8.24.2011

eggs in lisa's life



For those out there who don't know, I used to hate eggs.

I mean, I used to HATE EGGS!

Eggs made me gag and my mother made me eat them and it made me really dislike Sunday mornings; we had eggs on Sunday mornings before going to church.

Now, I could tolerate a scrambled egg. Fried eggs of any kind made my Sunday morning breakfast jump into my napkin and down the toilet. (See my eggs really didn't like me either). Hard boiled eggs were the absolute worst. It is no wonder deviled eggs come from these. They are definitely born in hell. My throat began to close up even at the mention of a hard boiled egg and the smell made me run across the border into Canada. (Fact: There are no hard boiled eggs in Canada).

Things change, people grow up, eggs become more friendly. I began to start enjoying scrambled eggs and would order them on the rare occasion we went out for breakfast. I would even partake in the scrambled eggs at the DC.

Now most of the time I wouldn't condone this kind of behavior, but in college there are those far and in between nights when the alcohol comes out. On one of these occasions in junior year, whilst living with some of the most glamorous people on Stanley Street, one of my housemates decided to whip up a late night fried egg, oe. (That means over easy). Damn! Did that egg look and smell fantastic! I couldn't just watch as Nina ate her egg alone. I would have to eat one for myself. And guess what? I enjoyed it. And it wasn't just the slight inebriation because I continued to cook and eat an oe egg on top of a slice of toast as a breakfast staple a good three or four mornings out the week.

I will put that same oe egg on top of a bowl of oatmeal, grits, rice and beans, in a sandwich or burger, and more. Oh the delights of the incredible edible egg!

The hard boiled however, has been a harder egg to crack. But today might have marked the day that Lisa came to terms with her last egg demon. While reading Rebecca Currie's food blog, I came across a recipe for egg salad. While quite common and served at numerous functions, egg salad has always been another egg "no-zone" as they are made from hard boiled. Reading this post, the thought came that I may be ready for the final leg in this journey; that now is the time to accept hard boiled eggs as a part of my life. Here is the post:

"I made this for the first time maybe a year ago when I was really hungry one afternoon and everything I thought of making was missing some key ingredient. After running through a dozen potential options in my head, all of which weren’t going to work for one reason or another, I was left with eggs as the only possibility. Scrambled eggs didn’t sound good or fried eggs either, I didn’t want breakfast, and then I realized I had mayonnaise and I could make egg salad.

Egg salad! Brilliant!

And it was fabulous. And then it was vastly improved the next time when I had it on an everything bagel.

So my new favorite thing is egg salad on an everything bagel.

And it seems sort of silly to give a recipe for this — like telling people how to pour a glass of milk — but I’m going to anyway, because it won’t hurt and it’s the first recipe I’ve put up in a really long time. You gotta to start somewhere.

My New Favorite Thing Egg Salad

[I think everyone knows how to make hard-boiled eggs but just in case ... place eggs in a single layer in a pot and cover with cold water. Cover the pot. Put over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove eggs and chill.]

Makes 1 large or 2 small servings

2 hard-boiled eggs
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon mustard
salt
pepper
paprika

Remove shell from eggs. Slice eggs crosswise, then chop. Put the chopped egg into a small bowl and add mayonnaise and mustard. Stir to mix. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika.

I use yellow mustard, cause I’m a yellow mustard kind of person, but I think whatever kind of mustard you like and/or have around should work.

Serve on bread or crackers or a tortilla or a bagel. If it’s your lucky day, you’ll have an everything bagel in your house and you’ll get to eat it on that.

Yum."

So tune in to see if I've gone from this to this

8.22.2011

Cat in a Box: Take II

If all of my Polar Seltzer boxes came like this, I would drink wayyy more Polar Seltzer.


8.18.2011

Share your toys

At a meeting yesterday about forming a council to create "visionary" solutions in the Nashoba region, a woman from Ashburnham made an analogy that just made sense. You know, it was one of those times when you read or hear something an think to yourself: "Now why haven't I heard about this before?!"
This woman works with kids. And we all know that as kids, you must learn to share, to get along with the other children in your class (or at least tolerate them). One child gets time with a toy and if another child wishes to play with it, they either wait their turn or the children use it together. The teacher or parents doesn't immediately go running out the door to buy another of that toy so that both can have one.
Sharing is such an important part of a child's social life and parents and teachers seem to constantly stress this ideal. So if it is such an important teaching while we are in our developing stage, how come it doesn't carry on into our adult life?
Does every house need a swimming pool? A big screen tv with a bluray player? Does every town need its own senior center?
This woman merely pointed out to this room full of people the idea that we as adults can utilize this concept of sharing in developing solutions to our current economic and social problems. We must do it as kids, so why ever stop? There doesn't have to come a time in our life that we forgot that basic principal we all grew up on.

7.20.2011

Smashing Windows

Why do we have the urge to destroy? Is it that satisfying sound of breaking glass? or the feeling that if we eliminate an item, it will eliminate a personal problem?

This morning in Burlington, Vermont, a sleepy farm boy walked from his apartment to get into his car for the drive to work. However, somewhere between the hours of 12 and 7 am, someone smashed his driver's side window. He quickly went through his car and found that none of his belongings were missing. Now what was the purpose of this act of vandalism?

Why cats love BJ's Wholesale Club

The usual result of our BJ's excursions - 


The Wicket in her natural habitat.

6.22.2011

BBQ Pizza

We made a pizza!

We made it with the recipe we found here!

We added ("Gaby, what did we add!?") spices and fresh basil!

It was pretty good! (We used too much BBQ sauce, if such a thing exists. Be wary.)

We also drank beer! We found it here.

I had the California common. Gaby had the weizenbock. They were great! I think I'll have another...

6.21.2011

Super Duper Knitting Adventure Blanket! Part 2.

While Anders was busy writing a witty reflection concerning his mixed berry yogurt exploits, I knitted an ENTIRE SQUARE.  HA!  Okay, well maybe not an entire square...but I do have a new square to present! Also featuring a kitten. 


I think that you, Caroline, would be partial to this one as well.  :)





Here's the pattern - 


Color code:


     A: Pink 
     B: Maroon
     C: Green


Cast on 40 (or multiple of 10)


For the top and bottom Border:


     knit rows 1-3.
     purl row 4...


Start the geometric pattern on a right-side (knitted) row.  On each wrong-side (purled) row, repeat the pattern of the previous row in reverse (so the colors line up).

  1. k5B, k1A, k3Bk1A
  2. k1B, k3Ak1B, k5A
  3. k1Bk3A, k6B
  4. k1Bk3Ak1Bk3A
  5. k5Bk1A, k3Ck1A
  6. k6Ak3Ck1A
  7. k5Ck1Ak3Ck1A
  8. k1Ck3B, k1Ck3A
  9. k1Ck3Bk6C
  10. k1Ck3Bk1Ck3A
  11. k5Ck1Ak3Ck1A
  12. k3Ak3Ck1A
  13. k5Bk1Ak3Ck1A
  14. k1Bk3Ak1Bk3A
  15. k1Bk3Ak6B
  16. k1Bk3Ak1Bk3A
  17. k5Bk1Ak3Bk1A
Repeat the border (purl/knit) rows in reverse.  

Live Blogging Foods with Anders - Vol. 1

You come for pictures of the garden, you stay for Live Blogging Foods with Anders. In this section of WLGYLS, I will be taste-testing a new food, and describing that experience to you in real time.

Today's review comes courtesy of the good people at Yoplait. Now, I am not a Yoplait connoisseur. I'm your standard, every day Blueberry, Strawberry, and French Vanilla kind of guy. I buy them in bulk(!) and devour them the same way.

However, on a recent evening, I was met with a conundrum of sorts. We were running out of key ingredients for my weekly lunch, which needed immediate resolution. So, at the risk of running askew tradition, I stopped by my local grocer for the items in need. One of which, of course, was yogurt.

What I saw there astounded me. The fine people of Yoplait in fact make a variety of yogurt flavors! Like a sign from the heavens, I was dropped into a world of plentiful flavors. This regular old vanilla ice cream guy was going to expand his horizons -- maybe to vanilla ice cream with sprinkles! I tossed a few into my carriage and skipped down the aisle. And a recurring blog post was born.

So, without further adieu, Yoplait Original Mixed Berry Yogurt!

First: I have lifted the lid and a bit of yogurt has nested upon my thumb. A quick taste. Inconclusive.

Now for the full lick of the yogurt lid. Looking behind me, nobody watching. OKAY! Now we're talking. I am really tasting a mix of berries here, people.

A spoonful: Eh. It's fine. I mean, it's good. It's fine-good. Like, if they made a bulk(!) variety pack including Mixed Berry, I would be fine with that. As in, they're all good.

Rapid-fire spoonfuls: I'm starting to wonder, what mix of berries? A quick review of the label tells me: blueberries, raspberries*, strawberries, blackberries*. Okay, I see where you're headed with this.

*Side note: I do not care much for raspberries or blackberries by their lonesome. I feel like this is their moment to shine for me.

Last spoonful: A criticism -- lacking in the real fruit bits department. Caught myself a blueberry towards the end here, which is a nice treat. I feel like my bulk(!) yogurts are just a little bit fruitier.

Conclusion: It's fine-good. I would eat this yogurt again. (Unlikely. Unless they start including it in the bulk(!) pack.)

6.14.2011

Tea Corner

I just want it on record that this counter-space saver idea was allllll Anders. 

And also its ridiculously cool and I want ya'll to see it.  La and Lisa - Recognize those teapots? :)