st. louis who don't go to school with dan
mail birthday and Christmas gifts on time
stop being so frustrated at work
procrastinate less
get a new tattoo
join or start a book club
find more time to read
write more; finish something
tell it like it is
make my dad proud

assessment of accomplishments at the end of the year - 2011 edition

2012-01-11T23:27:00.000-05:00

At long last:

go back to school; work hard this time - Done and done! I went back to school to earn a paralegal certificate, and I have a 4.0 GPA. Take that!
take Spanish lessons - Nope. But I'll get there. Especially now that I realize I like school.
take a sign language class - Nope. But I'll get there. Especially now that I realize I like school.
take a class for first aid/CPR - Yes! I am trained and certified in CPR. And also in how to use a fire extinguisher.
keeping going to yoga - I'm up to five days a week with yoga. How's that for an accomplishment.
keep running; maybe try to hate it less - Fail! I tried and it isn't for me. I'm making up for it with extra yoga.
start horseback riding again - I just haven't had the time or the money. Maybe this spring, if I can get the finances sorted out.
get new glasses - YES!!!! And new contact lenses. Feels great.
go to the dentist - Imagine me doing that thing where you shake your head and stretch out your collar...
take better care of my car - I think that by this, I meant that I should get things fixed proactively, and not just wait for them to break. Haven't done that.
pay off capital one card - Sorry.
pay off macy's card - again - Yes!
start a 401k at my current job - I should really read those emails from HR at work...
make some more progress in paying off my student loan - The funny thing about going back to school part time is that your loans get deferred. Even if part time means only one class at a time, once a week.
pay Oma back the immigration money - I think I feel guiltier about this every year.
keep money in the savings account - I'm doing ok with this, considering I didn't specify for myself how much money i should have in there. Both savings accounts have more than they have in the past.
go to the Kentucky Derby - Not likely this year...
visit Monticello - Yes! It was one of the best things I've seen.
take a weekend trip to New Orleans - No, but I'm getting close to convincing Dan. Might have to turn it into a week long trip, though.
get Erik to go to Australia - No. I'm working on it, though. I really wish he had been along on this last trip.
take a trip to the Caribbean - Not yet.
explore the states bordering Missouri - Fail!
make a donation to 3 organizations (any 3) - Did the blood drive again, does that count yet? I also donated toiletries to the Girl Scouts, and food to the food drive at the office. I thought I had made a donation to something else, too, but I honestly can't remember now. I'll get back to you.
volunteer with an immigration program - No, but I've been really encouraging to people I know who have immigration problems.
get my passport renewed - Done and done! Not wild about the photo, but I've had worse.
apply for dan's citizenship - He studied for the citizenship exam. But we haven't yet had the money to file the application.
keep cooking something new weekly - I'm killing it!
eat meat for three meals a week or less - Actually we're down to two meals with meat a week. Not bad.
learn to like one more kind of seafood that isn't fish and chips - Holy fish tacos, Batman! I'm in love!
buy a CSA share - I was just thinking about this the other day. I'll start researching in the spring.
grow a better vegetable garden - I had some successes and some failures this year. I definitely did better than last year.
have more dinner parties - Nah. Kinda need friends for that.
make friends in st. louis who don't go to school with dan - See above.
keep the house clean and stop accumulating so much junk - Yeah, I think we're doing ok with this. Other than storing the belongings of every kid studying abroad. This goal is rolling over to next year, though, since watching Hoarders has me paranoid.
be a more conscious consumer - hmm... Well, I vowed to pay down and cancel my Lowe's card after the thing about the TV commercials. Does that count?
mail birthday and Christmas gifts on time - I did ok with Christmas gifts this year. Not so much with birthday gifts.
join or start a book club - Fail!
write more - I've definitely blogged more.
tell it like it is - It comes naturally.
make my dad proud - I honestly think that I have.

The grand total is 17. I honestly thought I had more than that. I think that the things I've accomplished this year are huge, though, so I don't think this is bad at all. I'm going to think over my goals for next year and will post them tomorrow. For now I'm still jet lagged and I'm off to bed.

work

2012-01-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

I was back in the country for three hours when I got a call from work.

This morning it is cold and raining.

This is certainly unpleasant.

supporting evidence

2012-01-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

Reasons not to go camping - Lennox Heads, NSW Australia, 2012

opinion

2012-01-08T01:53:00.000-05:00

My opinion of camping has always been that it is basically just doing the same things you have to do every day anyway, only harder. That opinion has not changed.