Run around Boston

Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be one of those smart college kids or young professionals that takes jogs by the Charles River on a sunny Saturday or Sunday.  Today, I finally took a jog by the Charles!  It only took me five and half months of living in Boston  (during the summer even!) to do this.  Either way, it was nice to take a break from the regular hustle and bustle of working a lot on the weekends and have a relaxing run all around Boston with my roommate.
Happy Weekend!

Drink this.

So....lately I have been in pursue of an epic, full bodied, long-legged, crimson colored, lick-your-lips wine.  The seasons have just turned, which means I am in full throttle red wine mode.  In the summer as I am drinking a stemless glass (or even a pint!) of chilled Savignon Blanc in a dive bar, or a Chardonnay perfectly chilled to 60 degrees while sitting on a patio in the summer.  During these times I literally think there is no other way to drinking wine.  The thought of drinking red wine almost disturbs me on these hot summer days.  I have officially done the switch now.  Now, as I drink a Tuscan blend of Cabernet Savignon and Sangievese, I wonder how I could drink something so cold and sweet.

What this whole entry comes down to is....
TRY THIS WINE:

2006 DeLille Cellars "D2" Columbia Valley Red Blend

I don't know too much about it, where it came from, or whatever.  (To be honest, I don't know too much shit about wine, I just know what I like, why, and am always eager to learn more about it then).  This bottle is about $40 bucks, and from what I tried worth every penny.  They don't sell it on this site, but it has a nice explanation. In fact, I don't know where they sell it, but I must get some just for that first sip!

nice description

good reviews

Enjoy.

Back to life

So, it's been 1/2 a year since I wrote/blogged/said hello.  I moved cities, worked 60-70 hours a week all summer, and now things are finally dying down. (for the time being...changes ahead again!)  I have dusted off the defibrillator and will try to get this guy back to life.  The concept of this blog is changing because I don't have the time to cook like I used to.  Wish I did, and I still might because it's turning into winter again.  So, this blog/rant/whatever will be turning into a collection of concepts, ideas, thoughts, and tid bits that are important to me, and that I feel are important enough to share with other people.  Cooking is not off the list, but it is also not the main part.  Music, food, exercise, outdoors, city-ness, people, wine, kickbox, love, art, nature, blah blah blah.  It will work itself out and grow from there.  UNTIL then, please enjoy this tune.  You can listen to it on repeat with this link until you decide you need it on your iPod, then it is available on iTunes, or your favorite illegal downloading/uploading website :)

Let's start this off with a GREAT song everyone will probably enjoy.

Phoenix - Lisztomania (Holy Ghost! Loves Paris Remixomania

Put in my 2 Weeks Notice

Where can you a find:

-People who cannot fit into booth tables
- Bottles of wine E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E
- 90 minute wait for a table every Friday and Saturday
- Toxic levels of sodium in almost every dish
- Meals that have more calories than what I am supposed to eat in a day
- Unlimited soup, salad, and bread sticks.

You can find them in Tuscany! Oh wait...I mean the Olive Garden.  As someone who prides myself on loving real food that is authentic, gourmet, hand crafted...I am sorry to say I spent the last little while of my life working as an Olive Garden slave/server/bartender.  (HEY! I also had my "real" job as a residential counselor in a psych home so dont make fun yet...)

The OG is far from Italian food (in my onion ladies and gents), but some of their dishes are based on some real stuff found in Italia.  One of the favorite soups that customers love to eat multiple bowls of just because they're unlimited is the Zuppa Toscana.  When they eat 2 or 3 bowls before their meal, they have already eaten about 500- 600 calories not including all the bread sticks that get dunked in the soup amongst the process.  I have always been intrigued by this soup, but since I refuse to eat most of the food that comes out of the restaurant, I made a "copy cat" recipe of this soup with a much healthier mindset.

Claire's Zuppe Toscana

1 pound Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage
1 Qt. water
4 Cups chicken broth (Reduced Sodium!!)
1 - 2 large russet potatoes, sliced in thin circles
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 large white onion
2 C chopped Kale
3/4 C half and half
bacon bits

1.Brown the sausage in the skillet, and set aside.
2. Simmer the water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion until all tender
3. Add sausage to pot and simmer on low for 10 minutes
4. Add Kale and half and half
5. Top with bacon bits and serve.  Top with crushed red pepper if you like.

YUM. The more Kale the better!  Look what I chose to have with my soup instead of bread sticks and 1500 calories of creamy pasta fried chicken dish:

So here is a healthier version of a dish at the Olive Garden.  I will be working there for 10 more days. I cannot wait.

Louisiana Creole-Sicilian Shrimp

More blog posts coming soon.  sorry for not writing. if i even have any followers ;-)
Just going to post some pictures from tonight's dinner, with the recipe.


This dish is a "barbeque shrimp" recipe without actually BBQing the shrimp or using BBQ sauce.  It came out quite delicious, but next time I would eat it as an appetizer since eating JUST shrimp seems a little off for some reason.

Instead of having the French Bread that the recipe calls for, I made some garlic broccoli for a side to make it a little healthier.  Please notice the steam coming off the shrimp.  Right off the stove!

1/2 C fat free Ceaser Dressing (I'm a sucker for Ceaser Dressing, so I used Brianna's - yes it's full fat)

1/3 C Worcestershire sauce

2 TBL butter (I used Smart Balance Light)

1 TBL dried Oregano

1 TBL Paprika

1 TBL dried rosemary

1 TBL dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Sriracha, of course)
5 bay leaves
3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced NOT crushed.  Its nice to have some chunkers of garlic mixed in with the shrimp.
2 pounds large shrimp (I actuality used 31-40 count, shelled, deveined, keep the tails on)
1/3 C dry white wine
10 chunky slices of crusty baguette (I didn't use this - watching my carb intake a little)
10 lemon wedges


Combine first 11 ingredients in a large non-stick skillet, bring to a boil.  Add shrimp, cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add wine, and cook 1 minute until shrimp are done.
Serve with baguette and lemon slices.


Enjoy!

Crap.

I already did it.  Haven't posted anything in a while.  I think I'll use the busy excuse, which is true.  I have been very busy. Working a lot saving up for my new move.

So, throughout High School and College I excelled more in the classes that gave you a little more creativity to your answers.  For example, I took Honors Calculus in High School, and did "okay".  Granted, most of my friends never even made it to Calculus, I have a little bit of a math-brain, but I did not enjoy it.  Psychology and Economics, and "uncertainty" of results have always interested me.  Physics? No fucking way. It was over my head, and I'd rather just know that when I drop a feather and a lead brick, that they will hit the ground. I don't need to know how fast they get there.
With this background story, I lead you to my definition of baking and cooking. Technically, baking is a type of cooking, as well as grilling, frying, sauteing, steaming...etc.  But the definition that  I am looking for is more along the lines of:
Baking:  Using science, precalculated measurements, and dry heat.
Cooking: Whatever you want.

So with that said, I have not really entered the baking field until this year, at my Human Services Job.  We even have a designated day where I bake with the clients (severely mentally ill), and they say things like, "Claire, you're so good at baking!" And that's when I really know their mentally ill. (joke). We have baked everything from those old fashioned Jiffy Corn Muffins to Whole Wheat Honey Bran Fiber Muffins (my own recipe that I tweaked!) to Ghiredelli Chocolate Brownie Mix in a Box.

Today, I baked with some Clients, and we made a Double Layer Lemon Cream Cake.

Fluffy white frosting, lemon cake, lemon zest and sprinkles on top of the icing with sugared lemon slices.
Deeeelicious.

Easter Sunday

Resurrection Weekend held a lot of fun.  First of all, it was about 75 degrees. J’s family came up to Stowe for the weekend.  He went snowboarding on the mountain, then swimming in the pool.  It was one of those bizarre-O end-of-winter-in-Vermont kind of days.  Although I had to trek it back to Burlington twice to go to work, I had a wonderful and relaxing weekend full of family, great food, good wine, in a tranquil Vermont vacation home setting.  This Easter I experienced a couple new things...all welcomed with open arms.  I enjoyed every single one of them.

New Things I Never Did:

Made pierogies without my Family

Ate spiraled ham

Went to Church on Sunday. (okay, I just haven’t done this on Easter in over a decade.)
Dyed and painted eggs with severely mentally ill (primarily schizophrenic) clients.

Woke up in Stowe

I want to do all of these things again.  Except, I think I still need a few pointers from my Polish ancestors on how to master the art of the ‘rogi.
Painting the eggs was a wonderful experience.  I haven't painted Easter Eggs since probably the last time I went to Church on Easter, but it was great.  We dedicated eggs to Jesus, pet cats, and other residents where I work, then made a bunch of egg salad sandwiches. Good times.