all dressed in black

I've moved...

2010-06-21T07:33:00.002-05:00

After six years on blogger I have made the big move to WordPress. I've moved the last few posts to my new blog, but otherwise it will be all new stuff...

Check me out here:
All dressed in black

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

2010-06-15T09:42:00.003-05:00

I've made this several times and will continue to make it. Next time I would like to switch the orzo with quinoa and add a little more nutritional value. Or try cilantro in the place of parsley. It's fast, easy and delicious.

Picture and Recipe taken from Cooking Light(March 2009):

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup orzo mixture and about 7 shrimp)

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

As suggested, I usually make asparagus as a side to go with this dish. I have also done zucchini and summer squash. All were delicious.

**When being lazy I use precooked shrimp and throw them in during the last minute or two to heat them through.

Peanut Butter Oreo Cake

2010-06-15T09:16:00.006-05:00

Brian requested a Peanut Butter Oreo cake for his birthday in April. I didn't want it to be sweetness overkill(how could it not be?) so I searched long and hard for a recipe. I ended up combining multiple recipes to make this cake come to life.

I adapted the cake recipe from Dozen Flours:

Oreo Cake
adapted from Cake Mix Doctor

Cake
18 full-sized Oreos or one 8oz package of mini Oreos or 2 1/4 cups of chocolate cookie crumbs
1 package (18oz) of white cake mix WITH pudding in the mix
1 cup water (room temperature)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Cake
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray two 9" cake pans with Pam for baking or grease with shortening and dust evenly with flour, tapping out the excess. Set the pans aside.

Grind the cookies in a food processor and process them until you have a fine crumb. If you don't

have a food processor, you can put the cookies in a zip-lock style bag, squeeze all the air out, and crush them using the bottom of pot or a rolling pin. You'll need 2 1/4 cups of crumbs total. If you have more than this, set them aside to use to decorate the cake (if desired). Set aside.

Place the cake mix, water, eggs, and oil in a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 1 minute and scrape the bowl and blade. Increase the speed to medium and mix for another 2 minutes and scrape the bowl and blade. The batter should look evenly colored. Add the cookie crumbs and mix on low for 15 seconds or so until all the crumbs look evenly distributed.

Pour the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops. Bake both pans in the oven, side by side, and bake about 25-30 minutes until a cake tester in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans and invert onto the rack. Then invert each cake again so they continue to cool right-side-up. Allow to cook completely 30 minutes more.

Peanut butter frosting(for between the layers) taken from RecipeZaar:

Ingredients
1 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
Cream butter and peanut butter together. Then, add half the powdered sugar and blend.
Blend in milk and vanilla. Add remaining powdered sugar. Stir until smooth and well blended.**

Assembly
Slice each cake horizontally (if desired) so you have 4 layers of cake. Place a little bit of frosting on the bottom of your cake plate (this will act like glue and hold the cake in place). Place one of the cake slices cut side up on the plate. Top with peanut butter frosting and smooth to about 1/2 from the edge. Repeat the process with the remaining 3 layers. Then I used whipped milk chocolate frosting(store bought, gasp!) to frost the top and side of the cake. I cut several Oreos in half and decorated the top with them...and several candles(31 to be exact)!

**I doubled this recipe for the filling...WAYYYYYYY to much frosting. I wouldn't have used all the frosting had I just done a single batch. My roommates dogs were very happy to eat it up, though.

Yellowfin Tuna Steaks

2010-06-08T22:45:00.003-05:00

Tuna steaks have always been a little intimidating to me. Well, most seafood is. I feel like chicken is so much more versatile and much less easy to mess up. Being a recovering vegetarian and having not cooked any meat in a few years the task at hand was a little more daunting.

Resolving to eat more healthy and dating a guy from Florida meant incorporating more seafood into my diet(not at the most opportune time considering the Gulf oil spill). So, I was at the grocery store and saw some yellow fin tuna steaks. Remembering how much I enjoyed eating tuna steaks while in Hawaii made me buy them. I headed home to search for an easy recipe to hopefully not screw up.

Recipe adapted from cooks.com:

GRILLED AHI STEAKS (YELLOW FIN TUNA)

2-8 oz yellow fin tuna steaks

Marinade:

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 clove crushed garlic (per steak)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
small amount of sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a shallow 9 X 13 inch glass dish, prepare all of the marinade ingredients. Remember, if you have more than 2 8 oz tuna steaks, you might need to adjust the ingredients to marinate. Marinate both sides (dredge steaks and get marinade on both sides). Let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes before grilling. *Soy sauce will overpower tuna if you marinate for too long!
Light the grill while tuna is marinating. Once coals are white (30 minutes) spread them and clean the grill, then wipe with oil so steaks don't stick.(See note below as I used the stove top).

Grill for 4 minutes or less per side for 1 inch steaks, depending on how you like them. Steaks should be firm with pink in the middle. If you prefer steaks to be more rare, grilling time should be 2 1/2 minutes on each side.

**Well, I didn't have access to a grill so I just heated up a skillet nice and hot and cooked them for the same amount of time. I turned the burner on high and left the skillet to heat up for about 10 minutes. Use a little of a high heat tolerant oil to grease the pan so they don't stick right before they go in and cook according to grill times.

They didn't look beautiful when they were done and I was quite skeptical about eating it, but it tasted amazing!

For a side, I reserved about 1/4 cup of the marinade to the side before putting the tuna in to marinate. I diagonally sliced 2 zucchini and 2 yellow summer squash in 1/8-1/4in slices and placed in a single layer on a non-stick aluminum foil covered baking pan. I brushed them with the marinade and baked them at 425F for 12 minutes or until starting to lightly brown on the edges. I've never enjoyed zucchini and summer squash so much. I have made them a few times again just by making a much smaller batch of the marinade and using it just for the vegetables.

Also, I believe "ahi" technically refers to blue fin tuna, not yellow fin, but I'm not one to argue with the person that submitted the recipe that brought such nice flavors to my mouth.

Easiest pizza dough EVER

2010-06-08T22:30:00.002-05:00

This is seriously the easiest pizza dough. Just when I am wanting homemade pizza but don't want to take the time to let the dough rise and put off dinner for an extra hour, I remember this pizza and "presto!" pizza!

Adapted from:
http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/2009/07/pizza-blanco-the-easiest-pizza-dough-in-the-world/

Get ready for easy:

1 packet of yeast
1 c warm water
2 1/2 c flour
1 t honey
1 t salt
2 T olive oil
cornmeal

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, add in the yeast and warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Add the flour, salt, honey, and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon vigorously until combined. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto a walled baking sheet and press dough into it until thin(I usually use a baking stone, but pans and grills work well, too). Add toppings as desired and bake 20-25 minutes until crust is light brown and cheese is bubbly.

Notes:
I usually use half whole wheat and half regular flour. I've also made several other variations when making this crust. At times I've added extra honey for a sweeter crust...delicious. Another time we threw oregano into the mix for a more flavorful crust. It's an easily adaptable and nearly impossible recipe to mess up. We have even used it on the grill at my parents house and it cooked as well as other recipes that take much longer to make.

Just make sure that you roll/press it out about 30% thinner than you actually want it to end up because it has a tendency to rise a bit while cooking.

Enjoy!

Tilapia and asparagus packets

2010-06-08T22:05:00.004-05:00

I had seen this recipe a month or two ago and finally got around to making them. Super simple, healthy and delicious. It would be perfect for entertaining because they are quick to make and minimal clean up...more time with your guests.

Adapted from Woman's Day magazine:

4 cups baby spinach**
4 tilapia fillets (6 to 7 oz each)
8 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into lengths about 2 in. long
4 tsp each capers and minced shallots**
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 to 12 thin slices lemon

**I didn't have any spinach or shallots so I just left them out and they still turned out fabulous.

Heat oven to 425ºF. You’ll need a rimmed baking pan and 4 pieces of parchment paper or nonstick foil. I used foil because I couldn't find my parchment paper...until the day after I made them.

To make each packet: Place 1 cup spinach in center of parchment(again, I didn't do this). Top with a tilapia fillet. Brush fish with 1 tsp of the olive oil. Scatter 1/2 cup of the asparagus on and around fish. Scatter 1 tsp each of the shallots and capers, and 1/2 tsp of the thyme over top. Drizzle with another tsp of the oil; sprinkle with 1⁄4 tsp of the salt and 1/8 tsp of the pepper. Top fish with 2 or 3 slices of the lemon.(I also didn't' brush the top of the tilapia with olive oil, I just drizzled it over the top and they were plenty moist and delicious.)

Bring long ends of paper/foil together and fold down 3 times to make a seam. Place on baking pan and tuck ends underneath. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 packets.

Bake 15 minutes until packets are puffed. Open 1 packet to test doneness. If fish isn’t opaque at center, reseal packet and return to oven. Check again after 5 minutes.

Progress

2010-06-08T21:57:00.002-05:00

As I updated my facebook status to say that I really, really, really wanted an iPhone 4, I got a comment that made me think.

It's true. I would give up my cell phone if no one ever died of thirst again.

Thought provoking article:

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2010/03/progress.html

Party in my mouth

2010-03-24T15:49:00.004-05:00

If forced to decide, I would have to say that original Starburst candies are my favorite candy. Recently, Mars Incorporated came out with a new line of Starburst.

FaveREDs.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. The package only includes four flavors: watermelon, cherry, strawberry and fruit punch.They are all amazing except for the fruit punch. I developed an aversion to anything fruit punch flavored after my dentist made me do fruit punch flavored fluoride trays as a child. ICK!

I'm sure they won't be around long so indulge yourself now.

I also have an obsessive love for anything coconut flavored. Well, M&M's hit the mark with their new Coconut M&M's. But again, they won't be around for long and they are so delicious I'm sure they are flying off the shelves like they have might have a Willy Wonka golden ticket inside.

Another "year"...

2010-03-23T22:43:00.002-05:00

Every year on March 22, I start a new "year of"...

I started this in 2006 when my roommate Jenne encouraged me to read the book, The Year of Yes and we both participated. I was left exhausted after completeing the Year of Yes, so 2007 became the Year of (mostly) HELL NO. Then, came the Year of Balls to the Wall(again, sorry for the name, mom) and then last year was the Year of Respect. A highly successful year in my book.

Last year I feel like I really got a lot of toxins out of my life and figured out what I wanted and how that was going to happen. I put myself out there and took some risks...and I'm happy that I did. I didn't do it all on my own though. I've been fortunate to have amazing mentors in my life that have always taught me what is important, even if I was too young to understand what they were talking about at the time. As I've gotten older(and I hope more mature), I've often reflected back on the time spent with these people and had several "a-ha" moments.

I'm one day into my new year and I still haven't chosen a title or finalized the details. I know that I want to become a more productive member of society and have better balanace in my life. My priorities need to change a little...and I'm ok with that.

So, until I come up with a catchy name, my "year of" shall remain nameless.

Did you know?

2010-01-26T00:30:00.003-06:00

I've been tagged a bajillion times to write varying amounts of random facts about myself. I've started lists a few times, but have always abandoned them. The last post I was tagged in only required me to divulge 16 things about myself. Not too daunting of a task...

1. I got held in almost daily from recess in kindergarten because I would finish my coloring sheets too quickly so I could go out to recess. They were always a disaster of coloring outside the lines. I had to stay in and redo them. I now have ill feelings towards coloring.

2. I have worn the same size shoe since 7th grade and have been relentlessly teased about my large feet ever since...mostly by my brother.

3. Fountain pop is amazingly delicious to me. My favorite part of road trips is finding the biggest fountain pop machine with the most selections. McDonald's has the best fountain Diet Coke out of anywhere.

4. My taste in music is highly questionable. I either like a song because I can relate to it in some way OR it makes me want to shake my ass(affectionately called "ass shakers"). That's pretty much it.

5. People think I'm spontaneous. I'm not. I almost always have a plan. And 5 back up plans. I like plans and structure. And I like mapping out plans. Trip itineraries...I'm your girl. I probably should have been a travel agent or an event planner.

6. I realized years ago that I don't have any unattractive friends. I don't know why this is. I have nothing against unattractive people that are nice. It just so happens that all my friends are above average in the appearance category.

7. I love salads. I think they are one of the most delicious things on the planet and there are so many options and combinations. I was once on vacation with friends and ordered a salad at every meal. Finally, on the last day, my one friend said to me, "If you order another goddamned salad, I'm going to make a scene." I got by with ordering a sandwich and a side salad.

8. I also love soup and sandwiches. I love them so much that I could eat them everyday...and often do.

9. I don't wear clothes with large brand names printed on them. I refuse to pay to be a walking billboard for a company.

10. Some of the best summers of my life were spent working at a camp. There was little electricity or plumbing. The first three summers I worked there I lived in tents, tree houses and cabins. The last two were spent in an 8'x10' tar paper shanty that I shared. The floor was giving out and we would often wake up in the middle of the night to a woodchuck attacking our home. It has since been torn down and replaces with a fancy new building. It was there that I really figured out who I was and what I wanted in life. My boss was and is one of the most influential people in my life.

11. Flip flops are my footwear of choice. Anytime of the year.

12. Strong peppermint flavors make me sneeze. Achoo!

13. I've never understood women's obsession with jewelry. I'm not a fan of Tiffany's. I think large engagement rings are ridiculous and get severely annoyed with girls that demand large rocks. If there was some scale that determined the bigger the diamond, the more solid the relationship, I would be all for it. But there's not, so I remained disappointed in the vanity and show of it all.

14. I love water. I love to drink it and I love to be in it. I like playing in the rain and jumping in puddles. I love swimming and frolicking in bodies of water. I really like being under water. Showers and baths...they are great too. My mom couldn't get me out of the tub or pool as a child.

15. My two favorite beauty products are mascara and lip balm/gloss.

16. People think I wear colored contacts. I don't. This is my natural color. Some days they are more blue. Others more green. Some days they are brighter than others. They are usually the brightest after I laugh so hard that I cry.

..........and I'm done.

Sundance comes to Chicago :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Movies

2010-01-25T21:46:00.000-06:00

Sundance comes to Chicago :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Movies

Ughhhhhhhhhhhh! I wish I could go, but alas I'm working! Booooooooo!

The year of the panting dog

2010-01-22T09:59:00.002-06:00

Every month(well, almost every month) I make some sort of health goal. It's my personal opinion that if you make too big of goals or too long term that you have a higher chance of failure. If you make shorter term goals, higher chance of success and increased likelihood that this new practice will become a habit.

I'm bad at remembering to take multivitamins. Really bad. So the obvious choice was to conquer the multivitamin. So far I have taken it 20 out of 22 days in January. The two days I didn't take it, I was out of town and forgot to pack the little beast. No worries though, I supplemented with emergen-c.

The new year also brought the excitement of being able to work out again. Mono coupled with massive tonsils left me exhausted and with difficulty breathing, making working out a near imposibility. I stopped running in October and had pretty much been on my dead ass since. Fortunately, Emily introduced me to bikram yoga. I'm addicted. It's a series of 26 poses that are done over 90 minutes in a room heated to 105 degrees. Shortly after my first class I got a text from my friend Katie asking if I'd ever done bikram. Well, now she's hooked too. Before going into her first class she joked that she was going to nickname every downward pose "panting dog" because that's what she'd look like. It's an intense work out that burns upward of 1000 calories in one session. If that isn't motivation enough, you feel amazing afterwards. On days I dont go, I crave it. The only drawback is that between getting there, staking out a prime mat space on the cooler side of the room and not under the vent, going to the class and getting home is over a three hour ordeal....and then I still have to shower when I get home. That's 4 hours a day, but I love it so much that I try to work my schedule around going to a class. That or I'm going to have to become independently employed(prostitution) so that I can go to yoga every day and work on my own schedule. So, if you see me working the corner in the near future, don't be alarmed. It's for my better health.

I've also got to get back to running. My brother proposed that our family do the Susan G Koman 5K together in June. So, Josh, Jill and I will be running it and (I assume) mom and dad will walk it. Sounds like a great weekend...seeing my family and supporting breast cancer research.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T10:27:00.003-06:00

I fully intended to blog again before 2010 and I can't even say I didn't have the time, it just didn't happen. In December I had 12 glorious days off of work filled with fun and drugs. Ok, so it wasn't all fun and the drugs were a necessity. I had my tonsils out following months of tonsil related illnesses. Let me tell you, not a fun or pleasant experience. It makes your throat feel very angry afterwards. 10 days on a liquid diet wasn't that great either. There are only so many flavors of Gatorade and so much broth you can eat before "eating" becomes an unpleasant experience.

I was lucky enough to have my mom come in town after my surgery to take care of me. Nothing like a mother's TLC. After staying in town for the required 5 days post op, we headed back to Iowa to continue my R&R. There, I inhabited my parents couch for another 5 days and watched obscene amounts of TV and movies. I also got chauffeured around anywhere I wanted to go as I couldn't drive because of the medicine. Talk about living the life!

Another reason I love being at home is that my parents have a great kitchen and I love to cook. What better time to cook than the holidays and when I can't eat? And cook I did. My dad and I made an amazing batch of baked potato soup. I also made(with assistance from various family members) chicken taco soup, homemade mac and cheese, a spinach and feta quiche, Ann Sather's cinnamon rolls, homemade pizzas, cheddar jalapeño cornbread and a bourbon and pecan tart. We had ridiculous amounts of food left over and I'm sure that my parents were stuck eating them for the following week. Oh well, it was fun and gave me an excuse to make a trip or two or three to Hy-Vee! Recipes to come soon!

absence makes the heart grow fonder...

2009-11-28T20:50:00.002-06:00

Have you missed me? Have you been longing for me to blog?

Well, I have not been on my blogging "a" game lately. I've been busy with work, which has been completely exhausting the past 3 months. I don't remember a three month window at work when we have consecutively had so many intense and exhausting cases. Couple this with travel, attempting to keep up a social life and being ill since the begining of July...I'm just plain wore out. Hence, the lack of exciting posts and updates.

Two weekends ago, I was lucky enough to head to Columbus for the annual Lens family away Hawkeye game. There, I saw the best football game of my life when Iowa went into overtime with OSU and lost by the skin of their teeth. I had an absolute blast with my friends that live there and my family who traveled just for the game and The Shoe is an amazing arena to watch a game. Wow.

Next weekend I am headed back to Columbus for Holiday Hop and Christmas Gala. The following weekend is also packed with excitement as I have my work Christmas party(always a blast) and Megan's bachelorette party.

Hopefully I will blog again before 2010. If not...Happy New Year!

Randomness

2009-11-15T21:42:00.002-06:00

Does a kiss make you feel better?
Kissables not kisses cure everything. Right Meg?

Have you ever passed out on the bathroom floor?
Nope.

Do you start the water before you get in the shower or when you get in?
Before. I don't like showers that are too hot or too cold.

What did you do today?
Flew back from Columbus, worked, unpacked, and am meeting a friend in a few.

Have you ever brushed your teeth while in the shower?
I don't think so. That kind of wierds me out.

Have you had more than 3 boyfriends/girlfriends at the same time?
No, sirree.

Ever been in love?
love is love.

Would you rather be in a permanent relationship or play the field?
neither.

What is your favorite sport?
to watch: college football, basketball and major league baseball
to play: volleyball and tennis

What color is your shower curtain?
cream

Have you ever had stitches?
surprisingly, no

Did you believe that boys/girls had cooties?
no. i was always smarter than that.

Do you know how to use chop sticks?
yes, but am no where as skilled as brock.

Lyrics stuck in your head?
currently, San Francisco by Brett Dennen. I love him. I love that song.

Do you like the Red Sox or Yankeess?
ST LOUIS CARDINALS

What are you doing tomorrow?
laundry and working 3-1130

Who was the last person you couldn't take your eyes off of?
probably some hottie

Have you ever given money to a homeless person?
of course. i love the homeless.

Have you ever run over an animal?
several

What is your favorite cereal?
I don't really like cereal

Have you ever had an Oreo with peanut butter?
No and that sounds gross!

What are you doing right at this moment?
thinking about the call i got almost 10 years ago. :-(

Do you think its right for straight guys to get their tongue pierced?
Piercing your tongue can chip your teeth. You know how I feel about nice teeth.

Where's your favorite place to be?
with my friends and family

What's your favorite song?
depends on my mood

Are you more of a coffee or alcohol drinker?
water. i drink a lot of water.

Have you ever thrown shoes on a telephone wire?
Nope.

Have you ever been skinny dipping?
too many times to count

Have you ever been arrested?
Nope.

Do you dream in black and white?
color

Do you talk in your sleep?
sometimes.

Do you snore?
Sometimes. Hopefully that will stop soon.

Are you a redneck?
I can be.

Funniest thing you heard all day?
it's far too inappropriate to put on here.

Have you ever gotten a mosquito bite on your face?
several

What are you afraid of?
failure

What do you look like right now?
relaxed

Could you go for the rest of your life without drinking alcohol?
i could. if i wanted to.

Who's bed were you on last?
a hotel... i was out of town

Does anyone have feelings for you?
i don't know

Are you happy with the choices you've made?
no regrets

Whens the last time someone of the opposite sex told you they miss you?
several this weekend.

Are you excited for anything?
i'm always excited for life

What were you doing last night at midnight?
laying awake in bed

Would you be able to date someone who doesn't make you laugh?
absolutely not

Could you ever be friends with the person who hurt you most in life?
it depends what it was.

Is there someone you really like to hang out with and just talk about stuff?
yes.

What’s more important, trust or happiness?
Both

What was the last thing you drank?
water

If you were offered to smoke some weed right now would you accept?
nope

Where is the shirt you are wearing from?
i have no idea

What is on your wrists right now?
nothing

What does the outfit you are wearing look like?
jeans and a long sleeved t

Do you have to sleep with a television on?
no

Do you know anyone named: John, Mike, Nathan, Joe, Tim?
all of the above

What was the last movie you watched?
Shrek the Third at work with the kids. For the millionth time.

Dwight Yoakam sausage links and Iowa football

2009-11-08T17:31:00.002-06:00

I've been reminded of this story a few times over the past few days. And I have to share it, because it is one of my favorites.

Aaron, Courntey, Nate, Tony, Nadine and I went to Iowa City for the Iowa/MN game a few years ago. Aaron, Court and I being the Iowa fans and Nate, Tony and Nadine the others...We got up at the crack of dawn to start tailgating for the 11am kick off. We made delicious breakfast foods. The MN people brought Dwight Yoakam brand sausages, which we found to be hilarious, because he is a country singer and we had no idea he even had a food line. Well, all of the sausages were not eaten and for some reason(most likely alcohol encouraged) we decided this pole, tree and fence made perfect uprights. By this time, my parents had shown up and were tailgating with us. As I kicked sausages, they all went through the uprights except for one lone sausage that decided to fly off my foot at a 45 degree angle and hit some random man. Needless to say, he was not happy to be nailed by a sausage.

Unfortunately for my dad, he was holding the cup full of sausages that I had been kicking. I simply pointed at my dad, because clearly he was the guilty one holding the sausages. Fortunately, my dad didn't get beat up. Jealous of all the fun we were having, my brother's friend TJ decided that he would also kick a sausage or two. Well, he gave it all his might, slipped on something and ended up flat on his back. Needless to say that was the end of kicking sausage links.

The other reason I was reminded of this story is because Iowa beat Minn by some insane amount of points. Now take die-hard Iowa fans sitting with die-hard MN fans, add alcohol, place them in the MN section at Kinnick and combine it with an ass beating. Aaron and I were completely obnoxious and Nate, Nadine and Tony were not happy about it one bit. I think the thing that really put it over the edge was that every time Iowas kicks off they play "Start me up" by the Rolling Stones. Well, Since Iowa kept scoring, Start me up was played a lot. And every time it was played, we would dance and sing.

Hopefully there will be a replay of these good times when we are all back in Iowa City for the Iowa/MN game in two weeks. Start me up!

Bucket List

2009-10-07T23:03:00.002-05:00

Not my personal "bucket list" but it was forwarded to me:

Things you have done during your lifetime:
(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
(x) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
() Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
() Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
(x) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
(x) Made prank phone calls
() Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain-naked
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
() Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( X) Gone snowmobiling
() Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
() Seen the Statue of Liberty
() Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
() Been on a cruise (nope and have no desire)
(X) Traveled by train
(x) Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding
() Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
(x) Been to Disneyworld
() Truly believe in the power of prayer
() Been in a rain forest
(x) Seen whales in the ocean
(x) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
() Been to the Olympics
() Walked on the Great Wall of China
() Saw and heard a glacier calf
() Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing
(x) Been snow-skiing/boarding
() Been to Westminster Abbey
() Been to the Louvre
() Swam in the Mediterranean
(x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(X) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Been to Israel
( ) Bungee Jumped
( ) Been to an Eagles Concert
( ) Swam in the Dead Sea
() Watched the miracle of a baby being born

Another reason to love the people of Iowa

2009-09-29T10:04:00.002-05:00

Great customer service.

There is this great company in Iowa called Locally Grown. You can find them on the world wide web at:
http://www.locallygrownclothing.com

They print on American Apparel t-shirts, which are 100% organic and amazingly soft. The only drawback is since LG is a smaller business they say it takes 10-14 days to produce and ship your shirt. Well, I needed a new Iowa shirt for the game this weekend and started getting nervous that it wouldn't arrive in time. So, I decided to call.

Here's how the conversation went:

- Hello, this is Fred(very cheerful voice).
- Hi Fred. I ordered a shirt from you and I was just curious if you could check to see if it had been shipped yet.
- Sure. No problem. What is your name? (what? No order number? No hassle?)
- Stacey Lens
- (without 2 seconds pause) Oh yes. We shipped that before the weekend. Probably Wednesday or Thursday. Where are you located again?
- Chicago
- That's right. It should probably be arriving today. I specifically remember that order because I went to high school with a girl that has the same name as you.
- Really? Maybe we went to high school together. Where did you go?
- Spencer.
- Nope? That wasn't me. I went to Burlington.
- Really? Do you know so and so? He works here and is from Burlington.
- No I don't. Sorry. Thanks for all your help.
- No problem. Give me a call back if you don't receive it in the next day or two.
- Sure thing. Thanks again.

Where else do you get such nice and helpful customer service? I highly recommend ordering from them.

Pumpkin hummus...hello fall

2009-09-29T09:53:00.002-05:00

Can't wait to make this!

Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted pumpkin (or 1 15-oz. can of pumpkin puree)
1 handful roasted pumpkin seeds (or roasted pine nuts)
16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tblsp Tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 Tblsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tblsp water
2 Tblsp olive oil (one for mixture, one for drizzling)
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp minced garlic

Directions:

Roast sugar pumpkin (in halves) along with seeds @ 325° for 45 mins (or till pumpkin is soft and seeds are lightly browned).
In food processor combine pumpkin, chickpeas, Tahini paste, lemon juice, water, garlic and olive oil.
Process (or blend in blender) till smooth.
Add cayenne pepper and salt, pulse a few times and remove to serving bowl.
Garnish with toasted, salted pumpkin seeds or toasted pine nuts and drizzle with olive oil to serve.

Watch for me...on TV

2009-09-24T22:30:00.004-05:00

I like to keep my personal life private. The only time I have made any of my dating life public knowledge was when I was doing The Year of Yes and published a select handful of the more entertaining dates I went on as blog posts.

I have had, as my friends and coworkers agree, some of the most bizarre and craziest things happen during dates. Not once, but several, several times. It's so bad that I have had multiple people encourage me to write a book. That, I'm not going to do...just yet.

Being that disastrous or freak occurrences often happen, most of my dates do not ever form into any sort of relationship. I have also had friends and coworkers encourage me to do a dating show.

The first idea was formulated when I did a one month stint on match.com. My rather intimidating and protective male coworker was not a big fan of me meeting people online and going on dates. He offered to go to the place where I would be going out on dates and hang out in the background in case there was anything sketchy going down. My other coworker thought this would be great if we did this as a tv show and if the date wasn't going well, I could just signal to my male coworker and he would walk over and "remove" the guy from the date. Then have a debriefing session. I opted not to employ my coworker to go on my dates with me, but found the idea highly entertaining.

My friend Megan also wants to run a dating show for me. The set-up would be much like trying out for American Idol. She would go all over the country and guys could audition for a chance to go out with me(really, I'm not that great). Megan would be the head judge and likened herself to Simon Cowell. I said that my mom and brother would want a say and she decided my mom could be Randy and my brother could be Paula Abdul. Ha ha. Megan did complain that I am not the easiest person to set up, because of my height requirement. I reminded her it is not a requirement, but a suggestion.

Statistically, preferring a guy that is taller than me automatically eliminates over 50% of the population since I am an inch taller than the average height of the American male. Then I would eliminate the ultra conservatives, small-minded, super religious, homophobes, unintelligent and unattractive people. Factor out gay men. Toss out the socially inept. Find someone in an acceptable age range. Don't forget they need to be single. Honestly, we are looking at about 1% of the population as POSSIBLE dating options. Oh, and they would have to be interested in me, too.

It's a bit of a tall order to fill(pun intended).

Rehersal dinner

2009-09-20T09:44:00.004-05:00

This is the story of my rehersal dinner. You didn't know I was getting married? Neither did I. This was Brock's dream the other night about my rehersal dinner and has an interesting cast of characters. Let's just hope Brock isn't psychic.

Setting: A nice restaurant down town and we are sitting at an elevated table in the middle of the restaurant, much like a head table at a wedding. But this is just rehersal dinner.

I am apparently marrying one of Jeremiah's good friends, but Brock wasn't able to see his face because he doesn't really know him all that well. Sitting on my side of the table is a guest who I am chosing not to name(because I have no idea why he would be there, let alone sitting on my side and because he adds a whole separate story of drama in the dream but telling that part would give him away) then Aaron then me. Next to me is my soon to be husband then Jeremiah and Brock. Brock is not happy to be on the groom's side because a) he doesn't really know the groom b) he is my friend and c) the person who I chose not to name is taking his seat on my side.

During dinner, Jeremiah leans over to Brock and confides in him that he knows that my soon-to-be husband is gay. All through dinner Brock keeps trying to inform me of this from his chair, which means he is trying to tell me by talking past Jeremiah and the guy I am supposed to marry. He said I just looked so happy that he couldn't bear to tell me. After dinner we went out for drinks and he got drunk and told me anyway. But then Brock woke up, so we'll never know the ending to my life.

Chant and be happy

2009-09-20T09:29:00.002-05:00

Friday night I was transferring from the blue line to the red line on the L when I saw a homeless man trying to write in what appeared to be a journal. He was getting frustrated because he couldn't get his pen to work and started digging through his bag to find another. He came up empty handed. I carry a big bag and have endless amounts of objects in it, much like a Mary Poppins bag. I reached in and pulled out a pen. I walked over and gave it to the man, who was very thankful and returned to my seat. Within a minute my train came and I headed to board. As I did, I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was the homeless man. He held out a book for me. I kindly declined, but he insisted that I take it. It was his way of saying thank you for the pen. How sweet was that? I'm actually going to read Chant and be happy.

I hold trees in my hands

2009-09-15T13:49:00.002-05:00

I've been on a reading binge...again.

I've read 5 books in the past month...3 in the last week alone. At this pace, I'm wondering how quickly I'll crash and burn. Probably, when I get to the bottom of the stack of books that's on my desk. Only 4 or 5 more to go...

Here's what I have read:

The Ha-Ha by Dave King
Look me in the eye by John Elder Robinson
When you are engulfed in flames by David Sedaris
I was told there'd be cake by Sloane Crosley
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

I would recommend any of them. I really liked Look me in the eye and The curious incident of the dog in the night-time because I really enjoy kids on the spectrum. And reading them really confirmed that I am slightly on the spectrum myself. One of my co-workers and I talk about how we have spectrum qualities and at times, I found myself thinking...that's how I think.

I always enjoy Sedaris and think Crosley is a little like him. I really enjoyed her essay entitled You on a stick. A funny bit on the trials and tribulations of being a bridesmaid.

If you need some new reading material, read a few of these gems.

Veg head no more...sorta

2009-09-14T19:47:00.003-05:00

So, after being a vegetarian for a year and a half, I ate meat last week. I had been craving meat for about a month, so I decided to eat some.

I had a turkey sandwich. It was less than amazing. I am still unsure why I chose a turkey sandwich, because I have never really liked turkey all that much anyway. So, my parents were pretty excited to hear that I was eating meat again when they came to visit this weekend. I think I ate small amounts of meat twice more. It wasn't everything I remembered it to be. In fact, I haven't eaten any since lunch on Saturday.

So, I don't think I'll be adding meat back into my daily diet, but might eat a little here and there. I guess I am no longer a vegetarian...I just don't eat meat often?

party in my mouth

2009-09-14T16:00:00.002-05:00

I tried these for the first time today. They are amazing. So much flavor. I think I also made 3 of my cowokers addicted. We are all just hanging out together now because no one will come near of, thanks to our kickin' breath.

running thoughts

2009-09-09T15:51:00.002-05:00

** That is NOT me running.

So, I went for my first run on my new running program today. I still hate running. According to my coworker(who is a runner), she hated running at first too, but said give it two weeks and you will like it. I have run for more than two weeks before in my life and never liked it, but will give her the benefit of the doubt.

I really don't like smokers and running through their clouds of second hand smoke. I also don't like buses for their exhaust and I don't like when I get the "red hand" at cross walks. Maybe it wouldn't have been as bad if I had gotten up to run at 5am like I had planned. Instead, I hit snooze until I had to get up to go to work. The consequence was a mid day run. Oh well, run accomplished. Check that one off the plan!

On to tomorrow!

I've got the trots

2009-09-06T21:09:00.002-05:00

Ok, I hate running. Hate, hate, hate it. I've always wanted to be a runner and have admired runners, but it's not my thing. I am a ma-chine on the elliptical, though. I love that thing. I've always said that if they offered a marathon on the elliptical, I'd do it in a heart beat.

The problem is, I have been doing nothing lately. So, to get my lazy ass back in gear, I enlisted Megan to sign-up with me to run the Turkey Trot. It's a 5K on Thanksgiving morning. Now I have to get my ass in gear and put on my running shoes.

busy signal

2009-09-05T22:16:00.003-05:00

I always think when I am making my work schedule that I can pull all sorts of crazy hours and shifts and clump all my work time together to have a larger chunk of time off later. In this case, my family is coming into town next weekend, so I am trying to lump everything together now, so I have as much time off as I can with them. Then, when I am in the middle of all my shifts, it's not me, it other people that suffer.

I often "glance" at my emails but don't fully read them. I send calls to voicemail, never to return them. Often, getting annoyed that the voicemail is too long and I quit listening to it half way through. In fact, the more people try to communicate with me, the more I get annoyed. I just want to get everything done without interruption.

Really, I've always been this way. I get very annoyed when I'm interrupted. I don't like reading books unless I can read large chunks at a time. I've never been able to read a few pages here and a few pages there. And if I'm talking and someone keeps interrupting me, I quit talking all together. It's my stubborn ways.

What prompted this? I just realized that my brother called me this morning, I was at work, had to put the phone down to help someone. It took so long that he hung up and I just realized that I never called him back and he was in the middle of a story...and now I feel bad. Sorry.

So, if you are a victim of my inability to communicate when I'm busy, I'm sorry. I'm going to try and work on it. And now is the time. I'm working four straight 16-hour days.

For the first time in 28 years...

2009-08-31T13:51:00.003-05:00

This is the first summer in my entire life that I haven't spent a significant amount of time at my grandparent's farm. It's one of my favorite places in the world. There is no sense of time there. No stress.

In fact, I have only been back once since the beginning of last August. I was there briefly at the beginning of last December when my parents and I stopped to see my Uncle, cousin and goddaughters on the way to my other uncle's funeral.

Growing up, my bother and I would spend a week at the farm "working" for my grandparents. And while we did a lot of work, we also had plenty of time to play. We spent many days in the bean fields, the garden, the grove, a few adventures in the Boyer River and mowing.

Mowing their place has always been something I've loved to do. As kids, my grandparents had 3 riding lawn mowers...one for each of the grand kids, so we could all mow at once. Then, we would undoubtedly end up chasing each other on them. As I grew older, I loved to mow because it was just you on the mower and it was a great place to think. For hours on end. One of my grandpa's favorite stories to tell was how he looked out one night and I was mowing the apple orchard with the head lights on the mower, because it had gotten too dark out. He'd never seen anyone use the head lights on the mower before and it made him laugh. Really, I was leaving the next morning(to drive back to Chicago) and I was far too stubborn to not finish mowing the yard before I left. But stubbornness, that's a trait I got from him.

As he got older and my grandma was in a nursing home, I always told him I was going to get him a puppy to keep him company. After pestering him about this for a long time, I asked him what he'd name the dog if I brought one home to him. Without a moment's thought, he responded "Nuisance, because that's what it'd be." I died laughing.

Maybe it's the farm. Maybe it's him that I miss. Maybe it's a combination. He was not a perfect man, but he is the person I often have in my mind when making decisions. His approval always meant the world to me. And it still does.

Inglorious Basterds

2009-08-30T22:44:00.002-05:00

I'm not even going to tell you about the movie. I almost didn't go see it because I don't like Brad Pitt. Don't like him at all. I went and saw it to support Paul Rust. It's a little bit surreal every time I see him pop up on the big screen.

So, the movie is about to start and this large sweaty man plops down next to me. Ok, there is the "leave one seat in between rule" for a reason. And there was room to leave a seat. So, large/sweaty man and his girlfriend occupy the seats to my left. He makes phone calls and talks incessantly throughout the previews.

I do not like talking during movies. At all.

It's so bad that I almost asked him if he planned on talking during the movie. I should have. That's not even the worst of it. Every time an actor or actress said "Oui" during the movie, he said it out loud. What? Weird. Oui.

He also smelled very bad. There were four distinct smells coming from him:

1) body odor

2) apple cider vinegar

3) cheap woodsy cologne and

4) baby powder.

And I have distinct memories of these smells because he flopped around like a beached whale during the entire movie. Could not sit still. 153 minutes of constant movements that would, in turn, move my chair. Every movement sending another waft of something awful my way. And a few times he was bouncing up and down clapping.

This man was by far the worst person I have ever had the pleasure sitting next to in the movie theater. I recommend the movie but make sure you secure a good seat.

(500) Days of Summer

2009-08-30T22:42:00.003-05:00

Absolutely loved it.

One of my new favorite movies.

Go see it.

Figure out why I like it.

Fall fun....here I come...

2009-08-29T21:12:00.008-05:00

My fall seems to be packed with more fun weekend events than usual. Here's a sneak peek at some of the things I'm doing(and yes, you will notice the theme of FOOTBALL!)

*Last weekend, I helped to close out the summer with a trip to my friends lake house where we had an absolute blast, despite it raining the entire weekend.

*On Monday Megan and I are headed to the bridal store to pick up the bridesmaid dresses for her wedding. I am sure my parents will be very excited to store the dress in my closet at home after the wedding is over. It is already overflowing with the ridiculous amounts of bridesmaid dresses from weddings past. You may or may not know, but the movie 27 Dresses was actually based on me. ;-)

*Sept 11-13 is the annual Lens Family Fun Weekend in Chicago. My dad only agreed to come if I could promise him the Iowa/Iowa St game at a bar.

This was two years ago at the Iowa/NIU game at Soldier Field.

I'll be making my yearly return to Iowa City Oct 2-4 with Megan to go to the Iowa game. We are making the short trip for Megan's birthday to relive the glory days of college.

Megan eating her own finger while tailgating a few years ago(we call her fingers the sausages and my brother convinced her to do this).

Meg, my brother and his wife Jill at the Iowa/Wisc game a few years ago. It was so cold that day...and obviously Jill is a badger fan, as she went to UW for undergrad. I will always hold that against her.

Bundled up for 7am tailgating before the Iowa/Wisc game.

*On a non-football related front...Megan's bridal shower is Oct 25th. I'm sure it will be a blast...any event involving her family usually is.

*I'll be in Columbus Nov 13-15 with my family for our tradition of attending one out of town Iowa game every season until we hit all the stadiums in the Big Ten. This year is the Iowa/OSU game at The Shoe. I am extra excited because Aaron is finishing up med school at OSU and will be tailgating with us. Last year was Iowa's blowout of IU in Bloomington.

Aren't we a cute little family?

cradlesong

2009-08-27T22:05:00.002-05:00

it's the new rob thomas album.
get it.
love it.

Actor's Studio Questions

2009-08-24T10:59:00.004-05:00

These ten (10) questions originally came from a French series, "Bouillon de Culture" hosted by Bernard Pivot. They're better known as the questions that James Lipton asks every guest at the end of "Inside the Actor's Studio."

1. What is your favorite word? I have several, but one of them is juxtaposition

2. What is your least favorite word? panties

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Creatively: random things trigger this
Spiritually: witnessing occurrences that are too amazing to just be a coincidence
Emotionally: seeing selfless deeds being done

4. What turns you off? poor manners and poor grammar

5. What is your favorite curse word? jesustittyfuckingchrist

6. What sound or noise do you love? almost anything nature related(leaves crunching under my feet, waves crashing, wind blowing through the trees)

7. What sound or noise do you hate (dislike)? loud chewing

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? work to improve living conditions in a lesser developed county

9. What profession would you not like to do? podiatrist(i hate feet)

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
I don't think about stuff like that.

Music to my ears

2009-08-17T10:30:00.004-05:00

It's no secret that I've always had questionable taste in music. When I was on the conveyor belt in the baby factory, some worker fell asleep and forgot to put the music chip in brain. With that being said, I'm still going to share with you what's been playing on my iPod lately. Feel free to judge all you want.

Nelly- body on me
MGMT- time to pretend
Laura Izibor- don't stay
Luda- what them girls like
David Kroll- only memories
Erin McCarley- pony(it's ok)
Gloriana- wild at heart
Luda and T-Pain- one more drink
Keith Urban- sweet thing
Jack Ingram- barefoot and crazy
Company of Thieves- oscar wilde
Billy Currington- good directions
Colbie Caillat- fallin for you
Greed Day- 21 guns
Cobra Starship- good girls go bad
Flo Rida- jump
Uncle Kracker- smile
Beyonce- ego
Rascal Flatts- take me there
Keri Hilson and Kanye- knock you down
Jason Aldean- big green tractor
Jessie James- wanted
Katy Perry-waking up in vegas
Carolina Liar- show me what I'm looking for
Rob Thomas- her diamonds
Kings of Leon- notion
VOTA- hard to believe

and always a smattering of brett dennen, taylor swift and zac brown band.

I've got a little extra wattage in my smile this week

2009-08-12T21:26:00.002-05:00

If you weren't already jealous of my great life, you might be after reading this...

* Tomorrow Aaron is flying in just to go to lunch with me! Ok, so he's not flying in just to go to lunch with me...I think he is giving some super intellectual speech for the AMA but I still get to go to lunch with him! Yay!

* Friday night I get to see Megan! Sadly, I don't get to see her all that much since she moved out to the suburbs. I know it's so much closer to work for her but I miss her dearly and all the fun adventures we would have together. Living with her was one of the most fun years of my life. We could entertain ourselves for hours doing positively nothing. We also had amazing wine and scrabble nights...I need more of those in my life.

* On Saturday I get to have lunch with the Godfrey clan. Shiner is one of my former bosses and greatest life mentors and one of the most amazing people I have ever met. I absolutely love her and her family. I can't believe Elaine will be coming to Chicago to tour Northwestern...I met her the summer before she was going into first grade! It really makes me feel old. She is one of the most beautiful, smart and well raised teenagers I know...and without much surprise as she has amazing parents.

I'm a lucky girl. :-)

"Good job walking"

2009-08-12T20:42:00.003-05:00

I love my job. I love the kids. I love my co-workers.

Two years ago at our work Christmas party, one of my co-workers told me a story about something I did earlier that day, that I was completely unaware of and she found quite funny. It was early December and we had a particularly unruly and impulsive group of Team One(12 years old and under) boys. They needed all the support, encouragement, praise and reinforcement of ANY positive behavior possible.

As the boys were walking from the front of the unit to the back after a group, I simply said(and I sincerely meant it), "You guys are doing a really good job walking." As it was highly unusual to see this group of kids actually walk from point a to point b with out spinning, running, skipping, hopping or dropping to the floor and rolling around. My co-worker said at that moment in her head, she thought to herself "Where do we work that we say things like "good job walking" and it is the only compliment you can come up with?" Needless to say, it is now the running joke between her and I to compliment each other on doing a good job walking and have a hearty chuckle.

So, if you are every running short on nice things to say to a person, I would recommend going with "good job walking" and think of this story and maybe, just maybe have a little chuckle of your own.

Megan and Dames

2009-08-10T16:25:00.002-05:00

Apparently, it's a Mulvey kind of day on my blog. Darrin(aka Dames) and Megan have had their wedding website up and running for a while, but I don't think I've given it a shout out, yet.

I love these two. They are by far my all time favorite couple to hang out with. This picture was actually taken the night before they got engaged. What isn't written in the "engagement story" portion of their site is that Megan pulled me into the bathroom at the ugly sweater Christmas party we were at and told me she thought it was going to happen the next day. I called her the next morning and she had convinced herself that it wasn't going to happen. I still thought otherwise. Love my gsm.

http://www.darrinandmegan.com/

Down the Road

2009-08-10T16:02:00.003-05:00

A world premiere written and directed by Braden LuBell starring Marika Engelhardt and Patrick Mulvey.

Maddy and Lee are young, bright, and beautiful - and exactly what each other have been looking for. It only makes sense to build a life together. But when their well-laid plans are stalled by inevitable surprises, each attempts to navigate a slippery slope of optimism and compromise - until their present looks little like the future they always wanted.

August 14,15, 21, 22 at Strawdog Theatre's Hugen Hall, 3829 N Broadway, Chicago, IL. All shows start at 11:30pm and will last about an hour.

$15 suggested donation at the door.

For reservations or questions contact Marika and Patrick at Lovelylightproductions@gmail.com

**I am going this Friday July 14th. If you are interested in going with me, let me know.

Joey and the Stinkberries

2009-08-10T14:36:00.002-05:00

You may think this sounds like a great name for a band...and it might be, but it's actually referring to a very traumatic event in my life that I was very recently reminded of by none other than Joey himself.

Let me set the scene for you. Joey and I were friends in college. We met freshman year when we were both engineering majors...a major that didn't last for either of us. We had all of our classes together courtesy of a program called "courses in common". The university's theory was that by giving several people all of their classes together they would form bonds. Well, it worked.

The University of Iowa had other genius ideas as well. Like planting some pretty trees in the Pentacrest. The drawback to these trees is that in late fall they drop these berries onto the ground, which is fine unit they are stepped on and break open emitting a rancid vomit smell, hence the reason we called them stinkberry trees.

So it's a unseasonably warm day in December and Joey and I are headed to our Engineering Calculus(with the infamous Freddy G as our professor) final which we had spent hours studying for. As we prance through the Pentacrest on our way to final I give Joey a friendly nudge and I must have caught him at just the right time, because he was knocked completely off balance and fell into a large evergreen tree. I start dying laughing because I think falling is the funniest thing ever. Joey did not think it was quite as funny, because I was 10 steps in front of him when I heard feet pounding on the pavement behind me. Here comes Joey, grabs my backpack and twirls me around at lightening speed to which I go flying to the ground....right in a GIANT pile of mashed up stinkberries. I now have rancid vomit smelling stinkberries on the back of my jeans and on my hands. With no time to run back to change and a final looming ahead of us, we continue on to see what Freddy G had cooked up for us. Let me tell you, stinkberries don't wash off your hands well and it was very hard to concentrate on that final smelling of stinkberries. The only consolation was that Joey sat by me and had to smell me the entire final, too.

And that, my friends, is the story of Joey and the stinkberries.

Artichoke-Potato Medley

2009-08-07T22:36:00.002-05:00

Straight from Vegetarian Times(Sept 2009)

Okay, okay, okay. I haven't made it yet...but I will. Soon. I just got this issue in the mail today and I'm reading it at work. Had I gotten this before I went home last weekend I would have made it for my parents because they love artichokes.

Ingredients:

1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
2 10oz boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (4tsp)
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped, optional

Instructions:

Bring potatoes to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Drain.
Return potatoes to saucepan; heat over high heat with artichokes and oil. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables start to brown, stirring occasionally. Add olives, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest and paprika. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes more, or until fragrant and heated through. Serve garnished with chopped eggs, if using.

metal mouth

2009-08-07T04:01:00.002-05:00

At the beginning of July I was briefly in the hospital with tonsillitis and strep for which I was given IV clindomycin, then took it orally for 10 more days.

Ugh. How awful.

The night I was in the hospital, I woke up several times in the night with the worst cold feeling, metallic taste in my mouth. Bad enough to wake me up. That's bad. I attempted to use the hospital provided cranberry juice cocktail to wash this taste out but to no avail, it was coming to me through my blood stream. The bad taste lessened in the 10 while I took the abx orally...thankfully.

The bad news is that it did a number on my taste buds. Nothing is quite as flavorful as it was before. Food has lost it's allure. It makes me less interested in cooking, because I know what I'm making wont have much taste. Today, I woke up and had no desire to even go near food until I made myself eat something at 3:30pm, because I know my body needs food. This might sound great, but it's not. It sucks.

I want my mouth back.

It's 4am...

2009-08-07T03:43:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's 4am. I'm at work. Finally, time to update the blog.

Last winter, my dad came into the city for a day and we did fun and exciting things like going to the flower and garden show together. Ever since, my mom has wanted to come in and spend the day with me as well. So she did. We did fun things like go to dinner, go shopping and a lot of walking.

After putting mom on the train, I headed straight to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Aaron was in town and we met up to see Pat McGee, Bret Dennen and Matt Nathanson play for the Jammin' at the Zoo series. It was a slice, until it started pouring rain 2 songs into Matt Nathanson's act. We grabbed a cab and headed to Court's where Aaron made us some amazing(ly strong) margaritas in honor of National Tequila Day. Then, we headed out for a fun night in the city.

The next weekend I headed home for a long planned trip at my parents(unlike my previous trip there). It was nice to have a few relaxing days at home. I spent my afternoons reading on the back patio and soaking up the sun. One night mom and I even went on a beer run bike ride to the Casey's General Store by their house. When we got back, I then convinced my dad to go for a ride with me. Our ride ended with a little less of happy ending and a trip to the ER when he thought it would be a good idea to leave the comfort of his bike seat for the harsh reality of the hard cement road. A possibly damaged rotator cuff, broken pinkie and dysfunctional tendon later, he's off the golf course for at least the next 3 weeks.

I'm back and have a wild week at work and it doesn't look to be slowing down until after the weekend is over. Hopefully more regular updates to come.

Ann Arbor out, Iowa in

2009-07-05T16:43:00.002-05:00

I was supposed to head to Ann Arbor over the 4th to spend some time with Mel, but a minor set back of strep throat sent me packing to my parents house to spend some time at the Lens ranch.

Bummed not to be having a girls weekend, but rest is what I knew I needed. It was also exciting that my brother was going to be there as well. One of the first things we did Friday morning was make a list of meals to eat for the weekend...yay, cooking!

Friday for lunch we had burrito in a bowl. Easy and delicious. Inspired by Chipotle/Pancheros. Friday for supper we made our own pizzas on the grill with homemade pizza crusts. They were really good. I used bbq sauce for the sauce with onions, grape tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini and olives with just a little cheese. It was so good! I had the leftovers for lunch today. While they were grilling my brother pulled out our old ball gloves and we played some catch.

Friday night we went as a family and saw The Hangover. Hilarious. It was my first time seeing it, but everyone else in my family was seeing it for the second time. I got really excited when the preview for I Love You Beth Cooper came on and there was Paul Rust's face on the big screen. I pretty much shouted, "IT'S PAUL RUST!" My brother Shhhhed me and then I had to explain who Paul was. I will go to see I Love You Beth Cooper just to support Paul and you should, too.

Saturday for lunch I made a spinach, broccoli, tomato and feta quiche. I thought it was ok. Saturday night we grilled out shish kabobs. Yummm. While they were grilling we played frisbee. Perfect 4th of July. After dinner we played a little asshole and I taught my family how to play farkel.

That pretty much wrapped up my 4th weekend. Today I traveled back to the city to get back into the swing of things.

roll. chop.

2009-07-04T16:52:00.002-05:00

Meet my newest kitchen gadget.

It is the rolling garlic chopper.

I HATE mincing and chopping garlic, so I felt that this little friend might be very helpful. I have not used him yet, but I am very excited to put him to use. Isn't he just adorable? I really need to name him, too. Anyway, this is just a post to get excited about all the fun things I will be doing with my new gadget(providing it works as well as it says it does). I feel like he might make fun noises as he rolls and chops, much like R2D2. Officially geeked out over him.

Fun, Sun, Wedding, Done

2009-07-04T15:48:00.008-05:00

After Aaron claimed his luggage, we set off on a 2.5 hour road trip to Provincetown(affectionately called Ptown) for Jen and Haven's beach wedding. It was by far the most relaxed and laid back wedding I had ever attended, which made it extremely enjoyable. It was also the first day of sunshine in 3 weeks, then it started raining again the next day. Coincidence, no?

Jen and Haven:

After the ceremony Aaron patrolled to beach to make sure everyone was safe and we didn't lose anyone in the tide:

They rented a massive beach house to stay in for the week and had the reception there. We dined on clams, lobster, chicken, potatoes, veggies and wedding cake, of course.

It started to rain right after dinner. While giving the toasts and cake cutting, there was a rainbow...

The next morning they chartered a 73-foot boat for everyone to go out sailing. It was a cool and misty morning but we still had a blast.

More of the cruel Northeastern weather playing games with Aaron's umbrella.

Detours, detours, detours

2009-07-04T15:37:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I headed to Boston to attend Haven and Jen's wedding in Provincetown with Aaron. Upon landing in Boston and "powering up" my "cellular device" I discovered 9 texts from Aaron ranging from his flight was diverted to cancelled to he was now on first class and would be getting into Boston around 11pm. My grand plan was to hang out in the airport bar and wait for him, until I debarked my plane and realized what a crap hole of an airport Boston Logan happens to be.

So, Plan B. James had already landed and I knew he was out and about in Boston from his Twitter updates that day. So I called up the socialite and met up with him at his friend Monica's(awesome girl)...who happens to live across the street from Tom and Giselle(fun fact). From there we hit up two Boston bars and waited for Aaron's arrival.

James, Mon and myself enjoying a Brubaker:

Aaron arrive and we had to toast the Irish by doing a car bomb:We had to spend the night in Boston because Aaron's luggage was still in New York(thanks again for the place to stay, Mon) and we went to a great brunch place the next morning but not before James acquired some sort of pedal injury. Thank goodness he didn't get any blood in the rental car.

Summer Asparagus Tart

2009-06-24T17:58:00.003-05:00

I have previously made something similar to this but threw together some things I had today to make a new creation.

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust(i used the tube roll out kind--lazy)
1/3 tub of dill flavored hummus(or flavor of choice)
6 spears of lightly steamed asparagus
1 tomato
fresh Parmesan cheese
olive oil(i used lemon infused)
salt
pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

I simply got out my baking stone and rolled out the tube of pizza crust on it. I lightly brushed the crust with a little lemon infused olive oil(I'm sure plain would be just as good, but slightly more boring). After that I spread a thin layer of dill flavored hummus on the crust(it used 1/4 to 1/3 of the small tub of hummus). I cut the asparagus spears into 2" pieces and places them on top of the hummus. I placed the tomato slices(1/8 in thick) on top of the asparagus. Sprinkle the whole top with a little salt and pepper to taste. Grate the amount of fresh Parmesan cheese on top to suit your taste buds. I personally think a little goes a long way.

Bake at 425F for 14-17 minutes or until the crust is light brown and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Next time I might throw some artichoke hearts on there, too.

It makes a great light lunch/supper on a hot summer day. Would also be perfect if cut in half length wise then into 1" wide strips and use as an appetizer at your next gathering. It's great cold, too!

Zucchini-Tomato Gratin

2009-06-19T12:20:00.008-05:00

Straight out of Vegetarian Times

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices(I used Roma)
2 medium zucchini(1 lb.), cut into 1/8-inch thick diagonal pieces
1 T plus 1tsp olive oil, divided(I used a lemon infused olive oil)
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 T roughly chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup thinly slices basil leaves
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese(the fresher the better)

1. Take your tomatoes and zucchini, place the slices on large baking sheets and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30-45 minutes to sweat out extra moisture. Rinse and pat dry.

2. Preheat oven to 375F. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil(this is where I went cowboy and pulled out the lemon infused olive oil because I thought the flavor would enhance the dish) in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the zucchini for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate.

3. Layer 1/2 the zucchini slices in an 8in baking pan. Top with 1/2 of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with 1/2 the garlic, 1 T of olives, half the basil and 1/4 C of the Parmesan cheese. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Repeat with remaining zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, olives and basil. Drizzle top with 1 T of the olive oil(went with the lemon again) and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 C of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 20 minutes more or until cheese is melted and gratin bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

This is what it looked like when I pulled it out to take the foil off after 10 minutes:

While I was waiting for the vegetable to sweat, I realized that I had bought some white peaches at the grocery store(fully intended on eating them just as fruit and not combining them with alcohol) and that I also had some Bacardi Peach and a bottle of white wine. Hmmm...white peach sangria. So I mixed this up to sip on while I cooked...

Roll out! Make your own sushi

2009-06-19T10:01:00.010-05:00

Sushi making is probably far easier for me to make than your average carnivore. The carnivore would have to search for special sushi-grade fish, while I just have to hit up the produce section and pick out the vegetables that I want.

I LOVE veggie sushi. Brock and I love going for sushi at this place downtown and their veggie rolls are so good that I have almost converted him to ordering only veggie rolls while we are there. For my first attempt at making sushi, I stuck to simple veggie rolls but next time I would want to try to make some veggie tempura rolls. Ok, enough of my rambling, I'll tell you how I made it.

Ingredients:

Seaweed wrappers
Sushi rice(regular long grain rice will not work)
3T of Japanese rice vinegar
2T sugar
2tsp salt(you can use table, sea or kosher...I used kosher)

Veggie fillers(what I used):

Tofutti better than cream cheese
Carrots( in matchstick form or shredded)
Cucumber(long thin slices or matchsticks)
Avocado
Jalapeno(diced)
Cilantro
Asparagus(cooked until tender)

My asparagus getting ready to get tender and then cool so it can go in my rolls:

This was the sushi vinegar my local grocery store carried:

To make the sushi rice, I simply googled "sushi rice" and a site called How to Make Perfect Sushi Rice popped up. So, I just followed their recipe...why mess with perfection? Here's their recipe:

Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt in a sauce pan on the stove over medium heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved into the vinegar. Do not boil the mixture. Leave sitting off heat until needed. You can make this portion before or while the rice is cooking.

Here is my vinegar, salt and sugar mixture before everything is dissolved:

Rinse the rice with cold water. This may take several water changes. Do this until the final rinse water runs clear.

Steam the rinsed rice in an equal amount of water (i.e.: 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of water) in a rice cooker or on the stove top following the package's directions or by bringing to a boil, then cooking over very low heat until the water is evaporated and you are left with lovely sticky rice.
As always when cooking rice on the stove top, use very low heat after the initial boil and keep the lid on at all times. The trapped steam is what enables the rice to cook.

Once the rice has finished cooking, it can be left off heat in the pot with the lid on for up to 15 minutes.

When the rice has finished cooking, add the vinegar seasoning to the rice. Turn the rice out of the pot and into a non-reactive shallow bowl.

You want to cool down the rice and add the seasoning at the same time.

Use a tool like a samoji(I used a wooden fork) in a gentle chopping motion to spread out the grains of rice and ensure the seasoning covers every grain.

Some people use a hand-held fan to help in the cooling process. (I did NOT do this, as I do not own a hand-held fan and simply didn't think it was necessary)

The website also provided this handy guide:

Tips for Making Perfect Sushi Rice

1. Use a non-reactive metal or wooden container for the final step of seasoning the rice, as some metals will react with the vinegar and mar the flavor of the rice.
2. Be careful not to squish the grains of rice together when adding the vinegar mixture. You want to maintain the integrity of the rice grains.
3. Spreading out the rice makes it cool down faster. This stops the rice cooking in its own heat. To make sushi, the rice should be at about room temperature.
4. If you are not going to make the sushi right away, cover the seasoned rice with a damp cloth to ensure that it doesn't dry out.
5. Never refrigerate sushi rice, as it will get too hard to work with or eat.

After making the rice it became very hands on, therefore a lack of pictures. Mathiew Le gave me a sushi making kit a few years ago and I had never used it, so I pulled it out of the closet and gave that beast a whirl. Thank you Mathiew! Making sushi is so much fun.

Have all your ingredients ready in bowls and have a bowl of room temperature water on hand.

Lay a piece of seaweed paper on your rolling mat and spread a thin layer of rice on it. I don't like a ton of rice, so I only covered about 1/2 of the seaweed with rice. It helps if your fingers are a little wet(dip them in the handy-dandy bowl of water conveniently sitting there). Then you put on any of the topping you would like. I made several different combinations. I really like a jalapeno, cilantro, carrot, avocado and cucumber combo with a little cream cheese. Sooooo good.

Once you have your fillings on the rice, you are ready to roll!

I don't really know how best to describe how to roll, but it is important to roll tightly. Use the mat to roll and try to roll and tuck the seaweed into the rice just past the ingredients very tightly. Pull the mat back and bit and keep rolling until you have a roll.

I got a little overzealous and made a lot of rolls. I was on a roll(pun intended).

Slice up your rolls into nice pretty pieces. Pull your wasabi and soy sauce out of the cupboard, dip and eat.

Rustic Pizza

2009-06-18T22:05:00.009-05:00

I made this about 6 weeks ago, but have obviously sucked at updating my blog. I got two new cook books for my birthday from Megan and am very excited about making several recipes in them. This is the first recipe I have tried. The cookbook is amazing, it's called 100 Great Recipes: Vegetarian. The great thing about it is that it gives you the recipe to serve 2 or 4 and lots of pictures. I really like pictures. There is a good chance I will never try to make something if I don't get to see the picture along with the recipe.

I came across a recipe for a roasted-vegetable and mozzarella tart that looked really good, but I had a hankering for something more pizza-ish. So I started out by changing the recipe a little...then a lot. But will probably make the original recipe sometime too, but it looks real good.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges

1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips

3 1/2 inch slices of eggplant cut into 1/4 in strips

4 vegetarian meatballs(cut each ball in half)

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese(I used the veggie shreds kind)

pizza sauce to the amount of your liking(I like a lot)

Box of pizza dough mix(lazy, I know)

Start by slicing your vegetables and tossing them in a bowl

Add the olive oil and toss:

Spread out on pan and ready to go in the oven

Preheat your oven to 400F. Once cup/sliced/shopped to the above specifications, toss the vegetables with little olive oil, place in a roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes. I threw my pizza stone in the oven while the veggies were roasting to heat it up.

While your veggies are roasting, search through your pantry to for a box of pizza dough mix. Find one, discover it is expired and mix it up anyway, thinking that it should still turn out alright. I had originally planned on making homemade pizza dough but it was getting late and I didn't have time for it to rise an hour when the box mix is ready in five minutes.

I like it saucy:

Mix up that dough(follow the simple directions on the box) and spread it out. Next, look in your pantry for some pizza sauce, realize that you don't have any either and reach into your fridge and pull out some sundried tomato and olive marinara, add some extra Italian herbs and call it pizza sauce. Spread desired amount on to crust.

Now there are a lot of toppings on that beast:

Once the veggies are properly roasted, pull them out of the oven and arrange them any way you would like on your pizza sauce. Strategically arrange the meatball halves so they are about equidistant from each other. Then top with motz. Put this beast on your pizza stone and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese bubbly.

Maybe put a little too much cheese on it, but it was delish!

I am not stretch armstrong

2009-06-14T09:44:00.002-05:00

I have been over committed and stretching myself far to thin lately. I apologize to everyone I have been neglecting. When I get stressed I get really bad at communicating. Emails go unanswered, texts go unreturned and phone calls get sent to voicemail and stay there for days. I have been working too much and sleeping too little. This was brought to my attention when I went out to dinner with Megan last weekend, while I already knew it myself, sometimes I need someone to point it out to me.

I had a lot of fun social things happening this week, which is better than my usual tactic of hibernating when not at work, however they led to me getting even less sleep. So, after tomorrow which should conclude an insanity of shifts, I am cutting back. More time for me, less time for work.

I have several short travel trips coming up that I am looking forward to as well as a trip home, which is always relaxing.

What am I going to do with this new found free time? I'm going to look into taking a class. I need a creative outlet. What it will be... I don't know... But I'm looking forward to it.

Chew on this

2009-05-27T10:35:00.002-05:00

Has it really been 3 weeks since I last posted? So much has been going on...

I have a few new kitcheny things that I need to blog about soon, my birthday and I'm moving this weekend! Oh, and lots of work, as usual.

Interestingly the other day I was taking a mid-day cab ride when the driver just started chuckling. He told me to look at the driver in the car next to us and the was a woman devouring a sandwich and the half masticated grub was rolling around in her wide open trap. It was down right revolting. Ironically, she was a very nicely dress business looking woman in a luxury automobile. The cabbie then launched into how much he loved seeing how people eat and chew when they are in their cars because "their true colors come out." Since then, I have kept my eye out for mobile eaters and it does seem like they have worse manners than table eaters.

Mexican burrito pie

2009-05-03T10:09:00.017-05:00

Megan "Maher" Gray emailed this recipe to me months ago and I have a made it several times because it is so tasty. The last time I made it was for my parents on a trip home. That was the real test to convince these carnivores that a vegetarian meal could be so satisfying...I think they were convinced.

SHOPPING LIST FOR MEXICAN BURRITO PIE:

Produce
-one medium VERY RIPE avocado
-a small bunch of green onions
-a head of garlic
-a lemon or a bottle of lemon juice

Dairy
-Sour cream
-Shredded cheese (Mexican blend recommended)

Spices
-cumin
-chili powder

Bakery
-5 8 inch tortillas (smaller if necessary, no bigger or won't fit in pan, doy)

Canned/Dry Goods
-19 oz can of pinto beans
-Salsa (the fresher the better but any kind works fine)
-Small can of pickled jalapenos (optional)

Other
-disposable deep dish 8" pie tin if you don't have one, or are making this for someone else

READY TO GET TO IT?

Mash these items together in another mixing bowl (with potato masher if available)...
1 19-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (if you can only find a 15-oz can it won't be a huge disaster)
2T pickled jalapenos, minced (optional for the spicy food lovers, I actually add more because I like it HOT, HOT, HOT)
1 tsp chili powder ½ tsp ground cumin 1 cup salsa

It looks good, doesn't it? No, not really. It's the final product that really counts.

Now...
Mash these items together in one mixing bowl (with fork) until smooth...

One large VERY RIPE avocado (if it's not really soft it will ruin the whole thing)
3 green onions finely chopped
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic minced
1T lemon juice
1T sour cream (I use the Tofutti brand faux sour cream and it is really good, I promise)

You are really starting to lick your lips now, huh? Or is it making your stomach churn?

Just keep mixing...wow, my hand looks freakishly large. Yikes.

Again, another shot of the over sized hand. All the better for mixing.

I employed my mom to do a little mashing. Hey, you have to make your money where you can in these hard economic times. :-)

These were the tortillas we used. Hy-Vee, where there's a helpful smile in every aisle. I've never really seen a smiling worker in every aisle when I've been there, but that's what they claim.

Alright, here we are really ready to throw this together now.

Use some non stick spray on your 8" pie pan. Put down one tortilla and then spread 1/2 of your bean/salsa mashed up mixture on it. Then top that off with another tortilla.

Got that tortilla on top? Ok, then spread 1/2 of your avocado/sour cream mixture on that tortilla.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mexi blend cheese on top of that spread and top with another tortilla. Mmm...it's starting to look good now.

Ok, add another tortilla and spread on the rest of the bean/salsa mash. Then top with another tortilla and add the other 1/2 of the avocado spread, top that with 1/2c cheese and toss another tortilla on top of that. So, you pretty much just repeated the first two steps over again, Easy, huh?

Then you add another 1/2c of cheese on top of that last tortilla so it looks like this:

Were you preheating your oven to 350F? You should have been! So, if you did, cover that pie with foil and bake for 25 minutes. If you didn't, wait for it to heat up then bake.

After 25 minutes, take the foil off and bake for another 5 minutes.

It will come out looking like this:

Well, not exactly like that, because I added some diced tomato to the top when it came out. They didn't just magically appear while it was in the oven. Sorry for any confusion.

Slice it up into pie shaped pieces and serve and EAT! Yummmmm~

My dad, mid bite...

Just so you know, he gave it two thumbs up.

Easter in St Louis

2009-05-03T10:06:00.004-05:00

Sadly, Mama Lens is not in the picture because she is taking it. We had a great Easter weekend in St Louis with my brother and his wife. On Saturday we headed to the ball game where we saw the Cards blow out Houston and got to see Pujols hit a grand slam. The weather was great, too.

Tagged by the Corn Dog

2009-04-27T22:12:00.002-05:00

65 Questions You've Probably Never Been Asked...you know the rules. tag people in this note (including the person who tagged you!) to learn more about people. Also, try to tag people who you've tagged in other notes, sometimes you learn things in new notes that you didn't know before about them.......

1. First thing you wash in the shower? hair
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? black
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? yep
4. Do you plan outfits? not usually
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? like someone shampooed my brain
6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? the "standard precautions" sign
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? I had a bunch of bizarre ones the other night but I don't really remember what they were about.
8. Did you meet anybody new today? yes, new patients
9. What are you craving right now? nothing
10. Do you floss? ugh, i'm bad at it. wish i was better
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? patch kid
12. Are you emotional? i can be
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? yes.
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? usually lick. my teeth are sensitive and i don't like most ice cream
15. Do you like your hair? usually
16. Do you like yourself? most of the time.
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? yes
18. What are you listening to right now? the copy machine at work
19. Are your parents strict? yes. but it was for the best
20. Would you go sky diving? probably
21. Do you like cottage cheese? yessss
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? yes.
23. Do you rent movies often? no.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? yes, the bedazzled button covers on maurice's clerk vest!!!!
25. How many countries have you visited? multiple
26. Have you made a prank phone call? ha ha ha, of course. i was a kid, once upon a time.
27. Ever been on a train? yes. i love train travel.
28. Brown or white eggs? white. but i don't like eggs very much.
29.Do you have a cell-phone? BOOM, yeah!
30. Do you use chap stick? yes and i love it
31. Do you own a gun? nooooooo
32. Can you use chop sticks? yes. some days better than others. ha ha.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight? my co-workers at work.
34. Are you too forgiving? usually yes, but it's the YOR, baby.
35. Ever been in love? i love my family and friends.
36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? working.
37. Ever have cream puffs? ewwwwwwwww, i think i tried one once. sick!
38. Last time you cried? hmmm, my grandpa's funeral?
39. What was the last question you asked? i don't remember
40. Favorite time of the year? fall.
41. Do you have any tattoos? no ink here
42. Are you sarcastic? ummm, no.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? nope. never even heard of it.
44. Ever walked into a wall? yes. more times than i would like to admit.
45. Favorite color? black or green.
46. Have you ever slapped someone? yes.
47. Is your hair curly? nope
48. What was the last CD you bought? ray lamontagne
49. Do looks matter? yes.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? depends what kind of cheating.
51. Is your phone bill sky high? nope.
52. Do you like your life right now? pretty good.
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? no
54. Can you handle the truth? most of the time.
55. Do you have good vision? with my contacts, yes. without, no.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? hate no. dislike, yes.
57. How often do you talk on the phone? at work, often. for personal calls, not so much.
58. The last person you held hands with? your mom
59. What are you wearing? jeans and a black shirt...shocking, i know
60.What is your favorite animal? horse
61. Where was your profile pic taken at? on the bridge walking to soldier field for a kenny chesney concert. woot woot.
62. Can you hula hoop? I used to be able to.
63. Do you have a job? yes. two.
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? a green tea on my dinner break.
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? several!

love

2009-04-26T17:39:00.003-05:00

My current loves:

3 minute miracle by aussie. it smells great and makes your hair super soft.
bumble and bumble. pretty much all hair products but mostly the surf spray and the grooming creme. love.
terri lynn...she's my hair dresser. she does amazing things with hair.
brett dennen...he's my new chill out music. absolutely love the song, san francisco.
zac brown band...favorite new country band.
mexican burrito pie...thank you maher, for this recipe.
morecheesemorechocolate.com...check it out, you'll love it too.
train travel...what a great way to go places and get things done at the same time(including sleep)
anchors...it's my favorite spring shape
messy hair... thanks to bumble and bumble products and my new goal to be better to my hair, i have been blow drying it less and letting it hang loose and wavvvvvy more often.
scarves...my new favorite accessory
protein plus special k...deeeeeeeeeeeelicious
lady gaga...sick love for shaking my ass to her songs

More cheese more chocolate dot com

2009-04-24T12:58:00.002-05:00

By the miracle of social networking sites like facebook, I have run across an amazing blog by a girl from my hometown.

Her blog is located on the world wide web at http://www.morecheesemorechocolate.com

I love to cook and bake, and she apparently does as well. Her step by step picture directions are entertaining and her writing style is witty and entertaining. I have stolen many of her recipes and tried them out and have yet to be disappointed by any of them. Take 5 minutes and check it out. You won't be disappointed.

only a month late

2009-04-24T12:54:00.002-05:00

Aretha Franklin sang about it. It’s called R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Every year on March 22 I have started a “new year” for the past four years. It all started out with the Year of Yes(inspired and encouraged by Jenne). I followed the Year of Yes with a year in which I was far less enthusiastic to agree to things (I believe I called it the Year of Hell No). Last year was the Year of Balls to the Walls, which ended up taking a slightly different turn than I had expected, but was the ground work for the year I am currently living. This year also started in March), but I am just a bit slow blogging about it. There are many things that brought about my newest year that include but are not limited to conversations and observations with and of other people and incidents in my own life.

This year is the Year of Respect. I have informed one of my co-workers of my agenda and she loves it and it pretty much on board with it as well. Whether she stays on the wagon for the whole year or not, I will be.

I have noticed a concerning amount of disrespect being shown to people lately(you would be amazed by some of the stories I hear at the tanning salon from people that come in and just want to get things off their chests) and I am not about to enable people to continue disrespecting me or anyone else. I like to call myself trusting and laid back (which some people read as “able to be walked over”). I do like to play the game of “pick your fights” and try not to get wound up about the smaller things in life but, I am not one to be walked all over...and never have been. I think it is incredibly important for people to stand up for themselves. Unfortunately, more and more recently I have been increasingly in disbelief by people’s inability to be honest, forthright, and respectful. Beyond this, I am even more disappointed in people’s inability to take ownership for their actions and properly apologize.

A service announcement for all my single ladies and men out there (encouraged to be put on here by several people I know): Ladies/men you are not doing anyone a service if you take someone’s number and don’t call them after you tell them you will. Just don’t ask for the number at all. It is far more disrespectful to take the number and not call than to not take it at all. Unanimously, I have heard that people want to hear it straight that you have no interest than to give false hope. We really aren’t that fragile…we can handle it.

BHS...my high school days...

2009-03-31T21:48:00.003-05:00

1. Did you date someone from your school? just my teachers...ha ha...just kidding

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? Well, I'm not married, so...no

3. Did you car pool to school?absolutely not. that would have been ridiculous

4. What kind of car did you have? the tracer racer and the taurrauri, of course

5. What kind of car do you have now? i live in the city and got rid of that pain in the arse

6. Its Friday night...where are you? at a sporting event, dance or friend's house. occasionally a field

7. It's Saturday night, where are you? see above

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?Subway Sandwich Artist, baby

9. What kind of job do you do now? work with the crazy kids and teach people how to increase their odds of getting skin cancer while rapidly aging their skin

10. Were you a party animal? no, can't say I was

11. Were you considered a flirt? Have you met me? That would be no.

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....I'm tone deaf. If you have ever heard me try to sing, then your ears have bled. My friend actually penned in choir on my schedule one semester so I couldn't erase it. I had to show up for the first day, but then I dropped it and replaced it with something else.

13. Were you a nerd, jock, prep, greaser, punk...etc.? Probably a nerd. I was one of those super involved types.

14. Did you get detentions, suspended or expelled, or, all of the above? All of the above. Just kidding. I did get sent to the office once sophomore year for "inciting a riot" in honors English.

15. Can you sing the fight song? Probably. You see, the thing is about Iowa is that there isn't a lot to do. And there are no pro teams to support, so people really rally behind their high school and college sports teams. I remember road tripping 2 hours away to watch the boys/girls play in an out of town football or basketball game. Our junior and senior years there was a group of girls who painted shirts that spelled out "Lets go grayhounds" and wore them to the Friday night football games. Sporting events were always packed and usually followed by a dance.

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s) I had several.

17. what was your favorite class? Ummm..I'm not sure there were too many classes that I didn't like. I had almost all of the same people in all my classes because we were on a special accelerated track together. I really liked Organic Chemistry, though.

18. Where did you sit during lunch? Wherever my friends were sitting or we left for lunch.

19. What was your school's full name? Burlington Community High School

20. When did you graduate? '99...'99..9..9..9..9..'99

21. What was your school mascot? The Grayhound

22. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Sure, I had a blast

23. Did you have fun at your Prom? We had 3 formal dances a year. They all kind of run together. It seems like we always had fun at all of them.

24. Who were your closest friends? Reagan, Kristine, Morgan, whatever I was involved in during that season/quarter that I was forced to spend a lot of time with.

25. What did you do on the weekends during the day? Tournaments or working at Subway. Who remembers when Coach Kipp banned us from eating any form of sugar during our senior season of volleyball? What a joke. Our mom's snuck us stuff into the bathroom. Ha ha ha.

Twilight, waste of my night

2009-03-31T10:00:00.002-05:00

Loved the books...completely underwhelmed by the movie. Perhaps it would have been better had I seen it on the big screen but I thought the content lacked in nearly every aspect. I wasn't enamored by Edward and was annoyed by Bella, but not the same annoyed as I was with her in the books. I felt her acting was poor and strained at times. What a boring and dreadfully miserable girl that appears to lack interest in anything...who would wants to be friends with someone that is so miserable? I mean, it would brighten my day to be in her presence. I also thought there was a lot more that could have been done to show the tension between Jacob's family and the Cullen's with Bella being caught in the middle. There were also too many discrepancies between the book and movie that were unnecessary. There were also times that words were used to move the scene forward when it could have been easily demonstrated in the same amount of time and would have been much more effective. I felt like it was produced by someone with far too much anxiety about a time crunch and it showed through by not playing things out fully in the movie.

I can't say I'll watch any of the others that are made and don't see how this one raked in so much money.

Give me more, M.O.

2009-03-21T18:05:00.003-05:00

I love that Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden on the White House lawn. Read all about it HERE

out of the kitchen

2009-03-21T13:52:00.005-05:00

I thought everyone might enjoy a break from my endless posts about food. Yesterday I took the train out to Arlington Heights to visit my good friend Megan. Poor thing has been home bound for the last 10 days from an ankle surgery. On the way there I picked up some chips and salsa for us to snack on. The salsa was good but had a surprising kick to it. This was Megan's face when the kick kicked in.
We played Rummikub and Scrabble.

Then, I took the train back to the city where I met up with Jodie and Phil, who are in town for the weekend. I had a great time catching up with her. We really need to make it a point to see each other more often.

All in all, a great day.

And by blueberries, I mean yumberries

2009-03-19T19:39:00.003-05:00

Unless they were cooked in something(like bagels or pancakes) I have hated plain blueberries all of my life. I am not exactly sure why. I don't really ever remember trying them plain before in my life. Well, when I was home a few weeks ago my mom had made a fruit salad and there were fresh blueberries in it. As I picked around them, I decided that I would retry them.

Hello!

What an awakening. I love blueberries. My new favorite breakfast is plain yogurt and blueberries.

Better than Starbucks

2009-03-18T23:45:00.001-05:00

My trips to Starbucks are generally limited to less than 10(and that is on the high side) a year. I am not a huge fan of their coffee but sometimes they will have a tempting concoction. In the fall I will usually have one hot caramel apple cider...because it is soooo tasty on a chilly day. Then the iced drinks in the summer usually tempt me.

When I was in the grocery store the other day I saw the canisters for mixed coffee drinks. One really caught my eye. The Dark Mayan Chocolate. You simply add 4 tsp of this mix to boiling water for a 50 calorie treat. And when I say treat, I mean T-R-E-A-T! This stuff has excellent flavor. Oh, and only 50 calories! Doesn't Starbucks have a new ad that brags that their low calorie drink is 90 calories and flavorless? Now, lets do the math on this in these hard economic times. A canister of the mix cost about $5.00(inflated Chicago price, probably $2.99 in Iowa and most other parts of the US) AND it makes 18 delicious cups of dark Mayan chocolate flavored coffee. So, for the price of one cup of Starbucks, Caribou, Peet's or your other local coffee shop, you can get 18 cups of this tasty treat. It's pretty much like a buy one, get 17 free coupon. I really don't know anyone that would pass that up. I did the math. It works out to 27cents per cup. Wowza.

Look how nice it looks in the cup, too. It almost looks like the Pac man guy is in my cup ready to chomp down on that little darker circle. You can see it, I know you do. But he won't be there for long, because I am going to drink him down.

Rutabaga parship hash

2009-03-18T23:44:00.003-05:00

When I'm at the grocery store, I like to buy one or two things I have little or no experience cooking to try to expand my taste and food diversity. Well, I ran across a rutabaga in the produce section and said..."It has a fun name, why not?"

So I came home from the grocery store and put the rutabaga in the fridge and left if there for a day or two pondering WHAT I could do with this thing. I began researching recipes that use rutabaga and to be honest there weren't many. I did run across one for a rutabaga parsnip hash. I like parsnips and the recipe looked very basic, so I decided to got for it. Here it is...Cube your rutabaga into 1/2" cubes. I quartered my parsnips then sliced them into 1/4" pieces. Put that into salted boiling water. Boil for 20 minutes for until veggies are tender. Drain excess water and mash to desired consistency. Add butter, salt and pepper to flavor. I added a little parsley, too. Pretty tasty.

I kneaded a bagel

2009-03-18T23:39:00.017-05:00

The other night I decided to try my hand at homemade bagels.

When I was thinking about toppings, I got out my caraway seeds to taste one to see if that would be something I would like on my bagel. Well, I had a minor spill when I took the lid off. whoops. I made sure I did a very good job of cleaning them up, because I didn't want anyone to mistake one as a mouse turd in the kitchen!

Here is my water, salt, sugar and yeast mixture. In the future I think I need to use the quick rising yeast and possibly warmer water...but you'll see those pictures later.

Look! I added in the flour! Time to mix it all together by hand. It's a good arm work out and a great way to release frustration.

All mixed together. Now it's time to let it set for 15 minutes(this is the part where the water needed to be warmer and the yeast needed to be quick rising). It really didn't grow at all over those 15 minutes.

Take the dough out and punch it into a rectangle(if unsure of the shape of a rectangle please consult your nearest math text book or simply google it). Leave the dough about 1 inch thick when punching it out.

Then you cut the dough into 1" wide strips, make them into circles with the ends overlapping a little(either twist or pinch the ends together). I made some bigger bagels and some mini bagels.

After you form the strips into bagels, you cover them with a towel and let them chill out for 20 minutes. While they are relaxing under their towel, you boil a gallon of water and add a T sugar to it. After the bagels are done taking their 20 minute time out you put a few at a time into the boiling water and let them simmer until they rise to the top. Scoop those babies out of the water and put them on a towel(not a big plush bath towel, but a non-nubby kitchen towel). Here is the fun part...creating toppings for your baggity bagels. I didn't really plan on making bagels on this particular day, so I hadn't really planned out a lot of good toppings but was able to scrounge up a few tasty things. I added some caraway seeds to some of the bagels and Parmesan cheese to others and a little of both to some of them(gettin' crazy, I know). In retrospect cinnamon and sugar would have been nice too.

This is my big daddy parm and caraway monster delicious bagel before he got popped in the oven.

Oh, look that those tasty bagels cooking right up. Did I mention that you needed to transfer them from their towel to a greased baking sheet? NEVER bake something on a towel in the oven. That could very easily lead to a fire. And you need to heat your oven to 400 degrees. You should have been preheating your oven while you were simmering your bagels, but you wouldn't have known that because I forgot to tell you.

Look! They came out of the oven after 22 minutes for the minis and about 28-30 for the big daddies. They cooled and I put them in a big zip lock. Some of these are going to have to be frozen, because I can not eat that many bagels before they would go bad. Of course, I could share some of them with my friends.

Look how tasty my parm and caraway seed bagel looks. Mmmm...slice that guy in half and make him into a tasty sammy. Munch munch munch!

Mama Karma

2009-03-18T22:09:00.002-05:00

This story makes my day.

I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day when she told me this story. She went to the grocery store and outside the grocery store was a card table set up with several little girl scouts around it selling Girl Scout cookies. My mom had no intention of buying any but stopped to talk to the girls anyway. She started inquiring how long they had been out there selling cookies and which kinds were their favorites. The girls said they were getting tired as they had been out there awhile and unanimously agreed on one particular kind as thier favorite, so my mom bought a box of that kind. After she bought the box, she opened it up and gave the girls a sleeve of the cookies to eat while they worked. Isn't that just the sweetest. Oh, and the girls said they would be going to Camp L-Kee-Ta for the first time this summer!

Good karma mama. :-)

Spy say

2009-03-15T20:03:00.002-05:00

Tonight I made some really good stir fry veggies with noodles in a spicy peanut sauce. Super easy, super yummy and plenty spicy(spy say).

I used one bag of frozen stir fry veg of your choice. I like to make sure mine include water chestnuts. While you are cooking those on your stove top boil some pasta of your choice in another pan. In yet another pan, you will make your sauce... A lot of multitasking, I know.

In your sauce pan sauté one clove of garlic minced. Add 1/2 cup hot water, 2/3 cup peanut butter(the recipe called for creamy but I used extra chunky because that is what I had and what I like best). Add 3T soy sauce and 2T rice vinegar(you can sub white wine vinegar if you don't have the rice). Sprinkle in cayenne to your hearts content. Stir while cooking over medium heat until you have a smooth sauce. Add in cooked veggies and pasta(drained of course) and heat all together for a few minutes.

While stirring the sauce I added about an extra 1/8c of water because I felt it was a little to thick. Possibly a complication if divisting away from the original recipe and using the chunky instead of the creamy pb. I really liked the crunch of the nuts while eating it, though. A highly recommended sustitution!

Sorry there aren't any pictures, I was too busy talking on the phone while cooking to remember to document this tasty dish. Would also be excellent with chicken of tofu added. Will definitely make again...after I get through eating all the leftovers!

lipsmackin' good

2009-03-14T21:12:00.005-05:00

One of my coworkers has a bigger obsession with chapsticks and delicious lip products as myself. She told me about the new Chapstick Lip Shimmers series and loves them. She bought a giant variety pack of them which included two limited edition flavors of banana cream and orange cream. Since she had a bad experience with orange flavored barium as kid, she gave me the orange cream lip shimmer. IT IS AMAZING! I am going to have to buy the jumbo pack just to get another tube of the orange cream. It's like a creamsicle on your lips and adds a little color and a little flash.

i love red sauce

2009-03-14T20:50:00.009-05:00

Lycopene is my friend. I love almost any type of red sauce or taking a simple red sauce and adding lots of things to it. Tonight, I started by sauteing some garlic and adding some Morningstar farms soy crumbles(fake beef crumbles for a little protein) to a basic marinara(Ragu Traditional) sauce. I noticed in the fridge that I had some tomatoes and green peppers that will probably start to go bad soon, so I chopped those up and threw them in the pan, too. Toss in some Italian seasonings and red pepper flakes and WALLA! Yumtastic!

While I was whipping up the sauce I was also boiling some farfalle(or bow tie pasta to some of you). Multitasking at its finest.

I tossed the sauce and pasta together in the pan, threw in a few hand fulls of chopped up kale and dumped it into a 9x13 pan.

At this point, I threw the lid on my 9x13 pan and put it in the fridge and will bake it when I come home from work tomorrow. Easy and tasty, huh?

If you can't stop yourself from eating it right now, toss on a little cheese and bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is warm and bubbly. Eat and enjoy.

Chicago Flower and Garden Show

2009-03-11T18:42:00.012-05:00

My dad and I both had the day off of work today, so I convinced him to take the train into the city and hang out with me. Well, when I proposed this great idea to him the forecast was for sunny, 65 degree weather today. Well, Monday night they changed the forecast and said it would be a high of 33 today and windy. I gave him the option of backing out, but he is a trooper and came to visit his favorite daughter anyway. We started off the day on the hunt for a good fantasy baseball magazine for his upcoming draft. Then, we went to the Signature Room for lunch, because he had never been there before. Since it was a clear day, I thought it would be a great day for viewing the city, and it was. After lunch we headed down to Navy Pier to check out the Chicago Flower and Garden Show. My dad has a very green thumb, so I thought this would be right up his alley. While walking through, we ran across this fun mirror, so we stopped to goof around. If my torso was really this long, I think I would have to wear dresses as shirts!

There are these very fun fountains in the Crystal Garden at Navy Pier. My dad was convinced that the water shot out of a tubes and I said it didn't. Of course, being stubborn, I had to prove him wrong by sticking my hand in it to see if it was just a stream of water or if there was tubing there. Well, I got soaked when I put my hand it, breaking up the steam of water and making it spray on me.

I loved the exhibit where they did table settings in foliage and flowers. I thought it was really cool how they made the leaves look like leather cushions on the chairs.

Look, a flower bed! Notice the little dog in the lower left hand corner.

My dad pointing out the daffodils, much like the ones that will soon be blooming in his yard.

These are part of a really pretty rose display in the exhibit sponsored by the Spanish museum of art. The designer actually came up to us and talked to us for a while and told us it took 19 hours a day for 6 days to get the display set up. WOW.

The show is totally worth the $12 admission fee. I have a good feeling dad might come back for the show again next year.

Put your apron on

2009-03-11T00:42:00.009-05:00

On my afternoon off last week I decided to throw on my apron and try out some new recipes. I am always trying new recipes that involve sweet potatoes because I am trying to learn to like them. I know I should eat them because they are so healthy, but they really aren't all that appealing to me. It's a combination of taste and texture that I don't like. Nevertheless, I attempted yet another recipe that involves the spud. I made some root vegetable chips. I simply sliced beets(another questionable veggie), regular potato, sweet potato and parsnips into fairly thin slices, tossed them in a bowl with a little EVOO and salt and pepper. This process probably would have went much faster and everything would have been more even had I owned a mandolin(hint, hint). Heat oven to 450F. Scatter slices on a large baking sheet or two and pop in the oven Toss every 5-10 minutes until they are cooked to your chip liking. I must say this might be the way I can best tolerate sweet spuds but don't plan on making them again. The parsnips were by far my favorite and were suprisingly delightful.

While these veggies were being chip-a-fied I thought, it's a beautiful day, I don't have to work, why not make myself a Tanquery and tonic. So I did. Doesn't it look nice?

In between rounds of tossing the chips I decided to make Kale chips. I bought my kale precut in a large bag(cheating and easy). And again, tossed with a little EVOO and s&p. Make sure the pieces are lightly coated with EVOO but not drenched. Since the oven is already on, all I have to do it turn it down to 250 and pop these suckers(once spread out on a baking sheet) in the oven for 20 minutes. You can also sprinkle with other thinks like lemon pepper or parm cheese. Once done, pull out and enjoy these addicting, light, fluffy, super healthy chips. Stacey tested, mother approved.

Whew, I have been around the hot oven for a while. That made me thirsty. Oh no, is my glass half empty or half full? Well, if you ask me, it doesn't really matter because it is in an Iowa glass and I have enough TNT to mix another if need be.

Ohhhhhh, look at those chips. They are almost done. Don't you just want to pop one into your mouth.

In the middle of making chips I was also making a filling for some wrappers I had. I just threw together some frozen spinach(thawed and drained), tomato, left over parsnip, silken tofu, fat free motz cheese and a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place on wrapper.

Wet edges of wrapper, fold any which way you want. I made several different shapes. Cook in which ever method your little heart desires. Eat and enjoy.

Pretty pretties

2009-03-11T00:36:00.006-05:00

Look at the very pretty orchids that I got for Valentine's Day from Josh. Sorry this picture was taken 3 weeks later, but I wanted to share. I think it's the classy vase that really sets them off.

Some of my favorite things

2009-03-11T00:22:00.003-05:00

This candle is absolutely amazing and I love burning it. It is made of soy, so it burns a really long time and it was given to me by my good friend Sanj.

The Flying Pig is this great store in Algona, WI that sells lots of fun stuff and they just happen to make these candles there.

Dry hands? Parched skin? Those days are long gone. This is the most amazing moisturizer that I have ever used in my life. I buy a tub of it every fall and it lasts me until spring when I can use a lighter moisturizer. It comes from Restoration Hardware and is called No-Crack Super Hand Cream(and it's not greasy at all). Don't let it fool you, you can use it on body parts other than yours hands. How do I know this, you ask? Well, because sometimes I use it on my whole body. It's fantastic. There used to be two options, scented and unscented. However, this year they came out with a whole line of scents for this product and really made the packaging much more consumer appealing. My FAVORITE scent is SHORE. Don't you worry your pretty little head, I would never make an uninformed decision. I definitely stood in the store and opened ever jar and smelled every scent to make sure I wasn't missing out on something better. I love this product so much that I often carry it with me and encourage other people to try it. They are always astonished at how good it smells and works. And when I say I carry it with me, I have taken it a lot of places. I have even been known to pull this big tub out in a bar, but much more often at work. So, my suggestion is to get your buns to Restoration Hardware and...Smell it, try it, love it, buy it.

Happy Square Root Day

2009-03-03T17:39:00.001-06:00

I don't know how I didn't know about this as I love math. Thanks to Aaron for alerting everyone! I am going to start planning a party for 4/4/16 tomorrow!

According to Wikipedia, a square root day occurs anytime "the day and the month are both the square root of the last two digits in the current year."

Today is the last square root day until 4/4/16. Celebrate now while you have the chance!

The next step?

2009-03-03T09:54:00.002-06:00

It was nearly a year ago that I became a vegetarian. Almost a year later I am thinking that I have the vegetarian thing down pretty well and I like it. I really don't miss meat. So, I have started thinking about the next step. Could I do vegan?

I don't really like ice cream or milk, so that wouldn't be an issue. But cheese... I love some good cheese. And eggs are in so many things. My major hang ups with becoming vegan are that it is expensive and time consuming. My life is tight on free time as it is and I don't really have the time to stand in the grocery store and read every label on every product I might buy.

But then again, you only get one chance at life, why waste it putting bad things in your body? The jury is still out but I think I am getting closer to making the leap.

No more Diet Delish

2009-03-03T08:02:00.002-06:00

On the Sunday before Lent I began to contemplate what I would give up for 6 weeks. I was raised Catholic but can hardly say that I am a "practicing" Catholic...whatever that means any way. I rarely make it to church and to be honest, I really don't make that much effort. I do however participate in the giving up of things every year when Lent rolls around.

While I have tried to give up and cut back on Diet Coke lately, I have failed miserably. However, when I decided that I would give up pop for Lent it became ridiculously easy. Divine intervention? Probably not. Besides the pop I also gave up baked goods(dessert style not to include bread and such) and anything flammin hot.

My favorite thing is to drink fountain pop while traveling. Since I was gone this past weekend I was shocked to be minimally tempted and enjoyed tea and coffee instead.

Will this be the end of my soda drinking days? Probably not forever, but the next 6 weeks are safe.

firsts but not lasts

2009-02-19T16:17:00.002-06:00

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? Mike
2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? no
3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink? Budweiser
4. What was your FIRST job? babysitting
5. What was your FIRST car? tracer racer
6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? Andy
7. who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Megan
8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Foster
9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? ???? Hotlanta
10. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with them? Kim, so we moved
11. What was your FIRST sport played? Officially? Softball
12. Where was your FIRST sleep over? no idea
13. FIRST person you talked to today? my boss
14. Whose wedding were you in FIRST? a flower girl in the rosener's wedding
15. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? hit snooze
16. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? something at steamboat day's, i'm sure
17. FIRST tattoo or piercing? ears when i was 9
18. FIRST foreign country you went to? mexico
19. What was your FIRST run in with the law? taking DARE in school
20. When was your FIRST detention? middle school
21. What was the FIRST state you lived in? Iowa
22. Who was the FIRST person to break your heart? Steven Schmelin?
23. Who was your FIRST roommate? Catie Sanders
24. Where did you go on your FIRST limo ride? 8th grade formal
25. Who will be the FIRST to respond this? no one. it's a post

Staceology

2009-02-15T14:00:00.002-06:00

Apparerntly I like to waste time and fill these out.

Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your name followed by "ology"

***********FOOD-OLOGY*****

*********

What is your salad dressing of choice?
light basalmic vinigarette

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Boswell's

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
vegetables

What do you like to put on your toast?
peanut butter

***********TECHNOLOGY************

How many televisions are in your house?
1

What color cell phone do you have?
silverish

Do you own any game systems?
the original nintendo

Mp3 player?
Ipod

*********BIOLOGY*********

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
i'm a righty

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
when i was younger, i had a couple of warts removed

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
knocked unconscious, i don't think so but i pass out easily

*********BULLCRAPOLOGY*******

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
probably

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Stella or Zelda...ha ha

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
for sure. i love spice.

****************DUMBOLOGY************

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
over 30

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
no idea

Last person you talked to:?
a customer

Last person you hugged?
probably lisa

**************FAVORITOLOGY************

Season?
probably fall

Holiday?
MLK Jr weekend

Day of the week?
friday

Month?
may

************CURRENTOLOGY***********

Missing someone?
far away friends

Mood?
relaxed

What are you listening to?
Blame It by Jamie Foxx

Watching?
food network

Worrying about?
not a thang

*************RANDOMOLOGY***********

First place you went this morning?
work

What's the last movie you saw?
Princess Bride...the kids watched it last night at work

Do you smile often?
umm, yeah

QUESTIONS

1)Do you always answer your phone?
actually, i rarely answer it

2) It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
ha ha

3) If you could change your eye color what would it be?
i wouldn't

4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
i've never been to sonic

5) Do you own a digital camera?
oh, yeah

6)Have you ever had a pet fish?
yes

7) Favorite Christmas song?
The Christmas Song

8) What's on your wish list for your birthday?
haven't thought about it

9) Can you do push ups?
yes. do i like to? no

10) Can you do a chin up?
haven't tried since high school

11) Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
neither

12) Do you have any saved texts?
yes

13) Ever been in a car wreck?
yes

14) Do you have an accent?
don't we all?

15) What is the last song to make you cry?
no idea

16) Plans tonight?
relax

17) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
no

18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
food and drink

19) Have you ever been given roses?
yes

20) Current worry?
i thought we already covered this

21) Current hate right now?
stupid people

22) Met someone who changed your life?
everyone changes your life

23) How did you bring in the New Year?
house gathering

24) What song represents you?
no idea

25) Name three people who might complete this?
no clue

26) What were you doing 12 AM last night?
i was at West End

27) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
i don't want to get up

My alter egos

2009-02-13T11:05:00.003-06:00

1.YOUR REAL NAME: Stacey Leigh Lens

2.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother and fathers middle names) Sne' Conrad

3.NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother’s dad, father’s dad) Keith Charles

4.STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name) Lenst

5. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Black Horse

6.SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, town where you were born) Leigh Cherokee

7.SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add “THE” to the beginning) The Green Diet Coke

8.HOOD NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name) Stns

9.RAPPER NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Natural Vanilla Samoa

10 ROCK STAR NAME (pet’s name and street where you live) Bonanza Bishop**

11.PORN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on) Pogo Pine**

12.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle) Staizzle

13.YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets) Black Superglue**

14.STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy) Burberry Starburst

15.NANNY NAME:(mothers name and name of a tea party setting) Colleen Picnic Blanket

**I had a couple of goldfish as a child, but I don't remember if they had names. I did long term pet sit 3 pets for a while and thier names were Pogo, Superglue and Bonanza.

Love it like it's Valentine's Day

2009-02-12T20:02:00.002-06:00

Things I am currently loving:

--(nm) emails

--Blame It by Jamie Foxx ft T-Pain
--RoboCop by Kanye
--Starstruck by Lady GaGa
--Brit Brit being a dirty dog and the If U Seek Amy song

--nutty coffee

--Stride Sweet Peppermint gum

--Newman's Own Light Basalmic Vinaigrette dressing(it's amazing)

--getting recipe e-mails from Megan Maher Gray

--Restoration Hardware's No Crack hand creme in the Shore scent

--Oil of Olay Hydrate Body wash with patchouli and soy

--And of course, my undying love for Diet Coke

If you think you are having a bad day....

2009-02-12T19:47:00.002-06:00

Check out what is happening to other people and your day won't seem so bad. I bet most of there aren't true, but they are hilarious and will make your day better. I am going to become addicted to reading this site. (Thanks for sharing it with me Rob!)

http://www.fmylife.com

My eyelids need hair plugs

2009-02-02T08:43:00.003-06:00

I got the genetic short end of the stick when it came to eyelashes. I have compensated by becoming a connoisseur of mascaras. If you can visibly see my eyelashes then they are probably only 1/3 eyelash and 2/3 mascara. On any given day I am usually wearing 2-4 different types of mascara.

I read an article the other day that hair plugs for eyelashes are in the testing process and are on track to be approved for use this year. While I would never take such drastic measures, I will continue to wand on the layers of volume and length.

sl

2009-01-30T12:25:00.002-06:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:08
2. Diamonds or pearls? They are both pretty in their own way, but I am not really a jewelry girl.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Curioius Case of Benjamin Button
4. What is your favorite TV show? anything on Food Network
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? usually cereal or oatmeal, but i don't really like breakfast. i eat it because i know it's important
6. What is your middle name? Leigh
7. What food do you dislike? applesauce, unless my mom makes it with apples from my grandparent's grove
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? umm, don't have one but I am LOVING the genius application on iTunes.
9. What kind of car do you drive? I got rid of my car. I have feet.
10. Favorite sandwich? any. I LOVE SANDWICHES.
11. What characteristic do you despise? two-faced
12. Favorite item of clothing? depends on my mood
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? anywhere with my family. we don't do family vacations any more. but when we are all together we have so much fun.
14. Are you an organized person? yes and no.
15. Where would you retire to? somewhere in the country with lots of land
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? last year was pretty great. I went to St. Louis for the Cubs/Cards game with my family then I flew to C-bus to hang out with Aaron
17. What are you going to do when you finish this? do some cooking and then paint my nails and possibly watch a moive
18. Furthest place you are sending this? Not sending. posting.
20. When is your birthday? May 4
21. Morning person or a night person? both
22. What is your shoe size? 11
23. Pets? none
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I am having a low key weekend and that is very exciting for me.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? I think a lawyer
26. How are you today? excited about all my free time this weekend
27. What is your favorite flower? wild
28. What are you listening to right now? law and order on tv
29 What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? everyday!
30. What was last thing you ate?? cereal for breakfast
31. Do you wish on stars? No but I love to look at them.
32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? silver
33. How is the weather right now? cold but sunny
34. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my brother, he called me on his way to court this morning
35. Favorite soft drink? diet coke. fountain style.
36. Favorite restaurant? subway.
37. Hair color? Brown
38. What was your favorite toy as a child? Alphie II
39. Summer or winter? both
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? vanilla
42. Coffee or tea? both
43. Do you want your friends to email you back? not e-mailing, but they could post it.
44. When was the last time you cried? my uncles funeral in Dec
45. What is under your bed? 2 bins of sweaters
46. What did you do last night? worked
47. What are you afraid of? failure and rejection
48. Salty or sweet? salty
49. How many keys on your key ring? 4
50. How many years at your current job? 4
51. Favorite day of the week? they are all the same to me
52. Do you make friends easily? Sometimes
53. How many people will you send this to?? 0
54. How many will respond? no one reads this...
55. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Of course.

plus one = negative fun

2009-01-22T09:30:00.004-06:00

I have been a bridesmaid enough times to have been consulted for the movie 27 Dresses and to now put stipulations on my agreeing to be a bridesmaid(just kidding). I did jokingly tell my most recently engaged friend that I would decide whether or not I would be her bridesmaid after she picked the dress I would be wearing. Perhaps even worse than a bad bridesmaid dress is a bad date to a wedding.

I have never understood the need for people(girls especially) to think it's necessary to take a +1 just because the invitation said (and guest). I refuse to take dates to weddings, unless they are good friends with multiple other people in attendance(in which case they probably got their own invite).....or....well...that's it. I think it's even more inconsiderate when a person takes a date to a wedding and they are in the wedding party. There are too many obligations to pay sufficient attention to the person you take as a date. They are abandoned during picture taking, the entire wedding, the time between the wedding and the reception and they are often stuck at a dinner table with random other people they don't know, making brutally boring small talk. All this, while you are having a good time with your close friends at the front table. Would you want to be that date? Not me.

The only time I have ever enjoyed being some one's date to a wedding was last May at Steve and Anna's wedding. Again, I knew a large amount of the people there and have known Aaron for forever and let's face it, Aaron is a load of fun. Best wedding date ever.

I'm sorry, were you talking to me? I can't hear anything over your mole.

2009-01-06T22:07:00.004-06:00

I have an issue. It's with large facial moles. They really distract me. If you have one and you talk to me, I probably won't be able to concentrate on what you are saying because I think your mole is talking to me.

You might be laughing but it is a serious problem. Once I notice a big mole, I have the hardest time concentrating on what the person is actually saying, because the mole starts talking to me.

Example:
The door guy at one of my favorite bars is very nice but has a mole on his face. When we are there he will always come in and start talking to us and is just generally a very friendly person. Then there is me, constant saying "Huh?" and "What?" because that mole on his face comes to life. Hopefully, he thinks it is because the music is loud or I have a hearing impairment.

I feel bad about this, but have no idea how to fix it.

16 thangz

2009-01-04T22:46:00.003-06:00

The wonderful Lucas tagged me in some 16 things post, so I respond. 16 things about me... hmmm...

1. I have worn the same size of shoe since I was in 7th grade. The first pair of shoes I had in that size were a really sweet pair of Nike Air Huaraches.

2. I refused to let my mom brush my hair as a child so she kept it cut short and I was often mistaken for a boy.

3. I love sandwiches. There are so many possibilities.

4. Cilantro is probably my favorite herb.

5. I don't have any unattractive friends. I don't know how it works, but all my friends are above average in the attractive category.

6. I own a sewing machine and like to sew. I wish I had more time to sew and a big space to spread out projects so it would be easier to work on them. One day, I will.

7. I am a total binge reader and a fast reader. I will read a lot of books in a short amount of time then not read for a few months then binge again.

8. I wear black, A LOT, but not in an emo or goth way. It's easy and a classic look.

9. Fountain pop is like crack to me. Diet Coke fountain pop. Bring me on and be my best friend forever. (My roommate brought me one today. Love her.)

10. I could eat Subway everyday. Everyday. Please see #3.

11. I prefer to drink coffee(or hot tea) from a ceramic mug, the old school way. I love to wrap both of my hands around the mug and smell it just like in the commercials.

12. I think anyone can get through life knowing(and following) these things:
--Good grammar and good manners will get you a long way.
--Behaviors have consequences.
--You can never be over dressed, only under dressed.
--Don't be dumb.

13. I love to play board games(mostly Scrabble) and drink wine.

14. I think birthdays are great and don't understand people that don't like to celebrate them.

15. I, have, a, really, bad, habit, of, over-using, commas.

16. I like simple(as in style not -minded.)

fun with 21

2008-12-23T14:27:00.004-06:00

If you have been tagged in this, write the names down of the last 21 people that wrote on your wall (no repeats), and then answer the questions. Say you’re guessing if you don’t know, but at least guess on all of them. After doing this, tag your 21 friends to do the same:

1. Emily Fraser
2. Mitch Lupkes
3. Rachel Rugg
4. Luke Wagner
5. Chris Geidner
6. Brock Andreatta
7. Keno Ely
8. Megan Mulvey
9. Lisa Giglio
10. Jeremiah Juso
11. Sara Giglio
12. Aaron Kithcart
13. Sanjida Saklayen
14. Denise Lupkes
15. Reagan Boeset
16. Sanj George
17. Caitlin O'Connor
18. James Hillary Ferguson
19. Domonique Deery
20. Jill Mansheim
21. Lindsay Muehlbauer

How did you meet 7?
i work with his lovely wife kristen

What would you do if you had never met 15?
probably not gotten kicked out of class in 8th grade for laughing too hard

What would you do if 20 and 1 dated?
be supportive, but as far as i know, neither of them are lesbians

Have you ever seen 17 cry?
maybe of laughter

Would 3 and 6 make a good couple?
i would say no

Would 4 and 16 make a good couple?
they would definitely be hilarious

Describe 19:
effing fab-u-lous!!!

Do you like 17?
very much so. she is great.

Do you think 21 is attractive?
i don't have unattractive friends

What's 5's favorite color?
green, black and yellow, just like the jamaican flag

When was the last time you talked to 9?
this morning

What language does 5 speak?
the language of the law

Who is 16 going out with?
lance armstrong

What's 14's favorite music?
no idea

Would you ever date 18?
if i could only be that lucky

Would you ever date 3?
no, sorry

Where does 19 live?
she'll be living in Spain in a few short days

What is the best thing about 4?
his sense of adventure and how hilarious he is. c'mon, we once slow dance to karaoke in a restaurant and the man running the karaoke had a mullet.

What would you like to tell 6 right now?
we need to go out to dinner again soon.

Have you ever kissed 1?
and NO.

What's the best memory you have of 5?
the spaceship, of course.

Is 2 pretty?
very pretty in a very manly way

How did you meet 8?
in college. she asked to use my vacuum to clean up the glass from a snow globe she dropped and i let her, all while thinking to myself...hey idiot, everyone knows you sweep up glass not vacuum it.

Is 12 your best friend?
one of them, YESSSSSSSSSS. love him times 12 million

Have you seen 12 in the last month?
yes! i just visited him

When was the last time you saw 16?
too long ago! ok, so i did see her dec 5

Have you been to 21's house?
not her new one :-(

When's the next time you'll see 10?
not soon enough.

Are you close to 2?
not as close as i would like to be

Have you gotten in trouble with 7?
i wouldn't say trouble, but we have had some fun times together

What did 12 write on your wall?
Yes. I'm still on yours, right?(that was in reference to being the beneficiary on each others life insurance policies.)

Would you give 19 a hug?
of course!

When have you lied to 13?
i don't think so

Do you know a secret about 8?
yes.

Describe the relationship between 11 and 18?.
there isn't one, but i bet they would have a good time if they ever met

How long have you known number 2?
his entire life

Have you ever been in a fight with 6?
no, but we should have been in a fight when he left me on the beach in hawaii with d'dough

Does 11 have a bf/gf?
yes, larry

Have you ever wanted to punch 21 and/or 2 in the face?
no! but i do love to rugby tackle 21

Has 1 met your mother?
nope

How did you meet 21?
we worked together in the summers. some of the best summers of my life.

Did you ever accidentally physically hurt 13?
no

Do you live close to 7?
yep

What is 8's favorite food?
candy and carbs

If you could change one thing about 4 what would it be and why?
that he lived closer to me so we could hang out

Say something nice about 20.
she tells really funny stories..like the time her brother had a party when her parents were out of town

What kind of car does 1 have?
a silver one

Have you traveled anywhere with 9?
mexico

If you gave #2 $100, what would they spend it on?
women and liquor

What is your best memory of 21?
so many! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Out of the Top 21, which is the funniest?
they are all very funny in their own ways

Who is the most flirtatious?
hmmm, i don't know...that's hard

Which one lives the farthest away?
domonique...spain

Which one do you hang out with the most?
well, i live with lisa but i probably see emily more because i work with her

Have you ever been angry at 15?
if i ever was, i got over it quickly. she's pretty hard to be angry with

Ever had a crush on anyone on this list?
probably

What’s one of number 3’s strengths:
her laid back attitude

Who do you think will respond to this?
no one

He put a ring on it...

2008-12-21T19:54:00.002-06:00

I love Megan and Darrin(well, I call him Dames). They have one of the healthiest relationships I know and was very excited that they got engaged on Saturday.

Just remember, someone VERY wise once said, "Love is love."

Package leads to Burge evacuation

2008-12-19T09:31:00.003-06:00

I'm so glad this happened after my time.

Taken directly from www.presscitizen.com:

About 700 University of Iowa students were evacuated Thursday night from Burge Residence Hall after a suspicious package was found there

UI spokesman Steve Parrott said he did not know anything about the package, which was found sometime about 4:45 p.m. He said students were advised to take their books with them when they evacuated the dorm.

Nearby Currier Residence Hall was opened up to the displaced students, as was the Iowa Memorial Union. Parrott said students could go to Hillcrest Residence Hall for dining service.

University of Iowa and Iowa City Police as well as the Johnson County Bomb Squad were called in to investigate the package.

Burge resident Kris Kroski was among the dozens of students waiting outside Burge waiting to hear word about when they would be let in. The entrance to the residence hall was taped off and students were directed to the opposite side of the street.

Kroski said he was not told why Burge was evacuated.

chew on this

2008-12-14T22:39:00.002-06:00

In a recent study(can't remember the name of the study but if your really interested, I can find out) it was shown that chewing gum for 20 minutes lowered stress cortisol levels in saliva 16 percent. Save your breath and destress...chew gum.

Freakin' Fabulous

2008-12-14T22:34:00.002-06:00

This is my newest purchase from Borders and it is, freakin' fabulous. Clinton Kelly uses his wit to win you over and make you dress, speak, behave, eat, entertain, decorate and generally be better than everyone else. Now that I have made it clear that I own this book, I would like to let you know that I have also read this book. So, that makes me better than everyone else.

Just kidding.

Anyhow, if you are struggling to find a last minute gift for nearly anyone this year, buy them this book, or buy it for yourself. It's a great conversation piece to have on your coffee table...and maybe, just maybe, it will make you better than everyone else.

Whatever you like

2008-11-24T17:47:00.004-06:00

1. Put your iTunes on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Hot Child in the City, Nick Gilder and the Time Machine

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Faithfully, Journey

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
The Sweet Escape, Gwen Stephani

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Just not today, Kenny Chesney

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
You Sexy Thing(I believe in miracles), Hot Chocolate

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Just Dance, Lady GaGa

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Follow Me, Uncle Kracker

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Keeps Gettin' Better, X-tina

WHAT IS 2+2?
How will I know, Whitney Houston

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Glamorous, Fergie

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
These Days, Rascal Flatts

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Chicken Fried, Zac Brown Band

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Leave the Pieces, The Wreckers

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Anybody, David Kroll

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Love, Sugarland

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Here I Go Again, Whitesnake

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Superstar, Lupe Fiasco

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Bennie and the Jets, Elton John

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Paralyzer, Finger Eleven

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Tell Me Why, Taylor Swift

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Dancin' for the groceries, Kenny Chesney

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
I won't back down, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Dancing In the Moonlight, King Harvest

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Horizon, Rachael Yamagata

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Undeniable, Mat Kearney

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Kiss, Prince

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Stop and Stare, One Republic

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Hyponotize, Notorious BIG

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Beast of Burden, The Rolling Stones

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Whatever You Like, T.I.

it's going in my ears

2008-11-23T10:46:00.002-06:00

DJing at the tannery causes me to get sick of music very quickly and feel like I am constantly updating my personal collection so I have something new to listen to. The bonus is that we use the SONOS system connected to Rhapsody at the tannery so I get to experiment and create new play lists every time I am there. I also have a rather diverse taste. My only dislike is music that causes me to get a headache, like angry music.

Lately I have been listening to:

--The new Seal album, Soul. It's great background music for cooking or cleaning.

--David Kroll's It's Workin' album. It recently became available on iTunes. I encourage everyone to buy and support your local artists...well, not local to Chicago, but he is my neighbor from home. Great guy...support him.

--Taylor Swift's new album Fearless. That girl is having hit after hit.

--Mrs. Officer by Lil Wayne and Bobby Valentino

--Heartless by Kanye

--John Legend's Green Light

--Chasing Pavements by Adele

--Single Ladies(Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce

--Poker Face by Lady GaGa

Goodbye Metrodome

2008-11-22T19:15:00.002-06:00

I am a little nostalgic as I sit here watching the Iowa vs. MN game tonight. As much as I would like to see MN win their last game in the Metrodome, I don't want to see Iowa lose. Hopefully, Floyd of Rosedale will go to the most deserving team...and I do love Shonn Greene. GO HAWKS!!!

The last time I was at the Metrodome was probably 5 years ago for another Iowa/Minnesota match up. Iowa won in an upset and the Iowa fans rushed the field and tried to take a goal post out of the dome. The Iowa athletic dept ended up paying about $15,000 in damages, but I do believe we went to the Alamo Bowl that year. A great game that I also attended...and upset against Texas Tech in which Nate Kaeding let the Iowa Marching band in "In Heaven There is No Beer" after the win. But I digress, at that Iowa/MN game was the first time that I met my now sister-in-law, as it was my brother's first year of law school at Iowa and he, Jill and Nat went to the game. I was in my ICU clinicals at the time and I had to work a 7pm-7am shift the night before the game and Aaron, Jodie, and Spence picked me up at UIHC and we drove straight to the game where we had a great time. That night we went out and and a very memorable time in the Twin Cities. We ran into some of the MN players at the bars that night and Aaron recognized one of them who had been injured that day during the game and said to him, "Didn't I see you riding the stationary bike on the sidelines today?" Well, this was enough to piss the player off enough to want to kick Aaron's ass. I somehow got thrown in the middle of this, because of course, the guy wouldn't hit a girl. A classic way to diffuse any hostile situation. Anyhow, it was a great weekend.

I will be sad to see the Metrodome go with all these great memories of it(and the only Big 10 stadium that serves alcohol) but will be glad to see MN play real football in an outdoor stadium despite the elements, because I do remember being at Iowa games when I was little where the refs threatened to give penalties if people didn't stop throwing snow balls onto the field. Welcome to the game, kids.

ZBB

2008-11-19T20:22:00.002-06:00

Lisa and I went and saw Zac Brown Band at Joe's on the 7th. The show was great. I personally think they sound even better live than they do recorded.

I love live music.

On the 8th, I went and saw two of my coworkers blues and funk bands play. They are always fun to watch. They just released their first album, so that was exciting.

Did that all happen almost two weeks ago, already?

Beautiful People: A social network for ...beautiful people

2008-11-06T19:01:00.001-06:00

Beautiful People , a social networking and dating site, which only welcomes exclusively attractive members, proves that even a controversial business idea can be a successful and highly profitable one.
The company name may ring a bell, Beautiful People has had extensive media coverage, because news outlets, magazines (and of course, people like me) just can't resist voicing their opinions and stirring the pot in hopes that a public debate will be the outcome. While Beautiful People may be receiving press that leans in the negative direction, their name and concept is now in the public eye. It may be a reverse marketing strategy, but it seems to be effective in attracting the vain and superficial clientele they seek.
Their mission, which they are not shy about voicing, is to provide a networking site where members are not forced to scan through the profiles of unattractive people as their competitors oblige individuals to do. So what's the protocol to ensure only the bold and beautiful join Beautiful People? Anyone who wishes to enter their ranks can setup their profile, complete with their most alluring photo where existing members can approve or reject them within a 72 hour review period. Apparently members are supposed to consider applications based on both their photograph and their profile text...but I think we all know better. Now, the good news is even if the public doesn't think you're beautiful the first time around, you are allowed a second take (with an updated profile of course). However, if you don't get through, be prepared to take a good hit to your self esteem. With a name like Beautiful People, can you expect anything less?
If it's not enough the Beautiful People's discriminatory empire has expanded from the UK to 10 additional countries worldwide, they have even launched their own reality TV series. Broadcasted by Toronto, Canada's Slice Network, the series follows the two male Directors as they prepare for events, greet their adoring public and generally manage their business.
Image Property of Beautiful People.com
While, I think it's clear that this is not a business that I personally favor and I don't make it a habit to cover organizations that are already publicly known, I do have a point. Even the most controversial of business ideas can be developed into profitable empires. So, keep that in mind entrepreneurs!
Whatever your business plan, don't let the criticisms of others stop you. Take a page from Beautiful People's book, just don't try to step on too many toes during your ascent to entrepreneurial success.

**taken from www.inventorspot.com

Bored? Move your ass...

2008-11-06T10:38:00.004-06:00

There is no good reason to ever be bored, unless you want to be. If you are bored, let me fill you in on some fun, exciting or just interesting things that are going on...

Roger Ebert

Ebert is at the borders on State and Randolph today at 12:30 signing copies of his new book, Scorsese by Ebert.

Zac Brown Band

Joe's @ 9pm

Atlanta's based Zac Brown(and his band) play country-rock. The Foundation is set to be released Nov 21.

Calling All Cougars

Sat Nov 8 @ 11pm

Tuman's Tavern

An event for cougars and those who hunt them.

Lingerie Loft Party

Sat Nov 8 @ 10pm
Undisclosed location downtown(email greaterthanwho@gmail.com for venue info)

It's a pants-optional loft party.

Half-price martinis

Tues Nov 11 @ 5:30pm

Kit Kat Lounge

3700 N Halsted

Selection of about 100 martinis.

--The Bulls are home Fri Nov 7, Sat Nov 8 and Tues Nov 11.

--Northwestern is playing Ohio State at home on Saturday.

--The Blackhawks are home Sunday Nov 9 and Wed Nov 12.

--One of my coworkers has 3 of his bands playing at Weed's on Sat Nov 8 from 9pm-1am. I've seen him play several times and a good time is always had by all. Mostly blues and funk with some original stuff and some covers.

Have I become a bag lady?

2008-11-05T10:36:00.004-06:00

I have always wondered why some people carry such big bags around with them all the time...the mom bag, I called it. I have friends who carry crazy amounts of unnecessary stuff around with them all the time. With my schedule becoming increasingly busy lately, I have found myself carrying a bigger bag to and from work lately(hello multitasking on my break).

Fearful that I was becoming a "mom bagger" I dumped out the contents of my bag to assess the situation. Keep in mind that I have literally been home for one full hour out of the last 31 hours(I worked overnight at the hospital) so it may have a little more in it than usual.

Contents:
-cell phone and charger
-cooking light magazine
-book, Three Nights in August
-granola bar
-gum
-2 tubes of chapstick
-tube of lip gloss
-toothbrush and toothpaste
-2 pens
-variety of sharpies
-my planner
-clean underwear
-papers to apply to volunteer to tutor homless kids
-work keys and ID
-nail polish, file and polish remover
-deodorant
-cough drops
-wallet
-soy nuts and dried cherries

I would say that isn't too bad considering I have been gone from home since 630 yesterday morning, stopped home for an hour yesterday afternoon to shower and change and won't be back home until 2pm today.