Pizzapalooza
Ahhh, I had a fabulous weekend. Friday night, Matt and I took it easy and had a few beers with new Fuqua friends and then ate a late dinner at the famous Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain. I was able to get a new camera, thanks to the accident protection plan I bought at Best Buy, but it wasn’t up and running for picture taking on Friday night. The restaurant was adorable though, and I had a great burger. And, I did go back and add the pictures of Thursday’s dinner to this post.
The highlight of the weekend, though, was a Pizzapalooza competition I participated in on Saturday night. A friend and her fiancee thought of the brilliant idea of having different teams/couples create different pizzas to see who could create the best. We prepared for the competition with appetizers and wine. Over the course of the evening, I had small pours of some really awesome reds. I especially loved the Rodney Stong and the questionable wine from Trader Joe’s.
The contenders were: a shrimp pizza with homemade vodka sauce….
A date, pesto, and blue cheese pizza created by yours truly (and Matt)…
A mixed mushroom pizza with fontina and red sauce…
And a prosciutto and goat cheese with red sauce and olive tapenade.
Omg, they were all heavenly. Seriously, I was so impressed with all the creations.
I’ve always been a huge fan of shrimp pizza, and I think this one got my vote for the best. Unfortunately, we had some crust cooking issues, so the flavor of some of the pizzas (including mine) was compromised:( I’ve had my own before though, so I knew it was good.
Loved the shrooms on this guy!
My second favorite was definitely the prosciutto and goat cheese, party because the crust was the best of the four.
During all the action, the hosts’ sweet dog quietly slept in the corner. She was sooo well behaved!
I must participate in a pizzapalooza again. It was so.much.fun.
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Today, I engaged in pure relaxation. I caught up on a million blogs this morning and had a really nice workout. Remember how I’ve tried twice to have that perfect run in new shoes? Well, it finally happened today. I went back to the sports store for the third time and returned the Brooks. I gave up and just bought last year’s model of the Asics and came home with the exact same shoe that I have now. I’m a little bummed that I couldn’t even get something in a different color, but nothing is worth having knee pain and I’m relieved to be back in something familiar. I ran for about 35 minutes and was just happy to feel like a normal person…no stomach ache, no knee issues, no mental I-hate-running thoughts. It was nice.
It was also nice to stroll over to the movie theater for a late afternoon showing of Water for Elephants. I read the book for book club a few months ago and loved seeing the plot on the big screen. I think it’s one of the best book-to-movies I’ve seen in a long time and I loved the actors.
With a great weekend behind me and a four day week ahead of me, I’m in a fantastic mood. Going to watch Weeds in bed before calling it an early night.
If you were to participate in pizzapalooza, what would you create?
What did other Water for Elephant readers think of the movie?
Read MoreAnd things were going so well…
Another productive day over at the high school and another IEP meeting in the morning. Anyone getting up to watch the wedding? I’m actually tempted by the idea of a little mimosa gathering, but given I have to present at a meeting at 9 am, I don’t think that would be a very good idea. I might try to catch some of the news though, since I’ll be up in the six’s anyway.
I attempted a treadmill run after work, but I’ve been having a little trouble with pain in my knee since switching shoes 
Unfortunately, I think I might have to take them back and search for yet another pair. Anyway, I had to jump on the bike to finish my workout, because I didn’t think I should run any further. I’m taking a break from spinning because Northeastern’s spring semester just ended and there are no classes until the summer session begins.
I enjoyed Oprah this afternoon and did some tidying before getting busy in the kitchen. I made Angela’s Lentil Pasta and loved it. I’m not the biggest lentil fan, but these were flavored just right, and I loved feeling like I was eating a really meaty sauce.
I’ve been working my way through a little bag of clearance jelly beans and they’re on the menu for dessert.
I’m hoping to be in bed early tonight, as I’ve been horrible about going to bed before eleven. May is going to be a bit crazy, so I’m excited for a very low key weekend.
Ta Ta.
AND, I just went to add the pictures of dinner, dropped my camera, and it broke. Guess that’s going to affect my blogging for a while…
Read MoreThe World at 3:30
Mmmm…70 degrees feels soooo good. I laced up the news shoes after work and went for my first run outside (in Boston) of the year. My shoes felt pretty good. Not fabulous, but solid enough that I think I’m going to keep them. Then run itself actually wasn’t too great, probably because I never run anymore and because I was still full from a massive luncheon we had at work today. Regardless of how my body felt, I really enjoyed just being out in the world on a pleasant afternoon. And so did the rest of Boston. People were sitting on benches, eating ice cream, drinking wine, laying out, jogging, and shopping…all at 3:30 on a weekday. I just can’t help but wonder what all those people do for a living that allows them to just hang out during typical working hours. Are they students, tourists, on their lunch break? Who knows, but I’ve got to figure out how to get my dream work schedule. Right now, I don’t think 8 to 3 is it…10 to 6 would be ideal:)
So, I mentioned yesterday that tonight was my last class. It was actually bittersweet because we had a meeting with the faculty, which kind of made me want to be a student again. But then again, I’m very ready to see what the next chapter of life has in store for me and having some cash should be fun. The warm weather and my last class left me with that exciting feeling in the pit of my stomach that something big is about to happen…
I packed a re-creation of Saturday’s Greek sandwich for dinner tonight, but I did want to share last night’s dinner plus drink with you because it was a good one. I made Kath’s coconut shrimp soup:
The shrimp were amazing (we splurged on fresh wild caught jumbos). The flavor of the coconut milk as the base was a really nice change of taste, seeing as I don’t think I’ve ever cooked with it before. I will say I got a little tired of the collard greens (sorry Kath), because we used an enormous head of greens and they dominated the soup.
Fashion Friday: Updates
Dog n Brussels
Today I went to the dentist! Other than my poor receding gums, my teeth are doing just fine. The floss they give you is so misleading though…it looks like a full size, but there’s really only a little bit inside.
After the dentist I went and tried on new running shoes!! I’ve been buying the same pair of stability Asics (21 series) for a few years now, but I was a bit disappointed when I tried on the new model. New running shoes usually feel heavenly, but these felt a bit stiff and tight. I’m not sure what to do because I’m one of those people who’s afraid to switch shoes. I tried on the Brooks Ravenna 2, and although they felt comfy, the motion did feel really different. What do I do?
After another not-so-great workout at the gym, I came home and made dinner for one. Matt’s out with friends, so I just threw a jalapeno chicken dog on the skillet and made some roasted brussels.
Despite the simplicity, this meal tasted so delicious.
Welcome to TBT!
I've created this blog because I'm in a bit of a quarter life crisis. Since graduating from college in 2008 and earning an advanced degree in school psychology in May, I still don't know what career path to follow. All I know is that time is moving way too fast and I find myself living only for the weekends. Bear with me as I attempt to reclaim my twenties by finding pleasure and balance in the work week and incorporating my passions of food, fashion, fitness, and fun into everyday life. 
She said what?