May Goal Review

1. Budget - Put money into savings.  Done!  I transferred money into two of my savings accounts.  If I can just keep this up, I'll be well on my way to meeting some of my savings goals!
2. Food - Cook more.  If I'm counting correctly, I cooked 12 dinners this month.  Not bad considering I was out of town for almost an entire week.  I did feel like I was cooking more than I had in a while, and I only got stressed about cooking once.  I also baked muffins for breakfasts twice this month, but I only baked bread once.  I need to get bake into the swing of making all of my own breads.
3. Blogging - Blog. Period.  Counting this blog post, I have blogged 26 times this month, up from 20 in April.  I did some scheduling in advance and took the time when I could find it to at least get something down.  There were very few days when I felt stressed about not having anything posted.  I'd really like to keep this up because it's a great feeling!
4. Social - Maintain a balance.  This was hard this month because I was traveling for almost a week in the middle, but I think I did pretty good at the beginning of the month.  One of my closest friends is finally home from school (she just graduate law school - congrats Laura!!), so I see lots of outings in my future.  I need to try to keep up a balance between being at home and being out, for both my budget and my sanity's sake.
5. Personal - Organize my office.  For the second month in a row, I have failed on this goal.  Oops.  I realized my reason though, when I was writing my guest post for the blog swap.  I didn't set at SMART goal so we can blame my laziness on that, right? 

Did you set goals this month?  How did you do?

Recipe: Ricotta and Zucchini Galette

I love how I can turn anything into an adventure.  Or a disaster depending on how you look at things.

Take making this simple dinner for example.  It started last week when I realized I had some ricotta cheese in the freezer that needed to be used up.  I had recently pinned a new dish from Smitten Kitchen and decided that now was the perfect time to try it.  I bought the zucchini and the puff pastry (what, you think I'm going to make my own dough?  Yeah, right.) and put the galette on my menu plan.

Something nagging in the back of my mind told me to check the ricotta cheese the day I was planning on making the dish.  I can't remember if I was checking it to make sure I had enough or checking to make sure it hadn't gone bad.  Either way I ended up with well over a cup on ricotta cheese growing pink mold.  Oops.  Not okay.

So I made a mad dash to the store after work to pick up more ricotta because I HAD to make this for dinner (why I couldn't keep the pastry in the freezer and use the zucchini in something else I don't know.  My mind wasn't working like that on this particular day).  It turned out to be delicious and an excellent dinner decision.  However, now I'm stuck with ricotta cheese that needs to be used up before it too grows pink mold.

Ricotta and Zucchini Galette
Print this recipe!

1/2 box of frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed
2 small zucchinis, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
I garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Spread the zucchini out on several layers of paper towels and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Let it drain for 30 minutes then gently blot the tops with more paper towels.  Meanwhile, mix the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.  In another bowl mix the cheeses, 1 teaspoon of the garlic oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400.  Roll the puff pastry dough out (on a floured surface) into a 12-inch circle or square (I have zero patience rolling already square things round, so I went with a square) and transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Spread the ricotta mixture out evenly, leaving a 2 inch border around the edges.  Top with the zucchini in an even, single layer.  Drizzle the rest of the garlic oil evenly over the top.  Fold the border over the filling as far as it will go.  It should really just form a crust, not cover the whole top.  Brush the crust with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water).  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Top with the fresh basil, cut into wedges, and serve. 

-Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, and This Chick Cooks

Menu Plan Monday

Since I've been out of town all weekend visiting my best friend, I'm getting around to planning my menu a little late today.  Since I had such a bad food waste week last week, I'm trying to keep things a little simpler this week to (hopefully!) prevent that from happening again. 

Monday: Memorial Day dinner with my parents - ribs (made with our favorite pork marinade), Asian coleslaw, pineapple casserole (no recipe just yet; if it's good I'm sure I'll be posting it!), BBQ bread

Tuesday: Out to dinner with a friend

Wednesday: Creamy Caprese Pasta

Thursday: Grilled chicken salad with lemon vinaigrette

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: TBD

Breakfasts are toast (trying a new bread recipe!) and yogurt, SlimFast, and frozen breakfast sandwiches.  Lunches are leftovers or sandwiches.  I think I might make a pan of blondies for dessert this week.

What's on your menu this week?

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday

Summer Grilling

Memorial Day (which is one Monday - don't forget!) is the unofficial start of summer.  In Alabama, summer usually kicks off around the beginning of May when we hit 90 for the first time.  For some of you way up north, spring may only just be beginning.

Memorial Day, and the unofficial start of summer, also means the official start of the grilling season.  I don't have a grill for my new house (any recommendations for a small, girl-sized gas grill?), so I've already been visiting/barging in on my parents to share their grill (and so my dad can cook for me...even I need a night off).  I thought I would share a few of my favorite grilling recipes and ask you to do the same.  Put your links in the comments!

Beer Can Chicken

Grilled Shrimp Skewers 

Grilled Vegetables

I also really like grilled fish (of any sort), grilled chicken (legs are my fav), and of course, hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.  Oh, and steak of course.  And vidalia onions.  And corn.  And...I could go on and on.  

What are your favorite things to grill?  Any recipes you want to share?

Food Waste Friday

It's not a good week for food waste at my house.  I had froze a half a loaf of (store bought) bread before I went to MLA, and took it out when I got home.  I ate two pieces and when I went to get some the next time, it was growing some really fabulous specimens of penicillin.  Yesterday I went to get some ricotta cheese to use in a new recipe and found it was growing pink mold.  A quick Google search and asking on Twitter told me pink mold is not the kind you can just scoop off.  So into the trash went the cheese and the bread.

I also discovered some mushrooms I had forgotten about.  I probably could have salvaged them in an omelet or a frittata, but since I left this morning to go see my best friend, they had to go.  I also wasted some fried rice that wasn't very good to begin with and I couldn't bring myself to eat it.

Sigh.  Not a good week.

What did you waste this week?

This post is linked to Food Waste Fridays. 

Weekly Wanderings

Food:
Creamy Caprese Pasta - I love everything in this dish so much.  This will be appearing on my menu plan ASAP.

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins - I love discovering the archives of long-running blogs.  Hence, this recipe.

Salmon Burgers - There's a restaurant near my parents' house that makes salmon burgers and sweet potato fries.  I will be recreating that experience (but not the price!) at home.

Strawberry Summer Cake - Yum.  Simple and delicious.  Perfect for strawberry season.

Everything Else:
Normal with a Slight Chance of Rapture - Need a laugh?  Tamara will provide.

The Ultimate Blog Swap - Curious about the blog swap I participated in on Tuesday?  Check out the Life...Your Way post that explains it and lists all the blogs that participated.

The Little Loft - I thought this was THE MOST ADORABLE playhouse and reading loft.  I would play here...even if I am 25. :)

You Need Some Links - Smart Bitch Sarah shares her (strong) opinion on Seth Godin's controversial blog post from last week.  If you are feeling feisty about the whole issue, you should also read this post.

This post is linked to Friday Favorite Finds.

Taking Risks

I am not a risk taker.

I am not the kind of person who jumps out of airplanes, takes spontanous road trips, or tries new and daring fashions.

I do not ride roller coasters or motorcycles, I don't walk up to people and strike up conversations, and I don't make decisions unless I'm almost positive of the outcome.

I am the type of person who chooses the safe career of librarianship over a career in paleo-anthropology because someone thought that I couldn't do it.  I am the type of person who doesn't move to England for graduate school, choosing to hide behind an excuse of "it's too expensive". 

I make safe choices.  Safe choices that could also be described as boring or cowardly. 

I have a choice to make right now.  To take a risk or stay at home.  To try something that may work and be amazing or play it safe. 

But I'm afraid. 

Afraid of having my heart broken.  Afraid of doing something I may regret.  Afraid of not doing something and regretting it. 

So I have to make a choice.  Take a chance and risk my heart?  Or stay safe and risk regret? 

Choices suck.