Welcome to my brain. Is it neurotic in here or is it just me?!

Happy New Year!! Hope everyone had a fun and relaxing holiday.  I went home to the Mitten for a week and did nothing but eat my mom's delicious cooking, sleep watch Friday Night Lights(Call me, Saracen and/or Riggins!!), hang out with the fam, shop and watch movies - my kind of heaven.

Was thinking I was gonna settle into 2012 a bit before diving back into the online dating pool (you know the first few weeks after the New Year when you can't get a machine at the gym to save your life? Yeah, that with online dating times a gazillion weirdos).  But I've been emailing with this boy from OkCupid who's making me want to break my own rules...but my inner cynic can't help but second-guess this down to the smallest detail.

Let's call this one Triathlon Guy.  He seems normal and dorky-cute (just my type), plus we have a ton in common.  For example, we both love Arrested Development and The Walking Dead, have similar tastes in food/Chicago restaurants, believe Bell's Oberon is one of the best things about summer, he does triathlons and I watch them - off to a good start, yeah? But now I've taken to obsessing over the fact that Triathlon Boy gets back to me almost too quickly (i.e. he responds to my emails within a few hours and he asked me out to drinks with less than 24 hours notice).

I know, I know...I didn't say that this was a rational thing that I was doing.  But what must be wrong with this guy that he is just so damn available?  Could it be that he's a stage 5 clinger who reeks of desperation? Or is he a psycho that trolls around OkCupid, writing personalized emails to every chick he comes across until he gets a bite? Or heaven forbid - could he just be some dude that is legitimately interested in me and doesn't play games?

If the situation were reversed and I wasn't hearing back from him, I would be pissed (see Exhibit A).  So can a guy ever win with me?! Perhaps I'm just so tired of going on bad dates (like this beaut) that I'm coming up with any excuse why it's already not going to work out.  Have I just been so pre-conditioned by d-bags as of late that I wouldn't know what to do with a nice boy if he just dropped into my lap and asked me out for drinks? 

In any case, I think I've come up with an actual resolution this year...stop thinking so much.  And I'm sidelining all my cynicism (for now) and we're going out for drinks on Thursday.  Alright, feel free to tell me I'm crazy, a fool or maybe just a teensy bit justified in being cautious after my stellar online dating track record.  And thanks for letting me vent my crazy...y'all are just so easy to talk to ;)

~T

My Life in a Nutshell

     

'Goodnight iPad' > time to put down the gadgets

image via www.amazon.com

I constantly get called out by my family as being a bit too attached to my iPad. (Could it be because I spent hours of our family vacation in August streaming “Friday Night Lights” on Netflix?) So for my birthday this year, they got me this cute book – “Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation” by Ann Droyd.

Obviously a play on “Goodnight Moon,” it does a solid good job making fun of the technological dependent like myself…

“In the bright buzzing room

There was an iPad

And a kid playing Doom

And a screensaver of –

A bird launching over the moon

There were three little Books

With ten thousand books

And a huge LCD Wi-Fi HDTV

With Bose 5.1, six remotes and 3D…”

Definitely an easy and fun gift for the overly wired.

Easy Dinners > Miso Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

Ever since the juice detox I did a few weeks ago, I have been craving fish like crazy. I know, there could be worse things to crave. Like cigarettes, tater tots or poutine, for example. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I haven't had any meat but have been consuming sea bass, shrimp and salmon pretty much on a daily basis as an effect of the juice detox. As part of this fresh fish kick, I tweaked this Cooking Light salmon recipe and after making this four days in a row for dinner can safely say it is deeeeelicious. The edges get perfectly carmelized - it is the best part.

It's perfect for a weeknight meal and works well if you make it a day ahead to marinade and just grill or throw on a pan for dinner. Part of why I like it is because it tastes VERY similar to the Nobu miso black cod/sea bass recipe I am unnaturally obsessed with, only it's a more wallet-friendly weekday version! 

Ingredients:

• 6 TBS brown sugar (I used brown sugar Splenda blend)
• 6 TBS sake 
• 4 TBS low sodium soy sauce
• 2 TBS grated fresh ginger
• 2 TBS lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 6-ounce skinless salmon filets
• Thinly sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds, for garnish 

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a long tupperware container. Roll salmon filets around the marinade, cover and leave in fridge for an hour, or better yet, a day before to soak up the flavors. 

When ready to cook, use a nonstick pan and spray with cooking spray. Turn heat to medium-high. Lay filets down on the pan, but don't pour the marinade over the fish in the pan as it will burn. Press the filets down a bit with a spatula so the outside of the filets get a nice sear. Don't worry if it gets a little smoky, you want that bit of char to get carmelized. Cook each side for about 4 minutes, or until preferred doneness.

When the second side has about 2 minutes left and has had its turn to get a good sear, take the remaining marinade left in your container and pour into the pan over the fish and to let the alcohol burn off and thicken a bit.

If you'd like, this is a good time to throw in spinach or green beans to cook in the marinade too. Once the veggies are done cooking, serve fish and veggies with brown rice and some spoonfuls of sauce. Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas! My family is a bunch of lunatics, but in the best way. We cook for 2-3 days before to prepare for a Christmas feast that mixes traditional Chinese dishes with American, watch plenty of movies and my mom and I try out new recipes. I want it to snow soon so I can wake up to a lovely winter wonderland like this scene from last year's Christmas...

While I cook with my mom and dad, my grandparents go crazy gambling at a mah jong table with my aunt and uncle..

The table's set first thing in the morning...

You sneak breaks from the kitchen to read or nap by the fire...

Or play with Benny...

A special batch of sticky rice is patiently made by my little brother - a family favorite that's always made for the holidays!

Check out my mom's special curry glass noodle spring rolls! We stand side by side stuffing and rolling wonton wrappers with curry glass noodles instead of the usual cabbage mixture.

And then dip in Thai sweet chili sauce... the best! 

I plan on repeating everything above this year with a slap happy grin on my face. What about you? What are your favorite - or better yet, kooky - family traditions for the holidays?

Etsy Find of the Week > Tiny Armour Jewelry

Aren't these sweet? I love how delicate they look - so feminine! In addition to perfect (and reasonably priced!) treats for yourself, I think they'd make great birthday presents for girlfriends too.

via Tiny Armour etsy shop