How I Spent My Mourning

The undefeated were defeated, and I felt simply deflated. In order to soothe my fandom suffering, I threw myself the perfect Pattiwagon day today. Easter Monday was school holiday, and the Charleswood air improved my mood and got me psyched for summer.

My agenda: 

1. Sleep in, drink coffee and linger over my favorite crossword puzzle. 

2. Get to baking. While I haven't made very much sourdough lately, I've kept my starter on life support. I got two loaves of bread going, and with my discard cup, I made pineapple/carrot/banana/coconut muffins. LOVE that combo! The muffins are a little strange but a lot edible.

3. Go for a run. 5 miles. Not too shabby. 

4. Make a completely easy and completely inauthentic arroz con pollo.

5. Refashion a shirt, make a skirt, and top with great-grandmother lace.

The shirt started out as a giant long-sleeved top, which I turned tank. The skirt was a new creation. I bought five yards of this versatile chambray denim a few months ago, and a gathered skirt seemed like the perfect opportunity to use it. I wanted to incorporate some lace into the outfit and debated between making side cutouts or putting a patch on the back like I did here. I settled with just putting on this mini lace vest over the top. I love the juxtaposition of prison chic and delicate antiquity. I might end up chopping the skirt off a few inches, as I have a well-documented love of short skits, but at least now, I can wear it to work. 

6. Watch the championship (maybe) and cheer for Duke (maybe). And begin the countdown until next season. 

Book Club Round Up

I hosted book club last week and for my literature buddies, I cooked some old favorites and one new one. If you frequent the Pattiwagon, you will have seen these before, but you're not mad, are you? 

Appetizer: Cream cheese with homemade catsup and crackers. Recipe can be found on Studio Adventure's website here. While it is some (no, more like A LOT) of work, plan ahead, get some friends together, and have a canning party. No fancy equipment needed. This was my last jar of the season. I must really love my book club. 

Main Course: Chorizo and sweet potato skillet. So good and so easy and so economical. Recipe here. 

Because it contains rice and beans and sweet potatoes, I just had one side. This is a new favorite for me. I had the recipe for the first time when I was home at Thanksgiving. Cauliflower has never been one of my favorite vegetables. Steamed, it's inedible. Raw, it needs a mountain of dip. But roasted, I can get behind that. 

I've been trying it all sorts of different flavorings, and this Mexican variety is my favorite. Cilantro haters, go Italian and try pesto and parmesan. Recipe here. 

And for dessert, Molly's chocolate pie. Why would I ever bake any other pie? Recipe here.  

While food/wine/company are the number one priority in book club, we did read a book. I chose All the Light We Cannot See, and I can't recommend it more. It is beautifully written and conceived. It tells the story of the Nazi occupation of France during WWII through multiple story lines. There could be a waiting list of 200 at your local library, but you should go ahead and put your name on it. 

Best of the Tournament

This past weekend, Daddy Pattiwagon and I attended the SEC basketball tournament in Nashville. This was my fourth tournament of the JVC era at UK. And it did not disappoint. The games, the Cats, the fans, the city, the company were all fantastic. As much as I love the basketball, I love the theatrics of the games, so here are some best ofs: 

Mascot of the Tourney: 
Suffice it to say, I LOVE MASCOTS. The new and improved Vanderbilt Commodore (with a touch of Benjamin Button) and of course past winner Rebel the Black Bear were tough contenders, but this year's prize goes to Sue E., the female Razorback. Her hair bows and pompons were on point. 

Dance Team of the Tourney: 

Another tough category. Alabama, LSU, and Arkansas earn bonus points for incorporating their mascots into the routines. Unfortunately, Arkansas was terrible and perennial favorite LSU has fallen on hard times. While I loved Alabama's routine, they have got to do something about that elephant's trunk. Grotesque. Georgia was the surprise winner here. The technical difficult was off the charts, and they killed it. Go Dance Dawgs! Too bad your basketball team isn't as much fun to watch. 

Song of the Tourney: 

I called it a month ago: Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. I heard the song approximately 38,000 times this weekend. I'm not sure any of the bands played anything else. Good thing I love it. 

Band of the Tourney: 

Vandy. Every year. Might have a bit of cousin-bias though. 

Fashion of the Tourney: 

Belk was a sponsor this year, and during every game, they had a "fashion cam" and picked the best dressed fan to win a prize. There were thirteen games, and UK fans won twice. TWICE. The stadium was always 99% UK fans. Despite that travesty, I still got some great photos of the fashionable UK fans. 

Apparently the Bang This Twins are famous in Nashville? I can see why? Any insight, Nashvillians? 

Everwhere. You. Looked.

So here we are, three days before Kentucky begins its championship run. You can have the field. 

If you're feeling nostalgic, here's my last "Best of SEC tournament" post. There is a Draw Something reference. Hah. #tbt

Valentines 5.0

I'm sure some of you avid Pattiwagoneers have been waiting with bated breath for this post. (right? RIGHT?) If you're a new Pattiwagoneer, my family and I have a tradition of making each other Valentine's Day cards every year. You can see previous Valentine posts 

here and here and here and here. 

I went with an old-school theme this year. The front of each card was a simply a heart, and here are the outsides: 

For my dad,

 And my mom,

 And my sister,

For this one, I found a light up button, and put it in the back, so she could turn it on. I was worried about it actually working after being shipped, so I also painted the heart with glow-in-the-dark paint.

And here are the ones I received: 

From my mom, 

The poem is an allusion to the world's most resilient Christmas tree ornament. It is a real ice cream cone that has lived through five presidents (i.e., 27 years). And it still looks like this. I think it has super powers. Or just a lot of additives. 

From my dad,

You can never go wrong with a UK-themed card. Especially in a year when they're 31-0.

And from my sister,

Do you remember where you were when you found out that SkyMall was going bankrupt? I do, and it felt like a little piece of my heart died. And so when I opened up this card with ACTUAL PHOTOS FROM ACTUAL SKYMALLS, that little piece of my heart was filled with a special kind of joy, equaled perhaps only by solving Fermat's Last Theorem or birthing a baby. 

And of course, here's a Valentine's Day bulletin board for all your oohing and aahing. 

Books of 2014

In keeping with tradition, here are my 17-word review for 2014's books. See my previous posts here: 2012 and 2013.

Not a great year for reading. I blame that on having a TV for the first time in three years. Here's to 2015 being a bit more philosophical and bit less philistine.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Challenging plot; confusing timeline; Sliding Doors-esque, I think; something about Hitler; January was a long time ago. (Liked it, maybe)

Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

Dr. Dutch Misanthrope vacations with beautiful family, yearns to commit infidelity; terrible things happen. Explicit. Medical. Descriptions. (Liked it, but had to skip some of aforementioned)

The Expats by Chris Pavone

More infidelity, this time in Luxembourg, former spy targets husband as criminal, something about killing someone important. (Liked it, maybe; again, January was a long time ago.)

A Miracle of Catfish by Larry Brown

Memorable characters live in small town Mississippi (?), eat hotdogs for every meal, discover life's tragedies and miracles (LOVED it; note: book is unfinished, as the author died whilst writing.)

American Childhood by Annie Dillard
Vignette-ish description of comfortable childhood and its typical adventures; lots of philosophical musings, little plot; no thanks. (Didn't like it.)

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Here we are again, Rex keeps getting crazier, Rosemary, delusional-er, Jeannette and the kids, tougher; movie, please! (LOVE it. Seriously, JLaw, get on that movie.)

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Another fav, Dickens was a genius, current favorite character: Pumblechook and the advent of the adjective Pumblechookian (LOVE it. And, yes, it will be on 2015's list as well.)

The Informationalist by Taylor Stevens

Lisbeth Salander 2.0 is hired to travel to Africa and find a missing girl; plot twists ensue. (Liked it, but c'mon Taylor, you're no Stieg.)

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Who knew Lloyd Wright was such an a**hole? Historical fiction about his mistress. READ UNTIL THE END. (Liked the book, hated the characters)

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Mystery in Arkansas about a teenager's search for his brother and a town's search for a bird. (Liked it, YA, FYI)

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Eye-opening account of POW's experiences in WWII, prison camps worse than stranded at sea; thank you veterans. (Liked it.)

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Teenybopper drama at boarding school. Melancholy and saccharine, but Green always gets a pass, Paper Towns next. (Liked it, for what it was, a tear-soaked John Green hook dangling in front of teenagers everywhere.)  

Tres Años! Drei Jahre! Trois Années!

Happy Three Year (+three weeks) Blogiversary to me! Yes, I have been quite remiss in the past months on the blogging wagon. I know. "My" internet has been unreliable, but I'm here today. So, hi! For those still with me, thanks for reading! You're the real MVP of this blog.

I thought I'd hit some odds and ends around here today. Check back for my annual book post soon. And you know there are sourdough and oatmeal posts lurking around here somewhere, because roots (as in, those are mine). 

Bulletin Boarding

You knew a new post wouldn't be without a new bulletin board. Frozen's popularity isn't just reserved for 2nd graders. The kids and teachers loved this geometry puzzle.

Ceramics

The ceramics teacher at Lewisburg very kindly offered a lesson to teachers last semester. Based on the work he displays, he is a phenomenal teacher. We teachers all made mugs, and I'm so pleased with mine. It brought me back to Mrs. Doolen's ceramics class at Harrison High School, where I created a multitude of misshapen vases, which now decorate the homes of my family members. (They must love me.) Sorry, but this mug's for me.

 

 

Sewing
I sewed like crazy the week before Christmas, making a few gifts. Casserole carriers for my mom and sister and a fuzzy poncho for Michael and Corrie's baby. (Look at all those blogs. Bloggers = cool people)

Spaghetti Squashing

I went to Chipotle for the first time a couple weeks ago, and all I have to say is yum. After having spent a long time on an Asian kick, Chipotle inspired me with its burrito bowl. I set out to recreate the bowl as a healthy dish.

Enter the spaghetti squash. This was my first time cooking/eating/seeing a spaghetti squash, and man, I've been missing out. Here's what I did to make my bowls:

Slice the squash length-wise, scoop out all the innards, coat the cut edges with olive oil, put face down in a baking dish, and bake for about 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cook times vary based on the size. You really don't want to overcook the squash, as it will turn the beautiful strands of spaghetti into mush. It should feel soft on the outside but not totally collapsing.

Let the squash cool, and then scoop out all of the spaghetti. You now have a canvas, on which to paint your taste buds' dreams.

I started with some of the leftover chicken I normally use in these enchiladas. (It's shredded chicken, cream cheese, and green chiles heated and mixed together.) I also layered on kidney beans (heated on the stove with some mexican spices), fajita style peppers and onions, the scooped out squash, and of course cheese. Lots of cheese. (It was very steamy in my kitchen when I took these pictures.) 

When I filled the bowls, I topped then with even more cheese and then baked for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. If you're concerned about cheese brownage, feel free to cover with foil.

And tada! Mix together any leftover ingredients, put in a small baking dish, top with cheese, and you've got another bowl or two. All I have to say is yum.

After making these a couple times, I decided to go Italian with my spaghetti squash. I cooked chicken breasts in the oven (smothered with a mayo, parmesan cheese, pesto mixture). I chopped it up and added quite a bit more pesto. (You could also add some cream cheese here.)

I layered my squash bowl with spaghetti sauce, the pesto chicken, mozzarella cheese, and the scooped out squash. (This one I topped with mozzarella, but parmesan would be a better choice.) I cooked in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. All I have to say is yum.

I also used the leftovers here to make a casserole. Yep, all I have to say is yum.