chipotle and the grammies

I had my first cooking casualty this evening. I was cutting chicken for our chicken stir-fry and the knife that I was using wasn't as sharp as it could be and when I pulled across and went back across one more time... it got me. I think I was in shock. It wasn't anything that Neosporin and a couple of Bandaids couldn't take care of, but still... I ran in the bedroom and yelled frantically at The Boy "YOU HAVE TO FINISH CUTTING THE CHICKEN! I JUST STABBED MYSELF," kicked my flats off and across the room, and hurried into the bathroom. He saved the day and fixed me right up (and finished chopping the chicken, no less).

I've since cozied up on my bed and am watching the red carpet arrivals for the Grammies. I have to say that I just switched it on in time to see Lady Gaga emerge from her limo in quite the atrocious outfit (as if we'd expect any less from her crazy self...). Am I the only one out there who just doesn't get the hype of Gaga? I mean, her songs are catchy and her fashion is just... well, in my eyes, a bunch of fashion DON'TS, but everyone everywhere is saying that she'll win everything tonight. Guess we'll just have to watch and see!

P.S. Giuliana Rancic is co-hosting the E! Red Carpet and I just heart her to pieces. After Sandy Bullock, I'd love to be BFFs with Giuliana. If you haven't watched her show (Sunday nights at 9pm on Style!) you absolutely HAVE to. She and her hubby are just way too cute together.


I also had Chipotle with The Boy for the second time in my life today. I was trying to be WW friendly and tried out the Chicken Burrito Bowl only with no rice... that was tough stuff for me. I LOVE their Cilantro Lime Rice so without it I had (because you're all so interested) black beans, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, chicken, and salsa... tasty! Speaking of tasty, I'm off to put together the deadly chicken stir-fry (minus knives).

what a whirlwind of a weekend...

I kind of can't believe that this weekend is over. I mean, despite the whole extra day and all... it went really fast.

Friday I spent the afternoon babysitting for the kiddos that I used to nanny for, and it was nice to get to see them for a bit. It seems like they get so big in between each time that I sit for them-- the 3 year old is talking up a storm and has SO much personality (I might have taught him how to say "Youuuuk!" when he showed me his Youkilis t-shirt), and the 6 year old kind of blew me away. We were driving home after everyone had been picked up and they were sort of talking about how they didn't have to go to school on Monday. I kind of assumed that the 6 year old wouldn't know why, but I had gotten as far as to ask "So do you know what holiday is on Mon--" when I'm cut off, hearing "YES Katie-- it's to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Listen-- we learned a song. I'll sing it." She proceeded to sing SUCH a sweet little song in complete honor of this wonderful man, and I was just pretty impressed. I remember singing songs like that when I was in elementary school, but I had honestly been cynically thinking that so many issues could be raised when speaking of MLK, Jr that the topic would just be pushed aside. It is so encouraging to know that the little, most influenced people are still being taught (and absorbing!!) such important things as this. It made my weekend.

Saturday we went to the Winter Jubilee Beer Fest in downtown Boston with The Boy's cousin and his girlfriend, and his other cousin and two of his friends. To sum it up... pictures were taken on another camera, it started out fun, the night went downhill REAL fast, and hangovers were setting in by 7pm (I suppose that's what you get when you buy tickets for a beer festival starting at noon...). We ended the evening with Domino's Pizza and were passed out by 10:30pm. Big party people, we are indeed.

Sunday was spent recovering and getting The Boy's grandparents house ready for his Pop to head home from a short vacay at the hospital. Thank goodness things are recovering well and he's resting (so-much-more comfortably) safe and home sweet home. We headed home afterwards to watch the Cowboys game (which we will NOT talk about), and so I could make a pot of my sauce with turkey meatballs (delish!). Also, The Boy and I FINALLY finished up The Sopranos. The series ended, I knew what was coming, he did not, the anger flashed, the disappointment settled... and we went to bed.

We woke up this morning to lots of snow and headed into Boston for the Bruins game/ The Boy's Christmas present. Sad thing: a sausage on a roll with peppers and onions is twelve points. A Sam Adams is 4 points. Within 15 minutes, I had consumed more than half of my daily points. As painful as it was to point that mess, I did it and I am SO proud. In the past, I so would have just acted like it didn't count and just ignored the fact that I consumed all of that mess... but today I did not. We broke out the indoor grill and made chicken fajitas... and they were fabulous. The Boy handled the chicken and I sauteed up A TON of peppers, onions, and mushrooms (more veggies + less chicken = fewer points), measured out my cheese, sour cream, and spicy fat free refried beans (holy moly, my own heaven... 1/2 cup = 1 point) and went to town. I was famished and threw mine together before I could take a picture, but The Boy came walking in with his plate and presented this to me:


I mean really-- how tasty does that look?! It was so good. He had my fresh guacamole on his, but after the whole (fabulous) sausage and peppers fiasco, I had to abstain from the guac.

We have to be up and at 'em by about 7:30 in the morning, so I'm going to fill out this little thing (because I love them), finish watching some new show that he DVRd ("American Pickers") and head to bed.

Bits and Pieces of Me (that kind of sounds disturbing...)


1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? Fleece Christmas tree pajama pants? Really?

2. How much cash do you have on you? Nada. I never, ever have cash. Lots of change, no cash.

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? Sore.

4. Favorite planet? I'd have to say earth because I'm not so big on the astronomy thing (supported by the fact that I had to Google "astronomy" and make sure that I was not meaning "astrology"...)

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? Unknown, which turned out to be a nanny agency.

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? I was lovin' my Christmas songs this year-- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree for my parents, Merry XMas (War is Over) for my main tone.

7. What shirt are you wearing? a black spaghetti strap top-- bedtime!

8. Do you label yourself? As unemployed with a Bachelors Degree? Sure do.

9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? not a thing-- like I said, bedtime!

10. Bright or Dark Room? I'd have to like the dark, for sure.

11. What do you think about the person who is to your left? It's The Boy-- he's pretty neat.

12. What does your watch look like? When I wear it, I believe it's silver with an ivory face.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping-- we're getting old :/

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? The last message received would be a picture my brother sent of my dad yesterday, wearing his old-timers Cowboys helmet. Needless to say, it didn't work.

15. Where is your nearest 7-11? Near The Boy's parent's house.

16. What's something that you say a lot? "Oh man!" or "Oh geez..."

17. Who told you he/she loved you last? My Mama.

18. Last furry thing you touched? Probably the blanket I'm covered up with right now.

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? A few things here and there for an unsettled tummy, and the pill that prevents the babies.

20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? I have a ton from soooo long ago back home, but nowadays I am of the digital camera.

21. Favorite age you have been so far? Despite the no-job situation, I'd say 24 is looking pretty good.

22. Your worst enemy? Carbs... yet they're my sweet best loves.

23. What is your current desktop picture? Me and The Boy during my first trip to Colgate.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "What's the point of this? What do they do with this stuff once they buy it?", in reference to the American Pickers show I mentioned.

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? For sure the million dollars.

26. Do you like someone? I'm lovin' The Boy.

27. The last song you listened to? Not quite sure... whatever was playing last on the radio in the car.

28. What time of day were you born? Around 8pm I believe.

29. What’s your favorite number? I like 7 and 52-- completely random and unimportant.

30. Where did you live in 1987? On the Northside in Temple!

31. Are you jealous of anyone? People who can effortlessly run for miles on end, and the teensy girls who can pack away pasta with not a bit of evidence on their bodies... not that I'm hostile or anything.

32. Is anyone jealous of you? I hope not... although I am a pretty lucky and blessed girl.

33. Where were you when 9/11 happened? Sitting in my World History class in the L-Wing... I'll never, ever forget that.

34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Hasn't happened in forever and ever, but I probably mutter at it and look crazy as I give people "Poor me-- give me sympathy" looks as they walk past.

35. Do you consider yourself kind? Absolutely.

36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be? It would be SO tiny and on the very low part of my front right hip.

37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be? Well I've spent enough time working on French, so I'd have to go with that.

38. Would you move for the person you loved? Of course.

39. Are you touchy feely? Very much so-- love my hugs and kisses!

40. What’s your life motto? To be happy, healthy, and have faith!

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times? My rings (one from my parents, one from The Boy), my phone, and a bottle of water.

42. What’s your favourite town/city? I looove me some Austin, Texas. And you can't really beat New York City either.

43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? I added value to my train card with cash...

44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it? The main person I write letters to is my Grandpa, and it's probably been too long since then...

45. Can you change the oil on a car? Um, no, but I know how to watch the sticker and make sure when it's time to take it in.

46. What's one thing that you will never talk about on your blog? Anything super personal about my relationships (in any and all regards).

47. How far back do you know about your ancestry? Bits and pieces on my dad's side, nothing on my mom's side. Lots of Scottish and Irish, a wee bit of German...

48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy? Probably my plum bridesmaid dress for my cousin's wedding.

49. Does anything hurt on your body right now? My lower back has been bothering me, but it's only because I'm an old lady...

50. What are you going to do now? Turn myself over and head to sleep!

one month (and one day) away from valentine's day!

It's official y'all. I'm goin' stir crazy. I have run out of things to do in this condo all day long.

Someday, when I'm a mama, I for sure would love (if we're blessed with the right circumstances) to be able to stay home with my babies. I've heard that that's a job all on its own, but at least I would be BUSY. I have cleaned, baked, organized, cleaned up the kitchen, planned recipes for the next week and a half, run through my blogs... and it's only 1:41pm. I need this job asap. I gotta get out of here.

Also, this whole being stuck inside all day thing does not support interesting blog material. The Boy and I are heading to the gym this evening and then back home to make BLTs and tomato soup for supper. I might be saving all of my points today to spend on that tomato soup (with crushed up saltines, of course) by itself. I am snacking on a nice bag of broccoli with a 1/4 cup of part-skim mozzarella cheese.

It's amazing what thinking of what you're putting into your body does to you. My mindset has completely changed. Doing the whole Weight Watchers deal, where you write down every. single. thing. that you put into your mouth. It really brought to attention not only the portion sizes that I was eating but also all of the mindless snacking. I'd walk into the kitchen and have a few crackers, a tiny piece of cheese, a fruit cup, etc. (not all at once, but spread throughout the day)... that all adds up. I'm becoming very obsessive about it, in a good way. I've learned to eat zero/low point snacks instead of just not eating (like I did before), eating high fiber vegetables with meals (to fill me up, instead of having the carbs/starches)... and it feels so good.

In other thoughts...

One month from tomorrow is Valentine's Day!! I am THE holiday nerd who just gets beyond excited for holidays such as Valentine's Day... I love to do the baking and the decorating and buying the gifts and making homemade stuff... I feel excited just talking about it. I've already got ideas going for The Boy's gifts and surprises... and I love that. I feel like there are only a few days/holidays each year when a surprise for a significant other can really be justified, and I mean really-- when the day revolves around pastel-colored candies and flowers and cupids, surprises and sweet stuff are just an understood necessity. I love Valentine's Day for all of these reasons... and this one:



I haven't been this excited for a movie in a really long time. I mean, just look at the cast! The Boy has already agreed to go see it with me-- I mean, really. A boy can't complain when the female cast consists of Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Garner, a boy can't complain about being dragged to the movie.

I've just gotten myself way too excited about Valentine's Day and am off to search for recipes and ideas. I'll start saving the points for VDay treats now...

welcome to the real world.

My eyes flew open at 6:42 this morning with one thought in my mind: in six years, I'll be THIRTY. I had a mild panic attack. Like... I laid in bed and stared at my ceiling until The Boy's alarm went off at 9:30am.

I don't know if it was an overwhelming feeling because I'm so in between right now... I feel like a part of me is freaking out a little bit because I'm at that terrifying point of being in between school and the working world. I want to be working. Badly. I want to have something to get up and do everyday, because right now, I'm going a little bit stir crazy being stuck inside all day long. I'm job-hunting but I'm probably leaning more towards a nanny position right now-- the publishing/PR market is just not super friendly right now, which is stressful on its own.

I guess this is all just a part of growing up, but it's not fun. It's not the whole "I'd rather still be in school" feeling, but more of the "I want to be working... now" feeling. Everyone has always told me that as soon as you're out of school you want to be back in... I don't feel that way. And I mean... I have an English degree. There are many things out there that I could be hired to do. I guess I'm just hoping to nanny right now... I'll make more money doing that at the moment than I would doing retail or something like that.

Holy goodness... that was just a big vent I suppose. It's stressful growing up...

New Year, New ME!!

I'm back in the gym.

I joined Weight Watchers.

I graduated from college and am awaiting my diploma.

I made the trip home to Texas for Christmas and saw my wonderful family and friends (and pets!).

I hit that "What do I do now?" point between college and the real world.

I've been trying new recipes out left and right and am really getting into the swing of cooking healthy (but delicious and fun!).

I think that just about catches me up to speed on the past, oh... month and a half of my absence from blogging. I'm hoping that now that I'm out of school and don't really have obligations (you know, like homework and such), that I can start blogging every day. There's this thing going on where you blog and post a picture every single day during the year and it kind of comes out to like a photo blog/ journal of your year... I like that idea.

Just to catch everyone up on what's been going on with me...


All of the ingredients for my Bourbon Peach Cobbler at Christmas.
I have a whole series of pictures, like the good food bloggers do...
but I think I've waited too long to include all of them. So I'll just post this one...


... and this one. The finished product.
Let me say two things: it was pre-WW and it was DELISH!

(l to r) sisters (and me): Aunt Linda, Aunt Deb, me, and my Mama on Christmas Day.


This would be my Daddy's leg. It's leaps and bounds better than it used to be. The family are actually on their way today to Houston for a checkup. I'm so proud of my dad... he's been off of his feet for a year now, and is doing so well in his physical therapy. It still surprises me sometimes, to see this on his leg... This has just proved even more of how much of my hero my Daddy is to me.

Carol, me and Amanda
I feel like the three of us hadn't been together in a really, really long time, so it was so nice to be able to just sit down and catch up at our old stomping ground (Chili's). It hit me that I was saying goodbye for probably another six months as we were leaving... it's never easy, and I feel like I'll never find friends like these girls. I guess on the other hand, however, you make different types of friends. That's really comforting to me.

The future Dr. Shivani Desai! I love meeting up with Shivani when I'm home. It's usually Starbucks and the hour that we said we would spend catching up typically turns into 3 hours before we know it. I'm so proud of her going through med school and working so hard... I'll have a doctor friend someday! She's wonderful and just is such a great friend.


As for New Year's Eve...
My mom had lap band surgery on December 30th and I had a 6am flight back to Boston booked for New Year's Eve. Well, thanks to insane security at the Austin airport, I missed my 6am flight. Not the best start to my day and, knowing that tons of snow was heading towards Boston, was terrified that I would miss my flight. A wonderful airport employee booked me on an 8am flight out of Austin (and upped me to first class-- kind of made up for the whole missing my flight ordeal) and put me in Chicago, where I waited on pins and needles for two hours until my next flight. I seriously thought I'd be stranded in Chicago on New Year's Eve and didn't take a relaxed breath until we were in the air. Things actually worked out for the best because all of the snow moved through Boston around noon, the time that I would have originally landed. It was so, so nice to get back to the condo, unpack, shower, and see my boy. We may have been long distance for two years, but I've certainly gotten used to having him around so often!

Brian's cousin and his girlfriend (Ricky and Candice) came over that night and... it was such a nice night. We debated going out and having fun vs staying in and relaxing... and the relaxation definitely won out. Candice and I get along really well, which is nice because the boys are like brothers. We ordered Thai and watched lots of Jersey Shore until the countdowns came on, then the boys headed out for beverages... and Candice and I entertained ourselves otherwise.

Needless to say, I spent much of the next day in bed.

One of my Christmas gifts was a molcajete and let's just say it took a while to prepare it for use. You have to sand it down with white rice, rock salt, and then season it.

The Boy had the process DOWN.


Alright well... I'm pictured out. I really am going to try and do the picture/blog everyday, so let's cross our fingers that all goes well.