Nephew.. growing so fast!
Last time I wrote, A. had a handle bar mustache for Movember! Eeek! This update is more than long overdue. I suppose finals of 2nd term and a long winter break/intersession were the cause of the initial lag in writing, but letting 3rd term and spring break go by without a word? Oops! I mostly want to share some photos of the past fews months, followed by a post about my attendance at a Fulbright Enrichment Seminar in DC! Then maybe a brief update about plans for the summer and fall… it’s been a whirlwind first year in graduate school and it won’t stop with the end of the academic year in May!
Fun in NYC!
Matcha sugar cookies!
Jambalaya!
GUMBO! Connecting with my cajun cousins!
I have posted some photos over the last few weeks, but not actually written any kind of update. This is long overdue. I don’t have much to report, but will share some photos+comments about them. Second term at Hopkins has been as fast-paced as the first and maybe even more so. Finals will be upon my classmates and I very soon and Christmas break is just 2 weeks away!
Let’s start with the fall formal organized the School of Public Health Student Assembly - or grad school prom, as some people in my program so fondly called it. It was a smashing good time and we got all dressed up to attend. It was also in the first few days of Movember! Notice A. sporting his handle-bar stach, as well as a lovely photo with my friend, C.
Other than school, the last few weeks have basically been filled with cooking and trying out recipes with the slow cooker (best kitchen buy!). There’s a photo below of some home made pulled pork. The latest concoctions have been a chicken and jambalaya. I also made gumbo, after finding some fresh okra at the Waverly Market, not far from my place. I’ll make a photo post; it’ll be easier to properly display all the shots of the cooking process!
In other cooking-related news, this weekend has been sweeets-making heavy. After having bought banana pudding at the local grocery store many times, I thought I would take a stab at this traditional southern dish. It turned out fabulous! Completely homemade pudding, banana, Nilla wafers, and whipped cream with a touch of maple syrup. What could be better?
The holidays are fully upon us and that means making christmas-tree shaped cookies, etc. I attending a holiday cookie decorating party. It was great to just sit around chatting with our icing-lad sugary treats and tea. It also inspired me to make my own: matcha (green tea) cookies (photos in next post)! How lucky am I to get to eat tree shaped cookies next to our Christmas Tree! It has gotten smaller than previous years, a function of the small apartment size perhaps! This year’s tree has been named Bernadette (as in “Bernadette l’épinette”), or Bernie for short. She came all the way from NYC to B’more, on the Bolt Bus with A. He bought her at 2:30 am from a tree vendor just by his apartment… only in NYC!
On that note, I’ll leave you to upload those other food photos and get some rest! Tomorrow starts with a leisurely run, followed by some school work before I head to DC for a Our Bodies, Ourselves event in the evening. Pre-event, I’m meeting up with a friend from undergrad that I haven’t seen in far too long! Can’t wait!
S.
