It doesn't all have to be about food, right?

I've been cooking, but everything I make is flawed and not worth documenting. I burned the garlic to a crisp the other night instead of sauteeing it. I can't make a single dish without making such a huge mess of the kitchen that I get yelled at. I avoided baking my friends a cake because I was scared I'd screw something else up.

Some days are better than others, lately. They're not normal ups-and-downs though. I've been overwhelmingly frustrated with everything. Too frustrated to think, too frustrated to plan, too frustrated to get anything done. This isn't like me at all.

I ran into Mrs. Colette at the store who reminded me that I agreed to go to a girl scout meeting at 6:30. I completely forgot and made other plans. Everything is usually written out meticulously with dates and times and places to be. I have had so much late work to do. All because I cannot deal with my emotions. I'm fighting to keep my normal composure, even though it's not healthy. I tried the whole openly emotional thing. p.s. It doesn't work. People just ignore you and go on with their happy lives because they don't want to deal with you.

I used to be in control of my life. Now I'm alone and erratic. What do I do? All I know is that I'm really not okay. To the point that telling the whole world my thoughts seems like a good idea.

Calzones

I'm tired of hearing about politics. Everyone was all abuzz about the health care plan today. Problem is, no one actually knows anything about it before judging it. How about something everyone can agree on: food. Calzones we can believe in. By the way, they are much tastier if you leave the tomato sauce for dipping sauce instead of putting it inside of the calzone.



Ingredients:
Pizza cheeses
Italian Sausage (I like spicy)
Pepperoni
Uncooked pizza dough (It's over by the biscuits)
Marinara or tomato sauce of your choosing
Olive Oil
Flour
Red bell pepper
Anything else you want to put in it



What do I do with this stuff?
1- Cook your Italian sausage in a pan with some oil.
2- Preheat your oven to whatever the tube of dough says
3-Chop up the pepper and the sausage and place aside.
4- Open up the pizza dough
5- Spread some flour on your rolling surface and pin so it doesn't stick
6- Roll out your dough to be as thin as possible. It's easier to spread if you sprinkle some water on top of it.
7-Sprinkle ingredients on top of one half of the dough. Use as much or as little as you'd like of everything.
8- Fold the other, empty half of the dough over the other side.
9- Flatten the edges with a fork.
10- Grab a knife and make some slits to serve as steam vents.
11- Sprinkle some flour on your baking sheet.
12- Carefully move your uncooked calzone onto the baking sheet (I used a big flat spatula to help)
13- Put the calzone in the oven for a few minutes longer than what the package says.
14- While the calzone is in the oven, put your tomato sauce/marina on the stove on medium-low heat.
15- Drool over the smell of baking calzone.
16- When the outside turns golden brown and delicious looking, take it out of the oven.
17- Allow people to serve themselves with the calzone and the sauce.
18- Stuff your face with cheesy, sausage-y, doughy deliciousness.

I'm pretty sure that the picture next to this is the most delicious looking picture I've ever taken.

Towers of tomatoes!

I think this recipe may become one of the most common in my kitchen soon. It's absolutely delicious, and I expect to have more homegrown tomatoes and fresh basil than I ever intend on eating this summer. I think it's actually called Insalata Caprese (or something like that) but since I'm not Italian and therefore cannot pronounce anything correctly and fear that I insult some native cuisine with my love of balsamic vinegar: I present to you tomato towers!

Ingredients:
1 small package of fresh mozzarella cheese (This is the more expensive stuff packed in water.)
2 medium sized tomatoes
Several fresh basil leaves
Oregano and more basil (Fresh or dried, whichever you prefer)
One cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Let's do this!
Let's start our balsamic reduction because when you reduce the vinegar it becomes sweeter and less tart (read: more delicious). We're starting this now because there's lots of waiting involved, and you can do other things while it's simmering.
1-Pour your cup of vinegar into a pot.
2- Put the pot on high heat on the stove.
3-Once it begins to boil, lower your heat to medium.
4-Continue simmering the vinegar until you've only got about a quarter of what you started with. (p.s. try not to stick your face over the pot while it's simmering: this stuff is strong and I have the tendency to want to smell it every time I make it) The reduction should be thick and tasty by this point.
5-Remove from heat and allow to cool


Now for the tower building!
1- Slice your tomatoes into 1/2 inch rounds. (These don't have to be perfect.)
2- Slice your mozzarella into 1/2 inch rounds. (Neither do these)
3- Lay a slice of tomato on the plate.
4- Sprinkle generously with olive oil, dried oregano and basil.
5- Lay a slice of mozzarella on top of the tomato.
6- Put a slice of tomato on top of the mozzarella.
7- Repeat steps 4-6 until your tower is a desirable height.
8- Top with fresh basil.
9- Cover your tower lavishly with the balsamic reduction.
10- Take pretty pictures.
11- Knock over the tower and stuff your face!

I think I've developed an addiction.

I'm baaack! I figured I should update what I'm currently excited about before I go back and post some older recipes and pictures that I never posted. Woo!

I think I've become addicted to gardening. I get to play in the dirt and water the fruits (or veggies in my case) of my labor grow. I like to think that it teaches me patience as well, since you can't exactly rush the growth of plants. Since this is a blog about food, you guys are going to have to hear me ramble about my vegetable garden every once in a while. I hope it will grow into something to be proud of. I also hope that I will eventually have so many veggies that I have to give them away. :D

First trip: To Woodley's Garden Center! I went out to shop for bushes for the front yard with Mom and the neighbor. Little did I know, they would trick me! They were actually going to a garden seminar at Woodley's, which I was not so excited about. While they were listening to some man ramble on about centipede grass, I went exploring in the vegetable and herb section. Cue me spending too much money on a cute pot and some herbs to put in it. I can't help it! The lady's enthusiasm for plants was infectious, so I ended up with basil, oregano and parsley. I can't wait until they grow up enough that I won't feel like I'm damaging them by stealing some of their leaves to put in tasty foods.

After that, I came home and planted these herbs in the pot. Dad asked me, then, to plant tomatoes that he'd bought in another pot. And the addiction begins! I scoured the Internet for information about growing vegetables in containers, since I'm too lazy to till the soil and all. Apparently it's pretty easy.


Trip number 2: Lowe's! Seeds, potting soil, pots and little cups to start the seeds in. (I'm a little late for the seeds according to the package, but I figured South Carolina has a long enough growing season that the few weeks won't kill me.) The seeds were so fun to buy because I stood in front of the display for nearly forever deciding what I wanted. I decided on: Green beans, peas, carrots, butternut squash, cantaloupe (I don't have high expectations for those) and eggplant.


When Daddo found all of my little seed cups, he told me that we would work together and build big planters for the porch so I can grow them there. I'm so excited to build things and move my soon-to-be baby plants to the big planter.

Looking at the packages again, I realized that I started too many seeds. I figured I'd pick the best looking ones to move to the big planter and pots when the time comes. Time for a seed olympics of sorts!

They've only been planted for 4 hours, and I'm already excited to eat them. Now to remember to water them as often as they need. Oh goodness, patience will be needed. Expect far too many updates as they start to grow!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Icing!

This week took a thankful turn for the better towards the end. Track was pretty good. Early release on Friday. Friends brighten everything up. Snow is beautiful. Food is tasty. Snoop is lazy. God is good. This next verse was especially true this week:

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. -Psalm 37:5

And for food: I made these lovely little things for my friends for Valentine's

Cupcakes

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devils food cake mix
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Set cupcake baking cups onto a cookie sheet.
   
3. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, sour cream, and vanilla.
   
4. Beat until smooth.
   
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
   
6. Fill cupcake cups half-way/ three-quarters of the way full.
   
7. Bake for 35ish minutes.
8. Try not to eat them before the icing is done.

Icing

6 ounces white chocolate

8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 teaspoons peppermint extract

4-5 cups powdered sugar (basically, until it tastes right)

1/8 teaspoon food coloring (I used green because it was the only color in the house)

1- Chop white chocolate coarsely.
2- Put chocolate into a bowl and microwave for 75 seconds.
3- Stir white chocolate until smooth and put aside to cool
4-Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl.
5- Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined
6- Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined
7- Add the peppermint extract and food coloring
8-Blend powdered sugar (one cup at a time) in until it looks like and tastes like icing.

9- Put icing on cupcakes once they cool
10- Adorn with Hershey's Bliss Chocolates
Try not to stuff your face until after you know you have extras.

Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzos, Tomatoes and Paprika

Sometimes, life gets to be overwhelming. I don't know how well track is going to go this year. It's discouraging to hear that everything you do is wrong and that you're not strong enough, even when you're trying your hardest. There is too much due for school, and I'm trying to force myself to care about it.

I won't complain too much more. This blog isn't about me. It's about the food. At least that's one that is pretty constant: You follow a good recipe and get tasty food. That was my goal tonight: Something to cheer me up. Something not too difficult. Something tasty.

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 garlic cloves, pressed
* 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (sometimes called Pimentón Dulce)
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
* 1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
* 4 chicken breast halves with bones
* 2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
* 1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes
* 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

1- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (Yes, really.)
2- Mix oil, garlic, paprika, cumin and red pepper together in a medium bowl.
3- Get another bowl out and put your greek yogurt in it.
4- Whisk one teaspoon of this spiced oil into your Greek yogurt.
5- Line up your chicken breasts in a large rimmed baking sheet.
6- Rub 2 tablespoons of your spiced oil over the chicken
7- Add beans, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup cilantro the rest of the oil.
8- Toss around in the oil to coat it all.
9- Pour bean and tomato mixture around chicken.
10- Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on top.
11- Roast until chicken is cooked through (about 20 minutes.)
12- Make your plate pretty. Serve with the yogurt sauce that you put aside.
Stuff your face with tasty foods.

Guacamole!

First off: I have decided that avocados are one of God's masterpieces. They're so smooth and wonderful with a hint of fruity taste. Did you know the word 'avocado' comes from the Nahuatl word 'ahuacatl' which means testicle? I giggled a little too hard when I learned that.

A lesson in buying avocados. Pick them up and give them a feel. Is it a little bit squishy? Good. Buy that one. Don't buy rock hard ones unless you're planning on saving them. I learned this the hard way. I bought 8 of the little guys from Publix today, peeled them, chopped them into little pieces (thinking all the while that they just must be a different kind than I'm used to). Then, I eat one. BLEGH! Bitter and gross. Frustrated tears and an angry facebook status later: I'm off to Food lion. And another six to replace them!

Let the guacamole begin!

• 6 Haas avocados
• 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  
• 1 1/2 medium onions, diced
• 2 tomatoes
• lots of chopped cilantro (I love it)

1- Chop your avocados in half (length-wise) and remove the seed.
2- Scoop the insides out into a bowl.
3- Squeeze one of your limes into the avocadoey goodness.
4- Toss until all of the pieces are covered in lime juice. (This keeps them from browning)







5- Mash with a potato masher.
6- Add your salt, cumin and cayenne pepper on top.
7- Mash some more.








8- Dice your tomatoes (Remove the seeds and wet part before dicing) and onions.
9- Toss on top of the mashed goodness along with cilantro.
10- Fold your diced goodies into the avocado using a wooden spoon.






11- Smooth it all out.
12- Add more cilantro and squeeze the another half of lime on top to make it pretty.
Stuff your face with guac-y tastiness. :D