I came home and wanted a hot shower and a hot cup of tea. Green tea with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and one teaspoon honey. Steep for 3 minutes. The medicinal warmth flowed down into my stomach and filled me with comfort. But I wanted soemthing more.

Chicken soup. But not the canned variety. No — one that is stock full of fresh vegetables and natural healthy vitamins. I pulled out my favorite cookbooks scouring for a recipe of cold-curing chicken soup. “Joy of Cooking” was my first official cookbook; it sat on my shelf for many years before I even flipped through the pages. It was given to me by my zanny Aunt Mary-Ann, or Minnie, as her sisters called her; an extremely loving and pious woman with a fear of the outside world. I would often come home to a mailbox full of odd clippings with no notes. The clippings covered all topics but focused on religion and recipes. Christmas followed this same pattern.

I do not remember when I recieved the book, but I knew it had no pictures and was as thick as a family Bible; I am a designer for a reason. Therefore, I placed it in my bookshelf solely as a reminder that I have an Aunt who loves me and wants me to know it. One day I finally picked up the book skimmed its brillance. Contained in its mystery were charts for every conversion and measurement possible, even diagrams for proper table setting. I think if you look in the index under W for Water it will direct you to a page on ‘How to Boil”. Who knew Zannie Aunt Minnie would be responsible for so many cooking lessons?

Chicken soup – boil 4 cups of chicken stock and add 1 cup noodles, S&P to taste with parsley. That was the basic recipe this is what I did:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 oz. turkey bacon chopped

2 carrots chopped

3 celery stalk (including leaves) chopped

Fresh rosemary, oregano, thyme and 2 bay leaves

Chopped cooked chicken

1 cup spinach leaves

1 and half cups egg noodles

6 cups chicken stock

Heat olive oil over medium heat. cook bacon about 3-5 minutes. Add carrots and celery. Sweat for about 3 more minutes. Add the chicken stock and fresh herbs tied together, cook on medium for 10 minutes and then bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the herb bunch. Add chicken and noodles. Cook for 3-5 minutes until pasta is perfect. Cut spinach into strips and stir in along with pepper and parsley before serving.  Of course I should have a glowing product shot here, but I ate it.

Worst photo ever, sure to show up on the news if I ever stepped out of line.

I know, I have been a bad, bad blogger. For the whole one of you left reading this, I do have a good reason why I have stepped out of blogland, I promise.

I am employed.

Well, temporarily anyway. But, yes. I have a place of business and a paycheck. The work is interesting. And, the people are either the friendliest or most curious I have ever worked with. People from all departments have made an effort to come to my desk and introduce themselves. Word on the street is that I am twenty-something. Perfect. I been called into the bosses office twice now and realized I might be suffering from Post Traumatic Lay-Off Syndrome. I keep thinking they are going to tell me I am not up to snuff, but they are only giving me more fun assignments. There is nothing about this position that I can complain about, and that my friends is a – wow.

My schedule has returned to something of former recognition where chores are no longer my expression of a freedom filled passion, but solely a loathed time-stealing activity. Time is tight, but the money situation is expanding. I even went to my favorite store Ulta’s today and loaded up on facial and nail home spa supplies all for the cost of a manicure. I sleep less, but the structure fits me and I am more efficient. I have a badge that opens doors and even with the photo bearing a horrible, red-eyed, florescent-lit face only a mother could love, it makes me feel … good and gounded.

In this next chapter of early morning rises and prepacked lunches, I am determined to not become over-whelmed with life’s to-dos. My mentor, Martha Stewart, has created many lists to keep things in the home very organized. The one I found most helpful and realistic to pull off is “6 things to-do each day”.

1. Make the Bed – Last person up makes the bed.
2. Pick up any clutter
3. Sort the Mail
4. Clean as you cook – my husband would love it if I could master this one, but my mother would say the food will not come out nearly as creative if you are worried about cleaning up each step.
5. Clean up fresh spills – it is great to have a dog.
6. Sweep the kitchen floor – love this one! I don’t know why, but sweeping the floor each day helps me feel accomplished no matter what has happened.

Will I become overwhelmed? Probably. But that is my nature, and I am not going to stop trying to achieving balance in everything.

The first evening we used the pots I was filled with anticipation and anxiousness. It was a chilly night and the menu was thai lime chicken and rice, one of our favorites. Overly aware while cooking the rice we both checked that the burner was set properly. Check. And then set the timer for 20 minutes.

Twenty minutes later I smell something burning. No, no, no not during the all-clad inaugural cooking. I whiz to the stove top and check the burners, confused I check again. No, No! I blame myself and my new husband, how, how!? We set the empty burner to low and the rice burner to high. 20 minutes the rice has been charring on the bottom of our new pot.

I start scrubbing. And soaking. Scrubbing. And soaking. The black rice brick is not moving. While soaking I begin researching on-line. Boil soap. Call Mom. Use dishwasher degerent and soak. Sleep. Dream of charred rice bricks. Wake up, more scrubbing. I finally call All-Clad to beg for guidance. She tells me about Bar Keepers Friend.

The price was one the of cheapest cleaners in my de-germing lineup and found at my regular grocery store. I created a paste and the black rice brick broke up. Even more impressive was the the shine on the bottom of the pot. Just like I pulled it out of the box. Bar Keepers Friend is used anytime I need to clean a pan or silverware. There is no more anxiousness when cooking with all-clad. We tackled one of the biggest challenges and came out winners with new friends. Bar Keepers Friend has become one of our best friends.

When I was in high school it was good grades, happy parents and acceptance into rather difficult schools.

In college success became, after a very tough year, graduation above a 3.0.

Post-Grad was finding a job worthy of a diploma with high standards and salary enough to cover loans and purchase a car.

Mid-Career success became having money and climbing whatever corporate ladder was hanging around.

I was not good at attaining either one. I am terrible in negotiations and am not very interested in playing the games. I wish I was, it would make life a lot easier. But I am too much of a thinker about the “meaning of it all”.

Layoff - the definition for the first time turned to seeking a happy and a peaceful existence while earning enough to live below exuberance.

Fast-forward 2 months and I am not convinced that is the definition. The layoff turned me to the right direction, but I am still the same goal achieving person. So what are the new goals? I have spent many runs, prayers, and dreams trying to find the perfect answer.  My research-happy personality led me to research and discover how others define success.   Here is a thought provoking definition of success I found on the Steve-Olson Blog. http://www.steve-olson.com/how-do-you-define-success/

• Success means knowing I do the right things for the right reasons.
• Success means not compromising integrity.
• Success means I share with those who need my help.
• Success means I give my time to my family.
• Success means providing value to others.
• Success means living up to my commitments.
• Success means building a community – not a network.
• Success means looking in the mirror and liking what you see.

Notice how money is not in this definition? Our cultural standards place so much importance on placement and title in our society. When introduced to someone new, hello and what do you do are some of the first bits of conversation. “I’m an Art Director.” “I’m a Doctor” … “I’m seeking happiness” does not have the same important stable ring.

I want to know your personal definition of success. Please post it in comments.

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I have been thinking about this post since about a month.

What is meaning of success and at what point will you decide that you have either achieved or failed? Before I would have said that success was a perception that most have on your work. How many awards, pay raises, office, how many children, the location of your home and who’s phone number is stored in your blackberry or iphone, how many vacations in a year… Take all those stats, plat them on a chart and print a map of your success.

Getting to know myself, I now would say that success is more the kind that my Pappi would talk about and I would roll my eyes too. Family, nothing more important than family. Who is in your home

1. Find a Mentor.

Check: Ina, Martha, Giada, and my Mom.

2. Find a kitchen

Check: most homes comes with this one.

3. The best ingredients you can afford.

Easy enough with a visit to the grocery store. But this is Budget Gourmet. Fresh ingredients are some of the pricest items I buy, outside of the ocasssional signature Cosentino bottle of wine. Luckily, I married a Green Thumb who loves to garden. Additionally, this house has fantastic gardening bones. I was cleaning up in the garage when I came across writings on the garage door, lists of planted crops with coinciding planting and harvesting dates. Mr. Bob, the original home owner, had planted lima beans, corn, lettuce, roses and sunflowers just to name a few. Now we were inspired.

A trip to home depot and we were on our way to an organic mini-garden. Today’s special for tomorrow’s harvest. We bought plum tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, squash, and bell peppers. Vegetables that are used in over 60% of my cooking. We also added sage, thai basil, oregano, and mint to the herb box garden.

Garden then.

Garden in the middle.

Garden today.

Murder in the garden. Our sweet flat-leaf parsley plant has been so good to us and I would like to take a moment of silence for it’s memory of added wonder to our salads, pastas, sandwiches, and beef dishes.

*****

The murderers. Unlike our world, they will never see a jail cell. Their chewing bodies and overly colorful egos will roam the planet until they turn into flying beauties. I hate them. I feel fooled by my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Brandt who taught the false wonder of these creatures. They are the perfect murderer. Their M.O., hunger. Eat to destroy. Then, hide off in a self-made cave and wait until the investigation is over. Only come out of the cave when the wings are ready. No one will ever suspect a pretty flying beauty of MURDER. Ah, the perfect crime.

Today there were 5, yesterday 8.

We are trying to stay organic. Little pests are good in small number; they eat other little pests. But once their is a natural imbalance action must be taken. Our course of action on this mission is as follows:

Remove catepillars to the back of the yard.

Spray existing plants with a cayenne pepper and dish soap mixture.

Pray for natural success.

Stay tuned for more garden news.

I took several pictures that I thought would be fun to share:

The triathlete post ocean swim, mountain bike ride, and sand run and still smiling.

On our way to the race start. Grace, Elizabeth and me. If you are wondering, Elizabeth is the dog.

Along our pre-race hike, I came across two trees who fell in love.

We entertained her in the "Spooky Cave" (the fort) while mama raced.

She makes the spooky cave look so sweet and innocent.

#155 is finished and on the table waiting for her professional rub down.

you grow 'em, we train 'em.

Best for Last. (Thank you B.I.L. for spotting this one)

But sometimes, a girl needs to get out. Sometimes we need to pull out the overly pointy power heels, brush on lavish lashes and finish off our ensemble with an expensive spray of a sweet perfume. So, I made a plan and I thought I would share it with you. I found the AMC theaters, nationwide, are offering a great special: movies prior to noon are only $5. In Tampa, an evening show comes in at $9.50, this offer is nearly BOGO.

I woke up to my husband making a complete breakfast of blueberry pancakes, turkey bacon and steamy sweet coffee. We chowed and checked out the movie times. We were off for a morning date, a viewing of Hangover.

The movie was hilarious in all the wrong ways. Topics such as, but not limited to, child neglect, kidnapping, burglary, gambling, and drug use are taken to the point of ridiculousness that leaves your jaw open and your ab muscles with a comfortable burn from laughing. Well worth the $5. Then on to our next destination which was our favorite smoothie spot, Extreme Juice on South Dale Mabry. Sunday they offer a two for one special. So for $15 we had a funny movie and a delicious smoothie.

There is no free lunch, but almost.

Enjoy your weekend and comment if you find a ridiculous savings that must be shared.

I took a few pictures to share with you, the plastic hallway, the waiting room, and the orientation. Finding the orientation was not simple, I came yesterday and was turned away. Plastic has taken the place of the government hallways due to water damage, which means the directional signage is amiss. Once I found my way, with the assistance of two employees, the room was full of all types of different people with one thing in common; an unemployed status. There was one gentleman, I use the term loosely, who was listening to music so loud that if I spoke another language I would be able to recite them to you. I took a picture of his “i don’t care attitude back”. I only wish I had the nerve to forcefully poke him on the shoulder and ask him if he was trying to blow out his hearing and to please turn down his music. I did make a friend, Brenda. She was laid off as a County Clerk and was dressed to impress as our mail instructions directed.

Maybe ET is on the other side.

Lots of folks with one thing in common.

What, WHAT DID YOU SAY, HUH, LOUDER PLEASE!?

They gathered us all and we sat through a short informational session while people raised their hands and asked these questions:

“Do you have a pen I can borrow?”

“Do you have paper?”

“What if I find a job, but I don’t have transportation?”

“Why do people care what ringer is on my cell phone?” An MTV Documentary-like debate began. During which we learned that if someone has a long voice message and you do not have the 30 extra seconds of patience, hit the number one and it will go straight to voice mail. I tried on a call this afternoon and it did not work.

There was also a good amount of conversation about staying away from twitter, facebook, myspace and blogging. These mediums can be damaging to your hiring status because people can find all of the information you think is private just because you chose a private setting. Interesting that it has become a medium that could potentially get you hired or fired. Lesson: User Beware, Proceed with Caution.

We learned about all of the resources that the workforce has to offer and there are hundreds: free classes, resume help, job searches, professional networking events, and even grant money to go back to school.

Free money? Yeah, $5,ooo!! But of course, there is a process and lots of red tape. But red is my favorite color and I would be elated to be a student again. Think of all the new things I could learn: website, writing, a higher level of graphic design, business management, computer technology, maybe even baking – the options are endless.

Here is a list of resources I walked away with:

www.florida.org Unemployment Extension Benefits

www.employflorida.com Resume Help, Career Choice, Classes, Job Searches

www.workforcetampa.com – resource center is open 8 – 4:30 and Career Advancement Classes will begin Aug. 1st. These are free classes in powerpoint, word, excel …

The morning was full of … stuff. Meeting new people, hearing how desperate other situations are, learning about new opportunities, and seeing your place in society. The good stuff called life.

Later, I opened the fridge, the spirit of Jim Henson came over me and the watermelon called to me. I shut the door. I opened the door. It called to me again. “Give me eyes, please it is dark in here!” So in 10 seconds I did. I brought our little friend to life and he wanted to tell you, “Happy Monday everybody!”

The bread’s taste will slightly change due to the beer that is used.  I made this week’s loaf to go along side a spicy chili, but more about that later.  Here we go:

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

3 tablespoons of brown sugar 

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

4 tablespoon of melted butter

1 beer room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease loaf pan, set aside.

Mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  

Open the beer and pour in all at once.

Stir about 2o strokes or until well incorporated.

Pour into the loaf pan and drizzle melted butter over the top.  I only used 2 teaspoons of butter.

Pop into the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  My oven ended up taking about 50 minutes.  Let cool just a bit, serve warm.  Who said bread was difficult?