The Beginning Of Something Beautiful?

I just read a blog written by a very good friend and felt a punch of inspiration somewhere in the face of my inner-sanctum. I think there is a good reason for this little bit of bittersweet pain being introduced right now.

I recently received a text from my place of employment asking that I bring my school laptop in for some sort of update or something to that effect. The moment of clarity came when my first thought was... 'NOOOOO!'.

I have dreams of my own and right now I think that Kyle's blog (as it, and his input in general usually do) pushed me to go out and DO whatever it is that I want to do.

Pro Tip - If you aren't doing something that you love to do, you will always call it work. The goal should be calling whatever you do for income 'what you love to do' or maybe you (like me) just don't want to have that feeling of dread when you notice that you have to go back to work at some point.

I am glad I have a bit more time off from work. It gives me plenty of VALUABLE (thanks for the reminder, Kyle) TIME to work on doing whatever it is I want to do for the rest of my income earning life.

NCAA = House of Cards

In the days following Terrelle Pryor's departure from Ohio State, there are many people asking the same question.

"What would have happened to him if he had stayed? What will happen to him now?"

The answer, nothing.

If you take a quick look at what happens to the athletes if they are violating rules, chances are good that they will lose some eligibility to play their sport while still having their education paid for. Coaches (such as Jim Tressel) for instance, don't have the luxury of keeping their jobs most of the time.

The heavy hand of the law is going to bury teams like Ohio State, USC and every other big name out there (Auburn, Alabama, etc.) as time goes on.

College sports is a big BUSINESS and the NCAA rules are set up to make it into a house of cards.
It is simply a matter of time before it all falls down.

A Quick Veggie Fix

Here is a quick way to make some delicious roasted vegetables.

What do you need?

• Olive Oil (of course)
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Basil
• baby carrots
• potatoes
• garlic cloves
• baby bella mushrooms
• Any other vegetable you enjoy roasted

Put all of them together in a 9x9 pan with olive oil and some salt (if you need that extra 'flavor').
Set your oven to 400-425... Cook the pan and contents COVERED BY FOIL for 40-50 minutes.

Pull it out and eat your delicious vegetables.

I Haven't Disappeared

A short reminder that I haven't given up on my wonderful blog.

A lot to talk about food and sports related. Hopefully I will give an update soon.

Fresh Food Should Be Your New Year Resolution

I don't know if you have really paid any attention to nutrition facts on processed foods, but trust me on this one. You are much better off to go with Fresh Food than something out of a package. Not to say you need to turn into a vegan hippie and start using vegetable oil to run your automobile.

Just do yourself a favor and spend the extra 5-7% and get fresh food. It will prevent you from buying too much food. Not to mention, you will be more likely to eat a better diet.

I will be the first to admit that I put on an extra 5 pounds over the holidays. I am now finding it harder than ever to get back to where I want to be weight-wise. It is cold and snowy outside and I can't get out and ride my bike. So with that said, from this point on I am making it my mission to eat as much fresh food at meals as possible. Cut down on unhealthy snacking and start blogging about incredibly delicious, fresh and good for you meals.

Happy New Year.

My First Lattice Crust... Not So Bad

This weekend one of my best friends came down for a visit. The one thing in the world that I know I can do right is cook tasty things... The one thing in the world I know about my friend (Kyle) is that the dude can pound away food - especially good food.

A few weeks ago my wife brought up the idea of cherry pie and needless to say (why am I saying it, then?!), it went from idea to action fairly quickly.

I bought some cherry pie filling (I know, not exactly my regular from scratch braggable thing to do) and made the decision that a pie had to be made. What better time than to make it when my friend the human food disposal and his girlfriend came to visit - thus, the pie was created.

(Pre-Heat Oven to 450 degrees F)

Crust

MIX
2 1/4 Cups Flour
3/4 teaspoon Salt

CUT IN -
2/3 Cup Shortening

ADD
8-10 Tablespoons Warm Water (until crust reaches proper consistency)

CUT DOUGH
You want to make sure half of the dough is left out so you can roll the top layer (duh!)

ROLL
Role it out on a floured surface and place first layer in pie dish.

POUR
Pour the cherry filling (Two 21 oz Cans) into pie crust

ROLL PT. 2
Roll your second dough ball

CUT
Cut it into strips around 3/4 in. wide

WEAVE
This can be hard if you lose concentration (see picture above) - start with 3 or four strips then add 3 or for the other direction (weave them in as you go of course).

COOK
Cook it at 450 for 45 minutes...

ENJOY
It doesn't matter if you get the weave to look pretty, people will still eat your delicious pie. If not, that is their problem.

Garlic and Football Season - The Best Parts of Fall

Okay, maybe you can have garlic whenever you want. That doesn't mean it doesn't taste better during the fall. While I realize that garlic may not taste any different, I stand by the FACT that putting fresh garlic in your chili can make it go from tasting great to tasting AMAZING.

This is my first entry of football season 2010. It will be a very fun fall for football and food.