What's Normal, Anyways?

Forget SMART Goals, These are KIND Goals

2012-01-25T21:47:00.004-05:00

BE KIND. No, it's not an acronym. This is my goal for 2012. Be Kind.

Simple, yes? I got the idea of a "word goal" from Rachel Wilkerson, who is all about the verb goals. Rachel says that verbs are great goals or resolutions because verbs are what "get things done." I think her logic makes perfect sense, but of course I couldn't just pick a simple verb. No, I chose an adjective. Kind is a description. But throw "be" in front, and by God if I don't have a verb on my hands after all!

So, what does "Be Kind" mean? Well, that's just the beauty of it. Being kind applies to nearly all aspects of your life. (Well, I guess if your goal for 2012 was to be more assertive, "be kind" wouldn't be such a great goal, but this gal knows how to speak up for herself and those she cares about. Just ask my boss.)

This year, 2012, I have declared the year of kindness.

I will be kind:

To my health
by snacking on more raw veggies
by resting, so I don't wear myself thin so often-even if that means I'm "lame" sometimes

To my body
by training with intention for my first 1/2 marathon (February) and at least 2 more sprint triathlons
by spending time on my yoga mat at least once a week-either at home or in the studio

To my mind
by reading even more, especially nonfiction
by watching more documentaries and seeking out the hidden from view issues in our modern world

To my soul
by traveling domestically-hello road trips
by attending more cultural events
by living in the moment more and fretting about the future less

To my blog and readers
by finally getting my self-hosted site live
by posting 3 times a week consistently, with worthwhile content
by expanding my knowledge, connections and ideas through attending a blogging conference

To my future
by continuing to save at least 10% of my income each month
by finishing my professional license requirements and determining my next plan of action for continuing education

To my world
by supporting and advocating for local farmers/ranchers and all businesspeople
by investing in companies who have the same values as me
by researching/starting my own small garden in the summer

To my students
by listening to and being patient with them all, no exceptions
by striving to instill in them my own love of learning and puzzlement at the world's wonders

To my family and friends
by staying in touch, even when we lead busy lives
by staying in touch, even when we lead busy lives (yes, that one is worth saying twice)

I hope that 2012 is very kind to you, dear readers. I plan on ensuring this year is kind to me, because what you give, returns in kind.

Love to all,
~the striving to be kind gal, Jess

Pretty Things in a Gloomy Month

2012-01-22T14:42:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you guys, but January can seem a bit gloomy. The lights and other fancy decorations of the holidays have been packed away (ok, ok, I still have mine out-I'm pushing it as "winter decor") and those glittery days and nights of holiday parties have faded. Let's not forget the crazy weather that we are having all over the country! A never ending deluge of snow, rain, wind and over-cast grey is enough to make any month seem gloomy.

Here are three things I've acquired this month that are keeping my days bright and shiny, even when the Mother Nature isn't so accommodating.

1- New Running Shoes!

These Brooks Adrenalines are only my second pair of running shoes. I bought my first pair way back in the spring of 2009, when I was still living in St. Pete. Um, yeah, totally time for a new pair.

2- Beautiful Heirloom Hothouse Tomatoes

These beauties were a bit of a splurge at Fresh Market, but considering I was supporting Florida farmers, I'm cool with that, especially since these babies were some of the best tomatoes I've ever eaten, season be damned!

3-Charming Grocery Store Tulips

When I "rescued" these cute pink tulips from Publix for a mere $6 "adoption fee" last night they were droopy and closed. Less than 12 hours later in fresh water they have stood up and opened to display lovely orange pollen inside. I adore fresh flowers, especially in the wintertime.

So kick the gloom of January and find something pretty to show off in your life.

Love to all,
~the "I'm always in search of something cheerful" gal, Jess

Auf Wiedersehen, 2011

2012-01-17T21:01:00.000-05:00

Nearly a year ago, I made some goals for 2011. They were pretty SMART. They were certainly detailed. And I'm fairly certain I never looked at that post again, until January 1, 2012. Whoops.

Needless to say, I didn't accomplish all the goals on my list, mostly because I didn't remember they were my on my yearly goal list. In spite of my lack of attention to my goals list I did accomplish some great things this year.

Here's a run down of my (itemized) goals list from 2011 (check the link above for detailed descriptions if you are interested), good, bad, accomplished or otherwise.

Blog
1-Use my words. Frankly, I forgot this was a goal for 2011. That being said I have been much more contentious about employing good writing skills on a regular basis. I still have plenty of room for improvement in this department, however.
2-Make a move to self-hosting. I've always said that I'm true to my word, I just operate on a slow time schedule and that is very true of this goal. I have actually purchased my domain and am working on setting up my very own webpage/transferring everything over. I hope to have everything live by February of 2012!
3-Up my photography skills. This too is a work in progress. I am getting much more comfortable with all the settings on my camera and have been doing some research on setting up a small light studio at my house, since most of my time in the kitchen is spent in the evenings.

Food and Cooking
1-Cook one new meal a week. Considering I do this 90% of the time, I'm calling this goal a tasty success that I hope to continue for the rest of my life. I love learning new cooking techniques and experimenting with flavor profiles.
2-Buy more local/organic foods. Not unlike the cooking one new meal a week, I follow this rule about 90% of the time. I do have a very strong love of Hass avocados from California, so that is one local rule I can never follow. I'm a Florida Gal, but Hass trump Florida 'cados every time!
3-Bake more bread. Didn't happen. I didn't even remember this was a goal. Whoops.

Health and Fitness
1-Be consistent with workouts. Still a work in progress, but I'm feeling better about this goal over all after a year of trial and error in 2011.
2-Master the 5k. I ended up focusing on training for my first triathlon this year, not running. But I also came to grips with my battle between running and racing.
3-Manage my food portions. Like most of my life, and apparently all my goals of 2011, this too is something I will continue to work on long past the close of the year, but I feel like I'm developing a better balance between worth it splurges on a second helping and eating just for the sake of eating.
4-Consistently floss and whiten teeth. A huge check on the flossing...still working on finding a whitening treatment that doesn't hurt my apparently sensitive teeth.

Personal/Random
1-Balance my checkbook monthly. Hahaha, thank goodness my Mommy loves me and still is willing to do this one for me 2x a year. (Just a note-I do keep up with my fiances both in my checkbook and online, I just don't "reconcile" my accounts each month against the bank statement).
2-Save 10% of my income. I did pretty good on this. Of course I spend a good deal of those savings in Europe over the summer, but that was totally worth it, and likely the trip would not have happened without the additional cash I scrimped away.
3-Watch less tv. I still watch a lot of TV, but I've gotten away from getting sucked into repeats of shows I've seen before, so this is a success in my book!
4-Brush my dog's coat weekly. My baby boy is beyond spoiled, but this was another goal I was not successful with. In my defense (aka an excuse) he doesn't really enjoy being brushed, so this wasn't a total loss for either of us. Now, my clothes being fur free is another story.
5-Travel, hardcore. Check. Seriously.

Now, what would a good post be without some photos? Enjoy a visual reminder of the year gone by.

2011 will always stand out in my memory because it was my first trip abroad.

While those three weeks in Europe will remain prominent in my memory forever, I was a busy gal in the entirety of 2011.

2011 may have been a tough year for us as a nation and a global economy but it was a pretty incredible year for me personally, and I cannot wait to see what 2012 will bring.

Love to all,
~the "it's best to reflect on the messes, successes and everywhere in between" gal, Jess

Perplexingly, but Utterly, Happy

2012-01-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

One again I have a confession to make to you, my friends of the internet.

It's something that has been weighing on my mind.

I just have to get it off my chest.

I am 100%, undeniably, happy with every aspect of my life.

There. I said it. I'm crazytown happy and in love with life.

Wait. WAIT. Don't click away just yet. I promise I'm not just boasting, bragging or bluffing here.

See that oddly placed word in my title? Yes, I said "perplexingly" happy. What the heck does that mean, you may be wondering. Well, see I was wondering too.

Let me lay out some of my life facts for you and perhaps you will see the source of my confusion.

I am teacher at a rural school, where my ideas are not appreciated and usually ignored, in spite of my experience and proven successes. (oh and don't forget that teachers in FLA-particularly my district- get paid diddly squat)

I live in my hometown. A hometown that I ran kicking and screaming away from after graduating high school. (Frankly I am still a bit "embarrassed" to have returned to teach after acting such a "big shot" about how I was "getting out" all through school)

My hometown is an hour away from civilization. (And by civilization I mean, Gainesville, which many could question it's worthiness of the label "civilized")

I rent from my parents. On their property. (As in I see the back of their house from my front porch.)

I'm a good 15 lbs away from my ideal weight.

My dog has cancer.

I'm single.

As a girl I always thought I'd date my husband to be for ~5 years before we got married. I thought I'd be married before I turned 30. (Note, these weren't "goals" just these concepts I've had for a long time.)

I'm closer to the age of 26 these days then 25. You do the math.

So, overall it looks like the cards should be against me. I mean all the points above do not really sound like the ideal life for a fabulous 25 year old foodie and wannabe fashionista. But for reasons I still don't quite understand none of the above is getting me down. (ok, not 100% true, Chubby having cancer is really, really, really shitty, but it's also part of life, so I'm dealing with it.)

I love my little abarnment. I love my students and seeing their eyes light up when we do something "cool" in class. I love my wardrobe of clothes, so 15 lbs be damned, I look good. And luckily I love my parents dearly and enjoy seeing them everyday.

If you too would like to have this feeling of being geninely "high on life" I have only two suggestions for you.

1- Revel in the little things.

Little things like random flowers blooming in the dead of winter. (see my silly bromeliad above for an example) Little things like receiving a complementary cup of coffee at Starbucks just for returning an empty bean bag. Little things like encouraging a shy student to share their opinion in class. Little things like a brisk winter walk with a friend.

Those kinds of little things in life. Things that are mostly free and always worth keeping your eyes open for.

2- Play the smile game.

This one is simple. Just smile at someone until they smile back. (make sure your smile is genuine, otherwise you just come off as a creep or mentally unstable, ok?) You both will feel instantly happier. I love the smile game. I made it up last year and it's the best thing about my day sometimes.

I don't know if those two things are really the cause of my ridiculous feelings of happiness (hell, my hormones may just be bonkers out of balance from copious amounts of Christmas Sugar), but they do seem like some good guidelines for life, don't you agree?

Phew, thanks for listening to all that mushy happy stuff, guys. I'll do my best to return to my snarky gal self as soon as possible, because honestly one of the things that makes me most happy is all my "imaginary friends" on the internet!

Love to all,
~the happy gal, Jess

I'm a Racer, not a Runner

2012-01-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

Now please don't be misled by that title.

I've been struggling with how to write what should be a simple "race-recap" for over a month now; just as I've had a struggling relationship with putting sneaker to the pavement for nearly 4 years now.

I'm not that gal standing up on the podium receiving the special awards post race. (I'm just happy to get a finisher metal.) I'm not that gal picking off my "rabbits." (I'm happy to get passed by 10 year old Girls on the Run, decked out in purple.) I'm not the gal breaking any records, personal or otherwise. (I'm just happy to finish the race.)

But I am a gal that loves to race. (And if that means I have to run in the process, than so be it.)

However, I didn't know all those confident statements (even if written in Italics) applied to me until recently. I knew that I needed goals to stay on top of my physical fitness game and signing up for races seemed like the right thing to do. (Beside, you do totally sound like a badass telling your friends about registering for your next [blank] kilometer race)

Speaking of friends. Here are mine.

Ashley and Jenna are my roommates from college and two of my closest friends in the entire world. They have been there for me during the ups, downs and in-betweens of life. And they also were willing to get up early on a chilly December morning to be my cheering section at the OUC 5k.

As I stood shivering with my two friends, watching the start of the OUC Half Marathon and awaiting the call to the starting line for my own race all I realized two things: One was that I was excited to be out and about on this brisk morning and and the second was that I was seriously under-trained.

When I signed up for this race I had this idea that I wanted to run a sub 45 minute 5k since I had completed the 5k run of my first triathlon in October in exactly 45 minutes, post a 400m swim and 12km bike ride. My "brother" Tim had put together a training plan for me that he predicted could even get me sub 40 minutes.

Turns out both he and I were very optimistic, but again it was 100% my "fault" I didn't achieve either of our goals for me. I started the training plan only 1 month (aka 4 weeks) out from the race and only completed 1 or two of the scheduled runs each week. So yeah, really under-trained.

Regardless, when the last 1/2 marathoner had crossed the starting line and the call for us 5k-ers to line up came I hugged my girlies goodbye and jumped in towards the back of the pack.

As usual the start of the race was really exciting. (As evidenced by the little boy in white to my right.)

The pack thinned out pretty quickly and I was able to pick up a slow jog across the starting line and out onto the first leg and turn of the course.

We were running a lovely course through one of the older neighborhoods, chock-full of beautiful craftsman style houses and bungalows. And also chock-full of cobblestone roads, slippery with morning dew. While I enjoyed the views of homes and lush landscape my legs and hips did not appreciate the cautious stride I was using on the cobblestones. Enter extreme hip cramps and lots of walking/hobbling to relieve the cramping.

I started to get frustrated with myself for not being strong enough physically, or mentally to just "power through." Negative thoughts including "why the hell did you sign up for a 1/2 marathon if you can't even run a 5k streamed through my mind. (And while that is still a valid question, it was not welcome mid race. I'm going to be racing in the Inaugural Rock n Roll St. Pete Half Marathon in February.)

Then suddenly my mood lifted. I honestly can't tell you if it was a shift of sunlight in the trees, a particularly lovely house or an adorable pack of Girls on the Run passing me but I shook off that negative feeling for good.

I realized I was alive.

I realized that the blood pumping hard through my body felt amazing.

I realized that if I didn't sign up for this race I would have been a lump sleeping in on an beautiful Saturday morning, missing out on the sunrise over Lake Eola.

I realized that I was happy.

I realized I was having fun.

I realized I was racing.

I realized I am a racer, not a runner.

So, for the rest of the race I ran when I could and walked when I couldn't. Pure and simple. And with that I finished my first official* 5k with a respectful time of 48:47. While this time is reflective of my walk breaks, it says nothing about the racing/running balance I earned for my heart and soul by the time I crossed that finish line.

What I earned from this 5k cannot be measured with a new personal record, a trip to the winners podium or the size of my finisher's metal. I learned to find peace with the fact that being an "A Corral" runner isn't going to be a goal of mine. My body, nor lifestyle, could not support such a goal.

I was running this race on the anniversary of my heart surgery. I was never athletic as a child. I would much rather read a book than go for a run. And I'm ok with all those facts.

I'm a racer, not a runner.

I love the camaraderie of a race. I love seeing amazing athletes at races; I am humbled to be in the same "race" as those athletes. I love letting little kids smoke me on the course; I just love being out on the course.

Oh, and I also love the complementary beers after the race. You know me, always keeping it real.

Love to all,
~the "racer, not runner" gal, Jess

*this was my first actual 5k. My first race was a 5 mile leg of a 1/2 marathon relay and the second was the MyFirstTri sprint distance triathlon.

PS. Also, I here by swear off the "thumbs up" while racing. Between my ridiculous turned out ex ballet dancer stride and hickhicker thumbs I don't need any additional photographic evidence looking like a total doof.

Welcoming 2012 OR A Traditional Gal Ring In

2012-01-01T22:25:00.000-05:00

It was just last year at this time, I was chattering on about how I have "grown up" dinners out with my friends for NYE, and how my childhood days of doing jigsaw puzzles with my parents were long gone.

The ringing in for 2012 was supposed to be more of the glamorous same: my boy-bestie Michael and I had plans to enjoy delicious Thai eats and treats at Orchid Thai of Winter Park with a large group of friends and then migrate down the street to Wine Room for some sophisticated debauchery and a midnight champagne toast.

Sometimes though certain events in life change even your best laid plans.

This is Chubby. He is my baby. And he has cancer.

He was diagnosed with an inoperable abdominal tumor just over two months ago. As he has been his normal self the all this time we are just "riding it out" for the time being. (He is also 11 years old, which for a large dog is very elderly) But on Friday night he took a turn for what looked like the worst. A urinary tract infection I'd been treating him for the last week didn't seem to be clearing and he was getting very reluctant to eat or drink water.

Needless to say, I did not feel comfortable leaving him with my parents (which is what I typically do when I travel and he can't come along) and with the vet's office closed for the holiday weekend I didn't have any other options.

Plan B consisted of joining my parents for their annual puzzle building party on NYE. And since Chub and I were the honorary guests, I even got to choose the puzzle.

It's a good thing I also chose to tackle this 1000 piece monster with a generous pour of vino, because this vintage French print is tough. In fact I am may have cried out "inconceivable" and very nearly swore "impossible" a few times as we sorted the frustratingly similarly colored pieces and began tackling the border.

We worked on this puppy (while my sick puppy snoozed on a cushy stack of quilts) long past Lady Gaga's performance on ABC's Dick Clark's Rockin Eve and the famous ball drop. Dad even got in on the action with a magnifying glass after a few flutes of champagne! Sadly, we only finished the border in all that time. (Did I mention this puzzle was HARD?)

New Year's Day has been more of the same. Puzzle, puzzle, yoga to stretch out the kinks in my back and neck, then more puzzle time. (Plus plenty of cuddle time with Chubby, of course!)

Note the serious progress here.

Two of the three types of text are finished and attached to the border!

I finally took a break for a delicious helping of my family's traditional Southern Good Luck Meal.

Black Eyed Peas over Rice with Collard Greens

(Plus a side of tomatoes with mayonnaise. Told ya it was southern!)

And now, this puzzle, like many good things in life, is coming along slowly but surely.

My New Year's Celebration this year may have been a bit more "slow and traditional" than recent years past, however I'm really happy with how it has turned out. All too often I feel I'm rushing around like madwoman, neglecting to slow down and enjoy the moment. This weekend (and most of my holiday vacation) has been the perfect time to stop, spend time with my family (furbabies included) and enjoy the little things life has to offer. Things like cooking a meal with those you love, snuggling with a stinky but sweet dog, reading a book for the sheer joy of it, and the frustration, but ultimate success that comes from working on a puzzle!

I think the Rolling Stones said it best, "you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you'll get what you need"

I hope the start of 2012 has brought you and your loved ones great joy and celebration.

Love to all,
~the "you know, a celebration doesn't have to be fancy to be just what you need" gal, Jess

Tasty Treats for Christmas Eats

2011-12-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

For several years now, this one not to be excluded, I've talked about the making of my fraternal grandmother's Cardamom Bread. What I've neglected to mention is the second part of this annual tradition.

Since my family is Catholic, we always attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve to celebrate the real reason for our beautiful Christmas Season. After mass (which at our church ends at midnight) we head home for champagne and ham sandwiches on cardamom bread.

Let me tell you folks. Nothing tastes better than a ham sandwich on soft, fragrantly spiced bread at 1:30am on (technically) Christmas Morning. Well, the only thing that makes it better is a glass of champagne (or four! my father keeps insisting on buying a magnum of champagne for our family of three!) and a side of classic deviled eggs.

Our ham sandwiches may have been traditional, but Christmas dinner was anything but this year. (Praise be to the newborn Baby Jesus! I would gag if we had another slice of roasted turkey in this house. )

For dinner: Rosemary and Sea Salt Sourdough, Shrimp and Spinach Cheddar Grits and a beautiful (but sadly unpictured) salad made of mixed greens from my mother's best friend's garden. And for a simple dessert: "holiday red" grapes topped with Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of brown sugar.

I hope your holiday season is filled with wonderful food, be it traditional or no, but more importantly that you are able to cherish the time you spend with friends and family during your meals.

Love to all,
~the "I'm getting sentimental about meals in my old age" gal, Jess

Giving is Better than Receiving

2011-12-24T10:11:00.001-05:00

See that stylish outfit? No, it's not my sweet rags for Christmas dinner. (heck, it's so warm in Florida right now just the thought of a sweater makes me, well, sweaty) The outfit isn't even mine. It's for the Christmas Angel I chose off the Giving Tree at my church.

For years my family has chosen several Angels, which are essentially wish lists from disadvantaged children and families, after which my mum and I would hit the mall/Target to fulfill the list and have a blast playing in the toys and clothing sections of the stores I had long out grown.

This year as my family was choosing Angels, it hit me. "Um, Jess? You are a grown woman. You have a full time job, you pay your own bills, you tithe to the church independently, isn't it time you stopped mooching off your parent's charitable acts?" Duly noted, inner-monologue, duly noted.

So I chose an angel reading "outfit for a 15-19 year old girl." Perhaps shopping for toys would have been more fun, but as a high school teacher that is my demographic and I love my kids, so this just felt right. And you know what friends? Clothes shopping for a mystery girl is so fun! Perhaps I went a bit overboard at Forever 21 buying for my angel, because I couldn't stop with just a dress (which is a halter style, so she can wear it all year long) and sweater. I had to add those great shoes, a sweet color popping bracelet and a cute little owl necklace as a cute nod to her giver, me! (I'm an FAU alumni, Go Owls!) Oh and of course I fell for the lip glosses in the bowl by the register, so in the bag it went! (Let's not talk about the final bill, ok?)

I hope my Angel Girl loves her Christmas gift. Giving is so much more fun that receiving in my opinion, mostly because I love to shop! Oh and I love making people happy. Really Christmas is a win-win time for me.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a joyful and blessed holiday with friends, family and all those you love.

Love to all,
~the little Christmas Elf Gal, Jess

PS. Speaking of giving, I went non-traditional with my co-worker gifts this year, since most of them are all watching their eating I didn't think my usual treats of toffee, cookie dough balls or cheese biscuits would be well received!

I got a steal on oil cruets from a restaurant wholesaler and then filled them with dried chilies and peeled garlic cloves. Instant flavored oil! I also included a recipe card full of suggested uses for the oil with each bottle.

Advent Books and Baking

2011-12-22T22:42:00.001-05:00

Advent is one of my favorite times of the year, and as Christmas is a scant 3 days away, that also means the season of advent is drawing to a close.

As child nothing was more exciting that than the weekend I walked in to the church to see the advent wreath hanging from the wooden rafters, gently rotating in the air, made deliciously fragrant with a mixture of evergreen and incense. (I'm a Catholic gal, in case you aren't familiar with the tradition of an Advent Wreath)

The four week "season" of Advent is meant as a time to prepare for Christmas and reflect on scripture in the Catholic faith. Usually though I end up spending Advent like many other Americans: rushing to the mall, holiday parties, baking extra goodies for family and friends, you know the drill.

And while this year I still have the baking down pat, as I spent the entire day working on these beauties.

What you see above is my annual advent labor of love in honor to my fraternal grandmother (and to my tastebuds, of course-this bread is SO incredible), the baking of Cardamom Bread. I chronicled this day long process back in 2009, so everyone could make this wonderful homemade bread.

One thing I have done more of this Advent however is reflection on my relationship with my faith. I've always been proud to be Catholic (although I haven't talked much about it on the blog) and take comfort in the tradition and ritual of attending weekly mass. However, I've always felt like I'm not a very "spiritual" person, in spite of my deep love for my religion. As I've gotten older, that lack of a personal connection with God, or any higher power, has led me to some deep thought, prayer and intense conversation with many friends who are the opposite of me as they label themselves as "spiritual not religious."

Imagine my surprise then when my most recent read, A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers, had a very strong spiritual theme. While reading this beautiful novel set in Rome after the fall of Jerusalem I was so inspired by the quiet strength the heroine Hadassah took in her relationship with the Lord. Hiding her Christianity in a wild, hedonistic city took a deep inner strength that I admired in this fictional character. While I don't know if reading this book will have any long term effects on my personal spirituality, I found it to be the perfect "accidental Advent" read, because it did provide me plenty of opportunity to reflect on religion and it's role in society.

I would recommend this novel to anyone, regardless of your take on religion, as it was full of beautify imagery, action, drama, betrayal and of course, love.

Love to all,
~the gal who is very appreciative of Advent, Jess

My Holiday Season....

2011-12-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

...is here.

And my holiday break starts in 3 days. See you on the flipside!

Love to all,
~the "little Miss Mistletoe Gal," Jess

Keeping It Real: Holiday Edition

2011-12-15T05:55:00.000-05:00

Only during the "holidays" would I be up at 4:30am making cookie dough dip for my school of employment's "3 days of Christmas Cheer"

But let's keep it real here:

Cookie Dough Dip? Get real, Jess! This "snack" is just another excuse to eat cream cheese icing with chocolate chips on gram crackers.

And 4:30am? Don't try to pull the martyr card. This is your fault, princess. Because this gal? She fell asleep on the couch last night, laptop precariously balanced on chest at 9:30pm (after getting home from three hours of elementary science fair judging-be still my heart-not) and didn't wake up again until 1:30am. Who cares if the cream cheese and butter sat out on the counter all night...the recipe said "softened." And trust me, it was real soft this morning.

Health hazard? Goodness no, I'm just keeping it real!

Love to all,
~the, "do I look like a happy holiday elf to you?" gal, Jess

PS. Don't answer that question in my signature. Also, be glad I decided to spare you the picture of myself making said cookie dough dip this morning. I want to keep it real around here, not scar you for life!

Keeping It Real

2011-12-11T23:14:00.001-05:00

So, I call myself a "food blogger." Or at least I do when I'm trying to rationalize why I take seemingly random pictures of meals and have started trying to convince my friends and family to go on lunch dates, since the light is so much better in the afternoons.

But let's be honest. I'm not really a very good food snob, and sometimes it seems that you have to consume/design/critique elevated eats to be a "food blogger." That leaves the other option to explain my inclination for food photography; the equally dreaded/famed label of "healthy living blogger." I mean, who else obsessively documents their "fuel intake" via photograph?

Well, while I do write about vegetables, (because I genuinely like them) and occasionally compete in races (but that is really for the metals and post race beers) I would not consider myself a role model for a healthy lifestyle. Oh and it's very rare that I share my "daily" eats on the blog. (because let's be honest, I don't have that kind of time, and most of the time I eat leftovers all week of the recipes I do post)

As additional supporting evidence to my non-case, let's talk about this week. I didn't workout once. I had take out for dinner twice and bought subs for lunch. I've consumed half a bag of Reese's Trees all on my own. (and plan to take down the second half very soon) Oh and I slept for ~ fours hours a night. Well, six on Thursday, if you count the fact that I fell asleep on my couch with a study guide on my face for two hours.

So, in the theme of keeping it real (and analysis of what "type" of blogger I am) on Saturday I indulged again, with Loaded Veggie Hashbrowns from the 43rd Street Deli. With a side of chiclit and Swiss Chocolate flavored coffee.

Normally this meal wouldn't make it onto the blog. It's nothing too special, or pretty for that matter. But it's tasty. And I'm trying to keep it real here. And normally I'm not in Gville on a Saturday morning at 9:30am, hungry and all by my lonesome after passing another round of teaching certification exams. (I'm finishing the requirements for my professional license, since I was not an education major. Oh the joys of career changes.)

Also in the spirit of keeping it real, here is what my breakfast actually looked like, before I shoved it down my gullet. (because what "food blogger" says "shoved it down my gullet"? Classy, I am.)

Yes, that mess is pre-masticated, I swear. And yes, my observant dear ones, it is drenched in not only ketchup and hot sauce, but also syrup. I know it looks like the aftermath of a frat party, but trust me, hashbrowns of any variety covered with this condiment trinity are truly a gift from the food gods. (and yes, I did once have a fellow university classmate tell me that my breakfast wanted to make her vomit, after I pulled a similar trick in the dining hall one morning)

So, what was the purpose of this post? Frankly my dear, I don't ~~give a damn~~ have a clue. But a lot of my actions in life feel a bit like this post. Unguided, quirky and down right delicious, even if a bit messy and not always picture perfect.

And while I still don't know what "type" of blogger I am, I do know how to keep it real.

Love to all,
~the "I'm really real" gal, Jess

How I Celebrate Heart Health-Super Sweet 16 Edition

2011-12-06T21:55:00.000-05:00

Sunday, December 4th 2011 was my sweet sixteen.

It has been a very super sweet sixteen years since my life altering open heart surgery and resulting pacemaker implantation. (Please check out my celebrations from 2010 for a slightly more detailed explanation.)

This year I celebrated by running in the OUC 5k in beautiful downtown Orlando.

Followed by blissful indulgence at Ravenous Pig's December Pig Roast.

I personally can't think of a better way to celebrate 16 years of heart heath; a touch of exercise, a touch of indulgence and 100% happy and healthy. Life is good, friends.

Love to all,
~the "heart baby all grown up" gal, Jess

PS. More details coming on both events soon!

Pretty Little Things

2011-11-30T22:24:00.001-05:00

As much as I love cooking, my passion for dining out and trying new foods is pretty equal. And you know what else is pretty? The three amazing meals below.

Spicy Cream Shrimp

Liquid Ginger Restaurant

Bacon & Bleu Cheeseburger with Parmesan Potato Wedges

Stonewood Grill

Southwestern Falafel "Burger" with Sweet Potato Fries

The Top Restaurant

Kinda makes up for a dull Thanksgiving fare, eh?

Love to all,

~the "if only my wallet was a deep as the pit in my stomach" gal, Jess

PS. This was also an interesting look at my photography skills.

Photo one was taken at lunch, sitting by a window, using my DSLR.

Photo two was taken in a dark bar with my point and shoot (post two martinis = shaky hands), I was using the flash, but trying to deflect it with my sticky gin fingers!

Photo three was taken in a smoky dinning room, by the light of a dim on table retro lamp, also with the point and shoot.

A slightly different take on T-Day

2011-11-28T11:56:00.001-05:00

Anyone who spends time with this gal (either in real life, or "imaginary") knows I'm not a fan of Thanksgiving. You know the drill: family obligations, boring food "traditions", blah, blah, blah.

But this year, by escaping to my mother's best friend's house we got out of the family bit, and I decided to (slightly) shake up the menu.

For dinner, I contributed the "green" side-dish, which I based on a Catalan recipe for fruited spinach.

I did sub pecans for pine nuts, because that's what I had on hand. (or as the real story goes I forgot to buy pine nuts during my shopping trip)

This was an incredibly easy dish to throw together. Saute the apples and shallots until tender, then add the rehydrated raisins and chopped, toasted, pecans.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of sherry, plus the juice of 1 lemon, and add 1lb of fresh spinach. Remove from the heat as soon as the greens start to wilt. Garnish with lemon zest and serve immediately!

Pretty, no? Nothing like bringing a touch of Spanish flare to the hum-drum pilgrim feast.

Speaking of hum-drum? Let's talk about the fact that I've been making the same "Libby's Classic" pumpkin pie since I was 9 years old. (and let's NOT do the math on that one, ok?) This year I took a page out of one of my co-worker's books, errr cookbooks, and made Pumpkin Pie Cake instead.

I know, I know, this doesn't sound like that big of a stretch, but trust me, this pie/cake/hybrid is even tastier than the classic and oh so easy to make!

First, make a standard pumpkin pie filling:

1 12oz can pumpkin
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp "pumpkin pie spice" (or if you are like me, generous dashes of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, because who actually finishes a container of pre-mixed pie spice? Keep the real stuff around, friends)

Add the hand blended pie "filling" to a 9 x 13" baking dish.

Top the filling with 1 box of (dry) yellow cake mix. No really, it sounds weird, but sprinkle-sprinkle to your little inner fairy godmother's contentment.

Then ditch the fairy godmother act and channel your inner southern grandmother this time, by scattering 1 cup of chopped pecans over the cake mix and then drizzling 1 stick of melted butter over the whole mess.

Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees F.

The finished product isn't pretty, nor is it healthy per say, but it is damn tasty.

And really, isn't that how all Thanksgiving dinners could be described? Family gatherings and rich foods only come around a few times a year, and while they aren't all that "healthy" I am thankful for every tasty moment.

Love to all,
~the little "turkey bird" gal, Jess

Let's Talk Tofu

2011-11-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

Hey you. Yes you. I'm looking at you. The one with the drumstick glued to your hand. Put.it.down. Now focus on the following picture.

Good job. Just take some deep breaths. I know it's easy to get sucked into the turkey leftover rut, but resist. And make the best tofu ever instead.

Need even more convincing? It won't take 10 hours to make, like that slightly disappointing, completely over-rated Thanksgiving Feast you are still trying to digest.

All snarky Thanksgiving comments aside, this is truly the best tofu I've ever made, and possibly the best I've ever eaten as well.

To make it, I basically followed this Cooking Light recipe for Udon Noodle Salad with Broccolini and Spicy Tofu, with a few modifications based on what I had on hand. In spite of the the fact that the tofu is mentioned last in the name of this dish, it is the real star.

Let's make tofu.

After pressing and cubing extra firm tofu, I marinated the cubes for ~15 minutes in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of Sriracha sauce.

After the 15 minutes of soak time, I spread the tofu cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet (coated with cooking spray as instructed) and roasted them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. (again, all per the recipe) When I pulled the tofu out of the oven it wasn't even close to being crispy. And trust me, successful tofu needs to be crispy.

I made the best decision of the day by cranking up a dry skillet to scoring hot and quickly searing all the cubes.

Perfection. I will never make tofu any other way. And neither should you. Yes, I'm bossy, but I'm right.

If you are wondering how the rest of the noodle salad came together, here it is:

Blanch bok choy and broccoli (which isn't scary at all...I'd never actually blanched anything before!) and toss with crisp radishes, crunchy cashews, tender noodles all dressed in the leftover marinade and a generous splash of rice vinegar.

This totally beats a leftover turkey sandwich any day!

Love to all,
~the, "even though an actual tofurkey freaks me out, I love tofu" gal, Jess

PS. If you were wondering how I press my tofu? Well, good ol' Joy comes in handy now and again!

Food Dare Fail

2011-11-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

It started off so well.

Cutie little leeks, beautiful romaine and sweet, if frosty, peas. Plus soup. Who doesn't love soup? And this gal loves soup. So, what could be so awful about Lettuce Soup?

But as the greens began to simmer down in chicken stock, with an overly generous portion of mint, I began to have my doubts. (I was following a food dare recipe from Everyday by Rachel Ray) The aromas coming off this (ginormous) pot of green stuff wasn't making my mouth water. It was more of a "dirty socks nose wrinkle" reaction.

I should have known better. I don't "do" dares. When playing truth or dare at slumber parties as a child "truth" was my go to answer. No freezing of my best friend's brother's undies for this gal.

However, while I have no shame in being a cautious wallflower at times, I am very stubborn. So, I pressed on.

The lovely green and white vegetables became a baby vomit green after their trip to the blender...which I then tried to "richen" up with some 1/2 and 1/2 that hand been hanging out in my fridge. Still fooling myself, obviously.

Nope. Not even garlic croutons couldn't turn this whale of a fail around. I knew I should have stuck with my truth safety zone. Because no matter how pretty it all started, even when you blend up dirty socks with cream and mint, it still isn't going to be winner, much less a chicken dinner.

Now, does anyone want to come clean out all the leftover lettuce soup from my fridge? I never was a fan of dirty socks. Or mint. ugh.

Love to all,
~the, "hey, I can embrace a failure now and then" gal, Jess

Semi-Abnormal Barbequed Salmon

2011-11-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

My local grocery store recently had salmon on sale. So, of course I bought a large fillet (~1 lb) and I'm fairly certain I had some fancypants idea for roasting this lovely, sustainable fish, with lemons and rosemary. (which actually isn't fancypants at all, it's my normal take on salmon...it just looks fancy!)

But then as I was driving home on that fateful day, I wasn't longing for lemons. Oh no. I was day dreaming about barbeque sauce. Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce to be specific, but really, who cares about those details? (oh, you do? have I mentioned lately that I love you?)

So, I went to change-of-plans-town and decided I would grill the salmon and smoother it in bbq sauce. Yum-o.

Except my propane tank was empty. Ergo, no grilling. But I still wanted flaky, rich salmon smothered in sweet and sticky sauce. wahhhhhh.

Join me for plan C:

Poach the damn salmon with some dill. (you can do this in the microwave-just add ~1/2 inch of water to a glass dish and cover with plastic wrap. Yummy, BPA)

Then skin and shred the salmon.

Mix with a generous amount of sauce.

And serve along side a zingy Asian broccoli slaw and classic mac n' cheese.

And that's just how this gal does barbeque, ya'll.

Love to all,
~the, I love when random cravings actually work gal, Jess

Superb Saint Petersburg Saturday

2011-11-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another edition of why my weekend was totally wonderful. (and I sincerely hope yours was too!)

On Saturday I traveled down to St. Petersburg, Fl to spend some time with the beautiful ladies of Yoga Moves, as they embark on a new journey in their studio: Aerial Yoga.

Denise, myself and Tara- modeling the studio tee shirts

We spent the day exploring the benefits (and flat out fun!) of introducing aerial yoga into your established yoga practice.

I'll be doing a full review on my experience of the aerial yoga workshop soon, but it was an amazing experience I would suggest to any yoga lover.

Since it was Saturday, I was excited to visit the downtown farmer's market, during the break between the workshop's two, 2 hour long sessions.

The St. Pete Farmer's Market is one of the best I've seen in Florida. It is a mix of farmer's market, art show, and food festival, all set to to tune of live bluegrass.

After drooling over all the wonderful options, and reminding myself I still had 2 more hours of flying ahead of me...

...I ended up choosing a Mixed Vegetable Empanada and a Raspberry Iced Tea, which I enjoyed in the shade of a beautiful oak tree, in a park across from the St. Pete Harbor.

One of the things I miss most about St. Petersburg is all the beautiful parks and green spaces. So relaxing and perfect on a sunny, fall day.

After a second amazing session of freeing "anti-gravity" yoga, Tara, Denise and I, along with a few other attendees of the workshop headed down to Bangkok Thai for dinner.

This was just icing on the cake for me, since Bangkok Thai is one of my favorite Thai restaurants, anywhere.

I happily devoured an order of Nam Sod (a spicy ground chicken "salad"), plus a Yummy Roll (sweet potato and avocado with eel sauce) and the Futomaki Roll (krab, tamago, asparagus, carrot, radish and cucumber) while chatting away about yoga, travel, high schoolers and Facebook, relationships, cruises and fur coats. It was a blast!

A day in St. Pete is always worth the 6 hours of driving in my opinion. A HUGE thanks again to the ladies of Yoga Moves for such a great day!

Love to all,
~the, "flying high" on life gal, Jess

Food and Wine 2011: The Do's and Don'ts Edition

2011-11-06T21:26:00.001-05:00

We all probably know by now that I think the EPCOT Intentional Food and Wine Festival is a huge DO in my book.

I only go every single year, and refer to the festival as it's own season. This year I was getting worried that it was going to be the year that I became the DON'T by missing it for the first time in 6 years! First it rained, then I was sick, and then I ran a triathlon.

But wait, attending a huge food festival is totally a DO after a big race, so bestie Jenna and I loaded up after my tri (and a blessed 2 hour long nap!) and headed out to the Happiest Place on Earth to meet up with a few other friends to eat, drink and be ~~mousey~~ merry all around the world!

Here are a few of my tips to make your experience at F&W a huge DO!

DO stop by the awesome cranberry bog, sponsored by Ocean Spray.

DON'T be too disappointed that the cute Ocean Spray guy (Justin Hagan) isn't there, even if he is your future husband.

Isn't he just the cutest?

I've heard from sources that in "real life" he is just as goofy as his commerical character!

DO stop by the Canada stand to get a cup of Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup.

This may have possibly been the best batch I've had, as this soup is a staple for me at F&W.

DON'T mind my chipped "tiger striped" nails, leftover from Homecoming week at my school of employment!

DON'T bother stopping at "neighboring" Greece, because they took both the Spanikopita and the Boutari Santorini wine off the menu this year. Boo.

DO get your seafood and comfort food fix all in one amazing dish with Ireland's Lobster and Scallop Fisherman's Pie.

This small portion is incredibly filling, has a fantastically complex flavor profile for such a traditional and rustic dish and is even prettier mixed up!

DON'T get suckered into standing in the left hand line at the Ireland stand....it is the beer line and all they have is Guinness. I adore Guinny, but I'm not about to stand in line for 25 minutes for a beer I can get at nearly any decent bar/restaurant!

DO brave the line at France. The Escargots Persillade en Brioche and Sparkling Pomegrante Kir are a must every year!

DON'T be sad that the rest of the usual "festival crew" (aka the drunk and rowdy boys) are too busy doing tequila shots in the "not so secret anymore and now packed" taqueria in Mexico to come join you, because you won't have to buy double plates for sharing this year! More for me = a huge DO.

DO get your beer fix at the Belgium stand with a refreshing Hoegaarden because the line is short, the smells of waffles are free (and totally satisfying!) and Belgium beer is delicious!

DO get excited about the new Portugal stand, at first.

DON'T bother with the Calamari Salad with Fennel, Smoked Paprika and Olive Oil because while it sounds tasty and refreshing, it's just an oily mess with no hint of fennel.

DO recover from the Portuguese mess by stopping at the Hops and Barley stand to pick up the Sam Adams 16th Anniversary Festival Beer-Boston Ale and Pumpkin Mousse with Ocean Spray Craisins and Orange Sauce.

DON'T worry about the let down of the 16th anniversary festival beer, since it tastes just like regular Sam Adams Boston Lager, because the Pumpkin Mousse is really the star of the show.

I would have named the "mousse" a trifle, since it also included some layers of spice cake, but what ever you call it every tiny bite was a tasty combination of classic fall flavors, without being too sweet. I would certainly get this again and am considering making something similar for an upcoming work social.

DO ask a friendly fellow park goer to take the picture of your group, as we all know "if you don't take a picture, it didn't happen."

DON'T forget to jump back up on the bench, since your cute boots won't be shown off if you are standing.

DON'T bother getting the Kiebasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream if you've ever "met" the lovely Mrs. T and her frozen pierogies, because I'm fairly certain that these are the same thing.

I've raved about this dish in the past, but I've declared this year to be the last that I visit the Poland stand.

DO stop at the South Korea stand and get the Lettuce Wrap with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw if you've taken my advice and skipped Poland. DO email me to remind me of how wonderful it is, how bright and tasty, the perfect balance of savory, sour and spicy with a wonderful crunch. I knew this dish was a DO when I tasted it for the first time in 2010, so DON'T make my "I ate too much already" rookie mistake.

Any day spent with my best friends, enjoying tasty treats and eats is a DO. So, DON'T miss out on all the yummy tastes and "travels" that EPCOT has to offer during the International Food and Wine Festival.

Love to all,
~the, "I guess all those years of Glamour subscriptions are rubbing off on me" gal, Jess

Frighteningly Good Harvest Brownies

2011-10-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

Boo!

If you need some back up for all that bagged candy, waiting longingly for the trick-or-treaters to arrive tomorrow evening brownies are always a good choice.

But brownies sneakily laced with pumpkin? Now that is a trick that is actually a delicious treat!

And if pumpkin brownies couldn't get any better, these are totally fool proof and nearly prep free.

You will need:

1 box of your favorite brownie mix

1 egg

~16oz of pumpkin puree

And then:

Mixie-mixie it all together and bake according to the instructions on the brownie box.

Cut and top with whipped cream

Happy Halloween!

Love to all,
~the little pumpkin goblin gal, Jess

PS. This is the first time in years that I haven't had a full blown, costumed to the nine's Halloween. But no worries, I got plenty of costume time in during homecoming week. Enjoy a few shots with my students.

Wacky Tacky Tourist Day

(I'm on the far left of the frame)

Airport Security/Neon Day

(I was the only one who really went with the "security" bit, but I loved my costume as an air traffic controller!)

Learning to Tri: MyFirstTri at The 6th Annual Orlando Women's Triathlon

2011-10-26T22:01:00.001-04:00

It was hard. It was encouraging. It made my legs scream. It made my lungs cry for air. It made me smile. It made me a triathlete.

Post Race, rocking my race tee, with Eleanor, my beloved bike.

Here is the story of My First Tri at the 6th Annual Orlando Women's Triathlon. Enjoy the ride. (and swim, and run!)

The Swim: 17:17

The beautiful sunrise over Lake Mary Jane.

Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

It was a beautiful, but chilly, morning on Saturday, October 22nd 2011 and as promised, I was shivering from both the 60 degree F air and a fair share of nerves. My Mom and her friend Anni, aka my cheering squad, had made a wrong turn on the highway, resulting in a 15 mile detour, so I was all alone on the beach of Lake Mary Jane, watching the sunrise and listening to last minute instructions from the race director.

As the pre-race meeting broke up Mom arrived, sweet sign in tow, and just in time to snap a few photos before my wave took off into the water.

Showing off my body markings.

At 7:20 am (ish-we were ahead of schedule) my wave of "My First Tri-ers" wadded ankle deep into the rather warm water of the lake.

"What buoy are you hitting?"

Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

After one last buoy check, the horn sounded and we were off into the water. As planned, I ensured that I was the last one into the water, to avoid any flying limbs from my fellow competitors. One girl ahead of me freaked out when we were only chest deep in the water. I called out to her "it's ok, you've got this!" but she powered past me to the shore.

Left Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

As soon as I was fully in the water, I found my breathing to be incredibly rapid, shallow and on the cusp of ragged-aka-out of control. I flipped on my back for a few strokes to calm down, but every time I would turn back on my stomach and start to "crawl" without putting my face in the water I would start to breathe too quickly again. This problem continued for the entire swim, and I spent most of it on my back, doing the "squid." (note to self: learn how to do a proper backstroke).

I ended up staying at the back of the pack for the entire swim, since I couldn't get into a strong rhythm. A really great lifeguard in a kayak hovered around, calling out encouragement and helping me sight, since I was on my back. I did contemplate asking for a noddle at one point, but since you legally can't advance with one, and I can get my breath just as easily on my back I just kept doing what I was doing.

At one point, after I had made the last turn and was really starting to slow, I was just staring up at the sky, noticing how lovely the day was becoming, I thought "hey, this is nice, I could say out here all day" but then I remembered "um, you have another 20km bike ride and a 5km run waiting for you, hurry up!" Frustratingly, when I flipped back on my stomach to try and power my way back to the shore, the shoreline was rotating around on me. Ack. Talk about instant sea-sick. Back to the safety of my back I went.

Eventually I got back to shore and staggered my way out of the lake. I literally was cross-stepping like a drunk!

Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

Run from water to transition zone: 2:41

I don't know which sadistic member of the race committee thought a 1/2 mile run to the transition area would be perfect after an open water swim, but at the moment I sure could have punched them. I jogged the 1/4 mile along the beach, but once we turned on the asphalt of the park driveway I ended up hobbling/walking along to the transition itself.

Transition 1: 3:10

Wow! Can't breathe, my feet are wet and grassy, I forgot to untie my sneakers. Are we having fun yet?

The Bike: 57:11

As I predicted, the bike portion of the race was my strongest leg. I just settled into a groove as best I could, and lordy, with the headwind we were all fighting for a good 85% of the ride I needed that groove!

My pace was generally around 14mph, but at one point I slipped down to 10mph! Luckily, I made up for that slow time, when I kicked it up to 17mph for a while, when the wind was (finally!) at my back.

Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

Overall, I had a great ride, and passed a few other competitors, but by the end of the ride my feet felt like frozen blocks of ice, so I was very happy to turn back into the park and hit the bike finish line!

Transition 2: 2:04

The Run: 45:00

The run, also as expected, was really tough. I was very under trained for this leg, since I haven't been running much at all. This is when I was thankful for the cool weather, because my cardio control was actually pretty good. But my legs, oh my legs. I've always said my legs have a mind of their own, as in I'll decide to run to a particular place, but a good 10 paces before my "finish line" my legs will just stop!

I actually had a bit of the opposite on this run. I would suddenly start running again, and it felt great! The course was slippery in places, so that was interesting. I literally got confused at one point, when a volunteer seemed to be directing me into the woods, off the trail. I actually stopped moving and just said, "what?" He assured me it was correct and with a shrug, off I went.

Only to see the the finish chute looming in the distance! I picked up my pace and with a huge smile on my face (and fighting back tears, for some reason) I crossed the finish line of my first triathlon!

See me in the distance?

Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

Total Time: 2:07:25

I ran straight into my Mom's arms and started fighting back tears, all the while fighting to get my breath!

Aren't these photos of Anni and Mom by Gray Quetti Photography fantastic?

Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

The entire race course, Moss Park and the surrounding neighborhood, was abundant with Sand Hill Cranes, aka Space Chickens, which were yet another reason my run went so well, so I had to take a picture with one!

One of the best things about this race experience was the support. Everyone on the course was so supportive and kind. The phrases "you got this" "hang in there girl" "you are about to become a triathlete" hung heavy in the air all over the race grounds. But one woman made a huge impact on me.

Meet Jessica:

Photo Credit: Gray Quetti Photography

In addition to having a really awesome name, this wonderful woman was the most inspiring/supportive person during the race. She was competing in the Olympic distance and passed me both on the bike and the run portions. Both times though, she said something encouraging and was so incredibly sincere. Oh and she won the entire Olympic division! I tried to find her after I finished to say thank you, but I couldn't find her. So, thank you Jessica, you really made my race!

Oh and in case you were wondering I finished 4th in my age division. And yes, I will for sure be doing another triathlon in the future; in fact I've already been looking up sprint distance tri's in the spring. In the meantime I'll be spending more time on the road, both on foot and two-wheeling, plus a lot more time both in the pool and open water!

Love to all,

~the "hey, I'm a triathlete, look at me!" gal Jess

Spooky's Black Cat Cafe

2011-10-24T18:07:00.000-04:00

Can you feel it? Can you?

Halloween is a mere week away, friends!

So, it's about damn time I told you about Spooky's Black Cat Cafe, in the Milk District of Orlando.

(in case you are going, "milk district, wha?" like I was when I first heard the term, it's just little nickname Orlandoeans have given the neighborhood around the T.G. Lee plant. When I questioned if that was a kosher way to name a neighborhood, I was told the point is mute. You can't argue with a stubborn Orlando native. Trust me on this.)

Back to Spooky's. It's fun, it's funky and it's damn tasty.

Oh and did I mention they have a great draft list? 'Cause they do.

I don't 100% remember what this was, something by Cigar City? (I actually visited Spooky's back in the summer, I was just saving this post for Halloween!) Regardless, it was tasty and I believe I had a second round!

We split the Tour of India appetizer sampler.

From the menu: A trio of Baigan Bharta style eggplant curried dip, Pav Baji style vegetable curry dip and Patra style aloo leave, curries and a tamarind roll with a side of curried yogurt, toasted Naan bread, and today’s crisps.

It was mighty tasty, and great fun to play with, as most Indian inspired dishes are. I liked the veggie curry dip the best, but ended up going to town mostly on the tamarind roll, because the rest of my party didn't care for it. It was strongly spiced, but I enjoyed it with the yogurt.

For my entree I got the cheese board of the day. This has become one of my favorite "go to" meals, and the spread put out by Spooky's did not disappoint: brie, wensleydale with cranberries, an herbed goat log and some variety of aged, hard cheese that had a nice bite; all served with strawberries, blueberries, crackers and crouton-thingies (yes, that is a very advanced culinary description. Also, I did not care for said "crouton-thingies). Overall, I demolished this plate, because it was that good!

Ok, well I actually shared some with my friend Jesse, because he ordered my second choice, The Fungi Fun Pizza, and then we taste swapped.

One blurry half, as described on the menu: Ricotta and garlic base, fresh mozzarella, shitake, crimini, and portabella mushrooms. I'm glad of two things here: One that my best ~~boobies~~ friend lets me taste test with her hubby and two, that I stuck with the cheese plate. This pizza was, well, seriously and overwhelmingly fungi-lous. And coming from the gal that ate wild mushrooms at the tender age of 4 because she loves them so much (and the rest of that story is for another day, thank you) is really saying something. Holy moly mushrooms!

If you are visiting Orlando for a spooky good time this weekend, in celebration of All Hallow's Eve, trick or treat your way though the Milk District and have a pint and a bite at Spooky's....if you dare!

Muahahahahah.

Love to all,
~the creepy little cafe lovin' gal, Jess

Learning to Tri: What a (sucessful) Weekend!

2011-10-23T21:53:00.000-04:00

Swim: 17:17

Bike: 57:11

Run: 45:00

Total (with transitions): 2:07:25

Details to come soon!

Love to all,

~the "so, I'm sort of a triathlete now" gal, Jess

Learning to Tri: What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

2011-10-21T12:46:00.001-04:00

OR

Could The Semi Abnormal Gal be Any Less Prepared for the Sixth Annual Orlando Women's Triathlon?

So, what crazy signs up for the first triathlon of her life the same week as Homecoming at the school of her employment, the end of the marking period at same said school, oh and volunteers to judge 2 Hi-Q matches that week and photograph the night time pep rally? A week that has left her exhausted, with a stuffy nose/sore throat and chugging Emergen-C like her life depends on it?

Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!

So, yeah....I'm shaking with nerves in my makeshift trisuit, to say the least (and considering the first real cold front of the fall season just hit Florida this week, I'm going to be shaking from cold as well, come Saturday morning!)

But regardless of the fact that I feel under-trained, sick and this cool snap arrived in Florida about 48 hours too soon for my taste I do have I plan, and here it is!

The Swim

The Distance: 400 meters

The Semi-Abnormal Game Plan:

a- be the last one in the water, seriously. I do NOT want to get kicked. I'm still a little nervous about my swimming skills; I just finally mastered how to breathe over my left shoulder (I'm a righty) a week ago and it's not always that pretty, so I don't need a bonk on the head in addition to my awkward form.

b- Finish in ~ 10 minutes? I can swim one length of my gym pool (or 25m) in 35 seconds, so that is what I'm using for my time calculations. We'll see!

The Bike

The Distance: 20km

The Semi-Abnormal Game Plan:

a- Cycle my heart out. I know I'm totally new to the "roadie" world, as I just got my bike Eleanor in August, but I adore riding on her. I know I will get passed, but I'm ok with that.

b- Finish in ~60 minutes. I just finally got a working speedometer back last week, and I was pleased to discover that my "comfortable" speed is faster than I though, since I also had been under calculating the distance I was covering. I know what my "push it" speed is and how long I can maintain it, so I'm excited about my performance on wheels.

The Run

The Distance: 5km

The Semi-Abnormal Game Plan:

a- Ugh. I really truly hate running. I can't fool myself about this and therefore my only "training" run was last week. It was more of a hobble.

b- Finish in ~45 minutes? I honestly plan on power walking most of it. I do want to "run the finish" line though, because I've never actually done that before. My last race (which was also my first race) was a relay and I was the first leg.

The Transitions

The Distance(s): Not sure

The Semi-Abnormal Game Plan:

a- I don't have a plan for this. I haven't practiced transitions, but I'm ok with that.

b- I am concerned about running from the lake to T1 and then running with my bike. See "The Run" above. (Doesn't like to run, got it).

Well, there you have it. The not so planned out plan, which put me finishing somewhere around the 2 hour mark. That seems like not long enough, so I'm not sure what I haven't accounted for? Regardless, my bike is racked on my car, my gear is packed and the check list is checked!

I'm off to Tri!

Love to all,

~the "I can't believe this triathlon is finally here!" gal, Jess

Chinese Takeout Pizza OR How we Make Up For No Delivery Service in the Boonies

2011-10-17T21:46:00.000-04:00

I love visiting my bestie in Orlando for many reasons. One of which is the beauty of food delivery.

Don't want to go out in the rain for dinner after getting drenched 11 million times previously that day? No worries, just call the restaurant you were going to visit and they will bring your hot Pho soup to your doorstep. Ahh, now that is what I call service, and no, I don't mind paying a touch extra for delivery/tip if I can eat in my PJ's in front of a dumb cable movie, thank you very much!

At home however, I live 35 miles from the nearest restaurant that even offers delivery. And for some odd reason they aren't willing to make the 40ish minute trek out to my neck of the woods. (I literally live in the woods, fyi. That isn't just a cute expression.)

However, thanks to some inspiration from a Rachel Ray recipe for Mu Shu Pork Pizza, I can now satisfy cravings for both pizza and Chinese delivery with one make at home meal.

So, if you have a need for take-out delivery, or just a wacky fun dinner, give my take on this RR meal a try!

The Goods:

1 lb pizza dough (I did the Publix Bakery pre-made dough)
4oz thick cut pork chop (or loin)
~4oz white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a medium sweet onion, diced
1/2 head of escarole (or cabbage/ hearty green of your choice), rough chopped
sesame oil
hoisin sauce
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for grilling

Saute the onions and mushrooms in a drizzle of sesame oil.

After the onions and 'shrooms cooked down season them with S&P then toss in the chopped escarole.

Meanwhile, season the pork with sesame oil (mine was a butterflied chop) and grill it over medium heat, then smoother in ~1/3 cup hoisin sauce. Cut the seasoned pork into cubes and toss with the veggies. (now off the heat)

~~Fight~~ Roll the pizza dough into something resembling 2 disks. Rub with a small amount of olive oil and grill until deliciously brown and puffed.

As soon as the dough comes off the grill, brush generously with more hoisin sauce.

Top the crust with the pork and veggie mixture and enjoy!

This tastes just like mu-shu pork, but with the satisfying chew of pizza, instead of those flimsy Chinese pancakes.

Chinese/Pizza Delivery cravings crushed!

Love to all,
~the "a girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do when living in BFE" gal, Jess

I missing you, missing you, missing you Munich

2011-10-13T21:39:00.000-04:00

Nearly 5000 miles away, the Bavarians of Munich, Germany are cleaning up after Oktoberfest.

Hear me out. I loved what I saw of Munich this summer and I want to go back, possibly for an extended period of time, but the idea of Oktoberfest does not appeal to me.

What got me crooning Black Eyed Peas style I'm missing you to my maps was this little darling:

That (horrible quality photograph) my friends is the beauty and wonder of a Hofbrau Dunkel on draft, curiosity of Tall Paul's.

So, in the spirit of the season, here are some of my memories of Munich, summer 2011.

A history rich city filled with beautiful churches, life altering memorials, plus amazing beer and food?

Yes Munich, I am indeed missing you.

Love to all,

~the "if only my German was better" gal, Jess

Terrific Teacher Tuesday

2011-10-11T22:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my world.

I'm not really a big fan of report card time.

Love to all,
~the "well, I would give your student an A if they earned an A" gal, Jess

Friday Fun Fact: Competive Eating

2011-10-07T21:25:00.000-04:00

Source: Daily Infographic

Close of Summer 2011: Bookworm Style

2011-10-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

Technically "fall" started 10 days ago, on the 23rd, but it didn't feel real to me until this weekend for two reasons.

The first, we finally had a touch of cool, open your windows and snuggle under the covers, weather this weekend in the typically hot and sticky NorCenFLA.

Secondly, I had a long hard chat with myself about the fact that my body cannot keep up with teaching, while acting like it's still summer. That means staying up until midnight reading, blogs, books and watching trashy tv like I'm still on summer vacation, only to get up at 4am and do school work, isn't going to fly. I was sick, tired, frustrated and may or may not have broken down in tears of exhaustion on Friday after the last bell of the day rang.

But did I ever have a good summer of reading. Here are the highlights.

Song Yet Sung

This amazing story set on the Underground Railroad, aka gospel train, tells the story of Liz, a stolen slave who ties the 1860s on the Chesapeake Bay to the civil rights movement, as she has "dreams of the future" foreshadowing the work of Martin Luther King. This cross centennial story is most definitely a tragic novel, but I loved the message, and the overall concept of hope in the face adversity. I listened to this as an audio book and the reader Leslie Uggams was incredible, singing the title song throughout and giving each character their own voice.

Farewell to Arms

This is a classic that I've been meaning to read for several years now. (Somehow I made it though high school and college without reading any of the "modern classics" so I'm catching up as an adult.) Overall, I enjoyed the story but I will admit that at times I was a bit bored with all the "you are such a lovely girl" blah, blah, "have another drink" blah, blah. I saw the ending coming from a mile away, but I did giggle quite a bit and that is a successful story in my book, errrr, opinion.

Cathedral of the Sea

This book may have changed my life. I'm serious. I read this about a month before going on my summer trip to Europe and while I already knew I was going to Barcelona to visit my friend Sam, I didn't really have anything else planned. Thank you Falcones, for giving my trip a purpose, other than to drink copious volumes of cava with my childhood friend. (No worries, friends, I polished off plenty of cava for the cause!)

This novel follows the life of one man, Arnau Estanyol, in tandem with the construction of Santa Maria del Mar or the Cathedral of the Sea, in the 14th century. This style of novel has always been my favorite, an epic historical fiction, with connections to real historical figures and moments. The day I realized that that I was going to get to visit this beautiful Gothic church, build stone by stone on the laboring backs of the common men of Barcelona I nearly cried. The day I visited the cathedral, I just couldn't stop smiling, and got goosebumps as I touched the 700 year old stones.

Read this book. Visit Barcelona. Feel the ghosts of bastaixos who labored with love for their Lady of the Sea.

Fall of Giants

This was another perfectly timed read, right before my trip abroad. Fall of Giants is the first of a trilogy that will follow three generations of British, German, American, Russian and Irish families through WWI, WWII and the Cold War. Of course I love Ken Follett, and epic novels (see above!), but it was so fitting I was hearing about all these European cities, many of which I was about to visit in the coming weeks. My history in WWI and WWII has apparently been lacking, and I really enjoyed seeing how the World Wars have effected so many parts of Europe. I cannot wait for the second book, which is scheduled to be released Spring 2012, because the first book leaves you hanging, with all the main characters having survived the war, and each of them recently having given birth to a young child.

Beatrice and Virgil

I read this book two days after visiting the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site in Germany.

I knew this book was by Yann Martel. I knew it was about animals, as was Life of Pi. I knew that it had some twists. I did not realized that I would be quietly sobbing on a plane to Scotland, because of the strong Holocaust themes. Should you read this book? Absolutely. Will you like it? Well, you decide. It made my stomach hurt, my eyes burn and my temper flare. But that is just me.

Little Bee

Little Bee is not a light read. Are parts of it funny? Yes. But just as many moments are raw, literally graphic and down right painful. This story of a Nigerian refugee in England is set against the backdrop of a British woman and her 4 year old boy Charlie, who will only answer to Batman, recovering from the suicide of Andrew, her husband. This novel explores the place of refugees in "civilized" nations, and the "fairness" of their treatment.

The Glass Castle

This autobiographical story of Jannette Walls growing up with vagabond parents, whom didn't seem to notice if their four children had food, shelter or clean clothing was actually a fascinating read. This story didn't tear at my heart strings as much as enrage me to know that this story is happening in every town around our country. I teach students who remind me of Jeannette. No clean clothes, but so very bright. No friends, but desperate for a positive social outlet. Hungry bodies and even hungrier minds.

The Help

I laughed, I cried. I laughed so hard I cried. And then I just cried.

You is smart. You is kind. You is important.

I cannot wait to hang that on a nursery wall one day, if not mine, then of my "niece or nephew." If you haven't read this yet, please do. And then go do the laugh, cry, laugh, cry some more routine during the movie, too.

Skinny Dip

Least you think my entire summer was filled with war, disadvantaged members of society and tragedy, I had my fair share of "beach reads" too. My favorite author of said summer category is Carl Hiaasen. I've read quite the laundry list of his novels: Nature Girl, Star Island, Sick Puppy, Double Whammy....well, you get the point! My first and favorite remains Skinny Dip, the hysterical story of a husband who attempts to murder his wife by tossing her overboard from a cruise liner. Poor schmuck forgot that she is a champion swimmer, and after she survives, takes revenge on her looser hubby, with the help of a reclusive retired police officer.

Well, there you have it. A summer well spent between the pages of books and lands both near and far.

Have any of your recent reads overlapped with mine? Do share! Now if you'll excuse me, I have an early bedtime tonight.

Love to all,
~the "I might just read under the covers with a flashlight anyways" gal, Jess

Stealing from Whole Foods: A Double Theft (with a hummus bonus!)

2011-09-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

This little thief has been at it again.

I love the hot Lima Bean and Tomato "salad" at the Whole Foods bar, but I'm usually too busy woofing them down my gullet to be discerning with my palate and figure out which flavors make this dish so delicious and comforting.

Thank goodness Krissy of Make it Naked is a slower eater than me. She already had these WF beans all worked out and ready for home kitchen cookin'. So I did what any self-respecting food whore would do. I stole her recipe. Which she ~~stole~~ adapted from the Whole Foods bar itself. Hence why I'm worse than your average thief. I'm a low-life, and incredibly well fed, double thief.

So, to make this batch of Tomato-y Lima Beans I followed Krissy's Large Lima Beans in Tomato Sauce pretty much to a tee. My only tweaks: I didn't have any parsley on hand (sniffle) and I used fire roasted tomatoes, for an extra kick!

And maybe all the wrong proportions? I swear this batch of beans was reproducing right there on my stove! The nerve!

Um, yes. Your eyes are not deceiving you, that is 4 massive Tupperware containers of beans. Oh and this was after I had a ~~giant~~ meal of them and took some to my parents, too. Sheesh.

After a week of beans for lunch, I was getting sick of my beloved limas. And I think my 4th and 5th block classes were getting tired of geese loose in the classroom. (Yes, I just stole that term from Mama Pea. I am going to have to spend a lot of time in confession soon.)

And what is a girl to do with a never ending supply of soft and flavorful, protein packed giant limas? Make Lima Bean Hummus of course!

I simply whipped up the rest of my leftover limas in my blender with 3 cloves of garlic, a few torn basil leaves and some olive oil. The result? Velvety, tangy and um, really garlicky. Oh well, I was never on Team Edward anyways. (And now I just ~~steal~~ beg for gum from my students. It's a perk of the job!)

What have you stolen for your plate lately?

Love to all,
~the, "a foodie's gotta do what a foodie's gotta do" gal, Jess

If Only Sundays (and Pickles)

2011-09-25T14:44:00.000-04:00

I really shouldn't allow myself to go on Facebook on Sundays.

See, everyone seems to be out to Brunch, having a Sunday Funday or lazing by the pool.

But not me. Because I had this crazy idea to become a teacher three years ago.

So, instead of savoring bloody mary's lake side with my pals, most of my Sundays are consumed by lesson planing, grading and prepping for labs for the upcoming week.

And yes, I do love my job, because I love my students. But I won't lie, I get a little mopy, and resentful on Sundays.

Because I would rather be reading, or writing a hundred other blog posts, or sunning by the pool, or testing a new recipe or out riding my bike-training for my upcoming triathlon in October.

Wait, maybe I do have time to test a new recipe after all, and if you have about 15 minutes to spare on your Sunday Funday, you can make these Quick Apple Cider Pickles too.

I've been reading a bit about pickling recently and figured no time better to venture into the world of salt and vinegar than the present. That and I had some cucumbers and other veggies on their way out in my crisper drawer.

What You'll Need:

The Brine:
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup water
~1/4 cup sugar
~1 tablespoon coarse salt
~2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 clove garlic, peeled and split open (just whack it with the flat of your knife)

The Veggies:
2 sliced salad cucumbers
4 sliced radishes
~1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 bay leaf

First, bring the contents of the brine to a simmer in a small sauce pot, stirring occasionally to ensure all the salt, sugar and mustard powder are dissolved.

Meanwhile, toss the veggies in a nonreactive, heatproof bowl, with the dill and bay leaf.

Remove the brine from the heat and pour into the veggie bowl, ensuring all the contents are covered with the brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before enjoying. Store in a covered container with the brine for up to 2 weeks, if they last that long!

So there you have it; Sunday pickles in a snap! If only my lesson plans came together so neatly.

Love to all,
~the "I don't love being a teacher on Sundays" gal, Jess

Songs I Can't Shake

2011-09-21T21:52:00.000-04:00

And now you can't either!

Enjoy.

Love to all,
~the "I'm so glad that music makes my world go 'round" gal, Jess

The Isn't Chowder

2011-09-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

This recipe isn't light.

Don't let the veggies trick you.

This recipe isn't healthy.

This recipe isn't really made for a hot 'n steamy, stormy, summer evening.

This recipe certainly isn't vegan.

Hell, this recipe isn't mine.

But, this recipe IS damn good. And you should make it. No really, go make it.

Are you still sitting there? Oh, you need the recipe. Mea culpa.

I stole this amazing corn chowder, topped with BBQ grilled shrimp and applewood bacon from another Jess, of How Sweet It Is. Oh, after she stole it from her mom, who stole it from a newspaper.

See, ~~stealing is good sometimes~~ sharing is caring.

I basically followed her recipe, only tweaking the heat, with the addition of a diced, fresh jalapeno pepper and some Louisiana style hot sauce. Oh and I ran the ol' "motorboat" immersion blender through it before serving, because I just had to get another item in my kitchen dirty.

Hey, they don't call me Messi Jessi for nothing!

There are a lot of things this chowder isn't, but a let down it's NOT.

Love to all,
~the "when isn't it a night for soup?" gal, Jess

Disney Dining: Sanaa (and Zebra Butts!)

2011-09-13T21:26:00.001-04:00

Little known fact to most people who live outside the boarders of Buena Vista, Florida, aka Mickey Mouse County, is that many of the Disney resorts have restaurants open to the public ("public" meaning non-park going/ resort staying patrons).

One such restaurant is Sanaa, a self-proclaimed work of art, serving "African cuisine with Indian Flavors"located at Kidani Village of the Animal Kingdom Resorts. Well, we all know that I love ethnic foods and art, plus this is bestie Michael's favorite restaurant in all of central Florida, so obviously I was stoked to go....but I really didn't care if the food was horrible, I just wanted to see the zebra butts!

oh, and the giraffe butts!

What was that? You wanted to know how the food was? oh, ok...well, I guess I did have a pretty fantastic lunch, while enjoying the simulated African Safari outside our window-side table.

We started off with the infamous "bread service.

From the Menu:

Choose three you say? What is this word "choose?" What is this limitation "three?" Not when your bestie's step-mum is the special events coordinator for the resort. High rollers, babycakes, high rollers.

I pity anyone who would have to choose between the beautiful, bright flavors of the sauces, and the diverse textures and flavors of the breads. My favorites were the Papadum or the Paneer Paratha breads, with the Cucumber Raita and Tamarind Chutney. Can I just eat this everyday?

Entrees:

For my lunch I was immediately drawn to the Paneer Cheese and Spinach option of the Vegetarian Sampler. I randomly got the Sambar to go with it, since that was something I'd never heard of before, with basmati rice.

This was so good! You know I love to play with my food, so I thoroughly enjoyed this meal: Playing with extra naan to make the perfect bite...dipping the bread in the sambar, adding a piece of cheese, topping it with some chutney. Repeat. Play with rice. Repeat. Yum.

Michael chose off the more "popular" section of the menu:

He got both the shrimp dishes, which were very tasty. He also got a side order of the Five Grain Pilaf, and I now know that is the way to go for my starch choice next time. And yes, there will be a next time.

Cindy, Michael's step-mum, eats at Sanna countless times a week, so she got her favorite, the Tandoori Shrimp.

She also shared a bite and it was so good! So, maybe next time I'll get the Tandoori Chicken (which was my second choice....I just love Paneer too much to not to get it!) with a side of the pilaf, of course!

Michael insists that you cannot go to Sanaa without getting the Chai Cream for dessert, so of course, we got the Chai Cream for dessert!

I love that the spoons come chocolate dipped! Possibly my favorite part of the dish. This was a wonderfully cool and creamy way, with the perfect touch of mild spice, to finish out such a rich and vibrant meal.

That and more animal butts!

Love to all,
~the "I don't know what I love more: drooling over amazing food, or drooling over cute animals" gal, Jess

In English Class

2011-09-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to write about September 11th today.

I actually was going to prattle on about dinning with zebra butts, but that post can wait for another day.

See, I don't like getting carried away with media hype, and considering I'm part of the media (a teeny, tiny part) I was actually dreading this weekend and all the memorials and specials.

Then on Friday we had a moment of silence at the school where I teach, and all the administration took turns reading a passage about what happened on 9/11/01.

And it all came rushing back. When the announcements had finished, all 20 of my freshman students looked at me expectantly, as I usually say something after the announcements have completed.

I was in 10th grade English, which was held in a tiny classroom in the library. The librarian came down to our classroom to tell us that "something was happening" at the World Trade Center in NYC. Our teacher wouldn't let us put the TV on, even though we begged. So, one at a time we took turns sneaking out of the room (our teacher was older and not always wise to our shenanigans) to watch the TV in the library. It was "my turn" when the first tower collapsed. I will never forget that moment, just as my Mom will never forget where she was when JFK was assassinated.

At this point I got choked up, which I think shocked myself more than my students.

The rest of the day we didn't actually have classes, we just watched CNN on all the classroom TVs. I remember being scared, which I scolded myself as being dumb, since no one was going to bomb or crash a plane into our tiny, rural school. I was scared because none of my teachers could tell us what was going on. The holders of all the answers didn't know what to tell us, because they were just as rattled and frightened too.

When I asked my class how old they were on 9/11/01, they replied they were 6 years old. Most of them said they didn't even remember what had happened that day. I told them they were lucky.

But I think I am the lucky one, because I still understand why we are/were at war with Iraq and why we are in such a huge financial mess as a country. I might not like the actions our government leaders have always chosen, but I will never forget the moment that started it all.

Love to all,
~the thoughtful gal, Jess

My favorite (simple) classic....

2011-09-08T21:16:00.000-04:00

....for dessert.

Cubed parmesan reggiano and 85% Green & Black's organic chocolate

Simple, understated, but bursting with flavors. Enjoy with a cup of tea and call it a night.

Sweet cheesy-chocolatey dreams, my friends.

Love to all,

~the "sometimes simple is all you need" gal, Jess

Harvest Time Beer: A meal in a glass

2011-09-04T20:40:00.000-04:00

Like many others, I proudly declare fall to be my favorite season.

Oh yes, I love the season of football (only high school and college though, thanks!), the opportunity to wear sweaters, boots and tights, and hello, Halloween?

But the absolutely best part of the fall? Harvest themed beers. Oh yes, they are on tap already and I have three wonderful doozies to share with you! And now, in no particular order:

Number one: Seirra Nevada Life and Limb

This is a "small beer" (means it is the second brew from a batch of hops/barley) with huge flavor! The flavor profile includes burn toast, coffee, and maple syrup. A perfect brew to curl up with and dream of breakfast in the morning. Or hell, just drink this for breakfast! Be warned however, at 10.2% abv this "breakfast in a glass" might leave you loitering around the house for a while!

Number Two: Great Divide Smoke Baltic Porter

"beef jerky in a glass" proclaimed Vinnie, one of my favorite bartenders. This beer does live up to it's proclamation of being "smoked" but I didn't really get the jerky bit. I think Vin was just jerking my chain! This porter does have a slightly salty after taste, but I loved it. As Christine said, it's a beer you have to chew, and at only 6.2% abv you could chew a few over a nice evening with friends.

Number Three: Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

From the website: [This] pumpkin ale is the mother of all pumpkin ales. It is heartier, spicier, and more “caramelly” and “pumpkiny” than its faint brethren! We have added lots of pumpkin along with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and a touch of cardamom and clove giving this beer a spicy, full-bodied flavor. This truly is an Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

Weyerbacher holds my heart when it comes to pumpkin ales (although, I do enjoy a good Dogfish Head Pumpkin too, don't get me wrong) but I always proclaim this beer to be "Big Red in a glass." I don't taste the pumpkin, so much as the spice, but I love every drop of this 8.0% abv ale, every time.

So there you have it ladies and gents. My top three for the fall. Start enjoying them now, because they will be gone in a flash!

Love to all,
~the "yes, I rank my favorite seasons based on beer" gal, Jess

Eatin' Like Teacher

2011-09-01T22:15:00.001-04:00

So, we already know that teachers don't get paid squat-diddly (especially those of us who teach in Florida). But it gets even better. Not only do we not get paid enough (and yes, that 3% cut off the top to my supposed pension plan did hurt more than I expected) none of our extra-curricular programing has any funding or support from the district (well, the athletics programs do, but even that doesn't make ends meet).

So that means that every team, club, music program and of course SGA are constantly fundraising (and as a club sponsor I can assure you this gets dirty....don't even think about selling candy or baked potatoes bitches...I will cut you...err that is what my club actually makes money off so please don't step on my toes). And guess who the kiddies hit up first to buy their token chicken dinner, bbq plate or chili cook off ticket? You got it! Us broke ass teachers.

So this week the band was selling a bbq brisket plate, and I really hesitated getting it. I mean, I only eat so much meat, and dry smoked meat just isn't my thing.

Thank God this box of wonders was neither dry nor overly smokey. Let's go on a tour.

Juicy brisket with tangy bbq sauce and bright mixed peppers to top the sandwich, which was encased in the softest roll. SO GOOD. I actually devoured this like an enthusiastic 2 year old with birthday cake. No really, I was super messy and didn't care that I got sauce on my favorite pencil skirt.

On the side were potatoes, two ways. On the bottom was a sweet potato cake of some sort. It was very dense and moist, unfortunately I'm just not a "sweet potato dressed with more sweet stuff" gal. I like my sweet taters savory. But if you love sweet potato casserole you would enjoy this side dish. The upper potato puff was a pipped and baked outside the shell "twice baked" potato. I think this would be amazing hot...and possibly with bacon? Yes, bacon FTW!

The icing on the cake in this boxed lunch was well..... the cake! You probably won't believe this, but I'd never had a whoopie pie before. Um, can I have one of these for lunch for the rest of my life? Okthanksbai! No really, the cake was soft and giving, with the perfect amount of crumbs. And the whipped cream, oh the whipped cream...somehow there were little pockets of sugar crystals that crunched for a millisecond and then melted. Heaven.

All dished up by the Side Dish Catering Company. Aaron Wiley is actually our tech guy at school. Amazing with computers and amazing with grilled meats? Cindy is a lucky lady! (and she is in culinary school-double lucky!)

And I am "lucky" that I guilted myself (and my empty pocketbook) into supporting our music department and my foodie soul.

Now, does anyone have a good whoopie pie recipe? Please?

Love to all,
~the broke foodie teacher gal, Jess

PS. In the ongoing classroom saga, check out this sweet little gecko I caught hiding in a box of new textbooks. I almost kept him as a class pet, but he was a wee babe and I was afraid he would die. So cute though! And yes, that is my watch band he's lying under. I think he liked me!

Woman Vs. Food

2011-08-28T17:23:00.000-04:00

I've met the man of my dreams. What's that? You want to meet him too? Oh, just to make sure you approve of my hubby-to-be? Ok. Well, I can handle that. Meet Adam.

Yes. I have a ginormous crush on none other than Adam Richman. And yes, at times he grosses me out with the massive volumes of food he consumes (the steak challenges give me the heebie-jeebies the most).

Recently, I was in Fort Lauderdale to celebrating some fabulous birthdays femme fatale style when it hit me that one of Adam's favorite haunts was nearby! Hello Primanti Brothers! (Ok, ok fine. I know that Adam has been to the original Pittsburgh location and probably doesn't ever plan on setting foot in this beach side sister deli, but a girl has to start somewhere!)

I went with the classic Turkey Breast & Cheese, which comes loaded with lettuce, tomato, vinegary coleslaw, fresh cut french fries, all wedged in between two slices of white bread. Now that is what I call a sammy!

I basically had to dislocate my jaw like a snake to get through the first bite!

Was this sandwich perfect? Not completely (the fries needed salt, and of course I had to add mayo to the bread). Was it damn tasty? Oh yes. (Especially after I added said salt and mayo). Would I be happy to stop by this little hole in the wall gone famous deli again? You betcha! Oh and did it serve as both lunch and dinner? Nearly. It was lunch and then a giant snack before a late dinner. Nevertheless....who doesn't love a sandwich with longevity?

Nothing beats a turkey sandwich after a long day at the beach. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find Adam and offer him a massive platter of some food group!

Love to all,
~the "I'm checking off the MvF locations til I find Adam" gal, Jess

21 Days and CPY

2011-08-23T22:05:00.001-04:00

I love yoga. I love yoga. I love yoga. I love yoga. I love yoga. No really I do.

It makes my muscles warm and tingly, my joints loose and happy, my mind calm and introspective and puts my soul at ease.

I was super excited when Jenna of Eat, Live, Run laid down the (incredibly flexible) gauntlet of 21 days of yoga practice, I was stoked.

4 days into the challenge, I took Eleanor (my road bike) for a 20 miler and a mere 100 yards away from my car I got into a fight with the edge of the sidewalk.

The sidewalk won.

I never really realized how many of my favorite yoga poses either put pressure on my knees, or involve deep knee bends. I know my boo-boo doesn't that horrid in this picture, but it was really swollen and turned all crazy colors. It's just now fully healed.

Needless to say I didn't finish my 21 day pledge.

But I'm not here to whine about my lack of biking skillz. Nope. Instead I want to give a HUGE shout out to an amazing yoga studio I can't wait to visit again soon. Known as CPY to locals and College Park Yoga to everyone else this studio and their wonderful message has stolen my heart. And makes me long to move to Orlando that.much.more.

I'd never attended a "power yoga" class before, but I'd heard good things about CPY so I was excited to try it, even though I pretty nervous. I've never felt so welcome the moment I stepped into a yoga studio. From the first Saturday morning I hesitantly stepped foot inside the doors of the funky studio that is a beautifully remodeled showroom of some sort I just felt, well, loved.

I attended the Saturday Beginner Power Yoga class and it was worth every penny (and more) of the $15's I dropped as a "drop in student" (which is pretty standard these days, fyi). When I walked in this super sweet, super cute gal with the best retro glasses was at the front desk and helped me get all signed in and paid up. "We are so glad you are here!" she exclaimed, like I was a regular at the studio. Totally put me at ease. Turns out that "cute gal" was Theresa, the instructor for the class!

The large studio has beautiful wood floors, awesome old glass garage doors for side walls, and the most amazing industrial ceiling fan. The room was not heated like a Bikram or "hot yoga" class, but there was no A/C and than fan stayed off for the class. The class was popular, but not uncomfortably packed.

I really enjoyed the flow of the class, we started off with long, slow sequences that reminded me of my favorite Hatha classes with Denise, which then sped up into moving vinyasas as the class progressed. It got hot in the room and I was dripping left and right, but it wasn't that oppressive, struggle to breathe feeling I experience in Bikram classes. Instead, I felt warm from the inside out.

Theresa was amazing. Again, I loved how funky cool her attitude is, her voice reminds me of Lady Gaga's speaking voice (and you know I LOVE that!) and how she encouraged us to find our own edge. She came by and worked one on one with me 3 or 4 times during the 90 minute class. This was beyond standout to me because having attended many various studios over the past 4 years I've been practicing, most instructors will give you a wide berth the first couple classes to "feel you out" (or at least that is the vibe I've gotten).

At the end of the class, as we sank into a much earned shavasana, Theresa encouraged us to radiate our beauty from the inside out by being kind to everyone we meet. Now this is going to sound crazy, but I really feel like I have been doing that ever since that first class. I'm smiling more and trying to make others smile too. Feels.so.good.

As we filed out of the cooling studio, Theresa was in the lobby, chatting with students, joking with the regulars, congratulating students on achieving a new pose. I simply wanted to say "Thank you" and when I caught Theresa's eye, she grabbed me into a giant hug (I'm totally an aggressive huger, so this was perfect!) and told me how wonderful my practice had been. I thanked her for working with me and she said "Girl, you made my job easy!" So.much.love. So much!

So, that is my CPY story and I'm sticking to it. If you live in Orlando or are traveling through, go see Theresa (or any of the wonderful instructors), you won't regret it.

Love to all,
~the "I'm ok with the fact both of my favorite yoga studios are over 2 hours away" gal, Jess

Twas the Night Before....

2011-08-21T21:25:00.003-04:00

....~~Christmas~~ the start of a new school year and all through the halls, no creature was stirring, ~~except for the cockroaches~~.

Ok, ok, enough silliness. I have had an amazing summer: a great UF workshop (only 6 credits away from my Graduate Certificate in Biotechnology!), and an amazing European adventure with my bestie and two back to back EPIC celebration weekends.

All of the above is why I'm staring the school year already running on a shortage of sleep and leaden feet. Thankfully my classroom is looking fabulous thanks to the hard work of my five Beta girls (aka my officer panel) last week and I just wanted to brag with a quick video tour! Enjoy.

Just to put the video in perspective, here is what my classroom looked like when I "inherited" it 3 years ago.

Love to all,
~the "ready to put another year of teaching under my belt" gal, Jess

Sweaty Soup

2011-08-17T23:16:00.000-04:00

So, it's about a billion degrees outside these days.

Naturally, when I got home from a day of hauling only a half a billion text books around my classroom and fighting with rolls of bulletin board paper (I teach high school science) I was craving soup.

Right. Naturally. Well, the don't call me the "Semi Abnormal Gal" for no reason!

In all honestly, my plan was to rip open a box of ~~crack~~ V8 Butternut Squash Soup, microwave it and fall into a soup comfort comma on my couch.

I was happy with this plan, until I opened my cupboard to spot a vacancy on the soup shelf. Actually, the whole "building" had cleared out. Some plan.

So, I moped about, swept my floor, put away some dishes, all the while trying to talk myself into just eating the leftover pasta in my fridge. But, dammit, I wanted soup.

Next thing I knew I was tossing a pat of butter in my soup pot.

Then I added:

1 medium sweet onion-chopped
4 carrots-cut into 1 inch chunks
3 celery ribs- chunked
4 Yukon gold potatoes- quartered

I sauteed the veggies in the melted butter, with some sea salt and white pepper for approximately 5 minutes. Then I added one 32oz carton of College Inn Thai Coconut* "Culinary Broth" and brought the contents of the pot to a rolling boil, for 2 minutes, then reduced the heat down to a simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

After a whirl with the blender I had this lovely bowl of soup.

Sort of. My soup dinner wasn't cooked in Scotland, by the fabulous Yani, as seen above. Nor was my soup served with a fresh buttered baguette. And alas, my soup was not nearly as smooth, because my immersion blender is better at chewing and shredding than blending.

Ok, so you caught me, I didn't take any pictures as I was cooking and stuffing my face tonight. But hey, it's a billion degrees and I was eating soup; it would have been just too much to be wielding a heavy D-SLR at the same time. Right? Right.

Love to all,
~the sweaty soup eating gal, Jess

*you could use regular chicken or vegetable broth which is what I typically do. This was a random purchase that I had on hand, and I like the exra "something-something" this fancypants broth brought to the table. Literally.

Stealing from Whole Foods: Tabbouleh

2011-08-11T13:28:00.001-04:00

You've heard me lament about my grocery woes before. You know, the whole "I live in the boonies blah blah, Publix is an hour away, blah blah, Whole Foods is over 2 hours away, blah blah, and don't even get me started on Trader Joes!"

Needless to say, one of my favorite things to do when I'm traveling is to hit up the Whole Foods hot and salad bars. I adore loading my recyclable fiberboard box with a bed of mixed kale, then layering in grain salads, tofu Waldorf salad, Indian spiced chickpeas, snow peas, cold hard boiled eggs, ahhh.

And my "salad" typically ends up weighing nearly 2lbs! aka 20 bucks, ouch. I guess it's a good thing I live so far away from my beloved WF.

I had a revelation the other day, that I could make many of my favorite WF hot bar dishes at home, so I'm starting yet another mini series on this little bloggie poo: Stealing From Whole Foods which will be apart of my Expanding my Repertoire challenge to myself to cook something new every week (or so).

I decided to start out simple. Tabbouleh. A Mediterranean classic and a perfect take along to a summer picnic or party. If you too are trying to expand your cooking repertoire, cut back on your Whole Foods bills or just like beautiful fresh herbs tossed with lovely, chewy grains, follow along.

Start with gorgeous bulgar wheat and cook your desired amount* according to the package. After the grains were cooked and drained, I spread them out to cool on a cookie sheet, this is quite optional.
*I just eyeballed 1.25 cups uncooked to make a large batch of tabbouleh to take to a party.

Chop, dice, juice and zest lovely parsley, green onions, tomato, garlic and lemon.

Toss the veggies and bulgar together with the pièce de résistance: feta.

Stuff into a mini pita, with some accompanying blueberry/brie bites. Yummmmm.

Based on this first attempt at stealing from the Whole Foods bar, I think this is going to be a very successful ~~heist~~ venture.

Love to all,

~the Mediterranean loving little thief herself, Jess

Stonewood-The Celebration Station

2011-08-08T22:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm fairly certain chef Mike Drury of Stonewood Grill & Tavern would groan and ban me from further frequenting his restaurants if he knew that I just called his fine dining but casual restaurant (does that even work? A causal fine dining establishment? eh, just go with it!) the "Celebration Station." A title I freely admit should more likely be associated with Chucky Cheese. But hang tight Mike and friends. Let me do some 'splaing.

It's my dad. See, not only is he crazy particular about what restaurants he will dine at, it was his birthday. The big number 57 in fact. So when the man chooses Stonewood (which he does every year, btw) we go. We also go for Mom's birthday, their anniversary, and pretty much any other "big occasion" I don't have control over.

But you know what? This little control freak is actually ok with the frequency in which my family, well, frequents this particular grill and tavern. I like the casual elegance of the high booths, smooth polished wood bar, and quiet jazz music pipped in seemingly through magic. (Or really well hidden speakers. Whatev.) What I like even more than the ambiance is the food. It's simple and done well. (Just like the ambiance. Hummm.)

So, if you have something to celebrate, let me give you a few ideas.

Happy Hour at the Bar:

2 for 1 dirty gin Martinis for Daddy and I (although he drinks his on the rocks...I like mine up) and Cosmos for Mum, plus an amazing round of Bleu Cheese Chips - house made potato chips drizzled with bleu cheese aioli, lightly baked and served with bleu cheese crumbles, then drizzled with a balsamic reduction for the table

Dinner:

We ordered a lovely Alamos Malbec.

Now, if you can break away from admiring how handsome my father is you might notice something interesting about the wine label. It's not Alamos, in fact it's not even a Malbec. (and super unfortunate, it wasn't close to the same price point of the wine we ordered. Yipes.)

This whoops was not only on the waitress' part, but on the patron's part for not actually inspecting the wine when it was presented. Learned my lesson on that one: read the label, regardless of the fact that you had two martinis at happy hour. (In case you were wondering, the manager was great about the whole situation since our server was still in training; he billed us for the wine we ordered and we enjoyed the Gott Cab, as it was already uncorked.)

In spite of the wine snafu, we had a lovely dinner.

My plate*:

Oak Grilled Pork Chops - Thick, center-cut boneless pork chops, marinated in a blend of citrus-infused olive oil, honey, soy and spices, and served with Granny Smith apple chutney with a side of creamed spinach, which is divine, and a baked potato.

The chutney really made this dish for me. So many flavors in every bite, and I may or may not have cleaned my plate. A girl never ~~pigs out~~ kisses and tells.

Both Mom and Dad both got the Petite Filet.

Dad's plate, with the creamed spinach and seasonal vegetables.

Needless to say, the only dessert we had was to polish off the Joel Gott. (I mean, when in the land of polished wood, why not?

Thanks again Stonewood, for being our tried and true Celebration Station.

Love to all,
~the "control freak who loves pork chops with chutney" gal, Jess

*these out of focus photos are driving me insane. I still struggle to get good photos in dim lighting...I need to figure that out if I'm ever going to have a job doing restaurant reviews.

A Simple Summer Salad (and a confession of sorts)

2011-08-03T21:52:00.001-04:00

I have something to get off my chest. Here goes.

~~I'm a tease!~~ I love orzo!

No really, I am a tease. (and I do love orzo...but you already knew that. And if you don't love orzo, well you will very soon)

But wait, before you lock up your male best friends, husband's cousins and sweet older brothers (really, don't lock them up...send them my way, I'll keep them well fed) let me explain. See I have this bad habit, of mentioning something, even making a promise of sorts, and then taking a really, really, long time to stop accidentally teasing ya'll and come through with that promise.

Phew. I feel much better. Thanks.

And in case you are totally confused (I mean, I'm a little confused most of the time...confused people unite!) I'm referring to a delicious orzo salad that I made for my friends over Memorial Day Weekend. And I promised that I would share the recipe with you "stat."

That was in May, and it's August. Stat, my ass. (Good thing I didn't go into medicine, eh?)

But, as a wise man once said, "better late than never."

And now, no more teasing, let's do the damn thing (I mean, let's make a refreshing summer salad. What did you think, gutterbrain? humm?)

For this simple orzo summer salad you will need:

1 box orzo pasta (prep via box instructions and drain)
~4oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 purple onion, chopped
1/2 8oz can black olives, drained (the Lindsay brand is the best! do it!)
the juice and zest of one lemon*

1. Mix the last 5 ingredients together.

2. Admire the beautiful colors.

(no really, that second step isn't optional)

3. Add drained orzo and feta to the bowl

4. Dress with olive oil (2-3 tablespoons), pepper and salt

5. Toss. (no really, it is that simple)

optional: top with yummy chicken and veggie skewers (actually, this isn't optional. no lovely, don't ask questions, just do it)

Well, and I guess now you know my third confession, I'm kinda bossy. (But it's in your best interest to listen to me. It is.)

Love to all,
~the orzo lovin', bossy tease of a gal, Jess

*the zest is my trick the make the lemon flavor "go further". And it's pretty.

Fitness Quickie: Rain and 21 Days

2011-08-01T18:19:00.001-04:00

It's raining. It's pouring. And it's very likely that an old man in the nearby vicinity is snoring.

All of the above is a huge bummer, since I'm training for the 6th Annual Women's Triathlon, and a double bummer, since my beauty of a bike, Eleanor, just arrived this weekend.

Isn't she pretty?

I had planned to do a bike/run brick yesterday. But it rained. All day. So, I re-planned it for today. And it's rained. All day.

Needless to say, I'm going a little stir crazy here. Especially since I've been super active all summer...including you know, walking 5-7 miles a day while exploring Europe.

Thankfully Jenna, of Eat, Live, Run has solved my rainy summer day doldrums. I am proud to annouce I will be participating in the 21 Day Yoga Challenge. That's right, yoga, everyday for the next 21 days. 10 minutes or 200 minutes, or anywhere in between, you decide. btw if you actually do 200 minutes, let me know...because you are a yoga rockstar!

Now, if you will excuse me, I'm off to get my asana on the mat.

Love to all,
~the "I love yoga, sometimes I just need some extra motivation" gal, Jess

PS. Feel free to join the challenge too!

Epic European Vacation-2011 Edition: By the Numbers

2011-07-29T13:33:00.003-04:00

Counties Visited: 5

Cities Explored: 8.5 (Fussen, Germany is the 0.5: we were only there for a couple hours, to see castles!)

Passport Stamps Acquired: 5 (2 from France)

Airport Screenings: 7

Bottles of Cava Consumed: More than 5!

Baguettes Noshed On: about 4 too many!

Churches Inspired By: 4 Cathedrals and too many beautiful chapels to count

Backwards Routes Discovered: At least 3 in every city!

Maps Required to Navigate Amsterdam: 5 (too many alleys/side streets that aren't on maps! ahhh)

Pictures Taken: Just shy of 1,800

ONE Sweet (super abridged!) slideshow:

ps. clicky the "thought bubble" to see the captions!

Love to all,
~the European Traveling Gal, Jess

PS. Number of New Post Labels: ONE- I'm not going to do huge summary reviews on my trip, but tie in ideas and concepts I learned, etc sprinkled throughout my posts the next few months. If you want to see 'em all choose the label European Epicuriousness and Other Musings on the sidebar!

She's Packed Up Her Bags....

2011-06-26T20:45:00.003-04:00

...and she's heading out to EUROPE!

My best friend Ashley and I are hitting up 5 countries (8 major cities) in three weeks, meeting up with friends and family along the way. Sadly, Harvey (my Mac) had to stay at home for this trip so I'll see you lovely, lovely people on the flipside, when I'm back stateside. See what I did there?

In the meantime, if you are looking for some domestic travel, check out my favorite places to visit in St. Petersburg.

Love to all,
~the "I'm finally jumping the pond" gal, Jess

An Ode to St. Pete...

2011-06-23T23:17:00.000-04:00

...and all it's delicious eats! (and things to do, and places to stay!)

Regardless of if you have been reading my blog for 2 years or 2 weeks, you have likely picked up on the fact that I adore, love and cherish St. Petersburg, Florida. St. Pete is my "birthtown" -I can't call it my hometown, because my parents moved when I was one, so I don't actually remember living there as a child- and I moved "back" in the fall of 2008 to work at the Children's Research Institute. That is also the time when I made my blog public, after writing it's predecessor over at Zanga all through college.

I honestly loved living in St. Pete. The local, vintage vibe of the downtown and old northeast regions, mixed with the nearby beaches and hustle of Tampa, all washed with sea salt laden breezes is truly a "perfect fit" for this gal. So, when I moved back to my actual hometown to start my new career of teaching, it was very bitter sweet. I knew I was going to miss my gem of a condo, my yoga studio, my favorite bars, and all the wonderful dinning establishments and other random eateries, but I reminded my sad self that it was all only 2.5 hours away, just waiting to be visited.

In May, nearly 2 years after I moved away, I finally made good that promise to visit, as bestie Christine and I took a girls weekend away to celebrate my 25th birthday. Here is a rundown of our adventures, plus a few of my other St. Pete suggestions.

Lodging:

Seeings as my condo is now rented by someone else, Christine and I opted to stay downtown and got a great deal at the Ponce de Leon Historic Hotel. This hotel is a "boutique" hotel, and each room is done slightly differently. I loved our tiny little room, with it's quirky mix of vintage and modern finishing.

Other suggested lodging: The Vinoy on the Bay

Speaking of the bay, walking along the bay and Beach Ave, taking in the harbor, marina and wildlife is one of my favorite St. Pete past times.

After strolling the harbor, you will need Gelato:

My favorite gelato shop in the whole state just happens to reside on Beach Ave. So we stopped in.

Thank you Paciugo, thank you.

If strolling isn't enough of a "workout" for you, please swing by my home yoga studio: Yoga Moves. I dragged Christine to the 10am Saturday class, and it was totally worth setting the hotel alarm clock. If you love Iyngar style yoga, and getting in touch with the roots of all yoga poses, go take a class with Denise, you will not regret it.

If you are looking for Beach Time here are my suggestions:

For easy (paid) parking and "beach amenities" (aka showers, restroom, water fountains) and a more "family friendly" vibe the public St. Pete Beach is a great option. Gulf Blvd- across from the Dolphin Shopping Plaza

If you are looking to spend more time with young professionals than young families while soaking up the sun try hitting up Treasure Island instead. Parking can be more tricky (you likely will have to "valet park" in one of the two nightclubs that are closed during the day-obvs- and walk the few blocks to the beach access), but you can bring coolers (be subtle....the signs say "no coolers" but it's not enforced), there are public volleyball nets and most people set up cornhole, etc. Everyone is friendly and it's a good time.

But you guys know me by now. I'm really only here for the food. And my, my does St. Pete have some wonderful eating options. The following are all located downtown, walking distance from either the Ponce or Vinoy (or any of the other lodging options downtown).

The Eats and where to get them:

The Garden If you can, sit out on the patio, even in the heat of summer, the lush garden patio is cool, green and tropical perfection.

Z-Grille Oh Z, I love zee. Seriously, all cheeseballin' aside, Z-Grille might be my hands down favorite restaurant. They have a modest menu that changes frequently and hello, daily deviled eggs. Which I've raved about before.

Cafe Alma is another local favorite. They have a wicked good Sunday Brunch with a Bloody Mary bar. Oh and they also have great late night tapas and a wonderful beer selection.

Lucky Dill Deli is another favorite, for both locals and tourists alike, thanks to it's Dagwood Challenge. I wasn't down for copious layers of meat and cheese, but breakfast sounded good. And it was.

Kahwa Coffee is another great place for a quick breakfast or lunch. My panini sandwich went unphotographed, as I was fighting off seagulls for it. Bold, feather boy, but not very smart. You don't mess with this gal's sammy.

Other great food/drink establishments:

Red Mesa and The Cantina are owned by the same family and they are both fantastic. The Cantina turns into a "club" scene later at night, if you want to dance the night away. Cantina (link is my previous review) is also downtown, but Red Mesa (link is an older review I did, no pictures though, sniff) is in northern St. Pete, closer to where my condo was and I frequented this wonderful restaurant very often.

The Independent also holds a very special place in my heart. This beer and wine bar (link is another old review, with few pictures) is where I first cultivated my love for imported and craft beers, not to mention a great many conversations at the central table, super conductive for meeting people!

And honestly that is just the tippity, tip-tip of St. Pete's cultural world. I miss my beloved 'burg quite a bit, but as of right now have no plans that would have me returning to live there, sadly. Until then, I can dream of salt breezes, yoga bliss and food heaven, all served on cobble stones and lapping bay waters.

Love to all,
~the "home is where the heart is, or maybe even where you were born" gal, Jess

PS. Yes, it is only a 2 hour drive from Gville, but food oriented gals that Christine and I are, we couldn't "road trip" with empty stomachs. That and I really shouldn't go Fresh Market hungry.

Burger Rivalry

2011-06-18T14:00:00.000-04:00

I've toyed with going vegetarian (well, pescetarian actually) off and on for the last two years of my life. Every time I think I'm ready to jump ship something meaty and delicious smacks me back in the face and reassures me of my delicious choice to be a flexitarian for life!

Case in point. A burger that could possibly knock Columbia Burger off it's pedestal ranking of World's Best Burger*.

Just where does this knockout champ reside? Why, Relish of course. Relish is a now franchised quick serve burger restaurant that originated in good old Gville. The concept is simple: pick your burger (as in number of patties, veggie or chicken breast), add cheese, bacon or a fried egg for a tiny extra charge and then layer that baby up with as many toppings and sauces as you desire. Basically the burger place of my dreams, says the Condiment Queen.

I started with the Single Tasty (1 fresh, never frozen ground beef patty) with cheese. Then began the layering of the bun. (PS. You can lose the bun and do more of a "salad" which I actually might do next time, as I ended up only eating about 1/2 of my bun in the long run).

I created a monster. A beautifully, delicious and super messy monster:

Bottom(s) Up, aka, what the heck is on this thing?

bottom bun
dill pickle rounds
pineapple
burger with cheese (American)
Thai chili sauce
guac
tomato
shredded lettuce
top bun with "tomato relish" which is really more of a fussy 1000 Island Dressing

Served alongside the best fries I think I've ever had (seriously) with jalapeno ranch dressing and a camera shy Killian's Red.

Healthy? Not really. Worth every calorie? Heck yes!

Don't worry Columbia Burger...I'll still come visit. After all, a good scientific study must have a minimum of three trials with consistent outcomes, so I still have quite a bit of greasy, messy and oh so tasty research to do!

Love to all,
~the "now this only child can see why a little ~~sibling~~ burger rivalry is so wonderful" gal, Jess

*Jess' World, that is!

Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold?

2011-06-06T16:17:00.000-04:00

Or is it the other way around? I could never remember.

Oddly enough when I have sore throat, nothing makes it feel better than food. Yes, I know I am werid. Thank you very much.

Here is what I fed my summer cold over the weekend:

72% dark chocolate and Wensleydale cheese with apricot

The best tasting antioxidants around!

Sweet Milky Tea

Soothing on a sore throat and opens up airways with the heat.

Wasabi Explosion Mix from Fresh Market

This tasty blend of rice crackers and wasabi peas clears out my sinuses and tastes like crunchy sushi!

Love to all,

~the, "I really hope this is my only cold of the summer" gal, Jess

So, this is what being a teacher feels like...

2011-06-05T12:57:00.000-04:00

My first class of "babies" graduated last night.

Each of the 56 seniors that walked across the grass last night holds a special place in my heart. Yes, it was an incredibly small class this year...one of the smallest in the last 20 years at my school of employment and yes, we still hold graduation on the football field, classy. Most of them I taught for the last two years. Some were only in Beta with me and a few just figured out my class was the place to be, and I kept having to kick them out of my classroom during bell changes.

Was the ceremony a touch too long? Was it hot, humid and nat-ridden? Did it take up what should have been my first Saturday night of the summer? Was I sick and suppressing sniffles and coughs the 2.5 hours we sat on the field, surrounding our senior class? Yes.

Would I have been anywhere else? No way. For someone who used to claim she "hated kids" I love this bunch of ~~brats~~ incredible young men and women and can't wait to see them succeed in their own way.

Love to all,

~the proud "momma" teacher herself, Jess

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-01T21:23:00.000-04:00

4 women.

1 man.

2 dogs.

And 1 incredibly memorable weekend.

(with virtually no pictures to prove it. now that is a good time)

So take my word(s) for it:

Fondue.
In a hot kitchen.
It was a hot mess.
But a damn tasty one.
Oh and wine.
Copious amounts.

Scrambled eggs with leftover fondue cheeses.
Pumpernickel toast.
Mimosas.
Playing on the man's ipad.
Possibly obsessed with ipad.
Not sure why I need an ipad.

Migrate to pool.
Bad-ass margaritas.
Spray sunscreen is amazing.
So is Pinnacle Whipped.
With rootbeer.
Rainclouds roll in.
Guac Time!
Back to pool.
Basketball.
Who cares that the ball is deflated?
I'm a Hors. yo.

Light the grill.
Made this.
Concoct amazing orzo pasta salad.
It will be made again stat, will share recipe then.
Grill chicken, tofu and veggie skewers.
Pour wine.
Copious wine.
Yum.

Loaded Questions.
Dirty Minds.
Proof: worry stones, tummy, how they walk, stanky leg, humor, multiple partners, chef, itsalwayshardformea@bigblackcock.com, President George W. Bush, Hearts and Lips, Monogrammed Bottle of Lube, my principal (boss), hair scrunchies, our first unchaperoned date, Great American Status, you smell like my dead grandfather-yummy, puss in boots, Lady and the Tramp

Ginnie Springs.
Crazy Rednecks.
Coolers too big for their floats.
Two cases of Yingling.
Wannabe Publix Subs in the Prius.
Tubin'
Cute Pharmacy Boys.
Dusty feet.
Great Outdoors.
Free Beers.
BBQ Pork on Nachos?
Amazeballs.

Blastin' Gaga and Brit-Brit.
Heavenly showers.
Fudgie brownies with whipped cream.
Gypsy weddings!

Veggie Feta Omelets.
Hashbrowns.
More ipad.
More Gaga.
End of weekend.
You know where you are going?
Love you.

There you have it folks. Yet another, my weekend is better than yours post.

I.Have.The.Best.Friends. Period.

Love to all,

~the, "why isn't every weekend 3 days long? I could get used to this" gal, Jess

Practice for Summer

2011-05-22T22:06:00.001-04:00

A Saturday spent floating on the Santa Fe River/Ginnie Springs....

....followed by an amazing Jerk Burger at the Great Outdoors Restaurant?

House ground pork, smoky bacon, Vermont cheddar, apple slaw, served with sweet potato fries.

It's going to be a good summer.

Love to all,
~the "summer is so close I can taste it" gal, Jess

I Heart Homebrew

2011-05-19T22:34:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've touted about the wonders of beer, but I'm kind of a big fan. I even participated in Stubbie's 100 Beers in a Year challenge in 2009-2010. If you wondered why that fizzled out, I did get 60 in, but I just live too far way from the bar [just under an hour] to safely be successful at that challenge. Safety first, my friends.

The "failed" challenge was not a loss by any means, however. Not only did I have a blast blogging about my 60 different brewed adventures, I rekindled a friendship with a college buddy, Slim. After Slim stumbled across my blog on Facebook, we started chatting about styles of beer, beer advocate forums and the fact that Slim has started dabbling in homebrewing. Yeah, he's pretty much a badass, but I already knew that from our undergrad years.

However, when he offered to ship me some of his brewing samples from Austin, Tx where he currently resides, I pretty much jumped for joy. Would I like to try his homebrew? I would LOVE to.

Slim sent me 2 different beers to try: "Adam" or Adambier is a German style, high abv (alcohol by volume), dark, sour beer which Slim informed me he had been aging for two years. The "IS" meanwhile is a year old Imperial Stout.

I'm a total sucker for a sour beer (hello, Duchess is still my all time fave!) so we started with Adam. psst, by "we" I mean Christine, Ross and myself. They are my two favorite beer snobs, so it was only fitting we shared in the wealth of homebrew.

Cheers!

Honestly, my big girl words are failing me to describe how wonderful this beer was. I wish I could just loan you my taste buds and neurons so you could experience the wonderful crisp, sour combo of this beer. While Adambier is a dark beer, and according to the history, is traditionally hopped more heavily than other sour beers, I found this to be light and bright. Just perfect. My only complaint? That I only had one bottle and had to share it! ok, so I chose to share it, whatevs.

Next up was the Imperial. This IS was bursting to get out of the bottle...literally.

Glug, glug, glug....but please don't chug.

No, you certainly would not want to chug this thick, creamy and slightly sweet stout. This would be the perfect "dessert" in my world and I enjoyed savoring the rich mouth feel as much as any chocolate ganache.

"Adam" may have came out as my number main squeeze of the evening, but I would have loved to have more of the imperial on hand too. Slim, my wonderful friend, please don't stop brewing. You have a delicious talent and if you need me to try any of your next batch....well, you know what to do. Thank you again for sharing and letting me blather about the experience online.

Love to all,
~the, "it really pays to have talented, beer loving friends" gal, Jess

PS. Oh, and that whole perfect dessert idea? Technically both of the homebrew samplings were dessert, since Christine kindly whipped up a tasty dinner of some pesto gnocchi, asparagus and some yummy garlic bread from Fresh Market.

Brain Dump

2011-05-09T22:09:00.001-04:00

That's what I've been doing the last week. I had a huge certification exam on Saturday and spent practically every night for the past 14 days with my nose crammed in a textbook. I guess my theory was if I crammed my nose in it, it would somehow get crammed in my brain? Yeah. Moving on.

Regardless, my meals haven't been uber creative or lovely. A little too much take out from my Beloved Akins BBQ; this study machine runs on sweet tea! That and my infamous trashcan salads.

Bright, colorful, random, fresh and beyond all delicious! This one was no exception.

Base layer: one romaine heart, chopped.
Next: farm fresh (literally-there are some perks to working in the boonies) cucumber and tomato.
And: not at all local but so damn wonderful Hass avocado. (I don't know what crack Del Monte is putting in their 'cados this season, but they rock my world!)
Finally: Roasted baby Yukon Gold potatoes and zucchini, smoked salmon, and feta cheese. (yes, I got tired of taking a picture of each layer. What? I was hungry!).

Oh and folks, don't be deceived. That is not my usual dinner bowl (I have one that looks just like it, but only holds about 1/3 the volume), oh no, I was eating this "dump it all in salad" in the serving bowl. Licked that sucker clean.

Oh, and how did the brain dump go? Well, bowls aren't the only things I can "lick" around here. I took a hard couple of licks at that exam and passed it. Thank you Jesus. Or roasted veggies. Or giant trashy salads.

Love to all,
~the, "it's ok to be trashy and dump on it sometimes*, but only if you are colorful and classy about it" gal, Jess

PS. *Did anyone else get my Nicki Minaj reference there? Obsessed.

What to eat when your birthday is on Easter

2011-05-01T13:39:00.001-04:00

Why, Mexican of course!

Oh, the Easter dinner battle wages on in my family. Every year in my family, my parents and I host Easter dinner. And every year the chasm of disagreement on what we should serve rears it's ugly head.

Dad wants ham and sweet potatoes. I want lamb with spring greens. Mom just wants us to stop arguing.

This year however, I held the trump card. The "it's my birthday card." And yet, even at 25 years of age, that card still isn't stronger than the "Dad card". So, I played the next best suit in my hand: the enchiladas compromise.

My mom has been making chicken enchiladas (casserole style) for as long as I can remember. My maternal grandfather is from Texas so Mexican food (or Tex-Mex!) has been a tradition in our family since long before my mother or I were born. Needless to say this meal is one that the whole family can agree on.

When I was a little girl I thought that these "special enchiladas" were a family secret recipe. Actually, no...they are simply a gem in this Texas cookbook.

The book always falls open to this much loved (and stained!) page. Well, and keeping some avocados stored in there helps, too.

If you are also having a family disagreement over dinner, give this compromise card a try yourself. Here is my take on the "secret family" recipe.

Chop and saute onions and green peppers.

Mix it up with a couple cups of shredded, cooked chicken and a can of green chilies.

We boil a whole chicken with some basic spices (salt, pepper, bay leaf), then skin and shred the meat, reserving the 2 cups of the broth for later in the recipe.

Set aside the chicken and veggie mixture. Now let's work on the sauce.

Create a spiced roux with coriander, cumin, flour and a touch of salt in butter over medium heat. Then slowly pour in the reserved broth and stir until smooth.

Turn off the heat and stir in ~ 2 cups of shredded monterey cheese (the cheddar will be for the topping). Stir until smooth and then add one cup of sour cream and mix until uniform.

Add ~1/2 a cup of the sauce to the chicken mixture and combine. This will be the filing for the enchiladas.

Set up the "assembly station" with the sauce, large tortilla shells and large casserole dish near by. A large dinner plate is used for filling and rolling the individual enchiladas, demonstrated below.

Dip a shell in the sauce, to coat. Add ~1/4 cup of filling. Spread the filling the length of the tortilla. Fold and roll up the shell. Transfer to the baking dish. Lick your fingers. Whoopsie! How did that last one get in here? (No worries, guys and gals, I didn't start licking my delicious, sauce coated digits until the pan was filled and finished!)

Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas and top with the remaining monterey and cheddar cheese, plus jalapenos and cilantro.

Even unbaked, so pretty and yummy!

I mixed up a batch of my famous guacamole*....

...while Dad stirred up "bad-ass margaritas"**

Cold, refreshing and grandmother approved!

We served the enchiladas (baked on the grill ~375 degrees F for 30 minutes) with the guac, refried beans and a topping bar.

My loaded plate.

No, sneaky Easter bunny...I'm not sharing a single bite. nom, nom, indeed!

And since it was a birthday/Easter celebration, I requested my favorite dessert: cheesecake.

For ease and convenience I picked up a variety platter from Publix. The chocolate swirl is my favorite. Just as good as homemade!

I was one stuffed birthday bunny by the end of that meal. Delicious beyond words and even more important- it wasn't ham! bahahah.

Love to all,
~the, "I love it when I get my way, sort of" gal, Jess

*Jess' Guac (inspired by Rosa Mexican tableside guacamole service)
4 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
juice of 1 small lime
sea salt, black pepper- to taste
fresh cilantro, chopped (if available-the selection was horrible at the store that weekend)

Mix together all ingredients together gently (you want it to be chunky) and serve with tortilla chips.

**Bad Ass Margarita's (Inspired by the Sweet Potato Queens)
1 12 oz can frozen limeade (partially defrosted-I usually pull it out of the freezer about 10 minutes before prep time)
12 oz tequila
12 oz 7-up soda
12 oz lager style beer (the original recipe calls for Corona, but I'm not a fan so my family usually uses Budweiser...but any lager or lite lager would work great).

Add the limeade to a large pitcher, then use the can to measure the rest of the ingredients. Stir gently and serve on the rocks in lime/salt rimmed glasses.

(Due to the carbonation in the beer and soda, please do not try to blend these, unless you enjoy cleaning kitchen floors, walls and ceilings. I don't.)

If you didn't get enough sugar on Easter...

2011-04-25T22:22:00.000-04:00

...here's a way to choose your second (six hundredth?) helping of the sweet stuff.

Honesty time: I stole this off my "sister in law's" (my "adoptive" brother's-we grew up together-wife) facebook and posted it because I am doing a research project on PKU right now. Ahh, life and work connections...ain't they grand?

Love to all,
~the "you can call me sugar and you can call me honey just don't call me late to dessert" gal, Jess

The Semi-Abnormal Gal Wishes You...

2011-04-24T23:18:00.000-04:00

...and yours, a very Happy Easter.

Mum, Daddy and I

And if you don't celebrate Easter, a lovely spring season!

Whatever you were celebrating this weekend, I hope it involved copious amounts of delcious, fresh foods. My Easter meal was fantastic, and there wasn't a drop of ham in sight!

Any guesses?

Love to all,
~the, "I don't always like being traditional" gal, Jess

Italian Granny Comfort Food

2011-04-20T22:08:00.000-04:00

I've talked about my Grams before. My tiny little Italian grandmother, whose only goal in life is to feed all the loved ones in her life until they pop like seared sausages. (sweet Italian style sausage, of course).

In the spirit of what would have been her annual Easter trip to visit the her only granddaughter (hi! that's me!) I give you one of her "weekly standbys". An amazingly delicious standby.

Grams always called this meal of meatballs and green beans in tomato sauce "Rolls and Poles."

Start with the Italian Standards:

ground beef, garlic, onion, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Mixey-mixey with a camera shy egg, then roll out the mixture into just-smaller-than-your-palm sized balls and sear in a skillet.

Yum. You could just eat these, straight up and steaming.

If you want some more veggies in your life (or dinner plate!) go collect the rest of the team.

Marinated fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, green beans and some tomato sauce (Grams would have pulled a jar of her own sauce out of the pantry, but I'm a pretty big Paul Newman fan. That and I don't jar my own sauce. Yet.)

Steam the beans, quarter the 'shooms and um...open the jar?

Saute the mushrooms, then add the steamed green beans.

Finally, add the "rolls" (meatballs) back in with the poles (green beans) and bring the whole mess up to a simmer in the sauce.

Plate with a few marinated mozz balls.

Then proceed to have a full out photoshoot. I just loved this meal, visually, emotionally, oh and did I mention it was delicious?

I even shouted out: "Grams, I can't wait to have my leftovers!"

What? You don't talk to your deceased Italian grandmother while cooking? You are so missing out. Oh wait, you don't have an Italian grandmother? My greatest apologies. Well, at least you can make meals like mine did. Just go with the flow, oh, and you can lick your fingers if you need too, I won't tell. And neither will Grams.

Love to all,
~the "I might be a wacky Italian gal, but man can I cook some rolls and poles" Jess

I hate to brag....

2011-04-18T22:39:00.002-04:00

....but I had the best weekend. No really, it was better than yours. So, sorry. In attempts to make up for the fact of how unfair it is that my weekend mops the floor with yours, let me tell you why it was so good.

First:

Gaga. Monster Ball. More like Monster Amazball!

I honestly can't put into words how fantastic this show was. Without a doubt my favorite moments where when Gaga just talked to the audience; she is edgy and wonderful and so damn honest. Oh, and don't you just love that her "monster" strongly resembles a fish from the hadopelagic zone? Be still my little marine bio nerdy heart. You had me at Paparazzi.

Second:

A lovely shopping spree/lunch and wine outing with my bestie, Ash.

Refreshing whites at CPK: KJ Chard for Ash and a Murphy-Goode Sauvignon Blanc for me. Guess I forgot to photograph our actual lunches. Told you wine with lunch was a good idea! hehe.

Third:

A wonderful "pre-birthday" out with friends at Orchid Thai of Winter Park. (My birthday is on Easter, which I always spend with my family, so I'm celebrating my big 2-5 before and after the actual day!).

Ash and I, as pretty as the orchids on the table. tehehe.

Mieng Kum. This lettuce wrap style appetizer that Michael ordered for the table blew.my.mind! Peanuts, dried baby shrimp, lime (yes, you eat the peel!), ginger, onion, coconut shreds and a honey sauce of some sort. So good. I can't wait to have this again!

I ordered the Larb chicken for my entree and truly enjoyed the bright combination of flavors: fish sauce, red onion, cilantro, ginger, lime and a touch of chile. Yum.

I won't lie though...I was a little jealous over Michael's tofu pad thai. Next time, next time.

Fourth:

Mango mimosas at Wine Room (followed by some unpictured glasses of spicy red blends, my favorite.)

Fifth:

White girl dancing at Eye Spy, crammed hip to hip with 100 of my new best friends. Thankfully unpictured, 100% perfection. I love non judgmental dancing joints that play a wonderful mix of top 40 and 80's rock, whose "time to get out people" song sequence is the following: Don't Stop Believing-Journey, City Streets-Carol King, Bohemian Rhapsody-Queen. Did I mention it was perfection?

Sixth:

A silly rickshaw ride back to our car, after the mandatory stop at Jimmy Jones (for moi) and a very long line for pizza (for Ash and Jenna) where we chatted with some friendly guys from Uruguay.

Seventh:

Vietnamese Lunch at Pho Vihn.

Fried Spring rolls for the table.

Ashley's pork vermicelli bowl, with a chopped spring roll, random but fun!

I had #100, which is Thập Cẩm or "Special combo of shrimp, snow crabmeat, pork roast and wonton with noodle." aka YUM. Plus, I love any meal that comes with a plate of stir-ins...I adore playing with my food!

Eighth:

A successful swimming lesson with Christine! This little guppy can finally breathe into the water and is nearly ready to let go of the swim board! yay. (PS. In case you were wondering-yes, I can swim...and have been since I was a little girl, I just could never do a true free crawl with my face in the water, etc and I'm training for a Sprint Tri in the fall! ahhhh.)

So, there you have it, my sad friends....the 8 reasons why my weekend rocked my socks off, and your faces off, as in: "Oh-ah-in yo face!"

Love to all,
~the, "I'm only occasionally a braggart" gal, Jess

Spring Breakfast: Snack Plate Style

2011-04-11T20:08:00.000-04:00

The weatherman keeps saying that it is spring, but with summer like record highs in the 90s everyday, it sure feels like summer came way to early for this Sunshine State Gal.

At least I can have a cool breakfast on a hot and sunny morning:

A morning snack plate, if you will. I do, err, will.

If you need a cool way to break your morning fast follow my lead:
1 liberally peppered hard boiled egg, a 6oz carton of lemon yogurt (Liberte brand), a few slices of extra sharp cheddar cheese and a tablespoon of peanut butter (Jif Natural, my new nutty love).

Random? Perhaps. Tasty? Oh yes. Time required over stove? Nada.

Love to all,
~the "I enjoy seasonally driven meals" gal, Jess

Why I don't have a Twitter

2011-04-09T15:25:00.000-04:00

"Reruns of Shear Genius are on-whoot"

"I love Victoria Stilwell. Pity (or blessing) my dog doesn't need training"

"It is 83 degrees in my house right now and humid as heck, but my lovely low power bill is preventing me from turning on the air. I'm cheap and I sweat. Own it."

"Hair appointment booked. Whoot."

"Photography lesson booked. Whoot"

Are you annoyed yet? Cause I am. And yes, I literally think in little status updates. All day. Everyday. Whoot. But I keep most of them to myself. Because I don't want to be THAT girl. At least not on Twitter.

"Celery and Cream Cheese is so good. Whoot."

"No wait. Celery and peanut butter is better."

"Celery and Archer Farm's Feta and Roasted Red Pepper dip wins. Whoot-whoot!"

Oh yes, we progressed to the double whoot. What? You don't believe the worthiness of the double whoot? Well, Twitter or no, my celery snack plate was off the chain.

What? You don't keep a ball-peen hammer on your dinning room table?

Oh, and the real reason I don't have a Twitter? It's two fold: 1-I don't understand the whole @blahblah and #whattheheckisahashtag. 2-I have a "dumb phone" that doesn't connect to the internet. So, my annoying whoot-laden tweets? All coming to you on Saturday afternoon.

Oh wait, they just did.

Love to all,

~the "I'm not afraid to say technology still confuses me at times, but food doesn't" gal, Jess

I cannot wait for the leftovers

2011-04-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

Yum.

Love to all,
~the "if I only have 25 minutes for lunch I damn better enjoy every moment" gal, Jess

This isn't good-bye....

2011-04-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

It's just a "see you later."

Steve, you are a great guy. I hope Chicago treats you well!

I guess I won't be able to have a sake bomb without thinking of my new Chi-town Buddy for quite a while. Best wishes and kisses!

Love to all,
~the "I'm always sad to see a friend move away, but happy to have a new city to visit and a couch to crash on!" gal, Jess