‘Twas a dreary day here in Charlotte Carolina.
There and back again to class and came home to some hot tea and a hot "apple crisp"
I chopped up a medium honey crisp and nuked it for 45 seconds. Topped with a dollop of Oikos, a tsp of pumpkin butter and some Best Damn Granola. There may have been a tsp of peanut butter added when I got down to plain apple!
The delicious snack promptly spoiled my dinner appetite.
But when 6:30 came around I had the choice of eating a hot, cheesey melted frittata with my husband or heating something up a while later. I chose the former!
This was one of the very best frittatas we’ve ever made!!
Breakfast for dinner…
Applegate Farms Kielbasa + Beemster Cheese with Corn + Spinach Frittata
We sauteed two organic kielbasa pork sausages from Applegate Farms. They were EXCELLENT. Also went into our Thanksgiving stuffing! They’re a little high in fat, but also very high in flavor. When you’ve got a kielbasa craving, choose these. Plus some TJ’s canned corn (about half a cup). Then added spinach – about 3 cups? Poured on 3 eggs plus a tiny splash of carton whites leftover.
I chopped up some of that XO Beemster cheese I was sent to sample. This is seriously one of the best cheeses I’ve had in ages (heh heh). It’s got so much flavor. I think last time I likened it to a mix of parmesan, whiskey and butter. Add in smoked gouda! It tasted smokier to me tonight.
Ready to be broiled…
Just 2 minutes later (I don’t like browned cheese!) This cheese was firm enough to hold its shape, so we got lots of nice chunks in each bite.
I had 1/3 of the frittata and Matt had the rest.
Plus clems on the side. My mom used to always serve oranges at dinner when I was little. We used to have Orange Schloobies (a blend of oranges, sugar and ice that my mom’s family made up) for dinner as a special treat sometimes. I think of oranges as one of the most nutritious fruits for some reason. Probably the Vit C and folate.
Despite not being that hungry when I sat down to dinner, an hour later I’m feeling a bit empty. Might need a carb-y snack in a bit. Matt noted at dinner "This meal is missing complex carbohydrates." Nerd alert!
***
My mom is writing a picture book set at the White House and she found this 17 course dinner from the Rutherford B. Hayes White House in 1878!! How’d you like to be a guest at this one!?
***
Internship News
I found out 2 of my internship rotations today (still waiting on Community ones)
Really, really good news: I got the hospital I wanted!! It’s near Uptown Charlotte and it’s where my friend Caitlin works as an R.D.!! Not too bad of a commute either.
Really, really bad news: My foodservice rotation is in Salisbury, which is halfway across the state of North Carolina!!
Ok, ok that’s a bit of an exaggeration but it’s FAR! 110 miles of driving each day. 60+ minutes one way. Sigh. I better ask for audio books and gas cards for Christmas!! I have even researched hotel costs in the area to see if that would make sense! But since the internship is entirely unpaid, I don’t think I’d want to spend the money. Anyone live in Salisbury and want to take me in for a few months?!
***
GOSSIP GIRL IS ON IN T-90 minuuuuuttteeeess!!!!!!!!!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
Glad you at least got one internship you wanted! It was so dreary here in Pa, too. I’d rather have snow!
Wendy says
Wow, that is a long commute! I know a lot of people from my area commute about an hour to St. Louis for work, but I sure wouldn’t want to do it. I hate driving the 20 minutes to take my daughter to preschool 3 days a week!
FYI, check your local library’s website to see if they have downloadable audiobooks. I listen to them all.the.time, and they’re free! Otherwise, check into audible.com – I’ve never used it, but it’s like Netflix for audiobooks. 🙂
Kelly says
You and your strange tastes, first no onions, now no browned cheese?!
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
Congrats on the internship!
It was rainy hear, too 🙁 Unfortunately, my dinner was not enough to perk me up like that would have been–oh well, I’ll have to make a good dessert
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini) says
Mmmm that frittata looks wonderful. My kind of dinner…well, that is if it had “complex carbs.” 😉
I hear you on the commuting thing…I’ll be doing a two hour there, two hour back one next semester. Woo hoo!! Yay for Audio Books!! I’ll be a genius by the end of it!
Nighty night. Enjoy Gossip Girl!
Kristie Lynn says
I second Wendy’s suggestion to check out audio books from the library. Free = the best!
Your clems look so good… time to go buy a box. I’m missing citrus in my life 😉
Heather says
Also, look at booksfree.com – they are like netflix, but for books, and they have an audio book option. But I second the suggestion to look at your local library to see if they do downloads. Or, do you have family in Maryland? (I think you mentioned that before.) All the MD libraries are on a download system and they have plenty of choices… take it from me – my NORMAL commute is 52 miles one way.
Anne P says
I always get audiobooks from the library – they are so awesome for commuting to school! If you want some recommendations let me know 😉
Also, that White House menu… holy crap!! Talk about intense! 🙂
Lauren @ eater not a runner says
That looks like such a fun cheesy adventure 🙂 Sorry about all the driving…yuck
Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers says
wow that’s quite the drive. it’ll all be worth it in the end! audio books make SUCH a difference!
Melissa says
Congrats on getting the internship you wanted! The commute is frustrating but its temporary! And audio books actually sound fun. I’ve never tried because I’ve never continuously been in the car for that long..but they almost make it appealing 🙂
How come you need to have three internships? Do you go to each one everyday?
Kath says
We have to do at least one in each category of the RD: community, clinical, foodservice.
ashleigh says
i love BFD! gotta have it at least once a week 🙂
that sucks your second internship is so far away especially because it’s unpaid. my commute to work is 45 minutes each way and sometimes longer but at least i make money! it will be a great experience though and i am sure you will get used to it after a few weeks!
candice says
I did the microwaved apple + granola as part of breakfast. Nothing like a warm, cinnamon-y honeycrisp to help start the day! 🙂 Though I can’t agree with your view on browned cheese. Sure, it’s nice when it’s gooey… but delicious when it’s like a cookie: browned on the edges, gooey in the middle. If cheese were shaped like a cookie, that is.
Clementines are one of my FAVORITE fruits—I used to eat them all the time! So easy to peel, so sweet, and seedless! Definitely one of the most convenient, delicious, and cute fruits ever! Not to mention nutritious!
Mara @ What's for Dinner? says
I had a commute like that for an entire year…. not ideal, but doable! Audiobooks were a necessity!
Sam (Merit to the Carrot) says
Congrats on the internship!
Your snack and supper look exceptional, as usual 🙂
Enjoy Gossip Girl!
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
WHAT!?!?! That is 110 miles WAY too far!! If only you got one in Durham! I guess you could live at your parents’ house then haha…just sayin’ 🙂
Kath says
I would love that! Would be fun temporarily 🙂
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
Beemster Gouda is one of my favorite cheeses! I always order it when serving a cheese platter 🙂
Gelareh @ Orange Truffle says
I hear you on the long commute. I had to commute between Raleigh NC and Atlanta GA for 6 month. I am glad those days are OVER. I would drive from Atlanta to Raleigh on Sunday night and then back to Atlanta right after work..
Joelle (The Pancake Girl) says
OMG that menu’s awesome!!! i love American history. PS Congrats on your internship!
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
I’ve been wanting to try a frittata for awhile now, that one looks great!
Wow, that’s quite a menu for 1878!! 😯
Jenn
Lindsay says
Wow that is a lot of driving…. Glad that you got the hospital you wanted though!!!
Light Delight with TouTou says
at first sight , I thought that apple crisp is kind of cappuccino ! 😀
Stephanie says
Eek… I hate driving!! You could also try Craigslist and other sites to see if anyone is looking for a subletter (if you’d feel safe, of course). Sometimes people are so desperate they are willing to take really reduced rents. With the amount of $ you’d spend on gas, it could possibly be worth it….
I know you’ll find a way to make it work 🙂
lauren says
I know the commute sounds killer – but from someone who drive almost 70 minutes each way to work daily, it really is doable. The work/life balance is different but I know you can do it! I actually carpool, so hopefully you can find someone to do that with, too. Can’t wait to hear more about the internships!
Kath says
I wish I could find a carpool companion, but sadly I’m the only one going up there 🙁
Rose says
Gosh, that really is a long commute. How long is it for? Books on tape – best idea. I also carry a recorder and talk to myself. No joke. Sounds crazy – but it’s a good way for me to get writing ideas out as well as decompress.
Karla says
Congratulations on your internship! That’s great news!
I would love to attend a million course dinner like that! Especially at the White House 🙂
Brittney says
Wow. And I thought my commute for summer classes was bad. I had a 45 minute drive each way 4 days a week, but luckily it was only for 5 weeks. I’m sure the audiobooks will definitely come in handy.
Rachael says
That cheese looks WONDERFUL! I want some!
Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now says
The apple crisp looks amazingly delectable!
Sorry you’ll have to drive so much. I know I’d hate that 🙁
Danielle says
Oh that frittata looks so good! I’ve never made one before, but think that it’s going into the rotation 🙂 Oh and that cheese…that cheese! It sounds simply divine!
Yea for the good news and boo for the bad!
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
That fritatta looks awesome 🙂
Congrats on the close internship! Good idea re audio books for the long cmmute too. Perhaps you could get some language ones and learn a new language?
Cait (Cait's Plate) says
YAAAAY! I’m watching Gossip Girl right now 🙂 It’s awwweesssommme!
Boo for the long commute but yay for getting the hospital you wanted! I’m SO jealous!
Pat says
Hey, Kath. Check your local library for audiobooks on CD for the commute, or perhaps they, like ours, offer free downloads to your MP3/iPod. It’s a great way to go, and they’re usually unabridged.
And, um, I hope you’re not driving 110 miles in 60 minutes – you’d be driving waaaay too fast. 🙂
Erin says
Congrats on getting your placements. 😀 I *love* making apple crisp like that — healthy and so delicious.
Gina says
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been commuting 100 miles every day for almost 3 years. 🙁
Congrats on getting the hospital you wanted though!
KatieMoo says
Eeek, that’s far for a rotation! And isn’t your internship technically in SC, so isn’t that super far? But congrats on getting the good hospital! I had to drive 45 minutes each way for my long term care rotation… I discovered lots of good music!
How long is your food service rotation? I’m sorry, Kath, especially since i know that you love food service (ha)….
Kath says
The school is in SC but the internship is all throughout both NC and SC. I’m not sure how long it is yet, but it shouldn’t be more than 2.5 months.
Naomi(onefitfoodie) says
congrats on the intership news! you must be so relieved to know where you are going! I am sure the commute will be hard at first, but you will get used to it! and thats so amazing you got the hospital you wanted!
Clementines are the best esp this time of year, they really do balance out a meal quite wonderfully!
Lele says
Ew ew I’d totally crash an Obama state dinner (like those lucky people!) but not a Hayes one. They ate TERRAPIN! THAT IS TURTLE! I AM SO UPSET BY THAT!
Paige@ RunningAroundNormal says
Yum yum yum! That apple crisp sounds delicious, as do the frittadas! Look at all those fresh ingredients!
Congrats on the internship! That’s so great you’re finally down to that. Sorry about the commute, though 🙁
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) says
Congrats on the internships! Sorry about the commute though!
Lisa says
Hi Kath! Big fan, big fan 🙂 I love browned cheese!
Seriously though, I am in the hotel business and the company I work for owns and operates some Marriott Hotels. They offer friends & family and associate rate discounts. I would be happy to help you out if you want to explore that option. Please don’t hesitate to email me and I can give you more information. I know we don’t “know” each other, but I would seriously love to help. The rates depend on the hotel, but the discounts are pretty nice!
Kath says
I’m sending you an email 🙂
Julie @savvyeats says
Hooray for getting the internship you wanted!
Boo for having to go so far for the second!
Erin @ Big Girl Eats says
That is so awesome your mom is writing a children’s book! I seriously love White House/Presidential history!! So cool.
Congrats on the internship! I laughed at the map – in Rhode Island, you are definitely in another state after driving for 40 minutes, let alone 60!
Jenna says
that fritatta sure does look great!
jenna
joy says
LOL this meal is missing complex carbs. so funny
sorry about your commute, but in my experience you do get used to it. sometimes you’ll be swearing the whole way home but with a good rotation of cd’s and some audiobooks (and lots of coffee/caffeinated tea) you’ll get through it!
Sheila | Live Well 360° says
I think I would have to take a few digestion breaks if I were to go to that dinner!
Bummer about the foodservice rotation. Ask for the audio book for “The End of Overeating” if you haven’t already read it. It was interesting. I just wrote a review on it. Or any of Malcom Galdwell’s books (Blink, What the Dog Saw)… good stuff.
carly says
Hey Kath!
Congratz on the internship… I am doing mine right now through the University of Delaware a long distance program… All my rotations are in San Diego, California… I already did my community nutr. rotation and just finishing up my food service… We should both be so thankful that we got our internships! A lot of my friends are on their third rounds of the matching system… Do you have any WIC locations for community nutrition? Good luck with everything and let me know if you have questions since I am almost half way done 🙂
Kath says
Yes, I am thankful! One of my friends didn’t get one 🙁 We do have WIC locations, but I don’t know yet if that’s where I’ll be.
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
commuting won’t be too bad if you’ve got a bunch of podcasts to listen to – i’ve got a whole bunch if you want suggestions!
skinnyrunner says
that fritatta looks soooo good!
congrats on the good news and bummer about the long commute!
Amanda says
Do you think you could maybe do a post on great gift ideas for the holidays? I don’t know what to get people, and I also don’t really know what I want myself!
Congrats on the internship! Is there any public transportation you can take to the one far away? That way you can get work done during the commute, and hopefully it would be cheaper!
Kath says
I don’t really know what to get people either!! I’d say check Open Sky because it’s got a lot of stuff that I do like 🙂
Fei Fei says
my gosh, just reading that White House menu is making me drool. So sorry to hear about the driving >.o how come they assign you to internships that are so ridiculously far away? D:
Jil says
The fritatta looks absolutely wonderful!!
Deirdre says
I love breakfast for dinner! That White house menu looks AMAZING. I’m sorry about your commute next semester, but I can relate kinda. I don’t have to drive, but I’m on the subway almost an hour each way for my commute to and from work.
How great was the table scene on Gossip Girl tonight when everything seemed to hit the fan?! Awesome.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Augh, sorry to hear about the far travels. You would have thought they would plan that better for you! But at least you do have the hospital you want!
LOVE your afternoon snack Kath!!! Perfect healthy comfort food!
SweetiePotato says
17 course dinner?! Man alive, that’s a lotta food!! 😀
Whit says
Congrats on the uptown internship, but frowny on the Salisbury one! Down here in MONROE would have been better than that!
coco says
Matt is getting nerd on nutrition!!! Soooo funny!!!
fruit at dinner plate? have you read about in-digestion about fruit and meal times? does it make sense to you Kath?
Kath says
No, it doesn’t make sense. We have enzymes to digest all types of foods at once, so I don’t believe any of that.
christie @ honoring health says
That frittata looks amazing!
Congrats on getting the internship you wanted!
sarah (ghost world) says
omg stewed terrapin and golden jelly with violets (whatever that is)! what an insane meal!
that really does suck about salisbury. i had do to similar really obnoxious commutes during medical school. they should offer you housing there!
on the up side, if you’re that close to chapel hill you should hang out here more 🙂
Katy @ These Beautiful Feet says
Well, congrats on getting one placement you wanted! I’m sorry about the long commute, that really stinks! I am finishing an unpaid teaching internship right now and everything is just that much harder not being paid. Sorry. I hope you end up really loving it though! Do you have both internships at the same time?
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
Congrats on the good news…but you’re right– that is a very long commute 🙁 You’ll figure something out!
Jody says
Congrats on the internships! I commute an hour and a half to work each day—3 hours round trip. It stinks, but I’m sure you will adapt and it’s only temporary, right? The hardest thing for me is finding time to work out. I also have to pack lots of healthy snacks and meals to last me through the day since I’m away from home for over 12 hours.
CaSaundra says
When I would drive back and forth to college 120 miles each way–I lived on audio books!!! You can get em’ at the library too 🙂
Kath says
Thanks so much for the audio book recommendations!!
K
Sarah says
Surely you have a reader in that area who would offer to let you stay 🙂 That is quite a commute! But I’m glad you got the hospital you wanted.
rhodeygirl says
Yummy snack!
amber says
Hi Kath! I was born and raised in Salisbury! I live in NYC now (left NC when I was 18) but I can tell you that drive isn’t so bad. My parents are divorced, my dad lives in Charlotte and my mom in Salisbury, so I have made that drive back and forth quite a bit. I’m sure gas will add up but like I said, it’s not sooo awful. 🙂 I look forward to reading your journeys in my hometown!
Kath says
Thanks Amber!! Did you go to the public schools there? That’s where I’ll be 🙂
Seth @ Boy Meets Food says
Sorry to hear about the long drive. I know exactly how you feel. For the past 2 years I have been working on my Master’s, and the classes are about 60 miles away from my house/work. So twice a week, I have been spending quite a bit of time on the road too! But, that all ends in 2 1/2 weeks!
Seth @ Boy Meets Food says
Oh, and about the audio books… like others have suggested, we usually get a bunch from the library. I would recommend picking up more than you think you will listen to, because inevitably one will suck and you won’t want to listen to it.
But, I also heard that Cracker Barrel has a program where you can buy the audio book, then take it back (to any Cracker Barrel) for a major refund. You only end up spending a buck or two after you get the reimbursement. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but I hear that is an option.
Laura says
Matt sounds a little like my Mum and Dad- try growing up in a family of Biochemists- ‘oh no! The butter has oxidised’ or calling spiral pasta ‘double helix’ pasta! They frequently talk about their food as in protein or carbohydrate in much the same way uuurg. Oh, and it doesn’t rain it precipitates. Hmmm. I think you’re going to make a great dietician- I think we could do with someone who really knows and appreciates proper nutrition- and more who actually spread their knowledge. I used to work in a hospital where some of the nurses would serve milk and butter to their lactose intolerant patients and once mushrooms to someone with a mushroom allergy ;(
Kath says
LOL. I’d love them!
Chelsea says
So how does it work? Do you have one internship for 2 months, another for 2 months, and your third for 2 months OR is it all 3 at the same time and you have to be in 1 location for 2 days, another for 2 days, and another for 1? I’m thinking maybe the first option?
The one nice thing about a commute is NPR. Maybe I’m nerdy but I LOVE listening to NPR and their stories are so long and involved sometimes that you NEED a long commute. I’ve been known to sit in my car in the garage to finish listening to a story. Yes NERDY!
I love that one of the courses is Cheese Sticks. Lu would LOVE that course!
Kath says
2 months, 2 months, 2 months.
Except those are really more like 7 weeks each.
I used to listen to NPR a lot during the election. I”ve slacked off now that my commutes are less.
Nicole (dishin') says
One good commute and one bad commute but at least it’s temporary. Hopefully you’ll love the internship so much that you won’t mind the drive!
Sabina says
That is a long commute. How frequently each week do you have to go there? Commutes take a lot out of a person, be prepared!
That menu is insane. I would hope that it was more of an amuse-bouche (tasting) menu, but know that it probably wasn’t! Thanks for sharing.
Cady says
This whole post and I am still completely zeroed in on the fact that one of the courses was “stewed terrapin. I’m fairly sure a terrapin is a turtle, so this has me completely nauseated. Yeah, well. I just became a vegetarian.
I was a dietetics major for a year. I switched to an English major because the internship options in Oklahoma are so grim, and I really, really don’t want to leave! I just hate that the internship process is so confusing. Darn you, ADA!
Carolyn says
That frittata looks great!! What a bummer about the foodservice internship. That’s a lot of driving. 🙁
Anna says
Mmm – the frittata looks yummy – I’ve never thought about adding corn to an egg dish before, I’ll have to try it. The apple crisp in a cup is also a good idea.
I love NPR for long drives – I try to do a variety of podcasts – A Way with Words, CarTalk, Story of the Day, World Story of the Day, and Sunday Puzzle are my favorite NPR podcasts. I like to have a variety so I can switch it up based on my mood – news, comedy, engaging, etc. Also make sure you have music to sing along to cause there’s nothing to help boost your mood like singing along to your favorite tunes 🙂