June 29, 2009

Long Live the King of Pop

Commuting the last few days has been more enjoyable than usual, since the radio stations are all playing MJ tributes. The sheer amount of hits that man created is mind blowing.

June 24, 2009

A Tale of Corporate America

One of my co-workers turned 30 today, so her cubicle was decked with ribbons, confetti, and a giant balloon proclaiming "Happy 30th B-Day!" which soared above her desk in a wonderfully embarrassing fashion.

A project manager stopped by and asked her, "Hey, is it your birthday?"

No wonder project managers get no respect around here.

June 22, 2009

Road Trip!

This past weekend, we spent 20 hours driving to Dayton, OH and back.

You ask, "Why?"

Well...







Nothing compares to a corset made from scratch to fit you exactly. I've worn off the shelf and even one cut to measure, but this is entirely something else. Despite being squeezed to an impossible circumference, it still felt more comfortable than any other corset I've worn. And that's before the flexible ring boning and satin lining!

A seamstress working directly with your body is amazing. I can see why people get addicted to couture fashion - when someone creates clothing exclusively for you, it just feels right. This was just the beginning too! Minute adjustments are being made, even now (if you look closely, you can see her writing all over the canvas pattern).

Not to mention, I am in love, love, love with that red. The final corset will be that color too, with gold embroidery. And the sleeves will be gold charmeuse once complete.

I commissioned the dress several months ago, but she had to move, due to family issues. This was definitely worth the long drive, though! I can't wait for it to be finished!

June 17, 2009

Kale Soup

And here's what to do if you ever get your hands on kale!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
8 potatoes, the kind you'd use for mashing
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 bunch kale, sliced crosswise (across the main stem, not parallel)
salt & pepper, to taste

1. In soup pot, saute the onions in olive oil until they're a little soft
2. Add chicken stock, water, potatoes, carrots, and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes
3. Now here's the trick - scoop out the solids into a big bowl and mash! The potatoes should be thick, like pudding, and the garlic should be in little tiny bits.
4. Once you've mashed, return the mixture back into the soup pot. Boil and simmer for a few more minutes.
5. Add kale in handfuls, while stirring. Then let simmer until the kale is tender. It should be almost like seaweed, soft and pliant.
6. Season with salt & pepper

It comes out really hearty and the garlic counters the bitterness of the kale well. We had this soup with chunks of sourdough bread - yum!

June 16, 2009

Veggies Week #4

We got some interesting greenery this week!

Lots of spinach, plus broccoli and the curly thingies are garlic scapes, which are the stalks of the bulb. Never had them before, but we chopped some into our soba noodle sauce and the flavor was pretty good, much like scallions or green onions.


A lettuce parade! Well, the redhead at the end there is a radicchio (another veggie we've never had before).


The radicchio is very bitter, and after trying it raw in salad, I think next time we'll go the Italian route and grill it with olive oil for pasta.

I don't know the species name, but the last bunch on the right is a delicate, almost cabbage-like variety that is great boiled, then fried with shitake mushrooms, a dash of soy sauce, and some garlic.

Up front, curly endive, and huge collard leaves in the back. We've never cooked either of these before, so it will be interesting trying them out.


Oh, and I found the perfect recipe for last week's kale, that I'm going to post as soon as I get my notes organized.

June 12, 2009

Iran Votes!

My fingers are crossed for Mousavi. Best of luck!

June 11, 2009

Veggies Week #3

It's the height of strawberry season in NJ, so we got lots of sweetness this week. Four quarts of delicious juicy berries!


Plus some snap/snow peas at the end there, and a big bundle of kale. We've never cooked kale before, but I've heard you can roast them into "chips" and they're pretty tasty that way, with some sea salt.

We've found an awesome way to coat stuff in chocolate. For every 2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips, melt with 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Then you dip fruit (like yummy strawberries!) into the melted mix, put into the freezer, and enjoy a tasty treat about 45 minutes later! This also works great with bananas.

On the left, two heads of boc choi. On the right, two heads of lettuce:


And a ton of spinach!


Last week, we sauteed the spinach with garlic, then tossed with pasta, olive oil, and topped with freshly grated Parmesan.

This week: bacon, red onion and oranges for a spinach salad!

June 5, 2009

Government Motors

So when the US and Canadian governments own nearly three-fourths of GM, I wonder what happens if the interests of the shareholders conflict with those of public policy? What if the best return for investors is to shift work overseas? Will the government try to stop the ensuing domestic job loss? What if GM can't produce vehicles at competitive quality and price? Will the government create subsidies to make sure those vehicles make it on the market? What if the company can't meet fuel efficiency standards on time? Will the government push the timeframe forward? What if labor costs rise faster than revenue? Will the government force the UAW to accept further concessions?

It will certainly be interesting to see the play between financial and political needs in this whole affair.