contemplation

I have been contemplating the existence of my blog recently. No, I am not shutting it down (thought about it at one point), nor am I making it private. Although threatening to make it private would probably cause a surge in popularity...ha ha ha. 

Why did I start this blog? I don't really remember. Maybe it was to jump on the blogger bandwagon. All the cool people have blogs...

What's the point of this blog? I don't really remember what I was trying to accomplish with it when I was single, but currently, its main purpose is to update family and friends (especially those I don't see very often) about my life. Lately, I have been posting recipes because I like cooking and I like to share things that work for me. I do have the occasional personal post that gives you deeper insight into who I am, but not often.

However, I've been feeling certain people in my life who are close to me don't really bother to have much of a relationship with me because they think they know me so well because of this blog. I might say things to them, and they will tell me, "Oh yeah, I read your blog!" Umm, thanks...don't you want to actually talk to me?

This blog only gives the reader a superficial glance into who I truly am. Did you know that there are things about me that I don't feel comfortable posting? Yeah, never thought about that did you?

I'm mainly referring to people I've met within the last couple of years.

Sloppy Joes: my version

Whoever invented sloppy joes was a genius. They are a great meal to have when you are in a rush or you are at a loss for what to make. Plus, they're very tasty and filling (at least, I think so).

I usually make up this recipe as I go along, but here are some general measurements I use. Keep in mind I cook for two, so if you have more people to cook for, adjust as necessary.

1/3 pound ground beef
1/2 onion (chopped finely)
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
1/4 cup ketchup (this is an estimate)
A few carrots, chopped very very finely (a great way to sneak more veggies into your diet, and I have a food chopper to cut them up real good)
1 teaspoon (approximately) Dijon mustard

I usually put brown sugar in too, but I forgot to do that this evening ;)

Cook beef, garlic, and onions in skillet on medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, carrots, and mustard and stir to combine. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes and serve on buns. Stephan likes to put some cheddar cheese and pickles on his. I usually have mine plain.

It's really easy. Feel free to adjust it to your liking.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ah yes, the oft talked about cookies. These were the first cookies I ever baked by myself, and everyone who has ever come into contact with them will testify of their deliciousness. Stephan proposed to me mere minutes after tasting the batter. He was deprived of peanut butter cookies before we married because his dad and his brother are allergic to peanut butter. Now he can have all the peanut butter cookies he wants.

Here's the recipe I use.

Peanut Butter (Chocolate Chip) Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cup white flour (you can use part wheat flour too)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, and I recommend semi-sweet)

Cream the butter, peanut butter, egg, vanilla, and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and gently mix until all ingredients are combined. Dough should be soft, but not sticky. Stir in chocolate chips, if using. Roll into small balls (about 1 inch), roll in sugar, press down gently with a fork, and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should only be slightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets and remove with a spatula to plates. Makes about 3 dozen.

Enjoy with a tall glass of milk :)

Speaking of curls..

So today I went over to my in-laws' house with Stephan so I could do some writing (the internet went down in our area), and I was chatting with my mother-in-law Kathy and Stephan's younger sister Natalie. Kathy was talking about something you can use old nylons for, and I commented, "And I threw away all my old holey nylons for nothing!"

Natalie then interjected, "You can use them for curlers!" I pointed to my hair, and then she remembered that I don't need curlers ;) But then I told her that it could be useful if Stephan's genes take over and we have straight-haired girls. I hope I can pass on some curls...

On another note, Kathy gave me instructions on how to make homemade yogurt. I sampled some she previously made that she put some fresh strawberries and agave nectar in, and it was yummy. I don't normally like yogurt, but I enjoyed this! I'm going to try my hand at it, and I'll let y'all now how it turns out.

Recipe: Chicken Katsu

I've decided to post some recipes that I like to make. I posted one sometime in January, but I think I'll be a little more regular.

One of the first successful meals I prepared for Stephan after our marriage was chicken katsu. It's basically chicken that's fried Japanese style and served with ton katsu sauce (basically a Japanese barbeque sauce). Now, usually this dish is made with pork (called ton katsu), but Stephan cannot have pork because he has an intolerance to it.

Chicken Katsu

Chicken (I like using chicken breast tenderloins, or you can cut chicken breasts in half. The number depends on how many people will eat it)

1 tablespoon of flour per cutlet

1 egg per two cutlets

1/4 cup of panko per cutlet (panko is a must. It's Japanese bread crumbs. You can find it in most supermarkets these days in the Asian food aisle, and it's not too expensive)

Dip the meat into the flour, then the egg, and finally in the panko. Fry in hot oil (375 degrees, or HIGH), turning, until golden and fully cooked.

Serve with sticky white rice (sorry, brown rice simply will not work with this, don't even think about it) ton katsu sauce, and a vegetable. I highly recommend edamame (Japanese soybeans).

You can get tonkatsu sauce at some supermarkets, but not always. Your best bet is the Asian market. It's a thick brown sauce. Kikkoman is some of the best, but there is also Ikari. But warning: the Asian markets don't always have labels in English.

"Is your hair naturally curly?"

That's a question I get a lot, because the first thing most people notice about me is my thick, curly hair. 

The answer? Yes, my hair is naturally curly. Of course, I could also quote Fran Drescher (when asked about her nasal voice) by saying, "Would I fake this?" 

I love my curly hair, but that's only happened in the last three years. 

As a teenager, I waged war with my hair. It all started when puberty hit and my hair became curly, and I had no idea what to do with it. A hairdresser promised that a certain haircut would bring out the curls, but all it did was make me look like something out of the sixties. That's when the kids started asking me if I would consider my hair a bush or a tree. That's also when people starting referring to me as "that girl with the big (or bushy) hair." Fifth graders can be so mean. It traumatizes me to this day. Even when I got to college, I got bushy hair comments.


Because of this, I often pulled my hair back.


When I was seventeen, my mom and I started going to a hairdresser whose solution to our frizzy hair was chemical relaxation. Can I just say this was a big mistake? But, I didn't know what else to do--straight hair was the fashion. 


I stopped getting chemical treatments when I moved to Utah for school, but the war continued. Interesting piece of trivia: you will find at least one hair straightener in a BYU female apartment. No joke. A lot of friends and roommates would straighten my hair out of pity. Although one roommate did teach me how to use a diffuser, which is invaluable for curly girls :)


My mom stopped going to the chemical-happy hairdresser and found someone who actually knew how to cut curly hair. Over time, he cut away the damage that was caused by the chemical treatments. It took a long time, but one day, I had curls! No frizz! My hair was even darker! You can imagine my shock and delight! My friends were shocked too. 


As a result, I don't own a hair straightener anymore. I don't fight the curls. Do you have any idea how good it feels to not have to blow dry your hair in the morning? All I have to do is wash, comb, and put mousse on it and I'm good. 


I did have a friend who straightened my hair because she wanted to see what it would look like, and afterwards, I had quite a few people tell me to keep it that way. I felt a bit insulted. I know, why should I feel insulted about my hair?


Here's why: my curls are a part of who I am. My hair is curly, end of story. If you don't like my curls, then to me, it feels like you don't like who I am.


I know, it sounds superficial, but that's just how I feel.


And by the way, Stephan loves my curls--he doesn't want me going near hair straighteners ever again. I am not complaining. Straighteners and hair dryers can wreak havoc on your hair anyway.


Of course, I'm not saying that curly hair is superior. I'm saying that we should love the kind of hair we have, whether it be straight or curly, or somewhere in between. Life is so much easier that way. And of course, there are occasions when a different look is grand.


Here's to hair, whether or not we have it.