Welp last week was busy and exhausting, so no posts went up. But I’ve been cooking some super yummy things the last few weeks, so hopefully some good posts will go up this week.
This week was also freezing (my fave) which meant lots of warm and cozy outfits, and copious amounts of hot coffee and tea. Looking forward to the snow storm rolling in today/tomorrow, and a bit lighter of a week this week fingers crossed.
Dropping my gratitude list below. Hope everyone had a good weekend! All the love ❤ Celia
First week of school this week and I am tired haha. Classes were not busy, but having lectures again along with working just took it out of me. At least last weekend was a 3 day weekend… but I also definitely wish we had one every week!
Dropping my gratitude list below, let me know what you’re thankful for this week! ❤ Celia
This week I’m thankful for:
Lot’s of reading (I have SO many library books checked out right now)
Now that school is starting back up and everything is still virtual (and thus I’m still at home a lot), having easy lunches has become super important. This soup is so easy, so delicious, and makes excellent meal prep!
I found this recipe on Budget Bytes a few years ago, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. Beth starts by blending up one of the cans of beans which makes the soup thick and creamy (without any dairy!). The recipe itself is super simple, but it’s super easy to add whatever else you may have in your fridge to bulk it up. The first time I added zucchini and spinach, and this time around I just added the zucchini. You could also add other greens like kale, or other veg like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, The possibilities are endless! If you are adding more veg, just add it to the oil with the garlic to cook down before you add the beans. If you’re adding greens, add them towards the end since they’re easier to cook down and wilt.
I loved having this on the menu for lunch last week, and it was super filling with a half a sandwich or cheese quesadilla on the side. And it couldn’t be easier! So try this White Bean soup for you lunch meal prep next week!
Easy White Bean Soup
From Budget Bytes
Serves: 4
Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 small zucchinis, chopped (or other vegetable)
3 (15 oz) cans cannelini beans
2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 pinch crushed red pepper
black pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
Pour one of the cans of cannelini beans with the liquid in a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Drain the other two cans of beans.
Mince the garlic and add it to a soup pot with the olive oil and zucchini. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and zucchini is beginning to soften.
Add the pureed beans, the other two cans of beans, the broth, and the spices. Stir to combine.
Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium low, remove the lid, and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Smash the beans slightly to thicken the soup even more. Taste and add salt as needed (depends on the broth you use). Serve hot with crusty bread and shredded parm!
All credit for this recipe goes to my bff Angela ❤ When I moved into my first apartment and was cooking entirely on my own, I had my go to list of easy and tasty recipes. But after awhile I started getting a bit bored of making the same things all the time, and thus Angela to the rescue.
I actually have this recipe saved as a screenshot of a text message on my phone because that’s how easy it is. Just cook the chicken, mix the filling, fill your tortillas, and bake!
Some thoughts: there are a couple different ways you could make the chicken. Angela first suggested just boiling the chicken breasts, which is definitely easy (just boil until cooked through, an internal temp of at least 165°F). But I’ve actually started just throwing the chicken breasts in the crockpot with a jar of salsa. Cook on low for 6 hours and you’ve got super flavorful shredded chicken! That’s honestly so versatile, toss it in tacos or burritos or quesadillas or a burrito bowl.
You can also put pretty much anything in these enchiladas. I always add a can of beans and a jalapeño or two, but you could also add peppers and onions, more beans, corn, a different meat, no meat at all. The possibilities are endless.
Whenever I make these with my roommates, we pair it with some Mexican rice and a vegetable of some kind, like sliced cucumbers or bell peppers.
So enjoy this easy, simple enchilada recipe! That makes great leftovers for the whole week 🙂
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (see above)
2 small cans enchilada sauce of choice (I prefer green!)
Shredded cheese of choice, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
In a large sauté pan, combine the chicken, salsa, beans, jalapeños, and any other vegetable you want to add. Cook over medium-high heat and stir until warm and well combined.
Add the cream cheese (or yogurt) and stir until creamy and well combined.
Place a few spoonfuls of enchilada mixture in each tortilla, and roll up. Place tortillas in large casserole dish, seam side down.
Pour enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 400°F until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted and golden.
For New Year’s Eve, my boyfriend and I obviously decided to stay home, and to make the evening a bit more fun and festive, we made ourselves a “fancy” dinner. I made homemade tomato sauce with peppers and onions and then used that for some homemade chicken parm, and then he made balsamic glazed Brussels sprouts, and we went for some pasta on the side and sparkling white grape juice.
It was so much fun to spend the evening cooking together, and it turned out delicious. And while this was a “fancy” dinner, chicken parm is actually not hard to make at all. Deciding to make homemade sauce definitely adds more work, but it’s just as delicious with your favorite store-bought sauce (my mom has always gone for Prego).
As long as you have your sauce ready to go, this is as easy as coating and pan-frying your chicken, and then baking it to let all that sauce and cheese do its thing! Make some pasta to mix with that extra saucy, cheesy goodness, and some vegetable or salad on the side, and you’re good to go. It’s like an Italian restaurant in your own home! And the leftovers are just as delicious.
Easy Chicken Parm
Ingredients
2 large or 4 small/medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
About 1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
About 1/2 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1/2 – 1 cup tomato sauce of your choice
1/2-1 cup mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
More parm for topping
Instructions
Using a meat mallet/tenderizer, beat the chicken until it is uniform in thickness and about 1/2-1/4 inch thick. Salt and pepper both sides.
If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can cut the chicken in half to make thinner pieces. If using 2 large chicken breasts, cut them in half.
Set up your dredging station: fill one medium plate with flour, beat the 2 eggs in a bowl, and fill a second plate with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese
Dredge your chicken: completely coat each chicken piece in flour, then in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs+cheese. Set on a clean plate.
In a large pan/skillet, heat the olive oil to medium high heat. Place each piece of chicken down and cook, without moving, until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook the other side.
While the chicken is cooking, lightly coat the bottom of a casserole dish with tomato sauce (to prevent sticking and burning of the chicken).
Once the chicken is done, lay it on top of the sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese.
Pour your desired amount of sauce over the chicken, top with more mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and bake in a 400°F oven until sauce is hot and cheese is melted and golden, 15-20 minutes.
Ready for the easiest, best cookie ever? I saw this recipe on Pinch of Yum a few weeks ago and knew I immediately had to try it. I love Oreos and thought it would be fun to spend a snow day at home baking this super easy version.
As Lindsay says, these are only “Oreos” insofar as that they’re chocolate cookies with frosting sandwiched inside. But they honestly might be better than Oreos: the cookies are soft and super chocolatey, and truly what could be better than a filling of cream cheese frosting (the superior frosting, yes I said it)? These also couldn’t be easier thanks to boxed cake mix!
I made these once, a few days after coming home, and I think they were gone in 2 days. So my brother David humbly requested that I make them again before Christmas, and they were once again demolished by all (including our dog… don’t leave treats within dog distance for any period of time lol). I think I’m gonna make them for a third time with my boyfriend in the next week or so because they’re that easy and delicious. But you’ll just have to try them for yourself to see 😉
Homemade “Oreos”
Ingredients
2 eggs
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Beat eggs, butter, vanilla, and cake mix together with an electric mixer until combined.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll into small one or two tablespoon balls. Place on a baking sheet. (Chill the dough for about 30 minutes if it’s too soft to roll)
Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer. Using a plastic bag with the end cut off, or a pastry bag (or spread with a knife because college), pipe a swirl of frosting onto one cookie and gently press a same-size cookie on top.
Store in the fridge and enjoy!
Note: extra cream cheese frosting is delicious spread on graham crackers
New year, new round of Weekly Gratitude posts, where I share what I’m thankful for every week! I started doing this a couple years ago after a “No Negativity November” thing I did where I listed what I was thankful for every day the whole month. It was honestly great for my mental health to remind myself of the good parts of each day, even if there were crappy bits too. So I decided to continue doing it, just every week instead of every day.
I’d love to hear what you’re thankful for below! Hope 2021 is starting off well! ❤ Celia
This week I’m thankful for:
Baking poppyseed bread
Getting my new glasses prescription
Movie nights with Faith and the fam
Chinese takeout
Surviving the drive back to Pittsburgh
Unpacking and organizing
Binge watching criminal minds
Knitting
Therapy
Rainy days
Chocolate oranges
Homemade chicken parm
Sparkling white grape juice for New Year’s
Minto chocolate chip ice cream
Starting the show Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix
My boyfriend buying me a Comfy for Christmas😍
A new 30 day yoga challenge with Yoga with Adriene on YouTube (It’s free! Would recommend!!)
My best friend’s fiancée asking me to be one of her bridesmaids ❤
My to be read pile at the start of quarantine… which I never completed because I started checking books out from the library instead #oops
Happy New Year everyone! Bringing you 2020 recap of all the books I read 🙂
Anyone who knows me knows I am a voracious reader. And with so much extra time to read with quarantine and isolating, especially this summer while working remotely, I read the most books this year of any year since I started keeping a list of what I’ve read (since 2014). I read 63 books this year (!!!), and below I’m listing them all for you, as well as a little blurb, and my rating. Since the list is so long though, I thought I’d also real quick share my top 6. In no particular order, my top 6 books of 2020 were:
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia
Carry Me Like Water by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
I also want to note that, while having wall to wall bookcases with a huge book collection is my dream, I am in college living with 5 roommates. So probably 90% of these books I checked out from the library on my Kindle. I have no idea how I would’ve survived this year without Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. But maybe someday I’ll have a house overflowing with books.
Not a food related post, but I wanted to share anyway in case anyone wanted book recommendations (especially my grandma, hi Nonni!)
Each book is linked to BookShop.org or ThriftBooks.com, which support local bookstores. If you want to find an independent bookstore near you, check out IndieBound (and most bookstores will order requests for you to pick up)! White Whale is my fave in the Pittsburgh area 🙂
I started following Blair on Twitter because she races sled dogs in Wisconsin, and found out she wrote a memoir of her journey to dog racing. Excellent read, 5/5
While this book is geared towards kids, as it answers questions kids have asked about death, it was actually a really fun, interesting read. The illustrations are also amazing. And it’s written by a mortician who is also a YouTuber! 4/5
This book is kind of the equivalent of a Hallmark or Lifetime murder mystery and I loved it. Centers on a community orchestra in a small town. Definitely a fluff read, but a good distraction. 4/5
Classic novel composed of letters, detailing the lives of African American women in Georgia in the 30s. I had this sitting on my bookshelf forever and finally had the time to read it. 4/5
I’m a big Good Mythical Morning fan, so decided to check out the novel Rhett and Link wrote. I loved it, an exciting mystery set in small town North Carolina (and loosely based on the town they grew up in). 4/5
I loved this book so much I read it in one 4 hour sitting. Follows Evvie Drake as she moves on after the death of her husband, set in her small New England coastal town. 5/5
Diary entries of a doctor in England. Definitely illuminating to the life of a doctor in training, and interesting to see the differences between England and America. 3.5/5
This is a self help book that I actually listened to the audiobook for. Not sure if it was the book, or the author’s voice, but I didn’t love it. Felt very preachy. 1/5
Loved this book, centers on the relationship between two friends in Dublin. The characters felt very real with the problems they encountered and how they handled them. 4/5
Iliza is one of my favorite comedians, I’ve watched her comedy specials on Netflix so many times. This is her book about life as a woman and I found it so funny and relatable, 5/5
This book became a popular show on Hulu, and I really loved it (the book and the show). About 2 high schoolers and how their relationship ebbs and flows as the grow up. Bonus points for taking place in Ireland. 4/5
This book is WILD. The twist at the end was amazing. About a woman accused of murdering her husband, and now living in a psych facility refusing to speak. 5/5
This book was obviously popular back in June, and I’m sure a lot of people have read it, but I genuinely learned a lot about racism and advocacy in America. Very easy to read and understand. 5/5
I absolutely loved this book and read it in about a day. It’s about a reform school for boys that is absolutely horrific. Actually based on a real school that operated for 11 years. 5/5
Another book I loved. Centers on the lives of a couple in love from the same town in Nigeria. One ends up moving to America and one stays in Nigeria, and the book follows both their lives as their relationhip ebbs and flows. 5/5
This book discusses how Henrietta Lacks’ cells came to be used for scientific research, and the ethical problems with using her cells without her (or her family) knowing. 4/5
I’ve been trying to expand the authors and topics I read to be more diverse in multiple ways. This book is about a Black woman with a chronic illness. I found the plot enjoyable, the characters likable, and felt like I learned a lot that will help me be a more empathetic doctor some day. 5/5
This book is great, about a Black woman who is a nanny. It takes a look at privilege, particularly when we think we’ve done all we can to recognize our own (but may be wrong). 5/5
My friend Liz, who is currently in med school recommended this book to me. A great look at how the experience of Black folks in medicine differs drastically from others, whether you’re a doctor or a patient. 5/5
Another book about chronic illness, this one about teenagers. Focuses on their relationship with each other, as well as with their families who don’t understand life with chronic illness. 5/5
I’m the biggest Green brothers fan: their podcast Dear Hank and John is one of my favorites, and I’m forever indebted to the Crash Course YouTube channel for getting me through both AP and college classes. This is Hank’s first book, a sci-fi novel that tackles alien invasions and social media fame. I’m looking forward to finally reading the sequel. 4/5
A really great memoir that explores the history of and continued issue of structural racism, and what we can do (particularly as Christians) to break through that. 5/5
I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this one. Perhaps because I’m in a happy committed relationship? But this book examines dating in your 20s and 30s. 2.5/5
This book was a wild ride and I definitely recommend it. Follows a social misfit with a traumatic past that is slowly revealed throughout the book. Funny, heartwarming, with a great twist at the end. 5/5
This is another book about a teen with cystic fibrosis, and another struggling with depression. I really liked the characters and how the story unfolded, 5/5
This book is definitely intense, it switches between past and present, following a teen girl who has been abducted and held in a basement. It follows her journey in trying to escape as well as in coming to terms with what has happened to her. Definitely a tough, emotional read. 3/5
I am definitely not the target audience of this book, but I’ve watched Louise Pentland on YouTube since middle school (LOL). She shares all about her life, parenting, crafting, writing books, and styling clothes, and this is her memoir. I really enjoyed the writing, she’s very funny and real. 4/5
This is the first book in a series, and elementary school Celia who LOVED fantasy wanted to love it. But college Celia just didn’t. The book felt too long while simultaneously jumping rapidly through the timeline of the book, and I didn’t really connect with the characters enough to care what happened to them. Also a tv series on Netflix, though I haven’t watched it. 1/5
I really enjoyed this book, it follows a nonbinary teen who comes out to their parents and is subsequently kicked out, forcing them to move in with their older sister. I really loved reading a book from a new perspective (and written by a nonbinary author). I definitely feel like it gave me a greater understanding for what folks in this community go through. 5/5
Benjamin Alire Sáenz is one of my all time favorite authors, for both YA and adult fiction. His writing is so incredibly beautiful and I end up sobbing through every book I read. This one centers on a few members of a family, living in different states, and how their stories ultimately come together. 5/5
Another one written by a nonbinary author, this book centers on two families in a decades long rivalry who travel around the country performing (kind of in like a circus sense). I would call the genre magical realism, so the plot takes place in our world with a few little pieces of magic thrown in. This made it easier to get into (for me) because it felt like something that could actually happen. Like Romeo and Juliet meets classic fairy tale. I LOVED it. 5/5
This book follows the life of a (fictional) botanist in Pennsylvania in the 1800s, from birth to death. Lots of cool science and nature, an intriguing family story, and lots of themes of life and death. 3.5/5
I read this book after watching the tv show with my boyfriend before Halloween. While the show is only very loosely based on the book (really just taking the premise of the house and some character names) the book was still quite good. Definitely spooky, and a quick read. 3.75/5
I may or may not have checked out every book by this author after reading The Weight of Feathers because I liked it so much. This book was another beautiful read, about a family of women who can grow flowers, who can’t leave their land or they will die, and who are trying to keep their family and their home safe from those who want to take advantage of them. 4.5/5
Another purely magical read, about a girl named Miel who grows roses from her wrist, her best friend that paints and hangs moons around town, and a family of sisters who want to steal Miel’s roses because they believe them magical. 4.5/5
McLemore’s books feel like modern day fairytales and this one is no different. Switching between Strasbourg in 1518 and an American town in present day, the book follows a “sickness” that has women dancing in the streets until they die. 4/5
I read this book in one day and while it made me very sad, I think it was still an important read. This book starts with the death of Vivek Oji, and then moves through his entire life, from birth to death, to examine what happened and why. 4/5 for being a well written and important book, 2/5 for making my heart ache
Backman is my other favorite author of all time, and I was super excited to see he had a new book out this year. This book is about a hostage situation in an apartment open house, but what unfolds is a story about the lives of everyone involved and how they relate to each other. 5/5, did not disappoint (also everyone should read all his other books)
This is absolutely a Hallmark movie in book form, but felt like an excellent escape for a year such as this. It centers on a tour guide in Ireland, and all the antics that unfold with his tour group. Not a life changing read, but gentle and heartwarming. 3.75/5
This is the sequel to a YA book I read a few years ago called One of Us is Lying. While I don’t think you ~have~ to read the first one to understand this one, it definitely helps. The plot centers on the same town a few years after the events of the first book, but now someone has created a “Truth or Dare” game that ends in death… A quick read (I read almost the entire thing in one sitting), and a nice distraction. 3.75/5
Another Sáenz book that did not disappoint. This is about a teenage boy in rehab for alcoholism, focusing on his journey and those he meets while he’s there. Beautiful heart wrenching, real. 5/5
The last McLemore book I read, while it was not my favorite I did still enjoy it. A combination of Snow White and Swan Lake, it features a family that has been cursed for generations, and two sisters who would do anything to save each other. 3.75/5
This was another quick read (although maybe that’s just me + having nothing to do once classes ended) about a Black woman living in London and trying to find love and herself. The characters felt very real with their flaws and I really enjoyed it. 4/5
This book tells the story of an Italian American woman from birth until death, and everything she goes through in Italy, traveling to America, and her life in America. Having an Italian grandfather and speaking Italian, I definitely connected with a lot of this book. 4/5
This was another extremely heavy book that I felt incredibly angry at (although that’s probably the point). It switches between present day narration, and past narration of a girl who was groomed and abused (although she saw it as a healthy relationship) by her high school English teacher. While I did enjoy the book, I couldn’t help but be extraordinarily angry at the teacher and everyone who allowed him to do what he did (even though it was fiction!). Definitely keep the content in mind if you are sensitive to this sort of thing. 3/5
This book was popular a few years ago and recommended to me by my grandparents and my mom, but I finally got around to reading it. It focuses on the story of the American rowing team that won gold at the 1936 Olympics in Germany, as Hitler was just beginning his horrific reign. I loved this book, particularly for the “team of small town, working class boys become heroes” theme. Also an interesting look at the effect of the Great Depression and Hitler’s reign at the time. It also made me want to join a rowing team. 4.5/5
This was a book I didn’t super enjoy, but I understood what the point was. This “stream of consciousness” book looks at the wives of “The Greats” of literature (like F. Scott Fitzgerald), and then compares their experiences to that of the author’s. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I had more background on literary heroes and their wives, and I recommended it to my literature major friend as a result. 2.5/5
This book was pure magic and I read it in like 4 hours. The story is told from alternating narration of two ex-best friends, and focuses on a small town’s annual beauty pageant. This description doesn’t do the book justice though, so you should really just read it. 5/5
I gave this book to my grandfather for Christmas, but wanted to read it before I did because it sounded so interesting. This book tells the story of the Radium Girls, women who painted glowing numbers onto watches using radium paint, the health issues that arose as a result, and their fight for compensation and to put an end to the use of radium based paint. It was wild to read about how radium was seen as not dangerous; in fact people thought it was a cure all! And it was infuriating how long it took the women to get what they deserved, and to read about all the women who lost their lives before anything was done. A heart breaking but fascinating read. 4/5
This is the book that the new Netffix show “Dash and Lily” is based on, and it was a really sweet, festive little read. It’s about two teens who trade a red notebook back and forth, getting to know each other and going on quests around Christmas time. Bonus points for the importance of the bookstore The Strand. 4/5
I recognize that this book is not for everyone, but it’s the devotional book that my small group leader from college sent to each of us to read during Advent. With a short chapter and corresponding artwork for each day, I enjoyed how easy it was to read and really enjoyed the author’s focus on the humanity of Mary. I don’t think she’s focused on enough in the Christmas story, and I really liked Erickson’s perspective. 5/5 as an Advent devotional
The sequel to Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first, but it was still a sweet and festive read. I also read it in one day on the 30th so I could make my book count 62 instead of 61 lol. 3.5/5
This book is based on the Twitter account Thoughts of Dog (probably the best account on the entire internet) and is a few really sweet illustrated stories from the perspective of a dog. The most gentle, warm, uplifting little book. 5/5
Living with roommates again this year has been super fun for a lot of reasons, one of which is all the new recipes I get to try as we merge our individual favorites each week to meal plan. So all credit for this recipe goes to Carissa (or maybe more accurately Carissa’s mom lol).
I obviously knew it was possible to make Mexican rice from scratch and not just from a microwave packet, but I incorrectly assumed it was difficult and time consuming. Let me tell you, it is SO easy and SO delicious. 10/10 worth it, I will never be buying microwave rice packets ever again.
All you have to do is toast the rice in a pan, add the ingredients, and simmer until all the liquid is soaked up! And you end up with the most flavorful rice (that gets all deliciously crispy on the bottom) that makes the perfect side. I made it a few weeks ago with cilantro lime chicken while I was home, and Carissa has made it many a time to pair with enchiladas or soup up in Pittsburgh.
Endlessly thankful to Carissa for teaching me how to make this (and her mom for teaching her) ❤ and now you can make it for yourself!
Mexican Rice
Ingredients
2 tbs butter
2 cups white rice
8 oz can of tomato sauce
Chicken broth (or water + chicken bouillon)
Half an onion, cut into wedges
1-2 whole garlic cloves
1-2 whole jalapeños
Cumin, salt, and pepper to taste
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Toast the rice in the butter for a few minutes.
Add enough chicken broth to completely cover the rice.
Add the tomato sauce, onion wedges, garlic cloves, and jalapeños.
Add cumin, salt, and pepper to taste, and cover.
Cook over medium-low heat until all liquid is absorbed, ~20 minutes. Don’t remove lid until liquid is absorbed.
College Cooking with Celia 