The People Behind My Eyes

THE PEOPLE BEHIND MY EYES

I swear you will not have to click anymore links after this one. The proper link for the above journal is listed. I apologize for the difficulties.

The People Behind My Eyes is a day to day journey to healing and an in depth discussion of life with what use to be called Multiple Personality Disorder but is now called Dissociative Identity Disorder/DID. The new journal location is updated regularly and includes artwork and poetry.

If for some reason you can't remember my links just look up how I sign my name on comments or on my journal entries. You can google the name "Austin of Sundrip Journals" and it'll pull me up every time.

WALNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE

WALNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE




This pie is an improvised treat based on the delectable Kentucky Bourbon Pie. I didn’t have pecans or bourbon, thus the improvisation. I substituted walnuts for pecans but kept the rest of the pie the same.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup (for more colour use dark corn syrup)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
1 cup walnut halves
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 9 inch frozen pie shell, thawed


Instructions

Preheat oven to temperature 375°F. Beat eggs lightly with an electric mixer in a mixing bowl. Add corn syrup, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until mixed thoroughly. Add melted butter and mix. Stir in pecans by hand. Sprinkle chocolate chips in bottom of pie shell. Pour pecan mixture into pie shell and bake 40-45 minutes.

Suggested extras
¼ cup of cocoa
Top with whipped cream
Use pecans but add ¼ cup finely chopped cranberries, omit the chocolate chips
¾ cup of chocolate chips and ¼ cup of cocoa, no nuts, use light corn syrup

* Recipe courtesy of Chefs dot com with stated ingredient adjustments.


Baking tips from Aussie’s Kitchen

No oven is the same, they all heat differently and with wear and tear the changes continue. If your pie shell browns too quickly turn the heat down by 25 degrees for the remainder of the cooking time.

If you use a frozen shell in a pan thaw it but do not pre-bake it, it’ll burn before the pie is done. Sit on the counter to thaw. If you use rolled pre-made dough take it out of the fridge before you begin mixing. This will allow it to reach room temperature without disturbing the form. If the dough is too warm it’ll crack and or tear while trying to unroll it, for this reason you do not want to use a microwave to thaw it. Thawing pre-baked pastries is best accomplished by sitting it on the counter and allowing it to reach room temperature.

Homemade pastry shells are not as hard as they seem. To get a flaky crust use half butter and half margarine. Since the fat will begin to melt you’ll need to refrigerate the dough until you are ready to roll it out and place it in a pan. This technique will keep the fat cold so that you get the flaky crust you desire. Do not over knead the dough because it’ll make the crust hard and dry. It takes about 5 good kneading rolls to reach the desired consistency of your crust. If you need to add more water NEVER do so by holding the bowl under the faucet. Use a ¼ teaspoon measure to add a little water at a time. If you add too much then you end up adding more flour to compensate. Of course then you’ve added too much flour so now you have to add more water. The cycle is vicious and only results in a hard crust that nobody wants to eat. Always pre-measure ingredients and never add unmeasured water to your dish.

Thank you for visiting,
Aussie’s Kitchen

Cooking for one is worth it when that one person is you.

Breakfast Ambiance

Breakfast Ambiance

MENU

• Pancakes
• Grilled Ham, sausage or bacon
• Eggs over medium
• Coffee
• Warm syrup
• Candles or Fresh Flowers

According to the Encarta English Dictionary Ambiance is defined as:
“The typical atmosphere or mood of a place.
A restaurant with a welcoming ambiance”
Synonyms for Ambiance: Atmosphere, Character, Quality, Vibes

In order to illustrate the meaning of ambiance the writers used the example:
• A restaurant with a welcoming ambiance”

The vast majority of the time the word ambiance is used in association with a place to have a nice meal. A place to have a meal comfort and ease OR of excitement, life and energy. This would also indicate that what we choose to eat is closely related to how we feel at the moment. You can create a welcoming, inviting ambiance in your home whether you are sharing a meal with your family, a partner or eating solo.

Tonight’s dinner was done in a hurry at a quarter past midnight. I could have inhaled it in front of late night television but I thought I'd take the opportunity to enjoy the meal. As you can see, it’s your regular Grand Slam breakfast at your local Denny’s Restaurant, usually costing around $6.00 without the tip. My late night “Denny’s” special included candles and a midnight sky line view, no tip required. It was simple, a tad bit romantic but most of all it was enjoyable.

Would pancakes taste different while laughing at Jay Leno? No, probably not but then, I’ll never know because I chose to seize the moment and enjoy a candle lit midnight breakfast.

Take every opportunity to make how you eat as enjoyable as what you eat.

Thank you for visiting
Aussie’s Kitchen

Cooking for one is worth it when that one person is you.
Rate this recipe by leaving a comment. All ratings are welcome!

Lemon Pepper Chicken w/ Pasta

LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN
With Fettuccini Alfredo And Broccoli Florets
Serves one


INGREDIENTS


Chicken breast
Boiled pasta
Alfredo sauce
Broccoli florets
Lemon pepper seasoning



UTENSILS NEEDED

George Forman Grill
Microwave
Sandwich bags
Foil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Begin by boiling the pasta. While the pasta is on heat your George Forman grill with the lid closed.
Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning on both sides of the chicken breast and wrap the chicken in the foil. **see wrapping instructions**. Place the foil wrapped chicken on the grill and cook until done. While the chicken is on the grill put desired amount of broccoli in a sandwich bag and microwave it until it’s done.

MAXIMUM COOKING AND PREP TIME:
30 min (this includes all steps of this recipe).


COOKING TIPS

Wrapped meats on the George Forman Grill

I'm sure this is a new concept for everyone because on a George Forman Grill you usually just put the meat right on the grill. When you cook outside on a grill don’t you sometimes wrap meat and potatoes when you could just put it straight on the grill? We do it for a few reasons, to keep the moisture in and to seal the flavor. The same principal applies on your Forman Grill.

In order to keep the moisture in and to release the flavor in the seasoning wrap the chicken so that the crease is facing up. Seal the ends of the foil by folding them up. Your foil should be folded 4 times to keep the flavor in and to maximize moisture. You can use this technique with shrimp and beef as well.


Suggestions:
Add salad shrimp on top of the fettuccini Alfredo with a bit of fresh pepper.
If you have chicken left over like I did, slice it in long strips and save it for a chicken wrap for tomorrows lunch.

The ambiance for tonight was a completely set dinner table with a winter backdrop. The curtains were fully open and I faced the golf course while the candles burned. At one point I got up and danced. The radio was on. It wasn’t a romantic dinner because the song “She Hates Me” by Puddle of Mudd was on. So, see, a candle light dinner with a bit of grunge is an acceptable ambiance.


Thank you for visiting
Aussie’s Kitchen

Cooking for one is worth it when that one person is you.

Rate this recipe by leaving a comment. All rating are welcome!

Cheddar Cheese & Garlic Biscuits

Cheddar Cheese & Garlic Biscuits

2 cups Original Bisquick (please see commentary)
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat oven to 450 F.

Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir together margarine and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits.

Makes 9 biscuits

COMMENTARY

Since this journal is about easy recipes I thought I'd put up the Bisquick version.
For those of us who refuse to use Bisquick, use your favorite biscuit recipe. You can find easy biscuit recipes on the back of your flour bag. Storage suggestions will be on the back of the flour bag as well.

Biscuit Do’s and Don’ts

Do: Use two different types of fats in your biscuits. Use half real butter and half margarine. This will give you a mild buttery taste like at your favorite restraint. Using two fats this way makes the flavor mild, not tasteless as with margarine or overly rich with just butter.

Do: Use the fat straight out of the refrigerator. When the fat is at room temperature it won’t make those fluffy layers we all love.

Don’t: Don’t over mix the dough because they’ll serve better for bricks than as a side for dinner. Mixing causes the gluten in flour to form. Under mixing makes it too hard, over mixing does the same thing. The time it takes to mix biscuits is about 5 min total. This time includes mixing and kneading.

Don’t: Don’t sweat this. They’re just biscuits. Biscuit making ranks pretty low on the grand scheme of things. If all else fails use tube biscuits and drape a piece of cheese over them during the last few minutes of baking.

YOU ARE WORTH IT

Do you scarf down lunch because it’s just lunch? Do you eat selection A3 from the machine daily because it’s just lunch? Not everyone feels every meal should be a celebration of flavor and atmosphere, but in my opinion, how we eat reflects how we feel about our inner self.

Are you worth setting the table during dinner? Does it seem silly to set it for lunch when you don’t even do it for dinner? Taking time for yourself and to give yourself your best is never silly. We put our best foot forward for everyone all the time. What’s wrong with putting your best foot forward for you? Pride is pride even when it’s felt standing alone in a kitchen. Pride is pride before a crowd or at a table alone. So when you do whatever you do, do your best. When you are amongst others, when you are alone, put your best foot forward. If others are worth the effort you certainly are worth even more.

As always, thank you for visiting
Aussie’s Kitchen

Cooking for one is worth it when that one person is you.
Comments are always welcome!