I went to Philadelphia a few years ago as part of a Teaching American History travel grant. (It was a great historical experience--and the food was great too). I had never had a Philly cheese steak sandwich before then, but I loved them on the trip. I hadn't had one since, so when I found this recipe on Six Sisters' Stuff, I knew I wanted to try it. So Saturday night I threw all the ingredients in my crockpot and cooked it all day Sunday. My house smelled so good when I came home Sunday night!
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 lbs beef round steak (I just bought a package of round steak; I didn't pay attention to the poundage)
-1 green pepper, sliced thin
-1 medium onion, sliced thin
-1 (14 oz) can beef broth
-1 envelope Italian dressing mix
-Hoagie buns
-Provolone cheese slices
Steps:
1. Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray
2. Cut meat into strips, place in slow cooker
3. Add green pepper, onion, broth, and dressing mix (I mixed the dressing with the broth before pouring it in)
4. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours
5. Spoon meat mixture onto bread, top with cheese
*It was really easy to make, but I wasn't a big fan. I think next time I will shred the meat instead of just slicing it. I would also use more italian seasoning and beef broth--I didn't feel like it had much flavor.
*The original recipe said it made 4-6 servings. I don't know how much meat I used, but it only made 2-3 servings.
*I think I will look for and try a different Philly Cheese Steak recipe
Up Next: Tomorrow I am making Cheesy Pepperoni Pull Apart Bread for New Year's Eve--so excited!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Pork Chops
I am terrible at cooking meat. I can cook frozen chicken breast in the oven, fully cooked cured pork chop thingys from Hy-Vee on the George Forman, hot dogs, hamburgers on the grill, and shrimp on the grill. But when it comes to other types of meat, I just never know how to make it taste good, or different recipes to try with it. So I looked in my freezer and found out I had pork chops and decided they would be good with my potatoes and onions. I Googled pork chop recipes and most of them included browning them in a skillet. I didn't really want to to that (too much work--I wanted to throw it in the oven and forget about it) so I continued looking and found the following recipe at Cooks.com. It was really easy to make and it made the house smell WONDERFUL!
Ingredients:
Pork chops (obviously)
Large sliced onion
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
water
Steps
--Put all ingredients (in order listed above) into oven dish and bake covered for 2 hours, uncovered for 1/2 an hour
**Super simple!
*The original recipe called for 4 slices of onion--I just cut an entire onion
*It also called for 4 slices lemon--I didn't have any so I just left it out
*I put the 1/4 cup ketchup on, but then it didn't look like enough, so I squirted some more
*The original recipe didn't call for water, but I added it anyway. Just enough for the meat to simmer in it
*I think next time I want to marinate the meat a little--it was good, but I think marinating it could make it better. Any suggestions???
Up next: Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Ingredients:
Pork chops (obviously)
Large sliced onion
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
water
Steps
--Put all ingredients (in order listed above) into oven dish and bake covered for 2 hours, uncovered for 1/2 an hour
**Super simple!
*The original recipe called for 4 slices of onion--I just cut an entire onion
*It also called for 4 slices lemon--I didn't have any so I just left it out
*I put the 1/4 cup ketchup on, but then it didn't look like enough, so I squirted some more
*The original recipe didn't call for water, but I added it anyway. Just enough for the meat to simmer in it
*I think next time I want to marinate the meat a little--it was good, but I think marinating it could make it better. Any suggestions???
Up next: Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Upside down potato and onion tart
I love potatoes and I love onions. This recipe puts them both together--perfect! I got this recipe from Hizzoners Deli. I used the basic idea, but totally made this recipe my own-it wasn't too hard to do. I also stopped taking pictures of my food during this recipe. That didn't last long :/
Ingredients:
-2 1/2 tablespoons butter (I used stick butter and did not want to cut 1/2 a tablespoon, so I used 3 tablespoons)
-12 sprigs thyme, strip the leaves from the stems (I really want to start an herb garden, but the only "herb" I have is catnip and I think I've killed it! So I just sprinkled some dried thyme in the butter)
-1 large onion, sliced somewhat thickly
-1 lb potatoes, washed and thinly sliced (I used Klondike golden potatoes. I didn't peel them, I just washed them really well. As my family knows, I am terrible at thinly slicing anything, so I used my cheese grater and it worked really well. Just a word of caution, the potato gets really slick and you have to be careful not to slice your fingers. Also, I didn't know how much was a pound of potatoes. So I just guesstimated)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 cup grated gruyere (I had no idea what this was--so I looked it up and found out it was cheese. I just used extra cheese that is listed below. I knew what those were)
-1/2 cup crumbled feta
-1 cup grated mozzarella
-salt and pepper to taste
Steps: (Now this is where I vary from original recipe. If you want that, follow the above link. That allows you to see why it is called upside down potato and onion tart. But I didn't have an oven proof big skillet, so I just used a 9 X 13 glass pan. It worked just fine)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat
3. Add the thyme and onion and cook for 5 minutes (I love the smell of cooked onions)
4. Place the potatoes, oil, cheeses, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. (Next time I will add more spices. The potatoes were slightly bland. You just have to experiment with whatever spices you like best)
5. Put the onions on the bottom of the 9 X 13 pan, pour the potato mixture on top
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. (The original recipe didn't state covered or uncovered, so I did 15 minutes covered, 30 uncovered.)
Overall, I liked this recipe and will make it again. Changes will include spicing it up more. I will also use more onion. Finally, I will cook it longer--I did not cook the potatoes long enough and they were still "raw tasting". I would also probably use more cheese. I really like feta cheese and could use more in the potatoes.
Up next: Pork Chops
Ingredients:
-2 1/2 tablespoons butter (I used stick butter and did not want to cut 1/2 a tablespoon, so I used 3 tablespoons)
-12 sprigs thyme, strip the leaves from the stems (I really want to start an herb garden, but the only "herb" I have is catnip and I think I've killed it! So I just sprinkled some dried thyme in the butter)
-1 large onion, sliced somewhat thickly
-1 lb potatoes, washed and thinly sliced (I used Klondike golden potatoes. I didn't peel them, I just washed them really well. As my family knows, I am terrible at thinly slicing anything, so I used my cheese grater and it worked really well. Just a word of caution, the potato gets really slick and you have to be careful not to slice your fingers. Also, I didn't know how much was a pound of potatoes. So I just guesstimated)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 cup grated gruyere (I had no idea what this was--so I looked it up and found out it was cheese. I just used extra cheese that is listed below. I knew what those were)
-1/2 cup crumbled feta
-1 cup grated mozzarella
-salt and pepper to taste
Steps: (Now this is where I vary from original recipe. If you want that, follow the above link. That allows you to see why it is called upside down potato and onion tart. But I didn't have an oven proof big skillet, so I just used a 9 X 13 glass pan. It worked just fine)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat
3. Add the thyme and onion and cook for 5 minutes (I love the smell of cooked onions)
5. Put the onions on the bottom of the 9 X 13 pan, pour the potato mixture on top
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. (The original recipe didn't state covered or uncovered, so I did 15 minutes covered, 30 uncovered.)
Overall, I liked this recipe and will make it again. Changes will include spicing it up more. I will also use more onion. Finally, I will cook it longer--I did not cook the potatoes long enough and they were still "raw tasting". I would also probably use more cheese. I really like feta cheese and could use more in the potatoes.
Up next: Pork Chops
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
I wasn't sure how I would like this recipe. I'm not a fan of mixing certain foods and normally I like my mac and cheese without other food in it. But I decided to give it a go. The pin for this recipe took me back to Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour. I made the recipe just as she had it listed with one exception. I ended up making twice the cheese sauce, because I found it too dry with just the one batch. I am going to retype her recipe, but put the changes I will make next time in a different color. The amount of casserole this made would be fine, if you had a big family to feed or were serving it at a party.
Also--this took a LONG time to make. Just a warning.
Ingredients;
1 lb pasta (I used Rotini--corkscrew pasta...just because that is what I had in the cabinet)--(If I make this again, I will use 1/2 this much--I ended up with WAY too much pasta)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed (I cubed it and then cooked it, but then I decided I didn't want a bunch of chunks in my mac and cheese, so I put the cubes in my Magic Bullet blender and made ground chicken. I do think I preferred it ground, but again, I would use less in the pasta.)
1 TBSP flour
4-6 TBSP butter
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz grated monterrey jack cheese (1/2 a brick, plus more for topping)
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I LOVE sharp cheddar cheese; if you are not a fan, you could use mild)
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (I'd never bought this before--I went with Sweet Baby Rays because I love his BBQ sauce)
1/3 Panko bread crumbs (I used "Pearls" suggestions and used some croutons I had in the pantry. You could really use any type of crunchy topping)
Steps:
1. Before starting you will need to have your chicken cooked and cut up.
2. Cook the pasta
3. While cooking the pasta, make up the cheese/buffalo sauce (I did this step twice, because it was too dry--but if you half the pasta and chicken, you shouldn't have a problem)
A. Melt butter in a sauce pan (use medium-low heat, stir so it doesn't burn)
B. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the flour
C. Stir over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until goldenish in color
D. Add milk. Stir over low heat. (The recipe says stir until milk thickens, I stirred and stirred and it never thickened. I stirred for awhile then went on to the next step)
E. Add the cheeses. Stir until the mixture is smooth
F. Stir in the buffalo sauce & remove from heat
4. Once the pasta is done cooking, mix the pasta and chicken and pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan
5. Pour the cheese/buffalo sauce over it, making sure to cover all the pasta
6. Sprinkle with crunchies and more cheese. (I used all of my monterrey jack in my second batch of cheese sauce, so I just improvised with the cheese in my fridge--I'm a Frakes, I have a fridge full a cheese...)
7. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown
8. Drizzle with more buffalo sauce (totally forgot this step, but it was spicy enough for me)
9. Serve with Ranch dressing, if so desired
--This was okay (my sister and boyfriend said they really liked it, I wasn't a huge fan), but probably not something that I will make a lot. It took a lot of time. I think I would prefer regular mac and cheese baked in the oven and actual buffalo wings (which I have not made--may have to try that sometime).
Up next: Upside down potato and onion tart
Also--this took a LONG time to make. Just a warning.
Ingredients;
1 lb pasta (I used Rotini--corkscrew pasta...just because that is what I had in the cabinet)--(If I make this again, I will use 1/2 this much--I ended up with WAY too much pasta)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed (I cubed it and then cooked it, but then I decided I didn't want a bunch of chunks in my mac and cheese, so I put the cubes in my Magic Bullet blender and made ground chicken. I do think I preferred it ground, but again, I would use less in the pasta.)
1 TBSP flour
4-6 TBSP butter
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz grated monterrey jack cheese (1/2 a brick, plus more for topping)
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I LOVE sharp cheddar cheese; if you are not a fan, you could use mild)
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (I'd never bought this before--I went with Sweet Baby Rays because I love his BBQ sauce)
1/3 Panko bread crumbs (I used "Pearls" suggestions and used some croutons I had in the pantry. You could really use any type of crunchy topping)
Steps:
1. Before starting you will need to have your chicken cooked and cut up.
2. Cook the pasta
3. While cooking the pasta, make up the cheese/buffalo sauce (I did this step twice, because it was too dry--but if you half the pasta and chicken, you shouldn't have a problem)
A. Melt butter in a sauce pan (use medium-low heat, stir so it doesn't burn)
B. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the flour
C. Stir over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until goldenish in color
D. Add milk. Stir over low heat. (The recipe says stir until milk thickens, I stirred and stirred and it never thickened. I stirred for awhile then went on to the next step)
E. Add the cheeses. Stir until the mixture is smooth
F. Stir in the buffalo sauce & remove from heat
4. Once the pasta is done cooking, mix the pasta and chicken and pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan
5. Pour the cheese/buffalo sauce over it, making sure to cover all the pasta
6. Sprinkle with crunchies and more cheese. (I used all of my monterrey jack in my second batch of cheese sauce, so I just improvised with the cheese in my fridge--I'm a Frakes, I have a fridge full a cheese...)
7. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown
8. Drizzle with more buffalo sauce (totally forgot this step, but it was spicy enough for me)
9. Serve with Ranch dressing, if so desired
--This was okay (my sister and boyfriend said they really liked it, I wasn't a huge fan), but probably not something that I will make a lot. It took a lot of time. I think I would prefer regular mac and cheese baked in the oven and actual buffalo wings (which I have not made--may have to try that sometime).
Up next: Upside down potato and onion tart
Olive Garden Taste-Alike Salad Dressing
Back in February 2012, I went to an English conference in Springfield. One of my co-workers introduced me to the goodness of Olive Garden. Earlier this month, my little sister and I introduced my mom and older sister to the goodness. We all agreed--the salad and breadsticks was the best part. We all wanted the salad dressing.
Overall, we are a Ranch dressing family. Ranch dressing goes on EVERYTHING. But there was just something about that Italian dressing at Olive Garden. So I went to Pinterest and typed in "Olive Garden Salad Dressing" and came up with a ton of recipes. I chose the one at The Country Cook. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 packet Good Seasoning Italian Dressing (In the dressing aisle at the grocery store--I got the Zesty Italian)
Ingredients to make the dressing: 1/4 cup vinegar, 3 TBSP water, 1/2 cup oil (I am partial to Olive Oil--it's pretty much the only oil I use anymore)
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 TBSP mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP white vinegar (Okay, so in retyping this from the Country Cook's blog, I realized that when I read her recipe I read 2 tsp vinegar instead of 2 tbs vinegar...mine still tasted okay though)
1 1/2 TBSP water
Steps: (I used a blender attachment to mix my dressing because I'm not fancy with a dressing cruet. But I have decided to ask for one for my birthday)
1. Make the packet of Italian Dressing according the the instructions on the back. This makes just a little bit of dressing. Then put that aside.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in order (I don't think the order matters that much. I forgot the sugar until I was completely done with the dressing--and it tasted fine)
3. Mix the two mixtures together and store in container with a lid. (Again, I did not have a cruet to store it in. The Country Cook said mason jars work great--yeah, I don't have any of those either. So I got creative and used a water bottle--you know one of those with the spout that pops up--it didn't really work all that great)
4. Shake well before each use--Keep unused dressing for up to 4 weeks--if it lasts that long--I've eaten more salad since making this dressing than I did all summer!
This recipe makes just over 8 oz of dressing.
I bet this would be really good drizzled over grilled Romaine lettuce. Can't wait to try that next summer!
Up next: Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Overall, we are a Ranch dressing family. Ranch dressing goes on EVERYTHING. But there was just something about that Italian dressing at Olive Garden. So I went to Pinterest and typed in "Olive Garden Salad Dressing" and came up with a ton of recipes. I chose the one at The Country Cook. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 packet Good Seasoning Italian Dressing (In the dressing aisle at the grocery store--I got the Zesty Italian)
Ingredients to make the dressing: 1/4 cup vinegar, 3 TBSP water, 1/2 cup oil (I am partial to Olive Oil--it's pretty much the only oil I use anymore)
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 TBSP mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP white vinegar (Okay, so in retyping this from the Country Cook's blog, I realized that when I read her recipe I read 2 tsp vinegar instead of 2 tbs vinegar...mine still tasted okay though)
1 1/2 TBSP water
Steps: (I used a blender attachment to mix my dressing because I'm not fancy with a dressing cruet. But I have decided to ask for one for my birthday)
1. Make the packet of Italian Dressing according the the instructions on the back. This makes just a little bit of dressing. Then put that aside.
3. Mix the two mixtures together and store in container with a lid. (Again, I did not have a cruet to store it in. The Country Cook said mason jars work great--yeah, I don't have any of those either. So I got creative and used a water bottle--you know one of those with the spout that pops up--it didn't really work all that great)
4. Shake well before each use--Keep unused dressing for up to 4 weeks--if it lasts that long--I've eaten more salad since making this dressing than I did all summer!
This recipe makes just over 8 oz of dressing.
I bet this would be really good drizzled over grilled Romaine lettuce. Can't wait to try that next summer!
Up next: Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Pinterest Weekend!
I love Pinterest. I didn't get it at first--I resisted it at first, but now...I love it! There's nothing like wasting time going through the pins, thinking I can do this, or I can make this. Then I pin it...and that's usually about as far as I get. Anyone know what that is like?
Well, I decided that this weekend I wanted to make some of the delicious looking food I had pinned. So Thursday night I sat down and made a mini-menu; Friday I headed to the grocery store. Then I started cooking. Of course, I had to take some pictures of my food. (I got a new camera for Christmas. I bought one last June before my TAH trip, but I lost it during VBS in August.)
I will be posting the recipes and picture on here along with my variations. I'll make a different post for each recipe. So I will have more posts from this weekend than in the history of my blog!
My first recipe is not edible. My friend Brittany (A Tale of Two Kings) had told me about her homemade laundry soap a long time ago. Last summer I was getting frustrated at always buying laundry soap; that stuff adds up. So I bought all the ingredients, and they sat in my living room until Friday. It was simple to make and smells good. I have not used any yet. I still have some store bought soap to use up.
Ingredients:
Hot tap water
1 bar Zest Soap (I chose Zest because I like the smell and I knew it wouldn't break out my skin, but you could use any kind you wanted)
1 cup Arm and Hammar Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA)
1/2 cup Borax
Optional: Essential Oil (My sister told me that if we were going to have homemade laundry soap, it had to smell good. So we spent about 1/2 an hour in Hobby Lobby smelling all the essential oils. We ended up with "Red Rose and Thyme")
Steps:
1. Grate the bar of soap into a saucepan. (I bought a cheap cheese grater to grate the soap. It worked pretty well, but I was terrified of grating my fingers. I tended to do that as a kid when I grated cheese...)
2. Add 4 cups hot water (I boiled the water in my teapot to expedite the next step)
3. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves (This step smells really good)
4. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.
5. Add melted soap mixture, borax, and washing soda. Stir until the powder is dissolved.
6. Fill bucket to the top with more hot water.
7. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken. (It gets really thick and gelled. This is when I stirred in the essential oil. On her blog, Brittany suggested 10-15 drops per 2 gallons)
8. Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap bottle half full with soap and then fill the rest of the way with water.
9. Shake before each use (will gell)
Top loading Machines: 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180 loads)
Front loading Machines: 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640 loads)
I'm really excited to try this. It was a little expensive to make at the beginning, but I have 5 gallons of concentrated laundry soap made. I still have a TON of borax and washing soda. AND Zest is not that expensive, so I know I will save money in the long run. PLUS, it is one less thing to pick up from the store.
Up next: Olive Garden Taste-Alike Salad Dressing
Well, I decided that this weekend I wanted to make some of the delicious looking food I had pinned. So Thursday night I sat down and made a mini-menu; Friday I headed to the grocery store. Then I started cooking. Of course, I had to take some pictures of my food. (I got a new camera for Christmas. I bought one last June before my TAH trip, but I lost it during VBS in August.)
I will be posting the recipes and picture on here along with my variations. I'll make a different post for each recipe. So I will have more posts from this weekend than in the history of my blog!
My first recipe is not edible. My friend Brittany (A Tale of Two Kings) had told me about her homemade laundry soap a long time ago. Last summer I was getting frustrated at always buying laundry soap; that stuff adds up. So I bought all the ingredients, and they sat in my living room until Friday. It was simple to make and smells good. I have not used any yet. I still have some store bought soap to use up.
Ingredients:
Hot tap water
1 bar Zest Soap (I chose Zest because I like the smell and I knew it wouldn't break out my skin, but you could use any kind you wanted)
1 cup Arm and Hammar Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA)
1/2 cup Borax
Optional: Essential Oil (My sister told me that if we were going to have homemade laundry soap, it had to smell good. So we spent about 1/2 an hour in Hobby Lobby smelling all the essential oils. We ended up with "Red Rose and Thyme")
1. Grate the bar of soap into a saucepan. (I bought a cheap cheese grater to grate the soap. It worked pretty well, but I was terrified of grating my fingers. I tended to do that as a kid when I grated cheese...)
2. Add 4 cups hot water (I boiled the water in my teapot to expedite the next step)
3. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves (This step smells really good)
4. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.
5. Add melted soap mixture, borax, and washing soda. Stir until the powder is dissolved.
6. Fill bucket to the top with more hot water.
7. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken. (It gets really thick and gelled. This is when I stirred in the essential oil. On her blog, Brittany suggested 10-15 drops per 2 gallons)
8. Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap bottle half full with soap and then fill the rest of the way with water.
9. Shake before each use (will gell)
Top loading Machines: 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180 loads)
Front loading Machines: 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640 loads)
I'm really excited to try this. It was a little expensive to make at the beginning, but I have 5 gallons of concentrated laundry soap made. I still have a TON of borax and washing soda. AND Zest is not that expensive, so I know I will save money in the long run. PLUS, it is one less thing to pick up from the store.
Up next: Olive Garden Taste-Alike Salad Dressing
Monday, July 2, 2012
Magic Mike Movie Review
Magic Mike--the stripper movie everyone is talking about. My sister and I went to see this movie for a fun girls night out. There was quite a diverse audience--from young women to older women and even a man or two! I had briefly considered taking my Grandma Kost to the movie--I think she would have gotten a kick out of it!
As the movie started, it was hard to tell if the shrieks of glee brought on by a scantly clad Matthew McConaughey came from the women in the movie or the women in the theater. Personally, I've never been able to get over the fact that he doesn't wear deodorant. To any men who happen to read this--"man scent" is okay--body odor is not. Don't believe it if someone tells you that you don't need to wear deodorant.
Okay, on to the movie. Basic synopsis, Channing Tatum plays a young man who strips and works at a roofing business while trying to raise enough money to start his own furniture business. He takes a young man under his wing and teaches him the stripping business. The movie follows Tatum as he struggles with his choices in life.
Overall, I would rate this movie as average. The acting wasn't great; it kind of made me think of a reality show. The plot started off good, but by the middle it seemed unrealistic and disjointed. The ending was a predictable happy ending.
Channing Tatum can dance very well. As for the others, they danced pretty well also, but as stated above, I'm not a big M. McConaughey fan and I had trouble keeping the others straight. The kid Tatum mentors was arrogant, so I wasn't a big fan of his either.
So all in all--it's a movie I'll see once and that will be all I need. Hopefully the other movies I plan to see this summer will be better.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
6 Gallons!
I got my 6 gallon blood donation pin today when I donated platelets.
What can you expect when you donate:
Going into platelet donations, is very similar to whole blood donation. You enter the donation site and give them your medical history. All of the questions are the same, but there is a question about whether or not you've taken aspirin in the past 48 hours. Platelets help blood clot and aspirin counteracts that, so don't take any.
After the mini-physical/health check, you have a seat in a reclining chair and they start hooking you up. This is just like whole blood, except you have a needle in each arm. So there is no chance to read, play games on a phone, etc... during the almost 2 hours it takes to donate. Some people use this time to chat with the other people donating, I use it as "me" time and watch a movie. When I'm at home I don't often take the time to just sit and enjoy a movie, so while I'm donating I do just that. Other options could include listening to music or sleeping (as long as you remember to squeeze the ball).
I started donating blood when I was 16. I didn't have a personal reason for donating, such as a family member in need of transfusions, but I wanted to do something to help people in need. Throughout high school and college I donated blood whenever I was eligible and in college I helped in hosting several blood drives. It was during my last year of college that I started donating platelets.
Since I started teaching, I haven't donated as much as I should. Now I tend to only donate whole blood once a year when the Red Cross comes to the high school and platelets 2 or 3 times a year during the summer.
Most people know what is involved in whole blood donation, but I have found that few know what platelet donation is. So that is the topic for the rest of this post. I hope you learn something new and look into donating platelets.
Platelet donation is a type of blood donation in which blood is drawn from one arm, platelets are removed by a special machine, and the rest of the blood plus saline is returned to the other arm. (I have read that there are donation sites that use the same arm for donation and return, but I've only ever used double arm).
Platelets are used for patients undergoing chemotherapy or an organ transplant. A single platelet donation can provide enough platelets for a full dose for a patient in need. (It would take 4-6 whole blood donations to provide a full dose of platelets needed). Depending on the donor, one donation time can provide two or three doses of platelets. In the past, I've always donated doubles, today I was asked to donate a triple.
What can you expect when you donate:
Going into platelet donations, is very similar to whole blood donation. You enter the donation site and give them your medical history. All of the questions are the same, but there is a question about whether or not you've taken aspirin in the past 48 hours. Platelets help blood clot and aspirin counteracts that, so don't take any.
After the mini-physical/health check, you have a seat in a reclining chair and they start hooking you up. This is just like whole blood, except you have a needle in each arm. So there is no chance to read, play games on a phone, etc... during the almost 2 hours it takes to donate. Some people use this time to chat with the other people donating, I use it as "me" time and watch a movie. When I'm at home I don't often take the time to just sit and enjoy a movie, so while I'm donating I do just that. Other options could include listening to music or sleeping (as long as you remember to squeeze the ball).
There are some side-effects to donating platelets. I'm sure these vary from person to person, but here is what I experience. First, it's COLD. Of course, dealing with human blood particles, they have to keep the area cold. But donating platelets makes me much colder than donating whole blood. Today, one of the hottest days we've had this summer, I had both arms and my upper body covered with fleece blankets. Second, donating platelets messes with your calcium, so your fingers and lips get tingly. The site I donate at gives donors milkshakes to replace calcium while donating. There have been occasions that's not enough, so I've also been given calcium chews and tums. I think those are the two most common side effects. I also experience nausea and slight dizziness. This happens while donating and for a few hours afterward. Then I am also extra tired the next couple of days. The most important thing to remember is to take it easy and drink lots of water.
The time it takes to donate varies from person to person. When I started donating it took me almost two hours. Now if I do double, it takes about an hour; triple, about an hour and a half. I donate once a month in the summer when they come to Carthage, but with platelets you can donate about twice a month.
According to the American Red Cross website, donors with A+, B+, and AB blood types are encouraged to donate. The need for other blood types vary by region. AB blood types (that's me!) are the universal donor for platelets and plasma.
If donating platelets and saving lives is something you would like to do, call 1-800-RED-CROSS. It takes some time on your part, but it is so worth it.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Summertime Cooking
Today my dad had to go to Springfield for some tests, and of course my mom went with him. So I decided it would be nice to go to mom's house and cook supper for her. Well, once I decided I wanted to cook supper, I also decided I wanted to bake, and to make ice cream. Once I had the menu of pineapple enchiladas, angel food cake with strawberries, and vanilla ice cream set, I got started with my two little helpers.
First on the list was angel food cake. I admit, I used a box mix, but it turned out delicious! We then cut up strawberries to put on top, because I'm not a big fan of icing on angel food cake. It makes it too sweet.
Then we mixed the ice cream and started freezing it. They had a lot of fun playing with the ice, but were not fond of having to wait for the ice cream!
Finally it was time for the pineapple enchiladas. I first had these about a year or so ago when my friend Brittany (Being Brittany) made them. I was not to sure about them when she first told me what she was making. When I think of enchiladas I think of chicken, beef, cheese, but definitely NOT pineapple. But after the first bite, I was in love. They were sooo good and super easy to make. I had a few requests on fb to post the recipe so here it is.
First on the list was angel food cake. I admit, I used a box mix, but it turned out delicious! We then cut up strawberries to put on top, because I'm not a big fan of icing on angel food cake. It makes it too sweet.
Then we mixed the ice cream and started freezing it. They had a lot of fun playing with the ice, but were not fond of having to wait for the ice cream!
Finally it was time for the pineapple enchiladas. I first had these about a year or so ago when my friend Brittany (Being Brittany) made them. I was not to sure about them when she first told me what she was making. When I think of enchiladas I think of chicken, beef, cheese, but definitely NOT pineapple. But after the first bite, I was in love. They were sooo good and super easy to make. I had a few requests on fb to post the recipe so here it is.
Ingredients
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple
(I drain my pineapple otherwise the enchiladas are too soggy)
1/4 cup sour cream
(I start with 1/4 cup, mix it up, and usually add another tablespoon or so)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
(I use Mexican Style cheese)
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce, divided
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
(I use whatever I have in the pantry)
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
In a medium bowl mix pineapple, sour cream, and 1 cup cheese
Pour 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on bottom of 9 X 13 baking dish
(I move the pan around to evenly distribute the sauce)
Fill tortillas with pineapple mixture, roll, and place in baking dish
Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese
Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes
Bon Appetit!!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
First Post
First post...more about me...
I have been teaching for 5 1/2 years. I've wanted to teach since I was in 2nd grade. I remember my teacher was teaching about bees and I thought, "I want to have that much knowledge, and I want to be able to share it with others." In high school I decided I wanted to teach special education and I never wanted to teach anyone over 3rd grade. I still felt that way when I graduated from WIU in 2006. But the first job available was in a high school, so I took it, and I realized high school students weren't as bad as I had imagined. That job was a temporary spring semester job and the following fall I started working at the high school I've been at for the past 5 years. It can be challenging at times, but if it wasn't, there would be no point. I firmly believe challenges are what makes us the people we are.
It's amazing how fast 5 years goes by, and how much can be accomplished in that time. Since graduating from college, I've become a yellow belt in Shotokan Karate. Unfortunately, due to time constraints I am no longer practicing. But while I was in it I traveled to several tournaments and even won first place in sparring!
I have been teaching for 5 1/2 years. I've wanted to teach since I was in 2nd grade. I remember my teacher was teaching about bees and I thought, "I want to have that much knowledge, and I want to be able to share it with others." In high school I decided I wanted to teach special education and I never wanted to teach anyone over 3rd grade. I still felt that way when I graduated from WIU in 2006. But the first job available was in a high school, so I took it, and I realized high school students weren't as bad as I had imagined. That job was a temporary spring semester job and the following fall I started working at the high school I've been at for the past 5 years. It can be challenging at times, but if it wasn't, there would be no point. I firmly believe challenges are what makes us the people we are.
It's amazing how fast 5 years goes by, and how much can be accomplished in that time. Since graduating from college, I've become a yellow belt in Shotokan Karate. Unfortunately, due to time constraints I am no longer practicing. But while I was in it I traveled to several tournaments and even won first place in sparring!
Besides doing karate, I had always wanted to dance as a kid. So in the fall of 2011 I started clogging. Other than doing our recital, we've had two public performances so far. We clogged to "Country Girl" and "Crazy Town."
Finally I've taken steps to further my education. For the past four summers I've traveled on history trips to the South (Tennessee, Mississippi, & Louisiana), the East (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts), the South (Tennessee, Alabama, & Georgia), and most recently the West (Kansas, Oklahoma, & Texas). These trips were a great experience for me as my family did not travel when I was younger. I am able to take the information back to my students and it really helps me bring history alive for them. I have also started grad school at WIU as a reading specialist.
I've always been a bit sad that I have not started a family, but looking back I would not have been able to do all that I have done if I were married with children. I figure I'm still young, there is time and I've enjoyed my singleness.
So there is my very first blog post! I probably won't update everyday and I hope to blog on a variety of things. I plan on sharing book reviews, recipe reviews, movie reviews, historical trivia, a little bit of everything. I will let you in on my world--enjoy the ride :)
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