you can call me betty...betty crocker.

I've been trying to incorporate more fruit into my diet lately and with the awesome summer produce, it's been pretty darn easy! Unfortunately, though, I've had a few weeks in a row now where I've had to toss out my bananas because the humidity/heat is making them ripen so quickly before I can eat them. Well, it happened again this week (wah wah) and I refused to throw them out again! So I did some Googlin', put on my apron and whipped up a mess in the kitchen! Here's my first attempt at banana bread...

And it's so good!! You can just call me Betty Crocker :) Here's the easy peasy recipe in case you'd like to try it out (and I really like it because it doesn't require  a huge mixer like all the other ones!)

Banana Bread, courtesy of simplyrecipes.com:

Ingredients...

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

How to...

Preheat your oven to 350*. Mix butter and mashed bananas with a wooden spoon in a big bowl. Mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the top and mix. Add the flour last. Pour the mixture into a buttered 4x8 loaf pan (had to purchase that today, ha!). Bake for one hour (but it only took mine about 50 mins). Cool on a rack and enjoy!

say (like Gwen) b-a-n-a-n-a-s!!

katy c. 

we heart jt.

Date Night tonight with the lovely, Ms. Susan Vitulli!! We played catchup at Cafe Sushi in Cambridge where we enjoyed Boylan cane-sugar colas, grabbed some salted caramel frozen yogurt at the new PinkBerry and then were off to Harvard Square to see the new movie, Friends with Benefits (not awesome, not terrible -- but we definitely agree that it was WAY better than its semi-identical predecessor No Strings Attached). 

A relaxing evening with no rush...much appreciated, Vitulli :)

say cheese,
katy c.

i have to read more.

A few recent observations that led me to this revelation:
1. I stare at either a computer or cell phone screen all day. My little eyeballs need a break from the fake and need to experience something real!
2. I desperately want to write a book someday! No clue what it will be about...what genre it will fit into...or if it will be any good...but I know that a quality product can only come from research, experience, experimenting and inspiration! So I'm trying a few new folks on for size!
3. The right side of my brain is bored and the left side is exhausted. The remedy: some fiction!
4. I recently finished the third and final book of the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers (Holy cow, GO READ THEM!! Not even kidding). The tricky part about this is that I started reading them last June. So more than one year to read three books...the last of which took nine months. I'm busy...but that's just pathetic!
5. I have an extremely long and forever-growing reading list, and I'd like to scratch a few off before school starts back and I turn into scary-student-Katy again.

Thus, here are my most recent purchases to get me started:

Let me explain why these beat out the rest of the list for now:
1. Something Borrowed -- Because sometimes a girl just feels romantical and needs something easy-breezy that requires little-to-no thought. Done and done.
2. The Hunger Games -- Everyone and their mom has read these but me! So in order to not feel left out and to read them all before the movies come out starting early 2012 (in case the Mark of the Lion series debacle of 2010-2011 happens again), I'm sinking my teeth into this series as soon as possible. This will also satisfy my need for an adventurous read!!
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- Intellectual stimulation? Check. I've heard crazy good things about this series and I can't wait to dive into this murder-mystery-corruption thriller! I've heard it may be a little challenging to get through, as some scenes are overtly explicit and intense, but as long as it's not about health or health promotion or health policy, I'm sure I'll be juuuuust fine!

All this to be said, I hope you've been able to take a little time to yourself this summer and lose your way in a great book, too! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know of any suggestions you may have for me to add to my list -- I'm excited to return to my first love and maybe stick with her more consistently this time around :)

say cheese,
katy c.

"soooo it's a fritter?" "a what??"

I've been threatening to de-friend my co-worker, Karan, if he did not quickly (and with determination and enthusiasm!) show me some of his favorite Indian foods, as I've already fed him a few of my favorite dishes from home. I've been getting antsy--I always (obviously) want to learn, experience and EAT new things!!--so he satiated me (momentarily) with a few quick grabs from an Indian restaurant near where we work. The lumpy thing is called a "pakora" (fried potato + onions..kinda fritter'y) and the other....well, I don't remember the name...but it was also a potato but with more spiciness than the first. They were both DELICIOUS and I can't wait to experience more!....because, Karan, there will be more!!

say pakora!!
katy c.

meet a.c.

A.C Slater, that is. He packs a punch and is seriously saving me from the warmth of the not-so-air-conditioned Boston surrounding me. Many thanks to Joc, her mom and her dad for buying me one when I was out of town....and for installing it, too!! Thanks, y'all :) I for real could not be more grateful!! I can confidently say that I've never really felt any sort of affection or love for a particular piece of machinery or appliance....but this thing gives me that loving feeling (woah-oo-woah-oo-woah).

say "boy, it feels real nice in here!"
katy c.

the honeymooners.

Katie + Kevin were traveling back through New England at the end of their honeymoon week, and met me at Fenway for a Red Sox game!! I was lookin' rough-n-tumble straight off the airplane from Maryland...so there was little to no chance I was actually gonna take a picture of myself...so I took a pic of the #1 players, instead!! If you'll notice, my seats are getting closer and closer to home plate -- maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to sit right behind the catcher by the end of this whole adventure :)

say cheese!
katy c.

the nicest kids in town!

Since you unfortunately could not join the Mother and me in Baltimore on our awesome adventure (and speed boat excursion!!), let me give you a little tour of ole Batlimooore!

The Inner Harbor from the Science Center!
("Wow, Katy, that's really cool how you took advantage of all the layers in this landscape!"
Oh,  geez, thank you...how embarrassing!)

I said, "Make a face." This is what she gave me...  :)
(At the Rusty Scupper restaurant)

Maryland Crab Cakes + Old Bay Potato Chips :) Mmmmm hmmmm!!

I'm on a (speed) boat.

Two cuties I found before the speed boat tour....they didn't look quite as put together -- ahem, wind-blown hair, much? -- afterward.... 

Is was hot as blazes. Blazes, I say. 

Domino Sugar factory!! 

All dolled up to honor and celebrate Mammy for her 26-year career as a fan-freakin-tastic medical illustrator!! Love youuuu!

say cheese,
katy c.

thirty...four??

So remember that one time I told you Mommy and I got booted + scooted around Baltimore because of the hotel's maintenance glitch?? Well, they made up for it mighty well with a fancy lil room on the 34th floor! Gives a whole new meaning to my daily tune, "Good Morning, Baltimooooore!"

say cheese,
katy c.

good morning, baltimoooore!!

Mommy and I landed in Baltimore last night and (after losing our hotel room due to maintenance issues, directing the taxi driver to a new one with my phone's GPS in a city I've never been in and being electrocuted by my own hair blow dryer!!) finally got settled in for an awesome week of the Association of Medical Illustrators annual conference!


This year marks Johns Hopkins' scientific art program's 100th anniversary, so we spent the day listening to wonderful Hopkins graduates speaking on what they're working on now and how their degree has influenced their current careers. It was fascinating!! My favorite speaker was David Cheney, who is currently with the wonderful Mayo Clinic, who spoke on how important MI's and their multilingual nature are. It was wonderful to see their side of "health communication" -- listening to a clinician, researcher or patient and translating their understanding of the human body visually. It's (semi)exactly what I'm learning to do! (Except, I'm doing less carbon dusting and water coloring, and more narrating and thesaurus'ing.) It was great!! There were even references to a few theories I've become privy to since coming to Emerson (ahem, the transtheoretical model of health behavior) which I got to explain to my mom, thus proving the necessity of my living above the Mason Dixon Line :)


After a long day of auditorium-sitting -- looking at and hearing about medical art relating to malaria, animation, gaming, and even mollusks! -- Mommy and I put on our walking shoes and explored Baltimore's Inner Harbor a little bit and ended our night by enjoying the one-woman wheelie witty wacky silly suitcase circus!! Take a peek...

If that's not the coolest Barnes & Noble building ever -- a recycled power plant! -- then I'm a monkey's uncle!! 

Mammy and I before the circus, complete with unicycle, knives and the clown groping strangers! For real! 

THE Inner Harbor!!

say cheese, 
katy c. 

oh. well hello, Jesus. how are you today?!

Awesome view en route to Baltimore from ATL!

my best friend's wedding :)

Katie is married :) She flipped the W and moved up in the alphabet (because, afterall, being a W is hard) and she is now Katie Mooney. WOAH. Weirdness!! He is an awesome, lucky guy and I couldn't be more happy for them!! A few shots from the day....

Awesome photographs by HayReh :)



say cheese,

katy c.

dress rehearsal!!

Friday was the day before the BIG day, so of course we were scurrying around finalizing those every-important wedding details. We were able to relax with the wonderful bridemaids, however, for a bridal luncheon at Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta. (If you haven't been, go. It will change your LIFE.) Here's a lil samplin' of the awesome southerness they dish up everyday:

Don't forget the cup of pot likker!!

Afterward, we headed to the church to set up for tomorrow's show and enjoy some great italian food at the dinner. It was so wonderful seeing all of my favorite people -- I was seriously almost sad being with them because I knew I would have to leave them soon :( I mean, for real...check out how attractive they are afterall...

My BFF's -- Larry, Coley, AnnaBanana, me, Weisface
(not pictured: Rehberg, who's taking the pic)

say cheese!!
katy c.

the wedding planner.

Anna, Haley and I went into super duper wedding planner mode on Wednesday and Thursday when they arrived in ATL from Texas and Thomasville, respectively. We were ping-ponging between Kinko's, Walmart, and the grocery store -- all whilst trying to save the beloved mis-delivered wedding flowers. It was so FUN being back with them, and planning all the while :)

blowingmymind.

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I, a lover of all things CFA-related, get my fill of fried chicken + waffle fries whenever I come home. But I was pretty surprised to find this awesomeness at a CFA in Atlanta. I almost started crying it was so beautiful -- after all, it's two of my most favorite things: Chick-fil-a and efficiency.

say totes brill!
katy c.

sun kissed :)

Our second day at the beach was B-E-A-UUUU-TIFUL (see pic for proof!) and we wrapped up the day with great seafood on the dock at Dewey Destin's restaurant. Of course, it wouldn't have been complete without some froyo (that's frozen yogurt)....and so ensued a failed use of the GPS as we drove 324905 miles to find a froyo FACTORY. Which obviously wasn't open at 10 p.m. :) So we settled for some Dippin' Dots, instead!

Between two Weisers, Katie (the bride!) and Leslie (her sister)

Haley & Nicole



say cheese,

katy c.

girls gone (not so) wild!

I joined six wonderful women (Katie, Haley, Nicole, Leslie, Rebecca & Amanda) at Destin this weekend for one awesome bride's bachelorette celebration!! Before getting too crazy (ha, yea right), we acted like civilized women and enjoyed dinner at Louisianna Lagniappe restaurant after a long day at the beach. The great view during appetizers:

say ONE WEEK!!
katy c.

i'm on a boat.

Jocelyn, Kristen, Cassaundra and I made the fun trip down to Hingham, MA tonight -- some of us on a super cool commuter ferry! -- to see another fabulous classmate, Claudia. She and her husband took us out for a fantastic ride on their sailboat, the Cetacea, for our first sail! It was a beautifully windy evening, and we enjoyed sandwiches, watermelon, Cape Codders and an amazing sunset!! IT. WAS. AWESOME.

I think a boat is in my future!!
katy c.

yankee doodle.

Outrageously perfect Americana dinner with the roomie? CHECK.

Amazingly awesome picnic spot on the Charles River on a wonderfully sweet summer night? DONE.

Best far'werks show everrrrr? Like, I'm not kidding it blew my mind? CHA-CHING.

Happy 4th, y'all!!
katy c.

through the looking glass.

Susan and I went to the Chihuly blown-glass exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts this afternoon and it was AWESOME! I could attempt to describe to you the fantastic shadows, the moments of surprise and the breathtaking shapes in crazy profound words....but I think you should just discover it all yourself!!

The Green Icicle Tower

Neodymium Reeds on Logs

His sketches

Chandeliers.....

...and again!

Persian Ceiling

Suzzy Q + me + the Persian Ceiling

Mille Fiori (1,000 Flowers)...

...Mille Fiori...

...Mille Fiori! DE-TAIL!

His art in nature!

Ikebana Boat

i'm a georgia peach.

The roomie and I took part in a little indulgence tonight with our coffee and peach ice cream cones, respectively!! Mmmmmsoooogooood.