see.snooze.button

Well it has finally happened.

We both have jobs.

Ha! Take that Chicago!

Granted mine isn't really considered work, technically I am a volunteer but let's not focus on that. And of course we have the "feel good" jobs. You know, the ones where you are supposed to feel like you really made a difference today and everyday. Did I mention that those jobs also happen to be the ones where you feel like you have been run over by a truck today and everyday?

So after 5:00 am (for me) and 6:00 am (for he) wake up calls, long days wrangling kids and young adults that we are trying to help, and fighting rush hour traffic and CTA commuting fun... we sit pasted on the couch, hungry and waiting for our personal chef to come home and make dinner.

she's late...

see.garden.fun

As Summer quickly flies by and I spend most of my days in lecture (blah) our garden is starting to produce some very fresh and delicious food.

Here is a bowl of speckled lettuce, zucchini, zucchini flowers, and jalapenos.

Mike taught me the real value of zucchini flowers when he made a fresh salad with zucchini flowers that he stuffed with goat cheese, battered and then fried. Wow, they were really delicious.

Apparently you can buy zucchini flowers at farmer's markets but they charge a good amount for them. Or you could just come to our house for dinner :0)

Fruits of our labor

Blueberry

Speckled lettuce is probably both of our favorites this year in the garden. Plentiful, really pretty and so delicious.

Finally, no garden is complete without a sun-bathing schnauzer... I mean a guard dog.

see.fathers.day

Happy Father's Day!!!

To all the hard working dads out there!!

We had a friend over for her birthday dinner Saturday night, and because it was the night before Father's Day, I made everyone share their dad's favorite sayings, when they were kids. We went around the table and shared funny, embarrassing, sweet, and father-filled stories about each of our dads.

Because I am never at a loss for words, I happen to share a few things about my dad. Haa haa, who I know is reading this! Don't worry dad, I provided a glowing report, I promise!!

Here are a few JB classics:

"Practice doesn't make perfect... practice makes better!"

"The more you know, the more you don't know"

"When in doubt... toss it out" (a favorite in college when dealing with a shared fridge!)

and my personal favorite

"It's just around the corner, Mel"

It's funny how these things didn't resonate at 8 years old, the way they do now. Now, that I'm a little older, when I am faced with a difficult challenge or task... I find myself saying "it's just around the corner Mel" and it is always the case.

Mike's favorite father moments included his dad encouraging him to do his best and that he always believed/believes in him.

We are so fortunate to have such awesome dad's.

Happy Father's Day!!

xoxo

see.mamma.mia

Mike's mom came to visit us a few weeks ago.

We had so much fun with her!!

It was such a nice weekend, we did a little shopping, some eating, and just relaxed.

Mike took her to our local garden store and when they came back... they pimped our yard.

We now have a beautiful bird feeder, many mint plants, blueberry bushes, sage, dill and more.

It looks amazing!!

Here are a few pics right before she flew away.

We hope to see her again soon :0)

see.new.path

This isn't news to most of our (limited) reader base but she (the blog creator and updater) is currently going through a career change. This may not seem like a big deal except I am switching careers into medicine and starting on a marathon journey. Last year, I started with day 1: biology 1o1 surrounded by a classroom full of freshmen. A journey in medicine is just that... a journey.

I am 27 and won't actually see my own patients until I am almost 40. What the heck am I thinking? Well I ask myself that EVERYDAY! And, if I had the time I would list the million and 1 reasons why I want to do this but it boils down to 1 reason: it is a passion and desire that is internal, like a broken record or (because i am currently taking physics) a positive personal force, much like gravity, that is unseen but felt. I tried for years to take the "easier" route by ignoring it and becoming interested in something else to save myself the years of study, class time, library time... but if you have ever just "known" something was for you then you also know it will nag you and keep you up at night and apply pressure until you move.

I am currently taking "post-bacc pre-requisite" classes to apply to medical school, if I am accepted into med school, I will matriculate Fall 2013. The choice to change careers is very personal and was not taken lightly... I agonized about this decision discussed it with family, friends, michael, the dog... pretty much anyone who would listen and when I applied to post-bacc schools my stomach was in knots.

But here I am and the best encouragement I can get is when I meet, read about and listen to others who made the leap just like me. That's why, getting this story from my sister this morning was a wonderful confidence boost. Thanks Jen :0)

see.song

Ah! So much going on, so many trips taken, visitors visited, jobs, and school...

but for now I wanted to share this video.

My 2.5 year old niece Charlotte will specifically request this song "my music video" as she calls it and sing all the words! I'm not sure how it all started but it is pretty darn adorable. I can't listen to it without thinking about her.

So this is for you sweet Charlotte!

see.skittles

In the house of m&m we have our favorite candies.

he likes sour patch kids (i can only stand to eat half a bag of these)

she likes skittles.

If there is a bag of skittles in the house somewhere, I know about it, and have hidden it away until I can sort the candy out properly.

See... I don't like to taste the rainbow. I have no idea why they have certain skittles at all (namely the purple, yellow and green) = gross.

Which is why Mike has to take one for the team and gets stuck with the yucky ones.

see.baby.sun.sprout

I'm not sure my inspiration for this video... maybe it was the AMAZING time lapse video I posted a few days ago, the HOURS upon HOURS of studying I have been doing accounting for the fact that I could explain to you the exact process as to why your inside plants reach for the sunshine, or the fact that just like these little sprouts I wish I could sit in the sunshine all day... whatever the reason, I had fun watching these little sprouts stretch their cells and work their auxin magic!

p.s. if you can't wait for it... just move the cursor really fast and watch them move!

Baby Beet Sprouts

see.squirrel.damage

Ah to be a gardener in Chicago...

We face so many challenges: weather (cold temps for baby seedlings), wind (strong forces that break baby seedlings), and the worst of the all... squirrels!

We have been nursing our baby seedlings in pots, moving them in and outside, in order to grow nice and strong before we plant them.

The other day however, we found this!

I found this: I call it the 'angry farmer face'

and more of this:

Seems as though Chicago squirrels must wait an extra long time before they see ANYTHING green so... when they spotted our sweet little baby seedlings resting on the ledge they tore into them searching for seeds and delicious morsels of plant based nutrients.

Squirrels are not careful, no, they are twitchy, spastic, and compulsive (kind of like me in the morning after coffee).

So now we aren't feeding the dog until he catches a squirrel.

Just kidding.

(the dog eats better then we do by the way)

But he is on guard outside most days now. Just sitting next to the seedlings. Waiting, watching, and attempting to pounce on anything that enters the area.

good dog

see.pierogies

I try to make something "new" once a month. New as in I have never made it, but we have tried it somewhere along the way. Sometimes I make several "new" things a month and sometimes none at all. This month I was inspired by my new Polish friend Kasia. She is not a big cook but her mom is and so I asked her for her mom's best Polish dish.

"Easy" she said, "Pierogies."

She did mention though that this dish is only for special occasions because it takes so long to make. I don't mind dishes that are time consuming, mostly because cooking is like a hobby to me but with some light internet research I found a shortened method to make homemade pierogies. These are not Kasia's mom's pierogies, they are more like

American/vegetarian/Tuesday night pierogies.

A hobby isn't fun unless you set the mood!

First, crack open a beer... or favorite beverage,

Goose Island Beer, made in Chicago, Florida :0)

Put on your favorite show, for me it's House reruns...

And get to cooking, I started with won ton wrappers I found in the grocery store.

These are typically used for... you guessed it: won tons, BUT their consistency is very similar to pierogi dough.

Cheesy mashed potatoes from the night before. Making the filling is probably one of the more time consuming events in this process. Thus, using left over mashed potatoes cuts prep time immensely. Kasia informed me that the filling can be just about anything... most often it is mashed potatoes but you can use meat or mashed potatoes and onions and on and on.

I filled most of them with cheesy mashed potatoes, and some with seasoned seitan.

Seitan is... this post is about pierogies so if you want to know more about seitan just google it. :0)

Place about 2 teaspoons of potato mash in the middle of (1) won ton wrapper and fold from corner to corner. Make a triangle shape.

Use water and a pastry brush to seal the edges.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 8-10 mins.

This part is debatable, meaning pierogies are served either boiled, baked or fried... I tried to boil them, which tasted OK then, I baked them in a really hot oven and they were DELICIOUS... so it's up to you which method you prefer!

see.stars

Happy Easter and Happy Earth Day!!

Two great reasons to celebrate and be thankful for everything we have and everyone we know. We started our garden (pics to come) with the hopes that the weather is kind to our tiny sprouts. For now, check out this video, time lapse video at its finest. What a beautiful world we live in... and galaxy too!

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

see.support

Hello friends, family and random readers!

Whew! It has been a while since we have posted probably due to the fact that we, like the weather have been in transition from frozen to thawing out.

I can't think of a better way to get back to posting then to share information and ways to support Ms. Lola (our niece) who was diagnosed with Sturge Weber Syndrome shortly after she was born.

This is Lola

Lola is Mike's sister's daughter and my niece-to-be, she is 5 years old and loves to sing and dance. We have featured Lola along with her brother Henry, and my nieces and nephew's on the blog before because well... what can I say we are so so proud and in love with these little people!!

A big thanks to our siblings for putting in the time and effort to make them fun and spoilable by yours truly :0)

Every year for several years now Lola's Gigi and Pops organize an entire golf tournament to raise money for Sturge Weber Research. This year the tournament is on April 30th, and is sure to be lots of fun. Here, I'll let Gigi (Lola's grandma tell you more)

Dear Family & Friends:

It’s hard to believe that Lola just turned five. She is attending pre-k and is enjoying school. Her teachers adore her and watch her very closely. For this we are extremely thankful. She started having seizures again in February and several of them happened at school. She was taken by ambulance to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and has been hospitalized several times since then. While these most recent developments are heartbreaking, Lola continues to amaze us all.

Lola participated in two separate Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) research studies this past year. One in August under the direction of Dr. Chugani from Children’s Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and one in March, under the direction of Dr. Comi at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Both doctors are leading SWS researchers in the world. After the testing last month, we met with Dr. Comi. She provided Amanda with a wealth of information to her most recent concerns. I must say, she is a one of a kind doctor! I cannot even express my gratitude for how much she has been there for Lola and for her quick response when Amanda calls her for advice.

Unfortunately, this visit brought us some news that we did not expect. We learned that Lola's entire right hemisphere is affected by Sturge-Weber Syndrome. With that being said, we also learned that Lola’s brain is doing something rather amazing. Dr. Chugani from Detroit mentioned that Lola's MRI scan presented a special case because of how her brain was overcoming the depleted nutrients to portions of her brain. Dr. Juhasz said he has never seen anything like it. Both Doctors said she is a "Special Case." They have NEVER seen what her brain is doing. They saw new developments in vein structure happening in her case. Her brain is basically making new "roadways"....with deep veins and many of them. That was very exciting!! They were amazed at her and said she was one of their top 10 patients.

During the studies Lola wanted to know everything they were doing and was interested in all of it. Even though they poked, prodded and sedated her, through it all, she did not complain but instead smiled as if she knew she was part of something really special. She is very brave and we are extremely proud of her.

It is our greatest desire to help Lola and other children like her. So again, I turn to you, my family and friends, for your help by making a donation to continue to support the necessary research to find a cure.

You have our heartfelt gratitude as we strive to make a difference in the lives of those affected by Sturge-Weber Syndrome.

Much Love,

Mitch and Jeanette Ribak

Please go to: www.lolasgift.com to make a donation online.

Uncle Mike and Aunt Mel can't think of anything more important then supporting Sturge-Weber Syndrome research. We encourage you to take a moment to learn more!

Thanks for reading :0)

see.snow.removal.2011

see.snow.day

What did we do on our "snow day" you ask?

Oh, the usual, watch some movies, lay on the couch and...

We made homemade bagels, of course!

Start with some dough...

flour

yeast

sugar

warm water

mixer

knead and let rest for 10 mins.

Cut, shape into balls, poke your finger through and make a 2 inch hole. Shape into bagels.

Cover and let rise for 20 mins.

*note, hands in the pic belong to mike... my assistant :0)

Broil bagels for 3-4 mins, turning once.

See how nice and plump they are getting!!!

Once out of the broiler, simmer the bagels in water, 4-5 at a time, for 7 minutes.

Once they are all boiled or simmered, drain, and place on a well greased baking sheet.

Make an egg wash (1 well beaten egg, 1 tablespoon water) and brush egg wash over bagels.

Bake bagels for 25 - 30 mins at 375 degrees.

Next, let your trusty assistant make breakfast!

Egg and cheese bagels with slice tomatoes anyone?

please, and thank you :0)

Snow days aren't so bad huh?

see.white.out

Chicago and much of the country was hit by a blizzard yesterday.

We were hit hard here.

It is still snowing today!

We made it through our first blizzard and by "made" it... we literally barely made it home last night.

Here's the story...

Yesterday morning we heard on the news that the storm would hit by 3 pm.

Mike usually works in Hyde Park (30 mins. south of us) from noon to 6 pm. I decided to

ride down there with him and study at the library until he finished. I assumed we would only really be in Hyde Park until 3 or 4 pm. Mike had to tutor some kids and stay with them until their parents arrived home. I figured the parents would get off early and we would be back home by 5 pm at the latest.

That's what I thought...

I didn't get a call from Mike until around 5:30 pm, he said the parents were home and he was on his way to pick me up. On a "normal" day, it would have taken about 10 mins for him to get

to the library. This however, was NOT a normal day. By 5:30 pm the snow was starting to

accumulate and there were 40 mph wind gusts. Standing at the doors of the library,

waiting for Mike, I could not see down the street. It was a complete white out.

6:00 pm Mike finally gets to the library. He is looking very nervous and tells me that it is really really bad out there.

We considered staying with friends in Hyde Park but we didn't have anyone to care for Miles.

We at least had to try to drive home.

Lake Shore Drive is the main road running North and South along the lake. It has 4 lanes running North and 4 running South. Mike drives it daily. If you live a few miles from the lake and need to get North or South, you take Lake Shore drive.

We started out on Lake Shore drive around 6:10 pm and everything was white. Visibility was about 20 feet in front of us... maybe less. The wind was blasting snow from all directions and

were were almost the only car on the road. We slowly made it the 7 miles to downtown by 6:40 pm. The snow was piling up along Lake Shore but we just kept moving.

By 6:45 pm we made it to a massive traffic jam just past Navy Pier and this is where we stayed for the next 2.5 hours. Moving only feet at a time.

Unaware of what was going on we tried the radio and eventually used the 'DAD app' on my phone. Yes, Dad application. We are without a smart phone and just call family when we need

information. Usually we call my Dad who is quick with the internet and always happy to help :0)

My dad informed us that there was a major accident on Lake Shore Drive and the City had closed it down.

WHAT? We were ON Lake Shore Drive, they can't close it down while people are on it!

Oh yes they can and they did.

By around 9:15 pm we noticed that some cars were exiting Lake Shore Drive via jumping a curb and driving up an on-ramp into the city. Mike looked at me and we knew it was our only chance. By this time people were starting to abandon their cars around us!

We realized our choices were to stay on a traffic locked Lake Shore Drive until we were rescued OR jump the curb and try our luck through the city.

So we tried our luck... it was pretty scary but we some how made it up snowy streets, through downtown, and onto Clark Street. It was almost impossible to recognize where

we were. At one point we were driving down Michigan Ave. in the middle of downtown (the magnificent mile) and we had no idea what street we were on.

Slowly but surely, passing cars stuck in huge snow banks, city buses stuck in the snow, tow trucks struggling to get out of giant drifts and people wondering around the streets, we made it to our neighborhood. We managed to park the car (illegally) and muscle our way to the door of our apartment. We had made it home by 10:30 pm. Only 5 hours from the time we left.

But we made it. We kept track of the news and many people on Lake Shore Drive were not so lucky and stayed there almost all night.

We decided to take a walk around our neighborhood this morning, we walked past a man shoveling his stairs and Mike asked him if he had seen a storm like this before. "Not since the late 60's..." That he could remember.

Here are some pictures from around our neighborhood.

Our Backyard... or it was our backyard, now it is just used for snow storage.

Fearless blizzard driver / my hero!

This bus slid to the side of the road and by the time we discovered it, it was abandoned.

This car belongs to our neighbor. You can just see the sides. Luckily it is bright yellow. Can't miss it.

see.chicago.blizzard!

From Chicagoweather.com

"Blizzard conditions could arrive Tuesday night and continue into Wednesday, with northeast winds gusting above 40 mph whipping and blowing snow falling at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour creating whiteout conditions. Meanwhile across southern and portions of central Illinois and Indiana a broad area of freezing rain could build up a layer of glaze as much as a half-inch thick." i wish we were talking donuts here...

"As the low moves toward the east coast, carrying the heavy snow and freezing rain with it, a cold Arctic high pressure air mass will follow covering the plains and Midwest Thursday. In Chicago temperatures early Thursday morning will be near zero with wind chills 10 to 20 degrees below zero. The cold will begin to moderate Friday with readings approaching the 30-degree mark this coming weekend."

At least by Friday it will get "warm" again.

Thus I have started to think like a midwesterner.

sniff... sniff

see.study.buddy

It's too cold for Mr. Davis to hunt squirrels outside... so this is the next best alternative. He hunts from the window and I have a study buddy.

see.new.we

Happy New Year!!

I found a dollar in the yard yesterday.
Not much of an update but I think it is a sign of good luck!!
I also hope that our neighbors don't read the blog.
Just in case :0)

see.hungry. guests

Meet our weekend guests.
This is Gilbert.

Gilbert likes: food, wrestling with Miles, crying for attention, getting in front of the camera at all costs, food, rolling in the snow, barking, food, doing the exact opposite of what you want him to do, food, and attention.
Miles teaching Gilbert how to provide security for the backyard.

This is Rajah.
That isn't snow on his beard. It's old age and wisdom. He generally keeps all wisdom to himself and doesn't share with Gilbert.

Rajah just likes food. 90% of the time he is searching, sniffing, wandering around in search of ANYTHING edible.
I told Mike that we are going to have dreams of circling hungry sharks after Rajah leaves!
Oh, and he is camera shy.
Can you guess how I got him to sit still for a few seconds?

We are doggie sitting for the weekend. I should say, Miles is doing most of the doggie sitting. He is showing them around, keeping them in line, telling on them (by running straight to me when they get into the trash- searching for food), and keeping them entertained.
Good boy Miles.

see.turkey.day

Hungry for some turkey?
Yea, we aren't either. And probably won't be for an entire year.
This was our first official Thanksgiving at our house hosting friends (the friends who did not travel to see family this year). Therefore our official Thanksgiving name this year was:
"Orphan Thanksgiving"
And what we lacked in family we made up in food, drinking, and dogs.
Our party included 6 people, 3 dogs and lots of merry cheer.
For the food here is what finally landed on the table:
appetizer
Amish Turkey (17.5 lbs) (post brine)
Mashed potatoes, southern cornbread casserole, skillet green bean casserole, carrot souffle, cranberry sauce, hand made dinner rolls, gravy, sweet potato casserole (Sarah), broccoli casserole (Sarah), macaroni and cheese (Kelly via Doug).
Dessert: pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pecan pie
Whew! Here are a few food pics from the day:

Dinner rolls

Carrot Souffle (to be)

Cranberry sauce with port wine, citrus, and vanilla beans

apple pie (pre-pie)

Vegetarian fiance, wrist deep in turkey.
I asked Mike to carve the turkey. He looked a little nervous, watched a you-tube video on turkey carving, and came back confident and quite skilled!

This was taken with my the last bit of energy.
What a great feast!
Until next year!!