I guess that may have only been me during my semester abroad. But if I had only known that my baby beer belly could potentially save my life one day, I would have promptly poured myself another Guinness.
have a beer...or 12
Have you ever woken up one morning after over-imbibing and thought, "Man, if I don't quit drinking like this I'm going to give Gucci Mane a run for his money for the most weirdly distended beer gut."
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
I'm ashamed. I've compromised everything I stand for in one fell swoop. All in the name of salvaging the useful life of my zucchini.
When I came home from the farmer's market with my parents this weekend and started loading all of this week's produce into the fridge, I discovered four unused zukes that were nearing their final days. And by golly I wasn't going to throw them away! Y'all, that would be terrible.
My shame is compelling me to justify this decision, so hear me out. I needed a recipe that was simple enough that I would have everything in the apartment without having to go to the grocery store. I needed a recipe that wasn't muffins since I had no paper liners for a muffin tray (which I don't think I have either). I also needed a recipe that would use up a bunch of my zukes. But I do have two loaf pans! And chocolate chips! And everything is better with chocolate.
But it most certainly could be dessert if you wanted it to be.
So if all y'all got some leftover zukes or would really prefer to eat your vegetables in dessert form, this recipe is for you. And since it makes two loaves, there's plenty to share. Or put the other loaf in the freezer and keep it all for yourself. Paula certainly wouldn't judge - this recipe is healthy for Pete's sake!
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
recipe courtesy of Paula Deen www.pauladeen.com
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| www. pauladeenridingthings.com Check it out. You won't be sorry. |
You see I'm already channeling my inner Paula Deen. And it's only been one recipe. I think it's a downward slope from here.
Then pauladeen.com came to the rescue, gracing me with a simple, straightforward recipe that (gasp!) doesn't even have a pat of butter in it. Sure, there's a cup of vegetable oil, but seriously, it's Paula. You'd expect her to work some butter in somewhere. She didn't even do a melted butter citrus glaze! Or sandwich it between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts!
My only hypothesis is that she was feeling a little under the weather when she wrote this recipe. Or her doctor just told her that her cholesterol was dangerously high.
Either way, she wrote a kick-ass recipe. It's rich without being heavy, and sweet without being dessert.
So if all y'all got some leftover zukes or would really prefer to eat your vegetables in dessert form, this recipe is for you. And since it makes two loaves, there's plenty to share. Or put the other loaf in the freezer and keep it all for yourself. Paula certainly wouldn't judge - this recipe is healthy for Pete's sake!
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
recipe courtesy of Paula Deen www.pauladeen.com
Ingredients
3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing.
State Pride
Before I even moved to Wisconsin, I knew that there was something unique about how Wisconsinites love Wisconsin. I first noticed it in college when I met people who were from Wisconsin. Natives don't say that they are from Milwaukee, Madison, or Green Bay. They simply say, "I'm from Wisconsin!" Usually with an overwhelming amount of pride. Then, when I started telling people that I was moving to Madison, everyone would say, "Oh, yeah that's a great town! You'll love Wisconsin."
Even though I was aware of this Wisconsin pride before I moved to Wisconsin, you can understand why I was a little shocked when within the first two weeks of living here I saw two of the most permanent displays of state pride - Good ol' fashioned tattoos.
The first was when Kenz and I went to the hot yoga class. Our instructor was one of those tiny,blonde, yogi girls who is so flexible that you're pretty certain that her bones are made of rubber, and she had one of those calm yogi voices that makes things like "bring your hands to heart center" and "plug your feet into the earth" sound totally normal. But about twenty minutes into our 95° class, she took off her tank top to reveal a pink sports bra, killer abs, nd a tattoo on her lower ribcage of the outline of Wisconsin and a star where Madison is. I realized that this yogi wasn't just any yogi. She was a Wisconsin yogi.
The second was just days later when I was walking to the farmer's market. This encounter didn't involve any kind of flourished reveal like in the yoga class, but the girl who passed me on the sidewalk was wearing a vintage t-shirt that had clearly been self-altered with the careful use of blunt-ended Fiskars. But upon further examination of her get-up, I'm sure her intentions were to remove the sleeves to reveal the upper armband tattoo of the top band of the Wisconsin license plate. Complete with green foliage and red barn. I guess if you're going to go through the process of getting a permanent symbol of your immense state pride, you're going to go to great lengths to show it off.
But you know what I realized this weekend? I'm starting to become one of those people. I mean, the first stall I took the folks to at the farmer's market was World Champion Award Winning Cheese. And then we ate cheese curds. And then we ate a cheese plate.
| Have I mentioned that the cheese here is delicious? Eating cheese is the easiest and most delicious way of demonstrating state pride. |
That being said, I still made them stop for venti iced coffees prior to our farmer's market adventures. I can't have unbridled enthusiasm for my new state without being properly caffeinated.
I swear, it's inevitable. I think they put something in the cheese.
Fun Friday
I saw this the other day and I thought, "I took dance lessons for like, fourteen years and all I have to show for it is a decent sense of rhythm and a pretty impressive crescent pose." I also know that if I ever attempted to krump, the people around me would most likely think I was having some sort of seizure. But these kids just look super rad.
So, in honor of getting off of work early on a Friday (woooo!), the release of Tha Carter IV on Tuesday, and all the new dance moves you just learned, channel your Young Money into having a good time tonight.
Let me count the ways that I'm obsessed with it: It's the perfect color, my laptop fits in it, it has a zip top, and it's just expensive enough that I'd feel guilty about buying it for about another month. Great.
That's four. Did I mention the buttery leather, the inner pockets, and the two sets of handles? Okay seven. I'll stop drooling.
So go do something fun! Dance, drink, shop, or cuddle up on your futon and watch reruns of Friends until 11:30 rolls around and you run across campus to drink Keystone in a randos dorm (I'm not speaking from experience or anything). Or if you can't do something fun, at least do something not fun to this song. I swear it will make whatever you're doing more fun.
So, in honor of getting off of work early on a Friday (woooo!), the release of Tha Carter IV on Tuesday, and all the new dance moves you just learned, channel your Young Money into having a good time tonight.
 |
| I wish I looked this cool at my kindergarten graduation. I bet this kid can krump his face off. |
My plan for my Fun Friday is to party with my parents and try to channel the spirit of krumping without actually having to call the paramedics. The cherry on top is that Lee and Brian will be reunited. Hopefully this weekend will be just as quotable as SPW.
On a slight tangent, I've been channeling all of my Young Money into my "I Must Have This Bag or I Will Die" Fund.
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| J.Crew Marlow hobo |
The only reason I'm bringing it up is because I can't stop thinking about it. I seriously have a full-fledged crush on this bag.
That's four. Did I mention the buttery leather, the inner pockets, and the two sets of handles? Okay seven. I'll stop drooling.
So go do something fun! Dance, drink, shop, or cuddle up on your futon and watch reruns of Friends until 11:30 rolls around and you run across campus to drink Keystone in a randos dorm (I'm not speaking from experience or anything). Or if you can't do something fun, at least do something not fun to this song. I swear it will make whatever you're doing more fun.
wonder woman
I'm suffering from high self-esteem due to intense productivity. Yes, this productivity has been at the expense of a recent blog post here, but did you check out the evolution of my nicknames? You probably did. I'm pretty certain there's a lot of overlap in readership.
My productive streak started on Saturday morning, bright and early at 7:30 am. No alarm necessary - that's just what my body does now. Yay morning-personhood! I also think that I was really anxious to get to the farmer's market because I had created a monstrous list of groceries on Friday that Iwanted needed, but I felt too guilty to go to the grocery store and buy all this produce knowing full well that there was going to be a massive amount of gorgeous produce just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my apartment the next day.
So off I hopped, skipped, and jumped - coffee, cash, and reusable canvas bag in hand - over the the farmer's market.
And I think I might have overdone it.
I mean, I'm only one person.
So what's a girl to do with way too much food? Cook for her roommate! Duh.
My goals this week were to 1) Eatmost all of the food I bought at the farmer's market and 2) Use my herbs that I have tenderly cared for the past two weeks.
I think by Friday I will have acheived some success, so let me give credit where credit is due.
This is becoming a staple for Kenzie and me. It's perfectly flavorful, filling, light, and simple to make. It's also an awesome pack-it-and-go lunch with a Ziploc full of blue corn tortilla chips. And the corn is so sweet right now that you just cut it off of the cobb raw and throw it in and every bite of it tastes like candy. Well, maybe not candy, but it's really sweet.
Wednesday: I would describe what I made for dinner last night the love child of ratatouille and pasta with pesto on it. There are no pictures of my concoction because it was just plain ugly. I just sauteed a bunch of my veggies with some garlic and olive oil and threw some fresh basil and some honey goat gouda on top. I'm a firm believer that goat cheese makes everything better.
Recipes aside, I'm also newly a member at a gym (which I have been to everyday since Saturday), and I have been trying all sorts of new classes because being a Jillian devotee and a yogi, I really like it when there is someone at the front of the room telling me what to do and that I should be pushing myself harder. I motivated myself to get to the gym, right? I shouldn't have to motivate myself for the entire time I'm there too. Especially when I have been doing self-motivation all day at work all alone in my basement office not to on-line shop or fall asleep. We'll address My Lair another time.
I feel like I work in a cave.
Highlight of my first week at the gym: My first-ever spin class.
I felt like I huge doofus because I strolled in right as class was about to start, and the instructor said, "Hi! I'm Christina! Is this your first spin class?" I enthusiastically replied, "Yes!" Not knowing that it would take her close to ten minutes to show me how to actually ride the bike. I hate it when my workouts aren't efficient (e.g. waiting around for an instructor to arrive, too long of a savasana, etc.) but I think I hate it even more when I'm making other people's workouts inefficient. To everyone who was in that class - I'm sorry!
Despite my slow start, I loved the format of the class. There were certainly times when I felt a little bored and my body was screaming for a downward dog since I had been hunched over my desk all day and now I was hunched over the handlebars of a bike, but the music was fun, the instructor was super peppy, and we did our last interval to Mumford and Sons "The Cave". Perhaps a reference to my office? Probably just a coincidence, but it won me over either way.
So today my butt hurts really bad (TMI?), so Kenz and I are drinking beers and cleaning the apartment in anticipation of my parents' visit. Jack and Liza - you better get your butts to Madison too! Unless you took a spin class yesterday, in which case you should probably drink beers and let your butt rest too.
My productive streak started on Saturday morning, bright and early at 7:30 am. No alarm necessary - that's just what my body does now. Yay morning-personhood! I also think that I was really anxious to get to the farmer's market because I had created a monstrous list of groceries on Friday that I
So off I hopped, skipped, and jumped - coffee, cash, and reusable canvas bag in hand - over the the farmer's market.
And I think I might have overdone it.
I mean, I'm only one person.
So what's a girl to do with way too much food? Cook for her roommate! Duh.
My goals this week were to 1) Eat
I think by Friday I will have acheived some success, so let me give credit where credit is due.
 |
| photo from smittenkitchen.com |
I thought that this was totally delicious. However, I thought that it was even more delicious as an after-work snack on Monday. I was too lazy to heat it up so I just ate it cold out of the tupperware. And I don't know if it was the raw red onion, the creaminess of the tahini sauce, or the texture of the butternut squash, but it reminded me so much of my mom's potato salad (which I am shamelessly obsessed with) that I was twice as excited about its deliciousness because this recipe doesn't have a whole tub of mayo in it.
I will still beg my mom to have potato salad when I return home for a summer vacation. This is simply an adequate substitue until then.
Monday: I ate cold butternut squash salad, a bowl of Trader Joe's frosted mini-wheats, and some TJ's crackers with farmer's market cheese. Don't judge.
 |
| photo from eatliverun.com |
Wednesday: I would describe what I made for dinner last night the love child of ratatouille and pasta with pesto on it. There are no pictures of my concoction because it was just plain ugly. I just sauteed a bunch of my veggies with some garlic and olive oil and threw some fresh basil and some honey goat gouda on top. I'm a firm believer that goat cheese makes everything better.
Recipes aside, I'm also newly a member at a gym (which I have been to everyday since Saturday), and I have been trying all sorts of new classes because being a Jillian devotee and a yogi, I really like it when there is someone at the front of the room telling me what to do and that I should be pushing myself harder. I motivated myself to get to the gym, right? I shouldn't have to motivate myself for the entire time I'm there too. Especially when I have been doing self-motivation all day at work all alone in my basement office not to on-line shop or fall asleep. We'll address My Lair another time.
I feel like I work in a cave.
Highlight of my first week at the gym: My first-ever spin class.
I felt like I huge doofus because I strolled in right as class was about to start, and the instructor said, "Hi! I'm Christina! Is this your first spin class?" I enthusiastically replied, "Yes!" Not knowing that it would take her close to ten minutes to show me how to actually ride the bike. I hate it when my workouts aren't efficient (e.g. waiting around for an instructor to arrive, too long of a savasana, etc.) but I think I hate it even more when I'm making other people's workouts inefficient. To everyone who was in that class - I'm sorry!
Despite my slow start, I loved the format of the class. There were certainly times when I felt a little bored and my body was screaming for a downward dog since I had been hunched over my desk all day and now I was hunched over the handlebars of a bike, but the music was fun, the instructor was super peppy, and we did our last interval to Mumford and Sons "The Cave". Perhaps a reference to my office? Probably just a coincidence, but it won me over either way.
So today my butt hurts really bad (TMI?), so Kenz and I are drinking beers and cleaning the apartment in anticipation of my parents' visit. Jack and Liza - you better get your butts to Madison too! Unless you took a spin class yesterday, in which case you should probably drink beers and let your butt rest too.
farmer's market finds
Madison is known to have the largest producer-only farmer's market in the country. That means that everyone selling the produce, flowers, cheese, and bread is the one who made it.
After a few Saturdays of perusing this market which surrounds the entire capital building, I've determined that when the person selling you that bundle of flowers is the one who grew them, that person tends to be that much more proud of his or her product, and therefore has a better product to sell you.
You just don't see neon yellow sunflowers in every grocery store flower section you glance through.
How can you not look at these babies and smile? Especially when you have the image of the farmer hacking off the stems to your desired length with a machete. Hard core.
And remember when I promised myself that I would start growing my own herbs? Well, three pots are currently out on my balcony, furiously growing some seriously fragrant rosemary, cilantro, and basil.
Since I am admittedly a total gardening newb, I asked the farmer who sold them to me how he suggested I take care of them. He told me to "use them often", and "water them".
I'm not that much of a newb, even if I do look like a city-slicker in my Ray-Bans.
But in regards to his first bit of advice - done! Time to make some fresh pesto! And rosemary rolls, and a butternut squash and chickpea salad...
Aw hell yeah.
After a few Saturdays of perusing this market which surrounds the entire capital building, I've determined that when the person selling you that bundle of flowers is the one who grew them, that person tends to be that much more proud of his or her product, and therefore has a better product to sell you.
You just don't see neon yellow sunflowers in every grocery store flower section you glance through.
How can you not look at these babies and smile? Especially when you have the image of the farmer hacking off the stems to your desired length with a machete. Hard core.
And remember when I promised myself that I would start growing my own herbs? Well, three pots are currently out on my balcony, furiously growing some seriously fragrant rosemary, cilantro, and basil.
Since I am admittedly a total gardening newb, I asked the farmer who sold them to me how he suggested I take care of them. He told me to "use them often", and "water them".
I'm not that much of a newb, even if I do look like a city-slicker in my Ray-Bans.
But in regards to his first bit of advice - done! Time to make some fresh pesto! And rosemary rolls, and a butternut squash and chickpea salad...
Aw hell yeah.
morning-personhood
I'm pretty sure that there is no one out there that would classify me as a morning person. I have been in a committed relationship with coffee for about eight years, and I have seen people retreat from my presence in order to steer clear of my pre-caffeine wrath.
I hear I'm a relatively pleasant person after coffee, though.
But here's the deal - the real world demands that I convert to morning-personhood. Gone are the days when I rolled out of bed at 9:30, walked to Starbucks, and after a day of class, had the flexibility in my schedule to go for a run during my prime time of 3:30pm. Now I'm out the door by 7:15am, home around 6pm, and in bed around 10:30pm, ready to do it all over again.
And we're not the most efficient chefs yet.
awestruck and stupid
I have now promised myself to never leave the apartment without some device with which I can take a photo. Because when you leave the apartment with only your key and ID, you can't take photos of "the most photographed waterski trick" during the weekly Mad-City Ski Show that takes place on Lake Monona.
I went for a short run last night to do some exploring and get my bearings in my new city, and I decided that an easy way to stay oriented was to stay on the path that runs along the lake. But once I got down to the lake I saw that there were all of these people set up in folding chairs just chatting, picnicking, and looking at the lake.
I was a little confused.
Then I got even more confused as I went farther down the path and the crowd of people continued too.
I finally pulled over and asked a woman who was perched by the path, "Excuse me, would you tell me what event this is?"
And she looked and me, beamed up at me, and said, "Oh, yeah it's the Waterski Show!" (think thick Wisconsin accent when you read that)
So then I kept on going and before I knew it, I saw a guy holding the bar behind his back, facing backwards, being pulled behind a boat going 35mph, and "skiing" with no skis. Yeah, barefoot.
Apparently barefoot running is child's play now.
And before I could even process what I had just seen, I see 29 people standing either on water or on each other's shoulders also being pulled by a boat.
And I vigorously patted myself on the forehead for being too stupid to bring my iPhone with me so I could take a picture.
The forehead patting is a story for another time. But it is really useful when you need to gently reprimand yourself for silliness.
 |
| Not my photo. Obvi. Courtesy of The Cap Times. |
I was a little confused.
Then I got even more confused as I went farther down the path and the crowd of people continued too.
I finally pulled over and asked a woman who was perched by the path, "Excuse me, would you tell me what event this is?"
And she looked and me, beamed up at me, and said, "Oh, yeah it's the Waterski Show!" (think thick Wisconsin accent when you read that)
So then I kept on going and before I knew it, I saw a guy holding the bar behind his back, facing backwards, being pulled behind a boat going 35mph, and "skiing" with no skis. Yeah, barefoot.
Apparently barefoot running is child's play now.
And before I could even process what I had just seen, I see 29 people standing either on water or on each other's shoulders also being pulled by a boat.
And I vigorously patted myself on the forehead for being too stupid to bring my iPhone with me so I could take a picture.
The forehead patting is a story for another time. But it is really useful when you need to gently reprimand yourself for silliness.
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