I got a comment on my Beef and Broccoli post that read:
How do you cook rice??
And I was shocked when I realized that I haven't written about that yet! Making rice was difficult for me to do, so why wouldn't it be difficult for other people? So I apologize and here are the instructions on how to cook the perfect batch of rice. (I am giving you the basic instructions, then below that are tips to make this process as easy as pie)
What you will need:
- Rice (Brown or White. Super cheap at any grocery store)
- Water (from the faucet is fine)
- A Pot and a Stove (or a Rice Cooker. Instructions for that are in the "TIPS" section down below
1) Measure out the rice and pour into pot
**RICE EXPANDS!!!! So if you are just making it for yourself, 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup will suffice**
2) Measure out the water - 2 parts water for every 1 part rice (ex: if you have 1/2 cups of rice, put in 1 cup of water)
3) Add in a few shakes of salt and a few drips of olive oil. (Do NOT put in too much salt! you can always add more later.)
4) Put the pot on the stove on HIGH. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to MEDIUM/LOW and let sit.
5) After about 20 minutes (Brown rice takes a bit longer), your rice will be ready.
6) Remove from stove immerdiatly and fluff with a fork to stop the bottom bits to stop cooking
**TIPS**
* Brown rice has more health value than white, but both are tasty and I eat them both
* For a rice cooker -
- add the amounts of rice you desire and the amount of water needed to the cooker
- plug in/ turn on.
- let sit until your rice is ready
* If your water starts to boil over, take the pot off the stove IMMEDIATLY and wait for the bubbling to calm down. Then turn your heat down just a little bit and place the pot back over the heat.
* Rice is GREAT for putting in the fridge and eating later, so do not be afraid to make a little extra.
- Sometimes rice gets a little dry in the fridge so when reheating, put about 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon (depending on the amount of rice) of water in a microwave safe container with your rice. Cover (This traps the steam and re-steams the rice), and heat in the microwave. Give the steam somewhere to go! So don't snap a tupperware lid on there. If you trap the heat, you will get a mini explosion that will make a big mess for everyone and possibly hurt your microwave.
And lastly, do not be discouraged if you do not get it right the first time! Rice is an art and for some is easier than others. Me personally, it took me a while to master it but now I have it down! For others, rice is second nature and the easiest thing in the world to make.
Don't be too hard on yourself.
Be patient.
Have fun.
Until next time,
~~Lucy
Friday, September 18, 2009
Mom Tip of the Week
I know I have been a bit lax lately on my posts, but it's a prime example of how busy college life can get! I am doing my best to post as much as I can.
Here is the next Mom Tip of the Week! Straight from my mom, to you.
Smoothies are a wonderful quick snack or even a meal. And making them yourself is a lot cheaper than buying them from the local smoothie stand. Next time you go to the store, look at the fruits that are on sale. Think about the combinations of fruits you've got in smoothies in the past - try to remember to have something sweet balanced by something a little tart. For example, if you go for the traditional strawberry and banana, think about adding in a bit of an orange to increase the flavor (yes, you can get orange juice but that is not as good as the "real" thing). You can get a large tub of either plain or vanilla yogurt and add a generous portion to your smoothie. Throw in some ice cubes and blend.
Take a trip to your local whole foods store and ask about other wonderful smoothie additions, like protein powder, vitamins, probiotics etc. These can not only give you the energy and ability to concentrate that you need to get through the next few hours but can also help to boost your immune system as you overtax yourself during these very busy college years.
There you have it! Check back soon for more tips
Until next time,
~~Lucy
Here is the next Mom Tip of the Week! Straight from my mom, to you.
Smoothies are a wonderful quick snack or even a meal. And making them yourself is a lot cheaper than buying them from the local smoothie stand. Next time you go to the store, look at the fruits that are on sale. Think about the combinations of fruits you've got in smoothies in the past - try to remember to have something sweet balanced by something a little tart. For example, if you go for the traditional strawberry and banana, think about adding in a bit of an orange to increase the flavor (yes, you can get orange juice but that is not as good as the "real" thing). You can get a large tub of either plain or vanilla yogurt and add a generous portion to your smoothie. Throw in some ice cubes and blend.
Take a trip to your local whole foods store and ask about other wonderful smoothie additions, like protein powder, vitamins, probiotics etc. These can not only give you the energy and ability to concentrate that you need to get through the next few hours but can also help to boost your immune system as you overtax yourself during these very busy college years.
There you have it! Check back soon for more tips
Until next time,
~~Lucy
Thursday, September 17, 2009
To Eat, or Not to Eat, That is the Question
When you should eat:
- When you are hungry
When you should NOT eat:
- When you are bored
Take it from someone who is a bored eater. Every time I have nothing to do, I eat and it sucks. Not only does it pack on the pounds, I looked in the fridge the other day, and me and my roommate had eaten all of our food! We had bought food for (what we had hoped) would be the entire month. Luckily, her grandmother sent us a good helping of food in the mail.
I guess I am trying to make 2 points here:
1) do NOT eat when you are bored. If you are bored, go for a walk. go visit a friend. do some homework. do something besides eat your boredom away
2) be careful of how much you eat. You food supply is supposed to last you a certain amount of time and food is expensive! So do your best to make it last.
Until next time
~~Lucy
- When you are hungry
When you should NOT eat:
- When you are bored
Take it from someone who is a bored eater. Every time I have nothing to do, I eat and it sucks. Not only does it pack on the pounds, I looked in the fridge the other day, and me and my roommate had eaten all of our food! We had bought food for (what we had hoped) would be the entire month. Luckily, her grandmother sent us a good helping of food in the mail.
I guess I am trying to make 2 points here:
1) do NOT eat when you are bored. If you are bored, go for a walk. go visit a friend. do some homework. do something besides eat your boredom away
2) be careful of how much you eat. You food supply is supposed to last you a certain amount of time and food is expensive! So do your best to make it last.
Until next time
~~Lucy
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Beef and Broccoli
This is one of my favorites. and its so easy!
Do you remember how I mentioned that you can get packets of spices for stew in a crock pot? Well you can get the same thing for a LOT of different foods. Look for the one for BEEF AND BROCCOLI.
What you will need:
- a packet of beef and broccoli spices
- beef cut into strips (make the strips bite sized. not TINY, but about the size that you would get at Panda)
- Onion cut into chunks (I like my onion pieces to be big because I'm a fan of onion, but you can cut it into how ever big you want your chunks to be)
- Broccoli cut into bits (make the chunks kind of big. we don't want to be wimpy with our vegetables! just make sure you can put the chunks in your mouth)
Follow the directions on the back of the packet. I believe it says cook the meat first, then cook the vegetables, then add the seasoning, but I could be wrong so PLEASE check the directions first!!!
Before doing any of the cooking for the main course, put some rice on the stove to start cooking while you brown the meat. Spoon a good helping on your plate and top that with your Beef and Broccoli.
Enjoy!!
Until next time,
~~lucy
Do you remember how I mentioned that you can get packets of spices for stew in a crock pot? Well you can get the same thing for a LOT of different foods. Look for the one for BEEF AND BROCCOLI.
What you will need:
- a packet of beef and broccoli spices
- beef cut into strips (make the strips bite sized. not TINY, but about the size that you would get at Panda)
- Onion cut into chunks (I like my onion pieces to be big because I'm a fan of onion, but you can cut it into how ever big you want your chunks to be)
- Broccoli cut into bits (make the chunks kind of big. we don't want to be wimpy with our vegetables! just make sure you can put the chunks in your mouth)
Follow the directions on the back of the packet. I believe it says cook the meat first, then cook the vegetables, then add the seasoning, but I could be wrong so PLEASE check the directions first!!!
Before doing any of the cooking for the main course, put some rice on the stove to start cooking while you brown the meat. Spoon a good helping on your plate and top that with your Beef and Broccoli.
Enjoy!!
Until next time,
~~lucy
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Ravioli Yummmmmm
Pasta is probably the easiest thing to make. Spaghetti with sauce is delicious and filling. The only bad thing about pasta is that it has TONS of carbs which will eventually pack on the pounds. So eat pasta in moderation.
Ravioli is DELICIOUS and my favorite type of pasta. It comes in SOOO many different types (4 cheese, garlic and chicken, cheese and mushroom, etc) and you can enhance those flavors with the hundred of different kinds of sauce there are out there. Pick and choose your favorites and enjoy!
**Remember to make some kind of vegetable with it!!
Until next time,
~~Lucy
Ravioli is DELICIOUS and my favorite type of pasta. It comes in SOOO many different types (4 cheese, garlic and chicken, cheese and mushroom, etc) and you can enhance those flavors with the hundred of different kinds of sauce there are out there. Pick and choose your favorites and enjoy!
**Remember to make some kind of vegetable with it!!
Until next time,
~~Lucy
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Toaster Treats
Besides the obvious, toast, a toaster oven can be used to be a LOT of things. One that I really love to make (even at home!) is mini pizzas!
What you will need:
Another great favorite in my house is Tuna Melts!!
If you have roommates, make sure you have windows open before you cook this or ask them if its ok. My friends roommate cooked some sort of fish over a month ago, and their room STILL smells like low tide at the pier. But luckily, we aren't actually going to be COOKING anything here.
What you will need:
A can of Tuna (in water is healthier and, in my opinion, tastier)
Mayonnaise
Onion (depends how how much you want. I usually use 1/4 to 1/2 a large onion)
Celery (yet again, the amount to use depends on how much you want. I usually go for 2-3 stalks)
Cheese (any kind you want!)
Sliced bread
Open the can of tuna and drain the water. Place it into a bowl
Cut up the onion and the celery into your desired sizes (make them small!) Put into bowl with tuna.
*Hint-- Don't be afraid to add too LITTLE! You can always go back and add more of any ingredient.
Spoon in a dollop on mayonnaise and stir until the mixture is fully combined.
Spread it generously onto a slice of bread and top with desired amount of cheese.
*Hint-- smaller amounts of cheese melts better
Place into toaster oven and set to light/medium (depending on your toaster's strength and how much you like your bread toasted and cheese melted)
ENJOY!!
Until next time,
~~Lucy
What you will need:
- Bread (french bread works well, but the crust is flaky. Any thick cut bread will work)
- Pizza Sauce (you can get pizza sauce at the grocery store, but simple pasta marinara sauce will be fine)
- Cheese (shredded melts well but if you only have a block of cheese, slice it thin so it can melt properly)
Cut the french bread into desired thickness.
Spread on sauce
Sprinkle on the cheese
Put into toaster until cheese is melted. Be careful not to burn them!
ENJOY!
_________________________________________________________________________
Another great favorite in my house is Tuna Melts!!
If you have roommates, make sure you have windows open before you cook this or ask them if its ok. My friends roommate cooked some sort of fish over a month ago, and their room STILL smells like low tide at the pier. But luckily, we aren't actually going to be COOKING anything here.
What you will need:
A can of Tuna (in water is healthier and, in my opinion, tastier)
Mayonnaise
Onion (depends how how much you want. I usually use 1/4 to 1/2 a large onion)
Celery (yet again, the amount to use depends on how much you want. I usually go for 2-3 stalks)
Cheese (any kind you want!)
Sliced bread
Open the can of tuna and drain the water. Place it into a bowl
Cut up the onion and the celery into your desired sizes (make them small!) Put into bowl with tuna.
*Hint-- Don't be afraid to add too LITTLE! You can always go back and add more of any ingredient.
Spoon in a dollop on mayonnaise and stir until the mixture is fully combined.
Spread it generously onto a slice of bread and top with desired amount of cheese.
*Hint-- smaller amounts of cheese melts better
Place into toaster oven and set to light/medium (depending on your toaster's strength and how much you like your bread toasted and cheese melted)
ENJOY!!
Until next time,
~~Lucy
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