Maintaining Goals pt. 1

Since exams are finally over for me I am going to take the first step to follow through with my winter break goals.  Let's talk food.  I spontaneously met up with Matt Huffman at my apartment and cooked up some dinner.  Upon looking around my kitchen, I realized that I have almost no food because of preparations to go home.  I was able to dig out some potatoes and catfish I picked up on manager's special at K-Rog. This is what I cooked and how I did it, using only what I had at the time.  Had I prepared, I would have steamed some green veggies and a salad to go with it, just to add some small measure of healthiness to the meal.
  

Pan Fried Potatoes:
Unpealed potatoes evenly sliced about 1/4" thick
Butter, Salt, Peper, Cajun Seasoning, Onion Powder


Melt a generous amount of butter in a skillet (cast iron, if you have it) over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and stir around to coat on all sides with butter.  Add in the seasoning (don't measure just add some and taste it after).  Cover the skillet, but leave a sliver open for some steam to free out.  Cook until the potatoes are soft and have some nice golden color.  Make sure they don't stick to the bottom, the fewer times you flip them the prettier they will turn out.


Fried Catfish:
Cat fish fillets
Vegetable Oil
Flour, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, old bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning


Heat up 2/3" oil in a skillet to 350 degrees (this is difficult without a candy thermometer. I didn't have one and I didn't get my oil hot enough so my fish didn't turn golden brown but it was still really tasty) Beat an egg with some milk and put it in a shallow bowl.  Throw your dry ingredients on a plate.  Rinse the fillets, dip them in the egg/milk and then cover them with the dry ingredients.  Place the fillets into the oil, be careful, when you flip the fillets make sure they land away from you so you don't splash yourself.  Cook until the fish just begins to flake when you drag a fork across it.


That's it.  It was suuuuper easy and pretty fun even though I slopped cooking oil all over the floor.  Comments, additions, and questions are welcome.  Please let me know if you actually try this out.  Happy Chrsitmas break!

Finals Week and Break Preparation

Finals week is an interesting animal. Every year it offers unique challenges and repeat pitfalls. As I am sitting here, hungry but warm under my blankets on this blustery day in Ohio, I am granted an opportunity to reflect. Yesterday I fumbled through a double dose of two hour finals in calculus and organic chemistry. I wasn't able to make it through either of the exams so I turned them both in with unfinished questions. That is something that I am not feeling very good about right now and it is effecting my ability to study for my later finals.

Despite my failure to be successful on my finals it seems this semester was a success. I knew coming into it that I would probably be facing the most challenging semester of my life. I got a new job, new(ish) major, moved to a new town, moved out from my two best friends, and started studying at a new university. I've always liked exploring fresh areas but everyone has their limits. I made it through and I'm proud of that fact.

Lastly, I feel it is important for me to set some goals for Christmas break in a desperate attempt to be productive in my season of rest (and to find rest in a spirit of productivity). So I set my list of goals to be as follows:

• Read at least one work of fiction and blog my review upon completion.
• Document and blog my culinary creations and experiences.
• Live up every moment at IndyCC and love on those around me.
• Order my textbooks before the last possible moment.
• Be rested in body, mind, and soul in preparation for my scholastic triumphs in the upcoming year.

Tea time.