at the moment » yes, i made that

Drive to Work

marissa — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:20:41 +0000

I decided to play with iMovie. I hope to learn some more mad skills. Here’s my first attempt:

Drive to Work from Marissa on Vimeo.

I like to rock out when I drive to work. If nothing else, I hope you enjoy the music.

I take the scenic route because there is less traffic.

I could use the wipers more, but I love the way the raindrops stick to the windshield.

This is Wheaton/Glen Ellyn/Downers Grove everyone. Enjoy the ride – courtesy of a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer.

Recovery

marissa — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:35:08 +0000

I like to write. I used to write poetry a lot. I found this poem I wrote a few months ago and thought I’d post it. Maybe I’ll write more in the future.

——-

Recovery

I want to live
I want to love
I want to cry
I want to laugh

Life used to be a four-letter word
Unspoken
Unworthy
Silent
Days folded into darkness

Lost
Not knowing where to turn
Unsure and shy
Spinning in circles
Following the directions of those around me
Smothering the voice inside

No color
Sound
Taste
Smell or touch
Devoid of my basic self

Falling on uneven ground
Like a vacuum it pulls
Passively living without control
NO!
Refusing to see the world from the bottom up
I stand

Everyday I mold the earth that surrounds me
Climbing
Looking down
Falling back
But always rebuilding
Looking up

I want to live
I want to love
I want to cry
I want to laugh

I want life.

cha-cha-cha-chia

marissa — Sun, 06 May 2007 15:42:42 +0000

I’ve always wanted an herb garden. I love to use fresh basil as much as humanly possible and if you know me, I’m a cilantro freak. I love the stuff. So for Christmas I asked my mom for an herb garden. She got me the Chia Herb Garden with soil sponges. You can imagine that one would be a little skeptical of growing plants in sponges, but I wanted a herb garden, so that’s what I got. I decided to wait a while until spring to start the growth process. I told people at work about my new herb garden project and they said, “Oh yeah, I got one of those, it didn’t work.” So I was determined to grow some herbs. Check out the progress after 2 weeks!

#51 – half way there

marissa — Mon, 22 May 2006 02:30:35 +0000

Today I spent some time playing around with Photoshop and I created my really simple personal site. You should check it out!

tortellini soup is a hit

marissa — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 05:59:36 +0000

I used this recipe from Real Simple and made a few adjustments [in brackets]. My family LOVED it, I hope you do too!

(photo from Real Simple, soon to be replaced with a photo of my own)

1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces [I just used shredded chicken from a can - already cooked and saves time.]
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 carrots, cut into thin rounds
1/2 bunch Swiss chard, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips [I substituted spinach.]
1 8- to 9-ounce package tortellini, preferably vegetable [I used cheese.]
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan

[I skipped this whole part because the chicken I had was already cooked.]

Rinse the chicken pieces and remove the skin. Place them in a large saucepan. Add the broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the surface. Transfer the chicken to a plate; let cool. Shred the meat; discard the bones.

Meanwhile, strain the broth and return it to the saucepan. [Here is where I started to cook.]Bring to a boil. Add the carrots, Swiss chard, tortellini, salt, and pepper. Simmer according to the tortellini’s package directions. When the tortellini are done, add the chicken and heat for 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Yield: Makes 4 servings (9 cups)
[Time: If you use pre-cooked chicken and tortellini that is not frozen this can be made in about 20 minutes.]

Real Simple, FEBRUARY 2006