Days 155 – 158: Of blogs and other things

Blogging is a funny thing.  It’s a lot like keeping a diary, except everyone in the world has the key.  I pour my heart and soul into these pages and give others a glimpse into my quirky little life.  I like having a venue to make my thoughts and beliefs heard.  However, unlike a real diary, I have to be careful with what I post.

Everyone these days is internet crazy.  Between Facebook, Twitter, BBM, and all the other social media out there, words can circulate like wildfire.  All it takes is one picture, one joke, one misstep and your peace can be destroyed.  Take this whole Anthony Weiner thing, for instance…  So the guy sends some nudie pics to women he met online…this is nothing new.  People do this all the time.  They have cyber relationships and sexting and all that fun stuff.  Being a politician doesn’t make it any more wrong than if he was Joe Shmo the office clerk, but it does mean that he’s got more to lose.  And that he’s being watched more closely.  He got caught, and now he’s royally screwed.  His life and career will never be the same, all because he snapped a picture of his junk and put it on the internet.  Serious lack of judgement…

You don’t have to be high profile to have this happen to you either.  I read somewhere that infidelity is on the rise as a result of social media sites.  People think that the computer screen offers them privacy.  They can do things through the screen that they wouldn’t normally do.  However, Big Brother is always watching…

Let’s take my blog for instance…I’ve shared my life and views with you all for over 5 months now.  In that time, I’ve posted about politics, religion, society, relationships, culture, etc. in addition to the art and laughter that is this blog’s focus.  I’ve touched on controversial issues, and I’ve tried really really hard to not dig my own grave.  I won’t lie…I seriously censor my posts.  Each of my more serious entries has gone through several revisions before I deem it safe enough to publish.  It sucks, but it must be done.

I wrote a very long and very eloquent blog post earlier.  I read and reread it, each time coming to the same conclusion…It’s un-postable.  It really sucks, but what can I do.  As passionate as I feel about some issues, it’s best I keep them to myself.

That being said, on to the giggles!

Friday, I made an awesome dinner.  It inspired this giggle…

Yum!

This was a modified Rachel Ray recipe for pineapple hominy stuffed avocados.  I used mango and shrimp instead of the pineapple.  It was deeelicious!

The next giggle is a headband I created.

pretty!

I don’t know what it is about these headbands that I enjoy so much.  I love them!  This will look fabulous with my grey skirt…

The piece de resistance of today’s list of giggles is my new handbag!  A while ago, I posted about my experiments with woodburning.  Did it ever pay off?!

Ta da!

This is my wine box purse!  She’s burned into the front of the box and painted in watercolors.  I glued pearls around the edge and on the face of the box to add a little sparkle.

and the back

I used an embossed paper and ribbon to cover the back and sides of the box.

and the inside

I lined the inside of the box with shell pink paper and fabric and put a little pocket in for lipstick and goodies.  I’m very proud of my new bag!!!!!

Last, but not least, is today’s giggle.  It needs no explanation…

 

Days 141 and 142: Animalistic tendencies?

I didn’t giggle yesterday.  😦  I was a bit upset and just couldn’t focus on blogging.  However, I more than made up for it today!

I took Scottie-boy into Manhattan today for a culture filled birthday extravaganza.  Honestly, as much as I b!tch and complain about living in NY, there really is no place like it.  There’s just so much going on all the time.  Sights, smells, sounds…..it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.  Still, you just can’t beat NYC for culture.

Hubby’s birthday present this year was dinner and a show.  I got an awesome deal on StubHub for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.  Weird name, I know…but it was truly incredible.  I’ve never seen a play like this before.  I just can’t stop thinking about it.  It didn’t hurt that the title role was played by Robin Williams either…

RAAAWWWWRRRRRRR!

The show isn’t the only part of my day that left an impression.  We had THE most amazing dinner before going to the theatre.  Scott is a taco freak.  He always begs me to cook, bring in, and/or go out to Mexican food.  I, on the other hand, can pretty much take it or leave it….more often than not, I leave it.  This time, I gave in.  I made reservations at a place called Toloache in the theatre district, and it turned out to be one of the best meals I’ve ever had!

It was gosh darn pretty too!

Everything on Toloache’s menu sounded delicious.  Instead of ordering entrees, Scott and I decided to order a bunch of small plates and have “Mexican tapas!”  I’m not going to go into detail about each and every selection (I’m not a food critic after all!), but there is one item that I absolutely have to share.  Today’s giggle: chapulines tacos!!!!!!!!!

What are chapulines, you ask?  They are toasted grasshoppers!!!!!!!

Yum!

Yeah, yeah, yeah……I know I’m a bit more adventurous than most, but this was still a stretch for me.  I mean…..they’re freakin’ bugs, for goodness sake!  Creepy, crawly, scary little bugs!!!!  I don’t eat bugs….that’s something my cats do.  However, someone apparently thought that these critters were worth putting on a NYC restaurant menu, so…..I had to try them.

Here they are in taco form.  The tacos has lettuce, onions, chiles, and guacamole in addition to the grasshoppers.  Honestly, they looked innocent enough at first glance.  The chapulines looked more like walnuts than grasshoppers, which is funny, because they had a definite nutty flavor accented by chile and lime.  The texture was a bit unusual…..very crunchy like eating shrimp tails.  All in all, I have to say that they were pretty tasty!  Thumbs up for grasshoppers!!!!! (and for the tuna watermelon ceviche in the background of that picture….seriously delicious!)

So, what do you think about eating bugs?  Would you try them for a meal?  Would you eat them with an eel?  Would you, could you in a taco?  Or do you think it’s really wacko?

Dr Seuss I’m not…

 

Days 132 and 133: Traveler’s Anonymous

Lots going on….Let me sum up.

First of all, apparently tomorrow is the end of the world according to these crazies…  This has totally been the hot topic of conversation lately!  All  my students have been talking about it…7th graders are scared sh*tless, while 11th graders are hoping for a zombie apocalypse a la call of duty!  Insane!  I, for one, don’t think whatever divine being there is would let us lowly humans know if the end was near (or “nigh” as the crazy street corner people say).  Let’s think about this, shall we?  If you were G-d, and you were going to wipe the slate clean, would you let the creatures you were going to kill know?????  Especially if your whole point in doing so was to “save” the righteous and make everyone else suffer?!  I’d like to think that G-d, whomever he/she/it may be, would keep that information to himself.  Regardless, people have been speculating for hundreds if not thousands of years when the world would officially “end” and no one’s got it right yet.  Won’t these people feel real stupid when they wake up Sunday morning to find that all’s well?

Besides, I’m kinda tired of hearing this song….

So I’ve been working on a drawing based on this “end of the world ” theme, but I’m not ready to show it yet.  Later.

What I am ready to show is my lame attempt at culinary excellence!  I pride myself on being a world traveler.  Every chance Scott and I get, we are off to some exotic or unusual locale.  Unfortunately, cash has been tight lately…so we haven’t gone on many trips.  Instead, we live vicariously through TV personalities on the Travel Channel.  The only time I even turn on the TV is to watch reruns of Bizarre Foods or No Reservations!  Tonight I made a Bizarre Foods inspired dinner.

Some time ago, Andrew Zimmern took a trip down to Trinidad.  He ate all kinds of weird and crazy stuff there, but it was the “bake and shark” that really caught my interest.  I mean really…..who doesnt’t love a fried fish sandwich?!  I decided to make my own version tonight.

I followed this base recipe, but added my own twist here and there (whole wheat flour anyone?)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I made the fry bread from scratch, and it honestly wasn’t worth the trouble.  I’m not very good at frying things….I don’t do it often, so I don’t do it well.  In the future, I’d substitute pita bread and probably bake the fish.  The spices and marinade were delicious, as was my homemade coleslaw.

My mouth is watering...

I wonder if it was close to the Trini version…

Day 97: Defining “Kawaii”

Have you heard the term “kawaii?”  I hadn’t until recently when I started all this mail swapping business.  There’s a whole section on swap-bot for kawaii.  People throw this word around like I’m supposed to know what it means….Well, now I do!

Kawaii is the Japanese culture of cuteness.  I finally have a name for my enjoyment of adorable animals, cartoons, and cute fashion accessories!  It’s all beginning to make sense now…

Today’s giggle is a little bit of kawaii that will also be tomorrow’s breakfast!

yay for pig bread!!!

The piggy on the left is stuffed with cinnamon and peaches and topped with cinnamon sugar.  The one on the right is stuffed with ham and cheese and topped with rosemary.  I got the idea here but used my own quick bread recipe (didn’t have any yeast  😦  )  Not only are they freakin’ adorable, but they taste pretty good too!  Yeast is now on my shopping list.

oink!

Days 82 and 83: “Rubber” Ducky, you’re the one!

Hello my faithful reader(s)!  Do I have a doozy of a giggle for you today.  This has been 2 days in the making, so expect a good laugh!

First, the backstory…My school is hosting a faculty bake-off this coming week, for which the teachers will provide our best baked goodies for sale.  The students get to vote on their favorites, and there will be a prize.  Now, I’m not usually that competitive, but I HAVE TO WIN!!!  So….I’m going all out on this one.

My first thought was creative cupcakes.  There really are a million things you can do to cupcakes to make them exciting.  I decided on a springtime theme and made some little cupcake duckies…or “duck-cakes.”  I won’t tell you how I made them, but I will tell you that they were a b!@#$ and a half to make!  All was good, though, until it came to the icing…and the eyes…and beak…

I’d tell you not to laugh, but that kinds defeats the purpose of this blog…

Quack for your life!

These are the scariest ducks/cupcakes ever!  They’re all lumpy and deformed…They kinda remind me of that evil duck toy from Nightmare Before Christmas.

See the resemblance?

These “duck-cakes” are the stuff of nightmares.  Fear not, dear readers!  I will not be serving these to children!

Day 68: Taste the rainbow!

Finally caught up on my blogging!  Yay me!

Anywho…In case you live under a rock, tomorrow is St. Patty’s Day.  Like I said a few days ago, I looooove any reason to celebrate.  I have my mentoring group tomorrow, and I decided to make them something special.

It's a rainbow cupcake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, you heard that right folks.  This is a rainbow cupcake.  It is by far the coolest dessert treat EVER.  Most definitely.  Don’t believe me?

booyah!

Yeah that’s right!  The COOLEST CUPCAKE EVER!!!!!  Did I mention they’re cherry flavored?  Yup.  Cherry.  Super yum!

If you’d like to jump on the rainbow cake bandwagon, you can find the recipe here.  Family Fun actually has a whole bunch of really great kid-friendly recipes.  I hope the kiddies like them!

I’d love to know is anyone else tries these.  Post pics in the comments!

Update on Oscar Menu

Menu has been served and the verdicts are in.  Best dish goes to Shrimp and True Grits.  I would link to a recipe, but I didn’t really follow one…

Best supporting dish goes to Winter’s Bone marrow crostini.  It was amazingly simple too!  Find it here.

The panna cotta was okay, probably because I made it with fat free milk and cream.

The only other dish I would recommend was the King’s Peach Spears with Stilton and Honey. I modified this recipe by slicing the peaches, leaving out the additional sauce, and serving with the crumbled cheese on top.  It was phenomenal!

Let me know if you try any of them.

Day 51: Senor Potato Head Es Muy Caliente!

Did you have a Mr. Potato Head growing up?  I did, and I loved it.  I would spend hours mixing and matching the assorted parts to make the funniest faces possible.  Somehow, he always ended up as a cross-dressing old man with a bonnet, mustache, handbag, and pipe.  I was an odd child.

Anyway, Toy Story 3 is up for Best Picture at tonight’s Academy Awards.  It was a cute movie, not my favorite in the Toy Story series, but fun enough to enjoy.  I’ll admit that I did get a bit teary eyed here and there, particularly when Andy was saying goodbye to Woody at the end.  And the whole preschool thing totally reminded me of my brief stint as a preschool teacher.  Yes, the movie’s portrayal of a toddler room was 100% accurate!  I still don’t really know if it deserved a Best Picture nomination though…

Regardless, I included it on tonight’s menu in the form of a fun little appetizer which I just have to share.  Ready for this?

hahahahahahahaha

It’s an army of little potato heads all ready to march into my belly!!!!  I haven’t eaten one yet, so I can’t really attest to their flavor.  They definitely get an A+ for presentation!  I got the recipe here.  I changed it a bit…used dried chopped onion instead of the nuts for the noses and regular instead of English cucumbers.  I also had to add the toothpick, because they just kept falling down.  Aren’t they hysterical?!

Eat me!

Wouldn’t this be a great way to get kids to eat their veggies?  What do you think?

Day 43: Little Sprouts

My home it tiny.  I mean really really tiny.  Like I could lie on the floor and probably touch opposite walls in my living room tiny.  Okay…I’m exaggerating just a bit, but you get my point.  That being said, I’ve really got no storage space.  I’m not even talking about my pack rat hoarding habits.  There’s no storage space for essentials.  As a result, my precious bag of onions is kept in a bowl on top of the microwave in front of a window.

Yeah, I know.  That is THE WORST possible place to keep onions.  Cool and dry, blah blah blah.  But I have no choice.  Short of sitting on them, there is no other place for them to go.  Ditto for potatoes.  This means that every once in a while we come across a happy little onion plant sprouting up in the bowl.  Normally I throw them out.  Not today…

Meet the Sprout couple!

Scott found these little cuties in the bowl this morning.  I just had to draw faces on them.  Aren’t they adorable?!

aww

Say goodbye everyone!  The Sprouts are off on a great vacation to beautiful trashland!  Have a safe trip!

Day 33: A Chocolate Giggle

I have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day.  On the one hand, I’m such a sucker for all the pink hearts and romance.  On the other hand, I have major issues with the commercialism associated with V-Day.  How many commercials have I seen this week pressuring people to buy buy buy buy buy or they won’t be loved???  Gimme a break!  Love should be celebrated every day, not just on February 14th, and flowers and jewelry have nothing to do with love….they are a nice touch though!

Today, I used some Valentine chocolate to make a silly little giggle!

T

But wait, there’s more!  I had to eat a piece, and you’ll never guess what it said inside the wrapper!!!!!

Laugh until your heart overflows.

Could this be more perfect?  I think not.