What do you think

Dear readers,
I know its been months since I've given you anything new. During this time I have been questioning having this blog. Does anyone actually read or enjoy it? Is it worth the time and energy to make it?
I ask that you please email, post here, or something to let me know what you think so I can make a decision about the future of the blog.
Thanks!
K

New recipe: Hummus

Hummus

My go to semi-healthy snack is now hummus and carrot sticks. This spring I am in love with it! I discovered this 'love'  by my cooking project and ever since this first batch I've been experimenting with hummus making. There are many recipes online for it. Today I'll give you the one that is in the Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker. I also tried a roasted red bell pepper hummus (you'll see pictures of both with this post).




What you'll need:
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
3 Tbsp. Tahini (this is a sesame seed paste)
2 Cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tbsp. Fresh finely chopped parsley
sprinkling of paprika
salt to taste

What you'll do: 
1. Process in chick peas in a blender or food processor
2. Add in lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and a pinch of salt
3. Puree until smooth. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water if it gets to thick
4. Remove from blender and mix in paprika, parsley, and olive oil
5. Serve with warm pita bread or fresh veggies such as carrots, bell peppers, and celery

As this recipe currently stands I rate it  3.75/5 with some improvements yet to come. 

Matter Paneer Made Simple

One of my favorite types of foods is Indian food. I think about it and I start to drool. I love it! Indian cooking is one of the types of foods that I have little experience in and have lots to learn. When I saw this recipe made easy I couldn't help but go right out and find my ingredients. First thing is first when you look at the recipe do not be alarmed by the large number of ingredients. They are mostly spices. Give it a try and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Matter Paneer Made Simple
From: Vegetarian times magazine
30 minutes or less













What you'll need:
1 large onion, quartered
1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. whole brown mustard seeds (I couldn't find these so I used ground mustard seed)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. garam masala (a blend of spices that I find at Hy-vee in the bulk foods section)
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbs. reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 8-oz. pkg. paneer (this is a type of cheese)

What you'll do:
1. Purée onion in food processor.
2. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin, and bay leaf.
Cook 1 minute, or until fragrant.

3. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned.

 Stir in tomato sauce, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, salt, and paprika. Simmer 10 minutes,

or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add up to 1/2 cup water if sauce is

too thick.

4. Stir in peas, sour cream, and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes, or until peas are heated
through.
5. Fold in paneer, and cook 3 minutes more. Remove bay leaf, and serve hot with
basmati rice or naan bread.

Serves 4

Notes:
*Cut the paneer into small cubes so they become well mixed into the matter.
*If you are feeling up to it try making your own Paneer Cheese, I'd like to do this soon!
*rating 3.75/5

Burger and Fries

I love it when it gets warm outside that means: Its time to fire up the grill! I love a good "burger" and fries for a quick and easy weeknight meal. For my burger I really like the Boca line of meat less burgers (all except the cheese burger one). My favorite by far is the Bruschetta Tomato Basil Parmesan with melted cheese, mayo, and pickle relish. To spice up the normal I decided to try some sweet potato fries. Here is the recipe...

Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe from: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11169?section=

What you'll need:

2 lb. assorted sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick sticks

• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2  tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. potato starch
• 
  

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Set 1 oven rack in top position and 1 rack in bottom position.

2. Toss together sweet potatoes, oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, if using. Sprinkle with potato starch; toss mixture once more to coat well. Arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Turn potatoes with spatula, and rotate baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes more, or until golden brown.

Serves 6

Notes:

*Be careful with cooking these I had trouble getting them to brown and not 'burn'

*Potato starch is a much- fries with out lacked the crunchiness

*Great to dip in bbq sauce

*Rating: 3/5 

silent day: rain and water

Warm up with some yummy vegetarian chili

With snow looming on the horizon today it seems like the perfect day for some warm spicy chili. This has become one my favorites. Today I'm starting a new "feature", the JK rating system for how my husband and  I like the recipes. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili
Recipe adapted from: Joy of Cooking
by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped peeled carrots--chopped very finely
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 fresh or frozen green chili peppers-leave seeds in
1 tablespoon ground hot chili pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 28-ounce can dice tomatoes, with juice
One 16-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
One 16-ounce can chili beans, with sauce
Two 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
Salt to taste

What to do:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
   
   
   
3. Add chili peppers and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes, beans, tomato juice, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, adding more tomato juice or water as needed, about 45 minutes.
   
   
   
5. Enjoy!
   
   Notes:
   *the longer you cook it the thicker and better the flavors blend
   *To bring down the spice add some shredded cheddar cheese (yum!)
   *Works great re-heated for lunches, makes quite a few leftovers
   Rating: 4.5/5 stars
   
   

Spring!

My first flower is in bloom today!!! I  just love spring :)

Cheddar Potato Soup

Cheddar Potato Soup

What you'll need:
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups diced peeled potatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (add more to taste I sometimes add up to 3 cups also thickens the soup)
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash paprika

What to do:
1. In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender.
2. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Puree in small batches in a blender until smooth; return to the pan.
4. Stir in the cheese, milk, pepper and paprika. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. 

Makes about 8 servings.

Notes:
Be very careful when blending the hot soup. Make sure to secure your lid before you go and keep a hand on it. I divide the soup into two batches to blend.

My newest cooking "project"

I watched the movie Julie and Julia recently and inspiration struck me! I wanted to do something similar because:
*I love to cook and try new things
*I want to expand my cooking skills
*I want to try new things I may have never thought of before
So I decided to start by working my way through the cookbook Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker
As I've been working I've decided to not conform to a weekly recipe count but to keep making my way through this book when I want to try new things. I've been doing pretty well and discovered some new amazing food. But as with many projects I'm not going to force myself to eat and make food I'm not interested in. So it is a very flexable project. Look for lots of recipes from the Joy of Cooking book.
Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for giving it to me as my first vegetarian cookbook :)

Language of my native land

English some days how I miss speaking you, always knowing every word that is spoken to me.

I realized something today as a struggle with having professors from all over the word. All forms of the same language are not equal. For example English in the Midwest is not the same as "Bronx" English. Can I understand that person, yes its mostly just an accent thing.

Midwest English vs Austrian English or British English I may not understand. This is not something you think about when you learn another language. I need to remember when I struggle to understand one person but can clearly understand anther not all language is created equal.

Ciabatta overflow

I love to bake, especially during the cold long winter month.
Since last Christmas I have been experimenting with ciabatta bread. I love the texture and taste especially for sandwiches. In my last trial I had a bit of a over rising/ not enough space in the bowl problem...

Never fear even messes like this can turn out some great bread. (and some good stories too!)

Still tasting great one headache of a mess in my oven later :)

garden 2010

Its that time of year, time to Garden! I have started many plants and thought I'd give you all a run down of what I have going on:
January 18th I started my first set of plants all herbs
February 26th I transplant the first set of herbs into bigger pots
John and I also built a light shelf green house type thing for the basement
February 28th I plant all my tomato, pepper, and flower (snapdragons, marigolds, zinnas, and petunia)
March 1st all the marigolds are up from my second planting, along with some zinnas and snap dragons. I saw my first tomato plants start to "pop" no peppers yet

I'm looking forward to all the fresh veggies!

above: getting the seedling trays ready is a very important first step!

No bake rockie road

I have a friend at my office who can't have gluten. I like to create and/or adapt things that taste just as good with out gluten so all my co-works can enjoy the same thing. Here is my latest adaption. Gluten free or not these bars rock and are super simple. I'd recommend them for your next quick treat!


No bake rockie road bars


What you'll need:
1/2  cup Butter
2  Cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2  cup peanut butter
4  Cups Post coco pebbles
3  cups miniature marshmallows


What to do:

 1.Combine butter, chocolate chips  4-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted (4 to 6 minutes). Stir in peanut butter until well mixed.

2.Remove from heat. Add cereal and marshmallows; toss until well coated.

3.Press mixture onto bottom of buttered 13x9-inch baking pan. Refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes). 

4.Cut into bars. Store refrigerated. Makes about 48 bars

Notes: 

This recipe has been adapted by me :)

Original recipe from http://www.landolakes.com/mealideas/ViewRecipe.cfm?RecipeID=5506 

"berry" sick of snow; silent day

Funny note: I took all the berry pictures at Hy-vee in Iowa City. When you seem something so pretty you just can't pass it up! After I finished a lady saw me and said you go girl! :)

slacker or am i?

First off I'm sorry that I'm not updating. Maybe I'm a slacker, I think not.
I spend hours each day writing for my Spanish classes and don't have much left to give to my blog. I am trying to do better. This is my first foot forward.
John and I are going to a lecture tonight entitled:
Treasure and Power: The New-Found Staffordshire Hoard and an Expanding Sense of Anglo-Saxon England.


 More to come later on what we'll learn :)




PS is anyone that reads interested in reading my writing/stories I've done for Spanish?

tribute to Montgomery

As you may or may not know this last weekend our turtle, Montgomery SC Saxton passed away. I wanted to do a photo tribute to him today.

school vs work

Isn't it always true that you want the things that you can't have or you think something is better then it really is? I'm in a very new stage of life this month and its causing lots of questions of which is "better" both school and work have pros and cons of which I'd like to examin.
School-Pros
Get to spend all day learning things
Everyday is challenging (sometimes to challenging)
Really if you just didn't want to go who is going to stop you?
You get to run around doing different things and decide when you want to get your stuff done

Work-Pros
Once you leave for the day that is it- it doesn't really "follow" you home
You make money and can use that money for lots of things
Your days are fairly regular and standard- not to many suprises
You know what to expect when you head into the office  (most days)
You know when you have work and when you don't- planning your life around its pretty easy

Work Cons
You always have to show up- no skipping
the work can be dry and tedious (depending on the job)
some offices are like a little "high school"--gosssip, rumors, etc

School Cons
Homework and tests (they follow you 24/7)
Its expensive and you aren't making  money while you do it
Its stressful

Just somethings I need to remember to keep prospective as I'm in my transition year (sort of).
Anyone have anything to add to the list?

Poetry

Tonight I'm going to have to keep it pretty short and sweet. I started classes on Tuesday and have been inundated with homework. 3 out of my 4 classes are in Spanish making what seems like "light reading" take me a few hours. Alas, I'm getting my Spanish groove back. When spured me to write tonight was two fold. I wanted to make note that I started growing some herbs for my **summer** garden. Hopefully they will be sprouting by next weekend. Secondly the title of today entry- poetry. I'm basically taking two poetry classes this semester- one is creative writing the other is straight out poetry. In my "poetry" class I was asked to write a paragraph about my favorite poem. This made me realize- I don't have one while I enjoy poetry I've never really spent much time or know to much about. I guess I'll be learning now! For class I am going to get to attend my first poetry slam. What I need for all of you is a bit of help to do my homework...dear readers tell me what is your favorite poem and why? Hopefully you can inspire me and help me discover my favorite one :)

No regrets (if I can help it)

When I look back at my life I want to say that I do not have any regret for things I should/should not have done. However, I have plenty from elementary school to now , I regret not taking opportunity or missing out on things because maybe I was scared.
One major thing that I regret is that I didn't truly listen to myself when I decided what I wanted to do in "life after college" I listened to my parents tell me you can't do this you can't do that and ruled out things that I knew I loved.
So now I'm taking myself back, back to school to get another degree to change where I'm going in my life. I'm going back to school to get another bachelor's degree in Spanish...and boy am I nervous about it. I'm in such a different place in my life when I was when I went off to college many moons ago but I've learned so much. (It seems) Like it has been such a long time since I've done the "school thing" that I'm worried about how I'll do. I could use all your kind words and thoughts as I embark on a big exciting life changing adventure!

Iowa State Basketball

Here is a bit of video I took Saturday at the game. I love the ending :)

Happy Birthday Jenny!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNY!

.

(some of) the reasons why Jenny is so awesome:

1. She is fun to be around and hang out with

2. She is crafty and creative

3. She is plain amazing

4. She has a great air mattress

5. She is positive and friendly

To a amazing friend who's been there when ever I needed her through good and bad, Happy Birthday Jenny! I hope your 26th year is spectacular! Love you lots!

Double header for Alumni Band

John and I went to Ames today for a basketball game double header. It was a lot of fun to get to play with the band again and be that close to the action! (not to mention getting to spend time with friends!!)

Pep band is a lot of fun and we'll have to make sure to do it again next year!