Monthly Archives: August 2012

Kitchen Sink Casserole

Posted in Food and Drink, Main Dishes by

I was trying to think of what to call this recipe, and this came to mind because it has everything I had extra in my pantry, so essentially everything but the kitchen sink.  Basically, it’s made up of things that most people have in their pantry on hand, so it’s an inexpensive, easy weeknight meal.  It tastes great to, so that’s just a bonus!

On top of being easy and affordable, it’s healthy too.  I modified the recipe this is based off of to include ground turkey instead of ground beef and significantly less cheese.  Those are two substitutions I’ve found that do not reduce the quality of your meal, but increase the healthy-factor.  Turkey tastes practically the same as beef, with the exception of maybe meatloaf.

When I found out I was lactose intolerant at age 18 I was pretty much devastated.  All of my favorite foods have cheese in them!  One thing I’ve learned over the past ten(ish) years is that being lactose intolerant does not necessarily mean I cannot enjoy dairy sometimes.  It just means that I have to use it in moderation.  I’ve learned that I can enjoy three bites of ice cream and get the same feeling of satisfaction as eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s without the belly ache.

To get to my point, this recipe initially called for a ridiculous amount of cheese.  I just cut that down to one cup, and I don’t feel like I sacrificed flavor at all.  Sure, there are some meals that have to have cheese in order to be good, but I just save those for when I’m cooking for others so I can have a few bites and move onto something dairy-free.

So, this recipe is healthy, easy and inexpensive.  Unfortunately, it is not pretty so I don’t recommend making it for anyone other than the people you cook for everyday.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 2 small yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups tomato sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Saute turkey, garlic and onions in a pan over medium until cooked through.  Place in a greased casserole dish.  Mix spinach, 1/2 cup cheese and rice together, and stir into turkey.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Stir into turkey/rice mixture.  Bake 30 minutes, covered with foil.

Remove from oven.  Take foil off and top with tomato sauce and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes.

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Ricotta, Parmesan and Tomato Pizza

Posted in Food and Drink, Jim's Specialties, Main Dishes by

This recipe is another one of Jim’s Specialties.  I got to go over to his house and help him make it this past weekend, and it was so good!  The cheeses blended into the crust perfectly and created a light, flaky crust that was even better than using tomato sauce as the base.

I also got to learn exactly how to roll out pizza dough and keep the air bubbles intact.  Jim described rolling the pin over the dough as “angels kissing” which I thought was a pretty interesting way to explain.  He meant to convey touching the dough lightly, but it didn’t necessarily help me touch the dough lightly because I burst out laughing and leaned forward into the dough.  Oh well, it’s a beautiful image nonetheless.

While this is a more time consuming process than calling your local pizza place, it is worth the effort!  It was perfection!  I can’t wait to try it again on my own and see if I can make angels kiss properly.

Ingredients:

  • fresh, pre-made  pizza dough
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup mushrooms
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small onion, sliced

Directions:

Begin by caramelizing onions.  Do this by heating olive oil over medium in a skillet.  Use about one teaspoon olive oil per onion.  Add chopped onions and coat, allowing them to saute about ten minutes.  Add a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt to help with the caramelization process if desired.  Continue cooking 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Once the onions are caramelized, add tomatoes and mushrooms.  Saute until softened, about five minutes.  Set aside to cool while pizza dough is baking.

Meanwhile, roll out dough into square or circular shape.  Mix ricotta, egg and Parmesan and spread over top of pizza.  Bake 8 minutes at 500.

Remove from oven and top with onion and tomato mixture.  Return to oven and continue to bake at 500 for another 15 minutes.

The Last Lecture

Posted in Books by

This book is a compilation of all of the advice Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch has to offer during his last months of life.  Going into it I was nervous that it would be depressing, but he was both uplifting and motivational.  He said repetitively that he was grateful to have the opportunity to know when he was going to die so he could plan properly.  His continued optimism shaped how I have been trying to live since finishing the book, and it is a change I hope stays with me.

I listened to the book in my car because I felt like it was appropriate to listen to a lecture instead of reading, but I already know that I’m going to end up buying a hard copy of this book.  I want to give it to everyone I know because there is no one that can’t use a little pick-me-up motivation once in a while.

A last lecture is traditionally this last speech a professor gives before retirement.  This one is different in that Pausch was fairly young, and it was literally his last lecture because he was diagnosed with terminal cancer with only six months to live at most.  The chapters deal with what he said in the lecture, but also expounds on other experiences that he did not have time to discuss during a one hour lecture.  The general theme is follow your dreams while you can and to believe that you can achieve whatever you want, regardless of how long your life ends up being.  Live each day as if you’re dying type stuff.

I recommend this book to absolutely everyone.  If you have not read it yet, stop reading this blog post and go get The Last Lecture instead.  I promise that no matter who you are, you will learn from this novella.  It’s short, and each chapter relates a life experience to his words of advice.  He never comes across sounding pretentious, even though he has plenty of reasons to be, and his love for his family will make you think about how you treat your own.

I can’t promise that you won’t cry just a little, especially at the end, but it is a magical book that I already know I’ll be reading again.

Mer Rating: 9/10

Pot Roast

Posted in Crock Pot Meals, Food and Drink, Main Dishes, So easy even Julie can do it! by

Coming home from work and having the house smell like pot roast is one of my favorite smells.  It reminds me of when I was little and my mom would make it.  I’ve made it a couple of times before, and I can remember feeling so accomplished after making it for the first time.  It’s so easy, but I always felt like I would mess it up somehow.  I guess I was daunted by such a large cut of meat.

Tonight I impulsively added the wine because I opened it last week and only drank one glass… I felt bad for wasting it so I’ve been looking for other ways to use it.  It actually worked here, and I probably could have added more, but you can definitely make this recipe without it.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

  • 3-5 lbs. pot roast
  • 1 bag carrots
  • 1 onion, chopped into slices
  • red potatoes
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 bag onion soup mix

Directions:

Place carrots, onions and potatoes in crock pot.  Place pot roast on top.  Add water, wine and top with onion soup mix.  Cook on low 6-10 hours.

Panko Baked Fish

Posted in Food and Drink, Healthy Choices, Seafood by

I’ve been slacking on the cooking lately!  I went to Savannah for my birthday, so I got to enjoy all the food that the city has to offer.  They had so many good restaurants, and I feel a little more cooking-inspired than before I left.  Mmmmm I can still taste those Parmesan garlic grits!

My goal recently has been to save money, so you’ll notice some repetition in the ingredients themselves.  Panko is a good example of that.  It’s perfect for breading chicken, veggies and as I learned last night, fish.

This recipe is almost exactly like my Panko Baked Chicken recipe, but I modified it slightly for fish.  Last week I was lucky enough to acquire some fresh flounder and red bass from one of my boyfriend’s clients.  He’d gone fishing and had a lot leftover, so he was nice enough to share them!  I usually stick to tilapia and salmon because I’m scared to try something else, so this forced my slightly out of my comfort zone (but then I jumped right back into it by reinventing a chicken recipe.)

The results were great though, so I wanted to share!  It was a nice, healthy meal after a weekend of eating out in Savannah.  Seen here with pearl couscous with avocado and black olives added.  Filling while still feeling healthy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. fresh fish, tonight I used flounder and red bass
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 egg

Directions:

Coat fish in egg.  Combine panko and Parmesan on a plate and dredge fish to coat.

Preheat oven to 400.  Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil over skillet and brown fish for three minutes.

Put browned fish on cookie sheet and bake an additional 15 minutes, until cooked through.

Before I Go to Sleep

Posted in Books by

This novel by first-time author S.J. Watson was a nice surprise in my summer reading slump.  After what felt like an eternity finishing The Cat’s Table, I knew I needed something fast paced to get me back into a reading routine.  This book, while not necessarily believable, did just that.

The basic plot line is that a woman has lost her memory, and does not remember things on a day-to-day basis.  When she wakes up she is shocked to learn that she is not in her early 20′s.  The majority of the book is told through journal entries that she writes each day to remind herself about who she is and what her life is about.  The book’s tagline is something along the lines of “things are not always what they seem” and “trust no one,” so the entire novel I was trying to figure out who could and couldn’t be trusted.

OK, at this point I know what you’re thinking.  You’ve probably seen Momento and 50 First Dates.  Haven’t I already heard this amnesia story before?  The answer is- well, yes, but Watson puts a different spin on it that kept me interested despite constant repetition. (She does have to wake up and experience the same anxiety of not knowing where she is, after all.)

The book is far from perfect; the journal entires aren’t believable because they are supposedly written hastily, but take time to describe the weather outside.  The only other major criticism would be the conclusion.  My favorite English teacher in high school said that if what is going on in the story is forced and too coincidental, then it is bad writing.  What is going on should feel natural and be unforced.  This book does not even come close to accomplishing this.  Everything that happens seemed to hinge entirely on coincidence, especially the ending.

Ultimately, I did enjoy it though.  I even had trouble going to sleep last night because I was so anxious and creeped-out by what was happening in the story.  This really is the perfect beach read for this summer.

All-Time Favorite Books

Posted in Books by

In honor of my twenty-something birthday today, I have created this list of my top ten favorite books.  I was thinking of a “30 before 30″ type of list for books, but since that birthday is still a couple of years away, I don’t know that I have quite the insight into life necessary to write something like that.  Or at least I like to think I’ve got a few more lessons coming my way between now and 30, and hopefully a few more life-changing books.

People don’t come to me for relationship, career or life advice, and rightfully so.  My life does not read like a fairy tale, and could at times be considered a “what not to do” when it comes to career.  Instead, friends come to me for advice about what to read.  I’ve been noticing it more and more- to the point where some have a section on their i-Phone with lists of books to read as recommended by me.  Books are something I love, and are probably the only topic of advice I’m even remotely qualified to give.

When I was a teacher, my advice came often unsolicited, but was appreciated (at least that’s how I imagine things, so don’t take that away from me!)  There’s just something about getting the right book into the right hands that you know it can change someone’s life for the better.  A book has the capacity to do that.

People often ask me what my favorite book is, and I usually freeze.  I have no idea.  I studied English in college, taught English to high school students, and I have no answer to that question.  The answer is there is no answer (sorry, couldn’t resist quoting one of my favorites- Chuck Pahlaniuk)  What I mean is that I can tell you my favorite book, but most likely it will not impact you in the same way it did me.  When people ask me for recommendations, I usually try to give them something I think they’ll like based on their personality.

While I will always respond with, “Oh, I loved it you should read it right away!” when asked about these books, know that they are not for everyone.  Without further ado, here is my ever-changing list of all-time favorites (in no particular order):

1.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky- Thinking about this book reminds me of that scene in Almost Famous where the main character’s sister gives him a stack of records and says “One day you’ll be cool.”  I would recommend this to anyone who was born in the 80′s, grew up in the 80′s or is currently in high school.  It’s kind of like a The Catcher in the Rye minus the extreme depression and add an obsession with The Smiths.  This might not be the best book you’ll ever read in your life, but it will stay with you forever, and if read at the right time will change your perspective.

2. A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor- A book of short stories by the master of the genre and my idol.  The title story will stay with you no matter how much you want it to go away.  These stories are haunting, and I don’t usually recommend them to people because they are not good for light reading.  The reader has to take the time to read into them, or they just won’t make sense.  In my humble opinion, symbolism at its finest.

3. Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr.- The title means a death of a dream (I had to look this one up because in high school I’d never heard of a requiem.)  This is another one that I typically don’t rave about to people because I don’t want people to judge me for recommending a book that features drug addicts as the main characters.  This book is so much more than a book about drugs.  The writing style does not include quotations, so the reader has to rely on her understanding of the character’s dialect and verbiage to read it, but it is so completely worth it.  This is also one of the few times where the movie is *almost* as good as the book.

4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck- Last summer I had the privilege of traveling around California and seeing Steinbeck’s old stomping grounds.  I love everything about this novella and have read it at least five times.  It’s a concise and beautiful reflection on friendship.

5. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien- I may be a little biased since I have the good fortune to meet the author himself, but this is a true classic.  I wrote about this one in depth here.

6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl- Forget the movies and read this book if you didn’t have someone hand it to you as a child.  It’s magical.  Dahl is one of my all-time favorite authors because he is entertaining and original.  In this book alone he created the characters Willy Wonka, Charlie Bucket, Veruca Salt, and the Oompa Loompas.  Come on, who can compete with that?

7. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls- I had Bret Eason Ellis’s book American Psycho here, but removed it because I knew that nobody would be able to relate to that one.  This memoir, on the other hand, is something anyone would like.  I read it with my Intensive Reading students and they say it’s the first book they’ve ever liked.  That should tell you everything you need to know.

8. Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis- Another memoir, but not one of the kids.  His life is so interesting, so even if you are not a fan of his band the Red Hot Chili Peppers, you will probably like this anyway.

9. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling- If you haven’t read this yet, shame on you.  Perfection from beginning to end.  I’m confident that there will never be another series in my lifetime that I will love as much as this one.  It doesn’t even matter if you like magical elements in novels, this is so much more than that.  I had a fantasy of going to Harry Potter World in Orlando and buying a wand for my birthday this year.  Alas, that dream will have to wait for another you!

10. Choke by Chuck Pahlaniuk- Maybe read Fight Club before this one to get used to Pahlaniuk’s writing style.  It’s unique and definitely not for everyone, but at least give it a try.  I included this mainly because it opened up a new style of writing and reading for me when I read his books.

Well, now you have read my list of favorite books.  I will probably revise this completely in a year, but for now here it is.  I also want to include the honorable mention, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  I feel like it will definitely make the cut over Choke, but I just finished it a few days ago, so it’s too early to tell if it will have a lasting effect on my life.  We shall see!

Included below are a couple of birthday pics from my two favorite birthdays of my early 20′s… pretty funny…

Blowing out the candle on my 24th birthday cake… Just got home from a night out dancing with my coworkers from the spa, so I clearly did not feel like searching for anything but a tea light!

My 22nd birthday at my apartment pool in Athens, GA… Someone else was also having a party that day, hence all the people in the background… I am not that popular, but pictured are most of my close friends from that time!

Spinach and Mascarpone Bites

Posted in Appetizers, Food and Drink by

This Sunday I drove to my hometown in Georgia to attend a baby shower for one of my best friends!  Her sister prepared the food, and everything was delicious and perfectly bite sized!

These were my favorite thing, so I asked her for the recipe so I could be sure to have it in my file for all the baby showers I will be helping throw in the future.

The key to this recipe is making sure that the super thin slices of lemon have the rind on them.  It adds the right amount of sour with the sweetness of the cheese and the beets.  I think I ended up eating six of them (I know that would not even be a whole sandwich if put together, but it seemed a little excessive when finger food is involved!)

Special thanks to Irene for sharing this recipe with me!

Ingredients:

  • package of thinly sliced bread
  • one container mascarpone cheese
  • 1 bag spinach
  • 1 beet, minced
  • 1 lemon, sliced into very thin slices with rind

Directions:

Saute spinach and beet in olive oil.  Set aside.

Spread mascarpone cheese onto bread and cut bread into triangular slices.  Top with spinach and beet mixture.  Top with lemon slice.

Up close look at the Spinach and Mascarpone Bites! Note the lovely champagne grapes in the background!

Beautiful set-up with cucumber dill sandwiches, petit fours, fresh fruit and chips!

The Cat’s Table

Posted in Books by

This month’s book club pick was probably my least favorite of the year.  I finished it over a week ago, and hadn’t even wanted to write about it because it was so dull and jumpy.  It was written by Michael Ondaatje, the author of The English Patient.  While I’ve never read that book or watched the movie, both of my parents told me that they think it is the most boring movie they have ever seen.  Ever.  That’s pretty bad, so I have to admit, my expectations weren’t very high, but I try not to ruffle feathers at my book club, so I didn’t say anything.

The premise of the book sounded promising- three young boys traveling from Asia to Europe by boat.  They are made to sit at the cat’s table, the dinner table farthest away from the prestigious captain’s table, and there they meet an array of interesting people.  Three weeks of adventure and hijinx on the high seas.  Sounded interesting, and it was, while the book was on that topic.  It seemed like Ondaatje got tired of writing this plot and completely switched halfway through.  Out of nowhere, the main character was no longer on the boat, and was on land searching for answers to his past by reconnecting with people he had been on the ship with.  Then, the main character isn’t even relevant and he is focused on the other characters on the ship.  This leads to a very disjointed feeling from beginning to end.

Even worse, it also seems like the author would get tired of telling one character’s story and move to another.  No character is fully fleshed out, and it leads the reader to quit caring for any of them.  They all have a story to tell, but I just wish he’d stopped and actually told them instead of glossing over the history of everyone.  I never felt like I knew any of them.

Usually I’d tell you to find out for yourself if you agree or disagree because everyone has different tastes, but with this particular book I want to warn you not to waste your time!  Any suggestions to help me get out of this book slump?  Please, let me know!

 

Champagne Punch (Non-Alcoholic Version Included)

Posted in Drinks, Food and Drink by

This weekend two of my best friends came to visit.  Both of them are pregnant (6 and 7 months, respectively) so I wanted to do something special for them.  I asked a bunch of people, and they all told me to be sure to have a bowl of chocolate sitting out.  That was easy (and devoured quickly.)  I also wanted something else special, so I decided to try my hand at a non-alcoholic version of champagne.  This ended up being beautiful, looking like a reverse sunrise!

When I was in college, we would always drink champagne together.  It became sort of a tradition, so I thought this would be the perfect substitution for now.  It was so good one even said she wanted both versions of this at her baby shower, so I’d say it was a success!

The best part about the weekend was catching up with my friends, and having such a relaxing time!  We laid on the beach, went out to eat, watched a movie, and simply relaxed.  It felt amazing to really get to catch up with my friends without feeling like we needed to go out all night!

If you want to include champagne in this recipe, just replace the white sparkling grape juice with champagne!

Bulk Ingredients for Baby Shower:

  • 2 liter cranberry ginger ale
  • 46 oz. pineapple juice
  • 64 oz. white sparkling grape juice, or champagne
  • frozen or fresh fruit for garnish

Directions:

Place the sparkling grape juice in bowl first.  Follow with pineapple juice.  Finish with cranberry ginger ale.  You can use ginger ale that isn’t cranberry, but it won’t have the layered coloring.

Serving for three, made in a carafe:

  • 2 cups white sparkling grape juice/champagne
  • 3 cups ginger ale
  • 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice