Cinnamon Rolls for Marriage Proposal

After a nearly four month hiatus, I have no excuse. Simply, after a lovely dinner party at a friend's sister's this weekend, I was inspired to make another post. Besides being inspired, I have a recipe for gooey cinnamon rolls that will win you friends, boyfriends, or marriage.

Growing up in a small town in Michigan, every Memorial Weekend, my family would get together with family friends for the annual parade. We would make these cinnamon rolls, have fruit salad, and wait on the side of the road for the fire engines, floats, and candy. This is my first Memorial Day weekend away from home, and I wanted to bring the tradition to DC to share. And, it just so happens that I was invited to a pool party. Two birds? One stone.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls:

Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix, 16 oz box (will need 2 T butter, 1 egg). Do not be scared by the yeast. You can do it!

· Follow directions on box to make dough

· After you make the dough, roll out to a 15 x 10 rectangle

Once you have the rectangle:

· Spread over dough 1/4 C softened butter

· Sprinkle with mixture of:

o 2/3 C brown sugar

o 1/3 C sugar

o 1 T cinnamon

o Optional: chopped pecans (I didn’t add, but you can)

Now comes the rolling. This part reminds me of little kids in sleeping bags, I don’t quite know why.

· Starting with 10" side of dough, roll up tightly pressing edges to seal

· Cut into 12 slices, place cut side down in greased pan

The pieces will look pretty small, but they will rise. I promise.

· Cover loosely w/plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place 30 minutes

I made this the night before the pool party. After you let the dough rise, put it in the fridge.

· Bake 375 20-30 mins uncovered

Your kitchen will smell like cinnamon-y goodness. Nostolgia was flooding my mind as memories of childhoods spent licking frosting and pulling apart cinnamon rolls came into view.

Buttercream Frosting

(for more frosting 1 1/2 or 2 x recipe)

· 3 T butter, melted

· 1 1/2 C confectioner's sugar

· 1 t vanilla

· 1 T half & half, or more for thinner consistency

Blend with electric mixer until well blended. I like to heap this frosting on the cinnamon rolls.

Bring to your gathering and prepare to be oo’ed and ah’ed over. I was proposed to over these rolls. That good.

NYC Days 2 and 3

Another wonderful day in the city, despite the cold temperatures and nasty precipitation (started as a mist turned sleet turned rain). After a leisurely wake up and realization that New Yorkers do not in fact have food in their apartmens (read crackers, Greek cavier, goldfish, apples, oatmeal - all organic and all from whole foods), we quickly realized the necessity of feeding ourselves well. Lois knew where to hit the spot - Dim Sum at Golden Unicorn in Chinatown. My belly was soon filled with rice noodle shrimp, dumplings, spring rolls, tea. Yum. How can anyone not like Chinese food? Since the Chinese New Year was the end of last week, celebratory paper poppers were still collected in the rain ridden gutters on the streets. After Dim Sum, icecream was necessary, made by a Chinese icecream maker at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory whose "regular" flavors were soybean and leechi and whose exotic flavors were chocolate and peanut butter. From Chinatown we walked through Little Italy, through Soho, and through part of NYU's campus. After an afternoon of walking, we dined at Red, a Mexican restaurant in the Financail District, at the Seaport. Yum yum yum. Enchiladas, fajitas, chips/salsa were all delish. Lois's roommate got a margharita which also smelled / looked delish. After dinner we met up with some of Lois's friends and hung out in their apartment for a little bit. Then began the Meat Packing District adventure aka the place full of d-bags. All the bars were PACKED, we were pushed, and had to wait in lines. Not my idea of fun. Redemptive factor - we got a huge, free pretzel.

Sunday morning we awoke to sunshine on our faces and blue skies. We got an early start and to head to Ellis Island. For a small $13 fee, you can board a boat and head to Liberty Island (love Lady Liberty) and Ellis Island. Since we had a ballet later in the day and visited the Statue of Liberty last fall, we opted to just visit Ellis Island. Upon arriving, Lois and I noticed we had missed the park ranger tour (Ellis Island is a historic park landmark!) by 10 minutes. We asked someone at the park ranger station to point us in the right direction so we could meet up with the group. And then, a park ranger said he would just give us a private tour! It was so neat, and we learned a lot. I highly recommend visiting and going on the tour! After the tour, we met up with Lois's boyfriend and headed to Lincoln Center to see a matinee ballet. The ballet was three mini ballets in one - a classical piece, a story (the magic flute), and a swing/jazz/funny piece. I loved it! After the ballet, we walked up 5th Avenue, past the Plaza (Salut, Eloise!), Columbus Circle, Central Park all the way to Union Station to eat at Max Brenner, a chocolate bar which has other delish food (think seafood burger, veggie burger, fresh...). We headed back to the Financial District to watch some of the Superbowl and then headed to bed. Such a fun weekend!

This morning I left from Penn Station, heading back to Albs. I'm sitting in my studio again, enjoying some concierge food and not dreading the week. :)

NYC - Day 1

It's great to be in the Big Apple. The City that Never Sleeps (though I certainly need to, haha). The biggest little Island. The hub of culture.

My trip started out eventful, to say the least. Instead of flying back to DC for the weekend, I decided to flex trip (one big perk of a travel project) to NYC for the weekend. There is a 2.5 hour train ride from Albs to Penn Station. I did my research, printed out directions from work to the train station and rearragned to return the Hertz rental car to the train station. Little did I know two train stations existed in the greater Albany region - one in Schenectady and one in Rennesalar. I left work with plenty of time to arrive in Schenectady, excited for my trip. The first clue I was not in the right place - the station was small/ghetto and I saw no Hertz. Hmmm, after an unhelpful parking attendant question, I went into the station. The ticket seller informed me I was at the wrong station. My train was leaving in 35 minutes, and the drive to the next station would be probably 20/25 minutes. Panic-ing, heart racing, hands shaking, I peeled out of Schenectady, driving faster than I've driven in Albs before. I arrived, looking for Lot A or B (where I would return the car). No clearly marked lots. A cab pulled up next to me, I started honking and yelled out the window -"Where's Hertz?" He was of no help. I left the lot, to pull in again, directed by another nonhelpful parking attendant (why are parking attendants so unhelpful??). I park in a random spot, and breathlessly gather the stuff in the front seat (7 minutes until my train leaves). Accosting strangers, whispering breathlessly in their ears, I ask "Where's Hertz?" "I can't help you m'am." "Sorry, I don't know." I sprint to the train station. Making no sense to the Ticket Seller, I realize I'm not making the train. I watch it pull away. Thankfully I exchanged my ticket for the train an hour later. My heart rate starts to return to normal, I stop sweating, my hands stop shaking. I go back to the car (now knowing the Hertz procedure), grab my bags, and head back in the station. Tips - The Amtrak station is in Renessalar and to return a rental car, you park in Lot A or Lot B, note th emileage and gas on your contract, and drop the contract/keys in the Hertz drop box INSIDE the station.

Finally, I boarded the train! After receiving this tidbit, I sat on the right hand side of train so I could watch the Hudson River. After a lux ride in Business Class (leather reclining chairs, water!), I arrived at Penn Station. Lois met me at the station. So great to be in her arms! We took the subway to her stop, in the financial district, near Battery Park. Her apartment is so awesome - she has huge windows looking out to the city in her room. She showed me the rest of her building, including the rad rooftop. It was covered in ice due to the recent storms, but the view was incredible - Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Brooklyn Bridge.

After catching up for awhile, we walked around the financial district. And then we made our way to the Sea Port. We had the docks to ourselves because it was both dark and cold. Ships were docked, stores glittered. We walked around the docks, and sat on a bench to look at the Brooklyn Bridge. So beautiful! After our tour, we realized how hungry we were and headed to the Open Door Gastropub, a really neat pub food type place with upscale pub food (ie macaroni and cheese with truffles). Lois and I ordered French Onion Soup and split a Goat Cheese tart. Seriously, our entire dinner consisted of cheese and onions. I'm completely fine with that. We laughed and talked. I love catching up with old friends! After dinner, we went to Lois's friend's apartment to hang out for awhile before heading to B Bar, a cool bar with open seating, a nice size dance floor. The only problem was the overly hipster DJ who refused to play Akon or Ke$ha. haha The night was capped with NY pizza. Yummm

Great day 1!

Chilling in the Sub Arctic

More now in Albs. We get at least one blizzard a week. This one was not as bad as was predicted, probably only a foot. Total snow accumulation is easily three feet. I moved to DC to avoid these harsh winters - funny how life works out... The snow is undeniable beautiful when it catches the light, though.

I continue to develop training materials at work, and I am soon adopting a new role, which I am looking forward to. There was not much going on after work this week, so I enjoyed feeling like an Empress in my studio - lounging in my King bed, eating room service.

The iPhone 4 came to verizon this morning at 3am. I've been researching smartphone since September and was stoked beyond belief when Apple announced their product could use verizon. Because intense hardly begins to describe me, I set an alarm for 2:59am, set out my laptop, and credit card to prepare. I logged on at 3am. The site went down. Error message after error message. After trying for 30 minutes, I went back to bed. Still iPhone less. Not pleased. Verizon should have known to expect this volume the day of release. I have some ideas for them...

I'm looking forward to the weekend very much. Tomorrow after work, instead of going back to DC this weekend, I am taking the train south to NYC to visit a good friend from home, Lois. We are going to go to Battery Park, get Dim Sum, see a ballet at the Lincoln Center... Yes!

I have not signed up for a half marathon yet, but an email circulated in my office today, and there is a large race in Albany for a 3.5 mile "road race" for all the businesses in Albany. It's supposed to be a huge event, and I'm excited. My mileage log for this week: ran 3 miles thrice and 4 miles once. I can tell my endurance is getting better again as I am able to really push myself at the end of my runs!

Neglect and a Chilly Saturday

This little baby blog has been neglected for the past week. My apologies. Life changing events occurring. Yours truly will be calling Albany my weekday home for the next 9 months. Wow.

But, I'm back in DC for the weekend. The city in which Thunder Snow occurred and covered DC with 6 inches of snow. Last night I had a formal for my firm, which we were fondly calling "prom." It was held at the National Building Museum in Chinatown and had incredible food, atmosphere, drinks. And it was very fun to dress up - I felt like Cleopatra the Empress.

Today I was deciding how to spend my free day. Considering the snow, I decided to do some bonding with my apartment. With the cold and yearning for my previous life (aka college and home), I landed on Skinny Minny Tortilla Soup, an easy recipe from my mom, to make for dinner.

Skinny Minny Tortilla Soup

1 can refried beans

1 can chicken broth

Combine in sauce pan until mixed (only a few minutes with some stirring)

Add:

1 can corn

1 can black beans, drained

1 lg can chicken

3/4 cup salsa

Bring to a light boil, then turn down the heat to simmer. Your kitchen will smell like comfort and the southwest all in one aroma.

Now comes the even more fun part. Once ready to eat, crumble tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup, place shredded cheese on top (you can use whatever you have, I shredded some montery jack cheese yummmmm), and sour cream.

Can you think of anything better to say home and comfort than a steaming bowl of this? Me either. After I was done with dinner, I realized I hadn't spent enough time in the kitchen. I was itching to get my baking pans out. Besides, my sweet tooth was calling. After a little internet searching I found a recipe for Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies with three ingredients. I was intrigued and decided to try it.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

That's it. Yes, it's really that simple.

Mix with an electric mixer until well blended. Once blended, roll into little 1.5 inch balls and place on non greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350.

Then think of these little balls of gooey goodness as a blank canvas. I rolled some in white sugar, some in white sugar + cinnamon (I'm loving cinnamon these days), and placed chocolate chips on some.

I was a little nervous how these would turn out since the dough was yummy but a little wet/slick. Pulling the cookie sheets out of the oven, there was a little pool of liquid surrounding each cookie. But, after they were off the pan and cooling, they were yummy and very moist. Not my favorite but still satisfied my sugar craving.

DC-ing and Brunching

What a great weekend it's been! Saturday morning started out with a great 4 mile run outside. The weather was chilly (teens), but it was nice to be outside in the sunshine. After some errands, I went into the District to meet up with my friend, Cat. We went to Ford Theater - the place Lincoln was shot. After a self guided tour through the museum (did you know that Lincoln was the tallest president at 6'4" and had to special order shoes for his size 14 feet?), we saw the actual theater. It's incredible how the history comes alive in this city! Afterwards we went to a hipster movie theater and saw "The King's Speech" - the movie was fantastic. I loved the acting, the music, the inspiring story. It's a feel good, we're rooting for you kind of movie. And then for the first time in over a month I ventured out in the city. Cat and I met up with our other friend Jen, her friend, and some people from their tech consulting project at The Iron Horse, a neat pub in Chinatown. I have yet to spend much time in Chinatown, but I liked the pub. We got a seat in a corner by the window, so we could catch up as we peoplewatched. From the Iron Horse, we went to the work friends' house for a get together. The DJ was great - top 40, remixes. Fun times overall.

And then today consisted of church (a great message about The Ten Commandments), brunching with Cat and Jen, and getting ready for Albs. We made a fantastic brunch at Jen's apartment, which consisted of:

Bagels and cream cheese (why is cream cheese so good? I could eat it with everything), scrambled eggs (bursting with flavor), sweet apple sausage (sweet and tangy), canadian bacon (little slices of bacon-y goodness), and fruit salad (love fresh fruit!).

Fruit salad of fresh blueberries, peaches, and bananas. This combination was perfect. Blended harmony in my mouth.

Scrambled eggs with garlic, onion, spinach, and cheddar cheese. Dynamite combo! Cheeeeese. I could live on cheese for 2 meals per day and be completely fine with that.

Our lovely setting. The brunch was served on special farmhouse china (us Midwesterners love that), coffee, peach oolong tea/juice, water, laughter, and good conversation. Perfect.

Also, I just finished "Cleopatra" by Stacy Schiff. It was a fantastic read documenting the life of the lost and little known details of Cleopatra's life. I usually read historical fiction, but this biography was a treat. I learned so much. I would definitely recommend it. My next book is "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver. (Thanks for the borrow, Jen!). I'm looking forward to reading it on the plane tomorrow.

A Beautiful Weekend

Well, I am home! After a lengthier stay at the Albany airport than I desired, I was in the air again. It's rather miraculous really that every flight out of Albany is late - whether it be weather, maintenance, a visit from the President. And yesterday was no exception. We departed an hour late, but I was back in my fabulous apartment at 6pm last night.

And what a big night I was in for - my night included:

Laundry - so happy to have a washer/dryer in unit.

And cooking.

I made Jenna's Penne with White Beans and Spinach. First you sautee garlic in olive oil. Add the cooked penne, cook the spinach. Add cannelli beans, tomatoes, lemon zest, the juice of two lemons, salt, and red cayenne pepper. And top with parmesan cheese. It was simple and quick to make and simply delicious. I loved the bright colors and fresh taste. My apartment smelled like fresh garlic and lemon. It took the evening from a winter night in DC to an evening in FL. The recipe calls for sundried tomatoes but as they were $8/can at the store, I substituted for an entire can of diced tomatoes. Also, the lemon was a little over-powering, so next time I would probably add the juice from 1 lemon or 1.5 lemons. :)

And after dinner and one glass of white wine in my BIRTHDAY GLASS (picture to come) (because my birthday was exactly one month from yesterday, and I love my birthday so so much) and a great phone date with The Niedzielst, I cleaned the kitchen, read, and went to bed at 10:15pm. Yes, I lead the life of a middle aged person. :)

Who's in Albany?

Good news - I am sitting in the airport now, and my plane is supposed to be on time (fingers crossed)! Albany got between 4 and 6 inches of snow last night, and the roads looked terrible this morning. It was pretty again but less than ideal to travel in. I'm thankful for the opportunity to work remotely on days like this. After much deliberation, I ultimately decided not to risk my safety in the very un-snow proof sudan from Hertz and stay warm, safe, and dry at the hotel. I finished my necessary work for the week (yay weekend!) and departed.

The hotel is a 10 minute drive from the hotel. And it takes 15 (maybe 20 - 30 if packed) minutes total to drop off the rental car, go through security, and get to the gate. However, with the snow we got (even though the roads were completely fine at noon) and the President's visit to nearby Schenectady, I was nervous about missing my flight. Naturally, then, I left the hotel 2.5 hours before my flight. So, I have 2 complete hours before take off.

On an exciting note, though, I saw the President's plane! I am watching some coverage of his visit on a nearby TV monitor, and he is shaking hands. I recognize the scenery. Hello, where I frequent twice a week. Adds an air of excitement to the 'port.

See you in DC!

More snow in Albs

I wonder how many times you are going to see that post. I'm sitting in my studio, hoping beyond all reason that we are not going to get as big of a storm as is currently being predicted. Will I be spending the day in the airport tomorrow? No clue. Will I make it home tomorrow? I can only hope. I have not had to deal with this facet of travel yet. Factoid - it has snowed more days in Albany this week than it has not snowed. I do have to admit though, it was beautiful yesterday. I felt like I was in a snow globe as snow gently danced from the sky to lightly frost the trees.

My stay at the hotel has been pretty good this week. I got to catch up with the staff (Tip - make friends with the staff of establishments you frequent often!), the conceirge lounge had good food, the manager called to thank me for my loyalty (Tip - staying in the same hotel makes all the difference. I don't know how I will ever go back to not having status.), and the gym was not too packed. So far this week I have gotten three runs in, totaling 10 miles for the week. I've also started doing some ab work again, and my abs are sore as I type.

Last night we had a project dinner with the partner in charge of the project at The Brown Derby, a fantastic old Hollywood themed restaurant. The lighting was low, a large mahagony bar decorated the left side of the room, and old movie star silhouettes hung on the walls. We started with appetizers - crab cakes, mini burgers, shrimp brushetta. My project manager, a sommelier (wine taster) ordered wine for the table - a nice cabernet sauvignon and a pinot noir. Both were excellent choices. After salads came main courses. The restaurant is known for their award winning seafood chowder, but I did not sample it on this visit. Instead, I ordered pan seared sea scallops with asparagus and shrimp risotto (I just ate the leftovers). Fantastic food although the service was a little too slow. I very much enjoyed the dinner, sitting next to the partner and another senior manager, some of the only women on the project.

I'm at a crossroads in my project and uncertain how to proceed. I want to make the best choice for both my personal happiness and for my career progression.

I'm hoping to be sleeping in my own bed tomorrow and see friends this weekend. Pictures to come!

Back in Albany & Travel Tips

I'm back in Albany, my second home, staying in now what I refer to as my studio apartment (aka my hotel). As strange (and maybe sad) as it is, I've probably spent equal time in DC and Albany, arguably more time in Albany. And for my time in Albany, I've spent most of it working. But, I have seen some neat things, like Empire Plaza, a plaza in Albany surrounded by the capital building, the tallest sky scraper outside NYC, a mini reflection pond, and 4 other state buildings. Additionally, Lark Street is actually a fun street with unique restaurants, shops, and bars. The surrounding area, such as Schenectady, is rather charming also with its historic roots dating back to Paul Revere and the industrialization of electricity by GE (and Thomas Edison). I hear there's great skiing nearby also in Killington, a 2 hour drive in Vermont albeit I have not been (nor skiied in six years...).

Today at work I spent a fair amount of time in both excel (developping Job Aids for my project) as well as in User Productivity Kit (a computer simulation program). Fascinating. (Tip for new hires - ask questions when you are unfamiliar with a software!)

Winter has arrived in full force in Albany. After getting a little over a foot of snow in less than twelve hours last week and working from the hotel, six more inches of white presents graced the scenery and road along with an inch of freezing rain/ice. One pro - we get to leave the office early and finish the day from home on such inclement days.

As such, I was able to get a good run (4 miles!) in early this evening. I am planning on training for another half marathon with two friends from DC. I'll update the training status for that as well.

Tips for travel:

• If you can, fit everything into a carry-on. Your luggage never gets lost. If you need more than a carry on for a week, you're bringing too much. :) Re-use sweaters, bottoms, and shoes. To save space, you can pack socks and underwear inside shoes. Additionally, I have become rather adept at rolling my clothes.
• Pack the same things every week. haha IE the number of workout clothes, pajamas, outfits. I can usually pack for a work week in under an hour now.
• Wear shoes and a jacket you can easily slip off for security. You don't want to waste time taking clothing on and off.
• Have your liquids in a bag outside of your bag before you approach the metal detectors. It saves time, and the people behind you will love you.
• Invest in a quality carry-on. I have a Swiss Army carry-on, and I love it. It's held up through months of weekly travel, contains a sleeve for hanging clothes, and can fit enough of my belongings.
• Register for all the rewards programs you can - for airlines (I'm finally a United Premier member!), rental cars (Gold Member!), hotels (Gold status!). Even if you don't make status, sometimes you are able to get better seats on planes, and the companies will have your preferences on file.

Cut out cookies and Birthday Dinners

With the new year (well 2 weeks into it) and some gentle nudging (ahem encouragement) from a dear friend/my roommate, my blog is born. A few months ago I was posed with the difficult question of "my dream job," and after careful consideration I decided that it would be traveling, exploring, baking and blogging about my experiences. This dream came about as it combines so many things I love as well as my regular visits to (though not quite stalking of) a certain food blog that has revolutionized my fall - EatLiveRun. Until the blessed day comes forth on which I win the lottery and can actually have my dream job, I decided to turn my dream into a hobby.

My weekend is fast approaching its close. I can tell because my laundry is done, and my red carry-on suitcase is packed for the week. (Why do the 40 hours a week we spend working always seem to pass so much more slowly than the precious days we call weekend?)

I was fortunate to arrive home on Thursday night albeit my flight was delayed an hour from Albany to wake up in my own bed on Friday morning. After working in the morning, I went for a 3 mile run outdoors. I hadn't been running outside since last winter, but the sun was shining, and there is a trail I like near my apartment. So, I dusted off my UnderArmor running gear and headed into the 30 degree slight snow on the ground path. After my run, I ran errands. Errands to you probably seem rather dull. To me, though, errands make me feel like a regular citizen of the area, proof that I do, in fact, live in metro DC. With errands complete, I was content to "be good to myself" as my mom likes to say after a rough start to the new year. "Good to myself" translated to a mani/pedi. The mani/pedi was followed by making Jenna's Baked 4 Cheese Macaroni. It was seriously like heaven in my mouth. Four wonderful cheeses combined into one comforting bite. YUM

Saturday I found myself without a to-do list for the first time in weeks. I stayed in bed for awhile, thinking, praying, and pondering life's big questions. I'm thinking about going through the book, A Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. It's my dad's recommendation, and I think it will help me get through the insanity that is my life right now. After some DVR-ed television watching, I decided it was time to make some old fashioned cut out sugar cookies. I followed the Real Simple's recipe. It's easy to do and not very time consuming. After all, I wanted to use some of my 101 cookie cutters. I chose my favorite/most random shapes - the contiguous United States, an umbrella, a heart, a star, a cat, and dollar signs. Once cool, I whipped up some Butter Cream frosting with powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla and topped the cookies with sprinkles.

I think I decided I like baking so much because it is so relaxing and helps me feel a little bit in control :). I put on my favorite tunes (right now loving "Purple Sky" by Kid Rock - actually the whole "Born Free" album - and some classic John Melloncamp like "Small Town"), tie on my adorable apron from Anthropologie, and follow a recipe. Nothing exists outside the kitchen. It's a really nice feeling.

After the cookies were done, my roommate, her boyfriend, and I headed into the District to meet up with some other work friends and celebrate a birthday. We went to Founding Farmers for dinner. The food is American Farm inspired, all organic and as local as possible. Fantastic.

Today was church, ordering some pictures (I haven't printed any since August 2009!), and eating leftover macaroni.