#66

66. Donate Used Books to a Public Library

I'll start off by saying I started this one before I met my husband...

My husband is a book fanatic. He keeps every book he reads. The movers we hired HATED us because he made them carry Rubbermaid totes containing hundreds of pounds of books up and down 2 flights of stairs when we moved. Needless to say, I decided to axe this one from the list when we converted one of our extra rooms into a library. We lined all the walls with book shelves and created a really nice looking library for ourselves. All that's left is to purchase some club chairs and a small coffee table and that room will be super cozy!

#26

26. Buy a New Bedroom Set (dressers, bed frame etc.)

We only ended up purchasing a bed frame for this one because our current night stands ended up working perfectly, and we are actually eliminating the dressers completely by wall mounting the TV and utilizing our giant walk-in closet for all the clothes.

I was a bit surprised at myself when I saw a leather bed frame that I liked and found myself suggesting it to the husband. He looked at me and quickly said "who are you and what have you done with my wife?" I've pretty much always despised leather furniture, but when I saw this one I liked it and once we got it set up at home it worked out great! Now I've got my eye on a rich brown leather couch ;) Who knew??

#22 (30/30)

22. Try 30 New Recipes (30/30)

I made it by the skin of my teeth!

Ok, I've been doing a lot of cooking lately, so rather than list out all the recipes, I'm just going to give a list and description of the new ones I've tried.

20. Fettuccine and Sausage

Fettuccine noodles served with garlic, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini and melted mozzarella cheese. This recipe is something my mom makes that has always been my favorite dish. I finally decided to give it a whirl and wasn't disappointed. The reaction I got from my husband was "why haven't you ever made this before?" LOL.

21. Apple Coffee Cake

This is Emeril's recipe and can be found on www.foodnetwork.com. We went apple picking a few weeks ago and needed ideas for the zillion apples we got! I must say this recipe was FANTASTIC. It's coffee cake with chopped apples in it, then it's covered in brown sugar/butter crumbles, baked and then drizzled with a brown sugar glaze! So rich and buttery, this quickly became a favorite. Not too good for the waistline though ;)

22. Apple Crisp

Decided to give my Dad's apple crisp recipe a try since we had so many apples. Came out delicious!

23. Panang Curry

This one was sort of an experiment rather than following a recipe. I got some really good panang curry paste at the Farmer's Market and put lemongrass, chicken, shrimp coconut milk and mushrooms in it, simmered until thick and served it over rice with crushed peanuts as a topping. It was pretty good, but honestly I was hoping for it to taste more like our favorite local Thai restaurant, and it just didn't stack up. But then again....the competition is tough!

24. Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken Wings

Got this recipe out of a slow cooker cookbook that I have had for years. We were having a pot-luck lunch at work so I chose this dish. Basically you sprinkle chicken wings with salt and papper, and broil for around 10 minutes each side to crisp them up. Then you mix 1/2 cup of honey, 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce together and pour over the wings in a crock-pot. Slice a lemon and lay the slices on top of the wings. Cook for 4-5 hours and voila! They were pretty tasty.

25. Spicy Chex Mix

Last month my Husband went away for a guy's weekend and the wives made them a few snack items to take with them. This was one of the ones I made. I got the recipe off the Chex website and spiced it up even further with Sriracha (Rooster) sauce. I made one of those HUGE disposable lasagna trays full of it and it was gone the first night. I'm guessing it was a hit?

26. Mini S'mores Cups

Another one I made for the guy's weekend. Mix crushed graham crackers with butter and press into mini muffin tin. Bake for 5-10 minutes until they form a crust. Remove from oven and place a chocolate square (Hershey's) in each cup followed by 1/2 of a large marshmallow (use cold shears or knife to cut so they don't get sticky). Return to oven for 3- 4 minutes to warm the marshmallow and melt the chocolate. Allow to cool and then dip each one in a bowl of melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to cool slightly and stiffen before serving.

27. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

One of my favorite fall-time treats is pumpkin, chocolate chip cookies and this year I decided I was going to try to convert this recipe to a sweet bread. I found a few recipes online for pumpkin or pumpkin spice bread. Combined the elements from each that I liked, and added chocolate chips. I made them into mini loaves and gave them out to people at work. Everyone seemed to enjoy them.

28. Poached Eggs on Toast with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Another one of my "copycat" versions. There is this small diner that my husband and I used to frequent before we moved and they served the most delicious poached eggs imaginable, in a plethora of styles: ham, asparagus and hollandaise, blue cheese and bacon, you name it! Take 2 pieces of either toast of English muffin, top with poached egg, lay 2 slices of crumbled bacon on top and drizzle with a homemade blue cheese sauce (I made mine with blue cheese dressing, sour cream, a little milk, sugar, dill seasoning and blue cheese crumbles). Came out pretty well and has become a frequent repeat at our house.

29. Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I got an ice cream maker 3 years ago for Christmas and have only used it once until now. My husband has been bugging me to make ice cream for him for so long I finally made a batch. I don't exactly remember the recipe, but it involved lots of heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla beans. You cook the mixture to form a vanilla custard, then remove the vanilla beans and cool the mixture throroughly (overnight). The next day pour it into the ice cream maker and start er' up. Towards the end, when the ice cream is thick enough, you mix in the chocolate chips. Pour into a freezer safe container and freeze. It was so rich and delicious...another one that is DAMAGING to the waistline though ;)

30. Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

For this one I took cloves of garlic and stuffed them down into slits within the meat. and made a glaze/rub out of brown sugar, dry mustard, balsamic vinegar and water, to form a paste. Rub the paste all over the tenderloin and bake in the oven until cooked through (~45 minutes at 350). Served with honeyed carrots (with just a touch of mustard flavor) and garlic mashed potatoes. Yum!

#62

62. Go Bowling with Friends

Hrm...I almost forgot about this one. Back in July a group of us got together and went bowling. I wasn't much good....especially once the beer kicked in, but we still had fun!

#20 (21/20)

20. Read 20 non-school books (22/20)

Finally done! I was getting a little nervous that this one wouldn't be completed in time, but thanks to a couple of "can't put it down" reads, I was able to sprint to the finish.

It took me a while to finish A Clash of Kings, the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. It was a really good book, but it's much heavier reading than the other books I've read lately. The Hunger Games Trilogy was great! The third book lacked a little for me, but the first two were the best. I would highly recommend them. I read each one in a single day.

#22 (19/30)

22. Try 30 new recipes (19/30)

I got a new cookbook a while back that is all soups, chilis and stews. They are all super easy to make and so far really tasty!

Sausage and Escarole Stew

Ingredients:

2 medium red onions
1 large bell pepper
1 1/4 lbs hot Italian sausage (casings removed)
4 garlic cloves
6 cups chicken stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 small head escarole

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

2 oz parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Dice onions and bell pepper. Cut sausage in half lengthwise then cut crosswise into 1/2in pieces. Place sausage in a stockpot and cook over medium heat 6-7 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove sausage and drain on paper towels

2. Add onions and pepper to pot. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until browned. Add pressed garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in sausage, stock, tomatoes, pasta and rosemary. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove from heat and remove rosemary sprigs.

3. Cut escarole head in half lengthwise. Cut off and discard root end. Slice escarole crosswise, rinse and dry. Stir escarole, vinegar and salt into pot. Let stand 2-3 minutes or until escarole is wilted. Serve with parmesan cheese.

#22 (18/30)

22. Try 30 New Recipes (18/30)

This used to be my FAVORITE recipe at Olive Garden and the other day I stumbled upon a copycat recipe and just had to try it. It came out tasting EXACTLY like the restaurant version. Yum!

Garlic Herb Chicken Con Broccoli

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to 1/2 inch thickness)
4 Tablespoons olive oil
16 oz dry orecchiette pasta
1 pint heavy whipping cream
4 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups broccoli florets
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

*Spice Mixture*
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb seasoning
1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine ingredients from spice mixture. Rub onto the chicken breasts. Cook chicken in the olive oil until browned, set aside and keep warm.

Cook orecchiette pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until "almost" done. Drain, and return pasta to pot.

Stir butter or margarine, and garlic into a sauté pan. Cook until garlic caramelizes, then add the cream and the cornstarch on medium heat until it thickens to a sauce. Add broccoli and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes, before adding pasta. Add additional salt, if necessary.

Remove from heat. Place pasta and broccoli on plate and top with a chicken breast.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

#22

22. Try 30 New Recipes (17/30)

Philly Steak Wraps

Although they're no where near being a true philly cheesesteak, they are still pretty tasty!

1 T beef bouillon granules

1/2 cup water

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1/8 tsp pepper

1 boneless sirloin steak, cut 1" thick (about 1 lb)

1 small green bell pepper cut into 1/4 in. strips

1 small onion cut into 1/4 in. strips

vegetable oil

2 cup shredded mozarella cheese

4, 10" tortillas

1. Combine bouillon, water, and garlic in small bowl.

2. Cut steak into 1/4 in. strips

3. Marinate steak in bouillon mixture for 1-3 hours

4. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry

5. Cook steak in skillet with oil until cooked to desired doneness (I did medium well)

6. Remove steak from heat and let rest

7. Add more oil to pan and saute vegetables until crisp/tender

8. Add steak, pepper and 1/2 cup cheese to each tortilla

9. Wrap tortillas into burrito shape and place back into skillet. Cook until lightly brown and toasty and cheese has melted

#20 (18/20)

20. Read 20 Non-School Books (18/20)

Ok, so 2 of them were for work, but that's not school, so I'm counting them!

Since A Game of Thrones is a fantasy novel, it also counts towards...

30. Read a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book

I really wasn't sure if I would like a fantasy novel or not, but this one was really good. Maybe because it's not as deep into the fantasy realm as many other novels, but it still fell into the category. I think it was a good starter book for me. I liked it so much I decided to continue on with the series and am currently 1/2 way through book #2, A Clash of Kings

Mass Update!

Ok, so it's been a LONG time since I've updated this, but in my defense...a LOT has happened since February, the biggest of which was getting married in June!

So rather than post individual items, I'm going to cheat a little and do one post that encompasses all of the recent accomplishments from my list.

55. Take a dance class

In preparation for our big day we learned to dance the Rumba for our first dance as husband and wife. We really lucked out with this one as one of my husband's co-workers is a ballroom dance instructor. He and his wife gave us a killer deal on personal lessons. It was so much fun!

59. Get a Pedicure

In preparation for my strappy wedding sandals, I gave my tootsies a little pampering! I normally do my own pedicures at home, but there is definitely something to be said for having a REAL pedicure.

85. Spend the Day at a Spa

Ok, so I'm only going to give myself 1/2 credit on this one. While we were on our honeymoon, my hubby surprised me by signing us up for a long massage session. We had a fantastic hot stone couple's massage. While it wasn't an entire day at a spa, it was a more frugal alternative and proved to be just as relaxing

6. Save $10,000 in a savings account

91. Create a firm budget and stick to it for at least a month. No exeptions

Paying for a wedding took care of these ones! We got engaged last July and immediately started ferreting away money to pay for everything. We ended up saving more than we needed and put on a pretty nice wedding and even had some left over for the honeymoon...which brings me to....

7. Visit 2 states I've never been to before (2/2) AND

21. Visit Hawaii

Hawaii AHHH!! We spent our honeymoon in Maui and it was INCREDIBLE. I'd heard all the hype before we went, but still wasn't sure what to expect. I was afraid we'd run out of things to do being on an island for a week, but we had a blast every single day. We took a helicopter tour of the island, learned to SCUBA dive, swam with sea turtles, went to a luau, shopped in old lahaina, ate at some fantastic restaurants as well as...

35. Swim in the ocean

54. Get my new tattoo I've been talking about for a year

55. Spend over $200 on dinner once

Although I didn't get "THE" tattoo I was wanting originally (it would have taken a lot more planning than I had time for), my husband and I ended up getting some pretty cool Ink at Sweet Trade Tattoo in Maui. Thanks to Trev for the awesome work!

Food is very expensive in Hawaii, and one luau quickly satisfied the $200 quota. We also had a wonderful meal at Merriman's and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone visiting Maui, they have fantastic 5 Star food and a BEAUTIFUL ocean view. Very romantic.

98. Drive somewhere and spend the entire day taking photographs

The Road to Hana easily satisfied this one! We rented a hard-top jeep wrangler and drove the 60 mile road to Hana in Maui. Along the way we hiked through the woods, saw waterfalls, awesome scenery, black and red sand beaches, lava tubes, the seven sacred pools, rainbows, mongoose and beautiful plant life. We decided to take the "not recommended" back way home and saw even more breathtaking scenery. Would do this again in a heartbeat. All said and done I took over 400 pictures that day alone!

63. Have lunch with a friend I haven't seen in at least 6 months.

Having friends and family come into town makes for a great time to catch up. I ended up having lunch with 3 of my best friends that I haven't seen in YEARS. Now I just have to hope that it's not years until we see each other again!

37. Get Life Insurance

After we got home from the honeymoon, it was time to change my payroll setup at work and I decided to add on some supplemental life insurance. I've got more than just me to think of now :)

#20 (14/20)

20. Read 20 Non-School Books

Here are 2 more books from the Sookie Stackhouse Series. Only 2 more to go to finish the series, which will be a feat. I've never finished an entire series before :-/ I usually lose interest and give up.

#22 (16/30)

22. Try 30 New Recipes (16/30)

We tried out a great little Thai restaurant a few weeks ago and ever since then all I can think about is Thai food, so I decided to try to make some myself. I bought a GREAT Thai cookbook and can't wait to try more Thai recipes, however, getting my hands on special ingredients like Kaffir Lime leaves is proving difficult. I checked the local Farmer's Market and found an excellent variety but couldn't find the lime leaves or galangal:-/ Anyway...this recipe is pretty easy, uses ingredients found at most local grocery stores, and tastes great!

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 medium carrots cut julienne style
• 5-6 medium bamboo shoots cut into thin strips
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps quartered
• 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• 8-10 thai chili peppers, finely chopped (adjust to desired heat level)
• 1/2 cup water
• Toasted peanuts and cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Steamed rice and lime wedges, for serving

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk the coconut milk with the curry paste and fish sauce until combined. Heat a large skillet until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and heat until just smoking. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet in a single layer. Cook over high heat, turning once, until the chicken is browned but not cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off the fat in the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the shiitake caps and stir-fry over high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, chiles, carrots, bamboo and garlic, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken, red curry mixture and the water and bring to a boil Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken and curry sauce to a serving bowl and garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Serve immediately with rice and lime wedges.

#22 (15/30)

22. Try 30 New Recipes (15/30)

Oh.....My...Yum! I cut a grilled chicken breast in half lengthwise, sprinkled with salt and pepper then grilled it for a few minutes on each side and served them on top of the noodles/sauce. It was DELICIOUS and SO easy!!

Fettuccini with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

• 12 ounce(s) whole-wheat fettuccine
• 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup(s) chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) (or 3/4 teaspoon dried) chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pound(s) mixed mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoon(s) brandy or dry sherry
• 3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup(s) vegetable broth or "no-chicken" broth
• 1/3 cup(s) light cream
• 1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, divided

---

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and return the pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the shallot is light brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in brandy (or sherry) and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over the mushroom mixture and stir to coat. Pour in broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in cream and 1/4 cup Parmesan.
4. Stir the mushroom sauce into the drained pasta. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta-cooking liquid to thin to desired consistency. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

#20 (12/20)

20. Read 20 Non-school Books (12/20)

I got a Nook(R) as a graduation gift just before Christmas and it has re-ignited my desire for reading. I wasn't sure I would like reading on an E-reader, but I have to say I LOVE IT! So here are books #11 and #12.

Year 2 Review

YEAR 2 IN REVIEW

Another eventful year! Got a few major ones out of the way and some more smaller ones. Next year will be a pretty big challenge and I can already see a few of them won't get done. There are some great unexpected things (like getting married) that will happen in 2011 that will surely make some of the financial goals a bit more difficult, but with that comes some opportunity to cross a few more off the list as well!

So without further adieu, 2010 in review:

1. Decide on my Concentration for my Master's Degree

2. Finish my Master's Degree

3. Re-rip and Organize Entire Music Collection

4. Buy a new iPod and Load all Music from #12 on it

5. Buy a New Dining Room Set

6. Shoot a Gun

7. Visit a Zoo

8. Fly a Kite

9. Go to the Melting Pot and Order Dessert ONLY

10. Vote in a Non-Presidential Election

11. Get a Library Card

12. Continue Buying Stocks for at Least a Year

13. Run 5K

14. Make a Birthday Cake for a Friend

15. Drive the Speed Limit for an Entire Day

16. Read 2 more books

17. Tried 8 New Recipes

#22 (14/30)

22. Try 30 New Recipes (14/30)

This is the first of the 30 recipes that I wasn't a huge fan of :-/ I had been promising to make a blueberry pie for my fiancé for months and decided to try a new recipe. I didn't really care for the orange flavor the juice added. It wasn't terrible, I just prefer my original recipe better.

Ingredients

• 20 ounces blueberries, approximately 4 cups


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 1 1/4 ounces tapioca flour, approximately 5 tablespoons


• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice


• 1 teaspoon orange zest


• 2 (9-inch) store-bought pie doughs


• 1 egg yolk whisked with 1 teaspoon water

Directions

Wash the berries and pat dry. Mash up half of the blueberries in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt and flour. Add the mashed blueberries, orange juice and orange zest and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. Fold in the whole berries.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Unroll first piece of dough and place into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the dough reaches to the lip of the pie pan. Trim excess, if necessary. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork and set aside. Pour filling

into the prepared dough in the pan. Lightly brush the edge of the crust with the egg yolk. Cover with 2nd pie crust, trim excess dough and pinch strips and edge of crust in order to seal. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. The pie should be bubbling lightly around the edges. If the lattice is not browned enough in the center, place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.

Place the pie on a rack and allow to cool to room temperature before serving, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours

#22 (13/30)

22. Try 30 New Recipes (13/30)

Got this Philipino recipe from a good friend of mine. She was making it one night for dinner and it smelled SO delicious I just had to try it. I couldn't believe how simple the recipe ended up being!

Adobo Chicken

5-6lbs of Chicken Thighs (Bone-in)

1/2-1 bulb of garlic (crushed or minced)

Soy Sauce

Rice Wine Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Rice

Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and saute 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Sear chicken in garlic/oil for 5-10 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add mixture to stockpot. Add soy sauce and vinegar in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 45-60 minutes or until chicken starts to separate from the bone. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.

#93

93. Continue Buying Stocks For At Least A Year

Back in 2009 I started putting $50 a paycheck into stocks hoping to build a little "nest egg." When the economy tanked, unfortunately, I had to cut this down to $20 a paycheck but I was able to keep doing it throughout 2010. I didn't end up with as much as I had originally anticipated with the crash earlier in the year, but I've started to recover nicely and will be able to use a little of the extra money towards our wedding in June!

#90

90. Get a Library Card

As a graduation gift I got a Nook from my parents and learned that you can "borrow" e-books from local libraries. How awesome is that?!? I went to the local library and signed up for card...only to find out that their selection of e-books was not that great. I heard that Maryland had a much better selection, so I used my student ID to get a MD library card too. Now I've got all the E-books I can handle!

#3

3. Finish My Master's Degree

WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I'm DONE! I have officially finished my classes for my Master's Degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins. I've been (slowly) working on this one since late 2007 and it feels so great to finally be done. When I was in high school I always wanted to go to JHU but got a little burned out after finishing my Bachelor's so didn't really want to go on to graduate school. Then I moved to DE and had the opportunity to attend Hopkins and just HAD to take it. It'll feel so great to finally have that degree to hang on the wall :)