My last semester may be in full swing, but the cooking doesn't stop. After all, Scooter and I need to eat, and we much prefer food we can enjoy. Just a quick e-portfolio update before this week's recipe.
Competencies completed: 2
Competencies graded satisfactory: 1
Competencies in progress: 0
Competencies yet to address: 13
Revisions required: 0
Pages written: 11
Days remaining until advisor's deadline: 67 days
Days remaining until department's deadline: 81 days
I'm still waiting to get feedback on the competency I submitted this morning. I've also gone through and created some notes for each competency to get me started with writing. There are a few I know I will struggle with.
Now to food. I've been on a pork kick recently. Scooter and I made pork chops together two nights ago using a recipe from my Italian cookbook. So this week's recipe is pork chops with tomatoes, cream, and wild mushrooms.
What you'll need:
1/4 c. olive oil, divided
2 lbs. boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4 inches thick
1/2 c. white wine*
1/2 c. canned whole tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
1 1-oz. package of dried wild mushrooms (can use dried procini mushrooms too)
1/2 lb. fresh white button mushrooms, sliced thin
What you'll need to do:
1. Put the dried mushrooms into a small bowl and add just enough water to cover them. Let sit and soak to reconstitute. Once they have, cut them into small pieces. Reserve the water.
2. In a large saute pan that can accommodate all the pork chops with no overlap, add 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and heat on medium high. When the oil is hot, add the pork. Brown pork well on both sides.
3. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Let it simmer for about 20 seconds to burn off the alcohol and scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the tomatoes, cream, salt and pepper, and reconstituted mushrooms. Lower heat until the pan is gently simmering and cover. Let chops cook for 40-45 minutes until tender.
5. Put the water from the reconstituted mushrooms into a small pot and boil down to about 1/3 c.
6. In another saute pan, add the remaining olive oil over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the white mushrooms. Saute until all liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the water from the small pot and cook, stirring frequently.
7. When all water has disappeared, turn off heat. Add the white mushrooms to the pork when it has become tender. Turn chops and stir the contents of the large saute pan to blend everything together. Cook over medium heat for another 5-8 minutes.
8. Serve hot over rice.
*As always, choose something you would drink--and enjoy a glass of the same wine with dinner!
I substituted half and half for the heavy cream when we made this to lower the fat content a bit. It still tasted really good, and for those of you that are concerned about fat/calories it's a good substitution. Lean cuts of pork or trimming the fat you see on the meat can help as well.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Counting Down to April
The countdown has begun in earnest. As of last Thursday, I am now officially working on my last class, my last project for my MLIS. The official deadline for this work (the one set by the department) is April 21. However, my e-portfolio advisor--the faculty member in charge of reviewing my e-portfolio, providing feedback, and giving me my grade--has a deadline of April 7 for all 15 competencies.
It has been a head-on rush since last Thursday. With so much going on outside of school (I'm still working full-time, volunteering for two organizations, and oh yeah planning a wedding), I'm trying to do as much as I can as early as I can to give myself some breathing room when all hell breaks loose later (an eventuality I'm hoping won't come to pass but one I'm planning for nonetheless). I have 15 competencies to address, an introduction, a personal philosophy, and a conclusion to write. All but one competency require 4-6 single-space pages of writing to adequately address them and present my evidence of proficiency. That brings my total to anywhere from 56 to 84 pages of single-spaced writing for the first 14 competencies. I tend to write more than less, so I anticipate I'll be much closer to the upper end of that range, say about 80 pages. The other sections will add probably another 7 or so pages, bringing my estimated total to close to 90 pages. That's a lot of writing--about four times what my longest solo paper written in the program would equate to (it was 50 pages double-spaced). Each part of the entire work is given a grade of 1 for satisfactory or a 0 for unsatisfactory; to have a complete and acceptable e-portfolio, each section must be present and have a grade of 1. I'm pushing to try and get 2 competencies written a week to allow plenty of time for revisions.
So what are my stats so far? Here's an overview:
Competencies completed: 1
Competencies graded satisfactory: 1
Competencies in progress: 1
Competencies yet to address: 13
Revisions required: 0
Pages written: 8
Days remaining until advisor's deadline: 68 days
Days remaining until department's deadline: 82 days
There are a few things that I am thankful for, the first being that I hoarded everything from every class: every article, every discussion post, every assignment, every book, every one of my instructors' lecture notes. It means that I have plenty to use, but it also means that I have a lot to comb through. I am also thankful that I starting thinking about this project before last week. I made a lot of mental and physical notes that really helped to organize my thoughts and give me somewhere to start when I officially began to put it all together. I'm especially thankful that I backed up all of my work; I would hate to think where I would be right now mentally if anything I had done had gotten lost in the void.
For the next 2-3 months, I will need help with the stuff that's not school. School is the priority, so some of the other stuff is bound to fall through the cracks. Scooter and I already talked about this and he offered to help cook dinners during the week (yay!!!), among other things, so my at-home to-do list will shrink significantly. I just have to take things one day at a time.
Oh, and I know I promised an article on library cats. Here's the article. I think more libraries should have resident animals; if they're sociable, they can help libraries connect with patrons. If you're interested, you can also check out this library cats map that shows information on library cats around the world.
It has been a head-on rush since last Thursday. With so much going on outside of school (I'm still working full-time, volunteering for two organizations, and oh yeah planning a wedding), I'm trying to do as much as I can as early as I can to give myself some breathing room when all hell breaks loose later (an eventuality I'm hoping won't come to pass but one I'm planning for nonetheless). I have 15 competencies to address, an introduction, a personal philosophy, and a conclusion to write. All but one competency require 4-6 single-space pages of writing to adequately address them and present my evidence of proficiency. That brings my total to anywhere from 56 to 84 pages of single-spaced writing for the first 14 competencies. I tend to write more than less, so I anticipate I'll be much closer to the upper end of that range, say about 80 pages. The other sections will add probably another 7 or so pages, bringing my estimated total to close to 90 pages. That's a lot of writing--about four times what my longest solo paper written in the program would equate to (it was 50 pages double-spaced). Each part of the entire work is given a grade of 1 for satisfactory or a 0 for unsatisfactory; to have a complete and acceptable e-portfolio, each section must be present and have a grade of 1. I'm pushing to try and get 2 competencies written a week to allow plenty of time for revisions.
So what are my stats so far? Here's an overview:
Competencies completed: 1
Competencies graded satisfactory: 1
Competencies in progress: 1
Competencies yet to address: 13
Revisions required: 0
Pages written: 8
Days remaining until advisor's deadline: 68 days
Days remaining until department's deadline: 82 days
There are a few things that I am thankful for, the first being that I hoarded everything from every class: every article, every discussion post, every assignment, every book, every one of my instructors' lecture notes. It means that I have plenty to use, but it also means that I have a lot to comb through. I am also thankful that I starting thinking about this project before last week. I made a lot of mental and physical notes that really helped to organize my thoughts and give me somewhere to start when I officially began to put it all together. I'm especially thankful that I backed up all of my work; I would hate to think where I would be right now mentally if anything I had done had gotten lost in the void.
For the next 2-3 months, I will need help with the stuff that's not school. School is the priority, so some of the other stuff is bound to fall through the cracks. Scooter and I already talked about this and he offered to help cook dinners during the week (yay!!!), among other things, so my at-home to-do list will shrink significantly. I just have to take things one day at a time.
Oh, and I know I promised an article on library cats. Here's the article. I think more libraries should have resident animals; if they're sociable, they can help libraries connect with patrons. If you're interested, you can also check out this library cats map that shows information on library cats around the world.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Cranberry Fig Chutney
Over the holiday, I made this pork tenderloin recipe for Scooter and me for a Sunday dinner. The cranberry and fig flavor of the chutney make this a perfect winter meal. And I highly recommend making extra chutney. It's wonderful with any other pork dishes you make.
What you'll need:
1/2 c. canned whole cranberry sauce
1/4 c. mulled apple cider*
1/4 c. snipped dried figs
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. pork tenderloin pieces, cut thin
1 Tbs. cooking oil
What you'll need to do:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, cider, figs, sugar, and rosemary. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chutney reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Set aside.
3. Heat cooking oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Add a few pieces of pork, but don't crowd them. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear. Repeat until all meat is cooked.
4. Serve by spooning a little of the chutney onto the pork (and be sure to keep the chutney handy in case you want more!).
*Scooter likes bold flavors, and I have to say that the mulled cider made this especially good. If you can't buy mulled cider, you can make it. Martinelli's makes mulling spices that I highly recommend. We buy a container of apple juice, simmer it with the mulling spices for 15-20 minutes, then let the cider cool and return it to the container it came in. You can easily store it in your fridge for a couple of weeks this way, and it's nice to quickly pour a mug-full and zap it in the microwave for a hot drink on a cold night. Obviously, we loved mulled cider in our house.
What you'll need:
1/2 c. canned whole cranberry sauce
1/4 c. mulled apple cider*
1/4 c. snipped dried figs
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. pork tenderloin pieces, cut thin
1 Tbs. cooking oil
What you'll need to do:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, cider, figs, sugar, and rosemary. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chutney reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Set aside.
3. Heat cooking oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Add a few pieces of pork, but don't crowd them. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear. Repeat until all meat is cooked.
4. Serve by spooning a little of the chutney onto the pork (and be sure to keep the chutney handy in case you want more!).
*Scooter likes bold flavors, and I have to say that the mulled cider made this especially good. If you can't buy mulled cider, you can make it. Martinelli's makes mulling spices that I highly recommend. We buy a container of apple juice, simmer it with the mulling spices for 15-20 minutes, then let the cider cool and return it to the container it came in. You can easily store it in your fridge for a couple of weeks this way, and it's nice to quickly pour a mug-full and zap it in the microwave for a hot drink on a cold night. Obviously, we loved mulled cider in our house.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Whoops!
I think I just went through a time warp. I blinked and already we're in mid-January. The almost two months since my last post have flown by, and I'm trying to catch my breath. There's been two holidays, a wedding proposal, a graduation, and preparation for my last semester. My weekends through at least the end of February are already booked with plans. Needless to say, life just suddenly went into overdrive.
This is going to be a big year for me. For those of you that have been following my blog, you probably know that I'm graduating from my Master's program in May. My last semester starts next week. The beginning of the end, you might say. My academics will be concentrated on putting together my e-portfolio (something I've posted about before), a large project that degree candidates can choose instead of a thesis. And no, it's not the easy way out. Yes, there's no additional research involved unless I feel I need to research for one of the core competencies I have to address. But there is a lot of review, analysis, evaluation, and presentation of my work and professional concepts from my entire program which I use to argue my case that my work has met the core competencies. There's a ton of writing involved and I have to look at all my work, what I've learned, and what I'm taking away very critically. No loosey-goosey work will be accepted. I'm glad to finally be at this last stage, but I'm nervous as to how well my e-portfolio advisor and I will work together.
The other major event happening this year is my wedding. Scooter proposed to me on Christmas Day and in December of this year, I will officially become Mrs. Scooter. I won't be talking about any wedding-related plans here; this is not the venue for that. I hope to keep even mention of the wedding to a minimum. Between my last semester and the inevitable wedding tasks to complete, I may again lose track of time and forget to post. I apologize in advance.
I'm also considering the future of this blog. Originally, this blog was created to chronicle my academic journey over the course of my Master's program. Well, my program will be done in May. I have to decide if I want to continue maintaining this blog and allow it to evolve after my program is complete. Any input from you, the readers, on this would be helpful.
I should have more to post next week, including a fun article that talks about six famous library cats. I will also post a recipe for pork medallions.
This is going to be a big year for me. For those of you that have been following my blog, you probably know that I'm graduating from my Master's program in May. My last semester starts next week. The beginning of the end, you might say. My academics will be concentrated on putting together my e-portfolio (something I've posted about before), a large project that degree candidates can choose instead of a thesis. And no, it's not the easy way out. Yes, there's no additional research involved unless I feel I need to research for one of the core competencies I have to address. But there is a lot of review, analysis, evaluation, and presentation of my work and professional concepts from my entire program which I use to argue my case that my work has met the core competencies. There's a ton of writing involved and I have to look at all my work, what I've learned, and what I'm taking away very critically. No loosey-goosey work will be accepted. I'm glad to finally be at this last stage, but I'm nervous as to how well my e-portfolio advisor and I will work together.
The other major event happening this year is my wedding. Scooter proposed to me on Christmas Day and in December of this year, I will officially become Mrs. Scooter. I won't be talking about any wedding-related plans here; this is not the venue for that. I hope to keep even mention of the wedding to a minimum. Between my last semester and the inevitable wedding tasks to complete, I may again lose track of time and forget to post. I apologize in advance.
I'm also considering the future of this blog. Originally, this blog was created to chronicle my academic journey over the course of my Master's program. Well, my program will be done in May. I have to decide if I want to continue maintaining this blog and allow it to evolve after my program is complete. Any input from you, the readers, on this would be helpful.
I should have more to post next week, including a fun article that talks about six famous library cats. I will also post a recipe for pork medallions.
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