Dress: Forever 21, Jacket: ASOS, Leggings: Nordstrom, Boots: Bakers, Scarf: Forever 21

I decided my best bet was soup. I had most of the ingredients for this recipe, so I half followed it and half threw in whatever sounded good.

Here’s my version:

Egg Roll Soup

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for frying
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 small head cabbage - shredded (I didn’t have any cabbage, so I skipped it)
2 small carrots - shredded (about 1 cup)
1 small bunch green onions - sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup bamboo shoots
5 cups veggie stock (use 6-8 cups if you are adding cabbage)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce - plus more for serving
10 egg roll wrappers cut into thin strips
1/2 block firm tofu - cut into small cubes

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry tofu until slightly browned on one or two sides. (I sprinkled mine with ginger, you could also use garlic or chili powder)
2. At the same time, heat oil in a soup pot - add garlic, cabbage, carrots, onion, bamboo shoots, ginger, fried tofu, veggie stock and soy sauce and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until vegetables are soft.
4. Meanwhile, cook strips of egg roll wrapper in hot oil in small batches until browned and crisp. This only takes a minute or so per batch.
5. Drain well on paper toweling.
6. When soup is done, ladle into bowls and top with fried egg roll wrappers and extra soy sauce, if needed.

I mostly just wanted broth, so this was perfect for a sick, sleepy night in bed.

There were a few other women at the range, but it was mostly dudes who looked quite serious about what they were doing. Aaron loaded the gun and then I took a breath, aimed at the target and squeezed the trigger. The first round was a little scary - guns are loud and it had a lot of kick and shells went flying all over the place, but after the third clip I was more comfortable and my aim got a bit better.

After the shooting range we went out to eat at my favorite restaurant. At some point during dinner I suggested we go roller skating and as usual Aaron was all for it. We stopped at home to let out Slayer and pick up my skates and then headed to Skate World.

The first thing we both noticed upon entering the building was the skating rink smell. Something about the scent of the rink floor and stale popcorn reminded me of taking skating lessons as a kid. Of course those lesson were no help because the first few laps I was totally stiff and paranoid of being run over being speeding children.

Aaron completely downplayed his skating ability and even had a few moves like those creepy old dudes who dance on their skates the whole night.

By the end of the night my thighs were pretty sore - I’d forgotten how much leg work it takes to make those wheels turn. In need of a cool-down we made a trip to Sonic for frozen drinks.

Sunday, my actual birthday, we got up at the butt crack of dawn to meet Aaron’s parents at a house they were looking to buy. I am not a morning person, so you know they’re pretty awesome if I hauled my ass out of bed at 8AM to go see them.

Once we were back home Aaron went to work and I climbed back in bed with Slayer and half napped, half watched movies until I found the motivation to clean. The Halloween decorations are now all packed away, so now I’m ready to shop for Christmas!

At 6:30 Aaron picked me up and we met my family for Mexican food and fried ice cream. My mom got me a flat iron (which I ended up leaving in Aaron’s truck so I haven’t been able to try it out yet) and my sister baked cupcakes that look just like my tattoo. After dinner we went back to the rent’s house so Aaron could look at embarrassing old photos of me and to play Scattergories with the fam.

I’d call that a fantastic weekend - guns, skates, tacos, cupcakes, games, wonderful family, amazing boyfriend, and I’m now able to check four things off my 101 list!

I’ve made 5 recipes in two days, but I’m only posting the two that were actually good. I also made semi-disgusting soup, bleh Indian flat bread and kinda good hummus.

This mushroom bourguignon was very good!

Mushroom Bourguignon with Egg Noodles
From An Edible Symphony
Serves 2-4

2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp butter
1 lb portobello mushrooms, sliced about 1/4 of an inch thick
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 - 2 cups beef stock (I used veggie stock)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Egg noodles for serving
Sour cream and chopped parsley or chives for garnish

1. Heat half the oil and butter in a large, deep saucepan on medium high heat. Throw in the sliced mushrooms and stir till they are darkened, but do not give off any liquid (about 2 mins). Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Lower the heat to medium and add the rest of the oil. Saute the carrots and onions with thyme, salt and pepper, until the onions are golden. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add a 1/2 cup of beef stock to the pan, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom. Turn the heat up and let the mixture reduce for 2 mins. Mix in the tomato paste, the rest of the broth and the browned mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and let the whole thing simmer for 10 mins.

4. Add remaining butter to the pan and sprinkle flour over the top, quickly stirring in. Simmer for another 3-4 mins. Taste, and season further with salt & pepper if needed. To serve, get yourself a bowl of warm, buttery egg noodles, spoon the mushroom bourguignon over the top, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives or parsley.

Got any good vegetarian recipes I should try?

I no longer want to take piano lessons, go on trips with certain people, or organize events.

Instead I’d like to:

20. Go rock climbing

37. Be able to do 3 pull-ups

47. Bake bread from scratch

68. Host a potluck

80. Learn to knit

86. Volunteer 5 times

87. Get my wisdom teeth out (OK, I don’t really want to do this, but I should)

I scoured a few people’s 101 lists and came up with more than 101…

102. Watch a movie at a drive-in theatre

103. Paint guest bedroom

104. Paint and organize office

105. Visit the Science Center

106. Eat at Baker’s

107. Make pickles

108. Earn 100 followers on my blog

109. Spending a day leaving notes of positivity on parked cars

110. Teach Slayer to lay down and not bark when people come to the door

111.  Learn to make good hummus

112. See the Rocky Mountains in person

113. Re-read my favorite book as a kid, “The Giver”

Do you have a 101 list? What have you accomplished? Given up on?

It took me forever to get dressed this morning because all I wanted to wear was my blue plaid scarf and purple lip stick.

I’ve been living in nothing but dresses, leggings and boots, so pants were totally out of the question. I ended up with a super stretchy high-waisted royal blue skirt over a black tee. And of course black leggings and boots.

Last night, since I’d already eaten pizza at work (they always feed us on election night), I decided to try out a recipe for Pecan-Maple Sticky Rolls. I didn’t have any pecans on hand, so I changed the recipe a bit and added apples.

1 apple (I used Granny Smith) peeled and diced - the smaller the better
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar - for the dough
2 tablespoons sugar - for apple mixture
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks salted butter-1 stick cubed and chilled, 4 tablespoons melted
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter (or cooking spray).

In a food processor, pulse the flour with 1/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the cubed butter and pulse until it is the size of small peas. Add the milk and pulse a few times, just until a soft dough forms.

I mixed mine by hand which left me with a super sticky dough, so I added more flour until it held together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 3 times. Pat or roll the dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle.

In a small bowl, combine the diced apple, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. Spread all over the dough. Beginning at a long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam closed. Cut the dough into 12 slices.

Divide the maple syrup and the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter among the cups.

Bake for about 18 minutes, until golden; place a baking sheet below to catch any drips.

Invert the rolls onto a rack. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 rolls.

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I love weekends where I want a couple more days to recover from all the fun after it’s over. (This is a pretty long post, so I don’t mind if you just skip to the last few paragraphs and read the best and most important part of my weekend.)

Aaron and I kicked off the weekend on Friday by going to see a Misfits cover band and a KISS cover band at Smalls. (There was also Weezer and Operation Ivy, but we got there after they played) The Queens of the Static Age get together every year for Halloween, complete with devilocks and makeup and blast through all the hits. Aaron was totally excited, as he loves the Misfits, and sang every word using my hand as a microphone.

On Saturday I spent most of the day in bed with Slayer, watching movies, wielding a glue gun and working on my costume. I got the red and black striped dress off Etsy for cheap and added the sequins along the collar and pockets. Then I made the hat, a choker, and attached the knife handles.

After my costume was finished I set off to re-carve my pumpkin. It went much better this time I opted for the SOA hooded skull, which was much easier to carve.

Around 6 trick-or-treaters started showing up. When I opened the door to reveal orange and red lights tangled in a mass of spiderwebs there were lots of ooo’s and aaah’s and “cool house!” As adorable and polite as all the kids were, it’s much more fun to be running door-to-door getting candy then it is to be the one handing it out.

We were out of treats before 8 and headed up stairs to watch the Batman marathon and get ready to go out. I absolutely love the blood I found - it dripped really well…and then later on cracked and peeled off in a really gross way. Aaron was not on the costume band wagon, so you can bet I will be making his costume next year.

It only took me until about two hours to finish my makeup and hair and then we headed downtown to the Zombie Dance party. The first thing I noticed as we pulled up to the venue were all the Juggalos wandering around. (If you don’t know what a Juggalo is then watch this video and be scared/scarred for life) They were swarming the streets of Detroit because right next door to the Zombie Dance Party was an ICP concert. As if Halloween wasn’t already scary enough already?

The dance party wasn’t as fun as we had anticipated, so after watching one band we hopped in the car and drove across town to the restaurant where Aaron’s bff works for nachos and cake.

Really drippy blood, Juggalos, nachos AND cake…pretty great weekend right? Well, it got even better on Sunday.

I picked up Aaron at 11:30 and we drove an hour north to meet my family, grandparents, aunt and cousin for lunch to celebrate mine and my cousin’s birthdays. I had warned Aaron before hand that my dad’s side is a little goofy, but I think he was mostly entertained.

He helped my cousin and dad set up the magnifier my dad created to allow my grandpa, who is legally blind, to read and write. And then my grandpa sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me in a operatic voice, while my cousin relentlessly teased my brother and my aunt tried to gift me a really big coat.

After lunch, cake and presents, we went back to my house, let out the dog, and then drove 30 minutes north in a slightly more western trajectory (with a quick stop at Starbucks since we were both in need of some caffeine) to meet up with Aarons family FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. Holy moly was I nervous!

The first thing his dad said to me, as I reached out to shake his hand, was ‘we hug in this family.’ It was amazing to see exactly why Aaron is the way he is - he gets his caring and responsible side from his mom, his sweet and silly side from his dad, and the positivity he radiates like crazy…that comes from his brother.

We ate dinner and then spent the evening hanging out and chatting, looking through pictures, and laughing until Aaron and his brother cried.

I want to write more, but like with my own family, I just can’t find the words to explain how amazing they are. Bottom line, Aaron’s family is fantastic, I’m thrilled and I can’t wait for them to move here. I never really believed in that Prince Charming/Happily Ever After stuff, but boy is it real! I cannot believe I am this lucky.

Barf/Fin

Obsessed with Sons of Anarchy? Nooo….

Mine was the skeleton hand holding the anarchy symbol, but there were so many little bits it was difficult to tell what it was. I think I’m going to just do the skull instead.

I also made some amazing vegetarian chili.

From Emeril Lagasse

Cook Time: 30 min, Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
* 1 cup chopped red bell peppers
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 to 3 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced, depending upon taste
* 1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
* 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
* 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (about 5 large), stemmed, wiped clean and cubed
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 tablespooon ground cumin
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
* 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
* 3 cups cooked black beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 cup vegetable stock, or water
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* Sour cream or strained plain yogurt, garnish
* Diced avocado, garnish
* Chopped green onions, garnish

Directions

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and serrano peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Ladle the chili into the bowls, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, spoonful of avocado and green onions.

Last night, in preparation, Aaron’s friend Nick, who is a cop, brought over his Glock 27 to give me a little lesson. He showed me how it works and how to hold it, then we ask him a million questions about carrying a concealed weapon and I wondered whether he might accidentally shoot himself in the ass by carrying his gun in his pants.

After the gun lesson we watched Sons of Anarchy, which Aaron, his bestie Adam, and I are all now obsessed with. I will not be surprised if I show up to their apartment one night and find a Harley parked in the living room.

- - - - - - - -

Also last night, we watched Nick’s wedding video because Aaron is OBSESSED with the dance they did when walking into the reception. Nick’s wife is Chaldean, so the began the reception with a “zeffa,” which Aaron refers to as the “snake charmer dance” because of the music . He wanted me to watch the video to convince me we should have a zeffa when we get married*. I think the guests might be a little confused, but told him I’d take it into consideration.

He also requested that I blog about it…so there, it has been blogged

*And yes I realize I said the M word, but no there are no plans to get married just yet.