Got me a real man's bbq the other day. Someone else got shoes, but me, I get grill. We built it yesterday and grilled up some veggies and fish. And today, I got some cool grill toys. Send the marinade recipes now!
Oh and mark the calendars for Brettenium VIII. Those of you in the know know when it shall be.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Portland
Another reason I love Portland. Every so often you see a little street art that is not damaging or intrusive. I have been seeing these little birdhouses crop up in North and think they are a wonderful idea. I just hope the police or some paranoid schmuck doesn't think they are bombs or something.
Which reminds me, I need to get some new bird feeders. Mine are shot. I realized the grass in the backyard had gotten too high when I accidentally ran over the birdfeeder hiding in the grass. I'm babbling.
Summer is here. Today is the longest day of the year and I feel a little bloated. Haven't been doing my promised walking as much of late and that has me in a little funk. I feel fit because our diet is still pretty healthy, but overall, I know I could do better. I do get out during lunch for my Portland Mall walks which are a good hour of walking, rain or shine. I want to begin walking home again now that the sun is out. Much has probably changed on the route, so I should at least say hi.
I've been pretty busy with the master bedroom. We finally decided to finish that 3 year project and move up there. Hopefully we should be done by August. We have a new closet painted and build out. The bathroom is fully framed and ready for the plumber. I think we have a plumber, just need to engage him. Then drywall for the bathroom and a floor. I want to do bamboo, but that is up in the air I guess....
We've been trying to eat healthy, but sometimes it is challenging. We have integrated bread back into the diet. We get spelt bread which I still think is wheat, but others say no. I still don't do much sugar or corn or tomatoes or processed food or potatoes. A lot of greens and tofu. We discovered this guy at the farmer's market who makes great marinades and sauces from honey. Very simple sauces that are awesome without the sugar or other junk. YAY!
Oh and I bought a bar-b-que. Probably bigger than we'll ever need, but a man needs his grill.
Which reminds me, I need to get some new bird feeders. Mine are shot. I realized the grass in the backyard had gotten too high when I accidentally ran over the birdfeeder hiding in the grass. I'm babbling.
Summer is here. Today is the longest day of the year and I feel a little bloated. Haven't been doing my promised walking as much of late and that has me in a little funk. I feel fit because our diet is still pretty healthy, but overall, I know I could do better. I do get out during lunch for my Portland Mall walks which are a good hour of walking, rain or shine. I want to begin walking home again now that the sun is out. Much has probably changed on the route, so I should at least say hi.
I've been pretty busy with the master bedroom. We finally decided to finish that 3 year project and move up there. Hopefully we should be done by August. We have a new closet painted and build out. The bathroom is fully framed and ready for the plumber. I think we have a plumber, just need to engage him. Then drywall for the bathroom and a floor. I want to do bamboo, but that is up in the air I guess....
We've been trying to eat healthy, but sometimes it is challenging. We have integrated bread back into the diet. We get spelt bread which I still think is wheat, but others say no. I still don't do much sugar or corn or tomatoes or processed food or potatoes. A lot of greens and tofu. We discovered this guy at the farmer's market who makes great marinades and sauces from honey. Very simple sauces that are awesome without the sugar or other junk. YAY!
Oh and I bought a bar-b-que. Probably bigger than we'll ever need, but a man needs his grill.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Cooking and nursing and cooking and nursing
and cooking and cleaning and....
i'm not whining. seriously, i know who reads this and i'm not whining. it has been a crazy couple of months. awhile back, we switched to a new very restrictive diet to prep for Superinkygrrl's surgery. as a result, we emptied our pantry and a couple of friends got a good stash of some amazing food. it only took us a few days and a couple of shopping trips to figure out the diet and what we could and couldn't eat. New Season's is a godsend and everyone who works there has helped us out in finding the proper alternative to what we are used to.
So, over the past few weeks prior and post surgery, I have been a cooking maven. I have tried new things, expanded on old faves and gone outside my comfort zone to make sure A is comfortable. Some of the faves:
Roasted Vegetable Soup - roasted root vegetales that are then put in a standard soup. MMMMM good. I even made this @ 12am the day after A's surgery in order to have it available at the hospital for A when she is ready to eat.
Spicy broiled catfish - Alton Brown turned me on to a wonderful rub which I then used for catfish. The first time we did it we broiled it and it was tasty. The second time was in the skillet and just as good.
Roasted Vegetabes - yep, just plain old roasted veggies. Squash and other root veggies caramelize when @ 400deg in the oven. The sugars leach out and .... well, they end up being amazing.
Lentil Soup - another recipe from our friends at Food Network. Lentils pack a punch of protein, so I wanted to make some up. The soup turned out well.
Modified BLT - there was no bacon, we used thinly sliced tempeh fried up in sesame oil. combine that with full on 100% rye bread (gluten free and no sugar), romaine, thinly sliced onion, avacado and nayonaise and you got yourself a great sandwich.
tofu tofu tofu - we have done some great dishes with tofu lately, mostly frying it up in the pan with spices. A does a great dish with cumin and tumeric that turns out wonderfully. i just don't know the portions.
what i have learned is that you can easily cut out the following items without much challenge if you accept that going out or getting any sort of take out is off the table - wheat, sugar, tomatoes, corn, meat, cheese, milk, soymilk, peanuts, fish (only once every 2 weeks,) potatoes, and much more that i cannot rememer.
oh, and it is a great diet if you want to feel better and have more energy and lose some weight.
so, week three of post surgery and A is up and about more and more every day. i'm looking forward to this week as i may have a chance to try some other recipes i saw on the tv today. mmmm. marinated red onions and roasted cipolinni onions...
i'm not whining. seriously, i know who reads this and i'm not whining. it has been a crazy couple of months. awhile back, we switched to a new very restrictive diet to prep for Superinkygrrl's surgery. as a result, we emptied our pantry and a couple of friends got a good stash of some amazing food. it only took us a few days and a couple of shopping trips to figure out the diet and what we could and couldn't eat. New Season's is a godsend and everyone who works there has helped us out in finding the proper alternative to what we are used to.
So, over the past few weeks prior and post surgery, I have been a cooking maven. I have tried new things, expanded on old faves and gone outside my comfort zone to make sure A is comfortable. Some of the faves:
Roasted Vegetable Soup - roasted root vegetales that are then put in a standard soup. MMMMM good. I even made this @ 12am the day after A's surgery in order to have it available at the hospital for A when she is ready to eat.
Spicy broiled catfish - Alton Brown turned me on to a wonderful rub which I then used for catfish. The first time we did it we broiled it and it was tasty. The second time was in the skillet and just as good.
Roasted Vegetabes - yep, just plain old roasted veggies. Squash and other root veggies caramelize when @ 400deg in the oven. The sugars leach out and .... well, they end up being amazing.
Lentil Soup - another recipe from our friends at Food Network. Lentils pack a punch of protein, so I wanted to make some up. The soup turned out well.
Modified BLT - there was no bacon, we used thinly sliced tempeh fried up in sesame oil. combine that with full on 100% rye bread (gluten free and no sugar), romaine, thinly sliced onion, avacado and nayonaise and you got yourself a great sandwich.
tofu tofu tofu - we have done some great dishes with tofu lately, mostly frying it up in the pan with spices. A does a great dish with cumin and tumeric that turns out wonderfully. i just don't know the portions.
what i have learned is that you can easily cut out the following items without much challenge if you accept that going out or getting any sort of take out is off the table - wheat, sugar, tomatoes, corn, meat, cheese, milk, soymilk, peanuts, fish (only once every 2 weeks,) potatoes, and much more that i cannot rememer.
oh, and it is a great diet if you want to feel better and have more energy and lose some weight.
so, week three of post surgery and A is up and about more and more every day. i'm looking forward to this week as i may have a chance to try some other recipes i saw on the tv today. mmmm. marinated red onions and roasted cipolinni onions...
Friday, February 23, 2007
SuperInkyGirl is well
if you have been following SuperInkyGirl's blog, you know today was a tough day coming. well, she made it through and is doing well. the surgery was more than expected, but in a good way. as a result, she will need to stay in the hospital for a few days. Send your thoughts, your prayers, your energy, money (just joking) to her as she begins her road to recovery. she thanks you in advance. i love me superinkygirl!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
San Diego animals
"hey, did i give you permission to take my photo? NO! fuck off giant. Your bright light is blinding me and my lover here. oh, you think we look like rabbits in shells? well fuck off bitch!"
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
San diego Residence Inn
some thoughts on hotels:
good night all.
- after they clean the room, why do they put the shower curtain on the outside of the shower? i never understood this. there are two curtains in order to keep the water inside the tub, yet when i get in in the morning, kinda groggy, it takes me a moment to realize i'm flooding the floor.
- again with the tub - why do they leave the drain plugged after cleaning? once again, it takes me a few moments to realize the tub is not draining.
- after cleaning, why do they reset the alarm clock and turn it on? for the past three days, i have had to turn off the alarm clock as i would rather wake up on my own.
- there is a strange community at the hotel. not bad, but a little interesting. since this is a residence inn, people stay here for long periods of time. so, they have a pool, a basketball court, the rooms have kitchenettes etc. they also have a bar-b-que for guests. it is strange for me to see random guests throwing stuff on the barby. in the mornings is breakfast and the evenings, they offer "happy hour." normally, i'm not surprised by this offering of free beer and wine. it's nice. what surprised me here was the offering of spagetti and meatballs too. or taco salad night. or raviolli and dinner rolls or..... i could go on because the menu is on my fridge. seriously, monday through thursday, someone really wouldn't need to go out for food except for lunch. unless... they took a couple plates in the evening and put it in the fridge for the next day's lunch. and on thursdays, go back for 3 or 4 helpings to make it through the weekend. crazy i tell ya.
good night all.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
view from the rooooom
i'm gonna type fast, so pardon the typos and "other." this is the view from my hotel parking lot. i'm in class until 5:00 or so, so I miss the opportunity to get sunset photos and such. i hope to get to the beach at least once to get such photos.
in the view, we see some hills that are actually not built up. further, there are these valleys that are just amazing. whomever is doing planning in this area is not just putting in track mcmansions, they are thinking about the greenspaces also.
the hotel is fine. as i stated, i think there is an elephant close by, but that's ok. my bedjumping is probably a bit disturbing to others as well. i'm close to the freeway, so in the evenings when i'm here reading email and such after class, military helicopters fly over from base to base. they are so low and loud, the room shakes a little. kinda crazy.
more later
in the view, we see some hills that are actually not built up. further, there are these valleys that are just amazing. whomever is doing planning in this area is not just putting in track mcmansions, they are thinking about the greenspaces also.
the hotel is fine. as i stated, i think there is an elephant close by, but that's ok. my bedjumping is probably a bit disturbing to others as well. i'm close to the freeway, so in the evenings when i'm here reading email and such after class, military helicopters fly over from base to base. they are so low and loud, the room shakes a little. kinda crazy.
more later
My breakfast
Hotel breakfast leave much to be desired, yet I am in the burbs, so I would be hard pressed to find a nice cafe that would be any healthier. I opted for some eggs and oatmeal with dried fruit. Oh, and OJ.
My head still hurts after yesterday's brutal class. It was all theory and history. Some of the info was review for me- stuff you have learned throughout the years. Other stuff wasn't necessarilly new, but it was explained so it now makes sense. Looking forward to today. It will be even meatier. I had a dream that I returned to work early because I believed the class was boring. My peers didn't like that. What does that tell me? PAY ATTTENTION!
My head still hurts after yesterday's brutal class. It was all theory and history. Some of the info was review for me- stuff you have learned throughout the years. Other stuff wasn't necessarilly new, but it was explained so it now makes sense. Looking forward to today. It will be even meatier. I had a dream that I returned to work early because I believed the class was boring. My peers didn't like that. What does that tell me? PAY ATTTENTION!
Monday, February 12, 2007
In the land to the south
I am currently in the wonderful suburbs of San Diego for some 'puter training. Upon arrival, I had to get me some In N Out! While the double double was great, the fries were a little off.
My hotel is fine. I thing an elephant is above me, but oh well. I kept waking through the night thinking, where's Anna? I had dreams I was sleepwalking and had ended up in a separate room.
I am now in class. The stack of books is daunting. And it is a room of goattees. When will computer geeks realize the goatee is overdone.
more later. Gotta pay attention now.
My hotel is fine. I thing an elephant is above me, but oh well. I kept waking through the night thinking, where's Anna? I had dreams I was sleepwalking and had ended up in a separate room.
I am now in class. The stack of books is daunting. And it is a room of goattees. When will computer geeks realize the goatee is overdone.
more later. Gotta pay attention now.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
I got me a sign!
yup. persistence pays off. i almost wandered down there in the dead of night to steal the sign, but didn't want to get arrested over a stupid sign. so, today, i wandered over and they were still working, so i asked for the sign and lo and behold, i got it. rather heavy and large, it is now in the back of my truck. i'll get the boyz to help me with it tomorrow when they come over for the game.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Let it be known - I am a space dog!
Frodo, our little one, had a small problem with his anus on Saturday morning. We had to take him in early to see the vet and spend some $$$. As a result, he is now on meds, including some great drugs that make him wooozy. We also got this overpriced space outfit for him so he wouldn't lick his but as it heals.
Oh, and Franka didn't want to be left out, so she went and injured herself sometime Saturday, so we were concerned we would have to take her to the vet also. After a good night's sleep, she came around the realized we really didn't care about her poor foot.
I also too these other photos and think they rock!
Oh, and Franka didn't want to be left out, so she went and injured herself sometime Saturday, so we were concerned we would have to take her to the vet also. After a good night's sleep, she came around the realized we really didn't care about her poor foot.
I also too these other photos and think they rock!
Fuckin' great photo
I feel I've taken some great photos, but this one....well, I think the framing is amazing. Wow!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
$12.99 for a bottle of bud?
Yep, that's right, a bottle of Budweiser costing $12.99. It is a nice looking bottle with a nice label and all, but do you honestly believe that the brewers that make bud can make something top notch? Brewmaster's Reserve. Wow!
Monday, January 08, 2007
New Year
Ok, so it is the 8th already and I even missed the Orthodox Christmas yesterday. So bummed. Oh well, I'm not exactly Orthodox, I just like to remember the time I was in Armenia and how important January 7th was to them.
The holidays were not as frenetic as in past years. Yeah, we did the family thing, but it was spread over a few weeks instead of over 3 days. I loved it! Christmas Eve was for us this year. Christmas day? YEP, you guessed it. US! So fun.
Some highlights:
So, wish us well. It will be a fun ride. Here are some photos for your enjoyment:
huge f'n racoons in our backyard
Federale @ ACME
Rocky Butte on a cold winter afternoon
trapped in a bag
my fence smokin'
ciao
The holidays were not as frenetic as in past years. Yeah, we did the family thing, but it was spread over a few weeks instead of over 3 days. I loved it! Christmas Eve was for us this year. Christmas day? YEP, you guessed it. US! So fun.
Some highlights:
- Christmas with my niece and nephews(3): Wow, what energetic kids. The oldest is 6, the youngest is 3 (he's the cowboy.) Tradition at my parents home is to read the gospel according to Luke before anyone gets presents. I'm glad they kept that tradition and not the one where we were forced to eat Oyster Stew and Lutafisk. Well, these 4 little kids could not sit still waiting for presents. At first, I reacted like my mom and my sister-in-law with stern looks and tried to get the kids to calm down. That lasted a total of 3 seconds when I realized - THEY ARE KIDS! I took a swig of beer and enjoyed the gospel and the fun. Once presents could be handed out, it was a frenzy of wrapping paper and screaming. The kids were so excited about each gift, they forgot what they got and moved on. Only Hank, our youngest, focused on each individual item and didn't want to move on. I love that from a 3 year old. In the end, we were all hanging out and the kids were able to assess what they got and realize the best presents were from us (just kidding.)
- We learned from my brother that to curb his daughter's thumb-sucking, she had begun to use fingernail polish. So, we got her a hello-kitty lipgloss set and manicure set. Well, that didn't go over with mom and dad too well which made me that much happier. We're such the rebel aunt and uncle. We're the cool ones. Also, my niece earns allowance by doing different chores and being good. Throughout the night, I kept handing her $1 bills just for hugs or smiles. I'm such a bad influence.
- Time off- both of us were fortunate to have time off between Christmas and New Years. With Anna starting school this week, our goal was to clean up and create an office space in our office. It was a crazy adventure which included a ton of purging and the purchase of a cool desk unit from Dania. In the end, we have purged more than either of us ever expected and have a cool new office with a great big desk, less furniture and soon...a cool carpet. And we did it all without Brett tearing into any walls or doing any structural work. Woot!
So, wish us well. It will be a fun ride. Here are some photos for your enjoyment:
huge f'n racoons in our backyard
Federale @ ACME
Rocky Butte on a cold winter afternoon
trapped in a bag
my fence smokin'
ciao
Friday, December 22, 2006
Jazz Hands
We have this running joke where we do the move to the right and say Jazz Hands. It usually puts Franka into a frenzy, which is kinda fun. This year when making my famous Rosemary Salted Hazelnuts, I donned these amazing gardening gloves. See, when you roast raw filberts, you then need to peal the skins off. These guys are hot, so I put the gloves on to help and Anna got the great photo.
It's been a crazy holiday this year. I think I have been to more outings than ever. Thank you all of the friends who have taken us out and spent time with us this year. We're indeed grateful and feel fully loved.
Happy Holidays to all!
It's been a crazy holiday this year. I think I have been to more outings than ever. Thank you all of the friends who have taken us out and spent time with us this year. We're indeed grateful and feel fully loved.
Happy Holidays to all!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Sausage making
You know you want some! Seriously, these are the casings! Woot!
also, check out what other's think of our little yearly adventure
also, check out what other's think of our little yearly adventure
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Love me the Care Bear
I remember my mom making care bears for the band auction in the early 80's. Didn't realize they still had a place in the 00's.
I wuv wu care bear!
I wuv wu care bear!
holidaze
everyone knows about sausage making, now come the videos:
also, we lost a friend over thanksgiving. hopefully Cathy is in a better place now.
also, we lost a friend over thanksgiving. hopefully Cathy is in a better place now.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
EXTREME!!!!
Am I extreme? When I was in Phoenix last week, someone stated I was "extreme." It wierded me out a little. Then, this morning, this pen for Extream software. Is the universe trying to tell me something?
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