Lessons of a Home Owner

We have learned a handful of things in our three and a half weeks of Home Ownership:

1. There may be 9+ smoke detectors in the house (don't ask....), but none of them will go off if someone falls asleep on the couch and burns the contents of a pot to smithereens, filling the whole first floor with smoke so much it messed with my asthma.
2. Apparently, if you want to save $20 you need to read the directions on the bag of fertilizer so you don't have to run out and buy a second bag.
3. Hard wood floors are pretty....and cranky.
4. Having a one car driveway means at some point I will HAVE to drive Joe's Accord. Shucks. ;)
5. There are too many hiding places....making you wonder if Tiger found a way to sneak out.

Dr. Who

Last night I went to a friend's house to see the latest two episodes of Dr. Who, a British Sci Fi show. I won't comment on those shows, not knowing who hasn't seen them yet. But I will say.....those weeping angels are not very nice.

What I did want to comment on is the fact that I now watch a Sci Fi show! You'd think that someone as geeky as me would normally be all over it...but I'm not. I don't really do Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. I'm not sure I've ever seen Star Trek. But Dr. Who speaks to me. Maybe its because a majority of the episode is about the story of the main characters or that they are doing good with their time. Loving London certainly has an impact on it. But I have grown to love the show. I get sad when the Doctor's companions leave....loosing the Ponds was extremely hard. I get invested in the Doctor. (Who here still doesn't miss David Tennant?....not that Matt Smith isn't good.)

Another thing that makes Dr. Who appeal to me? I got introduced to it while studying abroad with some of my closest friends. Well, I suppose if we are being literal, I was introduced to a Dalek cake and a few bottles of beer. But the same friends introduced to me to the Dr. Who TV show once we came home. To still be watching five and a half years later is pretty special!

TV Shows That Need A Reboot

With the Boy Meets World remake coming up, and with seeing Sally Field in a movie preview, I started thinking of shows that need to have a reunion.

1. Full House
2. Brothers and Sisters
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. TLR
5. The West Wing
6. Six Feet Under
7. ER

What would you add?

AFSP Update

I have blogged about my volunteer work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in the past. This fall, in addition to being a chairperson for the Community Outreach and Education Committee, I became a Board Member for the Illinois Chapter! I am so excited to help this great organization in a great way!

Fiesta!

Today I received the new Fiestaware I ordered with some birthday presents. As it is every time I get new Fiesta, it was like Christmas! Big dork, I know...but if Joe can do his car thing, I think I can do a dishes thing.

I have a place setting in the new Flamingo, including a bread and butter plate, fruit bowl, ramekin and trivet. The utility tray (a new piece!),  a large canister and a small one, to complete a set I started a few months ago. I also have two replacement glasses....apparently they easily slip out of hands :)

I'm Proud

I am only 27, but in those 27 years I have seen lots of changes in society that I am proud of.

1. I am proud to be alive for the first African American president. This thought is NOT political. I am just proud that society has moved far enough past racism (its not perfect yet) that we can elect a non-white person to lead our nation.
2. I am proud that our soldiers able to talk about PTSD and get help for it. Again, we aren't nearly as far along as I would like to be, but those men and women are willing to give our lives for the rest of us and need to be taken care of.
3. I proud that psychiatric illnesses are being coming less taboo to talk about and receive medical help for.

Yes, at the moment this is a short list. But all of these are very significant to me. I can only imagine what else will happen in my lifetime!

Vote!

Crazy short post today. I forgot about NaBloPoMo until just now...

Please go vote tomorrow!!

Fakesgiving

I decided I wanted to cook a full blown Thanksgiving dinner. Then I realized my fridge is full of food for another party I am throwing on Tuesday. So I invited some friends over to join our celebration and cut down on left overs!

Here is the menu:

Turkey Breast (A frozen cook in the bag thing from Target...it was my only option)
Sweet Potato Casserole--- my aunt's recipe
My Oma's Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Butternut Squash
Salad -- with dried cranberries substituting the dried cherries
Cranberry Sauce
Store bought rolls
Store bought apple pie


Slightly over board? Yes, I think so. Oops!

Schedule

I do crazy things to my schedule. People think I'm a little nutty. Example: throwing our House Warming and Joe's 30th Birthday Party within three weeks of each other. In addition tomorrow I am having a small Fakesgiving (basically an excuse for me to cook a huge dinner), having a friend over for a food and tequila filled election night party and having my grandma from Wisconsin come over for a dinner in two weeks. I spent a ridiculous amount of money on food the past three days. I was visiting my grandma and wanted to take advantage of the no food tax in Wisconsin to stock up on party non perishables and the alcohol I'd need for all said events....I'm sure that whatever the Wisconsin liquor tax is less than Crook County's.

In other scheduling news, I also have two AFSP events coming up. Including Survivors of Suicide Day November 17. I will be going back to work a seasonal job in about a week as well. My cousin and I have also set a date for our annual Christmas baking day. Oh! And it looks like one of Joe's friends will be staying with us for the second half of December.

I know this is all pretty boring to read, but my calendar looks nutty! And this is just slightly more chaotic then usual. I don't do bored well.

Tomorrow I will post some of the Fakesgiving recipes I used! Yum!

November

Right after Joe and I got engaged we adopted two adorable kittens. I named our girl tortoiseshell November. It was the month that we started dating and the month we were planning our wedding. Joe named our boy tabby Tiger. They were adorable and curious. They loved climbing and snuggling. They stayed very attached throughout their four and a half years together. They would frequently play, and I'd often seen them cleaning each other.

Vemmy was a pretty typical cat. She had the softest fur I'd ever touched and the biggest paws I've seen on a cat. She liked sleeping, hiding when people came over and permanently claimed one corner of our bed.

She was a big fan of her wet food...but only Mixed Grill. And you should have seen the way she loved catnip, it was absolutely hilarious. Both of our little guys liked to sneak out on our balcony. Vem gave me a heart attack because her favorite spot was behind our grill. On the outside of the railing. And Q-tips! Girlfriend would dig through the garbage or nudge open our cabinet to find them.

She was always a Mommy's girl. When we went to bed she'd come up and snuggle me. One night when I was feeling sick she came and sat with me in the bathroom. The night before we thought and prepared to put her down I was a mess. Sobbing lying in bed. In the worlds biggest example of irony, my baby girl who was struggling to breathe, came and comforted me. She was the sweetest girl.

She was so welled behaved during her final month of doctor visits. For the most part she was calm and cooperative. Eventually we settled into a medication routine. And my family was amazing with keeping an eye on her when I had to be gone for several hours. And my good friend joined me to the  trip to the cardiologist. I wanted another adult there to help me remember stuff and Joe was stuck at work. Joe and I truly grateful for all of the support we got during that time.

Vem was a really sweet girl, and Joe, Tiger and I miss her and her snuggles. I miss sharing the end of my side of the bed and getting middle of the night snuggles. We hope she is comfy in kitty heaven and getting lots of hugs and kisses!

NaBloPoMo 2012

I haven't been blogging lately. I just haven't made it a priority. However lots of happened, so I figured I will use November to get back into the groove with National Blog Posting Month. I did it last year and it was a lot of fun. I have to get those creativity juices flowing again! I hope you hang around to see!

Crazy Week

So much has happened in the past eight days. I had intended to write about each event, but things just kept snowballing!

First, last Tuesday I went to my first Crosstown Classic! It was a wonderful time, although you would be surprised how hard it is to give away a ticket! I went with my mom, my cousin and one of my friends. It was wonderful weather and a good game, unfortunately the Sox did loose. Of course, they did win the next day!

Thursday was a whirlwind! I had my very first outdoor skate (to prepare for Sunday's Pride Parade). Afterwards I hurried up to Old Orchard Mall to a Janet Evanovich book signing! I was truly lucky to have a wonderful friend who waited in line for me so that I could make sure my first out door skate wasn't in front of 850, people.

Saturday I had my first AFSP even as the Outreach and Education Committee Co-Chair. We had our annual Bipolar and Depression Awareness Day. We had a good turn out!

And Sunday I skated with Derby Lite in Chicago's Pride Parade. It was a hot day and a long skate. But it was an awesome event to be apart of!



But the weekend also brought some heartache. Our little November had to be taken to the hospital. We learned that there was fluid in and around her lungs and her heart was four to five times too big. What this basically means is that we will probably only have another year with her. Tomorrow she goes to see the kitty cardiologist so that we can learn how to care for her for our remaining time with her and get a more specific prognosis.

That was my week in a nutshell!

AFSP Overnight 2012-San Francisco

June 9th and 10th Joe and I volunteered for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Overnight Walk in San Francisco. This was Joe's second walk and my third. As always it was an amazing experience. We met some amazing people, supported hard working walkers and helped make a difference in the stigma towards mental illness and suicide.

One of the most touching parts for me was a woman we met in the park where our Rest Stop was. When we arrived we had to clear out the park. While most of the people were upset with us, one woman was curious. She wanted to know more about us. As we continued setting up, I went over and chatted to her a bit. I wanted to thank her for understanding our need to empty out the park. While talking to her I learned that she had lost her brother to suicide in the past month. Being able to direct her to resources and plant a seed of hope meant a lot to me.

After we closed and cleaned up our Rest Stop, we made our way back to the site of the Closing Ceremony's where the Luminary bags were lining the end of the walk. The above is the one Joe decorated. I dedicated one to my struggle and another to the people who  have struggled along with me.

We are looking forward to hearing where next year's location is! *Fingers crossed for Chicago.*

2012 Garden

Last week (at least I think it was last week, my random lifestyle has my weeks all blended) my mom and I finished planting our garden. Like last year, I am taking advantage of her double lot and we are co gardening a bunch of vegetables.

Here we have asparagus (year 1), peas and some tomatoes.

kohlrabi and spinach

Peppers, broccoli and carrots

Pickles, cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash

more tomatoes (we can them for year long use)

some green onions, but the late summer/fall home of Brussels sprouts! Yum!

Herbs. On the left is thyme, rosemary, dill, cilantro and chives. On the right is basil, parsley and sunflowers.

Cool Things About Being a Derby Girl

Here are some of the cool things about being a Derby (Lite) Girl:

1. I get emails from someone named Glass Kicker
2. I had a mouth guard container in my purse.
3. I get to exercise in a women's only class
4. I can wear polka dot shorts like its no big deal
5. It's pretty bad ass :)

It's Been Awhile

So, I have not done a lot of blogging lately. Life has been pretty hectic, so much stuff going on! First, its the last week of the semester. That translates to PROJECTS, PROJECTS, PROJECTS. At least they feel like they are all CAPS in my head. Derby has been pretty big, too. I am preparing (buying out door wheels and parade uniform) to roll in Chicago's Pride Parade. Really excited about participating in an extracurricular Derby event. Speaking of Pride, I'm still sun burnt from last years.... Also, there has been a lot of activism and volunteering to participate in. I am working with my committee to put together an AFSP Town hall and a Bipolar/Depression Awareness Day. Joe and I are also preparing for our vacation/AFSP Overnight next month. We are really looking forward to some time away from it all. So one top of all those commitments, there is also a house, two cats and a husband to take care of. I will try to get back to blogging more regularly. I miss expelling creative energy.

Meeting The Pioneer Woman

My AMAZING husband took me to Indianapolis for a Pioneer Woman book signing. He drove me all the way there, stood with me in line, and came up and shared a star struck moment with me.

We waited in line for at least three hours, and when the big moment came, I was too busy being excited to stay in the moment. But what I do remember, is how sweet she was. She took the time to have a real conversation with every body, pose for a picture and sign their books.

I am so excited to have met her! And to see that she really is as nice and funny in person.

But mostly I am grateful for my super patient, wonderful husband who would spend nine hours with me waiting for a 60 second moment. I love you Joe!

St Patrick's Day

This is always a fun holiday for me, mostly because of the time required in the kitchen. This year, like year's past, I made corned beef and cabbage (in the crock pot!), potato leak soup, and Irish soda bread. This year I also added potato leek pizza and a friend brought a yummy casserole! It was delicious! Here's the spread:

My New Office

We have a two bedroom apartment. The extra bedroom is supposed to be an office. In reality, it is Joe's man cave and my storage (for cooking appliances and books). In order for me to get a desk in there, we would have to buy new book cases, a desk and then do a whole lot of shuffling. In other words, it isn't going to happen, at least not within the next couple months when I need a desk/office area the most (classes, the extra volunteer responsibilities I took on, my crafty needs and vacation organization). So I decided that I was going to make my dining room an office as well. I usually do my work at the table, I like having the option of spreading out to organize my brain and my work. So I pulled some shelves out of the office to make my storage and am going to continue taking over the dining room table when we don't have people over. I am happy with my temporary arrangement. I believe it will get me through my spring and summer work.

2012 Garden

The past couple of weeks my mom and I began our seeds for our summer garden. And when I say mom and I, I mean mostly her. As she says, I am the busiest unemployed person....so my schedule is tricky.
Anyways, back to the plants. Mom planted: tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, yellow squash and zucchini. We will also be planting lettuce, spinach and carrots once we get outside.

Then I came over today with some herbs to plant and brussel sprouts, but that has to wait a few months before we plant them.

We plan on digging in the garden in May, and I look forward to a season of free veggies!

Four Things That Make Me Happy

1. I love my DVR....I get to do sinful things like record One Tree Hill on Soap Net. And I certainly never cry while watching these shows.

2. I love dropping two pant sizes, no big deal. And I seem to have done it mostly through diet...and with out having to give up the joy otherwise known as Ben and Jerry's.

3. I LOVE blogger's cookbooks. They make me happy. I read them like a novel. What makes them better then traditional cookbooks are the stories they share, the practical tips (ie how/when to freeze stuff for later) and the gorgeous pictures. I am currently going through Joy the Baker's Cookbook and prepping myself for Pioneer Woman's Food From My Frontier.

4. I love that Joe and I have solidified our travel plans to go to San Francisco in June to help crew the AFSP Overnight. It will be nice to get away, we've only done weekend trips the past two years, so a real week long vacation sounds wonderful.

Pride and Predjudice

The other day I finished my first Jane Austen book yesterday! It was Pride and Prejudice. Somehow, I got through my English degree without being required to read her! I really enjoyed it and plan on reading more of her. For my February book I am going to read James Patterson's Witch and Wizard.

Super Bowl

So once a year we a host a huge party. We host Super Bowl for our mutual friends. We have people over often, but Super Bowl is our big one. So yesterday I spent the day cooking, Joe spent the day cleaning and we spent the evening relaxing with friends.

Another perk of my cooking all day? I finished the appetizer section of PW Cookbook! Two sections down, three to go!

All in all it was a good party. Now if only I didn't have to catch up on homework today....

Notes My Husband Leaves Me

My New Love

I love my mini muffin pan. I had originally bought it right before my wedding. I wanted to make dessert for the rehearsal dinner, so I made a LOT of mini cupcakes. Since then I have used it for recipes which call for the lovely mini muffin pan. But I have also used it to make miniature versions of larger recipes: full sized muffins, zucchini bread. To be honest, I don't think I have ever used my full size muffin tin. I like having bite sized foods. Its so simple, especially for my hectic lifestyle and easily helps me stick to the ever frustrating diet. So, to my dear and wonderful mini muffin pan, I want to send my love; thank you for your versatility and dependability.

Julie and Julia vs Meg and Ree SUCCESS!

Today I have officially cooked all the recipe's in the the dessert section! 1 down, 4 to go!

Oma's Stuffing

Those of you who know my husband know that I have one picky eater to satisfy. Thankfully, he has lately opened up to the thought of trying new things. As we sat down to family dinner the other night, he was hesitant to try the stuffing my mom had made (using my grandmother's recipe). He was surprised that he liked it! I knew immediately I had to figure out an exact recipe to share with you all, so that's what I did today!

Oma's Stuffing

1lb sage pork sausage

1/2 onion, chopped

2 chopped apples

4 chopped celery ribs

2 eggs, lightly beaten (I forgot these and it was just as yummy)

1 6oz box of cornbread stuffing

2 cups of chicken broth

1. brown the sausage with the onion, then reduce heat to medium/low
2. add apple and celery and cook for 2 minutes
3. lightly beat and add the eggs (unless you forget like I did)
4. add stuffing and chicken broth stir until the bread has all the juices (my skillet was small so I transferred the meat mixture to a baking dish then combined the stuffing and broth in the skillet)
5. bake covered at 350 for 45-60 minutes (we baked ours in a rectangle baking dish, you could also loosely stuff a bird)

NOTE: if you like more stuffing you can add a 2nd box and 2 more cups of broth. But we like ours chunky like this.

 

Hummus

I have been asked to post some of my favorite recipes on here, so over the next couple months I will try to post a bunch of my favorites.

This is what I use for homemade hummus:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cannellini-Bean-Hummus

I use extra garlic and omit the parsley. You can find the Tahini at Whole Foods. Delish! Especially since I strongly believe everything is better homemade!

Its Been Awhile

This is a brief catch up post, I wish it was of more substance, but I haven't been here in more then a week. The biggest news is that I have started school again. I am working on getting a certificate in Library Technical Assistance. What better place for a literature major to be then a library? I am only allowed to take two classes my first semester, which still leaves me with far too much free time. So I am taking the Intro course and a work skills course. I need to decide how many summer classes I want to take. They are offering two classes, but I want to see how I feel towards the end of this semester. I just applied for a part time job, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Speaking of summer, Joe and I are planning our California trip for June. I can't wait until I can start booking flights, hotels, baseball games and our AFSP volunteering. We are planning a nine day trip which will include LA and San Francisco, as well as day trip to the Redwoods.

The diet isn't going 100% perfectly. But I definitely use the tools I learned and am eating far more balanced meals and a ton more produce. I was even able to drop a pant size! I plan on keeping up with the good habits and continue dropping the bad ones.

And now, because I am sick, I am going to go rest and work on reading my one book a month. This month's book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

I Couldn't Make This Up If I Tried

My cats are a never ending source of entertainment. They are absolutely hilarious, and make up in cuteness what they lack in being a good roommate.

Tiger

• Tiger is a little rascal. When we come home he meets us at the back door. You'd think its because he wants his next meal, but all that little guy wants to do is run down the stairs and scare his mommy by trying to eat a poinsettia plant.
• Someone (*cough* Joe *cough*) brought him down stairs while he was doing laundry. Tiger now thinks that every laundry trip includes him.
• Tiger likes lotion. And by that I mean he likes to eat it. Because I have eczema, I have a bottle of lotion in every room. The lotion on my night stand, however, must be kept in a drawer, because that's the single bottle Tiger decided tastes good.
• After the hubs gave me an iPhone for my birthday I woke up to my headphones in pieces...I wasn't sure who to blame. A few moments later Tiger was playing with them. Mystery solved.
• He isn't very good at hiding...but it doesn't stop him from trying.
• He thinks my laptop is his heating pad. And that this is not a negotiable topic.
• He likes string cheese. But not other cheese. And turkey. It's hard to make a lunch alone in this house.
• He likes to clean his mommy. He will sit behind me and knead me and "clean" my hair. I know he does it to show he cares...but a gift would be nicer then cat licked hair.
• He thinks that if he's afraid of people he should go closer to them.
• One day he wanted to help me design a book cover...by pawing at my screen continuously.

November

• November is a much more "normal" cat. She hides and sleeps...usually in the middle of my bed.
• She only snuggles her mom. She usually sleeps at the foot on my side of the bed at night, but every now and then she'll come up and snuggle me.
• Vem thinks that biting me is the appropriate way to ask for food. She's not shy about it either. I could be sleeping and if she's hungry and out of food (or out of the food she WANTS to eat) she'll bite me until I fix it.
• Today she turned off a light switch. I'm sure she had good reason for it being off, so I watched TV without the light on.
• She likes to play soccer. With my stuff. On my table. Once she knocked over an $8 brand new bottle of nail polish so it could break all over my floor. My Nativity Scene animals or my beverage also make good soccer balls.
• She's curious about water. Whenever we get out of the shower, she has to jump in there and hang out with the water droplets.
• She LOVES LOVES LOVES her cat nip. I regularly use it to bribe her.
• She likes giving me a heart attack...by going on our balcony and walking along the edge outside the railing.
• Vem thinks boxes, suitcases, etc are meant for her to sit in.
• Window ledges are her perch. She likes the feeling of the out doors.

The First Week of the New Year

I have some loose ends I'd like to tie up before furthering this blog. Have at 'em:

• I made it through the detox/cleanse. I'll be honest, there was one day I was ready to quit and jump to the 25 day plan. Thankfully, a dear friend (the one who introduced me to the Cinch! diet) was able to talk me into continuing. For the most I follow the diet, but there are two areas I struggle with; I do not always eat all four meals, or all of my meal. And I am not drinking as much water as I should. I am going to attempt to pay extra close attention to my water intake in the coming week.
• Appreciating Joe: I have told Joe many times that I appreciate him. Its actually getting silly. But, I never want him to doubt my gratefulness for all that he does for us.
• Pride and Prejudice. This is my book for January. I might be the only English major who has never read Jane Austen, and that just can't go on.
• I have registered for classes, I begin my LTA classes Thursday night. I also signed up for Derby.
• I've also decided to add a few goals to my resolutions: I want to be a better friend. Because of the circumstance of 2011, I have not been the friend I would like to be, I hope to bring that back this year. Also, from the Entertainment category, I am adding a White Sox game and a PW book signing (I am assuming she will do a book tour when her new cookbook comes out.)

Sorry for the disjointed post, having cleared this up, I'll be able to proceed in a couple days. Have a good one!

Day 4 of Cinch!...The Detox Continues

Yesterday was rough. Really rough. I was craving all sorts of  bad foods. I was considering stopping the detox and skipping to the 25 day plan. Thankfully, my friend, who introduced me to the diet, convinced me to continue. Today is better. Today I am almost done with the detox. Today I learned some very important things:

1. Frozen berries thawed are NOT equivalent. They are nasty mess of mush.
2. My blood sugar has stabilized. Now when I get hungry I don't get shakey and feel like I am going to pass out.
3. My body needs more variety in textures. I want myself a cracker.
4. I CAN NOT WAIT UNTIL FRIDAY, WHEN I CAN HAVE SOME CHEESE!

Cinch! Day 3

Today the Cinch! diet became a struggle. I am craving all sorts of "bad" things: salt, butter, excessive amounts of cheese, fried and greasy foods. I'm beginning to doubt my ability to stay on this diet. Especially since I don't see any changes that this detox is supposed to provide. I am going to have to take this moment by moment and try to hang in there. I can eat cottage cheese as early as Friday. I can do this. I CAN do this.

Cinch! Day 1

For about the past two years, I have woken up in the middle night. At first it was because I was hungry, so naturally I would eat. But as time went on, I think it was just a habit that I picked up. Wake up, eat, sleep some more, repeat. The Cinch! diet obviously does not approve this habit. So my second challenge was getting through the night with out eating. (The first challenge was drinking water at midnight instead of champagne). I realize that this could cause discomfort for me, especially if I did wake up hungry. To compromise, each time I woke up (which was three times) I would eat a single raspberry and drink water. I later cut out three raspberries from my breakfast. The goal for tonight: only water.

Emotional eating: after reading the Cinch! book and committing to a meal plan, I have become very aware of unnecessary eating. For example, I have cookies and freeze dried apples to my left. After my first meal I wanted to eat them. Not because I was hungry, not because I was craving it, simply because it was there. My goal is to cut back on emotional eating. I know myself well enough to know that I will eat pizza and blackberry cobbler again and indulge in comfort food. But I want to be more aware of my hunger cues and minimize unnecessary eating. And then there is boredom eating, I will have to conquer that as well.

Meal 1: Scrambled egg, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup raspberries, 2 tablespoons almonds. I am definitely satisfied. But to be honest, I wasn't all that hungry when I sat down to eat.

Meal 2: Spinach salad with raspberries, almonds and a hard boiled egg, dressed in balsamic vinegar and lime juice.

Meal 3: Greek nonfat yogurt, raspberries and almonds.

Meal 4: Smoothie made from yogurt, raspberries and almond butter.
The third challenge: today Joe defrosted some PW Cinnamon Rolls to make room in our freezer. I'm willing to bet they will be gone before the 31st.

First Day Conclusion: I did alright. I feel content without feeling weighed down. I've eaten better/more regularly/normally then I have in a long time. Hope tomorrow goes just as well.