Bake, Burn, Bourbon

The Banana Stand

2012-02-03T21:35:00.005-06:00

With the news that "Arrested Development" has been picked up by Netflix for new episodes, I felt inspired by the prospect of more Banana Stand moments to use up some very black and very odd looking pieces of fruit chilling in my freezer.

I love quick breads and have a pumpkin bread recipe that I have made multiple times and can't imagine switching out. But a great banana bread has always alluded me. What is the secret ingredient that turns a ho-hum bread into something worth touting to the world? Yogurt? Nutmeg? Almond extract?

Many months ago I pinned a recipe from I Am Baker and decided to give it a go. I added 1/2 tsp of instant coffee since I firmly believe that this small addition made my Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip muffins (courtesy of Baked) so amazing.

And the verdict?

Disaster. Like my blueberry muffins of last weekend, the bread came out very dense. Also, because it takes so long to get the middle of the bread baked through, the outside gets too dark too quickly and in this case, caramelized. Although the crust is kind of yummy, I don't really like gnawing on my banana bread.

I was kicking myself for whatever mysterious thing I did wrong for about five minutes. I'm very careful not to overstir and my baking soda/baking powders are fresh.What curse has come over my baking these days?

Then I took a moment. And realized that in my haste to jot down the recipe for use in the kitchen, I didn't include the oil. Can I blame a case of the Fridays?

I will definitely be trying this recipe again with the proper ingredients as the taste is definitely there!

The original (with oil) recipe:

Perfect Banana Bread
Adapted from I Am Baker

2 eggs
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup ripe mashed bananas
1 ½ cups white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp instant espresso powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare chosen pan.
Blend together the eggs, yogurt, oil, extract and bananas in mixer with low speed.
Add in sugars and fully incorporate.
Add flour, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder and mix until just combined.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking early as each oven is different, but mine took 75 minutes.

ATK: Blueberry Muffins

2012-01-29T13:51:00.001-06:00

DVR has brought me a new obsession. Episodes of America's Test Kitchen occupy my weekend afternoons and fill my head with recipes and ideas. One of the recent shows highlighted brunch items, including some absolutely delicious looking blueberry muffins. Unfortunately, I happen to live with a certain boyfriend who is allergic to berries. It's almost borderline tragic, really.

However, after receiving my Cook's Illustrated cookbook with an obscene amount of recipes (2,000!), I had to make sure that those blueberry muffins were distinguished enough to garner a spot in the cookbook. And there they were. Waiting for me.

With the assurances that a potential allergic reaction was worth it, I set to work. I followed the recipe to the letter but just knew that not using a muffin liner and using the crumb topping was going to end in tears. And I was right. The crumb topping started to get too brown too quickly and the muffin bodies began to get done too soon as well. Also, apparently my chopstick figure 8s weren't worthy of Perfect 10 scores because my blueberry jam didn't make it all the way to the bottom of most muffins.

These were some dense muffins which is exactly what the receipe was not supposed to result in. I am always careful not to overmix to try to control the gluten formation, but somehow these managed to lose their light and fluffy nature.

Edible? Yes. Worth an Epipen? No.

On a roll.

2012-01-28T20:20:00.000-06:00

One of the best bits of living in the city? A ridiculous amount of choices for brunch. The downside? Everyone else has the same idea on Saturday and Sunday mornings which means plenty of long waits. Thankfully with a cup of coffee in hand (preferably brewed from Intelligentsia or Metropolis beans), the company of good friends with stories from the week, and the hipster haircuts to chat about, the time can go by quite quickly.

Up today? Another stop at Lula's Cafe. After a memorable birthday brunch in the same locale, it was time for another stop. The biggest pull? The sweet, sweet memories of their sticky pecan roll. A hybrid of a cinnamon roll and sticky bun, you can't deny these beauties. Also, what an awesome thing that an "appetizer" at brunch is essentially dessert!

Excuses. Who needs them?

2012-01-27T23:28:00.000-06:00

It's.been.awhile. I should hide my head in shame. I should be completely overwhelmed about trying to summarize entire years in one post. I should probably just go to bed.

But I'm not! It's not as if I have spent the last year in my pajamas, watching re-runs of "Locked Up" and eating ice cream out of the container. I may be doing that right now, but certainly my life has been a bit more exciting than that!

I have fallen in love.... with a city.
I have traveled.
I have baked.
I have failed at baking.
I have laughed.
I have felt old ... thank you, back pain!

2011 was one for the records.

So instead of trying to summarize my life in 1000 words or less, I'll just consider this post a potential kick-start for much needed documentation of being a 30-something facing down life and still feeling like a child some of the time.

#11 - Throw Myself a Half Birthday

2011-08-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

There's no better year to celebrate a half birthday than the 31st. Right? Right?! Okay, maybe it was just the most convenient.

Besides giving myself some extra attention, it was also the perfect time to try out two new syrups for lemonade and/or bourbon. I made a rosemary version and a delicious ginger syrup. All to be sipped out of a mason jar.

... which would have been even BETTER with a striped straw!

Thankfully, I located some later at Paper Source. Yes, I do rock a striped straw at all times.

See Fernando

2011-01-09T18:43:00.000-06:00

In my quest to locate some concert dates for #90, I stumbled across this little gem. I find I don't usually love female artists, but Jenny Lewis is certainly an exception to the rule. The disappointing bit? She was in Chicago last September.

See Fernando

Jenny Lewis | Myspace Music Videos

A 101 Sign?

2011-01-07T12:29:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I get out of my car at work and one of the maintenance guys was waiting for me in the parking lot. He hands me a gift card and wishes me a "Happy Birthday." The gift card? DQ. The amount? $20. The freakiness that he remembered my birthday from a whole year ago? Immeasurable. The odds that #70 will be accomplished? Sure thing (and probably more than just one Blizzard for $20).

Trying to pump some life in a very dead blog...

2011-01-02T12:36:00.000-06:00

It has been an embarrassingly long amount of time since I've posted. As I'm sitting on the couch and have the entire day with nothing to do, I might as well re-invigorate this little blog for 2011. Living in Chicago has been absolutely amazing and I should be recording all of the fabulous new places that we like to eat and drink, my newest experiments in our micro-sized kitchen, and trying to fit in at a gym where the muscles are larger, the parking garage is the challenge, and new classes have me flailing.

Last night we hosted some local friends at our apartment for a New Year's Day celebration as my New Year's Eve consisted of baking chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes and prepping my first-ever attempt at baked beans. And did the cupcakes match Annie's? I'd say so:

The party was a success with plenty of bourbon being consumed (thanks so some thoughtful Christmas giving) and plenty of laughs to ring in 2011 a day late.

And how is my 101 list coming along? I haven't even paid attention, which is pathetic since a year has already passed. However, glancing at the list, I see that I've completed a few items:

#19 - Write a toast for Brooke's wedding. And delivered it! And got a few laughs...

#20 - Find a source for grass-fed beef. Living in Chicago gives me access to Whole "Paycheck" Foods where we can get beef and even better, grass-fed bison.

#22 - Get my Mac fixed. And it was done for free thanks to Apple's extended warranty. Amazing! Now just to reload everything and start using her again.

#57 - Watch the sunrise. Accomplished in Houston with Aunt Carol and coffee in hand!

#59 - Attend a book signing. Thanks to my friend, Janel, I braved the lines and met Bakerella. :)

#61 - Try a new hairstyle. My hair got long. Excessively long. A "trim" last week took off about 8 inches. I'd say that counts.

#63 - Attend a professional conference. I headed to Kansas City last May for NAFSA (National Association for something related to international education...). I don't feel bad not knowing the name as I don't think ANYONE does.

#67 - Discuss future of my status at company regarding living in South Bend. Ummm...yes. I know live in Chicago most of the week and there were definitely some awkward discussions but it's worked out for the best. Love, love, love the life in Chicago and still love, love, love my job! Win win!

I just read #84 (Attend a real NYE party). Guess 2012 will have to be the year! Also, I better go purchase my teeth whitening kit! This is what I get for slacking...

#16 - Pear Crisp a la FABULOUS

2010-04-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

The winner in this Sunday's three recipe showdown? The Pioneer Woman's delectable pear crisp.

I have been known to whip up a crisp or two. I even made practice apple crisps during my stint in 4-H (and have a nice scar on my right hand to show for it). But I had never tried pear crisp. Mostly this is due to the fact that until fairly recently, I hated pears. I'm not sure if it's lingering memories of being made to eat them at a baby-sitter's house or the thought of eating the canned varieties with school lunches, but pears were mushy and disgusting in my book. Then I started eating the right kinds. On the right salads. And my world was rocked.

Thank goodness for that or else I wouldn't have this to show for it.

And boy, oh boy, am I glad I have this to show for it. I followed the recipe except I added in oats instead of pecans and as my pears were rock hard, it took an additional 10 minutes. I almost died with anticipation.

#15 - New Pizza Crust Recipe

2010-04-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

A long, long time ago, my friend Laura gave me her pizza crust recipe which I've been using ever since. Today, Ken and I decided to use up some of our blue cheese on a pizza and since I had the cookbook out and all of the ingredients, I went with PW's. (Her recipe isn't on her blog, but this is it.)

Perhaps I was trying to do too much. Perhaps I was distracted by the wedding. Or perhaps I was thinking about how I just purchased my first pair of Spanx, but I had a few "oops" moments with this one. A) I didn't realize the recipe was for two crusts. B) I put the double the amount of yeast in. Hey, usually it's one packet. This recipe had MORE flour, MORE liquid, and MORE olive oil. Why would it have LESS yeast? Anyways, it worked out, but I think that it's ultimately supposed to be a bit of a crispier and thinner crust.

Which will I use in the future? Laura's recipe or PW's? The jury is still out....

#14 - PW's Buttermilk Biscuits

2010-04-25T19:53:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: I now call the Pioneer Woman by the affectionate nickname of "P-dub." Ken hates it. He mocks me. But he doesn't mock me when I churn out some delicious foods! And he SHOULDN'T mock me when I'm making biscuits for HIS morning breakfast.

This was the first of 3 "P-dub" recipes that I did in a single afternoon. Ken was getting ready to purchase some horrible chemical-filled biscuits at Meijer and I remembered seeing a recipe in my cookbook for something similar. And thus, I found myself rolling out dough with a soda bottle. I really should invest in a rolling pin.

The results? Who knows? Ken has to eat them tomorrow morning and let me know! (He has also put in a request for some sausage gravy. We'll see...)

Recipe #13 - Cocoa Banana Bread

2010-04-25T19:47:00.000-05:00

What to do when one has two overripe bananas and some cocoa powder that is begging to be used up? One types "banana cocoa powder recipe" into google and one ends up with this. A little loaf of this bread got Ken and I through numerous evenings of TV watching and although I found the cake by itself to be a bit too dense, a little ice cream and a little zap in the microwave, made this a yummy treat.

Recipe #12 - Rice Pudding

2010-04-20T19:49:00.000-05:00

I've had a rather large package of arborio rice sitting in my cabinet for a considerable amount of time. As much as I do love risotto, I find it hard to believe that it is worth the amount of labor that goes into it. After 45 minutes of constant stirring and adding liquid, the end results, though good, are too blah to warrant the effort.

Thus, when my BFF blog, Smitten Kitchen posted this recipe for Almond-Vanilla rice pudding, I couldn't resist. It also helped that I bought an entire bottle of almond extract for Christmas cookies and hadn't touched it. I couldn't rationalize purchasing vanilla beans for this particular recipe, but even so, the results were tasty enough. I don't think Ken liked the almond extract and next time I may mess around with it a bit more. No doubt an actual vanilla bean would make this magical. But I'm pretty sure vanilla beans could make mud magical.

Recipe #11 - Roasted Potatoes with Blue Cheese Walnut Butter

2010-04-11T18:09:00.000-05:00

As you know, my sister is getting married on 1 May (coming up!) and last weekend we made a family trip to the florist to pick out bouquets and all that jazz. Attached to the florist is a country market and when I couldn't think about tiger lilies any more, I popped in to see if they had any parmesan cheese. Not only did they have the parm, but they also had a very enthusiastic owner who pulled me to the side to see if I was a "cheese connoisseur" and apparently I passed the test, because I was soon sampling spoonfuls of English Stilton blue cheese. 1 hour later, Brooke had her bouquets, table centerpieces, and boutonnieres and what did I have? A full pound of blue cheese and endless possibilities.

Isn't she beautiful?

And then, out of the "blue" (pun intended), I saw a recipe posting on a blog I frequent for Roasted Potatoes with Blue Cheese Walnut Butter. It seemed easy enough. I like cheese. I like walnuts. I like potatoes. And did I like the result? Yes! Tasty and simple to throw together. Nothing to get too superexcited about, but definitely a nice change to the usual potato recipe.

For some reason I can't get it to twist properly, but you get the idea.

Doesn't count, but....

2010-04-10T12:32:00.000-05:00

This can't count towards my recipe total, as I've been known to whip it up a time or two, but I just wanted to share it! And the photo is pretty.... Ken and I made Rachael Ray's Balsamic-Glazed Chicken with Mozzarella from her 365: No Repeat book. This was actually one of the first meals I dared to make for Ken as a surprise. Since that time, we've made it a few times with a variety of cheeses and techniques. I have to say that last night's balsamic glaze was the best we've done! Here's the recipe.

And a little encouragement from Rachael herself:

#87 - Talk One Person Into Making a 101 List

2010-04-04T18:43:00.000-05:00

Success! My friend from my hometown has shared her 101 list with me and is all set to start her own journey at accomplishing things! Best of luck, Nicole! Keep me posted!!!

Book #2 - The BookThief

2010-04-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

While I was in Australia I sat at a lunch with some university contacts in Melbourne. The discussion gravitated to books and all of the Aussies were raving about a little book called "The Book Thief." Written by an Australian author and taking place in World War II, I decided to give it a go. After making Ken literally drive all around town to get a copy and finding it in the "Teen" section, I wasn't sure what to expect. I started it at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday and finished it at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. And I got teary. Definitely got teary. And I knew what was going to happen!!!

Recipe #10 - Hot Cross Buns

2010-04-04T18:35:00.000-05:00

In honor of Easter and in another moment of inspiration from the Pioneer Woman, I decided to whip up some Hot Cross Buns. Maybe whip up isn't the right phrasing as they take a considerable amount of time with plenty of yeast rising in warm places. My first batch ended up with too-dark bottoms, but the second batch was perfect and these were delicious! Especially warmed up in the morning with some coffee. A new Easter tradition?

#16 - Throw Brooke a Shower

2010-03-29T18:46:00.000-05:00

The countdown is on until 1 May when Brooke gets hitched! And it was my pleasure to throw her a bit of a shower to celebrate the occasion. I read a lot of blogs and wanted something whimsical and fun (and it had to have button candy involved).

And Brooke's DQ cake (specially requested):

Although the party was tame, Grandma Brown bestowed Brooke with a little lingerie. Ooh lala!

Overall, it was a great success. Brooke received plenty of Cubs (ahem) gear, everyone seemed to be on a diet, thus there was plenty of cake and treats to dine on later, and the games were a hit. Now onto the bachelorette party. And the wedding itself. Exciting times!

Salmon Tikka

2010-03-28T19:17:00.000-05:00

I finally got a shot of delicious, delicious Salmon Tikka Masala. And you know what? Ken and I are having it again this week. And next week. And the week after.

Book #1 - Kafka on the Shore

2010-03-21T17:12:00.000-05:00

I finished my first real book since starting this challenge - "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami. I read "Norwegian Wood" and "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles" before diving into this one, which ranks up there as one of his most famous. Like his other novels, there is a definite element of the paranormal in Kafka. Also like the others, half the time I had no clue what was actually happening. There were stunned schoolchildren, talking cats, portals into the unknown, Oedipus references, and plenty of other odd moments. I enjoyed it (although Nakata chatting in the third person the entire time gets a bit infuriating) and would recommend it; however, I'd more strongly recommend "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles."

Recipe #9 - Dreamy Cream Scones

2010-03-21T16:38:00.000-05:00

During a routine shopping trip to our local Italian Market, Ken discovered some Devonshire Double Cream and we immediately started hatching plans to make some scones and have some delicious clotted cream. The two slight issues with this plan were that a) I've attempted scones before and they tasted like cardboard and b) the cream was almost $7 for a tiny jar. Not one to be dissuaded, I decided to do a test run with a scone recipe I'd had my eye on for about a week and make my own whipped cream.

Thus, this happened:

And this.

And my tummy rejoiced while my hips took a turn for the worse.

But it was worth it.

How to describe these little gems? Incredibly, fall apart moist. Sweet with substance.

And the whipped cream? I didn't want to overwhip it, so it was a bit runny, but with some jam... absolutely delectable.

Just for Brooke

2010-03-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

You think having a fork on the carpet is bad? Check out our usual Mexican night! I think we lived in Japan too long...

Recipes #7 & 8

2010-03-15T18:02:00.001-05:00

Leeks. How did I live for so many years without taking advantage of these lovely vegetables? Last night we made Baked Creamy Leeks a la Jamie. Unfortunately, substituting in half & half instead of heavy cream left us with slightly curdled (but not bad tasting) cream. I'm not sure I would make this again "as is," but adding some potatoes and making a potato au gratin could be delish!

Tonight we embraced our inner subcontinent selves and whipped up Jamie's Chicken Tikka Masala. We've tried to make a similar recipe before with really horrible results (i.e. flavors that just didn't melt together properly). However, with the success of Jamie's Salmon Tikka, we decided to give Indian food one more go. And it was good! It had enough heat and enough spice to make it interesting. I whipped up a cornstarch slurry to thicken it a bit and served with rice and naan, it was pretty tasty!

#97 - Make truffles

2010-03-13T19:56:00.000-06:00

I am thrilled! I just made PW's truffles "just cause" and then was scrolling down my list and COMPLETELY forgot I made it it's own number. Nice!

I made these (try not to drool on your keyboard) and although mine aren't nearly as pretty, I am can say that the one I sampled might be one of the richest chocolate foods I've ever tasted. And that's saying something, considering I've thought about entering a 12 Step program for my addiction.

Recipe #6 - Smitten Kitchen's Cheese Straws

2010-03-13T19:48:00.000-06:00

Again, channeling my inner Martha, I whipped up these supersimple cheese straws and they are tasty!

These have a delicious kick from the red pepper flakes (my favorite condiment) and I think next time I might also try a parmesan variety without the spice for those who don't like the suck down water after their snacks.

Recipe #5 - Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate & Caramel Crack (ers)

2010-03-13T19:41:00.000-06:00

In preparation of some entertaining in the near future, I whipped this up as it seemed affordable and how could it taste bad? Little did I know that it would literally take "crack(ers)" to a whole new level. This is a simple recipe and the results are fantastic. Any time you use sweetened condensed milk, you're moving into my kind of territory. Did I ever mention how in Vietnam you'd have a layer of this stuff at the bottom of a strong cup of coffee? Have I ever mentioned how I would move to Vietnam in a heartbeat? Connected? I think so.

And this is how you improvise a double boiler on a budget!

And the crack. Craic. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Recipe #4 - Jamie's Salmon Tikka Masala

2010-03-13T19:34:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I don't have a photo of this one! Probably because Ken and I are already digging in before it's even done. Rarely do Ken and I have a recipe that we keep coming back to like this one. We've been known to whip it up twice in the same week. The ingredients seem odd, but wow. Just wow.

In "Jamie's Food Revolution," he asks everyone who uses the cookbook to memorize two recipes from each section and "pass it on." Ken has made this for numerous friends thus far and I definitely have it memorized. And now I pass it to you. Prepare to have salmon changed for you forever.

Recipe #3 - Jamie Oliver's Meatballs

2010-03-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

Have I ever mentioned my deep love for the Naked Chef? I always found his slight speech impediment endearing, but now that I'm actually creating his recipes, I'm officially in deep.

Luckily, Ken doesn't feel threatened by my obsession with Mr. Oliver and fully encourages me to scope out his book as much as possible.

Before I left for Australia, Ken and I whipped up Jamie's meatballs (adding our own touches). Oddly enough, Ken and I have never attempted meatballs before and these were delicious. We added onion and green pepper to ours and next time, we'll work a bit on the frying method, but overall... Fab.

# 9 - Bake a Cake from Scratch

2010-02-07T14:42:00.001-06:00

Ken thinks I have a "thing" for the Pioneer Woman. It might be the excessive amounts of butter, obsene amounts of whipping cream, and an abundance of tongue-in-cheek witticisms, but I think Ken might be onto something. :)

I received PW's new cookbook for Christmas and have been following her blog since I lived in Japan. I've done quite a few of her recipes already and over the weekend, decided to tackle her famous Chocolate Sheet Cake. I've never made a cake without a mix and although I had to make this recipe into cupcakes (owing to a lack of a sheet cake pan -- next Christmas!), it turned out great! Chocolately goodness. It made a ton more frosting than I needed and I think that if I spread it out into a large pan, the ratio of frosting and cake would be out of this world!

I could use this as one of my new recipes, but I'm just going to let it bask in the glory of being my first cake. Also, I made banana bread (using up extra yogurt) and PW's artichoke dip yesterday. My apron is getting a workout!

Welcome to The Nunnery

2010-02-01T19:07:00.000-06:00

Welcome to The Nunnery

Work is incredibly stressful right now as I prepare to take 240 students to Sydney in the next two weeks (and somehow get myself packed up and ready to go). In response to the nightmares that keep waking me up out of deep slumber and the cold sweats as I sit and stare at my growing "To Do" list, I decided to tack on two extra days in Melbourne for some R&R.

My colleague mentioned staying at The Nunnery and I think it looks like a totally unique and restful weekend for me! A little shopping at the farmer's market, a leisurely coffee or two, perhaps a winery tour or a drive along the Great Ocean Road. I can't wait to be back in Melbs!

Recipes #1 & 2 - Jamie on a Friday

2010-01-29T21:10:00.000-06:00

Recipes #1 & #2:

Jamie Oliver's Fish Pie & Banana Tarte Tatin

It's not especially beautiful in this shot (and please ignore the nasty bits on the stove), but this fish pie was chock full of salmon, swordfish, and shrimp, as well as plenty of cheese and potatoes. Ken and I agreed that it was missing a little "something," but Jamie recommends serving it with ketchup and ketchup makes everything delicious, right? Next time I think we'll use parmesan or something saltier for the cheese.

Then for dessert, we hit up another Jamie recipe. Although we didn't feel like buying superfine sugar for one recipe and thus, the caramel didn't dissolve properly (or get golden brown), this was delicious! Now I need to figure out what to make with the other half of the puff pastry.

What's the deal with all of the Jamie recipes? I had a $50 gift card from my birthday LAST year and on a whim finally decided to spend it on "Jamie's Food Revolution." Between these recipes and my new "Pioneer Woman Cook's" recipe book, this number on my list will likely be taken off quickly and efficiently.

Day Zero

2010-01-27T19:03:00.000-06:00

The list is finally ready! I've posted it on this blog (rather than the Shaking Off the Dust) and I'm ready to cross some items off! As I mentioned before, it's difficult to predict what life changes will occur in the next 2.75 years, but hopefully, this list will bring some great memories and help me to take care of some lingering items.

Here's to a successful 2010, 2011, & part of 2012!

The List

2010-01-16T15:56:00.002-06:00

This list has been a bit more daunting than I originally thought. I'm at #81 and struggling to come up with 20 more! Help?!

The List

2010-01-10T18:44:00.000-06:00

I've hit the big 3-0 with grace (at least I hope it was graceful). I also hope that the next ten years bring as many amazing experiences, new friends, and new foods as my 20s did. I also have 9 years to plan my next tattoo. My "thing" is that I'd like to get a tattoo to best represent the decade that I just finished. Thus, my 20s are represented by a design that reminds me of travels and is also on my foot, reminding me of all that my little toes have traveled.

My 101 list is 3/4 of the way done and I hope to have it done by the weekend! I want to start crossing things off!!!

I've also booked my ticket to Australia and am ready to put in some long hours to get the students (and myself) ready.

In the meantime... Cheers to 2010!

Celeb Blogging

2010-01-06T11:15:00.000-06:00

Now that I’m back to blogging, I wanted to share something that I find absolutely awesome! So I started reading a blog on ivillage.com in Japan about self-worth and body image. Along the way, the author joined Facebook and asked her readers to become her “friend,” which I did. I still read her blog on a daily basis and she has also appeared on the Today show and other various news segments (so she’s a bit of a celebrity). I even opened up a “Health” magazine the other day and there she was! With an article!

Anyways, she has “thumbs upped” my photos and posts on occasion and then today I commented on her post asking for advice on what to read. She not only responded on the comment, but also wrote me a note on my blog. I’m friends with a celebrity!!! Wahoo! I might also be amped up on excitement for my birthday, going to Australia & because of my new mantras that I’m repeating, but still! I think it’s cool. Maybe you don’t?!

Pondering a Decade

2010-01-03T11:15:00.004-06:00

In just four short days, I will officially be leaving my Roaring 20s and heading into the 30s (Depression Era?!?! - just kidding). The last 10 years have been full of new experiences and adventures.

Some of the tops?

1) Visited over 15 countries.
2) Slept at the foot of Mount Everest and at a 4 a.m. pee break, looked up to see the moonlight on the finally revealed peak.
3) Experienced a violent storm across the road from the Great Wall.
4) Zipped on the back of a complete stranger's motorbike in Vietnam.
5) Got caught in a downpour after riding bikes to Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand.
7) Ate numerous helpings of zenzai while lounging on Okinawa's beaches.
8) Overcame my fear of karaoke.
6) Got Simon the Peacock added to my foot in honor of my love of Pier 1 and Indian motifs.
7) Worked a range of jobs from being a teacher to working at a video store to manning a copier to living in Japan to working in luxury travel to working with study abroad students.
8) Lived in two dorm rooms, 6 apartments, & various extended stays at my parents' house.
9) The beginnings of a love for indie films, indie music, and a slightly indie lifestyle.
10) Went from never having set foot in a gym to becoming a gym rat.
11) Walked the streets of Cambridge and introducing the now famous, "eat a bit, drink a bit, have dessert, drink a bit more, eat a bit more" method of trying to stay warm during winter months.
12) Learned to be comfortable enough to go to a movie at any time all by myself. (also can now eat at a restaurant by myself and not feel weirded out by it)
13) Got my belly button pierced and then 5 years later, lost ring in a toilet at the Dalai Lama's home.
14) Began an addiction to NY Times crossword puzzles and hopefully, in the next decade, proceed past Wednesdays!
15) Became the queen of flashing peace signs in photos.

Ah, good times, good times.

And as I enter this next stage and as my last 101 list from Japan has expired, I'm working on a new list which will be posted here shortly. I'm only on #30 but hope to have it complete by the weekend and then I can start crossing items off.

It's odd because these lists truly reflect what is most important at the time that they were composed. In 2.75 years, perspective changes and items that were once relevant cease to even be a goal any more.

Currently, my list has a very "health-focused" feel to it. This is in part to the fact that I am itching to overcome my back injury and mostly due to my recent readings of books like "Ominivore's Dilemma" & "In Defense of Food," as well as viewings of documentaries like "Food, Inc." However, as I start to approach the time in my life when it's important to make good health decisions for later, there are definitely worse things that I could be focusing on!

I've also been trying to show my hand in the kitchen more often and this evening's shrimp 'n grits and last week's caramel from scratch lead me to believe I might actually find success in more instances than not! I'm going to continue to try new recipes and hopefully stretch myself even more.

Enough for now. The list will be posted shortly and then hopefully Rachel will be back in the blogging world once again!

Still in the Bend...

2009-12-06T18:37:00.002-06:00

I've had more than a few people ask about the status of this blog. Basically my only news is that I'm getting old (Big 3-0 in January!), nursing a back injury that refuses to go away, and am heading back to Oz in February. My plan is to start a new 101 list in January and to use this blog to document my trials and tribulations! Stay tuned!

Ms. Frugality

2009-07-21T08:15:00.001-05:00

I think it’s fair to say that this economic “crunch” or whatever you want to call it has made an impact in most everyone’s lives.

Two weekends ago, I stood in Pier 1 with two really great Asian sconce things and because they were on clearance ($8 from $36), I walked back and forth across the store debating whether to make the purchase. Did I need sconces? Did I love them because of the price or because I really just loved them? Would they make my life more fulfilling on my wall? Where would I even put them? So, as usually happens when I make Pier 1 visits these days, I walked out empty-handed. As I thought about it that evening, I was happy that I put them away and didn’t buy them. I later used the $16 I would have spent for some really cute flipflops (gold) that will go with anything because my two pairs are over 6 years old. Oh, and they’re Havaianas and have a supercute peacock design on the bottom. Score!

The other day my colleague said to me as I walked in, “Wait, I have to see what you’re wearing today. I never know what to expect these days.” That’s because I’ve taken to “shopping my closet”… dragging out items from past seasons and working them in with my normal clothes. This morning I put on a shirt that I originally thought might be inappropriate for work, added a higher cut camisole, and a little sweater on top and TADA --- new outfit! Plus I went through my old jewelry and took an old charm to put on my necklace instead of my usual. Love it! It does take me an extra 7 minutes to get dressed in the morning, but it’s worth it. I’ve resisted buying new clothes at Kohl’s and don’t plan on adding anything new to my wardrobe for the rest of the summer. (Once everything is on clearance in September, I might need to stock up for next summer, though.)

I also applied this to decorating my apartment over the weekend. I got out some old frames, went through old photos, and added a little pizzazz to the walls. I also found a photo coaster set I got for Christmas and added ticket stubs from our journey around the world instead of photos. They are great and it didn’t cost me a dime! I still think about those cute Pier1 sconces, but I don’t even know where I’d put them at this point…

It’s nice to feel in control of my spending and by the way, if you *do* want to spend some cash on a cute gift, hit up Ten Thousand Villages. Seriously. Their stuff is awesome and it truly is for a great cause. 80% of the artisans who make the products displayed in the stores are women. And everything is very high quality and unique. Just a little plug.

2009-07-12T10:28:00.002-05:00

Awesome! My tattoo is on Dawn's Flickr stream now. Check out the whole gallery here!

Two weeks in, I still love my peacock. I wanted it to be so great that I could never imagine what would have stopped me before and also that it was always meant to be on my foot. I honestly think that I've achieved that. I've semi-named the peacock, but am a bit concerned because the name I picked is the name I would pick for any future male children. Is that weird? To have a tattoo and a son with the same name?!

Topless Sandals --- My letter of appreciation.

2009-07-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

Good morning,

I purchased a pair of topless sandals in anticipation of a foot tattoo that I was planning on receiving. Amazingly enough, I went through with the tattoo and even more amazing --- your sandals have been a lifesaver! I couldn't comprehend how a shoe with adhesive could ever stand up to normal day-to-day usage. When I first popped them on after receiving my tattoo and started walking, I felt like the back heels were already dislodging themself. Despite this, I pressed my feet down hard and 12 hours later, the shoes were still sticking!

And now, two weeks after the fact, I am still wearing the sandals on a daily basis while my tattoo finishes healing. I've washed them down a couple of times, some of the adhesive is migrating to the edges, and I believe they might be on their last legs, but I absolutely would recommend these shoes to anyone.

Besides the help in healing, these shoes are also a great coversation starter. I can't tell you how many people have told me to "Put those away! They're freaking me out!"

I will definitely recommend Topless Sandals to anyone who is receiving a foot tattoo or anyone who wants to stick out in a crowd!

Thanks for producing a great product at an affordable price!

Best regards,

Rachel

Growing Old

2009-07-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

My new peacock is molting! The top skin layer is gradually working its way up and leaving behind a shinier version of the tattoo.

I can’t believe it’s already July 7th. Summers go so quickly! I haven’t consumed nearly enough watermelon, corn on the cob, lemonade, soft-serve ice cream, or brats yet!

I just sent out an invitation for my 11 Year High School Reunion. Why 11th? Essentially, I was in the middle of moving jobs and apartments last summer and couldn’t be bothered with another thing on my plate. Our high school closed its doors for good this year and as there is a huge alumni day being planned, I thought it would be easy to tie it all together.

What did I see myself doing 11 years ago when I graduated? I went to university as an “Exploratory Major” and was seriously considering going the Pre-Med route. When I signed up for classes in the summer, I was placed in a biology class that I later found out was for nursing majors, not pre-med freshmen. Needless to say, that Anatomy & Physiology course almost did me in and I found myself enjoying my humanities courses much more. Hence, I found myself with a teaching degree, which led to three years of teaching, then 4 months of traveling, then some time off, then a year in Japan, then a job in the luxury travel market, then onto my current position in study abroad. It’s been a crazy 10/11 years! Where to next? Just kidding, Mom.

Anyway, the tattoo was partly inspired by my impending 30th birthday and one of my relatives is getting some ink done this weekend in celebration of her … we’ll say 40th birthday (even though it’s not). It would be kind of interesting to get a tattoo before a new decade begins to symbolize the last 10 years.

What will the next 10 years bring?

I could end up with a full back piece of Dwight Schrute.

Back Where I Belong

2009-07-02T11:36:00.002-05:00

I feel almost guilty for switching blog spots and like I am slinking back with my tail between my legs. :) I thought I'd like On Sugar better, but in fact, it's still a Beta program, it's mostly for fashion and style, and it's difficult for people to make comments. So here I am, back blogging at my old haunt. I just need to keep blogging and not get lazy!

Happy 4th of July!

The reveal

2009-06-30T13:13:00.000-05:00

About 8 weeks ago I was a bit bored and randomly started wondering if any tattoo artists are capable of making a tattoo look like Indian-inspired henna --- only permanent. I did a few google image searches and was brought to the image of an absolutely fabulous tattoo that looked like it could be henna. I looked around the flickr site that was associated with the image and one thing led to another…. I was soon at the website of The Tattoo Factory in Chicago where the tattoo artist who made the amazing design works. Strange that she would be in Chicago… Then I read a bit about her and found out that she was voted #1 in Chicago for 2008… Even better. So then I thought about it for a day or so and decided that it could be the perfect time to get inked! I’m turning 30 soon and all that jazz. Plus, I had some henna done while I was in India and I didn’t want it to disappear. There was a particular peacock segment that struck my fancy and I kept staring at it, not wanting it to fade.

I emailed the parlor and within 10 minutes, had an email from Dawn, the tattoo artist. As she’s #1 in all of Chicago, she books far in advance so I made an appointment for June 28^th. I knew that I could always change my mind, but honestly, in those 8 weeks, the only issue I had was trying to talk myself out of where I wanted the tattoo placed – the foot. I was thinking that I should pick somewhere less conspicuous… But what would that be? Basically my lower back or my stomach. As I don’t show off either of those areas very much, I was not too thrilled. Plus I couldn’t picture a henna design in either place. I read and read and read all that I could about foot tattoos – healing times, difficulties, pain. It’s a place on the body that some artists refuse to tattoo because of the discomfort as well as getting it “just right.” I knew that Dawn could do it, though, as I had seen some of her other amazing works. Plus, I decided that if I’m going to sit through the pain, I want it where people can see it and also, it was my vision and getting it somewhere else would be quite disappointing in the end.

I committed. I also managed to get Ken to decide to get a tat as well.

And then I waited. And waited. I ordered Topless Sandals and canceled my gym membership for the month of July.

The weekend finally got here and I was kept occupied with numerous parties and times with friends. We managed to score a place to stay for the weekend and I chatted with some friends who have foot tattoos to see about the logistics. One of the parties we attended was literally sharing a wall with the tattoo parlor (ironic). We chatted with a guy named Hank outside at 10 p.m. on the night before the big day. He really put things into perspective and calmed our fears. He said that human nature is to shirk from pain, not to push yourself to do something that inflicts pain, which is why it can be altering and so important (and addictive).

On Sunday morning, we ate a large breakfast at Kitsch’n and I stored up energy with chocolate chip/banana pancakes. We got to the parlor supremely early and despite being in Uptown, there was nothing to do except visit Aldi or open a cash account.

In the days leading up to going to get the work done, I started getting nervous more about the pain than anything. I have seriously bony feet! But also a very large canvas to work on….

Ken went first at the parlor and was quickly in the chair and getting a permanent quote on his shoulder blade – “i tramp a perpetual journey”… He was very honest with me as I started to settle into my chair that it does hurt. That it does not feel pleasant. And I think he was a bit worried about the outcome of my decision.

Meanwhile, Dawn began to prep the area and had printed out a couple of photos from the internet that I had passed on to her. And then she started drawing. I soon had a lovely, lovely, lovely paisley peacock on my foot. Larger than I had originally planned on, but I told her I wanted detail and not a big black blob on my foot. I fell in love with the design immediately and told her to go ahead with it without any changes. While she started, I began to get really nervous about the pain factor as just drawing with the pen was hurting a bit! But we proceeded and after the first few minutes where my foot kept twitching involuntarily, I got my hip in the right placement and we rolled on through. One hour later and numerous visits from Ken to check my well-being, I stepped out of the chair with the most perfect tattoo that I could have ever imagined!

Dawn is truly talented. And although she probably wasn’t too thrilled with my nervous chatter she gave me a sucker at the end for being a “good girl” on my first tattoo.

And did it hurt? Heck yes. It did not feel good, especially at certain bony points. But was it going to make me cry or meltdown? No. Could I sit through it for a 4 hour piece? Probably not.

I’m so pleased! And those Topless Sandals stuck to my feet from 3 p.m. – 2 a.m. without budging. In fact, I’m wearing them now. I show people my ink and they say, “Awesome! But, what is the deal with those SHOES?! Those are crazy!!!!”

Barter time?

2009-06-24T09:52:00.000-05:00

I’m thinking of quitting the gym.

Shocker, I know. It’s $62 a month which I find to be ridiculous considering that I only use it for spinning classes. I usually go to 2 - 3 spinning classes a week, so 8 - 12 a month. It’s over $5 per class on a good month when I’m actually available to go to the gyms on weekends. I have Jillian at home. I can run outside until about November. But I really like spinning. Has anyone had any success with bartering with gyms? I have suspended my membership for the month of July but still have to pay $15 to keep it active. For that $15, I am getting 3 visits that I can use. What if I offer the gym a deal? I’m willing to spend $35 a month for just spinning capabilities. Obviously they have a way of tracking a certain amount of visits per month since they are doing it for me for July. Can’t I just spin for 8 – 10 times a month for $35? If they think they are going to lose the full $62 as an alternative, maybe they’ll consider my deal. I can see desperation in their eyes during this touch economic crunch. They are doing all sorts of contests, painting rooms, adding lockers, and throwing up posters with new upcoming events. Ever since they lost their top instructor and classes dropped from totally full to about 8 people showing up, things are looking a bit down for the gym. I could threaten to join her gym instead…

The reason that I’m suspending my gym membership for July? Still a secret.

And the reason I might also be suspending my gym membership for August? A potential work-related journey to China (and maybe Thailand)!

Hilarious. And sad.

2009-06-23T15:15:00.000-05:00

Hilarious. And sad.

Wow. That's all you can say to that. (Click link above)

A little mood booster.

2009-06-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

Why my job is worth the stress ----

Students are returning from their semesters overseas and this morning I got an email from one of my favorite students who simply stated, "Hell of a semester, Rach."

Exactly.

Who knew?

2009-06-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

I’m a big fan of reading recipes online and then storing them away to be made at a later time. Unfortunately, I’m the ultimate kitchen klutz and generally anything I touch while cooking turns inedible. So, if I think there is actual potential, I forward it on to Ken to get him involved in the process. This week I was inspired by a “french fries” recipe that involved butternut squash. Essentially you peel and deseed the squash, cut it into little “fries,” salt and pepper to your heart’s content, and bake in the oven. With ketchup, it was supposed to turn out like actual french fries, but a healthy version. Ken was quite keen to try this recipe and we decided to give it a go yesterday. Unfortunately, it’s not really squash season and the store only had acorn squash. I pretty much though that by buying the wrong type, I had already cursed the recipe from the beginning. After 40 minutes of baking, though, some lovely little fries emerged from the oven. With a dab of high fructose corn syrup-infused ketchup, deliciousness ensued!

Ken affirmed that this was one of our greatest successes of all time in the kitchen and the recipe will be repeated on a regular basis. In the words of that other Rachel/Rachael, “YUMMO!”

How does she do that?!

2009-06-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

I’m still on my “I heart Jillian Michaels phase” and finally opened up the third DVD that I purchased online. It’s called “Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism” and I was a bit skeptical of how good a cardio-only workout can truly be in a living room. Despite the 5 star reviews, I had put this one off. I cracked it open on Monday and did the full 7 cycles that are included in the workout. The first cycle left me wondering if I was actually going to get a good workout. It was okay, but nothing that left me “gurgling my heart” like Jillian goes for in her other DVDs. Then as the second cycle began, I realized I was sweating and by the 4^th cycle, I had turned a lovely beet red and was cursing Jillian’s existence as I contorted myself upside down, inside out, topsy turvy during her “core” circuit. After three more cycles, which thankfully allow a bit of time to catch one’s breath, I went back to tell Ken I was done with the living room. One look at me and he said, “What happened to you?!” Yes, once again, Jillian beat me up. And I loved it.

A taste of summer.

2009-06-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

We’re on a rotation at work where each coordinator gets a ½ day on Friday every couple of weeks. Last Friday was my lucky week and I refused to just go home and watch TLC. I ran out of the office at 1:00 on the dot and headed home for a nutritious lunch with Ken before I shattered all calorie counts for the rest of the afternoon. We drove up to Michigan and the so-called “Wine Trail.” We went back to Tabor Hill winery where I tasted some of their wines and Ken helped himself to some highly addictive truffles by Norman Love. We sat outside and soaked up some sun and information from a highly-knowledgeable owner/employee. Wild peacocks, wild turkeys, goldfinches, hummingbirds. Tabor Hill is a happening place! After taking care of my thirst at the winery, we headed just down the road to Round Barn winery which has a lovely little barn. I skipped the tastings here and just settled in under a tree with a nice Riesling. I might have been getting a bit giggly and unfocused at this point, but I knew that I wanted mussels for dinner and I was going to do whatever it took to get them. Luckily, Ken doesn’t take much convincing and we bought some lovely bivalves at the grocery store, some fixing for a summery bruschetta and a sushi roll. With the help of more white wine, we feasted on amazing mussels and I could literally taste summer.

On Saturday I started my stint as a volunteer at Ten Thousand Villages. It began with a lady sprawled out on the floor after passing out from sudden pain, but then got to be more normal. It’s a really pleasant experience because, while it is retail, the people who shop at this store and the other volunteers make it a friendly and pressure-free atmosphere. I resisted buying everything in the store and settled on some fairly traded chocolate as a treat. I really enjoyed myself and signed up for my second day of volunteering in July.

Then after a wonderfully weird and tasty dinner that Ken made (sweet potato with black bean/tomato mixture on top), we headed out to eat our chocolate bars at a movie, The Hangover. OMG. Hilarious. I can’t say anything else. I might start laughing outloud and that would be embarrassing.

On Sunday, after hitting the gym, we grabbed lunch at the Uptown Kitchen and had the most delicious Soft-shell Crab Po’Boy. Wow. And we dined al fresco with a cute puppy to watch. Sitting outside inspired us to head to the apartment complex pool that afternoon and although the water was way too chilly for grown-ups, it was nice to be out in the sun.

Essentially, I ate my way through the weekend and it was fabulous. Can’t wait to do it again!

Perplexing.

2009-06-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

The gym has purchased 10 spanking new spin bikes. Which means… they have to ditch some of the more rundown versions we were using before. I was thinking of purchasing a used spin bike and had actually recently spent some time gathering advice. Now all of a sudden 5 bikes are calling out to me. “Buy me! Buy me!” But they are $200. And we have one bedroom. A bike in the middle of the living room? I think not. And if I bought a bike, I’d really need to cancel my gym membership since that’s the only reason I even go to the gym any more. I have Jillian now afterall. But would I get the same benefits at home? I’m hypercompetitive and I’m not sure I could push myself as much alone. If I did spend the $200 and quit the gym, I’d have paid off the bike with 3 months of gym memberships and then I’d be free and clear.

My coworkers tell me to buy a bike because if I ever *gasp* have children, it would be good to have around the house since apparently gym-going disappears with small babies and tots. Who’d have guessed it?! Maybe I should buy the bike now, keep my gym membership and just be ready to use it later on? Or I could just wait until a gym is getting rid of a new set? And these bikes are notoriously horrible. There’s a reason they were selected to leave the gym premises. They squeak and stick and cause general misery. I could get it refurbished though.

I guess if this is my biggest dilemma in life, things must be going pretty well.

I have suspended my gym membership for July and the reason why will be revealed in due time. I may also be suspending it for August (also a bit of a secret for now). Exciting!!!

Cravings.

2009-06-08T11:20:00.000-05:00

I’m not sure if it’s completely normal or not, but I go through some serious food stages. I’ll get on a kick and eat the same thing over and over and over again. Recently, it’s been peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. I went for years without having one of these and now whenever I’m trying to decide what to have for lunch on a weekend or even for dinner, my cravings come back to glorious, ooey, gooey PB&J. In fact, I ate two PB&J sandwiches yesterday alone. Although that has something to do with the fact that the Boyfriend (now known as Shugerhugger) is out of town.

For lunch the past 8 months I’ve been eating Progresso soup, carrots and an apple every single day except Fridays in which the entire office knows I’m going to “go all out” and get Subway. But it’s warm now and I’m tired of soup. Plus, Shugerhugger keeps warning me about the whole MSG thing and those “Natural” soups are absolutely foul. So since my appetite has been through the roof lately (thanks to working out with Jillian and building muscle?), I’m switching up my lunch routine. I wanted to buy some Kashi frozen meals last week, but the local grocery store doesn’t carry their frozen lunches, so I bought some of those new Lean Cuisines. They were tasty, I must admit, but the ingredient list made me ubernervous. What are those things that they put into my panini? Is that really necessary?!

So this weekend, I went to the “fancy” grocery store and grabbed up some Kashi lunches. I had the Southwestern Chicken dish just a few moments ago and it was absolutely amazing! And although the ingredient list is quite long as well, I knew what everything was! Cilantro! Lime! Wheat! Score! I’m superexcited for my selections for the rest of the week and might even have to opt out on Subway on Friday. Whoa. Going all crazy this week.

Should I do the Avon Walk again in 2010?

2009-06-07T17:59:00.000-05:00

It's already time to start considering a potential return to walking next year. And Houston's event is in April which takes off two months from my fundraising/training time. PLUS, I just really want to post my first poll!

Save Second Base in 2010! (4 votes)
Perhaps wait until 2011 or later to hit the ground for boobies. (0 votes)
There's plenty of time to think it over. (1 vote)

Trekking for Ta-Tas.

2009-06-07T17:53:00.000-05:00

This time last year I was walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It became one of the biggest accomplishments of my life so far --- raising a ton of money and walking a marathon and a half. Nothing to sneeze at. I was so inspired during that weekend and yet knew that I wasn't going to be capable of participating every year. Thankfully, plenty of others took up the challenge and Laura and I headed downtown to cheer on my old colleague and walker buddy, Patty. We found her at the cheering station at the 10.7 mile mark, and joined others with sizably bigger lungs than us in rah-rahing the walkers. It's unfortunate that the weather wasn't as amazing as last year, but I'm sure that everyone still had a fabulous time!

Laura and I also hit the Printers Row fair/sale and I had my first bite of falafel. I've never had it in New York so I'm not sure what I'm comparing it to, but it was delicious! Unfortunately (or fortunately), the rain kept us from really getting our "shop" on and we left empty-handed.

I'm contemplating doing the walk next year. Perhaps in a different city besides Chicago?! Perhaps...Houston? Perhaps with a couple of people I know down in Texas?!?!

New blog, perhaps?

2009-06-05T14:40:00.003-05:00

I'm currently testing out the internet waters with a new blog host at: http://rahrahrachel.onsugar.com/. Come and check it out!

I think mostly chicks follow my blog anyways (if anyone does!)... This is definitely a girl-geared hosting site.

I might be back to blogger in the future, but for now...check it out at onsugar.com.

Vitalicious & Totally Not Lying!

2009-06-05T14:34:00.000-05:00

Vitalicious & Totally Not Lying!

I'm very much addicted to Vitatops. They aren't cheap but with just 100 calories and 1/4 of my daily fiber and tons of vitamins and minerals, they're a great investment for my health. Don't tell, but they're even better heated up and with just a smidge of ice cream and warm chocolate syrup. Keep those light and it's still a healthy and chocolate-y option!

A bit of sweating, a bit of swearing

2009-06-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

Recently I decided to fight impending workout boredom with a brilliant idea to get workout videos via Netflix. A free and easy way to try out new routines without committing to anything extraordinary. I started my experiment with Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred. It received amazing reviews and boy, oh boy, I was sweating like a freak at the end of my workout. It’s rare when you can push yourself so hard in your living room that you feel like passing out. And it’s not just the exercise. It’s the motivation that Biggest Loser’s Jillian provides. “There are no shortcuts with jumping jacks. If I can get 400 lb people jumping, you can do it too.” She's one tough cookie.

So that was the end of my Netflix experiment. I promptly ordered not only this video off of Amazon, but also two of her other videos which also got rave reviews.

Now I find myself shaking the walls of the apartment as I jump around like a lunatic and am totally loving the challenge. It’s so much fun and is keeping me motivated! I highly recommend the set to anyone (even without trying the third DVD yet… it will get cracked open this afternoon). The carpet is going to need to be cleaned because of the amount of sweat that I’ve poured onto it. Go, go Jillian and go, go Rachel!

Something fresh & new---

2009-06-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

Why the new blog location? Why the new look? Why not?

I have found it difficult to get inspired looking at my blogspot page. I needed a new location to make myself feel more interesting. Plus, I tend to work with smaller tidbits of information these days as I don't have long sagas to write about. I think this onstar will be better for that. And polls! And quizzes! Fun!

Why the paisley theme? Hmmmm... that's going to have to remain a mystery for about 4 more weeks.

Links ----

2009-05-15T08:21:00.000-05:00

Here’s a great website that I’ve discovered recently: www.mint.com. You can connect all of your various checking and savings accounts, including investments like any 401(k)s and IRAs, as well as credit cards into one spot. After doing the initial steps, once you log in, you can see immediately how much cash you have available, how much you’ve overspent for the month, whether you’ve gone over your pre-determined budget, etc. It’s unbelievably fantastic! It will also send you emails when you have unnecessary charges like ATM fees and they give you a bit of a slap on the wrist when you incur such charges. It’s like having a friendly little accountant following you around.

In other news, I’m going to be volunteering at this store very soon: www.tenthousandvillages.com. They have incredibly high-quality products and focus on trade that is fair and sustainable. I gave some gifts this past weekend from there and they were a big hit. Since they are a non-profit, all stores are worked by volunteers and I am hoping to spend one or two Saturday afternoons there. If you haven’t been to a store in person, they’re really lively and fun. Usually there are coffee and chocolate samples and music from around the world playing. I’m excited to help out and do my part!

Long Live the RSS Happiness

2009-05-05T13:51:00.000-05:00

One of the mysteries of life. How did I not know about the glory of RSS feeds until about 2 months ago?!

When my poor Mac (RIP) died in October, I lost all of my favorites. And I had a lot. Remember that I spent 1 year in Japan exploring the internet A – Zed. Even though I don’t cook or bake, I followed the tireless efforts of bloggers who do. I followed celeb trash news. I had shopping sites. I was obsessed with my favorites.

As work has slowed down thanks to the season, I have managed to start the spiderwebbing back to my old haunts (and new favorites). And I have discovered RSS Feeds and how amazing it is to see a lovely large list in my Microsoft Outlook inbox. I get excited when my favorite bloggers post a new entry that I know about IMMEDIATELY. No random visits any more. I know you can do this through gmail too, but I find the Outlook to be the most efficient way for me. It’s one of the little things that I find so thrilling in life.

Yesterday, none of my websites showed any new postings. I was distraught. I even added a new site and read those articles. Then today, still no entries. It was perplexing, but when I added yet another site, BAM! Backlog of entries to amuse me all afternoon. (*Dance time*)

Post

2009-04-25T18:05:00.004-05:00

Tally so far:

Lawyer letters in mail: 3
Chiropractor letters in mail: 3

What a society.

2009-04-25T18:05:00.003-05:00

Tally so far:

Lawyer letters in mail: 3
Chiropractor letters in mail: 3

What a society.

Car Woes

2009-04-22T07:36:00.002-05:00

What a week.

Last Friday was an absolutely lovely day. A perfect day for a cold drink after work and then some ribs for dinner. Ken and I had two separate cars and on the way home, I managed to get rear-ended by a crazy Hoosier driver. It's actually amazing that it took 8 months for it to happen. Seriously, I want to sit in on a driver's ed class in this state. What are they teaching?!

So the weekend started with a slight bump in the road since my car, while not terribly injured, is not legally driveable any more. I've spent the last two days picking up police reports and calling insurance companies. I have to say, both insurance companies have been absolutely amazing and I'll be getting a rental car today and the car should be taken to the shop as well. It's been very seamless so far and I hope it continues until my poor little car is okay again. My car has been slightly cursed lately --- a new timing belt at the 120,000 mile mark, 4 new tires, a rock to the window, and now this accident --- all in the last 3 weeks.

In other news, I've suddenly found a new hobby. Investing money! I rolled over my retirement money from teaching into an IRA and now I'm figuring out how I want to invest. It's a whole new world out there --- mutual funds, index funds, stocks, bonds. I actually find it all quite fascinating and am reading books, blogs and financial websites. I read Suze Orman's "Women and Money" in one sitting on Monday and she talked some sense into me.

Perhaps I'll become a financial advisor. Perhaps not.

Post

2009-04-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

Chicago on the architectural tour...

2009's lamb cake!

2009-04-16T08:18:00.001-05:00

Chicago on the architectural tour...

2009's lamb cake!

Back to the grind.

2009-04-14T10:27:00.002-05:00

Five-day weekends are lovely.

Last Tuesday, I headed home for our guest speaking engagement on Wednesday at a local high school. Ken and I served on a panel of three with a Lebanese man who emigrated to the United States and is a successful local businessman. He actually showed us up since he had free taco tokens to throw around, knew the kids through his own children, and generally had some really interesting information regarding language. We were speaking to the French and Spanish classes and Ken and I tried to pass it off that knowing a language is very important, even though both of us stumble when it comes to taking up a new tongue. It was a nice day although students totally did not get our jokes. They did pay attention, however, and had some great questions at the end of each hour. Most revolved around Mr. Habeeb’s dreaming in English and how Ken and I have managed to finance our travels. I did meet two students who were both born in Okinawa, one of which did a lot of bowing and had a Japanese flag scarf tied around her neck. I pretty much just handed her a JET application.

On Thursday, Ken and I headed downtown to do the Chicago architecture river tour. I got some great shots and it was a beautiful day. The tour was really fascinating and worth the money! We ate lunch at Heaven on Seven and I had one of the best dishes of my life – shrimp and grits with cornbread. The grits. Doublewow. The shrimp. Wow. I also gained 5 pounds in 20 minutes.

Friday was spent with my mom working on our world famous lamb cake. This year, we went all out and bought tips and bags for the frosting. As a result, we ended up with a lamb that looked like it was “covered in potato salad.” (Quote – Mike) It was cute.

Saturday involved eating my weight in mashed potatoes at Ken’s house and then heading to a bar near my parent’s house with my parents and Brooke and Mike to hear my cousin play in a Nirvana tribute band. It was odd that he was playing in the Middle of Nowhere, Illinois, so we couldn’t miss the opportunity. This bar also broke all rules and allowed smoking which eventually did everyone in.

Sunday – church, ham, food, good.

Then after a great weekend, complete with $3 martinis and plenty of time with friends, I came back to work to find out that Thailand was experiencing another fabulous uprising. Perfect timing considering I currently have 76 students there for spring break. I got to spend most of yesterday putting out that fire and dealing with some anxious parents.

Speaking to the Masses

2009-04-05T14:02:00.002-05:00

This week Ken and I are giving presentations to high school students regarding travel and living internationally. It took me some time to get my thoughts together, but now I think I have a pretty funny presentation.

Essentially I am relating the nasty side effects of prescription medications with the side effects of travel. In a purely humorous way, of course.

Here is my Top 10 list of the potential side effects of travel:

1. Weight Gain - nutella, Pocky, gelato, pretzels, fish 'n chips, Vietnamese coffee... time to get on the treadmill.
2. Loss of Appetite - yak momos; rotton meat, flies in soup, etc.
3. Shortness of Breath - Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, etc. will leave you breathless
4. Increased Urination - quick mention of Tibet... haha
5. Trouble Sleeping - mention of hostel experiences and overnight trains
6. Uncontrollable Outbursts - flashing peace signs in every photos, random Japanese being thrown in for good measure in a conversation
7. Restless Leg Syndrome - Where to next?
8. Dizziness and Disorientation - Some India photos
9. Unexplained fungal infections - with reference to the various wildlife encounters we've had
10. Dry Mouth - Avoiding giardia by not drinking local water

And a bonus - 11. An obsession with Hello Kitty.

Hopefully I can make it quite funny and not at all boring. My photos are quite priceless for some of the points.

The main point is that I should have been warned by my study abroad advisor and now that I am actually an advisor myself, the advice I give my students is to have a great time and love it all.

Anyways, this weekend was a good one. I did some spring cleaning, spent yesterday with a colleague and today was going to settle in for the Chicago Tribune crossword puzzle at the cafe. Imagine my surprise when I see that the Tribune has reformatted their Saturday paper and no longer has my favorite crossword. I'm not pleased.

Guess I'll just spend some time surfing the internet, hit Target and then watch America's Next Top Model for the rest of the afternoon.

Rough life.

More Veggies

2009-03-31T08:10:00.002-05:00

Ken and I also love these chips... Terra Chips. Try them! They're good for you!

Also, last night we had to say goodbye to another one of our plates. We're down to two and one has a giant crack. It's getting desperate. We need some 70s-style plates and we need them now!

Eat your vegetables. And lamb cake.

2009-03-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

I have a new food that I am loving. I adore the Morningstar Asian Veggie Patties. Has anyone else tried these?! They don’t taste a thing like meat, but are absolutely delicious. I’ve tried the regular Garden Veggie patty and they’re good, but not as good as the zingy deliciousness of the Asian ones. I wonder which to try next…

Last weekend we headed home to see some friends, watch some high school baseball, eat chicken salad sandwiches and ended up hanging with the ‘rents for awhile. Brooke is getting married and Mom and I pored over the websites checking out gowns and getting excited for Brookie’s wedding!  Yesterday we faced snow --- lovely --- and went through old photos in anticipation of….

Ken and I are speaking next week at an “International Day” at a high school. I thought we’d be chatting together with groups of 20, but we actually found out that we are members of a 3-person panel (separately) and will have about 100-120 students each hour. Right now we’re scrambling to put together a couple of PowerPoint presentations and trying to think about how to make it nice and flashy.

The good news is that because the presentation is on Wednesday and we have Good Friday off, once I add in a vacation day on Thursday, I have a five day weekend to look forward to. Mom and I are totally making a lamb cake again and I have a couple other cute little cake-related things that I’d like to attempt for Easter. I’m trying to figure out how to top last year’s lamb cake extravaganza. I need some cute candy and actual cake decorating supplies…

The New Face of Spinning?!

2009-03-26T14:51:00.001-05:00

It has been a very traumatic week for me.

On Sunday (on a whim and feeling regret at how much junk I ate on Friday night), I started considering a bit of old-fashioned workout punishment for myself. I thought, “Hmmmm….maybe I should do a spinning class with Ms. X at 5:15 a.m. and start the week off right…” (Ms. X is not her real name. Obviously.)

So I pop on the computer and visit my gym’s website, bringing up the month’s schedule and I see that Ms. X is not teaching at 5:15 a.m. but some completely random name is there instead. I found this to be a bit startling and then when I realized that Ms. X’s name (which, again, is not Ms. X) was nowhere to be found on the schedule, I started to freak. I mean, FREAK.

You see, Ms. X is the most hardcore, craziest, most motivating spinning instructor ever. She makes my Thursday evenings both horrible (as I almost puke into my towel) and amazing (as I leave in triumph after surviving). She is the reason that I have to get dressed at work for class, drive like a lunatic and run in to claim a bike. She is one popular lady.

I was hoping against hope that she just decided to take the rest of the month off because her daughter is returning from the Peace Corps.

There were whispers at the gym and I kept trying to find out what exactly happened on Monday. And then yesterday the ax fell. A letter explaining that Ms. X has taken a different career path and they tried to retain her. (Doubtful.)

And now we’re stuck with mediocre instructors who smile during spinning and who think it’s really fun to know everyone’s names and keep saying, “You can do it! Don’t quit on me!” when the reason I want to quit is because I’m bored and not being challenged.

It has been a sad week. The question is… do I stalk Ms. X and switch gyms if I find her somewhere else?!

In other gym news, I have taken up Zumba which is a mixture of Latin dance (salsa, cha cha, etc.) and hip hop. It’s not the best workout and I look the fool, but they dim the lights and everyone looks just as white as me out there on the floor. It’s a mood-lifter and I’m starting to look forward to my Wednesday evening release through dance moves and Shakira music.

But it’s still not Ms. X.

Girl Time

2009-03-24T07:03:00.004-05:00

On Friday, I headed over to Valpo for some girl time with Tammy, Carly and Laura. We gorged ourselves on junk food, decided that mojitos and sangria can now substitute for candy, and got out "Girl Talk." And --- OMG --- Tammy had to call a boy (oooooohhh!!!!) and tell a joke. And then we had to whisper secrets. And I'm pretty sure at some point in the evening I was hee-hawing like a donkey.

Yes, it was classically fun and it was decided that these evenings should really become a staple in life. And wearing the plastic zit stickers is still superfun.

I'm at work a bit early today because my car is in the shop. I think it's time to get cracking.

2009-03-18T08:45:00.001-05:00

Wanted: Awesome vintage-y mod plates with lots of orange, yellow, brown, etc. Would love doves, apples or peacocks. Or paisley. I love paisley.

Anyone have parents with such plates lying around?

The ones we use (direct from the parents and the 70s) are cracking and falling apart. We need new plates! But we want to keep with the vintage vibe.

Ring of Kerry - Dear to my Heart

2009-03-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I’m wearing green, I’m sporting my Ireland socks, I blared some Chieftains on the way to work, and I briefly considered having lunch at the Irish bar next door. I love Ireland!

Of the places that I’ve been, Ireland still holds a magical place in my heart. Maybe it’s “Foxy Mike,” perhaps the little leprechaun man on the boat, or the live music and Baileys at the pub… Whatever the reason, I still consider Ireland to be near the top of my list. I was thinking yesterday that I should really send a letter to the study abroad office at Valpo and explain what a difference studying in England made in my life. I know that most of my fellow Cambridge-ites still have the travel bug and I really should warn the students that I send to Australia that going abroad can be damaging to all future career goals and general direction in life. But, I consider myself blessed to have been where I’ve been and to have the desire to trek to more places.

Back to Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day, though. We’re living here in the Land of the Fighting Irish and it’s 70 degrees out. Ken and I were originally planning on having a quiet evening in because from what I hear, the pubs and bars are madness. We plan on celebrating on Saturday when things have died down a bit and I fully intend to hit the restaurant next door and enjoy some lamb stew with a big pint of cider and maybe a couple of hits of Ken’s Guinness.

I made Irish soda bread on Sunday and although it was edible directly out of the oven, it wasn’t fantastic and I knew it would be a weapon once it cooled down. I’m not feeling lofty enough to try to make corned beef and cabbage at home.

Hope everyone has a great day and enjoys a bit of luck and magic!

I blame the leprechaun for the missing posts...

2009-03-13T21:18:00.006-05:00

So if I borrow a cute background "a la Kimi," I guess I better put an actual post on my blog! How in the world did 2 months pass so quickly?

What's new? I'm back from Oz and surprisingly, I still really enjoy my job and plan on keeping with it. I'm not even itching to do anything new, although getting a permanent position in Sydney would be nice. :)

I had a great time in Australia as was to be expected. Besides working with 200+ students, I also spent time with my colleagues who are based in Sydney. It was a nice mix of being really busy and stressed and then having a few hours here and there to sit by the Harbour, eat a baquette, sip on an Orangina and watch boats come in and out. Or catching up with Ken's old friend, dining on 1 kilo of prawns early in the morning and chatting about this and that. Then there was the delicious Japanese food available near the student's hotel. I really love Sydney. It's an amazing city.

Being back with Ken in the States is great too, though. We haven't done anything very exciting as of late, but we're ready for some great weather. This weekend I'm at home dog-sitting The Izzy and have plenty of time on my hands. I'm going to start planning our first-ever herb/easy veggie garden. I'm thinking ... Basil.... Cilantro... Tomatoes... hot peppers.... But what other herbs? Anyone had any success with anything? Remember, we're dealing with a small little deck off of an apartment.

We've been spending a lot of time at a local cafe, eavesdropping on conversations and drinking lukewarm coffee. The evenings are spent watching Rambo and weirdo documentaries. Is warm weather on the way or what?!

I've been updating my 101 list here and there and am crossing off some more items soon, including the slumber party one, the dress-up dinner (thanks to 1/2 gift certificates through the radio), some more recipes, and maybe breakfast with Grandpa this weekend. I'm going to try some Irish soda bread this weekend, I think, as a test run. If it works, I'll make it again for Tuesday.

This was a random entry.

Put another shrimp on the barbie!

2009-01-17T13:30:00.002-06:00

Yep, I'm heading out of the awful winter mess for Australia next month. I'm leaving on February 12 and heading back on March 1. Hopefully by then we'll just have a couple more snowstorms to endure and the end will be in sight.

Basically I'm going to be flying into Sydney a day before my students arrive and I'm going to assist with their orientation. Besides important things like giving them cell phones and teaching them how not to offend the locals, I'll be going with them abseiling in the Blue Mountains and cruising on the Harbour. We'll be hitting the zoo and petting koalas and kangaroos. In fact, I hope to eat kangaroo on this visit. Especially since all my meals will be comped.

It's going to be lovely to get out of Indiana and into beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Sydney, but it's also going to be tremendously hard work with extremely long days and hundreds of slightly spoiled college kids to keep track of. I can't wait to meet some of them, especially the ones who call me day in and day out.

I've been told by my co-workers to insist on an afternoon off so I can at least spend a few glorious moments basking in the sun and jumping into Bondi or Coogee Beach.

Work is incredibly busy since all of these students are leaving next month and they are starting to pack. "Should I bring my hair dryer?" "How do I call home?" "Do I really need khakis?" "I have an arrest violation and my visa isn't approved!" (True story)

Things at home are good except this weather. It's incredibly frustrating and the snow never seems to end. The highlight of the upcoming week? The Killers concert in Chicago! YES!

Hope all is well with each of you. Will finally have some fun photos soon!

2009 - Year of the List

2009-01-02T09:22:00.001-06:00

I have done a horrible job of updating this blog. I’m surprised blogger hasn’t closed my account!

Things are going well in Indiana. Ken and I have basically been splitting our time at the apartment during the week and near our hometowns on the weekends. For January and February, it is our goal to stay put a bit more and get to know the surrounding area a bit more. I think some cross country skiing is in our future.

With the new year comes new resolutions. My 101 list is up in September 2009 and I am currently trying to get a ton done quickly in January. So right now, I am making my tub slippery with exfoliating body wash, running to the bathroom because I’m trying to drink 8 glasses of water a day, chugging huge glasses of water to take my horse pill of a multivitamin, and burning a nice doublewick candle to relax. I have also contacted some guy to help me set up an IRA and am making a visit to the bank today to continue with my savings plan.

There are some items that should be easy enough to complete, like eating a hot dog in Chicago. I’m thinking a trip to a pre-season Detroit Lions game should be cheap and could be easily coupled with a trip over the border to Canada. I’m heading to Australia next month and if they send me to Brisbane, I can count it as a new state (Queensland).

Last year I made a fitness related goal of working out at least 20 times a month. I was supposed to reward myself with a delicious treat for achieving 20 and then give myself $5 to spend on cute workout wear for every day above 20. I made my goal every month except April (12) thanks to India and December (19) thanks to bad weather and too much going on. I’m proud of myself! And I never did the treats/money thing either. It was all willpower! This year, my goal is to increase my strength with more weight-related exercises.

Since this is my last year in my 20s, I plan to try to make it memorable and to make it count for something. Crossing off items off of my 101 list will help and I have some other ideas of how to make it better. Brooke gave me a great book of crafts and I’m going to try to be artsy for once in my life. I also have a big trip planned (in my mind at least) and will reveal it once it all comes to fruition. I’m also thinking of starting some volunteer work next month and Ken and I are exploring our options. I want to give blood once a year has passed since India --- apparently they still have malaria in India or some jazz like that. I also need to start working on my next 101 list!

I’ve had a bit of a lull at work compared to the past couple of months (hence the Friday morning blog post). It will pick up again next week and will continue until my students (and me!) leave for Australia in February.

Hope you all are having an excellent ‘09 so far! I have updated my 101 blog and will continue to do so at a more regular rate from now on.

Long Overdue

2008-12-18T19:50:00.002-06:00

It's been awhile! I finally uploaded a few photos from the Fall/Winter. (The poor Mac is still out of commission.)

I went to Vegas with Amy last weekend and we had a great time in Sin City. We took some time to lose $15 in the slots, ate sushi at an Okinawan-owned restaurant, previewed a pilot TV show, checked out the lions of the MGM Grand at our hotel, and walked until our legs and feet were screaming in protest. Vegas had a dust storm one of the days and on the day we left, there was a threat of unprecedented snow. All in all, it was nice to finally witness Nevada for the first time. If I go back, I want to stay at the Paris Hotel with its crepes and pastries and good coffee!

Work has been incredibly busy thanks to all the students getting ready to leave in February and parents realizing that they have to pay for it all.

Hope you all are doing well!

Tagged by Carly---

2008-11-27T20:17:00.003-06:00

Carly "tagged" me to tell everyone 7 strange/random things about myself. It took some time to come up with anything, but here goes---

1) I'm a morning person. I used to love sleeping in, but over the years, I have gradually become fairly alert in the morning. I enjoy heading to the gym before work, I don't mind getting up early to sit and drink coffee, and I've been known to annoy Ken with my perkiness. Staying up past 10 p.m. makes me want to tear my eyeballs out.

2) I have a bizarro crush on Anthony Bourdain. Possible cocaine addict? Check. Skinny jeans? Check. Sarcasm and cynicism? Check. All the makings of true love.

3) My all-time favorite song is "Yellow" by Coldplay. It reminds me of England, it's Chris Martin at his best, and hearing it live is amazing.

4) I have my PADI scuba diving certification, yet I have never actually gone on a dive. Ken bought me my lessons for Christmas one year and little did he know, I find the whole thing absolutely terrifying. It induces terror through clausterphobia and the fact that I could get tangled up and die. I can handle snorkeling, though.

5)My perfect Sunday afternoon (something I live for) is a cup of tea (with milk and sugar), some little cookies in a cute dish, the Chicago Tribune Saturday crossword, and a marathon of America's Next Top Model. Nothing in the world is better.

6) I sweat more than anyone I know. More than almost all men. It's gross, but at least my sweat doesn't stink. And I honestly think I'm healthier for it since I release so many toxins.

7)I love oatmeal. Love it. I eat it every day. I could eat it for every meal. If we went to IHOP, I would probably still eat oatmeal. My cholesterol must be record-breakingly low.

And that's me. I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Oh --- and I tag Juhi, Brooke, Ken, and Laura.

November, November, November

2008-11-15T19:18:00.004-06:00

Thanks to my office computer, I can finally throw up a little bit of an update. (And resisting urge to check how many new messages are in my inbox. It's the weekend!)

The last few weeks - months! - have been madness as far as how busy work has been and how busy our weekends have become. Last week, my friend from Okinawa, Amy, made the long voyage to South Bend. I know that she immediately fell in love with Michiana for the lovely weather we've been having lately. (Rain and wind = unhappy Rachel) We drove to Chicago on Saturday and made our first stop at the Museum of Science and Industry. I hadn't been there in quite sometime and it was enjoyable. The best part were the baby chicks in the hatchery. With some astronaut ice cream for a souvenir, we headed downtown towards Michigan Avenue. It was November 8 and it was already positively crazy! Luckily for us, we found some sushi to enjoy and shared some laughs over some Okinawa memories. The rest of the weekend was spent visiting some restaurants/cafes in South Bend and watching Ken yell at the TV for Sunday football.

Work has been incredibly busy as I keep working with the students who will be traveling to Oz in February. Basically, I take them from applying to picking courses to applying for their visas to working on their housing to setting up spring break trips to setting up cell phone plans and everything in between. Meanwhile, emails roll in and parents start calling with really long lists of questions. Each day goes quickly and I'm really enjoying the job. And, like I posted earlier, they finally officially approached me about going to Australia in February, meaning I will be meeting these kiddos I talk to every day!

Ken and I celebrated our five year anniversary and are going to be heading to see Neil Young in December. I'm also getting together with the Valpo girls again for some Christmas shopping. Aaaand, Amy and I are going to Vegas in December for a long weekend. There are no signs of slowing!

Hopefully, I will someday get around to getting my computer fixed.

2008-11-12T20:54:00.002-06:00

Guess where I'm going in December!

Love it, love it!

2008-11-05T16:10:00.000-06:00

Guess where I'm going in February...

2008-10-24T16:00:00.003-05:00

I haven't disappeared. My lovely little Mac is broken and I don't exactly have time to write at work! I'll be back online soon. Don't leave me!

Can I get a side of gulp with that?!

2008-09-30T20:28:00.005-05:00

My quandry. The coffee at work sucks. It's just plain bad. We have one of those "pod" coffeemakers with foul, weak coffee. In order not to offend my new co-workers, I smiled and made a cup each day. The problem is that I go to the gym almost every morning and can't enjoy my enamel-eating strong coffee at the apartment. And I like it strong.

So, I tried the following:

a) Various gas station coffees
b) The French press at work. Disaster.
c) Tea
.... and the lowest of the low ---
d) McDonalds

So, I'm wondering how offensive it would be to buy a 4-cup coffeepot and brew my own. Of course, anyone else can use it as well. The problem is, it's a bit insulting and also there's not a ton of room in the kitchen for a device.

I wouldn't mind frequenting a local cafe, but they don't have drive-thrus and it can get a bit expensive. I would love to support local business by buying yummy coffee at the farmer's market each week. Who knew my caffeine addiction would become so consuming?

And today, I got a bit of a surprise at work. Here you go, Rachel. Five new universities!!!! Knock yourself out! I'm already feeling like a stressball.

We'll always have Guild Hall.

2008-09-28T07:24:00.005-05:00

I'm afraid to look at the news. They say that deaths come in threes.

Carly and I are both mourning Paul Newman. Last night Ken and I rented "Cool Hand Luke" in his honor and might have shed a tear or two over our Newman Salad Dressing.

Even more disturbing is the suicide death from earlier in the month of David Foster Wallace, author of "Infinite Jest," which if you'll remember from Okinawa, got me through many a long day at school and pretty much changed my standards for what a book should be. Complex. Confusing, Rewarding. RIP, DFW.

Not ones to sit around and sulk, Ken and I have made the most of our weekend. After a stint at the gym yesterday morning, we made our weekly journey to the farmer's market, stopping en route at a coffee shop/diner. Full of smokers, a short-order cook named Ann who has owned the place for 42 years, and some delicious hot cakes, it was a nice morning. The farmer's market was disappointing because the Yoders apparently aren't there any more with their chicken salad.

In a search for all of the other Yoders of the world, Ken and I drove to Shipshewana where we enjoyed a picnic lunch with Amish children playing and horses making horsey-noises. After some shopping and a stop at Yoders market, we headed home, but not before pie and coffee at some Dutch village along the way.

And the weekend isn't over. Today we're heading to Chicago for the make-up game for the White Sox. I'm not going to get into their playing the last week. It's too painful, too soon.

Thank YOU, Brooke!

2008-09-19T17:13:00.001-05:00

Funniest thing I have read in years----

[Click View Document for better reading]

2008-09-14T20:49:00.002-05:00

Update: The rain kept coming all afternoon and by the time Ken and I got home, this was the scene that awaited us. It was madness! Cars were in danger of being flooded, cars were pushing their luck driving through the river that used to be the road, there were newspeople here for footage. Things are looking a bit better now and the parking lot has subsided, but the first floor residents next door were putting their furniture on the (wet) lawn.

Who built the ark? Noah, Noah.

2008-09-14T11:00:00.003-05:00

We're getting ready to head to the South Bend zoo to start grabbing animals two-by-two. The weekend has literally been a washout.

Ken and I left the area on Friday afternoon to meet Josh and Laura for the White Sox game. Despite the lingering rain, we thought they might play. We got there, ate some hot dogs in the parking lot and paid a kidney for parking, went in the park, grabbed some beers, stood around, stood around, stood around... then they cancelled the game without even trying to play. We got some green 1/2 St. Patty's Day hats, but it was pretty disappointing. We roamed the Southside for a bit to find a bar, but the rain and the umm..neighborhood were both discouraging, so we headed home.

Yesterday we headed to the gym and then the farmers market. This weeks purchases included 1/2 pound of coffee, a tomato, green beans, broccoli, chicken salad, croissants, Amish butter, mozzarella cheese, carrots... It was great! I think this will be a regular weekend event. We spent the rest of the day watching movies and avoiding the rain before heading back to Fiddler's Hearth for some more cider/Guinness and live Irish music. The crowds weren't too bad despite the fact that 100,000 people had piled in to see the game earlier in the day.

Today is yet ANOTHER rainy day and we're cleaning, drinking coffee, and heading to Buffalo Wild Wings in a bit to watch the big Packers game. And we might breakdown and get cable this week so we don't have to eat out everytime we want to watch some sporting event...

Work has been crazybusy. We have lots of study abroad fairs going on throughout the nation and we are getting phone call after phone call, email after email, and I'm revamping our website (which is one of my responsibilities) and I'm sending out USYD application and doing some accounting stuff... And we're missing a few people everyday out of the office because of the fairs. It's madness, but I really like it. I love chatting with the students (most of them). They are so excitable and it's fun to know that they're going to be leaving for a life-changing semester in just a few months. I do miss my old co-workers, but daily emails back and forth helps a bit.

Here's our urn filling with water... What a lovely weekend.

Becoming locals---

2008-09-07T17:00:00.004-05:00

This weekend was our first weekend staying home in Indiana. And our first without cable. (We're still holding out...)

On Friday night, we spent the evening watching a movie and grabbing some coffee. Things weren't looking too promising for an exciting weekend. On Saturday, I took part in a TurboKick class (with 5 people instead of 2 of us) and then Ken and I headed to the local farmer's market. To say we were impressed would be a serious understatement. We walked away with peaches aplenty, chicken salad and Polish rolls for lunch, a glorious onion, freshly ground coffee, and plans to be back next weekend. Our lunch was delicious... and then we had the whole rest of the day to fill. It was a beautiful day so we headed west and then north. Michigan was calling and we drove a bit up the lakeshore, stopping at a toy train store and we took a turn on the slowest go-karts ever allowed to circle a track. A sign for wineries led us into "Wine Country" and after a stop at Tabor Hill for a tasting and a glass of riesling with some rowdy bachelorettes, we headed to the Round Barn winery for margherita pizza and more riesling. I wasn't in any condition to drive and happy for that! We made our way back to South Bend, successfully avoiding Notre Dame traffic, had a delicious dinner, and then it was time for some Celtic music and some cider at the Fiddler's Hearth downtown. By the time we turned in, we were exhausted and happy with the effort.

Today, Ken headed home to go see the Avett Brothers perform again in Champaign. Since I'm working tomorrow, I needed to occupy another long day. I went to spinning class where I wanted to die for 45 minutes and then felt like going to buy a trophy after finishing. Then I sat while our refrigerator was fixed, made lunch, and headed out for shopping. Some clearance shoes and a sweater, one pumpkin spice latte, and six hours later, I'm back. Thankfully, I have a season of Desperate Housewives and The Office and a movie to get me through the night.

It was a pretty excellent weekend, all things considered. I think I can get used to this. My only complaints about our new home revolve around the radio stations (I hear En Vogue and Mony Mony on every drive) and the tremendously horrible roads/displays of driving. The job is going really well so far. My co-workers are much tamer than in Chicago but I'm so busy each day that I don't even have time to notice that no one is socializing or slapping each other or throwing things at each other. (Yep, our office was pretty laidback.) I spend my days doing a plethora of things, including doing website work, writing and designing makeshift brochures for new programs, talking to students, sending emails to students, packing boxes for college fairs, buying and setting up scanners, processing credit card charges, etc. I never know what will be on my plate next, but I know there's good wine around to go with it.

Weekend in the City

2008-08-24T17:13:00.004-05:00

Ken and I headed downtown over the weekend. I spent Saturday catching up with two of my former coworkers and having some laughs. This morning I arrived at the train a bit early and pretty much had Millennium Park to myself. It was beautiful. Enjoy!

"Amish" admit, log cabins are fab.

2008-08-20T18:33:00.003-05:00

I'm never one to refuse great hospitality, especially in combination with beautiful sunny days.

This past weekend, Ken and I headed up to Michigan to check out what all the fuss is about with my cousin and her husband's lakehouse. Needless to say, we were not disappointed. We drove up on Friday in an hour flat, spent the evening eating pizza, and chatting under the moonlight along the lake.

On Saturday, the fam went to Shipshewana, which is actually closer to Mishawaka (love the names), but since they aren't in the neighborhood much, we checked it out. It's Amish country and while swerving buggies in the road, you get a taste of the good old life. Or at least of something very different and slightly bizarre.

We spent the afternoon boating around the lake and eventually taking a dip. Then Brooke somehow talked me into cannonballing into a freezing pool. A short nap in the covered gazebo, a fantastic BBQ, and another night under the stars with s'mores finished the day. It was peaceful and nice to have the whole family together, including Grandpa and Aunt Chris and Uncle Jack.

Some photos!

Brooke and Mike ----

Enjoying the lake (and me trying out my Indian garb)----

Swimming with Tarah and Brooke. (Brooke started that one too!)

My cousin, Tarah, hostess with the... cheesy, I know.---

Bret and Morgan, the yellow lab and a golden shot ----

The only downside to spending time gorging on s'mores?! Chigger bites. Now I look like I'm recovering from the pox.----

Yep, it was fabulous. Might have to show up on the doorstep soon. Work is going well, although I have started to become super-stressed as my plate keeps getting fuller and fuller. It's been awhile since my "Task Manager" in Outlook has exploded in such a short time.

What do you do when you don't have cable?

2008-08-13T16:52:00.004-05:00

You go to outdoor concerts!

And what do you do when you are bored at said concert?

Build a house for ants!!!

And what else do you do when you decide to forgo cable for awhile?

Join Netflix!

I wish I was Matt...

2008-08-10T21:25:00.000-05:00

No Milton yet...

2008-08-05T19:05:00.003-05:00

"Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler..."

Two days into my job and things are going well. This evening Ken and I went to a picnic of sorts hosted by the management company who owns our building. My co-workers signed us up without asking. It was nice and one of my co-workers won $250! Not bad... And I had a grape sno-cone. Can't complain about Mishawaka yet! Sno-cones, tornados, lawn watering...

Anyways, the job is good. They are trying to "ease" me into things, so it's been a bit boring, but I know that once I start really working, I'll be happy for a gulp of air from time to time. I am going to be in charge of students traveling to the University of Sydney, which, as you might guess, is a popular place to study. And ironically, the campus boasts some buildings that are very Cambridge-esque.

I went out for lunch yesterday with the three fellow enrollment coordinators. There are only 7 of us total in the office, so it's pretty quiet with everyone working hard. We have "huddles" in the morning where we all say what we're going to do that day and give any updates. We send messages via Skype with synopses of yesterday and today, and I spoke with our IT guy in Sweden this morning through chat. It's a very youthful group with the oldest person being 36 or 37.

I've also been getting up in the mornings to go to the gym as I was doing before, except here I get to sleep in until 6:45. Thanks to my non-existent train ride, I get an extra hour of sleep everyday. It's perfect. And my office is very laidback, so wet hair in the morning is completely acceptable.

Tonight. Season finale of Heroes.

TurboKicking

2008-08-03T15:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I crawled out of bed to make my way to my new gym and the promise of an invigorating TurboKick class. Unlike the 50 participants I'm used to "pumping it" with, it was just me, the instructor, and one other lady. It was one of my favorite old routines and I added some things we did at my old gym to make it challenging. After class I spoke with the instructor who said that she is struggling to get people to attend. I can't fathom this! I love Turbo! It is now my mission to save TK in the Waka.

This is a great excuse for posting an "extreme closeup" shot Regan and I took after our last class together...

Yep, we're hot. Literally.

"I DID IT!"

2008-08-01T14:31:00.004-05:00

I.Can't.Stop.Watching.Heroes.

Have you seen this show?! Anyone know a cure besides just watching all of them in one fell swoop?

It's been a great week of vacation... Ken and I moved in last Saturday and since then, we've been running errands, hanging photos, sitting by the pool, and continuously trying to squeeze in another episode of crack-cocaine Heroes.

Last Friday, I was surprised at work with two dozen beautiful pink roses and a party, complete with everyone's special desserts and snacks. It was delicious and quite sad.

Here I am with Jane and Allison, two of my favorite co-workers.

I had to leave quickly because it was depressing to leave a job that I really did like. Ken and I finally went to the Riverwalk in Naperville on Friday night and had some delicous sushi before enjoying a comfortable night sleeping straight on the floor sans mattress or cushy blankets.

The old apartment ---

The move-in day went pretty well, except the "small" glitch that immediately after we signed our lease, we found out that our new "home" was a smokey nightmare and started panicking about how many lawyers it was going to take to get into a different apartment. Thankfully, the complex felt terrible about putting us in such an awful unit and within 30 minutes we were set to go with a perfect apartment.

Here's the living room with our new couch (that has two recliners!) ---

I really love the light that comes through and the vaulted ceilings. Love it, love it.

The new love of my life, our washer & dryer ---

My pride and joy. The new bed that I purchased and my makeshift headboard. We bought a $20 curtain rod and used it to display a blanket we picked up in Nepal. A cheap and easy way to brighten up a room and make a bed look more finished. (We still need a comforter and all that jazz...don't judge) We have a plethora of elephants decorating the room (thanks to India) and supposedly they are supposed to bring good luck and wealth. Here's hoping!

Our walk-in closets! Score!

We both joined gyms and yesterday I did my first-ever spinning class, which almost claimed my will to live. But I do really enjoy my overpriced gym and will be TurboKicking tomorrow morning just like the old times in IL. I'm hoping to continue going in the morning hours.

This morning I stopped into my future workplace and they were in a daily morning meeting. Everyone was sitting around, practially in their pajamas, sipping gigantic cups of coffee. It was very Zen. We (yep, I'm now embracing my new company) are in a brand new office and they decorated it in a tremedous way. Beautiful colors and amazing black and white Australia & Asia photos. I saw my desk and also found out that I have a new laptop!

Ken and I have seen Carly and Doug a couple of times this week and have been signed up to attend a picnic next week (thanks to my co-workers). We (at least I think I speak for Ken too) really like the area and are becoming quickly familiar with the major roads and where Chipotle and all the Targets are located.

More to come as the job begins. This weekend we're heading back across the border for a wedding.

Alright, back to bloody Peter Petrelli and Claire and Hiro and Ando.

A plug for local business---

2008-07-30T11:45:00.002-05:00

I am going to post photos and an update about our new home in Mishawaka, but not until our new bed and couch get delivered this evening. (Yep. I finally bought a queen bed... I can cross that off my 101 List!)

But while I'm thinking of it, there's a candle company in Naperville that I stumbled across months ago. They make soy-based candles in the basement of a building. It's a husband/wife/dog team and the first time I visited, they showed me how they make the candles. For my mom's birthday, I couldn't get there in time while they were open, so I bought one online and asked them to mail it with a small card. They came through for me and on my last evening in the area, Ken and I went to the store one more time. I mentioned he had mailed a candle for me earlier in the week... and he said, "Oh! Rachel! I remember!" I didn't want to buy a candle that evening because we were a bit cramped for space as it was (and I knew Ken would kill me if I bought more stuff after he packed the whole apartment). So I told him I was going to sniff and figure out my favorites so I could order them online. He did better --- he sent me away with sample vials of all the different scents they offer. Totally above and beyond. Anyways, I am trying to support local businesses, so here's their website if you need a nice gift for someone... Wayfarer Candles

I love the Pear and Pink Peppercorn one. Fig and Cassis is nice too.

Viva!

2008-07-24T09:51:00.002-05:00

Coldplay throws party for 20,000 Chicagoans
CONCERT REVIEW | Brits try hard to stay up close and personal with their fans

July 23, 2008

BY JIM DeROGATIS Pop Music Critic

Even after several million albums sold, British art-rockers Coldplay are still conflicted about their status as an arena act, and that's one of their most endearing traits.

On the one hand, front man Chris Martin and his bandmates do everything they can to maximize the big rock spectacle, the grand theatrical gesture and the musical bombast.

On Tuesday, the first night of a two-night stand at the United Center, the musicians came out dressed in pseudo-Napoleonic uniforms and began to perform in front of a giant backdrop of Delacroix's French Revolutionary painting, "Liberty Leads the People," which happens to be the cover of their new album, "Viva La Vida."

Several big globes hung from the ceiling and flashed video images of the band as it played; at times, the group deployed more lasers than any band since Genesis, and during the song "Lovers in Japan," a seemingly endless rain of colorful paper butterflies fell on the crowd.

On the other hand, Martin has never been afraid to let his inner geek show: He's the anti-Bono, dancing like an awkward little urchin instead of striking cool larger-than-life poses, and never hesitant to do his Schroeder routine at his black upright piano.

Throughout the 90-minute set, the bandleader frequently thanked the fans for their support, sounding genuinely surprised at his own success. And he, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion did everything they could to get up close and personal, running to the end of the platform on stage right, performing two songs at the end of the platform on stage left and eventually hopping down from the stage altogether to briefly perform acoustically in the midst of the fans in the first tier off the floor.

None of this made the show as intimate as the one the group played at Metro to celebrate the release of its last album, "X&Y." But it felt as special as any party for 20,000 can, and the goodwill the band created extended to the audience indulging two renditions of the new song "Lost" for the benefit of a video filming, as well as the heavy sampling of the more arty, less anthemic songs from "Viva La Vida" sprinkled between guaranteed crowd pleasers such as "Clocks," "In My Place" and "Yellow."

Yeah, it was awesome.

Mishawakawakawaka

2008-07-15T20:00:00.003-05:00

Today Ken and I journeyed over to the Hoosier state to start the relocation process. We had a couple of apartment complexes in mind, but all the information/complexes on the internet were completely overwhelming. My main criteria: washer and dryer in the unit.

We checked out the first place and it was completely acceptable. A bit more than we wanted to spend and we didn't really see anything extra special that would warrant the cost. And the washer/dryer was down the hall and there was only one of each.

The next place had incredibly unfriendly staff and was the sort of place that you know police frequent regularly. Washer and dryer? In the complex next door. Upon seeing the mediocre and smoky apartment, we crossed it off the list and left in a hurry.

At lunch, I got ahold of Carly and we headed off to check out her complex. And it was here that we fell in love. On the spot, we picked an apartment and started the leasing process. We are saving a considerable amount of money on our apartment and the complex has a very popular pool. And... a washer/dryer in the apartment. Carly will be just down the block and will be called on moving day to lend a hand. Hi, neighbor!!!

Then we rushed off to Elkhart because Ken had an interview for a bartending gig. He was in there for awhile and by the time he walked out, he was employed and starting in less than two weeks!

On to my employer. I wanted to say hello and make sure I'm not going to regret my decision. The office was in chaos because we are moving to another location on Thursday, so the packing has begun. Thank goodness I'm coming in after the move! The boss decided everyone needed a drink and we headed off to a local pub for some drinks and appetizers. There are only 7 in the office and 6 made it out with us. I think that although I'm *really really really* going to miss my current co-workers, I'm going to get along fabulously with this group as well. There are two girls who did JET in Nagano and are roommates. We were already discussing "movie nights" for the nights when Ken is slaving away at the bar.

And now we're back...with a move-in date a week earlier than originally intended. I'm mentally packing up the apartment and am now even more excited to call Indiana home. :)

Here's a very exciting photo of an apartment we saw where we're going to be living. We're on the third floor so we get to enjoy vaulted ceilings and cute window.

P.S. - I've been updating my 101 List if you haven't checked it in awhile. I haven't written very exciting entries, but at least you can see some progress!

G'day, mate!

2008-07-08T20:38:00.002-05:00

As you can see, the name of my blog has officially switched to "Into the Bend." The reason being... I have been offered --- and I have accepted --- a position at a company in South Bend, Indiana, and we will be in the next few weeks to start yet another chapter of life.

I wasn't looking for a new position as I was absolutely content at my job for the timebeing. I love my current co-workers and wasn't sure I could leave them. But then, out of the blue, I got an email in my inbox from a company that I had applied for in September. They had contacted me at that time, but their email was diverted to my spam folder and by the time they called, I was already employed. So, I got the email asking if I was at all interested in going through the interview process for this new position. I don't like shutting doors...and one thing led to another... So now I'm moving to SB!

What's this new job entail? It's a study abroad company, focusing on Australia and New Zealand with some Asian short-term programs mixed in. I will be taking over the Sydney files, which make up the bulk of the students traveling. We basically get students interested (from all over the States) and guide them to choosing the right university for them overseas, helping them prepare, and then being supportive of them during their semester. The company is on the high-end market, which I am used to. So basically the people we sent on trips are parents of the students we are sending to study abroad. But I can definitely identify with the excitement of heading overseas as a college student. I absolutely believe that the experience is life-changing, as cheesy as that is.

The company is small and there is a ton of opportunity for growth. I'll be not only managing files, but traveling to Oz for orientations, perhaps making college visits, will probably do some creative marketing, and assist wherever else I am needed. I'm sad to be leaving my current position, as it truly has been an awesome experience and I really don't mind going to work each day (which is sometimes all you can ask for), but I think this is a good career move.

So, that's me. Another upheaval. :)

What's more American than onigiri?

2008-07-07T19:41:00.002-05:00

Hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend! We had a busy few days, taking in a couple of festivals. Josh, Laura, Zack, and Krystal came up on Friday and we headed to the Lisle Balloon Festival for some carnival food and fireworks. I love this setting on my camera!

It's hard to believe that this time last year, I was enjoying some fireworks in an alley with Bridgit, trying to catch a glimpse of some fireworks on base. And their lame attempt at a 4th of July party.

On Saturday, we headed to the Naperville Ribfest to grab some quick (and expensive) lunch with Zack and Krystal. Nothing like Americans feasting on greasy hunks of pig flesh to make you proud.

We had the afternoon free yesterday and finally made it to Mitsuwa, a Japanese grocery store. What a flashback. And where do all these Japanese people live?!?! We heard the usual grunts, the crazy kids running around, and stocked up on our goodies. Among the highlights: Pocari Sweat (remember sucking that down, Bridgit?!), azuki bean mochi that tastes perfect, and my favorite Pucca! We could have bought a lot more, but held back a bit. It was hilarious to remember various grocery store encounters.

In other news, the name of this blog could soon appropriate become "Into the Bend." Details to come later as life works itself out.

Bake, Burn, Bourbon

The Banana Stand

ATK: Blueberry Muffins

On a roll.

Excuses. Who needs them?

#11 - Throw Myself a Half Birthday

See Fernando

A 101 Sign?

Trying to pump some life in a very dead blog...

#16 - Pear Crisp a la FABULOUS

#15 - New Pizza Crust Recipe

#14 - PW's Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe #13 - Cocoa Banana Bread

Recipe #12 - Rice Pudding

Recipe #11 - Roasted Potatoes with Blue Cheese Walnut Butter

Doesn't count, but....

#87 - Talk One Person Into Making a 101 List

Book #2 - The BookThief

Recipe #10 - Hot Cross Buns

#16 - Throw Brooke a Shower

Salmon Tikka

Book #1 - Kafka on the Shore

Recipe #9 - Dreamy Cream Scones

Just for Brooke

Recipes #7 & 8

#97 - Make truffles

Recipe #6 - Smitten Kitchen's Cheese Straws

Recipe #5 - Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate & Caramel Crack (ers)

Recipe #4 - Jamie's Salmon Tikka Masala

Recipe #3 - Jamie Oliver's Meatballs

# 9 - Bake a Cake from Scratch

Welcome to The Nunnery

Recipes #1 & 2 - Jamie on a Friday

Day Zero

The List

The List

Celeb Blogging

Pondering a Decade

Still in the Bend...

Ms. Frugality

Topless Sandals --- My letter of appreciation.

Growing Old

Back Where I Belong

The reveal

Barter time?

Hilarious. And sad.

A little mood booster.

Who knew?

How does she do that?!

A taste of summer.

Perplexing.

Cravings.

Should I do the Avon Walk again in 2010?

Trekking for Ta-Tas.

New blog, perhaps?

Vitalicious & Totally Not Lying!

A bit of sweating, a bit of swearing

Something fresh & new---

Links ----

Long Live the RSS Happiness

Post

Car Woes

Post

Back to the grind.

Speaking to the Masses

More Veggies

Eat your vegetables. And lamb cake.

The New Face of Spinning?!

Girl Time

Ring of Kerry - Dear to my Heart

I blame the leprechaun for the missing posts...

Put another shrimp on the barbie!

2009 - Year of the List

Long Overdue

Tagged by Carly---

November, November, November

Love it, love it!

Can I get a side of *gulp* with that?!

We'll always have Guild Hall.

Thank YOU, Brooke!

Can I get a side of gulp with that?!