New Thing #116: Saw Anthony Bourdain at the Baghdad

Tony Tony TONY! You rock my world. I saw Anthony Bourdain give a Powell's book talk about his newest release, "Medium Raw." I think this picture is super funny! It was kind of how he was too. The guy was very, very funny in that off-putting, could buy him a drink way... two guys actually DID buy him a shot of whiskey, which cracked up the audience. Erin almost didn't get in because Ticketmaster didn't have her tickets placed at will call – those jerks! They charge like an arm and a leg in taxes and then poof, don't even deliver. But thankfully, she has a smart phone and showed her receipt on screen. We saw him on the street before and after the book talk. He was like 10 feet away from me – wicked! We also got amazingly great seats in the second row of the Baghdad Theater. I was kind of disappointed that all of the praise on the new book's jacket was about his previous book, "Kitchen Confidential," which I HAVE to read now. A funny interchange happened between Erin and I:
Me: "Wow, he's so skinny!"
Erin: "Heroin."
Me: "OHHhhhhhhhh!"

New Thing #115: Imogen Heap "Ellipse" tour

New thing was to see Imogen Heap at the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall. It was my first time at the Schnitz, which was gorgeous by the way, and also my first time seeing Imogen Heap perform live. She had a great vibe with the audience. Only annoying bit was that her two opening acts played for an entire hour before she opened even though the tixs said the show started at 7:30 p.m.. She didn't even come on until 9:15 p.m. We were definitely a captive audience :/ But still, she is an amazing artist. She improvised a song from a melody from an audience member and donated proceeds of that download to charity if we will go to iTunes and download it. Plus, she had a plexi glass piano and all this great electronic equipment. She could have ditched the hammer pants :) [Image from Imogen Heap press kit]

100 Top Fashion Pieces

For those of us who don't want to go through reading this book, "The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own" by Nina Garcia I have summarized the top 100. Sorry for the very messy formatting. But hey, I saved you like 20 bucks! Some of these seem a wee bit silly, but here you go:

1. A-line Dress_ x
2. Animal Print
3. Ankle Bootie_x
4. Aviators
5. Ballet Flat
6. Bangles
7. Belts_x
8. Bikini_x
9. SmartPhone_x
10. Black Opaque Tights
11. Blazer _ x
12. Boyfriend Cardigan
13. Brooch
14. Cable-Knit Sweater _x             15. Caftan                                         16. Camel Coat
17. Cape                                        18. Cashmere Sweater _ x                  19. Charm Bracelet_x
20. Clutch_x                                   21. Cocktail Ring                              22. Converse
23. Cosmetics Bag _x                     24. Cowboy Boots_x                       25. Cuff
26. Denim Jacket                           27. Diamond Studs_x                        28. Driving Shoe
29. Espadrilles                                 30. Evening Gown_x                         31. Exotic Skin Bag
32. Fishnets                                   33. Frye Harness Boot_x                   34. Fur_x
35. Gentlemen's Hat                         36. Gloves                                     37. Havaianas
38. Hobo Bag_x                               39. Hoop Earrings                             40. Investment Bag
41. iPod_x                                       42. Jeans                                         43. Jewelry Pouches
44. Khakis                                    45. Knee Boots                             46. Leather Pants
47. Lingerie_x                                      48. Little Black Dress_x                  49. Little White Dress
50. L.L. Bean Tote (beach bag)_x    51. Luggage_x                                  52. Mad Money
53. Man's White Shirt_x                  54. Mary Janes                             55. Missoni Knit       
56. Minnetonka Moccasin    57. Monogrammed Stationery_x         58. Motorcycle Jacket
59. Nail Polish_x                        60. Old Concert T-Shirt                61. One-Piece Swimsuit
62. Pajamas                               63. Peacoat _ x                                64. Pearl Necklace_x
65. Pencil Skirt_x                           66. Perfume_x                                   67. Plain White Tee
68. Polo Shirt                                  69. Pucci                                           70. Push-Up Bra_x
71. Quality Champagne                   72. Red Lipstick_x                                73. Robe
74. Safari Jacket                             75. Sandals_x                                 76. Sarong
77. Signet Ring                                78. Silk Scarf_x                                 79. Slippers_x
80. Spanx                                        81. Statement Necklace_x                 82. Stilettos
83. Striped Sailor Shirt                     84. Suit                                          85. Sunhat_x
86. Trench_x                     87. Turquoise and Coral Jewelry        88. Tuxedo Jacket _ x
89. Umbrella                                 90. Underwear_x                                91. Valid Passport_x
92. Vans                                           93. Vintage_x                                     94. Watch
95. Wayfarers                   96. Wellington Boot_x                        97. Wide-Leg Trousers
98. Wrap Dress                                99. Yoga Gear_x               100. Zippered Hoodie

Physical Activity Summary

Why is exercise or physical activity important?
Regular aerobic physical activity increases your fitness level and capacity for exercise. It also plays a role in both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke and is linked to cardiovascular mortality. Regular physical activity can help control blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes and obesity. Aerobic physical activity can also help reduce blood pressure.

How can physical activity help condition my body?
Some activities improve flexibility, some build muscular strength and some increase endurance.Some forms of continuous activities involve using the large muscles in your arms or legs. These are called endurance or aerobic exercises. They help the heart by making it work more efficiently during exercise and at rest. Brisk walking, jumping rope, jogging, bicycling, cross-country skiing and dancing are examples of aerobic activities that increase endurance.

How can I improve my physical fitness?
Programs designed to improve physical fitness take into account frequency (how often), intensity (how hard), and time (how long). Use the FIT Formula:

The FIT Formula:

F = frequency (days per week)
I = intensity (how hard, e.g., easy, moderate, vigorous) or percent of heart rate
T = time (amount for each session or day)

AHA Recommendation for most healthy people:
For health benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, perform any moderate-to-vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week at 50–85 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can accumulate 30 minutes in 10 or 15 minute sessions. What's important is to include physical activity as part of a regular routine. Note: A maximum healthy heart rate is your age subtracted from 220 (Ex: 220 - 26 = 194 max). Moderate to vigourous intensity of this would be 97 – 165 bpm :)

What about moderate-intensity activities?
Even moderate-intensity activities, when performed daily, can have some long-term health benefits. They help lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Here are some examples:
walking for pleasure, gardening and yard work, housework, dancing and prescribed home exercise recreational activities such as tennis, racquetball, soccer, basketball and touch football

What risk factors are reduced?
Regular physical activity can also help reduce or eliminate some of these risk factors:
High blood pressure — Regular aerobic activities can lower blood pressure.
Cigarette smoking — Smokers who become physically active are more likely to cut down or stop smoking.
Diabetes — People at their ideal weight are less likely to develop diabetes. Physical activity may also decrease insulin requirements for people with diabetes.
Obesity and overweight — Regular physical activity can help people lose excess fat or stay at a reasonable weight.
High levels of triglycerides — Physical activity helps reduce triglyceride levels. High triglycerides are linked to developing coronary artery disease in some people.
Low levels of HDL — Low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL for men/less than 50 mg/dL for women) have been linked to a higher risk of coronary artery disease. Recent studies show that regular physical activity can significantly increase HDL cholesterol levels and thus reduce your risk.

What are other benefits of physical activity?
Physical activity builds healthy bones, muscles and joints, and reduces the risk of colon cancer. Millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular physical activity.
Physical activity also helps psychologically. It reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, improves mood and promotes a sense of well-being.
The 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity also suggests that active people have a lower risk for stroke.

Spicy Sushi Sauce

Just two ingredients: Japanese Mayo and Sriracha Sauce from Thailand. The Kewpie brand is the most popular mayo brand in Japan.

Squirt amount of mayo in bowl desired, add appropriate amount of chili sauce to make it spicy to your liking-- A little goes a long way!

This simple dipping sauce is delicious with sushi! I was very impressed. I will try to make it when ... I make sushi for the first time :)

New Thing #114: Heirloom Variety

This new thing is productive, ideally :) I will be growing heirloom tomato varieties from seedlings I purchased at the Beaverton Farmer's Market. I got 4 varieties, two determinate and two indeterminate to see which type I like better: Costoluto Genovese, Green Zebra, Matina, Campbell are the varieties I'm trying. The Italian variety (Costoluto) can weigh up to a pound and has scalloped edges. The green zebra is a fresh green tomato. The Matina is ... well ... just a normal red tomato I think. And the Campbell is the tomato created by the Campbell Soup Co. in the R&D division 50 years ago! Neato! We'll see how this adventure goes. I'm already growing strawberries left over from our former neighbor. I am thinking about what other things to plant.

New Thing #113: Silverton Wine & Jazz Festival

Kevin had two free tickets to attend the Silverton Wine and Jazz Festival today. so we drove down from Portland and listened to like 30 jazz performances! I had never been to this festival before and it was very fun. Kevin was photographing the performances for Oregon Music News, where he volunteers. We stayed late and then slept in an adorable Bed and Breakfast in Silverton called White Oaks. Very fun :)

Typical Australian / New Zealand Food

Food to check out while we are in Australia. Most of these ideas are sweets, please keep that in mind. Tha majority of this information was gathered from wikipedia.

■ Vegemite – A spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries. It is salty, slightly bitter, and umami or malty — similar to beef bouillon.

■ Dim sim – "Dimmy" is a Chinese-inspired meat dumpling-style snack food popular in Australia. The dish normally consists of a large ball of pork or other meat, cabbage and flavourings, encased in a wrapper similar to that of a more traditional dumpling. They are usually deep-fried or steamed, but can be barbecued. Dim sims differ from typical Chinese dumplings in that they are often much larger, have a thicker skin and are shaped more robustly. They are primarily sold in Fish and chip shops and Chinese or Asian takeaway outlets in Australia.

■ Violet Crumble – An Australian chocolate bar manufactured in Campbellfield near Melbourne, Australia, by Nestlé. It is one of the best selling chocolate bars in Australia. The bar is a crumbly honeycomb-like substance coated in compound chocolate. It is similar to the Crunchie made by Cadbury.

■ Jaffas – A small round sweet consisting of a soft chocolate centre with a hard covering of orange flavoured, red coloured confectionery. The name derives from the Jaffa orange. The sweet is part of New Zealand and Australian cultural folklore. Jaffas have often been sold in movie theatres and have gained iconic status because of the noise made when they are dropped (accidentally or deliberately) and rolled down sloping wooden floors.

■ Chiko roll – An Australian savoury snack, inspired by the Chinese egg roll and spring rolls. It was designed to be easily eaten on the move without a plate or cutlery. The Chiko roll consists of boned mutton, celery, cabbage, barley, rice, carrot and spices in a tube of egg, flour and dough which is then deep-fried. The wrap was designed to be unusually thick so it would survive handling at football matches. It was originally called a "Chicken roll" despite not containing any chicken then later renamed "Chiko Roll". At the peak of their popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, tens of millions of Chiko Rolls were sold annually in Australia, and the product has been described as an Australian cultural icon.

■ Cherry ripe – "The ripe juicy cherries and moist coconut smothered in rich Old Gold® dark chocolate ensures a unique taste experience. As Australia's oldest chocolate bar, Cherry Ripe offers consumers an indulgent and rich treat made by Cadbury."

■ Tim Tams – A Tim Tam is composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate. Is sold in American Target stores.

■ Musk sticks – A popular confection in Australia and New Zealand, available from many different suppliers. Having withstood the test of time, musk sticks consist of a pink semi-soft stick, usually extruded with a ridged cross-section. Their flavour and aroma is quite floral, reminiscent of musk perfume. They are also called 'musk sweets' and 'musk lollies'. Also available is a fruit-flavored variant called "Fruit sticks", which look like coloured musk sticks.

■ Fairy bread – sliced white bread cut into triangles, spread with margarine or butter, and covered with sprinkles or nonpareils which stick to the spread. Fairy bread is commonly served at children's parties in Australia and New Zealand.

■ Lamingtons – A sponge cake in the shape of a cuboid, coated in a layer of traditionally chocolate icing then desiccated coconut. They are sometimes served as two halves with a layer of cream and/or strawberry jam between, and are commonly found in Australasian outlets such as cafes, lunch bars, bakeries, and supermarkets. The raspberry variety is more common in New Zealand, while a lemon variety has been encountered in Australia. The chocolate coating is a thin mixture, into which cubes of sponge cake (one cookbook states 4 cm per side) are dipped, and the chocolate is absorbed into the outermost layers of the sponge where it sets. (Similarly, the strawberry jam or chocolate icing is absorbed into the sponge.) The cubes are then covered with coconut and left to set.

■ Pavlova – A meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Ánna Pávlova. Colloquially referred to as "pav", it is a cake similar to meringue with a crispy crust and soft, light inner. The dessert is believed to have been created to honour the dancer during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. Where it was created and the nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but research indicates New Zealand as the source. The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and is frequently served during celebratory or holiday meals such as Christmas lunch.

■ Vanilla slice – In Australia, mille-feuille is known as ‘vanilla slice’ or ‘cream slice’ and usually has only a top and bottom pastry layer. The filling is often flavored with chocolate. Other popular icings include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, and passionfruit. In New Zealand, it is usually called a ‘custard square.’

■ Boston bun – A large spiced bun with a thick layer of coconut icing, popular in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, the bun is more common in the state of Victoria than New South Wales. Traditionally, the bun also contained sieved potato. It is often served sliced, to accompany a cup of tea.

■ ANZAC biscuits – a sweet biscuit popular in Australia and New Zealand, made using rolled oats, flour, coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, bicarbonate of soda and boiling water. Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I. It has been claimed the biscuits were sent by wives to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation. Today, ANZAC Biscuits are manufactured commercially for retail sale and are popular in Australia and New Zealand. Biscuits issued to soldiers by the Army referred to as "Anzac tiles" or "Anzac wafers" differ from the popular Anzac biscuit. Anzac tiles and wafers were hard tack, a bread substitute, which had a long shelf life and was very hard.

■ The meat pie – A hand-sized meat pie containing largely diced or minced meat and gravy, sometimes with onion, mushrooms, or cheese and often consumed as a takeaway food snack. The pie itself is similar to the United Kingdom's steak pie. It is considered iconic in Australia and New Zealand. It was described by former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr in 2003 as Australia's "national dish". Across the Tasman, New Zealanders regard the meat pie as a part of New Zealand cuisine, and it forms part of the New Zealand national identity.

■ Dampers – A traditional Australian soda bread prepared by swagmen, drovers and other travelers. It consists of a wheat flour based bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire. Damper is an iconic Australian dish. It is also made in camping situations in New Zealand, and has been for many decades. Damper was originally developed by stockmen who travelled in remote areas for weeks or months at a time, with only basic rations of flour, sugar and tea, supplemented by whatever meat was available . The basic ingredients of damper were flour, water, salt and sometimes milk. Baking soda could be used for leavening. The damper was normally cooked in the ashes of the camp fire. The ashes were flattened and the damper was placed in there for ten minutes to cook. Following this, the damper was covered with ashes and cooked for another 20 to 30 minutes until the damper sounded hollow when tapped. Alternatively, the damper was cooked in a greased camp oven.Damper was eaten with dried or cooked meat or golden syrup, also known as "cocky's joy". Damper is also a popular dish with Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal women had traditionally made bush bread from seasonal grains and nuts, which they cooked in the ashes of fires. It also became a popular dish for recreational campers and has become available in bakeries. Many variations and recipes exist, some authentic, others using the name to sell a more palatable bread product to the urban public.

New Thing #112: Green is as green does

I love that quote from Kermit the Frog playing off the famous Forrest Gump line. I used the ham bone to make a batch of pea soup from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. As a child, this was something I avoided like the plague. Partly because of its odiferous cooking odor and partly because it was a brilliant shade of baby-poop green. Anyway, that dish was a food staple in our household that we enjoyed every time we ate ham, which though not often, seemed like a punishment for me - the green challenged one. I followed the recipe exactly (adding the garlic and red chili pepper flakes leftover from pizzas long digested) minus the stirring in of the rendered fat at the end. It was a very, very good soup. Even Kevin ate a small bowl of it and actually, as he said, it was a good recipe. The chili flakes wasn't something I remember my parents adding and my mom wasn't a fan of garlic, so those two ingredients (I felt) added a complexity to the flavor that I don't remember ... from not eating it before :) lol. Well, it was definitely a success but we'll see how it improves being refrigerated overnight. I plan to freeze a full, large tupperware container for my mom to enjoy.

New Thing #111: Oink oink!

Today I made ham – oink oink! It was delicious. I served a 4.5 lb. Trader Joes honey-baked style ham to Aisha and David who were over at our place helping to brew beer. I also served steamed artichoke, twice-baked potatoes, sauted shitake mushrooms and sweet onions. They provided a bottle of wine. The meal was very well recieved. Now, what do I do with 3 lbs of ham? Well, I'm going to turn it in to the famous pea soup mom and dad used to make from Joy of Cooking. I have high hopes for it to be delicious!

On a side note, New thing #111 happened on the 11th day! Creepy :)

New Thing #110: Yamming it up

"Here we go now, funk so brother." I made candied yams for the first time for dinner. We had two leftover yams from having Easter with K's parents and I decided to peel them, slice them up and put a little margarine and brown sugar on them and baked them at 250 F for 20 minutes or so. More on how they turned out.

Running Tips: How to get off the couch

it's not physical.. AT ALL.. your have to ask yourself what you really want. your mind will look for the easy way out.. your body is physically capable of soooo much more. the satisfaction of sitting on the couch and being lazy will last seconds.. the satisfaction of pushing yourself harder and further than you thought you could will last a lifetime.. and the results (obvious increased fitness levels and a stronger healthier body) will give you continued self satisfaction.
"run if you can.. walk if you have to.. crawl if you need to.. just don't quit" - DK

next time you go for a run.. and you are considering quiting and heading for the couch.. behonest with yourself as to WHY you want to quit.. is it because you can't put one foot in front of the other?.. I doubt it.. is it because you can't breathe? highly unlikely.. your mind is just looking for the easy way out. your body can go much farther.. much longer.. and you in the end will become much stronger.. physically AND mentally..

and in regard to your work schedule.. set your alarm and get up before work to work out... you will fee so much better ALL DAY LONG.. I promise.. after a couple days you will get into a routine and look forward to it.

just be honest with yourself.. "if you think you can or you can't.. you're right" HF

New Thing #109: Chicken, Chicken Who's Got the Chicken?

When I went down to visit my mom, I was encouraged to flex my cooking muscles. I took that and I ran with it. I baked my first whole chicken! This may seem silly and not very special, but I had NEVER roasted a whole bird before. I found out it was quiet easy and made for a delicious chicken! Also, I baked yams, potatoes and used the giblets to make a fantastic stuffing! I roasted asparagus too! It was a PHENOMENAL meal :)

Fantastic Stuffing Ingredients:
Chicken heart, giblets and neck (simmer and remove the meat)
Walnuts (broken up)
Celery heart and leaves
Stove Top Stuffing Mix

Mix it all together = Yummy!

New Thing #108: Iron Grinder

I watched a frightening Buffy episode today that had to deal with mythological villains that had iron teeth. They were very scary. It didn't help that they stole your voice and then cut your heart out and you couldn't scream - ick. Anyway, new thing! I ground the rust out of my cast iron frying pan and "reasoned" by baking in the oven for an hour with hydrogenated vegetable oil. To be fair, I don't really know if it is seasoned or not. It left a terrible (and I mean terrible) stench after being baked in the oven for so long. And parts of it are silver and parts are black. But now I know that I can't keep it beneath my colander or my porcelain fish dish because the water will just soak into it and rust it. So, where do I put (hide) a 15 + pound cast iron frying pan?

New Thing #107: French Frenzy

In response to feedback given to me by my hair dresser, April, I decided to try french braiding before bed time a whirl to "accent my naturally wavy hair." A lot more difficult than it looks. I think my hair was a tad too dry and I forgot to put product in it. When my hair is long (like it is now), it is actually REALLY nice to have it out of the way when I am sleeping. If it were in a normal braid it would just fall apart. I'll keep trying.

Cooking Adventures

Mom went to the emergency room today and may stay the night at the hospital. In order to remain calm, since Kevin is gone and I'm feeling very overwhelmed, I started to cook. And cook. And cook. I fried the remaining pieces of bacon. I prepared a marinade for the steak I plan to eat tomorrow with soy sauce and garlic, which I promptly spilt on the floor and dropped a steak on the linoleum. What won't kill me right? So, I'll eat it anyway. I took a salmon fillet and drenched it in lemon juice and threw some capers and green olives on top with some sea salt. I'll broil it for like 15 minutes and serve it to myself with green beans or something. Then I took two remaining baked potatoes and mashed them up with low-fat sour cream, salsa and I plan to microwave it to melt gruyere cheese and heat some tiny pieces of bacon (which I cooked first if you remember) and have yummy "mexi" mashed potatoes. I had made chocolate-chip banana bread Tuesday night and have a lot of that left.

I plan to go to Winco tonight if I need to get out and get some canned goods to restock our pantry ... which is already full but I just thought it would be helpful to have things like enchilada sauce...

New Thing #106: Pattern Ha-ha

Though I did try one summer to sew a tank top with my cousin in Montana, it turned out as a disaster. We used a cotton material and it was really built for a type of knit / stretch fabric. Anyway, I decided to chance to sew (another) pattern. This time was a cute stuffed elephant made of fleece / felt. It's super cute! I plan to give it to my matron of honor when she gives birth to her daughter. This was the first time the pattern turned out successfully! And even better than that, it looked good too! Maybe I'll try to sew clothes next... that would DEF be a new thing if the clothes decided to fit. And now, a completely unrelated image of a pink elephant cocktail ring, enjoy!

Hobbies, hobbies, hobbies

Isn't there enough to choose from than more hobbies. I thought, for my own enjoyment, that I would list all my "important" aka most favorite hobbies. There is no order of preference and I made note of the variations that each of these broad categories have.

A.) Dance

• Modern
• Tap
• Hip hop
• Ballet

B.) Japanese Tea Ceremony
C.) Yoga – Vinyasa Flow
D.) Container Gardening
E.) Arts & Crafts

• Painting
• Drawing
• Pottery / Clay
• Mixed Media
• Sewing
• Knitting
• Scrapbooking

F.) Journalling
G.) Cooking

Anything else?

New Thing #105: E-bay

I purchased a few (cough) things on ebay. Wow, it was really fun. Then I realized how much the shipping is from Japan and thought OUCH!

Time

Time SquandererI wish I felt like I had more time when I get off work. I get home from work between 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. from there I begin preparations for dinner, feed the cat, tidy up the back yard before the day light disappears. Then when I'm done eating all I want to do is sit on the couch and watch TV / movies, play on the computer or read books. Even though most nights I don't go to sleep until midnight, it seems that I don't use the 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. time frame for anything but being lazy. And when I say lazy, I mean "wearing a hole in the couch the size of my ass" lazy. Not good! I need to learn how to spend a portion of that lazy-time at home in a more productive and meaningful way. Not going to lie and say I'm going to cut out tv/computer/books but I should try to do SOMETHING else besides take a shower and play with the cat.

When in Vegas...
Tonight is a different story however since Kevin and I are preparing for a short trip to Vegas. When I say short, I mean SHORT. We fly out Wednesday evening and return Friday morning. It's for a time share thing and for vegas, that short of a trip is fine I think. Then Friday night we are driving to Mt. Hood to hang with Aisha and David. David and I don't ski or snowboard so we are going to hang out in the lodge while Aisha and Kevin snowboard. This equates to copious amounts of drinking, I'm sure :) Should be fun!

New Thing #104: Beer Brewing

I assisted in the process of Home-brewing our own beer! Kevin was really in charge with friends Aisha and David at their house. We got some basic (very basic) equipment and ingredients and set up the process. Now, when I am posting this for March, we've brewed 3 batches and tasted the first (it takes time to ferment, etc.). It was good!

The Julie/Julia Project

I watched the movie "Julie & Julia" about this journey of one NY woman to cook her way through the entire "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cook book by Julia Child in one year. That is like 524 recipes in 365 days. I am enjoying reading the blog - it's from 2002. http://bit.ly/MuKYa. Check it out!

It reminds me of the success of that girl that wrote the "In the New" blog about her journey to do 365 new things during the year. And also the "Eat, Pray, Love" author who traveled around for one year to three different locations to find herself. A friend from high school is doing a very neat 365 photo project where she takes pictures every day and posts them on her blog and facebook.

Seems that everyone that takes on a Year-long project like these are subsequently completely wiped out by their experiment. There is some breakdown and some crappy "just get through it" type of thinking, which who blames them -- doing ANYTHING for one year, every day is super, duper hard! Does everyone have to do something like this in order to grow as an individual? Hell, I've considered doing projects like this. It's not that I don't have the commitment, I do. But the concept of making the time for a project like this ... seems so difficult. You have to be committed! It's almost like practicing a religion or meditating daily for these people. Maybe it's the challenge they enjoy too!

The fact that very few people have EVER done something like they do. But then when you reach your goal of 365 days of said activity, most of them don't stop! They just say "yay!" and pat themselves on the back but the search for that type of effort remains with them forever!

Amazing!

Cooking Types and Cuisine Samples

1. English Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_cuisine
2. Irish Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Cuisine
3. Scottish Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_cuisine
4. Cajun / Creole Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_cuisine
5. American Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_the_United_States
6. Mexican Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_American_cuisine
7. French Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cuisine
8. German Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Cuisine
9. Japanese Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cuisine
10. Chinese Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Cuisine
11. Indian Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Cuisine
12. Italian Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_cuisine
13. Thai Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_cuisine
14. Greek Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_cuisine
15. Russian / Slovak / E. Europe Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cuisine
16. Swedish / Danish Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_cuisine , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_cuisine
17. Australian Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cuisine
18. African Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_cuisine
19. Mediterranean Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_cuisine
20. Spanish Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Cuisine
21. Jewish Cooking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_cuisine

Really? Would I be ready?

Kevin signed us up to participate in a 5K Shamrock Run on the weekend before St. Patties Day. 5K = 3 miles. Wow, it's been a while since I've done distance running. Kevin had never run more than a mile. I just got an ingrown toe nail removed on my left foot, so there's always a concern that I will injure it (or myself) by not allowing myself long enough to train...

I will check back and let you know how it goes.

Update – Didn't compete because my toe... maybe next year.

New Thing #103: Elton & Billy stop by

Kevin and I got to see Sir Elton John and Billy Joel play the Rose Garden for their Face 2 Face Tour. It was really good! They started the concert and ended the concert by playing each other's songs together. I got to hear Candle in the Wind, though I enjoyed Billy Joel because he was cracking jokes about his age and I was able to sing along to most of the tunes. They also each played their own set. It was funny the contrast between the two amazing pianists. Their baritone voices fit together well too.

New Thing #102: Beer Brewing Fest

To celebrate the Superbowl this year, we got together with some friends and brewed our first carboy's worth of beer. Kevin and his friend split the cost of the ingredients and Kevin got a deal on the equipment. It's nice that we are splitting it so we each only get 2.5 gallons instead of 5 gallons. That's WAY to much beer! But we had a blast making it. It really didn't even take that long either. We are trying an amber first. Next time, we will make two at once. One stout and a ruby perhaps? Plus, the New Orleans Saints actually WON the Superbowl, when they have never even BEEN to the superbowl before -- Way for Underdogs!

New Year's Resolutions #1

My new year's resolution: #1 Send my family birthday cards this year... I'm TERRIBLE at remembering birthdays so I wrote down everyone's birthday on my 2010 calendar. Hope it helps.

New Thing #101: Christmas at Disneyland

Kevin, his parents and I all went to Disneyland for the last weekend of the holidays. Disneyland decorates everything for Christmas. They have a special holiday parade and decorate the Haunted Mansion (Nightmare Before Christmas Theme) and It's a Small World After All does Christmas music. The lights were very beautiful and we spent two days there shifting between California Adventure and Disneyland. Everyone enjoyed Disneyland more though :)

New Thing #100: Rose Bowl Fever!

Kevin and I followed the Ducks to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. We lost against Ohio State :(. It was a really fun visit though!