Office politics amuse me. Why some things happen while others don't, and the people pushing behind those happenings tells a lot about who has the strongest voice or persuasive method. Generally it is not me, which is why I feel fairly confident that I can write what I am about to write, and what I say will not be taken as belligerent office employee but musing minority.
It is about coffee. Or, more specifically, how I do not drink coffee. At least not the "regular" coffee of the office building. I understand there is a history of coffee in offices, where employees are provided the liquid free of charge. However, I have a slight complaint about this history. The times, they are a'changing, and more people are exploring different beverages. Like my hot beverage of choice, tea.
I like drinking tea every so often. I have a basket of tea in my office with varieties ranging from green to black to herbal. And, while the downstairs kitchen has a jar of various teas to choose from, I think most of what is in there is Lipton regular tea, the kind you brew for iced tea. In other words, very little "tea cup" tea.
Here is where the coffee comes in. While a vast majority of the staff are coffee drinkers, there is a growing minority that prefer tea. However, the tea people (Tea-ers) must purchase their own tea for work. Should this be so? Should the Tea-ers buy what the Coffees can get for free? Is this a workplace inequality? Or, are Tea-ers too selective in what they like to have a blanket variety pack provide for all?
For instance, I prefer green tea. Another coworker only drinks black tea. Yet another lives by loose leaf green tea. Are we Tea-ers too selective in both type and brand to be easily satiated? With coffee, as is my understanding, if it is a little to strong one can put more cream and/or sugar in it, whereas with tea, if it is not your flavor, there is not making it taste better. Bitter tea is bitter tea is bitter tea.
I can see where the argument can go from here. Someone speaks up, saying that if the Tea-ers get their liquid provided for them, then s/he prefers to drink a certain brand of soft drink every morning. And another would like orange juice, but no pulp and low acidity. Suddenly the office is stocking every beverage under the sun to accommodate everyone. It would anarchy. People would start expecting that muffin or egg white omelet to compliment their morning brew of Indian Chai tea with clover honey and vanilla soy milk. Or someone who only drinks a Starbucks venti 1% triple Caramel Latte no foam.
But where do you draw the line? Is hot tea in the national conscious enough that people would drink enough of it in an office building to merit the company buying the tea for them? Or, since Tea-ers are a selective lot, do the Tea-ers ask for reimbursement on the tea they buy for work?
A note here. I have no problem with the beverage situation at my job as it stands now. I have no problem buying whatever tea suits my fancy when I go to the store. I do not drink it often enough that I am buying a new box every other week. And, with the new "coffee" machine downstairs, I can get a hot chocolate as a treat when I like. Which is usually close enough to coffee for me. This is more a think I wonder about when the afternoon gets long and my eyes begin to gloss over from computer screen glare.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
Sundry Thoughts
I have been thinking as of late about life, future possibilities, and where my focus lies. Actually, correct that - I have been thinking about avoiding thinking about all those things. If that makes any sense to you at all. And, as happens sometimes, I began to think about things outside what immediately affects me right now. Cultural, political, societal, generational, etc. And I have come up with some things I think would be good for my generation to think about, act on, and such.... (In no particular order)
1. Read. No, not the latest celebrity gossip or style trends; not the headlines on your Google or Yahoo! homepage. Read the stories below the headlines. Sure the media may be biased in some areas, but at least you are now aware of something outside of your own personal news stories. Read what is not on the front page - small stories of hope relegated to pages on cnn.com you never knew existed, stories of tragedies in countries you did not know exist. Read a book that has nothing to do with a boy wizard or happy-ending romances. Read about something you are not comfortable or familiar with, whether it be about genocide in Eastern Europe or that chick book with that guy Darcy in it. You may learn something about yourself, others, and the world no Hollywood movie could show you.
2. Use energy efficient light bulbs. They last a long time, they reduce your electric bill, and they may just help the environment a tad. Good for the wallet and nature! And, if you are in the market for a new home electric appliance, get the Energy Star and help the wallet and nature even more.
3. Step away from the computer, video game, television, iPod, and cell phone and meet your friends face-to-face every now and then. It may be awkward at first because you do not have the safety of staring at a screen any more, but the end results will be greatly beneficial to all involved. You may even have more fun together in real life than you did in the cyberworld.
4. Vote. Vote every single time you can. But don't vote for a person only because there is an "R," "D," or "I" in parentheses after their name. Vote for a person because you read about them, their stance on the issues you care about and think you should care about, voting history, everything. The candidates and issues you support may surprise you. Oh, and don't just look at the big name candidates, look at the second- and third-tier ones as well.
5. Help someone out. It could be tutoring a teenager after school, helping a friend pack and move, volunteering at a soup kitchen or for an organization like Habitat for Humanity, assisting the elderly woman or the mom with three kids at the supermarket. Something that is not about you, that you do not expect accolades for, and that betters the life of someone else, be it for a moment or a lifetime.
6. Ask how someone is doing and then wait for the answer. The real answer. And then listen, for as long as it takes.
7. Go on an adventure. It could be Kuala Lumpur or Tomball, Texas. Go somewhere with some friends to a place you have never been for a day, a week, some period of time, and have fun. Eat at the local cafe; talk to the waitress, she (or he) probably has been around a while and has a host of stories. Check out a small town football game on a Friday night and cheer like you've lived there your whole life. If overseas, eat the monkey brain if for no other reason to say you did.
8. Recycle. I don't do it and I should. I even found out my apartment complex has a few recycle bins so there is no excuse for me any longer. Plastics, metal, glass, paper. Find a place that does it and bring your recycling stuff there. (Whole Foods has recycle bins outside if you are looking for a place.)
9. Drink water. It does not taste like much, is not exciting to look at, but it is the one thing all health gurus agree on. It does a body good! And drink the tap water. Bottled water is probably water from someone else's tap in nice packaging. Tap water saves you $1.25 for every 20 ounces, and you don't have to throw any plastics away.
Alright, now that I feel like I am that "always wear sunscreen" song, I will stop.
1. Read. No, not the latest celebrity gossip or style trends; not the headlines on your Google or Yahoo! homepage. Read the stories below the headlines. Sure the media may be biased in some areas, but at least you are now aware of something outside of your own personal news stories. Read what is not on the front page - small stories of hope relegated to pages on cnn.com you never knew existed, stories of tragedies in countries you did not know exist. Read a book that has nothing to do with a boy wizard or happy-ending romances. Read about something you are not comfortable or familiar with, whether it be about genocide in Eastern Europe or that chick book with that guy Darcy in it. You may learn something about yourself, others, and the world no Hollywood movie could show you.
2. Use energy efficient light bulbs. They last a long time, they reduce your electric bill, and they may just help the environment a tad. Good for the wallet and nature! And, if you are in the market for a new home electric appliance, get the Energy Star and help the wallet and nature even more.
3. Step away from the computer, video game, television, iPod, and cell phone and meet your friends face-to-face every now and then. It may be awkward at first because you do not have the safety of staring at a screen any more, but the end results will be greatly beneficial to all involved. You may even have more fun together in real life than you did in the cyberworld.
4. Vote. Vote every single time you can. But don't vote for a person only because there is an "R," "D," or "I" in parentheses after their name. Vote for a person because you read about them, their stance on the issues you care about and think you should care about, voting history, everything. The candidates and issues you support may surprise you. Oh, and don't just look at the big name candidates, look at the second- and third-tier ones as well.
5. Help someone out. It could be tutoring a teenager after school, helping a friend pack and move, volunteering at a soup kitchen or for an organization like Habitat for Humanity, assisting the elderly woman or the mom with three kids at the supermarket. Something that is not about you, that you do not expect accolades for, and that betters the life of someone else, be it for a moment or a lifetime.
6. Ask how someone is doing and then wait for the answer. The real answer. And then listen, for as long as it takes.
7. Go on an adventure. It could be Kuala Lumpur or Tomball, Texas. Go somewhere with some friends to a place you have never been for a day, a week, some period of time, and have fun. Eat at the local cafe; talk to the waitress, she (or he) probably has been around a while and has a host of stories. Check out a small town football game on a Friday night and cheer like you've lived there your whole life. If overseas, eat the monkey brain if for no other reason to say you did.
8. Recycle. I don't do it and I should. I even found out my apartment complex has a few recycle bins so there is no excuse for me any longer. Plastics, metal, glass, paper. Find a place that does it and bring your recycling stuff there. (Whole Foods has recycle bins outside if you are looking for a place.)
9. Drink water. It does not taste like much, is not exciting to look at, but it is the one thing all health gurus agree on. It does a body good! And drink the tap water. Bottled water is probably water from someone else's tap in nice packaging. Tap water saves you $1.25 for every 20 ounces, and you don't have to throw any plastics away.
Alright, now that I feel like I am that "always wear sunscreen" song, I will stop.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
A few of my favorite things
It has been a bit since I last posted. Not because I had nothing to write about, just that all I wrote about were found to be incomplete or in need of major refining. So, to satiate my readers (all two of you - hi!) and because my week has begun less than stellarly (two words: bulk mailing), I present things I like.
1) Rain when the sun is still shining. Actually, I like it when it rains in general, sun or no sun. The smell, sound, feel, all of it. Yes, even thunderstorms...as long as my power does not go out.
2) Peanut butter. For more detail on why I like peanut butter, read this.
3) Mozilla. Some of you may never of heard of this. I had not until my old computer started acting up on me (my Microsoft computer rejected Microsoft Office) and I had to find a new means of accessing internet. Tabbed browsing is a beautiful thing. I know, I know, Internet Explorer has tabbed browsing now, too. Mozilla is still better.
4) My mixer. I heart my mixer. I have made whipped cream, pizza dough, cookies, brownies, breads, and muffins using it and it has yet to fail me. It incorporates just the right amount of air into whatever it is I am mixing, giving the resulting edible the correct airiness my hand mixing could never achieve.
5) Burt's Bees. Pretty much anything from them. It smells (usually) good, feels good, and is natural to boot. I use their face soap, moisturizer, lip balms, and lotions regularly.
6) Hairy Man Road. Yes, that is right, I am talking about a road. When I was in college, I drove down this stretch coming and going and it was so inviting. Trees canopy the road, the sun seeping through the green leaves and boughs above. It was warm and peaceful. Also, the road has its own festival, complete with the Hairiest Man contest.
As to why this small stretch of road is nicknamed Hairy Man Road. Legend has it that he was left as an infant along the Brushy Creek river by settlers moving West in the 1800s. He was raised by the animals and always resented human intrusion to his creek and bluffs and would hang from the trees above wagon trains, dragging his feet on the tops to frighten the settlers. One time, it is told, his feet got caught on a carriage and he was dragged behind it until he died. Since then, if you drive along Hairy Man Road, you may hear his feet scraping along the roof of your car.
7) The Blair Handbook. I have used his book more than I ever thought I would. It shares how to cite books, articles, journals, and whatever else needs citing. Talks about punctuation uses, formatting essays, reviews, persuasive papers. And it gives several citing options: ALA, MLA, Chicago. It is the one useful thing I gained from taking freshman English in college.
I think those are enough things to like for now. I am starting to feel a little better already!
1) Rain when the sun is still shining. Actually, I like it when it rains in general, sun or no sun. The smell, sound, feel, all of it. Yes, even thunderstorms...as long as my power does not go out.
2) Peanut butter. For more detail on why I like peanut butter, read this.
3) Mozilla. Some of you may never of heard of this. I had not until my old computer started acting up on me (my Microsoft computer rejected Microsoft Office) and I had to find a new means of accessing internet. Tabbed browsing is a beautiful thing. I know, I know, Internet Explorer has tabbed browsing now, too. Mozilla is still better.
4) My mixer. I heart my mixer. I have made whipped cream, pizza dough, cookies, brownies, breads, and muffins using it and it has yet to fail me. It incorporates just the right amount of air into whatever it is I am mixing, giving the resulting edible the correct airiness my hand mixing could never achieve.
5) Burt's Bees. Pretty much anything from them. It smells (usually) good, feels good, and is natural to boot. I use their face soap, moisturizer, lip balms, and lotions regularly.
6) Hairy Man Road. Yes, that is right, I am talking about a road. When I was in college, I drove down this stretch coming and going and it was so inviting. Trees canopy the road, the sun seeping through the green leaves and boughs above. It was warm and peaceful. Also, the road has its own festival, complete with the Hairiest Man contest.
As to why this small stretch of road is nicknamed Hairy Man Road. Legend has it that he was left as an infant along the Brushy Creek river by settlers moving West in the 1800s. He was raised by the animals and always resented human intrusion to his creek and bluffs and would hang from the trees above wagon trains, dragging his feet on the tops to frighten the settlers. One time, it is told, his feet got caught on a carriage and he was dragged behind it until he died. Since then, if you drive along Hairy Man Road, you may hear his feet scraping along the roof of your car.
7) The Blair Handbook. I have used his book more than I ever thought I would. It shares how to cite books, articles, journals, and whatever else needs citing. Talks about punctuation uses, formatting essays, reviews, persuasive papers. And it gives several citing options: ALA, MLA, Chicago. It is the one useful thing I gained from taking freshman English in college.
I think those are enough things to like for now. I am starting to feel a little better already!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
An Apple (Dumpling) a Day
I tried a new recipe. It was good. I want to share it with you, but I do not want to give you the recipe. I would rather make it for you and have you be in awe of all the time, effort, and work that must have gone into making it. However, that is a bit self-seeking and it is great recipe to have in your back pocket for a last minute dessert to make for guests. And they will never know how easy it was to make. Unless, of course, you spill the beans and share the recipe with them like I am about to.
A few months ago I bought a box of frozen puff pastry sheets. I did not know what I would make, but it seemed like a good thing to have on hand. In case I need to make Beef Wellington or strawberry napoleons on a breezy Sunday afternoon. Truth was, I did not know what to with it. I would stare at the box in my freezer, look online for ideas. But nothing seemed to shout to me "I am the chosen recipe! Choose me for your flaky puff pastry!"
And then I found it. It was like God ordained the recipe for me. I mean, the recipe is called Allie's Delicious Baked Dumplings. It is meant for me to make! After procuring the one ingredient I was missing, apples, I set out on my adventure to make baked apple dumplings.
This is just about the simplest thing I have ever made next to the PB & J or a tuna sandwich. And, of course, my famous spoonful o' peanut butter with chocolate chips. (Spoon PB, small bowl of chocolate. Dip chocolate chip in PB. Eat. Repeat.) The hardest part is peeling the apple, but that was because I did not have a proper peeling mechanism.
Follow the directions: cut, roll, sprinkle, fold, press, bake. And then comes the icing. Oh my word, the icing. Who knew that adding a little bit of vanilla would increase the delectability of icing by an overwhelming margin. Here is where the recipe and I diverged. It said to wait to ice and eat dumpling until completely cooled. That is dumb. When faced with choosing between warm apple dumpling and cool apple dumpling, I choose warm. Sure the icing may slide off the dessert a little, but you can mop it up with the forkful of goodness.
I wish I had a picture of how my dumplings turned out, because they looked way better than the picture on the recipe. It honestly looks like something you would pay five bucks for at a restaurant. The outside is a dark gold brown, crunchy and flaky and light. But the good stuff lies on the inside. Through the baking process, the apple half melts and becomes a applesauce consistency. It is a bit firmer than applesauce, but has definitely lost the crunch of raw apple. Typical bite: soft and warm apple with cinnamon and nutmeg, a little crunchy flaky crust and a hint of vanilla from the icing. I did not have ice cream, but some vanilla bean would go fantastically with it.
Apple dumplings could become something I make every weekend. It is an easy recipe to halve, so I could eat one on Saturday and one on Sunday. It reheats very well; the crust does not get soggy and the apple does not become dry. It is a light dessert and would go well with a heavier entree like steak or filet mignon. I could see it served at a family grill night or as an end to a 4-course dinner. And here's the thing, if you want to make each dumpling hold a quarter of an apple to make the dessert a little smaller, I do not see why that would not work. The only reason I see why encasing a whole apple in the dough for dumplings may not work is that the apple would collapse as it cooked and you would lose the dumpling's structure.
Possible variations: pear or peach. (Peach may require some tweaking on the spices. A little more sugar and nutmeg, little less cinnamon. Eater's discretion.) Possible movie go-with: The Apple Dumpling Gang.
A few months ago I bought a box of frozen puff pastry sheets. I did not know what I would make, but it seemed like a good thing to have on hand. In case I need to make Beef Wellington or strawberry napoleons on a breezy Sunday afternoon. Truth was, I did not know what to with it. I would stare at the box in my freezer, look online for ideas. But nothing seemed to shout to me "I am the chosen recipe! Choose me for your flaky puff pastry!"
And then I found it. It was like God ordained the recipe for me. I mean, the recipe is called Allie's Delicious Baked Dumplings. It is meant for me to make! After procuring the one ingredient I was missing, apples, I set out on my adventure to make baked apple dumplings.
This is just about the simplest thing I have ever made next to the PB & J or a tuna sandwich. And, of course, my famous spoonful o' peanut butter with chocolate chips. (Spoon PB, small bowl of chocolate. Dip chocolate chip in PB. Eat. Repeat.) The hardest part is peeling the apple, but that was because I did not have a proper peeling mechanism.
Follow the directions: cut, roll, sprinkle, fold, press, bake. And then comes the icing. Oh my word, the icing. Who knew that adding a little bit of vanilla would increase the delectability of icing by an overwhelming margin. Here is where the recipe and I diverged. It said to wait to ice and eat dumpling until completely cooled. That is dumb. When faced with choosing between warm apple dumpling and cool apple dumpling, I choose warm. Sure the icing may slide off the dessert a little, but you can mop it up with the forkful of goodness.
I wish I had a picture of how my dumplings turned out, because they looked way better than the picture on the recipe. It honestly looks like something you would pay five bucks for at a restaurant. The outside is a dark gold brown, crunchy and flaky and light. But the good stuff lies on the inside. Through the baking process, the apple half melts and becomes a applesauce consistency. It is a bit firmer than applesauce, but has definitely lost the crunch of raw apple. Typical bite: soft and warm apple with cinnamon and nutmeg, a little crunchy flaky crust and a hint of vanilla from the icing. I did not have ice cream, but some vanilla bean would go fantastically with it.
Apple dumplings could become something I make every weekend. It is an easy recipe to halve, so I could eat one on Saturday and one on Sunday. It reheats very well; the crust does not get soggy and the apple does not become dry. It is a light dessert and would go well with a heavier entree like steak or filet mignon. I could see it served at a family grill night or as an end to a 4-course dinner. And here's the thing, if you want to make each dumpling hold a quarter of an apple to make the dessert a little smaller, I do not see why that would not work. The only reason I see why encasing a whole apple in the dough for dumplings may not work is that the apple would collapse as it cooked and you would lose the dumpling's structure.
Possible variations: pear or peach. (Peach may require some tweaking on the spices. A little more sugar and nutmeg, little less cinnamon. Eater's discretion.) Possible movie go-with: The Apple Dumpling Gang.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Strata for the Popeye Lover in You
I have a new go-to recipe for providing food for a group of people. It was tea sandwiches, but that was quite labor intensive, and not good make ahead food. Most people do not like soggy finger sandwiches. So, I have a new one coming to a brunch, lunch or bar mitzvah near you.
Spinach and Pancetta Strata is egg casserole and quiche on caffeine. Except there is not caffeine, just lots of tasty ingredients. Eggs, spinach, pancetta (Italian bacon), and bread all meld together beautifully in this dish. The most laborious portion of the creation is chopping and sauteing onions and cubing the bread. And waiting. There is at least 2 hours of that.
This is a great dish because it truly can be served for any meal. At breakfast it is quiche with no crust or an omelet and toast mixed together. Lunch and dinner is a casserole-like side. Also, it is still great reheated, something that scored major points for me as the sole eater of my household.
The taste. Because, when it comes down to it, that is pretty much all that matters. Okay, taste and mouth feel. The salty crunch from the pancetta perfectly compliments the heartiness of the spinach and bread. And, toward the end of each bite, you get that hint of sweet and spicy nutmeg. Who knew that little amount of spice would create such big flavor? The egg soaked bread makes for a bread pudding-like texture, but by no means soggy. The pieces of bread on top toast to a nice crunch while those in the dish retain their shape even after hours of resting in the egg mixture.
The strata is good because you can look at the base ingredients (milk, eggs, bread, onion) and add whatever you like. Broccoli, olives, basil, tomato, cheese, bell pepper, mushrooms, bacon, sausage, whatever your heart and mouth desire. Think of it: strata with cremini mushrooms, roasted bell pepper and Italian sausage...tasty, tasty! I like it when I find recipes I can switch up without too much fear of failure. It allows the creative culinary portion of my mind to stretch, and it allows me to test trial recipes out on unsuspecting victims like my coworkers, family, and friends. I have not poisoned or killed anyone yet!
Spinach and Pancetta Strata is egg casserole and quiche on caffeine. Except there is not caffeine, just lots of tasty ingredients. Eggs, spinach, pancetta (Italian bacon), and bread all meld together beautifully in this dish. The most laborious portion of the creation is chopping and sauteing onions and cubing the bread. And waiting. There is at least 2 hours of that.
This is a great dish because it truly can be served for any meal. At breakfast it is quiche with no crust or an omelet and toast mixed together. Lunch and dinner is a casserole-like side. Also, it is still great reheated, something that scored major points for me as the sole eater of my household.
The taste. Because, when it comes down to it, that is pretty much all that matters. Okay, taste and mouth feel. The salty crunch from the pancetta perfectly compliments the heartiness of the spinach and bread. And, toward the end of each bite, you get that hint of sweet and spicy nutmeg. Who knew that little amount of spice would create such big flavor? The egg soaked bread makes for a bread pudding-like texture, but by no means soggy. The pieces of bread on top toast to a nice crunch while those in the dish retain their shape even after hours of resting in the egg mixture.
The strata is good because you can look at the base ingredients (milk, eggs, bread, onion) and add whatever you like. Broccoli, olives, basil, tomato, cheese, bell pepper, mushrooms, bacon, sausage, whatever your heart and mouth desire. Think of it: strata with cremini mushrooms, roasted bell pepper and Italian sausage...tasty, tasty! I like it when I find recipes I can switch up without too much fear of failure. It allows the creative culinary portion of my mind to stretch, and it allows me to test trial recipes out on unsuspecting victims like my coworkers, family, and friends. I have not poisoned or killed anyone yet!
Monday, August 27, 2007
UT Move-In
Last Saturday morning myself and a bunch of other people found ourselves heading over to the University of Texas campus to help our fellow man out. (Note, in this post I will most likely repeatedly refer to UT. Let it be known to my Aggie brethren, I am typing t.u. in my heart, I just don't want to confuse people.) HCBC-UT hosted their third annual move-in day at UT. This was the first time I was able (or willing) to travel to the campus to help incoming freshman and sophomores move into their dorm rooms. I came away thinking several things. Here are my several thoughts:
1) I wish we had people helping me move in my freshman year. And every subsequent move after that. Other than mom and dad, they are required to help their daughter move.
2) I got a cool shirt. It is yellow. I did not think I would like a yellow shirt, but I do.
3) People were floored that we were there to help them move in. Shocked, even. That rocked.
4) Moving is fun...if you are not the one moving.
5) I go to a great church who love the campus, love the students, and fully embrace all that is a college church. And I think getting a tattoo is a requirement to work there.
6) Girls like the color pink. A lot. If the girls I moved in could have painted their rooms pink and gotten all pink furniture, they would have.
7) What we did was so simple. Lifting a few boxes, holding doors open, staying upbeat and positive. How many simple things am I missing out on doing?
8) The two dorms I moved people into smelled. And not sweaty dorm smell. One smelled like bacon. The other smelled like my grandmother's biscuits. That is just wrong. UT, that is cruel and unusual punishment. It also completely takes the college students' excuse of "I need more money. The food here is terrible. I have to eat at Austin Pizza everyday." Mom and dad know the food is good, they smelled it.
9) This was the most enjoyable few hours of my life since I worked in East Austin. Helping others feels so selfish at times. You are the one who gets the warm fuzzies afterward. I think it could be addictive. But what an addiction to have.
10) If HCBC UT keeps its mission focused on the campus, incredible things are going to occur at UT, in Austin, and across the world. Thank you, HCBC UT, for daring to think big and challenge greatly.
1) I wish we had people helping me move in my freshman year. And every subsequent move after that. Other than mom and dad, they are required to help their daughter move.
2) I got a cool shirt. It is yellow. I did not think I would like a yellow shirt, but I do.
3) People were floored that we were there to help them move in. Shocked, even. That rocked.
4) Moving is fun...if you are not the one moving.
5) I go to a great church who love the campus, love the students, and fully embrace all that is a college church. And I think getting a tattoo is a requirement to work there.
6) Girls like the color pink. A lot. If the girls I moved in could have painted their rooms pink and gotten all pink furniture, they would have.
7) What we did was so simple. Lifting a few boxes, holding doors open, staying upbeat and positive. How many simple things am I missing out on doing?
8) The two dorms I moved people into smelled. And not sweaty dorm smell. One smelled like bacon. The other smelled like my grandmother's biscuits. That is just wrong. UT, that is cruel and unusual punishment. It also completely takes the college students' excuse of "I need more money. The food here is terrible. I have to eat at Austin Pizza everyday." Mom and dad know the food is good, they smelled it.
9) This was the most enjoyable few hours of my life since I worked in East Austin. Helping others feels so selfish at times. You are the one who gets the warm fuzzies afterward. I think it could be addictive. But what an addiction to have.
10) If HCBC UT keeps its mission focused on the campus, incredible things are going to occur at UT, in Austin, and across the world. Thank you, HCBC UT, for daring to think big and challenge greatly.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Chicks on Sticks
Okay, now that my title has grabbed the male eye, let me tell you about Alton Brown's Chick on Sticks, better known as Chicken Satay. This is another recipe discovered in his book I'm Just Here for the Food: Version 2.0. I am not a ginormous fan of cookbooks as I feel slightly overwhelmed by the options held within the covers, but I have yet to keep one of Alton's (we're on a first name basis) on the shelf for more than a month. He has great information about what to use when cooking and how to use what you have to cook. There is even a section in this book about how to use a flower pot to cook a chicken. It that not awesome?
I was unable to find the exact recipe online, so you will have to work with my descriptions and "close to actual recipe" links or bug me for the recipe via email. What you need to start off with (hardware) is a grill, grill pan, or good skillet; skewers that fit on your cooking surface (in my first attempt, I had to cut my skewers to fit the pan); a bowl; some measuring implements, both cups and spoons; a whisk; cutting board and knife; plastic wrap; and a mallet. Oh yes, this is one of those anger management dishes. Perfect for bad days at work, finals, and break-ups.
Software (the ingredients), you can refer to this close approximation to the peanut sauce made for marinating the chicken and dipping (ignore the shrimp part, skip down to the peanut sauce portion). Chicken - you will need 4 breasts, or several chicken tenders if what is about to come disgusts you. Place plastic wrap on the cutting board, put a chicken breast on it, and fold the plastic wrap over (make sure to cut more than just enough to cover the board). Proceed to whack the chicken with the mallet until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Oh, and chicky pieces may spew out the sides depending on the force of the whamming. Cut flattened meat lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Repeat for all breasts. Place chicken pieces in large zip top bag with 1/2 to 1 cup of the peanut sauce mix and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You can keep the leftover sauce (now the dipping sauce) on the counter if you are going to eat it that evening. If not, cover it and pop it in the fridge.
After letting it hang out in the fridge for 2 hours or more, take your bag out and skewer the pieces on (guess what?) skewers! (And go ahead and preheat your grill to 350 or 400 degrees.) My personal method is the "over, under, over" means, but go with whatever you like, just make sure those babies are on the skewer and will not fall off mid-cooking. And yes, this will be messy with the sauce and the rawness. After skewering, throw away the marinating bag. Do NOT use the remaining sauce for dipping unless you like E. coli and salmonella, mkay? And wash your hands, no one like peanut sauce and chicken juice fingerprints.
Plop the skewered meat on the grill leaving space between the skewers so the heat can circulate, cooking each side about 2-3 minutes. The first batch will be the test to see if you need to raise or lower the heat, make sure to cut into one skewer and check for doneness. After cooking all the meat, grab the dipping sauce and get to eating. This is a great group food as people can choose their own portion amounts and is a cleaner-to-eat version of buffalo wings or whatever they are called. Cook some rice or Asian noodles, use the meat for lettuce wraps, throw it on a salad. It is your food and your mouth, go wild!
I was unable to find the exact recipe online, so you will have to work with my descriptions and "close to actual recipe" links or bug me for the recipe via email. What you need to start off with (hardware) is a grill, grill pan, or good skillet; skewers that fit on your cooking surface (in my first attempt, I had to cut my skewers to fit the pan); a bowl; some measuring implements, both cups and spoons; a whisk; cutting board and knife; plastic wrap; and a mallet. Oh yes, this is one of those anger management dishes. Perfect for bad days at work, finals, and break-ups.
Software (the ingredients), you can refer to this close approximation to the peanut sauce made for marinating the chicken and dipping (ignore the shrimp part, skip down to the peanut sauce portion). Chicken - you will need 4 breasts, or several chicken tenders if what is about to come disgusts you. Place plastic wrap on the cutting board, put a chicken breast on it, and fold the plastic wrap over (make sure to cut more than just enough to cover the board). Proceed to whack the chicken with the mallet until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Oh, and chicky pieces may spew out the sides depending on the force of the whamming. Cut flattened meat lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Repeat for all breasts. Place chicken pieces in large zip top bag with 1/2 to 1 cup of the peanut sauce mix and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You can keep the leftover sauce (now the dipping sauce) on the counter if you are going to eat it that evening. If not, cover it and pop it in the fridge.
After letting it hang out in the fridge for 2 hours or more, take your bag out and skewer the pieces on (guess what?) skewers! (And go ahead and preheat your grill to 350 or 400 degrees.) My personal method is the "over, under, over" means, but go with whatever you like, just make sure those babies are on the skewer and will not fall off mid-cooking. And yes, this will be messy with the sauce and the rawness. After skewering, throw away the marinating bag. Do NOT use the remaining sauce for dipping unless you like E. coli and salmonella, mkay? And wash your hands, no one like peanut sauce and chicken juice fingerprints.
Plop the skewered meat on the grill leaving space between the skewers so the heat can circulate, cooking each side about 2-3 minutes. The first batch will be the test to see if you need to raise or lower the heat, make sure to cut into one skewer and check for doneness. After cooking all the meat, grab the dipping sauce and get to eating. This is a great group food as people can choose their own portion amounts and is a cleaner-to-eat version of buffalo wings or whatever they are called. Cook some rice or Asian noodles, use the meat for lettuce wraps, throw it on a salad. It is your food and your mouth, go wild!
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