Autumn - Butternut Squash and Leek Soup

Philly Farm & FoodFest 2013

Dietetic Internship..

Visiting WCU in 2009

I'm feeling a little bit sentimental today...

A week from today I will find out if I've been selected for a dietetic internship that'll truly pave the way to becoming a Registered Dietitian. I'm so nervous that I'll open my email to pure disappointment despite the wonderful praises and well wishes I've received from my friends, professors and family.

It seems like yesterday that I first visited WCU and now I'm about a month out from graduating. I'm really going to miss it here more than I ever realized.

Send out some positive thoughts and vibes my way this time next week!

Red Velvetly Breakfast

I've been taking a lot of photos now that I have my Nikon D3100, but I haven't gotten around to posting any of them. 

A little over a month ago, my sister and I really wanted pancakes. But I'm not the biggest fan of plain pancakes and she wanted Birthday Cake pancakes, which I thought would be way too sweet. So we settled on a buttermilk Red Velvet pancake and we seriously discovered.. heaven in breakfast form.

Kind of a gross looking picture.. but the stream of batter looked too cool to pass up.

Reason #1 why I love shifting dry ingredients! 

I suggest dropping whatever you are doing and start making these ASAP.

Highland Orchards - Apple Season!

Taco Tuesday Disappointment

Today, while filling out our roommate agreement forms, my roommate and I ate tacos from one of the food vendors on campus. Now I have always been a big proponent of "Taco Tuesday".. the tacos are typically pretty good and it's just a fun tradition to eat a taco every week, particularly when alliteration is involved. But the taco I had today was just sub par [at best] and poorly made. The ingredients didn't taste fresh, the chicken and beans were cold, and to top it off, the guy making my taco was obviously a novice, as my taco fell apart as I picked it up to eat.

Now, I might be overreacting, but food has always been a very important part of my life. And not just in the sense that I need it to survive. I thoroughly enjoy cooking and eating. One could say, I definitely live to eat, not eat to live. ;)

What are your thoughts on campus foods?

Christmas Presents

Ever since high school I have made little Christmas boxes with various cookies and candies for all of my friends. To be honest, I do it for two reasons: it's a lot cheaper than buying individual gifts for everyone. Hell, I'm a broke college student! And second, I really enjoy making them! I don't get to bake that often while I am away at school, so really.. any excuse is a good one. [Ironically enough.. as I am typing this blogpost, a Christmas episode of Friends came on and Monica, the character my friend Justin tells me I am exactly like, comments: "Cookies say that people care! Okay, we are broke.. But cookies do say that!" How oddly appropriate..] Every year I try to have a different theme for the things I make in the box. This year was Peppermint! I never used to enjoy candy canes or anything minty, but I have really started to like it after falling in love with the Mint Chip ice cream from Scooped (my job). It's the best and, quite frankly, the only mint chip ice cream I have ever liked! 

This year, my friend Sarah let me borrow her Nikon D3000 camera to try out because I've been considering buying my own for my trip to Italy. Oh my, I loved it and really want one now!! I decided to try out my skills and take some 'artistic' photos with the camera... [**Update: I purchased a Nikon D3100 and treat it like my child, mostly because it costs enough to be treated as such. I'll hopefully post about it soon.]

Anyway, this year I had a huge list of things I wanted to make for the boxes. I debated between:
-Chocolate Chip & Candy Cane Pie Pops
-Peppermint Meringues
-Peppermint Joe Joes Truffles
-Candy Cane Biscotti
-Chocolate Fudge
-Peppermint Bark
-Candy Cane Lollipops
-Peppermint Marshmallows 

If I had the time, I would have made them all, but I ended up making some yummy White Chocolate Chip and Andes Peppermint Cookies, Candy Cane Biscotti, some yum-o fudge that I make every year, and homemade Candy Cane Lollipops. Now, that was the first time I had ever made lollipops.. and my last. Well, not really.. but I just didn't realize how fast you have to move and how hot everything gets!

Some of the lollipops totally lost their shape.. this one ended up looking like a bison. ;)

I hope my friends loved their boxes! I really enjoyed making them, despite the minor burns on my fingertips from the lollipops! Here are a few random photos I took while trying out the new camera:

I'd like to thank my mom for buying these.. yum yum!

This picture makes me oddly happy. :)

The biscotti.. before they were dipped in white chocolate and more candy canes!

A picture of the inside of the box

A box.. with boxes