Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies!

It's not only been easy, but pretty unfortunate that I have been so caught up in my "everyday routine". Wake up, rush out the door to class, scarf down lunch, go back to class, race home to eat more food, study. Repeat. That's my the life. I haven't talked to some friends in a few days or even checked in with my family. I find myself just going through the motions. Worrying about things instead of enjoying the adventure. I know it's not a switch I can turn, but a process that I have to change. Approaching each day with a better mind set and reflecting on the opportunity that I do have will hopefully allow me to make the most of each day.

It's the night before my first medical school exam. I should probably be learning more about the heart and nervous system and where all the blood vessels drain into God only knows what. But I am not. I decided to take a little break from it all to hopefully calm me down a bit. I think my CCL group will appreciate it :)

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
1 TSP baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
2 cups chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 375. cream the butter and sugar together. add in the vanilla and eggs. stir in the flour and baking powder. then add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

use a spoon to make semi-even sized cookies. bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes depending on how large the size. I like mine a bit softer so did not cook them too long!

let them cool and enjoy with a refreshing cold glass of milk...or be a good team player and wait to enjoy tomorrow with your classmate to celebrate anxiety of test one disappearing!

It's not that I haven't been doing my best or working hard. But I think that I have been losing sight of some pretty important things. I am hoping to get back to a better balance and remember that I am a person, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and classmate. I am looking forward to enjoying a fun weekend and making the most of it!!

Peach Cobbler!

After a busy, but fun week of orientation, I had a great time celebrating with my classmates last night! It was fun to get dressed up, not talk about classes or assignments, and go out and get my dance on! A super great way to officially get things started! I am excited for the road ahead!

I told myself that I was going to take it easy and relax this weekend. This morning that started with setting off the house alarm bright and early. I was cleaning up from last night and hit a glass bottle against a glass shelf and apparently my alarm took that to mean someone was smashing in my front window! Luckily, the cops did not come, but the blaring alarm at 9 AM was less than pleasant!

Summer and peach cobbler are pretty much synonyms and I have been waiting way too many months to finally utilize some sweet Georgia peaches! Morning brunch conversing about the happenings of last night was filled with plenty of delicious eats and great laughs!

Peach Cobbler
5 large peaches, super ripe 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
3 tablespoons butter (can use shortening)
1/2 cup milk 
1 cup flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 


wash and cut ripe peaches into about one inch pieces. place in a bowl with brown sugar. preheat oven.

cut peaches!

in a separate bowl, cut butter and add in milk. mix in flour, baking powder and cinnamon and stir until evenly mixed. pour the peaches into a baking dish and spread the flour mixture on top. bake in the over at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

golden delicious!

If there is a way to bake my way through medical school, someone should let me know. ASAP. I am thinking maybe I will sell powerbars in the morning to help us with anatomy...

Okra with Tomatoes!

I feel like I fell off the side of the earth. This past month has been a whirlwind, but I made it through. Lots of big life changes all at once. Definitely overwhelming, but with the help of some pretty awesome people, I am working on enjoying it as it is thrown at me.

I now call Winston Salem "home" which is pretty weird. I have been orienting myself with a new town, many new faces, and new structure of life. Not going to lie, this thing called "med school" is a bit intimidating and my lifestyle will be drastically different come Monday when classes start full speed ahead. My goal is to do my best and not stress about the things I cannot control. (lofty huh?) To take it one day at a time as mama says!

Fears are a pretty interesting phenomenon and I have been thinking about them lots lately. I decided that I could live my life afraid of the unknown, or take a chance to try something new. It's a bit uncomfortable to be away from "home" at times. It's a bit overwhelming to know that I am going to be spending countless hours studying instead of socializing as much as I may want. It's a bit risky to put yourself out there, but, honestly, I feel like it is the only way I will learn and grow. 

Okra with Tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1 small onion

about 20 medium sized okra

1 ripe large tomato

olive oil
water

white wine 

fresh basil 

pepper

chop the garlic and onion and saute in pan with olive oil. once nice and brown, add tomatoes, okra and a bit of water to help them steam. cover with a lid for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure it does not burn. add in the chopped basil, pepper and (optional) white wine for some extra flavor. put the lid on for another 10 minutes until the okra is tender and soft. 

I served it over a bed of spinach!

The farm fresh okra was sitting in my new fridge for about a week before I built up enough courage to experiment with it. It was the first time I cooked okra and, to be honest, I was super impressed with how this dish turned out after chopping the slimy vegetable! I think it would be great served with whole wheat pasta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese!

I have been enjoying this past week getting to know my classmates and am looking forward to creating some fun times together as we learn what it takes to become physicians. I know I have lots of hard work ahead of me, but I hope that I can keep it in perspective and continue to live a some what "normal" life (aka still bake, workout and smile!) I know that I could not be doing this without the support of so many and it really means the world to have loving people in my life! Whether it's cooking okra for the first time or adventuring into the unknown to learn more about myself, overcoming fear is the first step!

Salmon, Green Beans and Sugar Snap Peas!

Spring is here and I am pretty pumped about it. Some friends had a little din din/cooking party the other night and it kind of inspired me to cook. I didn't take hours because I was super hungry when I got home, but I did want something fresh and light! Farm fresh veggies to the rescue! :)

Salmon

The salmon was pre-marinated, which I am not a huge fan of so I tried rubbing/washing most of it off. I put a bit of olive oil in the pan and cooked the fillet for about 7 minutes. I added some pepper while it was cooking and lemon juice after it browned.

Green Beans with Slivered Almonds

Add a bit of olive oil to a pan and saute the green onion. After rinsing the green beans, add them to the pan. Steam with the lid on for about 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked half-way. Add in the almonds and cook for another 3 minutes. 

Sugar Snap Peas

I am not going to lie, I quickly steamed them in the microwave for one minute and chopped some fresh tomatoes to put on top! 

Not too fancy, super quick and healthy so I had to share.
PS I am accepting applications for a live-in chef or baker! :)

Veggie Eggs!

My mom has always been wanting breakfast in bed. So this year I decided to do it. Only problem is, Mom lives a thousand miles away. I enjoyed my breakfast in bed and reflected on how lucky I am to have the best mama around! She has taught me so much and I cannot begin to thank her for everything she has done, and continues to do for me.

If I told my mom I ate eggs, she would probably say "What?" and think I was joking. I am not a big egg fan. I am a weird texture person and the rubbery, mushiness of eggs creeps me out. BUT...I am getting better at expanding my tastes as I experiment with my own cooking and trying new dishes. Eggs are a good source of protein and are packed with lots of vitamins and minerals so I have been trying to eat them a bit more. My secret: load them with other things that don't have a weird texture!!

We get a fresh veggie box each Tuesday through CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). It is awesome because we get tasty, fresh veggies each week and support local farmers. My favorite way to mask the egginess: pile on awesome greens from the farm!

Veggie Eggs

2 eggs 

milk

pepper

4 baby asparagus

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

1 green onion

5 cherry tomatoes 

olive oil

I whisked one entire egg plus the white of a second with a splash of milk and a bit of pepper. 

After rinsing the veggies, I chopped the baby asparagus, spinach, green onion and cherry tomatoes.

Heat a pan with a bit of olive oil, then add the egg mixture. Once it starts to thicken, add the veggies on top. I chop my eggs up in the pan after it solidifies a bit, but you can do an omelet as well. I cook it for about 3-4 minutes after adding the veggies, mostly paying attention to the spinach.

cooked eggs and veggies!!

Big bro is obsessed with Frank's hot sauce. He puts it on everything, including his eggs. I must say that I stole that little tip from him, but it adds a lil kick in the morn!!

delish!

My family is coming to visit next weekend for my sister's hooding and graduation ceremony, so I will save the Mother's Day celebrations for the following Sunday. Better late than never, right?

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you!

Hawaiian Chicken with Rice

Living Alone Lesson 4: Screaming will not kill cockroaches.

Hate is a pretty strong word. I know I over-use it and don't really mean it sometimes when I say it. Honestly, I feel privileged to say that there are only a few things in life that I truly hate.

Growing up in South Florida exposed me to the nastyness of palmetto bugs. Just thinking about them makes my skin crawl. There wasn't much you could do to prevent them from crawling into the garage or house in the hot, humid weather! Luckily I could just scream or run away and someone else would have to deal with it. 

Spring break in high school, I was in Texas with the besties. We were having a great "before bed" conversation when I quickly jumped out of bed to run to the bathroom. I flipped on the light, did my thing, then turned around to flush the toiled...AND SCREAMED! A huge palmetto the size of my middle finger went scurrying across the back of the toilet into the vanity. I woke up the whole house: parents, brothers, friends, everyone.  When they came to the rescue there was no mysterious bug to be found. I am positive it is hiding in the wood. To this day, they all probably think I was on hallucinogenics.

College came around and I was supposed to mature. There was a small, more private weight room in the basement of one of the old, dingy dorms near mine. It was beyond disgusting, smelled like feces, and the roof leaked in more than seven places. I am still shocked that I used it, but it was closer than the trek across campus in the -40 degree weather during the winter. I usually felt pretty safe around one of my good buddies and would venture to go lift over there with him as I was confident he had my back if a creeper ever decided to get me while lifting. Pretty sure it was a Sunday afternoon when my perception of this brave soul drastically changed. As soon as we entered the hell hole of a room, I recognized these HUGE, nasty antenna and immediately freaked out! (Well, I thought it was a freak out until I witnessed Ben's reaction.) He legit was in the corner screeching like a girl telling me "to do something about it." After I realized that the two of us combined yelled louder than a school yard full of children and that I would have to be the bigger person in the situation, I started chucking 25 lb. plate weights across the room. I creatively trapped the nasty cockroach, then smashed it with a mound of six weights. They sat there for the rest of the school year and I never, EVER, will go back to check on it. 

After over twenty years of my life, Jeanie can finally say she witnessed me screaming like a girl. I turned on the toaster oven for her one night and after about three minutes of it heating up, I opened it to put her bread in. Never thought I'd ever see a cockroach run from a heated toaster over, but it happened, literally, right before my eyes. I jumped to the ceiling and let out the highest pitched yell of my life. For sure thought the bug was going to crawl on my face. Just one of those things I never expected to find toasting bread, but was glad to have someone close by to take care of the bug for me!

Yesterday I was in the bathroom and saw a big, black mark on the wall behind me. At first, I was trying to figure out what dinner guest made a scuff that high up on the wall and how I would come up with a story for the house owner upon arrival. Quickly I noticed the trademark, long antenna and realized it was no mark at all. I could yell and scream all night, but that bug was not going to magically disappear and the neighbors were probably contemplating calling the police. I gathered myself together, did a little pump up speech and ran to grab the vacuum. I closed my mouth really tight, turned on the high powered thing and sucked him up super fast with one eye closed. I heard the crunch and left the machine on for a few more minutes just to make sure he was drowning in the sea of hair already trapped in the vacuum. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. 

Hawaiian Chicken

3 chicken breasts

4 cups pineapple tidbits with juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

splash of olive oil

1 cup brown rice 

1 cup white rice

2 cups water

I surgically cleaned and chopped the chicken into about 1 inch pieces and added the pineapple pieces, juice and sugar to the crock pot. After about one hour or so I added a splash of oil to prevent it from sticking together. I let it cook on high for about 3 hours total and it was moist and tender!

With about 20 minutes remaining on the chicken, I cheated and used the rice cooker for the rice. Half-white, half-brown rice and it was ready in just a few minutes!

I don't hate pineapple, or chicken, or people that kill bugs for me. I can handle fruit flies and spiders, but Lord bless me when a nasty cockroach (or any closely related relative of his) enters my home. I like to think I am making baby steps in the right direction.

Coconut Pound Cake with Rum Glaze

Living Alone Lesson 2: Hosting is fun work.

In college I always said "I am going to have parties all the time when I get my own place." I lived in the dorms all four years and was a RA so "partying" in my little abode was difficult to say the least. Although I still don't really have my own place (yet), I think I can still host. And for the next week or two I get to pretend the house is mine! :)

The awful 30-40 degree rain we had ALL last week made me want to stay in bed and drink tea al day, but yesterday and today's glorious weather made up for it! I have had spring fever for probably a month now and am definitely ready for the beach weekends and hot runs to start up again! To prepare others for the greatness, I decided to have a themed din din party. I think it is safe to say it was Hawaiian-themed. Pineapple dominated and, as we all learned, it pairs well with lots of things!

I originally wanted to host a bake-off, but I realized that most people eat normal foods and don't run off baked goods like I do. My main dish was Hawaiian Chicken served over rice (post to follow), but as the host, it is only proper to have a dessert option too just in case someone else doesn't bring one right...? Coconut and rum are both pretty tropical!

Coconut Pound Cake with Rum Glaze

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temp

2 cups sugar

1/2 tablespoon coconut extract

4 eggs

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1/4 cup Captain Morgan

1 cup sugar

Preheat over to 350. Cream the butter and sugar together until nice and smooth. Add in the coconut extract and beat together with the eggs until light and fluffy. Combine the flour and baking powder together. Slowly add in the flour mixture, one cup at a time, with the milk, a little bit at a time. Do not over mix the batter. Once everything is incorporated, pour into a well-greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 for about 60 minutes, checking with a toothpick to make sure it is cooked all the way through. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before flipping onto a plate.

the masterpiece!!
(I feel like there should be a flower or plant in the middle)

For the glaze, add the rum and sugar to a small sauce pan on low heat. Bring to a slow boil and stir. Let it boil for about one minute or until the sugar completely dissolves. Slowly pour the glaze onto the top of the cake letting it drip down the sides. When it cools it will crystallize and make a pretty pattern!

the inside was nice and moist!

My (baking) services are up for auction. Tonight I was offered a basement bedroom with a private bath. Even the non-loving coconut fans in the house thoroughly enjoyed the cake, which pretty much made my night!


I am kind of glad I didn't host parties in college. I couldn't deal with mopping up beer from the floor, picking up millions of solo cups all over the place, or finding other fun random messes in the morning. I still had a bit of work to do when everyone left and I didn't even throw a rager! I will say that the best thing about going to someone else's party is that you get to go home to a clean(er) house! :) No matter how well I vacuumed and cleaned the counters before people came, I did it all over again! 


Totally worth it! It was great to have people over and share yummy dishes! Can't wait for the next one!!