thanks to give (Madison edition)

Thankful for this Friendsgiving mac and cheese with bacon and roasted poblano.  Let's not talk about the calorie count.

Anyone who knows my name and my face and can then put them together knows I am always thankful for food.  That's not a question.

I'm suppressing those familiar "what am I doing with my life?" panics while science proves again and again to be my enemy.  But it's nice realizing that I'm finally not trying to run away to another city.
Thankful for Madison.

Thankful for all my weird new friends and how easily excited we get about things like Colgate Day and impromptu surprise birthday parties...and how creepy Garrett looks in the corner of their super adult home.

Thankful for  stalker stories and sitcom moments over pumpkin fettuccine with prosciutto wrapped asparagus.

Thankful for the two pounds of carrots I got for free from the department that has allowed me to make many batches of carrot cake cookies.  With whiskey soaked raisins and walnuts.  Also thankful for the giant bag of oats Maya handed down to me.

In three variations: butter and egg, butter and flaxseed flour, Crisco and flaxseed flour.

Thankful for finding people as excited about being in the kitchen as me.  Except Jules who exclusively eats hummus when Jared's not home.  Thankful for when Jared's not home, so Jules is forced to hang with me and remind me to be happy.  Thankful for new roommates who haven't tried to kick me out for my semi frequent kitchen disasters.

Thankful for my Sportsfrand and motivation to not sleep away the day, who also makes the best meatballs (without pine nuts).

Thankful for making the Wednesday night dinner in-crowd.  And Maxine's mom's holiday gifts.

Thankful that overheating the whey didn't ruin our homemade mozzarella balls.

Maxine is not thankful that she couldn't be a part of this Lady and the Tramp moment.

Thankful for all the people struggling (or who have struggled) in our department with me.  Thankful for workout buddies.  Thankful for board game buddies.  Thankful for trivia competition buddies. 

And as much as I like to tell the undergrads to run far far away, actually thankful for my boss, who plucked me from unemployment at the last minute.

Thankful for all the other grads and non grads (read: Epic people) who randomly fell into my life.  Thankful that all we do is potluck together.  Thankful for our summer in Madison.  Not thankful for the large chunks of times our schedules keep us apart.

Thankful that, in just a year, I found people I don't want to leave.

Eternally thankful for Amy and Audrey for constantly talking me down.  I don't do nearly enough for you.  Not thankful for the fact that we have no pictures.  But thankful that all the "pictures" we need are on IG.

Well what do you know, all my thanks revolve around food anyways.