Sugar Cookie Cutout

Do you love sugar cookies?  Perfecting the best recipe might be a challenge for you.  Here is a great sugar cookie cut out recipe that will produce beautiful and tasty sugar cookies.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.


Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on size

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 1 hour
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), cream the butter and cream cheese with the sugar. Beat for several minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and lemon zest.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl then gradually add to the butter and sugar mixture until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed.

At this point the dough can, and should be, chilled or frozen. If making cookies in the near future, divide the dough into 2 balls and roll each out to 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness between large pieces of parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Or freeze the dough balls, wrapped in plastic wrap and a freezer bag, for up to 1 month. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator overnight then proceed with the recipe.

To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment or a Silpat. Cut cookies out of the rolled dough and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake cookies for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack.

Cool completely before icing or decorating, and store in a tightly covered container.
Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Large Batch) 8 to 12 dozen, depending on size

3 cups unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 1 hour
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
9 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), cream the butter and cream cheese with the sugar. Beat for several minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and lemon zest.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl then gradually add to the butter and sugar mixture until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed.

At this point the dough can, and should be, chilled or frozen. If making cookies in the near future, divide the dough into 2 balls and roll each out to 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness between large pieces of parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Or freeze the dough balls, wrapped in plastic wrap and a freezer bag, for up to 1 month. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator overnight then proceed with the recipe.

To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment or a Silpat. Cut cookies out of the rolled dough and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake cookies for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack.

Cool completely before icing or decorating, and store in a tightly covered container.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Have a safe and fun holiday!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday with friends and family!

Delicious Holiday Treat

Christmas Cookies and Pies are famous in many households.  However, having warm cinnamon rolls could also be a great Christmas treat.  Check out this great recipe below.  This recipe is delicious and super easy to make for a lot of people.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.


I come from a generously-sized family, the sort that prompted wide eyes and under-the-breath counting from strangers who glimpsed our brood at the library or grocery store. I'll spare you the counting and say that I have five brothers and two sisters, so eight of us, plus parents, and now assorted spouses and in-laws. Christmas is an all-day affair for us, with stockings and enough presents to necessitate an intermission about halfway through unwrapping. But as we've grown up and gotten married, things have shifted; last year we did Christmas in the evening, instead of in the morning, and every holiday now has a marked absence of a sibling (or two) celebrating with someone else's family.

But there is one inviolable tradition that still binds our Christmases together, and that is my mother's cinnamon rolls.
 

My mother's cinnamon rolls are warm and yeasty, prepared ahead of time but baked Christmas morning, enticing people out of bed (since we're now mostly too old to spring out of bed at 4:30am, or camp under the tree). My brothers anticipate them eagerly and devour them instantly.

On Christmas I leave the roll duties to my mother, since, you know, tradition. But I love her recipe and use it too, especially when we have overnight guests, since these rolls are so easy to make ahead and bake off in a few minutes. This recipe makes two dozen rolls, and I like to make a full batch but freeze half of them for impromptu brunches.

I do add my own twists; I like to go beyond cinnamon and add a few extra spices for aroma and taste. Star anise, cardamom, coriander — they add a little something special.

These cinnamon rolls are sweet, spicy, and decadent, and they can satisfy those who want a crunchy sugar glaze on the bottom and creamy icing on top. All it takes (all it ever takes, really) is a little extra butter and a little extra sugar. These are not a breakfast for those on a diet; these are not to be made every weekend. But when you're making cinnamon rolls, in my opinion it's best to go all out — they're a generous treat for family mornings, a tradition from my family to yours. Par-baked cinnamon rolls about to go back in the oven.

Spicy Sticky Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 24 rolls For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk, lightly warmed
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour

For the filling:
4 small cinnamon sticks
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds or powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft

For the icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, very soft
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more as desired

To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly bubbly. With a whisk or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat in the sugar, softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough is very thick.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and warm, or switch to the dough hook and knead in the stand mixer. Knead for about 5 minutes in the mixer, or 7 minutes by hand, until the dough is taut and smooth.

Wipe out the bowl and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning it to make sure it's coated in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled — about 2 hours.

For the filling, grind the spices in a spice grinder until fine and mix with the brown sugar. (If you want to skip the extra spices or use powdered cinnamon instead of whole, substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons cinnamon for all the spices.) Cream the butter with the spices and sugar in a mixer or with hand beaters.

Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans. On a floured surface roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 14 inches by 24 inches. When the dough is rolled out, slather it thickly with the creamed butter and sugar, making sure to spread it nearly to the edges. Roll up along the long side, stretching and pulling the dough into a taut and tight roll. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut into 24 individual rolls.

Divide the rolls among the prepared pans and let rise in a warm place until the rolls double in size — about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.


Make-Ahead Instructions: To make the rolls ahead of time, follow the recipe up until baking. Par-bake the rolls for just 10 minutes. Remove the rolls and let them cool, then freeze them in their pans or in freezer bags. To finish baking, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake in the morning at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes. Frost and serve warm.

For the icing, beat the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and sugar together, adding more powdered sugar as necessary to get the consistency you prefer. Drizzle over hot rolls with a fork. Serve warm.
Christmas Cookies and Pies are famous in many households.  However, having warm cinnamon rolls could also be a great Christmas treat.  Check out this great recipe below.  This recipe is delicious and super easy to make for a lot of people.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.

How To Be the Perfect Houseguest?

The holidays are a time to spend with friends and family.  Make sure to look over these great tips on how to be a great houseguest for your friends and relatives.  We hope that everyone has safe travels this season!  You can learn more at the Metro.

Being a houseguest can involve more discomfort than than a fold-out couch and a lumpy pillow. Sharing space with friends and family is often a given during the holiday season, but it doesn’t have to be as awkward as a midnight trip to an unknown bathroom. As the CEO and founder of the design and lifestyle blog Apartment Therapy, Maxwell Ryan knows his way around a cramped apartment, which is why we asked him for his best advice on how to survive a stay at with in-laws.

A smooth arrival

The first step of any stay as a guest is the planes, trains and automobiles that get you there. Ryan says these transitional moments can be loaded with tension for hosts, and it’s on guests to be clear and consistent about their arrival times. “If you’re supposed to be arriving at 6 p.m. on a Friday and you don’t get there until 7 and there are multiple text messages about where you are and being on your way, it’s exhausting,” he says. “What’s really helpful to a host is if you arrive and depart on time” — meaning that guests should figure out how to get to where they’re going.
Arriving with a gift in hand is another thing Ryan recommends: “I think it’s better to show up with a gift than to leave a gift. A gift given at the beginning ‘covers’ your stay, if you will. There’s no reciprocity if you give first.” Sure, leaving a bottle of wine isn’t an insult, but arriving with a token of appreciation shows a host that you thought of them beforehand (though Ryan agrees with your mom — don’t skip the thank you note.)

During your stay

Routines and schedules can seem like no big deal until you’re hopping and dodging them like a game of double dutch. Ryan says the simplest way to ease scheduling mayhem as a houseguest is to respect and adapt to the routines of the hosts, which can mean asking for specifics and communicating clearly about schedules. “What’s interesting perhaps is that the point of it is to be a great guest, because you might not have a great host,” he says. “There are going to be some geat people out there in the world who are not the best hosts.”
Towels on the floor might work in your apartment, but they’ll render you persona non grata in another person’s home. Ryan’s advice is simple: “Leave the house cleaner than you found it. Put away all the dishes, wipe down the counters, clean the floors.” While you’re at it, get in on some sous chef duties — or whip up your own contribution to any shared meals. It doesn’t hurt, Ryan says, to offer to chip in for groceries or pick up a nice dessert or bottle of wine to go with a meal.

Go away

Giving your host some time off can be key to making a stay comfortable for all parties involved, Ryan says. “No matter what your situation is, plan to have some time away from your hosts, and let them know that they don’t have to take care of you the whole time,” he suggests. “Being independent is a really nice strong signal to send to your hosts.”

Quick tips to houseguest heaven

• Be observant of how your host’s household runs. If you’re observant, you won’t have to ask too many questions.
• Keep the bathroom clean and dry. “In our own homes we don’t mind if the water sputters so much, but when you’re a guest it means you probably are using the bathroom more than it would be used, so give everything a little wipe down when you’re done.”
• Offer to chip in for groceries. “[The offer] doesn’t have to be accepted to be effective — some hosts like to do everything themselves and that’s OK, but at least you can say you offered.”
• Always make a good effort to figure something out before asking your host — be a quick study.

- See more at: http://www.metro.us/newyork/lifestyle/home/2013/12/02/houseguest-101-apartment-therapys-tips-for-how-to-ace-a-visit/#sthash.oOYskD7E.dpuf

Being a houseguest can involve more discomfort than than a fold-out couch and  a lumpy pillow. Sharing space with friends and family is often a given during the holiday season, but it doesn’t have to be as awkward as a midnight trip to an unknown bathroom. As the CEO and founder of the design and lifestyle blog Apartment Therapy, Maxwell Ryan knows his way around a cramped apartment, which is why we asked him for his best advice on how to survive a stay at with in-laws.

A smooth arrival

The first step of any stay as a guest is the planes, trains and automobiles that get you there. Ryan says these transitional moments can be loaded with tension for hosts, and it’s on guests to be clear and consistent about their arrival times. “If you’re supposed to be arriving at 6 p.m. on a Friday and you don’t get there until 7 and there are multiple text messages about where you are and being on your way, it’s exhausting,” he says. “What’s really helpful to a host is if you arrive and depart on time” — meaning that guests should figure out how to get to where they’re going.

Arriving with a gift in hand is another thing Ryan recommends: “I think it’s better to show up with a gift than to leave a gift. A gift given at the beginning ‘covers’ your stay, if you will. There’s no reciprocity if you give first.” Sure, leaving a bottle of wine isn’t an insult, but arriving with a token of appreciation shows a host that you thought of them beforehand (though Ryan agrees with your mom — don’t skip the thank you note.)

During your stay

Routines and schedules can seem like no big deal until you’re hopping and dodging them like a game of double dutch. Ryan says the simplest way to ease scheduling mayhem as a houseguest is to respect and adapt to the routines of the hosts, which can mean asking for specifics and communicating clearly about schedules. “What’s interesting perhaps is that the point of it is to be a great guest, because you might not have a great host,” he says. “There are going to be some geat people out there in the world who are not the best hosts.”

Towels on the floor might work in your apartment, but they’ll render you persona non grata in another person’s home. Ryan’s advice is simple: “Leave the house cleaner than you found it. Put away all the dishes, wipe down the counters, clean the floors.” While you’re at it, get in on some sous chef duties — or whip up your own contribution to any shared meals. It doesn’t hurt, Ryan says, to offer to chip in for groceries or pick up a nice dessert or bottle of wine to go with a meal.

Go away

Giving your host some time off can be key to making a stay comfortable for all parties involved, Ryan says. “No matter what your situation is, plan to have some time away from your hosts, and let them know that they don’t have to take care of you the whole time,” he suggests. “Being independent is a really nice strong signal to send to your hosts.”

Quick tips to houseguest heaven

Be observant of how your host’s household runs. If you’re observant, you won’t have to ask too many questions.
 
Keep the bathroom clean and dry. “In our own homes we don’t mind if the water sputters so much, but when you’re a guest it means you probably are using the bathroom more than it would be used, so give everything a little wipe down when you’re done.”
 
Offer to chip in for groceries. “[The offer] doesn’t have to be accepted to be effective — some hosts like to do everything themselves and that’s OK, but at least you can say you offered.”
 
Always make a good effort to figure something out before asking your host — be a quick study.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with friends and family!

New Thanksgiving Side Dishes

This week we are giving you an idea for a new Thanksgiving side dish to try this year.  Have you ever thought about adding asparagus to your meal.  It is a pretty easy recipe, and it tastes delicious.  Keep reading and check out My Recipes for more information.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh asparagus $
• 2 tablespoons olive oil $
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation

1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil; sprinkle evenly with garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer asparagus to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds.

Quick Dinner Recipe

Do you need a quick dinner recipe for when you are on the go?  Check out this great one from the Food Network.  This is great for the nights that you have errands to run, and you need a quick thirty minute meal!

Thank You to Our Veterans!

Thank you to all of our Veterans for their service to our country!

Happy Halloween!

Have a great Halloween Rockoff Hall!  Stay safe and have fun!

The Daily Targum's Rockoff Hall Article

The Daily Targum has written a great article about Rockoff Hall.  Rockoff Hall has become a great off-campus housing alternative.   The residency will be under Rutgers jurisdiction until May 2014.  You can learn more in the article below.






For the first time, students will not have to stress over lottery numbers to snag a bed in Rockoff Hall.

The New Brunswick Development Corporation sold the George Street apartment building to McKinney Properties in January 2013, making the 674-bed apartment complex another off-campus housing alternative, said E.J. Miranda, director of University Media Relations.

Miranda said the property will remain under Rutgers jurisdiction until May 2014, at which point it will transition to a private residence.

David Strassberg, leasing manager for Rockoff Hall, said like any other commercial property, students could take tours of the building, fill out an application and sign a lease.

He said one advantage to living in Rockoff is the by-the-bed leasing model.

“If you were to go to any other apartment building in the area, and say you and your roommate were to sign a lease, you would both be held equally responsible for the lease term,” Strassberg said.

For most apartments, if one roommate cannot afford to pay the month’s rent or has to break the lease, their actions would be a breach of contract and would reflect badly on all of the roommates’ credit, Strassberg said.

“It’s shocking how many students end up having their credit ruined because they were held responsible when a roommate didn’t pay his or her share of the lease and the utilities,” Strassberg said in a news release.

At Rockoff, he said, it is no longer a problem.

“Here, it’s by-[the]-bed, meaning if you were to sign a lease, you’re only responsible for your part of that lease agreement,” Strassberg said.

Rodd Werstil, managing director of real estate investments for McKinney Properties, said this is the first time this nationally recognized student housing leasing model is coming to Rutgers.

He said aside from being out of the lottery system, Rockoff Hall is offering students a roommate matching system.

If students want to rent a house in New Brunswick, he said they need to know the six or seven others they are living with before they go to the landlord.

“With Rockoff, you can come there, say, ‘Hey it’s only the two of us, we don’t know another group of people, we don’t have another group that wants to live with us, but we would like two bedrooms in a four-bedroom unit,’” Werstil said.

Werstil said staff will assist in matching individuals or roommate pairs with two or three other students to live with based on a compatibility survey.

He said Rockoff will remain primarily student housing.

“I think it will … by its very nature, because of where it’s located and who it attracts, and because of the existing relationship with Rutgers, I think it’s likely to end up just being Rutgers students,” Werstil said.

The price is still being worked out, but Werstil predicts the apartments will be less expensive than they were when Rutgers owned them.

He said dishwashers will be added to all of the units, which can alleviate roommate stress.

“We’re highly amenitized,” Werstil said. “Business center, common areas, lounges, we’re upgrading some of those amenities, and I think that, coupled with the roommate matching system and the lease situation, will attract students.”

Strassberg is setting up a student question-and-answer session with the Rutgers University Student Assembly to publicize Rockoff’s new ownership.

“The property itself is beautiful — all amenities are included, we don’t charge for electric, water, gas, heat. … So they’re just paying for rent and a lot is included for them,” Strassberg said.

They are in the process of expanding the gym and adding a pool table for residents, he said. Some lounges already have flat screen televisions.

Things You Need in Every Apartment

Is this your first apartment?  There are always a few things that you will want to have in every apartment.  Check out this list of five objects to keep with you through out all of your apartments that you will rent and own.  Keep reading to learn more.  There are more great apartment tips on apartment therapy.

If you're in the market for your first apartment, chances are you don't have a lot of cash to throw around. But remember, kids, buying the cheapest version of what you need isn't always the smartest budgeting strategy. Investing in quality classics that will last you through many moves is worth more than all the Lack dressers you'll abandon over the years.


1. Key rack — Congrats, you're officially an adult. From now on, you'll never be keyless again so do yourself a favor and get a system in place right now for keeping track of those pesky little buggers.

2. Good tools — Just ask your dad! You'll never regret money spent on basic, good quality, long lasting tools.

3. At least one good pot and one good knife — Go for classic, useful and portable. Owning a few great kitchen basics is better than a whole drawer of plastic gadgets. Take care of them and they'll outlive you.

4. Noise Machine — As you'll soon discover, apartment living gets noisy. The sooner you find a solution, the easier your transitions to each subsequent apartment will be. A soothing noise machine can go a long way toward solid mental health, not an area worth skimping on.

5. A piece of art you love — When you find something that you just have to have, go for it. Art grows with you; the longer you keep it, the more it reminds you of all the places you've been and how far you've come.

Plan Your Winter or Spring Break

Different cities require different amounts of planning for your ideal vacation.  Take a look at these great city guides, that can help you decide what to see in each city.  There are tons of guides for different cities throughout the United States.  You can also check out grandparents.com for more info.

Atlanta

From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta has always been a city rich in history. Explore all of this and more as you sip on a Coca-Cola (first sold in Atlanta in 1886), or take a walk through Centennial Olympic Park. Find travel information about Atlanta here >>

Austin

This capital city in the heart of Texas is known as the Live Music Capital of the World, drawing international crowds for festivals like South by Southwest and Austin City Limits. But all visitors will find Austin is full of “weird” surprises! Find travel information about Austin here >>

Boston

Historic and modern, educational and fun, Boston offers something for everyone in the family. It also happens to be one of the most “kid-centric” locales in the country. Trace our national heritage from Back Bay to Beacon Hill and points beyond. Find travel information about Boston here >>

Chicago

With its scenic skyline and riverfront, the Windy City is must-see destination for all ages. old-school meets new-school attractions. Find travel information about Chicago here >>

Cleveland

To the world, Cleveland is The Rock and Roll Capital, C-Town, and home of the sports greats. To Clevelanders, however, this is just home. But don’t let the quiet reserve fool you. This city is full of great history and culture. Find travel information about Cleveland here >>

Las Vegas

Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. . Find travel information about Las Vegas here >>

Los Angeles

The City of Angels offers countless options for a getaway. The glitz and glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills are irresistible, but so are funkier enclaves like Koreatown and the breathtaking views along the Pacific. Find travel information about Los Angeles here >>

Minneapolis

The City of Lakes and City of Nature — better known as Minneapolis — is a wonderful place to experience the great outdoors. The city’s parks department has been called one of the best-designed and best-maintained in America. Find travel information about Minneapolis here >>

New Orleans

As one of the oldest cities in the country, New Orleans is steeped in history, art and Southern Hospitality. Its diverse fabric has given birth to cultural icons and structures, such as the French Quarter and Garden District, and of course hip-swinging jazz. Find travel information about New Orleans here >>

New York City

NewYork City is often called the center of the universe, and for good reason! There’s always something happening in The Big Apple, whether it’s a magician doing card tricks in Washington Square Park or a mariachi band performing in a subway car. Find travel information about New York City here >> 

Philadelphia

Nestled on the shores of two rivers, Philadelphia is unmistakably urban, but the countryside is only a short drive from Center City. Bring on the cheese steak! Find travel information about Philadelphia here >>

Providence

As one of the first cities in the U.S., Providence has a lot of history, culture and water. . Find travel information about Providence here >>

San Diego

With its beautiful beaches, amazing attractions (like the famous San Diego Zoo), and mild temperatures, San Diego has all of the ingredients for a great vacation year-round. Find travel information about San Diego here >>

San Francisco

The City by the Bay has lured adventurers to its shores even before the fabled Gold Rush. Today, its reputation lies in its status as the epicenter of innovation. The kids will love the city's diversity, from the great outdoors to its cultural institutions. Find travel information about San Francisco here >>

Seattle

Rain or shine, Seattle is the most vibrant and interesting city in the Pacific Northwest. While its a safe bet to expect a few gray days during your visit, there is plenty of outdoor and indoor fun to be had. Find travel information about Seattle here >>

10 Quick and Easy Meals

Are you in a time crunch between classes, jobs, and activities?  Check out these ten great meals that you can make in under ten minutes.  You can learn more about quick easy meals at The Kitchn.

 
1. Quick and Easy Fried Rice: Fried rice can come together even faster than 10 minutes if you happen to have a good selection of leftovers floating around. It's the end-all recipe to using up leftover rice and is tasty enough to eat for any meal of the day — yes even breakfast.

2. Apple-Arugula Salad Wraps: Although wraps seem more like a lunch food, for a quick dinner they can contain actual food groups and even do away with dishes if needs be. Perfect, no clean up!

3. Thai Crab Salad with Chili, Ginger, and Coconut: Since this meal merely needs to be chopped and tossed, it's quick to throw together and has big bold flavors that will satisfy without a laundry list of ingredients.

4. Miso Soup: Miso soup is perfect for those worried about over cooking tofu as it simply warms in this rich broth and suddenly, dinner is served! Check out this version with a poached egg — extra tasty!

5.The BEST Pancakes Ever: Pancakes might traditionally be breakfast food, but they're perfect for any meal in fact... we want some right now!

6. Egyptian Tomato Soup: This recipe just barely passes the 10 minute mark, but it can be made entirely from your pantry so there's minimal chopping or prep — making it a winner in our book!

7. Friday Night Slow-Cooked Brisket and Onions: So technically speaking this meal takes 5-8 hours to make, but there's really only 10 minutes of prep work involved. Make it before you head out the door to work and when you return dinner is already done for you!

8. Spicy Grilled Shrimp: These shrimp get a quick brine before hitting the grill, but since they cook up so quick, we're willing to overlook the extra brining time (only 30 minutes). Just make sure to drop them in the brine the second you come home from work or possibly lessen the salt and brine them while you're away (so they don't get too salty) to make things extra easy.

9. Thai-Style Omelet (Kai Jeow): This recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes which might even leave you time to walk the dog or check your email before dinner!

10. Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Corn, Goat Cheese, and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes: This meal is labeled as a 10 minute dish and mixes up with many things that you probably already have on hand.

What are your favorite no-time, extra-quick weeknight meals?

Rutgers Celebrates Four Award Winners

Rutgers University celebrates Four MacArthur Award Winners.  Two alumni, one professor, and one instructor have received this prestigious award.  The award comes with a 625,000 stipend for use by the recipients without restrictions.  You can learn more at Rutgers University, and you can keep reading more below.


Rutgers Celebrates Four MacArthur Award Winners

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Meet the latest Rutgers "genius grant" winners – a public health historian, two alumni and a distinguished guest instructor in the Rutgers-Camden MFA program. The five-year fellowship by the James D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation comes with a $625,000 stipend for use by the recipients without restrictions.
 
Faculty





Julie Livingston
Julie Livingston, professor, Rutgers Department of History
Livingston specializes in African history and in the history of public health. In her most recent book, Improvising Medicine: An African Oncology Ward in an Emerging Cancer Epidemic (Duke University Press, 2012), she describes the struggles of patients, families and hospital staff in a cancer ward in Botswana to come to terms with the disease – and its practical and moral implications – in an environment of limited resources. Her work dramatizes the human stakes and institutional challenges of an epidemic that will shape the future of global health. Read more.

Alumni




Jeffrey Brenner
Jeffrey Brenner, graduate of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, now part of Rutgers
Brenner, founder and executive director of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, is a primary care physician creating a health care delivery model to meet the medical and social service needs of the most vulnerable citizens in impoverished communities. Determined to improve the lives of the sickest Camden residents, Brenner built a database and geographic mapping of discharge data from all patients at Camden’s hospitals and discovered that very small number of patients consumed a large share of the overall costs of health care and social support. Brenner was an instructor in the RWJMS Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Read more.




Craig Fennie 

Craig Fennie, Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy, 2006, Master's in Physics, 2003
Fennie, who is on the faculty of Cornell, is a materials scientist combining the tools of theoretical physics with those of solid-state chemistry to discover new materials with desirable electrical, magnetic and optical properties. Also a researcher at the Energy Materials Center at Cornell, Fennie looks at designing compounds with optical properties that could improve, for example, the efficiency by which materials capture solar energy. Read more.


Distinguished Instructor




Karen Russell

Karen Russell, distinguished guest teacher, Rutgers-Camden Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program
Russell, named one of The New Yorker’s top 20 young writers under age 40, was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her debut novel, Swamplandia! Setting much of her work in the Everglades of her native Florida, she depicts in lyrical, energetic prose an enchanting and forbidding landscape and delves into subcultures rarely encountered in contemporary American literature. This fall, Russell leads three MFA sessions at Rutgers–Camden, where she shares some of her favorite works of fiction in a series of wide-ranging literary discussions. Read More.

Job Searching Tips for Graduates

Are you graduating soon?  Congratulations!  This is a great moment in your life, but job searching can be more scary than entering college.  Check out these great job searching tips for college graduates. It is never too early to start.  These can also help you grab a great internship.  Check out US News and World Report for more information.

1. Don't wait to start job searching. You might be tempted to take a few months off after graduating to relax, but you might not realize how long job searches take. Hiring processes often take months, and getting a job in this market—especially without much experience—may really take a long time. Start actively searching now, since even with a May start, you might not find a job until the fall or later.

2. Include all of your work experience on your résumé. New grads sometimes exclude certain types of work from their résumé, like fast food or retail, figuring that it won't be relevant to the types of jobs they're targeting now. But especially if you don't have much other work experience to show, these sorts of jobs can be key in demonstrating that you know how to deal with customers, show up reliably and that you have a track record of handling paid employment like an adult. Don't shy away from including them.

3. Don't listen to every piece of job-search advice you hear. If your parents or friends are your main source of job-hunt guidance, you might be at a disadvantage. Job-search conventions have changed significantly in the last decade, so your parents might not know what's most effective in the process today. And your friends probably don't have much more experience than you do, so take their suggestions with some skepticism. Seek out more current and reliable sources of advice instead.

4. Don't apply for everything you see. Anxious job seekers sometimes blast off their résumé to every opening they spot, hoping that something will garner them a call-back. But carefully targeting your search to jobs you're truly qualified for—and writing a tailored cover letter for each—will get you far better results than simply aiming for quantity. That said…

5. Broaden your horizons. While you shouldn't apply for everything you see, you also shouldn't be narrow and only willing to consider a very specific role in a very specific field. The reality is, in today's job market you might not have the luxury of being picky about the specific roles you'll take. Open yourself up to a broader range of possibilities, and you might find it easier to find work (and might also discover that you like some of the alternatives that you hadn't originally considered!).

6. Don't think you can't intern just because you're no longer a student. If you're having trouble finding a full-time job—and if you're like a lot of new grads, you might be—don't assume that internships are no longer a possibility. Many internships are open to non-students, and they can be a good way to get experience and give you something to put on your résumé while you continue to search for something full-time. Volunteering can play a similarly useful role as well.

7. Use your network. You might feel pushy reaching out to co-workers at past internships, your parents' friends and other people you know, but it's very normal to do that as part of a job search. At a minimum, make sure that you've alerted your managers from past jobs to the fact that you're now looking—that's a basic and crucial step that far too many new grads overlook.

8. Practice interviewing. You might have been able to get away with occasionally skipping a reading for a class, but job interviews don't work that way: Interviewers will be able to tell whether you prepared or not, and winging it—especially when you don't have much experience interviewing—virtually guarantees that you'll crash and burn. If you prepare ahead of time and practice your answers to likely interview questions, you'll do far better in interviews and dramatically increase your chances of getting an offer.

9. Make sure that your email address, outgoing voice mail message and online presence all portray you as a professional, mature adult, not a partying college student. Employers will form opinions about you based on these things, and the more mature and polished you appear, the better your chances.

10. Don't panic. Your job search might take time, possibly a lot of time. That's pretty common these days. But it doesn't mean that you'll be unemployed forever or living with your parents when you're 45. You will find a job eventually!

Let's Go Knights!

This Saturday the Scarlet Knights are taking on Eastern Michigan at home.  The game will be at 1pm.  Check out all of this great information about the game and series information.  You can learn more about the great Rutgers football team here.

EASTERN MICHIGAN (1-1) at RUTGERS (1-1)
Saturday, September 14 • 1:00 p.m. • ESPN3
High Point Solutions Stadium
Piscataway, N.J.

Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network
(710-WOR; 1450-WCTC; 610-WIP)
Live Stats: ScarletKnights.com

Series: First Meeting

 

Saturday's Game • Rutgers looks to move to 2-1 on the season Saturday as the Scarlet Knights host Eastern Michigan (1-1).  • Kickoff is set for 1:04 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN3. Troy Bender (play-by-play), John Gregory (color analyst) and Angela Mallen (sideline) have the call.  • Coverage on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network begins at noon with Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Ray Lucas (color analyst), Eric LeGrand (color analyst) and Anthony Fucilli (sideline) calling the action.  • Eric LeGrand will have has jersey retired at halftime. The special presentation will also be archived on RVision for any fans who are unable to attend Saturday’s game.
Series Information • Rutgers and Eastern Michigan meet for the first time Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium. • The Scarlet Knights are 13-5-1 all-time against Mid-American Conference opponents.  • The last time Rutgers played an opponent from the state of Michigan, the Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan State 19-14 in the 2004 season opener in Piscataway.