Tonight's agenda:
Design work and dance like a goofball to 90s dance music.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Buttah
I watched Julie & Julia today after recently seeing it as part of the new release section on (in?) Netflix. I needed some me time to seriously zone out and since football was on Hubs was in the man-cave (aka part of the garage) so I could watch a girl movie without him "mocking" me. He seriously thinks most romantic comedies and general chick flicks are basically the same storyline. I can't totally disagree with that but the aspect of how they get to the end point is always fun as well as the fashion aspect of it. I can't help it. If I had a good amount of "mad money" to spend on whatever, I'd have a new wardrobe every season. The practical side of me probably would smush that idea anyway, but it's fun to think about it every now and then.
I digress, so the movie is one that I had wanted to go see in the theater. I never did. The reason why I don't remember but it was more than likely that since we have Netflix I'd just wait. I knew of the story but back then it was a story based on a book based on a blog based on a book. Even though I technically set up this account in August of 2009, I wasn't a food blogger. I was a craft blogger thinking that perhaps I'd do a food or a fitness related blog. I started, deleted, started, deleted, and let sit empty. Now that I've had this new version, 2.0 though technically not, the movie hit home a bit differently.
I understand the fascination of finding a recipe and the breakdown of things not turning out well. I've gotten giddy over magazine arriving in the mail with some sort of amazing dish on the cover (Woman's Day, I'm talking to you!) or when someone posts something that I NEED to try. I've cried over destroying not one but two grilled cheese sandwiches in a row since seriously grilled cheese isn't supposed to be that hard. I've gotten ecstatic over trying a new recipe for the first time, bringing it to a party and having people love it. The movie connected. It worked. With a current knitting project in my lap and a glass of water at my side, it just worked. True, I had to stop and start it due to misc stuff going on and the giant white monster known as the washing machine.
One thing I felt that was in the movie, maybe not on purpose, was the aspect of not being afraid. The aspect of something not working out was there, of course. That's just life. I've had times throughout the years when I have scared myself into not doing things. Be it being afraid of failure, opinions of others, or just generally being to hard on myself. I will freely admit it because I know it's true. I'm not perfect. Never want to be really as well because then there is no room for improvement, no room for learning and for growth. The me from even five years ago, if asked would play on a team volleyball league, would say no. Me now, even though terrified of making a fool out of myself, is signed up for one. Will I launch the ball at someone? Probably. Will I totally miss it more than twice? Of course. Will I end up pretty decent? Only time will tell.
They say when life gives you lemons, they say to make lemonade. I say screw the lemonade and make lemon meringue.
I digress, so the movie is one that I had wanted to go see in the theater. I never did. The reason why I don't remember but it was more than likely that since we have Netflix I'd just wait. I knew of the story but back then it was a story based on a book based on a blog based on a book. Even though I technically set up this account in August of 2009, I wasn't a food blogger. I was a craft blogger thinking that perhaps I'd do a food or a fitness related blog. I started, deleted, started, deleted, and let sit empty. Now that I've had this new version, 2.0 though technically not, the movie hit home a bit differently.
I understand the fascination of finding a recipe and the breakdown of things not turning out well. I've gotten giddy over magazine arriving in the mail with some sort of amazing dish on the cover (Woman's Day, I'm talking to you!) or when someone posts something that I NEED to try. I've cried over destroying not one but two grilled cheese sandwiches in a row since seriously grilled cheese isn't supposed to be that hard. I've gotten ecstatic over trying a new recipe for the first time, bringing it to a party and having people love it. The movie connected. It worked. With a current knitting project in my lap and a glass of water at my side, it just worked. True, I had to stop and start it due to misc stuff going on and the giant white monster known as the washing machine.
One thing I felt that was in the movie, maybe not on purpose, was the aspect of not being afraid. The aspect of something not working out was there, of course. That's just life. I've had times throughout the years when I have scared myself into not doing things. Be it being afraid of failure, opinions of others, or just generally being to hard on myself. I will freely admit it because I know it's true. I'm not perfect. Never want to be really as well because then there is no room for improvement, no room for learning and for growth. The me from even five years ago, if asked would play on a team volleyball league, would say no. Me now, even though terrified of making a fool out of myself, is signed up for one. Will I launch the ball at someone? Probably. Will I totally miss it more than twice? Of course. Will I end up pretty decent? Only time will tell.
They say when life gives you lemons, they say to make lemonade. I say screw the lemonade and make lemon meringue.
Is it chili in here or is it just me?
The last few days have been busy to the point where I get home do very little on the computer and then zone out to the television. While it may not be as productive as I'd like, it was needed.
I've decided today what I am putting myself in a food budget challenge. I have seen others do that before with a set amount. The actual amount I am unsure of at the moment and so I figure to try to do as much as possible with as little as possible and go from there. The plan to move to more bulk good, esp rice and beans has already started. Now it's figuring out what works in larger scale.
Today I made chili using a large can of pinto beans and a regular sized can of kidney beans. Usually I'd use at least 2-3 cans of beans. Technically it could be counted as three but in terms of actual can waste it was one two. (We have a giant rolling recycling bin like our garbage can and so we do what we can to recycle as much as possible.) This also saves me room in the pantry since I have one main shelf set for canned goods, jarred sauces and pasta.
I am lucky to have a deep pantry. One of the people who lived here prior to us altered a bedroom into a dining room/front room (living room if you prefer) and cut the bedroom closet in half. The other half is our appliances we don't use constantly or are really bulky like the food processor and misc serving dishes overflow. It really helps so that we're not stuck with tons of stuff on the counter or overloading our kitchen cabinets. I can't keep too much out as well with the cats. Bond likes to sleep on the top of the fridge and in turn would sleep on whatever is up there (now basically the phone book and the Transformers Bumblebee folder - yes we are THAT cool - that holds the takeout menus and misc food coupons) and Frankie likes to knock stuff over. He once pushed my Foreman grill off the top of the fridge when he was a older kitten. Luckily it still works but the front handle falls out. Oh well. It still cooks.
I have recently started boxing. It's not officially boxing but rather Hubs got one of those heavyweight punching bags. He had wanted one for awhile and got a good deal on one online. I used his gloves and we have handwraps coming in the mail. I have smallish hands so the gloves won't be used all the time since I don't want to do something wrong. I am hoping the wraps work best. I'll end up getting my own gloves but I need to save up money right now.
The saving is due to my wanting to run the Hot Chocolate 5k here in Chicago this year. It's November 6th, which is a Saturday. I am excited and terrified and slightly embarrassed at myself for being terrified. Overall, I hope that I can get together the money in time. It's not a huge amount of money but I hadn't anticipated the actual costs of races. It makes sense esp with this being for a charity - The Ronald McDonald house which has one in the suburb next to mine so I know secondhand about how great it is for families.
I've decided today what I am putting myself in a food budget challenge. I have seen others do that before with a set amount. The actual amount I am unsure of at the moment and so I figure to try to do as much as possible with as little as possible and go from there. The plan to move to more bulk good, esp rice and beans has already started. Now it's figuring out what works in larger scale.
Today I made chili using a large can of pinto beans and a regular sized can of kidney beans. Usually I'd use at least 2-3 cans of beans. Technically it could be counted as three but in terms of actual can waste it was one two. (We have a giant rolling recycling bin like our garbage can and so we do what we can to recycle as much as possible.) This also saves me room in the pantry since I have one main shelf set for canned goods, jarred sauces and pasta.
I am lucky to have a deep pantry. One of the people who lived here prior to us altered a bedroom into a dining room/front room (living room if you prefer) and cut the bedroom closet in half. The other half is our appliances we don't use constantly or are really bulky like the food processor and misc serving dishes overflow. It really helps so that we're not stuck with tons of stuff on the counter or overloading our kitchen cabinets. I can't keep too much out as well with the cats. Bond likes to sleep on the top of the fridge and in turn would sleep on whatever is up there (now basically the phone book and the Transformers Bumblebee folder - yes we are THAT cool - that holds the takeout menus and misc food coupons) and Frankie likes to knock stuff over. He once pushed my Foreman grill off the top of the fridge when he was a older kitten. Luckily it still works but the front handle falls out. Oh well. It still cooks.
I have recently started boxing. It's not officially boxing but rather Hubs got one of those heavyweight punching bags. He had wanted one for awhile and got a good deal on one online. I used his gloves and we have handwraps coming in the mail. I have smallish hands so the gloves won't be used all the time since I don't want to do something wrong. I am hoping the wraps work best. I'll end up getting my own gloves but I need to save up money right now.
The saving is due to my wanting to run the Hot Chocolate 5k here in Chicago this year. It's November 6th, which is a Saturday. I am excited and terrified and slightly embarrassed at myself for being terrified. Overall, I hope that I can get together the money in time. It's not a huge amount of money but I hadn't anticipated the actual costs of races. It makes sense esp with this being for a charity - The Ronald McDonald house which has one in the suburb next to mine so I know secondhand about how great it is for families.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Why hello Brinner how are you?
We had breakfast for dinner tonight which was one of those amazingly great things when I was a kid. My mom always made great pancakes. I always manage to burn half so Hubs made them tonight. We had the regular egg beaters and ham as sides so it was almost like Denny's without the sticky menus and the pop music piped through the sound system. (The last one wasn't horrible music wise just heavy on the jr high-ish stuff.)
I threw caution to the wind tonight and threw together a veggie & cheese sandwich for tomorrow: wheat sandwich thin (YAY to HLS swag coupons!), sharp cheddar cheese, roasted red pepper hummus, green pepper, tomato, and avocado. It may deconstruct itself en route but that should still work. I haven't had too much experience with predominately veggie sandwiches. I do enjoy the Mediterranean one at Panera to the extent that if/when I buy feta cheese I hope to duplicate it. I've had vegetarian sandwiches elsewhere and as long as it isn't too heavy on sprouts, they work.
I am technically not going vegetarian but we do eat quite an amount of vegetables in this house, be it fresh, frozen, or canned. With the tomato plants in the yard, I get spoiled and then have to wait another half a year til we get to plant more. (The wait is definitely worth it though.) I'm trying to find more veggie based recipes or ideas that I can add something like shrimp or chicken breast to as well. I've found that we really don't eat a ton of red meat anymore. I don't know if it was cost or that we have tried and liked alternatives. (Currently we have four 1 lb packages of ground chicken divided between the two freezers.) I've read Veganomicon which I think has some great recipes as well.
This is also when I first decided to try edamame. While I didn't actually make the recipe, I did buy a bag. It has been totally worth it since that is my new go-to when cooking. I have a bad habit that if I am hungry as I cook, I munch on whatever. It may not necessarily be something bad, but by the time the actual meal is done I am not as hungry as when I started.
Do you have any quirks or tricks for when you are cooking while hungry?
I threw caution to the wind tonight and threw together a veggie & cheese sandwich for tomorrow: wheat sandwich thin (YAY to HLS swag coupons!), sharp cheddar cheese, roasted red pepper hummus, green pepper, tomato, and avocado. It may deconstruct itself en route but that should still work. I haven't had too much experience with predominately veggie sandwiches. I do enjoy the Mediterranean one at Panera to the extent that if/when I buy feta cheese I hope to duplicate it. I've had vegetarian sandwiches elsewhere and as long as it isn't too heavy on sprouts, they work.
I am technically not going vegetarian but we do eat quite an amount of vegetables in this house, be it fresh, frozen, or canned. With the tomato plants in the yard, I get spoiled and then have to wait another half a year til we get to plant more. (The wait is definitely worth it though.) I'm trying to find more veggie based recipes or ideas that I can add something like shrimp or chicken breast to as well. I've found that we really don't eat a ton of red meat anymore. I don't know if it was cost or that we have tried and liked alternatives. (Currently we have four 1 lb packages of ground chicken divided between the two freezers.) I've read Veganomicon which I think has some great recipes as well.
This is also when I first decided to try edamame. While I didn't actually make the recipe, I did buy a bag. It has been totally worth it since that is my new go-to when cooking. I have a bad habit that if I am hungry as I cook, I munch on whatever. It may not necessarily be something bad, but by the time the actual meal is done I am not as hungry as when I started.
Do you have any quirks or tricks for when you are cooking while hungry?
Monday, September 6, 2010
As the weekend blurs to an end
Yesterday was seriously a blur. Sunday dinner (as in 1:00pm for full sit down dinner as it has always been for family gatherings) then off to an early evening BBQ then off to a late late evening fire pit. Even with a full schedule it was good to see my family, my friends who are like family since we all grew up together (they are sisters.) and friends that I haven't seen in months. The only bad part of not being able to stay at all/get to all at start times was that I missed seeing my niece before she went to bed. Since she's under two, it totally makes sense.
Today was a bit crazy and I ended up taking it out on the upstairs bathroom. It got a good scrub including an old toothbrush scrub for the tiny crevices around the shower stall, shelves dragged out and wiped down, and even the walls. True we clean it but not super deep clean like this every week. Hubs has shower scrub duty this time - we alternate - so I didn't have to do that.
I ended up buying a jar of Ragu today while out at the crazy packed grocery store. The place was almost sitcom-like. There was a huge line of people with carts awaiting the deli. The location of the deli is in the back of the store but there isn't a large aisle near it like at other places. I passed on getting lunch meat this time esp since we have a great local corner store near us with a deli counter. In my attempt to get away from the line o' carts, I found agave nectar. I didn't get it this time since I was trying to stick to my list only but know I know a local place that carries it.
Dinner ended up spaghetti - regular white pasta aka wow I haven't had this in ages/mmm chewy! - with fresh Italian sausage and chopped green peppers, red onion, and mushrooms. I cooked the sausage on the Foreman, chopped it up and put it in the sauce with everything else. I was impressed with the Ragu and as long as I don't end up with an angry stomach I'd get it again.
Today was a bit crazy and I ended up taking it out on the upstairs bathroom. It got a good scrub including an old toothbrush scrub for the tiny crevices around the shower stall, shelves dragged out and wiped down, and even the walls. True we clean it but not super deep clean like this every week. Hubs has shower scrub duty this time - we alternate - so I didn't have to do that.
I ended up buying a jar of Ragu today while out at the crazy packed grocery store. The place was almost sitcom-like. There was a huge line of people with carts awaiting the deli. The location of the deli is in the back of the store but there isn't a large aisle near it like at other places. I passed on getting lunch meat this time esp since we have a great local corner store near us with a deli counter. In my attempt to get away from the line o' carts, I found agave nectar. I didn't get it this time since I was trying to stick to my list only but know I know a local place that carries it.
Dinner ended up spaghetti - regular white pasta aka wow I haven't had this in ages/mmm chewy! - with fresh Italian sausage and chopped green peppers, red onion, and mushrooms. I cooked the sausage on the Foreman, chopped it up and put it in the sauce with everything else. I was impressed with the Ragu and as long as I don't end up with an angry stomach I'd get it again.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Why hello Fall
This morning when I went outside for the first time my feet were cold. True it was a little before 8am but still. I've been so used to it being horribly warm that it was a bit surprising. True, it will warm up again but it felt nice. Then it was too cold and I went back in!
Not worrying about overheating the house lead to a berry muffin instant mix. Good but only makes six small-ish muffins. I've already eaten my half and to be fair the others are waiting in the microwave (aka the safe place from the cats without putting them in a tupperware in the pantry) for Hubs.
I reorganized most of the pantry today which is something that was needed. The goal is to stop buying canned/boxed goods that we already have in multiple (like canned fruit... oh look! more pineapple!) and eat what we have now. We did good at this for awhile then a few fast "get the stuff off the counters" and a "where did that go - shuffle shuffle" here and there happened. It wasn't horrid but it wasn't good. Now I can look in and for the most part, have a general sense of what to get.
We did really good with meal planning last week and ended up with very few leftovers. Most can get eaten before garbage time monday morning. I did a leftover mash up for lunch: canned cream of chicken soup w red onion, green pepper, and bulgar added. It tasted great but my stomach wasn't happy. I don't know if it was too rich, too much salt, or just a cranky stomach. I liked the flavor of the mix though and am planning to make a more broth based version of chicken soup with that.
The plot for tonight is a shrimp though mostly veggies stir fry with brown rice. We need to go grocery shopping but I really hadn't wanted to go today. I might later but most likely tomorrow morning pretty early.
If I hadn't had the last egg as part of my breakfast, I would have made Savoury Pumpkin Scones from Oh She Glows. Angela tweeted about the recipe earlier today. Finding a can of pumpkin in the pantry that was still good was a sign. I'll modify it slightly since I don't have/use some of the ingredients. Hopefully it will turn out well.
Not worrying about overheating the house lead to a berry muffin instant mix. Good but only makes six small-ish muffins. I've already eaten my half and to be fair the others are waiting in the microwave (aka the safe place from the cats without putting them in a tupperware in the pantry) for Hubs.
I reorganized most of the pantry today which is something that was needed. The goal is to stop buying canned/boxed goods that we already have in multiple (like canned fruit... oh look! more pineapple!) and eat what we have now. We did good at this for awhile then a few fast "get the stuff off the counters" and a "where did that go - shuffle shuffle" here and there happened. It wasn't horrid but it wasn't good. Now I can look in and for the most part, have a general sense of what to get.
We did really good with meal planning last week and ended up with very few leftovers. Most can get eaten before garbage time monday morning. I did a leftover mash up for lunch: canned cream of chicken soup w red onion, green pepper, and bulgar added. It tasted great but my stomach wasn't happy. I don't know if it was too rich, too much salt, or just a cranky stomach. I liked the flavor of the mix though and am planning to make a more broth based version of chicken soup with that.
The plot for tonight is a shrimp though mostly veggies stir fry with brown rice. We need to go grocery shopping but I really hadn't wanted to go today. I might later but most likely tomorrow morning pretty early.
If I hadn't had the last egg as part of my breakfast, I would have made Savoury Pumpkin Scones from Oh She Glows. Angela tweeted about the recipe earlier today. Finding a can of pumpkin in the pantry that was still good was a sign. I'll modify it slightly since I don't have/use some of the ingredients. Hopefully it will turn out well.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sometimes I need to remind myself to just SLOW DOWN
I managed to run myself into the ground this week. Not literally though I did trip, yet catch myself on the banister, before I rolled myself down my stairs... though only a few of them... like 10 of the 13 total. EEK!
I thought I was running off adrenaline but really I was running off the extra kick my body was using to try to fight a head cold. The head cold won. While I'm not happy it makes me realize that I can't just take it as it comes - energy wise - and really need to make sure I stick with my sleep/rest plan. I was doing well then got carried away too late plus the sneezy people on public trans doesn't really help.
I had a weird and somewhat disturbing moment on the L tonight. I was sitting there reading my book and overheard a young (maybe early 20s) couple talking. Not a big deal right? Then I hear the girl talking about wanting to go visit her friend. The other girl lived out of state. The guy said she couldn't. (RED FLAG) She couldn't because he didn't want her to go. There was no because after that. No reason other than basically she wasn't allowed by his tone and body language.
I caught myself glaring at them at least once before I remembered I was wearing my reading glasses and not sunglasses. I wanted to SCREAM at the top of my lungs at both of them. GROW UP! BE A MAN NOT THE MANCHILD YOU THINK YOU ARE! WHY DO YOU NEED HIS PERMISSION TO GO VISIT YOUR FRIEND! IS HE IN CHARGE OF EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE! The conversation puttered along w some comments of an ex gf and then they got off the train. Watching her body language she was obviously upset and he didn't seem to understand why. It was a situation that may seem normal to some but it really bugged me. It was one of those moments where I wish I had remembered the post-its in my bag and stuck one right near her that said something like...
"You are important. Don't let others tell you otherwise."
I thought I was running off adrenaline but really I was running off the extra kick my body was using to try to fight a head cold. The head cold won. While I'm not happy it makes me realize that I can't just take it as it comes - energy wise - and really need to make sure I stick with my sleep/rest plan. I was doing well then got carried away too late plus the sneezy people on public trans doesn't really help.
I had a weird and somewhat disturbing moment on the L tonight. I was sitting there reading my book and overheard a young (maybe early 20s) couple talking. Not a big deal right? Then I hear the girl talking about wanting to go visit her friend. The other girl lived out of state. The guy said she couldn't. (RED FLAG) She couldn't because he didn't want her to go. There was no because after that. No reason other than basically she wasn't allowed by his tone and body language.
I caught myself glaring at them at least once before I remembered I was wearing my reading glasses and not sunglasses. I wanted to SCREAM at the top of my lungs at both of them. GROW UP! BE A MAN NOT THE MANCHILD YOU THINK YOU ARE! WHY DO YOU NEED HIS PERMISSION TO GO VISIT YOUR FRIEND! IS HE IN CHARGE OF EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE! The conversation puttered along w some comments of an ex gf and then they got off the train. Watching her body language she was obviously upset and he didn't seem to understand why. It was a situation that may seem normal to some but it really bugged me. It was one of those moments where I wish I had remembered the post-its in my bag and stuck one right near her that said something like...
"You are important. Don't let others tell you otherwise."
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