Recipes

Recently I've been trying in small ways to get back to basics. I cook at home a lot and try to avoid prepackaged items if at all possible. Even though I missed posting this on Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to post some of the recipes I've found where the homemade version beats the prepackaged item hands-down. They are all really easy too.

My next challenge is laundry detergent. I found some recipes on the web, and since the instructions for making liquid detergent are rather daunting I am planning to try the powder version first. Has anyone out there tried this before?

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Maple Syrup
Combine 1-3/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cool for 3 minutes. Cool slightly before adding 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring. Cover for a few minutes before using. Store in the refrigerator.

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Taco Seasoning
Mix together 2 T. chili powder, 1 tsp. each cumin and coriander, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste.
Modified from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (my favorite!)

I usually make this in bulk so I always have it on hand for our go-to meal: burritos.

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Spaghetti Sauce
Cook 3 minced garlic cloves in 3 T. olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until fragrant. Stir in a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened (15-20 min). Stir in 3 T. minced fresh basil, 1/4 tsp. sugar, and salt to taste.
Again, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

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General Cleaner
In a spray bottle mix 2:1 ratio of vinegar to water. Add a couple drops of a biodegradable dish soap and a couple drops of lemongrass essential oil (antibacterial). This can basically be used anywhere and the vinegar really makes metal fixtures shine.

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Tallahassee Scottish Highland Games

Jason and I went to the Highland Games and Celtic Festival yesterday and had so much fun. We saw Scottish dancing, a bagpipe band, and watched athletic events like the caber toss (see movie below), sheaf toss, weight throws, stone throw, and hammer throw. Enjoy the pictures!

Caber Up!

To give this some context, the log (caber) is about 20 feet long and weighs about 140 lbs. Three guys work together to stand it on its skinny end. Then each athlete has to lift it on his own with no equipment to aid him (not even gloves), and try to flip it over onto its wider end so that it falls away from the athlete. Unfortunately, this movie is of an unsuccessful attempt, but we did see a perfect toss during the day. It's an impressive sight, so if you have a chance to see it, you really should.

Home Sweet Home!

Hi everyone. I got into Tallahassee earlier today, and since then I've just been relaxing and getting organized for the coming week. I played around with iPhoto a bit too. Hopefully you enjoy the resulting NYC movie.

Stuck in Memphis...

Ah. So now I know that if you're offered a $300 flight voucher, a free hotel room for the night, and meal vouchers for dinner and breakfast to give up your seat from Denver to Memphis, you take it. The alternative is to have your flight from Memphis to Tallahassee canceled so that you get the same deal, minus the $300 voucher! Plus I have to spend the night in a Memphis hotel rather than Denver where at least two of my friends are spending the night. Nice. ;-)

The conference went well this week. It was great to see some old friends and meet some new people. Plus, I saw some great talks AND it snowed like crazy in the mountains. It's been awhile since I've had that sort of winter experience, so it was great fun.

P.S. Elvis says hi.

Campus "excitement"

It seems like every time I work from home there is some sort of uproar on campus. Check out what happened yesterday:

Email #1: Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 12:28 PM

*FSU ALERT!* Suspicious Package in parking garage #1 - Woodward Avenue.
Building evacuated. Officials are on scene investigating. Avoid the area.

I got this email, and since this parking garage is right next to my building at school I immediately checked out our campus website. There I was informed that a parking attendant had spyed a briefcase in a parked car that was marked as being an explosive device. Roads were blocked off, nearby buildings were evacuated, and campus police began their investigation.

Email #2: Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 2:00 PM

*FSU ALERT!* ALL CLEAR - Package Harmless
At 1:30 p.m., the FSU Police Department issued an "all clear" and said they had resolved the incident at Parking Garage No. 1. A local 17-year-old high school student returned to his car and accompanied police as they searched the briefcase that had aroused suspicion. There was nothing inside. He told them that a message that seemed to suggest a destructive device was inside was actually his nickname, "A-Bomb." Officers allowed those who work in the building to return to their offices and held traffic so that drivers parked in the garage could quickly exit. Surrounding streets were cleared, and the campus returned to normal status.

Ooops!

Happy April Fools Day!

Happy Birthday, Erin!

T-5 days until I leave for my conference in Colorado. I'm excited to see old friends, but nervous about pulling my talk together. As Erin says, I need to "run some code".

Here's wishing you blue skies.