Beginning a new chapter...and putting my SMAD degree to good use! Exciting times! :)

The past few weeks have been a crazy (but exciting) whirlwind of events, so now that I finally have a free moment as the weekend is winding down, what better time to blog about it!

This past April marked 2 years since I started working at the OAG. 

On April 23rd, I received a pleasantly unexpected call from a recruiter to see if I might be interested in a video production position with a company in Innsbrook.  He called me back later that afternoon to schedule an interview. I went in for the interview at Yukon Group, Inc. on April 26th...and was offered the position of Digital Media Specialist on April 27th!  I was super ecstatic about this new opportunity, but (as usual) wanted to get Mom, Jon, and some friends to weigh in with their thoughts/advice before I made a definite decision. They all reaffirmed what I was already leaning toward, and both of my small groups had been praying for an opportunity like this to come along....coincidence? Absolutely not!  On April 28th, I happily accepted the position! :) 

My work friends threw me a farewell breakfast last Monday for my last day...and yes, all of the food was vegetarian! :) Shockingly, they didn't serve bacon....well, not exactly, but I'll get to that in a minute...

Both of my bosses offered some heartfelt remarks, then the AG presented me with a commending resolution for my time at the OAG. 

(Please excuse the terrible quality of the pics...my camera apparently wasn't on the correct setting and my friend didn't know how to zoom in, so they turned out pretty out of focus, but you'll get the gist...)

The AG presented me with my OAG resolution.

 I won't bore you with all of the lines, but I'll give you a taste of the more lighthearted/funny ones (Many are inside jokes, so if you're curious about any of them, just ask and I'll be happy to give you the background story):

• Whereas, Juliana has greatly expanded the vocabulary of OAGers, to include great descriptors like "awesomesauce" and "lamesauce";
• Whereas, Juliana inspired many in the office with her renditions of "Veggie Burger in Paradise" and "Don't Stop Believing";
• Whereas, colleagues now refer to "rabbit food" as "Juliana food";
• Whereas, her wardrobe has built up a tolerance among the staff for flashy heels, purple, and pink;
• Whereas, Juliana's enthusiasm for good cuisine has broadened the culinary tastes of senior staff and the entire OAG with her pescatarian lifestyle and expansive taste in hummus; she has even made tofu and soy nuts sound appetizing;
• Whereas, Juliana showed unparalleled JMU pride through her constant promotion of her alma mater's purple and gold;

Giving my impromptu going away speech...

So, I mentioned earlier that bacon wasn't exactly served at the breakfast, however, it still made an appearance of sorts...

"Gummy Bacon"...I think my reaction says it all! Haha!

My last day at the OAG was certainly a bittersweet one...while I was sad to be leaving such great friends and coworkers, I was also very much looking forward to starting my new career!  The next morning, I headed to Innsbrook for my first day at Yukon!  My new boss and coworkers are wonderful and immediately made me feel welcome as a part of the team.  Now, with my first week in the books, I know I still have a lot to learn in my new role, but I am already enjoying being a part of such a talented and motivated creative team!  I'm so excited (and also very grateful) for this fantastic opportunity to put my SMAD degree to good use while shooting & editing video, working with social media, etc.  It really is a blessing to be able to work in a field that you're passionate about, doing something that you enjoy.  And the adventure is only just beginning!  I can't wait to see what's in store with each new day!

On that note, I should probably aim to hit the sheets soon so I won't have to hit the caffeine as hard as I have been recently. Hope you all have a fabulous week! G'nite!

"I said I think I'll go to Boston..."

Last Thursday, I took the train up to Connecticut to visit one of my best friends and her fiancé for an extended weekend. On my way up there, Avie asked me if I would be interested in spending a day visiting Boston....neither of us had been there before, but it was on both of our to-do lists, so I eagerly jumped at the opportunity!  We spent most of Saturday walking around and seeing the sights, but I definitely want to go back and spend more time there! Boston certainly ranks near the top of my favorite cities list! Here are some pics I took during our visit!  Enjoy! :)

Street acrobats...very impressive!

Sultan's Delight - a Turkish/Mediterranean lunch spot that we happened upon...good find!

Falafel, hummus, & tabbouleh pita sandwich....yes, please!

John Adams Courthouse

When seafood and comfort food meet...

Knowing that it was my turn to bring an entree to my Tuesday night City Group this week (we have a potluck dinner every week and rotate which part of the meal each person is responsible for), over the weekend, I started contemplating what I might want to bring. Being a vegetarian (okay, for this post I suppose I should clarify that I'm actually a pescatarian...), it's always a challenge to come up with a main dish that will appeal to a group. Some of my all-time favorite dishes to make include spinach manicotti, eggplant parmesan, and veggie lasagna...and they elicit rave reviews from certain crowds, but when some of my friends hear the word "spinach" or "eggplant" or they see colorful veggies in any dish, they quickly steer clear. Then, there's also the issue of needing to make something that can be prepped the night before so I can just pop it in the oven as soon as I get home from work.

Having recently found a recipe for Crab Mac 'N Cheese that I'd been wanting to try, I decided to give it a shot. I mean, mac 'n cheese is always a crowd pleaser, and this recipe steps it up a notch by incorporating crab meat and fontina cheese. As usual, I rarely follow recipes step by step, since culinary creativity is my favorite part of cooking, so the recipe at the above link served as the base idea to start from, but my tweaks/additions are included in the recipe below....bon appétit! :)

Baked Crab Mac 'N Cheese

Ingredients:

·       1 pound cavatappi pasta, plus 1/2 cup macaroni

·       3 Tbsp. Promise spread (or other lower fat butter/margarine)

·       2 cups fat-free half & half mixed with 2/3 cup light cream

·       1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·       1 tsp. kosher salt

·       1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

·       1/2 tsp. ground mustard

·       1 Tbsp. Old Bay

·       1/2 tsp. garlic powder

·    1/4 tsp. white pepper

·    1/4 tsp. thyme
·       1/2 tsp. parsley

·       1/2 tsp. kosher salt

·       1 1/2 cups medium cheddar, shredded

·       1 block of fontina (1 1/2 cups shredded)

·    1/4 cup gruyere cheese

·       2 (6 oz) cans crab meat, drained & flaked

·      1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

·      1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

·   1/2 tsp. paprika

Shred/grate the fontina cheese.

Preheat oven to 375. Set a large pot of salted water on to boil. Cook pasta for about 6 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse, set aside.

While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream until the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook and stir until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and stir in cayenne, mustard, Old Bay, garlic powder, white pepper, thyme, parsley, and salt.

Stir in cheese until it has all melted, then stir in crab meat.

In a large bowl, stir pasta and the cheese sauce/crab mixture together, mixing well.

Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the mac-n-cheese into the dish. (If making ahead, stop here and refrigerate overnight).

Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan together and sprinkle on top. Sprinkle with paprika, then spray all over with butter flavored cooking spray for a final touch.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is browned and mac-n-cheese is bubbly.

Serve and enjoy!!

Ka-Ka-Ka-Cooking With Kale!

Several weeks ago, while perusing the dinner menu at Bistro Bobette and trying to narrow down which four delectable side dishes I wanted to order as part of my vegetarian entree, I was quite intrigued by the description of the sauteed kale side. Despite being a vegetarian, I'll admit that I rarely order greens as a side, mostly due to the fact that I grew up in a rural southern area where you could almost guarantee the greens would be cooked with some type of pork product. Or slathered in cream sauce. Or maybe both!

Anyway, one of my co-workers absolutely loves kale, but after hearing her rave about it on numerous occasions, I still didn't really see the great appeal of this cabbage-like veggie. But, I always enjoy trying new and unique foods, so when I saw that Bistro Bobette's version of sauteed kale included smoked EVOO, raisins, and pine nuts, I decided that this creative take on what I usually deemed to be a boring dish sounded tempting enough for me to give it a try. Although it didn't quite compare to the divinely delicious truffle mac & cheese, the kale dish was excellent! As is usually the case whenever I eat something that I particularly enjoy, I try to figure out how to re-create it (or something similar) in my own kitchen.

I found a recipe for Sweet & Savory Kale that sounded pretty tasty, and tonight I finally had some extra time to cook, so I decided to experiment with it. :)

Here's the recipe with my changes....enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 packet Splenda
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 can vegetable broth
• 1 large bunch kale, torn and rinsed
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

  
Heat safflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and chicken stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale, cover, and cook 5 minutes until wilted. 

Stir in the dried cranberries, and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half, and the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving. 

And there you have it! Maybe I'm biased, but I thought it was pretty tasty!

Runnin' & Brunchin' & Chillaxin'...Oh My! :)

Ah, another weekend in the River City is winding down, but it was definitely a good one!

As every Richmonder was surely aware, the much anticipated, annual Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K was yesterday! It was a rainy, overcast morning, but the runners, volunteers, musicians, and cheering spectators didn't let the weather dampen our spirits! I met a friend in the Fan around 8:15, then we walked to Monroe Park together, checked our bags, and joined the masses who were heading to the starting corrals on Broad Street. By the time we arrived, I knew it was getting close to the start time for Wave K, the seeded wave that I was running in. My friend was in a wave that started 10 minutes after mine, so we departed ways as he went right to find his group, and I headed left to join my wave and hopefully get some stretching in before the start. When I finally eyed the "K" sign, it was quickly approaching the starting line, but I was stuck in a mass of people on the sidewalk, which was barricaded to prevent passersby and spectators from spilling onto the race course. I gazed further down Broad Street toward the starting gate and realized that there was no break in the barricades, and Wave K had already moved up to the starting line. I almost panicked, but knowing that I needed to be on the other side of the barricade pronto, I did the only logical thing I could think of...I grabbed the top rung and hoisted myself over it. As I was leaping over it, I realized this would be a great way to roll an ankle or further screw up my knee if I landed wrong, but thankfully, I landed gracefully on both feet. :)  Then, I politely maneuvered through all of the Wave L runners, and finally joined my fellow K group....just in time to hear "Are you ready Wave K?! And GOOOO!" Fabulous! So much for that stretching I had planned to squeeze in before the race. Haha! So, we were off!

Just like last year, cheering neighbors, friends, and other enthusiastic spectators lined Monument Avenue to offer encouragement along the course. Various bands and DJs also provided a fantastic soundtrack to keep us motivated! I especially enjoyed whoever was blasting "Pascagoula Run" and other Jimmy Buffett tunes! Gotta love JB! That reminds me to look and see if he has any shows coming up anytime soon...having floor seats with my bro and some friends at his show several years back at JPJ was one of the most fun concerts I've ever been to! But there I go getting off-topic, as usual! Haha. Back to the 10K...

After crossing the finish line and congregating in Monroe Park, I grabbed some water and fruit, retrieved my bag, and called Mom to report that I had finished without any new injuries! (A big accomplishment for me!)  Afterward, a few friends and I met up and walked to Joe's Inn for a post-race brunch.

All smiles for a post-10K brunch at Joe's Inn!

Back of my race shirt

The rest of my afternoon included going to a movie with a friend, doing a bit of shopping, and just kickin' back and taking it easy!

This morning, I woke up and went for a 6.7 mile run and managed to make it back without too much knee pain! Yay for that! The highlight of today so far was meeting up with one of my best friends, Christine, for Sunday brunch at Selba! Yup, that makes 2 consecutive Sundays of brunchin' at Selba for me...I wasn't kidding when I said it's my new fave! As planned, I tried the "Selba stack" - lemon ricotta pancakes, topped with candied pecans and maple syrup! Yum-a-licious! Christine ordered the Raisin Spelt French Toast and was also quite pleased with her dish. Delicious food aside though, (I already raved enough about Selba in my last post, so I'm sure you get the idea by now ;), it was just so wonderful to catch up and spend time chatting with one of my dearest friends! We're both so busy that we don't get to hang out nearly as often as we'd like, but hopefully we will get better about that soon!

On that positive note, I'm off to City Church! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday afternoon/evening, y'all! :)

Selba...My New Fave RVA Restaurant, Hands Down!

After a 2 month sabbatical from blogging, I'm finally back! What motivated this sudden return? A fantastic brunch at my new favorite Richmond restaurant! I was so impressed that I couldn't wait to share my thoughts with you all!

Selba opened on Cary Street (between Stafford and Davis) sometime last Fall, and after reading about it, I was eager to try it out. I drooled over the menus that they posted on their website, and as you would expect, was thrilled to see that Selba offers vegan/vegetarian/healthy cuisine! Yet somehow, despite really wanting to try this place out, it wasn't as easy to convince some of my friends to go there. Finally, one Saturday in January, my friend Amy and I decided we were going to try out the brunch...but we didn't do our homework and arrived at the restaurant only to discover that it was closed until dinnertime...then we realized that they only serve brunch on Sundays. Talk about setting ourselves up for disappointment! We were so bummed, and both of us already had Sunday plans the next day, so we would have to postpone our inaugural Selba experience even longer.

Well, my friend & former mentor, Van and his wife Clara Ann came to visit me this past weekend. I wanted them to get a taste of some of the best cuisine that Richmond has to offer, and despite having never actually been to Selba yet, I just had a feeling that it would be a solid choice. Bingo! :)

When we arrived, the host escorted us through the large and welcoming main dining room (complete with a grand piano), past the sleek bar and a nifty semi-private dining area, to the garden room. My friends and I were seated and immediately began admiring the abundance of greenery, the sunshine streaming through the large windows, and the tiffany lamps overhead.  We hadn't even ordered anything yet, and this place had already won me over!

We ordered two coffees and an iced tea. Oddly enough, our server brought a glass of iced tea without any ice (lukewarm tea, anyone?), but that was just a small hiccup, which he promptly corrected. I thought the coffee had a great flavor (and to prove it, I drank at least 3 cups) and am curious whether the coffee they serve comes from one of the local coffee roasters. I'm guessing yes, but will have to make a note to inquire about this the next time I dine there (which will be soon!).

Having practically memorized the menu before we arrived, I had already decided that I was going to order the Tofu Scramble (although the lemon ricotta pancakes were also calling my name...oh well, those will be next on my list!).

Selba Tofu Scramble

When this delightful mixture of tofu, peppers, spinach, red onion, fresh herbs, and Indian spices with a side of herb-roasted potatoes and a sweet potato biscuit was placed in front of me, I was like a lion ready to devour a hyena! Okay, wait...that's pretty over the top, even for me (I blame it on the fact that Mom and I just saw The Lion King when it came to RVA a few weeks ago, and I was just listening to the soundtrack the other night, so I apparently still have lions on the brain). Anyway, let's just say that I was ready to tackle some tasty-looking food!

Because one picture just wasn't enough! :)

The verdict? Everything tasted just as delicious as it looked! The main dish was seasoned with a perfect blend of Indian spices, and the spinach complemented the tofu and other veggies quite nicely. Both of my friends even branched out and tasted the tofu and they also liked it! The potatoes were flavorful and tender, and the sweet potato biscuit was fluffy and slightly sweet, but not overly so. Yum-sauce! :)

My friends ordered Shrimp n' Grits and the Selba Benedict (with chipotle hollandaise), respectively. I momentarily invaded their personal space in order to snap a quick photo of each entree with my phone...haha. Thanks for being good sports about that, Van and Clara Ann!

Selba Shrimp n' Grits

Selba Benedict

In addition to our entrees, we all shared a side of fresh fruit, which was a mixture of sliced bananas, pineapple chunks, strawberries, etc. Super fresh and ripe...and delish, just like everything else.

Is your mouth watering yet? It should be, but if not, check out Selba's menus here, and I bet you'll be ready to jump in the car and hightail it over to my new fave restaurant. (My apologies to those of you who don't live in Richmond, or to anyone who happens to be reading this outside of the restaurant's normal business hours, hehe).

In my book, dining out is all about the overall experience. Obviously, the quality of the food is a key factor, however, in my opinion, delicious food served in an environment that lacks ambiance makes for a less-than-ideal dining experience. Selba gets high marks from me for delicious cuisine, a classy yet laid back atmosphere, friendly staff, and a menu that offers something that should appeal to everyone. I also love that Selba supports local farmers and puts an emphasis on using fresh, locally grown/produced ingredients. Another plus is that the portion sizes are large enough that I couldn't finish my meal, so I had leftovers to take home. They will make for a yummy breakfast tomorrow morning before heading to work! Oh, and the icing on the cake is that Selba has a parking lot (anyone who lives in or visits the Fan knows how rare it is to find any establishment that has off-street parking)!

I absolutely cannot wait to dine at Selba again! Now that I know how awesome their brunch is, I'm looking forward to coming back for dinner! I hear that sometimes they have live jazz music on Friday evenings...ahhhh I'm such a sucker for live jazz. So friends, who wants to join me for Friday dinner at Selba? :)

Thanks for reading, and thank you Selba for a top notch dining experience that ranks as one of the best I've had during the two years that I've lived here! Truly a gem in the Fan! Keep the fantastic food coming and I'll keep coming back (and bringing friends)!

Heavy thoughts after a light and fun-filled extended weekend...

After my couz took me out for breakfast at Bakery 821 this morning, I took advantage of having some free time on my day off and headed to the gym. 

My delish breakfast at Bakery 821: Tofu Scramble! Just wanted to gross out all of you anti-tofu, meat-lovers :)

Aside from trying to get back in shape after bouncing back from all of my running injuries and training for the Monument Ave. 10K again, one of the other benefits of working out and going for long runs is that both activities provide time to think and reflect upon things that I don’t usually otherwise take the time to process. Being the type of person who tends to associate dates with life events and anniversaries, this morning as I was working up a sweat on the elliptical, I couldn’t shake the memory of today’s anniversary. No, I’m not referring to MLK, Jr. Day, although the work holiday is what actually reminded me of this deeply personal and painful anniversary....One year ago today was the last time I saw my dad :(   

I still remember that weekend quite vividly…it was the first weekend after session began. Instead of heading home after work on Friday to spend the entire extended weekend with the fam, I stuck around RVA to help a friend move-in and get acquainted with Richmond. On Sunday morning, I went to church and then headed home, arriving in the late afternoon. I spent Sunday evening and Monday with the fam. I remember sitting at Dad’s bedside as he endured so much pain, and feeling helpless that there was absolutely nothing I could do to make it better. On Monday afternoon around 3:00 p.m., I quietly walked to his bedside where he was sleeping, gently shook him awake to tell him goodbye, hugged him and kissed the top of his head, then left and made the 2 hour drive back to Richmond. Not surprisingly, I went straight to the gym when I got back, since that was my method for dealing with my emotions during that difficult phase. Looking back at my day planner, the rest of my week (after work, of course) looked like this: Tuesday - Supper Club at Helen's, Wednesday - Trivia Night at Penny Lane Pub, and finally, Thursday, January 20th. 

I still remember everything about that night...The glass of chardonnay I was sipping while sitting in one of the leopard print chairs in the back room at Tobacco Company, chatting with friends at Thursday Night Caucus and laughing about how lame we had become because it was barely past 10 p.m. and we were already yawning, whereas only a year before, we would have just been heading out to Richbrau to get the night started. More than anything, I remember blowing off the most important phone call of my life and making Jon wait for an entire half hour until I got home and finally called him back. If I had only known how that week was going to play out, would I have done things differently? Absolutely. Would I have stayed home that week so we could have all been together at the end? Without a doubt. But that's the funny thing about God's timing for our lives...we're not supposed to know how it's going to play out, and we can't beat ourselves up by thinking about what we should have done instead. It's taken me a while to come to grips with that, but I think I'm finally there, so at least I've made some progress, even if only baby steps.

For several weeks now, I’ve been dreading this coming Friday, because for some reason, the realization that an entire year has gone by without Dad being a part of it is not something that I’m willing/able to grasp just yet. We’ve made it through lots of “firsts” without him…first birthdays, first Father’s Day, first Christmas, etc., and everyone says that it gets easier from here. I know dwelling on the past isn’t healthy, but there’s a part of me that feels like moving on is equivalent to forgetting, and I never want to forget anything about Dad…not even the last time I saw him, as painful as it is to remember. I worry that those memories will start to fade if I don't keep actively trying to remember, but even the good memories remind me of how much I miss him...oh well, I guess it's only natural to be sad when you lose someone you love...

While I know avoidance isn’t the right way to go about dealing with things, I tend to not talk about my feelings in this area very much, except to a very select number of close friends. I had been having several tough nights lately as I kept dwelling on the looming anniversary, so I finally opened up and asked my amazing small group to pray for me and the fam as we approach the one year mark…I know they did too, because God definitely answered right away! He filled the rest of the week with a visit from my bro, lunch dates with friends, a visit from my cousin, a jam packed, fun-filled weekend of dinners, movies, dancing, manicures, etc. with friends, and even an eye-opening community service opportunity.

And as of this morning, he also opened my heart and mind to the realization that Friday doesn't have to be the terribly sad and painful day that I've been dreading. During my workout, I was reminded that each day is whatever we choose to make of it. So, instead of focusing on the sadness that I feel inside, I have decided to change my outlook for Friday and honor my dad by embracing the positive memories and doing something fun that would make him happy…I haven’t figured out what that’s going to be yet, but I know he wouldn’t want us to be moping around and crying all day…Granted, not a day goes by when we don’t miss him and think of him, but a year later, I’m still trying to get to the point where I can fully rejoice in the fact that he’s in Heaven, free from pain and suffering. It truly is time to stop feeling sorry for myself and to put forth my best effort to replace the tears with smiles and to celebrate the day when we will be reunited forever.

Wow, when I started this post I didn't intend to get quite this deep, but it felt good to type out my thoughts. I'm sorry if the details were a little too graphic at times, but one thing I've learned over the past year is to be open and honest about my feelings instead of keeping them bottled up. So, there you have it...raw emotion with no sugarcoating! On that note, it's back to the real working world tomorrow, so I'm going to sign off and do a bit of reading before bed. If anyone has ideas for something fun to do on Friday, I'm open to suggestions! :)

Night y'all! Thanks for reading and for helping me deal with the emotional rollercoaster ride that has been my life during 2010-2011. Here's to great things and new beginnings in 2012!