Upcoming Posts

Things have been busy at work trying to get a few grant applications turned in for the NIH (National Institutes of Health)  and DoD (Department of Defense).  

I do plan on a few posts coming up later this week on:

--Weekend in Austin (10/24-10/25 OSU game)

--Fitness (daily running and pilates)

--What we eat when we are broke (yep, one of us will always be in graduate school; cheap & delicious breakfast tacos - eggs, potatoes, salsa)

--Quotes ( A Wife of Noble Character - Proverbs 31: 10 -31)

Cooking - Banana Muffins

In the mood to bake something, I decided to make these muffins that I recently stumbled across on Allrecipes.  They turned out ok.  These muffins aren't too sweet or too dense.  Although, nothing compares to my Great Aunt Floy's Banana Bread recipe (posted below the muffins...I haven't made this bread in a while, but next time I do I'll post about it).

Recipe:  Banana Muffins II

From:  Allrecipes

Notes:  These muffins were really good on the first day.  They got too dry on the second day.  

the muffins:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sometimes I do half regular/half whole wheat)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar  (I use splenda-sugar blend)

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, melted (I use margarine because my mom always used margarine)

Notes: Substitute applesauce for the butter for healthier, low-fat muffins

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

-Coat muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray, or use paper liners.

-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  (Sift if you have a sifter, I don't have a sifter.) 

-Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl. Mix well. 

-Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth.

the dough:

-Scoop into muffin pans. (I use an ice cream scooper for evenly sized muffins.)

-Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. (I only baked these for 20 minutes.)  Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped. 

Yield: 12 muffins

the muffins in their pan:

-------------------

Interested in a good banana bread recipe?

Recipe: Banana Nut Bread

From: Floy (Floy Miner)-->Glenda Ballard-->Marlena Hensarling

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup sugar

1 stick oleo, melted and cooled

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup nuts, chopped  (Tip:  Put in ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin or something like it.)

Directions:

-Add sugar to mashed bananas.  Mix.

-Add melted/cooled oleo to banana-sugar mixture. Mix.

-Add the flour/baking soda/vanilla to the banana mixture. Mix well.

-Add nuts and mix.

-Pour into pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes.

Yield: 1 loaf

Audiobooks - The Great Gatsby

On the BBC this week they are playing  The Great Gatsby in  5-part series.  I love this classic story and enjoy this version of the audiobook (the reader is Trevor White - great voice).  How cool would it be to live in the 1920's?!  The 20's and the 40's were awesome. 

You can listen to the "abridged reading in ten twelve minute episodes of Scott Fitzgerald's classic story of The Jazz Age." Go to www.bbc.co.uk and search for "The Great Gatsby," or just click here. 

PS.  The links on the BBC have some short breaks where they talk to an author between the readings, but stick with it.  They return to the story pretty quickly.  I think they just have to do that because it's free :) 

I have a good link to free audio books on my computer at home.  I'll post that link later tonight. 

--It is now later and I'm on my computer at home.  Here's the link to Project Gutenberg. 

Colt!

In football news:  "Texas QB McCoy reportedly will return for senior season" (ESPN) Read the story here.  This is great (potential) news for Longhorn football!

Thanks for the link and info, Ben!

Cooking - Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

Easy and delicious! 

Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

From:  Glenda, Lena, Kraft, and Allrecipes

*I've been eating variations of this snack (kolaches; cinnamon/sugar pinwheels; etc.) as long as I can remember.  Who actually had the first recipe??   

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounch) can refrigerated crescent roll dough

2 cups shredded mozerella (or other cheese)

24 slices pepperoni (or canadian bacon)

5 button mushrooms, sliced thinly (optional)

1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce (optional:  use for serving)

Note:  Can use regular or reduced-fat versions of ingredients

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

-Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray. This is very important!  This will make clean up so easy. 

 -Unroll the crescent roll dough into 4 large rectangles.  

-For the layering process, leave a little bit of room at the ends.  This will make it easier when you roll/slice. Repeat the layering process with each rectangle.

-Layer each rectangle with a few slices of pepperoni.

-Layer each rectangle with sliced mushrooms. It takes about 1 mushroom per rectangle.  

*I like to buy the button mushrooms and slice them myself because the mushrooms stay fresh a lot longer than the pre-sliced ones.  Lockstep loves mushrooms and we had some in the fridge, so I decided to throw them in tonight.  

-Layer each rectangle with even amounts of cheese.  

-Leave a little room at the end of the dough!

-Roll tightly.  

Note:  If you have time (before you slice and bake), then put the 4 rolls into the freezer for about 15 minutes.  This will keep the rolls from falling apart (when you slice/transfer to baking sheet). 

-Slice into 3-4 pieces. 

-Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown

Optional: Serve with pizza sauce for dipping. 

Yum!

Looking for Best Recipe

Lockstep (my husband/Erik) doesn't have a sweet tooth, but he does like Blueberry Muffins, Nutella Crepes, Pumpkin Pie, and Tiramisu.  So of course I've made it my lifelong mission to perfect these dishes.  I'm still working on it... 

PLEASE send  me any favorite recipes or tips for Muffins, Pies, and Crepes!

Thank you! :)

 

My Brother is Awesome

This post is dedicated to the best brother ever. 

He brought me a box of Sutter's Salt Water Taffy from the State Fair of Texas!  (I get a box of this taffy every year, except for this year because we didn't go to Dallas. See earlier post.  This taffy is a favorite of mine!)

This is so special and sweet because:

1. He knew I wanted some and love taffy

2. It's kind of expensive.

3. It's something you have to get after the football game.....

4. ....which usually requires standing in 2 very long lines (one for tickets and another to get the taffy)

5. Then you have to keep up with the box and carry it for the rest of the day.

Thank you so much!  It really means a lot to me!! 

(Here's a photo from flickr of the trailer.  The Black Walnut Taffy is my favorite, too.)

My brother is also awesome because he loaned me the first two seasons of "Entourage".  I've already watched the first season and love this show!  Jeremy Pivin is awesome.  

Weekend - Austin

We love Austin!

  

Here's the weekend rundown...

Saturday - 

So this past weekend Lockstep and I packed up and headed to Austin.  We had to leave early Saturday morning because I had a 10:30 hair appointment.  We took the Westpark Toll I-10/Hwy 71 route and stopped for taquitos at Whataburger in LaGrange (a pro of being up before 11 on a Saturday morning). 

Expo Salon - I love Expo Salon.  Vo (hair) and Lily (nails) are awesome.  I've been going to Vo for cut/color about every 8 weeks for slightly over 3 years now.  She does a great job and we get along really well.  It doesn't hurt that she gives me an incredible deal.   So I usually stick to blonde and brunette and a trim.  This week I decided to throw in some red.  I really like it.  It's a good shade for autumn.  I'm thinking of moving towards Strawberry Blonde? 

DK Royal Stadium -  The Texas Longhorns played the Missouri Tigers on Saturday at 7 pm.  ESPN College Gameday was there and the game was televised on ABC.  Lockstep and I sat in the student section with my brother and the rest of our usual crew.  The stadium was PACKED before 6:30!!!!  We haven't seen the stadium so packed and fired up since the Ohio State game a couple of years ago.  As the #1 team again everyone decided to come out for the game.  The first half of the game was so fun!  My adrenaline was pumping the whole time.  It reminded me of the National Championship game (see photo at the beginning of this blog).

Here are some photos from the game scene - 

Lockstep and I got there early: 

Solo photo:

The next three photos are around 6:30 (game time was 7). 

Notice how the stadium is PACKED !!...

Pre-game the Alumni side:

Pre-game the Student side:

Pre-game the Student side during the "Eyes of Texas":

During the game...

We had just scored... getting ready to kick the extra point:

As Texas fans we pride ourselves on good sportsmanship and being considerate and nice fans towards the opposing team.  The UT Athletic Department and Texas Exes have a campaign called "Texas Fans Make Us Proud."  That aside, you'd think that people on the same team/school would be nice to each other, too.  Well, it seems there are people sitting in the Texas student section who don't understand the rules of the student section. I'd like to take a moment to review this concept. 

1. It's the STUDENT SECTION.  Not everyone (actually, no one) sits in their ACTUAL SEAT that is printed on their ticket.  (People sit with their friends and shuffle around the whole time).

2. If it's a BIG game, then get there EARLY.  This is especially important if you do actually want to sit in your actual seat. 

3. If there are people sitting in "your seat" when you get to the game, and there is an open seat just in front/down the aisle/behind "your seat", then you sit in the open seat area.  (You don't kick people out of "your seats"  when there is plenty of open space close by).

4. If it is a BIG game and you get to the stadium late and there are people sitting in "your seats" and those people sitting in "your seats"  move down/scrunch in/make room, then you COOPERATE with them and find a solution to make it possible for you to all fit.  (You don't just kick people out of the seats when there is obviously no room because the stadium is packed).

5.  If you are upset because people are in "your seats", then yelling, threatening to call the guards/police, and violence (pushing/hitting) is NEVER a good solution. 

So, in summary, at Texas and in the student section we try to make room for everyone... people stand sideways, their personal space is cramped, and we all stand and cheer and enjoy the game together. 

Let's just say that my crew had an unfortunate incident with some not-very-nice graduate students who thought they were entitled to their seats.  Let me emphasize that they have not been to a single game (we sit in that same area every game and have never seen them), and they were LATE to the game.  Do you remember how I started this topic?.... THE STADIUM WAS PACKED.  Those of you who know Lockstep know how awesome he is with scenarios like this... working things out with people (he's a rockstar when it comes to anything customer service related).  Well, these people were the opposite of cooperative, and they were angry.  

So, we got physically pushed out of the seats. 

Remember now... THE STADIUM WAS PACKED.  Where the hell are we supposed to go now?  

It all ended up ok.  We all found seats.  Lockstep and I actually found a really great place to stand and watch the game.  I loved where we ended up sitting (technically, everyone stands up for the whole game).  

The Longhorns played an awesome game.  I'm so proud of the team.  

Final Score: 56 - 31. Texas!

After the game we (our usual crew) headed back to the bus (Lockstep supports public transportation).  The bus was going to take another 20 minutes, and we were hungry so we walked towards Posse East and Double Daves.

Double Daves - We decided on pizza, Sportscenter, the end of the ACLS baseball game, and College Gameday Final.

Sunday - 

Slept in... awakened by the cell phone alarm clocks telling us to get up because the Dallas Cowboys game was on TV.  (Ummm, yeah the Cowboys should have just stayed home instead of playing the Rams.  Not a good game for the 'Boys). 

Maudies - We ALWAYS (except this one time) go to Maudies on Lake Austin Blvd after the football game, but since the game didn't start til 7 this week Maudies was closed by the time the game was over.  Bubs, Lockstep, and I went to Maudies for breakfast tacos to get our Maudies fix for the week.  

Lockstep and I took the 290 route back to Houston.  Took a nice little drive thru Brenham.  It takes about the same amount of time from Houston to Austin on either route.  The route you take should depend on what part of Houston/Austin you are going to and from. 

Hats on Cats

Happy Halloween from Monkey (with the chicken hat)!

Ok, so Monkey wasn't a fan of the hat.

Cooking - Black Bean Burritos and Basmati Rice

Tonight Lockstep wanted burritos, Chipotle-style.  So, here's what I did to make them...

Chipotle's Basmati Lime Rice

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2/3 cup white basmati rice

1 lime

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh cilantro

Directions:

-In a 2-qt heavy saucepan, heat oil over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted.

-Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute.

-Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil.

-At boiling, cover, turn down to low heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until  the rice is tender and water is absorbed.

-Add in the cilantro and fluff rice with a fork.

Yield: 4 servings

--------------------------

Black Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

1 can black beans (we like Bush's), rinsed and drained

1 cup chunky salsa

1/2 cup pico de gallo 

Chipotle's Basmati Lime Rice (see recipe above)

1-2 avocados, made into guacamole or just sliced

2% milk mexican blend shredded cheese

Burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions:

-Cook rice.

-In a small saucepan over medium heat add black beans, salsa, and some pico de gallo. Cook beans/salsa for about 5 minutes or until heated.

-Slice avocados or prepare guacamole.

-Put tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave for about 25 seconds or until warm.

-Build your burrito! 

  

Notes:  Can save leftovers and make a "bowl" with same ingredients minus tortillas for lunch.  

Linkage

Fun finds from friends... 

Thanks to Katie, Kristy, Nal, and Lockstep!

Shopping:

Austin Handmade

Nice Lena

Cahoots Handbags

Crate and Barrel (20 under 20) 

Paper Source

Austin:

Austin Tidbits

Mandola Estate Winery

Texas Hill Country Wineries

Alexandra's Cookie Dreams

Houston:

Houston Tidbits

Michael's Cookie Jar

Sew Crafty

Envy Magazine

School/Work/Organization:

Google - Language tools

Google - Templates/documents

Other:

Goop (Gwyneth Paltrow)

Yahoo TV Listings - (click "TV Listings" and customize w/zip code and type of cable)

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? 

Lolcat Radio

lolcats - This website never fails to make my day!  It makes me smile and laugh :)

Do you work on a Mac?  Check out this download for AOL Radio.  There's tons of radio stations.  I used the previous version (AOL Radio 1.2.1), and I currently use the Beta 2.0 version.  It's quality.  I'm a fan.  

 

Dave Matthews Band

Lockstep and I watched Dave Matthews Band Live from Piedmont Park on Palladia (MTV's HD channel) last night.  It was awesome.  

Click here for the link to select and view the songs you know and love! 

Cooking - Baked Sweet Potato Slices

Baked Sweet Potato Slices

Notes:

The picture above and recipe here is for 1 potato and serving 1 person (Lockstep).  Those of you who know me know that I have weird eating patterns.  These days I'm skinnier and eating less, so these were for Lockstep. 

Recipe:  Lockstep suggested that I prepare them this way...

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato (medium-sized)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

sea salt

nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Wash and dry the sweet potato.

-Slice sweet potato into 1/4 inch slices.

-Put sweet potato slices into a ziplock bag. Add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Add a little salt (I used about half a grind on the sea salt grinder).

-Seal ziplock bag and shake.  Make sure that each potato slice gets covered in the oil/salt mixture.

-Line baking sheet with aluminum foil  (for easy cleanup).

-Spray nonstick cooking spray on foil/cookie sheet  (to ensure they don't stick).

-Put the potato slices on the sheet, spacing out evenly. 

-Bake for about 20-25 minutes on one side.

-Then flip the potato slices onto their other side.  Bake for about 25 minutes more, or until outside is slightly crisp (or bake for longer for crisper, more browned slices).

Yield:  1 sweet potato; depends on size of potato and slices

Water for Elephants

Ok, so the library's copy of  The Secret Life of Bees had been checked out and Barnes and Noble only had the movie edition.   I'll read The Secret Life of Bees next week.  Anyways, moving on...

I started reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen last night.  This book is awesome.....the elephant trainer's name is Marlena!

Ninja Cat

YouTube video - Ninja Cat Comes Closer Without Moving

#1

Texas Fight.   

2008 NCAA Football Rankings Week 7 (Oct. 12)

Did you see the Texas-OU game on Saturday?  

Final Score: 45-35.  Texas!

Did you see this play?  Click this link and check out "Quan's block on Shipley's run"

The Secret Life of Bees

I'm excited to read The Secret Life of Bees this week.  It is a historical fiction bestseller. 

The movie comes out on (Friday) October 17.

Official Movie Website.

Movie Trailers from Apple Website. 

Mr. Palomar

I just finished reading Mr. Palomar by Italo Calvino. 

Mr. Palomar Does the Shopping (The cheese museum)

"It is a language made up of things; its nomenclature is only an external aspect, instrumental; but for Mr. Palomar, learning a bit of nomenclature still remains the first measure to be taken if he wants to stop for a moment the things that were flowing before his eyes."

 

Mr. Palomar's Journeys (Serpents and skulls)

"Mr. Palomar's friend cannot contain himself: 'Yes, we do (know what the Wall of Serpents means)! It's the continuity of life and death; the serpents are life, the skulls are death.  Life is life because it bears death with it, and death is death because there is not life without death..."

Mr. Palomar in Society (On biting the tongue)

"Mr. Palomar has made a habit of biting his tongue three times before saying anything.  After the third bite, if he is still convinced of what he was going to say, he says it.  If not, he keeps his mouth shut.....

....In fact, silence can also be considered a kind of speech, since it is a rejection of the use to which others put words; but the meaning of this silence-speech lies in its interruptions in what is, from time to time, actually said, giving a meaning to what is unsaid."

More Sugar - Pumpkin Photos

  
  

Cooking - Sugar Cookies

This weekend's baking project was roll-out sugar cookies.  I used a recipe from allrecipes printable cookbooks - holiday cookies 2007.  

The most important thing I learned in today's baking extravaganza is this:  Roll out cookie dough between 2 sheets of wax paper or saran wrap!  This makes rolling out the dough so easy (no sticking!) and clean up is super quick (no flour mess). 

The dough: 

The dough (close up):

The cookies (before frosting):

The pumpkins (1 orange and 1 green):

The pumpkins (all fancy on a silver tray):

The pumpkins (all 4 together):

Conference Matchup

Is the Big 12 as strong (or stronger) than the SEC this year?  The Big 12 has 5 teams ranked in the top 10 (according to the AP).  The SEC only has 2 teams in the top 10.  Both conferences have 6 teams ranked in the top 25. 

Click here for the ESPN - NCAA Football Rankings - Week 6 (Oct. 5) 

Check out this list comparison:

Cooking - Chicken Parmesan, Meatloaf, Baked Beans

Cooking/Recipes from last week:

Chicken Parmesan - (With directions provided by Lissett and Lockstep) 

Fettucini pasta; basil and tomato sauce; fresh sliced mushroom; chicken; and fresh grated parmesan cheese. 

Meatloaf - I used lean turkey and a variation of this recipe from Start Cooking.  

Mom's Baked Beans - I used my Mom's recipe 

Beans; mustard; ketchup; brown sugar; onion; green pepper (optional); garlic powder (or salt); worcestershire; bacon (or ham).  

Texas - OU

It's Texas-OU weekend!

Austin-ness:

Saturday - The Texas Longhorns (#5) play the Oklahoma Sooners (#1) at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas at 11:00.  The game is televised on ABC.  

For the first time in seven consecutive years, I will not be attending the State Fair of Texas and Red River Shootout/Rivalry.  I'm missing the pre-game excitement, seas of burnt orange and crimson red, Big Tex, and getting the annual box of salt water taffy.  Lockstep wishes he had a Fletcher's Corny Dog, too. 

Houston-ness:

Friday - New York Pizzaria in Midtown.  I really like this place.  The atmosphere and food is really good.  

Cherry Passion

Cherry Passion Tic Tacs are so yum. 

Quotes

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."  -Dr. Seuss

"The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care." -Charles Schulz

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia."  -Charles Schulz

"Without the assistance of the divine being, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail."  -Abraham Lincoln

"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."  -Abraham Lincoln

"Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much."  -John Wayne

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

"It's all about the base coat."  -Erin Eason

"Anything that's worth it probably isn't easy."  -Lissett Bickford

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."  -Milton Berle

Fleet Foxes

I'm liking this album.  

More info on Fleet Foxes here and here.  

Below is a video of the song "White Winter Hymnal."