20090811

Quick Ham Fried Rice


The recipe creates one of my favorite comfort foods: Ham Fried Rice.

Enjoy!

-1 tbsp butter
-1 large egg
-1 cup frozen vegetable mix, cooked (like carrots, corn, peas, & beans mix)
-5 slices diced gluten-free deli ham (Buddig Deli Cuts is gf)
-1/2 tbsp fresh minced garlic (no fresh garlic? add garlic salt to taste)
-1 cup cooked white or brown rice
-1 1/2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce (Great Values, San-J, and Western Family are gf)

1. Using a medium sized no-stick skillet, melt butter on high. Once butter is melted, add egg and scramble.
2. Add veggies, then ham, and, finally, garlic. Stir for about a minute to let the flavors get acquainted.
3. Stir in the rice. Try to break up the rice as best you can.
4. Pour in the soy sauce, stir to mix it all around.
5. Grab a plate, dish it out, and serve!

Serves 1 (large portion) or 2 (side portions)

20090810

I promised...

to bore the Blogosphere with the details of my life, so, voila! a shopping list.

-Carbon monoxide alarm
-TV stand
-Hand tool set
-Pyrex prepware set
-Cookie sheets, cake pan, etc
-Various vegetable peelers
-Wall clock
-Desk lamp
-All-in-one printer
-First aid kit
-Nifty flashlight that turns into lantern, more flashlights
-Iron and ironing board
-Blender
-Electric kettle
-Hangers
-Toilet brush and plunger
-Broom and dustpan
-Serving tray
-Jars
-Pitcher
-Coat rack?
-Dry-erase board
-Step stool
-Tape
-Pins
-Desk
-Bookshelf
-Chair
-Butter dish
-DVD/VCR
-TV

Hmm... not as bad as I thought it would be! T-20 days, my friends!!

-Natalie

20090809

Garlicky Pesto Potatoes


These little devils are delicious. Potatoes are cheap, tasty, and nutritious. Comparatively low in calories, this starchy veg offers fiber, vitamin c, and vitamin b6. Russet potatoes are very easy to bake, just poke them with a fork, stick 'em in the oven at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and in an hour to an hour and a half come back from studying and enjoy! Then put the extras in a ziploc bag or container and refrigerate.

Now, to the recipe:

-2 small baked potatoes; cold, sliced, and quartered.
-A little less than 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
-1 tsp or so salt; +extra to taste
-1 tbsp minced garlic (less if you are having a studying/make-out session; if you or someone you know has a Costco membership, get a thing of Spice World fresh minced garlic. It's about $3 and will last you at least 6 months.)
-1 tbsp gf pesto (homemade or store-bought - Classico is gf.)

1. Put potatoes in small frying pan. Add oil and salt. Turn on heat to medium-high.
2. Toss the potatoes around, coating them with the salt and oil. Keep hanging out with them until they start to turn deliciously golden.
3. Add the garlic and stir it a bit. Turn up the heat to high. Keep stirring for, oh, about a minute or so.
4. Invite the pesto to the gathering. Keep stirring. Turn down the heat to medium. And let the flavors meld. Keep casually moving the potatoes about. And once you can't take it anymore...
5. Serve and enjoy! Add more salt if you feel like it.

Serves 1

(This would make a great breakfast with eggs, too. Of course, adding other roasted/cooked root vegetables would be great - think carrots and onions - to make it a full meal. Add however much more pesto/oil/garlic/salt you feel necessary!)

20090808

What I'm Listening To: Pulp


Dear Blogosphere,

I am in love with Pulp these days. This is one of my favorites. Jarvis Cocker has this uber sexy voice (OK, he's pretty sexy in this video, too...) and he plays his guitar a la early Beatles which reminds me of Chris in jazz band. Good times.

Enjoy!

-Natalie

20090805

Cost Comparison

Wheat flour? $0.34/lb
Brown rice flour? $1.89/lb

Wheat bread? $1.09/loaf
Gluten-free bread? $6.00/loaf

Wheat pasta? $0.87/lb
Gluten-free pasta? $3.69/lb

Chocolate chip cookies? $2.69/lb
Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies? $12.83/lb

Wheat crackers? $1.63/lb
Rice crackers? $9.12/lb

...Um, yeah. Pretty scary. These prices are based on the super cool Consumer Price Index. You can see the original article here.

20090804

New Blog and Other Updates


Dear Blogosphere,

I have a new blog entitled "Little Money, Little Time, No Gluten." If you are interested in checking it out, here is the url:gfgrad.blogspot.com

I have been trying to find websites and blogs that focus on eating gluten-free on a budget... and with little time. I wasn't able to find it, so I started my own! It should be helpful to everyone -- unless you have a surplus of money, are a glutenphile, and like to spend hours, even days making dinner.

The other bit of news I have is that I found out my TA assignment! It is a 50% position (meaning 20 hours a week of work) which makes me happy... I think. More money = good, right? The course is Human Sexuality. I took Human Sexuality this spring and loved it. So I am pleased.

Enjoy my blog! Hope your summers are wrapping up nicely!

Lake Tahoe






Dear Blogosphere,

Here are pictures from Lake Tahoe, where I was about a week ago. It was one of the prettiest places I have ever been... possibly the prettiest. Unfortunately, the pictures just don't do it justice.

-Natalie