I Love College
I feel it’s time for some hardcore procrastination!
Hey all! Week one of classes is over and so far I love this school. Thank you all for your comments on my last few posts, and I’m sorry I haven’t had the time to respond. :/
My course load is a little heavy this semester: Italian (which is every day), Chemistry lecture, discussion and lab, Biology lecture and discussion, Nutrition: Health and Society lecture and discussion, Science and Technology of Food, and Sailing (!!). I was supposed to take calculus and a writing course. I tested out of writing and I’m procrastinating calc for as long as possible as math classes are my kryptonite.
I also thinking about the Cornell Gourmet Club, the Food Science Club, the Farms to Campus Club, the Yoga Club and a Community Volunteering Club. I know I can’t do it all and I have to figure out how I’m going to balance everything.
Today I’m sharing 10 awesome things about Cornell.
10. The dining halls: they’re really good! Our residence hall is literally 10 feet away from one of the largest dining halls on the freshman side of campus which is extremely convenient. They have:
- A huge salad bar with tons of different add-ins and some local products which makes me happy.
- A traditional line with veggies (usually 2 options), a carb like potatoes or rice, and a protein
- A grill with veggie burgers, your standard burgers, fries and nuggets, and grilled fish
- Soups
- A “Taste of Italy” line with a pasta bar, pizza, garlic bread, bread sticks, etc
- A “Mongol Grill” where you fill up a bowl with veggies and then choose one of three sauces (like soy ginger, mandarin orange, etc.) and a protein then have it cooked in front of you. You can have noodles added or eat it with our choice of brown or white rice. ‘Tis delicious!
- A section with Mediterranean food (!!) that includes grape leaves, hummus, tabbouleh, chick pea salad, and broccoli rabe salad (So pretty much my ideal foods)
- Desserts
- Local and non-local fruit
9. The gorges: The campus is beautiful. Walking to class is seriously an experience and I’ve found some beautiful running routes. [small pet peeve: the gyms are always packed with people. I can barley move my the free weights, let alone lift!]
8. The clubs: There are so many opportunities to get involved everywhere!
7. The classes: My chem professor is awesome and my nutrition professor is possibly my favorite person ever! I haven’t taken food science yet, but the director of the Food Science program is teaching the class and I adore her.
6. The diversity: My small high school was 99% Caucasian. Here there are so many different people. It’s like a breath of fresh air! I’m meeting people from Singapore, India, Germany and Korea. Pretty much amazing!
5. Collegetown: Ithaca has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the nation. College town is just a fun place to be! 
4. The Hills: It’s a hike to get to all of my classes and there are tons of hills on campus. It’s a great workout! (this will probably get old in the winter)
3. My Room: The rooms are really, really nice. Ours is big and spacious. My bed is comfortable, the bathroom is nice, and my roommate is amazing.
2. Our Floor: I’ve had so much fun with the people of this floor. Looking back on my college decision pro/con list I had “not fun” in the con column of Cornell. Totally wrong!!
1. The People: I really love everyone here. 
Love.
GF Vegan Microwave Pita Chips
This post may change your life. I love pita chips but the gluten free pita selection leaves much to be desired. This is totally okay because this recipe is extremely easy, tasty, and makes plenty of chips for all to enjoy.
It all starts with Bob’s Red Mill AP Baking Flour. I love this stuff because it’s not completely rice flour and the flavor is pretty delicious once baked.
The batter has few simple ingredients and takes little time to put together. I use yeast mainly for its flavor. Because there are no gums or binding agents added to replace the gluten, the dough won’t be able to trap yeast generated gasses but the flavor yeast adds is just what these chips need.
The method is simple: mix, roll, microwave, turn, microwave, enjoy.
They come out tasting like crunchy delicious flatbreads. You can dip them in anything, but my favorite was almond butter and strawberry jam. Also hummus, bruschetta* and tapenade work deliciously with these chips.
They’re also great by themselves!
Gluten Free, Vegan 3 Minute Pita Chips
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes
Special equipment:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Mix one cup of flour, yeast, water and sugar to a large bowl. Mix and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the flour, salt and oil, mix and let sit another 5-8 minutes
Cut sheets of parchment paper that will fit in your microwave when folded.
Dust the paper with extra GF flour or cornmeal. Make golf ball sized pieces of dough and roll between the paper into a circle as thin as possible. Score with a knife into 4 wedges.
Microwave folded in the parchment for 1 minute 20 seconds covered, then 1 minute on each side with the parchment open. The cooking time of the sides will depend on thickness, so experiment!
Break apart and enjoy!
Have a great day!
Away, Away
I’ve been missing in action from the blog world.
It’s been 10 11 days since my last blog post and it’s felt like 10 months. Since my waffle recipe I’ve packed up my entire life to move to Ithaca, blew out 18 candles, supported my friends’ cover band, seen John Mayer and Train live, hit at the track, gotten a new license, new glasses and new hair, worked my last day of lifeguarding in the 518 and taught my last swimming lessons.
It’s been a successful summer and today I leave for college. I’m so excited!
This week is a five day pre-orientation hiking adventure around Ithaca. I won’t be able to blog until I move in on Friday.
Regarding OhhMay,
I have some new things planned for this site. I’m going to be completely honest and say there’s a chance they might not happen. I’m loaded up on classes and getting a campus job, so time will be tight. I hope to be able to blog 2-3 times a week and hope that some of my food science course work will make interesting topics for posts.
I will update with pictures from summer, hiking, and my new room. I hope you all can bear with me another week!
Until then,
Mae
Gluten Free Belgian Waffles
Waffles are my favorite. They’re so delicious- crispy on the outside and light on the inside. They’re so much better than pancakes…I apologize to any pancake fans I’m offending by saying this.
These gluten free waffles are perfectly traditional- no frills, just airy and delicious. They don’t need extracts or added flavors and serve as a delicious canvas for toppings wither extravagant or simple.
Gluten Free Belgian Waffles
Gluten free, Dairy free
Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 10-20 minutes
Special equipment:
Ingredients
Directions
Whisk together the wet ingredients (egg, milk, sugar) in a small bowl.
Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, corn meal, rice flour, starch, salt, xanthen gum and baking powder) in a large bowl.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until lumps diminish, about 20 turns.
Why? without gluten the worry of over mixing is non existent so you can work with a nice, smooth batter!
Turn oven to 200* F.
Heat your waffle maker until it’s prepared to waffleinate**. Pour in 1/4 cup portions to each waffle mold and cook with manufacturers instructions. If desired, pour in about 3/4ths of your batter, add a handful of chocolate chips and top with more batter. Cook like the other waffles.
Top with strawberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, whipped cream or whatever else you want.
Tip: To keep waffles warm, store on baking sheets between moist tea towels in the oven.
*I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend.
**Yes. It’s a word.
I urge you to try these! They’re so simple to make and none of my taste testers detected anything “special” about them. Just pure delicious waffles!
Oh What A Beautiful Lunch Date, Oh What A Beautiful Day
Yay for lunch dates! I been dying to meet back up with Rosey Rebecca for a while, especially after our previous encounters. We went to Panera Bread to catch up and eat.
I ordered the you pick two vegan black bean soup and mozzarella basil tomato salad. Yes, mozzarella. I have no idea what was wrong with my eyes or head but when I got it I remembered ‘Oh, I’m allergic to that!’ Thank God it was only on top of the salad and not throughout. I donated my cheese to Becca.
The black bean soup was good and the salad was decent. I felt bad Becca’s meal was underwhelming!
Afterward, we went on an Operation Beautiful hunt but turned up with nothing. Boo, Borders in Clifton Park: get on your game!
Some Target shopping ensued where I tried a few dresses that didn’t fit (I know! I’m horrible!) Becca tried on some adorable dresses, though!
My friends and I went to a benefit concert later on and then back to my house to watch The Dark Knight and eat chocolate covered strawberries.
~~~
Lovely cousin, who will shank me for posting this photo, stayed for breakfast. I was experimenting with a gluten free waffle recipe.
Crispy! And yummy. Recipe to come this week…
How were your weekends? Anything exiting in the week ahead?
I know I’ve told everyone I know about my exciting week already, but I’ll repeat it one more time:
Monday- Becca’s taking me to the Counting Crows concert for my birthday!!!
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday- Blahh, work.
Friday- Canoeing!
Saturday- Mis amigos’ cover band premiere (Add Bacon? Thursday Night? Sixes and Sevens?…It’s yet to be named)
Sunday- My baby cousin’s Baptism and Party; hopefully John Mayor!
Monday- Birthday!! 18! Gambling all my summer funds away at the race track. (Once again, I’m a horrible person.)
Blue Corn Crusted Haddock
My computer miraculously fixed itself last night, which is good news for this post. I thought the photos were gone forever!!
Haddock is probably my least favorite fish. I don’t enjoy the texture or the flavor. Thankfully, there are ways to make it delicious!
I thought about faux frying but decided to just crust it in some corn based products and see what happened.
I started with about 1.5 lbs of haddock, which comfortably fed five people.
To make the dredge, combine 1 tbsp corn meal, about 1.5 cups blue corn chips (a big handful), 2 tbsp corn starch, and 1/4 cup baked tortilla chip crumbs ( I made these in a food processor). By crushing the blue corn chips with your hands and the yellow corn chips with a food pro. or a rolling pin, you get many different textures and flavors. Old Bay, and garlic powder also added flavor to this dredge.
Salt and pepper both sides of the fish.
Then combine equal parts dijon mustard and lemon juice for a wet dip. I used about 3 tbsps of each.
Dip the fish in the wet, then dry and place on a foil liked baking sheet.
Drizzle in oil and simply broil until golden brown and delicious!
Blue Corn Crusted Haddock
Serves 5
Prep time: 10 minutes Inactive Prep: 7 minutes
Special equipment:
Food processor or rolling pin
Ingredients:
Directions:
If using rolling pin: roll the baked tortilla chips in a plastic bag until they are crumb consistency. Add to a bowl.
If using food processor: process tortilla chips until crumb consistency, add to a bowl.
In the bowl, mix in in the corn starch, corn meal, Old Bay and garlic. Roughly crush the blue corn chips with your hands and mix in.
In a separate shallow dish, mix together the lemon and mustard.
Salt and pepper the fish on both sides. Roll each piece in the mustard lemon mixture, then in the dry mixture. Set on a foil lined baking sheet.
Set your oven to broil. Drizzle the fish with oil and broil for about 7-9 minutes, until the fish flakes and the top looks golden and delicious.
Serve with grilled vegetables, sour cream, salsa, or shredded lettuce if desired.
My family loved it. It was salty, crunchy and hit the spot!
~~~
Have a great Sunday
Be Back Soon
I’m having technical difficulties… I should have everything up and running by the end of the weekend.
A Goo Goo Night
The Goo Goo Dolls Concert was last week.
I ran into someone familiar!
The Spill Canvas: Real good.
Switchfoot: Awesome 
[Photo Credit: Rosey Rebecca]
[Photo Credit: Becca ]
The Goo Goo Dolls: SO SO SO GREAT!
They’re my favorite. The end.
Kitchen Essentials, Part One
Hey lovelies,
I’ve been working on updating the OhhMay pages. I decided to add an OhhMay Shop page. I have an Amazon store where you can order the products I talk about and use while I cook. I thought it would be a good idea because everyone always asks me what brand [insert appliance here] I use to make [insert recipe here]. If you buy any products through my aStore I earn a small (emphasizing the word small!) commission… It also gives me a chance to review a bunch of the major staples in our kitchen!
Kitchen
Page uno!
I know it’s hard to stock a new kitchen, or any kitchen at all. I worked hard to pick out the best quality and most economic solutions. Do you need to spend $400 on a blender? Can a $40 blender work just as good? What are the most important tools? Find all your answers here.
Blenders are essential to healthy eating and realistically many kitchen tasks. I got this blender for Christmas (it’s about a $40 blender) and so far it’s accomplished all tasks I’ve needed it for. It makes mean protein ice cream and my green smoothies every morning.
Super bonus: it does an awesome job on nut butter. Smooth and creamy!
For $40 it’s a great deal. I actually like that the parts separate for thorough cleaning. The square shape of the carafe is great to create the smoothie “vortex.”
This food processor has worked wonderful for me for years. It’s one of the least expensive full size food processors and it does a great job chopping, shredding, mixing and whipping bananas. If it has one con, I would say it’s ability to handle small batches leaves a bit to be desired. It just takes a little extra effort. Overall, it’s a very durable and reasonable piece of kitchen equipment.
Rice Cooker
Rice cookers are a great tool, especially for no-maitnence morning oatmeal. They cook perfect brown, white, or wild rice as well as other grains like quinoa, barley, and even can make things like tomato sauce and curry dishes. Mine has certainly been through all this! The best part is it’s less than $15 and works beautifully.
Steamer basket
Potatoes, green beans, asparagus, cous cous, carrots, fiddlehead ferns, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower…Steaming is an essential cooking method to preserve nutrition and make your vegetables, grains, fruit, or meat more digestible. We use the steamer for clams, to pre-cook grilled chicken wings, simple vegetable side dishes, and to reheat tons of different dishes. Basically any instruction to “blanch” or “broil” you can make healthier by steaming.
Melon Baller
Yes. The all essential tool for fruit baskets and fancy appetizers. The Oxo has a comfortable grip which is nice for big jobs!
Cutting board
I like bamboo a lot for my cutting board. It doesn’t dull the knives and doesn’t get nicked as easily as wooden boards. This one is about paper size which is big enough to mince, dice and chop an onion, pepper, apple, etc. I like a bigger cutting board for bigger jobs but this one is perfect with limited counter space. Plus it cleans easily!
Wooden Spoons
A small and large are great for stirring, turning, candy making, sauce brewing, and keeping your non-stick ware scratch free.
Buy the small. Buy the large.
[Images courtesy amazon.com]
~~~
This week I’m thinking I have a few more recipes that need to go up, The Goo Goo Dolls recap, and canoe shopping with the family recap.
I want to do a giveaway soon, but I’m not sure what you guys are most interested in…
I like giving away things like granola, nut butters, jams, etc. Which one of the OhhMay recipes sound the best to you for a giveaway?
Raw Cookie Dough Sundaes
When I saw Caroline’s Raw ice cream sandwiches, I knew I had to try them. My friend and I got together to watch a movie, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity.
Instead of using a LaraBar as the cookie, I thought LaraBar style chocolate chip cookie dough would go nicely!
For the cookies, I used my raw cookie dough recipe and flattened each ball to about 3 inches diameter. Then we served them with banana whip on the side.
Cookie Dough Ice-cream Sandwiches
vegan, gluten free
- 1 recipe raw chocolate chip cookie dough
- 2 frozen bananas, cut into chunks
- 1/6 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Make the cookie dough and flatten out cookie shapes. Freeze on plastic wrap.
In a food processor combine the bananas, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth, adding almond milk if needed.
Scoop 1/3 the ice cream onto a cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Serve immediately or freeze.
Tip: You can also serve them open-faced like I did!
My friend went nuts over this combination! It worked really well. I would love to try Caroline’s original peanut-cookie base soon.
No bake cookies and refreshing ice cream. I don’t want summer to end!
Two For Tea
When I was camping, I had a long tea conversation with the one of the sweetest people in the world. She gave me some amazing teas and amazing tea advice.
Above, African Rooibos which I learned is actually pronounced roy-bous.
Suzanne says: Always start with good water. If it comes from a well, it probably won’t make good teas. If you don’t like the taste of your water you definitely won’t like the taste of your tea.
Suzanne says: Ceramic tea pots are the best. They don’t leave behind any flavor or sediment.
Good thing I just burned out my old tea pot. 
Now I’ll have to replace it.
Above, an older English black tea.
Suzanne says: Most teas last 6 months, but depending on the type, age when bought, surface area, tightness and length of leave, and storage method some can taste great for a few years!
This black tea was really delicious.
Suzanne says: For black teas, have the water at a full rolling boil. For green and herbal teas, use water at about 180* F. You can use a candy thermometer to tell, or just take the water off the stove for a minute or two after it boils.
Suzanne says: use a strainer like this one right in your tea cup. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you how much tea to use per cup. You can experiment and make your own choice. 3 grams? 5 grams?
Suzanne gave me a lot of fruity teas because I mentioned I enjoyed them. She also gave me a catalog for Harney & Sons, her favorite tea company.
I’m enjoying these teas so much! The question is what should I send her? I want to do something nice… maybe something like banana bread? Homemade bagels? Give me ideas!
Tea resources:
Guide To Tea (Recommended by Suzanne)
Frozen Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops
Gluten Free, Vegan
Cool frosty summer treats are now in order. Banana pops are so simple and SO delicious slathered in dark chocolate. If you make about 30 of these, they’ll last you a little while and every time you open the freezer you’ll be greeted by the ultimate combination of chocolate, soft, sweet frozen banana, and crunchy peanuts.
Step 1: Let bananas ripen to the brown spot stage.
Step 2:
Cut in half and insert popsicle sticks.
Step 3:
Peel, and place on a sheet pan that has already been in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Why? Because The quicker you can freeze the bananas, the less of a chance they will turn brown or “leak” sugar and moisture which creates nasty ice crystals.
Step 4:
Freeze for about 4 hours. I used a cooling rack to create more space in my freezer for two sheet pans of bananas.
Step 5:
Dip in dark chocolate. I like the Ghirardelli chips in the gold bag. For every cup, use 1-2 tbsp coconut oil to ensure even melting and goof proof dipping. You can either use a chocolate fountain as pictured above or use the microwave method.
I’m not a fan of double boilers. When it takes just a drop of water to seize melted chocolate, why would you do it over a pot of simmering water? It just doesn’t make sense. Dry heat is a much more capable of producing seizure proof chocolate.
If you don’t like to use the microwave you can use the heating pad method, but I warn you it takes much longer and when the chocolate is uniformly melted it’s still much thicker and more difficult to work with than microwave chocolate.
Step 6: Dip chocolate covered bananas in your choice of add ins- peanuts, coconut, sprinkles, chopped almonds, etc.
Place back on the cookie sheet in the freezer (the chocolate should harden immediately because the banana is already frozen.)
After about 30 minutes you can move all bananas to a zip top freezer bag.
Enjoy!
Zucchini Potato Pancakes
Zucchini. It’s such a summer treat- light and airy when raw, juicy and sweet when roasted and adaptable when shredded. Farmers are practically giving away their zucchini stock. There’s just too much of it!
Which means it’s time for a zucchini-heavy summer recipe!
Zucchini Potato Pancakes
Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga
Prep time: 12 minutes Active cooking time: about 15 minutes
Special Equipment:
- Nonstick or cast iron skillet
- Grater
Ingredients:
- 3 cups shredded zucchini, about 1 medium
- 3 cups shredded potato, about 2 medium
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/4 cup flour*
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- Pepper to taste
Grate the zucchini and potato into a sieve. Toss with 1/2 tsp salt and let sit over a sink or bowl for 10 minutes, pushing moisture out every few minutes.
Why? The abundance of moisture in zucchini and potatoes will make the pancakes soggy and they will take much longer to cook. By salting, water is drawn out of the cells and drained away.
Pat zucchini and potato with paper towels or tea towels. In a mixing bowl beat the egg. Stir in the shredded vegetables, onion, rest of the salt, and flour.
Prepare a skillet, either non-stick or cast iron, with vegetable oil or olive oil. (About 2 teaspoons oil in a 19” skillet will do) Heat to medium, about 350-365*.
Depending on your preference, you can either make 1/4 cup pancakes, tablespoon pancakes, or teaspoon pancakes. For 1/4 cup pancakes cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. For table spoon pancakes, about 3 minutes on each side and for teaspoon size about 2 minutes on each side.
Tip: You may need to add more oil to the skillet as you do more batches. Make sure while cooking you leave about an inch between pancakes to avoid heat reduction.
Drain on a paper towel and enjoy plain, with apple sauce, sour cream, snipped chives or any combination of the three.
*To make gluten free, replace the flour with 2 tbsp corn starch and 2 tbsp corn meal. I think I actually enjoyed this variation more!
Prepare ingredients.
Preheating pan.
Stirring it all up.
Golden brown crust…
Draining…. Yum!
Teaspoon sized pancakes!
Delicious.
What Happens In the Woods
Welcome to the lake! This weekend was my first time camping. I had to miss the Eat, Drink, Blog event held by Then Heather Said but I was able to spend time with my sister before we part. It was a really difficult choice to make…hopefully we can have another Capital District blog lunch!!!
We drove up to Schroon lake and camped out at the state campgrounds.
New fangled communication technology…
[hahahaha] Do you spy a veggie burger?
[yum?]
I made rice pilaf from scratch for a side dish the first night. 
Moonlight ride.
Good morning!
The storm, our view from the boat.
Garlic Scape Artichoke Hummus
Holy garlic scape! Until this year I’d never used a garlic scape but after seeing them around thee Farmers’ Market and blog world I thought I would give them a try. 
I bought a bag and I really do enjoy them!! I used them in a version of miso soup (that still needs some work) and then decided to try a garlic scape artichoke hummus.
If you’ve been reading for a while, you probably know that almost all of my hummus recipes include artichokes. I don’t know why I love them so much in hummus, but I do. They’re so good! They add a rich, sweet, and bright flavor that can’t be beat. It’s a little more difficult to get the hummus smooth with artichoke hearts though.
This recipe wasn’t my best work. It’s a little too solid after being in the refrigerator and the texture isn’t fabulous but it has amazing flavor. I think it would be wonderful in humnut or in a sandwich. In fact, I’ll probably try both of those!
Garlic Scape Artichoke Hummus, Take 1
- 1/4 cup water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped garlic scape (about 4 medium)
- 1 9 oz package of thawed and drained artichoke hearts
- 1 15 oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch or black pepper, cumin, or cayenne pepper (or all three)
In a blender combine the water, lemon juice and mustard then blend on a low setting.
Why? The mustard is going to act as an emulsifying agent as you add the fats.
Combine the olive oil and tahini then drizzle in slowly as the blender is still mixing.
Why? This created a creamy suspension that won’t separate.
Next, mix in the garlic scape a little at a time until the mixture is smooth. You may need a spoon to coax your blender along.
Slowly add in alternating handfuls of artichoke hearts and chick peas until everything is incorporated. If you need more moisture, add alternating teaspoons of olive oil and water until it reaches the desired consistency.
Season to taste, mix one more time then pour into a bowl and garnish with parsley, cumin, cayenne and olive oil.
~~~
The nightmare that was registering for classes.
This morning my classes opened for enrollment at 8:00. I logged on and started choosing classes, put together my ideal schedule and went back in to change the time of my PE class.
Once that was done (about 8:12) I tried to confirm my schedule…. Oops! two of the classes I “added to my cart” were filled. To get them back I had to change the time of everything and every time I went back in to adjust things another class was filled. It got to the point where my math, bio and chem classes all had just one lecture time left- and each one occurred at about the same time.
I got really nervous. Neither of my parents went to college and nobody told me it was going to be this difficult! I tried calling the student canter but for some reason my it kept telling me the number was unavailable. (Yes, I pressed 1 first!) I tried to call my advisor and that was also unavailable. I finally tried another phone and got through.
I talked to someone and she overrode the centers’ requirements so I could get into all of my classes. Unfortunately, My math and chem still overlap. This is freaking me out. From here, I’m supposed to e-mail the departments to see if I can change the times around so they’re not at the same time. That means I also have to rearrange my bio classes to then rearrange my chem lab and discussion and math class. But it won’t let me “exchange” chem lab for a different time because the lecture is the same so I’m getting an error message that it’s a duplicate class.
Basically I still don’t know what I’m doing. I can’t wait to get this figured out. Scheduling is like a timed Sudoku puzzle- if you change one thing everything else needs to be changed but you have to do it at the speed of light. Arg.
I know everything will work out when I get to campus… At least I hope.
Trim The Dorm, Part 1
I thought I would give you guys a peek at the hectic “dorm supplies” room…
So far shopping has been really interesting. I was sitting on the couch with my mother trying to explain what I needed for college. I couldn’t put it in words so I decided to draw some diagrams.
Above, the artist’s rendition of ‘plastic chest of drawers’
Below, an abstract piece titled ‘clear plastic bins’
After that, I resorted to pointing the things I need out online. My list went something like this:
- Clear bins
- Lots of bins
- Something for laundry
- A bin for electronics
- Stuff to write with (?)
Yeah.
Before we went shopping I was told to organize all useful things I’d saved from my high school carreer. Good thing they were on the top shelf of my spare room closet. Good thing the shelf broke as I was trying to get them down. Good thing the office is still a sea of papers.
The only things I deemed useful were my eight (!!) chemistry notebooks and 3 chemistry text books. My five year Spanish career boiled down to one packet of paper (the cooking unit), my French career to one sheet of paper titled ‘The mostest important sheet in France’ with a verb conjugation guide and all irregular verbs.
Back to chemistry. I really did say eight notebooks. I took honors chem my sophomore year and AP my junior year and took 3 note books the first year, 5 the second. I’m a complete chemistry nerd but in my defense it’s obviously the best science.
I condensed all the notebooks and loose leaf paper into one “Giant Binder of all things CHEM” and tried to categorize it by unit. I think that actually might be useful. I take really good notes.
In classes I care about.
Let’s not talk about my physics notebook.
That one was filled up with sketches of camels… And nothing else. Oops!
Back to school supplies. Yay, colored pencils! Boo, Walmart.
For graduation my amazing cousin filled up a big bucket with all kinds of school supplies I would need. That helped out a ton!
Why can’t they make folders in colors that correspond to the notebooks they sell. Now I can’t be a color coded nerd!
Moving forth. My Aunt Mary (who is AWESOME!) gave me this “little pink book” as a gift. The message in it was something along the lines of:
‘write the names in ink, but the addresses in pencil so you can stay in touch wherever life takes you.”
I thought it was pretty awesome and I think an address book is a really good thing to have! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost everyone’s phone number when my cell died. It would be nice to have them in print- something not completely dependent on technology.
Onward!
Dorm Kitch’
My very own tupperware. I guess this means I made it.
Shh. It was on sale. And look how friendly George looks… Can you really say no to that face? Think of all the grilled paninis I wouldn’t eat if I didn’t get this. I won’t think of it! George is mine now and I’m not giving him up.
Meet Boiley, the microwave egg hard boil-er. He’s so adorable!!
Aww Boiley is a fan of my super cute sundae glass I got on clearance. (Can you tell I did the dorm kitchen shopping without my mother? If she was with me I wouldn’t have bought any of these things. But it’s my lifeguarding monayyy and I’ll use it to buy frivolous unnecessary kitchen goods if I want!! haha)
So these are mini appetizer forks and spoons. The fork set and spoon set were $7.99 each so it wasn’t the best deal… who am I kidding? That’s $2 per utensil…. But they’re SO CUTE. 
Think of all the possibilities with this mini Dutch oven. C’mon, it’s an essential!
On to things I bought while I was under supervision:
This will be my makeup organizer. How practical.
Disinfectant and other essentials. Little hand sanitizers!! Do you spy my toes in the corner?
Bath stuff. Rub-a-dub-dub! I feel like I need a rubber duck-ey. If for nothing else, to tie onto my bath caddy so it matches the super cuteness of the rest of the room
Printer, came with my baby MacBook. Yay!
I don’t know if this is allowed so I probably won’t bring it. The space heater is my lover and I just wanted you to know that.
Funny (ish) story: my dad hates it because it’s always plugged in in the winter and I sit literally on top of it. Like I try to crawl into it-close. He unplugs it and hides it on me. (He’s serious too, like ‘you didn’t wash the dishes, see if I let you be warm’) Before he went away on business about three years ago I took a picture of myself in front of the space heater and wrote ‘Love you, Daddy’ on it. I put it in the bottom of his suitcase. When he got there he called the house, laughed for two minutes without saying a word and then hung up the phone.
The end.
This post is never going to end.
Yoga mat, totally necessary. Actually I bought this one for a friend’s birthday. I’m bringing my nasty old one but I didn’t think you would want to see pictures of it.
Top notch pillow, ideal for me. I’m a side sleeper 100% of the time.
A peak at dorm bedding colors. Oooh, ahh. I won’t show you my real bedding because I want you to wait in suspense. Actually it’s not in yet.
And I’m bringing my new Macbook pro and a lap desk.
I’ve saved up my money for a Livescribe pen so I think I’ll be ordering it soon. It’s so cool! How can you not want it?!
So the moral of the story is I’m now officially out of money. And the office is still a disaster. But we still have love and that’s more important than money. RIGHT?!
RIGHT.
“Please only buy things you need.”
But Mommm, I did need all of this stuff.
Fresh Berry Tarts
Summertime calls for refreshing and light desserts. Berry tarts are nice because they highlight the season’s best produce in their natural state.
These are so simple- they really take about 7 minutes to prepare. In addition, they’re an economic but classy solution to the summer appetizer/dessert dilemma.
The berry tarts have 4 elements- the “crust”, the jam, the yogurt and the berries.
Now here’s the secret: the crust is baked wonton wrappers.
- 50 wonton wrappers are $2.50
- They crisp up in 5 minutes with little to no oil
- They’re the perfect base to both sweet and savory tarts
Fresh Berry Tarts
Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County
Special Equipment:
Mini muffin tin
Prep time:
Active- 6 minutes Inactive- 5 minutes
Serves:
How ever many you want. Seriously!
Ingredients:
- Wonton wrappers
- 1 – 2 cups Greek yogurt, flavored if possible
- 1 – 1.5 cups all fruit jam
- 1-2 cups fresh berries or fruit slices
Directions:
- Turn oven to 375* F. Spray mini muffin tin with vegetable oil and then press wonton wrappers into the holes.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes until lightly brown. Cool on a cooling rack.
- Add about 1 tsp of jam, 1 heaping tsp of Greek yogurt, and fresh fruit to each tart. Garnish with mint leaves if desired.
Variations + Tips:
- For a sweeter base, spray the wonton wrappers with vegetable oil and sprinkle cinnamon sugar before baking.
- You can use plain coconut milk yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt
- Look for the ingredients at the Farmers’ Market-Most sell Greek yogurt and there are bound to be berries!
Different combinations:
- Blueberry jam/ blueberry Greek yogurt/ blueberries
- Strawberry jam/ vanilla Greek yogurt/ strawberries
- Peach preserves/ maple Greek yogurt/ sliced peaches
- Pepper jelly/ plain Greek yogurt/ sliced cherry tomato
Step 1 left, Step 2 right
Farmers’ market blueberry Greek yogurt. Even the blueberry jam on top is local!
Fresh berries
~~~
Today was my first day teaching Back Yard Pool. Another guard and I go around to residential pools to teach kids how to swim. The YMCA pool where I usually work is indoors so it’s so nice to be outside in the sun!
My uniform is a bathing suit and I spend the day hanging out with kids in their 88* pools…what a job.
Chocolate Granola Pie
When did granola earn the reputation as a health food? Often it’s made with cups of oil and corn syrup, sugar and sweetened dried fruit. While that’s delicious and adds to the luscious clusters and creates a crunch ever so satisfying, it’s not a health food. So let’s get that out in the open.
But. It can be a part of a healthy breakfast. As in the crust to a pie.
This “pie” takes pancakes, granola, and oatmeal cookies and wraps them into one delicious breakfast or dessert.
And, it’s vegan. No wheat either! You can easily modify this recipe to become gluten free, too.
So here’s the deal with this pie. The bottom is crunch and nutty, the “topping” is gooey and chocolaty. It’s like apple crisp with chocolate.
Chocolate Granola Pie
Vegan, Wheat Free
Serves:
4-8, depending on serving size
Special equipment:
Large non-stick skillet (15-19”)
Prep time:
Active-20 minutes Inactive-5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 very ripe banana
- 1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened vanilla)
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1.25 cups rolled oats
- 3 tbsp honey or brown rice syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup spelt flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup dark (vegan) chocolate chips
In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe banana and add the milk, water, chia seeds and apple sauce. Set a timer for 10 minutes and set aside.
In the nonstick skillet start toasting the slivered almonds over medium heat. Once golden brown (about 5-6 minutes) you can remove and grind into a meal, chop further, or leave in chunks.
Add the rolled oats and stir until the oats begin smelling nutty, about 1 minute. Add the honey 1 tbsp at a time and stir together with wooden spoon. Once all the honey is incorporated, stir in the salt and coconut oil.
Continue cooking the granola until it’s a rich golden color, about one or two more minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the spelt, baking powder and chocolate chips [reserve a few for garnish]. Incorporate into the chia banana mixture. If too thick add a few more tablespoons of water. It should be at about pancake batter consistency.
Take the pan off of the heat and with the back of the wooden spoon press the granola into a flat layer on the bottom. Pour on the spelt-chia-banana batter and smooth with the back of the spoon to cover the granola. You can leave about 1/2 inch of “crust” on the sides for looks.
Broil the pan on low for about 5 minutes until the top turns golden.
Let cool and serve like a pie. Your kids (or you) will love it!
Tip: Leftovers are great cold!
Tip: Substitute gluten free oats and brown rice flour for the rolled oats and spelt flour. Add another 1/4 tsp of chia seeds… Voila, gluten free vegan chocolate granola pie
Above. Top left: cooking granola, top right: covering with batter,
bottom left: smoothing out batter, bottom right: after broiling
Yesss….
~~~
Thank you all for your input on my last post. I got some great advice and I think I will be a’sailing in the fall…
Have a good day? Night? Whenever you read this, make it a good one. haha 
Is OhhMay Fit?
Haha I don’t know if you’ve clicked on my fitness page recently, but it’s pathetic. It hasn’t been updated for months and I’m not sure why. I still work out a lot- I go to the gym about 3-4 times a week, run a mile in the morning twice a week (I know how pathetic that sounds) and do yoga at least once a week.
But. I slack off sometimes. I get to the gym late, I bike aimlessly, my mind wanders, I don’t have time to lift, blah blah blah.
Here’s a sample of an average week of workouts (this was an actual week):
Monday: Nothing… hah, about that
Tuesday: 1 mile run in morning
- Gym before work- 35 minute stationary bike
- 3 sets 20 lunges with 12# weights
- stretching
- abs (as in crunches on all sides until I get bored… about 3 minutes worth, haha)
- 3 sets 30 calf raises with 12# weights
Wednesday: Gym before work- 25 minute stationary bike
- 7# weight shoulder moves. Basically this.
- Abs (a very quick set)
- Stretching
Thursday: Exercise TV, my favorite yoga sculpt. I love Maura Barclay! She’s awesome.
Friday: 1 mile run in morning
- Does swimming count as a workout?
Saturday: Walk dog
- 30-20-10 pushup/weighted lunges/crunches (As in 30 of each, 20 of each, 10 of each)
Sunday: Gym before work- 1 mile run
- 40 minute stationary bike
- 2 sets of 20 (50#) on each of the leg machines
- Left, right, and center plank (1 min each)
Here’s what I want to improve on:
- I want to find some new ab workouts so I can change up my abs routine
- I want to add some more running (and the appropriate amount of icing for the ankle) BECAUSE I want to run a 5k in the Fall.
- I want to improve my flexibility
- I want to stop skipping workouts. I didn’t begin this new habit until a few months ago, but I need to kick it to the curb! I’ve never been one to skip workouts and now all too often I say ‘no big deal, I can workout later, excuses excues’. It’s just not me!
I’m thinking for a race in the fall I want to run the Turkey Trot. Who knows, by that point I may be able to race a 10k! I’ve never been good at easing into anything, for me it’s all or nothing so getting back to running has been difficult. Every time I feel a little pain in my ankle I get nervous and worry I’ll start the whole injury process over again.
And soon I need to pick my PE class for Fall semester.
Should I do yoga or sailing?
Things to consider: My life aspiration is to ride (drive?) a sailboat, I need something to de-stress, I want to learn more yoga, I love boats. What to do?
My gym membership in college includes all the gyms, fitness classes, pools, tracks, and rock walls(!!).
V+GF Black Bean Burgers and Greek Chicken
This isn’t my first bean burger recipe or chicken recipe, but they’re my favorite so far!
Yesterday I marinated some chicken for my parents and threw together some black bean burgers so we could all eat grill fare.
The chicken was moist and flavorful while the burgers were tender and crunchy. SO GOOD!
It worked out perfectly.
Greek Chicken
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1/3 cup of feta cheese
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
Marinate one chicken, cut into breasts, legs, thighs, wings, and drumsticks for 8 hours.
Remove chicken and grill over medium low heat for about 20 minutes (until the meat reaches 155* F)
Remove pieces as they finish (the wings and drumsticks will cook quicker than the breasts) and tent with foil. Serve with chopped parsley and feta cheese, if desired.
Black Bean Burgers.
These are also by far the easiest bean burgers. There’s no need for any equipment other than a bowl and potato masher.
Vegan, Gluten Free Black Bean Garden Burgers
Ingredients:
- 15 oz can black beans, drained
- 1 cup veggies of choice, finely minced
I used carrots, broccoli and cauliflower but you can use bell pepper, sweet corn, or artichoke hearts
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp gluten free flour blend (or spelt flour)
- 2 tbsp brown rice flour (or spelt flour)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 grinds black pepper
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- pinch crushed pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tbsp gluten free oats (or rolled oats)
- 2 tbsp flour of your choice
Directions:
Mix together beans, veggies (make sure they’re finely minced), GF flour, and brown rice flour. Add the seasonings and mash until it starts to come together. You can then continue mashing with your hands and form patties.
To make patties scoop out a heaping tablespoon and flatten it to about 1/3 inch thick.
Mix together the oats and last 2 tbsp flour. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. Dip the burgers in the flour mixture.
Place on greased sheet of foil and store in freezer until ready to cook.
On a grill with medium heat, place the sheet of foil on top of the rack. Grill for 6 minutes then remove the foil sheet. flip each burger directly onto the grill and continue cooking for 4 minutes on each side.
Remove and enjoy!
Greek chicken in back, burgers on left, grilled corn on right.
Yess. Dinner time!
~~~
This morning, Angela’s “I Believe” post really inspired me. First of all, I love Oh She Glows. It’s one of my favorite blogs. It’s one of my top three “inspiration” blogs.
If you haven’t read her post go do so!
Here’s what I Believe…
- I Believe that surrounding yourself with positivity eliminates 90% or negative thoughts.
- I Believe that when you set and work to a clear goal, no mater how goofy or difficult it is, you will either achieve it or achieve something even better.
- I Believe support from friends, family, or co-workers, or even strangers can help you achieve your goals twice as fast.
- I Believe money is meaningless if you surround yourself with friends you take care of and will take care of you.
- I Believe you will NEVER regret being generous.
- I Believe in sanctuaries. When you’re at “your” stream or on “your” run you feel like nothing can bother you.
- I Believe in hard work.
Here’s what’s up:
- If you have a friend that you constantly feel awful around, slowly move away from them. There are plenty of other people who will make you feel wonderful. You don’t need someone who puts you down or is constantly negative toward you, him or herself, or others.
- Really. Make up something you want in the next 5 years. I want to write a cookbook. There, I said it!
- Think of something nobody around you wanted you to succeed in. How much more difficult was it to accomplish that? Remember this when one of your friends has a dream that you can’t see happening. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in it, support them anyway.
- Want to go on vacation? That friend that lives far away that you’ve kept in touch with and exchanged packages with is your answer. If you take care of your friends, they’ll take care of you.
- You have 10 extra dollars that you can buy a book for yourself with or a book for someone else. Buy it for the other person and get yours out of the library. People don’t forget kindness easily.
- Find someplace, anywhere, with or without people around that you can go to feel at peace. Church? To the gym? For a drive? Your choice.
- Do you want something? Go get it. Read books until you know what you’re doing, save money, practice and focus. You’ll get there.
What do you believe in?
~~~
PS. I’m blogging from my PC still. I tried to write two posts with ecto and I can’t get my recipe format, fonts, or bullets right. With WordPress online pictures are a pain in the but. I’m thinking of saving money to buy Parallel just to run WLW. Geesh! This new computer is costing more than I anticipated!!
