The "PLUS 1" dilemma

I think every single girl out there knows what I am talking about...If you don't you're lying to yourself.  I just received my first of many wedding invites for the spring.  First words out of my mouth: woof. Second words: shit. (Sorry, Mom.)****side note: I gave up cursing for lent. Then I realized that cursing actually relieved my stress. So, I gave up gossipping.  That ain't easy, folks. Not just talking about who did what, or any OMG news, but literally just shooting the breeze about other people.****back to the problem at hand. Plus one. I need someone who can hold their own conversation, who can make small talk with people he just met, and who won't be a drunken fool if the wedding has an open bar.  The latter is something from a bad movie.  But seriously....don't they hire out these kind of people?  Yes, yes they do.  

If only Dermot Mulroney was a real life man living in Fayetteville OR any of the surrounding areas....I would give anything for Debra Messing's collar bone structure, too.  Let's be honest: I'd take either.  If you haven't seen this movie...well you need to, STAT! 

I have about the same dilemma as Debra Messing...I need a date because I am a bridesmaid in a wedding and don't want someone who is going to need me to be by his side every second. Because, let's be honest, that ain't happening.  No Catholic weddings in the near future, so these will be easy 15- 20 minute services.  Thus, super easy.  

Well...the plus one search is on. Send all possibilites my way. 

FALAFEL...you know you want it.

Seriously one of my best finds yet. Falafel can be found at one of my favorite little spots here in Fayetteville, Petra. So, I found this recipe and am in LOVE. A seriously easy easy easy way to make this falafel in a crock pot. That's right....crock pot.  I got the recipe from this girl who does all her meals on the crock pot.  Here's her blog with the falafel recipe.  Here is the printable recipe.  

The falafel ingredients

MY AWESOME NEW CAN OPENER. I'm so easily amused.  

Smash the garbanzo beans like mashed potatoes. 

All of the spices, egg, onion, lemon---blended together.  

Ingredients:

- 1 15oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

- 1/2 onion, chopped

-1 T dried parsley

- 2 cloves minced garlic

- 1 egg

- 1 t kosher salt

- 1/4 t black pepper

- 2 t ground cumin

- 1 t ground coriander

- 1/4 t cayenne pepper

- juice from 1 lemon

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs 

- 2 T olive oil (for the bottom of your crock)

Directions: Set your crock pot on high. Pour about 2 Tablespoons of oil in the crockpot.  Drain garbanzo beans into a bowl.  I used my potato masher ---mashed the beans  until all the beans are completely mashed.  Set those aside. Then put all those spices, onions, egg and onion into the blender.  Blend that all up. Pout that mixture onto the beans.  Add in the bread crumbs.   Make little patties and place them into crockpot.  Let the patties turn to perfect falafel babies in your crock pot on high for about 3.5- 4 hours. 

And in other news........

Natalie's niece, Elynn. How stinking cute. I had to share this.   

Zeus and our new dog, Ella.  She's a hoot. 

Brown Sugar Blondies! Wait...what?

I started my internship earlier this month and I thought I should bring something sweet for the first day. I think that is a southern girl problem....thinking that I must arrive with some food or else I will be banished for good.  Anywho...I made these blondies with chocolate chips and they were a HIT! *applause. applause.* I got the recipe from this gal of Baked Perfection. This is no healthy recipe- shocking, I know. Here is the printable recipe! 

Brown Sugar Blondies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup to 1 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.Melt 1/3 cup butter. Add 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar and mix well. Cool slightly. Add egg (beaten) and vanilla and blend well. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing well. Spread in 9 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Sprinkle 1/3 to 2/3 cup chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

YAY, BUTTA! That's right, a whole stick of butter. 

Flour, sugar, etc. By the way...I love this turquoise bowl. 

Get ready for a blondie!!

I feel somewhat accomplished when I see this.
Kind of like "Yeah...I must have done something to get these dirty dishes." 

Anger management

My awesome friend, Lisa (owner of Fayetteville Pilates and Barre), asked me the other day why I bake and cook so much. Besides the obvious - in a British accent - "Oh, darling, don't you know I am a single, 20-something girl who lives by herself? It makes sense!" I responded that I just have a lot of time. Which- don't get me wrong. I am taking like a ridiculously light load of classes for my last semester. 

I don't know my exact reasoning for how much baking/cooking I have done in the last months.  But, I have a pretty good guess.  I think it is how I have been able to handle the changes in my life. I think it is what I do when I get upset about Sammy. (wow....I haven't said that in a while) 

Being in the kitchen...it distracts me. It leads me to prayer. A lot. I find myself browning some meat, or dicing and onion and breaking into song and prayer. Some of that may just be that I do, once again, live alone and can sing and run around naked if I want.  Baking makes me feel like I can be domestic. Which-if you know me- isn't something I necessarily dreamed about as a child. Being in my 5x7 kitchen (okay, I'm really bad with measurements but I do know that is a picture frame size. Which, yes, is how small my kitchen is) is an outlet. Being in my kitchen is an outlet for my anger. Well...that only took me half a page to get out the truth. I've been to confession a lot lately, #catholicgirlproblems, because I am just plain ol' mad sometimes. Have you seen "Diary of a Mad Black Woman?" The main character says my feelings perfectly.  "I'm not bitter. I'm mad as hell."  Wait, rephrase.  I was bitter. Then I was mad. Now, I just am disappointed.  And hurt. (I get nauseated- literally today I had to sit down- when I see a picture on facebook of my ex and his girlfriend.) Oh, hell. I'm still mad. But, I think I take that anger out on my cutting board. On my cast iron skillet. I brown those onions to the best of my ability. I make sure the noodles are cooked "al dente." I have made more peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the last month than you would think possible. 

After my parents got divorced, I went to counseling. Duh, everyone and their mom goes to counseling- I highly recommend it (as in I know what marriage counselor I will use one day. NO, not you, Dr. Phil.) But, apparently at the young age of 5, I had a lot of anger. At this point, if you are still reading, you're thinking "I didn't need to know all of this about you, homegirl.  Like, I would scratch walls and yell kind of anger problems.  I wasn't necessarily violent. So, I colored pictures of how I felt. And now my sweet, sweet mother has these chicken scratch drawings framed. So, yes. Having an outlet for my emotions is a good thing. 

Let's get some things clear: I do not have anger management problems. Instead, I cook. I didn't say I eat a hell of a lot of the food I make, but I try to not let it go to waste.  I bake. I make bran muffins. Whatever I can find....so that is all for now.  

Cream Corn Potato Soup...low cal!

One word: easy and delicious. Okay, that was two.  This soup was easy for a couple reasons.  I actually took my moms advice and had all the ingredients ready before hand so I just had to throw 'em all in the pan. Why didn't I do this before? I chopped the onion and potato and measured out the rest of the ingredients, too. I have a ton of this soup left over, but I figure it will get better with time seeing as it has a ton of spices that will soak into the potatoes and such.  Here is the printable version.  It is also called corn chowder.  


1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced- I added yellow and orange for color.  I would add more spice, possibly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 potato, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 12-ounce can nonfat evaporated milk
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper
You can add some 


 Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add celery, bell pepper, garlic and cumin; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add corn and potatoes, return to a simmer and cook until all the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Place cornstarch in a small bowl, slowly add evaporated milk, stirring until smooth. Stir into the soup and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Let's be honest. I didn't follow any of the directions for boiling, covering, etc. I like spice, so I added cayenne and pepper to the end soup.  It will be really good, though, for cold nights to come! If you are a fan of the corn cream soup at Chili's (I FREAKING LOVE THAT SOUP), it  has more calories but I do hope to make it soon and post! 

Will's and Kate

I have some of the absolute weirrrrdest dreams. I have this reoccurring dream of falling from my ceiling, other times I'm marrying a movie star. Okay, I usually am at the altar with the post man but they're pretty much the same. Last night I dreamt that Kate Middleton and I, Edith Channing Barker, were BFF's. As in, she asked me to be her bridesmaid. I was wearing white; which I know sounds weird seeing as how she was the bride and all. But! In my defense there were a ton of other bridesmaids...BUT in my dream, I felt as though she was the closest to meeee.  Like Pippa wasn't even in this dream. Ya, I won the MOH battle.  Austin, my bfffff from high school, junior prom date and homecoming court escort, was also one Will's groomsmen. And we were running to the chapel.  Which also seems odd seeing as how you know the royal wedding was on a serious schedule.  I bet Kate knew I was usually late and told me an earlier time than usual just so I would be super early.  I LOVE LOVE LOVEDDDD the royal wedding. I was on a round of IV steroids so this was a super great time for Will and Kate to get hitched seeing as how I had a port tied to my wrist.  Tied isn't the right word...more like placed into my vein....okay I'm getting off track. Here are some pictures of pictures of the royal wedding on E! the morning of the big day! 

I learned how to give myself the roids! Thanks, MS.
 But mostly, thanks Wills and Kate for getting married in perfect tune with my disease.
 I'm serious. But slightly sarcastic. 

Look at all these colors and buttons I got, yo!
 It's like I'm a king.
 Wait....

Kate's Mum and bro. Whatever happened to him? He was a good lookin' Middleton. As if there is bad looking Middleton? Seriously- this family must only breed beautiful people.

Love that hat, Cam.

Queen.

Dude, that's a lot of people. 

I remember this moment...she got out of hotel and into the car.
The dress, oh this dress!
I need a life. 

Pippa. Could you not be so pretty?

Seriously.

Wait...I'm about to marry an almost bald man who is in line for king?
What? 

Aw...yes. 

Love.

I'm a rockstar. 

Sweeeeeet shot.

Harry...the red headed hot brother. 

The end.

Boys cook? LIke, a real meal?

Seeing as how I was out of money and out of time, I told Kevin and Adam I would make them dinner.  Little did I know...how LITTLE these boys knew about the kitchen. Which was awesome, seriously, because I got to really refine my own cooking skills.  The chosen meal was the Pioneer Woman's Calzone! This is from her recipe book, and I can't find it on her blog! #frustrated.  Here is another blog with it, though. The recipe calls for making your own pizza crust...I kinda skipped that step and just bought a pillsbury crust.  Tasted marvelous.  

Here is the printable version! 

Cowboy Calzone

1/2 lb. breakfast sausage (I used spicy!)

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 – 8 oz. can tomatoes and chilies (Rotel brand)

8 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 C grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 C grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 egg, beaten

salt and black pepper

1 recipe pizza crust (1/2 of above recipe)

olive oil for brushing

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet - I prefer the cast iron as usual- combine the sausage and hamburger with the onion.  Brown and drain off extra grease.  Pour in the tomatoes and chilies. Stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes on medium.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.  While meat is cooling, combine the three cheeses and the egg.  Add a dash of salt and pepper. Add the cooled meat mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to gently combine.  Rub some oil on the pan you plan to cook the calzones on. Spread the pizza crust onto another platter or pan with flour spread on it. This part is really all based on how much dough you want on your calzone. I like a lot of calzone and a medium amount of meat.  So roll the dough onto the floured pan, then put your desired amount of meat onto the dough. Roll like a tootsie roll. No,  but really roll the meat into the calzone like you would roll a crescent roll. Put onto the pan and brush oil onto the top. Pop into the oven until desired brown-ness.  12-15 min is when you should really start to pay attention. 

Kevin, aka, marvelous onion cutter. He didn't even cry!

Mixing the batter for the meat... 

Adam made oreo balls...they were delicious! He was super inent on crushing  

Mixing the ricotta cheese with the meat....FYI, don't eat ricotta cheese by itself. It. is. gross. 

Making the dessert! So proud!

My new favorite drink....gin and tonic with lime. Not just any gin, sapphire gin. 

Kevin approved! 

A knock off of Emeril Lagasse Pasta

Mom's best friend, Melissa Beatty, is the best cook. And the best acupuncturist.  If you've never tried acupuncture and you have headaches, terrible migraines or just endless pain, you should really look into it.  It does NOT hurt. In other news....Melissa made this great pasta one night for a dinner party. IT IS NOM NOM. We had a little dinner get together on Saturday with the Katie's. Or as Mom likes to call them...Katie 1 and Katie 2.  This is labeled an "easy" recipe...which it isn't difficult, it's just not easy. Here it goes...

This is the printable version :) Pasta Recipe!

The recipe is pretty much like Emeril Lagasse's Crawfish and Cream over pasta dish. But with some changes- like chicken instead of crawfish. Don't get me wrong, shrimp or crawfish would be excellent with this.  The biggest ingredient in this whole thing is Emeril's essence which you can probably buy pre-made, but I made it with the below spices.  The seasoning mix is also referred to as bayou blast.  

Emeril's essence recipe:

• 2.5 T paprika
•  2 T salt
• 2 T garlic powder
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 T onion powder
•  1 T cayenne pepper
• 1 T dried oregano 
• 1 T dried thyme 

For the dish, you will need: 

• 1 lb chicken
• 1 lb fettuccine
• 2 T olive oil
• 6 T butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion- I highly recommend getting the already chopped onions- saves time and tears. :) 
• 2 T minced garline
• 2 t emeril essence- recipe above
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t cayenne 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream 
• 1 T lemon juice

First, put about two T butter 2 T oil in a pan and put stove on medium.   Put about 1/4 cup or more (just a heaping amount) into a bowl and layer the chicken with the emeril's essence seasoning.  Then put the chicken breasts into the pan, cook until done.  It's a personal decision for how you want the chicken to look- I like mine a medium brown. Put the chicken aside.  Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente for about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return pasta to the pot and toss the olive oil and the cooking liquid into the pot.  Cover to keep warm and set aside.  In a large pan- I used my cast iron skillet and it worked perfectly.  Melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add onions, and cook for about 6 minutes.  Add the 2 t of emeril essence, garlic, salt and cayenne, cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until the wine is evaporated.  Add the cream and lemon juice and cook for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and let sit for another 5 mintes, stirring occasionally.  Add the sauce to the pasta. Stir so sauce is covering noodles.  Now, add chicken.  I just cut my cooked chicken into thin strips.  Toss it and you're good to go! 

The spices to make Emeri's Essence 

The goods. 

Once you make the seasoning, you lightly coat the chicken with the seasoning then put it in a skillet.  

Seeing as how you only need 1/4 cup of white wine, this bota box of chardonnay works well. 

NOM! WINNER! 

Schuett gave it a thumbs up! Find her funny blog here!

Thanks for coming 'round, 2012!

According to the Mayan calendar, we're not supposed to be here. But I've definitely still got bills to pay, a floor to clean and cookies in the oven. 2011 was good. I can't complain. A big heartbreak but a lot of love from my God, family and friends. A summer in D.C., a marriage, a big step of independence in living in Fayetteville, and a big boost in my relationship with Christ. Hope your Christmas was as relaxing as mine turned out to be. I am so truly thankful for the holiday break. Not for the time off of school, but for the time with family.  Mom and I had a few days together.  I loved it.  It might have been scary for the city of Tulsa, at times, though.  We laughed. We laughed.  We laughed so very hard.  Mom now has this laugh when she can't catch her breath that sounds like a dog panting. Mom, if you're reading this, that wasn't an insult.  Christmas was truly about CHRIST this time around. It was so nice to focus on the meaning and not the gifts or anything. Mom and I went to the children's mass on Christmas eve night. We got there a little early- which is a good thing. But we got there about an hour early.  Someone (cough cough) thought mass started at 5:30....yaaa but we saw all the kids and their nativity scene which was great. 


 Onto Christmas morning....Madalyn took over Mom's tradition of Christmas morning brunch.  Ya, you can say it, she's definitely a married woman.  She's hosting family brunches now.  

Zeussss got a new toy! Dinosaur!! 

 Next year there will be a baby on that table...
It's a Barker tradition that the youngest grandkid gets to open presents on the pool table. 

They are starting to look just like Papa Joe...

Probably my favorite gift from Christmas.
It's a Tulsa tea towel- all the top places in Tulsa! Thanks Uncle Mark! You da, you da best! 

Cuties... 

62 years strong...and they still got it! 

Olzawski. Glad I didn't have to spell that growing up.  

Brag moment: Something I love about my family...both the Barker and Olzawski side hang out together during the holidays.  That doesn't happen when all families split. Ya...I'm blessed.

Mom got both Maddie and I got vintage pearl necklaces...mine has two verses.
 Jeremiah 29, Psalm 139, and a birds nest for Matthew 6.

Maddie got one with her and Clem's birthstones! 

My Aunt Terri. We used to have "Aunt Terri days" when we were younger.
 They were the best days of my life. 

The best dog....Barley!! With Aunt Sue.