What I’m Watching: Chance

January 12, 2018Leave a comment

I pride myself on my ability, despite being on the computer all day, to avoid spoilers for TV shows that I’m watching after they’ve already aired. It took me around two years to watch all of Mad Men, between late 2015 and 2017, and I successfully avoided every possible spoiler, even though the show ended in early 2015. That said, I really enjoy reading criticism and reviews of the shows I am watching, so when I do finish a show after it’s ended I eagerly rush to the internet to see what people are saying about it and if they share my opinions or not. Continue reading →

Inspirational Art

January 10, 2018February 7, 2018Leave a comment

My senior year of college, I wrote an English thesis on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s nonfiction. Probably my favorite part of writing my thesis was that I had a thesis carrel in the library where I could keep books and work on my paper. It was on the top floor in the back corner in a section that few people used, next to a window overlooking the quad, and I thought it was lovely—but I’m someone capable of finding a desk lovely. Continue reading →

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Slaw

January 8, 2018February 7, 20181 Comment

In addition to cooking more in general and trying new recipes, I’m also trying to experiment more with toss-together dinners that I come up with on my own based on what we might have lying around. This barbecue chicken and slaw was incredibly easy and had maybe 10 minutes of active prep time, none of which needed to be done right before serving. Continue reading →

Houseplants for the Black Thumb

January 4, 2018February 7, 20181 Comment

There’s a lot of research out there on the benefits of having plants in your house. When we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. When plants undergo photosynthesis, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They purify the air, pulling toxins into their soil. And then there are the obvious perks, like they’re pretty to look at. Continue reading →

My First Christmas Vacation in 5 Years

January 2, 2018February 7, 20182 Comments

The last time I had an actual “Christmas vacation” was my last year of college, in 2012. Since then, I’ve learned that when you’re working full time it can be tough to truly enjoy the holidays. You can carefully lay out travel plans that seem like they’ll work in theory, but you can never truly account for weather, crowds and the like. A couple years ago I tried flying on Christmas Eve, and I was in the airport for around 6 hours, in a terminal with no heat, before I even got on the plane. So needless to say, I was looking forward to this year Continue reading →

What I’m Reading: Nicotine

December 20, 2017February 6, 2018Leave a comment

One of the things I’m going to do consistently here is post about the books I’m reading after I’ve finished them. When we moved to Bethesda, we decided to only get a cable box for the living room, so we don’t have live TV in the bedroom. I was pretty excited about this, because it meant more reading before bed, and for years I felt like I didn’t have enough time to read. Continue reading →

Simple Chicken Mole

December 13, 2017February 7, 20181 Comment

I love mole. It’s probably my favorite thing to order at Mexican restaurants. I know that mole technically just means sauce, but I’m talking about the rich, creamy version made with things like cocoa powder, cinnamon, tomatoes, star anise, peanut butter and about 10 other things. Because it tends to have so many ingredients, I’ve shied away from making it at home in the past. Enter my new favorite cookbook, The Complete Slow Cooker, where Jeff found a slow cooker chicken mole made with only seven ingredients! Continue reading →

My First DC Adventure!

December 11, 2017February 9, 2018Leave a comment

We moved here on November 18, and over the weekend I made my first trip into downtown DC. I know it seems overdue, but when you factor in Thanksgiving and the number of times we’ve had to go to Bed, Bath and Beyond, this was the first weekend we had time to go on an adventure. Continue reading →

The One Thing I Can’t Work Without

December 7, 2017February 9, 20181 Comment

Those who know me know that I love making lists. I will get things done just for the satisfaction or being able to cross them off of a list. But it also keeps me organized, especially when I’m dealing with different deadlines and need to figure out how best to go about completing my assignments. Continue reading →

Smothered Bunless Burgers

December 4, 2017February 9, 20182 Comments

We first made this meal a couple years ago during Passover (hence the no bun), and we loved it so much that we’ve been making it every couple weeks ever since. It’s super easy and can be adjusted to include your favorite burger toppings. Continue reading →