Family Dinner

I was brought up always having family dinners. We didn't schedule a time that we had to be home for dinner, or make a big fuss over having to eat together every night, but it is just something we did naturally. Living on my own the past few years, I haven't really had a chance for family dinners, but I got the chance tonight. Its so much nicer to cook and eat together opposed to separately and alone. No good. Living with four people who have become like family to me gives me high hopes for a full fledged family dinner one day. Tonight, unfortunately, there were only two of us. I roasted tomatoes (enhances the lycopene=delicious and good for you too!) and ate them with fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil and beautifully made organic flax seed bread. Quinoa salad full of veggies and a heap of asparagus perfected the meal and with only two of us eating, we've got plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week. Yum!

Bon Voyage

My sister, Rebecca is taking some time off from school right now, and living back on the island, which I get secretly (or not so secretly) jealous of sometimes. I did get the pleasure of hosting her in the city for a few days last weekend, which was perfectly relaxing. Being around her creates such a balance for me, which after living in a city for a few years now, is much needed every now and again. It was a beautifully sunny and semi warm weekend full of movies, sleep, Whole Foods, delicious Vietnamese Pho (amazing soup) sharing of clothes, living like the ladies we are and just to throw in some city life for my island sister, an outing to Mission Hill to attend a Lady Gaga party, which sad to say, didn't even play Lady Gaga songs. If ever there was a time to play her songs, that was it. I just found out that Rebecca will be taking a break from the cold winter weather and hopping from our island to Puerto Rico! Can't wait to hear all of the adventures and live vicariously through her for the next few weeks! Bon Voyage mon petit sceur!

Going Green

My family and I did a brief stint as vegetarians when I was twelve years old, but have since retreated back to our carnivorous ways. After nine years of post-vegetarian eating, I decided it was time to try it again. This was, at first, prompted by my college student budget vs. the cost of meat, but after a few weeks of eating my fair share of veggies, I felt so much healthier! I have never been one to diet, but I recently looked into the blood type diet, and what do you know, my A- blood and I thrive on fruits and veggies! I've been loving roasted asparagus and tomato/mozzarella salads with a glass of dark red wine. That counts as a fruit, right? I've also recently discovered that avocados with a squirt of lemon and a splash of salt and pepper is divine. We will have to wait and see how long I can keep this up for, especially when I move back home this summer and my dad gets the barbeque fired up- but I have a good feeling my veggie ways are here to stay a while. And yes, mama, I am getting enough protein.

Chicago

I heard a lot of talk about how cold and miserable Chicago was going to be in February, but despite the rumors, I forged ahead and went anyway, and I'm glad I did! Though it was cold, Chicago is an amazing city, and I got to share it with a friend and his family, which was a lot of fun! I usually praise myself for good sense of direction (which I get from my dad) but that all went out the window in Chicago. There are so many burrows; Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Financial District, Bucktown. All of which blended together for me. One thing that always helps me in any city I am in is water. The Chicago River helped me understand where we were whenever we drove past it, but other than that, I was merely a passenger in the taxi being taken from unknown destination to unknown destination, which I'll admit, was refreshing, seeing as I am usually the one making plans and assembling directions. We stayed at an incredible hotel on Saturday night, which we definitely did not deserve, but embraced completely. Chicago has a very youthful vibe about it, though it is so old. The only new and sterile vibe I encountered was at O'Hare airport, where I flew in an out of. Word to the wise: Do not try to get on a stand-by flight the day prior to your actual departure. It will not work. At times, I can be a charming young lady, and on rarer occasions, I can be a mama-tiger who is ready to pounce if things do not go her way. Neither side of me wooed the American Airlines staff, but thanks to my favorite family in Illinois, I was able to get a good night sleep before getting on my flight back to Boston.

Haymarket

Haymarket has the cheapest, and (on Fridays) the most amazingly fresh produce I have ever seen. By fresh, I don't mean the pristine stacks of shiny apples you see at a grocery store, but fresh, as in, you know it has just been delivered on the truck that morning, with all its imperfections out in the open. Haymarket is just across the street from my apartment this year, so its such a treat that I can pop in every weekend and spend $5 at the most for my weekly vegetables. (Not to say that I don't frequent Whole Foods during the week to stock up on other goodies). There is so much character at Haymarket- some characters are better than others, but in general, it tends to be a good place to wander. I have been buying beets every week, which I cut up to bit size pieces and roast with olive oil, salt and pepper until they're bubbling hot. I leave them in the fridge to put on salads throughout the week (or to nibble on- I can't help it, they're like candy!) The smell of the fish section at Haymarket offends most people, but it kind of reminds me (a fellow Pisces creature) of home.

Island Home

After waiting at London Heathrow airport, being detained in a small room by airport security for trying to bring food items as a carry on, and then sitting through a 7 hour flight of which I sat in between two men; to my left, a thirty-something gentleman who decided to rest on my shoulder- for the entirety of the trip, and to my right, a fifty-something man who preached to me about organic foods while slinging back one vodka tonic after another. It is safe to say that I have never wanted to be home in my own bed so much as I did that whole journey. After the car and boat ride was over, I had made it home. Now was the task of fighting jet lag, for I had only one day until Christmas! (Yes, this post has been delayed that long). We decorated the tree and I sampled the Christmas cookies. It was a strange feeling going from being with so many people everyday in London, to just being with my family at home. Much quieter, and my body was beginning to remember what sleep was like. Though I couldn't handle the cold weather as well as others could, I tried my best to take a couple of nature walks for the short time I was at home. The ocean is the most calming sound in the world to me, so anywhere I can be near to it is a beautiful place. Now back in Boston, I can't take walks down to the ocean, but I have heard people say that if you close your eyes and listen to the cars whipping by on the highway, it sounds like the ocean. Whoever said this has never heard the actual, magical sound of the water to their ears.