Whiling My Days Away

Luminarium

2012-01-16T20:53:00.000-06:00

I visited a luminarium this past weekend. What's a luminarium you ask? It's basically an air-filled sculpture made of colored plastic that lights up inside via the sunlight shining through it. It's actually quite relaxing and beautiful. This one, Mirazozo, had a couple small domes with winding passages, was made by hand in Nottinghamm, England, and (according to the little handout they gave us) was "inspired by repetitious forms found in the bazaars of Iran". Below is a shot of the exterior and one of the passageways.

You couldn't jump off the walls in it since the material was thin like a t-shirt and therefore delicate, but you could lean against it or gently push against it to watch the movement ripple through the structure up to the roof tops. There were little nooks scattered around that you could sit in while enjoying the relaxing music created by David Bickley.

Here's a video by the Sydney Opera House of Architects of Air's Mirazozo:

The exhibit will be in Austin until Friday, January 20. It's $8 to enter (I think children under 2 years of age can enter for free). I suggest going early because the lines were long (we arrived at 10AM on Sunday and waited about 45-60 minutes). Visit http://www.thelongcenter.org/architects_of_air.aspx for more information.

Snow White Movies in 2012

2011-12-12T22:22:00.001-06:00

Both of the Snow White movies coming out next year look visually compelling although SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN is obviously darker than MIRROR MIRROR.

I think I'm going to enjoy SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN more though (even with Kristin Stewart, the actress of one look, playing Snow White). I like the darker look of the movie and Charlize Theron looks to be a much more eviler queen then Julia Roberts.

And hello, Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-25T10:43:00.000-06:00

I'm spending the Thanksgiving weekend with the family. The drive to my parents' house was surprisingly smoother than expected on the busiest travel day of the year but that might have been due to our much later than expected start out of town (my sister decided to get some major work done on her car the day we were leaving - really?!?). So, we somehow missed most of the traffic and the cooperative weather (it's usually raining or drizzling) made for a smooth trip.

We had our Thanksgiving turkey at lunch Thanksgiving day. Our lunch was a mix of a standard Thanksgiving meal (brined turkey, dressing, and potatoes) and a Chinese style meal (Chinese broccoli and steamed rice). Dessert consisted of buttermilk pie (which most of my sisters did not like - yay, more for me) and pumpkin pie.

After lunch, we watched the Cowboys play the Dolphins. It was a close one with a last minute field goal by Dallas to win. That game ended just in time for dinner (yeah, we're total sloths on Thanksgiving). My mom made Asian flavored chicken wings and potato wedges. Then it was time for more football - (possibly) the last UT-A&M football game. I'm glad the game wasn't a blow out and that UT was able to pull a win out at the last minute - another game won by a field goal (a win is a win, right?).

I just wish my dad was a better sportsman. He tends to make loud comments at the TV when watching sports. And who doesn't when the game is close or a call is questionable? But exclamations of enjoyment when the opposing team's player is down with an injury or suggestions at the coach that the team would do better putting my dad in to play (when he's never played on the field) makes me want to kick him. Sometimes my dad is not a nice person.

No late night/early morning Black Friday shopping for us this year. I'm trying to limit my spending this year and have less clutter in the house. Temptation was averted by the lack of sale items calling out my name. That could change though since the weekend's not over and there are still all the ongoing online sales. I'm not a big shopper and all the sales overwhelm me slightly so it may turn out to be a non-shopping weekend for me in the end.

Hair Bling

2011-11-19T13:10:00.002-06:00

I went to get my bi-annual hair cut yesterday (yeah, my hair would be tons better if I went more often but I'm lazy and hate change). Anyways, when I entered the hair salon I realized they now offered tinseling. I've been wanting to try it. I thought it would be a nice temporary way of getting some color (e.g. blue or red) into my hair without being too obvious. There were so many pretty colors to choose from. I settled for a beautiful turquoise that my stylist said was really popular right now with the holiday season and a dark blue.

Since it was my first time with these tinsel extensions I decided to just go with 15 strands that were scattered throughout my hair. My stylist attached the tinsel by knotting it into small strands of my hair near my scalp, but I understand there are some places that attach them differently (I guess with glue?). As long as I'm careful when combing my hair, the tinsel should last me about 6-8 weeks. I can curl/flatiron my hair as normal with the tinsel in it.

I'm liking it so far though they aren't as visible in the front when I put my hair up. And since I can't see what it looks like from the back I'm not sure if it's really noticeable or just a small pop of color (I need to get some opinions next time I'm out). And of course, the dark blue blends a bit with my dark hair so it just makes my hair seem sparkly in places when the light hits. Still, not bad for a $10-$15 treatment.

Austin Monthly's 2011 Bachelor Issue Release Party

2011-08-10T09:00:00.026-05:00

A friend and I attended Austin Monthly's August (2011 Bachelor) Issue Release Party last night at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

It's been a while since I've been to the museum, and I don't remember this awesome floor art. It had a nice 3D quality to it that this photo doesn't do justice. I did wish the museum had been open to us for viewing (they currently have an exhibit about Texas high school football). Still, it was a fun little cocktail party. There was definitely a disproportionate ratio of women to men. There were only a handful of men besides the featured bachelors compared to the roomful of women (who were all dressed to impress). I'll admit it. My friend and I had fun checking out all the different outfits - enjoying the fashionable choices some attendees had on and shaking our head at some of the fashion faux pas we saw.

There were free drinks featuring Grey Goose vodka, appetizers from Kerby Lane, Z Tejas, and J Black, as well as desserts from Tiff's Treats and Lick It Bite It or Both.

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Mousse from J. Black's

Cupcakes from Lick It Bit It or Both

The gift bags Austin Monthly handed out were filled with some nice items:

a small bottle of Disaronno (I see some amaretto flavored desserts in the near future),
$50 Benold's gift card,
$5 Tiff's Treats gift card,
Gift card for complimentary cocktail from Truluck's,
$10 off coupon to Karavel Shoes
$10 off coupon to New Balance Round Rock,
20% off coupon to Girl Next Door,
$50 coupon to My Skincare Boutique
20% off coupon for Zeltiq CoolSculpting at Westlake Dermatology,
10% off coupon from Old Empire Imports,
25% off purchase at Liz James,
coupon for one free barre class at Pure Barrre,
20% off coupon for Rae Cosmetics,
chapstick from Austin Dental Spa,
measuring tape from Four Hands Home, and
a letter opener from Blue Haven Pools.

Even though we didn't chat up any of the featured bachelors (the ones my friend and I were interested in talking to weren't there) or chat with the other attendees (yes, we're wallflowers), I had fun. Looking forward to the next Austin Monthly party we attend!

Knights of Badassdom

2011-08-04T16:43:00.002-05:00

I'm not a gamer, only occasionally play the random video game, and am not into role playing, but I'd love to see this movie. It looks hilarious. And, yes, that's River from Serenity, Jason from True Blood and Tyrion from Game of Thrones.

Supper Club - May: Ethiopian

2011-07-09T01:08:00.000-05:00

The theme the hostess chose for last month's supper club was Ethiopian food. I've had Ethiopian food once, and it was quite tasty (it's also generally very spicy, which I love).

Since the hostess is a vegetarian, I volunteered to make the popular national dish Doro Wat - a spicy chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs. Our hostess wanted us to be as authentic as possible, so we were to make the berbere spice/paste and niter kibbeh (clarified spiced butter) from scratch.

I used the berbere and niter kibbeh recipes from www.ethiopianrestaurant.com. My doro wat would probably have been more flavorful if I'd used fresh spices and toasted and ground the spices myself like the hostess did in her wat instead of using pre-ground spices. Still, it turned out pretty tasty.

Once the berbere and niter kibbeh were completed, making the doro wat was relatively simple but time consuming since it had to simmer for almost an hour.

Doro Wat (recipe found at www.whats4eats.com)

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs Skinless Chicken legs and thighs
1 Lemon, juiced
2 tsps Salt
2 Onions, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 tbsp of peeled and chopped Gingerroot
1/4 c Oil, butter or niter kibbeh
2 tbsp Paprika
1/4 to 1/2 c Berberé paste
3/4 c Water or stock
1/4 c Red wine
1 tsp (or more to taste) Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Hard-boiled eggs (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together the chicken pieces, lemon juice, and salt and in a large, non-reactive bowl and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, puree the onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender. Add a little water if necessary.
Heat the oil, butter or niter kibbeh in a large pot over medium flame. Add the paprika and stir in to color the oil and cook the spice through, about 1 minute. Do not burn. Stir in the berberé paste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the onion-garlic-ginger puree and sauté until most of the moisture evaporates and the onion cooks down and loses its raw aroma, about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to burn.
Pour in the water or stock and wine and stir in the chicken pieces, cayenne to taste, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add water as necessary to maintain a sauce-like consistency.
Add the whole hard boiled eggs and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
Adjust seasoning and serve hot with injera bread or rice.

This recipe had a bit too much liquid for me (and ended up being wasted since the dish was served with injera - a bit hard to sop up that much liquid). I'd reduce the amount of liquid by at least a fourth and add more as needed during the cooking process.

Also on the evening's menu: honey comb and dabo kolo (little snacks), iab (Ethiopian cheese), atakelt wott, spicy vegetable wott, gomen (collard greens), shro wott (spicy squash stew), miser (lentils), injera (flatbread), Tej (honey wine), mango juice, bunna (Ethiopian coffee), and spiced honey bread.

Tinsel Hair Extensions

2011-07-06T14:32:00.001-05:00

I've never heard of tinsel extensions before but I want to try it out! This will be a neat way to finally get that shade of metallic blue I've been wanting to try out in my hair. I'm also thinking it'd be a neat way to show school pride during the upcoming college football season by using school colors. (Yes, I know this may be a bit childish-looking but I'm a child at heart!)

Breakfast for Dinner

2011-03-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

So this month's Supper Club theme is Breakfast for Dinner. Since there seemed to be a lot of heavy food items already on the menu, I tried to think of a light dish to bring. A breakfast parfait seemed ideal - and this will also give me the opportunity to try Greek yogurt. So, I'm thinking of layering vanilla flavored Greek yogurt with slices of fresh strawberries.

I've also been wanting to attempt drop biscuits. It seems simple enough, and I'd consider it a nice basic recipe to have in one's repertoire. I'm adding sausage gravy to the biscuits - after all, I am a southern girl (and it'll hopefully the awfulness of the drop biscuits if they're a bomb). Now all I need to do is find an awesome recipe for sausage gravy, which I've never made from scratch. I could cheat and use a mix, but I think I want to at least attempt to make everything from scratch. I'll pick up a package of gravy mix though just in case.

I'm Weak

2011-03-07T23:47:00.001-06:00

I have no willpower. I need to cut back on expenses and get myself on a budget. One way to cut back on expenses is to cut back on my spending on books. I easily spend $100+ a month on books (hard copies and e-books).

Results of the first few days into my self-imposed buying ban: purchased four books at Borders' during their going out of business sale and two e-books via Kindle. I'm pathetic.

Supper Club - June: Pizza

2010-06-07T14:55:00.000-05:00

This month's supper club theme was pizza. As you can see, we had a couple varieties of pizza and two varieties of pasta salad. Not pictured: an antipasto tray and buffalo wings. One of the members brought craft sodas. Dessert consisted of fruit filled "pies".

My Sausage, Pepper, and Mushroom pizza was the only one with a store-bought crust. I had originally planned on using the naan recipe I used for our Indian themed supper club meet for the crust, but I didn't have time to make the dough. The pizza was very easy to throw together though, and it turned out pretty tasty. I'll definitely use this recipe again.

Sausage, Pepper, and Mushroom Pizza from Cooking Light (July 2009)

INGREDIENTS:
1 (4-oz) sweet Italian sausage link (I used spicy since I like spicy foods)
1 cup thinly sliced onion
½ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (I also added yellow and green bell peppers since I had some on hand)
1 (8-oz) package presliced exotic mushroom blend (such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-oz) prepared pizza crust (I used the Boboli's 12" original crust)
½ cup fat-free pasta sauce
¾ cup (3-oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Remove casing from sausage. Cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble the sausage.
3. Add onion, pepper, and mushrooms to the pan; saute 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; saute for another minute.
4. Place crust onto a large baking sheet. Spread pasta sauce evenly over crust, leaving a ¼-inch border. Top evenly with the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle pizza evenly with the basil.

SXSW 2010

2010-03-23T14:30:00.001-05:00

I'm in charge of one of the volunteer crews for SXSW, which is an interactive, film, and music conference held in Austin each year. In exchange for my work as a volunteer, I get to attend the conference for free. The conference gets bigger and bigger each year. People interested in social media, films, and music attend this conference. Various celebrities from the social media world, well known musicians, and actors/actress also make appearances at the conference and the parties.

I'm more interested in the film portion of the conference, and I saw some awesome movies at SXSW. It's fun seeing movies before they are released or even picked up for distribution. I'd definitely recommend Kick-Ass for anyone looking for a dark comedy/action movie. It's about an high school student, who's a comic book fan that decides one day to become a superhero - even though he has no special powers or training. Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (you'll recognize him as McLovin), and Clark Duke from the movie made an appearance at the screening and stayed for the Q and A. Nicolas Cage, and Chloe Moretz are also in the movie. Chloe Moretz was awesome in this movie - like a young Natalie Portman in The Professional. Kick-Ass is being released on April 16 in the U.S.

Get Low, a movie partially based on the real-life story of a 1930s Tennessee hermit who threw his own funeral party...while he was still alive, was good too. Bill Murray, Robert Duvall, and Sissy Spacek stayed for the Q and A. I was surprised to see that Lucas Black was in this movie. Took me a while to place him. He has a very distinct accent/way of talking, but I guess my mental picture of him is still as a young boy in American Gothic. Get Low is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on July 30.

The documentaries at SXSW are usually pretty amazing. I only had time to see two of them, but they were both very moving. Last Train Home is about the largest human migration that takes place every year - the millions of migrant factory workers in China who make the trek home for Chinese New Year during the Spring Festival travel season. It was amazing to see the huge amounts of people at the train stations and the trials they go through just to get onto the overcrowded trains. I also really liked Marwencol, which won the Feature Film Jury Awards for Documentary Feature at SXSW. It's about the fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp, who after suffering brain damage due to a severe beating by five men outside of a bar, begins building a minature world in his backyardwith a World War II theme that he populates with dolls who represent his friends and family. Playing in the town (with full stories for all the main characters) and photographing the action is Mark's way to work on his hand-eye coordination as well as deal with the psychological scars from the attack.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil was a wonderful comedy/horror film about two buddies (Tucker and Dale) out to enjoy their new summer home and are mistaken as backwood killers by a group of spring breakers. It was hilarious seeing the spring breakers offing themselves one by one and watching Tucker and Dale trying to figure out why the hell the kids are killing themselves on their property. Another movie I saw that I hope gets picked up for distribution is Brotherhood, which is about a college fraternity's initiation that involves robbing a convenience store that goes horribly awry. The script is based off of a short film (Roslyn) the director made at NYU.

I also got to see MacGruber (which still needed a bit of post production work and is based on the Saturday Night Live skit). It was OK. I haven't seen the SNL skit, but it was a passable movie.

The Runaways (the biopic about 70's teenage band The Runaways) was actually pretty good. Both Kristin Stewart and Dakota Fanning were in attendance. The Runaways is being released in the U.S. on April 9.

Film conferences like SXSW also provide me an opportunity to see foreign films like Cargo, which was made in Switzerland. Cargo is set in the future where Earth is no longer habitable. Most of the movie takes place on a space freighter on its way to Station 42. The young medic is the only one awake on board while the rest of the crew lies in a hibernating sleep. Only she begins to get the feeling that she's not alone, and soon the rest of the crew is awaken as they attempt to figure out what's going on.

That's a summary of some of the stand outs. I can't wait to see what films they bring to SXSW next year.

One Night With the King

2010-02-28T20:02:00.000-06:00

I recently watched a movie, "One Night with the King", that was loosly based on the story of Hadassah, who later became Queen Esther of Persia, and how she saved the Persian Jews from genocide.

Esther has always been my favorite book in the bible. Most likely because it's the only book in the bible named for a female and features a female in a positive light. It also happens that the Jewish festival of Purim, which celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from a Perian royal vizier's plot to kill all the Jews, was yesterday (ending at nightfall today).

According to the Book of Esther, Queen Esther foils the plot and subsequently, through her cousin/foster father, Mordecai, saves the Persian Jews from the decree to annihilate the Jews and allows them the right to defend themselves during an attack. I didn't realize there was a festival that commemorated this event until I saw the movie.

The movie was a little cheesy, but it had wonderful costumes, beautiful looking scenery (both human and backdrop), and several recognizable character actors (Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole, John Rhys-Davies). It wasn't preachy in any way (in fact it felt like they glossed over the religious aspect a little - strange considering religious affiliation plays a large role in this story). It was also a little confusing in regards to backstory (why did the King hate the Jews) if you don't recall the details of the Book of Esther. Overall, though, I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it. I'm actually considering looking into purchasing a copy for my collection. Here's a trailer of the movie: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3566862617/

Supper Club - February 2010: Indian

2010-02-28T02:33:00.002-06:00

This month's supper club theme was an Indian feast. Our hosts provided the main dishes: Bhindi Dopiaza (okra with double onion) and Potato and Tomato Korma. They also made a pitcher of delicious mango lassis and chai to quench our thirst. The other dishes included samosas, pakoras, stuffed zucchini, raita, chutney, and kheer.

I brought homemade naan and batata vada (deep fried potato dumplings). I thought the naan would be the more difficult dish to make since I'd never attempted to make dough before. The dumplings actually turned out to be more troublesome due to the batter the recipe called for (it ended up sticking to my fry basket). The potato filling was tasty though. I'll probably keep the filling recipe for samosas.

The naan turned out really well and was incredibly easy to make (especially since I used a bread machine). I think it'd also make a very tasty pizza dough. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Naan/Detail.aspx. Based on the suggestions of those who rated the recipe, I adjusted the recipe a little. Here's the recipe with my adjustments:

INGREDIENTS:

1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, proof the yeast by dissolving the yeast in the warm water with 1 tbsp of sugar. Let it double in volume and become frothy (about 9-12 minutes).

2. Stir in the remaining sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough bread flour to make a soft dough. Too much flour will make the dough stiff. Knead for 6 - 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

If you're using a bread machine, put the liquid ingredients (milk and egg) in first, then the dry ingredients (sugar, salt and only 3 1/2 cups bread flour) before adding the proofed yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and let it do it's work.

2. Punch down the dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll the dough into balls, and place on a tray with space between the balls for it to expand. Cover the tray with a towel, and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Roll one ball of dough out thinly and brush one side with ghee. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan on medium high heat. Place the brushed side of the dough on the grill and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, or until the top bubbles and the bottom is lightly browned. Brush the top with some ghee before turning over. Cook until browned (another 2 - 4 minutes). Remove from the grill and continue the process until all of the naan has been prepared.

CSA Box - February 3, 2010

2010-02-10T16:48:00.000-06:00

My CSA box this week.

carrots - I think I'm going to use these along with the oranges we get in an Orange and Carrot soup recipe I found on-line that sounded intriguing. The rest I'll use in a batch of carrot cake/cupcakes. Hopefully, that should help me use up all the delicious (but bountiful) carrots we've received.
turnips - Baby Turnip Slaw
kale
mixed lettuce - I'm going to use the lettuce in the chicken salad sandwiches I have planned for my work week lunch.
radishes - Instead of using these in a salad, I'm going to try braising them and tossing them in with some green beans.
broccoli florets - I'll probably use it in a beef stir fry.
green garlic
scallions
grapefruit - The previous ones were juicy and sweet. Hope these are the same.
oranges

It also contained cabbage.

I also got my first kohlrabi, which (according to Wikipedia) is suppose to have the same texture and taste as broccoli stem or cabbage heart. I love broccoli and cabbage, so I hope this is true. I'm thinking of using these in a Kohlrabi Curry recipe I found on-line.

Using Carrot Tops

2010-01-22T21:27:00.001-06:00

So, after Googling for recipes to use the carrot tops I had, I finally decided to use them in a soup (hoping that I wasn't one of the ones who would be allergic to carrot tops). My research indicated they could be used like any other greens or like parsley. Some sites indicated the greens may be a little bitter, but if you season it heavily it should not be that noticeable (I didn't notice any bitterness). Also, be sure to clean them well and only use carrot greens that you know have not been treated with pesticides (e.g. from local farmers market, organic farms, etc.).

I sautéd some minced garlic, diced onions, thinly sliced carrot coins, a nice handful of minced carrot greens, and some minced Thai chilies in some butter. After adding some chicken broth, I threw in a can of Ro*Tel (diced tomatoes and green chilies) and some frozen spicy meatballs. I let it simmer until the carrots had softened and the meatballs had heated through. I must say it turned out very well (a little spicier than I had planned but still tasty). This was a quick and very easy soup to make. I will definitely make this again!

CSA Box - January 20, 2010

2010-01-20T20:47:00.003-06:00

Picked up my first CSA box of the year. There were a ton of carrots - as you can see in the picture above. I've heard you can eat the carrot greens if you're not allergic to them. Not sure how I'm going to use the greens or if I will even like the taste of them. I guess as a last resort (so they don't go to waste) I can use them when I make stock.

I also got beets and radishes. I've never has beets, so I'm not sure if I'll like them. What do they taste like? Radishes are OK, but I'm not sure what I want to do with them other than slicing some up for a salad. I will try to find some time tomorrow to Google some recipes. Any suggestions?

D.C. Trip - Capitol Hill

2009-11-17T22:52:00.015-06:00

I recently took a trip to Washington, D.C., which I've wanted to visit since high school when I was considering a career in government. When my friend invited me to join her on a visit to D.C., I jumped at the chance.

On our first full day in D.C., we visited:

U.S. Capitol

Library of Congress (my favorite attraction)

Supreme Court

You can sign up for a tour of any of these attractions through your Congress person. However, tours to the general public are also available without a prior reservation. Just check the site's website for tour info.

Greenling's Local Box (September 14-18)

2009-09-20T23:08:00.002-05:00

The latest Greenling Local Box was irrestible:

Pickling Cucumbers - I think I'm going to make the Thai Cucumber Tomato Salad recipe Greenling provided - minus the tomatoes.

Summer Squash - I got yellow squash. I used it this morning in a fajita beef lettuce wrap.

Texas Sweet Corn - Fresh corn is delicious. It's so sweet you don't even need to add butter or seasoning.

Myer Lemons

Green Bell Pepper

Portabella Caps - I used these for dinner tonight in a portabella sandwich - simple and delicious.

Okra - I tried to make fried okra with this, but the recipe's breading technique didn't work for me. I'll try another receipe with the remaining okra.

Yellow Onion

Red Radish

Basil/Herb - I got oregano. I need to learn to use herbs more. I threw some into my portabella sandwiches this evening.

Bibb Letuce- Salad? What else can you do with it?

Texas Hard Pears - Yum. Think I'll have one after I post this blog.

I also got a nice bag of jalapenos in my box. I sliced some up this morning along with the onion and bell peppers and added them to my fajita beef lettuce wraps with a dash of fish sauce for flavoring. Delish!

Supper Club - August 2009: Locally Grown

2009-08-24T14:42:00.000-05:00

This month's supper club theme was locally grown foods. Our hosts provided the main dish of grilled fish (fresh from the Gulf) and brisket chili. The rest of the group brough zucchini bread, a tomato and goat cheese salad, fried okra, fresh figs, and a peach and blueberry cobbler with bourbon laced ice cream.

I brought 2 side dishes as my contribution: a summer squash stir-fry and stuffed zucchini blossoms. I chose squash as my side dish since it's really easy to find at the farmer's market, and I love zucchini. It's a simple and easy vegetable to cook. I just sliced it up with some yellow squash, onion, and jalapenos; threw it into a pan with some oil; added some salt and pepper to taste; and sauted it until the vegetables were cooked. I capped it off with a splash of soy sauce to taste.

The zucchini blossoms, which I had never had before but wanted to try, were chosen because I figure if I didn't like it someone at the dinner would like it and it wouldn't go to waste. Zucchini blossoms are usually fried, but you can use them in salads or pastas or sauted with onions. There were also various batter recipes for the zucchini blossoms - flour and water/club soda, with and without egg, flour and beer. I chose the Epicurean recipe and tweaked it a bit to fit my taste. The original one called for a goat cheese and cream cheese filling. I think I'd have preferred a lighter batter (like a panko batter), but this was still tasty (and was a hit at dinner).

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
adapted by Eva from epicurean.com

INGREDIENTS:

8 Zucchini Squash Blossoms

FILLING:
½ pound of Central Market Love Sauce or any other type of cream cheese based flavored dip

BATTER:
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup club soda
¼ cup milk
1 large egg
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil for Frying
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Dip the squash blossoms in cold water and drain them thoroughly on paper towels. Remove the stamens from the male blossoms.

2. Place cream cheese filling into a plastic sandwich bag; gather the filling towards one corner of the bag bottom and snip a corner off to make yourself a home-made pastry bag. Fill each squash blossom with about 2 teaspoons of filling. Slightly twist the tops of each blossom to "close" each blossom.

3. To make the batter, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, club soda, milk, egg and cayenne pepper. Let sit for one hour in the fridge.

4. Fill a heavy saucepan or skillet with oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium heat to 375 degrees.

5. Dip a few squash blossoms into batter, covering entire blossom, and drop them into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute, turn over and fry on the other side for another minute (or until golden brown). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining blossoms, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.

6. Add salt and pepper and serve immediately.

I'm Not the Only One

2009-08-20T13:35:00.004-05:00

Here's an e-mail I received this morning that made me laugh out loud. I don't know who originally complied this, but these thoughts are so true! I'm glad I'm not the only on.

MUSINGS:

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f*** was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much; it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really,
really gets it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories.

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

Is it just me or do high school girls get **** & **** every year?

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my a$$ everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat b@st@rd before dinner.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-08-20T13:04:00.007-05:00

I'm having an awesome birthday this year. It all started last Friday with "Wicked" (yes, I started celebrating a week before my birthday), then a weekend with my sisters, and last night - dinner and Rock Band with my friends and family. And who wouldn't feel loved when they saw all the birthday greetings on their Facebook wall on their birthday?

I can't wait to use my birthday gifts (this year's theme seems to have been mugs - good thing I like to drink hot tea and chai) and gift cards! It's nice when the stores/restaurants you patronize actually acknowledge your birthday too - even if it's just an e-mail wishing you a happy birthday. I'm looking forward to using my Borders birthday discount I received this morning!

So, Happy Birthday fellow Leos! May your birthday (and the rest of the year) be as joyful as mine has been.

Delish!Shakes Grand Opening

2009-08-18T10:14:00.006-05:00

Delish!Shakes is having a grand opening this Saturday, August 22 (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM) at their new location on 2nd & Congress. According to their website, they serve premium milkshakes in speciality flavors made with premium Blue Bell ice cream, real fruit, and gourmet syrups. They also have dairy free and low fat (perfect for my sister who's lactose intolerant and likes to watch what she eats). They'll have free samples of their specialty shakes (orange creamsicle, purple cow, piña colada, cookies and cream, and chocolate raspberry), free burgers, and free t-shirts.

Wicked Good

2009-08-14T23:42:00.001-05:00

My sister got me tickets to the musical Wicked for my birthday (which isn't until next week but the show just arrived in town). I haven't read any of the books from this series, but I thought the premise was quite interesting - basically expanding on the Wizard of Oz story and providing the Wicked Witch's point of view.

My sister said the musical deviated a bit from the book, but we both enjoyed it a lot. This was the first time I'd been in Bass Concert Hall since it was renovated. The sound really is better; I think it has more levels now, and they've added a cafe on the 2nd floor. On the 5th floor is a bar for members only. I think they get a drink ticket to use at this special bar.

Marcie Dodd was wonderful as Elphaba a.k.a. the Wicked Witch. Helene Yorke was amazing as Glinda (and I loved her shoes in the school scene). The set was amazing, and I loved the "bubble" that Glinda traveled in. Choreography was quite entertaining. I definitely recommend checking this show out if it comes through your town.

How The Mighty Have Fallen

2009-08-07T10:29:00.005-05:00

Our current APA summer session is not going well. Our pool team was in first place last session, but we're currently in last place this session. The team has the same players save one change (a high ranked player that wasn't there for most of the session for a new low ranked player). It's just that we can't seem to close out our games. We're basically handing over the games to our opponents - some of our losses are due to scratching on the eight ball, forgetting to mark the pocket on the eight ball, or missing easy shots

I know I definitely need to pratice more. I lost my match last night - pretty much handed it to my opponent (who I've beaten before in my previous matches with him). Anyone have some advice on bank shots? I need help on those as well as draw backs. I haven't figured out how shooting with English works either - when do I want to use it and how do I figure out how much English to give it.

Twitter...What Will I Do Without You?

2009-08-06T09:16:00.004-05:00

Twitter is down. What will I do at work now?!? How will I see what everyone's doing at this moment without Twitter? *sigh* Guess I'll go catch up on everyone's blog. They're probably talking about this Twitter outage too.

Jamba Juice BOGO

2009-08-03T13:16:00.003-05:00

Yum. Jamba Juice has a buy one get one free offer going on from now until August 9. Here's the link to their coupon: Jamba Juice Coupon. I see that they also sell food now. Has anyone tried anything off their new menu?

Cats versus Dogs

2009-08-03T13:02:00.003-05:00

I just love this e-mail about the difference between cats and dogs. No idea who wrote it and it's been floating around for a while now, but it's so true! It always makes me laugh.

The Difference between Cats and Dogs:

The Dog's Diary
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat's Diary
Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. F#$%! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

Movie, Dinner, Dessert, & Frantic Searching

2009-08-01T22:22:00.006-05:00

I went and saw "The Ugly Truth" with my sisters this afternoon. It's a cute, yet predictable, movie. I enjoyed it though. Pretty cast, some funny parts, and a great soundtrack. I really enjoyed the music in the movie. The dance scene near the end of the movie had music that made me want to dance along. That was a wonderful scene. And the end credit song had us dancing down the aisle as we left the theater.

I've enjoyed seeing Katherine Heigel in the movies. The only thing I didn't like about the movie was the camera work. I think some of the close ups were way too close for comfort and a bit distracting. Then, there's a scene in the hotel hallway that looked out of proportion - like they changed the size of the lens and changed the light filter while they were at it. I don't think this movie will be a big money maker - the theater we were in wasn't even half-full. The movie will probaby do better in DVD rentals/sales.

Afterwards, we had dinner at Chen's Noodle House. I'd read some good reviews about the place, and I've been wanting to try it. The owner makes handcut noodles fresh each day for the dishes on their small menu.

We each tried a different dish. I thought the stir fry noodle dish was so-so as well as the lamb noodle soup.

However, I enjoyed the black bean noodle dish I ordered. I think it's because I like the spaghetti like noodles that were in that dish versus the flat noodles in the other two dishes. I also like a lot of gravy on my entrees, and this was just right - and more flavorful.

We stopped by Cupprimo, a coffee and cupcake shop nearby, for dessert. We shared a strawberry cupcake and a peanut butter chocolate cupcake. Both buttercream topped cupcakes were great choices and a delicious end to our night.

However, my evening didn't end there. I returned home only to realize I couldn't find my housekeys. They weren't in my purse where I usually put them. I dumped out my purse looking for them. Got out of the car and felt under the seats in case they had dropped out of my purse. I even looked in the trunk because I had grabbed my sweater out of there for the movie theater. I ended up calling the theater thinking that the keys must have fallen out while I was in the theater. No luck. I finally called my sister to see if I could swing by and pick up her set of keys to my house. As I was driving I was trying to think of where I could have lost my keys. The restaurant and coffee shop had already closed so I couldn't call them to check to see if they had found a set of keys.

I continued feeling around the car for the keys as I drove to my sister's house. I opened the center console just to check and not expecting anything, but they were there! I don't remember putting the keys in there or why I would have opened the center console in the first place - I rarely use it. Isn't it typical? Keys are always in the last place you'd think to look.

-- Mobile Blogging From My iPhone

Blueberries

2009-07-29T10:30:00.003-05:00

In an attempt to use the blueberries I got in my Greenling box last week, I decided to make some blueberry muffins for the guys at work. I remember now why I rarely bake.

I used a recipe from Food & Wine: Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping that seemed easy enough. However, baking requires that you follow ALL of the directions. The muffins came out fine. It was the nice crumb topping that I messed up on. I had neglected to combine the dry ingredients prior to putting in the melted butter to form the crumbs. I realized this as I was pouring in the melted butter. So, yes, there were bites of non-sweet crumb and/or salty pieces on top of the delicious muffins. In my defense, I did all this early this morning before getting ready for work. Who's coherent at that time of day? And the recipe says it makes 18 muffins. I'm guessing they used a small muffin tin, because I only had enough batter for 6 muffins using my large muffin tin. I think I'll add more sugar to the muffins next time - it was good, but not as sweet as I wanted it.

This Piggy Went to the Market

2009-07-25T22:57:00.008-05:00

I've been meaning to give the Round Rock Farmers' Market a try since it's opening. Let's say I didn't miss anything. I made it out there this morning a little after 10 (they open at 8). They're located in a parking garage (nice for when the weather is bad). However, there were less than a dozen farmers/artisans present - literally. Now, maybe the others sold out early and left. But I seriously doubt it. It was sad.

So, since I was craving some peaches and wanting to pick up some veggies, I headed over to Sunset Valley's Farmers' Market. They always have something. I got myself a basket of small peaches, some huge white mushrooms, a couple of zucchinis, a loaf of bread, and a strawberry napaleon for dessert. I also got myself some Gulf shrimp to go with the Persian limes I bought the other day. The limes were from Costco and were an impulse buy. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the limes, but they looked good when I saw them. When I saw the shrimp I realized I could make myself some tequila lime shrimp. Now I only need to figure out what to do with the other dozen limes in the bag.

I also have all the vegetables from my Greenling order to deal with. I ended up with a spaghetti squash - I'm guessing to make up for the missing sweet peppers. I've never had spaghetti squash. I also have an acorn squash from a previous delivery. What should I do with them? All the receipes I see call for roasting/baking them. I'm not sure if I even like squash.

The jalapenos in the Greenling order were beautiful looking. I can't wait to use them. I already ate the figs - yummy. I wish I had bought some more while I was at the farmers' market this morning. The heirloom tomatoes were really small - slightly smaller than romas. Are they suppose to be that way?

Tapioca Tea House

2009-07-25T22:28:00.007-05:00

Tapioca Tea House is a small store located in a shopping strip on Grand Avenue Parkway that sells purified water, cell phone service, and bubble tea. They also sell food now. I've been meaning to give them a try for a while now, and I finally stopped by the other day. They sell Banh mi sandwiches, spring rolls, and a couple of rice dishes. I think they're the only place you can get bubble teas north of Coco's. They're decent for the price with a lot of flavor options.

I tried one of the Banh mi sandwiches - the House special. It was a pretty good deal for $2.50. They also have a special of buy 3 get 1 free. I'd neglected to ask what was in the House special, so I'm not sure what the meat was in the sandwich. If you know, please let me know. It was tasty - whatever it was (I'm hoping it's not tongue or something strange like that). I'm not big on raw carrots, but it added a nice texture to the sandwich. And spicy! Those jalapenos (which were optional) in the sandwich had some heat to it. Luckly, I had a peach smoothie with lychee jelly pieces (I prefer the jelly pieces versus the tapioca balls) to douse some of the flames. I'll have to try out some of the rice dishes next time.

July - National Ice Cream Month

2009-07-20T18:19:00.013-05:00

We stopped by the Blue Bell Factory in Brenham for a factory tour yesterday. No cameras were allowed on the tour (you can't even pull out your cell phone on the tour or they'll confiscate it). The tour lasted about 45 minutes and cost $3 ($2 for young children and $2 for seniors). They start the tour off with a brief video of the history of the Blue Bell company. Then we toured the facility - we got to see where they make the ice cream, how they add the flavorings into the ice cream mixture, and how it gets packaged. We also got to see how their ice cream sandwiches and novelty products were made. It was pretty neat.

And they really do make all they can eat and sell the rest. It seems that employees get all the free ice cream they can eat at work. My sister said she was quitting her job and applying to work for Blue Bell immediately.

Boy Bands Still Rule

2009-07-19T20:53:00.008-05:00

It seems that boy bands can still sell tickets. My sister was working on the New Kids on the Block (a.k.a. NKOTB) Full Service tour and got us tickets to see the final show of the tour. The winners of "America's Best Dance Crew", Jabbawockeez, was the opening act. I hadn't seen them perform before, and I thought they were a good opening act - they got the crowd revved up for the main act. NKOTB also incorporated them into the show for one of their numbers.

NKOTB's show was decent. They were entertaining and the show had a lot of pop - I especially liked the pyrotechnics. I wasn't as thrilled on the re-mixes of older songs, and I only recognized about half of the songs they played. The fans loved the guys.

Since it was the last show, the band talked about the outpouring of support they had received from the fans and how much they appreciated it. The crowd around us, made up of mostly females young and old, were crying or sobbing during this. (My sister pointed out that the crowd is so heavily populated by females that they converted some of the restrooms at the venue from Men's restrooms to Women's restrooms.) It's amazing how dedicated some of the fans are - I can't imagine spending hundreds of dollars to travel not once but twice (or more) overseas just to see a band perform (as one of NKOTB's super fans had done). It was fun though, and all of the guys were really nice and friendly.

Tea for Two

2009-07-19T10:10:00.024-05:00

My sister loves this place and wanted to take us there the next time we were in town. So, while we were in town this weekend, she took us there for lunch. Not exactly what I would associate as a tea room since they didn't have a tea menu or what I would consider tea sandwiches. They did have a display of Republic Teas and a tea of the day, which was blackberry. My sister had the blackberry iced tea and said it was good.

The food was tasty though. They brought out a small basket of what tasted like fried wontons with butter to snack on while we waited for our food. I ordered their special of half a sandwich with soup - the spicy chicken sandwich on a croissant with the soup of the day - chicken tortilla. It came on a pretty plate with the soup in a mug. My lunch special came with potato chips. The sandwich was filled a little too much - filling kept falling out of my croissant. I liked it though. The soup was light and warm. The chicken had a nice kick to it. It was just the right amount of food. We were too full to enjoy the tasty looking desserts. Next time.

It was a bit girly - there were dolls, victorian knick-knacks, and figurines decorating the place. And only 2 guys were in there. Not exactly a place to take your male friends/SO, but it seems like a nice place to take your girlfriends.

Greenling's Local Box (July 21-24)

2009-07-17T12:03:00.006-05:00

I think I'm going to give Greenling's Local Box another try this week - even though I swore to myself that I wouldn't order another one after letting most of the produce go to waste last time. But this week's box has usuable items, and if I plan accordingly (and cook instead of going out to eat) I can use at least the majority of this box. Right?

This week's local box contains:

Blueberries - I don't think I like blueberries, but I'm fine with them in a muffin. So, I think I'll make a batch of them for the office.

Purple Hull Peas - I don't like peas. I understand these are similar to black-eyed peas, which I also don't like. However, if I can't pass these off to someone maybe I'll cook them and let the guys at the office do their thing - devour everything in sight.

Beefsteak/Heirloom Tomatoes - I've never had an heirloom tomato. I'm looking forward to trying one.

Mixed Sweet Peppers

Figs

Red Potatoes - Roasted red potatoes - easy and tasty. They'll go nicely with some pork chops garnished with pico de gallo.

Cucumbers - Cucumber Salad.

Sweet Onion

Basil - Hmm, pesto for pasta?

Jalapenos - I think I'll make pico de gallo (with the sweet peppers and sweet onion from the box) if I get some heirloom tomatoes.

Peaches - I love peaches.

Too bad I have to wait until next Friday for this box. I'm hungry now.

Tank on Sale for $250

2009-07-16T10:40:00.004-05:00

Geez! Who pays $250 (60% off retail price of $625) for a TANK? Yes, a tank top. That's what on sale at Hautelook right now from The Great China Wall. Sure, it's a graphic embellished with crystals, and it is hand made. But would you pay that much for a tank top? Maybe a dress or suit, but a tank top? And it would have to be specially dry cleaned.

Sadly, I was outraged by the price of the tank tops, but not so much on the cute t-shirts in the same sale that were priced at $310. Not that I'd buy a t-shirt at that price, but why didn't I feel as outraged as I did regarding the tank tops? Maybe the graphics were cooler? I don't know why, but I'll admit to being a hypocrite.

I Want To Shop

2009-07-16T10:06:00.013-05:00

Rue La La is having a huge final sale (up to 70% off) right now. Unfortunately, their website always crashes due to the huge influx of visitors during big sales - like it is now. I want to view what they have on sale for Hale Bob and Badgley Mischka, but nothing happens when I try to click on items to view/buy. Some of the item images aren't even viewable. I want to get these cute Hale Bob Mary Jane pumps! Let me in, Rue La La!

Scramble

2009-07-15T14:11:00.006-05:00

I'm completely hooked on Scramble on the iPhone. It's like Boggle. I can sit there for hours playing the game. Ocassionally, I'll even do well when there's a good board (as evidenced on the screen at left) . Sometimes, though, the board sucks - like when it has one vowel or lots of Qu's or X's. If you're one of those people who can names more than a handful of 3 letter words using those letters or words that don't contain vowels - congratulations, you're wierd (in a darn-I'm-jealous-way).

What's For Dinner?

2009-07-15T13:37:00.010-05:00

So, I didn't feel like cooking last night. I wanted to either find a 3-column template to use on Blogger or alter my current template into 3-columns instead of cooking or coming up with an idea for dinner. I ended up pulling out a frozen pizza from my deep freeze. It was a California Pizza Kitchen pizza. I don't think I've had their frozen pizza before, so I wasn't sure how their pizza crust came out at home.

It turned out a bit softer than I expected - more bread/dough like. In fact, there was just a bit to much crust for me - and I usually like to eat the crust. According to the directions, you're only suppose to cook the pizza for about 19 minutes for a crispier crust and 22 minutes for a softer crust. I had it in there for about 20 minutes. Tasty, but very bready. Hmm...I just noticed that the box said Rising Crust. That probably explains that bready characteristic. Oops.

I did like the tomato and cheese ratio though - not overdone (although, maybe just a tad bit more tomato sauce might have been nice). Not bad though for a quick, no-hassel meal.

CSI in the dark

2009-07-14T07:31:00.005-05:00

So, I was watching a re-run of CSI:Miami last night, and I was wondering why it is that when they portray CSI's investigating a scene the CSI's are always going over a crime scene with a flashlight in the dark. Why don't they turn the lights on? Aren't you going to miss something? How much can you see with a flashlight?!? It's the same on CSI and CSI:NY. Do real CSI's do this? Really, how powerful can that small flashlight be?

Supper Club - July 2009: Noche Tipica Costariccence

2009-07-11T21:47:00.024-05:00

Tonight's theme was Costa Rican food. As I mentioned in my previous post, my contribution consisted of a hearts of palm salad and mixed fruit. The salad was a hit. One of the guys said he didn't like hearts of palm, but he liked it this time - something about the spritz of lime juice changing it completely. There was a lot of shrimp ceviche for our appetizer. We had olla de carne (a yummy beef "stew") along with gallo pinto (with a homemade tamarind sauce). Gallo pinto is basically a rice and bean dish that is a standard staple of any meal. The fried plantains were delicious (although I think they were actually fried bananas). Fresco de frutas and Cacique with Squirt were available to quench our thirst. We finished the night of with a bowl of rice pudding.

Hearts of Palm

2009-07-11T16:35:00.017-05:00

Ever try hearts of palm? It sounds strange, but I've discovered it's actually quite tasty. My contribution for tonight's supper club gathering is an ensalada palmito (hearts of palm salad) and mixed fruit. I did find the hearts of palm (usually found in the canned state here in the states from Costa Rica or Hawaii) at Whole Foods. It's the color of artichoke heart, soft, and a bit refreshing. It seemed a little bit salty and reminded me of bamboo shoots. It's the core of a certain palm tree, and mostly used in salads.

I'm not sure how the salad will turn out though - no dressing goes with it (unless I wanted to use the optional receipe ingredient: mayo - which seems a bit strange to me even though it would be similar to ranch dresssing). The salad is pretty simple to make - lettuce, hearts of palm, spritz of lime, and salt and pepper to taste. I cheated on the fruit mix. I bought pre-cut fruit (papaya, pineapple, watermelon, and cantaloupe). Cost a bit more, but it saved me the hassel and mess of cutting it up myself.

I'm Late! I'm Late!

2009-07-11T14:10:00.010-05:00

So, I've now got this up, but I'm running late. I need to go pick up the ingredients for tonight's supper club meeting (the theme is Costa Rica this month). Where do you think I can find hearts of palm? Whole Foods? I hope so, because I don't have much time to run around store to store looking for a can of this stuff. Wish me luck!