Matcha!

Do you know how much matcha cost?

A lot.

The cheapest I found was $16.99 for half a pound at Amazon.

How much did I pay? Less than $4 for half a pound at Starbucks.


I would say that's about what... a short? Shorts are 8oz, which is half a pound, all for the price of a green tea frap! Last time I got about 2oz of matcha for like fifty cents but, since I'm pretty sure Starbucks would frown upon their baristas selling off their expensive powder, I didn't push it. I just went in hoping to get a clueless, but accommodating, barista, "Oh, you can just charge me for a green tea frap if you want, I don't mind..."

So... What will I do with this magical powder? Well, the green tea cupcakes were pretty good. The whipped cream is a must, though, at the moment, I don't really have anything to top.

To be honest, I'm not really in a baking mood right now so I've been mixing it into some vanilla ice cream for instant (and cheap) green tea ice cream! I wish I had some milk because I really want to mix it into warm milk. I know I said that the green tea latte was kind of meh, but, honestly, it's been on my mind a lot recently.

Thanksgiving Feast

This year, like we do every year, we went to my (second) Aunt's house in Maryland for Thanksgiving. In order to get there, we have to drive through Rt. 15 in Loudoun County. It's the more rural part of the county and the drive is normally very pleasant.


This year, the weather was very gray and gloomy.


We left around 1pm and this is what the outside looked like. It's been like this almost every day for the past three months. It reminds me of an English moor. Doesn't it look like a scene from Wutherining Heights? Actually, I have no idea what a moor is and, even though it was required reading in 10th grade, I don't really recall anything about Wuthering Heights. Still, when I think of moor, I think gray and foggy.


Trailer park!

If I could live where ever I want, I would like to live here:


It's a small house butted right up against a big hill (small mountain?). Realistically, I think I would hate living here. It's far removed from any signs of civilization (i.e. retail) and it's right on Rt. 15 which is one of those one lane road that gets way more traffic then anyone ever predicted. Still, in an imaginary world where I could afford such a house, and traffic didn't exist, and things like distance to grocery stores didn't matter, living right on the foot of a big hill, surrounded by trees, would be pretty sweet.

My Aunt lives in a very nice house and she has an amazing kitchen.


I am in love with her sink, it's so big and deep it's practically a bathtub.

The meal started off with some appetizers to snack on while we waited for everyone to arrive.


It was tempting to just fill up on snacks but I exercised some self control. I had to save lots of room for the ginormous feast.

My turkey never turns out this perfect.


Ooooh, and it was all nice and juicy inside...

I was gut busting full but I made sure to save some room for dessert!


I can't turn down brownies and apple pie, no way!

Happy B-Day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL!!!

Since his birthday fell on Turkey Day this year, his family took him out to eat last week and was kind enough to invite me along. We ate at a very good Japanese Steak House in Ashburn, Nagoya.

I had gotten in the habit of taking pictures of my meal but figured I couldn't get away with it this time; I didn't want hims parents to think I was weird. Turns out I had nothing to worry about, his dad's a bigger shutter bug than I am. As soon as I saw him taking pictures of his meal, I whipped out my camera.


A Japanese Steak House experience just isn't the same without an onion volcano.


Since Michael's parents were treating I went the cheap rout and got the chicken, plain rice, water with lemon. Everyone else splurged and got scallops, shrimps, lobster, fillet mignon, and steak.


Michael shared some of his lobster with me. It was very good, but so was my chicken.


At the end, the chef cooked up some shrimp, cut them up, and threw them at people to catch in their mouth. Guess what, I caught the one he threw at me!

WTF Were They Thinking?

I walked by the PNC bank in Reston Town Center and did a double take when I saw this:


Yes. It is a bank person working on his computer that faces into the street! Anyone walking by can see everything on that computer. It's a bank! His screen has bank account numbers, names, PIN, etc. If I had used a better setting, I could probably zoom in and read his screen. Hell, I could stand there all day and just capture sensitive information.

Note to self: Never bank with PNC.

August Purchase of the Month

August Purchase of the Month goes to...


I think I bought it in August... can't quite recall, it was a while ago.

But yes, my orange boyfriend cardigan from H&M is my favorite cardigan of the moment. How did I live this long without an orange cardigan?

I've found that the items that I was hesitant about purchasing end up being my favorite. I will have to remember this. There's a pair of gray skinny pants that I am hesitant about buying, I think that means I should buy it. Come to think of it, I am a big fan of gray and orange paired together.

There's also this yellow Hello Kitty shirt... No. No! No. More. Hello. Kitty!!!


But... but... It's the 35th Anniversary Hello Kitty! Oooh, and check out the non- cap sleeves! I like longer sleeved short sleeves.

Last Year's August POM was my camera. I Still carry it with me where ever I go.

RIP: Cat Soap Dispenser

I like cats, and my bathroom reflects that love.


This has been my soap dispenser for like five years but it's time to say good bye. The pump has been broken for quite some time now and I finally got tired of having to manually pump it up and down. It's cool, it's not really going anywhere. Maybe I'll find a new pump. Maybe I'll just unscrew the top and use it as a vase.

Say hello to my new soap dispenser:


It's made of plastic but that's cool, it was only like $4 at Target. It came, pre-filled, with this glittery, pink, bubble gum smelling "soap" that I dumped out because it didn't foam.

More Money More Problems

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about what I would do if I came to $5,000,000.

If this ever happens, I think that I will most likely stick it in an savings account and just live off the interest. Currently, ING offers a pitiful 1.3% APY. Still, 1.3% of 5 Million is still $65,000, more then enough to live off of, especially if I continue to work, which I plan on doing.

The smart thing to do would be to invest it in something with a higher rate of return, which I will probably do, but I don't have a lot of experience investing so it's kind of hard for me to plan how I would invest this fictional money.

Now, what I've been really thinking about are the moral obligations that would come with sudden wealth. How much, if any, should I give to my family? I'm not talking fun gift money. If I came to a large amount of money, all my friends and family will be getting some, "Yay! I'm rich now! Here's few thousands of dollars!!!" money. I'm talking like serious money giving.

For example: I think, that as a loving, rich, childless aunt, the right thing to do would be to pay for my nephew's college. However, what if he grows up to be like his dad?! What if he grows up to be a racist, homophobic, sexist, and classist? I think I would still help him with college in hopes that he will learn to not be a judgmental douche in a more liberal environment but what he wants to go to some super conservative religious place like Patrick Henry?!?! What if his sister (my future niece) is the opposite and she's more tolerant. I can't just pay for one's education and not the other, that's going to create all kinds of family drama.

What if his parents are like, "Dude! Our kid's college are paid for! So, instead of channeling that "extra" money into (finally) creating a retirement fund, or paying down our mortgage, or investing it for the future in any way shape or form, let's just go on more vacations and buy new cars more often! Yay!!!"

Dude! I'm not paying for your kids to go to college so you can go to Disney World more often! PUT THAT MONEY TOWARDS YOUR RETIREMENT OR I SWEAR TO GOD YOUR KID WILL HAVE TO GO ON FINANCIAL AID!!! I can't really say that, can I? It'll just build bad vibes between us. She's a grown up, you don't tell grown ups what to do with their money... or do you?

Another conundrum: My family is not so good at financial planning. No one's like a paycheck away from being homeless but my brother and I are the only ones with any kind of retirement planning. I just see them making dumb purchases or dumb moves and I'm just like, "Dude... really?" So, my question is this... If their poor financial planning finally bites them in the ass, should I bail them out? If I am in the position to alleviate a lot of their financial stress, should I? I love them, my family's awesome, so yes, of course I want to help them out. But, on the other hand, if I just keep bailing them out and they keep messing up, what's the point?

On the other hand... How can I say "no" to family?

Hmmm... Being (fictionally) rich is kind of stressful.

Another Starbucks Post

Oh Cascade Starbucks... What fond memories I have... Hundreds of hours were probably spent at that place, it was my go to hang out spot. I haven't been there very often since I moved to Ashburn but it still holds a fond place in my heart. So, imagine my shock and awe when I went in one day and saw this:


!!!

OMG! The remodeled!!


I'm not sure if I like the new look. It kind of reminds me of a cafeteria.


I do like the new, secluded area, however.


I also like the new, lower, hand off area.


Wait... are those giant holes in the butt of that dude's pants? Seriously?

Starbucks

This is the Starbucks inside Dulles Town Center Mall in Dulles (aka Sterling) Virginia (VA).


It is, by far, without a doubt, one of the absolute worst Starbucks I have ever been to. I stopped going there about a month after they opened and, when I worked at that mall, every time a customer asked me if we had a Starbucks my answer was, "Well yes, but they will ruin your day. I recommend you to go Nordstrom's instead, they're much nicer over there."

So, one day, someone was sharing their Dulles Town Center Mall Starbucks experience and it was so horrifyingly WRONG that I felt compelled to write in and complain.

For my time and trouble, I got two free drink coupons.

Well, if I'm getting drinks for free, I wanted to try something new and, since I love the unsweetened green tea frappacino (tastes like green tea ice cream!) Michael suggested the green tea latte.


Oooooh....
Pretty? Absolutely. Delicious? Um...

It's basically milk with macha powder. Served cold, like as a frappacino, it's great. Served hot, like with steamed milk, it... Kind of tastes like seaweed. It wasn't horrible, I did end up drinking the entire thing, but it's not anything I would ever pay to drink.

If you are in the Sterling/Ashburn area and you want a good Starbucks experience, I highly recommend the one in Broadland. The folks there are always very nice, friendly, and they have excellent drink quality.

The Melting Pot

Since Michael's birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year, we decided to celebrate early. What did he want for his birthday? A dinner at The Melting Pot!

I haven't been there is almost (over?) ten years and Michael has never been.

We started the night with an artichoke dip fondue:


It came with breads, apples, vegetables, and chips.


The dip was a bit salty, but good.

Afterwards, we had the spinach, mushroom, bacon salad with red onions and a light vinaigrette.


It was, by far, one of the best salad I have ever had.

Our main course consisted of shrimp, bratwurst, ravioli, chicken, lobster tail, filet mignon, and steak marinated in wine.


We chose the oil option and it came with all kinds of dips, batters, and vegetables (the potatoes took forever to cook, by the way).


My favorite was the chicken, though the filet mignon was awesome.

For dessert we had the dark chocolate fondue with caramel and pecans.


Mmmm~ The banana were unbelievably good with the chocolate!

We chose the Big Night Out option, which came with the all of the above for just $88. Was it all worth $88? Probably not. However, it was something new and different. Besides, we had a lot of fun cooking our own food and we left very full. It's not something I'd want to do often but once every decade or so? Definitely.

Money Rambling

I haven't made any payments on my car in... Well, I didn't pay last month, and my car payment is due pretty soon and I haven't made payment on it... Yet?... I don't know that I will.

I'm not being a dead beat. My car is paid off so far in advance that I can go a few months without payment. It was my little emergency insurance, you know, in case I get fired or loose all my money or a sudden, unexpected HUGE bill lands inside my mail box.

That really did happen, by the way, the huge bill thing. Last month I opened a letter from the state (oops, the Commonwealth) of Virginia and discovered that I made a very expensive mistake back in 2006 and I owed a lot of money in back taxes or unpaid taxes or whatever. Thank God for savings, right?

Speaking of savings... My poor savings account. It hasn't been fed since the end of October. I figured there's no point in depositing money only to withdraw it to pay for my tax mistake. I just paid the tax mistake in lieu of saving. Now, with December right around the corner (eeeep!!!) I am going to have all kinds of expense (Christmas, birthdays, an anniversary...) so I don't think I'll be able to save anything. There's no point in putting money into my savings account and charging the gifts on my card.

Back to the car...

I (only?) owe like $3,000 on it now. I can pay it off or continue to make payments. I want to pay it off and just get it over with but I also like seeing a large balance when I check my savings. Oh, what to do! What to do? I think I'll just make a $1,000 payment. It doesn't make any sense, what so ever, but... I don't know... It's illogical but I will feel accomplished at making a big dent on my car debt and still maintain a decent savings amount.

Ugh! I just realized something... I'm due for an oil change soon and I just know they're going to tell me that I need new tires and possibly new brakes. That's going to be super expensive but, with my commute being what they are and the weather about to turn all snowy and nasty, I don't know that I can afford not to get new tires and brakes. Maybe I'll only pay $500 towards my car.

Oh, that reminds me, I should probably put the new County sticker on my windshield. I've had it for ages but never bothered 'cause it's such a pain to scrape off the old one and put in the new. Where is my new county sticker?

Rice Cakes!

In Korea, this is what we consider "rice cakes",


which is very different from what most Americans consider as rice cakes:

We have something similar, but they're bigger, flatter, lighter, and more delicious. They are subtly sweet without any fake flavoring added.

Oh, we have dessert rice cakes as well!


I'm guessing Korea didn't grow wheat or something back in the day because all traditional desserts are made with either rice flour or straight up rice (sweetened with honey, red beans, sesame seeds, and or dried fruits). While European cakes aim to be light and airy, Korean desserts aim to be dense and kind of... Well, I want to say glutenous but aren't gluten found in wheat? But, you know what I'm trying to say, right? Kind of like chewy, unctuous, rice-ish...

Oh! Speaking of rice desserts... So one day I went to Grand Mart, an international grocery store, to buy a 20lb bag of rice. I wasn't paying attention and ended up buying a 20lbs of sweet rice. It was a mistake I did not realize until I ripped open the bag and thought, "Huh! Some thing's not quite right. These rice looks a little funny..." Now, I'm not too sure what sweet rice is, or how it's different from regular rice, but my mom tells me that no, no I cannot use them for like normal food. Well shoot! What am I suppose to do with 20lbs of sweet rice?

Anyway... Back to the other kind of rice cakes!


They are sold frozen at most international grocery stores and they are SUPER handy. Koreans throw them in all kinds of ramen, stews, and soups. They are an absolute must in dumpling soups. Rice cakes are also sold in like a cylinder, bar like form and can be used in tuhkbokki.


It is hot! If made properly it is spicy, sweet, and just a wee bit sea food-ish at once. It's usually served with some sort of fish stock broth (with fish cakes) and, when I was a child, I would swish the rice cakes in the broth to make it less spicy.

Recently, I re-discovered another awesome way to enjoy rice cakes!


Just lightly fry them, sprinkle them with sugar and BAM! Awesome! It's crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside... Mmmm~ The only catch is that you have to eat them immediately because they get hard pretty quickly. That's not really a problem for me.

Vodka Shrimp & Spinach

Screw the unfamiliar!

After two, not so awesome, new recipes, I decided to make something tried and true: shrimp + some kind of red sauce + pasta + vegetables= Maybe good, definitely not gross.

Wegmans has their own cooking magazine, Menu that comes to my house like every quarter. It's a pretty decent cooking magazine but the recipes are a hit or miss. Sometimes you'll find great, easy, cheap (ish) ones, other times it's a total fail. The recipes often calls for Wegman exclusive stuff (like Food You Feel Good About: Chef's Creation Special Red Pepper Sauce) and the ingredients adds up to like $40 per dish. Of course, that's the whole point of the magazine, to get people like me to buy their overpriced, pre-packaged, convenience ingredients, like Food You Feel Good About Cleaned & Cut Mirepoix.


And, of course, people like me buy them because, really, who has the time to chop up all those celery, onion, and carrots? Besides, the cost ends up being pretty much the same and I don't have to feel bad for having left over carrots and celery rotting away in my fridge.

My biggest complaint about the magazine is, as far as Wegmans is concerned, there are only two countries in this entire Earth: Italy and Asia (where, much like Sarah Palin and Africa, Wegmans seems to think Asia is a country and not a continent). Sure, who doesn't love Italian and Asian cuisine? Still... Geez! Instead of just recycling the same old recipe a bunch of times, how about expanding out and trying new things for once? How many different variation of vodka, shrimp, and pasta can you feature?

Several. And now we have the Vodka Shrimp & Spinach!


This is similar to how Wegmans' Menu presented it in their magazine, you know, with the sauce and pasta side by side (except, of course their dish looked way more professional and delicious) so I thought I would give it a try. I don't recommend serving the actual dish that way. First off, it looks like TV dinner and secondly, it is really messy and hard to mix it all up.

Oh, but when you do...


It is all kinds of good and delicious!

The recipe called for 1 pkg (12.5 oz) Italian Classics Angel Hair Pasta Nests (Dairy Dept), cooked per pkg directions but screw that! First off, 12.5 oz of their pasta nests costs like $2.75 and I hate angle hair pasta. Instead, I bought their 16oz $1 box of spaghetti. I also skipped the basting oil part (though, their basting oil is pretty darn good, esp. when roasting vegetables). Oiling up your pasta just prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta and who wants that? The recipe also calls for baby zucchini but I just used the regular kind.

Vodka Shrimp and Spinach
Yields: 4

1 pkg (12.5oz) Italian Classics Angle Hair Pasta Nests, cooked per pkg directions
1 Tbsp Wegmans Basting Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 TBSP olive oil, divided
1 bag (16 oz) Food You Feel Good About Raw Peeled and Deveined Shrimp (41-50 count), thawed
1 pkg (8oz) Food You Feel Good About Cleaned & Cut Mirepoix (Diced Vegetables)
1/2 cup white wine
1 jar (16.5oz) Italian Classics Vodka Sauce
1 pkg (8oz) baby zucchini, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds
1 pkg (6oz) Food You Feel Good About Baby Spinach
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (I skipped this because pine nuts are kind of expensive)

Toss cooked pasta with basting oil in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat 2 TBSP of olive oil in medium skillet on HIGH, until oil faintly smokes. Add shrimp; cook, stirring continually, until shrimp reaches 120 degrees, about 1 min. Remove from pan; set aside.

Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Add remaining 1 TBSP olive oil to pan; add mirepoix. Cook, stirring, about 4 min until soft but not browned. Stir in whine; simmer 5 min, until liquids are reduced by one-third.

Add vodka sauce. Rinse sauce jar with about 1/4 cup water; add this liquid to pan. Simmer 3-4 min. Add zucchini; simmer 2 min. Return shrimp to pan, simmer 1-2 min to heat. Add baby spinach; cook until wilted, about 30 seconds.

Serve over pasta. Garnish with a sprinkle of pin nuts.

Hair Fail

I have a secret. I get my hair cut at Hair Cuttery.

Shocking, I know! I work/worked with people who consider Chipotle to be fine cuisine but, tell them you spend less than $50 to get your hair cut and- OMG! How ghetto! How sad! Why not just let blind monkeys weed whack my hair?

I won't bore you with my hair issues but, suffice to say, I have never walked away from a salon happy. So, since I'm just as happy with a $16 hair cut as I would with a $45 hair cut (which, I think, is the most I've ever paid for a hair cut), why pay $30 more?

Besides, the Hair Cuttery stylists are actually very nice and more then qualified to cut my hair.

Recently, I got my hair cut by June, the stylist who cut my hair last time (back in June...). She started asking me questions about what I want, only, I didn't really care so I was all like, "Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that's fine. Layers? Sure, why not!"

That's how I ended up looking like a J Rock front man.


Okay, it's not that bad, my hair is longer and my bangs are shorter. Still, I feel kind of goofy. Whatever, it's hair, it'll grow. I did, however, dye my hair dark to lesson the J Rock feel.

All in all, after tip, I paid $26 for this hair cut. I really liked June, she was nice. She put a lot of effort into my cut, it's not her fault I feel kind of dumb with my new cut. I'm the one who "Uh-huh, sure, yeah, okay"-ed to all the layers. Plus, she actually styled my hair a bit and taught me how to make my hair not look like shit.

Not that it matters, mind you. She kept insisting, "You have to blow dry it, like this. See! It's easy!" She was horrified when I told her that I just wash and go. "No. No. No. No hair cut will look good without some work. Hair always looks better if you style it." Well, yes, I know, but I don't really have the time... 'Cause I like to sleep... And, um...

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't own a blow drier.

Chicken Fail

I have several cook books, a subscription to a cooking magazine (thank you Jamie!), and a file folder an inch thick full of recipes (not to mention the entire Internet). And yet, I grow bored and uninspired with dinner.

It's mostly my fault, I'm kind of picky, choosy, and leery of unfamiliar ingredients. Tilapia? Leek? Fennel? Cornish hen? I am all for trying new food, I really am... If it's free. My grocery budget is pretty bloated as is, I can't really afford to waste money on things that may or may not turn out well (beets?!).

While I have found several winning recipes, I always want to try something new. I don't have the time to cook very often, I don't want to waste an opportunity on something I've tried before. So, on my quest for something familiar (chicken) yet different (nothing centered around pastas, tomatoes, or lemon) I found a recipe for this:


Curry Yogurt Marinated Chicken.

Oooh, isn't it pretty? Doesn't it look like those perfectly marinated and grilled chickens from those kebab stores?

Oh if only it tasted as good as it looked!

The chicken was very, very bland. The recipe recommended marinating the chicken for 8 hours (or was it 12? 24?) but it didn't say I had to. I figured 4 hours was plenty. Well, turns out it wasn't.

Oh well. The good thing about chicken is that you can't really fuck up chicken.

Best Thing Ever

Have you tried the new Starbucks Via? It's pretty good. It's not, you know, good as their real coffee- No, wait, strike that. I'm not a big fan of Starbucks' drip coffee, though, I will gladly pick Starbucks over... well, pretty much any other places that sells drip except Nordstrom Cafe. Have you tried Nordstrom Cafe's drip? It's the best. It actually tastes like coffee (unlike say, Duncan Donuts) without that "burnty" taste (like Starbucks) and none of that gross, acidic, bitter after taste like everywhere else (except Starbucks).

But yes, Via is a pretty solid replacement for "real" coffee. It tastes like coffee, it doesn't taste burnt, and there's no gross after taste. There is something kind of... off about it, but nothing off putting. When I travel again, I will be sure to take some Via's with me because you would think that Starbucks is everywhere, but it's not. There have definitely been some times during vacations when I was just really struggling and dying for a decent cup of coffee.

Michael got me a packet of Via recently and when he told me that it dissolves in easily in cold liquid, I immediately thought of making...


COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM!!!

Oh my goodness, it is so freaking delicious!

You just take some whipping cream, whip it a bit, add some confectioner sugar and Via, whip it some more, and voila!

Creating flavored whipped cream is so fun.

Chocolate Chip Scones

"Oh, it's really good. I've just never had one so... um... crunchy before."

Are scones suppose to be soft? It's been awhile, so I can't recall if they're suppose to be soft and kind of cakey or hard and flaky. Well, mine turned out hard and flaky but it was still very, very delicious. After I took them out of the oven, I discovered a fly buzzing around in the kitchen. My sister taught me to never cover fresh out of the oven baked goods. If you trap the heat being released it will make your baked goods sticky. So, what did I do?

I stuck it back in the oven. In hindsight killing the fly would have been a smarter idea but I have this... unusual way of killing flies and it's a method that I did not want to deploy with food out in the open. Besides, I suspected the scones were slightly undercooked so, a few extra minutes in the oven wouldn't hurt it, right?

Well, hard or soft, it tasted damn good and that's all that matters in the end.

Scones, believe it or not, aren't very good for you. Do you know what goes into a batch of scones?


TWO sticks of butter!

I use so much butter in my cooking, I've become kind of immune to butter shock. A part of me still believes that, in some way, butter is good for you. I mean, it comes from milk. How bad can it be? However, even I had to pause a bit. Two sticks?!

Oh, it gets worse... The recipe also calls for:


A whole cup of heavy whipping cream!

Oh, and let's not forget the 1/3 cup of sugar (which, actually, is pretty conservative for a baked good) and all the chocolate chips.

It's cool though, 'cause, here's how I turned it healthy. I substituted 1 cup of white flour for wheat flour! Oh, and I used raw sugar instead of white sugar. I don't think raw sugar is better in anyway than white but I like to think it is because it's brown. I didn't have much of a choice since I ran out of regular sugar. Since raw sugar isn't as sweet as white, I dusted the end result with some confectioner sugar.


Ta da! The picture was after I took a bite out of the corner.

Let's see... whole wheat... lots of dairy... It's the perfect breakfast!

Scones
Yieds: 16 large scones

4.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
2 sticks (1/2 lb) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
chocolate chips (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the pinch of salt and mix well. Add the butter and cut it into the flour using 2 knives, a fork, or your fingertips. The finished mixture should resemble coarse meal. Alternately, you can use a food processor to cut the butter into the flour mixture. If you do, transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl before proceeding. Using a fork, gently mix in the heavy cream until the mixture comes together to form a dough. (Add a drop more cream or milk if it seems too dry.) Add chocolate chip, if desired. Pat the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Pat each half into a circle about 8 inches in diameter and 3/4 inches thick. Cut each circle into 8 equal wedges and set on a cookie sheet. In a small bowl, beat together the egg with the 1/4 cup of milk. Brush this mixture (called "egg wash") on top of each scone. Sprinkle with some of the remaining sugar. Set the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown and risen, 12 to 18 minutes. If you are not sure if they are done, sacrifice one by splitting it in half. Serve warm.

Book Mark Clean Out

Today sucked, and yet, I am in a good mood. I'm just not going to think too much about what my boss said to me, because, if I did, I think I will just get angry. I don't know, maybe it just came out wrong or whatever, but still. Anyway, yes. Bad day. However, I'm in a good mood. So, while I distract myself with some video games and not think about what Erich said, here are some articles you can read.

Wake n' Bacon- Oh. My. Goodness! This is what I want for Christmas.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread- Summer is long over but I'll keep this recipe on file to try next year.

In McDonald's New Japanese Ad Campaign, The Wacky Foreigner Joke's on Americans- I wouldn't go as far as to say it's karma payback. As far as disparaging stereotypes go, it's pretty lame. They should've made the guy have a giant beer gut, but I guess McDonald's wouldn't want fat equated with their brand.

Happy September + The Countryside- I have always wanted to buy a farm house on a huge plot of land on the hills of the Shenandoah. If I ever do, this is what I want the interior to look like.

Beautiful Berlin Apartment- Dude! I want a blue fridge!

7 Beloved Celebrities and the Awful Shit You Forgot They Did- Tim Allen was a crack dealer?

Attention: Deep Fried Butter Exists- AUGH! I love butter, and I love fried but... ew!

Arkansas Family Prepares for Baby No. 19- You know, I've seen their show on TLC and I feel like I shouldn't like them but... I don't know, there's just something about that family. They seem so, I don't... nice. They're just like, "This is who we are and this is what works for us."


Like Hotcakes- Oooh... Want! The rings aren't made in my size but the necklaces on their site are gorgeous.

Birds on the Wires- Nature writes a pretty song.

Tiny Bicycle-Towed House is Self-Sufficient- Wouldn't your head get really hot in that dome? And, what is the kitty liter for?...

This made me sad.

T.G.I. Thursday- Yes! Yes! Yes! I am all for a four day weekday!!! This will lessen my commute on Friday and increase my sales overall because, what do Americans do on their day off? Shop!

Why I Like to Hire Ugly People- Uh..., Okay, first off, I don't think any burrito girl was hitting on him because, even with hair, he's pretty ugly. Secondly... Uh... Has he ever worked with an ugly person with low confidence? It can cause all kinds of drama.

Salmon Fillet with Mustard Sauce

I am a pretty squeamish cook. I don't like pulling giblets out of the turkey and I've never had to skin, behead or gut anything. If I were born a generation ago on a farm, I would be a vegetarian because there's just no way... No... Not going to happen. I like my meat in non-animal looking fillets or steaks.

So, imagine my horror when I bought a big fillet of salmon and the bottom looked like this:


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

The colors were all kinds of silver-grey metallic pretty but, oh my goodness... Oh, and who knew that fish skins were so thick and so hard to remove? I certainly didn't.

The result, however, was beautiful:


Mmmmm~ Ain't it pretty? Wouldn't it taste so good with some wasabi and soy sauce?

The plan was to make Salmon Fillet with Mustard Sauce.


It's been so long since I had cooked salmon I had forgotten that I'm not really a fan. And, fish and mustard? What was I thinking? Why did I even think that would taste good? I wasn't a fan but other folks really liked it. So, if you like salmon, and you like tangy mustard, I suggest you give it a go.

Salmon Fillet with Mustard Sauce
Yields: 4

Four 6oz salmon fillets (1.5 lbs total)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
flour for dredging
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup fish or chicken stock
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup heavy cream (aka whipping cream)

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and dredge in flour to lightly coat. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Place the flour-coated salmon in the hot oil and saute until golden, about 3 minutes. Turn over the fillets and saute until the second side is nicely browned. Remove the salmon from the pan and discard the oil.

Add the butter to the pan with the wine and set the medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a simmer, add the Dijon mustard, stock and lemon juice. Continue cooking, always stirring, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the heavy cream, stirring constantly, and bring up to a simmer. Return the salmon to the pan and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the fillets, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.