Rampant Bellytants

I bet you didn't realize that you'd just be getting food updates and recipes when I said I'd try and post more on my blog...heh. Well. You are. I don't even have a picture today, because laziness prevails, my friends. Watch out, it's coming for you next.

Anyway, Cody's doing this health challenge for work. It's been an adventure, since he's technically not supposed to have added sugar in almost anything except yeast-raised breads. You might be surprised by how much food has sugar as an ingredient (or high fructose corn syrup--same deal, he can't have it.)

Regular condensed tomato soup has high fructose corn syrup, and even the fancy brands like Pacific Organics' Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Tomato soup has cane juice in it...so...when we went to do our standard throw-together grilled cheese 'n tomato soup tonight, I had to come up with something else to serve with it.

But WHAT?

What indeed...

Are you sufficiently suspensified?

I hope so.

*dramatic fanfare*

I made tomato soup from scratch tonight, and it rocked.

Here's what I dun-did:

2 14-oz cans petite diced tomatoes
Juice of 1 lemon
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
garlic powder
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

Turn on le olde broiler on the ceiling-of-the-oven setting. High? Whatever it's called. Throw those tomatoes, the juice, onion, oil, and spices into a 9x13" pan. Broil for 10 minutes, stir, then broil an additional 10 minutes and remove from oven.

During the last 10 minutes of broilage, make a white sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, whisking in the flour until it gets nice 'n bubbly and golden, then add the milk all at once and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat. When you get the tomato mixture outta the oven, throw that into the saucepan, stir, and serve.

Next time I think I'm gonna blend it, 'cause it was a little thick as-is. Well, or add some broth? I'm not sure. I shared the recipe anyway, so do with it what you will. :P

Finally, I finished le book, and it was cute. Not super cute, just... cute. I cried towards the end, though. I didn't like it enough to pursue the movie, if that tells you anything, but I don't really love movies that much anyway.

Does anybody else wanna read it? I'll mail/hand it to the first person who says they want it in a comment. I might even send cookies with it!

Now, to start The Secret Life of Bees. Today's nice and snowy, a perfect day for reading. ^_^

Edit: Marley and Me has been requested by Rachel! Yay.

I'm eating some hash browns (slathered with Tapatio and pepper) as I type. ^_^

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
from Sarah

2 C Sugar
2 C Butter (at room temperature)
8 oz. Cream Cheese (again, at room temperature)
1 t Salt (freezing cold!! Just kidding...>_>)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (I added this because I was afraid of the density, with all that butter and cheese)
1 t Almond Extract
1 t Vanilla
1/4 cup milk (or 2 egg yolks, or 1 egg)
5 C Flour

In a large bow, combine sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond extract vanilla and egg yolk; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. Stir in Flour until well blended. Chill dough 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375˚F. On lightly floured surface roll out dough, one fourth at a time. to 1/8" thickness. Cut into desired shape with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1" apart on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake for 7-10 (I did 13, but my oven's funny) minutes or until light golden brown. Cool Completely. Frost and Decorate if desired. (They are actually really good plain I think)

Makes 5-6 Dozen cookies.

And I frosted them with:

Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from BHG New Cookbook, the 1996 edition

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2-3/4 cups powdered sugar

Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together until there are no lumps remaining. Add in 2 cups of the powdered sugar, and beat in enough of the remaining sugar to get your frosting to the desired consistency.

I also added in 1/4 cup milk, just because...well, I don't remember why. I just wanted to. >_<>

Yeah, I know. It's been a while...

I'm working on posting more schtuff! Like, "I have my phone hooked up to the computer to get all the pictures off of it 'n everything!" working on it.

So...look forward to that, I guess?

That last blog is so OLD! He's all creaky 'n stuff.

Anyway, I uploaded pictures from my phone onto the computer today, and I wanted to share this one:


That's some leftover Oven-Roasted Veggies that I warmed up in my skillet then added an egg and some shredded cheddar to...:L It was SO GOOD!! I highly recommend it.

So as my blog today I decided to share the recipe I've modified from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook for Oven-Roasted Veggies (they're way good with meatloaf, nut patties, what-have-you...but I'd make them just to have them for breakfast again any day!)

OVEN ROASTED VEGGIETABLES
3 medium potatoes (1 pound), scrubbed and cut into 1" pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 medium onion cut into wedges and separated
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder...I sorta just sprinkle a generous amount in when I don't have garlic handy)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips then halved

Combine all ingredients except pepper in a 9x13" pan. Bake, covered, at 325 for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. Turn the oven up to 450, uncover and add the peppers, and bake for an additional 20 minutes (stirring once.) Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.
-Ellen Goodman (Found on my friend Audrey's blog.)

I like a quote that makes me go "huh, they're right..." or at least makes me stop and think for a minute. Our consumerism fuels itself. Want want want want want want want... I mean, there are definitely needs in there that we must find ways to meet, but the very core needs most of us have--food, water, shelter, love--don't demand the excess the majority of our society enjoys.

Also, after researching to see if the above quote was accurate, I found this one by the same columnist:

We are told that people stay in love because of chemistry or because they remain intrigued with each other, because of many kindnesses, because of luck... But part of it has got to be forgiveness and gratefulness.
-Ellen Goodman

I remember learning somewhere (probably in Relief Society) that the root of all Christ-like love is gratitude. That's stayed with me, and when I'm feeling obstinate about someone or something, if I get myself to start thinking about what I'm grateful for in regards to that person or thing, I almost always feel my heart soften. Truly, I have a lot to be grateful for. Most Americans do.

So, as a random bonus, here are a few things I'm grateful for today:

• Cody <3
• Air conditioning
• Trying out new restaurants
• Computers
• INTERNET! (I have friends if I have the internet!)
• Truffle's muffled sleep barking
• Finding new songs or artists to enjoy
• Chocolate
• Good lotion
• Learning new things
• Juan texting me weird pictures or things that make me laugh
• People that plant too many squash/tomato/cucumber plants and want to give away the deliciousness
• My family
• Mazda3s...and driving them...
• Getting to talk to Adneisha; she has this way of making me feel useful, important, and loved
• My new mascara, it's awesome

Another tag, this time I stole it from Missy. :3

1. Did you date someone from your school? Yupyup, but not until after high school. My only boyfriend before Cody (Aaron Croft, who I dated an astounding week or two in college) was also a ram.

2. What kind of car did you drive? I didn't really drive much in high school. Sorry, Evany, Mark, Kristin, Anna, Steph...and whoever else toted me around.

3. Were you a party animal? Yes. I was like a party sloth, always asleep and at home and not cool enough for parties.

4. Were you considered a flirt? ...maybe? I remember something about a date with Mark that turned into me flirting with Brock, who was Evany's date. That was bad, I'm sorry Ev. Also, Rich only asked me to homecoming because I was very animated in talking to him. I wasn't really flirting, just talking and probably teasing; but my friends seemed to think I was madly in love with him because of it.

5. Were you in band, orchestra or choir? Choir for 3 or 4 years. I can't remember if I was in Slaglebaby's class as a Frosh.

6. Were you a nerd? Ummm...there're definitely smarter people than me, but I was always taking the honors classes and such, and I'm pretty much a dork. I'm gonna go with yes.

7. Were you on any varsity teams? Negatory.

8. Can you still sing the fight song? I don't even know if we had a fight song. I can still do the pep club cheer to the school song, though.

9. Who were your favorite teachers? CORSI! for Concurrent Math and AP AB Calc, Southam for English, Slagle for Choir, Bee for Drafting, and I enjoyed Atiya for Physics and Minkley for AP BC Calc (even though I hated the subjects.)

10. Where did you sit during lunch? Right by the science wing, outside of Dr. Atiya's room. I think we sat there almost all 4 years.

11. What was your school's full name? Highland High

12. What was your school's mascot? RAM!

13. Did you go to homecoming and who with? Yes, Squashmore year I went with Richard Christiansen for my first date EVAR, and it was awesome. Junior year Cory Heintz asked me, and that was really fun too. :3 That was a fun group of guys to be friends with.

14. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No. High school's over and I like it that way.

15. What do you remember most about graduation? All the very loud screams from some classmates' families. >_< STOP SCREAMING, it's only making the horribly long ceremony even longer and even less fun.

16. Where did you go Senior Skip Day? Hahaha, I skipped with Steph and Amy (a couple of Juniors) and we went down to 15th and 15th to Einstein's, then we went to Orchard Street Market and got fresh pineapple, then took it back to Slagle's classroom and ate it there. Slagle was the only one that didn't mind her seniors actually skipping, if I remember right. And Steph's right. Most of the stuff I ever plan, socially, involves food.

17. Were you in any clubs? French Club, it was just an excuse to eat elcaires and baguettes with Nutella and Brie.

18. Have you gained some weight since then? Yush. I dunno how many people actually stay the same size that they were in high school...

19. Who was your prom date? Matthew Croft, but it turned a little awkward because we found out we're like 3rd cousins or something like that on the date.

20. What did your dress/tux look like? It was white, with cap sleeves. Kinda boring, but I still like how Rebecca and I did my hair, with little roses and twists. I wish I could figure out how to do stuff like that on my own.

21. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Pfft. Reunions.

22. Did you have a high school job and what was it? I worked at Hale Bakery from just before high school until just before college, and I love the girls I worked with. "If you wanna be my dustpan, you gotta get on the floor..." (sung to "Wannabe" by Spice Girls) I miss sitting in the walk-in fridge and eating Parfait cookies with whipped cream...