My Day in 10

1. Ate banana pancakes topped with fresh sliced banana, plain yogurt and syrup. De-lish.

2. Gave myself a rockin' french tip manicure—in GOLD YO. My fingernails be blingin'.

3. Spent some time working for the magazine, updating their website and such. This left me wondering why in the world anyone would ever use anything but WordPress to design a site when they don't know anything about designing a site. Ah, well.

4. Took a trip to Lowe's and Hobby Lobby with the husband to pick up some supplies for his school project. Bought spray paint and other cool things.

5. Stared a Christmas decorations for an inordinate time while in Hobby Lobby. It won't be this year, but whenever I start my Christmas decoration collection, I will be stoked. Also, it was weird to me that Christmas is still so far away. I've already started buying gifts, because I'm THAT COOL. Also I sort of got caught with my pants down in the gifts department last year.

6. Ate at Taco Bell because we are degenerates who love Taco Bell too much. It made me hyper for some reason?

7. Helped the husband spray paint/stencil an awesome piece of art for his class. It looks cool.

8. Started cleaning my bathroom. Didn't get very far.

9. Watched some college football. Sadly, Georgia lost. Which was bad for some reason that Chris explained to me that I can't quite recall.

10. Stayed awesome. (It's harder than it looks, ok?)

The Big Move

\So we've done it. I spent many bored hours in the car, turning my seatbelt into a mustache (or an approximation of one), but we did it.

Somehow, we managed to pack up and move across the country, from Utah to North Carolina. It's been a crazy flurry of activity over the past fews months, with plenty of stress added in, but overall we're happy.

This week is Chris's first of the semester. He's been loving it, feeling really glad that he made the decision to go to Elon's Interactive Media program. But I have been realizing — Chris is going to be busy. He's had projects already that he's had to spend several hours on, and those are only introductory. It's starting to look more and more like I'm not going to be seeing too much of Chris over the next 9 months (and I can't believe that it will only be 9 months—it's going to fly by).

I'm trying to stay optimistic about that, though. It will be a change of pace from the year so far, where maybe we had a little too much time to be around each other, since we worked at the same place. And then drove home together. And ate together. And laughed together. Brushed our teeth together. You get the picture. But I think that the next few months will present us with some new challenges, and in many ways, blessings. Different circumstances allow for a relationship to grow in a different way—and we'll choose to make that positive and great.

I've started working as a staff member for the magazine, Autism Asperger's Digest. It's been informative and I've learned a lot. I love my boss, Kim, and I'm so happy to be working for a magazine again. I love magazines. The job is really flexible, and I do most of it from home. It's part time, so I'm hoping to find someplace else willing to pay me to work for them, just to fill in my schedule. And make more money. And to not have to spend so many hours alone in my house while Chris is busy busy busy.

A lot of big changes. And a lot more to come, to. It seems that, for the past two years, I've never known where I was going to be or what I was going to be doing further than six months in the future. And now is more of the same. I know we'll be here at least until Chris graduates, but what then? Stay in NC for a bit longer? Head out west?

Sometimes I feel totally seasick being out in the unknown waters of life. But looking forward, I feel good about things, optimistic. Maybe I've finally got my sealegs and learned to go with the flow better. Things take care of themselves, and there's still time between here and land to decide which harbor we're heading for. And that's where I'm going to stop this convoluted analogy before it gets too out of hand.

22 Things I've Learned in 22 Years.

I turned 22 almost two months ago. It's embarrassing that it has taken me this long to post this, but I still wanted to. It's inspired by Chris's post to his blog (26 Things I've Learned in 26 Years). So here it is, something of a summary of the wisdom I've managed to absorb over the years.

22 Things I've Learned in 22 Years

(Expanded version after the jump)

What Sundays are made for

Walking home from church, it seemed that all the flowers had decided to sprout at once. Tulips popping up and blooming everywhere, amidst daffodils and honeysuckle. The air smells clean and sweet and the sun feels warm.

At the corner of A St. and 4th, Chris suddenly says, "Rooster?!"

And sure enough, strutting around ahead, is a rooster, looking sleek and pecking around, his comb flopping with each thrust of his head. We stop and stare at him for a while. What a funny thing to see in the Avenues—a rooster loose.

We resume our walk, arm in arm.

"Why don't we take a picnic later today?" I ask Chris. He agrees that this is an excellent idea.

I cook up some recipes I've been looking forward to making all week:

• petite lasagnas and
  
  
• Pioneer Woman's caesar salad dressing

Then we pack them up in a tote and head up to Memorial Park, and eat overlooking the Capitol Building.

It's a little windy, but the sun feels wonderful and dinner is delicious. We talk about our plans for moving out to North Carolina. We decide to spend the two weeks before we drive out east to visit family and friends.

We cuddle on the grass. I love that Chris and I are not much different than we were a year ago—still loving each other, kissing even in public, wanting to always be touching. It's more comfortable now, with a bit less sexual tension, but somehow it's even more wonderful.

Love and good food and laughter—these are what a lazy Sunday afternoons are made for.

What's in a Family?

My cute niece, Josie, at my sister Ashley's reception.

I spent an excellent weekend in Las Vegas. My siste who got married a few weeks ago had her reception. It was a really lovely affair. I got to spend some good quality time with Chris. It was great. Jinny and Kimball were kind enough to host us, and it was great to get to spend some more time with them and catch up. Jinny really is one of the best friends I have/have ever had, and also has the biggest heart. You know you've got a great friend when, after being around them, you want to be a better person and have faith that you can be better. Jinny is just that kind of friend.

I don't know if it's that I'm older or married or what, but I feel like every time I go home it gets better. I feel less like I'm slipping through the cracks—and never like I want to. I used to feel that way around my huge family; I could only handle so much of them, and after a while I would drift off to my room to hole up and read. I remember feeling like I didn't have a place in a family so full of people.

But now I love every minute of being around them. Things get easier with all of my siblings and my parents. Not that it was ever very hard, because my family is AMAZING and we all get along and are very close. Maybe my family treats me more like an adult, or maybe I just am more adult—more grown up and in a better place. But still, it's a great feeling. They are amazing people, all very different, but all full of hope and love and charity. I'm so blessed to have them in my life and to be a part of such a great fam.

Also, it's getting so lovely out. There are tulips along our walkway. Freakin' tulips! Those don't grow in Vegas, and were sort of rare even in Rexburg. I am loving spring time.

Chris got accepted to an Interactive Media program at Elon in NC. He's really excited about it, and I'm proud of him. We'll be spending the next few months preparing/scraping money together to go. Everyone I've talked to has said the NC is really green, even if the people there can be blatantly racist. It'll be an adventure.

Eew, spiders.

I've spent the morning cleaning out my closet, which is a terrifying project because there are spiders in there. Like, a lot of them. SPIDERS THE SIZE OF MY HAND. I saw at least three, and after recovering from some serious heebie-jeebies, I grabbed the vacuum and sucked those suckers up. I feel really bad killing bugs/spiders, but not so much that I can handle running into them cleaning my closet. Nope.com, peoples!

Chris and I got a new car. We actually got it while ago but I guess I forgot to mention it here? Because whatever. Anyway, it's a 2008 blue Nissan Versa, and I pretty much lurve it. It's nice to be having our own care to worry about instead of feeling bad/worrying about breaking others' vehicles.

Chris and I are coming up to the end of the month-long menu that we were trying. Some of the meals were WAY good, some were just ok, some I felt like I didn't quite do right. But overall, I was really pleased with the results. Some favorites were: Salsa fry-up, pad thai, lentil-herder's pie, Irish goulash, ginger garlic stir fry, sag daal, tortilla casserole, and pizza. I got some great, easy new recipes that I love, and even better, I got the motivation to try some new recipes. Also, I got some healthier alternatives to some old favorites that were pretty heavy and calorie-loaded (veggie enchiladas).

Happy Birthday, Husband!

Chris's birthday was yesterday. I made him a delicious pizza (garlic butter, tomato slices, artichoke hearts, parmesan and mozzarella) and some carrot cake. The cake got this weird crust on it, like the edges had caramelized. I'm not sure if that is supposed to happen, but it was still delicious.

I also ordered Chris a couple of gifts, but they didn't arrive in time. In fact, they probably won't be here until next week. Sad face! And since Chris doesn't read my blog, I'll divulge them: some weird gadget he asked me to order (he explained what it was but I've since forgotten) and a Rebel Alliance hoodie. Chris rarely admits that he needs new clothing and will wear stuff until it wears out and beyond, so when he says "I think I might need (a) new ___" I jump on that!

You should read his blog post, "26 things I learned in 26 years." It will make you laugh, promise.

Tonight we are going to eat in. I'm trying a new recipe for lentil loaf (vegetarian meatloaf). Then we are going to see Hanna, which looks like it kicks so much butt. I'm excited.

Smoothie time!

SO even though it isn't monday, I'm going to put this recipe out there for all of you to enjoy. I'm actually enjoying one as I write this and wowzers! so good!

The recipe I'm giving you is for.... Green Smoothies!

I can't take all the credit for this recipe; my family has been blending up frozen fruit concoctions for decades. But, I finally started getting diligent about making them every morning, and now Chris requests them even over bagels. BAGELS, GUYS. So believe me, it's good.

Some other reasons I love green smoothies for breakfast:
- Fast and easy to prepare
- You can eat them on the run (or commute)
- You can change whatever ingredients you need to fulfill your health requirements
- Chris says he thinks he's lost weight since he really started eating these regularly. So there is that!
- Way more energy than with a carb-loaded breakfast, and you won't crash later!

So here is how I make green smoothies!

1. You need to start off with your juicy fruit and other liquids.

"Juicy" fruits are just that-the fruits that have a lot of juice. Some that I've used include grapes, grapefruit (wouldn't recommend that one to all), oranges, and apples. Usually with bigger fruits, like oranges, I simply cut off the orange peel, quarter it, and stick it in the blending. Juicing made easy! Some are more pulpy than others, so I often will add some soy milk at this point for added creaminess and to mix it up a little better. You can also add yogurt here.

2. Get your green on! Throw in a handful of your choice of green, leafy vegetable.
For greens, you can use a lot of things: romaine, chard, kale, spinach, and even cabbage. Just be careful about what you mix in with what! Spinach is always a safe bet, especially if you're new to putting greenage in smoothies. It breaks down nicely and you can hardly tell it's there! I am also partial to kale, which adds a nice sort of contrast and body to the smoothie.

3. Add half to a whole banana and other fresh fruits. Blend.
It's pretty self-explanatory. Add whatever your heart desires!

4. Add frozen fruit, or about a cup of ice.
This will give the smoothie that thick texture!

5. Add anything else you may want!
This is where you might want to beef up the taste or nutritional quality of your smoothie. You might add som ground flax seed for fiber, some flax oil for those lovely fatty acids and omega-3's. I usually add about a tablespoon of protein powder, because vegetarians always need their protein!

Here's a simple version of my typical green smoothie recipe. Also, be aware this usually turns out more tan then green once everything is added.

Put into your blender:
1 orange, skin pared off and cut into quarters
1/2-1 c. vanilla soy milk
1 cup (about a handful) of kale or spinach
And blend! Then add
1/2-1 banana
other fresh fruits
Blend again!
then add
6 frozen strawberries
1 c. frozen blueberries
Pulse until frozen fruit is broken up, then blend until smooth.
Add 1 tbl vanilla protein powder, and blend in.
Pour into container of your choice!

This recipe for me makes about 3-4 cups of smoothie, which can be one huge helping of smoothie for you or two medium servings for you and a spouse. Also, I love to dip buttered toast in my smoothies. Try it!

The weekend and a wedding

My beautiful sister, Ashley! photo by James Michael Liu.

The weekend was really really really fun.

Friday:

I drove down with Britt. We hitched a ride with the best friend of the groom down to Vegas. I ate a cupcake for breakfast and I felt pretty dang good about it. When we got there, we hung out around the house and got dolled up. My dad was there and he and I bantered a bit. He is one of my most favorite people!

For dinner, we met up with the sisters and Jinny and grabbed some Pei Wei. I went next door for a Chipotle burrito, however, because it is the best. The line for Chipotle was ridiculously long, though! Anyway, we all sat in Pei Wei and ate. Karalee and Janelle both have new babies, so they got passed around and snuggled. I made everyone laugh, right, because I'm super hilarious and charming.

After, we headed to Jinny's for a mini-bachelorette party. There were Italian cream sodas, kettle corn, and maui onion chips dipped in sour cream (a favorite snack in my family that I want everyone to know ORIGINATED WITH ME, OKAY????!?!?!). I stayed at Jinny's and we had a slumber party on the living room floor and stayed up late talking about married life and our friendship and how happy we are and how much we love each other.

Saturday:

Jinny and I got up and sluggishly made our way through the morning. She and her husband wrestled and giggled for like a half an hour, but that's ok because I was finishing the book for Kristin. Then she and I went around running errands, primarily finding a tie for the groom because the one Ashley had ordered ended up being more gold than yellow. We found a suitable choice at Ross, which is good, because it was only eight dollars. Which is good because with my family, I think it's unlikely I'm getting reimbursed. I'll just call it a wedding gift.

Jinny dropped me off at home and I got ready for the wedding. I wore this super hot green dress I got for Christmas (thanks, Mother-in-law!) with a peacock feather in my hair. This is probably my favorite thing about my new hair cut—it is just BEGGING to be accessorized.

We made it to the wedding and it was a really lovely ceremony. Ashley and Andrew had a real nice, long just-married kiss. I totally teared up. I'm so happy for them and the journey they are setting out on. I know they will treat each other well, and I'll be happy to have Andrew as a brother.

The ceremony was followed by dinner and we sent the couple off in style with some fancy sparklers.

After that, I went with my mom to drop Kristin off at the airport. I really love Kristin. She's the classiest, most gracious person I know. Then it was bed!

Sunday

Got up and ready for church. I looked sassy, of course. Church was awkward because it is my old ward with all the old people from high school, and while they were nice enough, it's just weird. It's the kind of thing where we know we both know who the other is, but neither will actually go and say hi? Awkward.

After church, most of the fam came over for a brunch of Hawaiian haystacks. They were very excellent. I said good bye to everyone and got packed, and then we took off. I spent most of the drive home getting reacquainted with the first season of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and giggling to myself in the backseat.

I was so, SO happy to see Chris again! I kept smelling him all night and telling him how good he smelt and hugged him a lot.

So, that was my weekend. It pretty much rocked. I love Jinny, I love my fam, and I love you!

my day in 10

1. Started working on a journal for Kristin. I am trying something new, but it involves very fine motor skills. I'm a little nervous. But I think it will turn out super fantastico. Probably.
2. Packed to head to Vegas tomorrow. My sister Ashley is getting married on Saturday (exciting!) so I'm heading down there for the event. Sadly, Chris already had some stuff on his side of the family, so he won't be going with me.
3. This will be the first time since we got married that we will be apart for any real length of time. Or sleep apart. It makes me sad to think about.
4. I got a hair cut! I actually went through with it and chopped it short. I really really like it, and so does the hubby. In fact, I think he really actually likes it! Neither of us was much expecting that. I figured it would be just another funny/crazy thing I do that he love me despite of. But he was staring at me all day and told me he really sincerely thinks it's fab.
5. Picked up Chris and we had an early date night. We had pupusas (my first time!). They were so, so, so delicious. Also, Sangria. Need I say more?
6. I got to attempt to speak in Spanish. I still have no idea what native speakers say to me (they speak so fast!) but I felt more confident with my recent brushing up I've had to do to understand El Libro de Mormón. I really want to be fluent soonish.
7. Hung out with Rob and Lauren (Chris's brother and his wife). They are good people! Also, Rob beat me in Words with Friends for the first time. Wah wah waaaah.
8. I hung out with Brittany and her roommates. I'm sleeping at her place so that Chris wouldn't have to drop me off before work, which would be potentially stressful. I was a little slaphappy and said many inappropriate things.
9. Titanic was on the TV because it was playing on ABC Family. I really dislike that movie. Also, the old lady who plays Rose when she is old is a really, really bad actress. Remember the little grunt she makes when she chucks that tacky looking diamond overboard? She is pretty terrible.
10. Talked about what makes a good marriage with Britt and the roommates. And while I was the only one who could currently directly apply the discussion, it was fun and really enlightening. It's all about love and all those good things that come along with it, right? Like forgiveness and charity, long-suffering and compassion. That kind of stuff. I want to be a better wife. I mean, I am a pretty great one already. But even Everest could be taller, amiright?

I think too much.

Some things I've been thinking about lately include:

1. Writing a novel.

As you probably know, I set out last November to start and finish a novel in a month. As you can guess, I ended up with a pathetic pile of drivel with a Swiss cheese-style plot — stinky and full of holes. I've thought about this a lot and what I've come down to is that my premise was an unclear, sad hot mess.I want to start working on my writing again, but I don't know where to start. I'd really really love to attempt a novel again, but my problem is that I can't come up with a premise that is exciting or compelling to me without seeming really formulaic. I don't know, maybe I'm being picky with my ideas here. In any case, if you have a cool premise you want to let me steal (I'll spin your tin cans into gold!), let me know. Also, I'm taking writing advice.

2. I want an art degree.

I feel like every other job listing I come across is for a graphic designer. And while I've never considered myself to be a particularly talented artist, per se, I want to get an art degree. I LOVE doing things with design (esp. publication design). I took a few design classes and I really, really loved them. Design, typography, printmaking, illustration are all things I'm dying to learn more about.

And I feel that I have a small amount of talent/knack in this area. I think I have that kind of eye, you know? This could also be in my head, or a delusion ingrained into me by being referred to for most of my life as the "creative one" in my family. Being the "creative one" mostly meant that I drew on walls, read too much and hummed to myself nonstop. I guess it sounded better than calling me the "one that's not quite right in the head."

3. I like God.

No, really, I do. He's way awesome and also we're friends. (Should "we're" be capitalized, since part of that is referring to a deity? Will anyone besides me care?) But lately, I've kind of been snubbing Him. Not talking to Him as much as I used to, not reading good books He recommends. But I've also started needing Him a lot, and like the best friend ever, He doesn't hold any of that against me. He just gives me a hug (figuratively) and forgives all, and then helps me with what I need. It's pretty awesome and I am grateful for Him, always.

Also, I started reading one of those books God recommends. Which brings me to my next point....

4. Reading in foreign languages is like playing a super awesome game.

I've been reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish (El Libro de Mormón!) and it's seriously SO FUN. I actually remember to read every night because I'm totally looking forward to it. It's like playing an awesome cross between a Dr. Brain computer game, scripture Trivial Pursuit and Mad Libs. It is interesting how reading in a new language opens up interesting new interpretations of a story most Mormons know really well. I thought I knew the story of Nephi's exodus to the Americas backwards and frontwards, but I TELL YOU, that assumption is being challenged.

Motivated? Probably closer to maniacal.

Last week was a lazy one. I didn't do much of anything besides sleep a lot and play Plants Vs. Zombies. Oh, I did a few loads of laundry here and there and made meals, but still. My productivity level was at a low.

But I've started this week off much better. I scoured my kitchen, even cleaning out my oven (it was gross, believe me). Let me just say that after all that scrubbing, I was finally motivated enough to put some foil down on the bottom of it. I also did close to a thousand (OK, it was four...thousand!) loads of laundry, folded and put away. I finished putting together my crafting area/station and organizing the extra room that houses it.

This motivation stemmed, in part, from necessity (my in-laws will be staying here this weekend) and partly from not being able to handle any more of the complete and utter boredom that I allowed my brain to wallow in last week. Which, as you can see, led to melodrama. In any case, it felt good, like I was giving inactivity the good old "No, thanks!" accompanied with the bird (not THAT bird... more like a bird that flies down and poops on it).

Also, I am up at 3 in the morning because my sleeping habits have gotten derailed again. I can't seem to get myself up before 10 a.m., and my mind is going crazy if I'm in bed before midnight. I get up and do something just so I don't have to keep listening to the squeaky wheels that my mind-gerbil insists on running on.

In any case, check out my bookmaking blog to see what my new crafting area looks like. ! Que linda! Buenissimo! Wunderbar!

Adieu!

Dream on...

Dreams are weird. Some people take them seriously, others don't. All the same, it's interesting to see what your mind comes up with when you're not behind the wheel.

I recently had a nightmare that culminated in Chris leaving me. It wasn't particularly scary, but it was heartbreaking! I woke up and it took almost a full minute to realize it had been a dream. It was still pretty early, around 6, and I reached out for Chris and just started crying. And didn't stop for close to half and hour. Needless to say, it freaked him out a little, but eventually I calmed down. We were even laughing about it later that day.

Las night I had weird dreams about our neighbors. We lived in an apartment complex (not the basement apartment we currently live in) and our neighbors were mad at us because we were "noisy"—when I played the ukulele, or Chris and I even talked before going to bed, we would inevitably end up with some VERY angry neighbor banging on our door. I think this stemmed from a conversation I had yesterday with Tess about apartments and neighbors anda volume levels.

Also, I have these recurring dreams, and I have had them since I was a teenager. They usually come when I'm feeling insecure or stressed out. Needless to say, with my job search still going on, that means even now. Anyway, I have dreams that my teeth somehow fall out. Sometimes I pull them out and then try to put them back in. Other times I realize they are rotten. Sometimes they chip or break in my mouth. I have even had them crumble to dust in my hands. Apparently dreams about your teeth falling out are actually very common, which is totally random and bizarre.

I don't really try to interpret my dreams, but I will often think about the general feel of a dream and see where that parallels how I feel about my life situation. If I have dreams about my teeth, for instance, it's a pretty safe bet that I'm feeling down on myself, and my dreams help me notice that. And the super scary dream about Chris leaving me was really unpleasant, but it helped me to realize that I was feeling very rejected—by Chris in my dream, and from my job search IRL. My dreams can often help me to realize what's going on in my emotional world so I can try to feel better.

How about you? How much credence do you give to your dreams? Do you have any recurring dreams? What have your dreams been about lately?

Hairy Restlessness

My hair is getting long and I'm feeling that urge again to chop it all off. I feel like it's been floating around in the same-ish style—with varying lengths—for two years now. And I'm ready for a change.

I've been thinking that I want to go short—really short. Pixie status! Emma Watson style! And all that. See inspirations below:

The very cute Carey Mulligan!

I don't really love Kiera Knightley. In fact, she kind of drives me crazy. Something about her mouth when she talks is the worst. BUT her hair here has serious attitude.

This is my favorite and probably the one that I will take into whatever hairdresser I end up hitting up. Look at it! SO BEAUTIFUL.

So, what do you think? How should I end up doing my hair?

Menu Mondays: Salsa Fry-Up

Howdy, y'all! I haven't done a Menu Monday in a while. Well, I really only ever did one. Shame on me. But here is a new one.

I've kind of hit a recipe rut, you know, cooking the same things over and over. So I decided to go hunting the internet for some tasty veg recipes. I found this month's vegetarian menu complete with a shopping list (and coming up with a shopping list could be one of the chores I hate most), it seemed plenty worth giving it a try. This is the first recipe from the menu.

Salsa Fry-Up

In the summer, make this with fresh tomatoes, peppers, corn, and cilantro. It'll knock your socks off! However, the version below takes about 15 minutes to whip up if you have rice ready. This serves 2 people with leftovers for lunch, or 2 adults and 2 children.

• 1 sm onion, diced. Sautee in some oil and add...
• 2 c. black beans {I substituted one can w/ pinto}
• 2-3 tbl. chili seasoning (add 1/2-1 tsp. salt if it has no salt added) {I substituted taco seasoning just fine}
• 1/2 tsp cumin {I thought I had cumin but I was wrong! I subbed coriander}
• 1 tbl. flour
• 1/2 c. water. Simmer until thickened, then add:
• 1/2 jar salsa {I used pineapple salsa for a sweet kick!}
• About 2 c. cooked rice {I put the salsa fry-up on my brown rice rather than mixing it together}
• Heat through and top with more salsa, shredded cheese, and a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream, as desired. {I also added for toppings: fresh cilantro, avocado, and lime wedges. Delicious!}
  

This would be easy to add some ground beef to. Just cook it up w/ the onions, and add the chili powder at that point, too.

The meal turned out delicious and was fast to make. I must say, just from looking at the recipe, I didn't expect to be impressed—but I really was! Chris also liked it.

My Guide to Multicultural Vegetarianism

I can make yummy pad thai!

If there is one thing I love most about being a vegetarian, it has been learning to broaden my palate and appreciate new tastes. I never liked mushrooms, and then I decided to forgo meat; now they are one of my favorite foods.

The thing about being married to a vegetarian of 11 years is that Chris knows all the secrets. And the best one is that Americans suck at meat-free entrees, but that everyone else (with a few exceptions—here's looking at you, China) pretty much rocks at it.

I had never tried Indian food until I was a vegetarian, and now I crave it pretty much all day long. It's the best in the whole world. See what I mean? Weirdly enough, cutting out meat really opened up my mind to alls kinds of foods.

So here is my multicultural guide to vegetarianism. Basically, this is what you've gotta try in this particular branch of cuisine, my top picks for vegetarian-friendly cuisines.

Thai

Appetizer: Spring Rolls, fresh or fried

Entrees: Pad Thai, Mango Curry with tofu; you can order almost any dish at a Thai place and substitute tofu for meat.

Dessert: Mango with sticky rice. Best thing ever.

Indian

Appetizer: You can't go wrong with somosas and naan.

Entrees: Paneer Tikka Masala (a creamy curry with cheese cubes in it), Matar Paneer (cheese cubes in curry with green peas), Coconut Vegetable Curry, Chana Masala (a red curry with chickpeas), Malai Kofta (fried veggie balls in curry)

Dessert: Lassi as a beverage, Gulab Jamun (fried dough balls w/ powdered sugar)

Mediterranean

Appetizer: Why, hummus, of course! If you want to mix it up, try fool (fah-ool), which is hummus made of fava beans.

Entrees: Falafel wrap (of course), Roasted Stuffed Peppers, Lentil Soup

Dessert: Baklava

Ukrainian/Russian

Appetizer: Green Borsch (also called Okroshka), Pirozhki (deep-fried potato pie)

Entrees: Blinok (a thicker, Russian version of a crepe; get it with raisins and nuts or cheese and mushrooms), Verenyki (potato- or onion-filled dumplings. Chris informs me they can be filled with almost anything, including cherry, cabbage, and so on.)

Dessert: Napoleon Tort, a sweet Blinok or Verenyki

Mexican

Appetizer: Chips and salsa and guac, duh.

Entrees: Breakfast burrito, Cheese Enchiladas, Veggie Burritos, Nachos! Get extra beans instead of meat.

Desert: Mmm rice pudding. And who doesn't love some horchata?

Consider Yourself Updated.

So I have been getting the blues lately. I don't know exactly why; maybe it's the cooped-upness of my life getting to me. I'm not sure, but I would definitely like a change. And soon. There are only so many books I can make in the process of trying to keep myself sane, you know?

In any case, I have an interview next Tuesday that I'm actually pretty excited about. I really hope this pans out; it's part time and would be basically perfect. So say a prayer for me sometime between now and then!

Chris and I had a lovely Valentine's Day. He sent me roses, a set of a dozen in pink, white and red. I really love fresh flowers. I just felt silly because he had ordered them almost two weeks before then, but the Thursday before Valentine's I trounced home from grocery shopping with an armful of fresh flowers. Now my kitchen is full of them. I do love fresh flowers.

We also took a lovers' walk around the neighborhood and ordered the Pie's ultra veggie pizza. I don't know what it's actually called, but it's covered in artichokes and feta and onions and roasted tomatoes, and it is so delicious. There cheesy pull-aparts (breadsticks) are also pretty tasty. Yum!

Chris has turned in his applications for grad school. It's a little weird feeling that our future is pretty uncertain. There are a lot of questions and variables, but I guess life is like that when you're sharing it with someone. And it's always worth it.

I've had trouble falling asleep lately. I feel bad because after lying awake for an hour, I usually get up to do something which means 1) I wake up Chris, and 2) I leave him alone. Not happy times. And it also makes it nearly impossible to wake up before noon the next morning.

New blog: Handmade Library

SOOOO everyone, I know I haven't posted here in a while! But, I was working on one of my goals—to make a new blog. And I'm pretty darned-tootin' excited about it.

It's called Handmade Library and it's a bookmaking blog. You should bob on over there and check it out.

Oh, and tell all your friends, too!

Curry fever

I've been on the prowl for a job since, well, the beginning of December. With the expiration date of my internship fast-approaching, I was feeling the pressure.

Now, more than a dozen applications and résumés sent out and a month and a half later, I have only had one job interview. It felt like it was impossible to even get someone to e-mail me back about an opening—let alone hire me. What is

up with that?

I'll admit, I was feeling pretty frustrated this past week. I've finally kind of hit my time limit for how long "taking a break" (i.e. unemployment) was fun/relaxing/enjoyable. Instead I felt like a bum and was getting serious cabin fever. Also, I'm just barely catching up on all the cleaning I've been wanting to do. What's up with that? It was depressing to feel like all my time, energy and effort just got suc

ked into a big black hole—maybe the same one that my applications seemed to be disappearing into.

But, I got my first interview this past Friday, and I actually feel pretty confident about how I did. I liked the interviewee, who would be my boss, and the job sounds like a lot of writing—right up my alley! We'll see what happens with it. In any case, it's a good step forward and was the boost I needed to keep trying and sending résumés out there (though I would be pretty jazzed if I got an offer and didn't have to!).

I watched Outsourced on Hulu while I folded laundry. It's about an American whose company moves him to India to manage their call center there. Anyway, the whole time he was complaining about missing barbecue and hating the lack of meat, I was salivating over all their trays in the cafeteria. Indian food is a vegetarian's heaven.

In any case, it made me crave some curried deliciousness, so

Chris and I had Indian food tonight.

We got take out, matar paneer and chana masala from Star of India. It really hit the spot.

Now I'm going to put away the laundry I folded and pester Chris to finish his personal statement. Life is good.

The Year of Discipline

Happy Two Thousand and Eleven!

photo by my talented and lovely sister, Ashley Ashworth

I like setting goals. In fact, it’s something I took to doing every three months or so this past year. That works better for me; that way I have a time to stop and assess how I’ve been doing and course-correct as needed.

Chris and I sat down and made some goals to start off the new year. Mine included flossing daily, running a marathon, and starting a blog about bookbinding. Also featured was getting my house tidier/more organized and paying ¼-1/2 of my school loans.

But I’ve been thinking about myself and the things I really want to change. As I stared at my list of things to do, it seemed that most of the things on the list of goals were things I should already be doing (flossing, keeping my apartment cleaner). And I knew that it was likely that most of these things would happen—but all of them? And what would fall through the cracks?

My sister Brittany posted a link on facebook to Christine Kane's post about New Year's resolutions. She suggests a different approach; instead of setting goals, pick one word that you want to kind of encompass the change you want to see in yourself. I liked the idea.

I looked over the list and almost immediately I knew what it would be for me: discipline. I consider myself many things, but disciplined is not one of them. I think, for me, it was a way to rebel when I was younger. I’ve never liked being told what I should do. It always seemed to me that if I absolutely should do something, it would happen eventually. Like dishes getting clean or essays written, book read or even graduating from college. They happen, right?

But I guess that I’m starting to realize that somewhere along the way, I was losing control. Losing my power over my time and how I would use it. Losing my ability to focus and accomplish.

And that’s really what I’m feeling like true discipline is about—not doing things because others think I should, but rather, keeping the commitments I’ve made to myself. Getting a little follow through for all my hare-brained schemes.

So, my mantra for 2011 is discipline. Already I’ve caught myself getting off task and been able to ask myself: is this a disciplined way to do this? Is this really what I’ve committed to doing right now? Looking at my list of goals, the only way to make sure they happen? Discipline myself. Make a plan and stick to it. Become my own best friend and personal assistant.

I talked to my sister, Kristin, about this idea. She shared a quote with me that went something like this:
“You can either face the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”

And I don’t know about you, but I’ve tried regret on for size a few times and I don’t much care for it. It’s itchy and chafes in all the wrong places. My guess is that the pain of discipline will be closer to the burn of a good work out and the delicious achiness that follows. The pain of strength.

So here’s to a regret-free 2011.

What are your goals and ambitions for the coming year? And what is your plan of action?