St. Louis Date: Kayak's Coffee

My wonderful hubby decided that tonight we needed a break from the piles of boxes and mess that our apartment has become in anticipation of our move. He swung by Little Caesar's and picked up pizza for a picnic in this gorgeous weather. Then, we spontaneously decided to head downtown to Kayak's Coffee for the first time. 

When it comes to coffee shops, I never know what to expect. I might be a bit picky when it comes to coffee. One fatal flaw in my trying new coffee shops is that - for the most part - I don't like their coffee.  In fact, I don't like Starbucks' coffee at all; I go for Vanilla Hazelnut Steamers (which are delicious!). Since Kayak's came highly recommended by a friend, we decided to try it out. 

After locating some parking about a block down the road, K and I walked down Skinker Blvd to Kayak's, and I was instantly pleased by the atmosphere. Somewhat surrounded by Washington University, the coffee shop was a breath of fresh air. I have gotten so used to coffee shop atmospheres being contemporary and chic, and Kayak's was pleasantly different. The whole place was reminiscent of a rustic ski lodge: snowboards converted into light fixtures, stone pillars accented with dark wood and wrought iron accents, "Kayak's by Kaldi's Coffee" in large metal lettering on the back wall, and the large open windows facing outdoor seating and the street beyond. It was a fresh approach to the coffee house concept, and I was immediately impressed.

K and I ordered the same: a vanilla latte with a blueberry scone. I played it safe for my first visit, but the fresh mint toddy (iced coffee drink) was tempting. The scone was delicious, but not your typical Irish scone (with which I am much more familiar). The blueberry scone was dense and not as buttery or sweet as you might expect. K thought it was more like a combination of textures from a scone and a cookie - still delicious. The scones came in glazed and unglazed varieties: we tried both, and we were both pleased.

For those that don't know me, I like my coffee bold, smooth and sweet. For me to have unsweetened coffee is very rare and often unwillingly. My 8oz vanilla latte was served in a little black mug with a frothy design on top. K's 16oz was served in a to-go cup since they have no larger mugs. The first sip was bitter, strong, and smooth - the foamy layer wasn't at all sweetened. I was delighted at the smooth taste of the coffee beneath though. K's somehow ended up much sweeter than mine, but for once in my life, I didn't care. I actually didn't miss the sugar at all - and that is saying a LOT! I was happy to discover that Kaldi's coffee is smooth and flavorful without the need to douse the cup in a mound of sugar per usual. I was blown away. 

K and I plan to go back soon. We agreed that it's our new "normal hours" coffee shop (as we have a favorite 24-hour place that sometimes gets midnight visits). I will also be adding Kaldi's coffee to my pantry - using less sugar is always a good thing!

Navigating a Sea of Useless Information

One part of knowledge consists in being ignorant of 

such things as are not worthy to be known. 

- Crates

Sherlock Holmes famously spouted, "It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock to be a brilliant tactician, and he provided a definition for "useless facts:" 

     "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands on it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it - there comes a time for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones" (A Study in Scarlet, Ch. 2: The Science of Deduction). 

It amazes me how much useless information we, as first world citizens, crowd into our minds. Media infiltrates our senses constantly, bombarding us with soap opera lifestyles as we hop from one scenario to another. We memorize the names, faces, filmographies of celebrities; we learn to use the coolest gadgets and keep up with the latest catch phrases - all of which will change, maybe tomorrow. 

When was the last time you took the effort to learn something that is useful to the world? Obviously those training for a career or still in school are learning useful information - but are you applying it?

In some circumstances, we have mislabeled our knowledge banks. I have heard students grumble that they "will never use algebra." That may be true for some; personally, I hated algebra, but because I learned the basics, I can make an accurate budget. I can build something to scale or half a recipe based on those principles.

As a culture, we scorn these basic skills; meanwhile, we are filling our minds with entertainment - who's who on the latest TV shows, what movies are coming out in five years, the latest gossip around Hollywood.

Isn't it time we took a step toward something more lasting? How do we do that?

1. Set your priorities. The key to having useful information in your "brain-attic" is to know what information will be helpful and valuable to you. Sure, Hollywood can be your priority - just remember the information you store affects how you perceive and impact the world around you. Everyone has to accommodate their lifestyle with what they deem useful. I do not find it useful to know how to assemble a clock - sure, it would be neat to learn, but it would not enhance my lifestyle at all. Knowing that clocks are built to move at a certain speed will help me to tell time, but that's about it. Learning about cooking chemistry might improve my lifestyle since I cook just about every day. For someone else, simply knowing that pasta needs to be boiled is sufficient. 

2. Invest in self-education. I don't necessarily mean go back to school - though for some considering some serious life changes, that may be a good step. Simply taking time (not even a lot) to invest in learning a skill that you have always wanted to learn. Learn to bake/decorate cakes if you feel that would be a useful skill to have. Take a class on kick boxing or self-defense. Enjoy a class in a foreign language if that is your choice. Add something to the person you are that doesn't come prepackaged for spoon-feeding convenience.

3. DO SOMETHING. Don't rely on the media to hand you accurate information. We all know the news should be taken with a grain of salt, but what I mean is this: don't let people tell you what's going on in the world - go be part of it; find out for yourself! So you've learned a new skill, and you aren't sure what to do with it. If nothing else, teach it to somebody else! Refine your skills; test them in real-world situations. If you took baking, make a couple of cakes and earn some extra money on the side. 

4. Don't lose valuable skills. Skills you learned and forgot will not help you as much as the skills you practice on a daily basis. A fundamental knowledge is still there, and no one has time to learn/maintain everything. If you don't need to use Spanish every day, you will eventually lose the ability to speak fluently in Spanish. You still have a fundamental knowledge, however, and it can still help you. Practice the skills you find most valuable. Hold on to the things that are most dear to you, most valuable to your lifestyle.

Walking A Cat

Have you ever tried to walk a cat? Yes, I mean on a leash. It is quite an experience, and every cat owner should attempt it. Training my tuxedo fur ball as a kitten would have been much more successful, but at age 3 it has been a great, amusing challenge.

Step One: The Harness

Putting a harness on a cat that refuses to even wear a collar is a true adventure. Sinatra, at 12 pounds, is very fond of his freedom, albeit very trusting. He crawled up on my lap after I had displayed the harness for him to sniff fastidiously. As soon as I squeezed the first opening over his big head, his pupils went from lazy-do-nothing to crazy-kill-something. He wriggled while I snapped it shut, and his eyes were wide and startled – but as soon as it was on, he froze. He looked up at me pitifully and mewed. Sinatra’s tail swished anxiously, but he didn’t move. I finally got up from the floor to do other things, but he just crouched there, paralyzed. He crawled on his belly to hide under the desk until he could figure out what was wrong. Finally, he took his first hobbling steps outside of his sanctuary. He pouted by begging to be held, and struggled to pull himself onto furniture instead of deploying his usual easy leaps. I checked to make sure the harness wasn’t too tight, but it was a good size for him. Sinatra just seemed to think that in this contraption, he was crippled.

Step Two: The Outdoors

Once he became somewhat familiar with wearing a harness (I kept him in it for at least 24 hours), I thought he’d be ready to go on a walk and finally chase the critters that kept him pawing at the windows. As an indoor-only cat, Sinatra has had very little outside experience. He ran away once and got stuck out in the rain before he came scurrying home, but he has never spent much time outdoors. Not knowing any better, I initially just put the leash on him, opened the door and expected he’d dart out just as if he didn’t have the leash. He slunk along on his belly after much tugging from my end of the leash – to the edge of the patio. No further. Sinatra crouched down, and refused to budge. I stood waiting while he ate some grass near the concrete. I tugged some more. After my tugging annoyed him enough…he plopped down on his side and stared at me. So I dragged him. I pulled enough to slide his silky body into the grass. He just stared at me as if to say, “You realize of course that I am not a dog.” He would not budge. He nibbled the grass beside him and observed the scenery, but he would not move.

Step Three: Walking the Cat

After a few failed attempts (just as above or my carrying him around the block in the vain attempt to get him accustomed to it), I set out again with harness and leash to take Sinatra to get the mail from the mailbox – just a little ways down the road. I tugged. I dragged. I finally carried him to the mailbox. After being set down in a very unfamiliar and unsettling place (beside the mail receptacle), Sinatra began trying to run – attempting to free himself from the harness and head back to safety, or at least cover. He flipped in the air – waist high – wriggling and squirming. I finally knelt beside him – his little heart beating and his eyes darting all around – and I ran my hand down his spine and just whispered to him encouragingly. He slunk toward me in the grass, and I stood, moving back toward home. He reluctantly moved a few feet and sat down again to nibble the grass. After a few firm tugs, he moved another couple of feet before laying down again. I dragged him a couple of inches and he got back up and moved just a little further. I bribed him by inching him from one patch of green grass to the other. He ended up walking all the way home without my having to carry him. Albeit, a distance of about 20 yards became a 15 minute walk.

Friday Night Dinner: Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Soup & Balsamic Pear Salad

It's Friday! It's the one night of the week I can chill and wait up for my husband who works evenings. Friday night dinner is always special, because it's the one meal of the week I am guaranteed to have some quality time with my husband - even if I have to wait up until 9 or 10 to do it!

So tonight I made Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Soup & Balsamic Pear Salad.

My husband loves soup, so I decided to try my hand at my version of tomato basil soup. 

For the soup I used:

1 jar of sun dried tomatoes

1/2 red onion

1 tbsp basil

2 cans of tomato paste

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

2 TBSP of sugar

1c half & half

Salt & Tony's Creole Seasoning to taste

First, I chopped my red onion and used my blender to chop the sun dried tomatoes. Then I started heating them in a pot on medium high until the onions became soft and caramelized slightly. 

I added my tomatoes and tomato paste, and heated it evenly. 

I used my immersion blender (that my wonderful hubby got me for Christmas) to make it a little less chunky. I usually like my tomato soup thick, though.

I added the half & half to the mixture and let it simmer.

But what would tomato soup be without bread and cheese??

For my crostini I sliced a loaf of soft French bread (not a baguette since this will be toasted). I sliced the ends of the loaf very thin to serve alongside my salad, and I cut the largest portion into thick slices. 

For my topping, I grated pepper jack cheese into thin pieces and placed it onto my bread slices and put them in the oven. (You may want to save this step for a couple of minutes before serving.)

After 2-3 minutes on Broil in the oven, they came out crisp and golden!

It was delicious!!

For the Balsamic Pear Salad:

I mixed spinach greens with romaine lettuce first. I chopped up some Priester's pecans (they are so big and delicious!) and sliced half of the remaining red onion to garnish the greens. 

I sliced a little under half of a large cucumber for the salad, and placed small pear halves on the plate along with the tiny crostini slices I had made. Then, I finished it with a balsamic vinaigrette.

On a whim: Since I had cucumber and red onion left, I decided to make some pickled cucumbers for later tonight or tomorrow. 

In a bowl (with a lid) I mixed vinegar, water and sugar to taste (1 c water, 1-1/2 c vinegar, 1/4 c sugar).

I sliced the remaining cucumber as thin as I could, and added them to the vinegar mixture. I cut the red onion into slivers and added it to the bowl. 

I sealed the finished product and set it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least a couple of hours.

Why I chose writing...

Sometimes, I have to remind myself of why I chose to pursue writing. Thus far, I have certainly not pursued it as a career - and perhaps I should as I develop my portfolio. I have pursued it as a hobby, but it has been a while since I have stretched my creative mind much less run a creative marathon.

So why did I choose to follow my college education into writing?

I wanted to be everything.

As a kid, I can remember wanting to try it all! As I found in notes from my junior high years, I wanted to be a senator and a lawyer. Very early on, I wanted to be a paleontologist, geologist, or astronaut. Anything I studied, I wanted to make my career. Reading was my life. I wanted to do everything all of my books talked about. I wanted to be a historian, an archeologist, or some other artifact seeker. This desire to do everything followed me even to my first years of college when I began my higher education in pursuit of an architectural degree - this turned into an art degree which I finally abandoned for English and Creative Writing in my second year. Writing it what felt right!

Going into my fourth year, I tiptoed through my creative writing. My peers made my writing much more restricted than I would have liked. The focus was narrowed, and I stopped writing for myself and started writing to please my classmates and professors - none of whom agreed with me for the majority of the time on what made a good story.

All of my English major friends warned me that linguistics was a killer class... Wary of the required class that all of my classmates spoke of with intense loathing, I saved it for my second to last semester when my load was lightest. I shouldn't have! I loved my one and only linguistics class. It was another study I would have loved to pursue! I could be just like Henry Higgins from Pygmalion, I thought. Yeah right.

Recently I revisited my choices in education, wondering what possessed me to take such a pinball approach. Now that I am almost two years out of college and have some real-world job experience (as a receptionist and administrative assistant) I have the distance needed to reevaluate what I want for my career - my life.

I want to write. I have no idea what I want to write. I have no idea where to begin writing. I jump from one project to the next, trying to get a picture of what I really want to accomplish with my writing. For so long I've considered a blog, but what to write about? Will I be consistent enough? Will anyone care what I write about? How can I possibly write about everything I want to write about and contain it in a blog that should have some thread of relevancy throughout?

I still don't know.

But I am excited to try. So. Here I go. 

Crockpot Careers

Proverbs 31:15 

She riseth also while it is yet night, 

and giveth meat to her household...

Reflections on my future:

Since schooling is behind me and I have at least one degree under my belt, I am enjoying the blessings of a full-time job, a home with my family, and all of life ahead of me! Sadly since moving home my cooking activity has reduced to almost nothing - though Mom is an incredible cook, and I have no complaints. Thankfully, all of my amazing coworkers are foodies too.

Work has taught me a lot though - including the value of time and how to prioritize and multitask efficiently.

As a full-time receptionist and now bride-to-be (Yay!), I am realizing there just aren't enough hours in the day. I get up early, I go out in the cold and snow and work an 8-hour day to get a paycheck that covers the bills, and I stash some into the bank for those future emergencies I know will come.

What being in the workforce has taught me so far: my time is worth more!

Since I strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman and as a girl dedicated to being the cook of my future home, I've rounded up recipes for my future life as a wife. But until recently, I really wasn't thinking about how much time it takes to actually cook! When I get home, the last thing I want to do is jump right up and cook. Tragic, I know. 

Because of this new revelation, I have decided to make crockpot cooking my best friend in this new step in my life. I can be a career woman and still make good food - at least there will be a valiant attempt!

Now, this is all from the perspective of a completely inexperienced college graduate who survived primarily on ground beef and potatoes during the years away at school. I have a very tiny collection of crockpot menus on Pinterest - that I started yesterday. I also have the theory that this crockpot career SHOULD work. 

I can muster enough energy in the evening or morning to throw together ingredients and let it simmer for the next 8 hours. Logically, it makes sense. I won't know what works and what doesn't until I actually make the jump, but I know what people have told me.

I'd love to hear what others have tried, succeeded or failed with on this topic! 

Proverbs 31:14 

She is like the merchants' ships; 

she bringeth her food from afar.

Brian Jacques: A Master of Sensory Detail

Brian Jacques is one of my most beloved childhood authors. His love for classic works and traditions enabled him to write some of the most-loved juvenile fiction available. His Redwall series is well-known for high adventure and the great Redwall feasts. Candied chestnuts, Hotroot salad, Summer Strawberry Fizz, and Honeybaked Apples all decorate the feasting tables. The mouth-watering descriptions demanded full attention, and Brian Jacques released the Redwall Cookbook.

Every aspect of Jacques' feasts jumps to life from the page. The spicy sweet smell of hotroot soup sitting beside Hare's Haversack Crumble brings readers to the table - hungry for more. A master of sensory detail, his recipes are delightful to taste!

Brian Jacques' recipes are not only delicious comfort food, they are also vegetarian. Eaten by woodland creatures, these scrumptious treats can be favorites on any table. Recipes can be tweaked for meat-lovers and vegetarians alike to make the best feast Redwall has ever seen!

My personal favorite recipes is Shrimp and Hotroot Soup. A winter delight, this soup combines the powerful curry flavor with delicious shrimp and mild potato to combine a perfect balance for the palate. Warm and soothingly smooth, this soup combines the earthiness of the potato with the bold curry to make a pungent and comforting soup. For those who don't like curry, Brian Jacques' recipe comes with an alternative recipe for chili powder! Deliciousness for everyone!