I believe that Lent started on March 9th. Why then, have we not seen everyone's favorite commercial?
Please bring the fish back.
Yours Truly,
Samantha
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Meatless Monday: Nachos
Welcome back to Meatless Monday!
This past week I found out something that blew me away and made me very proud. The university where I work has embraced the idea of Meatless Monday. On a rotating schedule, half of the dining halls on campus are Meatless on Mondays. I still can't believe it. How awesome!
I love that I work in a place that is committed to going green. Every individual office, suite, classroom, and hallway has a recycling bin. If you eat in the dining hall (using real plates) instead of taking out (using paper and plastic) you get a discount on your meal. We constantly get emails about "tricks" for conserving. Over vacations students and staff alike are asked to turn off all electronics and the heat is turned down in buildings that are not being used. Every light switch in the school has a note reminding people to turn them off. Going green is a huge priority for all.
It is a great feeling to work in an environment that shares my values. And now they have embraced Meatless Monday. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my job?!?!
Today's Meatless Monday project: Restaurant Style Nachos
Often when Josh and I go out, we are drawn to nachos. Of course we know how bad they are for us, but we can't help it. They are so tasty! Instead of consuming so many unhealthy chips, Josh and I decided to make our own version of nachos. They may not be super healthy, but they are a lot better than most! We skimped on the calories, not on the taste. And, it was really easy!
Enjoy your restaurant style nachos in just 15 minutes. Happy Meatless Monday!
This past week I found out something that blew me away and made me very proud. The university where I work has embraced the idea of Meatless Monday. On a rotating schedule, half of the dining halls on campus are Meatless on Mondays. I still can't believe it. How awesome!
I love that I work in a place that is committed to going green. Every individual office, suite, classroom, and hallway has a recycling bin. If you eat in the dining hall (using real plates) instead of taking out (using paper and plastic) you get a discount on your meal. We constantly get emails about "tricks" for conserving. Over vacations students and staff alike are asked to turn off all electronics and the heat is turned down in buildings that are not being used. Every light switch in the school has a note reminding people to turn them off. Going green is a huge priority for all.
It is a great feeling to work in an environment that shares my values. And now they have embraced Meatless Monday. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my job?!?!
Today's Meatless Monday project: Restaurant Style Nachos
Often when Josh and I go out, we are drawn to nachos. Of course we know how bad they are for us, but we can't help it. They are so tasty! Instead of consuming so many unhealthy chips, Josh and I decided to make our own version of nachos. They may not be super healthy, but they are a lot better than most! We skimped on the calories, not on the taste. And, it was really easy!
 |
| Lay out some chips on a cookie sheet |
 |
| Add enough cheese to satisfy you, not so much that it is overwhelming. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted. |
 |
| Add salsa, a touch a sour cream, and a lot of homemade guac |
Captain Planet
We take recycling very seriously in our house. So seriously in fact that a few months ago, this was an actual conversation that we had:
Josh: "I'm so proud of us."
Samantha: "Why? What did we do?"
Josh: We are REALLY good recyclers. Did you know that since we have moved we have consistently had twice as much recycling as trash every week?"
Samantha: "No, I didn't. That's SO cool. But we always recycled, even in the old house."
Josh: "Not like this. We are recycling maniacs."
Samantha: "Awesome!!! I wonder if they give awards for that. We would TOTALLY win."
And so, it should have come as no surprise to me that while we were making dinner last night Josh exclaimed:
"We are recycling rock stars! Every week we have 2 huge bags of recycling to 1 small bag of trash. Captain Planet would be so proud."
Then, for the rest of the night, he sang the following song:
What can I say? We are crazy about the environment.
Josh: "I'm so proud of us."
Samantha: "Why? What did we do?"
Josh: We are REALLY good recyclers. Did you know that since we have moved we have consistently had twice as much recycling as trash every week?"
Samantha: "No, I didn't. That's SO cool. But we always recycled, even in the old house."
Josh: "Not like this. We are recycling maniacs."
Samantha: "Awesome!!! I wonder if they give awards for that. We would TOTALLY win."
And so, it should have come as no surprise to me that while we were making dinner last night Josh exclaimed:
"We are recycling rock stars! Every week we have 2 huge bags of recycling to 1 small bag of trash. Captain Planet would be so proud."
Then, for the rest of the night, he sang the following song:
What can I say? We are crazy about the environment.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Homemade Hamentaschen
The best part of Purim, aside from the costumes and noise makers, is eating hamentaschen. Hamentaschen are triangle shaped cookies with fruit or chocolate filling. They are in the shape of a triangle because Haman (the villain of the Purim story) wore a triangle shaped hat. Traditionally people eat poppy seed hamentaschen, but many also use other types of fruit and candy filling.
In preparation for Purim, Josh and I thought it would be fun to make our own triangle shaped cookies to help us get in the spirit. Our first attempt at making hamentaschen was a huge success! They were delicious.
We went to The Kosher Baker by Paula Shoyer for inspiration. Her dairy free recipes make kosher cooking easy as can be. By following her recipe to the T we were able to make super tasty and extremely festive hamentaschen.
Ingredients:(makes 4 dozen)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon orange juice (we used lemon juice)
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup fruit jam, preserves, canned apricot or poppy seed pie filling
(we used raspberry and apricot jam and nutela as fillings)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl (or mixer) mix eggs, sugar, oil, and orange (or lemon) juice
Add the baking powder and flower
Mix until the dough comes together
Knead with your hands to ensure the dough has the proper consistency
Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 of an inch thick
Using parchment paper helps to keep the dough from sticking to itself, and everything else
Use a glass (despite an amazing cookie cutter set, we did not have a round one!) with about 2-3 inches in diameter as a cookie cutter
Cut out circles in the dough
Roll up the left over dough and start the process all over again until all of the dough is used up
This recipe should make about 4 dozen cookies
Place the dough circles on a cookie sheet
Prepare the fillings
Use a spoon to place one filling in the center of a cookie
Pinch and fold up the sides of the dough on three corners to create a triangle
Make sure that the sides are the folded up tightly to keep its shape and the filling in place
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned
Do not wait until the top is brown because the cookies will be too hard
Hamentaschen should be a little soft so you can easily eat the cookie and filling in one nice triangle treat
In preparation for Purim, Josh and I thought it would be fun to make our own triangle shaped cookies to help us get in the spirit. Our first attempt at making hamentaschen was a huge success! They were delicious.
We went to The Kosher Baker by Paula Shoyer for inspiration. Her dairy free recipes make kosher cooking easy as can be. By following her recipe to the T we were able to make super tasty and extremely festive hamentaschen.
Ingredients:(makes 4 dozen)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon orange juice (we used lemon juice)
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup fruit jam, preserves, canned apricot or poppy seed pie filling
(we used raspberry and apricot jam and nutela as fillings)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl (or mixer) mix eggs, sugar, oil, and orange (or lemon) juice
Add the baking powder and flower
Mix until the dough comes together
Knead with your hands to ensure the dough has the proper consistency
Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 of an inch thick
Using parchment paper helps to keep the dough from sticking to itself, and everything else
Use a glass (despite an amazing cookie cutter set, we did not have a round one!) with about 2-3 inches in diameter as a cookie cutter
Cut out circles in the dough
Roll up the left over dough and start the process all over again until all of the dough is used up
This recipe should make about 4 dozen cookies
Place the dough circles on a cookie sheet
Prepare the fillings
Use a spoon to place one filling in the center of a cookie
Pinch and fold up the sides of the dough on three corners to create a triangle
Make sure that the sides are the folded up tightly to keep its shape and the filling in place
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned
Do not wait until the top is brown because the cookies will be too hard
Hamentaschen should be a little soft so you can easily eat the cookie and filling in one nice triangle treat
Let the hamentaschen cool and enjoy!
In just a few minutes you too can enjoy a delicious Purim treat. Chag Sameach!
Happy Purim One and All
This weekend we are celebrating everyone's favorite Jewish holiday, Purim!
...and treats! Like this one. You didn't think I would resist posting the Maccabeats did you?
Happy Purim!
Purim is celebrated by the reading of the Scroll of Esther, known in Hebrew as the Megillat Esther, which relates the basic story of Purim. Under the rule of King Ahashuerus, Haman, the King's prime minister, plots to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia. His plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, who ultimately save the Jews of the land from destruction. The reading of the megillah is typically a rowdy affair, punctuated by booing and noise-making when Haman's name is read aloud.Purim is the most fun holiday of the year. During the evening service you get to dress up, be raucous (noisemakers are encouraged!), and eat tasty treats. The atmosphere is that of Halloween and watching all of our friends' kids dress up for the first time is going to be very exciting. Of course the morning services are a bit more solemn but overall it is a great holiday full of the 4 "F"s: family, friends, food, and fun.
Purim is an unusual holiday in many respects. First, Esther is the only Book of the Bible in which God is not mentioned. Second, Purim, like Chanukah, is viewed traditionally as a minor festival, but elevated to a major holiday as a result of the Jewish historical experience. Over the centuries, Haman became the embodiment of every anti-Semite in every land where Jews were oppressed. The significance in Purim lies not so much in how it began, but in what it has become - a thankful and joyous affirmation of Jewish survival against all odds.
...and treats! Like this one. You didn't think I would resist posting the Maccabeats did you?
Happy Purim!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Growing up I loved the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I felt like they spoke to me. I had the kid version, the teen book, the off to college collection, and many adult volumes.
I loved the ones written by famous authors and actors, but most of all I loved the ones written by regular people. They just seemed to get it. The fears, the insecurities, the confusions. The joy, the excitement, the accomplishment. In volume after volume of books I learned that I was not the only one who had the feelings that I had. I learned that in a few pages, short stories could do what novels could not, tug at your heart strings so strongly and so intensely, and then let go. I not only learned to love the Chicken Soup books, but the short story too.
Through high school and college I perfected the short story. I used the technique of taking small snippets of highly emotional (and generally factual) drama to spice up my writing, my school papers, and my projects. It was about this time when my parents decided I should write screenplays for a living because I was quickly adopting the "based on a true story" model.
For me, it was never about a career in writing or getting an A (which, by the way, was something I worked very hard for throughout all of my many years in school), it was about telling the story. Anyone with access to the internet and the library could write a solid paper comparing voter turn out in a major city vs. a bedroom suburb vs. a rural community in the same state. But it took creativity and finesse to add the human element to the story, to really get to the level of why something happened, not just that something happened. I used personal stories, historical references, and primary sources to personify major historical events and political theory. Factually I was accurate, but sometimes my emotion peaked through the pages. Luckily my degree was in the social sciences and this type of writing was appreciated.
It is funny to think back on where my writing habits came from, and how they have changed slightly, but not completely. I still try to tell the whole story, while adding in the human element and emotional piece. Some days I am better at it than others. I try not to write too much "based on a true story" but many of my stories are. I find it easier to share my thoughts that way because for me writing, and reading, is more about feeding my soul than getting words on a page.
Since currently I write about food and life, and they say chicken soup can feed your soul, here is our family's chicken soup recipe.
Ingredients:
1-3 cubes of chicken flavored bouillon
Either remaining bones of a whole chicken or quartered chicken (2 thighs, 2 breasts, 2 legs)
**you can add some giblets if you have some for extra flavor
1 bunch of parsley
3-4 stalks of celery cut into 4-5 inch pieces
2 whole carrots cut up or a bag of baby carrots
1 parsnip
salt and pepper
Optional: You can also add cut up potato, rice, green beans, or anything else you have lying around
1 bag of egg noodles
Directions:
I loved the ones written by famous authors and actors, but most of all I loved the ones written by regular people. They just seemed to get it. The fears, the insecurities, the confusions. The joy, the excitement, the accomplishment. In volume after volume of books I learned that I was not the only one who had the feelings that I had. I learned that in a few pages, short stories could do what novels could not, tug at your heart strings so strongly and so intensely, and then let go. I not only learned to love the Chicken Soup books, but the short story too.
Through high school and college I perfected the short story. I used the technique of taking small snippets of highly emotional (and generally factual) drama to spice up my writing, my school papers, and my projects. It was about this time when my parents decided I should write screenplays for a living because I was quickly adopting the "based on a true story" model.
For me, it was never about a career in writing or getting an A (which, by the way, was something I worked very hard for throughout all of my many years in school), it was about telling the story. Anyone with access to the internet and the library could write a solid paper comparing voter turn out in a major city vs. a bedroom suburb vs. a rural community in the same state. But it took creativity and finesse to add the human element to the story, to really get to the level of why something happened, not just that something happened. I used personal stories, historical references, and primary sources to personify major historical events and political theory. Factually I was accurate, but sometimes my emotion peaked through the pages. Luckily my degree was in the social sciences and this type of writing was appreciated.
It is funny to think back on where my writing habits came from, and how they have changed slightly, but not completely. I still try to tell the whole story, while adding in the human element and emotional piece. Some days I am better at it than others. I try not to write too much "based on a true story" but many of my stories are. I find it easier to share my thoughts that way because for me writing, and reading, is more about feeding my soul than getting words on a page.
Since currently I write about food and life, and they say chicken soup can feed your soul, here is our family's chicken soup recipe.
1-3 cubes of chicken flavored bouillon
Either remaining bones of a whole chicken or quartered chicken (2 thighs, 2 breasts, 2 legs)
**you can add some giblets if you have some for extra flavor
1 bunch of parsley
3-4 stalks of celery cut into 4-5 inch pieces
2 whole carrots cut up or a bag of baby carrots
1 parsnip
salt and pepper
Optional: You can also add cut up potato, rice, green beans, or anything else you have lying around
1 bag of egg noodles
Directions:
- Fill a large pot halfway with cold water.
- Add chicken, celery, carrots, parsnip, 1 cube of bouillon, parsley (tie stalks together with another stem or thread), 2 tbsp salt, and pepper
- After bringing the pot to a boil, reduce down to a simmer
- The soup will take a few hours to develop the full flavors. The longer you let the soup cook for, the more flavor you will get. Be sure to taste it along the way. Adjust the flavor by adding another bouillon cube, salt, and/or pepper to taste.
- Once the soup has cooked long enough to produce the desired taste, remove the bunched parsley and bones from the pot.
- Separately, before serving the soup, cook the egg noodles and strain them. Do not leave the noodles in the soup too long before serving. They will disintegrate.
28
Yesterday Josh hijacked the blog and wrote 2 very sweet birthday posts, which I greatly appreciated (sans the baby pictures!) and maybe, just maybe, made me teary. Since I didn't get the chance yesterday, here is what I was going to say.
This birthday was a little bit different for me. As it was coming closer and closer I did not know what to make of it. I was not afraid of turning 29, partially because 29 really isn't all that old and partially because I feel secure in my life and who I am. At the same time I was not thrilled enough at turning 29 to wake up singing my patented birthday song (you better believe I am not making this up). I was somewhere in between.
28 was without a doubt the best year of my life. I have never had a year full of so much change, so much joy, some challenges, and so much accomplishment. In the last 365 days I:
And while I am not sad to be turning 29, I am a bit apprehensive about saying goodbye to 28. It was an amazing year that will be very hard to top. But not impossible. So bring it on 29! Let's see what you've got!
This birthday was a little bit different for me. As it was coming closer and closer I did not know what to make of it. I was not afraid of turning 29, partially because 29 really isn't all that old and partially because I feel secure in my life and who I am. At the same time I was not thrilled enough at turning 29 to wake up singing my patented birthday song (you better believe I am not making this up). I was somewhere in between.
28 was without a doubt the best year of my life. I have never had a year full of so much change, so much joy, some challenges, and so much accomplishment. In the last 365 days I:
- wrote and published a master's thesis
- received my master's degree in Political Science
- started a dream job
- bought a house
- got married
- started my blog
And while I am not sad to be turning 29, I am a bit apprehensive about saying goodbye to 28. It was an amazing year that will be very hard to top. But not impossible. So bring it on 29! Let's see what you've got!
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