step into my office…

Yesterday morning I woke up, got ready for work, and went about my morning as usual.  There was a quick breakfast, lunch packing, and a last minute check to make sure Jade and I had everything we needed before we left.  I dropped her off at school and set off for work, where I thought about the relaxing weekend ahead with its glorious lack of plans as I made my way down the freeway.  I got to work, unpacked my stuff, switched on the computer, and was was just settling into my to-do list when my boss popped his head in and asked to speak to me in his office.  Uh-oh.

So, yeah.  Cut to ten minutes later, when I walked back to my office a little stunned at the words “cutbacks” and “I’m sorry.”  I certainly didn’t see that coming.

invisalign: the consultation

I’m sure the subject of Invisalign, or “invisible” braces, won’t be of much interest to many of you, but I thought it would be personally nice to track my progress, and also give (hopefully) good information to those considering the treatment.  Therefore, this will be an ongoing series updated every few weeks or so as I move along in the process.  

Let’s start at the beginning. My teeth and I have always had a love/hate relationship.  They’re not what I suppose one would necessarily call bad, and at a distance I don’t think their crookedness is too noticeable.   Regardless, they could certainly use some improvement.  Due to the fact that my two front teeth overlap slightly, and the teeth to the sides of them are twisted so that you are literally seeing their sides and not their fronts (does that make sense?), my smile is quite narrow.  Also, I have an overbite.  And the bottom teeth?  They are so crowded.  Luckily though, my top teeth pass as relatively  decent, and the lower ones aren’t too visible.

A picture I would normally consider 'bad', based on the angle of my teeth.

However, I don’t want to live with teeth that only pass as relatively decent.  So, Invisalign is a treatment I’ve been considering for years.  Rather than bulky metal braces, Invisalign is a series of clear plastic trays, or ‘aligners’, that you wear on your teeth.  Every two weeks or so you get new trays as your teeth begin to shift into place.   This sounded perfect for me, as I didn’t want the look of braces (too old for that!), but certainly wanted their benefits.

Before I could start anything, I wanted to get my pesky wisdom teeth removed, which I did last October, and once they had healed some, I scheduled an Invisalign consultation appointment with my dentist in early December.  (By the way, I timed it that way on purpose, having remembered that the previous year my dentist gave an end-of-the-year discount to new Invisalign patients, which he luckily offered again this year.  I saved $750 by doing this.)

At the consultation, pictures were taken of my mouth.  This was an odd process, because they have to hold your mouth open and stick mirrors in so that they can get those pictures you see in brochures.  For someone who doesn’t like the focus to be on my teeth given the way they look, this was a little uncomfortable.

Next, molds were taken of my teeth.  This was a little painful for me as I still had the empty wisdom teeth sockets that were healing.  Plastic basket-looking things were filled with a clay substance with a groove carved out for my teeth, and then that groove was filled in with a gel.  Then the whole thing was uncomfortably squeezed into my mouth.  The hygienist has to really push them into place, applying a lot of pressure.  Then they kind of ‘pop’ them out at the end.  I sat as still as possible, closing my eyes and practically meditating while my teeth sat in the molding tray, and still it took four tries.  They have to get the molds absolutely perfect (no smears, smudges or air-holes) in order for the lab to make accurate trays.  As my dentist said, there’s no use sending in molds that will just be sent back to be redone.  Which is true, because apparently the lab they use is in Costa Rica, and I really didn’t want to delay the process any longer than necessary.

The consultation was really simple and didn’t take more than an hour.  In the end, I was told that my top teeth would be pushed back a bit (to fix the overbite), and the teeth to the sides of my front teeth would be twisted around to give me a wider smile.  The bottom teeth would be pushed forward a bit (again, to help even out the overbite), and the crowding straightened out.  I paid a deposit, and was told they would call me when the trays came in.   It took a bit longer than I had expected for them to call back (well over a month), but something I didn’t realize was that the lab makes all of the trays for the entire treatment, and sends the whole thing in one box.  From there, the dentist takes over and disperses the trays when he or she feels it is time, based on the progress made.

So, that was it!  Next time I’ll go over actually getting the trays, trying them out, and the pro/cons of the treatment so far.  I will also take some close-ups (yikes!) of my teeth, in order to compare before & after photos later on.

hi again (finally)

It’s been a while since we’ve talked, hasn’t it?  Sorry about that.  I wish I had something cool to say for the nearly two weeks I was gone, but sadly I don’t.  That is, unless you like stories of work, over-scheduling, dinners consisting of whatever one can find in the pantry (grilled cheese, anyone?), and sleep woes.  In which case, I’ve got loads to tell you.  It is a truly fascinating life I lead.

One thing I did do while I was gone, however, was think about this blog.  I thought long and hard about it, and the question that kept popping into my head was whether I’d like to continue doing it.  And the answer kept coming back as a rather hesitant, unstable ‘yes?’.  I’ve had this blog for almost two years and have really enjoyed cooking, photographing and posting all of the things I’ve made during that time.  But, for reasons I didn’t understand, I realized my heart suddenly wasn’t really in it anymore.  So, I gave that some even deeper thought and discovered that this space had served as a great hobby (re: distraction) during a very difficult time (re: a soul-crushing court case), which ended last summer, but whose physical/mental effects have only recently faded, six months later.  Looking back, I see that this blog really held my hand through that experience, and gave me a positive place to focus my energies.  A little slice of sanity, I suppose.

Driving out of Palm Springs, 2/18

Now, with all that behind me, I’m in a new place, and therefore I feel this blog should be, too.  Rather than start a new blog altogether, I’ve decided to just revamp this one a bit.  I’ll be fixing things up – nothing major, just a few tweaks – and the content will change a little as well, focusing more on everyday life and other subjects rather than strictly food.

I’m sure I didn’t need to explain all of this, but I want to be clear about my direction.  I also want to take this time to truly thank those who have been following this blog.  Your readership means a lot to me, and I treasure all of the kind and thoughtful comments you have left and emails you have sent.  Thank you.

Of course, with all that talk of ‘changing content’ I just did, I have a cake recipe coming up shortly (because what would I be if not contradictory?), as well as a tale of hair cutting, and the beginning of an ongoing series about Invisalign.  Back soon!

A treat of a sunset through the hills.

fig swirls

How long I’ve been meaning to write about these cookies!  It was right before Christmas, in fact, when I first made these fig swirls.  I had been looking for a treat I could make that would be a little ‘healthier’ than the average Christmas cookie.  When I found these, I was a little nervous as I had never baked with dried figs before and wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  But, they had everything I was looking for (specifically, no added sugar), so I was willing to give it try.

Once I had settled on the recipe, however, doubt crept into my mind and I began to second guess it.  A dough with no sugar?  Sounded kind of bland.  And dried figs blended with cinnamon and honey?  It just didn’t sound right to me, but then again I was new to the world of dried figs, so I decided to forge on.  When I put the figs in the food processor with the other ingredients, I gave it a sniff, and let’s just say: I was not convinced.  Yuck, I think, was the word that came to mind, and then the regret that I had spent so much on figs and honey.  So, if only to get what I paid for, I forged on yet again.

spinach quiche

On a regular basis, Beau and I get along pretty well.  I’m sure there’s plenty to argue about (ahem, someone needs to put in a new Brita filter), but by the end of the day when we actually have time to nag each other we’re just too tired, so all is forgiven.  I think when you’re married, or very comfortable with someone, you learn what you can just let go of; it’s not worth hashing out every single thing.  In the end, all those little tasks or annoying habits tend to work themselves out anyway.  So, for little daily living things, we get along just fine.

Bigger issues, however, are a different story.  Beau and I do not agree on things like politics, social matters, or overall world-view type stuff.  We come at these things with two completely different backgrounds and experiences which have shaped us in different ways.  I must say though, even this is usually not a problem.  It keeps it interesting.  We can have discussions about things, and try to understand the other side.  We can agree to disagree.  At the end of the day, it’s just outer, surface stuff anyway.

falafel

Now that I actually have a few free minutes (20, to be exact) before we’re off to violin lesson, I thought it might be nice to talk about falafel.  The first time I made these little pan fried chickpea patties, I stood in the kitchen on a Friday night after Jade’s Girl Scout meeting while Beau drank a glass of wine and I told him about a creep from work.  I was really hungry and wondering what I could quickly pull together when, after spying a can of garbanzo beans, I thought of falafel.  I mean, why not, right?  I didn’t have pita bread or yogurt sauce or anything, so it would have to be just the falafel, straight up, but I didn’t mind.

(I should mention that falafel is something I had been wanting to make for a really long time.)  Anyway, I stood in the kitchen and chopped and processed and rolled the mix into balls while Beau threw around words like “hostile” and “work environment,” Jade practiced violin in the background, and I tried to pay attention to the task at hand.  By the time I dropped the falafel in the oil and the scent wafted from the pan, I knew something delicious was about to take place.  I pulled the first batch out when they were golden and crispy on the outside and placed them on paper towels.  Unable to wait, I took a bite and burned my mouth, but oh man.  So, so worth it.

nutella

If there’s one thing Jade would eat by the bucketful if she could, it’s Nutella.  Occasionally after school she’ll ask if she can have “Nutella bread”; if she’s eaten mostly healthy things that day I will tell her yes, and then I basically run and hide while she gets busy.  First, she will pull out the toaster and toast a few slices of bread.  While it’s toasting, she will get down a plate, procure a knife from the drawer, and the Nutella from the pantry shelf.  Finally, when the bread is ready, if I happen to be walking by I will avert my eyes while she proceeds to completely drown that poor piece of toast in such an unconscionable amount of Nutella that the bread itself can no longer be seen, goes soggy and eventually completely collapses under the weight.  It is beyond excessive.

I would consider this a problem if she approached all food this way, but it’s only Nutella that seems to set her over the edge and make her lose any ounce of self-control.  A regular sized jar might last her eight slices of toast.  There is a part of me that would like to force her to use a more restrained amount, but A) she won’t, and B) there’s also a part of me who enjoys watching her get it all over her hands and cheeks no matter how hard she tries not to.  It reminds me of the old days.  It’s cute.

graham crackers

Today was so nice.  I leisurely read a book, never did my hair or makeup, ate a decadent sandwich (certainly not the usual lunch-at-work fare), and traded a workout for a nap.  It was a day filled with activities usually reserved for the weekend, which made me feel like I was breaking some kind of rule.  Like some mean old lady was going to jump out and scold me any minute: We don’t act like this on a Thursday, Janae – while wagging her finger disapprovingly.  Thankfully, she never did.

Another indulgent thing I did on this lazy weekday was bake some graham crackers.  I’ve had graham flour sitting in my freezer for a very long time, and graham crackers have been on my mind even longer.  It seems I bought the flour and then never had the time to make them, so I fixed that today.  I’m happy to report they were just as good as my brain had convinced me they would be.  Jade and I ate quite a few (by that, I mean ‘a lot’).  Remember a long time ago when I made a peanut butter and banana smoothie?  Well, I also learned today that these graham crackers pair beautifully with it for a delicious and filling afternoon snack.