Transitioning Into Grown-Updom: Not disappearing

I was going to blog about this, but work got too busy. I will just put in tags for all the things that I would like right now.

Transitioning Into Grown-Updom: Cooking

For about half of my college career (the second half--I did things backwards) I lived with my parents. My mother, being the mommy type mother that she is, would always cook dinner for us, pick something up for us, or take us out to eat. If not, she would prepare everything and then have us stick something in the oven. Now that I am on my own, I am finding that eating out all the time is not only fiscally irresponsible, but just plain bad for me. This brings me into my first big transition into grown-updom: cooking for myself.

How does a girl who never cooked start cooking for herself? Google . After typing "recipes" into Google, I found a wonderful website: allrecipes.com. You can type in ingredients (cilantro everything!) and find super easy recipes. My favorite, right now, is this spicy chicken recipe. [To my beef's dismay] I have started putting the spice mix on everything. The chicken is excellent in salads (and if you know me, you know I hate salad). Fabulous.

Being unemployed is apparently excellent for my coo

king skills. I sit around and cook all day. I even had a dinner party one night. Look at me! Last night, I even invented a recipe. I was kind of excited. It reminded me of the movie Waitress and how she always invented pies (mostly 'cause I insisted on using the word "invented"). Anyway, I will share my hamburger recipe with you. It was spicy (like me?), so beware.

Spicy LG Burger:

-1 lb ground turkey (I use turkey, because the only beef in my life is Christopher)

-1/2 red bell pepper

-1/2 onion

-1/2 tbsp chili powder

-1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper

-1 tbsp paprika

-1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Mix it all together.

2. Form into patties (5 medium or 4 large)

.

3. Broil for 16-18 minutes.

Easy Peasy. They taste great with ranch dressing instead of ketchup and mustard. We used a jalapeno ranch dressing (Safeway brand), and I thought they were yummy. 

The best part about learning to cook is that a few ingredients will cost a lot and last forever; an initial investment, if you will. Those initial investments, of course, are your spices. It may seem ridiculous to spend $5 on such a little jar, but with $15 worth of spices you can have way more tacos than with $15 worth of Taco Bell tacos. Also, if you're trying to go low fat, ground turkey is about equal to ground beef with much le

ss fat. If you are a one or two person household who seems to have veggies go bad all the time--plan out your menu OR go to the store day of. Going to the store day of has saved me the usual $5 of veggies I let spoil a week. 

This has been my first post about truly trying to become an adult. I've got a few other ideas pending to let you know what I'm up to (and hopeful

ly help someone else who is trying to do the same thing). I love you all!!!

To My Good Friend 2am

Why is it that at about 3pm all I can think of is sleep, but come 2am all I can think about is why I hate Arlen Specter and how much I love burritos full of cilantro? Life is difficult.

Graduation is now 3 weeks away. I find myself still jobless and without a future. In true LG fashion, I have made a list of what to do instead of getting a real, grown-up job.

10. Spend my time making up fake posts for textsfromlastnight.com and fmylife.com

9. Do something Youtube worthy

8. Change my name to Caroline

7. Tell everyone I'm an artist

6. Live with my parents and take up something appropriate to being in my mid-20s and living at home (Dungeons and Dragons?)

5. Become a Democrat

4. Stalk Zac Efron

3. Go on Millionaire Matchmaker

2. Cry

1. Do as all middle-class white kids who can't find jobs do and go to grad school.

They are, quite obviously, listed from least to most appropriate. And, I mean, there is always the option of becoming a Fresno/Clovis soccer mom. Just kidding. This is a no mini-van zone.

Defining a Caroline

It's almost graduation, as I have previously obsessed about. Now, I know I should be worried about papers, tests, my internship, getting a job, and finding somewhere to live. I know this. However, all I want is to be a Caroline.

A Caroline? Yes, a Caroline. 

What is a Caroline, you may ask (unless you are one)? Let me share the beauty, glamour, and all over embarrassment that comes with being a Caroline.

A Caroline is someone who is:

1. Inebriated. 

2. Fun.

3. Feeling the need to share the love.

You must meet all the criteria.

A Caroline might:

1. Buy you a rubber ball for being the sober driver.

2. Text you. A lot. And none of those texts will make any sense.

3. Dance with you, music or no music.

4. Drink Boones Farm with a straw, straight from the bottle, in a movie theater.

5. Watch High School Musical on loop for 6 hours.

6. Walk around DC searching for burritos.

7. Walk around SF searching for boats full of cilantro.

Now, you may ask why this is relevant. For --- reasons:

1. I like to make lists.

2. I just watched Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.

3. I'm avoiding writing 4 papers and a cover letter.

4. I am too tired to get ready for bed.

5. I miss my girls.