Sunday, December 19, 2010
"Above all else, the soul seeks in its evolution to experience real love. This is the most fundamental lesson for the soul, and at the same time the most challenging. Holly is a foundational remedy, for it restores the soul's ability to feel unity and wholeness. When we feel separate from others, we take no joy or compassionate interest in their affairs; instead our isolation is compounded into negative states of jealous, envy, suspicion or anger. The soul grasps for its share of love as though it were a limited commodity, rather than realizing that love is an infinite resource which is divinely available to all. Holly nourishes the heart, helping the individual to make and sustain the shift from a limited and narrow conception of the Self, to on which is expansive and inclusive of others. In this way, the soul experiences wholeness or "holiness", for it feel permeated with divine love."
From my yoga class yesterday. I am thankful this came to me, because, especially last week, all my waking hours were consumed with a circumstance that had me firmly entrenched in a very limited and narrow concern for myself. its time to put that behind me, that being said, I am not sure I will be filled with divine love this morning when i attempt to finish my christmas shopping.
From my yoga class yesterday. I am thankful this came to me, because, especially last week, all my waking hours were consumed with a circumstance that had me firmly entrenched in a very limited and narrow concern for myself. its time to put that behind me, that being said, I am not sure I will be filled with divine love this morning when i attempt to finish my christmas shopping.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Update
Its not getting above 42 or so any night this week, I hope that means more time at home and in front of the stove...
Although i've done an immense amount of fun stuff since my last post I sadly have no pictures of any of it. Send some to me via email if you have any.
These things were good:
UV Race (over and over)
Inmates/Systematic Death
The Clean
Swans
Double Negative at the afterparty show
Other stuff- mums, pups, getting back to the gym, thinking about being an aunt, yoga of the chakras, lots of contemplating, nuclear family interview, lots of hang out time with good/old friends from all over, annie and seth's wedding party...
Although i've done an immense amount of fun stuff since my last post I sadly have no pictures of any of it. Send some to me via email if you have any.
These things were good:
UV Race (over and over)
Inmates/Systematic Death
The Clean
Swans
Double Negative at the afterparty show
Other stuff- mums, pups, getting back to the gym, thinking about being an aunt, yoga of the chakras, lots of contemplating, nuclear family interview, lots of hang out time with good/old friends from all over, annie and seth's wedding party...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
DOG TIRED, NEED TO GET WIRED
My friends in the Australian band UV Race, came and played a show in town on my birthday at the beginning of the month. FUN but for the crazy guy riding his bike down the street shooting off his gun! I was lucky enough to see the UV Race again this past weekend in NYC. they will make a final trip back to Chicago on the 29Th. They are playing at Reckless Records on Milwaukee Ave at 6 and Crown Liquors later that night. GO SEE THEM, they are GREAT! I made a lot of food for the road weary bunch but I forgot to take pics of the final dishes...
Most of the day I listened to the Stooges, Skull Control and the Dicks. Post show we listened to the Adolescents, Homostupids and Hawkwind amongst others. Right now I am listening to Day for Night by Quixotic. The songs sung by Christina and Mira are my favorites...particularly We are Alone and What's so Good About Goodbye.
Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Sauce
Spaghetti squash, I assume, gets its name from the final texture of cooked squash, which is much like angel hair pasta.
Preheat oven to 350
Lightly oil a cookie sheet or pizza pan.
Cut the squash in half. Do yourself a favor and just use the biggest knife in the cutting block. For some reason, my mom has always had an aversion to using large chopping knives and is forever cutting up every food with a teeny tiny paring knife. You will save time and stress on your wrists if you just use the right knife for the job.
Use a fork to poke holes on the outside of the squash. The recipe that I stole this from (natural health magazine) did not call for this but I sprinkled salt and pepper on the cut side of the squash.
Place the squash cut side down on the pan and roast for 30 minutes. The squash is hot as fuck when it comes out so you really need to let is sit for at least 5 minutes before you try to scrape out the flesh. Once the squash is manageable, hold it in your off-hand in a towel, take a regular dinner fork and scrape the flesh away from the skin. If its been roasted long enough, you should have no trouble here. I leave all the "spaghetti" in the skin until I am ready to throw it all in the sauce.
In a frying pan or cast iron pan on the stove top mix
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 minced cloves garlic
1 teaspoon or more (if preferred) red pepper flakes
Heat all on LOW
The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup of pine nuts but if you are allergic, you can substitute roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
I roasted some pine nuts for a few minutes in a separate pan in the oven while the squash was roasting. Its easy, just use a small baking dish and spread the nuts in one row so they all cook evenly. They only take 5-7 minutes, toss around about half way through. Add to the sauce for the last minute of so.
Toss it all together and add a healthy handful of fresh chopped basil. This is good just as it is but I heated up some jarred pasta sauce on the side just for a little extra flavor. It also helped some skeptics get over the idea of eating SQUASH...due to privacy and slander matters the folks, who enjoyed it, will remain nameless. You're welcome!
Red Lentils in Coconut Milk and Cardamon Rice
Rice (start this first since it takes a little time)
I used brown basmati rice cause there were vegans and vegetarians eating so I was trying to be mindful of the healthy, legume brown rice protein punch this combo can be.
Follow the water/rice ratio as instructed on the rice package, typically 2 to 1 water to rice.
Add a little olive oil and salt to your water along with enough cardamon pods to actually make a difference. Just remember to tell your guest that they are in there cause chomping down a whole pod can be a little intense...
I heat the water, rice and seasoning all together until boiling then turn down to the lowest of the low, cover and cook for at least 45 minutes (again just check the rice instructions for cooking time) to ensure that all the water is absorbed. Its pretty important to keep the lid on the whole time despite your (or really my) OCD desire to double and triple check everything as its moving along.
Red Lentils and Coconut Milk
1 medium onion chopped
2 tblsp olive oil
Saute on low for 6 minutes then add
1 tblsp fresh chopped ginger
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
Heat all in a large frying pan on LOW. I crush the garlic first then chop. I break off a decent sized knuckle of ginger and peel the skin off first, then chop. I leave the skin on in some recipes or in tea but its a little too woody for this one in my opinion.
After a about five minutes add
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp salt
combine and cook on LOW for another few minutes.
Then chop one jalapeno or Serrano pepper.
Remember the innards are the hot part. I usually make a double batch of this so I chop one jalapeno, seeds, innards and all, add. I remove the seeds of the second pepper to make sure the final dish isn't overwhelmed by heat.
Saute all for a few minutes then add
2 c water
1 1/2 c dry red lentils
1 can of coconut milk
heat all on medium heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes
Chop two small zucchini into quarters (in half then in half again, duh) and add, cover again and cook all for 15 minutes on medium stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, chop a good amount of cilantro and throw in once you are done cooking...
This is so tasty, it reminded me how I got to be a fat vegetarian...
By request I also got a deep dish pizza for the curious non-Midwesterners. We ate a lot and drank a lot.
I made my new favorite drink thanks to Paula- Whipped Cream Vodka and Ginger Ale. As there were a lot of us this evening, and since I planned on drinking a few, I just used diet ginger ale but when I am enjoying this one in a small group of say one, I use ginger brew instead cause its so delicious. Throw in a few maraschino cherries for good measure. MMMMM.
Finally I made Apple Cranberry Crisp. I made it vegan but you can make it "regular" by using butter instead of vegan margarine. I used my mom's recipe but I warn you it was SO FUCKING SWEET. Since I hadn't made it in awhile, I forgot that I normally only use 1/2 of 3/4 of the sugar called for below.
Preheat over to 375-400 and spray/oil a square baking/brownie pan
5-6 apples peeled and cored. I DO NOT USE red or golden delicious for this. I think macintosh are the tastiest cooking apples but fuji and granny smith are also good. I used a combo of all for this one.
Healthy handful of dried cranberries (use fresh if you want, I just had dried available).
I put about half the fruit in, pat with butter or margarine and cover with half of the crumble listed below. Then add the remaining fruit and cover with the remaining fat, crumble and sprinkle with extra cinnamon.
3 tblsp butter/margarine
3/4 c. flour (I used whole wheat pastry in this one)
2/3 c. white or brown sugar (I used 1/3 c of each)
1 package of plain instant oatmeal or about a 1/4 cup quick oats (I only have the quick oats)
Cinnamon, nutmeg and clove to taste (I like ALOT of all of them)
Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is browned. Fall is my favorite season for cooking!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Gardening Hurts
I did a LOT of yard and garden maintenance today. Recent crop pulled from the garden below. I have been too lazy to keep up with the weeds and therein, too embarassed to take pics since I hoped to be way more on top of it. As usual, I scheduled WAY TOO MUCH all summer.
Hand, cuticles and forearms are FUCKED UP. That and the collection of bruises I racked up this weekend make me look sorta like a mental patient...Also, my knees and shoulders feel like I pruned a hundred branches and pulled a thousand weeds. Drugs and sleep NOW!
listening to: the Billy Club radio show - WCSB Cleveland
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
BBQ 2
And what would a bbq be without the BBQ? I started with a delicious hebrew national frank with kraut, relish and katchup. HEEBNATS as Anna calls them, are delicious and small in calories. We made veggie burgers for those so inclined and others brought their own veggie kabobs, burgers and the above-pictured ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN BACON. What a fucking treat!
Seth got a super gnarly picture of some uneaten ones and burgers COVERED IN FLIES. Will try to figure out how to upload that one later. Heather, Beth and I had an awesome idea to restart the grill at about midnight for a snack. Heather and I ate some crazy cheese filled brats (pronounced "braahts" out here in ShitCAAAgo) that were fucking delightful when we were half in the bag.
Mojito Station
Since my garden was over flowing with herbs at that time, I decided that I would make Mojitos for everyone. Easy and tasty, I make mine with out tonic and syrup:
Crush fresh mint and less than a tsp of white sugar in the bottom of the glass
Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge in and crush all together
Add a shot (or more) of white rum
Fill the rest of the glass with ice
Top with soda water and stir
BBQ! 1
We had a fourth of july bbq. We ate:
ASIAN COLE SLAW
I am lazy and really I made a lot of food so I took the easy way out and bought a bag of pre-chopped slaw, broccoli slaw and carrots then I threw together the dressing and other parts but here is the whole recipe. I found it on line somewhere
5tblsp rice vinegar
5tblsp oil
5tblsp peanut butter
3tblsp soy sauce
2-3 minced garlic cloves
salt pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Put all this in a covered dish or tupperware and shake until the peanut butter dissolves
head of green cabbage shredded
head of red cabbage shredded
a cup or so of shredded carrots
chopped green onion and cilantro to taste
mix all this in a bowl then toss with the dressing
SPINACH PASTA SALAD-
Warning, this is fucking delicious. Its absolutely possible to eat yourself into a coma, trust me.
1 lb tortellini - cooked and drained according to instructions- I used some dried cheese tortellini from my local market
Once you drain the pasta run it under cold water so it stops cooking, then put it into the final dish and toss with a smidge of oil so it doesn't stick together
10 oz spinach - about 3/4 of a bag of pre-washed stuff works, it will wilt a little once you dress it, before that it takes up a lot of space
2oz (or more, really MORE) tomato basil feta
1 small red onion chopped (I blanch mine, otherwise I'll get heart burn. Just throw it in to the pasta water for the last 30 seconds of cooking and drain with your pasta)
1 cup italian dressing (I like the good seasons package you mix yourself for this. Any zesty italian dressing would work too)
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
juice of one whole lemon
black pepper to taste
one roma tomato chopped
Combine everything but the dressing, lemon and pepper. Mix together. Add remaining stuff, toss and chill for 2 hours or more.
ASIAN COLE SLAW
I am lazy and really I made a lot of food so I took the easy way out and bought a bag of pre-chopped slaw, broccoli slaw and carrots then I threw together the dressing and other parts but here is the whole recipe. I found it on line somewhere
5tblsp rice vinegar
5tblsp oil
5tblsp peanut butter
3tblsp soy sauce
2-3 minced garlic cloves
salt pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Put all this in a covered dish or tupperware and shake until the peanut butter dissolves
head of green cabbage shredded
head of red cabbage shredded
a cup or so of shredded carrots
chopped green onion and cilantro to taste
mix all this in a bowl then toss with the dressing
SPINACH PASTA SALAD-
Warning, this is fucking delicious. Its absolutely possible to eat yourself into a coma, trust me.
1 lb tortellini - cooked and drained according to instructions- I used some dried cheese tortellini from my local market
Once you drain the pasta run it under cold water so it stops cooking, then put it into the final dish and toss with a smidge of oil so it doesn't stick together
10 oz spinach - about 3/4 of a bag of pre-washed stuff works, it will wilt a little once you dress it, before that it takes up a lot of space
2oz (or more, really MORE) tomato basil feta
1 small red onion chopped (I blanch mine, otherwise I'll get heart burn. Just throw it in to the pasta water for the last 30 seconds of cooking and drain with your pasta)
1 cup italian dressing (I like the good seasons package you mix yourself for this. Any zesty italian dressing would work too)
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
juice of one whole lemon
black pepper to taste
one roma tomato chopped
Combine everything but the dressing, lemon and pepper. Mix together. Add remaining stuff, toss and chill for 2 hours or more.
Berry Crisp
I made all kinds of food for my girl Megan's baby shower the other day but this was the highlight. Or at least I imagined it to have been cause I didn't eat any of it.
This recipe is VERY easy. I really am having trouble remembering what I was listening to but I want to say it was the Dictators and the Coloured Balls, anyway...
I will give directions for one batch which is half of whats in the photo (use a square 8 or 9 inch baking dish), modified from Heaven's Banquet, the maharishi ayur-veda cookbook.
INNARDS
6 cups of berries
I used fresh cherries and blueberries and augmented with some frozen berry mix that had raspberries and blackberries. Pitting fresh cherries BLOWS.
2 1/2 tblsp arrowroot or cornstarch (I didn't have either oddly enough so I just used flower to thicken it up a bit
1 tblsp lemon juice
2 tblsp sugar (you don't need this but I add a smidge of agave nectar to help bind it all together)
Stir all this together in a big bowl, butter your pan and throw it in there
Megan and Carlos don't do dairy so I used canola spray on the pan and oil in the topping recipe
CRUST
1/2 c or less brown sugar
2/3 c unbleached or whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c uncooked oats
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c unsalted butter
I also like this one if you can eat nuts
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c unbleached or whole wheat flour
1/2 c ground nuts (pecans work for me)
1/4c wheat germ
1/2tsp salt
1/2 c salted butter
crumble crust over the fruit and bake at 375 for 45 minutes
This recipe is VERY easy. I really am having trouble remembering what I was listening to but I want to say it was the Dictators and the Coloured Balls, anyway...
I will give directions for one batch which is half of whats in the photo (use a square 8 or 9 inch baking dish), modified from Heaven's Banquet, the maharishi ayur-veda cookbook.
INNARDS
6 cups of berries
I used fresh cherries and blueberries and augmented with some frozen berry mix that had raspberries and blackberries. Pitting fresh cherries BLOWS.
2 1/2 tblsp arrowroot or cornstarch (I didn't have either oddly enough so I just used flower to thicken it up a bit
1 tblsp lemon juice
2 tblsp sugar (you don't need this but I add a smidge of agave nectar to help bind it all together)
Stir all this together in a big bowl, butter your pan and throw it in there
Megan and Carlos don't do dairy so I used canola spray on the pan and oil in the topping recipe
CRUST
1/2 c or less brown sugar
2/3 c unbleached or whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c uncooked oats
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c unsalted butter
I also like this one if you can eat nuts
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c unbleached or whole wheat flour
1/2 c ground nuts (pecans work for me)
1/4c wheat germ
1/2tsp salt
1/2 c salted butter
crumble crust over the fruit and bake at 375 for 45 minutes
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Bringing back the dead, part two
They are still alive and have a few flowers, FUCK YEAH!
These beauties are my favorite they are so big they are obscene!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Figures
I did a new blog the other night with this kick ass recipe for jicama, cucumber and mango salad which I have been eating for the last couple days and apparently I didn't save it so, fuck it. I am going to bbq tomorrow and if I don't get too drunk I will take pics of all the delicious food I will be gorging myself on and posting them all later.
EDIT: The recipe did save but for some reason posted on june 1st, so weird...
EDIT: The recipe did save but for some reason posted on june 1st, so weird...
Monday, June 7, 2010
West Side Market Random Saturday Night
I just had a great weekend in Cleveland and Columbus, maybe I'll write about that later but for now, here are some pictures I took of the West Side Market in Cleveland when I was there in April.
The beautiful building is a historical land mark and has lots of ethnic food and produce. This is one of the many reasons I like this city so much, all the amazing architecture with great character, along with all the characters I know there...
The beautiful building is a historical land mark and has lots of ethnic food and produce. This is one of the many reasons I like this city so much, all the amazing architecture with great character, along with all the characters I know there...
"Bringing Back the Dead, Bring Em Back to Life"
I bought these sad sacks at the home depot one day when I was trying to find organic soil for my veggies. The tag said something like "seriously damaged plants-reduced" and they were CHEAP. I re-potted them; so far so good. We'll see if they make it once I get them in the ground. As wire said, "stay glued to your tv sets", or monitors as the case may be.
Also, I got all this other stuff in the ground and with a little help from Marissa last weekend, its all still alive! Mint, a few varieties of basil, chives, tarragon, oregano, cilantro, a few other herbs, plum, cherry and beefsteak tomatoes, kale, swisschard, snap peas, red and green peppers and a few others I am forgetting...oh, of course Marigolds. Not only are they really pretty in so many varieties, but their scent, which I happen to be a fan of, keeps away bugs and other pests.
Here are some pretty iris in the front that we inherited from the prior owners...
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Jicama, Cucumber and Mango Salad
I saw this recipe in a Natural Health Magazine in the waiting room after one of my allergy shots. You are required to hang around the doctor's office to ensure you don't go into anaphylactic shock. I didn't but about 40 minutes later, my right forearm only was covered in hives; thankfully they went away after another 20 minutes.
Chronic inflammation is bad for the body and this salad is supposed to help fight it. Hives, acne, arthritis, heart burn, colitis and many other ailments are in some instances caused by inflammation and an overactive immune response.
This salad is delicious and particularly refreshing in the hot, hot, heat of the midwestern summer (although its totally beautiful tonight).
LISTENING TO: Gas- no more hiroshima, Nas -illmatic, Crow- neurotic organization. Fuck, it ain't hard to tell used to be my jam.
Prepare dressing first
1/4 c. brown rice vinegar
1/4 c. water
2 tblsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
salt to taste but not more than 1 tsp.
Stir all in a small sauce pan, heat on the lowest of the low heat until the liquid is clear, probably not more than 5 minutes. Once the dressing is clear, put in a covered dish in the fridge to cool.
1 large cucumber - peeled, quartered, seeded and cut into half inch pieces
2 champagne mangos or one large conventional mango cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 jicama - peeled and cut into 1/2 in cubes
3 tblsp coarsely chopped mint
Throw it all in a covered tupperware and toss together. Let it chill for at least a half an hour before eating.
A couple of things.
Invest in the brown rice vinegar and the agave nectar. Sometimes when I go to the grocery store I can't believe I am spending money on all these things but its an investment in your health, plus this stuff is just delicious.
Seeds in cucumbers hold a lot of GAS, so you and those in your general vicinity will be a lot happier if you cut the seeds out.
I find mangos to be a pain in the ass to chop. The "pit" just fucks up the whole process. To make it easier on my self, I cut the whole thing the long way down and "strip" the meat away from the "pit" in three or four sections. Then its pretty easy to cut the flesh into chunks while its still in the skin.
Jicama is delicious but it tastes best if you get all of the woody peel off. Normally, I am not a perfectionist but it really makes a difference in this raw salad.
Half a lime should do it for this recipe. Squeeze out the amount you need and squeeze the rest into chilled water, its fucking delicious and just a little different than lemon water and more soothing in the summer heat...you will totally impress and surprise your guest with this...
I was lucky and got to use mint from my garden for this one.
One other hot weather treat that is easy and impressive is cubed watermelon with chopped mint, sweet and delicious.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
"Mock Tuna" Melt
Listening to: Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards
I haven't made this in awhile but it was nice out and I started to think about about various salad and sandwiches I could make since I detest turning on the oven when it gets hot out. This Mock Tuna recipe can be used a few ways so you can really get some mileage out of it.
1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained
1 stalk of celery halved and sliced
1-2 tbsp vegan-aise or mayo - I like the grape seed oil variety, its good for you and it tastes good too...you can add a pinch of paprika and sugar if you want it to taste more like miracle whip with out all the bad fat and cholesterol
1-2 tsp sweet relish
1 clove crushed garlic
red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste
*Drain and rinse the chic peas, dry lightly with paper towel
*Crush chic peas - I do this in the tupperware that will house the final product. I use the bottom of a glass but you can use a mortar and pestle or a food processor but don't over do it, I like a little texture in this.
*Add vegan-aise or mayo and mix thoroughly. I err on the side of more mayo, I just like it that way.
*Add remaining ingredients and stir through.
You can eat this as a cold sandwich filling or chunky dip. I have used it in cold pasta salad too.
The first day I made this, I went to my friend Sara's and we made the Tuna Melt! They were delicious.
Get some nice bread, I used these cool little thin wheat buns.
Layer cheese and mock tuna salad on each side of the bread with any garnishes you like.
Place on a cookie sheet into a preheated oven and heat for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts and the mock tuna is warm and bread toasty.
When we made them we used:
Cheddar
Tomatoes
Small sweet peppers
And added all before we put them in a warm oven to heat through.
Sara had some micro greens too which we added when they were done heating.
If this seems too healthy, you can do what I did above on my second try and you can make mock grilled tuna melts.
Basically, I did the same thing except I warmed each side in a cast iron skillet with enough olive oil to coat the pan and they got crispy and delicious....
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Coloured Balls - Flash
This was an interesting night, killer show which ended with 50 stolen manipulation records and me spitting on a trainhopper douche who thought it was cool to yell at a dog who was guarding his house. THAT IS WHAT DOGS DO YOU DUMB FUCK!!!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Leila Elliott - March 11, 1915 - April 18, 2010
My grandmother died last week, she was 95. When I was driving from Chicago to Buffalo, Solitude by Black Sabbath came on somewhere in Indiana. I was overcome and lost it completely. The fact that I would never get to see her again hit me like a wall.
I know she lived a really long and happy life overall. I know that her years of suffering with dementia and blindness were over, but in that selfish moment I knew that was it. The minister who spoke at the funeral read some beautiful verse about love and how it endures when everything else falls away. Regardless, I still have a lump in my throat when I think about her. She was one of the most kind-hearted, sincere people I've known. I love her and I miss her.
Donations to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation can be made: http://www.macular.org/howhelp.html
"the air in here is dead industrial & so austere"
My grandfather used to work here, pretty sure he got cancer here too.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Kale Salad
I am making this tomorrow but I am parked comfortably in front of my computer listening to the Billy Club radio show so I am ready to keep rolling.
Kale is one of my favorite greens, both red and green varieties. Its heavy and its full. It makes iceberg lettuce looks so fucking sad and paltry in comparison. Plus its good for you. Wikipedia says:
"Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking anti-coagulants such as warfarin are encouraged to avoid this food since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood, which is what the drugs are often attempting to lower. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties."
I use a whole bunch of green kale for this recipe which is stolen and modified from the whole foods cafe.
Wash kale twice and chop roughly
Cherry tomatoes cut in half
Dried cranberries
1/4 c. pine nuts, chopped walnuts or pecans
Thinly sliced red onion (I just omit this)
Juice of 1-2 Lemons- need at least 4 tbls
Olive Oil 1/4 c.
Salt
Pepper
To chop the Kale, I roll each leaf and cut across, you can always just tear it up by hand too. Remember though, you don't want all the nutrients bleeding out so try to do this as close to eating as you can.
Dump in the tomatoes, cranberries, nuts and onion, toss all.
I make the dressing separately in a covered tupperware.
I like it a little heavier on the lemon, add lemon juice (roll out the lemon on the counter/table top first, cut in half then squeeze, use a fork to get it all out if needed) oil and salt and pepper to tupperware, shake and toss on the salad.
You will probably need to double the measurements of the dressing to get enough to cover a whole bunch of kale.
If you are allergic to nuts you can use roasted, salted sunflower seeds instead of the pine nuts.
Sadie loves kale, she and I share this often. This is a delicious little power house of a salad.
Kale is one of my favorite greens, both red and green varieties. Its heavy and its full. It makes iceberg lettuce looks so fucking sad and paltry in comparison. Plus its good for you. Wikipedia says:
"Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking anti-coagulants such as warfarin are encouraged to avoid this food since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood, which is what the drugs are often attempting to lower. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties."
I use a whole bunch of green kale for this recipe which is stolen and modified from the whole foods cafe.
Wash kale twice and chop roughly
Cherry tomatoes cut in half
Dried cranberries
1/4 c. pine nuts, chopped walnuts or pecans
Thinly sliced red onion (I just omit this)
Juice of 1-2 Lemons- need at least 4 tbls
Olive Oil 1/4 c.
Salt
Pepper
To chop the Kale, I roll each leaf and cut across, you can always just tear it up by hand too. Remember though, you don't want all the nutrients bleeding out so try to do this as close to eating as you can.
Dump in the tomatoes, cranberries, nuts and onion, toss all.
I make the dressing separately in a covered tupperware.
I like it a little heavier on the lemon, add lemon juice (roll out the lemon on the counter/table top first, cut in half then squeeze, use a fork to get it all out if needed) oil and salt and pepper to tupperware, shake and toss on the salad.
You will probably need to double the measurements of the dressing to get enough to cover a whole bunch of kale.
If you are allergic to nuts you can use roasted, salted sunflower seeds instead of the pine nuts.
Sadie loves kale, she and I share this often. This is a delicious little power house of a salad.
Nachos
Yeah, I know, nachos can be pretty pedestrian. I fear this isn't gonna be the most exciting blog for the short term especially since my camera is trashed.
Nachos are my idea of comfort food and in this case they can be pretty good for you.
Brown ground beef or TVP (Textured Veggie Protein)
Now its easy to find pre-soaked, seasoned TVP like Morningstar Farms crumbles. Tonight I used the "Smart Ground" mexican seasoned version which you open and dump into a pan or heat in the microwave. Try to use the pan, its a little better for you.
If you find your self with unseasoned dried TVP, follow the package directions for soaking. I usually mix in dried spices to the TVP before I soak it, in this case, go for garlic, onion, chili powder and cumin. Then soak in veggie stock instead of water. If you need it to look brown add braggs aminos or soy sauce (just don't use too much)
If you are using ground beef or the plain pre-made TVP, be sure to spice it up. If you don't have a lot of spices on hand, you can always buy one of those little packs of taco seasoning and stir it in when you are browning your protein.
Guacamole
4 good avocados (they should be pretty purple and firm to the touch- not too soft)
Juice of one lime or more to taste
2-4 cloves garlic
1/4 small red onion
Roma tomato
Cilantro to taste
if you like it spicy add cayenne and red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
A girl I work with keeps one of the pits from avocado in the guacamole and she swears it keeps it from oxidizing and turning black but I think its the lime juice that does that.
Slice avocados in half, remove pit and scoop out into a bowl
Alot of people dice the onion and put it in there but I can't do raw red onion as much as I love it, it doesn't love me so I blanch it (dump in a small sauce pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes only, drain and dry) and add to the mix
Crush then chop garlic, add to the bowl
Chop up the tomato and throw in
Add spices, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste
Add the lime juice last
If you get small limes like I do, roll the full uncut lime on the counter for a few seconds, like you were using it as a rolling pin, to loosen up the aroma and juice. I cut it in half after, shove a small fork into each side and twist to make sure I am getting as much juice as possible out of the thing. Then I squish it between my palms. Some people strain their juice (especially with pity lemons) too.
Stir all. I try to wait and stir in everything in the end so your guacamole is slightly chunky and not totally smooth. Beat the shit out of it if that floats your boat...
Back to the Nachos.
Spread out some kind of nacho chips on your plate.
Today we had Grande multigrain chips but there are so many awesome brands around here that are delicious, just use what you like and what's cheap.
Sprinkle grated nachos or chihuahua cheese on the nachos, immediately add warm tvp or ground beef and add a little more cheese on top so it all melts
Add Salsa, lettuce and beans as you so desire- load up with guacamole and eat!
Nachos are my idea of comfort food and in this case they can be pretty good for you.
Brown ground beef or TVP (Textured Veggie Protein)
Now its easy to find pre-soaked, seasoned TVP like Morningstar Farms crumbles. Tonight I used the "Smart Ground" mexican seasoned version which you open and dump into a pan or heat in the microwave. Try to use the pan, its a little better for you.
If you find your self with unseasoned dried TVP, follow the package directions for soaking. I usually mix in dried spices to the TVP before I soak it, in this case, go for garlic, onion, chili powder and cumin. Then soak in veggie stock instead of water. If you need it to look brown add braggs aminos or soy sauce (just don't use too much)
If you are using ground beef or the plain pre-made TVP, be sure to spice it up. If you don't have a lot of spices on hand, you can always buy one of those little packs of taco seasoning and stir it in when you are browning your protein.
Guacamole
4 good avocados (they should be pretty purple and firm to the touch- not too soft)
Juice of one lime or more to taste
2-4 cloves garlic
1/4 small red onion
Roma tomato
Cilantro to taste
if you like it spicy add cayenne and red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
A girl I work with keeps one of the pits from avocado in the guacamole and she swears it keeps it from oxidizing and turning black but I think its the lime juice that does that.
Slice avocados in half, remove pit and scoop out into a bowl
Alot of people dice the onion and put it in there but I can't do raw red onion as much as I love it, it doesn't love me so I blanch it (dump in a small sauce pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes only, drain and dry) and add to the mix
Crush then chop garlic, add to the bowl
Chop up the tomato and throw in
Add spices, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste
Add the lime juice last
If you get small limes like I do, roll the full uncut lime on the counter for a few seconds, like you were using it as a rolling pin, to loosen up the aroma and juice. I cut it in half after, shove a small fork into each side and twist to make sure I am getting as much juice as possible out of the thing. Then I squish it between my palms. Some people strain their juice (especially with pity lemons) too.
Stir all. I try to wait and stir in everything in the end so your guacamole is slightly chunky and not totally smooth. Beat the shit out of it if that floats your boat...
Back to the Nachos.
Spread out some kind of nacho chips on your plate.
Today we had Grande multigrain chips but there are so many awesome brands around here that are delicious, just use what you like and what's cheap.
Sprinkle grated nachos or chihuahua cheese on the nachos, immediately add warm tvp or ground beef and add a little more cheese on top so it all melts
Add Salsa, lettuce and beans as you so desire- load up with guacamole and eat!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Pleasure is a Weapon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqAfAQuprpE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asSRNR33BTI&feature=related
I tried to add enclosure links from two YouTube clips of a Soft Focus interview with Genesis P-Orridge of Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV Fame. Parts 3 and 4 specifically if the links don't work. Genesis is really fucking interesting. This whole interview is good but these are the best parts.
The thought of having a space where you don't need to be cool or hip and you are free to have fun and feel joy as a radical notion is astonishingly true. It doesn't matter what you are doing, cruising facebook, going to work or standing in line at a grocery store, most places aren't designed for people to feel genuine happiness. I've been lucky enough to eek out some "safe" spaces like that.
In my last blog I said I would talk about the Lungfish. They had this song they used to play live called Armageddon. One of the lines said something like "music, ruined by recording". Its been awhile but I recall reading something where they said music exists in the world and musicians manage to capture it, even if only temporarily. It reminds me of this interview I heard with a photographer who said you don't create art, it already out there, hopefully you're lucky enough to witness it.
That makes a lot of sense to me...
In part 4, the interviewer asks Genesis about the ubiquitousness of music and Genesis talks about the idea of recorded music becoming dubious while live music is "re-empowered". For the sake of argument, I LOVE recorded music, I'm listening to it while I type. Regularly though, I see a band I enjoy watching live but when I play the record, the vim is gone. Listening to music is a very internal, visceral experience for me most of the time. Sadly there are a lot of recordings that don't phase me at all. A recording that truly captures the experience of seeing a band play live is remarkable. As I get older I'd like to think I hear more in the music I listen to but I am always still looking for the record that delivers the proverbial kick in the gut.
Listening to: DUM DUM Girls, Pollution, Devil's Dung
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asSRNR33BTI&feature=related
I tried to add enclosure links from two YouTube clips of a Soft Focus interview with Genesis P-Orridge of Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV Fame. Parts 3 and 4 specifically if the links don't work. Genesis is really fucking interesting. This whole interview is good but these are the best parts.
The thought of having a space where you don't need to be cool or hip and you are free to have fun and feel joy as a radical notion is astonishingly true. It doesn't matter what you are doing, cruising facebook, going to work or standing in line at a grocery store, most places aren't designed for people to feel genuine happiness. I've been lucky enough to eek out some "safe" spaces like that.
In my last blog I said I would talk about the Lungfish. They had this song they used to play live called Armageddon. One of the lines said something like "music, ruined by recording". Its been awhile but I recall reading something where they said music exists in the world and musicians manage to capture it, even if only temporarily. It reminds me of this interview I heard with a photographer who said you don't create art, it already out there, hopefully you're lucky enough to witness it.
That makes a lot of sense to me...
In part 4, the interviewer asks Genesis about the ubiquitousness of music and Genesis talks about the idea of recorded music becoming dubious while live music is "re-empowered". For the sake of argument, I LOVE recorded music, I'm listening to it while I type. Regularly though, I see a band I enjoy watching live but when I play the record, the vim is gone. Listening to music is a very internal, visceral experience for me most of the time. Sadly there are a lot of recordings that don't phase me at all. A recording that truly captures the experience of seeing a band play live is remarkable. As I get older I'd like to think I hear more in the music I listen to but I am always still looking for the record that delivers the proverbial kick in the gut.
Listening to: DUM DUM Girls, Pollution, Devil's Dung
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday Night 11pm
You are the War - Lungfish
"You are the way with no direction
You are a window on the abyss
You are the power of vision and all that is seen
You are awakening to consciousness"
This One's for Michelle
---------------------------------------------------------
My old roommate requested this one. Its a great, easy recipe, obviously not to different than the one I posted a couple months ago: Michelle, here it is:
Vegan Banana Bread
1 stick of vegan margarine
Powdered egg replacer and water - Equivalent of one egg
1 c. sugar
Beat, i like a plain old wooden spoon for this.
2 c shifted flour ( i used to use unbleached all purpose)
1 tsp baking soda
Fold in 1/2 cup at a time.
Mash up 2 ripe bananas separately and add to mix, combine all.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan
Bake at 350 for 45mins to an hour in a pre-heated oven or until knife/toothpick comes out clean
My recollection is that we used to add chocolate chips in this but you can put in whatever you like.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Listening to Ted Leo cover a Lungfish song I love. I somehow cant find Sound in Time but I know its gotta be around here somewhere. While typing this post I also listened to Grinning Death's Head, No Afterlife, love the guitar tone on the intro. While finishing the pictures I've been listening to Feral Hymns by the lungfish, more about them later.
------------------------------------------------
Its almost time for gardening. Last year I barely kept up with my yard. A few pictures are included here. This year, fingers crossed, there will be a lot of veggies and herbs. I hope to have a bigger harvest this year. I have already committed to spending a little more time at home this summer and a lot more time in the garden.
I just read a great article about taking your yoga practice to the garden which I am definitely going to try. As some of you know that I have been practicing yoga for, I guess about 8 years. For some reason, since I moved into my house I have been struggling with my home practice. Maybe, hopefully, this outdoor practice will kick my ass into gear.
"You are the way with no direction
You are a window on the abyss
You are the power of vision and all that is seen
You are awakening to consciousness"
This One's for Michelle
---------------------------------------------------------
My old roommate requested this one. Its a great, easy recipe, obviously not to different than the one I posted a couple months ago: Michelle, here it is:
Vegan Banana Bread
1 stick of vegan margarine
Powdered egg replacer and water - Equivalent of one egg
1 c. sugar
Beat, i like a plain old wooden spoon for this.
2 c shifted flour ( i used to use unbleached all purpose)
1 tsp baking soda
Fold in 1/2 cup at a time.
Mash up 2 ripe bananas separately and add to mix, combine all.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan
Bake at 350 for 45mins to an hour in a pre-heated oven or until knife/toothpick comes out clean
My recollection is that we used to add chocolate chips in this but you can put in whatever you like.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Listening to Ted Leo cover a Lungfish song I love. I somehow cant find Sound in Time but I know its gotta be around here somewhere. While typing this post I also listened to Grinning Death's Head, No Afterlife, love the guitar tone on the intro. While finishing the pictures I've been listening to Feral Hymns by the lungfish, more about them later.
------------------------------------------------
Its almost time for gardening. Last year I barely kept up with my yard. A few pictures are included here. This year, fingers crossed, there will be a lot of veggies and herbs. I hope to have a bigger harvest this year. I have already committed to spending a little more time at home this summer and a lot more time in the garden.
I just read a great article about taking your yoga practice to the garden which I am definitely going to try. As some of you know that I have been practicing yoga for, I guess about 8 years. For some reason, since I moved into my house I have been struggling with my home practice. Maybe, hopefully, this outdoor practice will kick my ass into gear.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
POPCORN!
I usually eat this in the winter but somehow I thought it would go well with my New Glarus-Stone Soup beer,( thanks Annie and Seth) and I was right. I always prefer to make my own popcorn as opposed to the microwave variety. I use a little popcorn popper I got awhile ago which is just a covered sauce pan including a little hand crank you twist which pulls a small paddle along the bottom of the pan. I tried to take a picture but I dropped my camera on the floor just now and broke the lense. DURH...
The paddle turns the kernels so they got completely coated in oil, it also keeps the kernels moving so they dont scorch on the bottom of the pan. Dont let this fancy technology fool you though. You remember those old jiffy pops you used to get for camping and slumber parties? The truth is, you can use any old pan to pop corn. Just make sure you oil the pan and keep the kernels moving by shaking back and forth.
So, I put just enough oil in the pan to LIGHTLY cover the bottom. Then I add enough kernels to cover the bottom also. It really doesn't require any more than a stove with medium high heat. I turn the crank the entire time of cooking but you can shake regular covered pans back and forth. When the popping slows down, remove from heat to avoid burning. As long as you leave the lid on, the heat will stay in and the final kernels should pop on their own.
I usually dump the popped corn into a bigger bowl a little at a time and season each layer. Sometime I like to use butter which I melt first, some times, and as many of my vegetarian friends know, nutritional yeast is an awesome topping which gives you a little boost of B Vitamins but tonight I went straight savory.
I added freshly ground sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and a little bit of onion powder. The black pepper gives it a delicious kick and the onion powder really rounds out the flavor. Even Bryan eats it and he doesnt really care for popcorn...
Actually made this while watching John Stewart talk about the latest republican sex scandal on the Daily Show. Michael Steele and Co spent campaign contributions at this club, http://www.voyeur7969.com/ I dont know about you but I am happy to see spendthrift republicans supporting hard working women, its about fucking time...
The paddle turns the kernels so they got completely coated in oil, it also keeps the kernels moving so they dont scorch on the bottom of the pan. Dont let this fancy technology fool you though. You remember those old jiffy pops you used to get for camping and slumber parties? The truth is, you can use any old pan to pop corn. Just make sure you oil the pan and keep the kernels moving by shaking back and forth.
So, I put just enough oil in the pan to LIGHTLY cover the bottom. Then I add enough kernels to cover the bottom also. It really doesn't require any more than a stove with medium high heat. I turn the crank the entire time of cooking but you can shake regular covered pans back and forth. When the popping slows down, remove from heat to avoid burning. As long as you leave the lid on, the heat will stay in and the final kernels should pop on their own.
I usually dump the popped corn into a bigger bowl a little at a time and season each layer. Sometime I like to use butter which I melt first, some times, and as many of my vegetarian friends know, nutritional yeast is an awesome topping which gives you a little boost of B Vitamins but tonight I went straight savory.
I added freshly ground sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and a little bit of onion powder. The black pepper gives it a delicious kick and the onion powder really rounds out the flavor. Even Bryan eats it and he doesnt really care for popcorn...
Actually made this while watching John Stewart talk about the latest republican sex scandal on the Daily Show. Michael Steele and Co spent campaign contributions at this club, http://www.voyeur7969.com/ I dont know about you but I am happy to see spendthrift republicans supporting hard working women, its about fucking time...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Pad Thai and Chocolate Cake
I made the Pad Thai with pre-cooked chicken strips but this is just as good with tofu or fake chicken. My current chicken stand in is made by Quorn, Chik'n Tenders. They are really tasty and just need to be heated through.
Tofu!
I am a fan of tofu as it was a staple in my diet for many years. People sometimes get a little overwhelmed by cooking and underwhelmed by eating it. Let's face it, it CAN be bland and mushy but it does not have to be. Here's some rules I live by, I implore you to do the same. Note: when using tofu as a main protein in this kind of dish, firm or extra firm is the way to go. I also freeze it first. This definitely adds heft to the texture which is pretty satisfying to bite into.
1. Defrost -Leave frozen tofu in its original container and run under warm water to assist with the defrost. (try to get it pretty close to fully defrosted before you press or else you will end up with a mess).
2. Press - put the block of tofu between two towels or cheese cloth (paper towels aren't really strong enough for this step). I put it on a plate and cover with a heavy pot or pan to help press. You should make sure to press it down every couple of minutes and I usually flip it over at least once.
3. Quick press- I am often lazy and just press it between my palms between two towels over the sink, just be careful because the sides usually get a little mangled. Its ok, still tastes fine.
4. Season - I got this tip from Cissie and she makes the best fried tofu I've ever had so add it to your repertoire. Once you have pressed the tofu, it is ready to suck up any flavor you add to it. In a small sauce pan, heat enough veggie broth to cover your tofu block. I use Knorr Vegetarian Vegetable Bullion cubes but I also like the 365 box of broth, just make sure you like the way the broth tastes before you dunk the tofu in there. You can slice the tofu before or after this step, I just find it easier to fish the whole block out, but cutting the soaked block is a little messy.
Ok, on to the recipe!
Pad Thai
1. Get some nice rice noodles and follow the directions on the package, I like to have my noodles pretty much ready to go before I get the rest of the stuff done cause this doesnt take long to cook. Typically most rice noodles are soaked first for awhile and are sometimes boiled. They get stir fried also so dont over cook them first!
2. Add chicken, fake chicken or tofu and peanut sauce (enough to coat all your chosen protein) large frying pan. Saute for a few minutes or until protein is browned and warmed through. If you don't have peanut sauce you like, you can add a few teaspoons of oil, minced garlic and a few tablespoons of peanut butter instead. Just make sure your protein gets coated. I do this fast on high heat but if you haven't done it before, start slow at medium heat with everything in the pan together.
3. Add:
a few handfuls of shredded carrots
half a bunch of chopped green onions
one clove on minced garlic
Add a splash of pad thai sauce here but not too much
pinch of cayenne pepper
generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
I also added a very small amount of tamarind paste here. The sauce i used, from a bottle, has the tamarind paste in it but I like the taste so I add more. I like it spicy but I was making it for guests so I didn't overdo it so feel free to add more cayenne and red pepper flakes. Some people add an egg or two here but that is just fucking nasty. Eggs should be scrambled or over hard but the drippy stringy ones that are often found in traditional pad thai are ICKY.
4. If you can't find pad thai sauce you like or want to make one with out fish sauce, here's what it should have in it. TASTE IT AS YOU GO ALONG. Its easy to forget when you are focusing on technique however, the taste is really the most important thing.
canola oil
brown sugar
soy sauce
tamarind paste
you can substitute vegan worcestershire sauce for fish sauce
onion powder
smidge of tomato paste (really not a lot)
5. Add the noodles and a generous helping of pad thai sauce and cook through on pretty high heat for just enough time to warm through. I like the edges of the noodles to be browned. To manage this and make sure everything gets well combined, add the noodles and sauce in a few batches.
6. The following garnishes are totally necessary for this recipe:
Cilantro (which I forgot this time), washed and chopped
Lime Wedges
Bean sprouts- washed and whole
Crushed peanuts (blend, food process or ground in a coffee grinder). don't overdo it or you will just have peanut butter
I like A LOT of lime on mine...
I was trying to listen to the new Raw Nerve LP while doing this but I was getting a ton of phone calls and text messages about a show I was booking that night and my friends emergency surgery so I need to listen to that record again. I also let my noodles cook too long so they got mushy and broke apart but they still tasted ok at the end of the day. Presentation has never really been my strong suit...
Thankfully, everything turned out ok on all fronts!
NOW LISTENING TO: Big Black - Songs about Fucking and Way Hap, Ultimate Rarities.
Logan's Chocolate Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting and Raspberries
For the last two years, Logan Worell has been in Chicago on his birthday and I make him a cake! Last year was some decadent chocolate cake replete with peanut butter chips and icing if memory serves...It was made from scratch and there was nothing vegan or healthy about it.
The cake shown above was a more simple affair but it was also pretty fucking delicious, particularly with the raspberries. I know raspberries shouldnt really be in season yet but I got them any way. I tried to write LOGAN in raspberries but they were too genetically modified and huge, could only fit LOG so I started over and it made the frosting look a little wonky. Whateves...
I used Dr. Oetker's Organic Cake and Frosting Mix and followed the directions. I used real eggs, milk and butter as directed. I don't eat as many sweets as I used to so I went whole hog. Not too many tips here except to say that I lined the cake pan with wax paper which minimized the mess. I was hoping it would be a little easier to get out of the pan. I might try parchment paper instead next time with a light spray of canola oil...mmmmm
Thursday, March 18, 2010
RockNRoll will never die (people do)
I have a lot of racing thoughts right now. It was a total bummer to hear about Alex Chilton, we played his songs all night last night. Oddly enough, I always think of his as spring/summer music. Only recently have I been able to climb out of the midwestern winter haze lodged in my head and he helped me do so.
Now I hear about Bruce Roehrs passing. Agnostic Front, Cocksparrer and Templars on repeat. Only met him a couple times but he had this huge spirit that seemed to show up even before he did. RIP Bruce and Alex...
everybody, take care of yourselves, xo
Now I hear about Bruce Roehrs passing. Agnostic Front, Cocksparrer and Templars on repeat. Only met him a couple times but he had this huge spirit that seemed to show up even before he did. RIP Bruce and Alex...
everybody, take care of yourselves, xo
Monday, March 8, 2010
I fell in love with the glory hole
Today I was wandering around the airport trying to kill time until bryan came to get me and Movies by the Big Boys came up on the old IPOD Shuffle. All the annoyance of the airport just slipped away. I used to sing this melody to Sadie and change all the words to suit her...
T.V. is also a fucking great song by the big boys. The line "that's incredible, the sonny and cher show, rocky and bo-winkle" absolutely reminds me of a very specific period in my life...NOSTALGIA. Of course I didn't hear this song until a hundred years after it came out but I still love it.
So that brings me to the Dicks. The other night I was watching my brother's old band play a reunion show and I overheard a couple of people talking about the greatest love songs of all time. Please note that one of the bands used the crazy tube drum set shown above!!! What the fuck is that thing? What is the target market for this drum kit?
Anyway, my vote for the greatest love song of all time is the bookstore song. One man's journey from the book store to the safeway parking lot, one of the most sincere accounts of the functions of "love" ever written...
EDIT: After listening to the Skinny Elvis about a hundred times over the last couple days it occurs to me I got the T.V. lyric wrong. "Good morning america, the sonny and cher show, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, Roky and Bowinkle"...tall rob would be so bummed that I forgot his favorite show. Sorry...
This is another dish I made about a week ago, I have a vague recollection that I was listening to a Michael Gira project called Skin and possibly the Complications lp
anyway, next recipe...
ARTICHOKE CHEESE SOUP- stolen from super duper soups
Medium is a good heat for this whole recipe
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1 medium onion
1 large grated carrot
2 sticks celery chopped
Saute all together until veggies are tender
Sprinkle in 2 tbsp of flour (whatever kind floats your boat is ok in this)
Add 2 1/2 c. veggie stock and 1 3/4 c. milk and bring to a simmer
Add 2 c. grated cheddar cheese and stir constantly until melted
Drain one can of artichoke hearts ( or 2 1/2 c fresh) chop roughly and add, simmer for 10 minutes then eat...
fucking simple and tasty.
DELICIOUS ITALIAN CASSEROLE
Before the whole recipe/direction thing, I wanted to share this crazy article I just read.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/03/the-great-grocery-smackdown/7904
Also, i made this dish like a week ago and I forgot what I was listening to at the time but right now I am listening to Kyklooppien Sukupuutto (or as the leg would call them, kuku su poopoo)
I am also happy to announce that I got a HUGE cast iron frying pan (after coveting anna and jordan's), from Macy's, almost free after I returned the Heathcliff Huxtable sweater bryan got for christmas.
1 lb Italian Sausage- ground
BROWN
OR
make your own veggie italian sausage
one pack of tempeh
crumble into a pan and add water just until covered, simmer until all the water is absorbed- drain any residue
1 tblsp olive oil add
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp or more fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tblsp chopped parsley
if you feel spicy, a tsp or so of crushed red pepper flakes
Saute for about two minutes or until fennel starts to brown (DONT BURN IT)
throw in the drained tempeh and mix through
(they also have a bunch of pre made veggie sausages that you can dice up if you are feeling lazy)
So you have your browned sausage in the pan add:
1/2 c or more of diced green peppers
1 medium onion chopped - I used a white onion for this one
Cook over medium until the peppers and onions are sauteed nicely then add
One can of diced tomatoes (I used the ones with garlic added)
Then add 1 and 1/2 orzo pasta
Stir through and add a quarter cup at a time
2 c. vegetable juice ( I got the low sodium kind)
its important with orzo to add the liquid a little at a time and stir and stir and stir. Cooking time may vary by brand but about 10 minutes gave me orzo that was al dente.
The original recipe for this called for instant white rice, knock your self out and try it, but regular rice or brown rice are much better for you.
I also added a ton of fresh basil and dried marjoram....
Once you have that all incorporated and the orzo is pretty well done, remove from heat, cover with cheese (in this case I just used shredded mozzarella) and cover the pan. let it stand for 6-8 minutes then eat. The cast iron pan rules cause it REALLY retains all the heat.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
RADIO RADIO
There are two radio shows I try to "tune in" to or download as often as possible:
Life During Wartime
http://kboo.fm/LifeDuringWartime
This is Erin's show out of portland. This show is on way too late for me in the central time zone but I often listen to the links from shows and live in studio recordings. Every single playlist is awesome. The Joe Carducci interview from this site is particularly cool.
and
The Billie Club
http://www.wcsb.org/programs/show-information/?showid=11
This is Billie's show out of cleveland and even though I have only been listening for a couple months, its pretty rad. Local bands play frequently and I am often simultaneously psyched and stumped by the cool stuff she is playing. "spreading the hardcore reality" is not a part of the show introduction for no reason, this girls got some records...
So this is terrible for me not to know but are there no more good hardcore punk radio shows happening in this city now that Dugan and Mariam are retired?
Life During Wartime
http://kboo.fm/LifeDuringWartime
This is Erin's show out of portland. This show is on way too late for me in the central time zone but I often listen to the links from shows and live in studio recordings. Every single playlist is awesome. The Joe Carducci interview from this site is particularly cool.
and
The Billie Club
http://www.wcsb.org/programs/show-information/?showid=11
This is Billie's show out of cleveland and even though I have only been listening for a couple months, its pretty rad. Local bands play frequently and I am often simultaneously psyched and stumped by the cool stuff she is playing. "spreading the hardcore reality" is not a part of the show introduction for no reason, this girls got some records...
So this is terrible for me not to know but are there no more good hardcore punk radio shows happening in this city now that Dugan and Mariam are retired?
February Doldrums
So this has been a long, long, long, long, long month so far. I will spare you all the gory details and minutia of my day to day annoyances and sum it up by saying i just can't win.
Anyway, since everything has been a total piece of shit, with the exception of my trip to st. louis, (yes I did say st. louis) and the hang out at jenn and tim's the other night, this month has been a complete and utter garbage dump...so to that end, I decided that I would make delicious, utterly rich comfort food perfect for a cold February night.
This is my first meat dish. I have lots of squeamish issues about cooking any meat so understand this is a bit of an undertaking for me.
Chicken of the Taverns (adapted from I like you-amy sedaris) and Avocado Carrot Salad
***Vegetarian and vegan note-make this with naked chic cutlets or their equivalent but watch your cooking time and follow the directions given
LISTENING TO:
20 JAZZ FUNK GREATS- Throbbing Gristle
Chicken of the Taverns
Part One:
CHICKEN
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Half Cup Oil
One Stick Butter
Juice of one large lemon, strain
1. Melt butter and oil together over medium low heat in a sauce pan or frying pan
2. Pour half into a LARGE DEEP glass baking dish (you need it to be LARGE to handle all the things you will add later), once you add half to the dish, turn your heat way down low but don't turn it off.
3. Add chicken to the dish- I used three free range chicken breast from whole foods cut in half and covered in salt and pepper
4. Turn heat off butter and add strained lemon juice, stir
5. Cover chicken with remaining mix and cook uncovered for 1/2 an hour
SAUCE
2lbs canned whole tomatoes - one large and one medium can will also work
one white onion sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon each of the following:
Oregano
Marjoram
Savory
One Bay Leaf
1/2 cup red wine
*Make sure that you actually like the way the wine you are using tastes cause the sauce really picks up the wine flavor. I used two buck chuck cab sov and it was fine...
Shredded kefalatori or Parmesan cheese
Add all the above (except cheese) in one big sauce pan and cook on medium heat for 25 mins, covered. Turn down if it starts to boil.
PART 2:
ASSEMBLY
Once chicken and sauce are done, turn down oven to 350 degrees, add all sauce to the chicken in the baking dish and cook all together for 25 minutes in the oven
While this is cooking bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt and olive oil. I used spaghetti this time but knock your self out and use what ever kind of pasta floats your boat. Typically, I try to use brown rice or whole wheat pasta but tonight it was straight semolina which was so fucking tasty. Follow your package instructions for cooking times.
Drain your pasta when done and return to the large pasta cooking pot, add all the chicken and sauce into your cauldron.
Plate up, cover with cheese and dive in.
When you are in your last round of chicken/sauce in oven and pasta cooking on stove top, make your salad
THEN LISTENING TO: TEENAGED HEAD- Flaming Groovies
SALAD
Make this whole thing in a tupperware or covered glass dish for easy tossing!!!
Dressing
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DRESSINGS IN THE WORLD (adapted from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners)
1/2 c olive oil
Juice of half a large lemon
2 tbls honey
1 tsp tarragon
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp dry mustard
1 clove crushed garlic
The recipe says this should be mixed in a bender but this time, i just put it in a covered dish and gave it a good shake.
Then I added
2 cubed avocados
2 hand fulls of shredded carrots (from a bag of pre-diced carrots)
add to dressing, cover and shake.
Anyway, since everything has been a total piece of shit, with the exception of my trip to st. louis, (yes I did say st. louis) and the hang out at jenn and tim's the other night, this month has been a complete and utter garbage dump...so to that end, I decided that I would make delicious, utterly rich comfort food perfect for a cold February night.
This is my first meat dish. I have lots of squeamish issues about cooking any meat so understand this is a bit of an undertaking for me.
Chicken of the Taverns (adapted from I like you-amy sedaris) and Avocado Carrot Salad
***Vegetarian and vegan note-make this with naked chic cutlets or their equivalent but watch your cooking time and follow the directions given
LISTENING TO:
20 JAZZ FUNK GREATS- Throbbing Gristle
Chicken of the Taverns
Part One:
CHICKEN
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Half Cup Oil
One Stick Butter
Juice of one large lemon, strain
1. Melt butter and oil together over medium low heat in a sauce pan or frying pan
2. Pour half into a LARGE DEEP glass baking dish (you need it to be LARGE to handle all the things you will add later), once you add half to the dish, turn your heat way down low but don't turn it off.
3. Add chicken to the dish- I used three free range chicken breast from whole foods cut in half and covered in salt and pepper
4. Turn heat off butter and add strained lemon juice, stir
5. Cover chicken with remaining mix and cook uncovered for 1/2 an hour
SAUCE
2lbs canned whole tomatoes - one large and one medium can will also work
one white onion sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon each of the following:
Oregano
Marjoram
Savory
One Bay Leaf
1/2 cup red wine
*Make sure that you actually like the way the wine you are using tastes cause the sauce really picks up the wine flavor. I used two buck chuck cab sov and it was fine...
Shredded kefalatori or Parmesan cheese
Add all the above (except cheese) in one big sauce pan and cook on medium heat for 25 mins, covered. Turn down if it starts to boil.
PART 2:
ASSEMBLY
Once chicken and sauce are done, turn down oven to 350 degrees, add all sauce to the chicken in the baking dish and cook all together for 25 minutes in the oven
While this is cooking bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt and olive oil. I used spaghetti this time but knock your self out and use what ever kind of pasta floats your boat. Typically, I try to use brown rice or whole wheat pasta but tonight it was straight semolina which was so fucking tasty. Follow your package instructions for cooking times.
Drain your pasta when done and return to the large pasta cooking pot, add all the chicken and sauce into your cauldron.
Plate up, cover with cheese and dive in.
When you are in your last round of chicken/sauce in oven and pasta cooking on stove top, make your salad
THEN LISTENING TO: TEENAGED HEAD- Flaming Groovies
SALAD
Make this whole thing in a tupperware or covered glass dish for easy tossing!!!
Dressing
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DRESSINGS IN THE WORLD (adapted from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners)
1/2 c olive oil
Juice of half a large lemon
2 tbls honey
1 tsp tarragon
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp dry mustard
1 clove crushed garlic
The recipe says this should be mixed in a bender but this time, i just put it in a covered dish and gave it a good shake.
Then I added
2 cubed avocados
2 hand fulls of shredded carrots (from a bag of pre-diced carrots)
add to dressing, cover and shake.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
My friends rule.
The planets must be aligned in a cosmically artistic way cause I have received or found so very many rad recordings, it rules! Its nice to be excited about new music again. And tomorrow night Annie's solo show with Grant Hart and Daily Void, Daylight Robbery, and the Krunchies live. More about all that and my mother-in-laws homemade ravioli and chocolate hazelnut crostada to follow soon (with pictures).
Monday, January 18, 2010
Roasted Garlic and White Bean Soup
Lifted directly from vegan with a vengeance, this recipe is good for you, it has protein and fiber and garlic-y goodness so you must ruin it with some yeasty bread covered in melted cheese.
I was listening to the Brown Sugar Deportation EP, Daylight Robbery LP and Wormsblood- Mastery of Creation rec when making this. Sadie and Willie (our puppies) got so pissed cause of the barking dogs on "of a mourning phase unstirred", sorry guys :(
1.
Roast two bulbs of garlic while doing the rest- Peel away as much of the skin as possible with out breaking the bulb apart, throw in a 350 degree oven, just on the rack, and cook for 20-30 minutes
2.
Chop one medium onion ( I prefer a sweet onion in this) and saute in 2 tblsp of olive oil for 5 mins until translucent. Add 1 tsp salt, black pepper to taste and 1/2 tsp of crushed fennel seeds. I have a motar and pestle but you can crush the seed with the bottom of a glass on a paper towel, just be careful not to break the glass. fancy pants can put the seeds in a coffee grinder but I am too lazy for all that. add to the onion and saute for at least a minute but not too long
3.
Add 4 c veggie stock. I like the whole food 365 brand just fine but you can also use 4 c water and 2 good veggie bullion cubes (i used Knorr tonight),
3 cups of cooked or canned great white northern beans,
chopped fresh sage leaves
one bay leaf
bring all to a boil then turn down heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 5 mins. Take out the bay leaf.
4.
Squeeze all the roasted cloves of garlic into the pot (watch for the skins. i squeeze them out in a little bowl or on to the cutting board first then put them in). Remove from heat.
5.
Puree. There are a few ways to do this.
Blender- do it in small batches, if you fill it too high, the steam from the soup will pop the lid off and you will have a big mess to deal with.
Food processor- fine but I hate cleaning up all the parts.
BEST Hand held blender- you can just submerge this into the pot just be careful not to blow the soup out of the pot and burn yourself. These are super cheap, you can find them at the thirft store too, I think they are one of my favor goofy kitchen tools since i like making soup a lot.
6. Add juice of half a lemon- I got a little juicer on clearance one day in my travels but you can just stick a fork into the lemon and ring out all the juice, just try to catch all the seeds, they aren't so good in the soup...
STIR AND EAT!!!
Banana Apple Chocolate Chip Bread
Listening to:
Pig Heart Transplant- Collaboration, Deer Healer Singles Series, Hope You Enjoy Heaven and Psychological Head Trauma
Preferred Utensils for the job - Metal mixing bowls, wooden spoon, pairing knife, regular old fork, regular old butter knife, metal loaf pan (dark glass is ok but metal is better)
1.
Pre-heat oven to 350
2.
One Stick butter or vegan margarine softened (stick the stick on the oven top while it pre-heats)
3/4 c. sugar (I use brown but regular granulated, brown rice syrup or maple syrup can be used)
1 egg or egg replacer or 1/4 c or less apple sauce or vegan yogurt (egg replacer makes it more bread-y, apple sauce and yougurt more cake-y)
-MIX UNTIL BUTTER IS CREAMED-
3.
One apple, peeled cored and chopped into small small pieces- if you used apple sauce above, skip this
Two ripe banana's mashed (do this in its own bowl with the fork then add to the rest
-ADD TO 1
4.
Sift in the following into mix
2.c whole wheat pastry flour (use whatever kind of flour you want but this is the best- also, to keep the meal worms out of your flour throw it in the freezer as soon as you get home from the grocery store and leave it overnight at least! i leave it in there to keep it fresh)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon or whatever spices you like (cinnamon goes well with chocolate though)
If you don't have a fancy sifter, use the mesh stainer you may have for washing fruit, draining pasta, etc
*The mix should be fairly dry so it will have a bread like consistency instead of being really moist like a cake. If you feel it is too dry, add a smidge of vanilla and or milk or soy milk. One recipe I saw called for buttermilk even! Yikes I don't suggest that!
5. fold in 1/2 c chocolate chips (I only like semi sweet or vegan ones but knock your self out with milk chocolate or whatever other types you like) DONT OVERWHELM IT WITH CHOCOLATE.
6. Transfer mix to a greased pan and bake for 45 minutes and insert a butter knife. If you see batter keep cooking 5-15 more minutes depending on your oven, if you only see chocolate take it out, let it cool and eat!
If you are impatient like bryan and i, you will cut it as soon as it comes out of the over, burn your fingers but enjoy the gooey deliciousness of the melted chocolate chips but you may need a fork and plate.
If you are smart and have self control, you will let it cool for 15 minutes, run your knife along the outer edges and turnover on to a piece of plastic wrap or tin foil tap lightly and save until you are ready to eat it.
Also freezing or refrigerating half for later is a good idea if you are tempted to eat the whole loaf!
Pig Heart Transplant- Collaboration, Deer Healer Singles Series, Hope You Enjoy Heaven and Psychological Head Trauma
Preferred Utensils for the job - Metal mixing bowls, wooden spoon, pairing knife, regular old fork, regular old butter knife, metal loaf pan (dark glass is ok but metal is better)
1.
Pre-heat oven to 350
2.
One Stick butter or vegan margarine softened (stick the stick on the oven top while it pre-heats)
3/4 c. sugar (I use brown but regular granulated, brown rice syrup or maple syrup can be used)
1 egg or egg replacer or 1/4 c or less apple sauce or vegan yogurt (egg replacer makes it more bread-y, apple sauce and yougurt more cake-y)
-MIX UNTIL BUTTER IS CREAMED-
3.
One apple, peeled cored and chopped into small small pieces- if you used apple sauce above, skip this
Two ripe banana's mashed (do this in its own bowl with the fork then add to the rest
-ADD TO 1
4.
Sift in the following into mix
2.c whole wheat pastry flour (use whatever kind of flour you want but this is the best- also, to keep the meal worms out of your flour throw it in the freezer as soon as you get home from the grocery store and leave it overnight at least! i leave it in there to keep it fresh)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon or whatever spices you like (cinnamon goes well with chocolate though)
If you don't have a fancy sifter, use the mesh stainer you may have for washing fruit, draining pasta, etc
*The mix should be fairly dry so it will have a bread like consistency instead of being really moist like a cake. If you feel it is too dry, add a smidge of vanilla and or milk or soy milk. One recipe I saw called for buttermilk even! Yikes I don't suggest that!
5. fold in 1/2 c chocolate chips (I only like semi sweet or vegan ones but knock your self out with milk chocolate or whatever other types you like) DONT OVERWHELM IT WITH CHOCOLATE.
6. Transfer mix to a greased pan and bake for 45 minutes and insert a butter knife. If you see batter keep cooking 5-15 more minutes depending on your oven, if you only see chocolate take it out, let it cool and eat!
If you are impatient like bryan and i, you will cut it as soon as it comes out of the over, burn your fingers but enjoy the gooey deliciousness of the melted chocolate chips but you may need a fork and plate.
If you are smart and have self control, you will let it cool for 15 minutes, run your knife along the outer edges and turnover on to a piece of plastic wrap or tin foil tap lightly and save until you are ready to eat it.
Also freezing or refrigerating half for later is a good idea if you are tempted to eat the whole loaf!
Food
I love to eat, I also love to cook, however, I am often lazy and order take out, delivery and everything else in between. Just a few weeks ago I ate a dinner that consisted of kefaltori cheese, fig spread and whole wheat crackers, and a bag of microwaved pop corn. That is terrible. I don't suggest it, nor relying on your microwave, those things aren't good for you or your food.
People who know me know that we host a lot of our out of town friends and on any given weekend we may have any where between 3 and 12 people staying with us. I like to cook for them as much as possible. Particularly our friends bands on tour because lets face it, you aren't always getting the best food when traveling and you don't always have $$ to spend eating out. Anyway, I will post recipes, some I made up, some I stole. All will be delicious...
I almost always cook and listen to music so I will include my listening selections for each dish along with nerdy facts about the things I cook. Although I am no longer a vegetarian, I was for 15 years so you will see a lot of veg dishes and I will include vegan and vegetarian tips as often as possible. I did some recipe testing for a well know vegetarian cook book author so I know a few tricks of the trade.
Here are the three cook books I am currently in love with and stealing from:
Vegan with a Vengeance (always and forever)- Isa Chandra Moskowitz - undisputed queen of vegan cuisine - cheap, easy, delicious and informative, this book is a must have for any veg cook no matter how seasoned or novice
Super Duper Soups- Michael Van Staten - most delicious soups I have ever made, hands down in here
I Like You-Amy Sedaris- creative, hilarious and so far every single thing I made from this book is scrumptious...
NOTE- Use your imagination with these recipes and make your own delicious variation.
NOTE2- Whole Foods - a lot of people believe that butter is bad, avocados are fattening and salt and sugar will kill you. All of these things are true if you overdo it but whole foods in moderation are still way better for you than partially hydrogenated synthetic man made food and they taste better too...
People who know me know that we host a lot of our out of town friends and on any given weekend we may have any where between 3 and 12 people staying with us. I like to cook for them as much as possible. Particularly our friends bands on tour because lets face it, you aren't always getting the best food when traveling and you don't always have $$ to spend eating out. Anyway, I will post recipes, some I made up, some I stole. All will be delicious...
I almost always cook and listen to music so I will include my listening selections for each dish along with nerdy facts about the things I cook. Although I am no longer a vegetarian, I was for 15 years so you will see a lot of veg dishes and I will include vegan and vegetarian tips as often as possible. I did some recipe testing for a well know vegetarian cook book author so I know a few tricks of the trade.
Here are the three cook books I am currently in love with and stealing from:
Vegan with a Vengeance (always and forever)- Isa Chandra Moskowitz - undisputed queen of vegan cuisine - cheap, easy, delicious and informative, this book is a must have for any veg cook no matter how seasoned or novice
Super Duper Soups- Michael Van Staten - most delicious soups I have ever made, hands down in here
I Like You-Amy Sedaris- creative, hilarious and so far every single thing I made from this book is scrumptious...
NOTE- Use your imagination with these recipes and make your own delicious variation.
NOTE2- Whole Foods - a lot of people believe that butter is bad, avocados are fattening and salt and sugar will kill you. All of these things are true if you overdo it but whole foods in moderation are still way better for you than partially hydrogenated synthetic man made food and they taste better too...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
First post - January 7, 2009
A few recent events made me happy and nostalgic in the best possible ways so I am now entering the blog-o-sphere to tell you about them.
First an elementary school "friend" on facebook posted an old class picture. My classmates reminisced about our 6th grade teacher who was the greatest apparently. The only thing I remember was him dumping my desk over when I couldn't find an assignment much to the amusement of the whole class. Thanks for all the positive reinforcement buddy.
The facebook posts loving remembered lessons learned. THE ONLY FUCKING THING I LEARNED FROM THAT GUY WAS TO FLY AS FAR UNDER THE RADAR AS POSSIBLE. Despite my initial pissed off "fuck that shit" reaction, this reminded me in a very special way, that I never had my shit together and always had a hard time doing what I was told.
Some time shortly thereafter, Bryan was watching this on You Tube "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcL8IVRrk4c". Please watch it.
What do these have to do with each other? Probably nothing, Fenriz's bit is just super sweet in the cutest possible way. For some reason it reminded me of going home from school and listening to records and tapes which was certainly the best part of the day for me. Music always made everything better, even if only in my head for 3 1/2 minutes. It was totally amazing for my 12 year old self to listen to "evening star" by Judas Priest over and over again and watch the sunset over the love canal.
How did a little girl from who lived on a little island in the niagara river find herself listening to Judas Priest? Just like everything else, it was my brothers fault. My brother and I were little assholes who got picked on and picked back. I don't know how my brother started listening to metal but I'm thankful as nothing else would have provided such a good sound track for our maladjusted, cantankerous adolescence.
On Friday nights, we always tuned in for "the Metal Shop" on some rocknroll radio station in Buffalo. We had our shitty tape player ready and simultaneously listened to, recorded and wrote down all the songs and bands that played. Then we would scour the shit record store at the local mall for 45s and LPs (thats what we used to call 7" and 12"). Once, right after christmas, my family went out shopping so my brother and I could spend our christmas loot and return ill fitting clothes. We begged my parents to take us to the metal record store in the big city of Buffalo that was always advertised on the "metal shop". That was the first real record store I ever went to and I was totally overwhelmed. My poor parents cringed I'm sure as we flipped through all the records with vile covers but that was the best ever. I am pretty sure we left with what was the first motorhead record I ever saw, which in a six degrees of separation kind of way, led me to punk.
I decided to name my blog the first song that came up on my IPOD but "Remembering part 2" seemed a bit premature and "Gimmie Some Head" a bit misleading so I went with song #3 being "My Companion" by the shaggs, pretty apropos. Turns out the third time IS the charm. Even though my companion has taken many forms over the years, shitty little am/fm radio, boombox, walkman, discman and now IPOD, "no matter where I am or what I do, my companion is always there too".
Currently listening to: Saccharine Trust- Surviving You Always
First an elementary school "friend" on facebook posted an old class picture. My classmates reminisced about our 6th grade teacher who was the greatest apparently. The only thing I remember was him dumping my desk over when I couldn't find an assignment much to the amusement of the whole class. Thanks for all the positive reinforcement buddy.
The facebook posts loving remembered lessons learned. THE ONLY FUCKING THING I LEARNED FROM THAT GUY WAS TO FLY AS FAR UNDER THE RADAR AS POSSIBLE. Despite my initial pissed off "fuck that shit" reaction, this reminded me in a very special way, that I never had my shit together and always had a hard time doing what I was told.
Some time shortly thereafter, Bryan was watching this on You Tube "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcL8IVRrk4c". Please watch it.
What do these have to do with each other? Probably nothing, Fenriz's bit is just super sweet in the cutest possible way. For some reason it reminded me of going home from school and listening to records and tapes which was certainly the best part of the day for me. Music always made everything better, even if only in my head for 3 1/2 minutes. It was totally amazing for my 12 year old self to listen to "evening star" by Judas Priest over and over again and watch the sunset over the love canal.
How did a little girl from who lived on a little island in the niagara river find herself listening to Judas Priest? Just like everything else, it was my brothers fault. My brother and I were little assholes who got picked on and picked back. I don't know how my brother started listening to metal but I'm thankful as nothing else would have provided such a good sound track for our maladjusted, cantankerous adolescence.
On Friday nights, we always tuned in for "the Metal Shop" on some rocknroll radio station in Buffalo. We had our shitty tape player ready and simultaneously listened to, recorded and wrote down all the songs and bands that played. Then we would scour the shit record store at the local mall for 45s and LPs (thats what we used to call 7" and 12"). Once, right after christmas, my family went out shopping so my brother and I could spend our christmas loot and return ill fitting clothes. We begged my parents to take us to the metal record store in the big city of Buffalo that was always advertised on the "metal shop". That was the first real record store I ever went to and I was totally overwhelmed. My poor parents cringed I'm sure as we flipped through all the records with vile covers but that was the best ever. I am pretty sure we left with what was the first motorhead record I ever saw, which in a six degrees of separation kind of way, led me to punk.
I decided to name my blog the first song that came up on my IPOD but "Remembering part 2" seemed a bit premature and "Gimmie Some Head" a bit misleading so I went with song #3 being "My Companion" by the shaggs, pretty apropos. Turns out the third time IS the charm. Even though my companion has taken many forms over the years, shitty little am/fm radio, boombox, walkman, discman and now IPOD, "no matter where I am or what I do, my companion is always there too".
Currently listening to: Saccharine Trust- Surviving You Always
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