More Vancouver

I'm dog-tired, so I hope this post is coherent!  I don't think I mentioned why I'm in Vancouver; I'm here for an annual meeting of the members of the Executive MBA Council (basically, business school administrators who run EMBA programs).  It's a great conference - truly one of the most useful trips I take all year - but I am always completely zonked by the end.  Sessions all day (although, I didn't have to present anything this year, which was a nice break), networking for all meals, and then in-between and at night, I have to catch up on "real work."  Add to that mix that I'm 6 mos pregnant, and you have a recipe for exhaustion by day 3 or 4.  So, there's the context.

I head home tomorrow - after one more meeting in the morning - and I'm ready!  But, the meetings have gone very well, and I've picked up some great information from my colleagues at other business schools.  This afternoon, one of my colleagues and I did have an opportunity to get out in Vancouver.  We walked about a mile to a ferry dock and took a short ferry to Granville Island, a great island filled with a public market and more shops than you can imagine...and surrounded by water.  Really pretty.  The public market reminded me of one of the things I miss not living in a big city (although I wouldn't trade my small-town Chapel Hill life for anything, save perhaps a little beach-living!).  The market was inside a huge warehouse type of structure, and comprised of stall after staff of food vendors.  Produce, meats, cheeses, gourmet foods, etc.  The closest places I can think of like it (that I've been) are the market in East London and a huge market in Decatur, GA.  It was a foodie's paradise. I had to treat myself to a crepe at the crepe stand.

In addition to the market, it was nice to just walk around in this beautiful city, enjoy the scenery and leisurely shop.  I'm not a big shopper, but I did pick up a couple small gifts for my daughter; hope she'll like them.  The was a huge "Kids Market," which included 20+ vendors selling children's wares.

I then completed the evening w/ a dinner (this one organized by the conference) at a restaurant on the island.  This is about the point when I realized I may fall asleep standing up, so now here I am, back in my hotel room and ready for a good night's sleep.

So, I didn't get an incredible amount of time to sightsee, but I what I did experience whetted my appetite to return to Vancouver for more.  Beautiful, beautiful city; I know I only scraped the surface of what it has to offer.

Vancouver: first impressions

As my flight was taking off from RDU yesterday (en route to Vancouver, BC via a layover in Toronto), I thought to myself, "Wow, this has really been a great travel year for me."  My husband always reminds me to look at the "glass half full," and I think I generally do, but I'd spent much of yesterday lamenting the impending long flight (about 7-8 hrs in total, and I.hate.flying.) and being away from my husband and daughter. I think I've commented on this blog before how difficult it is for me to leave them when I have to travel; I wouldn't have ever guessed I'd feel that way (BC (before children), I figured I'd welcome breaks!).  Back to my original point:  it occurred to me that - in 2010 - I've traveled to more places for the first time than I've done in over a decade.  Earlier this year, I went to Amsterdam & Istanbul, and now I was on my way to Vancouver (not to mention some great trips in between to oldies - but favorites - like Chicago and Pawley's Island, SC).  And, I would be remiss if I left Vidalia, GA off the "first time" list.

So, while the flight was just as bad as I thought it would be (should I remind you that I.hate.flying?), and I know I'll miss my family just as much as I anticipated, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to explore a part of North America I've never been to:  the Pacific Northwest.  I suppose, like many adults, it's been awhile since I last studied with any level of scrutiny a N. American map.  I mention this, because, upon study yesterday, I was somewhat surprised at just how far north Vancouver is to, say, Northern California...and, how relatively close the city is to Seattle, WA (a couple hours drive).

I woke up this morning (I easily slept until 8:30 a.m. PT, which makes sense since I didn't arrive in my hotel room until 2 a.m. PT), checked some email, called home to check in with A & B, and then I determined I needed to make the most of my morning before my noon meeting.  It's Sunday morning, so me for, that meant breakfast!  Now, I'm not the "go down and eat hotel food" kind of gal.  When I'm in a new place, I want to find a good spot where locals eat (or at least tourists who know good food!).  So, I turned to one of my favorites sites:  Yelp.  I easily found some recommended breakfast spots near my hotel (Hyatt Regency Vancouver, which - by the way - is only a couple blocks from Vancouver Harbour.  Hotel is pretty typical Hyatt, but the location is fabulous!).  So - after a quick 10 minute walk - I strode into Scoozi's Eatery for its "famous" Eggs Benedict.  It was perfect - the place and the food.  Small place, clearly filled with locals, but not too busy to immediate be served.  Do you ever have something so good on your plate that you want to take small bites to make it last longer?  That was my breakfast.  And, I washed it down with a hot apple cider.  On a cold rainy day (about 45 degrees and raining), it was magical.  Great, great breakfast.

I then walked about a block (no joke) down to the Vancouver Harbour.  Wow.  Again, keep in mind I've never been anywhere in the Pacific Northwest (unless you count San Francisco, which I don't think counts), but even in the foggy rain, the view of the Harbour and mountains on the other side was incredible.  I stayed there for awhile, and then I walked back up to my hotel.  On the way, I stopped at Christ Church Cathedral, which is located across the street from my hotel, to listen to some of the Eucharist music.  Beautiful.

In short:  this city is great.  It's probably one of the prettiest cities I've been to (prettiest downtown areas, anyway, since I haven't yet seen much of the city); it does remind me of San Francisco a bit - hilly, by the water, foggy, rainy...

Oh - and random observation - but shouldn't be surprised based on geographic location - I've seen more people here of Asian descent than I think I've ever seen anywhere.  Just an observation.

I'm off to get ready for my meeting; rest of the day is "business," but will still hope to enjoy:)

A mommy's mini-rant

In general, I subscribe to the self-policing practice of not putting any potentially controversial opinions anywhere online.  As we all know, this stuff will "live forever," and as a marketing professional, I'm probably more sensitive than average about how anything I put out may reflect on my professional life.

But - every once in awhile (if you read through my blog, you'll see a few instances of this) - we all need to vent - in a constructive manner, of course:).  I choose not to take to Facebook or Twitter to do so; I generally write a few words on my blog.  It's cathartic.

So, here's the deal:  I'm a mom.  Yes, we've established that.  But, that's not the only thing that defines me.  That this point in my life, my identity as a mother is arguably the most sacred and important way in which I define myself, however,  I mean, we're talking about my responsibility for raising a child.  This is no small thing.  Does this make me "more important" or "busier" than a woman my age who does not have children?  No.  We all are unique in our life experiences, and I certainly don't feel like my life is "worth more" than it was before I had a child, for instance.  I feel a greater sense of responsibility, but that's something completely different.  Anyway, I'm rambling...back to my point:  In addition to being a mother, I also work full time in a relatively demanding professional role.  My work requires me to be flexible - working some nights and weekends - and sometimes traveling away from my family.  I also assume the primary role at home for working meals, cleaning, lining up childcare, etc.  You know the drill.  Now, don't misunderstand me - I have an incredibly supportive husband without whom I could never do what I do (nor would I want to), but in short, life is full and busy.  And, I love it. I'm happy, and I've generally figured out how to balance things such that I feel like each part of my life is getting a fair part of me.

You'll notice I didn't mention friends.  It's not that they're not important - because I have and have always had wonderful friends.  I count myself as one of those truly blessed women who has long-lasting, true friendships.  And, I have a good number of them.  I take the time to let my friends know I care; I take the time to do "girls" weekends - sometimes with children and sometimes without.  I take the time to go to dinner on a regular basis, etc.  But - I'll be honest - in rare instances in which I'm forced to prioritize things in my life - my family comes out on top.  On top of work, on top of fun, on top of friends.  And, I'm okay with that.  I'm responsible for ensuring I provide a loving, stable, safe, enriching childhood for my child(ren), and that will always win when push comes to shove.  Again - let me be clear - this doesn't mean my friends,  my work, myself aren't important or that I don't make time for them.  It just means that - when forced to choose - the choice is easy for me.  And, frankly, not always a fun choice, just the one I feel like I must make.  Only I have to wake up with  myself every morning.

Every once in a blue moon - and obviously now is one of those times - one of my friends who does not yet have children (and you can't understand the juggling act until you do; I certainly did not attempt to) is offended by these choices.  And, sometimes these friends suggest that perhaps I don't understand that they also have lives but are willing to put friends first, etc.  And, what I struggle to try to explain is the following:  Wrong.  I do get it.  I know you're busy (in fact, I remember working so hard before I had Anna that I would literally get sick from running myself ragged). I know you have full lives doing incredible things I can't even imagine:  running marathons, conducting valuable charity work, etc.  I would never in a million years suggest my life is more important, or even busier, because I am a mother.

But - I have one more factor in my life (soon to be two) that does force me to prioritize in a different way sometimes.  And, that's just a fact.  I love my friends. But - rather than being cynical or pointing fingers, I'd like to ask that you be supportive such that one day - if you're also in my situation - you'll perhaps be able to expect and ask the same of me.

I'd also ask that you read this article that has been around the block quite sometime, but is still true.  It depicts the day in the life of a stay-at-home mom, but it's relevant to all moms.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201554.html?referrer=facebook

Again, let me be clear, I'm not suggesting I'm more important or busier.  We are unique.  We have different challenges.  These are mine.  Please be supportive instead of snarky.

Zucchini overload!

We've planted a garden the past few summers.  Ahem - I should clarify - Brian plants a garden.  I just pick the veggies once they're ready!  Trust me, it's best this way.

This year, I think we planted one too many zucchini plants.  I've had more zucchini than I've known what to do with; unfortunately, it's not my favorite vegetable, either.

What to do?  Zucchini bread!  I got this recipe from the Wood Family Cookbook, a collection of recipes from Brian's paternal grandmother's family.  If I'm ever looking for a southern staple, this is my first stop.  It's delicious!

Zucchini Bread
Notes:  1) This makes too much batter for one loaf pan; the recipes doesn't indicate so, but I think it's probably a double recipe.  2) I found this to take more than the suggested 35 minutes.  I suggest setting your timer for 35, then checking using the "clean toothpick" test.  If not done, keep trying at 10 minute increments.  I ended up cooking mine closer to an hour, and it was still incredibly moist.

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. finely chopped nuts (I leave these out, because Anna doesn't dig them)
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil (clearly eliminates any suggestion that this is a health food)
2 t. vanilla
2 c. coarsely shredded zucchini (I just used a manual grater, but you could certainly use your food processor)
8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained well

Combine dry ingredients, set aside.  Beat eggs, add sugar, oil and vanilla.  Beat until creamy. Stir in zucchini and pineapple.  Add dry ingredients, stirring until just moist.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes until done.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tostadas

Little Bit's now two years old (okay, she has been for a few months), and I don't feel like I can continue to get away with the "feed her early and then B and I eat after she goes to bed" routine.  Plus, she essentially eats no veggies (just doesn't like them?), so I figured we all needed to sit down and eat the same thing.  I should mention that she's begun to "cook" with me while I'm preparing dinner, and this activity really seems to improve what she's eating, because she wants to eat what she cooks.  I was stunned last week when she readily ate broccoli, which she previously wouldn't touch.

So - that's a long-winded intro to say that I'm trying some new recipes - family-friendly ones, that is.  Here's one that I like a lot.  It's quick, simple, not too heavy (it's still so hot outside) and tasty.  Credit goes to Robin Miller (who has a show on the Food Network).  

Notes:  I obviously didn't put pickled jalapeños on Little Bit's.  And, I garnished with avocado, salsa and sour cream.  She loves sour cream.

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 4 cups shredded lettuce
• 4 cooked chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup diced pickled jalapenos
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish
• Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange tortillas on prepared baking sheet and spray tortillas with cooking spray. Brush in cooking spray to coat. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer tortillas to individual plates and top with lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, and jalapenos. Sprinkle cilantro over top to garnish, if desired. Drizzle with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons honey mustard

1 teaspoon lime zest

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

In a container or jar, place chicken broth, olive oil, honey mustard, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Cover with lid. Shake to combine. To serve, drizzle over Chicken Tostada.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Today is one of those days when I really love my job, because two days a week, I get to eat lunch at home.  I know that sounds silly, but it makes a big difference in my work/rest of my life balance.  Of course, the flip side of that coin is that I work a good number of Saturdays and evenings (so, let's just say it all balances out).


What does this have to do with "Tuna Pasta Salad?"  Well, today, I was looking in my fridge for something to eat for lunch, and nothing appealed to me.  Then, I looked in the pantry:  PASTA!  I love pasta (could eat it for every meal, I think), but it's clearly not the most healthy option all the time.  Today, I decided I'd try to mix in enough other ingredients to make the dish healthy, and I ended up with something that was incredibly tasty - and healthy - so I'm sharing here.  


Keep in mind, I threw in a little of this and that when making, so the ingredient amounts may not be right on:

• About 1/3-1/2 pound pasta - your favorite shape.  I had a box of piccolo (small) fusilli
• couple hands full of cherry or grape tomatoes
• handful of salad greens (I had mixed organic salad greens)
• can of white albacore tuna, packed in water (packed in oil would be even better)
• several ounces of goat cheese (plain, sold in log-shape style)
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

I boiled the pasta in salted water.  Halfway through, I added the tomatoes (did not cut them), so they would get soft and sort-of-cooked.  Drained the pasta and mixed with the rest of ingredients.  Viola - a great, warm, relatively healthy pasta salad.  I ate half and put the rest in the fridge for later. We have some fresh arugala in our garden, and I think that would be even better than the mixed greens; call me lazy for not walking out there to get it.

Enjoy!

Mexican Pulled Pork Over Yellow Rice

My friend, Letty, gave me the Augusta, GA Junior League cookbook, Par 3, a few years ago.  YUM.  I've long been a devotee of Junior League cookbooks, and I think this one is my favorite so far.  The following recipe is one of many I cook on a fairly regular basis.  My two-yo daughter likes it.

1 onion, chopped
1 3.5 pound boneless pork shoulder roast (I generally use a pork loin, as it's much leaner, but it's a little tougher)
1 can Rotel
1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
1 can yellow corn, drained
1 t garlic powder
1 t salt
2 t cumin
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t cayenne pepper (I don't use quite that much)
3 T tomato paste
1 package yellow saffron rice
sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Combine onion and pork in slow cooker.
Mix rest of ingredients - except tomato paste and rice - and pour over roast.  Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.
Remove roast and shred with fork.  Remove 1 1/2 cups of the liquid and discard.
Add tomato paste to cooker and cook on high for 30 min.
Return meat to cooker and heat through.
Cook rice and serve with pork and garnish.

Pimento Cheese

Christine's Pimento Cheese


Rarely can I claim a recipe to be my own (versus something I found), but this one actually is-:)  I was tired of following pimento cheese recipes only to be disappointed.  Like anything, good pimento cheese is a subjective thing, so you may not like mine, but I sure do!   I make mine up as I go along, so here's as close as I can get to an actual recipe:

8 oz sharp cheddar - grated

4 oz pepper jack - grated

2 T parmesan - grated

1 4-oz jar chopped pimentos, drained

as much mayo as seems right to you (somewhere around 1/2 cup, I think) - I always use Kraft full-fat, but everyone has a mayo preference

1 T dijon mustard

a pink of cayenne

Mix and serve with crackers, crudités or on a sandwich.  

Not love.

The last post I wrote was about love.  This post is the antithesis of love.  This post is about violence. I recently followed this story about a young UVA student who was beaten and killed by her fellow-UVA student ex-boyfriend (here's a link to one of many stories about the murder) http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TheLaw/yeardley-love-death-warning-signs-missed-ahead-university/story?id=10581761.  Not surprisingly, Love's friends are now coming out and saying that there was a history of violence in the relationship.  Shocking.

We all know someone who has been in a violent relationship, don't we?  I know too many women - young and old - who have allowed men to physically and mentally abuse them.  I find myself getting angry about this as I type.

Don't let this happen to you.  As I told someone very close to me when she was lying for her then-boyfriend and to herself:  You could end up dead.  Why do women think it'll never be them?  Or - perhaps an even better question - why do women not value themselves enough to care?

If someone - man, woman, boyfriend or not - has tried to control you, threaten violence toward you, or even worse, acted on that threat, hear me now:  GET HELP NOW.  Don't be embarrassed to admit the situation to those you trust; you will likely need help to separate yourself from the psychological hold the person likely has over you.  You may also need help to physically separate yourself from that person.  But - know this:  He will not change.  And - let's say he even could - do you want to risk the chance he won't?

We have this one life here.  We're all worth something.  Don't let someone who clearly has his own issues take your life away from you.  I feel so sorry for the UVA student and her friends and family who wish they had done something.  Please recognize this could be you.

Love.

Music never fails to conjur up memories.  I'm sitting here - with the intention of doing some work after Anna went to bed - and I'm listing to some music.  One of the songs (True Companion,if you must know the title) brought back a memory as clear as day.

I've mentioned my friend Jane a few times on this blog; she was a great friend to me.  One of her unique characteristics was that she could really "see" people; see through whatever face you were putting on and get to the core (boy, do I wish I could do this).  I recall one day when I went to her house to vent about B.  I was so incredibly frustrated and angry with something or other he had done (or not done).  Of course, the details of the offense are insignificant today (so much so that I don't recall them).  Truth be told, I thought the early days of our marriage were some of the most trying of our relationship.  I could guess why, but that's another blog post.

Anyway, she said two things that will always stay with me (as I was complaining and talking out my feelings, as I tend to do, etc.):

1) "Christine, you should read this book called Loving What Is."  She went on to explain that the core message of the book was to sift through the clutter and simply love someone for who he/she is, regardless of faults.  That's not to excuse dangerous/damaging behaviors, etc., but to suggest that many of us are constantly trying to make someone who we want him to be (and subsequently forget what we initially loved about that person in the first place).  And, she went on to remind me that none of us is perfect.  I think - no, I know - that I needed that reminder at the time.

2)  The second thing she said to me during the course of our conversation was, "Christine, you just really, really love [B] him, don't you?"  Now, that statement may not seem so strange (he is my husband, after all), but it was the way her face completely shone when she said it.  It was as if the feelings I clearly had for him were simply wonderful and miraculous to her.  Here I was, complaining and venting, and she saw through it all to the core truth.

This is where there's the risk of me getting mushy...because she was right.  I have numerous pics of B & Anna, but I'm posting one here that I love.  My two loves-:)  Okay, enough mush.  Need to change the music!

Home.

Toward the end of my recent European travels, I found myself too tired to blog.  I really wanted to capture in writing my reflections on my day of site-seeing in Istanbul, namely because it was a simultaneously lovely and bizarre experience.  I will take some time soon to write a post about that day - and my final thoughts on my trip - but not right now.

Right now, I simply want to share my thoughts on coming home.  Here's what I know:  I knew it was important that I go on this trip (in addition to being something I had to do for work), because it was an opportunity to stretch my perspective and learn about some new cultures I hadn't previously experienced (I've been to Europe a few times, but never to these places).  But, I was anxious to leave Anna.  I cried the day I left.  And, I thought numerous times about the responsibility that I have as a mother to be there for my child.  the realist in me knew that all would be fine, the week would fly by, and I'd find myself back at home wondering if the incredibly experience even happened at all. But, the super-freak in me thought about all the opportunities for things to go awry, leaving Anna without her mother.  Sounds silly, I know.

My point?  The gratitude I felt for the opportunity and experience didn't come close to matching that which I felt when I arrived home late Saturday night and hugged Brian and Anna.  Brian had a bottle of wine waiting for me (he knows me well) and was ready to hear "all about my trip."  I woke up Anna, and she grinned from ear to ear; I can see it as sweetly in my mind now as if it was just a minute ago.

I will always try to stretch myself and learn new things, if for no other reason than to become a better and more balanced mother for Anna.  But, at the end of the day, I belong here with B & Anna.  My life is far from perfect (for many reasons), but I've spent some time recently thinking about how the Universe (or God, or Mother Nature, you get my drift) knew what it was doing on that day in the Fall of 1995 when I met B for the first time.  It hasn't been a straight, smooth road, but the good ones never are.  That day led us both to this life we're living now, which is rich beyond what I could have ever asked for.

It's good to be home.

Great Speakers.

I'll write more later, but I thought I'd post a link to a blog post I wrote for http://embatalk.com for UNC Kenan-Flagler.  This highlights some of the insights I gleaned from our speakers today in Istanbul.  Truly fascinating; I can't do them justice.
http://embatalk.com/2010/03/onemba-european-residency-days-fourfive/

Follow up.

It's 1:44 a.m. in Istanbul; I arrived at my (beautiful) hotel about an hour ago.  Just in case anyone is reading this (unlikely), I thought I'd just note that I am feeling much better about this trip, and I'm genuinely excited about seeing this city!

More tomorrow.

p.s. here I am in Taksim Square

East Meets West.

 In a matter of hours, I leave Amsterdam for Istanbul, Turkey.  According to what I've read, Istanbul is the "only city connecting two continents," those being Europe and Asia, of course.  And, it was home to several key empires, including Roman.  So, it's often viewed as where the East and West meet, not only from a geographic perspective, but also on the cultural front.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about this leg of my journey.  Along with the "East" part of the equation comes a lot of misanthropy toward Americans.  I could write for days about whether those feelings are justified, what they stem from, etc.  Regardless, the sentiment exists.  I was checking my email Inbox the other night, and I saw a notification from the US Dept of State (the University registers all staff - voluntarily - with the Dept of State when traveling abroad, so we can receive important communication, etc.) urging Americans to travel to Turkey for the next month or so.  My first thougtht was, "Grrreeeaaatt."  Obviously, there's a "CYA" element to the official warning, but I also know it's grounded in some real concern for potential harm.  I know that because I'm just that person who then proceeded to do some Internet research (so factual, I'm sure) and pulled up all the info on recent terrorist attacks, the underlying issues, etc.

So, here I am, headed there in a few hours.  I've decided that I need to check my control issues at the airline desk and just sit back and relax (while simultaneously being smart and cautious, of course).  Because, really, I could over-analyze this for hours up on hours, but the reality is this:  I'm going.  The city is one of the most vibrant and incredible in the world.  I need to suck up and enjoy it.  Whether or not something (negative) happens is out of my hands.  It's like my fear of flying...there's simply nothing I can do to control the situation.  So, there.  That's my stance.  P.S.  I'm still nervous.  And excited.  And nervous.  And excited.

In the meantime since I last blogged, I've had a great time soaking up Amsterdam.  Yesterday, the student group I'm with visited the Heineken Brewery for a presentation on brand marketing (right up my alley) as well as a tour through the "Heineken Experience."  I thought this would be a simple facilities tour, etc., but it was no such thing. This was truly an experience, including a Disneyworld-like ride through the brewing process.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the two beers they provide at the end:)  I followed that with dinner at the oh-so-American Hard Rock Cafe.  Look:  Don't judge.  My travel companion wanted to go there (she was craving nachos), and I understand a food craving as well as the next girl, so I was there!  And, it was good.

I'm including a photo of some of my colleagues and I at the Disney of Heineken.

Sleepy Ferrell

I've had a full few days, and I can't think of a good title for this post, so I'm dubbing it, "Sleepy Ferrell."  I had to work all day today, so I wasn't able to get out into Amsterdam like I did on Sunday.  So, as soon as I had an opportunity (around 7 p.m.), I headed out for dinner, dragging a few of my colleagues along with me.  I needed to get out of the hotel (which is very nice, but still a hotel)!

As I mentioned before, I'm here in Amsterdam as part of UNC's global OneMBA program, an executive MBA program, so it's only fitting that my dinner companions represented all parts of the world:  an American originally from Maine (may as well be a different country, right?), a Hong-Kong resident who is also a Canadian citizen, a Dutch women who told me she's lived int the same town her entire life, and a Colombian woman who currently resides in Mexico.  We headed out into the city, aiming for a Tapas restaurant that the Dutch native suggested.  She warned us it was in the Red Light District...which was no problem for me, since I wanted to visit there in the evening (I went during the day, but the famous ladies behind the red doors come out at night).  In short, we got turned around, and we never found the restaurant.  We did, however, find a small Mexican cantina (in the Red Light district) where I had some decent chicken fajitas (B knows I'll eat MX food whenever I can).  As I mentioned on Twitter, it doesn't get more global than this!?!  I'm posting a few photos of my dinner companions here:

The first photo is Chantal from Holland and Alice from Hong Kong.  The next is Diana from Mexico and Brigitta from UNC (my colleague) and Chantal again.  The final photo is Brigitta and (a hideous photo of me).

As we were walking through Amsterdam this evening, I thought about a few things:

1) This is truly a beautiful city.  Who knew?  Based on everything I thought I knew about Amsterdam, I really didn't expect it to be so pretty.  There are numerous streets that must look just like they did in the 16th or 17th century, and the canals are incredibly beautiful at night.

2) While many are weirded out by the "ladies of the night" behind the doorways, I find the whole thing really pretty fascinating.  Yes, it is a bit odd.  But, prostitution is the oldest business in the world, and it happens everywhere, certainly in the United States.  The only difference here is that the ladies are being open and honest about their business, rather than trying to hide it.  It almost makes the whole thing seem less seedy...if that makes any sense.

Off to sleep now...I hope.  I've had a hard time sleeping, and then I'm exhausted in the morning.

Amsterdam - first impressions

I arrived in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) late yesterday afternoon.  The purpose of my trip (which will move from Amsterdam to Istanbul, Turkey in a few days) is primarily business, but I'll be packing in as much "personal tourism" as possible.  And, since my "business" is education, it actually provides me the opportunity to see some things that I may not normally see as a tourist.

Honestly, even the journey here was fairly interesting, if only because I haven't traveled to Europe since college.  I've been to the Caribbean a few times, and Canada once, but I haven't crossed the Atlantic in over a decade.  I studied abroad in college (London), so connecting in Heathrow Airport provided me with quite a few flashbacks...beginning with the Wagamama in the airport.  This noodle bar wasn't a chain way back when; it is now.  Lucikly, the trip itself was uneventful.

I'm staying at the Movenpick Hotel, which is really great.  It reminds me of the contemporary Westin chain in the US.  This is a far cry from my backpacking days!  I joined some of my OneMBA colleagues (and friends) for dinner last night at famed Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant, only two blocks from my hotel.  Dinner was excellent.   I won't bore you with the description of the menu, but it was so fresh (what I'd expect from Jamie Oliver).

Today, I was free until 5 pm (which is coming at me shortly), so after a great breakfast at the hotel, I headed out into the city.  I walked more than four hours, loving every minute of it.  I had no plan, just walked (with a map).  I hit all the tourist spots, but I didn't enter any (i.e. Anne Frank house, Van Gogh museum), because lines were around the block.  I did take a good number of photos:  http://picasaweb.google.com/acferrell/Amsterdam?authkey=Gv1sRgCPTOqZ3N3ePcZA&feat=directlink.

A few initial observations:

• The world seems much smaller than the last time I came to Europe.  I keep wondering if it's just my perspective (adult rather than young adult), but I don't think so.  Sure, there were many "Americanized" things last time I was in Europe, but cultures just seem to have melded much more than I remember.  Of course, all the Dutch speak English.  I went into a Starbucks today (which I also had at Heathrow Airport, by the way), got the same coffee I get in the US, and I was served by an American barista.  It all seemed to fit right in with the landscape.  I'm not doing a good job of explaining this, but let's just suffice it to say that I can literally feel the effects of globalization in a way I didn't in the late '90s.
• I knew the Dutch preferred to travel by bicycle, but this is really something else!  I'm amazed by the children riding on handlebars of their parents' bikes.  Toddlers.  Oh, my.  Anna would jump off!  No helmets.  This reminded me that Americans are so incredibly neurotic and need a rule/regulation for everything.  I find it ironic that most European countries are much more socially and politically liberal (than the US), but they don't allow the government to regulate things like "bicycle riding" the way we do.
• Related to my previous observation:  I'm reminded that a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to include regimented exercise.  I saw one jogger all day.  One.  There are joggers all over Chapel Hill.  But, I didn't see many overweight persons, and certainly not overweight Dutch.  They walk and ride their bicycles everywhere.  I walked so much today and felt healthier than if I would have run for an hour.

I wish I could write more, but I must go get ready for the evening; OneMBA kicks off with a canal cruise and dinner. 

Envy.

This will be short.  I envy the following:


1) Persons who are not afraid to fly on airplanes.  I have probably taken nearly 100 trips on airplanes, and I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had to seen different parts of the US and world.  But, I'm scared every time.  I never get over it.  I can't relax.


2) Which leads me to my second point:  I'm envious of persons who can sleep on an airplane, which believe is directly related to #1.  I flew across the Atlantic earlier today.  I left at approximately 9 p.m. ET and flew "all night" to land in London at approximately 9 a.m.  Sounds like the perfect time to sleep, right?  No, not me.  I heard every noise, felt every bump, was uncomfortable, etc.  All around me:  people sleeping like babies.  


Argh.

Fashion

I'm pretty much a "fashion don't."  Okay, maybe not a true blue "don't," but I'm not far from it.  I mean, I don't think Stacy & Clinton on What Not to Wear would toss out my entire closet; they may keep something along the lines of 5-10 pieces.  Okay, 5.  And none of the shoes.

I like to think of my style as, "functional" and "classic," that is if the definition of classic includes a few pieces from Target's most recent line.  I mean, I understand the value of a good pair of $150 jeans (which were just $100 a few years ago and are now inching much closer to $200).  I also understand the longevity of a cute jacket that I can wear at work and on the weekend.  And, I can even appreciate dropping a bit of cash on a bag that'll last a few years.  And, let's face it, we all want to look nice (at least I do).  And, I'm a firm believer that the right outfit can make all the difference.

That being said, I don't get the hype around fashion.  I understand that to fashion mavens it's "art," just like collecting paintings or appreciating a beautiful fabric pattern for your new sofa.  But, I just can't get into it.  Okay, let's be honest, I can't afford to get into it.  But, even if I could, it just seems useless to me.  Even before I had my daughter (who makes this completely impossible), I never did enjoy spending a day shopping...unless, that is, I was shopping at the Farmers' Market.  It makes me restless.  And, the idea of spending more than $15 on a t-shirt makes me crazy.

I'll admit it:  I think the obsession with fashion is vain and obnoxious.  There, I said it.  The idea of spending hours upon hours and your savings account on the latest and greatest (because, frankly, it makes you look and feel "good") is crazy to me.  So, there, shoot me.

Of course, what does it say about me that I still have enough of an interest to post this link:  http://www.hirshleifers.com/blog.  It's a blog for a store that was recently mentioned to be a favorite of a celebrity.  Would I ever buy anything there?  No.  Will I read the blog from time to time to ensure I'm wearing the modern day equivalent of "Mom jeans."  Yes.

Enjoy.

Just let go.

I'm envious of people who can "just let go," and allow life (or whatever forces are driving life) to lead them.  I'm a fairly self-aware person; I think I have a pretty good idea of my strengths, weaknesses, struggles!  And, one of my biggest struggles is just letting life happen.  I'm not sure what, if anything, is at the root of the struggle.  Is it genetic?  Environmental?  Both, of course. But, at an even closer glance:  What, or who, taught me that I need to have control over my circumstances?  That I need to have a plan for my future?  That I need to be in the driver's seat?  Yes, this characteristic has served me well - sometimes - but perhaps even more often has caused me undue heartache and stress.  I have moments when something or someone succeeds in altering my pattern.  So, I'll try once again to allow that to happen.

My Favorite Veggie Lasagna

Every time I make this lasagna, people ask me for the recipe, so I'm posting here.  I copied directly as it's written down, and then I added my own comments:

Marinara Sauce 

(I’ve made this from scratch per the recipe below, but I think it’s just as good with a jar of your favorite sauce.)

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic

½ cup peeled carrots

3 T olive oil

½ cup red wine

½ t dried oregano

1 t dried basil

16 blanched plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded (or 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes)

½ cup chopped mushrooms

1 T honey or sugar

½ t salt

1 T Italian seasoning

Saute the onion, garlic and carrots in the olive oil over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the red wine, oregano and basil and cook for an additional t minutes or until the wine is reduced by half.  Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, honey or sugar, salt and Italian seasoning and continue to cook until the mushrooms become limp, about 15 minutes.

Eggplant (I use zucchini instead and prepare the same way; takes about 2 good sized zucchini)

1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise ½ inch thick

Salt to taste and pinch of cayenne pepper

2 T olive oil

Brush both sides of the eggplant (or zucchini) with olive oil, salt and pepper, and broil for three minutes, or until slightly browned.

Spinach (I use both ricotta and goat.  I use a 4-6 oz log of goat mixed with about 8 oz of part-skim ricotta.  So, more cheese than recipe calls for)

2 bunches (about 1 lb) washed spinach, stems removed (I just buy a bag, and I’ve also used frozen box)

5 oz goat or ricotta cheese

1 T olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ t black pepper

2 T chopped fresh basil (I only bother to use fresh if I have it on hand.  Otherwise, I use dried)

Steam spinach for 1 minute.  Remove and cook and squeeze to remove excess water.  In a separate pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until softened.  Combine with spinach, cheeses, pepper and basil.

Bechamel Sauce

2 T olive oil

2 cups warm milk

2 T unbleached white flour

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I buy already grated)

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions or green onions

1/8 t nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

½ t cayenne pepper

¾ t salt

Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan over low heat.  Warm the milk (I use the microwave).  Gradually stir the flour into the warm oil, stirring constantly.  Let cook for about 1 minute to make a brownish roux.  Slowly add ¼ cup of the milk and whisk it to blend it in.  Pour in the remaining milk, continuing to whisk.  Allow the sauce to simmer about 2 minutes just to thicken slightly, then turn off the heat.  Mix in the cheese, spices, salt.  Cover until ready to use.

Remaining Ingredients

12 sheets oven-ready lasagna noodles (The recipe calls for oven-ready, so you don’t precook.  I prefer to use regular noodles, precooking until a firm al dente, and then allowing to cook the remainder in the oven)

1 cup purified water (don’t do this step if boiling the noodles ahead of time)

1 ½ cups mozzarella, shredded (I use a little more (2 cups))

10 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I don’t add these)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Make all sauces and vegetables, and prepare noodles.  To assemble lasagna:

Cover the bottom of a deep baking dish with ½ of the marinara sauce.  Lay 4 sheets of lasagna on top.  Spoon the spinach filling over the noodles and spread it around until all of them are covered.  Pour the white sauce on top, covering all the noodles.  Lay 4 more sheets of hoodles on top of the white sauce.  Lay the eggplant slices lengthwise over the noodles.  Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top.  Pour ½ of the remaining marinara sauce over the cheese.  Lay another 4 sheets of noodles over the sauce.  If using oven-ready noodles, add the water now.  Pour the remaining marinara sauce on top of the noodles.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the olives.  Cover with foil and cook for 1 ½ hours in the oven.

Enjoy!

Peggy Duncan's Chili

My friend Jane shared her mom's chili recipe with me back when we were in college. I've collected several of my friends' mom's recipes over the years, and I find they're some of my favorite ones. I've made several modifications to this over the years, but it remains my favorite basic chili recipe. I must admit that I last made this for Jane about a year ago, and she swore that my version was "even better" than her mother's-:)

I'm going to type exactly as I copied from Jane, and then add my commentary in parentheses:

Chili

2 lbs ground beef (I rarely use beef anymore, because I don't eat much beef. When I did, though, I liked ground sirloin the best. Tonight, I used ground turkey breast. Jane used to sometimes use soy crumbles, but beef was her favorite)
4 ribs celery
1 green pepper
2 onions
1 close garlic, crushed (I tend to use more)
1 T olive oil (I use a good bit more olive oil if I use turkey breast...say 3-4 T total)
2-4 T chili powder (I love spicy food, so I use at least 4 T, closer even to 5 or 6)
2T flour
1t ground coriander
1t dried oregano
1t ground cumin (honestly, I think this makes it so good)
1 21 oz can diced or chopped tomatoes (I tend to buy petite diced, and I prefer salt-free so I can control the salt)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (same comment re: salt-free)
1 c water (I like my chili a bit soupier than some do, so I tend to use 2-3 cups, sometimes even 4. And, I also often use chicken broth instead of water...I do that with a lot of things)
2 T sugar
2t salt
2 cans beans (I mix this up, but usually one can pinto and one can kidney), drained and rinsed

Brown the meat (I do this on high) and drain; set aside. Saute on medium heat the onion, pepper and celery in olive oil (5-10 min); add garlic and cook a few more minutes. Mix dry ingredients (spice mix) and add to veggies. Stir for 3-4 minutes over heat. Add back in the meat, as well as all the ingredients except the beans. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 hr. Add beans and cook another 30 minutes.

I generally serve with some cheddar cheese and sour cream...but everyone has their own favorite way to eat chili. Enjoy!

Jane would get such a kick out of spreading this around.


P.S.  I also generally add a pinch of red pepper flakes and some hot sauce...the spicier, the better!  yum.

New Year "Fortunes"

Wow! The last time I blogged was early October. Since that time, I've probably thought about blogging dozens of times, but something always kept me away (sometimes something practical; sometimes just didn't have the energy to translate my thoughts into written words).

The New Year seems as good a time as any to get back to it!

On New Year's Day, B and I ordered Chinese food for dinner. The reason: We just returned from nearly a week at the beach, and we didn't have any groceries in the house. My "secret" reason: I love Chinese food, but most of the dishes couldn't be worse for your health, and it was my "last supper" before beginning a healthier diet. We both agreed that it was quite appropriate, as we could open our fortune cookies and read some telling advice/fortune for the coming year. I'm not suggesting that I'd bet the farm that these little slips of goodness are offering actual truth, but it sure seemed like someone wrote them just for us. And, I'm just superstitious enough that I always eat the entire fortune cookie (which I don't really even like), because I believe the fortune won't mean anything unless I do.

Brian's fortune: "In union, there is strength." Brian opened this one. I love this, and it's a great reminder for us. We celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary on December 28th, and our union is stronger than ever. As any of you married persons knows, it's easy to get sidetracked in a marriage, and roughly 50 percent of marriages aren't able to make it. But, if there's one thing I feel good about, it's that B and I have learned how to work as a team...most of the time-:)

My fortune: "You will get a great deal on a major purchase." Sweet! Of course, I immediately joked (not really joking) to B that this fortune clearly suggested we were going to buy a new house in 2010. I waffle between being obsessed with trading up to something larger, and being disgusted with myself for being concerned with something material that I don't really need. It's a constant struggle for me to stay grounded when it comes to my needs versus my wants. There's a whole blog entry there -- or even dozens of entries -- but you get the idea. I do like a good deal!

My second fortune: "Moderate your appetite so that with a little you may be content." Okay, so I cheated and opened two cookies. The Chinese joint gave us three, and it was the New Year, and well, you know. Given my thoughts about the first cookie I opened, this fortune was particularly grounding. Brian, of course, gave me a knowing look (he, bless him, does not struggle with the "wants" that I do). Not only did these words prompt me to stop and take a deep breath, but they were also particularly appropriate as I try to be healthier in the New Year. I know it's the oldest resolution in the book (and the most often broken, I'm sure), but I must do something about these 10 lbs sitting on my middle before I even think about having another baby, and if New Year's resolution helps me, then so be it.

I taped these little bits of paper onto a magnetic notepad on our refrigerator, and I hope seeing them each day will help me to remember these wise words (and serve as a self fulfilling prophecy in the case of the major purchase!).

Happy New Year!