Astrid's 2010 Awards

Astrid's 2010 Awards!

I know that I have been posting list after list after list these past few days. Now I want to take the time for a little awards ceremony.

Person of the year

This award can only go to Stephen. We have gone through some rough patches this year, but it is competely understandable. Most couples do not spend as much time together as we do. We spend almost 24 hours together when we are not in school during the day. And even when we are in school, we take classes and work in the same building. This much closeness can be super difficult. Yet he doesn't budge from the relationship. And neither do I. It takes a strong man (or stupidly stubborn man) to learn how to live with me and love me.

Weekend of the year

FoodBuzz in San Francisco wins this award! I am so glad that I decided to go. I almost backed out because I didn't want to spend the money. I made the right decision. I got so inspired by that weekend filled with great people, great food, and a great city as the backdrop for it all. I also got to meet some of my blog celebrities that I have been dieing to see in person (Elise from Simply Recipes and Joy from Joy the Baker).

City of the year

Chicago, The Windy City, takes this award. I have always had a slight obsession and fascination with Chicago. I believe it's because one of my favorite movies, While You Were Sleeping takes place there. But really, I am not certain. I spent a long weekend in the city for the Healthy Living Summit and realized that I hve been fascinated and obsessed for a reason. The city is amazing. The downtown area has two levels/floor, there are great restaurants, and some great people there. I would love to spend more time there, or maybe work in a restaurant there this summer. Who knows? All I know is that I feel some connction with the city.

Purchase of the year

I closed my eyes and pressed the BUY button to order my very own Vita-Mix this year. Boy am I glad I did this.  make peanut butter every weel and Stephen now eats breakfast every morning thanks to the bars I make him using this increidble machine. I honestly believe that it has been worth every penny spent.

Book of the year

I have actually read a lot of books this year. My favorite memoir is Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl and my favorite cookbook is Baking: From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan.

Moment of beauty

Any time that I laugh so hard that my face hurts, I feel incredibly beautiful. This happens a lot with Stephen.

Vacation of the year

For me, the best vacations have great food, fun sites, and some adventure. They provide an escape from the everyday crap and make you feel great. Vacation of the year was definitely Vegas.

Triumph of the year

Honestly, this blog has been my triumph. When I started it in September 2009, I had no idea that I would keep up with it so much or that I would meet some great people through it. I am proud of myself for putting myself, my thoughts, and my creations out into the world. I know that I take up a very miniscule corner of the internet, and that not very many people read my words and see my pictures, but it feels like something much bigger than what it is.

Mistake of the year

 I made a very hard decision at the beginning of this fall, and I honestly thought it was a mistake. I chose to stick around College Station for a last semester as a teaching assistant and attempt to finish my research. I was going to get my yoga teaching certificate at Kripalu, so that was a hard thing to let go of. Thanfully, I know I can pursue this in the future. And if I didn't stick around, I wouldn't have decided to attend cuinary school. Truly, I do not believe in "mistakes", just as I don't believe in regrets. Everything is life is an experience to learn from and enjoy, even the hard icky parts.

Restaurant of the year

I know that I have had some incredible meals this year. However, this award has to go to my favorite restaurant in our area of Texas, Hullabaloo's Diner. It was featured on Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives, and deserves all of the recognition in the world. Thankfully, it is never crowded and the food always impresses. They have the best fries and the best sandwiches. I have yet to try their breakfast, but I bet they are pretty epic as well. I get a little jaded by most restaurants, because I know I can make better. But with diner food, I want it to be prepared well and slightly greasy. I don't always cook like this, and honestly, I would rather leave it to the experts!

Theater show of the year

Next to Normal. Hands down. It also has the advantage of being my favorite musical. Ever. I seriously challenge any show to top this in my mind. I have never falling for a show this hard in my life. For some reason it lived up to all of my insanely high expectations. For those of you who are interested, Next to Normal is touring the US this year. They will actually be in Denver the first weekend that I am in Colorado, but I am not sure if I can make it (or have anyone to go with).

Possibility of the year

Getting excited about my new adventure wins this award. I may actually become a real chef! And work in restaurants! And actually care about my job. This is such a huge possibility for me. And this is the first time that I am stupidly jumping into something head first because I want to do it. Not because everyone else does it, too. I am also looking forward to living somewhere new and maybe makng some friends there. As scary as this new adventure seems, I am far more excited than I am terrified.

And now for the food that was eaten on the very last day of 2010:

Left over WifeSaver and a banana for breakfast. I absolutely love this dish. There is something amazing about the sandwich-like bread pudding.

It is so amazng, that I had another slice with my lunch. Yes, it is that good. I am usually not one to have the same thing for multiple meals.

I had to bake a celebratory dessert for New Years Eve.

I made the Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte from Dorie's Baking: from my home to yours. I think I may actually stand a chance at makng everything from this book by the time I turn 27.

I chose to make this, because I wa craving something different, like a pie or cheesecake. I have never made an actual cheesecake, and to tell the truth, I am not a big fan or super rich desserts. I never want to eat the whole thing. I like lighter things, especially if they are in pie form.

This torte has a vanilla b utter cookie crust that comes together is a mound of crumbs.

This alone gets your apartment or home smelling AMAZING.

The filling is a layer of jam (cherry or berry flavored), with a mixture of eggs, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and some spices on top.

All baked up and ready to chill.

A truly beautiful pie. I am not a perfectionist when it comes to food presentation. I like it to be pretty, but I also like a nice rustic look. This is why I didn't trim the excess crust. I believe it gave my pie character.

Did we like it? Oh yes we did. Stephen even finished his piece after eating way too much great food for dinner. I didn't blame him about eating too much for dinner, I made a pretty spectacular meal!

First off, I baked some wheat milk bread.

It came out great, but it will be better tomorrow. You see, I never bake it early enough to give it sufficient time to cool. So my slices end up pretty ugly. They served their purpose, though!

A not so pretty piece.

I made some fried pickles. These came out incredible. They are addicting little buggers.

I also made jalepeno poppers. They are seeded, and then mozarella and cream cheese are spread on top.

They were wrapped in baking and then grilled of my griddle to get the bottom nice and crispy.

Then baked in the oven for about 20 minutes to get the top cooked. This is the way to do it! I have had far too many homemade jalapeno poppers that taste way too raw. These taste cooked without the pepper being mushy. Perfection. I even like the texture of the bacon. It is usually too chewy for me.

No problems here! Want a bite?

For some substance in the meal, I roasted some chicken and shredded it up with some homemade bbq sauce.

Served on some fresh bread toasted with some cheese. Definitely a fantastic New Years Eve meal.

I would like to take this time to thank each of you for being such a huge part of my year. It makes me smile knowing that you are out there reading this.

What is one wish you have for next year?

2010 Recap, part 2: restaurants and art

2010 RECAP PART II

You cannot have a blog that talks about food without talkng about some great restaurants. Here are my 12 favorite restaurants of this year. In no particular order.

Top 12 Restaurants of 2010

Barnaby's in Houston, TX - This restaurant might be my new favorite in Houston. The menu is quite simple and the food is absolutely delicious. It is the type of restaurant that I would not mind owning or working in.

Silver and Stone in Georgetown, TX - One of the best meals we have experienced in Texas. However, I will complain that the dessert was one of the worst I have ever tasted. Given that, the rest of the meal completely made up for the dessert. Plus, the coffee was incredible. So I left satisfied.

Cafe Eccell in College Station, TX - This will always be a favorite in College Station. I love the cheaper fare such as their sandwiches and pizzas. They are always exceptional. Cafe Eccell also knows how to do dessert. It never fails to impress.

Hullabaloo Diner in Wellbourne, TX - The best diner food I have ever experienced in a restaurant. This diner also has the best fries I have tasted in my recent past. Every meal I have had is my new favorite. I can't wait to eat there again!

Longhorn Tavern in Bryan, TX - This restaurant is what I wish Texas Roadhouse was. It is real Texas food in a large, open restaurant. The biggest plus? The restaurant is not outrageously loud like Road House.

The Lemon Wedge in Bryan, TX - This adorable restaurant opened up in downtown Bryan. The women who owns it makes all the desserts and most of the meals from scratch. It is amazing food. Lunch is a much better value, but dinner is worth every penny. Just be sure to bring some extra pennies.

Ruggles Green in Houston, TX - My favorite veggie burger in the world. Granted, I have not had many veggie burgers in restaurants. But this one is great.

Cafe Modern in Fort Worth, TX - Home of the best sandwich I have had this year. Avocado and goat cheese with some other things thrown in. On fresh grainy bread. It was heaven in sandwich form. Seriously.

Muldoon's in New Jersey - I ate here with my parents the night before going to New York City. The stack of onion rings is just plain fun. Then there was the lamb. Oh. My. Goodness.

Mi Tierra in Dallas, TX - This little restaurant has incredible Caribbean food, with a huge focus on Puerto Rican cuisine. The yucca, sorullitos, and mofongo are all incredible. And the guava empanadas with ice cream. Again, it blew my mind.

Max Brenner's in Las Vegas, NV - I need to go back. Now.

Table 10 in Las Vegas, NV - Although I wanted to run out of the restaurant because I was overwhelmed by the prices, I am so glad Stephen made me stay. Amazing food. This restaurant conveys the fact that simplicity does not equal boring or easy. A basic bbq chicken with mac and cheese is a gourment meal in Emeril's hands.

I had many more awesome food experiences this year, but these were the standouts.

I spend some time drawing with colored pencils today while catching up on Bones.

I love this one. It is a world with lots of color and stripes.

And a butterfly. I can't stop myself. If I start drawing without thinking, either a flower or a butterfly will emerge. Today it is a butterfly. I think that the stripes symbolize feeling trapped while the lighter colors at the top signify new and exciting things in the horizon (like Puerto Rico and culinary school). It is amazing how much a drawing can tell you about how you are feeling. Guess that's why art therapy is implemented in a lot of treatment programs!

Today I made something for dinner that I have been seeing on several blogs. A version of the Wife Saver. I saw a version with cornflakes on Jolene's blog, and another version on Susan's blog. I made my own version, and boy was I pleased with it.

My version had:

6 slices of old Italian bread cut into quarters

ham

lettuce and cilantro

1/2 cup shredded cheddar and mozzarella

4 eggs

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup cottage cheese

salt and pepper

The cottage cheese and milk were blended together and then whisked with the eggs and cheese.

In a cake pan (make sure it is deep enough, mine wasn't), make a layer of bread and top with the ham and veggies. Pour some of the egg, milk, and cheese over this.

Top with the rest of the bread and then with the rest of the egg, milk, and cheese.

Allow to rest in the fridge for a few hours. I left mine for about 6 hours. Trust me, this waiting period is worth it. Better yet, leave it overnight.

It was baked at 350 F for about 40 minutes, until it was nice and brown on top.

I loved it so much. And I have leftovers for breakfasts and lunches! Hooray! This is a great way to use up old bread and sandwich meat, as well as some veggies you have lieing around. It is amazing with any side. I had a grapefruit and Stephen had bacon. And with some sour cream, mustard, or sriracha, it tastes even better!

And to cap this post, I am going to show you my top 10 favorite pieces of art from this year:

This is hanging in my apartment and is in my top 2.

This is hanging in my kitchen and is definitely one of my favorites (top 2).

This one was sold at a charity auction.

This one has a wonderful home.

Inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

These are hanging in our bedroom.

This one has a wonderful new home!

The first painting I sold to a non-family member!

My mom bought this one.

I painted this for Stephen's sister, Hannah for a birthday present.

I hope to continue painting while I am in Colorado, or at least drawing. It is such a soothing activity for me and so rewarding to see the results. I definitely want to sell at another art show, hopefully not in the College Station, TX area, but somewhere that my art will be appreciated (like Boulder?)

That is all for now. Tomorrow is the last day of the year! Any plans?

Year wrap up Part 1 and Chili Cheese Fries

YEAR WRAP UP PART 1

There are only two full days left in this year, so I want to take some time to reflect on some of my favorite things this year. These are taken from my monthly wrap ups, with some other additions along the way. Enjoy and reflect on your own favorites from the year. Thinking back, it is making me realize that a lot happened this year and that maybe it did not fly by as quickly as I think.

Moments of the year:

Groovaloo-I love watching great dance groups, especially when there is a story involved. Groovaloo had a great message about life: Life is a dance, so dance beautifully.

Coming home from New Mexico-Actually, coming home from any trip has been a great moment. It is amazing to know that I have a "home" and someone and some animals to welcome me back. It's still strange to me to have a home that isn't my mom and dad, but I am learning to embrace this and truly cherish it. I am important to people. Crazy, right?

Nap times-I cherish the moments when I actually allow myself to let go to my "Schedule" and simply relax when I need to. I don't take many naps, but when I do, they feel so so good.

Next To Normal-I saw my first broadway play this year, and it was a show that I have been obsessed with. I adore the soundtrack and the story. Let me tell you, the show did not disappoint. At. All. My parent's even enjoyed it. Then again, I have no idea how you could not like it.

Going out with some friends, without Stephen-I don't do this very often, mostly because I don't have many friends down here, but it was fun when it did happen. I actualy do love being social, and usually enjoy myself immensely when I do step out of my comfort zone and go out.

Deciding to be a Teaching Assistant for one last semester instead of going to yoga school at

Kripalu-I was initially under the impression that I wasn't being offered a TA this fall. When I was offered my usual class, I took it and cancelled yoga school. I can always do yoga later, but this was my last opportunity to TA Mineralogy class. I am thankful that I took the opportunity. Research kind of ate way at my soul, but teaching kept my head up. I had an amazing last group of students and now I know the material even better!

Crying during the father daughter dance at my friends' wedding-I didn't know that I was a wedding crier. Now I know that I am!

Applying to culinary school-no explanation needed!

Outings of the year:

Cruise-Stephen and I started the year with a cruise to the Caribbean (Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Conzumel). It was a great trip. My one complaint is that food quality has gone down significantly over the past few years. You can definitely tell that there have been bdget cuts. But we had some fun dinners with the adorable couple, David and Aptricia that sat at our dinner table. Also, I love any opportunity to dress up. A cruise is the perfect opportunity to get all glammed up. 

Car show in Houston-Stephen drove a Camaro and I rode in it. It was bright yellow, so super awesome.

Dallas-we had a fun spring break in Dallas. Stephen even took me to see a play, which was the first play I had seen outside of OPAS in a very very long time. I truly miss having theater as such a large part of my life (I was a Theater Minor).

Drag races-I am not a huge fan of loud cars, but I love experiencing the things that Stephen enjoys. He loves going to the drag races with his dad, so I love being invited and given the opportunity to participate.

Aggie Baseball game-my first Aggie sports event. Thankfully it was to the one sport that I love.

Garden in the Woods-My mom and I went here in Massachusetts. It was a lovely little outing. I love botanical gardens. I learned that the Sassafrass Tree is the only tree with 3 unique leaf shapes.

Chicago for the Healthy Living Summit-my very first blog conference. It was actually a lot of fun. Basically all women and at times it did feel like a popularity conest and was certainly cliquey. But I had a great time. Chicago currently holds the title of my favorite city. I loved everything about it and had a fantastic weekend there. I need to go back.

First Friday in Bryan-Stephen finally took me to a first friday in Bryan. It is a cool art event that the town nextdoor has on the first Friday night of each month.

Comedy club in Addison-We went to our first live stand up comedy show. Pretty fun! I think I might prefer stand up.

Going to the Lemon Wedge and First Friday with my friend Lauren-Experience good food with a good friend is always...well...good.

Austin for the Science and Engineering Festival-This was one of my favorite experiences of the year. I led a group of grad students to Austin to set up a little exhibit with minerals and their every day uses. I loved working with the little kids that visited the table. I had no idea how bsy we were going to be or how delightfully exhausted I would get.

San Francisco-My second blog conference was for FoodBuzz. I had such an amazing time meeting some of my favorite food bloggers and meeting old blog friends and making new ones. It is amazing how much you want to read someone's blog once you know them in person. It's nice to know what is happening in their lives. This was a weekend filled with great food, okay beer, amazng people, and fun sites.

Vegas!-My first vacation with Stephen's family (well, mom and granny). It was so much fun. I felt a little bad

about always wanting to walk everywhere and getting everyone a bit exhausted, but we all had a great time. We walked a lot, ate a lot, and enjoyed a lot.

Books of the year

The Awe-Manac-this is an awesome day to day book that you can use year after year. I get a lot of the quotes I use from it.

The Flavor Bible-a great resource for the cook that doesn't enjoy recipes or being told what to do but wants to experiment with flavor profiles and combinations. I love my copy. I even bought one for my dad.

The Green Book-this book shows you how to do a better job at taking care of our planet. It doesn't actualy tell you what to do. It just makes you aware and tells you to do better. I can do that!

Kripalu Yoga-a guide to practice on and off the mat-I adore this book. It gives great ideas on how to put a yoga practice together and has great excerpts from some of the senior teachers at Kripalu.

Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood-I havne't seen the movie, but the book was great. It was fast paced and a pleasant read. With a twist!

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand-This was another easy and pleasant read. I loved that it jumped from different characters' stories. It kept my interested and engaged.

Million Little Mistakes by Heather McelHatton-a choose your own adventure book for adults. So much fun.

Name All the Animals by Alison Smith-I loved this memoir about a girl who's bigb rother dies and how her family copes with his death. Great writing.

Jemima J. by Jane Green-This book was hilarious and gave a great take on body image issues while keeping it light and fluffy in some chic lit. I truly enjoyed this book and loved that Jemima decided to listen to her body and reach a more soft physique instead of being a hard body.

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl-This is the first book on food writing that I have ever read. I adored it. This made me so excited about trying new foods. It ispired me to seek out some of the more outrageous restaurant in Vegas, if only to peek at their menus. I would love to be a food critique for the mere joy of having my meals paid for. Also, it would be great to be treated like royalty at some of these super upscale restaurants.

Baking: from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan-Thanks to Eden's birthday present, I bought this book and have enjoyed baking the recipes immensely. I seriously cannot stop myself from trying everything. They aren't always my personal preference, but they are always quality.

Movies of the year-these need to explanation:

All About Steve

Alice in Wonderland

How to Train Your Dragon

The Losers

White on Rice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Percy Jackson

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Harry Potter

The Tourist

Accomplishments of the year:

Sharing my story on a couple of blogs-I know that not a lot of people read my story, but it felt good and sort of cleansing to get my story out there. I truly hope that it helps people that that it clicked with at least one individual.

Exxon trip to New Mexico-it was an honor to be invited to this second interview with Exxon. I did't end up getting the job, but I had an amazing trip. The other students on the trip were amazingly brilliant and the company took such good care of us. We definitely did not freeze or starve during the trip. Or go broke!

Getting checked out on the EBSD-this helped me acquire some data for my research. Unfortunately my advisor loves to look at my data, freak out, and forget all about it. Thanks.

Moving into our new apartment-our quality of life has significantly improved since moving into our new apartment. We now have our individual sinks and a huge kitchen. Then only complaint is that Fred is off in his own little corner and I sometimes forget to check on him. Yes, I can be a bad mommy. But I do try!

Painting on an easel for the first time-My easel makes me feel like a "real artist". It is also a lot easier on my body to sit upright and paint as opposed to hunching over a piece of canvas on the floor.

Holding a headstand without a wall for the first time! I honestly could not hold a headstand at the beginning of this year. Agasinst a wall? Yes. But on my own in the middle of the room? No way! Now I can hold one for over 3 minutes. I am proud of myself.

Submitting my proposal-One step closer to getting my masters...too bad I do not care anymore. But it was a nice accomplishment to finally get it turned in!

Turning 26-almost officially in my late 20's. I still feel like a kid. When my mom turned 26, I was turning 2. I feel like I am far behind for some reason.

So many job interviews-It is so mentally exhausting to put yourself out there so many times, and to get so many rejections. However, all of these rejections led me to finding what I truly want to pursue.

Getting accepted into culinary school-Thank you Culinary School of the Rockies for being amazing and accepting me into your Chef Track program. It is crazy to believe that I will be starting in less than a month. I cannot wait to start this new career path.

Beers of the year:

Fullers ESB-I loved this beer so much that I had several on the night that I tried it. It is an extremely drinkable beer. As in, you can have pint after pint and not get sick of it.

Fullers Porter-my favorite porter ever. It has amazing coffee notes.

Bear Republc Racer 5-a great IPA. High rated. Enough said.

Blue Paddle by New Belgium-Stephen's great uncle brought this for us. I loved it so much! It is a pilsner, but there is something amazing about it. It nstantly became one of my favorites.

Magic Hat-especially love their Hi PA

Bison Brew Chocolate Stout-the only beer I loved in San Francisco

Guiness-I need to talk bout this one. You see, I thought that I didn't enjoy Guiness. Turns out, I love it I had a few while in Vegas. I just need to have it poured into a glass so that it can breath and gain some bubbles. It is actually so delicious and I love that it is actually a lighter beer. Delicious and good for me too!

Tomorrow I will finalize these lists tomorrow with my favorite blogs of the year, my favorite recipes from me and from other bloggers, and my favorite restaurants.

If you have anything that you especially enjoyed from my blog, let me know and I will include it!

This morning, I grilled up a little pund cake and peanut butter sandwich and had some banana and cottage cheese on the side.

Lunch for me was a half grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a nice big salad.

More brisket for Stephen!

I tackled another Dorie recipe and made some shortbread for myself. I tweaked the recipe a bit, and made it into an oatmeal red tea shortbread.

It was fun to figure out how to cut it up. You see, I didn't follow the instructions on how to roll it out.

But the squares came out nicely all the same.

These are amazingly crispy and light at the same time. This is a result of there just being confectioner's sugar in the dough. I do like it, and I love the light flavor that almond extract and tea gave it. Delightful with a cup of tea after dinner. Unfortunately, it didn't quite satisfy my sweet tooth. Definitely more of a snack cookie.

Dinner was amazing. Again, I had a hard time coming up with a concept for dinner. But after talking with Stephen, we decided that potatoes, meat, and cheese was the way to go.

I made a delicious chili with ground turkey, tomatoes, onion and garlic, sriracha, and Shiner beer.

I fired up some delicious potatoes. These are the best fries I have ever made.

They were a great base for the chili and some cheese.

Yes, I made chili cheese fries for dinner.

The best chili I have ever made PLUS the best fries I have ever made

That equals success, my friends! Amazing food does not need to be clean and healthy all of the time. And it doesnot need ot be dripping with grease either. Just make delicious food at home and enjoy it. Savor the food and enjoy the fact that you put in the time and effort to make it. Food made with love nourishes you that much more. I actually believe that!

Hope you had a great Wednesday!
Do you take the time to think about all of the things that happened over the course of a year?