MU vs. kU - the basketball showdown

I love a good college rivalry. I think it's fun having as close as a person will ever get to an arch-enemy epitomized in a college rivalry. Living in Alabama, I am on the front lines of the Bama-Auburn debates. I just came down here half a year ago, but even in my first weeks I was told that I must pick a side. I mean, I picked Alabama, roll tide, but I want to talk about my alma mater, the great University of Missouri.

Our rivalry between the University of Kansas is this disgusting display of pure hatred. I mean, it's kind of fun, but at times it's sad the depths we'll go to, just to affect the other team. There's kU's ever-not-funny "Muck Fizzou" shirts. Mizzou's Quantrill's raid shirts about burning Lawrence to the ground are always a talking point.

I have been to a couple of the football border wars when we played at Arrowhead Stadium in KC. I went to school in Kansas, so naturally a bunch of my friends went and graduated from kU. I was visiting Mizzou classmates on their tailgating side and my kU friends from high school in their tailgating area. The Mizzou fans ribbed my kU friends when we were in the black and gold side. You know little quips like, "Who dressed you today?" and so on. Then, when I entered Jayhawk territory I got an empty bottle of Burnett's thrown at me. Really? Does that seem equivalent to you?

Now we are set to play kU at Mizzou Arena and tempers are at an all time high, according to the Kansas City Star. New examples of rivalry madness are surfacing. There are rumors Mizzou fans were set to wear shirts that said "No Mom Tom" on them. This was in reference to one of the kU players mothers dieing last year. I bleed black and gold and I wouldn't condone this. Apparently, some think kU fans actually started this, and I hope to God they did. If a Mizzou fan started that I would be so disappointed. We need to started carrying our school with class. Let's not fall in line with that Bama fan that poisoned Auburn's super traditional trees, k? Fight hard for our school, be proud, some taunting is necessary, but that is obviously not a topic to laugh about. There are lines, we don't want to cross them and be the white trash, double-wide dwelling hick relatives getting too drunk and saying things that make everyone want to stick their head in the dirt like an ostrich, do we?

So, a kU fan has actually topped that.

Brendon Hudson tweeted this: "Dude I hope there's a school shooting at #Mizzou." @ColinJokisch

Well, bless your heart, Brendon. In what world is it OK to joke about school shootings? I know, you were probably being super frat and showing off by how witty your were, but that is way over the line. Sorry my school was upset by what you said, I guess we just care about human life more. Now tell me, who wants to try and defend this ignorant and completely disrespectful kid?

I don't care how kU conducts themselves once we're in the SEC. I would even love to see our rivalry continue once we're in different conferences. If kU wants to show their true colors like this, I guess we'll let them, but if anyone wants to call us uncultured bumpkins, you better look twice. MIZ.

Fight Tigers you will always win, proudly keep the colors flying skyward, in the end we'll win the victory, so Tigers fight for old Mizzou.

My birthday wish list

Here are things I will probably have to buy for myself with the money I hopefully get for my birthday.

1) A skirt and to blouses from the new Jason Wu collection for Target. I reeeeeeally want the pleated light blue skirt with the stripes on bottom, the red no-sleeve blouse and white blouse with the black bow at the collar. A lot. If I have to take my break from work early to get those when they hit the stores Sunday morning, I'll do it.

2) This beautiful stella & dot necklace. It's a gold arrow necklace, and for some reason I love it because it's so different. It's pretty expensive though, so that might never actually happen.

3) A Walmart and/or Target gift card. I spend way too much money both places. I mean I buy food at Walmart, what can you do?

4) Anything from Kate Spade. They have the cutest, simple jewelry. I especially love this bangle, and it matches the necklace. Granted, I do love the sailor knot jewelry a lot too, and the spade ones.

5) Anything from Mod Cloth.

6) Any bracelet...basically...from Kiel James Patrick. Really my favorites are the ones that are striped like ties, but they're bracelets, and the new ones with the anchors as clasps. This one is my favorite though.

7) A pet fox or a pet deer. Obviously I would want them as babies. What? That's not weird have you seen how adorable baby foxes and baby deer are? No? Well, check out that picture up there, I know right. So, adorable.

I'm sure I'll think of more things I'll never be able to afford or that are illegal to own.

Gumbo

I totally cheated on this recipe. Seriously, it was the easiest and most delicious, possibly most fattening thing I've made so far. All you need to get is smoked sausage, I use Conecuh sausage that's made in Alabama, and it is unbelievably good. Then you just buy a box of gumbo mix by Zatarain's and read the instructions. For real, this is perfect. I actually had frozen okra hanging out in my fridge so I made that and put that in the mix.

I didn't actually realize that okra is slimy when you cook it, but really, slimy as in slime comes off of it. You can see the slime. It's like in the Princess and the Frog when she complains because she's slimy, but really she's secreting mucous. You know what I'm talking about? If you don't, go watch the movie, it's amazing. Actually, she makes gumbo in the movie now that I think about it...

The finished product was so so so good. I'm thinking of adding corn or peas next time with the okra, it just added so much to it. Try it out, you won't regret it.

Bacon Crescent Wraps

This recipe, found on The "Unworking" Mother blog, produces really delicious bacon-y treats. Unfortunately for me, mine turned out looking nothing like pinwheels. They actually were described at work as "bacon cookies." Which sounds gross, but considering they were always supposed to be savory it actually ended up being decent.

For the Alabama v. LSU game all my coworkers that worked late brought something and these were my contribution.

If you want them to look pretty, I'd recommend putting the rolled dough with filling in the refrigerator before you try slicing it. I just think my dough got too warm and I was too lazy to wait for it to cool off.

Bacon Crescent Wraps

Ingredients:
1 3 oz package of cream cheese, softened (or just just 1/2 a block - 4 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup real bacon pieces
1 8 ounce package crescent rolls
2 tablespoons chopped onion

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cream cheese, bacon, onion and pepper. Separate crescent rolls into 2 rectangles. Pinch seams together. Spread cheese mixture on each rectangle. Roll up, starting at the longest side and seal. Cut each roll into 16 slices. Place on baking sheet with cut side down. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes:
For parties - I always double this recipe, sometimes I triple it - they go fast.
I usually buy bacon pieces in the jar (for salads). This saves time and mess from having to cook bacon.

Garlic, spinach and egg whites frittata

I made this to bring for lunch this week. It was delish. I added feta on top and it looks really fancy but in reality it was one of the easiest things I've ever made. It's kind of like a quiche without the crust. Which is the best part of quiche but also probably the most fattening part.

I'm only talking about fattening because technically I'm doing Weight Watchers right now. I'm not doing a very good job though because, not joking, I've gained 4 pounds in the 2 weeks since I started. Now, tell me how that makes sense? At least you can't tell, and to be honest, I don't need to do Weight Watchers I just wanted to learn to eat more healthy.Which...I guess I'm not learning. Maybe by the end it'll be better.

Back to the frittata. Here's how you make it.

Garlic, spinach and egg whites frittata

Ingredients:
2 cups Baby Spinach, fresh,
1 medium Onion chopped
1 to 2 tsp Olive Oil
Garlic, 2 to 3 cloves peeled & finely chopped (use less if you are not a garlic fan)
1 cup of egg whites (about 6 large eggs worth)
splash of Milk (I guesstimate 2 tablespoons)
12 - 15 grape Tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise
1/4 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 oz Pancetta (2 slices Boars head pancetta) torn into small pieces
1 tbs *Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

In non stick pan, warm the olive oil. Add the Garlic and sautee for about a minute. Add the onions and continue. Once the onions are translucent (but before they are golden) add the pancetta. Cook all until onions are deep golden. Add balsamic vinegar. Cook another minute then stir in Spinach and cook until it is wilted. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile in bowl mix egg whites & milk. Add salt and pepper to taste (I also add some freeze dried basil)

Assemble

Place spinach onion mixture in bottom of 9 inch glass pie plate that is coated with non stick spray. Top with the egg/milk/seasoning mixture. Drop in the grape tomato halves, distributing them evenly. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

I just mixed Parmesan from a bag in, but then again, I'm lazy.

bake at 375 for 15 to 20 mins, or longer if you like it more golden.

Southwest Black Bean Casserole

I made this recipe last week and honestly this is one of my favorites, so far. A Pinch of Yum had this great recipe. I actually combined it with another recipe so mine was a little different. Like I left out the jalapeno peppers, bacon and chicken broth. I also used a jar of black bean and corn salsa in it as opposed to the tomatoes and such. I still used a can of black beans though, they're delish and good for you. And I used the cheddar cheese as opposed to Monterrey cheese. Instead of serving it with chips or tortillas I ripped up flour ones and mixed them around in the mixture before I baked everything.

I made the casserole and then I cooked some brown rice and put it with Goya's sofrito tomato base. You just spoon some of it, let's say three or four tablespoons of it, into the rice mixture and mix it around. My friend Joe likes to use the cilantro base, which is also very good if you're a fan of cilantro.

Southwest Black Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground extra lean turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-2 chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and a handful of the onions to the pan, sauteing until meat is browned. Remove turkey and set aside.
3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, pepper, and jalapeno, sauteing for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Add salt, cumin, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly (I added a tablespoon or two of water to keep things from sticking in the pan.)
4. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency.
5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with turkey, bacon, tomato, and cheese. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with green onions and let cool for at least 10 minutes (otherwise it will be too runny).
6. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, on tacos, on a salad, or just eat it plain!

2012 thus far

So, it's not that I haven't been wanting to blog, I've just been too lazy to blog. So, I figured I'd take this time to 1) start blogging again and 2) talk about all the things I've been doing in the new year that take up my time other than writing my thoughts.

These are things I recommend you do as well because...well...they're entertaining or good for you. Just consider it, k?

1) Pinterest - That's a surprise, right? I know I get all of my recipes and crafts from Pinterest already. But it's just so addicting and makes me actually want to craft or work out or, you know, decorate my apartment better.

2) Cooking - After my few decorating disasters where I almost set my kitchen on fire, I decided that the things I'm good at making go in the oven. I'm talking casseroles and such things. Anyway, the stuff I've been making has actually been really good recently. Before I'd get bland things, or slightly not cooked all the way rice in one instance. And, thanks to my friend Joe, I've actually started making full meals (entree and side dish.) If you don't know how to cook, try learning sometime, it makes you feel really accomplished and is pretty relaxing.

3) Working out - I had really lazy about working out for a while, but recently I've been trying to get back into it. I try to at least do something four times a week and now I even have an idea for things to do after work during the week. They're circuits, and yes I found them on Pinterest, but when I was training for soccer in high school we'd do similar things, but we called them plyometrics. These include sets of squats, lunges, jumping jacks, push ups, crunches and so on.

Here's an example, I did this one today:

You will be sore, but after a while it should really tone you up.

4) Reading - I'm on the third book of The Hunger Games series and I'm not going to lie to you, I love them. I've been recommending them to everyone recently. One of my friends made a good point, though, that I'm pretty embarrassed about, I also recommend Twilight when I first read them. I was in high school, don't judge me! It was a phase! These are actually really good, I haven't finished them, but I'm expecting good things from the ending.

5) See movies - I saw three this weekend. And I realize how expensive this is, but I wanted to see them, and I get great joy out of seeing movies. It makes me forget about everything I'm worried about. I saw My Week With Marilyn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and The Iron Lady. I'm going to say My Week With Marilyn was by far the best movie of the three. Meryl Streep was brilliant in The Iron Lady and it was a very impressive film as well, just a little too historical and real-life for me to see multiple times. But Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close was just so hard to watch. It was emotionally draining and frustrating and tragic all in one.

2012 has been going well so far, let's just hope it keeps getting better and better.

Bubble Up Enchiladas

This was a delicious meal. I've given up on the frying thing, it never turns out well for me, and I mean, it's bad for you. Also, I almost set my apartment on fire when I fry, but that's just a minor detail. So, I've decided to stick to casseroles from now on. Also, I start Weight Watchers on Monday, mostly just to eat healthier and to avoid gaining weight, so I figured I'd try one of their recipes. Here it is. I'll be honest though, I didn't use the reduced fat cheese. Cheese is cheese and delicious and should be kept as such.

Bubble Up Enchiladas

Weight Watcher Recipes 5 points

1 pound ground turkey
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 can reduced fat refrigerator biscuits
1 ¼ cups shredded low fat Mexican Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown turkey and drain if needed. Mix in a can of enchilada sauce. Cut the refrigerated biscuits into fourths and stir them in the meat mixture. Then you just dump it all in a greased casserole and bake for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
You can make this into 6 or 8 servings

Iowa Caucus

I'm concerned about the Iowa Caucus right now. I was so flustered earlier because all of the candidates upset me in different ways. So, I don't really want to think about how we have no good candidates for president. I'm increasingly concerned about the state of the nation.

So, mind off of the world ending in 2012. Except this is seriously the coolest thing to show you what all the candidates stand for. Go look at this and then decide for yourself who you agree with the most. I wish I could say I was Conservative or Liberal but I tend to just come up Moderate, there really needs to be a candidate that wants to be a little more center-based. My dad says if you stand in the middle of the road you'll get run over, but I feel like this is the best way to avoid alienating people, and honestly, the issues should revolve around, social security, foreign policy, the military, the economy, unemployment and education. There are others of course, but social issues should not be the platform of a candidacy. If we want a more hands-off government approach then their hands should be off decisions individuals can make on their own.

Disclaimer: I lean more Conservative than Liberal, but I want the whole country fixed before worrying about people's lifestyle choices. I also think anyone should be able to marry if they love someone so, that's a thing.

I wasn't going to talk about the Caucus and here I am lamenting the state of politics. I'm going to finish watching The Golden Girls and then listen to some music and fall asleep not thinking of Santorum's sweater vests and Perry's Texas accent. Lord.

New Year Playlist - I'm falling asleep to these

The New Year - Death Cab for Cutie

What Are You Doing New Years Eve - Zoey Decshanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Auld Lang Syne - Mairi Campbell

Happy 2012

Happy New Year! The holidays kept me from writing, but I'm back on track now.

I remember those years when New Year's Eve was an exciting night to be with friends, to do ridiculous things and just have a good time. This year, and last year for that matter, weren't like that at all. This year I ended up watching old nick shows on TV along with the country New Years show broadcasting from Las Vegas, and the ball drop in New York, twice.

It was relaxing, I was with a new friend so that was nice. We drank Champagne and chatted, talked to our mom's and boyfriends at midnight, and watched some fireworks being set off way in the distance from her tiny apartment porch. It's all such a far cry from an ideal New Year's Eve, but at the same time, it felt fitting for the end of a turbulent year.

So much happened, and the whole time it felt like a valley. From the worst Valentine's Day I can remember, the loss of a friend and a family member, to the tornadoes in Joplin and Alabama, to graduating, moving away from friends and family, living on my own, and still struggling to find what I want, it was a year filled with accomplishments and major let downs.

So, cheers to the new year, full of new hopes, and a clean slate.

I made these in New Year's Eve along with Shrimp Scampi. I did this because on New Years Day I was going to be eating the left overs and I wanted to make sure it was something lucky and that I wouldn't have any set backs next year. For real, good luck foods is a thing, I did a story about it, look.

As usual I botched the main course a little but the cupcakes turned out amazing. I have one of those things that makes mini-cupcakes. It's called Babycakes and really just reminds me of Bridesmaids (It's the name of Kristen Wiig's failed cupcake shop, fyi), but I swear every single one of those tiny cupcakes was perfect. The only problem is that it only makes eight at a time, but it was totally worth it.

I didn't do the spun sugar thing they tell you to do, I just used gold sprinkles - festive and simple.

Champagne Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup champagne**I used a light pink rosé.

6 egg whites

For the buttercream frosting

3 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons champagne, at room temperature

For the spun sugar

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.

4. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.

5. In another large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

6. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites.

7. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

9. For the frosting: With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter.

10. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another two minutes.

11. Add vanilla and champagne, beating on medium for another minute.

12. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. (Again, I used my favorite, 1M Wilton pastry tip.)

13. For the spun sugar: Secure a long-handled wooden spoon under a heavy cutting board on the edge of the counter, with the handle facing out and extending over the edge.

14. Place newspapers on the floor, directly under the cutting board. (Believe me, you will need them as this can get messy….)

15. Prepare an ice-water bath.

16. Bring sugar, corn syrup, and the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

17. Stop stirring.

18. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.

19. Cook until the mixture turns pale amber and registers 300 degrees (hard-crack stage) on the candy thermometer.

20. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let cool, stirring occasionally, until caramel registers 250 degrees. ***Be careful. The pan is hot and will steam very strongly when you cool it so rapidly.

21. Dip the tines of a fork into the caramel.

22. Holding the fork about 2 feet above the spoon handle, swing caramel back and forth like a pendulum in long arcs, allowing strands to fall in threads over the handles. **You will most likely lose a lot to the floor below; hence, the newspapers.

23. Let stand until ready to use, then gently gather some of the strands and shaped as desired. **I wanted mine to look like fireworks, so I broke them into shorter fragments.

24. Garnish the cupcakes with the spun sugar.