August 2012

...or, my reward to myself for surviving grad school. : )   Actually, I'm super looking forward to having some free time, and one of my big hobbies for years has been video games. Specifically, MMORPGs, massive multi-player online role playing games. (See why the acronym now?? ; ) My current desktop is too old for the newer video games, because of the older single core processor; to upgrade it would require replacing the cpu and motherboard, and at that point, it makes more sense to replace the entire computer.

I had a block of sashimi tuna in the freezer from my last sushi shopping trip; it was a bigger block, and I had also picked up a package of fresh salmon sashimi, so I stuffed the tuna in the freezer for another time.  I was glad I did, because that made impromptu sushi night a possibility!

To start, miso soup with tofu and wakame, and edamame with sea salt. I love edamame.

I've never made a frittata before. I've never eaten a frittata before. In fact, I've apparently never even spelled the word out before, because I've been spelling it "fritatta" on my food lists all day. It's an Italian egg dish; similar to a quiche. Except it doesn't have a crust. And there isn't any cream added to the eggs. And it's cooked mostly on the stove. Okay, it's not THAT similar to the quiche, when you get down to the details. ; )

My excuse is that it's Friday night, after a long, gruesome few weeks. I normally don't do bread, but I thought it would be a little bit of happy to have a sandwich. Well, not a sandwich, per se, but a BLT.  I found thick sliced applewood smoked bacon with no preservatives or nitrates at Trader Joe's, and I was committed. I picked up extra sharp cheddar cheese, and found beefsteak tomatoes in their meager produce section. It was like the gods were smiling down on my BLT idea. I picked up a head of iceberg lettuce, and wandered over to the bread section.

Near the warehouse that I worked at for the last four years is a Mexican restaurant that we TRPians eat at regularly. It's a big enough restaurant, roomier than the small mom and pop restaurants that don't always have vacant tables.  And they serve beer. Which might be the real reason some of us particularly enjoy eating there. ; ) But they also have a salsa bar, where you can pick and choose your favorite salsas and condiments. They are all good, but one on particular is oddly addictive to me.

I've long known that clutter makes me anxious, so in my home, I generally have things picked up and put in their place. When I am under other stress, such as work or school, it gets worse. I CANNOT focus on anything if there is clutter. Normally, at the end of a tough class when I have a 15 page paper due, I'll be outside, moving the rocks that surround the flower beds so that I can remove all of the weeds, because I CAN'T focus if there is clutter, and weeds that don't belong in the rocks are clutter!

Okay, this is SO not me. I made it to see if I could successfully make a strapless gown that stayed in place. This particular gown has pleats on both the front and back on one side, and a side slit up the leg. The other side has an invisible zipper.  It is fully lined,  and has a boned inner corselette. The fabric is a darker red satin, and the lining is the same color.  The interlining is made from lining fabric and sewn in interfacing.  I found the fabric on sale for 60% off, so the fabric cost was under $20.

My best friend lost her dog a year ago. Charity and Buckley had an extra special connection that was obvious to anyone that met them.  Buckley was a gorgeous greyhound. he was gigantic, even by greyhound standards; he was white with a brindle patch over one eye, and soft ticking throughout his coat.  And eyes that would melt even any non-dog lover's heart.

This should be illegal. Or at least frowned upon. Not that it would stop me.  ; )   A few months ago, I made Julia Child's Daube de boeuf with a borderlaise sauce; beef braised in red wine and stock with carrots, leeks, bacon, and garlic, and finished with a red wine reduction, from scratch veal demi-glace, and butter; I didn't eat it all, and so I froze a few servings of it for future use.  Only I forget to go back to my freezer for leftovers, because I like making new things, and so the beef in borderlaise kept getting pushed around, but never taken out.

I stopped at the exotic meats butcher up the street recently, specifically for duck legs, but I wanted to also pick up some free-range grass fed beef. (I knew I should have never eaten the grass fed burger at the food truck gathering a few months ago, I think I am now spoiled about the quality of my food!!) Actually, my intent isn't just on grass fed, it's also about hormone and antibiotic free, but mostly about the free-range part. While I won't stop eating meat, I do believe that I should pursue more humanely raised food sources as long as I have the means.

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