This is what I’m wearing today. Shame it’s so hot.

Anyhoodle, I have a note pad I always keep with me where I create lists of whatever. Grocery shopping, recipe ideas, to do items, and a ton of things to “look into” at some point.

It’s fun to look through and try to figure out why I chose something. Like I remember being in the car and wanting to find out what curt hitches are. But I have no idea why I was interested in soil density in the mid-Atlantic region. Or where the thought came from.

Some favorites:

Dylan Thomas on Rudyard Kipling

“Mr Kipling … stands for everything in this cankered world which I would wish were otherwise.”

Truman Capote on Jack Kerouac

“That’s not writing, that’s typing.”

Mark Twain on Jane Austen

“Every time I read ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ I want to dig her up and hit her over the skull with her own shin-bone.”

William Faulkner on Ernest Hemingway

“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”

Ernest Hemingway on William Faulkner

“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?”

In preparation I’ve been decking out my ride (heh) a bit. Finally got a guidance system installed. I got a deal for a few months to try it. Since I’m terrible at reading maps and directions I hope it will keep me from getting lost. Nothing fancy like gps for truckers, but something to help keep me sane.

Oh, and tons of music and books on tape (er, CD. But books on CD sounds dumb, doesn’t it?)

And thanks to the nice folks at turtle beach, we can play games and whatever without disturbing the neighbors. So far we’ve been able to resist buying a mini fridge, but it’s only a matter of time, I’m sure.

Ingredients:

1 lb extra large shrimp (don’t use anything smaller than 21/25s)
4 cloves garlic
2 lemons
1 bunch of scallions
1 pint grape tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
Parsley (to taste)
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
3 ears of corn (removed from cob – don’t forget to scrape out the extra tastiness – can use frozen)
1 lb pasta (whatever you like is fine – I used linguini)

Directions:

Remove shells and tails from shrimp. Boil shells and tails in a small pot with 2-3 cups of water for at least 30 minutes (I did this ahead of time right when I brought the shrimp home). Once the stock is nice and shrimpy and reduced about 50%, strain it and set aside (can be refrigerated, but get it back to room temp before using).

Combine 1/2 cup of corn kernels, garlic, handful of tomatoes and 3 tbsp olive oil in blender or mini mixer and blitz until smooth.

Boil water for pasta and slice shrimp in half lengthwise and set aside.

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and chop scallions (separate the white and green).

Sautee 1/2 of the remaining tomatoes, rest of corn and white parts of the scallions in 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of coconut oil until skin of tomatoes is wilted and slightly browned.

Right before putting pasta in (if not fresh, of course), add the tomato garlic mixture and juice of one lemon to the tomatoes and cook on medium/high until bubbling. Add little bits of the shrimp stock to loosen sauce. Cook for 5 or so minutes, keep adding stock as you like (make sure you’re not salting anything – shrimp stock is very briney).

When pasta is almost done, add the shrimp and toss/stir to get the cooked. It should only take 2 minutes or so. Turn off heat and add the rest of the tomatoes, scallions, parsley and juice of other lemon. Drain pasta and toss together with sauce right away.

Yum yum yum. The directions make it sound harder than it is.

We’ve gone to building supply stores three times this week so he can “work on the basement.” So far that means trying to find places to put his new toys. I drew the line at a barcode scanner, though it was pretty fun. There are a lot more uses than I’d thought at first. Maybe for his birthday.