A Year in Pictures

Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old.
Here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.


January
Vacation with my brother and my LA friends
Las Vegas, NV



March
Visiting Michael with my high school friends
New York City, NY



April
Vacation with my study abroad friends
Monterey, CA



June
Master's Graduation Ceremony
Los Angeles, CA



July
Road Trip Across the United States
CA, AZ, NM, TX, AR, TN, NC, VA



August
Four weeks traveling around China
Simatai, China



September
My Birthday
Virginia



October
Becoming an Auntie



November
Meeting my Nephew
Eccleston Square London, England



December
The National Christmas Tree and Washington Monument
Washington, DC


"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rules and Confusion

This year has been full of change and lately that has included throwing the rules out the window. Unfortunately, living with rules or without them has left me in exactly the same place, complete and utter confusion.

By definition confusion encompasses a lack of clearness, chaos, and disorientation. But it is this discomfort that ultimately propels us forward. We reevaluate ourselves and start searching for a new viewpoint, a different way, or truer answers.

2007 was filled with discomfort, some I purposefully sought out and some that just showed up along the way. In 2008 I hope I continue to move forward, but I also hope that the year will provide some answers.

Blueberry Pancakes

Christmas Day wasn't your normal day at my house this year. Instead of opening presents and spending the day preparing and then gorging on a delicious Christmas meal, my parents and I spent the day relaxing. Relaxing meant playing with my dad's new ipod, catching up on reading, and enjoying a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes.


I used to be a huge fan of Aunt Jemima's pancake mix but over the past year I've converted to the joy of making pancakes from scratch. My favorite pancake recipe comes from my all inclusive Betty Crocker Cookbook. This time around I made a double batch, just to make sure everyone had enough pancakes to enjoy. I also used half wheat and half all purpose flour to mix it up a little.

• 2 large eggs


• 1 cup all-purpose flour


• 1 cup whole wheat flour


• 1 1/2 cups milk


• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar


• 4 tbsp vegetable oil


• 2 tbsp baking powder


• 1/4 tsp salt


• blueberries


• cooking spray

In a medium bowl, beat egg until fluffy. Combine egg with flour, milk, sugar, oil, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined; do not over mix. Heat griddle or medium frying pan over medium heat. Pour batter onto pan, add blueberries and cook until golden, flipping once. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Christmas Vacation Day Four

It is said that the Christmas star led the wise men to the house of celebration that Christmas Eve many years ago. Our star, although a little different, had the same purpose.


Merry Christmas!

Holiday Rice

This year I decided to offer a slightly healthier Christmas meal. Oven baked salmon fillets served with winter rice and steamed vegetables. It was nice to have something healthy that didn't leave us feeling as though we were bursting at the seams.

Winter Rice

• 1 cup Wild or brown rice (I like Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley)
  
• 2 1/2 cups water
  
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  
• olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350F. Pour water into medium saucepan and bring to a boil; add rice, cover, and simmer until tender. Coat butternut squash cubes with olive oil, put in a 9x13 in pan lined with aluminum foil and place in the oven to roast. When rice has finished cooking place in a medium bowl and mix with cranberries and toasted walnuts. Serve rice mixture and top with oven roasted butternut squash pieces. Enjoy! Makes 4-6 servings.

It's a Holiday Miracle!

My phone rings again! It was either the way I dropped it yesterday or the text I received at 12:30am last night. Either way, it rings, it really does ring!

Christmas Vacation Day Two

This weekend is all about Christmas in the DC metro area. So as a treat for you I thought I would provide you with my list of must sees this time of year.

1. The National Christmas Tree and State Trees. Located in front of the White House, this is a perfect end to an evening out or a place to feel the Christmas spirit (check the schedule of performers) during the day. If it's a cold day make sure you stop by the yule log for a warm up but also keep in mind the National Tree is turned off at 11pm.
   
   
   
2. Washington National Cathedral. Not only is this the most impressive church in the area but it is also host to a collection of nativity scenes from around the world. Choosing from their collection of around 500 creches, the church puts about 20 on display every year from various countries around the world and states from the US. Below are photos of our favorites:
   "Costa Rica. The Christ Child is shown in a "basket" which is hollowed out in the exact shape of the figure, which fits into it like a peg in a hole."
   "New Mexico. The Wise Men carry traditional Native American gifts of welcome; corn, bread, and a sheet of cornmeal dough called masa."
   Wales. This unusual set is made entirely of fine grained Welsh slate. The unpainted slate, with its unexpectedly rich luster and detailed carving, reflects the light and gives the figures a silvery sheen."
   
   
   
3. Train Sets. If you are a fan of train sets, Washington DC is a place to find them! Around the national tree, in front of the botanical garden, and inside the botanical garden just to name a few.
   
   
   
4. United States Botanic Garden. Decorated cacti, a Christmas tree, and models of the buildings on the national mall made out of wood, the botanic garden has a little bit of everything.
   The White House

Christmas Vacation Day One

After an early arrival at the airport, (who in their right mind arrives at 5:45am on a Sat?!) my parents and I returned to my apartment for a quick nap. Little did I know that two hours later it would be close to impossible to get them out of bed. Luckily I had the power of a hot cup of tea and coffee and the promise of a delicious breakfast to work it's magic.

The rest of the day was spent perusing the shops and artwork in Old Town Virginia. Although, we didn't shop up until we dropped we were able to work up quite an appetite and thanks to Dad's marvelous skills we spent the evening at the most fabulous restaurant.

Bastille is located on the north edge of Old Town and offers up contemporary French Mediterranean fare. It's rare that every course during a meal is as delicious as the previous one however, Bastille was able to accomplish this without even trying. Truly a gem of a restaurant that everyone should try. Although if everyone started eating there it would probably become quite difficult to get a table. . . but honestly, I think the food would be worth the wait.

With the threat of rain for tomorrow, we ended the evening at the National Christmas Tree.


The national Christmas tree surrounded by the state Christmas trees in front of the White House.

Update

You might have noticed that I haven't really been posting much this month but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. I am slowly making my way through all those delicious recipes I posted during NaBloPoMo and adding pictures to the existing posts. So take a look around and you might be pleasantly surprised to find a photo next to one of your favorite recipe posts.

If you are looking for something new, you'll have to wait like all those good little boys and girls. I will be making a few new dishes for my parents on Christmas and promise I will post the recipes soon thereafter.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

She's making her list, and checking it twice . . .

• clean bathroom - check
  
• take out garbage - check
  
• change sheets on bed for parents - check
  
• set up my temporary bed in living room - check
  
• vacuum apartment - check
  
• grocery shopping - check
  
• cooking - check
  
• wash dishes - check

There were a few other items on my list but seeing as my parents will be here in less than 12 hours, I don't really have the time. I'm sure the thrill of spending time with their daughter will blind them from the lack of christmas decorations and living room furnishings, right?

Tools

So after 26 years of relying on someone else for their tools I finally decided tonight was the night to treat myself to a nifty toolset from Home Depot. Imagine the excitement as I carefully cut through the heavy plastic container to reveal my new toolbox. Imagine my surprise as I went to lift off the plastic and it didn't budge. Not one inch.

Apparently the new thing is to screw the plastic to the toolbox. Which makes complete sense, doesn't it? Entice a girl who has absolutely no tools to buy your wonderful set and then mock her with the fact that she now has to use a kitchen knife to unscrew the plastic casing from said tools in order to reach the screwdriver that can help her. Oh toolset how I loathe thee!

Choices, Choices

The label reads:
Herrljunfa Glogg should be shaken well and heated before serving. Can be diluted with water, wine or vodka to obtain the desired taste and strength.

Which one will she choose?

Febreeze is my friend

I love the nightlife out here. There is always some place to go. What I don't like is coming home and smelling like an ashtray. For some reason Virginia hasn't made the move to smoke free bars and restaurants. The district has. What is the fun side of the Potomac waiting for?

What a Mess!

One of the items on my "Things to Do" list was upload photos. What a surprise when I came across these little gems from when I had to rearrange my apartment for roach treatments.
This is what happens when you empty the entire contents of your kitchen cabinets onto your dining room table.
One empty closet, one empty bathroom and all furniture 6 inches from the wall. But I bet you can still find the holiday decoration!

Thinking about it, it's probably about time to rearrange the furniture again. If they're lucky enough my parents might even get to help out this time around. Merry Christmas!

Holiday Miracles

There I was, peacefully adding a couple of new meetings to my work calendar when I saw it. At first I didn't believe it. But then, after closer inspection, there it was again. There was no avoiding it. There was no changing it.


I have only one weekend left before my parents are here!


I don't believe in holiday miracles, but I would if my living room was magically furnished and decorated when I woke up the day before my parents arrived.

A Weekend of Lessons Learned

This past Friday one of my new friends took me salsa dancing for the first time and it was so much fun! The evening started off with dance lessons where we learned the basic step, a couple of basic turns and then a sequence of moves. After a few hours it switched to an open floor so that we could practice everything we had learned. At certain points during the dance lesson I couldn't help but think we were learning life lessons as well.

• While learning the cross-body lead, the instructor reminded the men that the important part of the move was to get out of the way of the woman. Life lesson: Men, get out of the way of women.
• One part of the sequence of moves was a free spin by the ladies. The men were taught to suggest the movement and then they were told it was up to the woman to decide how much she wanted to spin. Life lesson: Men suggest, women make the decision based on what they want.

Tonight, Saturday night, I went out with a different new friend to Georgetown. We started out the night at a cocktail party and then headed to the bars to see what else was going on. Unfortunately the nightlife in Georgetown was disappointing and we ended up catching a taxi home. Fortunately, we had one of the most entertaining taxi drivers I have ever come across in DC. She provided us with this life lesson about dating:

• "If you want to find a good man, don't fish in polluted waters."
• "If you want to fish in fresh waters, make sure you aren't bringing the pollution with you."

All in all I would say it was a very educational weekend!

My First Snow

It's snowing! It's really really snowing! As in huge snowflakes, sticking to the ground, landing on your eyelashes, watch out for the ice, snowing! I guess this is one of the weather marvels of living on the east coast. I guess this also means that I should probably turn the heater on in my house. Oooh, and does anyone have any tips for driving in the snow? Sooner or later I am going to have to uncover my car and hit the road.

Here's a photo from this morning (8am) when the radio told me that it was a "winter wonderland out there". I have to say I was a little dissapointed.


But here's a photo from lunch time (12:30) where you can actually see the huge snowflakes in the air!


The weather forecast is for between 1 and 4 inches of snow today depending on where you live. How's a girl supposed to work when she has thoughts of ice skating, sledding, snowman making, and skiing running around her head?!

I'm missing it!

According to the radio, local friends and the news there has been snow flurries in Northern Virginia today. What?! Where?! How am I missing my first snow?!

Roosevelt Island

Today a couple of friends and I headed out to explore Roosevelt Island. Located north of the memorial bridge and south of Francis Scott Key bridge in the middle of the Potomac River, this island is a perfect escape from the city. The last time I drove past this island the trees were full of the colors of fall. Unfortunately that was over a month ago and now a lot of the trees are bare for the winter. Even though it was a little cool (43F) it was still a gorgeous sunny day to explore.


Fall foliage and a field of cattails.


Theodore Roosevelt


His thoughts on nature: "There is delight in the hardy life of the open. There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness. That can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm. The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value. Conservation means development as much as it does protection."


East-coast fountains in the fall