Chinese Wrap

In the lunchbox:

Chinese Wrap with a side of teriyaki sauce

Grapes

Kashi Granola Bar - peanut butter

Carrots with hummus

Sadly it is now 2:30pm and all those items are still in the lunchbox. A little nausea this morning combined with errands to run at lunch means I didn't get around to eating anything. Although I am considering getting the carrots and hummus out right now.

As for the chinese wrap, it was super simple to throw together. Just dry stir fry* some veggies (eggplant, enoki mushrooms, and bok choy) with a little bit of ginger, wrap it up in a whole wheat tortilla and you're ready to go! For a little kick I added a side of teriyaki sauce to drizzle on my wrap when I finally get around to eating it.




*Make sure to skip the sauces and seasonings so you don't have a soggy wrap at lunch time. If you simply cannot stir fry without them either pack your stir fry separate from your wrap and wrap right before you eat or drain your stir fry before wrapping making sure to line your wrap with some sort of lettuce or spinach.

Underwars

Thanks to the Mercury News I have found a way to release the stress of job hunting, get some exercise and potentially make $5,000. Check it out at:

www.jockeyunderwars.com

Which song should I choose?

Tuna Salad Wrap

Against the advice of one of my friends I have decided to bring tuna for lunch today. My favorite tuna salad comes from Coral Tree Cafe where they mix it with celery, jicama, olive oil and white wine vinegar. This is one of the only places that I know of that makes their tuna without mayonnaise, perfect for a person with a mayo-aversion.

Unfortunately I didn't have any jicama to include in my tuna so I just added some sliced celery for crunch. I also lined my whole wheat tortilla with lettuce so that I wouldn't be faced with a soggy wrap at lunch.

As for the rest of my lunch, here's what's in the box today:

Tuna Salad Wrap

Grapes

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt, 2 tsp flax seed, 1 tsp sweetened chestnut

Baby Carrots

Kashi Granola Bar - trail mix

Monday

It's the start of another week and I find myself at a loss for words. This past weekend was a "me" weekend, to which one of my friends questioned, "Isn't always all about you?" But seriously, I spent some quality time with myself this weekend shopping, cooking, going to church, getting some work done, and continuing on the seemingly endless job hunt. Speaking of which, I had an interview today that went pretty well and hopefully at the end of the week I'll be hearing back about a second interview for another position I have applied for. That's all the info I have for now but I'll keep you posted as things develop, or fall apart.

Oh yeah, and just in case you were curious, I didn't intend to partake in NaBloPoMo with both of my blogs, it just sorta happened. I guess I find myself wanting to write about stuff on my food blog that isn't exactly recipe related so then I just figure I should post here as well. We'll see how long I keep up with this.

Grilled Vegetable Wrap

To give myself some direction when it comes to planning my lunches I have decided that I am going to post on a theme this week. So I offer to you four* days of wraps. Besides being 100% delicious, wraps are as easy to throw together as a sandwich but provide that little bit of something different to keep lunches interesting. The only limitation to variety is your imagination and of course what you have on hand in the fridge.

I personally prefer to use whole wheat tortillas or tortillas with extra fiber. As for the fillings, I simply grill my vegetables at the weekend and then leave them in a tupperware in the fridge for use during the week. Assemble the wrap in the morning and voila you have a delicious yet healthy alternate to a sandwich.

Here's what's inside today's lunchbox:

Grilled Vegetable Wrap

Banana

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt with 2 tsp flax seed and 1 tsp sweetened chestnut

1 cup of baby carrots and sliced celery

Kashi Granola Bar - trail mix

Grilled Vegetable Wrap

• whole wheat tortilla


• plain hummus


• grilled italian squash (zuchinni, corgette)


• grilled chinese eggplant


• yam

Spread hummous over tortilla. Arrange grilled vegetables down the center of the tortilla. Roll tortilla being sure to tuck in the ends. Slice in half and enjoy!


*Four days, but I thought there were five days in a week?! That's right but on Friday I will be on a plane to England to meet my nephew! Although I suppose I could still pack myself a lunch.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Happy 50th Post!

One of my favorite memories of hanging out with my friend and chef over at Damn Delicious is waking up to the smell of homemade muffins and a pot of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. I kid you not, the girl is the perfect hostess. So when I woke up this morning I knew exactly what I wanted for breakfast. After whipping out my Betty Crocker cookbook I realized this recipe was obviously meant to be as I had all the ingredients waiting for me in the kitchen.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

• 3/4 cup milk


• 1/4 cup vegetable oil


• 1 large egg


• 2 cups all purpose flour


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1 medium apple, peeled and diced

1. Heat over to 400F. Line muffin tin with paper cups, silicone cups or spray with oil.
2. Beat milk, oil, and egg in a large bowl with a whisk or fork. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until moistened. Do not over mix.
3. Fold in diced apple. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
4. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Enjoy!

Earplugs Part 2

Lo and behold, last night when I got up for water at 2am I walked back into my room and stepped on something soft. What was it? Well it was the missing earplug! Right there on the floor, next to my bed, as though I had just knocked it off my bedside table. I have no clue where it disappeared to all day yesterday or why it suddenly appeared last night but I have to say I am a little relieved to know that I didn't in fact eat it.

In other news I forgot that last night was daylight savings time. So instead of rushing around to get out of the house I now have a full hour to fill. Must be time to make some apple cinnamon muffins!

Gold Rush Chili

It is definitely fall out here in Virginia, which means I crave all things warm and soupy. Chilis, soups, stews, if it's hot it gets served. Being Saturday I had some extra time on my hands so I decided to try out another recipe from the food blog Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.


The hardest and most time consuming part of the recipe is getting the butternut squash prepped. I've heard a serrated peeler works well but I decided to go with a knife. I peeled it like you would a kiwi and, while it worked, it was just a little bit more difficult then I expected. But in the end it's definitely worth it.



Gold Rush Chili

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 2 tsp minced garlic


• 1 red bell pepper, chopped


• 1 tablespoon mild chili powder


• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin


• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano


• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes


• 1/2 cup water


• freshly ground black pepper, to taste


• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained


• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained

Heat a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add all the seasonings, and stir well to coat the vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes (and their juice), water, squash, salt, and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the beans, cover and cook until the squash is tender but not falling apart (about 20 minutes, depending on size of squash cubes).

Earplugs

Because my neighbors seem to be raising a herd of elephants above me and love to listen to their music at MAX VOLUME early on Saturday mornings, I often wear earplugs to bed. Unfortunately this morning when I woke up, I only had one.

After searching my bed, behind my bed, under my bed and not finding anything I'm a little worried that I may have eaten it in my sleep. I did dream about making chili and tasting the ingredients. I also dreamt about flying over the snow.

Waldorf Salad

After writing about PB&J yesterday I couldn't seem to get the thought of the sandwich out of my head. So, not surprisingly, today's lunch includes a PB&J sandwich. Personally I am a fan of the crunchy natural peanut butter with no added salt. If you want a simple way to get all that oil back into the peanut butter, simply turn the jar upside down for a day before you plan to open it. Makes the stirring a whole lot easier! Here's what's in the lunchbox today:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Waldorf Salad

1/2 cup plain yogurt with 2 tsp flax seed and 1 tsp sweetened chestnut

Minneola Tangelo**

Kashi Granola Bar - trail mix

Chocolate chip cookies

As you can see from above I have included a Waldorf salad in my lunch. I have never actually made this salad myself but in all honesty, it so easy to throw together and pack the night before that I'm not sure why I never thought of it before. Sadly I didn't have any walnuts on hand so my Waldorf salad is lacking an ingredient, but delicious nonetheless!

• lettuce


• 1 sweet apple, diced


• 1/2 cup red seedless grapes


• 1/2 cup celery, sliced thin


• walnuts
  
• 3 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt


• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Line Tupperware container with lettuce. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl, mix to coat fruit and veggies with yogurt. Spoon into Tupperware on top of lettuce.

Note: if you are a mayonnaise fan you can substitute mayonnaise for the yogurt.


**I was just looking up how to spell this type of orange and found out some interesting facts. Did you know that Tangelos are a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine? Minneola's are in season between December and April (lucky me!), characteristically they are easy to peel, mildly tart-sweet, succulent and with little to no seeds. Have you tried one?

It's in the Mail

Yesterday was the best day ever. Okay, well it was when I looked in my mailbox. Not only did I have a dark chocolate chip oatmeal cookie sample from Kashi but I also had a gift certificate to Banana Republic from the best roommate ever! What more could a girl ask for?

Pinch Punch First of the Month!

It's the first of November and that means it's the first day of NaBloPoMo!!!! I'm soup-er excited so make sure you check out my first post! Heh, sorry for the bad joke. But seriously, I'm really excited about this month because it means I will actually be putting thought into my lunches which hopefully means that I won't be having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches everyday. I can't say that I won't ever pack myself a PB&J but hopefully we'll get some new recipes up and some interesting lunches to enjoy at work.

In other news, Dad was in town last night. We went out to Carlyle for dinner and then had a relatively early evening. I forgot how nice it is to have someone to chat with in the evening. So much so that I didn't want to leave him at the bus stop this morning. But we each had our own buses to catch and hopefully he is now sitting in his office getting his work done as I guess I should be too.

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Happy NaBloPoMo!

It's finally feeling like fall out here in Virginia which means it's perfect weather for soup. So to start the month with a bang I have a new soup in my favorite thermos for lunch today. There's nothing like enjoying a hearty bean and vegetable soup while sitting outside in the park with the warmth of the sun on your back and a cool breeze blowing across your face. Here's a rundown of what else is in my lunchbox today:

Thermos of bean and vegetable soup

Large Granny Smith Apple

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt with 2 tsp flax seed and 1 tsp sweetened chestnut

Kashi Granola Bar - trail mix

2 chocolate chip cookies (see previous post)

This recipe comes from one of my favorite foods blogs Fat Free Vegan Kitchen


Easy Bean and Vegetable Soup
Recipe by: Susan Voisin

• 5 cups water, plus one cube vegetable bouillon


• 1 can diced tomatoes


• 2 cups kidney beans (or 1 can drained and rinsed)


• 2 cups white beans (or 1 can drained and rinsed)


• 2 pounds frozen italian blend vegetables


• 1 russet potatoe peeled and diced (approx. 1/2 cup)


• 2 tsp minced garlic


• 1 teaspoon basil


• 1/2 teaspoon oregano


• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram


• 1/4 teaspoon thyme


• freshly ground black pepper


• 4-6 ounces fresh or frozen spinach

Combine all ingredients except spinach in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add additional broth if necessary. Add spinach and cook for 5 more minutes before serving.

Applying for Jobs is like Online Dating

You spend forever going through the websites looking for the perfect one. Then when you have found a few possibilities, you court them by sending in a cover letter, resume and application. You pretend you aren't waiting by the phone or checking your email 100 times a day for contact, but you are.

Then, when you never hear back from them you start second guessing yourself, thinking "what did the other applicants have that I didn't"? But instead of dwelling on the lost opportunity you get back on the horse and start the search all over again, thinking "oh well, it's their loss anyway!"

On the other hand, when you do receive a call or email requesting an interview it brightens your whole week. Unfortunately, after the interview you return to the waiting-by-the-phone/checking-the-inbox like a madwoman wondering will they or won't they want me? Too bad there's not a 3-day rule for interviews.

Preparation

1 day before my Dad gets here.
2 days before NaBloPoMo** starts.
3 days before the weekend.

Evening temperatures have dropped here over the past few days, so last night I had to unpack my duvet and my winter bedding. It also meant that I had to dig out my coat and gloves so that this morning when I left my apartment, before the sun had risen mind you, I was all warm and bundled up. Tonight I have to do some grocery shopping and finish tidying up the apartment in preparation for the end of the week. That means that this afternoon at "work" I'll be deciding what I am going to be packing in my lunch this week and therefore what I am going to have to buy at the grocery store. I'm thinking soup and possibly some sort of wrap. You'll have to check out my food blog later in the week to find out what I end up with. How is that for shameless self promotion?



**NaBloPoMo is short for National Blog Posting Month and as a participant you post a blog everyday for the entire month of November. I'm posting on my food blog so make sure you check it out and see if I can keep up with the challenge.

Detox

The next three days are detox days. Guess it's good timing seeing as Dad is coming for a brief visit on Wednseday. But seriously, I think I need a vacation from my life or at least to be more proactive about changing the things I am not happy about. Hopefully a clear head will give me new perspective.

Comfort Foods

Lately I've found that I haven't really been making an effort to cook. In fact I haven't really been making an effort to do much of anything in the kitchen. But what I have found is that when I finally convince myself to spend some time in the kitchen I spend the time making comfort foods.


Irish Oatmeal Soda BreadIn my original post I made some substitutions to the original recipe, but in all honesty the original recipe is the way to go. In fact I have now edited the original post because it is the one and only way this bread should be made.


Vegetable Pasta SauceI make this pasta sauce over the weekend, freeze half and leave the other half in the fridge for the week. Basically it's a large can of diced tomatoes, italian herbs, squash, bell pepper, mushrooms and whatever other vegetables look good that week at the store.


Chocolate Chip CookiesOnly the best chocolate chips ever! Although I have to say mine never quite turn out like Jen's regardless of how closely I follow the recipe.

Good thing NaBloPoMo starts this week!

The Alcohol Diet

According to my uncle's email this morning, now that I have passed my test I can return to the Alcohol Diet. If only he knew.

Tuesday: a couple of glasses of wine
Wednesday: happy hour with coworkers including beers and shots of tequila
Thursday: dinner with the marrieds and a bottle of champagne
Friday: girls night out in DC

By the time the weekend rolls around I am either going to have to switch to a detox diet or perhaps just go to rehab. I hear it has worked wonders for Lindsay Lohan.

So much time ...

... and absolutely no studying to do!!!! It is so very strange to go through my regular daily life, filled with scheduled study time, and have absolutely nothing to study for. I now have the 40 minutes on my bus ride to and from work, the half an hour when I arrive at work before I start work, my lunch hours, and time in the evening . . free, empty, and available to fill with absolutely anything.

This morning I finally got to reading Twinkie Demystified on my bus ride to work. I can now schedule lunches with coworkers and friends. Tonight I am going to Happy Hour, tomorrow I have dinner with the marrieds and who knows what the weekend will hold. Can it get any better?!

Adventurous Twenty Something MS RD

registered dietitian noun 1. A person who has fulfilled all the educational and examination requirements of the American Dietetic Association for recognition as a qualified nutrition specialist. 2. Me!!!!!!

The Time Has Come

The studying is done. I have read the information, taken notes on the information, reread the information, reread the notes, taken the practice tests, corrected the practice tests, reread the practice tests, studied my note cards and visualized success.

And now . . . I must go take the test.


Thank you everyone for all of your support, thoughts and prayers. I'm sorry in advance if you thought I was taking the test on Thursday (I was a little bit purposefully misleading about the reschedule date to relieve some pressure on myself) but I know you are thinking about me and sending all of your positive energy in my direction. Whether I pass or fail I know I have tried my best.

Where I Work

It's Friday. It's 4:15 and oh my lord the last 45 minutes of work are passing s-o s--l--o---w---l---y. With the realization that I have been telling you a lot lately but not really showing you anything I thought I would post a picture of my work neighborhood. The building in the bottom left corner is my building (although there is now another building where that big space of grass is). The circle in the middle of the picture is the park where I eat lunch everyday. And the big sidewalk area at the top right corner is the bus stop.

One Week Young!

And still as cute as a button!

The people on the bus get on and off

One of the benefits of riding the same bus route everyday is that you get to know "the regulars". It definitely makes it feel like home when you are surrounded by familiar faces both on the bus and at the bus stop. Some of these familiar faces I have had conversations with, others I just see on a daily basis, but each one is a part of my daily commute.

• High School Boy. He gets on the bus three stops after I do. He is either reading a book, playing his game boy or most frequently listening to music on his headphones. Regardless of what he is doing, he almost always falls asleep during the ride. Not just your normal head on chest falling asleep but rather the head-bobbing-body-swaying-I-can't-sit-up-straight-because-I-am-so-damn-tired asleep. It's quite humorous when he comes close to resting his head on the shoulder of the passenger next to him or, when people have decided not to sit next to him, when he almost tips over into the seat next to him.


• The Writer. This middle-aged lady is always on the bus when I get on at my stop. During the ride she is either writing her book, researching other books for material for her book, or trying to advertise her book to her "friends" on the bus. At first I used to sit near her and read over her shoulder. Then I eaves-dropped when she was discussing her book with her friend. Apparently it's an adult novel, she has a blog with posts about it, her fans send her boxes of clothes (which explains the strange outfits) and she is currently shopping around for a publisher. She also reads a lot of self help books like "What Men Want" which is what she was reading today.


• My Friends. During my first week of riding the bus I noticed that one of the ladies on the bus actually worked in my building. Shortly thereafter we started walking from the bus to our building together and having brief conversations. Sadly, last week her contract changed and she no longer rides the bus with me and I have to admit, I actually miss our morning conversations. My other friend rides my afternoon bus. A middle-aged Filipino woman, she uses me as a gauge for whether or not she is late. As long as she can see me standing there waiting for the bus, she knows she hasn't missed it.


• Irish Man. Yesterday I decided to take my alternate route home. After last weeks bus ran really late, I've decided that from now on I'll always take whichever bus comes first instead of always waiting for the same route. Unfortunately the alternate route is a lot more crowded which usually means I am left standing in the aisle. Yesterday I had the privilege of chatting with an elderly man wearing a red shirt, hot pink shorts, and maroon knee socks. At first he thought I was Irish and then, after telling him I was British, he started telling me the history of the Celts. Chatty and friendly, but not exactly what I was looking for at the end of the long day although he did make me an honorary Irishman for the day.

You know you are getting older when

• You log on to your email and all the new emails contain photos of children. Children that belong to your friends and siblings.


• 9pm is no longer the beginning of the evening; It is now referred to as "bed time".


• Falling asleep on the bus is no longer a rarity but an everyday occurrence.


• Your paycheck is split between your IRA, bills, rent and savings account instead of a new outfit, makeup, drinks and dinner.


• You bring a lunch to work everyday not because there are no restaurants nearby but because you would rather save the money for your future house or trip to Tanzania.

The wheels on the bus go round and round

Everyday I take the bus to and from work. It's great actually. I walk out of the door of my apartment and stroll down the block to the bus stop at the end of my street. After a brief moment enjoying the crisp fall air the bus arrives and I am whisked away to my work neighborhood. Droppped off a block away from my office it's a short beautiful walk through the park before I am sitting at my desk ready for a day of work. Then at 5 o'clock the process reverses itself as I admire the afternoon light shining through the trees in the park and people watch at the metro station before boarding the bus and heading back to my neighborhood. Or so it's supposed to go.

On Monday, the evening bus was more than 20 minutes late. So instead of taking my normal route I opted for a little adventure and took a new route home.
Pros: It's a faster route.
Cons: It drops me about three blocks from my house, not at the end of the street.

Yesterday, the bus was on time. However, about halfway through the ride home the driver pulled the bus over to the side of the road, got out of the driver's seat and left the bus. Bus still running, full of passengers, on the road with no hazard lights.
Pros: The driver didn't wet his pants.
Cons: The normally 40 minute ride turned into an hour long ride.

I'm one proud auntie!

Boy my nephew is photogenic!

Rescheduling

Today I realized that there was no way I would be ready to take the RD exam on Thursday. To avoid a mental meltdown, I have decided to move my scheduled test date back by one week.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes

To fuel up for a day's worth of studying, and to get rid of the buttermilk I had hanging around in my fridge, I decided to make myself a Sunday morning feast of pancakes. This recipe comes from my most reliable cookbook, Betty Crocker. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 large egg
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Heat griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Add batter to hot griddle adding chocolate chips to taste. Cooke pancake until bubbly on top, flip and cook other side until golden brown.

Introducing

Finley James
October 12th 6:41pm
8 pounds 3 ounces

I'm An Aunt!!!!!

Mom and baby boy are doing well. He was born at 6:41 London time. That's all the info I have for now but full details to come soon!!

The Countdown Begins

6 days from now is the big day. Am I ready? You bet I am!

Okay, well I will be in 6 days. So what are my plans for the weekend? You got it! Study, study, study. Yesterday I was on schedule with my studying and had finished four of the five knowledge domains. With yesterday's lunch break and a little extra time this morning I am now halfway through the last domain. My goal is to finish this up tonight so that tomorrow I can begin the reviewing process. I will be reviewing my notes on all five domains tomorrow and then Sunday I will begin the practice tests. The goal at the end of the weekend is to feel comfortable with all five domains and ready to take the test so I won't have to stress out about it during next week. At least that's the plan.

Every now and then I think to myself, if I really am not ready I could always postpone but then the thought of having to tell everyone I rescheduled becomes too much to bear. That and the idea of spending another weekend studying. It's time to put this behind me so I can really enjoy living in DC!

Oh yeah, and get myself a real job.



DISCLAIMER: If I don't post blogs, answer phone calls or return emails over the next 6 days you know I'm not dead, I'm just really focused.

Roaches

When I first moved into my apartment I found that I had some unwelcome visitors. Yes, my friends, I had roaches. A quick trip to Target for some roach bait and Raid and the situation was under control. Or so I thought.

Yesterday when I returned to my apartment there was a friendly notice from the management company informing us that this Friday they would be spraying for roaches to "curve the roach problem". Apparently it's not just me who has been spending time with these little visitors.

The good news, I won't have to replace my roach baits this week.

The bad news, I now have to move everything out of the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen and bathroom, off of the floor of the closets, and away from the floorboards throughout the entire apartment.**

The even worse news, I may have to do this all again in a month if (a)one of my neighbors is still having roach problems or (b)I have roach problems. Is it even worth putting everything back?



**This wouldn't be so bad if I had an extra evening to accomplish all this. Last night I went for a run before reading said notice and then decided to get my studying done first, which left all of a 1/2 hour to move stuff before collapsing into bed. Tonight I'm taking a night off and hanging out with the marrieds and their son. Looks like Thursday evening's plans will have to be cancelled or else I'm going to be up real late.

Uninspired

I keep trying to come up with something to write about, but in all honesty I just feel uninspired. My RD exam is in 9 days and I am trying my best to stay focused but at the same time I have never been the type to let studying stop life. I think this weekend might be the first time I have to let it.

NaBloPoMo

It's just under a month away but I have decided that this year I am going to take part in National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). The idea is you post something on your blog, everyday, for the entire month of November. Looking at this blog recently, you would imagine that this wouldn't be too difficult for me. So I've decided that instead of using this blog I am going to enter the challenge with my food blog.

To help with bloggers block Fussy has suggested that people post on a theme. So I started to think about what I would like to post about everyday for an entire month . . . and then it came to me. Recently I have been discussing with various people (co-workers, soul-friend, parents) the fact that I am in a cooking rut. I can't really blame it on the moving anymore, now it's just a lack of inspiration. So my theme for NaBloPoMo is: What's for Lunch? I'm going to use the challenge not only as motivation to start packing more interesting lunches for work, but it also means I get to work on my food photography skills.

So if you have any suggestions or ideas for things to pack for lunch, I'm all ears!

Incoming Phone Calls

As the receptionist it is my responsibility to answer all incoming phone calls. I have to admit there aren't that many, but the ones that come through are definitely interesting. The majority of the calls we receive are about commercial driver licences. Today I received a call from your typical sweet southern lady (SSL), here's a portion of the conversation:

• SSL: Is this the number I call for making an appointment to take my commercial drivers licence test?
  Me: You would need to contact your local DMV. What state are you calling from?
  SSL: Georgia.
  Me: The number you need to call is 4-0-4
  SSL: 4-0-4
  Me: 3-6-2
  SSL: 3-6- (heavy GA accent) what baby?
  Me: 3-6-2 (trying not to laugh)
  SSL: 3-6-2 ...

Gotta love the southern accent and a little bit of baby. Lucky for me the majority of our calls come from the great state of Georgia. Although this is the first time I have heard baby I have received some other fun phone calls. For example:

• Me: The number you need to call is 4-0-4.
  Caller: 4-0-4
  Me: 3-6-2
  Caller: 3-6-2
  Me: 6-5-0-0
  Caller: 4-0-4-3-6-2-6-5-0-0. Thank you.
  Five minutes later I answer the phone to the same caller.
  Caller: Can you give me that number again. I was trying to remember it, but I forgot. This time I'm gonna write it down.

And sometimes the caller decides to program the number in their phone with you on the line so you get:

• Me: 4-0-4
  Caller: BEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEP

Not Your Normal Wednesday

Today has been quite the day.

This morning we were all evacuated from our building due to a fire alarm. I have no clue whether it was a real fire or not, what floor said "fire" appeared on or why the firemen did not find it necessary to come introduce themselves to me. On the other hand it did allow me a twenty minute break from my icebox, aka my desk, to stand outside chatting with co-workers in the sunshine.

After returning to my desk I was greeted by random-guy-who-works-in-my-building. You might remember him from my second day of work when he asked for my phone number and I said no. Well, last week I saw him again, this time he was on my floor to help one of my co-workers with an issue he was having. Apparently random-guy-who-works-in-my-building works for the company that owns the building, not just in the building. Anyway, today he showed up at my desk with this note in his hand, "Since I can't have your number, can I take you out to lunch instead?" So it looks like I'll be having free lunch #4 sometime next week.

Outside of all of this, I am still trying my best to get over this little cold I have. Despite two nights of 9 hours of sleep I still fell asleep on the bus ride to work this morning and, to add insult to injury, I also fell asleep during my lunch in the park today. I can also pretty much bet you that I'll fall asleep on the bus ride home before I go to bed early for another 9 hours of sleep. Plus I'm developing a sore throat. And it's not even winter yet.

Baby Watch

In case you didn't know, my sister is just about 9 months pregnant. Her due date is October 7th. So for me that means baby watch has just begun. Since she lives in London it has been decided that the birth announcement will be coming through via text. It's the easiest way to get everyone informed all at once and not overwhelm the new mother. This means that everytime I see an out of country number on my phone I jump thinking, "This is it!" Unfortunately, because my Dad travels a lot and one of my close friends is living in Tanzania, I have recently had quite a few false alarms.

To go along with baby watch, everyone in my family is currenty placing bets on when they think the baby will come. My sister bet last weekend. Wishful thinking on her end but not a winning bet. Yesterday I told my mom the baby would come on the 10th or the 18th. I think my mom guessed the 12th. I'm hoping for the 18th because I think it would be cool to become an RD and an auntie on the same day! I know, I'm a dork.

Not a drug addict, I just have a cold.

Despite the gorgeous weather, it appears that I picked up a little cold over the weekend. Luckily my mom left me a few "get better" presents on my bed yesterday, so that when I returned home last night I was able to drug myself up and hit the hay for 9 hours straight. The only problem now, while I sit at the front desk, is finding a moment to stick the vicks inhaler up my nose when my coworkers aren't around. I fear it may look a little questionable when I hide behind the desk snorting my vicks and reappear wiping the end of my nose.

**Side Note: I just noticed that the active ingredient in Vick's Vapor Inhaler is levmetamfetamine. Interesting, very interesting. **

When Words Escape Flowers Speak (Part 2)

Did you get the memo?

Apparently someone forgot to tell mother nature it is in fact fall.

Mommy and Me Weekend

This past weekend my mom flew out from California to visit me here in Virginia. Although I had to pick her up from the airport at 6am on a Saturday morning it was absolutely wonderful to have her here. After catching the tail end of a farmer's market we spent Saturday wandering around the historic homes in Old Town Alexandria before heading off to the high school sweethearts house for afternoon tea. Sunday we slept in then headed over to Washington DC to explore the Botanical Gardens and the museum of Natural History. It was so much fun to show her some of the sights and sounds of my city. It also meant that I got a chance to use my latest toy . . . a Canon Rebel XT Digital SLR. So below I post pictures from the weekend. Enjoy!


A crate of pears at the farmer's market in Old Town Alexandria.


Sun dial in the butterfly garden.


Inside the conservatory.



FLOWERS FROM THE BOTANICAL GARDENS







LEAVES FROM THE BOTANICAL GARDENS

I'd rather be in Tanzania

Wouldn't you? To get me there, I started my Tanzania Trip Fund yesterday.

Tonight's the Night

Season premiere of Grey's Anatomy tonight. Who's excited?!

Lesson Learned

Turning 26 is not the same as turning 21.

Happy Birthday to Me! [Evening Edition]

Listen. Did you hear that? It was the sound of the champagne cork popping out of the bottle. And that? That was the sound of my glass being placed back on the desk after imbibing this wonderful straw colored sparkling fluid. Ahhhh.

Today was absolutely fabulous. More phone calls in one day then I've had over the past two weeks. Gorgeous sunny weather with temps in the high eighties. And now a chance to put aside the impending RD exam to sit back, relax, and do absolutely nothing for the evening. Okay, I might make myself dinner and run myself a bath but other than that I promise, it's an evening of absolutely nothing.

I'd like to extend a big "Thank You!" to everyone who made this birthday another special day in my history of birthdays. Lucky for me tonight is not the end of the celebrations. They'll continue on Thursday when I spend the evening with the high-school-sweethearts and then at the weekend when my mom comes to visit. Let the good times roll!

Happy Birthday To Me! [morning edition]

For the first time in a long time I am not surrounded by my friends on my birthday. I don't know how I got so lucky, but usually I have a big get together with my friends on or around my birthday. To be honest I was dreading today a little bit just because I didn't know how it would be to wake up alone in my apartment and then go to work where no one knows it's my birthday. I should have guessed that just like in years past, my friends and family wouldn't let me down.

The first person to wish me a happy birthday was ex-roommie. She called at 1am, determined to be the first to wish me a happy day. Luckily I left my phone in the living room so instead of being woken up at an ungodly hour, I was pleasantly surprised by a voicemail this morning. Awesome.

After listening to her message I replayed the birthday morning ritual of my youth by opening the birthday cards and present that were waiting for me on the dining room table. Even though I had left them there yesterday after retrieving them from my mailbox, it was nice to wake up knowing there was something waiting for me. Thank you Mom, HM and Laura for the goodies!

The rest of the morning was filled with a birthday serenade on my walk to the bus and emails/ecards waiting for me when I arrived to work. Tonight I look forward to a pan of Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies, a bottle of champagne, and a hot bubble bath. Pamper and relax feeling loved, that's the way to spend a birthday.

Adventures in Travel

This past weekend I made a trip up to New York for a girl's weekend. I-banker, Soul-friend and I haven't been together in the same city since Christmas, so this was long overdue. I wish I had some wild and crazy story to tell you about the weekend but in all honesty it was just great hanging out, catching up and relaxing. We did experience some NY Cab Hospitality when the cab that we were driving in almost hit another car. Here's the polite conversation our cabbie had with the driver of that car:

Driver: "You f***ing hit my car, I'll f***ing f**k you up!"
Cabbie: "You'll f**k me up?"
Driver: "Yeah. I'll f***ing f***k you up you f****er!"
Cabbie: "Come on then, f***k me up. I like that!"

Not exactly what I would have done in this situation but I guess this is New York. Luckily we didn't have to witness anyone f***ing anyone up and we made it safely to dinner with our friends in the meatpacking district.

To get between New York and DC I decided to take the Chinatown bus. When I left from DC it wasn't any different then leaving on a normal bus. I went to the "pick-up" address and found an office (okay an empty room with a desk, a wall lined with chairs for customers to wait for the bus, and a TV playing CCTV channel 4). When the bus arrived we walked out to the boarding area (the back alley) and we were on our way to New York. My experience in New York was, how do you say it?, a little bit more raw.

I arrived at the "pick-up" location to find a corner of the street with lots of Chinese women wearing fanny packs and visors running around. They ask you where you are going and when you tell them they act upset and ignore you. That or they point you down the street and shoo you away as if your mere presence in front of them is unacceptable. Then, out of nowhere, they suddenly decide it's time for you to get on your bus. And they mean now! So they start yelling out your destination and pointing and ushering (read: pushing) you in the direction of another corner. Once me and my fellow travelers got to that corner we waited a few minutes, confused, and then saw the bus pull up. The bus driver got out exchanged a few words with the lady and then drove off. Apparently, he couldn't stop because we were in a no-stopping area and there was a police officer standing on the corner. After a few more minutes of confusion (read: waiting to see if the police officer was going to move) we were ushered, down the block, across the street and around the corner. Luckily at this location the driver was able to pull over and we were able to board the bus. The bus then circled Chinatown three times to pick up more passengers before we were finally on our way back to DC. On one of the circles the driver parked so he could get out and take a smoke break.

The take home message from riding the Chinatown bus:

• Arriving early is not necessary.
• The bus does not leave unless it is completely full.
• To avoid sitting next to the toilet either board first or pick an empty seat next to someone who looks friendly. Preferably said person will be wearing earphones or will already be asleep.
• Although it's cheap (round trip is $35) the quality is equivalent to riding a greyhound.

Happy Friday!

Another work week down, another weekend to enjoy! This weekend I am heading out of town and up to New York for a girl's weekend. Soul friend has invited me to join her and our mutual friend i-banker for a weekend of shopping, food and fun. It's going to be awesome. Not only is it a little pre-birthday celebration but it will also be nice to spend some time with my ladies and I'll have a chance to catch up with Mr. Broadway.

The adventure begins tonight at 6pm when I board the China-town bus. I have no idea what to expect from the ride, although I hear it is quite comfortable. What I do know is that it will be nothing like the bus rides I recently experienced in China and for that I am extremely grateful. I just hope I get there somewhat on time so I can join my ladies for a cocktail and some gossip. That means, you can look forward to some posts when I return on Monday as I'm sure I'll have some stories to share.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

My walk score is 75, what's yours?

To celebrate my 150th post I am going to tell you about the coolest thing I have found on the internet, ever. It's called Walk Score and it basically tells you what is within walking distance from your home; restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, schools, parks, etc. It is so awesome that I have added a Walk Score button to the bottom right corner of my blog, just under the quotes, so you can check it out right now. What are you waiting for? Go!

Where did all the fresh air go?

Why is it that, outside of the lunch hour, the only people that leave the building during the work day are the smokers? As a receptionist I am only allowed to leave my desk three times a day. Unless there is someone to cover my position, I sit here watching the smokers happily going in and out of the office to light up. Then, when I'm finally able to leave my desk, and the building, for my 15 minute morning-break-leg-stretch-ing lap around the building, I am surrounded by the smokers huddling against the wall so the wind doesn't blow out their flame while they light their cigarettes leaving me to wonder, where did all the fresh air go?

What I can tell you is it is a gorgeously sunny and warm 76 degrees fahrenheit outside and I am sitting here bundled up in my scarf freezing cold because all the fresh air is being circulated through the building's air conditioning. What I wouldn't give for a west-facing window or a cup of hot chocolate right now.

Word Cloud

I came across Word Clouds this morning while I was browsing other people's blogs. Let's just say I have a little extra time on my hands here at work. So for your enjoyment, here's my word cloud.


Very interesting . . .

The Biggest Scare of my Life

About a month ago I made an appointment to take my Registered Dietitian Exam. With no job and parents coming to visit the weekend after the scheduled test date, I figured it was perfect. Just long enough to really study and not long enough to procrastinate. Unfortunately life happens; I got a job and my parents decided not to come visit that weekend.

Needless to say my previous 8 hour study days have now turned into 8 hour work days plus about an hour a day of studying. I know at best this amount of studying is poor, so I made plans to reschedule my exam. When I called the testing center on Monday I found out that I didn't have the correct information with me. Apparently you need your authorization number which is not your ADA membership number, nor the random number printed on your application to test. I was assured that if I called back that evening or the following morning I would be able to reschedule. Unfortuantely, between going for a two mile run and helping a friend with a "situation", I completely forgot to call the testing center last night. Imagine my surprise this morning when I finally called the testing center only to have them tell me they could not reschedule my test because I was within the 48 hr period of no-rescheduling. It was 11:05 am my time, 10:05 am central time, and I apparently would have had to call before 10:00am central time to reschedule. I lost it.

Not only was I going to have to take two days off of work effective immeadiately, I was also going to have to stay up for the next 48 hours cramming everything I could about nutrition into my little brain, in the hopes that it would be enough to pass on Thursday. That or pay another $175 to reschedule the exam. I was freaking out. So I did what any normal human being would do and I went to the higher power. After four phone calls I finally reached a human being at the Commission on Dietetic Registry and she was able to help me reschedule my exam. Phew, crisis averted. I now have until October 18th to get my act together and study. Yup, I have decided instead of keeping my test date a secret I am going to type it for everyone to read. Now it's your responsibility to make sure I stick to my test date. Rescheduling is not an option (well it actually is, I can reschedule as many times as I like, but for me I need to stop procrastinating and just get this thing over with, I'm taking today's situation as a sign).

Gordon Update

About 6 months ago I had the pleasure of having my parents pet birds stay with me and my roommate. During that time I noticed that Gordon, the lovebird, had a little growth on her toe. I wasn't sure whether it was a cut that was healing or a growth so when my parents returned from their vacation I made sure to ask my mom about it. She hadn't noticed it before and said she would keep her eye on it. Unfortunately during the past months it didn't heal and instead appeared to be getting bigger.

A couple of weeks ago my mom took Gordon to the vet and they decided it was best to remove the growth from Gordon's toe. The surgery to remove the growth went really well however Gordon had to be fitted with a plastic collar around her neck (not unlike those given to dogs, except facing the other direction) to prevent her from pulling the bandage off of her toe. This meant that not only could she no longer pick at her toe, she also couldn't fly. For the past two weeks Gordon has been busy running circles around my parents apartment instead of flying. She also has become a little more cuddly with my Mother.

Last week Gordon had the collar removed and we found out that the growth was spindle cell sarcoma. For now Gordon appears to be fine and has returned to her normal mischief. If the growth comes back we'll take her to the vet to have her toe removed. Hopefully it won't grow back and this will be the end of it.


Gordon and her beautiful toes

Time for Change

Same blog, different design. I recently decided that after a year of the same design it was time for change. I am hoping that this design will highlight my food photos more as improving my food photography is one of my goals this year. So, what do you think?

Banana Oatmeal Loaf with Chocolate Chips

Unfortunately I don't have a picture for this modern twist on banana bread. Sadly, my little digital camera has run out of batteries and I-can't-find-any-replacements-in-the-house/I'm-too-lazy-to-go-out-and-buy-some. But don't you worry, a little bird told me that I will be receiving a new toy** for my upcoming birthday that will aid me with my food photography.

This recipe originally came from Cooking Light. I adapted it by adding chocolate chips. The inclusion of oatmeal provides more fiber and whole grains than a regular banana bread. Plus the dark chocolate chips provide antioxidants. This banana bread is just the ticket for treating yourself after a hard week without feeling completely guilty. It's easy to throw together and is perfect for a Saturday afternoon snack.


Banana Oatmeal Loaf

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour


• 2/3 cup sugar


• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1/4 tsp baking soda


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 3/4 cup regular oats


• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)


• 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk


• 1/4 cup vegetable oil


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and oats in a large bowl. Stir to mix. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
3. In a separate bowl combine bananas, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix well.
4. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture, stir until moist. Do not over mix.
5. Spoon batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 55 minutes or until golden and wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes, slice and enjoy!

**When I get my new toy I'll have to make this again and then post some appropriate photos.

Reminiscing

Because I have a little time on my hands I thought I would take a moment and look back to where I was a year ago. This time last year I had just finished my first week of my clinical rotation at Downey Regional Medical Center. It's crazy to think that one year later I no longer live in LA, I've got an MS behind my name, and I've returned to the corporate world by becoming a receptionist. If you asked me a year ago where I would be now, I would have probably told you working in a hospital in Northern California as a clinical dietitian with an MS RD at the end of my name. Although the current job pays the bills, the good news is that it also acts as good motivation to get me to take my test as quickly as possible so I can return to the world of nutrition.

On a completely unrelated note did you know that the United States is made up of 46 states and 4 commonwealths? I happen to live in one of them, the other three are Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Nowadays there is no difference between the two, except for the ability to correct people when they refer to the state of Virginia. That means that just across the bridge is the convergence of a state, a district and a commonwealth. I think that beats the four corners . . . don't you?

Why I Love DC

1. I only drive my car two days a week.
   
2. Running along the Potomac river.
   
3. The season between September and November known as fall.
   
4. There is always something going on. (serving dinner at the homeless shelter, ultimate frisbee, jazz in the sculpture garden, brunch with friends, happy hour, running and bike trails, oktoberfest, arts festivals, etc.)
   
5. Did I mention public transportation?
   
6. Living in my own apartment; no roommates, no pets, no plants.

It's All Happening!

So you might be wondering, what exactly is "it"? Well, like we say here in DC, I can't really talk about that, it's confidential. But I promise I'll keep you updated when I can say a few things. But I will tell you it refers to:

1. The RD Exam
2. Work Opportunities
3. New Friends
4. Getting Involved

Thank goodness this week is a blue skies and sunshine kind of week. (See here if that doesn't make sense)

How was your weekend?

Yesterday I had the joy of spending most of the day at the Virginia DMV. So to treat myself I spent the afternoon in Old Town Alexandria wandering the booths at the Alexandria Arts Festival. I think just about every city I have ever lived in had an Arts Festival. I remember as a child wandering around the Los Altos Art and Wine Festival in California amazed at the photography, paintings and unique jewelry. The Alexandria Arts Festival was pretty much the same, minus the wine. The most interesting artist was David Schmidt who does banana photos. Below is one of my favorites entitled "Happy Anniversary".

David Schmidt Photography www.bananaphoto.com
After spending yesterday not studying, I knew when I woke up this morning, today would be a work day. So after a delicious ladies brunch at the Peacock Cafe in Georgetown, it's time to hit the books. I am going to get this studying done so I can take this test and really revel in the fact that I am no longer in school. That being said, I might become a bit of a hermit over the next few weeks but hopefully you won't take it personally.

WuGwai becomes a Virginian!

In case you're wondering who WuGwai** is, she's my car and she officially became a Virginian today after her mom, that's me, waited in line at the DMV for two hours to register and title her. It's so long California licence plates and hello Virginia plates. I had heard rumors the registration and titling fees were a precentage of the sale price of the vehicle but luckily it only turned out to be $13. To complete the process I have to take her to an inspection station and get her emissions tested (rumored to be $16), something Virginians have to do once a year (unlike California's smog check every five years). Once that is completed, I will have to go back to the DMV and pay for the full year registration stickers ($41). Man, children are expensive!

On a sidenote:
Virginian law says you have 30 days from the start of your residence in which to register your car with the state, but not once did anyone at the DMV ask, when did you move here? So my question is, could I have continued to drive around with my California plates until they expired in March and then registered and titled my car in Virginia? It just seems silly that I have paid California registration and Virginia registration for the months of September through March. On top of which, three weeks before I moved I payed for new licence plates and replacement registration stickers because some idiot decided it would be wise to steal my licence plates. I guess I just feel that the Department of Motor Vehicles is getting more of my money than they should. But at least I have a souvenir set of California plates to keep as a memory of the old days. Any thoughts on what I should do with them?

**WuGwai is Cantonese for turtle and she was named that because of her green color and (hopefully!) long life by one of my close gal pals in LA.

Welcome to the Real World

I knew it wouldn't be easy. I had been warned almost as much as I had been pestered about joining the ranks of the employed. I guess part of the problem is there was no transition period. One day I had all the time in the world to do whatever I wanted the next my routine was set: up at 5:45, on the bus at 7, work 8-5, bus home at 5:20, arrive home 6:20, dinner, study, bed. Rinse and repeat. With any change comes the rollercoaster of adjustment; one minute you are loving everything including the clear blue skies and sunshine, the next you are cursing the heat and humidity. Today was a cursing day but hopefully Monday will be a blue skies and sunshine day.

Here are the highlights from the first week of work:

• The Job: I am working as a receptionist at a non-profit organization moments from the Ballston metro. The perks
  1. The bus to work picks up at the end of my street and drops off a block from work.
  2. I am responsible for answering the phones, registering visitors, and responding to emails. The office gets approximately 30 phone calls (a day), 1 visitor (every other day) and 5 emails (a day). The rest of the time is mine to entertain myself.
  3. Farmer's market on Friday, parks to sit in for lunch, and loads of restaurants.
  
  
• Lunch Time: Apparently in Ballston it's difficult to enjoy a lunch alone as a single female.
  1. Day One: a friendly coworker joined me after seeing that I was eating lunch alone.
  2. Day Two: a man who works in the same building as I do who, after two minutes of conversation, asked "Is it too early to ask for your phone number?" My response, "Uh, yeah."
  3. Day Three: one of the vendors from the farmer's market was about to join me until I averted my eyes at all costs so as not to accidentally give him the green light it was okay to sit with me. It worked.

But I guess that's one week down, one paycheck for the bank and now it's the weekend.

J-O-B

Here's how I roll:

 

Tuesday morning I decided to finally get started on my temporary job search. For those of you who aren't aware I am currently searching for a job that will pay the bills until I can find the nutrition job of my dreams, or at least a nutrition job that I will enjoy and learn a lot from. To accomplish this I started checking the online job postings and I sent my resume to OfficeTeam, the temporary staffing company I used to work for back in California.

 

Tuesday afternoon I had an interview with OfficeTeam.

 

Wednesday morning I started my new job.

 

So there. You can stop bugging me now as I am employed, with very little spare time for anything else, no more travelling, but at least I can pay my bills and continue to live in my apartment. In other news I checked out the new grocery store near me tonight. It might cost a little more but I think it is definitely worth it.

Hot Cross Buns

These buns are one of the first things I buy everytime I am in England. There's nothing like a toasted bun with butter and a cup of hot tea. Well, hot tea or coffee or hot chocolate or whatever hot beverage you like. I came across this recipe in Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2. I always admired the recipe but skipped over it because I couldn't find candied mixed peel or mixed spice. Yesterday I decided I would make them anyways, eliminating the peel and substituting the mixed spice with allspice.

Despite my fear of yeast, these buns actually rose as I was told they would and turned out quite delicious. I must admit I forgot to add the raisins until after I had left the dough to rise for five minutes so there aren't as many as there should be. I also feel that the flavor of the recipe would be enhanced with a little bit of salt, or just make sure to enjoy the buns with salted butter.

Hot Cross Buns 1 tbsp active dry yeast 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk 4 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp allspice 2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 oz butter, melted 1 egg a good handful or two of raisins 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, extra 1/3 cup water

Glaze 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 up water 2 tsp powdered gelatine 1 tbsp water, extra

1. To activate the yeast combine it with 2 tsp of the sugar and all of the milk and set aside for 5 minutes or until frothy.
   
2. Add the flour, allspice, cinnamon, butter, egg, raisins, and remaining sugar to the frothy yeast mixture. Combine until a sticky dough forms.
   
3. On a lightyly floured surface, knead the dough until elastic (approx. 10 min). Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise until doubled in size (approx. 1 hr).
   
4. Divide the dough into 12 balls and place in a 9in square cake tin lined with parchment paper. Set aside and let rise (approx. 30 min).
   
5. Combine the extra flour and water, place in a plastic sandwich bag, cut the tip off the bag and pipe crosses on the buns. Bake for 35 minutes or until browned.
   
6. During baking combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until dissolved. Combine gelatine and 1 tbsp water and then add to sugar water. Cook for 1 minute. Brush over buns.

**Note: the glaze from this recipe can also be used on fruit tarts.

R.I.P.

Today was a sad day. After conducting some internet research on the care and health of Euphorbias I came to the sad realization that my beloved plant had contracted a disease and there was nothing more I could do for her. So today, after saying a few words, I bid farewell to my plant of three years. I'm not completely sure how she contracted the disease she was suffering from but I like to think it had nothing to do with the fact that she sat in a car for a week as I relocated to the east coast nor to the fact that I left her home alone for the month I was in China.

In other news, I decided to use this opportunity to clean my entire apartment. One of the benefits of living alone is that when you clean there is no one else to mess it up. The downside is there is no one to split the chore duty with or blame the mess on. Happy Labor Day!

Soup Mania

**After a three month hiatus, I am back!**

Back in the beginning of July after a long day of unloading all my belongings into my new apartment, my dad and I had one mission. First, we knew we needed to unpack everything that belonged in my favorite room in the apartment, the kitchen. Second, we needed to use these supplies to make ourselves dinner. We ended up eating Trader Joe's frozen crab cakes paired with a fresh (bagged) herbed salad but it was absolutely delicious and the first meal I made in my new place.

Since then I haven't been in my apartment very much and I am sad to say my kitchen has been quite neglected. With a trip to Cape Cod, Los Angeles, and a month roaming around China the only thing I have been cooking recently has been soup.

Soup making uses up the fresh ingredients that remain the day before my trip and the resulting soup is easily stored in the freezer until my return. Plus it is the easiest dish to make when you are preoccupied with packing. That being said, there are currently four types of soup in my freezer:

• Vegan Split Pea Soup


• Leek and Potatoe Soup


• Butternut Squash Soup


• Carrot and Coriander Soup

The first two have appeared on this blog before and you can find the recipes here and here. The second two are soup-er simple (don't mind the pun).

1. Dice an onion and brown in the bottom of a large pot.
   
2. Add diced vegetable (butternut squash, carrot, etc.)
   
3. Add desired herbs or spices (bay leaf, coriander, salt, pepper, etc.)
   
4. Add vegetable stock and simmer until vegetables are tender.
   
5. After cooling, puree in batches in food processor or blender.
   
6. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Now that I am home and settled back in I can't wait to get into the kitchen with a new non-soup recipe.

The Plan: Procrastination

Lately I've been getting a lot of prodding from my friends, my family, my friend's family and even strangers I have just met. Everyone wants to know when I am going to start working. Is it too much to ask to enjoy one more weekend of being unemployed and not worried about it? According to my brother this sort of plan is called procrastination.

So last week I signed up to take my registered dietitian exam. What you need to know is that it is scheduled sometime between now and the end of the year. That means that I have X number of days to memorize the information in my review binder that covers everything I learned in my three years of graduate school. No biggie, right?

Right, except for the fact that I find myself doing everything possible instead of studying. I mean, it's not like the test is tomorrow. Today's project was creating a slideshow of pictures from China. I hope you enjoy!



**Note: Half of the pictures are mine, half of the pictures are ex-roommates. This is only a selection of pictures because there are way too many to post in one slideshow but I promise these are the best ones.**

I'm Ready to Run!

Now that I'm back home, unpacked and settled in I was finally able to lace up my running shoes and hit the local trails. On Thursday I followed the local bike/running trail towards Shirlington. Although it was a good trail the scenery wasn't all that impressive, so this morning when I got to the trail head I tried the other direction toward the Mount Vernon Trail. It seemed like a matter of minutes before I was easily jogging along the Potomac River enjoying the view out over the water with a cool breeze blowing across my hot pink face. It's a little different running in humidity but at least I still have a good pace (an average of an 8 minute mile).

Not only was the view fantastic but there were so many people out there. Familys on a weekend bike ride, runners decked out for their training runs, in-line skaters, power walkers, and even bird watchers. It was awesome.

Here is a map of the trails near my house. You can see on the top left corner where the yellow and red lines meet at Mount Vernon Avenue. On Thursday I followed the yellow trail to the left, today I followed the red trail to the right and over to the Mount Vernon Trail.



If you want to see the complete trail map for the city of Alexandria, click here.

Paul is my Hero

He works out of the London, Ontario Verizon office and I kid you not, he is the ONLY Verizon employee who actually wants to provide a solution. Since our first contact yesterday, I have spoken to him probably about 10 times (give or take) and I am happy to say that as a result of all our conversations, I now have internet. He wasn't kidding when he told me he was the "DSL Avenger".

Not that he will ever read this but I owe him a huge thank you. Thank you for calling and arguing with supervisors on my behalf. Thank you for calling me back when you said you would. Thank you for getting a technician to my house as promised and then following up to make sure the technician showed and that things were fixed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I can now leave my house and have that celebratory rum and coke (or other alcoholic beverage of choice).

Exploring

One of the best parts of living in a new city is exploring. There's the necessary exploring like finding the local grocery store, bank, and Target. Then there's the fun exploring; finding your favorite quiet spot, the best running trail, the tastiest breakfast spot, and most interesting sight to take visitors to. I did the necessary exploring before my trip to China, now that I'm back home it's time for the fun exploring.

This past weekend I spent some time at the National Mall. I visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Natural History Museum and some of the monuments. On the one hand it was weird to be back amongst tourists again but on the other hand it was fabulous to experience what DC has to offer. Although there are some new exhibits, the majority of what I saw in the Air and Space Museum was the same as the last time I visited, in elementary school. What I found really interesting was the people watching. Here are a few things I overheard:

• Elementary school aged girl to her mother, "Did Teddy Roosevelt create the teddy bear?"


• Father to five year old son, "Charlie, what's your favorite missile?" Charlie's response, "Orange."


• 3 year old boy pushing buttons on exhibit to display different airplanes exlaims, "Airplanes! Airplanes!" Then turns to his left, faces his mother, and deadpans, "I pooped."

Next weekend I am going to go on a hike or run. Not sure where, but you can be sure that I'll let you know how it goes.

I Hate Verizon

Okay, so I am back from China, I am safely in Virginia, but unfortunately Verizon hates me. Well, at least the feeling is mutual.

Last week it took me three days of calling Verizon daily to get a technician to my house to repair my internet connection. When said technician showed up he spent all of thirty seconds in my house then went to the mysterious "Verizon box" on the street. After inspecting "the box" he called to tell me the news. Bad news, he couldn't fix my internet; Good news, a technician would be able to come out to "the box" and change "the card" and tomorrow I would have internet. Three days later, still no internet, and three days of calls into Verizon and I find out that "the card" was not the problem. The problem now exists in the mysterious "central office", but don't worry in just three or four days I should be all set. Yeah right.

I give them until the end of the week and then it's time to find alternate internet service providers. I might even be forced to get cable. Ugh.

Hong Kong Airport (Part 2)

So here I am, once again at the Hong Kong International Airport. Hard to believe it's the end of my trip, the end of a month in China.

 

Since my last post I have been to Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge, back to Lijiang, Kunming, Beijing, Hong Kong and Macau. I have survived a 10 hour night bus, the heat and humidity of a thousand suns, met some amazing travellers, and eaten my way through some of the best Chinese cuisine. I have also experienced the worst toilet of my life and the longest game of hearts, all the while sharing so many laughs that my stomach still hurts when I think about it.

 

As this trip comes to a close I realize that it is not so much an end but rather an "until next time" because every time I feed my travel bug, it just gets hungrier and hungrier for more.

Chengdu to LiJiang

We are now in Lijiang getting ready to go hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge Trek. Unforunately our 20 hour bus ride yesterday turned into a 24 hour bus ride but fortunately we were riding on a sleeper bus. The first time I had ever heard of a bus like this, it has no seats just lots of bunk beds, three across and six deep complete with blankets and pillows. We boarded at 12:30, had a couple of pit stops including one for dinner where we ate at a road side cafe. And when I say road side cafe, I mean road side. A couple of tables with umbrellas and an open stove. We pointed at what we wanted, the lady cooked it for us and brought it to our table with a bowl of rice. It was delicious!!! Near the end of our meal the bus started loading and we thought we might get left behind so we started to rush to finish up and pay. As we were getting up the grandma and grandpa sitting next to us said in Chinese, "Don't get up, eat slowly, they'll wait". It was really sweet. In total I think we got about 9 hours of interrupted sleep on the bus, Irene and Shauna a little less because they were in the middle row and it's really challenging to sleep peacefully when the roads aren't paved and suddenly turn into one lane. But we are now happily here in a hostel with Mama. She provides free internet, hot showers, and a banquet style meal everynight. I must say it is nice to have someone look after us and I think we are all happy to have some other travellers to talk to. Now that we have had showers and cup of tea we are ready to go explore the old town. Then tomorrow we'll head out into nature for a two day 25 mile hike.

Buses in China

Chengdu and JiuZhaiGou are only about 400 km apart. Unfortunately, in China, that translates to a 13 hour bus ride. Now, the ride wouldn't have been so bad if:

 

(a) the lady sitting in front of us hadn't spit on the floor of the bus as soon as we boarded and if she had left her devil child at home

 

(b) we hadn't been sitting in the cramped seats at the back of the bus directly above the hot engine

 

(c) the bus driver had actually managed the pit stops a little better instead of stopping twice within an hour, then not at all for three hours, and then every hour thereafter and

 

(d) there were paved roads.

 

Despite all that we made it safely to JiuZhaiGou and had an amazing two days hiking in the gorgeous Chinese mountains. JiuZhaiGou is the "land of fairy tales", says the visitors map we received, full of lakes, waterfalls, meadows, and forests. The water in the lakes was so clear that you could see all the way to the bottom and so blue that it was as though it had been touched up with some food dye. It honestly was unlike anything I have ever seen before.

 

Unfortunately our hotel was a little bit like our bus experience, no hot water until after 8pm and then limited amounts of it, bugs in the rooms and dirty sheets, extra charges and very mean hotel staff. But we survived and are now thoroughly enjoying our hotel in Chengdu complete with buffet breakfast. Tomorrow we head off on a 20 hour bus ride to LiJiang and then we will spend two days hiking at the Tiger Leaping Gorge. We know we'll hate every moment of the bus ride but unfortunately it is the only option that will provide us enough time to see everything we want to see before leaving for Hong Kong on the 16th. But I honestly feel that the inconvenience in hotels and buses is more than made up by experiencing the beauty of China's nature.

Shanghai

So after three amazing days in Shanghai we have now moved on to Chengdu. I enjoyed the city of Shanghai a lot more than the city of Beijing, unfortunately the weather was not as nice. The temperature was about 100 degrees while we were there with a lot of humidity. So walking around and looking at all the sights was quite draining. We did get to see the Shanghai museum, Yu Gardens, Qi Bao (the venice of China), and the Jade Buddha Temple.

 

I think the coolest thing we did in Shanghai was going to Cloud 9, a bar on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao tower looking over the Bund in the center of Shanghai. It took us 4 elevators to get up to Cloud 9; the first was from the ground floor to the 54th floor, then the 54th floor to the 56th floor, then the 56th floor to the 85th floor and finally the 85th floor to the 87th floor. Despite the confusion in finding the elevators the view from the top was well worth the effort. We spent a couple of hours up there watching the sunset, seeing the lights turn on around the city and sipping cocktails. It was the best way to relax and enjoy some Shanghai air conditioning. Ironically we also ended up sitting across from a table of english speakers which included a guy we had had our eye on during our flight from Beijing. Some suggested it was fate, others merely a coincidence.

 

Tomorrow morning we are heading off to Jiu Zhai Gou to see the natural beauty China has to offer and get some hiking done. That means we have today to locate the famous silk market here in Chengdu. Luckily the weather here, although humid, is a lot cooler.

 

I apologize for not having any pictures to post with this, but unfortunately the right connections are unavailable at this internet cafe. Well I guess internet cafe is being generous, this is more of a gamers heaven. Imagine a large dark room with curtains over the windows, huge fans blowing air around the room, rows and rows of computers, high backed chairs, and lots of chinese boys/men gaming. It's quite incredible. I guess that mental picture is all I have to offer for now.