Ok, you may not have realised it yet, but I have what is perhaps the most complete pantry of any cheap/ broke student ever. I need to make it go away.
It's also really cold here, so I wanted soup. Too lazy to wait for chickpeas to cook from dry, too hungry to do anything really involved.
So I went shopping in my pantry shelf, and thru my fridge stuff.
I found all sorts of goodies, and decided to make lentil soup.
You can put just about anything in this- even meat, meaty broth, cat hair, whatever.
But I carefully restrained myself from dumping in brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage. Trust me on this- the makes very stinky.
What did I use then?
One (1) big ass pot
Two (2) cups split lentils (give or take)
One (1) can peeled crushed tomatoes in sauce
One (1) whole onion, diced
One (1) zucchini, diced
One (1) bunch of unslimy spinaches rescued from the rotter, sliced into ribbons
and
Two (2) gallons water (give or take)- that's about 7L for those of you with the funny numbers
I took all that stuff, dumped it in the pot. Stuck it on the stove, over medium heat. Added spicyness as follows-
dash (really little one) wasabi powder
dash (really BIG one) cayenne pepper
dash (dash sized) garlic powder
1/2 t cumin (dashed, of course, so just a guess)
lots of cajun seasoning. Again. Probably about 2T
Oh, and a glug each of white and basalmic vinegar. And a glug of oil.
Then I covered it and wandered off.
About half an hour later, I opened it up, stirred it around, turned the temp down to low and added-
One (1) un-icky potato
One (1) nearly icky tomato
One (1) heaping dash dried cilantro.
And
One (1) whole hell of a lot of salt. I think maybe 3 heaping T worth of sea salt.
Oh, an a dash (really big- ~1T) curry powder, since the spinach made it smell like ass.
Note, at this point it was very spicy and had no flavor. If you a meaty person, this taken care of by searing your meat first, or something. If you unlazy, you can add flavor by roasting the veggies first. Or by carmelizing some/ all the onion. I lazy, tho.
So about 4 hours after I started, I decide that tasteless soup should have bread. So I pull out... molases, rye flour, white flour, honey, salt, yeast, and my fav. bowl.
worked out to ~
1T molases in way too hot water (~1c)
1T honey (again, in the water)
1T yeast (once the water cooled a bit)
The bowl got...
2C (about) white flour,
1C rye flour,
1T sea salt
1t table salt.
and after that it was just normal bread making- mix, kneed, raise, beat down, rise, shape, bake (too fast, wrong temp- again) eat.
So while I was (not really) waiting for the oven to heat, I pulled out a trusty frozen head of roasted garlics. Yes, the whole thing. popped the yummy insides out of the papery clove wrappers, mooshed them a bit and dumped the into the pot. Yum. And some more salt.
So now, 8 hours after I started, I have almost 2 gallons of (very spicy) tasty soup, most of a loaf of (not fully cooked) yummy brown bread, and a very full tummy from when I wandered to the grocery store halfway thru and picked up a bag of chips and some white choco chips.
Anyone want cheap soup?
I figure the cost to make it here was... $7ish for the soup, another buck or two for the bread?
j.
May 20, 2007
May 17, 2007
Am I the only one who studies better drunk?
For minor clarification, by drunk I mean with a couple jack and whatevers in me. And by study, I mean at all.
I've been sooooo good about the not drinking thing. And all it gets me is this totally uptight, terrified of messing up mess. So I'm too worried about doing the stuff wrong to do the assignments, and too hyper to read the damned books.
But relying on booze to get me thru school is the way of madness and meetings where they sing really lame songs about how some light in the sky makes you happy, or something. Not for me. Tho there are *any number* of functional alcoholics in my family, I'd rather not be one of them.
Funny thing is, tho- I get stuff done when I've had a couple drinks. I get nothing done without it. And I hate being drunk. It be that slippery slope thing, I think.
Of course, the school related stuff I've just spent 2 hours playing with was mostly not for *my* classes (except for the diagnosis of the obese mr. richard A.) but the online fun and games for the *vet* students, which I am not. So I was playing around in the radiographs, and the extra yummy histo slides, and the ethics lectures. because nothing's as interesting as what you're not supposed to be doing.
I think that's the trick, actually, to getting me to behave like a grown up- tell me I'm not allowed. After all, I'm not allowed to study while drinking, or go to class that way. And sure as hell it's frowned upon in labs. But it just goes so much better. Like back in elementary school, when they'd tell you to look up the vocab words, and write down the deff. and a sentence.... I'd go wandering off thru the dictionary. Much more fun. More useful too.
And yes, I do realize this is not healthy. But I figure some studying is better than no studying. And of course, lots of studying is better than either of those, but I don't see it happening, do you?
j.
I've been sooooo good about the not drinking thing. And all it gets me is this totally uptight, terrified of messing up mess. So I'm too worried about doing the stuff wrong to do the assignments, and too hyper to read the damned books.
But relying on booze to get me thru school is the way of madness and meetings where they sing really lame songs about how some light in the sky makes you happy, or something. Not for me. Tho there are *any number* of functional alcoholics in my family, I'd rather not be one of them.
Funny thing is, tho- I get stuff done when I've had a couple drinks. I get nothing done without it. And I hate being drunk. It be that slippery slope thing, I think.
Of course, the school related stuff I've just spent 2 hours playing with was mostly not for *my* classes (except for the diagnosis of the obese mr. richard A.) but the online fun and games for the *vet* students, which I am not. So I was playing around in the radiographs, and the extra yummy histo slides, and the ethics lectures. because nothing's as interesting as what you're not supposed to be doing.
I think that's the trick, actually, to getting me to behave like a grown up- tell me I'm not allowed. After all, I'm not allowed to study while drinking, or go to class that way. And sure as hell it's frowned upon in labs. But it just goes so much better. Like back in elementary school, when they'd tell you to look up the vocab words, and write down the deff. and a sentence.... I'd go wandering off thru the dictionary. Much more fun. More useful too.
And yes, I do realize this is not healthy. But I figure some studying is better than no studying. And of course, lots of studying is better than either of those, but I don't see it happening, do you?
j.
Still not dead
I'll get caught up here soon, I promise- and there's some neato lab stuff to tell aaaalllll about. No, really, Like I'm never eating cat agai... wait, I don't eat cat.
Yeah, anyway, I get caught up soon.
Yeah, anyway, I get caught up soon.
April 28, 2007
Party Planning for the broke and lazy
If college students were rich, party throwing would be easy- call the planner and the caterer and write a couple checks. Actually, broke students could do that too, but it does nasty things to the probably already crappy credit rating.
So instead, a bit of creativity is required.
Music is easy- I dare anyone out there to find a group of ten or twenty with no ipod or other music storage toy. Drinks are easy- provide plastic, ice, and mixers- let them bring their own if they want more.
Food- now food is where it gets interesting. You can do the ever popular pot luck, which is no fun. Or you can have the rotating party, where one person (or group) provides the food, then you swap out. You get more parties that way too. And it doesn't have to be expensive either. Spanish rice, bean burritos (homemade tortillas if you're someplace like NZ where they're 50 cents each), chips and salsa, maybe some fajita fixings or tamales if you're feeling rich/ motivated, and you have a yummy kinda mexican inspired party. Baked ziti, home made pizza, cheap antipasta, and you got a kinda italian fooded party. And until you try it, don't tell me that sushi's tough. Not good for cancelling out boozy extravagence, but if you have four or five people rolling, it doesn't take long to get *a lot* done. And if you leave out most (or all) of the fish, it's pretty cheap too.
Entertainment, of course, depends on when you hold the party. And who you invite. Some people are happy with no more than a kiddie pool and some beach toys. Others want activities. My favorites for activities (and both can be played outside in the depths of winter with some modifications) are soda bottle bowling and street golf. Which are pretty much what they sound like.
For soda bottle bowling you need-
For street golf you need-
I have to thank the students of St. Andrews in scotland for street golf, actually- I never would have thought that up on my own. Maybe with help, but it's tough to find golf minded mischief makers around here.
I'm sure with this start you can now throw at least part of a cheap party. Or at least keep yourself amused (and arrested) for at least a week. Oh, and no wading in Wyoming in october through may without special clearance from the loony bin.
j.
So instead, a bit of creativity is required.
Music is easy- I dare anyone out there to find a group of ten or twenty with no ipod or other music storage toy. Drinks are easy- provide plastic, ice, and mixers- let them bring their own if they want more.
Food- now food is where it gets interesting. You can do the ever popular pot luck, which is no fun. Or you can have the rotating party, where one person (or group) provides the food, then you swap out. You get more parties that way too. And it doesn't have to be expensive either. Spanish rice, bean burritos (homemade tortillas if you're someplace like NZ where they're 50 cents each), chips and salsa, maybe some fajita fixings or tamales if you're feeling rich/ motivated, and you have a yummy kinda mexican inspired party. Baked ziti, home made pizza, cheap antipasta, and you got a kinda italian fooded party. And until you try it, don't tell me that sushi's tough. Not good for cancelling out boozy extravagence, but if you have four or five people rolling, it doesn't take long to get *a lot* done. And if you leave out most (or all) of the fish, it's pretty cheap too.
Entertainment, of course, depends on when you hold the party. And who you invite. Some people are happy with no more than a kiddie pool and some beach toys. Others want activities. My favorites for activities (and both can be played outside in the depths of winter with some modifications) are soda bottle bowling and street golf. Which are pretty much what they sound like.
For soda bottle bowling you need-
- At least 10 empty soda bottles- all the same size and brand
- masking tape indoors, chalk outside
- a long, straight, flat surface
- One ball of moderate weight and firmness per 10 bottles
For street golf you need-
- Golf clubs, at least 2 each.
- Golf balls- at least 1 each
- a cup (or cups)
- running shoes
- aim
I have to thank the students of St. Andrews in scotland for street golf, actually- I never would have thought that up on my own. Maybe with help, but it's tough to find golf minded mischief makers around here.
I'm sure with this start you can now throw at least part of a cheap party. Or at least keep yourself amused (and arrested) for at least a week. Oh, and no wading in Wyoming in october through may without special clearance from the loony bin.
j.
April 23, 2007
Way too spendy for students Pasta
This is what I had for dinner. Just now actually.
ingredients:
sauce-
to make-
For the love of all that's happy and good to eat, don't put in *glugs*, plural, of the vinegar. It'll overwhelm everything else and you won't be able to taste all your way too expensive fresh stuff. Voice of experience, here, people.
If you can't or don't want to get fresh spinaches (weirdos) you could use frozen, but I don't think it'd be as good.
If you're one of those meaty people, this'd be good probably with like those roasted lamb chop thingies- you know, with the bone? Or maybe veal. Slab or two of wood fired suckling pig (how do I know what you have in your kitchen)? Duck would be too strong, I think, and chicken or turkey too blah. Fish just sounds wrong to me, but maybe there's one that would go well with this. Yeah, I think a good thick seared or roasted lamb chop. Nothing fatty, tho. Probably good "impress the date" food.
And they take away my magic vegetarian card. Again.
Maybe next time I tell you all about how I bastardized a roast lamb recipe I got from that Alton Brown guy's show.... Tho again, that's wandering back into the debt for life range of foods.
What? A school blog? are you crazy?
j.
ingredients:
sauce-
- 1 pt Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 8-12 pitted kalamata olives, chopped
- 1c fresh chifonaded spinaches (like linguini- I can't spell)
- 1-2T Olive Oil
- 1-2T other veggie oil
- 1/2-3/4 chopped onion
- 1T sea salt
- 1 Glug basalmic vinegar
- squirt or two of good lemon juice
- 1 serving medium shells (about 1" or 2.5cm from top to bottom)
- 1T sea salt (seeing a pattern here?)
- water for in boiling.
to make-
- First you puts the water in the pot and puts it on the stove. Don't, for the love of the kitchen toy gods, put the salt in the water yet. It'll pit the living hell out of your pots, and this is only Way too spendy, not crazy put me in debt for the rest of my life spendy pasta.
- I'm assuming you know enough to wash your veggies before cutting them, but if not, do it. icky nasty stuff on veggies. They grow in dirt, ya know.
- Put your (hopefully deep) frying pan/ sauce pan on the stove, with maybe medium heat. Add the oil. All the oil. If you're rich or crazy you can use olive oil for all of it. If you're me you go maybe half and half- you're trying for a total of less than 3T of oil. 2 should work.
- Let the oil heat, then add the onions, and cover the pot. Swish or stir them occasionally while you wait for the water to boil. Oh, and the salt goes in about now, too.
- Sane people would put the spinaches in next. I am obviously not sane, because I put in half the tomatoes next. About a minute after I put in my pasta. I'd wait, if I was you, until about 5 minutes after I put in the pasta to dump the tomatoes and spinaches in. And turn the temp down to about medium low after you put the lid back on.
- After a couple minutes, add your chopped olives. They don't have to be too finely chopped. Just probably not whole.
- A minute before you need to pull the pasta, add the splash or so of lemon juice and the basalmic vinegar.
- Drain your pasta, and toss your yummy fresh veggie sauce with it.
- Oh yeah. Eat.
For the love of all that's happy and good to eat, don't put in *glugs*, plural, of the vinegar. It'll overwhelm everything else and you won't be able to taste all your way too expensive fresh stuff. Voice of experience, here, people.
If you can't or don't want to get fresh spinaches (weirdos) you could use frozen, but I don't think it'd be as good.
If you're one of those meaty people, this'd be good probably with like those roasted lamb chop thingies- you know, with the bone? Or maybe veal. Slab or two of wood fired suckling pig (how do I know what you have in your kitchen)? Duck would be too strong, I think, and chicken or turkey too blah. Fish just sounds wrong to me, but maybe there's one that would go well with this. Yeah, I think a good thick seared or roasted lamb chop. Nothing fatty, tho. Probably good "impress the date" food.
And they take away my magic vegetarian card. Again.
Maybe next time I tell you all about how I bastardized a roast lamb recipe I got from that Alton Brown guy's show.... Tho again, that's wandering back into the debt for life range of foods.
What? A school blog? are you crazy?
j.
April 17, 2007
Strange new time warp of DOOM (+1)
Somehow, for some reason I can't quite figure out, yahoo manages to deliver to me mail from next week.
Sure, it's all spam, but still- it's not even the 18th here, and they're delivering me mail from the 23 of april 2007. How, oh mighty yahoo mail server, how???!!!
and for your procrastination enjoyment, may I present freecell.net
j.
Sure, it's all spam, but still- it's not even the 18th here, and they're delivering me mail from the 23 of april 2007. How, oh mighty yahoo mail server, how???!!!
and for your procrastination enjoyment, may I present freecell.net
j.
I been a baaaad baaaad bunny
Sorry I not post much. I been lazy. Extra lazy. Extra super, olympic, above and beyond even my own expectations lazy.
In vaguely positive tho scary news, I have in fact actually bought a school book. Required text and everything.
I have not, however, actually opened it yet. It's for a test next wednesday. I have plenty of time. I do need to do some physics work, tho- that one's monday... I think.
In totally different news (but strongly related to my outrageous lazyness) I watched all of CSI Miami season 3 yesterday.
Where's the crime scene investigating? where's the follow thru? How the hell do they do DNA sampling and stuff so fast? 10 minutes, start to finish, I swear!
Yes, it's cheesey, and no, if there were more CSI vegas available, I would not watch it. But I've seen all of the Vegas one, and I can only watch it soooo many times. Even if it has more yummy men (warrick and the video guy- archie?) I can only watch each episode so many times in one week.
But back to Miami. What's up with the kid that shows up and magically just *knows* how to do all the stuff in the lab? And they just throw him, alone, on a case? And what's with all the shooting? Don't normal, real cops get in trouble if they shoot people? 'parently criminalists and stuff in Miami get into huge shootouts at least twice a month. They killed off or fired something like half the staff. If it were a real place, I think everyone would be looking for new jobs.
And for bob's sake, could they stop giving the bad actor guy those two part lines? And please, please take the sunglasses away? or just fire him and hire someone else? Someone who can act? Please?
For anyone who made it this far- Yes, I am drinking lots of caffeine filled soda, why?
And I don't know if I mentioned it here or not, but I'm going home at the end of the semester. The dollars drop against, well, everything makes NZ less economically feasible for me. So I be going back to the land of doritos and mac n cheese. Maybe I join foreign service. Who knows.
j.
In vaguely positive tho scary news, I have in fact actually bought a school book. Required text and everything.
I have not, however, actually opened it yet. It's for a test next wednesday. I have plenty of time. I do need to do some physics work, tho- that one's monday... I think.
In totally different news (but strongly related to my outrageous lazyness) I watched all of CSI Miami season 3 yesterday.
Where's the crime scene investigating? where's the follow thru? How the hell do they do DNA sampling and stuff so fast? 10 minutes, start to finish, I swear!
Yes, it's cheesey, and no, if there were more CSI vegas available, I would not watch it. But I've seen all of the Vegas one, and I can only watch it soooo many times. Even if it has more yummy men (warrick and the video guy- archie?) I can only watch each episode so many times in one week.
But back to Miami. What's up with the kid that shows up and magically just *knows* how to do all the stuff in the lab? And they just throw him, alone, on a case? And what's with all the shooting? Don't normal, real cops get in trouble if they shoot people? 'parently criminalists and stuff in Miami get into huge shootouts at least twice a month. They killed off or fired something like half the staff. If it were a real place, I think everyone would be looking for new jobs.
And for bob's sake, could they stop giving the bad actor guy those two part lines? And please, please take the sunglasses away? or just fire him and hire someone else? Someone who can act? Please?
For anyone who made it this far- Yes, I am drinking lots of caffeine filled soda, why?
And I don't know if I mentioned it here or not, but I'm going home at the end of the semester. The dollars drop against, well, everything makes NZ less economically feasible for me. So I be going back to the land of doritos and mac n cheese. Maybe I join foreign service. Who knows.
j.
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