Embracing Your Quirks

Quirks, those peculiar behavioral habits that can make a person more charming or annoying; we all have them. Sometimes others tell you about your quirks, but then sometimes you notice them about yourself too. I am confident enough to acknowledge that I have a lot of quirks, and a lot of them deal with food. I qualify the behaviors in this post as quirks and not compulsions, because I do not experience any anxiety if I cannot enforce the behavior or preference. Listed below are quirks I have noticed about myself:

• I know it's hypocritical, but I think that Raisin Bran needs to double the amount of raisins in their cereal, and Lucky Charms needs to quadruple the number of marshmallows in their cereal or just make a box of Lucky Charms with only marshmallows. For St. Patrick's Day, I poured the entire Family-size box of Lucky Charms on a cookie sheet and separated the marshmallows from the frosted oats, and then I proceeded to just put only the marshmallows in a bowl. Yep, I had an entire bowl of marshmallows for breakfast to celebrate all the Irish Leprechauns in the world.
• I hate grocery shopping. If I am out shopping, it means I am either out of toilet paper, coffee, and/or cookie butter.
• I have bangs for two reasons: to cover up my big forehead, and so I don't have to do the constant upkeep on my Middle Eastern eyebrows.
• Since finding my first and only white hair, my morning routine now includes me going through every hair follicle looking for the possible "two new white hairs"that grew when I pulled that one white hair out....thankfully, there seems to be no survivors.
• One of my favorite "homemade" desserts is cinnamon and sugar toast.
• I eat dill pickles straight out of the jar like someone eating potato chips out of a bag.
• I will immediately heat up my black coffee in the microwave the moment it goes from hot to warm. Warm coffee is gross and cold coffee should be outlawed.
• I was the kid that got excited at trick-or-treating when I got a miniature box of Sun-maid raisins. Those four raisins in the box were more delicious than any chocolate candy bar... yuck chocolate!
• My crossword puzzle solving method: I always do them in pencil. I do all the clues I know (which usually isn't that many). Then I begin googling clues that I know will have a concrete/specific answer, and fill them into the puzzle. Then I try to work off those letters. Repeat that process as much as I can, and then I full on cheat and look at the answer key for the puzzle.
• I absolutely judge books by their cover.
• The TV shows that I tend to watch, showcase their characters eating take-out in a lot of scenes (i.e. Big Bang Theory, Friends, Gilmore Girls); therefore, there's always pizza and frozen chinese meals in my freezer.
• I am rarely on Facebook (more of an Instagram user), but when I read an article or watch a video that I like, I share it on my newsfeed so I can go back and enjoy it again in the future.
• I find cellphone alerts/ringers to be one of the worst  and annoying sounds in the world; therefore, I have always had my cell phone on silent/vibrate.
• When I am sick, all I want to do is watch animation movies, especially Disney and Pixar movies.
• I have been recycling my entire life, and Seattle has mandatory recycling and composting laws. I am horrible at rinsing out jars before placing them in recycling. It's the only part of recycling that I cannot fully commit to.
• I haven't washed or vacuumed my car since moving to Seattle in 2012, but probably I would be only to know this, because the only thing you will find in my car is empty water bottles and mud from hiking trips. And of course, the rainfall in Seattle provides "nature's" car wash. I feel that my "green" approach to my car maintenance absolutely makes up for me not rinsing out my jars completely before I put them in recycling.
• I have been guilty of eating cereal for every meal of the same day on multiple occasions.
• I mostly walk everywhere in Seattle and I live downtown; therefore, dealing with tourist are a part of my commute. I absolutely judge tourist on what they take pictures of and what they think is appropriate footwear to wear in Seattle. 
• I binge-read books, especially if it is a book series; therefore, I made a rule for myself that I cannot start a new novel after 8pm, because I won't stop til I finish it. P.S. I never follow my own rules; it's good thing that I am a functional insomniac.
• Food logic: Skittles and Starburst absolutely qualify as part of my fruit servings for the day. Newest fruit addiction are mini Starburst.
• I get pretty excited when I throw away my old toothbrush and I get to use a new one.
• The ratio of my pants that are elastic to nonelastic pants (i.e. jeans, dress pants) is 10:1, and I am not ashamed of this fact; I bet I am more comfortable in my outfit than you. 
• I absolutely love desserts. I have been known to make entire meals of just dessert items. For me, ice cream is my least favorite dessert, and a pint of ice cream can last me an entire year. 
• I am an incessant fidgeter; I am constantly moving my hands.
• I do not like ice in my drinks, but I do like my beverages to be cold (just not my coffee).
• When I see an actor/actress in a movie/TV show that looks familiar, I have to figure out what else I have seen them in; otherwise, it will bother me.
• I prefer shoes that do not have shoelaces.
• I never use arm rests; I always have my arms/hands in my lap when sitting on a plane or in a theater...you are welcome person who sits next to me in the middle seat on a Southwest plane. 

Smitten Kitchen Part IV

The best cookbook investment that I have ever made is the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Recently I have learned that a second cookbook is going to be released soon, which I am overjoyed about this news! This posting displays my continuation of trying to cook every recipe in the cookbook. There are so many reasons I utilize and enjoy this cookbook so much:

• All the dry ingredients are measured in grams, which allows for precision. 
• Overall, the recipes do not require too fancy of ingredients or kitchen gadgets.
• If I follow the directions correctly, the recipes have come out as expected and delicious.
• Not only is the author a great cook, she has a comical writing style that is prevalent in her cookbook.
• Not only are her amazing recipes found in this cookbook, she has a blog she updates weekly. I also follow her Instagram account and the pictures are absolutely mouthwatering and where I learned that she is working on her second cookbook.
• Every recipe in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook has at least a picture of the finished product, and most times there are more pictures.

Gingerbread Spice Dutch Baby

Breakfast has always been the most overlooked and skipped meal of the day for me, and yes, I know it’s considered “the most important meal of the day.” I consider the breakfast of champions to be multiple cups of coffee and either some dried fruit or a cereal bar. However, when I am home visiting my parents, I tend to try some breakfast recipes out since my parents are breakfast-dependent.  I tried the Gingerbread Dutch Baby recipe with a few changes because of the ingredients available at my parents’ house. I used light brown sugar (instead of dark), ground nutmeg (instead of fresh), and skim milk (instead of whole milk). In addition, I used leftover, homemade strawberry whipped cream (leftover from Strawberry Cheesecake Fools recipe, which is also below) as a topping instead of the other suggestions (confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup). I absolutely love cooking with cast iron skillets and they cooked this dutch baby very evenly.  From the picture in the cookbook, the dutch baby looked much lighter in weight and color; the one I cooked seemed to be more dense and darker, but it tasted delicious.

Finished product with strawberry whipped cream (top left), baked dutch babies (top right), and uncooked dutch babies ready for the oven (bottom)

Potato Frittata with Feta and Scallions

Before I began this recipe, I scanned the ingredients and wondered why this was a frittata and not a quiche; then I realized, I didn’t know the difference between the two egg dishes (frittata vs. quiche). I did some research and this is what I have concluded: both are egg dishes with additional ingredients ranging from herbs, cheeses, vegetables, and meats. A quiche, is made by adding ingredients to a dish with a crust, and it also contains heavy cream and/or milk. Whereas, a frittata, has no crust and a little (if any) milk/cream, and it is first cooked on a stovetop and then is broiled in the oven. I followed this recipe completely; however, I divided the recipe in half (one with bacon and one just vegetarian), and since I do not eat pork, I substituted bacon for turkey bacon. This frittata was very delicious fresh out of the oven. I had some as leftover, and the only thing affected the quality as a leftover was the potatoes; they were no longer crispy and were a little tough for me (I warmed up the leftover frittata in the microwave). Most likely if you were to make this recipe, there wouldn’t be leftovers, so no need to worry about “tough” potatoes.  I used Yukon Gold potatoes as the recipe indicated, but I also think fingerling potatoes would be appropriate for this dish and hold up well.

Baked potato bottom

Uncooked turkey bacon ingredients

Uncooked frittatas with egg mixture added

Puffy baked frittatas

The layers of the baked turkey bacon frittata

Broccoli Rabe Panini with Mozzarella

I have a bunch of small appliances that cannot fit into my kitchen and are put into a hallway closet, and a Panini Grill is one of them.  I do not use a Panini grill that often, but when a recipe recommends using one, I will definitely dust mine off. This was the first time that I used a grill in this Seattle apartment, and I learned that plugging the Panini Grill into the same socket as my microwave and toaster will cause it short-circuit, and so I ended up cooking it on the carpet of my living room, and yes I am sure it made me look ridiculous. However, the ridiculousness of the situation was well worth it because this combination of ingredients was beyond scrumptious! Although there are so few of ingredients, they merry so well, that I continued to make sandwiches throughout the week to finish off the leftover ingredients. I ended of making this recipe two ways, because my friend has a onion allergy.

Cooked and raw ingredients-ready to be assembled into a sandwich

Cooked sandwich with onions

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

There are three baked items that I am usually too lazy to make, bread, pie crusts, and pizza dough.  However, I have been wanting to make this galette for a while, and finally got around to doing while home for Thanksgiving. My parents bought a bunch of butternut and spaghetti squash from the Amish; I think butternut squashes are one of the worst things to have to cut, and I almost lose my fingers about hundred times while trying to de-skin them. When I am in Seattle, I always buy the precut squash and am more than willing to pay more money for that service. My parents do not have a digital scale (all dry ingredients in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook are in grams), so I was nervous that the crust was going to be too dry or dense. The crust ended up being very crumbling and fell apart really easily; however, in the end it tasted absolutely fine. In small town America, there was not fontina in the grocery store, so mozzarella cheese was substituted. The finished product was beyond savory and was still delectable five days later. The crust exceeded my expectations. My parents asked me to make a few extra crusts for them to freeze and use at a later time; it was that big of a hit.

Imperfect flaky crust

Crust plus the cooked savory filling

Such "professional" crust folding technique

Golden brown perfection

Cheesey goodness

Look at all those onions...yum!

Tomato-Glazed Meatloaves

I have never liked meatloaf, never ever. I have never found a recipe that I liked or could finish eating. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook has continuously delivered mouthwatering recipes, but I firmly believed that even the author couldn’t sway my abhorrence towards meatloaf. I waited to try this recipe when my family was together, so I could just try a small bite.  I had to split the recipe in half, with one half using halal meat and the other using ground beef from the store. The verdict: I still do not like meatloaf. Although this recipe had a different spice mixture than the typical meatloaf, I still did not care for it. Everyone else loved it. They thought the glaze was delicious and indicated that the recipe could have had a more sauce.

Raw meatloaf meatballs (some with and some without sauce)

Cooked meatloaf meatballs 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I have been called odd by friends because I really do not like chocolate; I can usually eat something with a little chocolate without cringing but I really try to avoid eating it.  Therefore, I had been putting off making this recipe until there could be others that could eat the cookies too. In addition, to my dislike of chocolate, I have a slight peanut sensitivity (it use to be a full-blown allergy); my sister is still highly allergic. Therefore,  this recipe was made at Christmas time with a huge sign advertising for my sister to NOT eat them. My niece and I chose to slice the cookies from the log instead of rolling out the cookies and using a cutter. Everyone liked the chocolate filling. I ended up eating up one cookie (chocolate filling and all), and that concluded my chocolate quota for the rest of the year.

Assembled baked cookies

Mom’s Apple Cake

The biggest hit last year from this cookbook was this recipe; I made it once at Thanksgiving and the other at Christmas. I followed the recipe exactly as written for Thanksgiving, but then for the Christmas cake, I substituted the cup of oil for a cup of applesauce. The verdict of the substitution: it was still amazingly delicious and it was still very moist. With nut allergies and sensitivities in the Hossein family, both times I did not put in walnuts. The first time I made the recipe at Thanksgiving, I put the batter in an Angel Food cake pan because that was the only “tube pan” my parents had at their house. It was an absolute nightmare, trying to get the cake out of the Angel Food Cake pan, but thankfully, it came out in one piece. For the second time I made the recipe, I divided the batter into two round cake pans, and it was definitely my preferred method when I make this cake again, and I am sure I will!

Baked apple cake using the Angel Food pan

Strawberry Cheesecake Fools

This was such a simple and delicious recipe that aesthetically looked great during the holidays.  For the cookie crumble, cinnamon and sugar graham crackers were used instead of whole wheat crackers; therefore, no additionally brown sugar or cinnamon were used. My niece was almost able to make this entire recipe by herself, with me supervising her when cutting the strawberries (had to make sure she would still have all ten fingers when she was done cutting).

Layered desserts are the best

Baked Potato Crisps with the Works

This was another recipe that was perfect for the holidays and my niece was almost able to complete independently. Who doesn’t love reinventing baked potatoes? We followed this recipe completely, except substituting turkey bacon for regular bacon since we do not eat pork. If you have the patience and time for this recipe, it is worth it, and you definitely will not have leftovers.  

Loaded with toasted cheese, sour cream, turkey bacon, and chives

Homage to Trader Joe's

The newest cookie butter infused item

It is hard for me to imagine that three years ago, I had never step foot in a Trader Joe's. My friends from graduate school gushed about Trader Joe's; I was a loyal Whole Foods shopper and couldn't understand the appeal. The Trader Joe's in Omaha was the size of a gas station (okay, maybe it was slightly bigger),  and I made a superficial judgement that Trader Joe's just couldn't be for me, because there was no way I was going to be able to get all my groceries from this one teeny, tiny store; my time was too valuable to have to run all over Omaha to gather my groceries.

Fast-forward, three years to Seattle, and my perspective about Trader Joe's has done a complete 360. I have given some deep-thought about what I would do if TJ (our relationship runs so deep, a nickname is required) went bankrupt and disappeared from my existence, and nothing positive comes from this reflection:

• I would definitely starve. I love cooking but when I do cook, I usually hunker down in my kitchen and cook something elaborate; therefore, I rely on TJ to keep me fed on semi-assembled, easily prep food during the weekdays. Most days, the only thing I use my stove for is to boil water for French Press brewed coffee. 
• I would go through cookie butter withdraw, no doubt. Hi, my name is Shaida, and I am addicted to cookie butter. How did I live for 25 years without someone trying to get me addicted to cookie butter...where was that peer pressure that everyone talks about?? My favorite is the creamy cookie butter. It's my favorite thing to put on sandwich bread and take as hiking food; but technically, any day ending in -y is a good day for cookie butter. It's my new peanut butter in a way; meaning that I will just eat in straight out of the jar, with a spoon, of course. A recent trip to TJ, I saw that one of their new items was "Cookie Butter Sandwich Cookies." It's safe to say that half of box of these cookies disappeared while I was fixing dinner (AKA me warming up food in the microwave), and I don't expect the other half of the box to have a very long lifespan.
• There would be no way for me to continue eating a mostly vegetarian lifestyle. I probably only eat meat for 2-3 meals a week (I get most of my protein from cookie butter and eggs). I have become beyond obsessed with all the hummus choices, frozen mac & cheese (I will even eat their less guilty/lite mac & cheese), fresh veggies, soups (their lentil soup is beyond amazing), edamame crackers, dried fruits (to accompany my cookie butter sandwiches when I hike), and salsas.
• Demo-ing deprivation would be a novel, but real DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) condition that I would have to endure. Who doesn't love food samples?!?! And not only does TJ have food samples but they always have coffee demoing as well. My blood type is coffee. So many scrumptious food items have ended up being in my kitchen because they were irresistible once I tried them at TJ's demoing station.
• The loss of TJ in pop-culture. Aziz Ansari's Park and Recreation character, Tom, put TJ on the map by referencing their Chicken Parmesan as Chicky Chicky Parm-Parm. 
• The holidays would be a little depressing. Some of my favorite items at TJ are seasonal, and a majority of them are in rotation from October-December. This is my favorite time of the year to receive the Frequent Flyer newsletter in the mail, and I highlight all the items I want and go into TJ with a game plan, so I don't forget any of the items. Some of my favorite items are the turkey sausage stuffing, pumpkin-spice coffee, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin butter, pumpkin bagels, and pumpkin cream cheese (it taste just like Texas Roadhouses' cinnamon butter). If you couldn't tell, I like just about everything that comes in pumpkin flavored.

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Seattle

There are so many options for hiking in the state of Washington; so many, that I am constantly overwhelmed with choices. One of my favorite regions of Washington to hike is the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Peninsula is gorgeous and the majority of it can be hiked year-round; however, it can involve 8+ hours of driving for a roundtrip from Seattle. There are days when I do not feel like being on the road for hours and want to quickly get to an enjoyable trailhead, and on these days I consult my 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Seattle book. It is also a great resource to use since the days are shorter during autumn and winter months.  I have vowed to complete all 60 hikes featured in the book…eventually.

Each year, I make progress towards this goal; in 2014 I completed the following hikes, and included a review and pictures of each hike featured in the book: Schmitz Preserve Park, Woodland Park and Green Lake Park, Blake Island State Park, Mercer Slough and Bellefields Nature Parks, Cedar River Trail (Landsburg to Big Bend Natural Area), Snoqualmie Falls Viewpoint (via Preston-Snoqualmie Rail-Trail),  Annette Lake and Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, Lime Kiln Trail at Robe Canyon Historic Park, and Flaming Geyser State Park.

Schmitz Preserve Park

This was an urban hike I accomplished during the autumn. I was already over in West Seattle doing another urban hike (Lincoln Park) and stop at Schmitz’s trailhead on my way back to Seattle. The entire time you are shaded by the forest, and I went on a rainy day and the trail was especially muddy. The boardwalks and bridges on this trail were very photogenic with fallen leaves. I hike so much in remote areas that since this was an urban hike (neighborhood park), it was odd to see people talking on cell phones and taking their dogs on walks through the forest.

Woodland Park and Green Lake Park

I have hiked the perimeter of Green Lake Park and have gone to the Woodland Park Zoo before; however, I hadn’t visited the Woodland Rose Garden. On this particular autumn day I walked the perimeter of Green Lake and visited the Woodland Rose Garden. I was pleasantly surprised how many plants and flowers were still blooming when I arrived at the Rose Garden. I can imagine how busy this garden will get on warm, sunny days…but I once again visited it on a rainy day, and almost had the place to myself.

Blake Island State Park

Blake Island is an interesting destination. You can only access the island via boat, kayak, or by taking an Argosy Cruise ship; there is no ferry that makes a trip. Therefore, the entire island has ZERO roads, because there’s no way for a car to reach it. Blake Island is popular among Seattle tourists because it has Tillicum Village, which features daily meals consisting of salmon cooked on cedar stakes as guests watch Dance on the Wind, an interpretive stage show. My friend and I were going to the island strictly for hiking (this was during the summertime) and went via an Argosy Cruise ship; fellow passengers consisted of those who were participating in the salmon dinner, campers, and other hikers.  I am sure if I did hiking on this island when I first moved to Seattle, I would have been more impressed. The island has beaches of course, but the forest consists of trees and a lot of ferns; it wasn’t very diverse and was very comparable to trail terrain found on Vashon Island (which cars can be taken via ferry boats).

View of Blake Island from the ship

Trail system on Blake Island

Photo of the Argosy ship that we took over to Blake Island

You can see the Seattle skyline through the haze

Mercer Slough and Bellefields Nature Parks

The Washington Trail Association recommended this hike as a “must-do” during autumn because the blueberry farms that are part of this trail turn a deep red-purple.  This was an urban hike and is located in the city of Bellevue. This is an interesting urban hike with lots of boardwalks and bridges. There were some wildlife sightings in the wetland area of this hike. You can see the skyscapers of Bellevue from this trail, and even on a cloudy, rainy dad there was a lot of people on this trail.

Cedar River Trail: Landsburg Park to Big Bend Natural Area

This is a trial that you can hike at various distances (3-14 miles); I ended up doing 6 miles of the trail with the main point of attraction being the Fort Pitt Bridge. This was another hike recommended by the Washington Trail Association for autumn hiking; in addition, Instagram followers were capturing great photos with canopies of red leaves at the Fort Pitt Bridge. Unfortunatley, I waited just a little too late and didn’t get to see the saturation of fall colors. Across the street from the trailhead is a Salmon Hatchery and people were taking tours of the facility, and it was during this time that the salmon were spawning in the Cedar River.

Snoqualmie Falls Viewpoint via Preston-Snoqualmie Rail-Trail

Snoqualmie Waterfall is a must-see tourist attraction, and the state of Washington has a visitor city and multiple viewpoint advantages to meet this demand.  In 2013, they finished the boardwalk that allowed visitors to hike down to the “base” of the waterfall. Prior to the boardwalk construction, there were just upper viewpoints. Upon arriving at this trailhead’s parking lot, you can either take the Preston-Snoqualmie Rail Trail to the left or to the right for the waterfall. In this hike they state that this trail allows “a view of the falls that most people never see.” Sounds promising, right? Well, you can barely see the waterfalls because the trees have grown so tall and are overgrown, which makes for a very, very, very limited view; so limited that I didn’t even take a picture of it. I also did the other side of the trail from the parking lot, and this was a more memorable trail. You don’t see the waterfall, but there is a beautiful bridge, switchback containing wall, and river. My recommendation, to see the waterfall go to the visitor center; but if you want to this trail, at the parking lot hike the trailhead on the left side.

Annette Lake and Asahel Curtis Nature Trail

This was my favorite hike from the book this year; and I hiked it during late summer. Annette Lake could also be named "The Mushroom Trail" because it had so many different mushrooms and some of the coolest ones I have ever seen. This trail also has some unique bridges; one of them is a fallen tree and the Washington Trail Association has carved indentation into it. Annette Lake is clear and aquamarine in color. Due to overgrown brush and plant life it is difficult to hike the entire perimeter of the lake, and I left all means of bushwhacking at home. From one of the accessible sides of the lake you can see a waterfall coming through the rocks. While I was there, people had camped the night before and said the sunset was amazing. I also did the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, and in my opinion, the most interesting part of this family-friendly trail was the first .25 miles.

Lime Kiln Trail at Robe Canyon Historic Park

First off, the books indicates that there are restrooms at the trailhead; there are not! The drive on this Autumn morning was foggy but it had burned off by the time we got to the trailhead. On the trail, there were a lot of fallen leaves, and there were some gigantic leaves (bigger than my entire torso). The majority of the rusted artifacts are very visible but there are a few that were camouflaged into nature. The Lime Kiln was our turnaround point for this trail. In the book, it looks like there is a side trip available to Hubbard Lake but it is a private road/trail. The trail offers viewpoints of the South Fork Stillaguamish River, but you are never really close to it.

View of the Stillaguamish River from the trail

Flaming Geyser State Park

First off, don't make a trip with this hike being the main focus; because it will be severely underwhelming. We made this trip after spending time at Mount Rainier National Park and wanted to do a little more hiking. In addition, keep your expectations in check with the word "geyser," because the geysers here are nothing like what you find at Yellowstone Park. At this park, there are two geysers: Flaming Geyser and Bubbling Geyser. In my opinion, Bubbling Geyser was more impressive than Flaming Geyser. We were the only ones hiking, everyone else seemed to be at the park for kayaking/canoeing down the Green River.

Picture of the bubbling sediment at the Bubbling Geyser

This is Flaming Geyser; there wasn't much of a flame but you could smell the methane.

Another trail with big, fallen leaves

Another picture of the bubbling sediment of Bubbling Geyser