Thai Chipotle Toastanini
Everybody likes a bit of toast. Toast is what's for breakfast. Luvverly
doorstep, slathered in butter and marmalade. Brown and toasty on the outside
soft and tasty on the inside. Sliced from a real loaf, cut with a real
knife, irregular but perfect. Not the limp stuff at the breakfast place, but
twice as thick and cooked under a grill (broiler) not a toaster. That's how
I like toast.
So I'm at the local Panera and I thought "'Ows about a piece of toast and a
cup of tea?" So I asked for a piece of toast just like that. You'd have
thought that I'd asked for a massage or something from the look I got. "Sorry
we don't have that" she said. I looked around and saw every shape of loaf
imaginable from Tuscan flippin' this to Asiago flippin' that. Bagels were
getting toasted but a whole store of bloody bread loaves and no bleedin'
toast. Not to mention marmalade and tea, normal tea, without the chai bit,
with milk and sugar.
So... I asked for the "Asiago Thai Chipotle Toastini
(trade mark)" and when they didn't have that either I left with a haughty
British look that I had been saving for this very kind of occasion. Almost
as good as toast... with very bitter marmalade.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Just when I'm feeling all cute for riding my bikey...
I just got my bicycle tires and tubes replaced, (to the tune of $57.00, thankyouverymuch.) and on my way home I got a flat tire!! And I was still a good 2 miles from home. And it was 90 degrees.
So I resigned myself to the long, hot walk, and before I knew it, I had blisters on my feet from the flip flops I had on, which were harmless enough for riding but sucky for walking. Fortunately, halfway home was the Dollar Store. I was never so glad to see the Dollar Store. I bought a pair of $2.00 bedroom slippers, cast my vanity aside and shuffled home with the lame bicycle.
I finally hobbled up my driveway (yes, I know I am totally milking this story for all it's worth, so just work with me here), peeled off my sweaty clothes and enjoyed the best cool shower I've had in a long time!
And now my Jamaican Black Bean Pot is just about ready to eat, and jesus on a pogo stick am I hungry!
Cheers!
So I resigned myself to the long, hot walk, and before I knew it, I had blisters on my feet from the flip flops I had on, which were harmless enough for riding but sucky for walking. Fortunately, halfway home was the Dollar Store. I was never so glad to see the Dollar Store. I bought a pair of $2.00 bedroom slippers, cast my vanity aside and shuffled home with the lame bicycle.
I finally hobbled up my driveway (yes, I know I am totally milking this story for all it's worth, so just work with me here), peeled off my sweaty clothes and enjoyed the best cool shower I've had in a long time!
And now my Jamaican Black Bean Pot is just about ready to eat, and jesus on a pogo stick am I hungry!
Cheers!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Nature Sucks.
Andy and I love to watch the Nature show on PBS on Sunday nights. They often show predators killing and eating their prey. I know it's natural behavior for survival, but it makes me cry and I don't like to look at it. I'm perfectly content knowing that this stuff happens. I don't need to watch it.
I went for a 5-mile walk this morning, which should have made me feel really happy, save this one thing.
I was just starting out down my road and I happened to notice four little baby bluejays that had apparently fallen out of their nest. Or maybe they got pushed out by a predator? All I know is that they weren't quite dead, and they were struggling, albeit gingerly. They were very little, with that sort of big-head appearance that baby birds have.
I stooped over them and fretted for a bit, and then steeled myself and told myself to just keep going, that this was what happened sometimes in nature, and there was likely very little I could do to help them. I just hoped they would die quickly.
Now the image of the little birds has haunted me all day.
I went for a 5-mile walk this morning, which should have made me feel really happy, save this one thing.
I was just starting out down my road and I happened to notice four little baby bluejays that had apparently fallen out of their nest. Or maybe they got pushed out by a predator? All I know is that they weren't quite dead, and they were struggling, albeit gingerly. They were very little, with that sort of big-head appearance that baby birds have.
I stooped over them and fretted for a bit, and then steeled myself and told myself to just keep going, that this was what happened sometimes in nature, and there was likely very little I could do to help them. I just hoped they would die quickly.
Now the image of the little birds has haunted me all day.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
New Farm Market on the Southside!
I went to the new farmers' market in my neighborhood yesterday. It's in Forest Hill Park every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to noon! I am beyond excited to have a farmers market so close to my home. It is absolutely the perfect place for a farmers' market--right in the middle of a beautiful hilly park with loads of parking--and judging by the crowds, it's going to be a huge success.
I donned my backpack and rode my bicycle over. I fortunately ran into my co-worker Andy Boothby, who pointed me to the stall where he found some nice arugula. The selection of produce is relatively small this early in the season. There are other types of things like handmade soaps, baked goods and flowers. There's a stall that sells special order meats and Amish butter. That one had the longest lines by far! It figures the meat booth would be the most popular at the vegetable market. There were too many jewelry vendors for me.
I hope as more produce comes into season, the jewelry vendors will be replaced with veggie vendors.
I had the pleasure of happening upon Lynn West and Jody Strickler. We wandered about together oohing and aahing. Lynnie showed me all the new Tomboy Tools out of the back of her truck.
I went home with a generous sized bag of the lovely arugula.
Today for dinner I made a gorgeous salad of the arugula and thinly sliced fennel bulb, dressed with a vinaigrette consisting of olive oil (that really expensive stuff that Andy bought online when he had insomnia!), balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. The sweetness of the maple syrup was a perfect foil to the bitter peppery greens. Andy, who's not a big salad eater, raved about it.
We also had home made spinach tagliatelle (wide noodles) with peas in a sauce of cream and gorganzola cheese. Talk about decadent. I plan to ride my bicycle to work every day this next week. I'll have to, just to burn off tonight's dinner!
I donned my backpack and rode my bicycle over. I fortunately ran into my co-worker Andy Boothby, who pointed me to the stall where he found some nice arugula. The selection of produce is relatively small this early in the season. There are other types of things like handmade soaps, baked goods and flowers. There's a stall that sells special order meats and Amish butter. That one had the longest lines by far! It figures the meat booth would be the most popular at the vegetable market. There were too many jewelry vendors for me.
I hope as more produce comes into season, the jewelry vendors will be replaced with veggie vendors.
I had the pleasure of happening upon Lynn West and Jody Strickler. We wandered about together oohing and aahing. Lynnie showed me all the new Tomboy Tools out of the back of her truck.
I went home with a generous sized bag of the lovely arugula.
Today for dinner I made a gorgeous salad of the arugula and thinly sliced fennel bulb, dressed with a vinaigrette consisting of olive oil (that really expensive stuff that Andy bought online when he had insomnia!), balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. The sweetness of the maple syrup was a perfect foil to the bitter peppery greens. Andy, who's not a big salad eater, raved about it.
We also had home made spinach tagliatelle (wide noodles) with peas in a sauce of cream and gorganzola cheese. Talk about decadent. I plan to ride my bicycle to work every day this next week. I'll have to, just to burn off tonight's dinner!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Tobico Marsh
We're in Michigan. Yesterday's 13-hour drive was worth today's picture perfect weather. Here's where we went walking this morning.
Got a piccy of this cute little chipmunk, too.
Got a piccy of this cute little chipmunk, too.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Being Green
I have this crazy idea that if I ride my bicycle to work as much as possible, I will:
Lose weight
save money
conserve gas
help make the air cleaner
So I took my bike to Pibby's Bicycle Repair and got the 25-year-old tires replaced. Rode the bus to work this morning and rode the bicycle home.
The bus is always interesting. Like I said to Andy today, I feel much more a citizen of the world when I ride the bus to work. The bus was very crowded today, and full of sights and sounds to keep me amused. A Spanish speaking lady feeding a bottle to a darling little baby girl, with big brother (who looked about 4) gazing at little sister with the sweetest unabashed affection. And little baby girl grabbing at everything she can reach, including the ass of a young man in baggy jeans.
Man standing about 3 people down from me, singing the entire way downtown. He had a smooth and silky voice and sang perfectly in tune. First it was "Strangers in the Night" and then it segued into "Just the Way You Are."
I saw two young men get up and give their seats to older ladies.
Sitting right across from me was a surly looking young woman who had her knees up on the seat, thus taking up two places. As numerous people got on the bus, she never moved to make more room. Finally an older man walked up to her, pointed at her sprawled out legs and asked to sit there. She grudgingly shifted enough to let him sit. Meanwhile, she held a wadded up kleenex in one hand while she wiped her nose with her (bare) other hand.
And the guys across from and right next to me were chatting animatedly in what sounded like Arabic.
My ride home was also very nice. We're not in the dog days of summer yet, so it's still pleasant and breezy riding the bike. I just hope I can keep the bike riding up at least a few days a week when it gets hotter. It's an amazing calorie burner, and it kind of reminds me of being a kid, except for the huffing and puffing!
One last strange note on all this--My mom has decided to give up driving because she's too blind to drive safely. So here I am making a conscious decision to drive less, and here's my mom , kind of having no choice in the matter. And to boot, she is giving me her car. So in the midst of trying to be more green, I find myself to be one person owning two cars.
Lose weight
save money
conserve gas
help make the air cleaner
So I took my bike to Pibby's Bicycle Repair and got the 25-year-old tires replaced. Rode the bus to work this morning and rode the bicycle home.
The bus is always interesting. Like I said to Andy today, I feel much more a citizen of the world when I ride the bus to work. The bus was very crowded today, and full of sights and sounds to keep me amused. A Spanish speaking lady feeding a bottle to a darling little baby girl, with big brother (who looked about 4) gazing at little sister with the sweetest unabashed affection. And little baby girl grabbing at everything she can reach, including the ass of a young man in baggy jeans.
Man standing about 3 people down from me, singing the entire way downtown. He had a smooth and silky voice and sang perfectly in tune. First it was "Strangers in the Night" and then it segued into "Just the Way You Are."
I saw two young men get up and give their seats to older ladies.
Sitting right across from me was a surly looking young woman who had her knees up on the seat, thus taking up two places. As numerous people got on the bus, she never moved to make more room. Finally an older man walked up to her, pointed at her sprawled out legs and asked to sit there. She grudgingly shifted enough to let him sit. Meanwhile, she held a wadded up kleenex in one hand while she wiped her nose with her (bare) other hand.
And the guys across from and right next to me were chatting animatedly in what sounded like Arabic.
My ride home was also very nice. We're not in the dog days of summer yet, so it's still pleasant and breezy riding the bike. I just hope I can keep the bike riding up at least a few days a week when it gets hotter. It's an amazing calorie burner, and it kind of reminds me of being a kid, except for the huffing and puffing!
One last strange note on all this--My mom has decided to give up driving because she's too blind to drive safely. So here I am making a conscious decision to drive less, and here's my mom , kind of having no choice in the matter. And to boot, she is giving me her car. So in the midst of trying to be more green, I find myself to be one person owning two cars.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
I'm Baaaaaaack!
I feel as if I've been on a treadmill for the last month. I don't look like it, but I feel it!
The past couple of months have been a blur with overlapping singing projects, the final one being last night! And though last night went extremely well, I am so happy to have it behind me and looking forward to returning to my kitchen!
And because my boyfriend has been an exceptionally good boyfriend lately, what with stepping in to play fiddle on short notice at our concert last night, mowing my front lawn and the neighbor lady's, fixing up our bicycles and a whole host of other sweet things, I am making a treat for him tonight.
This is an English dessert, a recipe I got out of delicious magazine that I bought in England. It's called syrupy marmalade steamed pudding and you cook it on the stovetop. I found it on delicious' website, thankfully. Their picture's a lot prettier than mine!
The secret ingredient in it is this stuff called Golden Syrup. I don't think it's made anywhere in the US, but you can probably buy it from a specialty food store. It looks and acts like honey, all sticky and thick and gooey. But it doesn't taste like honey. It is sweet, but with a buttery note to it. It comes in a can that is like a little paint can.
The other special ingredient is the homemade Moxie Marmalade, made by Judy Boothby, Andy Boothby's mom.
It's quite a lot of trouble, but the end result is SUBLIME!
It's soft, spongy, moist, sweet and orangey and it melts in your mouth. This was my very first steamed pudding. Andy's mum made this recipe and recommended it to me, so I have her to thank for the idea. I didn't have a "pudding basin" like the recipe called for, so I just used a 1 quart pyrex bowl. The magazine picture showed it cooked in an individual portion, but I made it into one pudding and served it in wedges. Andy, his son Tom and I each had two wedges, and then I took the rest across the street to Joe and Debra while it was still warm. Too dangerous to keep it at the table!
The past couple of months have been a blur with overlapping singing projects, the final one being last night! And though last night went extremely well, I am so happy to have it behind me and looking forward to returning to my kitchen!
And because my boyfriend has been an exceptionally good boyfriend lately, what with stepping in to play fiddle on short notice at our concert last night, mowing my front lawn and the neighbor lady's, fixing up our bicycles and a whole host of other sweet things, I am making a treat for him tonight.
This is an English dessert, a recipe I got out of delicious magazine that I bought in England. It's called syrupy marmalade steamed pudding and you cook it on the stovetop. I found it on delicious' website, thankfully. Their picture's a lot prettier than mine!
The secret ingredient in it is this stuff called Golden Syrup. I don't think it's made anywhere in the US, but you can probably buy it from a specialty food store. It looks and acts like honey, all sticky and thick and gooey. But it doesn't taste like honey. It is sweet, but with a buttery note to it. It comes in a can that is like a little paint can.
The other special ingredient is the homemade Moxie Marmalade, made by Judy Boothby, Andy Boothby's mom.
It's quite a lot of trouble, but the end result is SUBLIME!
It's soft, spongy, moist, sweet and orangey and it melts in your mouth. This was my very first steamed pudding. Andy's mum made this recipe and recommended it to me, so I have her to thank for the idea. I didn't have a "pudding basin" like the recipe called for, so I just used a 1 quart pyrex bowl. The magazine picture showed it cooked in an individual portion, but I made it into one pudding and served it in wedges. Andy, his son Tom and I each had two wedges, and then I took the rest across the street to Joe and Debra while it was still warm. Too dangerous to keep it at the table!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
