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!