| THIS IS A READ-ONLY ARCHIVE FROM THE SORABJI.COM MESSAGE BOARDS (1995-2016). |
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the solution is obvious: quit your job and get a job at the dmv maybe avoid mirrors for a while, too |
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last night i was filling the tires on my "work" wheelchair. i use one of those electric compressors about the size of a six-pack of beer with a built-in pressure gauge. one one of the tires - the right - the gauge started reading wonky. i thought maybe i had overfilled the tire. i honestly considered the idea of just letting some air out of the tire and starting from scratch. but, of course, i didn't. the tire was fine the next morning, and i got to work on it. while at work, working on inventory, i hear this whusshshshshshshshshshshs! sound. maybe because of all the noise in the shop - music, people talking - it sounded like it was coming from someplace outside. i sounded like somebody was talking a hose to the sidewalk outside, which happens. but eventually i put my hand on my right tire. flat as pancake. i started looking around for a can of fix-a-flat that i had once hidden away there for just such an occasion. it was nowhere to be found. one of my shopmates, cindy, volunteered to go to the hardware store to get me a can. she did. unfortunately, the thing you press to get it going locked and it blew up on me. fix-a-flat foam went everywhere, filling the store with a chemical smell. i said "fuck it, i'm going home". the tire had been filled just enough that at least i wasn't going to do as much damage rolling on it. i caught the bus home. this time i took two buses to get me all the way to my apartment complex. on the way, i heard bits of a conversation from a couple across from me: "he sells dope, you know...i couldn't believe it! he had a bag of MY shit!...look, i try to stay away from that shit - but if that motherfucker thinks he can fuck with me...he's everywhere [starts naming buses] no. 4, no. 7, no. 14, no. 2, 11!" it never occured to me that there might be a drug racket going on all over the bus lines. you'd think somebody would've offered me some. i got home. a slow roll home. got into my other chair and took the flat tire off the other one. when i took the tire off and then removed the tube, fix-a-flat goop was everywhere. i threw out the tube (i keep others handy) and started wiping out the wheel: two or three passes with paper towels to get out the goop; the two our three passes with a wet sponge to try to clean it out; lastly, several passes with a close towel to dry it. despite this, the inside remains sticky. i want to put a new tube in, but i don't want it to get stuck into a bad position when it's aired up. i think what i might do is rub the inside of the tire with cornstarch. it'll be a long and messy process, but better safe than sorry. i'm supposed to leave for new braunfels tomorrow morning. leave it to me to do this the day before. i'm glad i still had some wine in the house. |
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i recently bought a bike and started biking to work 2-3 days a week. its been a decade since i've owned a bike and really almost two in any kind of serious matter. its a nice ride. 6 miles one way if a drive to the beginning of the american tobacco trail...a converted rail line turned greenway. 8+ miles if i bike door to door. the two from my house to the trail are a bit of a bitch on surface streets. im still getting my bike legs so im just doing the releatively flat greenway. i started thinking this morning that i really had no clue when it comes to maintenance. bikes are so much more complicated than bmx i had as a kid. that one id shop it up if something when wrong. there were no gears to mess with. only one brake cable.everything else was pie. but now, if the back wheel went flat? wtf? how do I get the tire off with all those parts that make the gears shift? the front i could deal with, but the rest? fuck me. clearly im needing to get some information. * Pepper droop works at a factory that makes those little russian dolls where you open it up and inside is a smaller version and so on and so forth. |
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Lol at spider. |
docks for an offshore spent tampon disposal contractor? |
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Honestly, you guys. Keep up! |
can't hold a candle to pepper's one nut. Are the russian dolls blow up dolls? C'mon, the plot folks. boy, am I depressed now. Made basil pesto all morning; shipping soap to Sem and some folks in San Fran today. |
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I'm making and freezing some pesto (sans cheese) tomorrow. Too. Much. Basil. |
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i made some pesto last week. you'd be surprised what a little lemon zest and a dash of table sugar will do to it. |
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this is not the same as holy basil, which is something called tulsi, "not to be confused with sweet basil." Hmmm. Holy basil is implicated in Hindu religious ceremony. I have sweet basil and last year planted cinnamon basil, for which I had little taste and use. I used some sweet basil (Old jar of it from 1992, no longer good for taste and cooking, and no longer good medicinally) to flavor and spice up some kitchen sink soap which became antimicrobial but a little debris strewn...a good hand soap but not for the body. Lade the kitchen smell swell. I have seen thai basil locally but it is never labelled as holy basil, which as I understand it, is not basil but a Hindu holy herb. ANy one know? |
didn't have to much trouble with the tire. i did coat the inside of the wheel with cornstarch. it has held for the past four days. saw my sister, brother-in-law, and niece sara helen, who is walking now and a bundle of non-stop energy. when she walks, especially when someone is holding her hand, she looks like a chimpanzee. my sister gave me a packet of fabulous flatbreads tandoori naan bread, which i definitely can't get in fort worth. she also gave me some mint leaves from her garden and the single, sad tomato that grew from her tomato vines. |
is it possible to make pesto without regiano? |
I tossed some with pasta, white beans, and roasted grape tomatoes and zucchini. |
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The best grilled cheese sandwich I ever had was made with a little bit of pesto spread between the cheese and the bread. We wants it now. |
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When I'm back on dairy I'll be trying out the cream cheese and gorgonzola as that sounds fantastic. |
patrick's swiss chard brought up italian memories for me. not in italy, but in rhode island. my grandmother lived next door to two generations of an italian immigrant family. the grandfather had a huge garden and one of the things he grew was the chard. i've never eaten swiss chard from any other source. |
here's a trick for you pesto freaks. instead of minsing garlic, pound it into a paste with a mortar and pestle before you put it in the blender. The stereotypical italian grandma of a chef at an italian joint LA told my woman that trick sometime ago. it enhances the garlic flavor surprisingly and considerably. |
plus Patrick is correct: the spirit of the garlic comes through. |
I'm with Daniel on the mortar and pestle situation; it's kind of a pain in the ass, but it really blends the pesto ingredients superbly and allows all of them to shine (including the garlic). I don't really use blenders/food processors as a general rule anyway, although I have been thinking about acquiring one for smoothies. I fucking love Swiss chard. Any chard. Leafy greens. Bring it. |
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We use our immersion blender for smoothies. Is my favorite kitchen appliance. |
Or even better: sautee them in bacon fat with shallots or leeks. And then eat them with bacon. Oh God. But that's a special treat. |
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i like to soak my brussels sprouts in heavily salted ice water for about 30-60 minutes before cooking. then cook with butter, lemon, salt, pepper. |
has anyone read Still Life wit Woodpecker? I am finally getting around to that. |
Salted ice water...makes them less bitter? Drowns bugs? |
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Sorry, that has nothing to do with sprouts. |
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I'm making banana bread and watching "Six Feet Under" at this very moment. I'm glad to hear that your son has good taste, Sem. |
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In the winter squash world, I like to slice acorn squash (and other types) in half, stick it in a pan with about a half inch of water, and bake it at 450 until the squash feels pretty soft when poked with a fork. Then I flip it over (the water is usually gone at this point), drizzle some salt, cracked pepper, and oil on it, and roast it a little longer so it gets all caramelized and awesome. Sometimes I put a little goat cheese on there too. Or butter. |
Or so I've been told. |
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As for squash: acorn: cut in half, remove seeds, add maple syrup and sugar and a dash of your choice of sweet herb (nutmeg, cinnamon, etc,) to cavity; bake moderate oven (and I leave until the skin is a very dark brown or black) summer: slice diagonally and simmer uncovered in a sauce of butter, cilantro (or any flavor you want), and white pepper in slow oven until sauce is gone (best in a wood stove) spagheti squash: split, remove seeds, dot with butter or not, garlic or not, and nuke till fork ready; or moderate oven about an hour cavity down (unlike the other squashes above where the cavity holds a liquid) serve under creme, butter and herbs sauce of any sort with lots of garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, and ... |
Since getting a double over I heat the house up and waste electricity doing potatoes, when I should be using a toaster oven. |
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the salted ice water actually draws out and removes most of whatever makes brussel sprouts bitter. which i suppose makes it seem like it's adding sweetness, but it's not really adding anything. you can do the same with other bitterish veggies, like asparagus. acorn or butternut squash - butter and honey, salt and pepper, nuke it for 7 or so minutes. it's not really a recipe, but it's still super yummy. roasted grape tomatoes - spread on toast points and dot with dill and some grated cheese. toast points, i said. |
I made a pretty kickass summer quiche last night. Even though it had mushrooms, which are not technically very summery. |
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i think i have finally perfected my ultimate oatmeal cookie. they are very soft and chewy, so if you like the crunchier type of cookie this isn't for you. 1/2 cup soft unsalted butter 2-3 tablespoons (or so) cream cheese 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 egg 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons regular flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 2/3 cups rolled oats 2/3 cup raisins 1/2 cup pecans very finely chopped after you make the batter in the usual cookie dough way, scoop heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough onto the baking sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. then cover w/ plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. bake on the center rack for 11-13 minutes at 350 degrees. |
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i'm starting to prefer cold coffee to hot. even at room temperature. i'd like to buy a handcycle. either that or a burro. |
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My depression just seems to get worse. Which is one reason you hardly ever see me here anymore. But, I know the source, and it will never go away or get better. Brussels Sprouts have never liked me. They refuse to stay in my stomach. |
words straight from depression himself. two thoughts later i can't tell the difference between depression and realism. maybe we have to be crazy not to be depressed. not a viewpoint that is easy to live with. i ramble. i am not depressed. i doubt i am sane. all that there is is choice. i <3 wisper |
I made some great peach jam on SUnday, and Heather, it cures depression. P Peaches 6 without pits and cut into small pieces 6 tbsl brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice cook over low heat for hours until reduced. I do not add water but some recipes (the Ball canning book) call for it. My peaches are juicy enough. And I use a potato masher to stir and smash. Really quite antidepressive. Likely the sugar. Realism was like, uh, impressionism through clear glasses. |
P.S. don't use morphine unless you lives are in terminal illiness in which no other medicine can helps you. |
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it's dilemma, it's de-limit, it's deluxe, it's de-lovely... it's delusion. i think the parker county peach festival was this month. |
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the plan is to frankenstein these two recipes together and throw in some tips from my mom: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40095.asp http://recipes.caribseek.com/Jamaica/curry-goat.shtml i'll let you know how it goes. |
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i made a salad the other night that included orange bell peppers, thinly sliced nectarine halves, and plain ol soft goat cheese crumbled on top. it was outtasight. can't wait to hear about the goat curry experiment. those recipes look awesome. |
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And the stalks are kind of sweet...yum. I was cured of my Brussels sprouts mania when I bought them not from the usual Trader Joe's but from two different grocery stores, and both times I discovered little grey bugs nestled among the leaves. Ecch. |
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unsolicited swiss chard pasta recipe: flavor some olive oil (enough to coat the chard) with garlic tear a whole bunch of chard leaves and mince some of the stalk. when oil is hot and garlic is golden, add chard sautee a good 10-15 min until totally wilted. add a cup or so of ceci peas cook for another few min add feta cook for a few more min squeeze some lemon toss with farfalle fucking pasta/chard bliss |
That chard recipe sounds grubbin'. Bounty from the garden is pretty much over...let the grim winter months begin! |
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the ice water thing works for asparagus and cauliflower too. the longer you soak the better. |
I had some swiss chard the other night that was so full of sand I couldn't eat it. I thought I had rinsed it well, but...I guess not. So disappointing. That sounds like great pasta. I went apple picking yesterday, and I got the best blueberry butter at the orchard, oh my God. I could eat the whole jar with a spoon. I had a peanut butter and blueberry butter sandwich and it was like dessert. Now I have all these apples and am forced to confront my fear of pie crust failure. |
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i thought it was just fear of pie crust itself, the sticky hands factor? are you saying now it's fear of pie crust failure? that i can help you through. |
It's really the failure that's bothering me. The sticky hands I can just wash off, but the thought of wasting time, money, and food and being disappointed with the results is what's keeping me from trying. That, and I've found, like, a dozen different pie crust recipes and I don't know which one to choose. I'd love any guidance you can give me. :) |
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Dough: 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces 3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water MIX flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas. DRIBBLE in water, stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together. Toss with hands, letting it fall through fingers, until it’s ropy with some dry patches. If dry patches predominate, add another tablespoon water. Keep tossing until you can roll dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it’s malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Dust excess flour from both sides with a dry pastry brush. ***** Doesn't sound too hard, but I'm nervous about the vagueness around how much water to use. |
I am envious of pie crust makers. HEY? What about a PIE exchange? |
1.5 cups flour 1 1/3 cups butter or shortening or blend 1/3 cup cold water pinch of salt, pinch of sugar Cut the butter into the flour, mix the salt and sugar with the water, pour in, work together. Keep your hands cold. Use the heel of your palm to push it against the mixing bowl a few times until it gloms into a mass. What exactly has been going wrong with your pie crust? |
cut in [fat solid, chilled] to flour mixture, to pea size like you said. add water to small sections, smooshed in with a fork until it looks right - keep going until it's all a bit wetted. smash gently into a ball and chill a small while. ROLL OUT AND PIE IT BABY. is not hard, i promise, been doing it since junior high. |
Since I'm here, let me talk about this morning's depression. I lost my job in the summer and a couple weeks ago I decided to visit my dad for a while. Slowly, slowly, his habit of finding fault with every last thing I do has worn on me and yesterday I was in a terrible mood. This morning, I could tell he was trying to cheer me up by being extra cheerful himself, but it didn't work. Because, listen to this aggravation. Last week I made a bean soup that he loved. (LOVED, as in, he actually said the words, "This is excellent!" Exclamation point included. I have never heard him use these words in my life -- the highest praise he normally doles out is, "It's not bad.") Anyway, so today, he asked me to make the bean soup again, which I did, but he ruined it by adding at least a quart of plain water to it (why???) and I can't get the flavor back no matter what I add. I hope this is just PMS, but this makes me want to cry. |
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in my opinion the best pie crust is when you use butter flavored crisco. the second best is margarine. either way, i take the fat and freeze it first, then cut it into the flour. don't get too hung up about the pea size thing or the water thing. use just enough water to make it all come together and form a ball, the rest will take care of itself. |
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one other thing i thought of, it's about rolling it out. use a ton of flour on the counter or board or whatever. i use to go sparse on that for fear it would dry out my dough, but the really the more flour you use to roll it out the better. also, roll it out quickly, don't roll and re-roll, and don't worry if it's not even in thickness or roundness, it really will not matter for the end product. |
pie is so good. damn. want. |
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know its butter. lots and lots of fucking butter. dont skimp on the butter. she made a pear tart last week. we annihilated in two days. funny pie story... first date she brought over cherry pie. second date she brought over a fig pie. the thing is, i can't stand most, if not all fruit pies. tarts are tolerable and doable. but with pies the textures of hot fruit wig me the fuck out in a serious way. Further, i just dont like most fruits. Figs gross me out six ways from sunday. of course I wanted to get into her pants so i made through 3/4 of a piece on the two dates. it was only years later i asked myself what SHE was telling ME with those two particular selections. cherry? fig? wanna fuck? spider, without knowing a god damn thing about baking....id trust julie child's recipe above anything else when having trouble. |
But I'm going apple picking again this week and will be making a pie or tart with my bounty. |
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oh. my. god. |
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http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/2008/04/candy-in-pie.html it was awesome. |
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Moonit, did I miss the wedding or is it still upcoming? |
we've been together 12 years; so whats a little more time... |
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But I am going to make a pear tart today and as God as my witness, I'm going to make that crust. |
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a friend of mine put a small portion of limberger cheese in the A/C vent.... ewwww. stink like hell. |
My surrogate grandma Rose used to make a ricotta cheesecake with a graham cracker crust that was really good. It was very light in flavor and texture, and it had a bit of a tang to it. I wonder if she used more sour cream. Maybe sour cream and unflavored gelatin instead of eggs? |
mix one cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter and line the bottom of the pan blend (like in a blender) 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, and two tsps vanilla for a minute. then add 1 pound cream cheese broken into chunks. blend until smooth. at the end, add 2 tbsps melted butter. pour into the pan with the graham cracker crust. bake in lower third of a 325 oven for 45 minutes. when the baking is done, take the c-cake out and turn the broiler on. broil the fake until spots of brown start to appear. refrigerate at least 4 hours. i have never attempted to make it. |
The movers got the truck literally stuck between two tree limbs so I had to get me chainsaw and an extension ladder to cut the truck out of the trees. So much for living in the forest. The conversation this morning turned to whether I wanted to keep the instruction manuals in the same place as I kept all my instructions. warranties, etc. Wouldn't that be comingling too much??? At least we both like chocolate, and cheescake, and well pears, you want some pears, I've lots of pears. Hard as rocks and winter storage ready. No pear tarts here. |
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thank you. |
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where are you moving to? |
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eggnog. i haz it. |
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maybe you have it wrong? i sent you another one anyway. |
Just love dem HE washers. Sorry about the outburst of profanity there. |
make it easy on yourself. take the to the nearest trader joes frozen delights section. buy the blue box of goodness. take home. smile every time you open the fridge. talk too your cheesecake. say hello to it. let it know when you'll be back for it. cheesecakes get worried. seriously....best god damn cheese. |
I followed the Silver Palate's sweet crust recipe, which was something like (from memory): 1 2/3 c. flour 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 tsp salt 10 TB butter 2 egg yolks 2 TB water I had to add more water when the dough didn't come together. Maybe that ruined it, but if not, it wasn't that hard after all. Then for the pears, I took 3 really ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced fine. I tossed them in a mixture of 4 TB sugar, a bunch of cinnamon, less nutmeg, and maybe 1 tsp of fresh grated ginger. I rolled the dough between wax paper into a circle, then arrayed the pear sliced in a nice armadillo pattern with the extras in the middle, and folded the dough around the edges. Then I squeezed a little lime juice over the pears, brushed milk on the dough, and sprinkled a little sugar around the edges. Here's the thing: I wasn't following a recipe, so I don't really know how long to cook it and on what temperature. It's currently at 425, and I left it on the wax paper (on top of a pizza pan), so... I guess I'll just keep checking on it. Fingers crossed. |
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Then I stole a pear from the middle -- this is reeeaally good. Make this. You will be happy. Do you think it would be pear overkill to go get Haagen-Dazs caramelized pear and pecan ice cream to put on top? |
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made wild rice for dinner this evening. i used vegetable broth, beef bouillon, thyme, and garlic. i had with a garlic-impregnated pork chop. and a beer. but just one. |
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i said no, no, no |
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i made that chain letter amish friendship bread tonight. one of senor's colleagues makes it and brings it in to work periodically, and this last time apparently he left starters for people to take home. senor knowing how much i enjoy baking brought me a bag of starter so i thought why the hell not? the real hook for me was that the recipe calls for the addition of a large box of vanilla pudding. you are about to learn something new about me: i love box pudding. don't tell the others. the amish bread, it calls for a tremendous amount of sugar. so much sugar that i will not offer even a taste to my two year old. however, senor has a powerful sweet tooth, so at the very least he will enjoy it. i made one cake style and one loaf style. they just came out of the oven. i don't think i could eat it myself, but it smells really good, like cinnamon buns. |
And your quick wit:) |
One of my friends calls it "enemy bread" because taking care of the starter and finding new victims is such a pain. |
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seriously what IS IT with the nasty bleu-style cheese on all salads these days? restaurant salads, deli salads, to go salads... covered in bottom of the barrel bleu. gah. i'm over it. |
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Yesterday was her last day here. This morning I woke up to a catless house. |
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Look at how cute she is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWBl0iYTBA4 |
Also, that video is cuteness incarnate. |
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fuck the law. think of the greater good. |
They sent me a picture of her in her new apartment, sitting on her favorite bathmat (I gave this to them to ease her transition) in her new window. Look at this face She's apparently doing very well: she only hid under the bed for one day and now is out and about. It took her over 3 months to come out of her closet in my house, and up till the day she left (10 months with me), she would run away from me if I walked up to her. She was only affectionate between 10 pm and 6:30 am. Maybe this is for the best. My dad told me a friend of his is looking to re-home her black cat, Carmen -- he's met this cat and says she's very sweet and affectionate, so I'm going to visit her this weekend and see how we get along. What have I become? I'm a dog person, I swear. |
I just found out my 12-year-old big fluffy friendly kitty has lymphoma, so I am feeling particularly pro-cat (moreso than usual). My wife wants to have no more cats after Space Ghost goes, but I can't even fathom not having a cat in the house. I thought going down to one was a decent compromise. |
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Today I was talking to someone about the medieval concept of Fortune, and I found myself explaining it thusly: "One day you're high on the hog, the next you're shanked in the night." And then I thought, "Where have I heard that before?" "it's all porkchops and razorblades. one minute-- high on the hog. the next-- shanked in the night." -- By blindswine on Saturday, April 28, 2001 - 03:34 pm You triggered a subliminal tripwire when you showed up this morning. |
we adopted a 5 month old calico cat last month from the kill shelter. she was surrendered by her previous humans due to allergies. she's already been spayed, and they de-clawed her. she is the best cat ever. i'm not exaggerating. her name is Snowball Kiki Kittox Babowskers. also know as The Kitty. she is so chill. she lets the girls carry her around, make her dance, dress her up. she rarely runs away from them. always happy to sit in a lap. always happy and relaxed. playful. naps in a basket the girls found in the garage. sleeps on our bed and night and doesn't walk around on us in the morning when she wakes up. it only took her a week to establish a good relationship with the dogs. lulu and she are friends. leroy basically ignores her. they let her sleep in their beds. and she's figured out how to get into the back yard through the dog door. we tried to put a baby gate up between the kitchen and the utility room to keep her from accessing the dog door, but she pushed it over. then we blocked it with our recycling bin (heavy) and she knocked it over again. we realize that a declawed cat should not be outside, but she never attempts to leave the back yard, and she's useful at keeping the asshole grackles from eating my figs (FIGS!) and pecking at my lemons. and now i've missed my yoga class. |
than before. That cat could bite a motherfucker. |
She's kind of a crazy person, and she's left three messages on my answering machine to look at the shelter's website for these two brother orange cats who were bottlefed, so they'd be sweet. But I don't want to be pushed into getting those two cats. I saw this cat, Wallace, on the site and fell in love with his face. Not gonna lie, it would never get old coming home from work every day and calling, "Where's Wallace? WHERE'S WALLACE?" |
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Deleware? Spider, where are you living now? I guess I forgot. |
How are you doing, Sarah? |
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useless. :) |
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Very cute cat. Having had cats, and dogs, all my life I have only one piece of advice. If you can find a shelter that keeps there cats and kittens in a common room, instead of cages, go there. Then sit in the middle of the room and let the cat/kitten choose you. If this happens you will be owned by the cat and be very happy. |
