Thursday, December 30, 2010

Gas-N-GO

In my excitement to get on the road today, I Failed to realize that when your gas Gage tells you that you have 28 miles until you run out of gas that you should not let your car idle for 20 minutes in the drive way. I just wanted to defrost the windows and melt the 5 inches of snow that have fallen in the last 24 hours. Now I am stuck here waiting on a ride and have become fodder for jokes. Yuk it up people, yuck it up.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

wooo wooo wooo

Fire Drill.

Oh the exciting life of a high school teacher
smokin' in the boys room
trash on fire
Give those back
them are mine!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Happy Meals

Things around here are just starting to slow down.  I hate to admit it, but Kevin and I had been eating way too much frozen/takeout pizza.  We have made a few good things here and there, but today we were back on track. 

After sleeping late (so late my back started to hurt from laying there so long), we got up and made breakfast.  Kevin made a mean dish of homefries with bell pepper, onion and garlic to go with the delicious chicken apple sausage we had purchased the day before and the perfect eggs he always makes.  I made my first ever batch of biscuits, cheddar-sour cream biscuits that is.  I had a little jellied cranberry left over from a few nights before, and that with the biscuit/sausage combo was a ride on the flavor train.

With our bellies full of scrumdiddleyumptiousness, we set about our day's labor.  The weather here was gorgeous maybe it reached 80 today, but it felt much cooler with the breeze and shade.  After the daily chores, Bubba begged us to take him hiking on the rims.  It was beautiful up on top looking down at the town and the trees with their leaves turning all golden yellow, red and orange.  

Hiking is hard work and makes you really hungry.  For dinner, Kevin and I made our first ever red curry with chicken and rice.  Man-o-man was it good.  We  both could eat it again this week.  Maybe twice.  I'm hoping our two delicious meals catapult us back into the habit of cooking really good food that make us both happy. 

For those who may want the recipe check back tomorrow.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Dumbass Attack

I've done it this time.  Instead of listening to those who know better, Jessica and Kevin. I decided that yes, I need bangs, and I need them now, today, just this moment as I'm passing by the bathroom.

Worst idea EVER.  What am I twelve?  Well that's what it looks like.  I looks as if a roving band of 5 year olds, tied me down Gulliver's Travels style and took a machette to my hair.  TERRIBLE, terrible, terrible, terrible.  I can't say it enough terrible. 

Hello Hats.  Good thing it's fall hats are in this season.  I wonder if I can change the school policy to allow them inside.

Oh well, as Kevin says:  "They'll grow out....in 6 weeks."

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Good Times and Noodle Salad

Tomorrow my sister, Janet, arrives from Texas. I'm very excited. I'm driving to Missoula today (should be doing that now instead of this) so that I only have to drive 3 1/2 hours to pick her up in Spokane, Wa.

She requested a visit to that bar with the swing, The Lumberjack. They have live music on Friday and Saturday so it will be tons of fun. We will visit on Friday night. Saturday we are going to the farmer's markets in downtown Missoula then on to Philipsburg for some sapphire mining at Gem Mountain. Followed by a night at the Philipsburg Opera House.

Sunday we are off to the derby. The demolition derby that is. No, we are not participating. We are going to watch a friend, Todd, and his son participate in the Western Montana Fair Demolition Derby. This should be exciting. After a lazy day floating the Black Foot river, I think we will not some hot dusty crash 'em up excitement.

Monday and Tuesday we will prowl around the mountain sides and visit Hamilton and Darby with a trip over the Skalkho pass down to Anaconda for antiquing and ladies lunch.

Wednesday we head back to Spokane. We're lodging at The Hotel Ruby, because Janet's flight is at the crack of down on Thursday. She doesn't know it, but I'll be returning to the hotel and sleep some more after I drop her off. While in Spokane I think we will try out one of two places that piqued my interest either the Catacombs Pub or Anthony's Home Port at Spokane Falls. Maybe we will do both. I've heard there is shopping and some cultural stuff there too.

It's going to be GRRREAT. I'll post next week with some photos of our journey. I wish you all could come up and visit. You need to sometime soon!

Friday, August 6, 2010

It's Not About Me

I realize my last post may have sounded a bit narcissistic.  I am 100% excited about Jess's wedding and completely honored to be the maid of honor.  I'm just embarrassed about my size, and I don't want to ruin the photos and stuff by appearing as Fat Frumpy Girl.  So no, it's not about me, all about Jess and Bryan.

I can't wait to see how beautiful she looks in her dress.  I know she has worked very hard to coordinate the wedding and make sure everything goes off without a hitch.  I am particularly excited about the reception where I plan on doing the Macarena and the Chicken dance.  Just Kidding.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Pressure of Pretty

I've been searching for a dress to wear to Jessica's wedding. It wasn't until the bachelorette party that I realized I need to stop searching and actually purchase a dress. Like a lot of brides maids, I made the fatal error of intending to lose weight, but not actually doing it. I had book marked all these fabulous dresses that the thinner me would wear. Last week in my state of panic, I purchased a dress that was brown and boring. I think it was an outward expression of my inner uncomfortableness.The few times I went to try on dresses was so disappointing I developed an aversion to brides maid dresses. All week long I cringed when I thought of the dress. Not that it isn't a nice dress, but it is NOT nice enough form my best friend's wedding. When I thought of finding another dress I would start to sweat.

I had to build my self up and deal with the voluptuous situation I've found myself in. I found the dress and it's beautiful.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

That other Language

I've been neglecting my blog in the most serious fashion so far this year.  I have attempted to correct it by signing up for mobile blogging (that is when you send text from your phone to post to your blog).  It seems that the cell phone posts didn't decode (I'm pretending to know the correct technical term) properly and my last few posts look as if they were written in an alien tongue.

So no, I have not been to busy learning another language.  I've just been busy/lazy...a combination of both we'll call it blazy.

Rewind..Let's catch up with what is going on with me.

I got a job!  Most of you already know this.  I'll be working in Lavina, Mt as the high school English teacher.

All the World's a stage...
This is my class room.  It use to be one room, the Auditorium, and now it's two.  You can see the table with chairs to the far left, directly behind that is the wall and those are my student desks.  This will be interesting.  I've been working hard making the necessary plans and I am really excited about teaching Literature.  I'm a bit nervous about the grammar/punctuation, if you read my posts you'll understand why, but with all the teaching resources available to me I should be fine.

In the photo below you will see the original building with it's newer addition. all 75, PreK-12th, students are housed here.  I love the older portion to the left.  My class is located on the second floor over looking the football field in back.

Lavina Public School
 I'm fairly certain that the grammar books in my class are from 1965, seriously.  The Lit books are from 1996.  I have some challenges to face, but with the support of the school, community, Kevin, and my Barnes and Noble wish list I can be successful.  Yes, I'm pandering.  If you find yourselves with an overwhelming need to give to charity please gift a book to my class.  I think the contributions would be tax write-off, I'll double check.

School starts in 28 days.  I still have quite a bit of work to do, but first let me recap the rest of my summer.

We have had plenty of visitors.  Sean, Tara and Mason Morgan visited us from Wewoka, Oklahoma.  Together, we all went on a three hour tour of Montana that lasted 6 days.  Sean almost drowned in Rock Creek and Tara was terrified of the vault toilets.  We stayed at a wonderful historic homestead and had a large time boiling water and eating beans.




Next to visit were my folks, Mack and Bea, with my niece and nephew, Tayah and Tucker. We saw dog-bears and deer-moose, had a snowball fight, white water rafted, ate strawberries and had a jolly ol' time.



Then Wyatt came to visit and we saw more of this great state including Como Lake, near Hamilton, and drove over the Skalkaho Pass, where we saw a cinnamon bear. We toured the Lewis and Clark Caverns,Camped, Hiked and then went to Texas. Once in Texas, we met up with the rest of the Gustainis clan and fished.



I left the family reunion a bit early for Jessica's bachelorette party. I'm pleased to report that we all survived.





Kevin and I returned home from the family reunion/bachelorette party last night. I'm exhausted from the whirl wind trip, but my first priority was to update the blog. I've missed posting on it, and I'm sure my family and friends would like to read it without having to interpret another language.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Off Means Off

TURN YOUR PHONE OFF, RUDE! That's what I wanted to say to the lady sitting 2 rows in front of me at the local theater last night. I like Community Theater, and I can generally perform the much needed "willing suspension of disbelief" that it takes to engage in passive viewing of mediocre performances; however, when the stupid idiot in the ugly pants takes out her phone and begins to text during the first act, I get a bit aggravated. I was slightly annoyed. I was sending her the following thought “ It's dark in here lady that light is like a beacon signaling everyone beside and behind you to look at you instead of the art being created 2 feet in front of you”.

I think she was writing a novel. If I had a blow dart.... It gets worse, she does this throughout the first act, and near the end her phone rings. IT RINGS, people. So yeah she had it on vibrate, but you can still here that. I mean in a small theater that seats 150 you can hear a mouse fart. I was murderously annoyed at this point. She must have been adding a second volume to her already drawn out textography. It gets worse, a few minutes later (mind you there is a 10 minute intermission coming up soon) in the middle of act II she gets up and scooches her way past all the people in order to go out. She was in the second row, how annoying. I hate her, her phone and her stupid pants.

Okay, so that I sound like a total wet blanket let me expound on the rest of the night. The play, The Long Weekend, while it was predictable was also entertaining. I laughed out loud many times. Despite my earlier ranting, I very much enjoyed it, until the hyena next to me started cackling. Remember how I was talking about mouse farts and theater acoustics? Well this lady obviously thought she was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and needed to really project her laughter when something was funny. At one point, it was so loud that the people around her, employing their indoor laughs, actually stopped and looked at her. I know because I did too, and her husband had that mortified woman-shut-the-hell-up-it-wasn't-THAT-funny look on his face.

What happened to Emily Post and her social etiquette followers? Obviously there are people who need an appropriate public behavior seminar. I'll be the guest speaker, and I'll bring a cattle prod. Despite the fact that people can't use their indoor laughs or follow the rules in a public theater, they can give a standing ovation. This is yet another thing that annoys me. It's like the equivalent to everybody wins. NO THEY DON"T, some people don't win. There has to be a loser or else it's not a competition. Equally true, not all plays are standing O worthy. I was just waiting for the Hyena to blurt “BRAVO, BRAVO!” while in the spotlight of Ms. Ugly Pants’ text screen.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

A Teacherin'

Yesterday, I had my first Montana teaching interview.  The day before I was near tears after spending 2.5 hours in the Missoula Dillard's trying to find just the right outfit.  I left bound and determined to find something that Said: Hey-Lookit-I'm-A-Dignified-Perfect-For-This-Small-Town-Teacher.  This is what I found:




Kevin said it was perfect.  Actually he said it was "parochial", but I took that as a good thing.  I was anxious to get the interview over and done with.  I think it went well.  The people were great, and the school reminded me very much of Ponder.  It was kind of weird, but I think Broadview, the town, would be a great place to get back into teaching.  It has everything I liked about teaching in Aubrey.  So we will see. Finger's crossed. 

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Greek Mythology

In my college literary classes, I learned that the Greek Gods were beautiful, strong, sometimes grumpy and often at war with one another; but they lived on Mt. Olympus and ate Ambrosia. We were led to believe that ambrosia was divinely delicious made only for those who reside in the heavens.  While teaching The Lightening Thief, I learned that for each God or demigod the flavor of ambrosia was personal. For Percy, the main character, it was the flavor of his mother’s homemade cookies.

No matter what ambrosia may be I know it’s not Greek Gods Greek Yogurt, because that stuff tastes like sour cream. I’ve read many different articles touting the benefits of Greek yogurt over regular yogurt. I read the label and saw for myself it only had 60 calories and 0 fat with 6 grams of protein. The label even read “Thick and creamy yogurt, full of body, and rich in taste.” HMM…Well, that is true enough if you like the flavor of sour cream.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I love more than a dollop of daisy on my tacos, tamales or carnitas, but with bananas or blue berries.. I think not. I’m eating it for the sake of my health, but just so other consumers out there know. The ambrosial flavor of Greek yogurt is yet another classical myth.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Just Learning

I'm trying to figure out how to blog away from my blogger. I've attempted several times to post from my cell, but I must be doing it wrong. So here is attempt one at email posting. We'll see.

New Noodles

I've not only been lazy about blogging I've been lazy bones in the kitchen too.  Sometimes it seems as if we eat the same thing over and over.  We've been in a rut here lately with weekly servings of spaghetti, roasted chicken and potatoes, red meat with garlic salad, pizza and more chicken.  Granted all of that is homemade, with the exception of the pizza. Kevin has been great about cooking while I was working late and on weekends, but now that my summer hiatus has officially begun I've decided it's time to get back to what I do best...experimenting in the kitchen.

I wanted to make Asian food last night, but I don't have a large repertoire of Asian recipes floating around in my head.  I grabbed an issue of Fine Cooking hoping for a great new recipe.  I found an article entitled Use Your Noodle which listed recipes using a range of Asian style noodles.  I have limited knowledge of cooking with Asian noodles, Top Ramen being my only real experience; however, I decided to try something new because the recipe for rice noodles with shrimp and cilantro was exactly what I had in mind for dinner.

Kevin loves spicy and this dish called for red bell pepper and jalapeno.  I knew he could fire it up with some chicken death sauce, and I could be content with the limey, fresh cilantro summer sun flavor of the sauce.


I kept a close eye on my sauce whenever Kevin was near for fear he would sabotage it with Tabasco.  It turned out great the peppers gave it a nice flavor without being HOT and Kevin enjoyed the additional hellfire he placed in his own bowl. 

I had a little trouble with the noodles.  I cooked them according to the directions below, but some of the noodles were still hard.   The package read that you should soak them in hot water for 45 minutes, but mentioned nothing of the boiling that was called for in the recipe.  Since the recipe didn't turn out the results I wanted, I soaked the parboiled noodles in hot water while I finished the rest of the dish.  This was sufficient to finish the noodles and keep them from getting cold.

Here is the recipe from Fine Cooking.  I didn't do anything different other than use 11/2 limes instead of just 1 in the sauce and I used ponzu instead of regular soy.I like to boost the citrus flavor paired with the fish sauce, and I used a pound of the smaller shrimp.  Ete Schmakalik!

Ingredients for 3-4 servings, but Kevin and I ate it all :)

6oz pad thai noodles
2 medium limes, i juiced and 1sliced in wedges for serving
11/2 tbs. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
3/4 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp
3 tbs. canola or peanut oil - i used vegetable
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 medium bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced - I used the entire pepper.
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 large shallot, finely diced - I used 2 medium
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro - I used a handful

For the noodles- Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Add the noodles, lower the heat to gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, (HUH, maybe that's why it didn't work so well for me I don't think I actually read ALL the directions. I definitely didn't stir or reduce to simmer.) until the noodles are just tender, 5 - 7 minutes.  Transfer to a colander and run under cold water to cool slightly. Drain well.

For the sauce- combine the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce and fish sauce, set aside.

For the shrimp- toss with 1tbs. oil, coriander and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt.

Took Cook- heat 2 tbs. oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot.  Add the red pepper, jalapeno, and shallot, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, and cook stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until it turns pink and is almost cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Add the lime juice mixture and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is cooked through, about 1 minute more.  Add the noodles and half of the cilantro: toss until the noodles heat through and pick up the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.

To Serve- sprinkle with remaining cilantro and the lime wedges.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Law Abiding

Today I’ve updated my status from “Card Carrying Resident” to “Law Abiding Citizen”. I finally registered mi coche to the great state of Montana and now have a blue license plate reading Treasure State.

And of course license plates makes me think of one of my all time favorite Hayes Carll songs. Can you guess which one?

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

It's Official

I'm a resident, a card carrying Montananan.  I finally went today to get my driver's license.  I put on makeup did my hair and smiled nice for the camera, but they asked me how much I weighed, geez.  I wanted to lie but didn't.

It was so easy to transfer from being a Texas driver to Montana.  I made an appointment online, showed up at the right time, filled out a paper, showed some documents, had my foto taken, and bing bang boom I was licensed to drive in Montana all in under 5 minutes. AMAZING.  I was expecting to be there much longer, but they've got it down here in Billings.  I can say it was a very efficient, dang near pleasant, DMV experience.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Nook or Book

I've been having an internal struggle lately.  I have a love of the written word.  Books are my friends, my movies, my vacations.  In a book you have everything right in the palm of your hand, a movie in your mind and you get to choose the actors. 

I love my books.  I don't usually loan out my books because I would miss them.  I have a room full of books in storage at my cousins house and I think about those books probably more than I think I about the cousin who houses them.  (Sorry, Kell, I love you)

If someone puts a glass on my book, I get a little nuts.  The summer when I went to Mexico, my bag was like 10 lbs over the weight limit so I had to take out books and stuff them into my backpack.  I bought more books when I was in Mexico and sadly had to make the decision to leave some behind.  I parted with them at the local public library in hopes that someone would love them as much as I did.

My delimma is this:  I've been eyeing those ebook readers, like Barnes and Noble's Nook, and have been finding myself wanting one.  I've pictured myself using it on my upcoming trip to Texas.  I even checked to see if the two new books I want can be downloaded to it.  But I love books themselves.  The crinkle of the page.  The tautness of a brand new binding.  The smell of an old book dusty and aged.  The crisp fresh inky smell of a brand spanking new book.

I have a fear that technology will take over the world and simple things like the hand written letter and books real books will disappear.  I feel loyal to the hardback, partial to the paper back, but yet ever so intrigued by the slender, shiny, 1500 books at your fingertips appeal of the ereader. 

OH, what am I to do!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

When I Think

I realized today what makes Kevin so different from the others.  I can be any shade of me I want and it's okay with him.  He doesn't mind when I shift gears from tom-boy to girly-girl and he doesn't judge when I'm stuck some where in the middle. 

I was thinking about diamonds when I came to this realization.  Not ring-finger diamonds, or even the pots and pans he bought last year but sheet metal, diamond plating.

There is more to this thought (it's profound and of a soul searching nature that one can only attain while doing things like cleaning sinks, floors and other mindless household chores) about diamond plating and how it relates to our relationship, but I haven't formulated a coherent expression yet.

I'll have to tear myself away from the blog now so that I can go back to my illuminating inner insight by way of scrubbing the toilets and a huge stack of dishes.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Montana or Texas: A Quiz of Sorts


1.  This is a monster icicle.  Is it
A. in Billings, Montana or B. Denton, Texas

2.  At the time of this post, wunderground reported the current weather condition to be:  Currently 32.4 °F, Snow Fog, Humidity: 96% , Wind: 1.0 mph from the NNE, Visibility: 0.5 miles, Dew Point: 31 °F. 
Is this the report for:
A. Billings, Mt or B. Denton, Tx

3. According to infoplease.com, which state has the most state parks at 115?
A. Montana
B. Texas

4.Which state has 5 state forests?
A. Montana
B. Texas

Check tomorrow's post for answers.





False Memory

Minds play tricks and my mind is very tricky. Jess and Brendee both pointed out that it was Beeffalo not Boofollow. OOPS. Hope I'm never called on to recreate a criminals face, it might not turn out right.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The Avett Brothers

The other day while working out at the gym, I was watching Austin City Limits on PBS. ACL featured The Avett Brothers that day. I enjoyed them so much I ran out and purchased some songs on itunes and gifted two to Brendee and Jess and one to my brother Gary. I found the videos for the two songs I gifted on youtube.

I've been forcing Kevin to listen to them endlessly, and since you all aren't around for me to trap in the car and force feed you these songs, I'll just have to settle for hoping you see them here.

Enjoy



Friday, January 29, 2010

Boo-Fallow

I've mentioned before that my friends and I adapted our own terminology after many years of being together.  Some of the words were completely made up, some came from out-of-context usage, others from misspellings, and others still from our differing dialects and pronunciations.  The etemology of several vocabulary words come from the Dutch accented pronunciation of regular things.  For example: Blister - Blista. 

To the outsider, these are silly sayings that don't mean much, but for me and mine each word conjures up a potent memory.  A time none of us will forget.

Let me try to explain.  The last apartment that Brendee and I shared together was only a few miles from our previous location.  No need for a moving truck we just enlisted the help of my Dad's truck, Jessica, Rachel, Aaron and Archie also took the time to load a few beds and boxes.  In the middle of this moving, We recieved a visit from Kevo's dad.  We felt obliged to be hospitable to our friend's parents who took the trip across the Big Pond.  During on a dinner break to meet and greet papa Vandrunen, it was decided that a trip to Shreveport, La. was necessary.

We abandoned our packing and hauling and loaded up for our road trip.  On this trip, The Texas country side was in full Autumn splendor, the foliage and wildlife on display for our foreign visitor's gratification.  It was at a pit-stop that Kevin's dad added the word Boo-Fallow to our vernacular.  "Look a Buffalo!"  We giggled at his Dutch pronunciation of the American Bison.  To this day, Buffalo in any form is Boo-Fallow to me and that weekend in Shreveport is brought to mind.

In honor of that memory, I've termed my delicious dinner from last night The Great Amberican  Boo-Fallow Chicken.



It is breathtaking isn't it?  Look at the golden crust that looks crispy and juicy at the same time.  This was achieved by roasting the chicken in the over at 400 degress perched atop a can of beer (placed in a roasting pan to catch the drippings) for moisture, and slathered in a Buffalo wing sauce (recipe to follow).  I basted the chicken every 20 minutes or so and the result was devine.


The chicken was paired with a salad of greens, radishes, carrots and cucumber with blue cheese crumbles and Lighthouse blue cheese vinaigrette, and a double fermented Oregon Indian Pale Ale

To make the Boo-Fallow sauce assemble the following ingredients:
1 stick butter
4 Tbs brown sugar
5 Tbs tomato sauce
1/4 tsp each of the following: garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, chili powder and salt
1 tsp oregano
1 dash of beer
red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 cup of hot sauce ( I used Frank's, and it wasn't too spicy. Add more or less to your liking)

Melt the butter and sugar in a sauce pan and then combine the rest of the ingredients, adjusting the spices to your taste.  Simmer to combine flavors and then brush on chicken before placing in over.  Baste the chicken with sauce throughout the cooking process.

Use a meat thermomenter so you know when the chicken is fully cooked, around 180.  I think I cooked it at 400 for 45-50 minutes.  Let chicken rest before carving.  The skin will be crisp and tasty, with a slight sweet coat from the brown sugar and pleasant pepper kick and a boquet of spices and vinegar.

Medieval Torture Device

There are certain times in a person's life when they are compelled to help others.  Today, I have the task of helping Kevin remodel his office.  My job for the after noon is to remove a wall paper border the former occupant of his office flung up at some point in the past.

One would think that a border would be easy.  Maybe it will be, but my two previous attempts at removing wall paper have been painful or daunting.  My first experience included a device used to perforate the paper so that steam can get behind and release the adhesive.  That instrument looked eerily similar to this medieval Skull-Mace


If you know me well, you know I don't generally wear shoes while in the house.  Since my first wall paper experience was in the new home of a friend, I was of course shoeless - on a ladder-precariously positioned directly above that scary looking pointy thing.  I stepped on it, blood gushed from my foot and Heather rushed me to the bathtub, no need to make her new room look like a torture chamber doused in bright red Amber blood.

Every time I even think about wall paper I get a sharp prickle in the bottom of my foot.  The second wall paper fiasco was in service of Kevin, and while it wasn't painful, it was a pain in the ass.  Just ask Kev. 

I've been trying to convince him to mud over the wall paper...Maybe if I bring the Mace I can convince him.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Mexican Melt Down

For dinner the other night, Kevin and I made an amazing soup and sandwich combo.  After watching an episode of Triple D, we both wanted to try jalapeno pesto.



In order to feel a certain ownership of recipes, I'm not one for following an origional recipe too closely.  Well that, and sometimes I'm not paying attention.  For this pepper pesto we used 1 bunch of cilantro, 2 jalapenos, 1 serrano, 2 cloves garlic and an unmeasured amount of pecorino romano (if I were pressed to say, I would guess some where around 1/3 of a cup) the juice of 1/2 a lime, and a good drizzling of olive oil.  We stopped adding the oil when the consistency looked right to us.

To accompany our new relish, Kevin marinated and grilled flank steak.  Let me just add that it was about 17 degrees out when we were making dinner, and Kevin braved the winter temps to cook on the open fire.  That's my man.



We assembled the pesto and meat with some pepper jack cheese, avocado mayo, sweet grilled onions and a bell pepper medly.



The sandwiched was partnered with a spicey roasted red bell pepper and tomato soup.  We roasted then sweated and peeled the red bell pepper, threw it in a pot of simmering chicken stock, then added cherry tomatoes that had been drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and dried oregano and oven roasted for 12 minutes at 400.  I had also oven roasted a few cloves of garlic that were mixed in to the soup.  A stick blender was used to liquify the chunks and give the soup a wonderful creamy texture.



The soup and sandwich pairing was excellent.  The soup had a robust redbell pepper flavor and slight vinegar finish.  The tomatoes were the unseen hero.  The sandwich was like a flavor maze.  One bite was meaty cheesy wonderfulness, the next a sweet and tangy trio of white onion, red and yellow bell pepper, lurking in the shadows of the suprising not so spicy jalapeno pesto was the creamy avocado goddess.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Snakes

I dreamed last night that I was riding in a truck with my parents when a snake slithered up under my hair and attached itself to my right earlobe.  My dad was trying to keep me calm while my mother was telling me not to make things worse by trying to pull it off or shake my head around.

My dad apparently knew a snake charmer and was taking me there right away.  As I sat there freaking out on the inside the snake curled it's tail up like a chin strap and stuck it into my other ear.  I noticed at this point that it was red and black and smooth, but that didn't make me feel any better.

When we get to the snake charmer place we get out of the truck and it is cold, so so cold.  I decide the cold is a good thing because I remembered that snakes are warm blooded, and I was hoping that instead of sucking the blood out of my body through my earlobe (because this is a dream so it was a vampire snake) it would freeze and just fall off.  Standing around in the fridge night air the snake first gets lethargic and his tail comes out of my left ear and I notice the bold and vibrant black and red has started to turn to a sickish greenyellowgray color and it's body is getting longer like taffy when you pull it.  It releases my earlobe but the tail get's caught in my hair. As it swings down from my head it takes a half harted chomp out of my right hand because I tried to catch it, but realized too late you don't want to catch a vampire snake when it's finally fallen off your ear.  The contact with my hand bounces the head over to my other hand.  The movement of the snake and our brief entanglement has warmed it enough to revive it's killer instinct when it reattaches to my left thumb.

It is here in the dark still night that the snake charmer arrives.  Over walks a tall Texas cowboy hat wearing version of the crocodile hunter.  This man produces a pair of toe nail clippers, and I think "hey buddy I don't need a pedicure." but before I can protest his snips the head of and this stinging foaming white stuff oozes out of it's head and the body falls away.  The snake charmer says in his texasutralian drawl "There's ya blood mate he didna get too much, ya'll are lucky."

And then I woke up.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

I watch food network often, and lately they have been showcasing some amazing burgers.  Because of the parade of meaty, cheesey, goodness that I've been watching, I've had severe cravings for a big juicy burger.  I've tried to cure my hunger with fast food burgers but they just didn't cut the mustard, if you know what I mean.  They are too thin, flavorless and not homemade.

So last night I had the time and the ingredients to make The Best Burger Ever on Toast.  It was ground beef with salt, pepper, ground mustard, a bit of red pepper flake, cheese, pickles, tomatoes and topped with a fried egg.  It was so good that I could have eaten for.... you know it...Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.  I almost did too, but last nights cheese slice was the last in the fridge and I slept too late to have breakfast or lunch before going to work.  I'm making a taco pasta right now, due to the lack of cheese in the house, but I'm mentally savoring the flavor of last nights meaty masterpiece.  Check it out, here's a bird's eye view of the tower of power.


Is that a perfect fried egg or what?  You can see the cheddar slice playing peak-a-boo under umpty dumpty there.  And LOOK at those pickels on top of the mayo slather. MMMMM. 

Whoops!  I smashed the toast down too hard and broke the yolk, but look at that golden river of flavor.  You see how the runny goodness cascades down the sandwich like a cholesterol waterfall?

Oh, no Pickles overboard.  It's okay I saved them....for last.  So stop wishing you had made this and go do it.  You'll thank me later after you return from your vacation to flavor town.


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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Brut Force

As a little kid I would take things apart to see how they worked, my toys, the remote, my radio. Sometimes this broke the thing sometimes not. If I couldn't exactly figure out how it worked, I would exclaim that it was magic. For instance, the transmission of radio waves and electric doors. Magical. You could have explained their workings either intricate or simple, but for me the more simple explanation of a grand magician with a sparkly wand works just fine. I don’t need to know how things work as long as there are others who do.

Things that are complicated just don't fit in my world. If I can't make it work, then I don't need to work with it. Like Math. I never had a head for that stuff. Thanks to a younger male professor and low cut shirts, I did just fine in college algebra. I'm not ashamed it is what it is.

I found that breaking, manipulating and ignoring things are not always the best answer. While they may have served me well in the past their practical application in the grown up world, well isn’t really practical it’s silly. It seems things always break when I'm alone; therefore, it's up to me solve the problem of the incessant beeping of the alarm system.

Through trial and error I've learned that while you can just smash the buttons until it stops that's only a temporary fix. It will lay in wait. Its complicated brain knows that I am sitting awake and alert only a few feet from where it sleeps. This system that's meant to deter criminals, is now stalking me. I open the garage door and it gives the accustomed BING! that signals an entry has been opened. I wait before getting into the car knowing that it will begin its manic repetitive bleating once I get in the car, but it doesn't. It waits until I come home to say “Ha! I've been going off the whole time you've been away. Welcome back, dumb ass."

I have taken it into my cold hard hands and thoughts of pulling the unit out of the wall so that the wires rip from their sockets to make it stop has entered my mind. "I've done this before don't make me do it again." I think angrily at my home security system, but the reality of this being a rental property and the fact that tearing its roots from the wall probably adds additional fees to the repair if anyone ever wants to use it again clears my head.

"You've won this round my foe but I'll get you sucker." I think of calling the landlord, but I will not be defeated by this machine. I go to bed thinking yet again that the smashing of random buttons has solved my problem. Do you know what kind of terror one feels when awoke in the middle of the night to an intruder invading your home? Tall looming figures clad in black ski masks ransacking your house and holding you at gun point while your watch dog lies bleeding with his throat cut and tongue lolling out the side. These are the images that my startled brain conjures up when the stupid, evil, plotting alarm system goes off with out cause at 2 a.m.

So I consider calling, but it's inhumane to wake some one in the middle of the night with a trifling troublesome beep. So I pound, push and spout profanity until the thing stops. I return to my room turn on the fan (that's another story) and go back to sleep. I awake annoyed yet refreshed in the morning. When I turn off the fan I hear it beeping again. I creep up on it, and remember I saw the control box in the closet. "AHA!" I think, "Now your mine." There it is the control box a big steel LOCKED box in the closet. Don't fret though, I found the key, and opened the box only to see a land of wires and one huge battery and an instruction book. My first thought was just rip those wires from that thing that looks like a battery, but the grown up side said "Read the manual."

My childlike wonder about how things work was slightly amused at the thought that I could look into the mouth of the beast and come out victor, but then I opened the manual and was flooded with a sense of powerlessness. This manual has not 1 index but 3. Where do you locate the instructions on How to Stop the Fucking Beeping?

So I'm sitting here taking out my rage in my blog and weighing the choices: A. use brut force and just rip out the wires and be done or B. Call a Magician.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

My Mom's Birthday Cake

In honor of my mom's birthday today, I made a pumpkin spice cake (Brenda Medina's Recipe) layered with Banana and topped with a caramel cream cheese frosting. I just finished icing it about 10 minutes ago while Kevin was watching tv in his favorite chair. I brought him a sampling into the living room only to find him sleeping in his chair. I startled him awake with the yummy goodness, and he liked it. I just check and his still awake. He doesn't like to admit that he falls asleep in his chair :)


I called to wish my mom happy birthday earlier this morning when the snow was just starting to fall. It has been falling all day and getting thicker and falling faster as the day progressed. I had to get out of the house to pick up the dry cleaning after 4 and it was a white out.

I made it back home safe and sound. I only had one little out of control moment but luckily I was going about 10 miles an hour and I steered into the skid without hitting the brakes. Good thing because it was two lane traffic with lots of cars coming the opposite direction. I probably tend to drive a bit overcautious here, but I know no matter what I do the people behind me will always think I can't drive. I need to get those Texas plates changed soon!

Once home from my winter storm outing, I started preparing the chicken cordon bleu we had for dinner tonight. I pounded the chicken thin layered ham and Swiss cheese and rolled the chicken up into a roulade. Which I then floured, dipped in egg wash and coated with bread crumbs. I placed the chicken on a greased baking sheet and baked in the over at 350 for about 25 minutes. It was delicious and I paired it with sweet peas, and red potatoes (which I boiled in chicken stock and garlic instead of water to add more flavor) tossed with butter and parsley.

The success of my dinner helped demolish the lingering guilt I've had about not being home every night to prepare dinner for Kevin.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Winter Storm Warning

It's been nice and sun shiny in Billings lately.  I showed up to work today with my manager calling the regional manager to tell her not to come tomorrow because we are expecting up to 10 inches of snow. WTF!  10 inches.  Good thing it's may day off tomorrow.  If it's crazy, I'll have to call in on Wednesday.  I can't drive in a winter storm, I'm from Texas!

So what's my winter storm schedule for tomorrow? HMMM.  I think I'll put my baking dishes that my mom got me for christmas to use and make a cake.  Yup, that's it.  Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, so I'll use her gift to make a cake in honor of her birthday, but I better not eat too much of it because I have to reach my birthday goal of being smokin hott by March 11th. 

Other than my momma's cake (that ain't my boat, it's my momma's boat) I'll be cooking a special dinner for Kevin's birthday on Sunday.  While watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Kevin informed me that he likes pigs feet.  Never to be one to back down to a cooking challenge I'll be serving him up a hot plate of pig's feet, hog maws and collards. 

I think I'll say naw to the hog maws but I will make the collards.  Kevin and I have become very fond of this southern favorite after having it at our friend's house last christams.  I've got a great simple recipe and I'm sure it will bring out the errr, earthiness...of the pig's feet.  I'm not kidding about those, I'm serious.  Not sure what or how you make pigs feet.  I hope to god he doesn't mean pickled, because that's just gross.  I'll flavor a soup or something with it but I draw the line at pickeling.   I love pickles and sticking a nasty foot in it would be like taking a shot of tequila with a toe in the bottle instead of a worm, Right Brooke? 

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Dinner Confession

I feel bad when I come home and Kevin has dinner cooking for me.  It's nice and I love that he wants to do it, but I feel like he pulls so much of the weight already that I should come home from my meager part time job and cook for him.

Tonight he is making ceasar salad and stuffed cornish game hens.  He also cooks breakfast most mornings.  Oddly enough, I don't have breakfast guilt. Probably because I've never been a breakfast maker.  My idea of breakfast is redbull or coffee, or if I actually have a meal I make things that you don't cook: bagel and lox, cereal, icecream, etc...

It's nice that we both have jobs that allow us to eat together most mornings.  This is new for us.  Before, when I worked we were never up at the same time.  Since we started working out early in the mornings, we've had the extra time to spend eating breakfast at the table, and lately that's the only meal we've been eating at the table. 

I don't make resolutions for new year.  I think that resolutions are something that should be made throughout the year. Why wait to change?  One thing I would like to change now, or revert to, would be eating dinner at the table as well as breakfast.  When I was a kid ,we always at dinner at the kitchen table.  Rarely were we allowed to eat in front of the television.  Those were good meals.  I remember having a lot of fun on those dinners.  I think dedicating that time to your loved ones is an important part of growing and maintaining bonds.  Kevin and I have good an awesome relationship that I think we both care deeply about, but we get lazy after work and sometimes veg infront of the idiot box.  I'm not saying that the tv dinner needs to go away, but I want to make sure that since I'm not always home to cook dinner for him anymore that I'm still showing that our time together is important. I not saying I'm just saying. 

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Re-do


From My Pictures


Three years ago Jessica, Kevo, and I went to Austin to celebrate the New Year, but our friend Brendee chose to stay behind in Denton.  We had an awesome time, lost a phone, paid a pizza guy to be our personal taxi, saw a sailor and laughed and laughed.  It was GRRRREAT. 
Mean while, pobrecita Brendee was not having so much fun.  Infact, her choice to go to the lame-o party ruined her new year and a freindship.  When the three of us returned home to find Brendee down and out all sad and lonely we donned the attire pictured above and set out to re-do the fabulous night before for our good friend.  We got some strange looks and a couple of comments, "Aren't you guys a bit late?" It ended up being a very memorable new year for all of us.

In the spirit of the Re-Do, I'm remaking yesterday's post.  I know, I know, a two sentence post does not do justice to the year I've had, so let me do today what should have been done yesterday.

As I wrote yesterday, 2009 was a year of change and adventure.  I "retired" from my teaching job and endured a brief stint at my old daycare job, before going of to Mexico in search of knowledge, good food and clarity. 

While in Mexico I did learn.  Some about myself, a bit about culture and language and a fair amount about Moctezuma's Revenge.  The most important thing I learned was that I could do what I set out to do.  I came back from Mexico excited to for my move to move to Montana.

Once in Montana, I spent alot of time on the road with Kevin traveling to and fro.  We visited Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahome, Wyoming and of course Texas.  We've only scratched the surface of places to see in the state of Montana, and this new year I'm looking forward to checking off many of the hikes in my MT hiking book.

2009 we ventured to Scotland and for 2010 we plan to explore the Cayman islands.  I would also like to visit the Redwood Forest at some point in time.

I did find employment in Billings for 2009, and I will continue there in '10; however, it is by no means my new career.  I'm still passively searching for what will be my next career.  So I intened to take the passive our of the searching and maybe muster up a bit a passion.

2009 was a great year to build upon.  It set in motion a chance for me to be out of my box, my comfort zone.  I think I have had a bit of a knee jerk reaction and haven't fully utilized the chance.  I hope to make 2010 the year I embrace my potential, set and achieve goals as well as respecting limits but not being controlled by them.  Well the alchohol limits, I'm respecting and controling those :)

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year

2009 was the year of change and adventure for me.  I'm not sure what lies ahead for 2010. 

Meringue Cookies

I finally made beautiful vanilla meringue cookies.  It has taken me several attempts to get these to turn out looking and tasting great. ...