August 13, 2010
That is an absolutely normal size, average, run of the mill pen. That is a zucchini. Surprisingly, not on ‘roids. Grown in someone’s backyard, visiting friends brought three of those monstrosities to me and insisted I take them. 1/4 of the fat end made 4 servings of this:
I’m gonna be eating free zucchini for a week. Quick zucchini saute recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.
May 16, 2010
Sound off!
Because my freelance income is irregular, I didn’t set increments of earning but I AM working like gangbusters to finish up the other half of a major project early. Say, two weeks early just so I can log the income for this challenge. (Not cheating!) While it means my eyeballs may fall out, that means I’ll have more time for other things like working on my Carnival of Personal Finance theme, or dogsitting toward the end of the month.
You know what would be really cool? If Adsense came through this month too. It won’t ’cause I’m still a ways away from the payout threshold, but it’d be a cool confluence of events if it did.
How did you do?
Check them out ….
Little Miss Moneybags‘ Combined Finances post contained a gem that I’d never really considered before when mentally debating the joint versus separate finances issue (bold emphasis mine):
Peanut is paying off his student loans aggressively and as soon as I’m out of the grace period, I will too. By pooling our money and aggressively paying all of our loans in order of highest interest rate, we will ultimately pay less interest. We may only save a few hundred bucks, but hey, that’s something. Also, I’m benefiting from the education those loans got him. And he’s benefiting from the education my loans got me.
December 22, 2009
We’re scant days away from CookFest 2009 … er, Christmas, and I’ve been compiling a whole mess of recipes to last through the weekend.
Wish I had pictures, but I’ll share those afterward if this all turns out well.
I’ve already got an idea about Shrimp Scampi, we’ll serve my now-perfected baked fish with roasted tomatoes and pesto, we’ll have to work a miracle with a pork loin of some sort, and then on to a frugal Almond Pecan Pie for dessert.
I know we’ll serve wine, but I’m hoping to make VH’s pineapple punch. Sounds delicious!
Clearly, there’s some fleshing out to do here, but we’ve got a good start.
June 29, 2009
Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Closetcooking.blogspot.com]
Ingredients
1 pound thick asparagus (trimmed)
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
parmigiano reggiano to taste (grated, optional)
balsamic vinegar to taste (optional)
Directions:
1. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a flat baking dish.
2. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.
4. Crack an egg into a bowl and pour the egg from the bowl into the water and repeat for remaining eggs.
5. Let the eggs cook until the whites are set but the yolks are not, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Arrange the asparagus on plates and top with the poached eggs.
7. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on some parmigiano reggiano.
BUT.
It was so so so very laidback that she didn’t bother to hold rehearsal. I knew that, but figured she’d briefed the wedding party. Wrong. I kid you not, our instructions were “no sunglasses, and MOH/Best Man go last!” The kid I was paired with told me he didn’t know where he was supposed to go once we made it up the aisle!
We made it through the ceremony, then lost the MOH to something she’d had for lunch, and gathering the family for photos was literally like catching goldfish barehanded. Everytime I snared a parent, another sibling disappeared. Gathered grandparents, and lost the bride’s parents!! Happily, daylight lasted long enough to get just about all the group pictures they wanted. The weather was perfect, cool with a breeze, but never cold.
Which leads me to the killer bit: that meant everyone hung out, and the DJ played music for-ev-er. And this cute little girl wouldn’t let go of my hands, much less let me sit down between songs during the dancing, and guys? Four and a half hours of dancing in heels? I wanted to die Sunday. Just die. I’m too old for this, and am officially retiring from the bridesmaiding business. You heard it here: I’m hanging up my last bridesmaid dress for good.
June 26, 2009
Penne in Spicy Tomato Sauce (Penne all’arrabbiata)
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1 pound(s) whole-wheat penne
* 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper, or to taste
* 1 can(s) ((28-ounce)) plum tomatoes, drained
* 1/2 cup(s) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
* 1/4 cup(s) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushing them roughly with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
3. When the pasta is ready, drain and return to the pot. Stir in the sauce and place the pot over high heat. Stir until the mixture sizzles. Remove from heat. Add cheese and parsley; toss well. Taste and adjust seasonings; serve immediately.
I’m trying to pack for the New York trip and my girlfriends are telling me that I should be thinking of lighter clothing like skirts and dresses. That’s all very well, but I need pockets! It’s almost a pathological need, really. But on second thought, why DO I need pockets? It’s not like I’m working and need to carry … pens … around. (Ok, why do I even need pockets at work?)
Is it just me? Am I just weird needing pockets?
What is it with needing/wanting the comforts of home on this trip? I want my ergonomic pillow, my laptop, my backpack. None of these are necessary. The benefit of staying with friends, other than not having to pay for a hotel, is getting to use their stuff and not toting it with, duh. Except for towels. I’ll bring my own so they don’t have to provide one.
In return for their hosting generosity, I want to take them out for drinks and/or dinner (their choice). Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m going to have to treat at least 3 friends. And any suggestions for frugal daytime entertainment for me?
June 25, 2009
Spaghetti with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1 can(s) ((7-ounce)) Italian tuna, packed in olive oil
* 3 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
* 1 can(s) ((28-ounce)) plum tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper
* 1 pound(s) whole-wheat spaghetti
* 4 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley, divided
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Drain tuna in a sieve set over a small bowl, squeezing to press out as much oil as possible (reserve the oil). Break up the tuna with a fork and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the tuna oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juice and crushed red pepper; break up the tomatoes with a fork. Simmer over low heat until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in tuna and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain it and return to the pot. Add the sauce and 3 tablespoons of parsley; toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve immediately.
Has anyone had good luck with whole wheat pasta? In the past, it’s just seemed too chewy and kind of a chore to eat. Should I be boiling it a few minutes longer for a more normal version of al dente?
Since that money’s spent, though, I’m rethinking getting one of my dresses tailored in time for NY. It’s not strictly necessary for NY, but I can’t wear it until it’s been altered. Debate: do it now after having wasted $25, so I can get more wear out of it? Do it later since it’s not in the budget?
Can’t wear the dress until it’s altered, and the only difference between spending the money now and a month from now is whether or not I get a job. Spending the money now doesn’t affect the job situation unless I wear it on an interview and land the job. 🙂 Then again, it’s cash in hand if I don’t get a job. Ok, I’m waiting.
June 24, 2009
Turkey Piccata
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1 lemon
* 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
* 4 turkey cutlets (about 1 pound), each cutlet sliced in half across the grain
* 2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 clove(s) garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon(s) drained capers, rinsed
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) sugar
* 2 teaspoon(s) butter
* 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley
* 12 caper berries for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Remove skin and white pith from lemon with a sharp knife. Working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut the lemon segments from their surrounding membranes. Chop segments coarsely and reserve with the juice.
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge turkey in the flour mixture and pat off excess. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey to the pan and cook until the outside is golden brown and the interior is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
3. Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for several seconds. Pour in broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Boil for 1 minute. Stir in the reserved lemon segments and juice, capers and sugar; cook for 30 seconds longer. Add butter and swirl the skillet until it has melted.
4. Spoon sauce over the cutlets, sprinkle with parsley and pepper. Garnish with caper berries, if using.
That is all.
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