Spill It Sundays: TV Shows

Once again, I've been a terrible, no good, inconsistent blogger. Forgive me. I've decided to Link up to Arman's Spill It Sunday! This week's theme: TV shows.

What was your favourite TV series growing up?

When I was a wee one...

Sesame Street, obviously. There are old videos of me reading magazines and poorly singing the theme song while I watched the TV shows before age 2. I was such a nerd.

When I was a kid...

My dad and I would have "Kablam parties" every Friday night when I was a kid. We would go to the store and pick up a bunch of snacks, usually Cool Ranch Doritos and crunchy Cheez Doodles (not Cheetos!), and just hang out watching this weird Nickelodeon series. I was also really into Spongebob. I blame my dad for that one, too.

When I was in college...

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My freshman roommate and I were obsessed with Brett Michael's Rock of Love on Vh1. No, it wasn't even a good reality TV show, but we loved laughing at Brett's sad attempts to bed these women and maintain his image despite the obvious fake hair. What is romantic about telling someone you want them to administer your insulin? Nothing. At least not in my eyes.

What is your current favourite TV series?

I really love a lot of TV shows for different reasons. I've mentioned before here that I am hopelessly in love with Gunnar on Nashville and Captain Hook on Once Upon a Time. Their attractiveness is more appealing to me than the actual content of the shows, to be honest.

I find myself talking about Duck Dynasty far too often and realize that I definitely watch it too much. Whenever I scroll through the TV guide and see Duck Dynasty is on A&E, I turn it on immediately. I have a little crush on Jase and I find Si and Willie to be hilarious. It doesn't help that the rest of my family has the same problem. 

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As for new TV series that I'm loving, I have to say Brooklyn Nine Nine is my number one. It needed to be said somewhere in this post. Does anyone else find Andy Samberg to be kind of sexy?

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If you could guest star in ANY TV show, which would it be?

I would have to say New Girl. New Girl is basically the ideal primetime TV show for my sense of humor. I really love awkward, uncomfortable comedy in a TV series, but it's usually found in more obscure shows like Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (an Adult Swim classic)...

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And Portlandia. The bookshop skits are gold.

Photo credit: So many bookstore GIFs!

Back to New Girl... I really just want to hang out with Schmidt and Winston. I would totally be BFFs with them in real life. Maybe I should just be Jess. I'm awkward enough. 

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What genre of  television do you enjoy the most? (Reality, Action, Drama, Comedy)

Definitely comedy. I prefer comedy in any form of media, really. At the end of the day, I want to laugh. 

Yes, I marathon Duck Dynasty, Top Chef, and a slew of other reality TV shows if it happens to be on, but comedy most captures my attention.

Which TV series do you think should NOT have been renewed after it’s first season yet had?

Oh, I could go on forever about TV shows that shouldn't have been renewed. If we're talking reality TV shows, definitely any series that chronicles the lives of the Kardashians. I'm sorry (not really), but they just do not deserve their fame, nor do I want to watch them drone on with their flat affect and overly done up appearances about whatever drama they've been able to muster up this week. Yet I will still watch it if my sister turns it on...I never claimed to be perfect.

Which TV series do you think deserved to be renewed yet was not? 

Ben & Kate! I wanted to cry when that show was cancelled! It was so funny, and made Tuesday nights the best comedy night on TV. I don't even understand how it was cancelled in the middle of its first season. RIP.

Thanks, Arman, for the fun blog post idea :)

Spill It Sunday: Childhood Dreams vs. Reality

After a lazy weekend of yoga and not much else, I was a little uninspired for a Sunday blog post. Then I stumbled across Arman's Spill It Sundays link up and thought I'd join in.

Every week is a new theme. This week's topic: Childhood Dreams vs. Reality. 

I'll start off with one of my favorite childhood pictures of myself:

My parents tried really hard to raise a little hipster.

-> What did you want to be when you were younger (career wise)? 

I was an odd kid. In the second grade, my teacher did a lesson series on dinosaurs and I honed right in on paleontology. I was obsessed with the idea of traveling to random desserts, caves, wherever it was that I assumed dinosaur fossils might just be hanging out waiting for me to dig up, dust off, and admire. I think it was the cool hats, casual attire, and warm climates that were presented to me as an essential part of the role of a paleontologist. Highly unrealistic, obviously. Luckily this fascination was a phase, not so much a long-term dream.

Pre- and post-paleontology infatuation, I always imagined myself writing. I wanted to be an author. I was always a lit nerd, burying my nose in advanced reading level books and day dreaming about random stories. 

-> What dreams did you have when you were younger?

I have always been relatively practical about my future and what I would be able to achieve. As a kid, I don't really recall any outlandish dreams other than the typical pre-teen 90s girl hopes of one day marrying Taylor Hanson or Justin Timberlake. 

Don't even try to tell me Taylor Hanson didn't maintain his sexiness.

I wanted to go to Disney World, another "normal" young kid's dream. 

Family trip to Disney World, FL. My dad was more excited than any of us.

Speaking of Disney, I am sure I dreamt of someday becoming a Disney princess. More specifically, Ariel. There was a time where I adored the Little Mermaid. Those dreams were shattered, however, on a day my family refers to as "Bloody Monday," where my brand new Little Mermaid outfit was ruined after a messy injury resulting from a run-in (literally) with a dishwasher. Did I mention I was a klutz?

-> Are you in the same career path as what you wanted?

Absolutely not, and I am actively working to change that. Pushing myself to start and maintain a blog is one step towards pursuing a career in writing. Not like I don't enjoy blogging or writing in general, mind you. This just holds me accountable to sitting down with my thoughts and putting them to paper (or keyboard in most cases). I'm also applying to jobs more in line with my ideal career goals: grant writing, health psychology, etc. The problem is that Rhode Island is devoid of promising job opportunities, and the job market is so competitive that any chances of me getting hired to a position that I've applied for is disturbingly unlikely. But I'm determined to keep trying. 

-> Have you achieved any of your childhood dreams?

Well, I didn't marry a Hanson brother and Justin Timberlake is married to Jessica Biel so there's your answer to childhood dream #1.

I've been to Disney World numerous times and continue to dream of going back. I don't care what you think, Disney World is so much fun.

In regards to the Little Mermaid, my opinion of her is vastly different from the idol-like figure I once viewed her as...

Seriously, this bitch is a slut. What woman gives up her voice to be a naked human being for a guy she has never actually met? Her motives are obvious. Whore.

-> Will you try and make any of those dreams realities? 

Like I said before, I'm actively working to pursue my dream of a career in writing, whatever that may be. I believe that as long as I keep trying, something will come my way when the time is right. 

Will I pursue my long-lost dreams of marrying a 90s boy band member? Probably not. But if JT showed up at my doorstep, divorce papers in hand and a ring in the other, don't think I wouldn't accept.

In closing, I'd like to share another favorite childhood picture of my mom and I. Again, baby hipster status with that bandana. Thanks a lot, Mom.

Christmas 2013

Christmas always comes and goes too fast. All of this insanity for one day, then it's done and we fall into the frigid winter months with nothing to look forward to until Spring. And living in New England, that doesn't guarantee a significant climate change.

End rant. Cue Christmas recap.

I believe it's true that we learn something new everyday. I spent my entire Christmas Eve prepping food, baking up a storm, and attempting to clean up before church. I cooked quinoa, baked gingersnap cookies and peanut butter cup cookies, baked gingerbread protein bars (I followed Peas and Thank You's amazing recipe), and diced veggies, all while intermittently cleaning up after myself, from 9am straight through 3:15pm. What did I learn from all of this, you ask? I learned that when my family insists at 3:10 that I attend Christmas Eve mass starting at 4pm and I'm a flour-covered mess still in my pajamas, I transform myself into a presentable human being in less than 15 minutes, makeup and all. 

Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. And a valuable lesson learned.

P.S. Is my sister gorgeous or what? I wish I had half her looks.

The end results of my morning chaos:

Gingerbread bars unpictured, they just aren't attractive desserts when your best camera is on your iPad.

Needless to say in my mad rush, I never even thought to wrap my Christmas gifts. So that meant returning home from work to run to the basement and discretely wrap everything before my family arrived. Barely got it done.

Now that we're all older, my family just does all of the gifts on Christmas morning. It's cute that my mom still writes "from Santa" on our gifts. I really hate when people buy me gifts, honestly. I'd rather see them use the money towards themselves or someone else. I have everything I need already; however, I was not at all disappointed in my gifts.

Rocking my festive Santa pjs, my gifts spread on the floor (don't mind the dog bed haha), and my new boots

Crappy pictures, but we had to hurry to get dressed and head to the cemetery to spend some time with Dad on Christmas. Christmas sure is different without him here. He had so much Christmas spirit, he was like a little kid. I love and miss him so much...

What a goon. 

Our family is pretty small now. Including the four of us, we had 10 people for dinner. At least it gives me the chance to be a little more creative with side dishes knowing there are less people to please.

This year's experiment was a recipe I threw together on the fly. Red quinoa, red cabbage, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, and scallions lightly sautéed in a wok with a dressing of sesame oil, soy sauce, Ginger, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, pepper, and garlic. I had three servings of that shit, no shame. Along with two small sweet potatoes, tons of roasted asparagus, and fresh green beans. I hate that ham is the traditional protein for Christmas dinner, I just can't eat it. It grosses me out.

We spent the rest of the evening playing Who's on my Head and just hanging out enjoying each other's company. We ended the night watching Just Friends.

MIMM: Tis the season to swap gifts, bake cookies, and reminisce

Hello, Monday. I'll get back to you after I recap the weekend.

My friends hosted a $10-limit Yankee Swap at their apartment on Saturday night. I nommed on some chips and salsa, chai almonds, and homemade red sangria, played some Scattergories, and caught up with a few friends I haven't seen in a while. It was a pretty lax gathering with a small crowd, but I totally appreciate the fact that all in attendance share the same awkward sense of humor. Yankee swap gifts were prime.

I almost ended up with this bad boy:

Lil' Raskull. Christian rapper extraordinaire, straight from the dirty south.

Alas (or not), I ended up with my own gift:

Puppy calendar, desk calendar, and planner pack.

Am I disappointed? Hell no. Other gifts in the mix included a pooping reindeer, massaging pillow, Robsessed (a DVD all about the wonder that is Rob Pattinson), a bottle of pomegranate Burnett's (hello, college), a cookie skillet kit, and scratch tickets ($3 of winnings were had, FYI.)

I dedicated my entire Sunday to baking Christmas cookies. Isn't it odd how I'm the one assigned the task of making cookies when I don't eat them? Of course, I recruit the help of indulgers to keep things fair. My mom was none too happy to be given the job of crushing candy canes for peppermint meltaway cookies. I also coerced my sister and her boyfriend into rolling the cookie dough for red velvet cookies. I'm not particularly fond of the sticky batter and lingering red tint that results from baking those cookies. Refer to the picture of Ryan's tainted fingers (bottom right, below).

Red velvet cookies, peppermint meltaways, and egg biscuits

I made the batter for gingersnaps and set it in the fridge to bake on Christmas Eve when I have more time. I also decided to experiment with a sugar-free cookie for myself to indulge in...I have to do something with that stevia I won in a giveaway after all.

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cookies!

Not the most appetizing-looking photo of the finished product, but I find all dark brown baked goods are difficult to make pretty. I swear these taste like Nutella brownie cookies. Recipe at the end of the post.

I've definitely noticed myself thinking about my dad a lot and finding myself in conversations that lead to him. For the first year since he died, I'm not feeling that overwhelming sadness when I think about Christmas without him despite his continuous presence in my mind. It's bittersweet. I feel like I am finally coming to terms with the holidays without him, learning to accept the fact that he isn't here and finding comfort in the memories of him. He and my Uncle Bob have been making consistent cameo appearances in my dreams, so they kind of are here celebrating Christmas with me. 

Last night, I took the time to reread a short story I wrote about my dad's death. I hadn't looked at it since I last revised it and read it the first Christmas after he died. It was hard to look at, the wounds were too fresh. I really want to try to submit it for publication in a literary journal soon. I just have to find the right one and write a really good cover letter to go along with it. It's crazy how difficult it is to get things published though, so I'll have to revisit this after New Years.

One last marvelous side note - after a week of overindulgence and lack of physical activity, I was so happy for two hours of yoga on Saturday and Sunday morning. I thought I'd struggle more than I did with balance or lifting weights, but I managed. My mom was the one who really had an awesome weekend breakthrough. The real success of this weekend is how far she's come with her flexibility. I'm so proud of her! Check out how low she is in that split! 

Linking up to Katie's MIMM!

As promised, I'll end this post with the recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cookies.

Sugar-free Nut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural nut butter of choice (I used Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, yum!)
• 1/4 cup egg whites, or 1 egg
• 1/2 granulated stevia (or the equivalent of 1 cup of sugar*)
• 1 Tablespoon coconut flour 

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350° F
Roll into 1-inch balls and place about an inch apart on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, removing from the oven when they are still slightly soft to the touch*.
Cool on wire racks, and enjoy!

* These cookies can be made using 1 cup of sugar or splenda, depending on your preference, if stevia isn't your thing.

* If you like crunchy cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes, but watch carefully for burning.

Even the Real Housewives of RI love the Great Gatsby

Last night I had the "privilege" of DJing the most opulent 16th birthday party I've ever attended.

Bear in mind that the classiest 16th birthday party I went to was held at a banquet hall in Pawtucket with a faux-French name (LeFoyer), acting under the ruse of being any better than a 9th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. It was the lack of greasy pizza and rats that really gave it that air of glitz and glam.

Back to aforementioned 16th birthday party:

The theme was The Great Gatsby. Obviously, a lover of good literature, and of the recent film release  -I'm a sucker for Leo and Baz Luhrmann style as a director - I took full advantage of the opportunity to dress up and enjoy my evening as best as I could while swallowing my jealousy.

Pardon the Instagrammed photo, but peep that $17 steal of a dress from Francesca's. WIN.

The party was held at Alpine Country Club in Cranston, RI. Absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention the beautiful lighting, the self-serve candy "bar"/favor table, the gold and silver-plated cake complete with a bejeweled flapper headband and frosting pearls, and the ice cream sundae station. I so wish I could have gotten pictures. Or have been 16 and friends with this girl.

But this is my life, so expect the unexpected. Surprise, the mom of the birthday girl has just finished filming a show for Bravo airing this winter called Game of Crowns. Think Real Housewives of RI / New England. So that explains the partying with tiny glasses of limoncello, her ability to dance and run in 6+ inch heels, and her willingness to throw such an over-the-top party, on a Sunday night nonetheless, for her daughter. She's going to refer her friends to the company, too, and claims they'll be hosting lots of parties that require a DJ. Perhaps we'll meet again before the big TV premiere. Another reality TV show added to my late-night to-watch list.

Today was much more low-key. The highlight of my workday was my pre-yoga snack of a sweet potato topped with Artisana raw Macadamia nut & Cashew butter, eaten at my desk. I've been really hesitant to try the combination of sweet potato and nut butter, but I actually really enjoyed this. 

Ugly, but tasty. Don't hate.

Ended my Monday on a marvelous note with Vinyasa II and hot yoga, followed by Once Upon a Time and The Good Wife. The DVR is a wonderful invention.

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I'm a long-time follower of Katie's blog and I'm so glad to have a reason to participate in her MIMM link-up!

Crazy Random Happenstances

I had all intentions of blogging yesterday, of attempting to write some "get to know me" type posts to figure out my voice as a blogger...but life is tricksy and likes to remind me that it is not going to meet my expectations, for better or worse. This time, I am glad to say it has been a more pleasant series of surprises. For fear of getting my hopes up too high, however, I'm keeping a good portion of these little happenstances to myself. At least for now.

For the first time yesterday, it really felt like fall. When I left my house for yoga at 5:45am, it was 37 &deg; F. Holy freezing. I have since stored a pair of gloves in my car. Lesson learned.

I had a $10 birthday gift card from one of my favorite restaurants, India, on Hope Street in Providence, so I made some lunch plans with a friend and took advantage of the buffet.

Plate #1 of...oh, maybe 5. Yeah, I can eat. I had a little bit of everything offered on the buffet line. Clockwise from left: papadum, seasoned grilled veggies (my favorite), mutter mushroom curry, a tiny piece of lamb (I had to try it), and sweet & spicy mango cashew chicken. SO AMAZING.

After lunch, I went home and lazed about. I had a 1/2 peck or so of red delicious apples hanging out in the fridge that no one was going to eat, so I decided to experiment with homemade crockpot apple butter.

I cored and roughly chopped the apples, leaving the skin on, and threw them in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours and stirring whenever I happened to get up. Also in the mix was maybe 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup Swerve (xylitol sweetener), 1T cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. Then I used a hand blender to puree it all up, added a bit of guar gum to thicken it up, and cooked it partially uncovered on high for another 90 minutes or so. Happy to say it is delicious.

My friend, Katie, came by for a movie night dedicated to one of the loves of my life, Leo. So sexy.

About halfway through Revolutionary Road, Katie and I had our minds blown when we realized we actually went to high school together. Whattttttt? Especially shocking since we went to a small Catholic high school and I was the head editor of the school's lit mag, which she contributed to in her junior/my senior year. Like I said, life is tricksy. Granted, I do look entirely different from my high school self. [Insert reminiscing over martinis here.]

This morning took me on a little unexpected venture. Then an afternoon shopping trip to Bob's. 

All of this for $51! Thank you, $10 birthday reward, $10 October coupon, and 25% off for non-profit business employee event. 

Currently, I'm rushing to do some laundry before heading out to Point St. Dueling Piano bar. Spending the day in Boston tomorrow. Until next time!