Why Bother? 2012 - Tortillas

Okay.  Confession time.  I do not like corn tortillas.  There, I said it.  I don't really like going out to "authentic" Mexican restaurants because they always serve tacos on corn tortillas.  It's a combination of the texture, flavor and the fact that they fall apart so easily.  My taco fillings always wind up on the plate (or my lap).

When I was confronted with the tortilla challenge, I asked myself  - Should I really bother making corn tortillas?  I'm not going to eat them.  I've eaten in some pretty good Mexican restaurants in the city and I don't even like their tortillas.  I would also never buy them from the store to begin with.

With these thoughts running through my head I decided against making corn tortillas.  I did do a little corn tortilla research and they seem pretty easy to make.  Mix some masa harina with water and press balls of dough flat.  Grill the flattened dough on a skillet for a minute each side.  Ta da?  Gross corn tortillas.  Sorry, I mean corn tortillas.  To each their own.

I am a flour tortilla girl all the way!  And I really enjoyed making these this week.  The total amount of time I spent on the recipe was an hour.  Those sixty minutes include all the required resting time for the dough, shaping and grilling!  You can have a Mexican party on the table in no time flat.

These homemade tortillas were a blast to make.  Once I got the right consistency of the dough, somewhere between a still ball of play-doh and a sticky blob of oatmeal, rolling and grilling the tortillas was like making little pizzas.  I went with a recipe that included a mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, pretending that they would be healthier (as I planned on filling them with melted cheese, any level of healthfulness would be good!).

Compared to store bought, my homemade circles were flavorful, airy and flexible.  I used the tortillas for dinner, the same night that I made them.  I had another quesadilla a few days later and it was still pretty delicious!  If you have time, get in the kitchen and make tortillas yourself.  Think of the possibilities of making your own!  The different flour options, adding different herbs and spices and the different tortilla sizes you can make in your own kitchen.  I know I have a few ideas that I want to try out next time!  Stay tuned for more Mexican nights!

Chocolate Peanut Pralines

Last week, the days seemed to drag on.  The hours at work seemed endless and Friday took twice as long to get here.  It was just one of those weeks.  A week that required a relaxing weekend at the very end of it.  What did boyfriend and I decide to do in order to wash away the previous five days?  We went tubing.

If you are in the New Jersey/Pennsylvania/New York area this summer, I would recommend you set aside some time  and head to the Delaware River.  Boyfriend and I were a little wary as we got to the River.  Would it be cold?  Is the river deep?  Will I really need this life preserver?  What was the compelling story that the river tube staff member didn't tell me that would make me want to actually wear this life preserver?  I feel a little strange wearing a bikini in the middle of rural New Jersey.

When we stepped in the water, all my fears were set aside.  At this time of the year, the Delaware River is like a bath tub.  It is slow-moving and hip-deep along most of the tube riding route.  Most of all, it is the most relaxing way to spend an afternoon.  Although boyfriend and I apparently can't find the current in a river to save our lives.  We slowly floated along as everyone else in a tube passed us by.

The one fun thing about floating along in the slow current?  You find stuff on the bottom of the river!  Boyfriend and I rescued a fishing weight, a rubber wristband and a set of car keys from the riverbed.  If you're out there and find your long lost keys in the mail one day, that was us!  (and Shop Rite!)

So boyfriend and I started our workweek yesterday refreshed, relaxed and a little sun kissed.  Nothing like floating down a river for a few hours and enjoying a riverside barbecue to melt away the stress from the previous week.  Ahhh, floating away...

Chicken Stuffed with Peppered Goat Cheese

Since I just celebrated my one year anniversary at work, I thought I would take a minute to reveal...

My top ten favorite things about working in industry!

(for those of you who haven't taken the long road through grad school to your job, working in industry means working in the public sector, rather than in academia or for the government!)

1. The first time I heard "Your time is too valuable to spend it doing X.". When I heard this I just about fell over. No longer would I have to do menial tasks to save a buck. No more cutting TLC plates, no more pulling spotters, no more making Dess-Martin! (all very time consuming things that are terribly boring)

2. Paid time off. And you're urged to take your time off so that you don't lose it at the end of the year! Three weeks where you don't want me to come in? Deal!

3. Bagel day. What? Your company doesn't have bagel day every Thursday? Mine does and it's awesome!

4. Dressing up. Gone are the days of wearing the standard t-shirt and jeans to the lab everyday. Now I get to wear button down shirts, pressed pants and nice shoes. Sure, I could wear jeans to work, but when I dress nicely people don't ask why I look so nice.

5. Work hours. What does your standard grad student work week look like? Usually between 60-80 hours a week, depending on your advisor. Never again.

6. Coworkers that care! In grad school you want to work hard and get out. There is competition, gossiping and sometimes back-stabbing. In industry, teams work toward a common goal, the whole "we all succeed together" motto goes here.

7. Free lunch. That's right grad students of the world, there are
Lots of free lunches in industry. Usually they are associated with lunchtime meetings, but not everything can be great!

8. Mr Softee Wednesdays. Yup, you read that right. The ice cream man comes to my office on Wednesday during the summer and gives us I've cream. For free.

9. Robots. Robots to do work for me, save me time and make my life better. I'm going to name them all this coming year. That way I can say "Hi Bert! Ready to run that purification for me today?"

10. All of the learning I still get to do on a daily basis. Pharma is an ever evolving industry and you've got to keep on your toes to stay in the game!

It seems that three of my favorite things involve food... Well, here's a recipe for the food you saw throughout the post, we'll keep up the theme!