Growing closer to growing up...(but not quite yet!)

I have a blog that I actually wrote out on paper with marker because I was stuck in the upper peninsula of Michigan for four days with my dad and there were no writing utensils suitable to the task except for that one marker. It's currently crumpled in a bag somewhere in my bedroom. That's Way. Too. Far.

I should be packing... or rather, I should have packed up already, but I'm lazy. Almost nothing trumps my summer laziness. It's a little scary. Tomorrow I drive to the Lansing area to wrap up some loose ends and say good-bye to Chris and then I'm off to Stockbridge for a day to pack up Colby's stuff (along with Colby!) and then we're off to Texas. The plan is to leave bright and early on Friday morning and drive from Michigan to Little Rock, AR and then drive from Little Rock to Austin. I guess I'll officially be a Texan on Saturday. Crazy.

More recipe entries to come in the future when I've settled into my new life as an almost married Texan, including fried risotto balls, corn bread revisited, chicken Kiev, and sweet potato fries.

Dinner Parties

I'm making Kyle throw a dinner party tomorrow because I didn't get to go to his other one. Sadness! Colby and I have finally found a place in Texas, so we're stoked. Or at least, I am. And I have a kitchen with a dishwasher and COUNTER SPACE!!! Also, washer and dryer hook ups, as well as a patio. I'm definitely making Colby grow an herb garden.

Recipes to follow and such.

I had to share:

From myconfinedspace.

Oh my god. I'm watching America's Sweethearts on WKBD and my laptop keeps on serendipitously turning off. Lame. I'm making mother's day dinner for my grandma and aunt later today.

Ice Cream Toppings

Adapting baking recipes isn't the easiest thing in the world. Also, I hate Kroger with a burning fiery passion. It basically has a monopoly on inner ring suburb grocery stores. The parent company for Farmer Jack decided to close all their stores in the midwest and Kroger came in and bought out all the old stores.



The green arrow is where my house is located. All those damn pink bubbles are Kroger stores. Lame. Anywho, they didn't have any fresh peaches or plums or name a fruit that's not citrus or an apple. Oh, but they had grapples. That's "cool". :( I just keep reminding myself that Austin at least has two Whole Foods... and even though I'm going to be way too poor to shop there, at least the H.E.B. has 1L boxes of strawberry jumex. *Anywho*

So I was trying to make a fruit crisp that I saw on 101cookbooks.com. I didn't think I had enough brown sugar so I modified the recipe as follows:

"crisp"
1/3 c melted butter
1/3 c yogurt
3/4 c oatmeal
3/4 c AP flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a bunch of salt
1/2 c brown sugar

filling
12 oz frozen mango
16 oz frozen peaches
1/4 c peach flavored simple syrup
1 tbs + 1 tsp corn starch

I first made the "simple syrup" by mixing 1/2 c granulated sugar, 1/4 c water, and 1/2 a peach cut up into little chunks. heat it until the sugar all dissolves, let it reach a simmer and cover for two minutes. I added this to the mangoes+peaches along with the corn starch and mixed thoroughly. I was sort of hoping for the corn starch to thicken.

For the "crisp" I whisked the dry ingredients together and then mixed in the yogurt and butter. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to use way less yogurt next time because it wasn't as much "doughy" as it was pasty. And I'm pretty sure that it's not supposed to be a paste. Cover an 8x8 in pan (that you've already put the filling bit in) with this and then put it in a 400 F oven for 20-25 minutes.

It turned out to be rather soupy. I guess next time I'll not use frozen fruit (but then again, next time I'm not going to try to do this from friggen Kroger. Damnit.) and I'll just mix the sugar and cornstarch with the fruit and hope for the best. Also, way. less. yogurt.

It turns out, though, that this ends up to be a really good, albeit complicated, ice cream topping.

Stuff I Will Miss in EL, MI

So I started writing this a couple different times, but I never had the patience to finish it. I guess now's the time. I haven't done anything in the week since graduation. I've never been so bored in my life. I made mac'n'cheese with my brother last night because I didn't have anything better to do and the night before I made curry for my surprisingly receptive dad. Anywho, things I'll miss...


in list form! (and in no particular order, might I add):

Menna's Joint-they're the only legal dub in town! But no, really, for some reason they never caught on with my friends, unless I was dating them and forcing them to eat delicious-filled tortillas with me. Also putting fried potatoes in flour tortillas with cheese is pretty much Julie-speak for "omg eat me" in the way that doesn't mean bma.

Emo's Cafe- It was (apparently) originally Rivis Korean and American cafe, but then they changed their name to Emo's. It took the place of Mexico-to-go which was a staple for my dad and me when I lived on campus. I *just* discovered Emo's last weekend, and wow, it's phenomenal. Their bulgolgi is waaaay better than Charlie Kang's (though, Charlie Kang's does have superior choice in vegetables in their bibimbahp).

Flat's Grille-I wasn't a huge fan of their actual flats (which are essentially quesadillas), but they had pierogies and really amazing sweet potato chips. Also, the best limeade in town.

Vernors - I haven't really seen this pop outside of Michigan much. There's Canada Dry, I suppose, but it's not nearly as cough/sneeze inducing. Also, what am I going to do when I'm sick? Vernors+saltine crackers = best sick food evER

National Coney Island - best. food. ever. I want a hani.

I'm sure there's more. And I bet I'll figure it out when I'm in Tejas