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| Olympic QuestionsAs I've been reflecting on the Olympics a little bit, I came up with 2 questions that I asked my family and thought I would post:
1. If you could play in the Olympics (your choice of sport), but you could only get in by playing for another country, would you? (this happened to an American basketball player who plays for the Russian basketball team.)
2. If you won a gold medal, would you keep it at home or bring it to the bank? (inspired by a key bank commercial. My dad said he would keep it at home, but put up a security system.  )
Oh, and I realized a big reason why I can't watch sports. I can't stand the suspense. It is way too emotional for me when I'm rooting for someone or a team. More often than not, I am disappointed. What I can do is wait to hear about the outcome (ie Michael Phelps) and go back and watch videos of the action or the whole game. Then I can get excited. And it's not only this way about sports. When I read great books, I have to read the end, or skim through the book and find out what happens. Then I go back and read it more slowly. I'm not sure why I'm this way. weird, huh?
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| I'm tired.  I hope I can make it through this year.
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| The Macaroon Chronicles Part 1: Hunt for the Pastry BagMy next few entries will be dedicated to my journey attempting to make macaroons. I have scoured the web for blogs and anything macaroon-esque. I have picked up tips, drooled over delectable looking macaroons, and heard about wild flavor combinations (foie gras macaroon??!?!). Yes, I have lived and breathed these little bites (in addition to my pharmacy boards!!) for the past couple weeks. I am fully anticipating my first batch not to work out, so my expectations are pretty low. And I am not experimenting with exotic flavor combinations yet (holding off on the passionfruit chocolate for now), so it'll be just plain vanilla, with perhaps chocolate or strawberry variations, depending on how adventurous I feel. My first dilemma was that all the recipes I had read required a pastry bag and tips. Being the cheap person that I sometimes am, I looked up to see if you could just use a bag and cut a whole out of the corner, but I had a feeling that was a no go. Now, I have never owned or used a pastry bag in my life, and before I went out and splurged on a whole set, I wanted to make sure the investment was worth it for these cookies. So, the hunt for the pastry bag began. I did research on amazon and other websites how much they cost. There were disposable ones, 18" 12" 9", lots of different shaped tips, some made in China (which I was wary about b/c of potential toxins), prices ranging from $6-$40 or so for a set. I was a bit overwhelmed. However, I finally brainstormed people I knew who could potentially have a set. First I began with neighbors and people who lived close by, but I didn't know anyone well enough. Then I struck luck with my cousins. I im-ed my cousin kareenah to ask if my aunt had a set, and lo and behold she did! Aunt K to the rescue! She is quite the baker, so it came as no surprise that she had a set, and she's always so generous! So, thanks to her, I will be trying these out the following weekend (last weekend of June). Armed with Martha Stewart (+ countless other blogs) and a pastry bag, I will venture forth. Next hunt: almond flour
ps. I forgot how much I enjoyed comments on xanga! Thanks for the posts, everyone!
pss. And you bet i'll be tracking these macaroons with photos and posting them (disasters and all), so stay tuned!
Edit: I couldn't come up with a short definition of a French macaroon (or macaron, which is the kind I'm making. Not the coconut ones common in the U.S.), but here's a link to a description. This is Pierre Herme's famous Isaphan (rose, raspberry, and litchi). Here is a link to some pictures.
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| I'm bringing Xanga back - drop a comment if you're with me!I liked pockethercule's catchy title, so I thought I would follow in his footsteps and blog on xanga, which i haven't done in 6 months! And I felt this was a very appropriate time since this was my pharmacy graduation weekend!! Yes, 4 years ago, I started pharm school...and I survived! holla! On Saturday, I walked across the auditorium stage in my (ugly!) olive green and black robe and was hooded along with my classmates. I can't believe i'm not a student pharmacist anymore. It's too weird. This weekend gave me some time for reflection with regards to this chapter ending in my life. I have to admit, I was pretty negative about the city of Columbus and didn't have the most social life while here, but when I came back for graduation, I got all nostalgic and realized there were some things that I loved about the city... and some I even discovered this weekend! (Jeni's Ice Cream, Pistacia Vera, Katzinger's Deli, Easton, Graeter's Ice Cream...yeah, they're mostly food places). As I have been in Cleveland this past year for rotations, I haven't seen my class as a whole, so it was great catching up. After all, we did sit in the same lecture hall and take the same tests for 4 years!
So, what am I doing after graduation? I matched in March with MetroHealth System for a PGY1 Residency (just a general residency). It is 1 year long, so I'll be in Cleveland for another year. I"ll be living at home (with my mom's great homecooking!). Just to give you an idea of how crazy a residency is...I'll be taking care of patients from Mon-Fri (rounding with doctors) and other responsibilities for 10-12 hours/day. On top of that, I will be working every other weekend (sat and sun) doing kinetics on patients and possibly some dispensing. So, that means I work 12 days in a row and then have 2 days off. phew!! But, this is a great way to get a lot of experience, so I'm excited about that. This'll give me another year to decide what i want to do when I grow up. :)
Some non-pharmacy stuff:
I believe that French macaroons (or macarons) are the new "cupcake." I think that Sex and the City made cupcakes a huge trend. Now, I think macaroons are the new "it" dessert and are hitting the scene, though they have been around in France at famous establishments such as Laduree and Pierre Herme. I just had my first macaroons at Pistacia Vera, a totally amazing bakery in cbus!! I just discovered it today...the day of my graduation, which is so sad! The lemon pistacio and raspberry rosewater are my faves. My ambitious culinary goal is to make my own macaroons.
I am really big on catching new songs, whether on commercials, in stores, or on the radio. Here what's "on my ipod" right now:
The Call - Regina Spektor
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
All I Want to Do - Sugarland (I also love Carrie and Taylor)
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
With You - Chris Brown (and I think I like Forever, too)
Last Thing On Your Mind - Lights
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