Friday, September 30, 2011

Morning Routine

Greetings from Chicago
Each weekday morning is pretty similar around our place. Monday thou Friday my husband and I get up at ruffly the same time each day. I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth, while he gets dressed, then we switch, and head to the gym.
Once were home, my husband has a bowl if cereal-ususaly Cheerios (side note: is it weird that I feel good if starts the day with that, so that if he ends up eating fast food for lunch, its "offset" somehow)- and I sit next to him, steal a bite of cereal, and then we get ready for the day.
So, I am wondering if any of your families are like mine. Do you all have a morning process? Do you always brush your teeth first? Does your husband have a favorite mug?  Is your morning predictable, or ever changing? I assume if you have kids the procedure is quite a bit more complex, but is it still pretty much the same daily?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Orange, Jicama, and Avocado Salad

As I shared in the previous post, sometimes I feel a little daunted at dinnertime around the newlywed household. I also mentioned that, in the past, some of my dishes and recipes won me some pretty nifty prizes. Doing research for these recipes has me subscribed to various foodie magazines.
One of the things I like to do with my husband is, when a new month's edition arrives in the mail slot, I give it to him and he flips through and picks a recipe for me to try. A few weeks ago, my husband choose a salad with avocado jicama, and orange from Bon Appatite. Here is what I came up with:
It was yummy, quick, and pretty easy--the recipe they have online is different from the more recent version, but in the spirit of sharing, here is how I made it for him:

  • 3 navel orange

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons orange juice

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 medium jícama (about 3/4 pound)

  • 2 firm-ripe California avocados

  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro


  • Segment the orange, and save 2 tablespoons of the juice. Whisk in the salt, sugar and oil. Mix the orange jicima avocado. Top with the dressing, and allow to set in the fridge for about a half our before mixing in the cilantro and serving. 

    Sunday, September 25, 2011

    Daily Bread

    As a single girl, I usually enjoyed cooking. When I was in my second year of graduate school, I became ill, and as a result, had to spend a lot of time at home-alone. Looking for recipes online, searching cookbooks and reading Gourmet Magazine were constructive ways to pass time, and part of a creative outlet. Learning about exotic flavors and spices allowed me to travel, although I often couldn't leave the apartment.  Making dinner for my (then) roommate gave me a creative outlet and helped me feel like I was able to do something constructive with my day. During that time, I became a pretty decent cook. I had time to practice, cooked daily, and even won recipe contests. 
    Now, I still do enjoy making food, however, somewhere along the way, I feel as thought I am not as passionate about cooking as I once was.  Is it because I am now working full time? Does cooking feel more like a chore than a pleasure now? Am I lazy now because I now have a husband, and feel less pressure to impress?
    I think a lot of it has to do with how tired I feel after a long day at work. The work I do is (like many people) emotionally demanding, and the idea of starting an hours worth of work to get a meal on the table is daunting. I find myself relying on baking a pizza more than I would like to admit. 

    So my question is, what do you ladies do to get in the "mood" to cook? Do you head right to the kitchen after work? Sit down and relax for a few minutes before diving in?  Have easy meals that you can get on the table in a flash? Cook ahead? Tips? Secrets? Delivery? 

    Saturday, September 24, 2011

    Nothing Yet

    As a newly married woman, the question I get the most (after, "How is married life?") has to be, "So, how long until you have a little one?" This may not be typical for all newlyweds, however, I work in a field that puts me around elderly people all day. Due to the generational differences between us, a question that seems a bit out of place to me, is perfectly acceptable for them.
    It's not just one or two people, I get asked weekly about if there "Is anything there yet?" "Whats the good news?", my personal favorite, "When are you gonna get fat?" and various other euphemisms asking me when I will be getting around to my natural life-outcome, having a baby.
    Most couples today wouldn't even be thinking about babies less than 5 months into a marriage, but for many older people it is only a matter of time before a wedding turns into a birth . Right now, I just smile, laugh, and demurely change the topic. However, it has made me think-for partners today, when is the right time to start expanding a family?
    My husband and I both know we would like to have a baby at some point, (due to medical reasons-which I will have to save for a future post-I am not positive this is a possibility for me) but how do you know when you are ready?