I'm random, thanks for asking.

Cooking!

How do you feel about cooking?
I like to cook, and I can get by, but am no chef. I've like to watch cooking on TV since I was a kid, which was the few shows on PBS at the time. Great Chefs, Great Chefs of the World, Jeff Smith, and Graham Kerr.

How often do you cook a meal (from mostly fresh ingredients, not something ready-assembled that you just heat)?
Not nearly as often as I should. Maybe 2-3 times a month.

How many people do you usually cook for, when you cook?
Me, myself and I.

Do you have a favourite recipe book or chef?
I follow lots of bloggers who now mainly post on IG, and also Food 52 on FB and Bon Appetit on IG. If I want to make a particular dish, I'll check Smitten Kitchen first to see if she has a version.

Kitchen tools: use the fewest possible or gadgets are your friend?
I guess I lean towards gadgets are my friend. I like having lots of spatulas and spreaders for baking, and different spoons and whatnot for cooking. I have the utensils that I use often, and a bunch of others that come in handy on occasion. I got a couple of unitaskers, as Alton Brown calls them, that turned out to not work so well: a 3-in-1 avocado tool, a corn cob stripper, and a little box with 3 grater sides.

I've done what I hoped to do today, for the most part. This included sleeping in, going to Home Goods and World Market, and cracking open my newest cookbook. One of the food bloggers I follow on posted about this book on IG, and it looked like something I could do. Looking through the recipes, there's a lot of kale...I actually don't mind kale, but it's a lot of prep work. I think. I've never actually prepped it. Anyway, I used sticky note flags to mark recipes I want to make. When I'll make them is another story. I still have two other baking books waiting for me. Plus, I need to see if my current book has something that will use up the 4 bananas I purposely left uneaten.

Speaking of eating, why am I feeling weird after my bagel and cream cheese? Could have something to do with the overabundance of coffee I've consumed today.

Oh, I also wanted to maybe make millionaire's shortbread, but that will have to wait a while.

So the popular thing lately is Marie Kondo's show on Netflix. I remember her book coming out a few years ago, but fewer people seemed to take notice of that. However, I don't need the KonMari method. I declutter on a regular basis. I just get aggravated when things are disorganized or take up too much space. Not that my house is by any means spotless. The chair I never sit in is currently the home of 3 dresses that I need to donate to an organization that provides free prom dresses to girls in need. They are old bridesmaid dresses; fancy but not blingy or outlandish. One is cocktail length. One has a lot of snags in the tulle at the bottom, though I don't think they are too obvious. Plus, the dress can be shortened to cocktail length if they wanted to. How do I know this? The sample at Nordstrom had one that had been shortened. However, it's a lot of layers of tulle, and it cost an arm and a leg to get it shortened and taken in for me.

I think I'll watch Ant Man, so I can eventually watch the sequel before it's taken off Netflix. It's been a good day to relax.

http://ringsandcoffee.livejournal.com/509497.html

These questions were written by ahunter3 for thefridayfive

1) What was the first recipe or food you learned how to cook?
Either Kraft mac and cheese, Top Ramen, Nestle Tollhouse cookies, or boxed cake mixes.

2) What recipe or food did you cook most recently?
Food cooked: pasta with meat sauce (ground beef, a jar of sauce, a can of tomatoes and random seasonings). Recipe followed: double chocolate banana bread

3) What recipe or food do you cook most often?
I bake most often, brownies (adapted from a KAF recipe) or banana bread

4) What is your favorite recipe?
This is definitely my favorite cookie recipe.


5) What is the recipe you make that impresses other people the most?
The above chocolate chip cookies, my brownies, and most anything I bake.

It was just posted today.

1. How do you feel about cooking?
I enjoy it, but wish I knew how to make even more things. Also be more authentic - I think I make very simplified versions of a lot of ethnic dishes.
I am also usually too busy to cook, which is sad. I like real food!

2. How often do you cook a meal (from mostly fresh ingredients, not something ready-assembled that you just heat)?
Maybe twice a week. Usually more like once. That is pathetic. Lately, even less often.

3. How many people do you usually cook for, when you cook?
Me, me and me.

4. Do you have a favourite recipe book or chef?
No, but I love food blogs. Lately it's Food52 and Smitten Kitchen.

5. Kitchen tools: use the fewest possible or gadgets are your friend?
Gadgets are my friend. Sooooooo much to wash after I cook or bake! I should say that I have the tools I love, but not a lot of one-use items. Every so often I ALMOST get the avocado slicer. If I ate mangoes on a regular basis, I'd definitely get a mango cutter.

The fudge is really yummy. If you're going to top it, I'd press the topping in before it cools. I tried putting Heath bits on mine, but they wouldn't stay on. It's Pioneer Woman's recipe that I used.

All through church tonight, I dreamed of an ice cream shake, and making sauteed veggies for dinner. Note to self: eat before church. Stopped at Coldstone on the way home - ice cream instead of a shake - then grabbed the veggies from the fridge as soon as I walked in the house. The fajita veggies at Chipotle were my inspiration, so I looked up the ingredients online. All they use is oil and fresh oregano on green peppers and onions. I used zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and a shallot, which I seasoned with dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. YUM.

Feeling hungry but unsure of what to cook for dinner, I ended up creating something off the top of my head. Into a blender went the following (measures are approximate as I just dumped stuff in):
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced green chiles
~1/4 of an onion
~1/2 tsp ground cumin
~1/2 tsp garlic powder
~1-2 tbsp dried cilantro
~1-2 tbsp olive oil
~tsp salt (ended up a bit on the salty side)

In a skillet I lightly browned some chicken tenders, then dumped in my "salsa" along with enough water as I thought I'd need for when I added the rice later. I let this heat up, then added brown Minute rice to the pan. Covered, turned to low, and let simmer 15 minutes.

It was more than edible, but pretty tasty. The chicken was really tender, which is nice as I often overcook it. I think I prefer white rice to brown with Mexican-ish flavored foods like this.

Made this recipe: http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2010/11/crisp-chocolate-chip-cookies.html and will bake the cookies tomorrow. The dough is good, though I'm not used to tasting molasses. I've never used molasses before. Also, waiting for the eggs and butter to reach room temperature wears on my patience. Good thing I had to make dinner first.

Made pasta with homemade (turkey) meat sauce. So full. I'll have to remember the recipe today since I particularly liked it. Problem is I eyeball seasonings. Anyway, onion, garlic, ground turkey, 2 cans diced tomatoes - no salt added, 1 can tomato paste, about 1 cup water, then approx. 1.5 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt (I might have added more later, can't remember), 1-2 tsp each ground thyme, oregano, and Italian seasoning. I add some, taste, simmer, then add more. Simmer 30 minutes covered. Partly as an experiment, and partly from laziness, I now add 2 cups of water after the simmer time and cook the pasta right in the sauce.

ETA: one packet red pepper flakes for some spice. 2 is a little strong. Oops, live and learn.

Still need a man to clean up after me. Kitchen floor is toxic. Dishes and counters are done.

Speaking of man-folk, I went to Safeway. Went through his checkline. Didn't get all batty-eyed, heart-aflutter. Still wish he'd do something like ask for my number.

Trying to keep a positive attitude at work. So far, ok. When I'm grumpy, I try to keep it to myself. Today, I succeeded.

AC is working again.

Amazing how we make all sorts of judgements about people. Case in point: guy brings his 3 kids to the pool. He has a couple tattoos and long chin-hair (Does that have a different name?). Super cool playing with his kids. I was trying to fill in the blanks in my mind like where's the mom, is he divorced (he mentioned they had to go when Grandma said the pizza was done), etc.

I still strongly dislike my chest. Probably not enough to ever have surgery (would do something about the sag, not a reduction).

One of my friends doesn't know what internet acronyms and expressions like brb or FAIL mean, but then types like a 13-year-old. "what're u doin' 2day?" Dude, it takes more effort to type incorrectly. I guess I should give her credit for using an apostrophe correctly.

Time to start using a food journal again.

I've been going to Starbucks like it's going out of style.

What's with that expression? It doesn't make sense. Or is it an idion, in which case it isn't supposed to be taken literally?

I made delicious hummus last night. I want some just because it tastes good, not because I'm hungry.

Bought a ton of baking supplies. Might bake with Michelle on Sunday. Or watch World Cup. Or both.

I tend to be really attentive to lyrics, except with the free iTunes songs I get. Heard the Civil Twilight song I got last October on the alternative station this week. Twice, actually. I realized I have no idea what most of the lyrics are, even though it's played 35 times.

ETA: the above song played on shuffle like 10 minutes after I wrote that, and I still didn't listen to the lyrics.

-Shiny cookware is shiny! All 13 pieces are washed and dried. Now, to use it.
-When I want a Seattle's Best coffee ice cream shake, I should just get one. My 2 attempts at a substitute just didn't cut it.
-Why do I eat fast food like it's nothing, the read the ingredients on all the different ice creams to find the least scary brand? Shocker of the day: the generic Wal-Mart brand was the most natural, pretty much the same as Breyers, and it tastes way better.
-I have huge recycling piles and Goodwill piles. I hate carrying all that stuff out to the bins and my car.
-Why am I so enamored with cheap plastic storage bins?
-I'm weird about certain things (see above for examples) but I've decided that everyone is weird in their own ways.
-Cold and rain, I really do like you. You'll be fondly rememebered come July. Keep in mind that cold here = the 40s. Ha ha ha.
-Staying up the next three Sundays to watch Emma on Masterpiece Theater isn't really feasible; Luckily, I can watch it online! Or just wait for the dvd on 2/9.
-Teaching parts of speech all year long, and I still get asked what verbs, nouns and adjectives are.

Examples of things students do that make no sense (happens multiple times daily)
Me: Take out your reading books and read any story you want for a few minutes (or do XYZ).
Student: Can we read any story we want (or do we do XYZ)?
Me: Did you *really* just ask me that?
****
On the way back from lunch
Student: May I go to the bathroom?
Me: Yes, when we pass by.
Student: (as we pass the bathrooms) Can I go now?
Me: o_O
****
Math question: Which shows the fraction in order from greatest to least?
Student: Oh, I thought it said least to greatest!
Me: But it says greatest to least.
Student: Yeah, but I thought it said least to greatest.
Me: That's like you saying "My name is Bob" and I reply "Oh, I thought you said your name was George!"
****
Me: *gives directions*
Student(s): *doesn't listen to directions*
Student(s): (2 seconds later) What do we do?
-or-
During reading centers, at which time I work with one of the 4 groups.
Student: *walks over to me from group across the room, holding paper* What am I supposed to do?
Me: Did you read the directions?
Student: No.
Me: Read them.
Student: *reads* Ohhhhh! Ok I know what to do!
Me: You couldn't have read them to begin with, or, you know, asked someone IN YOUR GROUP?