Patent Pending (?)

Sometimes, you decide to start a new show and C convinces you that it should be Burn Notice.

That decision will start an important discussion about snacks. Obviously.

And sometimes, even though it sounds weird, you might decide to take C's suggestion seriously and actually try mint popcorn. Because you miss having someone to do stupid experiments with. Or maybe you're tired. Who knows why you listen to his suggestion.

Verdict: Meh. When eaten in the form shown above, the flavors of popped corn and mint are distinctly separate from each other. Once smothered (as C said after seeing above photo, "needs way more york. smother it"), the popcorn is merely a vehicle for the melted patties. There is no butter or salt in your mouth. Just chocolate and mint.

oh well.

A Magical Place Called Clarke's

To celebrate the end of finals, some of us got together again at our favorite bar at Fanueil Hall. In fact, it might be my favorite bar anywhere. Why?


Nachos.


Clarke's has the most delicious, largest platter of nachos I have ever experienced. Each time we've been there, the male waiters look at us skeptically and don't think we can finish the platter. Each time, we finish it. This time we ordered dos.

That's right. Two. And they're freaking huge. Check it.

This is Kelly. She loves Clarke's.

It was supposed to be our last Clarke's hurrah, but man, those nachos are just so good, I'm hoping Jackie and Emily will want to go after work, since we all work within walking distance (they're literally across the street, luckies). 

Cupcake Love

A Crumbs opened up a few blocks from my office. A delightful and dangerous place.

I went last week at lunch time and waited in a line that was, no joke, out the door. For a cupcake that was, no joke, the size of two normal cupcakes. That had the absolute best chocolate ganache I'd ever tasted. Ever.

I'm going back on my way home because a) it's been a long day, 2) a friend is doing me a last minute favor and deserves a cupcake, and d) I just want to. This time a Dulce de Leche for me, and a Blackbottom Cheesecake Brownie for him.

My stomach hurts already.

Experimenting

Image found here.

For the last several weeks I have started a few experiments which have been mentioned in passing a few times on this blog. I'd like to take the time to report.

Experiment Uno: Cut Processed Sugar
I've been having a variety of digestively-related health problems over the last year or so, and after I got tired of doctors (again) I decided to (continue to) self-diagnose. The beginning of that self-diagnosis was processed sugar. For the past eight weeks I have cut it from my diet (except for when I ate a chocolate reindeer-rabbit in a moment of weakness) to see if it would have an effect on my overall health. It has...ish. Not enough to determine processed sugar as the sole cause of said problems.

Experiment Numero Dos: Maintain a Proper Sleeping Schedule
Along with eating much (much) healthier, I wondered if perhaps (more/better) sleep might affect my near-constant state of fatigue. Thus, I created a Sleeping Sticker Chart. No mocking said chart (cough*Dan*cough). It works. Over the last five weeks I've only missed five days.

Experiment Tres: Learn To Let Go
This one is only five days old, and will probably rival the next experiment in difficulty. But for Lent this year, I'm letting go some long-harbored ill feelings. (Also my tendency to complain, but that isn't really part of this experiment so does not warrant a mention. Though it just got one.) The plan involves some isolation and some prayer and some study. We'll see how it goes.

Experiment Numero Quatro: Cut Wheat
Last night for dinner I made myself some whole wheat macaroni and cheese. Very quickly after consumption I nearly died (not of consumption. of macaroni.). I have been suspicious of wheat for a while, even if my coeliac disease tests did come back clear, so as of today (or maybe next week? I just bought bread) I will be adding some sugar and cutting all wheat. Which will perhaps be the most difficult experiment of all time. I freaking love bread. Cross your fingers that's not the problem.

A List of Things in My Life

1. I've been having really unsettling dreams lately. No, I don't eat before bed. No, I'm not abnormally stressed out. Yes, it is affecting my sleeping ability. A dream journal has been suggested. Thoughts?

2. We pitched story ideas in my editing class today, and I will be doing a restaurant review for Kickass Cupcakes. To determine if they actually are. (I've been told, yes.)

3. Ran into my boss getting off the T yesterday morning. Apparently we ride the same train. Usually I get to the office first, though, so we've never seen each other before.

4. Mumford & Sons. Megan, I know you said you didn't like Little Lion Man, but listen to Winter Winds. The trumpet part rocks.

5. I freaking love my old man sweater. And flannel. And wearing them in the fall. It's fall!

6. Boots are on backorder. Blast and wretch.

7. I laughed out loud on the T last week reading Bossypants. The lady standing in front of me looked at me and said, "You're the third person I've seen on the T today laughing at that book. I think I have to read it."

8. Working from home cons: I am sick.

9. Working from home pros: Stretchy pants and Full House reruns. Can you say score?

10. I am designing my hands down dream magazine to create (and hopefully will create at some time in the future). It will be a heck of a lot of work. But it will be awesome.

Chemistry (or something)

Did you know that you can melt sugar? And that it turns into caramel?


We made homemade ice cream tonight, salted caramel ice cream (sorry Anne Marie, don't hate me, at least I couldn't go to Jim's Deli), and the directions included melting 1 1/2 cups sugar in a saucepan on the stove. If you've never done this, go try it; it was so cool to watch the sugar melt and turn dark. And if you add a little cream you can make some great caramel sauce.


I don't know if that's how you actually make caramel sauce, but that's certainly what it tasted like when Mel let me lick the bowl.

Random

I purchased myself a birthday gift, and I felt perfectly okay doing it ($12 is not a particularly expensive gift).


I fell asleep on a couch last night that isn't even mine, working on the project I will (finally) turn in tonight. I was awakened by someone else who doesn't live in that apartment. Though I basically have for the last four months, and he basically has for the last four days. So we do belong, I guess.


I have fallen hardcore for Pinterest. Are you in that boat yet? If not, you really should be; come check it out.


I really, desperately crave a burrito. Alyson 2 and Anne Marie and I were talking about that last night. Not burritos, cravings. Your body telling you what it needs. Mine needs more protein, apparently, because I'll I've wanted lately are protein sources. A decent burrito hunt will occur during the hour between work and class.


I tried to make this list parallel, but couldn't do it. It shouldn't have even been that hard. But I'm running on an average of 5.5 hours of sleep a night this week, and that's really not enough.


I will organize my bookcase this weekend. Also, I will watch The September Issue. And probably start on Psych season five (thanks Tanner and Jessica!). And sleep, sleep, sleep.


I hate that Anne Marie is leaving me, but it'll probably be better for my stomach (and my wallet) not to have a JP Licks run partner for a while. September though, baby. Right back at it.


I love my print productions professor, but I swear, if class goes more than two hours tonight I'm going to die. Or he might. I am so ready for this semester to be over.

Ridiculous

Had a mango smoothie for lunch. 'Twas delicious, but no where near the peach mango one from the North End. I may head up there Friday after work, this is getting ridiculous.

Want to see something else ridiculous? This cover.

Image found here.

I love the book, but you have to admit that the cover is terrifying. There have been other designs, although none seem particularly great to me. What should we do about it, you ask? Oh, don't worry. I'm redesigning it for my print publishing course. Maybe if it's phenomenal I'll send it to Farrar, Straus, & Giroux and they will say, "Brilliant! We'll take it!" and I will be rich.

That's a bit ridiculous, too.

Cravings

'Round about eleven months ago I moved to Boston, and my mother came with me to help settle in. We made way too many trips to Target and got lost a few too many times, but (other than the gross, sticky heat) we enjoyed the bit of exploring we were able to do. On one of our exploratory days we ventured along a part of the Freedom Trail into the North End. As there was gross, sticky heat (plus a fake hurricane), we literally thought we were dying (maybe not literally) (okay, I thought I might die) and were desperate for a drink. There is a tiny cafe located right across the street from the Old North Church on the corner of Salem and Hull. We ate a muffin and a bagel respectively, and both tried large peach mango smoothies as well (the large is only 50 cents more than the smaller size, you have to buy a large).

Oh holy goodness.

That was absolutely hands down the best peach mango smoothie I have ever drunk in my entire life. You could taste equally and distinctly both the peach and the mango flavors. It was incredible.

And for the past four weeks, I can't stop thinking about it.

Darn full time work and school. I still haven't managed to make it back up there. But man, oh man, I will get there before this summer is out.




If I could drink one while sailing in my nautical attire on the Charles, now that would be perfect.

Happy birthday, America

This post is dedicated to Katelyn Anderson

A little over a year ago, I was still working at BYU Independent Study, ready to embark on a summer adventure filled with software I didn’t understand, my first real foray into public transportation, way too much Dr. Pepper, and an overwhelming abundance of male coworkers. As I was preparing to leave the job I’d had and girls I’d loved for over a year and a half, Katelyn suggested (requested?) that I start a blog, “so we can keep up with your life.” I did that, a year ago, today. And I have never catalogued my life in so detailed a way than I have the past year (except perhaps for a series of letters that once found their way to Europe). So Katelyn, thank you. After nearly 23 years, I have finally figured out what medium of journaling works for me, and it is because of you.

On a sadder note, Melis left me yesterday (then Dema went on a date and JM was studying and another friend bailed on me too; poor, sad night for Allison). We had a lovely weekend, none of which I captured on film (or SD card). But I did take two photos on my phone at the MFA.

There is an exhibit currently featuring the work of Dale Chihuly, a glass artist from Seattle. Oh man. Gorgeous stuff; if you live in the area, go see the exhibit. If you do not live in the area, go to his website and see where some of his work is near you. It was so cool. I felt like I was under water the entire time. I will probably be heading back at least once before the exhibit ends.

Because everyone left me last night I ended up running in the rain, and discovered a few things: A) Running in the rain is way more fun than running in the sun. 2) Running to JEW is way more motivating than running without any music. D) . . . I don’t have a D.

But I did have left over Indian food for dinner.

Actually Eating (Crazy, I Know)

Sometimes there are Sundays that I feel speak directly to me.

The last three weeks certainly have been like that. In consequence of this, as well as one FHE lesson and one conversation had multiple times with a friend, I have eaten breakfast for almost two consecutive weeks (something I haven’t done without monetary reward from Melis since Jerusalem), I went grocery shopping for real meal ingredients (not that soup or rice and beans aren’t meals, but something slightly more substantial and less salty), and I actually prepared meals for myself so I can eat something when I get back from class at 10:30 during the week. Once I get this eating thing down, maybe I’ll try sleep or exercise.

So I’m ready for you, next five weeks from hell. You won’t kill me; I will be fully nourished.

Why am I blogging this late at night?

Because tonight was the first time since August that I had Little Caesars $5 Hot and Ready pizza. It was so good. But the crust was different. And they ran out of the amazing Italian cheesy bread.

I guess that's what happens when you get there at 10:00p.m. But we did travel all the way to Lynn, Massachusetts to get it.


I missed you, Melis.

I'm a little bit in love

with this cake.

Can be found on i am baker

Seriously. Mel upstairs made it for a dinner tomorrow, and I spent over two hours in her kitchen tonight watching her put it all together. It is so sweet (pun intended). I can't wait to see how it turned out; she graciously invited me to come upstairs and eat some. Heck yes I will.

Act One, Scene One: Jalapenos

Location: Mel's car on the way home from the church.
Players: Mel, two roommates, Calvin, me.
Scene: Mel informs car of new roommate moving in, name of Alyson.

Mel: (driving) How are you guys back there? Warm? Cold?

Roommate: Stupendous.

Me: That isn't a temperature.

Other Roommate: (to Mel) Leave it to the editor. . .

Mel: That was bad word choice.

Other Roommate: Poor word choice.

(a couple minutes pass)

Mel: So will any of you be home tomorrow afternoon? Our new roommate is supposed to come by with her sister, but I don't think any of us will be home, maybe Molly but I'm not sure. I'm leaving the back open for her, but if you see anyone with a lot of stuff it's probably her.

Me: I'll probably be home.

Roommate: I might. What's her name? 

Mel: Alyson.

Me: What? I'm not okay with that. How does she spell it?

Mel: A-L-Y-S-O-N.

Me: (disgust) She doesn't even spell it right. 

Roommates: (laugh)

Calvin: Maybe she can be Aly.

Me: No, you don't understand. You know how there are always tons of Ashleys, or whatever? I never had another Allison until my freshman English class. Allison Fisher. And I hated her, just because she had my name. I'm sure she was a nice person, but I didn't like her.

Mel: I know, I don't really like it when other people have my name either.

Calvin: You have a chip on your shoulder about this at all?

Me: Yeah, a little. . . . I'm sorry I'm being so snarky tonight. I'm not really sure what's up.

Mel: No, it's good to see this side of you. I had no idea. . . .

Me: Oh I just wasn't comfortable enough yet.

Roommate: Yeah, you aren't as sweet as you seem. You come off so quiet and sweet.

Me: (laughs) Yeah, I'm not at all. So you've seen through the facade I put up?

Roommate: It's like a cupcake, but then you bite into it and find a surprise.

Calvin: A jalapeno pepper.

Me: Really? That's what you choose to be in the middle of the cupcake?

I love my Ducks

One of our favorite Christmas treats in the Mitton home is the Burgerville seasonal chocolate peppermint milkshake. The balance between the chocolate and peppermint flavors is beautiful, the peppermint chunks are just the right size, and the shake is always thick and creamy. Delicious. So when Mom and I were returning from a semi-successful shopping trip yesterday, we stopped at the drive-thru to get Yukon Gold fries (also delicious) and check if they had any chocolate peppermint shakes left.

They didn't.

However, the voice in the machine did inform us that they had a peppermint shake, "just arrived today," said the voice. "It's green peppermint, and it comes with yellow sprinkles." My mother looked at me dubiously. "Should we try it?" she whispered. I nodded, stipulating, "Let's just get one and share it."

We really ought to have more faith in the institution that is Burgerville. It came out all lovely, tasting like a sip of Schwan's peppermint ice cream in liquid form (because we all know they have the best peppermint ice cream). We were puzzled a little by the specifications of green peppermint and yellow sprinkles given by the voice, until I read the receipt.

Yes, even Burgerville loves our Ducks.

Thanksgiving Recap + Christmas Beginning

I'm back in my brick Boston house. I like my house and Boston, but I do miss Leesburg. Why?

• I shared a delicious Thanksgiving meal with some great people.
• I saw Christmas lights with four very excited little kids.
• I played trains and ate fishies with the cutest baby.
• I watched How To Train A Dragon---three times.
• I went to Mount Vernon and the Natural History Museum.
• I browsed the best antique shops with my awesome aunt.
• I discovered some really cute books.
• I helped decorate for Christmas.
• I ate the most amazing molasses cookies. 

Summary? Good trip. Always. I'll have to think of a reason to go back.

Standing in front of a gingerbread Mount Vernon

I did, however, have some exciting Christmas mail waiting for me when I got home last night. Thanks, Mom and Dad! Christmas is officially here.

DC Day Dos

This whole humidity thing is not so fun. Maybe the Universe hates me; they say it's been really nice up until I got here.

But even with the humidity, yesterday was a good day. Worked on some publishing stuff in the morning and the Andy played hooky and went into the city with me to meet up with uncles Ryan and Land Baron Bruce. (He didn't really play hooky, he just got shingles and his principal didn't want him teaching a bunch of kindergarten girls. Haha.)

We saw some pretty cool stuff, and it was a great group to be with to do so. Our first stop was the Department of Treasury where we got to take a tour to see how money is made. It is made very similarly to Nike signage and gift card packaging; I felt a little like I was out on the floor at WG&D/PC. It was amazing to see all that money and all the stuff they do to try to secure it. We also got to see the new 100 bill, which should be coming out on 10 February 2011, although the security guard in the gift shop said they might have to delay it a bit.

Next stops, two more museums. This has been a museum-filled week. Smaller ones that none of us had seen before, the Freer and the Hishhorn, which contained a lot of Asian artwork and pottery and then a bunch of modern art. The Freer had a tiny Egypt room as well, but it sadly does not compare to the MFA. I think one of our favorite Hishhorn pieces was probably this one:

We could touch it and didn't set off any alarms. Although that's probably still frowned upon.

After parting ways Andy and I walked around the mall a little bit (not the shopping, the historical one) before heading back to his apartment to meet up with his roommate for dinner. We took the metro to Alexandria and wandered around before they forced me to make a decision on the restaurant ("You chose to visit, you have to decide. If this were your last meal, you'll be executed in a few hours . . ."). We went to a Spanish place and ordered tapas. Some of them were really good, others not so much. The salmon and asparagus were particularly delicious. But I really liked Alexandria, Kevin called it quaint; lots of brick buildings, trees, a lot of small shops, everything felt older. It was nice. We also talked a lot about the Masons, and apparently we know very little.

Andy and I spent the rest of the night watching TV, eating Ben&Jerry's Chubby Hubby ice cream (so, so good), and talking about important things in his life, and in mine. It was relaxing, and it was nice to actually have a real conversation in person. We usually only see each other for a brief time at Christmas.

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli

This is Mike's Pastry, located in the North End of Boston, apparently the best pastry place in the world. Everyone raves about the cannolis.

This is a story about how I have not been to Mike's Pastry.


On Friday, my mother and I ventured into the city so I could get my student ID and drop off a job application. After a quick trip to Staples, we wandered past Faneuil Hall, to the Boston Harbor, through Christopher Columbus Park, and finally arrived in the North End. We decided to see Paul Revere's house and the North Church before following the Freedom Trail back down to Government Central station and going home to watch You've Got Mail.

It was not as hot as it had been the rest of the week, but we were pretty thirsty, so we stopped at a small cafe just across the street from the North Church and got THE best peach mango smoothies I have ever experienced. You could taste distinctly both the peach and the mango. Delicious. We also purchased a bagel and a muffin respectively, and as we walked outside I remembered hearing from multiple people about this delightful pastry shop. I turned to my mother and said, "You know, Allison and Andy both told me about this great pastry place in the North End and there's always a line. Apparently the cannolis are supposed to be amazing. I can't remember the name, but I bet if we passed it I'd remember." 

Not two minutes later my mother said to me, "Look at that, Mike's Pastry. Isn't that an odd name for a shop in the Italian section of town?"

I replied, "Yeah, it is. That sounds kind of familiar." And we walked on.

Cuisine

Unfortunately, along with sleep, one of the important aspects of life that kind of disappears during college is eating. I snack all the time, yes, pretzels, chips and salsa, poptarts, m&ms, chocolate milk. But I rarely have even two substantial meals a day, let alone three. Recently, however, our apartment has become friends with the Spokane boys---an apartment of boys in our ward from Spokane. I'd forgotten that boys love to eat. Since our friendship with them, I have begun eating much better, although a good portion of the food has been made by my roommates. Regardless, some of the deliciousness we have consumed lately includes

--- Homemade tortillas (courtesy of Laura)

--- Rollo cookies (courtesy of Audge)

--- Butter bars (courtesy of Laura)

--- Shepherd's pie (courtesy of Laura . . . apparently Laura cooks more than the rest of us)

--- Bruce & Lisa's pear cranberry cake (made by moi, and with rasp rather than cranberries as the store didn't have them)

--- Oreos with cream cheese frosting (courtesy of Melis)

Apparently we eat a lot of sugar. However, last night Liz made ribs and baked potatoes for our apartment as well as the Spokane boys. They were absolutely delicious, and probably one of the best meals I've had in months. Thanks Liz!