Semi-Homemade Ramen

I don't have a problem, I have priorities. 

In case you are not addicted to Fleo and perhaps live without Instagram, the Katie Crewe x Fleo collaboration dropped tonight at 9 PM ET. As of 9:39 PM, the scuba blue El Toros are still available but those beautiful babies have garnered so much hype, we should expect to see them sell out shortly.

I'm driving home from chem lab tonight and construction leads me to take the road that forces me to pass all of my favorite take out places. I tried to hold it together but then then I see the sign for Thaicoon Sushi Bar and I start crossing lanes of traffic. But then the voice of reason (my boyfriend Brad) comes over the car speaker telling me to be strong. So I get back in my lane and drive on home, proud in my decision to order more Fleo and make dinner at home. Then I pass Pig and Chick and decided I need to find a new way to my house.

Daisy Mae-approved meal

I'm in the mood for noodles, meat, veggies, and Asian flavors. I have thawed Costco chicken tenderloins in the fridge so I cut them into 1-2 in pieces. I start a pan on medium heat with a little oil (not olive because I've noticed I can taste it in my Asian-flavor inspired dishes) and diced white onion. I season the chicken cubes with salt and pepper before adding them into the pan. Keep it moving around to avoid burning but it basically takes care of itself. Sprinkle with sesame seeds while cooking to get that roasted flavor.

Now I start trying to teach myself to make ramen soft boiled eggs. Since I didn't marinate eggs in mirin and soy sauce last night, I settled for regular soft boiled eggs. Only two out of my attempted 6 came out edible. Next time I'm really on the Instant Pot. I've been told it makes foolproof eggs. 

As I get increasingly frustrated with egg gate, I add some sesame green beans I prepared earlier in the day during bulk food prep to the chicken and onions. I've got the heat on low just to keep everything warm and ensure everything got cooked through.

Give up on the eggs and hope for the best, because now it's time to reboil your water for the noodles. I found these tasty packets at Costco up in Duluth, which has inventory we basic bitches inside of the perimeter can only dream of. I get my car serviced in Duluth and always add a Costco run after. The noodles cook for about 2 minutes, then you drain them, and then add the sauce. The sauce definitely passes my picking sauce standards. 

Combine the noodles, sauce, chicken, and vegetables together. Arrange soft boiled egg on top. Hide the one you broke but still looks totally edible underneath the noodles so it doesn't show in photos. Season egg with salt, pepper, and more sesame seeds. Add fish sauce liberally. Viola!

I put fish sauce and sesame seeds on pretty much everything these days. You can see that my fish sauce is almost empty. The salty and roasted nutty deliciousness glams up a basic rice, protein, veg meal instantly.

I had time to prepare, cook, and eat this meal and clean up my whole kitchen before the release dropped. I'm now the proud owner of the scuba blue El Toros and the aqua splash reinette bra.

This story has a happy ending because my Reinette and El Toros are secured!

If you enjoying reading about how I experiment with making my favorite takeout meals at home, let me know. It's my current kitchen passion. And remember, if I could teach myself to cook in 2015, there's nothing holding you back.

January 2020 Goals Update

I managed to not spend all my money on UberEats last month!

January was a successful month. For the first time in what feels like forever, I budgeted my money for the entire month and didn't overspend. I took steps to minimize the amount of interest I pay on debt. I used this debt reduction calculator to figure out the best way to pay of my loans and cards with the least amount of interest. I also opened a new credit card and initiated a balance transfer on my existing credit card debt so I can now pay it off without paying interest. I got a Citi Simplicity card and have 0% APR for 21 months. If you've got debt and your paying high interest fees, look into this option.

I took all of the food delivery apps off of my phone. I can obviously still order delivery if I want to but deleting the apps and unsubscribing from their emails has changed my behavior. We didn't order food at all in the entire month. We did go out a few times because I'd probably die if I couldn't eat La Parrilla. La Parrilla has THE BEST margaritas and I consider myself an expert on the topic. I started making hard boiled egg avocado toast and chicken caprese salads. Very tasty and not that difficult to eat in the car.