Halloween/Lentil and Parsnip Salad

This was the first year in as long as I can remember that I had a blast dressing up for Halloween . In the past I have felt awkward and shy about it, always worrying that my costume was 'stupid' or that people were going to think badly of me, but this year I went all out. Surprisingly, I don't regret brushing out my curls and dousing them with baby powder for my 'Grandmother Clock' costume, even though several people pulled my hair to find out if I was wearing a wig or not. And, if I may say so myself I made a pretty cute Aunt Jemima. As it turns out, dressing up is a lot of fun. I could get used to the whole dressing up thing, but I still find it totally bizarre that at the actual Halloween parties, everyone behaves exactly the same as they would on any other night out, except they’re in costume. Let me tell you, seeing Batman dancing with a Teletubby is a weird sight no matter how festive you're feeling.

The funny thing is, I didn't even celebrate on the actually day of Halloween. Needless to say, after two nights of pre-Halloween parties and costumes, by the 31st, all I wanted was a good break. Actually, what I really needed was a good break with good food and good conversation.

Greek Life/Moussaka

I remember when I was applying to college, 'the list' was defined by finding schools that satisfied a few basic criteria. Big or small? Metropolitan or rural? And so on, until finally the most important question was asked, "Greek life?" From my perspective, eight years at a small all-girls school was the only taste of sorority life I ever needed. Other people saw the opportunity to pledge as a right of passage and a crucial part of a 'real' college experience. To be honest, I could care less about some pin that I will keep for the rest of my life until my daughter becomes a 'legacy' member of the same sorority as me. But hey, I am just being opinionated here, I know lovely and amazing women who are in sororities, so I shouldn't generalize.

If it's any comfort to all you sorority sisters and fraternity brothers out there, my love for Greek food most certainly makes up for my dislike of Greek life.

Keeping Warm/Easy Split Pea-sy Soup

It actually snowed here the other day. On October 22 it snowed. I still can't get over it, I know it’s supposed to be colder this far north, but snow, already!? Until this weekend, I have stubbornly been pretending it wasn't all that cold even though the thermometer has already gone as low as 28 degrees (that’s -2 degrees for all you Canadian readers). Not surprisingly, I found myself sick as a dog and navigating an October snowstorm wearing nothing but a flimsy scarf and light jacket. Clearly, being stubborn did not work in my favor. So, I finally had no choice but to give in to winter, my gloves and boots are officially in use and I turned the heat on in my apartment.

The only good news about this ridiculous weather is that soup season has officially begun, and although I may not like the cold, I love soup. It is the only dinner that can actually thaw me out after a long session in the frigid library. Also, I love eating anything out of a bowl with a spoon; you can try and figure that one out because I still haven't.

Sanity/Cinnamon Chocolate-Chip Sour Cream Cake

Sometimes I am compelled to question my sanity. I mean, I woke up at an ungodly hour yesterday morning and moseyed to the supermarket just so I could buy the ingredients to make this cake. You see the thing is, its not that I was craving sweets or chocolate or anything, but I had decided that I was going to bake a cake for my blog. So, despite papers and midterms, at 8 am I was lurking outside the supermarket waiting for the doors to open. By 10:30 piping hot deliciousness was sneaking out of my oven. I wish I could have been in my roommate’s head when she walked out of her room and there was already a cake baking. I wouldn't blame her for worrying, normal people don’t make cakes the second they roll out of bed. Except for me that is, I swear I am totally normal.

It all started on Monday, when I decided that things have been looking a little salty around here recently, so I knew it was time to bake something up. I have more or less a million recipes bookmarked on my computer, but I didn’t feel like making anything fancy or difficult. To quote my oh-so-eloquent self, “I just want to make a cake where I just throw everything into a bowl and ta-dah!”