Bad Science, Good Science

**I would like to thank all of you for your kind comments on last night’s post. It’s so nice to have such a supportive community cheering for you when life doesn’t go exactly as planned.**

As I mentioned yesterday, today marked the beginning of classes. Unfortunately, I am not nearly as enthused about commencing this semester of graduate school as I was last fall, mainly due to a certain monster called “organic chemistry.” Nonetheless, I’ll still have a few enjoyable nutrition classes to look forward to over the upcoming months.

Today was a perfect example of said balance in that I started the day out with the bad—organic chemistry lecture. The afternoon was occupied by the good—my experimental foods class in which we’ll be tinkering with recipes to suit various diets (e.g., gluten-free, low-fat, etc.). Considering how much I enjoyed my Principles of Foods class last semester, I am supah-psyched to get back in the foods lab!

I also had a regression analysis class scheduled for this evening, but evening classes were cancelled due to snow! Yee-haw!

Are sciences your academic forte? Which ones are your favorites? As you might guess, I am more verbally inclined, but I enjoy biology and nutrition science.

Here’s how I fueled myself throughout the day…

Apparently I am on a PB & J kick (again), because I just can’t get enough of the classic combo these days. I enjoyed it this morning in oatmeal form.

For lunch, I packed a big glob of Tomato Basil Hummus.

Tonight’s dinner featured Ellie recipe #8, Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

My tweaks:

-I used reduced-fat cheeses instead of full-fat, but I used a larger amount of each than the recipe calls for (i.e., 2 oz total cheese versus 1.5 oz).

This was one delicious sandwich, despite the fact that I used a hothouse tomato. I would like to return to this recipe during the summer-time, when tomatoes are in season and almost candy-sweet. Perhaps then the sweet-spicy contrast would be more heightened.

Lucky for you, this recipe is available on FoodNetwork.com: Sweet & Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Alright, I have some homework to do. Good night!

PS Don’t forget to enter the Tandoor Chef Giveaway—contest ends soon!

Filed under: Meals

15 Responses to “Bad Science, Good Science”

1. Nicole, on January 10th, 2011 at 8:41 pm Said:

   I have never taken organic chemistry, but I certainly understand your pain after hearing my sister talk about how hard it is! Good luck this semester!

2. Erica, on January 10th, 2011 at 8:48 pm Said:

   I am definitely a science geek! My favorite…physics mmm grilled cheese. Perfect for this strange weather we’re experiencing. And I bet it will be even better with summer tomatoes. Awesome

3. Matt, on January 10th, 2011 at 8:58 pm Said:

   Oh man I LOVE grilled cheese

4. Jenna, on January 10th, 2011 at 8:59 pm Said:

   Have you taken organic chemistry before? There are definitely some strategies for studying for it to make it easier! For example, concentrate on the transformations —

   formula group + formula group -> formula group

   rather than the flow of electrons as a bare minimum. Once you have that down, it’s easier to memorize and understand the flow of electrons on the more important reactions.

   Don’t know if my advice is helpful or not, but I hope so!

5. julie, on January 10th, 2011 at 9:16 pm Said:

   oh lordy i have such a craving for grilled cheese right now! i’ve got to tame the grilled cheese beast very soon haha.

   glad you’re keeping your head up about school! hang in there girl

6. Namaste Gurl, on January 10th, 2011 at 9:31 pm Said:

   Glad you got through your first day! There’s nothing like a classic- Ellie-fied grilled cheese to end the day

7. Emily, on January 10th, 2011 at 9:55 pm Said:

   i only had to take organic chemistry as an undergrad student fortunately! i really really love biochemistry, though!

   good luck with the start of your new semester!

8. Carrie (Moves 'N Munchies), on January 11th, 2011 at 3:41 am Said:

   that sounds like a great sandwich!!… question: do you snack during the day? or do you post everything you eat?

9. Sabine @ thefruitpursuit, on January 11th, 2011 at 8:51 am Said:

   I hated all the science and chem classes I had in my first year of dietetics but I passed them all thank God. Good luck!

10. Felicia ( A taste of health with balance), on January 11th, 2011 at 11:18 am Said:

    definitely nothing like a sweet summer tomato ! I took organic chem prior to nursing school. I actually ended up doing really well in the class, don’t ask me how, and I can’t remember a thing its been years haha I just remember lots of formulas where involved!

11. megan @ blackberries for jam, on January 11th, 2011 at 2:12 pm Said:

    That sandwich looks amazing, but it was really the hummus that caught my eye. As a fellow hummus lover, the most frustrating thing to me is finding pita that isn’t bland and dry. Is there a particular brand you recommend?

12. Lisa @ Thrive Style, on January 11th, 2011 at 3:38 pm Said:

    Good luck with all of your hard classes! I guess there’s some silver lining in that you have some fun and interesting classes too!

    I love fancy grilled cheeses That looks really yummy!

13. Salah (My Healthiest LIfestyle), on January 11th, 2011 at 3:55 pm Said:

    that sandwich looks so good girl!

14. Anna, on January 11th, 2011 at 6:09 pm Said:

    I have mixed feelings about the sciences… I have completed 2 semesters of chem and 2 of bio for my environmental studies degree and while they haven’t been easy, they’ve certainly been rewarding. and I love the fact that when a science assignment is done, it’s done. No gray area like when writing a paper, where the finish line is unclear and largely determined by you.

15. Vicki @ Wilde in the Kitchen, on January 12th, 2011 at 4:18 pm Said:

    I actually have a PhD in organic chemistry It’s not that evil, I think it just gets a bad rap! Try not to psych yourself out for it, you’ll do great!

Leave a Reply