school, now and then

I started school today. One semester down, only SEVEN more to go!

Despite my lack of downtime this winter break (hello three trips in three weeks!), I am ready to start up again. Finally knowing what I’m passionate about is like knowing who you want to marry; you just want to start RIGHT NOW! I remember being in college and daydreaming about being married to Andrew. So many of my friends didn’t understand my ‘rush’ to get married, but I reasoned that since I knew who I wanted to be with, I just wanted to hurry up and be with him! Being an RD feels like that to me; I can’t wait! This time, however, I’m trying to enjoy the journey… I don’t know that I can say the same about getting married.

I had a big blog post about my day of ‘firsts’ (first day of school, first pilates/yoga class at the gym–at least in awhile–first co-op meeting of the new year…), but it’s 10 p.m. and Andrew’s already in bed. Bottom line: I am no longer worried about statistics; the teacher seems reasonable, fair and more than willing to help.

I’ll leave you with a nugget I’d already put together earlier today…

Here are some photos from the last day of my anatomy lab last semester… How, in three weeks, I could not find the time to blog about them, I don’t know, but oh well.

I’ll be honest–I’m not really that into dissecting. And it’s not because I’m a girly-girl, or that I have a weak stomach (although the older I get, the easier I find I get grossed-out). I think the reason I don’t really care for dissecting, at least in school, is that it just seems to trite and pointless. I mean, yes, it’s neat to do something different once in awhile and really ‘get your hands dirty.’ But at the end of the day, I’m still just an undergrad and I’m not saving a life, nor will I ever really be. (Well, as an R.D. I’d like to think that my work is life-saving, but it’s not like I’m studying to be a doctor and I MUST understand the inner workings of a sheep’s brain or someone will die.)

Anyway, we dissected a sheep’s brain and a cow eye, neither of which were all that exciting. And, in girly-girl fashion, my main concern was not squirting myself with any of the gross ‘juices’ involved and preserving my clothes.

Here’s to another successful semester!

a list

1. I start school tomorrow. I’m uncharacteristically nonchalant about this. I’m prepared and ready to go back, but not nervous in the slightest. Have I, dare I say it, grown up?

2. I made a friend today! Actually, one of Andrew’s friends. Is that weird? One of Andrew’s friends from high school found me on Facebook, started reading my blog (yay!), then emailed me. We really hit it off and met for coffee today, then the BOGO shoe sale at the local running store. She and I are very similar (which makes sense, I suppose, since Andrew and she were good friends) and are looking forward to a dinner date with our respective spouses.

3. Speaking of running shoes… I bought two pairs for what I paid last summer in Carmel for one. Sheesh. Good running shoes, for me, are akin to air, water and peanut butter, so at the end of the day, I’ll pay a pretty penny if I have to. But, scoring a good deal for your pair of choice online isn’t always easy, so I was jazzed that the shoe sale today yielded another pair of my current style and a trail runner with support for me to wear in the snow. SWEET!

4. All I wanted to do this winter break was cook and bake, but with three trips in as many weeks, I didn’t exactly have the free time I’d anticipated. However, I’ve been making up for lost time these last couple days! I’ve made two loaves of sourdough, a giant batch of sourdough waffles to freeze, pumpkin granola, ham stock with the leftover Thanksgiving ham bone (destined for ham bone soup tomorrow), pumpkin-cranberry rolls and a menu for the week chock full of new recipes, to include cod and mung beans (not together). I. CANNOT. WAIT.

5. I made the best kale ever tonight–Andrew said it was a ‘Top 10,’ which is saying something since he’s so picky. It’s a recipe I replicated from something I got at Earth Fare this past week in Ohio. I’m blogging about kale this week for the co-op, so be sure to check it out there for my recipe!

6. I also made some great cauliflower (Andrew said “he’d eat it again”) tonight using a recipe a gal we met while in Canandaigua sent me. It’s a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. In terms of cauliflower, it was fantastic.

7. I was reading the Jan/Feb issue of Cooking Light on the elliptical this morning. Mistake. EVERYTHING in there is awesome. (Except that I can’t make half of it due to Andrew’s dislike of cheese.) Sad.

8. This month’s Cuisine at Home is also a winner. Between the two of them, I found recipes for Pad Thai and Tom Kha Gai soup–my two favorite things to order when we go out for Thai food.

9. I’m trying to figure out a new gym schedule for next semester that includes a yoga class… All the good ones are at times I’m unavailable! It’s either going at night (not my first choice) or cutting it close between the gym and class. Decisions, decisions.

10. There is a pair of boots I’ve been drooling over since before Christmas, and I’ve been itching to order them ever since. Theoretically, I have the fun money to do it, but after all Hadrian’s trips to the vet, our traveling (gas, food, Starbucks…), random impulse buys (ahem, the shoe sale and those $20 LOFT pants that fit like a glove), I feel like I need to keep waiting. Again, I ask, does this mean I’ve grown up? (No, probably not, since I’m also daydreaming about this awesome J.Crew dress I found to wear to not one, but TWO occasions this year…)

And the first ‘best recipe’ of 2012 is…

…Thai Curry Stew with Turkey and Zucchini!

I’d yanked this recipe out of November’s CL (I took A LOT of recipes from that one… Must have been all that Thanksgiving yumminess) since it looked like something Andrew would like. It was one of two ‘how to use turkey leftovers’ recipes from famed NYT columnist Mark Bittman, so I knew it would be good.

Despite zucchini being terribly out of season, I thought I’d give it a whirl anyway. I was lucky enough to take home some of our leftover turkey from grandma’s and after measuring out the 3 cups I’d need, threw it promptly in the freezer until I had time to make the soup.

It’s fantastic! It’s a bit hot; I used 1.5 of the 1 to 2 dried Thai chiles called for. I don’t know that I’d use fewer chiles next time; I think my palate is becoming more and more tolerant of heat these days (must be eating too many wings…). It’s also a little hands-on; you basically grind up your spices, chiles, coconut milk, garlic and cilantro in a food processor before adding them to your cooking onions and carrots. Once you’ve done that, though, you’re pretty much done. Throw in some of the zucchini, simmer for 45 minutes, blend (optional), then add the rest of the zucchini and the turkey. It’s served over brown rice, but you could just have it as soup, too.

As I was getting everything ready, I realized it would be a fantastic time to try out another recipe I’d been hanging onto for awhile now: Carrot-Ginger Salad Dressing. You know that dressing that comes on salads when you go to a Hibachi/Japanese Steakhouse? THAT’S what I’m talking about. I adore it and always try to savor the flavors in my mouth in hopes of recreating at home. Real Simple featured a recipe and I yanked it as well, and have been holding onto it ever since.

Since I was making this on a whim, I had to look up a sub for miso (white soybean paste that adds a salty flavor) and I had a couple from which to choose: tahini (fresh out–darn), soy sauce (didn’t seem like it would really work since the textures are so different) and anchovy paste. Of all the things to have on-hand, ANCHOVY PASTE was the winner! Thank you, Heather, for your generous donation of tubed anchovy paste to my fridge during your move this summer. It was a lifesaver!

It came out a bit intense on the salt/vinegar side, so I added a dash of lime juice to brighten it up. All in all, I think it’s a great recipe, but it was pretty vinegar-y, so I made some notes to myself for next time. Less vinegar/salt and add orange juice. A friend told me she’d looked into the recipe and that OJ was an ingredient, which I think would add a bit of brightness and sweetness without adding to the tart/vinegar flavor it already has.

If you’re at all into Thai and/or curry flavors, the stew would be right up your alley. I know I’ll be making this again–it’s the perfect ‘post’ post-Thanksgiving meal… You know, after you’ve had a day or so to eat the actual Thanksgiving leftovers just like you did for the big day.