Reindeer Games and the Importance of Flour

Every year when the holidays come around I find my head (and my computer) overflowing with ideas of what I want to do this year for the holidays. Ideas collect throughout the whole year, are forgotten, are remembered, and occasionally I even attempt some of them! Some attempts are more successful than others. As you can see above, my Christmas kitty scarves were a success where as these reindeer cookies....

This is what we should look like!

 ....not so much.

And that, boys and girls, is why you should always be sure you have enough flour for your cookies before you start to make them. Don't be like me. Don't preheat the oven, make most of the dough, and prepare all the decorations only to realize you're 2-3 tablespoons short on flour. It doesn't end well.

Bonus tip from your local absent-minded med student baker: Don't forget the baking powder in your pancakes or they will be thick & dense instead of fluffy.

As always, I'm happy to provide these valuable life lessons any time, free of charge.

Happy pre-holiday time fun everyone!

Halloween Time in photos

It's all in the eyes

The Husband Unit has much better sticker placement skills than I do.

She's watching you

Maybe It's Fall?

 Since moving to southern California seven years ago, I have often heard it expressed by people that I am "so lucky" to live here. Such comments have been directed at me so many times that it must be true, but I still find myself wondering what exactly is there to be envious of? Maybe it's the weather. True, the weather here is nice and stable...and boring. When it is something other than sunny with clear skies, you would think the world had ended. Daily conversations & news media are full of excessively exaggerated reactions to rain and how terrible it is, the number of car accidents increase because rain makes native southern Californians twitchy and nervous on the road, and everyone you talk to will complain about the rain. (True story: One day while walking home in the rain in college, I overheard someone on their cell phone describe the weather as "the Apocalypse").

Or perhaps people envy the hustle & bustle of such a large and diverse population and the car culture of California. Because who doesn't enjoy sitting in bumper to bumper traffic at 5:30 in the morning. Or maybe it's because when it's a truly nice day, even by southern California standards, you can do something fun like go to the beach, an outdoor shopping mall (especially in western OC), or Disneyland...just like the other 14 million people. Or maybe it's the wild abandon with which air conditioning is used in such a way to showcase just how much money there is to throw away here. I mean when it's 70 degrees out who doesn't want to walk into a building Air conditioned to 55F? Nothing says luxury and style like torturing people with Raynaud's for going to work or the grocery store. If nothing else, living in southern California will maintain your sense of humor, because otherwise you'd go mad.

As for myself, I find that I spend more and more time each year in southern CA waiting and waiting for the change of seasons....and I always wind up disappointed. Two years ago, I spend an entire summer in San Diego waiting for a nice sunny summer morning only to meet with cloudy mornings all summer...and then summer was over and I was still waiting. This year, I have been waiting for fall to come. Last week, it finally felt like fall. The mornings had a crispness to them (which was enhanced by a day or two of rain that cleared all the smog out of the air) that returned in the evenings. And then two days later it was 90 degrees again. Nevertheless, I took full advantage of those two days by finally opening a can pumpkin and baking something with those wonderful fall flavors. I had originally planned on just making some oatmeal cookies for the Husband Unit for the day I got to see him in the past couple weeks, but then I thought it was a shame to waste the weather so I mixed in some pumpkin to make it more seasonally festive.

 

These cookies went over really well when I brought them in to my shift last weekend. I think when I make them again, I will add more of the spices; there wasn't quite enough flavor from the spices.

On Eating Cake

Today I am pretty impressed with myself because I have exercised for two days in a row! Oh dear, how far I've fallen. After spending almost 3 years getting back into shape towards the end of college/beginning of grad school, I completely derailed all of my hard work over the course of studying for step 1 and my first 3rd year rotation (surgery). To think only around a year and a half ago I was a bit exercise-crazy, running or working out nearly every day, and now it takes me a good 30 minutes to talk myself into getting off my butt, if I manage to at all. Given my natural tendency toward slothfulness (doesn't everybody?), I am not yet at the point where I turn to exercise when I have a bad day or am feeling down instead of curling up in a ball with a blanket and that makes getting back to where I was really difficult.

Of course I'm going to lay on your nice clean naked bed. I'm a cat, it's what I do

Over the course of the past year as my exercise habits have fallen off a cliff never to be seen again, I've come to appreciate the importance of convenience and of having an exercise buddy. When I moved to my new apartment last year, I lost my comfortable routine of running a short distance uphill to the fields behind the gym, then doing a body weight workout, and finishing up with an easy jog or walk downhill back to my apartment. I also lost my running loop route that I had become so comfortable with when I moved. Initially, it took me weeks to get comfortable running by myself in the area around my new place or even using the gym at the apartment complex. I also had to learn how to do my body weight workouts in my living room (and ignore the fact that I'm sure my down stairs neighbors really do not appreciate the jumping) as there is not a suitable outdoor space nearby nor enough room in the small gym. When I moved I also lost perhaps the most important driving force behind my  previously healthy, wonderful exercise habits, namely, my exercise buddy to hold me accountable and goad me into working out even on days I'd rather sink into the couch never to be seen again.

Tiger Lily says, "Mommy, I don't mind that it takes you a week to do laundry after you've sorted it. It's comfy."

Unlike the Husband Unit, I do not derive pleasure from exercising, nor have I found it to be an indispensable part of my day for most of my life. Now that I have experienced both the lazy extreme and the active extreme (by my standards anyway), I will concede that I feel better, sleep better, & focus better when I am more active (something I would never have believed if you asked me in college!). And so, I am starting the long and slow road of returning to a more active pattern of life. I've seen countless lists of reasons to exercise floating around the interwebs. As for me, my reasons are these: to sleep better, to focus better, to feel better, to keep the inevitable age-related weight gain at a minimum, to feel more confident, to be able to be the kind of parent I want to be someday, to not become those patients that make me inwardly cringe, to make my husband happy, to feel sore the next day, to feel accomplished, and, perhaps most importantly, to eat cake and not feel guilty about it!

Mmmm one year-old cake.

Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband!

Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day, it is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body. No, don't blush, I am telling you some truths. That is just being "in love", which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
                                                                   -Louis de Bernieres, Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Extra Chewy Four Ingredient Nutella Cookies

It's the weekend! Specifically, it's my last weekend before I must go back to the drudgery of 3rd year, say good bye to the delightfully non-stressful world of hematopath, and, on a happier note, my bestest (yes, that is most definitely a word) best friend visited me tonight! Not to mention my anniversary is on Monday (where does the time go?) and the Husband Unit has alluded to some sort of surprise that will be occurring this weekend. All in all, not a bad start to the weekend.

I feel rather compelled to share these cookies as I ended up making them 4 times within the course of little more than a week around the end of my surgery rotation. First I made them for my team and the Husband Unit asked if I could make some extra for his team. These apparently went over so well that he requested I make them again the next day and yet again the week after that. These are Nutella cookies, but those rare individuals who are not fond of Nutella will like them (I have a witness!), though not as enthusiastically as Nutella lovers.



I love these cookies not only because they are rich, chocolately and chewy, but also because they are simple and can be made, baked and everything, within 20 minutes. Perfect for people who have no time to bake. Trust me, it is 20 minutes well spent (though your waistline may disagree).

 Extra Chewy Four Ingredient Nutella Cookies

Adapted from A Busy Nest
Oven temp: 350 F |  Baking time: 8-10 min  |  Makes 20-24 small cookies

 Ingredients

1 c flour
1 c Nutella (be sure to spray the measuring cup with cooking spray before hand)
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 c chocolate chips (optional)
sugar, for rolling cookies prior to baking (optional)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper (or nothing)
2. Combine flour, Nutella & egg in a mixing bowl. Mix until combined.
3. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
4. Roll dough into roughly 1 in. balls. If desired, roll in a bowl of sugar to coat before placing on sheet. Press down the balls of dough with a fork or bottom of glass lightly.
5. Bake 8-10 min. Remove from oven & let cool at least 5 min. before removing to wire cooling rack. Cookies will harden as they cool. 

See? Even the kitties agree. These cookies are delicious....or at least intriguing.

Maple Pecan Scones

As might be imagined, my cooking, baking, cleaning, dish washing, general tasks of daily living productivity took a serious hit while I was studying for Step 1. It's not so much that I had no desire as that I lacked the time and energy. The Husband Unit gave me The Pioneer Woman Cooks as a sort of congratulations on finishing up classes surprise gift way back in February/March. As he can attest to, I look at her website all the time and had been wanting her cookbook for quite awhile. While I was studying, I would occasionally flip through the book while I was taking a break (for lunch, for example) and picked out some recipes that I wanted to try sooner rather than later. There is a recipe in there fore maple pecan scones that I have been wanting to make for about two months now and this weekend I finally made it (and used the cute little mini-scone pan I got for my birthday, too). It was definitely worth the wait.

 The scones are delicious on their own, but the maple icing is, well, the icing on the cake...or rather scone.

 Yes, I do love sloths in case that wasn't obvious....

but don't worry, I'm only like Kristen Bell about puppies.

Maple Pecan Scones

From The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl

 Pecan Scones

• 3 c AP flour
• 1/3 c sugar
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt (leave it out or use less if using salted butter)
• 2 sticks butter, chilled
• 1/4 c pecans, chopped
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)

 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut butter into the flour mix with a pastry blender (or I suppose you could use a food processor) until a crumbly mixture is achieved. 
3. Finely chop the pecans and stir into the flour mixture.
4. In a small bowl/measuring dish, mix the egg & cream together. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Either prepare the dough the usual way for scones (gently roll it out to 3/4 in thickness and cut into shape) or press the dough gently into a scone pan. Bake for 22-26 min or until just barely starting to brown. I used a mini-scone pan and only ended up baking mine for 10-12 min.


Maple Icing
1/2 batch

• 1/2 lb powdered sugar
• 1/8 c milk
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• a tad bit of coffee
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp maple flavoring/extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour over completely cooled scones and allow to set for several minutes.  

 

  

Life s/p Step 1

I am happy to report that there is life after Step 1. Only six months ago, I had trouble thinking of my life beyond the end of April and now I am starting my first rotation, surgery, tomorrow! I am excited but also terrified and intimidated and worried about how to not be the wallflower I have been for the past quarter of a century this year.

Shortly before I actually took Step 1, we welcomed this lovely little furr ball into our family.

 We were originally told that she was a he and I was quite ecstatic that the Husband Unit agreed to name him Fitzwilliam (after Mr. Darcy, of course). After a week or two, however, it became apparent that little Fitzwilliam was more of a Fitzwilliama so she is now affectionately referred to as Fitz or Fitzy. Cats have never really been my thing, but having had Fitzy since she was 7 weeks old, I completely adore her. She is the most mellow kitty (except when she wants food or when you're trying to eat). She loves attention, loves to be petted, loves to be held, and will let you do pretty much anything.

Just a little over a week ago, we decided that Fitz might be a little lonely, especially since we will both be gone for long hours during the day. After much searching, we brought a second little kitten into our lives.

We have named her Tiger Lily (since she is supposedly a girl despite the characteristically male coloring). She is quite the character! She plays almost like a puppy or a dog, loves to sleep on us and be near us, but will protest quite loudly whenever she is picked up. She also is a fan of perching on shoulders (parakitty?), which while occasionally painful is quite adorable.

Despite never previously envisioning cats in my life, I am head over heels in love with our kitties. They are a joy to wake up to every morning and to come home and play with every night. I have missed having pets for the past 6-7 years, but the gap is quickly being filled in.

After my exam, I spent a week in Costa Rica with my mom and had much more fun than I anticipated. The country is beautiful and full of all sorts of animals I never thought I would see outside of a zoo. I was introduced to Costa Rican culture and quickly became cognizant of the fact that Central (& South) American cultures are quite varied despite the similarities. One of the things that surprised me the most was that the food was really quite bland in terms of spices; I guess I was subconsciously expecting it to be more like Mexican food.

 Fun Fact - In Costa Rica it rains too much (85-185 in. annually depending on which part of the country) to bury the deceased underground (no one really likes bodies floating up to the surface). Consequently they bury everyone above ground in cement/tile structures that look like this. After 7-10 years the bones are removed and placed somewhere else regardless if the plot is owned or rented. Cremation seems like a sensible alternative, but it is too expensive for most people to afford in CR.

 So many kinds of flowers!

 Sunrise over the Caribbean Sea.

 Jungle Cruise, anyone?

 When it rains, it pours....but only for a little bit and then it clears up for a bit until the next drenching.

 I still remember learning about poison dart frogs in kindergarten during our rain forest unit. These little guys are tiny, about the size of the tip of a thumb.

 Arenal Volcano enshrouded in clouds.

 Suspension bridge in the rainforest canopy.

 Baby monkey riding on a pig, baby monkey! (Please note, remembering this video is what got me through all my wedding photos with a smile on. Life-altering video)

 A walk in the cloud forest

 Ziplining in the cloud forest. (Monteverde was my favorite place we visited)

 Macaws

 A toucan!

 Iguana (the Costa Rican equivalent of bison in Yellowstone)

and lastly, a sloth + baby sloth!!!! The animal I was most hoping to see in Costa Rica!! Look at that little baby arm & face.