Recipes for an ex-pat, second edition

Inspired by this post, I knew my next recipe should be made almost entirely of ingredients that could be stolen.

And so you get: tofu salad.

A go-to recipe since my return to vegetarianism, this is does not fail.

Use the ingredients you typically would for any other meat-based "salad" (chicken, tuna, etc.)... luckily most of the ingredients can be "acquired" free of charge from any well-stocked casual eatery. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
- firm tofu
- mustard
- mayo (or veganaise)
- salt and pepper or my favorite, Spike seasoning
- relish



then, just:


and mash is it all up... like so

And it's ready!

Make it into a sandwich, fill a pita, eat with crackers... Yum!

Peanut butter banana pizza -- a recipe post from be

Wash! Hands wash.

Peel da nana. I do'd it!

Peana buttew. Mommy hep peese....

Cut da nana.

Spwed. spwed. swped.

Spinkles and strawbebby jelly.

Yum!

Fall traditions

2008

2009

2010

Lynd's fruit farm.

Matroskya love

Remember this?

Well... ask and ye shall recieve...

My former work spouse found these little gems for me...

And these lovely ladies were bought on vacation in Florida (I know, I've been holding out on you.)

Sisters...

easy peasy recipe ideas for an ex-pat

If you know someone living in university housing in Scotland who is funny and sweet and smart and brave, then you should tell that someone that this is not a lifestyle:

I don’t have money so I don’t buy as much food, so I don’t eat as much food, so I get drunk faster, therefore not buying as much alcohol, and my pants size goes down and everybody wins.

You could also begin telling that someone about your fun, easy, delicious, nutritious recipe ideas.

I was going to make some of these, then take pics, then do a post, but seeing this post, made me skip right to the post step. There will be more recipes coming. Promise.

Microwave baked potatoes -- square meals:
- buy a ubiquitous potato
- poke it with a fork a few times
- nuke it in the microwave for five mins

This is your base. Mix with one of the following for a square meal:
1) Brocco cheese potato
- put fresh broccoli florets in a dish w/ a splash of water. Cover with a lid or plate, leave a little room for steam to escape.
- cook for 4 minutes and check it. add one more minute at a time until it reaches your desired tenderness.
- split your baked potato, stuff with broccoli, top with cheese.

2) Chili cheese potato
- buy canned chili.
- heat it in a dish.
- split your baked potato, stuff with chili, top with cheese.
- eat some veggie with it

3) Potato sammy
- split your baked potato, stuff with lunch meat (or haggis)
- top with cheese
- eat some veggie with it

4) Italian potato
- mix together ricotta, and some italian seasonings (like basil, oregano, salt and pepper)
- split your baked potato and stuff with ricotta mixture
- add meat (if you have it)
- top with spagetti sauce and cheese

Leftover hot dog buns

Do you have leftover hot dog buns?

Like, maybe, you went out of town and your husband had a bunch of people over to go to a tailgate... and he and his guy friends did all the grocery shopping and bought a gajillion (an actual number, I am sure) then got too drunk to actuall grill anything... so then you ended up with no less than .75 gajillion buns to eat in one week?

That didn't happen to you?

Well, maybe you still have some leftovers.

Here's what you do:

• Look up lots of recipes for Italian bread salads...
• The next morning toast a hot dog bun
• Take some peanut butter and spread it on the bun
• Put a banana in the bun
• Tell your two year old it's a "banana hot dog"
• Watch him devour it!

College girls

Lunch and smiles at Casa Nueva. Delish!

I have lots of favorites.

Like A LOT of favorites ... I love love love finding something that I can call my "favorite."

And Athens is, by far, my favorite college town. Hands. Down.

It's like college towns you see on TV -- brick streets, classic architecture, hippies, boutiques, jocks, townies, an active Greek community, college book stores, a ridiculous number of bars... I could go on...

And a few of my most favorite women in the world treated me to a fantabulous girls-only overnight in Athens last week.

Thanks, ladies.

Sometimes, girls just need lots of girl time reconnect, laugh and let down our hair.

Oh, and eat s'mores.

Ohio University's campus gateway.

So....it's been more than a month!

It's been over a month since I last posted.

And in that time I have:

• celebrated my birthday with a day at the pool
• traveled to Dayton
• negotiated job offers
• resigned from a fantastic job
• accepted a position at a new job
• traveled to Pittsburgh
• started working at the client site downtown
• traveled to Cleveland (twice)
• had weekend visitors (twice)
• wished my baby sister well as she left for Scotland for a year
• welcomed a "roommate" into our home (who started her new job on the same day I did!)
• gone to Athens for a girls weekend
• took in a third dog for a week while a good friend is on vacation (he's still here)

I'm tired just typing it all!

So... I'm excited for things to calm down... and to get back to crafting.

Until then, can I distract you with this adorable picture of my son?