Yummy Quick Breakfast

Who knew that THIS:

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Plus THIS:

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With a little of THIS on top could be such a yummy breakfast?! Or snack.

Microsoft Clip Art

Good stuff!

Creative Cookin' (Or... That Time I Managed to Botch Up a Tried-and-True Recipe)

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Every once in a while I like to treat myself to a nice breakfast over the weekend. Usually it's Sunday morning, but it can be whenever the mood strikes me. These days it's usually homemade pancakes, though a couple times a year I'll get real crazy and make waffles!

This morning I decided I wanted to get creative and tweak my pancake recipe. I partially thawed a few frozen strawberries and chopped them up. Then I decided to try replacing some of the milk in the recipe with plain vanilla yogurt. I've done this before with things...it's actually quite lovely in your French Toast egg mixture...but I guess I've never done it with pancakes.

I should've known right away to cut back on the milk or increase the flour or something, because adding berries will always add some moisture. Durr. Apparently so will yogurt- more than you think. But I got excited at the sight of the pretty pink batter and eagerly got the first two pancakes going. It smelled really good! When those didn't turn out so well, I figured I should let them cook a bit longer next time...which left me with a pretty dark pancake (in general these pancakes seemed to brown up super fast!). They were just turning out really moist and gooey in the middle. So,  I added a bit more flour to my mixture and tried again. A little better this time, but still not great. After a couple more tries and half-eaten pancakes, I called time-of-death on my pancake project. I wonder if the batter would've made some nice crepes?? Unfortunately, I didn't want crepes, nor did I bother trying.

I gave it my best shot, but overall this little experiment was an epic FAIL. So much for that nice breakfast. I guess next time I will simply look up a recipe on the Google.

Anyone have any good stories about creative cookin' gone horribly wrong?? Or really well?

PS- I was looking around for a cute picture to use for this post and found this adorable apron! How sweet! Too bad I don't sew.

Mmmmmmuffins!

Last weekend, after I put my oatmeal cranberry cookies in the oven, I decided that since I already had everything out and was in a baking sort of mood, I would make some muffins. I love me some muffins. And it has been far too long since I’ve made any!

Enter the perfect cookbook for the occasion: Mad About Muffins: A Cookbook for Muffin Lovers, by Dot Vartan. I have had this cookbook forever it seems. I have numerous recipes marked, but honestly, I’m not sure I ever actually baked any of them! The cookbook has so much to offer and is broken into delectable categories, like these (to name a few):

“Everyone’s Favorites” (Basic, Blueberry, Dill, etc.)

“Garden Variety” (e.g., Butternut Squash, Vegetable Cheese, Sweet Potato)

“For Chocolate Lovers” which leave me wanting a big glass of milk just reading the recipes (e.g., Chocolate Caramel (oh boy!), Banana Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate)

“Variations on a Cake” (e.g., Apple Cheesecake, Lemon Shortbread, Four Chip)

Yum. Don’t they sound good? There is even a recipe for a Wine and Cheese muffin! Whoa. Anyway, besides being full of yummy recipes, it’s also full of cute illustrations.

I decided to make Mixed Berry muffins, using the Blueberry Muffin recipe from the book. I had a variety of frozen berries on hand- blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry- so I used those. I should also point out that I don’t use a regular muffin tin, I have these muffin bakers that look like little flower pots. I love them. I am kicking myself for not snatching up a like-new set I saw at Goodwill a while ago. The pots make larger muffins, so I always end up with fewer than the recipe indicates and I typically have to adjust the baking time.

 Blueberry (or Mixed Berry, if you prefer) Muffins

6 Tbsp softened butter

2/3 C. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 Tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tsp. baking powder

1/4 Tsp. salt

2 C. sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 C. milk

2 C. fresh or frozen blueberries (or other berries to suit your fancy)

Streusel Topping:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 Tsp. cinnamon

1/2 C. chopped walnuts (ew, totally optional)

Heat oven to 375. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Mix in half of the flour and the milk alternately, mixing gently by hand. Then add the remaining flour and milk. Stir in the blueberries. Fill greased muffin tins or foiled paper.

To make the streusel topping, cut the butter into small pieces and mix it with the brown sugar and cinnamon (and walnuts, if that’s your thing). Sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake 25-30 minutes until muffins are lightly browned. Makes one dozen muffins…unless you’re using bigger muffin bakers, like me...then it makes 9-10 muffins.

One thing that struck me about these muffins was the thickness of the batter. I seriously thought I shorted the milk, but I know I didn’t. I made the streusel topping, but mine just didn’t work like it should have- mine ended up being like cinnamon butter, so I just put a small glob on each of the muffins. I think next time I will leave out the streusel topping completely or maybe use a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. I actually like to sprinkle a little sugar on top of the muffin when I heat it up to eat. Mm.

The muffins were so good! They were very moist and cake-y. 

Mm, hello lover. 

I actually ate mine with a fork, rather than risk them falling apart in my hand. The muffins didn’t dry out over the course of the week, either! I froze a few of the muffins for later, and they were just as good as when they were fresh out of the oven.

As usual, I would love to know if you try the recipe and if you like it …and if your batter turns out super-thick like mine.

Do you have any fun specialty cookbooks? Any favorite muffin recipes you care to share??

Cravings

Last night, I was suddenly craving something a bit sweet and decided to make cookies. I took a quick mental inventory of my cupboards and realized I probably had all the ingredients for oatmeal cookies. I Googled a recipe and was dismayed to find the first few called for quick-cooking oats, when all I had was old-fashioned oats. Boo.

And then, Smitten Kitchen came to my rescue! Have I mentioned how much I love this blog? I love her photos! Her baby is adorable! And she's pretty funny, too.

Anyway, I basically followed her recipe except I added a dash of nutmeg (it's almost a compulsion...whenever cinnamon is involved, I believe deep down in my soul that nutmeg should also be included) and I used dried cranberries instead of raisins. Nothing against raisins...I just love cranberries. Mm.

I made a couple of trays of cookies, and formed the rest of the dough into dough balls onto a parchment-lined plate and threw that into the freezer. Later, when the balls (hehe, balls) were firm (oh dear), I tossed them into a freezer bag for later. Yay me for planning ahead.

Make these cookies. The recipe is easy, quick, and not overly sweet. I'm tempted to eat them for breakfasts...They're basically like a granola bar anyway!

Coming Soon...

I will be writing a bit about my vacation....I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm workin' on it, I promise.

Until I get around to it, here are some pictures from the trip!

Stay tuned...

Like a Fiesta in My Mouth!

Last week I was looking for a way to jazz up my grilling and searched for a good marinade. I was hoping to have something to pair with my black bean soup, so I thought a lime-cilantro combo would be just the ticket. After looking at a bunch of options, I decided to try one from RecipeZaar because of its simplicity and rave reviews. {Although, I JUST realized that I left out the olive oil! And it was absolutely fine without it. :-)}

Here's the original, though you know I ended up changing it:

Ingredients

Juice from 2 limes
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

1 clove garlic 

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro 

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon chili powder 

2 teaspoons sugar 

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

salt and pepper

Directions

Toss all the ingredients into a mini food processor and pulse until combined.
Marinate meat for 1/2 hour.
Grill.
Eat.

First of all, the changes. I didn't have fresh limes and wanted to use up my bottle of lime juice, so that's what I did. I really just guessed at the amount I needed- probably 3-4 Tbsp. Like I already said, I didn't copy the recipe right and left out the olive oil, which was fine, I think. I also used less pepper flakes the first time I made it, but used the full amount (or slightly more) the second time I did it. I like a lil' spice. I also used dried cilantro and ended up increasing the amount too. I love cilantro.

I made this twice- once with a steak and once with chicken breast (which I cooked in a pan on the stove, rather than the grill). Both were great, but I really prefer the chicken overall. I let the meat marinate a little longer than 30 minutes each time, but I almost wish I would've let the beef sit even longer. In both cases, the meat was moist and had a nice balance of tang and spice, though you can absolutely adjust things to suit your taste.

The recipe is quick and easy, using ingredients you probably already have on hand. It's also versatile and can be paired with so many things- a nice salad, black bean soup, fajitas, the list could go on. I know this is a recipe that I'll use often. 

Do you have any go-to marinades you like to use?

Lip-Smackin' Good

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What is it about a newly-opened jar of creamy peanut butter generously slathered on a soft piece of bread that makes it taste so darn good?

Mmm, good afternoon snack!

What are you snacking on today?

Simple, Delicious!

When I left work last night, I was starving. It seemed I was hungry all day and it wasn't for lack of eating. I had my breakfast sandwich, a good lunch and an afternoon V8 juice (though I usually have a little more to my afternoon snack). Anyway, it had been a long day, I was a little stressed, hungry, and tired. Then I got home and realized I needed to figure out what to make for dinner. I wanted something kind of fast, but filling too. Eggs? Grilled cheese? Nah. Not appealing.

I took out a few chicken breasts and tossed 'em in the microwave to defrost. While that was going on, I poured a little olive oil in to a pot and let it get hot while I coarsely chopped about half an medium-sized onion. I sauteed the onion and soon added the chicken breasts. I seasoned with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and lots of garlic powder (I forgot to get fresh garlic the other day!). I let those cook for a bit with the cover on while I prepared some plain couscous according to the directions on the box. Then, I added a can of diced tomatoes to the chicken and onions, a couple pats of butter and a little white wine I had left over. Next, I added some frozen cut leaf spinach... I'd say it was nearly 2 cups....but it was frozen and in little clumps, so it may have been less. I let that simmer for a while, maing sure the chicken was cooked through and the spinach was thawed. Finally, I fluffed up my couscous, put some on a plate with a chicken breast and spooned the tomatoes, onions, and spinach over the couscous and chicken, added lots of the juice.

It was so good! So simple! I just let it all cook while I took care of the dogs, got the mail, etc. AND I have leftovers for lunch and dinner since I made a few pieces of chicken. Mmmm.

You Are What You Eat?

(Food, Inc. Take Part)

Gosh, I honestly hope not. Most of us really don't know what's in our food anyway. I just finished watching Food, Inc., a documentary about the food we eat and the giant corporations that control the food industry. It was a really good film and I urge you to watch it if you haven't already. For those of you with Netflix, you can watch it instantly online (hint, hint Dad). And if you've already watched it, lemme know what you think! Don't worry, it wasn't one of those shockingly disgusting slaughter-house type documentaries...there were a few parts that made me cringe, but really it wasn't that bad. The film did make me think more (as usual) and get angry (again) that these large corporations are controlling so much, selling contaminated food, and abusing animals AND the people who work for them. It makes me mad but the film ended on a positive note by discussing examples of how we, the consumers, can and HAVE changed how things are done.

This makes me want to grow tomatoes in my backyard now more than ever. It makes me want to buy locally.

Seriously. Go watch the film. Then ask yourself, are we really what we eat? Check out this website, to learn more.

So, did you see the film? What are you going to do to change things?

Holy Granola Batman!

I just made granola for the first time... but it won't be my last, this granola is AWESOME! Seriously, it's cooling on the counter and I just ate a few spoonfuls all by itself. Yum.

I did a little search for "granola" and came up with more than a few options, but settled on this one here. I did make a few changes, and I just realized that I baked it at 350 instead of 325 (I guess I was distracted, but it turned out fine). I bought a bag of mixed dried fruit - cranberries, cherries, and blueberries- and used 2/3 cup of that instead of the fruit listed in the original recipe. You can make it with whatever combo of fruit and nuts as you want. Be creative!

Easy Homemade Granola
adapted from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole almonds {Note: I used slivered almonds, and they worked fine.}
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts {I left these out completely and just adjusted the baking time a little.}
1/3 cup golden raisins {As I said, I used mixed fruit instead of the raisins and cherries.}
1/3 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined. Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them: Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.


Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. {This is where I took the granola out to cool.} Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the raisins and cherries over the granola and use your hands to transfer it to an airtight container. Granola will keep for one week.

Enjoy!

Yummy

I know this is quite after the fact, but I couldn't share these edible Christmas gifts earlier because, well, they were Christmas gifts! I apologize for the quality of all these pics- I took them quickly with my camera phone.

I don't usually do any baking for Christmas because Mom bakes more than enough for an army and because of the traveling I've had to do at Christmas. However, this Christmas was focused less on stuff and more on spending time together, good food, and good fun. I still wanted to do something, so I baked!

I whipped up some Cranberry Buttermilk Scones, which are pretty easy, very tasty, and freeze well (which was important because I had to freeze mine until the big night), though obviously they're better fresh from the oven! I got the recipe from Erin years ago and make them every now and then. Each time I do, I curse myself for not making them more often.

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones (makes 12+ depending on how big or small you cut them)

3 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 c. cold butter or margarine

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. dried cranberries

1 tsp grated orange peel

1 tbsp milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk until just combined. Fold in cranberries and zest. Turn onto a floured surface, then divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball and pat down into a 6" circle. Cut each circle into 6 (or more) wedges. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with milk. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar, sprinkle liberally over scones. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: I typically make the mistake of pulling out my electric mixer for this when really, you could do everything with a wooden spoon and your two hands. Or use your dough attachment for your mixer...I have one, I just never think to try it when I make these. Also, I usually just zest the whole orange and use all the zest. I like 'em zesty! But you can adjust to your taste. I also usually have a lot of cinnamon and sugar left so I sprinkle a little more on top while still warm. I also think this would be yummy with blueberries and lemon zest (though I haven't tried it).

To go with the scones, I made some Cinnamon Honey Butter. I saw the recipe here (her pictures are waaaaay better than mine) and loved the idea, so I got some baby food jars, some material, and tied them with jute. In this picture, there is obviously no butter...and I didn't have the jute yet. But you get the idea.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

2 sticks of butter at room temp
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Make sure the butter is room temperature and soft. Use the whisk attachment on the mixer and whip the butter. Add the powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Whip it together, then scrape the sides of the bowl and whisk. Whip again. Repeat if needed, making sure everything is combined well.

Notes: I'm not sure how long this will keep. It's easier to spread at room temperature, but if you don't eat it up immediately, then store in the fridge. I haven't tried it yet, but I hear it goes well on rolls, pancakes, waffles, muffins, you name it!

There you have it! An old favorite and new favorite! Let me know if you try these recipes out... Enjoy!

Love & Relaxation

Last night I was determined to have a relaxing, yet productive, evening. Can those 2 things really coexist, you ask. Well, yes. Yes, I believe they can! I was hoping I had a new issue of Vanity Fair waiting for me at home... but instead, something better was there... the new, 2010 Ikea catalog!!! More on that later...

I was trying to figure out what I was going to make for dinner with few ingredients, little hassle, and minimal preparation/cook time. I also wanted something filling and comforting. Hmm. Got it! My new favorite, go-to recipe! It is quick, easy, and so tasty and filling I feel like licking the bowl when I'm finished.

Black bean soup. So simple. So lovely. And healthy to boot. Here's the original recipe:

Puree 1 19-oz can of black beans (no need to drain the beans) in a blender or food processor. Gently heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan and toss in a small minced onion and clove of garlic and cook until onions are soft. Add the pureed beans and 1/2 cup chicken broth to the saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally allowing it to thicken. Add a dollop of sour cream (optional) and enjoy!

Six ingredients!! That's all you need! However... I can never just leave a recipe alone. I have to tweak things. I can't help it. I'll tell you what I've done and let you make up your mind...but I should say that the 2 times I've made this, it was a bit different each time, depending on what I had available in my cupboard and fridge.

The first time I made it, I had a mildly hot pepper from my neighbor, G. I chopped that and threw it in with the onions and garlic and it added a lovely mild flavor. If I had a pepper last night, I also would've added it. I almost always increase garlic whenever I make things... I love me some garlic. I also usually add some cayenne pepper to the mix at some point, for a little spice, also a little salt and black pepper to taste. Depending on your beans, you may want to add part of the chicken broth to the blender to help it puree nicely. Last night I used 2 smaller cans of beans and one was very watery...I think the majority of the weight of the can was liquid, not beans, jerks (not buying that brand anymore!). Anyway, eyeball it and use your best judgment. I think that this needed some acidity the first time I made it and so I added lemon juice (lime would work too) and it was awesome and definitely a permanent change! You can add that to your own taste preferences... I didn't measure the citrus... or the cayenne pepper. Last night I didn't add sour cream and the soup was amazing all by itself! Oh! I almost forgot! I also added cilantro! Yum. Let me know if you make this and what you think.

I ate my lovely, comforting bowl of black bean soup on my deck while I flipped through a new psych publication and watched the dogs play. Ah, relaxing. I told myself I could not look through the Ikea catalog until I did some licensing reading (that's the productive part)...urgh, torture. But I got some reading done just before a good friend called to chat...it's been too long, so I talked for quite a while, then crawled in bed with the catalog.

I admit I didn't get through the whole thing and had to turn out the lights by 8:55. I was asleep by 9:00.

I actually slept pretty late this morning, spilled coffee just before I was supposed to leave (thankfully NOT on my white linen skirt), cleaned that up, barely got a parking spot in the nearest lot, and was taunted by K-Dog for being late (who is late nearly 95% of the time).

But it's Thursday! And I get paid tomorrow! Woohoo!

Yum!

I had the most amazing chicken last night! It was quick, easy, and delicious and definitely something I will make again. It was a pretty simple marinade, but it packed quite a punch! AND it made the chicken very tender and moist. Yum!

Here's the recipe, in all it's simplistic glory:

1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar,
3 Tablespoons of EV Olive Oil,
the Juice of half a Lemon,
and a pinch of Black Pepper

I got the recipe for Balsamic Chicken from my new fave food blog, though as usual, I tweaked it a little. Originally the chicken was served with a salad, but as I didn't have any more salad greens on hand, I ate it with a baked potato instead. Since I didn't have a whole lemon for fresh lemon juice, I used the lemon juice I had in the fridge (I didn't measure exactly how much, but you want approximately that of half a lemon). I did use a bit less olive oil and increased the vinegar, but I really love balsamic vinegar. I also added a little salt after I threw the chicken in. I tend to like my chicken cut in strips (it's faster to cook) and last night was no exception- I trimmed any fat off the chicken breasts (I used 2), cut it in strips, and tossed it into the marinade, closed the container, shook it up and let it rest in the fridge while I did a few things around the house. I only let the chicken marinate for a short time (probably no more than an hour) and shook it a few times before throwing it into a really hot pan. There was a lot of liquid still, but it reduced quickly, so be careful not to burn!

Confessions of a Foodie (Wannabe)

I'm obsessed with food these days. I'm not sure if that makes me a foodie... but here's what Wikipedia says.

Out of all the blogs I actually read and check regularly, most are food blogs (check out my new favorite The Good Mood Food Blog). I love the amazing pictures as much as dreaming about making such awesome food. (secretly I want a good camera so I can take my own food pics and blog about my own food creations once in a while).

I love the Food Network and am pretty sad I'm back to having no cable/no TV.

I have a stack of cookbooks that I was so excited to unpack and have actually gone through a number of them quite recently.

I love trying new foods (remember that episode with baby octopus?).

I'm also excited to have my own kitchen again! Some day I will fill it with gadgets and cooking gizmos.

Cooking is relaxing. Last weekend I experimented with baked veggie egg rolls (they're OK baked... way better fried). Chopping carrots and bamboo shoots and onions became this zen-like thing for me.

One of my favorite books is Food & Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best. It explains a lot about health and nutrition and offers some tasty recipes too!

So why the obsession? Well, it's not exactly a NEW obsession. I'm trying to get back to eating like I used to eat before the job from hell, chronic tonsillitis, dissertation drama, and the job from hell. Snacking at regular intervals, making sure I'm getting lots of fruits and veggies and fiber and protein, and eating things I enjoy making AND eating. I take mass quantities of food with me to work every day, all lovingly planned out, then lovingly eaten. Yesterday one of my snacks was a bowlful of cherries and a handful of almonds. Yum.

I'll admit, I feel a little weird going to work with all my food and declaring out loud that "it's snack time!", but I have noticed that I'm more alert during the day (without huge amounts of caffeine). The last few days have been much more productive for me. I'm not starving by the time I get home in the evening, even when I have to run errands right after work. And I'm not really craving anything, I feel pretty satisfied!

Hawaii 5-0

Aloha!

Today was a fun day infused with the Aloha spirit! I went to Okole Maluna with Nacole and Jason for lunch and had some amazing Hawaiian food! Nacole ordered an appetizer of Tako Poke, which is Japanese octopus.

Nacole loves octopus! I've had octopus salad in another restaurant, but not like this... this was mostly octopus and onions. And you could see the suckers!! That is where I draw the line! I tried one sucker-free bite (which was actually pretty good) but couldn't bear to look at those little suction cups. I was even going to take another bite, but realized it had a big ole sucker on it and accidentally flicked it out on the table! It scared me! I asked Nacole if the suction cups stuck to her teeth as she chewed them up... apparently they didn't.

Finally our meals came. I got the Kalua Pig (slow-roasted pork), which was SO good, I was sad when my food was gone! It also came with some lomi-lomi salmon and Haupia coconut cream pudding, both of which I've had before and love! Nacole also had pork, but hers was Lau Lau, which is served in taro leaves...also VERY good! Jason had some teriyaki chicken and even though I'm not a huge fan of teriyaki, this was so good I'd order it.

Why, oh why did I wait so long to try this fantastic place? I wonder if I can find something similar in Wisconsin? In order to embrace the Aloha spirit, I am making it a goal of mine to make Kalua Pig...albeit a haole (White person) version.

After our amazing lunch, we went to Nacole and Jason's favorite neighborhood fish/aquarium store to find some new fish for their tank. They had a lot of pretty cool fish, newts, frogs, water crabs, and eels (although eels give me the heebie-jeebies). So there I was, enjoying the beautiful fish, when I turned the corner. The fish guys had gotten some new fish and were introducing them to the water in the tanks, so there was this big 5-gallon bucket on the floor. There on the floor next to the bucket... was a fish. I wasn't sure if it was a fake fish, or a dead fish, or what, so I grabbed Nacole and asked her what that was on the floor. It wasn't moving... just laying there! She confirmed that it was a fish, and being a good citizen (and less bewildered and traumatized than me) went to tell one of the guys at the store. Here's the conversation:

Nacole: Hey, a fish got out.

Fish Guy: A fish got out?

Nacole: Yeah, a fish got out.

Fish Guy: Like...is it a goldfish?

Nacole: No, a big fish.

Fish Guy: Oh, OK, thanks. Would you hold this (he hands Nacole some box for another customer)?

So Fish Guy walked over and picked up the fish with both hands (it was big enough to hold in both hands), and dropped it back in the bucket and said, "Stupid fish, do you want to choose the floor or life? Stay in the bucket!" Then he told us to let him know if it happened again! I was slightly on guard the rest of the time we were at the store, but he didn't jump out again. Although I did have a close encounter with a cricket later.

Then, I met my favorite fish. I shall call him Hootie and he will be my blowfish. Doesn't he look happy?

Yum!

I've been eating a lot of soup lately, but tonight I made one of my favorite, quick dinners that my friend Erin taught me to make. It's got a few of my favorite things- cheese, pasta, and butter!

Here's what you'll need:
Cheese ravioli or tortellini (frozen or dried), made according to the package,
Butter,
Salt & pepper to taste,
Balsamic vinegar.

Once you've cooked the noodles according to the directions, drain them and warm a non-stick pan on low heat. Add some butter (a tablespoon or so) to the pan and allow it to melt and let it brown lightly. Be careful browning the butter! Turn off the heat before the butter burns. Add the pasta and coat it with the butter. Sprinkle some balsamic vinegar over the noodles, so that you have a nice coating (not too much) and let it warm slightly. Remove from the pan, add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

I cooked some chicken breast and added it, which was also quite good. Steamed broccoli compliments the dish nicely!