The left and the right...

(photo)

As I checked my email today and learned, disappointingly, that I was not chosen for one of the three major scholarships I applied to for my year at the University of Edinburgh, I realized that I have plenty of reasons to be anxious as well as excited about the upcoming school year.

My mind is made up; I'm going. I made that decision well over a year ago, but now, as we get into summer with a little over three months to departure, I'm getting that sort of anxious, curdled feeling that comes with worries and woes about money and "the future" and "my path." My right and left brain are constantly at odds: one part of me wants everything planned out ad infinitum, and the other part of me prefers to go with the flow.

I suppose there's always going to be anxiety about making any kind of life-altering decision. This masters program only takes one calendar year, which my left brain is really happy to know is totally regimented and planned, but the material point is that once I've done it, I can't really go back to the way things were/are. Student debt is a killer. And I have a hard time not picturing a giant black hole of life/career uncertainty after I graduate. My left brain wants to make sure I have a fallback plan; my right brain is sure something will work out as long as I'm smart about my choices and work my hardest. Both are probably correct.

I'm awaiting word on two more major scholarships, and one other smaller external one. Crossing fingers, but money isn't everything. If it was, I'd not have chosen to be an art historian!

Good morning from High Cliff!

High Cliff State Park is only about nine miles from where I've grown up, but I can count on one hand the times I remember going there. And until yesterday, I hadn't ever walked any of the trails. I went in the morning and had the whole place practically to myself. Spring is finally in full swing.

Red Bird, chief of the Winnebago tribe, overlooking Lake Winnebago.

High Cliff sits on the Niagara Escarpment, hence the bluffs over Lake Winnebago in a predominantly flat part of Wisconsin. It's the same long geological formation of limestone that provides the bluffs for Niagara Falls.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Lemon Herb Sauce

I've been on a prosciutto bender lately (yep, that's a thing). For a while, I was buying cantaloupe and wrapping prosciutto around the slices -- a popular starter referred to in Italy as prosciutto e melone. It just sounds amazing. Anyway, time passed and numerous meloni were consumed, and then I just got plain old sick of it. Except I still had a pricey pack of prosciutto in the fridge, so I decided to use it for good instead of... well, nothing.

Preparing meals for one can be a little challenging when it comes to number of portions and how long leftovers will last. I did a little rummaging around in my fridge to see what I had, other than the prosciutto, and when I remembered a small pack of organic fresh thyme, I thought of this prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin. I adapted this from a recipe in the October/November 2011 issue of Cook's Country Magazine, but I made a few small changes, mostly for ease of preparation, as I was making this to provide take-to-work lunches for myself. Here's the way I did it:

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Lemon Herb Sauce

1 pork tenderloin (1.5lb package, pretrimmed)

5-6 slices thinly-sliced prosciutto

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth

juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons minced fresh green onions (or chives)

salt and pepper to taste

Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 450F. Pat tenderloins dry with paper towel. Wrap the tenderloin in prosciutto, covering as much as you can.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Brown the pork on all sides, 5-7 minutes, then transfer the tenderloin onto a wire rack set in a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature of meat reaches 145F.

While tenderloin is in the oven, heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add flour, thyme, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Stir in the broth and lemon juice and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer sauce to a serving bowl and add green onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I suggest skipping the salt as prosciutto is already salty, and the lemon and chicken broth in the sauce will also provide salt). Slice pork and serve with sauce.

Serves 3-4.

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 117

The halfway mark.

I thought I would share this for posterity: a look at what a difference the loss of 30lbs made to my face. !!? The photo on the left is from last June, at about 196lbs. The photo on the right is from yesterday, at about 166lbs. More to go, but I'm confident I'm on the right track.

A picture is worth...

There is very little this picture doesn't say about my relationship with my mom.

Happy Mother's Day to the most patient, understanding, generous and supportive mother a daughter could have ever asked for. She always strove to show me the best path (and hope alongside me that it was the right one), and promoted my independence and ability to make my own choices while always making herself available if ever I needed her. Whether near or far, I've always relied on her love and sound judgment to push me through the times when I thought things couldn't get worse; I've relied on her company and laughter when things looked up. I'm a twenty-something Millennial who lives at home, and I count myself lucky to be able to see her almost every day. She's a best friend, a weight loss pal, a shopping buddy and a partner in crime. I wouldn't be about to venture off to grad school if it weren't for her (and my dad's, of course!) unwavering support and encouragement.

I look forward to being able to share this next big adventure with you, mom!

Love,
Kate  xoxo

Thrifted treasures and travel tidbits.

I'm a thrift shop addict. I admit it. Probably at least once a week, I find time to head to one of the many local thrift shops, be it Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, or one of the variety of "thrift shoppes." Today I found a swell retro weekender (in addition to a whole slew of bangles) that got me to thinking about travel accessories... which I will soon need. How one thing leads to another!

When I returned home, I went through my little tub of travel items I've gotten and saved over the years--things I thought I might use again--while wearing my new bangles, of course. Apparently, what I have isn't limited to just luggage straps and electrical outlet converters. Finding foreign currency you will use again is always a bonus! And a perhaps outdated London Underground map, but with an Oyster card that still has £8 on it! It's the little things, it really is. For those who have no idea what an Oyster card is, it's London Transport's prepaid and reloadable passcard. So much easier than cash, and even if you're just in the city for a couple of days, very convenient. And you can give it back when you leave to get your initial deposit back. I, for some reason, have kept mine. Twice. I'm pretty sure the other one I had, I gave away. 

Let me just mention that having a mini sewing kit is one of those things you think you'll never need, and then BAM, you're really happy to have it. I've also been happy for little padlocks, if only to keep the zips together on your luggage so they don't open amidst all that baggage jostling.

Most importantly, I was able to take an inventory, and figure out what would be necessary to purchase as I get closer to leaving for Edinburgh. Luggage tags for one. Possibly one of those luggage scales--are those really worth $20, or should I just stick with the bathroom scale? And those compression bags for clothes, because they're genius. Any other suggestions for large-scale packing and long-term travel?

Starting to get preeeeetty excited. So much to do yet, but this summer is going to fly. I wouldn't have it any other way.


Days to Edinburgh Move-In: 119

The Art Garage

I made a promising French spring lamb stew last night and hoped to be able to post about it today, however it was a total disaster. So instead, I'll share just a couple photos of a mini trip to Green Bay to visit The Art Garage, a gallery, studio and classroom space hooked up to the local technical college, where my dad currently has a wall up (see below) and their current show was of travel-themed work by the Green Bay Art Colony. It was a gorgeous day for it!

It used to be an old automotive repair garage, hence the "garage" in the name. I almost liked the architecture more than the items on display, but I did see a few nice things, and it really is a splendid, bright space with an eclectic selection of work and a small gift shop.

Also, in unrelated but arguably more exciting news, I had a pow-wow via Facebook with my two sisters throughout the day yesterday, and we've decided to do a road trip to Glacier National Park at the end of June! How exciting is that. There'll be plenty more where that came from, I can assure you, so stayyy tuuuuned!

Days to Edinburgh Move-In: 122