Work convention!

Whole Foods sends the team members to this natural foods convention every year, and today was the big event.  It's usually in some convention center, but this year it was outdoors.  There was a fashion show starring team members sporting new eco clothing lines.  It ended up being a beautiful day, no humidity and the right amount of heat.  Every year it's more and more overwhelming, and you're bound to leave with 50 pounds of free swag.  No joke.  50.  I'm really tired from carrying it all, and I have no use for all of the tiny soaps and lotion packets.  Gift bags!

And monkfish are scary.

The seafood department displayed an array of enormous fish.  Thanks to Patrick's hand, you can see how big this tuna really was!

Yeah tiny mustard jars!  Score!

Some likes and obsessions in no particular order.

#1  Seafoam green:

If I had to be surrounded by one color for the rest of my life, I wouldn't have trouble deciding which one.  

#2  Lychee nuts, or lychee flavored ANYTHING.

Slice open it's bumpy red skin, pull out that weird translucent fruit resembling an eyeball, and hand it over.  I don't know why I love these things so much, but why does an obsession have to make sense?  I ate a whole pint of these once and got the worst stomach ache ever.  So, don't do that.



#3  This guy

No explanation necessary.

#4  Tongue sandwiches

Now, if you grew up the way I did you'd love it.  Both of my grandmothers would have this unpopular sandwich meat waiting for me when I got to their houses.  Stack it high between rye or bulkie rolls, no condiments, no lettuce and devour.  I bet if you didn't know what you were eating you'd think it was corned beef.  I swear to you that it's delicious.  

#5  "Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor

This is a great collection of short stories, but one of my favorites has to be "Revelation."  Pick it up and read it, or....

Read it here.

#6  This song

Jacques Dutronc.  This is get-stuck-in-your-head music.




#7  Oxfords

I like them in all shapes, all sizes and all colors.  Plus, women in menswear is hot.  

#8 Dungen

I suggest you start listening.



#9  This guy

Rambo, my first born.

#10 The Adventures of Pete and Pete

There are countless things that make this show so amazing.  For one thing, the writers truly understood childhood, and were able to capture it perfectly.  It's also perpetually Autumn on this show, the best season to be a kid in my opinion.  I still feel fuzzy watching it.

Seriously, WTF.

Ok, so I'm still attempting to watch the Criterion Collection in full and it's getting weird.  Last night, Elliott and I watched "Hausu" or, "House."

This is a completely bizarre, tripped-out, campy Japanese "horror" film from 1977.  As usual, it centers around a group of school girls who go to stay in a creepy old house for summer vacation.  There is a murderous persian cat, a disturbing aunt and obviously a killer lampshade.  Basically that is where they lost me, and to be honest I haven't bothered to finish it yet.  See for yourself...

The Criterion Collection isn't perfect, and I realize that.  I'm glad they've included some camp along with stuffy french films, and silents.  But really, I am speechless with this one. 

Quick sketchbook dump.

So you finally decided to grace us with your presence.

The sun came out today and I finally got to wear a dress without a sweater, tights, scarf and boots.  It's hot for the first time in recent history, and I am actually sweating which is a welcome feeling at this point.  I've all but forgotten what a perfect sunny day in Boston is like.  But not quite.

It's cold and I want chili!

It's May, but it really doesn't feel like it.  I'm freezing cold, and it's raining...STILL.  Let's make chili!


Gather these things:

1 medium onion
2 celery ribs
2 large carrots
1 small green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno
1 can kidney beans rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn
2-3 cans of beer
1 lb ground beef
3 strips bacon!

...and these spices/flavor devices 

Warning!  I don't really measure my spices, and I am constantly adjusting.  I'll try my best for you.

3 palmfuls chili powder 

1 palmful cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

cayenne pepper to taste

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 cube beef bouillon 

2 tsp mustard

3 Tbsp ketchup

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the onion, celery, carrots and peppers.  Set aside in a big bowl.

Cube your bacon and brown it in a big dutch oven.  Set it aside in a bowl.

Brown the beef.  

Push the beef over to one side of the pot, and add the chopped vegetables to the other half.  Salt everything well to get the vegetables to sweat.  Add the bacon back into the pot.  Cook things down a bit, and combine the two halves.

Add the dry spices.

Pour in one beer, and begin to scrape up the brown bits that have accumulated at the bottom of the pot.  Make sure the liquid covers the ingredients completely.  It will seem thin, but it will reduce.  You will probably need to add more beer as it cooks down.  I used about 2 1/2.  If it's not enough just add more!  Add your other wet ingredients and stir well.  

Now.... leave it alone!  Let the chili simmer covered on low for about an hour.  Remember to stir periodically.  Keep tasting.  If you think it needs something, ADD IT!  Halfway through cooking, add the corn and beans.  

Sure, it's good tonight, but its much better the next day.  I guess if you're hungry tonight, grab a bowl and melt some cheese on it!  

Enjoy!

Ugh.

It has been raining for a week straight now.  There hasn't been a single break in the clouds, and I am beginning to forget what color the sky is.  I haven't had the motivation to blog at all, so I'm forcing myself.  HERE!

Simple pasta dinner

At the moment thanks to rent, I am pretty low on funds.  Not an unusual circumstance for most of you I'm sure.  Despite my lack of cash, I can still eat well for cheap.  Here is a simple recipe that uses some items that most of us already have in our pantries.  I only had to spend about $6 on the ingredients I didn't have.  This is a recipe I like to make because it's cheap, healthy, and it makes enough food to feed me and Elliott for two days.  These are important things when you're a poor bum like me!

What you need:

1 pint grape tomatoes
5-6 oz log of plain goat cheese
1 bunch basil
A handful of arugula
1 box penne, or rigatoni

Prep:

Put a big pot of water on to boil, and salt it well.  While the water is boiling, slice up the grape tomatoes like this:

Put your sliced tomatoes in a bowl, and reserve.  Rinse the basil well, and pull off 8-10 nice-sized leaves.  Stack leaves 3 at a time, and roll into a cigar shape.  Slice the rolled basil the short way to create nice little strips.  Toss your prepared basil in the bowl with the tomatoes.  Roughly chop your arugula and, you guessed it, put it in the bowl as well.  

Cook the pasta to desired tenderness, and drain very well.  Return the pasta to the pot. 

It's time for cheese.  Cut the goat cheese log into smaller pieces, and carefully fold it into the hot pasta.  Make sure to coat it well.  Sometimes I add a little olive oil to thin the cheese.  You can also turn the heat on VERY low to help melt the cheese.  Shut off the heat when everything melts down, and there are no large lumps left.  Dump in your bowl of vegetables, and carefully fold them into the pasta.  There should be enough heat left to wilt the greens just a bit.  

That's it!  You're done, and it wasn't difficult.  It's also fresh and delicious.

Enjoy!

Finally.

Got a new (used) couch yesterday.  It's a 7 piece sectional that you can arrange any way you like!  It's orange, and velvet, and all I wanted for so long.  For some reason I was obsessed with having an orange couch.  I searched "orange" every day on Craigslist until I came upon this gem.  I'm pretty sure I watched too much Nickelodeon.  Remember Snick and the big orange couch?  

I miss Nickelodeon when it was good.  

Me and Rambo enjoying the new places to sit. 

I'm pretty sure I watched all 15 of these ----> Nostalgic Junk.