eG Foodblog: Ling - eating on a (very small) student budget

[Ling]

Diet Pepsi, Fat Free Cheese, Low Cal Jello, Atkins bars... You are beautiful and rather thin (109 lbs + a little holiday weight), why all the talk about dieting and low cal products? You don't need a diet in the least, the holiday pounds will probably just naturally come off as you go back to regular eating habits. Fat free cheese is not cheese. Water is way cheaper than soda. I can forgive the Atkins bars as meals on the go, but aren't they rather expensive? Some homemade trail mix would be cheaper, more nutritious, and just as filling.

I bought the low-cal jello on sale a long time ago, but haven't gotten around to eating it.

I agree, the fat-free cheese is pretty gross.

Didn't post this yesterday, but I ate some vegetables and chicken wings while studying last night

This morning, I had 3 hardboiled eggs and an Atkins bar for breakfast. I woke up late and had to rush to school because my alarm didn't go off!!

Just finished my midterm (it was OK). Class starting, gotta go!

[herbacidal]

The school library is over half an hour away from me! Don't want to drive out that far, especially when it's dark and rainy. Bread Garden is 2 minutes away from where I was working today.

I didn't know that I sounded like an alterna-asian chick. Actually, I don't think we have many of those in Vancouver, and there's a huge Asian population here. It's kind of a running joke that all Asian girls pretty much look the same in our city.

you don't like studying at home?

forget that, i didn't either. forgot what school was like.

maybe you didn't sound like alterna-asian chick.

misperception on my part.

that running joke about all chinese (not asian, at least here) girls looking the same is similar here.

[Mabelline]

Ling, you are cuter than a speckled pup! My SO had dental surgery today, so I cooked him up some Super Ramen- ham, shredded green curry roast prk, scallions,asparagus,mushrooms, and egg drop. To kick up the seasons, I added some dark Oriental soy,hot chile flakes, and palm sugar vinegar. It tasted pretty good, and is economical when you've got leftovers. You have a source for bin bread-make some rustic bread salad! Cheaper than cheap, and Good! Use a good small cut of poultry, fish, beef, lamb or pork, cut in slices, shredded, cubed, or diced, then stretch to a full single course. Listen to mother Mabelline and replace a lot of your processed sugars with natural. And no sour tart things if you don't do YOUR studying, either!

[jwagnerdsm]

I'll add to the green bean discussion. If you freeze garden green beans like I do -- or want to use frozen -- make sure that you give them plenty of time to thaw and drain. Might even want to blot them with a clean kitchen towel. Hate to cut into that delicious cream of mushroom soup taste. I tried a different version two years ago with carmelized onions and I too learned that people just like the traditional canned fried onion recipe.

[Schneier]

Just finished my midterm (it was OK).

Good luck.

[Ling]

I doubt things have changed all that much at the UBC libraries: the Main Stacks are scary, Sedgewick is for sleeping, serious studying is over at the IRC with all the med, dent, pharmacy and pre-med/dent students. There's other libraries, but it's about a mile walk from parking to any of them and it's hard when you have a bag overflowing with books.

Hey, that's so cool! I thought there weren't many Vancouver ppl on here.

Since I'm an English major, most of my classes are in the Buchannan blocks and I usually go to Main or Koerner in between classes. They are tearing down the right and left wings of Main Library, btw. There's only the main building (the central portion) and the left wing remaining--the right wing has been torn down so far. They're rebuilding the two wings and expanding the library (but keeping the central building) because this guy who graduated many years ago (from Forestry) donated $10 million last year.

[Ling]

I just ate the best thing! It's Chinese roast pork from BBQ 2000 (under the Superstore on No. 3 Rd.) I've always hated Chinese roast pork ever since I was a kid--all that congealed fat sitting on top of the dry, salty meat *shudder*--but since this place opened a few years ago, we've been getting all our roast pork from here and it is DAMN GOOD! The pork is still quite fatty, but the fat is all warm and soft and just spreads over your tongue when you bite into it. And the crackling is super crispy and crunchy and quite brown. My piece was cut from the end, so there was extra crackling...yummmm The pork itself is moist and tender, and not too salty either. I bet the meat is well-marbled because it's so juicy. I love it so much! I bought 3/4 of a lb. and I finished eating it in the car (bf was driving) in 5 minutes! I wish I bought more. I could have easily eaten a pound. Sometimes the line-ups are really long though. My parents have waited over 45 minutes to buy roast pork on occasion.

Edited October 17, 2003 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

shredded green curry roast prk

*drooooooool*

[torakris]

I just ate the best thing! It's Chinese roast pork from BBQ 2000 (under the Superstore on No. 3 Rd.) I've always hated Chinese roast pork ever since I was a kid--all that congealed fat sitting on top of the dry, salty meat *shudder*--but since this place opened a few years ago, we've been getting all our roast pork from here and it is DAMN GOOD!  The pork is still quite fatty, but the fat is all warm and soft and just spreads over your tongue when you bite into it. And the crackling is super crispy and crunchy and quite brown. My piece was cut from the end, so there was extra crackling...yummmm The pork itself is moist and tender, and not too salty either. I bet the meat is well-marbled because it's so juicy. I love it so much! I bought 3/4 of a lb. and I finished eating it in the car (bf was driving) in 5 minutes! I wish I bought more. I could have easily eaten a pound.    Sometimes the line-ups are really long though. My parents have waited over 45 minutes to buy roast pork on occasion.

I just had to clean all the drool out of my keyboard!

I need to get down to Chinatown soon!!

[Ling]

Hi everyone,

I'm at my parents' house now. I just had some nachos that my sister's bf made (blue tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, lots of ground beef, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce) and then I ate some peanut butter out of the jar. I love peanut butter--the junky, sugar-laden kind, definitely not natural peanut butter! My mom only bought natural peanut butter once when I was in about grade 2 and she ended up throwing it out b/c everyone thought it was disgusting. Actually, maybe my tastebuds have changed and I should give it another try.

I am baking a coffee chiffon cake right now. It's still in the oven and it's starting to smell good. I'm planning to serve it with the remainder of the whipped cream left over (not yet whipped, of course) from Thanksgiving dinner. My parents love this cake because it's very soft and not too sweet--kind of like those asian-style cakes from the Chinese bakeries. This cake is one of the first I learned how to bake--I've been baking it since grade 8 and must have made it hundreds of times! It's still my parents' favorite though.

[Ling]

Just ate a huge slice of cake with lots of whipped cream. Cake was still warm from the oven. So delicious...

[Ling]

leftover cake for breakfast

gotta go to work!

[SethG]

I even entertained the notion that the dish was invented by Sandra Lee.

Did you mean Sandra Dee or Sara Lee?

Rachel, don't tell me you missed this hot thread?

[pho]

Ling, I've noticed that since Rachel pointed out that you really shouldn't be so concerned with dieting/calories/etc., that all your meals have changed dramatically. Where as before you were drinking Diet Coke, eating powerbars, etc. Now you're eating chocolate cake, nachoes, and pork.

I mention this because you really shouldn't let ANY outside influence determine how you feed your body (unless of course for medical reasons). Your body is it's own best judge. Eat to please your body, to nourish it, when it asks.

[herbacidal]

Ling, I've noticed that since Rachel pointed out that you really shouldn't be so concerned with dieting/calories/etc., that all your meals have changed dramatically.  Where as before you were drinking Diet Coke, eating powerbars, etc.  Now you're eating chocolate cake, nachoes, and pork.

I mention this because you really shouldn't let ANY outside influence determine how you feed your body (unless of course for medical reasons).  Your body is it's own best judge.  Eat to please your body, to nourish it, when it asks.

i think, perhaps stupidly, that ling's diet is not so dependent on outsiders such as us.

i think it's primarily a matter of convenience and economy. the powerbars are quick and relatively inexpensive.

the recent times when ling's been eating "junk food" has been mostly when she's been at others' houses, except for the cake.

In other words, others have paid for it.

[Ling]

Ling, I've noticed that since Rachel pointed out that you really shouldn't be so concerned with dieting/calories/etc., that all your meals have changed dramatically.  Where as before you were drinking Diet Coke, eating powerbars, etc.  Now you're eating chocolate cake, nachoes, and pork.

I mention this because you really shouldn't let ANY outside influence determine how you feed your body (unless of course for medical reasons).  Your body is it's own best judge.  Eat to please your body, to nourish it, when it asks.

Somedays I try to be healthier, somedays I eat what I want.

Like herbacidal said, I usually eat junk food at my parents' house since I don't like to spend money on that stuff.

Lunch today was a hunk of mozzarella cheese that my parents told me to eat before it expired, since they have so much left. Also had an Atkins bar, and a couple of red peppers (just sliced).

After work I went to Superstore to buy some chocolate because I wanted to make brownies tonight. Bought a little over half a kilo (half a kilo for 2 batches of brownies, plus a little extra for snacking). Half of the chocolate was Callebaut (from the bulk bin), the other half just regular old bittersweet baking squares (also from the bulk bin).

One batch will be for my family and me, and the other will be for friends and my Sunday students.

[Ling]

Just took the pan out of the oven. I used the Scharffen Berger recipe:

http://www.scharffenberger.com/recipes/bro...ies_roberts.htm

The top is nice and crackly-looking. I cut a corner off as soon as I took the pan out of the oven (always impatient when trying new recipes ) and the piece of brownie made a loud sizzling sound in my mouth!

[Ling]

The brownies are divine, if you like them very dense, chewy and fudgey. Maybe a tad too much sugar for my tastes (I'd probably reduce it by a 1/4 cup next time), but the sugar kind of caramalized at the bottom of the brownies, making them extra chewy. Very addicting. My brother says he prefers these brownies to any other sweet I've baked in the past. Try them!

My brother and I devoured a few very generous slices (more like slabs ) with ice-cold milk. I guess that was my dinner tonight.

Now off to deliver the rest of the brownies....

[Ling]

Received pizza in exchange for brownies. Ate pizza for a midnight snack. It was the Tuscan one from Pizza Hut. It had sundried tomatoes, olives, and some other stuff. I like authentic Italian pizza (especially with a thin crust, little sauce, cheese, olives, anchovies, and proscuitto) but sometimes greasy Pizza Hut pizza hits the spot. Kinda like the french bean casserole, I guess. Btw, I saw cans of the fried onion toppers in Safeway today. I'd never noticed them before!

BTW: Tomorrow's the last day of my food blog. Thanks to everyone for reading and replying! Now who should I tag....

Edited October 19, 2003 by Ling (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

I even entertained the notion that the dish was invented by Sandra Lee.

Did you mean Sandra Dee or Sara Lee?

Rachel, don't tell me you missed this hot thread?

Oh! Duh.

[Ling]

4AM: donuts, coffee, chilli and biscuits at Tim Hortons with my brother

went to sleep at 5AM

Now going to Costco with my parents.

And tagging herbacidal...heh heh.

Edited October 19, 2003 by Ling (log)

[Schneier]

And tagging herbacidal...heh heh.

Well, there it is then.

[herbacidal]

4AM: donuts, coffee, chilli and biscuits at Tim Hortons with my brother

went to sleep at 5AM

Now going to Costco with my parents.

And tagging herbacidal...heh heh. 

aw. jeez. that's what i get for being too visible on this blog.

knew this was gonna happen one of these times.

do i gotta?

whine...whine...whine...whine

Can i have some cheese too?

[fifi]

Yeah... you gotta.

[herbacidal]

And tagging herbacidal...heh heh. 

and i after i assured everyone you didn't have an eating disorder.

hmphf.