Ingrid Michaelson and PB Chocolate Cake!

Last weekend was Laney's 26th birthday and we just packed it in all weekend. Saturday night we went to see Ingrid Michaelson at this really cool venue in Baltimore. She is SUCH a good performer, it was so dang fun. It was a smaller club so anywhere you were it felt like you were close to the front - Ingrid put on an AMAZING show. She and her band switched instruments in the middle of one song, she took someone's flip camera from the audience and sang to it, and at the end they played a Brittany Spears song and did a dance to it, it was hilarious. Matt Kearny opened for her...also a great performer. Can you please look at Laney's face in this picture...oh my word, are you kidding!? Thanks to Laney a few of us were rockin the "smokey eyes." And whats a birthday without some nice shake face/blow face pics?2nd only to Ingrid was the peanut butter and chocolate cake I made for her party. Oh my gosh, how do I put it in words...sinfully good, literally.

Delicious Food

Since moving out to DC I have fallen in love with cooking. I LOVE IT, its so fun. Right after Labor day, 2009 my roommates and I decided to do a cleanse where we would only eat natural foods, pretty much entirely raw with no processed foods or added sugar - with a big emphasis on vegetables. We each take a night to cook dinner and we double everything so we all have lunch the next day. We've pretty much kept it up these past 6 months and its seriously been amazing! We've all felt better, slept better, etc. One of my roommates lost 30 pounds, another one 11 pounds. Honestly, I've never been this healthy (eating-wise) and have never felt so great physically. Tonight I made herbed chicken with broccoli and this amazing couscous dish that I thought I'd share the recipe for. It was absolutely delicious, here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (may substitute water)
• 2 TBL plus 1 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup quick-cooking whole-wheat couscous
• 1 medium onion
• 2 small zucchini
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• 15 ounces canned chickpeas
• About 15 grape tomatoes
• Leaves from 1 small bunch mint, plus leaves from 4-6 stems flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups of the broth, 1 tsp of the oil and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the couscous and stir to moisten. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 7 minutes (or longer) while you prepare the vegetables.
• Finely chop the onion, trim the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thin slices to yield about 2 3/4 cups. Mince the garlic to yield about 2 teaspoons. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Cut the grape tomatoes in half to yield 1 cup. Finely chop the mint and flat-leaf parsley to yield about 3/4 cup.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and oregano; cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened.
• Add the chickpeas, succhini, the remaining 1/4 cup broth, the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for 5-7 minutes or until the zuddhini is tender. Remove from the heat, then add the tomatoes, mint and parsley, tossing to incorporate. Add to couscous and enjoy!
  

We're keeping a cookbook of all the super healthy, loaded with vegetable meals that we make so let me know if you need good recipes. Yay for health!

Olivia Fife

Last week was a very difficult week for my family, especially my brother Doug and his wife Heather. Sadly, one week before her due date, they lost their baby girl due to a knot in the umbilical chord. They hurt, but are doing ok. Please include them in your prayers.

What I've Been Up To

My good friend Randi was thoroughly disappointed with my last post, so this one is for you Ran-dog.

Here are highlights of the past few weeks. Christmas in DC is AMAZING!

1. Enjoyed Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with most of my siblings. Made my Grandma Callister's orange rolls and ate 9 of them!2. Enjoyed Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral. It was absolutely gorgeous.
3. Saw Jersey Boys with some good friends. The music was sooo good.4. Saw 'A Christmas Carol' at Fords theater.5. Saw the New York City Ballet Company perform.6. Survived the east coast blizzard right before Christmas.7. Had an amazing time in Merced for Christmas. The highlights include In & Out twice, La Morenitas, snowboarding on Christmas day, the Callister cousin party, and meeting some significant others of two of my best friends.8. Went to Vegas for 4 days and hung with the fam. We saw a magic show down on the strip and also got to spend a lot of time with my grandma, who I love and admire so much.9. Went to San Diego for new years! It was so fun hanging with my cousins and meeting my brother Dan's LA crew.10. Came back to 22 degree weather! Awesome.

Happy 2010!

SYTYCD Finale!

I am SO excited for the finale, its been a great season! And my Mormon claim to fame is that I know Ashleigh Di Lello, who is in the top 6. Boo ya.

One Year In Retrospect!

I can't believe its already been a year since I moved out to the East Coast, time absolutely flies! I've been doing a lot of thinking about where I am in my life and what the past year has meant to me, lessons learned, good experiences, etc. so I'll share my thoughts with you.

Laney and I decided to celebrate our one year out with food. If you haven't eaten at the Melting Pot, a super fun fondue restaurant, you must do it.

These are the highlights/happenings of the past year, in no particular order:
Lived, (love my roommates)

Laughed

Loved
Learned, a TON
Cried
1 year of full time employment!
Heard Obama sworn in, went to an innaugural ball!

Visited new places (North Carolina, Philadelphia, Chicago, West Virginia, Portland, Palmyra, Seattle, Disney world)

NYC 3 times!

Visitors (Julie, Doug and family)

Saw Duke University and Wake Forest

Reminisced with mission friends, President Watson visit
Experienced the Mormon phenomena of Duck Beach...and all that entails

Played LOTS of sports
Attended LOTS of sports games

Saw some amazing concerts
Became exremely patriotic, experienced 4th of July in our nation's capital!

Made lots of great friends
Fell in love with cooking
Fell in love with reading (love my book clubs)
Took a photography class, fell in love with that too (this is one of my favorite pics I took)

Did 2 ragnars

New church callings
Went to British Columbia

Enjoyed my parents' mission letters

Went to tons of embassies

Had amazing missionary experiences
Attended the temple regularly

Learned to live on a budget
Perfected my Wii skills
Attended many art festivals
Outdoor movies, outdoor concerts
White House tour
Midnight movies :)

Bought my first car!

In retrospect, its been an absolutely amazing year. I've learned a ton, strengthened my testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, spent time with family and friends, set and reached goals, developed talents, and much more. Life is so dang fun! I'm excited for another year out in DC. I love you all, really, if you're the ones reading my blog, I love you!

Theme Party!!

Last weekend some friends and I went to a lake house in Central Virginia and had way too much fun. Here's the palace:

Swimming, slip n' slide, movies, card games, and badminton were among the activities, along with a 1930's gangster party. If you don't know this about me, if you get me in a costume I, for whatever reason, completely let loose (gals...Lady Marmalade...need I say more). Here's some pictures from the swingin' party, it really was so much fun.

The crew:

The dames:Some of the most common phrases used were: "The paper boy seems to be delivering a little more than the news....if you know what I mean," "Do I ever," "Hey tuts" "That debt I owe Big Fish Johnny." "Mary Jane heard some rumors about you...and they ain't good, if you know what I mean." I think the highlight may have been Laney's wig!!

Bottom line is, Mary McMullen knows how to do it right.