Welcome to Fall, Y'all!

Wow. I know my last blog post was random and all about how busy Fall has been so far, but man oh man. Life is busy right now!

This past week almost almost did me in. It was jam-packed and to be honest, a bit bizarre. I am learning how to be a counselor this semester (not really, but it seems like it), and I don't know that I am doing the best job at it. This has led me to some reflection and deep meditation to figure out: 1. what about my personality draws people to tell me uncomfortable things, and 2. what do I do with that information to best help the person.

What made this week so cray-cray you ask? 

1. It's high stress time for the graduate students. Moody, stressed-out graduate students are the worst. End. of. story.

2. It's high stress time for the undergraduate students. Moody, stressed-out undergraduate students are almost as bad as graduate students. 

3. My dryer vent broke.

4. My refrigerator keeps leaking. 

5. I broke my favorite cake podium. :(

This weekend, I also happened to catch the cold that was going around the university. It knocked me flat on my bottom for two days. Oh well, I got lots of sleep. 

And....in good news for the weekend, I fixed the broken dryer vent all by myself! (Well, Jack helped a little. Supervised really).

That's modern domesticity at its finest!

And...this happened for the rest of the weekend...

And this...

It's going to be a long Fall, Y'all.

Random Thought Wednesday...

My poor little blog has been neglected for almost a month...clearly school has started again!

The first few weeks of school started off well-enough, and as usual, I hit the ground sprinting. It is the end of September and we are about to head into the first exam week, and I feel ready for Christmas break. I look behind me and so much has already happened. I look ahead, and I've only just begun. 

So far, this is without a doubt my favorite semester in graduate school yet. Or school. Or life. Gosh, I'm so excited about things right now and life is definitely moving in positive directions. I'm all smiles (and stress) but feel really good about where I am. Here is a little sneak peek into the randomness that has been my life for the past 4 weeks (and the randomness my brain is currently operating in!).

1. Friends for BTHO Bama!

This past weekend I got to see most of my favorite people for the big game. :) I can't ask for more than that.

2. What are we teaching these kiddos??

I'm an educator and had a very startling moment last week. A group of students in my class presented on the order of the planets, then had the rest of the class engage in an activity. ME and one group of 3 students were the only ones in the class who KNEW THE ORDER OF THE PLANETS! Gah, I was in shock. What on Earth (like the pun?) are we teaching our kiddos these days. There is something further for me to research...

3. Take a risk

I've been taking a lot of personal risks so far this semester. It's more of my buck-the-system, who-cares, the-worst-they-can-say-is-no mentality. So far, these risks have paid off in dividends that I couldn't even imagine. Yay! 

4. Don't falter - Optimism is supreme

This past week has really been challenging for me (even though it is only Wednesday). I have been faced with so much pessimism which really drags me down. Yesterday, I caught myself being a complete you-know-what in the pessimistic category. As I was reflecting on my day yesterday, I realized that I control my attitude and if I don't want to be pessimistic, I don't have to be. I believe optimism is supreme. As a kid, I used to get disappointed so easily in everything when my expectations weren't met. Over the years, I have always had to fight people telling me that I was too optimistic and how foolish that could be. But, I would rather have high expectations and fill a little let down (but most of the time be pleasantly surprised) than always think the worst. I'm kicking my newfound pessimistic attitude to the curb and embracing my positivity for life. 

5. Prayer and meditation

For my birthday, one of my besties got me a 5-year journal. It is a little journal with predated pages. Each page has a question written at the top (some insightful, some silly) and space to write 5 yearly dates below with a few short lines. The idea is that each day for 5-years you answer a question. Then, you can track how your life and answers change over time. This is so much fun already, and I am looking forward to when I can compare answers across years. 

This idea of a 5-year journal inspired me to start keeping a nightly journal. Each night, before I read, I write about my day, my issues, my concerns, etc. This helps clear my mind before sleep and let out any frustrations. I also find that I don't carry those frustrations into the next day, and I am able to forgive people more for their faults each day. I'm also able to let go of my own indiscretions each day. 

After I journal, I've gotten back to reading a devotional each night. I know the typical way to read a devotional is in the morning, but my brain is already too muddled at that time. I read the devotional for the next day before I got to sleep (or read for fun) each night. Right now, I'm working my way through the updated version of Purpose Driven Life. I read this a long time ago (late high school) and have found myself drifting from my relationship with God over the past few months. A few sad things happened to me this summer, and more sad things have happened to people I care about. Rather than turning to Him, I've been running. This "meditation" at night has helped refocus my life.

These meditative practices have helped me become more relaxed. I have more going on now than ever before and feel pulled in many directions, but I have more clarity than usual. I have more peace. I feel safe and assured that things are ok. I know there is time to accomplish everything. I even find myself dropping everything I had planned to work on something for someone else and not resenting it or the person. 

5. Bottom line, life is good!

I hope yours is too! :) 

Fall is in the Air!!

Ah, my favorite, favorite, favorite time of year is almost here! Words can barely express how much I love Fall, but I'll try to do my feelings justice within the confines of the English language. It is August 18th, and I realize that the official start of Fall is September 21st. However, I consider the beginning of the Fall semester to be the real start. This weekend is the second to last weekend before school begins again and it was a wonderful ode to Fall. :)

Reasons I love Fall:

1. My birthday (end of August)

2. Football, football, and more football (college and NFL)

3. All things pumpkin (lattes, pies, bread, scented candles, decorations)

4. Cooler weather

5. Light sweaters, scarves, and boots

6. When Fall ends, we get Christmas!! 

Like I said, this weekend was filled with wonderful odes to Fall that have really put me in the mood for the season! 

1. Making game-day wreaths with friends

A friend of mine suggested we make game-day wreaths to hang on our front doors during football season. Pinterest offered the inspiration, and while I'm not the craftiest person, I wanted to enjoy the company. We met up on Saturday morning, enjoyed some shopping, perused the craft shops for our supplies, came home, made wine smoothies, and set to work. Nearly 4 hours later, we had works in progress. Let me just say, the Pinterest directions were not very specific or helpful and we had to figure things out on our own. Luckily, we managed and came up with some cool designs. Each unique. Each fitting our house-style and personalities. 

My work in progress...excuse the little details I still have to perfect...

I'm so happy with how this turned out! It is a simple wreath frame weaved with burlap. I painted the T maroon, my friend painted my A&M and '09 off-white, and I glued the letters on. The bottom corner has maroon fabric weaved into the wreath frame, and I attached the the sunflower and two maroon flowers for an edge that is very unique to me. I haven't attached the white fabric but like the detailing, and haven't secured the letter in the center yet. Once I'm finished, I plan to scotch-guard the entire thing for protection against the elements, and will hang it on my door for game-weekends! So fun. :) 

2. Enjoying my freezer cooking!

Last weekend was all about testing out recipes for freezer cooking, which was a success! This week, I tested three of the recipes for flavor and all were magnificent! The Sour Cream Bake was so yummy and easy to heat and bake. On Thursday night, I tried the Shrimp Scami-Fredo, and I think it tasted even better after having been frozen than it did on the day I cooked it. Today's lunch was the Cauliflower Soup and it was to die for! Soup also makes me think of Fall...mmm...cold weather, a blanket, and football! 

3. More prepping for Aggie Football

Game-day wreath making was a great way to kick-off football season, but I had to get Jack ready as well...

Ready to watch the Ags Beat the Hell Outta...hopefully everyone! :)

4. Daddy's Baked Cinnamon Apples

It's clear that I have been trying to expand my cooking arsenal. I've been sampling lots of new recipes, but today I decided to put a twist on an old family favorite. I was in my kitchen this morning and saw that I still had quite a few apples from my last grocery trip, so the wheels in my head started turning...When I was growing up, Daddy would make Bake Cinnamon Apples and a few years ago, he shared the really easy recipe with me. Today, I brought this recipe back, but mad a minor adjustment!

Baked Cinnamon Apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Core and cut apples into slices (skin is optional, I love it, Daddy hates it)

3. Melt one stick of butter in the microwave

4. Toss the apple slices into a Pyrex dish (any glass dish works great for this treat)

5. Take the melted butter out of the microwave, add 1/4 cup of sugar and about a tablespoon of cinnamon.

6. Here's my adjustment: add a dash (half a tablespoon) of vanilla extract (gosh, I love this stuff!)

7. Mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla mixture

8. Pour over the apples

9. Mix the apples and mixture until all of the apples are coated then sprinkle with more cinnamon

10. Bake in oven for 30ish minutes (this will give you soft but still crunchy apples; if you want crunchier apples, bake for less time and if you want softer apples, bake longer)

11. Eat 'em up!

The BEST thing about this recipe (besides the deliciousness it creates) is how it makes the house smell - the mix of vanilla and cinnamon is a glorious scent! Yum. 

The Fall semester begins in a week, football starts in 13 days, and all the things I love are fast-approaching. I can't wait to enjoy all of these things with the people I love just as much. 

Freezer Cooking, Take 2...

Today was another success in the world of freezer cooking! I made two soups, put them in tall, round Ziploc containers, and added them to the freezer. Both of these soups turned out ah-mazing! I can't wait to eat them on Sunday football nights.

Soup Number 1 - Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I accomplished something I have never done when cooking. Something wonderful. Something amazing...

                   I followed the directions.

That's right, folks. I did what I was supposed to do! And, boy am I glad because this soup is to die for. Yummy chunks of cauliflower. Celery. Carrots. Fresh herbs. Creamy goodness. This is the Ph.D. of all soups - yumzo! 

The recipe filled four Ziploc containers which are probably about two servings each. 

Soup Number 2 - Chicken Pepper (a Small Town Girl creation)

During my senior year of high school, I got really sick with the flu and all I wanted to eat was chicken noodle soup. Now, for as much as I love soup, I'm a bit of a soup snob. It has to be hearty, full of chunky pieces of meat and vegetables, with a very savory flavor. No soup could do the job. Then, during my freshman year of college, I got the flu AGAIN! This time, there was no one around to bring me soup - and I mean, the soup had not met my expectations anyway. 

Super sick and not feeling well, I journeyed to the grocery store and bought celery, carrots, chicken broth, and an already cooked rotisserie chicken. I shredded the chicken, cut up the carrots and celery, and mixed it into the broth. My go-to soup was created. Over the years, I have perfected and changed this soup to be more sophisticated, but it meets all of my requirements for what a soup should be. 

The soup I made today is inspired by this simple recipe but with a little more flair and sophistication. Here's how I did it:

1. In the crockpot, add 2 quarts of water, salt, pepper, a chicken bouillon cube, and 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook on high power for 4 hours. (This cooks the chicken while making homemade chicken broth!)

2. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from crockpot and allow to cool.

3. Pour the chicken broth into a large pot on the stove.

4. Add half a stick of butter, half of an onion (diced), and a little salt and pepper.

5. While the butter is melting and the onion cooking, shred the chicken. 

6. Cut up 2 green bell peppers.

7. Add the bell peppers to the pot and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

8. Add one can of diced tomatoes (with the juice). 

9. Add two cans of hominy, drained. 

10. Add chicken.

11. Finely chop some oregano and parsley and add to the pot. 

12. Allow this glorious mixture to reach boiling. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. (This allows everything to cook through and the herbs to flavor the veggies and chicken.) If your soup is too thick, add water or chicken broth. 

13. After the 20 minutes are up, taste the soup and add seasonings as you like. 

I then let the soup cool and transferred it into Ziploc soup containers. Again, this recipe filled 4 of those containers with 2-3 servings per container. This is a perfect, easy soup. It'll also be great for cold winter days - it's one of those soups that can sit on the stove and cook all day. It just keeps getting better the longer it simmers. 

Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Muffins

As a reward for good behavior, I tried out a Cinnamon Swirl bread I found on the Internet. Except, I added a few things (of course) and made the bread into muffins. Here's how I did it:

1. Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl.

2. Add 1 cup of milk, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 egg, and a splash of Vanilla (I love Vanilla!). Mix well.

3. Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and a handful of chocolate chips.

4. Pour into muffin pan or bread pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (for muffins) or 45 minutes (for bread). 

YUMZO! 

Today was a great day of cooking. I have a freezer filled with delicious goodness to last me through the beginning of the semester and muffins to get me through this week. Now, off to finish a literature search, transcribe a reading session, and update my CV before bed! 

Freezer Cooking, Take 1...

Ok, I'm behind on this one. One of my recorded Pioneer Woman cooking shows was about freezer cooking - this is a completely new idea to me! Who'da thought: cook stuff, freeze it, and you have easy meals?!?! Anyway, I decided to do some research on Pinterest, blogs, and just general Google searching to figure out dos and don'ts along with recipes. Armed with my groceries, a clean kitchen, some recipes, and a free evening, I tried my hand.

Before I get into what I made (3 recipes tonight and my plan is 3 or 4 more tomorrow), there are a few things you should know.

1. I cannot follow directions. Yes, I am getting a Ph.D. Yes, I was a middle school teacher. Yes, I am an adult capable of living on my own. Every single recipe I tried, I changed something. Sometimes because I felt like it and sometimes because I wasn't paying attention or forgot something. Domesticity is not my strong suit. It should also be known that my grad school mentors frequently get frustrated with me because I just do what I want and don't always listen to them. I also get pulled over for speeding quite a bit. Maybe one of my 2014 New Years' Resolutions will involve learning how to follow directions. Probably not, but maybe...

2. I'm a bit of a hazard. I've always been in an on-going battle with gravity (i.e. I trip a lot), I run into door frames on a daily basis, and I break stuff. Just this past Thursday, I was at a training where lunch was served. I got a salad and while eating the salad, I broke my plastic fork. What's worse, this happens to me a lot. I don't understand how people eat with plastic utensils; they're so fragile. Anyway, these behaviors also occur in the kitchen. My poor arms and hands are covered in burn scars...with a new one from today's adventure. Whomp, whomp.

Since I live alone and am usually cooking for one, I wanted to use plastic Ziploc baggies and small loaf pans when I could. The idea was to have individually portioned meals that I can grab and bake/heat. Typically when I have company, I cook. I also wanted stuff that was super easy. I work during the day and have classes or teach at night. Most of my days are 10 or more hours and my brain is friend when I get home - I need dinners that don't take brain power to fix.

Recipe Number 1 - Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This recipe is taken from the Pioneer Woman - I love her stuff. Her food is full of flavors I love, easy, and hearty. I saw this one on the episode I referenced earlier and could not wait to try it! Since I was planning to freeze this and read that freezing sour cream is not a good idea, I omitted that part. On the day of this meal, however, I plan to add sour cream after baking. 

Here's how I did it:

1. Brown ground chuck in a skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper. 

2. Drain the meat, and add one can of diced tomatoes. (The original used tomato sauce, but I love chunks of tomato in just about anything. If I don't have canned diced tomatoes in my pantry, I get a bit unnerved.) Add a little bit more pepper. Let this sit on low while preparing the other part of the ingredients. 

3. Cook noodles of your choice. I chose tri-color penne. 

4. In a bowl, mix 1 and 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, black pepper, and green onions. 

5. Drain the noodles and add them to the cottage cheese mix. 

6. Take your baking container. Pour a layer of the cottage cheese/noodle mix, then layer on some of the meat/tomato mix, and top with grated cheese. Repeat as many times as you like, depending on how many layers you want. You can also mix everything together and not layer. 

7. Let it cool, cover with foil, and label. On the serving day, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

For me, this recipe made 3 small loaf pans of the meal. Each loaf pan is about 2 servings. 

Recipe Number Two - Bacon Ranch Chicken and Potatoes (Crockpot)

This morning, I realized I would want to eat dinner and was planning on going grocery shopping. I make grocery lists, but if I don't have something cooking at home for dinner, my grocery trips turn into a kid on a candy-craze. I want everything! I didn't have much in my pantry, so I grabbed some random items, threw them in my crockpot, and hoped for the best! As luck would have it, it turned out great! This is also a Tracey-created recipe, but I'm sure it exists in a more sophisticated presentation.

Here's how I did it:

Add to a crockpot...

- 2 pieces of chicken breast 

- 3 sliced red potatoes

- 4 slices of chopped uncooked bacon

- 1 packet of ranch dressing mix (the powdery, seasoning stuff)

- season salt (I love this stuff, so a lot)

- salt

- pepper

- chicken broth (just enough so that things don't burn or get dried out)

Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. 

This was so delicious! Ranchy, bacony, yum! I ate some of this for dinner, then packaged the rest in 3 Ziploc baggies and added to the freezer. When I want to eat it again, I just have to thaw, heat, and eat. 

Recipe Number Three - Shrimp Scampi-Fredo 

If there ever existed a meal that I would want to marry, it's this one. This meal represents everything I love about food and symbolizes how my misfortunes can still make a great dinner. I LOVE pasta and shrimp. Shrimp is probably my all time favorite food, though I love all shellfish pretty equally. If I end up living in a coastal city, I will be in Heaven. Now, the beauty of this meal is that I royally screwed it up, but it still works! In the title, I've linked to the original recipe, but I'll show you what I did below.

Here's how I did it:

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet.

2. Once the butter is melted and the mix starts simmering a little, add in some chopped onion and garlic. 

3. Let the onions and garlic cook a little. 

4. Add in the shrimp (I used half a pound, but you can put in however much you like). 

5. Oh yea, heat some water for the pasta. (and yes, this is really the moment I remembered to do that)

6. Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons. Toss in some chopped fresh basil. Add pepper. 

7. Pour in about a cup of whipping cream. (Here's where I messed up. The original recipe called for white wine. I didn't want to use wine because I would have to open a new bottle and consequently, would have to drink said bottle. Normally, this would be fine, but tonight I just wasn't feeling it. Understandable, I know. However, what this created was more of an alfredo sauce with a really tangy scampi taste. DELICIOUS! Hence, the name "scampi-fredo".)

8. Reduce heat to low and let simmer. 

9. Add Angel hair pasta to the boiling water. Cook for 8 minutes, while scampi-fredo sauce is simmering. 

10. Drain pasta, keeping a little bit of the pasta juice to ad to the final mixture if it isn't to your liking. 

11. Add pasta to the scampi-fredo sauce. Mix around. 

12. Pour into small loaf pans, cool, cover, and freeze.

Thank goodness I ate dinner before cooking this meal. I sampled it and thought I would fall over, it was THAT good. This will now be a staple in my house. I CANNOT wait to pull it out of the freezer, thaw, heat, and eat!

This concludes the minor cooking adventures of the Small Town Girl. I learned a few things, have a new scar, and have a total of 9 meals waiting in the freezer for one of those busy days this coming semester. Tomorrow I'm tackling two soup recipes and salisbury steak. Wish me luck! 

Hello, I'm Tracey!

With the blog make-over and an increasing following, I decided now was as good a time as ever for some re-introducing! 

Howdy, I'm Tracey! 

I'm a twenty-something, Texas girl living my dream! I was a middle school English teacher  (brave, yes) for several years but love school so much and wanted to make more of a difference that I decided to return to the place I love most, Texas A&M University, for a Ph.D. in education. Now I work on research grants for universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations and teach undergraduate education courses. I love my work! Every day I get to do the things I love - writing, reading, researching, running statistics (I'm weird, ok!) - while making a difference in the lives of kiddos. *Sigh* 

After coming home from a long day of work and classes, I enjoy the simple things in life. I'm a writer, mostly dabbling in short stories and poetry, and a blogger. I hope that my blog is filled with inspiration and humor, which I believe are the fruit of life. I'm an avid reader with two or three current reads at one time (check out my reading lists in the tabs above or check me out on Goodreads for more). Teen fiction, chick lit, classics, best sellers, and a select few favorite authors stock my bookshelves. My life is an endless competition between wanting to own all my favorite books and not wanting a cluttered house. Somehow I manage.

As a twenty-something I feel there are skills I should acquire and what better time than now! One of those skills is cooking. I did not come from a long line of great chefs but love food. As a graduate student, money is a constant battle so planning ahead is a component of every part of my life. I cook meals at home five or six nights a week and am always looking for tasty, simple recipes. I don't have time to cook extravagant meals but if it can be done in less than an hour - perfection!

I am crazy about traveling. Growing up, my family took trips to New Mexico to visit family each summer, and I loved it. Now that I'm an adult and have job that requires me to travel to conferences to present research, I get to travel more. (I haven't traveled anywhere for 3 weeks and am about to go crazy!) Little road trips to the big Texas cities or hill country are great as are trips to other states. Since my traveling really began at age 24, I've made a few traveling goals, starting with trying to see all 50 states. I've only been to a few so far in the past two years (California, Arizona, Nevada) from my trips to San Diego, San Francisco, Vegas, and Scottsdale. This year, I will get to travel to Philadelphia and New Orleans and cannot wait! A group of friends of mine have also decided that we want to take a cruise in May to celebrate passing our comprehensive exams and proposal defenses. Woo hoo!

If inspiration and humor are the fruits of life, the foundation (what food analogy would that be?) of it is family. I am very close with my family and we share a special bond. Now that I'm grown up, I've enjoyed seeing the family dynamics switch from being a child in the family to being one of the adults. I'm thankful for their support and tolerance of my craziness each and every day. I'm equally blessed with several best friends who have married the loves of their lives and hope to start families some day. These friends are also family. The bonds we share truly make us sisters. Finally, I am a proud pet parent. I love my little companion, Jack. Taking care of a pet forces me to stop, smell the roses and take breaks from work every now and then.

Hopefully through the first few parts of this post, you've gotten to see my personality (I sound just like I write) but in case you haven't had enough, here are a few more of my quirks:

*I love winter more than summer (cold weather, hot beverages, sweaters, and boots)

*I'm a work-aholic

*Good wine can turn any bad day

*I should have been twenty-something the year I was born (hair bands, rock metal, crazy outfits)

*Journey is my all time favorite band - my other favorites are 80s or alternative

*I hate working out. Really, hate it. But I hate the thought of gaining weight more so I do it

*Titanic is the greatest movie ever, hands down

*Cleaning is a stress reliever

*I collect crosses, bears, books, and shoes

*Ice cream and chocolate are food groups

Happy Wednesday! 

T

Summer Accomplishments

I'm a big fan of lists! I can attribute this to my Type-A personality and my desire to do as much as possible with the limited time I am given. In fact, I begin every day by making a to-do list. One problem I often face, though, is that I have Luby's syndrome (this refers to the activity of going to Luby's and getting way more food than you can eat, your eyes are bigger than your stomach). This summer, I started making to-do lists with a corresponding "accomplishments" list. I was finally able to see how I compare to what I think I can do, but more importantly, I realized just how much I do in a day! Rather than focusing on where I fell short each day, I can be proud of what I did.

That being said, here goes my summer "Accomplishment" list! See this posting from the beginning of summer with what I wanted to do - haha, it makes me laugh.

Summer 2013 Accomplishments

1. Write, submit, and publish my first research article! (Whoop...coming October 2013!)

2. Traveled to Dallas to see my best friend! 

3. Traveled to Arizona to see my bestie!

4. Attend a wonderful concert that relived my childhood (NKOTB, Boyz 2 Men, 98*)

5. Enjoy a weekend in Fredericksburg with my family

6. Read 9 books (working on #10) for fun!

7. Took day trips to Austin, Houston, and the zoo

8. Wrote and researched more hours than during the regular semesters (what's up with that?!?). Check out my Living on a Writing Prayer blog for that story!

9. Presented at 2 conferences

10. Sampled new recipes (with some success and a little trial and error)

11. Blinked and summer was gone! 

August is by far one of the busiest months of the year. Life gets crazy in anticipation for the upcoming semester, plus it's my birthday month. And, people just get a little panicky, a little anxious, and a little wound up worrying about what challenges new semester will bring. 

Summer, until next year...