Plans · Destroyed

SO last night I dreamt of trying to find a mask that was "right". The night before that? I was trying to cook something, but the ingredients I was using kept vanishing or changing into something else. The two or three nights before that? Clothes that just didn't fit right. Everything from one occasion that was like the "free" box at Mills, to trying to find party clothes at some friend's house, to really costume party/fetish wear.

I'm obviously not comfortable with something, but god damn me if I know what it is! Just this week, I've email some grad school people about important application questions, put up notices at grocery stores that I tutor, tutored some kids (like usual)... I don't understand what's wrong, brain! My personal life is even better, as a result of friends being more local and certain people's jobs getting much much better.

Theories encouraged.

Here:

Comment on this post and I will put a song that reminds me of you and why. Then, as per usual, please put this in your own livejournal so that others can join in the fun.

Yeah, I know, two-fer, but the first was really a PSA.

We went shopping yesterday. It was, we realized part way through, EPIC SHOPPING. Lo, for the ages, or at least for a week and a half. I noticed that in my sedentary state I had managed to put on a pound or two. Proposal? More veg, less starch.
Two bunches of collards, red chard, dandelion greens, fennel, onions, garlic, apples, strawberries, crazy sale cherries, artichokes, fava beans, fresh peas, tomatoes, okra, bok choy, eggplant, green beans, and bean sprouts. Also white rice, 9 grain cereal, eggs, a smoked turkey wing, bacon (for flavoring), and some cheese.

Our whole fridge and freezer are full. I processed more than a half-gallon tub of cherries and in excess of a large zip-lock of strawberries (sale!) for healthy desserts. We shelled all the favas and peas. The Boy helped put together a menu to actually *use* all that food and not have it go bad. In case you're curious,

Left over chicken leg, thigh, and wing with left over lemon/artichoke risotto (now with fresh peas!) and a little shaved fennel salad
(Dad's making something and we're getting dinner)
Collards with the turkey wing with leftover chicken breast tomato sandwiches,
Corn chowder (from sale corn kernled and frozen) with a little shaved fennel salad
Dandelion greens salad with poached eggs
Creole Stew (Boys Brithday!)
Tom Yum (mix from previous post) with bok choy, dried mushrooms, tomatoes, bean sprouts, green beans, cabbage
Artichokes with goat cheese, sweet and sour cabbage with sausage
Curried red lentil, garbanzo, and chard stew with yogurt

Added bonus to make and freeze: Tomato sauce with eggplant

Whew!

As a bonus,
Flour and cocoa, 3-1 to 4-1, pinch salt, just a little sugar
mix well in baking dish, add veg oil until it's only JUST able to hold together being pressed into bottom of dish. Add fruit that goes with chocolate to taste. Season to taste. Sprinkle with sugar as needed, sprinkle with chopped chocolate to taste. Bake at 300 until you can smell it/ it seems done. NOM NOM NOM

Look ma! Low fat, low sugar (if you're careful) and TASTY/EASY

So I like good food. I only know how to cook certain kinds of good food without a instructions. Specifically, Asian food (yes, I know that's a LOT of cultures!) defeats me. And many of the instructions I can find are all... Americanized. Or call for things I can't find/ can't buy in single serving quantities (shrimp paste, I see you!).

Enter: Asian Home Gourmet. Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian... a great many regions are represented in this line. Every single one we've tried has been restaurant-quality good. They only have actual food in them. Easy to make? Psh. Open Packet. Open interior packet (nice, because then the directions don't get gooey or hard to read). Squeeze into a pan. (Frequently) add a half can of coconut milk. Add... Whatever you're putting in. Tofu? Chicken? Shrimp? Check, check, and delicious check. Hurting for funding? Add chopped potatoes, carrots, shredded cabbage, and lentils, serve over rice. Ignore the fact that the packet so used read "butter chicken".

It is so good. So, so good. Little chili peppers tell you how hot it'll be, although the two-peppers is only a shade above salsa-fresca hot, nothing serious.
IT COSTS LESS THAN $2.00 for a packet that'll serve 4 moderate eaters with rice and a side (maybe a salad or some fresh fruit?).

I just had to tell you all. So easy, so good, so affordable. And I shit you not, moderately priced restaurant good.
P.S. Many are vegetarian.

Damien called and suggested that we go see the new HP movie. He was very dear and asked if there were "plans" to see it with other people. Sadly, I am unaware of any other plans, but very pleased that we're going. I am not supposed to wear a "costume", particularly as this is no longer an opening, but I *can* dress up. Watch out, here comes the curler!

I am so lucky to be seeing someone who is so good at knowing what I want.

I am a dork.

Had the benefit of four hours of a Stanford MBAs time yesterday to help me get a better job. Fantastic. I've been looking into Masters programs for Architectural History, since a lot of them seem to offer money to do so. Possibly even better.

But.
The very best thing of all? I get a call inviting me to come and hang out and have dinner with friends. Man! I never get calls like that! I never get invites like that! Like... *thinks* maybe more than six months? I was so excited I almost did a stupid on the phone.

Ah, green foods. I love them so... But I mostly didn't until I learned how to cook them, and I didn't learn how to cook them until I met Damien.

The exception is cabbage. Cabbage is always one of the least expensive things in the store. If all you have is a local mega-mart, by all means grab yourself a bowling ball of green. But if you can get to a market that caters to asians, you'll be able to get the long, ruffley napa cabbage for less and it's milder in flavor. I like napa cabbage better and it keeps like the dickens. But what do you do with it? Start off by removing anything that looks manky, and then slice across the top of the napa or down the side of your bowling ball. Don't eat the solid core. You want to have strips, thin strips. If you're having cabbage for dinner, saute it in a pan (don't brown it) with a little oil and about half an onion for one serving. Season with S & P, some sliced garlic, and caraway if you like it (I don't) or chervil or parsley. Once everything is as dead as you want (the longer you cook it the more "cabbagy" it'll be) add a little vinegar and a little honey (or sugar water) until you have kind of a sweet-and-sour vibe going on that isn't too wet. Half a sausage (spicy andioullie anyone?) and a little bread and you're good to go. For better budgets, a little cheese for the bread is nice. If you're just bulking out dinner, throw it in the stir-fry when the onion goes in, or in soup, or even in weird places like with the noodles for pasta and red, or in risotto. Keep in mind that the cabbage is a little sweet, and how much you personally like that cabbage flavor if the food is mild. Another super-budget option is to cook the cabbage like above, but season really heavily with whatever spices you like best (cumin, tomato sauce, molasas instead of honey, any flavor you want for that night) and serve it over rice and lentils that are really mild.

Greens are a little harder; they're filthy, for one and must be carefully washed for grit. Chard can be cooked up quickly, and kale only a little slower, but most of the rest will be hours. "The rest" would be,.. turnip tops, beet tops, collards, or mustard greens, with the collards and mustard being 5+ hours. First things first. The quick ones can be cut off their stem, and the chard stems sliced thin crosswise and cooked first (with onions and garlic) before you throw in slices leaves. Throw in soup, into pasta or pasta sauce, or... as a main course. Red chard is reccommended for this because it's pretty (red chard is often the same price as any other and contains more vitamins—the color!). Cook rice all normal-like, one to one with water and a little salt. Saute the chard stems with onions and garlic. Some chipotle is a nice add here, if you go for spicy. When it's all soft, hopefully the rice is almost done, still a little wet. Add the chard leaves and stems, and enough water so that it looks a little slopy but not soup. Cook covered on low for 15 minutes or so, and it should stop having water and rice, although it will be a little liquidy. Too loose? Cook cover off at higher heat, stirring. If you used red chard, it'll be PINK! Now, add maybe 1/2 cup grated cheddar for two dinners. Stir and taste. It should be nice and cheesy! Again, a little spicy sausage if you have it. It'll taste really rich and cheesy and creamy despite being low fat.

For "The rest" figure on being home all day or using a crock pot. The only difference is... For stove top cover all the greens with water. For crock-pots, put in maybe a cup. Seriously. SO. Strip off the stems and discard; they ain't never gonna be food, and slice into inch-and-a-half wide strips (or so). Cook in animal fat (not the butter kind) if you can stand it for the flavor. Or oil, I guess...But I wouldn't. Bacon is good. So. Two tablespoons fat or a few slices of bacon cut small and rendered in your pot. Add... diced onions, sliced garlic, some tomato paste or sauce or raw or canned or even ketchup, minimum a few tablespoon. S & P, red pepper flakes (if you like them) a few tablespoons of any vinegar but balsamic (but maybe a little of that at the end for flavor? It's just not very sour). Add your greens, the water you need and crack the lid on the stove top or leave the lid on the crock-pot. These are VERY...strong... cells in these leaves. They need this time and occasional stirring if you're home. When you're done, you should have tender (but still needing chewing) leaves and just a little water. Turn up the heat until you mostly don't have any water at all and keep tasting it. Add whatever you like to make it tasty, and make sure you get that liquid; it's full of nutrients (although it ought to be flavorful and almost syrupy and clinging to the leaves. Don't be afraid to put in a pretty good amount of vinegar and salt; remember that these greens have nothing but vitamins and fiber. Gotta have the vinegar for cooking, to help keep things tender. Mustard greens are the strongest, and can even be a little spicy, collards have an almost meaty flavor.

These are good, nutritious foods! They can be inexpensive and can certainly be tasty. Final note: cabbage, kept in the fridge, can develop little... spots of... never mind. Just cut them off/peel off the afflicted leaves and move on. You'll be just fine, and the cabbage can keep for weeks of eating.

So in response to a request, we have another food entry.

I had to go Down the Hill today, and so stopped at the Green's Grocers. There were sale eggplants, tomatoes, mangoes, and baby artichokes. So, all that for under four bucks.

Baby artichokes can be confusing. You see them and think "I know how to eat an regular artichoke, but those look too fiddly for that to work!". Fortunately, you don't eat them the same way. The big artichokes are the terminal blossoms, and these little buggers are side flowers that will never mature. So they're not really baby at all. If you're feeling fiddly, peel the stems. Otherwise, cut them off. Snap off the outer leaves until you see the pale, yellowish center leaves. Cut off the top third, and then cut into quarters. Run your finger along the cut edge. Feel soft? It's all food. Feel something pokey? Cut it off, 'cause it's not going to cook out. Put a little oil and some water (half inch) in a skillet with the baby artichokes and steam them, lid cracked, until the water is gone. From here.... Season with S & P and serve, or cool and store in the fridge for pasta sauce, or a rice dish, or anywhere a little artichoke flavored veg might be nice.

Another do-ahead tip: Mirepoix. This is just carrots, celery, and onion, diced fine. Nothing frightening, despite the x. You want it because it will add a...not meaty, but *substantial* flavor to whatever you put them in. The smaller the pieces the better this works, and I know that's a pain. You want about 1/3 each, but plan on making a lot so you can throw it in the fridge. Dice it fine and cook it in a little oil in a skillet, to get it soft, but not brown. Maybe add a few cloves of garlic, but sliced not diced (so it won't fall to the bottom and burn), some S & P. We're keeping it really simple so we can add it to anything. Saute needs a little lift? Throw some of this in part way through. Pasta sauce? Throw it in. Cooking up some rice and lentils? This would be a great flavor addition. OR...

Etoufee. Yeah. Fancy CAJUN food. Uh-oh. But not really. Take butter (or solid fat of choice) and melt in a pan. Maybe 1 T per person. Add flour as soon as the butter is liquid until you have a paste. Make sure you get all the flour oily, or you'll have gross lumps. A fork works well if you have no whisk. Turn the heat very very low and just stir the paste around. It will get darker. Do not panic, this is what we want. You will think it is burning, but if the heat is low, you're fine. Try to let it get to a brick colored, if you can stand it. Add a little stock (this will hiss and steam) and stir it in. Look too thick? Add a little more. Trader Joes has little boxes of stock packets that are fantastic in chicken, beef, and veg for a very nice price. Once you have a sauce you like, season with salt, cayane pepper, thyme, and a little black or white pepper. Maybe a little cream or milk or soy juice... you get the idea. Finally, add a healthy portion of your mirepoix. Serve over fried or baked eggplant, cooked chicken, or anything you damn well please. Rice is a good go-with. This sounds pretty hard, but I promise it isn't. It's a damn tasty sauce, and you can have it ready in 15 minutes.

Whew! That's a lot of cooking! Good luck kids, and lemme know if you have any questions or requests.
 

I really enjoy going shopping with Damien, in part because I end of buying things I would never get otherwise. Like the rhubarb, because I've only ever had it once, although I do know how to cook it. It's also nice because I only get paid once a month, and so the shopping can be a bit epic. I'm so glad I've got today at home, because there's food to process.

There's a whole chicken that needs cooking, and in excess of a pound of mushrooms that we're cooking down for insta-flavor (and it takes FOREVER). There's bread to bake, and some artichokes that need to get cooked up.

Part of this is due to the green's grocer we favor having recoculous sale items, like all those mushrooms for .99 cents, and four artichokes for another buck.

But the reward of a house full of food, some of it ready-to-eat... That chicken is dinner tonight and three other nights as well. We have a freezer full of food that's quick dinners, like gnocci, dumplings, and cabbage rolls... and that feels good. Maybe it isn't important for everyone, but for me, seeing a basket full of fruit and knowing there's lots of food in the house that isn't spoiling is a great comfort.

And because I know that a lot of people are having a hard time right now, a few tips. Buy from a greens grocer or farmer's market, and buy in season. Look for a "reduced" area, buy cook what you buy there asap. Cooking resets the spoilage clock giving you a week in the fridge, at least. If you're living alone, freeze single servings in ice cube trays (like the mushrooms we chopped and cooked. Add a "mushroom cube" for instant flavor). Finally, any rice dish can have lentils added. Mmm, filling.

Lo, and truly I am mistress of all I survey, for I made delicious vegan biscuits using liquid vegetable oil and they were quick and they are Good. Also, I have molasses. WIN.

I love food. If any of you did not know this *before* I started dating a chef, I would really like to think that you know now. I like to shop for it (when the budget isn't crazy tight), I like to make it, and I love to eat it.

I was considering again today my favorite food, and concluded that dumplings probably hold at least six of the top ten non-dessert spots. Something about food wrapped in dough and steamed. Or boiled. Or baked. Or fried. Do you have a favorite dumpling? Do you know how to make it? It's okay if it's auntie's recepie and you've never done it yourself... But if you're willing to share I'd love to know about it.

Twice in one day, I know. World ending, etc.

But I need some help...

Gradschool: I think I'd enjoy it... (would still be history of architecture in UK)
Driving need to be of service/set example re: previous post
Business Plan: Needs help to be realized/investors.

I can see how to have two of these. I see the business plan as funding other things in a ethical sort of way, so that's all good. But... good people of my friends list, please advise!

A few things of note:

Job seems like it will go well, just as soon as someone wants tutoring, that is.

The yard is made out of DIRT! Not rocks, not clay, not sand, nor concrete, just nice loamy dark earth. How... Weird. Nice, but Weird.

Question for the crowd: Are constructions using both "if" and "was" ever correct? As in, "If I was better at grammar, I would know this one." Or is it "were"?

Remy, do I need to *have words* with the post office? No biggie either way, just would like to know.

That's about it for now.

Oh the *adventure* of living out in the woods.

About a week ago, Damien and I heard noises at night. He thought they were a raccoon under the house, I thought they were a raccoon on the roof. Double check that the doors are locked, go to sleep.

In preparation for his parents visiting (although not staying with us; the house is too small) we've been doing the last of the tidying. He goes to put some stuff under the house and finds... A small, dead, dessicated bobcat. Because house cats don't come in spaniel size. It's been really cold up here, so it hadn't putrefied over the past week or so. He borrowed a shovel and disposed of it.

I got to come home after all this was done *and* the house was cleaner! How lucky can a girl be?

I'm glad that people who had Thanksgivings seem to have had fairly good ones. We had ours on Tuesday, and that actually went really well. It wasn't perfect, but dinner was good, and I think Damien is working his way into my parent's hearts. I'm glad, because that makes things much easier. Andrew and Ryder came over for pie and games and a very grand time was had by all. They're well... To be honest, I've never seen Andrew looking so good. He looked healthy and happy and well adjusted, and I'm just so happy for him.

I have internet now. I'm using it *as I type*.

I lost my job last night. The GM tried to tell the owner that I'm punctual and respectful and that I sell a lot of wine and that he wanted to keep me and the owner was like "Whatever. I don't want her to work a single shift more." This was yesterday evening. Jacques urged me to take a business card, because he says he'll give me a good review and try to get me hired by whomever calls.

I'm going to have to scale back on what to get everyone for the holidays. I'm not sure how I'll pay my part of the rent come January. Last night particularly I felt incompetent and talentless in all ways. And overweight. Happens when I feel out of control in other ways. And getting fired out of the blue will do that to a girl.

Wow. Just a quick little note—I had a dream wherein the good doctor (David Tennet) and I were running about trying to save some degenerate society from itself. Everything was fine until the tsunami came. Thank you BBC Wales, complete with a car parallel parked on the left side of the road, due to the driver being on the right side of the car.

Okay, it's been a while since I posted, although not as long as it might have been, I guess. First of all, Mommy and Daddy's youngest graduated from college over the weekend, and congrats to her for that. (and no, we weren't fighting again, or during. For once). Second, I'm seeing someone. It seems a bit sudden to me too when I can remember that it's only about a week since my last post (but I don't remember that very often because I'm always in motion). I had a nice little date on friday that came out of nowhere and was quite sweet, really. There's a museum date for wednesday planned and in general, I would have to say that the only fly in the ointment is that since it's a work thing, I can't very well talk about it at work. So it's "Why are you so smiley?" "Am I not allowed?" over and over. Not sure when he'll be meet-and-greet-able; persumably at some point... but not too soon, and also I no longer have any concept of time beyond Today and Not Today. I sure seem to do a lot, while at the same time having trouble finding time to do anything at all.

By all that might be holy. So Mother's day is going to be an unmitigated disaster at the restraunt. We have 430 reservations as of 4:00 yesterday. Easter went down in flames with 361. We're accepting more. Ugh. It's going to be like appocalypse now, with the helicopters and comandos rapeling down the walls. At this point, I'm annoyed with my manager telling me to stop using my brain and do whatever stupid shit he asks that I'm just going to let him hang himself. All the rope he could want.

Hold me.

Also just had a really weird dream about an intimate situation with a fellow (real fellow, looking like himself) who proceeded to freak out and give me the same line Sir William gave at one (unpleasant) point. Disturbing is I guess how I would put it. Whenever you have an outside party who is demonstrably less comfortable with your body than you are, it's hard. When it's on societally touchy ground, it's harder. Bleg. Now I have to try and seeparate Dream! Sentiments from Real! Sentiments next time I see him.

ETA: Up to 480! I am so DED11!1