I can cook, I swear

Well, maybe cook is a strong word. I have the ability to combine food ingredients and apply heat in a way that is reminiscent of a mad scientist. My creations tend to leave a lot to be desired in the looks department, even if they taste delicious and have a beautiful soul on the inside. 

He actually volunteers on the weekends.

So last week I decided it was time to definitely knock one of my goals for the year out, and I figured that the first one that I had to conquer was to create an original recipe/dish that included bacon. I struggled with this one though because everything that can be done with bacon seems to have been done. Then it hit me: What am I really good at making??? Grilled cheese, spaghetti, mac and cheese, and of course bacon. So me being the genius that I am decided to combine these beautiful foods into a incredible superfood. And since my good friend Niah is the one who decided to give me this goal, she had to suffer through this experiment into madness. So now I present: The Pasta Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Now I'm really bad at taking pictures, and Niah got distracted with some game on my phone so there's a severe lack of photo documentation in this post, but you'll get what I have. 

My first step is to have a plan if everything goes wrong. In this case I believe junk food is the best option.

I've got most of the elf food groups covered.

 The next actual step is to make bacon. I vary on how I like to do this, but usually I just use my oven. I feel it gives me the crisp I desire while still retaining enough moisture not to be crunchy. Though I usually do make a couple of pieces so on the stovetop so I can hear the sound of the bacon frying.

 Now these next pictures must come with a warning: I am making bacon... Ladies.

I'm not a model, I just play one on T.V.

Next I had to make the pastas. Instead of making two pots of different pastas, I decided to make a mac and cheese cup and a small pot of spaghetti so I didn't have too much food. Though you really can't have too much pasta.

Yeah, I'm pretty much ready to be an Iron Chef.

                       Well maybe not...

It was finally time to actually put this monstrosity together. I started by just putting down my bread, then placed my cheese and finally my pasta. This was the same process I used for both sandwiches, one that I've considered patenting.

 

Of course I then messed up and burnt my first one. Lucky for me I tend to enjoy slightly burnt food

I really prefer the term well done.

 And that was it. It was time for this to either be an incredible success or a colossal failure. Personally my nerves were getting to me

Sorry I'm not better looking.

And then..... SUCCESS!!!! My first bite was delicious. The cheesiness mixed with the heavenlike bacon and the pasta-y goodness made this tempest of flavor and consistencies. It was probably the greatest dish that was made that date in the entire world. Or something. It was pretty good though, seriously.

And what did my fearless compatriot Niah think about my creation? I like to think it turned out it was Tim-tested, Niah-approved.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out. I knocked a goal off my list, had a great time, and probably cut a few months off my life. It's nice to actually see things through for a change. Well, that's it for now. Sadly my next post probably won't be so delicious.

And for those of you who stuck around til the end, here's a plate of bacon:

'Merica 

 

A new challenger appears

I finally found a third person to make a deal with, so now I'm up to 36 goals for the year. I'm still waiting to get them back, but I really can't wait.

Here's a quick update on how my goals are going so far:

I'm struggling to make a superhero... well maybe struggling isn't the right word, since I've made a lot. The problem is choosing which one to go forward with since I kind of love them all. I may just end up with a huge universe by the end of the year. That actually sounds pretty cool: Marvel, DC, Tim, Dark Horse.

There are still so many Bond movies to watch. I'm really not sure where to start, but I'm working on it. Slowly. Very slowly.

This whole running thing is for the birds, like emus. But I went for a run the other day and didn't die. So that's exciting.

And most importantly I'm making the most incredible dish ever tonight. With bacon. Next week's update is gonna be epic.

That's it for now. Later days

GOOOOOAALLLLLs Part 2

This is just a quick update about my goals post. I now have another 12 to post about, though some of these work well together.

Here's my first 12 from the last post:

1. 1. Blog once a week for three months.
2. Learn to swim
3. Create a geo-scavenger hunt.
4. Create an original superhero.
5. Write a short story about said hero.
6. Create an original recipe that must include bacon.
7. Run a 5k.
8. Watch every Bond film (All 23).
9. Learn a hobby of my choosing.
10. Eat somewhere from "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives"
11. Go on a road trip.
12. Ride a Batman themed ride

And here's my 12 new goals to go along with them:


1. Walk at least 4 miles every single week until Spring Break
2. After learning to swim, learn one type of swim stroke and perfect it (for example:
the breast stroke… he he he )
3. Tell yourself something truly positive about you every single day
4. Take someone to your favorite spot
5. Have lunch or dinner by yourself without any internet distractions
6. Watch season 1 of Veronica Mars
7. Plan a super date
8. Get more batman gear
9. Go down a slide or swing whenever possible
10. Dedicate 5 blog posts to someone or something
11. Live tweet 5 of the Bond films
12. Try a new and exotic type of cuisine


So that's it, at least for now. I may exchange goals with one more person, I'm not sure yet. Though if you come to me with a great list I'll probably agree. Now I'm off to work, but I leave you with this:

Later Days

GOOOOOAALLLLLs

First, I was way too happy when I thought of the name of this post. Stupid happy. I'm still smiling about it. 

Ladies...

Now that I've got your attention, it's time for big news. Usually I make New Years resolutions, and that's all well and good but I get super bored about five or six days in. I think my record is four weeks. So what should I do? I think I've come up with an awesome solution this year.

I still have my own personal goals that we all make (be a better person, wrestle an alligator, eat said alligator, etc..) but this year I have made deals with a couple of individuals to exchange goals. We've exchange 12 goals each, three major and nine minor to be completed by the end of the year. This way, I'm not accountable to just myself but to my friends, who will in fact mock me relentlessly if I fail.... Or maybe encourage me or something. 

I'll be keeping everyone up to date on how I'm doing, as well as posting weekly now due to one of my given goals. I've got 12 so far, I should have another 12 in the coming week, and I may deal with one more person. So by years end I'll have completed 24-36 goals. Here's the 12 I have so far:

1. 1. Blog once a week for three months.
2. Learn to swim
3. Create a geo-scavenger hunt.
4. Create an original superhero.
5. Write a short story about said hero.
6. Create an original recipe that must include bacon.
7. Run a 5k.
8. Watch every Bond film (All 23).
9. Learn a hobby of my choosing.
10. Eat somewhere from "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives"
11. Go on a road trip.
12. Ride a Batman themed ride.

I'll post the next 12 when I get them, but so far I've got a pretty full plate. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated, and let's hope I don't fail miserably