Kitchen Adventures

As I believe I've mentioned before, I like to experiment with new recipes. But I also don't like to follow recipes. In the last couple weeks, I have made some awesome impromptu meals! I am so proud of them, I have to share them with you.

Pasta with spicy mushroom sauce:
Noodles, whatever kind you want.
the sauce is the fun part:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Dab of olive oil (extra virgin)
maybe 1/3 cup of milk
add whatever vegetables or meat you see fit.
We added mushrooms, tomatoes, and italian sausage
You do need to brown the meat separately then add it to the sauce and vegetables
mix the noodles and sauce when both are done and add whatever seasonings you see fit. I prefer oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
If you use italian sausage, it will be spicy. But you can substitute in a non-spicy meat for a milder version.

The amount I made could have stuffed 3 people, maybe four.

Thai rice and mango dessert:
make some rice in a rice cooker, but add some extra elements:
add slightly less water than usual, then add milk to make up the difference.
add a tablespoon or two of sugar
add a 1/3 of a can of coconut milk (sold at grocery stores everywhere)
cut up a few mangos (1 mango for every two people you're feeding)
When the rice is almost done, combine the rest of the can of coconut milk with a little regular milk and
1/3 cup of  sugar in a sauce pan and cook that till you have a desirable gravy consistency.

divide the rice into equal portions, top it with mango slices, and put the sauce on top of that.
you can serve it chilled or slightly warm. If you like rice pudding warm, you'll like this dish warm.
Then indulge in mellow goodness.

Hot Pink Crock pot Stew:
1 can of cream of celery/mushroom/chicken (and a can of water)
Stew veggies, whatever kind you want.
We used potatoes, onions, this weird thing we aren't sure what it is, and beats. If you want the stew to be hot pink, you must add beats.
For extra broth, use milk and LOTS of cheese.
Add tons of seasonings: pepper, seasoned salt, garlic salt, oregano, basil, more cheese.
Leave it in your crock pot till the potatoes are soft.

Words of Wisdom from Dr. Scheer

My studying for my last final has turned to nostalgia as I look over a semester's notes. Though these pages include copious amounts of factoids and cultural generalizations, I have also been keeping track of the plethora of entertaining things that pop our of my professors mouth. Here is what I really learned this semester:

Dr. Scheer quotes:

"I haven't lost my graduate student foraging instinct."

"No questions? I must be brilliant!"

"I don't know if you know this about me, but I kind of really like food...don't know if you can tell."

"I'm really more of a Severus Snape kind of character."

"Perfect attendance is, as you know, a reward unto itself."

"Now I turn the time over to our favorite narrator: the disinterested British guy."

[referring to fellow professor and "arch nemesis"] "Vaclavik and his purple sweater today."

[referring to a Javanese instrument] "Saron. Not the evil Lord."

[still referring to Javanese instrument] "It can be a mighty racket."

"We've been together for a while...it's not you, it's me."

"I would like to state publicly that this does not constitute as a bribe."

"I will occasionally throw things for emphasis."

"having pitched battles of the West Side Story type."

[referring to a harp] "mechanical workings that break constantly and cost a fortune to fix!"**

"I love how the DVD player always welcomes me...and then asks me to wait."

**I understand his wife is a harpist, so this statement should be read vehemently, as only a venting spouse can.