I am a chef!

A few months ago, I became a vegetarian, not because I believe meat as a food source is disgusting, or immoral, but because I became concerned about the super-commercialized meat industry, and its effect on our environment. I think (after doing some reading) that the meat industry, as a side effect of becoming so darn commercialized, produces a huge carbon footprint,  and also is inefficient in using our natural resources. Also, if we were to devote the resources we use for raising feed grain to raising real grain (for people's consumption) and just let cattle graze as they do naturally, not only would the cattle be healthier (although some could argue, less delicious) we could then redirect that grain to places that need it, and have an impact on world poverty. I also think we eat too much meat as a society, seeing as you can get all the nutrients you need without eating meat, if you plan your diet with that in mind.

So lately, I've made my first foray into the world of cooking, because it's become necessary for me to make and cook my own food, instead of relying on insta-foods that are common to such college existences such as mine.  I have found it as very rewarding.  I just thought I would share what I have been able to make (in a celebratory tone).

(if you don't want to read about all these recipes, I continue blogging near the bottom of this post)
***
From Sam Stern's Real Food Real Fast (a cookbook I love because it has dishes divided up into sections based on the time it takes to make them. I haven't posted the recipes in full because I don't want to rob Samuel of his profits, should one of you want to buy his book. But if you call me, I will tell it to you over the phone, as a favor. Or a favour, should I say. Sam is British.)
-Leek and Watercress Soup (also very delicious if you substitute carrots for watercress, as watercress has a short shelf life, and is a little hard to come by)
-Fried Veggies (This is very basic, but it is what first taught me how long it takes to cook various food items; asparagus, squash, eggplant, etc. I also learned how mixing my favorite vegetables is  DELICIOUS. Especially when cooked in a little bit of olive oil and garlic.)

From the NY Times recipes for health:
Eggplant, Tomato and Chickpea Casserole
Here is the link for this recipe.

This one I think I made pretty much exactly, and it was great. Who would have thought to mix tomatoes and cinnamon?! A pleasant surprise.

1 large eggplant or 2 medium (1 pound), peeled if desired, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced about 1/2 inch thick
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin across the grain
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Pinch of sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sprig basil
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and brush the foil with olive oil. Place the eggplant slices on the foil, sprinkle with salt and brush each slice lightly with oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat, and carefully fold the foil in half over the eggplant. Crimp the edges together, so that the eggplant is sealed inside the foil and will continue to steam and soften. Leave for at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes, and add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, cinnamon, basil and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Add freshly ground pepper, then taste and adjust salt. Remove the basil sprig, and stir in the drained chickpeas.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. Cover the bottom with thin layer of tomato sauce, and make a layer of half the eggplant. Spoon half the remaining sauce over the eggplant, and repeat the layers.
4. Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the parsley before serving.
Yield: Serves four to six.
Advance preparation: You can assemble this dish through step 3 up to two days ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator. Leftovers will be good for about three days.
-MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

I also plugged in the recipe to sparkpeople.com and calculated nutrition information. This is for one serving or, 1/6 of the pan.
Amount Per Serving 
Calories 240.2 
Total Fat 8.6 g    
Saturated Fat 1.2 g    
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7 g    
Monounsaturated Fat 5.3 g 
Cholesterol 0.0 mg 
Sodium 274.0 mg 
Potassium 885.8 mg 
Total Carbohydrate 38.1 g    
Dietary Fiber 9.8 g    
Sugars 2.1 g 
Protein 7.1 g
Vitamin A 20.0 % 
Vitamin B-12 0.0 % 
Vitamin B-6 32.5 % 
Vitamin C 35.2 % 
Vitamin D 0.0 % 
Vitamin E 3.8 % 
Calcium 5.3 % 
Copper 17.7 % 
Folate 26.6 % 
Iron 12.8 % 
Magnesium 16.2 % 
Manganese 44.9 % 
Niacin 10.8 % 
Pantothenic Acid    10.1 % 
Phosphorus    14.9 % 
Riboflavin 9.3 % 
Selenium 5.3 % 
Thiamin 13.6 % 
Zinc 8.2 %


Green Bean Salad With Chickpeas and Mushrooms
Here is the link to this recipe.

I made this recipe a second time, and I used different herbs, mostly because I discovered I did not care for marjoram. I recommend parsley, cilantro, and green onions. I also substituted balsamic vinegar for the sherry vinegar, and I did not add any mustard. I never thought that as a vegetarian, I would need mustard, but it appears I'm going to have to make some. When steaming the green beans, as I do not own a steamer, I put a little bit of water in a small pot (6-inch diameter, with about an 1/2 to 1 inch covering its base) and then put the green beans in there, bringing it to boiling, with a lid on. Home-style trick, courtesy of Mom. 

1/2 pound green beans
3 ounces mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced thin (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like chives, marjoram, parsley and tarragon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, green shoot removed, finely minced or put through a press
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Optional: 1/4 red pepper, sliced
1. Steam or blanch the green beans for five minutes, then cool in a bowl of ice water. Drain and trim the stems. If the beans are very long, break in half.
2. Combine the beans, mushrooms, chickpeas, Parmesan and herbs in a salad bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil.
3. Toss the dressing with the bean mixture shortly before serving. If desired, garnish with red pepper slices or toss them with the salad.
Yield: Serves 4.
Advance preparation: Assemble the ingredients and make the dressing several hours before serving. Cover with plastic so the mushrooms don’t dry out. Toss just before serving so that the beans retain their bright color.

This nutrition information is for one serving or 1/4 recipe

  Calories 187.0 
Total Fat 3.4 g    
Saturated Fat 1.4 g    
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g    
Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g 
Cholesterol 5.0 mg 
Sodium 480.7 mg 
Potassium342.7 mg 
Total Carbohydrate 30.7 g    
Dietary Fiber 6.5 g    
Sugars 0.4 g 
Protein 9.8 g 
Vitamin A 6.8 % 
Vitamin B-12 1.8 % 
Vitamin B-6 31.1 % 
Vitamin C 19.0 % 
Vitamin D4.0 % 
Vitamin E 0.7 % 
Calcium 13.8 % 
Copper 15.1 % 
Folate 24.1 % 
Iron 11.6 % 
Magnesium 11.9 % 
Manganese 39.9 % 
Niacin 6.1 % 
Pantothenic Acid    7.5 % 
Phosphorus    18.9 % 
Riboflavin 10.7 % 
Selenium 10.1 % 
Thiamin 5.4 % 
Zinc 11.2 %


After conquering a few of these I decided I was ready to get fancy. Thus when I saw a recipe in the Oprah magazine (my favorite!) where I recognized all of the ingredients, I decided to give it a try.
Orange Chocolate Mousse
Here is the link to this recipe.

When I made this I substituted 2 Tablespoons unsweetened orange juice (Simply Orange is my favorite brand of OJ ever) and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract for the Grand Marnier.
I do not have a double boiler, so I used a 4-inch deep frying pan and a small wok pan on top of that to create that effect. I filled the frying pan with just enough water so that as it boiled it touched the bottom of the wok pan, and it worked beautifully
I also am using whipped cream and mint instead of the candied orange peel, etc, that they recommend for a garnish. I just made this last night, and as today is fast Sunday I won't get to eat it for about 8-10 hours yet. I can tell you however, from licking the bowl and beaters, that it tasted like a dark chocolate orange.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

• 5 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 2 Tbsp. coffee or water
• 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
• 4 large eggs , preferably organic
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• Candied orange peel , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
• Edible gold flakes , for garnish; available at Amazon.com

Combine chocolate, coffee (or water), and Grand Marnier in the top of a double boiler. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Separate eggs. When chocolate has cooled, whisk in yolks.

In a medium bowl, whip chilled heavy cream to soft peaks. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; add sugar, and beat to soft peaks. Fold half of whites into chocolate until incorporated, then fold in rest of whites. Finally, fold in whipped cream.

Spoon mousse into 6 glasses; chill at least 4 hours. To serve, top each glass with candied orange peel and gold flakes.

Some of you may notice I have not put up the nutrition info for this dish. Hm.

 ***


I really enjoy cooking. I never thought I would because cooking usually connotes a stressful situation to me, and I am the LEAST comfortable person when I am in performance mode. However, if I am cooking only for myself, which usually happens, as I don't know many other vegetarians nearby, it takes away the pressure, and turns it into a creative experience.
Cooking for me is a lot like gardening, I think. I attended a class on depression this last semester, and one of the hobbies they actually recommended to people suffering from depression was gardening, because of the satisfaction that comes from creation, working with your hands, and seeing the success of your efforts. Cooking is very fulfilling in that same way for me.  It's sort of like when I took my first bookbinding class, and realized that I love bookbinding. I love it for the sense of using my hands and creating a work of art in a visual and material way. To cut all the sheets of paper to a certain size, line them up, sew them together properly; and to cut and paper the cover how I want to make it, to make something that represents what I can do. It is the same physical creation aspect of cooking that appeals to me so much.

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaating

I don't know if this has happened to any of the other ladies out there, but last week I was conned into another date by a boy who I tried to tell to stop dating me. It went something like this:
Me: I enjoy spending time with you, but I think it's better we just be friends.
Boy: Yes, definitely, I know and I agree with you, we are good friends, thus I want to get to know you better on that friendly level, and I'd like to do that by going on more dates with you.
Do you notice how he makes it sound like we are on the same side until the very end of his sentence? That con man. We had our third date this week, and it was actually really fun, as dates with this particular guy always are. I'm not saying I really like-like him yet (you know what I mean) but it was fun. I'm just sayin', I'll keep you posted.

School is getting stressful with finals and whatnot, everyone is feeling it I think. I always think it is some sort of cruel joke that the weather gets colder as school gets harder. As if we needed any more deterrents to going to class.

I stopped by an apartment in the ward recently to tell them about other romantic matters (not the one mentioned previously) and it felt really good to go tell someone about what I had been thinking about for weeks. Moreover, they told me to keep them posted, and to stop by whenever I feel like it. I forget sometimes that people do want to hear about my life, and that sometimes it is me putting up the barrier to communication, and not them.

I love you, California

A few weeks ago I went on a road trip to California. My friends Bryce and Brittany were running a triathalon, and I just came along for the ride.
Here are excerpts from the notes the trip inspired:
***
I think I definitely need meditation time in my life. The ability to just sit and think about my life after I wake up is wonderful.

I love the group mentality of people at athletic races, it is just awesome. Everyone is trying to be their best... I think I'm going to pretend the rest of my life is a marathon. Because it is. 

(this was inspired by listening to a musical in the car and hearing them say "your life will never be the same)
Is there something wrong with wanting your life to be the same? I've had some of the hardest times in my life come from my life changing when I didn't want it to. What's wrong with same-ness?
***
I loved this trip.  We got to visit Ventura beach (I didn't get pictures because it was dark out) but it was so cool because I felt like I knew California from how much west coast punk music I listened to growing up. It was like a pilgrimage to Mecca, finally being where Andrew McMahon was talking about all those years ago.

This is the lake where the triathalon was held.

Beautiful California:

p.s. San Dimas high school football rules! (see also: Loni Philbrick-Lindzmeyer's punk rock mix, opening song, The Ataris)

Daily News

Today I:
Found out people actually read this blog. Although this is exciting, it is also rather intimidating. Here we go self-consciousness, nice to see you.
Presented an article in American Literature class purporting that if Walt Whitman lived today, he would sympathize deeply with the movement known as "Rock and Roll."
Saw S-blade and he said that he and Whitney are moving in a month! Sadness! Called Whitney, to affirm.
Saw one of my friends from freshmen year in line in the testing center and didn't actually try to talk to him because whenever I see people from that set I feel embarrassed remembering how self-conscious and awkward I was that year. Who wasn't? But I still don't like to bring up those feelings, so I just don't say hi. Sad, isn't it?  It's easier to get to know new people than to talk to people you've known a long time. I feel like I recycle the same conversation with person, unless I am actually a close friend. I eavesdropped what he was saying to his buddy in line anyway. I really do want to know how he's doing.
Ran (read: jogged/walked in intervals) 4.7 miles in one hour.  My fastest mile was 9:48.
Ate delicious Japanese Eggplant pizza
Had to leave the room so I could laugh as loud as I wanted to when Cameron told Katy (in regard to his virgin lips) "We could change that right now." Oh my gosh, I love that kid.
Watched Channing Tatum. The most graceful man I have ever seen.

que lastima

One of the elders I worked with every week, and was a great worker, went home before he left the MTC.

Irony

I found this pen on the floor of the JSB.

I can only imagine that the person who borrowed it couldn't  (didn't have time to or couldn't remember where it was from in order to) return it to where it belonged, and rather than living with the guilt of a marked pen, abandoned it between the sleeping benches.

Naturally, I kept it.   It's homeless now.

Fulfilled Dreams

Sometimes, I realize the life I am living, and I am amazed. I don't want to write this stuff down as a bragging rights thing, I just earnestly believe that it is possible to live your dreams. 

Met Josh Groban. Twice.
Met Ingrid Michaelson. Twice.
Met Jason Mraz.
Saw Snow Patrol live.
Saw Missy Higgins live.
Saw Andrew McMahon sing live.
Ingrid's drummer wrote his name on my arm.
Worked a merch table at a concert (Ingrid's).
Got accepted to BYU. (Twice)
Got accepted to teaching program at BYU.
Had healthy dating relationships.
Have gone on dates with friends from freshman year. Often.
Receive hugs regularly.
Saw Wicked live.
Become friends with people I think look interesting. In a good way. Often.
Feel that a higher power is guiding my life.

RE: Old Testament Boy

This is from my friend Warren, in response to me being excited about sitting next to a boy in Old Testament, but I found it exceedingly hilarious, so I decided to post it.

hi betsy (wetsy)- at staples yesterday, i tried out a felt-tipped pen due to your implied suggestion. however, i felt like the paper wicked away the ink too quickly on my more-slowly-produced letters, creating not only uneven stroke width, but some letters whose line widths were unacceptably too great. in the end, at office depot today, i settled for a set of multicolored papermate 0.5 mm gel pens which not only dry quickly, but produce deliciously even stroke widths and lack the "ink trails" between letters. in other news, i currently use a 0.3 mm mechanical pencil, but i feel like the shaft is too narrow, resulting in greater pressure (pressure = force/area) on my finger. if you learn of any moderately wide mechanical pencils with 0.3 mm lead, please let me know.
also, my friend who accompanied me told me that i was "picky". i'm not picky, i'm just "particular".
-Warren 

 p.s. there is more to come with regards to my Old Testament romance, I just haven't typed up the latest update yet.

Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol = Amazing

As the concert opened I was so excited. It was like seeing friends I hadn't seen in forever. And I was so excited. The lights came up and I raised my hand up to the music, to move the air in time with the rhythm, and I thought, "This is all I can give you. I can't tell you how much your music means to me. I can't explain how it's helped me through my life. All I can do is show you that right now, my soul is showing through the movement of my body, and it is just saying that I love you for understanding my feelings like this, and so I will move my hand up and down as you sing, to show I know what you mean, that my heart is responding to your words, as it always has. All I can give you is this gesture of an open palm stretching toward where you are to show that right now, I am there with you as you are singing, just as you have been there with me all along as I have listened to your music when I needed support the most."

During one of the songs where the lyrics say"open your eyes" and the scene going in the background was someone driving around a neighborhood; there is this break where there is just a cacophony of sound. The drums are going, the guitars are going, you feel the chords circling around you and thrumming, and as we were watching this, I saw the lead singer rocking on his guitar and with his foot pounding the ground, in time with the music, and an expression of the most heart-rending grief on his face sing on rhythm "I want you back" over and over and over again as the music rose in intensity. You could only hear a faint echo of it on the mike because he was standing farther back and the microphone didn't pick it up properly. His face was so compelling though, as if he was sobbing as he was singing and the words were stabbing out, in desperation. I am forever moved by the memory of it; there are very few times that I've witnessed that kind of grief in the open. Especially heartache.

I need a new job

So let me know if you know of any openings anywhere. My class schedule next semester is in the mornings; it won't permit me to continue at the MTC.

Dear girl...

...who sat down just before me in Old Testament class and left a seat open next to the cute, clever boy with the rectangle-shaped glasses who takes notes in a blank sketchbook with a felt tipped pen and who started talking to me about my laptop and complimented my t-shirt and whose number I got, "In case I miss class."-

Thank you.

love,

Betsy

sleep

my afternoon slinks away from me
in half hour catnaps
and various arched positions of my spine

I'm always planning
to get up a half-hour later
but i just can't bring myself to

Sleep is so comforting
like a member of my family
it doesn't expect anything of me

just loves me the way i am
forever and always
I can retreat to childhood dreams
when life becomes too much

but sleep is also a highway robber
who promises fulfillment
and pays me in procrastination
and self-doubt