Almost Halfway!

I can hardly believe it's been almost 500 days since I started this list! And sad that I haven't been the best at updating my blog (hello! that's number 54!!!), but happy to say that even though I haven't been writing about it, I sure have been doing it!

So let's recap my progress, shall we?

#2: Read 1 new book every 2 months

One of the biggest changes in my life since I've started this list had been getting back into reading. Even though so far it's mostly been chick lit and fantasy that Justin has given me to read, I feel confident now that I will continue to make good use of the library branch down the street and always have a book to read before bed! My last few books were: Something Blue and Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin, Little Lady, Big Apple and The Little Lady Agency and the Prince by Hester Brown, and Ship of Magic and Mad Ship by Robin Hobb.

#7: Go to at least 3 Mets games each summer

This summer I've only made it to 2 Mets games (tho I went to a whopping 4 last year, so I'm still on track!) - one winner (yay!) in DC at Nationals Park and another disaster for my Dad's birthday in July. Across the two games, I think there were 3 David Wright home runs (yay!) but that wasn't enough to pull out the win in game #2. 

#8: Go to 10 concert

Back in July we had a big concert weekend - Weezer on Friday night at Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn and DMB at Citi Field on Saturday! Both were amazing...the best Weezer concert I've ever been to no doubt and possibly the best DMB set. Still have a couple more concerts left this year too.

#11: Try a new restaurant every month

#12: Go to a restaurant for Restaurant Week once per year

#14: Go to brunch once every 2 months (not just at the diner)

Will write about all three of these together since they're related! J and I have spent the summer trying new brunch places (I'll add our reviews in another post) and we went to two new restaurants for RW this summer, One if by Land, Two if by Sea and Mesa Grill - both were fab! What did I eat? Why, of course I'll tell you!
At One if by Land, I had:

App: Haricot Vert Salad: grape heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, slithered almonds, basil, sherry vinaigrette (AMAAZZZZZING)
Entree: Grilled Bavette Steak: roasted radishes, fingerling potatoes, braised red cabbage, beef jus
Dessert: Gianduja Mousse: caramel bananas, banana bread ice cream

At Mesa Grill, I had:

App: Roasted Corn Soup (INSANELY DELICIOUS)
Entree: Cornmeal Crusted Chile Relleno filled with Roasted Eggplant, Manchego Cheese with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce + Balsamic Vinegar (UMM I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK)
Dessert: Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake with Chocolate Chip Marscapone Whipped Cream

#23 Visit Lawrence in DC

Another fun travel 101thing down!! We finally visited our friend Lawrence in DC and the timing couldn't have been better, we went on July 4th weekend! We had amazing food (Zaytinya, Co Co. Sala), we were pro tourers and got to see a lot of monuments and some museums (and got to play with my new awesome camera), we went to a Mets-Nationals game (and the Mets won!), we watched amazing fireworks over the Washington Monuments, AND I even got a little bit of a tan! Totally awesome trip!

#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month 

Sadly, I'm also very behind on my recipe blog...I'll do better, promise!

#63: Get a Massage once a year 

I see that I didn't mention our Valentine's Day couples massage for some reason! I got a second massage to celebrate the next 101thing I achieved.......

#64: Get a raise

I got a new job! Yup, I accomplished one of my best 101things - getting a raise - almost exactly on the 1 year anniversary of creating this list too! :)

A Boat-Load of Recipes

#41 Try a new recipe at least twice a month

I have been fairly good at keeping up Carebear's Kitchen (still have to work on getting pictures up for each recipe) but I've been slacking on rounding up the new recipes, per 101Thing #41! So here's a look at what I've been making the last couple months:

Turkey Chili
Healthy Shepherd's Pie
Creamy Mac n Cheese
Apple Crumb Coffee Cake
London Broil with Red Onions
Pumpkin Risotto
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Fish Tacos
Panko Crusted Fish Sticks
Pasta e Fagiole
5 Layer Dip
Chicken, Black Bean, and Corn Enchilada Casserole
Lemon Sandwich Cookies
Chicken Breasts in Garlic Butter
Chicken Braised in Herb Cream Sauce
Orange Chicken with Peppers

Pre-New Year's Resolution Part 2

#40: Make meal plans every week
#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month
#44: Make (or order in) one vegetarian meal per week
#45: Make fish at least once a month

Along with my workout kick, I'm also trying to cook more (both dinners and lunches for J and I), both as a means to save money AND be healthier! So far, it's been pretty great!

I've tried a bunch of new recipes from EatingWell and they've been a hit:
Chicken Paprikash
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Honey Soy Salmon

I've also made a delicious Turkey Chili recipe for lunch this week from the Food Network.

Me, a Gym Rat?? Plus a 2nd 101 Completion and more!

#26: Workout 3 times a week for a month (2/4)
This would have been one of my guesses for the least likely to complete from my 101 Things, but I've surprised myself (and all those around me) with my recent devotion to the gym! Along with my first Summer Friday a couple weeks ago, came the sudden desire and impetus to visit the gym in my building, a mere 3 floors below me. It was then that I realized, if I was unemployed, I'd workout everyday! 11-11:30am is just the absolute best time to workout in my mind - the gym is empty, it's before lunch (but, should you wake early enough, after breakfast), you can watch The Price Is Right while you workout, and when all is said and done, you've still got the whole day ahead of you! Of course, I (thankfully) am employed and thus cannot workout at 11am, so I've had to workout after work (since before work certainly is still not an option for me - not only do I oversleep as it is, I've found after the past 2 weeks that I sweat PROFUSELY while on the treadmill, so going to the gym in the morning would also require a cold shower afterward, and what about my hair?? Either way, I'm not sure I could handle waking up early enough to get through it all - especially without wanting to get back into bed immediately after my post-workout shower.) But I digress...I'm extremely proud and excited that I've actually had the energy and willfulness to go to the gym after my sweaty 20 minute walk home from work and I'm even more excited that I am now halfway to my goal of going 3 times a week for a month! Wish me luck!!


#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month
#90: Keep blog updated and always have a picture for recipes
The usual cooking roundup - New recipes on CareBearsKitchen this week:
Taco Salad
Three Berry Pie
Blueberry Crumbcake


#94: Update picture frames in apt
A second completion in the same week!! Amazing!! Last night, I decided to finally look through the last 6 months worth of photos on my computer and pick out some new fun ones to put in my picture frames, especially since some of the pictures I had included people I don't really see that much - afterall, my frame space is a hot commodity: you have to earn it! While I am marking this 101Thing as complete, that does NOT mean I want to spend the next 937 days with the same pictures...so moving forward, I will think of this 101Thing as a semiannual goal.


#96: Buy a new plant and keep it alive for the entire 1,001 days
So, technically I did not bye a new plant, but my parents did bring me a cactus back from their trip to New Mexico! While I definitely hope to keep this cactus alive (cause if I can't do that, I'm pretty hopeless), I still want to try my hand at a regular plant as well. Perhaps I should just try to keep the 3 plants I already have alive (plus my office plant, that hasn't been looking so hot lately...)

Plant Pictures To Come!

Long Awaited Progress Report

ENTERTAINMENT

#4: Watch all of AFI's 100 best movies of all time
We watched another best movie last week - #2: Casablanca!



This movie gets me excited - if no other reason than the incredible script - when watching it, you are bombarded with so many famous quotes. Also, it's a love story, complete with triangle, that can be argued over. It's not simple, it's not contrived, and there isn't the stereotypical happy ending. Per the discussion in When Harry Met Sally:

Harry: He wants her to leave. That's why he puts her on the plane.
Sally: I don't think she wants to stay.
Harry: Of course she wants to stay. Wouldn't you rather be with Humphrey Bogart than the other guy?
Sally: I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Casablanca married to a man who runs a bar. That probably sounds very snobbish to you, but I don't.
Harry: You'd rather be in a passionless marriage -
Sally: - and be the First Lady of Czechoslovakia -
Harry: - than live with the man... you've had the greatest sex of your life with, just because he owns a bar and that is all he does.
Sally: Yes, and so would any woman in her right mind. Women are very practical. Even Ingrid Bergman, which is why she gets on the plane at the end of the movie.

Here are some links to Casablanca reviews:
http://www.filmsite.org/casa.html
http://www.reelviews.net/movies/c/casablanca.html
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960915/REVIEWS08/401010308/1023

Happily, Justin liked this movie better than Citizen Kane, not surprisingly since it has a much simpler, enjoyable storyline. It still wasn't his cup of tea, but I think we'll get him with our next movie, which we'll be watching this week hopefully - The Godfather!

FOOD WINE
#11: Try a new restaurant every month
I've actually already been to 3 new restaurants this month!
Lilli and Loo - an Asian restaurant on the Upper East, featuring a gluten free menu. I got the Pad Thai and it was deeeeelish!
Suspenders Bar & Restaurant - fun place down in FiDi with a surprisingly awesome looking menu, it was hard to choose! I ended up getting a Steak Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Roasted Onions, and Balsamic Syrup. Yum!! Plus, every Thursday and Friday they give out roses to all the ladies ;)
Maxwell's - a bar and restaurant in Hoboken, NJ. Also with loads of yummy looking dishes, including an extensive daily specials menu. I got a burger with jack cheese, sauteed onions and roasted peppers. Super mmm.

COOKING
#40: Make meal plans every week
#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month
#45: Make fish at least once a month
New recipes since my last post include: Jam Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting (which was also featured on my friend's website CupcakeRankings.com), Curried Couscous Salad (my lunch for the week), Chicken and Veggies Cooked in a Foil Packet, Cucumber Chicken, and my first fish dish in awhile, Lemon Sole with Veggies - a recipe of my dad's. I still have to add those last 3 to the blog - will do soon!

ORGANIZATION
#49: Scrapbook all my saved up stuff
Amazingly, after getting started on this scrapbooking project and letting it sit on the coffee table for a week or so after I ran out of scotch tape, I went back to it last week while cleaning up the apartment. I've officially scrapbooked all of my saved up stuff through the end of 2008! I can't decide if I should consider this completed, or if it's not completed until I start scrapbooking all 2009 goodies I've accumulated until now. Or if it's never really completed since I'll always have more to add...what a conundrum!

SOCIAL
#85: Host 4 game nights a year
#87: Go dancing at least 3 times a year
Last Friday night was our first game night in MONTHS!!! So happy to see the old gang, tho would have loved it if we had a classic board game night as in the past, where we go through 4-5 different games in a night! This time though, we got to try out group Rock Band for the first time, which was very fun. In fact, I will post a picture of our band to commemorate the occasion.


Lawrence, Rachel, Myself, and Mike

As for the dancing, on Saturday night, we went to a friend's birthday at The Delancey.

HOME
#95: Buy flowers once a month
I didn't have to buy flowers this month - our intern at work gave us all flowers on her last day! Not only was it a really sweet gesture, but it brightened up the office for the next week! Here's a pic of mine:

Progress Report: #7, #16, #41, #44, #49, #90

#7. Go to at least 3 Mets games each summer
This past Saturday, May 30th, J and I (along with J's sister and her roommate) voyaged back into Queens for another Mets game! While this one wasn't as good as the last one (half the team was out "resting" and they lost pretty badly), we DID get to take a picture with the old Shea Home Run Apple, which is pretty awesome.


#16. Try to find the best burger in the city
Another trip to Citi Field also gave us a reason to start our best burger quest! We each had a Shake Shack Double-Shack Burger and it was mmm mmm good! We decided to judge each burger we taste on 4 points: Taste, Presentation, Value, Overall each on a scale of 1-10.

Taste: 8

We liked the charbroiled taste of the burgers and the cheese to burger ratio. The burger came with a special shack sauce, tho I couldn't really taste it, it was overpowered by everything else.

Presentation: 5

Nothing really special on the appearance front. It looks like a homemade burger - kind of messy/sloppily piled together.

Value: 8

The double-shack burger was $8.25. We're not sure of how the prices compare with the Madison Square Park location (we'll be sure to try it out there as well) but we felt that it was pretty reasonable for a regular meal, let alone a ballpark meal. We were also so stuffed afterwards that we didn't really need to eat anything else.

Overall: 8

J: If I'm at Citi Field, this is hands-down what I'm eating.

C: While we ranked the burger for presentation and value, what's really important to me is taste, and this burger tastes GOOD. I'm in for more, both at Citi Field and hopefully sometime soon, at the Madison Square Park location.

#41. Try a new recipe at least twice a month/#44. Make (or order in) one vegetarian meal per week/#90. Keep blog updated and always have a picture for recipes
New June Recipes up! Includes Southern-Style Chicken Stew, Egg Salad Sandwich, my official new recipe of the week Saucy Pepper Steak, Penne with Veggies in a Ricotta Sauce, and Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Dressing. Yumm-o! Not only did I do a lot of delicious cooking this week, but got a lot of leftovers out of it, which makes for my favorite recipes.

#49. Scrapbook all my saved up stuff
So this week, our modem broke leaving us internet-less for a night. I took this opportunity to finally start organizing all the random stuff I want to scrapbook!! I've kept everything in this tote bag in my closet, so I had to organize it by year (going back to 2007, eek) then start scrapbooking! Unfortunately, the progress stopped when my scotch tape ran out. Doh! And now that we've got our internet back, it's all in a pile in my armchair. But! Now that I've started, I have a renewed yearning to finish, so I don't think it'll be there for long!

Progress Report: #14, #40, #41, #44, #72, #90

#14: Go to brunch once every 2 months (not just at the diner) (1/16)

This one was unintentionally easy this month...we went to Brunch for Mother's Day with my family! We went to City Crab on 19th and Park, where I had the Eggs Copenhagen (like Eggs Benedict but with Smoked Salmon instead of the Canadian Ham) and a Pear Cosmo. Mmm!

#40: Make meal plans every week (2/143)
#41: Try a new recipe at least twice a month (4/66+)
#44: Make (or order in) one vegetarian meal per week (2/143)
#90: Keep blog updated and always have a picture for recipes

These 4 pretty much go hand-in-hand (in-hand-in-hand).

While last weeks meal plan was intricate and well thought-out, since I was out of town this past weekend for my 5th Year college reunion and came back late on Sunday night, with a cold to boot, this week's meal plan was much more haphazard. Lunches this week have consisted of sandwiches (which are actually pretty yummers) of salami, pepper jack, lettuce, sweet pickles and mustard. Dinners this week were Italian Order-In (Eggplant Rollatini mmm) which was large enough for two dinners and Cheesesteaks before the concert last night. Tonight will be the only cooking night and the menu is simple steak (marinated in lime juice) and baked sweet plantains, which have become a staple at our place recently.

As for new recipes, over the past 2 weeks I've tried:
Steak Tacos (which also produced follow-up lunch Steak Salad)
Aromatic Noodles With Lime Peanut Sauce
Chicken Parmesan
Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

And, obviously, have added those to the blog, check to #90! I still have to update the food porn. As for #44, last week I made Falafel Pitas for dinner and this week's big V-card goes to Eggplant Rollatini. All-in-all, my Cooking 101 list is moving along stronger than any other section! (Gee, I wonder why!)

I'll close out this lengthy progress report with:
#72: Visit all 4 boroughs (3/4)

This 101 thing is managing to fly by, though I fully intend to visit boroughs more than once. Now, the Bronx is unfair, my parents live there, afterall. I visited just last week to get my hair done! Queens was also easy peasy, with the Mets Game being located there (and with all the other games I have planned, I will be a repeat Queens visitor for sure! Brooklyn was a new one for me for a nighttime locale, but I was able to check this one off thanks to my friend Sheryl's birthday earlier this month, located at the very fun Radegast Hall & Beer Garden.