Westward Ho

Inspired by our recent tubing adventure on the Guadalupe my best friend and I decided to rent an RV and travel around the West. We plan on doing this for 10 days in May 2011. I can hardly wait. I’ve already started my own little countdown calendar.

We’ve created a budget, started saving, looked into rentals and now we need to start compiling a wish list of places to visit. I’ve already started my list… Jackson Hole, Yosemite, Arches National Park, Montana (because every time I get frustrated with LA I say I’m moving to Montana!), New Mexico, and Boulder.

If this trip goes well we plan to do another one to the Northeast. Me and my best friend since 7th grade driving around the West in a rented 19’ RV, what could go wrong? Did I mention she brought a magazine to read when we were tubing… on the river.

Overheard at MAC

I popped by MAC today to pick up some powder and noticed that all the employees were very heavily made up, false eyelashes and the works. I don't know if that is a requirement to work there or if by working there you start to wear more makeup. The customer who was waiting in line with me turned to one of the employees who was wearing an inch of blue eyeshadow and bright fushia lipstick to say "You look like you've got a good use of color." I'll say!
-Chel

TV Zombie

I've been TV free for the past three days. When I first moved to this apartment I didn't hook up the cable. I didn't even hook up the antenna until almost 10 months after I moved in. I'd watch movies and TV series on DVD. I just didn't want the constant noise of the TV.

Then came K who needs TV. At his apartment he has a huge high def wide screen with over 200 channels of programming. I'm not even sure how he survived the weekends at my place without TV for seven months. The night of the Academy Awards he broke down, crawled behind the TV and hooked up the antenna. Then there were seven off again on again channels of local TV. Like any addict that little taste was all it took to get me started again. Before long I was sitting in front of the TV wiggling the antenna cable to get better reception.

Now there are 12 channels of cable and when I'm home the TV is on, just to keep me company. I find I get stuck to it like a leech. I just sit and stare at it even if there is nothing on worth watching.

Sunday night after K left I turned the TV off and it hasn't been back on. I watch TV because I'm lonely and bored. It makes me feel anxious. So I decided to leave the TV off for a week and see what projects I could accomplish, what magazines I could finish, books I could read, friends I could catch up with, and meals I could cook.

Lentil Chili

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package dry lentils
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups water
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 dash paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 medium carrots sliced
2 stalks celery sliced

Directions:
1. Heat the butter in a large pot over low heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until tender.

2. Mix in lentils, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Pour in the water and broth. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Mix carrots and celery into the chili. Continue cooking 30 – 40 minutes over low heat, until lentils, carrots, and celery are tender.

Comments: This would be good in the slow cooker. The lentils really take a while to get tender. The chili was not spicy enough so I’d add some cayenne pepper and kick up the paprika a bit. I added more salt and pepper too. Also green chilies might be good. It’s better after it sits for a day. The first day the lentils really had no flavor of their own.

I served this with a sprinkle of cheese, dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

Makes enough to freeze some for later.

-Chel

I've got mad tech skills

So one of the volunteers comes up this afternoon with a laptop.

her: I’m bringing you a new patient, well actually the same old patient.
me: The laptop is not working?
her: No. We can’t get it to boot up.
me: Alright. (opens laptap and presses power button. power button flashes a few times and nothing happens.)
me: Right the battery is dead. (hands laptop back)
her: Yeah we've been using it off the battery because at the front desk there’s no cord there. Is there?
me: … is there what?
her: A power cord at the front desk. Well you wouldn’t know that, would you?
me: No.
her: Well we have a power cord at the desk in the back because we have to have that other laptop plugged in because of the mouse.
me: ??? ... Well you should have a power cord for both laptops.
her: Right. Where can we get another battery?
me: You don’t get another battery just plug it in and it will recharge.
her: So if it’s plugged in we can work on it and it will recharge?
me: Yes.
her: Wow. You’re teaching me so much about computers maybe I’m going to get one myself.
me: ... bangs head against desk

-Chel

Ouch!

fried jalapeno poppers are probably not the thing you want to be eating while driving. ew! i burned my tongue.

What's for dinner?

Okay this is the best thing I've made in a while. I've taken a break from cooking, about a two year break, but I'm getting back into exploring and creating good dishes. I got the initial Chicken Pot Pie recipe from allrecipes.com and then tweaked it a bit to make it suit me. I made it for dinner Friday night and it was awesome - hot, bubbly gravy and crispy, flaky crust.

Chicken Pot Pie
Make 6 generous servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup cubed potatoes
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
1 egg white

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and potatoes. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to season. Add equal parts water and chicken broth to cover (about 1 cup broth and 1 cup water) and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and reserve liquid. Set aside chicken mixture.
3. While the chicken mixture is cooking prep your bottom pie crust. Roll out one of the 9 inch unbaked pie crusts into your pie pan. Poke holes in the crust with a fork and brush with egg white. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 5-6 minutes just until crust looks like it is beginning to bake.
4. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in reserved chicken broth and milk. (If you do not have 1 ¾ cups chicken broth in reserve add additional broth to make up the difference.) Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour gravy mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Brush with egg white. Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

My Comments:
Using a deep dish pie pan is helpful. If the gravy is too thick add a little additional water or broth before pouring it over the chicken mixture. The pie will absorb some of the liquid when cooking. Place a cookie sheet on the rack under the pie to catch any drips.

-Chel

Mild Medium HOT

For once the jar of salsa labeled HOT actually was.

Guacamole
1 ripe avocado
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons cream cheese
3 tablespoons Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 large tomato
1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
1 jalapeno

Halve the avocado remove the pit and using a large spoon scoop the avocado out of the hull. In a small bowl mash avocado with the lime juice, add the cream cheese, mix together until blended, mix in the Pico de Gallo and voila!

For the Pico de Gallo
Chop up onion, garlic, cilantro and tomato. You can remove the seeds from the tomato if you like before chopping. Slice the jalapeno lengthwise and remove the seeds. Chop. Be careful to wash your hands before touching anything especially do not to touch your face before washing up. I made the mistake of rubbing my eye once. It was not pleasant. Add jalapeno to the tomato mixture. For a milder flavor use less jalapeno or leave out altogether.

Or if you are lazy like me you can open a jar of salsa labeled HOT and add 3 tablespoons to your mashed up avocado, lime juice and cream cheese mix.

Enjoy with tortilla chips and a big margarita!

-Chel