Thursday Thirteen

January 28, 2010

Thursday Thirteen

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and so I wanted to list 13 things that I think is sweet.

1. The book Illusions by Richard Bach. A quick read, but very thought provoking. Have you found your blue feather?
2. Lindt truffles. I love that you can find this quality of chocolate at Target or an everyday store. If you haven't tried Lindt chocolate I'd say to try it. Good quality and not a huge price.
3. Cupcakes. It seems to have become a fad but I love cupcakes because they are cute and sweet. My personal favorite cupcake blog, complete with recipes.
4. Plurk friends. Sometimes it can really change your day by just reading a kind word.
5. Cats sleeping. There is something so sweet and cuddly about how my babies sleep, how they can be comfortable in the wierdest positions.
6. Crepes w/Lingonberries.
7. Someone saying you are precious to them.My special someone told me that yesterday and it meant the world to me.
8. People giving of themselves  for people suffering in Haiti, even when they don't have much to begin with.It's time like this that you realize how fortunate you are.

9. Boyd's Bears. I have a collection of their collectible figurines and i also have some plush toys. They are just so sweet and cute and have funny names.
10. Sweethearts Candy. They are still around after all these years. The messages have been updated, that's for sure, with messages like Text Me or Tweet Me, and the candy seems to taste better, but they are still the same in many ways. They just signal that Valentine's is near when I see them in the store.
11. A single rose. It doesn't have to be red. It doesn't have to be long stem. It doesn't even have to be a rose. A flower given with love, so that the recipient enjoys is a sweet thing.
12. Valentine's Cards. I still really love picking out a special card for my special someone. Here's a different kind of sweet card for Valentines!
13. A smile. You know that smile that makes their eyes twinkle, where you see what they are saying just by how they look at you. That is sweet!
    

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday Thirteen

January 21, 2010

Thursday Thirteen

My list of 13 items that make life worth living, small things that can be truly enjoyed.

1. A 12 year old Glen Fidditch. It's a sipping drink for me. I love to feel the burn at first, it warms you all the way to your toes. Lovely after a special meal.
2. A perfectly grilled cheese sandwich. It can't be too dark but it should have butter on the outside to toast it nicely and give flavor and the cheese, american, melted just perfectly where it still oozes a little when cut.
3. A Lindt truffle. My favorite is white chocolate, but the peanut butter ones are damn good.
4. A new romance novel. It's perfect for rainy days like today. I love digging into a new book and getting a feel for the writing and get the characters and scene set in my mind.
5. A nice hot shower. Soothing.
6. Perfumed oils. Preferably they are perfumed with real essential oils. You can feel the difference in the quality of oil and the scent is pure and lasts longer.
7. Comfy slippers. I got a new pair for Christmas and I can wear them to the store or around the house. They have real wool inside and keep my tootsies warm.
8. A kind word from a special someone. Just that can make your day.
9. A perfectly brewed cup of ginger tea. It's warming and comforting. I have to go make some now.
10. Good quality sheets and duvets. I love my bed right now, it's so comfy, cool when I first get in and then my 400 count sheets and duvet wrap me up and warm me.
11. Tiger Balm~I've had some joint aches but this helped take the pain away.
12. Knitting/Crocheting, it's always soothing and comforting for me to have my hands busy creating something.
13. Cashmere. I love the feel of my cashmere sweaters, they are so comforting and they last well.
    

Please leave me a comment so I can come visit you!


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday Thirteen

January 14, 2010

Thursday Thirteen

I haven't posted to Thursday 13 for quite a while. There is no excuse, just haven't. I was inspired to try again by another participant because I was so impressed with her posting. She took so much time and effort in her post and so I decided to try and not be such a slug. I'm posting random thoughts today. A comment would be most appreciated.

1. Thank you Tink for inspiring me. I just read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and symbology is really interesting and I loved what you had to say today.
2. I'm feeling a tad better today with this head/chest cold. Still not feeling great, but I feel like I'm hopefully over the worst of it.
3. It's amazing how distracted I get sometimes. I think maybe I have adult ADD, would that be AADD, Adult Attention Deficit Disorder? Just during this post I've been distracted by looking up a link, which led me to an email to facebook to add a friend, to accept a gift in farmville, oh, i have some crops to harvest, to plurk to look at responded threads...omfg!
4. I need to get to the library to pick up a book i reserved. It's suppose to be similar in genre to the Diana Gabaldon Outlander Series. I can't wait. Again AADD. I'm reading about 5 different books right now, no kidding.
5. I finished a pair of socks the other day and haven't started another project yet. That's not saying I don't have things I should complete already on the needles, but starting a new project is more fun. Huh? Black Mohair Lace Cowl or socks? Decisions.
6. I can not wait until Sunday's MN Vikings game! We have friends coming to meet us at the place we go to watch the game. Pizza, wings and beer for breakfast! Yeah!
7. I really feel for the people of Haiti. It's just devastating and makes me realize how fortunate I am. I made a small donation yesterday to this group and I really love what they do and stand for.
8. I really want to go to knit night tonight but think I'll still have to keep my butt home so I don't pass on this cold. Maybe next week I can join the ladies.
9. I don't like the mean girl. She knows who she is and she's a mean and nasty person. You know, there is a reason why some people do not let you see their eyes and I know why. But this mean girl seems to be getting her karmic due. Sad but I don't feel bad for her.
10. I feel almost embarrassed by our weather when the rest of the states seem to be having such a rough winter. Oh, do I remember!
11. Why is the TV so loud and why are the commercials even louder? My bitch for the day. Seems I'm always turning down the tv.
12. I bought a sock club membership last night. Oh I'm so weak. But socks are my knitting passion.
13. My favorite new online find is Violette Market. Products are cool, interesting. Great customer service. I got my order the other day but unfortunately couldn't smell them. I can smell today and I can confirm that the scents are of the highest quality and just lovely.
    
    Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
    

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I'm in love!

January 3, 2010

I'm in love!

My Mamacita and I took a good friend for Afternoon Tea yesterday at The Langham. Our friend had never been to tea and it's been a long time for me so I was looking forward to the afternoon. I am also a big fan of Michael Voltaggio, this year's Top Chef winner and I knew that he was the Chef de Cuisine at this hotel's restaurant so during tea we were talking about how exciting it would be if we saw him. One of the server's said that he should be coming in around 4 pm. Then we were talking to our other server at the end of tea and she brought up Michael and when she realized what big fans we were she asked us to hold on for a moment. She went to the restaurant to see if he was in because she said he usually is early to get everything organized. When she came back, alone, I thought he wasn't in and was disappointed but she surprised me by saying, "If you'd like to follow me ladies, I'd be happy to introduce you!" She said he was in a meeting, but could take some time to meet us. So we were brought into the dining room and there he was! He was meeting with 2 other chefs and a manager and Michael made a comment about us helping him to end the meeting. He shook our hand and welcomed us, he was so nice and gracious. He asked if we were taken care of in the lounge having our tea. We asked if we could take a picture and he said, oh sure. He was really nice to us and he said he hoped we would come for dinner sometime. He said, "We make some really good food here!" I hope I didn't make too big a spectacle of myself, but I am still on a natural high from meeting him!

Happy 2010!

January 1, 2010

Happy 2010!

"End of the year, new day - Let the past, slip away - Open your heart and
you just may - Transcend troubles and find your way - Happy New Year everyone!
May we all find our way to greater joy, peace and love!" ~California College of Ayurveda

I saw this quote on my Facebook page and I really like it. My first day of the New Year is kind of slow. I was up early or at my normal time around 6 am. I went to bed before midnight last night because I just couldn't stay up. We had a quiet night, my brother wasn't home. He's not feeling well and wanted to stay at his care facility, so I made a homemade shrimp fettucine dinner for Mamacita. I used some Sauvignon Blanc in the dish so I had a glass while cooking too. It was from Robert Mondavi and it was really nice wine. Crisp and clean. I made shrimp stock with the shrimp shells and used that in the dish. It was exceptionally good, if I do say so myself. Some Italians I'm sure would think the dish was not right because I use cheese in the sauce and usually they do not use cheese with any fish/seafood dishes. Well, I do. Sorry. Here is my recipe.

Shrimp Fettucine

1 lb. fettucine, cook as directed
1 lb. large to extra large raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
2 shallots, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. sliced button or baby bella mushrooms
zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tbsp. of zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup white wine, like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
1/2 cup (1 cube) butter
1 cup half and half or cream
3/4 c. grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
5-7 fresh leaves of basil, stacked and rolled and cut (chiffonade)

Peel and devein shrimp, putting shells in a saucepan and add about 3 cups
water and boil for about 20 minutes. Add about 1 Tbsp. olive oil to shrimp, add
minced garlic and salt and pepper and coat shrimp. In large saute pan, add
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium high heat. Add 1/2
the shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add shrimp and saute on each side just
until pink. Add zest and lemon juice. Turn over and by the time you turn all of them they are ready to be removed from the pan. Put in a pan and set aside (they are not fully cooked).

Then add mushrooms and saute, when liquid is almost gone, add about 1-2 shrimp
stock and reduce until liquid is almost gone.

In separate saucepan add butter and cream and heat but do not boil. Add
about 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. white pepper. When butter is melted add 1/2 cup
cheese. Keep warm.

In saute pan, when shrimp stock is reduced, add wine and again reduce by
half over high heat to remove alcohol. Then add cream/butter mixture,
add shrimp back to pan. Mix and cook a couple minutes. Add cooked fettucine,
fresh basil and fresh grape tomatoes if you like. Toss together. Remove from
heat. Serve in a bowl with some basil and cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

We also had peach pie and Vanilla Bean ice cream. Yum!

We watched the Rose Parade this morning. I am such a sap! The stories really get to me and I get the chills and even sometimes well up. Like the School for the Blind group and they had them marching. It was really cool. They had ice surfing bull dogs too. Way cool. It was 72 degrees during parade time they said. Sorry, don't hate us because we have nice weather almost all year long.

I finished another spiral hat. I really like it but not sure I'll keep it. I may put it in my Etsy shop. I'll try to post pics when I do. Now I need another project to do. I may start another mohair cowl. I really like and use my cowl in white so I got some black lace mohair.