Thanksgiving Cooking Rule #5 is: No matter how tempting, do not try to dispose of the peelings from five pounds of potatoes in your in-sink garbage disposal. Potato starch turns to glue really quickly.
Trust me on this one. Seriously, I know all about this.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Persistence Pays Off!
The year was 1997 and I was in a revenge state of mind. We were sitting in a movie theatre watching the credits of Spice World (yep, the Spice Girls movie) roll past. I had blindfolded my friend Rob, led him into the theatre, and made him watch this movie against his wishes.
What had he done to deserve such a cruel fate? He had taken me to see David Lynch's Lost Highway a few weekends prior. I had really hated that movie. In fact, I would have walked out of the theatre after the first 10 minutes if it hadn't been for the fact that Rob was my ride home.
And so, to get back at him, I had made him watch Spice World. It actually hadn't been that bad (especially compared to Lost Highway), and I was thinking that he might have gotten off easy, so I decided that we would stay to the bitter end and watch all of the credits, too.
As the last of the words rolled up the screen, we began collecting our things, getting ready to leave. But wait! There's more! The Spice Girls came back on the screen and told us to go home. At the end of the credits, something else happened. Who knew?
This experience changed me forever. Now I always stay in the movie theatre until the credits have rolled by and the theatre lights have come on, just in case something awesome happens after the words. 98% of the time, nothing happens. But Tuesday night I went to a free screening of The Producers, and there was a post-credit bonus sequence. And there were only about six people in the theatre to see it. Vindication!
So, if you go and see The Producers, stay until the bitter end. It's worth waiting for...
What had he done to deserve such a cruel fate? He had taken me to see David Lynch's Lost Highway a few weekends prior. I had really hated that movie. In fact, I would have walked out of the theatre after the first 10 minutes if it hadn't been for the fact that Rob was my ride home.
And so, to get back at him, I had made him watch Spice World. It actually hadn't been that bad (especially compared to Lost Highway), and I was thinking that he might have gotten off easy, so I decided that we would stay to the bitter end and watch all of the credits, too.
As the last of the words rolled up the screen, we began collecting our things, getting ready to leave. But wait! There's more! The Spice Girls came back on the screen and told us to go home. At the end of the credits, something else happened. Who knew?
This experience changed me forever. Now I always stay in the movie theatre until the credits have rolled by and the theatre lights have come on, just in case something awesome happens after the words. 98% of the time, nothing happens. But Tuesday night I went to a free screening of The Producers, and there was a post-credit bonus sequence. And there were only about six people in the theatre to see it. Vindication!
So, if you go and see The Producers, stay until the bitter end. It's worth waiting for...
It's a Flip Flop Flying Christmas!
I know that Thanksgiving isn't even over yet, so it might be too soon to speak of Christmas, but I'm going to do it anyway. I have neglected to mention one of my favorite websites of all times: Flip Flop Flying. The site was created by this guy named Craig Robinson, a Brit who now lives in Berlin. Craig is the creator of "Minipops." You may have seen a book about minipops in stores last holiday season or you might have seen minipops on album covers or magazines in the last couple of years. If you're totally oblivious to the minipops phenomenon, I believe you will be delighted when you first gaze upon them and figure them out.
In my opinion, Craig is brilliant. I admire his sense of humor, his dedication to his work, and his overall coolness. There are many creative people that I have jealously wanted to switch personalities and lifestyles with, and Craig is one who's at the top of my list.
I haven't visited his website for quite a while. Since the last time I was there, he has added a blog and a blog for his dog and a bunch of new characters to The World of Flip Flop Flying.
Although I don't visit FFF every month, I am always reminded of this website every Christmas season because one year he did a really fun internet Advent calendar which I did check every day (I am utterly obsessed with Advent calendars for some reason). He has done other interesting Christmas things, and you can view all of them here.
Take a moment to poke around on his website and absorb the brilliance that is Craig. I do not think you'll be disappointed!
In my opinion, Craig is brilliant. I admire his sense of humor, his dedication to his work, and his overall coolness. There are many creative people that I have jealously wanted to switch personalities and lifestyles with, and Craig is one who's at the top of my list.
I haven't visited his website for quite a while. Since the last time I was there, he has added a blog and a blog for his dog and a bunch of new characters to The World of Flip Flop Flying.
Although I don't visit FFF every month, I am always reminded of this website every Christmas season because one year he did a really fun internet Advent calendar which I did check every day (I am utterly obsessed with Advent calendars for some reason). He has done other interesting Christmas things, and you can view all of them here.
Take a moment to poke around on his website and absorb the brilliance that is Craig. I do not think you'll be disappointed!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I was so tuckered out last night that I went to bed really early. It's not surprising that I woke up at 2:30, after about 6 hours of sleep, and was wide awake. I thought I would take an opportunity to wish you all an early morning Happy Thanksgiving! Perhaps my friends with new babies will be awake, too, catching up on blogs during their early morning feeding... If so, HELLO!
I was thinking, "Maybe I should start cooking something!" but then decided that that seemed a little bit crazy, especially since it's just the two of us for Thanksgiving and we can eat whenever we want to today.
Instead, I thought that I would give everyone my veggie Thanksgiving recipe. Since we're vegetarian, we never have turkey for Thanksgiving (obviously), but I make this chicken roast instead. Yes, I know it should be a turkey roast to be consistent with the holiday, but for some reason it has always been a chicken roast through the years and so the tradition continues.
If you're not vegetarian and you're not a roast eater, I fear that you will read the ingredients and think, "Gross!" In my experience, however, the magic of roasts is that you can throw a lot of disconnected things into a pan, mix them up, bake them, and they turn out delicious!
Stuff you will need:
-1/4 cup chopped onion (I don't like onions, so I blend them in a little blender thingy until they're nearly onion juice!)
-1 tsp McKay's Chicken Seasoning, vegetarian (also usually purchased at an Adventist Book Center; it comes in a jar and is in powered form)
-1/2 cup mayo
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/2 cup milk (use condensed milk if you're really being "naughty")
-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
-crushed corn flakes to go on top of the roast, for a crispy upper crust
Directions:
-Shred bread and chicken in food processor (I use the blade that has lots of holes in it)
-Add oil, onions, chicken seasoning, mayo, and lemon juice
-Mix well
-Put into greased (or no-stick sprayed) smaller (9x9 or 11x7) casserole/roast dish
-Pour milk evenly on top
-Cover with crushed corn flakes (you can judge how much to use; I can still see the roast through the corn flake layer when I'm done)
-Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees
I hope you like it! We think it's delicious!
I was thinking, "Maybe I should start cooking something!" but then decided that that seemed a little bit crazy, especially since it's just the two of us for Thanksgiving and we can eat whenever we want to today.
Instead, I thought that I would give everyone my veggie Thanksgiving recipe. Since we're vegetarian, we never have turkey for Thanksgiving (obviously), but I make this chicken roast instead. Yes, I know it should be a turkey roast to be consistent with the holiday, but for some reason it has always been a chicken roast through the years and so the tradition continues.
If you're not vegetarian and you're not a roast eater, I fear that you will read the ingredients and think, "Gross!" In my experience, however, the magic of roasts is that you can throw a lot of disconnected things into a pan, mix them up, bake them, and they turn out delicious!
Stuff you will need:
-1.5 cups soft bread crumbs (just run pieces of bread through a food processor until you have enough)
-13 oz. frozen veggie chicken, shredded in a food processor and added to the bread crumbs (I use Worthington Foods' "Meatless Chicken Style" veggie protein; it comes in a big roll in the freezer section and usually has to be purchased at an Adventist Book Center -- check your phone book for the nearest ABC location)-1/4 cup chopped onion (I don't like onions, so I blend them in a little blender thingy until they're nearly onion juice!)
-1 tsp McKay's Chicken Seasoning, vegetarian (also usually purchased at an Adventist Book Center; it comes in a jar and is in powered form)
-1/2 cup mayo
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/2 cup milk (use condensed milk if you're really being "naughty")
-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
-crushed corn flakes to go on top of the roast, for a crispy upper crust
Directions:
-Shred bread and chicken in food processor (I use the blade that has lots of holes in it)
-Add oil, onions, chicken seasoning, mayo, and lemon juice
-Mix well
-Put into greased (or no-stick sprayed) smaller (9x9 or 11x7) casserole/roast dish
-Pour milk evenly on top
-Cover with crushed corn flakes (you can judge how much to use; I can still see the roast through the corn flake layer when I'm done)
-Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees
I hope you like it! We think it's delicious!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Sports Update
I realized the other day that, for all of my earlier talk about how involved I am in various sports things this Fall, I haven't given any updates whatsoever. Here, then, is an update on my various teams and how things are going...
Fantasy Football:
I am currently tied for 1st place with two other players in my 12-team league. This comes across as amazingly lucky to me since I am only 4th place in total points and don't really have that great of a team. My strategy has been to sign a nearly new team every week, picking up the best free agents and getting rid of last week's sign-ups. Because I know very little about individual players, this looks like a risky approach to me, but it seems to be working okay overall. Now that Donovan McNabb is out for the season, however, I am really worried about pulling off wins each week! He was my superstar QB!
I am watching less football than I was earlier in the season, thereby proving to everyone that I'm really just a fake fan. I also spend less time each week agonizing over which players to pick up or drop. I am not sure if this is because I have a system in place now or because I am less interested in it. Overall, it seems like the less time I have spent on this, the better my results have been!
Fantasy Hockey:
Since there are so many hockey games per week, I spend even less time agonizing about my Fantasy Hockey team. I don't make a lot of bench changes either (pick-ups or drops), but mostly just go through each day a month ahead of time and make sure that I have players in as many games as possible. I am currently in second place in my six-team league, so it's working out okay, but I feel like I'm taking a very half-baked approach to this fantasy league.
It is interesting to note that Fantasy Hockey has far fewer perks than Fantasy Football does. For instance, you can't "smack talk" in Fantasy Hockey -- the most fun part of Fantasy Football! And there is less expert advice as well, making player selection feel like a shot in the dark. This represents part of the reason that I am probably not as into it as I am into Fantasy Football. But I am still enjoying being in second place!
Nashville Predators:
The Preds are currently at 13-3-3 (wins-losses-overtime losses), and it's always nice to watch a winning team! I am still really enjoying being a season ticket holder. For some reason, I find going to the games very relaxing. For those 2.5 hours, you are completely immersed in what's going on around you, taking your mind off of anything that is currently stressing you out. And there's something rejuvenating about yelling and screaming, and dancing around when your team scores a goal. Although it has been an expensive endeavor to pay for two season tickets, I must say that I am currently up for getting season tickets again next year. It gets you out of the house regularly, gives you a feeling of belonging to a club, and really is a lot of fun. Plus, the Preds organization really goes out of their way to offer perks to their season ticket holders, so it feels like you really do get something extra for signing up.
The only con to this experience has been how it has affected the flexibility of our schedule. With 42 home games in the regular season, there are a lot of other things you can't participate in. We've had to forego a couple of out-of-town weddings so far this year and are staying in Nashville for Thanksgiving because we have games on Thursday and Saturday. That has been the only "hardship" about being a season ticket holder.
So, that's the update on all my sporting involvement this year. I'm having fun and keeping busy!
Fantasy Football:
I am currently tied for 1st place with two other players in my 12-team league. This comes across as amazingly lucky to me since I am only 4th place in total points and don't really have that great of a team. My strategy has been to sign a nearly new team every week, picking up the best free agents and getting rid of last week's sign-ups. Because I know very little about individual players, this looks like a risky approach to me, but it seems to be working okay overall. Now that Donovan McNabb is out for the season, however, I am really worried about pulling off wins each week! He was my superstar QB!
I am watching less football than I was earlier in the season, thereby proving to everyone that I'm really just a fake fan. I also spend less time each week agonizing over which players to pick up or drop. I am not sure if this is because I have a system in place now or because I am less interested in it. Overall, it seems like the less time I have spent on this, the better my results have been!
Fantasy Hockey:
Since there are so many hockey games per week, I spend even less time agonizing about my Fantasy Hockey team. I don't make a lot of bench changes either (pick-ups or drops), but mostly just go through each day a month ahead of time and make sure that I have players in as many games as possible. I am currently in second place in my six-team league, so it's working out okay, but I feel like I'm taking a very half-baked approach to this fantasy league.
It is interesting to note that Fantasy Hockey has far fewer perks than Fantasy Football does. For instance, you can't "smack talk" in Fantasy Hockey -- the most fun part of Fantasy Football! And there is less expert advice as well, making player selection feel like a shot in the dark. This represents part of the reason that I am probably not as into it as I am into Fantasy Football. But I am still enjoying being in second place!
Nashville Predators:
The Preds are currently at 13-3-3 (wins-losses-overtime losses), and it's always nice to watch a winning team! I am still really enjoying being a season ticket holder. For some reason, I find going to the games very relaxing. For those 2.5 hours, you are completely immersed in what's going on around you, taking your mind off of anything that is currently stressing you out. And there's something rejuvenating about yelling and screaming, and dancing around when your team scores a goal. Although it has been an expensive endeavor to pay for two season tickets, I must say that I am currently up for getting season tickets again next year. It gets you out of the house regularly, gives you a feeling of belonging to a club, and really is a lot of fun. Plus, the Preds organization really goes out of their way to offer perks to their season ticket holders, so it feels like you really do get something extra for signing up.
The only con to this experience has been how it has affected the flexibility of our schedule. With 42 home games in the regular season, there are a lot of other things you can't participate in. We've had to forego a couple of out-of-town weddings so far this year and are staying in Nashville for Thanksgiving because we have games on Thursday and Saturday. That has been the only "hardship" about being a season ticket holder.
So, that's the update on all my sporting involvement this year. I'm having fun and keeping busy!
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Restaurant Reviewer
I've decided to start reviewing local restaurants on www.citysearch.com. So far, I have reviewed all the restaurants we've eaten at, other than restaurants like Macaroni Grill or Waffle House because they're pretty common and already had a million reviews each.
The reason I decided to start doing this was because I was recently looking for a new Thai restaurant to try and I found that a lot of the reviews were of two varieties: (1) "Oh my goodness! This is my favorite restaurant ever! I love it so much!" or (2) "This restaurant sucked! Don't ever go there! You'll probably die from food poisoning!" Surprisingly, many restaurants have both kinds of reviews, making you wonder who was right (or who was paid off).
I always try to note whether there are many vegetarian options and I think this gives me a unique (if worthless to 95% of the population) perspective compared with other reviewers.
Because of this new attraction to citysearch restaurant reviewing, I have decided to abandon my unrealized plan of reviewing restaurants here on my blog. Instead, I encourage my readers to go check out (and review your own restaurants on) citysearch. You'll get a more diverse perspective than I could have given you and you might find some good (or really bad) places to eat nearby.
The reason I decided to start doing this was because I was recently looking for a new Thai restaurant to try and I found that a lot of the reviews were of two varieties: (1) "Oh my goodness! This is my favorite restaurant ever! I love it so much!" or (2) "This restaurant sucked! Don't ever go there! You'll probably die from food poisoning!" Surprisingly, many restaurants have both kinds of reviews, making you wonder who was right (or who was paid off).
I always try to note whether there are many vegetarian options and I think this gives me a unique (if worthless to 95% of the population) perspective compared with other reviewers.
Because of this new attraction to citysearch restaurant reviewing, I have decided to abandon my unrealized plan of reviewing restaurants here on my blog. Instead, I encourage my readers to go check out (and review your own restaurants on) citysearch. You'll get a more diverse perspective than I could have given you and you might find some good (or really bad) places to eat nearby.
So these must be my favorite songs...
Two weeks ago, I went through a desperate search of our collection for the latest Gorillaz CD. I had heard the last half of "Feel Good, Inc." on the radio and suddenly HAD to hear that song. When I found the CD, I immediately put it in the car so that I could listen to it on the way to work. Nine days later, when I was still listening to that song, I realized that I had probably listened to "Feel Good, Inc." 30 times in a row (quite an accomplishment, considering that my commute is less than ten minutes) by hitting the back button every time I got to the end of the song. I guess I really like that song.
I have a habit of listening to music this way. Although I have an equally long list of CDs that I have listened to all the way through multiple times in a row (there are at least 10 CDs that have stayed in my CD player non-stop for a month each during my commute to work; during college, U2's Zooropa was the album I did all my paper-writing to -- I had listened to it so many times that it was less music and more pleasant noise to me, used to block out the rest of the paper-writers in the computer lab), my ability to listen to the same song over and over and over again without getting tired of it seems weirder. How many of you do that? Can we start a club?
I thought it would be interesting (well, to me at least) to compile a list of these "favorite" songs of mine. I can't remember what songs fell into this category back in the day, so this is a more current list from the last couple of years and probably makes me look less dorky than if I were able to remember songs from my high school and college days. I do know that two of my college songs were Ace of Base's "All That She Wants" and House of Pain's "Jump Around." What can I say? Those were popular songs back in 1992!
So, here is my incomplete list of songs that I have listened to more than 15 times in a row:
Aqualung: 7 Keys
Aphex Twin: Girl/Boy Song
Avalanches: Gimix (it's a whole CD, but a live mix -- the Bob Dillon part is my fave)
Badly Drawn Boy: Once Around the Block
Badly Drawn Boy: River Sea Ocean
Beastie Boys: Intergalactic
Bebel Gilberto: August Day Song
Bjork: Joga
Bob Marley: Is This Love
Bob Marley: No Woman No Cry (live)
Bob Marley: Three Little Birds
Bob Marley: Redemption Song
Bob Marley vs. Funkstar De Luxe (remix): Sun Is Shining
Coldplay: Don't Panic
Coldplay: Speed of Sound
Cure: Friday I'm in Love
Daft Punk: Harder Better Faster Stronger
The Darkness: I Believe In a Thing Called Love
DMX Crew: Good Time Girl
Doves: M62 Song
Dykehouse: Map Ref 41 degrees North, 93 degrees West
Elbow: Asleep in the Back
Handsome Boy Modeling School: I've Been Thinking
Handsome Boy Modeling School: Breakdown
Handsome Boy Modeling School: The Truth
Handsome Boy Modeling School: Sunshine
The Irresistable Force: Natural Frequency
Jack Johnson: Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
Jay-Jay Johanson: I Want Some Fun
Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah
Keane: This is the Last Time
Larry Karpenko: Lighthouse
Maroon 5: This Love
Paul Weller: Wild Wood
Phoenix: Everything is Everything
Phoenix: If I Ever Feel Better
Ray and Christian: Play On (Featuring the Jungle Brothers)
REM: Nightswimming
Richard Ashcroft: Song for the Lovers
Squarepusher: A Journey to Reedham (7 a.m. mix)
TMBG: Meet James Ensor
TMBG: Ana Ng
TMBG: Dr. Worm
TMBG: Yeh Yeh
Tiga: Hot in Here
Tilly and the Wall: Fell Down the Stairs
Tilly and the Wall: Bessa
Tom McRae: Draw Down the Stars
Travis: Why Does It Always Rain on Me?
U2: Beautiful Day
The Vines: Get Free
The Vines: I'm Only Sleeping (cover)
Ween: Ocean Man
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Maps
Zero 7: Destiny
That seems like kind of a long list (especially since it's fairly incomplete), but I guess that when you have an hour commute each way and then live by yourself for six months, you have a lot of time to play whatever music you want to. In my case, I guess this leads to playing a few songs over and over and over again.
I have a habit of listening to music this way. Although I have an equally long list of CDs that I have listened to all the way through multiple times in a row (there are at least 10 CDs that have stayed in my CD player non-stop for a month each during my commute to work; during college, U2's Zooropa was the album I did all my paper-writing to -- I had listened to it so many times that it was less music and more pleasant noise to me, used to block out the rest of the paper-writers in the computer lab), my ability to listen to the same song over and over and over again without getting tired of it seems weirder. How many of you do that? Can we start a club?
I thought it would be interesting (well, to me at least) to compile a list of these "favorite" songs of mine. I can't remember what songs fell into this category back in the day, so this is a more current list from the last couple of years and probably makes me look less dorky than if I were able to remember songs from my high school and college days. I do know that two of my college songs were Ace of Base's "All That She Wants" and House of Pain's "Jump Around." What can I say? Those were popular songs back in 1992!
So, here is my incomplete list of songs that I have listened to more than 15 times in a row:
Aqualung: 7 Keys
Aphex Twin: Girl/Boy Song
Avalanches: Gimix (it's a whole CD, but a live mix -- the Bob Dillon part is my fave)
Badly Drawn Boy: Once Around the Block
Badly Drawn Boy: River Sea Ocean
Beastie Boys: Intergalactic
Bebel Gilberto: August Day Song
Bjork: Joga
Bob Marley: Is This Love
Bob Marley: No Woman No Cry (live)
Bob Marley: Three Little Birds
Bob Marley: Redemption Song
Bob Marley vs. Funkstar De Luxe (remix): Sun Is Shining
Coldplay: Don't Panic
Coldplay: Speed of Sound
Cure: Friday I'm in Love
Daft Punk: Harder Better Faster Stronger
The Darkness: I Believe In a Thing Called Love
DMX Crew: Good Time Girl
Doves: M62 Song
Dykehouse: Map Ref 41 degrees North, 93 degrees West
Elbow: Asleep in the Back
Handsome Boy Modeling School: I've Been Thinking
Handsome Boy Modeling School: Breakdown
Handsome Boy Modeling School: The Truth
Handsome Boy Modeling School: Sunshine
The Irresistable Force: Natural Frequency
Jack Johnson: Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
Jay-Jay Johanson: I Want Some Fun
Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah
Keane: This is the Last Time
Larry Karpenko: Lighthouse
Maroon 5: This Love
Paul Weller: Wild Wood
Phoenix: Everything is Everything
Phoenix: If I Ever Feel Better
Ray and Christian: Play On (Featuring the Jungle Brothers)
REM: Nightswimming
Richard Ashcroft: Song for the Lovers
Squarepusher: A Journey to Reedham (7 a.m. mix)
TMBG: Meet James Ensor
TMBG: Ana Ng
TMBG: Dr. Worm
TMBG: Yeh Yeh
Tiga: Hot in Here
Tilly and the Wall: Fell Down the Stairs
Tilly and the Wall: Bessa
Tom McRae: Draw Down the Stars
Travis: Why Does It Always Rain on Me?
U2: Beautiful Day
The Vines: Get Free
The Vines: I'm Only Sleeping (cover)
Ween: Ocean Man
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Maps
Zero 7: Destiny
That seems like kind of a long list (especially since it's fairly incomplete), but I guess that when you have an hour commute each way and then live by yourself for six months, you have a lot of time to play whatever music you want to. In my case, I guess this leads to playing a few songs over and over and over again.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Say "YES" to your off button!
After sitting in our staff meeting where the same person's cell phone rings every single week, I have to say that I admire the Packers coach and his tough line-drawing on this issue. Now that everyone, even grannies, have had cell phones for at least a year or two, it's inexcusable that people are still forgetting to turn them off when they go into church, to the symphony, to an art gallery, to class, and yes, even to meetings. But I still reserve a special kind of evil eye for the people who not only "forget" to turn their cell phones off but actually answer them in those same situations, thereby prolonging the interruption.
Although some people may offer up the defense of "It could be an emergency!" I have never heard anyone answer and say, "What?! Dad's in the hospital?!" and then immediately get up and leave. It's always, "Oh hey, yeah, I'm at the Opry. What are you up to? What? I can't hear you over this music! Sure, I'll speak up!"
I can't wait for those cell phone signal jammers to be legalized here in the US.
Although some people may offer up the defense of "It could be an emergency!" I have never heard anyone answer and say, "What?! Dad's in the hospital?!" and then immediately get up and leave. It's always, "Oh hey, yeah, I'm at the Opry. What are you up to? What? I can't hear you over this music! Sure, I'll speak up!"
I can't wait for those cell phone signal jammers to be legalized here in the US.
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