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!

Birthdays Past and Present

I felt inspired to post on my old blog today as I was reminiscing about celebrating my 21st birthday in Copenhagen, Denmark....take a look here!

Birthday's through the years...

18th birthday - with the parents at Cheesecake Factory

19th Birthday

 My 20th birthday clearly wasn't anything special...no pictures...

21st Birthday in CPH

BFFs

I know that we went to Blue Goose for my 22nd birthday and I have an interview at Tolleson the next day so I remember having a very low key evening with no pictures clearly...

And then we have 23...I'll probably need a whole album just from the pictures that I know will come out of Saturday night!!

22 years, 364 days...

At the risk of sounding totally emo and treating this blog like a LiveJournal or Xanga (remember those?) this post has to do with the fact that tomorrow is my 23rd birthday. It's not any sort of milestone to turn 23 - I'm still 2 years away from being a quarter of a century old and 2 years past the chaos of turning 21. And yet for some reason, as I sit in my living room of this entirely too big apartment that I'm renting, staring at my blank (equally large) tv, I can't help but reflect on these past 22 years and 364 days of my life. What do I have to show for it? At this moment, I feel incredibly blessed to be where I am while at the same time feeling somewhat guilty for not appreciating that enough. Much of my teenage (+3) years have been consumed with materials things and self-preserving thoughts/actions. My life has always been me, me, me. So now that I've assured you that I'm a total brat, you're waiting for me to go on to say how this year will be different. You're waiting for the sentences about donating more to charity, not buying new outfits, eating out less, spending more time volunteering. While I might like to say that all of those things will be on my list of "to-dos for 23" there is a bigger picture here, I think. I'd like to have my 23rd year of life be focused on the "internal materials" if you will. I want to focus on where I put my heart, how I use my brain, where I focus my energy.

As I transition into my mid-twenties, I feel like it's finally time to grow up. Lately, I've caught myself still saying things like "oh when I grow up I will...I want to....I'll focus more on..." But that day has come. I am a grown-up, plain and simple. Grown ups don't whine when things don't go their way, they don't complain about getting up to go to work on Wednesday (because they do it everyday for the rest of their lives), they don't buy 7 inch heels and think "yes this is a practical purchase". I've often found myself reacting to situations around me in ways that I'm later embarrassed by. Grown ups take the time to think through situations before making rash decisions whether big or small.

I'm not the most patient person. I was expecting a package tonight (those 7 inch heels I mentioned earlier, so dumb) and I ran to the door every half hour checking to see if they had arrived even though I knew the UPS man would ring my doorbell when he arrived. When I make a decision about something, I like to act on it right away - whether it's a decision to take a trip, make a purchase, change jobs, accept a job, buy a car (yea, in 1 day)...the list goes on. More often than not, I find myself second guessing my decisions (buyers remorse) and more importantly my impatience.

These "internal materials" that I spoke about earlier feel a little off track lately. My heart has been filled with anxious feelings about relationships with my friends and family. My brain has been filled with frustrations from not understanding my purpose at work (or the actual work for that matter). My energies have been focused on me, me, me, what can I do that is good for me. Because I'm typically an impatient person, it is hard for me to take a step back and evaluate where I am, because I'm always moving forward (or is it backward) so quickly. Twenty-three feels like a good place to start making a change. As I begin to establish a new routine in my life outside of college, I feel like this is as good a time as any to press the restart button on my operating system.

With only an hour and forty twenty! minutes until I have to make good on this fresh start, I feel like I should start searching for some inspiration. I wonder if I am able to remove the ME from the equation and put my trust in something bigger than me, then maybe I'll be able to look back on 23 and find my impatience a thing of the past.

Hebrews 6:11-15 says "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12  so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.13  For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,14  saying, "I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you."15  And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise."

Ecclesiastes 7:8 says "The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit."


Psalm 62 says...

5 My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; 
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him; 

God is a refuge for us.  

Office Real Estate

...I'm not talking about the address of your office building or what zip code it's in or how many storeys your building has...I'm talking about prime real estate - the location of your cube/office within the building.

Offices (or in my case cubes) are considered status symbols in the working world. It is incredibly obvious where someone falls on the totem pole based on the location, size and positioning of their office.The building that I work in is, well how should we put this, discreet. You wouldn't really know that this building housed information about some pretty famous people. Once inside, you can immediately tell "who's who" based on their offices. I work one floor up from our main area and it's pretty quiet in the "penthouse" which is how we affectionately refer to this quarantined area of the office. Considering I'm a total nube, I have a pretty awesome cube. I have lots of desk space, two computer screens, two file drawers, a plant, a comfy chair, and a good half wall to tack stuff on. But other than that, it's a pretty standard cube.

There is a vacant office in the penthouse where my original mentor used to sit. Now that she's been promoted, we've been staring at that dark void for a few months now. But today, one of my team members got a "real estate promotion" and got to move in there. He used to sit in the cube behind me which is a bit nicer than mine  because it has a HUGE window and some more space. It's great that he can be in that office now because the space feels a little more filled up.

So here is where I come into all of this. We have a Bloomberg Terminal up here as well, that sits at a desk around the corner from me. I'm constantly pacing back and forth to the Bloomberg all day - basically, it's like my second desk. My cube used to house the Bloomberg until I got hired. My hope is that I will get to move into the window cube and receive my first "real estate promotion" and that the Bloomberg will be moved back to my cube, which would make it much closer to me.

It's funny how your position title and salary can remain the same, and yet getting a "real estate promotion" can feel just as good.

My real estate

Dream Come True....

Jazz Fest 2011 - April 29, April 30
Mumford & Sons
The Avett Brothers
Jason Mraz
Amos Lee

New Orleans
2 days - $90


I'm THERE!

The Running Bug

I've never been much of gym-goer, never really into exercise or yoga classes, ect. I've always been active through sports, rollerblading, bike riding but the idea of "hitting the gym" was never something I could get on board with. Now that I live in a climate that permits outside activities for pretty much 12 months of the year, I've been trying to get bitten by the "running bug". This has nothing to do with losing weight - but purely feeling the need to be in better shape.

Confession: I can barely run a 10 minute mile without feeling like I'm going to die. This is NOT a good sign for my heart.

My Nike Free+ Running shoes have that chip in them that tracks my distance and time which I love. I never really know how far I'm going. It also calculates your mile time and calories burned. I can then submit my run to my profile online and track how many runs I'm going on, distances, best times, ect. I can even map out my own runs so that I can calculate distances.

So all these snazzy things should be enough to get me outside running everyday right? No, wrong, it takes a WHOLE lot of willpower, a great new workout playlist and a cute running top to get my butt out the door. This is so lame, I know, but I just can't seem to get bit by the bug! I think it would be so much easier if I was trying to lost 5 pounds because I would have a measurable goal. I'm just trying to get myself in shape which isn't very measurable. Well I guess it is, if I can run a mile a little faster each time, then I guess I'm getting more in shape.

Um this progress is lame...I've run like 4 times in the past 5-6 weeks. Ugh....someone tell me the secret to loving running!!!

Mumford & Son's got robbed last night!

Mumford & Son's was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy's last night along with Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence & the Machine and Esperanza Spalding. Sadly, they lost...no, not to Justin Bieber...to Esperanza "no one knows who you are, so how can you be the best" Spalding. Robbed.

Dear M&S,
Please come to Texas soon. I wish I could come see you at Coachella. Here's to hoping.
Sincerely,
Slightly Obsessed
PS. Make another album. I need more music.

Here is a live performance they did for a radio station:


This is the AMAZING Grammy Performance where they literally, rocked the stage:

Vacation Vexation

(not entirely sure that "vexation" is a word but I know you like my rhyming - ok it is in fact in the dictionary, i just looked it up. 1 point for Alessandra's SAT word)

One of the policies at my office is that each employee must take 5 consecutive days off each year as part of our risk management policy. Basically, it's a pretty sweet deal because I don't feel totally guilty about wanting to go on vacation and using up PTO to do that. I mean, these 5 days, still come out of PTO but we HAVE to use them, so it somehow makes it better.

So what am I going to do with these 5 days you might ask? Well, I've thought of a few things. Each one a little different with DRASTICALLY different prices.

Here is the breakdown:

1. Go on a mission trip to Zambia, Africa with HPUMC. I would need to take about 7-8 days off work. All costs of the trip itself are covered except airfare....which just happens to be about $2000. Ouch. The trip could be totally random people but it would be an awesome experience and I've REALLY wanted to go to Africa. Side note: we would have bucket showers and pit latrines. Am I really ready for that??

2. Go on a mission trip to Costa Rica with HPUMC. This trip would either be with a large group of adults OR I could go as a leader for the youth trip. This would be a little less remote and the project sounds a little more appealing. The Africa trip is with Habitat for Humanity which is a little intense. The plus side of this trip is that if I go with the youth then HPUMC might pay for it, which would mean a free vacation.

*The thing about these mission trips is that I need to decide if I'm trying to go on a mission for myself or to be selfless. If I go with the youth, the trip is about the kids. I'm not really going to be fully invested in the mission because I'm responsible for giving the kids a great trip.

3. Go on a vacation. Price: unlimited. This is risky because my friends don't necessarily get to take a week off of work so I have no clue who I would go with?!

4. Go home, see family. My sister's birthday is in June and she turns 21 so it would be fun to celebrate with her. I also don't really know when I would see my family besides at the holidays. But going home could be relatively boring. I would probably just read like 7 books and go to the beach.

Any and all other ideas are welcomed. Someone suggested looking into mission trips at other churches which could be a good idea as well, but as I am now a member at HPUMC, I want to try to be involved there.

I pray for the willingness to remember that I am a child of God, a divine soul in human form, and that my most basic and urgent life-task is to accept, know, love and nurture myself. As I accept myself, I am accepting God's will. As I know and love myself, I am knowing and loving God. As I nurture myself I am acting on God's guidance. I pray for the willingness to let go of my arrogant self-criticism, and to praise God by humbly accepting and caring for myself.

~Taken from "An Opening" Prayer Blog Written By Elizabeth Mosley 

Super Bowl Sized Menu

We're hosting a Super Bowl Party over at Thomas Manor on Sunday and I'm so excited! Since the Super Bowl is in Dallas (so fun!) the city is going to be crazy busy with celebrities and fans from all over the place buzzing around the city. It doesn't help that Dallas just got the mother of all ice storms! With "feels like" temps in the single digits and below zero wind-chills, this ice isn't melting anytime soon. All I'm worried about is getting all the food and drinks that we need for the party. What started as a casual "bring whatever you want to eat and drink" kind of party and manifested itself into a full blown Thomas Manor soiree.

So here is the menu (with pictures to come after the party):
Chips/Salsa (duh)
Pita/Hummus
Garlic-Bacon Dip
Pigs in a Blanket - Lil' Smokies wrapped in crescent rolls with honey mustard bbq dipping sauce
Mini Spinach Dip Bread Bowls

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Mini Cupcakes - chocolate with cream cheese frosting
Puppy Chow

...andddd lots of beer.

Stay tuned for party pics to come.

Confessions of an [Online] Shopaholic

That's right everyone, it's finally time to admit it - I'm an [Online] Shopaholic.

I think this mainly stems from the fact that I didn't have a car for 4 years of college so I was forced to do all my shopping online, except when I was lucky enough to tag along with friends on a NorthPark trip. Also, I'm always looking for a good deal and I'm notorious for "shopping" around online before I actually buy something. The funny thing is, I rarely buy clothes online. In fact, the only place I really buy clothes online from is JCrew Sale because the sale is always so good online (and way too picked over in the stores). I mostly buy shoes, wallets, bags (gah, Kate Spade sale is AMAZING!), books and gadgets (read - cables, headphones, ect). It is so easy to just like a few buttons and know that you'll be getting something in the mail in a few short days (sadly, sometimes weeks). I'm pretty impatient though, so it is odd that I enjoy online shopping so much because once I usually decide that I want to buy something, I want it right away.

My most recent online purchases have been the following:

• A Barnes & Noble Nook - Purchased from the B&N eBay store because I could get a refurbished one for $40 less and free shipping! 
• Then of course, I purchased some eBooks/NOOKbooks
• New Apple headphones - Purchases from eBay (and they came from China) but they were only $7 instead of $30 and free shipping! 
• MixMyGranola.com - Order customized granola with all kinds of yummy ingredients and have it shipped right to your door. 
• Black Travelpro carry-on suitcase (TSA absolutely WON'T let me carry-on my current "carry-on" bag) - Purchased from Amazon (mainly because I knew the exact bag I wanted, after lots of online research and Amazon had the cheapest price)
• Black winter coat for work - Purchases from Banana Republic online because they were having a great online sale and free shipping! 
•  Does music on iTunes count as online shopping? New Amos Lee album just came out!
• Created and ordered a Photo Calendar for my mom from iPhoto for her birthday

Wow - that's a long list and that's only in the past 2 weeks! Not to mention, I'm always scouring the latest sales on Rue La La and Gilt Groupe. Oh the temptations I've resisted...

In my mind, I'm just a really good bargain shopper who gets most of her deals online. But, I am beginning to worry about my credit card information getting all over the internet. I think I need to be a little more careful with all these purchases.

I REALLLYYYYYYYYY WANT TO GO TO COACHELLA!

DG Bid Day

Yesterday was Bid Day at SMU and the Alpha Upsilon chapter of Delta Gamma got a whole new pledge class of baby DGs. This is the first time, in my 4 years at SMU that I have not been a part of this amazing celebration. Bid Day 2007 was cold, dreary and rainy - just like it was this year. But no matter the weather, the celebrations continue. DG was an amazing part of my college experience and I wish the best of luck to all the new baby DGs at SMU.

Here's a blast from the past...

Oh how awful those pink jerseys were! Thank goodness we got beautiful navy blue ones the next year. Look at us all with our rain soaked hair. Can you spot me way in the back?

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

Because right now, I need to remind myself of this often. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

Resolutions for the New Year

I rarely make a list of New Year's Resolutions because I just think it's silly and they never last the whole year. I think this is because we're all geared up when the new year starts but by February we're sick of sticking to those goals. Usually, it's because we make goals that we think we're "supposed" to make - workout more, eat better, get more sleep, go to church...ect. This year, I'm making some realistic goals not necessarily resolutions. So here they are...

1. Be better about sticking to my budgets - I use this great website to track my spending, credit cards, student loans and investments. You can make budgets and then Mint tracks your transactions from your checking account. It's really a glorious program and it's all FREE!

2. Stay up to date on current events and especially financial news - the more you read the more you learn!

3. Run 3 times a week for 30 minutes or 3 miles. I'm hoping to run a 5k in March!

4. Get to work 10 minutes earlier (by 8am). This probably seems silly but honestly, it looks so much better and I can use those 10 minutes to get coffee, read the Wall Street Journal online or catch up on blogs. It's a better way to start the day.

5. Less carbs, more produce. I am in an eating rut. Yes, I LOVE to cook but I don't love to cook for one. I tend to make a bowl of pasta 4 nights out of the week and the rest of the nights it's cereal or a Lean Pocket. I'm going to try to stop the habit and eat at least 2-3 non-frozen, low carb meals like grilled chicken salad or yummy homemade soups!

6. There is a 6th 'resolution' but it's pending...not ready to share this one yet.

I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress. I think I'm going to have to keep a link to this post on my desktop.

New Year Inspiration

Our CEO here at Tolleson Wealth Management sent out this email this morning. After reading it a few times, I realized that these 10 distinctions should be the way we live our lives. Take a moment to read them over and then post them by your desk. Make an effort this year to be a winner and not a whiner.

The Top 10 Distinctions Between Winners and Whiners

10.      Winners take responsibility. Whiners play the victim.

9.        Winners can have what they want. Whiners want what they can’t have.

8.        Winners find a way. Whiners find an excuse.

7.        Winners brighten a room by entering. Whiners brighten a room by leaving.

6.        Winners listen twice as much as they talk. Whiners talk twice as much as they listen.

5.        Winners enjoy life’s journeys. Whiners put their joy in destinations.

4.        Winners build friendships. Whiners destroy friendships.

3.        Winners think big. Whiners think small.

2.        Winners are focus-minded. Whiners are scatterbrained.

1.        Winners create positive meanings. Whiners create negative meanings.