What I've Been Doing this Summer: Expanding my Reading Interests

I love to read. 

I read a lot.

I'm a bookaholic. 

Reading truly is a part of my life and my everyday happiness and livelihood is dependent on what I read, how often I read, and how I feel when I'm reading. However, in the past few years, I've gotten into a bad way of reading the same thing over and over again...mostly YA dystopian literature or new and upcoming fiction. In fact, as an active member of GoodReads, I checked the past 100 books I've read and about 85% were published within the past three years! Eek! I needed to diversify and have indeed done that this summer. 

Reading Nonfiction

Somehow I've gotten very into reading nonfiction this summer - Bossypants by Tina Fey, The Happiness Project, and books about managing stress and American history. I'm still not a big fan of nonfiction, even with the first two more fun nonfiction texts. I find myself losing interest and focus about halfway through the book. However, I would say my reading skills are improving because I am reading something different from the norm.

Building my Profession

I have been in school since I was 5-years-old - that is a lot of time spent reading what I am told to read. While I have loved school, especially my undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, it's nice to get to build my professional knowledge with what I want to read. This summer, I have read books about writing, multilevel modeling, teacher education, and reading theory. All of this is to build the knowledge of my profession now that I have time to read what I want. I am loving it! Moreover, without having to report to a professor or complete an assignment has allowed me to just enjoy learning what I am learning. So refreshing! 

Falling in Love with the Classics Again

After reading so many new pieces of fiction, professional texts, and nonfiction, I was really craving something more profound. While many of these books are well-written, most of the books I have been reading I can whiz through. I like reading many books, but relish savoring them, too. I decided to re-immerse myself in the classics. The classics are wonderful because they are so thought-provoking, well-written, and time-consuming. They take a great deal of brain power, patience, and open-mindedness to finish reading. I decided to attack this task with a long-term goal and found this list of great classic books. I've read 16 books before starting and am really excited to add these works into my regular reading lists. 

Being Open to the Book Club Recommendations 

My book club, which is fairly new, also realized that we consistently read the same types of books over and over again (Divergent, Maze Runner, and Hunger Games). Our fearless leader created themes that other book clubs have used so we would choose different books each month. It worked! In July we read a true crime novel, In Cold Blood, that totally gave me nightmares and in August we are reading a foodie book. 

Cooking Books

I have really gotten into cooking lately as I love food and want to eat yummy stuff! :) I love the Pioneer Woman's recipes and cookbooks but lately have been wanting food with more flavor. I have three cooking books on my to-read list that I cannot wait to dig into. Again, I want to rotate these books into my regular reading lists. 

What have you been reading lately? 

What I've Been Doing this Summer: Cooking and Baking!

This summer has been highly enjoyable. After years with no break (seriously, I'm not kidding), I decided to give myself some room to breathe to refresh before beginning the official data collection. I still taught a course this summer (June), prepared a manuscript for publication, and proposals for conferences, but have spent a lot of time relaxing and catching up on life. 

So, what exactly have I been up to? First and foremost, working on my cooking and baking skills! 

I love to eat but don't have a love for cooking. Moreover, I don't have a wealth of recipes to try and quickly get tired of the same old thing. I have slowly been building my store of recipes so I have different options. This summer, I've tried quite a few new recipes, some I loved and some that were lackluster. 

1. Lasagna. I have to admit, I had a misconception about lasagna - I always avoided it because I assumed it was really hard to make. Um. I was wrong. It's very easy and not even that time consuming! I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman and loved it! It freezes easily and was super easy to make. Plus, it's so tasty! :) 

2. Spring Green Casserole. I was so disappointed in this recipe. It's basically a lasagna recipe with green vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, and asparagus) mixed in. However, once the dish was completed, I found it didn't have enough flavor for me. I think a nice cream sauce would really enhance the casserole and that is what I plan to add next time.

3. Peach-BBQ Chicken. Oh my goodness is this stuff good! Again, the chicken freezes really well once it is cooked. To make the sauce, choose your favorite BBQ sauce (I like Jack Daniels #7). Mix the BBQ sauce with peach preserves and a bit of garlic over the stove until it boils and mixes beautifully. Roast the chicken for about 15 minutes. Then, take out and coat with BBQ sauce about every 7 minutes for about an hour. Once the chicken is fully cooked, it's done and tasty so yummy! 

4. Chicken spaghetti. This is a classic recipe, but I use rotini noodles instead of spaghetti. I find that the spaghetti noodles are too stringy and long in a casserole-type dish. I love this stuff and can't get enough of it. 

5. Banana Bread. A few weeks ago, I got really interested in perfecting sweet bread recipes. I love sweet breads in the morning with my coffee or as an afternoon snack while I'm writing. I started with banana bread and it was heavenly! I cut the sugar to 3/4 cup instead of a whole cup and it was still a little too sweet, so I would cut that a little more if I made it again. The whole family loved it just the same. 

6. Apple-Cinnamon Bread. I made this bread last week. It was tasty, but the recipe I used called for layering the ingredients. I've learned that I'm not really a fan of layering anything and prefer for it to all be mixed up together. When I make the bread again, I will mix apples and cinnamon into the bread and layer some in the middle and on top. I think it will make for a more flavorful complete product (although the bread itself was still yummy). 

More recipes are sure to come! :) 

Favorite TV Shows!

Welcome to Summer! 

This is one of the only times I get to watch TV, guilt-free...only problem, TV isn't very enjoyable in the summertime. There are not nearly enough "good" TV shows on, and I quickly lose interest in most of the shows. One of the blogs I enjoy following recently did a "favorite 10" TV shows and movies. This inspired me to make my own TV-show list (but I don't know if I can come up with 10). 

1. Gilmore Girls. Without a doubt this is my favorite TV show of all time. About once a year, I work my way through the entire series and am completely happy all over again. Mostly, I love this show for the witty banter - I get most of the jokes and references about pop culture. Secondly, I love Rory. She is intellectual, a bit quiet and reserved, classy, and loves literature. Basically, she is me in a TV character. I love the relationship she has with her mom, her determination to meet her goals, and that she would rather stay in and read or watch a movie than go out. I like the way the show ended; it wasn't perfect but the characters ended up as they should. I love that Rory ended the show single because she was way too young to be with one guy. In my mind, she got her career started and later in life, reconnects with Jess and they end up together traveling and writing. :) 

2. The Big Bang Theory. I cannot get enough of these characters. I think this show is hilarious and right up my ally in terms of geeky-comedy. The characters make fun of most of my personality flaws (OCD, organized, nerdy). I've only made it through the entire series once, but I've watched many re-runs and genuinely enjoy every minute of it. I'll be sad when the show is over, but it is definitely remaining second to Gilmore Girls in terms of wonderful TV.

3. Friends. The original show about a group of young twenty-somethings. As I am a young twenty-something working on my career, single, and trying to make sense of life, this show hits close to home. I cannot get enough of Chandler's lame jokes (and laugh every time). I love Joey and Monica's struggles to make it in difficult careers and their determination not to give up. I love Phoebe's craziness, Ross's nerdiness, and Rachel's desire to make it on her own. The ups and downs of their love lives and the woes of finances make the show real. Over the 10-year course of this show, it is also great to see how the characters evolve, yet the friendships remain steady. I recently finished making my way through the show and will probably do so again in the future. 

4. Once Upon a Time. Combining my love of fairy tales, class literature, and modern fantasy, this show has it all. I love the different take on each of the stories (for example, Rumplestiltskin is "the beast"?? Brilliant. And, Hook is complex and good? Love it.) I also like the way the different stories overlap and build on each other. My only complaint is that the creators of Lost also made this show, which means it is completely unpredictable, and when the show becomes too big of a mess, they do something drastic and crazy (like erase the characters' memories). 

5. House. I liked this show while it was on the air, but didn't watch it religiously. I have recently gotten back into watching this show on Netflix, and remember how much I like House. I don't really like medical shows because I have a weak stomach, but I just love the complexities of House's character. His arrogance and brilliance mixed with wanting to be a hermit but having a strong connection to the people he lets in. It intrigues me. 

6. Chasing Life. I realize this show is new, but it has already captured my heart. I cry weekly. Again, it is about a young twenty-something and addresses the many concerns of real life, making your career, finances, creating distance from your parents, and dating. All while this poor girl finds out she has cancer - yikes! Her life is crazy, but the show is so real. I like that it is a little funny, a little emotional, a little dramatic, and isn't afraid to deal with real issues. For example, chemotherapy can affect fertility so the girl is dealing with that issue head on. Good for you ABC Family! If I were in her shoes, I would do the same thing. 

7. Boy Meets World. The quintessential show about life and growing up. This was the show I hated missing as I was growing up. The lessons learned by Mr. Feeney are incredible. The love between Cory and Topanga is inspiring. The friendships made cannot be replaced. I love that Shawn is always on the verge of going in the wrong direction but his friendship with the "good-boy" Cory keeps him on track. I have been watching Girl Meets World, which is cute, but can't match the original. :) 

8. Gossip Girl. Everybody needs a guilty pleasure and this is mine. Typically, I like comedies over dramas. In my opinion, real life has enough drama and when I am trying to relax, I just want to laugh. However, I watched this show all the way through and just ate up the drama and craziness. This show is basically the antithesis to my own life. I'm not rich. I'm not into brands and labels and parties and looks, but that's what makes the show fun for me. I cannot imagine the life of these rich kids and the "troubles" they face, so I can enjoy what I'm watching. The plot twists were really engaging and kept me entertained from the beginning. Although, I will say that I always knew who "Gossip Girl" really was. Easy call to make. 

9. The Following. This show is another surprise that I cannot get enough of. In the beginning, this shows strong ties to Edgar Allan Poe and psychopaths was enough to get me hooked. I love stories with psychopaths because it fascinates me (if I weren't a literacy expert, I would have been a therapist). Again, the complexities of the characters intrigue me, and the twists in the plot keep my heart racing. The show is a bit too gory for me, and I constantly have to look away. I yell at the TV and scream, but I look forward to this show every night.

10. Dancing with the Stars. As a rule, I don't like reality TV. It drives me crazy! However, I find this show really fun and enjoyable. Like, I actually want to dance and sing along and care what these judges say. The show has done a great job of getting a mix of celebrities I actually like or care about, and the professional dancers are really fun. I like the costumes, the dance, the live performances (minus Iggy Azalea from last season), and the themes each week. Overall, this show does a great job entertaining me and making me look forward to each week. 

Wow! That actually is a lot of TV and most of these shows are not currently on air - what does that say about my taste? 

Happy summer TV watching!  

Boston 2014

Just one short week after attending a conference in Baltimore, Maryland, I traveled to Boston, Massachusetts. Yes, for another conference!

Lucky me, one of my colleagues and friends is from Boston, so I had a my own private tour guide around town. :) 

Starbucks in Nashville actually spelled my name correctly - big win! 

I don't have pictures from my first evening in Boston, but the next morning we headed to Boston College. Beautiful. The weather was a nice 70 degrees and sunny. We had two presentations on Friday and both went very well.  

After the conference, my awesome tour guide took me along part of the Freedom Trail. This is a tour around Boston that marks important landmarks and historical sites, like the graves of the people killed in the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's House, the Old North Church, and the Boston Public Library. So much fun and so much history to see. 

Saturday was a beautiful day. We got to explore the city some more after our presentation. Among the sites, this is what we got to see - a gorgeous sunset. 

One of my favorite activities of the trip was when we went to the "Top of the Hub". This is one of the tallest buildings in Boston and gave a great view of the city. I love being on top of buildings and seeing all the sites from a birds-eye view. :)  

My final night in Boston, we headed out for yummy Italian food and stopped at Mike's Pastry, a very famous sweet shop. It was crazy busy, but they had lightning-fast service and we were in line and out in 20 minutes. This place had the best canoli I've ever eaten in my life. Yum, yum, yum!! 

Boston - it was real! :) 

Baltimore 2014!

This year is turning out to be the year of the East coast! :) 

I've made several trips to the Northeastern coast so far this year, but this one was one of the most special. I was headed to Baltimore, Maryland, a place I had never been, to present at a conference. Best of all, Mom got to come along, see me present, and we had a fun girls' weekend. 

 

We began our adventure in Austin. Ready to go! We had no idea what to expect, but had done a little research to find out what things we would do while I wasn't in the conference. We enjoyed the flight because we both got to read books and enjoy time together. (I finished reading Wonder and Mom read Me Before You on my recommendation.)

Our first stop was for some yummy food! We had a major craving for seafood and nothing is better than seafood straight out of the Atlantic Ocean. We ate at a fun little restaurant that was very trendy - oysters Rockefeller, crab cakes, and cinnamon cake! :) After eating that much food, we needed a nice walk and strolled around the inner harbor. 

We got to see lots of people, sea lions, and statues of Frederick Douglas. 

We love animals! (Obviously, we have plenty around.) On Friday, the first thing we did was go to the Maryland Zoo of Baltimore. It was a great zoo. Pretty large with a special safari themed set-up, penguins, and polar bears. We were in Heaven. We got to see the penguins dance around and perform, and were mesmerized by the giraffes. 

To continue our animal-themed day, we went to the National Aquarium. This was a very large aquarium, and one of the best I've seen. (Mom wasn't nearly as impressed, but it was still cool.) Mom loved the mega-jaws and wanted to stand in them. :) 

We watched a cute 4D movie about how salmon travel down rivers to feed grizzly bears. Then, we watched the dolphins swimming around, saw plenty of fish, birds, and sharks. What a fun day exploring animals! For dinner, we ate in Little Italy and had pasta that was to die for. 

Saturday was the conference day. I was presenting twice, once as a roundtable and once as a formal presentation. I told Mom she could enjoy the day off, but she wanted to come see me "do my thing". It was really fun to have her there and she was a huge hit among the other academics. 

Sunday was our final day and we spent the day doing as much as possible. We were pretty tired after all of our adventures, but wanted to see as much as possible. Our first stop was the Maryland Historical Society, a recommendation from someone at the conference. This was a great museum devoted to Maryland history - the war of 1812, the Star-Spangled Banner, and a huge quilt exhibit. Mom loves quilts so she went crazy for it. I love history, so this was a good stop. 

After getting schooled in a bit of history, we hopped next door to the Walter's Art Museum. This was a free museum with some really interesting displays. It was full of prints of famous pieces I remember from my art history course, and had a special display of artwork done by famous explorers. This place was massive, and it would certainly take us more than one day to get through. 

Finally, our literature-loving hearts wanted to see the Edgar Allan Poe house. This house was the one Poe lived in upon his death and his grave is not far from the house (but I'm not really into graves, so we didn't go). The city of Baltimore fought to keep the house and restore it to a museum, and it had only been open for 5 weeks! Crazy. It was very tiny, but fun to see where he did a few of his great works. 

That evening, we walked around by the Orioles stadium. Mom is a huge baseball fan. We wanted tickets, but the team was playing out of town that night. We also got to see the Ravens stadium. 

Baltimore was a great adventure! :)