More from the intertubes.

Imperfect

Cake Wrecks

Friggin. Hilarious.

Just go read. Find the cake that says “Good Luck in China” with the firefighter. I laughed so hard I cried in my office today. People asked me if I was ok.

Pasta bake = Success!

I made quite a yummy pasta bake thing yesterday. It was like lasagna deconstructed and mushed up. The contents:

1 1/2 tubs (10 oz?) of Part Skim Ricotta ( you could use less, but I didn’t have enough from the first one and I didn’t want to have leftovers)

1 box of rigatoni

3 mild Italian sausage browned with out the casings

Pasta sauce (I’m not sure how much I used. I basically put like 5 or 6 ladles in until it made the cheese sort of pinky-orange and a good consistency)

Italian blend shredded cheese.

I basically put it all together in a pot, put it in a baking dish with more sauce and cheese on top and baked it for like 25 minutes. So. Good. It’s been cool-ish at night here too, so it was nice to have a bit of a fall dish. I was worried it wasn’t going to be that good, but I was wrong. So yay me! I’m excited, I have it for lunch today too!

It’s 74 outside and it’s August!

This is why I live in the Midwest and not in Florida with my parents. It’s August, and I don’t have to shower three times a day to feel clean! How crazy. I also am I glad that I didn’t have to get drenched by Fay. And by default no power, considering my parents live in a city that has big beautiful oak trees. And terrible intermittent power service when it rains because of them. I win.

So I’ve been rather adventurous in the kitchen lately. I’ve also discovered I’m terrible at following directions to a t. But, everything I’ve made has been pretty good. I made the empanadas I wanted to make. They were good. I wish I had made the pastry a little sweeter and that I had a food processor so I could play with it less, but oh well. Also, for the filling I used only 8 ounces of goat cheese and made up the difference with ricotta. I left off the almonds and the sugar on the top and I used semi-sweet chocolate and hazelnuts. I got rave reviews. Although, I think Mr. Fresh and his dad are jaded, but I’ll take it. Next time: bigger rounds, more goat cheese. I also want to make a savory version of empanadas, as I am a slight empanada-a-holic.

I also made Lemon Basil Pasta Salad which was ok. I used cherry tomatoes and cut them in half instead of dicing tomatoes. I would also say, more lemon juice, less oil. Salt and pepper are also essential. It turned out pretty good and left me with lunch for 3 days, so it worked out ok.

That was last Friday, along with pesto salmon. Mr. Fresh uses the term “ridiculous” which in his mind/world means amazing. I wowed him again on Thursday with an attempt to use up the ricotta I had left. I had some ricotta and fresh basil left from the last cooking adventure that I needed to use up and some chicken breasts that were begging me to use them. So, I butterflied the chicken, pounded it thin and filled it with the ricotta (with chopped garlic, salt and pepper), basil, sun dried tomatoes and some shredded mozzarella. Rolled it up, put it in the oven and 30 minutes later, we had an awesome chicken dish. I also made pan fried eggplant “sticks.” Again, I win. It was all really good and I had lunch for the next day. Mr. Fresh called me “ridiculous” and I think “the bestest” was in there too.

My next challenge: using up the ricotta…I think I’m going to do a pasta bake. Ricotta with the basil and my home made tomato sauce put in the oven with bread crumbs and mozzarella. We’ll see how it goes.

That’s my cooking update. My life update. I’ve actually been working at work. It’s crazy, I know. I have 1 order on the board and 5 more in the works. Hopefully I can get some filled so I can actually make some moolah. I’ve crunched numbers and figured out how I can get out of some of my college debt if I do. So, I’m working hard. I’m enjoying having my first day off in 14 days. Me and my couch are having personal time. My new goal is to try and make it to the gym more and attempt to take photos when I cook. I know I enjoy photos when I read about food, so we’ll see if I can manage to pull it off.

I can’t believe how fast August has gone…before I know it the holidays will be here. Oh dear…

P.S. I gave in and bought the BlackJack…I’m on the road to “crackberry” addiction. Let’s hope I don’t need an intervention.

Perhaps this reveals my political leanings…

…but I find it hillarious. And true. This is from my mother via an e-mail.

The 23rd Qualm
(Written by a retired Methodist  minister.)

Bush is my shepherd; I dwell in want.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness.
He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of  international disgrace
for his ego’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution
and war,
I will find no exit, for thou art in  office.
Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control,
they discomfort me.
Thou preparest an agenda of deception in  the
presence of thy religion.
Thou anointest my head with foreign  oil.
My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me
all the days of thy term,
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.

This reminding me how much I miss my Bradley Loves

While at work, which I got to play hookie from for two hours and go home, I have been on the goo ‘ole FBizzle talking to my Hand Twin. I met my hand twin at Mr. Fresh’s fraternity and we have been inseprable since then. I basically force fed her how awesome my sorority is, made her join and then take the position I held. All of which I think she thought was her idea. See, she is my hand twin. Anyways…we were chatting…talking about bodies in revolt and I got this fabulous nugget of a quote:

Yeah

It’s like bastille day up in your uterus

That was nerdy.

I laughed. A lot. I miss being in college a lot right now. Screw this big kid shit.

Funny how things present them selves at interesting times.

I remember when this “song” came out. I was graduating from 8th grade and becoming the much anticipated high school freshman. I still like this song now, and it’s far more appropriate now for this graduation from college then it ever was in 8th grade.

Baz Luhrmann – Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ‘99… wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

And it’s a Thursday.

I think Thursdays are evil. Now I know what you’re thinking, “No, Monday’s are the real evil!” Here’s my beef with Thursday: It’s not Wednesday, and it’s not Friday. Most importantly, it’s not Friday. Since I’m in the beginning stages of my new found “career” I am not super busy.  And by not super busy, I mean, I spend more time on Facebook then I do on actual work. This means, Thursdays are basically a complete waste. I would be far more productive, and comfortable, laying in my bed under the covers sleeping, then sitting here reading the news. (This does make me more of an informed American then I was though.)

Besides being bored at work for my social callendar this week has been fairly crazy so far. I haven’t had dinner home all week, and for the most part I’m more then fine with that. Although, my couch is getting lonley with out me. I spent Monday looking at shiny things, namely the pretty Blackjack in the previous entry, with my boyfriend (Mr. Fresh) and we had dinner together after. (I should mention that I was done with work at 3, the joy of sales!). Tuesday, I had dinner with my aunt and “uncle” (I use the term loosely, let’s not even go there) and did some filing for him. He’s basically going into heart failure, so standing, or even thinking, some times prove to be too much of a challenge. I got a fabulous dinner and $20 out of the deal, no complaints here.

Yesterday, Mr. Fresh and I had dinner with one of his fraternity brothers, P, and his girlfriend, K (Or as he calls her “The Babe”). Both of whom I enjoy greatly. Since we all live on 12 sides of the planet in this crazy city, we met at a “Central” location. The only person it was half way convenient for was me, since my office is fairly close. Since I was the only one who was close I got to wander around a fabulous mall for an hour and a half and try not to get in trouble. Not easy when you are A. a girl B. a girl who likes to shop C. broke. I managed to only buy one thing and the one thing was something I was in desperate need of, so I’ll put that down as a win.

Dinner was great. We ate at one of those DIY stir fry places which I love. We talked about “the good ‘ole days” and all of the antics of people and the effects of alcohol on them. Told wedding stories, which I think we won, although theirs was equally as hilarious, and generally had a good time. I even managed to get Mr. Fresh to come back to my place to cuddle. Who could ask for a better night?!

The thing about being a grown up that I’m not really a fan of is the whole “I get up a O’dark thirty, I get in my car/train/bike/walk, suffer through my commute, get to work, suffer through work, get back in my car/train/bike/walk, suffer yet again, and barely make it through to door and fall on the couch only to do it again tomorrow” bit. There is a lot more suffering then not in the general flow of things, and it’s not fun. I miss being able to enjoy the company of people around me, not just tolerate their presence(i.e. some of my co-workers).

It was great to laugh with friends. I feel like I sound like I’m miserable, and I’m not, don’t get me wrong. I’m just not elated with the state of things. Mr. Fresh and I laugh a lot together, we giggle and snicker and are generally amenable people. But, I think we both miss the company and noise of having other people around. The goal for tonight’s plans is to have a little more of that.

My self and a co-worker are going to an alumnae event for our sorority (different schools, same sorority). I miss that connection with people. That having an immediate bond with someone because of a shared experience or knowledge of something. I am a people person, and I don’t have nearly enough people I connect with on a daily basis. So, I’m going to venture on to the “El” (I’m usually a rider of the very suburban and tame Metra) and go talk and drink with a group of fabulous women. I should have a pretty great evening. Sans the part where I have to venture on the El back and onto the Metra at an ungodly hour.

In other news, I found Raspberry, goat cheese and almond empanadasyesterday and I will be making them soon. They combine 3 of my favorite things on the planet…raspberries, goat cheese and empanadas…we’ll see if I buy some dark chocolate for a drizzle on the top.

I suppose I should pretend to work now.

Hard at work…or hardly working?

Part of my job includes being out on the road hocking my wares (remember the cute shoes part?) and part of my job requires “administrative” mumbo jumbo. These two are sort of…mutually exclusive? Sales people are meant to be on the road, to roam free…to go home at 2:30 if we’ve put in a hard days work…not stuck in the office doing mumbo jumbo. I think this beauty will let me do it… Any one out there have one? Any opinions? I’m hesitating, but I think I’m going to do it.

Ooooh shiny...

A new beginning

So, I find it funny that as I start a new phase of my life, I have this sudden urge, no make that need, to write about my life. I have far too many things to rant about, discuss, share and ponder and not nearly enough time in the day to sit around with friends like I used to. A little about me. I’m a twenty-something recent grad living in Chicago trying to make it. Some days, I know I can, some days I want to stay in bed and hide. I work in the staffing industry hocking my wares, all while wearing fabulous shoes! I love to cook. I have far too many opinions. I have an amazing boyfriend. I’m a daddy’s girl and some days there aren’t enough miles between my mother and I for our relationship to not include hang ups and phone throwing. My life is good, but I’m just starting out. Let’s see how it goes.