Thanksgiving

Today, I am thankful for:
- a family that cares
- warm socks (Hello Smartwool. You are amazing. Why do you have to cost so much?)
- Modern Family
- good health and the ability to run/walk/jump/stretch/reach

Grilled asparagus

I make oven-grilled asparagus a lot.  It is both foolproof and so tasty that I can eat an entire bunch in one sitting!  I walked into the kitchen the other the day while one of my hallmates was preparing broccoli.  Our hall has this inside joke that asparagus is a "rich man's vegetable." Apparently, according to this hallmate, broccoli is the poor man's asparagus.  Okay, so pound for pound asparagus is pricey, even on sale at $1.99/lb.  But as a treat, it is sooo good.  I eat it spear by spear with my fingers...the best way :)

The rich man's vegetable :)

Spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper - ready to toss in the oven!

Oven-grilled asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus
Salt (kosher, if you're fancy, but I have none of that stuff in my "pantry")
Pepper
Olive oil

1. Wash asparagus and trim off the tough ends, about an inch.
2. Pat the asparagus dry. This is important! Otherwise, your asparagus will come out limp (but it still tastes good, believe me) and arrange evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil.  You need less than you think - just enough to evenly coat the spears.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Use you hands and mix it all up.
6. Bake on the top rack at 425 F until spears are soft.
 

Just life

I am having a "what the heck am I doing with my life" kind of day. It started with a "what the heck am I doing in lab" moment. Luckily one of my research mentors, who is effectively my in-lab psychologist, talked me down and reexplained the whole rationale for my research. 

Earlier that day, I had been caught off guard by the "why don't you be a dermatologist" question.  Honestly, there have been (numerous) times when I think to myself: "why not? why shouldn't I be a dermatologist? I find dermatology itself fascinating. The lifestyle is a bonus. Why am I in an oncology lab; why should I do internal medicine?" I wish I could just throw my hands up, pick a path, and then forge ahead with no doubts. Unfortunately, that is just not me. I agonize and I am still agonizing.

Autumn Weekend

I'm currently snacking on roasted chestnuts, roasted asparagus, and baked sweet potato.  This morning, I sipped a homemade pumpkin spice latte.  Autumn abounds in all its glory!

I grocery shopped, analyzed data, went to yoga class, and just baked the above plus a beautiful cranberry-pear galette. I'm going to take a nap, then head to lab, meet with a premed advisee and end the day at a house party. And it's sunny outside! It's going to be a great day.

Doctorhood

I know how to comfort other patients' families, but how do you comfort your own?

Halloween goodies

Halloween cupcakes

Look what I made for our hall for Halloween!  I'm especially proud of the spider web decoration. Simply pipe chocolate icing (I put some frosting in a ziplock bag and cut off a corner) in two concentric circles on a white-frosted cupcake and then use a knife to drag the chocolate icing outward, like spokes on a wheel.

"I should"...no "I could"

Have you ever begun a statement to yourself with, "I should..."   You know, the times when you say, "I should go to the gym," or "I should really write that paper tonight," or "I should clean my room." 

What if you replaced "should" with "could?"  "I could really go to the gym."  "I could write that paper." "I could clean my room." Sounds a lot more positive and empowering, doesn't it?  "Should" statements create judgment; "could" statements are neutral and imply choice.

Speaking of which, I could cook dinner tonight and bake a galette for my labmate's birthday. It's late, and I just got back from lab, but I could...