French Toast

I have a confession... I used to hate french toast. I always associated it with the round squishy mess my mother disguised orange juice with. I have recently come to terms with this breakfast food, and now worship it for not only its deliciousness but its  possibilities.

Shailyn's  Discovery of French Toast Possibilities

My first time I made french toast I started by putting eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract in a bowl then simply soaking bread and browning the deliciousness.

Then I began to wonder what else I can do to make this treat even more wonderful.

Endlesss possiblities!
With some oil I brushed on slivered almonds, adding texture.
I mixed in peanut butter (organic is best), creating a peanut butter toast type of french toast.
I even added chocolate!

Who knew simple ingredients of bread and eggs could bring so much palatable joy!

Ratatouille- The dish that keeps on giving

Ever had a fridge filled with vegetables on the verge of going bad? I seem to experience this all too often, and have several ways of quickly solving overzealous vegetable buying syndrome.
My first remedy is ratatouille, a mixture of my favorite veggies: zucchini,  eggplant, bell peppers, onions...

Here is my attempt at a recipe:
              Ratatouille Remedy
1. Grab all the vegetables in your kitchen (even mushrooms, squash, anything)
2. Chop 'um up except the eggplant and zucchini, they get cut into little disks and set aside
3. Your going to need olive oil, oregano, garlic and parsley so have those handy as well as a deeper  rimmed frying pan
4. Grab those eggplant and zucchini disks you set aside and grill them while you plop the other chopped veggies in the sauce pan with olive oil, oregano, garlic and parsley.
5. The veggies are stewing and bubbling, letting out their juices, add most of the disks of eggplant and zuchini to the mix. Keep stewing until most of the juices have bubbled out.
6. The disks that are left out can be used to decoratevely arrange the veggies in a bowl, alternating eggplant and zucchini

Now while this mixture alone is delicious, I like to make it irresistible.
So I made some pork chops, even steak works.
Spread creamy goat cheese.
Then add the ratatouille on top.
This makes the most heavenly way to eat your veggies. The mixture of textures, and flavors combine gloriously together. You can even substitute goat cheese with a creamy Polenta, whose yellow color provides a perfect pallet with which to highlight the various colors of the veggies.

Now usually I have a lot of ratatouille left over. So I have created dishes that will make this dish disappear.
1. Get Ciabatta rolls and add goat cheese and Ratatouille for a perfect sandwich
2. Use whole wheat tortillas, some cheese and add the veggie mixture for a  Quesadilla
3. Add Ratatouille to some pasta with a red sauce for a more veggie filled dinner
4.Whole wheat pizza dough, ricotta cheese, and Ratatouille make a great healthy pizza.
5. Use your imagination, this is the dish that keeps on giving!

A Craving- Asiago Cheese Bagel

An Asiago cheese bagel was the one thing that helped me through stressful times, when I had no desire to eat (which seems impossible!). An Asiago cheese bagel has the salty flavor that can satisfy me even on the days I feel most awful. When I decided to move to  New York City  I was excited to experience the best bagels in the world. Sadly as much as a searched there are no Asiago cheese bagels in the city. So I decided to create my own, in a cheap and fast way of course. 

Shailyn's Easy Asiago Cheese Bagels
All you need is a plain bagel ( I usually by them fresh)
Cut the bagel in 1/2 and but the top on a small piece of parchment paper
Place one slice of  an Asiago cheese squares on top of the bagel top
Put the parchment paper and bagel with cheese in the toaster.
Instead of toasting the bagel I put it on broil just until  the cheese is gooey and melted on top of the bagel.
*The parchment paper is key if you don't want the cheese to drip onto the bottom of the toaster and create a burnt mess
When the cheese is fully melted you have the option of adding the bottom of the bagel to get toasted.
Leave the top of the bagel on the parchment paper and put toaster of toast, it should be on medium-low toast.
The best part is watching as the cheese bubbles and browns as the bagel is toasting, it is becoming the perfect texture.

 Asiago cheese bagels are the food I crave most, and I was distraught when I couldn't find anyway to satisfy my craving in New York City. I am a mess when my craving for an asiago cheese bagel is not satisfied, I find that trying to solve this craving is what is on my mind all day. I needed to find a way to be able to eat an Asiago cheese bagel in the city, that seems to have everything in the world but my favorite bagel.  It is not the most sophisticated solution, but it is fast, easy and cheap!

Becoming Brick Exposed

It seems as though my next year will be spent in utter devotion of the English language. Not only will my studies be focused on linguistics, but  my home is now in Alphabet City where the streets are a reminder of the alphabets basic order.  My room will have hard wood floors and as I have always wanted a brick wall will be exposed. The city is an overwhelming place for me, and I fear that I will begin to lose myself in all of the hubbub. I strive to make my small room in my apartment a sanctuary with warm bright colors and soft comfortable lighting.This blog will also help ensure I do not loose myself, or all my money. I will become brick exposed, leaving myself bare and open in this blog to shop my true cheap self. Wish me luck!