My Blanket

I have a confession.  I am 27 years old and still sleep with my baby blanket.  It is a yellow 2 foot by 2 foot square of heaven. Moe makes fun of it, but I often times wake up to find it on his side of the bed, tucked under his head or on his chest!  This past weekend, my best friend was visiting, and we were laughing about old times when we used to go on volleyball trips and always take our blankets.  She then confessed that she had yet to share her secret with her boyfriend.  It made me think, why are people so embarrassed about sleeping with a keepsake from their childhood?  I mean thinking logically about it, a blanket serves many practical purposes. 

1) serves as an extra layer in the winter months
2) can be balled up into a pillow when traveling
3) keeps you warm on a plane trip
4) provides a quick layer of clothing when need to jump out of bed on the fly
5) provides a feeling of comfort when you are sleeping alone
6) can be a fabulous conversation piece
7) can be folded up and used between your legs (if you are like me and have to sleep with a pillow between my legs as night - weird habit that I inherited from my dad)
8) significant others secretly love it
9) has sentimental value as it is a childhood memorabilia

In conclusion, I think that this comprehensive list is proof of why it is 100% appropriate to be sleeping with my baby blanket at age 27!


- Miss J

Trader Joes

As some of you know, I am obsessed with Trader Joes. Moe is always making fun of me because when I am in a bad mood, I generally go grocery shopping there to cheer me up.  It's pretty amazing how friendly people are in the store from management to cashiers to customers everyone wants to be your friend!  A few weeks ago I was picking out wine for a party and since I primarily enjoy red wines, I was stumped on what kind of white wine to buy.  Before I knew it, this random customer took me under his wing and helped me pick out six bottles of inexpensive but high quality wine! He even helped me carry it to my car.

As I ponder over what to do with my life, I have decided that my dream job would be one of two things:  1) fundraising at a non-profit organization geared towards environment conservation or 2) working at Trader Joes.  CNN Money recently came out with an article about the company.  After reading it, I am really beginning to think that the second option is a real possibility. Check out this excerpt from the article below...


"Store managers, "captains" in Trader Joe's parlance -- the nautical titles are a holdover from Coulombe (newly promoted captains are commanders; assistant store managers are first mates) -- can make in the low six figures, and full-time crew members can start in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. But on top of the pay, Trader Joe's annually contributes 15.4% of employees' gross income to tax-deferred retirement accounts." - CNN Money

SIGN ME UP!  I could make decent money, fund my retirement, get 30% off groceries, and be happy 24/7!

Full article:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/20/news/companies/inside_trader_joes_full_version.fortune/index.htm#joe


- Miss J

Cooking with Syrah

Penne with Sausage, Procini and Portobello Mushrooms, and Syrah

Serves:  4 (I disagree, serves 6)
Source:  The Wine Lover's Cookbook, by Sid Goldstein

I love wine, and I love food so this cookbook is one of my favorites.  This was the first time I have made this recipe so wasn't sure what to expect.  I'll be honest, the outcome was good, but not great. See notes below  recipe to see what I would change for next time.  

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
12 ounces Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 1.2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped portobello mushrooms
3.4 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups syrah
2  14 1/2 ounce cans chopped tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
1 pound dried penne or other small dried pasta
garnish:  shredded asiago cheese, chopped parsley

Soak porcini in hot water for 2 to 3 hours.  Drain.  In a medium, non-stick skillet saute sausage over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes until brown on both sides.  Remove with slotted spoon, place on paper towel, and pat dry.  In the same pan (with drippings from sausage remaining), saute onions and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.  Add mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and continue sauteing for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add wine and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer to reduce by half.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  Add reserved sausage and heat through.  Season to taste.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Carefully add penne and cook according to package directions or until it is al dente.  Drain and return penne to pot.  Add sauce to pasta and mix thoroughly.  Reheat, if necessary.  To serve, divide pasta among 4 large pasta or soup bowls.  Top with cheese and parsley.


Notes:  The wine flavor was a little much so next time, I would remove the mushrooms after they are cooked and add them back right before I serve. This would prevent the mushrooms from absorbing so much of the wine flavor.  I would also reduce the wine amount to 1 cup and substitute in some cream or half and half to make the sauce thicker.  Finally, I would use fresh mushrooms instead of dried.  This would add more depth to the dish as dried mushrooms are thin and often rubbery in texture.  I recommend topping with fresh basil and toasted pine nuts for some crunch.




Ratings:
Moe, 6 out of 10
Miss J, 5 out of 10


- Miss J

Chicken Posole

Chicken Posole

Serves:  4 (1 1/2 cups soup, 2 tablespoons avocado, and 1 radish)
Source:  Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

A nice twist to a traditional vegetable soup.  This recipe can be completed in 20 minutes which is perfect for the working professional who is short on time!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 -oz) package pre-chopped onions and celery  mix
4 canned tomatillos, drained and coarsely chopped
2 (14 oz) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, diced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves

1.  Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. 
2.  Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, garlic cloves and onion and celery mix.  Saute 2 minutes. 
3.  Stir in tomatillo and cook for 1 minute. 
4.  Add broth and hominy to the saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Uncover and cook for 8 minutes. 
5.  Stir in chicken and cook 1 more minute or until heated. 
6.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper.
7.  Divide evenly amount 4 bowls and top with avocado and radish. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.


Notes:  I don't like radish so I eliminated this from the recipe.  I also added broccoli, green beans, and peas to the soup to make it more vegetable heavy.  Because I added so many vegetables, I also added a can of V8 juice with some extra chili powder to create more broth and give it an extra kick!  I served it with a side of No Guilt corn bread from Trader Joes (one of my favorite bread mixes)!  This recipe can also be made in a crock pot.  Just combine all the ingredients except for avocado, radishes, and cilantro in the crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Keep warm until ready to serve.    

Chicken Posole

I forgot to take a picture the day I served this so it is missing the avocado and the cilantro which is one of the best parts!

Ratings:
Moe, 7 out of 10
Miss J, 8 out of 10

- Miss J

Life with a Medical Student (Part 2)

As a continuation of yesterday's blog, my little sister sent me a link about "How to date a medical student".  This article could not be a more accurate description of my life.  Hilarious!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,452186,00.html

- Miss J

Life with a Medical Student

I really can't accurately describe what it is like dating or being married to a medical student.  The first word that comes to mind is "flexible".  Each night on my way home from work, I check my cell phone for a message from Moe (my husband's nickname).  I find one of two things:  1) "Be home late tonight - love you!" or 2) No message which means he went into a long surgery early in the day and wasn't able to text "Be home late tonight - love you!".  Since each night is a crap shoot on whether or not we will get to hangout, I try to keep a flexible schedule so we can spend time together if the opportunity presents itself.  

The other challenging part of being in a relationship with a medical student is the constant state of fatigue that they live in.  Getting up at four am in the morning to head into a 10 hour surgery doesn't exactly allow for a good night sleep.  I have a hard time understanding this as I require 8 hours of sleep per night at a minimum.  This past weekend, I experienced this first hand. 

Example #1:  On Friday night, I asked Moe to put the dog out real quick before he went to bed. An hour later, I got out of bed wondering where he was and found him passed out with our dog sitting at the back door! 

 Example #2:   Shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond.  Clearly, taking a nap took priority over picking out shelves for our guest room!

  
 Thankfully we are on vacation next week so he can catch up on some sleep!

- Miss J

Whole Grain Zucchini and Red Onion Pizza

Whole Grain Zucchini and Red Onion Pizza

Serves:  2 (1 pizza each)

This is a quick easy meal that I can throw together last minute.  It is almost considered a kitchen sink type pizza as any vegetables that you have laying around can be thrown on top of this pizza! This recipe can also be served as an appetizer when entertaining.

1 package Whole Grain Tandoor - Baked Naan (each package contains to sheets of bread)

1/2 zucchini

1/2 red onion

Parmesan cheese

Alouette Cheese (garlic & herb)

fresh basil

ground pepper

salt*

olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly brush tops of Whole Grain Tandoor-Baked Naan with olive oil.  If you don't want to use olive oil, you can brush lightly with water to hold moisture.  Spread a thin layer of Alouette cheese on the bread.  Don't feel like you have to use the entire container of Alouette as a little goes a long way.  Slice zucchini into thin rounds and arrange on pizza.  Slice red onion thinly and arrange on top of zucchini.  Chop up fresh basil and sprinkle on top of pizza along with some Parmesan cheese.  Top with pepper and salt (optional).   Arrange pizza on a pizza tray and slide into preheated oven.  Cook for 10-12 minutes.  After 10-12 minutes, pull the pizza out and check bottom of crust to ensure that the pizza is not burning on the bottom (all ovens cook differently). If you like your crust extra crunchy like me, put the pizza back in for 3-4 more minutes to crisp up. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and let cool for 1 minute.  Cut immediately and serve.

Notes:  If you can't find or don't have Tandoor-Baked Naan, you can substitute this for pizza dough (homemade or store bought).  Any variety of vegetables can be used on this pizza.  I am not a huge fan of red onion so I put fresh grape tomatoes on mine.  Spinach and squash are also two vegetables that work well on this pizza. 

*Tip:  I generally do not add the salt to my recipes until the very end.  I figure that all the individual ingredients include so much sodium that it is much easier to add it at the end after you taste it then to put it on in the beginning and wish you hadn't!

  Whole Grain Tandoor - Baked Naan Package

  Cooking in the oven

  Let set for 1 minutes before cutting

  Pizza with zucchini, red onion, and fresh basil  Pizza with zucchini, grape tomatoes, and fresh basil

Enjoy!
 
-Miss J

Austin, Texas

This week, I traveled to Austin, Texas for work.  When I travel, it is difficult to find time to enjoy the city as I juggle all day meetings and dinner functions.  However, this week I was able to get out and check out the city one night.  One of the big attractions in Austin is the "flying of the bats".  When I first heard of this, I was grossed out by the idea of 1.5 million bats flying above me.  I like animals, but bats are not something that I actively seek out.  In fact, we have spent the last year trying to get rid of the bat family that has taken camp in our house up in Canada.  My hotel was located right outside the Congress bridge so at dusk my boss and I headed down to check it out.  To my surprise it was really impressive.  It is the largest population of urban bats in the United States and each night at dusk, the 1.5 million bats take flight.  Before they fly, you can hear (and smell) them under the bridge, and then all of the sudden, they take off into the sky.  Not something you see everyday! 



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAKcYvkiBX0&feature=fvst

Meet Skyler

I have always grown up with dogs so it is hard to imagine my life without one.  When I got married a little over two years ago, all my husband wanted for a wedding present was a golden retriever puppy.  I was ambivalent as we already had one dog (who is now deceased) .  Additionally, I had only met golden retrievers that were 80 plus pounds and shed all over the place.  Being a clean freak, I wasn't sure that dog hair all over my house was going to sit well with me.  However, my husband was not going to let up so I finally gave in.  Two days after we got back from our honeymoon, we packed up the car and drove to Maryland to pick up our new puppy.  From the moment I set eyes on her, I knew we made the right decision.  She is a 50 lb ball of joy that greets me with a wagging tail and kisses everyday.  No matter how bad my day is going, she always makes me smile when I walk in the door. 

Miss J

Book Review (She's Come Undone)

In the last year, I have really come to love reading.  I never thought I would admit that, but I find it relaxing to pick up a book and escape into the character's lives.  I am still working on trying to get my husband to pick up leisure reading, but I guess after reading thousands of pages of medical books, I probably wouldn't want to read a book in my spare time either.  A friend of mine loaned me "She's Come Undone" not that long ago.  Reading the back of the book, I didn't think I'd like it, but I was pleasantly surprised.  This book is far from a "feel good" novel, but was one that I couldn't put down. 

"She's Come Undone"

(Reviewed by Judi Clark MAY 29, 1998)


"Mine is a story of craving; an unreliable account of lusts and troubles that began, somehow, in 1956 on the day our free television was delivered." So begins the story of Dolores Price, the unconventional heroine of this novel.




Dolores Price is very sassy, yet as we get to know her we discover she is a warm and humane person. We experience her interpretation of the world around her as she comes of age, her mother's descent into mental illness, the consequences of her parents divorce, and of being raped at the age of 13. Subsequently she swells to 263 pounds and eventually is checked into a mental institution. To be honest, if I was reading this summary I would be turned off by the story line (and I haven't included every awful thing that happens to her). But don't be. Dolores is a really marvelous character and Lamb does a fine job of getting us into her head with just enough humor to keep us from descending into the depths of depression. Moreover, he does an astonishing job writing from a female perspective. This is an early Oprah Book Club selection, so accept the fact that the central character has experienced physical, sexual and/or mental abuse. It also means that it is a well written book.

Source:  http://www.mostlyfiction.com/contemp/lamb.htm

Chicken and Guacamole Tostadas

Cooking is one of my passions in life.  After a hard day of work, there is nothing more relaxing than coming home, putting on an apron, and cooking dinner.  My husband is in medical school so rarely do we get to spend alot of time together.  Meals are something that I thoughly enjoy and look forward to sharing with him.  Below is a recipe I made this week.  Based on the clean plates at the eend, I would say this recipe turned out to be a success!

Chicken and Guacamole Tostadas

Serves 4 (2 tostadas per serving).

A quick easy meal when you are short on time.
Source:  Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

1 ripe peeled avocado
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely choppd tomato, dvided
3 tablespoons minced fresh onion, divided
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 samll garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeno pepper
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
8 (6-inch) corn tostada shells

1.  Place avocado in a small bowl; mash with a fork.  Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato, 1 tablespoon onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and garlic.

2.  Combine remaining 1 cup tomato, 2 tablespoons onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and jalapeno; toss well.

3.  Combine chicken, remaining 1 tablespoon of juice, and paprika; toss well to combine.  Spread about 1 tablespoon guacamole over each tostada shell; top each with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and about 2 tablespoons salsa. 

Notes:  If you don't have or can't find round tostados in the supermarket,  I used whole wheat tortilla rounds.  In a frying pan, heat up two tablespoons of olive oil.  Once sizzling hot, place whole wheat tortilla in pan. Flip once tortilla is golden brown and crisp on the bottom side (approximately 1 minutes).  Once remaining side is golden brown, remove and place on plate lined with a paper towel.  Allow to cool before applying guacamole. I also added fresh peaches from the farmers market to the top of my tostada.  It was a pleasant compliment to acidity in the tomatoes and lime juice. 

Fresh Salsa

Chicken and Guacamole Tostada

 

Race Through TIme Debut

After 27 years, I have finally come to the conclusion that my life is very much a race through time. I spend many hours planning, organizing, and analyzing my every move. I stress over the every lingering questions… “What do I want to do when I grow up?” and “How will I leave my mark on society?” My mind is always forward thinking which serves me well in my professional career, but often times is a burden that I carry in my personal life. As a child, I always dreamed about growing up. In high school, I was desperate to say goodbye to the shallow talk of "mean girls" and welcome college with open arms. In college, I wanted nothing more than to be out in the real world supporting myself. Graduation finally came, and I truly thought I had accepted where I was in life. Instead I found myself racing forward to tackle the next chapters of my life; buying a house, getting married, and getting a puppy.



I recently shared drinks with old friends, and before the second glass of Cabernet Sauvignon was poured, I found myself making a vow that for the next year, I would step back and live in the moment. As I look around, I realize how blessed I am. I have a wonderful supportive husband, a steady job, an amazing family, a diverse group of friends, and an adorable two year old golden retriever. So why do I find it so difficult to live in the moment?! I decided that this journal… (I call it a journal because the word “blog” scares me)…will be a constant reminder that I need to take a “pause” in life and enjoy each day to the fullest. I plan to share with you the joys in my life and the things that make me smile each week. I will warn you that I am not witty or charming and am most definitely not grammatically correct in what I will write, but I am committed to being honest. I invite you all to share in my journey over the next year as I take a step back and start living my life!

Miss J