Vibrant.(Still) Unrepentant. Badass. Old. Queer

Good Morning, Kittens! How about that 4th of July, huh?  What a crazy riot of fun!  I stayed on the sofa ALL DAY and watched the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended editions).  I made serious progress on my knitting project (pictured).  At the rate I'm going, I *may* finish the scarf before it gets to be winter ... we'll see. I am currently reading Game of Thrones, Book 3.  It's a surprisingly good series; however, I've getting very frustrated with one character's storyline right now.  So, I may have to put the book down for a bit to give myself a break.  Anyone else into this series?  For dinner last night, I made this: Spicy Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Sauteed Green and Yellow Squash with Basil and Pinenuts, and Rice with Red Quinoa Very American, what with the squash and the tomatoes and the quinoa, right? As for my back, it still hurts.  I am able to get up and move around, which is good.  I think I may have overdone ...

Good Afternoon, Kittens! Greetings from the City Formerly Known as Hotlanta. The past few days have been rainy and muggy.  Blah.  Today seems much nicer though.  And, my afternoon class was cancelled, so I have some time to update Ye Olde BloggyThing ... and possibly catchup on some Sligo Co-op business. Or go for a run.  I ran 4.67 miles on Tuesday.  And, here's an interesting factoid: Atlanta? It is not flat.  It is HILLY!  Gah. Anyway, I arrived on Sunday afternoon.  D was nice enough to offer to drive me to the airport.  Hurrah.  I took the train from the airport to the hotel.  Easy Peasy!  and only $2.50.  Bargain.  I checked in. Unpacked.  Took a nap.  And, then, searched for a place to eat.  I ended up at Mellow Mushroom, only a few blocks away. Yum.  Pizza. My days have been mostly the same.  Class.  Break. Class.  Lunch.  Class. Break.  Class.  Din...

Good Morning, Kittens! We're going to save all of today's excitement (Very Special Guest Stars! Surprise Presentations! Meetings! Booze! VOMIT!) until tomorrow ... instead let us delve into the excitement of yesterday. Hmmm... I finished the 3rd book in Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, The Well of Lost Plots . It was a fun read. Next on the agenda is some book I just purchased from B&N about biomimicry. I can't remember the title. I did lots of work in preparation for our Earth Month activities at work. And, then I came home, where I drank a martini, made dinner, ironed shirts, and then ate the second to last (penultimate?) slice of my birthday cake. Dinner was delicious. I made a pasta salad with brussel sprouts, tomatoes, cucumber, cashews, carrots, and corn. Instead of dressing, I tossed it with Thai Basil Pesto which i made (and froze) last Fall. Surprisingly delicious. Srsly. Finally, here's a little photo I took of me last night depicting h...

Good Morning, Kittens. Behold. My first birthday cake from Mike (Who Makes Cakes): I was 37. Those were the days. Three years later, I still want to swallow his *ahem* cakes whole ... Mmm. Cake. May Mike (Who Makes Cakes) and I always be friends. As for my weekend, tons of excitement on the agenda. Today, after work, I'm meeting up with Ray and Mr. Fantastic for movies and Chinese take-out (I think). Saturday, I'm meeting a college friend who I recently reconnected with on facebook. And, Sunday, Mr. Fantastic and I are having brunch with my Fabulous Friend Barbara. I may head to the pottery studio afterwards, but that depends on how many mimosas I have. Have a wonderful weekend. *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! I'm off to work today ... but, yesterday, I "worked" from home ... I did actually do some work. But, I also took naps. And knitted. And, then, K-Factor and the Canadian BF wanted to play Death Croquet. in the snow. It was fun. And snowy. And cold. And I think Eddie Bauer did not design their croquet set for cold weather use. Here we are, intrepid Snow Death Croquet Players: Then, I was reminded by a co-worker that tomorrow is my office's Round Treats Holiday Celebration. I thought it was Wednesday. Had to run to Whole Foods to buy the ingredients for gingerbread-hazelnut bourbon balls : Have great day! *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens. Oh, yes, yesterday was chock full of fun and excitement. I did laundry. I knitted. I got overly frustrated with the (temporary, but not quite temporary enough) roommate. I decided to make a couscous salad last night for dinner. Before I started cooking, Y sat down on the sofa with a plate full of toast and hummus. I made the salad - couscous, corn, black beans, red onion. The dressing was olive oil, chiles, basil, lemon juice, garlic and spinach (pureed). When it was finished, I fixed myself a bowl and sat down on the couch to eat. Y: *loud sigh* V: What? Y: *sigh* V: Would you like some salad? It's in the refrigerator. Y: I just don't understand why you are like this. V: Like what? You just ate a big plate of bread and hummus. I said you could help yourself to the salad in the fridge. Y: Well, it seems like since I paid for the groceries ... V: (interrupting) Did you want me to serve you the salad? Is that it? You need me to get up from enjoy...

Good morning, Kittens! For the nearly four years I have lived in my apartment, my kitchen sink has given me fits. It clogs regularly. I usually end up having to buy some fancy "older pipes" safe clog remover. I pour it down the drain. Things gurgle and fume and the clog goes away ... temporarily. Yesterday, I noticed the drain was getting slow again. Unfortunately, I didn't have any expensive clog remover. BUT, then I remembered that the last time my parents visited, they bought a toothed flexible plastic thingy to for my bathroom sink's temperamental and unaccesible drain. "Why don't I try that first,"I thought. So, I stuck it down the kitchen sink and I heard this weird thunky sound. "Something's in there," I thought. It looked black. Maybe I had dropped a utensil at some point and didn't realize it. I skillfully maneuvered the toothed flexible plastic thingy and managed to bring to the surface ... a disgusting toothbrush, ...

Good Morning, Kittens! So, last night, after dinner, I was having a glass bottle of wine and I made a shocking discovery. The wine I was drinking was better as a spritzer than straight. Whoa. I immediately contacted K-Factor to see if she wanted one. She called back, "I'm baking. Wanna come up?" Is a dog scared of its own farts? Of course, I wanted to come up because it would inevitably mean "take home bag of goodies." Yayz. Behold, the glory that is a Chocolate Zucchini Cupcake sparkling in the morning sun. Teh YUMZ. Then, I ran into* SCGB who generously let me borrow Disc 2 of Mad Men Season 2. I watched the first episode last night. Oooooh. So good. Pottery class this evening. Yay. Have a fantabulous day. *smooches* *If one defines "ran into" as "pounded on his door asking 'are you done with Disc 2 yet' repeatedly"

Good Morning, Kittens! Last night, I made a super yummy dinner, Greek-style Orzo Salad, adapted from the recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. It was super easy, too. First, I made the dressing: In a food processor, I combined 1/4 cup olive oil, juice of one lemon, a clove of garlic, salt, pepper, and a cup of fresh lemon mint and oregano (both of which I got from the garden). OMG. The dressing was so good! Then, in a large bowl, I gently tossed sliced grape tomatoes (maybe 1.5 cups?), a can of sliced black olives, half a thinly diced red onion, and some feta with the dressing. The feta was not hard and crumbly though (it was really soft), so it sort of blended with the dressing rather than staying in distinct little crumbles. Finally, I mixed it all with half a package of cooked and rinsed orzo. Served on spinach. And a big glass of Chef's Little Helper (Greek Retsina). Delicious! Omg. So Good. SCGB came down for a taste too. No big weekend plans...

Good Morning, Kittens! Gray. Cloudy. Not much to see here. The tea-infused vodka is finished. And delicious. To make it, I combined about 3 tablespoons (maybe more, I didn't really measure) of orange pekoe tea leaves and 750 mL of vodka in a glass jar. Then, I put the jar in a cool, dark place and waited until it (the vodka, not the jar) became tea colored. Which didn't take nearly as long as I thought - less than 2 days. Actually, it may have been about 24 hours, but I can't remember when I started the infusion. I tried two different cocktails. First, I mixed about 2 oz of tea vodka with a couple of spoonfuls of simple syrup over lots and lots of ice. It tasted just like sweet tea. Yum. Second, I mixed 2 oz of tea vodka with about 4 oz of lemonade. Over ice. Also teh Yumz. I'm sure using orange pekoe tea isn't necessary. It's what I had in the cupboard. For dinner, I made one of my typical summertime meals: Couscous Salad = (Couscous + black beans ...

Good Morning, Kittens. My lunch date was so much fun. We went to Proof, and it "proof"-ed to be delicious! *groan* I ordered a glass of yummy prosseco. And the wild mushroom quiche with a mixed greens salad (which tasted like it was tossed with sesame oil). Then, I had another glass of yummy prosseco, because it was yummy. Then, we ordered dessert: Honeyed Goat('s milk) Cheesecake [pictured]. The sauce was made from passion fruit, and -while delicious- it was a bit too tangy for me. The cheesecake, itself, however, was marvelous. Super creamy cheesy goodness. Then, I walked Mark back to his office building and headed home ... ... stopping at the bank, likker store, and Whole Foods on the way home. I bought kumquats. Completely forgetting that I don't really like kumquats. For some reason, I think that if I keep trying them, I will learn to like them. Hasn't happened (and, for the record, it hasn't happened with beets either). Once home, I did a little prep wor...

Dear Whole Foods , I tried to understand when you took my two favorite 365 Brand Natural Italian Soda flavors, pink grapefruit and lemon, and packaged them into smaller bottles. You tried to fool savvy consumers by charging $0.20 less, even though -on a per ounce basis- the cost is actually a little bit more. I feared change was coming when my favorite 365 Brand Frozen Pizza with spinach, tomatoes, and feta disappeared from the shelves. And, lo and behold, change came: A slightly smaller, slightly more expensive 365 Brand Frozen Pizza with spinach, feta, and kalamata olives. I have sworn off the soda, because, really, I shouldn't drink so much sugary fizzy stuff. I am giving the pizza a chance tonight, but will probably never buy it again. But, Lord Help Me, if you fuck with my Pleasant Morning Buzz [24 oz. at $9.99], I will fly to Austin, Texas, and shank the fucker who made that decision. Then, I'll start shopping at Trader Joes. Do not doubt me. Love and *smooches*, vuboq vu...

Good Morning, Kittens! And Happy Halloween! Hope you all have on your scariest masks today! I'm sure you do! As the holiday season approacheth, I think we should discuss a very important topic. Namely, you've been taken in by all the "Holiday" advertising and, now, you don't know what to do with all those Forkin' cranberries you purchased. I mean, really, no one in your family likes cranberry sauce anyway. Yet, you still went out and bought the 5 pound bag from Costco ("It was on sale," you say ... secretly knowing that it was on sale b/c no one in his right mind buys that many cranberries). Fortunately, you read this blog. And I'm going to share with you a few ideas on how to use All Those Extra Forkin' Cranberries*: Idea #1: COMPOST. 'Nuff said. Idea #2: Pasta Sauce ... Saute some onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add chopped zucchini, cranberries, a can of diced tomato, and ... well, hello Chef's Little Helper. Simmer. Th...

Good Morning, Kittens. Everyone back to work today? Workin' hard for the money? So hard for the money? Workin' hard for the money but they still don't treat you right? I know, right. It's a difficult life, but we're relying on *you* to keep our economy strong (and if I don't get a job soon to send me cash)! Pottery class last night was interesting. I required lots of instructor assistance. Fortunately, there were several people absent so I didn't feel like I was monopolizing the instructor's attention. I had to trim three oddly-shaped urn-like things (which will be made into sort of spouted water jugs). The instructor had to throw a chuck, which could hold them in place while I trimmed the bottoms. I liked how the first two turned out, but the third one is still too heavy. Oh, well. Then, the instructor trimmed the lids for me, because I "take too long to trim things." Sorry. I'm careful . If I am motivated today, I may go back to the studi...

A picture. It is worth 2000 calories. Probably more. *smooches*

Here is a picture of the birthday cake from Saturday: Stay tuned for several SuperFun pictures of my friend, Barbara, which I took during our lunch and shopping adventure. Now, I must get ready for pottery class. YAY. Pottery class! *smooches*

Good morning, kittens! I hope you were all up bright and early, so you could go to the Farmer's Market to buy fresh vegetables for the Summertime Cold Soup Contest !!! As promised, here's my dinner last night ... Thai-Inspired Fried Rice: Chef's Little Helper (not pictured) was Thai Basil-Infused Vodka with Tonic. So ... what I did was in about 1 tbsp (or more) Canola Oil and 1 tsp (or more) of sesame oil, I fried about 1 tsp of Thai red curry paste. Then, I added two thinly sliced scallions and two sliced chili peppers (from the garden). Next, I tossed in half a zucchini (cubed). After those items were mostly cooked, I added about a cup and a half of cooked rice and a splash of soy sauce. Once the rice was heated through, I made a hole in the center and poured in one beaten egg to scramble. Finally, just as it was finishing up, I threw in a handful of thinly sliced Thai Basil (from the garden). Delicious! and SPICY! Later, SCGB and DUN came down for conversation, DVDs, and...

And, you may worship me ... from a respectful distance. Or you could just give me lots of money and/or gin. ANYWAY, thus far today, I have: 1. Completed the horrible essay question for the government job AND faxed my transcript to HR.* 2. Called the investment company which manages my 401(k) to find out how to roll my funds over to a personal 401(k) once the impending unemployment occurs. 3. Decided what I'm making for dinner tonight: Vegetarian Fried Tofu with Garlic and Black Pepper and Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chopped Peanuts and Thai Basil . 4. Made a sandwich and an iced coffee. OMG. I'm exhausted. I should take the rest of the day off! BUT, before I do, here is another hint about the rapidly approaching New VUBOQ Contest: The first hint is here . Allrightythen, guess that's it. *smooches* *The chances of me actually getting this job (even though I am highly qualified) are relatively nil. The position was announced on 7/22 and closes on 7/25. Such a short announceme...

Good Morning, Sugar Muffins! After all of the excitement at work yesterday*, experimental cooking at home proved to be SuperRelaxing! First, I made the Raspberry- Lime Vodka Infusion , using about a pint of raspberries and 2 sliced limes . See: It seems to be infusing quickly and should be done in a few days. Hopefully, it will be delicious. Then, I cooked dinner. First, I made a slightly modified version of this soup from epicurious: Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup . It was super easy. I omitted the coriander** and the 1/2 cup of ice***. As the soup was chilling, I boiled some linguini and tossed it with butter, olive oil and herbs from the garden, rosemary, basil, and oregano. Ta da! Well, hello, Chef's Little Helper, tequila with lemon soda. The soup was creamy and delicious, although a bit on the tart side. I believe I may have added too much yogurt. Next time, I may blend up a chili pepper with it to see what that does (other than make it spicy). In other news, no one see...

This is from the cooking class I took in Thailand many, many years ago Beef Satay (you can use chicken) Ingredients 500g (1lb 2 oz) beef - cut into thin slices Marinade 6 tbsp thick coconut milk 2 tbsp fish sauce (can substitute soy sauce) 2 tbsp condensed, sweetened milk 1 tbsp oil (NOT olive oil) 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp curry powder Sauce 2 cups (16 fl oz) thick coconut milk 1 tbsp red curry paste 2 tbsp fish sauce (see note above) 3 tbsp sugar 1/2 cup finely ground roasted peanuts METHOD Mix all ingredients for the marinade together and then cover the beef. Leave for at least 30 minutes. To make the sauce, put the coconut milk into a wok and bring to a boil. Add the red curry paste and stir to combine. Add the fish sauce, sugar and peanuts and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thick. Stir continuously. The beef can be either barbecued, grilled or shallow fried. To grill, but the meat on to skewers and cook for 3 minutes each side until the meat is cooked. Spoon the marindea ov...