27 May 2010

Two Weeks

Two weeks, two weeks, two weeks! Two weeks from now I will be in Texas. Everything is just about packed up and I have hired a moving company. All that's left is to load it up and move out. So for now, I am signing off. I'll post again once I am all moved into the new place in Dallas.

22 May 2010

Saturday Daybook

Outside my window …dark clouds, some thunder, and heavy rain.

I am thinking … that the women profiled on Bridezillas are really crazy.

I am thankful for this new opportunity to move to Texas.

I am reading Until the Twelfth of Never. It's a true crime novel, one of my favorites.

I am hoping … that I can settle all this moving company business on Monday or Tuesday. It's the last thing I need to line up regarding the move.

On my mind … Packing and moving and packing and hiring movers.

I'm learning … that I might need to invest in a cat condo for the new apartment. Kate really likes to climb - her new favorite spot is on top of the mattress that is leaning against the wall.

Noticing that … there is really not much left to pack - yea!

From the kitchen … not much, trying to close up shop for the move.

Around the house … boxes, boxes, and more boxes.

One of my favorite things … Alton Brown's Thin cookie recipe, I think it's the best out there.

20 May 2010

Thursday Recipe

I'm going to try to get back to my regular blogging schedule and I thought we'd start off with the Thursday recipe. This is another one from the Neelys. Having lived in the South now for almost four years, this Yankee girl (even though I am not generally a meat-eating person) has come to appreciate good barbecue. I thought this appetizer is a good way to try some BBQ at home.

Ingredients

* Olive oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 1/2 pounds onion, sliced
* 1 loaf French bread, sliced on into 1/2-inch slices
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 pound pulled pork
* Barbecue sauce
* Chives, sliced for garnish

Directions

Preheat the grill to high.

For Onions:

In a large saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter to melt. Add the onions and saute, stirring constantly, until the onions are deep brown in color, about 20 minutes.

For Bruschetta:

Brush the bread slices with olive oil. Rub the garlic clove on the bread and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp then repeat on the other side. Remove from grill and let cool slightly.

To Serve:

Top each piece of toast with a heaping spoonful of pork. Top with a spoonful of onions. Place a dollop of barbecue sauce on top of the bruschetta and garnish with chives.

19 May 2010

Not Gone

Ah, faithful readers, I haven't disappeared completely. I've just been swamped with packing, prepping to move, end of semester wrap-up (both at work and at school), etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...

The apartment is almost completely packed with the exception of pots and pans from the kitchen and the rest of my closet. I've actually run out of room to put the boxes that I've packed, so I will be taking my bed apart this weekend and using the extra space to stack the rest of the boxes. I will be sleeping on the couch for the next couple of weeks. Fortunately, I have a very comfy couch.

Updates on the random stuff:

The injured foot - it's doing better. I go back to the doctor on Monday for a follow-up. It doesn't hurt to walk or climb or anything, just side impact hurts (it's an oddly placed fracture, go figure). I'm hoping he gives me the all clear to work out again.

School - semester is done, I managed another 4.0 and I learned that UNT will accept the classes I took at NCSU, so I will be able to complete my doctoral degree in Texas.

Work - just trying to wrap everything up and make sure I leave everything in good order for the next person.

Jack and Kate - are handling all the boxes and chaos as I expected. Kate is curious about everything and Jack is content so long as there is still a place to nap.

And finally - today is D's birthday! He has the best birthday gift of all - two whole weeks off from school (translation - two whole weeks of leisure time). Happy Birthday!!!


06 May 2010

Thursday Recipe

Mmmmm, rice pudding. One of my memories of growing up is visiting my great-grandmother. She would make rice pudding and it was so delicious warm out of the oven with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top. It was simple - no added fruit or anything, just the rice pudding. I saw this recipe from the Neelys recently and it comes pretty close to Ma's. I would actually probably make it without the banana topping, but I;m including it here in case you are so inclined.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Caramelized Banana Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 ripe but firm medium bananas, sliced

Directions

Into a large saucepan, mix together milk, rice, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, allspice and salt over medium-high heat. Let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring frequently and being careful not to scorch the milk. Once rice is tender and pudding has thickened turn off heat and remove the vanilla bean.

In a heavy skillet, melt butter and add brown sugar over low heat. Stir to melt the sugar. Add sliced bananas and continue to saute until they are soft and covered with the sugar and butter mixture.

Spoon pudding to serving bowls and top with the warm banana topping.

02 May 2010

The Stars at Night...


If you can finish the line, you know where I am heading next. Indeed, I am moving to the Lonestar State - Texas. It was a very hard decision. I was offered the position of Registrar at a new campus in Dallas, the University of North Texas at Dallas. I would be their first Registrar. It was a great opportunity. The chance to start your own office and be the first anything at a college is a rare thing. It would mean an increase in salary and the opportunity to be closer to D. Which made the offer that much more appealing. Sounds like an easy choice, right? Go to Texas! But I really really loved my job at Duke. I had a wonderful staff, it was a great place to work, I loved where I lived, I have great friends, I was working on my doctorate...so many reasons to stay. I was really on the fence and I talked to a lot of people and ultimately decided that the opportunities in Texas were too good to pass up - both the personal and the professional.

I'm already looking forward to life in Dallas - visiting D in Austin (and vice versa); the Red Sox playing at Arlington Ball Park; shopping at Neiman Marcus...I may actually get out to California to visit my sister since it's a little less expensive to fly to CA from TX than it is from NC. More good news, I've been in touch with UNT. They have an EdD program and will accept my work from NCSU, so I can transfer into that program pretty much where I left off. I won't rule out a return to NC in the years down the road. I really loved living here and would love to come back someday.
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