News

In no particular order:

• I'm legally married.
• Going home to finish planning the big church wedding in a couple days.
• Things I've cooked:
• Some pretty tasty ginger-soy stir fry
• REALLY good potato pancakes
• Lots and lots of pasta
• Stuffed zucchini (with oriental eggplant)
• What I'm cooking tonight: Spaghetti casserole
• Loving the Boston Organics deliveries, but don't know what to do with cabbage.
  
• General exams got pushed back by a little bit (thank GOD)
• Went to world's ODDEST wedding this weekend
• Bought my wedding shoes
• Also bought some pretty amazing stripper heels
  
• Had good friends over for a couple hours yesterday
• Very very very happy playing house.
  

Banana Bread

Tonight I found myself with a bunch of rapidly blackening bananas like this. Instead of just put up with the fruit flies, I decided to make banana bread. After a quick trip to the local Tedeschi's for flour, sour cream, and baking powder, I was good to go.

The recipe I used was this:

BANANA BREAD

10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.

Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a food processor.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons butter and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing on medium speed between each addition. Fold in the nuts.

Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Of course, I used Egg Beaters instead of eggs, 8 inch pans instead of 9 1/4, and I didn't have any walnuts, in classic semi-hobo fashion. Oh, and I had to do the mixing by hand, which was a joy. Pre-baking this is the mess I had on my hands:
Midway through baking and things are looking (and smelling) very tasty.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

So much is in transition right now... I've moved to the new apartment and am waiting for Dan to arrive. But I am still living out of a suitcase and sleeping on an air mattress because I haven't finished moving and don't have a chest of drawers. I'm cooking for myself, but don't have enough dishes or surface space to do much. I'm trying to start reading for my generals, but I don't really have a good place to do that yet.

Oh, and I'm going to be legally married in a little over a month, crazy as that sounds. I'm having all the attending nerves and jitters, but am entirely excited. Planning is going very well. While I was trying on the dress I ended up buying, I also found out that my very best friend is engaged, which is exciting, but also unsettling. It's so strange that we're all growing up. I'm reminded of a passage in one of the Anne books when Diana is getting married, I think. Or maybe it's in Little Women, when Amy marries Laurie (which is STILL upsetting). I should look up those passages. Might make a good toast for the wedding...

It's just unbelievable to me that we're going through these major life changing events, and at the same time. It's nice to have company and to be making these decisions at the same time, but it's also kind of sad. Clearly, life is changing and with it our friendship will probably also change by millimeters. I'm not worried about it ending or anything like that, but am trying to understand how life is going to look once I'm not living by myself and once I'm committed to someone for Ever. And trying to get used to the idea of making big decisions based on more than just myself.

It's a lot of transition all at once, but I'm sure it'll all shake out in a pleasing way. It might be unsettling for a while, but once we're settled it'll be clear that it's the right thing. It's already clearly the right thing, but it's a bit nervous-making. But then I've always thought one would be certifiable if one weren't a little bit nervous before saying the big I Do.

Oy.

This morning I turned in my grades. This afternoon, I had my save the date cards printed. This evening I'm packing up my apartment.

Soooo much transition.

All Growed Up

Well, it's finally official. I've quit my job and am leaving dorm life behind me, almost certainly for good. (Let's just say wild horses couldn't drag me back to the dorms.)

I'm beginning to plan my move, thinking about new furniture, planning a miniature herb garden (in pots) - like these high-tech ones or these slightly lower-tech ones. I'm having Martha Stewart fantasies of beautifully arrayed dinners seasoned with my own produce (aeroponically grown salad greens and seven varieties of basil, oh my!)

I'm also beginning to worry about not being able to afford things like electricity, but that was inevitable.

Many many updates to come.

It feels like life is finally getting started after a few years of treading water.

• Tonight I've spent a couple hours putting together my lists for General exams - the last step I have to take before my Dissertation. It feels like a monumental thing compared with the puny papers I still have to write. I have my teaching assignment for next year and am daily feeling more confident and in control, professionally, than I ever have.
• Also, last weekend I signed a lease on a lovely little apartment in a lovely little neighborhood.
• Most importantly, though, the ball is really rolling for my lovely young man to finally come to the U.S. and make me an honest woman. We're doing the final bits of paperwork and beginning to plan the big day(s).
  
• I'm slowly getting a plan for financial stability and responsibility together. It's far off and optimistic, but not outside the realm of possibility.