Ten on Thursday

It’s raining. It’s pouring. I wish I was snoring. This means I’m going to participate in Ten on Thursday which I found courtesy of the lovely Lisa D and evidently it was started by Chelsea.

1. What are you going to be for Halloween?

A girl from the TV Show Laugh-in, a la Goldie Hawn. Sort of and only because I already have the costume with pink go-go boots hanging in my closet.

2. Have you ever been on television?
I was in high school when I protested for Free Speech. I was in the Journalism program at my high school and one of our papers was published with some fairly controversial topics on the cover (forgive me but I can’t remember what it was). The principal pulled the paper immediately and so we all rallied outside the school with signs, posters and picketed our high school for infringing on our right to free speech. We were basically told that when we are on school grounds we didn’t have the right to free speech and that just added fuel to the fire. TV crews came out and so I was on the news as part of the protesting group.

3. Do you have a toilet paper preference?
I don’t like the scratchy kind if that’s what you mean. But other than that, no, I don’t really care if it’s up, down or sideways so long as it’s there when I need it.

4. When you’re pregnant, will you find out the sex of the baby? (Or if you’ve already had babies, did you find out the sex?) Why or why not?
Hmmmm. I am inclined to say yes because I’m an over-planner so how could I have a baby and not know the sex of the baby? That gives me hives just thinking about it.

5. What are three items that every kitchen must have?

The fixings to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch, an Ove Glove and ample room to spread out and create.

6. Do you enjoy Christmas shopping?
Yes! It’s one of my favorite things to do. I’m already starting to plot and plan what I’m going to get for everyone. I love wrapping presents, I love giving presents and I love the joy that surrounds my house during the holidays.

7. What is your go-to recipe? (The thing you cook more than anything else because it’s easy and mindless.) Please share the recipe.
It’s what Irish calls spicy chicken & big rice. Basically I season a few chicken breasts with some spicy spices and bake until done. In the meantime, I make big rice (aka risotto) which is simply risotto, 3 cups of chicken/vegetable broth, parmesan cheese and parsley to taste. I always serve with a side of broccoli. It’s pretty delicious.

8. Do you sleep on your back, belly, or side?
I fall asleep on my side but wind up on my belly by the morning. I am a frantic sleeper in that I move A LOT, thrash and kick. I’m told it has something to do with when I was in the womb and managed to entangle myself with the darn umbilical cord around my neck & knee resulting in me nearly killing myself. Fun, huh?

9. How do you feel about Tom Cruise?
Ick. I used to have a crush on him when I was in middle school. Top Gun was the soundtrack to our sleepovers. And then it was Jerry Maguire. And Cocktail. But now? He kind of freaks me out.

10. What books are in your “books to read” stack?
How much time do you have? (Sorry I don’t have complete titles/authors. I’m not in front of my bookshelves.)
Sookie Stackhouse Book # 6
Two Jane Green Books (Dune Road & Second Chances)
Vampirates (go ahead, laugh)
Kingdom Keepers
Ellen Burstyn’s Memoirs
An Anita Shreve Book
My Japanese Challenge book, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
Persuasion, Jane Austen
The Bridges of Madison County
Catching Fire
…. and many, many more.

Your turn! Answer in the comments or post this on your own to all, some or none if you like.

From Nora’s Kitchen

Confession: I buy Rachel Ray’s Magazine two to three times a year. While I find it rather obnoxious that she features only herself on her cover (yes, it annoys me that Oprah does that too), the girl can cook and has some amazing recipes. I’d been staring at the recipe for the Quesadilla Casserole for about two weeks and finally on Monday, I decided it was time.

The good news: The ingredients are easy to find, vegetarian for those who are so-inclined, and not expensive. I bought everything I needed to make it for less than $11 bucks. It serves 5 to 6, though the recipe suggests it can serve four.

The bad news: Prep time is suggested to be 25 minutes. Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I made it or perhaps because my right hand wasn’t functioning very well thanks to the fall I took on Saturday, but it took me a bit longer than 25 minutes.

The ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

One 29-ounce can black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (Chef Nora’s note: I used canned corn and it worked out just fine)

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (Chef Nora’s note: I used flaked parsley. Just make sure to reduce the amount you put in to about 1/4 cup)

Five 10-inch flour tortillas (Chef Nora’s Note: Next time I will try whole wheat tortillas or perhaps the crazy flavors you can buy now just to change it up a bit)

8 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded

1 cup store-bought green enchilada sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups black beans and mash into a chunky paste. Stir in the reserved liquid.

Grease a heavy, ovenproof skillet. In a bowl, combine the corn, parsley and remaining black beans. Place a tortilla in the skillet and spread with 1/3 cup mashed black bean mixture. Top with 2/3 cup corn-bean mixture and 1/2 cup cheese. Press to compress the layers. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, mashed black beans, corn-bean mixture and cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and cook for 1 minute. Serve with the enchilada sauce.

I made this for my family on Monday evening and it was a huge hit. The enchilada sauce really goes a long way to adding subtle flavor to the dish. There are a ton of variations that one could try like adding shredded chicken or seasoned ground beef/turkey to the dish, tomatoes in addition to the Black Bean + Corn Mixture, add jalapenos to the top after baking. I will definitely make this dish again especially since we have a vegetarian in our family.

(Side Note: I decided not to take any photos of the cooking process because while it’s a really delicious dish, it’s not so pretty to make. Mashed up Black Beans don’t look appetizing in photos so I left them out.)

Bon Appetit!

The 26 List

As corny as it sounds, I believe John Lennon. It seems to be that way for me: I make plans and somehow at the end of the year, I look back and only a few of the things I’ve hoped to accomplish have come to fruition. It’s not for lack of trying or setting my mind to it but as is true with life, other things come up that need my attention or that challenge me and I try to never back down from a challenge. I’ve learned to go with the flow more, the importance of not having every moment of my day scheduled. But I often wonder, how in the world I will actually do all the things I’ve dreamed of accomplishing?

After reading Nilsa’s post on Life Goals, I realized that I am more of a small picture person which I like to think makes me more present in the now and perhaps explains why I like the Lennon quote so much. (Not to say I don’t think about my future because I do, but I want to enjoy the here and now and then enjoy later when I get to it.) Rather than making a Bucket List, I came up with a list of things I’d like to do to make my 26th year another great one. Some are life changes, other personal challenges and others are things that I’m amazed I haven’t yet tried.

Here they are, in no particular order:

* Run one 5k Race a month, preferably ones for a charity. (The hope is that I could work up to “bigger,” races as the year goes on.)

* Read at least seven books. One must be a memoir. Another historical non-fiction.

* Get down to my goal weight and stay there!

* Go fishing. Learn to bait a hook.

* Meet two more bloggy buddies.

* Start a real pen & paper journal.

* Volunteer 60 hours at the Rescue Ranch. I can’t wait to get started even though I know I’ll be working through bitter cold and sweltering heat.

* Cook one new dish and bake one new recipe a month. Ideally the bulk of the recipes would come from the old school cookbooks I’ve inherited from my Gram and the Martha Stewart Cupcake book.

* Take piano lessons (again).

* Travel to another baseball stadium, preferably the New York Yankees.

* Learn how to knit, courtesy of my Gram. First project: afghan.

* Finish that darn Masters of mine and leave formal schooling behind for good.

* Get back to nannying/babysitting. (I used to babysit all the time and lately I miss it.)

* Catch up on my scrapbooking/photo printing, sending pictures to the appropriate friends and family.

* Start Yoga and become a regular. This goes hand-in-hand with learning to meditate and getting to my goal weight and staying there.

Any recommendations for things that absolutely must be included in my list?

The 26th Year

I admit I wasn’t organized enough to find a photo of myself as a young girl for today’s post so a photo of me from my 21st birthday will have to do:

I’m 26 today (and the end to the birthday-blogging theme)! The last year has been one of the best years in my twenties and I’ve enjoyed every moment, new opportunity, my new and old friendships, my fantastic family, my amazing dog (who I’m convinced is a Border Collie mix after much discussion this past weekend), Irish, this blog, my readers, and the many new experiences I enjoyed.

A quick, down n’ dirty list of things I’ve learned over the years:

* You can’t go wrong with hugs.
* Baking is therapeutic.
* Sex & The City relates to my life more than I would have thought (or cared to admit).
* Sleeping in until noon is rejuvenating.
* Love is worth the fall.
* Getting a Blackberry will change your life, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
* After a long day there’s nothing like a hug from your man and smooch from your dog.
* It’s true: if you pluck one white hair, at least three more grow in its place.
* Sweatpants are fabulous.

Birthday request time! If you’re a reader but rarely comment, please, let me know who you are. If you’re a regular reader/commenter please share your words to live by or favorite life advice for me to add to my arsenal.

Lessons Learned (Part Two)…

Over Labor Day Weekend

… it is unnecessary to shout out that everything in your former college town is NEW! since you have been gone for five years and clearly almost everything is NEW! Constantly shouting about what is NEW! will prompt your brother and Irish to give you strange looks

… that although there are many NEW! things some things remain true about a college town: the guys wear too much cologne, the girls too little clothing and the temptation to buy more than one thing at the bookstore is overwhelming

… you will walk away with several shirts and a pair of fleece sweatpants even if that wasn’t your intent

… that I am getting a bit old as I had to call it a night by 12am

… falling into the old college frame of mind is relatively easy; watching pointless TV shows, lazing around and just being is a lot more fun than I remember it being

… steroids + antibiotics are a kick-ass mix. Yours truly managed to get strep throat and a sinus infection within one week of each other so I’ve been on a Vitamin C plus lots of rest. Fortunately no hair is growing on my chest.

… it rains on the one weekend you’d rather it not: no pool days for this gal

… cooking is over-rated.

… an extra Sunday is the perfect day to perfect your Wii Wakeboarding Skills

… Rainy days are the best time to curl up with the Japanese book you’re reading for the challenge and get through the more prose-y parts. Still have a l-o-n-g way to go.

What did you learn this past weekend?

My Summer Song

When on a Summer’s Morn

When on a summer’s morn I wake,
And open my two eyes,
Out to the clear, born-singing rills
My bird-like spirit flies.

To hear the Blackbird, Cuckoo, Thrush,
Or any bird in song;
And common leaves that hum all day
Without a throat or tongue.

And when Time strikes the hour for sleep,
Back in my room alone,
My heart has many a sweet bird’s song –
And one that’s all my own.

- William Henry Davis

I remember the years of summer days and nights that were endless: numerous sleepovers spent cutting out photos of the latest hot celebrities and taping them onto our binders for the next school year; hours spent on AOL IM; family vacations; floating in the pool; ignoring the “s” word as much as possible until after Labor Day.

I remember the time spent in college searching for internships, the perfect summer job; escaping to my parents for a break; relishing in my summer school classes like a dork;  dancing until all hours of the night; day dreaming about being a “real,” adult.

I remember the rude awakening post-graduation. No more summer breaks. Less freedom. More of my life tied to Corporate America and a steady paycheck. Somewhere between work, graduate school and other social events, I’ve lost my summer song.

Mandy declared this the “Summer of Me.”
Kyla has her summer dubbed “the Summer of Starting Over.”
I’m following suit and declaring this the summer I rediscover my song.

I’ve become too bogged down in the daily hum-drum time table I have indavertently grown accustomed to. Graduate school and 10-hour work days has sucked my creativity dry, my will to cook away, and a bit of my pizzazz has just poof! disappeared.

While I can’t change the fact that I’m working long hours, I can change other things, like my graduate school schedule, the number of social events I say yes to, the tasks I undertake.

I realize we are halfway through the summer – although I’m not entirely sure how that’s happened- but I’m going to work on finding my inner song. I had the song on repeat just before this last graduate school class but it was drowned out by all the theories, concepts, study questions and more over the last nine weeks.

I want to bake extravagant desserts for no reason. I want to experiment with new dishes in the kitchen. I want to blog more and fill up pages in my personal journal. I want to spend hours by the pool. I want to read a book in 24 hours because I can. I want to go on long walks with Jack and Irish. I want to kick my own ass at the gym on a more regular basis. I want to go on a spontaneous trip and plan a few others. I want to feel more inspired. I want to get back to doing the random sweet things for Irish. I want to send out more cards. I want to redecorate my rooms at my parents.

Things like graduate school and extra hours at the office can wait. As Kyla mentioned in her most recent post, it’s important to think about how much time we have left and what we’d like to spend it doing.

Yes, I do want my Masters, but I don’t need it NOW. It’s not going to change my job, my salary or any other aspect of my life other tha my pride and the space it takes up on my wall.

Yes, my friends are important to me, but I can’t keep giving all the time because at the end of the day, there has to be something left for me.

So while it may be belated,  I have until late September to enjoy my summer and find my summer song. And once I find it? I’ll learn to be better at carrying it with me through the rest of the year.

A Recipe: Moving Soup

Ingredents you will need:

* Four rooms, full of over two years of furniture, household appliances, the necessities needed to live and of course the obligatory junk that accumulates
* One incredibly patient, supportive and surprisingly strong (in all aspects of the word) boyfriend. Acceptable substitute: best friends who bring wine to help during the moving process.
* One 4-door Honda Accord. Full tank of gas desired but not required.
* Three flights of stairs in an old apartment, but charming, apartment building
* 83- the average temperature preferred during moving days
* Two movers, aged approximately 21, and one very large truck
* Ten or more boxes. Acceptable Substitute: Five or six boxes that you unpack each trip you make to the new residence.
* One flight of stairs at your new residence
* One and a half rooms, some basement space and the cupboards at your boyfriend’s place to cram all your belongings
* Four trash bags full of junk tossed to the curb
* Three trips to the curb with things you decide not to move

To Make Moving Soup:

Combine one strong boyfriend, one Honda Accord, various boxes plus other large furniture, as well as three flights of apartment stairs. Repeat until Honda Accord is full: every nook, cranny, floorboard, trunk and the area near your feet must be jampacked. Deliver the contents to the New Residence. Repeat three more times, unfortunately without the aide of your strong boyfriend.

After four Honda Accord carloads have been deposited at Your New Place of Residence (aka Chez Parents), wait patiently at empty, internetless apartment for the Two 21-year old movers and their laaarrrge truck. Proceed to clean baseboards, window sills, dust all corners, vacuum, mop, Clorox all surfaces, scrub and repeat until the movers arrive.

Worry about competence of movers as they proclaim they are tired, sore, and, um, move your futon down all three flights of stairs but then cannot get it out the front door. Cue return of futon to empty apartment, making sure to include one broken light bulb in the hallway, large dents and scratches on the walls as part of the failed futon side dish that accompanies Moving Soup.

Once large truck is full with the large “pieces,” of furniture you own and apartment is (mostly) empty, proceed to Your New Residence with the Movers following you in their laaarrrge truck as they failed to get directions from Point A to Point B.

Instruct movers on location and placement of all pieces of furniture within Your New Residence. Once movers are watered, tipped and paid, begin to navigate the minefield that is your bedroom, hallway, and adjacent rooms full of boxes, artwork and random stuff. Take it one room at a time, slowly mixing the contents of the boxes until they create one beautiful New Residence.

Chef’s Note: The last step, navigating the minefield that is the boxes, bags and mounds of stuff you own may take several days. Or weeks, depending on your schedule. Be sure to allow plenty of time for this step so as to not feel overwhelmed. Promise to your dear eaters readers that you will post pictures as soon as the New Residence is picture-worthy. Rejoice in the fact that you only have six or seven bruises, stronger arms, legs and butt muscles as a result of this move.

GiST 37-39/365

When there is a lot of sadness in the world I make sure I take note of all the Great Things going on around me. Today was a tough day for Hollywood and fans alike, so here are things that made me smile in the last few days…

1. Vanilla yogurt on sale, 2 for $1 at the grocery store. I love, love, love Vanilla Yogurt. Bonus: it’s the Weight Watchers brand so it’s double good for me, right?

2. Being able to call Darling during my lunch hour to act like a four-year old and tell her I needed a great big hug to deal with my great, big, sucky work day. She called me my childhood nicknames, told me she loved me and then we laughed over something silly and had a moment of silence for Farrah.

3. Having the cojones to deal with a tough work situation today, ensuring it worked out the way it needed to, and avoiding cursing like a sailor in the process.

4. My muscles are sore from a 2.5 mile run I did that involved a TON of hills. I love that feeling.

5. Wearing the new earrings Irish gave me for the 365 day mark; made out of bamboo and lightweight make them perfect for a day in the office.

6. Playing with Jack for 30 minutes and ignoring my homework and studies.

7. Setting up a coffee date with Nilsa for this weekend when she visits my town! She was one of the very first blogs I idolized and looked up to so it’s kind of like meeting a superstar.

8. A yummy dinner of buffalo chicken wraps, waffle fries and salad while watching Rescue Me on Hulu, with Irish next to me and Jack’s head on my knee.

9. Starting my midterm paper to discover it will be much easier than I anticipated. Bonus: It’s on Italy so I find it doubly interesting.

10. Text messages from Kyla and Mandy.

11. There is talk of our insane heatwave ending which is enough to make me do a happy dance. I love summer but 110-115 heat index with crazy humidity each day is just uncool.

12. Tomorrow is Friday.

13. Buying rainbow chocolate chip cookies to squash a craving I’ve been having for a few days.

14. I bought Scratchers tickets and one of them was a winnner! It’s a free ticket but hey, at least it’s a small return on my investment.

15. Watching New In Town, playing a mindless online game, and just relaxing. Who doesn’t like movies that are 90 minute romantic comedies which include Harry Connick Jr?

16. Hugs from Irish, a man who keeps giving even after he’s had an equally, if not more, stressful day than me.

Monday GiST

I’m just as guilty as anyone else I’ve whining, bitching and moaning on a Monday.

Call it a Case of the Mondays.

Call it a quarterlife crisis.

Whatever it is, I realize I need to overcome the Monday Blues, especially on a rainy day which makes it 100 times harder to get out of bed so while the world is all doom and gloom, I’ll try to sparkle and smile today.

Things that will help me stay positive:

1. Wearing my new black patent leather peep-toe shoes I found at Marshalls which is the first time I’ve ever found anything at that store, which I suppose is a “win,” in itself.

2. A cup of green tea brewing next to me. I’m trying to caffeinate without soda this week.

3. The insane amount of spring cleaning Irish and I accomplished over the weekend at his place, complete with a donation pile, new shelves to house books, and repurposing a coffee table to open his living room.

4. Chorizo dip. We made our own yesterday in the mini crockpot (a gift from Irish) using ingredients from a local Mexican Market. It tasted almost like the queso fundido from our favorite Mexican restaurant.

5. Two days until the Dave Matthews Band concert.

6. Having a personal day approved for June 23 so that Irish and I can be together on our one-year anniversary.

7. “The Hangover.” Seriously, go see it. I laughed the whole time.

8. Making plans with Darling to see “My Life in Ruins,” this Saturday.

9. Heading out on a walk with Jack and Irish to Starbucks to purchase my newest addition: Non-Coffee Double Chocolately Chip Cream drink.

10. Duds n’ Suds = the name of the new laundromat that Irish and I found. They serve beer, have a big screen TV and a large sitting area. Double bonus: next to the Mexican Market, a Mexican restaurant as well as Subway. It’s a tad pricier than the other places but the dryers really work, it’s clean and offers more than any other place we’ve been to.

11. Impromptu trips for ice cream. Great way to end a weekend.

12. Falling alseep to the sound of Jack snoring and “Sister Act,” on TV. I can be such a child sometimes.

13. Coming up with a workable plan for moving out of my apartment in the next few weeks.

May 2009 Recap

Want a real post with some substance written by me? I’m guest posting for Lys today on My Roads Not Taken. Hope you enjoy the post and Lys’ new home!

Current Book(s):
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Dark Lover, by J.R. Ward (it’s my plane book for Vegas. Haven’t started it yet!)

Current Music:
The Killers
The CD that SleepyJane made for me
Paul Simon
The Supremes
(yeah, my music is all over the place. I’m aware)

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure:
Frozen Junior Mints

Current Colors:
Black, blue, white

Current Obsessions:
Making weekly meal plans
Going to sleep at a normal time (I’ve been in bed by 10:30 every night for the last week)
Finding time to relax

Current Drink:
Rich Chocolate Slim Fast
Water

Current Songs:
Funny the Way It Is, Dave Matthews Band

Current Movie:
I’m craving a Sex & The City Movie night so we’ll go with that

Current TV Show:
True Blood (new season starts June 14th)
Rescue Me
Moonlight (sadly we are on the last disc)

Current Fave Photo:
At the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure StL last year (with Darling). I hope to do it again in June. I may even run it instead of walk.

Current Wish-List:
More hours in the day
Melt away five pounds magically (hahaha, yeah right)
A few new clothes for summer for both fun & work

Current Needs:
Go Grocery Shopping
Dye my hair again before Vegas (wow, this is a fascinating list.)
To print the millions of pictures I’ve taken in the last year for framing, scrapbooking, sending to friends

Current Triumph(s):
I’ve cut back on unnecessary spending
Learning to go with the flow more

Current Bane(s) of my Existence:
Graduate school. Starts on Monday. I love it once I’m there but the homework is going to stink.
Figuring out when I will have the time to move out of my apartment

Current Goal(s):
Make a weekly schedule for myself which outlines school time/work time/gym time
Four days a week at the gym
Healthier grocery shopping

Current Indulgence:
Ted Drewe’s ice cream, please

Current Blessing:
That after Vegas my social life kind of dies down. I kind of need a break.
As usual my awesome friends, family, dog

Current Slang or Saying:
Oh really?

Current (Fav) Outfit:
White “boyfriend cut,” pants from the Gap and my silk black top from Banana Republic

Current Excitement:
VEGAS.
Returning from Vegas and relaxing for a bit.
Coming up with a few fun presents to give Irish on our one year
Jack is almost five!
Moving home = save up lots of $$ = happy Nora

Current Mood:
Overwhelmed.

And with my current mood mentioned, please be aware that I may be a tad more absent from blogging as I dive into my final five graduate school courses headfirst. No, no, not at all once. I have three nine-week semesters between now and then end of 2009. I’m taking two classes each for the next two semesters and then my final class October-December. If I’m not working, sleeping, eating, attempting to be a good girlfriend, friend, sister, daughter, dog-mother I’ll have my head stuffed in books and notes for awhile.