Lent already?

Whoa. When did Lent sneak up on me?

Clearly I’ve been out of it for a while because I suddenly looked at my calendar today and saw that it is Ash Wednesday. Did it sneak up on anyone else too? Perhaps this explains all the weird Facebook status updates about not using Facebook for the next 40 days?

So last year I attempted to give up alcohol for Lent. Not because I have a drinking problem (which is nothing to joke about) but because I thought it would help me save money and concentrate on finding ways to spend time with friends outside of happy hour. Well it was an epic failure because I forgot and only realized it halfway through a happy hour at Fado’s in downtown Austin a week into Lent. But, I figure it is fate that I forgot about it because that is the happy hour where I met Rahul!

This year, after quickly debating (read: today) what I am going to give up for Lent I decided that I’m not going to give up anything. I won’t get deep into religious doctrine, because everyone has their own beliefs and why would you care about mine… but basically, I don’t feel like giving up something like dessert, beer, or meat will bring me closer to God.

Instead, I am going to continue to live my life as usual, but save all my receipts from coffee shops and bakeries — purchases that I consider total luxuries and certainly not a necessity. At the end of Lent, I will total up how much I’ve spent on all of that and donate it to a charity. I’ve yet to choose a charity (suggestions?) but I am thinking something to do with the military since my big brother is in Afghanistan. It won’t be much money, I’m guessing maybe $30-40, but maybe I’ll divide it into a few small donations to a few charities.

I also saw this, the 40 Days of Water mission that looks amazing. If I hadn’t failed so miserably to give up alcohol last year I might consider it. But I think this sounds incredible! Let me know should you feel so inclined to participate — I’d love to hear your experience! (And it doesn’t have to be for religious reasons, either!)

So are you giving up anything for Lent? Do you have a suggestion for a charity? Do you think we church goers are crazy?

my resolutions 2.0

[By the way, I think I'm really witty by writing "2.0" all the time now. It is like I finally caught up to 1999 and understand computer-ish speak.]

So January 2012 is just moments away and resolution fever has hit the blogosphere and the TV commercial airwaves like wildfire.

Last year, I posted my resolutions on here for y’all to see. I think I did pretty well, having gotten better at flossing my teeth and I did manage to lose 10 lbs, which puts me back at my pre-Texas weight. However, without real access to a grill, I did not master the open flame. I also did not post a how-to video, but only because I learned that WordPress charges obscene amounts of money for videos. And I’m too cool for YouTube, let’s be honest.

So what are my new New Year Resolutions?

1. Stop correcting people for putting the apostrophe-s on “New Year’s”, as in “Happy New Year’s”.

2. Complete my first half marathon (planned for February 19th!) and run the Army 10-miler in October in DC, for my brother!

3. Lose another 15 lbs and finally finish what I started 3 years ago.

4. Continue to floss teeth more regularly.

5. Increase savings account by 50%, despite another cross-country move (in May) and no employment over the coming summer.

What are your resolutions for 2012? Anything interesting or different? 

And now, I shall leave you with a picture of me + Zack Efron hanging out at my family’s White Elephant gift exchange.

 

my contribution to the holidays

I’m very iffy on Christmas spirit this year. One second I’m loving Christmas and the time I finally have to relax and visit some family. I’m known for sneaking looks at my presents and not sleeping the night before Christmas. But another second, I’m ready for it to be over. There’s so much drama related to Christmas and I don’t have the energy to assign dishes, wrap presents, and figure out the ever-changing plan for when everyone is showing up at everyone else’s house.

Too much work.

Plus, my mom is verbally not looking forward to the holidays since my brother Hunter is deployed. Last year he was deployed in Korea, this year in Afghanistan. And apparently I’m chopped liver. I kid, I kid.

Well yesterday I made an attempt at being spirited and finally made the sugar cookies my mom had been begging me to make. The pictures are a little sparse because a) I forgot to take them and b) I got distracted and went skiing halfway through making them (no joke).

I’d like to thank my best friend Tiffany’s husband, Johnny, for lending me an extra jacket!

But here they are, in all of their sorta holiday glory! Get out your butter!

Peppermint Sugar Cookies (makes 15-20 cookies)
For cookies:
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 egg
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup flour
For icing:
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring (optional)
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. When well combined, mix in the vanilla, peppermint, and egg. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mixing slowly, incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until a dough has formed. Roll the dough into balls (smaller or larger to suit your taste, but I recommend ping-pong size) and place onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes until edges are just brown. Remove from oven and cool on a cookie sheet. They will be nice a chewy! After the cookies have completely cooled, beat together butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract for the icing, drizzling in heavy whipping cream to give it the perfect icing consistency. Once satisfied with the texture, add in the food coloring (optional) and mix well. Spread icing on cookies — lay it on thick! Enjoy!

a most perfect Thanksgiving

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to all!

Tuesday I flew out to DC to spend my Thanksgiving break with Rahul. After several hours stuck in traffic, he finally got to the airport and whisked me away and since then, I’ve been deeply involved in cooking preparations, folding his laundry, and planning our (failed) Black Friday plan of attack.

We had a Living Social deal for Whole Foods and spent way too much money on a Thanksgiving feast for 2 people, but it was so much fun to cook Thanksgiving for him! If you read me regularly, you’ll know that Rahul is from India, so I made several un-PC jokes about pilgrims and Indians.

My Thanksgiving feast last year was for 8 people and very busy so making a simple turkey breast (with this recipe — I definitely recommend it!!) and traditional sides was really enjoyable. And the DC weather was so great that we went for a run pre-cooking and ended up taking our stuff outside for a picnic.

I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving as well! I am currently spending my last couple days in DC soaking up the vacation bliss — semester finals are coming up and I’m trying to not think of them. I’ll be back next week with some kind of food. If I ever find room in my stomach again.

happy Veteran’s Day!

Happy Veteran’s Day to all those who have served and are currently serving our country! 

Today is particularly bittersweet to me as my own brother, Hunter, is a soldier! He’s deploying to Afghanistan in a matter of weeks so I am taking a quick trip home to Virginia this weekend to send him off right! We’re doing this the Southern way: too much food, beer, and crazy relatives.

Fun fact: this picture was taken in May 2010…. which was also the last time I saw him! I cannot believe I’ve gone a year and a half without seeing him! 

Have a great weekend!

independence

Well hello there. It looks like I’m back.

In the 2 months of my blogging hiatus, a lot has happened in my life! Allow me to catch you up to speed…

In June, I started working 2 summer jobs. It was a pretty boring month.

In July, we attempted to go camping with friends for the 4th of July (and quit while we were ahead). Cooking dinner resulted in admiring the manliness of my boyfriend as he opened a can with a knife and a hammer…

The rest of July was quite eventful, as I turned 23 and at the end of the month, Rahul and I took a vacation to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Sedona, AZ.

Just 3 days after our vacation, we packed Rahul up and started the roadtrip from Austin, TX to Washington DC for his new job, where the first days of August saw us finding him an apartment and having a tearful goodbye at the airport. But I know it is just temporary.

Back in Austin, I’ve spent the past week packing up my own apartment and moving from a place with a roommate to my very own, tiny apartment. I feel so independent and grown up in my own place.

Coincidentally, today is Independence Day for India (Rahul’s native land), and I felt it appropriate to share with you one of my favorite dishes that Rahul makes for me. I made it all by myself in my very own apartment and I feel that this dish is the perfect celebration of India’s Independence and my new apartment.

Rahul’s Channa Masala (serves 3-4)
1/4 large white onion, sliced
2 T vegetable oil
3 cups crushed tomato
3 cups chickpeas (if using dried chickpeas, measure after soaking overnight)
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
2 T fresh lime juice
In a deep skillet, wok, or (in a pinch) Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil and toss in the onions when it is hot. Sauté the onions briefly, 2-3 minutes. Add in the chick peas, stirring well, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the crushed tomato. Mix in the spices and the lime juice, cover, and simmer over medium-low or low heat for 30-40 minutes. Serve with rice and a bit of plain yogurt if it is too spicy — the yogurt will cool your mouth down a bit!

my Mama knows best

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about my Mama here on the blog. I’ve talked about our drive from Virginia to Texas when I moved. I talked about our trip to San Antonio in March for my Spring Break. I’ve made her meatloaf, her mac n cheese, and a host of other dishes that I grew up eating.

I usually call her “Mama” but when I’m trying to get something out of her or I’m in need of a hug, I call her “Mommy”. And sometimes I call her just plain “Mom” but not often. And I only call her “Mother” when I’m annoyed or trying to get her attention when she isn’t listening to me.

I don’t look much like her, but I share some of her strongest character traits, such as never being afraid to speak my mind, compassion for others, and crying too easily. She’s short. All the best advice I’ve ever received has come from her. She taught me about the wonders of washing my face with Noxema. She still lets me sit in her lap. She has an affinity for horrible reality television. She knows every word to Les Mis and taught them to me by age 10. She held my hand at my dad’s funeral. She’s loved me unconditionally since all screaming 7 lbs of me entered the world 22 years ago. She even put up with me during my horrible teenage years when I told her that she loved Hunter more and I rolled my eyes at her more than I did anything else.

Last year on Mother’s Day, I graduated college and made her cry. This year on Mother’s Day, she has one of her kids at home (my brother got home Friday after being deployed overseas for a year!), but I can’t be there with her. I don’t know if we’ve ever spent a Mother’s Day apart. She’s probably crying again this year. This year, she’s still putting Hunter and I first and being the incredible mother she always has been. If there’s one thing I know, it is that Mama knows best. 

I love you, Mama. Happy Mother’s Day!

happy Easter to me!

Happy Easter, Passover, and springtime! It has been consistently over 90* for more than 2 weeks here in Texas so I know spring is in full blossom (along with the flowers and pollen!).

I got a fun Easter surprise this weekend from my Mama…

Now I shall go curl up and read this cover-to-cover and patiently await the next issue in the subscription.

I’ll be back tomorrow for our regularly scheduled programming.

an excuse for candy

Happy Valentine’s Day!

My valentine this year is a repeat. We have a long, very serious history and deep-rooted love.

The name? Twizzlers.

Because if you don’t buy it for yourself, who else will?

birthday cake

Happy birthday, An Epic Change! Today was the 1st birthday of my blog and I had some fun things planned to celebrate.

No birthday is complete without a birthday cake, and in my family that means one thing: German Chocolate Cake. This recipe is as old as sin and I’ve eaten this cake so many times in my life. Help yourself to a little cake and I hope y’all will stick around for whatever the next year of An Epic Change will bring.

Rereading what I wrote one year ago is so interesting to me — so much has changed since then, the name of the blog included! Who knew a year ago where this would have taken me? I had no idea, I just had things to say.

I’ve grown as a person, a writer, and a chef and I feel incredible for it. Having my readers means so much to me. I cannot express how much I truly love each and every one of y’all for the simple fact that you’re willing to spend a little time with me each week and read what I have to say. I get so emotional when I think of the people I’ve come to know, the opportunities I’ve gotten, and the mere fact that people care about what I have to say. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sticking with me!

Now let’s eat some cake.

There’s a new sheriff in town. I just bought this mixer with some of the money from winning a prize from my sponsor, Foodbuzz, and Wendy’s, for writing this post. I just found out on Monday and thought my blog deserved a birthday present. Again, I cannot believe where this blog has taken me!

German Chocolate Cake Icing
1 German chocolate cake, prepared as directed (I used boxed)
1 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
Prepare German chocolate cake as directed on box, either in a 13×9 or 2 9 inch cake rounds. Set aside and allow to cool. In a sauce pan over medium heat, mix evaporated milk, butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scalding. Stir in coconut and pecans and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature and thicken more, about 2 hours. Spread over cake and enjoy!