Spaghetti Squash

So a while back I attempted to make something called spaghetti squash. They call it spaghetti squash because it is made into long strands like spaghetti. Also I believe there is a type of squash call spaghetti squash, but you do not necessarily have to use that kind. Mine turned out really mushy, but I have tried it before, made by a more competent chef, and it was really good. My plan was to make it again this week, however with projects and finals coming together at the end of the semester I'm afraid my diet is consisting of anything that can be made (or bought) and eaten in 5 minutes or less. I made my squash with a diced tomato sauce, but I found this recipe that seems so much yummier.

http://www.steamykitchen.com/11285-baked-spaghetti-squash-with-garlic-and-butter.html

Here is a video I found with another way to make it. This way doesn't involve the garlic or butter, which is disappointing, but it is very simple.

One thing I would like to put out there from my experience cutting/ cooking the squash. Depending on the type of squash you buy,pretty much almost any squash. BE CAREFUL! They can be extremely hard to cut, I think the last thing one wants is to cut off their own hand. Good luck!

Would You Like Some Egg With That Shell?

    So I have realized that eggs are not as complicated to cook as I formerly thought. What is complicated is cracking the egg. I decided that I was going to have a fried egg for breakfast. I prefer poached eggs, but only when I don't have to make them myself. Plus I like them with toast but, the broke person that I am, I have no bread. So this is why I decided to go with a fried egg. So far, I think this is the easiest and fastest way to cook an egg. However, I have found that no matter how many times I cook eggs, I only get worse at cracking them. This is curious because I was under the impression that you are suppose get  better with practice. This is what my egg shell looked like....

       How I got the egg out of there with minimal shell in my egg is beyond me. I guess that takes talent in itself. My egg didn't turn out too bad. I only found about 2 pieces of shell, however that is 2 pieces too many when you are eating them. This is what my egg looked like when I was done....

Well almost done. It had a bit longer to go but, overall if you exclude the shell, it turned out pretty good.

    For those of you who have never made a fried egg it is very easy. Like I said.
All you do is.

1. heat a pan on about medium. 
2. place a pat of butter in there, and swirl it around as it melt so that you cover the whole pan. 
3. crack the egg and allow it to fall into the pan. (Avoiding bits of shell)
4. cook on medium- low for about 3 minutes or less. It is pretty much done when there is no excess liquid on top. 
5. enjoy!

I found this how to crack an egg video on You Tube. They make it look easy. It is misleading, but if you are having problems maybe it will help you out. 

You Can't Mess Up Something You Don't Have To Cook.

Okay, so I spend entirely too much money eating out. That should be obvious since I cannot cook, what so ever. Although, I feel like my food is a lot more edible these days. Anyways Today I was very hungry and in a hurry. My first thought was to grab something on the way to school but decided I really need to save the money so I just made something from items I had on hand. It turned out really great.

Here is what I did:
I made a ranch dip with greek yogurt. It was Super delicious, and nutritious. You take 16oz of greek yogurt and add one packet of ranch mix to it.

 After mixing the dip, I spread a bit onto a whole wheat tortilla

I added some lettuce.

I decided I wanted to add some red pepper. I have never cut a pepper before. I have to say it is slightly annoying. Maybe there is a simpler way, but this is how I did it. 

I cut the top and the bottom off the pepper. 

 I scooped the insides out, this was the annoying part. 

I sliced it up. 

Then I diced it up, because uncooked pepper is a bit of a strong taste in my opinion. I figured you only need a little bit. 

Then I threw it on the tortilla with sliced turkey and cheese. 

I rolled it up. This may seem simple, but it is not. It took me forever and a day to get that tooth pick to stay. Then I paired it with chips and salsa. It was really good. 

If you take anything from this I do highly suggest that you try the ranch flavored greek yogurt. It tastes amazing and is much healthier than traditional ranch dip. 

Sweet potato fries... extra crispy. Okay, burnt.

Tonight I made sweet potato fries. They turned out delicious, just a little crispy. Okay, some much crispier than others.
I got the recipe from Here.

I started with one large sweet potato and cut it in half. Then I cut the potato into pieces that were about 3/4 an inch thick. 

Following that, I cut them again into strips that were about the same in width. Well, that was what I intended to do but they ended up all kinds of sizes. 

 After I cut up the potato I threw them in a bowl with oilve oil, salt, and pepper. I tossed them around, placed them on a baking sheet, and then added a little more olive oil and salt. 

I placed them in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Following that I took them out and rotated them, then placed them in the oven for another 15 minutes. 

Most of them turned out like this: 

Not bad. 

but then some of them turned out like this:

Overall I think they turned out really well, and they were really good!!! I highly suggest trying out this recipe. I paired them with chicken and broccoli. 

I wish I could say I was responsible for the chicken however I would not trust eating chicken I made myself. lol. 

Worse Cooks Than Me...They Do Exist!

   So I have not cooked anything this week, unless you count TV dinners or warming up left overs. You probably don't though, I'm sure. I did find this webpage that has made me re-evaluate my cooking skills and I have realized maybe I am not as bad as I originally thought. At least not compared to these folks. However setting the pasta on fire, lets just say I'm not one to judge.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/people-worse-at-cooking-than-you-food-fails

Pasta Roni

         I'm not sure how many of you out there have eaten Pasta Roni, but it is delicious. There are a variety of flavors. My favorite is the parmesan cheese flavor. It costs 98 cents a box. It is perfect for when you only have 5 dollars to your name. That was me last night, super poor and super hungry. It is really easy to make, even for an incompetent cook such as myself. I have made it several times in the past and it turned out great. Well last night, as I stated, I made some Pasta Roni. This time however I used a new pot. Typically I would use a non-stick pot. It was dirty though and laziness got the best of me. I didn't think this metal pot I was using would be any different. I was very wrong. I went about making the pasta as normal. You add water, milk, and butter and bring it to a boil. You add the pasta and seasoning and boil for about 5 minutes. Then you let it sit for about 5 minutes. Well I don't exactly know where it all went wrong along the way but by the time I was done it was obvious something didn't work out quite right. My Pasta Roni came out in the shape of the pot, after having to scrape the sides off the pot. My pot somehow got scorched. Seriously, how do you burn a pot? There are still brown burn marks on the pot, I could not fully get them off. It took me a whole 30-45 minutes to clean that stupid pot. Anyways at least it was still edible! I suppose that is all the really matters. Here's to hoping for better luck next time. I most certainly won't be using that pot next time, that's for sure.

My Dog Ate My Homework.

    Well my blog homework that is, but we will get to that later. So I found that my inability to cook is not the only reason that I don't do so. My lack of time is another reason. I meant to whip something up sunday night, as I said I would, however time did not allow. Plus there was all that yummy super bowl food. Who needs to cook? Well, other than those making the yummy food that is. Anyways, this morning I attempted poached eggs. For those of you who don't know what poached eggs are, they are the devil. Okay, not really, but they are a huge nuisance. A poached egg is basically an egg that is lightly cooked. You have the white of the egg surrounding the yolk. When you pop the yolk it comes running out. They are amazing! If they are cooked properly that is.
    This is how you are suppose to cook a poached egg. You fill a pan, not to be confused with a pot, a little over half full. You bring the water to a boil. When the water starts to boil place the eggs in it, making sure they are not too close together. You turn the water down a little ways so that the boiling water does not rip apart the eggs. To know when the eggs are done is kind of tricky. I think it is all in the yolk. You will notice the yolk change, starting from where it meets the white of the egg, and work its way up. The change in the yolk will meet in the middle of the top of the yolk so that the whole thing is the same color. You use a slotted spatula and gently lift the out and place them on a plate, or a piece of toast which is what I do.
    As for how I cooked the eggs, well I don't even know where to start. It was all going great until I had to crack the egg, I think I lost approximately half the shell in the water. It was an awful experience. After basically crushing the eggs with my hulk like hands I failed to turn the water down. So immediately my eggs blew apart. When I finally realized I should have turned the water down, it was already too late for two of my eggs. I managed to salvage one though. This is why I made three, I knew I was bound to mess up at least one. Anyways, well then I get out my spatula and I carefully lift the egg out of the water. As I am transferring my egg to the plate, it slips right off the spatula and onto the floor where my dog is happily waiting for such an occasion. They are definitely slippery little suckers. All in all I say it was a good experience, even if it was frustrating and I ended up with cereal. Because I love poached eggs so much, I'm sure I will attempt them again. Hopefully I will get to eat at least one next time.