Posts by rachelcc

I don't think Tyra is as stupid as people tend to think. I really enjoyed the profile the New York Times magazine did on her (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/magazine/01 tyra-t.html?pagewanted=1&sq=tyra%20banks& amp;st=cse&scp=2).

I think she is first and foremost a business woman, and she doesn't much care about how she comes off to other people. And you have to admit that she's doing pretty well for herself.

I've never tried that one, but I have occasionally made the Kraft mac and cheese but used whole wheat pasta instead of the pasta they give you. It's actually pretty tasty, if you're weird like me and love Kraft mac and cheese but also like whole wheat, high fiber pasta.

My SO and I don't hide money from each other, but we don't really share our information either. We have a joint account and a joint credit card, and we discuss those frequently, because we use them for all joint purchases and activities.

I have my own checking, savings, and retirement accounts (along with my own credit cards). He is aware of the accounts, but doesn't know how much is in them, other than a ballpark estimate. He has savings as well, and I know about how much is in there, but not exactly. I would never look at his credit card statements, even though it wouldn't bother him if I did - I have the password to his online accounts, just because he needed me to check something for him one day.

I don't think your SO has to know exactly how much money you have squirreled away, but I do think that feeling like you have to hide it is a bad sign. Of course, if my SO had debt and didn't disclose it to me, I would feel like that is a violation, because it could potentially affect our joint finances if we get married.

Bridal parties can be a political decision, and it sounds like you guys aren't in close enough touch for you to know why she made the choices she did. Some people agonize over choosing their parties and feel embarrassed about leaving people out.

Just ask her about it. You'll feel better, she'll get a chance to explain, and at least you'll know where you stand.

I always just set the portions so that one portion is the smallest amount I would eat. For something like mousakka, I would make the number of portions equal to the number of slices in the entire dish. Then you can just add one portion for each slice you eat.

I know that it would be more accurate to be able to weigh out portions, but I don't think there is any way the recipe analyzer could do that kind of calculation (accounting for water loss or gain, etc), so this is the best option.

Good luck!

He he. I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates the chokers. Why do they put those in there?

Congrats on the salad experience! Sometimes it takes a while to learn to love them. A few combos I like are...

Thinly sliced red onions + thinly sliced red bell pepper + mushrooms + olives + whatever else I have on hand. I like this with almost any dressing.

Balsamic vinegarette + thinly sliced pears (or apples) + walnuts (or pecans) + dried cranberries + a little bit of soft goat cheese

I make my own balsamic vinegarette. I start with a bit of olive oil, beat in a bit of mustard with a fork, add a drizzle of honey and some salt and pepper and then whisk in balsamic vinegar until it tastes good to me. It takes a couple minutes and you can make any sized portion you want.

Regarding the bitterness - my least favorite thing in salad mixes are what I call the "chokers" - those weird looking branchy things that taste bitter and get stuck in your throat when you try to chew them. I try to look for salad mixes without them, or I avoid eating them. But some people love it. Wish I could remember what it is called.

I think an older dog is probably the best idea - they will not be quite as much work as a puppy, which is helpful if you are a first time dog owner.

I am madly in love with terriers and terrier mutts. My favorite pet growing up was my wire haired fox terrier. They are so sweet and funny but also a little crazy. If you are going with a terrier I would definitely recommend an older dog - they mellow out as they get older. The terriers we've had have loved long walks and they can hold up on them. My sister's chihuahua can't walk for nearly as long. I think terriers have more muscle and stamina.

It sounds like you are doing a good job thinking it through. If you can make it home for lunch breaks, the dog shouldn't be too lonely at all.

I agree that the best thing to do is to ask him directly to leave you alone.

However, you could also try disengaging yourself. Be polite to him when he comes your way (it never pays to be rude at work), but don't offer up any conversational topics yourself - don't talk about your boyfriend, or your cats, or anything personal. Don't give him an "in" so that he can keep the conversation going. It might seem awkward, particularly if you are left with weird silences, but don't give into the temptation to fill up space by talking. If he asks why you are being weird, just apologize and say you are distracted because you have work to do.

When I've been in situations where there isn't a lot of work, I make up work, even if it is as tedious as re-labeling filing cabinets, or re-organizing drawers. I also try to do research about topics that pertain to work, so that I'm better informed if anything comes up. Maybe you could try figuring out what you can do to take up some of your free time?

Depends on the professor. Mine usually set the page limit for a reason - they didn't want to have to read anything over that amount (especially when you multiply it by the number of students in the class).

I would try to scale it back if possible, as much as it sucks to have to do it. Or maybe ask your prof in advance?

I'll have to check on the preservative situation, Heather. I only make meat once a week, so I usually splurge on the pricey organic beef from Whole Foods, which I'm pretty sure doesn't have any preservatives. When I get chicken, I exclusively buy the California raised Foster Farms whole chickens, and a quick check of their website claims that they don't add anything at all to their chicken - no salt or chemicals.

Not sure why I haven't had any problems with my meat going off, but it definitely holds up well for a week in the fridge. I do cook it well and then refrigerate (or freeze) it immediately after. And I usually try to get to it within 5 days, but yesterday I ate a beef stir fry that I made exactly one week ago and it was still great. Not that I'm advocating other people attempt to keep their meat as long as possible - I am a notoriously uncareful eater.

ClaireLaine's suggestion of a bean salad is great - they only get better over time, and you don't have to worry about the meat issue.

I'm a dork and I used to love writing literature essays.

I break down my time approximately like this: 1/3 prep time (re-reading and searching for passages that I love, then outlining) + 1/3 writing time (not worrying overly much about the quality as long as I get my outline fleshed out) + 1/3 proofreading time (reading it out loud to make sure it flows, proofing carefully). It doesn't always work out to be equal thirds, but at least in theory, I think all three steps are equally important. I agree with p0nda that proofreading is the key.

Splitting it into steps makes the writing less intimidating, and easier to get started.

I have to be careful with grapes, because I can eat pounds of them without even thinking about it.

I can't have chips of any kind, or flavored crackers. I will give into salty snacks almost instantly.

I've thought about banning PB, but I love it too much to kick it out - I just live with the occasional PB binge and try to do better.

Victoria's Secret Body low rise string bikinis are great. Nice and stretchy so that you don't get dents in your hips or a sagging butt. And I tend to have the same sort of problems you do. My hips must be proportionally much larger than my butt, no matter what I weigh.

I would love to have a dog, but can't currently justify it because I live in an apartment and work full time.

You have to have time or space. If you work full time, and you take a lunch break and you commute to and from work, you are probably out of the house at least 9 hours per day. If your dog doesn't have a yard, that is 9 hours he/she has to spend alone, with no bathroom breaks or company. If you do have a big yard, this isn't as big an issue, or if you have a lot of time to be home, it isn't an issue.

You have to have spare money. You'd be surprised at what dogs cost to take care of, when you include food and routine vet visits. An unexpected emergency (and they happen more often than you might expect) could easily send you into debt if you aren't financially solvent. Additionally, if you have spare money, you can get around the time and space issue by hiring a dog walker to come by daily while you are at work.

You lose flexibility. You have to come home after work, you can't unexpectedly decide to spend the night somewhere else, you can't run off for the weekend without making plans.

I have to remind myself of these facts everyday, because otherwise I would probably give in a get a dog! I get my fix by visiting other people with dogs.