Piano, and Knitting, and Running...

Oh my! Despite being snowed in for the majority of the week, I have been accomplishing quite a bit from my list. First of all, I completed 205: learn all of the major scales on the piano. Have I already learned this in my life? Perhaps. I did receive "A's" in all of my college piano classes, but even after competing in the "Scale Olympics", I have never felt confident in my piano abilities. Teaching has helped me to improve my skills exponentially, but it seems that a stable and structured practice routine couldn't hurt. In addition to practicing all of my major scales every day, I engaged in sight-reading practice and began writing a chord progression for 201: write an original song.

Last night, much to Anthony's amusement, I began 236: knit a wearable scarf. I'll admit, it was quite humorous to see me speaking the directions aloud while I continually made mistakes and restarted. I practiced again today while we watched football, but achieved very little success. However, I came home, and popped in a Dr. Quinn DVD, and sure enough, I have begun to knit! My masterpiece is far from perfect, or complete for that matter, but I am proud of it!

I also began the "Couch to 5K" program. According to c25k.com, I will be happily running a 5k in just nine weeks. I am planning for my first race to be the John Conlon Memorial 5D in May. The event has been organized to honor and benefit the family of Mr. Conlon, a former math teacher the high school I graduated from. It taxes my anxiety to run a race in my hometown, but I am excited to do it. The first installment of the C25K program was a GREAT workout--I loved it! I am psyched, albeit nervous, to keep training.

C25K

My friend Tia is joining me on this adventure, which is only appropriate considering we completed a 5K together last spring :-) Goals for this week include 206: learn all of the minor scales on the piano and 128: eat vegetarian for one week. I will also keep up on the other goals I have in progress.

Snow Days :-)

I had no idea that snow days were even more enjoyable for teachers than they are for students. It gives me plenty of time to make headway in Dr. Quinn. I've also been able to make more soup! I began with a simple recipe for a Sweet Potato Soup, made creamy with some evaporated milk. But then I remembered that I had roasted some squash (one acorn and one butternut) a couple of days before, so I decided to add that in, along with some more chicken stock, a splash of apple cider, and a handful of cheddar cheese. Holy macaroni. It was stupidly delicious. I ate it while finishing my crossword puzzle of the week.

In celebration of my three-day-weekend, and my eight-month-iversary with Anthony, I made "Crab Cake Mac-and-Cheese" per his request. We both saw Rachael Ray make it on her new show and decided it would be worth a shot. Overall, it was a pretty good dish. I think I would make it again, but with some adjustments: more milk and less crust. I would also add less celery, or perhaps saute it a little longer.

Crab Cake Mac-and-Cheese

Also, Anthony gave me a car wash coupon, so if it ever stops snowing, I'll be able to cross another item off the list. :-)

Soup Number 2

Today I made my second soup: a light and healthy angel hair soup with chicken sausage. You can find the recipe here: The Family Kitchen. I added sun-dried tomato chicken sausage.

The Family Kitchen

This was so tasty! I would hesitate to call it a soup recipe, however. When you cook pasta in the soup broth, the starch naturally thickens the sauce. The pasta also continues to soak up broth until you're only left with a beautiful, light tomato sauce. I was completely fine with this. I could not believe how delicious this dish was. It is definitely a keeper!

Week One

I know it has been almost an entire week since I have posted. I am glad to say, though, that my accomplishments are in better shape than my blogging. The following goals are "in progress":

6-12. Complete one crossword puzzle every week for six months. I actually completed a few crosswords last week. It has been difficult to find puzzles at the perfect level of difficulty. Some are too difficult, and some are easily-completed. I supposed by the end of six months, I will have found a book or website with challenging, but complete-able puzzles. 


95-99. Try five new soup recipes. My new favorite kitchen tool is the immersion blender. It's basically a magic wand that you can stick in a hot pot of vegetables to make a delicious pureed soup. Before the challenge started, I used it to make a new tomato soup recipe (with rye bread and pancetta, courtesy of Giada di Laurentiis) and a butternut squash soup recipe (courtesy of Anthony's mom). Unfortunately, these two soups cannot be counted toward the five I will make for my goal, but the potato, leek, and shallot soup I made this weekend certainly does! You can find the recipe at one of my favorite websites: foodgawker.com. It was delicious!

Sauce and Sensibility

190-195. Use “Gas Cubby” for six months. I LOVE Gas Cubby. It's an iPhone app that helps track your gas mileage. I've learned that my trusty old Saturn is getting 29 mpg! Pretty good for a ten-year-old car :-)


238. Watch the “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” series. "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" was my absolute favorite show as a kid. This Christmas, I received the whole series on DVD, and I have been so excited to watch all of them. My sister has been watching them with me, which is pretty neat.

The following goals are complete:

66. Cook with eggplant. This was pretty disappointing. I have a newfound love (or obsession) for eggplant. This weekend, I made a baked chicken and eggplant recipe. It seemed like a good bet, but it didn't turn out quite as I had imagined. Anthony seemed to like it okay, but it wasn't my favorite. I have certainly enjoyed eggplant much more. I'll be searching for another recipe and trying again. If I'm lucky, Anthony's mom will teach me how to make her Eggplant Parmesan. Yum.

129. Eat fruit every day for one week. This was delicious and easy. It has also been helping me to make smarter food choices all week long. I am competing in a "Biggest Loser" competition at work, and it has been an excellent week. Tomorrow includes fruit and my leftover soup. :-)

Happy New Year!

Education and Enrichment

   1-5. Read five biographies. [1/5]

   6-12. Complete one crossword puzzle every week for six months.

   13-19. Read the entire “Harry Potter” series.

   20-29. Learn ten new words and teach them to my students. [Completed 05/08/12]

   30-35. Read five plays.

   36. Listen only to NPR for one week. [Completed 04/11/11]

   37. Read Emily Post’s Etiquette.

   38. Learn Italian salutations and pleasantries. [Completed 04/03/11]

   39. Complete a jigsaw puzzle.

   40. Read the complete works of e.e. cummings.

   41. Win “Trivia Night” at three locations.

   42. Read and study the Parables.

   43. Learn to change a tire.

   44. Earn my Master’s Degree.

   45. Learn to drive stick shift.

   46. Attend a music educators’ conference. [Completed 10/22/11]

   47-56. Visit at least ten museums. [Completed 03/22/12]

   57-61. Read five novels. [Completed 04/30/12]

   62. Learn to jumpstart a car.

   63. Read an article in the MEJ and use the strategy for one month.

Food and Wine

                64. Take a cooking class.

                65. Write an original recipe. [Completed 02/01/11]

                66. Cook with eggplant. [Completed 01/07/11]

                67. Find and master a tomato sauce recipe.

                68-72. Go to five restaurants I have never been to. [3/5]

                73. Try a new fruit.

                74. Try a new vegetable. [Completed 03/04/11]

                75-93. Complete the Connecticut Wine Trail in one year. [1/19]

                94. Make ravioli from scratch.

                95-99. Try five new soup recipes. [Completed 02/19/11]

                100. Find a tea that I enjoy.

                101. Try a homemade, milk-based hot chocolate recipe.

                102. Use fondant to decorate a cake.

                103-112. Try ten new recipes by ten different chefs. [6/10]

                113-116. Pick fresh produce for each season.

                117. Compile my favorite recipes into a book.

Health and Wellness

                118. Take a spin class.

                119-123. Run five 5K road races. [1/5]

                124. Go to the dentist. [Completed 04/09/12]

                125. Take a yoga class.

                126. Attempt to whiten teeth.

                127. Get a pedicure with a friend or relative. [Completed 05/13/11]

                128. Eat vegetarian for one week.

                129. Eat fruit every day for one week. [Completed 01/10/11]

                130. Buy and wear a bikini.

                132. Drink eight glasses of water a day for one month.

                133. Get my hair cut on-time.

                134-137. Buy a new toothbrush every three months for one year.

                138. Get a physical. [Completed 12/27/12]

                139. Get on the scale three times-per-week (no more, no less) for one month.

                140. Take a vitamin every day for one month. Develop a system. [Completed 05/09/12]

                141. Use a personal day. [Completed 02/28/10]

                142. Buy a memory foam pillow.

                143. Get an eyebrow wax.

                144. Keep a food journal for one month.

Travel and Adventure

                145-146. Visit two foreign countries. [Completed 08/18/11]

                147. Take Anthony to a Patriots’ game. [Completed 12/04/12]

                148. Go sailing.

    149-152. Visit four states I have not been to. [2/4]

                153. Take a ski lesson.

    154. Fly in an airplane. [Completed 08/15/12]

                155. Visit Medieval Manor. [Completed 03/17/12]

                156. Take a bike trip in Cape Cod with my family.

                157. Play on an intramural softball team.

                158. Climb Lantern Hill.

                159. Walk the Freedom Trail.

                160. Play tennis.

                161. Visit AJ in New Hampshire. [Completed 05/06/12]

    162. Pick pumpkins and carve a jack-o-lantern.

                163. Parasail.

                164. Visit the Block Island Cemetery. [Completed 08/11/11]

                165. Go kayaking.

                166. Visit Carlo’s Bakery.

                167. Go camping.

Kindness and Humanity

                168. Vote in all elections for which I am eligible.

                169. Donate $1 to charity for every incomplete item on my list.

                170. Sponsor a family for Christmas.

                171. Donate clothes and shoes.

                172. Send a care-package to a soldier overseas.

                173. Send Christmas cards.

                174. Attend three sporting events at Ella T. Grasso Tech.

                175. Help my mom sort and label her pictures.

                176. Volunteer at a food bank or soup kitchen.

                177. Pay the toll/tip/bill for someone behind me.

Organization and Finance

                178. Buy a car. [Completed 04/30/11]

                179. Save three-months-worth of income.

                180. Complete a no-spend month.

                181. Make my bed every day for one month.

                182. Buy stock.

                183. Update and organize my iTunes library. [Completed 03/09/11]

                184. Buy and use a case for my iPhone. [Completed 05/23/11]

                185. Wear a watch every day for one month.     

                186. Review my “online identity”.            

                187. Get an oil change on-time for one year. [Completed 05/02/12]

                188. Buy an extra cell-phone charger.

                189. Start a blog. [Completed 01/03/11]

                190-195. Use “Gas Cubby” for six months. [1/6]

                196. Start a vacation club account. [Completed 04/30/12]

                197. Review and edit my resume. [Completed 02/24/12]

                198-200. Create and follow a budget for three months.

               

Music and Arts

                201. Write an original song.

                202. See an opera at the Met.

                203. Sing a recital.

                204. Become proficient at the guitar.

                205. Learn all of the major scales on the piano. [Completed 01/23/11/]

                206. Learn all of the minor scales on the piano.

                207. See a Broadway show. [Completed 04/21/12]

                208. Attend a play at Hartford Stage.

                209. Cantor at Our Lady of Lourdes. [Completed 03/05/11]

                210. Get headshots taken.

                211. Attend a concert at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods. [Completed 03/12/11]

                212. Attend a NH Master Chorale Concert. [Completed 05/06/12]

Miscellaneous

                213. Watch the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

                214. Host a dinner party.

                215. Be in a wedding party. [Completed 08/07.12]

                216. Play “Puerto Rico”.

                217-226. Watch ten of AFI’s Top 100 American Movies. [1/10]

                227. Get my ECSC uniform tailored.

                228. Find a ringtone I am happy with.

                229. Maintain a garden.

                230. Buy a baton case.

                231-235. Take and post pictures four times in one year. [2/4]

                236. Knit a wearable scarf. [Completed 02/02/11]

                237. Write a sight-reading method book for Ella T. Grasso Tech.

                238. Watch the “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” series. [Completed 02/19/11]

                239. Buy a suit.

                240. Get a carwash.

                241. Create a ceramic vase.

                

The Next 45...

                242. Add forty-five items in 2012.

                243-247. Read 5 novels.

                248. Ride a roller coaster.

                249. Host a wine-tasting party.

                250. Eat at Craftsteak.

                251. Reach my goal weight. (And stay there.)

                252. Visit Hawaii.

                253. Visit Disneyworld.

                254. Visit Napa Valley

                255-266. Blog once a week for 12 weeks. [1/12]

                267. Go to a Red Sox game. [Completed 05/04/12]

                268. Go to a Yankee game. [Completed 04/13/12]

                269-273. Try five seasonal beers. [1/5]

                274. Take a voice lesson.

                275. Go ice skating.

                276-280. Complete five Pinterest projects. (Not recipes).

                281. Go to the movies.
                282. Do an un-assisted pull-up.
                283. Go on vacation with the girls.
                284. Gamble at a table game.
                285. Watch a full season of 24 in as close to one day as possible.
                286. Go bowling.

The Last 45...

                287-333. Add forty-five items in 2013.