Tuesday, January 24, 2012

#4 - Dinner

Amy: Little Mexico is all I have to say! This is the man responsible for making the most amazing tacos!! Dos taco pollo. They serve chicken, sirloin, and chirizo tacos, among other spanish sandwiches and tamales. This is the best neighborhood joint for a quick, cheap, and tasty dinner. The Guatamalan owners are really cute too! We went in one time looking for chocolate ice cream, but they only had pistachio. He apologized profusely and the next time we went in, they had it. Visit Little Mexico! you will not be disappointed.


Lauren: Mmmm....mexican for dinner! It just so happens that Brian and I both love a healthy, semi-authentic mexican meal, complete with homemade guacamole and cilantro-lime brown rice. Not surprisingly, I often end up turning my intended fajita or soft taco into a giant salad; after all, my day is not complete without at least a serving (or two) of spinach and veggies galore! :-) I love prepping for and cooking this meal because it gives Brian and I time to talk while creating a great meal together. Tan delicioso!!

Karen: so it's been somewhat like a 3 ring circus in my house. Just when I thought it was already crowded my 88 year old grandmother came to join in the fun. Having her around definitely keeps us all on our toes. It is nice though to have family dinners all the time. Many times the 5 of us (myself, husband Tim, and mom & dad) and many times my brother, his wife, and 4 1/2 month old son join in the festivities. My grandmother is 100% Italian, came to the US when she was 4, and cooking is a huge part of her life. She doesn't have one recipe written down and so as her memory is starting to drift I am quickly trying to get all of her tips when I can. Here she was helping me last night bread flounder for dinner. All along I have always dipped in egg then breadcrumb. But she taught me to use milk instead. Honestly I don't know if I tasted the difference but it made her happy to show me her way and I think I'll continue doing it that way in her honor.


Cassie: Its restaurant week in Raleigh and after failing at getting a table at two places, we finally just settled for a burger at Mo Joe's. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely not settling but I was hungry and forgot to take my picture. My picture is of our dinner for tomorrow night. I saw a this crock pot recipe on my new favorite addiction Pintrest. Preparing dinner in not even two minutes by dumping 3 ingredients into a pot is my kind of cooking on a weeknight. I know that it looks pretty disgusting now, but after cooking slowing for 8 hours it will be perfect!





Wednesday, January 18, 2012

#3 My Least Favorite Thing Right Now

Amy: The Starbucks on 30th and Park. Yeah, you heard me. This is my own personal review. The Starbucks on 30th and Park is one of the slowest around - and especially for NYC. It is the worst when you have 15 min. to get to work, really want a latte, have a Starbuck's gift card (well stolen from Marko), and the line is so long that you have to pass. AHHH! Definitely my least favorite thing.




Cassie: Traffic. I don't have anywhere as near a terrible commute as some people I know, but for me its a little much. When I lived in NJ and commuted into NYC, my commute could be anywhere from 2-4 hours. I thought that when I moved to NC I wouldn't have to be in traffic ever again. Fantasy I know, but my last job was only 1.5 miles away from my house. I just don't like the person I become in traffic...can become primal.


Karen: The thing I hate most right now is death. 2012 was supposed to be the year of the "light"- Meaning positivity and new beginning-Not more death. Well so much for that idea. In 2011, I unfortunately had to deal with the way too early deaths of 2 close family members and now just 16 days into 2012 I am dealing with it again. A man that was like a grandfather to me for the past 20 years has been taken in the arms of God. His life, however, was not short. He lived a full 90 years, served his country in WWII, took care of a beautiful family, and has loved my grandmother for the past 20 years as their lives were brought to one another after unfortunately both becoming young widows.
All I can say is that I'm ready for a break and hope the rest of 2012 has a little more "light" (the positive kind)

Lauren: The thing I hate most right now (and in general) is clutter. As you can see from this picture, my desk has now become a storage area for the growing baby pile, books, yoga gear, and other random items that don't seem to have a home
elsewhere. My goal for this month is to find some more efficient means of storage and organization, as soon this office will be turning into a nursery.
Game on!!




Wednesday, January 11, 2012

#2 Movement

Amy: The subway - my main mode of transportation these days. In Hong Kong, there is glass between the tracks and the platform. You can barely feel the movement of the train. Not in NYC! As the train passes by, it is a powerful and scary force, that almost knocks you back in a daze. If only I felt that the trains moved fast while on them?! I might get to work quicker!





Karen: This is me in my weekly dance class (I'm in the back) It is a great class that keeps me moving and takes me back to a place where I spent more time than I did my own home. I love being in the dance studio! I am sad though, because after next week I may not be able to make it every week to my class. I am moving on to a new job. Back to a "big girl" job as I call it and as of next Friday I will no longer be a bartender...and will be starting as a Manager at a local Panera Bread Cafe


Cassie: This is an awesome machine that is at my chiropractor's office. There is a roller that rolls up and down your spine to re-align it or something. I look forward to my visits for a very relaxing 10-15 mins. They even offer a lavender eye cover, but I declined this morning...I would have fallen asleep and not want to wake up!




It started out like little flutters in my tummy, every so slight, and I wasn't sure whether it could be the little baby moving around inside of me. That was three weeks ago; now, its suffice to say that this precious little baby girl is an athlete in the making, as she rarely ceases to move, kicking, twisting and turning about. It is one of the most incredible sensations I have ever experienced, and I cherish every moment of her "acrobatics"!








Wednesday, January 4, 2012

#1 Self Portrait

Amy: Starting 2012 with a BANG! haha! A new haircut, a new year. I look younger, but maybe that was the point. This will be the year that I rest, recuperate, and get rejuvenated. And, I'm really looking forward to it. 2012 is going to be filled with exciting opportunities and moments that I can actually enjoy.




Karen: This was the first picture taken of me in 2012... This is a whole new year for me. My mother-in-law gave us all flashlights for Christmas this year, saying "this is the year of the light". I am going to try to take that to the fullest extent. 2011 was a terrible year for me and I can only hope that 2012 will be better. So I started out the year with some friends at my home, woke up the next day with a hangover and trucked along....I was not liking the LIGHT that was coming through my windows...so hopefully the "light" my MIL was speaking of is something different and much more fulfilling :)



Cassie: Well its a new year and since last year was a little crazy, I think that starting this year upside down will help. I am glad to be back blogging and I think its going to be a great year :)








Lauren: Wow, life has changed dramatically-and all for the better-since last January during our NYE weekend at the Lake House. While not a self-portrait, I felt it appropriate to include a picture of Brian and I, for meeting him has opened my heart to love, laughter, and a newfound sense of happiness and peace in life. This is a picture of us on opening day at Fenway in April 2011. As you can see, it was colder then than it is in the midst of winter now! This year promises to be filled with exciting, albeit nerve-racking transitions for all of us, and I couldn't be more grateful to have three besties to create and share new and lasting memories with. CHEERS TO 2012!!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

2012

Hello followers! Happy New Year!!! After a year off to refuel our creative juices Karen and Cassie are back to help you all over the HUMP. We have recruited 2 of our best friends, Lauren and Amy, to join us for the fun this year.
Meet your bloggers: from left to right...Lauren, Cassie, Amy, and Karen

ENJOY!!!