The most wonderful time of the year

                This Christmas, I volunteered to cook dinner. I wanted to make the classics, so that everyone would be happy (we’re all about tradition in my family), but I wanted to find some new recopies to put a slight spin on things. I used my favorite cooking site, Sparkrecipies.com to figure out what I wanted to cook. You can look at the cookbook I put together with the ones I picked here. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Mackenzie’s family, and got back to my house in time to trade gifts, cook, and have dinner. Everything came out delicious, and I was pretty proud of the meal I made.



Yummy cornbread




Asparagus with Parmesan




Cheesy cauliflower




Sweet potatoes with marshmallows.
Warning on these, don't stir in the marshmallows, or you end up with a gooey glaze. Still delish, though.




Honey glazed ham



Rice and broccoli casserole

                I wanted to give something homemade this year, and was itching for some quality baking. When I stumbled across these cute cookie boxes at Target, I decided to make a few different kinds and give the boxes as gifts. I made a classic sugar cookie, my mom’s peanut butter kiss recipe, peppermint cookies, and snowballs (or Russian tea cookies or Mexican wedding cookies or whatever you choose to call them).

                And if I wasn’t being crafty enough, I decided to slice up my two-sizes-too-big work T-shirt that I had to wear Christmas Eve. This is the easiest thing to do to make those huge give away T-shirts fit, and I got compliments from my co-workers for being creative (and thankfully my managers weren’t mad about the hack job).

                First, cut each side of the T-shirt vertically from the bottom up through the armpit and to the end of the sleeve. Then cut 2-inch slits on each side the whole way up. Then, tie pieces from each half of the shirt together on each side. Done!

                Although I’m relieved that the stress of the holidays is over, I’m a bit bummed that I won’t have Christmas projects to work on like decorating, baking, and making cards. Not to sound too cliché, but this Christmas has made me feel so grateful for the wonderful family, friends, and loved ones that I have. After a bad day, it’s great to know I have such a strong support system to come home to.

Have a happy New Year everyone! Go easy on the champagne!

Love,

Annie

Reflections

                Now that the craziness of the holidays is about through, I thought it was a good time to sit down and reflect on this past semester. In my very first post, I resolved to meet new people, succeed in my classes, to be more laid back in harder times, and to write this blog. (I will ignore the one I mentioned about the gym, considering it was mostly un-fulfilled. Maybe for New Year’s?) Well, I think I succeeded and would even go as far to say that this past Fall semester has been my happiest and most fulfilling of my college career thus far. I lived with my best friends, successfully cooked on my own, and blogged on a semi-regular basis. One of my proudest accomplishments was meeting new people. In the past I have gone to class, listened to the professor, and left. But this year I am happy to say I left with many faces I will smile at passing on campus, as well as other friends I will keep in touch with.

                And I love my new major (now it’s just figuring out what I can do to make money with it). In three and half months I read six novels, one play, and a slew of poems; and wrote tons of papers. There may have been a meltdown or two, but overall my stress level was manageable, a tangible sign that I’m in the right place.

                For next semester, Liz is moving out and we’re getting a new roommate—Lei’s friend and past roomie, Jay. I’m excited for some changes and a new set of classes (after a good, long break). I am going to miss Liz, who is going to spend the next few months studying abroad in 11 different countries, but wish her the best in her new adventure.

                In the transit of schools and moving from campus, to home, to a new apartment, I felt like I needed to ground myself a bit. Reflecting on my weeks’ experiences has made me sit down and think about the good things that are happening in my life. I’ve also found great creative outlets in experimenting with desserts, crafting new creations, and throwing together original outfits. I’m excited to carry the good vibes into the New Year.

Love,

 Annie

The wrap up

                Seems like forever ago since my last blog. Finals week came and went, and I feel like a huge weight is off my shoulders. I was lucky enough to go skiing Friday for the first time this season. It was a great day, and the perfect opportunity to blow off some steam. I finally finished all my Christmas shopping this weekend (mental note to never go to the mall the Saturday before Christmas again). I’m having so much fun wrapping and making pretty tags.

                I’ve also been given the duty of Christmas dinner this year, and I’m pretty excited for it. I’ve got some research (and grocery shopping) to do to come up with some new recipes—but for the classics too so my dad and brother are happy. My list of things to do this week seems to keep on growing; I want to make cookie boxes for gifts as well. And since Kenzie and I have a few days off this week I’d loveeee to squeeze in another ski trip…at least my list is full of fun, holiday things to do.

                And for my fashion wrap up, I’ve been wearing my scarves a new way lately. I safety pin the two ends together and put it on like a loop with the pin at the back of my neck. Twist twice (once with shorter scarves), and wah-lah, a new accessory.

                I also went festive and bold this week with my nail color, by sporting some forest green. I figured red would work too for the Christmas spirit, but green changed things up. This color is Rimmel Camouflage.

Happy Festivities!

Love, Annie

The last week

     Last Monday, my roommates and I were feeling like it was our "last week." And to look at the study-zombies we are now, I think we were right. Lei's struggeling to finish a 15 page paper, Kenzie is memorizing hundreds of muscles, and Liz is always in the library for something or another. And me? I keep getting that "yay, finished" feeling after completing a paper, only to be followed by an anxious "only three more to go" feeling. Hah. These next few days it's takeout and Dunkin', so this blog will focus on a wrap-up of last week, when we were cooking, hanging out, and enjoying the calm before the storm.

We went all out on this Taco Tuesday: Nachos and burritos
I think the plan for tomorrow night is takeout and act like we made it.



Ground beef with Taco seasoning, cheese, tomato, jalepeno. Serve with guac and sour cream and yummmm



      Since Kenzie cooked the beef and made the nachos, I cooked Wednesday night. This is Honey-Basalmic chicken served with brown rice and steamed veggies. So good. The recipe is from my favorite site, Sparkrecipes.com.

Honey-Balsalmic Chicken Breast

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Black Pepper 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) 1 Lb of boneles, skinless chicken breast (four, 4 oz pieces 2 tbsp Balsalmic Vinegar 2 tbsp Honey

Directions

 

Combine first 4 ingredients; sprinkle over both sides of chicken.
Heat EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 7-8 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink.
Reduce heat to medium low, transfer chicken to serving platter; keep warm. Add vinegar and honey. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until glaze thickens; stir constantly. (Glaze will bubble up as it's stirred) Pour glaze over chicken and serve.

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SHUFTILL.



We decided this is our family Christmas card. From left: Kenzie, me, Liz, Lei, Russell
Happy Holidays! (Also, like my short hair? I always welcome a change)





After a fun night out, these jumbo-pancakes were an awesome Friday morning treat.

Good luck on finals everyone!

Love,

Annie

A Christmas Story

      For my final Photojournalism project, I had to do a photo essay, which tells a story through photos. I wanted to go see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for a few years now, so Mackenzie and I decided to  take a day trip, and it ended up being the perfect story for my photo essay. Enjoy!

Rants & Technical Difficulties

     I am NOT a Mac person. Period. I'd love to get one someday and learn all the ins and outs of it, but for now, I'm stuck sitting in the campus computer lab, frustrated that there is no right click and Control + C does not equal copy. I think it's safe to say I'd rather be learning Chinese right now than iMovie. And loud guy who's hip-hop ringtone keeps going off? You're not helping! If I were in the privacy of my own apartment, I'd be throwing a temper tantrum at this very moment. But since that might hurt my rep on campus, I'm blogging to express my angry energy.

What I feel like doing right now. Pic from: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com 

     For a short week, this one's sure dragging. I just feel as though my mind is elsewhere, already checked out. And all those projects I was keeping up on? They're starting to pile up. It would help if the things I thought would be easy didn't take FOREVER. Curse you, Macintosh!

Later for now,
Unless you're a Geek Squad member, and in that case, find me at Southern.

The wind down

                Normally, I am a neurotic freak during the last week of classes. But right now, I am happy to report that I’m feeling relatively stress-free. I’m actually more concerned about going out this week than worried about finishing final papers. That’s not to say I haven’t been doing my work, I have. But I’m sleeping easy with the outlook that the sooner I finish my projects and papers, the sooner I’ll be rewarding myself with a fun night out, Saturday morning coffee, and a manicure.

                On an aside, this freezing weather has me acting like a home-bug. But when I come in from a frigid walk home from class, these fuzzy booties are like hot cocoa for my feet. And although my dog seems to think they are a wearable chew toy, they are a piece of heaven after a long day of Uggs. They are a small investment for a big payoff of chilling at home comfort. Mine are about $20 at Old Navy.

For those of you who don't believe your eyes, Mackenzie is cooking in this photo =)

            

                My roommates and I recently established a new tradition, Taco Tuesday. Last week, we made chicken with red beans, tomato, lettuce, guac, sour cream and salsa in soft wraps. There are rumors of nachos for tomorrow. Mmmmmm...



Gia, Lei, myself and Liz...so sad there aren't many downtown trips left this semester.

Happy Studying!
Love,

Annie

Taste of home

                If Thanksgiving break is intended for relaxation and time with family, mine definitely fulfilled expectations. I spent Thursday cooking with my mom and putting up Christmas decorations. Usually, my family puts off decorations until the last minute, but this year my dad and I had the lights up Friday, and my mom and I had the tree up by Saturday. I’m happy we’ll have the whole month to enjoy them, but was a little sad to leave my newly decked home for my apartment back at school. So, I added some cheer by putting up a few small trees, and Mackenzie helped me hang some lights.

               It's been a while since I've had the time to be creative, so I caught a bit of the craft bug this weekend. With a total investment of $5 at Target, I got enough supplies (along with odds and ends I had at home) to make fun, handmade cards. I was feeling as though it were a bit early to start on these, but I know the next few weeks will whiz by, so I enjoyed the crafty time while I had it. I still believe that something with heart and thought is always better than something bought.

                 My craftiness was not restricted to the Christmas cards. My mom was trying to figure out what to use as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner, and I remembered making this at history camp as a kid. Simply poke cloves into an orange for a air freshening decoration or ornament. I only had enough cloves for one, and did a pattern around instead of covering the whole thing.

                Now that things are cozy and festive, I’m mustering up the rest of my determination to power through these last two weeks. I keep reminding myself how rewarding it will feel when finals week is over. The taste of downtime and comforts of home are giving me the motivation I need to finish things strong.

My mom and I went through with the Turkey Trot 5K for the second year in a row

I'm no marathoner like my mom, but we pushed each other through

We had fun, and even beat our time from last year. I finished around 28 minutes.



          My mom made a beautiful turkey, and among helping with other things, I whipped up this easy cornbread. It came out delicious.  

Here's the recipe from Sparkpeople.com

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup sugar 4 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt 2 beaten eggs (or egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs.) 1 cup 2% milk 1/4 cup cooking oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, yellow cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine eggs, milk, and cooking oil; add to flour mixture all at once. Beat just till smooth (do not over beat).

3. Spray pie plate with cooking spray and spoon in mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or till done.

Makes 8 servings.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JENNTX77.

               Lastly, there were two birthdays this week. Happy birthday Mom and Monti!

Stay festive!
Love,

Annie



Turkey Fever

What a (half of a) week. Yesterday, I had jury duty for the first time. I’ll be brief and say the eight hour experience was less than desirable, but now I feel like a member of some strange, selective club.

I managed to break my lazy streak from last week, and am now feeling like the rest of the semester is downhill. Only two papers and a second draft left! It’s amazing to see my pile of read books be so much higher than my pile of not read books. Just got to keep the momentum up for two more weeks, more or less. Speaking of momentum, after forcing those gym shoes on last week I have been running more. I even found a pretty route near my apartment (believe it or not New Haven is not always the most scenic). I’ll be doing the Turkey Trot 5K race with my mom on Thanksgiving. It's nice to see those leisurely runs turn into a decent finishing time.

Tomorrow, I’ll be working—finally some cash flow—and then attending my high school’s Thanksgiving game. For me, as for everyone I hope, Thursday is a commitment free day of relaxing, cooking, and eating.  And for the fourth year in a row, I’ll be spending black Friday at Old Navy. Hopefully, no retail-related stampedes this year!

How will you be celebrating Turkey Day?
Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Annie

Liz's yummy S'mores dessert,
Chocolate chip cookies baked in pan with chocolate chips and marshmallows melted on top



Mackenzie was craving rice and beans. Brown rice topped with red kidney beans sauteed in olive oil.
Big shout out to the girl in Spanish aisle that told us how to cook these.



Happy 21'st birthday to Lei!

Four weeks and counting...

I'm in a slump...
     I do like my classes this semester, but after almost three months of the same routine, it can get a bit monotonous. But while I'm hoping the rest of this month rushes by, I'm not sure I want this semester to be over either. Spring semester is always a little less fun--snow storms don't really make you want to put heels on and go out. And after that, I have one semester left (hopefully). So I'm hoping this last full week before Thanksgiving break blows by so I can come back refreshed and ready to enjoy the last few weeks of class in December.
     And thinking about Winter break also has me thinking about January--the new year, my birthday, and my intersession class. Lots of changes...and some new, New Year's resolutions.
     Right now, I'm going to grudgingly put on my gym shoes and try to break this lazy mood.
Love,
Annie


Another outfit from last week. Not sure what I'd call this look. Red isn't usually my color, but I love a change.




Sweater, Hollister (Gift from Kenzie's mom).
 Jeggings, American Eagle
Scarf, Street vendor
Boots, Target




Kenzie and I were craving something different. He suggested nachos.
Ingredients: 1 bag tortilla chips, taco blend cheese, jalepenos, tomato, onion, refried beans
Served with sour cream and guac. Result: mmmmmmm



Elementary, my dear Watson

                When I was leaving my apartment this morning, my roommate said I looked like I was should be going to solve a crime. I was definitely channeling Sherlock Holmes with this outfit, and I love the vintage-y feel of it. Today turned out to be a beautiful Fall day after what felt like a freezing Winter morning. So I was able to go sans-jacket with the cozy sweater. My feet were comfy and warm in my Uggs, which conveniently are the same chocolate brown as my hat. I’m feeling better today, but while still suffering cold symptoms, being stylish and unique put me in a happy mood.

                 Whenever I wear a hat, I feel the need to pump up my eye make-up, so my eyes don’t completely disappear. I layered up on bronze eye shadow and thick liquid liner. This is one of my favorite laid back hairstyles as well—I had Liz give me two French braids last night, and woke up with soft waves this morning.

Walk the dog, and take pics for my blog at the same time? I think so.

I felt like a character from Dicken's time

Pretty blue skies

Hat: Forever 21

Sweater: Gap, gift from Mackenzie's mom

Belt: Borrowed on a long term basis from Mom ;)

Jeans: Delia's

Boots: Ugg (And I'm sure Kenzie would want me to mention he bought them for me a few years ago)

Love, love.