Turtle Bites: 10 min or less dessert

Oh no you totally forgot about the office potluck or your neighbors brought over a gift and you have run out of holiday yummies what do you do? This recipe is quick, easy, and super addictive.

They have lots of names but I call them turtle bites as the are a mouthful of salted caramel chocolate nut goodness all in one bite. 

Ingredients: 1 bag rolos, pretzels, pecan halves 

Time: 5 min plus cooling

-Preheat oven to 375. Place pretzels evenly spaced on foil lined cookie sheet. -Add rolo to each pretzel in center of pretzel 

-Bake for 3 min or until rolo starts to get pretty shinny not all the way melted

- remove from oven and place pecan on top, smush pecan down 

- Allow turtle bites to cool to set (place sheet in fridge can speed it along) 

-Serve at room temperature... Bet you can't eat just one 

   *these keep very well so feel free to make few days ahead of time or even freeze. 

I  recommend buying the rolos near counter in tube otherwise they are individually wrapped and boy that is a pain and a major time suck. Window pain pretzeles (or chess board I don't know what real name is but that's what they look like) are great as the hold in chocolate. To save time by avoiding preheating oven I used a toaster oven, plus 2 small batches allowed me to get pecan on before rolo cooled.

 One blogger recommend to put on pecan prior to baking to save time and give roasted nut taste. Caution pecan gets really hot and didn't notice any flavor difference so I'd just skip it. Another word of warning caramel is really really hot and like sticky lava so as tempting as these look let them fully cool before sampling so you don't burn your mouth. 

Christmas Light Date

Looking for a quick, inexpensive, and easy date? All you need is gas in the tank, hot chocolate, good holiday movie, and Christmas bingo/I spy cards.

After spending the better half of the day on the phone and driving all over northeastern Ohio to take care of replacing a stolen wallet our date night got cut short. I thought this was a perfect date to help bring back some of the Christmas cheer as I was leaning toward the Grinch side.

 W and I jumped in the car and circled through the neighborhoods in search of the "griswold house". You know every city has to have at least one or two of those overly gaudy decorations with maybe four or five blow ups. For me though my favorite houses are the simplest ones. I love a few white lights and windows adorned with wreaths and red ribbons and maybe candles in the windows. 

just simple and elegant

W and I had a night filled with singing Christmas carols while driving intermixed with oohs and awwws of the gorgeously decorated houses. It even started to snow on our drive! I will say we were a bit to engrossed in the views to play a competative game of bingo so we just tried to complete as many if the I spy tasks before heading home.

When returned we snuggled next to our tree, warmed up with some hot chocolate,  and watched the classic Home Alone movie. What a perfect simple date. 

This is something that is easily adapted to work with the whole family (dress up the kids in pjs have the hot chocolate in to go cups) or as a couples contest road rally game. When you return you can warm up with tasty holiday beverages. Check out a few from an older post!

Thank you to Another Crafty Day for these adorable bingo cards. Feel free to make your own I spy lists there are a ton of ideas on Pinterest. If you want to turn this into a contest Dating Divas has a free printable set for a couples party/date right here. 

one day I hope to do something
like this on my front door
Merry Christmas Everyone!

#3.18 Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

So it's finals week and that means I de-stress by cooking! I was pursuing my favorite food blog site and this was the post of the day. It fits as a list item for another vegetarian meal and surprise this doesn't have spinach in it like 90% of all the other ones I've made lately. I even branched out and tried cooking eggplant for the first time!!

 I highly recommend checking out Budget Bytes site or her cook book.  All the recipes are made with easy to find ingredients and is budget conscious in time and money. Plus everything usually is great to freeze for a later date. Bonus for those busy students! The website is super organized and I love the flavors and ethnic food recipes. There isn't a recipe yet I haven't enjoyed. Check out some of my older posts for some favorites: summer vegetable tian, naan, fall harvest roasted veggies and sausage

easy peasy steps...mmmm

Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
     Total time: about 1 1/2 hrs   Cook time 1 hr          servings: 12
Ingredients

• 1 c  broccoli 
• 1 small eggplant 
• ½ lb. (4 medium) carrots 
• 1 medium squash (yellow or zucchini) 
• 1 package mushrooms
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 small red pepper
•  1 tsp garlic powder 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• salt and pepper 
• 1 tsp dried oregano or italian seasonings blend 

• ¾ lb. (12 oz. box) uncooked ziti 
• 1 cup (8 oz) low fat ricotta cheese 
• 1 large egg 
• 2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella, divided 
• salt and pepper 
• 1 (24 oz.) jar tomato basil marinara sauce, divided
• the more flavorful your sauce the better!

Instructions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop the eggplant, squash, mushrooms into small cubes (1/2-3/4 inch), cut the carrots and pepper into matchsticks, slice the onion, and cut the broccoli into small florets. Place chopped veggies into large bowl.
2.  Drizzle veggies with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper. Toss the vegetables well, until evenly coated with oil and spices
3.  Cover two baking sheets with foil and spray with nonstick spray.  Divide vegetables and place in an even layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle remaining oregano and garlic powder. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until they are soft and slightly charred on the edges. Stir once, half way through roasting. Remove and reduce oven to 375 when complete.
4. Cook the pasta until al dente [boil for 7-10]. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot with the burner turned off. Add the 2/3 jar of sauce and toss to coat.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, the egg, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, ¼ tsp salt, and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper. Stir until even.
6. Coat a large casserole dish with non-stick spray (9 x13 rectangle might work but you want high sides to fit all the layers). Spread ⅓ of the pasta and marinara sauce mixture over the bottom. Layer ½ of the ricotta mixture over the pasta, then ½ of the roasted vegetables. Repeat these three layers, then end with one final layer of pasta and add reaming 1/3 jar of sauce and the final cup of shredded mozzarella.
7.  Cover loosely with foil and bake the casserole for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Remove cover, turn off oven and let it sit for 10 more minutes until cheese on top is melted and slightly browned on the edges.

recipe adapted from budget bytes

Thanks & List Check in

I am half way into my 31st year and have been a bit silent in to blogging word. Sorry to leave you hanging, no I didn't complete my list  in time, but I got really close and I enjoyed exploring each option and connecting with others through the blogging. And hey it gives me something to work on for this decade.

In my 30th year my life took a turn that I didn't really plan for when I started this blog. For example I spent my 31st birthday in the cadaver lab...never thought I would ever say that! I went from being in the front of a classroom to being a student.

Here is a recap of last 16 months in  60 seconds or less depending on how fast you read.  I had been dabbling in the idea of changing careers for a number of years. So June 2013 I went all in and took classes full time through the summer in classes that would be applicable to the medical field. I passed on a teaching job that next school year, moved in with my parents and continued trudging through over 30 hrs of prereqs needed to get into Physician Assistant graduate school. I was told multiple times there was no way I would get in this cycle with my odd education background and having 12 outstanding classes to still complete. My hard work paid off and woo hoo I had a pick of schools to go to. So May 2014 I began an all consuming 24 month PA program at BW and since then I have had no time to blog...showering some days feels like a treat.

All in all I wouldn't change this time for anything in the world. It is some of the most challenging things I've done but I am loving every minute of it (ok maybe like 80% of the time).  I couldn't have done it with out the continued support of so many people in my life.

I want to give a big giant moment of gratitude for my support system of family and friends. I could not be keeping it all together as much (or as little) as I am with out you and I appreciate you putting up with my flaky and moodiness. I know I don't say thanks enough as I'm always on the go or multitasking. But I cherish spending time watching OSU games with you even though I''m tucked away in the corner studying. The simple things like getting a card in the mail, a good luck on your test voice mail or even "dinner is ready" means the world to me and your words of encouragement do more for me than I can ever express.

Thank you to my fellow crazy classmates. I am so glad to be working with each an everyone one of you and I'm so glad we are class that supports each other rather than competes.  Its great knowing I'm not the only one struggling at times or get really really excited over simple things like a pot luck trail mix bar, correct answers on snapchat studying, or walking club. I know I'm making life long friends and look forward to the next chapter of clinicals coming up in just a few short months eek!


So please bear with me as I am a little disjointed from the world for  the next 16 or so months.  I'll try to keep up to date here and there with my new adventures and plan to still finish my list [someday]!

#4 watch a sunrise

My favorite spots to view the city from my hometown: Huntington Beach

I had a plan to watch the sunrise [list item #4] at the beach huddled in a blanket (maybe viewing a comet) with a thermos of something warm. But instead by accident I guess I caught my sunrise driving in to a super early weekend shift downtown. I'm glad I got a chance to be alone in a quiet car watching the Cleveland sunrise early one morning while I was driving in to work.

 I was filled with a sense of awe at the sheer beauty between the mixture of nature and man's  ingenuity. I watched the shimmer of pinks and orange reflect of the windows of the sky scrapers and shadows dance on the bridges. I was amazed at how beautiful the lake was and on a bitterly cold morning humans have found a way to create a home and enjoy this space. One could say that I was in awe:an experience of such perceptual vastness you literally have to reconfigure your mental models of the world to assimilate it.

almost magical

Anytime I watch the sunrise or sunset I start to contemplate and reflect on life. How many other days have I seen the legs of sunlight streak across the sky but don't notice it as I am too engrossed in my current task? This wasn't a life changing event or anything but more like a life appreciating event. It gave me a boost on the early morning to enjoy what I have and look forward to what is yet to come. It let me freeze time for a moment and see things through a different light.

Later that day I stumbled upon a youtube channel called Shots of Awe. Jason Silva a "Performance Philosopher"  uploads short (he calls them philosophical espresso), inspirational videos in which he explores topics such as the miracle of life, the evolution of intelligence, and the advancement of technology. He is totally my new nerd crush. I wish I could speak as eloquently and passionately as he does. 

 I think he sums up life beautifully: "we fit the universe through our brains and it comes out in a form of nothing less than poetry we have a responsibility to awe" 

I never want to lose that childlike curiosity and wonderment. I always want my breath taken away by the sheer beauty, complexity or magnitude of life. I live for the AWE and I hope that you can too, shake up your routine, break some of those mental habits and appreciate those simple things in life. Get inspired.

Awe Video link

check out my other favorite video: Existential Bummer

Exploding Box Gift

W and I decided to be a bit more low key and not buy gifts for each other but make something instead for our 3 year anniversary. I was searching for something different than just a card and I knew I didn't have time for a T-shirt quilt (someday sigh). I stumbled upon this idea that is a kind of interactive mini scrapbook contained in a box.

take off the lid and BAM!

So I decided to go all middle school style and make him this exploding love box and a mix tape to help pass the drive time as we travel back and forth to see each other.

my color pallet  

Materials you need for the project are super easy: 4-5 sheets of 12x12 card stock, ruler, scissors and double stick tape and tacky glue. 

 There are tons of tutorial on pinterest, youtube or online. I based mine off of A Cherry on Top's tutorial. It is pretty easy to follow and has great step by step photos. Check it out! I switched mine up a bit to make it 4 layers instead of 3.

  I wrote little notes as well as some ticket stubs from events we've gone to over the years. It was a lot of fun to look back through photos and see what all we've done and all the different hair styles!

It's easily adaptable to make as a mother's day gift or if sewed it a baby book even. Oh the possibilities. This is a project that you could spends weeks on or just a day depending on how wrapped up you get. Good luck!

Cuyahoga Valley Train & Maple Sugar Fest

 I've had this post ready for a while but lost the camera with photos for a bit whoops!

sing it: come on ride the train choo choo

I’ve gotten a gift the past two year to ride the Cuyahoga Valley Train to various events. It has always been an adventure and great time to enjoy the sites along the Ohio canal.

Tap that

I went to the maple sugar festival at Hale Farm and Village. A friend from school tagged along on the adventure and we got to ride the train for a short while, then hop a shuttle over to Hale Farm. 

From there we got to enjoy a pancake breakfast and explore the farm. There were guides in period dress explaining the lifestyle.

There also was maple sugar tapping and boiling unfortunately with it below 20 degrees the sap was not flowing very fast. We spent most of our time in the blacksmith shop because it was the only warm place!

Bonus got a distant peek at the house my mom grew up in! 

Throughout the year there are all other different types of train rides you can do. Brunch, mystery, wine tours, and just plain educational or as regular transportation alongside the Ohio Canal.  

It’s only 3$ if you have your bike and the route is right along a fabulous path called the towpath. It was the path that canal boats were towed along way back in the day (mid 1800's) when the canal was the super highway transporting goods from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. The path is nice and flat and very well maintained. You can also hike and check out some of the locks along the way.

The valley has some awesome hiking trails as it’s part the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Summit County Metroparks

Other fun things to do in the area is check out a quaint little town called Peninsula. There are some art galleries and good burgers at Whiteys or beers at the Winking Lizard. Appalachian Outiffiters is right around the corner for great gear and rock climbing.

The Valley is a great day trip from Cleveland (only about 30-40 min) and who knows maybe you can catch a show at blossom.

All aboard!

Pina Coladas Caught in the Rain

I woke up this morning with an extended case of the mondays. I think (fingers crossed) this snowy winter portion is over and now is the endless rain. Ugh I'd rather have snow. No matter how many times I heard Pharrell's Happy on the radio on the way to school (4 times! yes that's right in a 35 minute drive) the weather is keeping me in the blah's

see what I"m talking about blech

I had a fabulous time enjoying the sun and green plants for a few days in Florida last week.  I would love to bottle it up and use it for those yucky mornings. I need a pick me up to keep me from getting too much further in the dumps . Cue the Jimmy Buffet 24/7.

Skinny Pina Colada

I stumbled across a Skinny Pina Colada recipe and I think this paired with some baked tilapia with peach mango salsa tonight might be just the ticket to get me back in sunny mood. Ya feelin' me mon?

one of my favorite fish dishes to make in 30 min or less

I have a feeling these are going to be my go to summer staples! Yum I can almost see the sun outside now...wait it actually is out woo hoo

super simple ingredients!

Skinny Pina Colada
Ingredients for 1 cocktail:
2 oz Coconut Rum
5 oz coconut water
2 oz pineapple juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain, pouring into glass with ice. Garnish with maraschino cherry or orange slice (optional). Drink and enjoy!



Thanks CarrotsnCake for the recipe and drink photos!

#21.3 bueller..bueller

I couldn't help but think of my adventure to the art museum was a bit like Ferris Bueller's day off. There was playing hooky from studying and delicious local ethnic food. Sadly there wasn't a parade with awesome 80's dancing or skinny dipping in a neighbors pool. But I did look at priceless works of art and the new architecture of the museum is pretty similar to Cameron's' garage.

hmm both exquisite examples of artwork, but I'd take the Ferrari

Cleveland is well known for it's art museum and for the past 12 years has totally renovated the building. Well January 2014 it is officially completed and I will say it is as beautiful as the precious works of art it holds.

New atrium area

As you walk in the front doors it's the same dark and heavy stone entrance but keep going about 500 ft and the main atrium is the complete opposite. It's so bright and airy it took my breath away for a moment from the shear size and design.

mixing of the old and new

My favorite parts are the glass wings on either side of the building. I feel like I'm floating and I love seeing the statues blend in so well with the city in the background.There are a lot of the same favorite areas, but added some great elements for kids, interactive and technological enhancements and new organization of collections.

Asian wing

the kids area....reading & exploration 

armor court

interactive exhibit wall...you can create a tour and load on to your ipad

Walking through the medieval and ancient rooms I was thrilled to find that the cases are so well done they almost look like there is no glass in them.

I love a good art museum and can spend hours getting lost in works or ancient civilizations past. I like to use the artwork as a mini snapshot into past lives. As is Ferris' famous words: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in while, you could miss it. I enjoy taking a break from the real world and reflecting on the beauty.

 Cleveland has a wonderful collection and along with the Met and Minneapolis' is one of my all time favorite art museums to come back to over and over! It is always free and has ample parking both on the street and garage. Wednesdays and Fridays it's open till 9 and the first Friday of the month there are MIX events. Usually DJ and other fun events in the atrium. Check out the homepage here.

#14 Opera glasses not necessary

Opera gets a bad wrap. The super soprano parts can be rough, but it really has a lot going for it. The costumes are amazing, it's filled with witty wording(yes some loses its eloquence in translation) and classic songs and story lines. You can't deny the talent a singer must possess to project and hold any of those notes. I've only seen one opera in my life in Louisville and it was final dress rehearsal and an English piece so not really the whole "opera" experience. I was curious to see if I really would like this art form and thought it'd be a great experience this year. I was not disappointed!

Bohemian National Hall Stage

I didn't want to go to a light opera (which seems to be popular) I wanted the whole shebang but to my dismay Cleveland does not have a regular opera company. I figured with the 2nd largest theater district, world class orchestra an opera company would be a no brainer. Guess not.

Off to find alternative methods to complete this task...

I rarely go to the movies and I do remember somewhere in the foggy depths of my brain an add during the previews to watch opera met at theater. I gathered my trusty Google search and found fathom events You can watch different operas through out the season from the Met. There are trailers, guides and previews for each show. They show in theaters all over the nation and you get nice comfy seat and no need to be so far away that the singers look like ants!

if you are going to the opera you better look the part!
Score got to re wear a bridesmaids dress

The shows are always on Wednesday nights with Saturday encore performances and each month there is a different showing. There are subtitles and you can get synopsis of opera on line. Tickets are just as much as a movie ticket. I know it's not the same as seeing it live but what a bargain. April 5th & 9th Pucinni La Boheme is playing! Check out more info at the Met's Live in HD homepage

I was just about to go to one of the fathom shows when I found randomly a group called Opera Circle. They perform a few times a year and lucky enough they were performing: La Traviata great Italian classic. (Moulin Rouge is pretty much based off of it)  Brindisi "the drinking song" is one of more well known songs from this opera..I've been humming it non stop since going. 

It was held at the Bohemian National Hall off East 55th and this is one of those old gorgeous buildings from the 1800's. It was a treat to explore during intermission and look at all the photos and native Czech outfits. The Cleveland Women's Orchestra accompanied the performers and they were just as amazing artists as the singers. The opera was a blast and I can't wait to go again! 

view from the balcony

#3.15 Springtime Vegetable Soup with Pesto

This is one of my favorite anytime soups. It has amazing flavor, filled with lots of yummy fresh veggies, and the leftovers (if ever any) hold up well. After a winter of heavy soups I like to add this lighter one to the rotation this time of year. Added bonus it's weight watcher friendly (5 pp) and very filling! 

Springtime Vegetable Soup with Pesto

prep time: 15 min           Cook time: 25 min         severing size: 8

Ingredients

1 tsp extra virgin oil oil

4 med leeks ( or green onions) diced white and light green parts

1 cup celery diced

1 cup carrots diced

1 cup zucchini diced

1 cup green peas (frozen or fresh)

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp garlic minced

64  oz canned chicken broth

19 oz canned cannelini beans drained and rinsed 

14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes drained (I like the basil & herbs but totally up to you)

4 tsp pesto sauce (you can add more to taste)

Instructions:

1) Dice all your vegetables then heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, carrots and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring frequently until vegetables begin to soften

be sure to drain & rinse beans

2) stir minced garlic into pot and cook for 1 minute

3) add broth and increase heat to high to bring to a boil. 

4) After boiling is reached stir in diced zucchini, peas, beans and tomatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes allowing flavors to blend.

5) Serve soup by swirling 1/2 tsp pesto into top of each serving.  If you are serving this at a later time add pesto prior to eating rather than before storing it. Believe it or not adding the pesto at the end makes a huge difference in taste!

Yields 1 1/4 cups of soup per serving

adapted from weightwatchers recipe meeting guide spring 2012

You can make your own pesto recipe with fresh basil and freeze it in an ice cube tray for use later up to 3 months. A good simple recipe I like is from Food Network. 

Word of warning watch where you are getting your pine nuts. Stay away from any Chinese products as there have been instances of reactions to a different species of pine nuts that can give you "pine mouth" a horrible bitter metallic taste with no matter what you eat/drink that can last for days to weeks. This happened to me a couple summers ago it was terrible. Expired nuts can also cause this reaction so check those dates! 

#13 camp out...er in?

Let me attempt to justify this bit of craziness with it could have been the combination of being alone house sitting for a week, every friend unavailable to go out when I actually had a weekend night free, or being stuck inside from yet another snowstorm that this list item took the shape it did.

 I have been reviewing my list and saw there is quite a bit left to do including: #13 sleep under the stars.  My original intention was to go camping and well with only 3 months to finish and the never ending winter I wasn't going to take any chances and took some liberty to creatively fulfill this item.

a skylight with a open view to the sky

There was a perfectly good skylight, stars above + me sleeping below=close enough. Plopping down a sleeping bag in the middle of the living room would be too boring so I decided to go all out and have a indoor camp out. I put up a tent, made a fire, unplugged the electronics, and made some yummy snacks.

I love how tents go from this:                             to this:

in just a short amount of time.  I'm usually really good at putting up a tent by myself but I must have been rusty because this one took a few tries to get it right. There is always an extra pole or two in case you loose one right?

Now no camping trip is complete without a campfire. But I probably wouldn't win the best house sitter title if there was a fire pit ring burnt into the carpet. Instead I used a flameless candle and rolled up bits of paper bag to simulate my fire...volia and with half the mess to clean up in the morning!

fire pit...worked pretty well too

Dinner was grilled hot dogs and I made s'mores for a dessert treat. While I could have easily made them in the oven, I was missing that hint of burnt carbon so opted for the candle approach. It worked a lot better than I thought. Just be sure to skip the scented candle s'more a-la tropical paradise smell isn't all that appealing to the tastebuds.

sir can I have s'more please?

It was nice to unplugged from all electronics for the evening and I was able to look up through tent and see a couple stars before the next winter storm rolled in.

good morning...ugh more snow! 

Best sleep ever in a tent I will say...if only every camp site could be free of rocks and roots, but I guess that would be taking away a key part of camping.

This idea could be easily adapted for a really cute date night or even kids slumber party or like me when you've just had enough of the cold weather. If you don't have a sky light just improvise and hang up some twinkle lights you'll get the same effect

yep pretty much had to "rough it"

Other great camping things to not forget: flash lights and scary stories to share

You know come to think of it it's not the first time I've camped in the living room...east 18th ladies I believe we had one up for a while there around my 21st birthday. haha

On to more adventures.....