Lovely Sunday Photograph

Photograph by PhotoMuse

Homemade Ramen Soup Recipe and Christmas Cheer

Hello Everyone!

How was everyone's Holiday?  We still have Christmas celebrations going on in our household and this morning we had another Christmas celebration with Meridyth's Mom, Sister, and Sister's husband and of course the new baby Caleb!  We had a wonderful morning and had a lot of fun drinking coffee, eating breakfast and opening presents.

We still have one more Christmas celebration to do with Mer's Father and his girlfriend Vicki.  Christmas this year is definitely being made to last at least another week but honestly I don't mind a bit!

Besides Christmas and getting in the holiday cheer I have had a horrible cold which has not only had me banished to the spare bedroom to sleep and cough/sneeze by myself but I have also been craving warm and salty soups.

I decided since I have some free time before school starts I would cook a little and maybe even be a little adventurous!

I have to say making a homemade Ramen soup especially when you are not feeling good is a perfect way to put you in a better mood and help that sore throat.  It is also so much healthier and less fattening than the packaged ramen.  I picked this recipe specifically because it called for angel hair pasta which I already had in my kitchen!

Here are my ingredients gathered on the counter ready to be transformed:

I found the recipe on Epicurious but changed it a bit to fit my ingredients.
Ingredients:
3 eggs hardboiled
1/2 box of angel hair pasta
3 large handfuls of kale
1 portobello mushroom (chopped) (I used a package and chopped them up finer)
1 clove garlic (chopped finely)
1 inch long piece of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped finely)
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 splashes soy sauce (to taste)
chicken bouillon (not cubes, use either granules or paste)
salt and pepper to taste
sesame seeds

Instead of using fresh ginger I used ginger paste and I think it worked great.  I also didn't use sesame seeds but it probably would have added a little bit more flavor to the final soup.

I boiled my eggs while I was chopping the mushroom, garlic, and kale.

Directions:
In large pot, boil water for pasta. Break pasta in half and add to water. Cook according to box.
Pour out enough water to leave about 2 cups in pot with pasta. Do not drain. Return to medium heat.
(Note:  I dumped out too much water and then didn't have enough for soupy goodness, so I would keep more in that you think you need!)
Add chopped garlic and ginger. Add enough bouillon to season two cups of water and stir thoroughly. Add vegetable broth and soy sauce, continue stirring. (At this point I tasted the broth and almost died!  It tasted JUST LIKE RAMEN!)
Add chopped mushroom and kale. Allow to cook until both are tender.
Slice egg and add to ramen.
Season with salt and pepper, add sesame seeds and serve. ENJOY!

 

So the ramen was delicious but when I make it next time I will definitely leave more broth because my leftovers didn't have enough of the its goodness!

It was easy to make and I was extremely excited about the way it tasted.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays Everyone!  I hope your day is filled with Family, Lots of Love, and maybe some presents!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Office Pot Luck, A horrible cold, and Blog Reassessing

Hello All!

These past few weeks I have been doing some major thinking about this blog, my Etsy shop LoveUPaperly and so many other things!  I am hoping that all of these things I have been thinking about will start showing up as changes in the New Year!

I think that is one of the reasons that I love the Holidays, Christmas, and New Years so much.  I always feel like it is a time to reassess and figure out if I think I am going in the right direction.

Besides that, I finally finished school this semester and I have a break until the end of January which is badly needed.

As for this weekend, I have had a horrible cold all week and it has only been getting worse so I am going to bunker down the next two days and try to get rid of these germs.  Last year I had just had surgery so Christmas was rather miserable for both Meridyth and myself so this year, cold or no cold, I am determined to try and feel well!

Friday we had an office potluck which was full of all different types of food.  I decided to go for a rustic Italian dish and made roasted cauliflower and broccoli with garlic and olive oil with tomatoes and of course pasta.  I topped the whole thing off with some mozzarella cheese!

I think it tasted pretty good!

Second, I took some pictures of the final product for my Parent's Chanukah present.  They were absolutely thrilled!  My Mom keeps calling to say that she keeps trying the pictures in different places all over her house.

I'm off to take some Theraflu.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Hospital Visits and Some New Projects

Hello Everyone!

These last two weeks have been so crazy.  I am in the middle of finals, was admitted to the hospital for a short stay and had a few outpatient tests which required too many IV's.  I am happy to report that though tired I feel like I am finally on the mend and I only have one more final to take tomorrow!

In the midst of all of my medical mysteries, I have been feeling very inspired and creative.  I wanted to share a few things I am working on.  None of the projects are done yet, but I wanted to show you the beginnings.  After this post, I am back to studying for my A&P final and then looking forward to a month off.

My Mom was cleaning out their basement and found an old journal that I had only used a few pages in.  The journal is velvety and the pages are thick and can take all different types of medium.  This was certainly a find!

Lying in bed in the hospital I started to play with the idea of words and images using pen.  I love the Reindeer hiding in the J and O.  I think my next step might be watercolor.

Mer and I don't have a lot of money for holiday presents this year and since I am currently watching my parents dogs I thought I would draw them portraits, scan them, print them on nice paper, and frame them.

I will take pictures when the final product is done!

So that's it for now.  I am immersed in studying, drawing, and watching movies!

How is your holiday shopping going?

Lots of Love,

Jess

 

 



New Prints on LoveUPaperly

Good Morning lovely people!

I am in Starbucks this morning trying to find the motivation to study for my lab final for Anatomy which is on Saturday.

No motivation can be found to study, but I did find motivation to blog!

I wanted to share two new prints that I just listed for sale on LoveUPaperly.  There are reminiscent of the cards that I make, lots of layers of images and textures.

I think they would make a lovely present and be really nice framed.  They are both listed for $10.

What do you guys think?  When I look at these prints they make me happy and I am hoping they do the same for other people.  Check these out and more on my Etsy store LoveUPaperly.

Have a Great Tuesday.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Attack of the Migraine and Other Things

Happy day after Thanksgiving!

I woke up with a list of things to do today about a mile long and I had high hopes to jump into them and be super productive.

However, it is 12:43 pm and I suddenly feel the world tilting and beginning to spin.  I have vestibular migraines, I have had them since I was eight.  Having one is like being on a spinning teacup ride at Disney World but you are not able to yell for it to stop.  Unfortunately, my inner ear carries the controls and it decides when it wants me to stop feeling dizzy.  As you can imagine, having migraines that make you dizzy also means that any sort of ride that could make you dizzy is not something that you think is fun!

So instead of vacuuming, doing school work, and working on art, I have taken two Dramamine and I am going to lie down and try to sleep it off.

It feels like having decided to slow down this week from waking up at 5 am and going to sleep at 12 am and studying with every free second my body is also deciding to slow down and make me rest and sleep.

I am working on some new one of a kind prints for my Etsy shop LoveUPaperly that I think will make really good gifts for the holidays.

With that, I will leave you with some of my latest pins from Pinterest.http://www.pinterest.com

Lots of Love,

Jess

Image from Offbeat Tumblog

Magisso Tea Cup

Quote from KatieKDid Blog

illustrator Lim Sweng Hee

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I hope you are all going to eat too much turkey and be with family and friends.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.  This time last year I was a week out of having spinal surgery and Meridyth had been laid off.

This year on Thanksgiving my neck feels better everyday, Mer has a job she loves, and we got married!

We are off to my parents this year to relax and eat a lot food.

I wish you all a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Image from the blog Meet the Dubiens

Changes, right around the corner...

Hello out there!

I have had a lot going on in my life lately.  There is a necessity to change some things, to branch out again in new directions, and to hunker into myself to finish out this semester strong.

Only a few more weeks of school and I am happy to say that I am coming out very strong in my Anatomy and Physiology class and I am forging ahead in statistics.

It is nice to see that I there is a month break just around the corner!

I have also started to slowly go back to the gym.  I am being very careful of my neck so I am trying not to push too much.

I got to take some new pictures of my nephew Caleb, and it has been great to get a lot of pictures and videos from my sister in Seattle of her kids and her new baby Jack.

One day at a time has been a mantra.  I am excited for Thanksgiving.  I have a lot to be thankful for.

On that note, I found this on Pinterest and I had to post it!

posted by Valerie Starchurski

Lots of Love,

Jess

Voting for Something Important to me...

Happy Election Day!

I proudly stood in line this morning with Meridyth and a few of our neighbors to vote.  I LOVE voting.  I have loved the idea of voting since before I could even cast a ballot myself.

I remember being a little girl, probably around six, and going into the voting booth with my mom.  Even at that time, not understanding what all of those people were doing standing there so patiently, I knew it was something important.

This year especially is very important to me.  Yes, the presidential election is important, but what I am talking about is question six in Maryland giving lesbians and gays the right to marry.

I still get annoyed every time I think of people having the right to vote on my marriage, I feel like they are voting on my life which I proudly say is very good. 

I have a wonderful partner, I am a tax paying citizen who contributes to the community, we have rescued animals, and I am hoping to work in the medical field to give back more to the community.  It truly incenses me that people are choosing whether my lifestyle is acceptable when I know in my heart it is and that I will never have an opportunity (nor do I want one) to vote on theirs.

Meridyth placates me by saying that we wouldn't do anything different in our lives even if question six was passed.

This is true.  We consider ourselves married.  She is my wife and I have chosen to spend the rest of my life with her.  However, it would be nice to be able to be "legally" married or at least have the right to do it.

So I would ask you to vote for passing question six.  Eventually, I believe that we will look back at this in sixty years and not believe that once people in the community had the right to vote on others marriages.

So, to end this ranting post, GO VOTE!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Paper Products for the Home now available on LoveUPaperly!

Hi Everyone!

My honey just bought me coffee from Dunkin Donuts and I am busy studying for my two quizzes today.

I first want to say that my sympathy and prayers goes out to all of those that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.  The photographs from New Jersey and New York are heart breaking.  Living in Maryland we were very nervous for the storm and I am thinking about all of those people that are picking up the pieces.

That being said, I would like to introduce a new section in my Etsy shop LoveUPaperly.

I have been making paper bowls forever and I have decided to list some of them (one for right now, I am in school, remember?!).

I am a big recycler and I love the fact that I can use scrap paper and make something so beautiful, delicate, and useful out of it.

Listed for $8.50 got to my site for more info.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, I'm off to school!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Miniature Owl/Monster on LoveUPaperly

Hello All!

I have listed a new item on LoveUPaperly.

I love this little guy, I think he is too cute.

 He makes me smile.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Ups and Downs and All Arounds...

Hello There!  Are you still reading even though I have not been a good and stable blogger?

In truth, like all of you, I have many ups and downs.  For me, most of my ups and downs happen to be health related.

Even after almost a year of recovering from my spinal fusion I still have good days and bad days.  Today happens to be a bad day.  Even though I laid out my gym clothes for tomorrow on my quest to become healthy again I know in my heart I will not be going because currently I have abandoned my school work and I am lying on my back in bed with a very, very cold ice pack urging through strong mental will power to bring down the swelling that today is not allowing me to turn my neck in either direction.

Besides my neck my whole body hurts which means that my Fibro Myalgia or whatever diagnosis they are giving me this week, is also rearing its ugly head tonight.

At times like this I hate my body for feeling so weak and hurting so much.  However, at times like this I also appreciate my love for the beauty in the world which keeps me going.

So instead of complaining I am going to show you some of the pins I have been pinning on Pinterest!

I Waste So Much Time

found on the blog:  I Waste So Much Time

This image is found on the tumblr page Tard the Grumpy Cat.  I just looked at it and the whole page is pictures of this adorable and grumpy little guy.  Too Funny!

Wooden Shower Head by Rare

Love Me Do Wedding Photography

How beautiful is this photograph?  The Brides, The scenery, I am swooning!

Lots of Love and Beauty in the World,

Jess

Unusual photographs by artist Lori Nix

Hi everyone!

Remember when I said I would try really hard to start blogging more regularly again?  Well..it didn't work!

I have been so busy with school, and now Meridyth has strep throat and a high fever.  However, even though my blogging has been lacking I had to show all of you these photographs that I came across.

I have StumbleUpon on my phone.  Do any of you use StumbleUpon?  I highly recommend it for its addictiveness and ability to constantly show you cool websites.

Anyway, I was not working at work (don't tell!) and came across this photographer Lori Nix.

I looked at one photograph, then another, then another, and soon found myself transported to a world of her creation and wanting to look at more.

She builds worlds out of paper, clay, and other materials and then photographs them so they look like they are a place that she came across in her travels that you or I could visit.

I am entranced.

This is what she says on her website:

"I am often asked questions about the inspiration for my work as well as my working process. As a ‘non-traditional’ photographer (I construct my subject matter rather than go find it) people find it hard to grasp what exactly it is that I do. And the fact that it is all done in front of the camera, with no digital manipulation, adds its own set of challenges. Building materials, lighting, issues of scale and space all become significant when you are recreating the world on a table top."

These are just a few select samples on her website which I suggest you check out. 

I find it fascinating how she builds these worlds and then photographs them.  In my head I am thinking, wouldn't it be easier to paint the images in your head?  I think that is what is so amazing!  The detail she uses is painstaking and I can only imagine the endless hours that must go into to building some of these images.

I am in LOVE!  Did I mention the lighting?  I think Lori Nix may be my new favorite artist.

Lots of Love,

Jessica