Cook-venture: Egg in the Hole

I haven't bought any meat except for deli ham for sandwiches and sausage for Zataran's Jumbalaya. I have just a handful of meals that I'm aiming to last me until I go back to Florida next Friday(!). So far so good, and it's a great feeling to be saving my limited amounts of money.

So what's the best, cheap protein? EGGS!

I have grown up with over-easy eggs with toast (or garlic rice, if it wasn't a school day). Ever since I saw it on Pioneer Woman, I had always wanted to try "egg in the hole" as a nice variation.

First, cut a hole in the middle. You can use a biscuit cutter,
glass, or a Pampered Chef  Measure-All Cup!

Add some butter or oil. 

Put the toast on. Remember to eat the center
or save it to dip in the egg yolk! 

I was winging the timing, decided to flip when the
bottom looked cooked. This was after about 45 seconds. 

Looks like the timing worked! Let the other side cook until I
was able to move the entire thing around the pan. 

Yum.

I think I may eat egg and toast this way from now on! Having the egg in the center helped to have a good amount equally in each bite of toast. I may try adding some cheese next time.

Week #3 Challenge: Eat the Rainbow

Obviously with Gatlinburg and sickness, I haven't been able to do this AT ALL, so I'll try to double up challenges next week (if possible).

Will you try, too?

Blogilates Weekly Challenge

Since I moved to Chapel Hill, I have been a pretty avid follower of Blogilates. I admit I haven't been keeping up with her workouts lately, but when I do, they are GREAT for those cold days I don't want to go to the gym.

At the beginning of the new year, she started a weekly challenge that I thought I would try to keep up with. I mean, just one task a week? Sounds doable! (She's a little cheesy, but you have to hand it to for committing!)

Last week's was "Clean Up and Tone Up!":

So what I did was cleaned up the lonely corner in our apartment that still had 3 boxes filled with crap we were just too lazy to unpack. Since it had been 4 months, I figured I didn't need them and threw most of them away.

When I cleaned that space, it was amazing how much better the apartment looked, and my mood improved too!

This week's challenge is "Wake Up. Drink Up":

I didn't see this video within 10 minutes of getting up, but I did see it within an hour. Will do it right when I wake up in the morning before school for the rest of this week!

Do you accept the challenge?

First Day of Spring Semester!

This semester started off with a freeze. 

Woke up at 7AM and it was a chilly 19 degrees. Normally, I would skip class until the sun came out if it was this cold, but I'm a professional now! Plus, our first class of the day this semester has mandatory attendance. But that's good for me because it gives me the motivation to go. 

I can't express enough how much of a learning experience last semester was for me. I finally figured out my study method, I paid the price for being lazy and procrastinating, and now I fully understand the phrase "keeping your head above water". 

So this semester I have read each syllabus multiple times so I understand every project, assignment, exam, and quiz. I used to hate knowing my grades and just wanted to do my best for every test. But it's definitely a study-motivator to know the grade you need, and a booster to know if a good grade is still possible. I made an Excel spreadsheet with all of my courses and each assignment with point values. All I have to do is input the grades and my final grade is calculated automatically! I got the idea from my Student Mentor, Whitney. It'll help when I need to figure out what I need to get that A! Haha. 

Screen shot of my spreadsheet. I'm so proud of it! 

Here's a short summary of each of my classes this semester: 

1) Pharmaceutical Care Lab: 2nd in the 5-semester series. In this class we learn top 200 drugs, medical terms, calculations, compounding, counseling, and much more! Lots of work, but we learn very valuable skills and knowledge. 

2) Pharmaceutics 2: Last semester we learned a lot about diffusion and physical properties (hydrophilic vs. lipophilic) properties that affect drug absorption, along with an introduction to different drug delivery systems. This course will emphasize the different dosage forms (tablet, capsule, vaginal suppository, rectal suppository, nasal sprays, ophthalmic and otic drops, transdermal patches, etc.) and how drugs get into the system with each different form. 

3) Biochemistry 2: Last semester, we learned about proteins, energy utilization in the cell, and lipid synthesis (among other things). This semester will emphasize gene therapy and drugs related to that. Drugs have shifted from low molecular weight molecules to monoclonal antibodies. We will learn about challenges to this. 

4) Pharmacodynamics: Our first taste of pharmacokinetics. We will learn about how drugs process and eliminate drugs through liver, kidney, cytochrome P450, etc. Sounds interesting and different. 

5) Intro to Pharmaceutical Care: Our first exposure to the Pharmacotherapy that we'll get in full force next year! We will learn how to do SOAP notes and how to interview patients in preparation for OSCE's. 

This semester promises to be MUCH harder than last semester, so the gloves are off! 

I pledge to:

1) Not be lazy

2) Go to class

3) Prepare for class beforehand 

4) Don't procrastinate 

5) Eat healthy 

6) Get enough sleep

What do you pledge to do this semester? 

First quinoa experience!

This is quinoa. 

It is rich in calcium, iron, and PROTEIN!

It is one of the few grains that provides all essential amino acids.

It is also an excellent source of fiber and starch.

I'm trying to get it to replace my rice intake. 

Baby steps...

Here's what it looks like up close!

"If you can make rice, you can make quinoa."

That's what people say, and I am here to confirm it! So easy!

After 15-20 minutes... nice and fluffy!

Sunny-side up eggs and rice are a breakfast staple for me, so why not try this out?

It's fried so there's a crispiness on the bottom that is quite a refreshing texture! 

I also sprinkled some shredded cheese on top :)

This was a yummy dish! Quinoa has a different texture and will take some getting used to. But it's so versatile and HEALTHY, I just can't pass it up!