Everyone should start being very nice to me, because in a few months, I might have the power to destroy you! It’s possible that I’m exaggerating a little, but I did get an internship with the Department of State that starts at the beginning of the summer! I went in for an interview last week, and I guess they liked me because they emailed me the next day saying that I got the job! I guess it was worth it to show up 2 ½ hours early. Yes, that number was 2 ½ hours. The interview was in Rosslyn at 2, and even though Google Maps said that it would take about 45 minutes to get there, I decided that leaving at 10 would be more rational. I was there by 10:30, so I just hung out at a nearby coffee place until it was time. I went in, they asked me questions that were so by-the-books that I think they just looked up “Interview Questions” on Google right before I got there, and I left. The whole thing would’ve taken about 90 minutes if I weren’t such a dork. Anyway, it’s going to take at least three months to get the necessary security clearance (!!!) needed for me to work there, but after the FBI is done investigating me—yes, you read that right—I’ll be good to go! Part of my job will be doing extensive background checks, so like I said—look out!
-Sam
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Happy Belated Valentine's Day!!!
Whoops! In a frenzy of homework I forgot to post yesterday about the most awesome bagel I've ever seen.
Her dad brought her this bagel from Einstein's a couple of days before Valentine's Day. It is red. It is in the shape of a heart. It could be creepy. But I choose to think that it's awesome.
You can pretend it's your own heart.
You can smile put it up to your mouth and pretend you have massive lips.
Or you can eat it.
You decide.
Happy Valentine's Day!
-Meri
Her dad brought her this bagel from Einstein's a couple of days before Valentine's Day. It is red. It is in the shape of a heart. It could be creepy. But I choose to think that it's awesome.
You can pretend it's your own heart.
You can smile put it up to your mouth and pretend you have massive lips.
Or you can eat it.
You decide.
Happy Valentine's Day!
-Meri
Sunday, February 12, 2012
What About Second Breakfast?
I love food.
I guess that's obvious.
Do you know what I love more than food?
Food themed like my favorite movies.
Thus, when my wonderful friend Michelle said that her sister was coming up to visit AND taking her to a Lord-of-the-Rings-themed restaurant, I totally jumped on that bandwagon.
The restaurant, Bilbo Baggins (so awesome), is located in Alexandria, Virginia, about 20 minutes from campus by car-by metro, probably 3 hours. And it is adorable. It has the feel of a small-towney diner/bar, with wooden furniture and closely situated tables waited on by affable waiters. In fact, the cramped dining room almost feels like a hobbit hole. I wonder if that was on purpose...
Moving past the atmosphere, the menu was also drool-worthy. It had all the components of a classic brunch, with a few small adjustments (i.e. Frodo's French Toast). I had trouble deciding between Smaug's Delight and the Vegetable Omelette, but, in the end, the omelette won out. I couldn't resist the biscuit.
Oh, and we got two baskets of beignet. Enough said.
Everyone loved their meals and left the restaurant bursting, but happy about it.
Oh, and that town is damn adorable. I will be making another trip there (even if it means I have to use the metro).
-Meri
I guess that's obvious.
Do you know what I love more than food?
Food themed like my favorite movies.
Thus, when my wonderful friend Michelle said that her sister was coming up to visit AND taking her to a Lord-of-the-Rings-themed restaurant, I totally jumped on that bandwagon.
The restaurant, Bilbo Baggins (so awesome), is located in Alexandria, Virginia, about 20 minutes from campus by car-by metro, probably 3 hours. And it is adorable. It has the feel of a small-towney diner/bar, with wooden furniture and closely situated tables waited on by affable waiters. In fact, the cramped dining room almost feels like a hobbit hole. I wonder if that was on purpose...
Moving past the atmosphere, the menu was also drool-worthy. It had all the components of a classic brunch, with a few small adjustments (i.e. Frodo's French Toast). I had trouble deciding between Smaug's Delight and the Vegetable Omelette, but, in the end, the omelette won out. I couldn't resist the biscuit.
Oh, and we got two baskets of beignet. Enough said.
Everyone loved their meals and left the restaurant bursting, but happy about it.
Oh, and that town is damn adorable. I will be making another trip there (even if it means I have to use the metro).
-Meri
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Puppy Bowl XIII
Some Thoughts on the Puppy Bowl
This Superbowl Sunday, my television has been tuned to Animal Planet so I can watch Puppy Bowl VIII. Animal Planet is playing it on repeat every two hours from 3:00 today until 1:00 tomorrow morning, so I’ve already seen it twice and I’ll be watching it at least once more. Naturally, I have some thoughts I’d like to get off my chest:
1) My MVP (Most Valuable Puppy), who I chose before the kickoff, is Friday. My close second is Tattoo. My sister chose Leroy Brown, and my friend, who watched the Puppy Bowl with me, chose Hunter. If anything, I learned that both the people I know and I are terrible at choosing winning dogs. Friday ran around the stadium three times and took a nap, Leroy Brown just wrestled with the other puppies, and Hunter chased his crush, Holly, around. None of them ever picked up a toy.
2) I’m glad that the officials chose Fumble over Aberdeen to win MVP. Even though Aberdeen had more touchdowns, he had an advantage over his competitors—his size—and he turned into a bully by the end of game. Fumble, on the other hand, was a smart, modest player who turned out some great plays against a tough defense but never got cocky. It was clear that he had been challenged in the game, as he, exhausted, fell asleep in the end zone after making his last touchdown. If Aberdeen had won MVP over Fumble, it would’ve been kind of like when overly-aggressive Gretchen won Project Runway over lovable Mondo.
3) There is absolutely no way that Madonna will ever, ever beat the Kitty Half-Time Show. Sorry.
photo courtesy: www.sodahead.com
-Sam
Sam's February Post
Meredith has shared what she’ll be looking at throughout the month of February, so I figured it was my turn. Last year, Meredith gave me the world’s greatest Christmas gift in the form of a Yoga Cat Calendar, and I loved it so much that I bought myself another one for 2012. I’m particularly attached to the smaller cat—the white one with the black tail—because every time my mom sees her, she can’t stop laughing:
Garlic!
(Please excuse the horrible photos that my camera takes of food. I hope to get a new camera soon so that my food looks more appealing. I promise is tastes good-unless I say otherwise in the post)
My family is one giant group of foodies.
My mom has been cooking since, I dunno, forever, I guess. And she has been wowing us with her magnificent dishes since before I was born. I was reaping the rewards of her talent since I was in the womb (I ate what she ate, and I could not wait to experience that gravy firsthand).
My dad is less of a chef (he can make a mean piece of reheated pizza), but you can't say that he doesn't appreciate every kind of food known to man. He's awesome to cook for because he's pretty much willing to try anything. Primo's hoagies to spicy Indian, he loves it all.
My sister and I tend to share a love of strange grains, nut butters, and all fruits and veggies. The two of us can get through a pint of raspberries in literally seconds. She loves to cook and experiment and explore the famous restaurants of New York City with her boyfriend.
My brother is an enigma. His male teenager-ness has always allowed him to enjoy the most unhealthy choices at little to no consequence (gggggrrrrrrrrr). As a 13-year-old, I would wallow away in my room as the smell of hot dogs with a toasted bun slathered in cream cheese wafted into my room at three in the morning. Oh, and also those bacon, egg, and cheese, sandwiches. Today, he orders takeout from only the classiest of Philly restaurants and when we are out to eat, he always gets a steak. That fist sized piece eaten by men in suits in a rush to discuss very important things, wanting to get back to their tight schedules-and also by my t-shirt-wearing brother that went to Vermont to go skiing on a whim this weekend.
I could spend hours talking about the other members of my family, as each one has a distinct love of all things food. But, I have homework, so I can cover everyone else in different posts.
However, the point of this long rant is that, knowing how much we love food, family members often give presents to my family in the form of something edible, or something that can make something edible.
For the past two years, my lovely aunt Bethy has sent us artisan pastas from the company Rossi Pasta. The flavors are amazing and I decided that I should take some packages to school with me, because, well, I wanted them. I make myself lunch for the week every Sunday, so I knew I would get good use out of them.
The first flavor I went with was Garlic! Fettucini. And boy was it garlicky. I carried a distinct aroma with me everywhere I went from January 30th to February 3rd. The aroma of deliciousness.
I chose to pair this pasta with roasted brussels sprouts, lemon juice, and more garlic of course! It was a delightfully simple dish that was infinitely pleasing to my tummy. I highly recommend it for a quick dinner or lunch.
Ingredients:
-1 package of Garlic! Fettucini, or just regular fettucini from your favorite brand
-2 12-oz packages of brussels sprouts (or just enough to fill a sheet pan)
-1 lemon
-3 cloves of garlic
-olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Start heating up a large pot of water and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash the brussels sprouts and then halve them and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place sheet pan in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When done roasting, squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the top.
4. In the mean time, mince the garlic cloves and saute until lightly brown in a pan with olive oil and salt. When the brussels sprouts and garlic are done, dump the garlic onto the sprouts and mix.
5. When the water comes to a boil, add lots of salt and then the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the box until the pasta is al dente.
6. Reserver about a cup of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and put into a bowl. Add the sprouts and garlic and the juice from the other half of the lemon. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pasta water to loosen the pasta.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Notes:
I recommend adding some spice to this dish as well. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes would be delightful.
If I had a zester, I would definitely add lemon zest to the sprouts and to the pasta at the end (I stupidly left mine at home).
When I would reheat the pasta, I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of balsamic sea salt. It was amazing. Do it.
-Meri
My family is one giant group of foodies.
My mom has been cooking since, I dunno, forever, I guess. And she has been wowing us with her magnificent dishes since before I was born. I was reaping the rewards of her talent since I was in the womb (I ate what she ate, and I could not wait to experience that gravy firsthand).
My dad is less of a chef (he can make a mean piece of reheated pizza), but you can't say that he doesn't appreciate every kind of food known to man. He's awesome to cook for because he's pretty much willing to try anything. Primo's hoagies to spicy Indian, he loves it all.
My sister and I tend to share a love of strange grains, nut butters, and all fruits and veggies. The two of us can get through a pint of raspberries in literally seconds. She loves to cook and experiment and explore the famous restaurants of New York City with her boyfriend.
My brother is an enigma. His male teenager-ness has always allowed him to enjoy the most unhealthy choices at little to no consequence (gggggrrrrrrrrr). As a 13-year-old, I would wallow away in my room as the smell of hot dogs with a toasted bun slathered in cream cheese wafted into my room at three in the morning. Oh, and also those bacon, egg, and cheese, sandwiches. Today, he orders takeout from only the classiest of Philly restaurants and when we are out to eat, he always gets a steak. That fist sized piece eaten by men in suits in a rush to discuss very important things, wanting to get back to their tight schedules-and also by my t-shirt-wearing brother that went to Vermont to go skiing on a whim this weekend.
I could spend hours talking about the other members of my family, as each one has a distinct love of all things food. But, I have homework, so I can cover everyone else in different posts.
However, the point of this long rant is that, knowing how much we love food, family members often give presents to my family in the form of something edible, or something that can make something edible.
For the past two years, my lovely aunt Bethy has sent us artisan pastas from the company Rossi Pasta. The flavors are amazing and I decided that I should take some packages to school with me, because, well, I wanted them. I make myself lunch for the week every Sunday, so I knew I would get good use out of them.
The first flavor I went with was Garlic! Fettucini. And boy was it garlicky. I carried a distinct aroma with me everywhere I went from January 30th to February 3rd. The aroma of deliciousness.
I chose to pair this pasta with roasted brussels sprouts, lemon juice, and more garlic of course! It was a delightfully simple dish that was infinitely pleasing to my tummy. I highly recommend it for a quick dinner or lunch.
Ingredients:
-1 package of Garlic! Fettucini, or just regular fettucini from your favorite brand
-2 12-oz packages of brussels sprouts (or just enough to fill a sheet pan)
-1 lemon
-3 cloves of garlic
-olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Start heating up a large pot of water and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash the brussels sprouts and then halve them and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place sheet pan in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When done roasting, squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the top.
4. In the mean time, mince the garlic cloves and saute until lightly brown in a pan with olive oil and salt. When the brussels sprouts and garlic are done, dump the garlic onto the sprouts and mix.
5. When the water comes to a boil, add lots of salt and then the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the box until the pasta is al dente.
6. Reserver about a cup of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and put into a bowl. Add the sprouts and garlic and the juice from the other half of the lemon. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pasta water to loosen the pasta.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Notes:
I recommend adding some spice to this dish as well. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes would be delightful.
If I had a zester, I would definitely add lemon zest to the sprouts and to the pasta at the end (I stupidly left mine at home).
When I would reheat the pasta, I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of balsamic sea salt. It was amazing. Do it.
-Meri
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
It's February!
Last year for Christmas, Sam gave me a calendar filled with pictures of my favorite famous men (and favorite yoga instructor) for each month. It was the most awesome calendar ever.
And this year, she's done it again. I mean, Darren Criss was January!
Each picture comes with a little subtitle underneath. Darren's was "You make me want to sing!"
This month is Josh Charles who I've had a crush on since I watched him in Aaron Sorkin's first show, Sports Night. His quote is "If we had a sex scene, it wouldn't be awkward at all!" (this is in reference to a Good Wife episode that was indeed very awkward).
Last year, I did my usual "look through each month" routine right when I got the calendar. Then, I learned that Sam has a strict, no-looking rule so that each month is a surprise. This year, I've followed that rule.
So now you'll get to experience the surprise right along with me every month.
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