Earthquake

Everyone on the East Coast has been talking about the earthquake. I will never forget where I was the day it happened. I was in the OR in the middle of a c-section. A cute little girl was born just moments after the quaking stopped. The story ended up on the news. The doctor is my attending with whom I was operating. This baby was also born on my sister Melissa's birthday. I delivered a few babies on her birthday none of the mothers decided to name their babies Melissa though. You can read the story here.

Burritos

So I know I have not written in forever. What can I say I have been working like a mad woman delivering lots of babies and working my tush off, but on this rainy hurricane Irene day I had to share my new obsession. I no longer have 5 minutes to cook anything so our menu has evolved to include many easy to make options. Kevin is a grill ninja and has whipped up some tasty meals on our trusty webber. But my favorite thing to bring to work for the occasional day I have time to make something is the EVOL burrito. Check our their website here. They are hands down the best frozen burrito I have ever had. And how cute is the name LOVE backwards. YUM!

Perfect Steak

Tonight I grilled up some New York Strip Steak for Kevin and me. We just got a new grill basket so I made some yellow and green squash with some beautiful red onion from the farmers market as well. I had only made steak a few times so I was looking for an authority on how to grill it. I found this article on the prefect steak and the steaks turned out amazingly well. They were juicy and flavorful. I really appreciated the cooking times. We used our Webber grill and some standard charcoal which we fired up in the chimney. I highly recommend a chimney because it eliminates the need for lighter fluid and more chemicals. Bring on a summer of grilling. YUM!

Farmers Market Salad

I found this posting at Pioneer Woman and I had to make it. I took a stroll down to the Del Ray Farmers Market this morning and found almost everything I needed to make this tasty salad. I am a real sucker for a Panzanella salad. I have made Ina Garten's version many times always to rave reviews. I have discovered in the past year that bell peppers cause me to have some wicked heart burn so they no longer are included in my go to vegetable list. When I found this new recipe I was jumping for joy a panzanella salad without bell peppers. DELISH!

PW's beautiful food photography.
I swear one of these days I am going to get myself a good digital SLR camera.

I cannot wait to make this tonight. Photo: Pioneer Woman

New Beginnings!

Wednesday marked my official start as a resident. This next year will be one full of ups and downs, sleepless nights, and feeling overwhelmed with work. It will also be one of many firsts and great accomplishments. This year I will learn to operate! I will deliver too many babies to count, repair wounds, show parents their child's heartbeat for the first time, identify many babies' sexes, treat illness from having too much of the wrong kind of sex, and teach women young and old about their bodies. I will probably laugh and cry both tears of happiness and sadness. This year will be a big one in my life. It will be the one where I learn the most I ever have and finally get to be a doctor. I am not sure how much attention this blog will get after my days at work as I struggle to find the work-life balance we are all so focused on. I am already thinking we need some help in the cleaning department at our house. The thought of coming home and dusting, vacuuming, doing laundry well right now it seems a bit overwhelming. But I will do my best! And who knows, maybe I will just surprise myself and find time to continue to update.

One last Mexico picture for good measure!

A Mexican Wedding

Kevin's brother was married in Isla Mujeres this past Saturday. The wedding was so beautiful although it was HOT out during the ceremony. But the view could not have been better. The ceremony was sweet, Gregg and Marichu incorporated some Filipino traditions and the party was fun. We danced the night away. It was a wonderful wedding and the perfect excuse for a trip to Mexico.

Mexico

We had the most amazing time in Mexico. Everything was perfect. The weather was hot and sunny and the ocean the most amazing blue. Here are some favorite pictures from the trip!

Final Bedroom Color

After a very long day of ripping carpet and then painting our bedroom, we are DONE with house projects for a long while. Kevin and I decided on a cool blue called Cumberland Fog. Here are a few snaps of our bedroom after the paint had dried.

Isla Mujeres Mexico

We are in Mexico! Enjoying some time in the sun and sand. I promise to drink a nice icy cold cocktail, run my toes through the sand and take a nice long snooze on the beach in honor of those of us who are not currently in Mexico.

Design

As we live in our home there are areas I would love to redesign some day. These are far off dreams but it always helps to have a little inspiration stored away for future use. Currently we have a "cantry" lovingly named by Dana. It is a multi-purpose room, serving as both our first floor bathroom and our pantry. How I would love a beautifully organized pantry in the kitchen. I love the addition of chalk boards on the inside of the doors. 

Simple and lovely.

I love the use of reclaimed wood for this table. It makes a beautiful and interesting coffee table. (Images from greenlikebathwater.tumblr.com)

Ray LaMontagne Storytellers

Ray LaMontagne is going to be on VH1 Storytellers this FRIDAY! Although I will  be in Mexico I have my DVR set and I highly recommend you do the same. I am sure he will be amazing. I love his soulful voice and the lyrics of his songs are true poetry. You can find more information here. 

Bedroom Paint

In my last couple of days before I start working again I have tackled the last big project for now. The carpet is all gone and our bedroom is getting a fresh coat of paint. I was having trouble deciding which color to choose so I bought a few of the samples in different shades. Here is my test window. There will be updates once the room is done. I hope we love the finished product.

Frosted Lemon, Cumberland Fog, Mountain Haze, Skyline Steel

Chestertown Wedding

This weekend Kevin and I traveled to Chestertown, MD for the wedding of my friends Lisa and Zach. The wedding was spectacular and every detail was beautiful. The ceremony took place by the water and the bride and groom looked beautiful. Here are some of my favorite snapshots from the wedding. Unfortunately I was too busy having fun that I only managed a few pictures.

The tent was amazing and full of light!

And a couple more I stole from Facebook of the beautiful bride!

After a lovely dinner of BBQ we danced the night away to an incredible band. The wedding was a perfect last hurrah with some favorite medical school friends as we all go our separate ways for residency. Congrats Lisa and Zach! 

Rugs!

I spent most of yesterday ripping out old beige shag carpet from our upstairs. Sadly I am only about half way done. That carpet needed to go! As I ripped it out, I was amazed at how much dirt, pet hair and other unidentifiable types of filth came flying at me. Despite our best efforts to steam clean it and vacuum it until we couldn't vacuum any more there was no way that carpet was coming clean. Luckily we uncovered hardwood which although in serious need of refinishing already looks and smells so much better than the nasty shag. We do need some rugs for the rooms. I am in search for some classic and timeless rugs that won't break the bank. Here are some front runners. I am also trying out my creative side at Flor where you can create your own rugs made of individual squares.

West Elm

Pottery Barn

One Week!

Until Kevin and I are sleeping with the sounds of the waves crashing next to our bedroom. I cannot wait to dip my toes in the water, read books in the sun and then dance the night away as we celebrate Gregg and Marichu's wedding. Any novel suggestions??? My passport has been out on my dresser waiting to be used since we moved.

Bathwater

The End of an Era

Last week one of my favorite TV personalities said good bye to her day time show. I was two when the Oprah show first started. I remember watching it with my mother with my grandmother and then in college with my best girlfriends. I have laughed with Oprah, cried with Oprah and have grown up with the Oprah show being a constant. There have been long stretches when I couldn't watch due to work or classes etc. but the show was like an old friend no matter how long I had gone without watching all it took was one episode to get me right back in the swing of things. During her last episode Oprah shared what she called a love letter to her viewers. It was a summary of all the lessons she has learned during her 25 years. Although there where many valuable lessons she shared one really resonated with me.

"I've talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common -- they all wanted validation. ... They want to know, do you hear me? Do you see me? Does what I say mean anything to you?" -Oprah Winfrey


This is such a simple concept; yet, one I find so applicable to my life, especially my life as a physician. I have written before how one benefit to my career choice is interacting on a daily basis with people of all walks of life and nothing seems more valid to me than Oprah's statement. Everyone wants to be validated, wants to be heard and a big part of my job is making sure they are heard. 

I will miss the Oprah show but I am sure she will be on to bigger and better things at OWN. 

Kerri's Corn and Bean Salsa

Our friends were amazing helping out with the big graduation. Kerri brought an enormous bowl of her corn and bean salsa and it was the biggest hit of the party! I have been thinking about it ever since and yesterday I finally made up a batch of my own. She sent me the recipe to share and here it is. It is a great summer staple and I am sure I will be bringing it to many a BBQ.

Kerri's Corn and Bean Salsa

1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can corn rinsed and drained (I used frozen because I had it on hand)
1/2 red onion diced
1 big bunch of cilantro chopped
3 scallions minced
1-2 jars of your favorite salsa (Kerri recommended Chi-Chi's medium)
The juice of 2 limes squeezed

Toss it all in a bowl and mix until it becomes thick and soupy. This is great as a topping for tacos, quesidillas, chips etc.

Happy Summer!!!

First Blooms from the Garden

To my delight we inherited a hydrangea bush. I love love love hydrangeas almost as much as I love lilacs and they are just starting to bloom along with the rose bush I received as a graduation gift. I hope to have beautiful blooms all summer long! I love that we have a garden at our new house. The backyard is my favorite spot.

Chop't

I have a new take out obsession, Chop't. Basically it is a salad making dream. They have everything you could ever want in a salad and some stuff you never even thought could be good in a salad. You pick your choppings, pile them high and then they chop the daylights out of it and toss it in some dressing. The key thing about a Chop't salad is that each bite contains all the magic ingredients you selected, so every bite is perfect. I especially love a little goat cheese and some avocado as these creamy ingredients coat the rest of the salad and really pull it all together. My favorites are the Southwestern Chicken and the Vegetarian Power House which is especially good if you add some chicken or some goat cheese. My only problem is that there is not a Chop't right down the street. I have to travel a whole seven miles to get there and while not overly expensive if you were to eat it every day it would add up. So, yesterday I made my own homemade version of a Chop't salad and it turned out pretty darn good. Here is what I threw in to the bowl:

I started with some mixed herb salad
1/4 avocado
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
2 tbs diced walnuts
1/2 cup peas
1 carrot diced
1 mackintosh apple
1 tbs balsamic vinegar

First I put all the ingredients except the vinegar on the cutting board and I went at it. I chopped until I didn't think the salad could take any more and then I tossed it all into my bowl and added my vinegar. It was delicious and will now be a weekly addition to lunch on E. Mason.

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! Memorial Day in DC means Rolling Thunder is in town and if you have never experienced hundreds maybe even thousands of motorcycles flying by you, let me tell you it is quite an experience! Rolling Thunder is an annual rally to support prisoners of war and those missing in action. It started in response to the Vietnam War. It is an incredible event to watch. DC is taken over by bikers a dramatic change from the typical political stiffs. Capitol Hill is covered in leather and metal studs instead of the navy three button suit. I'll be out watching on Monday as they cruise their way around DC and Arlington honoring those who have served. 

DC Summer

I love living in DC for many reasons mostly because of the people here. It is nice that the winters are not so cold that spring sometimes comes in February and that we are within driving distance of many great East coast cities. Plus there are about a million things to do in DC and most of it is free. One thing I HATE about DC other than the traffic, metro riders who have no idea what they are doing and tourists is the summer. Summer used to be my favorite season. I used to wake up put on a bathing suit and spend all day at the lake. Michigan has beautiful lakes and perfect summers with cool mornings and evenings and toasty hot afternoons. DC lacks this key element of an enjoyable summer day - some relief from the heat. It is still MAY and it is in the 90s here in DC. By 9:30 AM it was too hot to sit in the sun and it never cools down. There is no choice but to run the air conditioning all the time and we never have much of a spring. We have maybe a few days at most where you can leave the windows open. I miss the spring. I miss lovely 70 degree mornings and evenings where you need a sweat shirt for a walk. It is possible to sweat from the second you wake up to the second you fall asleep in DC.

Yesterday I had Richard for the day while his parents moved to their new house. We spent a solid eight hours together and took a lovely trip to the park. I was worried the whole time if I put enough sun screen on him and where I could find a hat that might cover his sweet bald head. He looked so cute in the swing in just his onesie. But seriously if it is 90 degrees in May what will it be like in August? This Northern girl was never meant for Southern summers.

Well Hello Handsome!

Wedding fun!

Kevin and I spent this past weekend in Hawley, PA at the wedding of Rosy and Bennett. It was a true college reunion and all eight of my best friends from Bates were there in full force. It was amazing to be reunited with friends that always seem to know you best and no matter how long it has been since you last saw them you pick right back up as if no time has passed. It was a beautiful wedding and the whole experience made me so much more excited to get married myself. There is nothing better than having all the people you really care about and love in once place at the same time celebrating your decision to spend your life with the person you love most on earth. Beautiful!

Good Morning Baltimore

I just got word that Dana will be joining Molly and myself as a trifecta of best high school friends in the greater Washington, DC area! I could not be happier to have her so much closer even if it is for a short time. I am looking forward to dinners and coffee breaks when we have days off. Baltimore never sounded so good!

Del Ray Garden

One of the adventures I took in my week between buying a house, moving in and hosting everyone for graduation was to the Alexandria compost. We are lucky to live in a city which provides compost of gathered leaves and Christmas trees. I dug a little patch and transplanted the seedlings I started at our apartment. Here is our little garden. I cannot wait for the veggies to come in. And I hope we will have plenty of pumpkins for Richard to pick for his first Halloween.

Our lovely backyard

The Sprouts!

Pumpkins

My pear tree! A gift from Will, Marantha and Richard

My rose bush! A gift from Kerri and Scott and Kristi

My favorite work spot!