Oatmeal Obsession

Both Aaron and I enjoy a good breakfast.  For proof  you need go no further than our wedding rehearsal dinner - eggs, bacon, pancakes, and biscuits from Flying Biscuit.  We are breakfast people.  However, weekday breakfasts suffer from a shortage on time.  For awhile I made a smoothie every morning, but with the weather attempting to turn colder, a warmer breakfast was called for.  Enter the oatmeal!  I'd make a serving of oatmeal in the evening - 1/2 cup oats, dash of salt, handful of dried cranberries, and a bit of brown sugar - and add a little water at work to to cook it the following morning.  Unsurprisingly, my taste buds grew rather dull of the same thing day in and day out.  And then I found my oatmeal nirvana - baked oatmeal.

As a general rule in my kitchen, the first time I make a recipe I try to make it by the book.  Unless, of course, I am missing an ingredient or five, then I improvise.  However, I had to change this recipe from the outset - no bananas or pecans for me, thank you very much.  (Sorry Aaron.  But at least you will never have to share your banana nut bread with me.)  The first time I made this oatmeal, I used thawed peaches and blackberries with sliced almonds for crunch.  Very tasty, very purple.  Second go 'round I stayed with the peaches and blackberries, and threw a few blueberries in.  Sadly, this batch contained a small "oopsie" on my part when I did not let the butter cool enough and it scrambled the eggs a little.  

But this last time, oh this last time, baked oatmeal bliss!  I maintained my base of peaches, but upped the amount to about half a bag of thawed peach pieces and remembered to let the butter cool a little before it was introduced to the eggs. And, I used cherries.  They are bursts of tart, flavorful joy in my mouth.  The oatmeal baked perfectly, so it is a little crunchy and a little creamy depending on what area and strata of the oatmeal I got.  (I am still not sold on the almonds, but cannot think of anything else to substitute.  Any ideas?  Pecans and walnuts are not welcomed guests in my mouth.)

I usually bake this up Sunday afternoons and it probably makes 4-6 servings, depending on who is doing the serving.  Boys eat a lot.  This recipe has the potential to be permanently affixed to the fridge through these winter months.  And oh the possibilities.  Apples and cranberries, berries galore, maybe even banana nut for Aaron one of these times.  

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!

Alton Brown Feeds Us

I am a newly minted married missus! The wedding went quite well and the honeymoon was wonderfully relaxing. Once I have all the pictures uploaded to my computer, I will have to show you some of the great food we ate. Aaron and I both agreed that I won in the food ordering most meals, but his dinners were not shabby, either.

The first food we made together as a married duo was, what else, mini man burgers. We are now the proud owners of four sets of garlic and onion powder spice jars. Aaron brought two sets into the marriage, myself one, and one was purchase on the honeymoon for the mini man burgers. So, if you have a recipe that includes onion powder and/or garlic powder, we would happily accept it. We may even invite you over for dinner to share in the onion and garlic powder bounty.

Once we came back home, I set out to make two new dishes for our new life. The first up was potstickers. I adapted Alton Brown’s recipe in a few ways because the store did not have ground pork (turkey was substituted) and, in our merging of assets, some of my assets have yet to relocate. Namely, the Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Determined to soldier on, I substituted Stubb’s BBQ sauce for Worcestershire, and a little white sugar and molasses for brown sugar. Not quite the same, but it turned out tasty, with a little Southwest flair. It took about two hours to make and cook all the potstickers, but we have eaten them at three meals now, so the time put in was well worth it.

The other new dish I tried was a little lighter fare. I stuck with Alton Brown and made Artichoke Pasta Salad. Quick to throw together and a great summer salad. Cooked some chicken breast (with onion and garlic powder!) and shredded it, cut up some perfectly ripe grape tomatoes, some herbs and tossed with pasta. I like it just a little warm because the herbs perk it up a little. The two things I would adapt next time is using more artichoke and adding a little cooked pancetta for that crunchy, salty kick.

I am not sure what is next on the radar of dishes to make, but I will have fun discovering them!

Shhh...

I have a secret, and I am going to let you in on it.

The Great Exchange

A few months ago, over dinner with Aaron at Qdoba, we came up with an idea for a book exchange. We laid out ground rules and agreed to the terms and conditions of the swap. The challenge was to read a book of the other's choosing by a certain date. The rules:

1. The book giver had to have already read the book.

2. The book getter cannot have read the book.

3. The book must not be part of a series.

4. The book was to be fiction.

5. The book had to be able to reasonably be read in a month.

6. On the night of the book exchange, the books were to be wrapped so as to keep the mystery as long as possible.

7. The books had to be read by a certain date.

We agreed upon the rules and set off to figure out which book to give the other. I will not share my book selection, as I hope Aaron will not only finish it, but also write a post of his own about it. The great book swap night arrived and I opened the wrapping to...

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. I had a suspicion this was the book I was getting...

After reading it over lunch for the past month, I finished it a week or two ago. Loved it! Although it feels exceedingly odd using love and exclamation points about Slaughterhouse-Five. As one review on the book said, it is a funny book you cannot laugh at, a sad book you dare not cry about. Broadly speaking, the book is an account of the bombing of Dresden in World War 2, but its layers go so much deeper than that. However, I hesitate to expound upon the themes and layers as it could cause some to shy from reading it. The book follows Billy Pilgrim, an American soldier in World War 2, as he is captured by the Germans and sent to work in Dresden until it is bombed by the Allies. The story also recounts Billy's childhood and adulthood through clever means. There are sad moments that I chuckled at because of the humor in them, and humorous moments that are not funny because of the misery of them. It is a juxtaposition that Vonnegut wields excellently from beginning to end.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, and the first chapter had faint echoes of an author I have difficulties with. However, once I understood Vonnegut's approach to and structure of his writing, it was simple to follow. Thanks, Aaron, for selecting this book for me to read. And double thanks for helping me cross a goal off my 30 Before 30 list!

I See Dead People's Books

Sometimes I forget that people aside from Aaron may be interested in the neat things I come across on the internet. Thankfully, Aaron reminds me of this from time to time, and upon this occasion, I took action. Lately, I have been updating my LibraryThing library, which would explain why most of the "recent books from my library" are from my library circa 1992. In my updates and additions, I stumbled across quite the gem, a group called I See Dead People's Books. Users investigate famous readers' physical libraries and create a virtual library for them. Famous readers include Thomas Jefferson, e.e. cummings, Aaron Copland, C.S. Lewis, Emily Dickinson, Tupac Shakur, and Daniel Webster.

If you are a member of LibraryThing (free until 200 books in your library, then $10/year membership or $25 for life), you are even able to compare your library to the famous reader and see what overlaps there are. C.S. Lewis and I share 40 books while Tupac and I only share 3. Not only is "I See Dead People's Books" a unique way to see what influenced these politicians, thinkers, entertainers, and writers, but also another way to add a couple books to your own list to read. Perhaps you have a deep and abiding love for William Faulkner (ugh) and wish to see where he found his inspiration. Look no further than his library shelf!

Nooooooo!

Say it ain't so...Good Eats is ending! I do not doubt Alton Brown when he says good things are on the horizon; I just hope they will be available on my horizon. AB is the person who reminded me after college how fun cooking can be. He is also the person I used to lure Aaron into the kitchen, a true miracle from what I understand. Alton (yes, we are on a first name basis, though he may not know it yet) is the guy I go to when I want to make something new but am not sure what. I have yet to make a recipe of his that is not stellar and worth repeating, sharing, and/or feasting upon. I will miss Good Eats and be watching like a hawk to see when and how AB will show up next to demonstrate his knowledge, humor and culinary abilities.

30 Before 30: The Maltese Falcon

Do not be surprised if, upon opening The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, you begin to smell the pungent odor of cigarette smoke, fog begins rolling into your room, and everyone begins calling you "gorgeous" or "doll." This book seems to have been specially created for reproduction in film noir. A beautiful redhead steps into the smoke-filled San Francisco detective office of Sam Spade begging for his help...and so the story goes.

I chose this book as one of my "3 books from Top 100 list" tasks because I already owned it and I love a good detective story. It got onto my list by making the lists of Modern Library 100 Best Novels - The Board's List, Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List, and Newsweek Top 100 Books - The Meta-List. So now you know half the places from which I have created my own list. Welcome to the inner sanctum!

The Maltese Falcon was a quick read with a rather straightforward writing style and plot line. At times the characters became slightly confusing because of the double-crosses and shifting "true" stories, but I never was lost while reading for longer than a couple paragraphs. I had already seen the movie, which helped create the scene and tone of the book (hence the smoke and fog), but the book does a fantastic job of conveying the mood of a moment through the dialog and descriptions of the people and scene. Sam Spade can go from being a heartthrob to a cad with a swift change of face or a harsh word.

Aside from owning the book and seeing the movie, there was another ulterior motive. Mythbusters. Or, to be more specific, Adam Savage's obsession with The Maltese Falcon. Click the link and watch the video - it is about 17 minutes long, but well-worth it. It is more an exploration of where curiosity can lead with a little mystery and crime of its own thrown in.

So, I am two books down and one to go to complete my goal of three books from my list by September. There are a couple of books I own that are also on my list, so I have a few to choose from. Since I have no idea which one I will choose, I cannot even leave you with a cliffhanger ending, which would have fit this post on The Maltese Falcon well. Hmm...whatever book it will be, it is bound to be mysterious...

30 Before 30: 6 Month Check In

It is so hard to believe that I am already 6 months into my 30 Before 30 List. I have accomplished a few things, but there is still a lot left to do. So, here is the list again with some updates on how things are going and my plans to accomplish these goals.

1. Make a layered cake from scratch
Happily accomplished and noted here

2. Read Bible, cover to cover
I started this about a month late, in mid-October, so I had to play catch-up. I got close to being on track, but am now about a month behind again. Currently reading about King David and his Psalms. Leviticus and Numbers were painful and are done with.

3. Make pad thai from scratch
I have made this a second time since the first experiment. There is still a lot of learning to do with this dish, but it is getting there. The last batch was too vinegary and astringent for me, and the tofu did not have good mouth feel.

4. Make a dinner calendar for a month's world of meals
I think I may do this for April. This is one I keep forgetting about; it's sneaky!

5. Go to the Biltmore Estate
There are plans in the works for this, but it is too early for details.

6. Go to the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening
This was one of the first things I wanted off my list, and am so happy to have done it. I love the dermatologist I found and she found no moles of concern. Yay!

7. *Personal Goal*
Done! Not much more left to be said about it than that.

8. Follow RunTex training and run in a 5K
I plan on starting the training later this month with hopes of getting through the training at a relaxed pace in May or June. I guess this means I should start looking for races to run in.

9. Lose at least 12 pounds
Yeah, this one is hard! Can I blame it on goals #1 and 3? I had a good workout schedule going, and then life got a little nuts and busy and all schedules flew out the window.

10. See an allergist/nutritionist about my food issues (OAS)
Honestly, this one is pretty low on the "must accomplish" scale. It is more for my own curiosity than anything else.

11. Have people over for dinner 6 times
Still sitting at one, though I have high hopes for the 5 other times. There has been a lot of food preparation at my place, but none of it for people coming over. I outsource my hospitality.

12. Pay for the order of the car behind me at the drive through
Not yet, but hopefully soon. Chick-fil-a and Wendy's, I am looking at you!

13. Go to the Outer Banks
I may try and do this in late spring or early summer on a weekend getaway jaunt. Maybe combine it with 21?

14. Reach 50 caches found with Geocaching
14 to go!

15. Get a pedicure
Once it is sandal weather, I am on it!

16. Make sangria
Why are so many of these warm-weather focused? It is like I wanted to load it all up to finish in the last 3 months.

17. Visit a state I have not been to
Plans are in the works for this one in cooperation with visiting Biltmore.

18. Master Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Still not mastered. Actually, I have not even cracked open the book in months.

19. Bid soda a fond farewell
This may be a hard one to do. Not because I love soda, but because I do not have it that often and therefore it is kind of a treat when I get it. And, I really like Izze.

20. Go dairy-less (aside from yogurt) for a month and see how I feel
I think I may do this in conjunction with #4.

21. Have a girls' night
One of these days...

22. Eat at Lilly's Pizza
Accomplished, but barely. It was very busy, waited almost 2 hours for our takeout order. The pizza was pretty good, if a little salty due to the prosciutto.

23. Make homemade marshmallows
I forgot about this one! Hmm...maybe it will make an appearance at small group.

24. Roast and eat a beet
Almost every time I get groceries, I look at the beet and think, "Maybe next time."

25. Get a physical
I still need to, but I feel I have been poked and prodded enough lately that I do not wish to do so again so soon.

26. Make and eat a whole lobster
Step one is find out where to purchase a lobster, or if ordering online is best. Step two: Kill the lobster! All the rest will follow.

27. Make it through my Pilates DVD without breaking anything or passing out
I may amend this to be my Jillian Michaels DVD, as I like the physicality of it more. But we shall see.

28. Read 3 books from my compilation "100 Best Novels" list
I read A Christmas Carol, and am working on the other two right now. Possibly within a month of completing this goal.

29. Buy a whole nutmeg

Yes, this was my cop-out goal. Buying a whole nutmeg had been on my list of things to do for years, years I tell you! Glad to cross it off that mental list.

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

I am halfway there after watching Shane and Duck Soup. Personally, I hope the next two are a little better. I'm looking at you, A Clockwork Orange.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I know I am a month early, but I cannot keep this little gem of a recipe hidden for another month. Also, I probably will not remember to post about this recipe a month from now. Or it will come in July. Kind of makes you the reader wonder at all the things I have on my "to blog" list that have been left unpublished for a couple months. And, "to blog" sounds a lot like "to blathe" which also sounds like "true love."

Back to the recipe! I saw it online one day and thought it made for a tasty dinner and good bring to work food. Behold, Irish Beef Hand Pies. I have made these twice, once for Aaron and once for my small group, and both times they turned out fairly decent. The biggest issue I ran into was the store bought pie crust dough yielded thin and delicate pies, which created Irish Beef Fork Pies. Still good, just not as portable. What is great about this recipe is it gives you freezing directions, so you can make a batch, bake some, freeze some, and have pre-made dinner a week later when you are crazy busy and just as hungry.

Also great? Easily customizable. Add some shredded carrots, spicy sauces, BBQ sauce, or onions and make a whole new pie! A definite recipe winner, and one I will hold onto for a long time. No pun intended.

30 Before 30: Cake!

It was not a mistake that "make a layered cake from scratch" was goal #1 on my list. In fact, I knew the exact cake I was going to make when I wrote goal #1 down. I have had this recipe since 2003! The Austin American-Statesman published a recipe for a chocolate creme de menthe cake and I quickly commandeered the entire Food section and have kept it in my recipe binder ever since, waiting for the day when I had reason to make this three-layered cake of chocolate minty (hopefully) goodness.

That time came recently to the benefit of my small group as an apology to Weischedad for not bringing dessert the previous week. As he informed me, everyone has a spiritual gift. Mine is dessert; his is consumption. I was not living out my spiritual gift and therefore hindering his ability to live out his as well. With that word of wisdom and truth spoken into my life, I decided this would be the week I make a layered cake.

The cake itself is easy to make and actually similar to a recipe I have for sour cream chocolate cake. The frosting is a ganache, which was even easier to make - some heavy cream and a lot of semi-sweet chocolate. No, this is not a diet cake in any way, shape or form. The challenge for me came in the assembling of it. I am not known for my dexterity or balance, and both were needed when stacking and icing this cake. The three layers went on easily enough, and then came putting the ganache over the surface of the cake.

I was getting impatient. The ganache was cool, but not thickened enough to ice, or is it frost? But my desire to see the final product outweighed my patience. So I poured. And, as expected, ganache slid beautifully down the cake, coating it with a lovely layer of chocolate...and then onto the plate and then the counter. What was my reaction? Stick my hand under the ganache waterfall and catch it. But once I had a handful of chocolate, I was unsure how to relocate it to the cake. Yes, it was messy. I got into the swing of icing and filling in the cracks between layers. One final hurdle - the chocolate sprinkles. Thank goodness for sprinkles, for they cover a cake-full of irregularities. No one notices the chasm between layers when sprinkles are there to distract!

The cake, refrigerated and looking more like the Statesman's picture, safely made its way to small group where it was happily devoured by Weischedad and company. I did have a moment of panic when cutting and the knife did not quickly slide through. "Uh-oh," I thought, "Did I forget to take the parchment off the cake layers?!" No, it was only the Andes mints giving a little resistance. Everyone ate and said they liked it, and I was able to help a brother fulfill his Christian calling as a consumer of food.

Will I make a layered cake again? Absolutely. Will it be anytime soon? Nope.

A Sandwich for Saturday

I have kind of gone lax on cooking dinners lately. Do you ever get in those funks? It seems I am constantly cleaning pots and pans in my kitchen, only to turn around and get them dirty again for the next meal. And I have run low on ideas. I have plenty of things I would like to make, only none of them stand out from the pack. And so I have a bagel for dinner. Or popcorn. Or cereal. However, this weekend Aaron was over at my place and, after a day of geocaching and a laundry adventure, I felt he should have something better than whatever I can cobble together from my fridge. So, we made Cuban sandwiches.

If I had known how easy these were to make, I think I would have made these a lot earlier on in life. Some lunch meat, cheese, a pickle, mustard and a roll and you are good to go. I do not have a panini press, so I used two cast iron skillets to flatten and toast the sandwiches. From experience, I learned if you do it this way, it is best to flip the sandwiches midway through or bread not on the hot pan will get mushy, not crispy. Throw in a side of chips and a cool beverage and you have great quick eats. So good and quick Aaron and I had Cuban sandwiches again Sunday for lunch.

I am going to keep this sandwich in my back pocket for future quick and tasty dinners. Maybe next time I will try to recreate some beloved sandwiches from restaurants that are now far from home. Grilled Indigo from Blue Baker, anyone?

30 Before 30: Pad Thai

As part of my 30 Before 30 list, last Friday I endeavored to make pad thai. From the outside, this dish was slightly daunting. Strange ingredients, quick cooking steps, and an unknown outcome. This is a dish that is so representative of a culture and national cuisine, I was afraid I would totally flub it.

My love of pad thai began on a trip Aaron and I took to San Francisco. One night after a day of sight-seeing, we were starved and looking for some good grub to eat close to our hotel. We happened upon King of Thai Noodle House off Union Square. Aaron was in the mood for curry, if I recall, and I thought I would try something new and go for pad thai. We ordered it to go, paid our cash, and returned to the hotel to eat dinner and watch a movie. Maybe it was the day of walking up and down San Francisco's hills, maybe they put some special stomach-expanding sauce in the dish, but I ate about two people's worth of pad thai in about 10 minutes. So incredibly good. So good in fact that Aaron and I went back the next night and I ordered the exact same thing. Aaron ordered something that was no doubt grossly inferior to my pad thai.

Ever since then I have hesitantly ordered pad thai at a couple places and been disappointed. So, I took it upon myself to figure out how to make it at home. I used Alton Brown's recipe and gathered the ingredients from the grocery store and Asian market. Strangest ingredients are the dried shrimp (you can see their little eye balls!), tamarind paste, and palm sugar.

This is one of those dishes when, after I make it, I am not completely sure of anything. Was the tofu done? Did the rice noodles soak long enough? If I find a rejuvenated dried shrimp, will I eat it? Am I about to give Aaron and myself food poisoning?

Thankfully no food poisoning occurred, I only found one dried shrimp, and the pad thai was pretty good. It is not yet on par with King of Thai, but I know I can make it again and hone my pad thai making skills. Very filling, great reheated, and a nice break from the norm of dinners.

Although I am going to hide my bag of dried shrimp until I make it again (they stare at me!), I am sure it will not be too long until I try my hand at pad thai again.

30 Things before I Turn 30

This is not a new year's resolution list. I was surfing the web one day...probably when I should have been working, and I came across this cool idea of making a list of 30 things to do before you turn 30. With that particular birthday arriving this year, I thought I would make a list of my own to see if I could accomplish it. And, since telling people about things helps in the encouragement and accountability, I am going to share it with y'all! Now, mine is fairly tame when you look at other people's lists, but it is my list and I like it...except for a few I may change if I can think of something better.

1. Make a layered cake from scratch
2. Read Bible, cover to cover
3. Make pad thai from scratch
4. Make a dinner calendar for a month's worth of meals
5. Go to the Biltmore Estate
6. Go to the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening (aka moley doctor)
7. *Personal goal*
8. Follow RunTex training and run in a 5k
9. Lose at least 12 pounds
10. See an allergist/nutritionist about my food issues (OAS)

11. Have people over for dinner 6 times

12. Pay for the order of the car behind me in the drive through

13. Go to the Outer Banks

14. Reach 50 caches found with Geocaching

15. Get a pedicure

16. Make sangria

17. Visit a state I have not been to

18. Master Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

19. Bid soda a fond farewell

20. Go dairy-less (aside from yogurt) for 30 days and see how I feel

21. Have a girls' night

22. Eat at Lilly's Pizza

23. Make homemade marshmallows

24. Roast and eat a beet

25. Get a physical

26. Make and eat a whole lobster

27. Make it through my Pilates DVD without stopping due to gasping breath or inability to bend

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

29. Buy whole nutmeg

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

I will be adding these to a page on my blog so I can keep everyone updated on my progress. There will also be a few posts on the more interesting items and adventures I have.