A time to reflect

This past week has been filled with tragedy, sadness, and uncertainty. The events that have happened in Boston have brought Americans together as a nation, and have taught us all what is really important in this life. At the time I'm posting this, one of the suspects is still at large. It's still unclear if this was a domestic or foreign act of terror, which is still causing a lot of panic throughout the country. 

I, like pretty much every other American, remember exactly where I was when I found out about the terrorist attacks of September 11. I was in Mrs. Bell's math class. I was in 8th grade. I was in a class with people I remain friends with to this day. I remember my mom picked my brother and I up from school and hugged both of us. Soccer practice was cancelled that afternoon. I went home and every channel had coverage from New York. Even ESPN had news coverage. I think at that time I was too young to really understand what was going on. I did understand that another country who didn't like us did something bad, and many people died. The next summer we went to New York and Boston for a baseball trip to watch the Yankees (my favorite team) and the Red Sox (my brothers favorite team.) I remember walking around in New York and walking past ground zero. I looked through the chain link fence to see nothing but concrete and some construction equipment. Farther down on the fence there were stuffed animals and posters with names on them. I started crying uncontrollably. I didn't know anyone who was killed or injured. I had no connection to New York. I can't explain to this day why I was crying. My mom put her arms around my shoulders and walked me away from where those two buildings had once stood. I returned to New York two years later and again stood behind the chain link fence surrounding ground zero, and this time I did not cry. Maybe it was because it was three years after it had happened, or maybe it was because I was older and understood more. I was more angry than sad the second time.

The bombings are different to me. Yes, it's still awful. But I think within hours of September 11, everyone knew who was responsible for it. This week, we still don't know if this was just two young men who hated America, or if they were sent my a terrorist organization. Obviously there was no one on the run after 9/11, and today the police are still looking for the second suspect responsible for placing the bomb. The news coverage is all over. Thirteen years of technology allows news to be delivered instantly to us. Social media especially seems to be playing a huge roll. I still can't figure out if it's a good or a bad thing. There have been lots of conflicting reports, and many that have been flat out wrong. 

Back to what I want this post to be about though. I think this week has made me realize how lucky I am to be safe, and that all the people I love are safe as well. My past two years away from my family and friends has developed some very strong bonds with the handful of people in my program. As graduate students, it was difficult to make any other friends, and now, looking back, I wouldn't have wanted any other friends. The people I spent practically every day with for two years are the best friends I could have ever asked for. 

(Graduation, May 2012)

I came to Clemson not knowing anyone. It was just me and my dog. Little did I know that I would meet some of the best people I would ever know. We supported each other through some difficult times. We helped each other in classes, through readings, research, and TA'ing. We spent our weekends together. We went to trivia almost every Wednesday. Some of us spent major holidays together with each other instead of with our families. We tailgated pretty much every Saturday during football season. We laughed, we cried, we celebrated. 

(Our first tailgate, 2010)

(Matt's basement, late 2011)

(Decorating Christmas cookies, including the Kate Middleton and Prince William cookie, December 2011)

During my thesis defense, my advisor asked me some questions about what I had learned over the course of two years. I answered that I head learned how to become a better writer, how to skim a book, how do research, etc. I learned who Ben Tillman was. I learned what Marine training was like. 

But I also learned more about myself and whats iportant in life. I met the best people I have ever known. Genuine, sincere, always helping me be my best. I learned compassion. I learned that during the most trying times, my friends would always be there. I learned that Mallory can smell the difference between diet coke and regular coke. I learned that Michael can sleep in a bathtub. I learned that Matt knows a little bit about literally everything. I learned Parissa loves British royalty so much that she would make a video to try to go to the royal wedding. I learned Madeleine knows all the best places to get Lily Pulitzer on sale. I learned that Justin is a mean drum player. I learned I truly have the best friends I could have ever asked for. 

(Buffalo Wing Fest, September 2012)

(Backstreets, Summer 2012)

(Ryan and Michael on Strom Thurmond's desk, 2010)

Most of all, I learned that all that really matters at the end of the day is having those who care about you by your side. And they can be by your side even if you live halfway across the country. Sure it was gret that I learned all this history stuff, but it was even better learning it next to the people I learned it next to. I'm very thankful to have met each and every one of you, and I am so glad that we share such a strong bond to one another. We spent two intense years together. I got much more than a Master's degree from Clemson University. I learned much more than what I read in my books. I met people who have a very special place in my heart, and I will always remember the times we shared together. I'll remember our first tailgate, the jockey lot, Michael peeing in the sink, Civil War in Matt's basement, the keg party, Wednesday trivia, all those good times in the grad office, movie nights, Mallory's chicken pot pie, Parissa's enchilada casserole, Matt's shrimp creole, Madeleine's chicken wing dig, and Michael's bourbon. There are some nights when I have nothing to do, and I long for those days when we all would go out on a weekend, or celebrate on a weeknight after we turned in a paper for historiography. You all are the best people I ever could have met, and absolutely the best friends I could have ever found. Sure, I'm working a job a high school drop out probably could do, but I don't for a minute regret going to Clemson, because I met all of you. So thank you for sharing everything with me the past two years, and for being such wonderful friends.

(Our last tailgate, 2011)

(Ryan, Quinn, Parissa, and Michael during trivia, 2012)

Ryan wants the Green Jacket

Well, it's Ryan's favorite weekend of the year: Master's week. Four days of golf, 24 hours of television coverage, betting pools, twitter being refreshed constantly, and the golf channel logo causing burn-in on our television. I, on the other hand, am bored out of my mind, and will probably go see Jurassic Park 3D by myself tonight.  Watching golf is one of the most boring things for me, and I always fall asleep when it's on.

Last week dinner started with chicken and gravy, a recipe from the Wegman's Menu magazine. I thought it was delicious. I made it with roasted red potatoes and put some of the gravy over them. It was a wonderful start to the week.


Tuesday I made Thai shrimp cakes. The recipe called for unsweetened flaked coconut, but it was impossible to find in the stores, so I just omitted it. It was still really good, but I don't really like coconut anyway.

Wednesday we made chicken and artichoke pizza, and I remembered to take a picture of it. We had a can of sundried tomato spread in our pantry that moved from South Carolina with us, and we decided to use it on the pizza. This makes a great leftover lunch too, which was perfect for me. 

 Thursday we had another recipe from Wegmans, citrus soy salmon. Ryan loves salmon and said it was very good and the salmon was cooked perfectly. I just really liked the sauce. It was a pre-made sauce, and I normally don't like buying them, but it was cheap and I realized that by the time I bought all the ingredients it needed, it would have been way more expensive. Thanks again, Wegmans.

Friday we essentially did the same recipe as last night but with cod. And roasted red pepper sauce, again a Wegmans recipe. I made mashed potatoes and used the rest of the gravy from Monday with it. 

Saturday and Sunday we had dinner with my parents and Ryan's parents, respectively. Then on Monday we had leftovers my mom gave us from Saturday. That thing that looks like a smiling rock on my plate is actually a sweet potato roll, and it was very tasty. 

 Tuesday we had orecchitte with turkey sausage and broccoli. It was very easy to make, and it was good, but I personally think it had a little too much white wine vinegar in it, and needed more garlic. Of course I thought I took a picture but I either deleted it or my memory is terrible. On to Wednesday! I made Latin baked chicken. This did not sound spicy at all. The marinade was lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and adobo chiles in sauce. Bake for 20 minutes, and enjoy. I thought I was going to breathe fire after eating just one piece of it. I seriously only could eat 4 bites before I was crying uncontrollably from the heat. Ryan managed a couple more bites than I did but it still was a major failure. We both ate a bunch of couscous and peas. By 9pm I was hungry (obviously) so I went to bed instead of eating. Scratch this one from future menus!

 Thursday night I was hesitant to cook the planned menu because it was "Ceasar Salad with Spicy Shrimp," and after the previous night's fiasco, I was pretty hungry. But as it turned out, it was not that spicy. I was kind of light handed with the chili powder though. Those are homemade "croutons" too, tortillas with chili powder, salt, and pepper, and baked for about 10 minutes. I had to buy about 50 tortillas though so I'm going to sprinkle some with cinnamon and sugar and make chips out of them later this weekend. The salad recipe also called for homemade ceasar dressing, but since we already had a bottle of low fat stuff in our refrigerator and I did not feel like buying all the stuff to make the dressing (ex: anchovy filets), I used what I had. This picture is the salad pre-dressing.

Friday I had a "bald beaver" party (you try to figure out what that is) so I had dinner there and Ryan was on his own. I still don't know what he had. Tonight I am making flank steak with Sriracha (we must be on a spicy kick). We had some free time this afternoon so we went to a local restaurant wholesaler where Ryan picked out this gem: 

Guess what we're having for dinner for the next 2 weeks?

We also went to see Jurassic Park 3D. ***Happy Dance**** I had just turned 6 when Jurassic Park came out the first time twenty years ago, so I never saw it in a movie theater. At the time, my brother, who was only 4, loved Dinosaurs. And since his name was Timmy as well, this movie was totally up his alley. My Grandmother bought the movie on VHS for him the day it came out, and that night, my mother sat Tim down on the couch and explained it might be scary. So that scene when the t-rex eats the car, and the lawyer, comes, and my brother is cheering. I, on the other hand, am hiding behind the couch, literally peeing my pants. Literally. 

Well, JP has become one of my favorite movies now. Ask any of my friends. I love it. In Clemson, we played the Jurassic Park drinking game. I even had the JP theme played at my wedding ceremony. Definitely not a "traditional bride" move. So when I heard it was being re-released, I knew I had to see it. It was my first 3D movie, and it was pretty cool, aside from having to wear those glasses the entire movie. I didn't pee my pants when the t-rex jumped off the screen and roared this time. And I must say, the sound in the theater made the movie so much better. The best 3D part was when the raptor jumped up to try to bite Lex's leg when she fell through the ceiling. I mean, I really though that thing was a-comin' through the screen. Some day, if I ever have a kid, I'm totally showing them JP. For a movie that came out in 1993, the visual effects and anamatronics were quite astounding. But I'll probably wait until they're a little older than 4, or even 6, to show it to them. But hey mom, don't worry, I still turned out OK. You may want to check on Tim, though. 

 My movie ticket and cool specs. Totally going in the scrapbook. 

Despite what it seems...I have cooked in March!

So I realize that my last couple posts have not been focused on food that much. This is mainly due to the fact that I haven't used any new recipes and have had to use the rest of the food in the freezer/pantry before I can buy new stuff. So some of these recipes I have used before, and therefore have not included pictures, but this week we got a new Cooking Light and used all new recipes. So if you really detest reading this, skip to the end for the new recipes. If you're sticking with it though, read on!

This post picks up March 3, when I made herbed chicken for Parissa while she was here. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture, but I have made it before. Monday I made tortellini with homemade sauce. It was the first time I have ever made homemade sauce, because I am zero percent Italian. It was not bad, kind of spicy and very garlic-y, but still edible. 

Tuesday I made glazed ham. The glaze was just apple juice, brown sugar, and dijon mustard. And mashed potatoes, which were clearly too dry. Just look at the picture. 

Wednesday I made buttermilk chicken. Oh man this stuff is so good, the breading tastes like chick fil a, but it's actually healthy! We tried some curry couscous with the chicken, and all we can say is that we don't recommend it. Blech. 

Thursday we used up the rest of the buttermilk and made brined pork chops. They sat in the brine overnight and were pretty tasty. We also used the rest of the french fries in our fridge. 

Friday I didn't eat dinner because I went to my first Bikram yoga class with my friend. She told us not to eat 2 hours before the class, and I didn't want to puke in the middle of it. I sweated like a pig, but it was a lot of fun, although I discovered I am not very flexible, and I should probably stick to yoga in a room where it isn't 105 degrees. Saturday I had my parents over for dinner since my Dad was leaving for Hong Kong the next day. I made "fried" chicken (again, covered in a previous post, so no pictures). That night we finally watched Argo. Can you say "pity Oscar?" And on Sunday I had a fundraising event for the West Side Pussy Project, so we both are barbeque at Fat Bobs. 

Monday started by gym membership! I've been going spinning 2 days a week, a total body pump class on Friday, and doing free weights and treadmill another day. It's been going well so far, which is surprising since I have to get up at 5:30 to get to spinning. So to kick off my first gym day, we had hamburgers. Ryan has about 40 in the fridge, and in our desperate attempt to clean house, we ate some nasty frozen patties. Tuesday Ryan made chicken and artichoke pizza. We forgot to take a picture, but I am making it again this week so I promise to get a picture up here soon. Wednesday my photography skills once again crapped the bed, but we had smothered pork chops. I will make a mental note to repeat this recipe so I can get a picture. Thursday we met with a relator because we're looking to buy a house soon, so I had a leftover half sandwich from lunch. On Friday we had another fish dinner at my family's house. And on Saturday we had dinner with Ryan's parents. So basically, I have one picture this entire week. Oops. 

Sunday I made braised beef, a sure-fire tasty recipe. We are still looking for the right cut of beef that falls apart perfectly and that isn't too expensive, but we're close. 

Monday I made pea, leek, and bacon risotto. Ryan decided to add some shrimp into his. 

Tuesday we used the rest of the ham and made reubens. 

Wednesday I made chicken parmesan and pasta with a salad. The chicken was pretty plain, but I guess that's the only way to make chicken parm the healthy way. Check out Ryan's awesome dressing pour. 

Thursday we had pulled pork sandwiches with a pork tenderlion. The sauce is really jut tomatoes but it was decent tasting. Friday we had another family fish fry. I promise, lent is over now, so we will start cooking dinner ourselves on Friday!

Saturday we had more lobster ravioli. The healthy white sauce we made with it got a little too thick, but it still tasted ok. Sunday my mom invited us over, so we had dinner there. 

 And this Monday began our week of new recipes! Our fridge is cleaned out, freezer empty, pantry-well we're working on that, but there was a little space we could fill. Monday we had BBQ turkey meatballs with mashed potatoes. Ryan loved them. 

 Tuesday I made soy marinated pork sandwiches. Ryan did some research, and it seems this is Cooking Light's healthy take on the traditional Vietnemese sandwich Banh Mi. I'd put the link in here but y'all can just open another tab and google it. It was not bad, not as spicy as I expected, which is good for me since spicy foods and my stomach don't like each other. 

 Wednesday we had pepper caramel shrimp, which was quite tasty, but contained a little too much pepper for my liking. 

Thursday we make teriyaki chicken with some leftover noodles that kept falling behind the lazy susan and causing me to bend in all sorts of ways to reach back to grab it. The noodles got a little sticky when I stir fried them, but we both ate it. 

 Saturday we made Buffalo chicken salad. I did not put the sauce on my chicken (again, too spicy), but I took a picture of Ryan's plate. He loved it, and mine was good as well, even without the hot sauce. 

Well there you have it. A month of meals in one post. I'm trying more new recipes this week so I will make sure to post at the end of this week. 

And one final note, my dog turned 9 today, and I celebrate 4 years of having him with me. He's such a sweet heart, and I hope to have at least 4 more years with my little guy. I'll also have to post the story of how I got him one day, but that's for a different time.