cooking and stuff

I am determined to break the recipe rut and try as many new things as possible now that I have the time.  I just discovered Rancho Gordo beans, and I am trying to convince David that we need to buy these beans.  Why?  Because everyone I know who has bought beans from RG swears that they have totally changed the way they cook. Pretty radical.  We've always wanted to transition from less meat more beans, and I think if we actually buy good beans instead of stale store beans, then we can actually do it.  I never thought I would write the word "beans" so many times in one blog post.

Next on my agenda in breaking my recipe rut is to grow my own herbs. I hate that the herbs I buy go to waste because I don't use too many fresh herbs in my recipes. I pretty much rely on the fresh veggies, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and a lot of pepper to flavor my meals. My favorite ingredient is garlic. This is weird, but I love the way my hands smell after I chop garlic. *snnnnnnnnnifffffff*  smells gooooood ;)

But anyway back to the garden - This blog entry was my motivation in wanting to plant my own herb garden. Even though she wanted to do stacked succulents, the inspiration came from none other than *drumroll* Martha Stewart. Gosh, she has an answer for everything, doesn't she!

Here are some recipes that look pretty yummy:
*Cannellini with Tomato & Sage
*Fresh Shell Bean Soup
*Tuscan Bean Soup

So, yep...I am all about the musical fruit right now. We'll see how this little project goes.

xo

new (old) poetry

Do you know what is really hard?  Tracking down authors, sometimes, that are featured in literary journals. I am in LOVE with this poem, and it's really rare that I find "new poetry" that catches my attention.  I was just going through some journals I'm considering submitting to, and stumbled across the poem which is now my favorite poem of the moment.  It's called "Lesson on the Letter S" by poet Jaimee Hills and it was published in Blackbird:

S is for sin. I knew what we were in for.
How could we exist without an exit?

He called me his apostrophe, a she, his little rib.
What soul? What self? I wanted to be singular.

In the beginning, there was light, but it was slight,
a soft wan-colored swan, a shallow lake to slake

our thirsty throats, an often hallow place. But a slow hiss
announced itself. The windswept willows wept.

At thirty, my possessive ex and I were fruitful,
peaking naked, multiplied our sex. But soon,

his low snaked tongue, in speaking, forked
our sour sons, our daughter and myself with words

of swords and I returned, both cursed and cured,
ears seared with newfound knowledge,

turned our laughter into slaughter.

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I love it.  Too bad I can't email her to tell her [!]

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Right now I am working on a short story that started as a journal exercise in my creative writing class. I just don't know how to end it. I've always had a problem with endings. I don't like my characters to stop moving. But I can't write out their whole lives I suppose.


If there is someone out there in the world who wants to help me, please let me know!  I am open to honest, constructive criticism. I'm a big girl. Sometimes.

NTS: Learn how to watermark in MS word.

ok, that's all I wanted to share for now. BYEEEE.

xo

you are an animal

I saw Jenny & Johnny tonight at the Music Box (Henry Fonda Theater). Of course they were AHHH-MAZING! My favorite performances were "The Next Messiah," "Big Wave," and "Silver Lining."  But all of the songs were really bumpin.  There have been a lot of upgrades/renovations since the last time I saw a show at the music box. There are little booths now on the GA Floor, lots of Hollywood Regency-meets Alice in Wonderland-meets black paint furnishings, and little embellishments here and there. Black glam shabby chic. I was a little nervous coming in because I asked my friend to smuggle in a flask since she brought a big purse, and the security was rifling through her purse so hardxcore I thought we were gonna get thrown out before ever stepping foot inside!  We're too old for that nonsense :P

Now I am home watching movies on my DVR I recorded from TCM, drinking some Coke Zero & Jack Daniels, and waiting for my homies to make their moves on Words with Friends. I am the ultimate dork.  But I don't care. This is how I roll on a Saturday night!

I have one week off before Hawaii, then summer school! I'm scared!

xo

school daze

i've got exactly one week of spring semester left as of today.  i have an A in every course, which is pretty cool. i just hope i don't screw something up like forget to do a review or turn something in on my portfolio. that would really blow.  i almost forgot to do a test online last night for my health class and luckily the teacher gives a ten minute grace period, so by the skin of my teeth i was able to squeeze out a C.  since i've done a lot of the extra credit assignments the C won't impact my grade at all.

today i got some paint samples and a can of black lacquer spray paint.  i am going to get some nice fabric maybe from joanns or maybe i'll even brave wal*mart some day if i ever feel like giving up everything i believe in lol.  there are so many activities i wanna try.

i have a stool that i am going to sand and paint the legs & replace the fabric:

then i am going to repaint this box and put some compartments in it, idk for what, maybe turn it into a sewing kit.  the box underneath it is also fabric and it has legs so it is a stool/storage thingy.  im going to repaint the legs and replace the fabric. i'm not sure what i'll put in it, maybe my snuggies so they will be out of the way:

and we got this big dresser from craigslist. it was really inexpensive, but it is painted white with an oil based paint. apparently it's really hard to paint over oil??  anyone know how to fix that?  not sure what color i want to paint it, but i'll take any suggestions.  i am so tired of a house full of brown!

so these will be summer projects that will most likely turn into fall projects. i love to procrastinate.

xo