3.11.12

I have a pumpkin problem

I have a pumpkin problem.  And as October is officially over, the love is not waning.  Here are a few gems of the past month:

Pumpkin Oatmeal Squares

Take any recipe for oatmeal squares and substitute whatever they're telling you to use (bananas, peanut butter, etc) for pumpkin puree.  Obviously.  Not a huge pumpkin-y sweet flavor but if you're 80 years old like myself and love oatmeal, it's great.  

Behold, the breakfast of autumn champions.







Eggless Pumpkin Cake Drop Cookies

Take cake mix (spice cake is especially great) and mix with one can of pumpkin puree.  Add chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, whatever you wish and drop them onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  Don't expect them to look pretty but if you had the patience and stuff I imagine a simple caramel drizzle or puff of powdered sugar would make them look presentable.  It tastes like what cake and pumpkin pie would taste if they were combined.  Makes about 2 dozen.



29.10.12

I Get Grossed Out When My Roommate is Sick—Am I A Bad Person?


I wrote this a long time ago upon one of the many times my roommate has been sick.  She is sick again now and found it appropriate.  Proud to report that I bought crackers and soup today...

It is a well-known fact that I am the person to ask if you need hand sanitizer. It has just as important of a spot in my purse belongings as a tube of Burt's Bees or a tampon does. Disinfectant spray, clean counters, organizational shelves—I'm your average neat-freak. People know this about me. My roommates, especially, know this.

One of my roommates has recently come down with a small cold. Rather than offer soup, go buy medicine, or insist she gets good rest, I have been telling her how to properly cover her mouth when she sneezes and that she should throw away her pile of used tissues. While it's true I'm somewhat of a germaphobe, I also like to think of myself as a nice and caring person. (It is also true that I went back and added the words “somewhat of” in front of “germaphobe” a second ago). I can just see the germs floating about her like the dirt that perpetually follows PigPen around in “Peanuts”.  I'll offer to get water and keep saying “feel better” but don't expect me to be holding your barf bucket as you heave into it. So. Does this make me a bad person? Does anyone else feel this way?

A lot of people tell me that by making myself so sterile all the time, I am actually making my immune system more vulnerable. I have been trying to take this advice. I also know how nice it is when you're the one that's sick and someone takes care of you, no questions asked. When you're sick and someone asks if you want something, you politely refuse help unless you are throwing up blood or slowly choking to death. This is the standard. My roommate has not asked for assistance, but I have not really made any offers...

The truth is, PigPen is lovable—and I should love my roommate enough to try and disguise my grimace as she hacks her lungs out. I am not going anywhere near her growing mound of Kleenex, but maybe I'll bring the trash can closer to her bed so she can throw them away as she goes.  A lot of my frustration could be stemming from the fact that I've just chewed a Vitamin C that was definitely meant to be swallowed.

Whatever it is, I think I've adequately overthought about half-heartedly taking care of my roommate (also my best friend) as she is sick. If you are going through something similar, I think we can conclude that we are not, in fact, bad people, but have just worked this issue out in true germaphobe fashion—by protecting ourselves from it. I'm off to buy some rubber gloves, Emergen-C, and I'll try to make more of an effort.

21.10.12

Things that happen to me

I posted "have a great day!!" on a friend-of-a-friend's Facebook wall for her birthday.  A later comment would point out the fact that I had forgotten the most important part of the message: "Happy Birthday"...

19.10.12

PUNKIN

The time is here! Ever since October 1st this year, I think everyone has been a little more obsessed than usual...myself included.  I'm talking about it, you're talking about it, and Shit Girls Say is tweeting it. the Pun-King has arrived and its cozy spicy homey goodness has permeated even the places you'd least expect it to be...

lattes
cupcakes
cheesecake
spice
oatmeal squares
donuts
muffins
beer/ale
Pudding (alliteration!!)
bread
dog costumes
pies
pasta
trash....
found this poor little guy on our front porch the other day.
Smashed dreams of becoming a jack-o-lantern, the pumpkin is literally dying to get into my life. And who am I to deny it??
Pringles too, as my aunt put it, has "jumped the shark". 
So I'm just gonna leave this here..................

oh and this:


13.7.12

friday...the 13th

The day after I arrive home.
The day I wake up early from the hot sun shining in my room.
The day I forget where we keep our plates in the kitchen.
The day I fall asleep while watching Say Yes to the Dress.
The day I have no place to be.
The day I nap twice to recover from being up for 20 hours.
The day I put together a fountain.
The day I help ruin a cake.
The day I have wine with dinner out of a glass that isn't plastic.
The day I remember how much I love Target. And a lack of humidity.
The day I sit on a Starbucks patio.
The day that was so lovely I forget it was friday the 13th.

1.7.12

stuffed green peppers


We made these a while ago, but they were simple enough that I could actually help make them (I'm not the best cook) and take pictures simultaneously.  Not to be confused with Chile rellenos which is a similar, but altogether different dish.  Maybe I'm was the only one with that confusion...?  I guess I couldn't rid myself of the association of green peppers and Mexican good.  This is an Italian style dish, but you could definitely tweak the recipe if you wanted it a lil hot n spicy.

Stuffed Green Peppers:
(full recipe can be found here)

-4 large bell peppers
-1 lb ground beef
-2 tbs. chopped onion
-1 cup cooked rice
-1 tsp. salt
-1 clove garlic, finely chopped
-1 can tomato sauce

1. Remove top of each bell pepper and its' innards.
2. Cook em for a bit to crisp them up. 350 degrees.
3. Brown beef, drain, and stir in garlic, rice, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Cook until hot.
4. Stuff peppers with beef and rice, stand them upright in an ungreased glass baking dish.
5. Bake for 10 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.  Add cheese as desired.

27.6.12

Okay okay, I am going to update this so much more regularly!! So much so, we'll all get annoyed on this Blogger format and I'll have to transition to tumblr.  I've just been SO busy looking at beautiful views of Chicago in the summer.  

And i found this blog....the mojito smoothie?? Stop it.

22.5.12

ho hey—tuesday

Apparently, I have over-thought and spent way too much money on all my past birthday parties and get-togethers—this is clearly all you need for a good time: suspenders, flickering lights, a couple of banjos, and confetti.


20.5.12

summer of 01...?

One of the not so wonderful things about going to DePaul is being on the quarter system.  This means that instead of semesters, I have three ten week periods of classes during the year and then a summer break.  This also means that summer break comes around the second week of June—almost more than a month later than some of normal scheduled schools get out.

My friend Jackie is therefore at home, with nothing better to do than rifle through old pictures and sent this to me the other night:

Precious I know. Right now, I want nothing more than to have carefree, Girl Scout-activity-filled, goggle-wearing, rainbow-suit clad, running-through-all-sprinklers-in-sight, bucket-hat summers.  Let's hurry up and get this over with, finals.

18.5.12

up on the rooftop


It's finally above 50 degrees in Chicago! Which—besides breaking out the skirts, sunglasses, and summer shandies—means picnics of epic proportions.  Last night, we had a brief one on our rooftop deck. Cut short by the incoming rain, we enjoyed paninis, Coronas, and root beer floats.

Maybe we'll get a grill and some rope lights this summer to have a proper 500 Days of Summer rooftop bash. 

And maybe Joseph Gordon-Levitt will show up.

15.5.12

an ode to my mother

Happy Mother's Day!
[Okay, I legitimately thought this published on Sunday. So we're just having this be a little belated.]

A quick tribute to Karen, the woman that gave me life. Here are some of my favorite moments/memories with her:

1) The time I was sick and missed the premiere of Cheaper By the Dozen (the remake) with all of my friends.  Mom made me stay home but popped popcorn and rented the Lucille Ball version of the movie. (I would later discover this is the far superior version anyway).

2) The year she wore this for Halloween. To her work.


3) The year I had my birthday party on April Fool's Day and she made an Angel Food cake with cotton balls.  She laughed and videoed me as I unknowingly consumed several bites, trying to understand why everyone was laughing.

4) Every year after my birthday, we'd go on a shopping spree together with all my acquired birthday cash. I'm terribly indecisive—there's no way a full day of tween wardrobe shopping could have been fun for her.  But she always pretended to be excited—our tradition of California Pizza Kitchen probably played a large part in that...

5) The other day when I was texting her in Starbucks about a cute guy sitting at the table next to me:



She always knows what to say (or not say).

Thank you, mom. Love you.