Meal Planning

I think I need to seriously jump on the meal planning bandwagon. But, I don't know where to start. I've traditionally only planned a few days at a time or just one meal at a time. However, what I've found is that this method results in a lot of food being thrown away or a long time standing in my kitchen trying to turn very random ingredients into something that resembles a balanced meal. It also means I'm not eating as healthy as I would like. As yummy as chips and salsa are, they do not actually make a good dinner.
In the interest of saving money and eating better, I'm going to attempt true meal planning for the month of June. I'll outline a few meals each week that I want to make, taking into consideration the leftovers that will be available to me. I'll decide on a couple of easy lunch options that I can bring to work with me most days. I'll make a detailed shopping list so that I can buy non-perishable items all at one time and then shop each week for fresh fruits and veggies.
I know I'll have to give in to some cravings and I'll eat out some but we'll see how this goes.
If you have a favorite recipe or two that's quick and simple and is really good left over, please share.

My motto

Today I continued my weekend of doing as little as possible. It was really hot and I had no where in particular I needed to be. So, I didn't really go anywhere. I had a couple of projects I wanted to get done here so I stayed home and worked on those. For a large portion of the afternoon, I had reruns of Sex and the City on in the background. The episode came on where Carrie goes to yet another baby shower and her fancy shoes are stolen. She gets very bitter about all the money she has spent on this certain friend only to be given a guilt trip about her expensive shoes. I had to laugh because I've had the same conversations in my head many times before. Thankfully, I've never had expensive or otherwise shoes stolen from me at a party. At the end, she decides to register for her shoes and leave a not-so-subtle hint for her friend of where she has registered. As a side note, if I'm not married in a couple of years, you can expect to get an invitation from me for the shower that I will be having just because. Don't worry, there will be no games, just fun.

The last line of the episode is the best though. Those that know me well know that I already kind of live by this but I feel a little validated in my slightly excessive shoe collection now. 

"Walking in a single girl's shoes can be difficult. That's why sometimes we need really special ones to make the walk a little more fun."

Sunday night musings

I've had a lot of thoughts today. Some of them deep, some of them not so much. I'll share three of them here in honor of this three day weekend.

• As much as I love the beginning of summer, I also find it kind of painful. For one, areas of skin that doesn't usually touch and probably wouldn't if I worked out more starts touching and it's not a delightful feeling. Second, my feet are not yet used to flip flops and other kinds of sandals. The bottoms of them feel like they have been shredded with a cheese grater. 
• After a certain age, making new friends is a lot of work. I have wonderful friends but with the exception of a couple of them (thankfully very good friend that just lives a block away) all are married and most, if not all, now have kids or kids on the way. That fact has certainly not ended our friendship but it changes it significantly no matter how much you try not to let it. It makes hanging out more difficult. You have to share your time with other people and that's ok. So, I've been feeling like I should try to make some new friends. However, I have very little motivation to actually go and meet new people. I want instant friends. Tonight I was invited to a BBQ with some people that I only know a little bit. I knew I should probably go. I knew that they were all very nice and welcoming people. In the end, I dragged myself there and while I didn't stay very long, I had a lovely time chatting with people I don't usually chat with. But, it's exhausting, at least for an introvert like myself.
• I'm seriously considering trying online dating. Again. Also, something I don't really want to spend a lot of time and energy on. I want instant boyfriend. But, it's something I should probably do so that at least when I complain about being single I can also say I'm trying.

Cuteness

One of my favorite things to give at the (many) baby showers that I go to are hand decorated onesies. They aren't super difficult, are cheaper than almost any other gift and are super cute. Lately, many of my friends haven't been finding out what they are having so if I give them as shower gifts, they are a little more gender neutral. But, one friend knows that they will be having a sweet little girl in the very near future so I've been having fun making some girlie onsies. And, I think I've made one of my favorite of all time (at least my favorite today). I've done this butterfly before but not quite like this. Check it out.

Here's a close up of the detail.

Instead of cutting the pattern from one solid piece of fabric, I cut the three sections from different areas on the fabric so I could get the different patterns. This photo was taken before I stitched around the edges and it's actually even a bit cuter with that detail added.

Being awesome, throwing knives and walking on a tightrope

I got this birthday card in the mail today. The sender intended to give it to me last weekend when I saw her and it was actually my birthday, but she left it at home 5 hours away and I told her she didn't need to drive back and get it. Instead, I got a fun piece of mail today instead of the usual bills and junk mail. So much more fun.
Anyway, I think it's kind of an awesome card. The best was the note inside. "You remind me of this lady on the front - being awesome throwing knives while walking a tightrope." I believe it's the second best compliment I've ever gotten. I'm thinking that this is my new role model. I'll have to try and be a bit more like her.

Book worm

A package was delivered to me at work today. In that package was my very own Kindle Fire! So excited! It's a birthday gift from my parents and my brother supplemented by a few of my own hard earned dollars. I resisted the eReader movement for awhile but I couldn't hold out any longer. It's so shiny and pretty and new. The only problem is that is arrived at about 3pm today so I had to resist spending the rest of my work day downloading books and playing with settings. I know I've only had it for a couple of hours but so far I love it. It's lighter than most books. It holds your place for you. It tells me the top 100 books in a whole bunch of categories. Oh, and did I mention that it's shiny and pretty?
So, now all two of you that read this blog will have to let me know what your favorite books are so that I can add them to my library. Robin, once I blog a few more times and catch up with you, please write another book review post.

Dinner with my parents

Last week my parents came to the city to have dinner with me. It was supposed to be a Mother's Day/Birthday dinner but since it was closer to my birthday, I think my mom got the short end of the celebration stick. It didn't matter, the food was delicious and it's always great to spend time together.

However, at dinner I learned two things. First, my mom doesn't know how old I am. Second, my parents don't actually know what I do for a living.

I'll explain.

My mom was reminiscing about the day that I was born. She does this almost every year, mostly to remind me that she was in labor a long time and that I was already past my due date. I was stubborn from day one. This time, she was telling the story and started out 'It was 31 years ago today that we went into the hospital.' My dad and I both gave her a really funny look and she didn't understand. We were actually giving her looks for two different reasons. I looked at her and said 'Mom, do you know how old I am?' My dad looked at her and said 'We didn't go into the hospital two full days early.' You see, I just turned 32, not 31 and they were only in the hospital one full night before I was born, not two. My mom felt a little silly.

Then, they were telling me about their recent trip to San Diego where they saw a lot of old friends. Many of them asked how I was doing and what I was up to. Basically, my parents could tell them where I worked and vaguely what I do but they really had no clue. I've pretty much been in this line of work 7 of the last 10 years. So, I gave them a tutorial. (If you are interested, I work in fundraising. Specifically direct response fundraising focusing on annual giving.)

Birthday at the Lake House

This weekend I turned another year older and hopefully a tiny bit wiser (although, that's doubtful). I was fortunate enough to be able to take a 4-day weekend and head to Pure Michigan for a weekend of relaxing with some fabulous people. We ate, we drank, we laughed and then we did it all over again. For my birthday dinner I was treated to an amazing chicken and pasta dish (which I will be attempting to recreate at some point) and a glass of Dragon's Tooth, one of my favorite wines from my favorite winery.
But, the thing that really made my day (and the real reason for this blog post) was the cake! It's the specialty of the house. I give you, Black Russian Cake!

Simply put, this is amazing! It's a dark chocolate cake made with coffee, Godiva chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao and grand marnier. In other words, the cake is drunk. Oh. My. Word. I want this every day. I'm getting the exact recipe for this and maybe I'll post it here. Maybe not.

In other  news, I made some amazing macaroni and cheese this afternoon. Since I never do the same thing twice with mac n cheese, I'll probably never be able to repeat it. Just thought I would let you know how awesome it is though.

What I saw on my walk home

One of my goals now that the weather is nicer (and that I've given up my gym membership) is to walk home from work a couple of times a week. It's a 4 mile walk (sometimes longer because I always end up taking the paths that are the longest) and takes almost an hour and a half, less if I walk quickly. The nice part about it, is that when I get home, I've done a work out for the day and can get on with my evening. The other bonus is that I don't sit on a stinky bus in horrible traffic listening to someone's headphones that are up WAY too loud. It's a great way to clear my head after work and helps me sleep better.
4 miles may seem like a really long way, but it is a beautiful walk for me and so many different things to see along the way.
There are:

• Flowers - the buildings along Lake Shore Drive always keep up the best flower beds
• Parks or a Lake Front - There are basically two routes that I can take. One is to walk through Lincoln Park amongst the trees and geese. The other is along the lake front path. The lake is beautiful but there is less chance of getting run over by a bike through the park so I usually go that way.
• People doing crazy exercises - it's fun to watch all the boot camp classes along the way. They are strange!
• Monuments - usually to the most random people/things ever
• Geese, geese and more geese.
• Camels - That's right, you heard me. I only know one other person who might see camels on her walk home and she lived in Dubai. Did I forget to mention that smack in the middle of Lincoln Park is the Lincoln Park zoo? The other night it was already closed but if I get out of work early enough, I can take a detour through the zoo and visit with some animals. I think they have a new lion there that I'll have to go check out. 
• Fountains - lots of them
• A Conservatory - I have never been in there so I'll put it on my list of detours soon.
• The Nature Museum - Also never been in there.

And then, there is my favorite thing of all. Views like this:

It's even better at night but every time I see this skyline, I remember that I love this city.

I'd say that's not so bad for a long walk home.

Things I learned in pilates

Awhile ago I got talked into buying a coupon for 5 pilates classes at a studio owned by a friend of a friend. Last week I finally went to my first class and today went to my second. Here are a few things that I have learned:
1. Barre classes are really hard. Contrary to what people might think, you won't look like a picture perfect ballerina in this class. You will sweat and be gross and work muscles you didn't know you had. Also, there aren't any free drinks or cocktail tastings.
2. Mat classes are also hard. The mats are soft and cushy but you aren't allowed to just take a nap. You will sweat and be gross and work muscles you didn't know you had.
3. Pilates instructors may look really sweet and pretty and nice but they are secretly out to get you. After you almost die doing one exercise, they'll tell you to do it again and the second time they will count slower.
4. After a pilates class, everything you pick up will be heavier. I don't know how the universe coordinates this, but it's true.
5. My abs don't like working. They prefer to stay hidden away under their protective layer of cushioning.
6. After my first barre class, my legs turned into jell-o. They stayed this way for 3 days.

I have 3 more classes to go. Wish me luck.

Rice Krispie Treats: A Tutorial

Ok, Rice Krispie treats are pretty easy. I made some yesterday to take along to give everyone a sugar high as they set up for a church event. Someone tried to take credit for them by saying he got up early to make them. First mistake. No one has to get up early to make these. But, just in case you've never made them, here's a little tutorial on how I do them. There are a couple of different ways to get these done but this is how my mom did them.
First, you melt a stick of butter.

Now, if you want to take these to the next level, take an extra couple of minutes at this step and brown the butter. Don't burn it, brown it. Just let it cook for an extra two minutes or so until it gets a lovely dark golden brown. Here's a picture in case that helps.

Then, when the butter is melted, pour in a bag of marshmallows.

Stir that around until melted and add a teaspoon or so of vanilla.

Be sure to turn off the heat once the marshmallows are mostly melted. Then, you can pour in a box of rice krispies and stir it all together.

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan. I lined mine with parchment paper just to make life easier but you don't have to.

Let these set up for 30 minutes or so and then cut them apart. Share them with your friends or keep them all to yourself. Bonus, they are made with cereal so you can totally eat these for breakfast!
Enjoy!