Horse Radish

While looking through Alex's mom's Better Homes and Gardens magazine, there was a special on immersion blenders. Blah blah blah, I don't have an immersion blender but I feel like the same effect could be produced with just a regular blender or a food processor, which I do have. So, the recipe I have not tried but want to is one for a Onion-Horseradish Dip:

4 oz. wedge blue cheese
1/2 of an 8 oz. carton sour cream (aka 4 oz.)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 of a medium red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 tsp prepared horseradish

In medium bowl crumble about 3/4 of the blue cheese. Add sour cream, whipping cream, red onion, garlic, and horseradish. Use immersion blender (food processor) to blend cheese mixture until almost smooth. Top with remaining blue cheese and additional chopped red onion (if desired).

The recipe says to serve with vegetable dippers or to use it as a topping on grilled steak, chop, or chicken breast. YUM.

Macerated Peaches

Made "Blackberry and Peach Cobbler" today. It was delicious. The recipe is as follows:

Macerated Peaches
8 ripe peaches (2 1/2 lbs) peeled, pitted, and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on peach sweetness
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I just used some vanilla extract)
2 pints blackberries, rinsed and dried

Topping
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon each baking powder and salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut up
1/3 cup buttermilk

1. Macerated Peaches: In large bowl, toss peaches, sugar and vanilla (bean), cover. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, tossing occasionally. Scrape seeds out of vanilla bean halves and discard pods (unnecessary if using vanilla extract). Add blackberries and mix. Spoon mixture evenly into 8 shallow ramekins (~5 cm in diameter) placed on a large baking sheet, or into shallow 2 quart baking dish.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Topping: In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar ,baking powder and salt. With pastry blender (I used a fork), cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. With fork, stir in buttermilk until mixture comes together. Crumble over filling.
4. Bake 40 minutes, until topping is golden-brown and fruit is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack.
5. Serve warm with ice cream for extreme deliciousness.

SO GOOD!

PA

Going to Pennsylvania today until Tuesday. I am so excited. I am just waiting for my dad to arrive to drive me to the train station.

Going to have so much fun! Dad's home! More later.

P.S. My nails glow in the dark.

Slow-Cooker Mania

So it's EMS Appreciation Week...or something along those lines. What does this mean? It means I've been taking lots of classes and eating lots of free food. My family is even taking me out to eat because they appreciate me so much. Awwww...

Along the lines of it being EMS week, one patient had the right idea and decided to need CPR on Monday, to start of EMS week. CPR is always exciting to do. Turns out patient is still alive after all that, too!

In an unrelated note, I'm watching Food Network and the lady is making Slow-Cooker Meals. The recipes all look really good, but she's currently using 3 slow-cookers at one time and is currently making more food. Now she's on slow-cooker number 4. Geez, don't they know people these days don't have 4 slow-cookers in their homes?! Bah.

Anyway, this picture is of Suzanne, Nima, and me back in the summer of 2008 when we rode for the 4th of July fireworks.
Good news: I got up at a reasonable time this morning!
Bad news: I'm really sleepy from waking up before my usual time

Monday = Food-day

Another food post! Geez, these make me feel like my life revolves around food. Maybe it does. Today I told my parents I would make dinner and went on the search for something easy but that looked fancy. I decided to make a sort of Fettuccine Carbonara. I made some fettuccine and Alfredo sauce. Then I put bacon, chicken, and cherry tomatoes in it. It has received the highest honor in food approval - the Evan seal of approval. It's pretty good.

Before I made dinner, though, I had to make something for the firehouse tonight. It was between chocolate chip cookies or chocolate-covered strawberries (aka strawberriers). Acme was having a buy one get one free deal on the strawberries, the decision was made. I made one pint covered in milk chocolate and one pint covered in dark chocolate. Double-boilers are fun!

In a totally related note, my Orange Cat is so cute. I'm including a picture of him I took yesterday.
Good news: Ottoman is barking at the reflection of the sunlight from my laptop on the ceiling. He's ridiculously cute.
Bad news: Ottoman has a really obnoxious bark.

Almond(less) Cookies

I made almond cookies!!! In my house! It was so much better than making things at school. I got to use my own stuff and drink Green Tea Ginger Ale out of a martini glass and listen to Fun. and then listen to music with Evan! The cookies came out pretty good. I made one tiny mistake: I put salt in it (as per the recipe) but then we didn't have unsalted butter so they were a little saltier than intended. And we didn't have almonds to press into the top. Oh well. They're still delicious.

Good news: Orange Cat is purring.
Bad news: he doesn't want me to pet him.

R.I.P. Jimmy Johns

As per Cory's facebook status, I have learned that Jimmy John's in West Chester, PA has burned down! This is extremely upsetting, especially because I never got a chance to go when I was visiting. I think we should have a moment of silence for the horrible incident at this wonderful place.

This makes me think of Hot Dog Johnny's. I'm going there so soon, hopefully right after I get home I can convince Alyssa to drive me there. Yeah! Great plan.

Good news: started packing to go back to Jersey!
Bad news: first two finals tomorrow; let the stress begin.