Big Day for Jamie & Scott!

Good morning! We're up early and the Sausage Cupcakes are in the oven... it's a big day for us. Scott has his Oral Prelim presentation - if he passes this he gets to start working on his dissertation and be Dr. Scott in 6 months! (I know he's going to do really well - no one is worried about the "if" part of that statement. Though I have to say the "gets to work on his dissertation" part really worries me!!!)

And me? I have an INTERVIEW this afternoon!!! It's pretty crazy actually, it's at NC State, and it's a few buildings down from where Scott will be doing his presentation ...and at the same time! I'm pumped, and feel ready to rock their socks. I'll have more details if it goes well, ok?

Then, we're meeting up for a Red Oak at a bar afterwards to decompress a little...and hopefully celebrate!

OH! And I got accepted to NC State for the Masters in Technical Communication yesterday! Woohoo!

Christmas-y Fun!

Today, Smarty and I decorated for Christmas! Wooohoo - it was fun! Only 30 days until Santa comes, Smarty made me take this picture... She's too excited.
Smarty also posed all on her own for this - for real!!!

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza...mmmmm!

Just made this one tonight, and looooved it :)

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

3/4 lb chicken tenders (uncooked)
1/2 cup Caesar dressing, plus 2 tbsp (I used Ken's Caesar Lite - it's really good)
1 store bought pizza crust (Pillsbury)
1 3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese

Salad Topping:
4 cups hearts of Romaine lettuce, shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c Caesar dressing
1/4 c shredded Parm
1 cup seasoned croutons
2 tomatoes, diced

Directions:
Combine uncooked chicken tenders with 1/2 cup salad dressing. Heat skillet and cook until no longer pink inside. Remove from heat and cut into bite sized pieces.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out Pillsbury crust and brush with 2 tbsp dressing. Bake for 5-7 mins.

When chicken is cooked and dough baked, spread cut up chicken evenly over crust. Spread Mozzarella and Parmesan over chicken and bake for 5 more minutes - until crust is beginning to brown.

While pizza is baking, combine all salad ingredients. When pizza is done cooking, top with salad and serve!

For storing leftovers, I suggest storing pizza and salad separately for easier reheating.

2 Dessert Recipes

I made two desserts yesterday that were a big hit at our family Thanksgiving!

These little balls of joy are so good! And besides being a big mess to make, they don't take very long and I highly recommend them if you're going to any holiday parties and/or like to receive compliments on stuff you make.

Oreo Truffles
(from Kraft.com)

1 pkg. (1 lb., 2 oz.) OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided (I used the red Christmas Oreos for a slightly "different" look, because they were on sale!)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

CRUSH 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.

Melt the chocolate and cool it in the fridge until the pot is cool to the touch. DIP balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator. Freezes well!

This recipe was also delicious and very labor intensive...but so worth it!

Pumpkin Roll

Roll Ingredients:
2/3 cup pumpkin
3/4 -1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
Filling Ingredients:
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp Butter (softened)
1 cup10x sugar

Directions:
Grease jelly roll pan well. Mix all of Roll ingredients and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove immediately onto a dishcloth*, roll up and cool for 1 hour in the fridge. (If you mess up one end, start rolling with that end.) After cooled, unroll and spread the filling evenly across the roll. Roll it back up. Keep refrigerated in plastic wrap, and when ready to serve, cut crosswise.

*I think next time I'm going to use either wax paper or something non-stick, because the roll got kind of mutilated and stuck to the dishcloth a lot. The end product still tasted amazing and wasn't TERRIBLE to look at, but I think next time I'll know better what to do :)

Turkey Trot - Done!

I survived the 8K - and finished in 49:20 (just under 50 mins, which was my goal...)! It was a lot harder than the 5k, by the way. Scott was a good sport and came along to support me and take pics!

But today (so far) is absolutely gorgeous - 70 degrees and windy! We're getting ready to go fry up a turkey at my parents' house in a little. It'll be nice and laid back, but if we could be two places at once, we would most certainly do so because it's hard not to be in PA with the rest of our family and friends! Miss you guys!

The Hair is Gone!

I chopped my hair last night and donated it to Locks of Love!! (Well, I didn't donate it yet, it's in a bag in our desk drawer, is that gross?) It is shockingly short, but I like it!!

The Confessions of Max Tivoli

Loved.It. This was a phenomenal book, one that I can't stop thinking about! It's told out of order chronologically so it's one of those where you keep thinking about. It's a bizarre concept and I hope this doesn't put anyone off, but it's about a man who physically ages backwards. He was born as an old man and over his lifetime gets younger in his appearance. But mentally he gets older... it's weird, but it's very interesting to think about, the challenges he faced and obstacles to finding true love. Just like the Time Traveler's Wife, it's a very weird concept, but it's grounded in good storytelling and real characters so it works.

Here's a preview on Google Books (just discovered this site - pretty cool...)

The central line that starts out the book is: "We were each the love of someone's life..." and I heard that click into place on the last pages. What a well written book, it was quite nice to read. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. Thanks again to Rob (woot woot shout out) for letting me borrow it!

My Sweet Present from Scott

I got a Nike + running system for my birthday from my wonderful husband! Special shoes you put a chip in that talk to your ipod and tell you how far and fast you run! I'm so excited... even though the race I'm doing next week doesn't let you use headphones.

Also, a cute pic of Smarty & Scott :) This is how she's been sitting on the couch lately, and we find it completely hilarious. Scott usually doesn't sit like that though.

Naked - David Sedaris

So, first off, this author is hilariously funny. He is a really witty writer in that he'll just be chugging along about regular stuff and BAM hit you with something that makes you laugh out loud. He's truly gifted, and I wish I could be friends w/ him. He grew up in Raliegh, so I'm holding out hope.

Here's a fun quote for my Nittany Lion friends and fam:

I was beside the pool when a black man, speaking to Dusty, mentioned he had two sons at Penn State.
'That's tough,' Dusty said. 'I've got a nephew in prison myself and I know what you're going through. When are your boys getting out?'

He pretty much creates the most elaborate and outrageous characters and does it in a way you can totally picture. The name of the book comes from the last chapter which is about his vacation at a nudist trailer park (they don't call it a colony because it is too "spooky").

I really appreciate his style. Not sure what I'm reading next...but I hope it's good too!

Run, Jamie, Run!

So, I'm all set for my Thanksgiving morning 8K Turkey Trot here in Raleigh! It's coming quickly, and I'm up to 4.5 miles, so I think I'll be able to hoof it that last .45 miles. I was thinking it might be cold for it, but it's almost 70 degrees today, so I guess you just never know w/ NC. I've been training for almost 8 weeks now, and I'm really proud of myself for sticking with it. It's becoming a big release for me - though I don't know if I'm a crazy runner yet. If you see me running at noon on a sweltering July day, you have my permission to hit me!!

This is me at the Autism Ribbon 5K Run in October - I finished in 28:20:

Scott's Roasted Broccoli

So, I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of this recipe, but Scott goes nuts for it and it came highly recommended, so I think I'm the oddball here. I guess you'll just have to try it for yourself...

Chili Roasted Broccoli

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it
5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended:Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick Grill Mates)
1 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili powder and grill seasoning in the bottom of a large bowl and add the broccoli spears. Toss to coat broccoli evenly then transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Roast the broccoli until ends are crisp and brown and stalks are tender, 17 to 20 minutes.

A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby

Book Review! Now, don't get worried bc it's about people jumping off of building and my last post was about me losing my job or whatevs. I'm cool ;)

So, this book was pretty interesting... it started with 4 people meeting on New Year's Eve on the top of a building that they all intended to jump off of. But they end up NOT jumping (taking the "Long Way Down" aka, the steps) and figuring out how to want to live and not want to die, etc. It was pretty well written - def not the best ever or anything. The ending was very good and made it worth it. I think w/ a premis like this it'd be easy to be predictable, and for the most part, it's not.

Should I do a star rating system? Ok, out of 5 stars, it gets 3 1/2.

I already started reading "Naked" by David Sedaris so I promise there'll be a good rec up next (thanks for letting me borrow it, Rob!)

Update on Jamie's Job

Michael Scott: I don't know about you, Jan, but downsizing is a bitch! It is a real bitch!

So, I promised updates, right? Well here's what I get for saying we had a changeless life!

I've been laid off... which sucks. Corporate Downsizing...

I have been through pretty much all the stages and arrived at acceptance. I have my job until Dec 31, and that's plenty of time to find something else. I can handle this - I certainly didn't lose my dream job. And I have a good 2 months to get it together and find another one. It's a blessing in disguise, no doubt, but it also sucks.

Don't cry for me, cyberspace. I'll be okay...

I have to go feed Smarty now - she does this thing when it's time to feed her and we haven't yet that she knows annoys me. She chews up whatever papers are on the kitchen table, and it just so happens, she's destroying my Severance Letter. Gotta go!

Sausage Cupcakes

Now, in our house, this is what we call the Sausage Egg biscuit things... but you have to understand that Scott seems to think his mission is to name everything that I make into something that makes sense to him. In this case, Sausage Cupcakes fits the bill - don't ask me why. There's no icing, it's not cake-y in any way...

I usually make these at least once a weekend because they're so delicious! Kathy Morris hooked me on the recipe!! :)



Sausage Cupcakes
1 12 oz can Pillsbury/Hungry Jack biscuits (flaky buttermilk biscuits.)
4 eggs, beaten
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 oz turkey sausage, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 oz (2/3 cup) finely shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Spray 10 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray
2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place one biscuit in each sprayed cup - firmly press in holes and up sides.
3. Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add eggs, cook until almost set but still moist. Stir in sausage bits and remove from heat. Divide edd mixture into 10 biscuit cups. Top with 1 tablespoon of cheese per "cupcake".
4. Bake at 400 for 11 to 13 min or until edges are light brown.

"Beef" Macoroni & Cheese

This is a yummy recipe and we've made a few substitutions to make it pretty healthy too! :)

1/2 of a 1lb box of elbow macoroni (whole wheat for healthy version)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped green bell pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef (we used 7% ground turkey)
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 grated cheddar cheese (we used 2% cheese.)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macoroni according to package and drain. Set aside. Heat oil in a skillet; add peppers, onion & garlic. Saute until soft. Add ground beef & saute until browned. Add tomatoes, salt & pepper, basil, cumin and oregano. In a large bowl, combine macoroni and beef mixture. Spread into a 13x9 baking dish. Top with cheese and bake for 20-25 min, or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

It makes a TON - but warms up very nicely.

Ba-rack My World!

My friend Makayla and I got tickets to see Barack Obama at NC Central in Durham tonight - we were just so excited because a candidate coming to North Carolina is beyond rare! It was a fabulous rally, and we were pretty up close too! He was a great speaker and got everyone sufficiently rallied up.

Maybe our next President!

Makayla and me!

I got to shake his hand!!!! :)