Monday, June 26, 2006

Honey Garlic Chicken

Here is the recipe per all of your requests. My friend Rebecca who came over on Saturday (I know 3 Rebeccas) emailed it to me today!

HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN

2 lbs. chicken (whatever pieces you like, but breasts and thighs work best - with skin on looks prettier)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
3T garlic
2T mustard
2t curry powder
1t garlic salt (or other seasoning, to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix honey, olive oil, mustard and curry powder in a small bowl. Season chicken with garlic salt and "Slap Ya Mama" or other such seasoning (basically a spicy seasoned salt). Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle garlic on top and in sauce in the dish. Bake for 1-1/4 hours until chicken is golden brown, basting every 20 minutes or as desired until color is achieved. Yum!

From Rebecca's friends in Edmonton, AB. (eh!)
_______________________________________________

Here is the rice recipe from yours truly.

COSTA RICAN RICE

1 cup rice
1/2 (chopped) green pepper
1/2 (chopped) red pepper
1/4 (chopped) white onion
1 can black beans
1T Caldo de Pollo (chicken bouillon)
Olive oil (to cover bottom of pan)
A pinch of Safflower

In a large pan, sauté the rice and chopped vegetables in olive oil until the onions begin to look transparent. Add 2 cups water to the rice, the Caldo and sprinke the safflower on top. Cover and let boil as you would normal rice (about 15 minutes or until the liquid is gone). While the rice is cooking, drain and rise the black beans so the ookey crap from the can doesn't get in the rice. When the rice is done, add the black beans and serve! Yay!

Can you feel the flavah? Mmmmm.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Smelleaux.

Oh. What a nice night. My friend came over and we made an exquisite dinner of honey garlic chicken, Costa Rican rice and vegetables, laughed until our sides hurt, had brownies, then took pictures of fireworks outside. No, I don't know what they were for.

Pictures!!




Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Chemise nouvelle

I bought a new shirt. It was $5. I didn't need this new shirt but it was such a great deal (cheap and weird) that I HAD to have it. It's quirky. I like quirky.

What do you think?

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Canadian Candy.

I sent some candy to my friend in Canada six weeks ago.

It was returned to me today.

Nobody has a clue as to why or what went wrong.

Isn't that lovely?

Dammit.



Sunday, June 18, 2006

New Stuff.

Okay it's time for something happy here. Irma would be pissed. :-P

So...yesterday was AWESOME for me. Did you have a nice yesterday?

I did.

My friend and I went to the mall, bought stuff, had lunch, went to a COOL store with new age metaphysical doodads the size of a warehouse, bought some more stuff (JADE!!!), went to a funky coffee shop and watched people, then went to her deliciously appointed townhouse with suede wall treatments and Scandinavian furniture for a delectable dinner of lemon chicken, sugarsnap peas, basmati rice, HOMEMADE HUMMUS, AND dessert of strawberries with freshly made whipped cream drizzled with Grand Marnier.

Holy SHIT what a nice day. :-)

So now I am waiting for the laundry to be done and then I'm going to the supermarket for some food.

Yes I am getting Basmati rice.

Yes I will remember the strawberries.

No you can't have some.

Just kidding.

OOH! I remembered something (AMAZINGLY).

While we were at the funky coffee shop (in Sugarhouse) a woman was outside on the patio having a drink. She finished, gathered up her garbage, and promptly threw away her car keys.

Shiiiiiiit.

My friend and I watched through the window as she laughed and walked around the garbage can looking from every angle. The coffee shop is on a busy street so people were walking by and several stopped to help. Soon there was a crowd of people helping her lift and turn the can (one of those city ones with the pebbles on the sides) to get the keys. Finally she got them and everyone cheered. She came running in and said to one of the baristas "Hey Ken!! Guess what?? I threw away my keys! Woohoo!" as she bolted to the restroom (hopefully to wash the keys and her hands).

What really made it perfect was that we didn't hear anything but the soft, friendly music (some introspective local musician) playing in the background as we watched. It was too perfect and renewed my faith in humankind.

Don't you love it when that happens?

So anyway I have to get my laundry. Bye!

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Irma Alicia Garcia, 1984-2006

I don't want to do this. But I will.

While I was working as a reading tutor in an elementary school I met her. She was one of those people who seem to have known you in a previous life or something like that. Talking openly and honestly about everything in my life was not a big deal with her and she felt the same way. After a few conversations we decided to hang out. We drank the night away at her friend's place playing goofed up Uno and I couldn't remember having more fun any other time in my life. It just clicked.

Later, through her, I would not only discover new and wonderful people from many diverse backgrounds but also develop a Latino identity that was there all along - it just didn't have someone to coax it out. She was the one who took me to a club for the first time, and who taught me how to salsa dance. When I seemed to catch on (for a little bit) she told me "It's in your blood!" as the music blared around us. I believed her.

She was like a sister. In the short time I knew her we acquired so many inside jokes and references it was like speaking another language when anyone else was around. We had a favorite song. There was even a long and complicated story as to why that song (Choke Me, Spank Me (Pull My Hair) by Xzibit) was our favorite song as we both found it atrocious.

Around her and the friends she introduced me to, I felt so safe and comfortable in my own skin. She was comfortable in her skin too. That's why it worked so well. She was never, ever afraid to look at something from a different angle. She was never afraid to consider what the other side had to say in any issue - which is why she would have made one hell of an attorney. Her dream was to become a Civil Rights attorney and fight for equality and freedom. That was so important to her.

Irma died last week in a car accident in Mexico. I don't really know much else at this point but a memorial service will be held Friday for her in Missouri. I wish I could go but I know she would understand why I couldn't right now. Due to her ROTC obligations she had to put law school on hold for another few years. I just wish she could have made it. There are so many people who could have used her help.

If anyone who knew her is reading this, will you contact me? We need to have a memorial service for her here too.

Besitos, Irmy. Te amo mucho mi vida.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Slammo!!

My friend Rebecca and I had brunch last weekend at Eggs in the City. It was so good! Since I hadn't seen her in so long, I decided to take photographic evidence...I don't know when we'll see each other again...she's a little nuts but was very willing to allow it just this once.

After brunchie munchies I took pictures of the neighborhood. If you're local you'll know it well. Enjoy!














Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Whooooo??

Okay.

There are some serious problems with Blogger. Posts aren't posting and pictures disappear and reappear and all that crazy crap. I'm not even sure if you can read this BUT IF YOU CAN...here's what's going on.

Mah Dream

So a couple nights ago I had a dream I was laying in bed in my apartment. It was MUCH more snazzier than usual with huge windows, recessed planters, aqua colored carpet and multi-level floors a la the Space Age 1960's. It was rad.

Well as I was staring at the ceiling in bed these people trounced through the door and started looking around. Being in my pajamas I freaked out and asked why they were there. It appeared as though the apartment building owner had decided to sell off the units individually and these were potential buyers with a real estate agent. I had to get out as soon as possible because my unit was now "Active" and for sale.

Before anything else happened I woke up. The first thing I noticed was the boring normal window on the wall above me (in the dream my bedroom window was a long "L" shape taking up both walls with plants on the sill). The second thing I noticed was that it was not for sale and I could chill a minute in bed if I wanted to.

What a relief!

But it got me to thinking. My lease ends in August. My job also ends in August. I have applied for other jobs here but nothing has worked out yet...though it's likely it could. Or is it?

What if...what if...what if...stuff??

You know how my life is. Expect some earth-shattering update in a few weeks. It's just the way I roll. :-P

Peace out.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Yippity Doo!

Today was a good day.

My friend John and I went grocery shopping where we found some delightful Kosher cereal bars on clearance in the Hebrew food section (SCOOOOORE!), then we made delicious foodmeals, then we laid around in a post-meal stupor watching South Park.

IT

WAS

AWESOME.

I can't wait for the next time. :-)

(No I'm not Jewish and neither is John).