Recharging the Batteries

All the work I've been doing for the past few months is finally coming to fruition.  But that also means this is a very busy week for me.  I've been running all over the hospital for the past two days helping to get everything set up for Research Week in addition to handling the work from both libraries as my coworker is a symposium learning awesome stuff for us.

Did I mention that I do all of this running in heels?  Ouch, my feet hurt.

So it's no surprise that I'm exhausted.  And sick.  Allergy season is in full swing and the pollen seems to be affecting me even more this week.  I look like I've spent all day crying, my eyes and nose are so red.

So I'm taking today (and potentially tomorrow depending on how things go today) off from any real blogging and focusing on recharging my batteries and getting some rest. 

Anyone else feeling run down?

Recipe: Cheesy Garlic Bread

These are so good.  I can't even describe how good these are.  So I'm not going to spend time trying to describe them to you or tell a witty little story.  I'm just going to tell you to put these on your menu and make them ASAP.

Cheesy Garlic Bread - Adapted from Our Best Bites

1 loaf of French bread dough, made through the first rise (I recommend either this recipe or this one)

1 stick of butter, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic bread seasoning (see below)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

After you have made your French bread dough, allowed it to rise, and punched it down, roll it out into a rectangle, about 18-20 inches long and 6 inches wide.  

Combine softened butter and seasoning together.  Spread all over the dough rectangle.  Make sure it reaches all the way to the edges.  Evenly sprinkle with cheese.  Roll up jelly-roll style (from the long end of the rectangle).  Cut the roll into 12 equal slices; dental floss or a really sharp knife is best for this.  Place one roll into each greased muffin cup.  Cover and set aside while you preheat the oven to 350.

Once the oven has preheated, bake the bread muffins for 18-22 minutes.  You should watch them very closely for the last 5 minutes as the cheese tends to burn.  You may need to loosely cover it with foil to prevent this.  

These are best eaten immediately so you can enjoy the cheesy goodness! 

Garlic Bread Seasoning

1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese (like the kind by Kraft)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Mix all ingredients together and place in small container.  Seasoning mix should be stored in the refrigerator and can be kept up to 6 months.

This recipe is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Delicious Dishes.

Menu Plan Monday

Last week I did not do a good job of sticking to my menu plan.  I had lunch out more than I planned and ate dinner out with friends when I had a perfectly good meal at home.  Lately, I've also noticed myself falling back into my old single girl routine of eating too many snacks, ordering pizza way too much, and baking too many sweet treats.  

Not that any of that is bad every once in a while, but too much of anything is a bad thing.  So this week, I'm making a committed effort to stick to my menu and eat at home.  I'm also trying to fix healthier meals.  I had hoped that going vegetarian for Lent would lead to a small weight loss and healthier attitude towards food, but so far that hasn't been the case.  I don't think I'm getting enough protein because I've noticed that I'm always hungry, so I'm incorporating some lentils, shrimp, and leafy greens into this week's plan to help combat that. 

Sunday

Lunch: Leftover pizza

Dinner: Roasted shrimp, potatoes and zucchini (bumped from last week)

Monday

Lunch: Leftover pizza

Dinner: Lentils and rice (check the comments in this post for how I prepare this)

Tuesday

Lunch: Leftovers lentils and rice

Dinner: Leftovers aka clean out the fridge

Wednesday

Lunch: Soup, toasted cheese sandwich

Dinner: Pasta Florentine (made without the meat)

Thursday

Lunch: Leftover pasta

Dinner: Veggie burger, frozen vegetables

Friday

Lunch: PBandJ sandwich, chips and hummus

Friday: TBD

Breakfasts are orange-oatmeal muffins or Greek yogurt parfaits.  I'm thinking of making cookie cake bars for something sweet to have around the house and to take to work. 

Any vegetarians out there?  What are your favorite (and frugal) protein choices?  What's on your menu this week?

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

Weekend Readings

I took trips to the library and a terrific (and enormous) used bookstore this weekend.

What are you reading?

Weekly Wanderings: The Recipe Edition

For some reason this week, I was only able to find recipes to share.  I figured that wouldn’t be a problem for anyone, so that’s all I’m sharing this week!

Mini Meatball Sliders with Basil Pesto – Many of you have noticed my adoration for ham and cheese sliders (they are my go-to game day or appetizer snack) and now I think I have a new one.  I love meatballs and pesto so this sounds like a perfect combination to me.  I’m waiting impatiently for Lent to be over so I can make these!

Spinach White Pizza – I usually don’t like ricotta cheese on my pizzas, but I think I will love this one.  Yum!

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Pasta – Clearly, Italian is the name of the game this week.  On a side note, I really need to stop collecting pasta recipes.  I recently had to create a separate folder just for pasta recipes to try.  Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I’m a pasta addict.

Strawberry Spinach Salad – I guess we need something healthy after all that heavy Italian food.  I’ve had salads like this before and I always enjoy them.  I can’t wait until I start finding strawberries on sale and can make this.  Seems like a fast and light spring and summer meal.

Apparently the blogosphere is telling me I need to try quinoa because this week I found two recipes that sound delicious and need to appear on my menu sometime in the near future.  This Quinoa “Mac and Cheese” with Spinach is probably a great way for me to use up the ridiculous amounts of cheese in my fridge and this Creamy Quinoa Primavera sounds like a great and filling vegetarian main dish.  Have you tried quinoa?  How do you like to cook it?

Have you found any recipes worth sharing this week?

This post is linked to Friday Favorites. 

Food Waste Friday

I knew this was going happen weeks ago.  I just knew that there would be no way I could finish the spinach cream sauce before it went bad.

And I was right.  Sigh.

I really tried my best; incorporating into my menu plans more times than I care to count, but it was like a never ending pasta bowl from Olive Garden.  IT NEVER ENDED. It really should have gone out last week, but since I was at the beach, I didn't actually throw anything out before I left.

So really this counts as two weeks worth of food waste, right?  In that case, I say I did really well.

I also have half of two different onions (a red and a white for those of you who are confused as to why I have 2 onion halves in the first place) sitting around in the fridge.  Can I chop them up and freeze them?  Is there anything special I need to do before I stick them in there?

This post is linked to Food Waste Friday

When Google Isn't the Answer

Picture this: You've just been diagnosed with a disorder you are unfamiliar with or given a prescription for a medication you've never heard of.  The doctor is too busy to answer your questions or you feel intimidated so you don’t ask.  You get home, boot up your computer, and Google your disorder or medication.  Immediately, you become terrified and/or convinced you are going to drop dead any minute. 

Sound familiar?

In this day and age of instant web access and the ease of finding readily available information on the web, many patients choose to research their own diseases or medications and don’t bother to ask the doctor any questions.  Sometimes people even self-diagnose online.  We’ve all heard, probably more times than we can count, that the internet doesn’t always have the most reliable information or that we shouldn’t trust what we read online, but, generally, especially when it comes to health information, we ignore that. 

This is a very bad decision.

Why is it bad?  Because more likely than not, the information you are getting was written by a drug company or is written by someone who received money from a drug company to write that information.  And that drug company, and therefore that author, does not have your best interests in mind.  Drug companies exist to manufacture drugs to help sick people, but they also exist to make money.  So it’s best to keep that in mind when researching health information online.

Okay, you say.  Great points.  But how do I know what websites are reliable and which ones aren’t?  There are a few that I use most often and trust (as a librarian and as someone who works in a hospital) as the most valid sites on general health information. 

Medline Plus
Medline Plus is run by the National Institute of Health (our tax dollars hard at work) and is designed for patients and their families and friends.  It is written at a lower literacy rate (usually between 4th and 6th grades) and has information about diseases/disorders, drugs, interactive tutorials and videos, and a medical dictionary.  If you are looking for basic information on a health topic, in my opinion, this should be your first stop.

Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic runs a health information section of their website designed to help patients.  It's written a slightly higher reading level than Medline Plus and does contain advertisements, but it has some really interesting features like articles on living a healthy lifestyle and a variety of newsletters. 

PubMed Health
These days, if you Google a disease or a drug, the first entry is likely to be from PubMed health.  PubMed Health is a consumer health site produced by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).  It has a higher reading level than the government's other consumer health site (Medline Plus), but it goes into more detail.  PubMed Health is likely to have information on recent studies and clinical trials, and links to external (but valid) resources, including medical journal articles.  It focuses on comparative effectiveness research in which the experts to pull information from a variety of sources and presents the pros and cons.

Cleveland Clinic
Much like the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic has an excellent patient information section.  My favorite section is the Online Learning Center which has multi-media content on specific diseases and treatments. There are no advertisements on Cleveland Clinic's site.

I would say these are biggest and most reliable general health information websites.  But sometimes you aren't looking for something general or basic; you need something comprehensive on a specific subject.  In that case, I do suggest doing a Google search.  However, it is crucial to pay attention to the website.  Your best bets are sites that end in .org or .edu as they are nonprofits and won't have advertisements, which, as we discussed earlier, means that they probably aren't looking out for the patient.

You should also check who the company, institute, or organization is.  Look at their about page, their physicians, their publications.  If they don't have any of that information out in the open, then they probably are not legitimate and you should move on.  It's not difficult to find good and reliable health information on the web, you just have to know where to look.

Where do you look for health information?  Do you have any questions on evaluating health information websites?

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, just a medical librarian.  I am by no means an expert on any of this.  These are merely suggestions of where I think you should look for health information on the web.  I am not responsible for any incorrect or misleading information you find online. 

Practically Perfect In Every Way...Or Not

For some reason some people are under the impression that I’m a bit like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.  And I can sort of see why.

You come here every day and read about my menu planning, my cooking prowess, how I’m such a great librarian, own a house, and have such an amazing social life that I actually complain about being too busy. 

Yeah, I could see where you might hate me.  If I was really like that, I would hate me too.

So I’m here to correct all those misunderstandings and clear the air.  I am not perfect.  Not in any way, shape, form, or fashion.  Nor will I ever be.   

Attempting to be perfect was something I worked incredibly hard at growing up.  I would look around school or dance class and see these girls who looked as if everything they did was effortless; that being so together and so good at everything came naturally.  They seemed like they had it all right, all together, and were just so perfect.  I tried and I tried to be like that and failed every time. 

But then I learned that I don’t have to be perfect.  And I especially don’t have to be perfect at things I’m not good at.  Which is probably why I (and this blog) sometimes give off the impression that I am perfect.  I only write about things that I do well; I only post recipes that are successful (or that at least turned out successful even though I messed up the recipe); I generally only share the happy parts of my life.  I have a very bad habit of only talking about the good and the things that go right.

I used to be much more forward about the crappy parts of life, admitting to things like being bullied as a teen, lacking in motivation, or struggling with depression, but, after taking a quick pass through my more recent blog posts, I noticed that I’ve stopped doing that.  Not for any particular reason, but it’s probably not a good thing as it has led to several emails, tweets, and comments as to how I manage to do it all.  How do I keep myself together, run a blog, own a home, work full time, and still have a great social life?

The answer is I don’t. 

At any given time, my house is a complete disaster from all the cat litter Caty tracks around and from the fact that I haven’t done laundry in two weeks.  I haven’t, despite my very best intentions, worked out in almost two weeks but I have baked several wonderful treats that I have no intentions of sharing.  I often ignore phone calls when I don’t feel like talking.  I abandon my meal plan (and my budget) at the slightest sign of a better opportunity such as grocery store sushi or an entire pint of Turtle Tracks ice cream.  I shut out everything and everyone for days at a time so I can do nothing but lay around, read, and watch way too much TV.  I oversleep every day and am almost always late for work.  I have OCD to the point that it occasionally interferes with everyday life.  I gossip and talk too much.  I complain, often to the point of ridiculous.  I procrastinate more than you could ever imagine. 

I don’t do it all.  I can’t do it all.  I never will.  And I will never be perfect, not in a million years.  Neither are you.  And that’s okay.

Do you struggle with perfection or feeling unequal to some of the bloggers you read?

Recipe Redo: Breakfast Cake

Way back when I first posted this recipe, I promised to add pictures to it the next time I made it.  I really intended to make it over the holidays, but life (as it so often does) got in the way, I didn’t have the time.  

Plus, if you can believe it, I was tired of super sweet stuff.

I know I know.  I was stunned too.

Anyway, I’ve updated the recipe and added a couple of pictures to it.  So you should check it out. 

I also have a few suggestions or changes you can make. 

Option 1: Leave out the cream cheese and sugar dotted over the top, but keep the strudel and glaze.  I like to add cream cheese, but if you don’t have it around, you could easily leave it out and still have a delicious dish.

Option 2: Leave off the glaze.  The glaze is very sweet so many may find it too sweet.  I don’t think anything would be missing without the glaze, but I would definitely add ½ teaspoon or so of vanilla to the batter to up the flavor a little. 

Option 3: Half the glaze recipe.  It makes a ton; probably too much.  Now, I like things to be super sweet, so I wouldn’t do that, but I think you could easily cut the glaze in half and still have a great (and still very sweet) breakfast dish.

I would not leave off the strudel.  The strudel is what really makes this dish “breakfast-y” as it’s very much like a topping on a coffee cake.  Without the strudel, it would just be a plain cake with a vanilla glaze. 

Wait, why is that a bad idea again? :)

Make this recipe.  Whether you make this as the original recipe has it or with one (or a combination) of these adaptations; I really hope you make it and enjoy it. 

I didn't skip anything here...pecans, cream cheese, tons of glaze.  This is my kind of breakfast.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Delicious Dishes.

Menu Plan Monday

I’m back from my trip! I had a great time relaxing on the beach and hanging out with my friends.  It was a much needed vacation from work and from reality.  

The view from our balcony at sunset.

I was super organized last week and prepared my menu so I wouldn’t have to worry about it when I got home.  I didn’t eat great while I was away, although I did stick to my Lenten promise and only ate seafood!  But I’m really looking forward to some easy and healthy meals this week.  I’m continuing to plan my lunches; it went well for the little bit that I was at home last week, so this week will be real the test.  I’ll let you know how I did next week.

Sunday

I was supposed to order pizza, but I was too tired from driving all day to even do that.  I ended up eating snacky stuff around the house.

Monday

Lunch: out with a friend

Dinner: veggie burger, frozen veggies (cleaning out the freezer)

Tuesday

Lunch: soup, crackers and cheese

Dinner: Lemon Basil Pasta, some sort of bread – I’m thinking either Italian Cheese Twists or Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls (I’m having friends over for dinner lest you think all of this was for me!)

Wednesday

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Roasted shrimp, broiled zucchini and potatoes

Thursday

Lunch: sandwich, chips and hummus

Dinner: leftovers or something easy

Friday

Lunch: soup, grilled cheese

Dinner: leftovers or something easy

Which bread should I serve on Tuesday?  And what’s on your menu this week?

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

Weekly Wanderings: Vacation Edition

I know I’m off catching some rays at the beach, but I did want to share a few links with you today. 

You know, so you wouldn’t forget me while I’m gone. :)

Weekly Wanderings

Social Networking Best Practices – Some useful tips on how to beef up your library’s Facebook page.

How to Respond to Negative Comments – I am loving this series on blogging etiquette from The Happy Housewife!  She has such great advice here, both for blogging and for real life.

Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Radiation Event - March 2011 – The National Library of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Disaster Information Management Research Center has put together a web page detailing health information relating to the earthquake, tsunami, and the nuclear disaster in Japan.  This is a great resource for both general and medical/health information.  Something to bookmark for the upcoming weeks as I’m sure many information professionals will be dealing with questions. 

I’ve been attempting to avoid food blogs this week so I’ll stop printing off so many recipes, but if you are in the market for some good ones, I encourage you to check out this post I wrote on my favorite food blogs.  I never fail to find great recipes on these excellent sites.  My recipe index, along with all of these wonderful ones, is also a great place to look for new ideas.  Might I suggest Pasta and Vegetables in a Lemon-Parmesan Sauce for a quick meal that tastes like spring?