The Chase

There is something about a pursuit that makes it almost impossible to walk away from before it's over.  And the longer you're after something, the harder it gets to give up before the end.  This concept has been true for me for many goals and dreams in my life, but it is also extremely true for high-speed car chases.

A few weeks ago, I had yet another LA first: first televised police chase.  Apparently it happens somewhat frequently out here and apparently most everyone stops what they are doing to watch the action.  I came home from work and turned on the TV to find every channel taken over by the footage.  At first I was annoyed that I couldn't watch Family Feud as planned, but before I knew it, I was totally invested in the chase.  And it wasn't even a very good chase!  There was a white pick-up truck (I almost thought it was a white bronco at first, damn) driving around the neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silver Lake going about 40 mph.  Not so high-speed... but you can't look away!  And why was this fool not getting to a highway and trying to outrun everyone!?!  What was his plan!?!?  When will it end!?!?  Ahhh, I swear, this is what must have started reality TV.

Anyways, like all good things, this too had to come to an end:  

The conclusion was satisfying, but the best part of this delinquent's endeavor truly was the chase.  The suspense, the effort, the uncertainty of the outcome and the speculation of how it would all go down was what kept me (and many of the citizens of LA) on the edge of the couch.

As for my current pursuits?  We (the other genetic counselor and myself) recently got privileges from the VA to start seeing patients!  I imagined that when this day finally came I would be handed a patient chart, given a pat on the head, and sent into an exam room to do my job.  The process has turned out to be a bit more step-wise and more of a challenge then I initially imagined.  The expectations are definitely high and the learning curve is steep.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated, both with the process and myself, but I have to keep in mind that this is what I asked for; what I wanted.  I wouldn't be satisfied with a job that wasn't a challenge and didn't push me.  Success is better when it's earned, patience is a virtue, good things come to those who wait, yadda yadda, blah blah.

As much as I try to tell myself all of these things, I'm still dying to get on the highway and hit the accelerator.  But if there is anything a moderate-speed car chase can teach you, it's that the journey is what ultimately makes the outcome worth it.  Guess it's time to set my cruise at 40 and make the most of the ride... and hope I have a better ending than the dude in the white pick-up...

You can take the girl outta the Midwest...

but you can't take the Midwest cooking style out of the girl.  That was blatantly evident at my Super Bowl party last Sunday.  Just to set the stage a bit, let me remind you that I really like football and I really like food.  I particularly enjoy an opportunity to combine them both.  In the past this has led to endevors such as this:

Super Bowl '09 Cardinals v Steelers
Created with the lovely and talented Alison Clark

This year I decided that instead of focusing my efforts on one awesome dish, I would create many dishes, all with an ample aura of awesomeness...

Soooooo I may have gotten super excited and over-cooked for my party... oops?  It wouldn't have been such a bad thing except for the fact that everything I cooked was laden with cheese, carbs and spicyness; definitely not anything you could or should eat for a week straight.  Paula Dean chooses butter, I choose cheese.  Note for the future: people in California have more dietary preferences and healthier eating habits than people in the Midwest.  Again, not such a bad thing except for the fact that it left me with nearly 2 lbs of mac and cheese...

So let's recap.  I'm going to assume that everyone knows how the Super Bowl turned out and knows the major game highlights.  I'm also going to assume that if you don't know, you probably don't care.  Thus, all I will say about the game it that it was watched at my house on my new TV.  The patio bar was stocked with fun beverages and a great time was had by myself and my lovely friends, both new and old, who also helped contribute to the buffet with delicious (and healthier) dishes like salmon and fresh guac.

My ridiculously unhealthy and fairly monochromatic spread was as follows:

Buffalo Chicken Tartlets

Seacrest Sausage Balls
(sigh, don't ask.  The name in Kendall's fault...)

Beer-battered Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

Mom's Taco Dip
(Sorry, I forgot to take a pic.  This is an old pic from a
tailgating attempt at Northwestern Game.  It usually looks better...) 

All of these tasty delights (save for the taco dip, that's a Sale family secret) can be recreated in your own kitchen with the ridiculously easy steps enclosed below. Note: I don't measure, I'm sorry.  I'll try to do my best to give amounts when I can but when in doubt, just start adding a little and then adding more to taste.

Pinned Up

I have a new obsession.  Well, new to me because many people I know have been doing this for ages. 

Yep, it got me.  I thought I would just take a peek, check it out to see what was going on, pick up some new recipes to cook, keep a low profile.  Oh no.  I'm in this thing.  I'm pinning like a mad women.  I had to force myself to go to bed the other night and was nearly late to work today.  This could be a serious set back to getting out and experiencing LA....