Amen

Read this.

When I was in Japan, those kids worked soooooo hard at school. I've always been a hard worker - a bit prone to perfectionism. I look at the kids around me these days, barely studying at all, and I wonder... why not? Why not study hard when you're little. Obviously not to the point that you break down or don't learn how to enjoy life. But what benefit are kids getting from playing video games instead of studying? Would it really hurt them to spend more time on education? Do they really need almost a full 3 months of summer? I think that a good number of our kids would not hurt at all from more school-time, but would actually benefit immensely (especially if good teachers are thrown into the mix, not just time).

Balance is so important in life (something I'm still trying to get a handle on). Let's focus on productive activities (like education and fitness) while still letting them have fun and have some free time. Maybe we could all learn a bit on how to work hard and play hard.

RIO!!!

For the break, I went with my dad and little brother, David, to Rio de Janeiro, where we enjoyed much fun in the sun (in my opinion, the best kind of fun)!!! It was a blast and just what I needed to get ready for this semester...Hmmmmmm. Maybe I didn't need it as it got me into the "play" mindset and now all I want to do is go swim and play instead of study!

This is obviously a flying saucer...
Watch here
Mmmm... I think the mix of these two foods should be explored more here in the US...
Can it get more fun than soccer and paddleball on the beach (in case you get tired of just laying there, straining to read because you forgot your sunglasses....
Check out that skyline!
Dinner at our favorite restaurant we discovered our last night :( Via Sete

David thought we could look like we were climbing the trees. I think it worked.

Addicted to...baking!!!

I can't stop baking/cooking this week! I'm not quite sure if it's my lax school schedule or trying to avoid the little homework i have for the next week or so. Hmmmmmm. Based on my life up to this point, I'm going to guess the latter! Ok, enough blogging; I'm on to make a new recipe of delicious cookies! (They were delicious when I tried them, at least... Thanks, fernash!)

Twitter

I do not tweet. Nor do I have any desire to tweet. I do not need another internet distraction to take away my precious time that I waste so often on so many other things! But this is a funny article interviewing the twitter creators...

Vegetarianism...

I decided to become a vegetarian today.... Then 3 seconds later I decided against it when I thought about the pork tenderloins I wanted to cook tonight... Maybe one day...

Lentil and Beef Soup

I haven't made this yet, but ate it at a restaurant last night. The chef emailed this to me. Nice, huh?

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 6 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 2 cups (about 11 ounces) lentils, rinsed
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the lentils. Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

I LOVE WARM WEATHER!!!

This is going to be me pretty soon. Minus the old school bike,short dress, and fabulously long legs... Plus my sweet orange road bike (which I love)...