Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Frankenstorm Update

Did anyone else notice that once the storm arrived it was Sandy and not Frankenstorm? That was something I contemplated yesterday during my boredom. Wonder why? Maybe cause they wanted people to take it seriously? Well now that Sandy the Frankenstorm has passed I can say we survived. We are counting our blessings...it was really pretty much a non-event here in 709. I kinda feel like the derecho storm that we got in late June was more damaging than Sandy. I know other areas weren't as lucky.

We never lost power, it flickered a few times, and I had my bedroom window open the whole time. In case you are wondering why...it's because 709 is always at a tropical climate, even when it snows outside. I made a lot of baked goods. And we have a lot of water storage. The best part? No school or work for Matt and I yesterday and today. I actually did some online shopping for Christmas. Now I need to leave the house at some point.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Recipe of the Week!

Pumpkin Roll
You might remember my dislike for everything pumpkin. Well, I'm still attempting to try to like it...29 nine years later. You might also remember last year when I attempted two pumpkin recipes in effort to foster my love. I made progress with these amazing cookies. They are officially still my only pumpkin love. It was my team's turn at school to make birthday breakfast last Friday. I made the pumpkin cookies and added this pumpkin roll this year.

Another story behind the pumpkin roll. It is a recipe from the Stere Family. My friend Sarah, who I use to work with at BES before she was lucky enough to move back to PA, put together a cookbook for Matt and I as a wedding gift. She sent out a letter to everyone invited to the wedding and asked them to submit a recipe. She put them all together in a book. It has been awesome to look through and get ideas from. Isn't she great?!?

And here is her recipe:

Ingredients:

Roll
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1tsp baking soda
1tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup flour

Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
4 tbsp butter
1 cup powdered suga
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Generously grease a 9x13 cookie sheet with sides. Combine all roll ingredients and spread mixture in pan. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately flip upside down on wax paper. Roll up with paper in roll. Cool 45 minutes. Unroll and spread with filling. Roll again and refrigerate.

The Cookbook
A note from Sarah
The letter she sent asking for recipes!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Frankenstorm?!


So I'm totally screwed. Once again, I will believe it when I see it. We will keep you posted.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Recipe of the Week!

Chicken-Peanut Stir Fry
Ingredients
1 cup rice
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
2 olive oil
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and thinly sliced
2 buches of bok choy
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts

Directions
Cook the rice as the label directs. Meanwhile, whisk 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and rice vinegar in a bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat. Whisk the brown sugar, 1/3 cup water and the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 teaspoon each soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Wipe out the skillet, return to high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When it begins smoking, add the scallions and jalapeno; stir-fry 45 seconds. Add the bok choy and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the brown sugar mixture and add to the pan along with the chicken; stir-fry until the sauce is thick and the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens and peanuts. Serve with the rice.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Suburbia

Yep. Target opened. It was the highlight of my weekend. I went twice. Seriously. This is like no Target I have even been to either. It has it's own parking garage and the store is on the 4th floor, which makes trying to leave with a cart all the more interesting. Have you ever seen a cart escalator? I have. All this excitement and then I came home and scrubbed my bathtub with Borax and ate dinner from the crock pot.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Random Thursday Business

I haven't really written about anything good lately. I feel like life is so boring after my awesome, eventful summer, and having to do that whole day job thing. Recently, I have been trying to figure out how to become a coupon queen, trying some new recipes, and maybe wanting a new hobby.

I really want to use my crock pot more. It seems like it could potentially save a lot of time and you still get a hot meal. You also end up with leftovers which is great for Matt taking food to class. Apparently this is also a very budget friendly way to make meals. Which brings me to my next extravaganza. Matt and I are trying super hard to save money these days. Therefore, I really want to turn into a coupon queen, but that's just too hard for two main reasons. A. I actually care what I eat and can't possibly buy whatever is on sale, and B. Couponing is pretty much a full-time job, especially if you want to be a queen, and we all know my desperate housewife job application was denied. So my questions to you are...do you have any good crock pot recipes? Do you know any creative ways to save money?

As for the new hobby...I already have bowling, which is a post for another day, but I need something that's either far less expensive than bowling and/or profitable. I like making stuff...food and other things as well. I also need to get back into reading. That suddenly came to a halt at the end of August with the rest of my leisure time. Any thoughts on this are also greatly appreciated.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Recipe of the Week!

Crispy Parmesan Paprika Oven Fries
This is a recipe I tried over the summer when we were grilling all the time. Note the hamburger in the background. I always want to make fries like this, but I feel like they never turn out right. And cutting potatoes can be a pain. This actually went pretty well though. I decided not to worry if the shapes weren't perfect and that helped. I would do it again.

Ingredients:
2 large baking potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Paprika


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the potatoes dry and cut them lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Turn each slice flat and slice again lengthwise into even 1/2-inch-thick fries. Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, seasoning and salt. Toss well to combine, then transfer the fries to a large baking sheet and arrange them in one even layer so that they are not touching. Roast, scraping the potatoes from the baking sheet with a spatula and turning them over halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with desired amount of salt, cheese, and paprika. 


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

I Would Like to See the Counselor



Sadly, the counselor has been informed that it is not permissible to become a trophy wife at age 29...she still has to go to work everyday. Until desperate housewife status comes, at least I get these special notes in my mailbox on occasion. Maybe then I can go to Starbucks and Jimmy Johns and have my biggest worry be about when Honey Boo Boo comes on. I'll start hoping to win the lottery.