Smart Cookies

Smart Cookies

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Smart Cookies, this will be a real treat. I was reading an article today in the Globe and Mail again about how life as a twenty-something is financially challenging (ya think!?!). It made an interesting point. Instead of trying to maintain or achieve a luxury-item-based lifestyle in the wake of growing debt and dwindling career prospects and paycheques… why don’t we learn to embrace frugality?

Today I wore a $10 dress I found on the clearance rack at Walmart. I’ve gotten a number of compliments already and it’s only 11:30. My new sunglasses are cute and fashionable, and they were only $14.99… sure they might not last more than 1 season but I’d rather not be tied to wearing trendy sunglasses longer than socially acceptable because I spent a large portion of my paycheque on them.

Two Christmases ago Sandra Claus gave me the book The Smart Cookies’ Guide to Making More Dough. It took me 6 months before I would even open it. My finances as a grad student were in such dire straights, I didn’t even KNOW what my balances were on my lines of credit and credit cards were.

This is dangerous territory indeed.

Once I started working my internship last summer I was bringing in a decent paycheque every two weeks and finally cracked open the book… I even brought it with me to Ottawa knowing it would eventually get read. It was great! Written by 5 Canadian ladies, I loved how I could relate to the little things they spoke about… (e.g. Instead of Tim Hortons, bring coffee in a travel mug from home instead).

I devoured this book.

While I may still be in a precarious financially position as a recent grad with plenty of student debt and meager current earning, my attitude has definitely shifted. I know my financial position… knowledge is power. I pay my bills early. I make more than the minimum payments (sometimes even double). I know my interest rates, I know when money is coming in and when it is going out.

The one area I need to improve upon the most is savings. I know I could be doing better. And that is what I am aiming to do. I know the right people to ask. So it’s just a matter of doing it.

Nursing My Food Baby

I cooked up a storm this long weekend.

As promised, I have some pictures from meals I made this weekend. It all started really on Thursday night when I started the sauce for the chicken nachos I was making for Friday night. This is one of those recipes that you start the night before. I’m really glad I did too because it gave me lots of time to get some other things done around the house before I had to assemble the dish and put it in the oven.

Sandra gave me this recipe (not too sure where she got it) and I will break it down for you:

Sandra’s Delicious Chicken Nacho Dish (I may have named this myself)

NOTE: Sandra’s recipe called for sautéed onions and yellow squash. As I detest onions and everything they stand for I substituted by adding about 5 cloves of minced garlic for flavour. She did say that you could substitute the onions with fennel or celery though. Also, I couldn’t find any yellow squash so I doubled up on the zucchini. She also noted that if you make the sauce the night before to add an additional 10 minutes to the baking time.

Here’s what I did:

The night before…

In a large skillet, sauté 5 cloves of minced garlic, zucchini, and yellow squash until quite soft.

Season with salt & pepper.

Add 1 tsp of curry powder (mild or hot).

Add 1 tbsp of chilli powder (I used chipotle because that’s what I had, but you could use ancho, or whatever you have on hand… take it easy though, there will be a chance to add more).

Add a 28 oz tin of diced tomatoes (I use the salt free ones).

Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste.

Simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Add a tin of black beans and about a cup of frozen or canned corn.

Let simmer for another 10 minutes.

I then let it cool a little and stored in the fridge covered until later the next evening.

The day of…

Take fresh, boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 6 or 7) and chop into small chunks – put in the bottom of a casserole dish in a single layer and season with salt, pepper and a small amount of the chili powder.

Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken thighs and bake for about 35 minutes.

Take out and sprinkle grated cheese on top (I used about 1 ½ cups of light Marble but Sandra suggested using a Mexican blend. I think I will try the Mexican next time).

Put back in oven and bake another 10 minutes or so until the cheese is nicely melted.

Then I served it with sliced avocados and salt free blue and red tostada corn chips and a dollop of light sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheese.

The recipe makes quite a bit but it reheats well the next day. You can also package it and freeze it.

On Saturday I continued with the Mexican theme and made fish tacos.

I didn’t really follow a recipe for this one, but rather consulted a picture. Let me know if you think I captured it…

Essentially…

I baked sole fillets with chilli flakes, ground black pepper, salt, and lime juice.

I quickly fried the fish in a little canola oil and set aside.

In a skillet, I used the remainder of the tin of corn and the tin of black beans from the night before.

Add the remainder of the small tin of tomato paste from the night before.

Season with chilli powder, black pepper, salt, lime juice, and 3 tbsps of the dry taco seasoning from the taco shell kit.

Set mixture aside.

Diced 1 avocado.

We had both soft and hard shell tacos in the kit so we filled them with:

Cabbage slaw
corn and bean mixture
seasoned fish pieces
mango lime salsa

We topped these off with:

Sour cream, grated cheese, and Shauna’s special Coriander chilli sauce from New Zealand (I’m sure you could find your own alternative).

They were a hit.

Sunday morning we had crepes. Sadly I was so hungry that I forgot to take a photo. But we had what have been dubbed Crepes JOF… jambom, oeuf, et fromage (ham, egg, and cheese).

Shauna made the batter and I flipped. We’ll have to make these again so I can get some photos.

It was a team effort.

Long Weekend Sunburn

It’s the May 24 (read: two four) weekend… for those non-Canadians out there reading… this is our long weekend in May. Today is Victoria Day, named in recognition of Queen Victoria, and as a result, a bank holiday. The May 24 weekend usually signifies the beginning of summer-like weather and celebrations. This weekend the weather couldn’t have cooperated more.  As a temp work though, long weekends can prove to be challenging. In order to be paid for the holiday you must work the 15 business days prior to the holiday and the first business day directly following. Because of the short forced vacation I had before returning to Company A, I don’t qualify to get paid for today.

Oh well.

I spent the whole weekend drinking, dancing, shopping for patio furniture and BBQs, putting together said patio furniture and BBQ, outdoor clean up in the sunshine, associated tending of burns from being out in the sun for longer than 30 seconds (I kid you not, the sun hates me), outside bar patio sitting, and cooking up a storm (more on that tomorrow).

It was a productive yet whirl-wind of a weekend.

This week is a short work week for me anyway, what with my convocation on Thursday. Wednesday my dad and I are going to do a little photoshoot for my grad photos. I went and got the regular ‘run-of-the-mill’ grad photos done, and sure they turned out fine. But I wasn’t interested in paying over $100.00 on essentially a headshot of me in one pose. My dad is a great amateur photographer and has been doing it for years. He has a great camera and actually just did family photos for my sister and her family. They were great and I thought there was no one I’d rather do my grad photos than my own dad.

I’m ready for my close up.

My plan is to pick up my gown and other accoutrement on Wednesday, and then head straight to the scene of the crime, Dalhousie University. Depending on the weather we will do photos outside on campus and/or photos inside some of the academic and administration buildings. I wanted to have photos that really represent me and my journey through my academic career. I want something that I will be proud to hang on my own walls and something that I won’t be embarrassed by for years to come as they will inevitably find a home on the walls of my parents’ respective living rooms.

For the rest of this beautiful sun-shining long weekend I will be tending to my sun burn and relaxing in the shade.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Make Yourself Indispensable

You are awesome, let people know.

I have been working as a temporary admin assistant at “Company A” for almost 3 months now. The first few months were a bit slow as it is always hard to fill in for someone who is still in the office. They are easy to go to when you have questions (which inevitably come up) and they have a hard time delegating tasks that normally they would handle.

It’s only natural.

But Tori has since left us to pursue greener pastures (or the Alberta oil sands to be more specific). Since she’s been gone from her former post I’ve been asked to streamline the procedures and organizational structure of the office administration… a set of tasks that I feel are very much within my skill set. With an essentially open ended contract with the agency for my services, and a fairly uncertain employment timeline with the federal government, I am navigating a delicate balance between efficiency and self-preservation.

My goals are to help myself by helping Company A. By making them see that I am invaluable to them right now, I am solidifying an income for the next few months (albeit a meagre one… not their fault, they would have hired me independent of the temp agency if they could have without penalty). At the same time I am setting about gaining significant administrative (and arguably management) experience by taking on various projects and tasks for various departments within the Company.

Save something for later.

The fact is that I am a hard worker, but I’m not going to kill myself by working at an unsustainable pace. I am making just over minimum wage and while that should not cause me to do anything but my best, I have to set realistic expectations for myself and others. I am creating a number of very valuable tools for Company A that will make hiring a permanent employee (and that employee’s job) significantly easier. I will turn over these tools once we have come to the conclusion that my services are no longer necessary. But until then, there is no reason to give away all my secrets 😉

So my advice to you is…

• Work hard, regardless of what you are doing. This might not be your forever-job but a good work ethic and the experience gained from each opportunity will make you even more qualified for that job you’ve been chasing. And a little positive feedback from employers can really boost the ego when you are feeling down.
• Expand your network. These people may not be your future boss or work colleagues (and then again, they might) but they are a valuable resource that you have been handed on a silver platter. Get to know them and let them get to know you, your goals, and your career aspirations. Let them see how hard you work, and how committed you are to success. You never know how these people might end up contributing to that success.
• Build your portfolio. Whether you keep a record of documents you’ve created, or projects you’ve work on, reference letters from former employers, or potential leads for future opportunities… keep them all together. Anything you do you should document, you should be updating your resume and cover letter(s) regularly. It makes applying for jobs so much easier and then at the drop of a hat you can send it to potential employers.

A 29 year old on the difficulties of landing a first job

A 29 year old on the difficulties of landing a first job

This is a follow-up to an ongoing series/conversation about recent graduate (un)employment issues. It’s a letter from a reader.

“While some things are impassable, nothing is impossible”

Rainy Day Rant and Tofu Stir-fry

What is with some drivers when it’s raining?

I’m sorry, but are you standing in a puddle up to your ankles as the water slowly seeps through all your supposed “water-resistant” layers until you are soaked through while waiting for your (late) bus only to have to stand the whole way because no one can be bothered to move their bag/umbrellas/etc. to make room for a fellow human being, then to transfer to another bus that you have to cross busy traffic intersections to get to…uphill… (yes I realize I sound like I’m 80 and I’m okay with it) ???

No you are not.

So why are you in such a crummy foul mood that makes you think it’s okay and not morally deplorable to not stop for me at the legal, lights-flashing, warning beeping, pedestrian crosswalk… instead you choose gun it through only to nearly miss causing a side-on multiple vehicle collision…

I understand completely.

You are a tool.

A tool that got to work dry and warm.

End of rant.

On to happier topics.

I love planning the meals for the week. Last night we had a delicious Tofu Stir-fry.

Nom nom

I love how bright and green it turned out. A little on the spicy side (I served it with a little plain Greek yoghurt for poor Shauna’s novice taste buds but I actually enjoyed the cool creaminess as well). Here’s what I did.

In a large Cast Aluminum pan…

First Shauna cubed up a block of firm tofu and sautéed with canola oil and fresh grounded black pepper, set aside.

Then I heated a tbsp of sesame oil and a tbsp of canola oil…

Added:

Broccoli florets
Snap peas
Orange pepper
Coarsely sliced white button mushrooms
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Kraft Mango Chipotle salad dressing
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced cilantro
1 tbsp thai hot chilli sauce

Then I added back in the tofu and served over a bed of cabbage slaw and a dollop of yoghurt.

It was awesome.

Friday I’m tackling a chicken and black bean nacho concoction my step-mum made (details to come) and on Saturday we’re doing fish tacos.

I’m pumped!

Protesters storm Montreal university, gang up on students in class

Protesters storm Montreal university, gang up on students in class

This is INSANE!

Shame. It is never okay to threaten or physically intimidate others to try to convey your message. You chose to protest, they chose not to.

Deal with it.

It’s My Party…

My birthday is June 7.

Hopefully this gives you all enough time to find something fabulous to gift me with.

This year I am turning 28, and I guess you could say I’ve felt like I was 28 for a while now. I guess the birthday is just a formality. I’m neither excited nor upset about the prospect of being a year older. 1 more year closer to 30 has a certain level of anxiety associated with it, but for the most part I consider myself to be fairly well adjusted already.

Theme parties are awesome.

I like dressing up.

Costume parties, formal occasions, random Clue-themed bar hopping… more about that in a bit. 

So for my birthday this year I decided that I wanted to have a themed party. This year’s event will be a trip back in time to the 1960s… it will be a Mad Men themed party. A-line dressed, bouffant hair, men in sports coats and skinny ties sipping scotch, devilled eggs, sparking wine, and an attempt to make my grandmother’s pineapple upside-down cake (no guarantees on this one). Hosted by myself and Shauna at our house, I think it will be great.

Look the part.

I’ve actually been told on numerous occasions from various sources that (especially when I had red hair) I look like Joan (Christina Hendricks) from the show. I’m assuming the fact that I’ve got a few curves doesn’t hurt this association. I personally think I was born in the wrong decade; this body need structure. So when I dress up professionally I look like I’d fit in quite well at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

This is not an endorsement for smoking, but you get the picture.

Our plans for my birthday party came about as a result of a conversation with Shauna one night about our desire to plan another themed outing. The Clue night was our last themed adventure. Planned in the afternoon, executed (no pun intended) that evening, we had ourselves kitted out in our characters’ favourite colour and made it into the bar dressed as our respective board-game alter egos:

Shauna = Mrs. White
Me = Mrs. Peacock
Mo = Miss Scarlett
Janice = Ms. Green
Joel = Professor Plum
Micah = Mr. Grey
Kristina = as the dead body (she wore all black)

We looked absolutely ridiculous amazing, and had a blast.

Why should people wait until Halloween or a bachelor(ette) party to go out on the town?

I implore you all to say “to heck with convention” and crack out the legwarmers for a little Flashdance 80s dance party, your favourite flapper dress or fedora for a Roaring 20s night, or whatever else floats your boat.

You only live once right?

Why take yourself so seriously?

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But I Love Brunch

Is Social Jet-lag Making You Gain Weight?

Guess I’ll just have to go to bed earlier through the week.