Baked Bedlam

As the semester ends I find myself in a strange and unexpected situation. I need to get rid of as much food as I can before I make the trek back to Oregon. After a year of saving and skimping and not eating meat or salad dressing except for special occasions it is odd having square meals everyday. I'm making it through my frozen ground meat I bought at the beginning of the year on sale quite well, but I'm having a hard time with my flour and sugars. The solution? baking for any excuse possible. My FHE group is definitely getting the biggest benefit, they now have a treat every week--which are getting fancier every week (last week they were butterscotch brownies with vanilla glaze, the recipe with the most brown sugar in it). Though my roommates do enjoy alot. Saturday and Sunday alone i managed to pump out chocolate chip scones, a packed pizza (no cheese but still divine with my favorite topping--spinach), and an apple pie. The scones and pizza were delicious (not to brag but its not hard to make a baked good delicious) but my pie was sub par. The crust was similar to a cracker, all thin and crispy on the top, I was disappointed and could not be consoled. Nevertheless between our neighbors and me we have eaten the pie, and enjoyed it too. Next up? cinnamon rolls, with extra frosting considering i have like half a bag of powdered sugar. If you stop by #73 this weekend you might just get a baked good.

maybe..

Disney characters

I thought a lot about what Disney characters I am most like. At first I was like, oh belle or mulan, what strong beautiful "princesses". But then really, that's not me, when have I ever fallen in love with an animal/man or cross dressed to save my father. I considered Aladdin, poor--easily connected with a college student, but still it wasn't working out for me. All of the characters seemed too heroic, brave or funny.

I settled with Woody from toy story. Here are my reasons:

• I have a generally quirky wardrobe, including random scarves and hats.
• I am resistant to change, but usually prefer it in the end. I especially take a long time to start liking people that are forced into my life (aka buzz lightyear)
• I am sarcastic
• I run weird
• I get easily upset when the general public's preference moves from me to someone else like "the new kid on the block"
• I wish I were a cowboy.

Movie Foods

I have decided that I throughly enjoy movies where the main character is, or is involved with a baker.

Some of my favorites include Stranger than fiction starring Will Ferrell. Will Ferrell is an auditor for the IRS, and falls inlove with a fiesty earth muffin who dropped out of law school to bake and make the world a better place.

I also really enjoy Chocolat, starring Juliette Binoche, yes it is a chick flick, and johnny depp is the romantic lead role. But before I really cared about boys I was entranced by Juliette binoche stirring rich melted chocolate with a wooden spoon, and dusting a freshly baked cake with cocoa powder the color of rich earth.

I find the scene in Stranger than Fiction were Will Ferrell gives baker an assortment of baking flowers the most romantic and well played scene in movies.

Maybe I just connect with the strong woman baker role. There is something admirable about the woman who can change the world with sweets. I hope that some day I can attain that level. I think I have come pretty close with my chocolate chip cookies...

Dishes

If you recognize this photo, I sympathize with you. If you don't then I am jealous of you.

I thought that I would be prepared for quirky roommates, sharing rooms, and snowy days, when leaving for college. But what I was not prepared for was the sink. Yes, the sink is perpetually full of dirty dishes, ours particularly is full of plastic bowls and butter knives. Constantly I ask myself where are all the dishes going? The facts: 1)I know I have one bowl, one cup, and a few plates and silverware. 2)I wash the dishes I use for meals within the hour that I used them. 3)The sink is still full.

I have tried several things to promote cleanliness in our kitchen, which currently smells like rot. I have piled one persons dirty dishes to the side, and cleaned all the rest, sometimes leaving a note like " this is revolting" scrawled across a napkin, I have cleaned every ones dishes--dried them, and put them away, I have made a colorful and polite sign to encourage cleaning of dishes. All to no avail, day after day the sink fills with dishes from roommates that I hardly ever see eat.

Finally I have come up with a sub par solution. One day while pondering away the hours I realized that my roommates cook the most, and use the most dishes when I have freshly cleaned, disinfected and tidy-upped the kitchen. So to reduce the amount of dishes used (thus the amount of hours I spend cleaning them, and the amount of enmity grown toward dinnerware) I have resolved to leave the sink at least half full, and the kitchen in a moderate, but acceptable, state of disarray.

The plan has been effective thus far.

okay so I got tagged.

A. Post the rules at the beggining
B. Answer the questions about yourself
C. After posting, tag 5 people by going to their blog and leaving a comment
1. What were you doing 10 years ago? I was 8ish, it was spring time, which means i was probably outside picking flowers, turning them into soup and feeding them to my barbies.

.2. Five things on my to-do list today. Make cookies for FHE, finish FHE video, do homework, wash everyone elses dishes, sleep.

3. What snacks do i enjoy? Vanilla yogurt, toast, poptarts, grannysmith apples, salsa and chips

4. what would you do if you were suddenly a billionaire? Pay for school, start a clothing business, save it for posterity, visit europe, buy a house for my parents.

5. Three bad habits: leaving my clothes lying around, not listening to people while they talk, wearing lime green tights.
6. 5 places i have lived. Utah, Oregon, Ireland.... utah again...
7. 5 jobs i've had. Baskin robbins window washer, summer lunch lady, blimpiesworker, subway worker, tacotime superhero (the same time and place as blimpies, so it doesn't really work..)
8. 5 things people dont know about me.1. I hate driving cars
2. i play the guitar
3. my hair is permed
4. i own only one piece of purple clothing
5. i lived in ireland.

Denial

Often I have been asked the question "What is your favorite dessert?". I would hum and hah, then come up with something I only get during Christmas, or some other divine holiday. It would always be something fancy, like cheese cake, creme brulee or triple-chocolate-raspberry-fantasy-death-cake. But really, all that time I was in denial. My favorite dessert for sure? The good ol' trustworthy cookie, any cookie, chocolate chip, snicker doodles, chocolate crinkles, gingersnaps, spritz, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia nut.. the list goes on.

I do have some guidelines however, first: homemade cookies, or bakery fresh cookies always win, cookies aren't meant to be crispy and hard. Second: If a cookie is homemade it should be slightly soft, a bit chewy and have a hint of crisp unless the type of cookie suggests otherwise (aka oatmeal lace) Third: A cookie, if it contains chocolate chips, or any other chips, is best enjoyed warm, and with milk, the exception is applesauce chocolate chip cookies. For the sake of time I won't continue on my OCD attitude of cookies, but consider the other reedemable qualities of the cookie, it is easy to make, contains common household ingredients, comes in perfect proportions, is versatile and portable-requiring no utensils. Cookies are classic, for me coming home from late activities to a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies and a class of cold milk was the most satisfying thing, better then cheese cake or creme brulee, the cookie really does hold supreme.

College Food

This weeks adventures were pretty typical. On monday I tried to make some filling for burritos with peppers, onions, tomatoes and pinto beans. I prepared the peppers and onions, then poured in a can of "chipotle flavored diced tomatoes". Along with a can of pinto beans I was good to go. The result was chile. I couldn't believe it, I had just made chili, except it wasn't so thick because it hadn't been stewing all day. I shrugged, and placed it in my tortilla anyway. It reminded me of chili cook offs back in the homeward, but it was that wierd chili that tastes like someone else made it.
Something I also really enjoy doing when i'm hungry is spreading peanut butter on a tortilla, folding it in half, then grilling it in a frying pan till it's crispy, like a quesadilla. Something about crispy, peanut buttery-ness hits the spot everytime. And when it's a special occasion I throw in a few chocolate chips too.

Good story of the week

So today, in honor of our presidents and american culture, my roomate, her sister and husband and I all went out to Red Robin. Yes it sounds rash and expensive, but it gets better. First I realized that Red Robin has free bottomless fries, all you have to do is ask. So we were eating fries (which are better then most I have eaten), and the waitress asked if we would move tables because they needed to use ours, and if we did we would get free dessert. So we're like " yeah of course" (we would of moved even if we didn't get a free dessert for sure). As we ate our various plates we discussed what we could of done to recieve such good fortune.

After a burger and fries we were all quite full enough. But in good american fashion we requested our free dessert. What did we order? The "mile high mud pie". The picture looked quite small really, not nearly a mile tall. But what we got was huge, probably seven inches tall, with whip cream. What it was was chocolate icecream, vanilla iceream, and peanut butter things, and fudgy things, and cookie crumb things. It was quite good, for a while... Soon we were groaning, taking spoonful after spoonful, but we had to finish it, heck we got it for free. As we left the resturaunt, totally overloaded and in real physical pain I realized, this wasn't a blessing, but a lesson, learned the hard way. I need to eat less like an american.

Pancake's Day

You may or may not know that today (february 12th) is pancake day. Well I am not sure if it is official, but thats how most food holidays in my life tend to go down. Take May 10th-pudding day. It started in 7th grade, a friend of mine was eating chocolate pudding, I don't know how it started but Lucy was in a particular fiesty mood, and pudding ended up on Julia's shirt. There was a chase scene, and from that year on May 10th was a holiday in our lives. It started out with making pudding, or going to the park and having pudding fights, then gradually turned into just mentioning and the occasional pudding cup.

Back to pancakes though. In honor of pancake day IHOP (international house of pancakes) gave away a stack of free pancakes to anyone who asked (which means I didn't make up this holiday). My roomate Heather and I partook of this golden opprotunity, gathered ward members and went on a trip to Springville. Cleverly (and correctly) we had decided that springville would be less full of hungry anxious college students, it turned out that we were one of the few groups there partaking of free pancakes.

Moral of the story? Food should be celebrated annually, and if you want free pancakes go to the IHOP in Springville, the line isn't as long.

The Avocado

As my roomate and I were sitting at the table eating the fresh guacamole I had just prepared, a thought came to me. Avocados are the best fruit ever--yes they are a fruit. Not only are they a wonderful color, but they are creamy, delicous, and healthy. My absolute favorite way to eat avocado is in homeade chunky guacomole, not made from a package, but real onions, lime juice etc. In honor of the avocado that made my weekend I have some fun facts about avocados provided by www.avocado.org.

• Avocados are sodium and cholesteral free, with only 5 grams of fat.
• two mature avocado trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four
• 43% of US households by avocados
• there are 7,000 avocado groves in California
• The avocado is also called an alligator pear.

Yeah, I know right?

So whats your favorite way to eat an avocado? Or do you just hate the blessed fruit? Tell me, or not.

The cake I pretend I didn't make

It all started with a gallon of sour milk. Immediately my mom's frugality skipped into my mind "oh we can't waste this, lets use it to bake.". Now the concept was simple, find a recipe that uses the most milk for the best product. Ideally the result is homemade goodness, fluffy and sublime.

I spent a good amount of time looking for recipes on Allrecipes.com for things containing 'sourmilk'. Most of the recipes contained things I didn't have, like 5 banana's, or 3 cups shredded zucchini and ginger-root. So I decided on a chocolate cake recipe. The reviewers gave wonderful comments, things like 'tastes just like my grandma used to make, and when she died I couldn't find the recipe, but this is it!'. I was apprehensive about the 1/3 cup of shortening (or lard, which no college student has...), and the simple vague directions, but went through with it anyways. The first problem I encountered was how to 'blend' shortening, egg, milk and sugar. The shortening just separated into clumps, even so, I was determined. After laboring through mixing and following directions, I succeeded in making the batter, I poured it into my greased and floured cake pan, and proceeded to put it in the oven. Half an hour later I checked it for 'doneness'. Our apartment lacked toothpicks, so I went with my mom's other rule, that if you tap it lightly and it springs back, then it's perfect--so I did, and I swear it sprung back, happier then two Easter bunnies in a field of plastic grass. I continued to let the cake cool. After I did some homework I came back to the cake (probably gloating.) only to find a poolball-sized crater in the middle. The inside had totally not cooked for some reason. I was distraught. After consulting my roommate, and screaming a little, I put the cake back in the oven. Did it work? no, I only succeeded in drying out the outside of the cake. And to top it of, when I took the cake out of its pan, the middle came out. So being resourceful, and not one to through away baked goods, I cut a circle out of the middle of the cake and declared it a bunt. I made frosting from guessing, which turned out fantastic actually. In the end, the cake was dry, but homemade, and I used a cup of our sour milk, that's what really counts.

In case of emergency- pack a PB&J

This weekend was quite an exciting one in terms of college life. The goal? Get to phoenix arizona by 3 am friday morning. It all began with becca locking her keys in her car. We patiently waited for the locksmith to come while eating cold pizza. If you remember thursday night was very cold, but eventually the locksmith came and saved the day for a few dozen dollars. We climbed into the vehicle. After about five minutes it was still cold, but heather asked to borrow my jacket, I let her use it on the terms that she return it if the car breaks down.

The weather continued to darken, and an hour of driving caused our heater to stop working, we had no idea what was going on. About half an hour later our car died, and we we're stranded, probably half an hour from Beaver, in the cold darkness.

Heather returned my jacket.

As it were, we were stuck in beaver for the night, with no car and no prospects. And yes we were hungry. Luckily heather and I had packed each an apple and 1/2 of a PB and J sandwich. As we sat on the rickety motel bed worried about rental cars, hitch hiking, and the questionable cleanliness of surroundings, the 1/2 of a PB&J was a comfort. It was like biting into sticky, fun memories.

Yes eventually after several calls, the help of a stranger, and more money then planned, we made it to phoenix. The sun blinded my eyes and tickled my skin. The weekend was wonderful, full of sunshine and cantaloupe. But as good things go, this one came to an end, and it was time to leave. The night before we left I made heather and I each an entire pb&j sandwich, just in case.

Sandwich Artist

So as it turns out, I am a sandwich artist. At least I think that's my job title. I happen to work at the Subway on Bulldog. So three times a week you can find me there, behind the counter ready to serve you a delectable sandwich made with the utmost precision. But really it's not that glamourous. The most popular sandwich I make is turkey on white bread with just mayonaise, and olives. I wish I could say something to them, like-"try a vegetable, they're nutritious, and I have several", but I can't. For those unfamiliar to the subway tradition, you can choose what bread, meat, vegetables and condiments you would like. As the result you have a beautiful sandwich, made fresh and just the way you like it. I realize that sounds like a promotional plug in, but we were expecting that from the beginning. Anyway, I do really enjoy sandwiches, and I even get a free sandwich every shift, except for as of last week I have to pay the 27 cent tax... Which is really quite affordable for a meal. So there is another aspect of my life.

p.s. If you're wondering, my favorite sandwich is either the BMT, or turkey on wheat (both with all the veggies).

The beginning of our Food Experiment--January

Even though I have a misleading name, I have never eaten at the Red lobster. In fact I have never eaten a lobster or crustacean (except for fake crab once...) . My seafood experience is actually quite insignificant. I do enjoy the regular tuna fish sandwich, and fresh fish-- but generally I don't eat fishes from the sea, I usually stick with the burritos, salads and chicken.

I am actually a freshman here at BYU, and I live off campus, only because I needed a kitchen and space. I am very grateful for my kitchen because I get to cook so often. I don't get to crazy with my food because of budget, but my roommates do know me for spending three hours Saturdays making a veggie soup from scratch. When I have the time I also have been known to experiment with baking. Most recently before winter break I made pumpkin yeast bread, which wasn't that sweet kind that your mom gets from her visiting teachers. It was enjoyable to say the least.

I think that I should explain the lobster thing in more detail, because some might be confused. Several years ago I was shopping in a thrift store with my friend back in Oregon, when we came across a navy dress with red lobsters on it. "You have to wear this" my friend exclaimed, "okay" I replied, and like that every time we saw something with a lobster on it, it had to be accumulated. Soon we we're making lobster stamps and sewing lobsters on my tshirts. It was fun. Then along came Ann Klein with her special lobster collection ( a fashion designer known for her preppy bags, sweaters and classic women's clothing) needless to say we were shocked, and felt cheated. But we're over it now, and I still tend to collect lobster curios. Its not like lobsters consume my life, but it is an interesting thing about me, and everyone can associate lobsters with Shannon to make their life easier. That's probably the last you will hear about lobsters from me.