Success, Oh Yes!

Today is Eric's last day of studying! I couldn't be more thrilled. Unfortunately, he has still studied a lot today, like ever since we got home from church, so I had to spend one LAST day entertaining myself. And did I ever get a lot of stuff done!

~ Lunch: Did you think I completely forgot about trying out new recipes? Though my experiments have been few and far between these last few months, I managed to sneak in something new this afternoon.

(I should note that I have been putting off trying this particular recipe because Eric thought the name sounded gross. So I gave him time to forget about it, made it, and it was delicious. By the time I told him what it was, he was totally over the name.)

Famous Butter Chicken [sorry, no pictures for this one - definitely a winner though!]

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c. butter, sliced into 1 tsp. pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Mix seasonings with cracker crumbs. Dip chicken in the eggs, then dredge in cracker crumbs to coat.

Arrange chicken in a 9x13 baking dish and place butter around chicken. Bake for 20 minutes, spoon juices over chicken, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

~ Shopping: I bought Eric's snacks for his test and planned what all he is going to take with him. I'm not really sure how he is going to consume all of this in an 8 hour period:

Grapes

Bananas

Dark chocolate almond peanut butter granola bars

6 bottles of water (okay, admittedly not all for him)

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (see below)

Turkey sandwich

White Cheddar Cheese-Its

Chocolate pudding

Regular chocolate chip granola bars ("just in case")

At least it's decently healthy stuff.

I also looked at new running shoes at Kohl's. There are definitely a few pairs I like, but I think I'm going to wait until I can go to a professional running store to get my arches checked and see how my feet pronate before I invest in more shoes. Still, it's fun to look.

~ Decorating the WALL: I have looked far and wide for some cute lettering that would look good on that thing.


Today, I finally found some. And paired with my fabric flowers, I think it turned out well! (I still have to do the liquid starch to get the flowers to stay - that's also why they look a little funky up there).

~ Making Jam: Thanks to a tip from my sweet friend Jamie Walton, I decided to go ahead and go for Harris Teeter's Buy One Get Two Free deal on strawberries this week and use one package to try my hand at strawberry jam. Who knew it could be so easy?

Strawberry Jam (Pectin-Free)

1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled

1 1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 tsp. lemon juice

Puree strawberries in a blender, then mix in sugar and lemon juice.

In a heavy saucepan, warm over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Turn up the heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil.
Allow to cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the mix reaches 220 degrees. Remove from heat and transfer to hot, sterile jars.

Note: To test if the jam is ready, put a cold plate in the freezer, then place a small spoonful of the warm mix on it for 1 minute. Once the jam has cooled, check the consistency.

~ Working Out: I finally got off my behind and did the first section of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred video. Thankfully, I'm in better shape than the last time I tried it, so it didn't kill me. I even went and did a mile on the treadmill afterwards, and set a personal record: 7:30.

~ Signing up for a 10K: I'll be running 6.2 miles on April 16. Let's hope I don't poop out!

~ Trying out Flax Seed: So I've read and read about how great flax seed is. It's basically just a ton of polyunsaturated fats, fiber and protein. Nobody has anything bad to say about it anywhere. So when I found some at Wal-Mart yesterday for less than $2.00, I decided I'd try it out.

For dinner tonight, I made myself a strawberry-orange smoothie with a special additive: Flax seed! I know, that sounds gross, right? But I totally couldn't even tell it was in there. It's so milled up, it just mixes right in. Instant protein boost!

I also finished up the evening making Eric's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with, you guessed it, flax seed added in.

I also cut a little bit of sugar out. You can't really taste the difference, so I figure every little bit helps!

So there's a successful day in a nutshell. Aren't Sunday afternoons the best? :-)

Opinions, please...

I really like our apartment, but there are some things you just can't do when you are renting. I took a little gamble with painting our little dining area, but there's no way I am going to paint the entire living room or kitchen when I know that I am going to have to paint it back before we move again. So, that being said, I have been generally satisfied with our decorations for the time being with one exception:

The WALL. It's white. It's ugly. It's just there, sitting above my kitchen counter with one lone, sad clock ticking away. I have racked my brain and shopped all around for something to put up there, but it's all been to no avail. It's just an awkward space.

I've been thinking for awhile about putting wall decals up, but haven't been able to find any that I like. Several people I know have made their own lately, so I thought that I would try my hand at it...

This is what I've come up with so far.

It's not great, but neither is my artistic ability, so I have to be realistic. I tried a branch. And then a swirly. Can you say "utter failure?"

There's some sort of disconnect between my brain and my hands that does not permit me to draw anything other than flowers, leaves, or cute bubble letters. And I'm pretty sure my cutting skills are about the equivalent to those of a first grader.

So, honestly - thoughts? I've just got everything taped up there right now so I can move it wherever I want. And, of course, I will eventually do the other side of the clock. Is it any good, though? Does it even help at all?

Also, I did cut out a flower with the thought that maybe I could combine the two. They're a lot more trouble and there's a lot more room for error with those though. Are they worth it?

Any opinions or advice would be more than welcome. :-)

Bienvenidos, Primavera

Spring is here! The leaves are budding, flowers are blooming, and my mood just feels a little brighter every day!

Here's a few notes on what's going on with us these lovely days:

Today: Marks 9 days until Eric takes Step 1. I love that we are in single digits now! I really am not sure at this point that I remember what it feels like to have a husband who doesn't study 80 hours a week... I'm certain it's going to feel GREAT though!

Yesterday: I ran in my first 5k of the year and finished in 26:56, almost 3 minutes ahead of my time last fall. I actually placed (yay!) in my age category (not that there were a lot of people IN my age category to begin with, but I will take my cute silver medal nonetheless :-) .

Wednesday: I bid goodbye to my dear laptop. We thought the issue was the battery. It wasn't. The replacement battery we ordered would only work for about 2 hours and would not be rechargeable after that. So we spent two hours salvaging what we could of my documents and photos. I got my documents, wedding pictures and pictures from my trip to Spain, the most important things. But all of my music and several files of pictures are gone forever. R.I.P. Sony Vaio.

Tuesday: As I was leaving work, I saw these two first grade girls run to give each other a hug in the hall. One of the little girls gave the other some purple flowers, then had to go since her mom was there.

I went up to the remaining girl and said, "Wow, those sure are some pretty flowers! You have such a sweet friend!"

The little girl looked at me and, smiling, said, "Actually, Miss, these aren't flowers. They're just a bunch of weeds."

Last week: I planted a little garden. And when I say little, I mean ridiculously minuscule. We have a little "yard" area in the "back porch" of our apartment. It probably measures 2 feet by 8 feet. So I planted a few lettuce, onion and spinach seeds. I really don't expect anything to grow, but I figure it will be fun if it does!

Last Saturday: I ran 10 miles - no walking included in that! I was sick for about a day afterwards and more sore than I've ever been, but at least I can say I did it!

This whole month: I keep catching Connor in the sink!

Apparently it's just the right size for him. He does it nearly every day, but it still makes me laugh every time.

Next week: Charleston! I haven't really had any time off since Christmas, so I am super-excited for a four day weekend going to the beach and exploring a new city at our leisure. :-) Any suggestions about things to see/places to eat are more than welcome!

Just another day...

So it's been awhile.

Normally my lack of blogging can be primarily attributed to my laziness and general lack of interest in technology. This time, however, slothfulness only partially contributed to my long absence. My computer decided to die on me a few weeks back, and has left me quite without a connection to the world. I have been occasionally using Eric's to check facebook and my email and patiently waiting for my new battery to come in the mail in hopes that that would fix the problem. It didn't. So we are trying to find some other way to get all of my pictures and documents off, but I decided I probably needed to break down and just take over Eric's laptop for good. So here I am.

And what wonders have I neglected to post about?

Well, not a lot.

Why? Because we are right in the middle of the most horrendous part of medical school: Step 1 studying. Boo. (In truth, it's not that bad, it just means ALLLLL of Eric's time is spent studying, including weekends, evenings, etc.).

Since Eric has been diligently plugging away at books and questions and practice tests, I've decided to take up a hobby of my own: training for a half marathon. It works out pretty perfectly, because between running 20 miles a week and staying busy hanging out with friends and working and doing church activities, I've occupied my time quite nicely. Hopefully I will keep it up after Eric's done with his test and I can be ready to run by the end of April. We will see!

Sadly, many of the recipes I wanted to try were also listed on my computer as well. This has prevented me from achieving my try-something-new-every-week goal. I'm not *too* far behind, though, and I have done a couple of fun things lately.

Chicken Enchiladas -- I, of course, didn't add olives. I also used flour tortillas, because that was what I had (not the best idea ever). Despite the fact that the tortillas stuck to the pan, they tasted really good! Definitely a recipe I will try again.

I also took on one REALLY BIG meal...

That's right! That $6 turkey I bought back at Thanksgiving finally got roasted! And it was oh-so-good. I'm glad, too, because in case you didn't know, making a turkey is a really, REALLY disgusting process. It's worth it, though, since it makes a TON of leftovers, so I was able to freeze a bunch, plus use some to make sandwiches etc. this week.

I went shopping last weekend in Charlotte and was pretty pumped to finally get myself a wok from Ikea for only $5! I whipped up a nice big batch of stir fry Wednesday night to celebrate.

Eric even took time out to help me cook.

That's right, he's definitely listening to lectures while he stirs.

I was also really excited to find a good deal on a new comforter last weekend, since this little guy

decided to tear up our old one.

It doesn't match perfectly, but I really really like it, and it's sooo comfortable!

Anyway, that's about all. 23 more days...

You can't make this stuff up...

Yesterday this 5 year old boy came into the school office. He had a really mad look on his face, so I figured he was there because he was in trouble. (Note: this kid can be very sweet, he just has some anger issues).

Me: Why are you here today? Did you do something bad?

5-year-old: I threw some pencils and stuff at my teacher.

Me: You don't think that's bad? Why did you do that?

5-year-old: Because she stole my pencil sharpener.

Me: It's not stealing if the teacher takes something, sweetie. She took it because it had a sharp blade. She didn't want it to hurt you.

5-year-old: Um, no, she stole it. And stealing is wrong. My momma taught me that.

Me: Yes, stealing is wrong.

5-year-old: You want to know something? Back when I was a kid, I used to steal things.

Me: (trying to contain my giggles) Back when you were a kid, huh?

5-year-old: Yeah, but now, now I know stuff, like not to steal.

Me: (still laughing) I'm glad. Now let's just learn not to throw things, and we'll be good.

(At this point he made a ridiculous mad face. I had to go back to my office.)

Here's a conversation I've had at least twice this month already, with two different parents I might add.

*phone rings*

Me: Good morning! This is Mrs. Yates. How may I help you?

Woman on other end: Yes, my daughter is here, and she doesn't want to go to school. Do you know why she doesn't want to go to school?

Me: No ma'am. Who is your daughter?

Woman: She just keeps saying she doesn't want to go. I don't know why. She won't tell me.

Me: Well, ma'am, could you tell me your daughter's name? Or whose class she's in? Maybe we can figure out what's going on.

Woman: Do you think I should make her go? I mean, she doesn't want to go.

Me: Is she sick?

Woman: No. She just doesn't like school.

Me: Well, if she's not sick, she should probably be at school, ma'am. Who is your daughter's teacher?

Woman: Yup, I'll just keep her at home. Maybe that will make her happy. Tell her teacher, please.

*Click*

And my favorite phone conversation (I have this one at least once a week):

*ring*

Me: Good morning! This is Mrs. Yates. How may I help you?

Parent: Hi, yes, I need to speak with my child's teacher.

Me: Okay, who is their teacher?

Parent: Um, I'm not sure.

Me: Okay, do you know what grade they're in?

Parent: Um, I think second, but maybe third. Or fourth.

Me: How old are they?

Parent: Seven, maybe eight.

Me: I think I'm going to have to let you speak to someone else...

Oh, the joys of the public school system!

The Middle... or somewhere near it.

We are now down to 9 - yes, count them - 9 days until Eric finishes his second year of med school.

9 days until classes are over.

9 days until studying for Step 1 begins.

9 days until our little life starts the slow shift from school mode to real-world mode.

Do we even know what that is like?

All I can say is... hurry up, next Friday!

Kitty cats and Creme Brulee... Poppyseed Chicken and Polish Mistakes, too!

So I guess I've been waiting a bit to post about the loss of our sweet cat, Oliver.

It made January a really hard month! He was an older cat when we got him (we got him from the shelter after he'd been rescued from an abusive home), and it turns out that, according to the vet, he was probably even older than what we thought. He was acting like his wonderful, loving self one morning, and when we got home from school/work, he was super lethargic... it turns out his heart was failing. :( It was a sad sad night (week, month) for both of us, but we've been recovering and are so glad that we have a lot of great memories of our first pet, and that we were able to make the last year of his life so good.

Coming home to an empty house was pretty sad for both of us (Oliver used to wait by the door for us to come home), so after a week or two of the emptiness, we decided to go ahead and visit the shelter again, mainly to tell them about Oliver, but also to see if we were ready for our second pet. I honestly had my heart set on a dog. Cats can be so snobby. We got lucky with Oliver, but who knew if another cat would be so loving and cuddly and, well, dog-like?

Well, apparently there is another cat like that in the world, and now his name is Conner Yates.

He's 5 1/2 months old and about the cuddliest little thing we've ever met! If Oliver thought he was a dog, then Conner thinks he is a human. He was rescued after his mom died when he was just a few weeks old and was bottle-fed until he could be weaned. As a result, he LOVES people. He meows until I pick him up in the morning. He tries to sleep under the covers. He's super clumsy (whoever said cats always land on their feet needs to come visit our house!) And he has about 10x the energy Oliver did, so he is constantly keeping us on our toes! It's been a hard transition, but we are super-glad to have him around. :-)

Anyway, enough about our pets... I promise I won't be talking about them all the time!

I made a delicious creme brulee a few weeks ago. I absolutely love how easy and delicious creme brulee is. The French just know how to cook, don't they? Just five simple ingredients and voila! Perfection. I would highly recommend trying this out (I also make a chocolate version which is DElicious!)

Creme Brulee

Our Rating: 9.5/10

2 cups heavy or whipping cream

5 egg yolks

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 T. brown sugar to carmelize on top

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Warm cream in a saucepan on stove until just boiling. While warming cream, beat egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together in a small bowl. Once cream is warm, stir into egg mixture.

2. Pour mix into 6 to 8 separate ramekins. Place in a baking pan, then fill the pan with hot water until it comes about halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes.

3. Remove ramekins from water and allow to cool on cooling rack. Refrigerate overnight (or freeze for later).

4. When you are ready to eat the creme brulee, turn the broiler on and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar on top of each ramekin and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until sugar melts. The sugar should be only slightly burnt.

Another recent yummy addition to my recipe book has been Poppyseed Chicken. My friend Traci brought this dish to our Sunday School Christmas party back in December and it was a total hit! It's super easy, and kind of a spin off of the "Easy Chicken Bake" you can find on the back of the Stouffer's Dressing box (must tastier though!)

Poppyseed Chicken

Our Rating: 8.5/10

4 or 5 boneless chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken
1 (8 0z.) sour cream (can use fat free)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 cups seasoned stuffing mix (8 oz. pkg)
1 stick melted butter or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Stew meat until cooked through. Tear into pieces and place in a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Mix sour cream and cream of chicken together and pour on top of chicken.

4. Mix stuffing mix and poppyseeds and pour on top of chicken mixture. Cover with melted butter.

5. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

Last but not least, I have to share the recipe from my favorite every Christmas/Super Bowl Food... Polish Mistakes! We used to have these every year in college for our ABS Christmas party. They were seriously a highlight of the holiday season, right up there with Christmas tree cakes (why do the Christmas trees taste SO much better than all of the other Little Debbie cakes?). And while mine aren't quite as good as Momma Crank's, these are pretty top notch. The mini rye breads aren't available year round, so you may have to improvise there. No matter what, I guarantee they will be irresistible!

Polish Mistakes

Our Rating: 10/10

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 lb. breakfast sausage

1 lb. Velveeta cheese

1 tsp. minced onion

1 tsp. dried oregano

1-1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 loaf cocktail rye bread

1. Preheat the boiler.

2. Cook the ground beef, breakfast sausage and onion until browned.

3. Mix Velveeta, oregano and Worcestershire sauce into the meat until Velveeta is melted.

4. Spoon 1 T. of mixture on each slice of bread. Place the slices in a single layer on two baking pans.

5. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly browned and the bread is toasted. Let cool and serve.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Have a great week, and Happy Cooking!