A Little Bit Broadway

I got to add to my Broadway musical list with a viewing of Xanadu this week. I didn't know much about the show when I proposed the idea to Joe but I have yet to see a musical that I didn't like so I figured it was a safe bet. It turned out to be quite enjoyable. Very tongue and cheek and a little cheesy but in a good way. The story takes place in 1980 and is based on mythology. Zeus and his muses are in charge of inspiring humans. Plug in a love story, some music, and roller skates and a story is born! We were lucky in that we got to sit on stage for the show. I guess some shows have on stage seating and this is one of them. I didn't even know what I was signing up for when I got the tickets but it was quite the experience. It was neat to be so up close and personal with the actors and the set. We got to take part in the finale with glowsticks which was fun.
It was a week of firsts for me as I tried "hot yoga." It's quite the trend out here. An hour and a half of posing in a room that is 95 degrees. I have not been a fan of yoga in the past but this was different. I don't think I have ever sweat so much in my life! It was a good sweat and I was so focused on the poses and breathing that my mind got to venture elsewhere for a little bit. I might just go back for another sweat fest later this week.
And on another note, my cooking ambitions were much milder this week and I think I made peace with Rachel Ray after successfully making one of her recipes by myself. We'll see if this trend can continue......

Nothing But A Wet Pant Leg

Since we've moved here I've been asked "Is it really true about all the rain that Seattle gets?" My response has always included a "no" with a more drawn out response to describe the weather that we get here. If you were to ask me that same question this past week I would have given you a very unenthusiastic yes! I think out of the past 2 weeks we have had at least 8 days of rain- 5 of which came in a row Monday-Friday of this past week. As I walked from my car to the school building Friday morning all I could think about was how tired I was to have spent the past week having a constant wet pant leg. There are no umbrellas, rain coats, or other weather paraphanalia that can keep them dry-leading to my subsequent complaints. I take that back-there is something that can keep them dry- those really ugly rain boots that feel like they are made of some sort of rubber and have a funky smell and squeak once they come in contact with rain. I couldn't bear to put my poor feet through such ugliness. I guess wet pant legs it is then.
Joe and I decided today that if the weather was going to be gray and dreary then we should plan for an indoor activity to entertain us. What did we come up with? A beer tour and tasting of the 9th largest brewery in the country. I'm not even a beer fan but enjoy learning about new things and a few sips of some pretty good tasting beer definitely made this dreary day a little bit better. For $1 we got to try 5 different 4 oz beers at the Redhook Brewery. I had just two before I cut myself off as the beer was going straight to my head. I finally learned what "IPA" stands for, the definition of "hoppy" beer and that at one time Washington was the state with the highest beer consumption per capita. And here we thought it was all about the coffee! Annheiser Bush is a large distributor for this brewery so it can be found on the east coast if anyone is looking to try something new. We had a pretty entertaining tour guide who you can tell enjoys her job (and her alcohol :-)
I'm fortunate enough that my district observes Martin Luther King Day so I get to start my week off how I would prefer-with Monday off! I plan to once again pour through our cook books in hopes of finding new recipes for the week with ingredients that I can pronounce and directions to follow that don't cause me more stress than my day job. Nicole vs. Cooking Round 2. Winner announced next weekend.

To Cook Or Not To Cook......

One of my goals for 2010 was to expand upon my 3 staple recipes that I've come to know (and cook often) and go outside my comfort zone and try and to find some peace in the kitchen. One week into 2010 and I already feel defeated. Last Sunday Joe and I sat down with our new cookbooks to find some new recipes for the week. Once the recipes were chosen, off to the grocery store we went together (such a bonding experience :-) When Monday rolled around I felt good knowing that at the end of the day I would not have to face the question of "What's for dinner" as we already had the answer. I had found what I thought to be this easy pasta dish from Rachel Ray- she makes it look to so easy on TV right? How hard could it be? Well it turned out to be hard enough that I had to call Joe in for backup at one point as I didn't have enough hands to control all my burners. Lesson #1 of the week- Pasta does not equal a "simple" dinner. Round two came Tuesday night. I found what sounded like a great tasting Chicken Kung Pao recipe in one of my magazines. This was the second night in a row where I had all the burners covered but felt much more in control of the situation. That was until I added corn starch to my simmering sauce and instead of a thickening effect to the mixture, I was just left with chunks. Lesson #2- one must add a little water to corn starch before adding it to mixture. The second attempt was a success and the results were quite tasty. Round three just put things over the edge Wednesday night. Another Rachel Ray recipe- Asian inspired chicken burgers with a side of pasta. I was on the phone when Joe started reading over the recipe-that was when the moaning started and the question of "Did you even read this recipe?" I responded with a "sort off" as the picture looked good. As he got the ingredients out, he asked where the tomatoes were-I told him I'm not really a fan of green tomatoes and decided not to buy them. Next question came about where was this certain spice- Tamarin or something to that affect??? I told him since I couldn't pronounce that I didn't look for it-oops. Operation dinner #3 got underway and was only successful with Joe and I both cooking together. He commented on how it was as nice thing for us to do together (in our very tiny kitchen) and soon we were in the cooking groove only to be interrupted by little disagreements as to what "chopped ginger" really means- I still say it should have gone in the food processor as I was choking on chunks throughout the meal. By 8 o'clock that night we were finally able to sit down to dinner with what looked like a hurricane that had come through our kitchen. Lesson #3- Read the entire recipe over first and don't just get enticed by the pictures! Exhausted and defeated we're back on quick dinners this week that take little preparation or thought and have ingredients that we can pronounce. I need a week to get over my frustration with Rachel Ray and her smile in the kitchen and hope to get back on the cooking wagon again soon.

Settled In For 2010

After 12 hours of flights and airports, Joe and I made it back to Seattle and into our apartment with 45 minutes to spare before the new year. Due to the lovely snow that fell Wednesday night our travels were slightly disrupted but still tolerable for the holiday season. We had lots of entertainment on our flight from DC as we were seated about 4 rows up from the bathroom. About 2 hours into the flight the lines started forming and it was a great way to people watch. There were about 4 infant/toddlers on the plane and we watched as their moms carried them to the bathroom to change their diapers (and one diaper that we could smell from our seats!) and listened to their acapella cries as one started and another followed suit. At one time Joe and I just looked at each other and I knew that I was going to continue to lose the baby battle without saying a word.
After picking up our luggage, we tried out the new Light Rail train that now runs from the airport to downtown. The ride itself is easy and efficient but getting to the station was quite a long walk when you're pulling a 50.5 lb suitcase (I was over the limit (again!) but they still let me slide without paying an extra fee). We had about 8 stops before we got off and got to witness the drunk guy stumble on and stink up my breathing space and the group of teenagers in their puffy coats and gloves all prepared to stand at the Space Needle for the fireworks. There was also the group of 20 something girls done up and obviously heading to the bars. And there Joe and I sat- our clothes wrinkled, my makeup smudged with hair in a pony tail, waiting to get home and greet our cat. We really enjoyed our time with family and friends. It was a great way to wrap up 2009 and give me a boost for 2010.
We didn't plan too well for our arrival home and had absolutely no food in the house but we did have a very vocal greeting from Nala. She's quite the talker after she has been left alone for a few days-this trip was no exception. After watching the ball drop we headed to bed hungry and exhausted.
The past few days I've been able to get back on west coast time but unfortunately Joe has not had the same luxary as he got right back into work Friday night and has been going since. I've been enjoying my last few days of "freedom" and crossing off those last few things on my "to do" list. For now I'm just going to take a deep breath and see what 2010 brings. Happy New Year!