Could it be... am I posting somewhat more often?!
*gasp!* I think that maybe I am!
Good news, I guess, yes? I'm sure you're all very tired of reading the various and sundry Twitter things all the time. I actually don't have a whole helluva lot to say right now.
I got a job, finally, working at a GameStop. Persistence paid off, it looks. I've only been badgering the manager for months now. XD So, I'm an official employee, and I start work this Saturday, for four hours in order to get a crash course in training on the system and work on my sales pitch. Gotta get ready for Black Friday.
Drill was this past weekend. Saturday was a PT test, which I failed, although I did do two things that I think are important to note: I finished the run, and I shaved four minutes off my general run time. Nowhere near passing yet, but better than nothing. I need to start running again soon, along with push-ups and sit-ups, but I also have to find and wash the clothes I need for running, 'cause it's getting chilly out. Saturday afternoon I did inventory of the motor pool. That was interesting. Oh, and I got in trouble for wearing civilian athletic pants with my uniform for PT, but the damn warehouse that sends us our uniforms hasn't sent my PT pants, and I ordered those almost a year ago. Not exactly my fault. Called my dad to see if maybe he had any I could wear that had been unclaimed at his unit. Hopefully he can find a pair for me to use.
Had the first brainstorming session for NaNo this past Saturday. I was about half an hour late to my own meeting, thanks to drill, but that's okay. Only three people showed up, which was surprising. Then I found out that the other three people who'd been expressing interest in coming had completely and totally forgotten (you know who you are :-P ). ravenclaw42 and her mom showed up, but alas, won't be able to make it to very many of the meets. And one of the Oxford people showed up, Alex. He seems pretty cool. All their story ideas were fantastic, and I think the brainstorming actually did a lot to help. Especially for ravenclaw42. XD I look forward to this Saturday's meet being just as successful.
With any luck, terioncalling and I will be able to go down to Jackson this Friday for the NaNo kick-off party being held there. If we can, then this weekend is going to be extremely busy, but that's fine. Busy is good, in my opinion. And really... I can't wait to get started on my NaNo.
I also really hope I can wear a costume to work this Saturday, because I have a great idea, but I need to know if I can actually go to work with blood spatter on my clothes and such, or if I have to tone it down. *ahem*
Oh, and before I forget, this is for lady_erin...
Chicken and Rice with Mushroom Sauce
This makes two servings, so if you plan to cook for just yourself, cut it in half... or make the whole thing and have tasty leftovers!
Two chicken breasts, decently sized
Olive oil
Rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Dalmation sage
Tarragon
Cilantro
Butter
Italian herb paste (what I used came from the produce section - Groumet Garden Italian Seasoning herb blend)
1 can crescent rolls (I used buttered)
Grated cheese (so far I've used gouda and parmesan, both of which work fantastically)
Heat a large skillet until it reaches a nice middle temperature. Pour a mild amount of olive oil into skillet, coat the bottom. Place in chicken breast. Cover. Turn every three to four minutes until cooked completely through. You can add seasoning to the chicken if you want, but I don't recommend it.
Depending on the kind of rice you use, fix one cup as per the instructions. If I'd had a rice cooker, I would have used that, but I used Minute rice premium, which honestly tastes horrible, but it was better than nothing.
Here's the tricky part. In a saucepan, combine the mushroom soup, one half can of milk (2% or whole), about 1 tsp each of sage, tarragon, and cilantro. You may want to add a bit of salt and/or pepper, but that's to your taste. Whisk until creamy. Let simmer.
For the crescent rolls, prepare them as you would normally. Take butter (I use squeeze)* and mix about 1.5 to 2 tbsp in a bowl with 1 tsp of the herb paste. Using a pastry brush, brush the mixture onto the crescent rolls until evenly coated. Take grated cheese and sprinkle generously over the crescent rolls. Bake as normal.
We had baby potatoes as a side dish, but I usually prefer green beans or something with a little color to them, because otherwise it's a very bland-looking meal, but your side veggie is completely up to you.
The measurements for the herbs are kind of guesstimations, because I never actually measure them out, I'm just saying what it seems to be. Experiment a little until you find your preferred blend ratio for the herbs in the sauce. I'd honestly start with half a teaspoon each and work your way up.
*If you use stick butter, you'll have to heat it with the paste before mixing. 45 seconds in the microwave will melt it just fine.
Good news, I guess, yes? I'm sure you're all very tired of reading the various and sundry Twitter things all the time. I actually don't have a whole helluva lot to say right now.
I got a job, finally, working at a GameStop. Persistence paid off, it looks. I've only been badgering the manager for months now. XD So, I'm an official employee, and I start work this Saturday, for four hours in order to get a crash course in training on the system and work on my sales pitch. Gotta get ready for Black Friday.
Drill was this past weekend. Saturday was a PT test, which I failed, although I did do two things that I think are important to note: I finished the run, and I shaved four minutes off my general run time. Nowhere near passing yet, but better than nothing. I need to start running again soon, along with push-ups and sit-ups, but I also have to find and wash the clothes I need for running, 'cause it's getting chilly out. Saturday afternoon I did inventory of the motor pool. That was interesting. Oh, and I got in trouble for wearing civilian athletic pants with my uniform for PT, but the damn warehouse that sends us our uniforms hasn't sent my PT pants, and I ordered those almost a year ago. Not exactly my fault. Called my dad to see if maybe he had any I could wear that had been unclaimed at his unit. Hopefully he can find a pair for me to use.
Had the first brainstorming session for NaNo this past Saturday. I was about half an hour late to my own meeting, thanks to drill, but that's okay. Only three people showed up, which was surprising. Then I found out that the other three people who'd been expressing interest in coming had completely and totally forgotten (you know who you are :-P ). ravenclaw42 and her mom showed up, but alas, won't be able to make it to very many of the meets. And one of the Oxford people showed up, Alex. He seems pretty cool. All their story ideas were fantastic, and I think the brainstorming actually did a lot to help. Especially for ravenclaw42. XD I look forward to this Saturday's meet being just as successful.
With any luck, terioncalling and I will be able to go down to Jackson this Friday for the NaNo kick-off party being held there. If we can, then this weekend is going to be extremely busy, but that's fine. Busy is good, in my opinion. And really... I can't wait to get started on my NaNo.
I also really hope I can wear a costume to work this Saturday, because I have a great idea, but I need to know if I can actually go to work with blood spatter on my clothes and such, or if I have to tone it down. *ahem*
Oh, and before I forget, this is for lady_erin...
Chicken and Rice with Mushroom Sauce
This makes two servings, so if you plan to cook for just yourself, cut it in half... or make the whole thing and have tasty leftovers!
Two chicken breasts, decently sized
Olive oil
Rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Dalmation sage
Tarragon
Cilantro
Butter
Italian herb paste (what I used came from the produce section - Groumet Garden Italian Seasoning herb blend)
1 can crescent rolls (I used buttered)
Grated cheese (so far I've used gouda and parmesan, both of which work fantastically)
Heat a large skillet until it reaches a nice middle temperature. Pour a mild amount of olive oil into skillet, coat the bottom. Place in chicken breast. Cover. Turn every three to four minutes until cooked completely through. You can add seasoning to the chicken if you want, but I don't recommend it.
Depending on the kind of rice you use, fix one cup as per the instructions. If I'd had a rice cooker, I would have used that, but I used Minute rice premium, which honestly tastes horrible, but it was better than nothing.
Here's the tricky part. In a saucepan, combine the mushroom soup, one half can of milk (2% or whole), about 1 tsp each of sage, tarragon, and cilantro. You may want to add a bit of salt and/or pepper, but that's to your taste. Whisk until creamy. Let simmer.
For the crescent rolls, prepare them as you would normally. Take butter (I use squeeze)* and mix about 1.5 to 2 tbsp in a bowl with 1 tsp of the herb paste. Using a pastry brush, brush the mixture onto the crescent rolls until evenly coated. Take grated cheese and sprinkle generously over the crescent rolls. Bake as normal.
We had baby potatoes as a side dish, but I usually prefer green beans or something with a little color to them, because otherwise it's a very bland-looking meal, but your side veggie is completely up to you.
The measurements for the herbs are kind of guesstimations, because I never actually measure them out, I'm just saying what it seems to be. Experiment a little until you find your preferred blend ratio for the herbs in the sauce. I'd honestly start with half a teaspoon each and work your way up.
*If you use stick butter, you'll have to heat it with the paste before mixing. 45 seconds in the microwave will melt it just fine.