red cabbage is my new favorite color

I get so excited when I'm cooking with vivid foods...especially PURPLE ones. Like eggplants.

Avocados are nice too. I've never chopped up a red cabbage before but I HIGHLY recommend it, purely for the aesthetical value :) They are so pretty on the inside! Purple and white swirls. I only refrained from a cabbage photo shoot because the lighting in my galley kitchen is horrible for pictures. Tonight I made this warm red cabbage salad and it was delicious.  Sort of like, sauerkraut's flamboyant cousin from Jamaica.

Dear Mama, make this recipe. Hans will die, it is that good.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad

(adapted from 101cookbooks.com)

-1/2 c. walnuts

-1 t. brown sugar

-salt

-2 T olive oil

-1 red onion, diced

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-1 pound red cabbage, cut into thin ribbons

(one small/medium cabbage)

-1/2 t. dried rosemary (or 1 t. fresh)

-2 oz. golden raisins (or generous sprinkling if you have no idea how much that is)

-1 1/2 T. balsamic vinegar

-feta cheese

-parmesan cheese (shredded)

Directions:

-roast walnuts in a dry pan on medium heat for a couple minutes

-add sugar and a sprinkle of salt, and stir until sugar melts, then immediately transfer nuts to a separate bowl

-Saute onion in the pan with olive oil, then stir in garlic and cabbage. Sprinkle with more salt.

-Stir until cabbage begins to soften (a few minutes)

-Stir in raisins, rosemary, and balsamic.  Keep cooking until it seems done (aka cabbage isn't too crunchy, but do not overcook), about 5 more minutes.

-Add feta and walnuts, and stir in the pan

-garnish with parmesan cheese

YUM

christmastime finally!

My neglected apartment is in shambles

I have fallen off the face of the earth from my friends and family (sorry!)

and I have not done ANY Christmas shopping

(I am spending all my $$ on gas to drive home, anyway.)

But I am fiiiinally DONE with my first semester of grad school!!!!

I accidentally slept in an extra 1.75 hours today but I feel like I deserved it.

Now it's off the the lab (aka "salt mines" as my advisor is calling it this week...hmm sounds like fun.)

to finish up my research-assistantshipping

(which might be busy and intense)

Starting to wonder if a lucrative career could be made out of Geography Art...

via weheartit

gingerbread pancakes

Last night I was craving pancakes for dinner, and I attempted to re-launch into the Christmas mood by creating a gingerbread pancake experiment.

The only time I've eaten real gingerbread was two winters ago at Holden, with fresh whipped cream of course :) It was delicious.

The pancakes turned out pretty good, but cooked really weird...fast on the outside and slow on the inside.

I think it's because I accidentally added too much liquid to the mix.

The spice combination worked out though.

Take a pancake recipe or mix and add

-1/4 cup molasses

-2 t. cinnamon

-1 t. ginger

-1/2 t. cloves