Scout has a thing for shoes, too. No, really, she carts them off and cuddles them..

 Actually, she ate them as a puppy. She's since learned that shoes are good things that we want in tact.  Now she just collects them like treasure.  Wonder where she got that from?

It was only a matter of time before shoes landed on my blog.  I know, I know, I should totally be studying right now, but really, after a full day of lecture/lab/astronomical amount of clinical pathology, a girl needs some down time.. (actually I'm flipping between this and lecture slides right now.. I know.. sad).

A lot of people comment on my attire and fashion sense, and I love that.  I know, shocker, I'm a girl who likes attention.  But perhaps I should share some secrets.  I'm a poor vet student, married to a poor grad student, so I rarely buy something without a sale and/or coupon.  Like my current favorite shoes ever: these micro-wedges in multicolor velvet from Aldo that are on sale for $25 here.  They're sold out on aldo's main website, but Amazon still has them.  The floral pattern gives hints of spring season, but the velvet is very much a winter thing.  Kinda like Blacksburg right now: I want it to be spring soooo badly, but it's winter, so warmth and texture is key.  They're the most comfortable cute shoes ever, and they cost less than what I've spent on lunches at school this semester.  Seriously, where are all the free lunches this year??

Lack-of-Free-Time Brownies

School starts soon! Which means the abundance of free time is coming to an end. What's a foodie to do? Make brownies from a box?
Actually... Yes. However, I like putting a twist on any ordinary food, and this twist is super easy and super fast. My personal favorite flavor is raspberry, so after stirring together my brownie batter according to the box, I added a 12 oz bag of frozen raspberries and stirred them into the batter. Stick those bad boys in the oven according to the box directions and after 2 minutes of work you're back to studying. Okay, obviously not this week but during the semester! Not a fan of raspberries? Instead of adding berries to the mix you can chop up some andes mints and add those instead. I've tried it both ways (that's what she said) and both are really good. So when that first big test starts heading our way, ask your study group this: raspberry or mint brownies?

*sorry no pics, but I wrote this one from the blackberry. Winter break is all about traveling to see the fam, after all.

Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream

The latest Iron Chef VMRCVM was Battle Balsamic Vinegar, as well as my debut as a cook rather than a judge.  My classmate, Jenny, and I took home the honors of winning that battle, and the dessert round was our strongest.  So I made it again tonight so I could share, but this time I altered it a bit for a lower fat version.  I'll post it both ways.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

 1 quart heavy whipping cream (or half and half for the health conscious)

 24 oz frozen sliced strawberries

 fresh strawberries or mini semisweet chocolate chips, whichever you prefer

 balsamic vinegar (amount is up to you, but trust me, it's not a lot as this flavor is strong)

 1 ice cream maker (I have the kitchen aid attachment), placed in the freezer overnight

Directions:

 In a blender, add the entire 24 oz container of frozen sliced strawberries (I ran hot water on the outside of the container to make it easy to slide the contents out in one big chunk).  Add as much of the cream or half and half as you want, depending on if you want a strong strawberry flavor or a creamier flavor, but I wouldn't put more than a quart of either or you'll dilute the strawberry too much, and you need the strawberry to make the balsamic flavor blend well.  I added 3.5 cups (the quart minus half a cup) of half and half this last time.  You can add some of the cream, blend, taste, and based on that decide if you want to add more or not.  This recipe is all about how it tastes as you make it rather than measuring because that's just how I cook.  Blend together.  Add a TEENY splash of balsamic vinegar, blend, taste, and repeat as needed.  The idea is that the balsamic vinegar adds a tartness that really brings out the strawberry, but make sure you add enough to taste it, because the balsamic really adds a nice flavor that compliments the strawberry.  However, if you add too much, it can get a bit strong so you might want to dilute it with some leftover cream/half and half and some more strawberries.  Tasting throughout the process is key (you go through a lot of spoons, so I set aside a spoon that I never lick for the dipping, and dribble the blended cream mixture onto a spoon that I do lick without touching spoons to keep from contaminating the dipping spoon; unless you're just making this all for yourself, to which I say double dip away).  It should be cold since the ingredients were either frozen or refrigerated, so we're ready to make ice cream; if you're not ready, just stick it in the 'fridge until you are.

 When you've got a blend that you think tastes awesome, get the ice cream maker out.  While running on low speed (at least, that's how the kitchen aid works, you'll have to read the directions to your maker if it's different), pour in the soon-to-be-ice-cream.  Add sliced fresh strawberries or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, or both if you so choose, as it's mixing.  After about 10 minutes churning away, it will be a soft-serve consistency.  You can get it right then, or transfer it into a freezer safe container (I use glad-ware) and put it in the freezer for a more solid-frozen treat.

Last step: OM NOM NOM!

Smelly Jelly Kelly

I've mastered the art of the smelly jelly, as well the art of being a poor graduate student, so it only makes sense to master the art of gifts on a budget.  Using jars, smelly jelly crystals, and fragrance oils found here, water, and some old food coloring that's too old for me to want to eat, but not too old to look pretty in stuff I can't eat, I made these:

Fragrance oils are $2.60 an ounce (about 30 mL), which contributes to 2 jars and a little extra for some lotion experimentation (I use about 14-15 mL per jelly jar).  A set of 12 jars (including the metal slitted lids and the plastic lids to keep the fragrance in until you're ready to use it) sets you back $14.29, but you could use any old candle jars or old jelly air freshener containers you have around, or re-use the 12 from this site (like I do) when your jellies dry out--just clean it out and make a new one.  One pound of jelly crystals only costs $6.75, and this is enough to make 80 jars.  So really, one jar costs about $2.56 to make.  And they smell awesome and like anything you want (there are TONS of fragrance options), plus they're really cute.  Score.

These fragrance oils can also be used in candles, which might be my next adventure in the summer.  If I can nail that down, I'd save a lot of money that currently goes to my candle obsession (though the air freshening smelly jelly jars do help abate that).

Even More Corgi in the Snow!

For whatever reason, Firefox/Google/something really doesn't want me to upload the 3rd corgi in the snow video, but here's the 4th:

Back in Action for Winter Break

Well, that was a rough semester.  I learned a lot, but they weren't kidding when they said that would be the hardest semester.  So now that I've beaten the hell out of my poor little GPA, it's time to chill the eff out for a month and regroup for the battle coming up for me that is Spring 2011.  And with no where to go but up, hopefully I'll be over the grade obsessing and back into showing what I actually know and can do.  Less stressing out and more kicking ass.  Look out, next semester, because I'm going to be on a rampage.  The battle to win back my pride begins in a month.

So until then, I've got a month of corgi-hopping in the snow, experimenting with new recipes, and more nom-inspired adventures to be had! Well, corgi hopping in the snow when we get some snow that isn't completely iced over, anyhow (though, I'm sure another snow storm is imminent).  Not to worry, while we wait for another decent snow (sans ice!), we can reminisce on last winter's adorable snow corgi adventures: (firefox spazzed out after uploading the first 2 videos, so I'll have to post the last 2 tomorrow)

 

Smoked Salmon "Cigars" with Yucca Fries and Dark Chocolate Mole

...that's "moh-lay," not mole like the critter outside that your dog is digging after in the back yard. Just wanted to make that clear.


Ingredients:
"Cigars"
   1 sheet puff pastry
   1 package (4.5 oz) smoked salmon
   Juice from 1 lemon
   Zest from 1 lemon
   Salt and pepper, to taste
   8 ounces cream cheese
Yucca Fries
   1 yucca root
   Oil for frying
   Seasoning salt
Dark Chocolate Mole
   Sesame oil
   1 onion, diced
   6 cloves garlic
   3.5 ounces dark chocolate
   28 ounces crushed tomatoes
   6 diced Guajillo peppers
   10 black peppercorns
   Oregano
   Cinnamon
   Cloves
   Allspice
   Thyme
   Fennel seeds
   1 tortilla, shredded


Directions:
"Cigars"
   Combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest, reserving a little bit of the zest for later.  Add salt and pepper to taste; mix thoroughly.  Cut puff pastry in approximately 2" x 4" rectangles.  Put a strip of salmon on the pastry.  Spread a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture on top of the salmon.  Roll up.  Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the pastry starts to brown a little bit.

Dark Chocolate Mole
   In a medium-sized sauce pot, sauté the onion in sesame oil.  When the onions are clear in color, add all the other ingredients, adding the spices to taste.  Simmer for at least 45 minutes.

Yucca Fries
In a large pot, heat the oil to medium-high heat.  Peel the yucca root and slice with a mandoline into fry shapes (this can be done with a knife, but it's a bit more work).  When the oil is hot, add the fries and stir occasionally until fries start to brown a little bit.  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and onto a plate with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with seasoning salt.


Serve the cigar in a pool of mole.  Place a few fries on top of the cigar.  Garnish with the remaining lemon zest and shaved dark chocolate if desired.

More NOMS coming soon!

I know, I KNOW, school hasn't even started yet and I'm already neglecting my blog (in my fairness, I am helping with orientation this week).  Instead of having crafty adventures in the kitchen last weekend, I was outside hiking Dragon's Tooth in the DARK to watch meteors from the top of a mountain.  In short, I kicked my own butt to watch something pretty and then spent the next few days feeling like an 80-year-old with a rolled ankle and a sore-everything.  That and I think the whole neurology issue is making me exercise intolerant.  Meh, I'm still going to be stubborn and play outside... tomorrow, in fact, as I go to camp to help with vet school orientation...

Anywho, to make up for the absence, I decided to post--in its entirety--an awesome winning entree recipe from Battle Chocolate (Iron Chef VMRCVM).  It's in the next post so when looking through just recipes, you don't have to read what I did in August 2010 again.  You're welcome.

*EDIT: I did have a short adventure making an air freshener jar.  I think it is a success.  If you want one, let me know.  I have lots of NOM scents.  This one is cinnamon cookie dough, and it is NOM-licious.

It wouldn't be an adventure if there wasn't a risk for failure...

HOLY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS, BATMAN!!

This afternoon I stalked the UPS guy for my package of soap/lotion makings.  Having no patience at all, I decided to make a bottle of blueberry muffin shower gel immediately.  I was SUPER excited about the blueberry muffin scent that I put the maximum amount (5% by volume) in 8 ounces of gel.  Um... yeah.. don't start at the MAX concentration... work your way up as you find the desirable result.  This is what happens when I let my artsy side take over my science nerd side; I'm pretty sure this other side to me is directly related to my hair color, and has nothing to do with cerebral activity. DOH! I really should have known better..
But I couldn't just accept failure from just the open bottle sniff test.. Oh, no, I was going to test this bad boy.. on myself.  As far as texture goes, it was kinda runny for my liking (watered down with the fragrance), and I could have poured that mess on a dry loofa and still gotten a lather.  So I lathered up the loofa and OH MY FREAKING BLUEBERRIES my olfactory system was ATTACKED! It's a blueberry muffin AMBUSH!  Needless to repeat, it was uber-concentrated. I knew that. Why did I do this, again?  But like a dumb blonde champion, I lathered up and finished my experiment.
Bright side: it's not a complete fail.  After drying off, I smell like a non-concentrated muffin, so the after-smell is good. I still need to dilute that bad boy, which now having used part of my experimental bottle, I can add more unscented soap (although, I'm thinking of adding unscented lotion to it to see if I can get a more moisturizing product).  I'll keep diluting it until I get a pleasant muffin scent that doesn't take over my poor nose, so it's not a complete waste.  Also a good note: the entire upstairs (the level with the shower) smells like blueberry muffins, in a pleasant way.  Kinda like I put muffin-scented air fresheners everywhere.  Speaking of which, I probably should have started small with, well, air fresheners...
The experiment continues!

*EDIT:  I made lotion with waaay less blueberry muffin fragrance, and it is a success! I actually quite like it! ...except for the part where I have to fight off the urge to bite myself because I start craving blueberry muffins...

Cedar Smoked Salmon

Justin and I just finished dinner, and it was so good I had to share.  It was really simple to make and so delicious!  We bought a cedar plank, asparagus, and a couple salmon filets from Kroger, and the rest is stuff we usually have around the kitchen!  Here's a picture of the end result, followed by how we made it so you can impress your friends while it's still grilling season:

Supplies:
1 cedar plank
1 grill with lid (to smoke)
charcoal (if the grill works that way, like ours)

Ingredients:
2 6-ounce salmon filets (unless you have more people, but you'll also need another plank if you have more than 4-ish)
salt
ground black pepper
dill
half a bunch of asparagus (again, we're only cooking for 2)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 8 pieces (or however you like it)

Directions:
Soak the cedar plank in water for a few hours (we had ours sitting in water all afternoon, about 5 hours or so).
Cut (or snap) off the woody stem ends (like an inch or two, or snap it where it naturally wants to snap) off of the asparagus.  Take note: don't cut off the wrong end; one end is flavorful, the other is woody and hard and gross and we don't want to eat it.  For serious asparagus noobs (and please take no offense here, we didn't know either until Alton Brown did an asparagus Good Eats once), here's a picture of which end to cut:

Put the trimmed asparagus on a plate and drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Let it marinate while you make the salmon.

Season both sides of the salmon filets with salt, pepper, and dill, and place them on the cedar plank.  Once your coals/grill are ready to go, place the plank on the grill and close the lid.  Let it smoke for about 30 minutes.  Once 30 minutes have passed, move the cedar plank to the side (still on the grill) and put the asparagus on.  Grill the asparagus for 1 minute on each side (not smoking here, just grilling.. we don't want to burn the asparagus) for a total of about 2 minutes (or until you think it's done).  Take food off the grill and put it on a place with as many lemon wedges as you want (I end up soaking everything in fresh lemon juice and eating the leftover wedges like they are oranges because I am addicted to lemons.. don't tell your dentists about that one..).

Dig in!