Not Your Typical College Kitchen

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday; the last time my age was a palindrome (spelled the same way front and backwards, like MOM and WOW) was 11...next 33!..AH! Where does the time go. I swear, after this tomorrow my age will reverse with each coming birthday (like Benjamin Button). Woo, can't wait to be 21 again next year!

Anyways. It's always an adjustment when I go back to school. I like my summer routine and am always anxious to get back into one once I start classes. Since this is syllabus week, I have a lot of time on my hand = a lot of blog posts.

While at college, I try my best to maintain a well-rounded, healthy diet. Our landlord (god bless him) has a garden which we're welcome to; so though I've been torn away from my backyard supermarket (tear), I still have access to fresh veggies! Hooray! And I must say that his garden makes mine look minuscule; his garden means business and I'm so thankful to benefit from it. 

Below is our refrigerator. Being the beginning of the year, it's a tad sparse; but, I have to say it's a pretty healthy college fridge. All of the green beans, zucchini, and squash are from our land lord's garden. And I've recently have had an obsession with Greek yogurt (hence the overstock over Oikos in the fridge) and agave nectar. It's like dessert for breakfast and who doesn't want dessert.

  

My other obsession? Salad. Doesn't sound too exciting, but I've been adding garden tomatoes, zucchini and green beans (ah so fresh) and mixing those with my organic spinach. Then topping it off with some fat-free Italian, S&P, oregano, and basil.  Heaven.

A masterpiece good enough to eat, and I think I will.

The rest of my cooking will be simplified and more easy-peasy since my resources are limited being at school and all, but...they all shall be delicious. Pinky promise.

My Top 5 Summer Achievements

It's that bittersweet time of the year: the end of summer. School is starting back up (sweet), but it'll probably snow in about a month (bitter). Regardless, my summer was filled with a ton of rewarding experiences; I couldn't of asked for a more fulfilling season-- personally and externally.

Like the midnight news, here's a recap of the Top 5 headline-worthy achievements of my summer (in no particular order):

1) Overcoming a fear: Running in my first 5k

I overcame my fear of running, and participated in something that would have sounded absurd two years ago. Like phonics, I'm hooked and hoping to participate in a half marathon in the near future!

2) Started a new hobby: Cycling

I finally gave in and bought a Trek road bike (aka Colbalt aka Colbie) which became the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

We starred as the dynamic duo in my first big LiveStrong 45 mile bike race which led to...

....kinda-sorta meeting Lance Armstrong! That alone experience could have defined my summer.

3) New family addition: Sophie

Sophie's spunky and loving personality became a perfect family fit, and she finally grew on Heidi after she stopped trying to nurse from her. Though my dad refers to her as the "Hellien", we are all completely in love.

4) Improved a skill: Cooking

Having a garden has encouraged me to try new recipes and practice my cooking. Plus, I'm the epitome of a food-a-holic so anything that has to with food is motivation enough. My mom always said that cooking just takes practice, and I have to say she was right. A couple years ago, I thought I was doomed to a lifestyle of cereal and frozen meals...but there's hope for me yet. I love to cook, especially when I am able cook for others. What's that famous biblical manta?...Give a woman a fish, and she can eat for a day; but, teach a woman to cook and she can eat for a lifetime? Something like that ;)

5) Received "Bucket List Worthy" Recognition: Stonyfield 

This was unexpected, but nevertheless made me jump with joy. I didn't know when I wrote my post about Stonyfield that it would actually be read by the company. I was just expressing my love affair with the company's products, and was thrilled to know that they thought I was "moo-rific" in return.

School has started aka time to set a few more goals to make the Fall just a rewarding and successful as the Summer. Half-marathon, possibly? Hey, why not shoot for the stars.

  

Deena's Organic Fiber Bran Muffins Recipe

Yum! I love bran muffins especially when they're homemade, and I love getting my DV of fiber without having it taste cardboard-y. A woman I work with, Deena (who's a baking/cooking god) gave me this recipe; and if Deena makes it, you know it's good stuff. I need a fiber boost, so I'm excited to make these delicious, nutritious, health bombs.

*Warning* Do not adjust your monitor--If you didn't notice, the first ingredient is a box of raisin bran...yes, you read correctly (I double checked with Chef Deena). This recipe makes alot of muffins, so you're either going to want to freeze 'em (muffins or batter) or give 'em (unless your family is similar to that of TLC's 19 and Counting, then you're welcome to eat 'em up)! 

Lets jump on the Bran Band Wagon, yeeehaw!

Ingredients:

1 box of Raisin Bran Cereal

1 quart of Buttermilk/ or Almond Milk with 2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice

2.5 cups of White Flour

2.5 cups of Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup of Sugar

3 teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 teaspoon of Salt

4 Eggs

1 cup of Oil

Optional Yummy Add-Ins:

Nuts

Wheatgerm

Flaxseed (check)
Pumpkin seeds (double check)

Dried fruit (I'm adding dried cherries and apricots)


Before you start mixing, set the oven at 400 degrees...and get a lot of muffin tins. You'll need 'em.

That's a big bowl of cereal

I mixed all of the yummy add-ins (which turned out to be a lot of odds and ends that I found in my cupboards, but it's a fun way to personalize your muffins!) to the raisin bran then combined my wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

Mix all the ingredients together and scoop into tins...the batter tastes awesome!

Finally, throw them (gently) into the oven. Deena said to let them bake about 20-25 minutes, but mine were ready in a lightning speed of 15 minutes!...So watch them carefully so they don't burn.

Yum! Look at those cherries, raisins and yumberries. I don't mean to toot my own horn (toot), but they came out really good! What a delicious way to get in your fiber dose; but being so high in fiber, I need to remind myself not to inhale a ton or I may end up in the bathroom later tonight. They're so good, you may forget they're actually good for you! Suddenly the FiberOne commercial with the creepy man comes to mind: Cardboard? No. Delicious? Yes!

If you try this recipe, let me know :) Happy eating!

   

Homemade Sweet Pickle Recipe

I love pickles. When my mom and I went grocery shopping at the beginning of the summer, I rushed to the pickle aisle. Upon discovering me, she almost endured a small heart attack before asking "you're not pregnant, are you!?". No Mother, who says I have to be preggo to enjoy a pickle?--what an awful and misunderstood stigma that a Claussen pickle has to be associated with. Pickles are everyone friendly, knocked up or not.

Since I'm becoming quite the farmer and living off the land, why not make my own pickles. Plus, my cucumbers are latching onto everything in sight (my tomato plants, trees, small children) and I need a good reason to harvest 'em. So, I've acquired a nifty, little, sweet pickle recipe from a friend. All you have to do is shove 'em in the fridge for two weeks and they're ready to munch.

I have never pickled anything. The only thing I think that should be pickled is, well, pickles (hence the name).  The pickled beets, pigs feet, eye balls, etc. in the grocery aisles just seem to float in their jars like something from a Potions class at Hogwarts, aka they skeeve me out. I never saw myself as one to pickle anything, but I suppose there's a first for everything. I'm going to document my pickling experience with pictures from my high-tech Blackberry, 3.2 MP, camera (note the sarcasm if you missed it). Here we go.

Ingredients:

Cucumbers

Kosher salt

Onions

Sugar

White vinegar

Celery seeds

Whole cloves and;

A jar

...pretty simple, I like.

 I didn't have a jar so I'm recycling! The onions are from my garden, I used red and white ones. I cut up the cucumbers and, luckily, left enough after kidnapping a few for a snack...so good!

The recipe called for 2 tablespoons of salt mixed with 12 sliced cucumbers. Well,  my garden isn't industrial sized (yet) and I didn't have 12, I had 5; and unfortunately, I read that little detail after I added my salt; so my pickles will either be salty troopers or salt blocks, oh well. If using less cucumbers, guesstimate the amount of salt but I would say about 1 tablespoon. Then mix in about a cup of chopped onions. After all is mixed, let it stand for 1.5 - 2 hours while you twiddle your thumbs.

While waiting, mix 3 1/2 cups of sugar (remember!, this is only when using 12 cucumbers! I only used 1 cup for 5 cucumbers), 2 cups of vinegar (I scaled down to a cup), 1 tsp. of celery seeds and ground cloves in a separate bowl.

My co-chef

2 hours later...

Drain the cucumbers and then place them in the jar...and finally(!) pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and screw on the lid. Give it a shake, and place that puppy (jar, not my dog) in the refrigerator.

Viola!--my perfect pack of pickled pickles. See ya in two weeks! 

*Update!* Just tried my pickles and they're delicious! Pickle perfection :)