Don't trust online recipe converters

Converting a recipe from 8 serving to 4 servings should in theory be easy. It worked well until I got ready to make the dough. Instead of asking for 1 cup of chicken stock, my printout said the original 2 cups. Sigh. I wish I had double checked that before. Anyway, the dumplings in the chicken and dumplings were still good, if a bit sticky. Too much dough (used way more than the called for flour) and enough water for 4 servings does not make for a good broth. Oh well. Live and learn. 

I'm going to take another crack at the Chicken and Dumpling recipe Friday. Not for myself, this time for my grandmother, so I have to get it right! I hope my grandmother can tolerate 8 days worth of chicken and dumplings. 

I love my Mac

My reliable Sony Vaio died a slow and painful death earlier this year. RIP.
My IBM Thinkpad crapped out of me more times than I can remember mid-program.
I loathe the Windows blue screen.
I don't particularly care for Dells.
I tolerated Microsoft for sometime until I could no longer take the ever-present bugs.
I heard bad reviews of Windows Vista.
I decided to jump ship and join the Mac Brigade.
I don't regret that decision in the slightest.

Does your cat drool?

Before I got my current cat, I had never known a cat to drool. But now, every time my furball is happy to see me after a significant period of separation, the floodgates open and I feel the steady stream of drool running down my back, arm, or neck. My cat's antics surprise me daily, I'm sure today will be no different. 

Working on the job....psssh

There are a few perks that come with working in the library, and one of them is being able to pick up and read books while on the job that catch your eye. I spotted this book, The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food, from my desk and was imediately intrigued. I love bacon, but because of the obvious health concerns-high sodium, cholesterol, and fat-don't eat it too often. However after quickly glancing through the book, I found a few recipes that piqued my interest. This book will definitely make it on my Amazon queue.

There's no place like home.

Dentist, Spa Day, sales tax, motorcycles, heartburn, and family. Not a bad mini-vacation spent at home.

*%#@%!

There's only one thing worse than construction, that is, haphazard construction. The powers that be decided today just for the hell of it (allow me to be unreasonable) to block my one remaining direct route from home to work. Now, my quick route and even quicker route are marked by mounds of dirt and unpaved road, not exactly hospitable conditions for my 4-cylinder car.

So for now until god knows when, I must take an out of the way route which is inefficient, bothersome, and worst of all burns precious gas. Since the lovely folks at my City government decided to leave me such a wonderful present this Saturday afternoon, I would like to repay the favor.

Mac vs. PC

Off the top of my head, I've had 4 PC Computers since high school and each one of them came with enough instruction manuals to put Tolstoy's War and Peace to shame. But fast-forward to today and this is all that came with my Macbook.

Please forgive the photography. The flash washed the writing out and there was not enough natural light.

And this is all that was inside the box:

The one booklet on the left says, "Everything Mac", which is the instruction manual based on the ....For Dummies series, and the booklet on the right says, "Everything else". Everything else is this:

2 OS installation CDs, a licensing booklet and other legal junk, a dust cloth, and 3 "apple" stickers.

My adventures into Macville will be nothing short of interesting.

I have the best family ever!!!!

My birthday was earlier this month and all I expected (and wanted) in the line of gifts was a new set of measuring spoons, and a Drinkwell fountain for my cat. So when I went home yesterday for the first time in a couple of months, I thought those would be the presents awaiting me. But my family once again outdid themselves and got this


and this for me.




I also received a yummy arrangement from Edible Arrangments. In light of all the bounty I received, I wanted to extend another heartfelt thank you to all my family. You guys rock!!!!

By the way, I still got the measuring spoons and fountain. :)

Whistling is for the dogs.

This blog is fast becoming my outlet to let off steam from everyday life with a bit of food and knitting thrown into the mix. And this blog entry is no different. If ain't broke.....

My work day was pretty ordinary except for one glaring incident. While working at my desk a patron whistled, yes whistled, for me to come over and help him with the computer. Since I've been on the job, patrons have caught my attention to ask for help in a variety of ways. Some say, "Excuse me, Miss", "Ma'am, can you help me", "Can you help me". Others just raise their index finger or wave (that really annoys me for reasons I will cover later), and now today, someone whistled for me like I was a dog.

Pissed off does not even to begin to describe my reaction to the rude gesture. I am a woman, human being, and at least in my capacity at work, someone who has a better understanding of computers than the person asking for assistance; and as such I should be treated with respect. I'm not asking for statutes to be built in my honor or parades thrown on my birthday (Ha ha!), but I expect to treated respectfully as any human being would, and my authority to be acknowledged and recognized. It's very simple, you wouldn't whistle for your mother, so don't whistle for me.

If I could look at this from a more objective standpoint, I could possibly admit there might have been a cultural dynamic at work. It was apparent this particular patron was a recent immigrant to the United States. Perhaps he saw nothing wrong with what he did, maybe his actions did not breach his social norms. But for me this just another gesture in a long line of socially unacceptable actions I have to put up with at work.

At first I did not think too much about the a male patron (and it's almost always men), who would raise his finger or dismissively wave his hand. But when these events occur on a daily basis, and when male patrons continually disregard your warnings to curb their conduct, the wonder of the situation ceases to exist, and you see things for how they really are.

I don't answer to you....

On the grand scale of things, I ranked pretty low on the totem pole at work. I do not have the authority to make procedural decisions (or really any other kind of decisions) on my own without prior approval from my immediate supervisor.

I'm more than certain the other employees are aware of this. I have deferred to my supervisor more than once when I am not sure about the correct procedure for any given situation. I've hardly been secretive about my ignorance on work related issues. So why then does my co-worker ask me to go over my supervisor's head, and then cop an attitude for not 1, but 2 days when tell him I'm not sure I can do what he asked without my supervisor's approval?

And the best part is, this particular co-worker is old enough to be my father, and should in theory, be above this kind of childish pettiness of withholding materials, which keeps me from doing my job. One can argue I'm engaging in the same type of childish antics by writing this entry, but I like to think I'm squarely in the adolescent range of petty behavior. :)

On a more positive note, I'm looking forward to trying out a few of the recipes in the new cookbooks I just received. This one is on the top of the list. Doesn't it look yummy?

I long for the days of the Wide World of Sports.

A long time ago, the ABC network used to have this thing called the Wide World of Sports. Every Saturday and Sunday without fail, the viewer could learn about little talked about sports in the US like, ski jumping and louge, or fanactics like myself could follow their favorite gymnasts, ice skaters, and track and field athletes.

The Wide World of Sports has been caput for sometime now, but I miss it terribly, especially when an Olympic year rolls around. Before, you knew what was going on in your favorite sport (Where did Gymnast X place? What is the new "thing" judges are looking for? Who is the new track and field star?). Now, the audience comes in cold and has to fiddle around trying to find information on the athletes. Thank god for the internet.

Anyway, what started this rant was this video posted on the New York Times about a Chinese track and field star. I've heard of him before, but know next to nothing about him thanks to track field only being covered every 4 years to coincide with an Olympics. I don't know what was said during the video, due to my sound restriction at work, but he is definitely an athlete to watch during the games.

Does karma exist?

An incident happened at the bank today where, if I had not spoken up I would have had a windfall of $100 in cash due to a teller's mistake. Of course I went back to the teller and alerted him to his mistake, but if I had remained quiet and went on my way, he most surely would have faced punishment, and I would eventually have to pay my debt, one way or the other.

I'm not necessarily a believer in karma, but I do think people should treat others as they wish to be treated, which means being honest, courteous, and having a regard for others. I don't know if I will have some good fortune befall me in the near future, but I can take heart in knowing I'm a tough nut to crack. Thanks, Mom.

Applying to grad school sucks!

Earlier this week, I received an email from the graduate school I applied to, the University of Corn, telling me they have not yet received my college and graduate school transcripts or my application fee. I could understand them not having my transcipts because I have very little control over what goes on in my former university's end once I put the request in, but I paid the application fee online when I applied! It's not like I could have blown it off and still submitted my application. I called the admissions office and even after explaing my situation and appealing to common sense, the only response I was met with was, "Well our computers don't show any record of the application fee being paid". Ugh, damn computers! I'm at their mercy so I'll pay the blasted fee, again, but I'm not happy about it. Maybe I should write a little note in the memo line of the check to make my displeasure known.

Thank goodness I've already gotten into the University of Cows, or my stress level would be off the charts!

No mention of school just yet.

Since I started this blog, I've struggled with how much of my school exploits I should include. I've decided to make a conscientious effort to include a bit more about it, especially since things are moving along quite nicely, and quicker than I anticipated.

But in the meantime, I made ice cream! Is there not a more perfect food? Ever since I ran off with was given my mother's ice cream maker, I occassionally make ice cream when I find myself in the mood. And today just happened to be one of those days. My favorite ice cream is the cake batter ice cream creation found at Coldstone, but my take on it is just as tasty, and easier on the wallet and ears (Welcome to Coldstone!). So to the appease those you have been asking for it, here is the recipe.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup of 2% milk (You can use whole milk if you prefer.)
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3/4 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of yellow cake mix (I'm partial to Duncan Heinz)
2 eggs (optional, but I wanted a custardy texture)

1 ice cream maker (this is the one I have)

1. In a large sauce pan on low heat, add the milk and whipping cream.
2. Heat the mixture until hot. (Be careful not to bring it to a boil. It is ready when you can wipe the back of spoon, dipped in the mixture clean with your finger.)
3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
4. Pour half of the heated milk and whipping cream into the bowl containing the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Stir.
5. Pour the contents of the bowl into the sauce pan with the other half of the milk and whipping cream. Stir well on low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Pour the mixture into freezer safe container and then add the cake mix. Stir well.
   
7. Put in freezer for an hour or until the contents are chilled.
8. Following the instructions of your particular ice cream maker, pour the contents of the container into your ice cream maker.
9. Freeze ice cream until it solidifies.
   

   

(I couldn't wait until the ice cream froze completely.)

Note: If you do choose to use eggs, you MUST follow the instructions as followed. However, if choose not to use eggs, you can completely skip the stove portion (Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and put it in your ice cream maker).

Another day, a year older.

At what age do people loose enthusiasm for their own birthdays?

I don't remember at exactly which age, my birthday became just another day, but I no longer look forward to cake and ice cream, presents, and songs. It's just another day. And to be quite honest, all I really want is peace and contentment.

Since I've found those, I think my birthday list for this year can be marked as completed and cast out with the other remnants of the day. Onward to tomorrow.

When do you know you've lost your mind?

10:15 pm, and you're downloading a completed Wimbledon match from a Russian torrent stream website. However, you cannot speak, read, or write Russian. Yet, this does not deter you because you have a web translator. Welcome to madness.

Convenience made too easy.

When I was a kid, you could order your pizza two ways- call it in or have the pizza delivery man deliver your pizza. Now, all you need is a computer, working index finger, and internet connection to order a pepperoni pizza (or Hawaiian style in my case).

Far be it for me to shoot the messenger. I'm not too high and mighty to employ the same method. Welcome to the 21st century.

Fond memories

A long time ago when my oldest cousin was no more than 3 years old, he had a recording of Sesame Street songs, on cassette tape. I was rather indifferent to his music except when he played it on a continuous loop. But when I heard the "J Friends", I instantly fell in love. Upbeat tempo, tongue twisting rhymes, great hook, what was there not to love? It's still on my top ten list of favorite songs ever created. So in honor of the great minds at the Children's Television Workshop and the lovely creatures- big and small, hairy and hairless, and human and non-human- at 10123, here is the "J Friends".

The bread experiment, part 2

Anyone who has ever tasted a diet-busting brioche roll from the Corner Bakery, knows the delightful pleasure they are. Unexplicably however, they stopped making them, to my dismay. So off and on (as my short attention span allows), I've tried to recreate the CB brioche roll.

In all honesty, I've had more failures than successes. But just yesterday (more like early this morning because I don't sleep) I tried this recipe specificaly created for bread machine owners in mind. I did not however follow the recipe to a T. Following the modifications of one of the reviews, I formed dinner rolls (which was right in keeping with the CB appearance) after the bread machine worked its magic. I then let the dough rise for an hour, brushed each with butter, and finally put the bread in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I can't say I'm head over heels in love with the result. The brioche failed to achieve the deep golden brown crust, and it really wasn't dense enough for my liking. But all in all, this recipe is a satisfactory substitution for CB brioche for now.

The next brioche recipe on the horizon is from cooking legend, Julia Child. I've read good things about this recipe and book in general, so I'm very excited to try them out. And I'm even more excited because now I have the muscle of a KitchenAid mixer behind me. Woohoo for clearance markdowns!!

And now for something completely different....

A lot of stories will be told for this upcoming Olympics, but I doubt this one will make it onto the NBC telecast.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/sports/olympics/21athlete.html?ex=1371787200&en=07fce2f2ae3f0f6d&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

The things you take for granted.

Even after all this time I still see the world through rose colored glasses. For the most part people are good with a few bad ones thrown into the mix. But life has a way of ramming reality down your throat. Every now and then I get this wake up call and today is no different.

When I first started my job at the library, I had unreal, romanticized expectations, largely colored by my childhood experiences and my time spent working in the university libraries at college. My version of the library is G-rated. Everyone is neat and tidy, respectful of the materials and each other. Librarians smile at the children first learning to read while another child beams with pride at checking out his/her first library book. Adults come in to read the morning paper or check out the newest crime novel. Unfortunately this library is only found on Sesame Street.

My library although privy to these scenes is also much more raw. Things I did not have to worry about or existed when I was kid are now the norm. The children's washroom has a lock which only the librarians have a key to. All library staff has to be on watch for suspicious activity or patrons who have been banned from the library for any variety of issues (from minor to criminal offenses). And everyone must be especially mindful of children. Like last month, I had to send a child (no more than 10 years old) back to the Children's Library because there are too many dangers posed to a unattended child in the adult part of the library; or even earlier this week when I had to call an adult patron on his behavior (walking around with a unlit cigarette in his mouth) in part because children were present. I've never seen myself as the motherly type, but even now, I see certain situations in much the same way a parent would.

I don't often dwell upon the tangibles of my job while I'm off the clock, but my early morning haze (I woke up this morning in a panic because I couldn't remember what day it was.) was lifted after reading a work email asking all employees to be on guard yet again. Sigh. It's going to be a long day.

Hello my name is......and I have an addiction to kitchen appliances.

How long have I had you? You sit there on my kitchen countertop mocking and taunting me. This fall will mark the 2 year anniversary you became a paper weight. Even knowing this approaching date, I still haven't made you earn your keep. Well that ends today. When I return home, I will take you for a test run, and you better make the best damn cup of espresso this side of Lake Michigan.

Lovely polished steel or not, if you failed to live up to your end of the bargain, this little beauty will take your place.

The bread experiment

I finally put my bread machine to use, besides using it to make cookie dough. Recently, I've gotten the idea in my head that I can cook, or I should say, I should cook. A person can eat only so much spaghetti sauce on pasta, salads, and sandwiches. So I decided to take a jump off the deep end and try my hand at cooking. And my first big project.......making bread.

I found a simple (made far easier by the bread machine) here. I was pleased with how it came out. Although I must say, my rolling skills need a bit of work. The bread was as tasty as the baguettes you find in the store.

However, I got the idea of stuffing (really it should be called making a sandwich, but I'm going by the recipes I saw online) with a few things I had in my pantry and fridge, which ended up being Italian sausage, canned diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil, pasta sauce, and parsley.

I had the great idea (me and my ideas) to make a paste using the blender. The paste was good, but the color was not very appetizing. So after I hollowed out the bread (cutting it length wise and removing the inside) and put the paste in, I added thin slices of Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, and a bit of parsley. I wrapped it all in foil, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Here's the outcome outcome of my experimentation.

I have a little bird....

At least that's what the chirping from my smoke detector sounds like. The fix-it woman came out yesterday to fix it. My so called do it yourself, replace the battery job failed miserably (How was I supposed to know that the blasted thing wasn't permanently attached to those wires in the celing?). So I ended up looking very stupid (like I forgot my dented helmet) and was lectured about lining up the positive and negative ends correctly. I swear if I knew I didn't have to guess which way the battery was supposed to go in (this is a good time to say I stood on the arm of my sofa to change the battery because I don't have a ladder), I would have done it right. Oh well.

After my talking down to, Miss Fix-it told me the smoke detector would have to power up again and would eventually stop beeping in about an hour or so; and if it didn't, I should call the office to let her know.

Unfortunately for me, procrastinator that I am, I could not sit around and wait. I had put off going to bank and buying food for far too long (about 3 weeks to be exact), so I had to run those errands. Of course by the time I returned, the smoke detector was still beeping and the office was closed. Damn.

So, the only thing I was left to do was call and leave a message at the office (why or why didn't someone turn the answering machine on) or, and this was the option I could actually exercise, send a work order through the apartment website. Success! Now I have to play the waiting game again. Another week wait on the horizon. Ugh.

Finally Finished!

It took a long way in coming (about a year to be exact), but I finally finished them. These fingerless gloves from AlterKnits.

I love the final product, the only downside is my procrastination and penchant for not writing steps down. So, the rolled edges at the top vary between the two because my memory is faulty. No bother, this mistake can hardly be classified as my worst knitting error.

Onto the next knitting mishap. Perhaps a sweater this time?

Happy Father's Day!

The best result from my internet search.

Apartment woes.

This is killing me.



And even this can't help.

When did I become my mother

There was a time when certain things didn't bother me, but no more. I don't know when the change happened but if I ruled the world, the following would be law:

1. Men should not wear their pants hanging off their asses. I do not, I repeat, do not want to see your crusty underwear in plain view.
2. Please and thank you are much appreciated.
3. It's common courtesy to push your chair in when you leave.
4. Take off your hat when you enter a building.
5. Throw your garbage away! I am not your maid!

Will the chirping ever end?

It's now Thursday, 2 days since I turned in the work order to my apartment complex to fix my smoke detector, and I still haven't received a phone call, email, or visit from the "Handy woman" (our fix-it person is a woman) yet. I've learned to coexist with the chirping, but every now and then it drives me out of my skull. Ugh.

I like my apartment and the apartment complex it is in. However recently, services (service requests, and the delivery of my new lease) have not been prompt. I hope this is just a brief period of flux and not longterm condition.

Baked Perch Recipe

Since last month, I've been trying to make a conscientious effort to use all the food in my refrigerator and pantry. Until recently it was not unusual for my garbage can to be loaded with fruits, vegetables, and sometimes meat which had gone bad. Because of this, I've been looking for recipes for the food I now have.

Just today I have stumbled upon a very quick and easy recipe for perch on RecipeZaar.com, which I just so happen to have thanks to my inability to turn down a good deal. Here is the recipe and photo with the few modifications I made. Overall, the finished product was as tasty as it was pretty.

Baked Ocean Perch

Ingredients:
2 pounds of perch fillets
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano (or another flavoring if you prefer, or fresh tomatoes and your choice of spices)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Handful of chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spray a shallow baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.
3. Place thawed fillets in baking pan.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Evenly spread diced tomatoes over fish.
6. Lightly sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
7. Sprinkle a handful of chopped parsley on top.
8. Bake fish for 20 minutes or until done (I covered the pan with foil).
9. Enjoy!!

Why One More Label?

As a longtime blog reader, I never saw myself on the other side of the computer- writing personal anecdotes of the day to day happenings in my life. For one, I don't live in an exotic locale as any of bloggers in the travel blogs I read; although Michigan is an oasis of potholes, beautiful landscapes, and construction projects as far I can see. And I believe I live a rather ordinary life, what things of interest do I have to blog about? But yesterday, I threw caution to the wind and decided to take the plunge, a couple months after my boss had planted the blogging seeds in my head.

One more label will follow my zig zag, serpentine journey to grad school. The endpoint is known, but the stops along the way shall be memorable.

And just to get the ball rolling, how weird is this?

A woman has been arrested in Japan for sneaking into a man's house and living in his wardrobe without him knowing.

Procrastination......

Procrastination is like masturbation. At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself. ~Author Unknown

Now I just have to keep telling myself this when I put off cleaning my apartment, and delay turning in the repair notice for the smoke detector that just started chirping this weekend.