Welcome back, internet!!!!

Cable & internet out one night.

Cable modem dies another night.

(Why, oh why, did the networking equipment company I worked for not do any cable modems??  I have routers and switches and modems and gateways and probably an ADSL product or two laying around, but I'm screwed when it comes to the cable modems)

And of course, you can just go pick up a cable modem at one of their stores.... which all close at 6pm.

Not very useful.  And even more useful when you've got two people who are getting slammed at work and are lucky to even leave the office by 6pm.

But... today the hubby escaped work early and picked up a new modem.  When I first got home I was really more interested in looking at the casing and trying to figure out if I could decide which vendor it really comes from (bit-o-truth for you out there... no matter what the name on your wireless router, there are really only about 3 or 4 places in China that come up with the basic designs, and then they're slightly re-worked by the company whose name appears on the outside) than listening to the hubby.  Who'd been trying to get the modem working for an hour before he called customer service.... which had him on hold for 45 minutes.

While he fumed and waited... I hopped on one of the unsecured wireless connections around here and did a quick search for the program that wouldn't download (I could go on about DNS servers... but I know I'd bore you).  Then plugged - with a wire - the laptop into the router that is connected - with a wire - to the modem.

Poof.

We has internet.

I do not know WHY... STILL... the first thing they do not tell you to do in instructions or while you're waiting on the customer service line, is to set up a blasted wire connection.  I know, life is fun without wires.  But sometimes, when you want something to work, you need a bleedin' wire.

Grumble.

Randomosity: Why I Love My Hubby, IUOF, The "To-Try" List and the New Addition!

Jumble of a post ahead. Deal.

Why I love the hubby... as much as he is NOT a foodie, at least I no longer get looks when the time at night is this.....



... and I have a pot of Potato Leek soup on the stove.....



... and rather than giving me odd looks, he just goes "Oh, potato leek soup. That smells good."

Other randomosity....

Why is it, even when I follow a recipe to the letter, I still get watery scalloped potatoes? It is just one thing I cannot get right.

"IUOF" and the "To-Try" List....

Ok... a group I've known online for ages has a bunch of little phrases/abbreviations that we use... one is IUOF. Inappropriate Use Of Fruit. For recipes where the addition of fruit is really just kinda a big "ew" to some people. I discovered a new one... IUO Olives. I went to the cafe in our building yesterday, and they had "Roasted Tomato Soup" on the menu.

Yeah. I thought tomatoes, maybe a little cream, and all would be good.

Not so.

It had OLIVES in it. GREEN olives. Now, I love me some black olives. Green olives are wonderful in the bottom of a martini glass, and OK in moderation. In soup?? YUCK. I ended up tossing it all. Just way gross.

Which brings us to.....

The To-Try list.

I know it's not uncommon at least among my friends to have loads and lists of recipes that you want to try, but never get around to. I also have that. One of those has been Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup. Been wanting to try it since 2005 and it has not yet happened. But it got stuck in my head recently, and I made a batch tonight. I have to say, easy enough to make, and I just whizzed it in the food processor and didn't bother straining the solids... but tres yum....

Yeah, it might be prettier if it didn't have the seeds in it, but it was still very yummy.

And last..... The New Addition!!

It's been something I've been wanting to do for years... it took some talking to get the hubby to go for it... but I'd like to introduce you to....

Our future sink!!!

Yes, I am totally over excited about a new sink.


I swore, shortly after I was into the layoff period from my last job, that our sink was GOING to be replaced when I was back working. And considering I started working right before the Turkey Day and Xmas holidays, I consider this to be pretty quick timing.

We went to Home Depot a couple weeks ago and looked over the options, I liked the Kohler Double Staccato sink that is pictured above. Other than the shape, which should allow for larger pots, I am totally excited that it is a whole EIGHT INCHES deep. Our current sink is the cheap-ass builders model that went into the place when it was built... six inches deep. And any lady wil tell you... sometimes those numbers do matter, and six is not enough.

Also got a new faucet and garbage disposal. Yay!!!

The plan is that the hubby is taking Friday off of work to work on the installation. I'm glad, because I will not be home for any of it and will happily sit in bliss at work while it happens. If all goes perfectly, it should be done on Friday. I figure worst case... it gets finished on Saturday.


And I will be a happy, happy hausfrau.

I think I should have used a bigger pot....

So, awhile back I made a tamale-lentil casserole thing. Loved the filling, was not as fond of the cornbread topping. IMHO, it needed something less-sweet than the usual boxed cornbread mixture.

But, I still liked the concept. And I started to crave it again.

Why not use the general concept to make some lentil chili-type thing?

And, rather than the 1 1/4 cups of lentils, why not use the entire stinkin' bag so you're not left with 3/4 cup of lentils? (I hate recipes that leave you with amounts of an ingredient that you can't easily use for another purpose. HATE.)

Sauteed some onions and garlic, added a bag of red lentils, about 5 1/2 cups of water, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, a can of Rotel, some leftover tomato sauce, a drained can of corn, and a packet of taco seasoning.



Yes, it bubbled over and there is currently a mess on my stove. Yay.

But, a nice low-fat, fiber filled chili means one thing... bring on the toppings!



Oyster crackers, cheese, low fat sour cream. Yum. Thank goodness we're in unseasonable cool weather and not pushing 90 degrees.

Afternoon activities in these parts is actually doing some sewing. Woooo fun.

So, many years back, I feel in big-time love with the Ralph Lauren Aragon bedding. Leopard print. Loved it so much, I bought an entire extra set - including comforter.

A million years later (ok, like 10) both sets have seen better days. I blame the hubby's toenails. I swear, those things could cut glass when he lets them get to long.

There is currently a nice little tear right where I grab the covers to pull them up every morning after the first alarm goes off. So every morning for the past week, I am reminded that I should really sew that up. Great way to start a day. A nice reminder that I'm not working so I can't just drop it at the cleaners to have them fix it, or shell out mucho bucks for a replacement comforter since RL apparently decided to finally stop making this print a couple years back.

Going through the linen closet, I found my "box-o-sewing-stuff and various junk leftover from other craft projects" and found, among other things, a half-done and abandoned hairpiece I was working on more than several years back...




Weee! Fun with fake hair.

Now we'll see if I manage to get around to the sewing, or if I decide to play with fake hair for the rest of the afternoon.

25 random things.....

1. I was once whack in the head by Pat Boone. Ok, a door via Pat Boone. I was an intern at a radio station and I was doing something or other in the prize closet, and he was leaving the building and just tried to slam the door shut (even though I am sure my behind was sticking out and very visible). As I coped with the pain, he stepped over me.

2. I'm obsessed with my fingernails.

3. My favorite movie is still Gone With the Wind.

4. I cannot stand goat cheese. It only reminds me of what the goats smelled like when I was at the petting zoo as a kid.

5. I've never traveled outside of the USA.

6. I collect Barbie Dolls. SHUT UP.

7. After seeing the Seven Year Itch, I tried potato chips and Champagne. It's now a very guilty pleasure of mine.

8. I have a collection of first edition Dr. Seuss books.

9. I've been accepted to the graduate Computer Science program from my Alma Mater twice, but have never taken a graduate level class. Somehow, I always get laid off before the next semester starts.

10. One St. Patrick's Day, I had corned beef and cabbage at my step-grandma's house and then went to my local watering hole and did (I think... so the bartender's stories go) 20 shots of tequila. I think the cop who checked IDs at the door of the club was nice enough to drive me home that night.

11. The hubsy and I got married April 2, 2005. Our reception was in August of that year. I wore a $15 dress when we actually got married, I upscaled-it for the reception and wore a $100 dress. I still have yet to get them properly dry cleaned (I plan on doing that this week... found them when cleaning out the closet).

12. Thanks to one local Mexican eatery close to where I grew up, I have a fear of miriachi bands.

13. My dream college in high school was the University of Southern California. I applied, got a standard "thanks, but no thanks" letter and then completed my enrollment at DePaul. Two weeks before I started at DePaul, I got a frantic "why haven't you submitted your roommate preference" letter from USC. Turns out, I was accepted. I ended up going to DePaul. And do not regret a second of it.

14. I love listening to loud music in my car with all the windows rolled down. It sounds better that way.

15. I was once stalked by a fairly big rocker's fairly big ex-wife. I'm still trying to figure out why.

16. I hate wearing shoes.

17. I've never had a "naked" nightmare, but I have nightmares where I am barefoot and they are terrifying to me.

18. I got straight D's in math in high school, but I oddly had the highest percentage for correct answers for math questions on the acidemic team in high school (I was a nerd. SHUT UP.)

19. I am convinced if I have something in my purse or bag or luggage, I won't end up needing it. Which is why I always carry a lot of stuff.

20. I can't believe I got it this far in this list.

21. My dream car is a vintage Thunderbird.

22. "You're too stupid to have a good time" is a movie quote that will reduce me to laughter every time I see it.

23. I refuse to get a gym membership because I listen to music when I work out, and I mouth the lyrics and dance along. And no one needs to see that.

24. I have a weakness for Swedish men. I don't know why, but I do.

25. I've never fired a gun, but I'd like to. At a range.

Bad blogger... reporting for duty.....

Sigh.

I had every intention of doing a post on Sunday... didn't happen.

Getting back to work on Monday totally kicked my bleep... apparently two weeks off is the perfect amount of time to make me forget how to function outside my home... work is slow, but it's still kickin' my behind right now.

Tonight... well, I tried to serve the hubby the new "half whole wheat" Kraft Mc & Cheese and he got pissy about it, so I got pissy, so the whole house is pissy, and I have a nail infection (this is what happens when you pick at your nails like I do.... happens once every couple years and makes me very very unhappy) and I threw out food to the feral cats and then the 'possum came to eat it all and I'm just not a happy camper right now.

I also have three, yep, three, lost USB drives right now. Two connected to one lanyard (so it's be hard to lose) and my 2 gig one (also connected to a lanyard so... ding ding ding! Jackpot! So I wouldn't lose it) and I've torn the place apart looking for them and I'm at a loss. One had all my recipe files on it, which was nice for about 4:30pm every day at work when I am trying to plan the cooking for the night and timing and getting in my workout and everything.... I'm just not happy about that. Looked everywhere I can think of... unless they're hiding behind the four pounds of butter that are still in my fridge from where I overbought over the holiday, I have no idea where the heck they went.

So... yeah... maybe by the weekend I'll have the mental capacity to put together a post.... until then.... um.... stuff. And junk. And other stuff.

Random musings.....

While doing dishes tonight - my least favorite household task, by the way - I started to think about Americans and food, and this whole attitude that "cooking is hard". My hands are better today, I could pick up a knife without the fear of a bloodbath, so it was biscuits and gravy. Slice the sausage, chop an onion. It wasn't even hard with my crappy hands. Why are people so scared of it? My mind wandered to Rachel Ray. I like the idea of Rachel Ray and 30-minute meals. Make something that is approachable and people will be more likely to take it on (her personality is a whole other issue, that is what I just cannot stand). It's one of the things that drives me nuts about the Semi-Ho, Sandra Lee. Rather than simple cooking, she over-complicates things trying to make it fit her philosophy. There is nothing wrong with store bought stuff, when purchased and used as intended by the maker - those bags of shredded cheese are one of the greatest modern wonders, IMHO.

Typo of the day that I spent two hours correcting in 3 documents and two help systems.... "overlayed". Seriously???? Even Micro$oft's spell checkers catch this one. Sigh. And some of those misspellings have been in the docs for at least two years (that was as far as I could go back without bursting into tears). I think it's not just the fact it was misspelled, it was that it was done so many times.

I need to get a better camera. My stinkin' cell phone camera sucks in the first place, and I've started to get the blue screen of death when I connect it to my laptop. FUN.

I am way too happy to have the plan to actually head out and eat lunch outside the office tomorrow. It's been a few weeks. I can almost taste my Roly Poly Chicken Popper now....

The townhome association is actually doing a block party this year. Mind you, I'm in NO mood to socialize with the people who live on either side of us. I guess it's lucky that they are having it on the same day & time as a birthday party we have to go to. But the part of me that loves to cook is still thinking of making some guac or something and just dropping it off. I don't want people to know I'm not a joiner-type.

We really, really need to book our trip to Vegas soon. I think the Man was just waiting until our tax rebate check cleared (which it didn't, the bank is mailing it back to us so we can both sign it and have to go to a teller to deposit the darned thing... methings the gob'ment is doing their best to make sure these things are cashed in as staggered of an order as they can be, but I can be a bit suspicious....). The parents-in-law are going the first week in August, I think. We wanted to book mid/late August, but one of the hubby's close friends is getting married in August and we just got the invite... we'd been putting off booking until we knew when it was, and it's kinda late now. I did put the idea of the NFL opening weekend in the hubby's head. We actually did that for our "honeymoon" trip (hey, we got married in Vegas but it WAS a business trip, lol) and I know he loved it. And Da Bears are playing on Sunday night, which would be fun. I may even get to drag him to Bouchon for breakfast. He's also expressed an interest to go back and hit the Bubble Bar at Guy Savoy again, he loved it so much the last time. I could most certainly do that......

The grocery store you hate....

There is a grocery store two blocks away from me.... actually more of a produce mart. I do like a lot of things about the store, but it will never overcome the hate.

Is it way cheaper than the chain store two blocks in the other direction? Yes. Do I usually find everything I need? Mostly (how the heck can you not have fresh mint around here??). Do I hate the people who shop there with a passion? Oh hell yes.

It's not really the store. It's laid out well, I could easily find most non-drugstore-ish things I need there any week. But the people... the people. The people.

I made a trip there on Sunday. Before I left, I walked up to the hubby and told him that if I did not return, he should feel free to remarry. The sad thing is we both know there is a molecule of truth to that.

It starts with the parking lot. People who think they have more rights to EVERYTHING than anyone else, and the fire lanes are full of people sitting in cars, waiting for someone to come out of the store. And it's not someone running in for one or two items... these cars in the fire lane are loaded up with the contents of full grocery carts. Excuse me??

You walk in, and there is the fight and rudeness of the produce section. The other produce-ish place I shop at, there is at least human decency. When your cart is obviously in someone else's way, you move it and everyone is happy. Not at this place. At least 50% of the people there are oblivious that anyone other than themselves exists in the world. And when you decide to fight back with a little rudeness (after a proper "trying to be kind" waiting period) they look at you like you have two heads..... like you just asked to buy their women... like you just took a shit on their shoes. Hello... I am just a hausfrau trying to get the weekly shopping done. Work with me, people.

The deli counter is a demilitarized zone. And a stupid zone. On my most recent trip, there was a lady who was arguing with the OWNER of the store about something, saying she was going to get home and call the office to talk to someone higher. Um... smoke crack, much??

While standing in line to check out, a woman of at least 50 tried to cut in front of me, after I'd been waiting there for 10 minutes and she rolled up. Seriously. I had to chew her out to get her to give it up. Can't ya just play nice in the sandbox???

But... there is love.

When the dude behind the deli counter sees my Sox hat and throws me some love? Great. Actually finding turbot at the seafood counter? I love it. Every ethnic ingredient I could hope for? I loves ya.

The last trip.... some lovely serrano ham and some artichoke focaccia that has provided lunch for five days under ten bucks? Damnit. I'll be back.

Even though this is the place... when they opened a few years back...... they were offering a "free" case of bananas the first time I went there. No thanks... I have no need for a case of bananas. I told them I did not want it. Several times. But, while they were packing groceries and loading my cart.... they slipped one in. I ended up bringing it to work, proving that in most workplaces, people will love anything that is free. They were gone by the end of the day.

Other news... tomato number 2 was picked from my patio plant today. That was the bestest $4 impluse purchase I have made in a LONG time.

Web Stuff that makes me happy right now...

www.repairpowerjack.com - The power jack on my laptop has been fickle since.... well... probably about a year. It's gotten particularly bad lately. I finally had to buck it up and bring my laptop somewhere to get it fixed. But, I still use my laptop for work for Old Company (although there really hasn't been much lately) so I was really looking for a way to get it repaired during the day so I wouldn't be out of commission for long. Lo and behold, I found this place that could repair it in as little as three hours, and it's not far from work. I dropped off my laptop at lunch today, and picked it up after work. It hasn't worked so well in MONTHS. And I was impressed with the place - all the electrostatic stuff needed right there to be sure they didn't fry my laptop. They also do repairs by mail.... a thing to bookmark if you have a laptop. A big bonus... they switched the power plug on my power supply to a 90-degree angled jack rather than the straight male plug. That causes less stress on the jack, which causes less problems with the power port disconnecting from the motherboard. Guy couldn't have been nicer, they had my laptop ready to boot up right when I walked in so I could make sure that everything (laptop itself, hard drive, CD player, etc.) was up and working correctly before I handed over payment.

www.blinds.com - With the recent neighbor problems, I wanted to get some blinds so we can cover the window in our front door if we just want to hide in here. They were fast in sending samples so I could color match to the stained wood door, and I got my blinds today. They're not up yet, but call me a satisfied customer. Great if you're looking for a non-standard size.

Nothing better on a cold day....

... then walking to a house and BLAM! hit with the smell of a fully cooked dinner waiting for you.

If there is cooking going on in this house (unless it's double chocolate peanut butter filled cupcakes) I am the one doing it. While I love the smells of cooking and building up a dish in to its final product, it's a rare thing when my first smell of something is when it's complete. It might be why I like eating in restaurants more than my hubby does.... I love when the food is placed in front of you and you get that first whiff. Because I don't get it at home a lot.

But on a pot roast night, I do. I open the door and the house is filled with the smell of it. I'm instantly happy. I know that a lovely dinner awaits without a lot of fuss from me (still have to make the gravy, and I usually also make some rosemary scented cous cous for me, I'm not a fan of pot roast potatoes for some reason).

Today was also Beaujolais Nouveau day (happy me!) which is one of my favorite days. I am one of the idiots that will happily buy the wine to enjoy on its release day, knowing full well in about a week and a half it will be two bucks cheaper. The first bottle I cracked open was a Domaine Dupeuble and it's lovely. Actually strong enough to pair very well with the pot roast.

Another weekend gone...

Busy weekend for this Hausfrau.

I made Saturday a cleaning day. The hubby had to go in to work (and boy was he unhappy about that) so he had to get up early, so I just got up too. Glad I did, since the landscaping dudes for our townhome development were out early and damn, were they being loud.

Cleaning. Woo. Good times, good times. Did get a lot done, though. Put all the random shit laying around in it's proper place. Got on the floor and scrubbed at the neglected spots with a magic eraser (store brand, but man oh man I love those things). Then did proper cleaning of the tile floors with broom/Swiffer/wet Swiffer. Then hit the carpet with the vacuum. Then dusted. Then wiped the inside & outside of the front door glass (full glass screen door, oddly, pervious homeowners seem to have lost the screen to change it out) and the back sliding doors. You know you're bad at housework when the doors are dirtier on the inside than the outside. Sigh. Then it was wiping off the basement stairs, then scrubbing down the downstairs bath. Whew.

Then I decided to replant the lilac bush I've had in a pot since spring.... I bought two lilac bushes from Spring Hill Nursery in the spring, which arrived as pretty much single twigs in pots. Planted one out in the front planting bed, where it has pretty much died from not enough sun. I planted the other in a pot in the back to hope it would grow enough that I could replant it when we finally got rid of the damned tree that got bent when we had a really big snowfall over last winter....

And it was still pretty messed up after all the snow melted......

Since the tree dudes came this week and took the tree down, I could finally do something with the space left behind. So I put in the lilac bush. And pretty much right away figured the thing will probably die, since it is right next to our deck and the deck blocks a lot of the sun. At least, it's probably putting off the eventual death of it... if I left it in the pot, it'd die for sure over winter.

Damnit. I want my damned Sensation Lilac bush just like I had when I was growing up!!

Next, it was off to the grocery store. Which was oddly uncrowded.

Funny grocery store tales... a few weeks back, when I was having problems with icky nasty things residing in my wedding ring, I came home from the weekly grocery shopping and ranted to the hubby about how I hate going to the chain grocery store without my wedding rings, because the place is crawling with guys trying to pick up women. And I am so. done. with. that. I don't even find it flattering in that setting... I'm just trying to buy food and get out of there, leave me alone, please??

Since then, every time I tell the hubby I'm going to the grocery store, he asks to make sure I have my rings on. Not sure if it's just because he's sick of hearing me go off about it, or worried I'm eventually going to deck some dude and he'll get the call for bail money.

I did end up making the Superfast Salisbury Steaks for dinner on Saturday. Always good. Usually, if I'm doing the recipe as written (with the canned soup) I'll also sautee some mushroons and sliced onions to help boost the flavor. This time, I was using my own homemade french onion soup, so I didn't bother. That stuff is so loaded with onions it ain't needed.

I remember when my sis in law was pregnant with him. I remember being afraid she was going to go in to labor when I was taking a trip out to L.A. with friends to be crazy fangirls going to a band play. I remember when we all celebrated my hubby's b-day at this great little Italian place and my sis in law was just HUGE and nervous and read to pop at any moment. I remember after he was born, going to the hospital and as grandpa was holding his first grandson, my hubby & his brother started to talk about cars with him (they are a family obsessed with cars) and I snapped a picture, and my hubby wondered why I did, and my response was "That was Ethan's first car talk!!!"

And now he's 5. And in the stage of telling reeeeeaaaallly bad jokes.

They party was at a gymnastics place that he actually goes to for classes. I declined participation in the running and jumping. I'm highly uncoordinated, and very aware of that fact, thank you verymuch!

After all the kids running around and the opening of presents and cake, we headed over to the bro in law's house to chill for a little while.

And my nephew is totally a budding foodie. When his mom put out some chips and dip, he turned to me and said "You REALLY have to try this one. It's really good. And it's got onions, tomatoes and HOT PEPPERS in it." Turns out that he knew it from the container... which had tomatoes, onions and peppers on it. But still, what kid recites off food ingredient lists??

Picked up some Taco Bell on the way home (the hubby and I do appreciate all the good, authentic Mexican food to be found around Chicagoland, but we have a totally unnatural obsession with Taco Bell) and now he's got laundry going. Exciting, huh???

Arthritis sux

I know there are people who deal with far bigger, far more horrible things that arthritis and carpal tunnel.

But arthritis SUX when you're diagnosed with it when your 25. Which is how old I was when the docs told me I had it.

Both conditions are kinda passed down in my family... grandpa, the chef, got them early in life. My dad, the roofer, got them early in life. Me, who spends at least 8 hours a day at work constantly typing or using the mouse to create/manipulate graphics, got it early in life.

Usually it's not too bad. And if I am only dealing with a flare up of one at time, it's not too bad. Mild discomfort that goes away when I do what I'm supposed to do like wear my wrist braces and not sleep with my hands curled up under my pillow. But days when they both hit, I really just want to chop my hands off to deal with the pain.

Today we had some crazy-ass weather heading thru, so the hands were acting up something awful. And I just happened to be out of Alieve (my drug of choice for hand pain, I've even taken perscriptions that didn't work as well) at my desk, so a lunchtime trip to Target was made to stock up. That only helped a little. On the way home from work, a trip to another store yielded the new Thermacare heat wraps for your hands. Those things are pretty neat, they do offer some help. Rather than chopping my hands off, I find the gentle heat combined with holding a cold beer to be a good remedy for the situation.

My hands are still shit, though, and I hate that. I have a very hard time opening any twist top. Without warning, I'll have a hand spasm and drop something, or poke myself with something, or just have something totally fly outta my hand. And I know, this is one of those things that only gets worse with time, not better.

Meant to cook tonight... that didn't happen. And planned to check out Roly Poly sandwiches for dinner... which also did not happen. I've been so out of it, didn't realize the franchise down the street closed. Ooops. Ended up eating Jimmy Johns for dinner.

The plan for tonight was to make Superfast Salisbury Steaks for dinner, I think that might be pushed to Saturday. Or Sunday, since we have the oldest nephew's birthday party on Sunday during the day. I have a long standing rule that I have one night a week off from cooking... Friday. I think I do it just because I like that feeling that the work week is OVER and I can enjoy one night where I don't have to worry about anything but parking my ass on the couch and zoning out.

Thai food.....

Thai food was not something my family ever had as a child. No Thai food to be had in our little 'burb. Some very fine Chinese, but no Thai.

When I went to college, my roomies (one from the city, one from Michigan) swore by Thai food, said it was fantastic, and there was one place, P.S. Bangkok, that they loved and used to order from all the time.

I never liked anything I got from there. Always too much cilantro, and I'm not a fan of cilantro.

Hubby hates Thai food (or at least thinks he does), so it's never anything he had a craving for.

When I started at the current job, I found one of the guys at work also owned a Thai food place. Eventually, for some work function, we had food from his place. I went in, a bit cautious, but was determined to try the stuff anyway to see what I thought.

I didn't hate it. The second time, I kinda liked it. By the third time, I was hooked.

I don't know what it is about perfect balance of sweet/hot/spicy/salty/acid about the Thai stuff I love.... today was an indulgence in one of my faves, Tom Kha soup. Yum. Just perfect.

(No, it wasn't from the same place that my now ex-coworker owns... his place to too far away to pick it up & bring it back for lunch)

Panang Curry is another fave. Both Tom Kha Gai and Panang Curry..... the first time I tried them, I wasn't too sure. But the more I ate, the more addicted I became.

So many times, I've had various Thai cookbooks in my hands, but never brought them home. I have made Panang Curry for myself, and use curry paste in a bunch of things. I'm thinking I might need to try making some Tom Kha Gai in the casa de Hausfrau. SOON.

Random thoughts I missed in the last post.....

I don't know what the hell it is about tomato confit... when I follow the recipe and go for the full, suggested 4 hours, those suckers get dried out and a little burned. Today I only went three hours (totally mismanaged my kitchen time and had to get the unsuccessful dinner started) and from pictures I've seen of what they should look like... they were done. I don't get it.

There is NO hope for the Bears this year. Sigh.

The Black Dahlia is a boring ass movie. I Tivo'd it and just had it on for background noise. And it was STILL boring. I just finalled turned it off and got it off my Tivo.

Sooooo looking forward Top Chef this week. They've already had spottings of filming of the next season around Chicago. Unless they do some kind of "suburban mall food court challenege" I've got NO chance of seeing a damned thing, lol.

Not happy with Barnes & Noble. I stopped by there yesterday (it's right by Crate & Barrel) to pick up Reach of a Chef by Ruhlman. They didn't have it. All they had was ONE copy of Making of a Chef. Sadly, I'd guess there wasn't a huge run on his books that caused the lack of stock. And my darned Border coupon expired today, and I didn't get over there.

Must remember to buy CD-ROMs at Staples tomorrow to make some copies of my portfolio for the interview on Friday.

I hate flies.