I've spent quite a bit of time in our computer room this month already hammering away at this Science Fiction class. It's been interesting, but I'm ready to say goodbye. The stress of summer classes is something I cannot wait to put behind me forever.
A few weeks ago, I realized there was a super annoying sound in the wall next to the chair where I sit to read in this room. Quincy actually heard it too, one day, and tried to alternately climb the bookshelves and dive under and behind them to get to the noise. Honestly, what it first sounded like to me was a series of tiny peckings or scratchings. At first it was just every now and then for a short period of time. Now, it's constant. I pulled Kyle in a few nights ago to listen to it and he said, "Definitely mice," which I had thought, too. The sound could definitely be claws.
He wrapped on the wall a few times and his mouth fell open as he concentrated on listening. "What?" I asked. "It might be bees." I was not expecting that answer, and I laughed. Bees? Really?
Kyle took to the Internet to find out and spent at least an hour on Wikipedia learning more about carpenter bees, mostly, but a plethora of other pests with wings, as well. He had something like 10 tabs open in the browser when I walked in (yeah, I'd left the room. Bees aren't that interesting to me.). Just like me, this man loves information. Sometimes I feel like we rarely love information about the same things, but when research is necessary to figure something out, Kyle's the man. He's got the Internet by the throat! Can find anything you need.
Anyway, after this discussion and my reluctance to believe it, I noticed a bee leaving the area beside our back window this morning. I went outside in the cool morning air and stood about 10 feet away, staring at the exact location of that sound. Located on the brick in that precise locale is our water meter, and while I stood there about a dozen bees flew in and out from behind that box. Gotcha!
Now, what to do? I suppose we tell the landlord and see if they care if bees are living in our walls. Ah, the life of a renter!
12 August 2011
08 August 2011
Monday's Accomplishment
As if Mondays aren't hard enough to face...today I had a monumental chore: Finish Red Mars.
My neck is so sore, as is my rear, from sitting and reading all day long.
Will this semester never END?
I know it will, but I have a paper to finish and one other small assignment that I don't care about. It'll get done.
Today, I had 275 pages to read in order to finish this book so that I could move on to research for the paper (that's the only "relief" I get these days). I started reading at 9a, took a break from 11 to 2p for some lunch, some cleaning, some exercising. I've been reading since 2...it's not 8 and I only have 40 more pages. My body screams to lie down, but I know I must go on.
I've taken to doing 10 jumping jacks when I get up for more water or to go to the bathroom. I don't always remember, but when I do, I feel better, blood flows to the outer extremities that have been in the same position for an hour. I also walk around the house, just to move, check my email, just to look at something different.
By the time I go to sleep, I will have finished Red Mars. It's a really good book. Recommended. Incredibly detailed, and I wouldn't recommend trying to read it in 2 1/2 days. It is 575 pages long and dense. The material is all science--every branch you can imagine--as well as psychology. The author had to have such a breadth of knowledge that I'm incredibly impressed. It's a complex novel that entwines human interactions and relationships with incredible scientific exploration in all kinds of fields (biology, ecology, geology, physics, astronomy...and more) with politics, religion, and economics. I can't grasp it all, to be honest, but it's a fascinating read (probably more so if I wasn't under this time crunch).
Last night I dreamed of Mars. So, obviously, it's very imaginative.
Okay, that was my 10 minute break. Actually, I think I need some food in order to concentrate on those last, surely significant, 40 pages.
I'll see you on the other side of this looming paper -- due next Wednesday at midnight.
Adios for now.
My neck is so sore, as is my rear, from sitting and reading all day long.
Will this semester never END?
I know it will, but I have a paper to finish and one other small assignment that I don't care about. It'll get done.
Today, I had 275 pages to read in order to finish this book so that I could move on to research for the paper (that's the only "relief" I get these days). I started reading at 9a, took a break from 11 to 2p for some lunch, some cleaning, some exercising. I've been reading since 2...it's not 8 and I only have 40 more pages. My body screams to lie down, but I know I must go on.
I've taken to doing 10 jumping jacks when I get up for more water or to go to the bathroom. I don't always remember, but when I do, I feel better, blood flows to the outer extremities that have been in the same position for an hour. I also walk around the house, just to move, check my email, just to look at something different.
By the time I go to sleep, I will have finished Red Mars. It's a really good book. Recommended. Incredibly detailed, and I wouldn't recommend trying to read it in 2 1/2 days. It is 575 pages long and dense. The material is all science--every branch you can imagine--as well as psychology. The author had to have such a breadth of knowledge that I'm incredibly impressed. It's a complex novel that entwines human interactions and relationships with incredible scientific exploration in all kinds of fields (biology, ecology, geology, physics, astronomy...and more) with politics, religion, and economics. I can't grasp it all, to be honest, but it's a fascinating read (probably more so if I wasn't under this time crunch).
Last night I dreamed of Mars. So, obviously, it's very imaginative.
Okay, that was my 10 minute break. Actually, I think I need some food in order to concentrate on those last, surely significant, 40 pages.
I'll see you on the other side of this looming paper -- due next Wednesday at midnight.
Adios for now.
03 August 2011
Quincy's new passion
You probably won't believe this, because even to me this sounds ridiculous. But...
Quincy Loves Shoes.
It's true, he does. And we have evidence.
The only sad part is that we're missing a picture from the innumerable times he climbs into our Chacos. He loves those sandals. Can't pass up a moment of sticking his paws through the straps if they are sitting off the side somewhere. I might go as far to say that he's obsessed. He's taken to treating them as "Home Base". Before he took to the shoes, Home Base was the kitchen rug. Anytime he got scolded (which is often), or needed comfort (think vacuuming), he would take refuge at Home Base. Even when playing, after skittering around the kitchen after his beloved plastic ring, he would pick it up in his mouth and carry it back to Home Base.
Little did we know that Home Base was about to become mobile. Wherever there is a shoe is now a Home Base. It's hysterical.
Another of Quincy's recent obsessions is the sink. Well, any sink. I caught him here in the kitchen sink, going fishing for something in the disposal.
His favorite, however, is the bathroom sink. Whenever we're getting ready for bed, he'll climb in and curl up (he takes up the ENTIRE sink) and prevent us from using it for our own purposes. Like a kid, trying to convince the parents to stay up or something. Kyle got a video of that on his phone, so I'll try to post that soon.
The final thing I want to show is his new favorite playhouse. Now, we really haven't bought him much: a few grooming brushes is all besides food and litter. Kyle is always wanting to get Quincy something, but really, what could he need? I found a little house at Meijer that sported two openings (one on the side, one on the end), a dangling feathery toy, and a hammock on top. I kept my eye on it, but never got around to buying it because it was $20. Seemed excessive. Plus, Kyle was never with me to see if it was a good idea, so I waited. Eventually, it dropped in price to $12, and Kyle was at the store with me and jumped on the chance to buy Quincy something fun.
Well, of course he loves it. Although not sure about the hammock at first, after just two days he figured out he could lay in it and it's been a staple in his every day circuit of finding places to sleep in the living room.
Alas, Blogger picture loader has been total crap for a week, so I'm posting this without the final picture. Can't...take...it...any...more!
Quincy Loves Shoes.
It's true, he does. And we have evidence.
The only sad part is that we're missing a picture from the innumerable times he climbs into our Chacos. He loves those sandals. Can't pass up a moment of sticking his paws through the straps if they are sitting off the side somewhere. I might go as far to say that he's obsessed. He's taken to treating them as "Home Base". Before he took to the shoes, Home Base was the kitchen rug. Anytime he got scolded (which is often), or needed comfort (think vacuuming), he would take refuge at Home Base. Even when playing, after skittering around the kitchen after his beloved plastic ring, he would pick it up in his mouth and carry it back to Home Base.
Little did we know that Home Base was about to become mobile. Wherever there is a shoe is now a Home Base. It's hysterical.
 |
| The thong of this sandal is actually between his toes. He loves it. |
 |
| A visitor's shoes. He doesn't discriminate. |
 |
| His favorite of my friends: Ashley's sandals. Obviously, he's super excited. |
 |
| The double-footed Home Base. |
His favorite, however, is the bathroom sink. Whenever we're getting ready for bed, he'll climb in and curl up (he takes up the ENTIRE sink) and prevent us from using it for our own purposes. Like a kid, trying to convince the parents to stay up or something. Kyle got a video of that on his phone, so I'll try to post that soon.
 |
| Don't know why the pic is sideways. Sorry. |
Well, of course he loves it. Although not sure about the hammock at first, after just two days he figured out he could lay in it and it's been a staple in his every day circuit of finding places to sleep in the living room.
Alas, Blogger picture loader has been total crap for a week, so I'm posting this without the final picture. Can't...take...it...any...more!
28 July 2011
Summer 2011: Really? When's the break?
As you may have guessed, this summer has felt like anything but summer break. Maybe I try too hard in my classes, or maybe they really are super, incredibly demanding. I feel like ever since July began I've been struggling to keep up. We've had busier weekends in July than we did in June, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. But seriously, I need a real break before I go back to work...oh wait, that's a week from Monday. Great....
I'm sure I mentioned my hesitancy toward this new course: Science Fiction Lit of the 20th century. This genre is a complete unknown to me, and all I know is that I don't care for aliens in films, and I've never met one in literature I liked either (though I have been sure to not cross paths with many). As it turns out, the beginning of the course has been somewhat of a lightbulb: SF is not all about aliens. And, on the other hand, other-worldly creatures can be done well and made to be very interesting and engaging. Who knew!
We have a bajillion pages of reading each week, which makes me nervous and tired all at once every single Monday when I get the "Here's What We're Doing This Week" email. But I will say that our text called Masterpieces: The Best SF short stories... has provided an excellent introduction. We began with a few short stories that first week in July, and it enabled me to see that not all SF is dumb or kooky or ridiculous. It can actually look very closely in new ways at what it means to be human, the issues that humanity faces, and even so far as causing some personal reflections. Yeah, I wasn't really ready for that, but that's what I found!
We read a few critical articles about what makes something SF--so categorizing and compartmentalizing. In the end, however, we learned that there are two key elements of SF lit: 1) it will address change in some way; 2) it covers the idea/concept of "the Other" through examining how someone or thing is estranged (this part usually caused the reflection element).
As of this week, we've read 3 novels:
I'm sure I mentioned my hesitancy toward this new course: Science Fiction Lit of the 20th century. This genre is a complete unknown to me, and all I know is that I don't care for aliens in films, and I've never met one in literature I liked either (though I have been sure to not cross paths with many). As it turns out, the beginning of the course has been somewhat of a lightbulb: SF is not all about aliens. And, on the other hand, other-worldly creatures can be done well and made to be very interesting and engaging. Who knew!
We have a bajillion pages of reading each week, which makes me nervous and tired all at once every single Monday when I get the "Here's What We're Doing This Week" email. But I will say that our text called Masterpieces: The Best SF short stories... has provided an excellent introduction. We began with a few short stories that first week in July, and it enabled me to see that not all SF is dumb or kooky or ridiculous. It can actually look very closely in new ways at what it means to be human, the issues that humanity faces, and even so far as causing some personal reflections. Yeah, I wasn't really ready for that, but that's what I found!
We read a few critical articles about what makes something SF--so categorizing and compartmentalizing. In the end, however, we learned that there are two key elements of SF lit: 1) it will address change in some way; 2) it covers the idea/concept of "the Other" through examining how someone or thing is estranged (this part usually caused the reflection element).
As of this week, we've read 3 novels:
- Asimov's I, Robot, which is actually a collection of short stories he later connected with some inter-chapter material. Though it didn't flow very well and some of the characters were really flat and the dialogue lame, his robots were super endearing. I wanted to know them. And it was a great launching point for the rest of the semester. I would recommend it to those who have never read any SF because the chapters are short (remember: short stories) and therefore pretty self-contained. You can take it in small chunks and think about why you should care at all, maybe discover why you do.
- Robert M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz. I have a ton to say about this book. I just wrote a 12-page paper on it, but I'll try to limit my comments. Also written first as 3 very long short stories, it was just thrown together without any editing into a novel. And it works...very well. This novel taught me that SF doesn't have to be about robots or machines or technology at all in the way I was thinking about it. Here we have a post-apocalyptic world with the Catholic church still strong but cloistered away in monasteries and men in chaos, reverting back to the ways of our long-past ancestors: hunters-gatherers, warring tribes, barbarism. The book spans 1800 years and how men, after rediscovering knowledge, return to the same paths...nuclear war happens again. The characters are wonderful and most are deep. Many things about humanity, faith, doubt, religion, science, and responsibility are investigated from various angles. I want everyone I know to read this book. It made me think, made me reflect.
- Ursula K. Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness. I probably shouldn't say a whole lot on it, as I'm only 1/2 way through this novel (must be done by tomorrow!). It's the first "Other-Planetary" journey I've taken that puts me down in a completely new culture. Yes, I experienced culture shock in the first few chapters. She explores themes of gender and government, society and power relationships. It's fascinating and strange, in a good way. The "aliens" here aren't scary or weird; they are simply different. Again, like Miller's novel, it's so well-written that it's worth a read by anyone, even those who don't care for Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. It's different than you'd imagine.
What we have left for the course is Watchmen, the graphic novel that inspired the very graphic film of a few years ago. I'm not super excited about it, but next week is the one during which I have to read it, so I guess it'll be over soon enough. After that, it's Red Mars, which I think is part of a series.
Just so you don't think I'm crazy for saying how much work every week requires, let me tell you a little secret. In addition to reading a novel a week, we have one critical article and one short story, over which we have multiple discussions in our online class environment. For one novel, for example, there are typically around 150 comments. For one essay or short story, anywhere from 50 to 100. Reading everybody else's posts and trying to find new things to say about all of this is tiring. Yikes. In addition, we have one week in which we're responsible, with a partner, for leading discussion for one of those short stories, and another week for one of the critical essays. We also have 2 papers to write in our "free" time. I just about crashed and burned these last two weeks. In an effort to front-load my class work, to avoid being swamped when I go back to the Library in August, I ended up with all that reading, plus a paper, plus leading 2 class discussions between last week and this. Terrifying. I kind of hermitted myself away, but I have managed to get it all done (or I will have, by tomorrow).
So that's my summer in a nutshell. I'm tired.
When's my break?
15 June 2011
Today's accomplishments
I've taken to creating lists for every day, just like my mom used to do for us when we were at home. Especially in the summer when kids are wont to be lazy. Now, I find myself creating them so that I can know exactly what tasks I'm faced with each day, and I must admit, marking them off gives a tremendous amount of satisfaction.
It feels good to be able to say, that today I:
It feels good to be able to say, that today I:
- finished my first half-week's readings and aced the quiz
- participated in online discussion for class
- submitted a critical article review assignment (and got it back with a good grade!)
- drafted another film review assignment (for the 4-hour Hamlet which I watched Mon-Tues)
- ordered new lenses for my reading glasses (yup, still have 'em)
- picked up a ton of delicious food at the grocery (a lot of fruit for a fruit salad on Friday)
- made dinner: pesto with multi-grain penne, red potatoes, and fresh green beans (delicious)
- baked brownies for our Bible study movie night tonight (BBC's Sense & Sensibility)
- got some pulled pork BBQ started in the crock (to be finished tomorrow)
I didn't get my work out in this morning, but I slept in as a trade off. It felt great. Plus, my hip has been a little sore and I figured one day of complete rest would do some good. It does feel better, and will more so when I do my stretches.
I've been moving my *apple butter item on the list to every subsequent day for two weeks. I think I might try this weekend. It takes like 10 hours with prep and crock cook time, and sometimes I just don't have the energy to face that. Peeling, coring, and cutting that many apples...makes my hands hurt just thinking about it.
I'm working hard to get my assignments done before Friday so that I can enjoy a full day of watching the 5-hour Pride & Prejudice with a friend. We've been planning on doing this for at least a month, maybe longer. I'm so glad we finally can! Add that to the Jane Austen movie we're watching tonight with my Bible study girls, and this is a perfect week full of awesomely talented English authors. My favorite!
What's your favorite Shakespearean play OR sonnet OR Jane Austen novel? (Interactive blogging, see? You're supposed to answer!)
09 June 2011
Cooking Adventures, Part Deuce
Wednesday was my first day off for the summer (6 weeks, baby!). In my typical style, I tried to pack too many things into that first day. I have a list of things to accomplish, things that have been thwarted by 8-hour work days. I set out very early Wednesday to make that day count!
After an early work out session, I headed to the store to buy ingredients to make my own pesto. A few years ago, my lovely sister helped me out by making Lana-friendly pesto with organic produce from the farm where she was working. It was divine! And, since I cannot eat store-bought or restaurant-served pesto, I really wanted some more. It's a great addition to so many things: pasta, sandwiches, and the new discovery: pizza. The real reason I needed pesto pronto was due to Kim's recently posted pizza recipe. I wanted it. And my first day off was the day to do it. Kyle was off that day, so I knew he could knead pizza dough for me (something I sadly cannot do on my own).
The grocery was very disappointing. No bulk basil for pesto. But I bought some spinach (because I had a hunch that could substitute in a pinch) and the remaining ingredients for the pizza. This meant I had to make the pizza before the produce went bad. Where to find massive quantities of basil? Where else but the farm! I stopped by and found out they were in desperate need of someone to basically groom the basil so it could grow bigger and more full. I did just that and scored probably 3 cups of teeny tiny basil leaves. Plus, I scored some spinach. This entire process took me until 2pm from grocery (10a) to returning from the farm. I was hot and tired, but very excited for pesto. So I began washing and rewashing and drying the spinach and basil. I picked the tiny stems from the tiny leaves. I de-stemmed the spinach. I gathered all of my ingredients and began to process the pesto. Our food processor is tiny, so it took several batches to get all the leaves ground down. Then, I added the garlic, oil, salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Group #1 of the pesto included all of the farm spinach and some basil. Group #2 included a larger proportion of basil and store-bought spinach.
Here was my set up for this whole mess:
I froze the two smaller ones and used the large one to make dinner.
The whole process ended around 4pm, at which point I collapsed of exhaustion on the floor, vegged out in front of the computer, and then took a shower to get ready for the next phase, which began a short two-hours later. We had to make dinner, people. And it was homemade Pizza. Something I had never done before. Luckily, I'm married to former pizza maker extraordinaire, so we were in good hands.
Although not the best picture, this was Kim's recipe for Kale, Tomato, Pesto Pizza. (See here for what to do with the leftover pesto, tomato, and gouda.)
It boasts a whole wheat crust (so yum), pesto for the sauce, then completely covered in gouda (oh, heavenly), then tomatoes and kale piled on top. We added some shredded Italian cheese to the top because we love cheese.
It was unbelievable. We will be eating this again. We also used this time to see how our pizza stone works. Fairly well, if I do say so myself. I even ate two leftover pieces of pizza for lunch today and they were good reheated. What?! I doubted, but I was wrong. Mmm, mmm, good.
Another cooking success, and with 3 jars of pesto to show for the day, I feel completely satisfied with my first day off. Oh, and by the way, I also made chicken and bean tacos in the crock pot that morning and tuna salad for lunch. It's like I love the kitchen or something (no, I don't).
After an early work out session, I headed to the store to buy ingredients to make my own pesto. A few years ago, my lovely sister helped me out by making Lana-friendly pesto with organic produce from the farm where she was working. It was divine! And, since I cannot eat store-bought or restaurant-served pesto, I really wanted some more. It's a great addition to so many things: pasta, sandwiches, and the new discovery: pizza. The real reason I needed pesto pronto was due to Kim's recently posted pizza recipe. I wanted it. And my first day off was the day to do it. Kyle was off that day, so I knew he could knead pizza dough for me (something I sadly cannot do on my own).
The grocery was very disappointing. No bulk basil for pesto. But I bought some spinach (because I had a hunch that could substitute in a pinch) and the remaining ingredients for the pizza. This meant I had to make the pizza before the produce went bad. Where to find massive quantities of basil? Where else but the farm! I stopped by and found out they were in desperate need of someone to basically groom the basil so it could grow bigger and more full. I did just that and scored probably 3 cups of teeny tiny basil leaves. Plus, I scored some spinach. This entire process took me until 2pm from grocery (10a) to returning from the farm. I was hot and tired, but very excited for pesto. So I began washing and rewashing and drying the spinach and basil. I picked the tiny stems from the tiny leaves. I de-stemmed the spinach. I gathered all of my ingredients and began to process the pesto. Our food processor is tiny, so it took several batches to get all the leaves ground down. Then, I added the garlic, oil, salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Group #1 of the pesto included all of the farm spinach and some basil. Group #2 included a larger proportion of basil and store-bought spinach.
Here was my set up for this whole mess:
Yes, it was very messy.
But here's the finished product! I had two little jars like this and one large jar.
I froze the two smaller ones and used the large one to make dinner.
The whole process ended around 4pm, at which point I collapsed of exhaustion on the floor, vegged out in front of the computer, and then took a shower to get ready for the next phase, which began a short two-hours later. We had to make dinner, people. And it was homemade Pizza. Something I had never done before. Luckily, I'm married to former pizza maker extraordinaire, so we were in good hands.
Although not the best picture, this was Kim's recipe for Kale, Tomato, Pesto Pizza. (See here for what to do with the leftover pesto, tomato, and gouda.)
It boasts a whole wheat crust (so yum), pesto for the sauce, then completely covered in gouda (oh, heavenly), then tomatoes and kale piled on top. We added some shredded Italian cheese to the top because we love cheese.
It was unbelievable. We will be eating this again. We also used this time to see how our pizza stone works. Fairly well, if I do say so myself. I even ate two leftover pieces of pizza for lunch today and they were good reheated. What?! I doubted, but I was wrong. Mmm, mmm, good.
Another cooking success, and with 3 jars of pesto to show for the day, I feel completely satisfied with my first day off. Oh, and by the way, I also made chicken and bean tacos in the crock pot that morning and tuna salad for lunch. It's like I love the kitchen or something (no, I don't).
Cooking Adventures, Part 1
I really enjoy cooking. I wouldn't say that I'm always creative or that I even always feed Kyle and myself well. However, when I have time to try something new and it sounds divine or has gotten a good rating from friends, I actually get excited!
In the past few weeks, we've tried several new dishes. The best by far turned out to be the Prosciutto-wrapped pork chops, rosemary roasted potatoes (a new recipe), and broiled asparagus. The desert suggested with it was Red wine Pear Sorbet. We found this recipe while watching a show one random Saturday in the fall. It was intimidating. I had never heard of Prosciutto before and while the woman on the show made it look SO stinking easy, I knew that couldn't be true. But, we were pumped and embarked on this cooking adventure together (thankfully, as there was rubbing raw meat with spices involved; and we all know I don't do that).
Little did we know what was in store for us. The meat and potatoes were stove-based, so we had three pans going at once. And the oil spatter started early. Hot, searing pings of sizzling oil...all over everything. Gross. Then, because we have a stupid, old coil stove, they didn't cook evenly and one was scorching while the other was just okay. Kyle would have thrown in the towel, well he kind of did emotionally when he checked the first pan of 2 pork chops. He tossed the tongs and said, "That's it. Ruined. Stupid stove!" I wasn't ready to give in to despair just yet. I had shelled out a lot of money for these chops and the wrapping Prosciutto. Plus, even if it's gross, I actually really liked charred food.
So we continued in this atmosphere:
The whole house became engulfed in smoke from the stove. We opened 'er up and had fans going at both doors. I was bound and determined to win against this meal! In the midst of this fog, we heated up the oven to 450 for asparagus. What were we thinking?! It was HOT.
As it turned out, I hadn't read the directions very closely. The potatoes took 30 minutes (duh! Of course they would.) and everything else about 10. Plus, the dessert took over night. Epic fail by Lana! We ended up with pork chops and asparagus together, let it sit for a while and then had a few potato pieces. We were stuffed by this time. No room for the dessert that was waiting in the freezer for the next day when we had round 2 of this meal:
Our assessment of the meal was: delicious! The char was perfect (I wouldn't have it any other way). The asparagus (olive oil and sea salt) gave a totally new texture and color to the plate, which was fun. The potatoes had just a hint of rosemary, which is different from how we normally make them. And the subtlety worked for this dish. Kyle did mention he'd prefer our other method for the potatoes next time, but all in all...yums!
Truth be told, it was just as good, if not better the next day. Even I was skeptical about that, and I will eat anything for leftovers. The dessert was phenomenal, too. Mmmm. I love pears (right, Grandpa?!)!
This cooking success made me even more eager to try out some other new dishes that I've gleaned from friends' and cousins' blogs. Yesterday was another cooking adventure, but more on that later.
Email me if you want these recipes. They are SO worth it.
In the past few weeks, we've tried several new dishes. The best by far turned out to be the Prosciutto-wrapped pork chops, rosemary roasted potatoes (a new recipe), and broiled asparagus. The desert suggested with it was Red wine Pear Sorbet. We found this recipe while watching a show one random Saturday in the fall. It was intimidating. I had never heard of Prosciutto before and while the woman on the show made it look SO stinking easy, I knew that couldn't be true. But, we were pumped and embarked on this cooking adventure together (thankfully, as there was rubbing raw meat with spices involved; and we all know I don't do that).
Little did we know what was in store for us. The meat and potatoes were stove-based, so we had three pans going at once. And the oil spatter started early. Hot, searing pings of sizzling oil...all over everything. Gross. Then, because we have a stupid, old coil stove, they didn't cook evenly and one was scorching while the other was just okay. Kyle would have thrown in the towel, well he kind of did emotionally when he checked the first pan of 2 pork chops. He tossed the tongs and said, "That's it. Ruined. Stupid stove!" I wasn't ready to give in to despair just yet. I had shelled out a lot of money for these chops and the wrapping Prosciutto. Plus, even if it's gross, I actually really liked charred food.
So we continued in this atmosphere:
Scared and nervous, yet hopeful.
The whole house became engulfed in smoke from the stove. We opened 'er up and had fans going at both doors. I was bound and determined to win against this meal! In the midst of this fog, we heated up the oven to 450 for asparagus. What were we thinking?! It was HOT.
As it turned out, I hadn't read the directions very closely. The potatoes took 30 minutes (duh! Of course they would.) and everything else about 10. Plus, the dessert took over night. Epic fail by Lana! We ended up with pork chops and asparagus together, let it sit for a while and then had a few potato pieces. We were stuffed by this time. No room for the dessert that was waiting in the freezer for the next day when we had round 2 of this meal:
Our assessment of the meal was: delicious! The char was perfect (I wouldn't have it any other way). The asparagus (olive oil and sea salt) gave a totally new texture and color to the plate, which was fun. The potatoes had just a hint of rosemary, which is different from how we normally make them. And the subtlety worked for this dish. Kyle did mention he'd prefer our other method for the potatoes next time, but all in all...yums!
Truth be told, it was just as good, if not better the next day. Even I was skeptical about that, and I will eat anything for leftovers. The dessert was phenomenal, too. Mmmm. I love pears (right, Grandpa?!)!
This cooking success made me even more eager to try out some other new dishes that I've gleaned from friends' and cousins' blogs. Yesterday was another cooking adventure, but more on that later.
Email me if you want these recipes. They are SO worth it.
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