Personal Favorite of 2011

An album I couldn't live without this year was Radiohead's, King of Limbs. Honestly, I'm not sure they could do wrong for me....ever. I love them and I DO venture to say that they are my favorite band....ever. I say that with confidence that this is the way I feel right now, and that this is likely to change at some point, but despite that, they will always be the "bee's knees" in some capacity. One of my favorite songs on the album, Little by Little.

Pork, White Bean and Kale Soup

I made this delicious soup last week, and this is the end product.
I like to try new things when I cook. This time, the new ingredient was kale. I've never had it before, and I loved it! I have no idea what Bug thinks of this...all I know is that he is a good man and he pretty much eats whatever I put in front of him. I like to think I'm broadening both of our palates. So, I got the recipe from a grand website called "Eating Well." Having been diagnosed with somewhat high cholesterol, it's always nice to find a recipe that is healthy and yummilicious!


The picture above is about halfway through the cooking process. With the exception of breaking down the kale, this recipe was super easy ! Here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pork_white_bean_kale_soup.html

End of the Year Fun !

I love the end of the year. It's a time to review the previous year's events...both good and bad. And we learn a little about ourselves in this review. As for myself, I didn't blog nearly as much as I hoped I would, but that's ok. I'll blog more about this later but I had A LOT going on this year! No, today I want to focus on other end of the year reviews....Music!

For the music enthusiast, this time of year is a treasure trove. You get to peruse over all of the great stuff you heard throughout the year, AND via all the great blogs and podcasts, you get to discover all the stuff you missed!

Over the next few weeks, I hope to highlight some of my favorite things I've heard this year, as well as some of the things I've only recently discovered. Over several posts, I'd love to divulge my own personal favorites of the year as well as some new discoveries. So, here it goes...

Personal Favorite #1
Artist: Bon Iver
Album: Bon Iver
Song: Perth

Recent Discovery #1
Artist: Marketa Irglova
Album: Anar
Song: Crossroads

Stumble Ole !

The other day I stumbled upon something amazing...stumbles, although sometimes embarassing, can also be quite serendipitous ! I will just get to the story:

The other day I was thinking about what I could make for dinner that would be cost efficient and tasty. I have somehow created this great recipe for quesadillas (that I have regretfully not posted here as of yet) and decided that this would be the perfect dinner for the night. As I was walking through the grocery store, I went through my mental checklist....tortillas: Check!....chicken: Check!...Cheese: Check!....Taco Seasoning: Wait.....I have recently been a little disappointed with the amount of salt in packaged seasonings. Not long ago I was diagnosed with high cholesterol so salt intake has been on my mind quite a lot. I have discovered that there are brands that have created a lower sodium version but it still seems like a lot. With a family history of strokes and heart attacks, even these heart friendly versions of spice packets were a little alarming. So it hit me ! I can make my own !

The funny thing is that I know for a fact that this is nothing new to the cooking world...but it makes all the difference in the world to me. I don't know if I will ever buy a spice packet again.
Here is the taco seasoning recipe I drew inspiration from but if I had to be honest, I did my own thing and tried to be light on the salt.

TACO SEASONING

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Use as needed or make in bulk and store in an airtight container.

Voila !

I'm a Blog Celebrity !

One of my best friends from high school has an awesome southern cooking blog called Louisiana Pickle and I am featured in her most current post ! Check it out !

I don't think anyone will ever forget where they were when the tragic attacks happened on 9/11/01. It is hard for me to believe that 10 years have passed since that awful day. For myself, I was just beginning my first day at an internship for speech-language pathology in the educational setting. I was still in Monroe. 10 years younger and only 4 months away from graduating with my master's degree...Even though it was my first day, and there was a lot to learn, everything stopped. All of us were glued to the television. What an unexpected way to start the day ! In the days and months that followed, I watched as people dug through the rubble, looking for friends and family, and heard the many heartbreaking stories from family members and loved ones of the heroes that were lost that day.

Our whole world changed that day. This event challenged our country in so many ways and we continue to grow and learn from that day in ways that we never knew were possible. 2 years later, I defied the fears of many of the people I love and decided to move to New York City. I think I was drawn to this city in part because of the typical wide-eyed wonder of a suburban girl who wanted something bigger in life (haha) but also because of the resilience and feistiness of the cities' residents who would not and continue to not let anything get them down. Here I am 8 years later, and so much has happened. I met the most fabulous friends a girl could ever have, had some amazing experiences and travels and best of all, I met the love of my life. When I look back on the events that occurred 10 years ago, my heart is extremely sad, but it is also incredibly full because now I know what strength and endurance of spirit this city has to offer....and I am so happy to be counted in that group of people who are New Yorkers.

I'm a Jersey Girl

I know it's been a while since the last time I posted. The truth is...I've been traveling like crazy ! Bug and I have had one wedding after the other and then of course, there is vacationing and our wedding planning trips. All of this has taken up a lot of time ! In the midst of all the travel, I've also moved to New Jersey. It was such a bittersweet move but I couldn't be happier to be closer to my betrothed :)

We are still in the process of "settling in" but in the meantime, I've been taking every chance to get to know the ins and outs of living in a new place. I have to admit that it has been hard. I loved living in Brooklyn. I knew my neighbors and I felt a real sense of community---like people were watching out for me. I had my neighborhood deli and a favorite restaurant, and best of all, my closest friends were within a few blocks or subway stops away from me. It's true that in a way the move has been isolating but at the end of the day, I know that nothing will keep me from maintaining my friendships....and the other day, I ran into at least 5 friends/aquaintances on the streets of Hoboken! And even though it's been hard, I've come to realize that this is what life is all about....new experiences and new beginnings. Kind of symbolic of the new life I'm about to begin with Bug...All good things :)