Rice cooker recipe #3

These are difficult!

So this is just regular pasta, boiled with a little salt until al dente, then instant soup powder added because:

a) It was the only thing to hand

b) I like instant vegetable soup

and 

c) Yes, I'm completely nuts, thanks for asking. :D

It tasted great, and would've been greater had I been able to actually eat it. Was wolfed down by my ex-roomie :'(

Anyway, till next time!

Gingerbread Man

Am I a fan of Ed Sheeran?

Well, yeah. I squee and aww all over his most recent interviews. I jump from statement to statement about his tattoos and his love life... but it all comes down to his music. His passion. More importantly, his job. And every time, every single effing time, I get all these feelings. Awe. Frustration. More awe. More frustration. And then overwhelmingly, motivation. Inspiration. He’s only two years older than me, and he’s achieved so much in life.

We’re so different, and yet I want to be who he is. I figured out what his motto is, on a recent interview. I’m definitely going to try it out.

He said, “I try to choose a role model, and then be 2x better than them. Work 2x as hard.” (I’m paraphrasing, but that’s what I got out of it)

Well, Ed, it’s time for me to try to work 2x as hard as you, then. Because eff this life where I’m holding myself back because I’m too lazy, too comfortable. People would kill to have the opportunities I have right now, and all I’m doing is sitting on my butt pretending that everything will work out somehow. Well, guess what. It doesn’t work that way, not if you want something as bad as Ed does. And he got his birthday wish three years in a row!

How many times have I got my birthday wish?

...

...Never.

When is a good time? When I'm out of school? When I'm out of college? When I'm stuck in a job I don't like, doing something I don't believe in?

How about now?

Sometimes I think I sound like one of those self-help websites, the ones that claim they'll help you help yourself or whatever that is.(My guilty pleasure when surfing. Shh, don't tell anyone.)

Also, been reading a LOT of Brandon Sanderson. He's another one who pushes himself, and a true inspiration.

Rice cooker recipe #2

So here's a second recipe!

This is Penne with bottled Arrabiata sauce. It's (surprisingly :P) easy to make pasta in a rice cooker. Just add water and... ah ah ah, I'm foreshadowing :P Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

Dried pasta, Penne                    ~200 gms (I think? For one person, basically)

Bottled Arrabiata sauce            ~50 gms (One would suppose)

Olive oil                                    A shot, in the pasta

Salt and Pepper                         To taste

Method:

1. Place pasta in cold water(it comes from the cooler on my floor, okay!) add salt, and heat
2. It takes longer in a rice cooker than on the stove: it takes about 20 mins to cook
3. When done, drain (most of :P) the pasta water out of the cooker, then add a bit of oil, and about as much sauce as necessary
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, cook a little longer but not too long

I usually don't need any more salt, but pepper(and the associated chilli flakes and italian seasoning) is useful if the premade sauce isn't spiced to your liking.

I've made my pasta out of those Chefs' Basket erm... baskets! Their sauce is actually really nice, and they really do provide everything you need to make yummy pasta. Even in a rice cooker. Especially in a rice cooker.

Cooking is super fun.