kapachino

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  • Ten On Tuesday

    rr10tuesdayMy friend Chelsea (I can totally call her my friend now because we had dinner together once!) has started a weekly feature called “Ten On Tuesday” where she comes up with ten random questions and answers them. I haven’t had the time to participate for the last two weeks, but today I made it a point to because the questions are always interesting.

    1. What are you going to be for Halloween?
    In all likelihood, I won’t dress up at all. I work that day, as well as the day before and after, so I don’t plan to be going anywhere. I think I may have only dressed up for Halloween twice in my entire life. Boring, I know.

    2. Have you ever been on television?
    Racking my brain, and no, I don’t believe I have. Not even on the local channel for high school sports.

    3. Do you have a toilet paper preference?
    Yes. I always buy Quilted Northern double rolls. I think it’s because that’s what my parents always bought. Also, the paper needs to go over the top of the roll, not down the back.

    4. When you’re pregnant, will you find out the sex of the baby? Why or why not?
    Yes, I think so. I’m a planner and I think I’ll need some time to adjust.

    5. What are three items that every kitchen must have?
    Other than large appliances, I’d say a saucepan, a baking dish, and some basic utensils. You could make a lot of meals with those three things, I think. (What I’d like to know: what are your favorite kitchen gadgets? Christmas is coming up and I NEED TO KNOW!)

    6. Do you enjoy Christmas shopping?
    Yes, I do. I love the holidays and when I’m in the mood I like going out into the bustling crowds. I like having specific things in mind to shop for, and I feel accomplished when I find them. Also, ever since 9th grade my dad and I have taken a whole day and shopped together, just the two of us. It’s become very special to us, and something I look forward to every year.

    7. What is your go-to recipe? (The thing you cook more than anything else because it’s easy and mindless.) Please share the recipe.
    I think this is one of, if not THE first thing I learned to cook, and was the first meal I cooked for David when we were dating. So good.

    Enchilada Casserole
    1 pound lean ground beef
    1 cup chopped onion
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce
    2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    10 (6 in) tortillas
    1 (16 oz) can refried beans

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. Cook beef, onion, garlic until beef is browned; drain.
    3. Stir in beans and enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 5-6 minutes.
    4. Layer tortillas, beef/bean mixture, and cheese in a 13×9 dish.
    5. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes.
    6. Remove cover; bake 5 minutes.

    8. Do you sleep on your back, belly, or side?
    Never ever on my belly. I usually lie on my back to decompress, turn to my side to fall asleep, and then I wake up on my back again.

    9. How do you feel about Tom Cruise?
    Well, I think he’s kind of crazy. Definitely lost and misguided. But I do like a lot of his movies.

    10. What books are in your “books to read” stack?
    I’m trying to read all of the books I own but haven’t read yet. You can see my list here (as well as other books I’ve read), or I’ll list them for you:

    • The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood by David Simon (Got this one as a gift from my best friend years ago, because she did voluntary service in a similar neighborhood for a year)
    • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Supposed to read with a friend, but don’t know if that’s going to happen)
    • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (I have the complete works)
    • Emma by Jane Austen
    • Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
    • Lady Susan by Jane Austen
    • The Professor by Charlotte Bronte (I also have the complete works of the Bronte sisters)
    • Villette by Charlotte Bronte
    • The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart
    • The Host by Stephenie Meyer (actually on loan from Maggie, she says I will like it)
    • Inferno by Dante Alighieri
    • Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs (bought really cheap because I heard it was the best of his books)
    • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
    • The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld
    • Moby Dick by Herman Melville (I’m big on reading classics if you can’t tell)
    • The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl (loved The Dante Club by the same author and this one seems similar)
    • Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
    • The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

    Okay…that is a lot of books! I need to get on that, especially since I’m trying to finish them all (plus some others) for my 101 goals.

  • Rainy Day

    Today has looked like this:

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    Hard to capture in a photo how grey and rainy it is, but it is.

    So I took off my running shoes and spent the morning reading blogs. Then I made some Christmas cards:

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    And when I finished with that I unabashedly read for a few hours, switching off chapters between these two books:

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    And spent some time cuddling with these girls:

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    And that’s about all the day was good for, which is okay by me.

    Tonight David and I are going over to Scott & Vanessa’s house (David’s brother and his wife) for the first of our dinner exchanges. We decided to formalize these since we had pretty much been doing it anyway. On Thursday they will come over and I’ll cook for the four of us.

    How was your Monday?

  • El Burgos

    Until I’m whipping out meals on a regular basis with ease, I’m going to write about the meals I cook, dangit. I’m still an amateur, so pretty much every recipe I make is new for me, and when it turns out edible I’m still supremely excited!

    I made this meal last week for my husband and I, and since there was so much of it we invited David’s brother and his wife over. They had already planned on going over to David’s parents’ house, so we just invited the whole crew over. When I told them that I hadn’t even tasted what they were about to eat, my sister-in-law said, “That’s what family’s for!” Luckily it turned out pretty good, although I will make some adjustments next time.

    So this is just your basic ground beef casserole type thing, dubbed “El Burgos” by the More-With-Less cookbook. Hey, I don’t profess to be a fancy cook.

    Ingredients:

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    5 large potatoes, thinly sliced
    1 lb. ground beef
    2 green peppers, chopped
    1 large onion, diced
    2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
    1 t. salt
    1 T. brown sugar
    2 c. tomato sauce

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook potatoes in small amount of water just until tender. Drain.
    My notes: 5 potatoes is WAY too many. 3 would be plenty.

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    2. Saute in skillet ground beef, green peppers, and onions.
    My husband hates peppers and onions, so to season the meat I used some good ol’ Tony Chachere’s.

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    3. Combine in a bowl cheese, salt, brown sugar, and tomato sauce.
    Next time I’ll double all of these ingredients. It needed more sauce!

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    4. Alternate layers of meat mixture and potatoes in greased 2 qt. casserole. Pour cheese-tomato mixture over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
    I used my Pampered Chef stoneware and sprayed it with cooking spray.

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    When dinner was over, there was one helping left, which I ate for dinner the next day. Success! When I make it again with my modifications next time it will be perfect. Yummy comfort food. :)

  • Wellness Profile

    The hospital where I work provides free wellness check-ups every so often. It includes vital signs, height and weight, blood tests for cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and a questionnaire that is analyzed and results/commentary mailed to you. My results? Overall wellness score: 79/100, which is in between “doing well” and “excellent.” I am 27, but my “health age” is 22.2.

    I want to be the healthiest person I can be. Why? First of all, I believe that God created my body, so I want to treat it with the respect that it deserves. Secondly, I want to live a long time for my family and friends, and to make a difference on the earth. Finally, I am convinced that health and wellness increase quality of life exponentially. My recent wellness profile was encouraging, but it also got me thinking about what I can do better.

    But first, what I’m doing well:

    • My vital signs and lab work are excellent.
    • I don’t smoke and never have.
    • I don’t drink any alcohol for personal reasons.
    • I have an active lifestyle, and am constantly walking at my job.
    • I maintain a healthy weight.
    • I put sunscreen on my face every day and on the rest of my body if I know I’ll be outside a lot. I don’t tan or sunbathe.
    • I moisturize my skin daily.
    • I eat breakfast daily.
    • I don’t snack.
    • I don’t use excess salt.
    • Most of the time, I do aerobic workouts 3 times a week.
    • I get adequate sleep (usually 7 hours a night).
    • I always wear my seat belt.
    • I am generally happy, take time to relax, deal with stress well, and have good self-worth.
    • I have an amazing social support system through my family and close friends.
    • We have smoke detectors in our house.
    • I always wear a helmet when I ride my bike.
    • I try to use my legs for lifting and not my back.
    • I do a monthly self-breast exam.
    • I get a yearly pap smear.
    • I see the dentist every 6 months.
    • I have not used any sick days in the past year, and can only remember getting one mild cold.
    • I am up to date on my vaccinations, including tetanus booster and flu shot.

    Now, ways I can improve:

    • Increase my fiber intake, and
    • Increase my vegetable intake. I eat a couple fruits a day, but I hardly ever eat vegetables. I should also eat more whole grains.
    • Take a multivitamin every day. I have some, but I am so bad about forgetting to take them.
    • Do some strength training. Two workouts a week are recommended. I make the excuse that I’m not a member of a gym, but the truth is that you can do strength training without any weights. For example, push-ups and sit-ups achieve the desired goal.
    • Stretch. I have a bad habit of NEVER stretching, even before and after a run. I have started to do a little yoga, but I need to do some straight stretching.
    • Seriously stick to my 3-times-a-week aerobic workouts. For me this is mostly running right now, but could also include workout videos, biking, or swimming.
    • Find a primary care physician and get a physical once a year. I also have a few moles that I would like looked at.
    • Put my phone away when I drive. I don’t really text while driving anymore, but I still find myself looking things up.
    • Transition to using all organic/natural products in my home and on my body.

    What about you? What areas do you have mastered, and what areas do you need to improve in? Why is wellness important to you?

  • The Most Boring Weekend Update Ever

    This past weekend, I worked. 24 hours. I slept about 14. I commuted 4. The time I had to do what I wanted was maybe 2 hours total. Then on Monday, I worked another 8 hours. When I came home, I took a 3-hour nap, and I never nap. Then I woke up, ate, read a little, and went back to sleep. My husband misses me.

    But today is a new day! I am SO well-rested, and despite the fact that I truly did injure my ankle doing NOTHING (maybe I stepped wrong?), I have so far been able to clean the whole house, do some laundry, and watch last night’s episode of DWTS. Next up is the dog park with a friend, and dinner with my in-laws’ tonight.

    I’m never scheduling myself that kind of weekend again.