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!!