Wednesday, December 31, 2008
happy new year!
nevertheless i am due for a good year. the last time i had a year that i could look back on and say "what a great year!" was early 2000s. i'm ready for a good one.
please, God, make it 2009!
be good tonight, but most importantly, be safe.
lots of love,
catch you on the flipside,
xoxo
Lola
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
men who sew
do over
Friday, December 26, 2008
my niece hates me.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
since i have nothing to say...
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?
Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
What is the speed of darkness?
Why is it that people say they 'slept like a baby' when babies wake up every two hours?
If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?
Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?
Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?
Did you ever stop and wonder......
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze These pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?'
Who was the first person to say, 'See that chicken there... I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it's bum.'
Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?
Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!
If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?
Stop singing and read on.......
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
Do you ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address in the first place?
Monday, December 22, 2008
busy
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Year in Review - 2008 Edition
I don't remember. Was I in Atlanta? In Virginia? No clue.
What was your status by ValentinesDay?
I was single and Puerto Rico with Nancy.
Were you in school anytime this year?
No.
Did you have to go to the hospital?
Yes. I had a stone at the entrance to my liver removed.
Did you have any encounters with the police?
Nope.
Where did you go on vacation?
Puerto Rico
What did you purchase that was over $100?
From the look of my bank statement, I don't purchase anything under $100.
Did you know anybody who got married?
L+J
Did you know anybody who passed away?
Not directly.
Did you move anywhere?
Nope.
What sporting events did you attend?
Basketball game with mama C
What concerts/shows did you go to?
a few.
Describe your birthday:
huge fight with Tony at midnight. high tea at the Ritz Carlton during the day. dinner at La Tavola.
What is the one thing you thought you would not do, but did, in 2008?
prefer not to say.
What has been your favorite moment?
prefer not to say.
Any new additions to your family? baby V in October!
What was your best month?
February probably.
Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?
Virginia
How old did you turn this year?
30
Do anything embarrassing?
Of course I did.
Buy anything new from eBay?
I don't like to buy shit online.
Get married or divorced?
No.
Get arrested?
No
Did you get sick this year?
Yes
Are you happy to see 2008 go?
Yes
Been naughty or nice? who gives a shit.
J is the BOMB!
Paula Wilson, Georgia Tech's admissions director, talks about why the school isn't just for engineers and other reasons to consider the school
The Georgia Tech College of Management may be a techie's paradise, with around 55% of students coming from an engineering background. But while the school could fill its entire 74-person first-year class with engineers, it simply chooses not to, according to Director of MBA Admissions Paula Wilson.
That doesn't mean the school, which climbed into the top 30 in BusinessWeek's 2008 rankings of full-time MBA programs, doesn't place a premium on quantitative ability, says Wilson. "We try to teach students how to think like engineers, teaching them how to pay attention to detail and how to be problem solvers," she says.
Wilson recently spoke with BusinessWeek's Alysa Teichman about the school's attitudes and shared a few points of wisdom to prospective students. Edited excerpts of the discussion follow.
Are you seeing more applications than in the recent past?It's really a little too early for us to tell. Our first application deadline is not until Jan. 15. We're pretty flat over where we were at this time last year. That deadline is our biggest deadline because it's for international applications, too. Usually 50% to 60% of applications to the full-time program come in at that Jan. 15 deadline.
What's the most unusual or difficult essay question on your application, and what's your advice to students on how to tackle it?The most unusual one that people really like is, "If you could invite any four people living or dead to a dinner party, who would you invite, and what would you discuss?" Of course we get answers like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Michael Dell, and Steve Jobs, but I've had some really interesting essays from people who have invited themselves at different points in life. I've also had people invite engineering failures, like the guys who designed the Tacoma, Wash., bridge. This essay gives applicants an opportunity to be creative in the admissions process, and of course makes the application a little more fun for us to read.
I don't know that we help them deal with it. Usually the other thing is if someone is asking me for my advice, I always like to stress that there's no right or wrong answer, and it's a time when they can be creative. As with any of the essays, they shouldn't say what they think we want them to say, but give us a true picture of themselves.
What do students tell you is the hardest part of the admissions process at your school, and how do you advise they deal with it?I'm not sure if it's the hardest, but it's the part they're most impressed with. Interviews are by invitation only; students can't be admitted without interviews. They [also] interview with Jim Kranzusch, the director of career services. I think it's sometimes a little bit of a surprise that they're going to be meeting with both of us; then I think once they get here, they enjoy the opportunity.
Are there any benefits to being in an earlier round?We actually admit on a rolling basis, and so even though we have three deadlines, we will go ahead and review an application as soon as it's complete. So we'll probably admit a few people, not many, before the holidays. We don't get many applications before, but the committee tends to be fairly conservative before Christmas; we're not sure what's going to be coming before that January deadline. We're not going to be making many offers for admissions or funding this early in the game. Our applications are not really in rounds because we will review them as they're completed, but we're not waiting until all those applications come in to make the decisions about a round. If last year is any indication, I think certainly it is going to be to an applicant's advantage to apply in earlier rounds and certainly not to wait until that last May 1 deadline.
What do you look for in the application essays?You know, I think that we're looking for essays that are well written, but obviously not too well written or we get a little suspicious. I think we're looking for the same things that all MBA admissions offices are looking for. We want applicants to be themselves, to write a true representation of themselves, and to answer the question. I know that students are applying to a lot of schools, and it's very tempting to make one essay fit into every school's essay. So we're looking for essays that are compelling, that give us a true sense of who the student is.
How important is the applicant's quantitative GMAT score?It is actually pretty important for us. Our program does tend to be a little more quantitative than many MBA programs, and we hear this from our students. We've done validity studies through GMAC, and the quantitative part of the GMAT is the best indicator of academic success in the MBA core. That is a pretty important factor for us. If a student doesn't have a good score or a score that concerns us, we're going to go to that transcript and make sure it shows us they can handle the academics here.
How important is the applicant's quantitative GMAT score?It is actually pretty important for us. Our program does tend to be a little more quantitative than many MBA programs, and we hear this from our students. We've done validity studies through GMAC, and the quantitative part of the GMAT is the best indicator of academic success in the MBA core. That is a pretty important factor for us. If a student doesn't have a good score or a score that concerns us, we're going to go to that transcript and make sure it shows us they can handle the academics here.
What are good reasons for wanting to get an MBA at Georgia Tech?I think the one thing we really look for is people who know why they want to get an MBA and how it's going to help them in their careers. For us, 75% come from nonbusiness undergraduate degrees. Probably 15% come from an engineering or computer science background. What I hear so much from applicants is, "I want to be at a level in a company where I can see the company as a whole and make strategic business decisions."
What's the typical amount of work experience you're looking for in an applicant? How do you regard applicants with less experience than that?We have a dual degree program with any other graduate program at Tech. Typically, these students will have gone from undergraduate directly to it, so typically they will have strong internship or co-op experience but not that traditional two to five years of work experience.
There are some who are very mature and have excellent experience and excel, but in class discussion and with corporate recruiters, we're really seeing that two to five years of work experience really helps. These last couple of years, we've really seen that it's not to the students' benefit, to our benefit in career services, or to the benefit of other students for someone to come in without work experience. You get more out of the program and contribute more to the program if you have work experience.
What do you want to see in applicants' recommendation letters?We want professional and academic references and no personal references at all, but someone who knows you well. We always say you don't want to get the president of your company if that was someone you met at a company picnic and they really don't know you. You also want to stay away from personal references who tell us what a nice family you have and what a nice boy you are.
What sort of mistakes do people tend to make in interviews?The key mistake that we see is people who really don't take it as seriously as they should. I think that I would say the vast majority of people do treat it like a job interview, and they come dressed appropriately with a résumé and questions prepared, but I think the people with the worst interviews regardless of the strength of their applications are the ones who really don't take it seriously. People who come in with a sense of entitlement, expecting they will be admitted and that this is a formality, are the ones who many times can't be saved by a strong GMAT score.
What financial aid opportunities are available to students?Graduate assistantships are the primary form, which a third of students get. They're fully merit-based. Having high test scores and high grades are important but not everything. We do look at work experience and interviews, so the application is considered as a whole when we're making those funding decisions. These do come with a full-tuition waiver, so that comes to about $600 a semester. These students work for a professor and earn a stipend for their work, so that's about $3,000. In addition, there are also fellowships available.
What do you do to attract women and underrepresented minorities?Of course that's always a challenge, and being at a school that has an engineering background, I think attracting women is one of the most difficult things. To be honest, I don't think we've done anything specifically targeted to women. Once we have women who are interested, we try to put them in touch with other women in the program. We do participate in the Forté Foundation; we're not a member school, but we are involved.
In terms of minorities, we have an interesting program called Focus. It takes place over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, and we invite top students from underrepresented minority groups who are juniors and seniors in college. It started out in the College of Engineering to attract minorities to engineering, and expanded to us 10 years ago.
Do you have any special initiatives or procedures for international applicants?About 19% of the incoming class is international. International students must apply to the Jan. 15 deadline because it takes longer to process their applications. They are given the same consideration for financial aid as U.S. students. Nothing else is different in terms of the application process. The things we're looking for with internationals are really just magnified. We're just looking for a good career fit, and people we can help achieve career goals. The H-1B visa issue has really become a big problem for students over the last several years. We really are very selective when it comes to international students because we want to help them achieve their goals once they are here.
Can you take me through the life cycle of an application at Georgia Tech?It's pretty easy to self-manage the application since it's all online. So when applicants hit the submit button, the recommenders are e-mailed a form to fill out. The only thing students physically turn in is GMAT scores. I do a preliminary review, and we may even go ahead and start scheduling some interviews based on that. Once the interviews are completed and we have transcripts in, then we meet as an admissions committee and make the decision.
What are some common mistakes that candidates make in their applications?I think again, while I wouldn't say this is common, I do see it occasionally. With the essays, applicants sometimes try to fit one essay into multiple schools' essay questions. Another big one is not answering the question or not doing spell-check. I don't think it's a big issue, but there are times when they say, "I'm looking forward to the Emory MBA program," and I say, "Well I hope you get into the Emory MBA program." Sometimes we also get weak choices in recommendations.
What kind of person would be a good fit at Georgia Tech?I would say that Georgia Tech students, whether they are undergrads or MBAs, have the reputation of being very hardworking problem solvers. They typically don't have that stereotypical MBA attitude, and they're willing to get in and get their hands dirty even if they're not engineers. We try to teach students how to think like engineers, teaching them how to pay attention to detail and how to be problem solvers. The type of person we're looking for is willing to come here and do the work and get involved and to be in that MBA career development office on a regular basis.
What percentage of the student body comes from an engineering background?Fifty-five percent come from an engineering or computer science background, 30% are liberal arts students, and the rest come from undergraduate business degrees. I think engineers are very attracted to Georgia Tech. Our niche areas are operations management, information technology, management, entrepreneurship in technology commercialization, and computer science.
Can you describe someone you admitted recently who is a surprising fit, someone who didn't fit the "profile?"We had a young lady, she was a public school teacher who was teaching middle school math. One reason she chose Georgia Tech is because she wanted to shore up those quantitative skills and have that credential to be technical and quantitative in nature, and she was really interested in organizational behavior and marketing.
During her first semester, she went to a networking event, went up to a gentleman with a Chick-fil-A tie, and he gave her a coupon that said "Have a free Chick-fil-A sandwich on Bob." It didn't have his contact information or title, but she held on to it and contacted him later. It turns out he was the chief operating officer, and he got her an internship with them. She graduated to get a job there. She's someone who kind of came in with a little bit of a different background and was very successful at Georgia Tech.
Are there any stereotypes about Georgia Tech that you'd like to disprove?A lot of people get the impression that you have to be an engineer to be part of the program. We could enroll a whole class of engineers, but they wouldn't learn anything from each other. In our second-year class, we had three people with fine arts degrees. People are intimidated by the strong quantitative skill and math they'll have to do when they get here. The program is small, and one word that really describes our MBA program is the students are very collaborative; they really enjoy working together. I know of students who will take hours out of their schooling to help a student struggling in a class or with an intern. The myth that we want to dispel is that we're just for engineers, and that's just not true.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
MBA
I'm looking at three different executive MBA programs in Atlanta. An executive MBA is no different from an MBA (just as expensive, if not more); the difference is in the route you take to get one. Executive MBAs are obtained over a shortened period of time (usually 1.5 years) and classes are at nights on Fridays and all day Saturday. I have been researching programs and I really like Georgia Tech's Global Executive MBA program which is all the things I mentioned plus some study abroad (1 or 2 weeks in Asia and then 1 or 2 weeks in Latin America).
the first step is to take the GMAT. this scares me because i've never been good at standardized tests. i'm not worried about the qualitative, but the quantitative. :( i am planning on taking the test in March. I will be studying and attending open houses at Emory, GT and GSU until then. Early admissions for all three of these school is in April and the final deadlines are in June.
It is truly a new year for me coming up.
wish me luck.
:)
Monday, December 15, 2008
this made me laugh.
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice!
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana.
6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.
7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.
9. Sing Along At The Opera.
10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.
11. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'
12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'
13. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'
And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity
14. PICK UP A BOX OF CONDOMS AT THE PHARMACY, GO TO THE COUNTER AND ASK WERE THE FITTING ROOM IS.
Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile. It's Called... THERAPY
knowing me, knowing you
i have been missing tony for a long time. he and i stopped talking in august.
it's been hard on me, but i think it was for the best. he and i were never going to be what i wanted us to be and he was fine with taking advantage of my soft spot for him. hmm.... that sounds familiar. but it has been extremely hard on me. between february and august our friendship surpassed anything physical i had with him. he became one of my best friends, so when he decided to cut me out, i was, for the most part, heartbroken.
whether its jocelyn or tony or steven or cathy or whoever. when a friendship ends, it hurts bad.
which is usually why i can't ever let them go.
i still think about jocelyn. and tony. and steven. and yes, even cathy.
you spend so much time with someone and then one day you're just supposed to assume they've disappeared off the face of the earth? i don't understand how people do this. and yes, some of the people i've listed have hurt me. actually most of them hurt me. a lot. but i still remember them. think about them. have a burning need to know how they are.
i know i am worse than most people though because i actually reach out when i shouldn't.
i get myself all worked up over people that i have to reach out. i somehow rationalize that if i reach out, i can let out of a sigh of relief. panic attack over. but it never happens. i am just wound up that much more tightly. waiting for them to respond.
i wrote tony today. even though i know i shouldn't have. i don't expect him to write back or call back. he and i ended months ago. it is just the way he is. there is some sense of relief for me. i have been bottling up my feelings for so long. i've been wanting to "reach out and touch someone" for ages. and now that i have. i feel a bit better. but it didn't stop me from crying. it doesn't stop me now.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
happy birthday to you!
over thanksgiving, my girlfriends and i were watching Oprah's Favorite Things episode. Oprah didn't do a whole big gift-giving extravaganza this year because of the economy - which is strange to me since this would be the time to do the traditional show and give "worthy" people those gifts...anyway... this year's Favorite Things episode was all about having a thrifty holiday. One of the ideas was a gratitude box - a box filled with heartfelt notes from loved ones because, as Oprah says, "The words from your heart mean more to people than anything you can buy."
when i was telling J my birthday gift idea for mama C, she replied "you trying to go oprah style on her in the digital age?" HAHAHAHA actually, yes. So Mama C, I hope you like your present - a shiny new blog entry just for you. no one else.
a week ago, J's husband sent out one of those emails that makes you roll your eyes when you open it. i mean...not me.... i love them... but if you fill them out during the work day they make people think you aren't doing anything at work...but i digress... since they always reveal something interesting, I'll fill one out for mama C.
Take a stab at my middle name? Okay, I'll admit that when I started this on Tuesday I had no idea. It is now Wednesday and I am editing this and I cheated and asked papa R. If it helps, I thought I knew it was Louise, so really, when papa R said "Louise" it was confirmation.
Do I speak a second language? Yes. The Queen's English. HA! She also speaks German and a little bit of French and she can say "Hola Lola" better than any Brit I know (I only know one).
Am I a cat lover or dog lover? I don't think you LOVE either, but I think you'd probably handle a dog better than a cat.
Color of my eyes? Blue
Do I have any siblings? Yes. An older brother and a younger sister.
What's one of my favorite things to do? Hang out with me, make jewelry, go camping, relax, make christmas cards, drink wine, go to concerts...oh wait, you only asked for one...
What's my favorite type of music? I've only heard stories of mama C's cheesy musical tastes before she came to the USA. However, since she's been here she's only shared her husbands and my refined musical taste.
Am I taller than you? Yes, but that really isn't hard to do considering I might be a midget.
Am I shy or outgoing? Mama C is the most unshy person I know.
Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules? You mostly follow the rules, but you can break a few too.
What is my birth month? December. December 11 to be exact. TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!
Have you ever heard me sing? Yes and I'm sorry to inform you - You are not very good.
How many children do I have? None yet. Just me.
Have we taken photographs together? Many. Some very embarrassing.
When is the last time you saw me? As of today (Tuesday, I started your gift early!) - Saturday during the card making extravaganza!
When will I see you again? Tonight at Imperial Fez
Have we ever had a falling out? Well. We didn't talk for a couple of months. Falling out of touch is more accurate.
If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is one
thing that I would bring? papa R
Am I right handed or left handed? Right handed. I think.
What type of work do I do? you are HR and an EA at Spanx
So anyway, back to Oprah's "The words from your heart mean more to people than anything you can buy" thing. Oprah suggests starting out with "What I love about you..." and "Thank you for..." so here we go!
Mama C...
What I love about you is your strength. Both mental and physical. You're two years younger than me, but you've always been so much stronger. I really admire that. I can't tell you how many times I've thought "what would she do?"
Thank you for being supportive of me. When I win and when I fail. Recently, I thought I was confessing something to you and you said "I knew that already". You are seriously the older sibling I never had. Sometimes you yell at me (because I need it) and other times you let things go, but I always know you care.
What I love about you is your positive attitude. You know me, I'm a crier. I cry at stupid commercials. I can count the number of times you have cried in front of me on one hand. Really, just a couple of fingers. Okay maybe one finger. My point is, in spite of all the things you could let get to you, you persevere. You smile.
Thank you for feeding me. I have always felt welcome in Mama C & Papa R's home. I mean...I have a key. Mi casa es su casa. People dream of having friends like Mama C and Papa R. Lucky me, I actually have them.
What I love about you is your honesty. You tell it like it is and I respect that.
Thank you for being a part of my Atlanta family.
I love you, Mama C! Happy Birthday!
on being gluten free - summary
my friend L has been gluten-free for awhile. she's always said very positive things about it. I never had the restraint to eat gluten-free. i just loved breads so much. and pasta! and cakes and cookies! mmmmmmmmm
i have been gluten free for a week now and i feel so much better. i feel less weighed down. more energetic. just happier in general. i can't believe i waited this long to feel this way. L has been telling me how great gluten-free can be and i never listened. Sorry, L.
gluten free is not easy. i am hungry a lot and since i'm new to this, i'm eating a lot of meat, salads, beans and veggies. eventually i'll learn to cook gluten free. i do miss the convenience of sandwiches and pizza but i'll one day learn not to miss those. comfort food like mac and cheese or a burger and fries.
BUT this feeling is amazing. i am so glad to be gluten free! WEEEEEEEEEEEEE
on being gluten free (continued)
A gluten-free diet means avoiding foods that contain wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye, barley, and possibly oats or, in other words, most grain, pasta, cereal, and many processed foods. Despite these restrictions, people with celiac disease can eat a varied, well-balanced diet, including bread and pasta. Instead of wheat flour, for example, people can use potato, rice, soy, or bean flour. Gluten-free bread, pasta and other products are available from specialty food companies.
Some celiacs are able to eat oats without having a reaction but others are not. Plain meat, fish, rice, fruits, and vegetables do not contain gluten, so people with celiac disease can eat as much of these foods as they like. Examples of foods that are safe to eat and those that are not are provided below.
EXAMPLES OF A GLUTEN-FREE DIET
The following list shows examples of many foods that are allowed or avoided, but it is not a complete list. It is important to read all food ingredient lists carefully to make sure that the food does not contain gluten.
Beverages
Allowed: Coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, wine made in U.S., rum, some root beer.
Avoid: Ovaltine, malted milk, ale, beer, gin, whiskey, flavored coffee, herbal tea with malted barley. Lola's Note: I gave up soda (all carbonated drinks) before I gave up gluten. i fell off the carbonation wagon yesterday when i had a diet coke. i worked out extra hard because of it. not doing that again.... i hate working out. i drink mostly water or unsweetened tea with sweet & lo.
Milk
Allowed: Fresh, dry, evaporated, or condensed milk; cream; sour cream; whipping cream; yogurt.
Avoid: Malted milk, some commercial chocolate milk, some nondairy creamers.
Meat, Fish, Poultry
Allowed: Fresh meats, fish, other seafood, and poultry; fish in canned oil, brine, or water; some hot dogs and lunch meats.
Avoid: Prepared meat containing wheat, rye, oats, or barley; tuna canned in vegetable broth.
Cheese
Allowed: All aged cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss, edam, parmesan; cottage cheese; cream cheese; pasteurized processed cheese; cheese spreads.
Avoid: Any cheese product containing oat gum, some veined cheeses (bleu, stilton, roquefort, gorgonzola).
Potato or Other Starch
Allowed: White and sweet potatoes, yams, hominy, rice, wild rice, gluten-free noodles, some oriental rice and bean thread noodles.
Avoid: Regular noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, most packaged rice mixes, seminola, spinach noodles, frozen potato products with wheat flour added.
Cereals
Allowed: Hot cereals made from cornmeal or other corn-based cereal, Cream of Rice, hominy, rice; Puffed Rice, cereals made without malt.
Avoid: All cereals containing wheat, rye, oats, or barley; bran; graham; wheat germ; durum; kaska; bulgar; buckwheat*; millet*; triticale; amaranth*; spelt; teff; quinoa*; kamut.
Breads
Allowed: Specially prepared breads using only allowed flours.
Avoid: All breads containing wheat, rye, oat, or barley flours and grains listed above. Lola's Note: Okay, this is like eating "faux"/soy turkey, chicken, beef when you are a vegetarian. Bread is bread. Bread = Gluten. Just don't eat it. Easy. I don't do "allowed flours". I just don't eat bread.
Flours and Thickening Agents
Allowed: Arrowroot starch, corn bran, corn flour, corn germ, cornmeal, corn starch, potato flour, potato starch flour, rice bran, rice flour, rice polish, rice starch, soy flour, tapioca starch, bean and lentil flours, nut flours.
Avoid: Amaranth*, wheat germ, bran, wheat starch; all flours containing wheat, rye, oats, or barley; buckwheat*; spelt; quinoa*; teff; kamut; millet*.
Vegetables
Allowed: All plain, fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables; dried peas and beans; lentils; some commercially prepared vegetables.
Avoid: Creamed vegetables, vegetables canned in sauce, some canned baked beans, commercially prepared vegetables and salads.
Fruits
Allowed: All fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits; all fruit juices; some canned pie fillings.
Avoid: Thickened or prepared fruits; some pie fillings; raisins and dried dates that have been dusted with flour.
Fats
Allowed: Butter, margarine, vegetable oil, nuts, peanut butter, hydrogenated vegetable oils, some salad dressings, mayonnaise, nonstick cooking sprays.
Avoid: Some commercial salad dressings, wheat germ oil, nondairy cream substitutes, most commercial gravies and sauces.
Soups
Allowed: Homemade broth and soups made with allowed ingredients, some commercially canned soups, specialty dry soup mixes.
Avoid: Most canned soups and soup mixes, bouillon and bouillon cubes with hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
Desserts
Allowed: Cakes (NO), quick breads (NO), pastries (NO), and puddings made with allowed ingredients; cornstarch, tapioca, and rice puddings; some pudding mixes; custard; ice cream with few, simple ingredients; sorbet; meringues; mousse; sherbets; frozen yogurt.
Avoid: Commercial cakes, cookies; pies made with wheat, rye, oats, or barley; millet*, amaranth*, buckwheat*, spelt, teff, quinoa*, kamut; prepared mixes; puddings; ice cream cones; Jell-O instant pudding; cream fillings; products made with brown rice syrup.
Sweets
Allowed: Jelly, jam, honey, brown and white sugar, molasses, most syrups, some candy, chocolate, pure cocoa, coconut, marshmallows.
Avoid: Commercial candies dusted with wheat flour, butterscotch chips; flavored syrups; sweets containing malt/malt flavorings; some brown rice syrup; some corn syrup.
Miscellaneous
Allowed: Salt, pepper, herbs, herb extracts, food coloring, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, chili powder, tomato puree and paste, olives, active dry yeast, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, dry mustard, some condiments, apple cider, rice or wine vinegar.
Avoid: Curry powder, dry seasonings mixes, gravy extracts, meat sauces, catsup, mustard, horseradish, chip dips, most soy sauce, some distilled white vinegar, instant dry baking yeast, some cinnamon, condiments made with wheat-derived distilled vinegars, communion wafers/bread, some alcohol-based flavoring extracts.
on being gluten free
Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. These exist, conjoined with starch, in the endosperms of some grass-related grains, notably wheat, rye, and barley. Gliadin and glutenin comprise about 80% of the protein contained in wheat seed. Being insoluble in water, they can be purified by washing away the associated starch. Worldwide, gluten is an important source of nutritional protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein.
The seeds of most flowering plants have endosperms with stored protein to nourish embryonic plants during germination, but true gluten, with gliadin and glutenin, is limited to certain members of the grass family. The stored proteins of maize and rice are sometimes called glutens, but their proteins differ from wheat gluten by lacking gliadin. The glutenin in wheat flour gives kneaded dough its elasticity, allows leavening and contributes chewiness to baked products like bagels.
Although wheat supplies much of the world's dietary protein and food supply, as much as 0.5% to 1% of the population of the United States has celiac disease, a condition which results from an inappropriate immune system response to gluten.[1] The manifestations of celiac disease range from no symptoms to malabsorption of nutrients with involvement of multiple organ systems. The only effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
the clumsiest person in america
so last night i went to dinner and a movie with Yones. we planned on going to Chipotle up the street from his house and then see Twilight at Phipps.
yesterday (daytime) was our company photo. our company christmas (excuse me, HOLIDAY) cards will have a group picture on the cover. yay. so i had to look nice. i put on my black dress, patterned tights and the only decent pair of black shoes i have. these shoes also happen to be a good 4" (if not more) off the ground. now let me start by saying that i used to be able to run marathons in heels (not really, but you get where i'm going with this). stilettos and i weren't friends, but we had an understanding - make me look hot, and i will wear you everywhere. well, some years ago, stilettos and i had a falling out and i have been wearing flats ever since. i've complained on this blog before about losing my nice legs to flats and trying to reconcile with the stiletto, but to-date, i haven't really gone after the reconciliation with any frequency - with the exception of my only pair of black 4-inch heels. the heel itself isn't a stiletto, its actually a good solid heel (not chunky, but more the "modern" heel as some designers call it). but i digress....
so last night i picked up chuck right after work and we went to chipotle. it had rained hours before so the ground is still wet. we walk into the chipotle and there is no mat to dry the bottoms of your shoes (i only noticed this after what i'm about to tell you). so i'm walking to the chipotle counter to order my burrito bowl when my right leg slips on a patch and i stumble but i think i'll recover until my left leg gives out, too. i know how this all happens because this was seriously the slowest fall of my life. so i'm trying to regain balance on both legs, stumble forward and eventually both legs give out and i land on my left ankle first and then both my knees, my face only inches away from the chipotle counter (and you know that would have hurt).
i sit there in pain for several seconds and i can see the counter people come out from behind the counter and to my side to make sure i'm okay. and did i mention the chipotle was full? so i have all the people in the front row booths sitting up to see what happened and all the people in the back row booths stand up and come to the front. my fall was so loud. like a fucking elephant had been taken down. my knees and my left ankle all kill me, but having fallen in front of all those people, my pride hurts too. so i get up and wave to everyone. "yup, i'm okay" and proceed with acting normal and ordering my burrito. well! i was STARVING. as i'm making my way through the line people are still staring at me. so i stare back and smile. seriously? would you like me to fall again? was that not enough entertainment for you?
i'm beginning to think i can't walk in heels anymore. blah.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
missing an asshole.
...there's the stupid toyota commercial song "SAVED BY ZERO" that reminds me of him. he used to improv stupid songs for me.
....everytime i hear a fucking outkast song, i think of him. there was the time i was in orlando with the gang and he called me to ask where the hell i went and sang "i like the way you move" to me. the whole song. hysterical.
....i am thinking about buying an annual tuition at Dance101 (it's on sale), which means i'd have to pass his fucking house every day.
miss you, you asshole, but i'd rather throw myself off a building than call you.
why is it we only remember the good times and never the bad? i do that with steven too.
fuck.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
britney style
so my sister said something that had me cracking up hard.
this is probably funny to no one but me, but i'm going to re-tell it anyway.
so we took chase to karate friday afternoon but we were in such a rush to get him to his class and he was being such a royal pain in the ass that we forget to get him to go to the bathroom, so since the karate place is near our old house and no one lives in our old house (yet), we decided to make a pit stop.
when we get to the house, jenny and chase get out of the car and go running into the house. when they get back, chase jumps back into his carseat. i look at him and think "um, the karate place is like 2 feet away (seriously it is. i could have walked over there faster), do i need to strap him into the carseat?" i guess my sister saw my thoughts because she looks at me in the rearview and says "it's okay, we'll go britney style".
i lost my shit. i could not stop laughing for a good 5 minutes.
britney style?!
makes me laugh just thinking about it.
i was like, "what? what did you say?!" and she says that all the moms use it.
this shit has to be in the urban dictionary. hold on while i look.... OOOOH not yet! here's my chance to write an entry!
while i'm on hold for "approximately 4 minutes"...
i called him. never heard from him. i was in virginia thursday through monday morning.
when does he decide to call me? monday morning at 2:30am. seriously.
first it was an excuse ("i just got my new phone". really chad? REALLY?! because i don't think AT&T stores are open at 2:30am). then it was just incessant calling. i turned off my phone.
before i got on the plane i text him something like "don't call me. I will call you when i'm ready to talk to you"). then the incessant calling starts again at 3:30pm yesterday.
had to turn off my phone again because it went well into the night.
fucking annoying.
missed you!
first - I HATE BANK OF AMERICA.
yes i realize it was my fault for being a drunken fool 3 fridays ago and "losing" my debit card. but what's done is done and once you call your card in as "lost", you can't un-lose it and reactivate it when you find it in the unsewn portion of your purse. so you wait...
first those bitches told me 3-5 business days. when it didn't arrive, i called back and then they say 5-7 business days. still doesn't come. call back and they tell me its usually 7 -10 business days. still haven't gotten it.
so now i'm livid and the only excuse i got when i called last night was "its the holidays, so it may be delayed". SEND ME MY FUCKING CARD.
i'm on the phone now to have them overnight it.
Monday, November 24, 2008
lola's weekend update
friday night, Sasha and I went to Tierra for our monthly dinner.
i'd decided at the start of the day to save my calories for dinner, but one of my-coworkers made the most delicious brownies. I couldn't help myself.
Here's the recipe for my coworkers brownies:
You'll need a box of betty crocker chocolate brownie mix. Prepare as instructed for cake-like brownies. Pour half the batter in regular brownie tin, then lay 2 large Hershey's Symphony Almonds & Toffee bars (the big baking ones, not the small ones) across the top of the batter. Pour the rest of the brownie mix on top and bake brownies as instructed. You'll have to keep an eye on it though because the chocolate bars may add some time. Doesn't this sound delicious? Yeah, I had 3.
This didn't stop me from wanting to eat my hand by 6pm and our reservation was at 7pm. Sasha and I decided to go early as most monthly dinners we've been to and made reservations for are empty when we get there. Well, I was the first to arrive and it was empty, so I kind of laughingly went up to the host and was like, "I'm an hour early, but it doesn't look like it matters". He kinda just glared at me and was like "I'll see if I can find you a table." UM REALLY? There was a table of 3 there, me, a waitress, a bus boy, the host and about 30 empty tables.
When Sasha arrived, I ordered us some Cheese Pupusas with curtido. My mom makes these as a special treat. GOSH THEY ARE DELICIOUS! Pupusas are handmade tortillas with cheese in the center. My mother mixes a bunch of cheeses when she makes them and sometimes she'll do some with meat and cheese or just meat. The curtido is like a pickled/vinegary cabage/carrot/turnip slaw (without the mayo). GOOD GOD ITS SO GOOD. The pupusas at Tierra did not disappoint. AWESOME.
Oh yeah, the wine is good and cheap (most bottles are around $25). Sasha ordered the grilled pork medallions with fruit relish and chipotle mashed potatoes and I ordered the beef tenderloin with jalapeno onion cream and platanos fritos. Sasha and I have been doing monthly dinners for about 4 months now and Tierra was by far the best for me. My meal was perfect. Prepared well and in good portion. Needless to say, both Sasha and I did not have enough room for dessert (but I was eyeing that tres leches!).
Thursday, November 20, 2008
my friend, Gwenyth Paltrow, recommends:
GOOP is Gwenyth Paltrow's lifestyle site/newsletter. usually, i skim the newsletter, but the last one i got is full of delicious sounding recipes. Here are a few I'm trying next Thursday:
Greens with Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Dried Cranberries
Endive, arugula and radicchio are easy to get all winter long and make a great combination. The dressing, one of my favorites, has maple syrup which balances the bitterness of the leaves. The dried cranberries, goat cheese and walnuts make it perfect for any festive occasion or any day for a tasty light lunch.
SERVES: 12
TIME: 10 minutes
* 3 small cloves garlic, pushed through a press
* 2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup
* 1/3 red wine vinegar
* 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
* coarse sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/3 large head radicchio, washed, chopped
* 4 large handfuls arugula, washed
* 1 1/3 cup goat cheese
* 3/4 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
* 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Maple Whipped Cream
A cool alternative (literally) to traditional pumpkin pie. If you can find pumpkin ice cream, by all means use that. If not, here’s a quick and easy way to make some using vanilla ice cream, good canned pumpkin and lots of wonderful spices. When you first make the mixture the spices might seem strong, but remember that their flavors get a bit muted when they’re ice cold. If you're doing Thanksgiving for a large crowd, make two of these. One is good for a small crowd and the ice cream alone is a simple, fun desert for a party of two.
SERVES: 6, very generously
TIME: 20 minutes + at least 3 hours in the freezer
* 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve, ground in the food processor)
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 5 tablespoons melted butter
* 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
* 1 can pureed pumpkin (or 1-3/4 cups fresh)
* 1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
* Maple Whipped Cream (see recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a pie pan (why bother washing a mixing bowl?). Mix together with your fingers and then press evenly to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. It helps to press the mixture with the bottom of a small measuring cup. Bake for ten minutes or until light brown. Let cool while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, beat together the ice cream, pumpkin and spices. Spread evenly into the cooled pie shell and stick in the freezer for at least three hours before serving. When ready to serve, spread the top with Maple Whipped Cream.
Maple Whipped Cream
Maple syrup is one of the great North American ingredients and is one of the healthiest ways to sweeten things. I put it in nearly everything, including this heavenly whipped cream.
SERVES: enough for one pie
TIME: 5 minutes
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 2-3 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup
Whip the cream using a standing mixer, handheld mixer or whisk (a bit of a workout!) until stiff peaks form. Whisk in maple syrup to taste.