Laura's favorites and best of 2010

I stole this idea from my friend Adam.  Thanks for the inspiration! 
Here is a compilation of my favorite things from 2010.  Some categories have two things listed because I struggle at making decisions as to which things are truly my favorites...

Country Song: Somewhere With You by Kenny Chesney
Non Country Songs: Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons and Owl Waltz by Seabear
Song to workout to: Break Your Heart by Taio Cruz
Wine: Schmitt's Sohne Riesling
Cooking adventure: Making a gluten free cake from scratch with my sister, having to measure out and convert 6 different flours, various leavening agents, spending 5 hours in the kitchen for a cake that collapsed in the center. It still tasted good...right Anne?
Movie:Julie and Julia
Tea: Good Earth Vanilla Chai
Gluten Free Snack Bar: Cherry Pie Larabar
Salad Dressing: Annie's Organic Greek Goddess Dressing
Gift Received: an antique Candlewick by Imperial wine glass
Workout: pyramid swim workout with Rae in October
Class at YMCA: Wednesday Night Power Yoga 
Coffee Shop: The Root Note in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Drink: Bulmers Hard Cider
Liqueur: Bailey's on the rocks, preferably at an Irish pub but it's still wonderful in the States
Sandwich: The turkey, Gorgonzola cheese, walnut, pear sandwich from Allister Deacons
Dessert:Molly Wizenberg's Winning Hearts and Minds Cake (she made this for her own wedding cake)
Place visited: The Aran Islands
Blog: www.orangette.blogspot.com
Vegetable: Roasted asparagus
Day: June 6, 2010 Queen Elizabeth's birthday- I was lucky enough to attend her birthday parade and see her along with the rest of the Royal Family, including Prince William
Quote: It's a tie between:

"peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." and

"Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, "you owe me." Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky."

Food discovery: Turkey burgers and Arnold's Sandwich Thins
Purchase: Canon zoom lens
Guilty Pleasure: Chicken wings with ranch washed down with a Rolling Rock
Concert: Eric Church
New food tried: Irish Soda bread
Shoe purchase: Original Sperry deck shoes
Discovery: Kwik Trip's milk in a bag
Snack: Dark chocolate mint almonds 
Sports game: U.S. vs England World Cup Soccer game, I watched it from a pub in London and it was simply outrageous
Lesson learned: If you have doubts, they are there for a reason.  Listen to them, you will be happy you did.
Academic Class: Behavior Modification
Game: Bananagrams
Website: www.eatingwell.com
Chocolate for eating: Galaxy milk (made in the UK)
Chocolate for baking: Guitard milk chips
***Yes, there are two different chocolate categories, baking chocolate is very different from chocolate that I just eat plain.  And, yes, for those of you who know me well will find both of these selections very odd, as I am a dark chocolate type of girl. I eat one Dove Dark Chocolate Promise almost everyday, however, I can't put this as my 2010 favorite because it has been so since about 2004 :)
Scariest Moment: Tripping at the Cliffs of Moher. Only the highest cliffs in Europe. Whoops.
Book: It's a tie between Eat, Pray, Love and  A Homemade Life

My Favorite Snapshot, taken in Ireland

Music video : Sara Bareilles King of Anything (definitely due to the strong photographic elements)

 
Youtube video: Marcel the Shell
 


That completes my best of 2010 list.  After rereading my post, I couldn't help but notice the recurring trends of food, Ireland, and of course, chocolate.  I guess that sums up my year pretty well and I am not complaining.
Yesterday someone asked me what my New Year's Resolution was going to be and I replied  "I don't make New Year's resolutions."  I do not believe that the mere turning of the calendar is a reason to try to make huge life changes that are pretty much bound to fail (some 96% of new year's resolutions have failed by the end of January).  I believe that any day is the perfect opportunity to make a change and I try to take advantage of each and every day of the year to become a better person. I am not saying that I don't have goals or certain things that I want to accomplish in the next year---I have my sights set on many,many things.  I am very excited for what 2011 has in store.  Who knows where I will be next year at this time, but I know whatever is meant to be will happen and it will be perfect.  I hope you have a wonderful 2011! Be well!

heavenly hummus

I must admit that a few years ago, I thought hummus was a bit bizarre.  I did not understand why my family spread it on crackers, veggies and sandwiches when there was good old ranch dressing.  My relationship with hummus has since changed and I completely understand why my family indulges in this decadent spread.  It is now one of my favorite things to keep on hand! 
There are many different varieties of hummus available including garlic, artichoke, roasted red pepper, greek olive, and of course the plain favor. Each one is better than the next and I often spend too much time debating over which flavor to buy from the store.  My favorite brands are Sabra and Athenos, each grocery store stocks different brands.  Hummus is made from chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) and originated in the Middle East.  It is traditionally served on pita, flatbread, or falafel. I am at home for winter break and despite the fact that I am not enrolled in classes right now, I am learning something everyday.  Today my Mother taught me how to make my very own hummus.  I am as happy as can be and amazed at how effortless this process truly is!  Making homemade hummus allows you to control exactly what goes into your dip.  You can eliminate the added fat and preservatives which are often found in the store bought kind, creating a truly healthy snack.  It is more costly to buy it premade and after today, I can say it tastes better homemade.  Then again, what doesn't?!  There is a catch to this recipe-you need a food processor, but this provides one more reason that a FP will be my next kitchen appliance investment.

Homemade Hummus
1-15 oz. can chickpeas (drained)
Juice from 1/2 of a fresh lemon (use a citrus reamer)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Any additional flavor you desire--today we added 4 cloves fresh garlic.  You could also add peppers, cilantro, olives etc.
Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until combined. Chill in the refrigerator for up to a week and a half.  Enjoy on sandwiches, gluten free crackers, grilled cheese, fresh carrot sticks, sliced red/yellow/green peppers, radishes, cucumbers, spread it on sliced deli turkey and make mini roll ups....get creative!

Chickpeas in the food processor

Fresh lemon juice is key, use a citrus reamer for easy juicing

I have to give my Mother credit for taking this picture of me during my cooking lesson

Adding olive oil to the mix

The finished product, of course it would look better in a pretty bowl, but I couldn't resist eating it straight out of the processor!

Christmas in Photos

Christmas was absolutely lovely, filled with family and wonderful food.  My favorite aspect of Christmas is not the giving or getting of gifts, its spending time with my family--preparing food and drinks together, playing games, building puzzles, and lounging around with the dogs.  I don't want to spend much time on my computer today, so I'm not going to write much other than: Merry Christmas! I took way too many pictures today, here are just a few from the Warren/Rapp celebration!  More to come later.  I hope you had a splendid holiday.  I'm off for a nighttime snow shoe adventure with Mom, Kelly and the dog!

Anxiously waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve

Frances wanted to wear the Christmas Tree headband

Mom's chocolate covered apricots

Homemade caramels accented with chocolate and kosher salt

Anne's fancy orange curls

Mimosa's

 

Coffee with Baileys Irish Cream

Beef Bourguignon with caramelized brussels sprouts.  This picture does not do the meal justice.

What's inside? Eco friendly cupcake wrappers of course!

The incredible, edible egg. Maybe

Many people are familiar with this famous saying but I am willing to bet you a million bucks only a handful have every stopped to think about it.  Errrrr, are the eggs you are eating really edible?  Alright, technically they are edible but in my book barely, just barely.  My last post was about omlettes and now I feel it's only right to provide my take on eggs.
Three years ago in my college speech class, I chose to research the meat and egg industry and I was instantly horrified. My family has always been a bit persnickety about the meat and eggs we consume--my mom gets our beef from an old neighbor who raises his own grass fed, free range beef and we often get eggs from local farms.  We are actually going to get our own egg layin' chickens now that we live in the country and have somewhere for the chicks to hang out.  My dad hunts and fishes like its his job (sometimes we wonder if he ever goes into work during the summer and fall)  providing us with fresh, top quality, minimally processed, antibiotic and growth hormone free meat and fish.  I never truly understood why my parents made these choices, but after my research project, it is crystal clear.   I could go on and on and on and on and on about the meat industry, but I'm going to focus on eggs in this post.  I'll save the meat story for another day---don't want to upset your stomach too much.
In the past, eggs have gotten their fair share of negative attention and a bad rap- many people hear the word egg and immediately think cholesterol.  Yes, eggs do have cholesterol, but if you eat a well balanced diet, paying attention to the other sources of fat and cholesterol you consume,  the amount of cholesterol in one egg will not have any negative effect on your health.  In fact, the egg is packed with 6 grams of protein, 9 essential amino acids and other healthful fats. The nutrients found in eggs help keep your eyes healthy, as well as your hair and nails. Clearly, the egg is quite incredible. Where the problem arises is in the production of eggs for local supermarkets-where most of us tend to buy our eggs. There are many studies that have been conducted, as well as on going studies, that claim that free range chicken eggs are nutritionally superior to eggs from chickens raised in cages at massive egg farms.  I have read many of these studies, and can truly see why chickens who are allowed to graze, get exercise, and see the sun produce better eggs.  Some people disagree with and disregard these claims.  I am not going to attempt to untangle the results of these studies, however, I do think that a bit of common sense can go a long way.  Just stop for a moment and think.  Would you rather eat eggs laid by a chicken who has spent her entire existence in a cage no bigger than a shoebox, surrounded by millions of other birds who have never seen a second of daylight?  They can barely stand up in their cages, let alone get any form of exercise.  Chickens are supposed to be able to roam around and eat a variety of grains, fresh greens and insects.  Egg farm chickens are fed the same grain everyday and therefore produce a lower quality of egg, lacking many of the valuable nutrients found in a free range egg.  Free range eggs have been tested and have 30% less cholesterol than factory raised eggs, as well as double the amount of vitamins A, E, and D.  If a chicken's diet is lacking essential nutrients, it only makes sense that the eggs it lays are also going to be lacking these nutrients.

A standard egg farm

I do not need any scientific studies, facts, or conclusions to know that I do not want to eat eggs from chickens raised under these conditions. (animal cruelty is another major concern that I'm not going to tackle today either)   I value my body and health and I see a direct relationship between what I put into my body and how I feel and preform. Many of my friends chuckle a bit when we are making cookies and they find brown eggs in my refrigerator. They don't understand why I pay an extra dollar or two to get free range organic eggs.  I am not criticizing anyone who buys a dozen sunshine farms eggs for $1.39, many of us have never been prompted to think about the conditions under which our eggs are produced; I am simply encouraging you to think about the eggs you eat. Unfortunately, we cannot mindlessly assume that the food stocked on the supermarket's shelves is safe to eat.   Many of you who are reading this are college students and we are all on a tight budget.  I highly doubt that you are going to break the bank by spending that extra dollar on free range eggs.  Hey, you could even buy one less beer at the bar this weekend and spend that money on eggs.  Now there's an idea.

A lovely nutrient packed free range organic egg that I enjoyed for lunch

Still here

Hello World.  Yes, I am alive and survived my last day of first semester classes, a Christmas Extravaganza Party, my final photography portfolio critique, a snow storm that left us with 16 additional inches of snow, and the -20 degree weather.  My car, however, did not survive these events and is getting fixed.  I have come to realize how different life is without having a car to drive at my finger tips.  Simple things like running to the co op to buy ingredients for dinner or going to a coffee shop to do homework take more time and thought to coordinate. I was forced to put my bike away for the season on Saturday, due to the amount of snow on the ground.  I was trying to make it through the entire semester, but my last day of riding was Friday, December 10th.  Hopefully my Diamondback has a great winter rest.  Not having a car and not being able to bike have caused me to think quite a bit about the possibility of moving to a climate in which I could bike or walk outside comfortably year-round.  I am not talking a Florida type of climate, just somewhere in which the low temperatures are still in the 40's or 50's, rather than below zero.

I am going to write about one of my favorite weekend breakfast items: the omlette. I eat the same thing each day during the week, however, the weekend provides more time to indulge in something other than my Monday-Friday oatmeal with peanut butter and honey.  I have to give credit where credit is due and everything that I have learned about the omlette, I learned from my father.  Weekend mornings often consisted of me waking up around 10 o'clock to the smell of my dad whipping up a mouth watering brunch upstairs in the kitchen.  He frequently made crepes, pancakes, or my personal favorite: omlettes.  3/4 of the year, I  had Saturday morning swim practice and the thought of arriving home to a phenomenal breakfast is what kept me going through those 7,000+ workouts.  Last weekend I woke up craving an omlette (if you were wondering...yes, I do wake up with food on my mind quite often) and made my best version yet. I think my dad would be proud.
First I sauteed red and green pepper, white and red onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, and wilted spinach.  I add a bit of milk to my eggs (Phil's cage free, organic eggs of course) before beating them and putting them in the pan.  I added fresh mozzarella cheese and the sauteed veggies and bacon.  A piece of whole wheat toast must accompany my omlette at all times, I actually cannot eat eggs without some type of toast. Okay, I probably could, but I won't.  One of my best friends was visiting for the weekend and I think he would vouch for me and say that Sunday's breakfast was delicious.

Muffin Mayhem.

I have to admit, I am a real sucker for a good muffin.  I am also very picky about the muffins I like and the muffins that I chose to eat.  I think there is mass confusion in the baking industry these days, 'muffins' have turned into an excuse to eat cake for breakfast.  I cannot stand eating a muffin from a gas station or a grocery store because all you can taste in these muffins is the insane amount of sugar in these calorie packed "breakfast"  items.  If you are going to eat an Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chocolate chip muffin, (with a whopping 13 grams of fat and the first ingredient on the nutrition label is sugar)  why don't you just get a nice big slice of chocolate cake instead?  It's probably a healthier choice.  There is no difference between muffins and cake when you buy them pre made from the store, it is merely a sneaky way of making people feel a bit better about what they are eating for breakfast (not to mention adding on mass to American's muffin tops, more on that later).
Can you tell that I get a bit worked up about muffins? To me, a muffin should be healthy enough to be eaten for breakfast with a cup of coffee or enjoyed for an afternoon snack.   If I want cake---I will eat cake.  Trust me.  But sometimes all I want is a muffin, a real muffin.  A good muffin usually features a flavor or fruit such as blueberries or bananas and I like adding whole wheat flour and bran to start my day off with whole grains.  Adding these unprocessed flours also give muffins some nice flavor and a dense, hearty texture.
I made these spiced apple butter muffins two weeks ago and they quickly won my affection.  They are the perfect density and have a rich flavor.  They were so good that I am going to make them again tonight.  I told you, I like muffins.

Spiced Apple Butter Muffins (eatingwell.com)
 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unprocessed wheat bran, or oat bran
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup spiced apple butter
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 cup finely diced peeled apple

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 12 standard 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray. Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in bran.
3. Whisk egg, milk, apple butter, brown sugar, oil and molasses in a large bowl until blended. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Drain the raisins; add them and the diced apple to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan (the cups will be very full).
4. Bake the muffins until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a topic that is gaining popularity among many individuals and also in the psychology world, where it is being used in therapeutic settings.  In no way do I claim to be an expert on the topic, however, I have been reading a book about mindfulness and also studying aspects of it in my Behavior Modification class. What is mindfulness?  Mindfulness stems from Buddhism and other meditation practices.  The actual, official definition of mindfulness is often a topic of debate but the general idea of mindfulness is bringing your complete attention to the present moment in an effort to become completely aware of your body, sensations, and emotions in a non judgmental way.  In doing so, we are more likely to acknowledge the emotions we are feeling and accept them, rather than reacting in a way that will negatively impact our minds and body (such as feeling upset, angry, anxious, or tense, as well as reacting and enjoying positive moments in our life). Practicing mindfulness is something I think many people have never even considered.  As I started reading the book Wherever You Go, There You Are, a book written by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who uses mindfulness practices to treat the chronically mentally ill as well in the education, development and growth of psychologically health individuals;  I really began questioning myself and my ability to practice mindfulness.
How many of us can say that we take time during our day to slow down and consciously notice the present moment, not making any inferences on what is happening, but simply acknowledging the here and now.  To be honest, I rarely do this, but have been working on my mindfulness practices since beginning Wherever You Go, There You Are.  Mindfulness is also an important aspect of yoga,  and since I have been attending a yoga class regularly, I have been forced to engage in mindfulness techniques.  It is not easy for me to slow my mind down, in yoga class I often find myself thinking about school work that needs to be done or happenings in my life.  As I progress in my yoga, I am making strides in my ability to focus just on my body and breathing during my hour of yoga and let everything else go for this time.  In no way have I mastered or even come close to perfecting mindfulness and there is still much reading on the topic that I hope to accomplish over winter break.  In a society where we have extremely high levels of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, I believe many people could benefit from the practices related to mindfulness and I am excited that it is becoming a popular practice in  many cognitive behavioral therapies. If people could learn to slow down and take in the present moment, maybe we could learn to be happy with what we have and who we are, and the beauty that lies in the simple things rather than wanting, consuming, and buying happiness.  Many adults in my life have told me to start enjoying each day when I am still young, because each year as you get older the time goes by more quickly than the last. I do not want to look back at my life thinking that it went too quickly or wishing I would have enjoyed certain moments more, and I think that practicing mindfulness will help me accomplish just this.  The next time you are feeling tense, happy, angry, or anxious, I dare you to practice mindfulness, take in the present moment, and tell yourself "this too shall pass."

A Major Dilemma. Well, at Least in my Book...

Fresh herbs are something that manage to sneak their way into almost every dinner recipe that I cook or have been wanting to try.  Fresh herbs add a kick of flavor that you just can't achieve with dried herbs.   Fresh basil is about $4.00 for a small bunch and only stays fresh for a few days. And that is just basil, don't forget about fresh parsley, cilantro, rosemary, chives, and thyme.  It would be much more reasonable for me to buy herb plants and have my very own herb garden, which is what I am going to do. What is the dilemma you want to know?   It's currently 21 degrees outside and no green houses in Wisconsin have any baby herb plants for my garden. May is too far away. This just is not right. The way to fix this dilemma?  I must drive south to find a green house where I can purchase my very own herbs to plant in my window box garden.  Florida anyone?

Dangerous Cookies.

Remember a few weeks ago when I said I was going to made cookies on a Sunday night? Okay, probably not, but still.  I said I would give you the recipe and I just realized that I left you hanging!  Well here it is.  It's from Molly's Orangette Blog.  Making these cookies was a horribly wonderful idea, as they turned out SO WELL but they keep on finding their way into my stomach.  I'll just blame Molly and her cookies when my jeans no longer fit....

Chewy Cocoa Cookies with Chocolate Chips
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
7 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup plain yogurt, preferably not low- or nonfat
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips, preferably Ghirardelli brand, either semisweet or bittersweet

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.Place the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave briefly, until just melted. Add the sugars, and sift in the cocoa. (You can skip the sifting if you want, but my cocoa almost always has lumps, and I don’t like cocoa lumps in my cookies.) Stir to blend well. The mixture will be somewhat thick and pasty, like wet sand. Add the yogurt and vanilla and stir to mix thoroughly. Add the dry flour mixture, and stir to just combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.  Drop onto a cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes.

They may not look like anything too special, but trust me, they are delicious!

Competition at its Finest.

On Friday evening, the gang took over the Gullickson kitchen as we participated in our annual contest and constructed ginger bread houses.  The pictures below can do most of the talking.  I attempted to design too complex of a house and just as I put the chimney on the roof, the whole thing caved in!  I hadn't even gotten the chance to add windows, landscaping or my herb garden!  I was able to rescue most of the house and ended up taking third place.  Maybe this was out of pity?  Leah won the competition and Laurie (who was still working 30 minutes after the rest of us were done and already drinking beer) took second place. Jordie didn't build his typical Christmas semi truck this year, he only got caught eating candy and frosting off of Jenna's house.
After house construction, we watched videos from our seventh grade variety show and rolled on the floor with laughter.  Everyone that I was surrounded by on Friday has been a permanent fixture in my life since middle school, if not grade school.  I feel so lucky to have a close knit group of friends who I can call family---even four years after high school graduation.  I hope this never changes....

And it all falls down...

Laurie, Anne and I

Hard at work...

My house turned into a shack...held up by the trees.

Jenna and I post house construction

Post construction mess

The neighborhood of houses

Turkey Day.

I am happy to report that Thanksgiving was a success! (then again, how can it not be?!)  As a family, we usually travel down to Fond du Lac to be with my Dad's side of the family, and then Anne and I hop back in the car and drive to Lake Geneva to see Mom's side of the family.  This year, we decided to host the Rapp Family Thanksgiving at our house in Wausau and I have to say, it was nice not to have to drive all over the state. My Grandma, who can no longer drive, hasn't been to our house in a very long time.  My aunt was able to bring Grandma up and this made our celebration complete!  My Thanksgiving Day actually began quite early, as Anne, Laurie, and I ran in a local turkey trot.  It had snowed and rained the night before, making the trot a bit treacherous. Despite the less than ideal conditions, I was able to finish the race in just over 25 minutes, which for this little turkey, was a pretty good time.
We roasted a huge turkey, enjoyed pomegranate ginger spritzers (compliments of my sister), played ping pong, foosball, and cribbage (and yes, as usual, my dad became highly competitive and won the ping pong tournament) while enjoying the great company of family.  After the Rapp family celebration, Anne and I headed to my Mom's house for a little wine and cheese get together. We enjoyed chocolate covered apricots, spiced nuts and a variety of wine and cheese while the dogs laid in front of the fire place.  It was a lovely evening.
I am hesitant to write this, but I cannot lie.  I sat down at the dinner table to take a picture of our feast, and realized I had forgotten the memory card for my good camera back at my Mom's.  So, all I have is a pathetic picture on my point and shoot, which is not worthy of posting.  This family picture from the wine and cheese evening will have to suffice!  Tonight is the annual ginger bread house get together at Jenna's which, like breakfast club, has been a tradition since freshman year of college.  It always turns out to be an epic event. Stay tuned for another post soon!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us, even Frances!

Breakfast Club.

The tradition began four years ago when my friends and I were freshmen in college.  My mom would make breakfast and my six best friends and I would pile into the dining room in our pajamas.  We would sit around the table enjoying waffles, scones and coffee while we caught up on each others lives back at college.  This event usually lasted way past the breakfast hour, and the same thing happened today. My mom and I made scones and prepared fruit and yogurt parfaits and my 22 year old friends all came out to our house in their pj's.  And at noon, we were all still sitting in the dinning room, discussing future plans, jobs, crazy Friday nights, drinking coffee and nibbling on scones.  And of course, while we are talking, my Mom still shouts from the laundry room "Laura, I can tell I'm not supposed to hear what you are talking about right now, it just got really quiet out there."  Ha ha, sorry for what you had to overhear this morning Mom.  Anyways, the scones were a hit and quickly disappeared.  What a great morning...

Ready for the oven....

Perfection!

Even Frances had a good time this morning!

Thankful is an understatement.

The holiday season is well underway and many people will celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday.  I could write about one of my favorite things in the whole world, food, but I will save that for a later post.  Don't worry, I will take tons of foodie pictures and write all about what we eat at the Rapp Family Thanksgiving...later this week.
 As I reflect back on the past year, I realize that I have so many things to be thankful for.  I know it is totally cliche to be writing about what I'm thankful for on my silly blog, but honestly, all of what I'm saying is 100% true.  From studying abroad in Ireland, traveling around the Emerald Island with my family, having my dream internship, being a Peer Adviser, successfully starting my senior year of college, moving to our new house, running races and doing triathlons, to going to Florida have all made the past year unforgettable......but all of these things wouldn't matter if I was not surrounded by the wonderful people in my life:  my family and friends. And that is what I'm most thankful for this year, and not just during Thanksgiving, but everyday.  My relationships with family and friends is what gets my through each day, making life beautiful and worthwhile. Take the time to tell your family and friends how much they mean to you, because you never know when you will get your last chance to do so. I wish I could tell each and every individual in my life how grateful I am to have them there in person, but I don't know if that's humanly possible.  If you are taking the time to read this post, chances are you are part of my life.  So, if I don't get the chance, thank you, I'm incredibly grateful to have you in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving!

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

If you need a laugh...

Panorama.

      
I am so pumped that I am done with this panorama and that it turned out JUST the way I wanted it to.  This is from  my trip to Ireland, it was taken in the Connemara region.  This is actually 9 images that I merged together.  I am hoping to print it using roll paper, as it it 3 feet long. swwwweeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Polenta

oh.my.lanta. Over the weekend, a friend and I attempted a new recipe and it was a huge success.  That is an understatement.  My stomach is starting to growl as I type this post.  I cannot take credit for the recipe, as the polenta dish was created by my lovely sister, Anne. I have never cooked polenta on my own and I must say that the light yellow roll of squishy matter was a bit freaky. Okay, scratch that, I made polenta once last year, but made the mistake of making it from dry corn grits and it was a disaster.  Do not let the looks of polenta scare you.  Much to our surprise, the polenta cooked up quite nicely and the roasted garlic chicken sausage complemented it very well.  It is topped with Newman's Own marinara sauce, mascarpone cheese, and fresh basil.  Like Anne mentions in her blog post about polenta, this dish is one you can make for someone if you want to "wow" them.  The presentation is beautiful and paired well with a Yellow Tail Merlot wine. Do yourself a favor and make this ASAP.  You won't be disappointed.
Please excuse the picture of the polenta.  Clearly I don't know how to focus a camera these days...

The end of the semester seems to be right around the corner, but there are so many papers that need to written and exams that need to be taken. Thursday marks my last day as an intern at La Crescent High School.  It will be nice to have Tuesday and Thursday afternoons free, however, I am completely depressed about leaving the high school.  My experience has been incredible and I have learned so much about human interactions, as well as many things about myself.  My internship supervisor showed me the letter of recommendation she wrote for me for grad school and it brought me to tears.  My entire experience has been nothing but a blessing.
Today I registered for my last semester as an undergrad student, so bittersweet.  I will only be taking ten credits at UWL so that I can take a photography class at WTC.  I will also be working for the Racquet as a photographer, which I am really excited about.  The future holds so many awesome things!
Here's my song of the week: Breathe In by Frou Frou.  Peace.


                            

Fearless.

"FEARLESS" is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, FEARLESS is having fears. FEARLESS is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, FEARLESS is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. FEARLESS is falling madly in love again, even though you've been hurt before.  FEARLESS is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again...even though every time you've tried before, you've lost. It's FEARLESS to have faith that someday things will change. FEARLESS is having the courage to say goodbye to someone who only hurts you, even if you can't breathe without them." TS

What's for dinner you ask?

It's Sunday.  I should be working on homework and personal statements, but, well, uh, let's just say those things are out of the question for today.  A day without plans provided the perfect opportunity for me to try a few new recipes that I had been dying to try.  Dinner at 1246 consisted of a turkey burger smothered in avocado, honeyed carrots and oranges, and fresh mushrooms with mozzarella and olive oil. The best part is, all of these things were incredibly easy to prepare.

I discovered the carrot recipe in a Real Simple Magazine:

• 2 pounds very small carrots, scrubbed; or regular carrots—trimmed, peeled, and cut into thin sticks
• 1 orange, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons small dill sprigs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots and orange with the oil, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

2. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the dill
** I cut this recipe in half due to the fact that I did not feel the need to eat 2 pounds of carrots this evening. I also omitted the fresh dill--and I was pleased with the results.

For the mushrooms (recipe inspired by Molly Wizenberg, big surprise, eh?) I used pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms.  They worked out perfectly!

• sliced mushrooms
• fresh mozzarella cheese
• olive oil
• sea salt

Place mushrooms in a glass pan or a heat proof platter.  Break chunks of the mozzarella cheese and scatter on the mushrooms.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt.  Place mushrooms under a broiler for 4-5 minutes, watch them closely! 

I won't even tell you about the cookies I am going to bake next.  I'll save that for another post. Happy Sunday, Peace.

Pictures say what words cannot. My week in photos....

I have been pushing myself to step outside of my little box and try some new things to get out of my photo rut, which has been plaguing me since the summer.  I received my larger paper (11x17) on Wednesday and have been working on making some bigger prints.  After a very frustrating 4 hour stint in the photolab on Thursday, I was finally able to get some good results. 

Forever Young, with a side a pizza please.

On Sunday evening, I had one of those moments that just about knocked me on my butt.  I was babysitting for one of my favorite families, when the little girl asked me, just like she does each time I see her, "are you in college?"  I chuckled, said yes, and then found myself explaining that  I will be done with college in May.  All a fine and dandy conversation, until Natty said "does that mean you are going to be a real grown up soon?"
I replied with "Uh, ummmm, ah, No, I don't think so...well maybe, but I don't really want to be a grown up, I'm planning on being a kid forever." (all of this with a slight bit of panic in my voice) After reading Natty stories and tucking her into bed, I found myself sitting on the couch thinking about our conversation.  What is an adult?  After graduation, do you go through some transformational change, in which you suddenly feel and act differently?  Will people at the grocery store no longer think I am a sophomore in high school and ask me if I have my drivers license yet?  I guess I would be okay with that, however, I think this whole "being an adult thing" is overrated. I'm going to fight off being a grown up as long as I possibly can. In case you were wondering.

Now that you have  read my random, unorganized, crazy babble of the week, I suppose I can write about food.  I am really excited to report that I made my first pizza completely from scratch!  I have made pizza in the past, but I have never started with my own, homemade dough.  I realized how much food really gets me going, I was so thrilled when the yeast started to become "active" and bubble in the bowl. (yes, I took a picture of the yeast, ha)  I made the dough around 11, and then constructed my pizza for dinner.  I wanted to try two NEW types of pizza and they were both a major success.  One was topped with cranberry sauce, chicken, monterey jack cheese, and caramelized red onions. The second was made with olive oil, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.  Which one was my favorite?  I can't decide. I would make either of them again in a heartbeat.  OOOHHHH. I almost forgot the most important detail.  My mom let me borrow her pizza stone for these pizzas and this made a HUGE difference.  You place the stone in the over while it it pre-heating and it helps to cook the pizza evenly and thoroughly.  The end result was a crust that was crispy and held together nicely.  If you want to make the crust, which I highly suggest you try it, click here for Martha Stewart's recipe.  The directions are a bit lengthy to post on here.