The Office

I work in an office with six other women, which means we go through the coffee, diet coke, and chocolate like it’s nobody’s business. Part of my duties as the office manager is to keep the office well stocked, so I am making weekly trips to Starbucks, Staples.com, and CVS. Who knew that you could order diet coke and chocolate from Staples?

Our latest chocolate obsession is DOVE PROMISES – milk chocolate, dark chocolate, almond dark chocolate, peanut butter milk chocolate, raspberry & dark chocolate swirl. Basically, every flavor that is offered has been in our candy bowl at some point since I started working there three weeks ago. If you are unfamiliar with the product, each individually wrapped piece shares a special PROMISES message under the wrapper for a truly unique moment (according to the DOVE website that is). At the rate we are going, I think it is safe to say that we have come across just about every PROMISE that DOVE has to offer. Since some of the quotes are just too good to pass up, we have started keeping them in an envelop in my desk.

So my question to you is, what should we do with all these wrappers? I was tempted to cover the bulletin board behind my desk with them but did not think that it would look professional, especially since my desk is in the front room. Any suggestions?

Iowa Girl Eats

I want to be her. I blame my sister for my new obsession with this blog: http://iowagirleats.com/. 

This is the analogy I have created – Mary Loyal: Pioneer Woman :: Luci: Iowa Girl Eats. If you know ML, then this analogy makes sense. If you don’t, well then let’s just say we both have our own food blog idols now. 

I am all about some Asian flavor, which is right up Iowa Girl Eats alley.

Feeling inspired, I decided to try her 10 minute meal recipe for Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles over the weekend. 

It was super easy and so delicious. The perfect summer meal. I added bean sprouts and more peanuts as a garnish/extra crunch. I also went in for the kill by adding Sriracha sauce. It’s not an Asian sensation without a kick. 

Not one to let anything go to waste, I revisited her blog today for some more ideas of what to do with extra broccoli slaw, green onions, and tofu. After much debating (it took way more deliberating than it should have, there are too many good recipes to choose from) I decided on her Thai Peanut Noodles. 

I had to get a little creative because I did not feel like stopping by the store after work. I used vegetable oil instead of peanut oil, used garlic powder instead of cloves, and left out the chicken, edamame, snap peas, asparagus, and sesame oil. For the sauce, I used a combination of Sriracha and some sauce I found in the fridge to substitute for the chili garlic paste. But, even with all the missing ingredients, the dish was amazing! 

I can't wait to make it again....probably Thursday since I still have some ingredients left over!

Love is a Battlefield

I promise that all of my posts won’t revolve around song titles but this one has a story to go with it, so bear with me. Friday night after work, my coworkers and I went to Jazz in the Garden. The concert series, put on by the National Gallery of Art during the summer, features an array of jazz artists performing every Friday night. Everyone brings blankets and picnics and just hangs out for a few hours. I could not believe how many people were there, but clearly it is the perfect way to detox after a long workweek.

Carrie and me
(taken on my phone so not the best quality)

So after eating my body weight in pita chips and hummus and chatting it up with some of Carrie’s friends, we set off to find real food for dinner.

This was the sunset.
My phone camera doesn't do it justice.

It was around nine when we finally made it to the place we wanted to eat. Everyone in our group figured we would be in and out in no time since it was so late, but we waited for over 30 minutes to be seated. [Side note: that has probably been the biggest adjustment I’ve had to make, everything is done so much later in the city…but then again at school I always at dinner at 5:00pm] When we left the restaurant after 10:00pm, I could not believe how packed it still was. Wandering to the nearest Metro stop, we started singing the song from Thirteen Going on Thirty “Love is a Battlefield” (not the Jordan Sparks version but the Pat Benatar one). “We are young, heartache to heartache we stand/No promises, no demands…no one can tell us we’re wrong.” It was probably one of those you had to be there moments but it was so fun. Had the Metro not been so crowded, we might have actually broken out into song and dance on the way back to Virginia. 

Recap

I would love to go back and share all that has happened in the last 20 days since I have been in DC, but trying to do that while sharing my new adventures is rather overwhelming. So, I’ve decided on a short and sweet recap to get everyone up to speed. The first week I was here, I started work, turned 22, and celebrated the engagement of one of my roommates (congrats Jen and Hall!).

                                 I live with these girls – Liz, Jennifer, and Abigail.

They are the best. I came home from my first day of work to find a vase full of flowers and a sweet card on my bedside table. It was so fun adding my birthday cards to the display. There is something so homey about fresh flowers – they brighten any room. Now I need something to fill the void on my dresser/wall. Any ideas?

New Beginnings

Where to begin? A lot has happened in my life over the past month. I graduated from college. My sister got married. I packed my life into my Explorer, moved to Virginia, and started working in DC. So, here I am in the real world adjusting to a new life in a new place far from home. With all the change and excitement going on, I figured it would be the perfect time to start a blog. This way, I can take the time to document everything that happens and share it with friends and family back home and whoever else might be interested. I hope you enjoy!