This about sums it up:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Barack could run. Barack ran so our children can fly.

I am so proud of America right now.

9/11

It started out like any other day. I had moved to Sterling, VA a few months ago. Our apt complex was in the flight path of several planes from Dulles, a mere 15 minutes away. I was temping at a company that designed flight simulators. It was just another day to make money.
Then chaos. I first found about it when the boy called and told me to check the internet or find a tv. One of the Towers had been hit. I couldn't believe it but when I FINALLY got on the net, there it was. The internet was impossibly clogged and slow and it was next to impossible to make a call. I was right by Dulles, so everyone was freaking out. It took me an hour to reach my parents to let them know I was ok.
No one knew for sure what was going on. Rumors were flying- were there more planes? One hijacked plane was supposed to be in the area heading towards DC. We all rushed out because rumor had it wad from Dulles.
Then we heard about the second tower. And the Pentagon. We couldn't believe the Pentagon got hit. And then I saw the video of the towers falling. It was surreal. No one really could believe it. They wouldn't let us go home because no one I worked with thought it was important. Oh how that changed the next day when the FBI swarmed the place, looking for info on flight simulators.
One of my friends lived across 395 from the Pentagon. I went to his apartment the next evening and just stared in shock at the smoke and the gaping hole. It was just surreal.
And then the silence. The awful silence of no planes. Living under flight paths you got used to the noise of the jets. And then nothing. It wasn't right.

Food Meme!

Food Meme!

I like food, and I like easy blog posts, so here's a bit from the food blog Very Good Taste.

The rules are pretty standard:
A. List of 100 items
B. Bold items you've eaten
C. Cross out items you'd never consider eating

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare - So yummy- best one I've had was at an Ethiopian place.
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding .
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari -
12. Pho - One of my favoritest foods ever! I could eat this every day.
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans - Been a Tuesday night staple lately.
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - I like spicy, but that's just crazy. (ditto to what Hulk said)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters- The crispy fried ones at Jeffrey's are divine.
29. Baklava -
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl- New England only.
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar Don't do cigars
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O -
39. Gumbo - The boy's family is from Louisiana. Duh.
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat- have not had it but it's on my list to try.
42. Whole insects -
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin -
51. Prickly pear- Fab in a martini
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini- don't like olives
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine- Food of the gods.
60. Carob chips - Ew.
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads- really yummy.
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs- Tastes like chicken
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe -
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie -
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse - Not unless I were starving to death.
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam -
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake - Rattlesnake

I will try most things just once. Doesn't mean I like them though.

Country Style Beef Ribs

This is a quick posting as I don't have much time to spare right now.
Country Style Beef or Pork Ribs are generally boneless and the tougher cut of meet. When braised in a sauce they become fork tender and meltingly delicious. We served it them with a wild rice blend and some corn.

1 package country style ribs (I used beef but pork works too)
1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce
1/3 c ketchup
1-2 tsp hot sauce (siracha is good)
2 TBSP mustard or ground mustard
1 onion, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 T soy sauce
1 T worchestershire sauce
1 t paprika

Simmer the ribs in the sauce and all of the ingredients for about half an hour. Add salt and pepper if you wish. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 and prepare a baking dish lined in two layers of foil. Place the ribs and sauce into the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for about 1 and a half hours. Uncover and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Let cool and serve.
This does take a while but it's really delicious. And one day, I'll not be lazy and make my own bbq sauce. Use the above ingredients in greater quantities (minus the bottled sauce of course) and add canned tomatoes, molasses, and brown sugar. Plus any other spices you deem necessary. A jalepeno would also work.
Happy cooking!

Fresh Tomato Pasta

With so many fresh tomatoes from the garden, easy, summer meals are key.
One of my favorites is quick sauteed cherry tomatoes over pasta with yummy cheese.

Olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 onion, diced
cherry tomatoes, however many you want per person
penne pasta, cooked and drained
fresh basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and parsley
salt and pepper to season
red pepper flakes (optional)

Start a pan of boiling water and salt it well. Add pasta.
Meanwhile, sautee onions and garlic in a pan. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until soft. When the tomatoes are soft, add herbs and seasoning. If you want, add some red wine and cook further.
Drain the pasta and pour the tomatoes over it. Top with parmesean and mozzarella cheese.

We have both sun-gold and regular cherry tomatoes. I really love the sun-gold.

Lemon Basil Potatoes

This warm potato salad is simple and delicious. It can be served cool and no mayo involved so it's picnic friendly.

Red potatoes, cubed (amount varies per serving, I used about 8)
juice of 1 lemon
handful of basil, chopped
1 sprig rosemary
salt
pepper
garlic powder to taste
1/2 c or so olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar (champagne would work nicely)
2-4 strips cooked bacon (optional)
red pepper flakes to taste

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, make your vinaigrette. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil, whisking thoroughly. Add herbs and seasoning.
Pour the mixture over the potatoes. Add the bacon and red pepper flakes and gently mix.
Serve warm.

Recipe month

Ok, so with this being the NaBloPo whatever recipe month, I'm all over it. I'm going to try to post recipes as much as possible this month, with the exception of this weekend as I won't be home.
Anyway, summer veggies are in full swing here. Lots of fresh goodies and yummy dishes.
This weekend we made a smoked chicken with a special spice rub, a warm lemon basil potato salad, and ancho chile carrots. Everything balanced out rather well.

Ancho carrots:

Carrots, sliced lenghtwise
finely minced garlic, 2-3 cloves
olive oil
1/2 stick of butter
1-2 tsp ancho chile powder
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in the olive oil over med-high heat. Saute the garlic lightly to infuse the butter/oil. Sautee the carrots until just warmed but still crunchy. Season with salt, pepper, and the ancho chile powder. Take off of the heat and stir in the lime juice. Serve warm.

I'm Melting!!!

Holy cow it's hot already. It's already broken records. 98 degrees in May.
Even for South Central Texas that's not right. I don't mind the heat but
this is insane. Good thing our AC is working well.
I know I've been really remiss in updating this. Really awful. My job has
actually gotten busier and I just haven't felt like staring at a computer
much when I get home. Plus I still have the fun insomnia thing going on.
It's gotten somewhat better but not quite where I'd like it. I've got lots
to talk about but just never get around to doing it. I'm such a
procrastinator.
We have a real garden this year. We used what little of our tax return that
we had left over from the fun car repairs we had to make and the escrow
overage check we got from the mortgage company to buy wood and a dump truck
full of dirt. We now have about 12 tomato plants (romas, sun-golds, Italian
ice, and a few others.) and about 6 pepper plants. (bells, serrano, but no
jalepeno :( ) Plus assorted herbs and things. And then there are the
plumeria. Oh my goodness. The boy went down to the La Vernia house and took
a bunch from the greenhouse. He barely made a dent in the thing too. Our
garden now has no other space for anything else. I don't know what we're
going to do next year if we want more veggies.
I am looking forward to having tomatoes and peppers from my garden this
year. I've been collecting pepper recipes and trying to come up with more
tomato recipes. Once our garden starts producing we're going to be eating
them just about every day. I don't mind but I'm going to have to get
creative. I have hit on a new salsa recipe using the sun-gold roma tomatoes.
They're slightly sweeter and tangier than a regular roma. When you add in a
few jalepenos and a couple habaneros you get a really nice combo of sweet
and spicy. It's going to be fun to experiment with them some more.
This past weekend we made an herbed roast chicken, bacon mashed potatoes
(using the bacon put on top of the chicken when it roasts- keeps it really
moist. You remove the bacon after about an hour) and a bibb lettuce salad
with a blackberry vinaigrette. The blackberries were a really nice
complement to the rest of the meal. And they're in season now so they're
fresh. It's peach and berry season here already. The East Coast is just
getting into the full swing of asparagus and things and we're already done
with that. In fact I haven't seen any lately at the farmer's market. I can't
wait for the summer fruits.
I have an interesting cat story that I will save until later. It goes with
our trip to Houston, which is a completely different post. But let me just
say, it reinforced my belief of keeping the toilet lids up when we leave for
a few days.

Blackberry Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup blackberries, juiced (use a garlic press and don't completely strain
it)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (champagne vinegar will also work)
chives
salt
pepper
juice of half a lemon

Whisk all the ingredients together, using more or less to taste. Making
dressings is all about taste. It's usually a little bit of this and a little
bit of that. We had everything whisked together except the lemon and thought
something was missing. The flavor was there but it was dull and not as berry
tasting. Then we realized that we needed lemon to brighten the flavors. You
couldn't taste the lemon- it just enhanced the berry flavor. A little bit of
acid can go a long way.
We served it over a salad of grape tomatoes, shallots, and bibb lettuce.

Oh my god, the bird exploded!

I am really lazy. Really. I keep meaning to post but keep finding excuses not to and other things to do. It’s not as if we’re not busy and all but if MLE and Doola found time to post during their wedding stuff, I have no excuse. Oh well.

So Bone Marrow. The boy got 35 lbs of beef bone marrow from the new meat supplier at work. The restaurant is trying to go as local as possible with suppliers. The new butcher is awesome. He’s very French, and has all sorts of stuff including rabbits, quail, and other lesser used meats. So we got some bone marrow a few weeks ago. I’m going to make beef stock with some of it in the next few weeks but on the day we got it, we just made some for immediate consumption.

Bone marrow is basically sliced up bones with the marrow exposed so you can scoop out the meaty goodness inside.

We roasted the bones at 450 for about 20-25 minutes, a little more for bigger bones. You do not want to over roast these so keep a careful eye on them. I seasoned the tops with garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. The marrow was served with a crusty baguette, gruyere cheese, radishes, and fresh chives.

It was soo good. It’s really rich and meaty, so you definitely need something to cut it. They gruyere was an excellent compliment to it. I would definitely recommend trying this out if you ever get the chance.

Then there are the other birds, the kind we don’t eat. The cats have been doing a good job of bringing us gifts of birds, bugs, and small reptiles. Alex is not a passive kitten when it comes to this. He does help hunt the birds or rather, likes to take over the prey once it has been caught.

I came home one day a few weeks ago to find a carpet of feathers in my entryway. My first thought was, “Oh my god, the bird exploded.” I mean there were feathers everywhere. It must have been a long, hard fight. They went in four different rooms. I followed the feather trail and found the remains upstairs in our office and had to clean out the lovely blood and all. Poor thing never had a chance. I’m also still finding feathers from that.

Last weekend, Punk caught a robin and brought it inside. It escaped and sat in our garage/junk room for a while. I spent a few minutes shooing it out into the yard. As soon as it flew out the door, bam! So did the cats. They ran out and Alex caught the damn thing and brought it back inside. Much fun ensued while I chased him around our bottom floor, trying to get the bird away from him. He would just not let go of the thing. It took both me and the boy several tries to get the poor birdie away from Alex. But alas, it was too late and the bird had to be mercy-killed. And there were still feathers to be cleaned up.

Punk apparently has a penchant for leaving gifts for our neighbors also. One of them told us that she left them a baby possum at their back door a few days ago. They didn’t mind and thought it was nice of her to share the wealth. (They have 2 dogs and used to have a cat so they understand.) Ah, my crazy kitties.

In a future post: chicken jello, gardens, alex and the hole, and condescending moms

CONGRATS MR. AND MRS. STRYKER!

Congratulations Emily and Dan! I remember when you guys were just chatting back on Eurotrip! Crazy times then! Whoddathunk that you'd be getting married?! (Well, ok, lots of us could sort of see it but you know...)
Congrats mis internet amigos!

Bone Marrow! (The kind you eat) and Birds! More coming when I get to it!

Greenhouse Heater Part II

So the heater for the greenhouse. A huge, actual heater made for greenhouses. We bought it from Amador Farms, a local hydroponic lettuce grower. The couple who owns it is at the local farmer’s market every week and deliver lettuce and other greens to the restaurant every week. One day, the boy got to talking with them about his greenhouse and they mentioned that they had a heater that they weren’t using, in fact had yet to be used, and would we like to buy it? It was a great deal. We went out to their place one night and toured their set-up and came home with a heater. Their set-up is really neat and we got a lot of ideas from them. They didn’t need an extra heater because lettuce grows better in the cold. They had got the heater because they were initially doing other vegetables before focusing on their cash crop of Bibb lettuce.

So, instead of going to the WEDDING, I got a heater. It’ll be worth it in the long run and it was a deal we couldn’t refuse. Plus we made some really great contacts and I now talk to them every Saturday at the market. (I also get a special friends discount on their product, which is really yummy.)

Insomnia rules the day as usual. I just can’t sleep past 3:30 am or so anymore. Going to bed earlier doesn’t work because I wouldn’t be able to do anything after work. Melatonin isn’t working. I can’t drink anything before going to bed because I’ll have to get up to pee, and getting up just ensures that I won’t go back to sleep. It’s fun. I seem to have the same problem that Cil mentioned, but mine lasts all year. I think I may have to try an actual sleeping pill soon. Fun times. But until I figure this out, I’m exhausted when I get home from work.

Of course Alex does not help things out. He loves to put his wet nose in my face and paw at me when he feels that I’m awake, or I should be awake. I got paw-punched the other morning. Another morning he decided to start whining, though that did end up being a good thing. I had forgotten to set my alarm and his whining woke up me up at the right time. Good thing.

The cats continue to do their fight/play thing. Alex loves to play with Pumpkin, so much that he whines when she’s not around. That does get annoying but it’s cute in a way. He is a bit of a whiner. But then he snuggles up next to you and purrs and you just have to forgive that cute little thing. Pumpkin is just a little tempermental bitch most of the time, especially when I try to get her inside when I come home. She never comes when I call her but all the boy has to do is whistle and yell her name once and she comes running. Sigh.

Alex Tree Rescues: 6 Ladders Needed: 3 Tall Boys Used: 2 Step-Stools: 1

In terms of cooking, I’ve been making my own mayo a lot with the fresh eggs from the farmer’s market. It’s really easy.

2 egg yolks

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt, pepper, paprika

1-2 cloves of garlic, minces, more to make aioli

other seasonings

1 c of oil, olive, vegetable, whichever you like but try not to use Extra Virgin, unless you want the mayo to taste like the oil

Beat the egg yolks with all the ingredients except the oil. Slowly, and I mean slowly, whisk in the oil, whisking until all the oil is blended in. Stop every few seconds to completely blend in the oil if needed. This is called emulsification. Mayo will keep for a week or so.

You can use this mayo to make a simple dressing. Just add equal amounts of mayo and buttermilk. Add in other flavorings such as dill, other herbs, and my favorite, blue cheese. It’s that simple. This goes great over Bibb lettuce and some shallots.

This is a greenhouse heater

I have more in a longer post about it. But it's a nice, fancy, powerful heater that comfortable heats up a 20'x60' greenhouse and then some. And we got it from the lovely people of Amador Farm. I wish I had a link as they are just awesome people who run a hydroponic lettuce farm.

KITTEHS!!!

PICTURES!!

Just like I promised. New photos of the kitties. When they aren't sleeping, they are fighting. They fight/play a lot. Alex still hasn't won. Punk can rebuff him whilst still catching some zzzs.
The outside pics are from Alex's first day outside. He had a blast. He's already climbed 3 trees and had to be rescued twice by ladder. I give up.

I swear I haven't abandoned!!

It's been a busy month. I've gotten way more to do at work now and don't have free time there to write my posts. And when I get home, well, I just don't get to it. But I have more kitty pics and some fun Alex stories. (He likes climbing trees but not so much the coming down.) So look for more kitteh pics in the near future!! Plus greenhouse stuff!

Finally a post!!

Oh I am so bad at updating. So very bad. I just don’t usually feel like writing when I get home and don’t have much time at work lately. (Plus they monitor internet so…)

The New Year started with a whimper more or less. The boy had to work until 11:30 so that made for a real grumpy start to the New Year. (The restaurant was out of nearly everything but still open. It was a bit of a mess.) At least I got New Year’s day off and got some stuff done.
I’ve been using most of my new toys like mad. (Still haven’t got around to the sewing machine yet. But I think I will this weekend.) I got a mandoline slicer and have made waffle fries, potatoes au gratin, and today I will make French fries. Oh I do love this thing. Plus I got tons of cast iron and well, it’s been nice knowing a lot of my other pans. Cast Iron rocks!

Our household has been obsessing a bit over Anthony Bourdain recently. We both watch No Reservations whenever we can. Plus A Cook’s Tour is being re-broadcast on the Food Network. (Bourdain left the FN when they wanted him to tone it down a bit. His sarcasm and cynicism are what make the show IMO.) I’ve read all but one of his food-related books. (Got a copy of Nasty Bits for Giftmas. He’s also written a bunch of spy novels too!) The boy got me a bunch of cookbooks for Giftmas too- Bourdain’s Les Halles cookbook included. Now that’s a cookbook to actually read. He’s voice is ever present. Bourdain just has a great sense of humor and a love of food. I think he’d be a blast to travel with. I would kill to go to Vietnam with him. Oh that stuff looked so good.

In other food news, I’ve been experimenting with the slow cooker and pot roast. I made a beef pot roast a few weeks ago. It was good but needed something acidic. I used a chuck roast, sliced onions, carrots, garlic, a bit of Worcestershire sauce, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. (salt and pepper too. Always.) It tasted good overall but really just needed something. We both thought paprika would be nice. Plus a lot of recipes add in an onion soup mix. So yesterday I tried one with a pork butt. Ohhh it turned out so very yummy. I used the same ingredients but added a packet of onion soup mix and paprika. That made such a difference. (Cooked for about 6-7 hours on low.) The meat was falling apart. I made mashed potatoes to go with it and made a roux and thickened the gravy up. (The amount of liquid that ends up in the pot is pretty amazing.) It’s definitely an easy thing to do. I really don’t like using the processed food stuff but it’s made a big difference so far. I plan to experiment much more with other items for the crock pot. It is rather nice to come home to a dinner that’s ready to serve.

Then there are the kitties. Pumpkin is, well her aloof self. She only seeks people when she wants food or attention. But she does like Alex. Ah Alex. He is a riot. He loves his snuggling. He also will eat anything and everything. I’ve caught him so many times on the counters trying to steal food that has been left open. So far he’s eaten bacon, chicken, pasta, potatoes, and some frosting off of a cake. (Boy did he have a sugar high after that. I put the plate down to go the bathroom and next thing I know he was there.) He’s a little sneaky thing.

On Saturday, as it was mid-70s outside and gorgeous, I decided that he’s old enough to go outside now. He’s been begging for a bit as he’s watched Punk go out. (We set the kitty door to one way so Punk could get in but not easily get out. Of course, smart girl she is, she figured out how to open it on the locked side.) He had a blast exploring the yard and playing with leaves and things. Punk kept an eye on him for the most part. The only problem to this is that he is absolutely TERRIFIED of the kitty door. Unless it is held open for him, he will not use it. I think the noise and the swinging scare him. But I am not going to be opening doors to let him in and out all day long. Plus they are outside when there is no one home- who’s going to open the door for him then? So, he’s stuck inside until he can get over it. He wants to go out. He begs, he whines, he runs to the door. But until he can use the kitty door, not happening. He’s watches Punk do it. I’ve sat there and tried to nudge him through, but he cowers and mews. Poor little baby. He’ll learn eventually if he really wants to go outside.