We are nearing the end of August and the end of summer here in
New York. Even though I love the fall season, I’m not ready for summer to end just
yet and wish to prolong it for as long as I can. What better way to stay in summer
than a quick post about tomatoes?
Friday, August 26, 2016
Thursday, August 18, 2016
5 Reasons to Take the CPA Exam Right After College
If you recently graduated from college/university, I want to congratulate you! Well done! Are you starting a new job this fall and would rather do anything but study in your spare time? Do you want to take a short break from studying since that’s what you have been doing for most of your life? Well, despite all that, it may make more sense to take the CPA Exam sooner rather than later.
See, I made the mistake of
pushing off serious studying for the CPA Exam during my first year working at a
CPA firm. In the early 2000s, there were lots of layoffs in the Finance
industry in New York, and this included CPA Firms. It became extremely
important to have as many billable hours and not much “unassigned time.” I
could not afford to lose this job and spent my free time asking Seniors for
work that they needed help with instead of studying. I figured I could “wing it” on
some parts and study hard later when things slowed down.
As the years went by and my
personal and professional responsibilities increased, it grew more and more
difficult to study. I kept trying though – passing parts, failing others. I
took breaks from the Exam. This process started to repeat over and over again. If
I knew then what I know now, I would have tried to find a balance between work
and studying very early on in my career.
If you sit for the CPA Exam soon
after graduating, you may be able to avoid these 5 things that are currently
working against me:
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Some Quick Organic Quinoa
I want to
substitute quinoa for the French fries that have somehow become my standard side dish over
the summer. Yes, I said French fries! See, it starts slowly – Too hot to stand in front of the stove? Just bake some French fries in the toaster oven. Grilling outside and don't want to walk in and out checking on food? Bake some French fries. Call it convenience or laziness, you get used to it and before
you know it, you are serving French fries with veal because “it goes” and it only takes 20 minutes.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Healthy but Quick Series
I gained 20 lbs my first year in public accounting. It was all
thanks to the restaurant takeout we ordered for lunch AND dinner while working
until 1 AM. Since I was the one picking up the food (first year!), I felt
obligated to eat that food, too. Just because it is called a salad, does not
make it healthy. And I ate that salad twice a day for months. We had to wear
suits because the client was business dress. By the time that client audit was almost
over, my suit jacket buttons would not close at all and I was afraid to split
my skirt zipper sitting down. All work and no time or money to buy new suits
(non-matching separates were frowned upon and this was early 2000 before internet
shopping was the obvious solution), I started making some food on Sundays to
bring for lunch and dinner for a couple of days early in the week.
A decade and a half later, I am trying to eat healthier again
and wanted to write a series of recipe posts that are Healthy but Quick. Many
people want to eat healthier but don’t have time to cook a full, complicated
meal after a day at work or school. Some recipes sound delicious but we give up
for a number of excuses and just pick up takeout. Of course, the one item that really
makes the recipe is not in our fridge and it’s too late to go to the
supermarket; or we really don’t have the time or patience to follow a series of
steps involving multiple cooking methods and pans. We also see something at the
supermarket (usually a vegetable) and just leave it there because we have no
idea how to cook it. Or we buy it and never make it (yes I have been guilty of
such laziness!).
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