Thursday, March 26, 2009

Chef Robert Irvine

Since starting graduate school I haven't been watching television that much.  Lately I've watched a few episodes of House (I'm really loving that show) and The Weather Channel (my husband and I are weather geeks) along with some documentaries - What the Bleep Do We Know and For the Bible Tells Me So.  

More importantly, I just discovered this great news about a show that I used to love -- Dinner Impossible.  Remember back when it was really good and Robert Irvine was the host?  Then they changed the show and put that Michael - Iron Chef winner guy in there to host instead and the show wasn't as good.  WELL.  They are bringing Chef Robert Irvine BACK!  Hooray!  I will be tuning in :)   Here's the official 411 from Food Network:

Dinner: Impossible
Dinner: Impossible 
Robert Irvine is making the impossible, possible! Catch back-to-back episodes Saturday, starting at 9pm/8c. Coming soon: Robert kicks off an all-new season April 8!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Twitter

PS.  I joined Twitter

Post - Spring Break

Spring Break = great :)

Got some good time in organizing, cleaning, and cooking.  Started some school work and went on some coffee dates.  Lockstep and I ventured on a mini trip to San Antonio with my parents, brother, and Texas State Representatives and staff last night.  We went to dinner at Acenar (planned for dinner at Pico de Gallo, but the wait time was 1.5 hours at 5:30 in the afternoon and we didn't have time).    Then we went to the Face2Face Elton John and Billy Joel concert.  Those guys are some truly talented musicians.  It was pretty awesome.




I had a coupled of failed baking adventures this week and a couple of successes.  Neither the shortbread or healthy/oatmeal banana bread turned out.  But I did make this yellow sheet cake from baking bites that turned out well.  I only made a half-recipe (so a mini-cake), and I used regular all-purpose flour (amount recipe calls for -minus- 2 tablespoons) in place of the cake flour. I also used skim milk.  I think it tastes kinda like pound cake (a light/air-y version).  It's pretty fun to just read through Baking Bites Recipe Index.  Like I've probably said before, I really like most of the recipes from here that I've tried. 

Monday, March 16, 2009

Cooking - Bananas 6 Months in Freezer

Quick breads are one of my favorite things to make. So a couple of weeks ago I made some Banana Bread and Pumpkin Bread.  I tried out two different Pumpkin Bread recipes -- one from Betty Crocker and one from Taste of Home.  I really liked the Taste of Home recipe, but the Betty Crocker was a bit more moist.  I'll have to share the recipes with you after I test a couple of others and find a favorite.  

So when I bought bananas a couple weeks ago there were a few left over that were ripe, so I put them in the freezer (the whole bananas, not peeled or anything).  I've often wondered how long bananas are good in the freezer -- How soon do I need to use them (for my next loaf of Banana Bread)?

Since I just stumbled upon this information at JoyofBaking.com and find it extremely useful, I wanted to share it with you:

Bananas = Good for 6 months in the freezer

Copy/Pasted Info: 
If you are like me almost every time I buy bananas a few (not enough though to make this bread) will turn brown before I get around to eating them. Instead of throwing them away simply slip them into a plastic bag and place them into the freezer until you have enough for baking. You can also peel and mash them, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice for each banana, and freeze in an airtight container or bag. They will keep about six months in the freezer.



I'd definitely be making banana bread again way before the 6 month mark, but still knowledge is power.  

I have a favorite Banana Bread recipe from my Mom, and since it has a special place in my heart (delicious and reminds me of Home)   I almost never make Banana Bread using other recipes.  I've been looking at a couple of other BB recipes and might try a new one soon.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

I missed Spring Break while I worked full-time...

Spring Break!

Spring Break is such a great time in the semester.  Got the routine going, managing the courses and the stress, a much needed breather in order to gear up for the second half.  They really should have Spring Break in the real world (aka working world outside of academia.)  Even though I've worked in the university setting, staff do not get to take Spring Break (as "free" days....of course you can use your vacation/benefit time if ya want.) 


Spring break began for me after turning in a paper and taking an exam on Wednesday night.  I've got a long list of things to do for the next week -- fun things and work/school things :)  I'm off to a good start -- did some cooking, baking, and cleaning as well as coffee dates with two of my favorite peoples.  Hopefully I'll get to post some of the recipes that I've been using during the last couple weeks.  Also, I finally uploaded a ton of photos... might try to post some photos of past recipes and during the moving/transition time from Houston to Austin.  

Friday, March 06, 2009

Cooking - Neiman Marcus Cookies

Remember back a long time ago (Christmas) when I was talking about the Neiman Marcus cookies that Lockstep loves so much?  The recipe I've been using has been one that was in my Inbox as FlipperMb2 from like 1998.  A couple of weeks ago I was searching for cookie recipes and stumbled upon the NM cookie recipe online!   Here's the link in case you want to try them sometime.  I'd definitely recommend splitting the recipe in half.  I made the entire thing for taking to the Hensarling Christmas last year and it was entirely too many cookies.  When I was mixing up the cookies I didn't have the whole recipe - I just had the ingredients.  I should have recognized that it made a billion cookies, but I didn't.  This recipe link says that the whole recipe makes like 100 cookies.  Believe it.  


Recipe:  Neiman Marcus Cookies

From:  FlipperMb2 Inbox  and this link


Ingredients:
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar
5 cups oatmeal
24 oz. chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
(1) 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)


Directions:
-Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. 

-Cream the butter and both sugars. 

-Add eggs and Vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. 

-Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. 

-Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. 

-Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Yield: Makes 112 cookies
(Recipe may be halved)

Sunday, March 01, 2009

DL Hughley Breaks the News

I love D.L. Hughley Breaks the News!


I don't watch much tv, and when I do it's usually CNN, The Weather Channel, ESPN or the Food Network.  For the last couple of months (pretty much since we first moved back to Austin), my favorite show is D.L. Hughley Breaks the News on CNN.  It's a pretty new show - debut in October 2008. The new episodes premier on the weekend (Saturday evening), and I usually watch it either Saturday or Sunday or both!  

Saturday, February 28, 2009

links and wordles


great fun - 





wordle #1:





wordle #2:

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Quote - Learning

This is a poem from my class notes in an Introduction to Counseling class that I took during my senior year of college at UT in 2006.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters; by: Portia Nelson

Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost . . . I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in. . . it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5
I walk down another street.



From: Stark, M. (1994). Working with resistance.  Northvale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, Inc., p. xxi.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Friday, February 20, 2009

Graduate School - February Update

Graduate School 

Other than the massive amounts of reading... Here's an example of what I've been up to lately. 

Books are also posted on my GoodReads. RSS.

Recently completed assignments: (remember school just started January 19th-ish... was that really only a month ago?!)

College Student Development - Leadership/Mentoring/Training 
-Scholarly Article Summaries/Presentations: 
WICS Approach to Leadership by Robert Sternberg
Teaching Leadership by Susan Leshnower
-Reading/Researching other articles on leadership
-Textbook  for first half of class
-Workshop development - will be leading 60-90 minute leadership training workshop to Resident Assistants at the end of April 

Counseling - Skills and Techniques
-First video, transcription of every word said in the video, table for transcription observations/comments/intentions; and critique paper 
(worked in groups; Turned in the 20 minute session that I served as the therapist)


Counseling - Multicultural Counseling and Diversity
-Reading times ten million - textbooks, articles, outside readings on Blackboard
-Cultural Autobiography - Scholarly critique paper, at least 10 sources, 25 pages 
-Diversity Project - ongoing throughout semester (will blog about this later)
-Collaborative Wiki - researching populations, creating a chapter on specific population


I've found some cool articles (Seven Habits of Highly Effective Health Educators) and some cool quotes in my readings.  I hope to share more of this type of thing soon. 

Cooking Related Lately

Other things we've been cooking around here this week are the usuals - 
Meatloaf and Tortilla Soup (variations of previously posted recipes)

And on the baking side - 
Chunky Apple Cake (Note - Lockstep likes this one, but it is not one of my favorites)
Beer Cheese Bread  (made with Coors Light and Mexican blend cheese)
Beer Bread (made with  Ziegan Boch Amber)



Now that I'm in school full-time we have more frozen foods for meals. This week we had some Marie Callender's and Gorton's Beer Batter Fish.  I'm looking forward to having the pizza that is in the freezer box, too!

Link to list of Marie Callendar's frozen meals. We like these because of the size and it includes vegetables (as compared to other frozen dinners like Boston Market or Hungry Man that usually have mostly meat and potato).

Lockstep is a fan of the Honey Roasted Chicken, Honey Roasted Turkey, Turkey with Stuffing, and Chicken Pot Pie among others. (Lasagna and Meatloaf are pretty good, too). 

Lockstep enjoyed the Beer Battered Fish last night.  It made the apartment smell like Long John Silvers though!


This blog - frozen food journal -is website looks cool.. May have some good info/opinions. I  hate having so much frozen food, so I'll have to work on the meal planning/organizing.  Seems like some weeks are busier than others, and some weeks I feel like cooking more than others. 



In the cooking/baking queue:

Lasanga - Meat or Spinach (I've made this Spinach Lasagna recipe before, and it was really good/easy). 

Pancakes 

Snickerdoodles/Cookies (either Betty Crocker's recipe or a Mrs. Field's Recipe

Brownies (Looks like an easy/quick recipe and doesn't use a lot of prep measuring tools, and I've usually got all of these ingredients).


Cooking - Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

Recipe:  Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
From:  Nicole at Baking Bites

Notes:  I've made these a couple times and really like them.  They are a chewy and soft cookie bar.  Definitely don't overbake these!  They are super easy, quick to make, and doesn't use a lot of bowls/spoons/etc in the prep process. 



Ingredients: 
1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 cups quick cooking (not instant) oats

1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. 

Take 8x8 inch pan and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.


Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in vanilla, egg and melted butter until smooth. 

Stir in oats and raisins until they are evenly distributed.


Pour dough into prepared pan and spread into a even layer with a spatula.

Bake for 22 minutes, or until bars are set and the center no longer looks wet. Edges will be golden brown. Cool pan on a wire rack before slicing.
Cut into 18 rectangular bars to serve.

Yield:  
18 cookie bars

Thursday, February 12, 2009

MIA - Update

Hi!  I've been MIA on the blog scene since the move to Austin.  Things have been so busy.  I'm a full time graduate student and working.  I love my classes this semester, but I should have only taken 6 hours instead of 9.  I don't have enough time get get everything done!

School Related - 
The classes I'm taking this semester:
College Student Development - Leadership, Mentoring, and Training
Counseling - Skills and Techniques
Counseling - Multicultural Counseling and Diversity


Cooking Related -
Recently I made this pumpkin bread from Betty Crocker and it turned out pretty good. And, I made peanut butter cookies using this peanut butter cookie recipe from Cookie Madness, It was really easy and delicious (I loved looking through her "one bowl" cookie/brownie recipes).

I'll probably be making Snickerdoodles (haven't decided on a recipe, yet) and Apple Bread (that chunky apple cake recipe from Eat Better America.com) sometime this weekend. 

Austin Related -
Lockstep and I are loving Austin.  We go running almost daily at Clint Small Middle School. We go to Austin Stone for church on Sunday evenings.  Of course Maudie's breakfast tacos are a regular staple in our weekly routine as well.  


Ok, considering I have 3 big assignments due next week I should stop procrastinating and get busy.  Have a great weekend! 

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Back in Austin!

Hi!

I've been MIA on the blog scene lately because we've been in the process of moving.  The first week back to work at Rice was busy because they started back to school on January 5 (incredibly early compared to other universities) and there was a  grant deadline for the DOD.  

Lockstep is a professional when it comes to moving.  We had everything wrapped in newspaper, boxed up, and labeled by Saturday.  Lockstep's dad and Matt came over to help us load into the Uhaul truck on Sunday.  Then Lockstep's dad and Jordan helped unload everything when we moved in on Monday morning.  Moving went so smoothly!  Kudos to Lockstep who made sure we had cable/internet/and our office set up by the end of the day on Monday.  :)

In Austin last week we spent our time unpacking boxes, going to orientation at St. Ed's, hanging out with Bailey Jane, going to Trivia Night at Pluckers with Bailey Jane, and watching Lost.  

Today we went to church at EV Free and there's NFL on TV.  I'll try to get some photos, recipes, and more Austin/Houston info on the blog this week!  

School starts on Tuesday!




Sunday, January 11, 2009

Cooking - German Style

The last meal I cooked for Erik in our apartment in Houston was German cuisine. Lockstep is quite proficient in the German language.  I'm learning - audio discs in the car and have a couple of books (German in 10 minutes a day :)  It's something I'd like to work on more often.  For our next vacation we'd like to visit Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  So I'd like to be more familiar with the language by the time we plan to travel. Our last name is German... Hensarling... came from Heinzerling (phonetically, I need to learn the spelling of the great-grandfather's name).  They changed the name at Ellis Island. 


Dinner:
Grilled Bratwursts
Roasted German Potato Salad
Sauteed Sauerkraut with Caraway Seeds


The Roasted German Potato Salad I've been making for about a year now.  The index card that I wrote the recipe on says that it came from cooks.com in April 2008.  This isn't my favorite potato salad ever, but Lockstep really likes it and it goes well with the bratwurst and sauerkraut.  

Recipe:  Roasted (German) Potato Salad

Notes:  
-Amounts are approximate.  Depends on how many potatoes I have in the pantry. 
-I usually make extra of the dressing part.


Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1 clove garlic or 1/8 tsp garlic powder
5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon grainy mustard
2 teaspoons minced chives
1 teaspoon rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
-Spray baking dish with Pam. 
-Scrub potatoes, cut into quarters, and place in a single layer in a baking dish. 
-Mix together 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic, salt, pepper.  Scatter over the potatoes.

(Note:  Sometimes I put the potatoes in a bowl and toss with the olive oil mixture.  Then I put the potatoes on the baking dish.)

-Toss and roast for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. 

-Beat the vinegar and mustard, and whisk in the remaining olive oil until smooth.
-Add roasted potatoes and herbs.  Cool to room temperature and serve. 


Yield:  Serves 6



Friday, January 09, 2009

Quotes


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

from helping skills by clara hill


the one who listens is the one who understands. 

-afrikan (jabo) proverb


-he who has a why to live can bear with almost any how

-nietzche


ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.

-leo buscaglia


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


if you life to be a hundred, i want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so i never have to live without you. --winnie the pooh



your boots may be made for walking... but mine are in case I need to kick your ass. 

 --erin smith



five simple rules for happiness:

1. free your heart from hatred. 

2. free your mind from worries.

3. live simply.

4. give more.

5. expect less.

--unknown




very little is needed to make a happy life.  

--unknown



into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work, hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest, prayer, meditation, and one well-elected solution. put about one teaspooonful of good spirits. a dash of fun, a pinch of folly,  sprinkle of play, and cupful of good humor. 

--pottery barn, page 96, january 2009 issue, writings on a chalkboard


Monday, January 05, 2009

Cooking - Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

Recipe:  Basic Beer-Cheese Bread  or just Basic Beer Bread
From:  Cooking Light


Picture:  Will add later when I upload from the camera. 

Notes:  
I've made this bread twice in the last couple of days.   So easy!  So good!  I've made a couple of changes to the recipe to fit with what we have in the pantry. 

One time I substituted jalapenos for the onions.  
One time I left out the onions and cheese parts entirely and just made the basic bread part.  

Recipe below is copy/paste directly from the website.  In parenthesis are details that I added.  


Ingredients:

  • 1  tablespoon  olive oil
  • 1/2  cup  finely chopped yellow onion  (I used jalapenos)
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 1  garlic clove, minced

(I've also made this bread with just the ingredient items below)
  • 13.5  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
  • 3  tablespoons  sugar  (I used splenda-sugar blend)
  • 2  teaspoons  baking powder
  • 1  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese  (I used the 2% milk Mexican blend cheese)  (I've also made this bread without including the cheese at all)
  • 1  (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)  (I used Coors Light)
  • Cooking spray  (or just butter the pan)
  • 2  tablespoons  melted butter, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.


(Lockstep and I like the bread really soft and just barely done on the inside, so I baked the bread for the 35 minutes and then only 15 minutes.)


Yield:  1 loaf 

Recipes and Moving

Happy New Year!  

I'll be posting some recipes from the last couple of weeks soon.  We made Neiman Marcus Cookies/Rice Krispy Treats for Christmas Eve and Queso/Quesadillas for New Years Eve, so I'll post those recipes and photos.  

Lockstep and I are moving to Austin in a week!  So, we are trying to eat/cook everything in the kitchen so that we don't have to move it.  I've planned to make some more bread and cookies to use up the flour and butter.  We just used up the last of the eggs, bread, and cooking spray.  Recipes will have to start getting more creative as the week goes by!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

They grow up so fast (part 2)!

Flashback photos of Monkey as a kitten (2007)