(NOTE: I found this post in my drafts folder, it’s actually a couple of years old; apparently never published it. In it, I say I don’t care what she thinks, but then I wrote all these words, so I guess I did! Sometimes I’m full of shit, yo.)
In which my ex’s girlfriend posted a picture on Instagram of the deck on my old house, finally FINISHED, after all these years! It looks fantastic!
Dear my ex-husband’s girlfriend,
Thank you for your inexplicably bitchy comment on social media. You appear to misunderstand “snark.”
Having had no meaningful interaction with you (beyond clicking the occasional Like button, or sending you Christmas cards) for the past ten years, your apparent rage — coming, as it did, out of absolutely nowhere — rather upset me and hurt my feelings, as you and I were good friends the last time I saw you.
I’m guessing that you’re mad because I used a picture you took, in one of my many stupid blog posts about my stupid feels about my stupid marriage? This picture-stealing happened, according to my archives, seven years ago. (It took half an hour of paging through old posts to even find the post you were probably talking about.)
Apparently you tried to communicate your anger at the time by unfollowing me on social media, I think? I’m sorry to say that I didn’t even notice that you were “done” with me, because, seriously, who pays that much attention to their ex-husband’s girlfriend’s sporadically-maintained Instagram account?
Technically, I did not “steal” your image. You’d posted your images publicly, on Facebook, on the internet, where anybody on earth could see, use, download, or link to them. I’m sorry it made you mad that I used one, but I didn’t even think about it, really. I mean, nobody even reads my blog but Stanley and my parents anyway. Plus, it was a picture of my house.
Continue reading »
In which Minneapolis twitter is enthusing about “Spring,” but, having lived somewhere better, I can state unequivocally that what passes for spring here is a weak-ass attempt at what can be a glorious season.
“Spring” here is brown and ugly. You can only tell it’s spring because of the slightly sweeter air, and the sudden return of birdsong (which happened about 45 hours ago).
Nothing green wakes up until late April or May because the chance of a killing freeze—it was 25F overnight—is too great.
I took this picture about an hour ago:
That’s crap. Not only is there still snow in the shade, but it’s both ugly and below freezing.
Meanwhile, friends from my hometown, which is even higher in latitude, are posting pics like this:
Minneapolis is nice, I guess, but goddamn I want to move back home.
In which it’s warmed up to 48F and most of the snow is gone.
I was eating tacos at 8 o’clock this morning. Scott kept waking me up (I can no longer sleep through anything and everything, a side effect of living five decades, I understand), and I stayed mostly awake after he left for work and felt hungry, so what the hell. Tacos.
(It’s fake taco meat. Fantastic taco filling, from a box.)
Then I went back to bed and scrolled Instagram and Twitter. Woke up just before two, got dressed, and then spent the better part of an hour trying to get myself to go out and do something.
Take my traveler’s notebook to the coffee shop and write? Visit the art store and browse, maybe pick up another left-handed calligraphy nib, or some ink? Go have a bloody Mary at the VFW, or even that Mexican restaurant I boycotted two years ago for having such immensely crap service, and read my Kindle? Go to a vape store? Shit, just walk around outside some?
I couldn’t manage it. It all sounded meh. It’d be fun maybe to go hang with human beings, but I still don’t have any local friends. Probably because I never go do stuff.
I’m watching The Royal Tenenbaums and eating nachos. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen this movie before?
Took some homemade enchilada gravy out of the freezer to defrost in the sink; I’ll make Mexican for dinner. Cheese & onion enchiladas, rice, beans, some pickled onions. Radishes, lettuce, tomato, onion on the side, with sour cream and guac I bought. I made beans a couple days ago, and pickled red onions yesterday. All I’ll need to do is make rice, and do veggie prep. Easy peasy. It’ll be fantastic; Scott will tolerate it. (He’ll eat basically anything I serve him, but our ideas of yummy diverge some.)
I work 11-6 on Saturday and Sunday. I usually work Friday nights, too, but a co-worker has the week off so everybody’s schedule is a little different this week.
In unrelated news, the period key on my laptop keyboard keeps sticking and it’s annoying as hell.
Later:
I ate tacos for breakfast, nachos for lunch, and enchiladas for dinner today! Delicious.
Now I’m watching Star Trek: The Original Series and playing with my fountain pen collection.
#hobonichiweeks #moonmanM2 #moonmanwancai #pentonF12
In which there’s a recipe. Another recipe. Yes, this is a recipe blog now.
Beans are fucking awesome. And cheap. And delicious and filling.
So Make A Pot Of Beans Already
1 lb dry pinto beans
1 onion, peeled
2 jalapenos, slit
2-3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 clove
2 tsp salt
6 c water
dash oil
Cook on high in electric pressure cooker for 35 minutes, or on the stove for a few hours, adding water as needed, until beans are soft. Remove aromatics, adjust seasonings, and serve as soup, drain for a side dish, or re-fry.
The first day, I put these on tostadas covered with melted cheese, and salsa. Delicious.
Make Some Soup on Day 2
oil (or bacon grease, if you eat pigs)
smoked paprika
2 c prepared beans
1/2 c water
hot sauce (I used Waris Hot Sauce, a local delight made by this guy)
oregano
salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil or fat in a pan, add the smoked paprika and let sizzle for a couple of seconds. Add beans and water, oregano, and hot sauce.
Bring to a simmer, adjust seasonings, and serve, garnished with cheese and onions.
On day three, I’ll freeze some, and puree the rest for refried beans.
…”the soup of Ezo the bride” is an amazingly delicious red lentil and bulgar soup famous in Turkey. Here’s some in a mason jar on the window sill in my office! I brought it for lunch! It’s totally raining outside! (April 16, 2012)
Ezogelin çorbası
Heat in a stock pan:
1-1/2 T. butter
1-1/2 T. olive oil
Add:
1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
1/2 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. tomato paste
Cook until onions are translucent.
Add:
6 c. water or broth
2/3 c. red lentils
1/3 c. bulgar wheat
1 tsp. mint, dried
1 tsp. paprika (smoked is nice, if you have it)
1/4 tsp. cayenne or to taste
salt & pepper
Simmer for half an hour or until the lentils and bulgar are done.
Add water if needed to correct consistency and adjust seasonings.
Heat some butter on low heat in a small saucepan and add a pinch of mint and paprika. Ladle the soup into bowls and dribble the butter mixture on top.
Serve with a lemon wedge. Can also garnish with sumac and fresh mint
In which I bought an instant camera I don’t need but have coveted for years!
It’s here! Good job hitting that 8PM delivery time, USPS! (I don’t know why you offer 8PM delivery, but you do, so, well done.)
I already own instant cameras, of course, classic Polaroids of various models, but peel-apart film no longer exists and Impossible Project films are still expensive and experimental. (I don’t want to pay $2+ per exposure knowing they’re all lavender-tinged or are just going to turn black in a few weeks.)
I could also shoot 35MM film, and I still do from time to time, but I never get it developed because it, too, ends up being over a dollar a shot and apparently I’m cheap. Really cheap. It takes a lot of developed film to get good at using an antique camera (like my 1941 Argus C3 or the Yashica Electro 35 GSN), but the lag between shooting and developing means I never learn anything; immediate feedback is why instant film is so fun.
(God, I miss peel-apart instant film. The knowledge that I’ll never shoot the Land 103 ever, ever again makes me sad.)
Anyway, I’ve wanted one of these Mini 90 Neo Classics for quite awhile now but they’re usually in bundles full of stuff I don’t want (rainbow strap, plastic colored frames, pink lenses, etc.) at about $170. Found this one on eBay for under $70 and free shipping, so I bought it, along with bulk film, and accessories from China (clear protective case, selfie lens, cloud filter) for under $12 that should be here next month.
The battery is charging now so I haven’t used it yet, but it’s adorable! Here’s the shooting guide.
It does long exposures, double exposures, and has a kids mode for fast-moving subjects. The prints are tiny and probably mediocre at best, but it’ll be fun to play with! And film’s relatively cheap (well under $0.25 per exposure, if you buy in bulk) and ubiquitous.
I probably should have bought sheets for the bed, but I didn’t. Sheets are boring. Cameras are fun!
In unrelated news, the fridge smells bad and I’ll have to figure out why tomorrow.
UPDATE: o god it takes awesome little pictures! just like the old Polaroid film, only half the size! so fun to watch it develop! i am totally stoked!
I definitely need much more film.
…that feeling when you glance over at the griddle and your bread has puffed up into a little steam-filled ovoid.
This stuff is so easy and so delicious I don’t understand why it isn’t just a thing that everybody always does. I mean, aside from a piece of naan here and there, how did I live forty-odd years without ever having had fresh homemade flat bread?
Store-bought pita bread is awful. Most store-bought breads are awful. (Consistent and cheap, yes. Tasty? No.)
Ingredients: Sourdough starter, water, salt, white whole wheat flour, water. (You don’t need the starter for leavening or anything; it just makes the bread taste awesome.)
Procedure: Put a spoonful of starter into a bowl or onto the counter. Add flour, water, and salt. Knead until incorporated. Cover and let sit for half an hour. (You don’t have to, but it gives the whole wheat flour a chance to absorb some moisture and improves the final texture.) Pre-heat a griddle. Roll the dough out and transfer to the griddle. Takes a few minutes per side; if the loaf doesn’t puff up on its own, press down with a kitchen towel.
…English cukes, white onions, red bell pepper, garlic. Brine is water, cider apple vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, Bay leaf, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and chile pequins.
I made a pint of these last week and couldn’t stop eating them, so this time I made two pints!
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, finely minced or grated
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (a spice blend you can buy at the store)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro; chopped
Method
Heat the ghee over high heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir for 30 seconds, then add the onions and ginger. Lower the heat to moderate and fry the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden brown.
Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of water, and fry for 1 minute. Then add the can of chickpeas with the liquid. Stirring constantly bring to a boil over high heat, reduce, and simmer for about ten minutes or until thickened/reduced.
Serve over rice garnished with cilantro.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4 – Calories: 119.6 – Total Fat: 5.0 g – Cholesterol: 12.4 mg – Sodium: 180.5 mg – Total Carbs: 15.1 g – Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g – Protein: 3.2 g
…this is my version of the Garlic Soup For One recipe from the NYT.
2 c. water
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 pinch thyme
salt to taste
1/4 c. multi color Parmesan tortellini
1 tbsp carrot, diced
1/2 stalk broccoli, chopped
1 tbsp corn, frozen
1 medium egg
black pepper to taste
Place water, garlic, salt if using, thyme, and pasta into a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer.
When the pasta is nearly al dente, add the carrot, broccoli, and corn. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is done.
Break the egg into a small bowl and whisk with the black pepper. Add a bit of the broth from the soup to the bowl to temper the egg, then pour the whisked egg and pepper mixture back into the soup and stir.
Adjust seasonings if necessary and serve in a big ol’ bowl.
Servings Per Recipe: 1 – Calories: 219.3 – Total Fat: 6.8 g – Cholesterol: 207.0 mg – Sodium: 358.2 mg w/o added salt – Total Carbs: 29.8 g – Dietary Fiber: 3.3 g – Protein: 12.6 g – Vitamin A: 45.5 % – Vitamin C: 42.1 % – Iron: 12.4 %
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4 random books from my Library!
