ABC, 123, W-I-N-E

I love random, thoughtful gifts. My co-worker bought me these chalkboard wine glasses from Cost Plus World Market. Now I can drink out of a personalized wine glass every night, according to my mood. (Wait. Did I just admit I drink wine every night? I joke. I joke. I kid. I kid.) I’ll deny it if you tell.

P.S. I’m G $, and sometimes I call my boyfriend Rexy (anyone get the reference?), in case you were wondering.

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Startin’ my New Years off right

By stepping up my bacon game. I've always wanted to try bacon salt, and
the breakfast place we chose (Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe) has it on the
table!
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Eat, Eat and Be Merry

Welcome back, Interneters. I know you’re all coming down from your sugar plum dreams and chocolate kisses. I know I’m coming down – or should I say coming UP – from a lot of horizontalness the past week and food hangovers like you would not believe. I’m pretty sure all I can think about right now is how I want my NYE resolution to be NEVER EAT AGAIN. (I write as I eat Fritos’ Honey BBQ Flavor Twists for breakfast).

My Christmas week was pretty standard, (minus the snow totally blowing my usual drive south to my grandmother’s house on Christmas day). I took a mini vaca from work, starting Tuesday with Christmas candy making. I whipped up this wonderful confection:

Let me tell you – this recipe is amazing. If you don’t care that it consists solely of butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and theatre popcorn, then you must try it. I think it’ll be my future Super Bowl party staple.

Christmas Eve my parents have a party every year that always promises lots of laughter. I’m not sure if it’s because of my whacky Magda aunt, or the never-ending supply of Cosmo Chi Chis my dad pours (a Cosmo made with coconut cream and simple syrup). But my Martha Stewartesque mother always whips up a dream Christmas dinner with my favorite thing ever as a centerpiece – a ham from the HoneyBaked Ham Company.

My sister and I then slept in our old upstairs bedrooms like we were 10 and 3 again, waking up to open presents on Christmas morning. Except now there isn’t quite the rush like when we were young. My family started Christmas morning with a new tradition – ebelskivers. Ever heard of them?! I hadn’t. Apparently they make them at a European breakfast place in my sister’s college town that she’s crazy about, so my mom surprised her by buying a special ebelskiver pan and can of mix. Basically, they’re round pancake balls that you can stuff anything into. We got pretty creative, making blueberry, chocolate, marshmallow and even sweet potato ebelskivers (that was my idea, of course), topping them with powder sugar and whipped cream. Mmmm.

Somewhere around 2:30 – all of us still in pajamas – we opened presents and then lounged around until we met my grandmother at China Harbor in the International District for a classic Chinese Christmas evening dinner. Ring a ding a ding dong.

And then, because the snow melted just enough, I redeemed my previously canceled trip to my other grandmother’s house where I continued to eat myself silly and lie horizontally. (Thank god for What Not to Wear marathons. Stacey and Clinton are my best lazy friends.) And of course, no Christmas is complete without my thoughtful gifts from that side of my family – bubble bath, shower gel, body spray, lotion, more shower gel, a candle, some bath beads and bath gel. And now I’m good for another year.

Hope you all had a very merry, horizontally stuffed Christmas.

Currently Feeling: Ready to take the new year by storm.
Currently Anticipating: Finally seeing my BF and celebrating our Christmas together.
Currently Hating: Food.

Turkey weekend highlights, peppered with lots o tryptophan

I took the 4.5-day Thanksgiving break to fall off the Internet wagon, so to speak, totally failing in my intended last push to completion of NaBloPoMo. Bummer dude.

But, a little failure in one category is usually necessary to get ahead in another. The category I focused on this weekend was my SANITY. Corporate America stresses me out, to say the least. So I took a break from everything for nearly five glorious stress-free days. And here they are in brief:

Wednesday: Went on a totally unnecessary payday shopping trip to Nordies where I purchased the most absolutely beautiful grey suede, flat boots that my feet are stuck in. Literally. STUCK. I don’t think I’ll ever get a pair of heels on again.

After my shopping trip, I got all gussied up and met the usual pre-Thanksgiving college party suspects out at The Wild Rover in Kirkland. The night would have gone on without one little drunken debauchery hitch if it weren’t for the fact that Baby Daddy’s ex showed up at the bar. This is the first time I’ve seen her, in person, since we’ve been together. I was reminded why their kid is so damn cute; she’s pretty. Dammit. But then I was reminded why he likes me so much—she’s kinda loco. I’m not so much. Well, unless you put a marshmallow pie in front of me, then I’m totally loco. Bitch watch out! No you didn’t just try to eat my marshmallow pie!

Thursday: Went to go see Four Christmases with my parents. Do you know how long I’ve stared at the word “Christmases,” second-guessing myself on that spelling? Just seems a little loco. Kinda like the ex. Anywho, totally a movie I recommend. So yeah, it’s a romantic comedy, which are always a bit cheesy and predictable, but it’s still pretty funny. Like a modern National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I dug it. Then I dug my face into my mother’s Thanksgiving feast and passed out on my BF’s couch after watching slews of terrible Christmas movies (Read: Queen Latifah is dying and so she spends her last couple weeks avoiding motorcycle-humping sex with L.L. Cool J. What about this says Merry Christmas; I don’t know.)

Friday: Most people spend Black Friday shopping for inexpensive Christmas presents for friends and family. I spent it shopping for myself. Tis’ the season. My Black Friday booty includes a charging dock/radio/alarm for my iPod, a prize for the winner at my holiday wine party, a new cheese cutting board and knife, 50 space-saving hangers to continue my Closet Make-Over Mission (this won’t fail like the Underwear Overhaul Mission) camel-colored motorcycle boots, a matching camel-colored belt, two new tops to layer with my boots and a pair of earrings that I TOTALLY needed to add to the other 100 pairs I own. Merry Christmas to me.

Saturday: After three days of doing virtually nothing, I was ready to hit the town again. Except everyone was either gone for the weekend or staying in again. So, Baby Daddy and I made it a date night with one of my favorite past times—bar hopping on lower Queen Anne. We started at Solo, my 26th birthday party location, where I ordered a couple of their Mojito Catalans (champagne instead of soda water, so lots o alcohol). We then bumped around to Jabu’s for a couple beers, and wrapped up our night with happy hour at Peso’s. Well, that’s not really how we ended our night, but that’s probably T.M.I. for you.

Sunday: A little breakfast at Noah’s Bagels, some coffee, some book shopping at my favorite local shop, and then home to lounge in PJs all day. I did laundry, watched Along Came Polly, cleaned the bathroom, watched Made of Honor (terribly cheesy), cleaned the kitchen, took a nap, read a book, reorganized my closet and cleaned my room—all in time for The Amazing Race and Desperate Housewives.

See it’s two nights of partying and three days of doing nothing that leads me to actually being productive. Why can’t I have this kind of schedule every week? I’d certainly feel a bit more caught-up and balanced.

Currently Feeling: Like my butt is numb. It’s spreading! I can tell the desk job is making it spread!
Currently Anticipating: Snuggling.
Currently Reading: In the Woods by Tana French.

This is why I call my boyfriend a Fat Kid

The above is what’s currently in his freezer. Have you ever seen a more ridiculously disgusting display of junk food? In case you can’t make it out through the crappy, pixilated camera pic, that’s 1 Costco-size box of Eggos, 1 bag of “chicken fries,” (seriously?!), 1 bag of honey bbq chicken wings, 1 Tony’s pizza, 1 box of bacon wrapped scallops and 1 box of Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. He actually eats this crap. I would give my first born child to have a male metabolism.
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Gimme, gimme, gimme – Gimme some WINE and CHEESE

I had a ridiculously fun night last night.

An extravagant, Balinese Seattle socialite friend of mine, whom I’ll call W, hosted a wine and dinner party at his house in Maple Leaf, and I dragged my Hussy Bestie Amanda there with me. W knows nearly everyone in Seattle, I believe, and he’s always trying to fix his single, straight friends up, so I thought I’d help a sistah out.

When we pulled up to the street W lives on, two bottles of red wine and MapQuest directions in hand, I didn’t even have to check the address. With an extravagant, Balinese friend comes an extravagant, Balinese house. In a line of houses, it was the only one with Christmas lights in every tree, intricate fountains, Balinese statues in the yard, and huge plastic red hearts stuck in the surrounding flower beds. It was awesome. Amanda and I looked at each other and laughed, “That is SO W’s house.”

Waiting for us inside was a table of wine and cheese, two pots of spaghetti, a camera-happy and YouTube-obsessed host, and fantastic 20-somethings to mingle with. I don’t need to tell you how much wine I drank (not really sure if I even know how much wine I drank), but we eventually moved the party to The Little Red Hen for karaoke night. I vaguely remember jumping up and down, singing at the top of my lungs to an afro-wearing singer on the stage—who turned out to be an old high school friend when he took the wig off—and something red in a little shot glass. It was a little too crazy for a Wednesday night, but I kept telling myself, “Meh, you only live once.”

And in this one life I have, I plan to laugh and dance my little buns off, and drink wine until I turn violet, Violet.

Amanda and I are featured as back-up dancers in this video from last night:

Currently Feeling: Still giddy and high from all the laughter last night.
Currently Anticipating: Catching up on the shows I missed last night. Love DVR!
Currently Needing: A weekend in.

Chicken Noodle Soup of the Eastern kind

I’m not much of a cook.

Occasionally I’ll dabble with recipes, but most of the time I’m stuck in my no-time, starving-when-I-get-home, need-to-make-something-healthy-and-quick ways. Therefore, I eat a lot of Trader Joe’s minute brown rice, stir fry veggies and some sort of curry or masala sauce. For at least the past six months, Indian food has been my mainstay. (Thankfully, I’m coupled. I don’t know how well smelling like Indian food would come off if I were single).

But I try, I really do. I like to think that I’m on a VERY slow path of perfecting my cooking until I have children and a hubbie that I need to cook regularly for someday. Not every girl my age can be as talented as this one (heart-shaped French Onion soup, really?!), but I still like food. A lot. Which does lead to the occasional kitchen experiment.

The other day I was trolling around on the NaBloPoMo site, which features a blog every week, and I found Ezra Pound Cake. You will not find cooking blogs in my blogroll, but OH! The pictures! The recipes! They made my mouth water. I think this might officially be the first food blog I’ll put in my RSS.

So when Baby Daddy and I decided to walk to the store last night to get ingredients to make dinner, I immediately thought of the picture of Thai Chicken Noodle Soup that I had drooled over last week.

You can’t tell me that doesn’t look amazing…

And, just as I thought, it tasted totally amazing. (Thank you, Rebecca!) So, I figured I’d share it here via my dorky little pink recipe cards if you so care to print and try the recipe yourself. Let me know if you do!

Currently Feeling: Annoyed.
Currently Anticipating: Wine and snacks with Bri tonight.
Currently Hating: Stressing out over Christmas gift giving.

Toes tappin’, fingers snappin’ – it’s party time!

I’ve been in a serious mood to entertain lately, thinking about all the parties I can plan, co-host with my friends or peer-pressure others into throwing. After all, the only way I get through dark and drab winters is by having events to look forward to, to separate monthly chunks of time till Spring (which in Seattle, hasn’t come lately till June or July).

I’m thinking I want to throw a “snazzy” holiday party. Pretty low-key, but with cocktail attire (dressing up is so much fun), h’ors douvres, (spelling that word is always bizarre) and WINE (drunk bus, drunk bus, here I come)!

A Seattle socialite friend of mine throws a wine party a couple times a year where everyone brings a bottle of wine. The host or hostess (Read: me), wraps the bottle in duck tape, marks it with a number and keeps track of each guest’s wine number. Then each guest gets two stickers, “Winner” and “Loser.” After tasting all the wines you can, you ask everyone to mark their wines at some point in the night, and then the Loser and Winner receive a prize accordingly. I think it sounds fantastic, since most of my friends are wine lovers…I just can’t decide if it’d be too much work, or what the winning and losing prizes should be. (Suggestions welcome).

And then, I think I’ll throw a “Bush is Out of Office” party – or at least host one at a bar somewhere, in addition to a Valloween party I’m planning with the Bestie, Amanda. My coworker taught me this one–a friend of hers threw a costume party on Valentines Day, to combine his least and most favorite holidays. Um, genius! I’m totally copying and stealing the idea. So, Amanda and I are planning to co-host a Valloween Party. Start telling your significant others now about the projected lovers day plans, or lack there of.

What’s the best theme party you’ve ever been to? (Paolo, I love the game show idea).

Currently Feeling: Bound and determined to feel caught up today.
Currently Anticipating: FINDING my effing CAR key.
Currently Wanting: To join another book club again. I think Winter makes me even increasingly snugly and warm toward books.

Here we go for 30 days, Buddy

I finally stuck in Jillian Andrew’s fitness DVD, “30-Day Shred” tonight. I first read about it on This Fish, who the linked to her blog friend who started it as well. Both girls mentioned how difficult but effective it’s rumored to be. My curiosity was piqued, (not peeked or peaked), and I ordered it that day from Amazon.com.

After a couple more weeks of groveling about my extra “boyfriend pounds” and staring at the very intimidating, unwrapped DVD on my dresser, I finally bit the bullet tonight after trying on Halloween costumes this week, and hating everyone of them. (Luckily I still have my mom’s sewing magic up my sleeve).

Hello, pain! I know this is day one, but pushing yourself through excruciating lateral raise after excruciating push up is really difficult! And the whole time Ms. Jillian is shouting, “Don’t give up! I don’t care how tired you are! This is only 20 minutes, so you can’t stop! If you want to see results, you have to push yourself, Buddy!” I’m sure the new neighbors below me were thinking all sorts of odd things, from “Hmm, Elephant above me,” to “Wow, that’s some intense post-dinner coitus.”

Nope, nope. Neither one. Just 20-Something sweatin’ to “the toughest trainer on TV.” Hey, if she can make 75-plus pounds melt off the realty TV suckers on The Biggest Loser, she can certainly help me lose my jiggle that seems to have miraculously appeared somewhere between wine every night after work and pizza with my Pizza-Obsessive boyfriend. (Gawd, and he’s so damn thin. I hate the male metabolism).

So, here’s to the beginning of my 30-day shred. *Wine glass raised*

Luke & Jana Lamon – August 15, 2008

Friday evening I attended the wedding of two of my favorite friends–Luke and Jana Lamon.

I met Luke the summer after my senior year of college when I moved to Fremont to live with Amanda. Amanda flirted with a guy one night at Ozzie’s, who asked for her number. Later that week, we agreed to meet this guy and his friends at The Dubliner, which was down the street from our apartment. One fun night with beers, dancing and conversation led to partying together nearly every night that summer, led to what is now a four-year friendship with this group of guys (Luke being one of them). And now–friendships with each one of their significant others.

So, I’ve been really lucky to have grown as friends with both Luke and Jana. I can’t express what an amazing and perfect couple they are–if you know them personally, you just know. I hope someday to marry my best friend…we should all be so lucky to have a perfect evening with close friends and the one we couldn’t imagine living our lives without…

Boozin’ it up with champagne and wine in the car before the ceremony

My sexy, twin date!

And another… I couldn’t resist!

Caitlin and Josh–such a pretty couple!

BAR SERVICE!!!

Me and the lovely, lovely bride

Wedding presents!

And the crazy limo ride back to Seattle after the wedding

Caught makin’ out in the limo! Whoops.