Holy Moses it's cold!

Now I've commented about the cold weather here before, but this is cold. I had soup for lunch and I'm still cold.

And the wind chill factor certainly doesn't help! I have come to the conclusion that the only thing better than a cup (or more) of tea on a cold day is a cup of cocoa. Although I do love a good (real!) hot chocolate every once in a while, I'm a bigger fan of hot cocoa. I particularly like that it's not as heavy and sweet as the former, and that it has that deeper dark chocolatey (sp.?) taste. Plus, it's good for you! Full of antioxidants. I found a recipe for it a couple years ago, but I can't remember where from--it's not really necessary, anyway, it's dead easy:

1 tbsp. cocoa

2 tsp. sugar

A bit of milk

Mix together the cocoa, sugar and milk until well mixed in your mug. Add your hot water and stir well (I have to say I love the foam that collects on top once you start stirring). Then add your desired toppings :)

Also, the measurements of the milk/sugar don't have to be approximate; just go by your taste.

Photo taken by aso2008.

Springtime comes to Halifax for a day

Today was so lovely outside, I could have sworn it was March. I didn't even need to wear a hat or a heavy scarf! It brought me back to that delightfully nostalgic state of mind with the day's warmth, scent in the air, the sun, yadi-yada... But then I heard that we are supposed to go into a deep freeze in a few days. Ahh, that's January for you!

Last week was considerably more proactive for me than usual, and I'm feeling quite pleased with myself. It's only four things, but just the fact that they were accomplished made me happy:

1. I booked an emergency first aid course for this past Saturday

2. I made a spontaneous late night batch of banana cookies (see below)

3. I completed my emergency first aid course and am now qualified for my summer job (and of course qualified to save someone's life)!

4. Caught up on my school readings

And there you have it. So far this week is going well (less proactive), but next week will (hopefully) be even better. Particularly, next Thursday:

YES YES YES YES YES FINALLY!!!!!!

Whew. I am sooooooo excited for it to start up again. I just wish they had better promos on television! All the better to tease us with, heh heh heh. If you're a Lostie also, I'll meet you in spirit on the couch with the popcorn.

Another show I'm excited for?

Click here for link

Ahh yes, I mentioned it in a recent post, but I've been really into it lately! I think it's the new Lost for me.

Speaking of food, last week I was letting my curiosity go browsing on the super cool Alicia's blog Bread and Honey, and it wandered on to what she had labeled under "banana". Lo and behold, the recipe for banana cookies was the first thing posted. Naturally, I had to try them out. And they were quite good! They tasted like banana bread... Only in the form of a cookie, and much lighter and chewier. Plus, the cinnamon and nutmeg added to the flavour. I would make them again most definitely!

Banana Cookies

Ingredients:



1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature


1 cup of sugar
1 egg, room temperature


1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 1/2 large bananas)


1 teaspoon of baking soda


2 cups of flour
pinch of salt


1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon


1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg


1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves


1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are good alternatives)



Directions:
1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.



Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

*If you don’t have any baking soda on hand, you can substitute with baking powder; just use two teaspoons.

This recipe is also from the Simply Recipes website.

**Teeny error: I thought Lost would be on Thursday, like it usually is, but it turns out that it is premiering on Tuesday. Oopsy-doodles. But on the other hand, huzzah!

I just like this picture

È bella!

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Ahhhmmm, enchiladas. Even the name of it sounds edible. On such a cold day, it was the comfort meal to make for dinner. I decided to do a bit of background research on it! This is because a.) I'm a nerd, and b.) spontaneous curiosity entered my system: Apparently, it originated from the Aztecs, who would eat fish wrapped in corn tortillas. The term 'enchilada' means chili filled, but that only first appeared around 1885. Woooo.

It's super easy to make, as the title says. I got it out of Chatelaine, a great Canadian magazine for women.

Prep. time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

Baking time: 15 minutes

Makes about... 8 enchiladas (6 if you want to make a smaller batch)

Ingredients:

2 lb (1 kg) ground beef or 3 340-g pkg veggie ground round

2 tbsp (30 mL) ground cumin

11/2 cups (375 mL) thick spicy salsa

400-g bag shredded cheese such as cheddar-and-mozzarella mix, about 4 cups (1 L)

1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped cilantro

8 medium flour tortillas, about 7 in. (17.5 cm) wide

1 cup (250 mL) regular sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 500F (260C). Oil a 9×13-in. (3-L) baking dish. Set a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Crumble in meat. Sprinkle with cumin and ½ tsp (2 mL) salt. (If using veggie ground round, omit salt.) Stir often with a fork to keep meat crumbly. Cook until no pink remains, about 5 min, or until veggie ground is hot. Stir in 1 cup (250 mL) salsa. When hot, stir in half the cheese and half the cilantro.
2. Place one tortilla on a cutting board. Spoon ¾ cup (175 mL) meat mixture down the centre. Dot with 1 tbsp (15 mL) sour cream. Roll tightly and place in dish, seam-side down with an open end touching the narrow side of dish. Place 3 rolls beside it. Fill the other half of dish with remaining rolls. Spread remaining ½ cup (125 mL) sour cream over tortillas. Top with remaining salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is golden, about 15 min. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Good with sliced avocados and sour cream.

*For a smaller batch, you can lower it down to 1 Ib of ground beef, as I did. If you want to use veggie ground, try at least 1 1/2 or 2. Just use 1 tbsp of the cumin. As for the sour cream, I just eye balled it.

*Same with the cheese--there's definitely no limit on that!

*Once again, sorry for the lack of a picture, but I did take a few, and as soon as my USB cord and camera are reunited with my computer, I will I shall let you know I have updated.

Looking back and looking forward

How weird is it that we have entered a new decade? I don't know about you, but it feels like last week was just the year 2000. Anyways, happy 2010! Hope you rang in the new year well, as well as had an excellent Christmas break. I'd show pictures I took during the holiday, but I conveniently forgot the USB cord that would connect my camera to my computer at home! So I apologize in advance for the lack of new pictures for the next while. When I'm back home for reading week in 6 weeks(!), I shall update you on the sights I have come across... Even if the Christmas ones are a bit out of season.

I was just thinking about "last year"--it was certainly one that brought around change. One of the highlights was when I moved into a new place with friends in September--a bigger step for me in gaining independence away from home.

Another highlight was when I traveled outside the country for the first time in a couple of years--that was exciting! I learned much more about historical Italy than I did the last time I was there, and it was nice to see the familiar sights I remember seeing the first time.

Other highlights that come to mind are from movies and books. I read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls this summer, and I found it to be one of the best books I've ever come across. It's just so inspiring! Another good one was The Time Traveler's Wife; another really great read that will get you thinking. And then of course in movies, Benjamin Button. I know, I know, I've brought this up before (what is it, three times now?), but like I've said, I think it's one of the most profound movies I've seen in a while. And then there was Les Choristes. All I can say is, wow--more moving than inspiring, but through and through, the music in the film is gorgeous. For some reason, I signify Les Avions En Papier with the spring time and the end of school... Probably because that's when I first saw it. But really... Go see this movie.

I think it was also a year of quotations for me; Betsey from Una Bella Vita introduced me to some of the nicest! My current favourite would be "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

- Leo Buscaglia

Now, my hopes for 2010? Let's see... I don't really make resolutions, but it's fun to have potential hopes/plans for the year:

-Find a summer job (but that's my hope every year)

-To not miss an episode of LOST this last, last season. Ever!

-To speak my mind more often (as I can be a bit shy...)

-Pass my exams this year (haven't failed any yet, but still...)

-See the new Doctor Who series in the spring! My new tv show, as of late. Still getting through the David Tennant era--the guy is incredible, but I think Matt Smith (the new Doc) has a lot of potential, and will be great. Can't wait to start watching!

-To wear more dresses and skirts! They've been very appealing to me for some time now.

-To compliment others more frequently

-Do something adventurous

What would you like to accomplish this year?

Hope all is well with you!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Pretty shots of the Christmas tree... and presents.

Whatever you are celebrating, I hope you have an amazing holiday season! Thanks for checking out my blog, and for your great comments... You're wonderful!

Last Exam Itch

Ahh, 13 days into December, and I have breezed through two exams this week, finished up a masterpiece of an essay, and now I wait til Monday for the last exam of the (first half of) school year. More studying than waiting, rather (and blogging, as a means of distraction). On Tuesday, I'm heading home! Such a thrilling thought. I must say, I'm excited to see my family and friends once I'm home, and I can't, can't wait to see the dogs.

Now that it's December, it has been starting to feel more like winter here in Halifax. Today, it was super cold outside! We have gotten more snow (which often turned to rain), and it has been quite cold outside. It conveniently started to snow the night of my English exam, and when I came out of it, it was raining and the winds were turned up high. I was also feeling a bit achy afterwards (mentally and physically, haha), so the weather suited my mood, some what. But that's ok, for it's done!

I made myself a nice loaf of banana bread the other afternoon! I haven't made banana bread in a long time, but I woke up with a craving for it. I used a recipe that my Grandma had in her recipe box, but I added my own few little touches to it. She certainly put it straight forward on the card she wrote it on:

½ cup butter (melted)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups mashed bananas

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

A pinch of salt

Bake at 350 50-65 minutes

The touches I added were a tsp. of cinnamon, vanilla extract, and sour cream (to keep it moist, but my friend tells me applesauce works nicely, too). Just mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, and fold in the wet with the dry, but not so much that the batter is lump-free. And there you have it! The kitchen (and the rest of the house) will smell fantastic.

*Update: Upon trying it, I thought it was pretty good--but dense. I looked up alternative recipes, and came across this one. Either that, I'll try out my Grandma's recipe again, and leave out the sour cream!

Other than that of papers and exams, I have been pondering what I want for Christmas. People have been asking me, and I have been having a hard time coming up with ideas. As I've gotten older, it's become slightly more difficult. When I was a kid, it was so easy! But I do have some ideas of what I want:

Either the soundtrack or movie

I'm surprised I even considered this, but I want to see if it's any good!

Something I'd love to recieve....

Thinking a little bigger here... (I used to play the violin back in grade school)

Good, good movie!

And probably anything from Club Monaco. Their stuff is lovely! But I think the best present I can ever remember getting was from when I was about 5 or 6:

Unless I get something like a Nikon camera, this one will still be near the top of my best gift ever list! (Crazy, I know, but at the time it was so awesome!)

Happy shopping....