"All my life I've been good, but now...."

It probably took me a good 3-4 weeks to realize that this song "What the Hell" that they've been playing on the radio for a while now was in fact by Avril Lavigne. Way to make a comeback, Avril. It's been years since I've listening to Sk8ter Boi and get Avril still looks exactly the same as she did 7 years ago....she clearly knows all the anti-aging secrets.

Are your ears bored?

I rarely listen to the radio since I typically just play music from my iPod in the car. However, lately I've been pretty bored with what's on my iPod and what's on the radio. After listening to the Mumford & Sons album on repeat for about a month now, I think I'm ready for something new (or for them to come out with another album). Luckily, my friends are great music connoisseurs and are always suggesting new bands to listen to. Pandora stations are also a great way to learn about new bands/musicians (but I've even been getting bored of that!) Below are a few favorites from the latest suggestions that I've received. Don't worry friends, you'll get credit where credit's due. Also, if you're looking for a great site to look up/listen to specific songs/albums try Grooveshark. It's FREE and totally awesome.

Start Beginning - Nizlopi
This suggestion comes from Stew Fuller who's always jamming out to something great. While sadly this band is no longer together, they've left behind a few great albums that really hit the spot. Great music for chilling out or playing in the background at the office (since I'm rarely on a beach somewhere "chilling out).


I Got - Young the Giant
This suggestion comes from Mitch Brown and it is not his first. He's been known to make awesome mix CDs with all kinds of great "discoveries" on them. This band it relatively new (1 year old) and has some great upbeat stuff to get you through the "4pms on friday".



January Wedding - The Avett Brothers
Big thanks to Crooked Tree Coffee House and all the amazing music they play. This song quickly became one of my favorites from The Avett Brothers. Most of you (um yea I'm talking to my 7 readers) have probably heard of them but I just particularly like this song. And who's better to blend harmonies to perfectly then two brothers (Scott and Seth Avett).



Let me know what you think and as always, send over any and all music suggestions!

The Roof Is On Fire

...Ok well maybe not the roof, but the oven was definitely on fire last night. That's right, this kitchen perfectionist screwed up and set the oven on fire last night while trying to bake the most perfect french apple tart. This all happened because we're missing our particularly useful jelly roll pan. Basically, it's a cookie sheet with 1 inch sides all the way around. GreatPerfect for baking tarts, roasting veggies, basically anything that you need a shallow flat pan for where juices might run. Since this pan is missing, I opted to bake the tart on a regular, side-less cookie sheet. HUGE mistake. On top of that, I got a little carried away with the butter and added more than I should have. Butter + hot oven + side-less pan = butter all over the bottom of the oven, which then lit on fire. I'm talking full blown flames. (If I hadn't been so worried about burning my house down, or better yet, burning the tart, I would have taken a few pictures.) So after successfully retrieving the tart from the flaming oven, which required reaching my own oven mit covered hands INTO the flames....and setting off the fire alarm, the flames subsided and all was well again at Thomas Manor. The tart finished cooking in the toaster oven on the bake setting but with the excessive amount of butter I added, the outside edges were the really only edible parts. Delicious nevertheless!

But the real issue here is not the fire, believe it or not. It's my pride. Confession: I am a PERFECTIONIST in the kitchen. I have actually been known to throw away whole cakes/cookies just because they weren't pretty. I rarely have such disasters happen in the kitchen because I'm careful to choose the right tools and ingredients as well as learning all kinds of tips/tricks from watching the food network and my mom. So as the flames are spilling out of the oven last night, all I could think about was how I didn't want my roommates to know - that I had royally screwed up in the kitchen.

Moral of the story: A little hurt pride is always better than running the risk of setting your house on fire.

Spring has sprung in Dallas!

Pictures from Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark from when my mom came to visit!

While Dallas has been experiencing temps in the high 70s for a few weeks now, today officially marks the first day of spring! We've now survived the cold, dark, dreary winter (read: mild, slightly snowy and sunny in the case of Dallas) and the warmer temperatures are moving in. My roommate bought me beautiful daffodils for my birthday that have been blooming in our kitchen for weeks. A few weeks ago, I planted a few pots of fresh herbs that are beginning to sprout and give off their wonderful herby scents. Keelie bought a gorgeous orange geranium from the farmer's market and now our front porch looks so fresh! This is the first time I've spent a full cycle of seasons in Dallas and it's been really beautiful to see the transformation. Each day, as I drive to work, I take note of the progress of all the blooming trees with their sweet white blossoms. Lucky for me, I just took a photography class yesterday and I'm feeling more inspired than ever to get outside and capture this season. For now, the pictures below will have to do...

Found on Pinterest and cutestfood.com

Favorite perfume

Off to a rough start

So it's only 8:30am on this lovely Tuesday morning and you're wondering how could someone be having such a bad day already?! Well  here are the details of this morning's events:

• Woke up at 6am for bible study to a SCREAMING headache so I decided to sleep in
• Woke up again at 7am, turned on a the shower and alas, no hot water - I'm talking only ice cold water. I think there were actually icicles forming inside my shower.
• Now that I'm running late because of the shower fiasco, I throw on some clothes and run out the door only to find that the heel of my awesome Cole Haan pumps is wobbly and probably needs repair. 
• Jump in the car and realize there is very little gas in it - just barely enough to get me all the way to work without having to stop at the gas station (which I obviously didn't want to do in my wobbly heels and the 38 degree temps)

Needless to say, I was probably a little dramatic this morning - much worse things could have gone wrong. I couldn't help remembering one of my favorite childrens books this morning...and feeling a bit like Alexander. Can I have a redo on this morning? Or better yet, I'd like to just go back to bed until tomorrow...

How should I spend the next 40 days?

Today marks the first day of Lent - it is Ash Wednesday, the "holiday" where everyone comes back from their lunch break with ash crosses on their foreheads and declarations to give up Diet Coke, Facebook, Chocolate, etc. Confession: Lent sort of snuck up on me. I didn't really think about what I was going to give up or maybe even take on during these next 40 days. In 7th grade I gave up TV and I'm proud to say that I lasted for over 20 days! In 8th grade, I tried to give up homework - kids, that never works. Even though schools are supposed to respect your religious beliefs, that one somehow doesn't fly. After that, I tried to take on something instead of giving up something - working out, eating right, spending less, all the cliches.

This morning, I clicked on a link to an article (that I found while Facebook stalking, ugh) that actually really hit home.

Lent Isn’t About Denial — It’s About Transformation

by Julie Clawson 02-17-2010

The point of Lent is not denial.

But for a long time I thought it was. Everything I heard about Lent revolved around acts of self-denial. It was all about what object or habit one would give up and how hard it was to deny oneself of that thing. Of course that denial was meant to help one think about God and Christ’s sacrifice, but in truth the focus was always on the act of denial itself. The question always is, “what are you giving up for Lent?” as if that is what the season is about.

On one hand it’s understandable that we miss the point of Lent. In our religious traditions rituals and legalism are far easier to promote, understand, and implement than spirituality and faith. We can grasp rules. It is far easier to tell kids to obey rules than to explain to them why they should desire to act rightly. They then end up following the rules simply because the rules exist. When it comes to Lent we often do the same, denying ourselves something for the sake of denial. We give up chocolate or Facebook, thinking the act of denial is the purpose of Lent. And we end up missing the point.

But Lent isn’t about denial; it is about transformation. It is the season in which we prepare to encounter Christ’s sacrifice by endeavoring to become more Christ like ourselves. Transformation is about letting ourselves be filled with God’s presence so that we can be shaped by God’s grace. Our acts of kenosis — denying ourselves in order to empty ourselves enough to allow God to fill us — are means to an end. They are disciplines that prepare us to be transformed. We deny ourselves so that we can be reborn as new creations — to live more fully as the kingdom citizens God desires us to be.

So I am very tentative in choosing what disciplines I will follow during Lent to open myself up to God’s transforming power. I’ve discovered that for me personally, legalistic denial for the sake of denial often achieves the opposite purpose. Giving up coffee doesn’t make me a better follower of Christ, it just makes me more irritable. Giving up Facebook doesn’t help me build community in the body of Christ; it simply helps me as a detached introverted person creep further into my shell. Those disciplines don’t assist me in emptying myself in order to let God in; they simply fill me with more of me.

I’ve come to learn that in order to become more fully the person God wants me to be, I instead need to make sacrifices that actually allow me to achieve those ends. Often those sacrifices are less about personal denial, and more about following disciplines that encourage me to love others more. In the past I’ve attempted to eat more ethically or shop fairly — which of course required discipline and sacrifice on my part (and a bit of denial as well), but the outcome of these outwardly focused changes was far more personally transformative than if I had just eliminated something from my life for forty days.

So for me the question for Lent is not “what am I giving up?” but instead “what can I do to allow God to transform me this season?” The answers to those questions might be the same for some people; for me, changing the question shifted how I observed Lent. Whatever the case, I think it is important to understand what the ultimate purpose is behind why we engage in certain disciplines unless we miss their very point.
Julie Clawson is the author of Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices. She blogs at julieclawson.com and emergingwomen.us.

Perfectly Captured Moment

Photo cred: Carolyn Angiolillo and ThisIsGlamourous

Risotto Reality

Did you know that when you order risotto at a restaurant it's typically made ahead (or at least the base is) and then warmed for your meal? I only know this not because I snuck into the kitchen at Taverna but because I'm sort of addicted to the Food Network show Secrets from a Restaurant Chef. A few weeks ago, she made this insane saffron risotto and mentioned how in her kitchen at the restaurant they usually make it in advance and then heat portions of it for each meal ordered. I know this might be a huge shocker to some of you, but making the perfect risotto takes patience and lots of upper body strength.

That's not to say that you can't master this dish and all of it's infinite possibilities! You really only need a few ingredients to get started and then whatever mix-ins you have on hand. Last night, I made risotto for me and my roommate - Lemon Chicken Risotto to be specific.

Essentials:
Arborio Rice
Butter
Olive Oil
Chicken Stock

"Mix-ins"
Garlic (optional)
Onion (optional)
Good white wine
Lemon
Leftover grilled chicken
Parmesan cheese

Melt 2 tbsp each oil and butter in a large sauce pan. If you are adding onions saute them now as well. Heat 3 cups chicken broth in a smaller pot (only 2 1/4 cups if using 3/4 cup wine). Once butter is melted, stir in 1 cup rice and stir constantly (if you are adding garlic, add it now). You are essentially "toasting" the rice and releasing lots of yummy flavor. After 2 minutes, stir in 3/4 cup wine. Stir pretty much constantly until wine is absorbed. Then add ladle-fulls of chicken broth one at a time until each one is absorbed - always taking time to stir vigorously. There is no cream in risotto - what makes it creamy is the constant stirring which develops the starches and creates a creamy consistency. Once you've added all the chicken broth gradually and it has all been absorbed, taste the rice to make sure it's cooked through. There should be a slight bite left in it, but there shouldn't be any crunchy bits in your teeth. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp butter, a a few palm-fulls of cheese to your taste. Squeeze in lemon as well with lots of pepper. You probably won't need salt since the cheese is plenty salty. Stir in shredded chicken at the end and sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the top (which we will have soon due to our new herb garden!). Voila! 20 minutes later, you have the perfect risotto. Use this recipe minus the lemon as your go-to base risotto and feel free to experiment with all kinds of toppings and flavors. Next on the list - asparagus and baby shrimp risotto!

Getting back in the Swingggg of things

Golf Lessons Available 

Little did you all know, but I'm a Certified Junior Golf Instructor. I played on the girls golf team in high school and was Captain my senior year. I spent my summers in college teaching juniors at the local golf club back in Westport, CT. I teach kids ages 7-17 and I'm happy to go to whatever facility you would like. I'm great with beginners who've never held a club, all the way up to high-schoolers looking to master their skills on the course with a playing lesson. I'm happy to provide you with more information including a reference from the club Pro back in Westport. Prices vary depending on age and ability. Lessons are typically 30 minutes long. Playing lessons are a valuable way for the advanced golfer to get some real practice without causing tension between child and parent.

If you are interested or know someone who might be, contact me at alessandra.sarin@gmail.com.

From the website at my local course in CT

Not safe to play in sandals, but at least the swing was captured!

Being on a Better Budget

Budget Resolutions:

1. Eat 3 (only 3!) lunches out per month. If each lunch is around $10, that's $30 a month which is reasonable. It's really easy for me to go home and make a sandwich or have a yogurt. It's really silly to be spending $60-$80 a month (6-8 lunches out) when I'm already buying groceries. Another idea I had was to pack a lunch and take it somewhere on my lunch break like Starbucks or a nearby park. This way I can spend some time outside without sitting on a patio at some expensive restaurant.
2. I read about a good was to curb the $4 cup of coffee habit - get a gift card to your favorite coffee place and load it each month with $10-$20 depending on how much you want to budget. You get to use that card for the month and when it runs out, it's office coffee for you. My office coffee is pretty bad so instead, I buy Starbucks Via in both hot and cold forms. For about $12 I can make 10 cups of Iced coffee and 6 cups of hot coffee. Bonus: Starbucks gives great rewards like free syrup and soy milk when you use your card. 
3. Stick to some sort of clothing budget. This morning, I was in a frenzy trying to find something to wear to work, mainly because nothing was fitting right. I think it's time I made a trip to the tailor and re-purposed from ill-fitting outfits. I could probably get a few pairs of pants, some shirts and a blazer re-fit for about $50-$60. That's the same cost as a new pair of work pants from Gap.
4. Dinner Parties!! Talk about a cheap way to feed a crowd, plus I love cooking for my friends. It's easy for me to prepare the main course and have friends bring dessert or sides. We've even had microwave dinner parties where everyone just brings whatever they have or picks up a few prepared things from Eatzie's. It's really a cheap way to eat "out" with friends. Bonus: BYOB! By far the cheapest way to consume alcohol! 
5. Stop the unnecessary Target runs. Why, oh why, do I always leave Target spending at least triple what I intended on spending? I go in there for shampoo and leave with a new DVD, a bathing suit and some mascara. The best way to avoid this would probably be to not allow myself to wander around the store. Set a timer, get in, get out. Spend less. 
6. Automatically transfer something like $200 to a savings account each month or another checking account and use that as your "play" money. When it runs out, DON'T transfer more in or charge it to a credit card (not that any of mine haven't already been maxed out). This is really the most desperate way to limit unnecessary spending.

At the end of the day, some costs are unavoidable. Rent, utilities, cable (well i guess we could get rid of that...but come on!), 401k contributions, groceries (any ideas on ways to cut grocery bills?)...the list goes on. I've had to accept the fact that car insurance is going to cost me at least $100 a month no matter how much I try to reduce my policy. When the car runs out of gas, I can't just avoid filling it up because, well, I have to go to work if I want to get paid.The lesson at the end of the day is save where you can and watch where those extra dollars are going. Every month when I check my account and realize I have $20, I panic and vow to "save more" next month. Well, let this be the month where I actually commit to this resolution. Wish me luck!