Yummies!

We have been students now for more than a month. Knowing that student loans are costing us what they are for the next ten years, it only makes sense to limit them as much as possible. And why not, when it means we can eat a little healthier at home? So I have cooked at least once a week a meal that will last us several days, and with enough variety and satisfaction that a sandwich everyday at lunch somehow hasn't gotten old. That actually says a lot because I get tired of food and leftovers after two or three eats. I have yet to cook the same thing more than once, and we've only gone out to eat a handful of times. Here are some of the things I've whipped up and the changes I would make next time. Most of them took a little longer to prep than the recipe says, but the more I'm in the kitchen, the better I get at it, so maybe your time will be a little more efficient and you'll be on target with the recipe's timing. Enjoy!

SIDES
Caprese!
This Italian salad is one of my favorites, and is ridiculously easy and tasty. You don't even need the drippings; just tomato, mozzarella, and basil is plenty good all on its own.

Green Pepper Tomato Salad
My husband really liked this one. It lasted us entirely too long, though. I liked it alright, but would've divided the recipe in half, at the very least.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
This is a great snack to just have on hand so you aren't over-eating queso from a jar. Ew. It's a lot easier to make than I thought it would be. If you can't find cannellini beans (which I usually have a hard time locating), use any other white bean; great northern works well. I also added a little vegetable seasoning from a packet-- the ones next to the spices. It was delicious! The only reason it lasted more than two days is because I told my husband it needed to refrigerate (though I bet it'd be delicious hot, too!). The chips would be good with hummus or other thick dips.

Superfast Asparagus
This one was perfectly crispy and easy. Worthy of a repeat! It doesn't store well, though, so I'd recommend this amount for 2-3 meals tops, or more eaters at one meal.

SOUPS
Chicken Tortilla Soup
My husband and a guest of ours really liked this one a lot. It was super easy, very hearty, and I never got around to putting the tortilla strips on it, ironically enough. It lasted us about 7 meals total.

Tomato Basil Soup
Hands down, probably my favorite thing that I've made. Quite possibly the least healthy (butter and cream? Oh geez!) but incredible. Be careful if you blend this while the ingredients are hot-- it gets messy, turns your blender orange, and the lid doesn't want to stay on. But it's SO worth it!

Chicken Veggie Soup
My husband got sick one week and needed a hearty soup. I didn't have broccoli or cauliflower so I used whatever other veggies I had in the fridge. You could also add noodles before serving.

ENTREES
Shepherd's Pie
Now shepherd's pie can be really good; my coworker used to make it and it always looked very colorful and smelled great. This one, however, lasted forever (I'd probably cut the recipe in half, but again, my husband liked it plenty) and I got tired of it, so if you want to make this much I'd add variety in the vegetables: corn, peas, squash, maybe beets, and really whatever you like.

Sour Cream Pork Chops
This turned out pretty well-- crock pot recipes are really the way to go! If I had to redo this one, though, you don't even need the sour cream part at all, but I would mix that part in a lot less juices so that it's a thicker gravy.

Honey Baked Chicken
Ridiculously easy and SO good. This one will get repeated when I run out of ideas and creativity. We also tried the sauce on salmon, and it was fine, but not nearly as yummy as the chicken. The sauce might even make a good salad dressing! Really, it was good and easy, and I added the chicken to sandwiches a few days. Come to think of it, my husband may have actually put this one all together after I found the recipe...

Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce
This one took about a million years to make. Really-- my hair went white and everything. Our grocery didn't have the recommended pasta, so I used manicotti, which probably took a little longer. They also didn't have frozen artichoke hearts, so I used frozen spinach. It turned out really good and it lasted us about a week. You also didn't need the pancetta for the sauce-- it was good, but there's plenty of other meat and I used spaghetti sauce from a jar so that probably didn't allow for the pancetta flavor to really come through.

Pot Roast
Don't think I'd make a single change to this one! I served it over brown rice and added more seasonings later, but I don't think I'd added enough before I browned it.

BBQ Pork for Sandwiches
This made more than a week's worth of sandwich fillings. It was quite good; I used a hickory smoked BBQ sauce. I'd probably cut the recipe in half and you'd still have plenty!

FREEZE-FRIENDLY BREAKFAST
Zucchini Bread
Fabulous and freezable! Be sure to do the shredded thing. I tried chopping up extra zucchini because for some reason chunks sounded good later. Not so much. They're just kind of awkward-- go ahead and shred. I also added walnuts and chocolate chips, which I really liked. It makes a great breakfast if you don't have time to sit down for something more. I froze half after cooking and it was still just as good when I took it out later.

Banana Bread
Yes, I know the link is to muffins. I did everything they said except for put it into muffin cups. I put it into a pie pan and froze half of it after cooking. My husband is a big fan of this one.

50 All-Time New Uses for Old Things

I'm always reading things on how to improve organization and/or frugally tidy up. It isn't uncommon to find an article on this topic that is mostly impractical or altogether useless. This article, however, has 50 ways to make old things more useful or better-looking, and while some may not apply to me today, I don't think a single one won't get used eventually in our home! I suppose I could still pick favorites; maybe #7 (coasters as gift tags) or #42 (plastic Easter egg use year-'round for added fun to lunch), but they're all pretty cool! Just had to share!

Corner View : White

White is, believe it or not, a combination of all colors. This isn't the case with paint, obviously (making black as the absence of color interesting- yes?), but is the reason that when you put a prism up to a light, you see a rainbow reflecting out the other side! An uncle of mine is a professor of chemistry and taught me this as a child when I asked him what the difference was between black and white. My sister-in-law, also a scientist, recently confirmed. Bet you wanna be part of the fun discussions in our family, eh!? We're cooler than it sounds- promise!

Traditionally, it represents purity and innocence. In Asian cultures, though, it represents mourning and death.

Carte blanche, directly translated, means "white card." It indicates surrender or giving someone else full responsibility.

And I seem to remember something from a history class about painting chimneys white, but I can't recall the meaning of it. Help me out if any of you know this one!


To see what others conjure up when they think of this color, check them out below. Thanks to Natsumi for the theme of the day, and thanks to Spain Jane for the Corner View creation!

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian, athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, braja, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh

Corner View : Out the car window

Driving around Washington, D.C., you are likely to see:

__ __
Russell Senate Building_____Department of the Treasury_____________Capitol Hill

Jefferson Memorial

But since many people don't drive around The District, rather, they take the metro, here's a bit from that view:

__

Inside a metro station________________Rosslyn, Virginia as seen from Yellow line

To see what others around the world look at from their windows, check out:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian, athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, braja, mulot, anne

Properties of Perks

Ahhh caffeine. I was hoping that grad school wouldn't change my lack of addiction to coffee, but a few weeks in and a recent gift of a French Press, I may be losing that battle. If anyone's trying to break away from it, after a few days of coffee, try drinking lots of water in place of caffeine. You'll have to get up and go to the bathroom so many times that you're plenty awake! (There's the option of decaf-- and to see if it really is decaf, there are caffeine test strips.) Caffeine actually blocks a molecule in your brain that induces sleep, and a caffeine buzz includes increased heart rate and opening / constricting blood vessels, which is great for someone needing to pay attention in class or when studying long hours. I could get into Arabica vs Robusta coffee, but that's probably another post entirely! Most of us have heard the story of how coffee was discovered, but if you haven't, here goes my interpretation:

Coffee is indigenous to Ethiopia, where the legend originates. Kaldi, a goatherd, observed his goats snacking on the red berries of a bush and then becoming rowdy. He was curious about their behavior, so Kaldi nibbled on the berries as well, and his results were similar to that of the animals. A monk noticed these behaviors and thought that the effects of this bean could be good for his long-praying friends, and he then brewed the world's first cup. Consumption spread from Ethiopia to Northern Africa to Arabia, and on.

And today, it's a worldwide treasure, transforming social centers in Europe first (starting in Venice, and the first coffeehouse opening in Oxford, England). In places like Turkey, it's just as much a staple as is bread or water. As with globalization of anything, those who produce it are often brought to light if they aren't being treated properly. This time, the effort to control such a disconnect is with Fair Trade Coffee. Fair Trade focuses on paying producers a fair price for their crop and hopefully encouraging production methods that are environmentally friendly and sustainable, and fostering relationships between the triangle of those involved: producers, traders and consumers. (October is Fair Trade Month!)

Some tidbits about this delicious drink:

Brazil produces more coffee beans than anywhere else in the world.

Darker roasts generally (surprisingly) have less caffeine than lighter roasts. Why? Because the roasting process burns off their caffeine faster. Lighter roasts allow the bean to retain the aromatic oils that give it its delicious flavor. Oily-appearing coffee actually has a bitter taste.

Café au lait is half coffee, half scalded milk, and light brown in color.

Espresso does not, in fact, have more caffeine than drip coffee. The brew-time for espresso has it in contact with water for a shorter period, allowing less caffeine to be extracted. It does, however, have a stronger flavor.

It's the second most valued commodity, after oil.

Kopi Luwak runs about $200/lb. What's unique about this particular coffee bean is that it's digested by a civet then scooped off the ground before roasting. (Translation: a cat eats the bean, someone follows it around until it poops, scoops that up and gets to cooking so you can pay a small fortune to drink a cup. In fairness, you'd have to pay me a lot to follow a cat around until it pooped something I intended for others to consume, too!)

Caffé latte is hot espresso with steamed milk. And it's my favorite!

Coffee trees exhaust soil fertility, requiring the old to be replaced with new, which often means developing new land, which can be a problem in places like Brazil where the rainforest needs restoration, too!

Café Americano is equal portions of espresso and boiling water.

Cappuccino is espresso with steamed milk/cream and milk froth on top. Its name derived from the hood worn by Capuchin order of friars, cappuccio, in Italy. The Italian drink went on to be named such because it was similar to the color of the habit of the Capuchin friars.

Ground coffee goes stale 100x faster than whole bean coffee.

Macchiatto/Macchiato is an espresso drink with a teaspoon or two of steamed milk on top.

Watching the world wake up from history

Chain blog? I got this from Nicola and thought I'd do a DC version! Bonus: who can tell me why I chose this particular title for this particular blog?

Making : unending To Do lists, friends
Cooking : BBQ pork for sandwiches
Drinking : water
Reading : a book on presentations for my Business Communications class, articles for next week's papers, statistics for next week's tests, and if I'm lucky, the current Newsweek...
Wanting : our boxes to be emptied and the things in them to be organized
Looking : for work a few hours a week that would pay me decently and interest me moderately plus
Playing : Taylor Swift videos on YouTube
Wasting : frustration on Comcast to get back with me. it's not gonna happen! wish I had the power of Heather Armstrong!!
Sewing : a stitch in time saves nine? I do need to repair the buttons on some shorts...
Wishing : i were much, much better at time management
Enjoying : being back in school, living here, the experience of this at the same time as my husband, friends in the area, studying...
Waiting : for school work to give me enough of a break that i can pick out the computer i need and order it
Liking : the new chairs and bench look at our dining room table
Wondering : what it'll take for me to really get good at what i enjoy and still be able to do what i enjoy less
Loving : life! all the prospects for the future are exciting, especially when i have a great spouse to share 'em with!
Hoping : i can be an effective leader in student government and get a few big things accomplished
Marveling : at the amount of capital around this city. no pun intended.
Needing : a few things for the kitchen, a massage, to not have student loans...
Smelling : zucchini bread being heated. mmmm!
Wearing : pj pants and a camisole
Following : my interests
Noticing : how long it really takes to watch a football game and how quickly the day passes if you do it
Knowing : that I can do this!
Thinking : that Barack was right about Kanye. what was he thinking!
Bookmarking : where we are in so many different areas- home, school, relationships, plans
Opening : my textbooks and binders and e-mail, again and again; my mind to new people and different ways of their worlds
Giggling : at the guy in class who wears too-thin shirts that show more than anyone cares to see!
Feeling : pleased that our maintenance crew is so quick to fix any little thing the same day we report it!

Corner View : September

I have joined Spain Jane's Corner View. The theme for this one is "September."

My first thought for this is all that happens family-wise for us: grandpa's birthday, wedding anniversary, anniversary of losing my grandmother, brother-in-law's birthday, husband's birthday, and I was the third one in my family born on the same exact day (great grand father, mother, me).

Then I think about all the fall indicators arising here. (Pause: without the eleventh day of this month, America would not be so many things that it is today. I have to acknowledge the lives lost and the lives changed eight years ago this year, especially as the Pentagon is now my neighbor.) Growing up, it was the start of sugar cane season and especially the local Sugar Cane Festival, which wouldn't be complete without a fais do do. Getting older and having moved away, it was an appreciation for the colors at the start of the fall season. And now, as a graduate student, it's when school really gets underway. Phew! So much happens in just one month!

To find out how others ring in the ninth month of the year, check out:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,

athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa