Cardio and Cooking: Macaroni and Mushrooms

Hello, hello!

No, I'm not quite done with my exams, but I do have to eat, and I have to try and get some exercise in if I can...

Why haven't I made a Cardio and Cooking post for a while? I regretfully stopped doing cardio for a while...I'm going to go ahead and blame exams and papers again :D

I'll be going back to my normal cardio routines in a couple days when it's all over. (Then I can feel alive again! Yay!)

Things I have learned today about macaroni:
- No matter how hard I try, macaroni and Kraft processed cheese just taste really gross. My mom likes to make macaroni and cheese, but you can't fool me with that fake plastic cheese stuff.
- Macaroni tastes pretty good with chicken and mushrooms, but then again, any pasta would :)
- Macaroni is easy to make, and is a good base for quick put-together meals! I could say that I make more ahead of time to use later, but really, it's just like with spaghetti. I always make too much, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone (?)
- I feel like macaroni cooks faster than other pastas too, but it might just be me.
- Someday, I must learn to make macaroni with beschamel sauce, and not die from it. Sometimes, cheese and cream taste so good, but it doesn't matter, because my stomach is still the boss.
- Corkscrew pasta makes macaroni so much more exciting...I swear that the shape of the pasta, and the number of ridges make it taste better.

This time, the cooking came before the cardio, but I won't eat it until after (not that there's anything that sinful in it anyways!)

Mmmacaroni! Ready for tomorrow's lunch after badminton!

There isn't really a need for a recipe, but what the hay for consistency?

Quick Fix Macaroni feat. Mushrooms and Leftover Chicken
*Makes 1 serving...plus extra macaroni*
1 cup dry macaroni (any sort of pasta will do)
2 cups water
1/3 cup leftover cooked chicken thigh meat (any sort of leftover cooked meat will suffice)
5 white mushrooms (that's how much I used, but you could definitely add more)
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp oil
Salt and pepper

1. Fill a small to medium sized pot with water, and boil.
2. Once boiled, add 1/2 tsp oil, and a pinch of salt.
3. Turn to medium-heat, add the dry pasta, and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until tender. Stir once in a while.
4. While the pasta is cooking, take the time to wash your mushrooms. Chop your mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. If you haven't done so already, cut the meat into bite sized pieces too, and set aside.
5. Thwack the clove of garlic with the back of a wooden spoon or knife, and remove the "shell". Chop finely, and set aside.
6. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pasta into a small bowl.
7. Still on medium-heat, use the pasta water to quickly cook your mushrooms.
8. Drain the water, add 1 tsp oil and chopped garlic. Stir quickly and be careful not to burn it or yourself. Add the mushrooms, meat, and as much of the macaroni you want to eat (I used about half), and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir to distribute evenly, and remove from heat.
10. Empty into a container for tomorrow, or enjoy right away.
11. Add some chopped parsley if you feel it is lacking green like I do. You can also top with cheese or sauce or what have you. I'm just tired and lazy.

I hope to do some holiday-ish baking soon, so look forward to that (maybe)!

-M