Taco night!

I'm sitting in my dorm room listening to Juanes and the sound of Spanish-speaking construction workers on Chapel St. (who have been working non-stop since 6 A.M...on a Saturday...) getting in the mood to answer this most pressing of questions from Anna: 

"I am planning on having an authentic taco night. What should I put in these tacos of mine? I want them to be nothing but the best, as is our culinary tradition. I am thinking rice with a hint of lime, black beans, seasoned chicken perhaps? And some fresh vegetables sautéed to perfection. Any advice on this undertaking? "

Do I ever! Thanks for the nostalgic question, chica. Little known fact--our first dinner experience together was making burritos for Anna's ridiculously large family. Does this make me an expert on the subject? Why do you even have to ask that question? 

Julie's burrito recipe (I know you said tacos, but no one likes tacos. Don't question a Jedi): 

Rice (white is traditionally preferred, but I'm a firm believer that basmati works in everything) mixed with the juice of a fresh-squeezed lime and finely chopped fresh cilantro

Black beans (from a can works, but if you want to get all fancy, why not soak some dehydrated beans overnight in water then season with some salt and pepper?)

Boneless chicken cutlets cut into small cubes. Marinade is key--lime juice, salt, pepper, possibly some teriyaki/soy sauce/orange juice/mint if you want a little Asian infusion, or chili powder/cumin/cinnamon/nutmeg if you want a little sweet and spicy flavor profile. 

Romaine lettuce cut into small strips

Tomato/corn salsa (I like a mixture of the two)

Finely shredded pepper jack/cheddar/mozzarella cheese, if you want to get really fancy!

Optional (this is getting pretty full)--sauteed veggies: onions, bell peppers...I don't know, go to the farmer's market!

One kick-ass playlist (may I suggest Journey, Vampire Weekend, Mumford and Sons, and Barefoot Truth for starters?)

Tortillas. Ok, this part is really key. This is pretty much all we ate on our pre-orientation camping trip, so I fancy myself somewhat of a connoisseur. This part is entirely dependent on your previous concoctions, and can make or break your burrito. Of course, you can always pull a Chipotle and use a plain one, or whole wheat if you want to pretend that's better for you. However, if you're feeling adventurous, why not become familiar with the entire line of tort offerings? Some suggestions: lemon cilantro (if that complements your previous flavor profile) and red pepper (if you're trying to build the whole nutrition pyramid)are both delish. 

Sorry for the lack of time for snarkiness--I'm off to lunch at the president's abode! Ciao!

Green pants should have no one inside them.

My first pressing question, and a day before I leave Akron to boot!

"Now I know you haven't left yet, but I thought I'd throw this your way. Just for starters, I found this pair of soft green pants at the Village. Lighter than Kelly green, but darker than sea foam green. Now, I normally don't wear green pants, but I read this Dr. Seuss story about a pair of green pants with no one inside. So that made me want to wear them. Plus they were $2, and they're from the Gap. Have any advice? This is a major fork in my road. Help me."


Ok, you know what I have to say? Do you know who wears green pants? Leprechauns, golfers, hipsters who think working on farms is glamorous and trendy, paired with a plaid flannel! Also, incidentally, the Green Giant:

I do want to point something out. Two things, actually. First, you described them as "soft." If this means something between a legging and a sweat, I can't believe you're even asking me. You are not making a Jane Fonda workout video. Second, the shade between sea foam and kelly? What is that, fava bean? By the way, I never understood that. Sea foam is a dirty white, not green. Who came up with that? Way to ruin our vision of nature, Martha Stewart! Anyways, lima/fava/soybean green is never attractive on anyone, unless you're a stir fry. Are you a stir fry, Anna? You should be ashamed to have to answer that question. 

Now, before you think you've bested me by pointing out that I did recently acquire a pair of green pants myself for $2.50 at the Village...I will admit that I did. Readily. My pants are not "soft." I do not plan on pairing them with leg warmers and a matching sweatband. Also, they are not bean green. They are cargo. Furthermore, they are a fantastic grab--they roll up to capris of two different lengths. Beat that with a stick, Anna. And while you're at it, use that stick for kindling the fire that will consume your soft green pants and matching elastic-banded Kitty Foreman skirt. 

You're welcome in advance. Happy move-in!

Hey, Julie?

College brings a lot of feelings. Many of us are nervous to have to meet all new people, some are purely excited for the opportunity to completely reinvent ourselves, most of us are sad to leave our old friends. I know that I'm going to miss my best friend Anna more than anything. Who else is going to tell me I can't actually pull off those overalls? Who's going to to skip lame school dances in order to make paella? Who do I know that can get away with wearing maroon soccer shorts every day? Actually, no one...but Anna seems to think she can. So what am I going to do 500 miles away? How am I going to answer those pressing questions--why in the world did you buy a ukulele? Seriously, I thought we've been through this, do you really think you can bend over in those overalls? What should I make as a side dish for kabobs? Well, I'll just have to blog it! Cyber-send over those questions, Anna!