Cooking Adventures with Megan

Taking a break from more serious posts, I have been exploring and playing around in the kitchen! While not all of my experiments have turned out wonderfully, I am only going to tell you about the successful ones. Muahaha! The power of controlling information!

This all started when a friend posted a link to this recipe site: whatmegansmaking.com. It is a dangerous website filled with all sorts of delicious unhealthy goodies.

They may have looked a little strange but they were wonderful!

Back when I was up at Notre Dame, the last friday of my archaeology dig was approaching. It just so
happened that National Archaeology Day fell on the same date. To celebrate, we made these delicious oreo truffles. They were a dig favorite and I left with barely a crumb out of the forty-five that I brought to the site. The making was almost as exciting as the eating in this case. Because we were cooking using the dorm kitchen, we were missing a few supplies. A food processer, for instance, to crush the oreos. In lieu of actual useful tools, we intellectual college students combined saran wrap, a mini-Crisco bottle and pizza cutter to chop up whole oreos into minuscule bits. Inventive, eh?

Oreos add deliciousness to everything. Who could refuse oreos? 

But that's not all! My cooking adventures continued on vacation in Texas where my Nana taught me how to make an easy no bake cheesecake. I was able to be fancy and cocky impressive when I made it a second time for the cousins as the recipe was so simple that I recalled it from memory! I'm sure I ate most of it but that is beside the point. Food is meant to be enjoyed -- even if only by the chef!

Served with a side of marinara.

Since I have already gloated over my small skill with desserts, I decided to take a big step and try and make an actual meal! My parents served as my guinea pigs and as far as they will tell me, they were happy to do it. First up, I wanted to create a twist on a Carraba's favorite: the Zucchini Fritti, aka zucchini fries! Instead of frying them I baked up a blend of Italian bread crumbs, parsley, oregano and sunshine to get this yummy appetizer. 


But! My dinner was not complete without a main course. Because I am still learning what on God's green earth I am doing in a kitchen, I decided to make a skillet meal of pasta, broccoli and chicken. Using fresh broccoli, a lot of spices that I don't remember the names of and a half cup of white wine, I came up with this beauty:

Serve with a dry white wine for added tastiness!

Even then, my adventures in the kitchen weren't over. Today I had a surprising amount of energy and the day off from volunteering so I decided to try something new: Pepperoni Pizza Puffs! Unfortunately, we were missing a few key ingredients like whole milk and pepperoni...so I improvised. Mixing 2 tsps of butter with skim milk replaced the whole milk and bacon replaced the pepperoni. Served with some of the marinara left over from the zucchini fries (yay leftovers!), they came out of the oven piping hot!

Ok, I'll admit it. I (attempted to) plate the dish and staged the picture. 

To wash these puff pastries down, I whipped up a peach lemonade which I don't have a picture of but is definitely in the "Make Again" category. I'm starting to have fun now. Can you tell? I've got a few different desserts waiting to be made so who knows? I might just become a pseudo-chef. As long as I've got guinea pigs to be my tasters (thank you, my dear parents), I'll keep this up! Happy cooking!

The Test of Distance

As we get closer and closer to finals, the levels of stress seem to increase exponentially. Not only do we have exams to take, papers to write and projects to finish but for some of us, we have to say goodbye to our friends for a while.

I was selected to participate in Notre Dame's study abroad program in Puebla, Mexico this upcoming fall. Before you get all antsy on me, let me tell you that there is no travel warning in place for the state of Puebla nor any of the nearby states. Additionally, I went to India by myself and survived. I can handle Mexico with sixteen of my fellow Notre Dame students, an onsite coordinator and the international students branch of UPAEP, the university where I will be studying. Promise. As I picture in my head the hypothetical devil's advocate conversation, I have a well thought out and supported response for each point. Also, I speak the language! I do appreciate the concern though.

As excited as I am to go to Mexico, I do not want to leave Notre Dame. Several of my friends are studying abroad next spring in London, France and even Japan but after the last day of finals this semester, I will not see them until fall semester senior year! That's 1.3 years! 16 months! 70 weeks! 486 days!

Now, unlike when our parents went to school, we have cell phones, texting, Skype and even Facebook to keep in touch but it still feels as if half of my friends here at Notre Dame are going to vanish! It puts things in perspective. Who would have thought that time would become so precious so quickly? As I approach the halfway point in my time here at Notre Dame and see seniors that I've come to be great friends with prepare to leave our Home under the Dome, I can't help but stop and think. How will distance from Notre Dame and from our friends affect us? Which friendships will span the miles and stay strong and which will fade?

Seems like I have a lot to ponder while I'm "paying attention" during chemistry lecture. 

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?

Dearest reader(s?),

I have been away for far too long. To help catch you up on how wonderfully busy my life has been, I have composed this little poem just for you. I can only hope that my poor attempts at rhyming bring a smile to your face.

As swiftly as the weather,

this spring semester has come together

They started out as six little courses,

but transformed quickly into overwhelming forces.

Campus bloomed with the promise of spring

only to have snow flurries and clouds tightly cling

 Through the clouds, saw one repast 

after forty days sans makeup, my Lenten fast,

Easter Sunday dawned bright and sunny

and the congregation hopped about just like a bunny.

Exams came and exams went 

and still three more this week! Will they ever relent?

Finals approach under spell of darkness,

the end of the semester has come with abruptness.

As I look forward to Mexico next fall,

I cannot stand to wait at all!

But in the meantime there is work to be done

shadowing physicians and archaeology fun!

As for this blog, do not despair

"One post a week" says the optimist, as if in prayer.

For your patience you shall be rewarded,

There are posts to come, I am not to be thwarted.