Hey, Y'all!

Comfort Food Saturday: 33

Today's my 33rd birthday, so I thought I'd do something a little different.  Here are 33 foods I love, some with hyperlinks to the recipes. Some are just things we make at our house and others are things everyone eats.  I wish I could indulge in each of these today, but my hips wouldn't fit through my doorways if I did that, so I shall refrain.  I will, however, be enjoying a special birthday dinner with my family at our favorite local restaurant and you better believe there will be cake.

Tune in later this week when it hits me that GOOD LORD, I AM 33!

THIRTY-THREE FOODS JEN LUVS (in random order)

1.  Marcus's tacos. He makes the best tacos ever. E-VER. The only downside is that he fries his own tortillas which, while awesomely delicious, smells up the house for a week.

2.  Flank steak. My favorite is made by my mother-in-law, but Marcus's is a close second.

3.  My mom's round steak and gravy.  I could take a bath in her gravy.

4.  My dad's hamburgers on the grill.  Bonus points for melted cheese.

5.  Red velvet cake.  This week, I made Bakerella's red velvet cake balls. Oh. My. Word.

6.  Shrimp Creole.

7.  Andouille sausage.

8.  Krispy Kreme doughnuts. (HOT NOW!)

9.  Veggie pizza. Or meaty pizza. Or cheese pizza.

10.  Extra-sharp cheddar cheese.  We go through at least a block a week in our house. (Why is my cholesterol high again?)

11.  Vanilla Almond French Toast

12.  Any and all pasta.

13.  Burritos.

14.  Sweet potato casserole.

15.  Really good macaroni and cheese.

16.  Honey mustard dressing.

17. Mushrooms.

18.  Chocolate souffle.

19.  Red bell peppers.

20.  Onions.  (My child has inherited this love.)

21.  Cinnamon Rolls, but not if they have cream cheese icing. Am purist. Like regular icing.

22.  Croissants. (Chocolate, butter and almond varieties all hold an equally special place in my heart.)

23.  Sauerkraut on mah hot dawg.

24.  BBQ Nachos.  So wrong, yet so right.

25.  Turnips. The roots and the greens. LOVE them.

26.  Yellow squash.  These days, I have to fight Dean to get any.

27.  All fried potatoes.  I've never met a tater tot, french fry or hashbrown I didn't like at least a little bit.

28.  M & M's.  It's Casey's fault for posting this story.  I've been craving them like mad ever since I read it.

29.  Spinach dip, preferably with artichokes.

30.  Fondue. I love fondue, especially the cheese kind. Anything that requires a special utensil with a color-coded dot is for me.

31.  Bread. The crustier and fresher, the better.

32.  Fresh raspberries.

33. COFFEE!  (That's a food, right?)

Why I haven't blogged since NaNaBloPop ended

• I figured you were all sick of me. The fact that I'm still getting hits proves otherwise. Thanks for that!
• I am writing my final exam for the 96 person class.  It has to cover pretty much everything that ever happened in the theatre in about 25 questions.
• I had to grade 200 papers. Am moron. Gave 2 large writing assignments back to back. Silly Jen.
• Dean and I are doing a craft project. It's true. There may be pictures when we're done.
• I finally started Christmas shopping!
• Keeping Dean out of the Christmas tree is a full-time job.
• Dean has learned to clear his throat. Every time he does it, I think he's choking and do the finger swipe.  He is very tired of me.
• There are Dreamsicles in my freezer.  It's hard to type when you've got a Dreamsicle in your hand.
• Everyone I know has lost their minds.  I think maybe it's just the holiday craziness, but seriously. Everyone is nuts this week.  And guess who everyone calls when everyone goes nuts??? Yup. They'd better not push me over my cell phone minutes.
• I've been eating French bread.  Lots and lots of French bread. Don't ask.

How's YOUR week been?

Dream List

Several of my blog friends have recently done Dream Lists and I thought that would be a great way to wrap up 30 straight days of posts for NaNaBloPop.  On my old site, I had a "Lifetime To Do List," but it was pretty vague.  Inspired by Frema and Molly, here's my 100 dreams list, in no particular order.  Some may seem outlandish, some would never happen unless I won the lottery, but they are dreams nonetheless.  And who knows what could happen?  Ten years ago I would have laughed if someone had told me I'd live in NYC and work on Broadway, so stranger things have certainly happened.

DREAM LIST

1.  Learn to make killer guacamole. I want it to be so good that people throw parties just so I'll make a batch.

2.  Bake and decorate a wedding cake for a friend.

3.  Own a catering business with my husband.  We will specialize in ribs, tacos and other comfort foods.

4.  Get a tenure-track, full-time teaching gig.

5.  Run my own stage management department, whether it's academic or professional.

6.  Work on Broadway again.

7.  Take Dean to NYC and see his face the first time he sees Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and his first Broadway show.

8.  Donate money to the National Kidney Foundation.

9.  Take my mom on a trip, just the two of us, even if it's just overnight.

10.  Attend at least one football game a year with my dad.

11. Own a Kitchenaid stand mixer.

12.  Take care of kids. I always thought I'd have more than one biological child, but since that's not in the cards for us, this will include my nephews, my students and any other kids out there who happen to need me.

13.  Throw an amazing Christmas party, complete with a live tree, lots of decorations and incredible food.

14.  Visit Italy and eat as much as humanly possible.

15.  Host a cooking show, preferably with Daniel as my co-host.

16.  Attend BlogHer. (Got my ticket for 2010 in NYC!)

17.  Save enough money to live for a year with no income, just in case.

18.  Buy Marcus a bass boat.

19.  Watch Marcus teach Dean to fish.

20.  Teach Dean to make cupcakes, chili and black beans and rice, among other things.

21.  See my best friends more.

22.  Take at least one class a year at the university where I teach, preferably something not even remotely related to theatre.

23.  Rewrite my graduate thesis.  I had the honor of working with the director about whom I wrote my thesis and I really need to write about that experience and how it changed my perception of his work.

24.  Stage manage another show at Cornell.

25.  Work with my husband as much as possible.

26.  Visit Alaska again and catch my own salmon.  Eat crab legs until I explode.

27.  Figure out how to make chocolate souffle just like my favorite restaurant in Ithaca, Just A Taste.

28.  Be there when Meredith has her baby.

29.  Celebrate Kitty's 40th birthday with her, preferably in Disney World.

30.  Work on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar directed by my husband.  In a perfect world, my dad will guest star as Pilate.

31. Expand my herb and veggie garden.  I eventually want to get to the point where I never have to use another store-bought pepper again.

32.  Stage manage a production of Noises Off.

33. Attend a class reunion for my high school.

34.  Attend a U2 concert.

35.  Re-read Pillars of the Earth over and over and over again.

36.  Teach Dean to ride a bike.

37.  Sit on the beach at sunset with my husband and listen to the waves.

38.  Re-learn French and use it as much as possible so I don't lose it.

39.  Visit the town  where I grew up and meet my childhood friends' families.

40.  Convert my third bedroom into an office for me and only me.  I will paint it yellow and there will be lines in the carpet from where I've freshly vacuumed.

41.  Install hardwood floors in my house.

42.  Visit colleges with Dean and help him make his choice.  Advise him when he asks for it and sit back and chill when he needs me to.

43.  Clap until my hands hurt at Dean's college graduation.  I may even cheer aloud.

44.  Snuggle lots of sweet grandbabies.

45.  Figure out how to use our fancy camera on something other than the "auto" setting.

46.  Finish writing our Will with Marcus.

47.  Throw Dean into a pile of raked leaves. Repeat as necessary.

48.  Give up Coke Zero, but never coffee.

49.  Attend a "coffee cupping." (like a wine tasting, but with coffeeeee!)

50.  Own a house with a really great kitchen.

51.  Serve on a Board of Directors.

52.  Throw my mother in law and my dad retirement parties. (MIL retires in June!!)

53.  Attend my friends' weddings whenever possible.

54.  Visit Canada. (Eva, I'm coming for YOU!)

55. Tailgate with my friends from grad school. 

56.  Help my students get jobs after graduation.

57.  Own a house in the Florida Keys and decorate it with every piece kitschy fish stuff I can get my hands on.

58.  Fly to NYC for my 50th birthday and eat at a Five-Star restaurant.

59.  Establish holiday and other family traditions that Dean will be proud to pass along to his own family.

60.  Get my engagement ring repaired so I can wear it every day.

61.  Anonymously donate a truckload of supplies to the church daycare where Dean goes three days a week, even if it's waaaay in the future.

62.  Find a real church home.

63.  Eat a Nathan's hot dog at Coney Island again.

64.  Sleep in on the weekends.

65.  Hand one of my students his or her diploma.

66.  Install a half-bath in our house.

67.  Write a play. (This shocked me when it came out of my fingers.  It's Marcus's fault. He keeps telling me how good the few I wrote in college were, so it encourages me.  We shall see.)

68.  Have my house cleaned by a professional JUST ONCE.

69.  Find a cure for Dean's eczema.

70.  Cook a big family meal every Sunday afternoon.

71.  Host Thanksgiving and Christmas for both our families.

72.  Spend Christmas in the Smoky Mountains.

73.  Go sledding.

74.  Go to the movies at least once a month.

75.  Watch my son play sports, perform in a show, play music or whatever he decides is his "thing."  Cheer for him with all my heart.

76.  Learn to make gravy.

77.  Produce one of my friend Qui's plays, preferably at our undergrad alma mater.

78.  Work with my stage management mentors again.

79.  Plant yellow tulips in my yard.

80.  Go on a brunch date for Mother's Day with Marcus and Dean.

81.  Own a dog. Name said dog. (Marcus is not allowed to name animals.)

82.  Accessorize my home.

83.  Start playing the piano again.

84.  Have dinners with friends that last hours .

85.  Take a weekend getaway to a spa.

86.  Visit California. All of it.

87.  Learn to make teacakes like my great-grandma.

88.  Learn to drive a stick.

89.  Paint a picture to display in my home. (That one might take a couple of tries if my "artwork" in class is any indication of my talent...)

90.  Have low cholesterol.

91.  Join a book club. (The kind where you read a book, then go discuss it with people. Are they called book clubs? I dunno.)

92.  Visit the Louvre.

93.  Own every product Yes To Carrots manufactures.

94.  Get electrolysis for my unibrow.

95.  Take countless road trips with my family.

96.  Host family and friends in our home as often as possible.

97.  Be the best mom I can be and always have a great relationship with Dean.

98.  Remain playful and goofy with my husband, even when we're in our 90s.

99.  Visit Switzerland with Marcus.

100.  Write it all down.

Things that are NOT ok

 

• Bratwurst in the school cafeteria.  EW.
• Wearing a corset to class. At 10am.
• That guy who sings Hot Child in the City.  What's up with HIM?
• Guests who bring guests.  Ever think there might be a reason that person wasn't invited???
• Christmas music on the radio already.  One station here is playing ONLY Christmas music from Nov. 1-Jan.1.  I love Christmas as much as anyone (more than most), but that? Is too long.
• The fact that I have not waxed my eyebrows in 4 months.  I have plucked, but it's not the same.
• Children who will not take NO for an answer when you tell them you don't want to buy any World's Finest Chocolate.  Seriously, you'd think after the THIRD time she knocked on my door to no avail, she'd stop.  Not so much.  She's a determined one.
• Bubble Tea
• Auburn (that's for HP and Teri Lynne)

Top 10 Reasons I Am Excited To Stay Home With My Family This Weekend

The good folks over at COZI are offering 15 moms who didn't get to go to BlogHer a $100 sponsorship!  All we have to do is list the top 10 reasons we're glad we stayed home this weekend, then the blogs with the most comments WIN!  So please, please, please comment! 

And make sure you check out COZI. It's a great way to get organized!

My top 10:

10.  Marcus's 20 year high school reunion is tomorrow.  Ok, ready for a secret?  WE ARE NOT GOING. (Enter even MORE sadness over the fact that I had to miss BlogHer!)  We had planned to travel to DC at the end of last week and attend the reunion on Saturday.  Then we found out how much the reunion would cost.  $150 PER PERSON. Just for a 3-hour party.  There's an open bar, food stations and music, but that does not seem worth $300, especially when you consider the cost of airfare to DC.  So we're leaving on Tuesday instead to spend 2 weeks at my in-laws'.

9.  I can publish Comfort Food Saturday from the comfort of my own kitchen.

8.  More playtime with Dean!

7.  I didn't have to get a haircut so I'd look good at BlogHer. I can sit here and enjoy my split ends in the privacy of my own home.

6.  I didn't have to get "the wand" as I went through airport security. (I ALWAYS get the wand.  I must look dangerous.  What do you think?)

 

5.  My husband is making this for dinner tonight.

4.  I can read all about BlogHer from my friends on Twitter.  I can wear my PJ's while doing this.

3.  There's no sweet tea in Chicago.

2.  I have time to write articles for Foodie Mama.

1.  I can work all weekend to get myself a sponsor (or multiple sponsors) for Type-A Mom Conference!

Things I Love Right This Very Minute

I feel like I've been neglecting ye olde blog.  I Twitter back and forth with some of you during the day, email others, even talk to some, and always read your blogs, so I don't necessarily feel out of the loop, but I do feel like there are a lot of things going on that keep me from writing on here as much as I'd like to.  The good news?  I'm enjoying indulging in some great stuff!  (This is where I'd post pictures of said stuff, were I not so lazy, but you know how it is...)

The Sookie Stackhouse Books     Oh, y'all. I am LOVING these books! I was very resistant at first, not really interested in reading them.  I usually really enjoy books that are really smart, full of twists and turns and kind of complex. I'm a big Harlan Coben fan and love thrillers in general.  These books have made me change my tune at bit.  Yes, they are vampire books. Yes,  they are kind of like soft-core romance novels sometimes. But they are so funny and clever!  And they're set in North Louisiana, where I went to college, so I know all the places they talk about well.  I'm tearing through them at lightning speed.  I'm about 1/3 of the way into book 3 right now. My friend Amy Louise, who is from California and considers me the epitome of southern women (ha ha) sent them to me.  My cousin Heather gets them next. If anyone is interested in reading them, let me know and we'll keep them going and send them your way!

Foodie Mama  You guys HAVE been reading Foodie Mama, right?  There are some fantastic articles and recipes on there.  My section, Feeding Toddlers, takes up a lot of my thinking time.  I don't want to write the same things we've heard over and over about feeding our little ones, so I read a ton of blogs, articles and the like before doing my feature each week.  If anyone has ideas or suggestions of something you'd like me to write about, please email me!

Cleaning my house.  I kind of skipped spring cleaning, since we got so busy at the end of the semester, so I'm making up for lost time.  It helps that Marcus is home to help me or watch Dean so I can clean at times other than when Dean is asleep.

Napping.  I've heard the "always sleep when baby sleeps" thing before, but I was guilty of doing everything BUT sleeping when Dean napped as a tiny infant.  Now that we seem to be starting the 18 month sleep regression (help me, God), Dean's getting up super-early and staying up a bit later.  The up-side is that his naps are pretty predictably clocking in at over 2 1/2 hours.  That gives me time to eat lunch, if I haven't already, and lie down for a while if I want or need to while he naps.  This has been good this week while I have recovered from a funky ear infection.  I do hate antibiotics...

Shredding.  Once Dean's down for the night, I put on my yoga pants keep on the yoga pants I've been wearing for most of the day, throw on my new cross-trainers, move the coffee table out of the way in our "formal" living room and get to Shredding.  I can already tell a huge difference in my endurance and I've lost 3 pounds.  I got into a pair of capri pants today that I haven't worn since last summer.  Someone asked me how I focus and get through the exercises.  The good thing about the Shred is that the exercises are short and you can yell and curse loudly at Jillian in the privacy of your own home.  Worst case scenario, you'll only be doing a move for a minute.  When it starts to hurt, I remember labor.  I remind myself that I went through 32 hours of pain to deliver the bambino (totally worth it, but OW!), including having a giant epidural needle inserted into my spine, having feet swollen like Fred Flinstone's and being cut open.  If I can live through that, I can handle 30 seconds of jumping jacks. (Over-dramatic?  Perhaps.  But it works!)

Self-pampering.  After Shredding, I smell bad.  It just does that to you. (Back me up here, Shredheads!) I recently got super-lucky and won a giveaway hosted by Elisa at Diary of an Unlikely Housewife.  My gift?  A whole box of Yes To Carrots products!!!  I had sampled their products before and even given some as gifts, but I'd never had any of my very own.  Now I can't wait to hop into the shower to use my Moisturizing Body Scrub, then get out and drench myself in the luxurious body lotion, smear on some lip butter and finish with my Yes To Tomatoes hand cream.  The verdict?  Mama like!

Dean.  He's just the greatest thing ever.  I think he has finally figured out that something's different and Mommy and Daddy are both going to be home with him each day.  We play all the time.  He's learning new things every minute, it seems.  The inner-monologues Marcus and I used to provide for him are now being replaced by his growing vocabulary.  He's a total Mama's boy and wants me with him as much as possible. And who could resist this face?

 

Not me!

32

I turn 32 today.

 

 

This many

I thought I'd do a little list. 32 Things on my 32nd. Here goes nothing.

1. This is an anti-climactic age.

2. On the eve of my 30th birthday, I had a small identity crisis. I called my friend Eileen and asked her if I was supposed to feel older and wiser. She said no. That made me feel better.

3. CVS just called to refill my prescription. How very nice of them.

4. I'm having lunch today with Auntie M and Loretta.

5. Dean's pretty jazzed about it.

6. Marcus, Dean and I had dinner at Cajun Steamers last night, courtesy of my parents.

7. Dean had his first kid's meal.

8. Dean likes Cajun fries.

9. I wore flip-flops. In February.

10. My favorite color is purple. Did you know? Now you do.

 

11. I bought my first pair of Clark's shoes this year.

 

12. They are the greatest pair of shoes I have ever owned. Also the most expensive.

 

13. I think it's cool when my birthday falls on Friday the 13th.

 

14. I kind of hate Valentine's day.

 

 

 

15. I especially hate it when people wrap my birthday gifts in Valentine gift wrap.

 

16. Dean keeps finding my cell phone and programming new numbers into it. This is annoying.

 

17. The plumber we hired to fix our leaky pipe was great. We will not have to sell anything on eBay to pay the bill.

 

18. Home ownership kinda sucks sometimes. (see above comment about leaky pipe)

 

19. Dean peed on me twice this morning. Happy birthday, mommy. ;)

20. My perfect "Fat Breakfast" would be Dunkin' Donuts Hazelnut coffee, Krispy Kreme donuts and hashbrowns from McDonald's, with a soy latte from Starbuck's for dessert.

 

21. I could eat pasta every single day. So could my son.

 

22. I don't remember going from the OR to the recovery room after my c-section. This kind of bothers me.

 

23. In college, we once had a 4-way joint birthday party for a bunch of us who were born between Feb. 10-13.

 

24. My family's new favorite word is "boon." (balloon)

 

25. My class brought in their assignment for next Thursday yesterday. Everyone did. So we did those presentations. Better early than late, huh?

 

26. I really hope Marcus gets me York Peppermint Patties for Valentine's Day. I enjoy them chilled.

 

27. I always cry when filling out holiday cards to Dean. Last year when he was a wee little tot, Marcus and I had to try 5 times before we could read him his Valentine. I'm sure his 6 week old self really cared about having it read aloud, but it was important to us.

 

28. I have never used a lawnmower. I have no intention of starting any time soon. (Marcus is getting ready to mow our yard.)

 

29. My secret dream is to receive an entire bag of trial-sized items for my birthday or Christmas.

 

30. I once had a pet crab named Charlie. I fed him bologna. He died.

 

31. Dean calls me "Nah Nah." I love it.

 

32. Wanna know what Marcus gave me for my birthday? I'M MOVING MY BLOG TO TYPEPAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to do the online tutorial and get everything set up, but within two weeks, you will be able to visit me at my new and improved site.

Now go have a cupcake and think of me. :)