Musings on Graduating College and a Little Blogger R&R..

So I've been looking at this blog for the last few days and I have decided that I really don't like the design of it. Like seriously don't like it, there's something about it that just "isn't me" to use that cliche term, but I think that it's true. It's almost summer time now and I'm getting closer to becoming an old bitty everyday and I really need to get this cooking/writing/blogging thing on the road because let's be honest...cooking will probably be the way I earn money after college because from what I have seen from friends who have graduated over the last 3.5 years, the following is an equation for at least the first 1-2 years following college graduation:

Life After College = Trolling the streets for any scraps of jobs that we can find + Realizing that the $80000 you spent on a college education was only good enough to get a part-time receptionist/serving job + Sitting on your 4-year old broken, crusty, college futon in your one bedroom apartment scarfing down a package of 17 cent chicken flavored ramen like it was your last meal. Oh--and let's not forget that this is all taking place while you listen the 45 year-old divorced car salesman downstairs who also refuses to close his blinds while changing, sob into his can of keystone ice while listening to 'Free Bird' on repeat..

...Depressing, but unfortunately true. (Unless you have a business degree from what I've witnessed)

Now for those of you who (like myself) who aren't business minded and couldn't resist the urge to get a  degree in arts and the humanities, all is not lost. I'm a firm believer that everyone should have a least one serious hobby/trade that they could potentially make enough money to survive off of just in case that dream job doesn't quite materialize immediately after college. I really think our generation has lost a lot of patience for more time consuming things in life. I mean, if I can't use my phone to find something in 2 minutes on Wikipedia then I normally forget about it and categorize it into that "ehh..it's not so important" section of my brain. There is something seriously wrong with this people! So in order to make this the best blog you ever did see, I will be taking at least a week off from blogging because I really want to take the time to read some good food books, redesign this blog, attempt to make a steady schedule for posting here, and decide what direction I want to take this blog. So I will see you cool cats later after I practice a few recipes and work on this whole "food photography" thing that I am absolutely terrible with..(I REALLLLY hate watching my food getting cold while I'm trying to take lackluster pictures of it). And since this post was all about how potentially terrifying the "life after college shell-shock" might be. I'll leave off with a loose quotation of my favorite fictional 10-year old, Bart Simpson, for all my friends who graduated this weekend and have expressed your sense of panic of being an official "grown up" now:

"George Burns was right.. Life After College is a hideous bitch goddess." --- Bartholomew J. Simpson (just to clarify, "Life After College" was originally "Show Business", I'm not trying to get sued by FOX...)

I hope the Easter Bunny Knows how to Swim...

So tomorrow is Easter and it has literally been STORMING for 3 days straight here in New Albany. Like not drizzling, not raining, but like full blown, Dorothy's house getting picked up and landing in Oz type of storming. They even had to close down the casino and hotel, which I'm pretty sure is a sign that Hell hath frozen over because casinos are open 24/7, 365 days a year no matter what kind of national crisis we are in. I'm pretty sure there are probably some old ladies waterproofing their extra long Parliament cigarettes and strapping on the scuba gear right now so they can go and get their penny slot fix.Yes, I've only been to Horseshoe once but those old bitties go hard on the penny and nickel slots. I have also been elected to cook dinner tomorrow so this post isn't going to be very long, I just wanted to stop in and check with everyone since I hadn't posted in a while. Tomorrow I'm just making some simple stuff so I don't have to do so much work because for once in my life I don't actually feel like cooking. On the menu tomorrow:

-Cornish Hens with Herb Butter(Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Sage, Marjoram, etc.)
-Herb Stuffing with Pan Gravy (from the chickens)
-Mac n Cheese(Evaporated Milk and Velveeta)
-Cucumber & Tomato Salad
-Greens
-I'm sure there was something else I was supposed to make but I really can't remember right now...

Hopefully it shouldn't take more 2 hours to get everything prepped and cooked. So fingers crossed!

In other news....

I BAKED A CAKE! FROM SCRATCH!!!!!

This is like world breaking news here people! I hate, hate, HATE baking for the following reasons:

1. If you screw up ANY kind of measurement in baking it's ruined..RUINED I TELLS YA! There's no second chances like cooking. Like when I see that I have to bake something like dough for a recipe, I immediately start breaking out in a cold sweat with heart palpitations at the thought of hours of planning/work down the drain in like 30 seconds if you mistake a teaspoon for a tablespoon. For example:

Situation 1--Cooking--"Hmm...This soup needs more salt, let me add a little more before it's done". Simple solution right?

Situation 2--Baking--"Whoops I put too much salt in this cake"--In the trash it goes--I swear, whenever I have to throw a failed recipe attempt away, this is what I experience pretty much every single time...  (complete with the extra dramatic John Williams score playing in my head ...)

Reason #2 why I hate baking--- I just don't like sweets that much, but this cake had fruit(Strawberries) ANDDDD my favorite icing of all time--Whipped Cream that was gradually folded into some melted milk chocolate chips. Oh my Gosh---So delicious! It was like chocolate cool whip. It wasn't like the crappy super sweet icing that you find on like those grocery store cakes which begin the slippery slope to DIABEETUS in the shape of Spongebob Squarepants or Disney Princesses beginning around our 4th birthdays.

------

Well I don't really feel like posting the whole recipe because I'm pretty sleepy right now so I'll just post the pictures of my newest culinary accomplishment. Brown Butter Caramel Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Chocolate Frosting. Recipes to follow at a later date.

Look at how fluffy that freaking frosting is! -___-

Finished Product--My hands got the shakes and I accidentally dropped a couple of strawberries on awkward places on the cake..whoops

Strawberry Spinach and Baby Green Salad with Poppyseed Vinaigrette

Really simple, delicious, and nutritious strawberry salad:

Ingredients:

6-8 medium to large strawberries

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt, to taste

1 handful mixed greens

1 (small) handful of arugula (to taste, I personally have discovered that I don't care for arugula that much)

1 small handful of fresh spinach

1 1/2 tbsp sugar,or to taste

1 tsp poppy seeds

 I suggest that you make your vinaigrette before and taste to make sure  that it suits your own taste buds. Lightly mix a little vinaigrette into the greens and enjoy with a nice piece of baked salmon with lemon and dill.

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 lb Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
• 2-3 peeled, sliced carrots
• 2-3 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
• 1 whole large onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic mined
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp salt
• 56 oz. chicken stock
• 1(14 oz can) vegetable stock
• pepper, to taste
• 1 16 oz bag frozen egg noodles

Sauté onion, garlic, carrots, and celery on medium high until soft and fragrant for about 10 minutes in large stock pot. Next, add the chicken and vegetable stock along with basil oregano, basil and poultry stock.

Meanwhile, Season boneless chicken breasts/thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little poultry seasoning. Sauté for around 6-10 minutes in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium high heat (depending on thickness) and allow to rest for AT LEAST 3-5 minutes. After resting, cut chicken into cubes and add to broth

Bring chicken broth and spices to boil then add frozen egg noodles. Simmer for 20-30 minutes and then serve . =)  Enjoy!!!

New, Improved (and much simpler) Roasted Tomato-Basil Bisque

So I realized that almost every recipe that I post on here has been of soups. I guess I should make other foods, but I just love soup so damn much. So I guess I will keep the soups coming being that it's been raining and storming all day long so far.

When I first started this blog, I posted a tomato-basil soup that had a bunch of carrots and celery. It ended up being a little too chunky for my liking because I didn't have an immersion blender to break up the carrots. But I am happy to report that I have now found the PERFECT tomato-basil bisque. So I'm just going to get straight to the point and share all this deliciousness with you guys so you can make it.

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. can of HIGH-QUALITY Italian tomatoes (whole, peeled)--I used Muir Glen Organic Italian Tomatoes
1 large bunch basil
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c. 2% milk, scalded
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 Small Yellow Onion Sliced Lengthwise
Salt and pepper

Halved Tomatoes, Basil, Oregano, Salt and Pepper (Before the onions were added)

Preheat the Oven to 300 degrees. 


Pour the can of tomatoes into a 9x13 baking dish and cut them in half. Add onions, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil, making sure that you push the onions down into the tomato juice and make sure you a good amount of oil on the onions so they don't burn (you can always add a little more oil if needed). Roast for 90 minutes until the sauce thickens up. 


This is what it should look like after you take it out of the oven. 

Tomatoes, basil, and onions after they are finished roasting

In a food processor, add the tomato mixture. Add another small handful of torn basil to the mixture. Before you start blending, you need to scald the milk. Scalding the milk you say? Basically just bring the milk up to a hotter temperature without burning it(Very Important!) to match the hot tomatoes more closely so it doesn't cool off the tomatoes too much. After you have scalded your milk, add it into the food processor with the tomato mixture and start blending until smooth, making sure to taste and adjust seasoning along the way(i.e.--salt/pepper,basil, garlic powder, oregano, etc.).

Pre-Blended Sans Milk!

Nice, Smooth Soup! So pretty!

Now if your soup has lost some of it's heat, you can pour it into a saucepan and warm up on the stove on medium, being careful not to boil it. Garnish with a few baby basil leaves and a swirl of olive oil and serve with a nice ham, cheddar, and apple panini. It was so delicious. I highly recommend everyone try this because it's so easy and it was really cheap to make. I think the tomatoes cost somewhere around $3 and the basil was $2. I already had milk and onions lying around so I didn't have to buy those. So this recipe is VERY friendly to the normal college kid's wallet. Just think about it, most of us will spend $5 at McDonalds or Taco Bell without even thinking twice. Why leave McDonalds feeling like a giant grease stain or super bloated from Taco Bell when you can make a very delicious meal at home with very little work?

Finished Product--YUM!

The Absolute Best Roast Beef on the Planet

Herb-Crusted Roast Beef (with a bit of a movie review)

So last night I watched the most horrific, emotionally scarring movie of my life. "I Spit On Your Grave"(the 2010 remake) was the most horrendous, violent, and awful thing that I have ever laid eyes on. David looked over like 20 minutes into the movie and I had my head under the blankets sobbing--Yes, it was that intense...I just wanted to put this public service announcement out there that if you enjoy sleeping soundly at night and not being disgusted to the point of nausea, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not watch that movie. I'm still terrified. Just had to put that out there. I really think I'm done with horror movies for a while, I have accepted that I am just way too much of a punk and can't deal with it. 'Sphere' gave me nightmares, honest to God, SPHERE?! That's not even a horror movie! It has freaking Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone in it! But being in the ocean in one of the most terrifying things I can think of, let alone LIVING in the ocean next to a giant alien super intelligent spacecraft. I will tell you why this is so scary for me. I can't swim..I'm Black--yes, and  for all points and purposes the stereotype that black people are terrible swimmers is true. Have you ever seen a black person on a reality TV competition and they kick ass all season then the swimming challenge comes up and they lose? Yeah. Have you ever seen a Black person in Olympics for swimming (BESIDES Cullen Jones in Beijing?) No. Black people don't typically like to deal with precipitation in any forms willingly...case in point---Spoiler Alert!! Queen Latifah is the first person to die in Sphere, didn't mean to ruin it for you..) .

So this is a really old recipe I made a while ago, but I can't believe that I haven't posted it sooner. I know this sounds conceited, but I'm pretty sure I made the best beef in the history of the world a few months ago and it was completely by accident, so please forgive me. These measurements are rough because I was silly and this was the one time I didn't think to write down what I was doing before I did it.

The Herb Marinade...

Herb Blend in the Food Processor

• 2 1/2 lb Boneless Eye-Round Roast, tied with kitchen twine in 2 inch intervals
• 1 1/2 Cups(Packed) Curly Parsley
• 3 Whole Green Onions
• 2 Tbsp Oregano
• 1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 2 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Tsp Thyme
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Tsp Basil
• 1/2 Tsp Rosemary
• 1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil

Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Then while the food processor is running slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth. 

Now, take your tied roast and season it VERY generously with kosher salt on all sides(including the edges, this is important because the salt with help in the tenderizing process of the meat) and all of the marinade on all sides of the roast. Wrap your roast very tightly in plastic wrap and place in a container in the fridge for at least 12 hours. I left my roast in the refrigerator for 24 hours and turned the roast over Every 8 hours or so. The flavors in the beef were excellent, but not overpowering. Your roast should look like this after the marinade is added.

Searing the Beef...

This next step is SUPER important. You have to SEAR the beef in order to lock in all the flavors and get that nice caramel color and outside crust that you typically associate with a roast.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

It's important to let the beef come up to room temperature before you start the searing/cooking process so that it doesn't take as long to cook in the oven. Therefore you should plan to take your beef out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to start cooking it.

After about an hour unwrap your roast and try to keep as much of my marinade on it as possible. You can always just scrape it off the plastic wrap and pat it back on the meat along with more salt and pepper as you see fit. Now, heat a heavy bottom skillet(like cast iron) or medium-high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with Canola or Vegetable oil. I wouldn't recommend olive oil because it has a lower smoke point and you would probably end up in the hospital for smoke inhalation after you got done trying to sear this thing. I also recommend opening your windows or turning on your stove-top fan at this point because it will most likely get extremely smoky in your kitchen anyway. Now add the beef to the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on each side including the edges(you'll probably have to hold it with tongs or some other device to sear the edges).

After you sear the beef it should look like this---

This is what your roast should look like after you sear all sides of it.

Take the roast out of the oven and place on a cutting board. Cover it loosely with aluminum foil for at 15 minutes so it can rest and the juices don't run as badly out of the meat when you cut it.( I unfortunately got impatient and only waited 10 minutes so I did loose some of the juices, but not too much to make it really dry). Slice it up in thick slices and serve it up with some garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans! It was SOOOO good. David seriously couldn't believe how good it was and neither could I since it was such an experiment. I think I seriously ate at least 12 ounces of steak in one sitting and immediately fell into a food coma afterwards. So do not consume if you must operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery immediately afterwards. =)

Baked Eggs over Herb-Roasted Potatoes

So this post is going to be short and sweet. The other week my mom got me some really nice, new ramekins and I  just had to try them out. I hadn't been to the grocery store that week and had some spare eggs, bacon bits, and new potatoes that needed to be used so I made delicious baked eggs over herb potatoes, but I will admit they were a little bit salty because I added salt to my potatoes and didn't take into consideration that I was going to be using a lot of cheese in it too, but I think I have adjusted the recipe to fix my own unfortunate mistake.

Here's the recipe that I made up on the fly--feel free to add more or less of anything depending on how you like your eggs, you can really add anything you want to them.

• 3 or 4 New Red Potatoes
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 3 Medium Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1/8 Cup Heavy Cream (I used 2% milk because I didn't have any cream at the moment)
• 1/4 Cup Parsley
• Bacon Bits (You can fry up some bacon and then crumble it, but as I was trying to be quick with this I just used some of those "real" bacon bits you find in the condiment isle of the grocery store)
• Parmesan Cheese
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• (Really any herbs you want)..
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the new potatoes into small square pieces (that way they cook quicker) and chop up your onion. Add olive oil to a hot sautee pan over medium heat, along with your herb/spice mixture---I used a little Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder a dash of curry powder, dash of cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper. I would definitely advise either ignoring salt at this point or using it VERY gently since we will be using so much cheese and bacon later. Sautee for about 10-12 minutes until the potatoes have softened but aren't completely cooked since you will be putting them in the oven for extra time.

Now, in your ramekin, pour your cream and place slices of butter in the bottom. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the cream and add a layer of your cooked potatoes. Now make 3 little wells in the potatoes and add your eggs. Sprinkle with parsley, cheddar cheese, bacon, garlic powder, pepper.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, making sure to check every once in a while until you get your eggs the way you want them. I happen to like my eggs pretty runny so I always take them out a little earlier because they will keep cooking on the baking tray and in the ramekins. Enjoy!

Best. Dessert. Ever.

I normally am not one to eat a lot of sweets but I do have one weakness and that is haagen dazs chocolate ice cream.

(I mean....isn't it so cute? That cute 3 oz. of ice cream is also 230 calories so enjoy sparingly)

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Good Vibrations(Brought to You by Lentil, Sausage and Spinach Soup)

So guys...I'm back at least for the time being. I keep forgetting to update this blog since I've been posting pictures on facebook but I also forget that not everyone is my facebook friend and therefore not able to see it. I have about 10 recipes that I need to post on here so it's going to be a heavy week of blogging. It is currently 8 am exactly while I am typing this and I have been up all night playing call of duty and watching movies with David  like a little fat kid instead of doing something productive, but hey, whatever. Okay. So before I post this recipe for lentil soup with kielbasa and spinach, I am obligated to give my opinion on all the awful Hollywood nonsense that I have no place give a flying @*$! about...

Tonight David and I watched 'The Fighter', starring the always wonderful Mark Wahlberg(get it..Marky Mark) and the always terrifyingly creepy Christian Bale (that is a dude you DEFINITELY do not want to meet in a dark alley)... The movie was great and I personally decided that Mark Wahlberg (Yes..over you Alexander Skarsgard--come on, you didn't even earn it..you were just lucky to be born Swedish and beautiful) is my favorite actor for the following reasons:

A. His Irish Boston accent is always spot on...
B. His little midget behind will be the next person that we make Chuck Norris jokes about in the year 2024 because yes, he is just that much of a badass..

And..

C. Any White dude who had the balls to try and rap about 'Good Vibrations' while rocking a  superfluous 3rd nipple, and Zumba pants in the 90s, and THEN become a respectable Hollywood A-list celebrity deserves some serious kudos. See the following examples of how to be a GOOD white rapper and actor and how to fail at it miserably.

Example 1---Good White Actors/Rappers---- Eminem (8 mile)

'8 Mile' won Eminem's silly ass an Oscar for best original song. I will give Eminem total credit because he is one of the best rappers in the game no matter which race he is. Regardless of how you feel about his lyrics, you have to acknowledge that he knows what he is doing. His Oscar nomination was a milestone for rap music UNTIL Three 6 Mafia's country ass' stole the show a couple of years later and went up there at the Oscars acting a damn fool for a song called "It's hard out here for a pimp". I've never seen so many confused white people(and some black people including myself..) at one moment in my life. (Not saying they shouldn't have won because 'Hustle & Flow' was an excellent movie, but damn..they could've at least taken out their grills before they got up there trying to give an acceptance speech with those country ass Memphis accents..)

Good White Rapper #2 (well seriously mediocre, but who are we kidding? His body made up for 95% of the popularity of his "rap" career anyway)---Mark Walhberg aka Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Look at Marky Mark rockin' those ridiculous M.C. Escher Zumba pants with that  group of black dudes..all whilst you know he was wondering "how long will it take before I get jumped in the back alley of the concert venue for making millions of dollars "rapping" this corny ass song like I was a white dude from Bel Air reciting the lyrics of an NWA song at the Apollo Theatre..??" but look at him now.. He took that 'Good Vibrations' money, got his third nipple removed, hired himself a good agent, and is now a super millionaire thanks to being able to maintain the ability to remain ripped and talk with a good Bostonian accent at the age of 39. I would like to extend a personal thank you to Marky Mark for maintaining that 40 year old body of yours..It made the crapfest that was M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" mildly tolerable.(wtf? The plants are retaliating? THE PLANTS? F&#@ you M. Night...I am done with our director/viewer relationship..I can't deal with this disappointment anymore--how did you make the 6th sense and then make that movie?!!?! Seriously though...that movie was some bull..but anyways, I digress..)

Now, How to be a TERRIBLE white rapper/actor----

Only one example is needed--Lady's and Gentlemen, I give you this tribute to VANILLA ICE's riveting performance in--'Cool As Ice'

...No words are needed for that bull@#$%---onto the soup before I get too upset..

Okay, so the first recipe I'm going to post in this excessive making up of blog post is for a really simple lentil and spinach soup. I made this soup at seriously 12am last night because I've been eating nothing but store bought chicken tenders for like the last 4 days and I felt like crap. I must say that I actually expected this soup to be horrible since I hadn't had lentils since I was about 8 but it was sooooo good and so healthy for you at the same time! So please make this if you ever need a delicious meal to stretch for the week for under $8.

• 2 lbs brown lentils(16 oz)
• 16 oz smoked kielbasa
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced into cubes
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 4 cups of chicken broth (32 oz)
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp salt(more or less to taste--I recommend starting with less and then at the end work up to more if it doesn't taste the way you like it
• 1 tsp dried cumin
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp parsley(finely chopped)
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper(feel free to omit this if you don't like spice or add more if you like it hot)
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves and steams (chiffonade--Chiffonade is a cooking technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and basil) are cut into long, thin strips. This is generally accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons.--wikipedia)

In a medium sized stock pot, sautee the sausage until it is browned and fragrant about 3-5 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot. Saute the onion in the same pot used for the sausage for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and saute an additional minute while stirring because garlic burns EXTREMELY easily and becomes really bitter if you aren't paying attention.

Add the water to deglaze the pot, making sure to scrape up any browned bits that remain. Add the broth, lentils, and seasonings. Bring pot to a boil. Add the sausage, carrot and celery, place a lid on the pot, and simmer on medium low for 45-60 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are tender. During the last 10 minutes of cooking time, add in your spinach leaves and stems. Serve.

Hiatus

So sorry about the extended hiatus. I've been kind of broke, along with a dead camera, lost camera charger, and somehow I managed to have a severe flu over the ENTIRE 2-week winter break. Just wanted to let everyone know that I was still alive and on the mend and I will be posting something hopefully delicious this coming weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I can't wait to see what I can come up with this weekend since I'm going to Macy's with $150 to buy some kitchen gadgets this Thursday! Yayyyyyy!