Same Recipe, Different Outcome

Have you ever had this happen? You find a recipe, you make it, you love it. Then you make the same recipe again at a later point in time and it just doesn't live up to the memory of the first time you made it.

I had this happen to me last night. I had found a recipe for Cincinnati Turkey Chili a while ago (like months) and I had made it, and Eric and I loved it. Then I had made it again for my parents when they were visiting, and we loved it then too. But I made the same recipe last night and I just did not think it was as good as I have made it in the past, and I want to know WHY!?!

So I have been thinking back over what I may have done differently. Here is what I have come up with:

1. I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth 

2. I used 80/20 ground turkey instead of the 93/7 that I usually buy

3. I didn't measure the amount of chocolate I added at the end

Now, I am not a food expert. I typically struggle to understand the way that things work together and "flavor profiles" and fancy cooking terms (I have been watching a lot of Worst Cooks in America lately), but if I had to rank those in order of impact on the taste of my dish I would guess that the fat content of the meat probably had the biggest affect, followed by the broth.

Tonight I am planning on making baked ziti with Italian sausage. We need to get our meat fix in before Lent starts and then we can't eat meat on Friday's (or I guess this Wednesday). 

Anyway, if you have ever had the issue that I am having (making the same thing multiple times and having it taste different) let me know why, or what happened.

Until our next adventure,

C

Excitement and Fear: Two Sides of the Same Blade

One of the most exciting times in our lives began about a month ago and will be continuing for the next... unknown number of months. Something that I have been wanting so badly for the last five years is finally starting to become a reality. And although I am extremely excited and grateful at the way that our lives are headed, I am also terrified.

Eric and I have always wanted to move back to Pennsylvania (more specifically out of Delaware) and now it would seem that will be happening within the next six months. Eric has been applying to new clinics and going on very successful interviews. We have explored cities and towns where we could potentially be moving to, and every adventure has been filled with excitement and anticipation. 

This is what we want, this is what I want, this is what will move us on the path toward our future: a house, kids, being settled closer to family and friends. And yet in the quiet moments when I am by myself my excitement and anticipation is coupled with a near crippling fear. This is it. I have felt stuck in limbo for so long, an adult on my own, but not truly grown up. And now that the fog is lifting I'm afraid? How does that make any sense? 

Part of my fear stems from the daunting task of moving so far, to yet another new place. I have never been a fan of change (even when it is something that I have wanted). The uncertainty and uneasiness of it all is just uncomfortable for me to deal with. I do not enjoy having to learn new roads, new businesses, new rules about new places, and meeting new people. Beginning over again is not something that I was good at because it was not something that I ever really had to do before I moved to Delaware five years ago and got my first "big girl job". Even with transitioning between three school, five apartments, and three cities/towns it is still scary and uncomfortable for me.

But I am trying to look on the bright side, focus on the positives, and trust that this is the right move, the right path to follow, the last real transition. And that is exciting.

I will likely post more updates as this process continues and of course still try to continue my cooking/baking/crafting posts, but I am looking forward to this journey and I hope that it is quick, smooth, and as painless as can be.

On a Pinterest note, I tried making mug french toast this morning. FAIL. Well, not a total fail, but I would not ever make it again. Real french toast is the only way to be.

Work/Life Balance

Everyone says the 20's are the prime of your life... maybe I'm doing something wrong, but these past few years have been so stressful that I find it very difficult to believe that this is "as good as it gets".

One thing that I have really been struggling with is creating a work/life balance that actually works. I have not been able to really feel successful in both areas. What's more is that the more hobbies that I start experimenting with, the less I care about work. How horrible does that sound? I am training the future of our nation and I can't find the motivation. I want to explore my hobbies more and more and I would love to be able to turn those hobbies into work, but I don't know how.

Regardless, one of my new hobbies is photography. Here is my favorite picture from today (we had a snow day thanks to winter storm Jonas)

Eric and I are getting ready to potentially move again and so I hope to keep you updated on our next life steps. Hopefully they will also involve me pursuing my hobbies even more.

Until next time,
C

"Cookie Monday"

So this isn't a cookie recipe, and it's definitely not Monday, but work has been insane for the past four days because it is the last week before Christmas break and the kids are off the walls and I am going crazy trying to get everything done so that I can have an enjoyable Christmas break, but here it is anyway...

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

(recipe and picture here)

These are so easy to make, and turn out soft and tender which is WAY better than the candied nuts that you buy at the fair or the boardwalk. You are not going to be in danger of cracking a tooth while enjoying these delightful treats!

The only problem you are going to have is stopping yourself before eating ALL of them. And an added benefit is that your house will smell amazing. I will tell you that it is a big time commitment because they bake for an hour, and you have to stir them every twenty minutes, but it is completely worth it.

I made a batch for Eric and I about a week ago, and we have been demonstrating a lot of self control and the small amount that we have left is still just as tender as when I took them out of the oven (although slightly less decadent because they aren't warm anymore).

Since baking that batch for us, I have made five additional pounds that other people have purchased, and I have to make another two pounds tonight for someone. They are very easy to make yourself, but if you'd like me to make them for you I sell them for $15 for one pound, and $25 for two pounds (plus shipping costs). 

Make sure that if you make these, you have someone to share them with so that you only have to feel guilty about eating half the batch instead of the whole thing!

Until next time,

~C

Preview: next Cookie Monday will be about my great-grandmothers lemon butter cookies which are a Christmas tradition in my household! I can't wait to make them with my Dad on Saturday.

A New Favorite - Cookie Monday

I wanted to take a short minute today (really short, I promise) to talk about one of my favorite new cookie recipes. They are called lemon crinkle cookies (recipe on Kitchen Meets Girl) and they are DELICIOUS. These cookies melt in your mouth and are the perfect amount of sweet and tart to satisfy any sweet tooth.

And the best part? They are fool proof! Really I mean it. If you can stir together ingredients, spoon balls of dough, and roll them in powdered sugar, these are the cookies for you! Here is a picture to get you excited about making them!

(Picture and Recipe here)

I will offer just two simple tips to make your cookie baking process easier. 

First, make them small. I mean, like actually small. They will look so strange on the cookie sheet, but here is my logic behind this suggestion. By making them smaller it is easier to ensure that they are cooked fully, and they are MUCH easier to eat. The first time I made these cookies I made them big. Like tablespoon sized dough balls, and while they were still amazing, you also looked like you had just been hit with a snowball from all the powdered sugar. Making them smaller allows you to just pop the whole cookie in your mouth with very little mess.

Second, make sure they cook fully. The recipe says to bake them for 8-10 minutes. Really push it to the 10 minute side (maybe even a minute or two longer). When they are not baked enough they are still yummy, but they are very difficult to get off of the cookie sheet (even when you use a silicon mat) and if you are serving them to guests, there is an egg in the batter, and that's just not a risk we should be willing to take.

I hope you enjoy this cookie Monday recipe and tips as much as I do (and more so my husband and everyone at his office - these are their favorite). If you try this recipe let me know how it works out for you!

Until next time,

~C

Christmas Cards

Do picture cards with no handwritten message from sites like Shutterfly and Snapfish count as what we used to consider Christmas cards? I am one of you! I send out picture cards just like the majority of the people, but I was thinking about how it used to be. You know, the "good old days".

Anyway, this year I am trying something new to make my Christmas cards more personalized (kind of). I wrote my first "Family Update" letter to mail out along with the picture card. Now, I know it's not truly personalized because everyone is getting the same message. But it did take more thought and effort than simply stuffing the pictures into envelopes. What kinds of things do you include in your family update letters?

I think this might be my response to all the negativity in the world. I am trying to grasp at traditions from Christmases of old, when the world wasn't so scary, and there were far fewer bad guys. I might be 27, but I still believe in the magic of Christmas.

As I sit here writing this, Eric is wrapping Christmas gifts and I can't go into our bedroom. I never really spend time in there during the day, but it was like the instant I couldn't go in, I thought of about five different reasons that I needed to get into the room. I'm trying to be a good girl and not bother him too much, but it is difficult. I think it is my turn to wrap gifts next.

As Christmas gets closer, what kind of family traditions (new or old) do you participate in? Let me know and I will share some of mine in my next post!

Until next time,
~C

...It's a Scary Thought

DISCLAIMER:
There will be quite a bit of negativity in this post. If you don't want to read it, stop now.

I am currently about one-third of the way through my fifth year of teaching. I remember being in the throws of my student teaching experience and the mentor teachers telling us that the first three years would be really challenging, but then in the fourth year you really hit your groove. I think in a lot of ways I have hit that groove. I am much more efficient at lesson planning (kind of) and grading. I also feel more confident with the decisions that I make in my classroom and when I'm planning. Where I do not feel "in the groove" is the overwhelming sense of dread and impending doom I feel nearly every morning as I drag myself out of bed before the sun.

I have often thought, as much as I believe that teaching is the right career choice for me, there are just as many reasons why I feel it is the last thing I should be doing with my life. Now, I understand that restarting at three different schools in the first five years (due to moving around to accommodate the start of Eric's career and his schooling) has not made this any easier. Nor has the simple fact that I have put myself into some pretty tough schools (student population). However, kids are kids, and I really believe that if this was my true calling I would be much happier than I am.

Eric and I are currently in the process of discussing another move (a big one). This move will take us closer to family, and hopefully allow us to purchase a home, and start a family of our own. With this discussion I have started to have the scary thought of changing careers. If I am moving and starting over in my personal life, maybe a parallel change in my professional life is also in order.

It seems that with my current career dissatisfaction, the chance to start again would be welcomed with joy and open arms. And it is... sort of. But I went to school to be a teacher, so trying to figure out what else I am qualified to do, or even what I am interested in is daunting. There are many career counseling programs, and Eric has even used Rockport Institute when he was questioning his career choice. But I cannot justify spending the money it would require to go through their program.

So, as a human living in the 21st century I naturally have turned to the internet for advice. So far I have read a few articles that made me feel ... better (?) about wanting to leave teaching. I also very much enjoyed "Leaving Teaching" from Word Press. But it is very challenging to decide what to do with the next step in my life, when I don't even really know the geographical location I am headed.

If you have ever gone through a career change, and you have any advice or wisdom to share, I am all ears. In the mean time, please enjoy these baby alpacas.

~C