Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Artistic Updates

To follow up from my last post, I used the leftover meat, dough, and onions to make calzones! I made cole slaw again but this time had honey to add and I liked the dressing much better. One of my good friends was over for dinner and as I was cooking, I realized she's been my guinea pig all year long as I try out new recipes. She keeps coming back though :) Here's a picture of last night's dinner before and after:


Also, I've been out taking lots of pictures lately. For Christmas, I got a Cannon Rebel t2i and I have loved learning how to use it and snapping shots of everything. I had some extra time today to do some editing and uploading of a bunch of new pictures. For some odd reason, the little slideshow gadget over there ---> will only rotate through a handful of pictures from my Flikr. So here is the link for my photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/hannahjezak/

8 days until I am done with this quarter and get to go home!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Cooking Adventures

This year I live in an apartment and while the cafeteria on campus is still an option, I have not been inside it once! I have been cooking for myself and I love it! Although, shopping and cooking for one person is not easy or very fun. I do always have leftovers unless I have friends over to share the meal which I absolutely love!

I have a cookbook that I got for Christmas, a bunch of mom's recipes, and a subscription to "Every Day with Rachael Ray." I have enjoyed trying all sorts of new recipes throughout the year though sometimes I do revert back to soup in a can or frozen pizza. But cooking takes time and energy and sometimes as a college student with a job, there just isn't a whole lot of either.

Last night I made this: Polish Pigs in a Blanket from the Rachael Ray show.




you can find the recipe here

This meal is really fast and easy to make! Problems for a single college student is that then you have pizza dough and 1/2 a kielbasa left to figure out what to do with. Sausage is great with spaghetti and marinara sauce and I'm still thinking about how I will use the dough in the next couple days.

This was my second time making it and it turned out pretty good, but here are some tips based on my experience. Spray the baking sheet with non-stick spray or use parchment paper so you don't lose the bottom crust like I did. The sausage crisps much faster than the onions so start it a few minutes later. Next time I will probably use less mustard and onions just because it was kind of overkill. Also, I realized half way through making the slaw dressing that I was out of honey so I just went without. It still tasted good but lacked any sweetness. It was yummy and very filling!



Thursday, March 3, 2011

Sun shines through the Rain

I'm sitting in a coffee shop on the corner of two streets. It is raining on one street, but not on the other. Clouds have come and gone all day, but now there are blue skies and warm sunshine and yet, still some rain falls. Is this weather not also apparent in life? Difficult situations come and go like the rain clouds. Or maybe one area of our life is going great yet the struggles in another aspect still discourage us. And yet, the sun will always come out again. The sun can pierce through clouds and shine through the drops of rain. This paradox even results in a beautiful rainbow. God's love never stops. Even if we feel alone and discouraged during hard times, He is still there. The clouds can cover up the sun, but they cannot keep it from existing and shining. Stressful situations might consume our thoughts and cause worry, but they cannot change the fact that God is in control and He has a plan. When we recognize this promise, we can experience joy in suffering, perhaps as sweet and beautiful as the vibrant hues of a rainbow.

So, there are some thoughts for the day, and now that it has stopped raining, I'm off to do some photography.