In the air near the spiral peel sitting on the kitchen counter, one graceful swirl of scent lingers.

Artemisia, Antonia, Aurelia, Arabella, Clara, Clementine, Cleopatra, Crescentia, Dulcinea, Ernestine, Ebelina, Eloisa, Fenella, Fernanda, Genevieve, Gwendoline, Hazel, Hortencia, Imogen, Idahlia, Ishbel, Lucinda, Louella, Leagora, Linnea, Margaret, Maddalena, Maple, Madelie, Nataline, Ophelie, Octavia, Orlantha/Orlanda, Polly, Romilly, Rosalie, Tallulah, Valentina, Violet.

Abraham, Cato, Ezekiel, Emmett, Evander, Edward, Hugo, Ira, Jay, Lazarus, Lysander, Leander, Ned, Orlando, Perrin, Rupert, Russell, Sullivan, Thomas, Theodore, Willoughby.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Dupa cum stiti, se apropie sarbatorile iar consumul industrial de citrice e din nou in voga. Asa ca isi face aparitia din nou un set de intrebari sezonier, care contine vesnica “mandarine sau clementine?”.

Ei bine… interbarea asta ma chinuie de ceva timp. Clementine sau mandarine? Eu ce mananc? Cand spun mandarina sau clementina ma gandesc la acelasi lucru: portocala in miniatura, mai usor de decojit, cu coaja amara(sa fim seriosi, cine curata o minunatie dintr-asta cu cutitul, cand ai puterea dintilor la dispozitie? ), aproape tot timpul insotita de o frunza (cine stie ce instrument de marketing mai reprezinta si asta…), cu continut ridicat de vitamina C, portocalie…ma rog. Ati prins ideea, nu? Asa ca acum lamuriti-ma, dragi cititori, CARE E DIFERENTA?!

…sau e aceeasi chestie? O_o Oricum imi plac … asa ca nu prea conteaza, nu? DAR raspundeti va rog la intrebare

pana una alta va las cu domnii de la Vama (Veche):

Amongst his many talents, Gary has developed this very impressive style of peeling a clementine. I thought it would be fun to do a poll since we have not had one here in awhile. A little audience participation is always nice. No need to comment, unless you feel compelled, but please do cast your vote below.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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Orange t'you glad it's clemmie season?

Ah, clementines. Nature’s little Christmas present.

As a self confessed clementine-o-holic, I was understandably pretty darn excited when they hit shelves earlier this month. There isn’t much not to like about the sweet little treats. The smell, the taste, the satisfaction of an easy peel. A celebration for the senses.

However, this citrus-based tale comes with a bitter twist. I have made the cardinal mistake of over eating the clemmies. Yes, I scoffed those Christmassy little gems like there was no tomorrow. And now, I can hardly bear to look at one. In fact, there’s one on my desk right now. Looking at me. But I will not return it’s seductive glances. I will keep my eyes firmly glued to the computer screen. And I will continue rambling about absolute nonsense.

For now, the clementine and I are going to take a little break whilst I focus my energy on other Christmassy delights.

Ooooh. Terry’s chocolate orange. Yum.

Posted By: Robyn

Topography LIDAR Lunar Topography and Hillshade Data uploaded to central storage, sync’ed with local repository… Updated projected c/s, 1785 m/px… Size of 7 MByte for JP2

Ich hab mich ja schon wieder beruhigt.

Die Clementinen, die ich gerade auspelle, schmecken aber trotzdem nicht. Irgendwie so…künstlich. Nach dem Motto: Es ist bald Weihnachten, da habe ich reif zu sein, ob ich will oder nicht. Ich bin eine Citrusfrucht, also versuche ich mich auch so zu benehmen.

Wäh. Ich glaub, ich werf die restlichen 3 weg. Weil, bei den Kindern in Afrika kommen die auch nur vertrocknet an. Da hilft jetzt keine gute humanitäre Absicht.   

This salad combines different colors and textures. The citrus burst of clementines, the fluffiness of millet, the smooth texture of black beans, the crunchiness of roasted almonds with the fresh, crisp addition of fresh cilantro. I make salads like this one often. Colorful, highly nutritious, fresh, tasteful salads. Combine any grain, fruit, bean, fresh herb and nut for an easy lunch. Millet is a grain that is still widely unknown. It is packed with magnesium which is, for example, known to help decrease symptoms of asthma and reduce the frequency of migraine headaches.

 
1 cup millet
1 cup black beans (canned is fine), rinsed and drained
2 clementines, cut-up in medium-size pieces (or substitute one orange)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup roasted almonds
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
 
Nutty Citrus Dressing :
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Juice of one small lime
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
Pinch of paprika
Sea salt, to taste

Cook the millet according to the manufacturer’s direction.

In the mean time, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk briefly with a fork. Add rinsed black beans, cooled millet, chopped clementines and peas. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. Add chopped cilantro and roasted almonds just before serving.

Serves 4

Vine iarna. Nu m-a convins junghiul pe care il am in spate de la frig. Nici fularul verde pe care si l-a uitat ( l-am ciordit ) o duduie in jurul gatlejului meu. Nici macar imnul zapezilor repetat obsedant de vreo 15 ierni incoace : ” Vin sarbatorile, vin sarbatorile, vin sarbatorile  sub forma de sir indian te tiruri pline ochi de cole. Nu. Pe mine ma conving primele clementine cu tot cu frunzisoare verzi ce-si fac simtit parfumul in casa. Acu, sa nu radeti de mine, da eu rad 6-8 odata. La nevoie, pot sa plusez. Vi le recomand cu multa caldura ca mijloc sigur de prevenire a oricarei gripe posibile. Unde ati mai vazut voi algerian sa faca gripa?

Hai, luati o clementina. E drept, nu va tine nici de cald nici de drag. Dar altceva mai de sezon n-am in seara asta.

Only 30 minutes to go until my Thanksgiving holiday begins! I am so ready for the time off.

So last night I did decide to have an apple before bed. I ended up eating my apple wedges with PB, AB, and Nutella. Yummy. It was a great snack before bed.

I finally didn’t wake up hungry this morning!

I had a hectic morning this morning. My Mom called asking me to bring my Bissell Green Machine to my Pawpaw’s house. Apparently last night Piper’s tummy issues were a little more severe than usual. I tried to tell them to make her sleep in the kennel, but they didn’t want to listen to me!

We have decided to change her food to see if that is what is causing the problem. The vet thought it was because of the meds she was on. Now we have no idea! Poor Piper!

Plus I had to get packed for the rest of the week since I am planning on staying at my Pawpaw’s house until Saturday or Sunday. I am not sure what I packed, but I packed a lot.

I wasn’t very hungry for breakfast, but I made something some my stomach would not be growling at work. English muffins with AB and Jelly.

They were good, but since I wasn’t really hungry I just wasn’t that into them. I ate 1 whole half and 1/2 of the other one.

A little later I had a Clementine. I am so glad I got these. They are so yummy and a great snack size.

And a little popcorn for a snack.

Now only 15 more minutes until I get to leave and I have a couple more things to do.

My presence my be a little sporadic, or nonexistent over the next week because of the holiday. My Pawpaw does not have internet at his house so I will have to search for WiFi when I am out and about.

Happy Thanksgiving!

macaroni and cheese

• 1 lb. (maybe? it’s a block of cheese) of sharp white cheddar
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 spoonful Dijon mustard
• generous sprinkles of nutmeg, salt, and paprika
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 package of fusilli pasta
• Fresh breadcrumbs with olive oil stirred in
• Ground almonds (TJ’s almond meal)

Shred up the cheese and garlic in a food processor fitted with the grating blade. Mix in the eggs, mustard, and spices. Cook the fusilli according to package directions. Mix with the cheese mixture, top with breadcrumbs and ground almonds. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, until top is brown and crispy.

I also made

Vegetable pesto casserole

Lightly oil a cast-iron pan and layer in it, in this order:

Peeled, sliced Yukon Gold potatoes

Sliced sweet onion

Halved cubes of pesto, scattered evenly over the surface

Chopped kale

Sliced potatoes

Peeled, sliced celeriac

Grated Yukon Gold potato

Grated carrot

Bake in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until all layers of veggies are soft.

Here are the two desserts I made and brought to Josh and Kelly’s house when we went over for dinner last night, both from Nigella Lawson’s How to Eat:

Clementine Cake, p. 66

I made this with 1 lb. lemons instead of 1 lb. clementines. I suspect the clementines would have gone better–Rahul complained bitterly about the bitterness.

4-5 clementines (about 1 lb)–I subbed 1 lb. Eureka lemons

6 eggs

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar–I subbed 1 1/4 cup sugar

2 1/3 cups ground almonds (almond meal from Trader Joe’s)

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

Put the citrus in a pot with cold water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hrs. Drain, and when cool, cut the citrus in half, remove the seeds, and chop everything (skins, pith, fruit) finely in the food processor.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. (I used a 9-inch pan and this seemed like the right amount)

Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, baking powder, and citrus, and mix well.

Pour into the springform pan and bake for 1 hr, when a skewer comes out clean. You may need to cover the cake after 40 mins to stop it from burning. (We only baked it for about 45 minutes total)

Let it cool and remove from the springform pan.

Glaze, if desired, with a light icing made of powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water. I didn’t have powdered sugar and instead blitzed up regular white sugar and cornstarch.

Translucent Apple Tart, p. 277

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry (does not need to be blind baked). Melt 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) butter and 1/2 cup sugar together over very low heat–let cool a little if necessary. Remove from heat and beat in 1 egg and a bit of vanilla extract. Peel and grate 2 Granny Smith apples and stir into the butter mixture.  (Her recipe calls for one but I used two, after reading some complaints that the recipe doesn’t make enough filling).

Pour the filling mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 15 mins, until golden brown (this was more like 30 mins for me). Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-20 mins, until nicely colored. Good warm, hot, or cold.

Adeline, Eleanor, Amelia, Theodora, Beatrix, Sidony, Madeleine, Clementine, Henrietta, Ione, Lila, Delphia, Adele, Adela, Dora, Vera, Evelyn, Greta, Ingrid, Fern, Opal, Finola, Olive, Lyra, Willa, Angeline, Petra, Mina, Pearl, Mehitabel, Ellen, Keisha, Thora, Lucinda, Ramona, Naomi, June, Sarai, Thea, Evanthia, Thomasina, Tilda, Mirabella, Iole.

What do you think of these? which do you like? dislike and why? which could you see on a child born in the next couple of years?

Alice, Arabella, Bedelia, Clementine, Clover, Cordelia, Daisy, Esme, Eleanor, Flora, Fern, Hazel, Hannah, Imogen, Ida, Iris, Josephine, Jemima, Juniper, Lucinda, Madeleine, Margaret, Nola, Olive, Poppy, Pippa, Polly, Penelope, Primrose, Rose, Sally, Stella, Shiloh, Matilda, Tallulah, Theodora, Thomasina, Violet, Zipporah, Amelia, Annora, Maude, Clara.

Arthur, Bertram, Bartholomew, Baxter, Bruno, Bramwell, Chester, Cassius, Cato, Dexter, Dominic, Emerson, Emmett, Elliot, Fergus, Felix, Gregor, Gulliver, Isidore, Jasper, Ned, Orlando, Quentin, Rupert, Rafferty, Samson, Toby, Thomas, Theodore.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Au apărut clementinele! Fericire cât cuprinde: sunt cele mai user-friendly citrice, cum să nu le iubeşti?

În drum spre prăvălie, muzică de Crăciun la radioul microbuzului. O carte mi se agită în faţa ochilor, iar şoseaua nu-i ajută deloc să descifreze puricii anxioşi pe-o foaie puţin îngălbenită. Afară, soare cât cuprinde! Parcă nu-i chiar aşa de enervantă atmosfera asta de sărbătoare ce încearcă să se impună în preajmă.

Pe drum, am contaminat nişte omuleţi, nu cu viruşi nocivi, ci cu zâmbete şi clementine. Soarele era deja acolo, la locul lui, completând ecuaţia. Reacţii în lanţ, dar bune şi vesele.

Spor şi voie bună! săptămâna de-abia a început

(From the review section of PULP Magazine’s November Issue #101 by music editor Jason Caballa)

These days, when people speaks of singles, one would mean a song or track from a musical act’s full length album that was chosen either by that particular act (or in most cases, their record label) to be played on the radio. More often than not, videos are also made on these songs for broadcast on music channels on television. These are songs that become hits, the songs that listeners vote for daily and weekly so that they enter the charts, so that they can be heard over and over again.

But the reason why they are called “singles” is that once upon a time (and in limited numbers until now), these songs are actually available in the market in single format, i.e. seven or twelve- inch records that contained the particular song, plus one or two B-sides, and since it was before the age of internet downloading, MySpace and piracy, people actually bought these singles even if they contained only two or three tracks, especially in UK, where the format continues to be popular even in CD form, and among indie rock fans whose favorite underground labels and acts continue to release these highly collectible items, at times even in colored vinyls.

In any case, numerous music fans continues to purchase singles for a variety of reasons: their aforementioned collectability, to sate the fans musical appetites before the full-length album comes out, and for the B-sides (or remixes) that could not be found anywhere else, unless the band releases a rarities compilation years later.

UK acts in particular tends to take this format quite seriously; as such, almost all notable British band like The Beatles, The Smiths, Suede  and Radiohead have released excellent B-sides, many of which have become as popular as the A-sides themselves.

Ever the Anglophile and indie music fan combined, it is no surprise that Clementine (a.k.a Clem Castro, singer/guitarist of The Camerawalls) would attempt to give this fading format a resurgence via his record label, Lilystars Records, and the two latest acts he signed – “drunk pop” quartet The Bernadettes and electro-pop duo Turbo Goth – have both released their debut singles on CD – perhaps to serve as teasers for both groups’ respective full-length records.

“Let’s Make Babies” is The Bernadettes’ initial sonic salvo, and as one could probably deduce from it’s title, the song makes no room for subtlety. It’s a pop song and attempts to be anything less, and therefore, it’s message is clear: singer Paolo Angeles implores his significant to have sex with him as straightforwardly as possible, without sounding dirty. Musically, the band (which includes guitarist/songwriter Poch Angeles, drummer Andre Salazar and bassist Rommel Asuncion, who has since left the group) sounds like a mix of The Zombies and Supergrass here, though their facebook page lists the likes of  Blur, The Who, Jesus & Mary Chain, and Teenage Fanclub, among others, as the band’s influences. All in all, it’s a fun record, and the production is topnotch.

Turbo Goth has been on the rise for sometime now, mainly because of the much-blogged-about live performances of singer Sarah Gaugler and guitarist/electribe operator Paolo Peralta, which are equally charming (mostly Sarah) and equally energetic (mostly Paolo). Given the duo’s reputation, “Morning Swim” is a bit of a letdown, though it’s not a bad song. At worst it veers too closely into Daydream Cycle territory but is saved by Peralta’s slashing guitars and Gaugler’s pleasing melodies, especially on the choruses and bridge. I guess I was just dissapointed with the pair (or label’s) choice of song to release as a single given that their live set has more upbeat (or frantic song) than this (though I’m personally not familiar with the titles). Still, “Morning Swim” is a fun track and worthy release, one that would make Turbo Goth’s growing fan base await their upcoming full length with much anticipation.

It’s also a slight pity that the respective B-sides of both discs aren’t different songs altogether, but the interesting remixes of “Let’s Make Babies” and “Morning Swim” done by Sonice State Audio engineer Jonathan Ong are welcome gravy. Kudos to Lilystars Records for putting out music that’s worth buying again, wether it’s in big or small servings.

chili

Hey hey! I’m posting early today because of my country dancing, boot wearin’ plans for the night.

I tasted the forbidden fruit this morning, and it was good.

Diet Cokes are pretty much an insta-headache in a can for me, yet I still drink them once in a blue moon. One of the great mysteries of life.

Around the noon hour I zipped over the the grocery store to get some listerine (my dentist pushed that nasty liquid on me like cray and I felt like my teeth would fall out if I didn’t immediately purchase some – I got the off brand though, so I still might lose a few) and some thangs for a recipe that I hope to actually cook this weekend.

Upon returning to work, I had another kid-friendly meal.

A pb&j, some aminal crackers, and a narsto clementine.

The pb&j was made with my fave apricot preserves, and it was delish.

My fellow moving buddy Janetha asked if there was an elephant aminal cracker yesterday, and I thought I would confirm that they do in fact exist, but sadly they are not larger than the rest of the animals.

And I would like to open the floor for discussion what exactly this guy is supposed to be.

I’m guessing it’s a goat or a sheep, but they could have made it cuter! It looks kind of creepy to me for some reason.

Work was pretty busy today, and will probably continue to be that way until the holidays. Makes the days go by pretty fast!

I was going to have this cute persimmon as a snack today.

But when I was reading up on how to cut it (I’ve never had one before) I read that if you get an underripe persimmon it will be the most bitter thing you’ve ever tasted and turn your mouth numb for several minutes. Not sure how true that is, but this persimmon was pretty hard and I decided not to take my chances. I’ll give it a go in a few days. Instead I had an apple.

I’ve been guzzling water today too, in preparation for tonight’s boozing. I simply cannot drink anymore without being super hungover the next day. I hate getting old. I mean I’m talking just a few beers and I am totally worthless the next day. Perhaps I will forgo the brews? Hmmmm… not likely

Right after work today I’m going to hit up a resale shop and sell some of my old clothes. I am trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible before I move, and I figure it won’t hurt to have some cash in my pocket for the weekend. Whatever they don’t take will go to Goodwill!

Have a good weekend amigas!

Amanda and David wanted to have a destination wedding but it was too difficult for their families to travel too far a distance.  The couple live in Chicago but the groom’s family is from Ohio.  They decided to have their wedding in Galena, IL.  A really beautiful little town with a  lot of charm.  The happy couple had many special memories in Galena during the years they dated.  They always celebrated their anniversary in the adorable town. 

I wanted to focus on how beyond beautiful their ceremony was…..does this look like Illinois?  The ceremony was over looking a river and of course big trees and a sunny day completed the perfect romantic vibe.  A butterfly even landed on her dress in the middle of the ceremony!  I think that is a great sign of many years of health and happiness! 

The bride chose navy blue and apple green which really complimented the natural landscape of the location. 

The reception was held at the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa.   It was a beautiful resort with a fantastic ballroom with floor to ceiling windows.  If you are dreaming of a destination wedding but still hope all your friends and family can attend you don’t have to travel too far; you can find beauty close to home.  A romantic weekend doesn’t have to be in the tropics!

I am not ready to go all the way in to this movie. But I had a few quotes and a small piece of advice associated with these pictures to share.

Clementine: Am I ugly?
Joel: Uh-uh.
Clementine: When I was a kid, I thought I was. I can’t believe I’m crying already. Sometimes I think people don’t understand how lonely it is to be a kid, like you don’t matter. So, I’m eight, and I have these toys, these dolls. My favorite is this ugly girl doll who I call Clementine, and I keep yelling at her, “You can’t be ugly! Be pretty!” It’s weird, like if I can transform her, I would magically change, too.
Joel: [kisses Clementine] You’re pretty.
Clementine: Don’t ever leave me.
Joel: You’re pretty… you’re pretty… pretty… — Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004.

This off-set picture was taken the day that they shot the scene where Clemmy stops the children from making fun of Joel in his memory and hustles him out of there: that is such a great moment. I have always fantasized about being able to do that for people I love, my dearest and best friends, to be able to go back in time to their saddest moments and ease their suffering, do something to take their pain away and help them see that things will get better. But it is not just my friends’ times of despair that I apply this mental exercise to. I do it for me, too.

Sometimes when I find myself haunted by a particularly painful memory, I honestly try to walk backward in my mind and picture a moment of great agony as clearly as I can, and I give my younger self a hug. I promise me it’s going to be okay. Try it. Maybe that’s how you got through it the first time, to begin with.

Am I just a big ol’ girl?