So, for any of you that remember (I don't like telling stories more than once) I was moved from my tiny department (more like our jobs were made to disappear, even though the work was still there) and put into an 'experimental' department.
Well that didn't really get me all hot and bothered so I decided to move to the Operations department. Whee! A promotion and a salary increase all in about a week.
Those perks also come with a downside... I don't know what my hours will be. I may get stuck with any shift from 8-5 to 11-8pm. Boo. That may mean kaput to my 2nd job at the karate school, but my boss knows about it and will try to work around it. So, it will more than likely mean my meager amount of cooking will be scaled back as well.
I'm sorry, blog.
I swear I will try... it has been tough this week and last because of all the changes, and I haven't gotten to grocery shop at all. This means fast food and lots of it. I'm hoping to change all of that and start making more make-ahead healthy stuff, so look for that in the future... and a LOT of 30-minute meals! That RR book I got for Cmas is going to come in reeeeaaaaaaal handy.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Is this what it's like for normal people?
So I don't usually go to the bathroom a whole lot; I'm kind of a camel. I can hold my liquid pretty well. But now that I'm sick (for the second time this year, WTF??) I have been drinking copious amounts of water because it's the only thing that makes my throat feel un-plagued by this guy.
So now I go to the bathroom all the time. It's insane. I see this is the way the other half lives, so I won't complain too much.
The lady at the self checkout lines at Giant this morning said "Ricola and Tylenol, that doesn't look good." uh... no, not really, thanks for noticing my purchases though! Way to pay attention! I just laughed, since I don't talk until ten am.
Mmm, Ricola...
So now I go to the bathroom all the time. It's insane. I see this is the way the other half lives, so I won't complain too much.
The lady at the self checkout lines at Giant this morning said "Ricola and Tylenol, that doesn't look good." uh... no, not really, thanks for noticing my purchases though! Way to pay attention! I just laughed, since I don't talk until ten am.
Mmm, Ricola...
Monday, March 2, 2009
Dinner Divas: Rice Pudding and a sick day
I picked two recipes for Dinner Divas this time, but only got to make one - I am a bad diva! But the one I did make was definately worth it.
Arborio Rice Pudding (the hubs' request) - Dave Lieberman
Ingredients
1 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Few dashes ground cinnamon
Whipped cream, for serving (as usual, I didn't have the garnish!)
Directions
Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, return to a boil, and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until rice has absorbed the water but it still al dente, about 15 minutes.
Bring milk, sugar, vanilla, and a few dashes of cinnamon to a simmer in a separate saucepan. Add the cooked rice and cook at a simmer over medium-low heat until rice absorbs most of the milk and mixture starts to get thick and silky, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer pudding to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Place in refrigerator until cool and set. Serve with whipped cream and a dash more cinnamon.
Verdict:
This was a great recipe, next time I think I may take it off of the heat when it's still a little liduidy to make it creamier in the end. It was also good because today is a sick day and leftover rice pudding really comes in handy when you are fighting a repeat performance of that green guy from the mucinex commercials.
Oh, ps, here's what my backyard looks like today, it's not only a sick day but also a snow day:
Arborio Rice Pudding (the hubs' request) - Dave Lieberman
Ingredients
1 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Few dashes ground cinnamon
Whipped cream, for serving (as usual, I didn't have the garnish!)
Directions
Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, return to a boil, and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until rice has absorbed the water but it still al dente, about 15 minutes.
Bring milk, sugar, vanilla, and a few dashes of cinnamon to a simmer in a separate saucepan. Add the cooked rice and cook at a simmer over medium-low heat until rice absorbs most of the milk and mixture starts to get thick and silky, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer pudding to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Place in refrigerator until cool and set. Serve with whipped cream and a dash more cinnamon.
Verdict:
This was a great recipe, next time I think I may take it off of the heat when it's still a little liduidy to make it creamier in the end. It was also good because today is a sick day and leftover rice pudding really comes in handy when you are fighting a repeat performance of that green guy from the mucinex commercials.
Oh, ps, here's what my backyard looks like today, it's not only a sick day but also a snow day:
Panko-Encrusted Tilapia and Mac 'n' Cheese
I decided to go with the whole "fish on fridays" vibe that's going on during Lent in order to eat more fish. Thanks to my new bff, Google Reader, I marked Lovestoeat's blog with the tilapia recipe in it from Martha. It was great, the hubs loved it as well. He was not, however, a fan of the mac 'n' cheese, which was a RR recipe I printed out a loooong time ago. I got a common brand of cheese and got sharp instead of extra-sharp cheddar, so next time I know to get the more flavorful (read: expensive) cheese.
Panko Encrusted Tilapia ~ found here on Lovestoeat's blog
Mac 'n' Cheese - from Rachel Ray via Food Network
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches
Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or to al dente, with a little bite to it (I used mini fusili)
Directions
Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the cheddar cheese on top.
Verdict:
tilapia,
mac,
Panko Encrusted Tilapia ~ found here on Lovestoeat's blog
Mac 'n' Cheese - from Rachel Ray via Food Network
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches
Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or to al dente, with a little bite to it (I used mini fusili)
Directions
Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the cheddar cheese on top.
Verdict:
tilapia,
mac,
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Day 1 of the CFL
So, I decided to give up chocolate for Lent. Oh yeah, and "eating after 8pm" (the hubs' idea, I may enforce it on him as well...). Day one, 10am, doing good so far. Had a baldguybar (Dr. Andrew Weil makes has a company make a banana manna bar which is spectacular) for breakfast because I'm still so full from last night (Pancake Supper at church) and because I still think I smell bacon everywhere, and if you're still hungry after being inundated by bacon for almost 24 hours then you might have a problem.
I'm going to have to hide things, I have figured out, because I will eat them without realizing what I'm eating. Thank goodness there are mashed potatoes because I'd go nuts without some type of comfort food. Oh and the crack dressing (Annie's Naturals Asian Sesame). I'm going to try to eat more salads too and put interesting veggies on them. If you have any suggestions for interesting veggies let me know!
I'm going to have to hide things, I have figured out, because I will eat them without realizing what I'm eating. Thank goodness there are mashed potatoes because I'd go nuts without some type of comfort food. Oh and the crack dressing (Annie's Naturals Asian Sesame). I'm going to try to eat more salads too and put interesting veggies on them. If you have any suggestions for interesting veggies let me know!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Why am I at all surprised anymore.
Most recent text convo with the Hubs:
Hubs: Wats the name of that good choc from switzerland
Kitty: Lindt?
Hubs: I thought it started with a n
Kitty: There are hundreds of chocolates from Switzerland, did you get it somewhere special? (thinking maybe he's trying to remember something he had)
Hubs: Ok maybe its france. The question was who is Hershey biggest competitor in the world!
Kitty: (so he's asking me a trivia question? about chocolate?) Cadbury's I'd say
Hubs: Hershey makes candy for them though i was thinking of that candy you like in the long triangular tube (he can't write out "what" but he can type "long triangular tube?")
Kitty: That's Toblerone and hershey has nothing to do with Cadbury's of England. Hershey just acquired the US side of the business, Cadbury's of England is the biggest confectioner in the world. (Yes, I am a Cadbury's snob, TYVM.)
Hubs: Ok who is their biggest comp in us mars?
Kitty: Could you be thinking of Nestle?
Hubs: I was thinking mars they make mm snickers (you said you were thinking it began with an "N"...)
Kitty: Well then it's Mars. Why are you asking? You thought it started with an n. It's Mars then Nestle acc. to google.
Hubs: work quiz. who is bachman biggest comp in us? Frito lay
...I'm so done.
Hubs: Wats the name of that good choc from switzerland
Kitty: Lindt?
Hubs: I thought it started with a n
Kitty: There are hundreds of chocolates from Switzerland, did you get it somewhere special? (thinking maybe he's trying to remember something he had)
Hubs: Ok maybe its france. The question was who is Hershey biggest competitor in the world!
Kitty: (so he's asking me a trivia question? about chocolate?) Cadbury's I'd say
Hubs: Hershey makes candy for them though i was thinking of that candy you like in the long triangular tube (he can't write out "what" but he can type "long triangular tube?")
Kitty: That's Toblerone and hershey has nothing to do with Cadbury's of England. Hershey just acquired the US side of the business, Cadbury's of England is the biggest confectioner in the world. (Yes, I am a Cadbury's snob, TYVM.)
Hubs: Ok who is their biggest comp in us mars?
Kitty: Could you be thinking of Nestle?
Hubs: I was thinking mars they make mm snickers (you said you were thinking it began with an "N"...)
Kitty: Well then it's Mars. Why are you asking? You thought it started with an n. It's Mars then Nestle acc. to google.
Hubs: work quiz. who is bachman biggest comp in us? Frito lay
...I'm so done.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Sausage with peppers, roasted broccoli, maybe something else?
Hey there Kitty, in case you forget what you wanted for dinner:
Roasted Broccoli via TFN:
Cut one large bunch of broccoli into 3-inch spears, toss with 3 smashed cloves garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 3 tablespoons sesame oil. Spread the spears on a baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Top the spears with a handful of sliced scallions and 2 teaspoons soy sauce.
Ok, so dinner done! I made sausage (just sauteed it with bell peppers) and roasted broccoli from the food network recipe above.
Hubs called the broccoli "Chinese broccoli" so I will probably only make it for me from now on!
Roasted Broccoli via TFN:
Cut one large bunch of broccoli into 3-inch spears, toss with 3 smashed cloves garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 3 tablespoons sesame oil. Spread the spears on a baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Top the spears with a handful of sliced scallions and 2 teaspoons soy sauce.
Ok, so dinner done! I made sausage (just sauteed it with bell peppers) and roasted broccoli from the food network recipe above.
Hubs called the broccoli "Chinese broccoli" so I will probably only make it for me from now on!
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