Random Thought Friday

Oh, HI!

You may remember me. I used to blog occasionally. Mostly about nonsense, sometimes about recipes. And then I fell off the grid.

BUT NOW I'M BACK!

After what I affectionately call "the Semester from Hell," I am (mostly) functional and back to normal(ish). I worked 32 hours per week (and then 20 for the last few weeks) while finishing the LL.M. in Tax program (full time) at Georgetown. BUT IT'S OVER!!!!! Well, my job isn't over because I've started working full time (YAY!), but school is over FOR.EV.ER (Sandlot style - please tell me you get this reference).

(Are you sick of all my parentheses yet? No?)

I've had many thoughts over the past few months, so now it's time to share. It will come as no shock to you that most of these photos are of (1) food or (2) my animals.

1. Let's start with food. These are the greatest tacos EVER. Shrimp seasoned with ancho chile powder, salt, and pepper and then sautéed until cooked through. Throw them on a corn tortilla topped with avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, and queso fresco, which I have recently discovered and become obsessed with. A little drizzle of sour cream mixed with some lime juice and ancho chile powder pulls it all together. AMAZING. I would write a whole post dedicated to this recipe, but considering this is the only picture I took before wolfing down FOUR freaking tacos…it just wasn't feasible.

2. My food truck obsession is out of control. I saw this one on my walk to work the other day and took a picture so I wouldn't forget to track it down one day. What is wrong with me?!

3. T.V. has been one of the greatest ways to zone our this semester when I had a few minutes to actually zone out. I flew through "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" - hilarious. My grandma thought it contained subliminal messages. Of what, I'm not sure. The Blacklist has also been rocking my socks off lately.

4. Speaking of my grandma, is she not the cutest?! We took her to see the cherry blossoms around the Capitol when they were in bloom. Side note: I learned this spring that cherry blossoms are celebrities in this city. People FLOCK to come see…flowering trees. They are gorgeous, but WOW. Some of these tourists were intense. They're trees, people! No need to push others down.

5. I was insanely concerned about gaining weight this semester because I had very little time to exercise, so I ate INSANELY healthy this semester…aside from the gummy bear addiction I developed. Georgetown's cafeteria has the BEST gummy bears I've ever tasted. And I'm a connoisseur, so I would know. PS: I just learned how to spell connoisseur.

6. I know I'm SUPER late to this party, but I recently discovered podcasts. My good friend Gina's brother Mark is on several podcasts, and when he was in D.C. a few weeks ago got us tickets to see this podcast he was live performing in called Welcome to Night Vale. I had never heard of this (as I had never listened to a podcast ever), so I figured it would be a cute little show. Um, no. LOOK AT ALL THOSE PEOPLE!!! It blew my mind, so I started listening to podcasts. I've been listening to Mark's, which is called "We Got This" (hilarious)…and I've become obsessed with "Serial." I know. I'm like a year late. DON'T SPOIL IT FOR ME.

7. It looks like I'm choking her, but Piper is actually growling at Justin in this picture because he attempted to take her away from me. Since I was gone a lot this semester, Piper has become more clingy when I'm home (yes, more clingy).

8. If this doesn't scream SUMMER, I don't know what does. Love love.

9. It's always funny to me when people say that animals don't have emotions. One look at his face and I feel quite certain he feels things. I think he's telling me to eff off in that picture. What do you think?

10. This is my adorable and amazing hubs relaxing on the roof with some friends BECAUSE WE CAN DO THAT NOW! He has been my rock through this awful semester, and I would not have made it without him. But now we're FREEEEEE!!!! Freedom tastes SO good. On the weekends it tastes a bit like vodka :)

And that's it! What's new with you?! What have I missed out on in the last four months?! (Do you want me to stop using so many parentheses?!)

MISSED YOU!!!

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Random Thought Tuesday and Life Lately

HI FRIENDS!!! Things have been so crazy, but I have some random thoughts and random life updates.

1. We are LAWYERS!!!!!!! Justin and I were both sworn into the Maryland bar last week and DAMN does it feel good. And so surreal. You work toward this goal for SO long and then you reach it…and that's it. So crazy. 

2. Does the Kmart commercial with the pregnant ladies suggestively dancing for Joe Boxer make anyone else uncomfortable? Nothing against pregnant ladies, but…what is that commercial trying to say?! Please tell me I'm not alone.

3. I often get ideas in my head and can't let them go until I actually do them. Example: I want to make my own cocktail bitters. I will not let this go until I try to make cocktail bitters. It will likely end poorly.

4. Another example? Marshmallows. I made my own marshmallows. I thought they would be this fabulous treat I could give everyone at Christmas. Instead, it looked like Perry pooped on some snowballs. Huge fail. This is what I was going for. 

5. Perry (cat) has been particularly strange lately. About a month ago, Justin came back from his dad's with a box (full of wine we ordered. I know, you're shocked). The box had been in the basement where  Justin's dad's feral cat (Charlie) lives. When Justin brought the box in, Perry, went NUTS. He made that crazy cat howl and completely flipped out. We got rid of the box and cleaned the entire house, but he still didn't come out for over 8 hours. WHAT?! Is he so dumb that he doesn't realize a box is not a cat? We call it the box cat incident. Perry is broken.

6. Perry is also really fat. Piper is not impressed.

7. Is anyone LinkedIn savvy? I understand LinkedIn, and I feel like I should use it, but it feels like a (slightly) more professional version of Facebook. But I don't treat it like Facebook? I feel old.

8. OMG the Entourage trailer. I have watched this an embarrassing number of times. OBSESSED (Eric is the best, hands down. Though I sometimes think about Drama and just smile).

9. As you all know, I love Trader Joe's. Whenever we go, I check the online flyer to find products I might want to purchase. I got SUPER excited about that salted caramel gelato…and it's pretty awful. I plan to force my brother to eat it when he's here this week (get excited Cal).

10. I wish I was crafty. I go on Pinterest (I have a love/hate relationship with it) and see these projects and want to do them, but never do. This year, I bought ribbon with the thought that I would make my own bows for all the gifts we wrapped. It did not go well. Let's just say it ended with a large glass of wine.

11. This city is magical. I took this a few weeks ago on my way to class, and despite the scaffolding, it blows my mind that I walk by the Capitol every day. I LOVE this city. Annnnd I get to stay here for longer than anticipated!!!

Which brings me to my final update. I GOT A JOB!!! Woo hoo! It's been all over Facebook because I'm way too excited (I keep asking Justin if I'm being too annoying about it, so I apologize if I have been annoying). I will be clerking for a judge on the US Tax Court come January. AND finishing the LL.M. in Tax program at Georgetown…full time. It's a lot, but it's only for a semester.

That being said, I will probably abandon the blog for awhile. Justin is taking on most of the duties (he's calling himself the house husband), so I won't get to cook nearly as often. I'm so bummed, but I plan to come back to this one day.

THANK YOU for all your support. Seriously, I get the most amazing words of kindness from this blog and it's just incredible. I know not many people read it, but it makes me happy. And comments and thoughts and replies to the questions I'm asking in my head just make me even more happy. It's nice to know I'm not completely insane.

Love you all. Happy Holidays and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I'll see you in 2015 :)

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Lightened Up Loaded Potato Skins

Hello, old friends!

I feel like I should explain why I've been MIA for the last few months. After we took the bar exam, I was mentally and physically drained. I almost immediately started an LL.M. program at Georgetown Law (to specialize in Tax - yes, I know I'm insane) and for some reason every time I sat down to write it felt forced. I decided not to force anything because it would lose a genuine feel that I think (I hope) my blog has had since the beginning.

I have still been cooking. Pretty much non-stop. And taking pictures. But I just didn't feel like saying anything.

THEN…on Friday, Justin and I both found out we passed the bar exam (YAY!!!!). I woke up Saturday and one of my first thoughts was, "I really want to write." I have no idea what was stopping me before now, and I have no idea if it will come back. BUT I wanted to write and share, so here I am.

Side note: my backup plan if I failed the bar was to open a food truck with my youngest brother, Cal (totally serious). I still have food truck dreams even though I'm officially a lawyer (after I get sworn in), so this will (hopefully) be a side job one day. 

THIS RECIPE. GAH. Such delicious game day food. AND only 75 calories per potato skin - what?!? No excuses.

 This comes from one of two cookbooks I've purchased this year: The Skinnytaste Cookbook. This is an EXCELLENT cookbook. Most of the recipes are naturally GF, so I'm a fan.

Here's what you need (from the Skinnytaste Cookbook . . .

5 russet baking potatoes

For the chili filling:

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes w/green chills
1/2 cup canned fat free refried beans
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika

Potential toppings:

Scallions
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Light sour cream
Pico de gallo*
Homemade guacamole (recipe coming soon!)

One of the best pico de gallos I have ever had comes from Trader Joe's. I'm sure you're all shocked.

Here's what you do . . .

1. Pierce your potatoes with a fork and bake at 400 degrees for an hour (you can put them right on the oven rack). If you can easily pierce them with a fork, they're done. Remove them and let them cool.

2. In the meantime, make your chili! Heat a large skillet, drizzle some oil, and add the ground chicken and season with salt. Break it up with a spatula and cook until browned - about 5-6 minutes - until no longer pink.

3. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until the veggies are soft - about 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Stir to combine and let simmer for at least 10 minutes. I like to let mine simmer for 30 to get it thick.

 4. Slice each potato in half and remove the filling (can be used later for mashed potatoes!) - leave a little layer around the edges so it can hold your chili and toppings. Cover with a little olive oil and salt and put them under the broiler for 3 minutes to crisp up.

5. Remove your potato skins from the broiler and set oven to 400. Fill potatoes with chili and top with cheese (if using). Bake for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

6. Add your toppings! I literally use every topping I listed above, but use whatever you like best! Enjoy!

I really love this recipe. It's SO filling and it comes together really quickly. 

I'm hoping to get back to posting more often. It feels so good to be back :)

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Random Thought Monday

1. This post has been a long time coming. I had SO MANY THOUGHTS after the bar exam, but it took me FOREVER to function like a normal person; I could barely put together a sentence, let alone a blog post. After the bar, I constantly felt guilty during the day (I'M SUPPOSED TO BE STUDYING!!!), and I would often freak out and think, "OMG I FAILED!!!!" And then start crying. This phase has passed (fortunately for Justin).

2. J.D., who is the best friend ever and babysat the animals while we took the bar, made the sign above. Not to sound like Gwyneth Paltrow, but it really felt like I had survived something that could have easily taken me out.

3. One of the bizarre side effects of studying for the bar exam were the food cravings. We were in Wal-Mart one day and I HAD TO HAVE a jar of pickles. I ate them like candy while we were studying. Justin, who claimed to hate pickles, slowly started eating them as well. Needless to say, Justin has decided he likes pickles and we have quite the variety living in our fridge at the moment. 

4. On a related note, if you like spicy foods and have not tried Wickles, you MUST get a jar. They are delicious.

5. We need to discuss sprinkles. I LOVE sprinkles - BUT - only a particular kind of sprinkle. You know the soft kind that you SOMETIMES find at ice cream/froyo stores? THOSE are the best. My dad calls them "jimmies," and it's what I call them, but apparently this is not a standard term for sprinkles (asking someone in a grocery store for "jimmies" gets you some really weird looks, fyi). Anyway, sprinkle impostors, the really hard crunchy ones that make your teeth feel like they are going to fall out? Yeah, those suck, but they were the only kind of sprinkle I could find…until recently. We were in our local Wal-Mart and I looked over…and saw jimmies. I have been forcing Justin to buy ice cream JUST so I can put a small portion in a tiny bowl and put my jimmies on top. Yes, I am 7 years old and a (hopefully) soon to be attorney. 

6. Trader Joe's is my best friend for life. I ate this goat cheese in 2 days. Nope, that's a lie. It was closer to 36 hours. SO. GOOD. I'm not even embarrassed.

7. Speaking of Trader Joe's, I have to share the most amazing story to go along with the picture above. You all know my grandmother, Mimi. Well, shortly after the bar, Mimi got her own apartment in our building and moved to D.C. It's a long story, but she's had a rough few months. We took her on her first Trader Joe's adventure a few weeks ago and she LOVED it; they had so many products she liked and everyone was so friendly (which is typical). Anyway, as we were checking out, Justin told a cashier (who had met us before Mimi moved up) that it was Mimi's first TJ's experience and she had just moved to D.C. As we were leaving, he brought her this gorgeous bunch of sunflowers to welcome her to the Trader Joe's family and to the District. It was SO incredibly kind. Gestures like that make all the difference in the world. 

8. One of the benefits of D.C. is that when I run, I get to run from my apartment past the Capitol, down the National Mall to the Monument, and then back home. This is entertaining for a lot of reasons, but one of the main ones is people watching. I saw a man dressed in an orange safety vest without pants with a dog standing on the Capitol steps shouting at people the other day. Life is so good. 

9. I've been convinced I will meet a celebrity in D.C. and we will become BFFs, but this has not happened yet. Justin says it's because I don't go where celebrities go. This should not be as surprising to me as it is because the primary place I have gone (aside from GW Law for bar prep!) is a cupcake place I'm obsessed with in Georgetown. Oh, and museums. I really should get out more.

10. Perry is so broken for so many reasons. He has recently become obsessed with our shower. He insists on opening the door, going inside, laying down, and rubbing his face on the door. This photo was taken right after I GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER. That's right, it's completely wet.

11. On a related note, there are cat paw prints all over my bathroom floor all. the. time. How do you teach a cat, who should know by instinct, not to go into a wet shower?!

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Baked Shrimp and Homemade Remoulade

I SURVIVED!!!

The last two months have been pure hell. I'm 99% convinced that part of the reason all lawyers are required to take the bar exam is to see whether or not you have the perseverance to actually get through it.

BUT. I'm on the other side. August is a magical month. I have so many random thoughts that have accumulated over the last 6 weeks, so GET READY.

I have been cooking like crazy since we finished the exam. I found this recipe while browsing through a cooking magazine at Justin's dad's house. I think it was called Cuisine at Home? Anyway, this shrimp recipe was super simple and the remoulade? AMAZING.

Here's what you need (adapted from Cuisine at Home [I think] Magazine). . .

For Remoulade:

4 tbsp chopped orange bell pepper
3 tbsp mayo (use full fat for the best result - I used Duke's)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp chopped chives
4 tsp chopped parsley
3 tsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice

Use a food processor and pulse all the ingredients until smooth. Add more mayonnaise to balance out the flavor if needed and salt and pepper if preferred. It will be a slightly green color, but I promise it's good. You'll have leftovers - if you only want enough for your shrimp, cut the recipe in half.

For the shrimp:

1 cup bread crimps (I used GF, duh)
4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
4 tbsp fresh chives
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 pound peeled deveined shrimp (serves 2)

Here's what you do . . .

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Toast bread crumbs in 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Pour into a bowl and combine with chives, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

3. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Dip each shrimp into the oil/butter mix, then into your bread crumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle any remaining bread crumbs on top to coat well.

4. Bake for 10 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through and the crumbs are crisp (10 minutes should be perfect). Enjoy dipped in the remoulade!

This recipe turned out SO well. The potatoes and greens beans on the side were not as great (the recipe recommended this weird dressing that tasted like honey mustard - blech). These would make a GREAT appetizer and the remoulade goes with all sorts of seafood, so don't throw away the extra!!!

I'VE MISSED YOU!!! It feels so good to be FREE!!! Here's hoping we passed - we won't know until HALLOWEEN (ugh).

See you soon! Happy Tuesday :)

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Zucchini Tots

This is likely the last you'll hear from me until the bar exam is over on July 30. Excuse me while I panic in the corner.

It feels like we've been doing nothing but studying. We took a brief break on Tuesday to watch soccer (for the sake of being honest, I went for the excellent happy hour specials, NOT the soccer), and it was so nice to feel like a normal member of society.

When we got back, I felt EXTREMELY guilty for taking 3 hours off studying, and I started craving pizza, sushi, pasta, and ice cream.

We didn't eat any of those things, BUT (in case you didn't get the point) I am a MAJOR stress eater. And it's not like I crave baby carrots and spinach when I'm stressed (though how nice would that be?).

SO, as the bar exam gets closer, I've needed to find things that taste unhealthy, but are not unhealthy. Hence, zucchini tots.

Justin was SUPER skeptical: "I don't actually have to eat those, right?" And then he ate 1/2 of them. It doesn't taste like a normal tater tot, but they are SUPER delicious and satisfied my fried food craving.

Here's what you need (from Skinny Taste) . . .

3-4 zucchini, skin peeled off
1/2 medium onion, chopped into small pieces
1 egg
1/4 cup of bread crumbs (we used GF ones from The Fresh Market)
1/3 cup of sharp cheddar, shred
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Here's what you do . . .

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Shred your zucchini with a cheese shredder - I used one that looks like this, and it worked perfectly. Then, use a kitchen towel to wring as much water as possible out of your shred zucchini. The dryer, the better.

3. Mix dried, shred zucchini, onion, egg, bread crumbs, cheddar, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

4. On a baking sheet coated in non-stick spray, make little balls with the zucchini mixture. I push mine into little flat pancakes. If you weren't able to dry out your zucchini well, you may want to pop the baking sheet with the little pancakes in the fridge for 3-40 minutes - it helps.

5. Bake for 20 minutes total and flip them about half way through cooking. I also turn on the broiler for about 3-4 minutes at the end to get a nice crisp on top. Enjoy!

I've already made these several times - they hit the spot, and I don't feel guilty, which is a huge bonus.

Thank you all for the amazing words of encouragement. I will be needing them over the next few weeks!

See you on the other side!!!!! #oneanddone

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Random Thoughts Thursday: Bar Exam Edition

Random thoughts: all the reasons and examples of how studying for the bar exam is destroying my brain:

1. This afternoon I desperately needed a break from studying, so I wandered over to H&M for the sole purpose of trying on a romper (see photo above). I decided this would be a life changing piece of clothing and I needed one immediately. In case you all are wondering, I looked AWFUL in a romper. 

2. Our freezer died, so our apartment complex replaced our entire fridge. I wasted a solid hour deciding how things should be organized in the new fridge (that was exact same model as the old fridge). That was a highlight of my day.

3. I've been talking to Piper so much that sometimes when I start talking to her, she runs away and hides under the couch. 

4. For what it's worth, Perry will usually come OUT of his hiding spot when I start talking, so that's something.

5. I started following a Barbri lecturer on Twitter because I liked her so much (for all you Barbri geeks, it's Property Professor Paula. She is seriously amazing). 

6. I have a weird thing about moose, so I got overly excited when we found the moose at the natural history museum and made Justin take multiple pictures of me in front of it. 

7. I've been doing Barre3 workouts at home (amazing, btw) because it's the only workout that actually feels good after being hunched over my notes all day. The other day, I was doing this move where we lay on the floor and do something…but I just laid on the floor and closed my eyes. 

8. There were several food trucks outside our building the other day and one of them was this truck that offers unique popsicles. I almost cried trying to choose the right popsicle. In case you were wondering, grapefruit rosemary was the wrong choice. It tasted like soap.

9. Studying for the bar exam is really awful. The self-doubt is the worst and the amount of information is the absolute worst. I'm definitely trying to stay positive, but it is a challenge every single day. How am I POSSIBLY going to know enough of this to pass this test?!?! Positive thoughts are much appreciated :)

10. That last one was kind of a bummer, so I will end with this: I was walking through Dupont Circle the other day and saw a girl who I was CONVINCED was Hilary Duff. I started smiling weirdly and quickly trying to think of how to approach her, but then it turns out it when she got closer, she wasn't Hilary Duff and I was just smiling creepily at some stranger. I think the worst part about that story is how excited I got when I thought I was about to meet Hilary Duff. 

I love you all. Send me your happy thoughts. 

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