I have decided to take a big risk. Not a financial risk, but a "I'm gonna put myself out there" kind of risk. Soon, very soon....yes, soon I will officially let you know what it is.
ej
29 June 2010
23 June 2010
Night out on the town at the Poor House Bistro
This is a week or so overdue, but here it is!
We went to a blues concert downtown San Jose, at the Poor House Bistro. Food and music were both amazing!!! John Garcia and the other guitarists played really well. I am looking forward to the next trip out! I will have to have a good workout ahead of time to earn a meal like this!!!
Pictured above is a Po Boy Oyster Sandwich, bread pudding, and Cajun seasoned fries.
Susanne said she didn't like oysters, but she liked this sandwich!!!
We enjoyed some good music. Here is a video clip of all three guitarists jamming together for the last set of the night. The guy on the right was my favorite of the night (I think Matt's too)!
ej
Home Brew
My buddy Matt has finally made good on his threat to start brewing his own Root Beer and other flavored sodas. This was my first time tasting his brew. Pictured here is his lemon-lime and it was darn tootin' tasty!
We went on a bike ride this day, but before we ventured out we had a nice tall cold glass of brew. I'm certain this glass of soda was clearly the kick start of our fantastic ride. Weather was amazing, and so was the trail.
Here is his bucket of roots and other brew making ingredients. He is still working on perfecting his root beer blend, but promises to be ready for Oktoberfest. We have talked about doing something grand for Oktoberfest for a few years, and I think we may finally have something this year.
We rode the trail in Almaden south until we hit the wall at the end. I have a road slick on the back of my bike, so we couldn't take the off road trail. Next time, we are hitting the off road! We all had a blast and I am looking forward to the next ride!
21 June 2010
Been feeling like cooking...
In case you haven't noticed from my most recent posts, I have been doing a fair amount of cooking lately. When I am alone, I don't cook often. I do, however, enjoy very pleasant meals when I am alone (I will post some pictures when I'm not so sleepy). This morning, I had a nice bowl of organic Vanilla yogurt, layered with Fresh Raspberries and Blueberries, and two small slices of Garlic Battard bread and a small chunk of Brie and a bit of Herbed Goat Cheese. I washed it all down with a nice glass of cold Chocolate Soy milk. Holy moly, it was fantastic!
At any rate, it's nice to cook in a nice sized kitchen and a gas stove top, and....an upper and lower oven! Getting things together is a breeze! This evening, I had two unexpected guests and we ate just fine. I decided I wanted to make calzones. We made wheat calzones, and garlic and herbs with a few combination of fillings: chicken, spinach, and garlic sausage, and thickly sliced mushrooms, salami, marinated artichokes, and mozarella cheese.
As appetizers, we enjoyed some leftover Bruschetta with Folded bread and goat cheese and brie. I finished what was left of my chocolate soy milk to wash down my appetizer. Delightful! As I was preparing the calzones, an idea came to me like it came from heaven. What was left of the sausage and artichoke from the filling I decided to cook up with some red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, and whole garlic. I put it all together in a medium saute pan and poured over some of the leftover marinade from the artichoke jar. When it was all about done, I added some mushrooms and added coarse ground pepper. It smelled amazing, and tasted even better!I enjoy cooking for others. I really do! I am tired by the end of it but it's very satisfying. I eat very simply when I am by myself, but sure as heck don't mind getting into the kitchen for the long haul!
ej
Saturday of Fun
I had a very full day on Saturday.
0730: Rode my bike over to my Ninja's parent's house. We jumped on the bikes and went on a nice bike ride. It was great to ride and chat with my Ninja. Our destination...Starbucks! Yay! I enjoyed some hot chocolate, and she her coffee, and we even stopped in at the ol' karate school to say "hello!"
0945: Arrived at the YB building for some basketball! I hadn't really played ball like that in a long time. We played full court and we ran 5s till about noon. It felt good to get out there and run around. Made some silly mistakes, but that's okay. I felt good being out there moving the ball around and getting some exercise in. I met a lot of new people, and I had fun playing with this group. Everyone was chill and we had fun playing. We played a really fun few games and never kept score. It was excellent! I wasn't even the only girl out there!!! =)
Noon-thirty: I had lunch. I was starvin'.
1400: Showered and rode over to my Ninja's parent's house for her dad, Phil's, birthday bash. The food laid out there was incredible! The appetizers alone were amazing. It took everything in me not to take pictures of everything. I had some of the most amazing roasted bell peppers, with garlic and capers I had ever imagined possible. We also got a visit from "Marilyn Monroe." Haha! Phil's brother and sister in-law, got him a singing-gram for his birthday! I will have to post that video later! We all laughed and enjoyed her singing! Good times...
1630: Carrie and Taunya showed up to hang out and have dinner. We went shopping for ingredients and they ended up doing all the work. Jessie came too! I had a terrible migraine by this point that I didn't even get to eat much when it was all done later in the evening. Jessie saved me from what felt almost like utter destruction. She gave me a nice shoulder and neck rub that helped me a ton! Thanks, Jess!!!
Somehow, I managed to go to bed fairly late, despite my best efforts to go to bed early. We did watch "When in Rome" and I enjoyed that Josh guy a lot! He is a super hottie! On that note, I'm going to bed! Hahaha!
ej
0730: Rode my bike over to my Ninja's parent's house. We jumped on the bikes and went on a nice bike ride. It was great to ride and chat with my Ninja. Our destination...Starbucks! Yay! I enjoyed some hot chocolate, and she her coffee, and we even stopped in at the ol' karate school to say "hello!"
0945: Arrived at the YB building for some basketball! I hadn't really played ball like that in a long time. We played full court and we ran 5s till about noon. It felt good to get out there and run around. Made some silly mistakes, but that's okay. I felt good being out there moving the ball around and getting some exercise in. I met a lot of new people, and I had fun playing with this group. Everyone was chill and we had fun playing. We played a really fun few games and never kept score. It was excellent! I wasn't even the only girl out there!!! =)
Noon-thirty: I had lunch. I was starvin'.
1400: Showered and rode over to my Ninja's parent's house for her dad, Phil's, birthday bash. The food laid out there was incredible! The appetizers alone were amazing. It took everything in me not to take pictures of everything. I had some of the most amazing roasted bell peppers, with garlic and capers I had ever imagined possible. We also got a visit from "Marilyn Monroe." Haha! Phil's brother and sister in-law, got him a singing-gram for his birthday! I will have to post that video later! We all laughed and enjoyed her singing! Good times...
1630: Carrie and Taunya showed up to hang out and have dinner. We went shopping for ingredients and they ended up doing all the work. Jessie came too! I had a terrible migraine by this point that I didn't even get to eat much when it was all done later in the evening. Jessie saved me from what felt almost like utter destruction. She gave me a nice shoulder and neck rub that helped me a ton! Thanks, Jess!!!
Somehow, I managed to go to bed fairly late, despite my best efforts to go to bed early. We did watch "When in Rome" and I enjoyed that Josh guy a lot! He is a super hottie! On that note, I'm going to bed! Hahaha!
ej
17 June 2010
Last but not least, Dessert
Yes, there was also a fruit salad, but I felt that that was pretty self explanatory. But just in case, here is the basic rundown.
Fruit Salad: 4 small white nectarines sliced fairly small, one small package of fresh blueberries, one large banana, a splash of lemon juice, and if the nectarines are too tart, a quick sprinkle of powdered sugar will bring it all together.
Now, Dessert. Banana splits are easy, but this is better. Pick your favorite toppings, I did! While assembling your banana split bar for your guests to "Do It Yourself" while they are enjoying dinner, here's what how you prep!
We took the bananas and opened them up steaming! Add three of any combination scoops of ice cream on the banana with a few pieces of cookies on the bottom and let each person put their toppings on to their liking! They looked and smelled great!
ej
Fruit Salad: 4 small white nectarines sliced fairly small, one small package of fresh blueberries, one large banana, a splash of lemon juice, and if the nectarines are too tart, a quick sprinkle of powdered sugar will bring it all together.
Now, Dessert. Banana splits are easy, but this is better. Pick your favorite toppings, I did! While assembling your banana split bar for your guests to "Do It Yourself" while they are enjoying dinner, here's what how you prep!
Slice the inside curve of each banana peel. Throw some white granulated sugar inside and spread it around a bit. Shove some semi sweet chocolate chips into the banana itself. I just pushed them in until it was flush again. Put about a teaspoon or so of butter on the inside as well. I broke it up into pieces so it would be even and melt nicely. Wrap each banana in foil and place on a cookie sheet that will prevent dripping. Bake at 350 until soft! It took about 20 minutes or so. While baking, I prepped the DIY Banana Split Bar. I laid out a jar of Butterscotch topping, Freshly cut Strawberries with a sprinkle of sugar to make them gooey, and hot fudge prepped in the micro for it's 25 second warm up. We had a container of cool whip and cool whip in a can, maraschino cherries, and rainbow sprinkles ready to on top! I took the French Vanilla and Chocolate Dreyers Rich and Creamy Ice Cream out of the freezer a few minutes ahead of time so it was soft enough to serve. Carrie made some large chocolate chocolate chip cookie thingies with almond that we broke into pieces.
ej
Lightly Fried Sliced New Potatoes with Thyme
Simple dish and absolutely wonderful! Have fun with this one! I kept it really simple, because the flavor of the potatoes is really enhanced by the few ingredients.
Ingredients:
- New Potatoes (or Red potatoes)
- Fresh Thyme Leaves
- Black Peppercorns
- Kosher Salt
- Shallots
- Grape seed oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly pan fry largely chopped shallots in oil and add sliced new potatoes. Lightly salt at the beginning stage. When they start to get close to being done add coarsely ground peppercorns. Just before they are done pat away some of the excess oil and place in a baking pan, or baking sheet. I laid them in rows across the bottom of the pan, fanning them out so that while baking they would turn golden brown. Place them in a preheated oven for a about five to seven minutes, then sprinkle across the top with Thyme leaves and bake for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and plate.
The potatoes tasted and looked great! The pepper and thyme potatoes looked beautiful on the plate, next to the asparagus and chicken!
ej
Asparagus over a bed of Sauteed Mushrooms, Shallots, Turkish Figs, & Roasted Garlic
Sautéed Asparagus Bundles over a bed of whole roasted garlic with sautéed mushrooms, shallots, and Turkish Figs
Note: Asparagus has a natural breaking point, “bend and snap” for the perfectly edible spear.
When mushroom mixture is nearly done, in a separate pan lightly sauté asparagus. You want them to be just shy of a dente, so be careful. When they look like they’re almost done, cook them a few seconds longer until they’re almost, almost done! Then lay them out on a cookie sheet or plate. Take 3-4 asparagus spears and tie them with a fresh chive. I tied the chives with a half hitch, and then wrapped the chive around to tie another half hitch on the other side. You can make bigger bundles, but the chives are delicate. You can place the bundles in foil or in a pan and bake for a few minutes.
To serve, spread a few scoops of mushroom mixture on a plate and then place asparagus bundle on top! It will look and taste great! Too bad I left my camera in my friend’s car the day before!
ej
- Bag of Asparagus
- Grape seed oil
- Thickly Sliced Mushrooms (if you buy them prepackaged, buy at least two packages, to account for shrinkage when sautéed)
- At least 1 whole garlic bulb
- 4-6 shallots
- 4-6 Turkish Figs (they vary in size, use your best judgment)
- Package of fresh Chives
- Peppercorns
- Kosher Salt
Note: Asparagus has a natural breaking point, “bend and snap” for the perfectly edible spear.
When mushroom mixture is nearly done, in a separate pan lightly sauté asparagus. You want them to be just shy of a dente, so be careful. When they look like they’re almost done, cook them a few seconds longer until they’re almost, almost done! Then lay them out on a cookie sheet or plate. Take 3-4 asparagus spears and tie them with a fresh chive. I tied the chives with a half hitch, and then wrapped the chive around to tie another half hitch on the other side. You can make bigger bundles, but the chives are delicate. You can place the bundles in foil or in a pan and bake for a few minutes.
To serve, spread a few scoops of mushroom mixture on a plate and then place asparagus bundle on top! It will look and taste great! Too bad I left my camera in my friend’s car the day before!
ej
16 June 2010
Citrus and Thyme Chicken
Citrus and Thyme Chicken started with the question: How did Matt make the chicken at the church Christmas party a few years ago? He mentioned he used citrus in the pan as he baked the chicken. Oranges, I believe. However, he said he really didn't remember. It was enough for me to get the ol' noggin' into gear and formulate a plan.
Ingredients:
ej
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is a-warmin' up, rinse and pat dry chicken breasts and set aside with a drizzle oil if you desire (I did). If the pieces are big enough and you're feeding a large group, or find out at the last minute that more than those who RSVP'd will be in attendance, cutting the breasts in half or in thirds will be okay. One a separate and clean cutting surface, use a sharp knife to slice all citrus (less one large orange) into about 1/4" thick slices. Layer all slices (less one orange) into a pan drizzled lightly with some oil, using the orange as your main foundation. Try and keep the lime and lemon balanced across the bottom of the pan to prevent one piece to taste more like lime vs. lemon and vice versa. After they are placed in the plan, lightly sprinkle Kosher salt over the slices. Take your single orange and zest it completely and set aside (if doing a large batch set aside two oranges, but zest only one). Then slice remaining orange and set aside. By this point the oven should be hot and ready to go! Place your chicken breasts on top of the bed of citrus and salt (I like to minimize salt, but do this to your liking). Cover with tin foil and bake for about 30 minutes. At about 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken, check on the chicken and if it looks to be close to done, grind coarsely peppercorns over the top of chicken breasts (I used a lot, as I love the robust flavor of freshly ground pepper) and add a sprig of thyme to each slice. Cover, and let the chicken finish cooking. Be careful not to overcook, as it may cause chicken to dry out. You may serve with or without citrus as garnish, or on a bed of slightly warmed slices of orange.
Free Range Chicken Breasts
A Package of Fresh Thyme
2 to 4 large oranges (Really Depends on how many pieces of chicken you wish to bake)
2-3 Lemons
2-4 Limes
Whole Peppercorns
Kosher Salt
Grape seed Oil
ej
Recipe Posting
I am always terrible with posting recipes, as I usually make things up off the fly as I feel inspired. However, the banana splits were mostly based of a recipe I came upon by accident and in prime "Erika Fashion," I put my own spin on things, especially since the grill wasn't out like I had hoped. The propane take was out, but the grill was nowhere to be found. The other anomaly was that the range top did not appear to be working. So we began to do all the cooking in the ovens. Thank goodness for Taunya! She lit the range top with a match! Our hero!
I will try and post a recipe at a "thyme." I need to try and recount the steps so I can get it right!
ej
I will try and post a recipe at a "thyme." I need to try and recount the steps so I can get it right!
ej
Sleep Number Bed - Advertisement
I love sleeping on a sleep number bed! It really is the best thing since sliced bread! Absolutely incredible! I sleep so well when I am here house-sitting!!!! I literally, don't want to get out of bed, which is very out of character for me. Someday, I may want to own one in my house.
ej
ej
15 June 2010
I feel bad...
You know those times when you try and do something nice for another person, or persons, and end up screwing up the entire situation? Yeah, that was me today. I gave up my ticket so another could participate, and ended up offending the person who offered me a ticket in the first place! Then tried to renig on the deal so I could not offend the first, and felt bad for the second, only to have to probably miss because of work! More than that, there is another side story, not worth mentioning here. Oi vey! Sometimes, when I think I'm trying to keep it simple, I really make things more complicated. I cried in a dressing room today. I got all choked up while trying on my $3 shirt I was considering for purchase.
ej
I stay up late at night looking for the right answer to all my many quandaries
All I ever conclude is that the answer is dependant upon the questions I ask
I don't ask why the grass is greener on the other side or how doves fly?
Or why we wear many faces, hiding who we are under metaphorical masks?
All I ask for, is to be understood
Making choices, for a greater good
Sometimes we may do things that we may regret
I decide to work and make today the best day yet
Today, I was far from perfect and I feel bad for choices made
I created a lot of chaos, in my bed today, I should have stayed
ej
I stay up late at night looking for the right answer to all my many quandaries
All I ever conclude is that the answer is dependant upon the questions I ask
I don't ask why the grass is greener on the other side or how doves fly?
Or why we wear many faces, hiding who we are under metaphorical masks?
All I ask for, is to be understood
Making choices, for a greater good
Sometimes we may do things that we may regret
I decide to work and make today the best day yet
Today, I was far from perfect and I feel bad for choices made
I created a lot of chaos, in my bed today, I should have stayed
14 June 2010
Week in Review
The weeks continue to improve! Last week, my friends and I went to an Oakland A's baseball game. I have very little experience with live professional baseball, but I have come to the conclusion that Diamond Seats are remarkable! A friend of mine was able to get Diamond Seats. Diamond seats are awesome, but to be front row center Diamond Seats???? Holy Cow! Yeah, that's right. We sat right behind home plate. We had a great view of everything! Including the players' butts! Not that I noticed...
We were on TV the whole time! I was glad I didn't pick my nose! However, we were all shoving food in our faces the whole time! I mean, hello???? The food was free! Every section had their own server! The menu was right there so we had to order right? It was amazing. Walking in, we saw Matsui!!!! He was right there walking past us! In butt grabbing distance! That's how close he was. I couldn't believe it! It was Matsui!!!!!!!!!!!
At any rate, we had first rate parking and even the other Diamond Seats were envious of our seats! As I was a few steps from the ladies room, a guy coming out of the men's room asked me how we were able to have those seats. It was crazy! Did I mention we saw Matsui??? The food was nothing to write home about, it's a ball game after all, but still, it was a great time! We felt like royalty! I was not rooting for the A's, but it was fun! I liked the part where the A's got stomped! I am not a fan of LA teams at all, but I am not an A's fan. Besides, Kevin Frandsen (he is not ugly) and Hideki Matsui were on the Angels, so I was okay with rooting for them!
On Friday night I went to see "Kites" with my friend Diana. It was my second time watching it and I loved it both times! It's a Bollywood crossover film. It's not the best movie you'll ever see, but watch it for the fun of it! There were some really funny parts! It's more of an action chick flick type movie. Mostly romantic, but with some car chases in the mix, and some Mafia type stuff as well. I liked it. I also liked Hrithik getting down on the dance floor. He's got mad skills! At any rate, after the movie I met up with some other ladies and we attempted to go roller skating in Milpitas. It closes at 11pm, but they stop letting you in at 930pm. We were all a bit miffed! Almost had our own skate party in the parking lot, except we would have all had to share one pair of blades between the four of us!!!
Saturday was jam packed! I had to get up early for my test in San Jose for school. I thought I was gonna get a ride from my cousin, but he never came home from the night before. So then I was gonna take a 2 hour and 50 minute bus ride to SJ for my test! I was not happy about that! Fortunately, as I cried to Carrie about it, she said she would drop me in SJ. I was so grateful! My four hour allotted time for the test only took me 59 minutes! Mattius and I were gonna drop over and play some basketball with some peeps before our bike ride at noon, but my buddy needed help moving. So, Mattius and I went and helped he and his wife move.
As soon as we were done moving things we headed over to Lake Almaden for a bike ride! Mattius and I met up with Clayton, and Susanne. It was awesome! It was a nice casual ride and good conversation. I forgot my water bottle, so I was not too thrilled about that. Fortunately, there are drinking fountains along the way! We passed by the ol' Camden building and I remembered all the many years I spent going to church there, then hit the wall at the end of the trail. With that, we turned around and headed back to the car! It was an easy ride. I think we might try starting the trail a little further out next time! Allegedly, it was 91 degrees, but we didn't feel it. There was a great breeze coming through, and the sun was at our backs! We took the southern route as well and the area is so beautiful that we just enjoyed the ride and the scenery. Enjoyed a late lunch at La Vic's and then parted ways for a bit.
Susanne and I drove up to Fremont so I could grab my clothes for my house sitting stint, then rushed back to meet up with Mattius and his girlfriend to drop in on a friend's birthday party then head over to the Poor House Bistro for a blues concert! John Garcia rocked it! Actually, all three guys rocked it! There were three acts. They all came together for the last set and it was amazing! Can't remember his name, but the guy on stage left was awesome! He was more along the style I like a lot! All of them were good, but I preferred his style. He was kind of like a slower, bluesy version of Chet Atkins, kinda. He was a country blues, but really clear and clean. Chet Atkins but different? Yeah, that.
It was a good time and the food there at PHB as always, was outstanding! Go PHB! We'll be back! The hostess said I should come back for open mic night and do stand up...not sure I will, but it was flattering.
ej
We were on TV the whole time! I was glad I didn't pick my nose! However, we were all shoving food in our faces the whole time! I mean, hello???? The food was free! Every section had their own server! The menu was right there so we had to order right? It was amazing. Walking in, we saw Matsui!!!! He was right there walking past us! In butt grabbing distance! That's how close he was. I couldn't believe it! It was Matsui!!!!!!!!!!!
At any rate, we had first rate parking and even the other Diamond Seats were envious of our seats! As I was a few steps from the ladies room, a guy coming out of the men's room asked me how we were able to have those seats. It was crazy! Did I mention we saw Matsui??? The food was nothing to write home about, it's a ball game after all, but still, it was a great time! We felt like royalty! I was not rooting for the A's, but it was fun! I liked the part where the A's got stomped! I am not a fan of LA teams at all, but I am not an A's fan. Besides, Kevin Frandsen (he is not ugly) and Hideki Matsui were on the Angels, so I was okay with rooting for them!
On Friday night I went to see "Kites" with my friend Diana. It was my second time watching it and I loved it both times! It's a Bollywood crossover film. It's not the best movie you'll ever see, but watch it for the fun of it! There were some really funny parts! It's more of an action chick flick type movie. Mostly romantic, but with some car chases in the mix, and some Mafia type stuff as well. I liked it. I also liked Hrithik getting down on the dance floor. He's got mad skills! At any rate, after the movie I met up with some other ladies and we attempted to go roller skating in Milpitas. It closes at 11pm, but they stop letting you in at 930pm. We were all a bit miffed! Almost had our own skate party in the parking lot, except we would have all had to share one pair of blades between the four of us!!!
Saturday was jam packed! I had to get up early for my test in San Jose for school. I thought I was gonna get a ride from my cousin, but he never came home from the night before. So then I was gonna take a 2 hour and 50 minute bus ride to SJ for my test! I was not happy about that! Fortunately, as I cried to Carrie about it, she said she would drop me in SJ. I was so grateful! My four hour allotted time for the test only took me 59 minutes! Mattius and I were gonna drop over and play some basketball with some peeps before our bike ride at noon, but my buddy needed help moving. So, Mattius and I went and helped he and his wife move.
As soon as we were done moving things we headed over to Lake Almaden for a bike ride! Mattius and I met up with Clayton, and Susanne. It was awesome! It was a nice casual ride and good conversation. I forgot my water bottle, so I was not too thrilled about that. Fortunately, there are drinking fountains along the way! We passed by the ol' Camden building and I remembered all the many years I spent going to church there, then hit the wall at the end of the trail. With that, we turned around and headed back to the car! It was an easy ride. I think we might try starting the trail a little further out next time! Allegedly, it was 91 degrees, but we didn't feel it. There was a great breeze coming through, and the sun was at our backs! We took the southern route as well and the area is so beautiful that we just enjoyed the ride and the scenery. Enjoyed a late lunch at La Vic's and then parted ways for a bit.
Susanne and I drove up to Fremont so I could grab my clothes for my house sitting stint, then rushed back to meet up with Mattius and his girlfriend to drop in on a friend's birthday party then head over to the Poor House Bistro for a blues concert! John Garcia rocked it! Actually, all three guys rocked it! There were three acts. They all came together for the last set and it was amazing! Can't remember his name, but the guy on stage left was awesome! He was more along the style I like a lot! All of them were good, but I preferred his style. He was kind of like a slower, bluesy version of Chet Atkins, kinda. He was a country blues, but really clear and clean. Chet Atkins but different? Yeah, that.
It was a good time and the food there at PHB as always, was outstanding! Go PHB! We'll be back! The hostess said I should come back for open mic night and do stand up...not sure I will, but it was flattering.
ej
Sunday Evening Dinner
So, I had this entire wonderful menu planned! Here is what I thought happened:
Print out menu - Check!Put printed pages in backpack - Check!
Print out Essay and Research Paper info for school - Check!
Put printed pages in backpack - Check!
Leave work with everything I needed for the weekend - Check!
Fast forward to weekend of shopping for ingredients for said menu...
Start the car to go grocery shopping - Check!
"Where's my menu?" moment in the car - Check!
Run back inside the house to grab my backpack - Check!
Toss bag in the car and leave - Check!
Get to the corner and decide to pull over and check backpack contents - Check!
"Dang it! Can't find the menu plan!!!" moment on the side of the road - Check!
"Oi, gonna have to wing it" executive decision made - Check!
So, I purchased a bunch of ingredients that kinda sounded right, including my groceries for the week!
Fast forward to meal preparation time...
Decided menu is as follows:Sauteed Asparagus Bundles over a bed of whole roasted garlic with sauteed mushrooms, shallots, and Turkish Figs
Lightly Pan fried and sliced New potatoes with Thyme
Fruit Salad - Blueberries, White Nectarines, and Banana
Dessert - Roasted Banana Splits
I purchased some figs as snacks during the week and decided to add them to the menu plans. It was a big experiment! I was pleasantly surprised at how well the mushrooms, shallots, and figs came together. I didn't try the banana splits or any of the food while it was hot, but the overall consensus wasn't too bad. Chicken was a bit dry, my fault for over cooking it (especially since I didn't realize the Asparagus wouldn't arrive until after six). I'm sure I will find many more ways to improve it. I definitely would like to add more orange slices to the bottom of the pan, and be a lot more careful with the Orange zesting. It was fun to actually cook again. It's been awhile. I had a lot of help with plating and prepping, so thanks to all of those that helped. I don't have many pictures, since I left my camera in my friend's car this weekend, but I will try and post some I took with my phone.
08 June 2010
Lessons Learned
It's been just over ten years since I made a decision that would alter my life forever.
What started off as me being kind of rude to the two young men at my doorstep on New Year's Eve in 1998, then hesitating for one more moment as one of the two cocked his head to say something [as I was revving to slam the door in their faces] I waited for what he would say. I don't remember what was said completely, but I remember how I felt and what I was thinking. I had no idea then what the impact of the course of the next few months would bring.
I had decided 2 months previously, that I was going to turn over a new leaf and avoid drinking alcohol and other bad habits I learned in college. It wasn't a lifestyle for me. The competitive spirit within me was never satisfied with drinking one when the the guy next to me was drinking two. If he could drink two, I could drink two more above him and faster! And so the pattern went on as such: Whatever "he" could do I could do better, and so on and so forth. I was already making changes in my life and looking for what I called "real people." I used that phrase often in the next two months.
What started off as mild curiosity, and appreciation for these two young men to want to share information about their beliefs and that on NYE, they had not invited me to a party to get wasted and to "rock on," was a good start to my goal of meeting "real" people. When they didn't return my call the next day, I remember feeling disappointed that these new people were flaky and it actually made me feel a tinge of sadness. I remember how excited I was when they returned my second call!
We eventually started meeting on a regular basis. I learned a lot of interesting information, and for a good bit of time, that's all it was to me: interesting information. As I started to read the scriptures they suggested and made efforts to pray and to know if what they were sharing was real and true. Even before I really knew it what was happening, my life was changing for the better. I started making better decisions in my life and seeing the world differently. I saw myself differently. Even so, I still wasn't sure about the whole "Christian thing."
After nearly two months of research and prayer and lots, and lots of support from the new people I was meeting, I finally had that moment of realization...and made the commitment to join the Church that I know was restored to the earth by a Prophet of God and is Christ's church on the earth today. I have never regretted the decision to be baptised. It was a long and difficult road to change my lifestyle and to discover who I am within this world as a member of Christ's church, what and who I stand for, and where I want to be in throughout Eternity.
Now, over ten years later, I am still a strong (at least I work hard to be) and faithful member of Christ's church, and my testimony has not faltered. I have made mistakes, but the power of the Atonement has been a constant friend to me, and Repentance has shown me how important it is to stay close to our Heavenly Father. The Holy Ghost as my companion through my life has always reminded me of my Father's love.
I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have gained and continue to gain each day. I have a strong testimony of the power of prayer, and how we can grow in our faith by being faithful and diligent each day. Obedience is more than just doing as the Lord would want us to, but it's about being humble and meek. Humility is not weakness, it is strength entering your body and into your soul.
ej
What started off as me being kind of rude to the two young men at my doorstep on New Year's Eve in 1998, then hesitating for one more moment as one of the two cocked his head to say something [as I was revving to slam the door in their faces] I waited for what he would say. I don't remember what was said completely, but I remember how I felt and what I was thinking. I had no idea then what the impact of the course of the next few months would bring.
I had decided 2 months previously, that I was going to turn over a new leaf and avoid drinking alcohol and other bad habits I learned in college. It wasn't a lifestyle for me. The competitive spirit within me was never satisfied with drinking one when the the guy next to me was drinking two. If he could drink two, I could drink two more above him and faster! And so the pattern went on as such: Whatever "he" could do I could do better, and so on and so forth. I was already making changes in my life and looking for what I called "real people." I used that phrase often in the next two months.
What started off as mild curiosity, and appreciation for these two young men to want to share information about their beliefs and that on NYE, they had not invited me to a party to get wasted and to "rock on," was a good start to my goal of meeting "real" people. When they didn't return my call the next day, I remember feeling disappointed that these new people were flaky and it actually made me feel a tinge of sadness. I remember how excited I was when they returned my second call!
We eventually started meeting on a regular basis. I learned a lot of interesting information, and for a good bit of time, that's all it was to me: interesting information. As I started to read the scriptures they suggested and made efforts to pray and to know if what they were sharing was real and true. Even before I really knew it what was happening, my life was changing for the better. I started making better decisions in my life and seeing the world differently. I saw myself differently. Even so, I still wasn't sure about the whole "Christian thing."
After nearly two months of research and prayer and lots, and lots of support from the new people I was meeting, I finally had that moment of realization...and made the commitment to join the Church that I know was restored to the earth by a Prophet of God and is Christ's church on the earth today. I have never regretted the decision to be baptised. It was a long and difficult road to change my lifestyle and to discover who I am within this world as a member of Christ's church, what and who I stand for, and where I want to be in throughout Eternity.
Now, over ten years later, I am still a strong (at least I work hard to be) and faithful member of Christ's church, and my testimony has not faltered. I have made mistakes, but the power of the Atonement has been a constant friend to me, and Repentance has shown me how important it is to stay close to our Heavenly Father. The Holy Ghost as my companion through my life has always reminded me of my Father's love.
I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have gained and continue to gain each day. I have a strong testimony of the power of prayer, and how we can grow in our faith by being faithful and diligent each day. Obedience is more than just doing as the Lord would want us to, but it's about being humble and meek. Humility is not weakness, it is strength entering your body and into your soul.
ej
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