Sky Garden

The Big Move

2010-01-19T17:42:00.002-06:00

This blog has served me well, and shall be continued at http://aeritech.net/

Lazy Holidays

2009-12-21T04:11:00.004-06:00

I haven't really been cooking much in the last few days, surely all based in seasonal laziness. The things that I have cooked haven't really been beautiful things or anything new, so they don't get pictures or entries. Here's something interesting, though:

My little brother is a big fan of broccoli and picks it up nearly every time he goes shopping, and I had some prosciutto that needed to get used (and still do) so I steamed up the broccoli and threw it in with the pasta after it had been drained. A couple of sundried tomatos, a lightly cooked prosciutto and, and a grate of Parmesan later and this dinner is good to go.

ICSA XXXVIII

2009-12-07T03:50:00.002-06:00

I finally made it into an Iron Chef Something Awful competition, even though I was kind of pushing the time limit a little bit.

ICSA XXXVIII: My Ricer needs new turbos

Butterscotch Whipped Cream

2009-12-01T02:21:00.002-06:00

I had a vision, A VISION I TELL YOU of this confection. I riding in the car on the way back from Thanksgiving and I set my phone down for a moment and just sort of gazed forward, and suddenly: WHAM! The cosmos presented to me a luxurious field of twisted light brown fluff in the shape of Churro. "What is that?" I pondered about this lovely sight that had flooded my inner vision. Then, it suddenly came to me. BUTTERSCOTCH Whipped Cream. Destiny is soon to be at hand. But I'm not about to try to make whipped cream by hand again, so it will have to wait. Besides, I'll have to think about what to use it with...Hmm...

Vanilla Extract

2009-11-29T21:22:00.002-06:00

The holiday season has arrived, and the best gifts to give are ones you make yourself, so let's start some projects, shall we?

Good Vanilla Extract is very expensive in stores, as are Whole Vanilla Beans...but the same is not so on the wonderful World Wide Web. For the same price as two beans at the supermarket, you can have your self one of these luxurious 1/4th lbs packages:

So, now that you've got that, here's what else you'll need:

Small Bottles (I've got an old Balsamic Vinegar Bottle I cleaned out, and some old Watkin's Vanilla Extract bottles)
Vodka (You can probably use something cheaper, but I'm a believer in 'Better Ingredients, Better Product')
Whole Vanilla Beans
Sharp Knife
Happiness
Helicopter
Breitling Navitimer

Step One: Cut seeds lengthwise. You can leave them attached at the little curve for added flair.

Step Two: Scrape out the little seeds (called 'Caviar') and deposit them in your bottle

Step Three: Stuff those bad boys in there. Fold them up if you need to (you need to.)

Step Four: All that lovely flavor has to go somewhere. How about into some Vodka? Yeah, that works.

Step Five: Shake it every day for the first week, and then just whenever you open your pantry for the next two months. Sure, it won't quite be ready by Christmas, but the recipients will have the fun of watching it complete its conversion. Refill as necessary for the next six months, and then extract the beans and toss them in with your sugar for Vanilla Sugar.

Mad Face McBreakfast!

2009-11-22T18:43:00.003-06:00

Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed.

DON'T CHEW WITH YOUR MOUTH OPEN!! Where are your MANNERS?

Sun-Dried Tomato Omelette
Whole Wheat Biscuits
White Bacon Gravy

Cook, Eat, Share - Kyle's Departure Party Part 1

2009-11-19T01:02:00.004-06:00

One of Cook, Eat, Share's members is soon to be leaving for Korea to teach English to youngsters. We've got to see him off the only way we know how: with a full belly.

It's looking like a wonderful turn out. I can't tell you want everything is, but I do know that the dark noodles dish is Thai Yakisoba, and below that is fried rice. Over to the right is Pumpkin Bread. I'm not sure what the other dishes are called. I'll try to get the cooks to fill in the blanks.

You want some of this?

Let me dish you up. (I made the Brussels Sprouts, some steamed and some Roasted [not pictured])

Oh, looks like someone beat you to it!

Early eaters get the shake down for their misdeeds!

It was actually the first potluck I've had at my house, and I felt it was very successful. Luckily, Kyle isn't leaving quite as quickly as expected (so I hear) so we'll get to see a bit more of him in the coming days.

For Father

2009-11-19T00:31:00.003-06:00

I haven't seen my father in some incredible amount of time, perhaps even in excess of a year. So, when I was present with an opportunity to spend some time with him very near home (In my brother's house, actually) I was very excited about seeing him, and being able to show him the progress I'd made in my cooking skill. I decided to make some dishes that I thought he would be craving having not had them available to him in quite some time. Steak is thought to be a luxury meal in the states, no? So, that choice was natural, and I'd been wanting to make a green peppercorn port sauce for a while, so that was easy enough to decide on. And, the moment I spotted a recipe for this Roasted Leek Potato Soup, I knew I had to make it my own.

Of course, I had to add some bacon in with those shallots. No potato is complete without bacon. Mmm...bacon. I think I stuck to the recipe for the most part, besides. I forgot to bring my immersion blender and had to use this wacky little drink blender that Kevin had and do it in about five different batches. It wasn't incredibly difficult, but it was tedious.

This was incredible. It was everything I could have hoped for. The salt-denaturing worked its magic so well that we could cut our steaks with a butterknife (which was good, because Kevin didn't have any steak knives). I made a garlic, rosemary and bleu cheese butter to put on these, and then forgot about it. The port sauce could have been thicker, but that will have to wait for another day. The shallots and green peppercorns worked out wonderfully, especially with me just guessing at how much to use, as I lost the recipe some time ago.

For desert, I was going to serve the rose crackies, and I brought all the ingredients for them, with the exception of the rose petals...so, they had to wait. Luckily, there was a pecan pie in the car from a local Dutch Bakery (run by the local Amish!) that was wonderful, and I used a bit of the Lemongrass Whipped Cream to enhance it. It couldn't have been better.

Happy Campers!

Prociutto Arugula Pasta with Sauteed Mushrooms

2009-11-19T00:25:00.003-06:00

Gotta use this prociutto...gotta use this Arugula. Why did I have Arugula? Oh yeah, it went in the Roasted Potato Leek Soup. That's up next.

I used two different kinds of noodles, for kicks. This was inspired by This blog that reminded me of all the different pastas used in that movie scene. I think it's a habit I'll adopt more often.

Cook, Eat, Share - Now it's my turn!

2009-11-18T23:55:00.002-06:00

The Cook, Eat, Share club, which I've mentioned in the past, has assigned each member a meeting to which we are supposed to make and bring whatever we'd like. I initially wanted to make a five course meal out of it, but narrowed it down to three after a rash of non-creativity. I had some potatoes I'd been meaning to use, which I made into Indian Potato Cakes, which are basically hashbrowns with garam masala. As for the proposed amuse bouche, I was drawn toward the idea of candying flower petals.

It came out that I used a pink rose, compliments of a friend from a local flower shop, with a Lemongrass Whipped Cream, and little bits of pineapple sauce. The idea was based loosely off of a sort of desert 'shot' that I found online, which I reworked into the form I wanted. I attempted to whip the cream by hand, but it got to be too tedious after about 10 minutes, and I walked over to a neighbor's house (who happens to be the sous chef of Ravine) and he presented me with a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer to do the job. Which it obviously did wonderfully. But, I left out the sugar and ended up having to overmix it slightly. I don't remember much about the pineapples sauce, other than it containing brown sugar and orange juice. I've still got a bit, which goes good the the mostly failed rose crackies I made a few days later. And I think I just realized my error when looking back over the recipe. But anyway, on to desert... or mignardises.

These little treasures, known as "Chocolate Earth Balls" came my way via a Whole Foods Market Recipe app I got for my iPhone. (Original Recipe Here) However, I changed it up as I first made these balls for a Sesame themed vegetarian potluck, so I use 1/2 cup of PB and 1/2 Cup of Tahini for that little something extra. I've debated about putting habaneros in them and changing the name to Chocolate Thunder, on a friend's suggestion. But, we try to tone down the spiciness for our presented dishes in the group, so now isn't the time. But soon...very soon...

Muffin Mastery

2009-11-18T23:49:00.002-06:00

When I look through snack items in the grocery store, I always find myself passing them up under the thought "I can probably make something better, healthier, and cheaper than any of this stuff". So, in my quest for making some snack foods to tote around, I have arrived at muffins. I've got a ton of frozen bananas that are starting to take up too much space, so we start there. Also, a lot of leftover coconut from the Chocolate Earth Balls (which will appear in the Cook, Eat, Share entry. Sorry about everything being out of order lately. I doubt it really affects you that much, anyway.) So, Banana Coconut Muffins it is.

They were wonderful, but I think they could do for being a little less dense. Maybe I'll add a bit more baking powder and see if that gets more rise out of them.

Ravioli Challenge

2009-11-16T13:47:00.004-06:00

I ran into some friends on The Square one night, and I'd yet to invite this particular set to dinner. One was tied up on the target date, but the other was up for the event. After discussing for a short time about what he was interested in, he felt it would be a decent test of skill you challenge me to making Ravioli. The first thought that came to me was a friend's comment that ravioli is incredible time consuming... But I'm not the type to be detered by such minor adversity. Naturally, I accepted.

The process was indeed arduous, but quite enjoyable for both of us. There will ne a breakdown of the process in the comming Tortellini post, seeing as it is nearly identical. The completed Ravioli were boiled, then given a light pan frying, then tossed with sautéed rattlesnake peas and shallots. I bought some prosciutto to go with it, but forgot to include it. Not a mistake I would make again.

The Ravioli were stiffed with a mix of:

Ricotta

Parmesian

Asiago

Romano

(Some other cheese)

Basil

Spinach

Nutmeg

Crash Recovery

2009-11-16T13:39:00.002-06:00

Losing a hard drive on my desktop was the initial setback that held up the blogging, and then the general laziness took over. But, luckily, the computer is back in action and better than ever, I uploaded the pictures and now it's time to present them. Also, I think the plastic funnel I've been using to fill up my water bottles is killing me. It's got to go.

Another addition on the Pad Thai run, this version included a tamarind paste made out of some dried tamarind I found at a local Mexican supply store. It still needs something...

Tortellini Alfredo

2009-11-14T20:57:00.000-06:00

I overestimated how much cheese filling I would need for the Ravioli in the previous entry, so naturally it needed to be used. I wanted to make some lasagna with it, but never got around to it. I did, however, have a great deal of fun making Tortellini

Step 1: Roll out the dough (after having formed and rested a dough ball) and cut it into little 1" or so bits, then roll into balls, then flatten.

Step 2: Use some sort of circular object (here, a wine glass!) to cut out a disc

Tada!

Step 3: Dallop some filling in the center, then brush egg wash on one side and fold up into whatever shape you'd like.

As for the Alfredo and Veggies, start by sauteeing some onions, followed by garlic and mushrooms, then add your cream and cheese (but not cream cheese. That wouldn't end well.) and then some sun-dried tomatoes, frozen peas, and prosciutto. Salt and Pepper, of course, never go amiss.

Herr's Baby Back Ribs Potato Chips

2009-11-05T14:39:00.002-06:00

Engaged in my courses and knowing that I had only mere minutes available to me in which to solve my developing problem: a sudden rising hunger that was becoming more and more difficult to resist pushed me in a direction that is incredibly rare for me to venture. The Vending Machine is an incredible monument to the American lifestyle: the constant availability and partaking of unnecessary junk. Bith Min Nguyen wrote about how processed foods characterized america for her. America was a land of factories and automation and standardization, seen most readily in the mass produced food-like ingestibles we find so readily on market shelves, and in this case, encased in yet another machine for consumer-side distribution. It is very rare that I find myself in the position to use such a machine, and even more rare that I would willingly eat processed potato chips... But had you seen what I saw at that moment, you would find yourself making a great deal of personal compromises, as well. Behold:

I had to know. I had to. There were other things in the machine that I would hav prefered, perhaps, but those were no longer an option. This came before all other things. It had to be experienced. I soon found that the bill acceptor, which generally gobbles dollars as greedily as the typical patron gobbles the snack foods behind its alluring window, was not working. I then made the trek to a crowded campus café just across the street and snuck to the front in hopes of aquiring coins with which I could meet my fate, but it was not to be so. Instead, I left with a larger bill broken into the small denomination I would need were I to find another, more operable machine that carried the same good. What luck would have it that the building neighboring my original destination would have a string of machines, one of which housed Herr's Artificially Flavored Baby Back Ribs Potato Chips (Finger lickin' RIB flavor!). Having made my purchase (Plus some Peanut M&Ms, for good measure) I was ready to make my assessment.

The first disc of crispy matter that was probably less potato and more something else was not entirely shocking in terms of flavor. The second, however, brought forth everything desired: a lush complexity of flavors, met by an intense smokiness that spoke of foods roasted over warm coals. It seems to me, when I study these selections more, that 'potato chips' have been growing to accomidate the flavors of many popular american foods, most notably pizza and cheeseburger flavors. Is there a steak flavor? Surely. People once dreamed of a day when a small pill would replace a whole meal, with an explosion of flavor mocking some particular dish. Perhaps that day is much nearer than we expect. Perhaps it is already here in a form we never predicted. If we found a way to blanket the chips in nutrition, we might truely have created something wonderous. And, at the same time, created something hidious and evil.

Vegetable Soup, Veggie Meat Balls

2009-10-26T21:50:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while a wrench gets thrown in the cogs and dishes that were planned never come to fruition. This can become a problem when the dishes have perishable ingredients that are wasting away in the kitchen. This sort of event calls for ingenuity, or more often just throwing them all together in a pot. An excellent vegetable soup was constructed using Broccoli, Asparagus, Red Potatoes, Mushrooms, Carrots, Barley, and Onions. I think there were actually a few more ingredients, and I've just forgotten them.

As for tonight's dish, we had a simple Tomato-Basil pasta using fresh basil from the garden and some fancy olive oil and balsamic vinegar that are printed all in Italian, so the only thing I can tell you about them is that they're delicious. Along with the other ingredients were Kalamata Olives, meatballs made out of some 'Gimmie Lean' meat impostor that Dustin picked up on a whim. They turned out very well, but still with room for improvement. There's always room more improvement. Always. Go improve.

Don't lose your momentum

2009-10-26T21:33:00.002-05:00

It is difficult to conquer a hill on a bicycle when starting from the bottom, as opposed to the top of another hill. Much the same is it difficult to blog about dishes I cooked a week ago. Here we feature two dishes in one entry, both made a number of days ago. My first attempt at making gumbo can be seen here. I feel satisfied with it, but would prefer to use better sausage the next time around. I'm curious about trying a gumbo z'herbes, which I feel I might make in the coming days when fortifying dishes are demanded to help us fend off the ills of winter.

In days beyond, I decided I'd finally use some lentils that have been sitting tidy in my pantry for many cycles. I thought that partnering them with barley would make an interesting dish, and a little inspiration from recipes pointed me in the direction of pressing them over caramelized shallots and then baking them in the same dish used to make the former. This came out with an interesting texture, but felt a little dry and could certainly benefit from more salt. The toasted walnuts would add a nice texture contrast if the beans were to be a little more mushy, which I'll shoot for next time. Dustin pointed out that toasted walnuts taste like popcorn. He was right. I'd never noticed.

Roasting Roots, Vegetable Soups, Shivering in yur boots.

2009-10-12T11:52:00.005-05:00

The most wonderful thing about the weather changing is the way out cuisine moves along with it. Once the leaves touch ground and a chill touches the skin, we're ready for such a thing that will warm us slowly, starting by delivering complex sensation the mouth, then, from our very core, washing us over with radient warmth and providing us with strenth and power. These are the days that meals must be crafted with care to combat that what we are up against - an enemy that constantly shifts form, reshaping itself to take advantage in the holes in your defenses...but it shall not succeed in these days, for we know where a good defense begins.

Within the earth we find life begins lower than we might expect. Buried beneith layers of soil, and perhaps a few misplaced pebbles, we find the gift of the soils: tubers, edible root sytems, suppliments, sometimes, to their surface side counterparts. Here, a collection of beets, potatos, parsnips, carrots, cellery root, and a rew other items that I fail to recollect were roasted to delicate crispness on the exterior, with a smooth soft interior. Vidal Scott was to thank for this wonderful addition to our health. But we have no even gotten to the heart of this evening's meal.

In days prior, Zac and I made a collection of intensely powerful and fresh vegetable juices, ranging from Kale and Salad Greens on one side to Carrots and Sweet Potatoes on another. His masticating juicer delivers back all the dry pulp that it has extracted all the juice from, and we set to making vegetable stock with these items, with thr helpful addition of a little Thyme, Bay, and an Onion. The stock was frozen away for the week while business held us apart from what we so eagerly craved. But the day finally came that our base could once again bath us with nutrients. It would not, however, go unassisted. Joining our contender in the chamber above the fiery pit were none others than:

Carrots

Green, Yellow, and Red Peppers

Yellow and Red Onions

Leeks

Garlic

Purple Potatos

Sweet Potatos

Cellery Root

Parsley

Thyme

Cayanne Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper

Quinoa

Lemon Zest

And hence came together a dish of such power, such magnitude, that we shall surely be fit to stride from the halls of our fathers into the fields of Valhalla and lay waste to all our would-be agressors, until at last the entire universe has become aware that we will not be stamped out: for we know how to eat.

Salmon Corn Quinoa

2009-10-03T15:39:00.002-05:00

I've got a friend who goes crazy for Quinoa, and we were both in the 'empty the storage' mode, so he brought over this salmon that was marinated in a bunch of stuff that I don't even remember. After taking the picture I decided to drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the setup, which brought a wonderful element to the dish.

Chorizo Thyme!

2009-10-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

It's been a while, no? Mostly, I haven't been posting anything new because I've just been making old dishes lately. But, I've had a few days of improve here while I'm trying to clean up the rest of my pantry before restocking, so here's what I came up with:

There is a sausage making / pork curing place on the outskirts of the county know to passers-by as 'Stan's Country Store'. I finally decided to stop there when last I passed it, and picked up some Boudin and Chorizo, both of which are wonderfully delicious. I mated it with some items laying around in the fridge and pantry for this delightful dish. I had a good bit of fresh thyme that needed to be used, then some carrots and celery. All of those things got steamed in order, and then mixed with saffron basmati rice and parsley for a simple and filling dish.

Invurtle

2009-09-20T23:07:00.003-05:00

This little treat was born of a desire to stuff some sort of dessert in a Wonton shell. My first thought was about what shape to make it, and when I thought about shaping it with the four corners poking out, I imagined them as little feet, and then... a Turtle! And what better way to make a turtle than the classic Pecan - Caramel - Chocolate combo? And a little Vanilla Bean Ice Cream never goes unwanted.

Caramel:
3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
3 Tbsp Dark Corn Syrup
3 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt

Chocolate Ganache
1 Bar Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 1/2 Tbsp Dark Corn Syrup
3/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Salt

Next Addition: Habaneros - Snapping Turtles!

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Soup

2009-09-15T23:59:00.003-05:00

This is one of those spur of the moment 'hey, what's left in the fridge' sort of dishes. So let's get right to it:

1 Sweet Potato, Cubed
1/2 Red Onion, Chopped
1 Head of Broccoli, stems chopped off completely
3 Cups Water
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 cup chopped chives
3 slices of bacon

Cook the onions in a little oil (I actually just used the grease from the bacon), toss the potatoes in until their coated, then add the next four ingredients and cook until the potatoes are soft. Toss in the herbs, and it it with an immersion blender until it gets to a consistency you like. Top with more chives and bacon.

Mojito Grilled Chicken

2009-09-15T23:48:00.002-05:00

A friend gave me a magazine that had a section devoted to dishes that prominently feature herbs. When I saw a recipe that made heavy use of mint, I had to jump right in. I can't get enough of it.

The chicken was fairly straight forward, you just make shoddy mojitos and marinate the chicken in fluids, then grill them. I'll probably add more salt to break up the protein next time around.

I put a lot more work into the black beans, with which I was very satisfied.

1 Cup Black Beans
2 1/2 cups water
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
cumin
juice of 1/2 a large orange

I know I put other stuff in it, but sadly, I cannot remember what. I really should write these entries when I make the food.

First Quiche Ever

2009-09-14T22:56:00.002-05:00

I made it wrong.

But it was still tasty.

Pirate Ships!

2009-09-13T14:31:00.004-05:00

I came up with this idea while trying to think up some entries for a cooking competition. I ended up not submitting my stuff, as I felt it got to be a little over the top for our criteria, but it was still delicious and fun to make!

Get yourself started with some ingredients, for starters.

Turn up the heat on the allspice, cumin and coriander seeds until they develop that wonderful toasty aroma

The last few pieces of Canadian Bacon make a good starting place for this dish

A day has never come that these two have let me down.

Get the goodies in there, make 'em sweat.

Those spices need to be much smaller.

Much, much smaller.

A little rum, chicken broth, and two bay leaves later, and you're well on your way to something delicious. get it boiling.

When the beans are nice and soft, strain the liquid into a small saucepan and reduce it, then recombine them.

Hit it with a wedge of orange juice for that little something special

You'll need something over which to serve all this lucious dark goodness. Coconut rice will do the trick. Boil equal parts Coconut Milk, Water, and Rice.

These ships aren't going to anywhere without sails, and the sails aren't going anywhere without masts.

Get those masts firmed up with a little bath in hot butter.

Dropping the onion sails in there will make them similarly delicious, but can get a little messy.

And here we have the the complete ship, ready to set sail for the burning sea in your stomach.

And a smaller ship, for shorter trips.

Pizza Week: Day 2 and Day 5

2009-09-02T08:51:00.004-05:00

I'm sure all of you are incensed at my lack of updates over the previous days, seeing as so many of you readers SURELY check for updates EVERY DAY. Oh well, that's still no excuse. Anyway, time is short, so let's make it quick:

Tuesday's Pizza was made with Pepperoni and Caramelized Onions:

And on Friday, a pizza party took place in which the guests selected the toppings for the pizzas. In the morning I began the process by making the doughs and letting them slowrise in the fridge. Here, they can be seen with their respective ingredients behind them.

Suggestion: Don't ever use 'light' flour for pizza dough. It's not pretty.

The first pizza of the evening was a Margherita Pizza, requested by a friend that wanted to reproduce an experience from her trip to Italy. I imagine it could be more accurate, but it seemed to be a hit.

Next up, the wheat crust with a selection of tomatoes and peppers that some fans of spice brought forth

Finally, the White Lilly crust nearly falls apart time after time while I attempt to shape it into this Canadian Bacon, Pineapple and Olive pizza that used up the rest of some ingredients I had waiting.

Overall, the Pizza Party was a success, as was Pizza Week itself. Now, forward to a cooking challenge that cannot be revealed until after my dishes have been submitted. Now, I actually have a reason to not write for a week. Fancy that, eh? See you next week.

Pizza Week: Day 1

2009-08-25T17:27:00.002-05:00

This week's theme was decided fairly late in the game, after a friend finally tried a pizza shop that I really liked, and began a discussion with me about favorite toppings. I picked up some Canadian Bacon from the farmer's market very recently with the intention of turning it into a pizza, and did so last night, to this end:

I probably should have cut the pineapples in half or made them significantly smaller. Anyway, tonight I believe we'll be having either a cheese or pepperoni pizza. I'll get back to you on that. But I'm most excited about friday...I'm going to try to grill them.

Honey Habanero Compote

2009-08-14T05:51:00.002-05:00

This recipe came together as two desert recipes that I'd been putting off making finally coalesced into one amazing, beautiful form. While most would think that the mint is just a garnish, it adds an incredible depth of flavor to this sweet and sometimes deceptively spicy compote paired with natural vanilla bean ice cream. It finally came to fruit-ion when a friend was having Taco Night and fried up some tortillas, which I'd been reluctant to do. I'd already made the syrup (from which I strained all the solids) for one of the deserts, so all there was left to be was to chop the fruit, put it together, and give it a little time to simmer and come together.

Spice Syrup
1/3 Cup Water
1/8 tsp Anise Seed
1 Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
1/2 A Lemon's Juice
Lemon Zest
2 Tbsp Honey

1 cup Fresh Blueberries
1 chopped Ripe Plum
1 Habanero, seeded and diced

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Fried Tortillas
Peppermint Leaves

Mushroom Pasta

2009-08-07T23:36:00.004-05:00

I wanted to using some word with "M' instead of "Pasta" but I was fresh out of ideas. Mezze Penne was what I was going to go for, but I forgot to get it today, twice.

Mushroom pasta. Simple. Elegant. Needs more Bacon. I mean, Garlic. But Bacon never hurts, does it?

Nachos!

2009-08-07T23:12:00.003-05:00

Lore has it that Nachos were made when a chef ran out of everything he had to make other dishes, and just threw something together for the hungry travelers that begged food of him. It's pretty much the story of how we get the most wonderful snack foods that we have today. So, spend more time running out of specific ingredients and see if you can invite a staple that will spread across the world.

The blue corn tortillas are a much more worthy addition to the dish than at first I had suspected. I do believe I'll be using them in most future renditions.

Hoisin Sockeye Salmon

2009-08-04T02:48:00.004-05:00

I felt that my grill was getting an unfair amount of neglect, so it was time to toss something on. What better than some slim slices of Sockeye Salmon? I wanted to give it a minor Asian infusion, so it was met with a thin basting of Hoisin Sause and served over a bed of baby spring lettuces, with a touch of seseme oil. And then some asparagus was in there for good measure.

Ethiopian week didn't see many entries, but some remakes should be posted soon. Do not fret, you'll have your taste of Africa.

Doro Wot

2009-07-29T21:07:00.003-05:00

Ethiopian Week got off to a fairly poor start when I didn't cook anything on Monday, and then my injera was a total failure on tuesday, along with the Kitfo not being particularly exciting. However, I was able to make it into a tasty dip by mixing it with hummus. So, my outlook for the rest of Ethiopian week was, I admit, a little bleak. Well, that all changed this night. Behold: Doro Wot. There is no going back. It will rule you.

I pulled the skin off of some chicken legs and heavily salted them, as I do with all meats, and let that sit while I chopped and cooked the other ingredients. I also sautéed the skins in some leftover bacon grease that was sitting around. The drumsticks got all the salt washed off when it was time for them to join the party, and the skins joined them in a soup that would be later reduced to a gravy. And all was right with the world.

4 Tbsp Nit'r Qibe
3 Small Yellow Onions
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Ginger
1 Tbsp White Wine (for deglazing)
2 Tbsp Berbere
5 Skinless Chicken Legs
4 Hard Boiled Eggs

Party Puttanesca

2009-07-24T00:04:00.004-05:00

We interupt Middle Eastern week on account of a prescheduled movie party:

One of my favorite movies is Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, mostly due to the strange mystic atmosphere, ambient music, and sort of gothic clothing. It all comes together to make a very beautiful other-worldy feel. In the movie, there are serveral references to the dish, Puttanesca, which is served at one point, and there's even a joke where one character says it and other says "What did you call me?" (explanation)

4 Green Onions

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1/2 Pint Cherry Tomatos

1/2 Cup Minced Black Olives

1 Tbsp Rinsed Capers

4 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley

1 Jar Artichoke Hearts

Whole Wheat Noodles

Parmesean Cheese

Ethiopian Week: I'm already too excited.

2009-07-23T10:38:00.002-05:00

I've already made up the menu for Ethiopian Week, and I haven't even finished this week's menu. I'm going to burst.

M	Kitfo	http://www.saveur.com/article/Food/Kitfo
T	Misr Wot	http://www.saveur.com/article/food/Ethiopian-Lentil-Stew
W	Doro Wot	http://www.saveur.com/article/food/Spicy-Chicken-Stew
TR	Yebeg Alicha	http://www.yewoinfamilycooking.com/2008/04/ethiopian-mild-lamb-stew-alicha.html
F	Yeasa Kitfo	http://www.recipezaar.com/fish-tartar-yeasa-kitfo-374384
S	Ye'abesha Gomen	http://www.recipezaar.com/Yeabesha-Gomen-184006
Su	Yeater Kek Alicha	http://www.recipezaar.com/Ethiopian-Split-Pea-Mild-Stew-320148

Chicken Gyros

2009-07-23T09:43:00.003-05:00

Roasting a whole chicken may be way more fun than it's supposed to be. I was expecting to be a little grossed out at first, but I find, actually, that I love it. I think I'm going to start getting whole chickens all the time.

After the chicken was finished I used the stuff left in the pan to make a jus that I drizzled over the top of the finished gyros. everything else falls basically within the recipe I used, with the exception of using much less than a pint of tomatoes.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-Gyros-with-Cucumber-Salsa-and-Tsatsiki-351874

Greek Salmon Salad

2009-07-23T09:11:00.005-05:00

Not very Middle Eastern, I admit, but you see plenty of Mediterranian and Middle Eastern menu mixing as it is, so I can stand to do it little here and there. I thought the task of roasting a whole chicken daunting, so I ended up putting it off for a day, foolishly, but more about that in the next article. I decided to go for a Salmon Salad for ease of use. In retrospect, I should have grilled it. I haven't had much luck with pan searing lately.

Kefta & Zucchini Kababs

2009-07-23T09:02:00.004-05:00

The first dish of M.E. Week was wonderful, but a little difficult to get right. The meatballs didn't have much structural integrity, so I took to freezing them a little bit so that they would stay on the skewers. I'm not quite sure how to give them more adhesion on the next run. Eggs, maybe? Otherwise, delicious. Mmmm, pine nuts...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kefta-and-Zucchini-Kebabs-233538

Middle Eastern Week!

2009-07-23T08:58:00.002-05:00

This week's theme was set by a friend who requested that I make a dish of Medietteranian or Middle Eastern origin. A little research and a few links later, I had the first few days set up, and it's been going absolutely fabulously. There have been some setbacks and rearrangements, and an exception has to be made on Thursday for a dinner/movie party (more on that later) and I still don't have dishes for the last few days, but I'll find those before the day is out. Stay tuned for next week : Ethiopian. Get excited. Get really excited. I am.

Kiełbasa Pasta

2009-07-23T08:49:00.002-05:00

I have some friends that live right down the road from me that let a lot of food just sit in their fridge. I do them the favor of cleaning it out when it is known that it will not be used. Such was the case for the Kiełbasa Sausage in this dish.

1 carrot, diced
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 lb Kiełbasa sausage
Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 green onion, sliced
Sliced basil leaves
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Peach Sorbet

2009-07-23T08:41:00.003-05:00

The deliciousness/work ratio of this dish is absolutely through the roof. Here's what you do.

Blanch peaches & rub off skins

Half, pit, and slice peaches

Freeze slices on platter

Blend frozen peaches with lemon or lime juice and sugar

Success!

Grilled Chicken w/ Roasted Bell Pepper and Peach Salsa

2009-07-23T08:21:00.003-05:00

I picked up a box of peaches at the Mid-Town Farmer's Market and set about putting them to use in as many ways as I could. Some of the results turned out to be pretty incredible. This roasted bell pepper and peach salsa, for instance, has seen many more uses than just on this chicken, and has been delicious at every corner. I would have preferred a red pepper, but didn't have one at the time. Also, cider vinegar was suggested in the recipe I was shown, but, same story. The peaches are brushed with the oil mixture, then grilled. The peppers are also grilled, and placed in a paper bag to loosen their skins. Both are then diced and tossed with the oil mixture and splashed with vinegar

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped basil
2 Tbsp finely chopped mint
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

2 ripe peaches, halved & pitted
1 bell pepper, quartered & seeded

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Sausage & Beef Lasagna

2009-07-23T08:02:00.002-05:00

This is by far the best lasagna I've ever made... I still see room for a little improvement. Using spiced sausage with a more crumbly texture, I think, would be a good move.

Stuffing:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb Italian Sausage
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
3 Tomatos, chopped
1 cup marinara

Cheese:
24 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb mozzerella cheese, shreaded (mix in half, use half as topping)

Lasagna Noodles

Black Brownies

2009-07-23T07:38:00.003-05:00

A little dark cocoa gives these brownies a push into the dark lands.

4 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Cocoa
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
8oz Melted Butter

Time to catch up.

2009-07-23T07:37:00.001-05:00

I think I'm going to start making myself a daily schedule that includes blogging. I like structure, y'know? Anyway, time for a flow of entries. I'll break them up for easy reading, and they'll be pretty short.

Back Tracking

2009-06-17T23:27:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine was visiting from out of town and requested burgers. I decided I'd try to make them a little interesting by adding some spices I'd gathered from an indian supply store. I held back too much. Next time, I will not make the same mistake.

This desert...this strawberry compote...failure. Not good at all. Wasted all my arrow root. Darn it.

Something new for old friends

2009-06-12T20:18:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine runs a Chinese restaurant in a town I used to live in. During a recent trip I learned that she might be moving the restaurant soon, and that she wanted some new ideas for nicer, leaner dishes, so I thought I might see what I could come up with. I wanted something similar to their present fare, and that last dish I had there contained vegetables and what she called 'brown sauce'. Easy enough.

The problem I have with the dishes at most Chinese restaurants is that they tend to be drenched in some sort of sauce or grease. This, however, is not typical of the more posh restraints in america, which makes me feel there might be a bit of a correlation between unhealthy food and the lower classes...but it's strange...why use more food if you've got less money? Wouldn't the idea to be to save as much as you can? It's been said to me that it might have something to do with the "more for your money" line of reasoning...the problem, I feel, is that people don't quite consider what, exactly, they're getting, and whether or not it is actually the best thing for them in the end. I can't change the world, or even the way people think about it, but I can certainly control what I give to them, and it's going to be the best I can give.

Semame Vegetable Stir-Fry

1-2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

2 Carrots

1 Celery Stalk

1/2 Onion

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

3 Cloves Garlic

6 Sundried Tomatoes

1 Tbsp grated Ginger

1/2 Cup Alfalfa/Clover Sprouts

1 Tbsp Fresh Ground Coriander Seeds

1-2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

Chives

Sesame Seeds

Vegetable Wonton Soup

2009-05-19T20:20:00.002-05:00

While goofing off with a friend online, I made a crack about Good Eats, and came to find that she was completely unfamiliar with it. While going about my way to right this travesty, I made the obvious first stop at the Food Network website. The first video that played (and still is, as of posting) was about wontons, which got me interested in making them, which worked out nicely as a friend had requested that I make something Chinese. They were very, very easy to make, fun to do, and delicious. A simple chicken broth soup made an excellent vessel for the vessels. And I've got enough stuff to make about twenty more!

Chutney Rum Chicken

2009-05-10T20:45:00.003-05:00

When in Nashville I made a point to stop by the Farmer's Market and the international supply store there-in. My elder brother spotted some Mango Chutney that caught his eye, and upon returning and having it sit around for a while, we deemed it high time to put it to use. After wading through recipes for chutney itself, I found one that caught my eye - and it included Rum. I was sold. I had some spinach couscous that hadn't seen any attention in a while, and I felt that it would make the most appropriate base for this dish. And the green beans are always a favorite. Can't really go wrong there. And bread. Can't go wrong with bread. Write that down.

More Rum, please.

Seedlings!

2009-05-10T17:35:00.002-05:00

I planted some herbs last weekend, which I believe I have mentioned, and they are starting to come up! Let's have a look, shall we?

Pot 3 has a little bit of growth, and I can't remember what's in it. Oregano, perhaps.

Pot 2 seems to be showing the most growth, and I believe it to be Basil, which tends to be pretty hardy around here.

Pot 4 has a single seedling popping up, who will hopefully be joined by friends soon.

The jar has quite a bit of activity for its limited space. Chives, I believe.

The peppermint seems to be enjoying life in this soil a lot more than the spearmint, but I'm okay with that.

The ground crops seems to be making some headway, as well.

Let's hope these fellows do not interfere.

Greasy P

2009-05-08T23:33:00.002-05:00

I had a healthy (hah!) selection of bacon grease left from last night's Carbonara, and Daniel suggested that it be put to use as a pasta sauce. It seemed a reasonable enough request to me. I spoke with another friend about the virtues of bacon grease, and she suggested using it to sauté cabbage. I decided that both ideas had merit, and split the grease between a pot and a pan, along with some minced garlic. The pot received the cabbage, and the pan received Onions and Bell Peppers (a combination not to be trifled with) and later Shiitake Mushrooms (not to be truffled with). I chose Penne Regatta and tossed them together, and topped each plate with fresh rosemary (that I was wearing in my shirt buttons, if any of you saw me today) and grated Asiago cheese.

My brother requested that I make brownies for desert, and I whipped up a variation of a recipe I've been using for a while, but being that I was out of walnuts, I had to opt for almonds. Toasted, of course. The were also treated to about a cup of chocolate chips, half a cup of coffee, and a fourth a cup of Crème de Menthe (I'm a big fan of mint chocolate. I used to eat Andes mints constantly, and my family got them for me as a gift on every gift giving occasion. ) They came out better than I expected, and a little slathering of Georgia's Harrowing Adventure Icing (the final dose of it) could do nothing but help. A sprinkling of almonds on top finished them off, and the best way to enjoy brownies is, of course, with ice cream. I should have put a mint leaf in the picture.

Engrish Cookies

2009-05-08T15:01:00.004-05:00

I stumbled across the leftovers of a going away party for someone that worked somewhere in the same department as me, and I found quite a selection of individually wrapped cookies with Chinese characters and a little splash of English on the wrappers. One can always count on this to be at least mildly amusing.

"The gourmet series has been created by the new art of bakery expert. The splendid snack is the excellent food for your health. Enjoy nice time by specially selection of high quality"

Alla Carbonara

2009-05-08T01:10:00.003-05:00

I asked a friend what I should make for dinner some time ago, and she suggested Pasta Alla Carbonara. I wrote it down on the week's menu, but ended up doing something else that night, and it has been put off ever since. Tonight, finally, that changed. I had a friend over whom until this evening I've only had short interactions with. Ryan, a philosophy student, whom I spotted at the coffee shop a dozen times and finally decided to talk to one day. I always stop and hand off whatever baked goods I have on hand when I see him, but finally the last time around I didn't have anything, and told him about the fiesta weekend I had planned, and he said "Man, I need to come eat over there." It's true. He's going back home to Austin tomorrow, so it was now or never. So, we had a Spinach Salad with a dressing I made up, sort of a Balsamic Vinegar and Toasted Sesame Oil and some fresh herbs. On to the pasta: I was a little cautious about how this would turn out, but I'm not sure why. You can't really go wrong with bacon and eggs. I'd like to try it with a more proper cured meat, if I can find a way to procure some. I've spent way too long writing this and being distracted, and have lost the steam. Let's wind it down, shall we?

Days go by

2009-05-07T15:47:00.002-05:00

I feel like I haven't slept at home for a long time, though I'm pretty sure it's only been a day or two. But I haven't been home to water my plants, and I hope they're not doing too bad. I got some herb seeds and little planters over the weekend, you see, and I'm hoping to get a little garden going, so I can have access to the fresh herbs I need. Maybe I'll take a picture of them once they start sprouting. I might also transplant some herbs from a friend's garden if we can find the time to do so. I also haven't cooked anything in days...but the only thing I want right now is a PBJ.

Wonky Schedule

2009-05-06T12:01:00.003-05:00

Sunday Evening:
10:00pm - 9:30am: Age of Booty & PixelJunk Monsters
9:30am -
4:00pm - 5:00pm : Business Calculus II Final Exam
5:00pm - 5:30pm : Accompany Daniel to Kroger. Purchase two bottles of Wine at nearby liquor store.
5:30pm - 6:00pm : Visit Snackbar for first time. Atmosphere > Food Quality. Unacceptable. Give free Galliano, though. First time. Delicious. Need more.
6:00pm - 7:00pm : Coffee Shop Antics
7:00pm - 8:30pm : Ajax, waiting for family. Meet David Swider. Cannot hate him as intended, due to mutual disdain for Taylor's attitude. Brothers, Sarah, and Alexis arrive. Burgers enjoyed. Run into Mary Beth and Cohorts.
8:30pm - 11:00pm : Run Burger to Taylor. Requests we return for fries. Return trip already planned. Hung out with Mary Beth and friends. Go to McDonald's, Burger King, and considered Wendy's for fries. Wendy's deemed not worth the detour.
11:00pm - 6:00am : Wine and PixelJunk Monsters
6:00am - 1:00pm : Sleep
1:00pm - 2:00pm : Lunch - Deli News
2:00pm - 2:20pm : Study for Accounting Final
2:30pm - 2:50pm : Read Watchmen
3:00pm - 4:00pm : Work
4:00pm - 6:00pm : Accounting Final Exam
6:00pm - 9:00pm : Installations on Erin's new laptop, attempted repairs to old.
9:00pm - 10:00pm : Ebay & Packaging. Never made dinner for Dustin. Bad brother.
10:00pm - 11:00pm : Late Night Breakfast Party at the Johnson Commons
11:00pm - 11:30pm : More Packaging
11:30am - 3:00am : Hunting for song that won't leave head. Multiple Unrelated Discoveries. Success at last.
3:00am - 7:17am : Power loss during sleep. Alarm failure. Roused Naturally
7:17am - 7:36am : Contemplating best method of transport during deluge. Fell asleep again. Woke up. Resorted to bicycle w/ heavy raincoat.
7:36am - 7:45am : Biked to class. Pants soaked through, upper body perfectly dry.
7:45am - 8:00am : Breakfast bars
8:00am - 10:00am : Production and Delivery Final Exam
10:00am - 10:15am : Free coffee at Starbucks. Finally left World of Warcraft Gift Passes on counter. Hehe!
10:15am - 11:50am : Contacted by fellow classmate to study for Real Estate Exam. Proceed to Mezzanine D.
11:50am - Present : Cohort departs for lunch. Record activities on blog. Need to take parcels to post office. No desire to brave weather.

Where is the rising sun? Where is the break of dawn?

2009-05-04T13:25:00.005-05:00

The new day brought the hours necessary for the pie to solidify, and here we have the beautiful finished product.

The caramel might have flowed a little better if there had been more of it, but I was scraping the bottom of the pan. That doesn't make it any less delicious, though.

Tres de Mayo

2009-05-04T01:08:00.019-05:00

My mother came in to town for the weekend to celebrate her birthday, along with my elder brother's birthday. I felt it would be most appropriate to cook something for them, and it all seemed to fall in place when I got an e-mail from Recipezaar about Cinco De Mayo dishes. We all have a bit of a fancy for Mexican food, and my mother is particularly fond of Margaritas, so I decided to fix up a few things. She's also really into turtles, so while I was joking with Chris about making something and telling her it had turtles in it, I was also looking for recipes and stumbled across a little gem. So, here was the evening's menu:

Flour Tortillas

Margaritas

Steak Fajitas

Turtle Ice Cream Pie

I began by starting on the crust of the pie, and accidentally used all the pecans due to missing little indicators on the recipe. Luckily, I had some crushed pecans dormant in the pantry that came into play later. The pie took an immense amount of time to craft, which I had not counted on, and it is still incomplete to this moment. I worked on it intermittently throughout the evening, as only bits of the work can be done at a time, in between waiting for the different layers to thaw. I moved on to the Flour Tortillas, which were a lot of fun to make. The dough was incredibly simple, though I was a little concerned about making it in a food processor without one of those plastic blades. I used the metal blade, anyway, and came out with a bunch of tiny, cute little balls of dough that I was then able to roll together to make properly sized balls that eventually got flattened into tortillas.

I chose to use thin cut chuck steak as opposed to the top sirloin simply because I did not want to deal with flattening the steak. This saved me some time and also doubled the amount of meat available due to the way it was packaged. I salted it as I do with all of my meats and got to work on the sauce, which was also doubled, while I set forth Dustin on the vegetables. One everything was in strips I dropped them into respective pans and let them develop that most heavenly of scents. There are few fragrances known to man that can be so purely pleasing as the smell of sautéing onions and bell peppers. I had a few mushrooms leftover from previous dishes that I decided to sauté in as well. That all came together very quickly. Incredibly simple, incredibly pleasing. I thought that I would be making too much, but by the time I made it back for seconds, there were none to be had.

I'd made margaritas the previous night(for the first time ever!), and had used up the majority of my Cointreau then, and didn't have enough for the proper measurements for a single glass this evening...but it turned out to be more of a crowd pleaser than the original recipe. I suppose I'll be making them like this from now on. I really only made it to accompany the pictures, and in the end I chose to use a picture that didn't have it present. I drank it anyway, of course!

Finally, back to this pie. It was a lot of fun to make, and every ingredient is delicious on its own. The Caramel is wonderful (though mom poured it out while cleaning the dishes and I had to remake it).
The Ganache was incredible (though I made it out of a bar of bittersweet chocolate + 1.5 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips), and you just can't go wrong with Vanilla Bean ice cream. It should be set up some time tomorrow, and you can poop your pants over it then. Ta-ta.

Poestry Exchange (04-29-09)

2009-05-04T00:52:00.002-05:00

"Stir.
Wisping winds dance overhead and a distant sound entices those fit for the journey.
I'm a step behind and I've no desire to pull you back,
  I'm just a little jealous of all the beauty I can see where you step.
I don't want to wake you,
  oh no, quit the opposite -
my spirit burns to be with you,
  there,
   active but still,
   hazy but real."
- Nicholas Doyle, 2009

"Blend.

Memories?

Yes, from the future they linger over your being like taunting screaming spirits.

But their wail fucking pleasant cuts through your peripheral and you

sit

stand

jump

into the breath of each blasted being.

Let their warmth

embrace

splinter

all hint of pessimism

and your eyes will glow like they were meant to by some omniscient being,

be that a holy or unholy god."

- Alex Brown, 2009

"Even in my dreaming state I sense you.

Always just beyond sight, but I know you are there.

Your presence is unmistakable, and so I call out to you.

Will you not answer so that I know you are there?

You were here with me once before, and yet I turned to find you gone.

Reality is blurred, and I wonder if you were ever really there.

Walk with me for a while and share with me these experiences that you crave.

Beauty such as this was meant to be seen by two kindred spirits.

Take in the sweet perfume that intoxicates your every fiber of being.

The scent lingers with you until it's all that remains.

Slowly the sun rises, and my eyes flutter open, trying to adjust.

In my half awakened state I search the room, but you are not there.

Smiling, I close my eyes and lay back down upon my pillow.

I know where you are waiting."

- Andrea Senter, 2009

Time Tah Plundeeeerrrrrr!

2009-05-04T00:15:00.002-05:00

I became aware a short time ago that one could download (for free) games that another person has paid for on their Playstation Network account by simply signing into the account on their PS3. I did this on Friday with a friend's account in order to get PixelJunk Monsters, which is absolutely amazing. It also has a wonderfully dynamic and relaxing soundtrack, which I need to get my hands on. I also found that he had quite a few other games laying around, one of which was Age of Booty, of which I am also quite the fan. It sort of reminds me of the board games Dread Pirate, which kind of sucks, and Pirateer, which kind of rules (and has lead to our usage of the term "Pirateer Rules", meaning that cheating in permitted in whatever event is deemed to have Pirateer Rules in effect). We've taken to calling the game "Shipwreckers 2", in honor of a wonderfully silly little Playstation game that we had happened to play independently of each other (which is strange, because no one seems to know what it is).

Anyway, I wanted this to dovetail into my next post, but then I remembered that I wrote the poetry while I was trying to sleep, and I didn't sleep at all on Friday night. We found out that Pixeljunk Monsters had a two player mode and played it until 9:00am. Good times, let me tell you. Good times.

Sleepless

2009-04-22T04:33:00.004-05:00

I had a dream last night that my brother's bicycle had a giant peppermint for its back wheel. Previous to that I had a Zelda themed dream that was very involved, and I remember one particular segment where Link was riding a horse through the sky, and when the baddies shined a spotlight on him, he somehow hid behind the horse and tossed a bunch of random stuff, including a couch, in and out of his backpack, and that SOMEHOW convinced them that HE WASN'T THERE. Back in the bicycle dream, which was the last dream of the cycle (there were three, but I can't remember what the one between these two was about), I was going down this massive hill on this really terrible, torn up road in what kind of seemed like a slummy metropolis - there were a lot of really big, crappy buildings woven tightly together on either side of the road, but I was certain that at the bottom of the hill, I would arrive RIGHT HERE, as if this road were connecting to it from the north. I ended up turning left on what would be jackson, here, and it put me next to a fence and some fields, in which a lion kept jumping at me and licking my neck. Chris pointed out that it wanted a little string that I had. Giving it the string is about the last thing I remember.

I'd like for tonight to be similarly interesting, but obviously, I'm awake...so much for that.

Business Un-Casual

2009-02-11T19:53:00.000-06:00

People constantly ask me what I'm so dressed up for, and I'm starting to consider just making things up to make my day seem much more important than it really is. "Why yes, I'm meeting some men from Dubai to talk about rifles pipes that increase flow rates of substances like peroloium up to 27%!" I'm open to other suggestions, as always.

Wings to a Distant Land

2009-01-22T10:57:00.002-06:00

Short trips to places I've seen before, I believe may be under rated. There is always a chance to find something new, a chance to connect with those once nearer to home and heart. We wandered through mountains, around steep slops and through slices of rock, covered in frozen flows. Old faces were restored to memory and new faces were scrawled in, as I met new people and dined with old. I sampled real Ethiopian food for the first time, and it was absolutely amazing. Few things I've tasted can compare. I also had Thai and Indian, but was not nearly as blown away. We had wine and various cheeses over an interesting board game, Thurn and Taxis. The group attempted to bowl, but found complications in the midst, and returned to the party grounds to indulge more in snacks and conversation. The nights rolled on and exciting times I could not have predicted were upon us. Back at our weekend lodging I found a copy of Mirror's Edge, which I think I might nominate as one of my favorite games, and certainly one of the best games made recently. I played it almost non-stop and finished it in three sittings. I turned a new friend on to Final Fantasy Tactics, and now that's got me playing it, as well. And so I tied up my trip with Lamb Gyro and some lite reading on the return journey, but I spent most of the time just gazing at the road. So much world to see, and so often we are just too distracted. Such a shame.

Poetry Exchange: 01-16-09

2009-01-22T10:49:00.004-06:00

"Frozen Falls and Empty Halls litter the world around us, shocked by the wave and abandoned by the blaze. A million tiny paths so taunt and brittle shatter at the lightest touch, as if merely coming near could make them explode. Clouds are cast and the world loses all trace of color as it slides into a scene unmarked by those things that give us comfort, and we are left wondering how much longer we are forced to edge through this wasteland." - Nicholas Doyle, 2009

"In this wasteland we search for the frail trace of warmth and compassion always seeming just out of our reach. It was found once only to have let it slip through our hands like light fleeting from an ever growing darkness. It eludes us only to show its face long enough for us to have the yearning again. The wandering, the wondering; are they the same?" - Andrea Senter, 2009

An e-mail best unsent.

2009-01-09T07:36:00.001-06:00

"Oh my god. I am losing it. I am getting this perceptual distortion in which my consciousness is lagging behind my senses, so I experience everything before I am aware of it, and it gives this sense of seeing the future. I know everything I am about to do before I KNOW that I have thought about it. Do you understand? Stay up for a few days, maybe you will then. It is making me a little sick. It is kind of like intense, unending deja vu. I have edited these cat pictures before. I have seen the sun spilling on to my maps from this exact angle. I have written this e-mail before...time and I again. I have not even been up for 24 hours! What is wrong here!? This paragraph...it is the one from that...that vision I had earlier. This is what I was thinking about....but it still doesn't make sense."

Infinite Midnight

2009-01-06T05:00:00.002-06:00

Hours turn to days as I slip through this, but the days are without day, for I see nothing but darkness. I rise to the absence of life giving light, to be greeted only by fragments and reflections. I fall before I can catch a glimpse of the pure thing, and it has been so long that I begin to question if it was ever really there at all, or if we have always wandered in twilight, and that we only dream of daytime as something magical and unreal, something we wish for. Here I am, stumbling through infinite midnight, welcomed to a world I once knew, and my have never known anything but. Come to darkness, they chant...but were we not born to it?

I appreciate the distraction.

2009-01-04T00:32:00.003-06:00

Thank you for what you've done. It really has been kind of you to give what you have to give, and I really enjoyed it, for I thought it was what I wanted. But, time does not stand still, and the instants we once held are fleeting fast, and as they fade, so too does our break from reality. Those images cling to the barriers we didn't know we built, and while in place, they make them dissolve. The luxury this grants is a painless path to knowing what the world truly has in store for you...and it tells me that it is not this. Thanks for the nudge, I know which way to go now.

And there is nowhere in this universe to hide...

2009-01-01T23:41:00.003-06:00

A new year, time shifting and realigning, a chance to reposition itself, a chance for all of us to coordinate. We set aside this time for a promise of change. 'This year, it will be different', 'This year, I'm going to do (this)'. Do we really need a calendar to guide us? Do we truly need mathematical time to control us? I've walked for nights and slept for days, felt the pulse of the world at strange hours, met new people and said new things in the space one might not expect. I tell you, every moment is a chance for something new, something incredible - desire is the essence of being, the drive that takes us to new heights. Desire...it is the things that shifts worlds and makes our breaks realities. So, let us first start by finding what we truly desire...and then, we can set that desire to time, and time can create for us a projection, our own calendar. That way, my friends, time will be on our side. We shall be in control, for nothing is more powerful than a person with conviction - a person that knows exactly what he or she wants, and isn't willing to stop trying. It is in that, which we are given a real beginning, and a chance to create new beginnings. So when you stand at the fated hour, will you ask yourself "What will I do with this year?" Nay; You ask yourself : What shall I do with this lifetime? What shall I do...Now?

Poetry Exchange

2008-12-30T03:06:00.003-06:00

"In an embrace, she says for the second time that this isn't a favor. Because she wanted to. Two beautiful people that probably won't have much more than this sink into each other over and over. They become one for countless minutes until neurons explode like colorful sensory fireworks, and now they bowth feel more than they are. But only because of this. Every action, particulary this one act, reestablishes a numb-free feeling of love and godliness." - Alex Brown, 2008

"Ages people have wondered about what there might be in the space they can't touch. They tell tales of splendor and majesty so grand that faith is the only ground left to stand on, the story becomes more than a story, and they forget where it began. They have all lost sight of what is before them. They have forgotten that it has always been a part of them. We can touch the strings of the universe. The lucky among us can even wrap our hands around it for a short time...but the immense power beyond is too much for our fragile frames to withstand. We feel absolute glory, rapture, and ecstacy, it is wholly intoxicating...and then we have to fall into a trance as our bodies are rattled by the aftershocks, reverating while we try to regain our breath." - Nicholas Doyle, 2008

NOC

2008-12-30T02:27:00.003-06:00

Night-Owl-Club, Welcome Aboard. Bedtimes are at 7-8a.m. Thank you for participating.

It's interesting how I manage to find ways of avoiding things that I want to do. I've had this book sitting at arm's length, and I've been meaning to read it for a few hours now. Multiple conversations have kept me from my goal, but I wonder if it's all intentional on my part? Perhaps I just like the feeling of a slight pressure in the opposite direction. I feel like the need to be elsewhere creates a certain sort of appeal to being here. I've noticed the same thing happening a lot with video games, which is kind of awesome. I like how I'll want to play a game, but I'll end up doing important things, instead. Maybe I should just start throwing in little things for me to think that I'm going to do, just so I'll do other things that I need to do.

So much to do, so much to say, so much to see... and I'm getting tripped up at the doorway.

I had some new friends over for the first time last night, and that was wonderful. They were great fun to talk to, and we've got a great deal of common interests. They even have sleep schedules as horrible as my own! I feel this may be the dawning of some interesting times to come. I'm so full of excitement and vigor...but that always happens this time of the morning. Don't know why, exactly. Some sort of energy rises from the earth and gives special powers to those awake enough to receive them, and I'll gladly take them.

But enough talk! I've got a book to finish, put in a box, and send far away from here. More on the book later.

I like the little "teeth" reflection.

Today's Highlight: Samantha finally came to town and gave me a haircut. It was becoming very necessary, as I believe that last one I had was in July. I've got a few before shots, and we should be taking some afters tomorrow, which I'm pretty pumped about. I love modeling.

Poetry Exchange, 12-11-08

2008-12-11T03:27:00.002-06:00

"We flip our sense of being to the back of our brain. The world shifts and twists with the light as our view of everything we soak in twists about itself. We realize that which we see is not real (only to us), and that which we seek is at our fingertips." - Alex Brown (Dec 2008)

"It starts on the fringe, the most distant point, tracing a winding, crooked path over countless terraces as it seeks to find an entrance, searching desperately for solace, for sanctuary, for shelter... but we've shut the doors. Obliviousness harbors Oblivion. When the day finally comes that we stop looking so far across the sea for what we desire and finally find it all around, the walls will fall, and it will flow through us. It will course in us, soothing with a comfort we never expected to attain. It will pour through us, as something luminous, enlightening. It will begin at our fingertips, and we will end on our knees." - Nicholas Doyle (Dec 2008)

Hog Roast

2008-12-09T01:28:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine is moving to Australia in a week, and when I asked what he would like to do for a going away party, he asked if we could roast a whole hog. I realize that he was delirious from pain medication from having his wisdom teeth removed, but when had delirium ever held me back from an adventure. I think we're in for something either incredible, or terrible. I can't wait.

Today's Highlight: Two exams down, four to go! I think the accounting went fairly well, luckily.

Uneven Flow

2008-11-29T16:19:00.002-06:00

I feel like I have moving through a strange curve of events, that are leading to places that I am, quite frank, a little confused about. I manage to find myself in these intriguing situations time and again, and the difficulty I am met with is making sense of knowledge from the last to apply to the present. I'm just hoping it will flow back in naturally, and I'll be able to make the most of it.

Why do I write so cryptically in a journal meant to remind me of things years down the road? Maybe I'm not so intent on remembering.
Speaking of which, I was coasting across my old Xanga this morning in hopes of finding a recipe, which I was unable to located. I did, however, noticed that for a while I had this trend of posting a daily highlight. I think that's something I should get back into. It would keep the days from fading away. The objective is to make them unique, to remind yourself that every day is different, and brings something new. The problem is with blogging in the middle of the day, when new and wonderful things can still happen. I wonder if that would make the optimal writing time just before you go to sleep?

Today's Highlight: We're getting better at Halo 3. Long has it been since our Halo days, but Chris has (perhaps inadvertently) brought it back to us. And now, we hunger for battle constantly.

It's just a state of mind.

2008-11-16T00:57:00.001-06:00

It's like every word I'd ever heard was bouncing around in my head, echoing in a massive, empty room that only I stood in. So many of their words I choose to ignore, thinking I knew better, that I had a grasp and control of this situation. I've played the pawn to my desires. I'm weak to it, and I let go; thinking, perhaps, that I would get some joy or ecstasy out of it...but it never works out that way. It always comes back to where it began, and the error of your ways sits before you, and you've got a choice of trying something different...but you don't do it, do you. Insanity. That's what we are. That's what I am. Insane to expect different outcomes from the same approach. Insane....huh....Sadly not as surprising as it should be.

Vacation is Over

2008-11-06T15:11:00.005-06:00

I feel like I haven't done anything in days. I've spent too long at the condo, getting too relaxed. I've got so much work, so many things to do that I just have not addressed. That's the problem with my airy attitude: nothing bothers me, even the fact that I'm not getting my work done. But what did I do?

Tuesday...oh yeah, I voted. And I did my homework that morning before class. Maybe I wasn't as lazy as I thought. I had some trouble locating the voting center, as I rode past the road that connected to it. It was much more bike ride than I had bargained for, but it was worth it, of course. Oxford is so hilly, and my bike's gears are all messed up. My chain ring is sort of ghetto-rigged and the increments on my cassette are all messed up, so the chain falls off if I shift into the lowest gearing. Isn't that awesome? You'd think I'd fix it. You'd think I'd fix a lot of things immediately, given my philosophy...but we can't always be true to our thoughts.

Wednesday : I watched Fern Gully : The Last Rain Forest. I've had bad experiences with re-watching movies from my youth, but this went incredibly well. I also wanted to cook a movie themed meal, and decided that smoke would be the best flavor to make the connection. For that, I decided some planked fish would be the way to go. That, of course, need not stand alone. I spent quite a while trying to think up and prepare the ingredients, as they called for a few hours of prep. I went exploring town for a plank to use, and I found a wonderful little specialty store called "Mississippi Madness" It is located on the square and opens to a selection of locally crafted pottery, which was interesting, but not what I was after. I took a trip to the back and saw a sign that read "Culinary Gadgets and Gizmos Downstairs". Sounds like my place! I went down to find a treasure trove of customary tools that I didn't know were available in town. And to think, I practically found it by accident (I was referred by a guy from the lumber yard that didn't have what I needed).

I feel like what I'm writing is pointless. Am I writing just to write? Does it really matter?

So, perhaps it wasn't quite as uneventful as I'd suspected...but now it is time to focus, for the is much to be done.

I used to wait for goodbye.

2008-11-03T03:03:00.001-06:00

Now I walk away.

For Memory. For Pleasure

2008-10-28T20:58:00.002-05:00

Why is it that I can never convince myself to set aside time to do the things I enjoy? What sort of foolish behavior is it that we deprive ourselves of the things we enjoy so that we can, what, accomplish things? What are you accomplishing if you are not taking care of yourself first?

I'll bet that even if I knew the answers to all of this, I wouldn't be any closer to writing consistently. So, let's just go with what we've got today, hmm?

I like the days that I tamper with my alarm clock a bit while I'm still asleep. When I'm lost in a place between waking and sleeping, and I'm not quite sure what the thing actually does, or what it's many possible uses could be. It's been so many things that I can't remember, and has given me some of the best moments of sleep. That said, I'd still rather do without it. I'd much rather just go to bed early enough.

So I continued to slumber off and on until I got a phone call. Daphne, from the University Counseling Center? The last ticket to the Jordan Table? You're darn right I want it! SOLD!

A shower, clothing selection, bike ride and confused campus-map-search later I was headed off to my next meeting with a ticket in my hand that I thought was all but lost to me. The event had been fully reserved, you see. I came to find later that the venue was impossibly small.

The Study Abroad office was the next destination. A meeting with a master had been arranged, and the beginnings of my journey were laid out on the table. There is much to be done, and much to look forward to. Let's hope it comes to fruition.

Back to The Lounge to print a resume for my next meeting, which I would come to find later would not be upheld by the alternate party. Back in the present, I desired food. Kathleen seemed like a good choice for a lunch buddy, and with her recent surgery, she'd have something to talk about. She arrived and I set a course for soup, bread bowl required. McAllister's was the name of the game, Potato for me, Chicken and Dumplings for her. I was the fool, she was the victor. I helped he write up a contract to make her flaky roommate pay her bills. Don't people get paid a lot of money to do this stuff? That's what friends are for, though, right?

So I rush to the Career Counseling Meeting, a requirement of my Marketing class, and an interesting event in itself, and my advisor fails to show. So, I set about the crunch to finish the Accounting homework I'd yet to do, due in an hour. Luckily, he takes it up at the end of class - Which is a horrible idea. I know I'm not the only person that sometimes does the work in class and pays no attention to what he's saying. But I prefer to do it before, so I can type it and print it. Alas, I've days of laziness abound.

Calculus. Third Exam. I either got the last two tricked me. They're the only ones I might have missed. I kind of can't believe how good I've gotten at this stuff. I always told myself I couldn't do 'crazy stuff like calculus'. Funny, how your mind works around things you don't understand, blowing them out of proportion... and then with explanation comes ease.

I was given some shoddy directions to the Jordan Table event. SARAP Tea House. I was given an address that claimed to be in another city as far as gmaps was concerned. "Past the car lot headed toward Batesville" she said. This information is:
-Vague
-Wrong

After searching up and down the highway for 15 minutes, I decided to stop in a Chevron and ask for some assistance in locating the mirage. He had no idea where it was. 15 more minutes of driving around, and I find the building directly behind the Gas Station. Thank you, knowledgeable fellow.

I arrived alone, not being able to bring any friends, so the first step was to find a table with someone that would provide for interesting conversation. This proved very easy, as a Brazilian woman nearby was saying some amusing things. One in particular I recall. She was telling a friend of hers that she needed a boyfriend, because it's time for "Winter, Wine and Boyfriend" No, Wait: "Wine, Winter and Boyfriend. Yes." She later mentioned to me that I should get a girlfriend to go along with my Wine. I concur. She also told me of various popular Brazilian dishes, weddings in Brazil, A U-Shaped house that she adored, and that I seemed interestingly different than most of the men she'd met. Hearing that never gets old, I'll have you know.

There is so much more to be said about the Jordan Table, I'll have to break it down later. If only I could remember her name (after chanting it to myself over and over again. Apparently that method doesn't work). I should be asleep. There was another meeting, then some internet lollygagging, and now this entry, and once it's done, homework. There's something to look forward to.

Memory Slipstream

2008-09-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

Days go by.
Days go by and they fold - one into the next.
And then they fade.

Those events that take place on these days, are they really as small as they seem? Are not the tiny things we experience the ones that truly create who we are? Sure, we have those ‘defining moments’, but what are they if not a way of changing and arranging the input that we’ve built up? We trudge through the ‘grind’ in order to grate off the little slivers of being that we toss in a large pile and wait until these moments of great insight, and that is when we finally pick them up and make sense of all the little components, which until that moment sat dormant; a resource neglected.

The question is, then, what can you identify and apply properties to every sliver? Would markings no allow you a greater understanding, a better sense of place and knowing? So we have memories. These memories are stored in our massive data center, so massive it has yet to be calculated. If you have that much space, is there really any reason to erase data? If you have more room in your head than you could ever use in a life time, would you ever discard something that could be important? Do you?
Is memory truly forgotten? When we stop remembering something, is it really erased, completely eradicated from our minds? Or, instead, is it just stored away in the archives, a second that stands aside from the active portions, allowing faster travel of the more frequented thoughts? Is it still in there, somewhere, compressed and uninterruptable when we don’t have the proper decoders? Perhaps the decoders are a frame of mind? It’s these certain trains of thought that allow us to visit the past, is it not? If that is the case, could we not create a formula for all recollection? Could we tap into every memory we’ve ever formed, simply by finding out the thoughts we need to get there? It is a giant puzzle with pieces that stand directly before us…our eyes just don’t know how to see them.

Learn to look. Learn the stream.

Band of Brothers

2008-09-01T17:36:00.002-05:00

A hazy visage appears on the horizon, trotting forward to our hovel. It is Brother Christopher, and he as returned to us for a time. Together we are at this stand reunited. Great years have passed since we have gathered as one, but it is again now as once it was. So much has changed, yet so much stays the same. Spirits are gay and festivity reigns in the air, and we see only good times ahead...and we welcome them with open arms.

Machine Dry...able?

2008-09-01T17:17:00.002-05:00

As a follow up to the previous post, I want to mention that I did remember to put my clothes in the drier today, only to find that it sucks and I've had to run my clothes through three drying cycles now and they're still no dry. Perhaps this is punishment for my foolishness with the washing, or perhaps this new drier is just a piece of junk. I'm going back to the old one. Here's a bit of advice for you : Don't be afraid to splurge on the things you use every day. Why would you spend a bunch of money on instant entertainment like movies or say a Hibachi Grill, then buy bedsheets at a dollar store that feel like sandpaper? And I'm not even going to get into cookware. You should only by cookware once in your entire life, and that's all there is to it.

So here we stand at the gate of a new month, peering inside at all there is that could await. Will it be time for us to stand tall and change our lives radically? Will it be time for us to cower in fear of something we do not yet understand? Or will it flow slowly by and be forgotten like the rest? Tell me it won't be so. I don't want to live another day that doesn't have some sort of memory attached to it. I don't want to just go through the motions. It is not enough to just live. I need so much more from this time, this experience. Time passed will never be returned, but you cannot fret about that loss. There is only one thing to do, and that is make more of what you still have...and if you get creative, you'll find that there is much to be done.

Machine Washable

2008-08-31T16:52:00.002-05:00

I've got this bad habit of starting to wash my clothes, and then forgetting about them. The Washing Machine doesn't have any sort of end-of-cycle signal, so I find myself looking for clothes hours later, and suddenly remembering that they're now sopping wet and disgusting. So, I restart the cycle...and I fall into it again. Maybe I go into my room to do something, maybe I take off and hit the town. I'd like to say that noticing the problem helps, but it doesn't, really. It's probably going to keep happening until I make up my mind to just sit on top of the washing machine with a book. Hey, that might not be so bad...

Eats, Good ones

2008-05-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

My iPod is presently 10% music, 90% Alton Brown. It's a delicious ratio.

So, I slept.

2008-05-24T03:40:00.003-05:00

And it was a bad idea. I've felt much more tired today than I did yesterday, after having been up for 24 hours. That's just dumb. But it's what I've got to work with, so here goes.

Herb Baked Potatoes:
This one is simple, obviously. Let me break it down so you can most certainly understand
Chop up Potatoes
Throw in a bag with olive oil and any desired herbs, plus garlic.
Seal and Shake
Pour Potatoes out on cooking sheet.
350-450, depending on desired crispness inside out out. Flip often.
If you're feeling antsy, hit them with the broiler until your fears melt away.

I was able to make this dish very quickly between healing on that god forsaken video game, so anyone can do it with any amount of time. Enjoy.

Oh, right, I was built this way.

2008-05-22T08:10:00.002-05:00

I forgot that I'm not supposed to sleep. I got caught up in enjoying it so much that I forgot how much more productive I am when I don't do it. Let us use this cross examination:

Normal Day

Insomnia

Woke up at 6:30.
Biked Six miles to work
Worked, half asleep perptually
Biked home
Played WoW
Went to Sleep around Midnight

Woke up on day 1 at 6:30
Cleaned up Kitchen
Cooked Lunch
Cleaned remainder of house
Washed Laundry
Ran 1 Mile
Biked 6 Miles
Met 5 New people at a Coffee Shop
Played WoW
Upgraded Cellphone to Windows Mobile 6
Installed SPB Interface on Phone
Cancelled crappy mailout subscriptions
Added every possible number I could to my phone
Hatched a genius plan
Posted on Blogger Twice
Worked out
And there's more to come, as my day has not ended!

Yeah, so I don't think I'm really going to sleep much anymore. I've also been waking up like I've got a purpose these days. I hate to admit that WoW has actually made me productive. I hate on it all the time, but in my attempts to not play it, I get too much stuff done. Maybe it's a necessary component of my success. If only I could focus this much without it. I need some other pleasureable leasure activity to avoid.

Barley Soup

2008-05-21T14:24:00.004-05:00

Some time ago (months, honestly) I picked up a package of Barley after reading about its nutritious virtues, but to date I'd only made one failed dish with it (and that was mostly due to negligence). But today, that changed. I spotted a recipe about two days ago that I thought fit the bill, matching simplicity with style and few ingredients with a tight budget, and I came out with something delectable. The picture is a little poor, I admit, but that's because I only thought to take it after I'd already eaten half of it, because it's DELICIOUS. My variation involved a scant amount of white wine, allepo pepper, fresh milled black pepper, and salt. Simple. Streamline. Effective. It may not be in season, but my stomach and tongue don't know the difference. I'll be making this again, no doubt.

This Herb Baked Onion came out fairly well, also. Looks a little like a flower, wouldn't you say? It tasted good, as far as a baked onion goes, but it's not quite up my alley. If you're an onion fanatic, have at it. Slice it almost to the root, but some butter in the alleys, a little oregano/parsley and rosemary, and you're on the path to success. Wrap it in tin foil and hit it with 350° for about 30 minutes, or until the onion is reasonably tender. I sprinkled on some paprika at the end for enhancement.

I also made this casserole a few days ago, which was lackluster and only edible when loaded with spices. It needs a serious overhaul.

Turning Wheels

2008-05-19T09:15:00.002-05:00

For a few weeks, I'd begun biking everywhere, and much prefered it to driving. However, after a week of storms and a trip out of town, I've noticed that I havn't even ridden my bike in a week, and I feel absolutely terrible. It's as if I'm betraying my body to decay. I also havn't been sleeping very much lately, which also plays into it. And now I feel tired all the time. I made a to-do list yesterday, and didn't complete a single item. This has got to change.

For the Record

2008-05-08T14:46:00.001-05:00

Marzipan Sucks.

Alternate Interpretation

2008-05-07T15:36:00.002-05:00

World of Warcraft make me surprisingly productive, as opposed to contrary belief. I've noticed that whenever I think about playing it, I come up with as many possible reasons as I can to not play it, and this usually results in me making a to-do list that places it at the very bottom. So, I go through and take care of all sorts of thing that I would otherwise neglect, and only then do I start playing the game. I'm kind of loving this.

As quickly as it began.

2008-04-13T22:38:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been doing a lot of things that I've never done before, and with these new experiences come new consequences, and outcomes I've never expected. How these things work still mystifies me, and I'm so lost about how to make something of it. I find myself getting too quickly involved in romantic ventures, I suppose you could say, and it seems that such intensity can only be sustained for so long, and causes a significant deal of stress on the association, as it has not ended quite as well as I'd hoped in most cases... so, there's something to this art, something materializing in the distance that I'm striving to grasp, something others may have become so keen to so long ago...but still something I feel that every person has to find alone. You arrive at the necessary mindset for such a thing not by choice, but by force, you make the decisions you have to make, and you are pawn to them until the paradigm shift. And so it is that I am subservient until I've found a way to make sense of it all.

Chicago Style?

2008-03-24T16:22:00.002-05:00

I've been making pizzas from scratch for a while now, but never have I made one quite like this. I tend to rush through the kneading and go straight to cooking it, which has resulted in a thinner crust for me in the past. This time around, on a friend's suggestion, I spent a significant chunk of time kneading, and my results were quite a bit different.

Behold the beast!

I allowed a friend to make the sauce, which came from a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce, but herbs and spices. It came out a little too chunky and watery, but still delicious.

Keep your eyes open for the next pizza. I've got some ideas that I'm pretty excited about!

Pi Day!

2008-03-14T13:51:00.002-05:00

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459

Spring Break has come for me, and it slides away as the time goes on. Back to work and school in the following days, but I sadly felt no different in any point. You could say I didn't make much of it, if you want. I think I'll say that. There's always a way to squeeze a little more out of what you've got, and I admit that I didn't go the distance. Shame on me.

Don't follow the trend.

2008-03-09T15:16:00.002-05:00

I noticed that there was a running Tuesday / Thursday post trend, and I wanted to keep that going. Well, as you can see, I completely forgot about it on the following day, and it's been quite some time since I've been back.

Moral of the Story: Don't put it off. It will never happen unless it happens as soon as you can make it happen.

To-Do List

2008-02-26T16:34:00.001-06:00

I decided to make out a list of things for myself to accomplish, preferably in a single day, but most likely to spill over into the next. It exists partially to remind me of the things I need to do, but also to make me feel terrible for the things I neglect. I really need to start feeling like I'm doing something wrong when I let things wither. If these things were plants, they would be turning horrible colors and shrinking, if they were pets, they would whimper and become desolate. I cannot have that. These things are my pets, and I must tend to them. There are responsibilities. I have gotten quite a few check on the list, though, and that does feel nice - written confirmation of goals reached. I like it. I intend to keep it up. I'm doing it right now. Check.

Brain Storm

2008-02-19T22:25:00.004-06:00

So, I'm in a strange place right now, I feel.

And I just realized that I don't really want to talk about it.

It will all improve, though. It always does. Things have a way of working out, in the end, and I've got faith in that.

I meant to go biking today...and somehow I completely missed that. I've got to stop using the internet so much, it's eating up my time and I've got next to nothing to show for it.

Time slips through my fingers

2008-02-14T17:02:00.002-06:00

So, I've done it again. I let it slide. It whisked while I was lost and spun frantically at sea, trying to find my way. Now I have returned to with my bearings and am scouring the maps for my destination. It's indefinite, amorphous, and fuzzy. It is hard to identify and hard to visualize, and that makes it so much harder to grasp. I need to add to it definition, shape, clarity...only then can I make it my own. So still my path is shrouded, but I shall find the calling and heed it, even though it does require more searching still. Whatever road it is that I end up on, though, I feel that sticking to my commitments is a major part, and as such, I must keep this up, even if I have to trick myself into doing so. So, I set it as my homepage. We'll see if it helps tomorrow.

This is...

2008-01-29T23:52:00.000-06:00

I couldn't have hoped for it, I couldn't have dreamed. What once seemed impossibility is now my reality. I may, in the future, regret being so vague in these posts when I'm trying to recall my past. Maybe I need a more private journal for these thing. Maybe there's a way to make these things private. Maybe I'll come back in the future and explain things. But for now, my life is bliss. Now, I just need to get back to making money.

P.S. - The singer in Guitar Hero III is incredibly ugly. I can't handle looking at him.

Days Go By

2008-01-29T13:15:00.000-06:00

It looks like you missed the whole weekend, my friend. A recap? Why yes, I can do that.

Friday is where we left off, I feel. My aim this weekend was to finish all of my homework, which was done successfully, but quite in the manner of that I went about it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Newman and Matt were over and making a bunch of noise, and Newman kept asking me to get Daniel in town. After much harassing of Daniel and Patrick, I convinced them to drive down from Oxford. There was a lot of freezing rain that night, and Patrick's car was completely sheeted in ice. We ate some greasy Mexican food and I picked up a few brews for Patrick, who'd lost his license and was unable to acquire his own. We went out to Raven and Jay's (the Bird's) place, and watched Borat and Bring It On. Raven wanted to watch Bring It On 2, but we couldn't handle any more, but decided to Walk to Walmart (on the coldest day of the year thus far) and get Bring It On 3 (because it has Hayden Panettiere) Daniel and Patrick slipped and fell over on a bridge that had been completely iced over. I warned them on the return, so that helped them to not quite topple when returning. We lated retired to my place to sleep. It was a fun and eventful night, even if this description doesn't make it sound so glorious.

Saturday meant a great deal of change in my life, as I changed something that had been with me for nearly 8 years. Shock and Awe ensued. A friend of mine had been wanting to come over for a few days to play video games, and so a few people came out and Played Guitar Hero, Halo, Katamari, and Gears of War. The whole night progressed and pretty much that pace, until things wound down around 5:30am when Hope and Zach took off.

Sunday...hmm. I spent most of Sunday reading and doing my homework. I actually got some things done, for a change, though it took a while. I also turned down a couple potentially fun events, but I would like to commend myself for willpower there as opposed to mourning the loss. That took its toll into the wee hours, regrettably, so I'm trying to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Monday was probably the best day of my life. It's not often that you have something you've dreamed about for years and years finally become real. You have to treasure those moments that something incredible that you've yearned for is finally made yours. I got one of those things on this day, and it was wonderful.

Tuesday - Still reeling in the sensation, and trying hopelessly to pay attention to my homework. I've lost myself to it.

Nap Time

2008-01-24T13:18:00.000-06:00

I slept too much yesterday, missed my calling. Here's a note for you : Internet Courses are inferior to physical ones. I'm just not so sure I enjoy the time benefits. Moreover, where as the conventional learning method is bad enough at retention, I feel that just reading the book and doing worksheets online is even worse, and I'm not going to know any of this stuff a year from now.

Sub Par

2008-01-22T19:31:00.000-06:00

My brothers wanted to get pizza from Domino's for dinner, which I submitted to and chipped in. I've decided, as of this moment, that I will never make that mistake again. That stuff is disgusting and I won't have it entering my body at any point so long as I am in control of my actions. You are entitled to whatever opinion you have of the place, but I'm done with it. Yuck.

Ahhhh...

2008-01-21T17:49:00.001-06:00

There is a wonderful feeling that you get when you finally hear something that you have been waiting to hear for a lot time. It's the same as many other pay offs after time has made them more sweet, but mine is special. This one has a flurry of emotions attached, and is no minor thing. It's wonderful, where I am right now.

In other news, I've finished the website I've been working on for the past few weeks, and I'm looking forward to finding something new to work on. I would love to get into doing some more web work, even though it can be a little troublesome at times. I feel it is a great way to meet people from almost any walk of life, as most people can appreciate having their own little home on the internet, so it's a product that can be pitched to a wide variety of persons. It's also fairly easy to do once you get the concepts down, and that's always a plus.

I feel like I've reached a funny point when I put off video games to do things that should, technically, be less fun, like working or doing homework. I would write that down as a problem, but I think it's kind of awesome, and I hope to keep it up. And in the interest of doing something fun, I think I'm going to go make some dinner. Spaghetti sounds nice and simple. Don't ever delude yourself into thinking that complexity = quality, some very simple dishes stand the test of time. Take Peanut Butter and Jelly, for instance. Timeless, Delicious. Go have one right now.

Beautiful Scenery

2008-01-20T13:42:00.000-06:00

My elder brother and I have been working on a website for a little while for a woman that travels around the globe and writes about it for travel magazines such as Lonely Planet. I've been making flash photo galleries for it, and some of these places are just breathtaking. I'm proud of my work, but I would love to be doing what she's doing, being paid to travel and write...now that's the life. I have to find out more. But for now, you can stand at my distance and see through her lens.

Ever the Nomad - What I See

Frequency

2008-01-20T13:00:00.000-06:00

I am still doing my best to make writing the part of my life that I know it should be. I feel that this craving for words and grammar do not just stem from wanting to get good grades on papers. Surely there is more to it, surely it is a calling for some stronger purpose. In that honor, I really am trying to keep in mind to do it every day. The desire is usually there, but I just pass it up on the guise of other things being more important. This is the flaw in my personality, the thing that will hold me down until the day that I can conquer it. I must overcome this part of me that passes up on the things I know I want to do. I must strive to be the person that I know I can become. It has to be now. Because if it is not now, then when? How long will I put off being satisfied, being proud of myself? There are not minor things to let slip by in the rush. These are things one cannot do without. And I will not do without them any longer.