A Reason to Celebrate

Sorry for the delay in posting. I have much on which to catch you up, including my recent trip with MTK to Montreal.

However, with the 4th of July right around the corner, it's got me thinking about how we celebrate the festivities.

Growing up, it was a family affair. We'd get together, grill and then head to the town park to catch the fireworks. Even though they were nowhere near me, I feared for my life that they'd catch me on fire (long story).

Yet, since going to college, the celebrations have changed....

Summer at the Cush:

It was my first summer interning, and we had to work July 4th. Why anyone would want to start a summer camp on that day is beyond me, but I digress. Phone service was none existent in the haunted house at which I was staying, and so I would drive up to the hockey rink to make phone calls. It was getting late, and as the students were rounded up into their dorms, I could see fireworks exploding over the hills a few towns away. Not exactly how I envisioned spending the evening, but it was a welcome surprise.

Boston-based:

Last year, I was fortunate to have two very good friends (BEL, JI - I am talking about you) in town. After spending that day on the lovely North Shore, getting the most uneven sunburn imagineble, we met for dinner and heading to the bridge to watch the fireworks. Amazing. I swore that this year we'd get a boat and spend the day on the Charles but that never came to fruition.

Me and my Musicman:

MTK is a bass player. A pretty good one, too. It's almost become tradition for he and the boys to gather in Marblehead every year to watch the fireworks and have a massive cookout/volleyball-filled day. I can't complain. The food is good, and the fireworks are really pretty. However, last year, I think the boys were feeling a little third-life crisis and decided to play at the concert in the park. It was really cute, and the music was amazing. Although, I guess I should have spent a little more time applying sunscreen, because the lobster-leg look I rocked for the following few weeks just wasn't pretty.

Moving

Have you ever noticed how exhausting moving can make you?

Recently, my offices have moved. Granted, it was just across the street, but the last week and a half have been hellish. However, I now believe I am ready for a new line of work - general contracting. Seriously, between hiring plumbers and electricians and identifying "scrappers" (the people who come pick up scrap metal), I've had quite the crash course in building management.

Needless to say, I'm a bit off my game. Apologies for the delayed blogs. Should be back to normal soon.

Cooking with Quinoa

A friend at work (AO, this would be you) had mentioned this delicious idea to me a long time ago. Naturally, I bought a box of it, but didn't actually attempt cooking with it for quite some time...at least not until I found this recipe at Real Simple.

Uncooked, quinoa looks like these really small kernels. However, boil them in some water and these little morsels turn into plump little bites of deliciousness. And so, as the quinoa cooked, I chopped up some mushrooms and sweet potatoes.

Add the sweet potatoes and the mushrooms to a pan with some oil, allowing them to cook over low heat. This will help to soften up the sweet potato, while keeping the mushrooms from getting too mushy.

I then added some cut up kale to the mix, however I think I added it too early as it got a little burnt. (Note to self: throw in the kale a little bit later in the cooking process.)

The meal itself turned out quite well. It was filling, delicious and rather healthy, too. A definite addition to the cookbook.