I kind of a hard time getting out of bed this morning. It wasn't quite cold or anything, but the covers on my bed were so perfect and cozy. They were the perfect warmth, the perfect weight... I was just wishing there was a TV in my room so I could sit there and watch a movie; perhaps someone could bring me some hot spiced apple cider.
But alas, I had to get up eventually, and come in to work...
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
French Onion Dip Sandwiches
I still had some leftover French Onion Soup from the other night, and after sitting in my freezing office all day I wanted something warm for dinner. I've recenlty developed a love for French Dip sandwiches, and was thinking about how similar Au Jus is to French Onion Soup. I picked up 1/2 lb. of shaved Roast Beef, 2 Hoagie Rolls, and some Provolone cheese from the market on the way home.
Preheated the oven to 350°F
I put the Roast Beef in a pot, and poured the leftover French Onion Soup on top - it just covered the meat - and threw it on the stove on medium-high heat.
I cut a wedge out of the side of the Hoagie Rolls so they opened up, but were still in one peice, layed two slices of Provolone on each roll so the inside was completely covered, and put that in the oven. Checked on it periodically, and pulled it out when the cheese looked melted.
By this time the meat/soup was bubbling. I used some tongs to pull out the meat along with some of the onions from the soup and piled it on the rolls. When all the meat was gone, I scooped out two bowls of soup from the remainder.
When I was done I had two French Dip style sandwiches that didn't require any dipping - the meat was juicy and warm, the cheese was melted, and the bread held the juice without being too soggy. The soup was still tasty, and we threw some bits of Havarti cheese on top. Tasty and body-warming - it was lovely! I think next time I'll throw some mushrooms in the meat/soup too - that would have been good on the sandwich.
Preheated the oven to 350°F
I put the Roast Beef in a pot, and poured the leftover French Onion Soup on top - it just covered the meat - and threw it on the stove on medium-high heat.
I cut a wedge out of the side of the Hoagie Rolls so they opened up, but were still in one peice, layed two slices of Provolone on each roll so the inside was completely covered, and put that in the oven. Checked on it periodically, and pulled it out when the cheese looked melted.
By this time the meat/soup was bubbling. I used some tongs to pull out the meat along with some of the onions from the soup and piled it on the rolls. When all the meat was gone, I scooped out two bowls of soup from the remainder.
When I was done I had two French Dip style sandwiches that didn't require any dipping - the meat was juicy and warm, the cheese was melted, and the bread held the juice without being too soggy. The soup was still tasty, and we threw some bits of Havarti cheese on top. Tasty and body-warming - it was lovely! I think next time I'll throw some mushrooms in the meat/soup too - that would have been good on the sandwich.
Ok, What I Meant Was....
So that post the other day, romanticizing about the colder weather on it's way - I'd like to clarify that I like that weather when I'm snuggled up in my blankets, or a wool coat and scarf... not inside my office.
Working in an office of mostly men means that the "desirable" temperature for the office is about 8°-10° cooler than I would like it to be. Today it was 61° outside, and I'm pretty sure it was only 4° warmer in here - I think 65° is the default. Me - I like 72°-75° the best.
But I'm outnumbered - so I will wind up sitting here in my overcoat, clutching my cup of green tea, waiting for the end of the day when I can get home to my jammies.
Working in an office of mostly men means that the "desirable" temperature for the office is about 8°-10° cooler than I would like it to be. Today it was 61° outside, and I'm pretty sure it was only 4° warmer in here - I think 65° is the default. Me - I like 72°-75° the best.
But I'm outnumbered - so I will wind up sitting here in my overcoat, clutching my cup of green tea, waiting for the end of the day when I can get home to my jammies.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Oktoberfest in OC... OK, maybe not
Bobby's brother and some friends were going to an Oktoberfest celebration in Huntington Beach tonight and invited us along. I went to Oktoberfest in Munich a few years back and I've been dying to go again and bring Bobby along. I didn't know how this one would compare, but I was prepared to give it a shot.
I got all dressed up - I should have taken a picture I looked so good. We hadn't eaten yet, figuring this was taking place at a restaurant and there would be food. When we got out of the car in the parking lot across the street we could hear the oom-pa-pa band playing, and the chanting. I could see the smoke from a grill. It sounded like it would be a really good time.
Then we discovered there was a line.
I realize it was a little naive to think that there wouldn't be a line, but we just hadn't thought about it. We peaked near the front of the line and discovered there was a $15 cover. Umm.... that's kinda steep, does it cover food? I sent a text message to find out.
No.
Then we took a look at the length of the line. It was ridiculous - would take at least an hour, if not two. It looked as though they were letting people in as others were leaving, and though people were leaving regularly, it would still take forever.
We had not expected this. I was not interested in paying $30 just to get inside and then overpay for drinks and food. We are in the middle of starting a new business, and trying our best to be frugal, and have been doing very well so far. So we decided to forego this particular event, and come again another year. Went home and made dinner instead.
I got all dressed up - I should have taken a picture I looked so good. We hadn't eaten yet, figuring this was taking place at a restaurant and there would be food. When we got out of the car in the parking lot across the street we could hear the oom-pa-pa band playing, and the chanting. I could see the smoke from a grill. It sounded like it would be a really good time.
Then we discovered there was a line.
I realize it was a little naive to think that there wouldn't be a line, but we just hadn't thought about it. We peaked near the front of the line and discovered there was a $15 cover. Umm.... that's kinda steep, does it cover food? I sent a text message to find out.
No.
Then we took a look at the length of the line. It was ridiculous - would take at least an hour, if not two. It looked as though they were letting people in as others were leaving, and though people were leaving regularly, it would still take forever.
We had not expected this. I was not interested in paying $30 just to get inside and then overpay for drinks and food. We are in the middle of starting a new business, and trying our best to be frugal, and have been doing very well so far. So we decided to forego this particular event, and come again another year. Went home and made dinner instead.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Happy Birthday Nana!
I've been a bit uninspired at work lately, and today Bobby was taking his Nana out for lunch for her birthday, so I decided to take the day off and join him.
Every year on her birthday, Nana meets up with her brothers and their wives at the chicken restaurant at Knotts Berry Farm. We went to pick her up and she was really excited - started telling us stories about her brothers. Bobby's cousin was also going to make it out.
Nana's brothers were quite entertaining. For the first 15 minutes or so the boys and their wives chatted about college football - who's team was doing well, the rankings, we-were-just-beat-by-so-and-so. Conversation ran anywhere from that to acting (Bobby's cousin was recently an extra on Grey's Anatomy, and one of the wives was a member of SAG back in the day), to rocks (one of the brothers is a rockhound, he even had some in his pocket that he gave us).
Lunch was lovely, and I caved at the end and ordered a slice of boysenberry pie. I only had a few bites, but I brought the rest home to have with some vanilla ice cream later. Nana had a scoop each of vanilla and boysenbery ice cream with a happy birthday candle.
I was really glad I took the day off, and Nana was really glad I could make it...
Every year on her birthday, Nana meets up with her brothers and their wives at the chicken restaurant at Knotts Berry Farm. We went to pick her up and she was really excited - started telling us stories about her brothers. Bobby's cousin was also going to make it out.
Nana's brothers were quite entertaining. For the first 15 minutes or so the boys and their wives chatted about college football - who's team was doing well, the rankings, we-were-just-beat-by-so-and-so. Conversation ran anywhere from that to acting (Bobby's cousin was recently an extra on Grey's Anatomy, and one of the wives was a member of SAG back in the day), to rocks (one of the brothers is a rockhound, he even had some in his pocket that he gave us).
Lunch was lovely, and I caved at the end and ordered a slice of boysenberry pie. I only had a few bites, but I brought the rest home to have with some vanilla ice cream later. Nana had a scoop each of vanilla and boysenbery ice cream with a happy birthday candle.
I was really glad I took the day off, and Nana was really glad I could make it...
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Some Good Quotes
“It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.”
-Warren Buffet
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
“Travel is fatal to prejudice.”
-Mark Twain
“Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both.”
-John Andrew Holmes
“If you won’t go into the tiger’s lair, how can you catch the cubs?”
-Han Dynasty Proverb
“A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.”
-John D. Rockefeller
“My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you?”
-Erma Bombeck
“I take it we are all in complete agreement on the subject here ... Then, I propose we postpone further discussion of this matter until our next meeting, to give ourselves time to develop disagreement and perhaps gain some understanding of what the decision is all about.”
-Alfred P. Sloan, Jr.
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
-Michelangelo
“A risk tamed is a reward captured.”
Michael Platt
“We need a system that grounds all students in pleasure, beauty and wonder. It is the best way to create citizens who are awakened not only to their humanity, but to the human enterprise that they inherit and will – for good or ill – perpetuate.”
-Dana Gioia
“The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.”
-Henry Kissinger
-Warren Buffet
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
“Travel is fatal to prejudice.”
-Mark Twain
“Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both.”
-John Andrew Holmes
“If you won’t go into the tiger’s lair, how can you catch the cubs?”
-Han Dynasty Proverb
“A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.”
-John D. Rockefeller
“My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you?”
-Erma Bombeck
“I take it we are all in complete agreement on the subject here ... Then, I propose we postpone further discussion of this matter until our next meeting, to give ourselves time to develop disagreement and perhaps gain some understanding of what the decision is all about.”
-Alfred P. Sloan, Jr.
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
-Michelangelo
“A risk tamed is a reward captured.”
Michael Platt
“We need a system that grounds all students in pleasure, beauty and wonder. It is the best way to create citizens who are awakened not only to their humanity, but to the human enterprise that they inherit and will – for good or ill – perpetuate.”
-Dana Gioia
“The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.”
-Henry Kissinger
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
French Onion Soup
I went to Souplantation the other day and they had French Onion Soup. No croutons or bread inside, and no cheese melted on top - just the broth and onions. It was so good, and I remembered how much I love French Onion Soup. I'd bought some frozen from Trader Joe's recently, but it was very salty, and something about the taste was off. I could only eat a few spoonfuls.
But the weather has been turning cooler and I wanted soup. I cound this recipe on The Food Network and tried it out. I halved the recipe, and strayed a bit - I used all beef broth instead of chicken stock and veal stock, twice as much thyme, and I left out the crouons and cheese. Next time I'll use half the amount of onion called for - I don't know if the onions I used were too big (about softball size), but I wound up adding another 4 cups of broth. It wound up taking longer than expected since the onions were really juicy and took forever to reduce, but it was delicious.
French Onion Soup
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Bistro Cooking
6 tablespoons butter 8 medium size onions, sliced thinly
4 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
1/2 cup sherry
4 cups brown chicken stock
2 cups veal stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
French bread croutons
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions and lower the heat to medium low. Add the thyme leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions start to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until the sherry is almost completely evaporated and the onions are brown, about 15 minutes.
Add the stocks and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Ladle the soup into 8 oven-proof soup bowls. Place the soup bowls on a sheet pan. Place the croutons on top of the soup, to cover. Top each bowl with 1/2 cup grated cheese. Place in the oven and cook until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
But the weather has been turning cooler and I wanted soup. I cound this recipe on The Food Network and tried it out. I halved the recipe, and strayed a bit - I used all beef broth instead of chicken stock and veal stock, twice as much thyme, and I left out the crouons and cheese. Next time I'll use half the amount of onion called for - I don't know if the onions I used were too big (about softball size), but I wound up adding another 4 cups of broth. It wound up taking longer than expected since the onions were really juicy and took forever to reduce, but it was delicious.
French Onion Soup
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Bistro Cooking
6 tablespoons butter 8 medium size onions, sliced thinly
4 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
1/2 cup sherry
4 cups brown chicken stock
2 cups veal stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
French bread croutons
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions and lower the heat to medium low. Add the thyme leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions start to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until the sherry is almost completely evaporated and the onions are brown, about 15 minutes.
Add the stocks and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Ladle the soup into 8 oven-proof soup bowls. Place the soup bowls on a sheet pan. Place the croutons on top of the soup, to cover. Top each bowl with 1/2 cup grated cheese. Place in the oven and cook until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Photoshop Brilliance
Fark had a little Photoshop contest today. This was the original image: 
Here are some of the entries I liked the best:
There were some other really good ones. Just amazing what they can do. Check it out.
Body Images
This site has some really amazing photoshop examples. First up is a typical magazine-style pic of a beautiful girl. Roll your mouse over and see what she really looks like. (I wish I could just pull the pics for you, but I'm not that talented.)
I think it's important in this day and age to recognize what is a healthy, practical, attainable body image. We should try to eat well and stay active, but still recognize that it is unlikely we will acheive that airbrushed physique.
I think it's important in this day and age to recognize what is a healthy, practical, attainable body image. We should try to eat well and stay active, but still recognize that it is unlikely we will acheive that airbrushed physique.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
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