Couscous and Squash

Many thanks to Michael for introducing me to couscous! I first heard of couscous back in elementary school. I was watching that movie where The Chipmunks travel around the world in a balloon. The Chipmunks were in the Mediterranean and Theodore couldn't get his couscous and I wondered, "What are couscous?" I really loved that movie growing up. I wonder if I'll find it incredibly racist and offensive now. That movie had the best sound track. Youtube won't let me embed but Girls/Boys of Rock and Roll is pretty amazing.

Oh, but back to couscous... So yes, cheap, fast, and easy. Throw some grilled veggies on top and BAM!


If you need a recipe to use up all those zucchinis growing in your back yard, this would be it!

Couscous and Squash

Finely shred peel from 1 lime; set aside for couscous. Whisk juice from the lime, plus juice from a second lime with 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each cumin, salt, and pepper. Cut 2 zucchini and/or yellow squash and 1 red onion into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut 1 small head of cauliflower into 4 equal slices. Brush vegetables with some of the lime olive oil. Grill, uncovered, directly over medium heat until crisp-tender; carefully turning once with a wide metal spatula (5 minutes for zucchini; 10 to 12 minutes for onion and cauliflower. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup couscous, as package directs, with the shredded lime peel stirred in. Serve vegetables over couscous. Drizzle with the remaining lime olive oil and top with parsley.

It was nice to eat a vegan meal but, couldn't help but think that some grilled steak...


...would make it so much better... Maybe next time!

Why Isn't Fox News All Over This?

Sleep has been on the news a lot lately. Or, to be more specific, the dire consequence of people who work on little sleep has been on the news a lot lately. There were those air control people, that bus driver guy who killed four people near Richmond... The finding that like half of all Metro drivers are sleep deprived... and so on and so on.

The consequence of chronic sleep deprivation is dire and it's linked to everything from weight gain to early death. It's proven that sleep deprivation is similar to being drunk and I believe it. When I don't get enough sleep I'm sluggish, I slur, I'm not focused, and I don't really care... about a whole lot... I get sloppy. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

You know who doesn't get a whole lot of sleep? The President. When something big happens on the other side of the world he has to wake up and deal with it. And, you know, something big happens on the other side of the world all the time. Have you seen him give a speech recently? The dude looks worn out and you can tell by the way he talks that he's gotten like three hours of sleep. Is anyone else concerned that the man deciding the fate of our nation is, scientifically, "drunk" all the time? He's out there making critical decisions even though his mental acuity isn't quite at a 100%. Does he not love this nation enough to be well rested? What kind of respect is he showing his position? We've all had bosses, peers, and subordinate who came to work on little sleep and you have to pick up their slack. It's a pain!

I think we as a nation should demand that our President is always well rested; we deserve nothing less. The course of our nation depends on it!

Bookmark Clean Out

I'm off!

The kitchen's looking a little gross and there are all these little flying things around the house... And ants, of course, I'm always battling ants. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. I've been told that cockroaches and ants are natural sworn enemies so if you have one, it means you don't have the other. I'll take ants over cockroaches any day! Still, this does not mean I should encourage any bugs to take residence in my residence. So, this means that I'll be spending my day off cleaning and straightening and doing the laundry, again. But you know, I don't mind, don't mind at all. I actually kind of like cleaning. I like maintaining my possessions, it validates my consumerism. It's why it takes me so long to clean, I can't ever just wipe things down and put them away I have to admire them, try them on, read them, try to find the other thing that goes with them, find a new place for them, etc.

Anyway, while I sweep up the floor and put things away here are some articles you can read!

How to Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint- My sister suggested I paint my paint my fridge with chalk board paint. Interesting idea...

Spring Forward with Handmade Pillows From Sukan Art- Well no, I would not pay for these pillows, as cute as they are. However, it gets me thinking... Even with my very rudimentary sewing skills I know I could make most of them. All I need is some felt, fabric scraps, and, oh yeah, free time. Hmm... The last one might be a challenge.

How To: Make an Inexpensive, DIY Reed Diffuser- I bought a $5 diffuser from Walmart and hated it. Of course, it was a $5 diffuser from Walmart. I might try this; I love the smell of roses.

A Glossary of Rose Fragrances- Oh well hey, speaking of roses...

Romanian Woman, 23, is World's Youngest Granny- OMG! Well, you know, at least her husband was roughly the same age as her; don't know about her daughter's husband... I once read that the average age of a grandmother in the US was like 44 or something, that seemed pretty young to me. The youngest mother in history, in case you're wondering, was 5 years old.

'60s & '50s Motel Room Post Cards- I have a craving to watch some Dragnet now.

Learning to Love Food You Hate- Had cauliflower for the first time recently. Never gave it a try because I'm totally unfair and judge food by appearance. There is nothing that looks appetizing about a cauliflower. It either looks like some foamy mold growing in some dank dark corner or a Bunnicula victim.

Invasion of the Harry Hunters- Dear Taylor McKinley, why in the world would you agree to be interviewed as a disillusioned gold digger who abstained from dating in high school to "hold out for royalty"? Pray tell what kind of royalty did you think you would find in Northern Virginia? Oops, sorry, Chesapeake Virginia (discovered via facebook). That's even worse! At least NoVa is near DC. Personally, instead of obsessing over royalty in HS, you should have studied harder. Not too many royalties send their kids to George Mason, should've gone for an Ivy school, you know?

6 Important Things You Didn't Know We're Running Out Of- Nothing like a humor blog to make you feel depressed. They didn't mention bananas, tunas, and tigers. Awww, tigers, I will miss you.

Nintendo Duck Hunt Art Bomb- WANT! So clever, wish I could think of stuff like that.

15 Lovely Alcove "Bedrooms"- I've always had a fascination with small intimate spaces. When I was little I had a picture book of giant stories (that is, stories about giants). I don't recall any of the stories but I do recall a picture of a little boy who had a bed in an alcove and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

Make Your Own Easy Eco Hair Treatment- I often have over ripe bananas lying around. I'll have to try this the next time one gets too black.

Fairy Tale Cottages- The one almost completely covered in foliage just looks gross, think of the bugs!!! The white one looks too much like a face, creepy. But this one...


It's perfect!

Saturday Throwback: Five Nonfiction Books for the Frugal Foodie- Michael is really getting into food. If he could just learn some basic techniques he would be a regular foodie. He loves watching anything Chef Ramsey (I have a soft spot for Master Chef myself) and Jamie Oliver (and as someone once pointed out to me, yeah, he does seem a bit chunky himself). Maybe I'll pick these up for him. In Defense of Food is a great book and I can honestly say that Fast Food Nation changed how I eat and Alton Brown taught me how to not suck at cooking.

Beef with Peppers- Oooh, I picked up some beef on sale the other day.

Mid-Century Wall Flower- Yup, yup, yup. I was definitely born in the wrong decade. Well, I mean in terms of hygiene and science and technology and you know, social awareness and equality, I'm glad I was born in this decade but for everything else...

American Eagle Stole My Identity

This is the story of how American Eagle violated ethics and lost a customer.

Yesterday I went into American Eagle to return a shirt that I had purchased the day before. I am outside of their target demographic range but they sell thin, slouchy sweaters and shirts that I find comfortable and, if on sale, are at a good price.

Every time I shop someone asks me if I want to sign up for their membership program. I've considered it (since I do like their shirts and undies) but have always refused since I don't shop there that often (just a handful a year) and no one has ever taken their time to explain the benefits of their membership program.

So yesterday I am at the Tyson's Corner location to return a shirt. The girl asks me for my driver's licenses. I'm in retail so I know that collecting addresses for returns is the norm and it's for loss prevention purposes, not marketing, so I didn't mind, even though I knew that technically she couldn't ask me to show ID to complete a transaction. Whatever, she's young, it's busy and loud, it's just easier to ask for ID.

BIG MISTAKE!

After the transaction is over the girl hands me a membership card and walks to the back. I am stunned. What is this? Then, anger slowly surfaces as I realize that she had signed me up to their program without asking me first. I was outraged! I asked to speak to a manager, some thin scared looking kid named Jacoban or Joban or something. I told him that I did not appreciate being signed up to their program without permission. He completely missed the point and told me that it's not a big deal because it's not a credit card and that I can just throw it away if I want. I told him that's beside the point and that what I am unhappy about is the fact that they took my personal information and used it without my permission. He informed me that it's just what they do and they do it to everyone. I told him that I've shopped, and returned, items at different location and this has never happened before. He just stuttered something about how it's not a big deal and I can just throw the card away if I don't want it.

Ugh, I hate people that lie to me. Maybe all the teen customers they usually deal with buy that crap but I'm not idiot! He could have made this whole thing go away with just a simple apology but no, he had to lie.

Now, as retail manager who has worked for companies that offered incentive programs I know the pressure to meet/exceed goal is HUGE and, at times, oppressive but there is NO excuse for what they did. Beside violating consumer rights they're also cheating, and I hate cheaters.

And the great big irony in all this is that their rewards program isn't half bad. Had anyone in that company actually taken 30 seconds to explain the reward structure I would have signed up. It would probably have been more out of sympathy than anything else (like I said, I know how the pressure feels). But no. Instead of doing their stupid job and explaining the benefits like I'm sure they were trained to do they decided to cheat and steal my identity. I am pissed.

The very least of what I expect and want is an apology from that manager dude who lied to me. I want him say, "I'm sorry we were acting unethically to meet our goal. It is NOT our policy to sign customers up without permission. I am very sorry that I lied to you by telling you that is our policy." I don't think that's asking for too much.

Still Tired!

Ta Da! This is the picture of the first cauliflower I've ever had. It was taken about a week ago.

Michael cleaned out the fridge and learned something that I've known for awhile now; we waste a lot of food. He's committed to eating every thing we buy so I am curious to see what he will do with the rest of the giant cauliflower head that he bought. He's thinking mashed cauliflower. I'm thinking that doesn't sound too good...

We've been pretty good about cutting down on processed food and eating more vegetables. We're eating healthier than ever but I feel worse than I've ever felt before. My hair looks hideous; it's this weird combination of dry and oily. My skin looks horrible, all sallow and life less. People are always asking me if I'm doing okay or why I look so sad. It must be all the stress and lack of sleep.

But, tomorrow I am off!

I need to stop using work as an excuse for why I never get anything done. Sure, the commute is brutal and work is stressful but other people have aggressive jobs and still manage to see their friends, pick up a hobby, keep their house clean, etc. Starting tomorrow I will find ways to lead a normal life. Maybe read a book or two, write a letter to a friend, actually call and talk to someone instead of just shooting off short texts. I think I'll be happier and more alert if I make some time for myself.

Leather!

I really like the look of woven leather. Bottega Veneta bags are gorgeous but waaaay outside of my price range. Even "inspired" pieces, on sale, are a bit cost prohibitive. Cost aside, as much as I love the woven look, I don't think they are right for me. It's easy to snag a loose weave, especially if you're as rough on your bag as I am. Still, I've been wanting something leather and woven for a long time now which is why I got so excited when I found this:


I needed a new wristlet and this is the perfect size! It looks like this (only not gold).


It's the perfect size for all my cards and receipts. If I take all of my discount/membership cards I can even fit my phone in there. The leather is very soft and I just want to pet it. Sorry if that came across weird, I just really love the feel of soft leather.

Speaking of small leather goods I want to pet, I also picked up a business card holder.


Was it needed? Of course not, but organization is important for a professional women, no? I don't get asked for my card too often but when I like handing them a crisp new card out of a case rather then a dinged up one that I found hanging out on the bottom of the bag or in some far dusty corner of the desk.

Oh small leather goods... it's an addiction and a sickness.

Stir Fry!

Michael and I have re-committed ourselves to cooking more at home! Right now it's not so much for health or budgetary reasons. For me, it's about diversity. Even though Eastern Loudoun County is full of restaurants there aren't a whole lot of variety. One Italian restaurant is the same as other.

Now, I know stir fry is not a unique dish but it was new to me- not eating, of course, but making.


I've made pre-packaged stir fry before but I've never made my own sauce. Once you master a few sauces a whole world of diversity opens up to you because you can take that sauce and put it just about everything. This stir fry sauce is kind of vinegary and tastes good on vegetables.

Stir Fry Your Own Way
(from the April '11 All You Magazine)

1.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 TBSP cider vinegar
.5 TBSP light soy sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP canola oil (though I prefer sesame oil)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups of your favorite vegetables (broccoli cut into bite-size pieces, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red bell peppers, chopped onion or thin green beans)
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 8-oz can pineapple chunks, canned in juice, drained, optional (which I skipped)
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 TBSP cold water
2 cups cooked brown rice or whole-grain noodles (I just went with white rice)

Preheat a wok or a large skillet on low. In a bowl, combine chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar. Turn heat up to high. Pour in 1 TBSP canola oil and, once hot,, add half of chicken and saute until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Repeat with .5 TBSP. oil and remaining chicken.

Add vegetables and 1.5 TBSP oil to wok; saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute.

Return chicken to wok; add pineapple, if desired. Pour in chicken broth mixture and stir well. Add cornstarch and stir until sauce thickens and becomes shiny. Serve over brown rice or whole-grain noodles.

Nature Break!

The weather has been pretty nice these past few days and recently Michael and I did something that is pretty out of character for us, we went for a walk. There's a trail that leads by our house and it takes us unto some pretty nice areas.


I used to be one of those kids who ran played outside, every day, from right when I got home from school to when it got too dark to see. Not too sure what happened but right around middle school I started to spend more and more time inside and now... I mean, I'm not saying I hate the outside, nature is beautiful, but I prefer to be inside. I think I would enjoy the outdoors if it weren't for bugs. I don't recall there being so many bugs when I was younger.

People say I need to be more spontaneous and romantic with Michael; I'm sure he'll agree. If the weather stays nice I think it would be fun to have a picnic out in all that grass, but the bugs... I don't know... Though, it would be nice to have an excuse to buy that cute tiffin box at Target...

Aiyara Thai Restaurant

The first time we ate (well, ordered) from Aiyara Thai Restaurant, it was okay. We liked it enough to try them again. The second time? Amazing! I had the seafood fried rice, Michael had the green curry and both were absolutely delicious! The next day I was racing home to get to the left overs before Michael but of course he got to it first because he works like 15 minutes away where as I sit in traffic for eternity. The selfish jerk ate it all and looked at me going, "Oh, but you don't like left overs..."

We've only ordered from them in the past (free delivery!!!) and recently we decided to give the actual restaurant a try. It's located in the Catoctin part of Leesburg which is an area of Leesburg that I never knew existed until about a year ago. The area is untouched by time, very little renovations and face lifts went on there. The restaurant has no curb appeal but the inside is quite beautiful. It's refreshing to eat in a Thai restaurant that isn't trying to be trendy with the whole bistro/Ikea theme.

We, well, I, started the meal off with some Thai Tea.


Strong yet creamy and just the right amount of sweet. Perfect!

Because Michael and I liked our last meal so much we decided to repeat it. I got the seafood fried rice.


And Michael got the Seafood Green Curry.


It was... not that good. I hate to say it because the people there are so freaking nice but the food was just not that good. Everything tasted fine... except for the seafood, which is kind of important. All the seafood tasted very frozen and kind of freezer burned. Now, I'm not a snob about frozen meat. Frozen seafood is about the only kind of seafood I cook but when I'm paying a pro to make my meal I expect a little better. If they want to use frozen seafood, that's fine, but at least make it not taste so frozen. The scallops were really bland, the shrimp were over cooked, the squid was kind of rubbery, and the mussels... ewe... It had this really... off... taste. It was either freezer burned or it had gone bad. I hope it was freezer burn. Everything tasted like it had gone straight from the freezer to the pan with no thawing in between.

Maybe we caught them on a bad day. Maybe seafood just isn't their thing? The folks there were super nice so I definitely want to try it again at least once more before writing them off.

Tilapia! I Still Love Ya!

Work has taken over my life. If I'm not working, I'm commuting, and if I'm not sitting in a car, stuck in traffic, I'm probably sleeping. There really isn't much time to do anything else, like cook.

Thank goodness for tilapia!!!

This is tilapia with paprika and curry. Guess how long it took to make, from beginning to end.


Around five minutes!

You sprinkle some curry powder, paprika, a little bit of salt and pepper, and fry it up. Afterward, sprinkle a little bit of lemon juice and BAM! Dinner under ten minutes.

If you have a bit more time (like twenty minutes) and some more ingredients, you can make Peppered Fish with Vinaigrette.


1 heaped Tbs mixed peppercorns
1 heaped tbsp all-purpose flour, seasoned with a little salt
2 fresh or frozen white fish fillets
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp coarse-grain mustard
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
4 Tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Coarsely crush the peppercorns and mix them together with the seasoned flour. Skin the fish fillets, wipe with paper towels, and coat them with the peppercorn mixture, pressing it well onto both sides. Set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Combine in a bowl the garlic, mustard, lime zest and juice, 4 Tbsp of oil, salt, pepper and cilantro.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the fish and fry for 3 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Keeping the heat high, pour the vinaigrette around the fish and maintain heat for a couple of minutes to reduce the liquid.

The recipe comes from a book titled Super Foods by Michael van Straten and Barbara Griggs. It's a great thick glossy books full of pretty pictures and lots of information. My favorite cook books are the ones that read like a regular book. My all time favorite is Patty LaBelle's cook book, not so much for the recipes but because it's basically her biography. Even though I'm not a Patty LaBelle fan I enjoyed reading how food has played an integral role in her life.

Super Food starts off with a short, easy to understand bio of different ingredients and how they effect your health. Then it goes into the recipes, which are separated by ingredients instead of courses, which I appreciate. Then it goes into ailments and recommends ingredients and recipes to address what ails you. It's a great book to have for someone like me who cares about nutrition enough to want to know but don't care enough to read anything complicated.

Perforated Shawl in Papaya, Size 5

I have a passion for man inspired shoes so when I saw these:


there was no doubt that I would get them. Kiltie (shawl)! Brogue (perforation)! OMG, what's not to love?! The leather is like butter. There was no breaking needed and they're like one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I've ever owned!

I need to be good and take them to a cobbler and have them put rubber soles on the bottom so the leather sole doesn't wear out. I'm torn between wearing them every day and using them sparingly so they'll last forever.

My next possible man inspired shoes are these:


On one hand, I really want a pair of classic pennies, I really want a pair of spectators, and these are pretty cheap. On the other hand... I'm just a big fan of black and white... I don't know...

Home Made Vinaigrette

I'm not a big fan of chicken. I mean, I like it okay, I'll eat it, but I don't love it. Does anyone truly love chicken? Isn't it kind of... I don't know, it's always, you know... meh. I find cooking chicken properly to be quite difficult. It usually ends up dry and hard, much like the chickens of my youth. My mom's chicken were more like chicken jerky. Well, every meat she cooked kind of turned out like jerky; she was not one to take chances when it came to e.coli and salmonella.

I'll give chicken some credit though, it's pretty cheap and takes on all kinds of sauce very well. Lucky for me Michael is a master at grilling chickens.


Don't know what his secret is and don't really care. I'm just glad I get to enjoy juicy chicken for dinner. My contribution to the meal is my homemade balsamic vinaigrette.


Super easy to make, are you ready for it?

You need:

some olive oil
some balsamic vinegar
a splash of red wine
a dash of salt
a sprinkle of sugar
a pinch of garlic powder

Whisk it all up with a fork real quick and, voila! Awesome home made vinaigrette!

Not Homeless

Several years ago Daria and I drove out to the great state of Wisconsin for some beer, frozen custard, and cheese. On our way back (or was it to) we found ourselves in Indianapolis when there was some big race going on. Long story short, much like Joseph and Mary, no vacancies were to be found- anywhere. Mind you, this was before GPS so we had to just cross our fingers and hope to come across a hotel or something. It was very late at night and after being turned away from every motel, hotel, and inn Daria suggested we just sleep in the car.

I AM NOT SLEEPING IN THE CAR!!! I yelled. I think I really did yell. Daria is just one of those people you don't yell at because she's so sweet and it would be like yelling at a bunny rabbit or something. I was just really tired and really cranky and just very very tired.

As exhausted as I was there was no way I was about to sleep in my car. Really, who does that besides homeless people?

Yesterday I slept in my car. This looooooooooooooooooooong commute is kicking my ass and eating up my free time. I haven't been sleeping much and yesterday I just knew that if I didn't pull over I would die, like literally die, as in get into a very bad car accident. There was just no way in God's green earth I was going to make it home in this condition. As soon as I got off the interstate I pulled into a deserted part of a mall parking garage and took a nap (around 30-40 minutes). It took me less than a minute to fall asleep.

This temporary promotion will be coming to an end mid July. The extra income is nice but I'm ready to get my life back.

Oh, and according to Daria, who is like the Cross Country Driving Queen the safest place to sleep (in your car) is at 24 hour Walmart parking lot.