Where are you winter?

(...sung to the tune of "Where Are You Christmas?" from How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

As you can see from the date of this post above, it's 4 days until Christmas and it is supposed to be a high of 80 degrees in the Dallas today. Where the heck is winter?? In lieu of my desire for mittens, fireplaces, pots of soup, and hot chocolate - my blog design if now representing the fact that in normal parts of the country, it is in fact, snowing at this time. Don't get me wrong, I love Dallas and all that is has to offer but it is certainly lacking seasons. On the way to work this morning, I wanted to turn on my Christmas jams but my iPhone corrected me by notifying me that it was 58 degrees outside and a more appropriate song would be "Let Love In" by the Goo Goo Dolls. No Christmas music for me when I have the air conditioning on in my car.

But then I reminded myself that there are lots of places that are warm at Christmastime. Last year, when SMU played in the Hawaii Bowl, my classmates were laying out on the beach in bikinis and Santa hats. People decorate palm trees instead of Douglas Firs. In other parts of the world, people actually put away their sweaters and hats at this time of year and pull out their shorts and sandals. I suppose you don't need cold weather or snow to make it feel like the holidays but to me, it just doesn't seem right.

Last February, it BLIZZARD(ed) at SMU. Everyone went nuts. It was as if this phenomenon people call "snow" only  happened on the moon. There was an all out, campus wide, snow ball flight on our quad. Dallas natives hit the grocery stores and cleaned out the shelves as if they were going to be snowed in for months. It was quite a sight to see. People in Dallas will always remember "The Great Blizzard of 2010"...

Rolling a Snowman like the PRO that I am. It's just in my blood, all that Northeastern(er) in me.

It's very practical to climb trees in the snow.

Elated!

A very special guest (Hanna's mom) came visit me at my office to bring me the sweetest present ever! I can't wait to share this special day with Hanna and Powell and I'm so honored that I've been asked to be a part of it!

Me and Hanna at DG Big/Lil Night - the beginning of an amazing friendship

22 days to a new year!

In the spirit of Christmas, I thought I would make a list of things I want....to see, read, do in the new year!

Books I want to read:

1. Shantaram
2. The Devil In the White City
3. Water for Elephants (before the movie comes out!)
4. The Help

Movies I want to see:

1. Love and Other Drugs (Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway)
2. How Do You Know (Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson)
3. No Strings Attached (Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman)
4. The Tourist (Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie)

Places I want to go: 

1. Kansas City with Whitney to see her home
2. Stephen's cabin in Oregon 
3. Chicago to see my family 
4. Minneapolis to visit Mary

Events coming up: 

1. Jan - Freshman girls small group starts
2. Feb - my 23rd birthday
3. March - Mary is hopefully coming to Dallas to visit!
4. June - 1 year anniversary of working at Tolleson 
5. June - my sister turns 21! (Lord, help us all)
6. July - Becca is getting married!
7. October - Hanna is getting married! 

Guess I'm going to be pretty busy in the new year!

Ma Famille, la mia famiglia, mi familia, min familie...

No matter how you say it, they will always be your family. (The last one is Danish by the way) You may fight, argue, yell, cry - but ten minutes later it's all blown over and no one can remember what the fight was even about. The holiday season always seems to make families go crazy. My sister is indecisive and can't tell me what she wants for Christmas and my mom just wants "happy children" - the same thing every year. Mom makes the secret Boehm family chex mix and Margaux bakes a different pie each day. I'm always frantically searching for the perfect stocking stuffers. We send tons of emails back and forth about plane reservations, airport pickups and trips up to UMASS to take Margaux to and from school. Then the house fills up kids and friends and there is always arguing over who gets to take the car out. But at the end of the day, we'll always be family. I don't think I always appreciate this simple fact.

Style Status

Shopping for 'office appropriate' (read stuffy, manly, wrinkly) attire on a budget can be especially challenging when the clothes you prefer are way out of your budget. Yes, I could just go to Express (gross!) and get a black suit, some work pants and a few button downs and be set. However, the material is cheap, the fit is generic, and the clothes will only last me one season. Take it a step up to Banana Republic, JCrew (my personal favorite) or Ann Taylor - these suites/work clothes will last a little longer and come in a wider variety of fits and styles. Pieces are easy to mix and match and there are choice for non-iron tops (a MUST!). And then there is the ultimate status symbol - The Theory Suit. My mom and I joked after I landed my first 'big girl job' that "someday, when I saved up enough of my paychecks, I could indulge in my first Theory suit and it would be something I would pass down to my children someday..." Naturally, I want that day to come sooner, rather than later - so I scour  Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off 5th, and Neimans Last Call, hoping to find a bargain.

My mom was in town this weekend and we made our ritual visit to the NorthPark Mall. While perusing the racks in Nordstrom, I stumbled upon the most perfect Theory blazer and pencil skirt....that was of course way out of my budget at $550 for the jacket and skirt. Somedayyyyy....

Theory - 'Kiersten K - Strategy' Jacket and Skirt

BUT! This is not where the story ends. We headed over to the sale racks at Neiman Marcus and I proceeded to try on a few Theory dresses...just for fun. My mom and I found this great shift dress on sale for $177 from $295 with an extra 30% off. Even with all those discounts, the dress just wasn't an investment I could make. However, (and this is the perk to shopping with your sweet, sweet mother) my mom decided that it was a worthwhile purchase that I just couldn't live without in my work wardrobe. So TaDa --

Ohhhh sweet Theory heaven...

Have I now officially reached this new status symbol? Does it only apply when I officially own my first Theory suit? Who knows...but I am going to feel pretty dang special the first day I wear this slice of heaven to work.

Favorite Fall Food: Butternut Squash!

After many weeks of craving this dish, I finally caved and made my mom's Apple & Butternut Squash Soup. It's been unreasonably warm in Dallas but I've still been craving hot apple cider, cute brown riding boots, chunky sweaters, and all things pumpkin flavored. I decided I couldn't wait any longer, so I headed to Central Market after work yesterday to pick up the ingredients.

Here is my version of the recipe (a combination of my mom's recipe and ones I've seen online here and here):
1 large butternut sqaush - peeled, seeded, diced
3-5 Granny Smith apples (depending on how big they are) - peeled, cored, diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
2-3 shallots (depending on size) - chopped
2-3 cups chicken/vegetable stock
1-2 cups water (basically to cover the veggies)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until tender and fragrant. Add chopped squash, apples, stock and water. (My mom sautes her apples in butter and a touch of cinnamon instead of boiling them with the squash but I was too lazy to dirty another pan.) Cook squash and apples until fork tender (about 25 minutes). Puree soup by using a blender, food processor or immersion blender until very smooth. Return to pot. Add cream, nutmeg, salt/pepper to taste. Garnish with shredded aged cheddar, dollop of sour cream or paprika. Enjoy fall in a bowl!

Ingredients waiting for the pot

Word of advice - chopping and peeling the squash is a FEAT! If only my roommates has been home to witness me hacking away at this poor squash.

9 hours later...everything is chopped!

Smells AMAZING when garlic and shallots hit the oil

All the kids in the bath!

Finished product!

Fresh bread from the bakery at Central Market!

To hold you over...

This is just a short & sweet post to tie you over (this one's for you, Mary!)...

Yesterday was FULL of baking - it was just that kind of Sunday. I made a birthday cake for my friend Stephen who is a freshman at SMU and second string on the football team (so cool!).

I also made a cake for my roommates for Halloween. I made chocolate pumpkin cake (basically  just add a can of pumpkin to boxed cake mix with 2 eggs, couple tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup of water).

 

More of an update to come!

Well, hello October and hello fall!

I posted a record of 2 times in September. Ouch, not so good. It's not that I've been particularly busy, just not particularly inspired. Things have been sorta "ho-hum" lately and I haven't really felt very excited about anything. Let's get you all up to speed. The second half of September consisted of my cousin's wedding in Chicago and the infamous SMU vs. TCU rivalry game. The wedding was a BLAST and I had a great time catching up with my family.

The Boehm Family (Mom in white and her sisters and brothers)

Mom has perfected the pose!

Cousins!

I hadn't seen my cousin Tyler and his wife Erica since their wedding 5 years ago and now Erica is pregnant!

Me and my cousin Tyler probably when I was about 8

The SMU vs. TCU game was on a friday and it was also family weekend. I was able to sneak out of work at 4:30 and make it over to the boulevard just in time. The stadium was packed full with 34,000 fans in red, with a sprinkling of purple TCU fans. SMU was the first to score and was beating TCU at two points in the game but in the end TCU won out. I still feel pretty good about my Mustangs for holding our own against a #4 ranked team. So far SMU has a winning record in our conference!

I also finally was able to buy my bike! Action pictures to come!

Ok now on to the real point of this post. So far, I have the feeling that October is going to be a great month. I started the first day of October by attending the Citizen Cope concert at the House of Blues with some of my friends. We had such a good time! (pic) Then I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing on the couch and reading outside. The weather has been just perfect!
This morning I met with my small group for the second time. I've joined this 'bible study' through HPUMC for young adults. I was skeptical at first because it can be a scary thing, pouring your heart out to 'strangers' and discussing our spirituality. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually loved the group! I look forward to it every week and the 8 of us really get along so well! Last Tuesday when I got to work, I felt just a little bit different, had a bit of a spring in my step. We meet at 7am so I had to wake up earlier than usual so I expected to be a little more tired at work but it had quite the opposite affect on me. I'm really looking forward to more Tuesday mornings with this group and maybe I'll be inspired to wake up a little bit earlier each morning and have a little quiet time before the craziness of the day.

"Let your light so shine before the world so that he may see your good works and give glory to our Father in Heaven"
~ Matthew 5:16

Wait what...?

Not only was this my "favorite" phrase in high school (it donned the back of my SENIOR GIRLS shirt) but this phrase also accurately describes this time in my life. There are days when I wake up and say to myself "Wait what...?" I wonder how the heck I got to this place...it's the middle of September, I have officially been a member of the work force for about 4 months, I have to start investing in my 401K, I have a car payment, my friends are getting married....the list goes on.
I'm on an alumni committee for SMU called SeRVe which helps recruit prospective students. We called students from our hometown and help answer questions about SMU and the experience. A lot of times when I called, I reached the parents and it's amazing how they change the way they talk to you when you say that you're an alum. They totally change their tone of voice from the "I'm addressing a college student" tone to the "you are my equal/peer" tone. It really started to hit me that while I may still feel like a unprepared student of the "work force",  people around me don't necessarily see it that way.
I know that my world will keep changing every day....but sometimes I just wish it would slow down and let me be a kid again. Good thing I'm going to my cousin's wedding this weekend where I'll be the oldest, unmarried cousin in the family...I think it's the perfect excuse to act like a kid.

The Rainy Day Blues

1. Blessed - Brett Dennen
2. Slow Mo - Steve Moakler
3. When a Heart Breaks - Ben Rector 
4. Yellow - Coldplay
5. Heaven - Brett Dennen
6. Better Together - Jack Johnson
7. So Damn Lucky - Dave Matthews
8. Run - Steve Moakler 
9. In Your Eyes - Ben Harper
10. The One Who Loves You The Most - Brett Dennen 
11. Something Beautiful - Needtobreathe
12. Skinny Love - Bon Iver 
13. I'm On Fire - John Mayer
14. Come On Get Higher - Matt Nathanson

An American Icon

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

 

Audrey Hepburn

 

I would like to go to these 2 places. If only I knew where they were....

Today's Inspiration

Oh sweet sunrise

I welcome the sun,

the clouds and rain,

the wind that sweeps the sky clean

and lets the sun shine again.

this is the most magnificent life has ever been.

here is heaven and earth

and the brilliant sky in between.

blessed is this life

and I'm gonna celebrate being alive.

blessed is this life

and I'm gonna celebrate being alive

I dwell in the darkness

I live in the light

I sleep in the afternoon

and become the noise in the night

I trespass in temptation

suffered in sacrifice

but I awake each day with a new sunrise

Blessed - Brett Dennen

For the first time, no first day!

As SMU classes begin today and wide-eyed freshman pour into classrooms eager to start their 4 years, I am reminded of the simplicity of college. When I started school, everyone always said to me "Oh, these are going to be the best 4 years of your life!" Now I know that statement is pretty bold because I'm sure I will have some great years to come, but looking back those days really were the best so far. I know I shouldn't complain because I have only just entered the workforce but I do miss stocking up on fresh pens and blank notebooks. I loved getting my syllabuses and filling out my planner with all my tests, project, and 'no class' days. I had a highlighter color for every class and color tabs to mark pages in my notebooks and textbooks. I'm a school supply nerd and I'll be the first to admit it. The closest I get to "school shopping" these days is a short trip down the hall to the supply closet to restock my black and blue pens.

In the spirit of starting a new school year, I have started a few 'new' things as well.

1. I have decided to start studying for the CAIA: Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. This entails taking a pre-test to judge my preparedness for Level I. The program suggests taking this test under normal testing condition, ie allotting yourself 2 uninterrupted hours and no outside materials. If you score a 70% or higher, then you are considered ready for Level I. If you do not reach that mark, you can use the suggested textbooks to do some studying and then take another practice test. I've reviewed some of the materials and I think I have the knowledge to take a stab at the pre-test. Since it's pretty slow at work, I might even be able to do it while I'm at work. The next round of testing is March 2011 so I have plenty of time to brush up on the materials before I would take Level I. Then, assuming I pass, I would need to take Level II. After completing both tests and a year of professional work experience, I would hold the designation.

2. I am becoming a Sunday School teacher at HPUMC! I'm going to be working with 9th and 10th grade girls from the Highland Park area. I'm SO excited to get to know these girls - I have a funny feeling I'm going to learn more from them than they will from me! When I was younger, I really wanted to be a 2nd grade teacher, mainly because I idolized my own 2nd grade teacher. I now have a few friends who are doing Teach for America and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit jealous of their current career paths. Don't get me wrong, I am fully aware that education is blessing and a curse but I think it would be fun! So instead, I am teaching sunday school so that I can get my weekly fill of high school gossip and hopefully have a small impact.


3. Lastly, I'm going to get a bike...soon. I have been thinking/saving for it for a little while now, but it has just been too dang hot to even think about outdoor activities. As fall approaches, I think I'm ready to get my exercise on and bike the Katy Trail a few times a week! Here is the bike I want...badly.

Trek 7.1 FX

Surplus of jobs + lacking a talented workforce = high unemployment (duh?)

Since work has been so slow these past few months, I've had lots of time to pour over the Wall Street Journal and I've stumbled upon some interesting articles. We all know that the state of the economy is rough and unemployment is at a striking 9.6%!!! INSANE! However, there is a SURPLUS of jobs. That's right, I said it - there are MORE jobs in the economy than are being filled. "Well that's stupid", you're thinking. Why won't all these unemployed people go out and get one of these available jobs? This WSJ article would argue it's because they are not skilled enough to meet the requirements or don't possess the right attributes. So now you're thinking, that's ridiculous because the United States has one of the most educated populations! And yet this NYT article states just the opposite! America - get it together!!! The WSJ article says that if all the vacant jobs were filled we would be at 6% unemployment! That is a HUGE difference and 6% unemployment is considered great!

My point is that we need to invest in education so that we can supply our workforce with skilled people. The 6-year-old I babysit for could be an administrative assistant and yet we can't find people between the ages of 20-50 to fill those positions. Seems like a very strange predicament to me...

More bedroom decorating ideas

The problem with a 2200 sq. foot townhouse is that there are LOTS of white walls. The bedroom white walls are starting to bother me so I've been trying to think of ways to spruce them up without buying really expensive, specific artwork that you can't change out.

First of all, I don't have a bed frame or headboard so I really need to do something above my bed. I'm thinking of getting a picture ledge from Ikea and then getting lots of frames from West Elm and Crate and Barrel (they have some really cute one that come with mats). Then I want to print lots of pictures of friends, Copenhagen and all kinds of things to make it colorful. The best thing is that I can change out the pictures all the time and I don't have to commit to nailing frames to the wall! When this project is completed (maybe this weekend) I'll post a pic!

I was recently watching Color Splash on HGTV and I would just die if David Bromstad wanted to come and paint something for our terribly white walls. He makes the coolest, custom art for all the houses he does and I would love for him to paint something orange for me to hang over my bed! It could totally act as a headboard and add lots of color to my room!

Bedding Bewilderment

Apparently, finding the proper bedding that's both cute and interesting...and all matches is very difficult. I finally have a real "big girl" bed and I want it to be really cute with tons of pillows and textures. Finding all of these things has been very hard. I've made some progress though and I think my bed is almost complete!

I found my duvet first at Crate and Barrel.

Then I got some orange (of course) throw pillows from Crate and Barrel as well. I'm thinking about ordering these shams from West Elm to match the throw blanket I got from West Elm.

I settled for white sheets from Target and a beige bedskirt from Ikea. As soon as I get all the pieces together I'll be sure to take a picture and post it!

Bookshelf Bliss

Along the lines of bedroom decorating comes the daunting task of finding an adorable bookshelf to house my growing collection of hardcovers and paperbacks. While I love the newest electronic gadgets as much as the next person, I am resisting the urge to get myself a Nook (Kindle, eReader...ect). I just can't give up my wonderful, worn in, bent pages and all...paperbacks. I love having shelves of books on display around my room/house. I like looking back at all the books I've already read and then I have to shelf dedicated to the books I still have to read. I guess it has to do with a sense of accomplishment. That being said, I've had a very hard time finding the proper bookshelf to house my treasures! In the end I settled for a white Ikea BILLY bookcase for $35 with the intention of "sprucing" it up with fabric or paper or knickknacks. Shout out to Kelly for sending me this awesome website with a whole page of adorable bookcases - all the inspiration I could ever need! So here's to hoping I can liven up my bookcase and of course, post a pic!

 Someday I will have a huge library with a floor to ceiling bookshelves and a ladder that slides along the walls.

And the sunglasses make a cameo!

Here's a few pictures of the infamous orange sunglasses...

Me and Alex at the FIJI Olympics - rocking the shades!

Waiting for the Needtobreathe Concert to start at the House of Blues, Dallas

TX v. OU with Whitney - orange for UT!

Re-Introduction...

Those of you who know me well, know that I own a pair of orange (fake) Ray Bans. While I coveted the ones pictured above for a long time, I finally caved a bought a pair on the streets of New York for $10. (In order to make this blog more official, I'm still hoping to get my hands on a real pair some day!! - Hint: My birthday is in February and Christmas is even sooner!)

The point is, my orange sunglasses don't define me but identify me. And in the spirit of identifying with things - that is just the direction I want to take this blog. I have no intention of being inspirational, educational, or ground breaking. This is simply a chronicle of a twenty-something - forging my way through the corporate world, creating a new post-college life, and hopefully doing it with some great friends by my side.

Under construction...

Dear readers, if you're even out there...


I've had a slight change of heart. I don't like having too many rules. I like to read whatever book I want, shop at whatever stores I want, and eat as many calories as I want. Therefore, limiting my blog to only certain kinds of posts has been making me feel anxious. I have refrained from posting lots of things because they didn't "fit my theme". So I'm letting you all know that the tone around here will be changing. Check back soon for some new topics and a new title!

Family Dinner Friday

Our apartment complex is so great in that so many of our friends live in the area. Because of this, we're having a little family dinner night. Everyone brings/cooks something and we have the meal at someone's house. I'm responsible for roasted asparagus which just happens to be one of my favorite things! Roasting any kind of vegetable is great way to eat healthy but with lots of flavor. 

Here's what I do: 

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees.
2. Trim off asparagus ends and place on a baking sheet. 
3. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. 
4. Roast for about 15-20 minutes depending on how fat your asparagus are. 
5. Eat!
6. Even better, you don't have to worry about keeping them piping hot because they are great at room temp!

I'll be making this tonight after work - I'll post pics of the dinner party tomorrow!

Take a trip through a book

Since I now have a full time, big girl job, I am not free to travel whenever I want. I can’t just skip class on Friday and jet off for the weekend. Lately, I’ve had to resort to a different kind of travel – literary travelling. This may not sound that exciting but for an avid reader like me, it’s a real thrill. Right now I’m reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin which chronicles a year of her life trying to be happier. She does all kinds of research on what makes people happy and one of the things she mentions is starting/having a collection. I reflected on what kinds of things I like to collect. This was hard for me because I am constantly eliminating, selling, giving away and weeding out my ‘things’. I don’t like clutter or unnecessary saving so I’m always getting rid of things. But I realized that I do have a collection – of books. I LOVE new books. In fact, friends always try to loan me a good book to read and I always turn it down and go buy my own copy. I love having shelves filled with books I’ve read and ones I’ve yet to crack open. For me, it’s a sign of accomplishment of fill a whole shelf with books I’ve finished. One of the unique things about my book collection is that I usually can remember when or the context in which I read a book. This is why I equate reading to traveling or vacations. Not only is digging into a good book an imaginary vacation, but I also associate books with the places I’ve read them in. For example, I remember reading the first Harry Potter book while I was in vacation in Cape Cod. I read the Zoo Keeper’s Wife while I was learning about the holocaust when I studied abroad in Copenhagen. I read all the Twilight books two summers ago. I enjoy being able to remember a good book and associate with an experience or time in my life. I’m always going to remember reading The Happiness Project at a huge transition point in my life.



So when you can’t get away, pick up a good book – one about a foreign land and take a little mini vacation in your head!

What to cook when you don't want to cook anything!

Initially when we moved into our new place, I resolved to cook a real meal at least 3 times a week. This meant no Lean Cuisines, no frozen pizza, no mac & cheese....

Easier said than done. When I get home from work at 6pm, I want nothing more than a bowl of pasta with cheese and olive oil, watch a show and go to bed. But I've really been making an effort to take 20 more minutes to prepare dinner. Lately, I've found a few quick fixes that don't take much time, are inexpensive, and don't result in a daily run to the grocery store. Here are a couple of my latest meals:

1. Grilled Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Cucumber Salad

The best way to deal with fresh protein is to buy the kinds that are packaged individually. Perdue sells chicken (in the regular fresh meat section) that comes already marinated. It comes with 3 boneless, skinless breasts. I usually cook one that night (either eat it for dinner or save it for a salad or sandwich) and then I freeze the other 2. This works great because the chicken is already in a vacuumed packed bag so it stores in the freezer really well.

Note: When you decide to eat one of those frozen breasts, DO NOT defrost on the counter or microwave. Defrosting on the counter leaves the meat vulnerable to bacteria and defrosting in the microwave always leads to cooked, disgusting edges. Just throw the breast in the refrigerator before work and when you get home you'll be ready to throw it on the George Forman.

So now you've got the chicken part down - cook it anyway you like, grill, pan, oven, but just make sure you cook out all the pink in the middle.

Rice pilaf is a really simple side dish and it's delish. You can buy a packages in the rice section. Best part is, it just takes 20 minutes on the stovetop and you don't even have to check it, stir it or fuss with it. Just boil the water, throw in the rice and seasoning, turn down to simmer, throw on a lid and you're good to go.

One of my FAVORITE kinds of salads is cucumber salad. I slice up an English Cucumber (there the "seedless" ones that come in plastic wrap), toss it with balsamic dressing and goat cheese and let marinate for 5 minutes or so. It's so delicious and really easy to make. Best part about it, cucumbers last for a while in the fridge, longer than lettuce, I think.

2. Burger and Fries

This is not your typical, greasing, burger joint meal - in fact it's a "fast food" meal you can feel really good about.

Again, I'll buy some burgers at the store - cook a few and freeze the rest. You can also just buy ground beef and make your own patties to the size you like. There are lots of ways to doctor up your ground beef as well. My mom always mixed in an egg (for binding), Worcestershire Sauce and some shredded cheese (instead of cheese on top).

Grill your burger anyway you like and top with your favorite things. Caramelized onions are really easy to make and add great flavor to your burger. Just thinly slice some onion rings and saute in a pan over low heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter. This will take about 10 minutes so be patient. Low and slow is the key to good caramelization.

For the fries, I slice up a potato into sticks (just a good 'ole baking potato). Cover the potatoes in olive oil and whatever seasonings you like. I usually sprinkle on some garlic salt and onion powder. Then bake in the over at 425 degrees until browned on all sides. Give the potatoes a good shake and make sure to toss them around every few minutes so that they bake evenly. This is also really easy to go in a cast iron pan on the grill top.

These meals are great because they are easy to make for 1 and can store easily too. I'll be sure to keep you posted on my next meal creations!

Cubicle or Copenhagen?

If only I made enough money at my new job to fly back to Copenhagen whenever I wanted!

This is the end of my second full week of the real world. I have decorated my cube with pictures of friends and of my travels of course! So far work has been ok and I'm starting to feel like I'm actually making a contribution to my team. However, today I caught myself daydreaming about country-hopping and all my worldly travels last year. When you're studying abroad, you really do have so much freedom to go wherever you want! (As long as you have a credit card with a high limit!) I am someone who loves the challenge of planning a trip, finding a hostel and meeting new people along the way. In many ways, my new job has become my domestic adventure. My 10 minute 'trek' to work allows me to to catch up on my audiobook (just finished the Life of Pi which is truely an unreal adventure) and make some all-important phone calls to my friends and family. I have enjoyed new cuisine when I go out to lunch with co-workers or when lunch is brought in on fridays! So in many ways, this whole 'new job' thing can be considered a 'foreign land'. The people are new, I need a map to get around the building, and sometimes I don't even speak the same language (financial that is...).

And yet, I still find my mind wandering off to Rome...where I enjoyed great food (mainly cheese, bread and salami), spent time with amazing friends, and explored a foreign land.

(Dinner on the Spanish Steps in Rome)

Is there time for eating when you're moving?

As some of you know, I have spent this wonderful memorial day weekend, moving! This is a pretty exciting move because this is my first "grown-up" place with a garage, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and LOTS of space for all our things! Moving in with roommates can be complicated and stressful because you have to organize who is buying what and splitting things....ect. To be most efficient, my roommates and I split up the rooms we would have to get furniture or supplies for.

I obviously took the kitchen! :)

I spent my whole paycheck buying pots, spoon, measuring cups, cupcake pans, pot holders, toasters, blenders....the list goes on. Needless to say, the point of this post is about 'eating' when you're moving. We were lucky that our kitchen was already outfitted and that I already had some basic groceries. So since I am now broke from getting all the 'ingredients' for the kitchen, I cannot afford to eat out. I have several packages of Ramen, boxes of pasta, some Ready Rice, and cereal. That is plenty for several (very boring) meals. So while moving has been very glamorous, exciting and grown up....I can't even write about the cool meal I made tonight because I don't have any cool ingredients. Therefore, tonight's mean consisted of pasta with jarred sauce, Pillsbury crescent rolls, a piece of my roommates frozen pizza, and a LARGE glass of wine.

However, in the future, things will be different, starting with our very cute neighbors and the baked goods I will be making for them....

Recipe of the Day: Espresso Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

My hope is to tackle a few new recipes a week and share my experiences with you.

I LOVE to bake. This is most likely because I like rule and guidelines and I would consider myself very good a following exact measurements. So today's recipe was for a wonderfully delicious cupcake! I found this website from Erin McCabe's blog and I vowed to try making all of the cupcakes.

And so it begins...with cupcake #1 - Espresso Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

This first recipe proved to be a bit of a challenge since my empty kitchen lacked many of the necessary tools. So my day started with a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond as well as Kroger to acquire all the ingredients. Note: This recipe calls for espresso powder that I could not find at Kroger but good 'ole Central Market had me covered.

The meticulous measuring, pouring and stirring began. It is important to know the difference between tablespoon and teaspoon abbreviations because otherwise you'll have a cupcake that tastes like a strong cup of espresso instead of nice balanced flavored. I absentmindedly, added 2 tablespoons of espresso power instead of teaspoons but I realized this just in time to scoop a little out and save the recipe. The batter is this unbelievably smooth, rich chocolate color that my fingers just couldn't resist. I obviously licked the spatula clean. This recipe makes 16 (smaller) cupcakes but I'm sure you could just pack all the batter in and make 12.

The worst part about baking is waiting for something to cool. I learned as a kid that you cannot, no matter what, put icing on anything that is even slightly warm. You will just have a puddle of icing on the plate and a very soggy cupcake. The only baked good you can eat fresh out of the oven are chocolate chip cookies - which is arguably the only way to eat them.

The icing came out a little thinner than I would have liked. The recipe calls for a 'splash of milk' which could be a big splash for some and a small splash for others. I put it in the fridge to chill and get thicker which helped a little bit.

After [im]patiently waiting for my mini morsels to cool, I frosted them and topped them with marshmallows. Seven cupcakes in hand, I headed off to Banditos to let me friends be guinea pigs and try my first creation! Luckily, they were a hit and everyone enjoyed them. Now what to do with the leftovers....

RECIPE:

CUPCAKES
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsw. cocoa
2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and egg. Add milk and flour mixture alternately while still mixing. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out almost clean.

ICING
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp cocoa
splash of milk

Mix cream cheese and vanilla at medium speed until creamy. While beating, add sugar, cocoa, and milk gradually. Spread on cooled cupcakes with icing spatula. Top with chocolate chips or coffee beans.

(Recipe found here!)

I'm starting a blog...

...but I really don't think this is an original idea. Many people have blogged about food and travel, it's arguably the most common blog topic. I do not plan to say anything profound, become a famous chef, or going on extravagant trips. My intention is to simply chronicle the (typically mundane) life of a working girl trying to make time for friends, food and travel.

I vowed that when I went abroad last spring, I would keep a religious blog of all my travel experiences. I did a pretty good job keeping up with it but it wasn't remotely interesting. I simply laid out the days events and signed off.

My goal and desire is that this blog is somewhat interesting. Starting June 1, I begin my career as an Investment Analyst for a wealth management firm in Dallas. This means, future readers (and I hope that I have some...), I can only promise to blog once a week.

So here goes nothing!

(Disclosure/Update 3/11/2013: This was the very first post when this blog started and was going in a million different directions. There have been several name changes, format changes and even web host changes. But I'm nostalgic so while it might not feel relevant, I'm including it anyway!)

blogging twice in one day?

The other entry doesn't really count...it was an introduction!

I'm ashamed to say that I'm not a big 'news' reader. I just don't keep up with the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or Time magazine as much as I should. But after spending my morning catching up on some blogs, I decided to direct my browser to the New York Times. I was thrilled to be greeted with a beautiful picture of a 'foreign land' and an article below about the original Frugal Traveler who more or less WALKED around the world!

I would be delighted to share this article with you! I was inspired but the pure freedom this traveler experienced and the sheer ability to make his way from country to country on virtually nothing.

after reading a billion blogs, i got bit by the bug...

...but I really don't think this is an original idea. Many people have blogged about food and travel, it's arguably the most common blog topic. I do not plan to say anything profound, become a famous chef, or going on extravagant trips. My intention is to simply chronicle the (typically mundane) life of a working girl trying to make time for "friends, food and foreign lands".

(You can laugh at the cheesiness now.)

I vowed that when I went abroad last spring, I would keep a religious blog of all my travel experiences. I did a pretty good job keeping up with it but it wasn't remotely interesting. I simply laid out the days events and signed off.

My goal and desire is that this blog is somewhat interesting. Starting June 1, I begin my career as an Investment Analyst for a wealth management firm in Dallas. This means, future readers (and I hope that I have some...), I can only promise to blog once a week.

So here goes nothing!