Christmas time

I didn't think I could do it this year....all the shopping and cooking and baking and wrapping...and merriment. Thanksgiving and Christmas, followed by birthdays and holidays, not the same this year (<3 miss you). But, there is something to be said for routine; driving to the mall, shopping, and baking, your body goes into muscle memory or auto pilot.

In the middle of my Thesis and the rest of the world (if Christian, or a believer in Santa) was putting up their tree, decorating and enjoying the wonders of the season. I can't say I didn't envy them, but I enjoyed being a regular at the local coffee shop, instead of watching Christmas specials on TV, study dates to discuss the benefits of therapeutic interventions and theoretical schools of thought. Oh to be a Masters student...the holidays began for us Dec 16, the last day of finals. It started with a Christmas party and a marathon of tree decorating, shopping and baking. After a few days of listening to Christmas music non-stop, my mood has lifted and the presents are slowly being wrapped, but why rush we've got plenty of time....most years I haven't even started shopping until tonight :)

Merry Christmas to you. (or happy holiday).

My Mom (and Grandma)'s Homemade Mac and Cheese

I made a double batch of my mom's homemade mac and cheese this week and it was amazing! First let me just say Doubling recipes is hard, especially when you are not an attentive recipe reader. I scan for ingredients and pretend I have done it a hundred times. So I actually did really well ollowing my mom's recipe, until I got to the cheese art (I thought it said 2 BAGS, not cups...so I put in 3 BAGS of shredded sharp cheese)....needless to say it was chessy and amazing. I also decided on diced tomatoes with green chilies so I didn't have to cut up the chilies myself. The cheese mistake wasn't a bad one!

Mom's Homemade Mac and Cheese
1 1lb. box of mac.1/2 stick of butter or maragine1 1/2 tablespoons of flour1/3 - 1/2 cup of milk ( may need more at end)2 cups bag of sharp cheese (or more)cut up green chilis or hot peppers (as many as you like!)1 can of diced tomatoes (pick a flavor you like)Bread crumbs on top of mac n cheese! 1- Cook your mac. Drain and rinse. Set aside.2- In a large pot, melt butter slowly add flour as it thickens with a wisk, take it off the burner and add milk and stir with wisk. Stir.3 - Add cheese and melt. Add mac and stir in the cheese mixture.4- Add tomatoes and peppers of choice to the mixture and stir well.5- Salt and pepper to taste. If it needs more moisture, add a bit more milk if needed.6- Spray a bake dish (8x10) with Pam and add mixture to bake dish.Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until it bronws and bubbles on the side.

Chicken Picata

The other night we celebrated Christmas Part I with a very close friend who is like family. The three of us shared a meal, opened gifts and watched The Grinch (Jim Carey version). The question for me was what can I make with the food I have on hand:chicken, homemade mac and cheese, mozzarella, and breadcrumbs. I am a huge fan of Chicken Picata and found this recipe. I changed it somewhat, partially by accident and partially because I don't ever read the recipe until I am right in the middle of, realizing only then I am without certain ingredients. Mom to the rescue...breadcrumbs can be substituted for flour, who knew? Our meal of a tomato salad (baby tomatoes sliced in half, mozzarella chopped into squares, basil, balsamic vinegar - allow time to set up outside the fridge), homemade mac and cheese, Chicken Picata and Stilton and cranberry cheese and crackers was amazing.

So my adapted recipe is below, I am sure the one above would have been just as amazing.

Easy Chicken Picata

You need:

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

capers

butter

lemon/lemon juice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

breadcrumbs

ziplock bag

chicken broth

salt

pepper

1. Pound chicken with a mallet (2 breasts, skinless, boneless)

2. cut into strips

3. throw chicken in a ziplock with breadcrumbs (Italian style)

4. brown the chicken in a pan with EVOO (about 10min)

5. Place chicken on a plate

6. begin making the sauce: add 2TBS Lemon juice to the pan and 1 cup chicken broth

7. throw in 2 TBS capers and 3 TBS butter

8. salt and pepper to taste

9. simmer until syrupy - its key to use the same pan so the flavor and sauce forms correctly

10. throw the chicken back into the pan and continue to simmer or place on low until ready to serve

11. ENJOY :)

Total Cook Time: about 30min

Prep Time:5-10min

Finals Brain

Finals Brain...

Fried.

I don't know my zip code HAHAHA. Oh thank you Master's Program....I may be able to dissect mounds of information and write 100s of pages about it, but I don't know where I live (at least when asked).

Rum Balls: Take I

So I love Rum Balls and I am actually known for mine, which are a family recipe. Last night I decided to just try any old recipe I found online....FAIL. I mean they were decent, but that's about it. I think the really secret to making good rum balls is adding MORE than just rum...like whatever you have...rum and brandy, rum and Drambuie, rum and anything strong than you like the taste of. Also, find a recipe that does not use corn syrup! Once I make our family rum balls I will post photos and do a comparison of the two recipes.

For now...can I just say how much I hate Automotive places. You go in for one thing and leave with at least 3 things fixed that you didn't know where broken! What a scam! I don't care if they are really broken, I go in thinking I am getting one thing fixed and $300-1000 later I leave.

Tonight's dinner

Tonight's dinner: sauerkraut pierogis, caramelized onions, kielbasa and rosemary sweet potato fries! Kinda have a potato theme going on. I can't tell you how excited I am for dinner...all of it actually and it is my first time making sweet potato fries, so wish me luck! Been inspired by a friend's Blog (corrected adddress: http://diariesofafoodie.wordpress.com/ . I will let you know how it all turns out :)

Hard Core Hiking

Hard Core Hiking!

Spent the morning Hiking with the Adirondack Mountain Club and Rochester Young Professionals. Yes I was hiking in December! An unseasonably warm fall and winter thus far, but I'm not complaining. Temperature was about 40-45 degrees F. We hiked The Devil's Bathtub, see map . Not a long hike, but definitely the first one I have done past October. Gloves, long underwear, hats, wool socks, a fleece, neck warmer and water bottle...and of course camera in tow. I hope we get a few more nice days, so I can get out and explore this park a little more. My good friend Felecia planned the event, which was preceded by a talk at EMS, gift bags from local merchants and bagels! I was one of over 40 happy hikers and spent the hike exploring with a good college friend! Good times.

Personalized Photo Advent Calendar

Today I made an advent calendar using my own family photos.

In Picassa, I created a photo collage with 25 photos (8X10).

I decided on landscape, but portrait style could be used as well.

Once I was satisfied, I printed the photo collage on glossy 8X10 photo paper.

Then I picked a photo for the calendar to display when the photo windows were closed (I chose a photo of our house).

Next I printed the photo of our house on glossy 8X10 photo paper.

Then, I allowed the photos to dry.

Next I took a sheet of tracing paper and a ruler and decided on different size openings for each photo and what side the photo doors would open.

I alternated the openings randomly R, L, and top.

I drew straight lines for where I would use the exacto knife and dotted lines to serve as folding lines.

Next, I cut out the windows and numbered each with a paint pen.

Finally, I tapped the photo with windows onto the photo collage.

Result: Personalized Photo Advent Calendar

(Due to privacy, I will not upload any pictures of this project - thank you for your understanding).

Thank you for Picassa for assisting in this cool project/gift for my family.

So what if it's a kid's game...

So tonight my beau and I spent an hour an a half tackling and beating Shaun the Sheep! http://www.shaunthesheep.com/games/homesheephome/ It's an amazing game, kinda like angry birds, but nothing explodes and no one gets hurt. I am kinda in love with this game and the sheep are so cute and make little noises.

So what if it's a kid's game...sometimes they know the best games! And when they go to sleep the adults get to play them :) LOL... remember that parent-friends of mine...you get to play the game once your kids go to sleep..."yes mommy bought you a Wii (and it's my turn!...er your bedtime!) :)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving...What are you thankful for? I feel like I try to reflect on this more often than not. This year, I am thankful for my family, friends and to be in the final stretch of graduate school. My family, who I know is always there for me, has always been a support and source of joy, I love you. My friends who have stood my me, met me for coffee, rather than drinks, understood my crazy schedule and have sent me words of encouragement., I love you. To my friends I have not regularly contacted (or vice versa), I love you.

I am thankful for so many things and so many people. My heart is so full. I am thankful to have had so many wonderful times with so many of you and I just want to say thank you for being you.