My Week In Pictures 2.05.12 - 2.11.12

It was a cold, grey week. I'm so over winter but trying to make the best of it.

 

Sunday 2/5: Cheddar, beer, and mustard pull-apart bread before it went into the oven. It was a good for munching during the Superbowl, even if it was a bit underdone in the center

 

Monday 2/6: Came home to discover two treats; a danish and a note from T. in the mail.

Tuesday 2/7:  Lauren and I have taken the initiative to recycle all of our papers at work. We made a trip to the bin. Paper is heavy!

 

Wednesday 2/8: A new tradition we like to call Lotto Wednesday!

Thursday 2/9: One of my favorite meals in Indianapolis, the grilled chicken salad from Some Guys. The house made ranch is fantastic, the grilled chicken is from a wood fired oven, and for $5, you just can't find a better salad for the price!

Friday 2/10: I told Melissa, my stylist, that I was taking a picture every day. She said "let's take one when I'm waxing your eyebrows!" So, that's exactly what we did. I love her.

Sunday 2/11: After the Mini Marathon training 5k.  After a really mild winter, we had a subzero windchill that day! I thought my face might freeze off.

My Week In Pictures 1.29.12 - 2.04.12

I can't believe I've kept this project up for over 30 days.  A new track record!

 

Sunday 1/29:Wendy was full of energy when we took her for a walk. She wouldn't stop prancing.. This photo was taken after we walked several miles! She is just frolicking on the driveway.

Monday 1/30: I call this one "cracker confusion". I was searching for everything crackers, and it must have taken 10 minutes to locate them. This is just about 1/3 of the available crackers at Meijer. America, I have a love/hate relationship with your abundant choices. 

Tuesday 1/31: The everything crackers went into this lentil loaf. It was a quick and tasty recipe, especially when you make the lentils a day ahead.

Wednesday 2/1: Wendy loves to inhale all of the smells from her new bag of food.

 

Thursday 2/2: Sometimes it is hard to imagine how all of the product you're ordering will look together. That's when you have to cut out pictures and shuffle them around. It's low tech but it works!

Friday 2/3: This was the extent of my Indianapolis Superbowl mania. Jimmy Fallon taped a few shows here and I watched them on Hulu.

Saturday 2/4:  My friend Xander shows off his science fair project; I was a test subject for his data gathering. (It is the Monty Hall problem.)

My Week In Pictures 1.22.12 - 1.28.12

I saw friends, family, and took a business trip to Orlando.

Sunday 1/22: It was my cousin Carolyn's 21st birthday, so the family went to brunch at LePeep. Here she is with my mom. Afterwards, I went to lunch with my dear friend Cassie who was in town. With all of those meals I felt like a Hobbit!

Monday 1/23: I was quite put out in a very "first world problems" kind of way that Meijer was sold out of my preferred variety of almond milk. I've been having a cup for dessert nightly. I huffily chose this chocolate Almond Breeze instead and was pleasantly surprised. It's not very sweet - just how I like it.

Tuesday 1/24: I dressed in black from head to toe and made this half-hearted effort at adding some pizazz to my outfit. I suppose a smile would have helped, too.

Wednesday 1/25: My view as Brenden and Wendy drove Lauren and me to the airport.

Thursday 1/26: At the PGA Merchandise Show, I "met" Rory and Rickie!

Friday 1/27: I told these salesmen I was taking a picture every day in 2012. Without much convincing at all, they put on some flat billed caps and struck a pose! I've known them for two years and had no idea they were such hams!

Saturday 1/28: Unpacking. Sadly, I think my lime green suitcase only has a few more trips left before it breaks down. I thoroughly recommend brightly colored luggage. I never pick up the wrong bag from the carousel or gate check.

My Week In Pictures 1.15.12 - 1.21.12

Sunday 1/15: After watching CBS Sunday morning I went back into the bedroom to find a dog and its master snuggling in bed.

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Monday 1/16: Brenden and I played several rounds of Dominion (a card game) online.  No shuffling required.

Tuesday 1/17: My dinner turned out bright and pretty. Those are Trader Joe's Masala Vegetable Patties.

 

Wednesday 1/18: Neighborhood association meeting night. Someone forgot the key that lets us into the church.  I waited in the car and listened to NPR.

Thursday 1/19: Came home from work to find Brenden and Dad playing a game in the living room.

Friday 1/20: Brenden invited several people over to play the board game Arkham Horror. It is a very long game; I think they took 6 hours to play it. I chose to hang out with the kids instead. This is Zoe, Wendy's #1 fan!

Saturday 1/21: I mercilessly decluttered the spare bedroom closet, also known as "the junk room". I had tons of craft and art supplies which hadn't been touched in over a decade. Some were trashed and many items, everything in cardboard boxes, are destined for a garage sale.

My Week In Pictures 1.8.12 - 1.14.12

It got colder. I didn't sleep well. And, then, it snowed. Welcome to January!

Sunday 1/8: When I slipped on these socks I realized I bought them at Nordstrom 11 years ago, when I worked at Circle Centre. When you dislike wearing socks as much as I do, you can make a pair last over a decade.

Monday 1/9: Wendy's dog friend, Emmitt, no longer cared for a few of his toys, so she got some hand-me-downs.

Tuesday 1/10: I felt broke down and we ordered pizza and wings. I don't recommend Papa Johns' wings. The skin is too wobbly.

Wednesday 1/11: Prepping "overnight oats" for tomorrow's breakfast.  Did you know if you soak dry oats in milk and/or yogurt, in the morning they are all puffed up and you don't need to cook them? It makes a nice cold cereal. I add a banana when it is time to eat.

Thursday 1/12: It was our first real snow of the winter. I lucked out as it was Lauren's day to drive in our car pool. Here she is, getting ready to head home.

Friday 1/13: It snowed some more. Wendy rolled all around in it.

Saturday 1/14: I went to a recycling event at Broad Ripple Park. Since I was in the neighborhood I stopped in at Rusted Moon outfitters. There were so many fabulous coats and pullovers. I want them all!

My Week In Pictures 1.1.12 - 1.7.12

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. - John Lennnon

My day-to-day isn't a circus, but I'm documenting it nonetheless!

Sunday 1/1: My morning routine now includes inhalers.

 

Monday 1/2: Wendy pre-washes the dishes.

 Tuesday 1/3: An avocado with Red Hot makes the perfect lunch.

Wednesday 1/4: Had post-holiday lunch with my teammates and our photo stylist. She gave me an adorable handmade card.

Thursday 1/5: Cramming for book club at the end of the month. They are reading the sequel to Zippy, so I am behind!

Friday 1/6: Bought some beautiful Anaheim peppers.  And, I discovered how to use the feature on my camera that makes one color pop.

Saturday 1/7: It was an unusually warm and sunny January day. Wendy and I took a nice long walk.

My Year in Cities

Cities I slept in during 2011, other than my own.

Orlando, FL
Seattle, WA
Bethesda, MD
Memphis, TN
Carlsbad, CA
Cleveland, OH

Summer Sandwich

I've been taking pictures all year long with the unrealized intention of featuring them in a blog post.  For example, I documented how to make one of my favorite sandwiches ever, when my garden was exploding with basil and tomatoes. Now, this sandwich is but a memory and the garden is shriveled except for some lingering thyme and parsley.

I'll still tell you how to make it though!  Get excited for summer, it's only 7 months away!

This is really all to taste, so here is a general list of ingredients needed:
Bread (I used sourdough)
Roma tomatoes, sliced, juicy seeds poked out
Fresh mozzarella, the kind that comes in a ball, not a brick
Basil aioli

Preheat a cast iron skillet on medium low heat.

Build the sandwich by spreading a thin layer of aioli on each slice of bread. It is delicious, so there may be temptation to slather it on. But, when the sandwich heats up, aioli gets runny. So that's why dividing it among both slices of bread is best.  There is more surface area to absorb it.

Layer on the tomatoes and cheese. Marry up both sides of the sandwich and spray the exterior with olive oil.

Place the sandwiches in the skillet, weighing them down with a flat-bottomed pot. Fill the pot with heavy things, like jugs of oil or rum. There's no need to own a panini press, this method works just fine!

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Some cheese may bubble out, but don't worry, that only makes them tastier.

There will be leftover aioli, which was never a problem for me. I just made another batch of sandwiches the next night, or tossed it into some pasta.

Francophile

Sometimes living a cliché is a really satisfying experience. For example, the time I was in France and ate a croissant and drank a cafe au lait for breakfast several mornings in a row. So French! So delicious!

This memory makes my heart yearn for a little pâtisserie to open around the corner so I could enjoy a fantastic pastry each morning.

Maybe it's time to try my hand at making my own croissants. Until I learn, I watch this video a every few months of a man making an absurd amount of pastries. The precision is zen like and soothing. Trust me. And don't blame me if you seek a buttery, flaky treat tomorrow!

A Few Notes

It's election day! Of course I voted, I always feel oddly proud about it. I wore my "I voted" sticker all day.

I have always disliked Muhammad Ali. Today, with the news of Joe Frazier's death, a reporter noted that Ali was especially insulting to Frazier! What a jerk!

Why do some people pronounce jaguar as "jag-WIRE"? Stop that.

My daylight lamp arrives tomorrow! I plan to sun it up all day long in my windowless office until spring!

News comes (via my cousin on Twitter) that my aunt has replaced a family portrait on her wall with a squirrel collage. It is unclear if this is a homemade or store bought item. It has to be homemade, right?  What retail outlet specializes in squirrel images?

Do you think you're computer savvy? Read Clients from Hell. If you can't tell why each entry is funny or maddening, find out from your local geek. You'll be better for it, and subsequently will lessen your chance of being a client from hell.