Taters & Whatnot.

This was my dinner of choice for three or four nights earlier this week.  I've been eating dinner al desko quite frequently as of late, due to the fact that I've had so.much.homework.  I swear, it was like all my profs decided to take all the homework they would have given us last week (when we were on break) and combine it with this week's load.  2(homework) =/= fun.  Ugh.  So yeah, not a lot of time to play around in the kitchen.  Until yesterday, that is.

[BTdubbs, another reason why I haven't posted in awhile is because blogger apparently contracted a case of the STUPIDS and wouldn't post any of my photos!  What would this blog be without my awesome photography skillz??  I kid...]

Anyhoo, Simply Asia.  I love those guys.  Their noodle bowls are fab. 

Another reason to not miss Ramen.  ;)

 ...I digress. 

Well, I hope everyone had an awesome St Patty's Day ("everyone" refers to the two-three people who actually read this)!  I had one shot of vodka Thursday night and promptly started dry-heaving.  That was the highlight of my St Patrick's Day.  =(  [TMI]

Yesterday was a lot more fun.  The roomie and I hosted a potato cook-off.  For once in my life, I managed to get all my homework done before the weekend set in, so I actually had time to make something halfway-decent!  I decided to make a potato salad -- see, I loooove everything about tater salad, except for the nasty mayonnaise sludge with which it's flavored...which um, is pretty much what makes potato salad what it is.  Guess I'm just weird.  Anyhoo, my mission was to make a sludge-free tater salad of which my taste buds approved.  Believe it or not, the attempt was quite successful!

Oh my gosh, this took 30 !@#$ing minutes to upload!  X.x

  Healthy-ish Potato Salad

You'll need:
5 medium-sized redskin potatoes
1 medium-sized red bell pepper (Suppose you could use orange or yellow as well, haha)
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped red onion
Scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Set a pot of water on the stove to boil -- add a tidbit of salt for flavor if you'd like.  While the water's heating up, peel your potatoes.  Boil them for a few minutes, then let them simmer until they're cooked through (every few minutes, stick a knife in the pot and stab a tater -- if the knife goes in easily, and the potato slides off the tip right away, your potatoes are done.  ;) ).  While you're waiting on them, chop the pepper, onion, and celery.  You can either chop the basil or just break it into tiny pieces (that's what I did, haha.  My hands smelled lovely afterward).  Then, chop your potatoes, and add them to the other dry ingredients.  Stir in the dressing, and stick it in the fridge for a few hours.

I have a feeling that I'll end up bringing this to many a barbecue this summer...

PS -- I also made some (utterly mouthgasmic...hehe) chocolate / caramel / cashew fondue for dessert, but um...we ended up eating it all (straight-up) before the guests arrived.  X) Yeah, the roomie had to run to the store and grab some brownie mix, so we could whip up a replacement dessert A-SAP.  Maybe this will be the next post?  *Shrugs*  Stay tuned!