I like to talk about food. Sunday, July 30, 2006
I've been trying to have this poker party for almost 2 months, again proving the theory that the hotter it is the harder it is to try to gather people together because everyone already has plans.The way we do our poker parties is the host makes dinner/munchies and everyone brings their own beverages. So for this one I made pulled pork, cole slaw, hash brown casserole, and carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
First off, the carrot cake cupcakes which I've made tons of times in the past decided to vex me greatly this time around. First off I made a new recipe and took a much lamented short cut-purchasing the carrot already shredded.
Don't do it people.
First off, I think the grate really needs to be much finer. Secondly I thought the quality of the carrot sucked it. Not sweet at all, much more bitter and dry than freshly shredded.
After that first batch (which I chucked) I had to re-make them the day of the poker party. But for some goddamn reason the bottom of these cupcakes burned. I don't know why. The oven rack was in the same place as the last batch, the oven thermometer said exact 350 degrees, and they were in there for 20 minutes (I used a timer). Fuck it man. I think the carrot cake gods just wanted to fuck me on this night.
But even with all of the carrot cake crappiness, everything else turned out perfectly. The pulled pork received rave reviews and several recipe requests, as did the cole slaw.
Here is the pork pre-pulling:
Delicious cole slaw:
Hash brown casserole-trashy but good:
This afternoon I had a late lunch of fruit and cheeses. I highly recommend it, fresh farm fruit and cheeses. Is there anything better?
This now concludes a post entirely based on food. (Notice I finally got my camera back and it works-HURRAH!)
Johnny Appleseed-except without the whole tree planting thing Monday, July 24, 2006
My mom came down to visit, and like any good daughter I put her to work. Uh, I helped out too.I decided that my garden that I've been slowly cultivating for 3 years (which was in TERRIBLE shape before I got it) needed to be entirely ripped out and re-planted. Some decorative grasses had gotten too large for one section, random mums were popping up all over the place, randomly placed day lilies/lilies were scattered about.
So it all had to come out, and then go back in (in a much more orderly and pleasing fashion). I also picked up a bounty of perennials to help fill out the garden, mulch hasn't gone down yet because I'm waiting for a bit so it will fresh and super dark when I need it too.
The front garden:
The side garden:
As part of the garden re-vampage there was copius hedge trimming. I managed to stop the trimmers just in time before I almost shaved a nest of baby sparrows in half. Whew! It was a close one.
Can you feel the burn? Wednesday, July 19, 2006
I can. And it is right behind my breastbone. And it hurts like a motherfucker.I've been a wee bit stressed out by some recent crap and I think my body is reacting by causing me to have serious heartburn. Heartburn in the middle of the night, heartburn in the morning, heartburn in the afternoon.
I swear I'm not a hypochondriac but lately I've just been a bit run down. Having had out of town guests or being an out of town guest for a month straight is enough to put anyone into the hole when it comes to their health.
One of my big things has been that I am trying to get my credit report cleared up. My mother and I have the same name (shocking I know since we are ladies). But this has resulted in me have all of my parents poor credit choices fall onto my report on accident, because apparently credit reports cannot tell the difference between me born in 1979 and and my mom born in 1952. Right now I've got a big ol' bankruptcy appearing on my report that is dragging me down. It is such a bloody mess.
Did you know that a 6 year old can buy a house?
Because according to my credit report it is entirely possible. Oh, and what about having 6 credit cards by the time you are 10?
Entirely feasible.
Ponder this Thursday, July 13, 2006
What do you think this means:I slept for 11.5 hours last night and had a dream that I got sexed up by a gigolo and then started dating him (think pretty
woman with the gender roles reversed.)
Do I secretly want to date a gentleman of the night?
Or do I just desperately need to get laid?
Long Days of Summer Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Have you ever worked with an organization that really seems to have very little organization?Sometimes the convoluted way my second job does things makes entirely no sense at all. Lets say person A is in charge of the entire place, but person B who really has nothing to do with the company writes the contracts for the workers. What? There are a multitude of instances like that practically induce me to call them and yell "Seriously? This is how you run a business? No wonder things are fucked up all the time!"
Um, but that would be unprofessional, right?
For the last couple of weeks I've either been gone or had company come to visit. A totally draining situation to say the least. I love all the company I've had lately-but what is it about summer that just causes your social commitments to skyrocket? Are the amount of social events proportionally tied to the rising numbers of the thermometer?
This weekend alone I've got a benefit concert and a purse party (which frankly gives me flashbacks of that Sex and the City episode with Stifler's mom). I'm going to the purse party because my friend asked me to, and unfortunately this means I'll miss the concert. But because I'm a wonderful fucking person I'm sending my friend to the concert with some cash from me to donate.
Right now I'm longing for the cold nights of winter, where no one wants to leave their house and I can snuggle up on my couch with a cup of alcoholic hot chocolate and watch the snow fall (so damn Currier and Ives isn't it?)
B-itchy Monday, July 03, 2006
For the last three weeks there has been serious itching of my thighs. I'm sure it looks really sexy and announces to everyone "look at me- I possibly have a sexually transmitted disease and I'm sexy".In all actuality what started off as a bitchin' reaction to some flea bites then turned into an awful case of hives. Hives that are still covering 90% of my thighs and cause me to really consider amputation as a viable option.
I've not slept well in weeks, and this weekend while my family was visiting I cried- twice. Not from sheer joy but pure unadulterated exhaustion. And feeling like a shitty hostess because I was crying. It is a cycle people.
I'm praying that this malady clears up soon. I've been to the doctor 3 times in the last month for this itchy bullshit and frankly I was over it the first day. I've spent over $100 trying to clear it up and countless hours have been lost to scratching.
And to top it all off, I've been without my camera for almost a month now. My new pretty baby that is only 3 months old broke on me, luckily it was under warranty. Unlucky for me, the jackasses at the camera repair place sent it back to me without repairing it. They were very nice when I called to complain, but seriously- why would you send me back a camera that doesn't take properly exposed photos. Do you think I'm not going to notice?
And please, for the love of god, don't try to blame this on user error (which Sony implied when I was on the phone with them.) I do this for a living. I know how to operate a camera and do so every.fucking.day.
I just want to take some photos damnit.
