1.17.10

Is it vain that I think the inside of my fridge is attractive? I just L-O-V-E having a full fridge. I like knowing that there are all these possibilities just waiting to be cooked up. True confession: I don't grocery shop with a list. I buy some fruits and veggies and then we have certain staples that we make sure are always on hand: soy milk (although I really need to switch to rice or almond or coconut milk - I'm working on it!), eggs, plain yogurt.

So, what's here?

Top shelf (left to right): Shredded Cabot cheese, herbed goat cheese, New York cheddar, soy milk, pitcher of iced Awake tea (in a pitcher my cousin MADE), orange juice (special treat for Nathan), bowl of apples, leftover baked tofu, leftover brown rice, leftover artichoke hearts, bowl of yeast.

Middle shelf (left to right): Nathan's peppery cream cheese, eggs, a container with parmesan in it, veggie dogs (to make veggie pigs-in-a-blanket for my friend's birthday this weekend), bowl of tomatoes, bowl of Bone Sucking Sauce (we put it on EVERYTHING), Ezekiel bread (oh my word - Best.Bread.Ever.) and a loaf of locally made raisin bread.

Bottom shelf (left to right): Crescent rolls (for aforementioned pigs-in-a-blanket; I don't normally buy those or any product like that, haha), fat-free plain yogurt (waiting to be frozen...mmm), a container of Rachel's yogurt (makes my throat itch, but it's SO yummy and I won't throw it out), arugula, spinach, romaine.

The bottom drawers contain a few bunches of carrots and assorted colors of peppers.

So, what's in your fridge?

1.9.10

I came across this article over at Cheap, Healthy, Good.

Interesting, no?

Do you think Americans are taught we are too stupid to cook? I think we've been taught that we're too busy to cook. Thoughts?

1.2.10

Well, it's a whole new decade, eh? 2009 was awesome and I can't wait to enjoy 2010.

So far, 2010 has been the laziest year of my life. I'm sipped tea, knitted and napped for the past two days. I have not washed or folded laundry or left the house other than to buy groceries one block away. It has been glorious.

I did however finish a knitting project and we've taken in way too much Half-Ton Teen/Dad/Mom shows. WAY too many.

I figure the busyness can ramp up again next week and I'm going to soak in this laziness while I can. Did y'all have a happy new year?

12.24.09

The thing that I most love about music is the ability of melody and song to transport you to another place and time. Music is one of the most inspiring, evocative things in my life. I know that Nathan does not experience music the same way I do, but perhaps you do. It's a mode of transport and it facilitates a lot of deep thinking and feeling to me. Many songs are touchstones for me that perfectly sum up where I was at in a certain place in my life or something I can use to instantly remember in vivid details the circumstances surrounding the song.

Earlier today I listened to a song that I used to constantly have on repeat during the dark days of last winter. I had not listened to this song in a while and immediately remembered sitting on the T with my headphones on, listening to this song and thinking "next year in New York..."

Thankfully, incredibly, "next year in New York" has been more than I could ever ask for or imagine. While I do miss Boston and my friends and family there, I am infinitely thankful to be in New York living the life I now live.

So much in my life has changed over the past few months and I thinks it is always appropriate at Christmas to give thanks and recognize the people in your life that make living it so wonderful.

For Nathan, my best friend, always companion and co-dreamer I give thanks. I truly feel as if anything is bearable if we are together. I love dreaming and planning and scheming with you and I love seeing where God is taking us on this incredible journey. I am so in love with you and our future.

For my lovely co-workers who have stretched me, taught me and grown me this year, I am thankful. You have taught me so much about our industry, but also how to eat mussels and cuff my blazers. For shoe shopping at lunch time and too much sushi, I love you and am grateful for all the ways you make my life more enjoyable.

For Susie, one of those few people who really, really gets me I am grateful. I am blessed to have a few people in my life who I deeply connect with and you are one. Thank you for being on my speed dial, tea parties, too many walks in the rain and standing brunch dates. I love you, bestie.

For Alicia, my new writing partner-in-crime and constant friend, thank you for making my dark days livable and for never abandoning me in scary neighborhoods and for laughing with me in Starbucks more than I ever thought possible. I'm really going to miss you when you flee the east coast.

For my new friends and family at Forefront Church: thank you for accompanying Nathan and me on this journey. I love sharing, laughing and living with you. Your support and friendship have helped facilitate the return of the real Rachel Ann that I feared was gone forever.

And so on this Christmas Eve I want to send out these words of thanks as we look forward to a new year. It's been an incredible year and I continue to marvel at the path God is laying out in front of me. My prayer for the new year is to be worthy of the path and to step up with discipline and courage and to take the time to appreciate all my blessings as I continue to dream big.

Merry Christmas! Here's to many more!

12.20.09

OK, I fell off the face of the earth. I admit it. However, I'm ramping up to start a new {blog} project with a dear friend of mine, so I thought I should start writing here again so that someone will know where to find me in mid-February when I migrate over to that project.

Things have been B-U-S-Y over here in New York City. It snowed last night which is beautiful and I've been making Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. Work is demanding, but fun; we have FRIENDS and social commitments; we are still busy exploring all this city has to offer.

Tomorrow is Nathan's birthday, but he opened presents last night. I teased him that I think of him as a paper doll because, truly, everything I bought for him was something to wear. A new peacoat, jeans, sweater and messenger bag were under the tree waiting for him. Thankfully, he was excited about all of them.

We're not exchanging Christmas presents because of our late November LARGE purchase (oh yeah, we bought a TELEVISION while I away!), but if we were I would have four things on my Christmas list.

This year, I want:

1. A Canon Rebel. Yup. It's outlandish, but there you have it. We're planning to purchase one before we go to Paris and we've heard only great things.

2. A queen size quilt from Marie Madeline Studios. There is NO WAY I could make one cheaper for $130. Fantastic deal.

3. The oh-so-fabulous Joley tortoiseshell peeptoe heels from J.Crew. Unfortunately, I never bought them because I couldn't swallow that $178.00 price tag and now they are sold out. Whomp whomp. Maybe one day on eBay...

4. Donations to Charity:Water. Many of you can expect this for Christmas this year.

5. Both volumes of the GLEE soundtrack.

So, that's my list. What's yours?

10.24.09

People I know if real life keep bugging me to update here, but I'm just so busy living that it's hard to find the time.

In short, things are fabulous: work, friends, having fun, Miss Marple, Nathan - we're all great.

Right now, Nathan's little brother is visiting so we keep having big family dinners that are oh so fun. I love taking the opportunity when others are in town to cook yummy food that we wouldn't normally take the time to prepare. Tonight, we're having homemade pizza. Inspired by that post, I thought I'd let you know what my fall music mix is.

The Perfect Fall Mix (for cozy evenings, drives and commutes)

Grace is Gone - Dave Matthews Band
True Affection - The Blow
Small House - Brett Mitchell
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens
Farthest Shore - David Wilcox
Mama You've Been On My Mind - Jack Johnson
Daughters - John Mayer
Something About Your Love - Mason Jennings
Crying Ground - Pierce Pettis
Valentwine - The Theater Fire
Gotta Have You - The Weepies
Whatever It Is - Zac Brown Band
Sunshine - Francis Dunnery
Constellations - Jack Johnson
Flesh and Blood - Johnny Cash

9.26.09

Today was almost too awesome to convey, but I'll try.

To begin, the weather is GORGEOUS right now. The leaves are changing a bit, the air is slightly chilly (light cardigan and jeans weather) and the sun is shining. I love fall.

We started the day with breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup on the Upper West Side. While there, I got to eavesdrop on some girls who went to Elon, drink a pot of autumnal darjeeling tea, and eat half of a pumpkin scone and half of a gingerbread apple scone. Awesome.

We left Alice's and walked up Columbus Avenue to the post office so that I could mail my Fall Food Swap package to my partner, Becky. Who should we run into but Jack McBrayer (Kenneth Parcell on 30 Rock). AWESOME. Someone else had us to take his picture with Jack, so I did that and then Jack held the door for us all to go into the post office.

I basically got way too excited over that encounter and he was so chill and unassuming that I didn't even tell him how funny I think he is or how excited we are for the new season. Oh well. Happy Saturday, Jack!

We left the post office and walked across Central Park to The Met. We walked along the route for the New York Road Runners Mile Championship race and that was really cool. We got to see the Seniors division compete and we watched the Women's 20somethings warm up. Those girls were FAST!

We spent a couple hours at The Met (we're members, so we can go whenever) and notably saw a bunch of Roman and Greek ruins and, Nathan's favorite of the day, a pistol cleaver. No, really. We have a picture.

Left The Met, walked back down Central Park for 20ish blocks and hopped on the train to go to SoHo. We were walking to the Gizmodo Gallery to see an installation on digital design. While walking, we passed an independent bookstore that advertised John Krasinski would be holding a reading and discussion session that evening. Whaaaat???

So we hopped over to Gizmodo since it only happens once a year and spent an hour exploring REALLY cool digital design. Check out the site - we saw the mud computer, 3-D Etch-a-Sketch, pancake machine and singing Tesla coils. Nathan played Beatles Rock Band with a bunch of little kids and this awesome moment of community developed when everyone in the room starting singing All You Need Is Love.

So after an hour of that we headed back to the bookstore and were the last people to get seats to hear John. He did several readings from "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" and then had a Q&A session where, thankfully, everyone asked him about that project and not The Office. He seemed really, really cool and was super chill and funny.

We left there and headed to the West Village for some amazing noodles and then wandered around the Village for a while before settling in at a Starbucks (I promise we tried a few independent places first that were all super crowded) where we laughed and told stories about people in high school and read comedic writing out loud to each other.

We then hopped on a train and listened to a "This American Life" podcast on the way home.

Perfect day? Yes.