Back from Europe: Recipe for Pasta Puttanesca

So, there's an elephant in the room and he's saying that I haven't posted on this blog in FOREVER.

Woops.

As many of you know, I left in late May to travel around Europe for 24 days. It was amazing and life changing, and I have been in denial that my trip is really over. But as I sit at home watching the London Olympics and shouting out, "I WAS THERE OMG I WAS THERE!" every five seconds, I realize that I am indeed in America and no longer overseas. Crap.

I have finally stopped looking at my trip pictures every single day, but I have not stopped thinking or talking about my trip ever since my feet touched American soil. It's pretty much a 12 step program of letting go.

You can't blame me, though. My trip was everything I had hoped for and way more than I expected. I had my fair share of picture perfect moments--the kind you would see on a postcard. Barrett and I picnicked in the Louvre gardens with a fresh baguette and Camembert cheese. We drank wine at a castle in Tuscany. We glided through Venetian waters on a beautiful gondola. We enjoyed afternoon tea in London with treats piled high on a three-tiered cake stand.

While these moments were beautiful and ideal, some of my fondest memories are the behind-the-scenes, less than perfect moments... like when Barrett and I thought we were being stalked by street performers on our way to the Louvre. Or when I drank half a bottle of Prosecco on the gondola in Venice and then spilled the rest of the bottle on Barrett's backpack (which we were able to laugh about later). Or when German soccer players at the Hofbrauhaus chucked paper coasters at me all night. And we can't forget the time I paid 70 Euros (in cash) to have a very strange doctor visit in Greece.

While I can't exactly relive these odd and dysfunctional adventures, I have been trying to relive some parts of my trip through my taste buds. While traveling, my goal was to try as many regional delicacies as possible. And let me tell you, it was fantastic.

In order to keep those memories alive, I have been recreating some delicious meals from abroad. One of my absolute favorite meals was pasta puttanesca. I had this dish at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Pompeii, Italy. The family that owned the restaurant was incredibly sweet, and the food was TO-DIE-FOR. (I don't even care that I just ended a sentence with a preposition. It was that good.)

This was all GF!

 
Recipe serves ~4 people

1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 chopped onion
1 tsp anchovy paste
8 whole garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
7-8 roma tomatoes, chopped
12 kalamata olives, sliced
2 tsp capers
5 cloves chopped garlic
1/3 c parsley
1 Tbsp basil
1 lb pasta

Heat oil in pan. Add onion, anchovy paste, and whole garlic cloves. Heat until garlic is browned.
Add pepper flakes, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the chopped garlic, parsley, and basil.
Simmer a few more minutes and serve over pasta.

More food pictures from abroad to come!

Cookies n' Cream Cheesecakes

On May 2nd, Barrett celebrated his 22nd birthday!  I wanted to bake something special for him, but he's quite picky when it comes to desserts.  He doesn't like cake.  He doesn't even really like chocolates.  When we order dessert after dinner, he eats one bite and I end up eating the whole thing.  No wonder I always leave with a stomachache...

I'm pretty proud of myself for coming up with something that even Barrett enjoyed.  I combined the 2 desserty things that he does like: oreos and cheesecake.

The issues:
1. I don't have a cake pan
2. I don't have a mixer

Without these vital cheesecake making tools, I decided to go with mini cheesecakes made in a cupcake pan and used a hand mixer in a large bowl.  It got the job done.  It also got bits of cheesecake batter on my clothing and counters.  It was worth it, though!  Just look at these babies.

The filling is just cream cheese, egg, and sugar.  I used an oreo on the bottom to act as the crust and covered the top with cool whip.

For myself, I made a gluten free version by omitting the oreo cookie on the bottom!

Honestly, I think these would taste better without the oreo on the bottom.  You get more cheesecake that way!

Makes 10-12 mini cheesecakes:
-2 rectangular packages of cream cheese, softened
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup sugar
-Oreos
-Cool whip (NOT ready whip!)

Beat cream cheese and sugar in mixer.  Add in eggs, one at a time.  Place an oreo on the bottom of each   muffin liner and pour in batter (omit oreo for GF version). Bake 20 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and then cover with cool whip.  Decorate with oreos and strawberries!

Campus Book Rentals

In my last post, I mentioned how I have recently learned about useful campus resources AFTER I graduated.  Go figure, right?

Well, I've just learned about another amazing resource, but luckily I can share it with all of you current college students!  CampusBookRentals is a company that loans out text books.  By renting textbooks from this company, you can save 40-90% off of bookstore prices.

But my FAVORITE part of this company is that they donate a portion of the proceeds from each textbook rental to Operation Smile, a charity organization for children with cleft palates, cleft lips, and other facial deformities.  In the past year, CampusBookRentals has been able to donate over 1,000 lifesaving cleft lip surgeries.  As a speech-language pathology student,  I have learned a lot about cleft palates and how this facial deformity can interfere with eating and speaking.  The Operation Smile website provides this description of their organization:

"We're a mobilized force of medical professionals and caring hearts who provide safe, effective reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft — often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can't afford to give them the surgeries they need to live a normal life. That's where we come in as an international charity providing much needed surgical services."

Since I have a blog and I am lucky enough to have people check in every now and then, I feel like it is my duty to spread the word about these things when I can.  Although I have just recently learned about CampusBookRentals and have not used the company myself, I think they offer a great alternative to buying books at the bookstore.  I am always looking to save money, and since there are very few textbooks that I actually want to keep, renting is a great idea.

Here are some of the main benefits of using CampusBookRentals.

• save 40-90% off of bookstore prices
• free shipping both ways
• can highlight in the textbooks
• flexible renting periods (example can be found here)
• donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented   

Change

Written 4/4/2012


Today marks the last class day of my college career, and the feeling is bittersweet.  I look back on these past 4 years and cannot fathom how they flew by so quickly.  How did I go from that 18 year old teenager to the 21 year old adult that I am today?  On one level, freshman orientation seems like just yesterday, but on another level, I realize that I am a much different person than I was back then. Today I find myself reflecting on who I was four years ago, who I am now, and who I am about to become. Interestingly, the last lecture of my college career was about change. My professor discussed traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the ways in which a person can change after the brain is injured. Neuroplasticity allows our brains to recover and rewire, but nerves are not rewired in the exact same way, and people with TBI’s are not the same people they were before the accident.  They have different personalities, different interests, different memories.  Some have to get divorced because they are no longer compatible with their spouses.  It is mind boggling that, in an instant, our memories can be stripped from us.  Our personalities can be taken away and replaced with something entirely different. During this lecture, I could not stop thinking about change and how it applies to my present stage in life. Although change happens instantaneously for those who experience traumatic brain injuries, change happens gradually for the rest of us.  It is so gradual, in fact, that we may not even sense it. For some reason, I always have trouble believing that I am changing. My values and morals have been firm my entire life, and if morals and values define us, then I have not changed.  What has changed is the way I allow these values and morals to lead me.  I no longer feel the need to play by the book or blindly follow those with more authority and power.  I no longer fear going against the grain if it means standing up for my beliefs. I credit my college experience for this.
When I began college, I considered staying in my comfort zone and trying out for the dance team like I had in middle school and high school. I quickly decided against it, however; I wanted to forge a new path and try new things. I wanted to tap into different sides of myself. Instead of dedicating myself to dance, I became a research assistant, a leader of several organizations, a peer mentor, and a volunteer. Through these experiences, I gained independence, broadened my horizons, embraced my inner nerd, and accepted the fact that I can’t control everything but I can make the most of anything.
As I graduate from college, I look back and realize that I most certainly have changed and am about to change even more.  This summer I will travel to 10 different countries in Europe, cross countless items off of my bucket list, and expose myself to more culture than I could ever imagine.  This is a dream come true, and I’m ready to be open, to grow, and to change even more.

Eat and Repeat

In just a few short weeks, I will be walking across a stage in a cap and gown to receive my college diploma.  A week later, my adventurous, travel-filled summer begins!  Clearly, I have a lot to look forward to and I am extremely excited.  Senioritis has definitely kicked in, but I'm trying to stay present and live in the moment rather than think too much about the future.  So, I have been making lots of time for being with friends, enjoying life, and [of course] playing around in the kitchen.  

Here we have a yogurt-berry parfait, put in a plastic cup and later wrapped with saran wrap.  I made this the night before and then took it with me as I ran out the door to my 8 am class.  

I've even taken a bowl of cereal to go...I just put everything into a tupperware and brought the milk on the side.  

Simple but delicious

I was really excited to make these chili lime chicken burgers and they did not disappoint!  Moist and delicious.

The lime and cilantro in the chicken patties inspired me to make a big batch of Spanish rice.  I found a bunch of recipes online and came up with the following recipe.  It really couldn't be any easier.

Easy and delicious Spanish rice:

• Heat olive oil in a pot and add 1.5 cups of rice.  Stir for a few minutes until it becomes translucent.  
• Add 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of chunky salsa. Stir to mix.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes with the pot covered.
• Add generous amount of cumin, garlic powder, garlic salt, and red pepper flakes.
• Optional: Add some chopped up jalepeños. 

Udi's Product Reviews: Should you buy?

One enormous perk of being a blogger is that I occasionally receive products from food companies.  It is no surprise that receiving these packages sends me into hysterical happiness...but let's get real.  I should do something positive and productive with this opportunity (besides skipping, singing out in joy, and stuffing my face).  So, today I am presenting you all with a product review of the food I received from Udi's Gluten Free.

Gluten-free replacement foods are typically much more expensive than their regular counterparts.  I've passed Udi's gluten free muffins and cookies in the freezer section countless times, but I couldn't bring myself to purchase them.  Granted, it would probably be cheaper to buy an entire box of Udi's GF muffins than a single [normal] muffin from a bakery or coffee shop, but I'm still hesitant to throw down money on something that might not taste good.

Friends, let me tell you that these taste GOOD.  To help out anyone who has debated purchasing these products, I'm giving you all the details in this post and letting you know whether I would use my own money towards these products.

1. Udi's pizza crust.
Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Thoughts: This is a nice crust.  It is easy because all you do is top with sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice, then pop it in the oven.  It gets nice and crispy if you leave it in long enough, which is nice for those of us who like a thin-crust, charred Italian-style pizza.  It is not thick and fluffy like a Papa John's pizza, but then again...when was the last time you had a GF pizza that was?
Purchase? It is on the only pizza crust I have tried, so I would purchase this one if I ever wanted to make my own pizza.

2. Udi's Snickerdoodle cookies.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Thoughts: OH.MY.GOODNESS.  These are probably the best cookies I've ever had-even better than "regular" ones.  No, I'm not lying or exaggerating.  I really can't express how heavenly these taste or how soft and chewy the texture is.
Purchase?  I am definitely buying these next time I need to treat myself.

3. Udi's millet-chia bread.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts: This is one of the best GF breads I have tried.  Most GF breads must be toasted in order to be even slightly enjoyable and edible.  I think this bread would be just fine without being toasted, but I still prefer it after some time in the toaster oven.  The texture is perfect and I love the little seeds!  It's the closest to wheat bread I'll ever get.
Purchase? Love it and would purchase on my own!

makes the perfect sandwich to take on the go!

4. Udi's whole grain bagels.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Thoughts: They are a bit hard to slice/break apart after taken out of the freezer, but they are awesome after being toasted.  I enjoy the texture a lot, although it is not exactly like a "regular" bagel.
Purchase? Yes, I would purchase these if I had a craving for bagels.  They are pretty versatile and can be topped with an egg and cheese, peanut butter and banana, or cream cheese/jelly.  They are very thick bagels, so I usually eat only one half at a time.  This allows me to get 8 servings out of the pack and makes them last longer!

5. Udi's blueberry oatmuffin tops.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts: These surprised me--probably because I had no idea how a muffin top would taste.  I was given the blueberry variety and it was extremely flavorful and full of cinnamon-y spice.  I was expecting something more mild and bland, so I was pleasantly surprised.  It's great as a quick breakfast or a late-night snack with a cold glass of milk.  They are also individually wrapped, which is a nice touch and will help to avoid freezer burn.
Purchase? I have not seen these in my own grocery store, so I'm not sure how much they cost.  I'm also not a much of a muffin person, so I would be less likely to purchase these on my own.  If you're a muffin person, I would go for it!

I hope you enjoyed the review.  Let me know if you've tried any of these products!

What I Ate...

I have an unnatural love for food and an obsession with taking pictures of my lovely meals.  Let me tell you, I am so glad to have this blog because it provides the perfect excuse for sharing all of the food photos that have been taking up space on my phone and computer.  It is time to purge these food photos  and free up a little space.  What better day to do this than on "What I Ate Wednesday"?!

Here's a peak into my delicious life and restaurant adventures...

Carnitas tacos in homemade corn tortillas, jicama and orange salad at Zocalo:

Sushi at Uchi:

Chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon and iced coffee at Mozart's:

Caprese salad at an Italian restaurant near my parents' house:

Gluten free chocolate torte with strawberry filling and a bourbon cream icing, loaded cheese fries, and hot dog in GF bun at "Frank" hot dog restaurant (!!!!!):

Salad from Cafe Express:

Pork belly at a trailer owned by the newest Top Chef!

One of my favorite breakfasts.  Keeping it simple with peanut butter and banana toast.

Brunch with Barrett: strawberries, bacon, hashbrowns, chex cereal, and my very first homemade poached egg!  Eaten with a side of the Godfather Part 2. :)

Side note: Why do I take pictures of food?  Umm...because it is BEAUTIFUL!

Well that, and I also love going back and looking through the photos.  Not only does it remind me of the delicious food I've eaten or created, but also the fun memories that I've had.  For example, the brunch picture was taken the day I left for Spring Break.  Barrett and I had so much fun whipping everything up and laughed as I tried my hand at poaching an egg.  The coconut macaroon picture reminds me of the sunny day I spent with my family, walking around the lake and enjoying iced coffees.  

I guess the way to my heart really is through food....

Sweet Chili Pan Seared Tofu and Vegetables

Whenever I reunite with classmates and co-workers on Monday morning, I am always greeted with the same question: "Hey, how was your weekend?  What did you do?"

Without fail, each Monday morning, I draw a blank.  What did I do over this weekend?  At this point, I try to stall and buy time.  I respond by saying that my weekend was great.  I smile.  Secretly I'm squirming inside.  What did I do? What did I do? What did I do?!?!?! 

I mean, my weekends are generally filled with a lot of fun stuff.  There isn't any reason why I should be at a loss for words.

This weekend, for example:
-I went to a focus group at the Facebook headquarters with two of my friends.  We spent an hour there talking about Facebook and earned 50 bucks!
-I volunteered at Austin Kid's Marathon and got to put medals on the kids' necks as they crossed the finish line.  Priceless.
-I went shopping at the outlets.
-I went to Sunday brunch with friends.
-I watched 50/50 with Barrett.  (So freakin' good.)

Yet, despite all these shenanigans, I could not respond this past Monday morning to that dreaded question of what I did over the weekend.  The only thing that entered my mind was what I made for dinner Sunday night:

Sweet Chili Tofu and Vegetables

The Story of Our 1st V-Day

My boyfriend and I have been glued at the hip for about five years now.  Literally.

We are one of those annoying couples that is always saying lovey dovey things, texting each other throughout the day, and holding hands all over campus.  When I hear other girls talk about boy problems, I feel bad that I can't contribute anything to the conversation.  Our relationship is completely stable--we've never broken up, taken a break, or even had an enormous fight.

Senior year of high school

With all the semi-sickening love going on between us, it's kind of ironic that we spent Valentine's Day at an Anti-Valentine's Day party.  But here's the thing--one of our favorite restaurants was offering 50 cent chicken wings plus a night of Bingo (with a chance to win SXSW tickets) plus multiple rounds of air guitar competition plus a famous radio DJ hosting the whole thing.  Umm...hello?!

Even though my boyfriend and I are that lovey dovey couple, we are also best friends...and we like to have fun.  Our lives are filled with romance every single day, so Valentine's Day isn't really a big deal to us.  We celebrated the traditional way over the weekend with a romantic dinner and gifts...

Please notice the squirrel card.  I'm obsessed with them.

...But we spent February 14th eating chicken wings, playing bingo, and watching air guitar with awesome music blasting in the background.  We also won some free coupons to use at the restaurant in the future.  I'd call it a win.  On our way home from the restaurant, we turned up the radio and danced like idiots.  Meanwhile, we tried to get nearby cars to join in on the fun.  We had one success, but mostly failures.  At least we had a good time.

3 very intense air guitar players

6 Valentine's Days Ago...
Barrett and I weren't yet "boyfriend and girlfriend" on our first Valentine's Day together.  We were in our "courtship" phase at that time.  I know that courting someone is a thing of the past, but I really have no other name for it.  We literally brought each other gifts and treats every single day.  I don't really know why we did this, but hey, it was fun!.  Every day at school, we'd meet up and I'd give him a piece of candy or he'd give me a little penguin figurine.  You know, just stuff like that.

The night before the big V-day, we were chatting on AIM (obviously).  He said that he had something special to give me the next day and I started freaking out because the next day was VALENTINE'S DAY. Did he realize that?  Was he going to give me a normal "gift" or a....valentine?!  I had no idea whether I should bring him a legitimate valentine, so I decided to make him a snowman-looking creature out of play-dough.  That seemed logical.

The next day, he brought me a box of candy.  I knew it was meant to be a valentine because there was a red bow wrapped around it.  This was the real deal!  I was super excited, and decided to text my mom about it.  I believe the text was something like, "OH MY GOSH!  He brought me chocolates and even put a red bow on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

the box with the red bow!

Shortly after I sent the text, I sat in physics waiting for a response from my mom.  Instead, I received a text message from Barrett.  It said something like, "Hahah.  I know...I put it there!"

Girl's Night In (2 recipes)

In this post, I present to you two recipes.  The first is for lean pork meatballs, which are rich in protein and Asian flavor.  They are so incredibly easy and tasty that I made them twice in one week!  These little balls make a great, healthy option to bring to a potluck or a girl's night in.

Speaking of girl's night in... the second recipe describes how to create the perfect girl's night, which is rich in girl talk but not so rich in protein.  Go figure.

Cilantro and Green Onion Pork Meatballs
Servings: ~15 meatballs

Served over Barrett's fried rice

Ingredients:
-1 lb. lean ground pork
-3 stalks of green onion, chopped
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or more if you like it)
-2 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 tablespoon sesame oil
-1 tablespoon oyster sauce
-2 teaspoons brown or regular sugar (optional)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and stir to mix.  Mold into meatballs and bake in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes.  Serve over steamed rice, fried rice, with veggies, with quinoa, etc.  The options are endless.

Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for quick and easy meals during the week!

Perfect Girl's Night In


Ingredients:
-Wine (preferably one sophisticated bottle and one light, fruity bottle)
-Homemade dinner
-Peanut butter cookies
-Pajama pants
-30 chick flicks to choose from
-Nail polish (optional) <-- aka we were too tired to follow through with manicures

Directions.

1. Begin the night with a bit of wine. Attempt to sip wine out of heart-shaped twisty straws to keep things "classy".  Realize that this doesn't work, and resort to drinking water out of said straw instead.

2. Start working on dinner.  Meanwhile, engage in girl talk.
3. Once dinner is ready, consume.  Continue girl talk.  Get seconds.  Get thirds.  Everything is delicious.

Veggie stir fry over rice, sushi, grilled tofu in a satay sauce, and pork meatballs