Nourishing Break-Time Meals

With a physiology exam on the horizon, I had to find a way to motivate myself to study hard for the entire weekend. And since we have Monday to study, I knew I had to make my time at the desk count. So I started "rewarding" myself. As in, if you finish taking notes on these 7 chapters, you can make a tasty lunch. Or, once you've memorized these equations, you can bake a batch of cookies. And wouldn't you know, I am sitting here, writing this post with a plate of cookies in front of me and a Tupperware of carrot stoup in the fridge. I call it "stoup" for a reason, and I'll tell you about that in just a moment. The point is, it's important to work hard, but work efficiently. For me, that means setting goals but also breaks to regroup and revive.

I started the morning intending to make a little carrot soup for myself. More to use up the carrots I had in my fridge because I knew I would get sick of eating them raw with my lunches. So I sauteed 2 pats of butter with 4 chopped carrots and half a Vidalia onion (which are wayyyy easier to find here in Virginia than they were in Virginia). Next, I added a splash of sherry because I always feel the soup is missing something. I seasoned with a teeeny bit of salt and some pepper and then added my chicken broth - 4 cups. Instead of rice, I added about 1/2 cup of barley as well. I set the timer for 25 minutes and allowed the soup to simmer away on medium heat. During this time, my roommate came home and told me she was going to take a little nap. I didn't want to wake her by whirring up my soup in the blender. So I just scouped up a bowl as it was and took a spoonful. Man, was it good!!!!! Soooooo good. I loved have a little extra texture and the barley made it so satisfying. To use the words of AArti, it warmed me from my belly out. I went back for seconds.

Two hours later, I was feeling unmotivated again, so I told myself I could make some cookies if I stuck it out another 20 minutes. I just used the recipe on the back of the Ghiradelli bag of chocolate chips, cutting it in half because, let's face it, I don't need 30 cookies hanging around the house when I am under pressure ;)

For your viewing delight, here are a few pictures of the cookies dough, because everyone knows it's my favorite part. Oh, and a little trick - I like a crunchy exteriors and a gooey interior, so I take the cookies out when they have a nice little crust, but still dip in when I poke them gently. I let them sit on the pan on the counter and they cook a little more, but not toooo much.