Catch up with ketchup.

Technical and time-management issues have prevented me from posting as I wanted to this week, so here's a quick update of what has transpired in my corner of the world since last Sunday.

Are you comfy?

Would you like something to drink?

Have you gone to the restroom?

Yes?

Okay.

READYSETGO.

Last Sunday Jackie and I made brunch! It turned out really nice. My pans are a bit...unique when it comes to making pancakes but with all the windows open and the front door gaping out onto the courtyard you barely noticed the thick smoke coming from my kitchen.

Barely at all!

Jackie brought yummy fruit and that was a nice addition! Thank you Jackie!

BRUNCH.

FRUIT.

After brunch Jackie was reading a magazine I had on the couch and suggested we go to IKEA. I have no idea what might have persuaded her to suddenly want to go.



It was awesome as usual.

Then the week started. Things were lovely.

THEN.

MY SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW CAME TO VISIT.

YES.

They both haven't been back here for two years and it is so great to see them again!

MY SISTER!



(A picture of my brother-in-law is forthcoming.)

At this point we're catching up and showing them everything that has changed since they left. They will be here a week. I'm so excited.

That's all for now...more to come!

Friday Night

Last night was fun! Rebecca needed to pick up her frame from the restorer so Michael and I went with her to make it an evening. Why not?

On our way!

First we got the frame. The frame was very nice but the cool dogs who live in the studio were out wandering around so I couldn't get a picture of them (which was sad). But at least the frame was nice. After that we went to get lotus seed mooncakes because it's Harvest Moon this weekend! I found a new Chinese Market online and we went on an adventure to find it. I must say, Rebecca is very patient when navigating an unfamiliar neighborhood with a map reader who has the map upside down (me).

Mooncakes!

After that we went to Acme Burger for dinner. I had a cheeseburger and it was AWESOME.

Cheeseburger!

We were sated and very happy. On our way home we stopped at Wild Oats so Rebecca and Michael could get vitamins and I could get a GIANT HUNK OF CALLEBAUT MILK CHOCOLATE.

CHOCOLATE!

I've wanted to do that for a LONG time. Later that night I made some jasmine tea and sat around in my pajamas and fuzzy robe drinking it because it's finally chilly enough to do something like that. Finally!

No...there isn't a picture. Heh.

You know...this thought just occurred to me. The whole time I was wearing my green sushi shirt. You know, the one I got from Threadless. It's printed with an array of sushi on the front with a slug slithering off a piece of nigiri. This one (picture taken after I got home in apparently very bad lighting):

Uhh...

Don't get me wrong. I love sushi! This was more of an ironic piece. In any case it just dawned on me that I wore it into the Chinese Market. I wonder what they thought of it in there?

Such a wonderful night. :-)

Things that of which are different.

Hello.

First of all, I would like to show you the new duvet cover and pillow shams I got at IKEA. They were marked down from $25 to $9 simply because the wrapped plastic package holding the linens fell out of the box. That's all that was missing. The box. The box that I would have thrown out anyway. It was kickass.



Secondly, I am drinking black coffee this morning and came to a realization that I CAN drink black coffee when it's made properly. The reason why I have had trouble in the past is because I was the one making the coffee...therefore it was strong enough to melt concrete. This coffee was from one of my favorite local haunts (Cafe Ville Bella on Harrison next to Baskin Robbins GO THERE NOW) and it's DELICIOUS.

Also generic cornflakes are now apparently bilingual. Me gusta eso.



That's it for now. Bye!

Matt Smolenski

This story was awesome.

If you're having a bad day, just read that story.

Awesome.

AHOY THAR!!!

It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, ye landlubbers!!

Seriously. It is.

See?

YARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Erm...

So I got a new phone. It's great. It's a Nokia 6133 with a camera and I like it very much.

The only problem is that when I swapped in my sim card all the phone numbers in there were lost.

Heh.

If you talk to me regularly by phone (and you know who you are), please send me an email (if I haven't asked you already) with your number so I can put it back in! Agh!!

Thank you kindly.

Love,

Me

Weekend.

Hello.

I have had a nice weekend. Rebecca and I went downtown yesterday and decided to start a new blog topic - $20 Saturdays! We wondered if it was possible to have a fun day and a nice lunch in Salt Lake on $20. We found out that you can. In the next week I will be posting things about that so stay tuned. You can't wait, I know.

Now I am watching Lucky again and he is adorable as ever. Aww!

I don't have much else to say. Okay bye!

Fiesta Friday

Post something about your community that makes you happy!

This makes me happy!

FrontRunner!!

Also this commercial we made at work!



Yay!

Explanation

After reading the last post, you may be wondering what happened. Why would someone seemingly so dedicated to vegetarianism (for the most part) suddenly have a change of heart?

Well, this is what happened.

I WAS VERY HUNGRY.

Each day the hunger built upon itself. It started out barely noticeable and just grew and grew as I ate lighter and lighter things, coming to a deliciously roasted climax with a side of A1 last night - which shall be referred to henceforth as “The Night of Meats.”

After exercising (and having a light salad with kidney beans for dinner), I was driving home on a route that takes me past McDonald’s.

Yes. McDonald’s.

I started thinking about their cheeseburgers and how we all love to hate them…how we all secretly love biting into their savory/salty goodness even though we know full well that’s not actually food we’re biting into.

No.

It’s a specially engineered, legalized meaty disc of CRACK.

I don’t know what came over me. Before I knew it I had wolfed down THREE DOUBLE CHEESEBURGERS in the PARKING LOT while SITTING in my CAR.

They didn’t even make it home.

As I sat there masticating this thought crossed my mind: “How can I claim vegetarian status when I am sitting here eating BEEF?? This isn’t excusable fish or justifiable poultry…this is HARDCORE DEAD COW.”

The Holy Grail of meats.

Clearly my body was saying something to me. My body was VERY HUNGRY and TIRED of being DEPRIVED.

At least that’s what I’m going to tell myself.

What’s more is that I have not suffered any digestive consequences from that “meal” whatsoever. None! Not a one! In fact I feel really good today!

It’s like a hole in my psyche has been filled.

With a cow leg.

So that’s pretty much it. I am a meat eater again. I welcome your recipes. Look forward to mine.

Peace out.

Carnivore.

This had to end.

I am officially no longer a vegetarian. Please feel free to bombard me with any meat involved/meat-laden/meaty meat meat recipes with meat sauce and a side of meat that you may have to offer. I'm all ears.

Thank you.

Details to follow.

MICHELLE!!

Remember Michelle?

Well, as you know, she contacted me. We have been chatting and having a good time getting reconnected. Last week her grandfather died. That was very sad for her and her family, however he lived in Salt Lake and his funeral was here.

So we got to meet. Again. After 7 years.

It was wonderful.

HERE SHE IS!!

US!!

We had an awesome lunch at Trio, found delicious cookies at Liberty Heights Fresh, I showed off the library (she moved before it opened), and stopped for an exquisite Thai dinner at Sawadee.

Obviously the circumstances could have been better for her, but it still was really great to see her again and only made us both feel wonderful for reconnecting.

Yes.

Acme Burger Company.

Wow!

On Saturday Rebecca and I went to Acme Burger Company. It's a new spot behind Rose Wagner off Broadway (200 West between 200 and 300 South). They were having a soft opening as they have only been in business a couple weeks.

We were not disappointed.

This isn't your average "Burger Place." There is a full bar and the menu has everything from your basic ground beef to ostrich burgers, Kobe skirt steak and Hawaiian monchong.

Adding to the diverse menu is a very sleek, eclectic interior with vibrant colors, and a giant plastic hammerhead shark suspended from the ceiling. There are several flat screen televisions in the corners and one of them, above the bar, is connected to a camera in the kitchen where you can watch your food get prepared.

I had the 3 bean veggie burger complete with sundried tomatoes, baby artichoke hearts and feta. It was so soft I ate it with a fork and loved it. Rebecca had an adorable mini burger with the grilled caesar salad. I didn't know people actually GRILLED the LETTUCE. With creamy homemade caesar dressing and fresh parmesan it was quite a treat. We shared a huge order of pomme frites which were crisp and delicious as well.

Granted they are brand new and things always change with time, but we loved this place and highly recommend it.

Of course we brought the camera. Here are the pictures.

Outside

The Food

The 'Straunt

Kitchen Cam!

They had chalk and special paint on the bathroom walls. I had to draw something. I just had to!

(YES, I took a picture in the BATHROOM. Get over it.)

Delicious! Go there now!!

Overshare!

Would you like an overshare? I took this picture weeks ago intending to post it but never did UNTIL NOW.

The Medicine Cabinet

Thank you. That is all.

Spring Roll Stir Fry

On Friday night Jordan, Kevin, Jackie and I thought it would be nice to get together and make spring rolls. I was in charge of bringing the ingredients. Being the forward thinker that I am, I left everything to the very last minute and couldn't find spring roll wrappers ANYWHERE at ANY SUPERMARKET as I rushed, already 20 minutes late, to get the crap we needed.

This is how I felt.



But luckily they're all very easy going people so we made do with what we had. I stir-fried (is that a word?) the veggies and served them on top of the vermicelli rather than rolling it all up in a wrapper. This is what I did.

Michael's Spring Roll Stir Fry

1 large red pepper
1 bunch green onions
1 large cucumber (or zucchini)
1 small bag baby carrots
Garlic salt to taste
Parsley flakes to taste
1 package rice noodles
3T soy sauce

Chop all the vegetables into chunks and simmer with soy sauce, garlic salt and parsley covered on very low heat for about 10 minutes like this.



Don't simmer too long lest they get mushy. Soften the vermicelli in hot water (about 10 minutes after the water comes to a boil - it's on the package) with some parsley while the veggies simmer. Drain the noodles and set aside.

Place a bed of noodles on a plate and pile on the veggies.



DELICIOUS WITH WINE.



Have fun!