Saturday, May 28, 2011
Family time
Today I ate what must be the food of the gods, the delectable mouthful that reminds me of summer days with the family, the amazing slow-cooked pig. Good lord, I'm telling you. We cook it on the pig-cooker, sopped with a cider vinegar and pepper sauce. It's an exercise in self-control to keep your fingers out of that tender pork. So y'all have a great holiday weekend, I'm going to eat some watermelon.
Monday, May 23, 2011
We weren't apocolypsed...try quinoa!
If you didn't catch the global news that the end of the world was predicted to start on Saturday, May 21, 2011, you didn't miss anything anyways. For the "End Days" people to think that they had some inside scoop that neither the angels in Heaven, nor the Son of Man had is just plain ridiculousity. But I must say, if it caused even one person to repent and come to Christ, then I rejoice in that.
Saturday, while all of that was not going on, I was cooking quinoa for the first time. I liked it. I made a dressing of red wine vinegar, fresh-squeezed lime juice and EVOO, then added cherry tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, lime zest, red onion, jalapeno, and the quinoa. I served it with shrimp sprinkled with S&P and paprika, then sauteed. They went in a sauce of lemon juice, EVOO, a touch of honey, and some Grey Poupon. It turned out beautifully! The quinoa was really good...the texture was familiar, kind of like grits meets rice.
Speaking of grits, tonight we are having breakfast for dinner. We'll have country sliced ham, cheesey grits, eggs, and buttermilk biscuits. I'm salivating already!
I hope ya'll had a great weekend too, filled with good food and fun times!
Saturday, while all of that was not going on, I was cooking quinoa for the first time. I liked it. I made a dressing of red wine vinegar, fresh-squeezed lime juice and EVOO, then added cherry tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, lime zest, red onion, jalapeno, and the quinoa. I served it with shrimp sprinkled with S&P and paprika, then sauteed. They went in a sauce of lemon juice, EVOO, a touch of honey, and some Grey Poupon. It turned out beautifully! The quinoa was really good...the texture was familiar, kind of like grits meets rice.
Speaking of grits, tonight we are having breakfast for dinner. We'll have country sliced ham, cheesey grits, eggs, and buttermilk biscuits. I'm salivating already!
I hope ya'll had a great weekend too, filled with good food and fun times!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Mmmmm
Mmm, just had salty, delicious herb, garlic and lemon rotisserie chicken with cabbage cooked with ham hock and a cucumber, tomato and red onion salad. So yummy. Here's a pic (crappy, only had my iPhone on hand) but I wanted you to see the pretty brown crispy skin. It's not loading now, but I'll get it soon.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I'm totally in love with...
This necklace...and more like it at http://www.etsy.com/
It's new jewelry made from old things. It is just so romantic.
And this....
And lastly,
Nutella. *drool* It's not as opulent as uncut diamonds, or as trendy as vintage-inspired necklaces, but slap your mama and call her Sally, this is ahhh-mazing.
What are you totally in love with?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
This week's Must Download
It's time to live up to my blog name and give you some of my Must Downloads this week. I want to figure out how to add music clips in my blog, but in the meantime it's coming in the form of a playlist.
Here are a few of my can't-get-enough-of songs right now:
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi feat. Jack White "Two Against One". I love it, I love it, I love it. It's cool, with a sexy groove. http://romealbum.com/
Next is St. Vincent "Marry Me". Her voice is haunting, the feel is catchy and I just want to hit repeat and sing it with her again and again.
My last one (I can't lay out all my good stuff at once, right?!) is Fiona Apple "Extraordinary Machine". I can't even begin to tell you...the use of double reeds (yes, that's a bassoon) and marimba give a Fantasia-esque feel to the song. The timbre of her voice is so warm and jazzy.
I hope you check them out. I'd love some feedback :)
Oh, and my food pairing for today's musical selections: watermelon and strawberry salad with a squeeze of lime juice and a little touch of mint leaves. Yum!
Here are a few of my can't-get-enough-of songs right now:
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi feat. Jack White "Two Against One". I love it, I love it, I love it. It's cool, with a sexy groove. http://romealbum.com/
Next is St. Vincent "Marry Me". Her voice is haunting, the feel is catchy and I just want to hit repeat and sing it with her again and again.
My last one (I can't lay out all my good stuff at once, right?!) is Fiona Apple "Extraordinary Machine". I can't even begin to tell you...the use of double reeds (yes, that's a bassoon) and marimba give a Fantasia-esque feel to the song. The timbre of her voice is so warm and jazzy.
I hope you check them out. I'd love some feedback :)
Oh, and my food pairing for today's musical selections: watermelon and strawberry salad with a squeeze of lime juice and a little touch of mint leaves. Yum!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
So many things I wish I knew how to do...
...like add music clips
...like write code to make the font do cool things on my "Things I talk about" gadget
...like finding other blogs to follow that I would like
...stuff like that.
I get overwhelmed when I'm not competent at something. Instead of jumping into what I'm not good at, I'd rather stick to what I know. And that gets me no where. And I don't like that particular quality in myself. Once I do get into something new, I want to suck it all up like a sponge, but my initial feeling of being overwhelmed can be paralysing.
...like write code to make the font do cool things on my "Things I talk about" gadget
...like finding other blogs to follow that I would like
...stuff like that.
I get overwhelmed when I'm not competent at something. Instead of jumping into what I'm not good at, I'd rather stick to what I know. And that gets me no where. And I don't like that particular quality in myself. Once I do get into something new, I want to suck it all up like a sponge, but my initial feeling of being overwhelmed can be paralysing.
who's timing is it anyways?
*A fair warning to any men potentially about to read this-- I may mention things like "periods" and "ovulation" and other things that make men light-headed. Proceed with caution* ;)
Since The Hubby and I finally decided to try to have a baby, I have been wanting to scream it from the mountaintops! I want to tell everybody I see. The thing is though, we both want to keep it between the two of us...our little secret...something precious for us to share. Well, easier said than done. I just assumed I would pick the conception date off the calendar, do the deed, and pee a positive. I simply assumed that I would only have to keep our little secret (*whisper* we're about to be parents) for a few weeks, then we would be able to share the news with everyone we know... but as the saying goes, "the best laid plans...."
If you knew me, you'd know that me trying to keep that news between the two of us is as likely as you being able to fill up your SUV for $40 tomorrow...ain't gonna happen. So I told a girlfriend at work. And wouldn't you know it, her and her husband were about to start trying that month too. So now I had a fellow ovulation-obessed friend to go through all of these exciting things with. We'll call her Fertile Myrtle.
The end of February/early March was the first month we made a crack at it...I just KNEW I was pregnant. I got an early pregnancy test (by the way, I totally dipped the wrong end of the stick the first time) and it was negative. I told myself, "maybe it was just too early for an early predictor." So I waited until the day before I was supposed to start, took another one. Negative. In my head, I'm still finding ways of talking my way out of a negative. I don't start Wednesday, don't start Thursday, finally take another test Friday...still negative. I had my mini-meltdown, told myself to have a meeting with reality, and lo and behold I started not fifteen minutes later. I'm pretty sure that my brain convinced my uterus to cooperate with my craziness.
April comes along...per my friend, Fertile Myrtle, we both decide to get some ovulation predictor strips (from the Dollar Store, mind you...we walk up to the check-out counter with 10 ovulation tests and 4 pregnancy tests and get a look from that cashier like we have lost our ever-loving minds). So we are anxious to test 'em out. We go to the private restroom at work. I go first, sit the strip on the shelf over the sink so it can do it's thing for the next three minutes, and leave so she can come in and pee on hers. When she walks out, she is shaking her head in confusion. She said, "Girl...where did you put your pee?" I told her I put it in the big well in the middle and she died laughing. I coated the results strip with urine. Good lord. At least it was only a dollar, right?
No luck this month either. 0 for 3. I guess I have broken that little secret of ours by telling the world. But you won't say anything, will you?
I have learned that my timing is irrevelent. I have had a not-so-gentle reminder that I am not in control. As a believer, I know the Psalm is true: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." I just have to keep reminding myself that I am not the knitter.
Since The Hubby and I finally decided to try to have a baby, I have been wanting to scream it from the mountaintops! I want to tell everybody I see. The thing is though, we both want to keep it between the two of us...our little secret...something precious for us to share. Well, easier said than done. I just assumed I would pick the conception date off the calendar, do the deed, and pee a positive. I simply assumed that I would only have to keep our little secret (*whisper* we're about to be parents) for a few weeks, then we would be able to share the news with everyone we know... but as the saying goes, "the best laid plans...."
If you knew me, you'd know that me trying to keep that news between the two of us is as likely as you being able to fill up your SUV for $40 tomorrow...ain't gonna happen. So I told a girlfriend at work. And wouldn't you know it, her and her husband were about to start trying that month too. So now I had a fellow ovulation-obessed friend to go through all of these exciting things with. We'll call her Fertile Myrtle.
The end of February/early March was the first month we made a crack at it...I just KNEW I was pregnant. I got an early pregnancy test (by the way, I totally dipped the wrong end of the stick the first time) and it was negative. I told myself, "maybe it was just too early for an early predictor." So I waited until the day before I was supposed to start, took another one. Negative. In my head, I'm still finding ways of talking my way out of a negative. I don't start Wednesday, don't start Thursday, finally take another test Friday...still negative. I had my mini-meltdown, told myself to have a meeting with reality, and lo and behold I started not fifteen minutes later. I'm pretty sure that my brain convinced my uterus to cooperate with my craziness.
April comes along...per my friend, Fertile Myrtle, we both decide to get some ovulation predictor strips (from the Dollar Store, mind you...we walk up to the check-out counter with 10 ovulation tests and 4 pregnancy tests and get a look from that cashier like we have lost our ever-loving minds). So we are anxious to test 'em out. We go to the private restroom at work. I go first, sit the strip on the shelf over the sink so it can do it's thing for the next three minutes, and leave so she can come in and pee on hers. When she walks out, she is shaking her head in confusion. She said, "Girl...where did you put your pee?" I told her I put it in the big well in the middle and she died laughing. I coated the results strip with urine. Good lord. At least it was only a dollar, right?
No luck this month either. 0 for 3. I guess I have broken that little secret of ours by telling the world. But you won't say anything, will you?
I have learned that my timing is irrevelent. I have had a not-so-gentle reminder that I am not in control. As a believer, I know the Psalm is true: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." I just have to keep reminding myself that I am not the knitter.
Monday, May 16, 2011
A glorious bite of NC
I adore going to the Farmer's Market. I swear the produce just tastes better. It's like taking a big tasty bite of North Carolina and coming up with a juicy smile. This weekend The Hubby and I bought bags full of asparagus, juicy tomatoes, English cucumbers, red onions, baby squash, and peaked-head cabbage. I can't wait to tell you all of the plans I have for these gems.
First and foremost, something that just screams "SUMMERTIME!" is a cucumber/tomato salad. The English cucumber is less bitter, with fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. Pair that with farm-fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, a healthy sprinkle of red wine vinegar and olive oil, finished with S&P to taste and you've something beautiful.
Tonight, we're grilling out wild game with some of these farm-fresh ingredients. I'll be sure to take a picture and fill you in on the details.
First and foremost, something that just screams "SUMMERTIME!" is a cucumber/tomato salad. The English cucumber is less bitter, with fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. Pair that with farm-fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, a healthy sprinkle of red wine vinegar and olive oil, finished with S&P to taste and you've something beautiful.
Tonight, we're grilling out wild game with some of these farm-fresh ingredients. I'll be sure to take a picture and fill you in on the details.
First post.
Good day! In the words of the Rolling Stones, please allow me to introduce myself.
Here are some of my goals and motivations for finally joining the blogosphere: I am a passionate person and I love to share the things I'm passionate about with others. I have a lot to say, and I tend to get myself into situations that end in hilarity. I love telling stories. Of course, I think I have good taste (why else would I listen to the music I do, read the books I do, eat the food I do, watch the TV shows that I do...right?!) I also feel like I'm in the midst of big times in my life and I want to document these moments and share them with you (is there anyone out there?). Maybe also use this as a form of therapy...a cyber-couch of sorts, if you will.
So, some things about me: I love to cook and eat good food. I'm on a budget, so most of the good food I eat, I make. I love experimenting with ingredients and tweaking recipes in pursuit of something spectacular. I love discovering new music, and once I find something that grooves and moves me, I want to share it! I love playing music (I am a trumpeter) and the thrill of being on-stage, playing for a live audience, gets me amped! I am happily married to a wonderful man -- he also makes an excellent sous chef, however he thinks he is the head chef of Le Kitchen, so no one tell him otherwise! *wink* We have aspirations of becoming parents one of these days...so wish me luck and baby dust! That sounds creepy...not dust made of babies, but like fairy dust. Oh, nevermind. ;)
Here are some of my goals and motivations for finally joining the blogosphere: I am a passionate person and I love to share the things I'm passionate about with others. I have a lot to say, and I tend to get myself into situations that end in hilarity. I love telling stories. Of course, I think I have good taste (why else would I listen to the music I do, read the books I do, eat the food I do, watch the TV shows that I do...right?!) I also feel like I'm in the midst of big times in my life and I want to document these moments and share them with you (is there anyone out there?). Maybe also use this as a form of therapy...a cyber-couch of sorts, if you will.
So, some things about me: I love to cook and eat good food. I'm on a budget, so most of the good food I eat, I make. I love experimenting with ingredients and tweaking recipes in pursuit of something spectacular. I love discovering new music, and once I find something that grooves and moves me, I want to share it! I love playing music (I am a trumpeter) and the thrill of being on-stage, playing for a live audience, gets me amped! I am happily married to a wonderful man -- he also makes an excellent sous chef, however he thinks he is the head chef of Le Kitchen, so no one tell him otherwise! *wink* We have aspirations of becoming parents one of these days...so wish me luck and baby dust! That sounds creepy...not dust made of babies, but like fairy dust. Oh, nevermind. ;)
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