Dip, Dip Hooray!

My church had a cookout a couple weekends ago, and I decided to deviate from my normal cookout offerings of desserts and make something savory.  This, of course, to the chagrin of "Weischedad" (a church friend and avid sweets eater), who did not fail in telling me that my spiritual gift is desserts, not vegetables, and that I was in sin because I denied who I am.  Or something.  In truth, making a savory dish was the only chance I had at more than one person (Weischedad) eating what I made. 

I had come across a recipe for Cowboy Caviar a bit ago and kept it one of the filing cabinets of my brain to hopefully use at an appropriate time.  Thankfully, unlike many other things I file in my brain, I was able to recall this one.  One of the things that caught my attention with this was it reminded me of a salsa I have bought at the Farmer’s Market before from Yah’s Best. 

I did not expect the reaction this side would have, and I think it is one of my most highly praised creations.  And I did not even have to cook anything!  People raved about this stuff, asked for the recipe, told me they could just eat that as a meal.  Which I am pretty sure Aaron has done at some point this week.  I am not tooting my own horn, but loudly blasting the horn of this dish.  Seriously, aside from Weischedad the veggie hater, everyone seemed to like it. 

Cowboy Caviar

3 Bell Peppers, Diced

1 Red Onion, Diced

2 Tomatoes, Diced

1-2 Jalapenos, minced (or however much spice you like)

1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can white shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

About 24 ounces Zesty Italian Dressing

Chop all that needs chopping (bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro), drain and rinse what needs draining (corn and beans), and mix all the veggies in a big bowl.  Add enough Italian dressing to coat, but not drown, the veggies.  I learned this lesson after my veggies took a swim instead of a wade in dressing.  Chill if not serving immediately. Make sure to buy some tortilla chips as a vehicle for the dip!

31 Before 31

Another year, another list!  This list was fairly quick to put together, in part because there are some repeats from last year that I did not quite get to.  There are a few new ones as well, along with a couple that will be on the list perennially.  More of the items on this year's list will require planning and/or an ongoing effort, which makes it more challenging, and even better when I accomplish it.  So, without further ado, the list!

1. Ride a roller coaster

2. Go to either a professional football or basketball game

3. Go camping with Aaron (in a tent camping) for at least two nights...baby steps

4. Make creme brulee

5. Read 3 books from my compilation "100 Best Books" list

6. Visit a state I have never been to

7. Take the Amtrak with Aaron for a weekend getaway

8. Follow RunTex or Couch to 5K training and run in a 5K (try, try again!)

9. Make Grandmommie's rump roast for a group of friends

10. Throw a movie-themed party, where the food and fun are thematic of the movie we are watching (e.g. Cowboy Spaghetti and playing horseshoes for a spaghetti Western)

11. Figure out how to play Wii Golf (It's my Wii nemesis)

12.  Watch 4 films from my American Film Institute Top 100 movies list

13. Go to the Outer Banks

14. Read the Old Testament in a year

15. Read biographies of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson

16. Spend Christmas and Aaron's birthday with Aaron - for the first time!

17. Eat dessert at Hayes-Barton Cafe

18. Try one new recipe a month

19. Read 26 books over the next year

20. Have people over for dinner 4 times

21. Floss regularly

22. Reach 75 geocaches found (currently at 45)

23. Make different homemade breads 6 times

24. Figure out a workable monthly budget for groceries

25. Put together a jigsaw of more than 1000 pieces

26. Give blood (This is easily the scariest item on the list for me)

27. Visit the Farmers Market once a month for fresh, local food

28. Make a dish with mussels

29. Aaron's choice:  Aaron would like me to write a 6,000 word short story where a key plot point involves a chair.

30. Make paella

31. Create an Easter Egg Hunt for Aaron (He suggested it, I loved it, and so it is)

As with last year, I will make a separate page on the blog to track how I am doing, and post some of the items as I finish them.  

30 Before 30: A Year in Review

When I thought of my list of things to do before I turn 30, I was a little naive in thinking I would accomplish most, if not all, of the items. However, a few things came up that were not on the list that took my time, including a couple I wanted to place on the list but was afraid to. Namely – get married. Yes, I had an inkling that it would occur prior to my birthday, due in small part to a certain “ultimatum” I may have given. Little did I know how unwontedly topsy-turvy my life would become planning said wedding. Not that the wedding planning is to blame for my uncompleted list. There was a small to large degree of laziness and distraction on my part. Which is why I am happy to have a 31 Before 31 list to work on (coming soon!). I still hope to complete all of it, but I now go in with the understanding that life gets in the way at times, and that is okay.

Of the uncompleted items on my list, I am most disappointed in not reading the Bible through. I really wanted to do this, but I pushed it to the side a few too many times, and spending a Saturday once a month playing catch-up was not in keeping with the attitude of the goal. So, I will amend it this coming year in hopes of accomplishing it. There are also a few goals that will show up again for the coming year – running a 5K, visiting a new state, and seeing the Outer Banks, to name a few.

Although I did not complete all the goals, I realized how much I enjoyed planning for them, working to accomplish them, and crossing them off the list. Goal-setting is a process that has challenged me to think outside my comfort zone, and push myself further where I do feel comfortable. It also forces me to look at the smaller steps I need to take in order to reach a greater goal. I am still working on my 31 Before 31 list, but I hope it comes out a nice mix of fun, comfort zone stretching, and challenging.

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

Without question, Matterhorn is the best book I have read all year. And I am debating whether it beats out last year’s favorite East of Eden. Focused on Second Lt. Mellas and Bravo Company’s actions on and around a small Vietnamese mountain named Matterhorn during the Vietnam War, Karl Marlantes unceremoniously drops the reader into the fray with Mellas as his eyes are opened to what war, politics, home, and the future are in the face of a war with no end in sight.

Matterhorn is a crushingly painful and painfully raw book to read. Good men die, bad men make wise decisions, and the ravages of war show no care as to who it takes or how. Beyond the tension of war itself, there are tensions between race, class, and rank. There were times in the book I became so angry at some of the enlisted men and officers for decisions they made. In one instance, a commanding officer volunteered Bravo to extend their mission, knowing full well they had no food and were low on ammo and would not get more of either in the foreseeable future.

I do not have detailed knowledge of the Vietnam War. It is difficult for me to discern if any of the scenarios Marlantes lays out is absurd or not, but they seem all a little too real from my point of view. The progression of the book is so seamless; I did not realize the subtle changes in perspective until well into it. As I read the book, much like Mellas, I began understanding how things worked and why, and feel the same swing from hope to hopelessness with Bravo Company. Marlantes knows when to gradually part the curtain to some awful truth, and when to rip the bandage off in the most painful fashion.

This is a book that I will continue thinking about far after I finish it. And it is one, too, that will remain on my bookshelf, ready to be reread, for many years to come.

Cast Iron Chocolate Chip Cookie

Last night for my Bible Study group, I made a chocolate chip skillet cookie. And it was amazing...and so simple! I doubled the recipe and used a larger cast iron skillet since we have some hungry men in our group. And, unlike last time I made food at the new place, I had all the needed ingredients. Instead of only dark chocolate, I used a mix of Ghirardelli semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, which turned out wonderfully. They are different sizes so it was a nice variance within the cookie.

The skillet gave the edge of the cookie a chewy texture while still keeping the middle soft and gooey. With the doubled recipe and larger skillet size, I also doubled the cooking time to 30 minutes. I think next time I will pull it out a minute or two earlier since I like the gooey more than chewy, but there is a little for everyone with this cookie. The only odd thing was that I thought it a little on the salty side. I am not sure if it was the chocolate I used or if I added too much salt, or if my taste buds were off.

The only addition I would make would be a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a tall glass of milk. Indulgent and simple, two things not often found together. Tasty tasty!