In defense of being a 'non-traditional' woman

My whole life I've never wanted the 'traditional' things most girls want. When I was growing up...even well into high school, I never wanted to marry or have children. I wanted a career, to live in the big city, to have adventure.


I've been in a sudden existential crisis the last few days with the thought of turning 39 in a month or so. I look back on my life and wonder 'what if'. It has made me sad a few times. However, this morning I woke up and for some reason I was pissed off (excuse the crudeness).

So what if my life doesn't look what other people think it should? It's mine. I've worked hard to get where I am today. I have worked hard to keep a happy marriage. During the hard times I could have easily walked away and no one would have thought less of me. However, I have stuck with it and I am incredibly happy as a result.

I sometimes think I am a disappointment to those around me. I don't have children, I am not wealthy, I dont own my own home, at times my honey and I yell at each other. I still have a VERY bad temper that I struggle daily with controlling.

However, what ticked me off , was the thought of society judging me for not having or wanting a 'traditional' lifestyle. So what if my life doesn't look like most peoples. I don't have 2.5 kids, or a house in the suburbs. What I do have is life that is so incrediably full that it brings me joy on a daily basis. I have a job I love, a man who is the best husband and friend for me and my quirkiness, and I have friends and family who bring even more love and happiness to my life. Who could ask for more?

Will I regret one day not having children and embracing a more 'traditional' lifestyle? Possibly. However, when that happens I know I will have my friends to fall back and help me see that we can't all possibly be alike or the world would be a boring place, not the crazy adventure it is.

High Maintanence women vs. Low Maintanence Women

This post stems from a running joke my hubby and I have had almost since we have been together. It is based on a scene in the movie "When Harry Met Sally" with Billy Crytal and Meg Ryan (think late 80's early 90's). This movie has so many great one liners for a romantic comedy. One has really stuck with us.

There is scene where both actors are watching the old movie Casablanca with Ingrid Bergman. Billy Crytal comments on how Ingrid Bergman is definitely a low maintance woman. When Meg Ryan asks if she's high or low maintanence, he replies. "You are the worst kind, you are high maintanence but you think you are low maintanence. " After the first time my hubby and I watched this movie together, (we were dating at the time) he said... "Oh my, that is you to a tee!".. I was kind of offended at the time... But over the time I've forgiven him and even married him despite it ;). However, I came to realize today, it might really be true (God help me!).

I just came to realize that it depends on what your definition of high and low maintanence is. To me I never considered myself high maintanence. In my mind high maintanence women are the fru fru bottled blonde nouvex rich bimos who get botox and plastic surgery and spend all their time going to the gym, or having their hair highlighted and fancy spa treatments at astronomically expensive salons. These same women DEMAND their husbands full attention and full wallet for whatever tickles their fancies.

I never considered myself high maintanence because of the following:

Botox or plastic surgery will never grace this body. I believe in growing old gracefully. Fortunately, I have inherited good aging genes from my Mom.

I do my own hair color, only getting a hair cut a few times a year.

I rarely get manicures , usually only on 'girl days' with my niece. I polish my nails myself every few days

I don't go to the gym (one of my downfalls). I just try to walk alot every day.

Other than a touch up of my grays , my hair is more or less it's natural color

I don't have expensive taste in clothing, preferring classic clothing over trendy expensive stuff.

When it comes to making demands on my husband and his time, I tread carefully rarely demanding he change his plans in favor of something I want to do. We both have a large need for 'me' time and I respect that about him.

I am an independent type. I don't NEED my husband constantly around. I want him around.

However, not to sound perfect (none of us are)... I have my downfalls which makes my hubby see me as being high maintanence. Here are just a few of them:

Very rarely will I leave the house without makeup on. This goes back to high school when my complexion was not as good and I used makeup to hide it. Plus I just don't feel 'put together' without it.

Unless I'm going to work out or going for a walk, you will rarely see me in sweats in public.

Unless I'm working out, going camping, or doing manual labor I rarely wear traditional tennis shoes. I have been on kick of wearing Sketchers the past year or so. They look like Mary Jane flats but have a tennis shoe bottom.. Kind of a girly tennis shoe.

While i'm not big on spending money on traditional 'female items' like beauty, home decor, expensive clothing/accesories etc. I am insistent on having the best I can get in my kitchen. I have spent hundreds of dollars outfitting my kitchen over the past few years.


So you can see I have my faults too, does this make me high maintanence? hmmm something to ponder.


Well,thanks for reading... if you have any comments on the status of my high maintanence please keep them to yourself .. haha! just kidding... I would love to hear from you :)


Julie

The Pros and Cons of Business Travel

As some of you may already know, my job takes me out of town several times a month (usually to the Dallas/Ft Worth area, but occasionally East Texas). Over the last 8 years of doing the business travel thing, I have become quiet proficient at it. Here are a few observations about the good and the bad of business travel.

Good:

I can have dinner at whatever restaurant strikes my fancy. This is a big one for me, I love sushi and usually only get it when I travel because my hubby can't stand it.

I get plenty of time for reading, surfing the net, and video games.

I don't have the distraction of the phone. If you don't have my cell number you can't call me . Which leads to a much more peaceful evening since only my closer friends and family have my cell number.

I get to go to Central Market (and other retail establishments I don't have access to on a daily basis) when I'm in Dallas or Ft Worth. I love Central Market. It's like a foodies paradise. I could spend all day there just wandering around.

Finally, I like just having unadulterated 'me' time to do whatever I want and I get to decide my itinerary. I don't have to worry about anything except making sure I get my work done during working hours.

Bad:

I miss my hubby horribly, even for one night

I don't sleep as well when I sleep alone

Packing , unpacking, and toting around everything you need is a major pain

I miss my weekly tv line up because most hotels (even the good ones) don't have a huge expanded cable line up . Thank God for DVD-R.

I am responsible for me (see above under the pros). I like the free time, but after a few days you get tired of being alone and having no one to share every single decision with.


Well that is pretty much my view on business travel. I type this to you as I sit in a nice little suite at the Courtyard by Marriott on a business trip to Dallas. I enjoyed some delicious sushi last night, surfed the Web to my hearts content , all while missing my honey horribly.

Also, I thought ahead and took some beautiful pictures of my sushi dinner with my cell phone camera to post here. However, I am still trying to figure out the bluetooth transfer thing so they remain on my phone.

Have a good weekend my friends,

Julie

Kitchen OCD

I never realized how many neuroses I had regarding my cooking and my kitchen until my Mom moved in with us. I can't believe I'm going to admit to such bizarre behavior. Please don't send me for psychiatic help ! :P Here it goes:

I absolutely panic if I don't have a categorized shopping list and menu every week when I go shopping. To leave what i'm cooking every day up to fate makes me slightly uneasy.

I LOVE going grocery shopping... This is going to sound geeky, but it's one of my favorite things I do in my weekly routine. I love to take my time and examine all the products to make sure I'm getting the best for my money.

I am VERY picky about certain items I MUST have in my kitchen. If I happen to run out of one of these items I just can't cook. I have must have the following (this is just the basics): Sea Salt (course and fine), pepper grinder with fresh peppercorns (preferably the mixed colored peppercorns), and extra virgin olive oil (preferably all Italian). Again, this is just the basics...
I also prefer to have fresh herbs on hand at all times, but it's very hard in the winter. From March to about December I keep an herb garden going, it gets hard to keep it going during the winter though.

I am also becoming a kitchen equipment snob. I HATE cheap pots and pans. I have invested in a mid quality set of stainless steel cookware. I also have a love for Le Cruset (shhh don't tell my hubby how expensive it is). It's cast iron with porcelin over the top. It's heavy and it's very versitile. My one dutch oven should last me forever.

The final thing (which is where the OCD comes in) is I absolutely freak when the majority of people watch me cook. I have a few people I will ALLOW in my kitchen when i'm in there. Those people are very few and far between...

Again, please don't judge! Cooking is my favorite thing on earth, it makes me happy. So I feel I'm entitled to a bit of fun :)

Have a good Wednesday evening!

Julie

My Weekly Menu and a few recipes

First off, sorry for the double post today. I didn't start this blog to be a culinary blog. However, I decided to give it elements of the culinary. I am going to post my weekly menu (which i'm kind of obsessive about planning) and occasionally I'll throw out a recipe or photo or two if I get inspired. The photo to the bottom is a picture of my gnocchi (sorry for the eaten state). The photo on the top is my apple cake. I am not a good food photographer so please forgive me!

This week I want to share with you 3 recipes that I love dearly. Two of these recipes are ones I have used for a while and consider oldies but goodies. The 3rd is a new recipe shared with me by my mother in law this weekend.

Recipe #1 for the week:

Alton Brown's Coq Au Vin (from Food Network)

I have used this for a few years now. It's the easiest and tasiest version of coq au vin I've tried.

I serve it over garlic mashed potatoes. Yum,yum!

Ingredients
24 to 30 pearl onions
4 chicken thighs and legs, or 1 (5 to 7-pound) stewing chicken, cut into serving pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
6 ounces salt pork, slab bacon, or lardon, cubed
8 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 (750-ml) bottles red wine, preferably pinot noir
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium onion, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered
2 medium carrots, quartered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock or broth
Directions
Cut off the root end of each pearl onion and make an "x" with your knife in its place. Bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil and drop in the onions for 1 minute. Remove the onions from the pot, allow them to cool, and then peel. You should be able to slide the onions right out of their skin. Set aside.
Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large (1 or 2-gallon) sealable plastic bag along with the flour. Shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.
Add the 2 tablespoons of water to a large, 12-inch saute pan over medium heat along with the salt pork. Cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the salt pork cubes are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until lightly brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Next, brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the chicken into a 7 to 8-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
Add the mushrooms to the same 12-inch saute pan, adding the 1 tablespoon of butter if needed, and saute until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes. Store the onions, mushrooms and pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 cup of the wine. Pour this into the Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add all of the remaining wine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.
Once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm. Strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by 1/3. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20 to 45 minutes.
Once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and pork and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve. Serve over egg noodles, if desired.
Cook’s Note: If the sauce is not thick enough at the end of reducing, you may add a mixture of equal parts butter and flour kneaded together. Start with 1 tablespoon of each. Whisk this into the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes and repeat if necessary.

Recipe #2 Gnocchi Alla Sorrentino

This is my adapted version from my friend Chad's recipe. I have never been able to make mine quiet as tasty as his. This used to be a staple in our house but we have gotten away from eating it so much because it is so rich and carby. I usually prepare it 3 or 4 times a year now.

1 package of vacum sealed gnocchi (usually found with the Italian food or pasta)

1 28oz can of crushed Italian tomatoes

1 small yellow onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

10-15 fresh basil leaves cut chiffonade style

a splash of dry red wine ( I usually add this to all my red Italian sauces)

sea salt (adjusted to your taste)

fresh ground black pepper (adjusted to your taste)

a touch of red pepper (to your preference of heat)

fresh mozzerella to top the gnocchi

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sauteing onion and garlic

Prepare the gnocchi according to package directions. I get my salted water boiling in a large pasta pot. Add the gnocchi carefully as they can splash easily. Let them cook until they begin to float to the top. Using a slotted spoon take the gnocchi out as they float to the top. Layer the prepared gnocchi in a glass casserole dish.

Now prepare the sauce.

Saute the onion in olive oil until transluscent, add the garlic and saute until very lightly browned. Add the can of tomatoes, a splash of wine. Let the sauce come to a simmer. At this point add the chiffonaded basil, salt, and pepper. Let simmer 10 more minutes. Pour prepared sauce on gnocchi. Top with grated mozzerella. Bake at 350 until bubbly and mozzerella is melted throughly.

Recipe # 3 Fresh Apple Cake with Cream Cheese icing

from the Imperial Sugar Bag (given to me by my mother in law)

I made this Sunday and it is extremely tasty. I 'm not a big cake person but this is yummy. If you leave off the cream cheese icing you can even make this healthy with some adapting.

FRESH APPLE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTINGFOR THE CAKE:1 1/3 cups Imperial Granulated Sugar1 cup (2 sticks) margarine2 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla1/2 cup cold coffee2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 teaspoon salt2 cups grated raw apple1 cup raisins1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (plus additional for garnish)FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened1/4 cup butter or margarine3 cups Imperial Powdered Sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extractTO MAKE THE CAKE:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine Imperial Granulated Sugar, margarine, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and well blended. Add coffee alternately with dry ingredients. Stir in apple, raisins and nuts. Spread batter in a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan. Bake until a pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:Beat-cream cheese and butter or margarine together. Add Imperial Powdered Sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth and creamy. If necessary add a few drops of milk or cream for proper spreading consistency.Frost cooled cake and garnish with additional chopped nuts.Makes 1 (13x9-inch) cakeFrom: Recipelink.comSource: Imperial Sugar Bag

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The Courtney Weekly Menu

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Prepared by Julie

Coq Au Vin (Alton Brown recipe)

Garlic Mashed potatoes

Garden Salad

Homemade Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Monday, February 16, 2009

Prepared by Julie:

Gnocchi Alla Sorrentino (see above recipe)

Sweet Italian Sausage and peppers

Baked Caprace (tomatoes, mozzerella, and basil)

Italian bread

Tuesday, February 17,2009

Prepared by my Mom,Debra
Oven BBQ beef ribs and brisket

homemade potatoe salad

pinto beans

Wednesday, February, 18, 2009

Prepared by Julie

Lean Beef Burritos

Black Bean Salad (black beans, red onion, corn, tomatoes)

Green Mexican Rice ( seasoned rice, cilantro, green chiles, a touch of cumin)

Homemade Guacomole

Thursday, February 19,2009

Prepared by Debra

Lean Hamburger steaks with brown gravy

brown rice

baby peas and carrots

Friday, February 20,2009

Jointly prepared by Julie and Debra

Southern fried shrimp

Baked waffle fries

Dilled Cucumber Tomatoe Salad

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Prepared by Julie

Cajun gumbo (chicken,sausage,shrimp mix)

Rice

Southern cornbread

Special surprise chocolate cupcakes

Why I call myself a geek

Sorry if today's post is a novel. I wanted to give you a bit of background on why I named my blog what I did.
First off, I have not always been a geek. I'm a girly girl to some degree which most geeks are not . I do enjoy some traditional womenly pursuits such as chick flicks and shopping. Which makes me a unique breed of geek .

Let me start at the beginning ! In high school, I was not particularly athletic (most people who know me now will laugh at this statement, because I'm lucky to get through the day without injuring myself). I made pretty good grades for the most part, and was in the top portion of my class (somewhere right around the top ten percent if I recall correctly). I never considered myself a geek though. I did hang around with a few friends who had some geeky habits (role playing games, playing in the SCA etc.) but none of those habits of my friends made me a geek. Nope, not this chick. I was cool! :P

Then college hit, Oh my! What a culture shock for this girl from little old Tarkington. I had a very insulated little life.
I met my future husband and some of his friends. They were definite geeks. I'm not sure how I even fit in with them to even form the friendships I did. Here I am, this spoiled,sheltered little country girl who doesn't have a clue about role playing, science fiction (with the exception of Star Trek:Next Generation (secret crush on Riker :P), the SCA,computers, video games or anything of the other things they held dear.

Long story short (opps! way too late for that) my husband (Alfred) is the master manipulator (I say that in a loving way) and somehow over the years my little spoiled pretentions fell by the wayside and I actually started wanting to see what all this was about.. Could it be some of these geeky habits held by him and his friends could be interesting, thrilling even?

However, what sealed my fate as a geek forever was my fortunate turn of employment. I had graduated from college with a degree in Accounting in 1994. However, after working for a year or so I discovered that accounting is one of the most boring professions on earth. I wanted no part of it. Dejected and feeling like a failure for not finding success in my trained profession, I turned to the local prison system for a job. This job was a low paying clerical job. Just something to pay the bills until I could decide what I wanted to do with my life. I continued looking while working this job. One of my friends who had worked with me got a job with the IT department for TDCJ. She had been there a few months when a job opened at the Help Desk doing tech support. She encouraged me to apply for it, and despite my misgivings (I really hated computers) I applied and got the job. The rest is history. I worked for nearly 5 years in a tech support capacity. Learning more and more about computers . Eventually a job opened up in the network installation group. I applied and became the first female installation specialist at TDCJ. Over the time I have a become a computer geek . I took on more and more desktop support responsibilties. Now I am responsible for the hands on desktop support for more than 13 parole offices in the Dallas/Ft Worth area , in addition to assisting with network installation for multiple prison units in the East Texas area.

During this time, my personal life took on geeky overtones as well. It started with me occasionally over the years playing with my honey and his friends when they played D&D(I was just happy they didn't laugh me out of the room) n It turned into me being a computer gamer when World of Warcraft was introduced in 2004. I took to the game like a duck to water meeting tons of people and making a few close friends I still have to this day . I still play in 2009 (although not near as hard core, I mostly dabble these days).

Alot of tranformations over the years from age 18 to 38 have turned me into the person I am today. That person is definitely a bit on the geeky side compared to most of the population. This is something I will proudly declare. Thanks to my geeky husband and all my geeky friends who got me where I am. I stand proud as a geek girl !

Sunday Dinner

Sunday Dinner is an important tradition in my household. I have worked hard to make it that way. Whether it be a late lunch around 3 pm or at a traditional dinner time, I always try to make sure that Sunday dinner is just a little bit more special than the rest of the week. Maybe we will eat on our patio, or maybe we will just eat at tv trays while watching a dvd, occasionally we will even eat at the dining table (GASP!)

Growing up in Southeast Texas, Sunday dinner was always important. Most of the time it involved my Mom, my grandparents, my siblings (one sister, one brother) and whatever extended family happened to be on hand (tons and tons of cousins and aunts and uncles). It usually involved fried meats (like chicken), mashed potatoes,and various garden veggies served fresh raw or fried. Often it was accompanied by a mouth watering peach cobbler or other homemade dessert made by my Granny or one of my aunts.

Circa 2009, the life of Julie, Sunday dinner is a bit different but still just as important to me. Usually it's just me and my hubby. Now that I have the addition of my mom and her boyfriend it's more of a family affair. We don't have children, but my niece has spent many a Sunday at our table. I have always tried to emphasize to her how important Sunday dinner is to me. Hoping that maybe one day when she has children she will see it too.

We don't always eat at the dinning table, but it's still a big production anyway. The cuisine is not always traditional southern food (although occasionally it is). Most likely you will find something Italian or a new recipe from another cultural background I am trying out. However, it always is prepared by me and served with lots of love to whomever pertakes of it.


To me the Sunday dinner concept is about one day to relax and prepare a meal for those I love without being rushed. It's also about family (whether it be just the two of us or more) and it's about thinking back to those days of good Southern cooking that gave me my roots and made me who I am today.

I ask you friends, to think about the last time you enjoyed a good Sunday dinner. Next time you do think about the things I have said. I bet it will bring a bit more enjoyment to your evening.


Hugs and Kisses,

Julie

Valentine's Day 2009- Taking off the pressure

First let me preface this post by saying, Valentine's is the one holiday I am thrilled not to be a man. Think about this, men get off so easy on most holidays. Women generally do all prep for most of them. However, Valentine's Day is the one holiday where the heat is on if you are a man. Especially if you are a man in a commited relationship.

While I am not anti-Valentine's Day by any means (I love all the colors especially). I do feel Valentine's has become too commercialized and too much pressure for us all. Men have to come up with the PERFECT gift and treat their wives in a sicophantic romantic way. In addition, Society gives us more and more crap to buy every year which doesn't help.

Here is my thoughts on Valentine's Day. And like every post on this blog will be , it's just my opinion. Take it as that, please. I think Valentine's Day for a couple should be a low key holiday, not break the bank romantic. If you know me at all , you know I am a closet romantic. I love ROMANCE.. especially old school wine me/dine me romance. However, I feel one day a year to emphasize it with all the bells and whistles just because the calendar tells us to is a bit overrated. I like to show my honey I love him 365 days a year. That is what romance is about, the little things. Not the grand gesture.

My favorite way to spend Valentine's Day is exactly like we did today. First off, we have to visit my mother in law. She has the unfortunate luck of having her birthday on Valentine's Day. My honey has to see his Mama on her birthday, like any good son should. Second, we have started a tradition of the BIG Valentine's meal prepared by me.

Most of you know, I love to cook. Cooking is my way to destress, be creative, and show my family how much I love them. Feeding people is one of the things that gives me pure joy in life (sorry to get off on a tangent). I feel that on Valentine's Day staying home and preparing a special meal for my honey is much better than being in a crowded restaurant fighting for a table.

This year my Valentine's Menu is as follows:

Cornish Game hens stuffed with a mixture of long grain and wild rice with apples and onion

Fresh Green Beans sauteed with roasted almonds and bacon

Herb Roasted New potatoes

Individual baked fudge cakes topped with homemade amaretto spiked whipped cream

a bottle of Tosti Asti Spumante


Try going out for a meal in Huntsville,Texas that will beat that. Plus, I enjoyed preparing it.

Thank you for listening to my anti-Valentine's rant. I hope whatever you do with your special person (whether it be a sweetheart or just a friend) it is fun and lacking in pressure. Just enjoy yourself! After all isn't that what life is about?

Love ya,

Julie

An Introduction To Me! Geek Girl Extranodinare

I finally broke down and decided to do a blog. I really don't have much to blog about. However, I have been reading some of my friends blogs and realized blogs can be an esoteric thing, not just about reality. I will attempt to keep you updated with thought provoking posts about whatever is on my mind from day to day. However, be warned it can vary and be VERY random. I hope you enjoy learning about me and hearing my ramblings.

Hugs and Kisses,

Ciao Buoni Amici