I'll be home for Christmas

After two days of driving (logging a total of 13 hours in the car) I've safely returned to California! It's funny, I've done the Arizona-California drive about five times now and it seems to be less and less of a bother each time. God, I hope I'm not becoming one of those people who enjoys long car rides...

What I did enjoy, however, was the opportunity to bond with my sleepy little dog and break up the trip at my old stomping ground -- Santa Barbara. A few good friends still live near the beach so I stopped in for some time at the harbor, dinner, a late-night dip in the sap, brunch and serious time catching up with old friends! It was also Woody's first beach trip!

While I busy myself today with laundry, lounging and finishing up my remaining Christmas purchases, I leave you to enjoy various pictures I took from my short stay in Santa Barbara. College seemed like ages ago -- I would give anything to be able to live there again. Future PhD prospect, perhaps?! :)

P.S. I took all of these photos from my iPhone on DECEMBER 20!!! The weather was gorgeous, much nicer than Arizona's current temperatures, and it made me long to be back in California. At least I have until January 1 in my former home state! That should tide me over until my next holiday break.

 

Soft Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

It looks like all this "free" time over the holidays is lending itself to baking! I've been working collegiate basketball games, dedicating time to language-learning, reading and of course, playing piano.

The most recent recipe I stumbled across was for soft and chewy pumpkin cookies! I know it's the wrong season for pumpkin now, but after Thanksgiving I purchased a reduced-price can of pumpkin purée and this week, it finally occurred to me what to do with it.

Soft Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1/2 t salt 
• 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1 c canned pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 c chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.

~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~ 

The recipe yielded around 20 massively large cookies. I was using a table spoon to shape my cookies, like suggested in the recipe, but eventually switched to the teaspoon because they were so huge! The cookies never became crunchy, since this is a soft cookie recipe, but more retained the texture of something akin to pumpkin bread. Perfection :)

So who cares if it's not pumpkin season anymore... dig in and enjoy some delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

I'm learning...

Remember earlier this year, as part of my 52 new weekly resolutions, how I tried to teach myself guitar? I was doing alright, but massively struggling. Before I really started to get the hang of things, I snapped a few of the strings and they've been collecting dust ever since.

But now I have lots of access to pianos, and for the heck of it, have been tinkering around. I'm not going to go so far as to say I'm learning how to play piano, because I'm not. But I am getting super frustrated playing around with them, and am such a perfectionist at everything I do that I continue trying each day.

When I go home for Christmas next week that will stop. There are no pianos to be found near my parents' house. But there is my old clarinet I haven't played since the end of middle school or beginning of high school. Who knows, maybe I'll pick that up again... just like riding a bike.

I highly doubt it, seeing as how the hardest part about playing piano right now is reading sheet music. I used to be REALLY good at that back in the day and am pretty bummed I let that skill fade into the oblivion.

Here's to trying! And here's an embarrassingly terrible video of me "playing" piano :) This wasn't off sheet music or anything, I just kind of thought of it and put it together -- more like the song was stuck in my head all day so I had to try it out. If we're being honest, you should just skip the first minute. I'm pretty bad. But can only get better, right?? :)

P.S. Apologies for the French radio station playing in the background!

Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes

Now that it's Christmas, I'm back to my old baking ways. Or maybe that can be attributed to my lack of motivation to study for finals.

Either way, I am DONE with grad school for the semester and have an entire month to do nothing create my lesson plans for the spring semester. We have a party in both my classes today, since it's the last day of class before finals week. 

My contribution to the class party was not related to international languages or studies, as we are a multitude of international and foreign students. Instead, I had to go with the Christmas theme :)

Remember those mint chocolate chip cupcakes I made inspired by my favorite ice cream flavor? Well let's just say the only thing I love more is PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM. It's a tragedy such a flavor only exists from November to January. Try it if you haven't yet, you'll thank me later.

This ice cream essentially inspired my in-class treats this time around (I feel like I'm in elementary school again baking goodies for class parties, NOT grad school).

Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes (semi-homemade)

• 1 box of white cupcake mix
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1.5 T peppermint extract
• oil, eggs and water as stated on package directions
• vanilla frosting
• 5 candy canes, crushed

Essentially, I just made regular boxed cupcakes (lazy, I know, but it's finals week!) and then added my own vanilla and peppermint extract. Cook according to package directions. When they cooled, I frosted the cupcakes and then garnished with crushed candy canes.

I can't wait for the class party to try these little guys. I've been so good -- for once! ...Is it 3:00 yet!?!?!

P.S..... Based on my limited income and cholesterol/blood sugar related levels, I am seriously considering following a vegetarian or pescatarian diet as soon as I finish all the meat in my fridge. AKA when I return from Christmas break. How's that for dropping a bomb at the end of a post?! :)

40 books and counting...

I recently discovered that before obtaining my master's (and in addition to writing a minor thesis) I will have comprehensive exams to pass.

The exam doesn't seem so bad because we have to pick a list of books that interest us and submit it to the French department. From that list, they will draft three essay questions that we'll have six hours to answer. The only minor problem is that my book list will be quite extensive. I need to include 40 (!!!!!) titles on that list.

Being the student I am, I've already begun thinking about my list. I haven't read books in French for nearly five-plus years at this point, so I literally will need to get on this. My area of emphasis is modern/contemporary literature, but most French classes focus on the Medieval period to the 18-1900s. I've only read a handful of books that could fit under my area so I've certainly got a mountain of work looming ahead.

Which is why during Thanksgiving/Christmas break I've picked my first read: Marcel Proust.

I've never read any of Proust, but when I took a French Existential Lit class as an undergrad, he was referenced immensely. Rememberance of Things Past, however, will be quite the undertaking. The version I have (in English, let's be honest here) is over 1180 pages and that's just the FIRST VOLUME. It's a very, very vast piece of work. Who knows if I'll even be able to understand it.

For this reason, I'm begging anyone familiar with French literature for help. Any suggestions on authors/titles I should plan to add to my list or I should check out from the library? I'll take anything from the 1800s-onward. Doesn't really have to be relevant, I just need to come up with 40 books and be able to discuss them at length in the next two years...

....What have I gotten myself into?! :)

At UC Santa Barbara I was fortunate enough to meet many (dare I even say hundreds?) of amazing people from all walks of life.

One of the first few people I met in the dorms was Lindsey. We ended up majoring in English together, taking similar classes and even writing/editing for the same two newspapers! Our paths even continued crossing post-graduation. Hers was one of the first blogs I'd ever read consistently. We both were avid travelers who spoke two languages and trying to find our places in the world. We really did have a lot in common.

When she moved to Chicago and a work trip took me out there in 2007, I was able to visit and hear about her life in the Midwest. But that's kind of where the story ends. After living in Europe, traveling and working the non-stop life that is sports, I got so busy I stopped following her blog. Then one day, I went to look back and realized she stopped blogging.

A shame, I though, that such a talented writer wouldn't have the time/desire/energy to do so anymore. I learned through Facebook that she finally moved back to California, sent a quick message and found out she was in grad school. I know first-hand that grad school is a MAJOR time commitment.

But then yesterday, I finally found out why I hadn't heard from her in a long time (other than my own time constraints).

I ran across this on the Internet/Facebook:

To say I'm astonished would be an understatement. So I dedicate today's post to you, Miss Miller. You are one of the most talented, genuine, strong, creative, ambitious, adorable people I know! I look forward to following your journey and I am actively following social media to see if you get your response from him!

My thoughts are with you every day. You literally are one of the strongest people I know, and this is not an exaggeration when I say I've always been impressed by you. Even as undergrads working late hours at the newspaper. When you moved back to Southern California, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you made it. Well, here you are. Do us all proud enjoying your dance in the limelight :)

(Read about her offer, here!)

French Friday...night

I made a fantastic discovery tonight. It all happened because I believed there to be a Sun Devil volleyball game at 7 p.m. this evening. I was scheduled to work the game, planning on making dinner when I got home, but upon arrival realized the freakin game got pushed back to 8 p.m.....

My blood was boiling. I arrived so early and no one told me?! Determined to make something of my evening, I went wandering near the ASU campus in hopes of finding dinner. Even penny-pinching grad students need to eat, you know.

That's when I decided to stop in at a Middle Eastern restaurant and grocery I walk past almost every time I'm on campus. When I lived in France, I used to LOVE North African pastries and Middle Eastern cuisine. Understatement.

Anyways, I sat down, ordered the Falafel Deluxe Pita -- hummus, tabbouleh, falafel and tons of fresh mint with a large side salad -- and a bottle of guava juice before the waiter started chatting me up. I never know what language I'm thinking or speaking in anymore... it doesn't help that I'm about to start taking German next semester either.

He asked me where I come from originally and then what I was doing in Arizona... when it came up that I'm a French TA on campus. He FLIPPED OUT and immediately began speaking to me in French. It came up that he's from Morocco, I shared that I had lots of family in Morocco and we chatted on and on in French for a bit. 

Long story short, he told me I had to come back and the next time I was not to speak to him in any English whatsoever. We're only going to converse en français from here on out... I also noticed my bill was much less than it should have been, by the way. In all, a fabulous outcome from what seemed to be a bleak-looking evening. It literally changed my entire mood around. And I will be back. The food was incredible! I could eat Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food every day of my life.

Granola French Toast: A breakfast worth the wait

I know it's been a while, but my "52 new things" have basically fallen off the face of the planet. Blame it on grad school, I guess. I have been keeping up a little bit, but definitely not as well as I was before week 30ish. Maybe in the future I'll update that page with my new adventures since grad school.

In the meantime, I've got a fantastic new recipe to add to my home made chocolate granola experiment! It's Chocolate Granola French Toast, one of the most amazing breakfasts I've made in a while. Click the link for the recipe if you're curious, but it basically just entails making regular French toast and then dipping it in a thick cover of granola. Cook away as usual. Just be careful not to burn the face of the bread...

Here is how the French toast looked the minute I finished cooking it on the stove:

And then I topped it with Greek yogurt, figs and blueberries (my inability to spell "fig" in English still plagues me even now, I keep wanting to spell it à la français (figure). Oh well, trust me, this was HEAVENLY, especially with the chocolatey granola:

And even still, I had granola left over for weeks! I ate it plain and of course, I ate it in copious amounts of breakfast parfaits. Especially after buying cute little mason jars <3

I'm definitely going to have to bake my own granola again soon. With colder weather approaching Phoenix (as in, 60-80 degree weather), it's time for hot coffees and warm breakfasts!

Nonsense

I recently discovered an AMAZING French website. A German TA actually introduced us :)

I've shown several of these videos to my students, so enjoy!

C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui (It's by doing anything that we become anyone.)

WHAT?! She lives?!

Oh man, it's been sooooo long since I've blogged, watched tv, worked out, cooked, etc....

I'm up to my neck in full-time grad school, teaching French classes, MLB PLAYOFFS and working collegiate athletics. Oh and the non-stop revolving door of meeting new people :)

I love it. It's totally what's been missing in my life since moving to Arizona. But I did have a second of free time a few weeks ago. Of course I chose to spend my moment baking, this is me we're talking about here :)

The dish of experimental choice was Hefeweizen Cupcakes with Fresh-Squeezed Orange Cream Icing! ...semi from scratch! Although the "buttercream frosting" was extremely drippy and runny, it set nicely in the fridge for a crunchy top layer with a huge punch of orange zest.

Apologies for the tiny pictures, I'm a Mac user now so no more Windows Live Writer :(

For the cupcakes, it couldn't have been easier! I merely followed instructions for a box of white, vanilla cupcakes (egg whites, water, etc.) and subbed a cup of Shiner Hefeweizen for the water, and then added in a few tablespoons of orange zest. That was the difference-maker.

And here is a recipe I found for the orange zest buttercream. It didn't set for some reason on my end -- perhaps I can blame that on the 100+ degree weather -- but a quick pop in the fridge did the trick.

These cupcakes were absolutely delicious! Beer cupcakes complete me :)