The Honeymoon is Over.
I knew when we moved to New York that there would come a time when I was homesick. I figured it would happen early on when we had no friends and were in unfamiliar territory. I waited for the loneliness to set in but we were so busy exploring the city that it never came. I expected bouts of frustration at not knowing my way around and irritation with navigating foreign grocery aisles, but I was so busy marveling at the volume and variety of exotic and interesting food that it never came either. I figured our honeymoon period would come to a screeching halt when the bad weather set in and leave me longing for 75 degree November days in San Diego. That too has not happened because the fall he

Diary of a Mad Fan
A Pre-Game Stroll Through Central Park I've been intending to document our first ever attendance of a Chargers away game since it occurred the Sunday before last, but I am just now getting around to it. I cleared my schedule of laying in bed catching up on Tivo and I am ready to

Halfway to My Tall Paper Hat
Today I'm standing at the halfway mark of my culinary education and by standing I mean propped up in bed watching Glee, drinking diet Sunkist and eating chocolate chips out of the bag because I'm classy like that. Last night was our much anticipated, somewhat feared midterm which accounts for 50% of our Level 3 grade. The curriculum for this level focuses on discipline, timing, and refining your skills. We rotated our way through 16 recipes organized like the stations of a restaurant kitchen: Garde Manger (Apps, Salads, Soups), Poissonier (Seafood, its sauces and garnishes), Saucier (Meat, Poultry, its sauces and garnishes), and Patissiere (Pastry). There were 4 recipes for each station and

Grabbing Life by the Throat and Other Warped Analogies
I've often found myself thinking, wishing, and saying "I can't wait for the weekend" or "I wish it was Friday" or "If our vacation would just get here already" meanwhile completely ignoring the moment that I am standing in. I've had to train myself to stop and enjoy life instead of planning and scheduling the hell out of it and always looking forward to something better than whatever it is I am currently doing. It's been 6 months since we moved to New York and it's like I now want to make time stand still. If I could dig my heels into the earth and keep the seconds from ticking away so quickly I would. It's not because I am so present and conscious and joyful in each and every moment that I

The Ageless Husband and the Joy of Freezing Your Ass Off
Today is Mike's birthday...his 36th to be exact, although everyone thinks he is still in his 20's. As I continue to age, he somehow manages to look younger and younger. I am convinced that 10 years from now people will be whispering "Check out the cougar!" when we walk down the str