The feeling of loneliness is probably the feeling that I have felt most in my life, it is deeply ingrained into me. I feel that it was given to me as a child, like a blanket, placed on top of me, where it seeped into my pores and down, settling in my bones and joints where sometimes, when the weather is cold or the sky is cloudy, it causes them to ache before the rain. It's a striking feeling.
It does flair up, every so often, and I'm suddenly filled with this strange desire to be enveloped in a constant hug. I just want to go up to anyone, anytime, and just hug them, for a long time. Hugs are lovely, aren't they? It's been a little difficult for me lately, I have a whisper in my heart for love, and no one to hug. I know that I am in this time for a season of the soul. Drifting away from God has been slow, but I've noticed it, almost as if I've been watching from the outside, or above, or in a dim movie theatre with old chairs. I think of this verse (though I can't remember the location of it), "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." It makes me feel silly, to harden my heart, then, knowing that it is a willful choice and not the uncontrollable, ignorant process I'd like to think.
I've been asking myself lately, several times a day if I'm going to willingly continue the process, or if I will actually turn right around and find the love to fill my lonely heart. It seems odd to have to decide, like I should just choose the right answer immediately and not look back. It never happens that way, though.
Anyway, last night, I prayed, and I made dinner, and I thought. I had the house to myself, which is all the better for thinking in times of spiritual turmoil, besides. I like to cook only for myself, because then I can be really daring, since only I have to eat the result, and I'm not very picky. And it's good to be daring if you're lonely, it counteracts it a little. But the dinner I cooked last night, I would serve to friends. Maybe I would actually have more friends if I cooked for people and made dishes like this more often.
Here's the recipe, if you want it. Cook it when you feel alone, or when you're happy, or when you're with friends. If you have a heartbeat and are feeling any type of emotion whatsoever, eat this.
Shrimp with Brussels Sprouts
To serve one
8 large shrimp
1/4 of a large white onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
9 brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 hard boiled egg
A few Feta cheese crumbles
Peel the shrimp and set them aside. Slice the onion very thinly while the butter melts and heats in a skillet over medium heat. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic. Cook for a minute or so, until the garlic is good and fragrant. Add the shrimp and toss them around a little. Add the cajun seasoning and salt and stir occasionally, cooking for about 4 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and a little curled up.
While the shrimp are cooking, cut the brussels sprouts in half and slice the halves very thinly. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside. Cook the brussels sprouts in the oil, balsamic, and sriracha, for about 2 minutes, only until they are bright green and starting to smell a little sweet. Serve the shrimp on top of the brussels sprouts. Top with the boiled egg, very thinly sliced, and the feta cheese crumbles. If you want to, a drizzle of honey over the top would be a nice touch.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
I need more sunshine in my life, I need more love.
When I was younger, I used to think that I was a really good writer. That I myself was an open book, a book with a good vocabulary and a quirky sense of humor. In highschool, I dreamed of being a writer, and wrote heartfelt book reviews for my Intro To Fiction class. I once wrote an essay so stiking about Catcher In The Rye that my teacher gave me an A+++ and had me stand up in front of the class and read it aloud. She asked if she could get it published in the school magazine for me.
But now, sometimes when I write, my words come out in a jumble, or else they stick to my soul. I'm usually disappointed with the finished product. I think there's a clog somewhere in my heart, a stop up. I've decided this is because I need more sunshine in my life, I need more love.
I feel loved, don't get me wrong, but I think the problem, the flaw that presents itself, is that I don't love other people enough, or wholeheartedly enough. A simple indication of this is that I woke up this morning with an urge to go and bake up a storm of baked goods, give them to some homeless people, and then hug them all (the people, not the baked goods). On the wisdom scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest) I think this rates no higher than a 3. I awoke this morning thinking about that.
I also woke up this morning listening to my heart beat, fluid and thick against my chest, and feeling my wisdom tooth, sore in my mouth, and thinking about that cake I ate last night. It was delicious. I thought about how my roommate and I ate it while watching The Office, and let out contented sighs, and licked our plates clean. Then I thought about the shrimp we ate beforehand, and how I need to remember the recipe, because I almost licked my plate after those, too.
Ginger Sriracha Shrimp
2 servings
12 large shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white onion, diced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried ginger (or fresh and minced)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons sriracha
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the garlic and onion. Add the brown sugar and ginger, toss to coat. Pour in the soy sauce, the olive oil and the sriracha. Toss once more. Let this mixture sit for about a half an hour, in the fridge.
In a small saute pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or just enough to coat the pan. When it's hot, cook the shrimp over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes. Serve hot with rice, udon noodles, yakisoba, spinach salad, or any other thing. All you need to know is that these are delicious.
But now, sometimes when I write, my words come out in a jumble, or else they stick to my soul. I'm usually disappointed with the finished product. I think there's a clog somewhere in my heart, a stop up. I've decided this is because I need more sunshine in my life, I need more love.
I feel loved, don't get me wrong, but I think the problem, the flaw that presents itself, is that I don't love other people enough, or wholeheartedly enough. A simple indication of this is that I woke up this morning with an urge to go and bake up a storm of baked goods, give them to some homeless people, and then hug them all (the people, not the baked goods). On the wisdom scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest) I think this rates no higher than a 3. I awoke this morning thinking about that.
I also woke up this morning listening to my heart beat, fluid and thick against my chest, and feeling my wisdom tooth, sore in my mouth, and thinking about that cake I ate last night. It was delicious. I thought about how my roommate and I ate it while watching The Office, and let out contented sighs, and licked our plates clean. Then I thought about the shrimp we ate beforehand, and how I need to remember the recipe, because I almost licked my plate after those, too.
Ginger Sriracha Shrimp
2 servings
12 large shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white onion, diced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried ginger (or fresh and minced)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons sriracha
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the garlic and onion. Add the brown sugar and ginger, toss to coat. Pour in the soy sauce, the olive oil and the sriracha. Toss once more. Let this mixture sit for about a half an hour, in the fridge.
In a small saute pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or just enough to coat the pan. When it's hot, cook the shrimp over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes. Serve hot with rice, udon noodles, yakisoba, spinach salad, or any other thing. All you need to know is that these are delicious.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Enjoyable Tears
Recently, I have been reading Molly Wizenbergs book, A Homemade Life. She is a wonderful writer of stories and recipes. I could gush, for quite some time about her, but instead, I will go and make a chocolate cake, after only gushing about her for a little while.
Today, I read a chapter of her book called Winning Hearts and Minds, and it's about cake...sort of. I cried, read it again, and repeated the process about 10 times. By the time I showed up to work, my eyes were red rimmed, for sure. After work, I read it again. At the bus stop, I read it again. My eyes have been dry lately, which is more sad to me than having them be teary. When I cry, I don't cry hard, and so I am always refreshed by it. Today especially. These tears were the enjoyable sort.
Anyway, here's my favorite part of the chapter:
"The day after Brandon's first visit to Seattle, which now seems like pleasantly ancient history, I sent Kate an e-mail.
"He was amazing," I gushed. "So sweet. So funny. I drove him to the airport this morning and cried all the way home. I think this might be the best thing that's ever happened to me. And the hardest."
"I'm so excited for you," she gushed in reply. "You've been taking this on with your whole heart and that oversized mind of yours. Don't stop now. This is the bread and butter! This is what it's all about.""
(This is the part where I start tearing up, by the way.)
"I burst into tears when I read that. I've never forgotten it. When I was making our wedding cakes, all those hours at the oven, all that stirring and baking, I kept saying it. This is the bread and butter. This is what it's all about.
It's going to sound silly, I know, but I think that what it all comes down to is winning hearts and minds, underneath everything else, all the plans and goals and hopes, that's why we get up in the morning, why we believe, why we try, why we bake chocolate cakes. That's the best we can ever hope to do: to win hearts and minds, to love and be loved."
Beautiful, isn't it? Beautiful enough for sappy me to read 15 or so times. I'm making this cake tonight, to eat after a dinner of Udon noodle soup and shrimp with ginger sauce, and here is the recipe for it. I should make it before I share the recipe, but I know it's going to be amazing. Molly Wizenberg's recipes are always fail proof. I'll eat this cake, and listen to John Foreman, and possibly cry for no good reason, and be happy as I fall asleep, I know it.
The Winning Hearts and Minds Cake
OR
Fondant Au Chocolat (melting chocolate cake)
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and butter an 8" round cake pan. Line the botom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and butter the paper, too.
Put the chocolate and butter in the microwave, and melt in 30 second intervals. Add the sugar, stirring to incorporate. Let the batter cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition. Add the flour and stir to mix well. The batter should be dark and silky.
Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly crackled, the edges are puffed, and the center of the cake looks set.
Remove from the oven, to a cooling rack, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn it out of the pan and then flip it onto a serving plate by placing a sheet of foil over the pan, and placing a plate over that. Flip the cake onto the plate. Place the serving plate on top of the cake, gently. Wedge your index fingers between the plates to keep from squishing the cake, and flip the plates so the cake is now right side up. Remove the foil. Cool completely before serving.
Today, I read a chapter of her book called Winning Hearts and Minds, and it's about cake...sort of. I cried, read it again, and repeated the process about 10 times. By the time I showed up to work, my eyes were red rimmed, for sure. After work, I read it again. At the bus stop, I read it again. My eyes have been dry lately, which is more sad to me than having them be teary. When I cry, I don't cry hard, and so I am always refreshed by it. Today especially. These tears were the enjoyable sort.
Anyway, here's my favorite part of the chapter:
"The day after Brandon's first visit to Seattle, which now seems like pleasantly ancient history, I sent Kate an e-mail.
"He was amazing," I gushed. "So sweet. So funny. I drove him to the airport this morning and cried all the way home. I think this might be the best thing that's ever happened to me. And the hardest."
"I'm so excited for you," she gushed in reply. "You've been taking this on with your whole heart and that oversized mind of yours. Don't stop now. This is the bread and butter! This is what it's all about.""
(This is the part where I start tearing up, by the way.)
"I burst into tears when I read that. I've never forgotten it. When I was making our wedding cakes, all those hours at the oven, all that stirring and baking, I kept saying it. This is the bread and butter. This is what it's all about.
It's going to sound silly, I know, but I think that what it all comes down to is winning hearts and minds, underneath everything else, all the plans and goals and hopes, that's why we get up in the morning, why we believe, why we try, why we bake chocolate cakes. That's the best we can ever hope to do: to win hearts and minds, to love and be loved."
Beautiful, isn't it? Beautiful enough for sappy me to read 15 or so times. I'm making this cake tonight, to eat after a dinner of Udon noodle soup and shrimp with ginger sauce, and here is the recipe for it. I should make it before I share the recipe, but I know it's going to be amazing. Molly Wizenberg's recipes are always fail proof. I'll eat this cake, and listen to John Foreman, and possibly cry for no good reason, and be happy as I fall asleep, I know it.
The Winning Hearts and Minds Cake
OR
Fondant Au Chocolat (melting chocolate cake)
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and butter an 8" round cake pan. Line the botom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and butter the paper, too.
Put the chocolate and butter in the microwave, and melt in 30 second intervals. Add the sugar, stirring to incorporate. Let the batter cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition. Add the flour and stir to mix well. The batter should be dark and silky.
Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly crackled, the edges are puffed, and the center of the cake looks set.
Remove from the oven, to a cooling rack, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn it out of the pan and then flip it onto a serving plate by placing a sheet of foil over the pan, and placing a plate over that. Flip the cake onto the plate. Place the serving plate on top of the cake, gently. Wedge your index fingers between the plates to keep from squishing the cake, and flip the plates so the cake is now right side up. Remove the foil. Cool completely before serving.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Cupcakes on the brain
The other day, I made some cupcakes.
Banana cupcakes with caramel buttercream, to be exact. And, they were heavenly. Heavenly. Anyway, it got me thinking (which is very dangerous), because I'd been reading the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad and though it is horribly written and very cheesy (two things I hate) it did remind me that since I can remember, I've wanted to start my own business.
So in this case, cupcakes+reading=dreams to start my own cupcake food cart.
Mhmm, girl, you heard right! The more I think about it (and I've been thinking about it a lot) the better and better it seems! (And see, I used two exclamation points in the span of two sentences, which I NEVER do...exclamation points are my least favorite punctuation mark...so you know I MEAN IT.)
Cupcakes have been on my brain. I can't stop it...I cannot stop it. First, banana cupcakes with caramel butter cream. Then, ginger bamboo cupcakes with cream cheese sriracha frosting. Next, you've got a lovely chocolate cupcake with blueberry frosting and strawberry cupcake with cinnamon sourcream frosting. Once I get started on something, it's hard for me to stop. Oh, I also had an idea (not yet fully formed) for some type of cupcake (maybe a yellow butter cupcake) with cream cheese frosting, and cheez-its somehow incorporated into that mix. I love cheez-its with vanilla ice cream. I know it's odd, but they're so salty and cheesy and delicious with that sweet, plain vanilla.
Anyway, I was at a Bible study not too long ago, and a lovely girl there prophesied over me, and with tears in her eyes, told me that, "You have so many dreams, and I think that God wants you to know it's ok to follow them! He placed them in your heart for a reason, and whichever direction you choose to go, you'll flourish." So, I feel like I just might pursue this path of cupcake-scented foodcart madness. If you could pray for me about that, that I would feel God's hand and be granted his wisdom (I am NOT a business woman by any stretch of the imagination) that would be so greatly appreciated. And now, after much ado about very little, here is a recipe (or two) for you to try on your own, and reach frosted pastry bliss.
Banana Cupcakes
Makes about 15
1 1/2 C sifted ap flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 stick salted butter
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 egg and 2 egg yolks
2 very ripe, large bananas
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped pecans (optional. I did not add them when I made these, and still they were gorgeous)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Cream the butter and sugar together for about two minutes using an electric hand mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs, cream the mixture for 3 minutes more. Add the bananas and the buttermilk, and the vanilla. Beat until the bananas are mashed up. Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, and beat until just incorporated. if you'd like, add the pecans.
Fill prepared cupcake pans 3/4 full, and bake for about 15 minutes, until the tops of the cakes spring back when pressed.
Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough for 15 cupcakes
1/2 c sugar
2 T water
2 T heavy cream
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 egg whites, room temp
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Bring 1/4 cup of sugar and the water to a boil in a small pan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is a dark amber. Remove from heat, slowly add cream, stirring until smooth. Let cool.
Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, usually 3 minutes (unless you have weird butter).
Place egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar in a heatproff bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and it registers 160º. Remove from heat, whisk for 5 minutes on medium speed. Increase speed to high, whisk for 6 minutes, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Reduce to medium, add the butter, whisk thouroughly, add vanilla. On low speed, add the caramel and beat until smooth, 3-5 minutes.
This frosting is to die for, and easier to make than it sounds. You'll end up wanting to frost everything with this. From cupcakes to cookies to toast. I ate about half of it out of the bowl (I am a little ashamed to admit that). Anyway, have a good day, and MAKE THESE CUPCAKES.
Banana cupcakes with caramel buttercream, to be exact. And, they were heavenly. Heavenly. Anyway, it got me thinking (which is very dangerous), because I'd been reading the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad and though it is horribly written and very cheesy (two things I hate) it did remind me that since I can remember, I've wanted to start my own business.
So in this case, cupcakes+reading=dreams to start my own cupcake food cart.
Mhmm, girl, you heard right! The more I think about it (and I've been thinking about it a lot) the better and better it seems! (And see, I used two exclamation points in the span of two sentences, which I NEVER do...exclamation points are my least favorite punctuation mark...so you know I MEAN IT.)
Cupcakes have been on my brain. I can't stop it...I cannot stop it. First, banana cupcakes with caramel butter cream. Then, ginger bamboo cupcakes with cream cheese sriracha frosting. Next, you've got a lovely chocolate cupcake with blueberry frosting and strawberry cupcake with cinnamon sourcream frosting. Once I get started on something, it's hard for me to stop. Oh, I also had an idea (not yet fully formed) for some type of cupcake (maybe a yellow butter cupcake) with cream cheese frosting, and cheez-its somehow incorporated into that mix. I love cheez-its with vanilla ice cream. I know it's odd, but they're so salty and cheesy and delicious with that sweet, plain vanilla.
Anyway, I was at a Bible study not too long ago, and a lovely girl there prophesied over me, and with tears in her eyes, told me that, "You have so many dreams, and I think that God wants you to know it's ok to follow them! He placed them in your heart for a reason, and whichever direction you choose to go, you'll flourish." So, I feel like I just might pursue this path of cupcake-scented foodcart madness. If you could pray for me about that, that I would feel God's hand and be granted his wisdom (I am NOT a business woman by any stretch of the imagination) that would be so greatly appreciated. And now, after much ado about very little, here is a recipe (or two) for you to try on your own, and reach frosted pastry bliss.
Banana Cupcakes
Makes about 15
1 1/2 C sifted ap flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 stick salted butter
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 egg and 2 egg yolks
2 very ripe, large bananas
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped pecans (optional. I did not add them when I made these, and still they were gorgeous)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Cream the butter and sugar together for about two minutes using an electric hand mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs, cream the mixture for 3 minutes more. Add the bananas and the buttermilk, and the vanilla. Beat until the bananas are mashed up. Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, and beat until just incorporated. if you'd like, add the pecans.
Fill prepared cupcake pans 3/4 full, and bake for about 15 minutes, until the tops of the cakes spring back when pressed.
Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough for 15 cupcakes
1/2 c sugar
2 T water
2 T heavy cream
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 egg whites, room temp
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Bring 1/4 cup of sugar and the water to a boil in a small pan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is a dark amber. Remove from heat, slowly add cream, stirring until smooth. Let cool.
Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, usually 3 minutes (unless you have weird butter).
Place egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar in a heatproff bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and it registers 160º. Remove from heat, whisk for 5 minutes on medium speed. Increase speed to high, whisk for 6 minutes, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Reduce to medium, add the butter, whisk thouroughly, add vanilla. On low speed, add the caramel and beat until smooth, 3-5 minutes.
This frosting is to die for, and easier to make than it sounds. You'll end up wanting to frost everything with this. From cupcakes to cookies to toast. I ate about half of it out of the bowl (I am a little ashamed to admit that). Anyway, have a good day, and MAKE THESE CUPCAKES.
Friday, May 4, 2012
a lovely turn of events
Today, I did something that was quite out of character for myself. I really did. I took a boxed banana bread mix, and I baked banana bread with it. It's really very rare that I can be found making processed food of any kind. Typically, everything is made from scratch. EVERY THING. This is in part because it's so much more enjoyable that way, so much more of an accomplishment. But also because it tastes better that way, and also because that way, I get all of the credit. I'm selfish like that. But today, my roommate wanted banana bread, and though we had everything else, there was no flour to be had.
Aside from that, this day has been quite enjoyable. Quite. Mmm. The sky is overcast, and I couldn't be happier about the way the light's coming off the clouds. I had leftover, cold chinese food for breakfast, which is a culinary delight that should get much more glory than it does. I spent quite a bit of time reading A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenburg, and trying to keep from crying, which is usually what happens when I read beautifully written prose, no matter how sad or happy they might be. Well written is sad or happy enough to cause tears from me.
This afternoon, I am excited to say, will be the first time I get to clean my chiropractor's house for her, and though initially I was really nervous about this prospect, seeing her house calmed all fears. She has a GIANT iguana named Junior, and her living room is decorated by a huge, ratty advertisement of the movie, "E.T." in french. The poster looks really old, and it makes the house. It really does. It's the perfect touch. She's a doll of a woman, really feisty, brutally honest, with a quirky son. She likes to tell me that my head's not screwed on straight, and she once told me that she's really glad she had a son, because all little girls are.....well, a rude word. Anyway, she's a doll. And then, after I come home, I'll eat battered halibut and mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and watch Lars and The Real Girl, twice, until 1 a.m. and then I'll sleep peacefully and probably wake up with a sinus headache.
I wish everyone else such a pleasant day, as well.
Aside from that, this day has been quite enjoyable. Quite. Mmm. The sky is overcast, and I couldn't be happier about the way the light's coming off the clouds. I had leftover, cold chinese food for breakfast, which is a culinary delight that should get much more glory than it does. I spent quite a bit of time reading A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenburg, and trying to keep from crying, which is usually what happens when I read beautifully written prose, no matter how sad or happy they might be. Well written is sad or happy enough to cause tears from me.
This afternoon, I am excited to say, will be the first time I get to clean my chiropractor's house for her, and though initially I was really nervous about this prospect, seeing her house calmed all fears. She has a GIANT iguana named Junior, and her living room is decorated by a huge, ratty advertisement of the movie, "E.T." in french. The poster looks really old, and it makes the house. It really does. It's the perfect touch. She's a doll of a woman, really feisty, brutally honest, with a quirky son. She likes to tell me that my head's not screwed on straight, and she once told me that she's really glad she had a son, because all little girls are.....well, a rude word. Anyway, she's a doll. And then, after I come home, I'll eat battered halibut and mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and watch Lars and The Real Girl, twice, until 1 a.m. and then I'll sleep peacefully and probably wake up with a sinus headache.
I wish everyone else such a pleasant day, as well.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Some Things You Can't Say Enough
Hmmm.
Well, I initially started this blog in the first place to help keep myself accountable for writing on a regular basis. Turns out, I'm horrible at sticking to things even when I have something to hold me accountable. Take working out, for example. I explicitly told my sister that I wanted her to ask me every day whether or not I had gone for a run, or at least a walk. So she did. And my answer every single day, was no. I didn't feel bad about it, either.
Lately, I have been feeling like I all I do is cook, watch tv, and sleep. I wake up, cook breakfast, go to class, cook for 5 hours, come home, cook dinner. Watch tv, fall asleep. And so goes each day. The cooking part, I love. I am getting heaps better at everything I was already good at, and learning about food is reminding me why I loved it so much in the first place.
But this feeling of tiredness, I cannot shake. I hardly know why I'm so tired, either. I sleep eight hours a night, I drink the correct amount of water (well, most days. See first paragraph.). But regardless, I wake up each day having to force my eyes open to the annoying beep of my alarm. I have a headache, behind my eyes from it. At the bus stop, I want to sleep. On the bus, in class, I wish I was sleeping. I so wish I understood what's going on with me. Sometimes I read back through my journal and I discover that my paragraphs are totally disconnected from eachother. They hardly make sense when you put them together. Mostly I just listen to music and then journal the lyrics of the songs I really like, and jot down a few sentences about how I can't say enough how tired I am.
Well, I really actually just wanted to write about this recipe that has been quite soothing and delicious to me lately. It goes against practically everything I stand for, because it involves eating tomatoes in winter, when they are out of season, but just pretend while you read this that it is the end of summer and these tomatoes are at the peak of freshness (which would make them so much more delicious as well). And here it is, lovelies:
Broiled Tomatoes with Mayonnaise
Serves 2
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
2 tomatoes
1 stalk of scallions
2 cloves of garlic
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 T parmesan cheese
So here's what you want to do:
Slice each tomato into 4 slices. Mince the garlic and scallions. Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, scallions, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the tomato slices on a sheet pan, and top each slice with a small spoonful of the mixture. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Bake these in the oven until the tomatoes look soft and start to break down a little, and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes. Eat them while they are warm. Prepare to meet your new favorite side dish.
That's all for today.
Well, I initially started this blog in the first place to help keep myself accountable for writing on a regular basis. Turns out, I'm horrible at sticking to things even when I have something to hold me accountable. Take working out, for example. I explicitly told my sister that I wanted her to ask me every day whether or not I had gone for a run, or at least a walk. So she did. And my answer every single day, was no. I didn't feel bad about it, either.
Lately, I have been feeling like I all I do is cook, watch tv, and sleep. I wake up, cook breakfast, go to class, cook for 5 hours, come home, cook dinner. Watch tv, fall asleep. And so goes each day. The cooking part, I love. I am getting heaps better at everything I was already good at, and learning about food is reminding me why I loved it so much in the first place.
But this feeling of tiredness, I cannot shake. I hardly know why I'm so tired, either. I sleep eight hours a night, I drink the correct amount of water (well, most days. See first paragraph.). But regardless, I wake up each day having to force my eyes open to the annoying beep of my alarm. I have a headache, behind my eyes from it. At the bus stop, I want to sleep. On the bus, in class, I wish I was sleeping. I so wish I understood what's going on with me. Sometimes I read back through my journal and I discover that my paragraphs are totally disconnected from eachother. They hardly make sense when you put them together. Mostly I just listen to music and then journal the lyrics of the songs I really like, and jot down a few sentences about how I can't say enough how tired I am.
Well, I really actually just wanted to write about this recipe that has been quite soothing and delicious to me lately. It goes against practically everything I stand for, because it involves eating tomatoes in winter, when they are out of season, but just pretend while you read this that it is the end of summer and these tomatoes are at the peak of freshness (which would make them so much more delicious as well). And here it is, lovelies:
Broiled Tomatoes with Mayonnaise
Serves 2
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
2 tomatoes
1 stalk of scallions
2 cloves of garlic
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 T parmesan cheese
So here's what you want to do:
Slice each tomato into 4 slices. Mince the garlic and scallions. Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, scallions, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the tomato slices on a sheet pan, and top each slice with a small spoonful of the mixture. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Bake these in the oven until the tomatoes look soft and start to break down a little, and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes. Eat them while they are warm. Prepare to meet your new favorite side dish.
That's all for today.
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