Friday Randomness 4-4-14

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• Last summer I started watching the TV series The West Wing. I just finished it up on Monday night! That was a really fantastic show, and I’m trying to figure out what to watch next.
• On a related note, I’ve never watched any Star Trek TV shows. (Ken was pretty appalled to learn this a few months after we started dating!) But I kind of feel like maybe I should? There are so many pop culture references to Star Trek that always just go right over my head. I started watching Star Trek the Original Series on Amazon Prime the other night, but it just seemed SO CHEESY. Should I watch it?
• My garden is popping up seedlings like crazy! I may have to transplant them larger containers indoors a few times before it’s warm enough to plant them outside!
• This news has been making its way around the travel blogs like crazy. I am so, so excited by this development. I frequently fly from Washington, DC > Pittsburgh, and since US Airways pretty much has a monopoly on that route, flights can be very, very expensive ($400+ for just a 30 minute flight). I checked flights for some weekends I plan to travel to Pittsburgh this spring and summer, and Avios availability seems to be plentiful! So excited to have this redemption opportunity!
• I took an Advanced Microsoft Excel workshop on Macros the other day at work. I work in Excel a lot, and I was interested in learning some of the powerful things you can do using macros and Visual Basic programming. After taking a course like that, I realize that I only use a minute fraction of Excel’s functionality. I want to learn even more about it!
• I am in need of some new cookware. I registered for some when we got married a few years ago, but only got a few stainless steel pieces, which I unfortunately hate. Everything sticks to them and they seem impossible to get clean! All our other pieces are cheap-o starter pieces we’ve had since getting our first apartments. I’m thinking about going for more cast iron pieces, as well as some nonstick pieces. But why do nonstick pieces seem to be SO expensive these days though? $79 for a saucepan? Ummm, no. Any recommendations for good cookware brands?
• Have you ever wondered why a ribbon curls after scraping scissors on it? Well, I never wondered until I actually heard someone ask the question!
• I’m going to start planning a trip to Key West in the fall. Do you have any recommendations? I saw this National Park, Dry Tortugas, which is near Key West but accessible only by Ferry or Seaplane. I’m wondering if it’s worth the time and effort to get there?
• I have exceptionally long hair. Like halfway down my butt long. Going to the salon for a haircut is a rare occurrence for me, and when I do go, it is very, very frustrating. I have yet to find a “long hair-friendly” stylist. They all want me to chop off my hair in some shoulder length trendy cut. I love doing elaborate braids and buns, so I like keeping my hair long. It had been nearly a year since my last professional cut (I do at-home trims myself), and I went to a new salon because the last place messed up my bangs. This stylist seemed outright disgusted that I wanted to keep my hair long. I almost got up and left. Might I add that my hair is very thick and healthy, so it’s not like I’m keeping a head full of damaged tresses. Ugh. The search for a long-hair friendly salon continues. Maybe I should just go to a Hair Cuttery or something?

What we ate this week

Tried and True Recipes.

• Homemade Pizza using this dough recipe in my bread maker. But, instead of canned pizza sauce, I made homemade pizza sauce. It was just okay. Almost too tomato-ey? I think I would’ve liked it better with crushed tomatoes instead of the strong flavor of tomato paste.
• Neat Sloppy Joe’s. Been making this recipe for several years now (minus the celery because Ken doesn’t like celery). A very easy, one pot, quick cooking meal!
• Garlic Chicken Cheese Roll-Ups. Another recipe I’ve been making for years. So yummy and flavorful (which is not always something I can say about chicken!)

New Recipes

• Fettuccine Alfredo. I have been tinkering with several Fettuccine Alfredo recipes for a few years now, and have never really found one that I like. The sauce is always much “browner” than I’m used to getting in restaurants, and never seems to be as creamy. Embarrassedly, I really like the Alfredo from Olive Garden. So I googled Olive Garden Alfredo recipe, and voila! Many options. We tried this one, and I definitely think it is the best Alfredo recipe I’ve tried thus far! I subbed real grated garlic for the garlic powder.

We also went out to eat one night in Baltimore for a family birthday, and had a very light dinner of Bread and Brie Cheese from Trader Joe’s another night.