Margherita Pasta...

Basic recipe:
- Pasta (we used penne because it seemed festive)
- Olive oil
- Cherry tomatoes
- Diced red onions
- Mozzarella cheese balls
- Fresh basil (yes, I did say fresh)
- Chopped garlic
Cook the pasta (boil water, add pasta) and once that is done start sauteing the onions and tomatoes. To do this, add oil in a pan with some garlic and salt and pepper and then just add the onions and swirl it around with a spatula (that's how I saute). Once the onions are brown, add in the tomatoes (take a step back when you do this because they will pop at you and that burns) and turn it to low heat. The tomatoes will only take about a minute or so because you don't want them to get too soft. Turn off the burners and combine everything in a bowl, including the fresh basil and mozzarella.

This was so much fun to make, and it goes back to a previous post where I was saying that I needed to start cooking with friends instead of always going out. So that is what I did. My friend Hannah and I spent an evening in cooking and watching Jeopardy. Such a good night! Hannah's a vegetarian also, which made it so much better because we didn't have to cook meat (that would have made this process so much more stressful, so thank you Hannah).

I was in charge of sauteing, which I will say I have never done in my entire life. I didn't even think I could ever do that. Saute is just such a fancy cooking word, and it did not sound like something I would be interested in. But I did it, and let me tell you - not bad. And much easier than I was expecting. You just put oil in a pan. That's it. So simple.

The meal itself was wonderful. And it was perfect because it was one of those perfect April spring days and the pasta was so light. If you're not wanting something heavy, this is the way to go. Pair it with a nice white wine and you're set. I have to find a white wine I like, but once I do, I'm making this again!

Rating: 10
 - There was nothing I would change. Perfect ending to a perfect day with my friend.

I'm sauteing things!!

Balsamic and Mozzarella Chicken...

Basic recipe:
-Chicken breast
-Mozzarella wrapped prosciutto (once again purchased at Publix)
-Balsamic vinaigrette
-French loaf of bread (the kind you're supposed to have sword fights with in front of the Eiffel Tower) 
-Italian dressing
Heat oven to 375. Slice the bread and mozzarella and lay the mozzarella on top of the bread. Lay the chicken breast out on tin foil and marinate in balsamic and the Italian dressing. Lay some of the prosciutto mozzarella on top. Stick both in oven; cook the chicken for about 25-30 minutes, the bread about 10. Once prepared, add a bit of extra balsamic for the best taste of true Italy.

So this one was TOTALLY made up by me. I think. With a little help from Pitter for the bread idea. I was driving home from work and decided that instead of fast food or pizza, I was going to find something to cook. That's how I wandered on the specialty cheese section of Publix (my favorite section). I saw the prosciutto mozzarella and inspiration hit! I LOVE ITALY! Florence especially, and prosciutto and balsamic are my own bits of Florence in Georgia. Perfection. The rest was just brainstorming tastes. Don't trust those however, because I've been known to mix everything on my plate together because I think fried okra and pork really makes mashed potatoes special. But I like to think this worked. And it was pretty easy considering the gloriousness that resulted (did y'all know that they make individually wrapped frozen chicken breasts? Fantastic). Now disclaimer: the creamed spinach came out of the frozen foods section. But I heated it up. That's cooking. Add another point for me.

The only true problem was the chicken. I'm not that great at chicken. Let's be honest: it freaks me out. You hear so much about that salmonella poisoning and I am convinced that one of these days that could happen to me. I don't know much about it, but Monica warned Emily about it in London so I'm guessing that's bad. Poisoning of any kind is bad, and while I wouldn't necessarily mind a few legitimate days off sick, no thank you. So when I took it out after 20 minutes (the time on the package) the chicken was literally still gooey and translucent on the inside. I don't know a lot, but I know that's not done. So I just stuck it in for another 15 minutes or so. Now I know Gordon Ramsay would have been appalled at my dry chicken, but I didn't care. I'm not getting salmonella from chicken. And it turned out really good anyway so Ramsay can suck it.

Rate: 7 (definitely a good one to impress people by your fanciness and the balsamic was to die for!)

Taco Dip...

Basic recipe:
-Hamburger meat
-Taco seasoning
-Louisa's Fiesta dip (I got it at Publix, but it's just guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cheese, and beans)
-Shredded cheese
-Fritos
Brown the hamburger meat, drain, and add taco seasoning with half a cup of water. Cook on simmer until water boils out. In a bowl, add the meat and Fiesta dip and top with shredded cheese. Put into microwave until cheese melts. Eat with Fritos.

Ok, so this one was kind of a cheat, as all I really did was brown the meat. But I stole the idea from a friend of mine who makes these tostada things with that dip and chicken. As I didn't really want chicken that night (I'm a red meat girl), I decided to change it up a little with the meat. So basically I made tacos. Where's my reward? I get one right? For innovation? No? Got it.

But I will say that I had a little bit of a crisis with the meat (and this same friend can attest to that as she was on the phone with me laughing the entire time). Now, I can brown meat. That might be one of the only things I'm confident in. If God decided that only one person on Earth could perfect the browning of hamburger meat, it would be me. My problem comes later, with me thinking I'm the next Food Network star and not using a measuring cup. I don't need one of those for my meat. My meat is perfect, and that water and taco seasoning won't know what hit them.

Wrong.

I put WAY too much water in the pan with my perfect meat. After about five minutes my meat was basically floating around in a sea of brown water, so Britt through her laughter just told me to drain it again. I did, and we were back on track. Go me! The rest of it was complete smooth sailing. Add with the Dancing With the Stars premiere (which was cha-cha - very fitting and NOT planned) and you have a pretty good dinner if I do say so myself.

Rate: 8 (I even ate it for left-overs the next night, which NEVER happens! Success!)

Food for Thought...

So no more cooking as of yet - unless you count adding water to instant mashed potatoes or heating canned corn on the stove cooking. Which I don't. I feel like if I did that would be cheating.

It has occurred to me that my first post was very correct: cooking is time consuming, and as someone who doesn't have a LOT of spare time, it's just not that easy and/or worth it. But I also feel like people with similar situations can probably relate very well to me. We are of a generation that doesn't value home skills like the generations that came before us. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm starting to think that I'm ok with that. Now, I know this isn't true for some people (I have cousins that show me up on this subject on a regular basis and I love that they can do that because I benefit from the amazingness that comes from their kitchens), but I get by on a daily basis by telling myself that I AM NOT ALONE. Then again, who cares?

I have two jobs. I go to school. I tutor independently when I'm not doing the previous two activities. At the end of a long day cooking is the last thing I want to do. I would much rather pick something up and veg and do homework. I would much rather meet friends for a late dinner as that is generally one of the only times I can see them. I have reverted back to my mother's thinking. Getting things done, relaxing, and human contact is much more important to me, and I can't tell myself that that's not ok.

But another thing I have come to realize is that cooking is really not all that bad. It can actually be fun sometimes, especially with some loud girl music and a spoon (I AM the next American Idol, and my kitchen completely agrees with me). And maybe I can find a way to get my homework done WHILST I cook (or maybe not...). And maybe instead of going out to a restaurant, my friends and I can cook good stuff at home.

I need to look at this as a challenge in life - maybe it's not a real one that life has presented, but it's one that I've presented myself. If that makes any sense. Life is about taking those little, seemingly insignificant, challenges and making something come out of them. It's like I tell students all the time when they're complaining about having to remember the dates of the American Revolution (I'm sorry, but you're an American and you should KNOW the dates of the war that made us): college isn't about having to know every little thing you're taught. No, in the real world an employer at an insurance agency will not care whether or not you know when the Boston Massacre occurred (March 5, 1770) or the quadratic equation (negative b plus and minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac all over 2a!!!). What they care about is if you have the ability to persevere through things you may or may not have enjoyed. That is a student's challenge in life. I've just got to look at cooking as my own challenge in life.

I may or may not succeed. I've had an attitude adjustment about a few things this week, so we'll see how long that lasts. But at the moment, this isn't about cooking. It's about setting a personal goal and meeting said goal, no matter what.

Life finds a way to get in the way. There are some times when I have to fall victim to it. But I'm going to try to do better, and at the end of the day that's all I can do.

Anyways, that was just something to chew on...

Spaghetti and Peppercorn Pork...

Ok, so there's not a recipe for this one. I basically just made spaghetti and put a pork loin in the oven. Yum. I must say that the pork was exceptional! If anyone's looking for a quick and easy option for dinner: go with Hormel's pork. I'm still thinking about it. I put it in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes - it was perfectly tender. Now, the spaghetti sauce was my actual creation this week.

I used to work at this Italian restaurant in Buford; a side of spaghetti came with each entree. The waiters used to play with different sauces on our free time in regards to the spaghetti - not that there were that many options...marinara, alfredo, pesto, butter, garlic, different wine sauces. That's pretty much it. My favorite combination was the marinara and alfredo. It's one of my favorite memories from that job.

My original intention was alfredo (that's what I bought at the store), but then I remembered Dom's. And the fact that I still had marinara sauce left over from the last time I cooked. YAY! That's why people say that keeping a well stocked pantry is valuable. You can do things like mix alfredo and marinara! That pretty much made my cooking experience for tonight. So along with garlic bread, I had a pretty satisfying meal. And I think I'll even be able to eat the pork as leftovers (I don't eat leftovers on a normal basis)!

Rate: 9 (next time I will cook the garlic bread a little longer. That was my only complaint - but I'm gun shy with garlic bread)

Nappa Salad...

Basic recipe:
  - 1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable?)
  - 1/2 cup sugar
  - 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  - Cole slaw (the bagged stuff)
  - 2 bags of the Oriental flavor Ramen noodles
  - 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  - 1/2 cup sunflower kernels
Mix all that stuff up in a plastic bowl (one with a lid) and then place in the refrigerator overnight. Put the sliced almonds and sunflower kernels in the toaster oven and toast til brown - make sure they don't burn, because it happens. When you're ready to serve, mix the almonds and sunflower kernels into the cole slaw mixture (this will give the salad a nice crunch).

Ok, everyone - hold onto your seats. I made Nappa Salad. From a recipe.

One of the things that's cool about cooking (so everyone says) is that you don't actually have to use a recipe. You can just throw things into a pot and go at it. That's one of the reasons I didn't do a baking blog. Can you imagine having to be that precise? No, thank you. I try to shy away from recipes, because I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. When something tells me two cups, I MUST have two cups. Not a little over, not a little under. Two cups exactly. If that means I have to do things over and over again, so be it. See why I don't like recipes?

Well, tonight was no different. Those measurements? They took awhile, but I finally got them. I'm standing on luck for that one. Now, notice above that it says to let it sit overnight. Yeah, not a chance. As this was a split decision in a grocery store, I did not have a chance to let it sit. My aunt informed me that was ok (I'll take her advice and hope for the best) - I just put it in the refrigerator and periodically shook the container to mix everything up. It turned out not so shabby if I do say so myself. Maybe I'm getting the hang of this after all....or maybe I just made something that consisted of dumping stuff in a bowl. It's one or the other.

Rate: 10
  - I'm a little bias, however. This is one of my favorite salads, and it's EXTREMELY hard to mess this up (even if you do have to use a recipe).

Pizza Pasta...

Basic recipe:
 - pasta (I used spaghetti, but I'm sure anything would do)
 - your choice red pasta sauce
 - pepperoni
 - pineapple (excellent on a pizza)
 - mozzarella (and a lot of it)
Boil water, and add spaghetti. After draining the cooked pasta, pour it in a separate oven safe container. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle mozzarella on top, and add a couple of pieces of pepperoni. Bake at 375 degrees for about 5-10 minutes.

I hate the grocery store. I feel like everyone judges me - they know I shouldn't be in there. Unfortunately I wasn't entirely prepared for this little experiment (I wasn't even sure if we had salt in my house...), so I had to venture out into the world of expensive milk and produce. Disturbing. If you find yourself in my situation, know that you're not alone. I wandered the aisles for a good half hour just trying to find pepperoni. I don't really have much to compare that to, but I'm guessing it's not good.

I decided to start small. Pasta was a safe choice, as that is one of the things I can maybe feel ok about. But I figured I needed SOMETHING else - plus, I wasn't feeling plain spaghetti. Brilliance struck in aisle 5. Pizza pasta. My cousin mentioned pizza, but please. There was no way - that includes chopping and browning meat and straightening dough and other things that I can't even think of. I do love pizza, though. Pepperoni is a staple snack food in my house (which makes it that much more disturbing that I spent that much time searching for it).

It turns out I have the curse of my mom. What probably would have taken a normal person with any kind of ability about 25 minutes tops, took me a good hour. I would like to point out that salt does not help water boil faster, and if it does boiling water is ridiculous. Just thought that needed to be said. The problem was I didn't judge the amount of pasta I originally cooked correctly. When I finally poured it into the dish, it didn't even cover the bottom of it, resulting in more boiling (I ended up having WAY too much, but oh well). After that, it was pretty smooth sailing. I was finally able to sit down with my pizza pasta at 9pm. At least that's an hour earlier than my mom could have done it.

Rate: 4
  - Next time I will probably use a different kind of spaghetti sauce, and maybe let it cook longer...