Organized

 

 

One of my…let’s just say…issues is being organized.   Now I have drawers stuffed full of junk but there is always a semblance of organization at the core. 

To put it simply if not delicately – I know where my shit is.

99.9% of the time.

I’m not about to claim I have a perfect photographic memory but I do have one of sorts.   I read – rather quickly – and I don’t know how or why but if I need to go back and find something I can tell about where in the book it is – whether it’s on a left or right side of the book and whether it’s near the top or bottom of that page.

When the other members of this household ask me where something is – if I’ve seen it – I can tell them where to find it.

Having this guy makes life a little more complicated.   The boy goes through bottles like no one’s business and comes with more accessories than Barbie.

But God he’s cute.   Makes up for a lot.

Dave and I made a list yesterday and embarked on a mission.   We cleaned the Living Room and the Dining Room of clutter.  Finished the Guest Room (which we started MONTHS ago).    Then I cleaned out my pantry.   I had no idea what was in there and it made me ill every time I opened the door.   A place where I was supposed to store staples became a virtual black hole. 

This is not the first time I’ve done all this.   I just spent a good 20 minutes trying to find the last post of me organizing the cupboards (back when Dave and I were first dating) and then realized you probably don’t care about THESE pictures let alone a link to cabinets from 2 years ago.

 

I have two teenagers and a 10 year old here.   Ramen and Chef Boyardee are staples.

Baby formula on a shelf next to Diet Coke.   This says a lot about me as a person.

This corner of my kitchen was a nightmare.   I had about 9 bottles of various oils and vinegars cluttering up the space.  

And look at my shiny new backsplash!!!  (You have NO idea what it was like before).     Someday my kitchen will be completely redone.   For now this has made a world of difference.

Organizing stuff calms me down.  For me at the heart of it all - clutter = chaos.    Even though I am at times my own worst enemy in this regard.   I would gladly show you my newly organized closets – but not the horror show that is my armoire or my nightstand.

But for now – we’ve made a dent and it’s making me happy.

I don’t…

I don’t believe that my wedding is only 37 days away.

I don’t like traffic or driving in New Jersey. (This is not news).  Dave and I both had cars yesterday.  We met at a Costco in Clifton.  It was very romantic.   I tell Dave I am in bumper to bumper traffic.  He says he sailed right there and that it should clear up and I’ll be there in 5 min.

I called in 15 min later to say you better start shopping without me because I had moved only about 20 centimeters.

Moral of the story:  New Jersey hates me.

I don’t know why this guy in the McDonald’s on 42nd and Madison sits in the vestibule wearing a black SECURITY t-shirt.  He is not there all the time.   It is not a particularly crime ridden location (that I know of).   It’s not like it’s so hot and trendy you need a bouncer.  

I don’t know if there will ever be a time that I won’t want a burger for dinner.  At least last night Dave and I shared one.

After we shared a buffalo chicken quesadilla for an appetizer but you know.

I don’t know how we are all going to survive a 10+ hour (I think) drive to the Outer Banks (beginning tomorrow).  At least we are stopping near Baltimore on the way down!!

I don’t know what I want to eat for lunch.

I don’t know if my wedding dress will fit.  I am hopeful as I went to M yesterday and have not gained anything significant since the last time I saw her which was ages ago.

I don’t know why I don’t work out/walk more as I love that half hour all by my lonesome on the treadmill or walking by the water.

I don’t know how to end this post.  So I’m just going to. :)

I always do what my sister tells me to do

Jen asked me to update – so I am.  I will tell you what I did today.

I woke up – ate peanut butter on an English muffin.

I drove to NYC from NJ after whining to Dave about taking a different way than I am used to.

I got to my apartment – did 3 loads of laundry while working.

I ate a grilled goat cheese and balsamic onion jam sandwich with oven fries for lunch.

I love goat cheese.

I took a 3 mile walk along the East River.

I came home – talked to Jen – ran the dishwasher and then showered.

I need to look presentable as I’m off to an industry event at Bouley in the next half hour or so.

My apartment is a total mess – it looks like a homeless person is squatting here.

Ewww.  That doesn’t sound too good.  Mostly I think because I don’t like the word squat.

Jen doesn’t like the word moist – fyi.

You can now return to your regularly scheduled program.

Scarlett O’Hara Syndrome

Hi, I’m Krissy and I suffer from Scarlett O’Hara Syndrome.   I wear hoop dresses made out of curtains, super tight corsets and go around saying “Fiddle dee dee” when someone tells me to do something I don’t want to do.   I steal other people’s boyfriends and marry them immediately – including one that belonged to my sister.

Like Prissy – I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthing no babies and could not stomach working at a hospital in wartime.

It’s quite the affliction.

Actually Scarlett and I do have a lot in common - one thing in particular.  We both put off till tomorrow what we don’t want to deal with today.

I’ve been doing that for months now in regards to my weight loss and even at work.  I get things done and haven’t gone far off the tracks but it’s no way to live.  As much as I’m prone to do it – procrastinating completely stresses me out.

How do I procrastinate?  Let me count the ways.

1) My glasses from…2006 got too loose to wear about a year or so ago.   Instead of going to Lens Crafters and having them adjust them I wore some old pairs I had lying around.  After my mom and Jen both told me to never wear the gold wire rim Brooks Brothers pair out of the house again I settled on a different pair that I probably got in 2003 or 4.  When I had my eye exam last year they asked me to read the chart with my glasses.  Apparently that prescription is a little off because I couldn’t read the teeny tiny letters on the bottom.   I finally got new glasses yesterday – as well as getting the 2006 glasses tightened so I can wear them.  Now I will have 2 functional fashionable pairs.

I got a cute pair of tortoise shell Ray Bans with a bit of light blue on the inside.  The interior color is a light blue and the outside is a little lighter tortoise.  This is the closest I can find to what I bought.

I realllllllllllly wanted this pretty dark blue pair from Tory Burch but my newly fixed pair are red and I wanted something more neutral.  I also wanted something that said - “I wear GLASSES.”

Jen will know what I mean by that.

2) I went to the gym a few weeks ago and they stopped me on my way out and told me my membership expires on 2/22.  I couldn’t afford to pay for the renewal till this week so instead of just going and saying “Yeah I’ll catch you on the 15th” if they asked - I AVOIDED GOING ALTOGETHER.   Why?  Because I’m a scaredy cat who thinks that they somehow won’t let me use a treadmill till I pay up.  This morning I not only renewed – I ran – for 20 minutes straight – ending up with about 2.5 miles total.

3) My last haircut was before a wedding I went to in October.  I’ve keep up with the color but not the cut.  I am trying to grow my hair out but really?  When you wear ponytails for 4 weeks straight maybe that’s a sign you should get a haircut.   I finally took care of it at lunch today.  It took all of 40 minutes.

This morning I took a little extra time.  I straightened up and took out all the trash – including the recycling.   I filled the dishwasher and ran it.  I packed breakfast* and lunch for today AND tomorrow as I am going to be in the office and not working from home.   I got dressed in something besides jeans (a skirt even – with high boots!!)  and headed to the office like a real working person.

Sometimes it’s good to deal with tomorrow today. :)

* I opted in for an offer from MyBlogSpark,General Mills and Multigrain Cheerios.  More on that, how it ties into my Biggest Loser obsession and how you can win a prize pack in tomorrow’s post.

It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma

A day after I discuss Taco Bell’s mystery meat I bring you my lunch from today.

Yes.  That’s right.  I had a bologna and cheese sandwich.

I’ve always loved bologna (and cheese).  When I was little we used to have Oscar Meyer’s and Kraft Singles.  I graduated to Boar’s Head and Land O’ Lakes sometime during my elementary/middle school days.   In the last five years I’ve been brave enough to add mustard.  

When I brought a sandwich to school and realized my dad got a deal on another brand of bologna and tried to trick me I’d immediately come home and confront him.

God bless my poor father.   He made my lunch every day and I complained about it.

In my food writing class we had to talk about a first food memory.  Mine involved – oddly enough -  bologna.  I remember watching Sesame Street.  A little girl was eating something out of a tortilla.   We didn’t have tortillas in my house (more on that below) so I used a slice of bologna with a Kraft single shredded in the center and rolled it up to resemble something like a burrito. 

I still think this is the first meal I made by myself for myself.

Side story:  My mom has not stepped foot in a grocery store in years – and is still not allowed to go unaccompanied lest she purchase everything at full price.   One year she got Jen a quesadilla maker – one of those gadgets that you plug in – kind of like a Panini press.  Anyway she was concerned she needed to go to an “International Market” to buy tortillas so Jen could use it.

I do not know what an International Market is and let her know that they sell them at Waldbaums but rest assured with her as my guide I didn’t have anything resembling Mexican food until they opened a Cozymel’s on Long Island not so long ago.   When we go anywhere remotely Mexican my mom still will only eat fajitas –but doesn’t eat any salsa, guacamole or sour cream.

Me? I now love anything mole – guac or otherwise.

****

I went to the office today instead of working from home.  Today – when it snowed so much this morning my hair was sopping wet by the time I got to work.   I am going to NJ tonight when it’s supposed to start to snow again.   I make so very little sense.

I had DVR’d an episode of What Not To Wear and am very disturbed by the commercials for My Strange Addiction where one woman wears a furry mascot suit in public and another eats the foam out of her couch cushions.

Really?????  The furry thing I’ve heard about – it was on an episode of CSI once I think (and yeah it’s tres odd) but eating foam?  Why would you even start to do that?

This is my problem.  I admit it.  I love stupid reality TV.  Way too much.  I have Real Housewives as my Facebook friends.  I can watch those girls for hours.  Give me Snooki taking out her earrings to bash Angelina over the head.  I love it when Randy tells you “You did your thing” as Jenny from the block channels Paula. I will sit mesmerized as a trainer screams in your face causing you to eventually lose 100 pounds.  Please show me the many ways that women in evening gowns can fight over a guy for roses.  Let me watch how a bunch of chefs can make an appetizer using no utensils but please. Trust me when I say this.

I do not need to see you eating your couch.

I’m going waterskiing wearing a tiara

Back in the day my Uncle Tom had an extensive record collection.   One of those albums was the Beauty and the Beat by The Go-Go’s. 

I thought my Uncle Tom was pretty cool.   And I wanted to be Belinda Carlisle.

Though it's from a later album this video will explain where I am off to.

For the next few days I’ll be sitting by a beach and a pool and a swim up bar.   I’m going away with the girls and there’s the promise of a pretty spectacular dinner on Saturday evening and the potential for a number of good stories.

I tried on a dress last night to pack with me.  A dress that I wore all summer long and L-O-V-E-D.

It fits – it zips up and everything but it is not the super comfy dress of last summer.   I want to wear it again and love it.  I want to wear a lot of stuff and love it.

It’s time to stop talking about it and just do it already.

I couldn’t motivate myself to get to the gym this morning but I made myself do the stairs.  3 sets – 8 flights – 160-ish calories.

Speaking of stairs – this morning I got locked in a stairwell. 

Yeah you heard me.  I walked into my office – used my security pass to get into the building – took my usual route down the escalators to the stairs that bring me right near my desk.  I went to use my badge to get out of the stairwell.

No dice.

I walked back upstairs and tried there.

Nope.

Luckily I had my phone with me. I called* Patti who did not answer her phone.  I tried to think of who else to call.  I’m now sweating and panicking a little bit.  I mean eventually someone’s going to use the stairs right?  It’s a short cut for people on our floor.  Or do I call security?   Do I just start banging on the door and screaming? 

I took a deep breath and I then remembered that the lovely ladies who answer our phones sit right near the very stairwell.

So.  I called them.   And they let me in.

The end. :)

The whole thing lasted about 15 minutes but seriously – does this kind of thing happen to anyone else?   I think I have a special knack for this kind of predicament.

Tonight I am going for a yummy dinner at the place where Miranda told Big he shouldn’t get married in the first SATC movie.   I’m excited!!!  I’ve been there for an event but never for dinner.

Review to follow.  It’s time for me to get back to writing about food instead of eating so much my dresses don’t fit.

Until then….have a lovely.

PS: Speaking of (and indirectly speaking of Mr Big) something Jen and I noticed. Do any of you watch The Good Wife? They never say they call someone. They say "I phoned..." Is this a Chicago thing? I mean I know us New Yorkers say "I was on line" when we mean "I was standing in line" but this sounds so odd to me. Please advise.

Things: An update.

My niece Madeleine can read whole books on her own.  She’s five.  She’s brilliant.  She didn’t need that creepy Your Baby Can Read program that they sell via infomercials late night.

She takes after her aunt.  I read in Kindergarten too. :)

My niece Ellie is so funny I think she might grow up to be a stand up comedian.

And Cooper?  She’s just cute.

It’s virtually impossible to participate on conference calls when working from “home”.  You have to basically stay on mute lest barking dogs and people getting ready to go to work having conversations interrupt.

Not their fault – and it’s better than when my dad used to yell from the other room or pick up the phone in the middle of my calls.

I’d give anything to have my dad yell from the other room or pick up in the middle of my call. :(

Speaking of dads – think good thoughts for Dave’s dad.  He’s in the hospital and seems to be doing better but good thoughts never hurt.

Dave thinks he needs his own column.  I think he might be pushing it – but I also think this is a pretty cute picture (from a wedding we went to in October) even if I kind of hate my profile my hair looks kind of flat.

My dog ate the leftover turkey from my sandwich and promptly took a nap.

My mom was mad at Cablevision so she got Verizon FiOS and there are 3000 million channels. I put A Walk to Remember on in the background as I ate lunch and realized that I basically own the soundtrack (yes it’s 99.9% Mandy Moore – SHUT.UP.), and that I always had a bit of a crush on Shane West aka Eli Sammler from Once and Again.

I have pictures of Vermont, our Thanksgiving dinner, Giada’s Balsamic Wings that I made and Jen and I ate while watching the Giants yesterday (what the hell – I watch football now???).   I’ll post them soon but I’m going to drive to NJ tonight to help Dave clean science projects out of his fridge.  

And I’m going to use a GPS to guide me.

SO THERE.

I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving.   Let’s all agree that 2011 will be a much better year shall we?

Uh oh. Or-eee-o

I may or may not have had Sergio Valente jeans and may or may not (but totally did) wear them roller skating at the 2002 Roller Rink on Sunrise Highway.

But this is not a post about tight designer jeans and my ill spent youth.  This is about Oreo Truffles.

Mora and I made them before I was struck down with a virus so evil I only stopped eating bland food yesterday at lunch.

I sadly do not have pics of the finished product.   I KNOW.  Well.  They looked very much like the ones I made in this post.

Here’s a sneak peek into the process.

Lots of mashing of cookies.Lots of debate as to how many cookies can be eaten and still have enough for truffles. We compromised on 1 – split between Mora and me. Lots of melted chocolate chips.  And lots of help. These pics are all via my iPhone.   Look.  It’s Hipstimatic Mora – in a pic that looks like it could have been shot back when I used to roller skate in Sergios. I have more to report – including a dinner that included these.

My ancestors are literally rolling in their graves knowing I ingested boxed potatoes but I will report I didn’t hate them.  I got two boxes to try from the Pssst program.   I gave them to Dave because he is pro boxed potato products.

I don’t care if it’s a total PITA.  I’ll peel pounds of potatoes any day over mixing them from a box.

It might be sticking point in our relationship.

I’m off to DC for the weekend to see my first EVER college football game and my first ever tailgating.  I was going to bring brownies but I burnt the bottom.

Still I am sure there will be more fun to report when I get back.

By the way I have some serious questions for you re: the blog that I will pose on Monday.  In advance I want to let you know that feedback will be greatly appreciated.   It’s nothing earthshattering or major.   Trust me I’m not on the verge of any exciting blog prospects.  Just trying to get this to be a place where I stop slacking and start using it more effectively based on things I want to do with my life.

And on that cryptic note – have a wonderful weekend!!

Stay healthy.  This getting sick thing is totally for the birds.

Fairytales

Things are crazy here in Krissyville.  Work, which was blessedly drama free for a while, now makes General Hospital look like high comedy.   I’m fairly confident things will work out but it’s stress I don’t really need.

Seriously 2010.  You can suck it.   I don’t know what else you want from me.

I’m trying my best to stay on track.  I’m on week 3 of the C25k.  This means I am running for 3 minutes at a time.

I’ve not run for 3 minutes in a really, really long time.   It actually felt pretty good.  We’ll see if I’m still singing that tune tomorrow.

Tomorrow I am going to an event at the convention center.  I’m going to walk there as the weather is back in the 70s here.  Just as I dragged a bin full of turtleneck sweaters into NYC.

It’s Halloween this weekend.  I am heading to NJ on Thursday for trivia and coming back on Friday for the weekend.  I will bring my witches hat I think.  There is a rumor of a haunted hay ride on Saturday.

I don’t want to go.

Let me tell you a story.  Picture it…1984.   If you are too young to picture it keep it to yourself.  :)  

Once upon a time my family went on vacation to Orlando, FL.  We had tons of fun in Disney. Jen was 4.  She stayed with my dad while my mom took Matt and me to the Hollywood Wax Museum.  They had a screen test for commercials.  I, having missed my chance to star in Annie on Broadway, was convinced this was my moment.   We went on a tour first and there was a whole horror section that I refused to go through.  Some jerk who worked there who insisted there was no other way so I ran straight through with my eyes closed.

Then we found out the screen test that was my sole reason for wanting to go to this crappy museum was cancelled because my mom, Matt and me were the only 3 people in the entire place.  My mother sprang into action and argued with the kid at the ticket counter.  

We got our money back.

And then our rental car would not start and we were afraid to go back and ask them to use the phone to call my dad – who couldn’t help much anyway since he was stuck at a hotel with no car and a 4 year old.

And as a result I was never discovered and never became an Academy Award Winner.

Thus ends my sad tale of woe.

There’s also a story about Jen going on Space Mountain at 4 years old but I’ll save that for another time.

In other news, this weekend I went to a wedding.  It was lovely, the food was yummy and I had a date who spent a lot of time staging my food shots.

I seriously have created a monster. ;)  I mean look, he sat there arranging until he got the favor and a rose in this shot. 

   The centerpieces were really beautiful.  I forgot my camera so all pics are taken with my iPhone.  I sat in front of a bowl of caramelized onion foccacia.   I hated it as you might guess.The salad was roasted beets with arugula.  I really liked it.  I’m now a fan of beets as long as you roast them and they don’t come out of a can.Dave and I both had the snapper as an entree.  He declared it “the best snapper he ever had.”  Kudos to Todd English and the W Union Square.They served little sweet treats with the wedding cake which was made by the Cake Boss in Hoboken.  You know how those cakes all look beautiful but you are afraid they don’t taste good?  This one tasted fantastic.

Sorry.  No cake picture. :(

The other day I made a pasta dish with turkey.  I know.  Weird.  I had leftover steamed broccoli and a teriyaki turkey breast.  I chopped it up with some leftover caramelized onions and shallots and tossed it with pappardelle.

Oh.  And some cavatappi too.  I was using up the dregs of my pasta supply.

I added some butter and parmesan.  Twas yummy.

Yesterday, after clearing off my couch (finally!) I made dinner for Dave and me.   The spinach in my fridge had seen better days so I made a little tomato and mozzarella salad.

That’s fresh basil from the plant on my windowsill that I haven’t killed yet.   Go me!

I baked pork chops coated in cornmeal, made potatoes and onions and roasted some asparagus.

Today for lunch I made a mini Boboli with yellow bell peppers and ricotta.   I ate half.

I had to print something out so I headed to Fedex Kinkos whatever it is called.  For $2.05 I got on the computer and used their printer.  Cheaper than a subway ride to my office.  I ran to Barnes & Noble to get a book.  I had a $25.00 gift card from work.

First, The Hunger Games.

Jen and my mom have read all 3 books in the series and loved them.  I’m excited to start it.

Second – due to the promos for Tangled (which I am not ashamed to say I want to see) and the fact that there will be multiple fairytale characters roaming around on Sunday I got this book.

Sidenote: Dave and I went to Ricky’s the other night to buy Mora’s costume.  In addition to having children’s costumes they also have aisles marked “Pimps” and “Hos”.

Really Ricky’s???

I’m intrigued and a bit worried because the foreword is by Gregory Maguire who wrote Wicked.  And I HATED Wicked.  I never even finished it.  I can count on one hand the books I’ve given up on.

I adored the musical however. 

I thought the title was appropriate for this time of year.

Even if I am refusing to go on a haunted hay ride with my boyfriend and his kids.

I would, however, consent to watching The Shining with the lights off.

I am a bundle of contradictions.

Reason number 242 why I gained almost 20 lbs.

I have loads and loads of pictures from the last month. It's been quite a blur with good things colliding with very, very bad things. It's weird. You know that you will, but losing someone you love makes you feel like you shouldn't care about or be happy about anything ever again.

It's like what happened on 9/11. By the time I got home (3 airports and 3 flights and 3 days later than scheduled and I know I was lucky to get home that quick!!) I was pretty numb. I couldn't fathom how life would go on.

But it does and it shall.

I still feel kind of unsure/guilty/strange about it all though. I don't think it's going to go away anytime soon either. :(

My dad went to the hospital the morning of my birthday. We were all concerned but in no way expecting that he would never come home. (Bad) I went for a mediocre massage (Bad) and then had a fabulous dinner with a fabulous guy. (Good)

Per my request Dave took me to Minetta Tavern.

Thank God for food blogging. I'd never remember what I eat otherwise!

We started with Lobster Bruschetta.


and there was yummy crunchy bread and an overpriced bottle of wine. :)



I had the Black Label Burger. One of my obsessions is caramelized onions. This burger was melt in your mouth fantastic. Seasoned and cooked perfectly I enjoyed half of it and saved the rest of the next day. Delish.



Dave had a steak but I bet he was jealous of my burger.


There was also a leisurely walk towards home, a trip to L'Express for warm chocolate cake and Bailey's on the rocks, and multiple thoughtful, extravagant and practical presents.

It was a good night.

The next morning Dave took me to breakfast at Jen and Whitney Port's favorite diner.

Dave had an omlette.



I had an egg sandwich.



and hash browns.



Quick poll. Would you eat a quiche for breakfast? Do you think if you put an egg mixture in a pie crust it makes it quiche?

The state of my relationship may depend on your answer. :)

Say Goodnight, Gracie

Something you may not know.  My dad had a quite a few nicknames for me.  When I dressed a little too flashy I was called - Esmeralda.  When I bought out Bath & Body Works and decided to take my haul in my checked luggage on vacation, Ruthie Potions.   When I was a bit scatterbrained I was Gracie.

I guess I still am – but anyway.

So this weekend I made two dishes.  One that almost sent me to the ER…but you already heard about that.  The other was a pie I’m told was creamy and delicious.

The pie looked pretty too.  It had a lime slice garnish and crushed pretzels around the edge.

And I forgot to take a picture.

Same goes with the chili.  It was in a huge pot in my fridge all weekend.  Some tall guy ate a bunch of it and took some home.

And I didn’t take a picture of the finished product.

I’m going VERY easy on myself these days.  I feel beat up enough.  No need to do it to myself right?

Anyway – I DID take some pretty pics of the process of making both dishes and I thought maybe you’d like to see them.

The pie was pretty easy to make.  I didn’t have Cointreau so I used fresh orange juice/zest.  I also used this bottle of tequila I actually bought in Mexico.

Not the whole bottle.  Just two tablespoons full.

 

You basically take the can of milk. 1/2 cup lime juice, a few tablespoons of orange as well as the tequila, the zest of 2 limes and stir it together.  You fold that into fresh whipped cream.  I used a premade graham cracker crust with some crushed honey wheat pretzels layered on the bottom and then around the perimeter of the finished pie.

Freeze it overnight and then thaw out for about 15 minutes, garnish and serve.

The chili was made with turkey – not beef and was pretty spicy.  A little too spicy for me if I’m being honest.

That beer has been in my fridge for….a really long time.  But it worked fine in the chili.

This weekend was really nice.  I went to Zumba on Saturday morning.  Dave met me soon after.  We went and watched the Penn State game with Diane.  Then we all went to Maddy’s Margarita party.   I felt off most of the day – my allergies were out of control – so I actually behaved myself.

Dave drank enough for me anyway. ;)

Sunday Dave helped me to understand how my windows worked and helped me clean them.  I tried to make up for lost time by having a delicious sandwich and 3 screwdrivers for brunch.  Dave and I walked around quite a bit and went to the Apple store, he ate almost all my chili and I had noodles and butter for dinner and went to sleep.

Tonight Patti and I are going to see how Gordon Gekko has held up all these years.

Greed…is good.

Is it just me or does he sound very Andrew Shepherd-esque in that clip?

What is it with my Aaron Sorkin/Presidential obsession??

Hope you all had a nice weekend yourselves.

See you later!