New city, new job, new everything!

So I graduated from college and moved out to Phoenix to teach language arts for the next couple years. I'm in the midst of some intense training, probably working harder than I have ever before in my entire life. I mean wake up at 5:30 am, on the bus at 6:15, sessions til 10, teach til noon, more session til 4, bus home, eat a quick dinner, then go to the 24 printing room and work until 1 am hard. It's a lot, I don't know that I've ever been this tired before, but then again I also don't know that I've ever enjoyed anything as much before. I'm teaching summer school and I've come to love my class in just the week we've been together. It's hard staying up late, but having them in my head when I'm planning lessons and making guided note sheets and things like that makes it a tiny bit easier to be so crazed.

Since I've embarked on my new venture this summer, I haven't had any time to cook (downside to working like a crazy person and living in the dorms.) These days, I crave the hummus at the dining hall, look forward to tater tots at breakfast, and sadly ponder who came up with peanut butter, apple slices and honey sandwiches as a lunch item. On the weekend, though, I make it a point to go out with my friends, to start bonding with Phoenix. We've been to some cool places, and I'm starting to find some favorites. Verde was a new find this weekend, and I'm in love with Frank & Lupe's in Old Town Scottsdale. The chicken enchiladas with poblano cream sauce? Unbelievably good. I'm a huge fan of Mexican food, so I could really just eat Mexican all the time... Which is pretty much what's been going on.

I think the new plan for cookingasprocrasination is for it to turn into cookingandeatingoutasprocrastination. That's way too long and ridiculous to put as an address, that stays the same. You all just get to read about my favorite new restaurants along with Amy-I-don't-have-enough-time-so-here's-a-crazy-shortcut cooking. And probably hear ridiculous teaching stories, since anyone (un)fortunate enough to have talked to me over the last few weeks can attest to the fact that those just seem to pop up in any conversation, regardless of relevance. Sorry, can't help it! But there'll be food things too. I miss Food & Drank already, so this is just going to have to fill that twice a month, page long empty space in my heart.

Cacti along the highway. Like I tell my friends here all the time, we really are somewhere different.

Instead of writing a movie review, I made Almost Saag Chicken.

The onslaught of work for the end of the year has sadly begun. With papers and tests and job prep stuff, there's more than enough things to be worrying about and doing. Of course, it's hard to perform mental acrobatics without some fuel, though! Still, as time gets tight, things get a little dicey culinarily. What can you whip up with the stuff on hand?

Last night was a desperation meal that turned out much better than expected. I needed to come up with something to make for dinner last night, but only had odds and ends and no time to head to the grocery store. Between hanging out with Grace (beer and popsicles on the deck!) and having to do a bunch of homework, there wasn't a ton of time left over. I stood in the middle of the kitchen, surveying the contents of our freezer, and amongst the frozen drink mixes, Morning Stars and Kashi meals (both of which I'm sad to say I'm sick of) I spotted a bag of frozen chopped spinach I'd forgotten about (as I do most of the stuff that isn't in eye sight. I look for stuff in the fridge like a dad, it's pretty bad. Just ask poor Cecily.) My friend Katie made a pretty good quick version of Saag Chicken. My repertoire mostly consists of Mexican or Asian (lime, ginger and soy sauce make everything better.) but I've been wanting to branch out into Indian. After a quick gchat consult to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything too important, I was in business. The whole process took maybe a half hour, and made enough that I had some leftover for lunch (well, whatever you call eating a first meal a 2:30 after classes...)

Almost Chicken Saag

Ingredients 

(this is definitely one that you can improvise on, depending on what you have in the fridge/pantry)

-1 small/medium onion

-2 cloves of garlic

-2 decent sized pieces of chicken. I used 2 frozen chicken breasts, but you can use thighs or whatever

-1 bag frozen chopped spinach

-Something creamy to get the texture and hold everything together. I used sour cream, although you could sub in plain yogurt

-Cheese! I used a handful each of some grated swiss and cheddar I had left over from the stratta, but I don't think it's a huge deal what you use, as long as you steer clear of blue cheese or gorgonzola or something like that. This part isn't super legit, but it makes everything come together!

-Cumin

-Ginger. I love it, and had a knob in the fridge, so I grated up a tablespoon or so. You could also used ground ginger, just add a couple shakes at the end

-Rice

Start your rice cooker (my favorite thing in the kitchen, even if it has gotten busted up and is missing the steam vent part!) or do whatever it is you do.

Halve the onion and cut into thin slices. Heat some oil in a medium-large pan over medium heat, mince the garlic, and sauté the two until the onion is soft. I tossed in the grated ginger and sautéed that up at the same time. While that is happening, I defrosted my chicken (good job if you can skip that part) and cut it into slices — you could just cook the chicken whole, but the strips go much faster! Once the onion looks good, add the frozen spinach to the pan and nestle the chicken strips in there. Sprinkle on a couple pinches of cumin and mix in. If you've got a lid, throw it on. I never do, but a sheet of aluminum foil does the trick. Cook covered for a couple minutes, then uncover, flip the chicken slices, and let them finish cooking for another minute or two. Turn down the heat to low, sprinkle on a handful or two of cheese, and mix that in. Add two good spoonfuls of sour cream, mix in, and let simmer for a couple minutes if it looks too wet. It should be creamy, not liquidy. Once the consistency seems right, spoon some on top of rice and get to it! 

You can adapt it a little... Katie tossed in a can of chick peas and some diced tomato, and I think I'd do something to add a little heat next time.

This weekend we're planning on attempting Eggs Benedict, one of those foods that I love getting at restaurants but have no idea how to make on my own. Wish us luck getting the hang of poaching... and Hollandaise...

Instead of sleeping, I linked to my articles.

Review of Rooster's BBQ (along with some musings on missing Southern food!) and another look at the finest — or really any — vino $4 can buy in this week's Food & Drank section.

p.s. - The title for this post is something I think I'm going to run with. My friend Grace suggested I detail what exactly I'm procrastinating doing, so we'll see how long I can go before I start repeating myself. Stupid? We'll see.

I know, I know

I've been shamefully neglecting my blogging responsibilities, it seems like it takes ridiculous amounts of work looming (like the two papers and a presentation I'm working on today!) to get me to post.  I keep meaning to do better and have even taken pictures of meals, only to forget about writing them up, or rather decide that Hulu or going out are better uses of my time. I've also been shockingly busy (for a second semester senior, that it. It's a different criteria), but as the weather finally improves and we start to grill more, I hope to be all over that, if only so I can one day remember what I've been doing and can possibly recreate them in Arizona (!) or wherever I end up after that. If Grace can get her act together to keep hers going, so can I!

I haven't completely forsaken the whole foodie thing in my absence, though! The Food & Drank page is alive and well (reviews, reviews, and more reviews!) I've also started trying to get better about understanding what it is we drink. Getting into wine seemed like a logical next step in our foodie development, so my housemates and I have taken to performing very rudimentary wine (and occasionally beer) tastings - see one of our early forays here.

Holidays, though, are always worth documenting. I'm always sad to miss Easter at home (fully documented in Food & Drank! I told you I've been writing!) so we decided to do it up right. I made my mom's Ham Stratta, one of my friends made Grand Marnier French Toast, another brought her excellent Breakfast Potatoes, and we rounded it out with ambrosia (old school!), fruit, and mimosas.

My mom's stratta is really good, always one of the highlights of Easter at home. I altered the recipe a bit from the one I put in the paper, and clarified a few things (she was nice enough to dash it off in an email to me when I was trying to shop and get ready!) Honestly, though, I'm not really sure how you could go wrong with this one. Eggs and cheese? What's not to love?

Ingredients:
-A loaf of white bread (you'll need pretty much the whole thing)
-4 cups cubed ham (I bought a 1 lb pack of pre-cooked ham steaks in the meat/deli section and chopped it up myself)
-2 cups grated sharp cheddar
-2 cups grated swiss cheese
-6 eggs
-3 cups milk
-dry mustard (My mom uses Colman's, but I couldn't find it so I used dijon with no problems)
-Crushed Ritz crackers for topping

Beat the milk and eggs together, adding in a little (tsp?) mustard. Cut the crusts off the bread, spread a thin layer of mustard on each, and lay half of the slices down in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread half of the cubed ham and half of each of the cheeses over the bread. Repeat for a second layer. Pour the egg mixture over everything.

Cover it and let it sit for the egg to soak in. My mom and I are usually not very patient, and you can let it hang out in the fridge for just an hour or so, but I made mine the day before and left it in the fridge overnight (all the better to party on a Saturday night and avoid getting up any earlier than necessary!)

When you're ready to cook it, preheat the oven to 375. Sprinkle the top with crushed Ritz (I added a little more cheese too). Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until it's puffed up.

Easy and delicious, plus it can feed a ton of people, pretty much the perfect brunch item!