Cranberry Almond Biscotti

While finishing up my poetry manuscript today (yep, that's right, my senior project is done!) I decided to do some baking. I've had my eye on this biscotti ever since the recipe was posted. I do all my mixing by hand, instead of with an electric beater, but other than that I stayed true to the recipe. The biscotti is excellent! I definitely recommend trying it out. I'm sorry the pictures aren't that great today; this pair of contacts has been bothering me.

Snowy Days

Since my attempt to be unproductive for a day over Thanksgiving break proved to be unsuccessful, I decided that I might have been setting my sights too high. A whole day? That's not exactly realistic. So, I decided to try for a smaller period of time. Friday night it began to snow. A lot. I think we're at fourteen or fifteen inches now. Before the snow hit my parents went to a Christmas party so I decided to take advantage of having the house to myself and I hooked my iPod up to the speakers upstairs, put Harry Connick Jr. on play, poured a glass of wine and sat. And I was able to make myself last an entire song. That's wrong, an entire song of doing nothing else but sitting and drinking a glass of wine. I'm also serious when I said I was able to make myself. Before the first song was over I started to stand up thinking, I need to do this, this and this, before realizing that the first song hadn't even finished. As soon as it was over, I jumped off the chair and ran around getting some things done.

One of those things was cooking. I turned this:



into these:



and these:



into these:



I got the idea from Kitchenist to shred brussels sprouts and stir them into a cream-based sauce, to serve with pasta. I decided to add some peppers to the mix as well since I had only eaten one other vegetable that day. While it isn't the best pasta dish I ever made, it was tasty and it's a quick, easy recipe for those busy days.



We had snow all day and our snow storm was quickly labeled a blizzard. I woke up this morning and pulled a loaf of bread from the cupboard to find that there was a slice left. Since we weren't planning to leave the house today, my mom decided to take advantage of the opportunity and bake a few loaves. I love homemade bread! I usually don't eat jam (lots of sugar and healthier ways to get the nutrients) but I decided that a freshly baked loaf of bread on a snowy day called for a spoonful of jam.



Towards the end of the snowfall I began taking pictures. This is the window in my (basement-level) room:



The little black dots by the street are mailboxes. You can also see the reflection of lights on the Christmas tree.



There are steps buried beneath the snow.



I've been watching Anthony Bourdain while working on my flashcards for geography. So far we've traveled to Shanghai, Malaysia, Sicily, Argentina, Uruguay, Romania, New Zealand and Washington DC. I should get back to that. Up next, Chicago. Let's see if he visits Billy Goats!

Baking, Snow, DWTS

Today was my wasted day. I'm not sure how much I like the idea of spending days without being productive. I kept making lists of all that I need to do! So, what did I do? I started Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick and continued reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. I found some new blogs that I'm excited to start reading and I introduced my dad to Bones. We watched the first two episodes and he said he'd keep watching the show with me! My dad isn't big on TV and movies but it's always fun to watch something with him. (Except for Year One. That was a bad choice and a really traumatic experience!) The last time my dad and I watched a TV show together was a long, long time ago! It was all the way back when Early Edition was still on TV.

Anyway, moving on. I also did some baking. I volunteered to make the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving tomorrow and I also made a few loaves of Apple Walnut Bread to take to my sister's as well. My parents and I tried both (I made two pies) and they were pretty good! Here are some making-of pictures:



We also got some snow today. The second picture was my attempt to take pictures of the snowflakes but they were teeny tiny!



So, last night the DWTS results came in and Jennifer and Derek won. I think this is the first season that my favorite couple actually took home the mirror ball trophy so I was excited! Although, if Kyle and Lacey or Bristol and Mark had won I would have been happy too. Kyle was so much fun to watch all season long because he really brought personality to the dances and Bristol is what the show is all about. Anyway, after watching all three couples on Good Morning America and The View I had to go back and find my favorite dance of the season, which was Jennifer and Derek's instant dance.



I'm sure I'll be online tomorrow! My family has pretty laid back holiday's, which is nice because I actually get a lot of homework done on that day. But if I'm not, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Beauty Break

Yesterday I invited a few friends over for a Beauty Break. My sister came with the beauty products she sells so that my friends and I could try them out. I made strawberry cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes for the night and served them with coffee and strawberry blooming tea. No pictures of the drinks, but I do have pictures of the cupcakes and making of. And if you have a chance this fall to spend a night with your friends eating sweets and playing around with make-up, I highly recommend you take advantage of the opportunity!

Yogurt & Book Banning

I love plain Greek yogurt. Throw in some fresh fruit and I'm good to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner. (And, apparently it's one of the Best Healthy Foods You Aren't Eating.) So when I was wandering through the grocery store one day and discovered Greek yogurt with chocolate my eyes instantly lit up! See, I also have a thing for ice cream. I try not to eat it often because it's an overload of dairy, fat and calories but... it sure is good! So when I saw Greek yogurt with chocolate I thought that maybe this could be an acceptable replacement for ice cream and bought the pack of four cartons, which is the only way it came.

I took one bite and passed it off to my mom, who took one bite and passed it off to my dad. Who loaded it up with peanut butter. And then with even more peanut butter. And after topping it off with a little more peanut butter thought it was acceptable and finished the carton. (He likes mixing peanut butter with different things after reading an article about a local Lebanese restaurant owner who makes his own--delicious, I might add--hummus for his restaurant. He is now in process of making hummus mixes--such as hummus and guacamole--after mixing hummus and peanut butter in an attempt to get his daughter to eat it.) Now we have three cartons sitting in our refrigerator, waiting to be eaten.

So, tell me your stories! Is there a food you once bought thinking it would be healthier substitute for a bad food? Was it as good as you expected or did it completely flop?

In other news, people who know me are aware that I am not a fan of banning books. Take a look at this list. I am often shocked when I look through lists of banned books to see exactly what people are banning. Some of the books banned include the only classics that actually interested me when I was assigned to read them in high school as well as other books that just confuse me. Why was The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway banned? Could it possibly be for putting students to sleep when forced to read it?

Over the weekend the YA literary world was outraged when a man in Missouri requested that the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson should be banned from a school district, along with Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. I won't go into too much detail here because others have discussed this topic much better than I could. Instead, I will direct you to Laurie Halse Anderson's blog on the topic. In this post she gives many links to some of the discussion that has taken place about the attempted banning of her book, including links to the original complaints made the man trying to ban the books.

This weekend I'm off work and I haven't been feeling well so I'm planning to spend the weekend in, drinking lots of tea and water and resting in an attempt to get better before I get really sick. This means plenty of time for reading! I'm hoping that, along with homework, I will finish reading Speak and will be able to get through at least half, if not finish, Twenty Boy Summer. Look for more on those two books in the near future!

I also feel like I should add one of the more interesting Hemingway books to my reading list for the weekend after that comment above. I do like Hemingway, just not The Old Man and the Sea.

Thursday Afternoons

One of my favorite restaurants is a small Columbian restaurant that is near my niece and nephew's school. Every Thursday, my parents volunteer at that school. (I had actually been thinking about volunteering as well and would have been placed in my niece's class, but with my work schedule I decided that I needed the time to study. Maybe next semester.)

Today, after my classes, I hopped on a bus and stopped at the restaurant. My sister recently mentioned getting a quesadilla for lunch one day and ever since I have been in the mood for one! So, today I ordered a quesadilla and an iced tea (tropical and so good!). Because it was a little chilly, I finished the meal with a hazelnut latte to warm up. Usually when I go I eat their breakfasts, which they serve all day. On the menu is a traditional Columbian breakfast as well as a wonderful array of pancakes. I'm not a pancake person but when it comes to eating at this restaurant, they are a tasty way to go! You can order pancakes plain, but why would you when you can also get them filled with many different types of fruit? One of the best pancakes on the menu is the plantain pancake which, of course, is a pancake made with plantains and covered in a type of cheese. I can't think of the name of the cheese (I'll check the menu next week) but it fits the pancake and tastes much better than it sounds. Believe me, I was skeptical at first, but I love it!

I think this will be my new Thursday routine, and it sounds much better than hanging out on campus all day (I used to spend the entire day on campus)! Go to my favorite restaurant, eat some tasty food, meet up with my parents and see my niece and nephew after school. There's also a bakery down the street and I'm thinking I might have to stop in once or twice. The pastries are all wonderful but are definitely very bad for you. But did I mention the pastries are good? And that you can smell them from down the street?

I might not be able to eat any other day of the week but let me tell you, it will be worth it!

The One With Three: Numismatics, Classes, Cucumbers

Happy Labor Day!

I spent most of the day at work and most of that time was spent visiting different websites. We only have access to .gov websites so slow days end up turning into educational days as we surf different websites. Today I looked at the US Mint website and read up on the First Spouse coin collection. I've always been fascinated by the wives of the Presidents because so many of them have done great things. The first spouse coins feature a portrait of the first spouse on the front along their name, which number spouse they were and the dates that they were in the White House. On the back is an image representing the spouses legacy. For those President's who weren't married during their presidency, the coin features Liberty in her depiction in their day on the front with a picture representing the President's legacy on the back. Here are a few of my favorite coins:
-- Abigail Adams, I love their letters.
-- Jefferson's Liberty, for it's depiction of Liberty.
-- Dolley Madison, because the image on the back (and what she did) is awesome.
-- Julia Tyler, my favorite, for the image on the back (and the portrait is pretty cool too).
-- Buchanan's Liberty, for it's depiction of Liberty.

In other news, classes start tomorrow. I'll be taking Jews of the Mediterranean, Modern Literary Criticism and Theory and the Poetry Writing Senior Seminar. Starting in October I'll be adding a geography to the line-up of classes. I'm thinking that without French my semester will be much easier than the last three. I'm hoping, at least.

I'll end with a tasty way to prepare cucumbers. I have customers who regularly bring us cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers from their garden throughout the summer. Yesterday they brought in some bags and even though my dad had just purchased a good number of cucumbers at a local vegetable stand, I couldn't resist taking a bunch of the wonderful looking cucumbers that they brought in! My boss was telling us about one of her relatives who grows cucumbers and has found tasty and simple ways to prepare cucumbers. All you need to do is cut them in slices and dab a little bit of olive oil and black pepper over them. And it is very yummy! I'm sorry for the crappy picture. I took it quickly, in crappy lighting.

Sushi Time!

I had the day off and a nice break from work gave me time to sit down, put on Buffy and make some sushi. When I eat sushi it's usually a California roll. If I eat the "riskier" rolls I'm usually grabbing a piece off the plate of one of my co-workers, usually at their insistence. So, of course, that's what I made!

A special thank you goes to my coworker Laura, who provided me with a bowl of sticky rice for my sushi-making endeavor! The first time I made sushi I was at Laura's house with most of our coworkers and I started making some after watching her. Since I don't follow any set instructions I linked a recipe for California rolls above.

I didn't include avocado in the sushi I made today as the avocados at the store weren't ripe enough. To help fill out the sushi I put in two strips of cucumber instead of one. If you like a bit of spiciness you can include a line of sriracha sauce by itself, or sriracha mixed with mayo. I've made it both ways and it's delicious! Below are some making-of photos:

Crêpes

I've always enjoyed crêpes but it wasn't until I started learning the French language that I decided I wanted to make them. This is my favorite breakfast to prepare. When I have the time it's nice to start the day drinking coffee and listening to French music while making crêpes. I prefer to make them without the use of a crêpe maker. Yes, flipping them by hand can create a few tears from time to time and yes, flipping them by hand means that a few don't turn out, but I think that flipping them by hand is part of the fun of crêpe making.

My sister and her husband are nearing the end of their visit so I decided that I wanted to make them crêpes. This morning I woke up with the sun (all right, all right, a few hours after sunrise), started a CD of French music and prepared crêpes for breakfast.



You can find any number of crêpe recipes online. I chose one from the website Famous French Desserts. This recipe will make about 15 crêpes.

French Crêpes
You will need:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
2 tbsp. butter (melted)
Pinch of salt
1/2 vanilla stalk or few drops vanilla extract (optional)
Vegetable oil (for pan)

To make the batter:
1. Sift flour and mix with salt in a bowl.
2. Make a well and pour in eggs. Stir well.
3. Slowly pour in milk while stirring. Keep stirring batter until small bubbles form on the surface.
4. Stir in butter.

To make the crêpes:
1. Pour a little vegetable oil on a folded paper towel, and wipe the pan evenly. Keep paper towel at hand while preparing crepes, in case you want to give it another wipe.
2. Pour in 2 - 3 tbsp. of batter and quickly move pan around, so that batter spreads evenly, covering the whole surface with a thin layer.
3. Let cook for about 1 minute. Then, flip with a metal spatula, and cook other side for about 30 seconds.

Fillings for crêpes can include, but are not limited to, fresh fruit, Nutella, powdered sugar and whipped cream.

You can always substitute olive oil for any other kind (unless you need it by the cup fulls) and I always do. If you'd like to use olive oil to cover the pan, go right ahead!

I'm not a fan of using whole milk (or heavy creams) in my cooking; to cut down on the fat content I usually use skim milk. However, my brother-in-law is lactose intolerant so this morning I used rice milk instead of dairy and margarine instead of butter. These substitutions didn't change the crêpe in any way. My nephew has a dairy sensitivity and one thing I've learned is that when cooking for someone with a dairy sensitivity or allergy rice milk is a good substitute, soy milk is not.

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. It was early and I was wearing my glasses. It's not the best formula for picture-taking!


Preparing the batter.




I think this is some of the greatest stuff in the world! My dad doesn't like Nutella but said he'd like to try peanut butter on crêpes sometime. A lot of people will also put bananas with the Nutella on their crêpes but the bananas in my house weren't ripe enough today.


For a drink, I served a San Pellegrino and orange juice mixture.




I always eat two; one with fresh berries and one with Nutella.

Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans

Here's another goodie from Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. Chicken Salad with Halved Grapes and Toasted Pecans.

When thinking about making this recipe I was really looking forward to toasting the pecans myself but alas, I sent my mother to the grocery store to buy the ingredients and she came back with roasted pecans. That just means I'll have to make this again so that I can do it the right way!



The picture isn't the greatest for this recipe; I was trying to take it in a hurry. But what you see in it is a mayo-less chicken salad. A mixture of Greek yogurt and spices provides a substitute for mayo that feels much lighter. The grapes provide a nice, sweet taste that reminded me of the apple walnut tuna I used to make when I worked at a café. I served this on bread but it would also be wonderful on a bed of lettuce. If you're looking for a healthy meal remember that the darker the lettuce the better! Iceberg lettuce is just there to look pretty, you'll get the most nutrients from the darkest greens.

This one sandwich was filling but it didn't leave me feeling stuffed and my family loved the Greek yogurt mixture so much that they're using it as a substitute for mayo on other things and as a dip for veggies.