31 October 2012

30 October 2012

Anything Can Happen on Halloween

I love this movie.  I love Tim Curry.  My annual Halloween tradition. 




29 October 2012

Updates and Random Thoughts

I have been a terrible blogger this October.  I usually am so much better about posting as many days as I can for 31-for-21.  Life seemed to get in the way at every turn though.  What have I been up to?  Well...for one thing, I'm an Auntie!

My sister gave birth to my sweet angel of a niece last Thursday after a difficult 24+ hour labor.  Mom and baby are good, it was just a hard delivery.  Baby Rayla is the sweetest thing ever.  I know Marilla Cuthbert would say "every baby is the sweetest and the best", but in Rayla's case, she really is the sweetest.

Work has also been crazy insane.  Lot's going on, down a person, trying to get a handle on a new computer system, and trying to do things my own way has been a little trying.  In a good way though.  I am so so happy with my new place of employment.  The students are great, my staff is good, I have excellent colleagues and I have a fun commute.

I'm taking three classes this semester.  My last three classes.  Two classes and an independent study to be exact.  A lot of reading and a lot of writing.  Nothing terribly difficult, but it's a commitment, especially after living away for so long and wanting to do things with my family and friends on the weekends when I'm not working.  I've only got seven weeks left though, so I'm determined to tough it out.  After that I'll take my qualifying exams in the spring and I can start my dissertation after that.  I am so looking forward to being done.

And we're in the middle of a hurricane.  No power loss here yet.  We've had some pretty powerful wind gusts though.  No work for me today and I'm waiting to hear about tomorrow.  I would love another day off to spend home with Miss Rayla, but I also have a ton of things to do in the office, so I also kinda want to go to work tomorrow.  We'll see what happens.

23 October 2012

Tuesday Day Book

I am thinking … that I cannot wait for my niece to arrive.  Any day now...

I am thankful for ... the chance to go back to school and get my doctorate.  I felt like I would never finish, but I am almost done.

I am reading Something about faculty teaching for my Professoriate course.  It's not exactly riveting.
 
I am hoping …that the rest of this week goes better than Monday and Tuesday have.  Nothing terrible, just crazy and insane stuff at work.

On my mind ...thinking about travel for next year.  A vacation for sure, but also maybe a weekend at Inn BoonsBoro, a trip to North Carolina, and seeing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

I'm learning ...to relax.  It's hard.  I'm constantly doing something and I need to learn to unwind mentally.

Noticing that ... it's time to break down and go to the DMV and register my car.

From the kitchen …amazingly tasty calzones from Pastryland.  Mine was eggplant - so so yummy.

Around the house ... I finally found a water dish Kate won't tip over.  No more floods in the basement.

One of my favorite thingsunreal candy.  No HFCS, no preservatives, no GMOs, no artificial ingredients, no hydrogenated oils.  They are better than m&ms.  Better ingredients, richer chocolate taste, fewer pieces consumed to fill the chocolate craving.  And they're cute.  No red dye number 3.  They're colored with blue agave and beet juice instead.



19 October 2012

Scandal

I love this show.  Another one out of the Shonda Rhimes universe, Scandal is about Olivia Pope, a Washington DC fixer.  It's almost like a cross between Grey's Anatomy and The West Wing.  The show has great casting, good writing, and the chemistry between Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) is off the charts.  I also totally envy Olivia Pope's wardrobe.  Unfortunately, I can't afford Armani and Escada...

 

Scandal airs on ABC, Thursday nights at 10pm (after Grey's!)

18 October 2012

Thursday Recipe

I repost this recipe every fall - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. So so yummy and I get requests for them this time of year, so I thought now would be a good time to share again.

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

15 October 2012

Monday Day Book

I am thinking … that I can't believe the semester is just about halfway through.

I am thankful for ... the opportunities I have had this year.  Some pretty remarkable stuff.

I am reading A Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling.  Let's see how she does post HP.

I am hoping …to sleep better tonight than I did last night.

On my mind ...more work stuff.  There's still a lot of it that is so new.  I am so OCD about things it is killing me that I there's still things I don't know.

I'm learning ...that I am okay stepping away from the computer for awhile.

Noticing that ... my hair is long enough to pull back in a ponytail.  Finally.

From the kitchen …take out - we had an A&W Groupon we needed to use.  The root beer float was mighty tasty.

Around the house …not much.  It's pretty quiet.

One of my favorite things … attending mass at the church I grew up in.



14 October 2012

On the Agenda

We're getting into the part of the year when the movie studios release the movies they think will contend for an Oscar.  Since I LOVE movies, I am already compiling a list of the movies I need to see this Fall.  Up first?  Argo.  I already made plans to see this Tuesday night with my friend Amy.  I am so excited.  It's gotten great reviews so far.

 

Not on the Oscar race list, but looks like a ton of fun anyway is Wreck-It Ralph.  If you played video games in the 80s, this should be right up your alley.




Abraham Lincoln + Stephen Spielberg + Doris Kearns Goodwin = a beautiful movie


A movie based on a Russian classic?  Of course I'm going to go see it.

 

I will see anything with Marion Cotillard in it, so Rust and Bone is on the list.
 


While everyone is talking about The Hobbit for December, I will be getting in line to see Les Miserables.


So that's my movie list - what are you gearing up to see this Fall?


10 October 2012

Wednesday Day Book

Outside my window ...dark and chilly, 57 degrees.

I am thinking … that I am so thrilled to be back in Rhode Island.

I am thankful for ... my years at BayView.  I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

I am reading A Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling.  Let's see how she does post HP.

I am hoping …to meet my niece soon!

On my mind ...things I need to take care of at work tomorrow.  I am loving my new job, and I love working in Boston.  I just have a long to do list.

I'm learning ... to be more assertive in my personal life.  I have it down pat in my professional life.

Noticing that ... the leaves are changing color!

From the kitchen …peanut butter and jelly bars later this week, by request.

Around the house … time to vacuum and dust.

One of my favorite things … October!  It is my favorite month - the weather, the leaves, the pumpkins, and Halloween!  What's not to love?



09 October 2012

TBDBITL

If you haven't seen this yet, you need to.  And I am so proud to say I went to school there and have seen The Best Damn Band In The Land in action.  It is a bit long, but pay attention at the six minute mark, it is not to be missed.

 

06 October 2012

I'd like to thank the Academy...

This week I attended a fundraiser for my high school.  It was a winetasting event and it was a lot of fun.  I probably spent a little more than I initially intended, but it was for a good cause and one that I support every year.  I get requests from my undergraduate school (Fairfield U) and from my graduate school (Ohio State) for money fairly frequently.  I occasionally give them a few dollars.  Both of those schools have huge endowments though and the money I give to my high school goes further than it would elsewhere.

I had the incredible good fortune through scholarships and financial aid to attend BayView Academy in Riverside, RI for junior high and high school.  BayView is a private, Catholic, all-girls school.  And they do amazing things there.  I was an incredibly shy child.  Around family I was fine and around friends I had known since kindergarten I was fine.  But if I were to go out somewhere to a store or library and needed to ask a question or ask for help, I became petrified.  To this day I still have moments of anxiety if I need to make a phone call.  I'm better in person.  I would have been fine at the public high school in my town, but I don't know if I would have done as well as I did in the environment at BayView. 

BayView was founded by the Sisters of Mercy.   The Sisters of Mercy were founded by Catherine McAuley in Ireland in 1831.  They help those in poverty and those who lack education, particularly women and children.  The faculty and staff there taught me to be me and to be proud of who I was as a Catholic and as a woman.  Yes, we had to take religion classes, but those weren't just Catholic doctrine classes.  There were also courses on World Religions, Ethics, and Social Issues.  We were also encouraged to take sciences.  They now host a Women in Science and Engineering conference.  I haven't even begun to talk about the artistic legacy of the school.  

Back in sixth grade, when I took the entrance exam and crossed my fingers I had no idea that I would be part of such a legacy.  That my years at BayView would have such a profound impact on how I looked at the world and my place in it.  So when I can, I give back - with my time and with my wallet.  I know that my contributions will help the school continue in it's mission.

 

04 October 2012

Thursday Recipe

It's football season.  College football, professional football, I love it all (but NCAA a little bit more - Go Bucks!!!).  This is a recipe I found on pinterest and I'm glad I've committed it to memory because the link to the recipe no longer works.  This is a perfect football meal.  As sandwiches, over nachos, it is incredibly tasty.  And - it's a crock pot dinner, so you can put it in the crock pot and go about your day.  Here is my favorite recipe of the year - slow cooker buffalo chicken.

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (you can use more, just add more of the rest of the ingredients listed - you really can't mess it up)
1 bottle Frank's Buffalo Sauce (make sure it's buffalo sauce not the hot sauce)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Ranch Dip Mix
2 tbsp butter

Directions
Place the chicken breast in the crock pot.

Sprinkle the dip mix over the chicken

Pour the bottle of buffalo sauce over the chicken

Set the crock pot on low for 7 hours (give or take a half hour)

At the 7 hour point, take the chicken out of the crock pot.  Add the 2 tbsp of butter to the sauce in the pot and stir it around

Shred the chicken and return it to the crock pot and stir making sure the shredded chicken is coated in the sauce

Turn the crock pot to warm and let it sit for 30 mins - 60 mins

Serve on rolls or over nachos

**I like it on a roll with some Laughing Cow Swiss** 


03 October 2012

I'm late - by three days

Since I started this blog oh so many years ago I have participated in the 31-for-21 blog-a-thon.  October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month (Down Syndrome = Trisomy 21).  One of the very first blogs I tuned into before I started my own was Michelle's Big Blueberry Eyes, which is about her daughter Kayla.  Kayla has Trisomy 21 and in support of Michelle and Kayla I've participated in the blog-a-thon.

I'm late this year because I just couldn't get my act together in time.  The new job, the new commute, my new life patter has resulted in less time on the computer in my down time.  I'm not complaining about this, I just have not been a regular blog poster since I moved back to Rhode Island at the end of July.  I'm determined though so for the next 4 weeks look for more recipes, random thoughts, useless trivia, and who knows what else...plus my annual Halloween post featuring Tim Curry and the Worst Witch.

Stay tuned and join me for 31-for-21. 

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