Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Memorials and Elusive Beeping
Yesterday started out as a rather stressful day with worrying about a friend having surgery, and remembering that it was also the 20th anniversary of both my grandmother's death, and coincidentally the first bombing of the World Trade Centers in New York. Twenty years ago, I was 8, and I still distinctly remember getting the call that grandma had passed away. My mom took the call, I was sitting at the table. I knew, as soon as my mom picked up the phone that she had passed away, and while we knew it was coming, that didn't help the mourning process much. My grandmother was an amazing woman who still lives on in our memories and through the lives of her children and grandchildren. I was touched to find out that my mom had put this memorial in the paper.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Adventures with Galette
Growing up, my mom would always make us completely clean the kitchen before we started cooking. It annoyed the crap out of me, but rests on the sound principle that you want to have a clean and cleared space to cook. Fast forward to now, and every time my kitchen is completely clean, I get this irresistible urge to cook or bake. When I'm done with those projects, any desire to clean my kitchen has worn off though...leading to my only have a completely cleaned kitchen for short periods of time between my cooking adventures.
Yesterday, my adventures lead me to peruse my much loved Joy of Cooking book looking for something tasty but not difficult to make, and I came across a recipe for apple galette. It was perfect! I was staring at 12 granny smith apples that I'd purchased from Costco in retribution for the apples I bought to make pies that were too soft (all purpose my ass) but now I had no pies to make...or did I?
A galette can be many things, and stuffed full of whatever you want. An idea of making or having one was planting in my head after seeing these amazing "pies" in Oregon with my mother in law. They had a weird name I couldn't pronounce, and thick yummy crusts that were folded over the fruits in the middle, and were created free form, without a pie pan. They didn't have a top crust either and they look...amazing. I'd seen galette's before, but it didn't occur to me until I was standing in my kitchen with leftover pie crust, an over abundance of apples and a cookbook to try to make it. This one...was easier than pie (haha literally..it was easier than making pie!). If you look up pictures of them, you can see a million different designs and beautiful ways that people organize the fruits. I tried, but until I can cut things in a more uniform way...it wasn't happening.
I'm going to post the recipe from the Joy of Cooking, and then talk about the changes that I made (good and bad!)
Ingredients
1/2 recipe Deluxe Butter Flaky Pastry Dough (basically one 10'' pie crust and I totally cheated and used a leftover one from Thanksgiving)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large firm apples, such as Golden Delicious (I used Granny Smith and they were perfect!)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (my book said 1/4, and I loooove cinnamon so I probably used almost twice that.)
Preparation
This is a bit like pizza, with thinly sliced apples on a buttery crust.
Prepare:
Deluxe Butter Flaky Pastry Dough (or pull out your trusty Pillsbury and roll it according to directions)
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
On a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil (I used a silcone baking mat that nothing will stick to, mostly so I didn't drop the galette) , roll the dough into an 11- to 12-inch round. Pick up the edges of the paper and transfer with the dough to a baking sheet. Melt and cool to lukewarm:
unsalted butter
Brush a thin coat of butter over the pastry, reserving the rest. Sprinkle the pastry with:
sugar
Peel, core, and slice 1/8-inch thick firm apples, such as Golden Delicious
Leaving bare a 1-inch border at the edge, arrange the apple slices in slightly overlapping concentric rings on the pastry. Fold the border of the dough over the edge of the apples. Brush or drizzle all but about 2 teaspoons of the remaining melted butter over the apples. Combine, then sprinkle over the apples:
sugar, ground cinnamon
Bake until the pastry begins to color, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake until the pastry is golden brown and sounds crisp when poked with a skewer, 20 to 30 minutes more. Set the pan on a rack, brush the apples with the remaining butter, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. The galette is best served the day it is made.
notes:
1. So...I have no idea how thick 1/8'' in, so I went as thin as I could cut...and did NOT know how many slices that I would end up with. Next time, I'm checking out a ruler first.
2. You brush the entire pastry with butter basically 3 times. This pastry is already pretty much nothing but a fat, flour and water so adding MORE butter to it is a bit excessive, and frankly unnecessary. You CAN taste that last brushing as you bite into it, but I hate that greasy feeling that many pastries have from excessive amounts of fats.
3. This recipe only uses 2 apples (I saw another calling for 2 POUNDS of apples), so you aren't going to get that heaping galette you've seen in magazines.
4. You could probably reduce the sugar by half and see no change at all, or add some nutmeg or all spice. I really liked the simple flavors though.
5. When this is cooking watch it! Mine did not take as long as they said it would.
6. I wouldn't use tin foil or parchment paper. I would destroy this thing if I did. I have awesome silicone mats courtesy of my mother in law, and I slid it on and off a cooking sheet to put it in and out of the oven. After I took it off, I slid it onto a cooking rack.
My husband came wondering in after I pulled it out of the oven. I think he has this sense for when yummy food is going to be available for him to consume and he just 'magically' appears. I mentioned to him that we probably needed to eat the entire thing today, and he drooled happily. I wasn't sure I would like the apples cooked and exposed to the air, that they might be dry, but I was so so wrong. I took a bite, and was transferred to a land of sweet cooked apples baked in cinnamon and sugar and a crisp crust melting in my mouth. I need to mention that I love apples in a dessert. Take me anywhere and I will order the apple dessert if given a chance. This thing....was probably better than my pie. Maybe it's that there is less crust to contend with, or perhaps it is because the flavors, with only butter, apple, sugar and cinnamon are more simple and easy to deal with than adding in nutmeg and cloves and all spice. Either way, it's pretty out of this world and we both agreed that we actually like it more than pie.
What cooking adventures have you been up to? I really need to make some smoothies and use a butternut squash that is sitting on the top of my fridge, taunting me.
Yesterday, my adventures lead me to peruse my much loved Joy of Cooking book looking for something tasty but not difficult to make, and I came across a recipe for apple galette. It was perfect! I was staring at 12 granny smith apples that I'd purchased from Costco in retribution for the apples I bought to make pies that were too soft (all purpose my ass) but now I had no pies to make...or did I?
A galette can be many things, and stuffed full of whatever you want. An idea of making or having one was planting in my head after seeing these amazing "pies" in Oregon with my mother in law. They had a weird name I couldn't pronounce, and thick yummy crusts that were folded over the fruits in the middle, and were created free form, without a pie pan. They didn't have a top crust either and they look...amazing. I'd seen galette's before, but it didn't occur to me until I was standing in my kitchen with leftover pie crust, an over abundance of apples and a cookbook to try to make it. This one...was easier than pie (haha literally..it was easier than making pie!). If you look up pictures of them, you can see a million different designs and beautiful ways that people organize the fruits. I tried, but until I can cut things in a more uniform way...it wasn't happening.
I'm going to post the recipe from the Joy of Cooking, and then talk about the changes that I made (good and bad!)
Ingredients
1/2 recipe Deluxe Butter Flaky Pastry Dough (basically one 10'' pie crust and I totally cheated and used a leftover one from Thanksgiving)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large firm apples, such as Golden Delicious (I used Granny Smith and they were perfect!)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (my book said 1/4, and I loooove cinnamon so I probably used almost twice that.)
Preparation
This is a bit like pizza, with thinly sliced apples on a buttery crust.
Prepare:
Deluxe Butter Flaky Pastry Dough (or pull out your trusty Pillsbury and roll it according to directions)
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
On a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil (I used a silcone baking mat that nothing will stick to, mostly so I didn't drop the galette) , roll the dough into an 11- to 12-inch round. Pick up the edges of the paper and transfer with the dough to a baking sheet. Melt and cool to lukewarm:
unsalted butter
Brush a thin coat of butter over the pastry, reserving the rest. Sprinkle the pastry with:
sugar
Peel, core, and slice 1/8-inch thick firm apples, such as Golden Delicious
Leaving bare a 1-inch border at the edge, arrange the apple slices in slightly overlapping concentric rings on the pastry. Fold the border of the dough over the edge of the apples. Brush or drizzle all but about 2 teaspoons of the remaining melted butter over the apples. Combine, then sprinkle over the apples:
sugar, ground cinnamon
Bake until the pastry begins to color, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake until the pastry is golden brown and sounds crisp when poked with a skewer, 20 to 30 minutes more. Set the pan on a rack, brush the apples with the remaining butter, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. The galette is best served the day it is made.
notes:
1. So...I have no idea how thick 1/8'' in, so I went as thin as I could cut...and did NOT know how many slices that I would end up with. Next time, I'm checking out a ruler first.
2. You brush the entire pastry with butter basically 3 times. This pastry is already pretty much nothing but a fat, flour and water so adding MORE butter to it is a bit excessive, and frankly unnecessary. You CAN taste that last brushing as you bite into it, but I hate that greasy feeling that many pastries have from excessive amounts of fats.
3. This recipe only uses 2 apples (I saw another calling for 2 POUNDS of apples), so you aren't going to get that heaping galette you've seen in magazines.
4. You could probably reduce the sugar by half and see no change at all, or add some nutmeg or all spice. I really liked the simple flavors though.
5. When this is cooking watch it! Mine did not take as long as they said it would.
6. I wouldn't use tin foil or parchment paper. I would destroy this thing if I did. I have awesome silicone mats courtesy of my mother in law, and I slid it on and off a cooking sheet to put it in and out of the oven. After I took it off, I slid it onto a cooking rack.
My husband came wondering in after I pulled it out of the oven. I think he has this sense for when yummy food is going to be available for him to consume and he just 'magically' appears. I mentioned to him that we probably needed to eat the entire thing today, and he drooled happily. I wasn't sure I would like the apples cooked and exposed to the air, that they might be dry, but I was so so wrong. I took a bite, and was transferred to a land of sweet cooked apples baked in cinnamon and sugar and a crisp crust melting in my mouth. I need to mention that I love apples in a dessert. Take me anywhere and I will order the apple dessert if given a chance. This thing....was probably better than my pie. Maybe it's that there is less crust to contend with, or perhaps it is because the flavors, with only butter, apple, sugar and cinnamon are more simple and easy to deal with than adding in nutmeg and cloves and all spice. Either way, it's pretty out of this world and we both agreed that we actually like it more than pie.
What cooking adventures have you been up to? I really need to make some smoothies and use a butternut squash that is sitting on the top of my fridge, taunting me.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
What's Cooking? Peanut butter Banana Oatmeal Squares
You know that Veggie Tales song, "Oh where is my hairbrush?" Well, the version I've been singing is, "Oh where the hell is my ketchup!?" No, seriously, my ketchup is missing. I made eggs the other day, and went to the fridge, tasting the tomatoey goodness on my tongue, and...I couldn't find it. I physically touched everything in the fridge to make sure that no one cast a spell of invisibility on it, but nope. It's gone. So now...I am out of ketchup around the same time I discovered that I love eggs with ketchup, and only have eggs in the house to eat for breakfast, and refuse to go grocery shopping for the next week. What a conundrum! Now moving on to unrelated food issues, I recently made another recipe from Pinterest.
I was pursuing Pinterest, and found and immediately made this recipe. I actually forgot to pin it when I made it, and had to go back through my internet history to be able to find it again! I loved the wholesome ingredients (no butter or added oil!), and the fact that I had them all on hand! With a few easy ingredients you can make a breakfast bar, serve it with a little peanut butter, and have a ready made breakfast for your whole family. I even put these out at my swap-a-thon as a 'cookie' and most of them were eaten. Since these have a super moist consistency, I would suggest you eating them pretty quickly.
If you are looking for something super sweet, this isn't it. However, it's a great bread-like base for things like nut butters, honey, or just something quick to grab. I plan on using different spices next time. I think it would do well being spicier with nutmeg and a tiny bit of cloves. I'd also love to try it with a hardier oatmeal that maintains it's texture after it's been cooked. Quick cooking oats tend to lose all of it's texture when they're cooked. If you want it to be a bread like texture without making you think of oatmeal though, currently, this is it.
Variations:
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares
From Here!
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk *(I used rice milk)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana *(I keep my old bananas in the freezer, so I just pulled one out)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
*my comments on the recipe. The links are to the actual product that I used!
Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.
Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.
Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares and enjoy!
I was pursuing Pinterest, and found and immediately made this recipe. I actually forgot to pin it when I made it, and had to go back through my internet history to be able to find it again! I loved the wholesome ingredients (no butter or added oil!), and the fact that I had them all on hand! With a few easy ingredients you can make a breakfast bar, serve it with a little peanut butter, and have a ready made breakfast for your whole family. I even put these out at my swap-a-thon as a 'cookie' and most of them were eaten. Since these have a super moist consistency, I would suggest you eating them pretty quickly.
If you are looking for something super sweet, this isn't it. However, it's a great bread-like base for things like nut butters, honey, or just something quick to grab. I plan on using different spices next time. I think it would do well being spicier with nutmeg and a tiny bit of cloves. I'd also love to try it with a hardier oatmeal that maintains it's texture after it's been cooked. Quick cooking oats tend to lose all of it's texture when they're cooked. If you want it to be a bread like texture without making you think of oatmeal though, currently, this is it.
Variations:
- Use rice milk, like I did to make it dairy free
- Use gluten free oats to make this celiac friendly.
- Use Egg substitute and rice milk to make it vegan
- Experiment with some honey/agave nectar to take out the sugar.
- Make them in muffin tins...I think these would make great muffins.
- Allergic to peanuts, or don't like them? Almond butter would work! As would any other nut/seed that ends in butter!
- Hate bananas? Use unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree instead. I'm not sure on the measurements, so check online and tell me how it tastes!
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares
From Here!
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk *(I used rice milk)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana *(I keep my old bananas in the freezer, so I just pulled one out)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
*my comments on the recipe. The links are to the actual product that I used!
Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.
Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.
Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares and enjoy!
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| Pressed into Pan |
 |
| All Done! |
 |
| Yes, I can see my reflection too. |
Monday, February 27, 2012
Jan-March Goal update and life changes
February Update on Goals:
So ... I did mention in my original post that I had some issues with procrastination right? I didn't procrastinate in my attempts to do my goals, just to update you on them!
I'll go through each goal that I set here, and update you on my progress. I should probably set new goals for myself too. Once again, these aren't all of my goals that I'm working towards.
This blog:
January goal:
Write in blog 2 times a week. Start writing a design document to lay out how I want my blog to look after it's redesigned. Discuss the design document with the hubs.
Update:
I've been much better about updating and have been averaging about 2x a week.
I haven't really discussed a redesign of my blog with my husband, but I have spent a lot of time playing around with different layouts on my own. I discovered different tabs, and have enjoyed creating new ones. (hint...please check them out!) I could be doing a lot more with the background and I know this, which is why I keep changing it!
March Goal:
Continue to blog, 2-3 times a week. I like the game series I am doing, and playing more games with my husband has helped us get closer too!
I want to publish more meal plans, and recipe posts.
What other posts do people find interesting? I can only put up so many pictures of my cat...
Health:
January goal:
Go to Yoga class on Sunday morning. Try a Zumba class. Doesn't matter when or if I only do it for 20 minutes--just get over my fear of the new and unknown. Also, get on elliptical in my room at least 1x a week. First thing in the morning? It would be awesome. Sweat is our friend. Work on anxiety issues. Find a cognitive therapist. Make an appointment.
Update:
Umm...can I skip this section? I was doing great for about a week, even started to lose some weight and then I got sick and used it as an excuse to backslide. I found that when I ate crap, and didn't exercise, I craved more crap and less exercise.
I didn't go to yoga. I didn't try a Zumba class either. In fact, I went to the gym 2 times. This is really depressing. I have however been using my elliptical and going for walks more. Now If I could get myself to do that daily, I wouldn't feel guilty about not exercising enough.
March goal:
Go to the gym 2x/week. Walk at least 10 minutes a day, be it outside or on the elliptical. I'm baby stepping on this one. I'd rather outshine my goals then feel like crap in a month when I realize that Ive once again not done what I hoped.
Food:
January goal:
meal plan meeting 1x week with husband. Personally plan small meals/snacks for myself. Make sure to have these foods on hand so that I can eat every 3 hours.
Update:
We have been better at meal planning but I'm still having trouble with finding quick and easy food to eat. It's a never ending battle lately. I have been better about meals in general, and not eating out as much though but it doesn't seem that it's saved us money.
March Goal:
Less eating out, more meal planning. Oh, and stop going to Costco--my spending there is ridiculous. Always have hard boiled eggs in the fridge, and create a list of quick snacks that we can have. Why? Because you can't think when you are too hungry. Also, taking a nap when you are hungry and waking up starving is a bad life choice.
Books:
January goal: Read the first Hunger Games book. Yes, I've been told that I'll be immediately HOOKED but it's all about the starting.
Update:
Oh I read the entire series. Big thanks to my friend who lent me the electronic copy. My husband is reading to me almost every night and it puts me right to sleep! I love it, and the series that we are reading (series name). I also went into the physical library and got a book and a couple of audiobooks that I can listen to in the car. The library is right next to where I babysit, so it's a great stop on my way home.
March Goal:
Less TV more reading. Find a way to play more audiobooks in the house so that you'll get more done instead of being attached to the computer.
Entertainment:
January goal: Make decision on future of group, and volunteer. Significantly cut down on TV and Internet time by downloading audio books to listen to, with my new handy dandy library card (that I have yet to use:( ).
Update:
I've covered the library issues above. We are volunteering more, which is great, and I have significantly cut down on my TV watching. As far as my group goes, I'm still not entirely sure what is going to happen. I'm keeping really busy though so it's becoming less of an issue.
March Goal:
Continue!
Going forward:
I am pretty excited about what has been happening in my life. I have going to more events, meeting more people and making more friends. I'm spending lots of time playing board games, organizing events, babysitting and most recently, I decided to start my own business. Starting next month, I am going to become a Slumber Parties consultant!
If you haven't hard of Slumber Parties and you are still thinking of middle school girls having pillow fights, I'm sorry to disillusion you. This Slumber Parties is a home based party company that sells lotions, potions, romance aids and lingerie. I first went to a party in while in college, and another recently, was once again realized how much I love the company, and their products. I was really struck by their goals to help women create a safe and fun environment to discuss relationships, romance and sex. It's empowering to not feel constrained by society in your abilities to ask questions about sexual health and to realize you aren't alone. It's something that many women never have a chance to have.
I'm sure I'll continue to regularly write about my Slumber Parties adventure, and I hope that I can make a success out of this venture. So...let's see what adventures March brings!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Reorganization
Ha...organization? That's...so...not...me. I can't concentrate long enough to organize. This is why moving so much has been a pain in the butt for me. I'm okay putting stuff in boxes, but finding new places for our stuff makes my head spin. Organizing, finishing projects, etc has never been a strong suit for me. Getting distracted with shiny stuff? Totally me...0h wait, I have ADD that explains that life long issue...
So today with the help of some ADD meds, I managed to re-organize (like it was organized to start with) the mess of a spice cabinet, and made it look pretty presentable. Then I got distracted and tried to find something in the pantry, realized that was disorganized and went to find something in a drawer, in the process seeing that seeds had fallen out of their fail-safe-no-spill-method of folding the top of the packet over, and realized that I would need to clean the drawer out before I could get to the pantry. I am embarrassed at how many times I said "omg I didn't know I had this" and "crap, I bought another one b/c I couldn't find this one!" and umm...let's just leave it at that.
All this time my husband has taken my computer apart and removed the small cat that has been dwelling in it, clogging the fan in it's obesity and making my computer fan run incredibly loudly. When he told me, as I was walking into the next room, that I needed to see if it sounded better, I commented that since I couldn't hear it whining from the next room it was already a vast improvement. Removing eight months of my cat shedding on it has reduced the fan noise from jet engine to silent. Oh the joys of having a geek for a husband, and a cat that likes to sit on my chest as I attempt to type. They go so nicely hand and hand together.
Oh so back to the reorganization...my pantry looks pretty awesome now. My 'method' (and I use that term loosely) was to take everything out, put it on the kitchen table and then stare at it for awhile until I decided what to do with it. Thank God for Costco letting us abscond with their boxes. Hell, for the amount of money I've spent at that place in the last they should deliver my groceries. Anyways, I find that their boxes are the perfect shelf lining size. If the sides are too high, I can cut out the front easy display. Since my shelves are wire, having something underneath most items is key.
One thing that I learned is that I need to return all the spaghetti that I recently bought to Costco, or donate it. As much as I like (okay, love) spaghetti, and have always thought of it as a staple, I'm beginning to believe that whenever I have too much gluten that my hands and feet start to ache really badly. Not to mention I feel like utter crap the next day. We went to a friend's house to play poker last night and didn't realize there wouldn't be food there and ended up ordering Domino's. I ended up with a medium thin crust pizza with some veggies on top and about a can of coke. I could barely get up this morning. The night before I hadn't gotten much sleep, and I'm still fighting this cold but the fact that I even get as sick as I do is indicative of something serious. Food making me sick? Time to reorganize!
So I really need to reorganize my life, my priorities and get my act straight. I have all the tools I need to succeed and stop wasting so much time, but I need to get over my lazy habits. I still haven't hit most of my January goals and the month is almost over. I wanted to go to yoga last week and was sick, this week it snowed and the gym closed. I'm starting some water aerobics class on Monday and even found a college classmate that was taking classes as the same pool. I can't wait to get to see her. Now I need to also get back to the gym where I actually am paying a monthly fee to go (or not to go) to? I haven't been using a personal trainer in months because it's so expensive but that also means that I'm not going. Time to reorganize!
I have used my library card to download a couple of books, so I hit that goal! I had some technical issues (like Microsoft breaking links that aren't opened in explorer...seriously guys?) and not being able to transfer stuff to my phone but I'll figure it out. I watched a lot less TV this week and even did an internet black out day to protest SOPA. I've been using my google calendar to track all of the meetup activities I have going on, and now I think I need to incorporate even more stuff in there to remind me to work out, take a walk etc. I worked on my blog quite a bit the last week, checking out the new gadgets and different backgrounds. What do you think? Like it? Hate it?
Are you organized? Is it something you think you are, or you learned to be?
So today with the help of some ADD meds, I managed to re-organize (like it was organized to start with) the mess of a spice cabinet, and made it look pretty presentable. Then I got distracted and tried to find something in the pantry, realized that was disorganized and went to find something in a drawer, in the process seeing that seeds had fallen out of their fail-safe-no-spill-method of folding the top of the packet over, and realized that I would need to clean the drawer out before I could get to the pantry. I am embarrassed at how many times I said "omg I didn't know I had this" and "crap, I bought another one b/c I couldn't find this one!" and umm...let's just leave it at that.
 |
| One of the 'found' items... |
 |
| Getting rid of decade old spices. Husband bought them....before we met. |
 |
| Reorganized! Before both shelves were completely full. Now? One is empty and the other looks like I can see what I have! |
All this time my husband has taken my computer apart and removed the small cat that has been dwelling in it, clogging the fan in it's obesity and making my computer fan run incredibly loudly. When he told me, as I was walking into the next room, that I needed to see if it sounded better, I commented that since I couldn't hear it whining from the next room it was already a vast improvement. Removing eight months of my cat shedding on it has reduced the fan noise from jet engine to silent. Oh the joys of having a geek for a husband, and a cat that likes to sit on my chest as I attempt to type. They go so nicely hand and hand together.
Oh so back to the reorganization...my pantry looks pretty awesome now. My 'method' (and I use that term loosely) was to take everything out, put it on the kitchen table and then stare at it for awhile until I decided what to do with it. Thank God for Costco letting us abscond with their boxes. Hell, for the amount of money I've spent at that place in the last they should deliver my groceries. Anyways, I find that their boxes are the perfect shelf lining size. If the sides are too high, I can cut out the front easy display. Since my shelves are wire, having something underneath most items is key.
 |
| Lots of empty space and organized boxes! |
One thing that I learned is that I need to return all the spaghetti that I recently bought to Costco, or donate it. As much as I like (okay, love) spaghetti, and have always thought of it as a staple, I'm beginning to believe that whenever I have too much gluten that my hands and feet start to ache really badly. Not to mention I feel like utter crap the next day. We went to a friend's house to play poker last night and didn't realize there wouldn't be food there and ended up ordering Domino's. I ended up with a medium thin crust pizza with some veggies on top and about a can of coke. I could barely get up this morning. The night before I hadn't gotten much sleep, and I'm still fighting this cold but the fact that I even get as sick as I do is indicative of something serious. Food making me sick? Time to reorganize!
So I really need to reorganize my life, my priorities and get my act straight. I have all the tools I need to succeed and stop wasting so much time, but I need to get over my lazy habits. I still haven't hit most of my January goals and the month is almost over. I wanted to go to yoga last week and was sick, this week it snowed and the gym closed. I'm starting some water aerobics class on Monday and even found a college classmate that was taking classes as the same pool. I can't wait to get to see her. Now I need to also get back to the gym where I actually am paying a monthly fee to go (or not to go) to? I haven't been using a personal trainer in months because it's so expensive but that also means that I'm not going. Time to reorganize!
I have used my library card to download a couple of books, so I hit that goal! I had some technical issues (like Microsoft breaking links that aren't opened in explorer...seriously guys?) and not being able to transfer stuff to my phone but I'll figure it out. I watched a lot less TV this week and even did an internet black out day to protest SOPA. I've been using my google calendar to track all of the meetup activities I have going on, and now I think I need to incorporate even more stuff in there to remind me to work out, take a walk etc. I worked on my blog quite a bit the last week, checking out the new gadgets and different backgrounds. What do you think? Like it? Hate it?
Are you organized? Is it something you think you are, or you learned to be?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
What's Cooking? Waffles!
I love waffles, but I'm not a big fan of buying things that I can easily make at home. One of my favorite people and college buddy extraordinaire gifted us with a waffle iron for Christmas, and I couldn't wait to make a big batch so I could have some for dinner and freeze the rest for the future. My dad used to do this when I was in school, and it was great to be able to have 'toaster waffles' with ingredients I can pronounce, for less cost and fat.
I wasn't a big fan of the recipe that came with the waffle iron, so I am using one from the Joy of Cooking (aka my cooking Bible). I would suggest warming the milk in the future because my butter all re-froze again, but other than that--no issues and it's delicious!
http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/Waffles.html
I wasn't a big fan of the recipe that came with the waffle iron, so I am using one from the Joy of Cooking (aka my cooking Bible). I would suggest warming the milk in the future because my butter all re-froze again, but other than that--no issues and it's delicious!
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| waffles! |
http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/Waffles.html
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 large egg , lightly beaten
1 cup (240 ml) milk
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted
| Waffles: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg and milk. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, all at once, and stir just until combined. Stir in the melted butter.Depending on your machine's instructions, you may need to lightly spray the grids with a non stick vegetable spray. Spoon about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of batter (or amount that is recommended in your waffle iron's instruction book)(*mine called for 3/4 cup, so I used my 1c and didn't fill it) onto one side of the hot iron. Take a knife or small metal spatula and smooth out the batter. Close the lid of the iron and bake until brown and crisp. It is best to serve the waffles immediately along with butter and maple syrup. These are also wonderful when served with fresh berries and whipped cream as a dessert. Makes about 6 - four inch (10 cm) square waffles. Preparation time 15 minutes. |
Other options include adding fruit, cornmeal, vanilla....the variations are endless. In fact, my friend just sent me a recipe for gingerbread waffles, which I can't wait to try next!
What is your favorite breakfast food?
What is your favorite breakfast food?
Monday, January 9, 2012
New Years Goals, NOT resolutions
I had a mind blowing moment last night when I realized that it was actually 2012. No seriously, I really thought that it was 2011...
It being a New Year means, for many, a time of making and breaking New Years resolutions. I never really jumped on that bandwagon because ... frankly I would just jump off as soon as the going got tough. We have enough failures and disappointments in our lives, I personally don't need to feel like MORE of a failure. Instead of resolutions, I want to set goals for myself. For many years, I never set goals for myself and I wonder why I felt like I was just sort of meandering through life in survival mode with no real tangible goals. But this year has been a big one, in a new place with a lot happening. I started this blog almost a year ago and it's been pretty amazing to see, written down somewhere, all of the things that I have done.
When discussing waste recently I brought up to my husband that we talk about wasting money, we talk about wasting light, water, food but how often do we discuss wasting time? I feel the weight of my mortality on my shoulders growing heavier. Yes, I'm in my twenties but recently I experienced some losses that brought this inevitability too close for comfort.
I found out recently that two people that were very dear to me passed away. The mother of my childhood best friend passed away a couple of weeks ago. She was a huge part of my childhood and adolesence and her house proved a haven for me when I had no where else to go. She loved me like she was my mother, accepted me for who I was and treated me with respect and dignity. I won't ever forget her kindness and friendship. The second person was my mom's best friend when I was little. It turns out that she passed away two years ago, but we just found out. My mom had been trying hard to get in touch with her, writing letters that weren't answered or returned, calling, searching on facebook to no avail. finally she managed to get in touch with her sister and found out the news. Ironically, it turns out that she passed away right after we had visited. That visit had been the first time in close to a decade. Amy was a huge part of my life before we moved to to the midwest, but her past years of drug abuse were just too much on her heart. Abusing your body catches up to you as you get older. I will remember all the wonderful times that we had when I was younger. We had such a lovely visit the last time we saw her, and I will hold those memories closely.
So these experiences have lead me realize even more that I need to stop wasting time. It's the one thing that we absoultely need but we can never get back. How much of this last year have I wasted being ill, exhausted, lazy, unmotivated? How much time do I spend wishing that I was doing something productive?
I'm not going to call these things New Year's resolutions but I would like to set goals for myself. I haven't in the past and then wondered why I just floundered around wondering why I was passing time without feeling like I was making forward progression. So here goes!
This blog:
I would like to update at least 2 times a week, if not more. I handed out a loooot of business cards this past weekend at MAGfest and if I need to get up photographs of all my jewelry and crocheted items, and work on setting up an etsy shop. I think that will be the easist way to drive traffic to see all of the items that I am making, while not devoting my entire blog to attempting to get people to buy my pretties (but please, still buy my pretties!!!). Also on the agenda is hopefully a blog remodel. Being married to a computer geek has it's perks.
January goal: Write in blog 2 times a week. Start writing a design document to lay out how I want my blog to look after it's redesigned. Discuss the design document with the hubs.
Health:
One day last summer I got an email about Zumba classes and decided, what the hell, I'll try it! So I did and enjoyed it. At the time, I was taking yoga too. But then, I joined a gym that included zumba AND yoga classes in the monthly membership and I have gone to exactly ... 2 classes since. Aren't I a depressing stereotype? This has to change. My goal for this year is to work on my health. I figured out my allergy (read here) and am off every medicine but ONE (and that one I want to take). I want to go to the gym at least 2x a week and pick up a new class to do once a week. I would like to get back into yoga, even if I only do it at home or for half a class.
My old Zumba instructor does a 3 month health challenge and I really want to win it. I'm not optimistic about my chances, since it seems all of these people are already health fitness gurus, but it would be nice to lose some weight, get healthier and win a bundle o money in the process.
I also have been struggling with anxiety and taking out my anxiety on my husband. I stress about little things and forget the big picture. I'm not sure if it is getting worse, or better over time but since I spent so much of the last decade taking anti-depressants, I'm not sure I ever learned how to really cope. Now for the sake of my sanity and my marriage, I need to.
January goal: Go to Yoga class on Sunday morning. Try a zumba class. Doesn't matter when or if I only do it for 20 minutes--just get over my fear of the new and unknown. Also, get on elliptical in my room at least 1x a week. First thing in the morning? It would be awesome. Sweat is our friend. Work on anxiety issues. Find a cognitive therapist. Make an appointment.
Food:
Meal plan dammit! When I meal plan and buy for meals, I eat a lot better AND we eat out a lot less. I know I'm eating a lot less lately, but I need to make sure to plan to eat small snacks every 3 hours so my blood sugar doesn't plummit. When that happens, I turn into The Incredible Hulk and that isn't pretty!
January goal: meal plan meeting 1x week with husband. Personally plan small meals/snacks for myself. Make sure to have these foods on hand so that I can eat every 3 hours.
Books:
I love to read, but somehow television, my computer and the free trashy novels I get for my kindle take precidence over real literature. I would like to read some of the sci fi fantasy books that my husband loves. I'm still a little weirded out by having electronic books. I almost don't want to spend money on them because I feel like the book will one day disappear from my kindle. Anyone else feel like this? Maybe this is the same paranoia that makes me want to stock up on water and food in case the Mayan calendar really is predicting the end of the world. I blame Dark Angel for making me paranoid.
January goal: Read the first Hunger Games book. Yes, I've been told that I'll be immediately HOOKED but it's all about the starting.
Entertainment:
I am getting more involved with meetup groups and am strongly considering moving my facebook group back to Meetup. I think it is important for me to build a group wtih a strong infrastructure and member investment. I can't go to every event, or control all of them and I don't want to. I want to create an environment where like minded people can meet, socialize and find friends. To an extent, I have created that, and personally am getting out and socializing more, but I want to incorporate more people and more volunteer work. What makes volunteering even more fun? Doing it with your friends! I have blessed to have everything I need in my life, and it is time to stop hoarding and wasting my time, and instead give some of it to people that need it.
January goal: Make decision on future of group, and volunteer. Significantly cut down on TV and internet time by downloading audio books to listen to, with my new handy dandy library card (that I have yet to use:( ).
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I hope to accomplish a lot of this through making a schedule for myself, and working with my husband on a schedule for him as well. No, this list isn't exhaustive but it's a nice tangible start. In a month's time (I'm giving myself the first week of February to get this stuff done!) I would like to come back through this list, and see what I managed to accomplish.
What are your goals for the year? Do you periodically stop and reassess your goals? How do you get back on task when the craziness of life throws you off balance and schedule?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Happy Anniversary to Us!
Yesterday was my two year wedding anniversary. We call it 'paper signing' day since all we ended up doing was going to the courthouse with a couple of friends (which, since I didn't invite family my mother will never let me live down). It doesn't make our wedding, or marriage any less valid, but in typical Eileen style, I had to deviate from the norm. One day we will have a 'real' wedding, hopefully at sea, hopefully when I'm about 100lbs lighter and would look mad hot in an inappropriately white (or off-white) dress. Since we are already 'married' we get to set all the rules.
So...onto the celebrations! Last night we got dinner at Sushi Sono, which I feel a need to review. It was recommended by one of my ladies over at Happy Housewives and since we both like sushi I thought it would be perfect. Note about me--I hate fish...but I like sushi. I eat the vegetarian stuff, or a California roll. I occasionally get adventurous and eat some shrimp sashimi, but even that can get too 'fishy' for me. No need to recommend things fishy that you think I'll love, I'm pretty sure at this point in my existence, my hatred of fish is pathological.
Sushi Sono is located in Columbia, MD at 10215 Wincopin Cr overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi, which you can see from every window, making the view very nice. We arrived around 6pm, and were immediately seated. The place was around 1/2- 3/4's full with 1/2 of the seats at the sushi bar taken, but most tables occupied. I love the decorations. Lots of beautiful rice paper walls and lamps, along with authentic swords above my head. My husband commented on liking that the sushi chefs were actually older (if 50's is older) genetlemen vs. guys in their 20's. The hostess, a Japanese woman, was hilarious. I made a comment about wanting to sit at a table instead of the bar so we could be silly, and she commented that "we could sit at a table and be as silly as we wanted!" then she proceeded to sit us near the front door where she could hear us. We were pretty tame though.
After we sat down a waitress brought us a hot towel to wash our...I washed my hands with it (and assumed that was what it was for). My husband who has actually BEEN to Japan told me that they were actually for your face. Let's just say, I was wearing masacara, and it wasn't happening. Hubby ordered hot tea, and 6 peices of ala carte sushi and a California roll. I ordered a cucumber roll, California roll, edemame and some teriaki chicken. So...I thought my husband had ordered a lot more food than he had. I was wrong and it ended up looking like I ordered half the menu. I also assumed we would share the edemame, but I only managed to get him to eat one pod's worth. Oh well, more for me.
His assessment: The food wasn't as good as our old standby in VA (Jasmine Garden ). The decorations however, were beautiful.
My assessment: My rolls were good, but the rice had a little too much vinegar in it, and my cucumber roll was 'de-rolling' before I could even get it in my mouth. My teriaki chicken was bland and basically uneventful. I didn't even take my leftovers home. I loved the edemame, but it also wasn't anything specical.
One weird thing: until it started getting really busy the waitresses were unnaturally hovering around us attempting to give us advice (since white people don't know sushi?) and just generally staring. I think they were flirting with my husband, since they mostly ignored me.
For $60, it was overpriced and the food wasn't that great. It was a fun experience though, and I enjoyed the service and atmosphere. My water glass also never got more than a sip out of it before someone came rushing over to re-fill it. I drank a lot of water.
After dinner we went to the see Green Lantern. I'm not sure why it would get bad reviews. My husband seemed to think that it stayed pretty true to the comic books he was raised on, it was funny and there was quite a bit of good action. Overall, I liked it. I still have issues seeing Ryan Reynolds in something other than "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place," but I might be the only person that actually watched that show.
My anniversary was wonderful, and sharing the cherry coke at the movies was a good call on my part, since I slept like an overtired baby.
Message to my hubby: Thank you for putting up with all of my insanity, neuroses and still loving me more everyday. I love you more than words can discribe and you have made my life so incredibly wonderful these last few years. I will be schmucky in love with you as long as we are both still living (which means you better not die anytime soon)! May we have a long and happy marriage with many schnugs and kitty loves. And just cause I haven't said it in awhile, you cried first at our wedding;). I love you.
So...onto the celebrations! Last night we got dinner at Sushi Sono, which I feel a need to review. It was recommended by one of my ladies over at Happy Housewives and since we both like sushi I thought it would be perfect. Note about me--I hate fish...but I like sushi. I eat the vegetarian stuff, or a California roll. I occasionally get adventurous and eat some shrimp sashimi, but even that can get too 'fishy' for me. No need to recommend things fishy that you think I'll love, I'm pretty sure at this point in my existence, my hatred of fish is pathological.
Sushi Sono is located in Columbia, MD at 10215 Wincopin Cr overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi, which you can see from every window, making the view very nice. We arrived around 6pm, and were immediately seated. The place was around 1/2- 3/4's full with 1/2 of the seats at the sushi bar taken, but most tables occupied. I love the decorations. Lots of beautiful rice paper walls and lamps, along with authentic swords above my head. My husband commented on liking that the sushi chefs were actually older (if 50's is older) genetlemen vs. guys in their 20's. The hostess, a Japanese woman, was hilarious. I made a comment about wanting to sit at a table instead of the bar so we could be silly, and she commented that "we could sit at a table and be as silly as we wanted!" then she proceeded to sit us near the front door where she could hear us. We were pretty tame though.
After we sat down a waitress brought us a hot towel to wash our...I washed my hands with it (and assumed that was what it was for). My husband who has actually BEEN to Japan told me that they were actually for your face. Let's just say, I was wearing masacara, and it wasn't happening. Hubby ordered hot tea, and 6 peices of ala carte sushi and a California roll. I ordered a cucumber roll, California roll, edemame and some teriaki chicken. So...I thought my husband had ordered a lot more food than he had. I was wrong and it ended up looking like I ordered half the menu. I also assumed we would share the edemame, but I only managed to get him to eat one pod's worth. Oh well, more for me.
His assessment: The food wasn't as good as our old standby in VA (Jasmine Garden ). The decorations however, were beautiful.
My assessment: My rolls were good, but the rice had a little too much vinegar in it, and my cucumber roll was 'de-rolling' before I could even get it in my mouth. My teriaki chicken was bland and basically uneventful. I didn't even take my leftovers home. I loved the edemame, but it also wasn't anything specical.
One weird thing: until it started getting really busy the waitresses were unnaturally hovering around us attempting to give us advice (since white people don't know sushi?) and just generally staring. I think they were flirting with my husband, since they mostly ignored me.
For $60, it was overpriced and the food wasn't that great. It was a fun experience though, and I enjoyed the service and atmosphere. My water glass also never got more than a sip out of it before someone came rushing over to re-fill it. I drank a lot of water.
After dinner we went to the see Green Lantern. I'm not sure why it would get bad reviews. My husband seemed to think that it stayed pretty true to the comic books he was raised on, it was funny and there was quite a bit of good action. Overall, I liked it. I still have issues seeing Ryan Reynolds in something other than "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place," but I might be the only person that actually watched that show.
My anniversary was wonderful, and sharing the cherry coke at the movies was a good call on my part, since I slept like an overtired baby.
Message to my hubby: Thank you for putting up with all of my insanity, neuroses and still loving me more everyday. I love you more than words can discribe and you have made my life so incredibly wonderful these last few years. I will be schmucky in love with you as long as we are both still living (which means you better not die anytime soon)! May we have a long and happy marriage with many schnugs and kitty loves. And just cause I haven't said it in awhile, you cried first at our wedding;). I love you.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Pasta Salad
I love a good cold pasta salad but don't remember ever really having it while growing up except at parties. I had some delicious salad at my friend Benita's baby shower recently and had to make it myself, so using her recipe and some experimentation, I made this delicious salad that fed me for a couple of days. This salad is delicious and the most flexible thing ever. You can add whatever you like, and change anything about it. I think it might be my new favorite food.
Ingredients:
1 box of the tri-colored rotini
Italian dressing (I used zesty because I had it on hand)
1/2 shallot
lots of veggies chopped up. I used, baby tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots but you can add ANYTHING!
Cheese, if you are so inclined
Cook the pasta, drain and run some cold water over it to take it back to room temperature. Then put it in a bowl. Squirt some dressing on it. Even a half of a bottle was far too much, so I ended up having to use a slotted spoon to pull out the pasta and leave lots of dressing behind. I suggest using a squirt, stir, taste and repeat until happy. Less dressing = less calories, so I wasn't complaining about only having to use a little bit. Toss in the veggies, toss and enjoy. It really is that easy.
Why haven't I made this before? As a lunch, I mixed in a shredded chicken breast. It was fantastic. Enjoy some pictures :)
When that's all done, you can add some cheese. I used feta and a shake of parm.
Ingredients:
1 box of the tri-colored rotini
Italian dressing (I used zesty because I had it on hand)
1/2 shallot
lots of veggies chopped up. I used, baby tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots but you can add ANYTHING!
Cheese, if you are so inclined
Why haven't I made this before? As a lunch, I mixed in a shredded chicken breast. It was fantastic. Enjoy some pictures :)
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| So beautiful and colorful! |
When that's all done, you can add some cheese. I used feta and a shake of parm.
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| Not as pretty with cheese, but extra yummy! |
I hope you enjoy! I have lots of pictures for an entry this weekend. Tomorrow we plan on blueberry picking and I can't wait!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I wish I could send you a smell... (an adventure in homemade granola)
No, seriously. My kitchen smells AMAZING right now. Why you ask? Because I embarked on yet another food making odyssey to make homemade granola. Granola cooking might be the best smell ever. It might actually beat baking bread for me right now, and I love bread. My mom swears she made this stuff when I was a kid, so maybe that is where that ingrained love of the smell of baking granola comes from.
I have been struggling lately with being really tired and having no energy. I'm not sure if I'm sick, or if it is diet (all the crap I ate on 'vacation' catching up with me)or getting used to a new routine of working out, but today by the grace of God, and a lot of caffeine (chai at lunch...they really should cut me off after the fifth mug of it...the mugs are little though) I managed to get my house cleaned, laundry done so my husband has pants to wear to work, and some cooking done.
I think I was laying in bed this morning when I started thinking of the nuts and such I would need, that I didn't already have, to make granola. It was time for a trip to Trader Joe's. I think the clincher was that I was out of raisins, and that just wouldn't do.
I figured the recipe couldn't be that difficult (it isn't) and that as long as I didn't let it burn into a molten mass on a cooking sheet, it would be edible enough to pass off to my husband. I picked up some cashews (roasted but unsalted), two different types of raisins; since I like them on everything, and some pressed dried mango to chop up to put in the granola when it was done.
Tonight I was planning on making yogurt, since my landlady gave me a starter of her amazing batch, but instead started cutting up nuts and throwing things into a bowl. This is the recipe that I 'sort of' used, but since I had walnuts, cashews, pecans and almonds I added them all. I also put in the dried cranberries (my addition) and raisins before I read the recipe and saw that it said to put them in at the end (woops), so then I proceeded to attempt to pull as many out as possible. That would be why in the picture there are very few raisins. There will be loads in the finished product. I like raisins...a lot. The whole thing took 5 minutes tops to throw together. The only 'tough' part is sticking around to stir it every 15 minutes.
Dear Alton, thanks for a great recipe. I think the maple syrup base instead of another type of sugar won me over. Maybe you could make this a little healthier? Maybe next time I'll throw some stevia in the syrup instead of the brown sugar. I also sort of fudged on the measurements since granola is NOT an exact science.
I have been struggling lately with being really tired and having no energy. I'm not sure if I'm sick, or if it is diet (all the crap I ate on 'vacation' catching up with me)or getting used to a new routine of working out, but today by the grace of God, and a lot of caffeine (chai at lunch...they really should cut me off after the fifth mug of it...the mugs are little though) I managed to get my house cleaned, laundry done so my husband has pants to wear to work, and some cooking done.
I think I was laying in bed this morning when I started thinking of the nuts and such I would need, that I didn't already have, to make granola. It was time for a trip to Trader Joe's. I think the clincher was that I was out of raisins, and that just wouldn't do.
I figured the recipe couldn't be that difficult (it isn't) and that as long as I didn't let it burn into a molten mass on a cooking sheet, it would be edible enough to pass off to my husband. I picked up some cashews (roasted but unsalted), two different types of raisins; since I like them on everything, and some pressed dried mango to chop up to put in the granola when it was done.
Tonight I was planning on making yogurt, since my landlady gave me a starter of her amazing batch, but instead started cutting up nuts and throwing things into a bowl. This is the recipe that I 'sort of' used, but since I had walnuts, cashews, pecans and almonds I added them all. I also put in the dried cranberries (my addition) and raisins before I read the recipe and saw that it said to put them in at the end (woops), so then I proceeded to attempt to pull as many out as possible. That would be why in the picture there are very few raisins. There will be loads in the finished product. I like raisins...a lot. The whole thing took 5 minutes tops to throw together. The only 'tough' part is sticking around to stir it every 15 minutes.
Dear Alton, thanks for a great recipe. I think the maple syrup base instead of another type of sugar won me over. Maybe you could make this a little healthier? Maybe next time I'll throw some stevia in the syrup instead of the brown sugar. I also sort of fudged on the measurements since granola is NOT an exact science.
Click here for website
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup cashews
- 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut (I used unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.
My advice in making granola--shake it up! Put in your favorite nuts, not just what the recipe says. I didn't add salt...it didn't need it and neither do we! My other advice and the most important advice is STIR THE GRANOLA while it is cooking, otherwise you could end up with the molten mess discussed above, and no one wants to clean that up.
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| before cooking...looking yummy! |
On another fr ont...my cat is hilarious. What you thought you'd get through a post without reading about the infamous Newton? Come on people.
So my kitty has this ratty old teeny hairband that he stole from my cousin, and since he drooled all over it, my aunt wasn't exactly clamoring to get it back, although I did offer. This little teeny pink hairband has moved with us from WV and just randomly shows up until Newton yet again, loses it. He found it again this morning when I lifted up a laundry basket and it was underneath. How did it get under the laundry basket? Your guess is as good as mine. Anyways, here are some pictures right before he once again lost it under the couch. I was going to ask my husband to get up off the couch so I could get it out, then I remembered that my husband is working and my cat is...spoiled. He will have to do without for now.
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| See the tiny ratty pink hairband? It is almost gray now because of him carrying it around and spitting it back out. |
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| The second he realized he lost it (and part of my husband's leg..sorry hun). He spent the next 5 minutes staring at me, under the couch and back at me sadly. He is pretty pitiful when he wants to be. |
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Baby Bellies, Muffin Tops and Earrings Galore
West Virginia Update:
Thank you to everyone that commented on my last blog entry. I was definitely having a down day. I realized that I hadn't taken my medicine, and that coupled with PMS left me in a funk for the better part of a day. Hiding out for a bit, and talking to the husband seemed to recharge my batteries and I headed back downstairs for more playing with our friend's son.
Overall the trip was fabulous. I got to see so many people, and feel some pregnant bellies. I think my friend's baby hit me with her entire arm! It was pretty awesome. I am planning on going back out in April when one my friends has her baby to help out for a bit, and get my fill of holding a newborn, so I'll get to see all my kids and friends again soon. I am really sad that my cousins are moving though, but I love them enough that I am totally willing to drive or fly to visit, but it won't be as convenient. I've had an amazing time watching their children grow over the last couple of years and becoming great friends with them.
It was insane to see how much the little girl I watched has grown in just a few short months. She used to call me I-eeeeen because she couldn't pronounce the letter L. This time she was saying "Look at this Eileen, come see this!!" and invited us to a highly orchestrated party with play-doh that she demanded we attended. I missed the friendship of her parents as much as her, and it was lovely to sit and chat for a bit before I headed off into the rainy night for dinner with another friend. I feel fortunate that people were able to make time for me in their schedules and really honestly wanted to know how I was doing. The trip really brought home for me how much I miss our friends, and how important those relationships are to me. I really REALLY need to find some new friends out here.
Baking/Cooking:
I like to have meals and such prepared for my husband so it is easy for him to pack a lunch and eat healthier food than he would if he went to the cafeteria and ordered chicken strips and something else that has been soaked in grease. I really struggle with not eating out, although lately I've gotten much better at not stuffing myself when I do. Yesterday I scrambled some turkey meat with a little seasoning so we could have tacos, but since it is pretty plain I could even throw it on some homemade pizza. The hubby loves burritos, so I keep the fridge stocked with those for him to fill up for a quick meal.
I had seen a weight watchers recipe several places that used a box of cake mix (I used Devil's Food) and a can of pumpkin so I tried that out. I am pretty happy with the moist results. I packed one for my husband and we'll see what he thinks. I also made some Fiber 1 muffins that came in a boxed mix that had been on sale. They had been sitting around for awhile and I thought it was time to make them. I was shocked at how good they taste actually. Sadly, I made mini-muffins and forgot to grease the pan so I ended up with muffin tops instead of entire muffins. That's my favorite bit anyways though so I'm not really complaining.
Another quick thing I did was slice up some carrots so they are easy to grab and throw into some spinach for a quick salad. We have grapes and a plethora of other things that could make a nice sweet salad that doesn't need any dressing.
I think my pop-tart fantasism is over with. Please God let it be over with. I don't even WANT to like pop tarts, but occasionally crave them, and then since they are there have to eat them. No more poptarts in my house! I'd like to get the cereal out as well and pre-make salads or some healthy quick to eat thing, so I eat that instead. I need to eat more vegetables, but I struggle....What about you?
Jewelry:
I sold all but one pair of earrings, so it is time to make more! I really enjoy making them, and they are so comfortable to wear. I hate heavy earrings, but the jump rings I use are so light you don't even feel them. I also sold the blue necklace and matching earrings to a great friend and hope to get a picture up of her wearing them soon! Next I hope to move onto making rings, but I have to finish my friend's baby blanket first. I will, of course keep you update with pictures and progress.
I AM planning on setting up an etsy store, but not until I have some product to take pictures of, and list. I am struggling with deciding how much time I wish to devote to crafts verses language study and computer programming. Right now all of my 'creative' time is going to crafts, and I'm perfectly ok with that, and love doing it, but to what end? I think my trip to Oregon to see my in-law will either help solidify my desire to continue jewelry making, or move it more towards the academic study of gemology. If I want to get into this and sell stuff, then I need to invest in more product at a better price than what I currently have. We shall see!
What did you do this weekend? What are your creative outlets?
Thank you to everyone that commented on my last blog entry. I was definitely having a down day. I realized that I hadn't taken my medicine, and that coupled with PMS left me in a funk for the better part of a day. Hiding out for a bit, and talking to the husband seemed to recharge my batteries and I headed back downstairs for more playing with our friend's son.
Overall the trip was fabulous. I got to see so many people, and feel some pregnant bellies. I think my friend's baby hit me with her entire arm! It was pretty awesome. I am planning on going back out in April when one my friends has her baby to help out for a bit, and get my fill of holding a newborn, so I'll get to see all my kids and friends again soon. I am really sad that my cousins are moving though, but I love them enough that I am totally willing to drive or fly to visit, but it won't be as convenient. I've had an amazing time watching their children grow over the last couple of years and becoming great friends with them.
It was insane to see how much the little girl I watched has grown in just a few short months. She used to call me I-eeeeen because she couldn't pronounce the letter L. This time she was saying "Look at this Eileen, come see this!!" and invited us to a highly orchestrated party with play-doh that she demanded we attended. I missed the friendship of her parents as much as her, and it was lovely to sit and chat for a bit before I headed off into the rainy night for dinner with another friend. I feel fortunate that people were able to make time for me in their schedules and really honestly wanted to know how I was doing. The trip really brought home for me how much I miss our friends, and how important those relationships are to me. I really REALLY need to find some new friends out here.
Baking/Cooking:
I like to have meals and such prepared for my husband so it is easy for him to pack a lunch and eat healthier food than he would if he went to the cafeteria and ordered chicken strips and something else that has been soaked in grease. I really struggle with not eating out, although lately I've gotten much better at not stuffing myself when I do. Yesterday I scrambled some turkey meat with a little seasoning so we could have tacos, but since it is pretty plain I could even throw it on some homemade pizza. The hubby loves burritos, so I keep the fridge stocked with those for him to fill up for a quick meal.
I had seen a weight watchers recipe several places that used a box of cake mix (I used Devil's Food) and a can of pumpkin so I tried that out. I am pretty happy with the moist results. I packed one for my husband and we'll see what he thinks. I also made some Fiber 1 muffins that came in a boxed mix that had been on sale. They had been sitting around for awhile and I thought it was time to make them. I was shocked at how good they taste actually. Sadly, I made mini-muffins and forgot to grease the pan so I ended up with muffin tops instead of entire muffins. That's my favorite bit anyways though so I'm not really complaining.
Another quick thing I did was slice up some carrots so they are easy to grab and throw into some spinach for a quick salad. We have grapes and a plethora of other things that could make a nice sweet salad that doesn't need any dressing.
I think my pop-tart fantasism is over with. Please God let it be over with. I don't even WANT to like pop tarts, but occasionally crave them, and then since they are there have to eat them. No more poptarts in my house! I'd like to get the cereal out as well and pre-make salads or some healthy quick to eat thing, so I eat that instead. I need to eat more vegetables, but I struggle....What about you?
Jewelry:
I sold all but one pair of earrings, so it is time to make more! I really enjoy making them, and they are so comfortable to wear. I hate heavy earrings, but the jump rings I use are so light you don't even feel them. I also sold the blue necklace and matching earrings to a great friend and hope to get a picture up of her wearing them soon! Next I hope to move onto making rings, but I have to finish my friend's baby blanket first. I will, of course keep you update with pictures and progress.
I AM planning on setting up an etsy store, but not until I have some product to take pictures of, and list. I am struggling with deciding how much time I wish to devote to crafts verses language study and computer programming. Right now all of my 'creative' time is going to crafts, and I'm perfectly ok with that, and love doing it, but to what end? I think my trip to Oregon to see my in-law will either help solidify my desire to continue jewelry making, or move it more towards the academic study of gemology. If I want to get into this and sell stuff, then I need to invest in more product at a better price than what I currently have. We shall see!
What did you do this weekend? What are your creative outlets?
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