Yep, still alive!

Hey there, 

I know it's been a while since posting- that's because this past weekend  I took a trip back to the lovely Winston-Salem for homecoming weekend! I missed my lovely Wake Forest!

Photo courtesty of wfu.edu

It was a slightly unconventional homecoming, in that 1. I didn't determine I was going until 4 days before leaving 2.I didn't do any school-organized events and 3. I didn't go to the homecoming game...(but we won, so there's that!). 

It was such a wonderful whirlwind of a weekend! Some old friends (who happen to be WFU alumni) that live in the DC area were driving down and invited me along, so I seized the opportunity! We left Friday after work, and ended up getting down there about 1:30 AM (crazy late!) which meant I snuck onto campus and ended up staying up chatting with a great friend until almost  4 AM!! (which explains why I fell into a coma-like-nap 10 hours later that could only be broken with a starbucks latte!)

Things that I realized while on this trip: 1. there's not enough time in the day...I got to see so many great friends, and I'm so grateful, but 1.5 days just isn't enough to see everyone! 2. My alma mater really is one of my homes- arriving there for homecoming is just like arriving home at Christmas, it's like it's waiting for you, full of warm welcome and joy.  3. I love love love my friends- obviously I already knew that, but seeing friends face-to-face really made me remember how much I truly love them, and love the fact that people will drive out to see me, or change all their plans just so we can hang out (or let me literally take over their room and hijack their day...). 4. I thought I was the only one who remembered all my silly plans and promises- and yet, we watched a movie that only I wanted to see because it was a "senior promise" made like last December. I had another friend ask me when we were going to Vegas, as we had planned on cross-country roadtripping last Spring break, and a third friend brought up our plans to ride across the country on bikes (a plan we made 3-4 years ago). I always had a tendency to make silly plans and promises, and while I always remembered them and tried to follow through on my end, I tended to think that my friends dismissed them or forgot them. Loved finding out that was not the case!

Anyhow, it is only 9:20 PM, but I *must* go to bed! There's a personal trainer coming to the house tomorrow at 6:00 AM, so I'm getting up to join in...this might be a doozy. Wish me luck!

Yours truly, 

Rachel

Hmm is this a recipe blog??

Well hello there fine friends and family!

There's something I need to strike and replace from previous posts- the worst thing in DC is not driving- the worst thing is driving in extreme weather! Fortunately for me, The worst of the storm happened while I was sitting in carpool line waiting for Jill. Today was intense thunderstorms, well, that's what was supposed to happen- I think it was more like heavy rain. (which I am *quite* glad about!) 

Anyhow, the nanny life is great these days! Today I went on a crafting mission, and hit up both Michael's and JoAnn fabrics. I decided I want to make a journal for Jill, so I had to accrue the necessary supplies so that I can make it later this week. That is a pattern courtesy of Pinterest, so I'm wishful that it will come out well!

Speaking of coming out well, I had a highly successful dinner that I made last night! (Well successful with Micky and Minnie- not so much with Jack and Jill...but in time!) So what does this mean? More greatttt recipes for you! Sorry that this blog sometimes becomes a cooking blog, but I figure that I need to share the wealth, I can't keep the good recipes to myself! 

First up, the main course: pork roast with a spice rub-- (note: this picture is nothing like how it looked...you cook it in the oven, so I don't know why they're showing a roast that looks like it was in the crockpot...)



My comments: cook time was about 40 minutes longer than recipe suggested, but we just weren't reaching the 145...The roast was very moist and flavorful, but very spicy- I would reccomend reducing the pepper to 2 T. Also, note that the rub is for 2 roasts, so if you don't want leftover rub, halve the recipe
 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pork-roast-with-the-worlds-best-pork-loin-rub/detail.aspx

Next up: Mashed carrots...I know, it sounds disgusting- literally the most delicious form of carrots I think I've ever eaten. They really dont taste like carrots at all- they take on a flavor and consistency much more like sweet potatoes. 



My comments: these were so good! Instead of using chicken broth I used 14 oz of water with two boullion cubes (simply because I forgot to check if we had broth) and instead of using chive and onion cream cheese I used half a container of the italian-seasoned flavored Philadelphia cooking creme (which is sold in the cream cheese section...it has a consistency between sour cream and cream cheese). Make sure to mash the carrots really well before adding the cooking cream to get rid of chunks, as you don't want to overstir them after adding the cream. I didn't bother garnishing with whatever herb it suggested. Though I suppose that would add to the presentation. 

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/creamy-mashed-carrots-136984.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20120911-_-1047&cm_lm=0989D1094BB3411E7F9D0391CF9121A6

And finally: The asparagus tart!



I made quite a few modifications to the listed recipe: baked puff pastry for 15 mins, took out. Meanwhile, steamed the asparagus in the microwave for 2 mins. Sprinkled  puff pastry (after cooking for the 15 mins) with a small container of feta cheese, and about 1/2 C of shredded mozarella. Alternated the asparagus as suggested. Then I added about 10 cherry tomatoes, which were cut in half, sprinkled randomly around tart on top of asparagus. I lightly salted and peppered. I put fresh garlic (probably 1-2 cloves) in about 2 T olive oil, and drizzled that on top. Then I baked for 10-15 mins and it was done! I cut into about 12 squares, as I couldnt figure out the best serving method. 

http://www.marthastewart.com/318340/asparagus-gruyere-tart?czone=food/produce-guide-cnt/spring-produce-recipes&center=276955&gallery=275174&slide=284861

Anyhow, they're really worth trying out! Hope you will!

Abrazos, 

Rachel 

Nan(ny)-tastic!!!

So, operation: "make friends" has commenced. Having recently made the discovery that meeting people in real life is a lot trickier than meeting people on a college campus, I have been trying to figure out how to best go about making friends. I joined this website called MeetUp, where there a bunch of random events you can go to, organized by interest/hobby, and you meet a bunch of people with similar interests. I haven't gone to an event yet, but hopefully within the next few weeks I will, and I'll start meeting people. But even better, I had some friends at Wake that I didn't really keep in touch with after they graduated (theyre a year older than me), but I decided to reach out via facebook to one of them, who I knew lived near DC. Turns out he only lives about 10 mins from here, he lives in the same building as two friends I knew from Wake! So today we all watched the Wake/FSU game together (um, yeah unfortunate game, but what can ya do...?). I realized I don't absolutely love football, but I do love hanging out with people I know and like. 

Now let's set the scene: I got back about an hour ago, instantly put on sweats and a t-shirt. I popped out a diet coke and put on Leap Year on the tv. For dinner? Ice cream!!! Life.is.good. A little veg time and an occasional ice cream dinner do a person good!

Tomorrow I'm planning on going to church in the morning (don't know which church yet...) and then perhaps going to Georgetown in the afternoon to explore and walk around. Or bike. I don't know yet- plans are still in the making!

Oh and a final note: I had a huge parallel parking success! I feel so much better about the prospect of parking in the future! 

Until next time, 

Rachel 

Recipes worth trying

So Jack and Jill are picky eaters. (That's the understatement of the year). Needless to say, it can often be a challenge to limit the sugar and processed ingredients and up the healthy fruits and vegetables and grains . So in an attempt to basically trick the children into thinking they're consuming no-good, sugary, sweets, I've been trying out some tasty pinterest recipes, which have come out quite well, so I figured I better share the joy! The best are the cookies (which I call fairy-dust cookies...I created an elaborate story about how magic oven fairies sprinkle cinnamon mixed with magic and that's what gives the cookie their sweet cinnamony flavor...I'm not proud to lie, but whatever works!) and the chocolate chocolate chip muffins. I lovveeee those, and probably have eaten more than the kids....

Give them a try, and enjoy!!



cookies- made with zuccini, carrot, oatmeal, craisins, and coconut...notes: I peeled the zuccini, and chopped it and the grated carrots very very finely- this makes them almost-invisible when you cook
http://www.momontimeout.com/2012/07/zucchini-carrot-oatmeal-cookies-recipe.html




Banana bread- I made this into 15 muffins. A little bit more dry than I like banana bread, but Jack lovvvveeeeess them. I also mixed chocolate chips and a little peanut butter into half of them- I don't reccomend peanut butter- it adds calories but not much flavor- not worth it. chocolate definitely worth it. 
http://8weekstoabetteryourecipes.blogspot.com/





And best for last, chocolate chocolate chip muffins. These are absolutely delicious, in my opinion. I used only half a cup of splenda, but would probably up that to at least 3/4 C, as they have a more bitter taste than traditional chocolate muffins. Also, I used normal-sized chocolate chips, but in the future might use minis to spread them out more or try a variation (mint chocolate chips, white chocolate chips? the possibilities are endless!!)

http://healthyisalwaysbetter.tumblr.com/post/6583755120/lessthan300kcal-triple-chocolate-chunk-muffin

This weekend Mickey, Minnie, Jack and Jill are travelling, and I'm staying here, which means I will most likely be sleeping in, baking more chocolate chocolate chip muffins, and probably watching some ABC family movie marathons. Good times ahead!!!

Yours truly, 

Rachel 

Rachel "the Great"?

Here's what I'm thinking of lately. Jill is a very lucky 6 year old, in that she is able to take ballet at one of the most prestigious ballets in the country. Once a week she goes to the school that conditions and teaches individuals who will go on to incredible schools specifically for dance, and will just be dancing prodigies. To reach this status will obviously take a life of dedication, which will result in being considered a "great" (in this case, specifically, a "great dancer"). 

Taking Jill to this ballet class made me think back to all my activities that I had done throughout life so far. Dance, gymnastics, drama, volleyball, softball, tennis, piano, flute, and who knows what else. In certain areas I always felt like I had wasted potential...I mean, tennis, for example: after never having picked up a racket, I made the Varsity team after my first time trying out. I mean, I was decent but, was stuck in position #11 on the ladder. I started thinking, 'maybe if I had taken lessons as a kid, maybe if my parents had sent me to tennis camp' etc etc, and I really truly thought that I could be great. Same with volleyball, and with softball. I've had lots of friends who had always gotten to do the travel teams, and the summer camps, and the private lessons, and I was jealous, because it seemed to me they had an unfair advantage- they took advantage of opportunities that I wasn't allowed to. 

So what's my point? I think I'm the kind of person who tried a million things, and ended up always being good, but not great. I have so many random talents or abilities that I never developed fully, and it used to really really bother me. I wanted just one thing; one thing that was 'my thing'. One thing where people would classify me and say, 'wow, Rachel's great at this one thing'. My older brother and sister were very musically as well as academically gifted, and maybe it was that which made me really want to shine. Whatever the cause, I wanted to be great, and somehow, not being great felt the same as being inadequate. 

Let's get to the tie-in. So I took Jill to her dance class, and saw all these cute little girls  running around in matching leotards and ballet slippers and hair pulled back in perfect ballet buns, all with plain white socks (NO RUFFLES) , but there was something that was so wrong- something that was hard to pinpoint, and it was eerily bothersome. And then I realized: these little girls werent smiling, they werent laughing, the fun had kind of been removed from dance. Jill was clutching me in a sad sobbing hug because her shoes were the wrong color, and she might not be able to dance in class because of that (if you don't meet dress code, you don't get the privilege of dancing). In this class a 6-yr old will be kicked out if her hair falls out of the bun. In this class, a 6-yr old will sit out and watch for the duration if she shows up late. In this class a 6-yr-old will not be admitted back to the school next year if her foot flexibility is measured as unsatisfactory. In this class, little girls don't get to smile and laugh and have fun- they get to stand in silence while imitating painful ballet stances, and take criticisms and directions from a former professional dancer, who doesn't care about relating to kids, but rather about drilling in how to reach perfection. Because this is a prestigious ballet school, and that's what it takes to be great. 

There's a video that my mom took at the park district dance class that I took when I was in Kindergarten. I'm wearing a ruffled jean skirt, with a baggy , stretched-out white t-shirt. My overgrown boy hair cut is hanging down around my ears, and slightly in my eyes, and I do an awkward spinning dance across the room, while a young woman, probably a volunteer or a back-from-college student waits on the other side of the room until I zig zag over to her. 

I'm not saying that it's wrong for parents to take advantage of the opportunities presented to their kids. I'm sure that there are world-class dancers who look back and know that it was worth every second- that the sacrifices they made were worth results. And there are kids who will hate their parents for not pushing them to be great. But after this ballet experience, all I can think is that my little motley six-yr-old self twirling clumsily across a park district building room was pretty darn happy. And I didn't keep dancing, but while I did it, I loved it. And I'm pretty sure that the flowers my parents gave me after my one and only recital felt as good as the roses that the olympic gold medalists get on the podium, and I got to have that feeling of achievement and sheer joy without ever feeling the pain and sacrifice associated with becoming "great".  (This seems like an appropriate time for a shout out to the parentals for doing a good job- guess you raised us right after all ;)  There was a method to the madness!!)

With my GREATEST wishes, 

Rachel

Goodbye Nantucket

I'm writing you from back in the land of DC. The school year has commenced, which meant it was time to return. Lucky for us there's a direct flight from Nantucket to DC, so it was a breeze to travel there and back. I wanted to include the pics of the house and my room from the Nantucket house. 

My bedroom (note the slanted ceiling)

And from the bed

Back yard

Tiki bar and hot tub

Private cabin

House from the front (couldn't get the whole thing...my bad)

So anyhow, that's Nantucket for you. It was quite an experience, and one that won't be soon forgotten. As for me, this weekend is my first full weekend that I'll be alone with the kids. It'll be great, but quite busy, as all the sports and dance and everything have started up this week. But I'm sure it will run smoothly (knock on wood). Anyhow, time to wrap up and get ready for after-school pick up!

Rachel