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.