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Fat + Brave

I haven't had a lot to be happy about lately. I've been trying to teach evolution, and found out that the stereotypes about the deep south are really, really true.

To make myself feel better, I wore a really exciting outfit. I bought the skirt over a year ago, and today was the first time I wore it because when I tried it on, my grandmother said that it makes me look fat. And so this skirt has been hanging in my closet for the last year, judging me. But I wore it at long last, and I it made me feel so much better about life.

NY&Company blazer (size 18)

Forever21 top (1X)

NY&Company skirt (similar)

NY&Company shoes (similar)

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We had a potluck at work - and I was all about the assemblage.  I usually volunteer to bring appetizers bc I appreciate variety in my food, they're easy to do well and creatively, and set the tone for the rest of the meal (ok maybe have overinflated valuation of appetizer significance).

I used a crystal three-section plate my grandmother gifted me.  It included:

a) Salmon Sandwiches: toasted black bread, cream cheese, lox, cucumber

b) goat cheese food processed with sweetened peanuts and dried dates

c) mozzarella and tomato skewers + goat cheese and sun-dried tomato 

Not pictured here - I put green olives in the middle and served with rice crackers.  By far my favorite app was the sun dried tomato goat cheese (I've also put it on pasta as a sauce) and it made me fall in love with my $25 fearless, costco food processor.

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I also had a wood bracelet with this - I was all about the accessories.

Available at Target right now!

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That 70s Show

News: I got my hair cut - this is immediately after with a professional blow out.  I'm sorry you can't see a full length picture - the dress is above the knee, cobalt blue.  I am SO excited about the red of this sweater and yellow earrings - I was digging the primary color combo.  I was also wearing yellow shoes.  The whole outfit was a lot of fun.  

The dress is old target, but doesn't fit super well (it's WAY too short when I sit down, too tight in the boobs, and I'm constantly worried about bending down and getting a butt-rip)...so it's a sometimes dress.

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Bubblegum Pop

The dress and the sweater are both from Target but old, so nothing similar is on the site right now.  I have this dress in at least three other colors and I love it - that pattern is memorable but understated, the ruffles on the front look interesting without being too overwhelming.  The dress never wrinkles though does static cling to my legs after I sit.  

The color combination could have looked better...and definitely should have worn heels.

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I am very proud of this outfit situation - I love turquoise!  The dress is a dark purple and I was a bit concerned because it can be a bit short and because the dress needed a tanktop underneath it for cleavage coverage - but it was fine, and casual friday, and I was just going to sit in my office all day (no meetings).

No real idea where I bought - falls into the "oldie but goodie" category.

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Nothing special to see here - new Target dress, I dig it.  It has a pretty conservative cut despite being pretty brightly colored, but any dress that looks good with standard black heels, black jacket is a sweet deal in my book.

I have it in both colors!  For the record this is how I reviewed it on the Target site: "love this dress - bought it in both colors. its very nicely fitted, making it look more expensive than it is, and is a nice way to brighten up an otherwise semi-conservative office dress. be aware - the belt was not included with the dress."   Another reviewer on the target website mentioned wearing it with cobalt blue heels and a belt which sounds fantastic! I just wasn't creative enough to think of that...

Other misc. thoughts - am thinking about using this dress as a Ms. clause costume for halloween

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Navy Navy Quite Contrary

Even thought I am prone to loving navy, as a variant of blue, I sometimes find it v hard to accessorize because it almost looks black.  The first picture is a traditional take - navy and white.  

A coworker, who actually understands style, recommended navy and pink...buuuut I don't own pink shoes.  Confession: it felt like a challenge and I almost went out to get pink shoes *that night* but I resisted.  I wore a pink dress with navy accessories instead.  

(Spoiler: I have kind of ridiculous pink shoes coming in the mail and I will mix them with navy in a later post) 

I love idiosyncratic color combinations!

All of the clothes come from target...but appear to now be sold out (although they're pretty recent purchases so some may still be in store). Similar dress can be found at: http://www.target.com/p/merona-women-s-textured-sleeveless-belted-dress-assorted-colors/-/A-15005428#prodSlot=large_3_9

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Chicken noodle soup

Ingredients: 1/3 cooked chicken breast, ~4 cups chicken broth (left over from when I boiled 3 chicken breasts for chicken enchilada casserole), ~1.5 cups uncooked pasta, 1/3 can corn, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt. 

Instructions: bring chicken broth to a boil, cook the pasta in the broth until it is barely al dente (7 minutes). Add all the other ingredients, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Obviously there was no real recipe, just deliciousness. This might have been even greater with carrots, but I didn't have any - I just wanted to use the ingredients that I had that were left over from the casserole. Waste not, want not!

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THAT Teacher Dress

I know at least 3 other teachers that have this particular dress. I love it - it is super comfy, and it looks a bit like an optical illusion. It is a little loose on me - not big, but not really touching the skin, which I actually found very comfortable.

Dress - (size XL) I bought it for $14 in the store.

Shoes are from Rainbow (2 for 20). Rainbow has an amazing selection of plus sized clothing - online is better than in stores.

The pendant - is from my grandmother and I have had it forever, but the linked pendant is similar. I just liked having a big block of bright color.

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Only adults make casseroles, this is obvious. I always think of casseroles as the ultimate in mom foods - especially as the entire concept is bewildering for me. Changes: brown rice instead, 3 instead of 2 cups of cheese, baked at 400 C for ~40 minutes, then I kept it in the oven a while longer. 

I baked for much longer because I am more than slightly paranoid about consuming raw chicken. I unintentionally gave myself food poisoning with chicken, back when I was 17 - and I have been traumatized ever since.

Fair warning - the volume of the recipe described is enough to make two whole casseroles. I live alone, so I am going to be eating these leftovers for the next one thousand years. The good news is that it is super delicious and very easy. I like to eat this with some side salad and fruit for dessert - just so that it is not quite so heavy of a meal.

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Are short skirts work appropriate?

In reality, this skirt is not that short. And if I was a skinny girl, I think that there would be no issue. But, I'm not skinny. I feel like people judge me and look at me funny whenever I wear something that is even 1-2 inches above the knee. In actuality, I think that no one looked at me funny, I just have weird self-consciousness about my weight, etc. Anyway, I do like this outfit, even though I think that this skirt has a bit of a weird shape - I love wearing it anyway (I also have it in teal).

Sweater - similar color. Mine is 3/4 sleeves and fairly sheer. Also from Target.

Skirt - vaguely similar. It is hard to tell from the photo, but my skirt is textured, and it has a zip closure. It has a weirdly bunchy lining which sometimes gives this pleated skirt a weird shape from the back. The skirt I linked should not have the same issue.

Once again, I paired this with black flip-flops, and no make-up. That's just the kind of teacher I am.

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Pile o' pancakes

Three day weekends are god's gift to teachers. Over the past week I was so exhausted, my apartment turned into a disaster and I couldn't begin to deal with cooking. I had take-out twice, compared to once over the 6 previous weeks. I decided to start off my weekend with some delicious breakfast, and pancakes seemed like the right choice. These weren't bad, but they weren't great, either.

Fluffy pancakes

Changes: lemon juice instead of vinegar (same pH, so it does the same thing), olive oil instead of butter, doubled sugar, splash of vanilla (I would leave it out). I stuffed these with peaches and nectarines.

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International flavor

I got tons of complements for this skirt, probably because no one had ever seen anything quite like it. This skirt is one-of-a-kind, hand-made from Thailand, curtesy of one of my best friends (who is Thai). 

The sweater is from Target. It is hard to tell in the picture, but it is basic black with 3/4 sleeves and gray horizontal stripes. I can't find anything exactly the same on the website, but any basic sweater would do.

Fortunately, flip-flops are totally appropriate at my school. Many professional contexts frown on them, but teachers are on their feet all day - so it is necessary.

You also get a lovely view of my apartment. I still don't have any living room furniture - so I currently have all of my shoes lined-up against the walls.

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A bit of the Soviet Union - in the Bible Belt

Salat Olivie. Any Soviet person knows it, and has a favorite way of preparing this ubiquitous salad. It is a staple at all family celebrations - New Year's, Rosh Hashanah, etc. Some of my most vivid memories from my childhood are of helping my great-grandmother prepare this, preceding major events. I really started to consider myself a cook when my great-grandmother was on the phone for so long, I did everything myself - I was 7. This is one of my favorite foods ever, and nothing makes me more nostalgic for my childhood.

I love Salat Olivie - and frankly, most people will. It is like potato salad, but 1000x better. I'm convinced that this recipe is the best, because it is simple. Some people add corn, radishes, and other nonsense - and I just think that all of that is completely unnecessary.

Ingredients: 3 s/m cooked potatoes, 3 boiled eggs, 1 drained container of peas, ~1/8 purple onion, 4 cooked turkey franks (can also be beef), 5-6 pickles, ~3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions: chop everything and combine. Add the mayonnaise slowly, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and combine progressively. Add salt + pepper and top with fresh dill if desired.

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Challah Time

I live in the deep south, and there are very few Jews in the area (obviously). But I joined a local Reform synagogue (even though I am Conservative) and started teaching Sunday School (8th/9th Jewish Ethics). On Sunday, we talked about living Jewish lives even when there are not a lot of other Jews around. This discussion made me nostalgic, so when I got back to my apartment I decided to make challah. This is vaguely based on Cool Rise Challah in the sense that I found out how much yeast to use from that recipe, and basically followed the instructions, I just used different proportions.

Recipe:

4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, 2.5 tsp. dry active yeast, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 cup lukewarm water, 3 Tbsp. butter and ~1/8 cup of olive oil (I ran out of butter, because I made pound cake earlier in the day), 1/4 cup honey, and a dash of salt.

I didn't want to crack an egg to make the top of my challah very shiny because that seemed like a waste. Even though it looks a little less pretty than it might, the result is still overwhelming deliciousness.

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Lemon Juice is magic

I've discovered the secret to life, the universe, and everything - and it isn't 42 as we've all been led to believe. Instead, it is lemon juice. The kind from the little lemon shaped bottle took this totally ordinary chicken and rice, and knocked it into the stratosphere. 

Chicken: defrost, and sprinkle with curry powder, black pepper, basil, and oregano. Cut open a few slits into the chicken and spray lemon juice liberally. I used ~2 Tbsp. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until juice runs clear.

Rice: Add to cooked rice: 1 diced tomato, 1/4 cup diced purple onion, salt + pepper and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Mix well.

Top everything with some capers - and you have a super quick and easy dinner!