It’s hard to believe it was nine years ago already. At the time I worked in Chicago, at a law firm on Michigan Avenue about 3 blocks from the John Hancock building. Living out in the “sticks” my commute was a long one. I took the 7:15 train that got me downtown at 8:25, and then I had to either walk for 20 minutes, take a bus or a water taxi to get to Michigan Avenue.
If I took the water taxi (which I thought was fun!) I still had a six block walk to get to my office. So on a good day – I’d leave my house at 7:00 and get to my desk just before 9:00.
On 9/11 as I was walking through the train station I saw all these people crammed into one of the coffee places that had a t.v. I had no idea what they were looking at, but I didn’t want to be late to work so I just kept going.
Once I got to my desk everyone was like “did you hear what happened?” We all set in one of the conference rooms and watched the footage on t.v. It was then decided that they weren’t sure if the terrorists were going to attack more major cities, and 15 minutes after I arrived at work, we were sent home.
It was a sea of humanity at the train station. Tony was so worried about me and just wanted me home. Because there were so many people, no trains were express so we stopped at every stop. By the time I got on a train that wasn’t full, I finally made it back to my train station at 12:30 p.m.
It was that event that we both decided that I shouldn’t work downtown anymore, and within three months I found a job in the suburbs. Where were you on 9/11?
Check out Joanne’s blog – she was in high school at the time three blocks away!
It was bagel day at my office, so instead of my english muffin, I scored half of an everything bagel – I seriously need to make some bagels!
With some Tabasco cottage cheese on the side:
I knew I wanted soup for lunch, but I didn’t have any made. So in my lunch bag I threw in a jar of chicken broth paste, a handful of peapods, a piece of chicken that I had defrosted for our pizza last night, a jalapeno and thai noodles. I figured I’d just make it at work!
First I sauteed my chicken in 1 teaspoon of sczechwan sauce. In a second pot, I had two cups of chicken broth (2 cups water with 2 teaspoons of chicken broth paste) simmering with the sliced jalapenos. In yet a third pot I brought water to a boil, then added my thai noodles – you just turn off the heat and 8 minutes later they are perfect.
At the very end I added the peapods because I still wanted a bit of crunch to them. I am sure people in my office think I am ridiculous, but I take full advantage of our office kitchen!
While it doesn’t look attractive, I assure you that it was delicious – I love spicing up broth with fresh jalapenos!
So we had party pizza Friday! This time I decided to make a Mexican pizza. First I make the dough:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package yeast
Mix together, put on your counter and add up to 1/2 cup more flour to get the right consistency. I pre-baked my dough for 5 minutes on the lowest rack of my oven at 425.
The base of my Mexican pizza is 2 tablespoons taco sauce, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup refried beans:
After the dough is pre-baked, add the base:
While the dough was baking, I sauteed a chicken breast on high heat with taco seasoning. On my side I also had corn and pickled jalapenos:
And then a mixture of cheddar cheese and queso fresco cheese. I put the pizza back in the oven, off the pizza pan and directly on the lowest rack of my oven. I likes me a crispy crust!
And after it cools for a couple minutes, I finish it off with shredded lettuce and crushed tortilla chips.
I had three slices it was so good! And guess what? Tony liked it too! 😀
Kelly at Happy Texans tagged me! She asked me these questions:
1. What was the catalyst that made you decide to lose weight/get in shape?
- In 1999 I had no idea I weighed over 200 pounds, let alone 210! But I realized it when I got into my car one day and my stomach actually touched the steering wheel, and I was the only one who drove my car!
2. What do you like best about yourself? (could be a physical trait or a character quality)
- That’s a tough one, but I have to say that I can roll with the punches pretty well!
3. What is your main goal with weight loss/getting in shape?
- My main goal is to keep my diabetes in check so that I don’t get complications later on in life. It saddens me when I see people with diabetes not take care of themselves today because they don’t feel the damage that’s going on, and by the time they start getting complications, you can’t undue the damage. And I’ve promised Tony that I have to outlive him because he says he can’t live without me! 😀
4. What rejuvenates you? In other words, what do you do to recharge your batteries? Relax?
- Cooking! Seriously, like many of you out there, I think about food all the time. When I finish lunch I start thinking about dinner! After a day sitting at a desk all day, I come home, kiss my family, put my pajamas on (yep!) and start cooking dinner.
5. What has been your greatest accomplishment so far in your life?
- My daughter has to be my greatest accomplishment. She has been such a joy in my life and I really can’t imagine my life without her. I was pretty much a party animal when I got pregnant with her. She grounded me and made me grow up much faster than I probably would have otherwise!
6. For fun, what is your favorite food?
- Pizza! 😀
Enjoy your Saturday!
Mmm that pizza looks amazing! We always try out new pizza, but never have thought to put chips on top – yum!
9/11 – I was in chem lab. Chem lab at my school is known for being very hard core. They did not let us leave and made us stay and finish our experiment for 4 hours. We heard about the second crash on the radio.
I was at work in downtown Toronto – we had an New York office within viewing distance of the towers and got a call for our boss there soon after it happened – we too gathered in the conference room to watch the news as it unfolded. I called my husband at his office and as we spoke, the 2nd plane hit. We were also sent home as I worked in the financial district of Toronto, and it was thought to be a possible target as well.
In some ways it seems like so long ago and in other, like it was yesterday.
I was in college on 9/11. I’ll never forget that day. It was so scary. I can’t even imagine living in a big city on that day. ugh.
I want that mexican pizza. Now.
I just love Joanne’s post. I was so teary eyed I had to go through a second time to see her recipe photos!
I have been wanting to make a Mexican pizza for a while now. It looks so yummy!
I love the answer to that last one – I love how much you love hannah =)
That’s so funny that we both linked to Joanne! Twin powers activate!
Mexican pizza!! Party Pizza Friday Rocks!
Wow that pizza looks amazing! I love mexican food like it’s my job to love mexican food so I will be trying this one out!
Your adoration for Hannah is so sweet to see!
I had just moved from Germany and was in high school. I had a friend that was from NY and she started freaking out, I hadn’t lived in the states for 13 years so I didn’t really know the magnitude of what was going on and then they turned the news on in my class, it was so awful. My hearts reach out to those who lost loved ones.
On a lighter note I must try cottage cheese with hot sauce! yum! and your pizza looks delish!
Since I’m on the west coast, I woke up to news of the planes having crashed into the towers. I got up, turned on the tv, and just watched the whole thing unfold. Mom asked if I was going to school (I was in 3rd year of university at the time), and I said no. Eventually I had to meet a friend downtown for lunch, and it was a ghost town there. Even being in Canada and on the west coast, it definitely affected everyone.
We were outside when our neighbor came out and asked if we had heard the news that an airplane flew into one of the twin towers. We watched the news, stunned, as the second tower crumbled. I thought, “This couldn’t be happening; it’s special effects or something.” Of course I knew inside it wasn’t special effects — it just seemed so unreal.
My husband, an airline pilot working for United Express/ACA at the time, was getting ready for work. He didn’t go in. Airports were closed for three days.
Those families… Our country…
(on a different note — thanks for stopping by my blog. I am very interested in your meal ideas, etc. The taco pizza looks amazing.)
Ugh….that was such a sad day. I was a sophomore in college. I remember sitting in the dorms and watching the coverage for hours on end.
Now that pizza looks fantastic. I am a refried bean fanatic…the idea of refried beans on a toasty pizza crust just sounds out of this world.
Great survey- love that you can roll with the punches- that is an AWESOME characteristic!
PS- I’m sure your black bean soup will turn out well. Those beans have a tendency to make soup look like dirt but taste fantastic 😉
I just made a buffalo chicken pizza the other day with your crust, LOVED it! Thanks!
Great post! Wasn’t Joanne’s post amazing! It really changed a lot of lived. I feel so bad for all the kids in the world who have to see such horrible things!
Glad you liked the crust! 😀
As with all major events in one’s life, I remember this day as if it happened this morning. All I wanted to do was curl up in my Dad’s lap.
As every other day, I was having my 2nd cup of coffee and watching Fox and Friends. I saw the 2nd plane crash into the Tower. Even though I was all alone in the house, I muttered to myself, OH MY GOD! Still hard…so hard to remember it all.
I was in college–I was getting ready for class with the Today show on and saw the second plane hit live. We went to tell the guy across the hall and he didn’t believe us. Then we all started panicing, since I went to college less than an hour from DC and we all know a lot of people who work downtown.
We can never forget.
yum, that pizza looks awesome.
Good job on taking control of your diet. It’s a lot of work, but SO worth it.
you love pizza so much you should try this low carb pizza crust recipe, made out of cauliflower, you need to cook on pam sprayed parchment paper and when you flip it for baking the other side you need to flip onto another piece of pam sprayed parchment paper, i have tryed every other way to bake and this is the only way that it doesnt stick and you get a perfect crust…love my pizza on this….
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
CRUST:
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (1/8 Lean)
3/8 cup (which = 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs.) 2% low fat shredded Mexican 4 cheese variety for a
firmer crust (3/8 lean)
1 cup Fresh Raw Cauliflower shredded in my Salad Shooter – or you can use a food processor (2 greens)
Dash of Italian spices (optional)
Mix together and put into a Pam sprayed foil pie pan. Pat down so it all sticks together.
Bake 20 min at 450 till it starts to turn brown then flip it over and bake another 10 minutes.
Think you would really enjoy, i have used frozen cauliflower, it works and tastes comparable its, easier but fresh does give it just a slightly better taste, i eat this about 3 x a week its so good….
Thanks Connie! I have tried that before, a long time ago – I need to give it a try again! 😀
Hi Biz – Great post. I also remember vividly that incredible morning 9 years ago that would change all our lives forever. Every detail. I had to work all day event hough they let school kids out right away. I was a school nurse at the time and there were enough kids whose parents couldn’t get them early that we stayed most of the day, with no tv but hearing of the horror. As soon as I got home I joined hubby in front of the tv, and watched the endless reruns – stunned and crying. God bless America, and also God bless peace loving Muslims. They bear no resemblance to the radical terroristic sects that exacted such pain and devastation to our country.
On 9/11 I was at home in San Antonio, TX. I was getting ready for work and listening to the news in the other room. I heard about the first plane hitting the first tower and watched as the the second one hit, and then the Pentagon. Both my son and daughter were already at school, so I went to pick them up and bring them home. I stopped by my office, picked up my secretary and together we spent the next several hours at our church nearby with several hundred other people praying for the victims, their families and for our country’s healing. Looking back, it helped, but I remember feeling numb for several days while the news of further events unfolded. The news was crazy and frightening, not knowing what else could possible come. The positive in all of this; our family took time to pause and give thanks for each other, our country and the American spirit and it brought us all closer together. Since then, my daughter joined the Coast Guard, our son is in the Air Force and we have a son-in-law that is a helicopter pilot in Iraq with the Army. We will NEVER FORGET and we will ALWAYS REMEMBER. God Bless America.
i was in nyc. god that was a horrible horrible day.