On the Road Again!

Mom, Dad, and I are on our way to Minneapolis for the weekend to visit Caroline. I have never been to Minnesota before, save for connecting flights in the Twin Cities. But we will have a few days to see what we can of the Caroline's current city. Ironically the last time Mom was in the city was when she and Dad met. Unfortunately Val is not able to accompany us, as she has both physics class and work at the bilogical station. I am writing this from Mom's iPhone in the car, which means I have no pictures to post... Soon though! There are great photos including some delicious meals and our splendid adventures last weekend. My Friend I met at a summer camp five years ago has family in Kalamazoo and stopped by on her way from her hOme in Detroit for an overnight. We ran the cheetah chase 5k Saturday morning. In fact running is how we have stayed in touch. She also attended a small catholic school and ran cross country, so we saw each other at the state championships a few times. What a small world! Saturday night Valerie's roommates Lynne and kylie came over for the night. Kylie happens to also be from battle creek, although they didn't now each other before meeting up in their first writing class at MSU. Another small world story! Valerie's friends are great, and it was lovely to hang out with them. I do miss my Pittsburgh friends though! Four months is a very long time to be away from the burgh... But class 4 nights a week really prevents me from traveling too much. Speaking of Pittsburgh though, I was able to switch living accommodations for the fall. When housing was assigned for the fall, the Only available spaces were single dorm rooms. And while the majority of my friends were in the same situation and this we were all in the same building, I really wanted a roommate. Partially because I haven't ever really had a roomie--mine was rarely around this year-- and partially because Valerie has had a fantastic roommate experience. But when I learned that my friend Laura's roommate had decided to transfer schools I asked if I could replace her spot. Laura agreed, and we just had to get approval from the housing department. A eek or two Ago I got the call and have been thrilled ever since. It will be great to have someone to share my popcorn and cookies with! I have be daydreaming lately of Starting a restaurant someday. It has been a seam of mine for quite some time. Valerie and Caroline have agreed to helP whIch is wonderful news. We are thinking possible Michigan themed cuisine. I would prefer to do a restaurant over a bakery because there is more versatility. And we can also have desserts. Bu I would love to serve Great Lakes salon with Michigan green beans and a quinoa salad! Or a locally made tempeh patty served up with roasted root vegetables and fresh bread. My mouth is watering already! Any other dishes you would like to see on our future menu? Comment below and we will start practicing :) Mom needs her phone back... Look for photos to be posted soon!

Food Photo Dump

I always forget to take photographs of the delicious food I have been making. Like tonight's Tofu with Spicy Brown Sauce (a delicious version of stir-fry taken from Good Housekeeping's Simple Vegan! cookbook). It appears that somebody else beat me to it and posted a photo on their blog. Mine was similar, but I used carrots and snow peas fresh from the farmer's market, as well as red and green pepper and onion. 
Some of the other meals I have made--that I remembered to take photographs of are posted below.

Mango Salsa

Asparagus and Cheese Omelet

US Senate Bean Soup

Lemon Cornmeal Scones with Dried Cherries

I absolutely love the farmer's market! I picked up beets (four large ones for a dollar!) and two enormous sweet potatoes in addition to my three gigantic carrots and snow peas. Today it was bustling with about a dozen vendors, and crammed with shoppers eager to fetch good deals on produce, honey, baked goods, and cheeses. Someday I would love to get the majority of my produce from local farms, but right now it is not feasible. I don't have the time and tools to can tomatoes, fruit, clean, chop, and freeze vegetables, etc. We also have lots of prepackaged canned and frozen vegetables to use up. In truth, I should attempt to phase out the canned vegetables and such by using them up and not replacing them, but they are a) so convenient, and b) Michigan's fruit crop was all but decimated by a warm spell this spring that didn't last long.
However, last week I did snatch up a good buy (not local, unfortunately) at Meijer off their clearance produce rack: 27 colorful peppers for $5.88. Yup. You read that right. Colored peppers that are normally 3/$5 were reduced to the equivalent of about $0.22 each!! That is ridiculous. They were a teeny tiny bit wrinkly, but nothing else was wrong with them. So I sliced half of them and diced half of them, and divided them into 8 freezer bags for later use. I threw one of the diced bags into chili on Monday. It was great! It added a lot of color and nutrition for very little cost and time.
Last Friday I had a cooking party with Melissa, a friend from elementary and high school. We made Jamie Oliver's Indian Carrot Salad using beef instead of lamb and mint chocolate chip meringue cookies.
I hopefully will have a chance to cook more this weekend (and remember to take photographs), so look for another post to come soon.

Long Time No Post

I can't believe more than three weeks have passed since my last post! How did that happen? Actually, I do know: school, work, cooking, sleeping, and such. I am taking anatomy and physiology at the local college this summer to catch up on coursework I missed before I transferred into nursing at the semester. That is every night Monday through Thursday for 2-4 hours each night. I come from work three days a week, so that makes for a pretty long day! Luckily I seem to be faring pretty well in terms of managing the workload. My experience working at the nursing clinic has really come in handy!
Work at the clinic is going well also; I work on their Mobile Clinic both taking blood pressures and handling paperwork. The Mobile Clinic is a relatively new (spring 2011) addition to the clinic's already wide array of services. The Mobile Clinic brings some of those services into the Calhoun County community, particularly the homeless at the Share Center and those in rural areas such as Tekonsha and the Homer Amish community. Traveling to the Amish community last week was a great experience!
I have been cooking a bit lately, although it has been more assembling as of late due to my classes coinciding with dinner time. However, there have been some winners--Thai Curry Tofu, a chili utilizing McCormick's Santa Fe spice blend, and a simple beet salad with sweet onions and red wine vinegar. Perhaps I can dig out some photographs tomorrow and post them on here!

Perhaps I Have a Green Thumb!

It's that time of year: gardening time! Over the past week or so, I have been reading up a lot on vegetable gardening, and Mom's annual trip to K Drive Greenhouse for flowers provided a perfect opportunity for me to get a few vegetable plants that I could easily grow in pots. I have wanted a vegetable garden the past few years, but had never thought of trying a few plants in pots before this past week. I didn't realize so many vegetables were actually quite successful in large pots! Mom and I purchased two varieties of bell peppers and one of cherry tomato: Cajun Belle, Better Belle, and Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes.

My seedlings!

All the plants, ready for new homes!

The transplanted lilies

Time to get dirty!

My first vegetable garden!

I've only helped plant flowers a bit (and done my fair share of weeding) in the past, so this is a chance to really try out gardening and farming a bit. I hope to have a huge vegetable garden someday, so this is a place to start. Someday I'm hoping I won't need to go to the grocery store every week for produce!

Unfortunately there are two sorry circumstances of this summer's growing season: 1) we had an early warm spell, followed by a few very cold nights, which decimated the majority (think in the 90-100% range) of Michigan's fruit crop, and 2) I will only be here until August, which prevents me from picking apples (provided there are some), squash, etc. to can. I can do some canning, but I won't really be able to reap the benefits, unless I brought it to school with me, which is a possibility! It would be simply delightful to have home-canned food in my refrigerator!

Yesterday Mom and I had an excursion downtown to go to the library and the farmer's market. Because it was pouring rain, we stopped at the library first. That place is dangerous. I intended to just find a couple books, maybe, since I already have a stack of nearly a dozen next to my bed, but instead, I came home with a treasure trove--nine more! It included a few cookbooks, some on gardening, a novel, a scrapbooking one, and a few others. It is delightful to just peruse through them looking for ideas!

The farmer's market was also a worthwhile stop, and it had stopped raining, which made it much more enjoyable. Despite the warm spring, this early in the season doesn't have too many different crops ready for harvesting. We did find rhubarb, beets, and spring greens, all of which have been delightful. I can't really take credit for doing anything with this set of vegetables, as Mom did the labor this time. She made a rhubarb sauce, which we have been enjoying over frozen yogurt, and cooked the beets, which we tossed with sweet onions and red wine vinegar for a nice salad. If I had remembered to take photographs, there would have been some...but alas, as usual (except for my gardening escapade!), I forgot. Sorry, folks.

Besides having a green thumb, I also spent a bit of time in the kitchen making Valerie a loaf of Oatmeal Bread. She had mentioned having homemade bread while she was home, but since we did not get a chance in the short 48 hours, I decided to bake her a loaf to bring with her instead. It was super easy--except for the fact that the bread machine's motor kept jamming, but we eventually got it to work. The bread turned out very well: sweet, doughy, and delicious all the way around.

Oatmeal Bread:

3 1/3 c. bread flour

1 c. quick oats

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. brown sugar

4 t. vegetable oil

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. water

1 1/4 t. active dry yeast

1) Pour wet ingredients into bread machine.

2) Put the dry ingredients--except yeast--on top of the wet.

3) Dig a small well in the dry mixture and put in the well. 

Summer Speculations

Perhaps the title is misleading, as it is not technically summer. Not until the end of June. But in my mind, summer begins when the academic year ends. As I have mentioned many times recently, my primary goal this summer is to become much more domestic than I already am. I figure it is good practice for when I am actually living on my own, in my own apartment or house, not eating dorm food.

This week has been primarily focused once again on food, as it is the easiest and requires the least amount of materials (besides the weekly grocery shopping, of course). My family ate well again this week--or at least I thought so--with the following menu:

Monday-Red Beans and Rice with added pinto beans, onions, and peppers, served with tortillas

Tuesday-Fresh Take Chicken Chili Lime & Panko version (Caroline had a $1 off coupon, which was incentive to try it) served with rice and the Green Giant Baby Brussel Sprouts with Butter Sauce (yes, I know, brussel sprouts...but they were a) in the freezer, b) lathered in butter, and c) actually quite palatable)

Wednesday-Four Cheese Ravioli (found deep in our freezer from Meijer, but no complaints about taste, save for the freezer burn!) with sauce made from our last can of home-canned tomatoes, spruced up with garlic, basil, oregano, and celery

Thursday-Portabello Mushroom Burgers (we used premade balsamic vinaigrette as the marinade from The Cheese Lady in Muskegon) served on Aunt Millie's Hearth Buns (buy one get one free, with two coupons totaling $0.60) with dilled zucchini and summer squash (the veggies were discovered on the "dead produce" rack at Meijer for a grand total of $1.69; there were four zucchini and five summer squash, enough to give each of us a good cup of vegetables)--Judging from this meal, I don't think my parents need to worry about me being a big spender once I leave home. Budgeting is a game, and I think I'm in the lead!

My apologies that there are no pictures...of the meals, that is. However, another find from the dead produce rack was two 1-pound containers of strawberries (1 berry was dead, the rest were perfectly fine) for $0.84 each. I chopped them up, and froze them for smoothies. This morning I made a smoothie with a ginormous banana (certainly not local, but one of the cheaper fruits on the market right now at Meijer), a bit of milk, the strawberries, and ice. It was very thick, courtesy of the banana, and a perfect way to start the day. 

The strawberry banana smoothie, posing next to our cookbooks.

 And now...for a bit of a photo dump :)

All three cats on my bed...such a hard day they've had. 

Graduation Festivities for Caroline
(she technically graduates in December
but was allowed to walk at the
School of Engineering ceremony)

All of the cousins (and the Bramers' exchange student) at
Michael's graduation from Ball State University last weekend

Christine, myself, and Valerie the day I left Pitt for the summer
Miss them like crazy!!

A Pumpkin Kind of Day

Since being home, I have taken it upon myself to be the domestic head of the house. So far, that has mostly just involved kitchen duties--cooking, grocery shopping, coupon clipping--and I have enjoyed it quite a bit. I've been making weekly menus with creative and healthy ideas, and love seeing my family eat --and usually enjoy--my new recipes. Once I hook up Valerie's printer (she needed one at Michigan State, but won't need it for the summer, so I get to use it!), I will print out the successful recipes and add them to my newly made recipe binder. I promise to post some photographs soon of both the binder and the recipes... I just haven't gotten around to uploading them. My apologies.
Today I tried two new recipes, both involving canned pumpkin. Because the squash was canned, these recipes were so incredibly simple; I practically could have done them with my eyes closed! Last week pork loins were on sale at Meijer, so we grilled blackberry and honey glazed pork chops and froze the remainder of the loin in chops. Tonight we used a few more of those chops to make Pumpkin Pork Chops. It was ridiculously easy: combine the pumpkin and spices, then pour over the pork chops in a glass baking dish, and bake for 40 minutes. Couldn't get much simpler! Served with rice pilaf and asparagus, it was both a healthy and delicious meal as well!
The second recipe was even more effortless, if that is possible. Caroline and I made pumpkin spice muffins. The recipe? 1 box of spice cake mix, 2 cups of pumpkin, and 1 cup of water. Mix and pour into muffin cups, then bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°. They are wonderful! If you want to increase the health content of these muffins--I tried this--add a few tablespoons of ground flax seed. Flax seed is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to brain health. Can't hurt, right?
One might wonder where I am getting the inspiration for all this domestic-ness. I have been reading a book called Real Food on a Real Budget by Stephanie Langford. She is the author of a blog I stumbled upon a few months ago, and both the book and blog are wonderful. Langford discusses how to stretch a tiny budget very far, buying healthy, wholesome foods for her young family. In fact, she discusses many of the same techniques I talked about in my March 5 post: The Game of Frugality. Although I am living at home, and Mom graciously foots the grocery bill, it is fun to scout out the best deals, use coupons to save money (Did you know companies actually plan coupons into their budgets? Basically, don't feel guilty about using them!), and try recipes with cheap ingredients. Tonight I am soaking dried beans we have had in our pantry forever from our "share of the farm" a few summers ago that we never got around to using. I am making some sort of ham and bean soup, and I will post pictures and a recipe once I finish. I hope to throw in tons of veggies too--we have some dying celery in our fridge, and canned tomatoes are always an option. The ham is frozen leftovers from Easter, so this will really be a budget-friendly, hearty soup. Gotta love it!
How do you solve the food-budget puzzle? Feel free to post any great ideas or recipes!

Mind. Blown.

It has been over a month since my last post. Where did the time go? (I seem to be asking myself that a lot lately.) The past four weeks have been ridiculously hectic; between exams, Easter, and evacuations, I have not had time to sit still until this past week.


Exams. I am officially finished with my freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh! I can't believe how fast the time flew by. I met some of the most amazing people in Pittsburgh and made some great friends that I am sure will last a lifetime. Unfortunately a good portion of the last week was spent studying for microbiology--there was an insane amount of memorization to be done. However, the last weekend was filled with fun celebrations: the last Friday Dollar Dinner, the final FOCUS 101 student leader meeting, another "Babies and Bagels" Mass, and a trip to Razzy Fresh for the end of this year's Catholic Action.
For those of you wondering, "Babies and Bagels" is the 11am Mass on Sundays at the Newman Center. A lot of families--many graduates of Pitt--bring their little ones and there are bagels, donuts, and coffee following the Mass. The families take turns providing the treats; I want to be part of a parish community like that someday! I practically begged to hold a little 3-month old girl named Lucy, and I was graciously provided the opportunity to hold her in my arms for a whole fifteen minutes. Pure bliss. <3


Easter. I planned on spending Easter in Pittsburgh with my friends, and we would all have dinner with my friend Melissa's family. Little did we know that the week prior to Easter, the University of Pittsburgh would receive dozens upon dozens of bomb threats, prompting as many evacuations. Beginning after spring break (one occurred February 13, but the remainder came after our week off), threats were scrawled on bathroom stalls and emailed into various news organizations. At first only the Cathedral of Learning and Chevron Science Center were threatened, but soon buildings all over campus were targeted. In the beginning, it was one building at a time, and then many threats came simultaneously, sometimes in the middle of the night. I resisted going home for Easter at first, but finally, we all just needed a break, and so Christine and I headed west on Good Friday when my mom was amazing and came to pick us up. It was three solid nights of sleep we had not had in a while.
Most nights, even post spring break, I wasn't sleeping in my own dorm room. My roommate had withdrawn for the semester, and I didn't like sleeping alone. I sometimes slept in Valerie's room; other times my friend Laura (aka my "bomb buddy") went to the missionaries Ruth and Gina's apartment. Ruth and Gina graciously housed us many nights--sometimes up to five girls--providing a safe haven only a short walk from campus. Although we would still wake up to the text alerts informing us of evacuations, at least we would not be jolted awake by fire alarms, sending us into Oakland at two a.m, (although it did happen a few times, and luckily we were welcomed into the homes of off-campus friends). It strengthened some friendships, although I know that's not what the threatener intended. In fact, no one really knows what the threatener intended to convey through these 137 threats; he or she stopped after promising to do so if the reward for his/her conviction was removed. What we did learn, however, was how amazing our Pitt Police Officers--and yes, K-9 Officer Riggs--truly are and how much they will do for us. It showed an awesome sense of Pitt Pride!

Escape of the Mondays

No one likes Mondays. (I'm sure someone out there does, but they are in the small minority.) I could give you all the reasons why I don't like Mondays: a three hour lecture while it is sunny outside, the lack of smoothies at the Union because of a water outage, too little sleep to start the week on...you get the idea. But what fun is complaining? Why not list all the good things about today?!

1. Holy Monday. For my non-Easter celebrating readers, this week is the week leading up to the biggest celebration in the liturgical year: Easter. Holy Thursday commemorates Jesus' last supper with His disciples before He was crucified to save us from our sins on Good Friday. He will rise again on Easter morning by the grace of God. Basically, Holy Week is the most important week of the year for Catholics, so take a little extra time for Christ this week.
2. Naps on Schenley Lawn. I was doing some homework over at Schenley Plaza, when I realized I had two hours before class and no pressing work, just studying and a few papers to write. I decided that it was a beautiful day for a siesta; others were doing it, so why shouldn't I?
3. A Fresh Start. Monday, as much as I hate to see the weekend end, represents a chance to begin once again and make this week a better week than the last. My past week was plagued with worrying about my major, career, and future. While yes, I still am concerned that I do not know where I want to go with my life, I do think it would be wise to remain in the nursing school for the fall semester when I will have my first round of clinical experience in the UPMC hospitals. Monday symbolizes a new beginning from last week with a clearer mind.
4. Planning Time. With my choice to stay in nursing, I have some work to do regarding the summer, as I need to explore many options for my life: owning a restaurant, becoming a writer, shadow a personal trainer, etc. I also need to make a summer bucket list. 

What makes your Mondays great?

Spring Has Sprung!

Daffodils!

It's been a while since I last posted. My most sincere apologies. You see, this weird, crazy thing called "school" got in the way. It's rather unfortunate. But, what can I do? That is why I am in Pittsburgh, isn't it?

The William Pitt Union in the Glorious Weather

When I returned to the 'Burgh, I was welcomed by Mother Nature with a glorious warm hug. A two week long warm weather hug. It was absolutely beautiful until this past week, when we have had bipolar temperatures ranging from a high of 46 to a high of 70 degrees. There were a few Freeze Warnings thrown in as well. How is one to dress? In layers! I have been pulling out all my cardigans and such to be ready for whatever might come my way. Speaking of weather--thunderstorms are currently in the area :) I would text my twin sister Val to let her know since she loves the weather--and predictably would be envious--but she is at a retreat for St. John's Student Parish at Michigan State University. So, if you could say a few extra prayers for her and the hundred or so other participants, that would be greatly appreciated!

Me, Christine, and Jefi outside of Towers Patio.

These past few weeks have been filled with studying. Lots and lots of studying. 

Look at how crazy we get!

Christine and Jefi "working."

This past week I had two exams, one in Lifespan Development which is a psychology course, and one in Microbiology. The latter was what I spent the majority of my time on; there is just an infinite amount of material to remember! Between hundreds of notecards and a similar number of highlighted slides, I think I may have done okay. Nowhere near perfect, but maybe I can eek out a B? This upcoming week holds an organic chemistry exam, but I am not terribly worried about it. I will need to spend some quality time with my book and notes though! Perhaps it warrants a coffee date at Starbucks on Sunday? It is a nice environment to study in...quiet and caffeine!
Last Friday I did have the opportunity to participate in a Pitt Arts program--my first in a couple of months!--with Jefi, Valerie, and Christine. Sarah Chang was the guest soloist for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and played an arrangement of "West Side Story". She was phenomenal! We were treated to a post-concert talk with the conductor, Honeck Manfred. He was very engaging and had a noteworthy sense of humor!

Jefi, Valerie, Christine, and Me at the Symphony

I have been contemplating lately what I want to do career-wise--whether to stay in nursing or pursue a different path. While nursing seems like such a practical career--flexibility, job security, in the health field, etc.--I often question whether I rushed into the decision and did not allow myself to explore all my options fully. I always thought I would have the opportunity to take classes such as "History of Latin America" or "Modern African Music" or "Introduction to Entrepreneurship", and really broaden my horizons. However, the nursing curriculum is very strict, and I will have few opportunities to take such classes except for during the summers. Someday I want to own a business, be a personal trainer, and live in another country for a while. I am trying to figure out if those dreams are compatible with my nursing education and career, or if I will have to forgo something. I am not quite ready to turn away from nursing--I will start clinicals (guided experience in the hospitals) in the fall--and would like to give that a chance. I am hoping to take some time this summer to explore as well.
And now, sadly, I must return to the books for some more quality time with them...life as a college student. However, I admit I did not do much in the way of work since the microbiology test, so that is my fault. Oops. I hope to post again soon!

Snow, Sisters, and Sweets

 Spring break has come and gone. And here I am on the Megabus once more, the last trip this school year. Only 46 days until I come home for good—just ask Mom! Which means 46 days to do a whole lot both academically and for fun! There are several things I have not had a chance to do yet, including go to the Carnegie Library to obtain my very own library card, and visit some of the Carnegie Museums for free courtesy of my Pitt student ID. But before I get back to the grind of college, I shall enthrall you all with my stories of this past week. Okay, so they might not be that fascinating, but I did have fun and have some delightful photographs to share!

Absolutely breathtaking!

Voted Good Morning America's
"Most Beautiful Place" in the United States

First, for the snow: Mom, Dad, and I traveled to Glen Arbor, Michigan on Monday to The Homestead, which sits right on Lake Michigan at the tip of the mitten—well, near where the ring fingertip would be. When we arrived, much of the town—perhaps classifying it as a village or hamlet is more accurate—was without power from a recent snowstorm, but the Homestead had power. However, they had lost power, and therefore lost water pressure, so for the first few days, we had to boil our water to kill any contaminants. The chances of contamination were very low, but just to make sure, it was advised. Our condo overlooked Lake Michigan and the two Manitou Islands—yes, Michigan does have islands! We were also very near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where we skied.

Welcome to Glen Arbor!

There was about of foot of snow on the ground when we arrived—at one point we had to take a detour (thank goodness for GPS!)—because snow was blocking our path. Tuesday morning we were able to ski, but the temperature was quickly rising. By one in the afternoon, when we finished up, it was 46°. Wednesday’s temperatures climbed to 56°, and the foot of snow was almost erased from the landscape. At least we got to ski one day! I love skiing, but didn’t get to do it any other time this winter, as it was incredibly mild both in the ‘Burgh and the Creek. Maybe next year?!

Mom and me in front of the Cherry Republic Café

We spent a lot of time in the condo knitting, watching the championships for NCAA basketball, 
viewing movies, playing Bananagrams, and enjoying lots of tea. Wednesday we did go into town to pooch around a little bit and made stops at a yarn shop, a cute Michigan themed bookstore called Cottage Books, Art’s Tavern for lunch with their chicken jalapeño soup—served on Wednesdays only, and the headquarters of Cherry Republic.

Cherry Republic Headquarters

My favorite was Cherry Republic. First off, they had great samples—cherry salsa, chocolate covered cherries—of four varieties, all of which I could enjoy, cherry jams, and dried cherries. Every morsel of cherry goodness was delicious, and we brought a few things home for friends, and Valerie and Caroline. 


On the way south on Thursday, we made a brief stop in Muskegon to visit with Aunt Kristi. We ate lunch at the Hearthstone, a cute bistro near her house. I enjoyed my crab cakes quite well! I love seeing Aunt Kristi; she’s always full of spunk! She made me promise that I would come visit her this summer, a promise I fully intend to keep! Aunt Kristi and Lake Michigan? Of course! She and Mom go way back to their days at Purdue; legend has it that they bonded over a nutrition final one late evening at the Triple XXX Diner in West Lafayette. Needless to say, the friendship has been a long-lasting one!

Now for the sisters part of the story: Within twenty four hours, I had the privilege of being both a Wolverine and a Spartan! Friday night my best friend since before kindergarten, Molly, and I drove over to Ann Arbor to visit with Caroline and Maddie, our sisters, who have been best friends since second grade, and introduced us to each other. Caroline and Maddie happen to live right next door to each other off campus, which is very convenient.

Caroline and I went grocery shopping and hung out for a bit in her house, and then headed next door to Maddie’s. Caroline had a SWE dinner that evening, so I got to hang out with Maddie and Molly. We had a Cuban dinner—black bean fritas—at Frita Batidos in downtown Ann Arbor, followed by a soft raspberry licorice stick from the shop where Maddie works. Then we were off to the Notre Dame vs. U of M hockey game at Yost Arena. Molly had to cheer for Notre Dame, as she attends St. Mary’s, which is right across the road. I, wearing Caroline’s Michigan Engineering sweatshirt, cheered for the Wolverines. It was my first college hockey game, as Pitt doesn’t have a varsity squad, and I really enjoyed it. The Wolverines won both Friday and yesterday, allowing them to continue on in the CCHA playoffs.

Handing the baton off to Valerie.

Then, the next morning, after a delightful breakfast with Jeannie at Panera, Mom, Dad, and I headed northeast to East Lansing, where Valerie and I would compete in the MSU Running Club indoor track meet versus U of M’s club team, MRun. I was an honorary Spartan, as their team was wanting for runners, since it came on the heels of their spring break. Dressed in a Spartan uniform, I ran the 3K and one of the legs in each of three relays: the 4x1600m, distance medley, and 4x400m. It was great to race again! I haven’t done much speed recently, but surprisingly I was able to run each of my miles in just over six minutes. Not too shabby! Look at all the cute photos we were able to get. If I had gone to MSU, there would be a multitude of photo opportunities, but, I am at Pitt, so it makes these times I get to share with my sisters that much more special. Next fall Pitt should be joining NIRCA, the same running club association that MSU is in, and we should compete at one of the same races, if not more. That will be awesome! We ended our day in East Lansing with church at St. Thomas, dinner at Dublin Square Irish Pub—I had wonderful shepherd’s pie and leek soup, and the MSU Dairy Store—Final Four Fudge Dribble was the flavor of the day.

And now, for the sweets portion of this post: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Chocolate Covered Pretzels, and my first completed knitting project.

Last year sometime I found myself with a bowl of dead bananas calling to me, “Make us into banana bread! We want to be yummy deliciousness!” Okay, so I didn’t actually hear voices, but I decided I wanted to make some goodness out of the sorry state of those once yellow fruits. I found a good recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Pink Ribbon cookbook, but I wanted to make it a bit healthier, so I swapped applesauce for oil and eventually nixed it altogether, used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, and cut out some of the sugar. I also, probably eliminating the majority of the healthiness I had tried to achieve, added lots of chocolate chips. The result? Patricia’s Super-Sticky Banana Loaf. Since then, I have tweaked with the recipe even more, resulting in the final product, which is seen below. Valerie swears by my banana bread, so I promised her I would make some while I was home. It got approval ratings higher than MSU’s cafeterias, which is high praise, considering she can get roasted duck, salmon, and other fancy foods on her meal plan. I also delivered a loaf to Caroline in Ann Arbor, and made mini muffins to bring back east for my friends.

      Patricia’s Super-Sticky Banana Loaf

1¾ cups flour—all purpose, whole wheat, or a mixture

½ cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

5-6 mashed bananas

2 eggs

½-¾ c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix everything in a big bowl until well blended; it should be a batter consistency.
3. Pour into greased loaf pans or lined muffin cups.
4. Bake 55-60 minutes for a loaf, 22 minutes for regular size muffins, and 15 minutes for mini muffins. A toothpick should come out clean (melted chocolate doesn’t count).
5. Enjoy

Warning: This banana bread may become addicting… Valerie and I have been known to eat large portions in one sitting. But, hey, it’s healthy, right? J

My friend Valerie—the one in Pittsburgh—is gluten and dairy intolerant, so she can’t enjoy the muffins. Instead I made her chocolate covered pretzels using gluten free pretzels—which are actually quite delightful—and dairy free chocolate. The dairy free chocolate is the EnjoyLife brand, which I purchased from Peanut Free Planet, as they are the only mini chocolate chips that are also nut free. In fact, they are free of the eight main allergens, gluten, sesame, and sulfites! What a find! I sprinkled on green sugar for St. Patrick’s Day and packaged them in a stationery box. They look just lovely. I was quite proud of my work.

And the final project of the week? My scarf. Over Christmas break I began to knit, and I have gotten hooked. I just finished a gold scarf—yes, in honor of Pitt—and am quite proud of it. The beginning was a bit rough, but it got much easier, and I have started on my second one, this time navy blue. While at the yarn shop in Glen Arbor, Mom and I bought yarn to make shawls from a pattern the lady had. I will work on that this summer. I am hoping that someday I can make baby clothes, hats and mittens, and maybe even afghans. Homemade stuff is just so nice! I will post a picture in a few days.    

I also want to sew some more this summer. I haven’t done too much sewing since I was eight or nine, but at the hardware store in Glen Arbor, there was a very fashionably designed apron, which I loved. It was femininely cut, and if I am going to do lots of baking and cooking this summer, an apron is a necessity. I also want to acquire the skills so that I can make quilts for others like my mom has done for me. I have three sitting on my bed in my dorm, including the one I fondly call “my Linus blanket,” as it goes everywhere I go (not to class but to sleep). It went on Kairos with me, it came home with me, it went up north with me. It just brings me comfort and a little bit of home! It is like wrapping myself in a 

The Game of Frugality

The Game of Frugality

Recently I have found a new addiction: frugality blogs. Not the extreme couponing, let’s see how many freebies we can eek out of every large corporation in America type blogs, but blogs from honest to goodness, wise-spending, budget-making college students, moms, and savvy spenders alike.

To me, money has always been of interest—saving and spending it, but as little as possible for the latter. I recall when I was four or five years old saving up to buy my first Bitty Baby outfit. I counted out some random assortment of dollars, pennies, and quarters that “added up to $22.” Caroline, the wise second- or third-grader that she was, kindly pointed out that no, I didn’t have enough money to buy the raincoat and galoshes for Bitty. Now, I spend money more on Razzy Fresh and bus tickets as opposed to doll clothes, but the idea is the same. You have to save for and think wisely about each purchase, or you won’t have enough for the various things you want to enjoy.

I don’t think I want to make a career out of my zeal for finances—economist, financial advisor, or actuary—but I do enjoy creating budgets, logging expenses, and bargain hunting. Yes, I am a nerd, but someday it will pay off. This past weekend I got the pleasure of grocery shopping—one of my favorite parts of being home, save for spending time with my family—and found an excellent new deal rack at Meijer. Looking for some overly ripe bananas to make my chocolate chip banana bread for Valerie, I went to the “dead produce” rack. I didn’t find any bananas, but I did find two pounds of strawberries—among 18-20 other cartons—and a large bunch of broccoli. The going price? $0.78 each for the strawberries, and $0.25 for the head of broccoli. In perfectly good condition, might I add. It was quite a bargain! I was one happy shopper!

As a college student, I currently have a meal plan, but as a food-lover, I still enjoy recipe perusing. It’s a good brain break. Preparation for when I am living on my own in a few years, I rationalize. However, I am conscious when I am looking at the ingredients, of the rare or exotic ones, as well as the more expensive meats, vegetables, and spices. I often figure I can make something just as good for a lot less money, and probably healthier too. And therefore, I have compiled a list of my favorite frugal foodie tips and ideas for eating good food on a cheap budget. After all, the less I spend on food, the more I have for other fun excursions and expenses.

1.     Start from scratch.  This is a big one. Prepared food—whether frozen, refrigerated, or in a can, costs a lot more than if you do it yourself. Premade entrees—use last night’s leftovers instead. Some can ring in at over $2 a meal, when perfectly good leftovers are aging in the fridge. Spaghetti sauce can be made with some simple spices and tomatoes for a lot less. Bread? At anywhere from $0.99 a loaf to more than $2, I’ll bet that I could make a loaf of whole wheat bread in the bread machine for much cheaper! Cookies, chips, and other processed foods can be yummy, but they are often fairly expensive because of their convenience. Make your own, and save some dough!

2.     Try dried, canned, or frozen produce. Perhaps that is an oxymoron, but I have always loved fruits and veggies. Ask my mom how much fruit my sisters and I consume when we’re home, and she’ll attest that it doesn’t stay in the house fast. However, I figure a good portion of our grocery bill is spent on fresh fruit and vegetables, and I bet we could get very similar nutrition by purchasing many of the same items frozen, canned, or dried, as long as there is no sugar or salt added. Dried and canned beans, full of fiber and vitamins, are some of the least expensive items in the market. Raisins are a pretty good bang for their buck too, especially at times of the year when grapes are not in season! Imagine paying $1.50 a pound for grapes, when the same number of raisins is less a dollar. That’s at least a 33% savings! Frozen veggies can be a great solution for out of season fruits, quick and easy side dishes, and when on sale, can be a great money saver. After all, if you don’t hit up the bargain broccoli like me, it can be $1.50 a head on sale!

3.     Try a meatless Monday. The common thinking these days is that meat should be on the table for every lunch and dinner, when in reality, we can get plenty of quality protein as long as we vary our diets. I am not advocating for vegetarianism here, just bargain shopping J So perhaps skip the chicken or the beef a night or two and opt for beans, eggs, or tofu instead. Veggie burgers can be expensive, but combine a coupon and a sale, and you’ll probably come in way under a pound of pork. Another option, if you’re looking for substance in your meal, is to try canned chicken or tuna. Cheap and full of omega-3s (the tuna, that is!). 

4.     Combine coupons and sales. I alluded to this one in the above suggestion. A tried and true trick: combine a manufacturer coupon, such as one you find in the weekend’s P&G brand saver or Smart Source inserts, with the supermarket store, and you get an especially big bang for your buck. However, make sure you price shop; I have found that even with a coupon and a sale the generic version is still less expensive than the name brand. Usually the generic measures up—Mom says you can’t compromise on Hellman’s mayonnaise and Heinz ketchup, but we’ll have to see.

Now you have a few tips on how to save at the grocery store, but what about the other areas of your life? Some of the more expensive items in my budget these days are gifts, clothes, and eating out. Those may seem like purchases that can’t be trimmed easily, other than not partaking at all, but a little bit of creativity can go a long way. Give the right side of your brain a workout when it comes to gifts—make a set of homemade stationery or a hand knit scarf. Chances are, you’ll come out underneath the typical price tag for those items, and the recipient will get an extra bit in it as well.

For clothing, mix and match your outfits and accessories. I have found that transitioning from a school uniform to “out of dress code” every day of the week has been more difficult than I imagined. Not only have I had to expand my wardrobe, and since I hate spending money, it has become a game to see what I can do with what I already have. I have discovered that cardigans are some of the most versatile pieces of clothing, as I can wear a ton of different shirts underneath—t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, dressier mock necks—and get a different degree of dressiness with each. Also, adding a scarf or a pair of earrings that I already have makes last year’s shirt seem new!

You have probably read more than you want to know about how to save money, but really, it can be fun! If you think of it like a game, as I do, then it feels like a win if you get something dirt cheap or don’t have to spend any money at all. We all like a bit of healthy competition, and therefore, what’s a better way than to see if you can save yourself the most money?

Westward Bound!

            So, the post I promised: sorry, that didn’t happen. But, today you get a nice long one since I am on the Megabus westward bound for another three and a half hours. It was an early morning—5:15 alarm—for the 7am bus, but, totally worth it! I am so excited to be going home for spring break, as I haven’t seen the family for two months, almost to the day! Way too long. It’s always said that “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” and that is so true. My family is amazing, and I could not ask for anyone better. When choosing Pitt, I underestimated the distance between Michigan and Pennsylvania, but I’m making it work. There’s always a reason for what happens in life, so I’m just looking at it that way.

            I think I may have found that reason, which makes it even better! Throughout these past six months, I have been blessed with the community of the Newman Center at Pitt, who have really become family in the Steel City. They are some of the best friends I could ever ask for; we even call each other family. Each Monday for lunch, and Tuesday and Thursday for dinner, we have “family dinners” at Market Central, where about ten of us gather to eat together. We scout out a large enough table, say a blessing, and scatter around to find food. It is something I always look forward to, and I am sad when I have to miss it.

            In addition to family dinners, I am involved in many other ways: discipleship, bible study, Friday night Dollar Dinners, and Catholic Action. Dollar Dinners are pretty self-explanatory: I pay a dollar, and I get pasta, salad, and bread in return. It happens weekly after the 5:15 Mass, and on the first Friday of each month, there is “First Friday Feast” that features a bounty of deliciousness in a form other than pasta. Catholic Action happens post-6pm Mass on Sundays, and is a discussion about how the Church’s teaching applies to our daily lives. This past week we had a speaker about our conscience, and it was a really good topic. The Church calls us to always abide by our conscience, even when it may be very difficult. However, a little bit of suffering on earth is worth the glory of eternity in Heaven. It is like training for a race; a few hard miles may seem terrible while you do them, but the race will inevitably be easier because of your training.

            Bible study and discipleship are two of my favorite parts of the week. Bible study is with about a dozen other Tower B girls, and we are currently focusing on 1 Corinthians. Catholics tend to not study the bible like the Protestants, but in reality, that is where a lot of the Church teaching stems from. 1 Corinthians has a lot of good background on some of our moral laws, if you are interested. I enjoy bible study because the questions really challenge me to think beyond the face value of each passage.

            Discipleship stems from bible study. Each study leader selects two participants in her study (or others she knows) to “disciple,” or mentor, each spring; I am Erika’s disciple and a future student leaer. Throughout the spring I will participate in a variety of FOCUS workshops with other disciples, as well as weekly one-on-one sessions with Erika to grow both in my relationship with Erika and with God, most especially the latter. Erika’s role is to keep me accountable for working to improve my relationship with God and, as I mentioned earlier, be a mentor for me. In the fall, I will begin leading my own bible study with new freshmen students. That will be the most exciting part! I also am hoping to lead one at St. Joseph this summer in the Creek for college students that are home. One of FOCUS’s goals for student leaders is to prepare us to not only share our faith on college campuses, but to equip us with the skills and confidence to spread God’s message to all those we encounter.

            Along the same lines as a student leader, FOCUS, as I have mentioned before, has awesome missionaries that serve students on about sixty campuses across the country. The role of these recently graduated missionaries is to help college students grow in their faith at this critical point in their lives. They do so by living as Christian examples practicing virtues and seeking a greater holiness in their lives. Each missionary takes on a two-year commitment (although many stay on for three or four years) at a campus around the country, where they help people like me. The missionaries fundraise their own salary, which takes a lot of faith in God by itself, and truly devote themselves to enriching the lives of young adults. Some are single, some are married, and some even have families while doing this—Brett and Natasha’s two little girls are adorable!! I am thinking that I might want to be a missionary someday—It would be such a great opportunity to serve God and college students. Two Pitt seniors have signed on for that mission, so keep them in your prayers! We will see what God has in store for me in a couple of years.

            Transitioning into another topic, this week is spring break! Italics probably weren’t necessary, but I am so happy right now, that I decided to use them anyway. There are so many things I want to do while I am home that I don’t quite know how I am going to fit everything in. I have about 36 hours with Valerie tonight and tomorrow before she leaves for her alternative spring break (ASB) trip in Kentucky, and then I will see Caroline tomorrow night and Sunday after she returns from ASB in Baltimore. (All five of us might be home together for maybe a couple hours.) I considered doing an ASB trip, but decided that this week was probably my only opportunity to come home during the semester. I will probably get to see them both again next weekend—Caroline on Friday when Molly and I head over to Ann Arbor, and Valerie on Saturday, when I become a Spartan for the day. Yes, I am becoming a Spartan for about eight hours—Valerie’s running club needs an extra girl for their relays against University of Michigan, so she picked me up a uniform and I am going green for the day. (Sorry, Caroline! This does NOT mean I love her more! It just means that I’ll do what I can to help a girl out J ) Besides, I like running, and this will be fun!

            Mom, Dad, and I are traveling up north this week for a few days to hang out. We hope to ski, but seeing as the temps are supposed to be in the low 40s, I am not sure how that will work out. If nothing else, we’ll get a great view of Lake Michigan and some necessary R&R time. What else do I want to do on spring break? What don’t I want to do is probably a better question, but we’ll attack the former.

·      Bake, cook, and be merry—I hate not being able to cook at school! I miss the sense of accomplishment and the creativity of it. There just isn’t quite the same effect when I watch them douse my stir fry in soy sauce on an industrial size griddle.

·      Knit and craft—I finished my first skein of yarn minutes ago, and am ready to incorporate #2 onto the needles. I was hoping for internet connection on the bus to watch a YouTube video, but no such luck. (How am I writing this? Word document to be later copied to my blog) Maybe I will be inspired to do some Pinterest crafts as well.

·      Kick back on the sofa—I’ve watched a few movies over the past two months and viewed a few episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” online, but nothing beats cuddling on the couch with a homemade blanket and a fire. I have my homemade blanket with me in Pittsburgh (and brought it home—I feel a bit like Linus), so that does make it better, but not perfect. After all, there are no kitties sitting on my bed in the tower.

·      Play the piano!—I brought my favorite Mozart book back to campus with me, but always forgot to take it with me to the Newman Center where there is a piano I can play. I almost forgot to bring it home, but then I received a lovely text from Mom late last night reminding me. So glad our telepathy is working!

·      Work on scholarships and get ahead in microbiology—Yes, unfortunately I will need to do a bit of work this week, but hopefully by doing so, I will take some of the stress out of the weeks when I return. I have found that working a little bit at a time is WAY better than trying to cram. For example, this week I had three exams, two quizzes, and a lab report due (hence the no blogging), but I got a solid eight hours of sleep every night because I was able to study over the weekend for the exams. Oh, the benefits of good time management!

So you’ve probably had enough of me ranting about my life, and I will let you get back to yours now, but I just wanted to update you on the happenings of this Pittsburgher. I will try to post throughout the week with pictures and snippets from the break! Hope your weekend is as great as I know mine will be!