Blatant self promotion

I just wanted to remind you guys that on the days when I’m quiet over here (like today), I might be hiding out on my other blog.  Just a little blatant self promotion for your Wednesday.

You’re welcome.

Or maybe I’m welcome.

Either way.

Not their car (alternate title: another reason why I hate my neighbors)

The title of this post says it all, really.

This is not his car.

It is not his parents’ car, or his aunt’s car, or his grandfather’s car.

No one in his family owns this car.

Someone in our apartment complex does, and I’m thinking they wouldn’t be too happy if they had seen from their living room what I saw from mine.

And on a side note, he and his brothers have spent 4 hours a day for the past 2 weeks learning to rollerblade and they haven’t gotten any better.  I don’t recall rollerblading being all that difficult.

Oh, and before  you think I’m that creepy neighbor who takes photos of what goes on in the parking lot, let me remind you that my life is like Rear Window over here.  Natural sunlight = open blinds = full view of the misbehavior.  And it’s not just the rollerblading, they’re playing soccer now too.  Soccer in the parking lot, when we have a HUGE MASSIVE FIELD directly across the street.  So on Friday night when Boo asked them to not play so close to the cars, they moved 2 feet to their right.  Which wouldn’t help under good circumstances but helped even less because they suck.  How do I know they suck?  Because 20 minutes later that same stupid soccer ball went bouncing off of my car.

I WILL be wandering over to have a chat with their parents soon.  I hate being “that neighbor” but when I ask you not to play near my car and you bounce your soccer ball off of it…well, let’s just say I’ve seen the damage that a friendly game can do to a car.  (And yes, Mo, I’m looking at you.  Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you dented the roof of a car with a whiffle ball from 50+ yards away.)

What sucks about moving: Having to find a new EVERYTHING

When I left home for school I struggled with a few things…those things being a lack of hairdresser that I could trust with my curls, someone I could trust with eyebrows, and a seamstress I could trust with my clothes.  And let’s not forget about doctors…another hard thing to find!  Luckily I was only about 3 hours from home and was home every 6 weeks or so, so I was able to schedule haircuts and doctor’s appointments for when I was home.

I had the same problem when I moved to NYC.  There it was a bit harder to wait to schedule this stuff for trips back to the Wex so I was forced to find a hairdresser (and we all remember those attempts–some good and some bad!).  And I became obsessive about maintaining my brows (which was actually something a roommate complimented me on.  She came up to me while I was getting ready one day and was like “you know Booty, your eyebrows always look fantastic.”) so that when I had to go a long time between shapings, it didn’t matter; they were always maintained.

When we moved down to Philly I was able to find a doctor PDQ* thanks to a recommendation from a friend from home.  And I was able to find a hairdresser who I am a little bit (read: completely) obsessed with.  She is SO good.  She actually changed the way that I style my hair.

But now.  A seamstress.  Oh lordy.

I have NEVER found a seamstress who I like as much as my lady from home.  She is THE BEST.  I even managed to have her alter my wedding dress for me (and thank God because I was WAY TOO SCARED to have ANYONE else touch it!).  In NYC I had to have a pair of jeans hemmed.  It was a nightmare.  They are bulky at the bottom b/c of the hem job.  And they are weirdly unwearable.  But Madge.  Oh Madge.  Every dress from my junior prom on.  She’s managed to add straps where there were none (even beaded straps on my senior prom dress!).  She’s been tailoring my clothes for so long that she knows what I’m looking for.  For example, even though I need to hem them, I like to wear my jeans long and she knows how much to take off and how much to leave.

And so now I’m bumming.  Hard.  Because I bought a super cute skirt a few weeks ago from J. Crew online and…womp womp womp.  It doesn’t fit.  Even though I know my measurements and used those to figure out what size I am (but don’t get me started on sizing–that’s another post for another day) it still doesn’t fit.  But it was final sale and therefore I can’t return it and I don’t want to because it is hella cute!  And for the price (hello $17.50 from J. Crew!) I don’t even WANT to return it.  But now I have to find a seamstress/tailor.  Someone I can trust not to screw up this skirt.  Plus, I’ve got a bridesmaid’s dress that will need a SERIOUS hem alteration in the near future!

So here’s hoping I can accomplish in just a few weeks what I haven’t been able to accomplish in the past 7 years!

la

*I can’t believe I actually typed PDQ.  I feel like such a cornball.  Eh, I’m okay with that.

Crackeroni and Cheese

When I lived in NYC, I lived just blocks from a restaurant called Fetch.  And aside from super cute doggy-decor, Fetch had one really amazing thing to offer.

Individual baked macaroni and cheese.

Oh, and they delivered.

So basically, during my last month in NYC I had Fetch mac and cheese once a week, at least. I think that you think that I’m kidding when I say “at least” but I assure you that I am not.  I would order Sunday night when I got back from CT and then by Wednesday I’d have another craving for it.  I’m fairly certain that this is because (as you may have inferred from the title) it was laced with crack.  There is no other reason for how addicting this mac and cheese was.  But it wasn’t just a lack of self control that led me to order multiple times a week.  Oh no, it was for more noble reasons.  It was to see if I could crack the secret of Fetch’s recipe!  And I think I’ve finally done it.  Thanks to this recipe (with my notes in parentheses and red type).  All photos in this post were taken by me during the cooking process.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni (I use the whole pound.  And I use Mezze Penne…it’s super yummy!)
3 tablespoons butter (To Fetch-ify it, I add fresh parsley and thyme as well as a bit of garlic powder.  Fetch makes their mac and cheese with their really amazing lemony-herb butter and the herbs really brighten it up!)
1/4 cup flour
3 cups (skim) milk (I use Lactaid milk.  It doesn’t affect the sauce…just makes it a little easier on the tummy!)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I never measure this, just squeeze until it looks right to me)
A couple dashes worcestershire sauce (ditto for this)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (and for this)
12 ounces sharp cheddar or other cheeses, shredded (shred it yourself, it’s way better.  And use extra sharp cheddar.  Like black diamond triple extra sharp.  TRUST ME!  I also add a handful of a Parmesan/Asiago blend; since it doesn’t fully melt, it keeps everything gooey and delicious!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Topping:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

(I usually just Italian seasoned bread crumbs.  They make it more Fetch-like!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta in heavily salted, boiling water until al dente (be careful about over-cooking b/c the pasta will cook a bit more in the oven), as directed on the pasta box. When done, drain (don’t rinse), set aside in a medium casserole dish, and toss with a little butter, so the pasta doesn’t stick together.

Melt 3 tbs. butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add flour and mix into the butter with a whisk. Cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat to cook the floury taste out.

Increase heat to medium and slowly add milk a little at a time, whisking to incorporate. Go slowly, adding 1/4 cup at a time at first, whisking continuously, and then 1/2 a cup at a time, so that the flour has a chance to absorb the liquid and your sauce will be smooth. (It will look like paste and get really glumpy and you will freak out.  MOVE THROUGH THAT.  It will pass and the sauce will smooth out, I promise!)

Add paprika, mustard, worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in cheeses. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Add pasta to the sauce and mix together. It should be saucy. Add the pasta and sauce to the casserole dish. (I just pour the pasta straight into the casserole dish to begin with and then mix it in the dish.)

Melt a tbs. of butter in the microwave in a bowl. Add panko breadcrumbs and stir until coated. Spread panko mixture evenly over pasta.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until it’s browned on top and bubbling on the edges. If it’s bubbling but not fully browned, you can put the dish under the broiler to quickly brown the top.

Oh yes, that’s the stuff!

Dinner is served.  But don’t kid yourselves–this is just round one.  We always go back for seconds!

the funny thing about stomach illnesses

Every so often I get a stomach bug.  Like, a full on bug.

I have stomach issues all the time, I’m not talking about those upset stomachs.  I’m talking about all of a sudden, ill for no reason, can’t pinpoint the pain, sick all night stomach bugs.  The kind where you have no appetite for most of the next day and when you finally get  one back you want every “worst food possible.”

Why is that?  What is it about a stomach bug that makes you crave pizza when you finally start to feel hungry?

Let’s take yesterday for instance.  I didn’t really touch anything but Gatorade and a few graham crackers all day long.  And then around 5:15 I started having a craving for French bread pizzas (and yes, I mean the pre-packaged ones).  But let me back up to around 3:00 when I had a different craving.

I was watching Phineas and Ferb (we can get into my obscene love of childrens’ cartoons later) and Dr. Doofenshmirtz (listen, that’s really his name and his nemesis is a platypus.  It’s hilarious okay?  Plus, it’s a sick day and I get to watch whatever I want to on sick days) ordered a bucket of wings down to his underwater lab thingy.  And he ended up sharing them with Perry the Platypus, who he offered the blue cheese to, because really, he prefers the ranch.  And all I could think about was how I could totally go for some wings.

Something about animated food just makes it look that much tastier.  Don’t believe me?  Watch this Garfield clip (or don’t because even the freeze framed lasagna looks incredible!).  Everything in it looks delicious!

And the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made pizza look amazing:

(picture from here)

And let’s not forget SpongeBob’s delicious Krabby Patties:

(picture from here)

So what is it with the animated food?  Or food in general?  Is it simply the knowledge that you can’t have it that makes you crave something?

In September 2007 I went to visit Boo for Labor Day weekend.  It was my first time visiting a guy’s house and I ended up with a stomach flu.  Such a great first impression right?  Well anyway, I had a second wind or something and managed to get myself back to my house.  During the 3-hour drive home though, the only thing I could even think about eating was McDonald’s French fries.  And when I got home, I spent 2 weeks on my parents’ chaise watching Top Chef marathons on Bravo.  I couldn’t eat anything more than scrambled eggs but I could not watch enough of the food shows.

I really can’t explain it.  Every stomach bug I’ve ever had has ended with  me craving some fairly intense food substance.  The 2007 bug?  Ended with a serious sub craving (or hoagie or hero or whatever you want to call it).  This bug I have the French bread pizza craving.

Am I the only one that wants to gorge themselves on super weird foods after they’ve spent the past 24 hours unable to eat?

Nothing better than childhood nostalgia

Since today is a sick day, I’m taking it easy on the post for today.  (And by taking it easy, I mean being totally inspired by a blogging buddy!)

I need to thank Definitely Jennifer for bringing this website into my life:

imremembering

Go read her post on it and then check out the site because it’s way cool!

Some of my faves:

Cupcake Dolls, I had the one on the far right with the glittery skirt.

Candy Lipstick, I always used to get these when my dad took me to the penny candy store.

Book It, I loved this program.  It meant one guaranteed night of orange soda and personal pan pizzas.

Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bars, I actually started drooling remembering how yummy these were.  Do they still sell these?

Muppet Babies Theme, I die!!!  I loooved this show when I was little!

I think fresh fruit should come with an assistant

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner!  And do you know what that means?  Sun and margaritas outside and fresh fruit!  Fresh fruit that isn’t a gross, stupid banana or apple or pear.  Yuck.  (In all fairness, I actually like bananas, but after a winter of yucky fruit…well, you know).  With the arrival of fresh summer fruit (kiwi, cantaloupe, berries, oh my!) comes the unfortunate task of having to prepare fresh fruit.

Have any of you ever cut a cantaloupe?  Dear mercy!  I normally leave the melons up to Boo.  He has kitchen experience–like, professional kitchen experience, so he knows what he’s doing.  I paid attention last time and I’m good in the kitchen so I figured I could handle it.  By the time I was done my kitchen looked like an operating room.  My once clean counters were sticky from the juice that ran right off the cutting board.  My floors were sticky as well.  There were seeds and melon guts everywhere.  It. Was. Gross.

When I was finished with this melon I started thinking of ways that Whole Foods could bank on my inability to cut fruit.  I mean, I know that they have the pre-cut fruit in the refrigerated section, but I don’t want that fruit.  I want the melon that I picked out.  Plus, what am I supposed to do with my kiwis?  They don’t sell pre-cut kiwi.  And not that kiwis are particularly difficult to peel/cut but they are still a pain.  And mangoes?!  Do not even get me started on mangoes!

So what if there were some way that I could schedule like, a fruit guru to come to my house and cut my fruit?  You know, the cashier rings up my order, asks if I have one of the Whole Foods bags, and then asks me if I’d like to schedule some time this week to have my fruit sliced.  Yes, we have a Tuesday at 11 with Juan, a 3 o’clock with Becky.  Your melon won’t be ripe until Wednesday?  Okay, sure, we can book you at 10:30 with Celeste. I would freaking LOVE that!  It would make my life so much easier!  My hands would never be sticky!  My counters would stay clean!  My knife skills would never be questioned again because it wouldn’t be my work!

I would totally pay more for fresh fruit if it didn’t come with the fear that I’d waste half my purchase because of my inability to slice a melon.

Goodbye until next year, filet-o-fish commercial

I’m actually kind of sad that Easter is on Sunday and I’ll tell you why: for the past 40ish days I have been immensely enjoying the McDonald’s filet-o-fish commercial.  It’s literally one of my favorite commercials and I’ve been walking around for like a month singing “give me back that filet-o-fish, give me that fish! Ooooh! Give me back that filet-o-fish, give me that fish! What if it was you, hanging up on that wall?  If it was you in that sandwich, you wouldn’t be laughing at all!”

And yes, I do know all the words to the song.  And no, I have no shame having that song stuck in my head.  Nor do I have any shame about singing it out loud.

So here you go, one last hit until next year:

(and yes, I know this is last year’s commercial, but it’s the original and what is better than that?!)

Literacy does not appear to be a requirement for a license

Please take a close look at the picture above.  (Oh, and please note that I was at a red light that had JUST turned red and the light is notoriously long.  So, you know, don’t try to report me for safety violations.  Or give me crap when I post about how much I hate drivers on cell phones.  Technically I wasn’t on my phone, I was taking a picture with it.  And technically I wasn’t driving.  Okay, moving on.)

Did you all see the sign that says “Stop here on red”?  And did you see the arrow?  And did you see the TWO cars that were ahead of that line?

Yeah, this is what I deal with on a daily(ish) basis.  No one in this area seems to know how to read, let alone drive!  So here’s what happened.  The car in the front was pulled way up to try and turn before the light changed, which obviously they were unsuccessful at.  So that car was stopped basically under the light and then there was me, a few feet behind the “stop here on red” line.

And then the black car decided that “oh yeah, I should totally turn right too!”  So they jumped in line behind the other car.  I was so shocked to see this–hence the picture!  The thing is, this area is full of hairpin turns and 5-way intersections, and that makes the “stop here” signs super important!  For example, if you are turning right onto the street my car was on from the street I was turning on to (does that make sense?) you need to turn the wheel as far over as you can and even then that turn is not gonna happen if the other drivers don’t stop at their “stop here” line.  Once they pass that line, they get in the way of everyone else!

Long story short?  Driving here has definitely been an education and the back roads are my best friends!