Oven Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Happy Easter everyone!  Thanks for stopping by!

Let me begin by saying: I love potatoes.

All you low-carb haters out there, stop reading.  Like right now. Come on, stop.

Did you stop?

Of course you didn't, because deep down inside, you know potatoes are tasty too.

Potatoes have been demonized in past years for being "starchy" or "carbs".  And they will make you gain weight immediately in the abdomen only.  RIGHT.  Come on, people, let's get real.  Potatoes have tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber in them, making them a great side dish. 

One of my favorite kinds of potatoes to make are the baby reds.  They're cheap and easy to cook, so they're awesome when you need a side dish in a pinch.  I also happen to think they taste the best. 

My favorite way to make these lil' guys is roasted in the oven with garlic and parmesan.  YUM.

Begin by rinsing the dirt off the potatoes. 

Now, let's pause for a moment to address those who feel the need to scrub potatoes like their life depended on it.  Potatoes grow underground, folks.  They're supposed to be dirty.  I promise if you rinse them well and give them a quick scrub with your hand, you won't even notice the miniscule amount of dirt left on them.  Moving on.

Once the potatoes are shiny and clean...

Quarter them and drizzle with olive oil

Season with salt and pepper and garlic powder.

You can use fresh garlic or minced garlic if you prefer.  I just use whatever I have on hand!

Typically I use an italian seasoning blend, too, with oregano, basil, thyme, etc. but once again, I ran out, okay?! SUE ME. 



Mmmm...

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, and spread the quarters out onto it. 

Some will tell you not to put the potatoes too close, but put them close enough... blah blah blah.  Just throw them onto the sheet.  Mine always turn out. You heard me.  Haters.

Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes, flipping after 20. You'll know it's time to flip when the side that's down is brown and crispy.  Yummm.  Enjoy with barbecue sauce or ketchup.  I eat the leftovers with eggs in the morning too.  Enjoy!!

 

Microwave Mug Cookie

Heyyoooo!

So I was really excited about starting this blog and super motivated to write often... but obviously life got in the way and it got shoved aside.  Let's take a peek at what I mean by life got in the way:

• My car was towed from my parking lot today for not having a permit in the window.  That's weird, my permit was in the window at noon?  It's not there you say?  Sure thing, $300 sounds like an excellent price to pay to get it back.

• My preceptor works four 10 hour days this week.  Which actually means four 12 hour days.  And I still have to be at work on the fifth day.  Sleep? No thanks, I'm good.

• The apartment above me has leaky pipes, which have made my bathroom ceiling fall in multiple times.  Don't worry though, it only took seven maintenance requests to get it all straightened out. 

• If I leave my e-mail for 3 or 4 hours, I come back to no less than ELEVEN e-mails from a classmate that I'm working on a group project on. Eleven.  Mean ones too.  I mean, honestly. I was making dinner.  Sue me.

So now I realize I just sound like I'm complaining.  But you know those weeks when you feel like everything sh*ts on you?  That's been the last few weeks for me.  It can only go up from here, right?

After these long days I find myself craaaavvviiinnngggg some comfort food.  Now I'm not an advocate for eating as a result of stress, but instead of keeping treats in the house, I prefer whipping up a single-serving of something sweet.  It takes more effort, which makes my lazy butt less likely to indulge, and usually tastes better than anything packaged! 

Side note... I'm obsessed with mugs.

So obsessed my family buys them for me all the time.

Like this one, from The Black Dog tavern

in Martha's Vineyard, MA.

And what comfort food of choice did I put in this mug tonight? 

A mug cookie of course.  Here's how:

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3.5 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp chocolate chips

Melt butter in the mug until just melted (about 45 seconds depending on your microwave).  Add in the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla, and stir until well-combined.  I usually add in the egg first and beat with the butter.  Then I add the sugar and vanilla.  This recipe is pretty forgiving, do whatever you like!  Then mix in the flour and chocolate chips.  Microwave about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until done, depending on your microwave. 

Please remember, I'm not claiming this recipe to be guilt free by any stretch.  But it's nice to be able to make a treat when you're craving it without the partially hydrogenated whatcha call it that's in that package of cookies you bought at the store that you'll eat out of boredom at 2 a.m. anyways. Curl up, relax, and enjoy!







Recipe Find: Buffalo Hasselback Potato

Mmmm.... buffalo sauce and blue cheese.

Reduced fat of course.  Who the heck do you think you're talking to.

I can't even handle the flavor explosion that just happened in my mouth. It is with clear sinuses and burning lips that I present to you my favorite way to eat a potato: buffalo-fied.

I saw this brilliant beyond brilliant idea over at Gimme Some Oven.  Girl knows what she's doing for sure.  Love her recipes.  This potato was crispy on the outside with cheesy, melty, stringy goodness on the inside.  I used reduced fat cheese and Frank's Buffalo sauce, and my potato came out to be about 278 calories.  Keep in mind this doesn't count any oil or butter you use to bake the potato with. 

This would be great for baked potato bar night on a meatless Monday!

But hey, kids, this oven is going to be about 425ish degrees. 

So don't burn yourself.  Like I did.  Reeeal cool.



Leave a comment with your favorite hasselback potato fixin's!

Chocolate: It's what's for breakfast

*GASP*

I know what you're thinking.

"This hooker wants to be a dietitian and she's telling me she eats chocolate for breakfast?"

Whatev.

I'm also addicted to coffee

and Diet Coke.

Deal.

Chocolate and coffee is just one of those combinations that you know with every last fiber of your being, from your head to your toes, is more right than anything else in the world. 

Okay.

Maybe that was kind of a lot.

But still.

I've been on a homemade bread making kick.  Mostly because I'm the cheapest person on earth, partly because I have too much time on my hands, and partly because I just like it.  I used this recipe from a blog I love, Alexandra's Kitchen, but mine did not turn out as beautifully as hers did.  Probably because in an attempt to be "healthy" I substituted half whole wheat flour.  I also used two bread pans instead of the pyrex bowls she uses.  I don't think mine could have been any flatter. 

But that's okay.  It still tastes great!  If anyone has tips on how to more successfully substitute whole wheat flour in bread recipes... I'm obviously all ears.  Maybe adding wheat gluten?  and now I'm just trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about.  I swear I'm a good cook.  Please follow me. Hehe :)

Anyways this morning I woke up to ANOTHER a beautiful Cleveland snowfall.  Which I realize you can barely see in this picture... but do you really want to see it?  Spare yourselves.  I knew I needed that chocolate/coffee combo now more than ever.  So I sliced off a couple pieces of that loaf of bread, topped it with some pb and chocolate chips, and zapped it in the microwave. 

Shoot.  This is good.  Sorry thighs.



Oh Heyyyy There

Well hi there!

Thanks for stopping by!

Let me introduce myself, my name is Hailey.  I'm new to blogging.  Like... real new.  Brand new. 

So thanks for reading this and caring about what's coming out of my mouth, err...fingertips...errr.... okay this is weird but you know what I mean.  It might not change lives, it might not be super deep, hey it might be completely useless, but if it entertains you for five minutes out of your day: Mission Accomplished.

I suppose I should tell you a smidge about myself, huh?  I just recently graduated from Purdue with a BS in Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness and Health.  I loved it.  Boiler up, people.  I lived with a zillion people there.  There was energy.  There were college antics. 

Then I graduated and moved to Ohio to pursue my MS and complete my dietetic internship.  Life is way quieter these days.  Instead of being distracted with a billion things, I've had some time to really get to know me.  I love my internship, my gym, my shoebox apartment, cooking, sewing, and knitting. 

I remember trying to name this blog (because it was about 12 minutes ago), and thought I might go with the same name of my Etsy store, SemidomesticStudent, but then I thought... student?!  Absolutely not.  I'm graduating in less than a year and then the word student won't be applicable anymore!!  And then I thought, "Well... It'll be good for at least a couple more years because after I graduate I'll want to get xyz certification, then I'll probably want to be specializing in this area, I'd really like to get my MBA... "

...Yeah I'm always going to be learning something.  If not formally, then at 2:00 a.m. when I'm still awake reading "just one more thing!!" 

The name describes me perfectly. So welcome to my random, crazy, semi-domestic life.  I'm so excited to let you all get a look inside!

Oh and enjoy this picture.