Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Dinner Menu

Saturday-Sam Gyup Sal or pork belly pieces, with rice, dipped in a mixture of sesame oil, salt and pepper, with a side of kimchee. You can get a pound of sliced pork belly for under $5 at the Korean markets.

Sunday-Shrimp pasta with lemon oil. Left out the arugula (went bad in my fridge :( ), and the "zested" oil. I just added some olive oil when i added the lemon juice. It was awesome, actually and really easy.

Monday-I used my crock pot for the first time in months to make Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup. It made way more than we could eat so I froze one batch. Next time I will sub the beer for chicken stock. I used the taco seasoning mix mentioned on the website. I really like recipes where you open a few cans and dinner is waiting for you when you come home. Definitely top with sour cream and tortilla chips (and maybe some scallions?) before eating.

Tuesday-My random eat out day.

Wednesday-Korean marinated barbeque beef (that you can also get by the pound) and rice.

Thursday-Marinated Chicken thigh kebabs broiled in the oven with rice. The recipe involves soy sauce, peanut butter, and hardly any cooking time (just the cutting up and skewering of the chicken).

At some point I need to look in my freezer and figure out what else I should be making. My freezer is pretty stuffed. Enjoy these recipes!

Thursday, January 01, 2009

New Year's Day

It's a time for reflection, thinking, wondering, planning, and doing!
Here is a list
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
hm, no idea. this makes me feel oddly resolved

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I usually don't, but thanks to above, I resolve to do something in 2009 that I've never done before..

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
no!!

5. What countries did you visit?
Amsterdam and France. And Belgium!

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More cuddling!

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Nov 4, 2008- because we thought about it, and decide Hope was a good choice.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Tracking, assessing, remediating! I'm getting better at teaching!
Also, teaching Gideon some sign language. I did it! I'm THAT mommy!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Work-not enough tracking, assessing, remediating! Argghh teaching!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
no!!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
financial freedom! not really, I think that would require more investment planning or whatever those people are always blathering on about in commercials where "your money works for you." It was the ipod speaker.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
American Voters--well done, citizens! We must applaud those of you who had the good sense to come out, and those of you who thankfully stayed home!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Two little fellows at work, whose names will be withheld. but they know who they are!

14. Where did most of your money go?
paying off debt. and child care.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The 44th President!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Yes We Can by Will.i.am, and Stronger by Kanye.


17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? saaadder.
ii. thinner or fatter? A teeny bit fatter? No longer BFing so the fat can't be leeched out like it was before.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer!! No credit card debt in '09

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
More reading, and listening to music, and organizing my house and cleaning, and writing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Less procrastinating, of course.

20. How (did) you spend Christmas?
With my men and some lamb chops.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes!!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Life. I <3 Damien Lewis, and Mad Men

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Probably!!

24. What was the best book you read?
Twilight. I don't know that it was the best, but definitely the most enjoyable read of the year.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Stars!

26. What did you want and get?
Jewelry

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
Perusing my netflix queue, i realize there are very few things I saw and enjoyed this year. my favorite "movies" that I watched were a revisionist Shakespeare series produced by BBC, particularly The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado about Nothing.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Ate mussels with my man. I was 29.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More cuddling.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
To thine own self be true.

31. What kept you sane?
Gbaby

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Yes We Can! What do you think??

33. Who did you miss?
Kai and Melanie

34. Who was the best new person you met?
Natasha!

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
You are born alone, you die alone.

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I wanna ask you -
Do you ever sit and wonder,
It's so strange
That we could be together for
So long, and never know, never care
What goes on in the other one's head?
-Ben Folds