a midday realization

week ten.
i could hardly believe it when i logged in to complete an assignment today. time is flying by. it's hard to believe i've been living in this apartment for almost two years. it's hard to believe i'll be moving out at the end of the semester.

funny how attached you can get to places and phases of life, when the whole time you're in it, you've been dreaming and working to make it to the next phase, the next place. the next phase, the next place, is approaching a whole lot quicker than i thought. this phase, this place, is becoming much dearer than i've ever thought.

like today. the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week. i'm sitting in my quiet apartment, listening to music, eating my lunch. quite enjoying myself. and it hit me. in this next phase, next place, also known as the working, grown-up, adulting world, i may never get moments like this for a very long time. how sad.

there's been a lot of little realizations lately that i've been getting hit by, of how many wonderful moments there really are in this phase of life that is running out all to quick. so i've been savoring these moments all the more. it has been good for the soul. no so good for the motivation or productivity.

but, going back to my lunch, because this after all this is meant to be a blog on food...not a blog on hannah's midday reflections.

i have been lovin' this new creation of a tomato, pesto, mozzarella pita melt. ha! okay, so tomato, pesto, and mozzarella is a far cry from an original creation, but placed inside pita bread and melted...wow, amazing! if you haven't tried a pita melt, do it, do it, do it. and if you have the little bit of extra time like i had today, make it with sweet potato fries.

Tomato, Pesto, Mozzarella Pita Melt
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Pita bread cut in half
1 Tablespoon Pesto
1/2 tomato sliced
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.
2. Spread pesto on inside of Pita bread. Stuff with tomatoes and cheese.
3. Melt the stuffed pita on the heated skillet, about 2-3 minutes on a side.


Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet potato
seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in skillet.
2. Cut sweet potato into thin strips with crinkle cutter.
3. Place sweet potato pieces into hot oil. Cook about 15 minutes or until tender, turning fries occasionally.

my produce, about to go, bad savior

hey there, it's been awhile.
to be honest, i have attempted to come back several times. there are several drafts archived on here, a large album of food pictures on my phone, but every time i never could quite hit publish.

everyone likes a good come back, and i didn't have one.

i don't even have an nice little excuse list packaged up with a neat little bow of justification on top. so i never hit publish. tonight, as i was cooking, i realized i am being ridiculous. ridiculousness is something i have been trying to keep out of my reasoning.

so that is that, enough of ridiculousness.

exciting news: i got a mini-rice cooker for Christmas. no more gross stove top rice. i grew up on the good stuff. once you've had the good stuff, your ruined. i have once again been lovin' stir fry for my produce about to go bad savior. i found this simple sweet soy sauce recipe from Natashas Kitchen. i have made it a lot over these past months. it's just that good. one of those recipes you crave to make again and again. that and i may run into the need for a produce savior all too often.

Stir Fry

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients:  

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4" pieces

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup of chicken stock

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 medium garlic cloves, grated

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion sliced

Vegetables of choice sliced (I used 1 head of broccoli, 1/2 red pepper, 1 cup carrots, and some mushrooms)

Hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. Toss chicken breast in a bowl with flour until evenly coated.

2. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Add chicken pieces to hot oil and spread out evenly. Let chicken sit for a minute before stirring, then stir fry 5 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.

3. While chicken is cooking, add chicken stock, honey, soy sauce, ginger, cloves, and sesame oil to remaining flour in bowl. Stir until smooth.

4. Add another 1 Tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Once oil is hot add onion and vegetables. Stir fry 4 minutes, or until vegetables crisp-tender.

5. Stir the sauce again then pour into skillet with vegetables. Bring sauce to a boil over medium heart, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Add chicken and cook another 30 seconds or until hearted through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

my wish come true

she longboards
she plays the ukulele
she is confident and brave
she writes spoken word poetry
she is strong
she has a witty sense of humor
she wears skate shoes

she is pretty much everything i want to be. she is my little sister. my little sister who i've grown (or rather not grown) to look up to. my little sister that i spent four years of my life hoping for. my little sister who has become my friend and my escapade accomplice. we've seen the whole united states from the back seat of the van, we've climbed mountain tops, and we've been half way around the world together.

she turned seventeen last week. seventeen years sounds so long ago, but feels like just yesterday. i can still remember the ride to the hospital. the whole way there my three older brothers were trying to convince me that our new sibling was going to be another brother. i loved having brothers, but inside i was desperately hoping for a sister. i still remembering rounding the corner and walking into my mom's hospital room hearing, you have a sister. "i knew it, i knew it, i knew it was going to be a sister." she was my wish come true. happy birthday Rachel! here's to many more years of memories and exciting adventures.

she asked for a key lime pie for her birthday. i found this old recipe from Taste & Home. i've never made key lime pie before, but figured with fresh limes and hand whipped cream how could it go wrong? it went very, very right. it had great taste and texture. the recipe is a bit time consuming, but fairly simple. two of the best factors for a cooking adventure

Key Lime Pie

Yields: 8 Servings

Ingredients:  

Crust:

1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs

2 Tablespoons sugar

5 Tablespoons butter

Filling:

2 14oz. cans sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 small limes)

1/3 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Topping:

½ pint heavy whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.      Heat oven to 325°F. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form crust. Bake 10 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack.

2.      Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and sour cream in large bowl until blended. Stir in lime peel. Pour filling into crust. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until tiny bubbles begin to form on surface of pie. Cool completely on wire rack.

3.      Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until stiff. Top pie with whipped cream. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Best served the same day.

perfect pancakes

well according to food network that is. back in high school when i started this blog, i had a subscription to Cooking Light and Food Network. they were my go to for new, adventuresome, but not too adventuresome, recipes. as a result, i have a two inch binder chalk full of glossy magazine clippings with notes scrawled across them. i pulled this one for pancakes out to use up my leftover berries from my cantaloupe bowl. it's a simple recipe that is easy to add fun ingredients to the batter like oats, berries, chocolate-chips, nuts, granola, or cinnamon chips. the pancakes are fluffy and thick, but not too thick, and just about as quick as using a box mix. how could you go wrong? they are the perfect pancake after all.  

Perfect Pancakes
Yields: 6-8 pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup 2 Tablespoons milk
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1 egg

Directions:
1. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk milk, butter, and egg together; fold into flour mixture until just combined. (lumps are encouraged)
3. Brush a large skillet with butter and heat over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cupfuls of batter and cook until bubbly on top and golden on the bottom. Flip and cook until golden on the bottom.
4. Serve with your favorite toppings and warm maple syrup.

how to 'properly' eat a cantaloupe

i still can remember the first time my dad showed me how to 'properly' eat a cantaloupe. he had just come home from with a cantaloupe in tow. i was very curious and watched with wide eyes as he explained it to me. it's simple. you slice the cantaloupe in half, scrape out the insides, take half of the cantaloupe, and hold it like a bowl. my dad handed me my half and gave me a spoon. i watched as he dug into his cantaloupe, enjoying the juicy fruit. i carefully did the same. it tasted so good. something about scooping the cantaloupe out of the rind was so satisfying and delicious. he explained that it is very important to consume all of  the cantaloupe, scooping as close to the rind as possible, to achieve as much satisfaction of the juicy cantaloupe as possible. this was the first of many proper cantaloupe eatings with my dad.

i had just finished a long morning of cleaning, feeling exhausted and hot. i quick stopped by the grocery store on my way home to pick up a few things. earlier i had seen a cantaloupe breakfast bowel on pinterest that had caught me eye. when i walked past the cantaloupes at the grocery store and saw that berries where on sale, i couldn't resist. i took my groceries back to my apartment and cut open my cantaloupe. i filled it with yogurt, honey, granola, and berries. i dug my spoon in and enjoyed the sweet satisfaction of scooping out my cantaloupe. i was instantly taken back to memories of sitting on the kitchen counter top with cabinets for my back rest and my dad across the room leaning against the counter top. our small talk interupted by repated,  "mmm...this is just so good," as we devoured the insides of our cantaloupe bowls.

Cantaloupe Breakfast Bowel
Yields: 2

Ingredients:
Cantaloupe
Greek plain yogurt
Honey
Granola
Berries

Directions:
1. Cut cantaloupe in half. Scoop out seeds.
2. Fill center with yogurt. Drizzle honey over yogurt. Sprinkle granola on top. Finish with berries.  

late night cooking adventure

it had been a full day. a day of cleaning, an evening of worship, and a late night of office cleaning. when i walked through my door, the first time that i didn't having to quick turn around and run back out, i realized i had never eaten dinner. it was past ten and i was hungry.

"got to bed, eat something quick, or make that recipe i've been wanting to try," my mind went back and forth trying to decide. a surge of energy hit me as i realized that my first client for tomorrow had canceled. excited, i went with the latter of my thoughts.

i am a night owl, something i got from my mother. real life though has made me somewhat of morning person, like my father. i realize college life doesn't quite qualify as 'real life,' but at least give me credit that it is more 'real life' than highschool life.

so, there i was at ten-thirty cooking my pappardelle. earlier in the week i had gotten a fun surprise package. in it was several different fun ingredients (including the pappardelle) with a note that said, "a few of my favorite things." i had found this recipe that i though would be fun to try the noodles out on. i had never made pappardelle before. they may have just become my favorite kind of pasta. pappardelle is are large, broad, flat noodle, similar to fettuccine, but much better in my opinion. the name stems from the Italian verb pappare, which literally means to gobble up. it is exactly what i was doing at eleven at night.

i stayed up late that night cooking and working on a few things that had been piling up. it felt good to work late into the night and sleep in the next day. i had missed it.

wink to the sender who inspired this fun late night cooking adventure. i am excited to try more of your favorite things :)

Sun Dried Tomato and Mushrooms Pasta with Garlic Basil Sauce
Adapted From: Julia's Album

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes, diced
2 cubes chicken bullion
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 pound pappardelle pasta

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add sliced mushrooms and garlic. cook for about 3 minutes. Add diced sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce heat.

2. Dissolve 2 cubes of chicken bullion in 2 cups of boiling water. Carefully add the broth to the skillet. Cook the vegetables in the chicken broth on medium heat until the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes absorb some of the broth and the broth reduces somewhat.
3.Add half and half, heavy cream to skillet. Bring to a boil for a short moment. Add Parmesan cheese, stirring, for a couple of minutes, on low-medium heat until the cheese melts. Add basil.
If your sauce is too thick add more half and half as needed. 
4. Cook pasta al dente according to the package instruction. Add pasta to the sauce, toss, and serve. 

it was 1979.

 a young man, working his way through college, was a cook at one of the well known cafes in Champaign. little did this young man know that the culinary skills he would learn at Greater Downtown Champaign Food and Beverage Company would be added to his repertoire of talents. this young man is my dad. my dad is a man of many talents. it was at the Greater Downtown Champaign Food and Beverage Co that he mastered the art of omelet making, (if you have ever tried making an omelet before, you will know it is an acquired art). i have many fond memories of watching my dad, in his iconic black sweats, on late weekend mornings make my siblings and i omelets. they quickly became a family favorite. whenever a sauder member of our household makes his or her way back home, omelet's are one of the desired requests. i give to you my dad's instructions of proper omelet making. below is short clip to view exactly how the omelet is to be made.


Omelet

Crack two eggs and whip them up. A lot of people put milk in their omelets, but what you want to do to get a fluffy omelet is to beat air into them and a little bit of cold water. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat and grease a small skillet. You have got to get your pan hot (medium-high heat). If you don't get it hot, you've got problems. You know when it's hot when you drop water on the skillet it and it sizzles. Keep in mind that second omelette will always turns out better than the first, kind of like pancakes. Pour your beaten eggs into the hot skillet. Swirl the egg so it goes up on to the sides of the pan and cooks on the sides of the pan. You want to build up ridges. By cooking the eggs on the sides of the pan you will be able to pull the sides back and then move the uncooked egg to the bottom. Pull the sides down with a spoon to create thicker edge. Lift up the bottom and let the egg run underneath to cook all of the egg. As soon as the new egg is cooked on the bottom, flip the egg. Add your chosen ingredients to half of the omelette. Flip the omelet over in half and add some garnishes to the top. Viola, you have a omelet.

Another iconic element of my dad's famous omelets is that he always lines up all of our plates and garnishes them with fruit.