#49. Organize my favorite recipes; #52. Plan meals and follow for 14 days.

I have a (bad?) habit of reading lots of magazines and tearing out pretty much every recipe that I see. The problem? I have a stockpile of recipes that I’ll never attempt. I finally had some free time during a weekend to sort through my stockpile and do a little organizing, therefore fulfilling #49 from my list of things to do.

While organizing, I found some recipes I could legitimately try and used them to plan my meals for the next two weeks. I stuck to my plan fairly well…the only time I deviated was when I had a friend in town and we decided to go to dinner together. I left my weekend meals open for leftovers and variable plans, but planned the rest of the time out. Here’s how the last two weeks played out:

• Sunday/Monday: Chicken Cacciatore (made in my awesome purple crock pot!)
• Tuesday: Quinoa Salad with Tilapia
• Wednesday: Pork Carnitas
• Thursday: Chef Salad
• Friday: Jimmy John’s
• Saturday/Sunday: leftovers/food experiments with Phil
• Monday: Quinoa Medley
• Tuesday: dinner with Ana!
• Wednesday: Ginger-Soy-Lime Marinated Chicken
• Thursday: Mac & Cheese with Tuna
• Friday: Waldorf Salad Wrap
• Saturday: leftovers

My breakfasts consisted of  oatmeal, bran flakes and fruit while lunches were leftovers and sandwiches. Planning my meals made me more efficient in grocery shopping. It was also nice to not have to think about what I wanted to cook when I got home since I already had it planned out. I need to keep the meal planning up!

#93. Complete all daily tasks without using my car five times (walk, bike, public transportation)

Growing up in the country (and the Midwest), I came to be fairly dependent on having a car since public transportation is pretty much non-existent. Since moving to the East Coast, I have a new appreciation for public transportation and the beauty of it. I LOVE the Amtrak and am honestly disappointed it’s not as convenient for me now as it was while I was in Hershey. I think my new favorite mode of transportation is going to be the MegaBus (if I ever have a break from grad school!).

While living in DC for a month this summer, I did rely on the Metro to get me to and from work each day, but I still had to drive to the Metro Station each day so I wasn’t fully reliant on public transportation. Now, in State College, I pretty much rely on the bus to get me everywhere I need to go during the week. Parking is a major pain on campus (another thing I miss about K-State) and I live just far enough away to make for a super long walk. Having never ridden a bus before (besides the school bus) I didn’t really know what to expect, but thanks to my awesome new roommate, I am becoming quite the bus riding pro. It helps that my route is fairly easy and doesn’t involve any transfers. My only complaint is that is does get packed with students but I guess that’s the price I pay for convenience.

I’ve yet to drive to campus, so for these first three weeks of school, the bus has been my sole mode to complete all daily tasks (essentially going to and from school). It’s nice to give my car a break from all those miles I racked up last year during my internship!

#78. Make my bed for 30 days

I’ve never been one to make my bed. Growing up, my parents never made me make my bed…except when we were having visitors or the day the cleaning lady was coming. Needless to say, I didn’t make my bed very often.

Since moving to State College and starting grad school, I decided maybe it’s time to grow up and make the bed. With my new flowery comforter and matching pillows, I’m proud to say I successfully made my bed each and every day for the past month (and then some!). I think it’s even become a habit for me, rather than a chore which I guess is probably a good thing…

#50. Make Grandma Jean’s noodles

My Grandma Jean is famous for her noodles. Growing up, my cousins and I loved family dinners because we knew we would always have Grandma’s noodles. The best part was when she would make extra, freeze them, and then send them home with us so we could have her famous noodles whenever we pleased.

This was my first attempt at making noodles all by myself. I’ve helped my mom throughout the years, but have never tried on my own. For my first try they weren’t too bad, but I definitely need some more practice. The humidity made the noodles tricky as well…my dough wasn’t cooperating as well as I would have liked.

In the end they tasted pretty good when paired with mashed potatoes, chicken tenderloins, and homemade bread (compliments of Phil). Reminded me of Sunday dinners at home!

#42. Start my PhD.

“It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, not the end.” ― Ursula K. LeGuin

I read this quote this morning and it was just what I needed on my first day of grad school. As I start this four year journey, I need to have an end goal in mind, but at the same time take advantage of every opportunity and enjoy each moment. I know I’m often guilty of getting so many things on my plate that I’m not able to fully enjoy life. For this new journey, I fully plan on enjoying each moment along the way.

A couple of my classes this semester may be a little challenging, but I always enjoy a good challenge. I’m looking forward to getting back into a routine and getting involved with research. Excited for this new journey and all that it entails.

In other news, since I moved to State College I’ve been better about making my bed (ha!) so hopefully I can cross that off the list soon. Also, I’m learning to ride the bus (ok, I learned to ride it to and from campus) so I’m relying on public transportation to complete my daily tasks. K-State really spoiled me with having adequate parking and an apartment close enough I could walk. Penn State is a little bit of an adjustment, but I’ll adapt. After all, if there’s one thing I learned from my dietetic internship, it’s how to be fluid, flexible and adaptable.

#43. Pass the RD Exam

After 5 years of undergrad and 1200+ hours of supervised practice experience I am officially a Registered Dietitian as of August 10. All that studying really paid off as I actually felt pretty confident and not stressed like I normally do when taking an exam. The most stressful part was when the computer froze and I had to wait 45 minutes while they tried to figure out what the problem was. Thankfully, the exam picked up right where I left off and I didn’t have to start over.

So what is a registered dietitian (RD)? Here’s the official “definition” from the American Dietetic Association…

A registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential “RD.” In addition to RD credentialing, many states have regulatory laws for dietitians and nutrition practitioners. State requirements frequently are met through the same education and training required to become an RD.

The majority of registered dietitians work in the treatment and prevention of disease (administering medical nutrition therapy, as part of medical teams), often in hospitals, HMOs, private practice or other health care facilities. In addition, a large number of registered dietitians work in community and public health settings and academia and research. A growing number of registered dietitians work with food and nutrition industry and business, journalism, sports nutrition, corporate wellness programs and other non-traditional work settings.

Need some nutrition help or have a nutrition question? Find an RD near you.

#25. Have a girls’ day

Since I finally had more than a few days to spend at home, it gave me a chance to spend lots of time with old friends. These days when I get a chance to go home, my time is usually limited and I’m trying to cram a million things into a short time.

This summer, I had about 5 weeks to spend at home. I started off the summer as the maid-of-honor at my high school best friend’s (Jennifer) wedding. At her wedding, I got to see my other best friend from home, Trista. Since we graduated, the three of us try to meet up whenever I am back…our time together is usually short, but precious!

Throughout the summer, the three of us had a lunch date, got pedicures, and had our girls’ day. Jennifer’s dad took us out on Mozingo in his boat after treating us to lunch. We spent the afternoon swimming, tubing and soaking up the sun (while gabbing the whole time of course!).

Sad to tell these girls good-bye again, but I’m excited for our next reunion because I’m sure we’ll all have lots to share as we are each starting new adventures this year. Love my friends!

#22. Spend a day with just my dad.

While mom and Carina were in California for FCCLA, dad and I had some good quality bonding time. He didn’t really have an option if he wanted to eat at night!

Dad treated me to supper at The Dairy Diner one night (I love the local, small town places) and then took me for a ride in the semi the next day when he took a load of beans to St. Joe. This was only my second time riding in the “new” semi, and I still can’t get used to seeing him in white instead of blue. The new semi rides much smoother and, thankfully, has a working air conditioner. We definitely needed that to keep us cool during the excessive heat warning. After we unloaded, we went to lunch at my dad’s favorite place, Hoof & Horn, which is the oldest restaurant in St. Joe (according to their menu at least). The place burned a few years ago and this was my first time back since it was rebuilt.

The food was pretty good – I felt like I was going back in time with my fried chicken, mashed potatoes and sweet corn. And I can’t forget the Triple Chocolate Cake for dessert that was to die for. My dad has been eating there for years…since he was a kid and it was cute to see the waitresses recognize him.

Sad my time at home is over, but thankful for the time I got to spend my wonderful family. I am so blessed.

#32. Visit SP after graduation; #34. Visit Oakley friends

My visit to Manhattan gave me a chance to cross a couple of other things off of my list – seeing some of the best friends from K-State.

My very first K-State friend, THE Sarah Porter or SP, still works in Manhattan and she let me stay with here for the weekend. We had a good time reminiscing how we met in college algebra along with our other great K-State memories. We ate at Chipotle and enjoyed Sonic slushies just like during our K-State years. We also made a stop at Manhattan Hill. A hangout with SP would not be complete without a stop at GTM or Varneys for a new K-State shirt. We were really excited to find our Senior Sidewalk bricks at the Alumni Center. Unfortunately, my brick hasn’t been placed yet so I guess I’ll have to wait until my next visit to Manhattan to find it. Luckily we found SP’s brick to show off all of her hard work!

I was also able to see my Oakley friends, Lisa and Brett during my visit. Lisa happened to be back for a bit from Texas so we were able to reunite the “game day” crew for a picture. Lisa and I hit up Rock-a-Belly for lunch and Bluestem for an afternoon coffee while we spent time catching up before she had to leave. Brett and I spent an afternoon catching up and he treated me to breakfast at The Chef (yum!) on Sunday morning before church at UCC (another place I’ve really missed).

SP, Brett, Leslie and I also had a mini-reunion in Aggieville and I was able to meet up with another friend, Laura, for lunch as well. It was great to see so many friends, especially those I haven’t seen in over a year. Love them all to pieces!

#12. Visit Manhattan after graduation.

I still have a hard time believing it’s been a year since I graduated from K-State and left Manhattan for Pennsylvania. Since moving east, I’ve only been back to the Midwest a couple of times, none of which have allowed me time for a trip to Manhattan.

Now that I’m “home” for a bit this summer, I finally had some time to visit. With mom and Carina in LA for FCCLA, it was a perfect opportunity to make a trip to Manhattan to see old friends and visit places I’ve missed so dearly.

Manhattan has changed a lot in the last year – new restaurants, shopping, buildings – I hardly recognized the place! It was nice to visit my favorite places and catch up with friends I haven’t seen for the last year (thank goodness for Skype!). Thanks for all the great memories, Manhattan!