A Week of Pinterest: Barbacoa and Cilantro Lime Rice

It's the FINAL PIIIIIN! duh-nuh-nuh-nuh! (to the tune of "It's the final countdown")
Get excited.

Barbacoa Beef and Cilantro Lime Rice

Two VERY delicious recipes! The Barbacoa beef was a crock pot recipe that, although required a tons of odd ingredients, wasn't difficult at all. I did end up letting it cook for probably twice the amount of time it was supposed to cook for, but it still turned out great! I was expecting it to taste spicier than it did, but it was still wonderful. And the RICE! OOOOOHHHH THE RICE! Beautiful. That's all I can say. Just gorgeous. I ALLLLLWAYS mess up rice, and this time it turned out PERFECT! I felt like I was eating at Chipotle. "Gina's Skinny Recipes" hit the nail on the head with that one. I'm interested to try out more of her recipes since they seem super close to the meal they are copying. Jake and I inhaled all of it in about five minutes. Lucky the recipe is meant for 30, so there are a bunch of leftovers. TOTALLY making this dish again.

And there you have it followers: A week of Pinterest meals. You know, for a random idea, this was really fun! Plus I saved a bunch of money from not eating out. I even found that I've eaten less this week, just because I'm cooking practically every meal (and staying away from processed food). Also I found that when you put time and effort into something, it becomes more important/ satisfying when it's done. I'm eating more as an accomplishment then anything else.
To be completely honest, I'm a little sad to see this project go. I'm sad because my life is crazy. CRAZY, just like everyone else's. I'm always doing something; school work, work work, home work, notice a theme? It was nice to take an hour or so out of my day and do something for me (and sometimes Jake). I mean, I could have just taken a nap, which I still did anyways, but this made me feel like I was doing something important. This project made me realize that it's good to sometimes just do your own things, have your own projects or goals, make yourself feel like something other than a pack mule all day long.There is so much more out there than deadlines and meetings. Life is a very sweet sweet thing and I feel like this little project helped me experience life just a little more than I already was.
My advice to everyone reading who feel like you're dragging: explore, get creative, and find some new joy somewhere, anywhere! Because it's there, just waiting for you to find it.

A Week of Pinterest: PANINIS!

I promised things would start getting difficult! Although paninis are not the hardest food in the world to make, this dish definitely required a little extra time and preparation.

Rosemary and Chicken Panini with Sun-dried Tomatoes

At first glance it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult, and then you read the directions. I didn't see the 30 minute marinating of the chicken when I found the recipe, which is a big chunk of time when you're hungry, so that delayed things quite a bit. I also am a big dummy and forgot to defrost my chicken the night before, so I ended up making this dish the next day.
Once everything was thawed and marinated, things got interesting. I had Jake helping me make it since he was over anyways and he was hungry, and to be honest I'm not sure it would have gone well if it was just one person. With this recipe there are a bunch of things going on at once, and I'm not so experienced with cooking that the pressure doesn't phase me. You end up grilling the chicken and dealing with a delicate pan of greens and tomatoes at the same time, which was when I realized how glad I was to have someone helping me. However, once the chicken is finished, it's not so bad.
In the end, the paninis were AWESOME! Just as great as something at a restaurant. Definitely a good recipe and good instructions. I was much happier with this choice than I was with the penne pasta I made on Thursday night. I think what I learned from this little guy is that I actually need to do a better job of LOOKING at the cooking instructions before I start making the dish. I didn't realize I needed a George Forman grill until I was marinating my chicken. Whoops! Luckily, both my roommates have them and I was able to borrow one (which I still need to clean...).
Tonight's meal is the BIG adventure: Barbacoa Beef with lime and cilantro rice.
Cross your fingers that I don't cut off mine in the process.
See you tonight!

A Week of Pinterest: Penne Pasta

Sorry for the short break, everyone. My week is SO busy I barely have time to cook or anything else that is fun. Fortunately, last night I was able to continue my pinterest week with:

Penne Pasta

Once again, nothing too hard. Ingredients are penne pasta, a sweet potato, spinach, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. I'll let you read the recipe for cooking directions, but like I said, it wasn't hard at all.

It also wasn't that good, Sorry Kalyn's Kitchen. Sadly, this has been my least favorite Pinterest meal thus far. It just tasted far too....healthy. You know what I mean? Despite the over use of vinegar and cheese on my part, there was, surprisingly, almost no flavor to the entire dish. I'm guessing that it was supposed to come from the spinach and sweet potato, which it did not. Also, I don't think I cooked my potato long enough, which could explain a lot of things, but not enough to completely ruin the entire entree. I suppose I had fair warning, Kalyn's Kitchen kept talking about how to make everything "South Beach Friendly." God, I can't imagine what THAT would have tasted like. All in all, not something I would make again.

Disappointing, but what's a girl to do? Have to keep cooking a suppose.

*SIDE NOTE*

If you are not reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and you enjoy reading, then you need to be. I don't even like reading and I'm jumping out of my skin trying to finish it.

A Week of Pinterest: Pizza Caserole

Well the pickles bites went over like gang busters yesterday! The true test of good cooking is when people eat it up without hesitation. For my first pin recipe, I would call it a success.

Today's pin recipe: Pizza Casserole

Don't worry, by the end of the week I'll be frying much bigger fish (well, not actual fish, but you know what I mean). I also thought it would be smart to ease my way into this whole cooking-week. No need to rush things or get in over my head; it's only Monday. Speaking of which, this was THE PERFECT Monday dish! Super duper simple to make, but not so much so that I feel like I'm toasting pop-tarts. I actually feel like I did a bit of work in preparation without too much pressure.
Pizza Casserole consists of: egg noodles, Ragu sauce, sausage, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese. Cook the sausage, boil the egg noodles, and layer into a pan with the cheese and sauce. Top with pepperonis, bake for 30 minutes with tin-foil covering, bake another 15 without, and let it sit for 10 minutes to cool and solidify.
(More extensive directions in the link)
Normally, this is the section where I would add my own personal cooking tips, but this recipe really hit the nail on the head. "For Mamas"'s blog provided very concise and clear directions. I couldn't be more satisfied with it's ease. The only trouble now is that I'm left with a HUGE pan of pizza casserole and 5 more days worth of meals to cook.
I may need to extend my "week" so I'm not wasteful.
See you tomorrow! 

A Week of Pinterest

So this week I've decided that I'm cooking dinner every single night. From scratch.
It's a daunting task for someone whose regular meals have been mac and cheese for the past two weeks. Don't worry, I've cooked before, and I'm not bad at it (she said so humbly), but normally it's closer to one or two meals a week instead of the whole enchilada.
But where do you go when you need seven new recipes?! I'm a college student! I don't have cook books!
Pinterest.
Ah Pinterest: the single biggest procrastination tool I have. I could write a whole post one how much I love this silly little website, but we will save that one for later.
So I'm making a week full of Pinterest food and I'm feeling a little bit like Julie Powell in Julie & Julia, except I'm going to try to not piss off Julia Childs in the process.

Here's what I have planned for today:

Pickle Bites

Not the most complicated thing in the world, but hey, it's Super Bowl Sunday, and I needed something to contribute to the group meal that dudes (mostly Jake) would be into.
It's basically pickles, cream cheese, and corned beef. Now, I'm cheap, and I'm just getting my corned beef from the pre-sliced deli section. I'm guessing if you wanted to go all out on this you would actually prepare corned beef, but I don't have that kind of time. Apply cream cheese to beef, roll up a pickle inside it, and slice into small wedges. Ta-Da! Easy peasy.
Or so I thought. Actually, this is kind of messy. I quickly learned that spreading cream cheese on a piece of meat is nothing like spreading cream cheese on a bagel. You definitely want to have softened the cream cheese before putting it on the meat. Also, if you're using the deli slices, 2 slices work better than 1. Make sure that both slices are cream cheese side up, that way the slices and the pickle sticks together.

Mine definitely did not turn out as pretty as Iowa girl's, but they sure taste good!

See you tomorrow, Pinners!

The 4th Floor Lobby in the Kansas Union

It's an extremely ordinary place. Have you ever been there?

There are no special features that separate this room much from a regular common room. There are couches and chairs placed amicably about. There are sturdy tables and ottomans, welcoming students to study or read. There is even this darling little drink-stop adjacent to the main seating area. But none of these things really makes the lobby what it is.

I find myself, now, seeing this area more than I had the past two years. I pass this little lobby everyday on my way into work in the Student Leadership and Involvement Center. Since my freshman year at the University of Kansas, I've been in love with this place. Walking past it each day only makes the few hours I spend working that much more enjoyable.

But, what is it's appeal, you may ask. The magic of this room can't quite be described by it's walls, sofas, or beverages, but more by the glow written on the student's faces. Just the other day I witnessed a two-some of friends reunite in the lobby. A seated man lept to his feet upon the entrance of, what I can only assume was, a dear friend. What was even more lovely then his greeting was their embrace, which almost resulted in the both of them being thrown backwards onto the floor. I looked around and saw tables of friends cackling over an  anecdote; a few lonesome souls enjoying their hot drinks and crosswords; even a couple of staff members resounding in the fact that their midterm papers are finally all graded. And not too far from the seating area, someone was playing a soft melody on the grand piano which carelessly floated over the people in the next room. 

In Love Actually, (the best holiday movie there is, in my opinion) Hugh Grant all but soliloquies on his happiest place on earth; the Hethro Airport. Well, whenever I want to think of a place where people are most happy, I think of the 4th floor lobby in the Kansas Union. I've yet to see a group reunite in this lobby with anything but joy in their eyes. I'm sure that for some, this room provides solace from the currently hectic location they call home and that for others, this room is nothing more than a group of chairs where they can relax between a class or two. But even if you're unaware of it, this room is more than just a collection of space sometimes occupied by incoming high school seniors or business fairs. This is the kind of place where even if all of your trials had gone wrong for that particular day and you really were all alone, you could sit down, have a coffee, and feel not quite so lonely; at least for a little while. You can't help but be glad that you are among others, colleagues, friends, who are as equally at a loss for a way to spend their time than to come down and sit in the lobby for a bit.

I implore you to take a moment and visit the 4th floor lobby in the Kansas Union, when you can. If you can't make it today, then go tomorrow. It will always be waiting to welcome you in and offer you a chair. 

"See you later"

How did it get here this quickly? I feel like the summer had to have just started; I can't believe it's ending. But that's how is always is, isn't it? Even as kids, that sneaky labor day weekend catches up with us, and we wish summer was a little longer still.

I find myself tonight, in the midst of packing for my annual migration from my Wichita home to my Lawrence home, that I could take a little bit more of summer. I could have take 10 more summers like this one.

I saw the desert. I smelled like a peach. I climbed a canyon. I ate popcorn. I sang. I swam. I ran. I slept. I loved. I felt the unwelcome hug of Kansas humidity. I felt the relief of ran. I laughed with those who I'll be seeing again soon, and I laughed with those who I will see less and less. I believed. I listened. I drank lots of coffee. I saw sunshine in a window. I ate sunshine in a window. I moved. I danced. I made new friends. I cut my hair. I got a little tan. I read 3 books. I worked 2 jobs. I played with my brother. I started this blog. I gained a cat. I lost a dog. I planned. I unplanned. I packed. I unpacked. And I watched the Kansas sunset more times than I can count.

Tomorrow I begin my journey back to Lawrence, with my trusty side-kick, Kellene. I keep thinking that I should say goodbye; to people and to summer. But it's never goodbye.

It's always "see you later."

Because you never know when you'll be back.