that's not my name!

i officially became a cat owner on january 30 when i drove to indy and picked up a cat who needed a new home due to medical issues of her current owner.  (big thanks to adam for making the drive with me!)  she got settled in almost immediately, exploring my apartment, finding her food and litter with no problem, and settling herself on the couch like a princess.  she was never shy or scared or skittish and is very playful and friendly.  she loves to come in my room in the morning (if she's not already asleep at the foot of my bed) and snuggle with me.  eventually she gets a little annoyed if i don't get up and pats me with her paw until i get up and give her some food.  it's really sweet. 

she's not an angel all the time, though.  we've battled over her jumping on the coffee table and scratching at the edges of my living room rug.  she also is very curious about anything in a plastic cup and has a tendency to stick her nose in them and eventually knock them over if i leave one out in her reach.  around 10pm she turns into a tasmanian devil, running around the place like she's possessed and i hear her periodically during the night batting toys (among other things, i'm sure!) around and darting through the apartment.  i'm sure as soon as i leave for work she wanders around and jumps on every surface that is supposed to be off limits to her. 

with that said, she's a great cat and it's so nice to come home to her.  even if i'm in a bad mood because of traffic or work or whatever, walking in and having her meet me at the door always makes me smile.  i scoop her up and walk her around the apartment and she just purrs and licks my nose.  it's probably one of my favorite times of the day. 

the one issue that we've had is figuring out a name for her.  two weeks in and i was still just calling her kitty or kiki (my version of kitty-kitty, i guess).  the name her previous owners gave her was lucy, but i wanted to change it - mostly because adam and gary have a new kitty called lucy but also because i feel like giving her a name will make her feel more like she's mine.  i've tested out lots of names on her, but nothing seemed to fit.  i debated just calling her kiki, but i like that as more of a nickname.  i know some people take time to name their children after giving birth, but this is getting ridiculous.  how hard can it be to name a cat?! 

and then, yesterday morning after feeding her, i called her a name that just seemed to click.  and i've been calling her that since and it really fits her.  so, without further ado, my kitty, Stella:

lunch is served

i had a couple of yummy and low-point lunches this week, so i thought i'd share....

southwestern chicken salad (4 points)
salad mix
3 oz. tyson prepared grilled chicken strips (2 pts)
1/3 c. black beans (1 pt)
diced tomato
1/3 c. salsa (0 pts, check label to make sure)
2 T light sour cream (1 pt)
fresh cilantro to taste
lime

the salsa and sour cream mixed together subs for regular dressing and you can make it a lower point value by using less or using fat free.  i used a pretty mild salsa and will definitely use a spicier one next time, just to give it a kick.  i mixed the tomato, black beans, cilantro and a squeeze of lime together and then topped the salad with the mixture, chicken and "dressing".  easy, filling and tasty. corn would be a good addition if you can afford the extra points.

black bean burger wrap (6 points)
1 flat out brand light whole grain wrap (2 pts)
1 wedge laughing cow swiss cheese (1pt)
1 pickle, diced
chopped tomato
1 spicy black bean burger (3 pts)
ketchup and mustard

cook and chop black bean patty into chunks.  spread cheese on wrap, mix ketchup and mustard together and spread over cheese, top with burger pieces.  add pickle and tomato chunks, wrap and enjoy.  this recipe originally came from hungry girl's "200 Under 200" recipe book and i just figured out the point value for WW.  you can use a tortilla instead of the flat out wraps, but i love these wraps when i'm missing my carbs and want an option that's going to taste good and not cost me a lot of points.

here kitty, kitty

i've been thinking seriously for quite a while now about getting a cat.  a couple of weeks ago i was ready to go to the shelter and adopt one but things came up and i ran out of time.  i was thinking about doing it this week but decided i should wait until the weekend when i would have time to spend with the new kitty without having to leave it alone all day while i was at work. 

i was on the phone with adam earlier, talking about different adoption shelters, what sorts of things i'd need for a cat, when i could go today or tomorrow, when an email came through from my friend rachel.  the email explained that her co-worker's sister had to find a new home for her cat because her husband is going to be undergoing cancer treatment and is not supposed to be around pet dander or hair.  because of this they need to find a home for their 7 month old cat.  i heard the reason, saw pictures of the kitty and it was a done deal.  i will be driving down to cincinnati the weekend of february 12 to pick her up and bring her to chicago!  i'm soooo excited!  here are the only pics i have so far....

"i don't run unless someone is chasing me"

that was the motto i've lived by regarding running just for the sake of running.  that's not to say i don't run when needed, like while playing tennis, chasing my niece and nephew, trying to flag the only taxi in sight at 3am, etc.  but just to go out for a run and enjoy it has not been my strong suite.  well, i'm hoping to change that.  last year some friends and i talked about registering for a 5K together and i actually started training for it, only to be told by my cardiologist that i had to curb my exercise (even yoga!) until after i had a procedure done and we got my heart issues under control. 

here i am a year later and my friend gary just informed me that he signed up for the race again.  so, i bit the bullet and registered for it tonight.  hopefully having the race looming ahead and knowing i have to do it on a certain date will motivate me to get moving and start running.  i really have no excuse, as i am trying to get healthier, will be joining the local park district workout facility for the duration of these cold winter months, and the 5K literally goes right down my street and past my apartment. i admit, i'm nervous and for those of you who actually like to run and do 5Ks like it's a walk in the park, i'm sure that sounds silly, but like i said - i've never been a runner so it's going to be a learning process.  wish me luck!

restaurant review - my kitchen

so far i've managed to make the roasted root veggies and chicken pesto that i listed at the beginning of the week on my blog.  the veggies were great!

roasted root veg
1 butternut squash (cubed)
1 sweet onion, cut into chunks
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
2 carrots, sliced thickly
1/8 c. olive oil
1 T thyme
2 T rosemary
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt

heat oven to 475.  mix olive oil, balsamic and herbs together, pour over veggies and stir til coated.  transfer to a roasting dish and roast 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15, until veggies are tender.  easy and yummy!

i made the pesto last night and had it tonight with spaghetti squash, chicken and sundried tomatoes.  fantastic!  here's a pic, though it doesn't look as good in the photo as it looked (and tasted!) in reality:

the whole bowl was only 6 points and with the wine it was a grand total of 9 on WW.  here's the recipe:

pesto sauce
2 T pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp salt

place pine nuts in a small skillet and toast over medium heat, about 3 minutes.  transfer to plate to cool.  in a blender/food processor combine nuts, basil, broth, cheese, oil, garlic and salt.  process until smooth and thick.  yields about 1/4 cup per serving. 

enjoy!

weekly specials

in the spirit of continuing to try new recipes, i'll be making the following this week....

spaghetti squash with chicken, sundried tomatoes and homemade pesto

baked chicken with sauteed spinach and roasted garlic cauliflower and tomatoes

roasted root vegetables with rosemary and thyme

seared tuna with mango salsa (vegetable to be determined, perhaps roasted asparagus)

wish me luck! 

bag of potatoes and other assorted items

today was my weigh day for weight watchers and i'm happy to say that since i started the program on january 3, i've lost 5.5 pounds.  it may not sound like a lot but i'm happy with the results so far!  i've lost roughly the weight of a small bag (6 or so) potatoes!  next time i go to the store i'm going to pick one of those suckers up and remind myself that if i stick to this, it could be a much bigger bag i lose over the next few weeks. 

in other news, i got a raise yesterday!  when i texted the bf to tell him, his response was "did hell freeze over?" hee hee.  this is the first time in the two years at my current job that we've had a raise due to budget cuts and the economy.  i'm so excited.  it's not a ton of money but every little bit helps!

i was also given a blackberry by my boss.  while i'm so glad i won't have to use my personal phone, which i do a LOT, anymore for work, there's something about being readily available at all times that makes me a little uncomfortable.  but, now i can lower my phone plan minutes and save some money!  yay!

my friend gary just had sinus surgery and is doing well.  i hope he feels better soon!  get well gary!

adam and i are going to see "black swan" later today.  i've really been wanting to see it but everyone is warning me to prepare myself for the psychotic nature of the film.  maybe i'll post a review here with my thoughts.

i need a new book to read.  i plowed through 3 books over christmas and new year's and now i'm stumped on what to read next.  i just started re-reading "the book thief", which i love, but i'd rather be reading something new.  i have a couple of long, heavy reads on the list but i'm looking for something lighter right now.  if anyone has suggestions, let me know.

i just found out on monday that my good friends jill and nick are having a baby boy in june!!  i'm so, so excited for them!  they're going to be great parents and we're already starting to plan the baby shower.  congrats to jill and nick!

i think that's about it for today.  i'm actually having a pretty good week.  i hope you are, too.  :)

my obsession with ted

first off, i know i'm posting twice in one day.  i hope the earth doesn't implode because of this catastrophic and scientifically unexplainable event.  moving on.

i'm obsessed with ted.  no, i'm not cheating on the bf or stalking some celebrity.  i'm talking about ted.com, "a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and Open TV Project, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize."

this site is one of the best things i've stumbled upon in a while and i'm sure it's well known to those of you out there who are more internet-savvy than i.  ted.com gives you access to talks, interviews and lectures on a variety of topics from some of the top speakers and experts around the world.

i was getting ready to clean my messy apartment today and was struggling to find music i felt like listening to on my ipod/iphone.  sometimes i turn on the tv just to have background noise, but i didn't want to have daytime tv in all its glory blaring in the apartment, either.  i've been meaning to check out ted so i thought this would be a good time to do so.  i'm hooked. 

while cleaning, i listened to talks on nurturing creativity (presented by author elizabeth gilbert), why there are too few women in the workforce (presented by facebook coo sheryl sandberg), the influence of architecture on music (david byrne, musician), why the world needs wiki leaks (interview with wikileaks founder julian assange), and global power shifts (joseph nye, former assistant secretary of defense), just to name a few.  these are great because they're relatively short, about 20 minutes, and you don't really have to be sitting, glued to the computer to absorb what the speaker is presenting.  it's great to listen to while doing other tasks, especially mindless cleaning.  subjects range from art to politics to science to entertainment and everything in between.  it's sort of like audio cliff's notes for current affairs.

check it out.  you won't be disappointed.

souper sunday

i've never made soup before.  well, i've made various chilis and taco soup, etc. but i've never made the kind of soup where you have to puree veggies and make it into a liquid consistency.  i did this for the first time last night.  i'd like to try to start making soups on the weekend to then refrigerate or freeze and have on hand for the upcoming days. for this one i used a WW recipe for creamy thai carrot soup and went to work boiling, simmering and blending (thank you mom and dad for my new ninja blender/food processor!).  i actually enjoyed the process and though i didn't have any of the soup last night, i was looking forward to it today for lunch.  i have to say, i'm not as fond of it as i had hoped.  while it looks tasty:

it just didn't have the flavor i was hoping for.  the recipe calls for a pound of carrots, chicken broth, onions, garlic, salt, tofu (to make it creamy without using cream), curry paste and ginger root.  oddly enough, all i had to buy for this was tofu so it seemed like a great choice!  i tasted it after i had pureed it and found it to be a little bland, so i added some garlic salt and fresh cilantro, then re-blended.  letting it sit overnight definitely helped some of the other flavors come through.  it does have a little heat to it because of the curry paste and garnishing it with fresh mint gives it a coolness that is really nice.  however, if i make it again i'll add more broth (it came out the consistency of baby food) and spice it up a little more.  overall it's not bad and it would be fine to have a cup of it with the rest of your meal, but on it's own it's not the most satisfying dish in terms of flavor.  it is very filling, though, which is probably why it's only 2 points for a serving on weight watchers!  if i were grading this soup i'd give it a C and hopefully if i make it again i can bring that up to a B!

foray into food

those of you who know me well know that i am not very kitchen-capable.  more often than not, when i tell friends and/or family that i'm planning to cook a meal (aside from my staple turkey burger tacos or stir fry which i've mastered), i'm met with laughter, disbelief or the occasional offer to bring over take out when my attempt fails miserably.  the truth is, i can cook, i just haven't ever really bothered to try many new recipes and i've never exactly enjoyed spending the majority of my evenings after work in the kitchen, sweating over a stove. 

i'll admit, i did start cooking a little more frequently when the bf started coming over for meals.  on my own, i could eat a bowl of cereal, some pita chips and hummus, drink a glass of wine and call that dinner.  i was happy with that but given the fact that he can eat more in one sitting than anyone i've ever known and also thinks my cooking is great (he subsists on frozen pizza and stouffer's dinners and has never even used the stove in the apartment he's lived in since july, if that tells you anything), i started cooking actual meals for us a couple times a week and started to enjoy stop hating the task of cooking quite so much. 

now that i've started weight watchers, i've been sort of forced to start cooking more, pay closer attention to ingredients, and try new recipes and ideas.  i'm actually finding that i'm liking this new adventure into making meals that are not only healthy, but taste great and fit right in with the WW program.  so, i'll probably be posting a little bit about my cooking adventures here, not to pat myself on the back for not completely ruining some perfectly good food, but to highlight meals i've enjoyed that could help give healthy ideas to others. 

two of my favorites from this week....

buffalo chicken salad
4 oz. chicken tenders
1 T BW3 wing sauce
1 T light sour cream
1 wedge laughing cow blue cheese
cherry tomatoes
red onion
spinach

yes, i made my own low cal, low fat, low point dressing with sour cream and laughing cow blue cheese!

and last night's dinner:

chicken parmesan
chicken parm prepared via WW recipe and i added some roasted spaghetti squash to supplement for the missing pasta.  add a salad and a glass of red wine and voila! yummy, healthy dinner!

yes, that's real mozzarella cheese and normal red wine.  i'm learning that with just a few moderations and closer attention to portions and ingredients i can still have all of the things i love!

one little word

i was reading teresabug's blog and saw her post about choosing a word for 2011.  her word for this year is less, meaning that she is going to "focus on living with less, buying less, eating less, worrying less, trying to be someone that I am not less, trying to please other less and perfecting less so that I have time to focus on the important things in my life."

i really like the idea of finding a word that will help shape my motivation and goals for the year.  the interesting thing was, as soon as i thought about choosing a word for myself for the year, the word itself popped into my head immediately.  my word for 2011 is commit.  this year i will commit to getting healthy, commit to furthering my career path, commit to trying new things and commit to strengthening important relationships in my life.  by choosing the word commit, i feel that i am also committing to holding myself accountable for all of the things i want to accomplish this year. 

what's your word for 2011?

new year's resolutions

well, it's that time of year again.  time to clean out the cupboards, pitch all of the junk food, get going on healthy eating and working out.  i've decided to join weight watchers (again) in order to help me with this.  i did WW a couple of years ago and had really good results; unfortunately, i fell off the proverbial wagon and re-gained all of the weight i'd lost plus some, so i figure it's time to give it another go.  in addition to eating better i'm also pledging to work out more (aren't we all??).  i'm joining an indoor sports center that will give me access to indoor tennis courts during these frigid winter months in chicago, my great boyfriend got me yoga sessions at my favorite studio for christmas, and i'm going to utilize the workout center at my office (for which i've had a key for 2 years but have never stepped foot inside) to get in some cardio a couple days a week.  i'm really determined this time to stick with it, so i'm probably going to be updating here now and then on my progress, just to keep me accountable. 

happy new year to you all and good luck with your own resolutions!

he wants to talk about what?!

the other day over lunch, my sister and i attempted to get caught up on a recent episode of "desperate housewives" while the kids were glued to cartoons in the other room.  they had finished their lunches and were absorbed in whatever was happening on cbeebies, so we took the chance to put an episode on the computer and enjoy it while we ate.  not far into the show, my niece came sneaking in the room, wanting to be with the girls and watch mummy's tv, not cartoons.  giving in to her sweet desire to hang out with us, we let her stay and she climbed into my lap. 

not 2 minutes later a certain scene came on during which one of the male characters is arguing with his wife and says "why don't you ever talk about my penis?!" in indignation and frustration.  as soon as the words were out of his mouth, it was like slow motion - i looked over at my sister who was already looking wide-eyed at me and my niece piped up and said, "well, why would he want to talk about his penis?!" as if it were the most asinine thing in the world. 

thank god she was sitting on my lap and not facing me because i started laughing so hard, i wouldn't have wanted her to see my reaction.  it wasn't normal, amused chuckling, it was that silent, heaving laughter that makes your whole body shake, especially when you're trying not to do it.  credit to my sister for smothering her own giggles and answering rather calmly and nonchalantly, "i don't know.  that's pretty silly, isn't it?"  my niece agreed and started giggling.  at that point neither my sister nor i could contain ourselves and erupted with cackles, tears welling in our eyes.  

needless to say, the show was turned off and my niece returned to more child-friendly programming, but it sure made for a good laugh.

the truth about christmas

after multiple years of visiting my sister and fam in the london area, i've finally worked out why they keep inviting me back each christmas.  last night as i stepped back and surveyed the dining room table loaded with presents i had just spend the better part of two hours wrapping, i realized i've been recruited each year to fly over and act as bartender/sweatshop present wrapper.  they don't even pay me!  i have to work in terrible conditions - big table upon which to wrap, unlimited paper and supplies, constantly filled wine glass with music playing in the background.  if i'm very good and don't ask for bandages for my bleeding papercuts, they may throw me a scrap of chocolate or a bailey's and coffee.  sometimes my sister or brother-in-law actually pops in to check my progress and has a word or two with me, usually cracking the proverbial whip to ensure i'm not slacking off.  my parents are even in on the deal, sending loads of unwrapped gifts over here, knowing i'll do all the wrapping for them.  jeez.

and the bartending!  man, oh man.  the nerve of them to think i'll just swoop in, fight through my jetlag and produce perfect cocktails on demand.  i tell you, being supplied with cases of wine, ingredients for cosmos and other drinks, bubbly and beer is just terrible.  terrible and inhumane, i tell you.  i mean, who can be expected to drink night after night while enjoying delicious dinner after delicious dinner, all prepared for me?  really, they should look into better treatment of their guests.  i mean, they only keep the kids from jumping on me until about 9am - don't they know i sleep til 10?  ugh.  i really must complain to management about these conditions.

until then, i'll put on my elf hat, mix a drink and wrap away.  maybe next year they'll look into getting me an assistant.

you say tomato....

the other day, my niece was pulling things out of her school bag, showing me the cards she had received from classmates, the christmas art projects she had made and the treats and small gifts she had been given by her teachers.  as she produced various things from the bag she announced to me what each item was.

her:  "and this is a santa card i made with cotton and paper"

me:  "oooh, lovely! well done!"

her:  "and these are cards from sam, nancy and olivia"

me:  "very nice of your friends to give you holiday cards!"

her:  "and this is a reindeer notebook.  and a rubber."

me:  "oh, how nice - wait, what?!"

her:  "i said it's a rubber.  anyway, here's another--"

me:  "hold on.  one second.  what is that last one again?"

her: (sighing with exasperation and annoyance)  "IT. IS. A. RUBBER."

me:  "i'm going to need to see this."

and she proceeded to toss me the item in question.  a rubber, indeed.  apparently here in england a rubber is what the kids call rubber erasers.  dirty, dirty tia get your mind out of the gutter!

say it like it is

over dinner wednesday night, my first evening here in the UK with my sister and her family....

me:  so i heard all about my niece's new boyfriend after she got home from school today

my sister: she's four. there's no way he could be her boyfriend.

me:  well, she said he was.  not sure what that means to a four-year-old exactly.

my brother-in-law:  well, aren't you glad you managed to get a boyfriend before your four-year-old niece?  that would have been embarrassing.

me:  yeah.... thanks for that.  more wine please.

quiet contemplation

i woke up unusually early this morning, before the alarm even went off.  it was still dark in my room and i layed there for a while, listening.  aside from the whir of the ceiling fan and the intermittent rush of the train passing in the distance, it was quiet.  no honking horns, no television, no construction noise from the project going on 6 days a week next door, not even any stomping from the heavy footfalls of my upstairs neighbor. 

as i lay there enjoying the quiet, i started thinking about my life and the things i'm thankful for.  it is, after all, thanksgiving week, and it seems appropriate to reflect on things like this right now.  so here's my short list, in no particular order....

- wonderful friends and family
- my upcoming trip to london for christmas
- the fact that i am gainfully employed
- my latest round of cardio testing that showed my heart is returning to normal functioning
- being happy in a relationship with a great guy
- living in a city with many things to do and see
- opportunities i have to travel
- my sister's visit to the states in early december

i hope you all have many things you are thankful for this holiday season!

dream a little dream

everyone who knows me well knows that i have ridculous dreams.  i'm talking dreams so weird, detailed and long that i often wake up feeling like i've gotten no sleep at all.  sometimes bits of the previous night's dream will come back to me throughout the day, allowing me to piece together the crazy events of my sleep, as has been the case today.

last night i was having a lovely dream about being on vacation in costa rica, staying in a little hut on the beach (i'm sure it somehow had a/c and a full bar) and doing things like body-surfing in the ocean and hiking through the jungle.  ok, stop laughing - you know it was a dream if i was doing those things and not lying on the beach, half drunk with a cocktail and trashy novel in hand. 

in the midst of my vacation paradise dream, my dream-self decided it was time to go and transported us into a very large lobby, with three huge buildings surrounding us and sharing the lobby space.  i had to go up an escalator to get on an elevator that was supposed to take me to somewhere important.  i got on the elevator and pressed the button, only to find that the doors opened and revealed that i was actually standing on a rotating disc that kept going in circles.  the disc was large and people kept jumping on and off but for some reason i seemed to be glued to the floor.  i couldn't get the "elevator" to close and couldn't find the door panel with the buttons on it anymore.  i just kept going in circles and no one would help me.  i looked down and realized i had no shoes on and couldn't see where i had dropped them.  everyone else jumping on and off the platform was wearing shoes but everyone ignored me when i asked if they could help me find mine.  finally my friend G appeared and said one sentence to me, "just jump off for god's sake!" and then promptly disappeared again.  i still couldn't do it and couldn't find my shoes and so i stood there, spinning, until my alarm buzzed and saved my dream-self from simultaneous nervous breakdown and severe motion sickness. 

as i always do after these vivid dreams, i think about them off and on throughout the day, wondering what - if anything - is the meaning of the things i dream about.  i can pretty easily interpret the costa rica segment - i want another beach vacation. that's pretty easy.  but the other part.... not so much, though the shoeless thing wasn't much of a surprise.  finding myself shoeless and in a panic in my dreams has been a pretty common theme over the past couple of years.  i did a little researching and apparently when you find yourself barefoot in your dreams it means one of two things - a) you are carefree and free-spiritied and you're not bothered by being barefoot because you're probably getting ready to run through a field where the grass feels like cotton and there are puppies playing and birds singing or some crap OR b) you are barefoot and panicking because you can't find your shoes and no one will help you, thus illustrating that you are questioning and doubting the very platform of your life (i.e. living situation, job, relationships, looming decisions/deadlines, etc).  i'm pretty sure i fall into category B.  awesome. 

so here my shoeless reminder has reared its ugly head again, not that i'm surprised.  being relatively happy with most of what's happening in my life right now, of course i have to have something that i'm doubting or unhappy about, right?!  i know exactly what it is and why it's manifesting itself in my dreams in the form of my barefooted panic, so i'm working to change it.  i won't go into details about it now, but those of you who know me will probably have a pretty good idea of what in my life i'm looking to change at the moment.  wish me luck and may you always have the good fortune to be wearing fabulous shoes in your dreams!

"mom and dad found you in a dumpster"

the quote above is one of many charming things i used to torment my younger sister with when we were kids and i tried to convince her that she was adopted.  not very nice of me, eh?  however, if you look at some of our behaviors, likes, dislikes and overall preferences, it is in fact me who would be the one to stand out as not quite meshing with the family traits.  for instance....

- bourbon.  i hate, hate, hate whiskey and/or bourbon.  hate it.  i cannot stress enough how much i hate it other than to say i feel like i'm going to vomit just typing about it now.  my family, on the other hand, LOVES it.  bourbon and diet coke is the preferred cocktail for my parents and sister and i'd venture to say even the drink of choice for my british brother-in-law.  

- red meat and pork.  i haven't eaten either of these since 1995 when i decided to give them up as a new year's resolution just to see if i could do it.  it was surprisingly easy and now the thought of either (yes, i KNOW pork is "the other white meat") makes my stomach turn.  the only exception i might, might ever make is to have a really good - and i'm talking it better be phenomenal - steak, but even then i'd rather have great seafood than to risk what ingesting red meat might do to my stomach after all this time.  i do eat chicken and fish, though if i think too much about chicken i could probably talk myself out of that one, too.  parents and sis, on the other hand, are carnivores.  give em a thick, juicy filet or a burger specially grilled by my dad with all the fixins and they are in heaven. 

- salt and butter.  two more things i don't really bother with but are instrumental for any meal with my parents.  maybe not so much my sister on this one, but she has adopted the english ways after several years in london and puts butter (or "spread" as they like to call it) on sandwiches.  ick.  i use butter and salt when i'm cooking if need be, but i very, very rarely add either to my food once it is prepared.  i don't even butter my bread, toast or biscuits.

- coke, soda, pop, etc. - no, i don't drink whatever name most people call these carbonated beverages.  literally one day i just stopped drinking cokes and it stuck.  i found that i really don't care for the syrupy taste of brown beverages (beer so does not count here, people), no matter if they are diet or regular, and just quit them cold turkey.  you have to understand that in my family it was common to get up and drink a coke at breakfast or help yourself to a soda when you got home from school.  my parents didn't worry or berate us for preferring soda over other various drinks and never forced nasty sunny d or kool-aid on us like most of our friends' parents did.  by no means does that mean they didn't care about our nutrition, they just chose not to fight that battle.  we were both active, in good shape and not eating a ton of junk food so sodas weren't exactly a death sentence.  i'll have the occasional sprite now and then, usually as a hangover remedy, or i'll put a little splash of diet coke with my captain morgan if i happen to be in a rum mood, but other than that i shy away from sodas.  you'll still find 12-packs of various diet sodas in my parents' kitchen my sister enjoys her diet cokes here and there, but for me i'd rather drink coffee or water. 

- cheesecake - this one is huge.  this is the one that causes my parents to simultaneosly look at me across the table with wide eyes, shake their heads and murmur, "how exactly is it that you ARE our child?"  cheesecake is apparently a weakness for many, many dessert lovers; i however cannot eat it.  i just can't.  theoretically i should like it because the ingredients are primarily things i enjoy - cream cheese, sugar, graham cracker crust - but it's just too much for me.  it actually makes me almost gag to eat it.  weird, i know.  and certainly not anything like the preferences of my parents and sister, who love cheesecake.

but i am related to them!  i promise!  now where is that birth certificate??.....

cheerio!

it's my favorite time of year again - the time when i get to book my flight to spend the holidays in london with my sister, brother-in-law and my niece and nephew, aka the noble family.  i just finished booking a 16 day trip and will be jetting across the ocean overnight on 12/14, arriving in london the next day.  yay!!!!  i'm so excited to go and spend another christmas with my far-away family.  i'm lucky that i get to see them twice a year due to the generous bank of days off i get through my job but every trip goes by too fast and every visit is too short.  but, we make do with lots of phone calls, emails, and webcams in the meantime and just keep planning for the next visit. 

here are the little monkeys i'll be seeing in a few short weeks.....

and here's one of the whole family....

woo hoo!