Monet and New Friends

This week, I met up with a friend, Megan, and we went to one of those BYOB art classes that have taken off like wildfire in the last few years.  We went to this studio and had a great time. 

 

We tried to do a version of Monet's lillies.  Key word: tried. 

 

Megan, Alix, Me, and Abby.  I think they turned out pretty good!  Have you ever been to a wine and canvas class?  Where?  Would you go again?

 

 



Do Your Friday Dance

I know I'm doing mine:

Why?  Because my best friend from law school, Laura, is coming to visit for the weekend!!  I'm leaving work a little early to pick her up from the airport, and we have an awesome weekend planned.

 

We'll stop at my parent's house on the way home from the airport so she can meet them, then off to my apartment to prepare for First Friday in downtown Greensboro.  We'll have dinner, she'll meet S., and we'll all galavant around downtown like we own the place.  Saturday, we're heading to Chapel Hill early in the morning to go to the UNC v. VTech football game.  Laura went to VTech, but I try not to hold that against her.  Then, out on Franklin Street afterwards, and a relaxing Sunday to recover.  I am pumped!!  Just wish these gals were here to join us...

 



Slob Kebab

Good morning!

Since I was a total slob kebab after yoga yesterday and ate tortilla chips, nachos (spicy thai peanut sauce and melted cheese), a sweet roll, a banana, and some plain spaghetti, I will save you the torture of describing in detail that meal.  Instead, on to pad thai and bbq faux chicken thin crust pizza!  (Two SEPARATE meals, not to be served together, mind you.  But oh my, that could be fun.)

Pad Thai

I LOVE pad thai.  I LOVE Thai food generally.  I love it so much I'm going to Thailand from 8/31-9/16 (more on that later).  But as much as I love Thai food, I have consistently failed to make it taste like the restaurant at home.  But this time, I think we got as close as I've ever been.  It would have been nice (and much easier) to buy the ready made pad thai sauce at HT, but almost all of those use fish sauce, and you know I'm not down with that.  Instead, S. whipped together his own sauce using spicy HT peanut sauce (can you tell we love this stuff yet?), garlic, ginger, cilantro, ketchup (just go with it), peanut butter, and sugar.  We coated the rice noodles with the sauce in the pan and garnished the whole affair with green onions, cilantro, and, our favorite, bean sprouts.  Oh, yeah, we also added marinated tofu, but that turned into a mess as the tofu hadn't completely thawed from the freezer, turned a weird spongy texture, and was way too salty (with our garlic soy sauce marinade).  Next time, maybe just a garlic sesame oil marinade would be better.  In any case, the meal was delicious, as you can see:

BBQ Faux Chicken Pizza

This meal is my go to.  It is delicious, quick, and looks so appetizing while it's baking it almost makes me want to eat my own arm.  But that's not vegetarian.  (Monkey logic strikes again).  The recipe is quite simple.    Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on a frying pan and heat.  Cook the top side of the tortilla until it is nice and browned, then flip the tortilla so the back is on the pan.  Mix a teaspoon of spaghetti sauce into 3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce and spread over the tortilla.  Add your chopped up Morningstar buffalo wings, red onions, chopped garlic, freshly chopped jalapeno peppers, and sliced mushrooms.  Sprinkle shredded cheddar/mexican cheese over all of the toppings.  Wait until the cheese begins to melt on the pan.  Once the cheese starts melting, pick up the entire tortilla with a spatula, stick it in your oven/toaster oven, and bake for 10 or so minutes.  Switch to broil for 2 more minutes.  When the cheese and the crust of your tortilla have browned, it's ready, and it's oh so mouthwatering-ly good.  Crispy too!  Next step: drizzle ranch on top and go to town.  YUM:

On another note, I'm moving at the end of this week.  I can't believe it's been a year since I've been here, since I finished law school!  At the same time that I'm sad to leave the friends I've made here, the familiarity I've grown to love, and the comfort in my job, I am also ready to start something new, to really push myself to my limits at work, to live only 10 minutes away from my parents, and to make new friends and a new life.  

I will never forget this year though.  It was plain old freakin awesome.