1.11.09
Halloween: part 1
Halloween on Franklin Street was awesome! A photographer from WRAL took our picture and it's pretty sweet. Here's the link!
7.10.09
Mmm...Cheesy
Another one of those crockpot kind of days. It is beautiful and clear today. Quite a change from yesterdays weather. I have yoga tonight and class is during normal dinner hour. This means it's easy dinner time! I'm in the mood for something carb-a-licious: mac and cheese!
One of my most cherished stories about my Grandpa Alderson has to do with baked mac and cheese. Whenever we went to Pittsburgh to visit Jeff, my brother, and I would plead for this delicious treat. My mom certainly knows how to make it but it somehow always fell short to the original. So, Grandma would graciously prepare our favorite. Everyone would gather around the table, Grandpa would bless the meal, and we would dig in. This was the story for 20 odd years. Grandpa passed away a few years ago after a fall led to other health problems, including pnuemonia. It was at his funeral and wake that I learned the loving truth. He HATED baked mac and cheese! Really disliked the stuff. But every time we came up he ate it because we wanted it. He did it to make us happy. Wow, amazing, right?!
Now I'm hungry and teary. Not always a great combination. Mac and Cheese has become somewhat synonomous with Grandpa now. It's a small opportunity to remember him.
So to the cooking.
Ingredients:
1 lb. uncooked pasta (I'm a fan of elbow)
3 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. half and half
1 egg
2 c. mild cheddar
1 c. mozzarella
1 c. jack or other tasty cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of salt
1/4 c. bread crumbs (optional)
Prep:
1. in a small bowl mix the spices, milk, half and half, and egg.
2. mix the liquid mixture, pasta, and cheese in the crockpot.
3. top with bread crumbs
4. cover and set.
cook on high 1 to 3 hours or on low 2 to 4 hours depending on how you like your pasta.*
*UPDATE: to increase the creaminess factor, cook for maybe an hour on high and then set to warm. I cooked mine on high for a little over two hours and it wasn't very moist. Don't over cook! otherwise it's lovely!
One of my most cherished stories about my Grandpa Alderson has to do with baked mac and cheese. Whenever we went to Pittsburgh to visit Jeff, my brother, and I would plead for this delicious treat. My mom certainly knows how to make it but it somehow always fell short to the original. So, Grandma would graciously prepare our favorite. Everyone would gather around the table, Grandpa would bless the meal, and we would dig in. This was the story for 20 odd years. Grandpa passed away a few years ago after a fall led to other health problems, including pnuemonia. It was at his funeral and wake that I learned the loving truth. He HATED baked mac and cheese! Really disliked the stuff. But every time we came up he ate it because we wanted it. He did it to make us happy. Wow, amazing, right?!
Now I'm hungry and teary. Not always a great combination. Mac and Cheese has become somewhat synonomous with Grandpa now. It's a small opportunity to remember him.
So to the cooking.
Ingredients:
1 lb. uncooked pasta (I'm a fan of elbow)
3 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. half and half
1 egg
2 c. mild cheddar
1 c. mozzarella
1 c. jack or other tasty cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of salt
1/4 c. bread crumbs (optional)
Prep:
1. in a small bowl mix the spices, milk, half and half, and egg.
2. mix the liquid mixture, pasta, and cheese in the crockpot.
3. top with bread crumbs
4. cover and set.
cook on high 1 to 3 hours or on low 2 to 4 hours depending on how you like your pasta.*
*UPDATE: to increase the creaminess factor, cook for maybe an hour on high and then set to warm. I cooked mine on high for a little over two hours and it wasn't very moist. Don't over cook! otherwise it's lovely!
5.10.09
Crockpot Taco Soup
Mike and I are trying to control our financial lives. One way to begin this process is to smooth out some spending areas. We've streamlined our bills and now we have to work on other expenses- in this case groceries.
I love groceries! I do. I like to cook (though Mike would disagree) and I have to admit that I go into Kroger with a small plan. We know what we need but don't know what for. It is my challenge to start actually planning meals and shop around those meals. I know that Real Simple and other media focus on just that- planning simple, delicious meals with built in grocery lists. I am a fan, however, our tastes and schedule don't always allow for featured meals. Case in point, today.
This is Monday. We agree. Mike and I have Choral Society this evening from 7.30 to 9.30. We have to leave by 7 to get a good parking space and to have a chance to socialize beforehand. Mike however gets home around 6.30. Well that doesn't leave much time for a well-prepared meal. Let's not also forget the fact that we'll spend the next few hours singing. We don't need any gastronomical adventures, understand.
So, I've found some delightful looking crockpot meals for Mondays and possibly Wednesdays (yoga class). The choice: Taco Soup. It is very easy and surely will be a nice treat on this cool October evening. I found a few recipes and blended them to suit my needs. Here is the recipe for you to try. Feel free to mix it up with your favorites, add some, delete some, go gluten free, watch your sodium, whatevs!
Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can red beans
1 can white corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
1 lb. ground beef (I used a little more because I had it available)
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 packet ranch dressing mix
cheese and sour cream for garnishing.
Prep
1. brown the meat and drain the fat
2. rinse and drain the beans
3. add drained beans and entire cans of tomatoes and corn to the crockpot
4. add meat into the mix
5. this is where I add the seasonings. I also added 1/4 c. water, a splash of lime, and about 2 eye-balled tablespoons of lemon juice.
Slow cook on low for 8ish hours or on high for 4ish hours. Garnish with sour cream, onions, chives, or cheese in any combo. Enjoy with a spoon or your favorite tortilla chip!
Mmmmm....super hungry now. Oh slow-cookers!
I love groceries! I do. I like to cook (though Mike would disagree) and I have to admit that I go into Kroger with a small plan. We know what we need but don't know what for. It is my challenge to start actually planning meals and shop around those meals. I know that Real Simple and other media focus on just that- planning simple, delicious meals with built in grocery lists. I am a fan, however, our tastes and schedule don't always allow for featured meals. Case in point, today.
This is Monday. We agree. Mike and I have Choral Society this evening from 7.30 to 9.30. We have to leave by 7 to get a good parking space and to have a chance to socialize beforehand. Mike however gets home around 6.30. Well that doesn't leave much time for a well-prepared meal. Let's not also forget the fact that we'll spend the next few hours singing. We don't need any gastronomical adventures, understand.
So, I've found some delightful looking crockpot meals for Mondays and possibly Wednesdays (yoga class). The choice: Taco Soup. It is very easy and surely will be a nice treat on this cool October evening. I found a few recipes and blended them to suit my needs. Here is the recipe for you to try. Feel free to mix it up with your favorites, add some, delete some, go gluten free, watch your sodium, whatevs!
Ingredients:1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can red beans
1 can white corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
1 lb. ground beef (I used a little more because I had it available)
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 packet ranch dressing mix
cheese and sour cream for garnishing.
Prep
1. brown the meat and drain the fat
2. rinse and drain the beans
3. add drained beans and entire cans of tomatoes and corn to the crockpot
4. add meat into the mix
5. this is where I add the seasonings. I also added 1/4 c. water, a splash of lime, and about 2 eye-balled tablespoons of lemon juice.
Slow cook on low for 8ish hours or on high for 4ish hours. Garnish with sour cream, onions, chives, or cheese in any combo. Enjoy with a spoon or your favorite tortilla chip!
Mmmmm....super hungry now. Oh slow-cookers!
15.9.09
Elbow
Elbow is a band from Manchester, England with a simplistic and haunting sound. The melodies abound and are absolutely riveting. The sound is simplistic but it is nothing short of complex and emotional. We got to know Elbow when they opened for Coldplay this summer. They opened with Starlings, the first track on The Seldom Seen Kid. It begins with a light electronic intro and blasts into being with a chorus of trumpets. Spectacular! I remember turning to the bearded one and just sitting there slack-jawed. Point is, I adore them now. The website for the album is killer. It's probably the most visually striking website for a band I've seen. And it's so simple! *sigh* Please to enjoy!
13.9.09
28.8.09
New Blog
I needed a creative kick, so I've created a blog specifically for my arts and crafts. Same name, new channel. I will be keeping up with both of these.
repletewithclass.wordpress.com
repletewithclass.wordpress.com
18.8.09
Unhappy
I am in a creative funk. For two and some odd years now I have teaching children about creativity and the basics of art. I'm sapped and have nothing other than a large portfolio of art projects to show for it. My teaching skills and organization have grown exponentially but where's my artistic growth? It's not there and I'm unhappy. Don't take it the wrong way, I love to teach and I love the things that are created in my little neck of the woods, but I need something for ME gosh darn it.
This may not seem big, but it is. Conclusions:
Work on your own art dammit!
Get rid of cable (deep breath)
Work on your own art dammit!
Take back your space for creativity.
Commit.
This may not seem big, but it is. Conclusions:
Work on your own art dammit!
Get rid of cable (deep breath)
Work on your own art dammit!
Take back your space for creativity.
Commit.
15.8.09
MLKing weekend
There is no such thing as Columbus Day in the South. We do not have the day off. Instead we have Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This holiday provides another day off shortly after our return from Christmas holiday. This past year we went to the Outer Banks with some friends from VA. We stayed in Corolla at Erin's Uncle's house. This place was fantastic. We had a room that faced the ocean, a pool that was frozen over, a hot tub (delightful), a large kitchen, a game room, a half keg from local brewery Carolina Brewery, and other delights. Mike's birthday was this weekend and Erin baked him a cake. We had frozen pipes for the first two days which made things really fun. The weather was amazing that weekend. It rained for the beginning of the weekend and by Monday it was warm and we could sit out on the porch. We had nosy neighbors, a moonlight ocean dip, some hot tub time, pizza shaped like Obama, puzzles, Swedish games, and other general merriment. Here are some photos of this hopefully repeatable weekend!
It took all of us to complete this puzzle.
The men cooked the pizza.
Steve loves America! (but he's open to other countries too)
It took all of us to complete this puzzle.
The men cooked the pizza.
Steve loves America! (but he's open to other countries too)
Mike enjoying the warmer weather and the porch.
A walk on the beach.
Casa de Young People.
Before we left it was warm and sunny. We had a snow day the following day.
A walk on the beach.
Casa de Young People.
Before we left it was warm and sunny. We had a snow day the following day.13.8.09
take THAT recession!
Mike has gotten himself a job. An honest to goodness, full-time job. It's the electric violin shop in Durham and we couldn't be happier. He starts tomorrow and it calls for a celebration tomorrow night! It's been a tough four months, but God is good.
11.8.09
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