24 December 2008

Miss Independent

It's very hard sometimes. I've worked hard since I was a teenager. I was always an overachiever. Mix that in with a handful of wanderlust and you have my varied travels. I was always pretty independent and self sufficient. I don't need to be around people all the time. There are a handful of times when I want to be around them. However, I work in education, which I Iove, but isn't the most high paying of careers. My current job has me living in North Carolina. I get home as often as I can, but I'm trying to pay off my credit cards (almost there!!!), so there are some tough choices to be made sometimes about when I can travel. Most of the time I don't think about it. I have a full life here in Durham with work and church and friends. I plan on going back to school in the fall. Sometimes though, especially nights like Christmas Eve, when my heart aches a bit and I miss being there with my family. They are the most important thing to me and I miss not being back in North Providence. Christmas Eve has so many wonderful memories for me. Apricot cookies at Nana's, antipasto at Grandma and Grandpa's, me and my cousins in matching pajamas (there were only a handful of us way back then), SNOW, and I wish I could be back there where it all happened. I promised them that I would be home next year though. Three Christmases away in a row would be too much.

So tonight, rather than wallow, I am going to indulge in another tradition that my brother and I share: watching A Christmas Story over and over and over again. And there may be a mug of hot chocolate in there somewhere too.

23 December 2008

Christmastime is Here

One of the best Christmas albums out there is the soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (also one of the best Christmas specials). I've been listening to it all morning. Christmastime is indeed here. The malls are packed, the streets were packed last night, and Target was bustling even at 8pm last night when I was grocery shopping. On a side note...you folks in RI need a Super Target. It is the best place to grocery shop.

Today is my last day in the office for the week. Unfortunately I am not traveling home for Christmas. Not to worry, dear family, I have had several invitations here in the Durham area. One of my staff members has invited me to Christmas Eve service at their church and I've been invited to Christmas dinner at my boss's house. On the flip side - we have no snow here in North Carolina. I do not envy you northerners all the shoveling you've had to do this past week. In honor of Christmas, here is Linus, to share what Christmas is all about.


21 December 2008

Thursday Recipe (on Sunday)

Yes, yes, I know its Sunday. But I missed posting this past Thursday and next Thursday is Christmas and I probably won't post then. I got this recipe from Peggy when I worked at Bentley. So just in time for your Christmas parties this week is the artichoke dip recipe. This has become my go to recipe when I need to take a dish somewhere. Everyone loves it. Even people who aren't fans of artichoke dip love this one. Enjoy!

1 can artichoke hearts

1/2 cup parmesan/romano grated cheese

4oz shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 tsp minced garlic

Dash black pepper


1. Drain artichokes well, then mash.

2. Add mayo, garlic, pepper, cheeses.


3. Lightly spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

4. Add mixture to dish,
patting down firmly.

5. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Broil last minute to brown completely


Serve with pita, bagel chips, or crackers.


**Note - I don't broil the top and I don't notice a difference

15 December 2008

For the Love of Hugh Jackman

He is going to own 2009. He's hosting the Oscars and then this on May 1.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD


Also of note...Liev Schreiber is in the movie too! *swoon*

12 December 2008

Cute Overload

Oh my gosh! To meet your daily quota of cute, you absolutely must head over to the itty bitty kitty committee. The blog is written by a wonderful woman who fosters kittens for her local humane society in the Seattle/Tacoma area. She takes some gorgeous pics of the kitties in action. You just want to eat them up!

11 December 2008

Thursday Recipe

Now that the move is all done and I am unpacked and settled, I hope to resume my normal blogging schedule. So it's back to Thursday's schedule. This week's recipe is one I found in the Boston Globe a couple of years ago and I fell in love with it. The cookies are so moist and delicious. It's got the perfect blend of pumpkin, spices, and chocolate. This is a great cookie for this time of year. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

3. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and beat just until blended.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips or chunks and nuts, if using.

6. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.

7. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Rotate the sheets halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Adapted from "Too Busy to Cook?" Volume Two

06 December 2008

The New Apartment

I love it. Hands down it is the nicest place I have lived in over the course of my adult life so far (I do not count my mother's house as it isn't "mine").

Here are some pics...



Can I just say, I forgot how glorious it is to have a dishwasher! It makes cooking and baking so much easier. I used to hate scrubbing the pots and pans after making a batch of cookies.

On to the bathroom...



Yes indeed my friends, that is a garden tub. Being a tall girl, this was a huge bonus for me.

And the living room with my comfy new couch...



Jack and Kate have already settled down for a long winter's nap in the bedroom closet...they like it a lot in there.




04 December 2008

New Goal: 5k

I know this post doesn't contain pics of the new apartment, but my new couch and tables will be here on Friday and I wanted to wait so you all wouldn't see pictures of my bare living room. I have Saturday completely off so the aforementioned promised pictures will come then.

In the meantime...my new complex has a fitness center. This fitness center has a couple of treadmills. I had started running when I worked at Bentley, which seems like ages ago now. I hit the treadmill for the first time in many moons this morning and it felt good. My new goal is to run a 5k in June. Raleigh hosts the Race for the Cure 5k in June and I want to run. Not run/walk, run. Seeing as how it's been years and I am woefully out of shape, I needed to start at the beginning. Fortunately Cool Running has a great Couch to 5k program. I am at week one. It's a nine week program so by early Spring I should be just about there. Which gives me time to then get to 5k outside. It is very different to run outside than it is on the treadmill.

My thought was if I have a goal, I'll keep at it. My other goal is Michaela's wedding. My best friend of 15 years is getting married in June and I am bridesmaid in the wedding. And I want to look good. Not just for her and all the wedding pictures, but for me too. I've known Michaela since I was in 4th grade and she was in my Girl Scout troop. Her mom was the cookie mom (she had all of the boxes of cookies delivered to her and she then packaged the orders and gave them back to the scouts - by all accounts Mrs. Cadden hated being the cookie mom and I don't blame her).

I also have another wedding in August. My friend Matt is getting married! I've known him since my sophomore year of college. We met through NEACURH (stories for another time) and have been friends ever since. He's been like a younger brother, except he's about 8 inches taller than me. I am so happy that he's found the right girl and is getting married. It's in Minneapolis, so maybe when I am in town I'll be able to swing a bit of time and visit with Melinda and Jorma and the ever adorable baby Elsa.

So yes - many reasons to get back in shape and stay on course. Most importantly I'm doing it for me. I like how running makes me feel and I want to be fit and healthy. What better reasons are there?

02 December 2008

Update

With moving both at the office and at home I have had little blogging time. I promise some news and some pics of the new place hopefully tomorrow!
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