I am a planner.

I like to plan things. Micro-managing my life makes me feel complete. But I've come to find that I need to schedule activities that I find valuable. I want to do things that are for a purpose, that produce an outcome worthy of my time. Working two separate jobs part-time has not been beneficial in the slightest, as I am barely making enough money to pay for my gas tank or dinner out with my boyfriend. I am trying to stay upbeat, but it's so difficult...

Maple glazed pork chops

Yesterday I made maple glazed pork chops with apple wood smoked bacon and onions. Come on, you know this looks delicious! First I started off by chopping the bacon and cooking it until it started to crisp up, then I added the onions and sauteed them until they were just about soft. After letting the pork chops soak in a brine of salt, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and cold water for over an hour, I sprinkled some salt and pepper over them and seared them in a pan (using some of the bacon fat for flavor), letting them get golden brown and crispy on the outside, then let them finish cooking in a 350 degree over for about 10 minutes. While the chops were roasting, I made the maple glaze (deglazed the searing pan with chicken stock to pick up all the flavor), added the bacon bits and onion, and poured it over the entire dish and let them soak up the maple goodness for a few more minutes while they were still in the oven. To finish off the dish I added a bit of rosemary and parsley for garnish. Here's my ingredient list:

Six pork chops
Maple syrup
3 slices of bacon
Half a small onion
Rosemary and parsley
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper

It was a great dish-- sweet, salty and flavorful. The chops were cooked just right too. I hate when people over cook anything. That dry texture completely ruins my eating experience. Haha, I'm not a food snob... much. Also, this resized picture doesn't do my dish justice. Click on it to see the full size image and let the drooling begin.

Realizing a dream...

Thanks to the support and encouragement of my boyfriend, I have started to plan the creation of my own photography service. I think I want to call it "LK Photography" (if you have any other suggestions, let me know-- maybe I'll hold a poll at some point to see what you all think) and buy some domain space to make a website. At this point I'm too poor to do so, but I already have a gig scheduled to gain some experience photographing events-- in November, I am going to cover Jason's grandparent's 50th anniversary party, so that should be fun. I'm just so ready to pursue something worthwhile-- living at home and working retail just fosters my paranoid notion that I am going to become mediocre, and that is my greatest fear of all.


This picture was taken a few summers ago when I went to visit friends in New York City. I realize that I have a lot of artistic and architectural shots, but I really need some portraits and event photos. So I'm trying to realize one of my dreams and it's kind of exciting. If only my dream of getting a real job would come to fruition...

Catching up

I know it has been a while, but since I got home from Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon I've been trying to get used to having a second part-time job. I noticed something while folding clothes on Monday night-- nothing makes you more aware of yourself than working retail. The key holder who was on duty during my shift is three years younger than me-- actually, most of the staff there is twenty or younger (besides the store manager and assistant manager), which makes me feel so old. Granted, twenty and twenty-two is not a vast age difference, but I suppose being an unemployed college graduate makes me look at the world is another way. These kids just don't get it.

The job search has been a bust the past week or so. Mostly getting rejections or nothing at all. If anyone can give me advice on how to keep my spirits up, I would appreciate it because this is becoming depressing.

When it rains, it pours.

It seems that Gettysburg College has postponed sorority and fraternity rush until further notice and apparently the entire Greek community is up in arms fighting this decision. Never in my life have I seen such outrage-- I mean, guys were genuinely mad about the college getting rid of ESPN and I'm sure the loss of Crabfest on campus is something that has caused a slight stir, but the reaction to this event is full on chaos. Sorority girls are running around in their letters signing petitions, threatening to send nasty emails, shouting angry things across the commons... Insanity, I tell you! Now, I must admit, this is all very funny, but also somewhat disconcerting because it doesn't seem like anyone running this school has looked at a calendar in the last six months-- they have already postponed rush once and was due to commence tomorrow (based on its new scheduled date). So the outrage is warranted. Anyway, long story made short, I enjoy being back on campus-- yet I wasn't at all prepared for the complete meltdown of over 60% of the student body.

College life is funny. I think if I was still a student there I would be more concerned-- probably having anxiety attacks and crying in the fetal position-- however, as an alumna, it doesn't phase me as much. Although, I feel empathy for all those that have worked hard to prepare for this weekend-- and I know the kind of time and effort it takes to arrange an event of this magnitude-- it's not my sorority anymore. And I'm okay with that.

Leaving on a jet plane.

Okay, maybe not, but I am leaving today for Pennsylvania. The plan is to go visit J for a few days and (pending my work schedule) then head down to Gettysburg for rush. At this point it isn't a definite if I will make it there for the weekend, but I am crossing my fingers. See you all later.

Roasted chicken and potatoes

Went with comfort food this evening for dinner. While I was out grocery shopping, I picked up a nice 6.5 lb. chicken and decided to roast it for a delicious homemade meal. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and completely covered the chicken in a simple herb butter (thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, pepper), making sure I got under the skin and between the wings and drumsticks. Then, I filled the cavity with more of the butter and some roughly chopped onion, garlic, and lemon. After about 2.5 hours in the oven, it was moist and succulent.

The potatoes, on the other hand, were chopped and drizzled in olive oil. I then added some salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, parsley, paprika and chili powder. Those were also roasted in the oven with the bird.

Lastly, after the chicken was finished, I made a black pepper gravy from the drippings-- adding a little salt and a hearty amount of pepper, flour, and milk to thicken it up. It was simple, but effective. Honestly, this was the best chicken dinner I have ever made. And tomorrow, I am planning on using the leftovers for chicken noodle soup. I know you're jealous.