Tuesday, September 2, 2008
A test... this is only a test...
I think I'm truly testing the theory that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
No time the like the present, indeed.
Today, I was thinking about the title of this blog. "No Time Like the Present". What does that even mean?
I guess (to me, at least) it means that there is no better moment, than this moment, to take advantage of the opportunities around us. I suppose that I *try* to live my life in this moment. Its easy to get caught up dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, but the things that matter most are happening right now.
A very good friend of mine has a baby -- well, a 1 year old now! And as many great memories she has about the things that have happened in the past year, I know that she can (and does) appreciate each and every day with her family.
There might be a day that I put off writing a paper because my little sis has a basketball game, but I'm okay with that. I have a list on "the Face" (as Summer Roommate's mom calls it) of things I believe in... one of those things is that "there are no rainy days worth saving up for"... which I really, really believe (well, unless those "rainy days" mean a trip to London -- then mayyyybe). I work hard, now, to make money, now, to enjoy...now. Yes, sometimes I wish that I had a little more saved for an emergency -- but planning for an emergency isn't how I want to spend my days.
I want to spend them in the sunshine. With good friends. And family. And a crossword puzzle. And a slurpee.
I guess (to me, at least) it means that there is no better moment, than this moment, to take advantage of the opportunities around us. I suppose that I *try* to live my life in this moment. Its easy to get caught up dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, but the things that matter most are happening right now.
A very good friend of mine has a baby -- well, a 1 year old now! And as many great memories she has about the things that have happened in the past year, I know that she can (and does) appreciate each and every day with her family.
There might be a day that I put off writing a paper because my little sis has a basketball game, but I'm okay with that. I have a list on "the Face" (as Summer Roommate's mom calls it) of things I believe in... one of those things is that "there are no rainy days worth saving up for"... which I really, really believe (well, unless those "rainy days" mean a trip to London -- then mayyyybe). I work hard, now, to make money, now, to enjoy...now. Yes, sometimes I wish that I had a little more saved for an emergency -- but planning for an emergency isn't how I want to spend my days.
I want to spend them in the sunshine. With good friends. And family. And a crossword puzzle. And a slurpee.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Practicing for ND football season...
Life is funny. This evening, I was looking back at some of my old posts, and one in particular made me smile. It was my first post and consisted of a list of things I was currently loving at the moment. A little over 4 months later, and there is a good chance my current "dig it" list would consist of many of the same things. How nice it is that such simple things can put a smile on my face.
Ah, well the real reason I came to post tonight was that I felt long overdue for a recipe posting. A few weeks ago, I had a tailgate at a White Sox game and cooked my little heart out to feed the 20+ friends that came out for the game. I decided to step it up a notch (as I like to do when I tailgate) and do something a little different than the traditional tailgate burgers and hot dogs -- don't worry, I had those too.
Here was our menu:
That's stepping it up, right?
Pesto and peas pasta salad
Fresh basil (maybe 4 cups?)
Pine nuts (1/3 cup)
Fresh garlic (at least 1/2 head)
Grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
Diced onion (about 1/2 of a large onion)
1/2 box frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed crazy dry)
Pasta (your choice, I used elbows)
Olive oil (1 cup-ish)
Frozen peas (1/2 bag?)
Salt and pepper (1/2-1 tsp ea.)
As usual, my measurements are rough estimates. In my opinion, recipes are best when personalized, so add more or less depending on what you like (oooh, now that I think about it, this would be amazing w/ some sun-dried tomatoes too). Also, this recipe will make way more pesto than you need -- a trick I learned somewhere (??) is to freeze the extra in ice cube trays, then pop the pesto cubes into ziploc baggies and freeze. Then you'll have individual servings you can thaw as needed.
To make the pesto, put the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and garlic into a food processor. Turn on and slowly stream in olive oil until the items come together into a thick paste. Add the spinach and process again. You may need to add a little more olive oil at this point. After you have your new pesto "paste", taste. Add more garlic/basil/Parm/olive oil/salt/pepper as needed.
In the meantime, boil pasta to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water immediately to keep pasta from sticking together. A trick I use is to throw the frozen peas in the leftover hot pasta water for a minute or two. There's really no reason to boil/cook the peas. You're just trying to thaw them. Drain peas well.
Into a large bowl, add the pasta, peas, onion, and a little bit of pesto at a time. The thick pesto will thin from the slight heat of the noodles and the little bit of water that is left on them. I also throw some extra whole pine nuts and a couple tbsps of parm in at this point. Refrigerate for a few hours and enjoy!
Chipotle mayo
(I cheated a little on this one and used store-bought mayo)
1 bottle squeeze mayo
2+ tsp dried chipotle powder
1+ tsp grill seasoning (usually contains at least pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder)
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt
Pepper
I dumped the mayo into a bowl, saving the squeeze bottle, and added the dry ingredients to taste. Put it back in the bottle for easy transportation and serving at the tailgate. Tastes best when made the night before.
I think that's all for tonight... more soon!
Ah, well the real reason I came to post tonight was that I felt long overdue for a recipe posting. A few weeks ago, I had a tailgate at a White Sox game and cooked my little heart out to feed the 20+ friends that came out for the game. I decided to step it up a notch (as I like to do when I tailgate) and do something a little different than the traditional tailgate burgers and hot dogs -- don't worry, I had those too.
Here was our menu:
- Homemade burgers with chipotle mayo
- Mini lamb and feta burgers with cucumber yogurt sauce
- Pesto and peas pasta salad
- Chicago style hot dogs
- Beer brats
- Chicken and sausage skewers (Italian sausage and andouille sausage)
- Veggie skewers
- Corn on the cob
- Fresh fruit
- Caramel, chocolate and pecan cookie bars
That's stepping it up, right?
Pesto and peas pasta salad
Fresh basil (maybe 4 cups?)
Pine nuts (1/3 cup)
Fresh garlic (at least 1/2 head)
Grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
Diced onion (about 1/2 of a large onion)
1/2 box frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed crazy dry)
Pasta (your choice, I used elbows)
Olive oil (1 cup-ish)
Frozen peas (1/2 bag?)
Salt and pepper (1/2-1 tsp ea.)
As usual, my measurements are rough estimates. In my opinion, recipes are best when personalized, so add more or less depending on what you like (oooh, now that I think about it, this would be amazing w/ some sun-dried tomatoes too). Also, this recipe will make way more pesto than you need -- a trick I learned somewhere (??) is to freeze the extra in ice cube trays, then pop the pesto cubes into ziploc baggies and freeze. Then you'll have individual servings you can thaw as needed.
To make the pesto, put the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and garlic into a food processor. Turn on and slowly stream in olive oil until the items come together into a thick paste. Add the spinach and process again. You may need to add a little more olive oil at this point. After you have your new pesto "paste", taste. Add more garlic/basil/Parm/olive oil/salt/pepper as needed.
In the meantime, boil pasta to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water immediately to keep pasta from sticking together. A trick I use is to throw the frozen peas in the leftover hot pasta water for a minute or two. There's really no reason to boil/cook the peas. You're just trying to thaw them. Drain peas well.
Into a large bowl, add the pasta, peas, onion, and a little bit of pesto at a time. The thick pesto will thin from the slight heat of the noodles and the little bit of water that is left on them. I also throw some extra whole pine nuts and a couple tbsps of parm in at this point. Refrigerate for a few hours and enjoy!
Chipotle mayo
(I cheated a little on this one and used store-bought mayo)
1 bottle squeeze mayo
2+ tsp dried chipotle powder
1+ tsp grill seasoning (usually contains at least pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder)
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt
Pepper
I dumped the mayo into a bowl, saving the squeeze bottle, and added the dry ingredients to taste. Put it back in the bottle for easy transportation and serving at the tailgate. Tastes best when made the night before.
I think that's all for tonight... more soon!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Ain't no party like a South Bend party.
Ha. Right.
This is an exciting weekend! Not only do I get to go to ND for my first wedding on campus, but I get to see many of my favorite ladies, too!
If I can get into town early enough, I'm hoping to hit CJ's for lunch before getting ready for the ceremony. Mmm... pub burgers. Here is my official vote for best burger in the greater South Bend area: CJ's.
And, I can't leave town without a visit to Chocolate Cafe for a Caffe Vien -- can I? (If you're wondering, the answer to that is "NO!")
Notice how two of my "musts" are food related? haha. (Roommates 1 & 2 are likely not surprised by this -- or Summer Roommate for that matter). I'm also really looking forward to touring campus and taking lots of pictures. I mean, really, is there such a thing as too many shots of the Golden Dome? If you're a non-Domer, I'm guessing you'd say: "Um... YES". And my fellow Irish alums and I would likely ignore you and keep snapping photos.
Obviously, the highlight of the weekend will be a trip to the 'Backer, um, I mean, THE WEDDING! I've seen secret pictures of the dress and K8 is stunning. It will be great to celebrate our second BP wedding together (though #'s 3 and 4 are close behind!).
These women are constant reminders that success in life is not what is written on your paycheck, but how you help others and the relationships you make along the way. So, to my women of BP -- thank you for years of smiles, tears, laughter, and booty shaking.
I'll see you on the dance floor ;)
This is an exciting weekend! Not only do I get to go to ND for my first wedding on campus, but I get to see many of my favorite ladies, too!
If I can get into town early enough, I'm hoping to hit CJ's for lunch before getting ready for the ceremony. Mmm... pub burgers. Here is my official vote for best burger in the greater South Bend area: CJ's.
And, I can't leave town without a visit to Chocolate Cafe for a Caffe Vien -- can I? (If you're wondering, the answer to that is "NO!")
Notice how two of my "musts" are food related? haha. (Roommates 1 & 2 are likely not surprised by this -- or Summer Roommate for that matter). I'm also really looking forward to touring campus and taking lots of pictures. I mean, really, is there such a thing as too many shots of the Golden Dome? If you're a non-Domer, I'm guessing you'd say: "Um... YES". And my fellow Irish alums and I would likely ignore you and keep snapping photos.
Obviously, the highlight of the weekend will be a trip to the 'Backer, um, I mean, THE WEDDING! I've seen secret pictures of the dress and K8 is stunning. It will be great to celebrate our second BP wedding together (though #'s 3 and 4 are close behind!).
These women are constant reminders that success in life is not what is written on your paycheck, but how you help others and the relationships you make along the way. So, to my women of BP -- thank you for years of smiles, tears, laughter, and booty shaking.
I'll see you on the dance floor ;)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
"My kind of town... Chicago is..."
The other day, while trying to reinvigorate my thesis writing brain, I sat out along the lakefront to think/regroup/restrategize.
It was really windy, so the waves were pretty big. As they crashed against the rocks around me, I almost forgot I was in one of the largest urban areas in the U.S. Then, I looked up, and there it was -- the skyline. A reminder of one of the things I love so much about the city_ the bling, ha. To my left was a lush, green park, full of runners and cyclists and picnic-ers -- to my right, a huge body of water that offers swimming, kayaking, and a nice summer breeze -- in front of me, tall buildings, soon to be aglow, putting the skyline on show for all to see -- and behind me, Gary, IN, birthplace of Michael Jackson. Enough said. (ah, and somewhere south west of here, my favorite person in the world, a 13 yr old beautiful young woman whom is likely far closer to dunking someday than I am).
Its so easy to get caught up in *life* and forget how lucky we are to be here, I think. Museums and bike paths and funky neighborhoods and beaches and restaurants and...and...and...
Chicago, my love, as soon as this damn thesis is done, I promise to take advantage of you.
(Wow, I almost made it through an entire entry without sounding inappropriate.)
It was really windy, so the waves were pretty big. As they crashed against the rocks around me, I almost forgot I was in one of the largest urban areas in the U.S. Then, I looked up, and there it was -- the skyline. A reminder of one of the things I love so much about the city_ the bling, ha. To my left was a lush, green park, full of runners and cyclists and picnic-ers -- to my right, a huge body of water that offers swimming, kayaking, and a nice summer breeze -- in front of me, tall buildings, soon to be aglow, putting the skyline on show for all to see -- and behind me, Gary, IN, birthplace of Michael Jackson. Enough said. (ah, and somewhere south west of here, my favorite person in the world, a 13 yr old beautiful young woman whom is likely far closer to dunking someday than I am).
Its so easy to get caught up in *life* and forget how lucky we are to be here, I think. Museums and bike paths and funky neighborhoods and beaches and restaurants and...and...and...
Chicago, my love, as soon as this damn thesis is done, I promise to take advantage of you.
(Wow, I almost made it through an entire entry without sounding inappropriate.)
Friday, June 20, 2008
A runnin' fool.
Yep, that's me. Well, at least I'm trying to be! I'm still healing from spraining my ankle playing bball a few months ago (which sucks, because I want to play bball all of the time when this weather is so beautiful!), so I've kind of had to take it easy on the running. Just going every other day. But I'm hopefully starting to build up to the miles I'm supposed to be at for my training program... its definitely getting a lot easier to run each time. However, the struggle is always getting my butt in gear in the first place. This is going to sound silly, but to be honest, one of the best ways to motivate yourself is to have "running clothes". I have some new shorts and tops that I have set aside specifically for running, and once I slip them on, I know its time to go.
Yesterday, the skies were clear and the sun was shining and I was able to get a short run in (right around 4 mi) -- I'm not sure what my problem is, but I have this mental/physical block that makes the first 3 miles the worst. Every time. It never fails. Even when I don't know that I've run 3 miles, it's always a little tougher until I hit a certain point -- then all of a sudden, *bam*, something hits me, I feel like I can run for another hour.
Last Monday, I finally had a chance to go golfing for the first time this season. Luckily, the friend who took me was super patient because I hadn't even hit the driving range this year before that point. We only did 9 holes, and it took me until the 5th hole to start hitting the ball consistently. Can I just tell you how nice it is to go with someone who is a really good golfer? He was giving me tips along the way, that helped settle me down and actually hit the ball when I took a swing. ha. Imagine that. Though it made me feel like an ass on the first few holes (he had fair warning!!), by the time we were halfway through, I was feeling better. And, it also made me feel a little better that the fellas that they put with us had me looking like Tiger (and no, it wasn't just because I was wearing a red polo). When I was hitting consistently, it only took me 2 shots to get to his drive, rather than the 4 it was taking on the first holes, haha. Hey, that's what happens when you go w/ a golf stud, I suppose.
Alas... back to thesis-izing. But this was fun. I'll be back tomorrow, me thinks. ;)
Yesterday, the skies were clear and the sun was shining and I was able to get a short run in (right around 4 mi) -- I'm not sure what my problem is, but I have this mental/physical block that makes the first 3 miles the worst. Every time. It never fails. Even when I don't know that I've run 3 miles, it's always a little tougher until I hit a certain point -- then all of a sudden, *bam*, something hits me, I feel like I can run for another hour.
Last Monday, I finally had a chance to go golfing for the first time this season. Luckily, the friend who took me was super patient because I hadn't even hit the driving range this year before that point. We only did 9 holes, and it took me until the 5th hole to start hitting the ball consistently. Can I just tell you how nice it is to go with someone who is a really good golfer? He was giving me tips along the way, that helped settle me down and actually hit the ball when I took a swing. ha. Imagine that. Though it made me feel like an ass on the first few holes (he had fair warning!!), by the time we were halfway through, I was feeling better. And, it also made me feel a little better that the fellas that they put with us had me looking like Tiger (and no, it wasn't just because I was wearing a red polo). When I was hitting consistently, it only took me 2 shots to get to his drive, rather than the 4 it was taking on the first holes, haha. Hey, that's what happens when you go w/ a golf stud, I suppose.
Alas... back to thesis-izing. But this was fun. I'll be back tomorrow, me thinks. ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)