Wrapped Up

The other night I made my signature enchiladas. I took the recipe from a middle school friend and have been making them ever since. With a simple ingredient list and minimal steps, they are super easy to make. They’re perfect for these frigid nights we’ve been having lately. Serve with homemade guacamole, tortilla chips, perhaps a side of rice, and your Mexican beer of choice. Delicioso!

Ingredients:

• 10 soft tortillas
• 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 8 oz can refried beans
• 16 oz can red or green enchilada sauce
• 3 c Mexican blend shredded cheese
• sour cream for garnish
• chopped green onions for garnish

Steps:

Preheat over to 350 F. Spray a 9×13 in glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

Cook ground beef over medium heat until all the pink is gone. Sprinkle packet of taco seasoning over the meat and stir until all the meat is covered with the seasoning. Remove from heat

Take one soft tortilla and cover it with a thin layer of the refried beans. Put a spoonful of the ground beef down the middle of the tortilla.

Next, layer cheese and a spoonful or two of enchilada sauce over the meat.

Wrap up the tortilla and place it fold-side down. Continue doing this for the remaining tortillas, placing them in the baking dish.

When all the enchiladas are in the pan, cover them with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Make sure to cover the ends of the tortillas liberally with sauce so they don’t dry out.

Bake this massive beat of comfort food for thirty minutes, covered with foil.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and any other garnishes you like.

 

After the meal find the nearest couch because a legitimate nap will be in order. Try to avoid sudden movements, or any movement for that matter.

Freedom

I just finished my first book of the new year, Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

According to Stuff White People Like, a white person cannot go into Target and buy the one or two things they were looking for. This person has to scavenge the aisles for “bargains” and “deals,” and leave the store exclaiming, “Look at all I bought for only $120!!” I am so guilty. On my first trip back to the superstore after being abroad for a year, I loaded my cart with the essentials (toothpaste, body lotion, etc.) and somewhere along the way I blacked out. While checking out at the register I noticed that a few more items finagled their way into my possession and thus I became the new owner of Freedom.

This book gained insta-fame when it was announced to be apart of “Oprah’s Bookclub.” This label tends to turn me off as I find her “chosen ones” to be more entertainment pieces rather than literary, and often not that enjoyable. A book I would suggest under the same label is The Help; that was simply a stunning book. Franzen’s new novel arrives nine years after his previous work, The Corrections, and after reading it I can confirm it was certainly worth the wait.

When I told my friend Kelsey, who also has bought Freedom, that I was reading this book she told me her mom, a local librarian, said that she would not like any of the characters, but would ultimately love the book. How true that is. Each character in the novel is either highly narcissistic, disengaged, stubborn, or selfish, and all are angry. Franzen tells a story about a dysfunctional family and their struggles in the first decade of the 21st century. Having written most of the book in 2009, he is able to correctly read the tone of the nation during these pivotal years after 9/11 and remark that we were, and to some degree still are, angry. We are angry at what happened to our country and how it was handled. We are angry at the people trying to make sense of and clean up the mess. We turn our anger at those we love the most because we know they will be there in the end.

Photo Courtesy of goodreads.com

Jonathan Franzen examines what can happen to four extraordinarily different people who are full of either stifled or flagrant rage and given too much freedom. Patty Berglund, the mother, has no job and the freedom to stay at home with her kids, and ultimately lose sight of herself; Walter Berglund, the father, is given freedom by his seemingly laid-back wife to the point that he feels neglected; their son, Joey, has freedom as an adolescent and virtually no consistent guidance through his formative years; Richard Katz, a family friend, moves as a vagabond through society with the freedom to do as he pleases, leading him to a life of isolation.

The novel is most certainly not upbeat and heartwarming. But, it is very thoughtful and asks the reader to contemplate how she uses her freedom. Is a life free from boundaries always a good one? True to the librarian’s word, I closed the book not liking the characters very much. I left it, however, with a more insightful view of the struggles a family faces despite being “free.”

Recommendation: Absolutely.

Click here to listen to Jonathan Franzen talk about his new book.

‘Merica

On the Griswoldian adventure home yesterday we passed a car with Kansas vanity plates reading:

M8NDUSA

After living in Switzerland, where a lower number on your license plate equates to a higher social status, it’s funny to see these kinds of plates. I almost forgot about all that ‘Merican pride out there.

As for the road trip, seven (eight, if you count the two hours Matt was in the car with us) people crammed into a morbidly overstuffed Suburban to make the trip back to Kansas. We set out early to avoid a snow storm that we ended up riding in for a significant chunk of the time. Kansans, all the snow that has covered your lawn and streets came in on our heels.

The twelve hour journey passed by (oh, how I wish I could say “quickly”) with the aid of movies, books, thoughtful magazine literature, ipods galore, and a 6-pound bag of pretzels. We finally rolled home around 8:30 and it could not have been soon enough.

This song is for my dad and “bros.” They couldn’t get enough of this lyrical genius all trip.

Here are a few photos from the last few days. I never said skiing was glamorous…

Dudes about to hit the slopes

Dad, Matt, and Rick. Ah, memories.

Myself, Matt, Rick, Dad, and Courtney about to destory Schoolmarm.

I love this one.

I am a super-skier!

Pops and the girls.

At the base of my least-favorite part of Spring Dipper. I conquered you!!

Last Run

We had our last day on the slopes today. Since it was Saturday it was mighty crowded and covered with people just learning to ski. I felt the best today, confident and sure of my skillz. After only a couple hours skiing I was ready to head down the mountain and end the trip on a good note. What a great weekend in Keystone!

I was thinking ahead before we left on Wednesday and scheduled a massage for Tuesday. Looking forward to it tremendously.

We are about to head out to dinner to celebrate Courtney’s birthday, so I’ll keep it short today. I do want to share another song with you, as these dudes have been showing up on my ipod with greater frequency. I was lucky enough to see Ratatat in Zürich a couple months ago, and this dynamite duo is a great act to catch live. The electronic sounds and beats are perfect for working out. I’ve been running to them all week, and once I get on the treadmill it feels like the time flies by. Or maybe that’s me and my super-sonic speed. That’s neither here, nor there. I definitely suggest checking them out if you’re looking for some new tunes. This video combines the song “Lex” with one of my all-time favorites, images from the “Planet Earth” series. A most excellent combination!

Mountaintop Part Deux

Back on the mountain today. Last night we all crashed at 10:00 and I didn’t face the day until 9:00 this morning. A solid 11 hours of sleep helped me get up and go on the slopes today. After the first warm-up run on Schoolmarm and Silverspoon I felt ready to tackle some more challenging material. I nervously agreed to head down Spring Dipper with Rick, Matt, Dad, and Courtney. My skillz were up to par and I managed to make it safely down to the lift to give it another go.

Green runs? Ha! Who needs ’em? Um, me. After a little cajoling I managed to make it down Paymaster, another blue, and I found myself ready for some easier cruising. Thankfully, we stayed out for only a little longer and made our way in for lunch. Once we arrived back at the condo I knew I was done for. Once I got my shin-splinting, ankle-breaking boots off and settled down on the couch with my headache I was in for the day. this afternoon I have been happily napping, watching TV, and munching on some of Matt’s out-of-this-world-delicious smoked brisket.

I just finished up a yoga stretch session to loosen up these tight muscles. I set it on “Relax” playlist and was pleasantly surprised when this gem came on. Jónsi has a peculiar and distinct voice. I think it’s perfect for stretching, walking, or just hanging out. For me it was the perfect way to unwind after another day of shredding.

Mountaintop

I’ve just come up from a relaxing trip to the hot tub at our condo in Keystone, Colorado. After a hard day of skiing the only thing better than an ice-cold, celebratory brew is a soak in the tub that puts me in an almost catatonic state.

Today was so great. The weather was outstanding, clear skies and moderate temperatures, a couple inches of fresh powder on the trails, and a new set of skills I picked up last year all contributed to the tipp topp super day.

After spending last season shredding the Alps in Laax, Switzerland, it was good to be back in the motherland. While der Schweiz certainly wins in the scenery department (you cannot beat the view from any summit), I think I prefer the skiing here in Colorado. I just move better on the snow. Plus, in Switzerland I was cruising the mountain mostly by myself (except for when Jill braved it with me once), and now I get to spend the weekend with my family: my dad, younger sister, two brothers, three nephews, and one nephew’s friend. What a crew!

I wish I could tell you more about today but I am so fatigued I can hardly function. Even now I am pecking at the keys like an elementary typist. I’m looking forward to an evening of reading and watching movies. Then, it’s back to the slopes in the morning!

Could You Repeat The Question?

Apart from not even knowing exactly what kind of job to look for, one thing that makes me nervous about jumping into the market is the interview process. How do I make myself sound like the missing link in your über-successful company without bordering on cocky? Which materials are essential to bring? Will an employer even want to see the Portfolio I spent hours upon hours creating?

The best interview I had was for K-State Orientation Leader. It was, for the most part, a group interview. At one point we were required as a team to come up with a product to use on K-State’s campus and make a commercial trying to sell said product. Effectively, they wanted to see how well we could think on our toes and market positive aspects about the university. This job was one of my favorites. I loved sharing all the amazing things I love about KSU. GO CATS!!

On the flip side, the worst interview I ever had was with what turned out to be a highly-fundamentalist Christian summer camp. The interview started off well, then took a sharp turn toward uncomfortable, and finally ended with me being incensed at the hideous woman questioning me. I will spare you the gory details, but I quickly removed myself from the interview.

While checking out the “Freshly Pressed” on wordpress.com I came across this insane list of interview questions compiled by glassdoor.com. I’m all for spicing up the process and veering away from the drone of, “Tell me about a time when you had to be a leader,” but some of these are ridiculous! I have a feeling I would be walking out of any one of these interviews a little stumped.

 

Photo Courtesy of joblesscorner.com

And you, my friends. Have you had absurd, baffling or perhaps hilarious questions asked to you during an interview?

Resolute

When I left Switzerland two weeks ago I went with the impression that I was finished blogging. This was a joke. I know this now. I tried to convince myself that I would be busy with 1,000 other things and I wouldn’t have time to post on a regular basis. I also was sure that since my days of tripping down to the Matterhorn, or hopping on a quick train to Paris were behind me, that I would have nothing of interest to write about. This is not true!

On New Year’s Eve I was standing with a couple of friends discussing resolutions of the past. Rarely have I taken on the challenge of setting forth, for an entire year, pursuing one mission. With ten minutes left until the clock struck Cinderella’s curfew, I realized that this would be the perfect year to take the bait and make a resolution. The first thing that came to my mind is the idea that stuck, and is now my goal for 2011: write something every day.

The only real guideline to my resolution is that the writing must be significant. I must write something that is important to me or the cause (“the cause” being my growth as a human). I opened the parameters to include: journals, letters, blog posts, statements of purpose, and other pieces I will feel free to add to the list along the way.  Grocery lists and autographs don’t count. Mostly, I want to ensure that I make time for something I love to do.

I love to write and I love the way it makes me feel. I never thought I’d be a “blogger” and I’m certainly not a savant of the Internet, but for now this forum is perfect for me to keep in touch with you.

NB: I’d like to give some mad props to Jill for coming up with the title of the blog. She was persistent in her encouragement for me to continue writing. I appreciate her tenacity, and more importantly her creative skillz.