Why I Haven't Blogged: Chapter 1

I'm very fortunate to be attending a medical school that offers their students informational sessions that they believe to be beneficial to their students.  One such session was held last week, and we were graciously given a speech on financial aid, specifically to paint the picture of the debt an average medical student will incur over a 25 year plan.  They offered us a very grim, sobering, and astonishing number of $900,000.  

moving on....

The next session was held today.  It was a planning session that gave us an idea of how to build our schedules.  They had us make a list of everything we cannot survive a week without.  They then gave us a grid that listed days of the week on top and all the hours in the day to the side.  Yes, it was a time table and we were to fill it out.

I'll skip the gory stuff and get straight to the moral of the story.  My life now, divided into hours:

(How much a day I need to spend doing the following activities)

Sleep: 7 hours 

Attending lecture: 4 hours

Attending lab: ~3-4 hours

Study: 5-5.5 hours

Eat meals (3): 1.5 hours

Commuting, getting ready (hygiene), and staring at a wall to relax: 2 hours

Totaling the high end of every one of those activities: 24 hours

Notice what is NOT on that list?  Spending time with Tad, spending time with my family, spending time with my friends, grocery shopping, doing laundry, cleaning my apartment, exercising, reading, watching tv, etc, etc, etc....

Granted, my weekends will have a bit more free time... specifically, 10 hours more.  Yes, it's that technical.  

5pm- 12 am on Saturday: free time (to be spent with tad and friends) 

6 pm- 9 pm on Sundays (to be spent with family).  

Also, we have to keep in mind that this type of "weekend" will only happen every other weekend... as every other weekend is a test weekend. Test weekends will have 0 hours of free time and significantly less sleep.

I don't think I'm going to go to those sessions anymore.

(p.s.... don't be fooled by the title.  There will probably not be a chapter 2 for quite some time.)

Finally caught up.

When it comes to certain things, such as technology, I am usually the last person aboard the boat.  Well, aside from my mother ha.

A few things have recently come into my possession of which I'm about 3 years behind the rest of the world in getting.

And I think... what took me so long?? Obviously financial reasons but fortunately enough, these items sort of just fell into my lap. By the grace of god? no, by a brother who got a free itouch with his mac and a boyfriend whose itch to play video games sparked him to get a wii game system.  It also helps that I have a brother going to college who is willing to give us all of his wii games... including wii fit. I guess my fortune cookie was right... I've had some very lucky past couple of weeks.

People, I have a sick obsession with wii fit.  Good thing? oh. yes.  Never did I think I would be obsessed with working out or breaking a sweat.  However, the day has come.  I've never had so much fun running.  I'm talking crazy talk.  Anyone want to try to beat me at the ski jump? bring it.

And for the past two hours (yes, it is not even 10 am) I have been messing with my new itouch.  Did I mention how much I love apple software? well, I do. And my luck has continued, as every app I want happens to be free. What's going on here? Does this mean my next two weeks are going to suck something serious? Let's hope not... med school is just around the corner.

Okay and I know that I am REALLY behind the times in getting the game Words with Friends, but for all of you out there who haven't given up on the game yet/ still play the game, wanna play???

The time has come.

Would you believe it if I told you that I have finally found and made my favorite dinner and dessert (or some would call it breakfast) out of everything I have ever made??

Well, I have.  Believe it.

It seems as though nothing I have made in the past or anything I will make in the future will ever live up to the deliciousness of these recipes. I know it seems as though everything I make is my favorite because of my overzealousness about certain things, but seriously, trust me.  believe me.  These are my favorite.

And you know what the best part about this is? These recipes are so easy to make.  Even joe schmo can make them (who is joe schmo anyway? This stumped me on my crossword puzzle today).  So, to all of you joes or josefinas out there, get up and make these recipes.  Along with making your apartment/ home smell like Christmas (which, honestly, who wouldn't want that), they make you and your belly happy.

I know what you're all thinking... quit with the embellishing and just get to the recipes.  right?

okay okay, here they are... go get 'em folks.

Zucchini Ricotta Galette

My mouth just watered looking at this again. 

Garlicky, Cheesy, Zucchini-y goodness.

Big Crumb Coffee Cake

(Guess what's in it! RHUBARB!!!!!!)

I have a pound of rhubarb still left in my fridge even AFTER I made two batches of this.

Guess who's going to be eating a lot of rhubarb??? 

I know I know, settle down, folks.  I'll save you some.

One big crumb.

Hence, big crumb coffee cake

I have a confession.

I ate two pieces of this for lunch.  That's how good it is.

I have redeemed myself.

Okay, people, it's time.

Let's talk about rhubarb. That oh-so-odd vegetable/fruit that I has been the focus of all of my trips to the market.  I was seeking redemption.  And I found it.

Here's where rhubarb, strawberry, and I began our journey:

And here's where we ended:

With so much goodness in between:

This pie was worth the wait.  It was worth all of the searching, all of the agonizing trips to the market that ended with empty hands, all of the tormented reads of bloggers who seemed to be over-flowing with rhubarb. It was worth all of it. Do you all feel as relieved as I do? Probably not, but I'll pretend you do.

Oh, and I figured out that last time it wasn't the rhubarb that was the problem.  All rhubarb sort of has that metallic tartness (remember that description of it tasting like a handful of pennies?), but the KEY is to add a crap load of sugar and another sweet fruit to balance it.  Hence, the strawberries. Rhubarb and strawberry were meant for each other.

The end.

one word: RHUBARB

get excited.

I've got an itch that needs to be scratched.

I'm itching to change my blog design.  This is a character flaw of mine, I think. Well, it depends on how you look at it I guess.  I just can't seem to leave well enough alone.  As a kid, I always needed to rearrange my room every year (or every 6 months) just to get a fresh new look.  My last apartment and my current apartment sort of inhibit this as my furniture can really only sit one way in the somewhat tiny space I'm given.  So, I must fulfill this urge for a new look in a different outlet.  I'm thinking my blog design.

Can you tell I'm struggling to find things to talk about?

For the past couple days, I've sat on my oh-so-comfy recliner, watching tv, and... well, doing just that.  all day, every day.  You'd think this would get old.  But, I look at like this: I will never, ever again be able to experience this freedom (at least until I retire).  What's one thing you always hear working adults yearn for?  Time to themselves or with their loved one.  Everyone wants it and needs it, but rarely gets it.  There's always something or someone to worry about, whether it's family, job, finances, or (fill in blank).

So... here I am. Nothing to do, and loving every bit of it.  I'm lucky to have this time before med school and I'm going to darn well use it, thank you very much.

Anyway, back to the point.  I'm itching for a new look.  Part of this stems from the recent visit to Richmond, where I was able to see my dream apartment that, regretfully, my sister lives in (regretfully because I don't live there).  Hardwood floors, the perfect kitchen, light purple paint, natural light flowing in through the abundant windows, and the smell (oh the smell!) Let me clarify here... because I just sounded like creepy McCreepster.

My Aunt Ann's house smells incredible.  Not sure what it is but it smells homey and wonderful.  I always look/looked forward to going to her house because of how it smells.  Brings back great memories.  Picture the scent of a house full of flowers with something always baking in the oven.  Anywho, Erin's apartment now smells like this.  Which is probably what made me fall in love with the apartment in the first place.  I just realized that this explanation just made me sound even creepier but whatever.  Just deal with the creepiness.

Okay, so back to the blog design.  Maybe I should just leave it and buy a new picture or vase of flowers or something.  Or maybe I should bake something.  I haven't done that in a while. Or maybe I should start brainstorming ideas for my next blog so I don't make you endure reading random thoughts in my head again.  Yeah... I'll go for the latter.

Dear friends,

I have been a horrible, no good, very, very bad blogger. I'm sorry.  My cooking has been lacking and well... my brain just doesn't want to be creative right now.  I made snickerdoodle cookies last week and let's just say my dog Kate wouldn't even touch them (she eats everything you put in front of her... aside from vegetables. obviously).  I was a bit disgruntled considering this was the first thing I made in my new kitchen and they are also one of the easiest cookies to bake.  I'll blame the cookbook.  yeah.  the cookbook made me do it.

Anywho, it's 5:50 am and I have to head to Leawood to pick up the brosef.  We're heading to Virginia for a week long fantabulous trip of siblings only.  I couldn't be more excited... aside from never really venturing to the east coast, my siblings and I are mischievous little rascals when we're together.  An 18 hour car ride is the only daunting aspect of this trip. A really daunting one.

Well, better scoot, friends.  It's been good talking to you.  Let's do this again in a week.

Love,

TNP