Baking with Boxes: A Paycheck-to-Paycheck Feast

When I moved out here, one stipulation I put on myself was not to revert to starving student status. Living in Queenspoint isn't worth eating 2-minute noodles and oatmeal for every meal -- I'm not 19 anymore (or 23, since I was still doing that for my first job -- but hey! It's non-profit! At least you feel good about your work as you ration your white bread and peanut butter to last all week).

So when I found myself attempting to live JUST on my paycheck for the first time since I moved out here, I also found myself with...well, a less than desirable amount of money in my bank account to get me through the weekend. And this wasn't just any weekend -- when is it, when it's the empire of New York? This was Northside Festival weekend, a self-inflicted barrage of shows, wanderings, Mr. Jameson, 16+ bars, and making new friends.

My fiscally sound solution: it was time to bust into the emergency food.

Luckily, I'm more creative than I used to be in my younger years. I made a veritable feast -- and everything (well, mostly) came from boxes. It wasn't healthy, it wasn't pretty, but it was most definitely edible.

First course: Asparagus Spears, Albacore Tuna, Elbow Noodles with a Light Cheese Sauce


Second Course: Dense Yellow Cake with Creamy Chocolate Pudding Fosting, served with a teacup of cold milk




And now: the ingredients (prepare yourself -- it looks like an aisle in Safeway)

I would like to note that items used were Key Food brands -- none of that high falutin' Kraft or Duncan Hines stuff for this girl!



Class. Pure class. Luckily I've since gotten paid -- enough to restock the emergency food!

I Suck at This.

Hey -- guess what guys! I'm going to start this blog, and it's going to be awesome, and I'm going to update it all the time because I bake ALL THE TIME and I want to share recipies with my friends! And you should all read it because I ramble about my random life experiences here in the land of Queenspoint, principality of the New York Empire.

And then you know what I'm going to do? Stop updating it a month after I start it.

The thing is, once you start something like this you kind of feel guilty if you don't keep it up. And I like to be one of those people with the follow through to actually DO what they say they're going to do. Like when I had that crazy idea to move across the country from all my friends and family to the Empire of New York. Or when I said I wanted to have a library. Or when I said I wanted to have a Star Wars movie marathon...

...that one hasn't happened yet -- but it will. Oh yes.

Long story short: I'm going to take you on a whirlwind tour of some of the things I baked since my last update (St Patrick's Day -- yikes!). Besides the baked goods, here are some things that you missed my ramblings about:

• (1) trip to New Zealand in which I rediscovered my love of my pseudo-homeland, was caught in a sheeps crossing peppered with segways, and learned to love their dry, crumbly baked goods
• (1) best friend moving away from Queenspoint, to embark on a life-changing tour of the US of A whilst babysitting 16 Nigerian musicians
• (1) frantic roommate/apartment search that basically stole my soul, and all of my energy
• (1) visit from another best friend that included 2 nights up past my bedtime
• (2) new German friends
• (18) episodes of my newest obsession, Skins (you haven't seen it yet? Why are you reading this?! Go -- find it -- watch it right now!)
• (11) weeks of procrastinating about this blog.

So there. You're all caught up. Save for 2 new jobs...but that's not all that interesting.

OK. Are you reading for the Junior Miss Slacker Baking Tour 2009?

March 8, 2009: Tamale Pie

Basically - browned ground beef, corn, olives, onion, tomatoes, jalepenos, whatever else you want, topped with corn bread and baked. Throw some salsa and sour cream on top and you're golden.

March 10, 2009: Apple Pie x2

I made 2 apple pies, partly because I had enough stuff and partly to try 2 different tops. This one is brown sugar, some flour, and butter -- with an apple cut out on top. I think I threw some cheddar cheese in this, but I can't remember...

March 14, 2009: Pi(e) Day! Shepherd's Pie and Butterscotch Puddin' Pie

K-Patz and I celebrated Pi(e) Day with some delicious Shepherd's Pie (that barely lasted 2 days) and the easiest of easy, trashy yet delicious pudding pie -- butterscotch pudding with pre-bought (!) graham cracker crust. Topped with Cool Whip to make it extra special...

March 17, 2009: Luck o' the Irish Soda Bread

Yeah, damn straight I made a pun. Mom's Irish Soda Bread recipe (which -- turns out -- is just from Sunset magazine) turned out wonderfully. It served great purpose for open-faced modified reubens (corned beef and sauerkraut w/ mustard) and wasn't even too shabby as Irish-French Toast. Our kitchen is the melting pot of food ethnicities -- Bean made Indian turkey curry, the leftovers of which she may turn into chilli.

May 10, 2009: I'm Too Cheap To Buy Brunch Coffee Cake

Got yet another old fashioned cook book at the Fort Greene Flea Market, so I had to try out a recipe. Super basic apple spice coffee cake, not too sweet and perfect with a giant cup of black coffee. What's the point of eating brunch out when you can make this in 30 minutes?

May 14, 2009: Kiwi-Pride Afghan Biscuits

Rediscovered my love of Kiwi food and bought the Kiwi cookbook bible (Edmonds) while on my trip. Turns out eating meat in a country where their largest export is lamb might be a good thing... Afghans, ginger slices, anzac biscuits, mince pies, lamingtons -- all will be visited in the coming months.

May 14, 2009: You Fail Applesauce Sour Cream Biscuits

Another recipe from the old cookbook purchased from the Fort Greene Flea Market, these biscuits failed. The ingredients all sounded good: applesauce, sour cream, "nippy" cheese. However, they turned out dry and crumbly and, frankly, tasteless. They did reincarnate into the absolute BEST bread pudding I have ever eaten in my life -- I found a recipe online for biscuit bread pudding, modified it a bit because I didn't have the right ingredients, and stumbled onto quite possibly the best thing I ever baked. Bean and I ate it so fast I didn't even take a photo. Someday I will recreate it...

May 30, 2009: Bougey Apple Rhubarb Crisp

So I went down to the local green market on Saturday and purchased some organic apples and rhubarb (along with bok choy and scallions) and made the above crisp. And then meditated on how much of a bourgeoise act I performed that day. OH! And I also stopped at a stoop sale and bought a pink and silver china set (complete with creamer!) for $10. Not that that really relates at all, other than I'm really excited about it.



So there you are. I hope that we can move forward without another long absence. I'm recommitting to you, I Bake Stuff! I won't stray again.