The fabulous and excellent grand LES food tour 2013

On Saturday while we were at the MOMA* CJ and I decided, on a whim, to take a food tour** of the Lower East Side a la this BuzzFeed article.  We don't really frequest the LES so it was fun to explore a new part of town. (We also stumbled upon Babeland which is a really tame, non-embarrassing, classy sex shop for mature adults but even so I turned around and left pretty much as soon as I walked in because I felt I might faint. Basically I suck the fun out of everything.)

The first stop (after taking world's biggest detour which involved me swearing and a bus full of 100+ y/o Chinese people) was Vanessa's Dumplings.  Last weekend we went to Korea Town and got dumplings that were really good and cost about $8 for 8.  These were even better than those and we paid TWO DOLLARS for 8. This place is magic. We sat next to some people who ordered 50 dumplings (apparently you can buy them frozen...genius) and they paid only $9!!! The ladies who work there are all kinda mean and there is always a line but it's like WHO CARES.

I want these so bad right now and it's 10:30 AM.***

Next we braved the weirdo-ridden streets of the LES and walked to Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery.  We got the Chocolate Chip Extravaganza as per the BuzzFeed article and even though it looked so weird it was nothing short of divine.  Smushed up chocolate chip cookies + butterscotch pudding + whip cream all mixed/mashed together= heaven.  And they have cupcakes for $1.75.  I dare you to find a bakery anywhere that sells cupcakes (NOT MINI) for that cheap.

droolz

Then we decided to walk to Joe's for a slice  the best slice in the city, and we accidentally ended up in the shop where CBGB used to be (Hollaback Rufus and Lily!!) and that was cool but neither of us really care about punk music so...not that cool. Anyway we took our time strolling to Joe's and then we saw Mighty Quinn's BBQ (^__^) and we were like OHHHHHHHH now I know where we are! And I saw a guy come around the corner with a cone of them Pommes Frites and I said "WAIT CJ NOT JOE'S, FRIES" and he said "YES FRIES FIRST JOE'S AFTER" and so we found the fry place and those were also delicious. But I did not like them as much as the frites at Bruges, my one true Salt Lake love. And we didn't even go to Joe's after 'cause now we were too full.

we did not get cheddar cheese as pictured we got parmesan peppercorn dipping sauce.

We did all of this for only $12!! We didn't even need dinner after, it was all sooo good. And then we were like, what are we going to do when we live in California and we really want Vanessa's dumps? Cry? Then we laughed about how when we grow up and have kids and bring them back to New York they are going to think we are crazy because we are just going to be running all over town stuffing our faces with the best food in all the world.

At the end of it all CJ said "Today was really fun" and I said "Yeah" and he said "Would have been funner with friends though..." and I said "Yeah..." BUT then Sunday came and now we have some friendships in the works so STAY TUNED.

*We both get into the MOMA for free because of our jobs. On Saturday the woman at the desk said to me, "You can actually bring guests for free too, just so you know." Which I take to mean I can bring 20 guests for free if I want. So if you come visit we can all go to the MOMA for FREEEEE.

**I use this term pretty loosely. We only went three places, after all. If you come to New York I will take you on a for realz food tour.

***Yes, I took all these pictures straight from BuzzFeed. Yes, that is incredibly lame. You can criticize me for not taking any pictures ever once I have an iPhone, okay thanks.

you know new york, you need new york, you know you need unique new york.

I have lived in New York for three whole months now and I have blogged about it twice.

That is TRULY shameful.

I have drafted probably four or five blog posts but I don't want to whine about living in New York because that's stupid, and I also don't want to be overly hunky-dory about living here because...that's annoying and also stupid.

The truth is, living in New York is both terrible and amazing.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's probably the best AND worst place I will ever live. So the dichotomy makes writing about it hard...but right now I can smell the remnants of a donut I just ate from my favorite donut establishment, Dough, and if I walk five feet from my desk I have the bombest view of the Manhattan skyline.

So for today, donuts outweigh all the crazy strung-out people and pee smells I'll encounter on my way home.

TREATZ on TREATZ

I am constantly bopping around the internet to find great things to eat here in the city so I thought I would share the treats we've eaten so far! And what I thought was wonderful and what I thought was overrated. OK. These are not in any order.

Actually, I think I shall start with CUPCAKES.

Sprinkles YES
We all know I love this place. Make sure to read their tweets and go on a day when they have a secret code that you "whisper" to buy one get one free. Ate ours in Central Park. Bliss. Tried the lemon coconut one, it's a sham. I have found that most coconut cupcakes are a sham as they are vanilla/lemon/chocolate cake with vanilla/lemon/chocolate buttercream and covered in coconut flakes. The flakes being the only coconut component. HELLO. Flakes aren't even the best part about coconut!! So don't get that one unless you have a bizarre affinity for coco flakes. Strawberry is still my favorite.

Molly's YES
Started in Chicago and now she has an adorable little shop on Bleeker Street. Cannot beat the ambience here. But be careful if you use the bathroom because the lock does not work and someone will walk in on you. Molly's schtick is that her cupcakes are all filled! And delicious! CJ and I got the Cookie Monster one and it was really good and it has cookie dough inside so obviously it's the best choice. The frosting on it tasted like straight butter and befuddled me for a while. CJ can attest that I did not stop talking about it. "How do you think they make this?????" Side note: I have had the PB/chocolate one before too and it is also delicious.

Georgetown Cupcake NO
We kind of got off on the wrong foot because I noticed that they charge you for the box if you buy several cupcakes. That is morally wrong. I like this place because it's in SoHo and because everything is pink. I do not like this place because their cupcakes are dry. And kinda tiny. The end. Maybe I will give it another chance but probably not since I have about 100,000 better treats to try.

Baked by Melissa NOOOO
Another cupcake I am feeling a little bitter about. Melissa's schtick is that her cupcakes are ACTUALLY bite-sized. As in ONE bite. Two if you're lucky or splitting it. This is an adorable idea except for the fact that each of them costs A D O L L A R.  Is it just me or is that a little ridiculous??? I'll let u have a bite of my cupcake......FOR A DOLLAR! No, thanks. I had to try it for the sake of trying all the cupcake places and they actually are really yummy. I think the tiny size helps to keep the ratio of frosting to cake just perfect and the cake itself is REALLY moist. But I will not be purchasing any more of her teaspooncakes because...personal ethics. I tried Cinnamon and Cookie Dough, CJ had Mint Choc Chip.

OTHER TREATS

Crack Pie from Momofuku Milk Bar YES
Listen to me. Eat this. Don't share.

Cereal Milk soft serve from Momofuku NAH
I just had to try this for myself, but I do not recommend unless your favorite pastime is drinking the milk out of your cereal bowl after eating corn flakes.

Ice Cream Sandwich from The Good Batch in Brooklyn NAH
We stumbled upon this delicacy at Schmorgasburg, a food fair in Brooklyn that takes place every Saturday in the summer. They had a few different flavors to choose from and we chose the Goodwich: vanilla ice cream drizzled with fudge and sandwiched between two oat chocolate chunk cookies sprinkled with sea salt. I thought it was really good but it was TOO SALTY. I understand a little bit of salt (a "sprinkling" you might say) for contrast but this was too much for me. Either way we ate the whole thing and I mostly enjoyed it but the salt left a bad taste in my mouth (literal and metaphorical.)

Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity 3 YEAH SURE MAYBE
Get this. But not if you have to wait very long. And don't plan to share it because there is an $8.50 minimum per person at this joint. It is noted in a corner of their mess of a menu in world's smallest print. I think if I knew that before I went I would be less put-off by it but whatever. This frozen hot chocolate, which will cost you about $9, is delicious and I think you should definitely spring for it. Plus it's one of those novelty NYC things that you "have" to do...but seriously if you have to wait like an hour or something just don't go and it's really not that big of a deal. Dunkin Donuts has frozen hot choc, too.

Cheesecake (Creme de la creme Cream Cheese Cake, as they call it) from Serendipity 3 NO 3X
No, no, no. CJ only got this because of the aforementioned minimum of $8.50 per person, and I didn't think it was very good at all. It doesn't come with anything on it except whip cream, I didn't like the crust, and it just wasn't sweet enough for me. Tasted like a bite of a brick of cream cheese to me. But CJ liked it so whatever. Just no. Get the frozen hot chocolate, do not get anything else.

Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery YEAH 3X
REALLY yummy. $5 for a cup but you can definitely split it between two people because it is so rich. CJ and I could barely finish. If you are going to Magnolia, this is the thing to try for sure!

I am in sweet sweet love with this city.

Scenes from the weekend (no pictures)

I think I am just a hoot because I am calling this post scenes from the weekend but there are no scenes. I need to make myself take more pictures or my children are going to hate me.

On Friday night CJ and I had so much fun! When we were deciding where to go to dinner CJ said he wanted to go somewhere a little nicer. We decided on P.F. Chang's and it was a great decision. I haven't been in a while because the P.F. Chang's in Tri-Cities is TERR.I.BLE. Let me tell you. Just disgusting. I wonder if they have changed their ways but I seriously doubt it and I don't want to risk going back. We shared the Orange Chicken and Crispy Honey Shrimp. In the past I have avoided shrimp even though I love it because it makes me sick. BUT the past two times I have had it I have felt just fine! So that's great. I love food.

Then we went to Sports Authority so CJ could get some new sweats!!!!! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT. We ran into Skyler and Kara in the mall and got to chat with them for a while so that was fun. After we left we headed up the canyon to Sundance Resort to ride the ski lift! During the fall you can ride the ski lift at night when there's a full moon! Funny story...I had planned to take CJ about a month ago the last time there was a full moon. I told him we were going on a surprise date and talked it up a lot and then it rained and stormed the night we were supposed to go. I was so disappointed! But we went to Color Me Mine instead and it was great so whatever. But anyway, basically every time CJ and I plan to do something outdoors it rains. So we got really lucky on Friday night because the weather was perfect. The lift was a little bit scary at first but it was so beautiful and peaceful in the canyon at night. It was wonderful to just sit and talk and enjoy each other's company. (CHEESIN')

Saturday...oy vey/madre mía/etc. I woke up at like seven in the morning, went to Weight Watchers, got some McD's for breakfast (IRONY LOL) and then went STRAIGHT to the library with my diet coke in hand. I was there from 9-4!!!! As much as I hated it it felt so good to get my work done and know that I wouldn't have to do any homework the next day. This semester I have been trying to avoid doing homework on Sunday and it has gone really well so far. I love having Sundays to just relax, go to church, bake, and spend time with friends and family. Sundays really are one of my favorite days of the week. ANYWAY. After I got back from the library, CJ picked me up and we headed to McKay's lacrosse scrimmage. My cousin Kelci who I haven't seen in forever was there and Alyssa was there, too. I could honestly watch lacrosse all day I think it is so entertaining. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful, but I always have fun with CJ. Took a trip to the grocery store to get the ingredients for Sunday dinner. We went to In-N-Out (healthy choices happening all da time) and it was dericious. Then we watched Heavyweights (how appropriate) and just ended up falling asleep.

Sundayz r da best dayz. Went to CJ's ward because my ward is at 1:30 and CJ's is at 11...so pretty easy decision there. I wake up at like the crack of dawn on Sundays and it's just really hard to wait around for church to start. After church I made enchiladas that were pretty good and  lemon cookies that were the bomb and we took them to Brian and Shannon's. It's so much fun to hang out with them and we all get along really well...and Shannon loves to play charades so it's like a match made in heaven!

I love the weekends. And this weekend will be ESPECIALLY FUN because it's going to be MYYYYY BIRTHDAYYYYYY!!!! THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

No Points Pasta

So I am doing a recipe post and it's going to be really boring because I don't have a single picture of the food I made because, like I said in my last post, I don't have an iPhone. BUT you really should make this dish because it's really good and easy.

From the time I was about 11 until after I came to college the only thing I knew how to make was pasta with cream sauce. (My mama taught me right, guys.) And I was good at it, too. Didn't even need to look at a recipe or anything. I loved to make it on New Year's Eve while my friends and I watched old episodes of Laguna Beach, or for dinner during my first year at school. It has always been my go-to and I love the simplicty of it. This recipe is the grown up version of that dish. After all, I am almost 21!

(It's called No Points Pasta because I am doing Weight Watchers and this pasta is actually A LOT of points but I just kept joking about how it's not any points because I wanted to eat the whole pot! HILARITY.)

NO POINTS PASTA (adapted from Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy)

1 box penne
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 package white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sodium-free chicken broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup cream
1 rotisserie chicken, cut up into bite-sized pieces (I used almost the whole chicken)
handful (or more) fresh spinach
dash cayenne (optional)
fresh basil (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
handful shredded parmesan

Directions:

Boil water and cook pasta until al dente, about 11 minutes.

Heat butter and olive oil in LARGE saucepan. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions start to get soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are almost fully cooked, becoming soft and dark. Then add the chicken broth and let simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once everything is incorporated, add the tomato sauce and stir together well. Then...the cream. Turn the heat down and add your chicken and spinach. Stir well. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes until the spinach is soft.

While the sauce is simmering, chop your basil. You can add as much as you want, I used about a tablespoon but wished I had added more.

If you like a bit of spice, throw some cayenne in the sauce. Then add your basil, and salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and pour it into the sauce. Throw in the handful of parm. Stir until well combined.

You won't be single for long, ladies! LOL but seriously it's extremely delicious.

DISCLAIMER: I DIDN'T TAKE PICTURES TODAY

I arrived in Spain today! A few things.

1. I really never know what day or time it is here or back in America. No me importa.

2. One Day with Jim Sturgess and Ann Hathaway is one of the worst movies ever. I watched it on the plane after I watched Glee in concert. I need to marry a man who doesn't think twice when I'm given the choice of like 20 quality movies and I choose Glee in 3D...

3. My mamá se llama Luisa and she is the world's sweetest. She loved the chocolates I gave her and she has two sons who are...eh hem...guapísimos. Her husband died like a month ago and she told me she is still getting used to him not being here. She mentions him every once in a while and it makes me really sad.

4. I love greeting everyone with besos!

5. It is so hard to speak in Spanish all the time. We all know I am a huge talker but I haven't talked that much since I got here! It feels like I have nothing to say. I can understand pretty much everything Luisa says, but when we were walking today and I could hear people talking it's not like i could eavesdrop because I don't understand well enough when I'm  not completely concentrating.

6. I found a frozen yogurt place...boom.

7. I already want Mexican food. Ay.

8. I stick out like a sore blonde American thumb. When I was in Russia nobody was the wiser, here they all gawk at me and I feel like a tonta!

9. I can't wait for my friends to get here!

10. Monday is Cervantes day in Spain, which is very exciting because I live just a few blocks away from the house he was born in. So it's a pretty big deal around here. Also, I am sad I missed the clasico last night but apparently Real Madrid won so hooray!

11. Also, craving barbecue right now.

I am going to go to bed to try and get back on a normal schedule if at all possible. I am so so so so happy to be here and even though it's scary I am ready to have the time of my life! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, and also one of the dumbest...but I'm sure that will pass. I hope my posts will be better in the future but honestly my brain is made out of mush and mini reese's cups right now. Besos!

This girl in the testing room has THE perfect ring and I cannot stop staring

So I got accepted to study abroad in Spain this fall. I started working on my application about a month ago, then I decided I probably wasn't going because I met a cool boy, and then the cool boy went away and I decided I definitely didn't want to go, and then the night before the application was due I decided to just turn it in/my parents talked me into it. So February 14th I completed my application around 11AM, got an e-mail at 4 asking me to come in for an interview the next day. I went to my interview the next morning and I got in. I am still trying to decide if I want to go...I think I have about 2 weeks to decide. We'll see, I guess!

And here's the surprise of the century: I was a crank on Valentine's Day for the first time in my life! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. LOL. So sue me. I'm pretty sure if the holiday didn't exist I still would have been cranky because I was just having a weird day.

I have never cared about school less than I do now. I still care more than the average person. Just not the average Caitlin. Also, I have become relatively disenchanted with Justin Bieber. You're shocked, I know. Just...the earrings and the clothes and the girlfriend and the Chris Brown friendship...you know.

Things I love:

New Fun. album. You can stream the entire thing here. Me and pretty much all my friends are going to their concert in March and I am really excited! Disclaimer: bad words sometimes.

Cazookie. Google it. Had my first one a couple of weekends ago and honestly I almost died of happiness. It was so good and just so perfect. Not to mention The Chocolate is the most adorable place.

Pablo Neruda and Martin Espada. They are poets. Look them up. You have probably heard Neruda but you just don't know it. Sonnet XVII.

Sweets. Honestly...you don't want to know. I have had a perpetual sweet tooth for about a month straight now. I hope you enjoy watching me blow up like a balloon.

I am going to the airport after work today to fly home for the weekend...and that is the best news I have ever heard.

Ciao, Provo.

A bone to pick

I really like pinterest. I think it is an awesome place to share ideas, quotes, and photos. I have tried a few recipes from pinterest, and they have been hit and miss. I made boot socks based on an idea from pinterest and I really love them. I don't typically spend a ton of time on it for whatever reason...I guess there are other social networks that appeal to me more.

That being said, I am becoming more and more deterred because of some of the "pins" that are becoming increasingly popular on the site. Obviously, this is not pinterest's fault. Pinterest presents a forum where people can pin as the please, and the things that get repinned over and over again are not a reflection of the institution of pinterest; rather, they are a reflection of the pinners and, I would argue, society.

I absolutely have NO tolerance for ridiculous pins that are outrageously didactic in warping perceptions of body image and physical fitness. Pictures of ridiculously skinny girls, or super ripped girls with 500 pack abs, in sports bras and underwear, or even less clothing than that, with words in the foreground that say things like:

"Looking at this picture won't make you any skinnier. 50 push-ups. Now."
You should know that the girl in this picture was a supermodel. Absolutely RAIL thin, with her ribs on full display. That is not what I want to look like, that is not what women should aspire to look like, and that is not healthy. I guarantee the girl in the picture cannot do 50 push-ups because her body is so deprived!

"A mile a day keeps the pounds away."
Seriously? Once again, a rail thin girl with a belly ring (ew) and her hipbones jutting out. As if running a mile will make you look like that. It probably won't. Some people would have to stop eating altogether and exercise for hours on end every day to look like that. AND some people can eat whatever they want all the time and not exercise and still be skinny. It's called genetics and metabolism, people.

"Would you rather have that cookie or a space between your thighs?"
I was born with my thighs touching and I will die with my thighs touching. Regardless of any diet or exercise regimen. That's the gospel truth, ya'll. And I'm going to eat the cookie.

"Motivation!"
This picture of a female body builder in a string bikini is only motivating me to punch the computer screen and scream.

"Greasy fries or skinny thighs?"
Like I said before, even if I swore off fries for the rest of my mortal life, I would not have skinny thighs. I don't have skinny thighs. I don't want skinny thighs. Since when have skinny thighs become synonymous with great/beautiful thighs? That's what I want to know. That is stupid. I would just like to refer you to Beyonce Knowles, the most beautiful woman on the planet.

I think one of the biggest problems we're facing here is that this is having a huge effect on young girls. They want to be skinnier. My friend Amanda told me that one day she saw her younger sister, who is ten, running around the yard. She asked her why she was running, and her little sister replied, "I ate a piece of cake." A perfectly healthy young girl ate one piece of cake and felt that she needed to run around her yard so she wouldn't get fat. When I was in Russia, I was at the park across the street from our house and I heard a little girl who was not fat by any means say to her friend that she wishes that she wasn't so fat. And she started going on and on about how fat she was and how she can pinch the fat on her belly. I wanted to walk over to her and shake her by the shoulders and say "You are pretty and you do not need to be skinnier!" Super upsetting, and it's only getting worse.

I will admit that I'm not the healthiest person ever. I could be doing better at a lot of things and there are some great ideas on pinterest about eating healthy and exercising often. Please don't get me wrong, I am all for fitness and being healthy. But when I was training for a half marathon, I will tell you that the greatest changes in my life were in my moods and my attitude, not in my weight or figure. When I was running, it made me so happy and energized. I felt great about myself, not because my thighs weren't touching and all that crap (they were still touching), but because I could do hard things and my body was capable of so much more than I ever thought possible. Yes, I was in better shape. My belly was smaller, my arms looked better, et cetera. But did I look like any of the girls in those pictures? Heavens, no. I actually felt a little ripped off. I couldn't understand why I wasn't getting super skinny, even after running 6-12 miles four times a week, because my whole life I have been led to believe that if you run enough, you'll look like a supermodel. For me, that turned out to not be true. Society and popular culture set up me up with certain expectations, and even through very very hard work, those expectations were not met. Fortunately I didn't become bulimic or anything like that, but that happens to a lot of people: when their expectations aren't met after taking action in a healthy way, they resort to more extreme measures. So instead of trying to tell people how they can look like someone else, why don't we promote self-confidence? Instead of trying to "fix" people with crazy diets and pills and what have you, why don't we encourage people to be their best selves and love it, regardless of how they measure up to others?

The point is, I think as a society we must start being more concerned with the space between a woman's ears than the space between her thighs. And I will now proceed to stuff myself with delicious free dinner and dessert at my ward Christmas party. Put that beat in your Nissan truck.

All I want for Christmas is for Halloween to be over.

It's Halloween and all I can think about is how I am going to decorate the apartment for Christmas...tonight at midnight...wait, I know what you're thinking. It's one of two things.
Either:
-"OMG, me too!"
or
-"HOW COULD YOU HOW DARE YOU DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS BEFORE THANKSGIVING/DECEMBER 1ST/DECEMBER 25TH/(insert other ridiculous date here) YOU ARE RUINING CHRISTMAS FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!! WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS!"

I am not being dramatic, either. In the past few weeks I have found that this issue of decorating for Christmas and/or listening to Christmas music is VERY polarizing. In fact, one of my roommates threatened to move out if we decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving, which we absolutely doing, so we'll see if she follows through with that. If you follow me and twitter (@cmacmitch) or if you have the privilege of talking to me on a regular basis, you know I am not the most gung-ho person about Halloween. I like dressing up, I love candy, and I love Hilary Norton, but for the most part I am unenthused. I hate scary movies, haunted houses/mazes/mental hospitals/boats/car washes, teenagers on Halloween, and I especially hate Halloween movies and songs. Creepy and tacky.

Maybe one day when I can make costumes for my children and dress them up hilariously, I will like Halloween a little more. But I have a funny feeling that that will just stress me out and make me feel annoyed. On the bright side, LOOK AT THESE BABIES.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What can I get here that has no sugar, no carbs, and is fat free?

Tonight, my job at work was LOBBY.

Which basically means I bus all the tables and wipe them off and sweep the floor. Straight up Cinderella Story H-Duff in the hizzhouse.

So you know how when you go to McDonald's or wherever, the have the garbage cans inside these like things with the swinging door that says TRASH or THANK YOU or something like that? Okay. Same concept. My garbage can is inside this metal cupboard thing but instead of the swinging door, there is just a small hole on the top for me to dump people's garbage in and put their dishes in the dish bin. BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BUS YOUR OWN TABLE. I WILL BUS YOUR TABLE.

The point of this story is that the garbage got full so I took it in the back to empty it into a bigger garbage can and I come back out two seconds later and this woman is DUMPING the contents of her trays PLURAL into the hole in the top of the metal cupboard that the garbage can goes in. THERE IS NO GARBAGE CAN IN THE CUPBOARD. So after she walked away, I crawled inside the cupboard and cleaned up all of her crap that she basically dumped on the floor. DAMMIT, IIIIII WILL BUS YOUR TABLE DO NOT TRY TO HELP ME DO NOT MOVE YOUR TRAY JUST LEAVE ALL YOUR CRAP ON YOUR FREEEEAKING TABLE AND IIIIII WILL CLEAN IT UP.

The bright side is that I made $7 in tips tonight.

And I went on a date this week and it was fun.

And on the way home from work tonight I got this sundae that I get from Sonic which is a hot fudge sundae without ice cream. So basically hot fudge, whip cream, and oreos. And a cherry which is always disgusting.

And I miss Britton.

The End.

And PS

I want to scream at people when they tell me I can't do something/shouldn't try.

And PPS this song has been EXTREMELY heart-wrenching lately. Don't know why.

This got really random really quick.

This summer I want to...

run a 5k in 27 minutes or less.

go to Seven Peaks a lot but make sure to wear sunscreen.

and that's all I can think of. HA! I have other goals but these are just the fun things. What is fun in Utah? What do I need to add to this list?

Since my race is on Saturday, my training program has me not running today or tomorrow...and I miss it. A lot. I guess that means I love running! You don't know what you got 'til it's gone, baby.

I feel so nasty. It's because I ate crap yesterday and I ate crap today...ENOUGH OF THAT, THANK YOU. EW EW EW EW EW EW EW.

I love my little seester and she got a cell phone and I get to see her next week. EEEEE!

I just came to say hello

My brain hurts.

I was just trying to read 71toes and I couldn't because every time I tried to read the words I would get this terrible feeling like my brain was going to explode and my stomach was going to barf.

There are probably a few reasons why this is happening.

1) I just wrote a summary of a Madison note for my constitutional research class. Have you ever read a Madison note? Hmmmmm? Anyway, it was hard.

2) I have to teach Relief Society on Sunday and I'm not really stressed out or nervous or anything I just...am exhausted. And I am like obsessed with finding THE BEST quotes and THE BEST scriptures to use.

3) The Zupas honeymoon is officially over. Saturday was my first day of work and I got the fast and friendly award and everything was great my manager was pulling pranks on me and I fell in love with my co-worker. But today none of my friends were there and Anthony, my manager, is taking the week off and this other manager named Ben is here and he's kind of lame and Saturday must have been really slow because the rush was INSANE today. Yeesh. And now when I take naps all I think about is scooping the toppings on the salads. 'Cause that's muh jorb.

So, that's three. And I think that's enough. I kind of just want to go to bed because I think an ant farm has taken the place of my brain.

And also, it stresses me out to listen to my roommates talk about their boyfriend problems. Thank heavens that boys don't have any interest in me. And also I was thinking today that if a guy I really really would love to marry were to walk up to me right now and say WILL YOU MARRY ME? I don't think I would say yes. So. Just wrap your brain around that one. I'm the next Sheri Dew, ya'll. Whatevs. I like myself and people I like like me so it's all good.

5 delicious things you maybe haven't experienced

That's a Chicago dog. TRUE LOVE.

I'm obviously not a food blogger, but I do love food a lot. And I like to watch the show The Best Thing I Ever Ate on food network where people like Bobby Flay say "This is the best burger/breakfast/dessert/pizza I have ever had. And if you're in *insert food mecca here*, you should go get it!" Well guess what. My two places of residence are Richland, Washington and Provo, Utah. Do I live anywhere near food meccas like New York City, the Bay Area, Maine, or Kansas City??? The answer is NO. One day (hopefully for my honeymoon) I will embark on Burger Tour USA (vair romantic) and I will roadtrip across the country eating every burger from the burger episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate. And I will tell you which one is the yummiest. But for now, I will enlighten you with how a college girl gets her yum fix when a J-Dawg is not an option. I should mention that only one thing on this list is even maybe good for you, so proceed with caution.

1) Oreos+peanut butter.

The Parent Trap classic. Actually, that's how Abby and I found out we are long lost twins. She was eating oreos with peanut butter and I was like "NOOOOO WAY ME TOO!"

2) Brown sugar sandwich.

White bread, butter, and brown sugar. And cut off the crust. Yeesh. So good.

3) Li hing powder on pineapple.

Sometimes, I like to pretend I'm Hawaiian. Like how I danced the hula for 4 years. And how I would eat at Sweet's every day if I could. And how I almost went to BYU-Hawaii. But I digress. My friend and former roommate Jessica is from Laie and she was always introducing us to fun Hawaiian treats. One of my favorites was this pineapple! Li hing mui is a salty dried plum and the li hing powder is bright red. Sprinkled on pineapple it is SO yummy. If you can get a hold of some, try it. If you can't, put some salt on your pineapple. I heard that's good too. As for me, I'm moving to Hawaii the first chance I get. Actually...I've never been there.

4) Chips and gravy.

Also referred to as blabbity blah blah blah which is its fancy French name. You might have seen this fabulousness on the Bachelor during Ashley's hometown date with Brad. The first time I had it was when I was probably ten and we went to Nova Scotia, Canada to visit some of my mother's relatives (my grandma was born in Canada). I have been craving it ever since! You can get it at Ed Debevic's (referred to as "Wets" on the menu) if you're into obnoxious novelty restaurants. Or, you can make it at home but make sure you use brown gravy. My mom has made it for me before just using frozen french fries and a jar of brown gravy from the store. Probably not the proper technique, but sooooooo goooooooood mmmmmmm fat.

5) Warm milk with sugar and vanilla.

Call me crazy and tell me that the Myth Busters say I'm wrong, but this really does help me fall asleep! Freshman year of college consisted of some rough, sleepless nights. I remember calling or texting my mom in the middle of the night just to whine about how I couldn't sleep and I was usually in tears! Fortunately, I have the best mom in the world and she told me to drink some warm milk and I probably said YUCK and then she told me what to put in it. I have been doing this ever since! So just heat up some milk in a mug until it gets foamy around the edges, then put in a couple tsps of sugar, then a little bit of vanilla and stir it up. Don't heat it up in a separate cup! Snuggling the warm mug is part of the experience.

So, why don't you try something on this list? I promise I would never endorse anything that isn't scrumptious.

What's your quirky food combination?

This is what I look like now. If you were wondering.

I love her!

And now she is fake crying because I won't let her hold my camera...

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"You're my best buddy. I really missed you when you went running." -Mason to me.

Matt Costa Radio on Pandora will make you happy.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

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I have been having a very emotional 30 minutes looking at old pictures and you know, contemplating life. And drinking hot milk with sugar and vanilla. And I got to thinking.

There's a time to be fat, and there's a time to be skinny and have only one or two chins.

There's a time to be tan, and a time to be a ghost.

There's a time to have beautiful blonde hair, and a time to have a mousy messy mane.

There's a time to be at Disneyland, and there's a time to be in Utah, a time to be in Richland, a time to be in Russia.

There's a time to be a social butterfly, and a time to be a hermit and read Dickens all day.

There's a time for grooveshark, and there's a time for iTunes.

There's a time to nanny the sweetest little manchild ever, and a time to...not nanny him anymore.

There's a time to obsess over other people's lives, and a time to take 500 chill pills and think about yours for two seconds.

There's a time to massage your belly rolls and listen to Radiohead. And that time is now.

All the times are okay.

Because none of the times are forever.

But sometimes it's okay to miss the other times.

There's a time for every time.

And you just have to enjoy all the times during their time because pretty soon you'll be in the middle of another time without even knowing it and you'll wonder what happened to the time that came before the time you are presently in.

30. Another moment.

Hello.

This is every moment of my life.

Photo courtesy of Mason.

30/30, ya done good.