From Russia with Pop Tarts

I just finished gorging on sauerkraut pierogies...It's Monday and I went to a yoga class taught by a friend I went to high school with. So I am now in a yoga/food coma. I have decided to try and make homemade pop tarts...I bought some fig jam a couple weeks ago and I thought I should try to make something special with it. I found an interesting recipe that uses pie crust. I will link it here: Pie Crust Pop Tarts

Non-Pie Crust Pop Tarts Here

I watched Dr No last week, it being the first of Sean Connery's James Bond movies; good flick but I got distracted in the middle of it--hard to watch movies in a house full of people. From Russia With Love is on for tonight!! Whoo hoo, thanks Netflix.

Today has been my first day with gluten back in my life since Jan 2nd. I got to eat Cheerios this morning. It was a nice change from the Price Chopper rice chex, as those got really boring. Other than that I didn't really get to indulge on anything I've been missing. The bakery was closed because of the snow. I went snowshoeing on my own today (I was only behind my house, people knew where I was, and oh yeah I left a trail a mile wide) and it was a fun-filled and wonderfully exhausting experience. The snow was really too deep, but I blazed a trail for the next time. I fell about five times trying to hop over the small creeks--it's really hard to get up in snowshoes.

That was the highlight of my day, as most of it was spent getting to and from Glastonbury for an appointment. I made a nice chicken dinner with Grandma's butternut squash we've been saving for a few months, but I screwed up and should have cut the other vegetable up smaller, the squash was done but they weren't. I'll have to attempt to remember that squash cooks quick. But I like to cut up potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery, garlic, etc and chicken--arrange it all in a large and deep baking dish that has a glass lid. Then you make a salad dressing/marinade, preferably one with wine, vinegar, citrus juice and lots of olive oil. Add all your fav spices, shake it up and pour it all over everything. Or just dump a bottle--but beware the sodium and crappy oils.

Note on baking dishes: I think we have Corell here. The thick ceramic and glass makes for even heating, kinda acts as a pressure cooker, and is less wasteful than tinfoil. We tried this recipe with a metal pan and tinfoil, but it did not come out nearly as good. I think this is due to even heating and a tighter lid.

My tomato seed catalog came in the mail, and it's frustrating because I don't think I am going to start many seeds this year...I don't know what my garden situ will be like...and I have no cash to start the hydroponic vegetable garden of my dreams. My plan so far is to let the early re-seeded crop do what it can...which should be interesting, then when it comes time to plant I will hopefully get my father to spring for a new roll of the weed-blocker to cover the whole thing and he can buy whatever seedlings he wants. This summer Anna showed me how to make the teepees for squashes and cukes. Constructing them will be so much fun, I am psyched to do some functional sapling sculptures.

Heirloom Beads

I made my first batch of vanilla-scented salt beads! They are a peachy-orange in color. I think I have to try and make some red, yellow and brown to go for a retro look. I don't know how long they take to dry, as the recipe did not specify. So that means they will not be done in time for Steph's birthday present. I will try to scent the brown ones with coffee and cocoa powder, which will be yummy yummy if it works; I had some plaster in college not cure due to cocoa powder.

In other news I've been way too lazy today, the kitchen needs to be cleaned up big-time after all this beading and home-fries. So I am off to drink more water and clean clean clean!

Dreams and Relics

I slept from 4AM to 2:00pm today. I had an epic 3-part dream...one involving camping or Vermont, some rustic yard setting. Then I was being chased through an "artsy" city with a large body of water running though it. By a flying demon abominable snowman evil creature. But I could fly too, and it was as though being over the water was more unsafe, no where to hide in the open space. It was easier to hide behind/in buildings. Then later we discovered he couldn't really see me--he could only recognize me by my eyes, my open eyes. I have no idea why he was chasing me, or what would happen if I was caught.

The second part, I was more of a "refugee." There was a forest-covered small mountain within a stone wall...there was a building with an elevator...I was not the only one on the run, I was with other people being chased, we were hiding from a group of people. Some of us were in danger but other weren't, and they were helping us. I can't remember the reason for the discrimination. I was able to successfully hide in a ditch by covering myself with dirt and mulch and leaves. The bad people had left the enclosed area and I ended up safe. When I was trying to run and hide, I felt so sluggish like I physically couldn't get there and do it. I've felt like that before in my bad waitressing nightmares. I just can't make my body move to get to the table fast enough, even though the consequences are huge.

What do you make of this?

My mom gave me a stack of volumes of The Workbasket from 1955-1956ish, I looked on Ebay and determined that they are not worth anything really...but then I opened one and was instantly inspired. Retro patterns, information on how to make things...valuable lost information. Also funny things like an advertisement for "Fat Girl Diets." There was an article on how to make scented salt beads...which I think is just so cool!!! New project that does not involve me inhaling silica particles!!!

12 Days Left!

That's right, we've got 12 days left until it's GARLIC NAAN TIME!!! Can't wait!

Tonight I am going bowling with some of my friends. It should be a good time--we were going to have ladies night at the casino, but cancelled it due to lack of funds.

I am currently driving my BF around while his truck is being worked on. I am using a lot more gas than usual, but it's been nice seeing him every day. I only used to see him a couple days a week when we were first dating, and for a long while after that. Just Sunday's and Wednesday nights.

I've actually been throwing some pots...just to have quickly made things that will balance out the firings for the tiles. I am going to try using some alternative fabric for the slab roller, and I will dry out some of the brown clay before I roll them...to cut down on dust and warping.

I'm getting better at the wheel--slightly. I am even going to try changing the direction to see if I do better counterclockwise.

Coriander?

Hmm, the weekend has ended. I am so out of it with days blurring together and all. But it really is Monday. I am currently making more GF banana bread--sans chocolate chips this time, as they sunk the last one. I also put the 1t of ground coriander in this time, I am very intrigued as to how this will taste.

I made some rice noodles last night for dinner, they have to cook a lot longer than the directions say on the package. They were much better today for lunch after I microwaved them well with LOTS of watery sauce.

I have a job "interview" kinda-thing tomorrow, the job involves fine olive oils. I hope that I can get a few decent-paying gigs out of this. I was hoping to get a check in the mail today, but alas it was not there when I got home. I did get a Paypal payment which I had thought was never going to happen...but it came through. Every little bit helps. Maybe one day I will actually get a credit card machine.

Snowstorm!

It actually snowed six inches = snowshoeing tomorrow! Yay! Last night my GF meatloaf turned into something more like Shepard's pie; Johnny really liked it, so I have to remember that will be a good meal to make for him in the future. In other news I had a good gluten-free day: eggs and homefries at the diner, soup and cornbread for lunch, and a perfect little avocado grilled cheese for dinner with chocolate chip banana bread for snacks and desserts! So far I decided that soup and GF bread is the most easy and satisfying meals so far on this diet. The Udi's GF bread is supposedly the best, but very pricey! Putting it in the freezer definitely shrunk it even smaller than it already was, but I made the CUTEST grilled cheese of my life so far. And I didn't even burn it (8 out of 10 grilled cheeses I burn)! Very tiny, it makes a good addition to soup, but you'd have to eat two on their own with chips etc to make it a filling meal.

I have learned that chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the GF banana bread, I am glad I didn't make 2 loaves. Next time it will be cranberries anyways, and I will drop a few on the top of the batter and hope the float. Tomorrow I will try and make a vegetarian chili with the leftover Boxed Goods "Reds" as the sub for meat. It was the last meal I had before I came down with that cold, so I haven't wanted to eat the rest of them with veggies.

I didn't have to work tonight, which really sucks because I need the cash. I am actually tired, so I am gonna get in bed and watch Firefly and fall asleep. Yes, I am a nerd.