Sunday Seven.

1. So the first blog I ever fell in love with was Sarah Dessen's Blog. Sarah Dessen is the author of 10 New York Times Best Selling young adult novels, and in between raising her wonderful daughter and writing all of her novels, she keeps an up to date blog about her life. Every Friday on her blog, Sarah does the "Friday Five" where she writes about 5 random things that come to mind. I have now stolen this idea, and so I've decided to start my own version, the "Sunday Seven."

2. Let me also apologize for not having written again earlier. Life at school has certainly picked up. Yes, I only have 24 days left (apparently count downs to summer do not end in High School), but the teachers seem to think that means they have 24 days to cram in every possible assignment they can think of. Needless to say my blog has had to take a back seat to my homework and numerous exams and papers. Until that craziness ends, my posts might have to be sporadic.

3. Now let's get to the good stuff. Last weekend I came home for no good reason, just to catch up on some sleep and bake. The week before had been particularly difficult: lots of work and not enough sleep. All I wanted to do was get a good Mom hug and bake some good eats. Naturally, after hugging my mom, I ran straight to our cook book cabinet and grabbed Molly Wizenberg's memoir. I was craving something that just tasted like home. I decided on her recipe for Blueberry-Raspberry Pound Cake and one for her Winning Hearts and Minds Cake, a staple in the Campbell household.

4. Let me say that this recipe for Winning Hearts and Minds Cake (or as I call it, the Almost-flourless Chocolate Cake) is easy, unhealthy, and wonderful. 5 ingredients, maybe an hours preparation and bake time, and days of happiness all in one recipe. When I finished Molly's memoir over the summer, this was the first recipe I tried. She said she had it as her wedding cake, so I figured if it was good enough to serve on the happiest day of her life, it is definitely good enough to serve after dinner on a random Wednesday summer night. It was beyond amazing, falling somewhere between a dense flowerless chocolate cake and a fudge brownie. Needless to say I proceeded to make at least 10 more of these over the summer, much to the happiness of my family and the demise of my waistline. Molly Wisenberg deserves a nobel prize for this recipe as it has definitely helped many people. It certainly cheered up myself and the 8 or so sleep-deprived and overworked people I gave pieces to at school. Thank you Molly, you have done good here.

5. The pound cake is just as wonderful, but definitely requires a bit more effort. Nevertheless, it was totally worth it. I think my sister must have eaten half the cake in one day the first time I made it over the summer, and when I brought it to dinner at school Monday Night, I was left with exactly two pieces people were grabbing them so fast. The greatest thing about this cake, besides the fact that everyone seems to love it which gives me a great self-esteem boost, is that it's great for dessert or for breakfast. Although I should mention that when I tried to toast it in the school toaster, I almost lit it on fire, so I suggest if you plan to rewarm it use caution and a microwave instead. Still, its definitely a recipe I'll keep in my repertoire.

6. This weekend I came home once again. Not just for Easter (Happy Easter by the way!), but also to work at my retail job for a few days. FYI, for those who have never worked in retail, it is incredibly difficult and back-breaking work, so be nice to the men and women who grab you a shirt in a different size and politely ask for your email when you check out - even if you find them overbearing they are trying to be polite and do their jobs without screaming about how much their feet hurt from standing all day. As you can see, I didn't exactly have the greatest weekend at work, lots of very angry shoppers plus I stepped on a nail and now have to get a Tetanus shot tomorrow morning. Not surprisingly, the solution to my fatigue and anger was to bake. I settled on two more Almost-flourless Chocolate Cakes and a batch of Banana Muffins. These award-winning (they took 3rd place in our town's annual grange fair) muffins take no time at all and always get compliments. Which is hilarious to me because they come from a children's alphabet cook book my grandmother gave me when I was little. A book with a recipe for every letter, but B is definitely they Best Banana Bread you'll ever make, the go-to banana bread/muffin recipe in my family.

7. Every Easter my Dad and I make a ham together. Its sort of odd that we do I have to admit, me being the baker and my Dad being the... well when he isn't being a kick-ass lawyer in New York, he does a lot of gardening and bee-keeping, but lets just say he doesn't do a lot in the kitchen. Nevertheless, we seem to be a dynamic duo when it comes to making ham. I'm not even sure why we started, but every year we get a ham, spend at least a half hour sticking cloves into it, glazing it with a brown sugar-mustard-honey-vinager paste, and slow cooking it to perfection. Its wonderful, not just because its delicious and I love ham, but also because its time well-spent with the pops. I look forward to next year to start the process all over again (and to see my Dad leave a trail of licorice bunny droppings behind my chocolate easter rabbit. I love my abnormal family).

Top Chef: Harris.

Tonight in our main dining hall our Student Activities Committee organized a first annual Top Chef competition for our college. Let me preface this story with an incredibly conceited comment: I would have kicked ass at this competition.

Firstly, I am just a competitive person. It is in my nature, something I've just grown to accept about myself. I do not fall down in the face of challenge. I either rise above or throw an angry-two-year-old-who-lost-a-game-of-candyland fit. Not one of the better parts of me, I'll admit; however, it does mean that I wouldn't have given up easily in a cooking competition. Not just because losing would be truly embarrassing, but because losing at something I love to do would be simply out of the question.

Secondly, I love Top Chef. I have seen every episode of every season. I would cut off an arm to marry Kevin Gillespie from Top Chef: D.C. (season 6).  Not just for his jolly smile and flaming red hair, but because of his love of bacon (he was my inspiration for trying chocolate covered bacon, which may sound gross but is exceptionally delicious) and kick ass cooking abilities. After watching that season, I vowed to take a road trip to Atlanta, GA to eat at his restaurant Woodfire Grill (and then take advantage of my location in Georgia and swing by Savannah for some good eats at Paul Deen's restaurant the Lady&Sons). It will happen, but I digress...

Thirdly, I always try to make meals at Harris interesting and colorful. So much of the time, college students are stuck eating the fried, bland, and unhealthy options that are served on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the only source of color usually comes from the salad bar. Don't get me wrong, I love a good salad, but it isn't something that a crave all the time, especially when it is the same combination of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers. That gets old fast. Where is all the seasonal produce?Where are all the cooked vegetables? Where are the good breads? Where are the lean meats? 

It is a problem, I am not going to lie; however, it's a problem that has inspired many a good dish and a lot of ingenuity. (A few tips for college students out there trying to survive in a college cafeteria are at the bottom of this post). Basically I consider every meal in Harris a Top Chef challenge, so I would have been more than ready to enter this competition. But I didn't. They made the kids wear chef hats, and one girl actually got shoved to the ground by someone competing. That is just not my idea of a good time on a Wednesday night.

That didn't keep me from thinking of what I would have made if I had been competing, so I thought I would list the recipes below, perhaps they'll inspire some college student creativity...

ENTRÉE: Chicken or fish taco with fresh cucumber salsa and toasted tortilla.
I didn't actually make this, because I only thought of it after I had eaten an egg sandwich, but I really want to and will in the future. (Keep in mind I would have had to work with what my cafeteria offered...)

For the meat - I was hoping for some nice grilled fish, but all I would have had was the fried fish offered at the fry cook station. When I thought about it though, I realized that by taking some of the breading off the fried fish, I actually would have had some really juicy, flavorful fish for the taco. Yet, leaning towards thinking healthy, I would have ended up slicing some of the grilled chicken.

For the Salsa - Simply chop up some cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, pepper, corn, and garlic (if you can find it). Toss all the veggies together with some olive oil and lemon juice and then season with salt, red pepper flakes, and dill.

For the Tortilla - Really pretty straight forward, just toast a tortilla or wrap. You could also fill the tortilla with the meat and salsa and then place it under the panini maker for a bit. I also thought it would be nice to fill a toasted whole wheat pita with the chicken and salsa. Just keeping the options open. 

Combine all the ingredients in the toasted tortilla or pita add some cheese and your set to go!

FOR DESSERT: Toasted pumpkin bread with vanilla, cinnamon-raisin ice cream.
This would be a little trickier for other college students to make, I was just lucky enough to have pumpkin bread available to me that evening.

Mix in a bowl about a cup of vanilla ice cream, some cinnamon, and a tablespoon of raisins. Then leave the bowl (guarding it carefully) in the freezer to refreeze while you are working on the other components.

Take a piece of pumpkin bread and toast it. Right after taking it from the toaster spread a thin layer of butter on top and toss some cinnamon sugar on top.

Scoop the raisin ice-cream on to the warm bread and then garnish with a little whipped cream. Enjoy!

I wouldn't actually know what it looked like because this girl jumped ahead in line at the dessert station and took the very last piece of pumpkin bread. The worst part, she made this face like "I don't actually want this, but I guess I'll take it anyway." As Liz Lemon would say, "Blurg."

But if I had made it, I so would have dominated...
-Kate

CAFETERIA TIPS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS:
1.) Get to know your surroundings. Yes, there is always going to be the pizza station, the burger station, and the pasta station. But there are other options like sandwiches and eggs that are more nutritious and can break up fried food monotony.

2.) The toaster is your friend! Almost every cafeteria will have a toaster or panini grill available to students, take advantage of that! Trying to find something healthy? Pass on the fries, toast some whole wheat bread and enjoy it with a sliced banana and some peanut butter!

3.)Don't be afraid to be creative and experiment with what you have available. It is totally possible to enjoy something like this (picture and actual recipe from sevenspoons, one of my favorite blogs)...

Simply ask for an egg over easy at your eggs to order station. Toast an english muffin, lay on some butter, bean spouts and spinach (or another hearty green from your salad bar station), season with salt and pepper (its also nice with some hot pepper flakes or oregano which can usually be found among the salad dressings) and your good to go. If you are looking for even more protein, as I usually am because I don't particularly enjoy the "meat" they serve on the hot food line, try to find some bacon bits or ask the fry cook to heat up some sandwich ham. This delicious mix of eggs, bread, greens, and pork will keep you satisfied for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Plus it's colorful to boot!

4.) Mix it up! Cereal doesn't always have to be eaten at breakfast. Veggies aren't just a side dish for dinner. It is perfectly acceptable to eat a meaty stew and then want some grapefruit slices you saw at the fruit station. Eat what you want when you crave it! It's college for heaven's sake, when else are you going to be able to!?

5.) Let your voices be heard. Not finding enough stuff you actually like to eat? Too much fried and not enough steamed? Talk to the kitchen staff. Their job is to feed you, so they want to provide you things you are going to like. I don't suggest screaming at them, or saying you hate what they've been making; however, suggesting something that you would really like to see added to the menu is the first step towards actually receiving it.

6.) Don't beat yourself up for indulging in pizza or ice cream every once in a while. Sometimes it really is unavoidable. That is okay! Just keep nutrition in mind, and don't rely on the whole "there isn't anything healthy for me to eat here" routine. There are good things hidden amongst the fried mess, you just have to work a little harder to find them. 

Eggs.

I'm sitting in Coffee Grounds right now (a coffee shop on campus), completely content. There is just something about curling up on one of the couches, holding a warm cup filled with a strong, amaretto latte, covered in a blanket, while listening to rain hit the window that is making me sublimely happy. Coffee in general makes me sublimely happy, but it is so much more than that right now. 


I think mostly it is the fact that it is silent in this room. I live in the lax bro dorm on campus, and let me tell you I never experience quiet. Even at 2:30 in the morning someone is screaming down the hallways. In fact, now that I think about it, there really aren't many places on campus that are quiet. Dorm, loud. Cafeteria, loud. Student Center, loud. Even the library is loud on the first two floors. Finding quiet is like finding peace. And finding quiet in a room filled with coffee is the very best kind of peace. 


Now that I can actually hear my own thoughts, I thought it might do well to explain the reasoning behind the title of this blog, especially after the mighty long post I wrote explaining my reasoning behind starting the blog (Let me just add here that after reading every post on DashandBella and learning that Phyllis edits her posts, I didn't honestly believe that I would need to. I was wrong, and she was more than right. Turns out that I can really write a lot, and a lot of crap for the most part. Editing is essential, and I still think I could still use some more on that last post, just saying. Have faith though!), I figure you, assuming there is a you out there, might be curious about the origins of my title. 


Eggs. It is a simple as that.


There are very few things that I don't like to eat. At age six I declared my love for escargots after sneaking one off my Dad's plate. The summer I turned 12, I discovered my love of stinky cheese. Things that children would throw a fit over, I happily shoved in my mouth. 


Eggs, however, were never something that interested me. Oysters, sure! But a sunny-side-up-egg left me completely confused (therefore, I ignored the whole "fried-egg" category and stuck to scrambled eggs and omelets exclusively). For a while I didn't even really like the taste of eggs, so I would cover them up with sauteed onions. I just never craved eggs like I did with other foods. 


Recently though, I have been pushing myself to try more things, cook new things, and appreciate the good and the bad. So, one random night, I sat down to dinner and declared, "Tonight is the night. I am going to try my first sunny-side-up egg." (I will admit that this was also motivated by my need to get some protein in a cafeteria seriously lacking a good meat supplier.) My friends were shocked. I am such a foodie that my not having eaten a fried egg before was more than surprising. But they were completely understanding and supportive. All five of them happily coached me through the proper fried-egg-eating process: butter the toast, salt and pepper the egg, crack the yolk, enjoy. 


It was simply amazing. So silky and smooth. So flavorful and delicious. I suddenly understood the revelation in Green Eggs and Ham. Thus, after my consistent indifference towards them, eggs came rushing into my life. 


Ever since that night, my love for eggs has only grown. I love eggs. I am actually scared that students think I am having pregnancy cravings because I eat them so often. I have such an addiction, I now know every fry-cook by name at the eggs-to-order station in the cafeteria. That is probably not okay, but hey at least I'm not addicted to cocaine! 


I was so jazzed by my sunny-side-up egg experience, I decided to eat every type of egg I could find. I only have a few left to try. I will admit that I am secretly terrified to try hard-boiled, and that my gag reflex might physically keep me from eating them. But I am determined, I want to find the perfect egg, my favorite type. 


As of right now, I am partial to the "over-medium" variety. A perfectly cooked egg white, a smooth and silky yolk, a consistency not too heavy but not too light. It is wonderful. And after really thinking about it, I realized that it perfectly describes life. 


Life is never too easy, but never too hard. It has its tough moments, but its soft moments too. And no matter what, it is always refreshing, fulfilling, and worth experiencing. 


Thus, "Life. Over Medium." is born. 
Here's to eggs and life...
-Kate


P.S. I got into the Narrative Nonfiction Course! This blog brings good luck!

Cook&Write.

I recently "applied" for a spot in a selective English course offered at my college called "Narrative NonFiction." I say applied in quotation marks because there actually was no formal application process. All I had to do was send the teacher a piece of my writing and an explanation for my interest in the course in the hopes of gaining her permission to take the class. There are only fifteen spots. She had mentioned that she has more or less closed the class list. I haven't gotten a response. It has been 5 days. My chances are not looking good. 


The thing is, I have to take this course. The course description reads:

Intensive writing course emphasizing use of narrative techniques in nonfiction writing.  Relationship of fiction and nonfiction, integration of storytelling with essay-writing and reporting.  Focus on the development of individual style. 

But it might as well read "Kate, this class was made for you."

When I was first learning to read and write, I struggled quite a bit. In my mind, first grade is a blur of frustration and embarrassment. My family is a bunch of readers. My mom has a stack of books next to her bed at all times, and my Dad is constantly reading and quoting his favorite authors (usually Proust). Struggling to learn something that seemed so natural to them made me feel like an outsider in my own family. So I did anything I could to make sure people knew I was a part of the Campbell Clan. That meant being loud. 

Everyone in my family has a booming voice and a dry wit. I latched on to this fact. If I couldn't be a strong reader, I was going to compensate and be outgoing, stubborn, and loud individual.

Before I knew it, I was finally excelling at something: narrating.   

I may not have been able to write down my stories or read the stories of others, but I could talk and make people smile. I could use my spoken words to made people cry with laughter. I loved that about myself. 

Eventually, I caught up with the rest of my class and became just a strong a reader or writer as anyone else, including my family members. I avidly read fiction and nonfiction. Anything I could get my hands on I was reading. But in all that reading, I never lost my ability to speak, to narrate. 

My junior year of high school, I was what is called a Proctor for the freshman corridor (someone who looks out for the students on corridor, enforces the rules, and is there 24/7 as someone to bandage a cut and shoulder a good cry). I grew very close to those girls, they taught me a lot about myself. I wanted to make sure that they had just a great a time at that school as I had, so I told them stories. I told them about the incredibly weird, small town I grew up in, about the strange holiday traditions in my family, about the teachers that bugged me and the ones I loved. Every night, I made sure to make them laugh. I told them anything and everything so that when they were at their very lowest, a smile could bring them back up. They were the ones who encouraged me to give a chapel talk. 

Chapel was a 40 minute period that only happened once a week. All 200 students and the entire faculty squeezed into our tiny Chapel to listen to a speaker talk about something. Sometimes it was something serious, like a very dark discussion of capitol punishment. Other times it was something funny, like a story from one of our teachers. Occasionally students would talk. I became one of those students. 

Of all the stories I told my freshmen and my friends, my family's wacky Thanksgiving traditions make them laugh the hardest. So with Thanksgiving break quickly approaching, my freshmen talked to our Chaplin (who is also one of my favorite English teachers) about letting me speak. The next thing I know I had written a 20 minute speech about my Thanksgivings. 

Never had I been so nervous. Making a small group of my friends laugh was easy, but talking to the entire school - I was terrified. But I got up, spoke, nearly collapsed from shaking so hard, and sat down to the sounds of a standing ovation. Only twice has a standing ovation occurred in Chapel (a time of quiet contemplation let me remind you), once after my Thanksgiving talk my Junior year, and a year later after I spoke once more. 

Of everything I learned from speaking in Chapel, realizing the great power of combining narration and writing was most important. I was hooked. I wanted to learn and get better. I wanted to write more of my stories. I wanted to tell more about my life.


And for that reason, I applied for the narrative nonfiction class. I hope I get in, because it is exactly what I want to do. Narrate. Story-tell. Write.


During my senior year and over the summer, with my newfound love for narrative non-fiction in mind, I began reading more memoir for inspiration. Eudora Welty, Paula Dean, and most importantly Molly Wisenberg. 


The author of My Homemade Life and the popular blog Orangette not only changed my summer, but also inspired me to start this blog and apply to take the Narrative Nonfiction course. She did more than make me laugh and cry (although her work did that frequently), she took memoir one amazing step further. She combined writing, narration, and my first love, cooking. How had I never thought of that? Writing about food and how it shapes me, how it has shaped me. That is brilliant. 


Turns out, it is not just Molly out there with a food blog (I should know as I am now addicted to over 20 different ones). But luckily, she got me thinking. I love food. I love narrative nonfiction. I am addicted to food blogs and recipe reading. I find myself trying to create interesting meals out of cafeteria food. Why am I not writing about this? Why am I not blogging about this?


To answer the question, I finally started this blog. Because it is exactly what I want to do. Narrate. Story-tell. Cook&Write. 

Cross you fingers for me! I hope it all works out...
-Kate