Archive for the ‘ Tell Me ’ Category

Library Loot

Every once and while I find myself on the computer with two windows open. The first being Amazon, and the second being my library. What I do is look up books that I would like to read, look at reviews and then decide if they would be worth checking out. I then request them from the library and pick them up whenever they are in. It is a pretty good system. If I realllly like a book I can renew it, or if I really really really like it I can go buy it. Right now I have an overwhelming amount of books out of the library! School starts in less than a week and I am still hoping to get through most of them.

My first set of books is a collection of Memoirs & Stories. These are my favorite genre of book.  I am almost done reading Life Is So Good by George Dawson. I have been slowly working my way through this incredible story. I highly recommend checking out the Amazon review and reading it.

I am excited to read The Pioneer Woman‘s love story, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels – A Love Story. I haven’t had time to read it yet- but it looks promising! When I first got this out of the library, the library clerk smiled and started laughing- she just loved the title! I thought that was adorable.

My last book I have to read in this category is The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love. I requested this one on a whim. I generally really enjoy books like these. They are my niche!  This book tells the tale of a couple that lived in NYC and moved to Upstate NY to start a farm. From the reviews I can see that the couple eventually produced a cooperative on the CSA model, in which members were able to buy a fully rounded diet

                         My next genre of books is for overall fitness. I am looking to get some new tips and learn more about weight lifting and running.

Kara Goucher’s Running for Women: From First Steps to Marathons &  The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess have you read either of these? I am anxious to see what I learn from them!

My last set of books are basically cookbooks. They contain little stories that go along with them, but for the most part they are awesome recipes that I can’t wait to try.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking and  The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

Told through letters and recipes, this novel traces the pair’s loving, competitive friendship from 1963, when the girls first meet, to the present. A look at the difficulties of sustaining childhood bonds, it’s also a satisfying meditation on how nourishment for the body can replenish the soul.

–People Magazine review of The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship 

I basically read cookbooks as if they are novels, so I am always excited when a new one is ready for me at the library!  Not only are they quick reads, but usually there is one or two things that you learn from them that sticks with you forever.

What are you reading right now? How do you choose what books to read?

2011
08/27
CATEGORY
Books
Favorite things
Life
Tell Me
8 comments

Prepping your garden for Hurricane Irene

I have spent my entire life living on the East Coast, upstate NY is generally pretty hidden from most natural disasters (blizzards don’t count!). Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Tsunami’s and Earthquakes sometimes make slight disturbances in my life, but that usually just means an extra day of rain or an aftershock.  So, you can imagine my shock when I heard that we have a hurricane headed our way with the possibility to make some real damage! I don’t live near the coast, but as of today there should be substantial winds and over ten inches of rain on Sunday. I am not worried about my safety, but am worried about what may happen outdoors. I live in a wooded area and am nervous about giant trees smashing into my house! One of the other things I am worried about is the safety of my families garden (is that sad?). Anyway, late August for us means that almost all of the veggies are almost ready!

This year we planted lots of different herbs, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, yellow squash & butternut squash.

I have done a bit of research on how to protect your garden from heavy winds and substantial rain. Sadly, there isn’t a whole lot you can do. Because we don’t really know exactly what will happen, you have to prepare the best that you can and assess the damage later. Here I will list some of the more helpful hints that I have found.

  1. Make sure that nothing can lift off of the ground. That means: put away all chairs, bird-feeders, birdhouses, barbaques, wind chimes, etc in a garage or shed where they won’t fly away.
  2. Pick any produce that may be close to being mature.
  3. Cut back any herbs and attempt to preserve them.
  4. Hope for the best!
There are also things that can be done once the storm is over.
  1. Survey the damage. Remove any debris from the garden and pickup any produce that may have fallen off during the storm.
  2. Check for exposed roots & replenish nutrients. Heavy rains will have diminished any stored nutrients that the plants have been storing, spray the plants with any natural fertilizer that you have.
My baby butternut squash is my pride and joy! I hope he survives!

How are you preparing for the Hurricane??

2011
08/26
CATEGORY
AHHHH
Life
Summer
Tell Me
1 comment

5-4-3-2-1

I have seen this lovely post around the interweb for the past couple of days, and thought it would be a great way for some of my new (and old!) readers to get to know me a little better. Feel free to do the same in the comments section, or on your own blog!

(via)

5 Words to Describe Myself:

  1. Friendly
  2. Funny
  3. Dorky (Um. I went to space camp)
  4. Optimistic
  5. Determined

4 Favorite Foods

  1. Pizza
  2. Sushi
  3. Pasta
  4. French Fries

3 Things I’m Most Proud of Accomplishing

  1. Opening my heart to the blogging community
  2. Becoming more serious about running 

I began running last spring. I did it and felt pretty good, but my heart wasn’t in it. By the time fall came I wasn’t running regularly anymore and basically quit for the entire winter. By the time spring came, I knew that I had to make a change. I registered for my second 5K and began taking running seriously. Now I am at the point where I have seen a lot of progress and look forward to my runs.

Beginning Graduate School

 

2 Favorite Workouts

  •  Running
  • Strength Training (I love having shaky arms in the shower after a particularly good arm workout!)

1 Thing to Expect From My Blog

You can expect to see a busy girl who is trying to get the most out of life. Things might get a little crazy (working full-time & going to grad school full-time…) but I will try my best to keep up a fun, healthy blog with lots of yummy recipes!


2011
08/25
CATEGORY
101 Goals in 1001 days
Inspiration
Life
Tell Me
4 comments

Grateful


I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about how lucky I am.

Not only do I live in a safe, happy environment; but I have friends, family and this boy that likes me, and a fur ball that follows me everywhere.

I have a car that drives,  a job that is secure (knock on wood) and two months of part time bliss that I will try to savor until classes eventually start again.

I think that this summer feels different from others because…

I have goals set

I am going to this amazing conference

I will be going to Maine at some point

What are you grateful for?

2011
07/06
CATEGORY
buddy
Chris
Favorite things
Inspiration
Tell Me
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Lazy Sunday

Good Afternoon All!

This morning started with a big bowl of multigrain cheerio’s & a bath for my itchy and scratchy butternut.

The dry weather really irritates his skin, and the sound of him itching himself at night irritates me!

I use oatmeal shampoo and oatmeal conditioner on him to help control his itch itch itchness! He doesn’t smell tooo bad either ;-)

The agenda for the rest of the day includes:

Reading the rest of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (for class)

Making sure I understand this daunting pile of books for my book talk tomorrow…

Making a batch of veggie filled orzo for my lunches this week (recipe to come!)

And if  I have time possibly a mani pedi? After this week of reading my eyeballs out I feel like I deserve a treat!

And then the OSCARS!

What is on your list today?

2011
02/27
CATEGORY
buddy
Tell Me
Weekend
1 comment
Foodbuzz

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Hello!


My name is Alicia and I am a twenty something graduate student living and working in upstate New York. My interests include reading, running, cooking & baking. This is my creative outlet to post new recipes, running goals and other tid-bits.

Feel free to contact me at thewannabefoodie@gmail.com I would love to hear from you!