Sooo, I've taken up cooking...

So, Mom started this diet, and while I haven't fully subscribed to it, I've started trying to eat healthier, one baby step at a time. One of the things I'm trying is to make my lunch and freeze it, rather than eating Chef Boyardee's finest or getting fast food. Yesterday I made this:

I kind of just looked for what was in the fridge and went with it, and it came out SUPER tasty! I made about 7 meals worth, and froze them in single serving containers, which are the best invention ever. It reheated really well today in the microwave at school. I figured I'd share my best approximation of the recipe, so that you can try it if you want. (and so I can remember it later) There's plenty of options for customization, and this isn't necessarily exactly what I did, so don't hold too fast to the recipe. It comes out looking super fancy, but it's basically one of those "dump everything in the pot and watch it cook" kind of recipes.

1 1/2 lbs. Chicken, cubed. (I used raw and cooked it, but you could use leftover grilled or canned)
3/4 lb Frozen Salad Shrimp (I just threw them in the pot frozen, but they could be thawed or even fresh)
1 box (14.65 oz.) Whole grain bowtie pasta
1 Medium onion, sliced
5 Stalks celery, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 bag Sliced "baby bella" mushrooms
3 tbs. Olive Oil
1/4 c. Reduced fat (or regular) feta cheese (I used a mix of reduced fat and regular because I was trying to finish off some mostly empty containers.)
2 tbs. Shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
Salt

Start pasta boiling according to package directions. In a very large pan or wok, brown chicken if raw. Add onions, celery, mushrooms, shrimp, tomatoes, and olive oil. Cook until veggies begin to soften. There will be a lot of juice, don't drain it. Drain pasta and add to rest of mix. Stir together and continue heating until liquid thickens. Season with a bit of garlic powder, and salt to taste. When almost done, add feta and parmesan cheeses and stir in well, they will melt and appear to vanish, but I promise they're still there. (If you're feeling really cheesy, you could garnish the top with some cheese when you serve it) Annnnd... Voila, food! Serves about 6-7. It filled 7 of the square ziplock microwaveable containers. Let me know if you make this and how it goes. :)

Summer, here I come!

Well, I haven't posted in a while, which really isn't a big deal since I'm pretty sure no one reads this, but I have one more final to take, and then I have free time!!! (yeah right) I passed my chem final, so all is well in the world :). Now I get to clean my bedroom to make room for all my school stuff I took home and get ready for camp!

I'm already packing my stuff for camp, and it's almost a month until I leave... I have a full box of "magical granola bars of cold cuts banishment", an overflowing "good deed treasure box", although I just now decided that the treasure box needs a good coat of gold spray paint and plenty of rhinestones. I'll get on that tomorrow :). I bought plenty of popsicles to use as icepacks, but I need to replenish my stock of "magical homesickness and tummy-ache curing animal cookies". I also stocked up on Christmas decorations when they went on sale so that we can have the best Christmas in July ever. For now, I'm just relaxing and counting down the days until camp...

Confusion

I don't know which is harder, losing a close friend you see all the time, or someone you were close to in the past, and drifted away from, but always hoped to spend time with again. On the one hand, someone you see every day, you'd feel the absence acutely, in everything. But a friend that you'd lost contact with for a while seems more tragic to me right now. You think of the good times you had, but wonder about all the time you wasted apart. If you had just made that phone call, started an IM chat when they were online, asked them to a quick dinner just because. Now they're gone and there will be no more chances to make that call, just say hi. Now they're just gone. Now what?
Rest in Peace Austin Robinson.

<3 Sarah

______ of the week

On my brother's wiki, I like to update their sidebar with items of the week, which I will also post here. :) Here's this week's:

Allen Factoid of the Week: It is illegal to own a python of any species in the City of Allen. This includes common pet species such as Ball pythons. This law came after someone's large python ate a baby. Seriously.

Illegal Pet of the Week: Otters.

TV Show of the Week: Big Bang Theory. The similarities to people in my life were uncanny. Someone tell me it's not just me!

Article of the Week: An argument in the favor of those celebrating Singles Awareness Day today.

Website of the Week: 8tracks. Create your own or listen to other people's music mixes. (My personal favorite: Disney :D)

Holiday of the Week: Today (Monday Feb. 14th) Is Singles Awareness Day! Go buy yourself some candy for the designated commercial holiday coincidentally coinciding with this one, and cry yourself to sleep.

Cheap Nerd-friendly Date Idea of the Week: (I'm adding this section for those of you who ascribe either by choice or by necessity to Valentine's Day) Feed The Ducks! Go to Kroger (this can be accomplished by taking a leisurely stroll), Locate the manager's special bread wrack in the back left of the store, purchase a large quantity of bread for $1-2. Go to a park; Bethany Lakes is ideal. Feed Ducks. (This is surprisingly sweet, and it makes you look like you're sensitive and care for animals or something like that.) Total Cost: $1-2. Make it better: Take along a picnic (or buy food at kroger), plan ahead, go at sunset.

Advice of the Week: Some things that you may find yourself needing to know in the future.

Musical Group of the Week: Lady Antebellum. I was confused at first, as Lady Gaga is one person, but Lady Antebellum is a group of three, but whatever. Normally I just listen to oldies, but I watched the Grammy's Sunday night and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked their music.

<3 Ladybug

Ugh, Chemistry...

Well, I've got a chemistry test on Tuesday. I really ought to be studying, but instead I'm slacking off on the internet, so here I am!

I'm kinda halfway watching the Grammy's, which is interesting. I listen to a lot of oldies and don't really follow most modern stuff, so I've been a little confused. Lady Gaga is 1 person, but Lady Antebellum is 3? Huh? Whatever. I've actually been pleasantly surprised though, I haven't really heard anything so far that I don't really like, although Katy Perry just came on, so... Love her dress, so there's my nice thing to say.

I spent some time earlier wasting time on stumbleupon, and I saw some pages of funny test answers given by people who clearly didn't know the answers. The one I'll probably wind up using Tuesday is to answer "Because god made it that way" To questions about why things behave a certain way. I'm a Christian, can I get away with that on the grounds of religious belief? And with that thought, I guess I better go start studying. Later!

<3 Ladybug

And so it begins.

Well, I've decided to start a blog. One of my friends started one, and I decided it looked like a great way to share my ADD ramblings. I know I'm about 5(?) years late for the blogging frenzy, but I also just got a farmville 2 weeks ago, so I guess I'm just not a bandwagon kind of girl.

Don't know if anyone will actually read this, or even if I'll actually keep it going longer that a few weeks, but hey, why not.

A little about me: I'm a college student, I work as a summer camp counselor, I'm musical, crafty, and have ADD. The rest will come out along the way I suppose. Welcome!

<3 Ladybug