dilluns, d’agost 28, 2006

Spicy Pierogi Pizza

After Boston's Pizza took our favorite pizza off the menu, we took matters into our own hands and reinvited it. Here are the results of this weekend's efforts. We didn't calculate measurements closely but with pizza, so much of it really is to taste, non?

1 Bobolio Thin Crust
1/2 c. sour cream
cayenne
garlic powder onion powder

Mix this all up and spread it out on the crust. Then top with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. On top of that, add paper-thin slices of potato (a mandolin comes in handy here). Sprinkle with real bacon bits and chopped green onion, then add a little more mozzarella to hold it all together. Serve with sour cream on the side for dipping.

Also, so it wasn't a hideous fat blast, we used low fat sour cream and reduced fat mozzarella.

dimarts, d’agost 22, 2006

Bloggin' From Work

Yep, it's that time of year when I go back to the office and create beautiful syllabi, attend urgent meetings, and hide from desperate students. This happens for two weeks and then the classes actually start. It's a good way to get back into the routine and get ready for the grind.

This morning there was an all-employee breakfast but I didn't want to go. It's one of those optional things but I'm the only person in my department right now. Including office staff. It's kind of eerie.

I guess with the quiet I should quit blogging and get back to pondering how I'm going to handle my quiz and workbook policy, the two things that I am required to do but always plague me in terms of how to utilize. I change my process every semester and still haven't found what I'm looking for (right, Bono?).

divendres, d’agost 18, 2006

Congratulations, Sean and Angie!

Last night my brother proposed to his girlfriend, woo hoo! (That was what Monday's secret mission involved, picking up the ring.) Yesterday was also my parents' anniversary although Sean didn't select the day based on that, it's just an added bonus that will make the story even cuter when they tell Gramma.

This weekend at the family reunion there will be a surprise shower for my cousin and now a surprise announcement from Sean and Angie. Good thing no one from that side of the fam reads my blog :-)

dimarts, d’agost 15, 2006

Lady Who Lunches

Since the end of summer is nearing, I've been making lots of plans to see my friends before things get too busy with the beginning of the school year. Last week, I visited four friends and this week I have plans with three friends and my mom. Coming up this weekend is a family reunion, too, so there's lotsa visiting happening. Some of the restaurants covered/to be covered include (Mpls) La Bodega, The French Meadow, The Loring Pasta Bar, and (WI) The Creamery, and Houligans. Sorry that I'm too lazy to link those up but I doubt anyone would actually look.

At the Loring, my U of M student ID still scored me a 30% off discount! We used to go there after class for appetizers on occassion and I went there with my parents to celebrate my M.A. Here's what I had on Friday:

dilluns, d’agost 14, 2006

Top Secret Adventures

I was someone's sidekick today as we went on a top secret mission. We obtained the goods and I bought the man a congratulatory beer at Chipotle. An update will follow when the case is declassified (sometime next week). Go, Team Venture!

dijous, d’agost 10, 2006

WOO HOO!

I just submitted a manuscript proposal to a HUGE publishing group! Ok, I have to disclose that I would only be an assistant on this project IF it even gets accepted but it felt kinda cool to put together a proposal and send it off. Yay for summer projects!

divendres, d’agost 04, 2006

Happy Birthday, Kacie and Angie

Today is my sister's and my (future) sister-in-law's birthday. We celebrated with Kacie when she and her husband were in town for a wedding and last night went out for teppanyaki with Sean and Angie. Austin and I had only recently gone to our local hibachi grill for the first time so we got to pretend we were old pros last night. As usual, the food was wonderful and I wanted to pick up my dipping dish of soy-ginger sauce and drink it like a shot.



This weekend we're going to a wedding at Solera, a fabulous tapas restaurant downtown Mpls that is essentially a tiny piece Barcelona conveniently located in the Midwest. Admittedly, I'm a little jealous. We were completely happy with how our wedding turned out and the venue was amazing but after the honeymoon and reabsorbing the ethereal Modernista flavor of Bcn, I can't help but have a twinge of longing. Ah well, it will be fun and I will whole-heartedly lift my sangria glass in toast to the newlyweds.

dimarts, d’agost 01, 2006

From Green to Red



This blog needed some color to break up the text. Here's how I proved science by making a green pepper into a red pepper.

Goings On

Yesterday I woke up at 4:40 a.m., five minutes before my alarm went off, so I could head out early with a colleague. We went to a dairy farm to see how Mexican employees were learning English on the farm and other employees were learning Spanish. It was really an amazing, grassroots program and was worth getting up early for. My colleague is the driving force behind our research but it's been great experience for me to tag along and bridge Spanish education with ESL.

It made for a long day, however, and when I got home at 12:30 it felt like it was already 8:00 p.m. I forced myself to stay awake and got to bed really early. Finally slept well too so I feel like a new person today.

Tomorrow I'm working with another colleague to finish a manuscript proposal.