things: the domestic edition

i have written alot of blogs entitled "things". they consist of random things i've found that i like or i find inspiring. this one however has a theme. because lately, the different personalities inside of me have been having a civil war.

there's adventurer me. and then there's the domestic wannabe me. OBVIOUSLY, i won't be domesticated ANYTIME soon. let's face it, frozen is the way to go because i'm too impatient to cook. but there lies my point. i want to be a cook. so i give you, things: the domestic edition.

as i was telling lauren last night, and my mom over the weekend, i want to be a good cook. and i want to be known as one. i want to be that person that is a genius in the kitchen and can just make anything taste good. i think this started to spur up when i was down in stt. i met three different boys who cook. and are damn good at it. (there's nothing hotter than a guy who can cook...just sayin'). that just made me feel bad because here i am...a girl who comes from a long line of amazing good ole southern (and japanese) cooks, and i can't cook a damn thing. except that one time i made snickerdoodles from scratch. but i followed a recipe. now, don't get me wrong, i've cooked things before. but i don't cook often and i'm honestly not good at it. there are two reasons for this.

one: i'm impatient. i like instant gratification and when i'm hungry, standing in the kitchen for two hours is not on my list of things to want to do.

and two: it's expensive. i know i know....there are ways to cook on a budget but that's not my point...cooking the things i would want to cook require crazy, exotic spices and throwing vodka in the pan and fancy stuff like that...and those spices would probably not get used that often so it'd be like spending $5 on something that i wouldn't use again for another few months. it takes a LONG time to build up a good spice cabinet. PLUS i'm single...and there is little more depressing than cooking for one.

i could find plenty of uses for the vodka however (i sound like a single drunk...i swear i'm not...a drunk anyway). but my point is, i want to be someone that has a kitchen filled with spices and every pot and pan and cooking utensil needed to make fancy food. that's domestic wannabe me. so from now on, in an attempt to ATLEAST become more domestically educated, i'm going to share a recipe with you once a week. 99.9% chance that it's not going to get cooked by me. but atleast i'll be learning something and sharing it with you. i may cook some of them one day. and if that day comes, i'll most definitely share my experiences with you...but until then, let's just talk about it. hey, atleast i admitted i was a wannabe.

(click that link right down there for....)

BLACKENED TUNA STEAK WITH MANGO SALSA

fresh tuna is one of my favorite foods. i don't eat canned tuna. because i'm a food snob like that. this from the girl who buys frozen foods. i'm so messed up. the thing is, i enjoy great food and would eat it often if i could afford it. i worked in a fine dinning restaurant at a country club for 4 years and i learned alot there. i just don't have the money for fancy things like that....but anyway, this recipe looks amazing...and really not that difficult. it just takes forever. i was drawn to it because of the fresh ingredients required and because it reminds me of being in the islands. i'm a huge fan of fresh mango and great tuna...i kinda wanna do it. maybe i'll go to my parents house (where the spices are endless) to cook it one day. awww dang now i'm inspired. weekend project??? not making any promises...but we'll see.

last weekend, my childhood best friend got married. MARRIED. i don't feel old enough to have married friends. and i've even got a few with KIDS....it's nuts. but anyway, the wedding was in dauphin island, alabama. my mom and i both went down and stayed at a b&b...we met up with jenny and carrie, both with their significant others. the whole time i was feeling like "....wow...this is so grown up and i DON'T fit in...but i kinda want to". i was surrounded by people with grown up jobs and people who have busy schedules and people who have a consistent routine and people with boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands and wives and people who were alot skinner than me because they eat real food on a daily basis....and i just don't. it made me want to be better...and it made me want to have an important life with people who depend on me. so as a result of that, i've gotten back into the gym (i've slacked off since getting back from stt) and i've been trying to be more productive at work (which is hard when you have my job because once you're work is done, there is literally nothing to do). this is why i want a second job.

but like i said, there are two personalities inside of me and they are at war...i want all of the mature, domestic things listed above, but adventurer, immature me won't shut up...and let's be honest here, adventurer immature me is who i really am. except i really do work out. thank the lord above because i love the food that real domestic people know how to cook.

SO...last night, i was at barnes & noble looking for a travel novel...low and behold, i found one that basically sums up EVERYTHING i just said. so i'm going to read it.

"Laura wonders whether her passion for travel is interfering with what most women seem to want at her age: a husband, a family, and a safe, settled life." - laurafraser.com

“All Over The Map makes you want to pack your bags, explore the world, mend your broken heart, and totally reclaim your life.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed

......can you say nutshell?????