GO WITH THE FLOW

Oh, Sundays are really becoming the new Saturdays. My more subdued lifestyle has lent itself quite well to my productivity on the weekends and it was this particular Sunday I was quite fond of.
The morning started as most of our Sundays do these days, coffee in the yard while we play with the dogs and then off to the farmers market. Before making it even halfway through the FM, Ryan decided it was due time for us to go to the movies again. With other pressing items on my agenda for the day, I decided that if it was going to happen, it had to be right now. So we bypassed the rest of the market, I peeled myself away from the many flowers and veggies I had been eyeing, and we booked it over to Burbank to catch an early show of Kick-Ass. My socks were rocked even further to learn that the early show at AMC is just $6, hooray early bird specials.

This movie was utterly fantastic and I can say with certainty, you have no idea what you are in for. I found myself developing a nerdy crush on the lead played by Aaron Johnson, and my new movie idol is embodied in that of an 8 year old girl.

As I left the theater, I decided that I too in fact, would like to kick some ass. However, my hopes for justice and intentions to now defy all evildoers were quickly thwarted. ADD had kicked in and my shiny object in question was called the Burbank Arts Fair. Schockingly, Ryan was in support of my desires to walk aimlessly around downtown Burbank. As I tried to put our Sunday course back on track (per the previously mentioned agenda), Ryan uttered four words I have never and probably will never again hear him say, "Go with the flow". So I embraced Ryan's new-found hippydom, perhaps my NorCal 60's wannabe mentality had finally started to rub off. As we walked around the fair, I quickly learned that he had really been capitalizing on my love of all things arts, crafts, and fairs; the true motivation was Hawaiian BBQ.

As we enjoyed our food, I snapped this picture of a corner of the fair. On the left, you can see the semi-creepy little alien costumed things that were walking around which just made me curious as to whether it was a child or a little person walking around in those.



We finally left to rush to home depot so I could accomplish at least one productive thing of the day. My quest to become an accomplished gardener was hindered by the fact that I have absolutely no gardening suppplies (and I guess no knowledge about gardening whatsoever). I will keep you updated on my progress as I try to fearlessly tackle the wonders of my yard. First up are Zinnias & Impatiens:









Once we made it home, I convinced Ms. Brit and Drew to come partake in margarita time. Our conversation covered an extensive list of very 'broad' topics, but once the night was over we had established an imposed Circle of Trust by Ms. Brit, so unfortunately I cannot explain what she is trying to explain in the following photo.

HOME

We laugh until we think we’ll die,

Barefoot on a summer night

Nothin’ new is sweeter than with you

And in the streets you run afree,

Like it’s only you and me,

Geeze, you’re something to see.

So the posting has been quite meager, I realize. I have quite an extensive list of excuses as to why I fell off the face of the earth, in the blogging sense, but really its attributed to the fact that we FINALLY moved into a house and any inkling of free time I have had was put toward my housely duties. Not only is the above video ever so appropriate, excuse its obvious reference in the title, but I felt it needed to be shared as it is completely impossible to watch and not smile.

And we are home for now, almost box-free, the giant pile of laundry has dwindled significantly thanks to my beautiful new HE Washer & Dryer, and 2/3 is decorated - so basically we are 66.67% of the way there. The giant weight that was previously on my shoulders is now gone, and that weight was what I call "Apartment Dogs Guilt". Though they are still inside during the day since the fence is not up to my high standards, they get to run free at all other times to their hearts' content. This basically means I have tired dogs at home who no longer chew everything they see.
I have many other significant updates to provide (Drew's fight, Ryan's Laker-Mania, 1-2 New Recipes) as well as many pictures that have yet to be taken of the new house, but for now, here are my scrap pictures taken from my wonderful new Droid phone that showcase our new home in all its glory as the backdrop.






a little piece of our living room which overlooks the dining area behind it, the window to our backyard, and to the right is the hallway to the bathroom/bedroom/studio.







another view from the living room. Sam is resting/pointing his head toward the kitchen and back door.

And the best part about our house, is our yard. Drew & Ry showcase it very well with their whiskey and stogies.

Holy Asparagus!

So I went a little crazy with the asparagus at the Farmer's Market and grossly overestimated how much I would need. I was left with the task of both finding a way to use a large amount of leftover asparagus before it went bad as well as making an original creation as we had eaten it just the night before. Though I am not really a big fan of "Cream of..." soups mostly due to the fact that they involve high fat, I was able to find a recipe for Aspargus Soup on Cooking Light's website that I just slightly modified. Be very careful with adding much salt here as its super easy to overuse. I served it with some lean steaks I got at Ralph's the day before. I marinated the steaks overnight in Worchestire sauce, seared, and then broiled.

ASPARAGUS SOUP
3 c. chopped asparagus (about 2 bunches)
2 c. fat-free chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. crushed/minced garlic
2 c. non-fat milk
Dash of nutmeg
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp. butter
Dash of Pepper
Dash of lemon Juice
Combine asparagus, chicken broth, bay leaf, and garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Place asparagus mixture in food processor or blender, process until smooth (better to overdue it so you don't have chunks of asparagus). Add milk, pureed asparagus, and nutmeg to large saucepan, stirring until blended. While mixture warms on med-high heat as you are trying to bring it to a boil, mix the cornstarch with the additional cold milk. Once the soup mixture on the stove is boiling, add the cornstarch mix to the saucepan and stir, bringing heat back down to medium so it will simmer. Continue to stir as soup thickens to desired consistency. Add more cornstarch mix if you want a thicker soup (just be sure to mix the cornstarch with cold milk before adding directly to the hot mixture). Once soup is at desired consistency remove from heat. Add butter, pepper, and lemon juice.

Ryan Approved.

Green Chili Stew

After many requests from Ryan for me to attempt my mom's Green Chili Stew recipe, I finally succumbed to the pressure. Not that I didn't want to, but having never tried the dish, not only did I have no basis of comparison but, I was sure it would not live up to the hype. I called my mom and got the Kathy-version of the recipe which is very similar to mine (highly estimated quantities, if even that). When I get recipes from my mom I get agitated that she just cannot tell me how much of something she used, but then I realize just who I learned to cook from as I hear that same agitation from my friends when I try to explain what I made. Over time I learned to accept that its good not because you followed the recipe, but because you tried something slightly and/or highly original. When it results in success, it is that much more rewarding. However, I digress, back to the recipe. I made some modifications from the original recipe that are quite minor based on ingredients that I did or did not have. This is quite spicy, so if you aren't up for that, leave out the jalapenos.

KATHY'S GREEN CHILI STEW (with some Evan modifications)
2 lb. beef cubes for stew
2 tsp. crushed or minced garlic
Pepper to taste
1 can low fat/low sodium beef broth
1 big can green enchilada sauce
3 small cans diced green chilis
1 small can diced jalapenos
2 cans pinto beans
4 red potatoes, cut in bite size pieces
Brown the beef with a little olive oil (or Pam), garlic, and pepper. Put browned beef with all the following ingredients in a slow cooker. Set slow cooker on low for about 8 hours. *If you want the soup thicker and/or greener, use less or none of the beef broth. Use any salt very sparingly as the other ingredients are quite salty.

BOOK REVIEW - LOOK ME IN THE EYE

"Look Me in the Eye"

by John Elder Robinson

I finally finished "Look Me in the Eye", it took a bit longer than usual as I am attempting to read about 3 books at once these days. Overall, I enjoyed the book mildly. It provided quite an interesting insight into the life of a person with Asperger's and the very full and eclectic life of Robinson. The parts that stood out to me were instances when Robinson would reflect on his experiences and recognize how differently he would react in certain experiences, but all the time unknowing that he had any sort of condition that would make him the way he is. The book jumped from clinical to anecdotal far too often for me. I found the author would retell pieces of certain stories or previously mentioned details that were generally redundant almost as if the chapters were written as separate entities. The close of the book did not flow with the rest, as soon as Robinson started detailing his life as it is now it was like a race to the end. It was as if he had used up his allotment of pages for Act 1 & Act 2 of his life, Act 3 would need to be concluded rather quickly. I realize that I should take a lot of this with a major grain of salt given that the author of this book has Asperger's, and as noted in the book, proper sentence structure and communicative skills are not particularly honed by Aspergians. However, I am a non-Aspergian, and I would retain this book as a point of reference for those seeking further insight into the mind of an Aspergian and not particularly as an wholly engaging read.

Romantic Comedies. A Love, Hate Relationship.

I personally love romantic comedies. I love the melodramatic music, the slow-mo camera, the witty puns interjected between the serious moments that are meant to make us think about those things that are bigger than us.
sidebar: if you have not, please see "Moulin Rouge", as silly as it may seem. The movie somehow finds a way to provide satire against the romatic movie genre, while still engaging the audience in a superb love story.
Inevitably, a romantic movie will come to a happy resolution, specifically our hero and heroine find each other. But there's always such a complicated juxtaposition that occurs. In reality, sometimes two people are in the right place at the right time, and everything comes together. There doesn't have to be a struggle for power and/or a "finding of oneself" for a conclusion. Let's proclaim to these lovesick romantics to get over themselves and move on. Unfortunately, that doesn't really make for an interesting movie, so on with the drama and sass, I'll continue watching but please heed my warning. (and if you didn't grasp earlier in my commentary, valentine's day is a bunch of kablooey).

Sunday Proves to be a Success...almost

DISCLAIMER: The following is an old blog I never finished from a couple weekends ago. I'm far behind on my updates.

Having slept the majority of the weekend, my body's response the cold that I refused to admit I was getting, I woke up quite refreshed on Sunday with no illness to speak of. For several weekends I had tried with no success to make it to the farmer's market, but finally persistance (coupled with a previously made deal) paid off. The day earlier I joined Ryan on an impromtu and rather untimely trip to the City of Industry for a Magic Johnson signing. I wasn't even able to feign excitement, so instead I struck a deal. I am pretty sure the only reason Ryan agreed to join me at the Farmer's Market the next day was because he believed it would rain. Rain it did not, the sun greeted me the next morning as well as Mr. Sam-A-Ram licking my face at 7:30 AM. I very patiently waited in bed the next two hours waiting for Ryan to wake up. He was none too excited to learn of my weather updates, but he held up his end of the deal. However, my day adventure did not end up in disappointment such as the City of Industry extravaganza.
sidebar: after my visit, I contend that all trips to the City of Industry end in disappointment
The Studio City Farmer's Market was in fact a success. Ryan loved it and I was able to get all the fruits and veggies I was hoping for. We also came home with a few unexpected treats: White Truffle Oil, Spicy Bacon Jam, and homemade Beef Jerky.Once home from the Farmer's Market, I got busy with my Oscar meal plans. I had promised a variety of appetizers and I did not want to disappoint. Though we only had two guests coming that evening (Phil and Chance), my hostess apron was already on, so I proceeded with my initial meal plan. Ryan's only specific request of the night was for mini quiches, so I will share that recipe.

OSCAR MINI QUICHES:
1 Pre-Made Double Pie Crust
12 Eggs
3/4 c. Milk
1.5 c. Cheese
Chopped Ham
Chopped Broccoli (or any other veggies)
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray regular or mini muffin tin with Pam. Roll out pie crust and roll a little thinner than it already comes. Using a medium to large circle cookie cutter (I don't have one so I used the rim of a highball glass) cut circles out of the dough reserving any additional crust to re-roll and cut additional circles from. Shape circular dough cuts into each separate muffin section, shaping it so it forms a dough cup in the tin. Mix remaining ingrediants, and salt/pepper to taste, in a medium bowl. Ladle mixture into the doughed muffin tins filling each level with the rim of the dough. I sprinkled a little extra cheese on top of each of my mini quiches. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Check periodically, you can tell its done with a knife comes out clean and the crust is a golden brown.

And though normally while I cook, my audience is limited to Sam and Harley-girl, Ryan wasn't feeling very well after the Farmer's Market so he decided to join Sam in his regular spot in the entryway.