kale chip how to

One of my new years resolutions is to eat healthier so I decided to start making some healthy snacks.  Kale chips are super easy to make and really yummy.

You can use any type of kale:  curly, dinosaur, spear, etc.

Wash kale and remove middle stem part of leaves.  Very important:  dry leaves thoroughly otherwise chips will be chewy rather than crispy.

Put leaves in an even layer on a baking sheet and, using hands, rub oil into every part of the leaves.  Sprinkle with salt and other desired spices.  Bake in oven at 300 degrees for 8-10 min.

Ta da!

musical thoughts

I am in the process of trying out a viola!  The prospect of getting a new viola is super exciting but also a little terrifying because it's not only a big investment, but a representation of my future self in music.  I have a viola that I use but getting a nicer viola means, to me, that I am committing to stay in music and be more active.  I love the idea of this but I just need to make time which is easier said than done.

My friend Maureen, an amazing violist, was kind enough to contact a friend who is selling several violas and we met a few weeks ago so I could try them.  My friend, James, was also kind enough to come along with me for an extra set of ears.

The viola I picked is a bit out of my price range but I'm falling in love with it more and more every time I play it.  I am getting more mentally serious about learning the Brandenburg and decided to take a break from violin until after the concert is done.  I even gave my lovely violin to James to use in the mean time so she doesn't just sit in the corner of my room.  If anyone is in NYC and wants to come, the concert is at the beginning of May!

xoxo- MK

home sweet home

I recently got back from visiting my mom in Wisconsin.  While I was there I realized how much I miss seeing my mom in person!

Unlike most people, we talk on the phone every day and use skype on a semi-regular basis so I feel like I "see" my mom all the time.  I hadn't been home since last Christmas and my sister, Jenna, and I haven't been home at the same time for 2 years.  Jenna and I talked about going home more often than once a year so we're already thinking about a trip home at some point in spring time.

One of my mom's cousins found these photos of my dad with Jenna and me as babies and sent them to her.  We put them together to get the whole picture.

I also got to see Jacki!  I haven't seen her for over a year either so it was great to catch up, see her new apartment, and meet her new cat- who has no name and is really, really mean... but I still liked her.

xoxo- MK

2012 reading list

In 2011 I decided that I didn't read enough.  I got held up reading things I didn't like (I have this awful mental block where I can't start another book until I finish the current one.  This is usually an arduous process and usually leads to me throwing some sort of tantrum) and in the fall I got a tv which, after not having cable for years, became the thing I looked forward to doing every day (letting my brain turn to mush while watching Grey's Anatomy and the entire series of Felicity).

I gave myself a goal to read 15 books in 2012.  I ended up reading 28!  I'm so impressed with myself.

Books 2012

1. Wind Up Bird Chronicles- H. Murakami

2. Little Women- L.M. Alcott 

3. Norwegian Wood- H. Murakami

4. After the Quake- H. Murakami

5. After Dark- H. Murakami

6. A Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao- J. Diaz

7.  The Broom of the System- D.F. Wallace

8.  Identical Strangers- E. Schein & P. Bernstein

9.  The Art of Eating In- C. Erway

10.  Blindness- J. Saramago

11.  A Wild Sheep Chase- H. Murakami

12.  Room- E. Donoghue

13.  Wild- C. Strayed 

14.  1Q84- H. Murakami

15.  Lolita- V. Nabokov

16.  Everything Beautiful Came After- S. Van Booey

17.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower- S. Chbosky

18.  Stranger Than Fiction- C. Palahniuk

19.  The Time Traveler's Wife- A. Niffenegger

20.  Dog On It- S. Quinn

21.  Thereby Hangs a Tail- S. Quinn

22. To Fetch a Thief- S. Quinn

23.  The Dog Who Knew Too Much- S. Quinn

24.  A Fistful of Collars- S. Quinn

25.  A Cat Was Involved- S. Quinn

26.  The Humbling- P. Roth

27.  American Pastoral- P. Roth

28.  The Psychopath Test- J. Ronson

If you can't tell, I really like Murakami.  The world that his characters live in is surreal and incredibly imaginative.  I also really liked Quinn's books.  You will like them too if you like books told from an animal's perspective.  Also, I finally read Lolita.  It confused the hell out of me.  Feeling bad for a pedofile is something I didn't think would ever happen.  

I liked so many of the books I read and would really recommend most of them.  Except Little Women.  I really hated Little Women.  

Since my commute to work is at least an hour I have plenty of time to read on the train.  After I surpassed my original goal of 15 books, I wanted to double my goal and read 30 books before the end of the year; however, sometime in early December I didn't have a free hand to hold my book, so I started listening to an episode of "This American Life" and was reminded of how much I love Ira Glass.  He's such an amazing journalist and I find his voice to be very soothing during underground rush hour traffic.  Listening to his voice drowns out my own thoughts of kicking someone for leaning against the pole so noone else can use it.  Consequently, the last 2-3 weeks has been spent catching up on TAL episodes that I've missed over the last year or so and not reading Franny and Zoey of which I am 2/3 of the way through.

Happy New Year everyone!  

My new goal is 20 books and to catch up to current TAL episodes- I'm 6 months behind...

xoxo

MK

goodbye 2012

In preparation for launching full speed into the new year I'm making, Tom, the turkey.  My first turkey. I don't like animal carcasses.  They make me feel bad and remind me why I was a vegetarian for so long.  BUT!  One of my resolutions- facing and hopefully conquering my fears- includes Tom.  Yes, bigger cooking projects scare me a bit so here we go!

I have, as usual, made approximately 50 New Year's resolutions and plan on keeping all of them.  I should probably add "set more realistic, attainable" goals to the list, but what's the fun in that?

This year, like all years had its high and low points.  Events have without question made me a stronger person and I'm feeling very grateful.  I always believe that everything happens how it supposed to (not in a predetermined way- more like a choose your own adventure, karmic way) and that has never steered me wrong.

2013 will be filled with lots of hard work, more calculated decisions (one of my resolutions), spontaneous adventures with friends, music making, patience, and love.

I'm starting the new year off right with a possible viola purchase and a visit to WI with Jenna to visit my mom.

Happy new year, everyone!

xoxo
MK

work.sandy.montreal.music.

I totally forgot to write about this, but I have a new (old) job!  I'm working at Club Monaco again and am so glad to be back.  Anthropologie turned out to be not such a good fit for me.  Since I've been back, I started working at the SoHo location and was recently moved/promoted to the Columbus Ave store.  It's a really great place for me and will definitely help me have more exposure with corporate members.  The commute is longer than I'd like, but I'm getting a lot of reading done so I'm not complaining.

Hurricane Sandy happened.  All of the stores were closed for 2 days (the downtown stores were closed longer because they didn't have power until the end of the week) and I was really happy because the impromptu time off coincided with my annual fall-to-winter-transition sickness.  I definitely needed the extra time to rest and felt much better when I went back to work.  Aaron, Dan, and I spent some quality time hanging out and I got to crush them at Scrabble which was loads of fun.

Also, Dan and I went to Montreal shortly after the hurricane which was a nice little get away.  Dan gave me the trip for my birthday which was super sweet.  It's only 6 hours away so we opted to drive instead of fly.  I was paranoid before we left because of the major gas shortage but it all worked out well.  We stayed in this super swanky hotel in the middle of downtown so we were able to walk everywhere which was very convenient.  We saw Old Montreal, the Quebec Club Monaco (my request of course), the Notre Dame Basilica, went to a Scandinavian relaxation bath house, and did a ton of walking around.  I'd love to go back because there were a lot of things that we didn't have time to do.

In other news, I'm doing a ton of playing right now (probably too much as usual) and am feeling very run down.  I say this to myself all the time, but I'm going to try to slow down once I get through all the concerts I'm doing right now.  Last year this lead to me getting shingles which was no fun at all.  Maybe pacing myself will be my new year's resolution.  I am actually really excited that I was asked to play a viola solo in a concert in May so I've been thinking about cutting back after December is over and just focusing on that for the spring time.  We shall see.  

2012 book goal thoughts

At the beginning of this year I decided that I did not read enough last year.  I have a tendency to get stuck if I don't like what I'm reading, aka I hated "Confederacy of Dunces" so I read about 1 chapter every 2 weeks.  It was torture!  Ignatius Reilly I hate you.

In reaction to this stuckness, I decided to give myself a goal of reading 15 books in 2012 which seemed completely attainable.   The many lovely suggestions from friends paired with my current hour+ commute to Rock Center gave me high hopes of finishing within my given time frame.

Earlier this week I finished my 15th book, and I still have 4 months left to go!!!  Goal #1, check.

MK's Reading List 2012

1. Wind Up Bird Chronicles- H. Murakami

2. Little women- L.M. Alcott 

3. Norwegian wood- H. Murakami

4. After the Quake- H. Murakami

5. After Dark- H. Murakami

6. A Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao- J. Diaz

7.  The Broom of the System- D.F. Wallace

8.  Identical Strangers- E. Schein & P. Bernstein

9. The Art of Eating In- C. Erway

10.  Blindness- J. Saramago

11.  A Wild Sheep Chase- H. Murakami

12.  Room- E. Donoghue

13.  Wild- C. Strayed 

14.  1Q84- H. Murakami

15.  Lolita- V. Nabokov

If you noticed, I decided that I love Murakami.  His surrealist world and well-developed characters makes for a very compelling tale.  Go read "Wind Up Bird Chronicles" right now!