Monday, August 31, 2009
Finally, some good news!
I just secured a phone interview for an incredibly perfect job at Widener University. It's with the Career Advising and Planning Services department, which is fantastic because I have a lot of experience in that area thanks to my Career Development internship. Luckily, I have also been speaking with the director of the office specifically, so I don't have any of the HR bureaucracy to muddle through. I hope this goes well because I can definitely see myself working in higher ed and doing something I already love to do-- design marketing campaigns, work with people trying to figure out their careers, etc. etc.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Chicken pot pie
Probably one of my top five favorite comfort foods. Living at home makes me crave comfortable things like no other-- guess it's because I've never truly been content or settled here. Anyway, here's my ingredient list:
Carrots, peas, celery, onion
Diced chicken breast
Little bit of flour
Low fat/sodium chicken broth
Half cup of 1% milk
One clove minced garlic
Thyme, rosemary, parsley
Pie crust (flour, salt, vinegar, shortening, etc.)
Egg wash (whole egg and a drop of milk)
It was a pretty easy assembly: sauteed the veggies and chicken, added the broth and flour to thicken it, stirred in the milk, poured the mixture into a baking dish and covered it with the pie crust. I brushed it with an egg wash and let it bake for like twenty minutes in a 400 degree oven until the crust was golden brown. Yum, that is happiness in a dish.
Carrots, peas, celery, onion
Diced chicken breast
Little bit of flour
Low fat/sodium chicken broth
Half cup of 1% milk
One clove minced garlic
Thyme, rosemary, parsley
Pie crust (flour, salt, vinegar, shortening, etc.)
Egg wash (whole egg and a drop of milk)
It was a pretty easy assembly: sauteed the veggies and chicken, added the broth and flour to thicken it, stirred in the milk, poured the mixture into a baking dish and covered it with the pie crust. I brushed it with an egg wash and let it bake for like twenty minutes in a 400 degree oven until the crust was golden brown. Yum, that is happiness in a dish.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Muy delicioso!

Thursday, August 27, 2009
Eggplant parmesan

2 medium sized eggplants
Handful of breadcrumbs
3/4 cup of flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 cloves of garlic
14 oz. can of dicd tomatoes
Some olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
Parmesan and mozzarella cheese
Basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper
Started my red sauce by sauteing the onion in the olive oil and then added the garlic when they started to become opaque. Once I started to smell the garlic, I added the canned tomatoes and seasonings and let that simmer as I prepared the eggplant. My grandmother used to soak the eggplant slices (I cut them about 1/2 thick) in a salt water brine for a few hours before she made her parm, so I did as well. After drying off the slices, I coated them in flour, dipped them in the egg and milk mixture, dredged them in the breadcrumbs and then fried them in a little more olive oil. Once they were done, they were placed on a wire rack to get rid of the excess oil and then layered in a baking dish with my red sauce and topped with parmesan and mozzarella cheese. About 35-45 minutes in a 350 degree over and the cheese was bubbly and golden brown. I think my grandma would be proud.
Note: I was mostly inspired to make this dish because when I was in PA this week with Jason, I bought the eggplant from an Amish lady at her side-of-the-road farm stand. Good times.
Vacations are always too short.
Anyway, the rest of my week was spent at J's beating him in mini-golf (haha), going out to eat, playing tennis, and spending time with his friends and some of mine. It was a great getaway and I can hardly wait until he comes to New York in a week or so.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Life is a movement.
And now I feel like I'm moving. So, I am off to Pennsylvania, Maryland and everywhere in between. See you next week.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Broccoli and cheddar cheese quiche
Usually when I have to work the closing shift at night, I make my dinner beforehand so I'm no starving when I get there. This morning I made a broccoli and cheddar cheese quiche-- one of my favorite comfort foods!

I started out with, admittedly, two 9 inch frozen pie crusts (since I was too lazy to roll out my own) and added my mixture of seven eggs, one cup milk, 3/4 cup grated Vermont cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup chopped onion, one cup chopped cooked broccoli, and a pinch of salt and pepper. All of those measurements are estimates because I never measure when I cook! That might also be due to laziness, but I usually prefer eyeballing things. After about 40-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven, both quiches were golden brown and delicious! I will definitely enjoy this later before I have to go to work.
I started out with, admittedly, two 9 inch frozen pie crusts (since I was too lazy to roll out my own) and added my mixture of seven eggs, one cup milk, 3/4 cup grated Vermont cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup chopped onion, one cup chopped cooked broccoli, and a pinch of salt and pepper. All of those measurements are estimates because I never measure when I cook! That might also be due to laziness, but I usually prefer eyeballing things. After about 40-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven, both quiches were golden brown and delicious! I will definitely enjoy this later before I have to go to work.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Heat wave
Speaking of which, I am actually planning on leaving on Thursday to visit J in Pennsylvania. From there, we are going to drive through Gettysburg, PA and then head down to the Maryland/Washington, DC area to be touristy and go to our friends' engagement party. So I am looking forward to that-- after being stranded at home for the past week, I'm in need of a relaxing vacation. Although, the thought of going to an engagement party makes me feel old. It makes me feel like I'm an adult. Oh gosh, when did I grow up?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Nostalgia
As some of my younger friends start going back to school, I can't help but think about the four years I spent in college. My journey from start to finish was a long, stressful, tedious one-- yet it was also full of laughter, adventures, and learning experiences.



Richmond taught me how to be a strong and brave-- a person who could visualize and overcome obstacles. And Gettysburg showed me how to make friends, appreciate the ones I already had and most importantly, who I was as an individual. Being able to start over some place new on my own was so beneficial to me because at that point in time all I had to rely on was myself. It took me a full year and a half at Gettysburg to finally figure these things out, but it was worth it. Looking back now, I couldn't be where I am today without all of what came before and I am so grateful for that.
Richmond taught me how to be a strong and brave-- a person who could visualize and overcome obstacles. And Gettysburg showed me how to make friends, appreciate the ones I already had and most importantly, who I was as an individual. Being able to start over some place new on my own was so beneficial to me because at that point in time all I had to rely on was myself. It took me a full year and a half at Gettysburg to finally figure these things out, but it was worth it. Looking back now, I couldn't be where I am today without all of what came before and I am so grateful for that.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Bargain hunting

More and more I have come to appreciate the happiness that bargain hunting can bring. Shopping has always been one of my favorite past times and ways to unwind or disconnect from my life-- whether or not I end up buying anything. (Although, I won't lie, it's much more fun to be able to bring something home!) It's just nice to be able to think about what's in front of you at the moment, as opposed to all the distractions and frustrations that can arise in every day life. When I was still at the University of Richmond, I took daily trips to the various malls across the city-- walking, listening, browsing and people watching. Sometimes I would catch a movie or treat myself to one of my favorite restaurants in town and just enjoy being alone.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Spicy summer corn chowder
Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with a number of different Southwestern and Tex-Mex style dishes. So far I have managed to made a spicy tomato soup, honey-lime grilled chicken, and fresh guacamole and salsa-- all of which have been superb. Wanting to use up the rest of the sweet summer corn I had in the kitchen, I decided to try to replicate Panera's summer corn chowder, which went a little like this:


I started out with a green bell pepper, a small yellow onion, and half of a pablano pepper and diced them up. After sauteing the veggies in a little butter, I added minced garlic and a small Italian red pepper (I have been growing these little guys in my garden-- aren't they adorable?). Once I started to smell the garlic, I added some flour to coat the peppers, etc. and cooked it until it was a light brown color. After adding about six cups of chicken stock, I brought it up to a simmer and then threw in two medium Yukon Gold potatoes I had diced. Ten minutes of rapid boiling and voila-- cooked potatoes! I then added the corn, some chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and milk (sorry, there aren't any measurements for these ingredients-- I never measure anything when I cook). And there you go, spicy summer corn chowder!

This recipe made about six servings. Not sure what I am going to make tomorrow, but I hope it will be just as delicious!
I started out with a green bell pepper, a small yellow onion, and half of a pablano pepper and diced them up. After sauteing the veggies in a little butter, I added minced garlic and a small Italian red pepper (I have been growing these little guys in my garden-- aren't they adorable?). Once I started to smell the garlic, I added some flour to coat the peppers, etc. and cooked it until it was a light brown color. After adding about six cups of chicken stock, I brought it up to a simmer and then threw in two medium Yukon Gold potatoes I had diced. Ten minutes of rapid boiling and voila-- cooked potatoes! I then added the corn, some chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and milk (sorry, there aren't any measurements for these ingredients-- I never measure anything when I cook). And there you go, spicy summer corn chowder!
This recipe made about six servings. Not sure what I am going to make tomorrow, but I hope it will be just as delicious!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
New beginnings
Amazingly enough, I have been blogging in various places across the web for almost nine years now-- but at this turning point in my life, I figured I deserved a fresh start with a fresh blog. Ultimately, this will serve as a place for me to write about whatever is on my radar at the moment-- news, photography, cuisine, life transitions, fashion, friends, etc. I can't promise that I will always be entertaining, but I will certainly try. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)