amma marfo & the ukulele

frame picEpisode sixteen is a great mix of higher ed and being social with Amma Marfo, Assistant Director of Student Activities at Emmanuel College. We discuss the food pyramid, and determine that a combo meal from Burger King hits all the necessary food groups, including vanilla. With warm weather on the horizon, we talk about the fashion of the season; a mix of boots, dresses, and everything in between, leading up to the crunch of the final weeks of the semester before summer time. In the higher ed world, we talk about student organizations, including the Ukulele Club at Emmanuel, which Jackie will likely audition for. We close by chatting about a new series found on Hulu, Resident Advisors, and balancing accuracy for good comedy as it looks at college through the Residence Life lens, something that higher ed professionals rarely encounter.

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erin willis & traveling to hogwarts

Erin Willis, Petra, JordanWe’re back from spring break with episode fourteen and Erin Willis, Assistant Director of Study Abroad at SUNY Fredonia. Although she landed in this position due to fate, Erin is fitting right in. We chat about traveling the world, encouraging our audience of student listeners to do the same. We also hear from Erin’s four legged friend on the topic, and meet Lougan’s offspring.

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dustin ramsdell & the lightsaber

RU-Headshot_LM2_7761Episode twelve features Dustin Ramsdell, Resident Director at Husson University and co-host of The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast. Lougan kicks off the podcast by geeking out, or nerding out, with Dustin about science fiction, as Jackie sits silently in the background, because her nerd-ism is fitness. These passions lead to interesting metaphors about higher ed, and a discussion about how to stay fit when working in higher education. We close by discussing the recent events at the University of Oklahoma, and how social media plays a bigger role than it seems.

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mark anbinder & higher ed eats

1509878_10101555167857945_3584318490634828402_nEpisode nine may leave you hungry, very very hungry. We chat with Mark Anbinder, Web Communications Manager at Cornell University and food enthusiast, among other things. Mark introduces us to his two adorable pitbulls and chats with us about Cornell hockey, which are two of his other passions. In the higher ed realm, we discuss the difference between a good app and a good mobile site, and how to figure out what the best decision is. Most of all, we talk about food; all types of it. Come hungry!

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Mark’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe:
1/2 a beer
some molasses
some worcestershire sauce
splash of cider vinegar
Optional: add an orange rind or apple slices for fruitiness, or hot sauce for a kick!

Mark’s Slow Cooker Chili recipe:
Ground Beef
Pork loin, London Broil or some other cut of meat
Diced Onion
Diced Red or Orange Pepper
Minced habanero or similar hot pepper of your preference
Can of Diced Tomatoes
Can of Tomato Paste
Canola Oil
Half a Beer
Quarter cup of cocoa powder
Chili Powder
Cumin
Black Pepper

Sweat a diced onion, a diced red or orange pepper and a minced habanero or similar hot pepper of your preference in a little canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and half-inch to 3/4-inch chunks of pork loin, london broil, or other cut of meat that works well low-and-slow. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the meat is browned.

Drain any excess fat, and transfer to a Crock-Pot. Add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of whole tomatoes drained, a can of tomato paste, and a half a beer, plus chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder and black pepper to taste. Cook on low all day.Top with sour cream and shredded cheddar, and serve with fresh corn bread.

Mark’s Cornbread recipe:
1-1/2 cups of pancake mix such as Bisquick
1/2 cup of corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup milk
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with a cast iron skillet inside.
In a mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients by hand, starting with the dry ones. It’ll all dissolve easily, and mix into a smooth batter with just a spoon.

Caution! Cast iron sitting in oven gets hot! Remove skillet with a potholder, place it on a trivet or stove burner, and lightly grease it with a little butter or a natural butter or oil spray. Spoon the batter into the skillet all at once; it will start to cook pretty much as soon as it hits the hot cast iron. This is the point; it makes a nice crust. (Don’t have cast iron? Get some. It’s cheap. Meantime, use a glass baking dish instead.)

Caution! Cast iron is still hot! Place the skillet back in the oven with a potholder, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Lick spoon. (If you trust your eggs’ freshness. I do.)

Caution! Cast iron is very hot! Remove the skillet with a potholder and test that the cornbread is done by sticking a thin knife or a toothpick in, and seeing if it comes out clean. If so, it’s done. Allow to cool. The cast iron will stay hot for quite a while. Really. Don’t touch it. (No, I didn’t! Just making sure you don’t.)