Category Archives: Law School

The Godmother

Posted on by

12

Today and Yesterday have been busy days.

Yesterday I tried to go to yoga. Twice. It just wasn’t my day.

The first time I tried to go to yoga I drove around a parking lot that insisted it had 15 available spots. Yeah. It didn’t. So I went to Panera and studied until the next class.

I got to the second class but the teacher didn’t. At that point I surrendered and went home.

Today was much better though! Not only did I feel good about the studying I had a good day.

I meet up with Kelly for a study break lunch at Bay Cities in Santa Monica. Bay Cities has 1300 reviews on Yelp and 4.5 stars, does it get any more stellar?

Bay Cities is an Italian deli and shop. They have great sandwiches, bread, pastas, cheese, and olive oil selection. You place your order at the deli counter and then eat outside on the patio.

Check out the garlic in the bottom right corner! We wandered the aisles.. there were so many truffle oils, I will need to go back. The cheese selection was good (holy giant mozzarella) and not too pricey. Next time I need specialty items I know where I’m headed!

We both ordered the signature sandwich, the Godmother, with the works. I mean, the name of the sandwich is etched in the window of the store (see below). How could I not order it?

The counter was pretty busy but we got through pretty fast. We picked out sodas (diet A&W!) and headed outside to enjoy.

I’m not sure what all was on “the works” version of the Godmother, but I can tell you that the bread is freshly baked. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. There are tons of meats in this sandwich and provolone cheese.

Yep, it really was “the works”. I only ate half the sandwich for lunch and I ate the other half for dinner tonight. This was a good sandwich. I think it was the bread that really made it special. Also the meat to cheese to topping ratio was perfect. Sometimes you get a sandwich and there is too much meat but this was just right!

After dropping Kelly off I found a metered parking spot with 40 mins left two blocks from Huckleberry. It would be wrong not to drop in! Right? Right? I grabbed a lemon bar which I ate after dinner.

I love lemon bars and this one did not let me down. It was a little tart but more sweet. There was lemon zest in the bar which was actually pretty good.

The lemon part was light and sugary. So delicious. Huckleberry is always a win.

After lunch I studied more and got my hair cut! I really, really needed it. I am totally that girl who walks into the salon and says “do whatever you want”. I’ve had super long hair, to a pixie cut and tons of styles in between. However, I made an executive decision: time to grow out my bangs.  I have had bangs in one iteration or another since 2007. It was time for a change.

If kinda reminded me of someone I idolize hair…

Source

Yep, I’m a Jackie, not a Marilyn. Its true.

Day 3 of Finals

Cookies consumed: 1

YouTube Video’s watched: 5 (here, here, here, here)

Bagels consumed: 2

Finals taken: 0

Advertisement

Day One

Posted on by

5

Today was the first day of reading period. I have a love hate relationship with the first day of finals. Last year Izzy almost choked to death on her food. Last Spring I was worried about getting all my work done on time. I am happy to report that today was nothing but productive! This is the first time I’ve had a car during finals and I have to say, it feels really good to get out of Westwood when studying.

First I went to Panera for a bagel breakfast. Note, the reading you see is maybe half of my Critical Race Theory reading. No kidding.

Oy. Discovery of the day: Panera started listing calories! I felt good about this everything bagel at 300 calories (I also ate an apple). I was horrified by the counts though. I used to, well, binge at Panera. Is binge the right word for consuming 1500 calories? I think so.

Oh well, that’s over now. Moving on.

I was super productive at Panera. I worked diligently and didn’t even listen to music. I took minimal facebook, email, twitter breaks and didn’t watch any Youtube videos. Who am I?! I worked from 9:30 until noon.

Around noon I realized that I needed a break. I drove and parked at the Santa Monica Library and walked to Real Food Daily. The last time I went to RFD was for a blogger meet up and I knew I wanted to go back. Today was the perfect chance! I got a small plate because I had other snacks packed (like a Z Bar). I choose the BLT Tartine.

Look at that avocado! Love!

The sandwich has vegannaise which is totally better than mayonnaise, at least in my opinion. This was an excellent lunch pick me up. Next time I go to RFD I’ll make sure to say hey to Katie who gets to work there! Can you even imagine all the amazing food? Must be the best job ever.

After I ate I ambled back to the Santa Monica Library for more work. I was very, very productive. On the way home I picked this little guy up from Susie Cakes…

He was yummy. Then I went on a 4 mile run which was good but kind of cold. I need to work out a system for when its under 60 degrees and I go running.

Dinner was grilled salmon with salt, pepper, EVO, thyme and cumin (random I know). But it turned out pretty fantastic! I also had roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato fries.

Side dishes!

The sweet potatoes were left in a little too long but you know, it happens.The Salmon was DELISH and took a short amount of time to cook. I have leftovers and I cannot wait to dig into them tomorrow!

Now I am watching Glee and Biggest Loser. If Ada doesn’t make it to the final 4 I am going to go insane! Hope everyone had a productive day!

Finals: Day 1

Cookies Consumed: 1

YouTube Videos watched: 1 (thanks to vivi. It can be viewed here)

Back at it

Posted on by

7

How was everyone’s Thanksgiving?

Mine was awesome! I took Thursday and Friday 100% totally OFF. I didn’t read, I didn’t outline, and I didn’t blog. All I did was hang out with Catie and her family, ate good food, gave thanks, watched movies, shopped and put my feet up. It felt gooooooood. Sometimes you just want a day or two off. Saturday I got home and ran errands, organized my life, studied and crashed really early.

Good thing too, because guess what tomorrow is? The last day of classes. This is both good and bad. Its great because I will have a lot of very unstructured time, it means the semester is almost over and I’m almost half way done with law school (gah! I can’t even believe it). It also means I have finals. Boo.

Here is what we have to look forward to:

Yup, it all ends on the 16th. Can’t wait!

Tonight I made a very healthy recipe from the Skinny Bitch cookbook: Leek and Sweet Potato Casserole. Casseroles are great when it is chilly. Yes, it was only 55 degrees today. I realize there was a wind chill of 9 in Chicago on Thanksgiving, but I don’t want to hear it. My blood has officially thinned out and a high of 54 is cold. Casseroles reheat well, which is good when you anticipate being short of time. And I really love sweet potatoes. Any excuse, right?

3 leeks. 2 sweet potatoes.

Sliced.

Sauteed (with salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic).

Arrange (potato, leek, potato). Top with panko. Add vegetable broth. Bake at 400 for 30 mins.

Yes, I added a thin layer of Swiss. I realize that this isn’t vegan or part of the skinny bitch recipe but I ran 8 miles today and I wanted some cheese. Deal with it.

This was a great, easy casserole. Another reason I like Skinny Bitch is that she lists all the nutritional information after all of her recipes. One serving of this is only 280 calories! It probably ended up being more per serving because I added a little bit of cheese. I ate slightly more than one serving because of the aforementioned run. This was a fantastic dinner and I am already looking forward to the leftovers! Definitely a dish worth repeating.

Hope everyone had an awesome holiday weekend!

Something New

Posted on by

2

**It isn’t too late to vote for Left Coast Contessa to advance to round 3 of Project Food Blog. Vote here! Thank you!**

Today I tried making something new for dinner. I didn’t know that I actually liked this food until last Spring. I think that goes to show there is no food I dislike.

Any guesses what the mystery food is?

Here is a hint:

If you guessed beets then you are correct! I discovered that I like beets last May but I never tried to make them for myself. I would pass them in the farmers market and think “but how do you even cook that?” Obviously I would try to roast them but do I take off the skin? How is it done?

I had all my questions answered by this months Everyday Food. I decided to roast them for dinner tonight with eggplant, potato, and broccoli. As usual: EVO + S&P, for 30 mins after you wash and peel them.

While they were roasting I made some whole wheat cous cous.

I loved the colors in the final product!

Beets are delicious! How did I live so long without them? I have no idea.

Today the temps finally got under 80 around 6:45 so I hit the road for a sweaty 2 mile run. It was so nice to get back on the road. I have a midterm in Evidence tomorrow so I really needed to get some type of a run in. The feeling of running after taking a few days off is amazing. It feels like my body is coming back to life.

So, wish me luck for my test tomorrow! I feel prepared. Let’s face it, the idea of a test that mimics the Bar Exam is a little scary but I studied diligently! Now I suppose all I can do is turn it over and let the chips fall where they may.

Again, it isn’t too late to vote for Left Coast Contessa to advance to round 3 of Project Food Blog. Vote here!

Return of the Flying Pig

Posted on by

0

Last Spring I stumbled upon the Flying Pig truck one day when I was too lazy to make lunch. I remember Flying Pig as one of the best food trucks I’ve ever eaten from and I had to make it back today. Sadly, I picked the first day of class at UCLA. The law school is on a semester system and the rest of campus is on the quarter system. Today the undergrads descended and yes, I waited in a line of 40 people for tacos.

It took a while but it was so worth it!

This time I got the same tacos I had before (duck and chicken). I also was adventurous and ordered pork belly! Last semester I saw pork belly on the menu and thought to myself, “that’s a little bit out there for me”. This time I thought the same thing, but I added to my thought, “but your a food blogger dammit!” So, I ended up with this:

I have to say that this did NOT disappoint. The bun was fantastic and the pork was very flavorful. Not spicy, just a little bit sweet. There was a ton of meat and the onions were wonderful. Bite size and fantastic!

The rest of the meal was exactly what I had in March. A delightful fusion of citrus, meat and deliciousness. I sat in the grass and just let myself relax for a while.

Looks nice huh? I have to say that things are getting a little bit crazy here on the left coast. Its no one thing but I have mid terms starting next week (midterms are NOT normal in law school and have crept up on me a bit), looking for a summer job stress, and just general life stress is starting to get to me. Running is good and helps me de-stress, sitting in the grass and just watching the world go by was simply perfection this afternoon. Thank goodness for simple pleasures like sunshine, good food, shade under a tree and watching the world go by.

Question of the Day: What do you do to de-stress?

Thirsty Wednesdays

Posted on by

0

Last night Catie and I said goodbye to Kat by bringing her to one of our favorite bars, Thirsty Crow. The first time Catie and I went to “The Crow” we looked at each other and said, “Kat would love this place!” Of course she did.

Last time I got a whiskey cocktail, but this time I ordered a Violet Vapor.

The violet vapor is a combo of creme de violet and champagne. I know we were at a whiskey bar, but what can I say, I’m a champs girl. We had a great time reliving college memories. Lets just say I learned some interesting facts about my trash can last night. I got home late and woke up at 6 am today to go to court. Revelation of the day: I really, really want to be a litigator. Ah, we learn something new everyday. It’s nice to have some direction.

Back to reading and then a run. What is everyone doing for the long weekend?

Funky

Posted on by

1

Hey Hey Hey,

How was your day blog world? My was funky. I was tired, had a headache and just couldn’t get motivated at work. Then my lack of motivation made me feel stressed. Deadly cycle.This might be because my workspace felt like the bayou today or because basically everyone in my workplace was slap happy. Who knows.

Tonight I did manage to make it on a run. However, I forgot to turn on my timer but I remember the songs I listened to and I didn’t end any early. So, my run was roughly 24:00 mins give or take about a min, if my math is ok. While on my run I ‘ran into’ Hiroshi. It was probably the most awkward 30 seconds of my life but whatever, awkward happens. Has this happened to anyone? Do you say hi or just run on when you see a Professor while on the road? I felt better after my run but still kinda stressed.

So I did the only logical thing… Mac & Cheese with mix ins!

Arugula, prosciutto, broccoli, and pepper. The pasta was Trader Joe’s from a box (what can I say, unmotivated) and should be noted that this is only a half portion.

Still didn’t fully kick the funk so I made brown sugar bars loosely based on Paula Deen’s recipe.

I browned 1/4 cup of butter

Combine with 1 cup brown sugar

An egg

Separately, mix 3/4 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of Saigon Cinn, some grated nutmeg…

Combine flour with brown sugar

and the finishing touch was 1 teaspoon of vanilla…

Put into a greased pan and bake at 350 for 20 mins…

and the final product will debut tomorrow I promise! I have to let it cool before cutting it up, thus everyone can be on virtual tetherhooks waiting for me to reveal the final product. I will say that the dough was delicious. Saigon Cinn is like my CAT NIP!

The moral of the story? I did feel better after baking brown sugar bars barefoot in my kitchen listening to the Temptations Pandora station. Baking cures all.

Eastside Afternoon

Posted on by

1

Today I am blogging at 9:15 from my living room because I have an unexpected day off. Thanks law clerks for all taking today off! My plans for today include yoga, reading, and just all around doing nothing. Right now I am enjoying peanut butter Ezekiel bread with a small amount of strawberry jam. Plus, French Press coffee. Love lazy Friday.

Yesterday I went to an event hosted by the National Lawyering Guild. It didn’t start til 6 so I had some time to kill after work. Molly suggested that I hang out in Los Feliz on Vermont, so I did. I spent most of my time in Skyline Books.

Look what I found:

I want it!

Then I made my way to the Echo Country Outpost for the event.

The event was at this great little store/gallery in Echo Park. I really liked the space, except so many people showed up it was a little hot. There was Fat Tire, Pinot Noir and good eats…

This potato thing was delicious! It had hoisen sauce which was so good.

I also sampled these:

The spring roll was pretty good. The bean cake on the right was ok but a bit heavy and cakey.

The best thing I had at the event I didn’t actually get a picture of… it was a carrot cake cupcake with a ginger icing. So good! The cake was moist and the frosting was really good. Sadly, I was networking and didn’t want to be “that girl” with the camera out. I knowwww I have to man up and just take the pics. It was good though.

Now I have another Big Announcement!

Yesterday I signed up for the Malibu 1/2 marathon in Malibu on November 14th! My friend had invited me to run with her in April and I was unsure about whether I could do it. I knew that while David was in town, when I was in Boston and home and I wouldn’t be running as much. I also wasn’t sure what I would be like training this summer. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to commit to it like I wanted to. But, I’ve been feeling good about my runs and after reading tons of race recaps on various blogs I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for my first half marathon! I’m actually feeling really excited and energized about it!

Off to the water room for a long stretch!

The Riley Dinner

Posted on by

0

So the long awaited Riley dinner occurred last night and I can report that it was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. Her house is beautiful, well decorated, and her daughters are so sweet and adorable. We had red wine to drink and a great spread of cheese, apples, and chips for appetizers. Then we started dinner with an amazing salad that had beets, tomato and avocado. It was a great and very summer appropriate:

For the main course we had grilled salmon (prepared by Riley’s husband who FYI- card counter), roasted chicken, grilled asparagus (um my favorite), and risotto with artichoke (umm probably the only thing I love more than grilled asparagus).

And obviously I had two helpings and a cupcake for dessert. The dinner was awesome and Professor Riley is probably one of my favorite profs. Shes super likable, very personable and I enjoy talking to her because her world view is so well rounded. You can tell that shes is both a CRS affiliate and also that shes experienced so many different things in her life. Very interesting and very likable. Juicy tidbit? Those amazing shoes are a result of online shopping! Anyway, the dinner was awesome and I was so glad that Kelly invited me. Thanks, Kelly!

#101 Finish 1L

Posted on by

3

I cannot believe this year is over! This has been a challenging year for me and I feel so accomplished now that its over. Nothing matches the feeling of taking on a challenge, working hard, and finishing the task. Of course, yesterday was a gorgeous LA day:

Seriously, I’m never leaving. I love that its almost always going to be a perfect day is LA.

We had our final from 1:15 til 4:45, then we were shuffled from the testing room directly to the courtyard for this…

and this…

I knew when I got the email that there would be cake after the final that I picked the right law school. I love UCLA because literally all I wanted after the final was cake and champagne. And of course there were picture.

And there were drinks…   Car bomb and margaritas and champagne oh my.

I have to admit that I’m a little sluggish this AM but that’s OK because I have NOTHING to do today. Well, actually not nothing. I have a pool party in the Valley to attend. But nothing that requires brain power. I have to get going but, UCLA LAW class of 2012, we did it!!