Butter and Wine-- Power Couple of the Food World

Even when Eric is away and it's just me here at home, it's still fun to cook a nice dinner that has a lot of different elements and flavors. Here are a couple of recipes that incorporate butter and wine, AND they are super healthy. They're easy to make, they only take a couple of minutes of prep time, and seriously, you will feel like a professional chef when you taste these dishes.

I know, it's like finding the holy grail of recipes.

Here is what I had for dinner tonight: Lemon-dill salmon, balsamic green beans and mushrooms, butter and rosemary potatoes, and whole-grain garlic toast.

The salmon and beans can be cooked for the same amount of time at the same temperature, so it's a really convenient and delicious combination.

Check out these recipes!

Lemon-Dill Salmon

salmon filet

lemon

onion

dill

white wine

1 tbsp butter

Coat a baking dish with non-stick spray. Place your salmon filet in the dish and dust with dill. Slice up a whole lemon and place the slices on the salmon filet. Cut a few slices of white onion and separate the rings. Place the rings on the salmon filet. Add about ½ cup white wine to the pan, and a couple of dollops of butter on top of the salmon. Roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Balsamic Green Beans and Mushrooms

2 cups green beans

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp balsamic dressing

1 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients, making sure to coat all the veggies well with dressing. Place in a small baking dish and roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. 

 

For my potatoes, I cut up two small red potatoes and boiled them until tender, about 12 minutes. I drained them, added a dollop of butter, a dash of salt, and a little rosemary.

For my garlic toast, I just popped a slice of whole grain bread into the toaster and then spread butter on it, and dusted with a little garlic powder. Obviously, fresh garlic would have been much better, but this was still delicious! Hopefully you'll feel as accomplished when making this meal as I did.

Departures

We both pause on the curb and check both directions before stepping into the worn, asphalt street. I hear the wheels thump onto the road as Eric pulls his suitcase behind him. We step up on the other side of the street and walk past the coffee shop, through the parking lot gate and over to my car. I watch his face tense as he lifts his suitcase and plops it into the trunk, and wonder to myself when his back will be fully healed. As I loop around the lot to the gate, I check the gas and turn the radio down a little so I can hear him better. We start talking about my car and whether it will actually survive a Chicago summer and winter, the conversation being spurned on by repeated bumps and potholes. 

We start making our way West toward the airport and our conversation starts to center on Hawaii. Eric says he's not sure exactly how far his budget will stretch on the islands, but at least it's pushing him into that job at Express Jet, and maybe then he'll finally be ahead. I nod, knowing how precarious a pilot's job prospects can be and what that means for any sort of financial stability, all the while trying to figure out just how much money is left over in my own budget for gas-- I notice that my tank is low.
         

As we drive I try to sort out the next week in my head, but I feel scattered and like I'm forgetting things. Training today, training tomorrow, two days off this weekend, then four more days next week. When will I see Eric again?

Another week. It hits me. The past 24 hours-- almost to the minute-- have passed me so quickly. It wasn't long enough. Then it hits me again: This is what the next two months are going to be like. Once a week, just 24 hours with my boyfriend before he has to leave again, before we are driving back to the airport, or worse, before he has to catch the train.

The words repeat in my head. I can hear Eric next to me saying something but I can't focus enough to understand him. The tears start filling up my eyes, and I can't find a way to swallow that lump in my throat. One tear spills over my cheek and he stops what he was saying. It's that moment when we both silently acknowledge just how hard this is really going to be.

“I knew this was going to be hard, but I thought that since you've been gone for two months, at least I'd be used to it,” I choke out the words through the tears.

“I know. I know how hard this is. I'm tired of it. I've been thinking about that a lot lately, how I'm ready to be done with the crash pads and the hotel rooms and just be here.”

“I don't want you to go. I don't want you to leave.”

“I know.”

My car slows to a stop in the Fed Ex parking lot. I pop the trunk from the inside, and we both step out to say our goodbyes. Eric lifts the suitcase back out, and I close the trunk. As the latch catches, I realize I can't really see anything beyond the saltwater in my eyes. And I realize that I can't ask him to stay.

Instead I just hold on tight. I wrap my arms around him, and he pulls me in close. At least for this moment, he's right here. He's right here with me, saying “I love you.”

And then he's gone.

Growing Up in a Fly-Over State

For those of you who listen to country music, you've probably heard Jason Aldean's newest song, "Fly-Over States". For those of you who live in one of those, you can probably understand why that song gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. I get filled with a glow when I listen to those words describing my favorite part of the country.

When I think about Oklahoma there are so many things that come to mind...

I think about the first time I lived away from home and all the days I spent missing Dallas, wondering if an empty place like Oklahoma could ever compare to the busy lifestyle I was so used to. I remember the first major stumbles of my college life and the friends who were there stumbling next to me. I think about how excited I was to make that 2 1/2 hour drive back home to visit.

I think about the first time I was excited to drive back to Oklahoma from a visit in Dallas, and how my heart sank when I drove out of Oklahoma for the last time on my way to the newest phase in my life. I think about how every time I pass through there now, I am filled with happiness and good memories.

I think about the first time I went storm-chasing with complete strangers, after sitting outside the Meteorology building and just asking random strangers if they had room for one more. I remember how it felt to go speeding down the highway, circling the state in search of the perfect storm and how it felt that first time when I got to see a wall cloud.

I think about the summer heat and driving in my car to and from work, then meeting my boyfriend by the lake to go sailing in the evenings. I think about driving with the windows down, singing along to the radio, sipping a slushy from Sonic as I made my way down Highway 9 toward the dock. I think about going out for snow cones when the sun was setting and enjoying that sticky-sweet taste at the end of a long day. I think about barbecues and cook-outs on Saturday nights, and watching baseball games in the hot sun on Sunday afternoons.

I think about seeing Eric next to me in the Jeep wearing his Cardinals hat and his sunglasses, eating sunflower seeds and singing along to the radio together while we made our way through town. I think about drinks at the Mont, dinner at Tarahumara's, and dessert at the Melting Pot in Bricktown. I think about dressing up and heading to the airport to pick him up after a long day of work and watching the planes slip through the sky in front of a wildfire sunset sky. 

I think about the place where I took the first real steps in my life as an adult, how hard it was to figure out things on my own, but how much I wouldn't change it for anything. It's where I learned to provide for myself, how to love another person unconditionally, and how to trust myself to achieve what I set out to do. It's where I learned how to fail and how to pick myself back up and keep trying until I succeeded, at school, at work, and at love.

When I think about Oklahoma, I feel a fire in my soul.

Step by Step, Day by Day

A year ago I was getting ready to graduate from college and I was very busy trying to rationalize my way out of moving to Chicago for graduate school. The thought of being so far away from anyone I knew, of being without my car, of not knowing if it was the right choice for me... the thought of being completely on my own, without a lifeline nearby was terrifying.

As it turns out, this past year was super easy!

Just kidding, it was actually really freaking tough, for a number of reasons. Big reasons, each following after the other without very much time in between. But instead of listing all of the obstacles I've encountered and focusing on the negative, I think I'll take a different route. I mean, after all, I've already experienced each thing once, so there is no point in experiencing it here again.

Instead, I want to focus on what I've learned about myself from these experiences. I want to focus on the growth and positivity that can come from some of the most difficult challenges life can throw at a person. Here is what I've learned:

1. I am not as brave and independent as I thought I was-- and I'm sort of okay with that. I used to think that depending on others made me weaker or less capable of being myself. But now I realize that in certain ways, I can't be myself if I'm alone. There are parts of my personality and happiness that come alive through my relationships with other people, and if I'm trying to navigate life alone, I'm navigating without a part of myself.

2. I live my life day by day-- literally. I can't survive without a calendar. This year has been full of classes and travel and appointments and meetings, and it's also been full of a lot of life planning. There was one point this year that I was freaking out about a situation I won't face until 5 years from now, and Eric asked me if maybe I could tone it down and only plan 2 years in advance. I've learned that I can deal with 2 years of planning, I don't need 5. I've learned how to go from planning the next 5 years to dreaming and wondering about the next 5 years. And what's cool about this, is that now I'm not locking myself into my future; instead, I'm leaving my future open and I still know what I want. And when something changes, I'm not destined to have an anxiety attack.

3. I want a home life. I want a career and I want to be a professional woman with a nice salary, but I really want a home life. In the last year I have started feeling the tugging on my heartstrings for a home and a garden and a dog and some kids at some point. I have learned that I'm ready to have a real marriage and I'm ready to do what is necessary to make a marriage work. I want to start building a life with another person and see where that adventure takes us.

4. I am a good cook. This year I've been working hard to save money and that has meant cooking at home; I love cooking. There is something about creating something delicious that just warms my soul. I love coming up with new dishes and sharing them with others. I love making Eric's favorite meal when he comes home after a long trip and seeing him relax after the first bite. I love making dinner for my family in Dallas and seeing my mom enjoy having someone else do the work and clean up. I love being able to forget about whatever is bothering me while I slice and simmer, and I come out of the kitchen feeling refreshed, after accomplishing something.

5. I have learned that I still have a lot of growing to do. Looking back to last year, I can already see how much I have grown and changed both personally and professionally. Every time I think I have it figured out, I learn something new. I can now see that I will always have something to learn, something to change, and I look forward to finding out what those things are throughout the course of my life.

Travel Tips

You've tuned in and seen products and packing lists, and now there are just a few other things I recommend for travel:

1. Once you're packed and ready to go, it's time to make sure you have all your bases covered. My first move: I print my boarding pass. Using flight benefits means I have to go standby, so sometimes I might end up on a different flight because of a seat shortage, but having that boarding pass ready is one less thing I have to worry about at the airport, and it means I can get in and out of security that much more quickly.

2. Embrace minimalization. Do you really need to take your straightener or curling iron, or can you find ways to embrace your natural style? Do you have to pack 3 pairs of pants, or can you live with two and plan your outfits accordingly? Reducing your stuff means it's easier to get everything to fit.

3. Take your important information with you. Anytime you leave your home for an extended amount of time, you should always put your important documents in a safe and secure location. Birth certificates, social security cards and any other such documents need to be put away, just in case. It's also a good idea to back up those documents: I scanned each document and saved the images on a flashdrive that I take with me when I travel (in a pocket of my bags which never gets opened, so I don't lose it). This way I have some sort of copy in case there is a fire, flood, or the rapture and my apartment is destroyed, along with everything in it.

4. Start your day early. Most airports have figured out how to run their security checkpoints pretty smoothly, but that does not mean they run quickly. I always give myself at least an hour to get through security, and that's the cut-off. Aim for an hour and a half. If you get through early, that's more time to use the restroom, pick up a drink, or run into a store for whatever you may have forgotten to bring.

5. Bring something to do! When your favorite magazine arrives in the mail a week before your trip, save it to read on the plane. If you're a crossword person, bring a few along. Or grab that book you've been meaning to read to have on the plane with you. Place these items in the bag that's going in the seat with you, rather than overhead. Not only does this make the flight go by more quickly, but it's good for your brain, and it's a good way for you to have some time for yourself.

5. Most importantly: breathe. A lot of people get worked up with the all of the things that go into flying these days. Taking everything step by step and planning each part will help you to remain calm. And if you find yourself listening to the gate agent explain that your flight has been delayed or canceled, don't freak out! Remember, there are literally hundreds of thousands of other people in the same exact situation all across the globe, and somehow you'll all survive. Keeping your calm during these moments will help you and the gate agent (who is a person, too!) think clearly to come up with a real solution to get you where you're going.

Hopefully these tidbits will be useful for your next adventure.

Roam Around The World...

The greatest challenge for travelers is usually figuring out how to pack all of those “essentials”, while also leaving room for any extras you may buy or receive during your trip. Here I have gathered all of my favorite things to make my trips as comfortable as possible, as well as some tips for a smooth travel process.

I always start by writing down a packing list. I write my list out by each day, with a note about what I expect to do that day. For instance, last weekend when I went to Eric's, I went out on a special date with him Saturday night, so I had a little note by my “Saturday” title, and I knew to pack an extra change of clothes and a particular bracelet.

Now it's time to start packing!

Choose your bags! I have a favorite blue duffel I got from Aeropostale 6 or 7 years ago, free with my purchase of jeans that I wish I could still fit into. It's the perfect size; it fits in the overheads on those tiny planes, so I never have to gate-check it, but it's roomy enough to accommodate all my crap stuff. I also recently finished creating a new carry-on bag that will fit under a seat. It's much snazzier than the backpack I had been using, and it's got a ton of space!

Here are the toiletries I pack. I didn't include these, but obviously I also pack a toothbrush, deodorant and a disposable razor that I can toss when the trip is over. If I lose it along the way, it's no big deal!

Here I've included a plastic-lined Vera Bradley toiletries bag (Thanks, Lauren!), along with my Ziploc for my liquids. The products I have lined up are, from left to right: Ulta body wash and lotion; a lipstick case to hold hair pins; Origins “No Puffery” cooling mask which eliminates puffiness around the eyes; a shampoo bottle I swiped from a hotel that I can refill with my own shampoo from home; Tresemme hair spray; toothpaste; and in the little round container I have a dollop of exfoliating face wash. The liquids go into the ziplock and everything else goes in the toiletries bag. A note: I usually keep my ziploc in an easy-to-reach place, like an outer pocket of a suitcase, so I can get to it easily for security.

Here I have my hair stuff. I take one reliable brush (I live without my extra styling combs for the days of the trip) that Eric's mom got me for Easter. It's a Wet Brush, and it's AMAZING. I still struggle with bad tangles in my hair and this brush gets through them in just 2 minutes, with minimal effort. It's incredible, and it works great on dry hair, too. If you are in the market for a new brush, invest in this one. I also have my hair dryer pictured here, though I hardly ever take it with me. It's a mini Conair Hair Dryer. It has two attachments and it's small, but powerful. The travel case makes it easy to keep everything organized.

If you're planning to swim or lounge in a hot tub where you're going, I recommend using a wet bikini bag like this one. My grandmother bought it for me years ago, and it's lined with waterproof material on the inside, so you can stash your suit and launder it when you get home.

Of course, everyone has different packing needs, different destinations mean different stuff. But hopefully this has helped you to get a sense of where to start! Check back for the last segment in this travel series soon!