Errand Thoughts

Ahhh, Fall.  That magical time of year of changing leaves, see-your-breath weather, and bonfires.  Okay, we really don't have a lot of that here in Florida, but we do have our own fall traditions.  Cooler temps, (77 degrees is cool for us), pumpkin beer, and Halloween fun at the theme parks. Enjoying the windows being open and the fresh air naps.  But I'm getting off topic.

I never feel more like a hipster than when I'm running errands.  Weird, I know, but let me explain.  I've become so careful about what I shop for these days.  I am a practicing locavore, so I try to buy locally as much as possible.  Also, I am not so flush right now, so I have to watch every penny.  So no big box stores for me.  (Target is a splurge trip.  I mean, who can't find something fun to buy at Target?)  So errand running is a hipster's scavenger hunt.  I started the day at the coffee shop, but my local coffee shop wasn't open.  :(  So I sucked it up and headed to the produce market.  I only buy my produce at locally owned produce stands or farmer's markets.  It's local, cheap, and lasts longer than grocery store produce.  Since I eat a mainly plant based diet (I try to eat meat, due to my gingerness giving me a B12 deficiency, but I lean towards vegetarianism), the produce stand is my weekly must shop.

After that, it was the no-frills grocery, the post office, and the kind-of box store, Big Lots, for cheap import goods, like noodles, italian soda, and veggie chips.  Then the craft store for a few supplies for the Etsy shop, and finally home.  All the while using my reusable fabric shopping bags and riding with my windows open, listening to Johnny Cash.  Yep, I'm a hipster.

But all that running around makes one tired.  Do you remember that fresh air nap I mentioned?  Yep, nice long nap this afternoon.  So when I woke up, I didn't want to cook anythnig that would take too much time.  So I decided on Fancy Ramen.  Fancy Ramen, you ask?  (Of course you ask.)  Fancy Ramen is my term for ramen noodles made yummier.  How can you make ramen noodles yummier, you ask?  Let me give you the recipe.

Fancy Ramen Noodles

I package chicken ramen noodles
4 cups water
3 tbls chicken boullion
2 chopped scallions
3 or 4 splashes soy sauce
1 tbls sriracha
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your spicy tolerance)
1/2 lb frozen peeled, deveined shrimp
2 eggs, scrambled

Throw your water, the spice packet from the ramen package, chicken boullion, soy sauce, sriracha, scallions, and red pepper flakes into a pot.  Bring to a boil and toss in shrimp.  Cook until the shrimp are pink, then slowly stir in the scrambled egg.  Finally, break the noddle brick from the package in half and throw it in your soup.  Give it a stir and let it simmer for a few minutes.  Eat and enjoy.

Not only is this a fast dish, it's healthy, yummy, and cheap.

Until next time, enjoy the weather, stop and smell the pumpkins, and stay hip!