This is my journal

Overdue

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:52:33 GMT

Let's see if I can start posting more frequently. For now, bread:

Coconut lime banana bread

2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

Combine flour, baking soda, salt. Set aside. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla. Add yogurt and mashed banana and beat until blended. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in 1/2 cup coconut.

Pour into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining coconut on top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, then cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Whisk together powdered sugar and lime juice and drizzle over the top while warm.

Apple banana bread

2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 apples
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup orange juice

In a skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter and brown sugar. Peel, core and dice apples and cook over medium-high heat until tender. Mix in 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. Set aside. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla. Add orange juice and mashed banana and beat until blended. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in apples.

Pour into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 20 minutes, then cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Sheep

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:48:23 GMT

Not something I expect to see on the way to work. It's nice to have some undeveloped land nearby.

Leaves

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:00:06 GMT

It actually looks like fall here.

Food

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:27:51 GMT

Everyone had their fill of turkey?

White and wild rice salad

2/3 cup wild rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cups white rice, uncooked
1/2 lb snow peas
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 large red pepper
2 scallions

Cook the rice, drain it, and spread it out to let it cool. Chop the snow peas, red pepper, and scallions. Whisk together the vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly add the oil and preserves and whisk until smooth. Combine the rice and vegetables in a large bowl. Add the dressing and stir until coated.

The actual recipe called for cooking the snow peas first, but I liked the extra crunch. Instead, after everything was mixed together, I heated the whole thing quickly and served it slightly warm.

Boo

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:59:14 GMT

From the anime Soul Eater:

Bountiful Harvest

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:36:03 GMT

Just in time for Halloween.

Camping

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:04:47 GMT

Ah, the great outdoors.

more pics...

Glee

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:35:29 GMT

Weekend = Dark Knight + BBQ + Avatar finale.

Also, cookies:

White chocolate/ginger/blueberry cookies (no butter)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
2 oz white chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger. Set aside. Beat oil, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in oats, chocolate chips, blueberries, crystallized ginger.

Measure out a tbsp or more each, 12 to a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. I think I left out the ground ginger last time I made them, it was a bit overpowering. It doesn't make a lot of cookies, so consider doubling the recipe.

Peanut butter/chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies (no flour)

4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine oats, baking soda. Set aside. Beat butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Beat in oat mixture. Mix in chocolate chips.

Measure out a tbsp or more each, 12 to a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-14 min. They came out pretty solid after 13 min, so probably no more than 12 min if you want softer cookies. Unlike the recipe above, this one makes a ton of cookies.

Neglect

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:58:54 GMT

Wow, it's been almost a year? I should post something. How about pics from snorkeling?

Lazy

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 05:29:19 GMT

I meant to make this post weeks ago, since I made both of these before I went on vacation:

Green turkey chili

1 lb turkey with bones, skin removed
1 onion
1 can( 15.5 oz ) kidney beans( cannellini )
1 can( 11 oz ) corn
1 1/2 cups green tomatilla salsa( trader joe's has one )
4 oz chiles( i've used jalapeno and wax peppers )
3-4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Finely chop the garlic and peppers( I throw out the seeds ). Chop the onion and line the bottom of a 3+ qt slow-cooker. Put the turkey on top of the onion. Drain and rinse the beans and corn and put them on top of the turkey. Mix the salsa, chiles, garlic, cumin, and salt and pour it over the top.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. When it's ready, pull out the bones and break up the turkey, then stir in the cilantro.

Macadamia nut butter and cranberry cookies

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup roasted, unsalted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup chopped, dried cranberries
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. Put the nuts in a food processor and run it until they're smooth. Beat the macadamia nut butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. First, mix in the egg and vanilla. Next, mix in the flour mixture. Last, mix in the cranberries.

Measure out portions a bit more than 1 tbsp each. Put the extra 1 tbsp sugar in a bowl. Roll each portion into a ball and press it into the sugar. Put about 12 on each cookie sheet, sugar side up, and press the top of each ball with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 for 9 minutes.

Con

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:09:56 GMT

Back from the comic con in San Diego. It was fun, but crowds were unbearable by Saturday. For example, this is the line for the Heroes panel.

Actually, that's about 1/4 of the line that was there an hour before it started. Didn't wait around for that one, but I did catch the Avatar panel in the morning. Here's an ok video of the trailer for those who missed it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wPuVrMdG0qY

I got some nice pictures while I was down there too. Wish I'd taken more while I was living there.

scenic...

Long ago

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:41:10 GMT

I found some pictures from 6 years ago while backing up data on one of my old PC's(Windows 98!).

This was a really nice lake.

It took some hiking to get to, so there was hardly anyone around. The water temperature was ok, and it was deep enough and had rocks high enough for diving. Yay nature. I wish I had more time for camping...

Parting shots

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 23:51:49 GMT

I made it back in one piece. Here are a couple more pics.

more pics...

On the road

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 04:38:48 GMT

Drove into St. Paul for dinner.

Crossed the Mississippi on the way in.

Flat

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 03:46:48 GMT

I'm in Minnesota.

Yup, it's flat.

I got a couple other decent pics on the way.

Produce

Sun, 27 May 2007 18:50:32 GMT

I live in the middle of a bunch of office parks and apartment communities, so I find it wonderfully surreal that there's a 1 block orange grove down the street from me.

There's even a bunch of rusty farm equipment.

Mmm, cookies

Sun, 27 May 2007 01:53:20 GMT

At the risk of making myself obsolete, here are 2 of my most-used cookie recipes:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cup uncooked rolled oats
2-3 cups stuff(raisins, dried cranberries, dried apples, walnuts, pecans, etc.)

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Set aside. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in oats and stuff.

Measure out a little more than 1 tbsp each, about 12 to a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes. 9-10 minutes for more crispy cookies.

2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 cups stuff(dried cherries, chocolate chunks, peanut butter chips, mint chips, etc.)

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa. Set aside. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in stuff.

Measure out a little more than 1 tbsp each, about 12 to a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min. Avoid overbaking.

The oatmeal cookies are actually the first things I can remember baking. I made them on a whim after finding the recipe abandoned in one of my kitchen cabinets while I was living in Monterey. It was fate!

Virtual accomplishments

Mon, 21 May 2007 04:41:29 GMT

After a couple years of sporadic play, I finally reached the level cap in Final Fantasy 11. Huzzah!

more pics...

I'm on the internet.

Sun, 20 May 2007 07:35:23 GMT

Geekiness and recipes to follow...