Recipe: Polenta Gnocchi

I recently told you about my wellness journal, in which I cut and paste work outs, recipes, and tips for success for my new, healthier lifestyle. Since I'm home for spring break, I decided to try out some of the recipes (so expect more in the coming days!). The first one I tried was from Health magazine, for Roman-Style Polenta Gnocchi. I'm a vegetarian,so I love any unique meatless dish. The original recipe can be found here, butI made it a little more blogger friendly below.

Ingredients (in order of use):

1 16-ounce tube of polenta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 crushed garlic clove

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 ounces fresh chopped mozzarella

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

To make:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat a 10-inch baking dish with olive oil.

Slice polenta into 1/2 inch thick slices; arrange slices in a single layer covering pan.

Heat saucepan over medium heat.

Add olive oil and garlic to pan. Cook until the garlic is soft (2-3 minutes) and make sure to watch it so it doesn't burn!

Add tomatoes to saucepan, then oregano, salt, and basil. Bring to a boil and stir.

Reduce heat, then cook until thick (which was about 10 minutes for me).

Spoon sauce over polenta (and actually use a spoon! It'll be messy if you pour).

Sprinkle cheese over the sauce.

Bake around 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Add some more basil for flavor and fanciness. :)

This was my first ever homemade meal, and I'm pretty proud of myself! My family really really liked it, and best of all, I did too--and I'm always my harshest critic. The total prep was about 20 minutes, but could be around 10 if you know your way around a kitchen, and it turned out great. If you like polenta, I'd recommend it!

More recipes coming your way soon :)

Be well!

Arts and crafts on a rainy day & celebrating my best friend!

Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of my best friend Morgan's arrival in America. She was adopted from Korea, and I'm so glad that she was! We have been best friends since kindergarten, which brings our friendship to almost 16 years (3/4 of our lives!). Needless to say, I love her dearly and will be friends with her forever. We go to schools far away from each other now, but we try to stay connected by talking regularly, and we always hang out at least a few times when we're both home in Hollister.

In honor of her 20 years in Amurka, I decided to make her a little arts & crafts project. Morgan is super creative and sends me cards and little presents all the time, so I figured there was no better way to congratulate than by giving her something homemade. I hit up my new favorite store, Michael's, for some scrapbooking stuff and fake daisies (which are Morgan's favorite flower).

Supplies! Cute letters, scrapbooking paper and stickers, and Elmer's glue

The finished product. I hope she likes it!

The only picture I included--Morgan at my 7th birthday party.

Eating pizza--how American!

The daisies and her card!

I am so grateful to call Morgan my best friend! Now we're off to celebrate her US arrival with all things American--Mexican food for dinner and then the newest episode of Sister Wives! God bless America. :)

There's no place like home

Things I really really really love about being home:

• Treadmill in the morning--just worked out, which is the perfect way to start my day (albeit a little late)
• A whole fridge stocked with food (most of it healthy!)
• Sleeping in my own queen sized bed
• Green grass and blue skies for miles
• Mexican food (sure, I eat a lot of Mexican food in Berkeley, too, but the Mexican food in Hollister is authentic and better)
• Mommy taking care of me when I'm sick (I swear, I get sick right before any school break. It's like my immune system says, "peace out! I'm going on vacation early")

and of course, my favorite part of being home:

snuggling with this little rascal

Hope you all have wonderful weekends! I've got some fun posts up my sleeve for next week, and I'll be back Sunday with Week 2 of my Lenten challenge.

be well!

Arts and crafts aren't just for kids!

Today I proved that with a little art project. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon an adorable notebook in Urban Outfitters, and its message (Stop and Smell the Flowers) inspired me to make a journal. Since I have a habit of earmarking things in fitness journals (ie recipes I want to try, work outs I want to attempt, etc), I decided I should start compiling all of these things into one place. So, my little fitness journal was born.

All it took was the notebook (which doesn't have to be a fancy one...a cheapo from Walgreens will definitely suffice), some magazines (which I had collected over probably six months), and some sort of adhesive--I used rubber cement because it's easier to work with than a glue stick, and I'm lazy.

The journal isn't done yet (because when is a journal ever done, really?), but so far I have an ongoing brainstorm about why I want to lose weight, some recipes I am going to make when I go home for spring break (which of course I will share on the blog), and some fitness tips/moves I want to try. I am hoping this journal will help me stay fit and on the right track, especially because I just ordered this little number and want to look fab in it by the time summer rolls around.

Can't wait to continue adding to it!

Be well,

Jordan

"kinda azkaban-ish"

Remember yesterday when I said I wasn't going to post until Thursday when all my midterms were over? Oops.

I just had to post this photo. My mom texted me saying that she spent 15 minutes in line at Walmart but got out of line because it was so awful. This is a screen shot of the conversation. The part that killed me: "Walmart is a horrible place kinda azkaban-ish"

I couldn't breathe for about 13 minutes. I hope it brought a smile to your face as well. And now, readers, you understand where I get my comedic timing and inspired sense of humor.

Jordan's Study Survival Guide

I have three midterms this week. THREE. I freak out during weeks I only have one. Adding insult to injury, I am getting sick (or am just paranoid--the far more likely scenario), it's raining, and the promises of spring break sunshine and relaxation are becoming a serious distraction.

Times like these, my blog friends, call for a few things. So, without further ado, I bring to you the award-winning, foolproof guide for surviving a week of intense schooling.

1. Drink lots of water. My major vice in life (aside from being a lazy sloth about 50% of the time--hence my stress this week) is my addiction to caffeine. I drink so much coffee/Red Bull when I am studying that I feel like I'm dehydrated all the time. So, I use this dandy little water bottle, which I fill up probably 4 times a day.

2. Find productive distractions. I like to take breaks only to work out, because it keeps my body alive and alert even though I am spending about 12 hours in a chair hunched over my notebook. But if the gym isn't your scene, even taking a quick walk around the block can work wonders for your focus, sanity, and general well-being. Or take a break to read a magazine, stalk that cute boy in your class on facebook, or call your mom. Anything that takes your mind off studying for a little while is in my book very healthy.

3. Make schedules. I generally live by schedules anyway, but they are particularly useful when studying. I make myself detailed time break downs: exactly what I am going to do and exactly how long I'm going to do it. (FYI: writing this blog was not featured in today's schedule. Oops!)

4. Eat healthy. I try to embody this one all the time, but it's something that I focus on when I'm stressed. During finals week, I do nothing all day except study. I am one of those people who eat when they are bored (lucky me!), so I have to make a conscious effort to assess my hunger level and proceed accordingly. When I eat junk food while studying, it just sits in my stomach and I feel horrible. I just made a list of my favorite study foods: oatmeal, apples with peanut butter, cereal, and popcorn. Wow I'm boring.

and finally, and most importantly,

5. Remember that this isn't real life. It is highly unlikely that these three midterms will have a heavy impact on the rest of my life. Sure, they might affect my grades this semester, but when I look back on my college experience I'm never going to remember the essays I wrote or the multiple choice questions I got wrong. I tend to be really hard on myself, especially when it comes to school/grades, but I am constantly working to be more accepting of my flaws. Whenever I'm stressed, I remind myself that it's all small stuff. It's surprisingly helpful.

Well my bloggies, it's time to lock myself back in my study dungeon. I hope this guide is helpful (I know it helped me to write it all out!). Probs won't be back until Thursday (which I am affectionately calling "Champagne Day," for no reason in particular, mother), so until then, be well!

Sista Sista

Only 16 more days until I am home with these special people!

Honestly though, as much as they drive me nuts sometimes, I would probably die without them.