Something Squirrelly this Way Comes

Irony is when you watch cooking shows almost exclusively, have a deep repretoire of recipes, ingredients with which to cook and yet still end up having a prepackaged microwaveable meal for lunch.

Yeah, yeah so it's more poor planning than irony. I know, so hush already! Tho I believe I'll go with Irony anyway, as is it's more flattering and almost regal. Yeah! Regal!

Very regally yours,
g.

I was on the radio today!! My little talk with Tyler from last Thursday aired today. Woohooo! And I only sounded slightly dorky. :)

Since I posted 3 (Yes, THREE) entries yesterday, I'm gonna keep today's short and sweet. Green Ginger tea by TAZO is delicious! Mm mmm Mmmmmm. :)

Tyler Florence, that is. He's a chef on the Food Network.

So I finally remembered to turn on Tyler's Food Talk radio show today. And, as luck would have it, the show was mostly about fish. I don't eat fish. Haven't since 1992. But I listened anyway because I can switch the fish for chicken and still have a good meal. :)

I toyed with calling in during the first 45 minutes of the show. I was trying to form a proper fish question. To no avail. When the show is almost over and I figure I've missed my chance for calling in, Tyler informs us that he's sticking around and to call in anyway, he'll talk to us off air. I figure, what the hell? I dial the number.

The phone rings, my heart rate speeds up. Even though I've called into other radio shows and know it's just the producer, engineer person who will answer. But it's that much closer to Tyler! The producer lady answers and I tell her that I want to ask for any good foods for colds, other than chicken soup. She laughs.
"You have a cold now?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Okay, hold on the phone and turn off your radio."

I listen to the end of today's show, a bit of the news, some silence and then the music for Food Talk starts again and Tyler is talking. He takes a call from a lady in NY (or NJ) about pork. I figure it's just a tape of an earlier show. Then he wraps up with her and says "Now we're going to G in DC". And I was like OH CRAP!! It's a tape for a future show! Now I can't ask if he saw Edge at Sundance cause the intro said nothing about Sundance and I didn't want to get cut from the show for blowing that it's a taped show. And yes all that raced through my brain in the 5 seconds it took me to reply with "Hey Tyler!"

I was on hold for not quite 15 mins before Tyler is talking to me. What a Huge thrill!! Sure I met him during his first book tour in Richmond, VA some years ago but this was Now! :) Here's a recap.

"Now we go to G in DC. Hi G!"
"Hey Tyler!"
"How are you?"
"I'm okay, how about you?" then I mentally kick myself because I should've said I have a cold.
"I'm good.. How bout you?"
"Oh, well, actually I've got a cold"
"That's too bad"
"Yeah.. you have any good recipes for foods to help ease cold symptoms other than chicken soup? Anything? Possibly?"
He chuckles and then says "Well I'm not a doctor you know, but I play one on TV." We both laugh and then he continues, "Garlic actually is good for colds and good overall general health. But there's nothing like a good cup of chicken soup. Let me give you a good recipe for chicken broth."
And then he does. Says to oven roast the chicken first before putting in the soup pot. That the roasting really brings out the flavor. Then he tells me how to robusticize* it with some white beans.

After the recipe, he starts to wrap up the call but I pipe in with, "So I shouldn't just eat a clove a garlic a day? Keep any vampires and colds away."
He laughs and says, "Well just make sure the person you're with has one too!" though, I swear he said making out with! But surely not?! Right?? He wouldn't say that on the radio.. Would he??? We both laugh and then he says "Feel better and call me back to let me know how you're doing."

Ahhhh me oh my. What a great way to feel better! Chicken soup might be great and garlic grand but talking to Tyler is definitely the best way to feel better quickly! :)

*Tyler did not, in fact, say robusticize. He did say that I could make the soup more robust and Tuscan style by adding the drained white beans. Robusticize is purely a squirrelly word of my invention that will soon take over everyone's vocabularly. Rather like detartify. *grin*

Bono Unveils 'Red' Philanthropic Program
By Associated Press

DAVOS, Switzerland - U2 frontman Bono unveiled a new push to fight HIV and AIDS in Africa, announcing a partnership with several companies Thursday to sell products under a brand called "Red," with the proceeds going toward anti-AIDS programs.

Bono said the money would go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

"So, here we are, fat cats in the snow, and I say that as one," he said to laughs. "It is a great place to do business and we have some business we want to talk to you about."

"Red" includes red-theme products from American Express, Converse, Gap and Giorgio Armani.

The venture will include an American Express card, shoes, T-shirts and sunglasses and is meant to be a long-term fund-raiser for the group, fund executive director Richard Feachem said.

"'Red' will bring a rising income stream ... (and) increased awareness of HIV in Africa and the role of the Global Fund to finance programs to treat it," Feachem said. "Income from 'Red' will flow to support Global Fund programs in Africa against HIV Aids, especially programs that help women and children."


Join Red

Well I wanted to put up a couple of gorgeous pictures but Blogger seems to be having photographic issues today. :( Maybe later..

Ever wondered what songs were number one in the UK and US on the day you were born? Wonder no more! This Day in Music will let you know. Unless you were born before 1952 (UK) or 1955 (US).The UK pop charts didn't begin until 1952 & the US charts started in 1955.

Who were the chart toppers on the joyous day of my birth?

I Love to Love by Tina Charles was No. 1 in the UK
Love Machine (Part 1) by The Miracles was No. 1 in the US.

Last Thursday evening I had a sore throat. Friday I felt progressively worse as the day went on, sore throat, headache, congestion, cough, aches, etc. Saturday was me on the couch, coughing and hacking my way between naps, a fever (only 101.3, so not that bad) and some seriously cheezy movies on the Sci Fi channel. Sunday was better, had some appetite back and the fever was lower. Today I thankfully had off from work so I didn't have to burn any sick time. I may only work a half day tomorrow.

Anyway, I talked to my folks, who are watching my nephew until Weds (bro & sis-in-law are on a ski trip), on Sunday afternoon. I find out then that J.T. (nephew) is sick as well. Friday he vomited when they (bro & sis-in-law) got him home from day care, twice in the car on the way to my folks' house and then again once at the folks' house. Poor little guy. He's all congested and Saturday night my folks took turns rocking him in the recliner because he couldn't breathe when he was lying down. They had to hold him mostly upright so that he could get some sleep. My mom held him from about 11 until 3.30 am and then my dad took over.

After comparing notes it almost sounds like I'm sympathetically sick with J.T. We ate similar things on Sunday, had similar sleeping issues and we were both cranky. So maybe we're linked. My grandmother (mom's mom) would know when my brother was injured. She'd call within hours of him getting hurt to ask what was wrong. So maybe I've got a similar link with J.T. Which is great! Except I'd rather just know that something was going on instead of feeling it. I know, I know. Picky! Picky! ;) But it does make for a good story, right? I can hear it now...

"Sorry boss, I can't come in today."
"Why? Are you sick?"
"No, I'm not sick but my nephew is. And we're linked, so I'll be sick soon."
Utter silence from the boss.

Maybe I should start a petition to get psychic health sick days added...

I just read the article, U2's Edge helps music return to New Orleans by Peter Cooper and thought I'd post a reminder here.

Music Rising is a joint fundraising effort between The Edge, Gibson Guitar, Guitar Center Music Ed. Foundation, and Bob Ezrin. They're raising money to buy instruments for Gulf Coast musicians impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

"Some would say it's a luxury to think about music when so many people have lost the roof over their heads," Edge said, by telephone from Hawaii. U2 is set to play an April 8 concert at Aloha Stadium. "But the purpose is to bring life, work and people back in that city. Music is a wonderful way of inspiring confidence in the belief that it's starting to grow back. Music is a catalyst."

Pancakes made from stale (read: expired) pancake mix that's been in your freezer for a good two years, aren't that great. Especially when you have no syrup to put on them. However, adding chunks of dark chocolate (Dove) does help somewhat.

Just thought I'd give yall a heads up :)

There's this show on the Food Network (Food TV, whatever) called Good Eats. It's hosted by Alton Brown. He cracks me up. He's quirky, chipper, creative and yes, by gum, he's squirrelly!

A couple nights ago there was a repeat of his show Fry Hard II: The Chicken. As I'm not at all fond of eating food with bones in them, I hadn't planned on watching it. Until I heard the first couple lines, then I was hooked. Alton was quoting The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. I adore Poe. Except it wasn't The Raven, it was The Chicken said to the format of The Raven. I found the show transcript on the Good Eats Fan Page. But I have yet to find the awesome person who wrote The Chicken. If anyone knows, let me know so I can give the person his/her credit! Plus send them a fan letter :)


AB: = Alton Brown, C: = Chicken. Read on and laugh lots.

[voice over]

Once upon a mid-morn dreary, as I pondered with eyes quite bleary,
Over many a curious volume of culinary lore,
On a latte I was sucking, and yet suddenly there came a clucking,
As if some salesman were a-mucking, mucking about my kitchen door.

AB: 'Tis some salesman. Only this, nothing more.

And yet presently the noise repeated. So I hollered, no longer seated.

AB: Beat it, pesky husker, mucking about my kitchen door.
At my business I'm now working, so my chain you'd best stop jerking.

Then throwing wide the kitchen door, I found there a chicken and nothing more.

AB: Eeeh.

Leapt a back I then with a stutter, as the phantom bird did with a flutter
Mount the folk-art bust of Julia Child there upon my kitchen floor.
Perched and sat and nothing more.

Then the palled poultry most perplexing did set my meager mind to guessing ...

AB: From whence did you come to perch upon the bust of Julia on my kitchen floor?

Quoth the chicken,

C: Fry some more.

As certain as my heart is ticking, I'm certain no living chicken
Has ever so clearly commanded a living cook before
With an utterance so clear and shocking that even I could not ignore.

Quoth the chicken,

C: Fry some more.

Then thought I, perhaps she's on to something.
For too long now I have been supping
On feed incapable of nourishing my anguished soul.
Perhaps some truly good eats my hungry soul could restore.

Quoth the chicken,

C: Fry some more.
AB: Good eats, that is.

Intro credits, regular show talk

C: Fry some more.
AB: Hush, foul fowl.

More instructional cooking talk in non-Poe speak

C: Fry some more.
AB: I'm getting to it.

Even more instructional cooking talk in non-Poe speak

C: Fry some more.

AB: ... yes, must be eaten with the fingers ...

wrap up of show

The chicken, never flitting still is sitting, still is sitting
On the folk-art bust of Julia on my kitchen floor.
In her thighs I see the quiver of a future pan- fried dinner
Whose crunchy, golden goodness does my appetite implore
To go ahead and fry some more.

As most regulars to my little blog world know, I like to cook. I'm not necessarily a consistently good cook, but I keep at it. Lately I've been covetting a certain knife. I think of it as my Dream Knife.

It's really a Japanese Chef's knife and darn pretty. However, spending over $50 for a knife seems a tad ridiculous to me at this point in my life. And this baby is ON SALE for $60.. so it's not likely I'll get it. I'll just drool on it until I win the lottery, sell a story or get a better paying job.

I suppose this post sort of symbolizes the epitome of the world's issues. I go from Dr. King's amazing speech yesterday, to my own pitiful desires. Perhaps if more of us focus Outside of our lives, the world would be a better place. Maybe that will be my New Year's Resolution.

In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I present to you the "I Have A Dream" speech given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Juice of 7 lemons (about 1 cup)
1 cup sugar syrup*
12 oz frozen raspberries
3 pints water (6 cups)
1 lemon sliced in thin rounds
1/2 lemon zested

Roll lemons on counter or nuke in the microwave for 10 seconds. It helps release the juice from the rind. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar syrup and water to pitcher and stir until mixed well. Add raspberries and lemon rounds, mix well. Taste and add more sugar syrup, if it's too tart. It most likely will be unless you bought sweetened raspberries.

Sugar Syrup

Add equal parts sugar and water to saucepan. Heat until sugar dissolves, stirring regularly. Let cool, pour into air tight container and refrigerate until needed.

I made this today. Hand squeezed the lemons, made the simple syrup, all of it. My hands still smell like lemons so it's good that I like them :) And man is it good and Tart! Good thing I have extra syrup I can use to detartify it. (Yes detartify is a word. I just used it twice, didn't I?)

I began remodeling my trusty blog tonight. I only have HTML patience for so long before ..unladylike words start popping out of my mouth (mom & dad, pretend you didn't read that). So the colors and layout will likely continue to flux for the next few days.

This is mainly for me, should I want to use the links in the future. I've deleted the following from the sidebar.

NC Coastal Federation
NC Conservation Network
NC Green Power
NC Sustainable Energy
Raleigh EcoNews
So. Alliance for Clean Energy

And, for the record, I Despise having the lines under links. Huge BIG Thanks to T, for helping me rid my blog of The Curse of Underlined Links! :)

What Color Heart Do You Have?

Your Heart Is Orange



Love equals unbridled happiness for you. You enjoy the wild ride of falling in love. And while the ride is fun for a while, you always get off once the thrill is gone.

Your flirting style: Hyper
Your lucky first date: Anything you need your passport for!
Your dream lover: Is both daring and well grounded
What you bring to relationships: Energy


Which sounds good and all, but I believe the next one is definitely more ME.

Your Heart Is Under A Blood Red Sky




Love equals a rock concert for you. You enjoy the thrumming beat of falling in love. And while the beat is fun for a while, you always sit down once the encores are over.

Your flirting style: Squirrelly
Your lucky first date: U2 Concert
Your dream lover: Edge
What you bring to relationships: Mad Sign-Making Skills (yo!)

So I was sitting here, puttering away at work. I have Pandora Radio playing. Pandora is like Yahoo LaunchCast Radio, only better. There are no commercials. (Thanks again Rach for telling me about it!)

Anyway, the song ends and the next one starts. It sounds familar but I can't quite place it. Then Bono starts singing and I squeal -literally- and get The Squirrelly Eyeball from my coworkers. You know the look. It's the "What the heck is wrong with her?? and should we be worried about ourselves right now?" look. I just sorta shrug sheepish like and say, "good song."

The song is When The Stars Go Blue written by Ryan Adams. This version is The Corrs singing (and playing) featuring Bono. It's fantastic. One of my favorite songs ever.

Too bad Pandora doesn't let you repeat. I'd still have it playing :)

About a month back (give or take) I discovered a little blue bag of tortellini in the pasta aisle by Barilla. It was on sale so I figured, "Why not?" and grabbed two. One was garlic and cheese, the other Three Cheese.

Not long after that I made the garlic and cheese (or maybe it was mushroom and ricotta?) and thought not bad. A week and a half ago I made the Three Cheese one and thought holy freaking heck this is too darn good to be from a bag!!!. All I did was cook it and top it with extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and dried basil. Divine!!!

Last weekend I stopped at the grocery store and picked up two large bags of the Three Cheese Tortellini and a small bag of Spinach & Ricotta (I think). By large bag I mean it's half again as large as the small bag - 4 servings at most. On Friday (or was it Saturday?) I made the Three Cheese Tort. and topped it with the same ingredients except this time I added freshly diced tomatoes. Oh. My. Dog! that was good!! So good that I didn't want to stop eating it although I was stuffed.

Yesterday I made the second bag and this time I added a little garlic powder to my tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and dried basil. I can't believe I'm going to say this. It was better without the garlic.

Shocking, right? ME saying something was better without the garlic. I swear a chill went up my back when I realized that. It was like the world no longer made sense! Garlic always makes things taste better! My rationalization is that my garlic powder has died and that I added too much. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

So I had Monday off and didn't post a blog entry til now. You gotta problem with that? Take it up with The Edge! and when you do, make sure I'm there with you!! *grin*

Here's my Friday morning, rework of U2's song Pride (In the Name of Love). Sure their tribute to MLK was subtle, but I chose the direct approach :)


Pride (In the Name of Edge)

One girl come in the name of Edge
One girl to ooh and awe
One girl come she to scream and shout
One girl to heed the call
In the name of Edge!
What more in the name of Edge?
In the name of Edge!
What more? In the name of Edge!

One girl caught in a crowd of fans
One girl she did hope
One girl waved her big glitt’ry sign
One girl frozen with a look

In the name of Edge!
What more in the name of Edge?
In the name of Edge!
What more? In the name of Edge!

...nobody like you...there's nobody like you...

Mmm...mmm...mmm...
Late evening, December 10
Screams ring out in the Cleveland sky
Here at last, they shout for you
You would not sign their guitar

In the name of Edge!
What more in the name of Edge?
In the name of Edge!
What more in the name of Edge?
In the name of Edge!
What more in the name of Edge...

Did Jesus Exist? Italian Court to Decide

Summary: Guy (Cascioli) says Jesus is a fable, perpetuated by the Catholic church based on John of Gamala (a Jew from the 1st century). He states that this fable violates two Italian laws 1) Abuse of Popular Belief and 2) Impersonation.

"I started this lawsuit because I wanted to deal the final blow against the Church, the bearer of obscurantism and regression," Cascioli told Reuters.

Many thanks to my mom, brother and Rach. About 10:00 last night my phone rings, it's kinda garbled and the connection disintigrates. I assume it's a family member and not a telemarketer calling. Phone rings again, it's my brother.

"U2 is going to be on during half time of the Rose Bowl."
"What? When? How much time do I've got??"
"There's four minutes left in the half."
"Oooh okay. Hold on, let me get the cordless phone." I set the receiver down, walk into my living room just as my cell starts ringing. I can tell by the ring that it's family. I check the caller ID and see that it's my mom.
"U2 is going to be on at half time" I answer. I pick up my cordless and click it on.
My mom: "Oh, so you saw it? I didn't know if you'd have the game on or not."
"I didn't but Toph called to tell me," I say into both receivers. "Thanks for calling me though, Momma."
My mom: "Oh okay. Well I'll let you go." We hang up.

I turn on my VCR, insert my U2 tape, text message Rach and TC on my cell, and chit chat with my brother until the period ends. I get a text from Rach saying "I was just texting you about it when your text came through!!" Great minds (and good friends) think alike :)

I hang up with my brother and then suffer through the half time crap. Texting Rach (and sometimes TC) pithy comments. "Blah blah blah! Bring on U2!" etc. Rach and I cement a deal concerning her and Bono and Edge and I. I then text Rach asking her if she thinks it'll be the video for Original Of The Species as last year, during one of the bowl games, the video for All Because of You was shown. I was oh so wrong, though.

After half time is OVER, they show this maybe 20 second clip of Vertigo from the Vertigo 2005 U2 Live from Chicago DVD. Which would've been bad enough but they showed MAYBE 10 seconds of actual concert footage, rest was full of clips from the first half of the game with U2 playing in the background.

I text to Rach and TC "LAME!!!"
Rach responds with, "What? Did I miss it??"
TC texts that it was longer on sportscenter at 6 and didn't have the football footage. But did he bother to text ME at 6 to tell me about it? Nooo! Was HE in the process of texting me about the halftime U2 "show"?? NOoo! *muttergrumbleBOYS!mutter*

My land line rings again, I didn't know if it was my brother or my mom, so I answer with "THAT's IT???? I turned the TV on for THAT???" and my brother laughed.
"I was thinking the same thing! LAME!!"
"I texted Rach and TC that same thing! How stupid! What a crock!! Lame Lame Lame!! If I wanted to watch Vertigo, I'd have put in the DVD! and if I wanted to see football clips of the first half, I'd have watched the game!" We moan and complain some more and then hang up. Okay okay okay so it was mostly Me moaning and complaining *grin*

I did search the ESPN web site and found the link for the entire clip, sans football footage. Vertigo on ESPN. However, it won't let me link directly to it. You have to click on the image of U2. The portion played last night is the ending segment after the Stories For Boys snippet.

Ever have one of those days where you just don't want to get out of bed and once you do, you're too content in the hot shower, or in the armchair eating breakfast to go to work? Cozied in your place on a chill winter morning. The sun still down. The sweet, sweet sound of a car alarm blaring outside. Ahh the bliss. The harmony.

Who am I kidding. Of Course you have! What person hasn't? Today was one of those days. I persevered though and made it into work. Granted I was 40 minutes later than usual. But at least I made it. Right?

On a random note doesn't persevered look like it's spelled wrong? To me, it looks more like a derivative of sever. As in to hack apart. Divide. Break up. And no, I didn't sever anything this morning. Well except any dreams I was having before I distantly heard my cell phone alarm ringing. For the second night in a row, my power went out at some point in the wee hours of morning.

What kind of Squirrel Are You? brought to you by Quizilla



You are an INTIMIDATING squirrel.
People fear your unblinking eyes.
How is it that you are always watching them,
even when they try to hide from you?



Apparently I'm not your average squirrel. But most of yall already knew that, right? ;) Thanks for the link, Claud :)

Here's what I made for my NYD feast. It was originally a Rachael Ray recipe. However, I modified it. :) For example she has you putting the stir fry over linguini, last night I ate it by itself and this morning (yes, Morning) I had it in a jalapeno tortilla wrap. Very good both ways.

1 rounded tablespoon sweet-hot mustard
1/4 cup tamari, dark, sweet soy sauce, eyeball the amount
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock, or about half of one 14 ounce container
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, from Asian foods aisle, a serious drizzle
2 8 oz Pork chops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
12 to 16 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 inches fresh ginger root, finely chopped or grated
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
5 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
2 cups fresh bean spouts, 4 handfuls
1/2 head red cabbage, sliced into thin strips
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds, for garnish

Bring a pot of water to boil. It's for blanching carrots but also can cook pasta in it, should you desire pasta with your stir fry.

Place sweet hot mustard in a bowl. Whisk in Tamari sauce. Add stock and sesame oil to the broth and soy. Set aside. If you taste it now, it's Really strong. But it mellows out once poured over the pork and veggies.

Slice the pork loin very thinly against the grain. I just sliced it, no clue if it was against the grain or not.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high to high heat. To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add crushed pepper flakes to the oil, then the thinly sliced pork. Season pork with salt and pepper.

Cook pork 2 minutes to caramelize the meat, then turn and stir-fry. Blanch carrots for a minute, then remove with a slotted spoon. (Add pasta to boiling water at this point.) Transfer carrots to pork stir-fry. Add mushrooms, ginger, red bell pepper, scallions and bean sprouts.

Toss and stir-fry veggies with pork for 2 minutes. (Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and add to the pork and veggies.) Pour Tamari and broth mixture over stir fry. Toss to fully coat veggies and pork. If you're adding pasta, allow the noodles to completely soak up the liquids, a minute or so. Otherwise, there will be a yummy, sweet sauce. Remove from heat. Serve large bowls of noodles, pork and veggies with a garnish of toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds.

Modifications
- I didn't have chicken stock, used broth.
- Added the 1/2 head red cabbage
- Skipped pasta
- Used pork loin instead of pork chops