Breakfast of Champions

I'm not a big breakfast person. The main objective for most breakfast food is to be easy, fast and filling as possible, which is great if I'm hungry and lazy. It's not so great when I want something that taste good. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of good breakfast foods out there (bacon!) but very few that makes me want seconds.

Or, maybe I'm just biased 'cause breakfast=mornings and mornings are always my least favorite time of the day.

That being said, the following from Trader Joe's are my favorite breakfast (er... more like brunch for me, I guess) foods:

So, they say that instant oatmeal isn't "real" oatmeal. I don't doubt that "real" steel cut oatmeal, cooked and simmered for hours on end, is very good. But, is it superior enough to justify all the extra time and energy? I mean, it's oatmeal. Oatmeal can be but so good. I'll stick with the instant. What makes this instant so amazing is that it has consistency! It's not just apple flavored goop, it has texture! Oh, and of course it tastes very good. Don't use 3/4 cup of water like the direction says, use 1/2 cup. Or, better yet, use milk.

Oooh... you know what's really good? Make the oatmeal using apple juice! It's kind of, almost, okay not quite, tastes like you're eating an apple crumble. It's a quick and easy dessert.

At $2.50 for 10 packets, it's a steal.


Hash browns are the seraphs of potatoes. It is the highest, awesomest form a potato can take. When done right, it is crispy and soft at the same time! Magic! Growing up, my favorite Sundays were the ones where my mom would go out and get us McDonalds Big Breakfast 'cause those always came with hash browns.

Oh hash browns, I love you so much.

The ones from Trader Joe's are made by God. Okay, I don't know that for a fact, but it's so amazing and perfect it must have had Divine help. Much like the famous (and now gone- sniff sniff) frozen chestnuts, I was addicted to these. I was making hash brown runs every week, coming home with as many as I can buy without feeling like an idiot. A cashier once asked me if I was running a day camp. Umm, no... I just really like has browns... Unlike the chestnuts, these hash browns were cheap, $1.69 for a pack of ten!!!

Once, they were all gone!!! Eeep!!! I stared at that empty little space in their freezer aisle, just looking at where the hash browns once were and I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that they were out. But, but.. they're always there! What am I suppose to do now?! I then found myself wandering the the frozen potato aisles of Wegmans, trying to find something similar to fill the potato void. I brought home a bag of tater tots to take the edge off but it didn't work. The tots were garbage compared to the hash browns.

That's how amazing they are! These hash browns are so good they make tater tots seem like crap.

I have since recovered from my hash brown addiction. I am proud to say that now, I'm just a casual hash brown eater.

The price went up to $1.99 for ten, but it's still a really good deal. For best results, bake at 400F in the toaster oven for about 7 or so minutes.

Don't Ask...

Oh poop.
My finance is... blergh.

About a week or two ago, I realized that I would have a very large, unexpected bill to pay come March. I also realized that The Baby (my nephew) is turning one and, for reason I'll get into later, I had to spend a lot of money on his present. Well, that is, I have to, I haven't spent this large sum yet, so that's another large spending come March.

Even though these large expenditures haven't happened yet, just knowing that it's coming made me very discouraged. I should have been able to meet my savings goal this month but I called it quits a long time ago. What's the point in denying myself coffee and cookie? What good is saving $3 going to do when I have this monstrous bill looming ahead of me? Why not go out to eat and spend $50 a Target tonight? Savings, shmavings, what does it matter now?

I have always had this all or nothing attitude that have prohibited me from making smart choices for years. If I can't be good at something within an unrealistically short period of time, I don't even want to bother doing it. If I know I'm not going to get a good grade, why bother studying? Never mind that it's easier to bring up a D than an F. If I don't make enough money to save up a large sum of money by the end of the year, why bother? If I can't produce store quality goods, why bother with DIY? If I know that I'll die a hundred times before even getting to the end boss, let alone beating him, why play? Never mind that it's fun. Never mind that practice makes perfect. Never mind that the journey is more important than the destination, blah blah blah. You get the idea.

Funny- At work, I am very much a big picture, learn from your mistakes, give it a go, try something new, kind of person. However, I have long discovered that the "work Jin" is a completely different person than the "not at work Jin". If I can somehow meld the two Jins, I would be a much better person, both on and off the clock.

Fuck it. March will be different! I'll pay the beastly bills with money from savings and start the new month off with a clean financial slate. I'll be good! I'll scrimp, save, not buy anything and eat PB & J sandwich's for dinner all month.

That's another trait of mine that gets me in trouble- eternal, naive optimism...

Back in Black

Once upon a time, I used to think black jeans were evil. They were gross, tacky, and vile things. I've since changed my mind. I'm still not a big fan, but I will admit that black jeans can be cute.


These are Social Collision Rude Fit jeans. They're actually dude pants but they fit well, are $10 cheaper, and made of sturdier material.


My main problem with black jeans is the same problem I have with black cotton tops- they fade. I actually like faded black when it's so old and faded it looks kind of vintage-y and dark gray. The problem is, before it get there, the black has to go through a painfully ugly and gross fading phase. Blech.

I Like Cupcakes Too!

Hey! Did you know that Starbucks sells cupcakes? They do! It's only like $2 and, they give it to you in this fancy box sealed with a sticker and everything! Ooooh... fancy wasteful packaging!

Oh, it also tastes really good!

They carry three flavors, vanilla, red velvet, and dark chocolate. Guess which one's my favorite...

The List

So I'm working on organizing my music. While I'm on iTunes, I thought it would be fun to see what 10 songs I've been listening to most often.

Disclaimer!!!!
My iPod has made me quite ADD when it comes to songs. It's rare for me to listen to a song in it's entirety. Even if I really love the song, I often find myself skipping half way through, once the good parts are gone. It only counts on iTunes "Play Count" if you listened to a song all the way through. Therefore, the numbers are not a true reflection of what and how often I listen to a song.

Or, maybe it just proves that I really love these 10 songs if I'm listening to them all the way through.

I was very surprised by the results, very surprised and a bit embarrassed...


10: Guerilla Radio by Rage Against the Machine (53 listens)


Guerilla Radio is very good song, and Rage Against the Machine were a good band. I just didn't think I listened to them more than say... Santa Carla Twilight or God Given or a whole bunch of other songs.

I love the begining of this song, for the longest time, it was my favorite guitar intro.

9: March of the Pigs by Nine Inch Nails (53 listens)


Given my mourning, I'm not surprised that NIN is in my top ten. I am surprised that it's March of the Pigs. I would've guessed God Given or Head Like a Hole.

8: Hotprowl by Tiger Army (62 listens)


Hmm, is this thing even accurate? I really would've thought that Santa Carla Twilight or Forver Fades Away would've ranked higher. Well, this song does have a breakdown and I am partial to breakdowns... And I do like the part where he goes "The niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~ght be. longs. to. me!" The fact that it has Davey wailing in the back ground doesn't hurt of course.

Speaking of Davey...

7: Carcinogen Crush (66)
6: The Lost Soul (68)
5: Days of the Phoenix (70)
4: Love Like Winter (72)
3: This Celluloid Dream (74)

All by AFI.

Yeah, no surprise here.

2: Baby's Got a Temper by The Prodigy (75)


Again, not surprised, I listened to this song a lot after buying it from iTunes.

And, the surpring number one position goes to...

1: Crazy Angel by Kill Hannah (94)


I'm not embarrassed that I like this song, I'm just embarrassed that it's the most listened to song in my library.

It's kind of a joke at work that I only like three bands. Ha! It's six bands, thank you very much! I see a trend... dudes in eyeliner... that seems to the be common thread. Oh goodness, I have the musical taste of a 14 year old. Well, whatever, some 14 year olds have very good taste in music.

Chicken with Vegetable and Rice

Okay, okay, just one more casserole recipe and I promise I'll lay off for now.

So, recently, I was reading An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris.It's your typical Charlaine Harris book... Muuu~der? Check. Tall "hot" dudes with long hair? Check. Rape victim? Check. Face punching/pounding? Check. Small honkey tonkey Southern towns? Check. Unintentionally awkward sex scenes using giggle inducing euphemisms? Check. This book is, by far, the most disturbing Charlaine Harris book so far.

Spoiler Alert!!!


It's like the most graphic cases on Law and Order: SVU coupled with Silence of the Lamb. Thankfully, the book doesn't focus too much on the actual crimes 'cause it's too busy focusing on the love that's forming between Harper and her brother. Yes, love, as in love, as in-awkward sex scene using giggle inducing euphemisms-love. But, as both characters stress, many many often times, they are not blood related, so it's totally cool. You know the ending of Clueless, yeah, it never really sat right with me but at least it ended with a very PG ending.


Spoiler Over!!!

You know, if I were Ms. Harris' publicist, agent, whatever, I would just plead with her to focus just on the Sookie Stackhouse series. I mean, it's probably the only one making her any real money. WRITE MORE SOOKIE STORIES!!!

Anyhoo, in the book, Harper and her "brother" are waiting out an ice storm in a cabin by the lake. Their neighbor stops by with a chicken casserole dish. The book mentions how it only takes like 40 min. (prep and cooking time combined) to make a chicken casserole if you have cooked chicken breast lying around. I was intrigued. And you know, it got me thinking... I don't think I've ever had chicken casserole...


It was good, and it went fast. It took me a lot longer than 40 minutes but it was well worth it.

Since they don't sell celery by the stalk, I just doubled the amount of onions and sprinkled in a few celery seeds. Have you ever tried celery seeds? It tastes like you put celery in the dish, but without the actual celery, it's great. Try it on your chicken/tuna salad. I have nothing against celery, but most recipes just call for one or two and I end up having to throw away the rest 'cause it wilts in my fridge. It's a waste, you know?

When grocery shopping, I totally forgot to pick up some Swiss cheese. I thought about going back for it but I was feeling kind of lazy. Besides, cooked cheese never reheats well and, since I was expecting left overs, I decided to just leave it out.

Oh, and of course, the recipe is from The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt (buy the book!!!)

Chicken with Vegetables and Rice
yields: 6

4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves (about 2lbs)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 sprig fresh parsley (I just used dried 'cause that's what I already had)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped fresh onion
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used green 'cause they're cheaper)
1 celery stalk, sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (14.5oz) tomatoes, chopped, juice from the can included
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 dried marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup grated Swiss Cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, simmer chicken in stock with parsley, covered, until no longer pink, about 15 min. Reserve the stock. Cut chicken into 1" pieces and transfer to a 4 qt casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushrooms and saute until tender, 6 to 7 min. Stir in rice. Add tomatoes, reserved stock, and seasonings and simmer, uncovered, 5 min. Pour over chicken.

Cover and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 55 min. Add cheese and bake, uncovered, until cheese melts, 5 min. longer.

Dutch Oven Dinner Combo

One thing I love about making casseroles is that it is super easy to make. Do you know how to cut things? Do you know how to turn on your oven? You do? Good! You know how to make a casserole! It helps if you also know how to measure things, but, the recipes are so flexible, it's cool if you don't.

I got this recipe for Dutch Oven Dinner Combo from The Big Book Of Casserole (get this book!!!) and it is one of the easiest thing you can make (well, other than like a PB & J sandwich, that is).


The slow cooking makes this roast really soft. Though, make sure you cut against the grain to make it even more melt in your mouth good. It's also a pretty economical dinner, I think the serving came to like $3-4 per serving. If you want to stretch your money even more, you can slice up the left over roast, use that for a sandwich, and eat the rest as a vegetarian stew!

Dutch Oven Dinner Combo
Yields: 6

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 boneless beef rump roast (3.5 to 4lbs)
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1.5 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 to 4 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1" pieces
1 large yellow onion, quartered
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered (I, personally, cut them into smaller pieces, but still chunky and rustic)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large zucchini, unpeeled, cut into 1" slices
8 oz mushrooms, halved if large
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350F. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm oil. Brown roast on all sides for about 10 min.

In a small bowl mix juice, wine, Worcestershire sauce, basil, salt, and pepper and pour over heat.

Cover and bake 1.5 hours. Stir in carrots, onion, potatoes, and garlic and bake, covered, 15 min. longer. Add zucchini and mushrooms and bake, covered, until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 min. longer.

In a cup, bled flour and water and stir into pan. Bake until juices are thickened, about 5 min. longer.

I Wish I Could Rock the Moog and Mac Books...

He taketh, but you know, he giveth as well.

Still bummed about the whole

thing. Very upset, but...

ZOMG!!!!!


is out!!! I downloaded and have been listening to it non-stop. It's the latest from


and it's the new single from their new album.


It's already out everywhere but here- due out in US on 3.3.09.

The first and only time I saw them live was years ago and the scene was pretty much like this:

Only it was outside, Keith did a lot of spitting, and Wednesday Adams wasn't there with a xylophone.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

The question isn't, "What genius thought to combine peanut butter and chocolate?" The question is, "What genius thought to combine orange and chocolate?"

The first time I came across the orange-choco combination was over a decade ago when Daria offered me one of those smacky orange shaped chocolates. You know what I'm talking about, it's shaped like an orange and you smack it against a hard surface to free the wedges... what were they called?... Starts with a "T"... I think... not Toblerone... hmmm...

Anyway, I was young and closed minded (this was back when I thought sushi was gross, I know!!!). I did the taste math in my head and orange+chocolate= weird. Thankfully, Daria forced me to eat one and I've loved the combination ever since.

If we're going to talk about orange and chocolate, we have to take a moment of silence to honor the passing of the greatest drink Starbucks has ever offered. Not the tiazzis (though, those were damn good), but the orange mocha frappuccino (cue Tap).

So, recently, I was in a mood for some chocolate chip cookies. I've had quite the sweet tooth recently and I've been spending like $2 at Nordstrom just for a cookies, turnovers, scones, etc. Stupid way to waste my money, I know. I decided to bake my own cookie and, since I was making it from scratch, why not customize it with one of the best flavor combination?


Ta da! Orange chocolate chip cookies!!!

I love cakey cookies, and this recipe produces cookies that are almost madeleine like. Since they're cakey, I made mine big so they're more like scones than cookies. It's a very good grab and run breakfast- not very healthy, but very tasty, and goes great with coffee. I like to grate my dark chocolate for a more even flavor distribution but Giant was charging a ridiculous amount for bars of chocolate so I went with the chips. Note to self: pick up some bars of dark chocolate the next time I'm at Trader Joe.

I forgot to pick up some sour cream but, miraculously, it turns out that I had those individual snack sized cups of Dannon's peach flavored yogurt. I also forgot to pick up some parchment paper so I had to spray down the pan with some non-stick. A key to great cookies is parchment paper. If you're going to make yours big like mine (I used, I would say, 2 to 3 tablespoon per ball) you have to bake them for 15-20 minutes.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields: 5 Dozen

1 cup shortening
1.25 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp sour cream
2.25 tsp orange extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
4.25 cups all purpose flour
4.25 tsp baking powder
1 bag (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat together shortening and sugar in medium bowl until light.

Add eggs, sour cream, orange extract, vanilla extract; beat until combined.

Combine flour and baking powder; add to mixture in bowl and mix just until moistened.

Shape dough into small balls, using about one level Tbsp for each.

Arrange about 1" apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake 10 min, until lightly browned. Do not over bake. Remove from pans and cool.

RIP: Nine Inch Nails

No, it's not some Terrible Lie, I Wish it was. Trent Reznor recently announced that he is disbanding Nine Inch Nails, taking a break, a hiatus, a breather, for some time. Their tour with Jane's Addiction will be their Last for awhile.


Me, I'm Not okay. No, You Don't understand, back when I was Somewhat Damaged, going through a Downward Spiral, NIN was The Perfect Drug to keep me from going Even Deeper in to The Great Below, Into the Void. When I feeling Wretched, Down In It, when Every Day is Exactly the Same and it Hurt just to go through the motion, The Only Time I felt Closer to a Warm Place was when I was listening to NIN. It's like he was saying, "We're In This Together and The Way Out Is Through music." Their music was my Survivalism.

I know that a lot of people consider Trent to be a Demon Seed, a Ruiner of morality, a Reptile full of Sin and Heresy. Personally, I think they're just confusing him with Marilyn Manson. Not only is he a talented musician, perfectly reflecting The Fragile nature of ourselves, but he is also a Good Solider in fight against the oppression of the music industry. Unable to find Happiness In Slavery of record labels, music Starfuckers, Inc., he bit The Hand that Feeds and went off on his own. He was part of The Beginning Of The End of DRMs and other restrictions by labels. He gave his music away for free and fans still paid him money-earning him the spot as the top grossing artist on Amazon in 2008, beating out the likes of Radiohead and Cold Play.

You Know What You Are, Trent. With All The Love In The World of the 1,000,000s of fans Besides You, In Time they will recognize you as the God Given, Great Destroyer of all that is wrong with the music industry.

Even though the break up isn't official, I pretty much figure that a Halo 28 is Something I Can Never Have.

Jambalaya

This is the dish that got me started on my casserole addiction!


Jambalaya!

I got the recipe from The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt, which was one of the Christmas presents from Daria. It's a great cookbook and covers all kinds of casseroles (seafood, meat, poultry, vegetarian, health/light, as well as a lot of good side dishes).

The long list of ingredients was a bit intimidating but it was surprisingly easy to to make. And, of course, it tasted really good. I do, however, have a few recommendations.

First off, the recipe calls for 3.25 lbs of meat- that's a lot, and it gets a bit pricey. For instance, I couldn't find any ham so I had to get 2 small packages of these itty bitty pre-cubed ham. That alone was like $6. Next time, I think I can get the same result, taste wise, for less money with just a few strips of bacon (diced, of course). Next time I make it, I'm just going to use less meat in general, maybe like 2-2.5 lbs.

I also used dried parsley instead of fresh. I don't use fresh parsley very much so I knew that it was just going to wilt and go bad in my fridge before it gets all used up.

It's definitely worth it to use raw peeled and deveined shrimp vs. pre-cooked. For me, it's easier to find pre-cooked than raw but, if you use pre-cooked, it over cooks in the dish and ends up rubbery. Not only that, it doesn't absorb any of the flavors so it stands out in a weird, not so good way.

Oh, and, as always, use a little (or a lot!) more garlic and onions than the recipe calls for!

It cost me about $26 in ingredients, which isn't bad considering it yields six.

Jambalaya
yields: 6

1 to 1.5 Tbsp of olive oil
2 chicken breast halves (about 1 lb), cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
.5 lb cooked ham, cubed
.5 lb Italian sausage, cooked and cut into .5" pieces (Trader Joe has a good Italian chicken sausage)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1" pieces
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (28oz) whole tomatoes, chopped, juice from can included
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
.5 tsp Tabasco sauce
.5 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
.5 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1.25 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 Tbsp oil. Add chicken and meats and cook until they begin to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove to plate. Add onion, garlic, and green pepper and saute until tender, about 5 min. Add remaining oil, if needed. Stir in rice, tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and seasonings. Return meats to pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered, 10 minutes. The dish can be made ahead up to this point and refrigerated.

Cover the casserole and bake 35 min. Tuck in shrimp and bake about 10 min., covered, until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and shrimp turns pink, stirring once. Remove bay leaf and discard. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately in the pan or on a warmed platter for an impressive presentation.

These Boots Were Made for Tuckin'

There are two types of girls in this world:
Those that tuck their jeans inside knee high boots-
and those that don't.

I'm not a fan of the whole jeans in boots look, and I kind of feel bad saying that 'cause I know a lot of people LOVE that look (hell, I see it everywhere). I can see the appeal- when done right, it looks either equestrian elegant or biker bad ass. Usually, it's done wrong and it's some overly made up, oompa loompa orange Hollister chick with her strategically ripped skinny jeans inside a hoofish looking sherpa lined Ugg-ly thing. I've even seen them tuck their sweat pants into their boots!

And you know, I get that those Ugg-ish boots are very comfortable, yet bulky. I suppose the only way you can wear them with skinny jeans is to tuck them into the boots. So I get that it's more of a functional move than a fashion move... I hope.

But yeah, not a fan. I don't ride horses, I'm not a bad ass, and I'm not into the fake So-Cal look. I know that if I tried to pull it off I would feel really self-conscious and uncomfortable.

My mom gave me these boots for Christmas for the sole purpose of tucking my jeans into them!


I was all "Oh yeah... I do wear a lot of tight pants... Oh, yeah, that is how all the girls are wearing them now days... yeah... Thank you so much! YAY!..."

I really do like them- I like the whole strap and hardware thing it has going on. But no, no I will not be wearing them with skinny jeans. I wear it with skirts and tights. There's a sizable calf-gap since I think it was cut wider to accommodate jeans but, other than that, it fits well and looks good.

Every time I wear them though, someone offers me this great fashion tip, "You know, those boots would look really good if you wore them over skinny jeans!"

I'm all, "... Yeah! Yeah, They would! But um... you know... I just don't think that would look good on me 'cause... you know... I'm so... short... Don't want to break up the line, you know..."

January Purchase of the Month

January's Purchase of the Month award goes to my new purse!

I tell ya, it's love. Every day, I just appreciate it more and more. It's perfect for every day use. It goes with just about everything I own. It hold just about everything I need to carry. The leather's getting softer and it still has the nice leather smell (though... I don't really recall it having the leather smell when I first got it...).

The only downside:

Now, I know I can be a bit rough on my things, but really? I had it for less than 2 months and it's already starting to fall apart. Sigh~ Well, I knew it wasn't going to last forever. I just hope it lasts long enough for me to get tired of it.

I've been doing some thinking. If I just save just $1.25 a day, in a year (when this bag's all junky and gross looking-like my old every day bag) I will have enough money saved up to buy a good quality, everyday bag- $456.25 to be more exact. I can buy something like this:
and not worry about the strap falling apart.

It sounded like a good plan... until I did the math and realized that $1.25 is around $38 a month! Sure, it doesn't sound like much, but my budget's kind of tight as is. In order for me to create $38 for a new bag, I have to compromise in some other categories... like savings, or food. I can give up my daily coffee run during work but, you know, I really like going for coffee on my break. Given a choice between coffee and a cute bag... the coffee will win, hands down. Hell, I will choose coffee over pretty much anything. And, you know, just because a bag can last forever, doesn't mean that I'd want to carry it forever. Regardless of how awesome a bag is, chances are good that I'll tire of it in a year and buy a new replacement.

Besides, if I'm going to save up for something, it's going to be technology. I'm not a gadget freak but I do have some old stuff that's bound to kick the bucket soon, might as well start saving for them now.

Anyway...
Congratulations to my bag!

08's January POM didn't last very long... I stopped wearing it after about a month or so and it ended up in the donation pile. Oh well, I hope someone out there is enjoying it!

Mustard Yellow Xhilaration Mary Jane Flats

I was going to be good and not get them... until Michael asked some very good questions.

Are you going to wear them?
Yeah... but probably just like a few times. I don't think they're going to be every day shoes.

Do you like them?
Yes.

Do they fit?
Yes.

How much are they?
$4.99...

And you like them... and they fit... and it's only $4.99... and you're not going the get them because...?
...

Sometimes, I tell ya, he is so wise. I like that they make the clip clop noises like heels, but they're flat enough that I can be on my feet for the entire day and not be in any pain. Oh, and it's mustard yellow, my favorite neutral shade (for the moment). I think I like the ruffly bit in the front, but it reminds me of Zoidberg...

Now I Have Coffee Money!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Technically, it's just Friday the 13th, but whatever. Due to other people have plans far more interesting than mine, I am closing tomorrow. So, for me, today is V-day!

It was fun, it was nice. I ate at a nice seafood restaurant, did a lot of window shopping, ate some good chocolates, and got dozen roses form my brother...

Oh, speaking of which, is there a nice way to tell someone, "Hey, instead of flowers, just give me a gift card." I mean, I appreciate the thought, I really do, but I hate getting flowers. They're pretty, but they just get old and die. And, every time I see it, I can't help but think, "Damn, that could've been a new pair of shoes." Well, at least my room smells all rosy. I LOVE the smell of roses!!!

On holidays, I like to give out candies to my associates, my small way of saying, "Hey, thanks for being AWESOME!!" Since it's Valentine's day, I bought the V-day treat bag (Hannah Montana- you know, for... um... irony? Humor?) and some V-day Hello Kitty stickers ('cause HK is beast). Then, I got home, and thought- You know, the treat bag and the sticker cost $4. Now, $4 isn't a lot of money but it's $4 I don't need to spend. They don't care that it came in a Hannah Montana bag with Hello Kitty stickers. As soon as they see it, they're going to toss the packaging. I could just toss the $4 in the trash and have the same effect.

So, instead, they got this:


I don't think a clear snack sized zip lock bag took anything away from joy of getting free candy.

Oh, and again, off topic, but I swear Kit Kats got smaller. Sigh~

RIP: Gianni Bini

I bought this Gianni Bini bag for $7 at the Salvation Army back when I was still looking for my perfect every day bag. I was never thrilled with it, I don't know, too plain and Walmart-ish, you know? Still, it's neutral colored and leather so, why not? I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, it's too small (won't hold a water bottle).

I never should have bought it. I was hesitant, but I just really needed an every day bag. Sigh~ Oh well. From the Salvation Army it came, back to Salvation Army it shall go. As for the wasted $7, well, I'll think of it as a charitable donation.

Speaking of which... I budget a small amount every month to give to charity. Is it wrong to spend that money at thrift stores? One one hand, thrift stores are charities, right? On the other hand, I'm not forking over the money for charitable reasons, it's for stuff- cute, cute, nice, cheap stuff. I just feel like money set aside for a specific purpose should only be used that for that purpose. Then again, I go over my budget all the time so, clearly, money set aside for specific purpose (like savings) is going for other uses. Still, it kind of feels like I'm stealing from the other charities by dipping into my charity budget to buy cheap books and cute vintage purses.

Hmmm...

Raspy Rock

Currently, I'm digging bands where the lead singer has a raspy, slightly girl voice. For instance:

Dillinger Four


I like to piss Eric off by saying that Dillinger Four is Mat Devine's punk side project. I got into them 'cause that voice is kind of unique to punk. He sounds like he looks like this:
But no! He looks like this!
Next band I'm currently digging, is every one's favorite raspy- slightly girly- sounding band... Silversun Pickups!



Of course, I was totally oblivious to them couple of years back when they were huge. Oh well, better late then never. The first time I heard them, I thought I was listening to Kill Hannah, which, again, pissed Eric off, but come on, it really does. I mean, does it really sound that different then:

(The song is Under the Milky Way by Kill Hannah. This is the only video I could find that wasn't live-i.e. crappy sound quality)



It's kind of hard to tell the difference, right?

I, personally, think Kill Hannah's bit underrated. I think people would take them a bit more seriously if, you know, they weren't men in their 30's trying to look like teenagers...

Their cover of Under the Milky Way is one of my favorite song by them and, if I'm in a certain mood, it makes me feel all moopy and sad.

Love at First Sight

Eeeep!!!!

It's all bright and red and shiny and new and cute!!! I'm in love... love love love love love. I imagine us spending eternity together~

I'm still on my casserole kick and I decided to get an enameled dutch oven. I settled on the 6 quart Lodge 'cause it's only $60. I did see a La Creuset on sale at Homegoods for $130. It's nice, but it's identical to the Lodge so I didn't see any reason to pay more than double just for the name.

Actually, I like the Lodge better. The lodge has bigger side handles and a higher knob on the lid. It's something very important to consider since cast irons are really heavy and they get really hot. You need some seriously thick oven mitts (or thick dish towels) to handle it so, bigger the handle, the easier it is to grab.

I'm going to use it as a deep fryer, a broiler, a casserole dish, a soup pot, a roaster... Oh! All the beautiful things we'll make together... Sniff... I'm so happy, I think I'm going to cry.

Garlicky Hoisin Beef

This sauce is amazing! It's sweet (but not too much) and has an this awesome, unctuous, yummy, garlicky, rich taste! It kind of tastes like teriyaki sauce, only way better, and would taste amazing on salmon, chicken, vegetables, beef, pork, shrimp, scallop, maybe even vanilla ice cream (though, too chicken to try).

I got the recipe from a Real Simple magazine while I was visiting Jamie. It's awesome.


I'm all for quick and easy recipes but, (most of the time) I genuinely enjoy cooking so, sometime, I like to make things a bit more time consuming than it has to be. I have fun, and the food turns out better. Even though the recipe doesn't call for it, I seared the beef- I like seared stuff. I prepared the beef like a pan seared steak- salt and peppered on both side, left to do its thing while I got everything else ready. Then I seared it, cooked it rare. After resting, I sliced.

I also lightly dredged the potatoes with pan searing flour and fried the sweet potato (skipping the whole cooking in water ordeal in the recipe). The first time I made it, the sweet potato took forever to cook, causing everything else to be over cooked. Then, as I was stir frying, it started to break apart. Frying the potato ahead prevents all that from happening and, as an added bonus, it has that nice caramelized taste!

The recipe calls for snow peas, and I like snow peas! However, a package of 6oz snow peas cost $3.99! OMG! That's more per pound than the meat!!! So, instead of snow peas, I used onions ('cause I LOVE onions). Next time, I might use asparagus... ooh, or onions and asparagus!

Oh, and as much as I love the sauce, the recipe makes way more sauce than it needs. Just pour enough to cover and coat everything, with a little bit extra in the pan to coat the rice later on. Save the rest to use on something else.

Garlicky Hoisin Beef
Yields: 4 Servings


The Sauce:
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced scallions
2 Tbsp minced garlic (though I used a lot more)
3/4 cup hoisin sauce
1.5 tsp soy sauce
1.5 Tbsp sugar

Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil.

Add the scallions and garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce, 1/2 cup water, the soy sauce, and sugar and cook for 1.5 min.

Pour into a bowl. Wipe out the pan; return to high heat.

The Stir-Fry:
2.5 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb steak, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
1/2 lb snow peas
3 scallions (1.5 inch lengths)

Add 2 Tbsp of the oil to the pan. Add the steak and stir-fry for 3 to 4 min. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the remaining oil. Add the pepper and cook for 10 seconds. Add the sweet potato and 1/3 cup water, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 min. Add the snow peas and scallions; stir-fry for 1 min. Add the sauce and steak; stir-fry for 1 min. Serve immediately, over rice if desired.

I'm Free!!!

I finally got a chance to use my pie bird. As you can see, I... uh...mmm... didn't do a good job of making the top crust so there was no need for a pie bird. Still, I wasn't about to let this opportunity pass.

It kind of looks like he's hatching out of an egg... or reenacting that scene from Aliens:
I was going to post the actual movie scene but it's kind of gross, and I don't want my pie associated with grossness.

So, it may not be the prettiest pie I've baked but it was good.

Going Dutch

Daria gave me this great casserole recipe book for Christmas. After having to resort to using my metal roasting pan to make jambalaya, I decided that it's time to get a casserole dish. At first, I thought I wanted something ceramic and cute, you know, something like this:


0nly bigger, since I already have one about that size. Small casserole dishes look cute but they're only good for sides dishes and food storage.

Ceramic casserole dishes are nice 'cause they heat up very slowly. In fact, many ceramic are used as insulators. Slow and steady is good when you're making something that requires flavor melding- like casseroles.

The problem with ceramic is that you can only use it in the oven. A lot of casserole dishes starts on the stove top and ends up in the oven. I want something that can turn dishes into a one-pot kind of meal, you know? I want something that has the magical cooking abilities of cast iron, yet the non-reactive surface that allows me to cook tomatoes. The answer: porcelain enameled dutch oven!

Word association game time! When I say "enameled dutch oven" you think...

La Creuset!

Oh ain't she a beaut! I've never owned one, but according to pretty much everyone, they're pretty damn near perfect. The only downside is the price ($250-$300).

One of the reason La Creusets cost so much is the name. If I don't want to pay for the brand name, I can always get a Staub:Which are about $50 cheaper than La Creusets.

Apparently, in the cooking world, there is a very Team Edward/Team Jacob mentality about which is better. This heated thread almost got shut down. Oh, those silly epicureans, I tell ya...

But you know, I'm not a gourmand and I'm not a label whore. Surely there's got to be a more reasonable option for me, right?

Yes!

I give you the $60 Lodge enameled dutch oven!
It's made my Lodge, a very trusted name in the cast iron world. It has the 2 layer of porcelain like the La Creuset and Staub. Never having owned any of the three brands, I can't tell which is better, but, based on the descriptions, it seems that the only difference is that the Lodge is made in US (KY if I remember correctly) and the other two are European... and prettier looking.

I checked out the Lodge yesterday. I don't remember it having resin handles but I could be wrong. I think it's the one I'll get. Of course, it's never a good idea to cheap out on cookware, but I think this one will be good enough. Besides, there's a reason why I don't buy myself nice things- I don't take care of them. My philosophy is, if I'm paying a lot of money, it better be of high quality. And, if it's high quality, than it shouldn't be high maintenance, it should be durable and tough. However, nothing's indestructible, and if something's going to get all dirty and dinged up, I'd rather it be something cheap and disposable.

If I paid $300 for cookware, I'm going to be sad to see it get chipped and stained. If I'm afraid to get it dirty, I'm not going to use it. Why am I going to pay so much for something I'm afraid to use? If I get a $60 cookware dinged up, to me, that's just cookware aging gracefully. Look at all the scratches, nicks, chips, and dings- that's from years of good food making!

Hmm... I kind of wish it was more oval shaped though, you know, in case I need to cook a bird.

RIP: Lux Interior

I told Erik that Lux Interior (aka, "that Cramps dude") passed away recently. He, in turn, told me that the drummer for Nekromantix passed away. It's a sad, sad time in the psychobilly world.

Uh-oh... deaths work in three... who's next? God, take someone from Mad Sin, or The Stray Cats or something, please leave Nick 13 alone.

So, in honor of Lux Interior I give you this:

I may be ten years old but
I still know what's up,
I wear my Cramps shirt almost every single day.
I want to sag my pants,
I want to pogo dance,
but mom won't let me so I might just run away.

I, I want to ride my skate,
I want to stay out late,
I want a mohawk, but mom won't let me get one.

I may be in fourth grade but
I know what's going on,
I listen to the Misfits every single day.
Don't want to take a nap,
I want a TV tat,
but mom won't let me, so I might just disobey.

And no, I did not write that.



And yes, he's made some bad fashion choices in the past, but haven't we all?

RIP: Alchimie de Rochas

I bought this perfume years ago at the TJMaxx in Harrisonburg. I loved the bottle. It could've smelled bad and I still would've bought it. Thankfully, it smelled kind of musky orange. I paid like $20 for it, and it looks like I got a good deal.

Using up all my perfume is starting to make me sad. I liked owning all those perfumes and my supply is slowly dwindling. Bye bye pretty perfume bottles... Well, I still have the bottles. I kind of feel stupid holding unto empty, dust collecting bottles but, to be honest, that's about 50% of the reason I buy perfumes.

I am a total sucker for a pretty package.

BROKE!

I am BROKE!!!

Okay, that was a dramatic exaggeration. I'm not broke, I just have, hmm... let me check... $355.40 to last me until payday this Friday. It should be enough, it should be more than enough, but... I don't know... what if I suddenly need to buy something that's $360?! What if I suddenly need a new- something or other- for my car, like right now!!! Screwed! Well, I guess that's what credit cards are for.

I'm not really broke, I have money in savings, but, even if I transfer in some money now, it won't be available for withdraw until Friday... which is when I get paid.

Sigh~ How did this happen? Well, first off, there was my GINORMOUS credit card bill from December. Thanks to the merry season of gift giving, it was seriously huge, like twice my normal balance. I thought about just paying half of it but realized that's a pretty dumb thing to do when I have the money to pay it off. Augh, I just hate writing big checks.

Then, at the end of January, I decided to put money in savings. My goal, since last year, has been to save $xxx every month. I haven't always been successful... I decided to be a little tougher on myself this year. So, even though I knew it was going to drain my checking account, I transferred my full savings goal into my savings account.

You know, now that I think about it, I kind of like having only $350 in my checking account. It forces me to evaluate every purchase. Hmm... do I really want to go out to eat? Sigh~ No... I'll just eat the left over in the fridge... grumble, grumble, grumble...

Well, "lucky" for me, after I get paid, I have to pay all of Feb. bills so I'll be right back in the same situation!

Yay.

I'm just going to stare at my savings account statement to make myself feel better.

Honestly, I Thought It Was a Dinosaur

I love my company, and I stand behind (most) of the things we sell, but I have to admit, a lot of the jewelry we sell is... hmmm... how should I phrase this... crap.

It's getting better, it really is. I'm still not a fan, but the quality has improved a lot. And, every once in awhile, we get in something really cool, like this:

It might be a bit hard to tell, but the picture is underneath this cool prismed glass.

I thought about buying it ever since we got it in, but I was hesitant. I mean, it's a bat skeleton... not the kind of thing I normally wear. Besides, though I love jewelry, especially, the big, unique pieces, I don't really wear them very often... and I'm trying to be more fiscally responsible. Then, it went on super cheap clearance. Sold!

Then pendant's pretty big, the picture is actually life sized. I thought it would turn a lot of people off but people seem to dig it, even the old ladies. It makes my inner goth girl happy.

Hearty Turkey Goulash

Jamie and I used to be big fans of this chili mac like frozen dinner thing sold by... Mama Celeste? I think that was the brand. It is some seriously good stuff. Then, one day, Jamie had the brilliant idea of making it herself by dumping some canned chili on top of cooked macaroni. It seems very "duh", but, I swear, when she first told me about it, it was like she cured cancer. The chili + macaroni was good, but not Mama Celeste good. I could never put my finger on it, maybe the beans?

Anyway, I forgot all about my beloved chili mac until I saw this recipe for Hearty Goulash! It looked so good, I had to try it.


It's a really easy recipe, and the kind that you can fool around with to suite your taste. However, a few suggestions:

1) 2lbs of ground meat is a bit too much. My meat to macaroni ratio was almost even, and that's a bit too much meat for me. Next time, I'm going with either 1.5lb, or even just 1lb.
2) I went with all turkey. Normally, I'm not a fan of ground turkey, but, in any tomato based recipe, I prefer ground turkey over ground beef. Ground beef is a bit too... meaty tasting... which is fine for burgers, but not for other things. Besides, ground turkey is softer, healthier, and cheaper.
3) The recipe doesn't specify what size cans I need to get, so, for both the diced tomato and sauce, I got the small cans, the 14oz, I believe. At times, the goulash seemed a bit dry, so I ended up having to use more than 1 cup of the vegetable juice (maybe I was suppose to get the big cans?).
4) I used regular kosher salt instead of Lawry's Season Salt (honestly, I don't even know what that is), and cayenne instead of chili powder (since I already had a jar of cayenne).

It's a good recipe and yields a lot. Which is cool, it makes good left over.

Happy New Year!!

It's February 1st, and you know what that means...

Happy New Year!!!

The retail fiscal year starts on the first Sunday of February. This way, they can capture all of the post Christmas sales results. 2008 was a very good year for me. My store was #1 in the district for % over plan (way ahead, btw). We bonused, 9 months out of the 12- which is probably more than any other store in our district. As the head manager monkey in charge, I guess I can take some credit for that...

A lot of the the times, the fiscal calendar means more to me than the regular calendar. It's more predictable and makes things easier to plan. So, even though there aren't any celebrations or good foods (that are non-Super Bowl related) it feels like New Year. And, as with the traditional New Year, it's a good time to reflect on the past, analyze it, learn from it, and make plans/goals for the future. Appraisal preparations have started at work, so I guess that will be like my work resolutions.

In my personal life, I have decided to set a goal (not a resolution) of reading all the unread books that I own. Yikes! That's a lot of books to read in one year... especially since I haven't been reading very much lately.

Right now, I'm reading The Cat Who Went Up the Creek, which is very much like the other The Cat Who... book that I read. Jamie said I was suppose to read the anthology first but I forgot, again. I'm also reading An Ice Cold Grave, which I actually borrowed from the library. As soon as I'm done with either of the books, I plan on reading A History of God. I had read about half of it years ago, and, from what I remember, it was really fascinating. However, it's been so long, I just plan on starting from the beginning.

Yay! Books! Maybe my grammar will improve with all this book reading. During middle and high school, when I read like book or two (or five) a week, my grammar was spot on. I was like a freaking copy editor. I took advanced composition for fun, 'cause I loved grammar so much. Now... yeesh... embarrassing! What happened? I don't know... Maybe I should add The Elements of Style to my reading list.

'Cause "Pennette" is Not "Penne"

I was cleaning out my pantry, and, much like my closet, I hold unto non-perishable foods simply because I had paid for it at some point. "I might eat it one day" is the same as "I might wear it some day." Purging is a lot of fun, there's this great sense of liberation and freedom. However, unlike closet purging, pantry purging comes with sense of guilt. Augh, all those food! There are starving people in Africa and I'm just throwing good food away!!!

I could, of course, donate. However, as desperate as food banks might be, in this rough economic times, I don't think they're going to accept anything that's been opened. Some of what's cluttering up my pantry are things that I've used once or twice for a recipe that I won't be making again for awhile, like a bag of peanuts that I used to make kung pao chicken. Some, much like clothes, are "What the hell was I thinking?" purchases, like angle hair pastas I hate angle hair pastas! Why did I buy so many boxes? Others are things that I bought by mistake. Whole canned salmon instead of flaked, green tea with mint instead of regular green tea. And, I'm not sure how it happened, but I somehow bought farfalle instead of penne and didn't realize it until I opened the bag.


Answer, give them away- to friends.

A few days ago, Michael and I were at Trader Joe and he was talking about how much he LOVES farfalle and peanut. I'm thinking, "Blech! I have those taking up valuable space in my pantry." Then I remembered Jamie once asked me if I wanted a bag of Liptons iced tea mix. Um... yeah! Those things are awesome and I grew up guzzling that stuff by the gallon! I realized, one person's pantry junk, is another person's pantry gold!

You hear about people throwing closet swap parties, you know, where everyone brings bags of old, unwanted clothes, and swap? D0 people do a pantry version? That would be fun.

Michael was happy to take my stuff. I mean, who says "no" to free food? Oh man... I hope I'm there to see his face when he cracks open that can of salmon!!! Have you ever opened a can of whole salmon?! I have a pretty strong stomach and I almost threw up. Now, when ever I want to make salmon cakes, I always go fresh.