Fancy Grilled Cheese Family Project: #3

Special weekend edition! My beautiful friend Colleen came over for a Sunday meal prepared with love, freshly ground coffee and good conversation. I’m glad we caught up. I am also glad we created this beautiful breakfast grilled cheese with a story.

I present you with the modified Croque Madame member of the fancy grilled cheese family: New Mexico Croque Madame.

This is a beautiful woman in her early 40′s. She has wild hair, restless spirit, a dozen pairs of cowboy boots, vibrant memories and a lot of determination. She has a ranch in New Mexico, and a stable of beautiful horses (she breeds them). She never married, and never wanted to; she follows her heart and her passions. She used to live in France a decade ago. She’s a bit of a black sheep in this Fancy Grilled Cheese family, but she enjoys that. Every cousin is secretly jealous of her vivacity and thirst for life.

Ingredients

• Two slices of organic rye bread
• Avocado
• Dijon mustard
• Two eggs
• Muenster cheese (from Finland, no preservatives and lactose-free)
• Unsalted Butter
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• A dash of nutmeg
• 1 cup of milk
• Salt & Pepper
• Hungarian Paprika

The process in two parts (for 2 people by the way)

1) (Easy) Prepare the sauce by combining 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small sauce pan. Wait for it to melt. Whisk in the flour. Add whole milk and keep whisking for 5 minutes. You gotta keep whisking it every minute or so in order to keep the saucy consistency.

2) (Requires effort and concentration) Grab a slice from each sandwich and liberally spread sauce on both sides. Let it sit and soak it up. You shouldn’t have any leftover sauce.

Then grab Muenster cheese and distribute it liberally on both sandwiches. Be liberal if you want the cheese to ooze later on! Add slices of avocado on each sandwich. Top it off with another slice of Muenster. Grab the other slices of bread, spread Dijon muster on the inside of that slice and form a sandwich. Spread some butter on the top of the sandwich.

Place them on the pan. Remember, low heat, longer time. Cover with lid. Carefully turn them over (I use a spatula and tongs) after 2-3 minutes and continue.

In the meantime, crack an egg in a small pan and fry the egg with the lid on as well. I’ve a silicon heart-shaped egg thingy to produce lovely egg topping

Place the grilled cheese on the plate, add the egg on top, sprinkle with Hungarian paprika. Voilà!

More photos

Fancy Family Grilled Cheese Project:

Grilled Cheese #1: Swiss Uncle Fruity

Grilled Cheese #2: Distant Eastern European Relative (Hungarian)

Stay tuned for Fancy Grilled Cheese family member #4. I’ll post later this week.

Year-Long Personal Project

On Sunday my friend and the talented photographer Eugen Sakhnenko updated his Twitter with “Working on Atlas – I love this project! I recommend everyone take-on a consistent longterm personal project.” And I thought, Damn Straight!

Then I thought about what my year-long project was. I mean, I had the 2010 strategy lined up and I get back to it every month and review. So that’s a project. In fact, to make sure that I follow my personal goals, I take advantage of the “Future planning” section in my analog planner (that’s right, I don’t use neither Calendar nor notes on my iPhone). Every month has 4-5 lines on which I can write my monthly goals. So far I have achieved every goal, except one. That’s been 14 things that I did. Some are simple, some are literally month-long (like my growing “Go to the gym _ times this month”) and so on. The point is, I set a goal OR a project and worked on that for a month. There are some improvements I could make, but give me a break, I’m learning and already doing a whole truckload of stuff.

But what about the creative side? To my defense, four of my friends and I have started a Photo Club where we disperse assignments to each other and come back a month later with prints of our work. That’s going well, albeit slow at times since we need to accommodate everyone’s schedule.

Then I realized that my creative ish project is the 3-books-a-month. I set out to read three books a month.Why? I like reading, I’ve always done it. Back in high school I’d read a book a week, but university killed that ambition. Now is my chance to read what I missed, to learn more and to improve my own writing. JUST LISTEN TO DR SEUSS: “The more that you read, the more things you will know / The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

I’m at 7 books right now, and have 100 pages to go in my current reading material. Plus, I’ve almost finished another book. So that will be 9 by March 31 (or a few days into April. Don’t be afraid to spill into a new month).

In 3 months I will update with my list of 18 and, hopefully, more Look at me and my S.M.A.R.T. goals. Priceless.

What are your year-long projects, if any? You can start at any time, you know.

Self-Made Miró

Recently I read a fantastic biography of Joan Miró, “Miró: The Life of a Passion” by Lluis Permanyer. During my visit to the Miró Foundation in Barcelona’s Parc de Montjuïc I discovered a lot about Miró. I never knew he produced some of the works that I found. In my 2008 notes I wrote “check out his hair pursued by two planets AND letters and numbers attracted by a spark”. I remember the wonderful balance between objects in the paintings, between tension and sweet resolve. And the blinding building, the white mixing into unbearable starlight piercing the eyes. Sunglasses futile.

To get back to the book. I am amazed by his determination, willpower, and confidence in self. Many people didn’t believe in him, including his own father. He struggled with poverty, with unacceptance, but ultimately, he remain loyal to himself, true to heart and never stopping.

Miró had a vigorous routine, he was not a social animal, he worshipped work, he was with the same woman throughout his whole life, he always did the right thing. I understand it’s difficult, and I know it’s some paralyzing. I’m in awe. You can and should build yourself. Make yourself. There is only one life, why not stick to your guns. If Joan could get through all the hardships, wars and persecution, so can we get ahead in our comfortable lives.

Look. Miró’s routine around 1934:

At six o’clock he got up, washed and had coffee and a few slices of bread for breakfast; at seven he went into the studio and worked non-stop until twelve, when he stopped to do an hour of energetic exercise, like boxing or running; at one o’clock he sat down for a frugal but well-prepared lunch, which he finished off with a coffee and three cigarettes, neither more nor less; then he practised his ‘Mediterranean yoga’, a nap, but for just five minutes; at two he would receive a friend, deal with business matters or write letters; at three he returned to the studio, where he stayed until dinner time at eight o’clock; after dinner he would read for a while or listen to music. All told, an inflexible routine which he imposed on himself faultlessly and recognized as necessary to ‘keep fit’ as a painter.

From the same book:

“Miró told me that he used to go to bed very early, and never without meditating conscientiously on what he was to do the next day: this helped him to concentrate his attention and to attack his work with dizzying vitality early the next morning.”

Master Organizer

I took this in Vancouver in 2003;
uploaded by dreamtiger

I have issues with time. I keep thinking – I know, – it goes away somewhere and is never coming back. Which is not a lie to be thinking. I try to fill up my time with meaningful activities, good people, cultural enrichment, jolly delicious food and drink, and generally good things for me.

I, like many of us humans, tend to forget things as well. That’s where the electronic, Internet and old-school analog productivity and remembrance tools come in:

Since 2004 I have been keeping a series of To-Do Books. They are the classic 32-page, 7mm ruled Exercise Books with a Canadian map on them; I believe children practice writing in those; those exercise books are relics sort of. I’ve been using them (am on book 6) to write down tasks I had to do. All tasks fit into either the Career/Academic column or Personal/Hobby one. It works, folks. When I’m not at home, I jot stuff down in the Gmail tasks feature – it’s split into work/career activities and personal/whatever lists.

I downloaded Awesome Note for my iPhone, which I love, and which is helping me manage various types of lists, from what to buy at Shoppers Drugmart to Business Books I want to read to longer-term professional and personal goals.

I love me wall Calendar and scribbling in the little squares. I’ve a weekly Organizer which is something I miss from the days of school – weekly agenda with homework, appointments, dates, parties, and big due dates.

Every evening i prepare my Daily To-do post-it. It’s usually for the day ahead type a thing – key tasks and pressing issues that need to be resolved. Usually no more than 3-5 tasks, although I personally find that if I overwhelm myself I’m more likely to start working on them at 10am instead of waiting till 2pm on a Sunday afternoon.

When I feel that I won’t be able to make the most of the groceries in the fridge, I sometimes write out meal plans. But they’re the least successful as I scramble things around.

NOW. That does not mean that I never relax. I also plan Days of Nothing, where my biggest task for the day is to go to a spa, make my way to a coffee shop, or just walk for at least 30 minutes.

I don’t beat myself over uncompleted tasks, some of which have been known to carry on from page to page in my To Do Book for weeks!

PS. One more blog post tomorrow and my blog-writing will equal that of August 2009. This December I will try to beat last December’s numbers, but 17 entries is a lot and I want to enjoy my time with the family.

End of Semester Musings

The semester ended on a very positive note. In fact, the last 4 months were the most productive in 2008, most positive and great – except for the strip between mid-Nov to mid-Dec: never again. I established relationships with my professors (3 out of 8 all time favorites are from this term), finally figured out what shape my career should take – accounts in the advertising business or strategic planning, particularly for creative ventures. God knows creative folk need help with directions (love y’all). Last semester was actually the best semester one, school-wise and life-wise. Marks were: A+, A, A- and B. Pretty satisfying, considering I didn’t study for the Int’l Mkt final, and got a B, and I pulled myself out of the B zone in Ethics in Finance. In fact, that class was one of the best ones I took, thanks to the amazing prof Allen Goss.

I leveled out and gained some perspective; I don’t take no for an answer and don’t feel lost at all. I’ve thrown out skeletons out of my closet and become more honest than ever before. I stopped wondering what this person’s and that person’s opinion of me would be if I did this and that. I am my own kind of person, I’ve done my inventory, and I patiently wait to break bread with my nearest and dearest (R, W, H, B, T, R, P, M, R in particular!).

I’m ready to hit the ground running and I cannot wait for the next year to start. Two thousand and hate is over, that ridiculous, cleansing, all-encompassing year, and now it’s time to conquer the next one. All my dreams will come true, and there is not a single thing I won’t be able to claim as my own. Look out, two thousand and mine! Sneak peek:2010 is to explode, considering it’s the year of the Tiger. And guess who’s the tiger here.

On Talking Fast

Last week at work a young handsome man of African descent told me that perhaps I should speak a little slower. He said something about 50% slower. I shrugged it off, and said that people can actually adjust to a fast pace, especially if you’re making crystal clear sense. It’s definitely easier to adjust to a faster speech than an accent or incomprehensible blabber; worse yet, it’s incredibly hard to understand a poorly constructed or illogical dialogue.

Now, I’ve looked at the Introduction to the Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy, and guess what: “I advised the reader to restrict himself to ninety words a minute in television commercials. It is now known that, on average, 200 words a minute sells more of your product. Pitchmen in open-air markets know this, so they talk fast.” (p. 17) That was in 1988. Twenty years later, I’m willing to bet on 300.

Why am I likening myself to television commercials (obviously, the effective ones)? Because I see myself as the product. My own self. A Brand. Those of you who know me personally (and not), know exactly what I am talking about. I am selling myself, and it usually works. In addition to talking fast, the mind has to be going twice as fast, as I’ve to come up with punchlines, think about possible objections or answers to questions before you get to formulating them. Most of the time, it’s intoxicating to listen to a fast speech :-p My thinking doesn’t stop when my mouth stops. Imagine what a blessing it is when writing exams and papers. Wouldn’t you, as my employer, want to have someone who can outthink the sceptics and plunge into problem-solving before the vast majority does?

High Achievements & Still Highs

Ibiza, Aug 2008. Rocking out with my socks out...

…on life Been hustlin’ and hustlin’ and hustlin’.

When I was at BBDO on Monday, the HR lady practically interviewed me right there and then. One of the many questions she asked me, “What was your greatest achievement?” Or the achievement I was most proud about. Historically, my victories have all been academic, as I haven’t actually embarked on that up-the-ladder journey (I’ll more likely be hopping up two or three ladders simultaneously) yet.

So, an achievement that I am most proud of so far is the one relating to me having gone from a B/B- GPA at the University of British Columbia (my finance dark days) to an A average, which then led to a Golden Key Society Membership. I have always been a straight A student, but some things happened at the university level and I had a lot of ground to cover to reach a Golden Key level. And I did.

Another achievement that I always think about took place in 1997 when my family just moved back to Russia (Magadan city) from Czech Republic (Prague). I was 11 and I forgot Russian at that point. But I quickly got it back. I was placed in grade 3, and our homeroom teacher presented us with a mathematical problem from the grade 6 curriculum. I did not have the math backing to solve the problem, but since all 40 of us 11 year olds had to present some kind of a solution to our teacher, I struggled. I struggled for 48 hours and couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t figure it out until 2 hours before the class, when a strike of genius commanded my hand to write some grade 6 math gibberish (grade 8 by Western standards), and et voila – the satisfied and respectful face of my teacher always appears in my head when I do something amazing.

clear out the junk

Originally uploaded by dreamtiger

I used to allocate a lot of my personal & precious time to things like being mad at my boyfriend for insignificant things. In reality, there were maybe about five things I should have really been mad about. I must’ve had too much time on my hands. I also loved to devote my time to getting angry at friends for silly things, although those frenzies didn’t last long.

Behold! I noticed that on Friday Darren kept apologizing and apologizing, and asking me if I was mad about x, y, z, and then not believing me. It was actually cute. But I wasn’t mad. I’ve spent so much time of my young life worrying about insignificant things and ruining mine and other people’s days that I simply don’t have the energy or desire for that anymore.

I’m proud of that development. I am quite easy-going, and don’t vigorously succumb to the drama. I don’t want to hurt anybody anymore (and, obviously, do not want to be hurt myself). There is no time to waste, no need to be angry with one’s close folks.

Expanding Horizons

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

During September some bolts have been twisting and turning in my head and heart, as a result of which I have been actively looking to expand my horizons. I’ve got the energy of a billion bears. I am increasingly interested in activities at Ryerson University, which I’ve never experienced before (or at UBC), and so I applied to the Ryerson University Finance Society case competition which is going to be happening all day on November 7. It’s not the prize – $4,000 for winning team plus some lucrative internships, – that’s motivating, but the fact that I want to do it.

I am also going to write an article for Ryerson Marketing Association – I’ve been thinking about a lot of recent developments, and will definitely write something interesting. I have an increasing interest in getting to know my fellow classmates more, which I never cared for before, heh. I’ve also been developing relationships with my professors, who are all super awesome people. Lucky me this semester.

To quote VHS or Beta’s “You Got Me” (download Baby Daddy’s remix), “Everything’s better off this way” Oh yeah, I’m researching shooting ranges near Toronto, as well as looking for archery lessons. I’ve got a good eye, better put it to use.

Hot Product Alert: Last week I went to Sephora in search of an amazing shower gel, and KORRES natural products caught my eye. Their products are “skin-compatible, environment-friendly, joyful and effective”. I grabbed the wonderful jasmine shower gel, and oh, wasn’t I impressed!! Korres is fabulous! Their claims are all true. I suggest you check this Greek skin product line out. (I’m trying out the Sunflower and Vitamin F shampoo for coloured hair really soon and can’t wait!)

Simple Pleasures

Excuse me while I delay my research on Equator Principles (for my ethics in finance class, very serial biz), and list some things that currently make me happy:

1. Green Tea
2. Sunny days before the winter settles in
3. Yoga & Pilates
4. Heroes (season 3; makes me happy; I need a break once in a while, too)
5. Increasing number of potential squash partners!
6. Videography as a start
7. Supporting local businesses and eating healthy foods (Beretta Farms in particular!)
8. Texts from certain someone
9. Sticking to my plan
10. December plans! Vancouver, Dublin and who knows what else…

Santogold is on tonight at the Koolhaus.

“I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.” Margaret Thatcher.

September’s Developments

I haven’t written all the posts about Europe, but I will continue to post more about my tour as I keep a to-do list of blog posts and I’m back (unfortunately). While I am hesitating to start reading Michael Porter’s Competitive Strategy, which is the big bang book in bussines strategy, I will write a little about what’s going on, especially since Hans pointed that studies have shown that blogging is quite good for you. Agreed.

The first week is so far very hectic. I straightened everything out with with my bank, Ryerson and work, signed up for the gym (to play squash, do cardio, swim), for pilates (let’s try this out), and cross-training group classes. Having paid $30 for the latter, I can go to as many classes – which include Cardio Camp, Spinning, Yoga, Abs & Butt, Boxing and Cardio Kickbox, – as I can, every week. First session tomorrow. I’m also doing a major health check this semester, it’s long overdue.

I’ve become a big proponent of cooking at home, and have a well-stocked fridge at the moment. After fabulous excesses of European food, I’m switching to lighter choices, and eliminating meats from my diet; let’s see how it goes. I compiled a weekly menu for myself to make sure I get all the recommended daily servings of various foods, that I prepare certain products earlier on to avoid spoilage, and to save the time spent on meal contemplation in front of the fridge.

One is more likely to get into a habit of doing particular things if one has a schedule, and since I want to improve time management skills and accomplish more in this busy time of my life, I set one up. Incorporating time for classes, studying, work, exercise, leisure, self-development, online tasks, it will go in effect starting next week.