Last day of September

It is the last day of September, so it is time for the month wrap up!

Person of the month: Granny. Stephen's granny has been amazing to us this month. She has bought Stephen a beautiful new suit to interview in and a new computer when his decided to die two days ago. I honestly will never understand how one person can be so giving and so amazing.

Moment of the month: The other morning was pretty amazing. I will leave it at that.

Outing of the month: Going to The Lemon Wedge with Lauren during First Friday in Bryan. It was awesome discovering a new restaurant and catching up with her.

Book of the month: Million Little Mistakes. It's a fun guilty pleasure. And choose your own adventure books remind me of being a kid. I even still cheat on them!

Movie of the month: Percy Jackson and he Lightning Thief was a pretty awesome movie. We rented it from Netflix. It is the first movie in a long time that we both dropped everything we were doing to watch it. That is a very hard thing for us to do at home when our computers are right next to us!

Accomplishment of the month: Turning 26! Does that count? I think it does. And doing yoga for the sixth day in a row! It may continue, because I am really enjoying yoga time in the morning.

Restaurant meal of the month: I ate at the Lemon Wedge twice and loved it both times! I loved the brie, canadian bacon, and asparagus sandwich I got.

Beer of the month: Magic Hat is now one of my favorite breweries. I love ttheir Hi PA. It is pretty amazing, as is their Hex and their #9.

Cooked meal and dessert of the month: Deep dish cheeseburger pizza and Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. That was an easy one this month!

Today Stephen had one interview and I had two. That is 3 interviews between us! In my opinion, I think they went well. But when everyone in the universe from our department is competeing for the same position, the chances are pretty slim. All I can do is remain poised and be myself. I kinda enjoy interviews, but they can be quite draining.

I made some chocolate chip cookies from my new Dorie cookbook.

They are amazing!

And I have begun baking for Saurday's art and baked goods table. I am slightly exhausted!

See you tomorrow!

Popcorn and Beer

Today was a very feel good day, powered by some great music! The day started off with a nice yoga practice with Juno on in the backgroun. I love putting on a movie while I do yoga. Juno has a pretty great soundtrack. Then while I made and ate breakfast I sang along to Avenue Q. On my way to school, I put on Now That's What I Call Music Volume 7. Yes, some music from my high school days. It was so awesome, that I walked right past the geology building so that I could listen to the music for 10 or so more minutes. Unfortunately I had semminar to attend, so I couldn't keep listening to the music forever.

I taught lab tonight, so my prelab dinner was a paninni with egg, cheddar, apple, bbq sauce and spinach. It was very delicious and very filling with lots of brocolli on the side.

And now I am enjoying (well, just enjoyed) some fresh popcorn with parm and pepper and a beer.

One of Magic Hat's Seasonals, with the cap. I love these caps, because they each have a different saying.

I think I watched the newest episode of Glee three times today. I had it on while doing other things each time, so I think I finally got to watch everything. I love that Glee is so popular. It is definitely made for music and theater nerds. Since I love musicals, I fit in quite nicely.

I am off to relax. I have two interviews tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Painting, Quotes, and Ugly Enchiladas

Today I am proud of myself. I am proud of myself for listening to my body, for letting go and having a very fun morning instead of rushing off to school, and for painting for the first time in weeks!

I practiced yoga for the fourth morning in a row. I love listening to my body and following the posture flow that feels right for me each morning. My practices are now about 70-90 minutes long. I am spoiling myself, though. Besides Rodney Yee, I seem to be disenchanted by yoga dvd's. Today I put on a Sean Corn dvd while  painted to see if I wanted to actually try it out. I will be honest. I loved Sean Corn. I like how she explains the poses, breathing, and the spirituality of yoga. But I would rather be there in person at a workshop. It doesn't suit my needs for my morning practice. I want something a little faster, yet still focused on breathing. I want a little less explaining. I completely agree with her view of yoga being your own work of art. I truly believe that I can be so creative in my practice, and that everyone's experience is so unique. What happens on your mat stays on your mat, and is your very own experience.

I am preparing for the Wellborn Arts and Crafts Festival on Saturday. I have decided to take the two large paintings that were hanging in our bedroom and add a little life to them. I am going to try to sell the set. I think they look super alive now. If I don't sell them, they are going right back on our bedroom wall. Unless you want them, of course!

I got a letter in the mail with a birthday present today! Nattie sent me the coolest keychain I have seen. I love it so much and am attaching my house keys to it. It is a mini quote book. I love quotes, and these are incedibly inspirational. Thank you, Nattie!

I love this quote. I cannot even count how many times I say that life is unfair. For example, it is unfair that some people in the Geology department have an advisor that lets them do their own writing and publish papers, while I have an advsor who rewrites everything or just doesn't work with me to move forward AT ALL. But I was extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to move to Texas for grad school and to get paid for grad school. Some people would find that unfair. Of course I don't complain when the unfairness benefits me. But I know that everyone has struggled or is struggling with their own rough moments and issues. Life is unfolding for everyone is a way that works for each individual. You really cannot compare lives and say that someone doesn't deserve something. I assure you that they do deserve it. I believe in karma!

I finally got my Barnes and Noble birthday present (Thank you, Eden). I got Dorie's cookbook, Baking: From my home to yours. It looks amazing. I cannot wait to start baking some of the treats in this book. My first adventure will either be white chocolate brownies or a creamcheese torte.

For dinner, I made the most disgusting looking, yet delicious tasting enchladas in the world. These have cheese, ground turkey, and a salsa sourcream sauce.

Quite the mess, right? But super delicious.

I made a little chickpea, tomato, and corn salad with ground pepper, salt, and greek yogurt. I really liked this a lot! I had to serve it in cute glasses to compensate for the hideous enchiladas. I like my food to look pretty. But sometimes the most delicious things will look messy.

I hope you had a terrific day. Back to watching Oprah!

Million Little Mistakes

I picked up a new book yesterday. It is called Million Little Mistakes. It is a choose your own adventure book for adults! The author, Heather Mcelhatton, has another one called Pretty Little Mistakes. I bought the first one years ago and was so excited when I stumbled upon the newest one! The premise of the adventure is simple.

You win 22 million dollars in the lottery!!

Here is your question. What would you do if you won this type of money? Keep in mind that it would be more like 15 milion after taxes (still an INSANE amount of money).

Some fundamental questions that the book addresses, which are interesting to think about:

Would you keep your job or leave your job? Technically you do not need to make money anymore. So would that mean freedom from your job from hell? Or would you stay there? Of course, if you choose to leave your job, you need to ask yourself why you are there in the first place. Why not do something that makes you happy? Or at least happier or more full and satisfied? (I know that I need to take this advice myself).

Would you be conservative with the money or would you do something very excessive (like buy a large ship or a private island)? I think that money stresses me out. Thinking about all of the possibilities is making my head spin. Seriously, I am not able to think straight. I would hire someone to help me open up my pizza restaurant.

Would you share your wealth and help your family and friends out? I would take everyone on a fun vacation. As far as helping people out. Maybe. But I do not like favors too much, or people who think they can walk all over you because you are nice and have money.

Or would you keep living life as is, feeling comforted by the very large cushion of safety? I like changing things up once in a while. So chnges would definitely be made!

The book is extremely silly and the stories are outrageous. It is very addictive, unrealistic, and so much fun! The one thing it does manage to get across is that money will never make you happy. Just like reaching a certain goal weight will never make you happy. You need to find happiness within yourself to be content with your life. There is no such thing as a quick fix. For anything! Even 22 (15) million dollars.

Nevertheless, it would be pretty awesome to win that amount of money, right?

On to more realistic things, like food!

I know, I know. Pancakes again! These are peanutbutter strawberry pancakes, and they were super delicious. These were easy and made in a blender.

Peanutbutter Strawberry Pancakes

1/4 cup wheat flour

1/4 cup skim milk

1 egg

2-4 large strawberries

1 tbsp peanut butter

pinch of baking powder

Mix in a blender and pour to a greased and heated skillet. You will get one large and delicious pancake!

Greek yogurt, grilled bananas, and cinnamon on top.

A snack! Cottage cheese, strawberries, oats, and chocolate chips.

So good.

I decided to use up most of my strawberries and made a strawberry coffee cake. It is like a basic blueberry buckle, but with sourcream, strawberries, and more crumb topping.

Look at all of that topping! So amazing.

And this coffee cake is spectacular. I had a nice chunk of it with my preclass dinner.

Which was a very unexciting spinach salad with turkey and egg. Delicious, but boring. I know.

Something not boring: homemade crackers! I rolled out piza dough real thin, cut into rectangles, brushed melted butter, and sprinkled sesame seeds on top. I also put some curry powder on the crackers. These were baked at 450 F for about 9 minutes.

They look incredible, and I will find out if they are incredible once I have my snack.

Hope you had a good Monday!

Deep Dish Cheeseburger Pizza and Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

I love Sundays because they usually include a lot of cooking and baking. Maybe one day I will do this for a living. As I was kneading dough today, I was fantasizing about having a little pizza dough business to start off with. People could stop by my apartment on their way home and pick up some fresh pizza dough to bring home. If anything, my arms would get super buff from all of the kneading. Definitely not a bad thing!

My Sunday creations:

This sandwich has roasted turkey, bacon, zucchini, cheese (mozzarella and parm), strawberries, and some greek yogurt and dijon mustard.

Served on Italian bread.

Today's baking adventure was a chocolate hazelnut torte from the Joy of Baking.

I was excited about two things with this dessert: using toasted hazelnuts, and using my new springform pan!

Whipping egg whites is also exciting.

The lovely aromatic batter in the springform pan.

All baked up!

Time to serve.

I am accustomed to having dark chocolate in my dessert. Since this was made with bittersweet chocolate, it was a little lighter in flavor. The hazelnuts added such an incredible taste to the torte. Definitely enjoyable.

Pizza time!

I decidd to make a deep dish cheeseburger pizza. It was a homemade thick crust baked ina  cake pan with ground beef, bbq sauce, cheddar and mozzarella, and bacon.

I absolutely love taking a finished pizza out of the oven. I get so excited!

The "burger" toppings.

This pizza was so delicious!

Do you prefer thin or thick crust? For me, I love crust, so I think I prefer a thick crust, especially if I am making the crust. Seriously, one day I am having a pizza and sandwich bakery. With lots of good beer. Beer is a must. Especially after a super stressful night of trying to take care of adult responsibilities. Can I not be 26? Please.

Hope you had a great weekend.

Apple Cheddar Sour Cream Chicken Sandwich

I have noticed that I don't really have a blog post style. Some days I have a theme, but most days I do not. Today I will simply ramble about my day and show you my dinner. Sound good? Great!

I cannot stop laughing at this cat from Cute Overload.

Today was a pretty productive day:

A wonderful yoga practice by myself. I like doing my own thing, because I can ensure that I get in everything I need on that particular day. Today I started with a nice moon flow to stretch out my sides. It always feel so excellent.

I had a phone interview. Does anyone else dislike phone interviews. You can't win points by keeping eye contact and it is very difficult to be engaging on the phone. And let's face it, a silent pause is much MUCH more awkward ont he phone that in person. At least in person you can convey meaning with your body and face. On the phone you just feel silly.

Stephen and I cleaned up the apartment! A little early, because we usually clean on Sunday. His mom and granny were coming down, so we thought we would make the place presentable.

Mom and granny took us out to lunch for a late birthday lunch. We went to The Lemon Wedge. My request, of course. I had an amazing sandwich called The Whistler. It is brie, asparagus, canadian bacon on ciabatta bread with a raspberry chipotle dipping sauce. It came with a delicious fruit salad and homemade chips. I loved it!

We spent a few hours shopping for a suit jacket for Stephen's interviews. We ended up going to Men's Warehouse and getting him an entire suit and a sports coat. I thought it was enough for them to buy him a suit jacket, but every else? Wow.

On that note, I seriously cannot get over some peoples' generosity. Stephen's family continuously goes out of the way to make anyone feel welcomed and taken care of. I love it. It does make me feel a little selfish at times, because I have so much trouble spending money, on myself or on other people.

Stephen and I got a variety pack of Magic Hat beers, including their Number 9, OurtoberFest, IPA, and a Fall seasonal. I am so excited to try them!

I made a pretty delicious chicken sandwich for dinner tonight:

Some days I take my meal inspiration from snacks I have laying in my cupboards. Stephen usually gets chips for his lunches, so we had some extra Cheddar and Sour Cream chips. I decided to create a chicken sandwich using this flavor combination, and adding a little extra (of course).

I breaded the chicken in the crushed potato chips. They were dredged in wheat flour, dipped in egg, and then coated in the chips.

They were then cooked up in a skillet. About 6 minutes per side.

I toasted wheat buns a bit and then melted some sourcream and cheddar onto the top bun.

A chicken sandwich with cheddar is never complete without some apple slice. So there you go.

An Apple Cheddar Sour Cream Chicken Sandwich. It was quite delicious and a very fun take on the chicken sandwich. Some roasted potatoes on the side (and brussel sprouts for me, too).

The Dixie Chicken

Today Stephen and I had an unexpected lunch date. We went to The Dixie Chicken. This is actually the first place I went to lunch in College Station. When I visited before accepting the offer, the grad students took me to The Chicken. I loved that it reminded me exactly of an old western saloon. It is dark and has animal heads on the wall. There is even a rattlesnake behind the pool tables. This bar fits every Texas stereotype imaginable. It makes me happy.

When you go to the Chicken you need to order a burger. They are a delicious and simple burger. Nothing fancy. At all. Just a nice beef patty (with cheese, of course), normal bun, and the usual lettuce, tomato, onions, and mustard. It was very much needed. Stephen needed a 32 ounce beer (yes, for lunch), but I am a complete light weight, so no beer with lunch for me!

I have a thought in regards to "junk food" in restaurants. All the magazines and books in the universe tell you to order grilled chicken, a salad, etc when you go out to eat. I agree, to an extent. When I go to a burger place or a classic diner, I am not going to order a salad. And at the burger place, I am not going to order grilled chicken. Let's face it, these places are known for their burgers and diner food, not their salad. So go ahead and order what you want and love to eat. Enjoy it, because the mediocre salad will rarely satisfy you. Especially when you see your friend (or company of choice) eating their deliciously greasy food. Enjoy your life and your food. Don't take your lifestyle too seriously. It is a lifestyle for a reason. It is meant to be flexible, but anchored by a basic core of what you believe in and what you want for yourself.

Do yourself a favor and go to a fun diner and order something outside your comfort zone. It just may make you smile.

For dinner, I made tilapia quesadilla burgers

I whipped up a tequila lime salsa. It was made of diced tomatoes, onion, jalepeno, lime zest, and tequila.

Homemade refried beans. Anyone else love cooking dried beans?

I used my new grill pan! Thank you Abby.

The quesadillas are in tortillas that were dipped in egg and milk. I love what this does to tortillas. So delicious.

Fried plantains on the side. Plantains are one of my favorite foods. Ever.

Here is a question for you: If you could do anything you wanted tomorrow, what would it be? Is there any way that you could make this happen?

Veronica and a Cake Day

I have a little story.

I won a copy of Operation Beautiful from That Wife's blog. I thought that I missed the opportunity to get the book, because I replied to the email, that expicitly said, "Do not Reply to this email". In my panic, I started crying (I get emotional sometimes) and explained what happened to Stephen. He ordered me a copy and I was happy again! Then I got even happier when I found out that the book was still getting sent to me.

So there I was with a conundrum. Two copies of a pretty amazing book. I surely couldn't hold on to both of them. I needed to share the meassage of Operation Beautiful with someone that I love. That is exactly what I did.

Meet my cousin Veronica. She is 12 and absolutely gorgeous (clearly). I sent her a copy of the book. I believe that everyone at any age can relate to the message in this book. Accept yourself however you are right now. Give a little piece of yourself each day to people you love and even people you have never met and will probably never meet. It does wonders for your heart.

She received the book yesterday and sent me an adorable text message saying thank you and the three greatest words to hear, "I love you".

This gorgeous girl has everything going for her in the world. The only regret I have is that I am all the way down in Texas and she is up in Massachusetts. I wish I could be more of a big sister to her. For now, I promise to keep in touch and be a better cousin.

Now on to some pancakes and cupcakes. Apparently it is a cake day.

 

Pancake time once again!

This time I made Chocolate Banana Pancakes:

1/4 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 tbsp-1 tbsp cocoa powder (hershey's special dark)

about 3/4 ripe banana mashed

Mix it all together and cook up in a skillet.

I piled on some peanut butter and greek yogurt in between the pancakes.

Yum! Pancakes are definitely one of my favorite breakfasts.

Almost every week day, I pack up lunched for Stephen and I. I always pack a napkin and a note in Stephen's lunch. I seriously feel like such a mom/wife when I do this. Honestly, this feels really nice. I like knowing that I can take care of him. And packing lunches really is fun for me (most days). But there are days when I wish I had my very own Astrid to make my lunches.

Maybe I should create a Rent an Astrid business. People can rent me for the day to cook their meals and snacks. Kinf of like a take home cook, but even cooler!

Yesterday I took a break from having my soul sucked at school and went to TJ Maxx. Stephen told me to go and be a Maxxinista, so that's what I did. I decided to spend some money in the home goods section and bought a jar of Pure Vanilla Bean Paste and some Silicon Muffin Liners. I ran out of the vanilla beans my mom bought me, so I decided I NEEDED more. I love the smell and taste of real vanlla beans. So I have decided that this is one ingredient that I will always splurge on from now on. It makes baking that much more exciting. And trust me, I need excitement in my life right now.

 

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Adapted from Simply Recipes

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 ts salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

Beat the butter, then beat in the sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

In another bowl, combine the vanilla bean paste, the milk, and sour cream.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Alternate between betating in the milk mixture and flour mixture until well combined.

Pour into prepared muffin tins or cupcake liners of your choice.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Beat the butter, and then slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Beat in the vanilla bean paste.

When the cupcakes are cooled, go ahead and frost them!

I cooled mine up in the freezer, because I couldn't wait to try them!

I love how the little specs of vanilla bean look. But how to they taste?

First, I popped the cupcakes out of the silicon liners.

Then I dug in. INCREDIBLE cupcakes! I love that my hands smell like vanilla bean now. I love these cupcakes.

Hope you had a great Thursday. Happy almost Friday.