I know I’ve been saving the photo posts for the Daily Photo blog, but I’ve been taking too many photos.  (I also need a new, bigger hard drive.  A few extra terabytes should cover six months’ worth, I reckon…)

We headed down to my parents’ place this weekend, and drove back in the pouring rain today.  I’ve been experimenting with long- and shorter-exposure pictures on the motorway.  These are the pick of the bunch.

As much as I’d love to, I won’t promise that any other posts are coming this week, as I’m still up to my eyeballs.  There will be posts on the Daily Photo, and I’ll try to write something here.  In the meantime, you could make some herb damper, or some cherry-cinnamon cookies, and then you could read about recovery from depression.  See you when the madness has ended!

Affiche américaine

Wisteria Lane est un lieu paisible où les habitants semblent mener une vie heureuse… en apparence seulement ! Car en y regardant de plus près, on découvre bien vite, dans l’intimité de chacun, que le bonheur n’est pas toujours au rendez-vous. Et peu à peu, les secrets remontent inévitablement à la surface, risquant de faire voler en éclat le vernis lisse de leur tranquille existence…

Desperate Housewives est une série crée par Marc Cherry, diffusée sur la chaîne américaine ABC, et sur la chaîne française M6.

Cette série retrace la vie de femmes au foyer très différentes, par les yeux de leur ex-voisine et amie, Marie Alice Young, qui s’est suicidée. Il n’y a pas d’histoire générale pour toute la série. Il y en a une pour chaque saison, mais celle-ci passe au second plan, car chaque épisode comporte une intrigue a lui. C’est en cela que Desperate Housewives est bien une série et non un soap.

Le titre de chaque épisode illustre l’intrigue de cet épisode. La narratrice prend la parole au début et à la fin de l’épisode et fait le lien entre les protagonistes et le titre.

Promotion Saison 5

Desperate Housewives est à ranger dans les séries comiques, mais c’est une série comique atypique. Pas une sitcom avec rires pré-enregistrés, ni une série qui se prétend être une comédie sans faire rire. Desperate Housewives fait rire grâce à ses personnages et aux situations dans lesquelles ils se retrouvent. Certes, au fil des saisons, le comique semble se répéter.

Mais malgré tout, au delà de l’aspect comique, Desperate Housewives est une excellente série.

Ma note:

A noter: la musique du générique est composée par Danny Elfman, le compositeur attitré des films de Tim Burton.

Promo Saison 5

]]> http://frenchfriestoflaxseeds.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/just-dinner/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:08:55 +0000 Marianne http://frenchfriestoflaxseeds.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/just-dinner/

…and a little dessert

That’s all the photos I have for you today. What can I say, that’s just how the day went down.

It started with a wake up call, let’s say around 11 am. Oops! Mom was off to Costco, so I was out of bed in a flash, getting dressed and scrounging for a quick bite to eat so she wouldn’t leave without me. It ended up being a piece of sourdough bread, toasted, and topped with peanut butter, plus a glass of juice. Phew!

We made our way to Costco, bought a random assortment of things, including a new cookbook for me (that I don’t get until Christmas morning now), then made our way home. I blended up some smoothies for myself and mom, consisting of blueberries, milk, vanilla whey protein powder, and flax seeds. Yum!

Then I bundled myself up, and went for a walk around the inlet. It was rather brisk, but it kept me moving at a good pace. There were tons of Canada geese in the inlet, which was really cool to see.

Back at home, mom was busy making dinner, so I finally gave in and did some homework with my group online. I snacked on some medjool dates with peanut butter, and a couple of Super Charge Me Cookies to keep me from eating my arm off before dinner.

Finally, it was time to eat…roast beef!

With roasted potatoes and carrots, homemade Yorkshire pudding, gravy, and steamed broccoli.

Classic Sunday night dinner, enjoyed with an unpictured glass of red wine.

I may have gone back for a second Yorkshire. Love those things!

This was followed by more homework, hockey watching, and Amazing Race watching. Oh, and a wee slice of cherry cheesecake.

All the small plates were in the dishwasher. Oops!

Sadly, that’s all I have tonight. But if you’re looking for a little more of my wit, charm, and eats, head on over to my guest post at What’s For Dinner? Night!

Be bold. Get the hot pink lips. I fucking DARE you. Stop playing it safe with all your nice neutral tones and buy something a little more alive. Who else are you gonna trust, if not Minnu, to make hot pink lips look fucking amazing!?

jacket – LeLutka…………. Carla – coffee
trousers – LeLutka…………. Carlo – ivory
heels – Cherry …………. Classic Pumps – hot pink
eyes – HOOT …………. Stormy Eyes – flash flood
skin – LeLutka…………. Estelle – sunkissed makeup5
hair – LeLutka…………. Pony Up – blonde
poses – DARE

I shoulda gotten out of bed when my alarm went off, but I slept for 2 more hours instead.

I woulda gone out to hand out resumes in hopes of landing a part time job, but I slept in.

I coulda done more school work today, and actually gotten ahead of the game, but other things were more interesting.

I guess that’s how it goes sometimes, eh?

I started my sleep in day with something I haven’t had in eons – a smoothie!

• frozen raspberries
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• milk

I also had an Apple Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Muffin with said smoothie delight.

Even though it was cold and rainy, the smoothie was so very enjoyable. Note to self – do not forget about the smoothie!

I ended up plopped on the couch watching skating this afternoon, and worked on some parts of our group paper. I was trying to foster some discussion, but there wasn’t much input from other group members, so I gave up. I’m just hoping they weren’t near their computers, and not just ignoring the fact that we need to get this done.

I eventually thought about having lunch. I was craving an eclectic salad.

• romaine lettuce
• spinach
• cucumber
• carrot
• hummus/salsa mix
• sour cream
• dill pickles
• tiny bit of leftover roast chicken
• spelt sticks (inspiration from Mama Pea and her sesame sticks)

Mom went grocery shopping, and brought back a fresh, doughy load of sourdough bread, so I toasted up a slice and spread on a little butttah.

‘Twas a delightful lunch.

But as delicious as the random salad combo was (dill pickles & spelt sticks on salad are a keeper!), my tummy got angry about half way through, so I ended up tossing the last third or so. I didn’t waste any of that bread though – simple carby goodness is one of the few things I want when I’m feeling ill.

My sister was off to her boyfriend’s, and my parents had a dinner to go to, so I was left alone for the evening (yay!). And what was the first thing I did? Get dressed and head out to the grocery store. LOL. I had good reason though – mom went grocery shopping, and only bought plain orange juice. Now, I don’t know what it is about plain orange juice, but I can’t drink it. Especially if there’s pulp. Blech – if I want to chew something, I’ll eat the fruit, thanks. I was on a Happy Planet juice mission!

I picked up not just my favourite Mango Peach Party, but another flavour I haven’t enjoyed in quite some time – Tropical Tango.

I couldn’t help but to enjoy a glass right when I got home.

I always forget how awesome the Tropical Tango Flavour is. It has coconut in it, so obviously it has to be good. It’s almost like drinking a Pina Colada…sans rum.

And since I was left to my own devices for dinner, I decided to make a pizza only I would enjoy. We even had a small ball of pizza dough in the freezer, and I managed to spread it out on the pan relatively well. I still have troubles with holes forming in my crust, but I patched those all up.

I brushed a little olive oil on the dough, and sprinkled on some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese and pre-baked the crust a bit before topping it. Then I added:

• spinach
• marinated artichokes
• onion
• rehydrated porcini mushrooms
• corn
• mozzarella
• parmesan

The above is pre-cheese, and below is post-cheese & post-bake.

Whenever I use fresh pizza dough, I can never get it to brown – any tips?!

I served myself a couple of slices.

It was delicious. Especially without the tomato sauce base. We didn’t have any on hand, and I’m not really a tomato sauce person, so the simple olive oil & seasonings were right up my alley. Plus that corn – oh, it get so sweet and delicious on the pizza. If you’ve never had corn on a pizza, I highly recommend you try it out.

I enjoyed my pizza while I watched the hockey game (Canucks win 7 – 3!). It didn’t bother my tummy much, so I grabbed another slice (they were pretty small to begin with).

That’s a hunk of artichoke hanging off there, not cheese

My mom came home later on with leftover dessert from their dinner party – cherry cheesecake. Obviously, I had to taste test a sliver.

It got my seal of approval.

Then, despite the rain, we went and soaked out in the hot tub. It’s been quite awhile since I’d gone in (probably because of all the rain), so it was a nice way to relax from my…completely slack day. HA!

And now, it is again much later than I would like it to be, so I shall bid my adieu and hop into bed. Night!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving this year, we of course made classics, like pumpkin pie, but we decided to change it up a little, too. Instead of mashed potatoes, we made Frankenmuth-style buttered noodles, and in addition to homemade rolls we made homemade Arabian pocket bread – like pita bread, but better. It’s a staple in our house, and I found a recipe for it in my school library on a fluke! The bread usually needs a special oven, but the recipe we used works with normal ovens!

Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie:

Grandma’s Cherry Pie!

Yum!  The only way to make a cherry pie is to use true cherry juice, not from concentrate. It’s worth it! =)

Who knew that fancy pie crust was so hard to make? Snow White always made it look so easy…..

A little tip: Cherry juice is great for people with arthritis, because it relieves the pain.

Frankenmuth-Style Cranberry Relish!

For those of you not lucky enough to stop by Frankenmuth’s Zehnder’s restaurant to try the real deal relish, try this recipe here on their website!

Beautiful table, by mom:

Puff Pita Bread!

You can find the recipe for this in Middle Eastern Cooking by Rose Dosti, but there are plenty of recipes like it you can easily find online!

Homemade Overnight Dinner Rolls

My parents LOVED these!

You can find this recipe here on this blog!

Frankenmuth Butter Noodles

My parents go crazy for Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Inn restaurant noodles!  These were pretty close, but they need a little tweaking. The recipe can be found here!

How did you all celebrate Thanksgiving? Comment and tell me about your favorite foods that you made, I’d love to hear about them!

Peacock Feather BUTTERFLY Pure Luxury Handmade Dupioni Bridal Silk Clutch

Available at my Etsy shop:
Magic Laboratory of Fashion
All designs are © Tatiana Agapcheva, please do not copy my work.

Excerpts from GLOBAL WARMING IS A MYTH

IS CARBON DI OXIDE THE VILLAIN?

Such terms as carbon credit find a place in newspapers almost daily. I don’t know what is all this about. To me CO₂ sustains life on earth. Has the level of CO₂ in the atmosphere gone up? Has it been proved experimentally?

 Before Industrialization

The whole of America and most of the old world were inhabited by a comparatively small population, a majority of whom depended upon meat and fish. Farming depended entirely on rain water as big dams were unknown. The grasslands of America and Australia didn’t produce food grains. Coal and other fossil fuels were not commercially exploited. In those days we may presume that a proper balance existed between CO₂ and other ingredients of the air like N₂ and O₂ in spite of forest fires, the like of which we witnessed in California recently.

After Industrialization

Commercial exploitation of coal began first followed by oil and natural gas, resulting in increase in the level of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Simultaneously two other developments followed: increase in population (both human and animal) and corresponding growth in food grains production. Big dams were constructed and more and more areas of land were brought under cultivation. Mechanization and the use of artificial fertilizers made leaps and bounds in production of food grains, fruits and other commercial crops. The Prairies of North America became the granary of the world. Compared to grass, food grains and sugar fix a large quantity of CO₂. The major items responsible for such CO₂ fixation are:

1. food grains like wheat, corn, rice, oats, soybean etc
2. underground vegetables like potato, tapioca, beetroot etc
3. fruits like apple, grapes, banana, dates, cherry, pineapple etc
4. sugarcane etc

Experts can calculate the total quantity of CO₂ produced by industry and that absorbed by vegetation as mentioned above and the marine vegetation in order to find out whether the net balance is favoring CO₂ concentration in the air. An easier way would be to experimentally ascertain the percentage of CO₂ in the atmospheric air (being heavier than air CO₂ is available near the surface of the earth). If CO₂ level increases O₂ level should decrease. In my childhood (I am 70+) O₂ level was 20% as mentioned in my text book. Has it changed? An atom of carbon combines with two atoms of oxygen to form CO₂ which is absorbed by the leaves of the plant to form starch. In the process two atoms of oxygen are released into the atmosphere. We may say that each carbon atom burnt ultimately results in the release of two atoms of oxygen, thus resulting in increase in the level of O₂. Level of CO₂ dissolved in the ocean water should also be checked. If this level increases, fishes would die en mass. Has this happened? If the level of CO₂ dissolved in ocean waters decreases, plant life in the ocean cannot produce enough starch by photosynthesis. This will be a hazard for fishes and other marine life.

The volume of animal and hence plant life in the oceans is much more than that on the continents. This is because the area of the oceans is seven times the area of the continents. Also, the oceans are deep. Hence the volume of water is very much more and can contain a large population of marine life. The necessary starch has to come from plant life. So, the total bio mass in the oceans is considerably higher than that in the continent. The carbon di oxideàPlant starchàAnimalsàCarbon di oxide cycle is there in the watery medium, just as in our atmosphere. All the gases, including nitrogen, will be present in dissolved state in the oceans too. Here industrialization has not affected the ‘atmosphere’ of the ocean. This fact has to be recognized in any discussion on Global Warming.

[The percentage of various components of atmospheric air as obtained from the websites is given below:

Nitrogen 78.1

Oxygen 20.9

Argon 0.9

Neon 0.002

Helium 0.0005

Krypton 0.0001

Hydrogen 0.00005

Carbon di oxide 0.035!!!!!!!! (Poor, innocent CO2 has been maligned unnecessarily)

Methane 0.0002

Ozone 0.000004

This would suggest that the percentage of oxygen has slightly increased. If this is true it augers ill, as forest fires may become uncontrollable with increase in the level of oxygen in the coming years. Therefore, this line should be investigated separately by experts. My guess is that with unchecked use of nitrogenous fertilizers, the total bio mass in the earth could have increased. The requisite extra nitrogen must have been drawn from the atmosphere along with CO₂ releasing extra oxygen into the atmosphere as pointed out above.]

The importance of proper scientific study cannot be over emphasized. Mother Nature maintains her balance, whatever her children may do!

Yay! One more days until we stuff ourselves with goodies.

About my last post…where we made all sorts of pumpkin delights in Gourmet cooking? At first, everybody was saying, “Oh, yeah, this looks so good!” And afterwards we were all groaning because it was SO much pumpkin and SO much sugar. Almost no one finished their plate. But a lot of people got hyper. I started laughing and I couldn’t stop, and another girl at my table complained that she was dizzy. Eli, a boy in my group, said, “Try spinning around slowly” as a joke. But Sreevidya didn’t know he was joking and did it anyway. Funny! And Eli was the Dishwasher and I dried the dishes. He filled the empty cups with water and stuck utensils in them and gave them to me to dry, saying, “Here’s your martinis. Oh wait, did you order the cherry martini?” I nodded, playing along. He filled a cup with “pumpkin water” (because the dishes had been washed in the tub and turned orange) and put a fork or two in their and handed it to me. “Here you go!” And I just started to crack up, mostly because I was hyper, and partly because he wasn’t this hyper normally either. It doesn’t sound very funny here, but it was there, mostly because I was hyper.

Today I’m going to attempt to make Iced Pumpkin Cookies for a Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow. I’m going to my grandparents’ house with a bunch of other relatives and we’ll play and eat and have lots of fun.

ibby out!

pair of American cherry cabinetry doors, flat flush fronts

matched veneer flitches

by Goldbar, in a renovation by M. Gerwing Architects

**Caveat: Amazing Grass is having an awesome sale right now! Go to there website(accessible through the button to the right) and enter the code BAR09 on any purchase of Amazing Grass bars and get 20% off! Isn’t that awesome? I think I’m going to have to stock up on the chocolate peanut butter protein bars–so good**

I’m pretty sure that title is the last thing people who eat around me would expect me saying but–let’s face it–it’s true; and there ain’t nothing wrong with food fried in good oils in moderation Wait, where was I? Oh yes, yesterday morning was filled by a light-hearted class in which 3 people ditched for Thanksgiving were mysteriously sick. 3 might not sound like a lot for a college class, but you notice it in the Classics. I was so relieved when I got out I wanted to jump for joy’ instead, I kicked it into gear to get back to my dorm so I could pack and go. I basically combed the room, thinking of everything I could possibly need for 5 days and throwing it somewhere else. Around 1 I realized I was hungry. I wanted a repeat of yesterday’s amazing spicy oats, but I needed something faster and portable so I racked my brain for a veggie dish.

Broccoli Salad And Flamegrilled Gardenburger With The Heat Is On PB

Stewed Tomatoes With Crumbled Morningstar Breakfast Patty, One Lucky Duck Raw Rosemary Quackers

Ok, this was still basically my breakfast, just with oats metamorphosed into broccoli. I just could not get enough of The Heat Is On! The stewed tomatoes were dining hall fare and I wish I could have thought of something more intricate to do with them but I did not have the chance. It game me an opportunity, though, to sample and review the One Lucky Duck Rosemary Quackers. They were not exactly what I was expecting/hoping for, but it was fun to try something raw. I think I’ll be sticking with baked chips from now on, though(and, yes, the occasional fried ) Well this is what things looked like when my dad showed up:

Packed And Ready To Go

That’s 2 bags of food, an extra bag of clothes/toiletries, a backpack, laundry, a coffee maker, and a stevia plant. I suppose 5 days is a while and deserves all this, right?(Back me up here). We swung by the mail room to pick up some last minute arrivals, and hit the open road. I got a package from Gnu Foods and I couldn’t wait to dig in, so I didn’t.

Chocolate Brownie Gnu Foods Bar

Um, yum?! This hit my chocolate tooth. And the nutrition was astounding. I loved reading the company info they sent in the car(because I was doing that instead of work). They’ve created their own blend of grains and seeds to give each bar 12 grams of fiber! When I read that, I took it slow and drank a ton of water–smart move. I can’t wait to try the other flavors now, though somebody remind me NEVER to eat this pre-run(for obvious reasons).

Before we got home, we swung by Framingham to hit up Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It’s really fun when these are right next to each other. I tried to stick with just buying essentials/sales and coupon items/what we still needed for Thanksgiving, because I know we’re going to have a lot of leftovers pretty soon. In the end, I think I stuck to my mission mostly.

Groceries

The big unmarked bag is about 2lbs of steel cut oats, like I go through anything else that much. The lemon bars were a new Trader Joe’s product for Turkey Day as is the TruWhip(can’t wait to try this!). Of course, the one thing that made me ditch my entire plan of items was my vegan whole wheat cinnamon raisin rolls. But seriously, how often do you find these? I went with the grab and run method… The fiber bar held me over really well but by the time we got home and I completely unpacked it was 5 and I was famished. I went for a meal rather than a snack.

Amy's Shepherd's Pie With Colby Jack Cheese

An Amy’s meal, that is. I think I’d been wanting to try this for a few months; last weekend I bought it with a coupon on the cheap, and I broke it out yesterday. I was not going to wait 45 minutes for the oven, so instead I nuked it for 3 minutes and topped it with 1 ounce of colby jack cheese which I’m pretty sure would have had a “Don’t touch. For Thanksgiving” note on it were my mom more careful. The meal was okay, but I don’t think it ever would have held me over on its own as a dinner or anything. I supplemented this with another snack.

Empire Apple

2 apples in 2 days? I think I’m setting a personal record. A very sad and low personal record. Thankfully, unlike the last one, this tasted juicy and fresh. Considering I picked it 3 weekends ago, I’m now wondering how old the apples from the dining hall must be… I caught up on Top Chef and The Next Iron Chef–you know, my chef shows. As a family, we all were slackers on dinner, so when the time came and passed and no one was doing anything it was a little frustrating. I felt hanger(hunger –> anger) coming on, so I went for something I knew would make me a happy boy again.

WildWood Original Veggie Burger, Broccoli With Soyaki Sauce

I’d never actually tried this veggie burger before, but I was 99% sure I’d like it because it’s fried. I learned in 11th grade bio that humans crave fat because of our ancient ancestors who got the opportunity to eat so little that nature is to pile it in and store it when we come across it. Why fight nature, especially when it’s healthy fat and portioned, right? Needless to say, it hit the spot, and I think I’m making a permanent place in my fridge for those little fried wonders.

I spent quite literally the rest of my night tying up loose ends and doing other work on the computer. It wasn’t the dream way to kick off vacation but C’est la vie. It gave me a great chance to watch The Biggest Loser and have some blogger faves as dessert:

Oikos In A Cherry Butter Jar With Dried Cherries, Cherry Dark Chocolate, And Vanilla Sugar

Can we fry this somehow? Paula? Scratch that. I think jam jars are so much easier to empty out than nut butters. Fortunately, both are good options. I just love the spoonfuls of whole jam towards the end, which are bites of tart heaven. I’m really enjoying all you new commentors who might have read this for a while but just got to saying something and getting to find new blogs that way. Keep it coming! Afterwards I just had to break into these.

Vegan Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Roll

Food like this are what rededicate myself to an all-natural diet; I challenge any mass-bakery product to rival this. And it’s vegan to boot! It almost makes me think I could be vegan… and then I remember yogurt, cream cheese, flavored nut butter, fish, meat, etc. It wouldn’t work.  But is anything better than peeling back layers of yeasty dough? I think not. Maybe… Paula, can we fry this? I wish I were kidding here.

Peanut Butter Gnu Bar With Mighty Maple

I was a little worried eating this right before bed. 12g of fiber? That’s dangerous. But everything worked out fine, and this was a great peanut butter treat. This bar probably would have been a little bland on its own but with an extra dose of peanut butter it was the perfect piece of toast. I find it funny that most of America has trouble getting in enough fiber when I got 100% just between 2 bars both of which felt like “desserts”. I think Americans need to learn to love fiber more.

I did was not feeling the pressure to get up and run this morning with no warm gym and treadmill to entice me. I slept in almost until 9(that’s really late for me) and instead spent way too long deciding on how to make a bowl of oatmeal. I am very happy with the conclusion of that thinking.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With Smart Balance And Mocha Milk Chocolate Frosting

Holy yum. Let me walk you through this one. I did a standard pumpkin base with 1 1/2 tablespoons Smart Balance Agave Sweetened. I’ve decided I really like this version better than the molasses sweetened; I don’t know why but the flavor “works” better. For the frosting, I melted a Newman’s Own Organic Mocha Milk Chocolate square and then mixed that with 2oz sweetened Oikos. Ahhhhhmazing. The milk chocolate with the peanut butter comes out just like my childhood favorite candy.

I might head out for 6.7 miles in a bit. Or I might not run at all today. While I’d enjoy it, there’s plenty I have to do around here that would keep me occupied. I might just have to make an identical bowl of this oatmeal.

Secret Santa Alert!! Who doesn’t love this time-honored tradition? Well there’s a blogger’s version about; visit this post for all the info to join in!

Hubba Bubba-jakken er anbefalt av Baby-B!

Nå ligger Hubba Bubba-jakken tilgjengelig i Vridd og Vrang-bloggen.

Jakken er strikket i Kirkcaldy 2-tråds garn fra Malsen og Mor, men kan også varmt anbefales i Donegal silketweed. Disse garnene gir luftige, lette og varme plagg – egenskaper som er perfekte til plagg som små barn skal gå med. Størrelsen på jakken er 6-9 mnd, flere størrelser kommer etterhvert dersom det er etterspørsel etter det.

Bobler er tingen i vinter, de er morsomme å strikke og fine å se på!

So what seems like forever ago, I was attending CEGEP (Quebec’s equivalent of college) where I learned what feels like too little for the amount of time and effort spent there. Maybe I just wasn’t motivated enough and didn’t grasp the full potential of what my program had to offer, but the truth is, time’s are changing, especially media-arts-wise and since my enrollment they’ve made many adjustments to the program.

Anyways it’s been a while since I made my last video, but I made a quick edit of the Kap Bambino show I went to last Friday at Foufounes Électriques. Martial Caroline, the singer, puts on a wicked show, and it made for a lot of sweet footage. Bouvier Orion is the DJ and with the way the show was set-up I couldn’t get any spectacular shots of him, but you can catch him at the end of the video as he walks off stage to call it a night. The track used for the video is Zero Life from their album Zero Life Night Vision.

I had to convert the original .avi to .mov and lost a bunch of quality in the process. I Didn’t notice ’til pretty much done the edit, but I won’t make another edit until I find a  solution. The next one will be better!

: )

www.myspace.com/kapbambino

Haha. Couldn’t come up with a better title… rely on the good ‘ol puns!

I’m home for Thanksgiving break (love it) and Dad does so enjoy the Black Forest cake (Chocolate cake with cherry filling, often soaked in Kirsch. [Definition: Kirschwasser (pronounced /KIRSH-VAHS-ər/, German for “cherry water”) is a clear, colorless fruit brandy traditionally made from double distillation of morellos, a dark-colored cultivar of the sour cherry.] Copied and Pasted verbatim from: Wikipedia’s definition of Kirsch.

Before I got into the whole “only making things from scratch,” I used box cake mix and jazzed it up a bit… and that has become the standard for Black Forest. So why not, it works and is an easy dessert for holidays.

The Cake (from Jean Pare’s “Almost a Scratch Cake” recipe)

• 1 box Devil’s food cake mix
• 1 small box of instant pudding mix (vanilla or chocolate both work)
• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. oil
• 4 eggs

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 min depending on the size of the pan. This time I did two loaf pans (9×5) and 40 min worked well. Usually I’ll do one 10″ round and that takes around 45-50 min. Use a toothpick to test for done-ness.

For the cherry filling, I use a can of cherry pie filling and add a few tablespoons of sugar to taste (sometimes it’s really tart). Optional is some sort of liquor, like Kirsch, Sherry, or Rum. My parents like the flavor, so I’ll add in maybe 1/4 cup.

For the frosting I just use a tub of Cool Whip! Easy

Cut the loaf into 3 layers. This time I used a dish of the same size and did it tiramisu-style- adding layer by layer instead of making it more of a cake, which is what I usually do. (Again, going for the easy-factor).

Layers go like so: Cake–Cool Whip– Cherry mixture–Cake–Cool Whip–Cherry–Cake–Coolwhip (Top). If you decided to do a stand alone cake, same thing, except in the last step you’d cover the entire outside of the cake.

(3 layers)

If you do it nicely (unlike my image), it can turn out to have a very pretty layered effect, almost like trifle.

Today’s lunch was cake and black cherry ice-cream… yumm… with a cup o’ tea!

I’ll let you in on a little secret point out something completely obvious: I’m a creature of habit. I love tradition and sameness. It’s the other reason I have oatmeal and yogurt every morning, the first reason being it’s so good. I find making any sort of decision a burden and constantly second guess myself. Like yesterday, I asked myself “why do you want to run 10 miles in the pseudo-cold with no tv to watch?” What did it matter? The thing was that I did want to run it. Sometimes I wish I were on some sort of training plan or something to use as an excuse. Well that’s my confession of the day. So tell me, are you a creature of habit, too?

Well regardless I jumped in some running shorts and grabbed pre-run fuel.

1 Lightlife Breakfast Sausage Link

I’ve decided that I love fake meat. This stuff is my new obsession. I could never give up real meat for it, because I think they’re two very separate things. But that doesn’t stop me from loving them both. Do Tofurky’s go half off after Thanksgiving? Because if so I am buying out the freezer.

For my run I made a playlist with a ton of energetic playlists of mine and my Christmas tunes. It was a bit spastic between Lady Gaga and Bing Crosby, but kept me going for the whole 10.1 miles at 8:00 pace. I suppose in a way everytime I passed my house(all 8 times before stopping) I was deciding to keep going, but I tried to block out the fact that home was right there and kept going like I was far from the finish line. After showering we sat down to Sunday lunch.

Caramel Mustard Tofu, Acorn Squash With Full Fat Voskos, Brussel Sprouts Orange Zevia

On the one hand, I decided not to have the chicken that was roasted for dinner. On the other hand, hearing about Food Inc. has taught me that paying for most supermarket chicken is like paying for corn and fat and I’ve chosen a lifestyle that’s removed that as a food option. Thankfully I brought home enough tofu to feed a vegetarian army and cracked open the caramel mustard dip I brought for Thanksgiving. ‘Twas delightful. The acorn squash with yogurt was sooooo nice and creamy. And brussels are just one of my favorite vegetables ever! So overall it was a saved meal.

It’s definitely a habit of mine to want to finish all my homework for the next day as soon as possible. So I had no trouble sticking around long enough to finish translating Latin, and then plan on having The Aeneid read in the car. My throat was also feeling a bit sore, so I made a very “adult” decision:

Elan's Vanilla Frozen Yogurt And Giovanni's White Chocolate Cranberry Gelato

This totally soothed my throat. And it was a very adult(and tasty) decision to throw the frozen yogurt in there, too, if you ask me. What would I do without probiotics? For one I’m guessing my morning routine would not be so… routine. On the way down we made a pit-stop at Whole Foods. The Silk Nog, which I specifically requested we have at home so I could steal it for my dorm, I forgot in the fridge. Good going, self. Also, I kind of got jealous of the chicken at lunch and wanted some of my own since it was 1/2 off this week. After that, we got back to campus right before it was dark and unloaded everything(which wasn’t that much since I’m only back for 2 days). Eventually, my taste buds made this amazing decision for me.

Banana Oatmeal With Cookie Dough Peanut Butter And Kashi Dark Chocolate Cookie

Seriously, I think I should patent and charge royalties on this bowl–it was that good. I was sent a sample of chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter. Funnily enough, I already had a full jar which I’ve almost gone through so I am well acquainted with the flavor. Still I hadn’t made a review in the new format so I had this bowl to “remind me” of how it was and give a good and honest review. Here’s another confession: when I add a whole wheat cookie on top, I usually only do about 3/4 the regular amount of oats. How many whole grains does a fella need?

There are certainly some decisions I’m happy to make as an adult(or whatever I am). Like the decision that I have some awesome food/leftovers and could eat in my dorm in my PJ’s listening to yet more Christmas music and translating Greek.

Deli Roasted Chicken, Veggie Melange, Microwaved Sweet Potato

I was definitely practicing for Thanksgiving with this one. The deli man gave me a bit too much meat but not enough to separate into two meals so I just let myself go at it. I love my sweet potatoes; why do people mash these up? Then you miss all the crispy crisp skin

I watched a bit of the American Music Awards but wasn’t too enthralled. It felt a little all over the place and while my love of music genres is wide it’s not quite that big to be entertained by it all. I thought Kelly Clarkson’s performance was really good, though. She’s just an awesome person with a very healthy attitude and by far the best thing to come from American Idol. Eventually I made something I haven’t had in a while.

Greek Yogurt With Cherry Butter And Dried Cherries Topped With Cherry Dark Chocolate And Vanilla Sugar

A gourmet yogurt mess. I forget how good these are. I’ll give you a clue, though: I don’t really make decisions on things like this or my oatmeal concoctions because most I’ve made before and are just resurrections of recipes. If you go back a few weeks, I’m positive you’ll find an identical mess. My current favorite oatmeal “recipe”(like you can’t already tell) is pumpkin oatmeal with butter toffee peanut butter and a vegan pumpkin molasses cookie crumble–genius. I then decided not that I don’t want oatmeal but that I wanted something simpler.

Chocolate Vitatop With Butter Toffee Peanut Butter, Carrot Ginger Muffin Top With Chocolate Sunflower Butter

Much easier I love the butter toffee with the vitatop if you haven’t noticed. And the sunflower butter worked well on the muffin though it’s so thick! It was almost impossible to spread. I do have one HUGE decision coming up: what to place in my next Naturally Nutty order. Clearly I need to plan on buying more at once because I’m almost out of butter toffee and this will be my 4th order from them.

I watched the end of the American Music Awards. Way to go, Taylor Swift, yet again! She’s just a rockstar now; I hope she doesn’t get too big for us country lovers who remember “Tim McGraw”. Did anybody else see Adam Lamberts hyped up preformance? That was pretty much porn. And I blame it for why I got an awful nights sleep. When I got up, I was craving something cookie-esque.

Spooky S'mores Z-Bar

That hit the spot, and also worked as my pre-run fuel. The run I’d rather not mention but I will. I really wanted to tie my distance PR of 15 miles and have that be the long run of the week. I felt like I had the energy and form, but annoying bathroom issues kept coming up. I never have these on the roads, just the treadmill, which makes it all the more frustrating. Instead of pushing myself to God knows what length, I decided 12 was enough to satisfy me and stopped then 1:36:44. After showering, I also decided that my “standard” breakfast of matchy-matchy oatmeal with a flavored yogurt was not what I needed today. What I needed was to shove my soul in a bowl.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With White Chocolate Raspberry Peanut Butter, Strawberry Frosting, And My Mojamix

My soul started with the standard 40gram oat blend, then mixed with 3/4 cup pumpkin(my soul really likes pumpkin), and topped with a double dose of strawberry frosting, a new nut butter I’m sampling for P.B.Loco(how did my soul know to want something it’s never had? intriguing), and my Mojamix(which would make sense since I designed it) which had an unusually high amount of chia seeds this time compared to when I last had it. Will my soul be poured into a bowl more often? Probably, but it will also probably change from time to time so who knows what it will look like.

It feels silly to have had to gone home this weekend for the retirement party, now back to campus for 4 classes between today and tomorrow, only to go back for Thanksgiving tomorrow afternoon. Such is life, I suppose. I’ll reiterate the question of the day: Are you a creature of habit?

Today’s inspiration board is bold simplicity with playful pops of red against a bright white background.  In contrast to the deep, dramatic reds I’ve used in other boards, this palette is bright & fun with a bit of a retro vibe.  As the holidays approach, I tend to use more touches of ruby than usual, but this combination is so light & cheery it can easily translate to parties of every season.  Patterned paper jazzes up chocolate bars, baker’s twine lends rustic charm to an invitation suite, and rows of cherries are an eye-catching addition to an ice cream sundae bar.  Isn’t it amazing how a little red goes such a long way?

Images: {Row 1} Chocolate Bars, Amy Atlas; Invitations, 100 Layer Cake {Row 2} Cherry Favors, Martha Stewart Weddings; Calligraphy ‘J’, Jessica Hische; Red Tie, Rebecca Thuss {Row 3} Advent Calendar, Martha Stewart; Cherry Pie Favors, Style Me Pretty {Row 4} Ice Cream Sundae Bar; Red Shoes, Lolita; Bedroom, Elle Decor.

Dream On Me 3-in-1 Folding Portable Crib – Cherry Review

This crib has worked perfectly for us. We have a very small apartment and needed a crib that would fit in our bedroom. Our son will eventually outgrow it, but still uses it now as a large 13 month old. For my job I’ve spent a lot of time looking at safety recalls on products for children, making me very familiar with all the ways cribs dangerously fail, and I find this crib is very safe when assembled properly. The fact that it (very easily) folds flat for storage without being disassembled makes it less likely to loose original hardware or be reassembled wrong for a second child or second-hand user. I appreciate the fact that the instructions are written on the base of the crib so they’re always available. Like others I used a different mattress, but didn’t mind because most cribs don’t come with a mattress.

Feature

• JPMA certified meets ASTM standards
• U.S. patented design, folds easily and flat for storage or travel
• 3 position mattress system
• Mattress and all tools needed for easy one time assembly included
• 60 days parts

Overview
Features The Dream On Me Portable 3 in 1 Folding Portable Crib Comes Complete with it’s Own 1 inch Mattress The Patented 3 in 1 Portable Crib, Can be easily adjusted without the use of Tools The Folding Portable Crib, is a Play-Pen Changing Station Portable Crib Folds Flat for Easy Storage Lightweight Easy for Travel Comes Complete with a Single Drop-side. The Only Portable Crib with Three Level Design. Easy to Assemble Dual Wheel Locking Castor’s-Fully Hooded.

Nov 22, 2009 05:03:05

On a cold and wet fall day, the bright yellow ginkos at Waseda University animate the sky. Like cherry blossoms, ginko’s fall foliage is dramatic and brief.

After a long, yet delicious week of wine tastings and events, there is something wonderful about sitting back in a big lush, velvet chair and drinking dark, lush beers…and sampling a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon.  Hahaha, come on now folks, when have you EVER known me to take it one thing at a time?

holy cow!!! do you see the SIZE of that thing?!?!?

BEER # 66

Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter: ABV: 6.0%  Pardon this trip down memory lane, but it is inextricably connected to the name of this beer…and my only firsthand knowledge of a marlin.  I can’t help but remember being a little girl in my Papaw’s office of his fabric company. Feeling the texture of beautiful woven silks, velvets, and damask all around me. Climbing up past rolls of fabric against the wall, and with my little fingers tapping the skin of the hollowed taxidermied marlin on his wall, and thinking, “This can’t be real. it’s too big, too pretty and looks NOTHING like the fried shrimp and flounder I get at Sea King Fish Camp!”  I couldn’t wrap my wee brain around something so aquatically massive, despite the fact that I was told time and time again that Papaw had caught that fish on an expedition.  It remained a mystery to me for years….

This beer pours out a nice mahogany color with red highlights, which is lovely in the light.  The nose is full of maple syrup and a load of nutty aromas, in particular, roasted almonds and pecans.  Vanilla and caramel also contribute a substantial dose, with each of these aspects following directly through to the palate.  What you smell is what you get.  Think The Dramatics “What You See is What You Get” from 1972, but sub out.  My life is a soundtrack.

This is a porter that goes down smooth and effortless, in other words, a drinker.  As my co-worker said, “Yeah, this is going down a little TOO easy for my own good.”  Well said.

I may not be a black magic woman, but I do love some dark beer...

BEER #65

looks kinda Mardi Gras-ish doesn't it?

Left Coast Black Magic Stout: ABV: 6.7%  Wow. Chicory coffee.  Now I really DO have to try the Dogfish Head Chicory Stout.  This is, and those who know me realize I manipulate the English language…barky.  Not like a dog friends.  Like the bark of a tree.  Barky.  Ever been hiking on a damp trail after a rain or first thing in the morning?  That wonderfully wet smell.  After living in the North Carolina mountains for 4 years, this aroma is drilled into my head.

But there also something else here.  Almost like soaked coffee beans, but mingled with dried dark fruit.  Unexpectedly, after the beer warms, a vibrant nose arises.  I’m as surprised to write it as you are to read it.  I don’t know where it came from.  I’m not like Elrond and want to “cast it back into the firey chasm from whence it came” or anything…but I was pretty surprised.

This beer is named for this, the largest Obsidian flow in the world, which erupted 1300 years ago and covers 700 acres. WOW.

BEER # 64

Deschutes Obsidian Stout: ABV: 6.4%  Nice. Very nice.  What a intense, full-bodied nose after that leaner Black Magic Stout. Lots o’ vanilla, rich coffee, and chocolate.  But that dry mocha, cocoa powder form of chocolate I saw on the Rogue Mocha Porter. There is a lovely, ample bitterness on the finish that reminds me of biting into a coffee bean.  I have done that more times than you might think. I like to test.

I love a good story...

This is a complex, interesting beer.  A friend noted that it was more like a wine in aromatics than most beers he was used to.  Meaning that smoothness of the nose, the elegance of aromas, the natural vanilla aspect….particularly when tasted in line with a 2003 Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon, which itself was perfectly resolved and balanced.  That’s saying a lot.

I could see myself laying around, blankets pulled up, watching a good movie, and enjoying this beer.  Highly recommend this to stout drinkers.

BEER #63

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout: ABV: 9.2% Wow. I honestly didn’t know what to expect on this one, as I was more dumbfounded that they made an Imperial White Ale over 10% than I was at this Imperial at 9.2%. But once I got past my distraction, and focused in, I was truly taken with this beer. And in that same kind of wine dork way I have with a few others in this challenge…

First note: cured meat, sausage and thyme.  I’m not kidding here.  And white pepper.  Like a Rhone wine.  But that nose quickly fades into blackstrap molasses and tons of toffee.  And a syrupy note that travels through the palate.  Think syrup on biscuits or that sweet residue you leave on your plate after brunch.  Rich and concentrated.

mmmm I could eat these allllll day....

Oh wait! Dark cherry! I love that.  When an aroma just comes out of nowhere and slaps you in the face and fills your senses. But friends, you gotta wait for that one. I got it after a good 30 minutes.  Again, like a wine, where the complexity sometimes takes patience.

This beer is not for the faint of heart.  Especially not after a few others stouts or porters.  You are NOT gonna drink a 6 pack of this, unless you have a blackout wish. You’d have to peel me off the floor like a sticker.  My critique of this beer is it is a little too sweet.  It needs a significant dose of bitterness, either from hops or roasted malts.  It has a longgggg finish that needs to end a minute or two before it does.  Otherwise, like the Cream Stout and Honey Porter, well done.  Sam Adams isn’t where it is because they make crappy beers.  They have TEAMS of people making sure this stuff comes out right.  Just ratchet up the bitterness on this one guys, ok?

So I’m just gonna paste on (that being the operative term considering I hit a wall and figuratively stuck to it like glue last night) Thursday night’s beers….After a wine tasting with a number of delicious wines, drinking 11+% ABV stouts ticketed me to la la land. I tell you those high octane beers hit me like a locomotive. On rocket fuel.

Nobody better than Michelangelo to depict this scene..

BEER #62

Lost Abbey Serpent Stout: ABV : 11%  Well. This just pours out somewhere between espresso and used motor oil.  And you can smell the sweet, dark fragrance from several inches above the glass.  Kinda like Eve and the seductive smell of a fresh apple. This one’s got something to say. Specifically, “a liquid so dark and viscous that all who tasted soon fell victim to this evil incarnate.” Well then.  Drawing the line between Good and Evil, Lost Abbey makes you pick a side.

And if you decide to go the way of the serpent, “it is certain he has tempted even you…So welcome to our Darker Side of Life-home of the Serpent Stout’s Original Sin and the tastiest beers known to man.”  Ok, so between Dark Force, Black Hole, and this guy, I am somewhere in a cosmic, religious, philosophical crevasse.  Just how I like it.

This is, and no pun intended here…a monster.  I am daunted just by looking at it.  And with those incredibly rich, intense aromas filling my nostrils, I am simultaneously intimidated and seduced at the same time.  Well done fellas.

LOADS of rich chocolate, coffee, and molasses, all so dark even a tanker truck of milk couldn’t penetrate it.  There’s no peering through this and glimpsing the other side.  And I mean that in both appearance and flavor.  Every single molecule of that nose stampedes through to your palate.  Dark, black fruits align with their Stygian comrades to launch a blitzkreig on your senses….My senses lay hapless to my side in their blackened wake.

Need I say more?

PS. My critique of the beer is this:  While intensity is applaudable, and I am no doubt a fan, this one needs a significant shot of bitterness on the finish.  From the mid-palate onward, there is a considerable sweetness, and it ends up a bit cloying on the tongue. Whether by virtue of hops or roasted malt, this beer could benefit tremendously from that palate cleanser.  And perhaps a bit more carbonation to break up the potent, intense weight. As it stands now, you just can’t drink much.  And maybe that’s what they intend.  Sip on it like a port or cognac.  Certainly nothing wrong with that.  Be just know folks, you’ve been warned….

P.P.S. I think this one could age for years…..

the bottom of this glass empties into the universe...

my dark beer comrades..

BEER # 61

Mikkeller Black Hole: ABV: 13%  So here I go diving into the dark universe again….Ken, fellow beer lover, brings this inky liquid into the shop Thursday evening, just as Mark, Virgil, and I are tasting the Serpent Stout.  This Belgian stout, brewed with coffee, is just as black as a starless night and holds its own against its predecessor.

But wow, what a difference in the aromas and flavors!! This stout is loaded with white pepper and an almost medicinal herb I cannot place.  I am thinking also of dried fruit, and Ken correctly calls it as dried plum, with its intense, dark, sweetness.  Quite interestingly, there is a DISTINCT burnt wood aroma that you only detect strongly when there in nothing left in your glass.  By mere chance did we come across this note, when we are all staring at the bottoms of our empty vessels.  Voila!  But I tell you, it smelled like Christmas Eve by the fire in that sticky residue….

By the time I capped this one off, I was….done.  I heard the choo choo of that locomotive coming and knew my ride had arrived…

CHEERS!