Goodbye, lovely weekend...

On Thursday, I got the ice cream maker I just ordered from Amazon with my $50 gift card I cashed in from my points on Lexis. I had a lot of trouble deciding between this and a bread maker and called John, both my parents, and Emily for an opinion. John had no opinion, Emily and my mom didn't answer the phone, and so when my dad emphatically said, "Get the ice cream maker," I just went for it. Plus, it's an adorable robin's egg blue color--how could I resist?



Next up on the weekend agenda: Friday. Friday was my 24th birthday (24 has still not sunk in). John got me these beautiful red wine glasses, which I was *thisclose* to buying for myself with my Amazon gift card. I never told him I wanted them, though, so I thought it was really thoughtful of him. I used to never drink red wine, but I've had a change of heart recently. John likes red better than white, so I think he is just thrilled that I'll drink red now!



Friday night we went out to a law school party (Champagne Campaign) down at Ky's Lounge. Afterward, we went to Chic-n-Bones. We didn't make it out until really late (typical!) but we still had a good time. This is a picture from that night and I absolutely love it--this is kind of John and I in a nutshell.



Saturday I had lunch at Yesterday's (probably my favorite restaurant in Morgantown) with my mom, dad, grandma, and John. (Sadly, no pictures--we were having too much fun and I forgot to take any!)

Yesterday I spent all day working on my student note for Law Review. We have to format it using a macro for Word, so I downloaded the program to a flash drive so I could do it at home. At 10:45 (the note was due at 11:59) I went to format my note...and the program wouldn't run on my home computer. I had to run to the law school to do it there, but luckily got my paper in by 11:30. Needless to say, though, it was a little stressful! By the time I got home, I was super tired but also WIRED. John suggested I relax with a cup of tea, which hadn't occurred to me, but I'm so glad I did. I chose my Sleepy Time tea. It has valerian in it, and it really works! I like to keep that tea in the house, as well as honey and chamomile (perfect for when you have a cold) and I usually have Tazo in the cabinet, too.




And that was the weekend!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day this year was pretty special! I have never gone out on Valentine's because battling the crowds just doesn't sound fun to me. I'd much rather have a nice evening at home, cook some great food, open a bottle of wine, and take it easy.

For what I'm embarrassed to say was the first time EVER, I pulled out my "dining room table" (it's usually over in a corner because there's no other place for it in my apartment) and put it in the middle of my living room. I set it with these great red place mats I bought several years ago at, believe it or not, Dollar General.



The beautiful flowers are from my Dad. He's sent me flowers for Valentine's Day ever since I was little:-) John got me a much-too-large box of chocolates, which I'm ashamed to say is already gone.






Dinner was ribeye seasoned with rosemary, salt, and pepper; red wine risotto; and asparagus sauteed in garlic oil. John did the ribeyes and cooked them perfectly.



The risotto was actually a really pretty purpley color; the camera on my phone just didn't do it justice.

Dessert was panna cotta in raspberry sauce. Pretty festive, huh?





With dinner, we had the cabernet that I used to cook the risotto, and we had champagne with dessert. The cabernet was a brand called 337 that I got at Kroger (it was on sale and it was only about $13) and it was WONDERFUL.

Here is John demonstrating, yet again, that he hates having his picture taken. At least I got him to stop flipping off the camera. How could I resist that face?




Hopefully I'll have excellent things to talk about for a birthday post!

Weekend Update

Things were not so productive this weekend school-wise, which is somewhat disappointing because I'd hoped to accomplish more on that end. But WVU played this weekend, so John and I of course watched the game. And on Friday, when we did our grocery shopping for the weekend and I stocked up on things I need for the week, I realized I was almost out of the frozen, chopped chicken I like to keep around all the time. I decided I'd better make a new batch over the weekend instead of trying to do it on a week night. That, and making cinnamon raisin bread (yummmmyyy) occupied a huge chunk of time on Sunday.

So, though school may have slightly suffered, it was a super productive weekend for cooking! Here's what was on the menu this weekend (sorry, no pictures):

Friday Dinner: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans (John has been hinting around about meatloaf for two weeks, so I figured it was time to make this). I use a really standard, traditional Betty Crocker recipe; is there any other way?

Saturday and Sunday Lunch: I made panini with ham one day and turkey the next with freshly made bread from earlier in the week. I don't have a panini press, but it's easy enough to improvise. Lay a piece of foil or parchment paper over the sandwich in the skillet and put another skillet on top. Weight with a few cans. The only downside is that you have to turn the sandwich halfway through cooking.

Saturday Dinner: Asian Chicken Wraps. I had leftover tortillas from tacos I made last week, and I added chicken marinated in Sesame Ginger Dressing, shredded cabbage and carrot, julienned red peppers, and julienned scallions. This was a great light and healthy dinner.

Sunday Dinner: Baked BBQ Chicken, homemade cole slaw (with leftover cabbage and carrots), and baked beans.


Finally, here is my mom's stock recipe, which I said I'd include in one of my posts. This is a very simple, basic stock recipe. I don't like to add too many flavors to the stock itself; I add flavor later on in the process. I think a basic stock is more versatile than something packed with too many flavors.

Chicken Stock and Chicken

one whole chicken, cut up (you can buy it cut up or buy a whole one and cut it up yourself; I do whatever's cheaper)
3 or 4 celery stalks, cut into large chunks (like 3 pieces each)
3 or 4 carrot sticks, cut into large chunks
1 large or two medium onions, quartered
2 or 3 dried bay leaves (depending on size)
10 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tbsp dried
small bunch of fresh parsley (this is a great place to use up the stems)

Note: you don't need to peel the celery, carrot, or onion.

Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. During this time, periodically check on the stock and skim off any fat that rises to the top with a spoon. After the 30 minutes, add the vegetables and herbs. Now cook another half an hour. Check the chicken for doneness; it should be falling off the bone. If it is cooked through, remove the chicken pieces from the pot to a cookie sheet or 9x13" pan. With two forks, remove the meat from the bone; chop or shred. Reserve. Add the bones and fat not reserved back into the pot; cook for at least another 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl. Refrigerate overnight and then remove any fat that has risen to the top. Freeze in tupperware containers or Ziploc bags or use within a few days. The chicken can be cooled and then wrapped in plastic wrap, then in foil, and frozen, or used within a couple days.


If anyone gets a chance, I'd really appreciate any feedback you have on this recipe. Is it clear? Does it make sense? Etc. Thanks guys!

dinner was YUM today

In between classes, I took some pizza dough out of the freezer to thaw on the counter and rise a bit. (I make my own using a Barefoot Contessa recipe--it's fairly easy and it makes a TON, so I freeze it in individual serving sizes.) Then, when I got home, all I had to do was thaw out some pesto (I also make it in big batches and freeze it), shred some mozzarella, and chop roasted red peppers.

Pesto Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers


This is the pizza just out of the oven. I preheated a pizza stone in the oven, so I used the parchment paper so that (a) I could easily slide the pizza on and off the stone and (b) I wouldn't have to clean the stone after using it.




As a side dish, I used some white beans and a few mushrooms leftover from the soup I made this week, plus some spinach I had in the freezer. (I can never eat a whole bag of spinach before it goes bad, so I always blanch and freeze leftover spinach. It is WAY better than boxed.) I cooked the mushrooms for a bit in some olive oil, added the beans and a little chicken stock, and let that cook for a bit. Then I added chopped, drained spinach.



I topped it with scallions and parmesan. The idea for this dish came from a recipe I saw in a magazine that had potatoes, bacon, spinach, and white beans with scallions and parmesan. I just used what I had with the same method.

Here's the final version:



And, finally, one more picture of pizza:

Sometimes offhanded comments contain words of wisdom...

The lovely Ambria, one of my favorite people in law school--here is a photo of us--





said something to me this morning before class that I've really been thinking about. I was telling her that I am now (finally) following her blog and that led to a discussion about how we both have a goal to post more often on our blogs. I told her I felt like mine was becoming too food- and cooking-related and that I thought I should branch out more. Ambria said, "Well, you just have to follow your passions."

I've really been thinking about that. (Isn't it cool when, in a very casual conversation, the person you're talking to says something that sort of stops you in your tracks?) Her comment made me stop and think: so what if most of what I write about is food and cooking, with random other topics sprinkled in occasionally? I LOVE to cook; in fact, it's one of the few hobbies I'm able to pursue anymore because I'm either super busy with school or just wanting to relax because I've been so busy. In fact, one of my goals is to publish a cookbook of original recipes and tips someday. Writing about food here is a great way to practice writing about food. Plus I can get feedback on my recipes and ideas.

I realized that what I was worried about was what I "should" be doing, not what I want to do. "What if nobody gives a shit about my ideas and what I randomly cook? What if people think this is stupid?" Another way of explaining what I got from Ambria today could be "Just go with it." Follow what your passions ARE, not what they SHOULD be. Follow your passions: that's a saying to live by.

I feel like this is turning into a cooking blog but oh well...

My dinner last night was a perfect example of how prepping ahead can make it possible to make a meal that looks/tastes like you spent hours on it, but really was super simple. I found the recipe for the picture above, Chicken, Mushroom, and Orzo Soup, in Rachael Ray's magazine (Everyday with Rachael Ray). The recipe called for boxed chicken stock and boneless, skinless chicken breast that you'd cook in the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Lucky for me, though, I made and tons of chicken and stock. I freeze the stock in Ziploc containers and shred the chicken and freeze it in packs of foil/plastic bags (usually I put between half a cup and one cup of shredded chicken per pack). That way, I always have those on hand to defrost for soups, salads, wraps, casseroles, you name it. In the long run, this is a LOT cheaper and less wasteful than buying box after box of stock and tons of packs of chicken. And with a few hours on a weekend, you save so so much time later on when you're swamped during the week.

The recipe also called for cooked orzo, sliced mushrooms, and chopped celery. I prepped all of that while home in between classes making lunch. I also thawed the stock and chicken. Then, when I came home from class at 5 p.m. (starving!), all I had to do was sautee the celery and mushrooms in a little olive oil, add the chicken, a drained/rinsed can of white beans, and the stock, and let that heat up. The recipe didn't call for this, but I added a parmesan rind that I had hanging out in the fridge (you can't just eat the rind, but it adds a ton of flavor when you let it simmer in a soup for a bit). It probably only took 15 minutes to put together.

One of these days I'll post my mom's stock recipe (the only one I use).

Random Pictures I've Been Meaning to Add...

I try to take pictures of things that I've cooked, especially when the recipes themselves don't have pictures. Here's a bunch of things I've made (most of them were last semester, but I'm just now getting them up).



Italian Wedding Soup (a Barefoot Contessa recipe from one of her cookbooks)




White Chili (this is my recipe)




PIZZA!




Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas






And, finally, here's a few pics of me and my boys. (John LOVES taking pictures, really.)

"Meatless Monday"

Aside from my post about sugar yesterday, another food-related goal I've decided to implement is to eat vegetarian 2-3 days a week. I originally got this idea from hearing about a movement called "Meatless Monday" (www.meatlessmonday.com). For health and environmental reasons, many people have chosen to follow Meatless Monday, which cuts down their meat consumption by 15%.

There are a couple reasons I want to do this. Health is first and foremost. We Americans tend to see meat as the main dish and relegate vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to side dishes. In fact, diets containing high consumption of meat can lead to higher risks for cancer and heart disease. Going vegetarian even for a couple days a week can be a challenge if you still want to eat healthy. The easiest thing to do is to reach for breads, pasta, cheese, and other not-so-good-for-you items. I'm hoping that by taking this on, it will force me to be a more creative cook by having to find ways to make satisfying, tasty meals that are vegetarian and healthy.



A general note about me and the future of this blog:

Right now, I feel like I'm in a phase of active searching. I have been doing a lot of research and reading about holistic health: physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. I have become particularly interested in the interaction between Eastern and Western medicine and what the two can teach each other. What's fascinating is that the more I read, the more everything is revealed to be interconnected. I am letting instinct take over: if a certain book seems like it might be interesting, I'll pick it up; if I'm reading online and a link seems pertinent, I'll click it. More often than not, what I find somehow ties into and reinforces everything I've already learned. I realize this paragraph is a little abstract or esoteric. I can't help that now, though, because even I am not yet sure where I'm going with all of this. I hope to use this blog as an outlet to explore some of these thoughts and to share with anyone who is interested what I'm finding out. I do think I'm on an interesting path, and I hope you'll want to come along for the ride!

Various Food-Related Thoughts

Even some people who don't know me very well know that I'm a candy fanatic. Especially if it's chewy and sour (but really regardless of what type it is), I love love love candy. With start of school stress this semester, though, things got a little out of hand. Valentine's Day and Easter candy had just hit the stores and I was EXCITED. I bought two (big) bags of Sweethearts in the span of a week. I bought Sweettarts shaped like hearts. I bought Cadbury eggs and Russell Stovers. I honestly went on a mad candy binge for almost a week. As I did homework, a bag of candy was always within arm's reach on the coffee table.

Then the second week of school started and I noticed something weird. I was exhausted. Not just tired: I could barely get out of bed in the morning and I was struggling through every day. It didn't matter how much sleep I got or what time I went to bed at night. I also had no motivation to do anything at all. I felt distracted and anxious, almost depressed, and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.

Then, genius me made the connection and started doing some research. Like pretty much everyone, I certainly knew sugar wasn't GOOD for you. After all, it's just empty calories. Plus, John always refuses to put sugar in his coffee or drink regular pop because of how you get an immediate "sugar rush," but have an energy crash shortly after. Sure, I knew these things. But what I found out was truly unbelievable. Not only is sugar responsible for that "crash" not long after eating it, eating too much consistently can cause or contribute to fatigue, anxiety, distraction/inability to focus, and depression. In fact, one study on rats (who apparently metabolize sugar similarly to how we do) showed that rats offered either sugar or cocaine went for the sugar. This included rats who had already ingested cocaine and had become addicted to it. Even they still picked sugar! (Forgive me for not citing this study, I can't remember where I found it and I don't feel like digging it up.) Now, I'm not suggesting that sugar is more addictive than cocaine, but this is just an example of ongoing research that suggests that sugar can have effects on the brain similar to addictive substances.

After finding all that out, I've decided to significantly cut down on sugar consumption. By this I'm referring to refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup, not natural sugars in fruit. I have had no candy or other sweets in the last week or so, and I can't even describe how much better I feel. That alone is a great motivation to stick with this.

I would caution anyone who might be interested in trying the same thing to be careful about sugars found in unexpected foods. A lot of white breads and other refined carbohydrates are full of sugars. Also, I was comparing labels at Kroger the other day for canned tomatoes, and found that Kroger brand canned tomatoes have high fructose corn syrup as their THIRD ingredient (right after tomatoes and tomato juice!). Hunts brand doesn't have any. It also makes me question the quality of the tomatoes Kroger is using if they have to add a bunch of corn syrup to get them to taste good.

Here is an article with some great tips on cutting back on sugar and having more energy generally:

Remember Me? Random Life Updates

Probably not, because, as is typical with me, I have not been updating this blog! Last semester got incredibly overwhelming beginning in about mid- to late October. I had a cite source to do for Law Review, Chad and I got started on our trial (which was November 16), I was doing work for two professors, helping the Academic Excellence Program out with Civil Procedure, desperately trying to think of a topic for my student note for Law Review, got called in for jury duty (and got in a car wreck--not my fault--on the way there!), and to top all that off, I got so sick I ended up at MedExpress where they had to put me through two IV bags before they'd let me leave because I'd gotten so dehydrated. Whew! Like I said: OVERWHELMING.

That being said, I am incredibly thankful for the people in my life who helped me during all of the above. Both my parents were incredibly supportive. My dad gave me advice on an evidence question Chad and I had about our trial and called me and texted me with encouragement while I was sick. My mom brought me her homemade chicken noodle soup (which is somehow ALWAYS better than when I try to replicate it), tons of other food, and a pillow pal, which I'd really been wanting (yes, it's a stuffed animal and I'm 23, but they're adorable). Even though John was gone for the semester, he was always in touch. Even when I'm feeling at my worst, he always finds a way to make me laugh. Chad was understanding through everything, and I know there were several times when he rearranged his schedule to accommodate my being sick while we were getting ready for trial. One of my best friends, Rob, came over to bring me medicine when I ran out and couldn't even think about going to get more. That same day, he took me to MedExpress and stayed with me the whole two and a half hours I was there on the IV, for which I'm especially grateful.

Of course, after the trial was Thanksgiving break (much needed), and then came finals. Luckily I only had three because Trial Ad was already over. At the time, I felt VERY worried about them. They seemed a lot different than last year's somehow. The time limits were brutal, and in Admin, the word limit seemed impossible. Oh, and here's another reason to be thankful: I had written down the date for the Evidence final as Tuesday of the second week of finals week. That final was actually on MONDAY of that week. Thank God that Sunday night I told Chad what I was planning to study the next day, and he pointed out that the final was the next day, or I truly would have missed it. Having one less day to study for that final was stressful to say the least.

Christmas break couldn't have come at a better time. I got to see so many people I've missed for a long time. Emily was in town, of course, and we got a chance to shop for bridesmaids' dresses (and we found one!). Ryan and Katie were in, and the two of them and I went and spent an evening at Emily's just hanging out and catching up. Sarah Bell and I had a huge marathon shopping day. We went to the mall to pick up last minute gifts, bought dresses for the Country Club's Cheer Party at Elizabeth Michaels, I got my eyebrows waxed, and we grabbed sushi. The next night, my Dad and I met Sarah and her family at the Cheer Party and we all had a great time. I also got to see Sam, Ryan, and Tabitha at a new(ish) Mexican restaurant in town for lunch. Tabs is growing up into the prettiest little girl ever.

Not only did I get to see some of my oldest and best friends, I also spent a lot of time hanging out with my family. I haven't had that much fun in a long time. My Dad made an awesome roast one night for dinner. My Mom and I watched Christmas movies, wrapped presents, and caught up. Jimmy and I went to Kroger on Christmas Eve and miraculously found a seven pound standing rib roast (on Christmas Eve!!!). We brought it and a bunch of other goodies home with us, and my mom found her favorite prime rib recipe. Jimmy's girlfriend Cassie came over a bit later. We ended up having one of the best meals I've had in a long long time. Pat came over after spending some time at an annual Christmas party he goes to, and we all ate rosemary prime rib (horseradish on the side, of course) and roasted new potatoes, citrus green beans, and cheesecake for dessert. On Christmas morning, my mom and I met everyone at my Dad's house to unwrap presents. Everyone had obviously put a lot of effort into their gifts, and I know I got some of the best presents I've ever received. Pat got me the Misto, which aerates olive oil so you can mist it like Pam; a wine stopper that seals the bottle (which I definitely needed); and a wonderful cookbook called Around My French Table (which I'll discuss in a separate post). Jimmy got me a lovely bottle of white wine and a really nice champagne for New Years. And I got a much-needed vacuum cleaner specially designed to pick up pet hair.

I spent New Years in Jackson (MI) with John and his family, which is kind of the tradition now. I took Newton with me and he behaved wonderfully. He and Bandit (John's family's dog) got along great. On New Year's Eve, we went out to a local sports bar with some of John's friends from high school and then went to his friend Phil's house. The night was a lot of fun.

When school started back up, I had a lot of anxiety about coming back. Fall semester really seemed to knock the wind out of me. It's taken some time to get back into the swing of things, but I think I'm slowly but surely getting there. Grades came back and they were better than I expected, so that relieved a lot of the worry I'd been feeling. I also decided against participating in Lugar this year. I love litigation and definitely want to join next year, but after last semester I've realized the dangers of taking on too many obligations. I made the decision not to run for Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review so that next year I have a better chance at being able to do Lugar. I do have a pretty tough class schedule (Appellate Advocacy, Business Organizations, Sales and Secured Transactions, Jurisprudence, and Criminal Procedure), but I think it will be manageable as long as I don't overbook myself on non-school-related activities.

Well, there's the rundown on everything that's been going on since I last posted. Now that I'm caught up to the present, I hope to post more often on here. Believe it or not, I haven't been totally remiss in the goals I talked about in my last posts, and I'm planning to update about that soon enough. Until then, adieu!