Well Begun is...Part Way There

Just a lovely little update post because it's Sunday and I feel like writing. I think these update posts are more for me than for you, dear readers, because they lay everything out for me and remind me that I am, in fact, still in the running to finish this project. I have my doubts sometimes. So here we are;

1. Become Financially Mature; I'm back to meal planning, have paid off my parents and have stopped using the credit card. Well, I've been using it, but then I pay off what I charge. I'm working now on consciously sticking to my damn budget. As long as I stay away from Fabricville I should be ok...
2. Treego; I have recruited my sister's boyfriend to be my companion for this item when they come for a visit in June. 
3. Learn to Play a Musical Instrument; I have it. It's set up in my living room, but I don't have any sheet music right now, so I'm working on that. 
4 & 5. DONE!!
6. See Every Movie I Want to See in Theatres; I've learned to distinguish between the movies I want to see and the movies I want to see in theatres, which has really helped. Basically the goal of this was to get back to doing what I love, which I have been. 
7. See the Calgary Stampede; Tickets are booked and my sister and I have been making plans. SOOO EXCITED!
8. DONE!
9. Yoga; Yeeeeeah....not so much. I really have to get going with this.

More like 29 years...

10, 11 & 12. DONE!!!
13. Take a Photography Class; I changed this one for a few reasons. Firstly, my photos aren't THAT bad. They suit their purpose. Secondly, my camera is almost 5 years old. My phone camera has more megapixels than the camera. I can't justify buying a new camera when there is essentially nothing wrong with the one I have, and I think taking a photography class with a cell phone camera would be frowned upon. So instead I will Make My Own Pasta. I've looked up recipes, have a pasta maker and will be attempting it in a couple of weeks.
14. Investigate a Masters Degree; I've kind of done this, but not with any real enthusiasm. I'm having a hard time justifying the cost and effort to get the degree based on the likelihood that actually HAVING a Masters degree will do me any good in my career. I'm still not convinced the BA has done me much good.
15. Make a Piece of Pottery; This is technically done, but I'm not crossing it off until my class finishes and I have all my pieces. Only 2 more classes left, so expect it pretty soon.
16 & 17. DONE!!
18. Hike in the Mountains; Same deal as number 7.
19. DONE!
20. Take a Solo Mini Vacation; Now that I'm not going to NYC I feel less guilty about this. I plan to go to Moncton in June for my checkup on my eyes (2 years after my Lasik!), so I'll probably do it then.
21. DONE!
22. Have Professional Photos Taken of Myself; My appointment is booked for May 18th, so I'll post once I get the CD of prints back.
23. Get a Tattoo; I have a date picked. I just have to get up the nerve to call and make the appointment.

Yup. I feel the same way.

24. Watch 'Dr. Who' From the Beginning; I'm still plugging away. I'm on the 4th Doctor, who also happens to be the longest running. I'm half way through season 13, so only about 20 and a movie to get through, and some seasons are significantly longer than others.
25. Pierce the Top of My Ear; This has changed to Plant and Take Care of a Big Garden, and my cousins and I have had a couple of planning meetings. I'm a bit concerned about it, since the yard is a disaster and composters are a lot more expensive than I thought, but it'll all work out.
26. Dance More; Thanks to Just Dance and a lot of wedding receptions I'm doing pretty well with this.
27. DONE!
28. Drink More Water; This is going well. I've eliminated pop almost entirely and drink a lot more water. Woo hoo!

29. Go on a Date; Still on the dating website, but I'm pretty fussy, so no dates yet. My friend and I went to the liquor store last night to raise money for our Relay for Life team and she made it my mission to practice my flirting. I'm pretty good at smiling and saying hi (which is an improvement from the smiling and rapidly averting my eyes trick that has been my go-to for so many years), so I guess I'm making progress. Incidentally, I also saw 'cute bus guy' again. He was the same one I ran into on that ill-fated trip to the craft fair last fall. Just as I suspected, he didn't recognize me. I may have to break down and go on a date with someone I'm not super interested in, just to get one under my belt.

So, I'm getting there.

 

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match

The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of...dating. List item number 29, Go on a date. I suck at dating. Always did. I shall now chronicle my sad dating history for you, dear reader. Please don't judge me. 

My first real date didn't happen until I was 21, and it was just a one time occurrence. It was with a guy I'd had a crush on in university who moved to Toronto. He came back for a visit at Christmas and we went out on our date. It was a really good date and after he went home to Toronto we messaged back and forth a bit, but it was doomed before it began.

My second date was with 'Cute Bus Guy' as my friend and I dubbed him. He took the city transit bus from university with me and we also used to see him out at the bar a lot. After some flirting (mostly on his part) I gave him my number and we talked on the phone a few times. Nothing earth shattering. We only went on one date, and it was...weird. He wouldn't come pick me up in Grand Bay so I had to get my dad to drive me to the east side to meet up with him. Then we spent the next few hours at his friend, the pot dealer's house. We made out when his friend went out and that, my friends, was pretty much it. After that the illusion was broken and, in true douchebag style, when I told him not to call me anymore he said 'your loss'. I can assure you, it was not.

My third date was with my ex. He found me on a website and messaged me. After messaging, emailing and chatting for about a month I suggested we meet. It was pretty good, and after a few more dates we were an official item. But we all know how that ended, now don't we?

Once I recovered from the breakup, I really just focused on the project and on figuring out who the hell I was. But it's been a year now, and I'm starting to get the itch. Not that itch. You have such dirty minds! I miss the fun of being in a relationship, and honestly, I need a bit of a push to stop dressing like a slob and to start shaving my legs again. But finding a date at this age...is challenging. I don't go to university anymore, so there goes a huge dating pool. I work with entirely women, and the males that I DO see at work are parents of clients and I am not allowed to date them (not to mention that most of them are already taken). I also don't have any single girlfriends to go out looking for guys with, and at this age, most of my friends' male friends are either married or too young. It's a crisis for the ages. So that pretty much leaves it up to me. As you may have noticed, the majority of my activities don't exactly put me in the line of vision of many eligible bachelor. Or ineligible for that matter. So what's a girl to do to find a date in this day and age?

Online dating.

This was my expectation for online dating.





 

This is my reality.












Why did I think this would be easy? This button does not exist. Although it should. Why did I think this would be any less stressful than real dating? Why am a such an anxiety bag? Why, why, WHY??? 




 


  

I couldn't even write my own profile. My best friend did it for me. Granted, I was there and gave her input, but for the most part it was all her. 

How I feel

I like to think I am a good conversationalist, and that I am at least decently funny. I never have a hard time carrying on conversations in person. But here's the dilemma. When it's a guy I'm interested in (at least, from what I remember from the last time I was single) I seem to freeze up. I sound like someone who is just learning the English language and is only able to use short sentences. I like movies. Do you like movies? I am horrible at writing messages that a person who does not know me would be interested in reading and, consequently, making them interested in meeting me. And I don't know how to flirt. In writing or in person. There is something to be said for arranged marriages.

And so, it comes to this. Once I had a profile set up I found a guy who seemed really great, so in a fit of bravery, I messaged him. He responded, and after messaging back and forth for about 2 weeks, I figured I'd be brave again and ask him out for coffee. At which point he said he didn't think we were the right match. But he wished me good luck, which CLEARLY made me feel much better. Foiled again.

Yeah, it hurt for a bit, and I will admit to moping for the rest of the day, but today I'm fine. So, attempt number one at list item number 29 was a big fail, but I'll try again. I'll keep my eyes open for potentials online, but I think I might also try keeping my eyes open in the real world too. You never know what the next day will bring.

Where's the Beef...Wellington?

I love food. I really do, which is why several of the items on the list were food related. I also like to watch cooking shows, and my favourite TV chef is Gordon Ramsey. I swear I will watch that man do anything. I even like it when he yells and swears at people. The man knows what he's talking about. WHY DO THEY NEVER LISTEN TO HIM??




 


Sorry. Back to reality. Now, one of the dishes that Gordon Ramsey and his flunkies cook ALL the time is Beef Wellington. I had heard about it before Gordon Ramsey started screaming at people that they'd overcooked it, but I didn't really look into what it was until I saw it on "Hell's Kitchen" every week. It always looks so good, and I've been wanting to try it, so when I was making this list I decided I'd try to make it. I'd heard it was labour intensive but delicious, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It was a whirl alright.

Beef Wellington ended up being one of those things that after a big build up, and very high expectations, lets you down in the end. Kind of like the season finale of "The Walking Dead". You hear so many good things, and you get all psyched up, and you make all these plans and set the mood, and then you watch the show and you're like..."Really? I waited all season for THIS?". Yeah. A whole lot of that went on in one day, since my best friend and I watched the season finale while eating the Beef Wellington. 

 

I bought all the supplies for the Wellington, but I knew it needed something to go with it. And what does Gordon Ramsey ALWAYS have on the menu with his Wellington? Risotto of course. I like risotto and had also heard that it was labour intensive, but I ended up liking the risotto a whole lot more than the Wellington.



  

Special appearances by the Killer Albino Bunny From Hell and Herbert. It was an Easter feast, after all.

I'll chronicle the risotto first. Not detailed, so if you want the recipe let me know and I can send it to you.

We made asparagus risotto because we love asparagus and I had some that needed to be used. You need arborio rice, white wine, chicken stock, olive oil, butter, an onion, asparagus, Parmesan cheese and some salt and pepper. Cook the onion in the oil and butter for 3-5 mins. Add the rice and stir it around for a couple of minutes. Add wine and let it evaporate. 


 
Once it has evaporated, add chicken stock half a cup at a time. When it evaporates, add another half cup. After 15 mins add the asparagus (cut in 1 inch pieces). Keep adding the stock and letting it evaporate until it's the consistency you want.




Stir in some asparagus puree, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper and you're all done!









It takes about half an hour of constant watching, plus prep work, but it's not all that complicated and is very yummy in the end. And now the Wellington. Same deal applies with the recipe.

Start with your beef. The recipe calls for a beef tenderloin, but I couldn't find one, so I got these two little sirloins. Size wise it was a good choice. Sear it on all sides.

Smear it with mustard.

Chop some mushrooms. I used mini bellas. Then you blitz them, which means to chop them up REALLY fine with a food processor. Then you put them in a dry pan and cook all the moisture out. I think this was my favourite part. It looked really neat. Then you let them cool.

Lay out some plastic wrap, then lay out some prosciutto. I used 4 slices for each Wellington and they were  BITCH to get apart. Boo prosciutto. Then you sprinkle the mushrooms on top. Notice my face and you will understand how I truly felt about this process. You then lay the meat on and ATTEMPT to roll it nicely.


Behold, a video of me rolling meat bonbons.

Now didn't that look like fun? Delicious meat bonbons. Throw it in the fridge for 20 mins to firm up.



It didn't really firm up a whole lot. Roll out some puff pastry, plop down the Wellington and roll it up. 








Cut off any excess dough and tuck in the edges.

Brush on some egg yolk to make it nice and shiny, then pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. After 25 mins it was still pretty pasty on the top (rather like myself), so I turned the broiler on for a minute or 2 to brown it up a bit.









And here's the finished product!! Looks delicious, doesn't it?

Take THAT, Wellington!

It was very juicy and hard to cut in two. My friend and I shared one and I took the other one home to my parents. Neither my friend nor I were able to eat this entire plate, although it COULD be due to the chips we ate while waiting for supper to cook. We didn't end up eating until close to 9. Oops!





So, list item number 5, Cook a Beef Wellington is done. Would I do it again? Probably not. It was good, but nothing spectacular. I think I'd rather just have a steak. And the Wellington was DEFINITELY not worth the cost and effort I put into it. Glad I did it though. Yet another learning experience :-)