My New Apartment: A Quick Look

Since I've had a few pictures burning a hole on my desktop all this time, I figured I'd post 'em, along with a bit of information about the new place.

This is what it looked like when we had the first tour.

We wound up going with the Shoebox.  I'm not sure how many square footage it is -- definitely not 1100 like "Granny's," though.  There are no room-sized walk-in closets, no private pool, no gorgeous gardens to stroll around in. 

However, it's a nice quiet building and I'm on the second floor.  There's an elevator (which is a blessed relief!), and our apartment is right along a long hallway, so I can keep my TV turned up as loud as I want, and no neighbors will hear it.  There's a balcony and two bathrooms -- one for the master bedroom, and one for guests.  And closet space!  We may not have walk-ins here, but we do have some nice big double closets.  There are THREE in the bedroom; one for my shit, one for his shit, and one "linen closet" where we also keep a 10-gallon trashcan to deposit our dirty laundry.  So there are definitely positives.

There is also a little matter that my friends and I call "The Withering Stench," but I'll get to that another day.  It's pretty gross; the source is undetectable, and it seems to come and go randomly.  Tres embarrassing when I want to have visitors, but so far I'm just covering it up with incense and Febreze.  I've been waiting until we're totally moved in, and so far, we're just about there.  (Note to self: Call maintenance guys!)

I made a mock-up of what I wanted to do to my living room.  However, since then I've changed my mind a bit.  I wanted some of that cool repositionable wallpaper I've been seeing, and although I did eventually get it, I decided to stick it elsewhere.  One "must" was a couple of good, sturdy rugs; I don't want my bunnies wrecking the living room carpet.  I wound up getting two 8'x11' rugs from SuperiorRugs.com from their clearance section.  These ones were "final clearance," and with the coupon code, I wound up paying less than $150 plus shipping for my elegant floor coverings. ;)  The one issue was that their credit card processing machine was clunky and unruly, and there were some miscommunications along the way.  This made the order take forever to fill.  But hey, you can't beat the prices!  I'm not too much of a fan of pink or cream colors, but they looked pretty good on this rug.  I'm not a bit sorry that I bought these; I'd definitely purchase from them again.

Will post more pics later! 

Picadillo Time!

Well, it's been a few months... and I've done a few things that I've wanted to post sooooo badly!  But for some reason, I've been kind of lethargic about that stuff.  I think the relocation just hit me harder than I realized it would!

But, after weeks of being like "Oh, this would be such a fun thing to post on PGS!" today I was like, "Screw this, even my humble dinner recipe HAS to be posted!"  So today, since a bad cold has been kicking my social circle in the ass all week long, my friend Fluffy and I decided to make some yummy spicy picadillo for dinner.  Fluffy and I shared the picture-taking duties.  Here's my recipe, and no, it's not really authentic at all.  But it IS inexpensive, forgiving, great for when you have (or need) lots of leftovers, and aside from the ridiculous amount of sodium, can be quite nourishing and yummy.

INGREDIENTS:

Solids:
* 1 lb ground beef (preferably quite lean, 'cause draining it is a pain in the ass)
* 1 lb ground turkey
* 1 10-oz package of Morningstar Farms "Grillers" crumbles (or your fave equivalent)
* 2 huge-ass chopped red, white, or yellow onions
* 1 red and/ or green bell pepper (use half of each, or one whole one of each if you love peppers... you could even go crazy and add a couple of jalapenos or banana peppers)
* 1/2 cup diced celery with chopped-up leaves for flavor
* a few tablespoons of capers
* 1 1/2 whole kosher dill pickle, or 1/2 cup olive style of your choice (I want olives, but Abil {A Boy I Like} has a psychic allergy to them, so pickles it is!)

Liquids:
* 1/2 cup wine; marsala is recommended
* EITHER the small can of tomato paste (how many ounces is that? 6?) or a 14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes
* water
* A splash of red wine vinegar or pickle juice -- hell, use both like I do!

Spices:
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
* 1 tablespoon dried garlic or garlic powder (use to taste; I like a lot)
* anywhere between 1 and 5 bay leaves; use your favorite number.
* a big pinch of allspice & a big pinch of clove (optional but yummy)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
* 1 tablespoon paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (use to taste)
* 1/2 teaspoon oregano, thyme, or basil
* Optional: a few drops (or gallons) of Frank's hot sauce!
* Also optional:  A packet of Sazón Goya, for that delicious hit of MSG.  I would avoid adding any additional salt, as the pickled stuff and cooking wine has plenty.

Gases:
Not 'til later! ;)

Step 1.  Chop that onion and celery, get it sweating over the stove!  Use some olive oil if you have it, or just a bit of cooking spray.  Medium or low heat should do it.  Cook until the onion is see-through-ish and/or brown. 

Step 2.  Dice your peppers, process your pickles (either digital or analog methods will work fine), and get your spices ready while you wait for the onions to be translucent. 

Step 3.  Toss all that shit -- your peppers, your spices (except the Goya, the bay leaves, and the Frank's) -- into the pot!  It's better to put your spices in while the veggies are cooking so that they get coated with delicious seasonings right away. 

Step 4.  Add your tomatoes and/or paste, swirl it around until it's evenly mixed.

Step 5.  Add meat, breaking it up into luscious chunks.  Turn up the heat if you need to.  If you want a vegan recipe for picadillo, you can always substitute your favorite meat analogue for the turkey and beef as well; nothing else in this recipe is animal-based.  I have tried it both ways, and it's awesome no matter what protein you like.

Step 6.  Here is where you add everything else: the wine, the vinegar, the "Grillers," capers, pickle, bay leaves, Sazón if you choose to use it, and just a bit of hot sauce -- you can adjust the heat later.  Stir everything up until it is mixed well, then add plenty of water.  Ideally, you want the entire mess to be completely covered and then some.  (This picture was taken after about 45 minutes of simmering, so keep that in mind.)  At this point, get the heat to medium-high, and then turn it to low after it has begun to boil.  Stir it now and again as it simmers, making extra sure to scrape the crap at the bottom of the pot so it doesn't stick and burn.  No one likes a ruined picadillo, except maybe your pet rats, but they really shouldn't be eating onions or garlic.

Here it is, bubbling frantically on the back burner!  It's almost done after about an hour...  Keep stirring and waiting.  I bet your kitchen smells awesome right about now!  Reminisce with your friends about how, years ago, this would be right around the time you'd be getting ready to go out clubbing... and then you eventually had other things consuming you, like arthritic hips and finding ways to pay for your Geritol addiction.  Ahh, memories!

And now, approximately an hour and a half after adding the water and crying over your lost youth, the picadillo has come to the perfect consistency: The liquid has reduced beautifully and everything has come together perfectly, so now it's almost the consistency of chili or a dense meat sauce.  There will still be some yummy liquid floating around in there, but it's fine and delicious.

 DONE!  Serve over rice and enjoy it!  (Also, marvel over how your new iPhone makes everything look 109482983958 times nicer than the crap-ass old cell you used to take kitchen pics with... wow!)

Finding My Way Home

Oh, Granny! How I'll miss your linen closet!

I know that it's been awhile since I've posted anything.  Now that the excitement around here has died down, I can tell you all what's happened.  Basically, this spring I was in a 3-car accident that left me bruised from my knees to my chin.  Nothing's been (majorly) broken, but I do require some physical therapy and other treatments.  After several visits to several doctors, it's been decided that I've developed fibromyalgia and some neurological issues from the accident.  The past few months have required me to slow down and take it easy.

Right now, I live in a house with a couple of levels.  The stairs have evolved from a nuisance on the days where my knee or hip flares up, to a huge hardship.  So, I guess the motivation to move came in good time.

....and your kitchen! :'(

To tell you the truth, I've lost count of the houses and apartments that Mr. Manly and I have gone to see (alone and together)!  I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 or 8.  You may remember "Granny's" from my last batch of pictures; well, that was the one that had truly won my heart with its 1100 square feet (only half the space I'm used to now!), central A/C, luxurious walk-in closets (one was almost a room in itself!), and a glass-door shower with a seat.  Yes, it seemed to be just what I needed.  It was in a cluster of small, quiet, privately-managed buildings that were big enough to provide timely service and good maintenance, yet small enough to feel like a nice little community.  I was so excited to live there, and the moment I went to see it, I had begun pinning my hopes and dreams on Granny's.  Unfortunately, no vacancies were available -- each month, the manager encouraged me to call back next month to check, and faithfully, I did every single time.

A cool kitchen for cool people who don't cook (or eat?)

Apparently, their backs don't hurt while sitting on this cool toilet, either.  Check the back ledge!

This didn't stop me from looking at other apartments, though.  I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to "Super Cool Urban Estates," of the stainless steel appliances and a granite countertop in what seemed to be the perfect haven for hip young professionals -- despite the total lack of closets (aside from one 2.5-foot deep alleged "walk-in"), it was modern and chic, with each unit bragging its own washer and dryer!  Yes, it was overpriced and small, had no closets for linens or coats, but it was close to all the good restaurants -- and did I mention the washer and dryer?  I put it on my "maybe" list. 

How lovely, the Walgreen's is in bloom!

I also found some real hope in "Sophisticated Auntie's Place" -- it actually had an elevator with each floor sharing washers and dryers.  Not bad!  Again, I found tasty central A/C at Auntie's, a wrought-iron decorated balcony with a breathtaking view of the local Walgreen's (conveniently located for late-night soda runs when I'm up and feeling productive), and pretty hardwood floors which I couldn't decide were a blessing or a curse.  This was a larger complex with many daunting buildings, yet the 2-bedroom 2-baths which I'd selected were in the tiniest "baby sister" building which was slightly apart from those others, enjoy the same privileges but also a bit more privacy and intimacy among the neighbors.  "Sign me up!" I exclaimed, only to find out that there was one unit left -- oh wait, nope, it was filled an hour ago!  DAMN!

Cars are forced to slow down so the People Farm can have access to more fresh victims.  Please don't make me live here, OK?

Then there was "The People Farm" which was down the road from and managed by the same company as Auntie's, yet not even close to the same in style or friendliness.  The place was HUGE.  I think there were half a dozen buildings, each with like 7 floors.  It was like a creepy, slightly rundown hotel for folks who had nowhere to go.  In the middle of the complex was a pool that seemed to be the size of a football field, with about a thousand people inside and around it on that summer Sunday that we'd come to inspect a unit.  It turned out that the unit I needed wasn't available there either, though there would be vacancies come fall.  I put it on my "last resort" slot, and prayed.

Granny's looked like a possibility... a bunch of times, in fact.  People kept deciding to move, then changing their minds.  Some folks applied for mortgages (just a formality, really!) and when shit fell through, guess who got left holding the bag?  "Trust me," the manager said.  I tried hard to do just that, but with so many disappointments -- and a mere 6 weeks to homelessness -- trust was a luxury that I just couldn't afford.

Half the old tenants' furniture around during the Shoebox walkthrough. 

After many hours scouring rental sites, Googling, calling realtors, and (gasp!) resorting to Craigslist while praying not to get too many genital pictures from fellow Craigslisters, eventually "Shoebox Sweet Shoebox" was found.  As luck would have it, this building is owned by an old "friend" -- the company who owned the apartment from just before I'd moved out to the country 7 years ago.  There are pros and cons, of course.  On the plus side, I like having a history with my landlord, also quite a bit of closet space, and the building is located in a quiet and low-traffic annex situated nicely between several bustling and busy city roads, so it's like having a hundred square yards of small-town living snuggled inside an urban area.  There are only 3 floors and my place is on the second; but there's an elevator and laundry facilities on each floor, so hopefully that won't be a problem.   Also, a little balcony for growing my bunnies some tasty herbs, and a 5x6 storage unit for all the crap we can't fit into the apartment.  The cons:  The place is MINISCULE.  I'm in the middle of doing my floor plan now, and so far I've calculated about 600 square feet; that's including the closets, but without the master bedroom.  My minimum was 1100 square feet, so crapola to that!  But, another pro is even more important: I am no longer homeless.  (And I've also packed NINE boxes for donation this week!)

Official moving day will the the 22nd of this month, but the lease begins on the 15th which provides a bit of time for moving some stuff in advance.  I'll probably be posting a bit more 'til then!

Hope that everyone else is doing well! :)

The Fine and Illustrious Art of Using Shit Up

Well, I'm still looking for a new pad.  Last week, I checked out a pretty good one (another Mecca of Coolness), but I'll discuss that in another entry.  Right now, my biggest issue revolves around the fact that I have about 2 months to declutter and get rid of as much crap as humanly possible.  I'm going from a 3-bedroom house, complete with basement and shitloads of hidey-holes, to a yet-to-be-named apartment where space and storage are all still unknown factors.  I am positive that I'll need to reduce my possessions by at least half -- no easy feat in any case!

One of my new ways of doing this has been referred to as The Fine and Illustrious Art of Using Shit Up.  In little ways, I am lightening my load -- eating all of my exotic stuff from the Asian grocery, using up my most treasured incense, bathing luxuriously in as much Lush as I feel like, giving away beautiful and useful things that I know will make my friends (as well as various charities) happy.  So, even when I don't have the strength to sift through boxes and bags and closets of junk, I'm still doing my part each day, little by little, lightening the load and clearing up the tiniest bit of space for my future move.

These days, I've been consistently reminding myself of an anecdote in Amy Tan's book (not The Joy Luck Club... the other book).  The narrator had an elderly aunt who was known to be rather stingy.  During each year at Christmas, her family would send Auntie a beautiful box of fancy chocolates.  One Christmas, they received a box of the same type of chocolate from her as well, and wouldn't you know it?  The chocolate was all white, dried out, and generally nasty.  It turns out that Auntie wouldn't enjoy the nice gifts that she was given; instead, she'd stuff the boxes of chocolate into her closet, saving them to regift.  Unfortunately, by the time an occasion was good enough to merit the chocolate as a gift, the candy had turned all gross and rancid -- not a very good gift at all!  So, not only did Auntie wind up giving her beloved relatives a big box of crap, she was also being very stingy with herself too.  The chocolates were saved because they were so special, yet no one got to enjoy them.  What a waste!  It also begs the question of why Auntie didn't think that she was worthy of such a nice prezzie, when obviously her family wanter her to savor the fancy chocolate?

The same concept can be applied to so many things that we're saving for a special occasion.  Instead of holding onto that expensive perfume you have, why not luxuriate in it instead -- before it turns into rancid crap that's worse than dollar-store body spray!?  Those fancy guest soaps that you've had on display since the 1990s?  They aren't impressing anybody anymore, so if they're now too gross to use, how about putting them to good use making your own laundry detergent?  These things take up our space, and somehow remind us that "today" isn't special enough, or maybe that we're not special enough, to just go all-out and enjoy whatever it is we're saving.  Use it up!  You'll be able to enjoy it while it's still good, and you'll be decluttering at the same time.

The Little Things in Life

I think I'll take Rihanna's advice for now, and STFU. :)

I apologize for not posting more lately, but I have suffered some injuries through an accident which, for legal reasons, I can't really discuss just yet.  I'm alive and in one piece, but beyond that I really need to keep mum for the time being.

Before this happened, I had a few projects cooking, but the progress has slowed to a halt for now.  I recently read someone else's blog where the main article was a list of things that the blogger was "into right now."  It's a bit of a cop-out for PGS, but what the hell?  It's a nice cheerful distraction, and maybe if some of my current mini-obsessions spark some interest in you, you will find something cool or new to make your own life a bit better.  So, here's a rundown of what I'm into these days:

1.  Modal fabric.  This stuff is amazing!  It's technically not a natural fiber because of the process it needs to go through in order to become fabric, but it's roots are natural.  Modal comes from beech tree fibers.  It's softer and more absorbent than cotton, hangs beautifully, and always seems to look great even if you don't iron it.  This makes it beautiful for any body type, as it drapes and flatters the wearer to a T.  Over the past few months, I have acquired a few pieces of modal clothing; it's wonderful to go out and be seen in, but also to stay home and just live in.  I love it!

2.  No-fuss nail treatments.  If I could marry nail foils, I would.  My nails are short and brittle, and often, my nail polish chips off the edges within a day or so of applying it.  But the nail foils I've been using are designed to stay on for up to 10 luxurious, polish-free days!  They come in solids, but also in a cunning array of cute designs as well.  They're available in stores for $5-$7 a pop, but being a patient cheapie, I bought mine from this eBay store for only 99 cents.  My favorites?  Black with skulls or spiderwebs, of course!  (A close runner-up is the Sally Hansen nail pen, in chrome colors.  It dries quickly and with a minimum of BS, so it's just right for a 30-second touch up before you run out the door.) 

3.  Scramble With Friends.  A good friend of mine surprised me with an iPad for my birthday this past month, which thrilled and exhilarated me -- I've wanted one for a couple of years now, mostly for a curiosity.  But let me tell you, the convenience and fun of the iPad has made it an invaluable tool for me, whether it's for work or play.  One of the awesomest games going is Scramble With Friends, which is easier and quicker than the better-known Zynga app, Words With Friends.  I feel that it helps my powers of concentration too.  If you don't have an iPad or iPhone, no problem -- you can play it on Facebook too. :)

That's all I can think of right now.  What's everyone else into these days? :)

A Wealth of Possibilities

As many of you know, my lease ends this summer.  While I can probably get out of it a bit earlier -- as it is quite flexible -- my SO and I have decided to tough it out to the bitter end. ;)  This gives us about 3 months' worth of breathing room.  So far, we have toured 4 houses in the hopes of purchasing -- and then we realized that we don't quite measure up down-payment-wise.  After that, we began hunting for a new apartment.

Cool Minimalist Lobby is cooler and
more minimalist than your lobby.

We've seen two places so far, both of which have advantages and drawbacks.  "Apartment Number One" is an industrial brick-accented downtown loft in the heart of a city close to Boston.  It's hip, freshly converted from an old factory.  Everything about it says "The people who live here are way cooler than you."  Admittedly, it has some possibilities.  One of my favorite features is the washer and dryer hookup right in the apartment, which is like heaven on earth!  But the place is very vertical -- sucks for me on those high pain-score days -- and the 2 bedrooms are sort of small.  There wasn't a whole lot of storage space, even if the apartment itself was simply adorable.  The hardwood floors were stylish, but I'm sure our bunnies wouldn't be very happy hoppers with their little piggies clacking on the floor, and their furry little feet slipping around the smooth wooden surface!  These are big sacrifices indeed if one wishes to live in a Mecca of Coolness.

Hey, whipper-snapper. What's cookin' in Granny's kitchen?

"Apartment Number Two" is definitely NOT an M of C.  It is located in a complex in a more residential area near Boston.  (I guess they'd call it the Boston Metro Area?)  We saw heaps of boring ugly buildings, children playing outside, old people going for walks, and soccer moms with silver minivans.  This one also had a lot of floors to climb, but I realized that being on the top floor (despite lack of elevator) would be awesome since there'd be less traffic outside my door.  The master bedroom was bigger than I'd expected, bigger than what we have now actually, with a closet for each of us.  The second bedroom, conversely, was smaller, but with a nicely sized closet.  We may need to ditch the big bed in the other bedroom.  The place has central heat and air conditioning, which is a rare find!  My favorite parts of this apartment are the surprising amount of storage space (including a walk-in closet which is big enough to fit a couch!), a kitchen with a window, and two bathrooms!  One has a shower with a glass door and a seat (amazing!), and the other has a tub and assloads of drawers and storage space.

We'll be looking for more places over the next few months, so stay tuned!

What to Do With Leftover Roses & Petals

My birthday was this week, and a friend gave me a dozen stunning red roses that morning.  They looked gorgeous and smelled divine, but after a few days, I wondered (as I often do) how I can utilize them in the best possible way.

Some people say that if you want to preserve them, you can hang them upside down to preserve the color while they dry.  I've tried that before.  While the color of the petals does fade into a more dead-looking color, it's usually a deep pretty brownish-purple.  However, the leaves all stuck right up and looked stupid whenever I did it.  So next time I decide to try that, I'll figure out a way to keep those leaves from looking like they got stuck in an electrical socket.

One of my favorite things to do with roses is to make homemade potpourri, and of course, I love using my homemade incense recipe.   But this time... I have a few other tricks up my sleeves, so keep coming back and checking up on my developments. ;)

With this batch so far, I've begun preparing the roses for use in crafts.  First, I took off the rubber bands and saved them for another use.  Floral rubber bands are awesome, by the way; they're very strong, and usually you get a couple of different sizes in each bouquet.

My next step was to separate the roses from their petals.  I put the petals of eleven roses into my metal mixing bowl, and pressed the petals from the twelfth rose into the pages of an absolutely terrible hardback book (Here Kitty Kitty by Jardine Libaire).  Some of the random leaves were pressed into Make Your Own Luck: 12 Practical Steps to Taking Smarter Risks in Business.

I'm going to be washing the petals in the bowl.  They need to be as clean as possible for a cooking project that I'll be doing.  And the stuff in the book will probably be used to accent something that I want to frame, so we'll see how it goes!

Review: Kline Honey Bee Farm

Since spring came into bloom a few weeks ago, I had been having a pretty strong craving for something that I almost never have the opportunity to enjoy: raw honeycomb.  I love everything about it... the gem-like color and smooth consistency, the pretty hexagon shapes of the wax, the slow and sensual flow of the honey.  I also love that when I crave something sweet, a little bit of honey can scratch the itch long before the craving has me reaching for something less healthy.

The first time I ordered some honeycomb online was probably 2007 or so (from a company I don't even remember) and all I can really remember is how expensive the shipping costs were as most of them were sending them in heavy glass jars; so it was with trepidation that I checked the prices of eBay's honey farmers, and with annoyance that I noticed very little had changed -- the thought of having a bit of raw honeycomb seemed wonderful, but at $16 a pop plus another $8 for shipping seemed like just too much.

I decided to try Etsy; people sold honey-based beauty products and beeswax there, after all.  It was there that I discovered the Kline's Honey Bee Farm store on Etsy.  Kline's offerings were quite impressive -- honeycomb, pure standard honey of many types by the ounce or the gallon, even creamed honey and individual-serving-size honey sticks!  There were also blocks of pure beeswax and beeswax candles, honey soap and beeswax lotion.  It was clear to that these folks do honey, and they do it well, so after checking a few more places for price comparison and seeing that Kline's had them all beaten -- I placed my honeycomb order.


Less than a week later, I had a lovely package of honey in my mailbox!  It came through the mail just fine.  The honeycomb was in perfect condition.  Unlike some places where I've seen honey surrounding a tiny piece of honeycomb, this was a big generous slice of comb with all the little honey pockets perfectly intact.  It looked and smelled delightfully fresh, as if someone had gathered and packed it just for me. Beautiful!

My package even included a little sample of honey soap which smells a lot like Lush's "Honey, I Washed the Kids."  I was thrilled with every aspect of this purchase.  The honeycomb was a lovely and impressive addition to the dinner party I had.  I saved my beeswax, and there's enough to make a massage bar (or maybe two!).

Since I've been watching my carbs, I think my next purchase will be a batch of honey sticks.  They're portion-controlled and portable, so it seems like a great idea for the next time my sweet tooth hits me.  They even have honey in wacky flavors like root beer and pina colada!  I'll let you know how it goes!

P.S.  I borrowed this picture from Kline's store on Etsy.  Hope that's OK!

Lazy Chocolate Ganache

Another thing that I made for my dinner party last month was a tasty chocolate-orange trifle, which I topped with homemade ganache.

If you've never made your own ganache, you simply MUST try it.  It's so much easier than homemade icing, and for al its elegance, doesn't cost much to make either.  Even if you're afraid of melting chocolate, you can easily do this.  My friend Martha Stewart shows you how on her website here.

My recipe is a tiny bit easier, but a basic ganache recipe is super easy to begin with!

First, get yourself a 12(ish) ounce bag of chocolate chips -- milk or bittersweet, it doesn't really matter.  Use what you like.  For a firmer ganache, use the whole bag; for a looser one, use about 2/3 of the bag. 

Whirl the chips around in your food processor until they're nothing but chocolate dust.

 

Pour the dust into a good-sized mixing bowl.  Have your spoon or whisk ready!

Microwave a cup of heavy cream until it boils, then whisk the cream into the chocolate dust until everything is completely melted together and the mixture is smooth and glossy.  Yum!

 Let it cool for a minute or two if you're drizzling it or using as a dip or coating.  Then feel free to dip, drizzle, whatever!  Or you can do it like I did, and pour the entire thing over a trifle.

Admire the smooth, glossy surface.  Fantasize about being the size of a 

Barbie doll and ice-skating on a frozen pond of ganache.  Aww yeah!

If you're making something that requires harder ganache, put it in the fridge until it's firmer.  When it's harder, it can be used to make your own truffles, or to frost or fill a cake. 

A Bloody Good Dinner

A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a small dinner party consisting of myself, a boy that I like, and 5 really cool friends -- or 7, if you count the babies!  The fare was authentic Irish food (and Irish-American dishes) including shepherd's pie with poundies, corned beef and cabbage, barley with peas and herbs, potato candy, and 2 savory puddings, black and white.  I also made potato candy and a chocolate-orange trifle (recipes to follow in another entry).

I'll give you my white pudding recipe next time, but in this entry I want to explain my process for making black pudding.  For those of you who have never tried it, you should DEFINITELY give it a shot.  And if you've eaten it but never made your own, I'd recommend trying that too; it's a really visceral experience.  (Ha, ha.)

While blood is actually considered tissue in the body, as well as offal in butchering terms, I'm still categorizing this entry under "organs" since it's often sold and processed with the organ meat anyway.

For years and years, I've wanted to make black pudding.  But it can be tough to find a good blood provider.  I have seen pork blood for sale at the local Asian grocery, but I've always been reluctant to purchase it -- their meat always looked kind of old and sad, unlike their very fresh fish department.  However, a few years ago, I was given the phone number of Blood Farm, which is local and has a slaughterhouse on premises.  (It is a farm which is owned and operated by the Blood family -- by coincidence, it's also a place where one can buy blood and guts!)  Unfortunately, we missed pig slaughtering day, so no dice for pork blood.  However, they were slaughtering cows the day before we called, so I had my man order a quart of beef blood, with a bit of salt in it to keep it from congealing.

The next day, he came back from Blood Farm with a large plastic bag, which was tied with a thin rope and filled with an indeterminate amount of cow blood.  It was still warm!  What a grisly sight indeed... I almost couldn't process the blood.  (I did say ALMOST!)  I cut the rope, and ever-so-carefully poured the blood into a plastic container.  Turns out that for six dollars, I received nearly three-quarters of a gallon of delicious beef blood.  Mmm mmm, good!

After perusing a number of recipes online, I pretty much made up my own recipe, using this black pudding recipe from Phebotomist as a reference for cook times and blood-to-filler proportions.

I mixed my blood together with milk, bread, barley, a bit of flour, some butter (instead of suet), and lots of yummy chopped garlic with other seasonings.  Then I stirred everything together in order to mix it as thoroughly as possible.  All of the black pudding recipes that I found online called for oats, oat flour, or "fine oatmeal", but I had used up all of my oats on the white pudding.  So, I decided to improvise and use a few cups of Cheerios as a substitute. Breakfast of champions, my friends!

Then, the pot of bloody Cheerios was whisked away by my man, who put the whole thing onto the stove as he stirred it over a medium flame.  It was supposed to darken, but after a few minutes of the two of us looking back and forth at each other, going "WTF?" over a blood-red Cheerio stew, the mixture began to bubble and foam up a bit.  Then out of nowhere, up came a huge black bubble!  After some vigorous stirring, the rest of the mixture followed suit.  He then poured the mixture into one of our large casserole dishes -- I couldn't believe how much this recipe yielded, by the way -- and amazingly enough, many of the Cheerios remained intact!  In fact, the whole mixture looked quite a lot like brownies with a passel of Cheerios gaily festooning it here and there. 

The next step was to let the mixture sit in the fridge for awhile, and then to cut it into slices and fry it.  I thought that the blood pudding tasted fantastic, sweet and meaty and buttery.  In fact, it reminded me quite a bit of "the orange stuff in stuffed derma" (sorry, can't remember what it's called).  But it was far too greasy for me to enjoy it quite as much as I wish I had.  I don't think that suet would have melted as quickly as butter had, during the cooking stage.  However, next time I make this (and that day won't be toooo far off!), I think I'll just omit the butter/suet component during the first act.  It was also very soft, which I didn't really mind, but stuffing it in casing will make for a much yummier eating experience next time.  But all in all, I'd call this attempt a success!

I already have another small batch of ideas for cooking with blood in the future, so watch this space for the dirty details. :)

The Sweet Smell of... Failure

Here's a DIY idea that I am unlikely to repeat: making my own body spray.  Actually, I probably will try to make it again, but I'll remember the lessons I've learned from this batch.

My ingredients were simple: some denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol from my local CVS) and the remaining bit of my half-ounce "Blue Nile" body oil... I'd say about a quarter- to a third- ounce was still left.  My container was a clean 2-ounce spray bottle which used to be a rose-scented body mist.  (The bottle was from Hot Topic and had an Amy Brown fairy on it, which was cute -- but boy, that body spray was nast-ay!)  You could try this on your own with any clean spray bottle, if you don't mind getting the kind of result that I did!

The "process" -- and I use the term loosely -- was simple: pour the Blue Nile into the empty 2-ounce bottle, then fill the rest of the way with alcohol and shake well.  I was pretty amazed at how nicely the two combined.  If any of you used to make "potions" as a kid, or used way too much of your mother's perfume & tried adding water to conceal the evidence of your pilfering -- well, you'll know how easy it is to make the mixture cloudy, gross, and generally unappealing.  I have learned a lot about perfumery since then, but nevertheless it excites me to see how beautifully the alcohol and oil can blend.

While the bottle was aesthetically pleasing, in no small part due to the pretty coloring of the Blue Nile perfume oil, the smell was... ehhhhh.  I would spray it on in the morning, but it would take some time for the alcohol to dissipate and the Blue Nile to become the predominant scent.  Someone hugged me an hour after I spritzed myself and declared, "You smell like booze!"  Well, that pretty much ended my perfume-making hobby before it began. :)

I would up diluting my leftover Blue Nile body mist with some water (and yeah, it became the awesome cloudy mix we all know and love) and used as linen water to scent my hand-washables during the rinse phase.  It worked quite well, and I was glad to find an alternate use for it.

Now I have two-thirds of a bottle of rubbing alcohol that I need to think up uses for.  Any ideas?

Febreze For People

The downside to having an awesome Body & Soul party was that I seem to have contracted some form of plague from one of our party guests.  I guess that the fun of that wonderful cooking and being psychic came with a price!

Anyway, this morning I'm off to our local clinic to get myself tested.  I've got a VIP houseguest in a few days, and I don't want to pass along the plague!

Sometimes, when you get sick and you're taking antibiotics OR you're reluctant to hop into the shower first thing in the morning because you worry about going outside with a wet head, you may want to hold off showering until later in the day.  Or, maybe you have some emergency errands that needs to be done PFQ.  Perhaps you've just finished a yoga class, but forgot about that important meeting which starts in (uh oh!) just 15 minutes!  Mayhaps you've woken up to no power or hot water (holy crap-oly!!)... Whatever the situation, there may just come a day where you're in need of some alternative solutions.  Don't worry, I'm way ahead of you.  It is in this spirit that I bring you my recipe for "Febreze for People."


INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of your favorite lotion, preferably clean-smelling! Think citrus and/or minty!
2 tablespoons of denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer works fine)
3/8 cup of water
OPTIONAL: 1-2 drops of citrusy, tea tree, or mint essential oil

Mix everything together, except for the water.  Pour into an 8-oz(ish) spray bottle, top off with the water, and shake well.  Whenever you don't have time for a shower or bath, use this solution as a quick refresher.  Just spray it onto your body, wipe with any soft cloth, and rub in the excess.

Depending on the lotion, you can use it on your face (don't get in eyes) as an emergency makeup remover.  Don't use in your hair or it'll get way greasy -- if your hair feels icky, just use a bit of baby powder to freshen it before your important event.

Our Elegant Spa Party

Some friends and I have recently begun to host a monthly get-together where we all use our talents for the enjoyment of our guests (and their friends).  Between us, we have an asthetician who does waxing and other spa treatments, a hair stylist who does awesome cutting, a professional masseuse who's always very in demand, and a professional psychic (that's me!).  Since the spa and hair specialists are next door neighbors, we use their apartments and just keep the door open between the two of them.

I haven't made a lot of money at this gig, but it sure has been fun!  Since two of the ladies are hosting (and have to get everything ready), I've been given the honorary chef's hat.  Last month, I made stuffed mushrooms and a veggie sushi platter (which, unfortunately, I got nooooo good pictures of!), along with some luscious fruit skewers of strawberry, papaya, and kiwi.  But this month I really wanted to do something elegant.

My savory dish was mini-quiche in two flavors: Lorraine and Florentine.  They were very easy to do, and lent a very "elegant teatime" vibe to my vintage goodies tray.  (I used a Bisquick recipe, though substituted Jiffy mix; worked great!)  For the fruit portion of the spread, I decided to make parfaits with a fruit dip which was once said to "drive everyone mad with lust!"  I ordered plastic wine cups from Oriental Trading Company and they made wonderful little parfait glasses.

We also had some simple cheese and crackers -- some nice pepper jack and yummy Babybels paired with the most scrumptious rosemary crackers I've ever tasted.  Carr's rosemary crackers are amazing; if you haven't had 'em yet -- definitely pick some up the next time you get a cracker craving!  Another party guest brought some pineapple platters featuring a stunning array of fresh tasty crudites with two kinds of hummus.  My favorite is the garlic lover's, YUM! :)

All in all, it was a really fun afternoon!  If you live in the Boston area and want to be invited, feel free to let me know.  Our website is at http://www.DawnSoul.com and we always have room for another friend. :)

Elder Goths Contest Giveaway!

Hi all!  Our "Goth Afer 30" Facebook group is holding a photo contest!  To enter, all you need to do is take a picture of yourself and submit it to the group's wall.  Let's show the world that our lifestyle choices aren't necessarily "kid stuff."  Photos can be funny, serious, silly, dark... whatever you feel like expressing.  Elder goths rule, so don't be afraid to show it! :)

The contest is from now to March 14th.  A winner will be chosen at random from those who have submitted photos to the group.  (Just mark it "Contest photo" so that I know to add you to the list of entries.)  If you want to add a watermark that says "Goth After 30 on Facebook" -AND/OR- the URL (http://www.tinyurl.com/ElderGoths) that would be awesome, but not necessary.  I'll draw a winner and notify the group on March 15th.

The winner will receive a lipstick in the blackest black we could find (and it's FRESH too!  Not a Halloween clearance item!), a black nail glaze (perfect for adding a darker shade on top of your favorite color OR use a few coats all by itself), a spooky black pentagram candle, and a black-soybean isoflavone facial treatment to keep you looking your loveliest whether you're 30, 40, or beyond!  (Items are provided by NecessaryEvils.com)

Good luck, everyone!  Can't wait to see your photos! :)

P.S.  Excuse me for posting this on my blog, but I needed a good place to stick the contest information. :)

99 DIY Lifestyle Skills

Being a do-it-myself kinda gal, I have to say that this post at over at TLC intrigued me.  I went through the list, sort of halfway nodding my head, and then I realized that there are a lot of things on the list that I can work toward, either now or after I've relocated.  Feel free to check and see how you're doing.  I'd also love to hear more unlisted skills that those reading this deem to be valuable.

My personal grading scale: 0 - not doing this, or it doesn't apply to me, .5 - I know how to do this and have been working on doing better, 1 - this is a regular part of my life.

Essential Food Skills
1. Read and understand product labels 1
2. Bake bread 1
3. Make your own bread starter and keep it going .5 (I don't consume a lot of bread)
4. Make cheese, yogurt, and kefir from local milk .5 (I can do all but kefir)
5. Preserve food by canning 0 (scary!)
6. Preserve food by drying .5
7. Forage for local wild foods safely 0

8. Raise a couple of backyard chickens 0 (I wish I had the room!) 

9. Make your own tofu,tempeh, and soy milk .5

10. Eat locally and in season 1

11. Grind your own flour .5 (I've done it)

12. Grow your own produce 0

13.Grow your own herbs 1

14.Grow your own sprouts 1 

15. Blend your own herbal tea 1 

16. Have a repertoire of vegetarian recipes you can use for various occasions 1

17. Fish or hunt responsibly if you eat meat 1 (I don't hunt, but I know the basics.)

18. Make homemade pastas and other pantry basics  .5

19. Cook a variety of foods well 1

20. Utilize a menu to minimize food waste 1

21. Throw a party without compromising your green values 1

22. Make Your Own Vanilla Extract 1

23. Sharpen kitchen knives so they last 1

24. Make homemade granola bars, granola, waffles, and other breakfast items 1

25. Make baked goods from "scratch". 1

26. Understand terms like, "organic", "Fair Trade", "all natural", and "GMO" 1

Essential Household Skills 

27. Sew well enough to repair clothing 1

28. Sew well enough to make your own clothing and reusable shopping bags 1 (not all of my clothing is handmade, but several pieces are, as well as my storage.)

29. Sew fitted cloth diapers for your baby 1 (do bunny needs count?)

30 .Knit or crochet dishcloths 1 

31. Know how to reupholster a chair .5 (I know how to, and have done it - just not WELL.) 

32. Make your ownlaundry soap 1

33. Make your own dishwasher detergent  1

34. Make your own house cleaning supplies .5

35. Use diatomaceous earth, bay leaves, and other "eco-friendly" natural pest deterrents 1

Home Maintenance and Repair Skills 

36. Use non-electric appliances rather than electric 1

37. Know where to find non-electric appliances 1

38. Program a thermostat .5

39. Tile a counter top 0

40. Use 0 VOC paint 1

41. Repair a screen 1

42.Use a caulk gun 1

43. Make simple appliance repairs such as replacing belts 0

44. Find what you need by bartering, or using CraigsList, eBay, and thrift stores 1

45. Repair a leaky toilet 0

46. Repair a leaky faucet 0

47.Replace a faucet 0

48. Check your home for energy leaks using incense, a candle, or a device that is created for that purpose 1

49. Unclog a drain without using Drano or harmful chemicals 1

50. Insulate an attic with eco-friendly insulation 1

Gardening Skills 

51 .Build a compost system .5

52. Use compost to enrich your soil .5

53. Plan a garden for your climate .5

54. Understand xeriscaping 1 (kinda)

55. Plant a multi-seasonal vegetable garden 0 (no room! wahw!)

56. Build a simple cold frame for salad all year 0

57. Build frames for raised bed gardens 0

58. Make a rainwater catchment system 0

59. Use a manual reel mower 0

60. Use companion planting methods to control pests 0

61.Build a bat house to encourage bats and decrease mosquitoes .5 (soooo want to do this!)

62. Use predator insects like Praying Mantis to control garden pests 0

63. Know what heirloom seeds are and why you should use them 1

64. How to plant open pollinated vegetables for best yields 1

65. How to save seeds from your own produce 1

66. Plant trees and bushes to cut your energy bills 0 

67. Use soaker hoses to conserve water 0

68. Sharpen and maintain tools 1

Health Skills 

69. Know how to use herbs and natural remedies to treat common illnesses 1

70. Make your own soap 1

71. Make your own skin care products 1

72. Use essential oils for health and cleaning 1

73. Make your own deodorant .5

Transportation Skills 

74. Tune up a bicycle and make repairs 0

75. Do simple maintenance on your car  0

76. Arrange or locate a carpool 0

77. Learn to use hypermiling techniques 0

78. Plan eco-friendly air travel 1

Energy Skills 

79. Install exterior solar lighting 0

80. Install a solar panel 0

81. Know where to find the most eco-friendly, green power source available to you 1

82. Connect home electronics to power strips for easy shut off 1

83. Check the wattage of an appliance 1

84. Calculate annual kilowatt usage 1

Conservation Skills 

85. Use email rather than conventional mail 1

86. Switch to a paperless office .75 (I am soooooo close!)

87. Locate the local library and use it rather than buying books, DVDs, and tapes 1

88. Adjust your settings on the computer to make it more energy efficient 1

89. Use skype and other technology to limit the need for travel to conferences 1

90. Learn to plan eco-friendly vacations, such as camping (and leave no trace) 

91. Replace a hobby with an environmentally friendly hobby 1

92. Locate and use recreational green spaces such as hiking trails, parks, and public gardens .5

93. Understand and be able to explain what cradle to cradle means 1

94. Understand and be able to explain what carbon emissions are 1

95. Understand and be able to calculate a carbon footprint as well as explain what it is 1

96. Know where to recycle technological items like computers, microwaves, televisions etc. 1

97. Identify and sort a variety of recyclable materials 1

98. Know where reusable items can be substituted for disposables 1

99. Understand and be able to explain cap-and-trade 1

My final score = 68.25%

Hmmm, that's a "D."  To be fair, a lot of it is stuff I can't help (like keeping chickens or installing solar panels, as I'm not a homeowner).  But I should try harder on the stuff that I can change!  Still, that was pretty interesting.  I'll have to see how I can streamline things a bit.

February's Body & Soul Party

My friends and I decided to throw a party this month!  We called it the Body & Soul Party, and invited ladies who needed some extra pampering.  Each of us had a skill -- between us, there was an esthetician, a professional stylist, a licensed masseuse, and me -- a professional psychic and gourmet cook!  I can make more than disco fries and choochacheechachoo, you know. ;)

We all used our talents to create a night of home-spun luxury, style, and general fabulousness.  The services offered ran the gamut from professional facials and waxing, to hair-cutting and styling, to spa-quality massages, to real psychic readings.  The party ended with all our guests feeling a little more pretty and/or handsome, as well as relaxed and rejuvenated.  A great time was had by all!

My biggest regret is that I failed to get pictures of my food platters!  I made stuffed mushrooms with lemon-herb filling, vegetable nigiri sushi, and fruit salad skewers with a myriad yummy things.  The rice could have been cooked a little better, but overall I'm pretty pleased with my cooking efforts.  We're already dreaming up new ideas for next month's B&S party, and I'm planning my next menu.

If you're in the New England area and you are interested in attending, feel free to visit our website at www.DawnSoul.com :)

Pink Manicotti

I'm starting to realize that 90% of the recipes I post on PGS are of the "evil" variety, i.e. they are tremendously unhealthy and are rarely cooked and consumed by me.  However, if I posted recipes for what I ate as my staples, you'd be pretty bored.  Plus, I'm pretty sure my readers already know how to put cottage cheese in a bowl, grab a baked chicken leg out of the fridge, wash a Granny Smith apple, put some carrots on a plate, or how to place a pool salsa attractively next to a pile of lime-flavored tortilla chips.

Half the fun of making an evil recipe is announcing it to the world.  While this manicotti recipe isn't especially bad on its own, the entire stick of butter gives it some evil cred, much like the sauce in Nicolas Sparks' True Believer.  I have never read a word that he's written (nor have I seen any of the movies based on his books -- no offense, but they look kinda boring), though a friend of mine did mention an interest in trying "the tomato sauce from True Believer."  This is what I came up with as kind of a fancier "pink" version.  I love pink sauce, but real pink sauce with tomato and cream, as opposed to "a jar of red spaghetti sauce plus a jar of alfredo sauce."You can make this recipe with or without the stick of butter.

Pink Manicotti
A classic cheese-filled manicotti in a very rich pink wine sauce with customizable spices.  This recipe makes 2 pans of pink manicotti!

INGREDIENTS:
1 standard-sized box of manicotti pasta

2 28-ounce cans of Tuttorosso ground tomatoes with basil (you can use "blank" tomatoes and add your own basil, but I love Tuttorosso tomatoes!)
1 stick of butter
1/2 brick of Neufchatel cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup of red wine
8 ounces shredded mozarella cheese
32 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
seasonings: basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, Montreal seasoning.
1 big yellow onion or  a bunch of green onions, chopped finely
OPTIONAL: 1 pound of ground turkey

Place the tomatoes, butter, onions and some herbs into the crockpot -- I like to season mine with more basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and garlic.  If you aren't sure how much you like, just do a pinch or two of each. (Mine varies depending on a multitude of factors.)  Let the tomato mixture cook on High for about 3 hours.  Add the neufchatel and wine, then let it melt while you boil the water for the pasta.  If you're cooking ground turkey to add to your sauce, this would be a good time to brown the meat.

Cook manicotti according to al dente directions, then shock the pasta with cold water to keep it from cooking any further.  Stir your sauce, coat your baking dishes with cooking spray, and then spoon a bit of the sauce into the bottom of each dish.  Preheat your oven to 350.

Add some seasoning to your ricotta cheese (I keep it simple; Montreal and some basil, though sometimes I crack in an egg or some spinach), then fill the manicotti with it and add manicottis to baking dishes.  Leftover ricotta can be spooned over the top of the manicotti.  Browned turkey can be sprinkled randomly over the dishes.

Stir your sauce thoroughly, making sure that the neufchatel and butter are well blended.  Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to, then pour the sauce over each baking dish.  Top each dish with mozzarella cheese, and bake in the oven (uncovered) until the cheese gets melted and things start to brown -- it usually takes about 25 minutes.  (Conversely, you can cover the dishes and put them the fridge; bake covered for 40 minutes, then uncover and give it another 10 minutes to brown that cheese.)

Let it stand for a bit, then enjoy!  This is an extremely rich, decadent sauce; a nice green salad on the side can complement that.

Goth After 30 on Facebook

A couple of my friends started a Facebook group called "Goth After 30" in... I think it was 2009?  Anyway, another friend kept singing "Goth After 30 on Facebook!" to the tune of the "G. I. Joe" theme song.  We decided it would be fun to record it as a mock commercial.  Enjoy!

And by the way, anyone who fits the criteria of the group is welcome to join it.  Basically, we just discuss music and post pictures of cool things that we find online.  We also talk about crafting and ways to decorate our homes, as well as what it's like to be a moldy oldie. :)

Some people think that our logo (the skeleton guy in the office chair on the left) is silly or cheesy or whatever, but who cares?  We're just having fun and enjoying ourselves.  Come join us at http://www.tinyurl.com/ElderGoths if you're so inclined. :)