Bittersweet Revelations

So, I've had a sneaking suspicion lately, but tonight's events erased any doubt I had--my cooking mojo requires two of my best friends.

I met both KC and Julia in DC during the fall of 2006, when we were all new interns to the city. As my friendships with both ladies blossomed, some clear themes in our interests developed: desire to improve educational and healthcare opportunities in America and abroad, general compassion for humankind, appreciation for beauty in design and nature, love of trashy reality TV, and obsession with producing and consuming good food and booze. That last one is how I spend most of my time with them--impressive, since I currently live 1000 miles from each of them. Each time I visit, plans always revolve around where we'll happy hour and what we'll cook. And when we chat, usually daily, at least 20% of any given conversation will be about a recent meal or recipe we want to try.

So it shouldn't be all that surprising to me, but I think I'm a better cook when I'm with my ladies. Delicious drinks? Check. Look at these watermelon margaritas from a summertime stay with KC. Creamy pastas? No problem. Check out the gluttonous carbfest (parts I and II) hosted at Julia's last month. Pasta and booze? A divine pair in Pioneer Woman's Pasta alla Vodka...when cooked in KC's apartment kitchen.



I made it on my own a few weeks later--it wasn't as good. And when you're talking about the calorie count in these dishes, not as good doesnt cut it. Same goes for most of the homeade mac n cheese dishes I've attempted, and now the rule applies to sweet treats too.


Tonight I decided to make a Lukan Christmas standard--the Pretzel Thingies (they were a more recent addition to the Christmas goodie menu, so I don't think we've given them an official name). Basically, they're idiot-proof baking, and supposed to end up looking like this:






They couldn't be easier--the only actual baking involved is putting them in the oven for a minute to melt enough that for you to smoosh the M&Ms down on the top. Mine ended up looking more like this:

I don't know what happened. Well, actually, I do. I'm pretty sure I seized the chocolate. I've made these a bunch of times over the last 10 years--many times with said friends--and they've never been anything less than as tasty and cute as they're supposed to be.

So, suspicion confirmed. I must be in the company of good friends to be at my culinary best. Not such a bad thing, really.

Year two begins...

So in an email update to a colleague today, I mentioned that Justin would be flying a helicopter sans instructor pilot for the first time this week and I'm mildly freaked out about it. She suggested I should write a little every day about this experience since my jitters today will seem so strange when the first times of today become the everyday experiences of tomorrow. So here I am again, guilted into chronicling...

Speaking of firsts, we celebrated team Daniel's first anniversary Sunday. Sept. 12, 2010 was much sunnier and pleasant than 2009's, but I can't say it topped last year. It's so hard to believe it's been a year--so much has changed about lives in those 365 days. Careers evolved, names changed, property virginities lost...I don't know that another year of my life has been as volatile--surely none has been as fun.

I suppose this is why not knowing (again) where we'll lay our heads in a few months is no more scary than it was the first time around. Change is certainly something I've learned to count on in this relationship (probably no different than most). The unknowns and curveballs are just chapters in our adventure--made so much easier by the fully-committed partner at my side.

Our anniversary adventure consisted of brunch, a nap, and rolling some homeade sushi. *Sigh* I love my life.

My Florida

Sweatiness and new friends.

fashion advice

Me: Which should I wear? (holding a white sundress and a multicolored flowery one)
J: Oh, definitely the flowery one. The other one reminds me of the Klan.
Me: ...because it's all white? So did I remind you of the Klan in my wedding dress?
J: Yea...kinda.


*Sigh*

Speaking of white dresses, here's a pretty one.

Congrats to my favorite couple of muffins, Julia and Russell!

New hobby

So, for the duration of our relationship, Justin has brainstormed potential hobbies for me. I don't know how or why this started, but lately his suggestions have had a specific agenda: things Nicole can do from home to make gobs of money for our family. Sweet, isn't he? And after learning first-hand the cost of a good photographer when planning our wedding, he decided this was it. Photography is a perfect "hobby" for me.


In theory, he's right. The only problem with this is that I'm a consumer not a creator. I like to read, not write. Eat, not cook (until recently). Observe, not perform. You get the idea. Not that I think myself incapable--I just don't usually commit the time and effort to an activity to produce anything worthwhile...


Enter commitment: Canon Rebel T1i. We finally got our first-time homebuyer tax credit check and it was burning a hole in hubby's pocket. So we took the plunge and bought the thing--guess I gotta learn how to use it.



We spent the day in New Orleans just after purchasing the new toy--here's the result:

round two

So, I'm going to to try this again. In my defense, the last few months I was distracted first by a home search, then by the whole home-buying/closing process, and now the joys of homeownership itself (read: painting, lots of painting). Here she is:

After realizing that my Mac-owning, Skype-using parents were becoming more tech-savvy than me, I posted my first youtube video, an annoying virtual tour of the house.

Since moving to the new 'hood, I've discovered that my street is a hotbed of drunken bicycle riders. Sometimes they bring Miller tallboys and their 5 year old daughters, sometimes just the garbage bag full of dead soldiers on their bike baskets. But they're always swerving. I'm glad my office has such a view (mostly so I can watch for any potential damage to my Chuck and definitely chase down the 2-wheeled culprits). Ah, Pensacola.

deep breaths

Ok, so I had to take a moment to settle down after reading this article on Salon today. I had the expected knee-jerk reaction from the lead paragraph (ps, you can't actually leave your husband if he's not there--grow a pair and talk about it when he gets home), but that's not what upset me about Cook's article. The part that bothers me is that she blames the demise of a marriage that probably never should have happened on the military life. Not in an F-U for ruining my life kind of way, but that's clearly the message.

Now, I know I'm new to this military wife thing and I can't pretend to be an authority. I have it easy compared to most right now--we don't even have to think about a deployment for at least another year or two. I see my husband daily. Sometimes he has more free time than I do. Still, I learned pretty quick that this life ain't easy. I don't get to be his number one, the USMC does. That's a hard thing to deal with as a new bride, but I had a pretty good idea that's how it was going to be I signed up.

I'm not saying this chick didn't have legitimate beef with her husband, but she should have known what she was signing up for too. A positive pregnancy test is not a marriage contract now and it wasn't in the 90s either. This Dartmouth-educated couple should have realized this. While no one can look into a crystal ball and say whether their marital fate may have changed if they made a different choice, but it's likely they weren't presented with a lot of other options. It pays to get married and have kids in the military--literally. That's why this is so hard to read, because you hear about the divorce statistics of members of the military and I can't help but think that this system encourages people to take steps like marriage before they are ready. I understand why they do, but what other job starts to pay you more when you get married?

When J and I went to the pre-marital counseling session on base (which is not mandatory, but saves you a little on the FL marriage license), we were the oldest couple there. By a lot. I'm 24! As we went around the room and introduced ourselves, we learned that one couple was 17 and 18 years old and both sets of parents opposed the marriage. I'm not saying they're destined for divorce, but come on. Did our fearless leader, a retired Navy chaplain, offer any advice to these young lovebirds? Nope, he continued to tell us how extrememly important sex was in a relationship--to a man especially--and how we can swing from the chandaliers or show up at the door in saran wrap and heels if it helps (I wish I was lying here...), and proceeded to turn on "The Break Up" to illustrate the finer points of communication in a relationship (again, wish I was kidding). I love Jennifer Aniston, but do I think she'll help my or my teenage friends' marriage...no. I can't help but think that they make marriage an awfully appealing step for young couples without a whole lot of strings attached.

Back to Ms. Cook, I won't judge her by that article and I do hope her life is happier than it was before. This road isn't for everybody. But as her son starts the journey that J did a few years ago at the Naval Academy, I do hope that she doesn't choose to opt-out of that trip too--it's not one I'd want to take without my mom.

2010 Olympic Alpine Team Announced

me: so a boy i played spin the bottle with when i was six is officially on the olympic ski team now
Julia: aw thats neat
you played spin the bottle when you were six?
me: haha i think that is the one and only time
Julia: hussy
me: guilty

Congrats to Andrew!

Lobster Saturday!

So, Saturday J and I attended a party at of one of his classmates' apartments where I realized (rather, finally admitted to myself) that I'm grown up. This girl just can't handle drinking games at 2:30pm. Unless football is involved. Or New Orleans. So when we bailed 2 hours later, we did what any respectable old married couple would. We cooked our first lobsters.
First, thanks to Joe Patti's for making this experience affordable and fun. The most impressive fish market I've been to (in the states--Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is in another category entirely. You haven't lived until you've heard a Japanese auctioneer sell 500 lb tuna at 5am...), Joe Patti's is probably number two on my list of things to miss when I leave Pensacola. A super friendly staff person helped us pick out these two beauties.
We got them home without incident and since I now own a legitimate stock pot the cooking process was relatively quick and painless, at least for me. Those of you who've heard the story of Maryland Meets Iowa night of July 2007 know that cooking crustaceans has not come easily to me...

10 short minutes later, ta da!

I know the wine is wrong, but I forgot to pick up any chardonnay, and the bottle in my fridge was Barefoot--not lobster worthy haha. My greedy husband has spent the last two days asking with a sad tuna face "is there any more lobster left?"
Finally, before settling in for three and a half hours of Apocalypse Now (I will never be able to watch West Wing and see President Barlett the same way again, btw), we whipped up some Toblerone Dark Chocolate Honey-Almond Fondue--thanks to my two new favorite things--my iPhone and the Epicurious app.

Grown-up land ain't so bad...

Rule number one can go straight to hell

5 Ways to Lose Your Sanity While Working from Home

They're both wrong. The key is to have a heirarchy of sweatpants--ie you must change from old ratty yoga pants into new(er), more stylish yoga pants.

Note: I am breaking my own rule today--still in the 8-year-old hand-me-down sweatpants from last night. Rainy day exception.

cb and tb

So, I was reminded today how behind the tech-times I am when my mom emailed me today, saying she Skyped for the first time with the grandkids in Japan. As a 24-year-old, that's not a milestone your mom should reach before you...

I have, however, recently developed an addiction to hulu.com. This site should really be blocked for anyone who works from home...so I'm watching last night's Conan, since he's significantly funnier now that he's really bitter and pissed at NBC, AND Tom Brokaw was his guest, who I love and like to pretend we have some connection since he went the UI journalism school for a hot minute, and Tom made the face.

This one:


Whenever I see CB make this face where his mouth is just a squiggle line I think "man, I wish real people could make that face" and now I keep encountering instances where real people do!

See Tom's:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/120285/the-tonight-show-with-conan-obrien-tue-jan-12-2010?c=2051:2089

And here's my niece Libby's:


Will someone please teach me to do this??