Feeding the Muse

All Sewn Up

2016-02-28T18:29:00.001-08:00

Oh hai. I guess it’s been awhile. Sorry. Really, so sorry. It’s been a busy year. And one reason it’s been busy is because I’ve been learning a new thing: sewing. Yeah, because I needed something else to take up most of my budget and a lot of space. Why are my hobbies never of the inexpensive and compact variety?

I’ve always wanted to learn to sew, specifically clothes. Once upon a time (aka high school), I was going to be a fashion designer. Have my own line of clothes that would look good on regular people, not just rail-thin models. Ah, the dreams of optimistic youth. With that in mind, I tried to sketch outfits, only to realize I lack any drawing skills at all. Then I got a sewing machine, and a few half-hearted attempts to make things which, more or less universally, sucked. I’m not sure I realized at the time what it would take to learn, or I just didn’t have enough desire or patience. So eventually my sister got my sewing machine, and I got on with my life.

Twenty years later, I’m exhausted and angry, trying to find clothing that actually fits my body.This proves to be impossible. In a fit of rage, I declare that I will learn to sew, so help me Hannah, or die in the effort. I got a sewing machine for my birthday and then bought ALL the sewing books. And I read them. I read about patterns, and how to alter them, and seams and fabrics until I thought my head would explode (it didn’t, luckily).

So far, I’ve done mostly simple projects, working on keeping my seams even and learning to cut in a straight line, which is WAY harder than it sounds. A few pillows, table runner, a baby blanket and some sleeping shorts, so mostly square things. But I’m doing the thing I didn’t have the patience for in high school. I am learning. Step by step, and sometimes the hard way (ok, most of the time).

I doubt sincerely that I will ever become the next Zac Posen; but if I need a skirt or a dress for a thing, I will much happier putting in the effort to create what I want, rather than crying in a dressing room under bad fluorescent lighting because nothing looks right.

So long, mainstream clothing manufacturers, I have been too long at your mercy. No more.

This Was the Day

2014-09-11T05:31:00.003-07:00

This is the day I remember. The day I always remember. This was the day it happened. I do not always agree with my country or its policies. I think our political system is broken beyond repair. We fight amongst ourselves so much it looks like a civil war sometimes. But this was the day we stopped. This was the day we were all Americans. No matter our political or socio-economic status, we were one. And this was the day that happened.
We are a country that tries. We try to help. We try to fix things that are broken, sometimes even things that aren't broken. We are not infalliable. Sometimes we don't know what the right thing to do might be. Sometimes we get it wrong.
But the terrorists did not break us. They never will. Because we keep fixing, keep helping, sometimes to our own detriment. We keep trying.
Because this was the day it happened.

Learning to Live

2014-07-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Nothing lasts forever, you know. Not sadness. Not homesickness. Not even grief. And if anyone tells you that you cannot grieve the loss of a city of residence, you spit in their eye, because they are wrong. Ask any Armed Forces family, forced to hoist sails by orders from above every four, eight or twelve years. You can lose a city, even if you never owned a house there; it can still be your home, and it can still rip out your heart when you have to leave.
It was the right choice to make. I get to spend more time with my husband, enough to realize that I do, in fact, still love him. I have a temp job right now, that I like quite a bit. I'm considering enrollment in the local community college, to take a few courses in accounting (i know, right?). I'm starting to speak to people on a regular basis. I even attended a Knit Night gathering at a local yarn shop. It's a great shop and I met some very charming ladies who were very kind to me. The key is to find your places, find your people.
All the same, I still have moments. I went to a local coffeehouse/bar called The Phoenix, which is located in the Arts district, and it is in a neighborhood that was so much like Dilworth that I was immediately dropped into a vat of viscous homesickness.
So I am finding my way here in Tulsa. As much as I complain about their driving ability and the road conditions, almost everyone has been very nice. And there is something to be said for that. Nothing lasts forever, and this is where I live right now. Sooner or later, I suppose this will be home.

"Home will be where the heart is, never were words so true,
My heart's far, far away; home is too." ---"Home" Beauty & the Beast

Honey, I Shrunk the Lasagna

2014-05-19T11:10:00.002-07:00

What other one-dish meal is as versatile as lasagna? You can make it vegetarian, vegan, paleo, or clean (whatever the hell that means these days). In college, my best friends liked my lasagna, but oy vey was it a pain in the ass. I can’t imagine anyone who lives a busy life wanting to deal with that kind of prep work. So I have some tips and tricks that I have used to adapt my lasagna into something that suits me.

Oven-Ready Noodles: I cannot even tell you how much easier this makes it. Eliminates one whole prep step.
Cut the size. I used to make a 9x13 pan, but with just the Hubby and me, it made no sense to make that much. Now I make a 9x9 pan unless I’m planning to freeze half. Seems to work very nicely.
Use your leftovers. Red sauce is great refrigerator Velcro for any aging veggies or even leftover turkey meatloaf. You can even get cans of seasoned tomatoes at the store. It whittles the sauce-making portion down to negligible and it thwarts food waste. (PS- stick blender and no one knows about the spinach you slipped in there)
Skip the ricotta. Unless you absolutely love it and have to have it. It’s expensive and messy as all get out. I usually grab two bags of shredded cheese, one mozzarella and one Italian blend, and use that for all the layers.
Prep it ahead. For instance, since I’m unemployed (ugh!) I tend to prep for dinner in the mid-morning. I have more energy and find the cooking more enjoyable and less of a chore. But I know people who do this on a weekend as well.
If you are using eggplant in lieu of pasta, slice it length-wise, thin as you can, and salt it. Put it on a rack over a baking sheet and let it sit. The salt will pull out the excess water. Runny lasagna= calling for takeout.

So these are just things that I’ve done to improve my lasagna skills, since it is one of the few things I make that my hubby actually asks for (well done, me). I know all my hardcore traditional Italian folks are out there twitching at the idea of “fast” or “skinny” lasagna, but hey, what do you expect? I’m American.

Ain’t nobody got time for that.

A Grill of One's Own

2014-05-12T10:42:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time, many years ago, I had a house. It was smallish but it had a tiny patio on which I placed my grill. I wasn't a chef at this point in my life, but I knew how to grill. In Florida, that is how you cook in the summer time. It's too hot to crank up the broiler/oven and who wants to stand over a hot stove? Fast forward and four apartments later, I have learned to live my life without a grill. Being without one does not deter me from steak though. It just means I have to improvise.

The broiler is a good choice, but you have to keep your eyes on it, it can get a little carried away. Cast iron skillets are great, but mine is small. Enter: the grill pan. I bought this one for about $40 about two months ago. It's 13" with a good offset handle and low sides, so you can easily flip burgers or fish.

I bought a nice steak from the local market here and decided to try my luck with it. The only obstacle that needed to be overcome was the fact that the steak was thick, and by the time it was cooked to the center, the outside was going to be blackened. Not tasty. Grills have lids you close, basically creating an oven inside. My grill pan has no lid. What to do?

Solution: Cake pan. Square aluminum cake pan. Pop it on over the steak and it will contain the heat and create a mini-oven. Steak is medium rare in the middle, which is how I like it, and not charcoal on the outside. And that's a beautiful thing.

And so we have lovely steaks, even without a grill, and we lived happily ever after.

The End.

The First Good Thing About Tulsa

2014-04-27T19:41:00.001-07:00

Moving is hard. You don't know where you are, or how to get anywhere else. I'm fortunate, since my dear hubby has been here for a few days and he does know his way around. Mostly, when we aren't unpacking, we spend our time at Whole Foods or Target. Trust me to find the two worst places for those of us with no self-control.
But sometimes it's fun to be somewhere different. You find new things, new places, and sometimes cool pops up right where you would least expect it. For instance this:

That's a Psycho Shroom Pizza from Upper Crust. It is delicious. Possibly one of the better pizzas I have had. As long as I have this, I won't miss Mellow Mushroom so much. Also, they have this amazing thing...

That's Apple Pie. As in, apple pizza pie. Not what we expected, but undeniably a wonderful surprise.

Pizza imitating life. Well played, Tulsa.

"Just know you're not alone, cause I'm gonna make this place your home."
- "Home", Phillip Phillips

Regeneration (or What I Learned From Doctor Who)

2014-04-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

“Now it’s time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven’s hour is over now, the clock is striking twelves.” –The Time of the Doctor

When you think about it, in a way, we all regenerate. We’re all different people throughout our lives. Maybe we don’t literally change our face and body, but we alter our appearance, change course, start over. I think that it’s good, a way of moving forward, quick march. As long as we remember all the people that we have been. My time as a Carolina girl grows short now, only a few days left till my regeneration into a Tulsa resident. Part of me is excited, another part says “I don’t want to go.”

I lived in my hometown for twenty-six years, except for a few years of college, in a town even smaller than the one I was from. Sometimes, when you’ve been in a place so long, it’s harder to change yourself, to become what you want to be. Because people think they know you, because they have always known you. You are fighting a losing battle with your previous self, because sometimes people don’t like change.

I left. I moved myself to another city, further from home than I’d ever been. I changed careers; I changed a lot of things. I learned so much from my time here. I became mostly the person I want to be here. There’s always room for improvement of course. And things that aren’t changing are said to be dying. So here we go again. First, just an address, then it’s more. You change. You become. You regenerate. I’m almost looking forward to it, I’m curious to see who I’m going to become this time.

And there’s the catch. Because Jacksonville gave me roots and Charlotte gave me wings. It makes it hard to leave. Not that there haven’t been hard times and disappointments here. There have been, but on balance, good has outweighed the bad.

I won’t forget one day of this time, not one hour. I wouldn’t change even a minute. And it’s okay to be sad or scared. That’s part of being human. But there’s no stopping regeneration. The change is coming soon, so we shall see if Tulsa can teach me to fly.

Charlotte…goodbye.

“I will always remember when the Doctor was me.” ---The Time of the Doctor

The Eye Has It

2014-01-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

I am a Pinterest addict. I blame my friend Melissa. She kept telling me about all the cool things she found on there. One day I just decided to take a look...(insert troll face here) and it was all down hill from there. However, it does offer some pretty awesome things. For instance, I found a link to this blog The Domestic Man and a post he wrote about cooking an Eye Round Roast.
I am not usually one for doing a roast. It's generally dinner for one in my home. But I do enjoy a nice roast and Eye Round beef is pretty cheap. Of course when I told my mother what I had bought, she did that vocal cringe thing she does and says, "That's going to be really tough." And I told her, "Maybe. Maybe not."
The blog post didn't offer so much a recipe, although I suppose we could call it that for giggles, it was mostly an MOP or Method of Prep. This roast isn't really about ingredients as it is about technique. It's a dry roast, at a very high temp (500 degrees F) for about 20 minutes and then...you turn the oven off.
No, really.
You turn the oven off and let the roast cook on with the residual heat, which means of course, you cannot open the oven. So I turned the oven off and after an hour I checked the roast. It was sitting at about 135 degrees. That's a good temp for a medium rare roast. So I pulled it out and let it rest.
I was a little sad that it didn't develop much of a sear on the outside, possibly because I don't trust my oven and didn't crank it all the way to 500. But it still came out quite nice. Not exactly prime rib (duh) and perhaps a bit chewy, but the flavor was good. Not bad for a $12 roast, right?

I guess even an old dog can learn a new trick. Provided the new trick has a pretty picture on Pinterest.

Angels Take Gastonia

2014-01-03T06:05:00.000-08:00

Well you never know what a new year will bring. This morning I was laid off for the first time ever. Not sure what to think. Sales were off, so obviously the last one in is the first to go. Feels odd at the moment, but I'm sure that panic will set in very soon. I have a paper bag all ready for the hyperventilation that is sure to follow. But they say that no door closes but a window opens, so I'm keeping my eyes open for the next good thing.

Don't blink.

In a garden, there's a girl who's waiting. She's going to wait a long time, so she's going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her good days are coming. Tell her this is the story of the Chef Amanda. And this is how it ends.

-borrowed from doctor who, angels take Manhattan

Funny Honey

2013-12-12T14:21:00.003-08:00

So Christmas is at our throats again...What is it about the end of a year that compels us to steer our lives into the chaos? Does anyone remember that holiday season; when everything was ok and nothing hurt? It may have been a few years ago. Had I known it was a one-shot deal, I would have taken more pictures.
I jest with you of course, I think it is mostly that this is such a busy time and a lot of decisions get made very quickly. Sometimes the universe consults you on these decisions, sometimes it does not. We all try to roll with the punches, but sometimes, I feel compelled to punch back.
For instance when my husband, who is a linehaul trucker, owns 2 trucks, which he leases on to another company, texts me to say that the guy who owns this company that he hauls for says he can't go home till the 22nd of December because it's a busy time of year, my whole field of vision is awash in red. I'm so angry that I am actively shaking. The desire to knock someone senseless is intense. My husband says, why don't you call the guy, maybe he'll listen to you. Which seems like a terrible choice on his part, because I'm sarcastic on a good day, when I'm angry, I'm a caustic little lollipop. And here's where I got stupid: I called the guy. I got my Southern out and explained to him that I needed my husband home for the holidays as there were several family events which required his attendance. I was sweet to the point of saccharine. You could tell this guy wasn't really sure what to say, probably the first time it had ever happened. Since he doesn't know me, he couldn't tell that 1500 miles was all that separated him from the beast.
And of course, my husband, the idiot, after the guy says "Ok, you can go home if it's that important", decides he'll probably stay out anyway. So that was my exercise in futility. So we'll see when he finally realizes it's time to get his sorry ass back home, if the flights are not all gone. Perhaps he could have a seat on the wing.

Sarcasm. Because beating the shit out of people is illegal.

A Sense of Snow

2013-11-27T08:25:00.003-08:00

It's Thanksgiving. It seems like it was Halloween yesterday. And now Christmas is barreling down on us like a freight train. Which is a bit scary, as I have no idea what I'm buying for the very few people I buy presents for at all. Everyone I know has everything they need. Me, in case anyone is wondering, I'd like a new job, a house, a Kate Spade purse and liposuction...But those are wants. They aren't needs. I have everything I need. A family that loves me, a roof over my head and food on my table. My job may not be much, but I still have one.
So I'm going to sit here and watch the snow blow in and the start of a cold winter. I hope that all of you out there, wherever you are, are happy and healthy, with family or friends and realizing how very much we have to be thankful for. I know that I am.

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep..."

Phone Home?

2013-10-03T14:49:00.002-07:00

I never realized how very dependent on my cell phone I am. Until I didn't have one anymore. While en route to Georgia for work for the um...6th week in a row (I know, right?) I stopped at a QT in South Carolina. Went into the ladies room to wash my hands and set my phone down a bit away from the sink. Didn't want to get it wet. Walked out and forgot to bring the phone with me. Only took me maybe 2-3 minutes to realize that I didn't have it. Ran back in to the ladies' room...Gone. I fought back several waves of hysteria and the impulse to burst into tears. I went to the counter to borrow the phone and called my number, straight to voice mail. So they turned it off. Now I have to find a new phone and have the old one shut off. Trouble is that I am not from Spartanburg, and I don't know where an AT&T store is located. Normally, I would pull up directions and Google map it, but...no phone. I can't call anyone. I can't text. I have no GPS and no way to get on the Internet to find the place. Finally, I find a shopping center with a Kohl's. They have wifi. So I pulled my laptop out of my trunk and borrowed their signal for a bit. Found a store, had to wait for it to open and then almost knocked the salesperson down with the force of my ire.
I am now the proud owner of a new HTC One Mini and it's very cute. And while I'm attempting to sort out how the silly thing works it occurs to me...
The person who stole my phone is an idiot. My Blackberry was more than 2 years old, which is antique. They turned it off, which means that when they turned it back on, it was locked. If you enter the wrong password into my phone more than 5 times, it locks up and wipes the phone. So they are now the proud owners of a lovely paperweight.
Some people just need a high five. In the face. With a chair.

Remember

2013-09-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

I usually post something in remembrance of this day. Because this day was important to me. It marked the Maginot Line between childhood and adulthood; the world before and the world after. And I suppose for many, it is this way. Whoever we were, as people, as a society, it changed after this day. Now, the children who were born after have never known what it was like to not be at war, to think of terrorism as something that happened in other places. In some ways, I feel bad for them. They may be children, but they were never innocent, as we were. This day is a touchstone for them, always there, every year. For some it simply marks the destruction of one landmark and the rise of another. For others, the death of a parent, aunt, uncle or friend they never knew. They see the images, they see how horrible it was; but they will never know it like we do. Because they've never known anything else. Much in the way we celebrate Veteran's Day or Pearl Harbor day. We know the horror of it, we were taught the history; but we would never feel it in our bones; not the way we do this day.
So today I don't think I'll remember planes, towers and madness. Today I will think that we lost people who were or could have been dear to us. 3000 souls, more or less, good, bad or ugly; in a single morning. They weren't just heroes, or victims, they were friends and endless potential that went unfulfilled.
I will always remember.

"Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell"

Emily Dickinson

Playing in Traffic

2013-08-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Oh the joy that is traveling...So, my job has already moved me from one city to another, now they're sending me afield into Georgia for days at a time. So that means lots of car time, hotels, long days and almost no decent workouts. But there is hope for those of us who love to travel; but hate what it does to the waistline. Here are my very few tips for life on the road:

Fuel up at better places. Don't just stop by any old Shell or BP, find a TA or a Love's or a QuikTrip. Also, Sheetz and Wawa are good if those exist where you are. These places often have something to eat besides chips and candy bars. They have sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, fruit and cheese packages; all of which are so much better for you than that bag of Doritos.
Find a grocery store. especially if you have a mini-fridge or microwave in your hotel room. You can get pre-made salads, cut fruits and veggies, and other goodies in the produce section of most local markets and usually you will spend much less than a restaurant would cost you.
Take 5 minutes everyday and do an exercise. Anything. Jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, whatever. Even if you are stuck in an office. Five minutes of some activity will make you feel much better. It's hard, when you are accustomed to working out daily or so, to be forced into idleness. Muscles get stiff, joints get sore. Five minutes will loosen the tension and make you feel less like throttling someone. Anyone.

So those are my few little tips. I don't always follow all of them, but I try. We'll see, when I get home this weekend, what the scale thinks about my decisions.

Miles to go yet, before I sleep.

Poetry is an Old Friend

2013-07-25T12:41:00.002-07:00

So in light of the unsettled nature of my mind of late, I have been enjoying reading a good deal of poetry. It's mostly free on Kindle, you can download whole collections, English, American, historical or modern. This is one I have a particular fondness for and will find myself reciting, apropos of nothing.

Antigonish by Hughes Mearns

Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish, I wish he’d go away...

When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I couldn’t see him there at all!
Go away, go away, don’t you come back any more!
Go away, go away, and please don’t slam the door... (slam!)

Last night I saw upon the stair
A little man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away

Isn't it fun? I like all sorts of poets and poetry, Emily Dickinson and Shakespeare and e.e. cummings are all part of my bookshelves. I used to pull my mother's books of poetry off the shelves when I was in elementary school. I remember reading Longfellow's "Evangeline" and dreaming about "the forest primeval, with the murmuring pines and the hemlocks," Tennyson's "Lady of Shallot" (10 bonus points if you can name the Agatha Christie novel that took it's name from that poem) and even poor e.e. cummings who tragically misplaced all his punctuation. So poetry and I go way back. And really, what is so comforting when we are troubled in our spirits, as an old friend? It may even be better than chocolate.

Praise, indeed.

Bitter, with Baggage, Seeks Same (or How I Spent My Summer)

2013-07-21T17:45:00.002-07:00

I forgot how much moving sucks. The first time I moved, it was three states and 5 hours away and involved selling a house and just about everything I owned. I was ok with it. Also, was ready to go from that place to my new adventure. One year later, only moved across town.
Fast Forward, five years later...
I'm leaving an apartment I've grown to like and the city I've called home for six years. I'm not even going far away, maybe 30 minutes West of here, but in terms of living conditions...30 minute drive, 10 year time warp. My job has shifted me to a new location and since I haven't found another that I like better, I'm going along with their evil plan. I can't afford my rent and the extra gas it would cost to go back and forth every day, so I'm resigned to leaving my fair city.
As I type this, I'm sitting in a favored bakery/cafe in the artsy section of the city and I can't really believe that I won't be fifteen minutes away anymore. My living room is full to critical mass with boxes and bins. The walls are bare and my things are piled here and there.
I'm not coping very well.
I'm binge-eating, although what I call "binge" is definitely less than it was a year ago. I considered taking up drinking, but I've never been a drinker. I find myself grouching at people who are only trying to help me and I'm unable to speak to my beloved husband without becoming Bride of Chucky. I know everyone is being so good to me, being helpful and nice and everything and me, I feel like I'm strung up on wires.
It's not fun.
I'm sorry for the pity-post, my friends, I promise to do better soon. Right now, I'm just gob-smacked by the fact that I am unexpectedly very sad to be leaving the place that has become my home. I didn't see this coming. But then, do we ever, really?

Right now, it's a rainy Sunday and the late-night crowds are coming in. I'm going to leave you for now to try to work on some projects.

Here's to silver light in dark of night.

I Don't Do Lunch

2013-06-25T08:58:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why this may be, but I am not a fan of lunch. I don't care for sandwiches and salads, yogurt doesn't do much for me either. If I'm to have lunch, I want a meal. A hot meal with all the necessary components. I want to sit down and eat it. Not eat in my car or while doing something else. When I eat, I want to take the time to enjoy my food. If I just scarf something, two things will happen: I will eat too much of it and, I will not be satisfied with it. It will be maybe an hour before I'm foraging for something else.
When I'm working, most of the time I skip lunch, since that is our busy time. I may eat a small snack in the late morning, but most of the time, I won't eat until 3PM or so. And that will be a proper meal, almost like dinner. Later on in the evening, I may have a small snack of something, but I try not to eat too much, too late.
I'm considering trying the protein shake for lunch thing. For one thing, I can just sip it and have an apple and then I won't have to worry about becoming ravenous later on.

In the meantime, I guess I'll just eat this yogurt.

Photographic Memory

2013-06-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I take pictures. I have a little Nikon automatic, which is not fancy, but gets the job done. I have a lot of hobbies that I pick up and put down as the Muse moves me, so from time to time, I may share some projects that I work on.
These pictures are from the Western Carolina mountains in November a few years back when I visited with my family.

Anti-Climax

2013-06-06T18:54:00.001-07:00

All that fuss and bother and running about had me working up a head of steam about leaving my current account. I cleaned and organized and cleaned again but in the end...pffft! Over, with all of the fanfare of a leftover party balloon.
I don't know exactly what's next. I know what the plan is; but sometimes what's planned and what happens aren't exactly similar. So, for now, I'm going to enjoy the quiet time. Try to relax a little, do some things I enjoy. After all, we never know what may be round the next bend.

Try not to step on the party balloons.

Pardon My Dust....

2013-05-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

We all need a little change now and then, even in the blogosphere. I was in the midst of contemplating the start of a new blog, brainstorming names in that way that we do; when I realized that as hard as I was racking my brains, nothing I could come up with was better than what I already had!
Feeding the Muse has been mostly a blog about my life as a Chef, although it sometimes veered into this or that, and that has been swell. But as I see another bend in the road on the horizon I feel that I would like to take the Muse in some new directions. So you may see some reformatting, some different looks and different content coming soon.

don't panic.

Summertime...and the Livin' is Easy

2013-05-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure about fish jumping; but in the South Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer. Kids are almost done with school, grills are firing up and pools are open for business. Now we all know what a hardcore Coca-Cola fan I am; to a fault. in fact. I drink entirely too much of the stuff for it to be good for me. So I set about the task of creating a summer beverage that would keep me happy without filling me with calories and/or chemicals.

Sweet Tea Spritzer
I'm sure that someone else has made this before me; so I won't say I "invented" it. But I like to think that I've adapted it to my tastes and made it my own.

I brewed Luzianne tea at super strength (one family-size teabag and about 10-12 oz of water) and also brewed some Celestial Seasonings Peppermint tea at 2x strength. I let them steep for about 5 minutes and poured them into a carafe with 3 packets of Splenda. It didn't make very much, but that's ok.
Pour about 3 oz of Sweet Mint Tea concentrate into a tall iced tea glass and then add ice. Then fill the rest of the glass with club soda or flavored seltzer water. It's fizzy and refreshing.

Adult modification: Add 1-2 oz of Limoncello to your glass before you top it off with seltzer. Makes a helluva Arnold Palmer for the over-21 folks.

Now, go relax on the porch.

One Year Later

2013-05-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything here in one year, almost to the day. The Muse fled me at the end of last year and I could not find anything to say about spending another year in the same damn kitchen. Although this year, I finally got some competent help. So that made a nice change.
It was a contract year this year. And my company lost. So, for better or worse, I will not be in this kitchen ever again. The school year is winding to a close and so too, my time there. There are a few things I will miss; some people and some of the kids. Largely I will be glad to be gone.

It's leaving time...

Trouble by the Bushel

2012-05-17T15:09:00.002-07:00

So here is a fun story...
I needed apples. The kids love apples. I called my produce company and ordered Gala apples, 113-125 count. Now, the "count" refers to the number of apples in a bushel, which is the case size. So 113-count means there's 113 apples in the case. It's a smallish apple, so it's great for my little kids.
The next morning, the delivery guy comes in with my apples. I look at the outside of the case...Red Delicious? Ru-roh, Shaggy! Those are not the droids I was looking for. I send them back. That afternoon, I call the produce company and talk to a person, order same apples. Gala, 113.
The next morning...Red Delicious. SERIOUSLY?! Did I not just send these back yesterday? Can they not read or do they not know a Red Delicious from a Gala? And if that is the case, why do they work for a produce company?! Delivery guy calls warehouse, they say they don't have Galas. I say, "You couldn't have told me that before I ordered them? I would've changed my order." I order Granny Smiths, 125 to be delivered that afternoon. They show up, with Granny Smiths, 77 count!!! These are freaking HUGE!
Call produce company, ask why the hell my apples are wrong, for the third time. Then order my granny smith apples for the next day, vowing that if they come in wrong this time, there will be a ruckus.
The next morning, I have a case of Granny Smiths, 125 count.
It took four days to get it right. *facepalm*

How bout them apples?

Maybe...

2012-04-25T13:31:00.001-07:00

In the end, maybe none of it matters. When it all comes down to it, no one cares that you tried to feed them healthy stuff or that you tried to stay on budget. All that shows is numbers and bottom lines, and yours is bleeding to death. Because everyone wants an "upscale" dining experience but no one wants to pay for it. And everyone has an opinion, but no one will tell you to your face. In the end, all you get for caring so damn much is a constant headache and an ulcer. And no job is ever going to be worth that.
So maybe next year they'll have a new chef, and hopefully I will have moved on, and maybe that chef will have better ideas, more enthusiasm and then maybe that chef will learn what a soul-vacuum this place is.
Maybe...

The Hard Way

2011-12-31T06:43:00.000-08:00

Some things you have to learn the hard way. How to squeeze a dollar from a dime. How to stick up for yourself. How to say you are sorry. So here are things I have learned so far.

1. Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself. Take a closer look at what you've been doing, and if it stands up to scrutiny, ignore those who would just say stuff for spite.

2. Some time you aren't just wrong, you're wrong at the top of your voice.

3. One person is a complainer. Two, three, four or more and maybe you should re-visit your decisions.

4. They don't pay enough to stress me out.

This year I'm starting a new quest to find a better position in my company. I'm going to apply to anything they will let me. Because I've been hanging on by my fingernails for long enough. It's time to let go.

Had to learn that the hard way too.