No Prague? And Another Cookie Recipe

So now I may NOT by going to Prague. I should know in the next few days. Essentially I may have to pay more than I can afford (hidden, out of state costs).

Here is the recipe:

Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup of sugar
1 large egg (or 1/2 carton of Egg Beater)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup of roasted unsalted (or salted whatever) peanuts

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips and peanuts.

Dollop teaspoons of dough on greased cookie sheet. It helps if your hands are a little wet, then the dough doesn't stick as much.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating half way through.

These are not as healthy as previously described cookies (see double chocolate oatmeal cookies), but they're tasty. I actually liked them best after a day.

Prague and Mushroom salad

I am going to Prague in June! I am going with a group from Ohio State June 8-17. Maybe I should change my blog to Badger Girl Goes to Prague. :)

And here is a super yummy salad which I will associate with Prague because I made it as I was debating whether or not to go.


1 clove garlic minced
1/2 lb. mushrooms
1 med. onion (sliced in rings) (I used a red onion)
1 med. green pepper (sliced in strips)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients. Toss well. I recommend letting it marinate in the fridge for an hour or so. Serve chilled.

You know it's going to be a Great Day when...

You are tossing your salad monday morning and the cover comes off. Tofu, bell peppers, carrots, and lettuce cover your kitchen.

Can I go back to bed now?

My new recipe this week: Baked Tofu. I tried a little bite last night but the real test will be my salad for lunch.

Recipe:

Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of honey.
Slice Tofu in six slices and dip each slice in the marinade.
Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees and flip. Brush remaining marinade on and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

I also made whole wheat bananana bread, but that was just your typical Betty Crocker recipe with whole wheat flour instead of white and egg beaters instead of eggs.

Lack of Focus

The last year or so, I have definately felt a lack of focus for the blog. What exactly should I be blogging about? Life in California? At some point, I feel like I am rubbing it that the weather is so nice and no one takes my complains seriously when cold = 50 degrees. Life as a graduate student? Does that get old and does it end up being romanticized? Because let me tell you, there is NOTHING romantic about doing Spanish homework all night or reading a 430 page book in roughly 4 days on top of doing other homework.
I have also thought about using this to blog recipes and the like. I enjoy cooking and I am trying to lose weight in the new year, so I am trying new healthful recipes. Now, by lose weight, I should clarify, I am talking like 6 pounds over 10 months, so I am really looking for ways to change my lifestyle.
So for now, I will blog with this emphasis. We'll see how long it lasts.

So the last recipe I tried was from runner's world. It's a recipe for double chocolate outmeal cookies. One of my new 'rules' is that I will not buy any prepackaged cookies or cakes. If want a baked good, I will bake it myself. That way I know I really want it AND I know exacatly what goes into it.
The cookies I made this weekend are awesome and they cut 50 calories per cookie (from the traditional chocolate chip cookie). The only changes I made from the recipe used below is that I did not add nuts and I used egg beaters versus regular eggs. I have to say these are my new favorite cookies.

3/4 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons dark honey
2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking sodaa shake of salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, and honey. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder, then add to the wet mixture. Stir in oats, chocolate, and nuts. Spoon batter in one-tablespoon mounds onto a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes two dozen.Calories: 150 Fat: 6 g Carbs: 22 g Protein: 3 g

I got the recipe from runner's world if you're curious. :)

Crush + GSA = Increased Responsibilities

So during orientation I developed a crush (one of those far-reaching, never will happen kind of things) on the GSA vice president. He's an English PhD student who dresses well but not too well and adorable in that slightly nerdy kind of way. Short blond hair, preppy, glasses, good dresser.
That coupled with my determination to meet more graduate students, I joined the GSA. Well this vice president is also in charge of placing people on committies on the university level. At one meeting he mentioned a new committee that would meet once a week and I assumed he was on, so I of course wanted to join only to find out I would be taking his place. Luckily, I got out of that situation. That led me into agreeing to be on another committee which eventually didn't work out which leads me to the present day and the committee I joined. The problem? While he was explaining to me what the committee would be doing this quarter, I was too busy admiring his shoes (which were brown leather loafers but they had an amazing cut in the toe, very cool and a little funky) so I am on a committee that will eventually handle in Student Conduct in the Spring but I have no idea what I will be working on this quarter.

And the tapenade- fabulous!

New Year, New Quarter

Today is the start of a new quarter. I got back from Wisconsin on Saturday night. My break in Wisconsin was very good despite a few obstacles (getting very ill for two weeks and my cousin's funeral). It was wonderful to see my parents. It's a good thing the weather is so beautiful here or I would be really down about coming back.
My resolutions for the next year: Stay organized. Try new, healthy foods. Keep envelopes of my receipts.

To tackle the first one, I organized my closet yesterday. For those who truly know me, you know that I was in heaven. Clothes + Organization = a very happy Kimberly.

This week I am making my sandwiches with tapenade (Roasted red pepper and artichoke tapenade to be exact). It was suggested in my Runner's World magazine as a low fat alternative and more flavorful alternative to mayo. We'll see how it goes.