Playtime

I realized that it's probably been some time since the cats have made an appearance around here. We have all been trying to learn the lesson that there is plenty of room on the couch for all of us. Once we have that one down, we may try working on "there is plenty of room on the bed for all of us." Or maybe not. Boris does seem content sleeping on the floor most of the time.

Yesterday while out shopping for food and food-related items, I decided that the cats had not received a new toy in quite some time. Now Natasha likes to play soccer, kicking a ball up and down the room, so I knew this would be a hit with her. I also sanely decided to place said object in the living room instead of the bedroom.

The surprise was that Boris enjoys the toy just as much as Natasha. In fact they were originally playing together with each seated at opposite ends of the eight. By the time I decided to take photos, they had opted for solo play though. I wanted an action shot of Boris. Unfortunately he stopped to pose as soon as he saw the camera and refused to return to the game until the camera was out of sight. He's such a diva. And Natasha and I think at times there is only room for two divas here. And we were here before he was.

They knew

This photo of Boris and Natasha was taken on Tuesday evening. All this week they have been trying to get as much quality time as possible. I figured they already knew and so was surprised by Boris' puzzled look as I left this morning, suitcase in hand. I assume that he will be throwing a rager in my absence and will not clean up after himself. This will be his payback for my not taking him with me on Monday night when I went to see Dave Chappelle (Fantastic show.) and for not sharing my snow crab legs later in the week.

It's back to Berkeley and the dogs for me. Although I was slightly freaked out to hear that cops had to shoot a mountain lion that was prowling the Gourmet Ghetto earlier this week -- a mere two blocks from my former home.

We're having a heatwave once more. Yesterday it was 90 while today is slightly cooler. Luckily it will continue to cool off over the weekend as it can be unbearably warm at Marin's home. I have also vowed that I will not lock myself out this time.

What will I be doing? Watching "Weeds" on Netflix instant viewing. I am currently in the middle of season three. I also have some reading to do. I am slowly but surely making my way through The Hour I First Believed. Just in case I want to switch things up, I also have with me the latest book from Meg Gardiner as well as that Anthony Bourdain book about which everyone has been talking.

I have also decided to get all kinds of crazy over the weekend. Normally when I watch Dumb and Dumber, I eat takeout and stuff that can be prepared in the microwave. This weekend I have brought along food that will require actual cooking. Actually I haven't been doing any actual cooking in quite some time unless you want to count boiling eggs. Which I'm not going to do this weekend because did you know that Trader Joe's now carries hard boiled eggs? And they're already peeled.

Finally I will also try my best to stay out of Beckett's as that always seems to lead to trouble. But I'll probably cross town to stop into see my BFF, The Commander.

Hope y'all have a great weekend. I know I am really looking forward to having four days off in a row.

So many things

So since that last post I've been meaning to write. The stuff there? A temporary setback. That was a sign of my warring inner selves -- the one who knows these people cannot be trusted and the one who wants to believe that people will understand and respect what I say. Notice I did not say agree. Unlike my mom, I'm not looking for agreement. All I've ever wanted is understanding.


I first thought of writing on Thursday night when I got home and found this lad howling on my deck. Seems he wanted in. And he eventually got his way. I refused to name him though since once you name them, they're yours. I sent him home with a coworker on Friday. Hopefully now he has a new home.


I took a half day on Friday. Besides packing up the kitten to go home with my coworker, I had my hair done and got a pedicure. Lesson learned is that I should not wait this long between pedicures. Another lesson learned is that I should take more time for me.


Finally, Drummer Boy was supposed to show up this weekend. In younger days, I would be crying over this slight. (Especially since I did not find out until Friday afternoon that he was not showing up -- because I texted him. Thin rope.) So I continued on with my weekend plans. I know you've seen this before but it's been quite some time since I have grilled ribs. And once it's lit, you just have to throw other stuff on it. I had to make sure that I had not forgotten what I learned. It was basically a practice run.

This year for my birthday, I'm hosting a BBQ. Last year I invited one of my coworkers and his wife. They were expecting an invite this year as well. So they responded yes but now they are rethinking. Why? Because the vast majority of the people invited are female. I explained that most of my friends are married and that some will be bringing their husbands. See my coworker didn't want to be the only guy present. So now he wants me to let him know a few days beforehand if other men will be present. My feeling is that if you are so worried about who else will be present, then you don't need to be present. So yeah, I uninvited them. Life's too short for that kind of bullshit in my opinion.

Final thought of the weekend is this song. I first heard it on "Ugly Betty" when they played it for the first dance at Hilda's wedding. I was near tears. I'm pretty sure that Maddie was bawling. After hearing it, I thought that I could suggest it to my dad and his fiance for their wedding -- because I was still speaking to them then. So if one of y'all out there is planning on getting married, I highly recommend this song to you. Although I still love Stevie Wonder's "As" but that song is something like six minutes long.

And maybe soon I'll be able to put together something that isn't as rambling in the near future.

Spring babies

For some reason, I associate Sunday dinner with roasted stuff. I should have been out grilling again though since it looks like we may be getting rain for most of the coming week.

Roast plus spring adds up to just one thing in my mind -- lamb. I roasted a rack of lamb with garlic and herbs. Rosemary, thyme and Italian parsley if you must know the herbs. In another pan I roasted new red potatoes, baby artichokes and a few baby French carrots. Besides olive oil, some of the lamb drippings were tossed with the veggies as they cooked. To finish it off, a mint pesto because I always want some form of mint with lamb. It started off as a blend of mint leaves, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and red pepper flakes. After blending, I decided that it didn't have enough acid so I added some rice wine vinegar as well.


Boris watched the preparation of the meal quite intently. Per usual, he got none. We did get to greet one of the newer residents of the neighborhood while things were roasting though. Apparently my deck seat is quite the draw for the neighborhood kittens. The kitten got nothing as well. And don't worry. Two cats is my limit.

Enthralled

As long as it is not a Spare the Air day, this is the normal view around here. Everyone was upset on the 25th that we were not able to have a fire that day. Well, we could have but then I would have faced a possible $400 fine.

Braving the weather

Now I know that some of y'all in colder climates are saying to yourselves, "Weather? Those Californians are such wimps." Yes, we are. We like our temperate climate. But this is an El Nino year so I see lots of rain and cold in our immediate future. And lots of whining as a result. We are petulant privileged children. (Say that fast three times. I double dog dare you.)


But Friday evening was the start of Hanukkah. And me? I am down with any religious holiday that involves food. (Note to self -- Must research Hindu and Buddhist traditions for ones that involve food as well as I am only versed in the Christian, Jewish and Islamic ones.) So Friday I headed out into the awful rain to Berkeley. Saul's had a latke tent for the weekend. I cannot even begin to describe my love of latkes. OK. It is not as great as my love of blintzes but still.


This weekend was more about this inspiration though. When Maddie and Boy Toy were out here in August, we hit a couple of wineries and I joined their wine clubs. Imagine my surprise at the beginning of November when instead of my usual two bottles, I received this beauty. Yes, it is a magnum. And yes, in this photo it is completely empty. How? Well, I sent out an Evite and cooked up some food.


There was my usual goat cheese with fig and walnut tapenade to start the evening. The main was a salad, bread, moussaka and spinach lasagna (pictured). There were children running around laughing and playing. Adults were busy catching up on one another's lives. Jade said that she had watched Julie and Julia earlier in the day and it made her think of me. For me, it felt like home.


I awoke this morning a bit fuzzy around the edges. And then it hit me. They had eaten everything. There was no food left save the baklava even though they had put a pretty healthy dent in it as well. The remainder will be going to work with me tomorrow as I am sticking true to my weight loss goal. Because -- squeeee! -- I had lost another pound when I got on the scale this morning. I now weigh less than I did back in July. This is real and I can do it. And the fact that I'm doing it during the holiday season and at a time that I am vulnerable to using food as a crutch proves to me that I can do this anytime.

Today I also did a kind of hard thing. I went to meet my mother to go to the movies. I realized on the way there that I have not seen a movie in a theater in over two years. Scary. Five years ago I used to see at least 75 or so movies per year in a theater. With my DVD viewing, I easily watched 200 movies a year. I miss it. Maybe if and when I get my bonus check in January (Yes, my company is still giving those out.), I will rejoin the San Francisco Film Society. Because I do need to take my non-flabby self out to places and all.

I totally survived going to the movies with my mom. While she enjoyed Invictus, she did not like it as much as Blind Side. Me? I would have liked it more if she had not been reciting the poem throughout the movie but I knew it would happen. But how can you not love this?

"I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul."

It tied in beautifully with watching "Dollhouse" Friday night. Here's where I would put in the warning about plot spoilers and all but I suspect that at this point, I'm the only one watching. Echo met up with a previous engagement -- a guy who wanted her to be his dead wife. The guy had finally moved on in his life and was engaged but when he saw Echo, everything came back for him.

"I thought I was past this."

"You never get past it. It becomes a part of who you are."

So true. And me now? It's all about having a home that I can open up to others. And on days in which there is not a Save the Air warning, a fire in the fireplace. By the way, the screen came from my aunt's house. And so a little bit of her will always be with me. Because sometimes we need to see it. But I know that I carry a little bit of the four women I have lost in these last 15 months or so in me. I would not be who I am today if not for them. And I will never forget this. They taught me to cook, to set a pretty table, to be a gracious hostess, to find joy in being around other people's children. They also taught me that bad things happen but we are survivors and so we move on. It is how we react and not these things themselves that define who we are.


And Flufficat, Boris and Natasha would like to thank Teddy and Kiki for their Hanukkah gifts. As you can see, the blue fluffy thing was big hit. Of course after one hour, it no longer exists. Because my cats are all gangsta like that.

Good morning

I have spent the last week working through with the folks at JS-Kit on the comments issues that have plagued this blog since I converted from Haloscan to JS-Kit. Hopefully they are all solved.

And so I leave you with a photo of a morning ritual around here. Upon awaking, Natasha likes to see what's going on outside.

Change

As you see, Boris is not very big on the idea of change. I have accepted that he will always sit on top of the refrigerator no matter where we live. Me? Different tale.

In the last two years -- since starting work at my current company -- I have gained more weight than I care to mention. While it does not make me overweight, it does make me not so happy. Because it's not like the weight goes on evenly. And I know that a lot of this weight gain happened in the last year or so -- when I was eating away my sadness and sitting on my ass because I just didn't have the energy to get off of the couch. I've accepted that it took some time for the weight to appear and it will probably take some time for it to leave. I have been spending the past couple of weeks trying to commit to healthier habits -- like cooking more, bringing my lunch instead of going to some fast food place (Hello Wing Stop. Love you dearly but you end up on my waist.), finding ways to be more active. The key is trying to do things that are realistic and achievable so that I can actually stick with it. So feel free to ask me in the future how things are going. Because I might need a kick in the ass every now and then.

In these efforts, I dragged myself out yesterday for grocery shopping since Sunday is when the farmers market happens in the neighborhood in which I shop. This market almost makes up for the fact that Berkeley Bowl is not my closest grocery store anymore.

Squash flowers!

There are a variety of things you can do with these. Stuff them with cheese. Saute them up as a quesadilla filling.


But for me they always mean Flor de Calabaza Soup. No, you do not have to use the amount of butter called for in the recipe. And I used lowfat half and half instead of the cream. One cannot do away with all dietary fat because then one ends up with fucked up hair and skin. Because this week I'm trying to stick to soup and salad for lunch and dinner.

Oops!

I was out walking around the 'hood and taking photos when it dawned on me that I am supposed to announce the prize winners. Oops.

As soon as I got home -- and stirred the soup -- I pulled out my handy list. (As the comments came in, I recorded your names in order under the appropriate prize.) Then I went online to the handy dandy random number generator to determine the winner.

Without further ado, the lucky winners...

1. The Sardine Factory book - David
2. The baseball cap - Linda
3. The blank book - Chris
4. Octopus keychain - Bucko (Ken)
5. Penguin - Beth
6. Pt. Lobos stuff - Bucko (Ken)

All of y'all except for David need to contact me so that I know where to send your loot. Those of y'all who didn't win? Well, you never know when I will be giving stuff away again. And Maddie, I am still looking for a box to put Boris in. He is really excited about being able to go on a trip and is quite curious about this stuff he keeps hearing about called snow.

You're a winner

In my travels over the last weekend, I picked up a number of items. I am now offering you a chance to win these items. It's really simple. Indicate in the comments which items you would like to have a chance of winning. At the close of the contest, I will select the winner(s) by random drawing.


1. The first item is a book about the Sardine Factory. It's mostly about the history of the restaurant but it also contains some recipes.


2. A baseball cap from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.


3. A blank book from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.


4. An octopus keychain also from the Aquarium.


5. And the final item from the Aquarium -- this lovely stuffed penguin. Sorry but I'm a sucker for penguins.Oh, and if you want the cat, I'm willing to throw him in as well.


6. A set of cards and a couple of bookmarks from Point Lobos State Reserve.

And finally if you like all of them, simply state "all of the above" in your comment and you will be entered into each of the drawings. Otherwise just indicate the numbers in which you are interested.

Entries for the contest will close in one week on October 18, 2009 at 12:00 noon.

Flashback

About four years ago, I discovered that Natasha likes to watch food cook in the oven. This photo is from the very day I made the discovery. She kept putting her paws on the hot oven door in an attempt to see what was going on. As soon as I turned on the oven light, she settled into position and did not move until I removed the contents. To this day, I now automatically turn on the oven light -- just in case someone might want to watch.

What made me think of this? Well last week was a week filled with crappy food - tasty but crappy for me healthwise. And by the end of the week, I was feeling pretty crappy. I needed something a little healthier.


And so I remembered the first dish that Natasha watched and prepared it for Saturday's dinner.

Of course I backslid on Sunday so right now it's mostly salads around here. Until I feel less blah.

Company

The crab of the other night was an afterthought and was not meant to be eaten alone. I saw this recipe and was inspired. I never combine Indian flavors with beef because. Well, you know.

And I say inspired because I didn't follow the recipe to the letter. First of all, when I am working with herbs and spices with which I am familiar? Yeah, there was no measuring involved. Also the recipe calls for curry powder. Years ago I looked at the ingredient listing on a bottle in the store -- red pepper, coriander, fenugreek, and turmeric -- and realized that I already own most of the individual components. Except the fenugreek. For that, I always substitute another "f" that sometimes appears in Indian recipes -- fennel. And since it was supposed to be Indian spices, I threw in some cardamom as well.



And has become the custom around here, everyone has their spot to watch the preparation of meals.


But the finished meal was just for me. And I have to say that it was mighty tasty.

What was meant to be

This was supposed to have been dinner on Sunday but the zucchini patties were too filling. So it became Monday's dinner.

Just as I knew what would become of the zucchini I bought in Sebastopol, I also knew what would become of the chard. It needed lamb. With rosemary and a balsamic sauce. The sauce is supposed to be for the lamb but I find that in some ways it's tastier on the chard. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I grew up putting vinegar on greens.

Sorry. Just lost my train of thought. Oh. Natasha says hi to all of you. And she says that the whole preparation of the meal was fascinating to watch even if she didn't get any of the fresh rosemary. (She likes fresh herbs a lot.) She also says that once I have taken a photo of her of which she approves that I can post it here.

I have learned that I'm usually on to something if the cats are enthralled by the whole process. Not that I haven't made this before. It's just been some time. And I guess that this is what this whole week to date has been about -- rediscovering old friends.

Everyone wins

During the moving process, I was frequently asked, "What new thing will the cats be receiving?" Ummm. Nothing? Except for the pleasure of continuing to live with me?


That was before I had to start sharing bathroom facilities with Boris and Natasha. One gets tired of looking at litter boxes. And Boris is always looking for new perches.

OK. It really started with an idea that Fluffycat planted in my head. While she was hanging out with me on moving day, she mentioned something about litter box things that look like furniture.


After a recent search on the website of one of my favorite stores, I found these babies. There's even a hook inside for the scoop. I like to think they're a great improvement. The cats haven't weighed in with their opinion yet but I'm sure they'll love them. And if they don't? They'd better get used to them because they're not leaving.

Finding my bearings

Well, I'm happy to say that I have a new furnace and so will have working heat for the winter. Which is due around August or so. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.) Boris is adjusting to the fact that he can no longer sit atop the upper cabinets in the kitchen. Natasha has discovered that she actually enjoys canned food other than Pet Promise chicken and rice. She should. The stuff they've been getting lately costs more. But I love shopping at Pet Food Express.

I miss Berkeley Bowl and Andronico's immensely. I know. They're not that far away but I just don't see the sense in driving that far for groceries unless I absolutely have to. Especially now that I know that I can get all my favorite cheeses at Farmer Joe's.

Last night there was no leftover fish for dinner as I ate it at lunchtime when I came home to let the guys in to install the new furnace. (Have I mentioned the fact that I love that I can now come home at lunchtime if I so desire?) So that left me with the question of, "What's for dinner?"

I've been keeping things pretty simple around here these days. Time spent in the kitchen making elaborate meals is now spent unpacking the endless stash of boxes. Plus perhaps I am saving up my energy for later this month. Bottom line about making dinner choices is simplicity and not having to travel too far. The fact that it's pretty busy at work also adds to the equation. Today I arrived at work around 7:30 this morning and didn't leave until 6:00 this evening.

Every night on my way home I pass by Galvan's. Last night I decided to take the plunge. After perusing the cases, I decided on the NY strip steak -- one of my favorite cuts. It was the best steak ever. (Many thanks to Zoomie for inspiring me to buy a grill pan and to discover the joy of herbed goat cheese atop a steak.) Needless to say, Galvan's will now be a regular stop. Next on the list is to check out the farmers' market in downtown. If I can find parking because the parking situation during the market is worse than Berkeley Bowl on a Saturday afternoon.

Getting settled

Thursday night I officially stopped being a resident of Berkeley. That's when I finished cleaning the old place and turned in my keys.


This was the first thing I saw as I got in my car to leave the apartment that last time. For some reason, I thought of Cookiecrumb.

So over the weekend, I decided to start doing some exploring. And by exploring, I mean checking out grocery stores. While Berkeley Bowl really isn't that far away, I thought it was time to become more familiar with stores closer to home.

In my travels, I discovered that there is a Safeway on Redwood Road. Kind of strange though. Like they have gift cards but no greeting cards. (I had to pick both up for Sista Locks's graduation on Sunday from Berkeley. I know that she will be a fantastic principal.) They also only have beer and wine. No other alcohol. It was kind of strange. Made me think I had landed back in Virginia somehow.

I was on Redwood because when you head down the hill, it becomes 35th. And that's where you find Little Joe's. I will be stopping there at least a couple of times a month since they have the Emmentaler and the "crack cheese" that I love so much. And so on Sunday, the kitchen officially reopened.

Mussel-fennel bisque -- again.
This was followed by this week's flavor.


Banana-walnut ice cream

Now if I could just get Natasha to eat something other than her old food. Because the closest places that sell that stuff are in Alameda and Berkeley.

I hate Paris... *

Yesterday was one of those the-weather-sucks-just-like-the-holiday-season-does-and-my-hormones-are-messing-with-my-head kind of days. You know what's really good on those kinds of days? Besides really good food. Yep, movies. It dawned on me that the answer was in yesterday's quiz. But I wasn't in the mood for 16 Candles. Nope it was more of a French Kiss kind of day. And then I decided to just make a marathon of it.

Normally I'd go all romantic comedy. This time around French Kiss was about the only thing to make the cut in that group. What I wanted was comedy and violence. Really cool if both were combined in one movie. So without further ado, I give you yesterday's feel good DVDs.

1. French Kiss -- I love the argument over "La Mer" at the end.

2. Uncle Buck -- Yes, I love 16 Candles but this is by far my favorite John Hughes flick.

3. The Complete Denis Leary -- If this doesn't make you laugh, then I don't know what to suggest. Works for me every time.

Or that whole discussion on throat cancer and the electronic voice box. I had an uncle who had one. He was annoying as hell. (He was annoying before the cancer.) One day my aunt mentioned having to recharge the batteries because they were almost dead and they were about to hit the road on a two-hour drive. My uncle was the worst kind of backseat driver. My reaction was, "Why the hell would you want to recharge the things? I say bury the batteries in the backyard."

What? You don't understand. This guy made my Uncle Crickity Crack seem almost sane. (By the way, thank you, Zombie Mom, for that great name.) Oh yeah. Now I remember why. Because he had been an actual crackhead while Crickity Crack just has some crackhead tendencies. And now you're probably asking why I would want to spend the holidays around these folks. It's all about the stories, people. And the ability to respond when someone sees something on TV that they just can't believe, "Oh no. People actually do/say that kind of stuff. I'm related to some of them in fact."

4. Fear of a Black Hat -- The first of the mockumentaries in my viewing list. The booty as a political statement? Need I say more?


5. Drop Dead Gorgeous -- Used to think this one was a mockumentary until this year's election.

6. Best in Show -- So many things. Starbuck's. Outfits on dogs. Yellow bees. And how many kimonos should one really pack for a trip?

7. The Last Supper -- C'mon. Haven't you ever wondered what the world would be like if some people had never had the opportunity to come to power? Not that most of us would act on these thoughts. And then there's the whole roommate dynamic thing. Next time I watch this, I'm going to pair it with Shallow Grave. That is if I watch it again. This was by far Natasha's favorite of the day. I'm a little worried.

8. Serial Mom -- Probably my favorite John Waters flick. I like to sing along with the Barry Manilow songs. And to yell at the Patty Hearst character, "There's a reason why we have a color named 'winter white!'"

9. Transporter 2 -- I would have gone with the first one but I've seen it in the last couple of weeks. Every now and then a girl just needs some car chases and some basic ass whoopings. Leaves me with a nice warm glow.

10. La Femme Nikita -- Not that bullshit American remake but the original French movie.

After I came up with my viewing list, I realized that once more I had unconsciously created bookends. In case you didn't know, it would be the presence of Jean Reno. Almost made me want to throw The Professional into the middle of the mix. Next time. What the hell. Maybe I'll watch it today. Once you've caught two Luc Besson movies back-to-back, it's hard to stop.



Boris and Natasha are really down with the DVD marathons as well. We each have our own spot on the bed.

What are some of your feel good movies/DVDs?

* I'm not really sure if I hate Paris since I've never been there. But I do love Cole Porter.

Leftovers

Turkey hash

Red potato, diced
Green onions (scallions)
Bell pepper (I prefer to use red, yellow or orange)
Butter
Cooked turkey, diced
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Chicken broth

Boil potato in salted water until just soft. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in skillet. Add onions and bell pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add drained potatoes. Cook until just starting to brown. Add turkey and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes more to warm turkey. Add chicken broth and cook until all is bound together.

******************************************

Sorry for the lack of measurements. It's kind of like when I make chicken and dumplings. Look at how much meat you've got and everything else falls into place.

This time I didn't use a lot of chicken broth because I still had some of the yummy madeira giblet gravy around. And hash is not really complete for me unless it's topped with poached eggs. As I was putting the eggs into the water, I suddenly remembered the need for an English muffin. Because hash always has to have some sort of bread topped with Bartlett pear jam from The Wild Pear. Yes, I drive all the way out to Pt. Reyes Station for this jam. And it is well worth the $8 $10 a jar. It tastes just like a ripe pear.

I know I said that there'd be none of that emotional stuff here but right now it's a lot of who I am. I think Boris and Natasha realize what's going on since they haven't left my side the entire time. And Natasha has really enjoyed the endless movie viewing. Oh, and there were episodes of "Ned and Stacey" as well. For some reason, the second season is not available on DVD. Humph! And if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It will always be one of my favorites. Damn Fox for canceling it.

I was so thankful for the cats over these last few days that I almost "dropped" a piece of turkey on the floor for Natasha yesterday. But then Boris came in and we know that greedy bastard would never be satisfied with just one piece. It would just lead to endless begging. So no turkey for Natasha. She was more fascinated with the smell of the onion, bell pepper and potato anyway. I am starting to suspect that she could become a vegetarian very easily -- except for the need to eat an occasional fly. But that? She's just trying to keep things tidy around here.

Oh, and here's a question for y'all. What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in possession of $25,000? I'm just curious because I already know what I want. Just wondering what you would do with it.