Teensy Update!

Wow, it feels like forever since I’ve updated my blog. I apologize to my few regular readers because I know I hate it when I get into the routine of following a blog and then, poof, the person quits updating regularly. I promise I’m still going, I’ve just had tests… sooooo many tests. I’ve even got a test tomorrow and a test on Monday. It’s a wee bit stressful. I’ve been doing well in them, though. Seriously, ask me anything about international purchasing parities. I’m a pro.  

I hope I’m looking at some A’s this semester! I need them since I’ll be graduating in December. Right now the possibility of pushing back graduation to next May and slowing down a bit is tempting, but I think it’s just best to get over it and keep on going.

I’ve been excited about the warmer weather, because that means picking up where I left off last year with my backyard garden. Mom said we’re going this weekend to pick up the seeds. I’ve got the greenhouse all ready to go, and I’ve been thinking pretty deeply about what I’m going to plant this year. I know I want lots and LOTS of basil, which I prefer to grow in pots. It would be nice to get some different types growing this year, too. I’m thinking about garlic flavor chives (since we all know I despise onions), cherry tomatoes, a couple of roma plants, some cucumbers (even though I’m unsure of what variety… although I was wanting pickling ones last year, I was happy with the refrigerator pickles my marketmore 76′s made. it was a crazy good crop, too), and perhaps some squash or zucchini. My mom loves squash.

I learned a lot about veggie gardening last year. I’m hoping I’ll get even better results this summer. I’ve also been eating a lot healthier lately, something that will be evident in my upcoming recipes. I’ve basically fallen back into my workout routine with the help of my mandatory aerobics class (college elective credit) and my discovery of Zumba. I really enjoy Zumba, probably because of my dance background. I own the Wii game and I’ve attended a couple of classes and I really find that both are beneficial. The reviews on Amazon don’t do the game justice. People who don’t feel they get a workout from Zumba are not performing the moves correctly, plain and simple. I’ve thought about expanding the blog even further to include exercises, etc. but it already covers so many different topics. I’m thinking a separate blog might be more appropriate for that sort of thing.

On a final note, before I part and go back to studying for my International Finance exam, please keep the families and victims of the UAH Biology Department shooting in your thoughts and prayers. February 12th, my mother’s birthday, was the anniversary of the horrific event on my school’s campus. Keep the survivors in your prayers as well, especially Dr. Leahy and Mrs. Monticello, who both are in recovery for gunshot wounds to the head.

Goals this week

Okay, so it isn’t customary for me to post about my weekly to-do list. Truth is, this weekend I did cook and bake. I made  Superbowl Chili, Chicken Bryan, and I gave Annie’s Eats’ red velvet whoopie pies a shot. Not my favorite, so I don’t think a post is warranted. Not that there was anything wrong with them… they just weren’t my thing. And I love red velvet. I’m thinking it might be that they didn’t have enough cocoa in them.

But anywhooo, I decided that this week I’m going to post what’s going on in my neck of the woods, because, well, if I make it public for the internet to see, I have to follow through with everything.

1. Start trying to clean up my studio. I’m lucky enough to be blessed with a huge craft room/studio, and honestly, right now it’s a huge mess. I couldn’t accomplish anything in it, much less walk through it. My goal is to get everything picked up, find a place for my yarn stashes, numerous baking pans, etc. This will probably take a few weeks but I’m hoping that I can post a few pics of it when I’m done. Maybe I’ll even be able to fit my dress form in there so that I quit waking up in the middle of the night thinking there’s another person in my room (haha)! I hope to accomplish finding some cubes to stick my yarn in, sort of like the yarn boutiques do it. We’ll see.

2. Study for the two tests I have this week. This should be my #1 priority, but honestly, it’s soooo boring. I’ll be home free after wednesday.

3. Get the seeds started for this summer’s garden. I should’ve already started my herbs by now, but since I’m using a 72-slot greenhouse, I’ve held off to do everything at the same time. This year I’m planning on cucumbers since they were so successful last year, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and I’m exploring the options of adding carrots. I’m just not sure my little box is suited for them. I’ve read that if I plant them in a giant rubbermaid-ish container that would work. Ahh, garden research. It’s difficult because so many people have so many different opinions on what is correct and what is not.

4. Finish my quick crochet HOT PINK blanket by Valentine’s Day and post about it. I’m two feet into it. This thing is super bright.

Hope you all have a wonderful week and I hope I can finish everything I need to get done. Expect posts!

100% Whole Wheat Cranberry Oat Delight Cookies

I’m really excited about these cookies because not only are they delicious, but they’ve also got the added health benefits of whole wheat. At the King Arthur demonstration on Thursday, I learned a few interesting facts about whole wheat flour. You can generally substitute whole wheat for half of the regular unbleached all-purpose in a recipe. While I’ve mentioned I’m not a big fan of whole wheat-y stuff, Charles loves it. So I browsed the King Arthur website, looking for interesting whole wheat recipes to bake him.

As it turns out, these cookies are made with 100% whole wheat flour. No all-purpose flour in this recipe at all. Does that make them super extra healthy? I hope so, because I loved them! They still have butter and sugar and whatnot, but surely they’re better than chocolate chip cookies. They’re packed with dried fruit and (optional) nuts. Whole grains and protien! It’s like a trail mix in a cookie.

King Arthur Flour Demonstration

Yesterday I mentioned in a quick post that I would be attending a King Arthur Flour demonstration at my local Botanical Garden. Even though I’m wishy-washy about attending events like that, I am so glad I went. The topic was sweet yeasted breads, which is something I really needed pointers about.

The expert who taught the class is a former pastry chef from the Ritz-Carlton who now works at King Arthur. He did a really excellent job of explaining why things worked the way they do. Here are some interesting tidbits I learned during the presentation:

• Rapid-Rise yeast, as opposed to just instant dry yeast, is only good for making breads that need only one good rise. Beyond that, you need to stay away from Rapid-Rise. I didn’t know this, and I’ve been using rapid-rise for everything.
• You need to “fluff up” a bag of flour before you scoop and level. Also, dipping and leveling results in a total of an excess of 2 to 3 ounces of flour because flour compacts! Crazy! I’ve been using too much!
• You can measure the temperature of water that is supposed to be “lukewarm” by sticking your finger in it. If you can hold your finger in for 10 seconds, it’s warm enough for the yeast.
• King Arthur flour has a baking hotline that you can call when you have a baking dilemma or crisis at home… very cool!
• and more…

And there were also giveaways! I didn’t win anything, but my friend Laura won a bag of bread flour and said I could have it since she never used that type. Everyone also got $10/20 gift cards, red star yeast samples, recipe books, catalogs, hershey’s coupons, and yummy cabot cheese samples.

I’m really glad I got a chance to go! You might be seeing the yeasted braided cheese filled coffee cake that was made in the demonstration on my blog soon

I’m At School.

I’m at school, exhausted from a two-hour long workout and SO ready to be home. But I thought I’d write a post since there isn’t much else to do and also because I’ve got some pretty exciting stuff to share. This weekend will be bloggy, yet homework-y, because I have a few things going on. First of all, I promised myself that I wouldn’t go out and get food this weekend at all. So tomorrow, after my Zumba class and after my MGT 450 group makes our simulation decision, I’m going to Earth Fare to load up on some tasty stuff to cook. Posts ahead. Also, my girls and I are going to a King Arthur Flour yeasted bread baking demonstration tonight! This is especially cool, in my opinion, because I have always wanted to visit then site in Vermont. Plus, I’ll take any pointers I can get when it comes to working with yeast. Third, I got my ice cream containers in the mail from Sweet Bliss last night and they’re perfect! Ice cream time!!!

For some reason, I’m really dragging today. International finance is my last class and then I am going home to take a nap and get ready for tonight!

Penne alla Vodka With Shrimp- Super Quick!

Okay, big time weeknight meal alert. Publix had an awesome sale on beautiful Florida wild caught pink shrimp and I was determined to find a recipe worthy of such seafood tastiness. I flipped through my mom’s copy of America’s Test Kitchen: 30- Minute Suppers from Fall 2010, not expecting to find anything, really, and this recipe for Penne Alla Vodka with Shrimp jumped out at me. I tried it, and, as it turns out, it really does cook up super quickly in one pot (not counting noodle boiling). Whether or not the entire process takes 30 minutes depends on how quickly you can peel/devein shrimp or chop 8 plum tomatoes, but it is really quick regardless. It’s even impressive enough to serve to company. It’s sort of spicy, sort of shrimpy, bursting with creamy flavor. I actually did make a couple of changes, which I usually do not do with America’s Test Kitchen recipes.

I would like to apologize for such a crummy photo. I know that the rule is to use natural light whenever possible, but I simply did not finish dinner quickly enough to catch some daytime. Sorry. You get the picture, though. Creamy deliciousness.

Charles really enjoyed this dish, although he did complain that it was a bit shrimp-y for his taste. He suggested I reduce the amount of shrimp so it isn’t so overpowering. I did increase the amount relative to the recipe, (used 1.22 lb instead of 1 lb) so I guess the lesson here is don’t mess with the Test Kitchen’s proportions!

Crocheted Dishcloth/Washcloth- My favorite handmade basic

Finally, a new crochet post! I have been working on a few projects, mostly big ones that it will take forever to finish. This one is quick and easy, and in my opinion, quite functional.

So I’ve been working out at the gym before my academic classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have a HPE class (health and physical education) in the mornings, and so far I love the class and adore my aerobics instructor. I’ve been getting on the elliptical after the strenous class and working my butt off for an extra hour to try and build some strength back up in my shins. I’ve found it’s necessary to take a shower before my international finance class, because, well… I’m gross after I work out. There really isn’t any way to sugar coat that. The showers at the fitness center are actually really, really nice. My mom doesn’t want me to take any of her good washcloths from home to the sweaty gym, so I decided to crochet one.

I’ve made knitted washcloths before, and I LOVE them. I love that you can knit designs into them. One of my favorites is the monogram dishcloth. I’ve given them as gifts and they are always well-recieved.

My only beef with knitted cloths? They take forever. It might just be cause I’m slow, but there is no doubt that it takes longer than crocheting a simple cloth.

I’ve found this pattern to be quick and easy. They work great and exfoliate, and also wash up well. You’ll need about a half a ball of Lily Sugar n Cream solids and a bit of Lily Variegated that matches the solid. I finished it in a bit over 1.5 hours, but if you’re quick you might be able to finish it faster.

Easy Crocheted Dishcloth

From the Lily Sugar n Cream website

Dish Cloth: With MC and 4.50 mm hook, ch 42.
Foundation row: (RS). 1 sc in 4th ch from hook. *Ch 2. Miss next ch. 1 sc in next ch. Rep from * to end of ch. Turn. 20 loops.
1st row: Ch 3. *1 sc in next ch 2 loop. Ch 2. Rep from * to last ch 2 loop. 1 sc in ch 3 loop. Turn.
This row forms pat.
Cont in pat until work from beg measures 8 ins [20.5 cm] ending with RS facing for next row. Fasten off.

Border: With RS facing, join A to ch 3 loop at end of last row.
1st round: Ch 1. *(1 sc. Ch 3. 1 sc) in corner loop – corner made. Ch 2. (1 sc in next loop. Ch 2) 19 times along side. Rep from * 3 times more. Ss to first sc.
2nd round: *Work corner loop. Ch 2. **1 sc in next loop. Ch 2. Rep from ** to next corner. Rep from * 3 times more. Fasten off.

What’s odd about this pattern is that, although I used a smaller hook (G/6), my cloth actually turned out much larger than the pattern suggested. I just went with it, making sure it was an even square, and it ended up about 10 inches by 10 inches. No problem with that, but my guess is that I chained too loosely in the beginning. The next one I make, I will make in the variegated and then border in the solid so I have a set. These are also really great as kitchen towels/dish cloths.

Red Velvet Brownies… yes, I said brownies.

I’ve been keeping this recipe in my pocket ever since I saw Sunny Anderson make it on the Today Show. I thought it would be more fitting to make it a bit closer to Valentine’s Day because I think it’s just a super neat idea.

I like Valentine’s Day. I think it’s sad that there are so many people that hate it so much. In elementary school, I loved making the cards for all the kids in my class. It’s just always been a really special holiday to me, though not for any particular reason. I just like it. I like this after-Christmas season. After Valentine’s day comes Mardi Gras, a holiday that we definitely celebrate at my house.

And speaking of Valentines, I’m planning on giving these to Charles. He loves red velvet and started a new job this week! I just couldn’t resist tasting one, though… or two…

How pretty are these?

Top 10 Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Your Food-Lovin’ Lady!

Oooh, I am so excited because I have always wanted to write a post like this. I always see them for Christmas, but never Valentine’s day, so I decided this would be a unique time to make one.

One of the best types of gifts to get a foodie or a passionate home cook is a kitchen-y gift. Trust me, it’s a win-win for you. She gets the equipment she’s been drooling over, you get the food that she makes with it. I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite things (things I have and things I want) to give those clueless fellows out there an idea of what the serious home cook/baker really wants.

1. Staub 2 3/4 quart round enameled cast iron cocotte- $100.0o

Picture from Williams-Sonoma.com

Not only is this a great price point for a Valentine’s day gift, it’s every cook’s dream. While Le Creuset has dominated the enameled cast iron market in the U.S., Staub reigns in many parts of France as the top restaurant cookware with the most elegant presentation. And it’s now available at Williams-Sonoma! I can personally vouch for this oven as I have three in it’s size (two oval and one round- both found on an even better sale than Williams-Sonoma’s, but that was just luck). It’s the perfect size for any dish if it’s just the two of you, but I believe it can fit enough to feed three or four. Many people who own these have about three or four of them, as it’s the best size for everyday use. 

Spiced Whole Wheat Muffins

Remember in my New Year’s resolution post where I said this year I will be trying to eat better? Well, I’ve been doing pretty well so far. There is definitely room for improvement, but I’m working on it. One of the things I’m doing is eating breakfast every morning. While I totally love Kashi Berries, they can get old, and I’m all for some freshly baked muffins in the a.m.

I have a confession to make: I’m not a huge fan of whole wheat. More than anything, I think it’s a texture thing. I know it’s good for you, and 95% of Americans don’t get enough whole grains, but I’m just not crazy about the stuff. I’ve had an unopened sack of King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour in my pantry for a few months now, conflicted on whether or not/how I was going to use it.