Cheesecake in a jar

Yum! Thanks Corinna.

Last of the Ice Cream

We're enjoying the last of our caramel apple ice cream tonight...until next October when it comes back to JPLicks.

Reform

Efforts to reform wayward ways, sweaters folded, jeans hung and dry cleaning picked up.

Punk! Moi?

I met up with some friends from b-school tonight at a very crowded pub downtown and I can now empathize a tiny bit with how the kids on Jersey Shore keep getting into trouble because it sure is easy to get into an argument a bar. To explain, I was shopping all day downtown so my rucksack was very full and I had it hanging from the back of my chair. The following is what happened:

Guy: Hey, excuse me, can you scoot in, there's not much room here.

plasticann: [scoots in] Sure, sorry about that.

Guy: Hey, can you scoot in?

plasticann: [turning around] I'm sorry, is there not enough room?

Guy: NO! Your backpack is in my lap, NO there's not enough room.

plasticann: [finally understands and removes bag from chair] I'll move it under the table, I'm sorry to inconvenience you.

Guy: Well, you don't have be a punk about it.

Wow, I got called a punk at a bar and it was only 7pm. That has got to be a plasticann first. Now I'm home and ready to enjoy my hot mint tea and some delicious peanut milk chocolate.

Chocolate with Caramelized Peanut & Sea Salt

I've been looking around town for this Green & Black's candy bar ever since I saw a write up last month in the Metro. Last night, we stopped by Pemberton Farms on the way home and I finally found it there, Pemberton has an overwhelmingly large fancy chocolate section. It's really delicious, the peanuts are caramelized with a hint of smokiness and the sea salt is a great complement to the sweet milk chocolate. It's like a fancy Mr. Goodbar which were always my favorite of the miniature Hersheys.

Cobbler

I just discovered the cobbler can put thin rubber soles on my leather soled boots...brilliant. My shoes will last so much longer. I'm going to bring in my other shoes and get them tricked out.

plasticann's clothing maintenance reminders to self

1. Fold and hang up clothes
2. Don't use pants as a napkin substitute to wipe off fingers sticky from eating donuts

Countdown...implications for lunch

I'm in the process of switching jobs. My new one starts next Tuesday back near Kendall Square and my last day in Downtown Crossing is Thursday. Therefore, I've been carefully planning my last few days of lunches as the end draws near. Today, I went to Sam LaGrassa's for my favorite pastrami sandwich. I forgot how delicious their pastrami is, I'm sure going to miss it. I also plan on enjoying one last Chacarero BBQ Beef sandwich and lastly, I have a Milk Street Cafe gift certificate I need to use.

Clothing Explosion

I just had a wardrobe planning session with a personal stylist/shopper this afternoon to update my look. Above is the aftermath from pulling out all my clothes. She was really nice and diplomatic and realistic, but one theme that kept coming up was, "if you take care of the things you own, they'll look better." Things like folding my sweaters neatly, hanging up my pants, ironing, dry cleaning, etc. She had lots of other great thoughts and ideas, but the following conversation will give you a good feel for my major weakness...clothing maintenance:

PS/S: This is a great jacket, I love it.

plasticann: Oh yeah, I haven't worn it yet, it's new.

PS/S: Ummm, why is it already wrinkled if you've never worn it?

plasticann: Hmmm, I think I left it in the bag for a while before I hung it up.

Total Immersion

plasticmom has been immersing herself in studying Japanese. She's somewhat conversational given that she went to college in Japan, but she's been brushing up on her language skills this quarter. So dedicated is plasticmom at immersing herself, she walked up to two strangers on the street in Los Angeles asking for directions...accidentally in Japanese. Only problem, the strangers weren't Japanese and plasticmom thought she was speaking English, thus everyone involved was baffled.

Jersey Shore - Final Verdict

We just finished watching the reunion on DVR this morning, Adam says, "Well, that's six hours of our lives we'll never get back." Ain't that the truth. I guess the Zakuns won't be watching the gang at the shore next season.

Adam's Outrage

While watching the final episode of Jersey Shore, it finally dawns on Adam that Snooki, PaulyD, the "Situation", Ronnie, Vinnie, Sammie and JWoww may not be the most productive members of society. The following is Adam's reconstructed rant, all this after watching the ENTIRE season:

"What? The "Situation" is 27? What does he do for work? How old are these guys? Let's look it up on your DROID...don't they have jobs? How can they hang out for a summer at the Jersey Shore? Don't they have jobs? I don't understand what's going on with these guys?"

Looking Older

Adam: I think my beard makes me look older
Ann: ...maybe I should grow one

I'm so excited about my new grid it organizer, I have to tell everyone. (Please don't tell Zryce, his bday is coming up.) I got the small one from Amazon yesterday and it's pretty cool. I've securely strapped in my purple hi-tec-c pen, free sample hand sanitizer from Bath and Body, Fresh Rose Sugar lip balm, Levenger ear bud holder, Stash peppermint tea bags and CO Bigalow chapped hand lotion. No more stuff spilling out of my purse and I also highly recommend all these products. The elastic is super secure, even held my droid and survived the vigorous shake test.

Am I living in a crazy world...maybe I'm the crazy one

The unintended indignity continues, turns out one of the guys at work thinks I'm 22/23. I don't work with him directly, but I do chit chat with him.

Guy: Are you right out of college?
plasticann: No, umm, I'm ten years out of college
Guy: Really! You're older than me.
plasticann: [pause] How old did you think I was?
Guy: 22/23! You seem mature and now that I think about, it makes sense.

Verdict, I seem more mature than a 22/23 year old. Woopee! One day I'll be glad to be younger looking, but I think I'm going to morph into some sort of awkward baby faced gray haired old lady combo. I'm taking Friday and next Monday off, who wants to go shopping with me? Apparently I need a makeover.

Cheesecake for the Table

The desserts at Henrietta's Table are really yummy and I've been wanting to go back just for dessert ever since we enjoyed their dessert buffet at Thanksgiving. Adam, the Zoritys and I made a special dessert only trip last night where we enjoyed two "Henrietta's World Famous Chocolate Bread Pudding with Rum Caramelized Bananas, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream," two "Warm Gingerbread Cake, Mascarpone Ice Cream and Fresh Whipped Cream," and a "Cheesecake with Pear-Cranberry Compote" for the table. Yes, five desserts for four people, the server thought it was a mistake. My favorite was the bread pudding and the cheesecake is also really delicious. Their cheesecake isn't heavy, it's light and lemony and not at all dense.

Pretty Flowers

Adam got me six months of flowers at a fundraiser. First installment, pink roses + pink & white tulips. Check out the bunny ears...that would be Adam's fun idea.

Samplepolooza at the Burlington Mall

Our loot:

4 pocket hand sanitizers, kitchen lemon, Bath & Bodyworks
2 cheese samples, Cabot cheese
1 sample foundation with mini brush, Sephora
1 chicken nugget, Chik Fil A

Stone pot bibim bap at woo jeon in the food court

Hmart food court...first course...pork buns and fried dumplings at young chow loo

Lobster and Butternut Squash Bisque

I was at Cosi to grab a quick lunch so I tried the new featured soup, the Lobster and Butternut Squash Bisque and it was delicious. Because the soup also had butternut squash, it wasn't quite as heavy as a traditional lobster bisque. There was even shredded lobster in the soup. All in all, paired with a piece of their flatbread, a yummy and hearty lunch on a cold day.

ABC easy as 123 with Amazon

I was in charge of planning the Zority's baby shower today and the event was super fun and delicious as it was a Za pizza in Arlington. Tons of their friends came and we enjoyed good food, drink and delicious cake from Lyndells. The theme was the Alphabet which was fitting since they'd requested their friends bring books to build a library for their baby. I shopped for ideas and bought most of my baby shower items from Amazon and since I have prime...they arrived just a few days later. The only items not from Amazon were the Cake, Flowers and the Juice Glasses I used for vases. I forgot to take pictures, but here's the recap.

Guest Book/Cards:
Each guest wrote a note on the back of an Alphabet Wall Cards featuring Animals for the Zoritys to keep as a memento for their baby shower

Favors:
I made little candy bags filled with Alphabet Gummi Candy.

Decor:

Hot pink Gerber Daisies in these adorable "Alphabet" juice glasses from C&B for centerpieces plus stacks of these lower case alphabet blocks from Uncle Goose. Check out how the animals on the blocks are all baby versions. As much as I wanted to keep the cute blocks, they too got passed to the Zoritys baby.

Games:

Adam and I created a multiple choice quiz about the Zoritys as kids with questions like, "Who was your childhood hero?" Although they weren't utilized much, I also put out baby themed mad libs on the tables.

Prizes:

Our two quiz winners received Hatched! The Big Push from Pregnancy to Motherhood [Zayne...boy Zayne] or the Wry Baby Mini Safe Baby Handling Kit.

Cake:

Our yummy cake was from Lyndells, a gold cake filled with custard and strawberry jam frosted with whipped cream. It was decorated with a big letter "D" in Red Sox font.

Cheesecake in a Jar - How Cool!

My friend Corinna sent me cheesecake in a jar. Who would have thunk it? I can't wait to try it and I love that it comes in these tiny single serve jelly jars.

Pink Epiphany

I was hanging out in Zess's very pretty [pink] bedroom when she had a epiphany about pink. The following is a reconstructed conversation:

Zess: I have a lot of pink in my room. My walls are pink. [pause] My dress is pink. My pillow is pink. [pause] My other pillow is pink and my third pillow is pink too. That painting is pink.
plasticann: I thought you liked pink.
Zess: I do, but I also like light blue and yellow and I don't have any blue.
plasticann: [looking around] What shade of blue do you like?
Zess: Baby blue.
plasticann: You have light blue stripes in your curtains.
Zess: I guess! I just think it's weird that everything is pink.

I wish I had three pillows...three pink pillows.

Sock Monkeys...

Over Christmas, Adam taught our nephew Zames all about the ways of the Sock Monkey. The following is a reconstructed conversation:

Adam: Zames, tell Aunt plasticann how many hours sock monkeys sleep.
Zames: 22 Hours!
plasticann: That's right, what do sock monkeys eat?
Zames: Socks!
plasticann: Socks??? I thought they ate striped bananas.
Adam: They do eat striped bananas.
plasticann: What do sock monkeys eat?
Zames: [Pause] They eat SOCKS!

Well, actually my two sock monkeys sleep for 20 hours a day and they're very active for 4 hours. I guess kid's sock monkeys sleep more for 22 hours which makes obviously makes sense because they're kids. Ha Ha! On another note, I just bought my 15th sock monkey today for a baby shower. The sock monkey lady commented, "Wow, you must know a lot of babies." Yes I do know a lot of babies and they just keep coming.