wednesday wussy, budget edition. please take the following post with a hunk of cheese, 'cause it's a whiner.
i do not like being on a budget. i do not like not being able to spend money without thinking about its very real impact on other areas of my life. oh, to be single again, and in a time not of economic recession, and saving all my dollahz for fun and frolic while living off daddy's charge accounts. all i'd have to do is not eat much for a while and save up and then purchase away, guilt-free, and worry about it later. the only reason i even got a job in college was for dating purposes. plane tickets to see the law student cost money, and i'm pretty sure the parents would not have footed that bill.
enter marriage (or heck, even just adulthood). budgeting is hard. it's hard for two people living on one paycheck, even with some familial assistance. it's hard to cancel travel plans because of rising gas prices, or choose to cook at home instead of going out for dinner. it's hard when you're having a wardrobe crisis and you can't really afford to revamp it, only mix pieces differently. thankfully, my weight has not drastically changed since college, or i'd really be in the hole! of course, even if i didn't have a budget, i probably still would be a bad shopper and just as indecisive to boot. but that's a separate problem.
but a budget is necessary. my paycheck only contains x amount of money, and we have to make it work, and we have to do it together. fighting about money is not an option in our marriage - we flat-out refuse to do it. we reached this decision before marriage, thankfully, and not after an issue arose. our personal budget is pretty simple. i bring home a paycheck (yes, ben adds whatever he makes too), the law student faithfully designs our budget, and i trust his judgment. even though i work for a CPA, i could not make or stick to a budget on my own. i can barely work my calculator, and have never balanced my checkbook! this way, we control our finances instead of them controlling us and plan for expenses ahead of time. we work to balance wants and needs, the fun things and the necessary ones, so that we're not crying at the end of every month and/or up to our ears in credit card debt. budgeting is a great discipline and though uncomfortable at times, it is good for us and keeps us making smart choices in how we use our money.
unfortunately, insurance, groceries and bills take precedence over fancy nights out, wardrobe updates and gifts. and that's about where i am right now. sigh.
in other news: i'm working out in the mornings (i'm as surprised as you are), the law student is semi-employed and in an office of his own, entertainment icon elizabeth taylor has died, and i found out roseanne barr lives on a nut farm.
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
oh, baby
i know what you're thinking. and you're wrong. heehee.
yesterday was my deadline day for year-end reports, w2s, and all ugly things tax-related. so, after about 4 hours of sleep and 9 hours of stressful work day, the law student and i had dinner. my highly dramatized drinking-binge consisted of one beer, sipped slowly. to more completely round out my meal and my day, i needed ice cream, so we drove over to the gas station that has a little freezer full of bluebell pints.
i spent what is possibly too long picking out flavors and ended up in line behind 3 young frat boys, all who can grow more facial hair than my 30-year-old husband, who were all buying cigarettes. as the last one was carded, the clerk asked for his birthday.
"twelve eleven ninety-one."
what?
i asked the cashier to be sure i heard him correctly. i had.
i still think of myself as college-age. insert denial here. hearing that kid's birthday, coupled with the 3 gray hairs i had yanked out earlier that morning, was just another rude reminder that i am, in fact, NOT, no matter how young i look or feel.
thanks, life.
p.s. to the scruffy dude with glasses and mismatched clothes who didn't hold the door open for me? you're rude and your clothes are ugly and you need to shave.
yesterday was my deadline day for year-end reports, w2s, and all ugly things tax-related. so, after about 4 hours of sleep and 9 hours of stressful work day, the law student and i had dinner. my highly dramatized drinking-binge consisted of one beer, sipped slowly. to more completely round out my meal and my day, i needed ice cream, so we drove over to the gas station that has a little freezer full of bluebell pints.
i spent what is possibly too long picking out flavors and ended up in line behind 3 young frat boys, all who can grow more facial hair than my 30-year-old husband, who were all buying cigarettes. as the last one was carded, the clerk asked for his birthday.
"twelve eleven ninety-one."
what?
i asked the cashier to be sure i heard him correctly. i had.
i still think of myself as college-age. insert denial here. hearing that kid's birthday, coupled with the 3 gray hairs i had yanked out earlier that morning, was just another rude reminder that i am, in fact, NOT, no matter how young i look or feel.
thanks, life.
p.s. to the scruffy dude with glasses and mismatched clothes who didn't hold the door open for me? you're rude and your clothes are ugly and you need to shave.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
days 15 - 18
day 15 - bible verse
"see, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."
- isaiah 49:16
"see, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."
- isaiah 49:16
day 16 - dream house
don't even get me started.
i love bungalow, cottage & craftsman-style homes. must have a huge porch.
dream house is in the mountains, quiet, comfortable and liveable and impeccably decorated, completely paid for, and full of love.
don't even get me started.
i love bungalow, cottage & craftsman-style homes. must have a huge porch.
dream house is in the mountains, quiet, comfortable and liveable and impeccably decorated, completely paid for, and full of love.
day 17 - something you're looking forward to
christmas, of course! seeing the family and hopefully some friends,
and 24 hours of a christmas story, coming to a tbs near you.
also: mississippi state's bowl game over new year's with the law student.
christmas, of course! seeing the family and hopefully some friends,
and 24 hours of a christmas story, coming to a tbs near you.
also: mississippi state's bowl game over new year's with the law student.
day 18 - something you regret
hmm...usually it's something i say. also found here: my senior year of high school's haircut, not spending enough time with my grandfather, not studying abroad in college, and a few select college-era fashion choices and/or alcohol-induced antics.
hmm...usually it's something i say. also found here: my senior year of high school's haircut, not spending enough time with my grandfather, not studying abroad in college, and a few select college-era fashion choices and/or alcohol-induced antics.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
costumes of halloween past
a list, with pictures if possible. enjoy.
note: i have had considerable trouble a) finding time to try to finish this post, b) uploading pictures with our non-awesome scanner and c) locating pictures of all mentioned costumes. please accept my apologies as i make do with what the facebook offers.
2001 - dixie chicks with kristi and laura. really just an excuse to wear a small shirt. we did make it into the 2001 - 2002 revellie though. i believe we were dancing on a pool table, not that this was anything unusual. at all.
2002 - avril lavigne. someone, somewhere, has a video of me singing "sk8ter boi" while likely very tipsy and hopelessly out of tune. i have tried to upload this picture, because i was wicked accurate in my portrayal of miss lavigne, but our scanner blows goats.
2003 - fairy. yet another excuse to wear a ridiculously small costume. jessica, this was our best idea ever, i'm sure of it.
note: i have had considerable trouble a) finding time to try to finish this post, b) uploading pictures with our non-awesome scanner and c) locating pictures of all mentioned costumes. please accept my apologies as i make do with what the facebook offers.
2001 - dixie chicks with kristi and laura. really just an excuse to wear a small shirt. we did make it into the 2001 - 2002 revellie though. i believe we were dancing on a pool table, not that this was anything unusual. at all.
2002 - avril lavigne. someone, somewhere, has a video of me singing "sk8ter boi" while likely very tipsy and hopelessly out of tune. i have tried to upload this picture, because i was wicked accurate in my portrayal of miss lavigne, but our scanner blows goats.
2003 - fairy. yet another excuse to wear a ridiculously small costume. jessica, this was our best idea ever, i'm sure of it.
2004 - a road sign. yellow t-shirt reading "dangerous curves ahead" with my black dance pants. comfy. ben & aaron were black eyed Ps in ellay. i have this picture as well. somewhere.
2005 and 2006 - i have no idea. probably nothing. feel free to correct me.
2007 - thing 1 and thing 2. we were super cute.
2005 and 2006 - i have no idea. probably nothing. feel free to correct me.
2007 - thing 1 and thing 2. we were super cute.
2008 - nothing. someone forgot to tell me about the annual law school costume party.
2009 - please see 2008.
2010 - i had hopes of being the cutest-ever sophia petrillo, but have all but abandoned them when i realized it would probably cost me upwards of $50. i'm cheap. i may be thing 2 again, or maybe thing 1 to change it up, but if i happen upon an iconic bamboo purse, it's on.
2009 - please see 2008.
2010 - i had hopes of being the cutest-ever sophia petrillo, but have all but abandoned them when i realized it would probably cost me upwards of $50. i'm cheap. i may be thing 2 again, or maybe thing 1 to change it up, but if i happen upon an iconic bamboo purse, it's on.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
this time of year
september, you are finally here. i'm so glad. there's something nostalgic about the advent of fall--the smell, the colors, the feeling, and of course, football. y'all may know i'm a sucker for nostalgia anyway, but fall really reminds me of college, and all the memories come flooding back. it seems like such a golden time and now it's slipping away faster and faster. meanwhile, while technically i'm an adult, i don't always feel like one. i definitely don't look like one. i kind of feel like i'm in a weird sort of limbo as far as adulthood, like it won't really set in until i have children or something. but anyway, here is the quintessential football/fall song, from one of my favorite bands, better than ezra, who i always managed to miss when they came to town. i miss college.
"This Time Of Year"
Well, there's a feeling in the air
Just like a Friday afternoon.
Yeah, you can go there if you want
Though it fades too soon.
So go on, let it be.
If there's a feeling coming over me,
Seems like it's always understood this time of year.
Well, I know there's a reason to change.
Well, I know there's a time for us.
You think about the good times
And you live with all the bad.
You can feel it in the air,
Feeling right this time of year.
Well, there's a football in the air,
Across a leaf blown field.
Yeah, and there's your first car on the road,
And the girl you'd steal.
So go on with yourself
If there's a feeling that there's something else.
Seems like it's always understood
This time of year.
Well, I know there's a reason to change.
Well, I know there's a time for us.
You think about the good times
And you live with all the bad.
You can feel it in the air,
Feeling right this time of year.
Well, there's a feeling in the air
Just like a Friday afternoon.
Yeah, you can go there if you want
Though it fades too soon.
So go on, let it be.
If there's a feeling coming over me,
Seems like it's always understood this time of year.
Well, I know there's a reason to change.
Well, I know there's a time for us.
You think about the good times
And you live with all the bad.
You can feel it in the air,
Feeling right this time of year.
Well, there's a feeling in the air
Just like a Friday afternoon.
Yeah, you can go there if you want
Though it fades too soon.
So go on, let it be.
If there's a feeling coming over me,
Seems like it's always understood this time of year.
Well, I know there's a reason to change.
Well, I know there's a time for us.
You think about the good times
And you live with all the bad.
You can feel it in the air,
Feeling right this time of year.
Well, there's a football in the air,
Across a leaf blown field.
Yeah, and there's your first car on the road,
And the girl you'd steal.
So go on with yourself
If there's a feeling that there's something else.
Seems like it's always understood
This time of year.
Well, I know there's a reason to change.
Well, I know there's a time for us.
You think about the good times
And you live with all the bad.
You can feel it in the air,
Feeling right this time of year.
Well, there's a feeling in the air
Just like a Friday afternoon.
Yeah, you can go there if you want
Though it fades too soon.
So go on, let it be.
If there's a feeling coming over me,
Seems like it's always understood this time of year.
Well, I know there's a reason to change.
Well, I know there's a time for us.
You think about the good times
And you live with all the bad.
You can feel it in the air,
Feeling right this time of year.
Friday, August 27, 2010
two random, unrelated incidents
last night, i went to the park after pilates. i saw someone walking a ferret. a. ferret. like it was totally natural to put a small vest on a rodent and walk it on a leash. his name was bandit.
you know what makes you feel old, even though you look like a college freshman? talking to the little girl you used to babysit and getting invited to see her dorm room, like she's old enough to be there or something.
you know what makes you feel old, even though you look like a college freshman? talking to the little girl you used to babysit and getting invited to see her dorm room, like she's old enough to be there or something.
Monday, February 22, 2010
weekend recap
krista, kissey and mandii am so glad to be home. but not because i didn't have fun.
i went to nashville this past weekend to visit one of my best and first friends from college, since she's now so much closer than new york. we had a blast! i don't really go out much at home unless there's something major going on (like the north mississippi allstars last week), or i drag the law student out of the house because, contrary to popular belief, there is only so much criminal minds one can watch.
friday night we went out to hear a band, then on to a local favorite. mandi decided on tequila shots at the end of the night, and we all thought it was a great idea. at first, it was--those things made us giggle. everything for the next 45 minutes was absolutely hilarious. but after that, things weren't so funny and nobody felt really awesome saturday morning until after heath made breakfast (pancakes from scratch!). we shopped a bit and then dropped by a bachelorette party, followed by sushi for dinner. then, krista and mandi decided to take me to a lesbian bar to see my reactions, since i'd never been to one before. we listened to lots of karaoke, and i think we got hit on by 2 swinger couples, but you can't go by me. we did not end the night with tequila shots, and everyone was ok with that. sunday brought us the sweetest stray pit bull mix that mandi named "lady." she had mange, but not too bad, and was skinny, but not too skinny. we called a pit rescue service, since the humane society would have put her down immediately. she was super sweet, only wanted to be petted, and obviously had been someone's pet and then recently abandoned. i hated to leave her!
and now, the bad part. i absolutely hate driving in the rain. i hydroplaned a few years ago, then had a few more bad experiences, and have been terrified ever since. it reduces me to tears, and last night was no exception. i drove head-on into a huge band of storms around jackson, tennessee (after fighting terrible and uncharacteristic traffic out of nashville). but i handled it well, for me. then there was memphis. by this time it was pouring rain so hard i couldn't see the road, it was dark, and i was scared stiff. i made it through memphis and breathed a sigh of relief, only to have it start pouring again in southaven all the way to holly springs. i was going 45 miles an hour, couldn't see the road to save my life, and cars are just flying past me. i have no idea how they made it. by the time i pulled off on my exit, i was starting to lose it. i pulled into a gas station and sat and squalled for 20 minutes by myself. i called ben and mom and cried to them too (scared them to death, i'm sure). i collected myself finally and waited out the storm per weather reports. but when i finally decided to drive the last 28 miles home, my car wouldn't start. battery=DEAD. apparently, i had left my car turned on while having my come-apart in the car. great. i started crying all over again. so i went into the gas station, with wet hair and puffy eyes, and the sweet man working had jumper cables and gave me coffee while he waited for someone he knew to come jump me off. someone finally walked in and agreed to jump off my car. so i walked out into the rain and popped the hood of my car (rather unsuccessfully). there was a truck next to me, and i thought this was the nice man who was going to get me home and end my awful night. but it wasn't. it was another guy (who finally got my hood up) and he ended up getting me going while the original guy looked on. my battery is super corroded, and the law student is actually getting me a new one right now. so, i made it home at 9 o'clock, physically and emotionally drained, but grateful.
p.s. while the 2 men were jumping off my car, popping my hood and examining my battery, etc., one of them made a comment about where i live. "oh, does your daddy or your boyfriend live there?" "yeah, my husband is in law school there." apparently i look barely old enough to drive.
i went to nashville this past weekend to visit one of my best and first friends from college, since she's now so much closer than new york. we had a blast! i don't really go out much at home unless there's something major going on (like the north mississippi allstars last week), or i drag the law student out of the house because, contrary to popular belief, there is only so much criminal minds one can watch.
friday night we went out to hear a band, then on to a local favorite. mandi decided on tequila shots at the end of the night, and we all thought it was a great idea. at first, it was--those things made us giggle. everything for the next 45 minutes was absolutely hilarious. but after that, things weren't so funny and nobody felt really awesome saturday morning until after heath made breakfast (pancakes from scratch!). we shopped a bit and then dropped by a bachelorette party, followed by sushi for dinner. then, krista and mandi decided to take me to a lesbian bar to see my reactions, since i'd never been to one before. we listened to lots of karaoke, and i think we got hit on by 2 swinger couples, but you can't go by me. we did not end the night with tequila shots, and everyone was ok with that. sunday brought us the sweetest stray pit bull mix that mandi named "lady." she had mange, but not too bad, and was skinny, but not too skinny. we called a pit rescue service, since the humane society would have put her down immediately. she was super sweet, only wanted to be petted, and obviously had been someone's pet and then recently abandoned. i hated to leave her!
and now, the bad part. i absolutely hate driving in the rain. i hydroplaned a few years ago, then had a few more bad experiences, and have been terrified ever since. it reduces me to tears, and last night was no exception. i drove head-on into a huge band of storms around jackson, tennessee (after fighting terrible and uncharacteristic traffic out of nashville). but i handled it well, for me. then there was memphis. by this time it was pouring rain so hard i couldn't see the road, it was dark, and i was scared stiff. i made it through memphis and breathed a sigh of relief, only to have it start pouring again in southaven all the way to holly springs. i was going 45 miles an hour, couldn't see the road to save my life, and cars are just flying past me. i have no idea how they made it. by the time i pulled off on my exit, i was starting to lose it. i pulled into a gas station and sat and squalled for 20 minutes by myself. i called ben and mom and cried to them too (scared them to death, i'm sure). i collected myself finally and waited out the storm per weather reports. but when i finally decided to drive the last 28 miles home, my car wouldn't start. battery=DEAD. apparently, i had left my car turned on while having my come-apart in the car. great. i started crying all over again. so i went into the gas station, with wet hair and puffy eyes, and the sweet man working had jumper cables and gave me coffee while he waited for someone he knew to come jump me off. someone finally walked in and agreed to jump off my car. so i walked out into the rain and popped the hood of my car (rather unsuccessfully). there was a truck next to me, and i thought this was the nice man who was going to get me home and end my awful night. but it wasn't. it was another guy (who finally got my hood up) and he ended up getting me going while the original guy looked on. my battery is super corroded, and the law student is actually getting me a new one right now. so, i made it home at 9 o'clock, physically and emotionally drained, but grateful.
p.s. while the 2 men were jumping off my car, popping my hood and examining my battery, etc., one of them made a comment about where i live. "oh, does your daddy or your boyfriend live there?" "yeah, my husband is in law school there." apparently i look barely old enough to drive.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
secrets
i have secrets. i bet you do too.
i created this blog basically to provide an outlet for my thoughts when the law student tires of hearing them over and over. i let you in on my mishaps and things i (and sometimes only i) find funny, usually at my expense. things like:
-when i manage to back into someone in a parking lot. twice.
-or when i called that guy at wal-greens crazy loud enough for him to hear (according to the law student) because 1) he is a little crazy and 2) we were buying a pregnancy test and i was in no mood for him to know about it and offer his 2 cents. (it was negative and we celebrated with beers.)
-that my parents have a divorce story lifetime would die for.
-i lint-roll the rox instead of bathing her more often.
-or that once, coming back from ben in los angeles, i hitchhiked from the airport with a random family to my friend's parents' house and basically broke in to crash there, then called another friend to take me home to starkville, instead of calling second friend in the first place.
-that i secretly fear the rapture has happened and left me when i can't find anyone and no one will pick up the phone. this has happened since i was a kid and couldn't find mom at a given moment.
and those are all little funny, embarrassing things about me and my life that i choose to reveal and laugh at with you. but they are not my whole life. you can look at any blog and see pieces, images, projections of people's selves, but never the whole picture, because we are complicated and have been trying to hide unsightly parts of ourselves since adam and eve. and so i think about all the things that don't make it onto blogs, namely my own. like all those things i did in college i
the bad news? they are not totally secret. Someone knows them all, and i cannot hide them.
the good news? Someone knows them all, and i am free. mercy, forgiveness and grace are available to me through my repentance.
adam and eve "hid" from God after their sin. but even though He called for them, He knew where they were, and He knew their sin. they felt shame and nakedness and the eternal breadth of their sin, but He provided a way. He shed the blood of an innocent animal and clothed them, and then He punished them, with banishment, pain in childbirth and other consequences. He could have scrapped the whole project (which, in fact, He did, with the flood), but He didn't. this is still true today. God still knows our sin, still knows what we keep locked in the dark, and still longs for us. He still provides a Way to remove our sin. there is nothing we can do to "earn" it, no secret that can keep us outside its redemption. and when we accept this extravagant gift, when we repent, and turn to God's love with obedience, we are free from our sin, and our secrets hold us no more.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
food for thought
i love food. i harbor an impressive body of knowledge and opinions on the subject. i am not one of those girls who views food as sustenance, or even the enemy and will only pick at dinner. food is one of my top 3 favorite things. i managed to inherit my mother's stature, sassiness and thank the lord in heaven above, her cooking talents.
dinner on this particularly comfortable saturday night? prosciutto and melon (cantaloupe) pasta. i don't even like melon. not even watermelon. isn't that just the most un-southern thing ever? i'll share the recipe with you below, or you can look it up on rachael ray's website. but beware: i rarely measure anything. it annoys me. which is why i do not bake.
ingredients for 2 large bowls of pasta and a little leftover:
-about 2/3 box of wide flat noodle pasta, such as fettucine (that i used tonight) or pappardelle (called for in the recipe).
-half a cantaloupe (we got two especially fragrant ones at our farmer's market this week), cubed
-about 1/2 pound prosciutto, cut into strips (as best as you can anyway--i had issues, but it did not take away from the integrity of the dish at all). you could sub bacon here if you wanted, but why would you want to?
-one spoonful of tomato paste. tomato sauce would do in a pinch, but not ketchup.
-heavy cream, about 1/2 cup or more to taste/desired consistency/amount.
-zest and juice of one lemon
-olive oil
-salt
-cheese--parmesan, parmigiano reggiano, whatever. this is optional
instructions: toss your pasta into salted boiling water to al dente (to the tooth, or in english, not slimy). drain, set aside. while pasta is working, heat olive oil (turn of the pan or so) on medium high heat in a large saucepan and toss in the prosciutto strips to brown, for about 5 minutes. remove and drain on a paper towel. add some more olive oil, melon and salt to taste, and cook for about 7 minutes into a nice chunky sauce. once you get this going, add the spoonful of tomato paste, lemon juice, cheese and heavy cream and stir in for a few more minutes and remove from heat. add the sauce, lemon zest and most of the prosciutto to the pasta and toss to coat. top your servings with additional prosciutto and cheese. enjoy as your guests marvel at your culinary creation that only took you about 30 minutes or so. looks fancy, tastes great, so easy.
a few menu items for the week: eggplant parmesan neopolitan, garlic lime dijon chicken, pesto grilled chicken, orange balsalmic chicken thighs with sage butter pasta, steak with peppers, and some salmon and tilapia dishes, all with veggies from the farmer's market. another one of my favorite things! oh man--just remembered i bought ground beef and a whole chicken, killed yesterday, at the market. these will have to be incorporated. mmm, fresh chicken.
oxford's mid-town farmer's market is one of my favorite things about this town. i am very interested in the politcal power structure of the food industry, buying local and helping out the farmers, and american food culture. i'd love to get really involved, actually. lots of really interesting, oppressive and outrageous things happening now to the laws that govern farmers and food. personally, this is the best-tasting chicken i've ever eaten. it doesn't taste like a bland white alternative to beef--it tastes like chicken, with its own distinct flavor. he (nameless bearded vendor of zion farms of pontotoc, ms) offers grass-fed chicken, beef and pork (and holiday turkeys!), and of course eggs, that he raises and harvests himself, hence the was-alive-yesterday chicken in my freezer begging for a juicy marinade, fresh herbs and a hot oven. i try to buy all my meat for the week from him, and will try to continue to do so even after the market season ends. then there is the brown dairy farm of oxford, with fresh grass-fed, twice-daily-milked-jersey-cow milk that is home-pasteurized. they are now offering whole milk and reduced-fat milk (they are unsure of the percentage, but i don't care), and toying with cream and butter. i can't wait for that. then there is the produce: corn, zucchini galore, tomatoes as big as softballs, okra, peaches, cantaloupes, watermelons, peppers, green beans, purple hull peas (if you like those--i don't), squash, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, garlic, et cetera, et al. i saw about 15 varieties of heirloom tomatoes today, all with descriptions of flavor, texture, color and origin, down to the family farmers! some were as big as a toddler's face, no lie. there is so much at our market. we even got a teeny tiny jalapeño.
and then there is the breakfast. the primo breakfast joint in town--bbb's. the law student's mom came in town last night for dinner, market trip and breakfast. we had the dear american airlines, law student had the pain perdue--breakfast in a cup and french toast, respectively. company is always a good excuse to enjoy the most expensive breakfast in town.
currently re-reading wicked--the back story of the wicked witch of the west. it's a great, but mature, read. the law student and i celebrated our 2nd year of holy matrimony by seeing the play at the opheum in memphis. it was pretty fantastical, and i loved galinda's role, but the story line was a bit changed. saw public enemies in the theater on thursday, which reaffirmed my major crush on johnny depp. hottest actor ever.
both of my sisters start their real-world jobs as teachers of the american youth in these next few weeks. i imagine they will begin to realize just how awesome college life is. it's not always a fun realization, but necessary. i miss college so much--i miss my friends, being able to see my friends whenever i wanted, bar hopping, no real life pressures other than not getting arrested and keeping up my grades, road trips, bookbags. but i am very proud of my sisters (all my friends, actually) and can't wait to hear about their precious students and their new life chapters.
this past weekend, dad the life professional took me and the law student to chicago. fabulous city, and we barely scratched the surface. we stayed on michigan avenue, ate some fabulous food at harry caray's and volare, i got my first designer purse, and caught a reds vs. cubs game at wrigley field. a guy i went to college with, craig tatum, got called up to the reds the week before and i got to see him catch the entire game and hang out with his fun wife daniele. dad's on a kick of seeing all the old ballparks before they disappear. he's seen shea and yankee, and wrigley was next on the list. maybe i can get him to take us to the hopefully-to-occur dodgers vs. red sox at fenway. the law student's dad is a huge red sox fan, and i went to college with jonathan papelbon, but don't know him personally or anything.
time to fold towels and read some wicked. good evening to you all!
dinner on this particularly comfortable saturday night? prosciutto and melon (cantaloupe) pasta. i don't even like melon. not even watermelon. isn't that just the most un-southern thing ever? i'll share the recipe with you below, or you can look it up on rachael ray's website. but beware: i rarely measure anything. it annoys me. which is why i do not bake.
ingredients for 2 large bowls of pasta and a little leftover:
-about 2/3 box of wide flat noodle pasta, such as fettucine (that i used tonight) or pappardelle (called for in the recipe).
-half a cantaloupe (we got two especially fragrant ones at our farmer's market this week), cubed
-about 1/2 pound prosciutto, cut into strips (as best as you can anyway--i had issues, but it did not take away from the integrity of the dish at all). you could sub bacon here if you wanted, but why would you want to?
-one spoonful of tomato paste. tomato sauce would do in a pinch, but not ketchup.
-heavy cream, about 1/2 cup or more to taste/desired consistency/amount.
-zest and juice of one lemon
-olive oil
-salt
-cheese--parmesan, parmigiano reggiano, whatever. this is optional
instructions: toss your pasta into salted boiling water to al dente (to the tooth, or in english, not slimy). drain, set aside. while pasta is working, heat olive oil (turn of the pan or so) on medium high heat in a large saucepan and toss in the prosciutto strips to brown, for about 5 minutes. remove and drain on a paper towel. add some more olive oil, melon and salt to taste, and cook for about 7 minutes into a nice chunky sauce. once you get this going, add the spoonful of tomato paste, lemon juice, cheese and heavy cream and stir in for a few more minutes and remove from heat. add the sauce, lemon zest and most of the prosciutto to the pasta and toss to coat. top your servings with additional prosciutto and cheese. enjoy as your guests marvel at your culinary creation that only took you about 30 minutes or so. looks fancy, tastes great, so easy.
a few menu items for the week: eggplant parmesan neopolitan, garlic lime dijon chicken, pesto grilled chicken, orange balsalmic chicken thighs with sage butter pasta, steak with peppers, and some salmon and tilapia dishes, all with veggies from the farmer's market. another one of my favorite things! oh man--just remembered i bought ground beef and a whole chicken, killed yesterday, at the market. these will have to be incorporated. mmm, fresh chicken.
oxford's mid-town farmer's market is one of my favorite things about this town. i am very interested in the politcal power structure of the food industry, buying local and helping out the farmers, and american food culture. i'd love to get really involved, actually. lots of really interesting, oppressive and outrageous things happening now to the laws that govern farmers and food. personally, this is the best-tasting chicken i've ever eaten. it doesn't taste like a bland white alternative to beef--it tastes like chicken, with its own distinct flavor. he (nameless bearded vendor of zion farms of pontotoc, ms) offers grass-fed chicken, beef and pork (and holiday turkeys!), and of course eggs, that he raises and harvests himself, hence the was-alive-yesterday chicken in my freezer begging for a juicy marinade, fresh herbs and a hot oven. i try to buy all my meat for the week from him, and will try to continue to do so even after the market season ends. then there is the brown dairy farm of oxford, with fresh grass-fed, twice-daily-milked-jersey-cow milk that is home-pasteurized. they are now offering whole milk and reduced-fat milk (they are unsure of the percentage, but i don't care), and toying with cream and butter. i can't wait for that. then there is the produce: corn, zucchini galore, tomatoes as big as softballs, okra, peaches, cantaloupes, watermelons, peppers, green beans, purple hull peas (if you like those--i don't), squash, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, garlic, et cetera, et al. i saw about 15 varieties of heirloom tomatoes today, all with descriptions of flavor, texture, color and origin, down to the family farmers! some were as big as a toddler's face, no lie. there is so much at our market. we even got a teeny tiny jalapeño.
and then there is the breakfast. the primo breakfast joint in town--bbb's. the law student's mom came in town last night for dinner, market trip and breakfast. we had the dear american airlines, law student had the pain perdue--breakfast in a cup and french toast, respectively. company is always a good excuse to enjoy the most expensive breakfast in town.
currently re-reading wicked--the back story of the wicked witch of the west. it's a great, but mature, read. the law student and i celebrated our 2nd year of holy matrimony by seeing the play at the opheum in memphis. it was pretty fantastical, and i loved galinda's role, but the story line was a bit changed. saw public enemies in the theater on thursday, which reaffirmed my major crush on johnny depp. hottest actor ever.
both of my sisters start their real-world jobs as teachers of the american youth in these next few weeks. i imagine they will begin to realize just how awesome college life is. it's not always a fun realization, but necessary. i miss college so much--i miss my friends, being able to see my friends whenever i wanted, bar hopping, no real life pressures other than not getting arrested and keeping up my grades, road trips, bookbags. but i am very proud of my sisters (all my friends, actually) and can't wait to hear about their precious students and their new life chapters.
this past weekend, dad the life professional took me and the law student to chicago. fabulous city, and we barely scratched the surface. we stayed on michigan avenue, ate some fabulous food at harry caray's and volare, i got my first designer purse, and caught a reds vs. cubs game at wrigley field. a guy i went to college with, craig tatum, got called up to the reds the week before and i got to see him catch the entire game and hang out with his fun wife daniele. dad's on a kick of seeing all the old ballparks before they disappear. he's seen shea and yankee, and wrigley was next on the list. maybe i can get him to take us to the hopefully-to-occur dodgers vs. red sox at fenway. the law student's dad is a huge red sox fan, and i went to college with jonathan papelbon, but don't know him personally or anything.
time to fold towels and read some wicked. good evening to you all!
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