cornerofmadness

I cooked Easter dinner. Gnocchi soup (a passing imitation of Olive Garden's), rotkraut (i.e. red cabbage & apples), roasted golden beets with balsemic-mustard vinegarette & goat cheese, carmelized ham steak with charred pineapple relish & candied peppers and for dessert raspberry-balsemic marinated strawberries with black pepper. There's even Tykvenitsa millet porridge for breakfast tomorrow in the crockpot (not pictured). When I cook, I really cook.



I also harvested my eggs out of their respective dyes. The blue is from boiling red cabbage (the aforementioned rotkraut). It's very easy to do. Boil cabbage, reserve for eating, decant necessary amount of blue water, add vinegar (I eyeball it) and toss in hardboiled eggs.

The tumeric was even easier. Take tumeric powder, water and vinegar. Mix. Add eggs. They came out a nice yellow. However, tumeric is a bit pricey to be wasting on this (A Hindu friend gave me a shit-ton when she moved so...)



Not really a good thing for kids though because this isn't as fun and splashy as making multicolored eggs and it takes about 12 hours to color. For some reason (I suspect drugs/alcohol/too much family time) evil_little_dog thought I might possess the patience to do galaxy eggs. After living with me for 3 years you'd think she'd know better. THey are super cool though.

And there was a link in the tumeric stuff that said tumeric is used throughout India as a face rejuvenator and is good for the skin. My brain goes hey, you have a lot of tumeric paste in this bowl because you over did it. Why let it go to waste? What my brain should have said was hey isn't this the shit they use to color yellow mustard that never comes out? So I slather my face. It felt cooling and good...and left my skin stained the color of mustard. I considered briefly just leaving it and calling in jaundiced tomorrow but instead jump into the shower with one of those exfoliating scrubs and removed a layer of skin. Did it help my skin be beautiful? No clue since yeah, exfoliation.

Kanda says the eggs are mine. You're too dumb to have them Easter-face



( 100 things #33 Roasted Beet Salad )


( 100 things #34 Rotkraut )

declutter day 340 item tossed-Two old glucose testing fluids why kept-For my glucometer why tossed-Never used, too old

Except for the turkey. So far we have overnight mashed potatoes, wild rice and cherry pilaf, pecan topped mashed sweet potatoes, stuffing and more stuffing, deviled eggs, fresh cranberries, 8 pies, and the beginnings of the gravy.

I can not feel my feet currently. There's 20 lbs of cat on them. God he's fat but he's very warm.

I got all my grading done and started on rereading my nano from it's beginnings which were the short story part from 20 years ago. And wow, there are a lot of issues but I'm taking them as opportunities to expand the beginning. I'm down to around the last 8 -10K so it will be a way to make that word count.

It snowed some. Not much and not enough to stick to the asphalt. It looks quite pretty.

The post office is messing with me. First it mailed a package to me and in 2 days it went BACK to that post office and then out...somewhere. And for everyone wanting to mail ME a holiday card please put c/o Judy Evans on the envelope. The post office has told me now if addresses aren't exact they're to send them back. Yeah thanks for being user friendly USPS.

You can find Jana's What's Up Wednesday post here

And while this isn't entirely diabetic friendly but you can make it moreso with the splendid brown sugar and replace the maple syrup with sugar free substitutes but even so, it's not that much sugar added over all. This is what I made today for tomorrow.

( 100 things #28 Pecan topped Maple Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes )

ETA got this silly from idic_writer

Okay so I'm further from the goal than I thought. mad math skillz

Today was my department chair's 50th birthday and we're good friends so she invited me to her birthday dinner. I was also invited by my winery friends to go out drinking. AND the steampunk Airship was having their first anniversary.

I ended up only going to dinner. I considered the steampunk one too, since it too was in Athens, but I'm only just starting to hang with them and I didn't feel right showing up for the party when I haven't been around much yet. Besides I was too exhausted.

We went to a steak house. I'm stuffed with steak and fried onion and margaritas. I got a loaded sweet potato which may or may not be COVERED with roasted marshmallow and caramel. I might have uttered 'if you don't see me next week, you know how I died.' I didn't touch the thing. it'll be dinner for another day because it's SO big and frankly 8 ounces of freaking steak is more than enough for one meal (plus the cup of chili). I also went to Halloween Express but the steampunk goggles were the same price as the ones in Pyramid Collection and only half as nice. I went into the big Kroger's too. keep me out of there. I did not need 1000 day old Gouda (but I love it. So expensive. But LOVE)

And here is dzioo's art. Isn't this beautiful 1920's style Royai at a dance? I love it (and if you do too, tell her. I'm sure she'll appreciate hearing it). I love Roy in pin stripes (okay I love pin stripes)




And in the partying theme have some Halloween cocktails

and from ELD Chinese food recipes (mostly putting them here since my internet is being a butt right now)

Halloween Snacks


I called mom and her and dad were outside looking at the UFO. They're not sure what the revolving light is (it's low to the ground and in the wrong spot to be the airport). Dad wants to put in a call to Giorgio. Mom gets on the phone and says 'you have 10 minutes. Gotham is coming on.' She meant it too.

This girl's sportsmanship and kindness deserves notice.

declutter day 280 item tossed-A sample online course cd why kept -Got it in the mail. why tossed-No CLUE why I kept it It’s junk mail

I'm trying to finish edits so no writerly ways today and all I did today was grade all the things. Instead have a recipe I got off the internet yesterday and made today. It was pretty yummy and a lot less sodium than the canned version.




{Take the 100 Things challenge: 100 (mostly diabetic) recipes!}


( Mushroom Soup )

So this Dr. Who was the first time I felt like I was watching the Doctor all season and I enjoyed it except for one major thing ( spoilers if you're even later seeing it than me )


I'm on a quest - the oldest bars in every state I've been in the one in SD and Yellow Springs is about 100 miles from here. I can do that.

And Tonight’s Simpson’s interesting article and at least they didn't spoil too much in the headline (that had been spoiled forever ago) unlike the one for Bones that proudly proclaimed an immense spoiler then stuck (spoilers) after the damn thing. I don't watch Bones but if I did I'd have been pissed.

Also it's not possible Bones has been on 10 year which means Angel has been off for even longer. Sigh. I'm getting SO OLD.
declutter day 264 item tossed Blue shorts why kept -I wore them why tossed -They’re ancient, like 1990s and the gum waist finally dry rotted

I made this diabetic friendly recipe this week and loved it. I'll admit it so many recipes using those healthy greens usually taste, well bitter and not pleasantly so. This was really good and really easy. About the only skills needed are chopping and don't burn it.

( Swiss Chard and Chick peas )


Happy Birthday idic_writer Hope it was a good day.

I read Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes for the campus library's banned book read out. God, I'm still as in love with that series as I was the day I bought Sandman #1

I finished a grant proposal to study the impact of pre-packaged vegetarian and/or gluten-free foods on diabetics, celiac patients, hypertensive patients and women with estrogen sensitive breast cancer.

and Jana was busy today. feminism and why pro-rape t-shirts aren’t a joke and on a MUCH lighter note What’s Up Wednesday and for those following my reading meme, what I just read can be found on this link.

What I'm reading now - City of Stairs a goodreads win

What I plan to read - Misshapes a goodreads win.

declutter day 260 item tossed Starman VHS why kept-No clue where this came from why tossed- No interest

How good it is to cook things by hand. I have two potlucks this week. I made this for one of them. The sauce is amazing and a bit silky-slick with fat.




{Take the 100 Things challenge: 100 (mostly diabetic) recipes!}




( Ragu alla Bolognese )

If you want it more diabetic friendly either eat small portions with a nice filling salad or use the Barilla plus chick pea pasta or other low-flour high protein pastas. Note: since I am making this for a group and crock potting it, I'm using gigli (rigatoni or penne would work) because the formed shape types are a bit more resilient and won't go all mushy.

Your your laugh for the evening make sure you get all the way to the end. it's worth it.

Speaking of laugh for the day, I voted and made a final exam.

Also I made a Mini-sound track for my camp nano novella if you'd like to check it out!

I went into the office, the car obviously laboring, and asked 'anyone know a mechanic who could take this ASAP?' They looked at each other and said didn't we get postcards with 10% off at that new one a block away from my office. And so we had. I called him and went after class. He removed the Vinton Furnance Experimental Forest from under my car. Seriously, did I take off the top of a tree? After driving over 40 miles with it at 50 mph+ it was STILL waist high. Not only that he didn't charge me a dime. All he asked was I consider him in the future. Nothing was damaged by the tree. You better believe I put it on Facebook with my local friends because you don't find people like this every day.

It is suddenly supposed to blizzard today (after them saying all week no snow). It snowed a wee bit, and yes only during the time I was driving. I did meet up with one of neighbors who likes to gossip. In the three weeks I was gone landlord evicted the dumbasses who used to block my car in and had that chihuahua they let run loose. They had NINE adults living in this tiny 2 bedroom apt (no wonder we couldn't find a damn parking place). And the new neighbor who had moved into the place the other evicted person had been in was ALSO evicted, not sure why but he let his vicious dogs charge around free and several people were nearly bitten. It was busy here in my corner of hell.

I should be writing either my big bang, my blog tour posts or editing my Project Fierce short. Instead I'm playing on facebook. Scowls at self.

Also still trying to figure out WHY my inbox hates wildrider so much. Every time she mails her part of our critique group's info, I never get it (and I look in spam all the time since I'm paranoid about that in general.

Thanks everyone who commented with book recs. They're much appreciated.


And for my 100 things ( 100 things #20 - Turkey Soup Provençal )


declutter day 185 item tossed- Mystery plastic container why kept-No idea what was in it or why I have it why tossed -Seriously? No clue as to what it was for, recycler it is

And it will tomorrow too. On Wed. my math/science club has their annual chili and hot dog fundraiser. I'm donating the chili. Today I made Cincinnati chili and tomorrow will be vegetarian chili.

And since I've not done this nearly all year have a recipe.

{Take the 100 Things challenge: 100 (mostly diabetic) recipes!}

( Cincinnati Style Chili )


Other than I spent the whole afternoon relistening to a two hour lecture to make sure I was typing up the minutes right. OMG I'm pretty sure this is hell.

Kanda is ( unwell and cut for kitty TMI )

So now I have all these stupid scenes for my novella and trying to figure out where they go is a bitch mother, especially since I'm trying to avoid the 5 Victor interviews a suspect scenes lining up back to back with nothing in between. Gah I might have to write more. shoot me.

bah, tired. As good as I slept friday night (the first good sleep in weeks) that's how bad I slept last night and some idiot was blowing their horn way too early this morning

declutter day 159 item tossed-A stack of old magazines why kept-Why do I keep everything paper? You tell me why tossed -Don’t need them. Recycled

Well salomesensei & talonsage do. They have a guest blog post on Jana's lj. click here to go take their fun quiz and learn more about their novella.


My parents amuse me some times. Mom went to see grandma today and told me ‘Andorra was in fine form’ (for the youngsters in the group, go look up the original Bewitched). I showed Dad that New Zealand LoTR and Dr Who stamps/money and told him I wanted to move to NZ. His response was did I think Rivendell was up for sale because Elrond had moved on and he wanted the elf’s house.

Speaking of houses, Mom and Dad were looking up a house for sale in Candor which is the neighboring village and found one for 7 million. Okay the ridiculousness of this needs framing. Candor is a very rural area about 25 miles SW of Pittsburgh PA. Frankly, I can’t think of too many houses actually IN Pittsburgh going for that price unless you’re in Shady Side or Mountain Washington (Fox Chapel too I suppose). So naturally the parents had to go look. It’s a freaking converted Barn. They’re still wondering how that price tag got on the place.

And since it’s been a while, here’s another recipe



{Take the 100 Things challenge: 100 (mostly diabetic) recipes!}

( 100 things # 17 Mushroom Silvestri )

This is another very easy recipe. Mix it up. I used Portobello for shitakes because they were cheaper. You could just double up on the cheapo button mushrooms. Whatever. This takes very little cooking skill to get right. It’s a nice beginner side dish. I put it alongside steak

I had a surprise today with the declutter effort. I mentioned putting those two sacks of samples where I’d use them and get them out of here. Well the one tonight was…how shall we say? Awful. It got out of here faster than most. I opened it, smeared it on my face (being face cream) and then noticed it smelled exactly like the dog sharks in formalin that we use in lab. Seriously. It smelled like dead, preserved shark. (Bakel is the brand) I don’t know if it somehow went bad or what but my face still stinks like I’ve been dissecting in lab.

Declutter Day 22 item tossed- Picture frame why kept -I’ve had it for years, not sure where it came from why tossed -Never once put a picture in it, off to a thrift store

{Take the 100 Things challenge: 100 (mostly diabetic) recipes!}

Thanks to evil_little_dog I went through my recipe banks for chocolate recipes (for fandom_stocking) and thought you might like to see some of them because of the holidays.

This one is pretty diabetic friendly (the sugar can be substituted with splenda, leaving you only with what's in the fruit and chocolate). It's pretty much a cheesecake without crust.

( Chocolate Ricotta Pudding )