Burnin' love

Last night, Rhett and I ate my favorite make-at-home meal: turkey tacos.  Made with lean ground turkey meat, a little bit of taco spice, peppers and onions, this is a quick, easy, yummy way to eat my favorite genre of food....and about 100x healthier than going to a restaurant for the same meal.

Usually I dig into my tacos with reckless abandon. I try to eat slowly and savor each bite, I really do, but they are simply too delicious. 

But lately, eating turkey tacos- or any other spicy food, for that matter- has been fun only for a short bit.  I've started experiencing a strange, foreign, and extremely disappointing sensation in my chest afterwards. It is called heartburn, and there's a reason for that. It burns my heart.

I say disappointing because I've noticed that all my favorite foods have been doing this to me.  Pizza (because I love those chili flakes sprinkled on top); spaghetti and turkey meatballs (again with the chili flakes, and also the acidic tomatoes in the sauce); three-bean turkey chili (my heart breaks and burns when I eat this). 

Common sense tells me to just stay away from spicy foods. As does my doctor.  But I am stubborn. These are MY FAVORITE FOODS. These foods make me happy. I love preparing them, savoring them, and then eating them again the next day as leftovers. 

There's also the small issue of my relatively recent discovery of spicy foods. And really any foods other than pizza or peanut butter. I was the girl who once ordered a hamburger at a Mexican restaurant in high school. 

(Judge all you want.  It is shameful.)

I think moving to a new city and then a new country really made me explore outside my comfort zone and try new things. None of these things are particularly brave or astounding, and I know most people were eating these foods years before I did.  The two best examples: sushi and Thai food. Once scary-to-me foods, now two of my truest, dearest loves.

So I think that's why I'm being so stubborn. I just found these foods. I love these foods. I don't care if they make my chest burn, they are delicious and I'll eat what I wanna eat!

On that note, I'm off to Rite Aid to secure some heartburn medicine...as I just had leftover turkey tacos for lunch.  Will I ever learn?

Answer: No.

Short week blues

Yeah. You read that title right.

I've got the short week blues. 

That doesn't mean I'm sad that it's a short week.  The exact opposite, in fact.  I am thrilled, ecstatic, blissful, and thankful it's a short week. Because it means that at the end of this short week, I'll be flying to Denver to see my family and meet Baby Ryan, and eat a huge delicious meal and take a turkey nap, and shop and visit and cuddle with nephews. WHEW!

There is a problem with short weeks, though.

They

take 

FOR

EV

ERRRRRRRRRR...

How am I supposed to smile and relax when so much excitement awaits me???

Welcome to one of my biggest challenges. I struggle with not looking back or forward, and just focusing on and experiencing the moment right now.  Weeks like this really test my ability. Blame it on my laziness mixed with severe impatience. If I had my choice, I'd curl up in my bed and nap and read and lounge until Thursday arrives, taking a break only to pack my bags.

So, what to do, then? How do I make this time pass more pleasantly?

Easy. I fill my time up with lists of chores and things to pack, intense workouts, favorite TV shows throughout the week, and lots of quality time with Rhett, friends, and cats.

For anyone who experience the same ants-in-your-pants as I do, just take a deep breath, and try to enjoy yourself. :)

Thoughts for Monday

"I never get enough sleep. I stay up late at night, cause I'm Night Guy. Night Guy wants to stay up late.

'What about getting up after five hours sleep?' Oh, that's Morning Guy's problem. That's not my problem, I'm Night Guy. I stay up as late as I want.

So you get up in the morning, you're alarm, you're exhausted, groggy, oooh you hate that Night Guy!

See, Night Guy always screws Morning Guy. There's nothing Morning Guy can do. The only thing Morning Guy can do is try and oversleep often enough so that Day Guy loses his job and Night Guy has no money to go out anymore."

-Seinfeld, Episode 67, "The Glasses"

Please ignore the goofy grin on my face

This week I'm overwhelmed with happiness, so why not make a list of all the things that are making me smile these days? You know my love for lists, and I know your love of reading them.

- I'm excited to meet this guy:

Ryan Patrick Tanner, born 11/16/11, 8 lbs, 13 oz.

That's right! Baby Ryan finally decided to make his grand entrance into the world- only 2 days after his due date.  Patricia texted me Tuesday night at around 11:30 p.m. (9:30 her time) that she was off to the hospital. That made me so excited I couldn't sleep for another hour.  Ryan was born around 2 a.m. Denver time (4 a.m. here), and weirdly enough, I woke up around that time and couldn't fall back asleep for awhile. I think that must mean I'm Ryan's favorite aunt.  That's the only reasonable conclusion.

- Thanksgiving is next week.
Sorry, I'm going to have to repeat that once more, because if you're anything like me, you keep forgetting this and are startled when you look at the calendar.  So, here you go:

THANKSGIVING IS NEXT WEEK.  

This is the first Thanksgiving I'll spend with my family in more than 4 years.  Don't get me wrong- I love my family. It has been agony not going home to spend this holiday with them. But it usually comes down to money, or lack there of, and time off work, and the fact that I always go to Oklahoma for Christmas time.  Oh, and that whole "I lived in England for a year" thing.

However, I have still enjoyed Thanksgiving over the past 4 years. The first Nov. we lived in Philly, we drove up to Burlington, Ontario in Canada to visit my aunt.  We ate Swiss Chalet on Thanksgiving, and had a big turkey dinner on Sat. It was lovely, and it was the first time Rhett visited Canada and met some of my relatives.

After that, Rhett and I always made a small turkey dinner for two with all the sides, and watched Christmas movies and drank lots of wine. And took a long post-turkey nap with the cats. Everyone was happy, and it was awesome.

This year, there will be a wild 2-year-old to play with, and a newborn to hold, and lots of time to kick back and relax in Denver. I think this Thanksgiving might win.

- I got a new job. :) :) :)
But more on that later....

- I'm getting my hair highlighted on Saturday.
This doesn't need an explanation.  It is obviously the most exciting of all my news.

 - I get to play trains and cars and chase and just have an all-around blast with this guy soon: 

Cheesin'

Whew. Lots of good news this week and lots to look forward to.  It goes without saying that I'm thankful for all of it...but I'll say it anyways :)

Winner winner chicken dinner

(Rhett introduced me to that expression after beating me at a game of Crazy 8's last week. Apparently it's real. Who else is saying that? And why?)

If you are in fact looking for a winner of a chicken dinner, look no further.  I've got a recipe up my sleeve that will knock your socks off.

It's actually my "oldest" recipe, and by that I mean I've been making it since I was in college. And by THAT I mean this was really the only meal I made if it was a special occasion or called for something other than sandwiches or ramen.

When I got my first apartment in college, my mom got me the standard checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook I'm sure you're all familiar with.

(Confession: she might have bought it for me even before college, but the first time I cracked it open was my sophomore year of college).

My sister and I, and our respective roommates, would trade off every Sunday and host dinner at our homes. This was probably the first or second time we did it, and it was my first time to host.  Time to bring out the big guns!

I remember being slightly panicked when I was buying the ingredients for this recipe. I remember being even more panicked when it came to cooking it.  I also recall I served crinkle-cut french fries with it, the kind that you buy frozen in a bag, and bake them in the oven.  Not a vegetable in sight. The epitome of health.

But most of all, I remember how GOOD the chicken tasted, and how tasty the french fries were dipped in the sauce, and how my sister and our friends really enjoyed it. I was probably 19 or 20 at the time, and this was my first real recipe. 

Tonight when I make it, the process will go a lot smoother than the first time.  I'll put the chicken in the oven, and while it cooks, I'll confidently chop and measure and stir, all while trying not to lick the spoon. I'll also make sweet potato fries from scratch, and pair the whole meal with some green beans or asparagus. It will be delicious and nutritious, and I believe I'll enjoy it just as much as the first time.

Oven-Barbequed Chicken (Better Homes and Garden)

• 2 1/2 - 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks) *I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Easier to cook with and I prefer the taste.
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3/4 cup bottled chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions

1. Skin chicken. Arrange chicken, bone side up, in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender but not brown. Stir in chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, mustard, horseradish, and crushed red pepper; heat through.

3. Turn chicken bone side down. Brush half of the sauce over the chicken. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F for breasts; 180 degrees F for thighs and drumsticks). Reheat remaining sauce; pass with the chicken. Makes 6 servings.

Crossing to the dark side

As I am sure most of you know or are close to figuring out by now, I love to read. I honestly cannot think of a more relaxing way to spend my time, especially when its paired with a cup of tea or a glass of red wine.

My sister is also a big reader, and on a weekly basis, we email or text each other new titles to check out.  She's like me and gets her books from the library.  I love supporting the book publishing industry when I can, but its also nice to support local libraries...and get books for free!

Now that I have a nephew, soon to be two nephews (Baby Ryan is being a slow poke- hurry up, buddy!) its so much fun to think of books that I loved to read as a kid and I can now pass on to him.  Of course, I'm not sure if Will or Ryan will gravitate towards "Sweet Valley High" or "The Babysitters Club" like their mom and aunt did, but I think they will have a great love for reading just like us.

I never thought I'd say this....but....I am considering getting an E-reader. 

What????!!!! 

I know. It's crazy. I have been so against them since they started coming out, and now I'm caving. Why would I want to purchase something that you need to charge, and that could ultimately break? You're telling me I can't read an E-reader in the bathtub because I could drop it and therefore ruin it? Huh? What's the point?

However, that all changed last week when Rhett returned from a business trip in NYC, where he was able to discuss the new Kindle Fire with Amazon reps. It hasn't come out yet (not until tomorrow), so I haven't been able to use it or find out too many details, but from the articles I've read about it, and from what Rhett told me, it sounds pretty sweet. 

Kindle Fire

My mom has a Nook, and she seems to really like it- I'm going to test hers out over Thanksgiving and see what its like to read a book on it.  Hopefully Amazon has some good deals for Cyber Monday. 

Question: What are your thoughts on E-readers? Do you own one? Have you used one before? And as always, do you have any book recommendations? :)

Pet peeves

Is it really only Wednesday? Could this week go any slower?

I'm grumpy today, so what better excuse to list some of my pet peeves?

- Comic Sans font

Source

Few things make my blood boil than Comic Sans. If I see a website entirely written in Comic Sans, I will not read it.  If your business has promotional materials with Comic Sans, I will protest it.  And if your menu lists food in Comic Sans, well....I'll still probably eat the food, but I will certainly not be happy about it.

And guess what? I'm not alone. There's an actual website whose main mission is to ban the typeface. I fully support this movement. And if you're looking for a more reputable source than that, how about this BBC article on it?

- Unnecessary abbreviations, spoken or written

If someone were to say the sentence "OMG, my hubs is totes excited I'm preggo," in my presence, I honestly think I would collapse out of pure exasperation and hatred for those words.  I know, its all the rage these days to abbreviate normal, easy-to-say words into cute little tiny ones, and I am probably in the minority in this. But still, if you are an adult, why not speak like an adult?

Exception to this rule: Australians, and that's only because they have fun accents. Some British people might also be able to, but only the really charming ones.

-Slow walkers on the sidewalk

Get out of my way, please. I have neither the time nor the patience to walk behind shufflers.

- Bike riders who think they rule the road

Now, let's make this clear: I think bike riders have the same right to be on the road as drivers do. But with that right comes rules.  If you expect to have the same rights as drivers, why do you not expect not to have to follow the same rules as them?  I can't tell you how many times I have had to dodge bike riders when its my turn as a pedestrian to cross the street. If your light is red, please stop and wait until it turns green. Then you may go. Thank you.

Alright. That's enough grumpiness for one post.  Now for what I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful to live and work in Philadelphia. There is never a shortage of things to do, and I have made so many wonderful friends here. I think I love Philly even more in the peak of its seasons, and the fall foliage right now is still so pretty, with big crunchy leaves falling everywhere. :)

This isn't Philly, this is Boston. But Philly is just as pretty right now. You'll just have to take my word for it.