Treatise on Midwestern Living

collar popped

2010-06-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

love her.

nautical living

2010-06-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

please and thank you.

(and thank you, pottery barn, for taunting me this morning)

politico

2010-05-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

adorable...

welcome to the world of PD life

2010-04-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

i love guys like this that get tattoos on their face.

and then get upset when they get ID'd in a line up.

my response: that's the drawback of face tattoos, sorry!

p.s. please check out what appear to be lipstick mark

tattoos on his cheek and neck. love it.

taken from here.

she used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows

2010-02-20T05:54:00.000-08:00

yes i stole this off lauren conrad's tweet.
but how adorabe is this??

pep it up

2010-01-31T12:33:00.000-08:00

i have seen people make stuffed peppers before
and i've always wanted to try them...
so when i saw this healthy, meaty recipe for them
i knew i had to jump on it...

stuffed red peppers

1 lb ground turkey
1 garlic, minced
1/4 onion
1 tbsp cilantro or parsley (i used both..yum!)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin powder
salt
3 large red bell peppers
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
olive oil spray
1/4 cup cheese

heat oven to 400 degrees.
start rice.
spray olive oil in pan.
add onion, garlic, and cilantro.
saute 2 minutes and add turkey.
season w/ salt, garlic powder, and cumin.
brown meat until cooked through.
add 1/4 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup broth
mix well and simmer for 5 minutes
combine cooked rice and meat.
cut bell peppers and remove seeds.
place in baking dish and spoon mixture into peppers.
pour remaining broth into dish.
cover with aluminum foil and cook for 35 minutes.
top with shredded cheese!

i love birthdays

2010-01-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

it has been a wonderful birthday weekend....

friday

first, i had my work lunch with my lovely fellow PDs
at my favorite bar on mass ave, especially
in the winter...
b-day lunch: scotch eggs, tuna sandwich,
and massive onion rings
peppered with wonderful conversation
and great friends

then, lph took me to dinner at a wonderful
little italian joint, iaria's
iaria's is a nice family joint with one
of the best atmosphere's ever.
b-day dinner: BREAD!, salad, minestrone,
and spinach ravioli with 2 meatballs.
(picture from here)

saturday

i got myself pampered with a hair cut (finally!)!
i went to a new salon, orange moon.
they gave me a shoulder massage and a mini
facial before my haircut
the people there were awesomely lovely
and i have healthy hair again.
score!

aftewards, i met aj at bourbon street for a bloody mary
and he procured for me a picture i've wanted in there
for 6 years!! it is a painting of downtown indy
back in the day when women wore huge gowns
and everyone used the horse and buggy for transportation

then i moved on to BW3s for wings and football with
mr. scott laham & company.
others filtered in throughout the day
and of course i got a present from mr. pierre garcon...
COLTS WON!!!
so now we have the AFC championship game next week
couldn't be more excited....

sunday

woke up early to pamper myself a bit...
then met the parents for lunch at qdoba!! yumm-o!

after that, i got to spend some quality time with my
old best friend from my childhood.
the children's museum had a bad ass barbie exhibit....

then, we had dinner with the parents and came home
for movie night. apparently it was time for us to a pick
a bad one...do NOT see "beyond a reasonable doubt."
hideous.

monday

we had lunch at the cheesecake factory with the parents.
and i have a piece of red velvet cheesecake
for dinner tonight.

we're currently having a movie marathon...

basically, i ate my way to my 27th birthday :)
guess i'll be hitting the gym this week!

snow wed

2010-01-13T18:18:00.001-08:00

i'm in love with this picture.
always thought a winter wedding sounded atrocious.
but this makes you think completely differently.
found here.

german is as german does...

2010-01-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

every christmas eve we have a huge party for lph's mom.
it's her birthday so we invite over her friends, family, etc.
this year was her 60th so we wanted to do something really special.

i decided i would attempt to make black forest cake.
there is this wonderful german cafe called the heidelburg
in indianapolis and everytime we go
she always orders a piece of this cake...
it's quite an exquisite cake if i do say so myself
and when i found the recipe i felt extremely nervous.
luckily we told no one i was trying to do it
so if i failed we could go get a bakery cake!

luckily, it turned out WONDERFUL!!!
i'm not going to lie, i tooted my own horn all night.
it was moist, full of flavor, and looked beautiful....
and did i mention mouth-watering delicious????

so without further ado, here is the recipe i stole from cooks.com

black forest cake

2 cups + 2 tbsp of flour
3/4 cup of cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
3 cups whipping cream
1 can cherry pie filling
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar

combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. stir until mixed.
add shortening, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
beat 3 minutes at low speed.

grease two (2) nine (9) inch cake pans and add wax paper.
pour batter into pans.
bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
let cool.
then split cakes horizontally.
crumble one of the top layers into a separate bowl.

beat whipping cream until foamy.
gradually add powdered sugar.
beat until it resembles whip cream.

place one bottom cake layer on a platter.
use some of the whip cream on the cake.
then use some of the pie filling.
place the other bottom cake layer on top and repeat.
then place the top layer on the cake.

frost sides of cake and top layer.
reserve some for dallops on top of cake for decoration.
pat cake crumbs generously along the sides of the cake.
put dallops on top of cake.
fill top with rest of the pie filling.
chill well (i chilled it overnight).

p.s. i had beautiful pictures of it, but our friend nick
didn't leave them for me....hmmm...

the waldorf

2009-12-28T17:14:00.001-08:00

yes, please.

ricotta? my god-da!

2009-12-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

tonight i needed something simple, but delicious. so i went to my old friend, rachael ray. she pulled through with "past, wintergreens, and walnuts!"

pasta with winter greens and walnuts
from rachael ray, feb 2009

ingredients
7.5 oz of ricotta cheese
6 tbsp EVOO
lemon juice
whole wheat pasta
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
spinach galore, chopped
salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

directions
heat water and salt.
when boiling add pasta.

mix ricotta cheese and 4tbsp olive oil.
splash some lemon juice in.
mix it up and let it be.

heat remaining olive oil in skillet.
mix in garlic and red pepper flakes.
brown them.
add in spinach and stir frequently.

when pasta is complete, drain.
once spinach is wilted, mix it with the noodles.
then mix in cheese.
mix in nuts.
eat!!

elegant

2009-11-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

i wouldn't mind owning this dress....

THE PARTHENON!!!

2009-11-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

alright, ladies and gentlemen...
this is a recipe i'm holding near and dear to my heart.
when i was in college at the greatest university in the world,
my dear friends and i would order this massively delicious
pizza from avers with breadsticks and loganberry drink.
just thinking of it makes my mouth salivate.
so clearly i decided that i needed to try and make this pizza.
i needed to recreate it since they don't deliver to indy....why not???

so...here it is....homemade parthenon...

THE PARTHENON

for the sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
garlic
flour
Parmesan cheese
red pepper flakes
parsley
oregano
salt

for the pizza
a pizza crust
green pepper
tomato
black olives
feta
purple onion

how to make
i used store bought thin crust pizza crust, but if you're really
martha stewart-ish make your own!

in a food processor combine all of the ingredients for the sauce.
as for everything other than the olive oil, do it to taste.
how much oregano do you like?
are you a huge fan of Parmesan? i don't know!
i personally put in a lot of parm, a decent amount of red pepper,
about 2 tsp of flour (to thicken it up), 1 1/2 tsp of garlic,
and lots of shakes of everything else.
but those are my tastebuds.
after you've added all of the ingredients,
mix well in a food processor and let sit while you chop everything else.

chop 1 whole tomato.
dice 1 1/2 cups of black olives (or however much you want
to cover the pizza)
dice 1/2 a green pepper
dice a bit of onion.

spread all of the sauce over the crust.
spread all of the chopping ingredients over the crust.
spread lots of feta cheese over the pizza.
and bake!!

then, pop in some felicity, get your best friends together, and enjoy...
(i wish!)

too bad someone can't figure out how to recreate loganberry...

pair-us together...

2009-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

so i've been looking for a calendar to put up in my office.
and what i really want is flat post-cardy type things.
so i can put them on a bulletin board and hang up other necessary items.

and today i found it...this paris is for lovers calendar.

see, paris and i have an interesting relationship...
for the first 20 some odd years of my life
i always thought, no, was positive
i would HATE paris. just hate it.
and i never had any desire whatsoever to go there.

then, back in 2006, i studied abroad for a summer in edinburg, france.
part of our program was to go to paris for 2 days.
i was not excited. everyone else was.
so we fly on over there...and we get on the metro to go into the city.

and i fell in love.

we had a romantic and quick 2 day affair.
i literally walked all over the city.
i ate SO much food.
i sat at a little cafe and people watched...
we went to the Eiffel tower at night and went up to the top
to see Paris lit up.
i fell so in love with the Arc de Triomphe
that we now have a picture of it hanging in our house.

needless to say, i think i need this.

from here.

yes, we need a little christmas!

2009-10-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

from shbug7's etsy site, here.

ok, i know it's a little early to start thinking about christmas.
we haven't even got through my favorite holiday yet.
however, i want this little apron.
how cute is it!
i think i deserve it.
also, we just decided we're hosting LPH's family christmas
at our apartment this year again.
which means a full day in the kitchen with christmas music
and yummy smells...
so the apron could get quite the work out!

p.s. the 20 year old me is freaked out how exciting it is
to me to spend a whole day in the kitchen.

wedding of the century

2009-10-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

this makes me so happy.

zucchini beanie chickini

2009-10-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

i made this awhile ago, but have saved the recipe to post.
it is super easy, and delicious.

zucchini beanie chickini

ingredients
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 skinless chicken breasts
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 can white beans, drained
1 tomato chopped
black pepper

directions
prepare skillet for cooking and place over medium heat.
cook garlic until browned.
add chicken and cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side.
stir zucchini and white beans into skillet.
cover and cook 5 minutes
scatter tomato over dish, cover and cook 2 minutes.
season with black pepper and serve!

MOM! MEATLOAF!

2009-10-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

seriously, this is my mom's meatloaf :)
i think it's the best ever.

sometimes i like to sit on my couch, like will ferrell in wedding crashers

and scream, "mom!!!! the meatloaf!!"

followed by maybe one of my favorite lines from that movie,

"what is she doing in there? i never know what she's doing!"
and, like my dad's daughter that i am,
it makes the best day after sandwiches!

sounds delightful with some mashed potatoes with this nasty weather...

my mom's meatloaf!

ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
3/4 cup milk
1 envelope onion soup mix

directions
beat egg slightly. stir in well with soup mix, bread crumbs and milk.
let stand about 5 minutes; with a fork, thoroughly mix in the beef.
pack firmly into a loaf form and place into a foil lined baking pan.
bake in preheated 400 degree oven about 45 minutes.

xoxo, jenny

2009-10-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Chuck: It's a facility for the disturbed or addicted.
Blair: You must have your own wing.
Chuck: You don't get nearly enough credit for your wit.

ok. so i have many teenage loves.
twilight. harry potter. britney spears.
but, this is my new one...gossip girl.
and blair and chuck...i'm obsessed...

thanks, holly :)

PUMPkin up your evening

2009-10-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

october is by far my favorite month.
i love fall. i love hoodies. i love halloween.
i love colorful leaves.
i love pumpkin spice lattes.
i love pumpkin seeds.
i love the beginning of the holiday season.
i love boots boots boots.
i love scares. i love toboggans.
i love it all!

and as you see, a lot of this includes pumpkin.
so it comes as no surprise that i LOVE these...

Pumpkin Cupcakes
(adapted from David Leite via Smitten Kitchen via That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

1. Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.

2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.

3. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Divide the batter equally between the cups. (They’ll be about ¾ full.) Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

serve with some hot apple cider for that perfect fall feeling :)

sorry, i suck

2009-09-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

i have a backlog of recipes to share...but tonight,
i am going to write down what we had for dinner
b/c it was so awesome...

greek fish with salad

ingredients
filets of fish (i used a tilapia, salmon, and some shrimp)
lettuce
olives
tomato
red vinegar
onion
lemon juice
salt
pepper
greek seasonings

directions
take the fish/shrimp/yumminess.
pour red vinegar over it.
salt, pepper, and greak season.
spray a grill and throw them on there!

while cooking, chop up some lettuce.
take a tomato and cut it into cubes.
add olives (to your preference...i put in a lot)
add onion
add red vinegar
salt and pepper
pour over the lettuce.

take the fish off the grill
and serve w/ some pinot grigio :)

needless to say...i'm happy :)

ay carumba!

2009-09-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

last night i decided to try to really kick our taste buds ass...and in a really simple way! i saw this recipe through my rachel ray emails and my stomach growled just looking at it. you see, i'm one of those people who could literally eat mexican every night. i never get sick of the taste/ingredients/etc. i find it best paired with a nice raspberry margarita, but last night we settled for some beer :) but i highly recommend this soup. super easy to make!

i added tomatos to the recipe b/c LPH loves tomatos (and through dating him, i've grown quite fond myself). i also only put in 4 1/2 cups of chicken broth b/c i wanted it thicker.

Mexican chicken lime soup

ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion chopped

6 cloves of garlic

6 skinless boneless chicken breast

2 canned chipotles in adobe sauce, chopped

2 tbsp adobe sauce

1/2 cup cilantro

juice of 2 limes

tomato, chopped

5 cups chicken broth

salt/pepper

avocado

can of corn (optional)

can of black beans (optional)

any other delicious ingredient you think would sound good!

directions

heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium/high heat.

add onions and garlic, and cook til onion is brown.

increase heat to high and add the chicken.

cook until golden brown.

stir in chipotles and adobe sauce.

stir in chicken broth.

add tomatos.

simmer for 15 minutes.

stir in lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper.

serve w/ avocado (i put it in the soup) and tortillas!

blue's clues

2009-09-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

even though she kind of gets on my nerves
(for some reason)
i happen to covet almost all of her outfits.
this one is no exception.
i want it!

yummo!

2009-09-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

Everybody, welcome chrissy for her first contribution to the cooking blog!

chrissy is sharing with us a wonderful chicken recipe (which is making my mouth water just reading it!)
chrissy made this for her friends the other night
and when she shared just the name on twitter,
christina tweeted back, "email it to jenny!"
and we're glad to have it (and hopefully eat it quite soon!)
in chrissy's words, this was delicious!!! and easy to make!
her friends were quite impressed!

almond dusted chicken breast

ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped, unblanced almonds
1/4 cup minced shallots or green onions
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup strawberry jam
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (try the 18 year-old or strawberry)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
10 ounces fresh spinach, cooked just until tender
non-stick cooking spray
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish, if desired

directions
Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray;
add oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in almonds.
Place chicken in skillet;
saute four minutes on each side, turning once.
Remove from pan and keep warm.
Reduce heat to low;
add green onions to skillet and saute one minute.
Add chicken broth, strawberry jam, vinegar and rosemary;
simmer until slightly thickened, about two to three minutes.
Place spinach on heated serving platter;
top with chicken breasts and pour sauce over top.
If desired, sprinkle finely chopped parsley over chicken.

tennessee girl cooks louisana food? you betcha!

2009-09-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

As you can see, the idea of this blog has kind of turned into a cooking blog. But it's more than that! It's a cooking blog run by all of my friends from home (and we all now live all over the states...) so this is a way since we can't eat dinner together, we can share our recipes that work and are delicious with each other!

so today's recipe comes to us from the deep south...from ms. pretty bride herself! enjoy!!

louisana chicken pasta

found here

When I first saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. After all, it had our favorite menu items (peppers, onions, and cayenne pepper) but was in a pasta dish. Normally these ingrediants are used in all of our mexican dishes, most casseroles, hell, we even put them in our burgers. Anyway, the only problem was that I am trying to make the commitment to being healthy, without going to extremes, because that would never work. I edited Annie's recipe a little to make it a little more healthy. Instead of using 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1 cup half and half. I used 1-1/2 cups fat free half and half. To thicken the consistency a little from the absence of whipping cream I used 1-1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 1-1/2 Tbsp of water (instead of 1 tsp of each). I also only used olive oil (no butter). And of course whole wheat pasta. I prepared garlic bread by broiling whole grain bread sprayed with spray butter, garlic salt and parmeson cheese. So, while it still isn't the healthiest of meals, it was great to have a creamy pasta dish without all the fat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
Cajun seasoning

For the pasta:
8 oz. bowtie pasta - whole wheat
Kosher salt

For the sauce:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups fat free half-and-half

1-1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1-1/2 tbsp. water

Directions:
To cook the chicken, heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and a generous sprinkle of Cajun seasoning. Add to the skillet and cook until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.

Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and heat the olive oil until the butter has melted. Add the bell peppers and onion to the pan. Mix in the salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add the fat free half-and-half the pan and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, and add to the skillet once the cream mixture has started to bubble. Allow to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

When the sauce has thickened, add the cooked pasta and chicken pieces to the pan. Stir well to combine and cook at medium-low heat just until the chicken is warmed through. Adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning if necessary to suit your tastes. Serve immediately and top with additional Cajun seasoning, if desired.

So we asked a genuine Louisana boy what he thought of it, Mr. Kyle Hornsby, and he said, "you give that girl a high five, wooooohooo!!!"

a little taste of home...

2009-08-31T15:06:00.001-07:00

saint lynn (my mom) makes 2 breakfasts i LOVE.
the first is her french toast.
i literally can't enjoy french toast unless it's from her.
the second is her zucchini muffins...

lph brought home this rather large zucchini the other day
i took one look and said, "i'm making muffins!!"

and i must say....they taste just like mom's.

saint lynn's zucchini muffins

ingredients
1 cup salad oil (or substitute with applesauce for less calories)
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsps vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon

directions
in a large boil, mix oil, eggs, sugar, and zucchini. after mixed, add flour.
stir in soda and cinnamon.
pour into muffin liners (or 2 greased loaf pans if you want bread)
bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

slather on some butter and enjoy some of lynn's special TLC...

mac n cheese spice

2009-08-30T17:54:00.001-07:00

i've had quite the domesticated day...
which means i still have 2 more posts for this week!
go me!
especially since i feel this week will be super busy
and i will rely on easy meals...
oh well. i fed bubs and me well today!

first up, my favorite...spicy mac n cheese!!
i am a big fan of any type of mac n cheese
but when i saw this zesty looking one, i knew i had to try it...

it's pretty easy cheesy to make...
AND SOOOOOO GOOOD!!
if you're not a fan of hot foods, you won't like this.
but anyone else...it has so much flavor
that i wanted seconds, thirds, and fourths...
i stopped myself and saved some to split for our lunches tomorrow
but this will be made again. and again....

ingredients
4 cups cooked macaroni noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 tomato
1 small can green chiles
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
salt
pepper

directions
boil pasta

in a large pan, heat olive oil and add garlic, onion, pepper, and tomato.
(yes, i 1/2 love this recipe cause i get to utilize the food processor so much)
stir in green chiles.
take off the heat and add to the pasta.
mix in the cheese.
s & p to taste.

DELICIOUS!!!!

modified from here.
i took out some of the fattening stuff
and it tastes delightful still.
however if you want butter and cream added,
pioneer woman says, "go for it!"
and i took out the jalapeno.
i once had a bad experience from cooking w/ jalapeno.
my face looked like angelina jolie
and my hands felt like they were stuck inside a bonfire.
i also took out corn...but i added tomato!

a golden girls favorite!

2009-08-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

thank you for being a friend cheesecake

lph and i have a teeny obsession with one particular show.

the golden girls.

please stop you're laughing at us, and go check out WE.

trust me, you'll remember how funny those four broads are.

phew.

and if you remember, these four ladies loved to talk and talk in their kitchen.

the normal fifth party in that equation was...CHEESECAKE!!

so you can imagine my excitement when my dear love holly mae

found a wonderful cheesecake recipe (bakerella!)

and made a cake that made my mouth water through an emailed picture!

holly said the cheesecake turned out wonderful!!

ingredients

2.5 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup butter melted

4 (8 0z) pkgs cream cheese (yum!)

1.5 cups sugar

3 tbsp flour

5 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon juice

directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar.

Stir in melted butter until moistened.

Pour the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan (3 inches tall).

Press the crumbs into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.

To make the cheesecake filling, cream the sugar, cream cheese and flour

with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy.

On medium low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition.

On low, add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla just until combined.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325.

Make sure to take it out of the oven before the center looks done.

It will be kind of wobbly and it will move in one piece.

The center will look more shiny than the edges.

That's ok because it will continue to cook a little while it's in the pan.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely to room temperature.

Hope that it doesn't crack.

Go ahead and separate the cheesecake from the sides of the pan

by running a knife around the edges.

I also opened and reclosed the springform pan to help separate.

Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

That's right. It's best to make this the day before

because it needs plenty of time to chill and firm up.

Strawberry Topping

1 container of strawberries
3 tablespoons of sugar

put in food processor until blended

are you calling me a shrimp?

2009-08-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

so mi amigas and i are going to start using this blog as a foodie blog
for us to share our recipes with each other across the united states
and, of course, share funny stories about making the food.

our first recipe is called shrimp paesano.
little background on the recipe.
spina's husband, matthew, used to live in san antonio.
there he found this wonderful dish.
one day he asked his lovely (then) fiance to make it for him.
she whipped it up and said, "oh this is yummy!"
she sent it to me, and i finally found enough time to try it out.

first, the preparation of this meal is so fun.
you get to be a tid bit (lots) messy!
while trying to prepare mine, my phone rang
and i tried to carry on a convo with flour all over me.
needless to say, i created more of a mess than usual...
once you get the shrimp covered in the flour, the rest goes super fast.
and then, before you know, voila!
a wonderful dinner ready for you to devour!

i must say LPH and i really enjoyed this meal.
i inhaled my dish.
so big thanks to matt for having such good taste!

ingredients
1 lb shrimp
1 pint light cream (half & half)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups (i used more...) flour
1 large egg yolk
1 stick of butter
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup parsley leaves
chives
1/4 cup lemon juice

preparation
preheat oven to 400 degrees.

pour most of the cream over the shrimp and let marinate for 30 minutes or more.
save some of the cream for the sauce.

drain shrimp and roll the shrimp in flour.
saute in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
flip shrimp over.
remove shrimp and put in baking dish.
flip oven to broil and broil shrimp for 5 minutes.

sauce:
mix 1/2 stick of butter, egg yolk, and lemon juice.
heat over medium.
remove from heat.
mix in the other 1/2 stick of butter, garlic, and stir until sauce thickens
add some of the half and half.
add chives and parsley.

you can serve this with pasta or not. we went for the not and it was wonderful!

bag lady

2009-08-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

what a great court bag this would be for me!
please, santa??

here fishy, fishy!

2009-08-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

for dinner tonight, i made a light summer meal.
some fishy fishy mango salsa!

Ingredients

2 cups plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups diced peeled ripe mango
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

Prepare grill.

Combine first 7 ingredients. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic.

Rub halibut with oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place fish on grill rack; grill 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with mango salsa.

blood red!

2009-08-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

fyi: for any sweet tooth cravings,
head over to the cheesecake factory for
red velvet cheesecake.
to die for.

and if you get a piece with me, i will give you
a free impersonation of m'lynn from steel magnolias.
Blood red! people are gonna be hacking into
this thing that looks like its bleeding to death!

delic.

my best friend's wedding!!

2009-07-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

i met ms. christina when i was 10...
over the past 16 years we've shared countless
stories about possible suitors
(over more laughter than you could imagine)
a little over 2 years ago, she found her perfect match.
and this past weekend we celebrated (and jaq and i cried)
with the best wedding weekend ever!

congratulations, matt and christina!! love you both so much!!

(and yes, i know, i have damn good looking friends!)

it's all greek to me

2009-07-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

this is a wonderfully delicious summer meal...

greek steak pitas

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (such as McCormick)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
4 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
24 slices English cucumber
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add steak to bag. Marinate 3 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil. Add steak; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Let stand 2 minutes. Cut steak across grain into thin slices.

2. Return pan to heat. Add juice, garlic, and spinach; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; add remaining salt.

3. Spoon 2 tablespoons spinach mixture into each pita half. Place 1 tablespoon onion, 3 cucumber slices, and 1 1/2 ounces steak in each pita half; sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese in each pita half.

Creamy hummus: Combine 1 cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper in a food processor; process until well blended. Gradually add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; process until smooth. Serve with red pepper slices and baby carrots.

isn't she lovely

2009-07-05T06:06:00.001-07:00

someone sprayed this perfume on me this weekend.
i swear i could smell it for 2 days.
and it was so delightful...
for $100 a bottle it should be
but that's not stopping me for begging logan for it ;)

chocolate malt for my eyes

2009-06-16T19:09:00.001-07:00

so last night, after a pretty rough day at work
logie took some pity on me
and did what he had to in order to cheer me up...
CHOCOLATE MALT!!!!
while i felt bad going in at 9:45 to south bend chocolate co.,
i informed the man with the malt machine
he was making my day.
i don't think it mattered to him since i was still
that annoying customer coming in 15 min before closing
but he and logan seriously made me the happiest all day.
(my dear friend, jess, came in close second with her
monster fountain diet coke and large smile she brought to my office)
and as i opened my laptop this morning
to enjoy my morning coffee and diane sawyer
this picture was on people.com.
seriously.
so hot.
my chocolate malt for my eyes.

baba blaze

2009-06-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

for someone who has to wear suits to work every day,
i feel like this would brighten up my wardrobe a bit.
especially with my little d.v. clients.

this week and next make me hum,
"nobody said it'd be easy,
but no one said it'd be this hard."

2009-06-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

oh so cute.
when i was a flower girl, i flirted with my ring bearer.
we have pictures to prove somewhere.
of course, found here, my fav wedding photogs!

burlondonbury

2009-06-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

just yesterday, i was telling my boss
if i could live anywhere, it would be london.
seriously, best city in the world.
and while i would get depressed with the lack of sunsight
i think owning this outfit would keep me pretty happy.
(and seeing logan in the boys outfit would make me laugh...
just the scarfy part...but who knows
he'd probably pull it off...)

p.s. way to go, emma, on landing burberry!

whirly whirly

2009-06-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

in my current allergic state, this picture makes my nose itch.
but i love it!
and bobbi and mike!
found here :)

happy weekend!

heaven must be missing angels

2009-05-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

while i feel super blessed to have a job i love.
that i get excited to go to work every day.
it has been so intense and crazy these last 2 weeks.
and all i want is to be on this comfy thing.
by the ocean/lake.
with a book (times 2).
a margarita (times 4 or 5).
and fun people.

clearly found here.
i'm such a pottery barn lush.

penny for your thoughts

2009-05-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

i love this dress...

greeking out

2009-05-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

tonight's dinner was FANTASTIC!
i'm excited for my leftovers for lunch.
found here.

*baked shrimp with feta*

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup prechopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons bottled clam juice
1 tablespoon white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine lemon juice and shrimp in a large bowl; toss well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add onion to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add clam juice, wine, oregano, pepper, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp mixture. Place mixture in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cheese evenly over mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until shrimp are done and cheese melts. Sprinkle with parsley; serve immediately.

zucchini bikini diet

2009-05-17T10:52:00.001-07:00

i made this recipe last sunday. normally, i would post the picture on the website where i found it, but the picture doesn't do this justice. plus, mine looked tons better than the picture. anyways, this is a simple, light meal that is great for summer! found here!

seafood stuffed zucchini

4 zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 egg, beaten
1/2 pound cooked crabmeat, diced
1/2 pound cooked salad shrimp
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
With a large spoon, scoop out the centers of each zucchini half, reserving the meat.
In a large bowl, mix about 1/2 the reserved zucchini meat, the egg, crabmeat, shrimp, and garlic. Blend lime juice and lemon juice into the mixture, and stir in the Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Season with oregano, basil, and pepper.
Arrange the zucchini halves in a medium baking dish. Generously stuff the halves with the crabmeat and shrimp mixture.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and top with cheese. Return to the oven, and broil 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

with spongebob

2009-05-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

yes this is an image of a pregnant woman with spongebob painted on the belly.
and there are two reasons this made me laugh:
1) the caption from jezebel: I know I want my child to be
the infant version of a sponge on quaaludes.
2) this is something i would do because i thought it would be hilarious and my great friend would hang her head in shame that she knew me and say, "my god, jenny..."

for another equally disturbing story courtesy of jezebel, click here.

talk derby to me.

2009-05-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

this year, i brought the kentucky derby to indianapolis.
i had a little gathering of my nearest and dearest that live here
and we celebrated this kentucky tradition.

for the big day i cooked like a kentucky girl.
meaning i used 3 sticks of butter.
i kid you not...

first on the list was kentucky hot browns!
recipe found here.
not for the weak at heart.
or those close to heart attacks.
but delicious!

second, i made grits casserole!
i personally love grits but know tons of people don't.
however, this casserole got eaten up!
recipe found here.

and of course, what derby party would be complete without mint juleps.
these were soooo tasty.
and i had too many...
but so delicious!
recipe found here.

go, baby, go!

save the justice. save the world.

2009-04-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

i seriously love this man.
last week arizona v. gant.
this week...well...this.

and one time, at jury camp...

2009-04-19T14:12:00.001-07:00

so all last week i spent the whole week with fellow public defenders from Indiana.
we went to what we call jury camp.
we all took a case we're working on for jury and prepped it.
now put a bunch of defense attorneys together for a whole week, and what do they do for fun?
naturally, play with breathlyzer machines and give each field sobriety tests...
the pic above is one of the best OVWI attorneys in indiana giving me the HGN test
we're the only group of people that probably find that highly amusing :)
but i'll be here all week :)

happy easter!

2009-04-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

the supeep court! hahaha!
the frowny face is supposed to be my love, antonin scalia.
and of course the one asleep is clarence thomas.
found here.

goody two shoes

2009-04-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

i wish they made these in big girl sizes.
found here.

reading rainbow...

2009-04-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

this is one of my fav things about the new apt.
it's almost like my dream of built in bookcases :)

spring organizing

2009-03-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

i apologize for no posts lately. we moved into our new apartment and lost our free internet signal. i've somehow connected right now! and here comes a post!

i have a thing for organization (even though i'm a tad messy). daily planners, lists...these things make me giggle with glee. so as i was perusing my pottery barn catalog, i got super excited when i saw their family organizer. look at all the compartments! and the calendars! (a week one and a month one!) mail shelfs...ipod/blackberry holders...

lets just say, me likey!

chili out

2009-03-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

so amidst my sickness i wanted comfort food.
i wanted mac n cheese.
i wanted grilled cheese.
i wanted soup soup and more soup.
i wanted a mcdonalds cheeseburger (b/c nana prinz always got them for me when i was sick).
and then i found this recipe.

cheesy hash brown chili
CAN WE SAY COMFORT FOOD!!!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 pound ground beef

Salt and pepper

One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed

One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

One 1-pound bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Scatter the potato mixture over the chili. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, about 35 minutes.

and plop on the couch, throw on a movie, snuggle up with a warm blanket, and enjoy :)

nutty for neti!

2009-03-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

i know the picture above is gross, but hear me out.
if you ever have a sinus infection.
or ever have a lot of congestion.
and you want to just be able to breathe.
then use a neti pot!
two co-workers told me about this wondrous creation
and i must say, i love it.
i just used it for the first time and feel delightful!

classy broads

2009-02-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

i apologize for my great absence...i have been battling ANOTHER bout of sickness...seriously i've had enough illness for the year of 2009...

i wouldn't really describe myself as a fashion guru. i enjoy looking at pretty clothes, but my budget doesn't allow me to do much more than target. but i do have two women whose styles i have always looked up to: ms. jennifer aniston and ms. jackie o. to be fair, if i tell you you remind me of either of them, you should take it as a huge, huge compliment.

as i was reading one of my favorite new blogs, jezebel, i stumbled across the above picture of jennifer aniston. and i loved it. because i find it to be a very jackie o dress on ms. aniston. i love it. and i want it :)

excuse me, pop, i think i've got the black lung

2009-02-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

so, i've been under the weather the past couple days. it started about monday at 3 pm when i started getting the "fever chills" (and started cursing under my breath). so i canceled my swim date w/ logie, came home, and jumped in bed. by the time he finally got home, i had been passed out for 3 hours and only got to say mumbled words to him (which probably didn't make sense).

then tuesday, i foolishly decided to go to work, because who wants to take vacation time for sickness? so i make it to work. then came home and went to sleep. and didn't get to see logan at all again.

then tonight, when i'm finally feeling a bit better, i think to myself, if i can stay up maybe i get to see him tonight! but nonetheless he has late meetings...meaning i probably won't make it that late...

and its making me realize just how hard 3 months are going to be when he goes away for JAG. ugh.

ma-ma-ma-ma my ramona

2009-02-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

the first chapter book i ever read was "ramona the pest" by beverly cleary.
i remember very clearly sitting in the gold recliner in our living room (which was like an oversized chair to me at the time) and devouring every word of this book.
what can i say, i loved her.
and from then on, i read every ramona quimby book. she was my hero.
so when i heard a movie of the book was coming out, i got excited!
....
until i read the full article. and now i am upset.
i can only say..."oy vey." (i've always had a weird feeling ramona should be jewish..)

p.s. i won my first OVWI trial today and am going out to celebrate w/ my boy :)

i'm just that into this pantsuit

2009-02-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

as someone who has to wear pant suits nearly every day
and someone who loves almost everything jennifer aniston
it's really no shocker that i'm obsessed with her outfit from the
he's just not that into you premiere.
and since its burberry, it would only cost my whole year's salary!

p.s. who wants to go see this chick flick with me ??
please, with raisinettes on top?

i like 'em dirty

2009-01-31T16:46:00.000-08:00

for our superbowl party, i decided to bring the dessert. since our oven is out (insert sad face here) i had to think of a non-baked good...here's what i made (and yes i think its funny to bring flowers to a super bowl party...)

Dirt recipe

1 package Oreo cookies
2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups of milk
(1) 8 oz. tub of cream cheese
1/4 cup of margarine
1 cup of sugar
12 oz of cool whip
flower pot
gummy worms
flowers

mix the cream cheese, sugar, and margarine together in a bowl.

in a separate bowl, mix the pudding and milk. let it sit til it thickens. then add the cool whip.

mix the cream cheese mixture and pudding mixture together.

put the oreos in food processor or place in a bag and beat with a mallet until in crumbs.

put a layer of oreo crumbs in the bottom of the flower pot. then a layer of the cream cheese/pudding mix. rinse, repeat. end with a layer of oreos.

*optional for fun* put gummy worms throughout!

**Note** the photo from above is not my dirt recipe. i could not find my camera so i grabbed one. but how cute is this?? nicely halloween-y decorated (the best holiday ever!!)

the weather outside is frightful

2009-01-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

i wished for a snow day thinking that i have a big kid job and that it would never happen.
well, kids, with 9 inches of snow, my wish came true!
however, i was up at 7:30 and driving anyways b/c LPH got sworn in this morning (!!!).
when i got home, i realized how much cleaning i needed to do.
and the work that is sitting on my desk i should be doing.
snow days just aren't as easy to enjoy as an adult.

but the images like these are so pretty.
p.s. that is the state house in downtown indy.
my absolute favorite downtown building.

just like a prayer

2009-01-22T16:50:00.001-08:00

as a catholic school girl, i must say
this picture is absolutely darling.

happy birthday to me :)

2009-01-19T06:13:00.000-08:00

sorry i've been MIA lately. work has been insanely busy. and this weekend has been my BIRTHDAY weekend which has been absolutely delightful....even though i've gained back all the holiday weight that i had worked off the past 3 weeks...oh well...

so in honor of my birthday, i post these cupcakes that my friend prettybride found posted on annie's eats and i wish i had devoured :) i love cupcakes, i love twilight, i love edward.

and with that, i must head to work (on my day off...blech) for about 2 hours before heading to a movie w/ LPH and his momma.

soak it up

2009-01-07T15:53:00.001-08:00

after the past two, long days i've had,
i cannot wait until i have one of these in my own bathroom.
with 2 glasses of a wine. and a book.

call me dorky spice

2009-01-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

so i made a new years resolution, against my better judgment that i am only setting myself up for failure.

this year (and hopefully a full-on morph) i am going to try to make dinner AT LEAST twice a week for LPH and me. i know, some of you out there are thinking, "at least twice? shouldn't you be shooting higher?" to which i say, refer to the first line. trying not to set myself up for failure.

additionally, between mine and LPH's schedules, we really are only here to eat dinner together about twice a week. he has late meetings, i try to hit my gym's group classes about twice a week that are late evening, and about 2 nights a week i make it home, grab my book, get in bed, and promptly fall asleep. so i think two nights a week is a lofty goal.

tonight i started the resolution off right. i would normally take pictures and try to be cutesy like that. however, i just made dinner and cleaned up...way too tired to be that ambitious. so here is what i made tonight...delicious, might i add.

Shrimp Curry
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp onion
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp paprika (a party in your mouth)
7 oz of shrimp
1/4 cup of sour cream
green pepper
chopped tomatoes
3 cups cooked rice

start rice...

in another saucepan, combine mushroom soup, onion, green pepper, tomatoes, paprika, and curry powder. bring to boil. stir in shrimp, return to boil. reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes.

stir in sour cream. spoon mixture over hot rice.

Serves 2!

dress you up in my love

2008-12-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

after much shopping, i finally found my new years eve dress.
and for a bargain as well! $40 for a $150 dress...
LPH is so proud of my fiscal conservatism.

i'll be home for christmas...

2008-12-21T06:57:00.001-08:00

when i was little and had one of those christmas vacation things (ok, i can't complain, this is my first year sans one...), we always made our cookies for christmas on december 23rd. my mom had a specific cookie or two she made with each one of us. we would get all dressed in clothes we didn't mind splattering chocolate on, dripping egg on, or getting dirty from self-imposed food fights. then we would each get OUR time with our mom preparing our house for the noisy prinz/lickteig christmas. i loved this day almost as much as i loved licking the spoon to everything, because being the baby has its perks...

well this year we are hosting LPH's family at our apartment for christmas eve. since i have no christmas break (and even have court christmas eve morning!), i must bake today the cookies and brownies. i'm wishing my mommy was here for this (though she probably will be via phone several times...).

just kidding

2008-12-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

this is one of the most adorable pictures i have ever seen.
i just want to squeeze the cheeks!

p.s. no, there is no clock ticking.
i lost a trial today i thought i wouldn't,
so i went looking for pictures that made me smile.
this one took the cake.

p.p.s. give credit where credit is due. taken from here.

she's baaaaackkk

2008-11-30T14:33:00.001-08:00

if the fact it was christmas wasn't enough....
this pic of my dear brit makes me smile.
homegirl is back!

p.s. the tree lighting was delightfully beautiful :)

light me up

2008-11-28T10:05:00.001-08:00

i know, i've been missing as of late. but i am making a pre-new year's resolution to update, for pretty bride's sake.

today is one of my favorite days. and no, i am not a black friday shopper. i have never been once in my life and i never plan to start (although technically we are heading to target today, but only because we are going to pick up more IU ornaments for our IU christmas tree...pics will be posted soon).

today is one of my favorite days because...it kicks off the christmas season. i love LOVE love this season. the lights, the decorations, the red cups at starbucks, and just the generally feeling of cheer from most people. and i am so excited to get to walk around downtown every day with it all decorated for christmas. tonight logan and i (and a couple of friends) are headed downtown for the circle of lights celebration where they light up monument circle. i cannot wait to indulge in my red cupped starbucks peppermint mocha and watch as this city kicks off my favorite season...

but for now, i will return to my couch position in front of my christmas tree and read. awww..its nice to relax.

how much is that doggy in the window?

2008-10-29T15:54:00.001-07:00

after much begging, i finally broke LPH down from saying no dogs for 10 years until, "once we own a place, we can talk..." which still means doggy is far away, but doggy is getting closer!!! and i want myself a westie and i will name him/her after my favorite supreme court justice...mr. antonin "nino" scalia. awwwwwww....so happy :)

neckin'

2008-10-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

i am a huge fan of anthropologie. if i could afford it, i would stock my wardrobe with their clothes. the two times i visited miami and went shopping on south beach, i spent the majority of my time playing dress up.

so today i went shopping through their dresses because i haven't indulged in anthropologie lately and i fell in love with this dress because it mixes another favorite of mine...fun necklines!

basically, i will be scouting the clearance until the gods that be decide to drop the price tag for me...i have faith.

maine man

2008-10-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

i'm totally stealing this picture for completely gratuitous reasons. but i love me some scott speedman. it's from GQ and is in a photo shoot entitled "Maine Man." hardy har har...

so i went to maine a couple years ago because best law school friend franky has a bed and breakfast out there (his parents do). so we went and played outdoors and ate ridiculously good food for about a week. and can i just say if when i was there i would've run into a man like this, well, i might not have come back to indiana. at least right away.

of course, i would have been back by february to finally come to my senses and start dating my main man.

music to my ears

2008-10-19T10:02:00.001-07:00

as of friday, i am officially an attorney...yes, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jennifer L. Prinz, Esq. bwahahahha...

if that doesn't sound good enough, the lovely logie has decided to reward me with a new ipod. i have owned mine since christmas 2004 and its battery lasts roughly 40 minutes (on a good day). so while it works to listen to at the office when i am eternally sitting down, i need a new one since i have decided to train for the mini (for real this time...).

so now comes the tough decision...which one to get...i have narrowed it down to the purple or green. now green is my favorite color ever and it has logan's vote. but the purple also looks cute. decisions decisions....

you are the best thing....

2008-10-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

i've had a bit of a long day, i'm tired, and have more work to do.
so i turned my laptop on to start working and opened up my itunes and this song came on and for whatever reason i just started to cry a bit (happy tears).

i love my little politico and can't wait for him to come home from the debate tonight and snuggle me up.

it's a great day to be alive....

2008-09-05T14:40:00.001-07:00

today has really been an amazing day...first, i got my diploma which, even though it says a nasty work on it *cough* purdue *cough*, i love love love...

and second...

I GOT MY DREAM JOB!!!

to put it mildly...i am beyond excited. seriously, cannot put into words how excited i am... :) :)

my dream of built in bookcases

2008-09-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

life has been a bit busy, so i apologize for not being able to update (i think this will be my m.o. from here until eternity...)

when i was little, i was a reading nut. my mom would sign us up for these contests our local library held during the summer on how many books one child could read. with my competitive nature, i took this seriously and would literally check out more books than my tiny 8 year old arms could carry. but i didn't care. i loved it.

when i started college as a theatre major and hated it, i knew the perfect switch would be to english. when i spoke with my advisor on why i wanted to switch, i explained i had a love of books and enjoyed getting lost in a really great book. she told me that would quickly die if i became an english major because of the amount we had to read and the tedious nature of always having to analyze and not sit back and enjoy (what a great advisor...).

well, my love of books didn't die, but my law school agenda kept me from being able to read as much as i wanted. so for the past 3 years, i have lived a life of getting to read one maybe two books over christmas/summer vacations...until now!

last week we went on vacation for five days to north carolina (one of my all-time favorite states). and all i did i feel like was read and it was amazing....in fact, currently i'm at our local library and whenever i'm finished preparing for my interview tomorrow i can guarantee i will play in the library for a bit looking for new fun books to read...

which brings me to my dream...built in bookcases throughout my house...i want them all over the living room, in the office, in the hallways. i love them. one of my great friends from college, his parents have the best built-in bookcases in literally every room and every hallway of their sweet chicago apartment. the first time i went there i spent literally 4 hours just looking at all of the books the 2 of them had accumulated over the years. so that is why whenever i start to have money again, i am going to hit up amazon.com and half-price books. i think i need to start re-accumulating books to fill my bookcases.

what ARE they doing...

2008-08-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

well, the good folks at abc have lost me as a viewer for next season's bachelor...

they named jason from the bachelorette. i think this is a really bad choice for many reasons. the most important being jason's son, but that is his personal decision and if he thinks its important then fine, i won't let that reason bother my choice on their decision. but i will let the fact that fred's personality is OUTSTANDING and awesome bother me! and the fact that i find jason kind of creepy, overbearing, etc. this goes back to my whole mr. big v. aiden thing i feel. and i guess its just...well...i find fred to be more of a manly man. on top of that he's funny....

if i knew any single friends in the chicago area, i would totally say, hey, you...go find fred...too bad fred didn't get to be the bachelor...i would have loved it :(

and yes, i know i'm a bit of a loser...

2008-08-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

i apologize for my absence (prettybride). i have been quite busy with my new hobby which takes up a lot of time and energy. what is this new hobby, you ask. well, it is called non-recognization. i am not recognizing anything that i don't feel like recognizing, and it takes a lot of energy and thought. for example, one of my favorite people in the world moved, oh, about 3 months ago. and i have refused to recognize that he left me. i just pretend he has hideous boils on his face and refuses to leave his apartment. that is why he no longer meets me for breakfast at our little cafe on pennsylvania.

another one of my friends from law school "allegedly" moved too...i am refusing to recognize that as well...she even gathered things of mine she had and i pretended the reason she was giving them back to me because she was afraid i was going to start charging her interest on keeping them. she offered me some of her extra boxes; i pretended it was because she is a box collector and just no longer had room for them in her apartment.

and i refuse to recognize that the olympics are coming to an end (please refer to the last post....olympic fever has been running high over here). i watch it almost every night. i feel michael phelps is like my little brother; nastia luken is my new close friend. i hang out with olympians. i haven't come up with a reason on why they've stopped being on tv...if anyone can think of a way for me not to recognize this, props to you. all advice is welcome.

i did have to sort of recognize my irish princess, keegan, leaving me. the reason because i can't just pick up the phone and call her without incurring a large phone bill. however, that hasn't stopped me from avoiding logan when he brings it up (which he thinks my not recognizing things is SUPER healthy). at times, i pretend she is still just on her honeymoon, sitting in her cabana with drink in hand. or that she is living in texas on a ranch and can't get phone reception out there.

but i now must recognize i have laundry and work to do....don't be jealous!

olympic fever...

2008-08-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

i feel like i'm a 13 year old again.

my entire life i have always LOVED LOVED LOVED the olympics. when i was 13 it was the 1996 summer olympics. that year i fell in love with gary hall, jr. (who later turned up on the side of one my best friend's shaving cream cans and i begged him for it...he thought i was nuts). i watched him swim every single meet. one night, while watching him swim, i got so excited for his win that in the midst of jumping up and down i somehow injured my calf muscle and had to sit out of volleyball practice the next day.

this was also the summer of the best women's gymnastics team. ever. i thought amanda borden and i could best friends forever. the talent of dominique dawes and shannon miller was just amazing to watch. i wanted dominque moceanu to be my little sister (even though she's older than me..). jaycee phelps is a hoosier...how could i not love a fellow hoosier? amy chow had the nickname, "the trickster," which is just awesome... and how could anyone ever forget when kerri strug stuck that landing with a sprained ankle and then bella carried her off the mats? i still tear up when i see that olympic commercial on now with that image in it..

ok, you may think i'm being a little overdramatic. but trust me, i loved that team. just ask prettybride. one night back in college we stayed up on the phone (when we lived 2 blocks from each other) naming all the members of the team.

so you can imagine my current excitement with this years olympics starting TODAY (technically, the opening ceremonies have already occurred, but i can't wait to watch myself tonight). so i'm sure over the next couple weeks i will find new swimmers to fall in love with, perhaps even a couple of soccer boys. i will stay up late again, just like when i was 13, to catch the women's gymnastics team kick some serious butt. and i'm sure i will shed some tears because of those little clips the olympics people put together with the sappy music and the heart breaking stories.
ahhh...it's great to 13 years old again...

in the election spirit...sort of..

2008-08-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

i am still gently easing myself back into the real world, post bar, therefore, this election post is still filled with celebrities (because what better way to integrate into the real world than by reading gossip about people who don't actually function in the real world).

first off, for those of you who have not seen mccain's ad with paris hilton and britney spears, please, go ahead and google it. i think even most republicans (other than elizabeth hasselback) shook their heads at the sight of that ad...

but now, paris hilton has struck back. who knew she had it in her? not me. on funnyordie, there is this new ad where paris hilton announces her own presidency and, i am ashamed to say this, actually made me laugh out loud (i'm half blaming this on the bar-induced coma i have been in). however if you get a chance to check it out, actually quasi-amusing. good for her. now that she's dating a madden apparently she thinks she can have an edge. how cute.

and my last pop culture reference to the election...the tyra banks "obama" fashion shoot. for some reason i find this extremely tacky posing as someone's wife. now i realize that it's just an obama look-a-like, but there is just something unsettling and yucky to me about this ad. i get a very angelina jolie/brad pitt "W" photographs feeling with this. or maybe its just super creepy. i don't know.

pretty dresses

2008-07-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

bar studying has developed some serious ADD for me. while going over multiple choice questions, i started thinking about this dress i sued to love that cameron diaz wore once (please see the picture on the right). so of course i possibly couldn't focus until i found a picture of it on the internet. this caused a massive search, which turned up a new dress i love (see the picture on the left). that cameron...always good at picking out pretty dresses.

sidenote: as i was writing this i confused left and right. apparently this studying is causing me to replace simple things i know, like left and right, up and down, with bar knowledge. i am so thankful that breathing is an involuntary activity.

st. elmo's fire

2008-07-20T09:13:00.001-07:00

The other night i decided to take a study break and watch st. elmo's fire (by decided, i mean i realized it was already one day overdue, but i really wanted to watch it soo...). the opening scene has ally sheedy, hands down my favorite actress from 80's, wearing what can only be described is one of the most hideous outfits ever. it is the one seen in this picture, (and if you don't know ally sheedy, shame on you. go rent the breakfast club. she's the one that is not molly ringwald. and if you don't know who molly is either, well you might as well just give up...). I can only thank the fashion gods that be that these floppy tie things for women that ally is wearing are no long in vogue...hideous.

but all in all, my review of st. elmo's fire is, catch it on tv if you can. this is not breakfast club/sixteen candles/pretty in pink quality. but a great cast...still fun to watch.

ps. where is ally?

bar maid? yes!

2008-07-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

for those of you who don't know me, i am extremely proud of my german heritage. what is not to love...brauts, beer, a beautiful (and super clean!) country, and kraut. in fact, when i was younger, my dream wedding was to take place in the german countryside (preferably near some running water...) now that dream has passed, but i still love germany. when i visited 2 summers ago, my friend said he had never seen me be so happy as when i stepped off the train (which, by the way, immediately when i stepped into munich some friendly (drunk) german man offered me a free beer. it was as if my country knew i was coming...) needless to say, the 3 days i spent in munich were filled with great food, great beer, and one of the best times i had in europe....

so today, to distract myself from studying, i decided to peruse the internet for more german fun things i can purchase. i already own an "everyone loves a german girl" t shirt (which is in its last days...) and my favorite irish couple recently purchased a shirt for me that says "made in america with german parts." but today i found the piece missing from my german wardrobe, the piece de resistance if you must (and yes, i think its funny to use french, a country germany likes to fight with over and over again, in my german post). ok, not really, but it is hilarious and i do think i should own it...

an open letter to jessica simpson

2008-07-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Jessica Simpson,

While I am not ashamed to admit that at times I do enjoy your fashion designs (hello, i loved the "princy" jeans a la my last name), I am mighty confused about this beach cover up you have designed that appears to be modeled after a dress shirt.

I realize that your life allows for a uniform of wearing t-shirts proclaiming that real women should be carnivores (AMEN, SISTA!) and so you may find it "fun" or "sexy" to wear a dress shirt as a cover up. But let me tell you, us women that have to have real jobs and wear professional attire every day do not appreciate designs where our beach cover ups are modeled after our monkey suits. Especially when you want us to pay $98.00 for something we have at least 10 of hanging in our closet which we paid a fraction of the price for...

I must give this two large thumbs down, unless however you are using your blond ambition and trying to promote that more people should have meetings, interviews, or even full blown trials by the pool. Then, bravo...bravo to your forward thinking.

Thank you.

torts...

2008-07-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

ever since my first year i've hated the subject torts. first semester, i was sailing along with a great gpa til my 4 credit hour torts grade came in...and i was none too surprised. because this is one subject that my brain just doesn't get. (please see the picture in the bottom right corner for my first year torts teacher...he was on jeopardy!!)

then, my 2nd year of law school, i decided i would take products liability from my favorite teacher. guess what? the man who can teach me anything couldn't teach me torts...

then the summer after my 2nd year, i did the unthinkable. i went and worked for a firm that specialized in torts...HA! i actually learned amazing things there. it turns out once i apply it to real life situations, i can actually apply torts...so after this, my outlook on torts was revived. i now liked torts. (mind you i didn't go so far as to say i loved torts...but i liked them)

then along came the bar....and balance has returned to my world. i hate torts again.

so off i go with my big book of love and coffee to at least manifest some knowledge of this dreadful subject....

p.s. i do like the dessert torts :) yummy!!!

prettiness distracts me

2008-07-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

momma wants this dress, for many things, but in particular for keegie's rehearsal dinner.
methinks after the bar, i may go try it on :)

keegie love

2008-06-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

the bachelorette party was a success...we send our keegie off into married life right (full with kisses to a cop and up until 9 a.m.) now just one more extravaganza (LPH's birthday) and then i will enter a deep seclusion until after the bar. xoxo.

2008-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

so bar studying is pretty lonely. you spend all day up in a library by yourself, reading and taking multiple choice questions. then, you come home and everyone is out and about because it is a friday and why wouldn't everyone be out and about. so you spend your evening in your humble abode with some ice cream by yourself. but the upside is i get to rent movies that LPH doesn't want to see...which is muy exciting for this girl!

last night my mint chocolate chip ice cream and i curled up in bed and watch definitely maybe and atonement. and i am in love with both. but if you only had to see one, i would go with...definitely maybe. while atonement was great, it had a creepy child in it. i hate creepy children.

but anyways, i must run...long day ahead. bridal shower, birthday party, bachelorette party day. i'm already tired just thinking about it...

side note: definitely is one of those words in the english language that i never know how to spell. in fact, in this post i had to keep looking it up. awful, i know.

fighter

2008-06-22T16:18:00.001-07:00

i would absolutely love to run away right now. i'm honestly stressed and feel overwhelmed. this bar exam is like being thrown into a kitchen with over a thousand ingredients and being told to create a masterpiece meal. where does one begin to conquer the task? where do you start? i sit down with my books and my laptop and attempt to study every day. i always feel like i should be doing more. that i'm not doing well enough on my practice exams. and that i don't know where to start the next day. so basically, i want to run away.

the brother todd told me that i'm not a runner, i'm a fighter. which automatically made me think of my favorite christina aguilera song, "fighter." first, you must understand that i make no apologies for my love of pop music or my love of christina aguilera. homegirl can belt it out and i love her. second, this song is on a mix cd i made that has been on repeat in my car and whenever it comes on i dance and sing and just love it. my cute politico who thinks we should all run for office of some sort one day actually says if i ever do run for office, this would be my theme song because its true, i'm a fighter.

so with two of the people that i am closest in my life telling me in some way or another that i'm a fighter, i guess my grand idea to run away is not going to happen. because they're right. so it's time to go fight this bastard of a test...i'm going to start with my fresh fighting attitude tomorrow (don't worry still studying for a good couple hours tonight) and fight this off in baby steps...

"ode to the board of law examiners" with lyrics by christina aguilera

'Cause it makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

it's the little things

2008-06-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

my life has officially become boring because of silly bar review. i work, go to class, eat, sleep, etc. and that is about it. i actually look forward to planning my meals, cooking them, and eating them. and by cook i mostly mean microwave because sadly it saves me lots of time. but i have thrown together a quesadilla once or twice.

last night after i got done with a marathon day of learning and was kicked out of the library (mark that my life has become boring and nerdy) i walked over to lolo's apartment and started to complain about the plight that is this summer. he is absolutely fantastic with me on this because he suffered through it last summer so i very rarely am allowed to complain. he usually tells me i only have to do this for a couple of more weeks, it is the end to a very long, painful journey, that i have the intelligence to pass the damn test, and the time i spend complaining is time i could spend studying and to just get it done. which is good because it gets me motivated, back on track, and back to the books. i like when people tell me not to complain because there really is no valid reason for me to do so. i have been blessed with an absolutely great life. i chose to go to law school and want this for myself so this is just one more obstacle to get that dream. so a kick in the ass to remind me of that is something i usually allow and supremely welcome.

but last night instead of telling me to just study for another hour, lo lo let me enjoy summer and we walked down to south bend chocolate factory, got two ice cream cones, and set on monument circle and just people watched. it was exactly what i needed...delightful.

bachelorette update from moi

2008-06-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

well, it happened...deanna let go of fred. the only reason i am sad is b/c now i won't get to see him the next couple of episodes. and yes, i just now watched the episode that aired monday...

it's a rainy day so i'm thinking of running to the gym, showering, then lounging all day...no bar study? could happen...

life is just insane

2008-06-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

so i have made a decent attempt this summer to try to remain social during the month of june because i know that july awaits me with a month full of hermiting and solitude. but i must say, this social butterfly/bar study/working thing has really made me tired. not to mention that i thought it would be a good idea to go and workout this morning before bar review so i could study all afternoon and now all i can think about is a nap...but alas, after i post this and eat my lunch it is bar review time until 6:30 when i meet one of the loves of my life, ms. keegan, for dinner (seriously, don't know where she has been all my life). yes, no time to stop now kids.

my mom actually sent me this email today about this stress presentation she went to. this speaker rates stress on this scale: 0-4 are things that can be displaced by anything that comes along, 5-7 is where we have to be in order to be productive, and 8-10 is where we choose to either be pushed to high production or allow the situation to control us. at the end of the email, she told me to use my level 8-10 stress and be pushed to high production...easier said then done.

but i think jessica simpson giving me this purse as a reward at pushing my stress to produce highly would make it easier...

a post just for spina rooney

2008-06-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

while i was home this past weekend, i had to force myself to get some studying done and finish editing my law review note. so of course i was looking for anything to distract me. about 15 minutes after i sat down at my desk, i started digging through the drawers to see what fun i could find. first, i found my favorite card game ever, phase 10. i used to play it for hours when i was in high school at this little diner that served the world's best biscuits and gravy. this is also the location my affinity for black coffee started (some is brewing for me right now :) ). so of course, i laid them all out to ensure i had a full deck. i was missing a blue 7...but have no fear, i had 2 decks of phase 10 so i stole one from that deck to make a whole deck in which to play this delightful game all summer long...

then i came upon this: This, my friends, is a collage christina made for me. we were doubles partners in high school and of course laughed just as much as we played. for example, one day we played an entire match pretending christina was a foreign exchange student from london. this is also the fated day of "bo" which i will not go into (to protect the "innocent") but damn...it is a good story. you will see christina memorialized this day with the word "bo" on the collage. funny funny girl.

anyways, i posted this purely for christina's enjoyment. i hope it makes you laugh like it made me laugh. then i told logan several stories when i showed it to him last night; needless to say, he thinks we're funny too. and that i haven't changed from high school...weird.

the bachelorette

2008-06-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

so last season i re-started watching the bachelor b/c i like abc's television shows online. and i loved LOVED loved matt, the bachelor. 1) he was british...rraarrr 2) he was hilarious to me. and my favorite of the 25 was always shayne. and voila! she got the final rose!! made me so happy!!

so i have now started watching the bachelorette. and i like deanna. not necessarily love her. but like her. and she has a whole lot of crazy on her hands. whoever said the girls were more drama obviously hasn't seen this season of the bachelorette. but i am stating my favorite right here and now...Fred. I love him. he's funny, has a chicago accent, and he's a lawyer! love him! now i know deanna and she's probably not going to keep him around super long, but i'm picking him as my star. and ellen agreed. and when is ellen wrong?

alienating friends and enemies

2008-05-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is my brief apology if for the next two months I tend to either update sporadically or completely bore you with mundane details, such as who recently won dancing with the stars. Above you will see a sampling of my life (a mere sampling to save those souls who were smart enough not to attend law school). This is what we refer to as bar review. Unfortunately, this term does not refer to soon-to-be attorneys sampling out which bars in the city where they can act like rainmakers, commiserate with other disgruntled lawyers, or find bars to hide from your clients. No no...this refers instead to the bar examiners version of torture (as if the past 3 years weren't hell enough..)

The funny thing (hardy har har) about bar review is it is held at my school. A school I just graduated from. A school which I still have to go to daily for 4 hours a day. Isn't the humor just overwhelming?

And for those of you who don't believe me or think i'm just whining, please take this quote from wikipedia which says: "Bar review is considered by many to be one of the most stressful and unpleasant experiences which a law student faces before becoming a lawyer." And we all know wikipedia doesn't lie.

sidenote: my friend actually updated the wikipedia page for "the wedding planner." yes, the movie with jennifer lopez that you can frequently catch on TBS (which leads me to a quick tangent that I think she has some sort of awesome contract with that channel b/c they always play her movies...go j.lo). one day he was watching the movie (allegedly he is straight) and he didn't feel like watching the end so he looked it up on wikipedia. apparently, the page wasn't to his liking so he redid it. my favorite sentence is "Mary and Steve spend a wonderful evening in the park, watching an old movie, dancing, and nearly kissing before being interrupted by an untimely rainshower." again, allegedly straight.

back home again...in indianaaaaa

2008-05-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

ladies and gentlemen, it's race weekend and i seriously couldn't be more excited. i never thought i would enjoy it, but what's not to love really. there's tailgating fun, there's the boy singing "back home again in indiaaaannaaa" in just a beautiful voice, and there's fast cars driving all around me. boy, i wish i was kick ass enough to be a female race car driver. perhaps in my next life.

in preparation for the big event, i went grocery shopping this morning (afternoon, whatever) in true tailgate fashion. we've got the lunch meat, the water, the beer, the cheese, the chips, and the cookies. i literally headed to the line and almost forgot the water. seeing as tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and beautiful, i'm glad i remembered.

but to truly enjoy the tailgate (which lets not lie, when haven't i) i decided to do some tailgate research and i discovered the coolest group that i need to join--The American Tailgaters Association. according to this really cool group, 30% of tailgaters never see the inside of the stadium. when i was in college, i think probably only about 10% of the people at the tailgate saw the inside of the stadium. lord knows i never saw it during a game. another website told me that the Indy 500 is only the 8th on the list for great car racing tailgates (it's like someone stabbed me in the heart...) there is even a tailgate magazine!

and lastly, i leave you with this funny little quip about tailgating from tailgating.com. " The fact that beer has been around so long lends evidence to even medieval origins of tailgating. They probably did it before jousts or throwing a Christian to the lion. To define tailgating as a party before an event....well there you have it....beer has been around for a long time and events too." oh that is too funny...

reversion to being 12

2008-05-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

i know a lot of people hate the character meredith grey. most of my friends do. they think she's whiny, selfish, etc. some girls can't see how she could let derek get away and that she's cold and uncapable of loving.

to those people i say bite me. my theory on why people don't like meredith is that they see parts of themselves in meredith that they don't necessarily like. yes, she has her faults. but overall, i think she is probably the character that is most "real." she doesn't have this overwhelming desire to always do good and be perfect (izzie), she isn't 110% obsessed with her career (yang...who i'll get back to in a moment), etc. she has her flaws.

this is all brought on by last night's episode (which i won't actually say what happened), but last night's episode made me the biggest team meredith supporter ever. i just love her...

now with that being said, yang is my all-time favorite character. she is motivated, immersed her work, passionate about it, etc. i think i'm more yang-like than meredith. her dry wit, the fact she has no filter on what she says. love her. and last night's episode made me seriously happy for that reason.

anyways, now that i have acted 15 and written about one of my favorite tv shows, i will stop...

Izzie: Dammit, WHAT?!
Cristina: Hell hath no fury like a girl whose non-boyfriend screws a nurse.
Izzie: [under her breath] Bitch.
Cristina: I like you bitter and pissed off. You're almost like a normal person now.

Meredith: Don´t wonder why people go crazy. Wonder why they don´t. In face of what we can lose in a day, in an instant, wonder what the hell it is that make us hold it together.

it's not easy being green...

2008-05-21T19:12:00.001-07:00

i think i just fell in love with these shoes...
i have a tiny obsession with green.

triple toe loop

2008-05-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

for those of you living under a rock, (or that just find reality television to be acid for the brain...shame) my idol, my hero, ms. kristi yamaguchi won dancing with the starts last night!!!

when i was younger, i was OBSESSED w/ figure skating which of course meant i was obsessed with ms. yamaguchi. i watched her skate in EVERYTHING that i possibly could, including those cheesy disney skating events she participated in when she went professional. i stood right there in my living room cheering for her when she won the gold. and she introduced me to bjork when she did an amazing routine to "it's oh so quiet." in fact, this milk ad was on my wall until i graduated high school in the section entitled "wall of champions," (right next to a picture of one of my favorite lawyers in town....nerd alert!!).

but yes. i love kristi yamaguchi. even more than i love the 1996 olympic gold medal U.S. gymnastics team...which is a story for a different day.

Indiana Jones is My Type of Man

2008-05-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

1) I find someecards.com to deliver some of the best entertainment and online e-cards in the entire world. i find them entirely inappropriate, which means of course I find them hilarious. goodness.

2) this someecard did not let me down. hilarious. it also goes along w/ my mood that is excited for the new indiana jones movie to come out. i think harrison ford was probably my third crush in my lifetime, a crush that has never dwindled, after watching these movies. the crush only increased when he was in the fugitive. my first crush was george clooney (and that one hasn't disappeared either) as the loveable neighbor boy from "the facts of life." my second crush will not be named, but i will give you several hints such as a couple of years ago he went on an anti-semitic tirade. further, he recently let ms. britney spears spend some time at his costa rican hideaway. if you can't guess from those clues, well i'm glad you can block those things out.

i think though if you look at that pattern of crushes (and then look at the majority of the men i've had crushes after) i really have a thing for manly men, with a penchant for danger, who are rather cocky individuals. the sensitive types just didn't really do it for me from the age of 5 until 15 and then 22 to now. of course there is a 7 year gap. you can fill those in with crushes of men, such as rider strong, river phoenix, ethan hawke, dave pirner, etc. these are the "in-touch with their emotions" kind of guy who want to read you poetry. yuck. we call those the "lost years." all those manly crushes i missed out on....

and if you're still confused about the type of guy i like, i will put it in sex and the city terms (since i am currently attempting to watch the whole series prior to seeing the movie so i think in sex and the city terms). i'm a "mr. big" type of girl, not an "aiden" type. yum yum!

Mr. Big: You know, I don't live here anymore and the Plaza won't check you in until 1.
Carrie: Oh, you wanna come up?
Mr. Big: Abso-fucking-lutely.