Valentine's Cookies

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late.  Happy Valentine's Day, be fruitful and do long division or somethin'.

+1 for an old but gold movie reference

I was really in the mood to commemorate Valentine's Day with something pretty and sweet, so I took selfies of myself for you guys.

I just really wanted an excuse to put this on the Internet.

So I decided I wanted to make really cute, well decorated cookies.  Sprinkles, drizzles, and food coloring galore!  Essentially, I had three different types of cookie planned out:

1.) Plain chocolate chip

2.) Pink chocolate chip, shaped into hearts

3.) Coffee swirl (this one didn't get used, I didn't have all of the stuff to make it).

From left: Plain, pink, and coffee swirl

I tried my hand at shaping the cookies into hearts (considering that we don't own cookie cutters), which I did by making three small balls out of a chunk of dough: two were placed next to each other, the third was placed underneath the two.  Then, I pressed it down and molded it until it formed a little heart.

Like so!

And while they weren't perfect, they definitely came out with a recognizable heart shape:

 Then, with a little trimming, they take on a much more defined heart shape:

(Albeit a teeny bit sharp around the edges)

When everything was shaped out, I tried a few decorative methods.  I've always wanted to try the drizzle strips thing where it looks like someone ran back and forth really fast with a constant stream of melted chocolate, caramel, etc.  And the fluffy shag-carpet-coating of sprinkles has a really nice charm to it, so that was on my to-do list.  But then again, I wanted to keep a couple of cookies unfrosted because chocolate chip cookies don't really even need anything extra in terms of flavor, and hardly in aesthetics.

All in all, I think the whole thing turned our rather nice:

Quick poll: what's your favorite Valentine's Day treat?  Because we all know that Valentine's Day is just an excuse to eat lots of sugar.

ECHO out.

Your Favorite Breakfast Burrito

Isn't breakfast the best?

Seriously, the first thing we're inclined to do as human beings is to fuel up and prepare for the challenges of the oncoming day.  Oftentimes, the outcome of your day is heavily influenced by your first meal: how much of what nutrient you ingest or don't ingest, whether or not you had to rush it, how tasty it was (we all know how much food can affect our moods).  Which is why I make an effort to eat breakfast every day (even though it's usually not the greatest on school mornings), and why I love cooking up something special for everyone in the house on weekend mornings.

Because who's really gonna be grumpy after you bring them a plate of heart-shaped eggs-in-a-hole?

(I really wish I'd had the time to get a picture of my mom's this morning; but I had to serve it hot)

What I DID get a picture of, however, was one of my favorite treats that I don't get to enjoy as often as I'd like, mostly because it can give you a stomach ache if not done right: a breakfast burrito.

Overstuffed Breakfast Burrito

Yields: 2 massive burritos, or 4 smaller ones

Ingredients:

1 large potato, well rinsed

2 eggs

4 oz spicy sausage (I just took slivers off the end of a sausage log)

4 slices turkey bacon (or regular bacon, because bacon)

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 medium-sized tomato, chunked

2 large whole wheat soft tortillas

Up to 4 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic (in juice)

1/4 cup milk

Shredded cheddar cheese

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

1.) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet on high.  While this is heating, chop up or grate half of your potato (I used a grater for the shreds).

2.) When the oil is ready (you can check by flicking a few drops of water from your clean hands into the pan; if it sizzles, it's ready), scoop your potatoes into the pan.  Keep a spatula on hand, and flip/stir often.  Want them crispier?  Let them sit for longer intervals before flipping.  Salt and pepper as you like.

3.) While your potatoes are cooking, begin cooking your sausage, 2 ounces at a time, in another skillet on medium-high.  Treat it just like your potatoes, keeping a utensil on hand to stir often.

4.) While the potatoes and meat are cooking, you can begin sauteing the onion in a small skillet with the minced garlic.  Cook until as brown as you like (I like 'em dark).

5.) By this time, your sausage should be done, and your potatoes should be pretty close if not completely done.  Go ahead and get them off the heat and covered.  I drained them and put them on a plate, so I could use the pans again.

6.) After clearing out the sausage pan, use it to prepare 2 of your bacon slices.  Around now, your onions are probably done.  Take them off the heat, too.

7.) While the bacon cooks, combine the milk and eggs in a medium-sized bowl, and beat well.  Salt and pepper to your taste.  You can use the onion pan (after cleaning it out) to cook these bad boys over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked and fluffy.

8.) The eggs and bacon will probably finish around the same time.  Take 'em off the heat and cover.

9.) NOW FOR THE FUN PART.  Lay out a tortilla out flat, and begin filling as you like.  I like putting down the cheese first, so it gets all melty underneath the hot ingredients.

Roll up and enjoy!  (You might have to hold it together with a toothpick, because it will fill up fast.)  May or may not be even more delicious with sour cream and salsa.  Can you say breakfast of champions?

ECHO out.

Power-Up Soup

Ever have those days when you're just feeling like:

I was stuck in a rut of those kinda days for a straight week and a half or so, when I came down with a gnarly cold that stripped me of my voice and all will to move or be productive.  However, there were better days, and there were worse days, and it was on one of those better days I put together a protein-packed, carbohydrate-loaded, vitamin and mineral rich soup that's just as hearty in the stomach as it is in nutrients.

And the best part is that it's easy and has a versatile ingredient list--something you could prepare for yourself with minimal effort, no matter how sick you are!

Here's the formula: you want protein (some sort of meat, fish, bean, or legume; don't be afraid to use multiples!  Proteins help revive and repair your body), carbs (this might come in the form of pasta or rice (whole grain if you've got it!); this is your energy provider), and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, in the form of vegetables.  I'd say the color rule is probably your best bet for getting the most out of your ingredients: try to incorporate as many colors of vegetables as you can.  Anything from leafy greens (kale, broccoli, spinach, etc.), to the warm color spectrum of oranges, yellows, and reds (tomatoes, corn, and peppers, anyone?).  You've got your lights (cauliflower, onions, potatoes, and so on) and your darks (eggplant (YAS PLEASE), mushrooms, etc.), and more that I could probably go on and on about.  But in Laymen's terms, the more colorful your plate, the better!

The awesome result of the above formula is that you can throw together a soup from stuff you've probably already got lying around the kitchen, and it's gonna have you like

Plus, look how pretty it is!

Power Up Soup (Han's Variation)

Yields: A lot

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, chunked (you can also use canned chicken breast chunks)

1 1/2-2 cups whole grain pasta (any kind)

1 can whole corn kernels, drained

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup lentils, prepared according to package instructions

1/2 onion, sliced

About 1-2 tablespoons oil

About 8 cups water

Don't forget, I was working with what I had: you can add or omit anything!

Instructions:

1.) Begin by sauteing your chicken breast chunks with the oil, adding spices as you please (we happened to have pre-seasoned Southwest style chicken breast, which is what I used).  When it's thoroughly cooked, set aside, covered.

2.) Bring your water to a boil, then add your pasta.  Cook until tender.

3.) Once the pasta is finished, DO NOT DRAIN.  Simply add the rest of your ingredients.  Simmer until everything is tender when pierced with a fork.

Serve hot and power up!

ECHO out.

THE MOTHERLOAD

Blog material has been accumulating since my last post.

Who's ready to have a motherload dropped on them all at once?!?!

So after my last post, I came down with a double whammy of sickness--first was a nasty cold/bronchitis/something that ain't nobody got time for (I lost my voice and everything.  The cough is still kind of lingering).  And then, as soon as I was beginning to recover, BAM.  Double pink eye.

However, there have been times where I was actually pretty healthy and in the mood to cook.

And oh man.  Have I been cooking.

First and foremost, I was in charge of hosting a joint birthday party for my mom and Aunt Brenda, and I decided to go ahead and use this opportunity to double as my scholarship project for the Art Institute.  Much to everyone's dismay, however, my mom came down with pink eye right after I recovered, and one of the twins got sick.  But since it was still a special day (and I had literally spent the entire previous day making all kinds of tasties), I went ahead and made some special, delicious food.

+1 for using 'double' three times in the last two paragraphs.

With pictures included (and cropped, mind you!), my essay came out to ten pages.  I could fill six or seven blog posts with my material.  However, I'll just give it all a nice, shiny gloss over in a single (albeit likely to be very long) post.

Secondly, I made a really cute Valentine's Day special with all kinds of positively adorable love-themed cookies!  So that'll be another post for all you sweet-toothed Spartans out there (looking at you, Emile.  I feel like you're a hand-in-the-cookie-jar kinda man).

There was also a post I made with super hearty Power-Up Soup: a nutrient-dense soup for those days when being sick will just knock you down and keep you there.  Fortunately, it's also pretty easy to make, and with interchangeable ingredients, you could quickly whip it up for yourself on a sick day!

I'm also considering doing a short post on my attempt at a simple curry recipe because CURRY IS LIFE.  A good friend of mine's mom has a curry recipe that is literal nectar of the gods, and SHE SHARED IT!  However, I didn't have the stuff to make it, and figured, "Why not try my hand at a a po' boy version?"

And finally, this morning I made breakfast for everyone (which seems to be a recurring theme on a lot of my weekends because who doesn't love surprising everyone with breakfast?), and wanted to highlight the breakfast burrito that is the literal stuff of your dreams HAHAHA GET IT BECAUSE BURRITOS ARE STUFFED WITH INGREDIENTS AND no?  Okay.

Well, we've got of Grade A Spartan edibles to talk about, so please... be my guest.

...Did I tell you guys I landed the role of the Madame de la Grande Bouche in my school's production of Beauty and the Beast?

Guess you'll have to check out the next few posts to learn more about it!

ECHO out.