Italiano!

Mediterranean Pasta: (serves 3-4)
1 bag linguine noodles
2 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 large green pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small jar quartered artichoke hearts, cut up
1/2 C feta cheese crumbles
Olive oil

Boil about 6 Cups water. Add noodles. While the noodles cook, coat the bottom of a medium skillet with olive oil. Toss in onion and saute for 1-2 mins. Add in green peppers, mushrooms and artichokes hearts. Saute until veggies are tender. Add in cheese and mix until melted (you can add a little milk to make it more of a sauce). Drain noodles and return to pot with some olive oil to keep the noodles separated. Put 1 serving of noodles on a plate and top with desired amount of saute mix.

Variations to recipe:
Add cut up cooked chicken to saute
Garnish with sliced black olives and serve with garlic bread

Whats for dinner?

Burrito Casserole (serves 6-8):
1 large can enchilada sauce
1 can refried beans (black or regular, up to you)
1 1/2 C instant brown rice (about 6 servings according to box)
1 pkg burrito seasoning (or you can use 2 if you like more spice)
2 lbs ground beef (or ground turkey or shredded chicken)
4 Burrito sized flour tortillas
1 1/2 C cheese (I used cheddar, you can use whatever)

Preheat oven to 350. In a 13x9 in sprayed baking dish, pour part of enchilada sauce in dish to coat the bottom. Place 2 of the tortillas on top of sauce, covering bottom of dish (the tortillas go up the side kind of like pie crust). Spread beans over tortillas. Cook rice according to box directions and layer on top of beans. Brown ground beef, drain and mix in burrito seasoning (and a little enchilada sauce). Spread beef over rice. Sprinkle a little of the cheese over the beef and then cover with the 2 remaining tortillas. Empty the rest of the enchilada sauce over top, tucking tortillas into dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for about 10-12 mins, until cheese is melted and sauce starts to bubble. Enjoy with a dollup sour cream!

New format

So I am thinking of changing the format of The Fortune Cookie (R). I have been dabbling a lot in the kitchen as cooking/creating recipes is one of my hobbies. Starting next week I will be posting the recipes I create and any stories that inspired them. You can expect all the recipes to be relatively easy and quick, and of course tasty :). Some recipes on the list might be Mediterranean pasta w/chicken, burrito casserole, broccoli and cheese tortellini . . . the list goes on and on.

Good news

Since March my allergies have resolved themselves! Turns out there was mold growing in the leaky roof of my apartment. I have since moved and left the allergies behind. Halleluah.

Adult Onset Allergies?

Not sure if this is a medically recognized condition, but it is so real. I have never had allergies before in my life (unless you count my severe and incredibly heartbreaking rash-like reaction to the Miss Piggy bubble bath when I was 7) and now I suffer, oh how I do suffer. It started a little last year when I was playing with Belle, my brother's adorable doggie. My eyes watered and itched. My nose closed up and I couldn't stop sneezing. Since that experience, I have learned to wash my hands immediately after playing with her. As of late the dreaded seasonal allergies have waged an epic battle on my fair ear-nose-throat system. Being new to this onslaught, I have tested many types of allergy relief, even to the point of sticking a jeanie lamp filled with warm water and salt solution up my nose, which runs out the the side (don't worry, this is supposed to happen). However, to my dismay, I am still plagued by that which I cannot see.

If anyone knows of a miracle cure, take pity on me and share!

When the economy sucks, consider investing in your looks

Well will wonders ever cease? Just when I thought no one could top the "severed foot in a bucket" story, the evening news delivers this little gem. Hairdressers across the country will have record sales this weekend . . .

The life saving weave

Concerts: Indoor or Outdoor

As spring approaches, we all get a little fiendish for some outside time. I know my vitamin D level is pretty low right about now. What better way to enjoy the weather than at a concert? This brings about a very interesting question . . . do you prefer indoor or outdoor concerts? Let's look at the pros and cons of each to determine the winner:
Indoor concert Pros:
Never an inclement weather issue
High Possibility of good acoustics
Controlled temperature (most of the time)
Almost always have a seat

Indoor cons:
Hard to escape strangers body odor
Any type of fall most likely happens on a stair or concrete
Standing is often frowned upon

Outdoor Pros:
Great weather= even better concert
If you arrive early you can stake out a good seat
Blankets allow you to stretch out
Standing/dancing/singing at the top of your lungs encouraged

Outdoor Cons:
Inclement weather could mean canceled concert
If it rained the night before you will get dirty
Contact high (this could be a pro for some)
Idiots plowing people over drunk in the crowd

Well, I guess there is no definite winner, but I would go outdoor over indoor any (nice) day.

Hello New York!

I recently returned from the NYC. It was a great time and I was able to visit with some old friends who I miss very much. The trip consisted of lots of touristy things since it was my maiden voyage to the city. I hopped on a bus tour and rolled around downtown NYC seeing the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Madison Square Garden, Chinatown, Wall Street and a fun filled stop at the Statue of Liberty (see picture). I was then escorted around Times Square and Rockefeller Center by my friend Jesse. There is a lot to do in NYC and 3 days just wasn't enough time. I really need to go back when the weather is a little warmer so I don't have to view the city through my scarf.

Run Forrest, Run.

So for the last few months I have been training for my very first triathlon. For those who are not familiar with the intimate details of such an event, it consists of swimming, biking and running, one right after the other. The particular triathlon I signed up for was an indoor beginner version. That means the events are shorter and in this case are based off how far you go in the time allotted.
The training was hard and the day of the event I was both excited and nervous. My main goal was to complete every event without stopping. I succeeded and was pretty proud of myself. The best part was before the last event when I found out I would be running next to a 16 yr old who is a member of her school's cross country team. Awesome.
I would recommend everyone trying a triathlon sometime (a beginner one is a great place to start). My next step may be an official triathlon this summer . . .

Finally some real news

On a day where the media only seems to want to talk about the same thing, I am giving you relief by sharing this story.

Thankfully the article assures us that, "The monkey is not considered dangerous."

I would take it

To add to the long list of reasons why Australia rocks, they are promoting "the best job in the world". The job entails being the caretaker of a beautiful island and blogging about the experience.
"the employee will be required to stroll the island's white sand beaches, snorkel, maybe take a dip in the pool — and post photos and videos of his or her experiences on a weekly blog."

Oh and they will pay you $100,000 American dollars for the 6 months of work. Sign me up!

Classic commercials

Being an upstanding member of the advertising industry, I try to keep myself abreast of the cream of the crop. Please allow me to introduce you to 2 commercials that just missed the cut, by a hair:

Moo & Oink

Flea Market