Get me outta here!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I read in 2013

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. For more info about the meme and how to participate, click here.
 

Top Ten Books I read in 2013

1. Harmonic Feedback - Tara Kelly


2. Vain (The Seven Deadly Sins #1) - Fisher Amelie


3. Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) - Veronica Rossi


4. Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) - Tahereh Mafi


5. Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1) - Katie McGarry


6. OCD, The Dude, and Me -






Saturday, December 7, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Releases


 
 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. For more info about the meme and how to participate, click here.

Top Ten 2014 Releases

A very late list but I was just looking at some releases for 2014 on Goodreads.
 
1. Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) - Veronica Rossi


2. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) -






















Monday, November 18, 2013

Recipe: Quick and Easy Tomato & Bean Soup

After a night of drinking and a morning of having a migraine aura, I felt like something filling, hearty, warm and comforting for dinner tonight. It also had to be easy and quick because I didn't want to be in the kitchen so much so I quickly threw together this soup which was surprisingly delicious. The two kind of beans and pasta make is substantial and adding some fresh veggies makes it even more nutritious.

 Ingredients

Onion
Bell pepper
Olive oil
Vegetable stock
Pasta (preferable something smaller that works well in a soup, I used thin gobetti)
Mushrooms (I used canned but fresh would be better)
Can of diced tomatoes
Passata
Can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
Can of butter beans (or another white bean) (drained and rinsed)
Salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Start by sauteing the chopped onion and bell pepper in some olive oil. Add the vegetable stock (the amount depends on how much pasta you're using) and add the pasta. Continue by adding the mushrooms, tomatoes and purée, let it all simmer for a while until the pasta gets softer and then add the beans. Let everything simmer for a while until the vegetables and pasta are completely done and add the salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Serve and enjoy!

I added some sriracha for an extra kick and you can also add some garlic with the onion and bell pepper if you like. It's a really simple but tasty soup which can be whipped up in the blink of an eye basically. I improvised with what I had and wanted to keep it light on the spices but you can add more vegetables if you like or some more spices like oregano or basil.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Weekly Wishes

The Nectar Collective

 Weekly Wishes is a linkup to talk about your goals and wishes for the upcoming week, you can check it out over at The Nectar Collective.

This weeks theme is hobbies. I don't really feel like I have any exciting hobbies so have a picture of my dog which sort of counts like a hobby I guess except this hobby is part of the family.





What I got done

PhD

  • 3 to 6 pomodori a day depending on if it's a work day or I otherwise don't get around to doing 6.
Day doing 6 pomodori were rare, I only managed that yesterday due to immense procrastination on other days. I also didn't work on some days but on others I did 3 pomodori of work and as I did finish the stuff I wanted to finish I'm okay with that. Looking back at periods in which I didn't do any work, I'm doing well.
  • Finish the reread of The Last of the Crazy People.
Done!
  • Start taking notes of the novel.
Done! I got to page 100 or something like that.
  • Finish the tying up of the loose ends.
Done!
  • Depending on how I get ahead with this, start writing the next part.
Not done because I need to finish taking notes so I can build my analysis around the quotes from the novel. Stuff has been forming in my head while rereading and typing the notes though so that's something.
  • Consider if I wait for my friend or if I just send my stuff to my supervisor.
The jury is still out on this one. I could just send it to him but I prefer another set of eyes on it. I should decide on this soon though.

Reading

  • Read so I get ahead on the Autumn Challenge.
I did read some but not as much as I wanted to but that might have to do with my recent Parks and Recreation office more than anything else. Almost finished with the novel I'm reading though which I can put in one of the categories and then I'll get on with the next one.

Goals for this week

PhD

  • Finish taking notes of The Last of the Crazy People.
  • Try and find secondary sources for The Last of the Crazy People.
  • Start writing my analysis of The Last of the Crazy People, and preferable finish it.
  • Go through the secondary sources for The Edible Woman once more.
  • Finally email supervisor.
Reading
  • Continue reading to get on with the challenges as the year is slowly ending.
  • Read A Streetcar Named Desire so I can better help my student with it.
Cooking
  • Finally cook that beetroot soup I've been meaning to cook.
  • Try another new recipe so I can actually finish my 52 new vegan recipes this year.
Blogging
  • Blog more than just these weekly goals. 

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Weekly Wishes

The Nectar Collective 

 Weekly Wishes is a linkup to talk about your goals and wishes for the upcoming week, you can check it out over at The Nectar Collective.

This weeks theme is warmth.



I didn't get around to posting last week, mostly because I just didn't but also because I didn't really accomplish my goals last week, mostly the PhD stuff, and I guess I didn't want to face that.

What I Got Done

 
PhD
  • Edit the next chapter and finish it so I can send it to my friend.
Done! It's Academic Writing Month and I decided to participate again (after I failed last year) and I got everything that needed to be written and edited done in two days after slagging a lot before.
  • Email my professor, again I might wait until I can include the next chapter.
Not yet, waiting until my friend has read my writings.
  • Start reading some of the loose ends I got lying around.
Done! I haven't read all of the loose ends but I've started.
Reading
  • Read Allegiant, or better manage to get my hands on a physical copy. This is more of a wish than a goal since I can't really do much about it.
Done and done!

Blog
  • Keep blogging regularly.
Not done. Sadly, I get lazy about this.
  • Keep the other blog updated.
See above.
  • Work on stuff (cryptic).
Done!
 
Cooking
  • Find another new recipe to try out.
I have cooked like I always do but I don't think I tried something completely new. Putting new stuff on a pizza is not really new. I did make kale and potato mash on Sunday, which I had never done before but it's not a new dish because my mom has cooked this since forever. First time for me though so let's go with half done here.

Photography 
  • Catch up on Photo A Day
Done but I'm yet again behind a couple of days, but going to catch up tonight or tomorrow.
 
General
  • Send email about my fanclub card and the meeting
Done!

Goals for this week

PhD
  • 3 to 6 pomodori a day depending on if it's a work day or I otherwise don't get around to doing 6.
  • Finish the reread of The Last of the Crazy People.
  • Start taking notes of the novel.
  • Finish the tying up of the loose ends.
  • Depending on how I get ahead with this, start writing the next part.
  • Consider if I wait for my friend or if I just send my stuff to my supervisor.
I think that for this month I'm just going to concentrate on my PhD goals considering that it's Academic Writing Month, it seems like more than enough to get done until Monday and I really need to get cracking because I was so tired yesterday, I didn't do anything and on Sunday I busied myself with stupid stuff and skipped that day... Although let me put one more.

Reading
  • Read so I get ahead on the Autumn Challenge.