Salad @ MindSay 
food
The people in the Family are possessed of talents. Some cook or bake, some sew or fashion leather garments, chain mail. Some farm, some do metal smithing, paint or make music. Others' talents lie in the areas of warcraft, statecraft or are the keepers of tradition and the well of stories and the past.
One of my talents is that I brew...something which starts out as Adult Fruit Salad. Please note the word 'adult'. Coming from California to Texas, it never occured to me to explain any farther than this was 'adult'...meaning loaded with alchohol...in this case rum....a lot. There are now certain people who eye anything I make with the word 'adult' in it as suspect and approach with caution. This adult fruit salad is sweet and strong and sneaks up on you....
Recipie is a watermelon cut in half, scooped out, bunch of other fruit cut up and added to large bowl, large bottle of rum poured over, stir often and let marinate for minimum of 24 to 48 hours. Scoop fruit back into watermelon shell and serve. KEEP what ever juice and fruit is left over.
Add any fruit salad or juice left..mash fruit. Put fruit and juice into sterilized jars with plastic wrap between the metal jar lid and the jar. Shake every other day for 3 months. Strain. Rebottle into clan sterilized jars with plastic wrap and lids. 2 months later strain again until all setiment is gone....= Evil brew. Or what has other wise become known as "The Man's Birthday Rum".
The Man is eagerly awaiting the current batch...which should be available by Thanksgiving, with a late summer batch just recently having been jarred which should be available around Valentine's Day/May Day.
For those who scoff at making home made brew...in this case enhancing a product, or that this is actually done... A photo montage accompanies this post.
Usually I don't post something that's not very commentable, but I just want to rant about my day. It was bad, as usual, to begin.
I woke up at 7:06am( my bus comes at 7:15). I got ready in 4 minutes, because my boyfriend is grounded off of the phone and internet until friday, since tuesday ( he usually calls me at 6:30).
Of course on the bus, the pop music of C100 ( which I absolutely cannot stand!!) is on so loud I can hear it with my music to it's loudest...
I get to school, I have to take off my music as usual, cause there's a dumb rule that we can't have it in class...
I have no looseleaf, dropped all of my stuff.
We're let out late for recess, so by the time I get in line and get my snack, it's time to go. Someone pulls out my headphones as they pass me..
I head back to french class and I have to continue reading, which is a waste of time because I forgot the book I'm going to do my report on.. I can't even read I'm so pissed.
I calm down a bit when we go to the computer lab, I got my two problems of the week done, and started my bonus work. I felt happy 'cause it was productive, and less I have to do at home.
At lunch, someone ahead of me takes the last crispy caesar salad...RARR!! I'm still hungry 'cause everthing's so expensive, I have no money to buy anything more.
Come back to my locker, and crispy minis all fell out into my bag.. take everything out and shake it out in the garbage can. Put my stuff back in and head down to gym. Gym is my worst class.. I hate it.
Good point though, is that I was appreciated by someone who doesn't really like me, when I noticed their hat on the floor, and brought it down for them :). We played basketball, which wasn't too bad. I played with the best people I could, all guys, who I feel most comfortable with. I think they enjoied me being there, and the one who doesn't like me, didn't wanto to switch teams, and I was on his. I tried my best at it. I'm usually not very good at basketball, and I don't know what to do, but this was only 3 on 3 and it was kind of fun.
I got home, and as I was checking emails I found one from my boyfriend. It's good and bad news because, his parents think that he was on the phone, so we're not going to talk until tomorrow, and good just because I was happy to make communication with him, for a little bit, even if it's indirect. Then he came on msn for a short bit, which I was quite happy about as well.
Right now I'm doing what I always do- mindsay, msn and listening to music. I'm leaving after this post thought because I have to shower and eat before I go to Theatre. I'm volunteering helping with the play. I also better check my laundry from last night- just remembered...shit.
Well that's really all I've got to say. I hopefully get to see George this weekend. Next weekend is my other friend's birthday party, which I hope to go to, but it's my dad's weekend so I'm not sure. I can probably- hopefully- arrange something with him. He lets me switch weekends if I'm doing something with a friend, but we might have to partly lie because he wouldn't approve of me going to my boyfriend's for the night:P
So I have to go for now. Talk to y'all later.
I came up with an idea tonight while I was making myself dinner. I finally had the house to myself tonight...sometimes dinner time with 5 other people living here can be a very crazy thing. I was lucky enough to experiment a little tonight. I have been sick the past few days, (no it's not swine flu, I assure you I am fine)....and I have been trying to eat a lot of raw vegetables in order to boost my immune system!
So as I was cooking I came up with this idea, that every time I come up with a cool recipe , I am going to blog it and tell you how I made it. This way you can try it yourself at home. It doesn't really take much effort to throw some shit in a pan and fry it up...all you need are some taste buds and a little instinct. So throw away your ramen, craft mac n cheese, cambell's and chef boyardee... Yes I do get lazy sumtimes, but fresh food is always better for you.....So here we go!
The first recipe I would like to bring to you guys is my Shrimp and Spinach Salad. Shrimp is probably my most favorite food in the world! Now I might've gotten my inspiration from Applebee's, but mine is homemade, and I added my own personal spin... and my dressing is like WAY better :-X
What you'll need:
Fresh or packaged Baby Spinach (organic is optional)
Fresh or packaged Shrimp ( i used packaged and freeze it, cuz it lasts longer)
Fresh Parsley (it is essential that this is fresh, because that is where a lot of the flavor comes from!)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White Cooking Wine
One small clove of Garlic
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Lemon (Optional)
Prepping:
1. First take your shrimp ( a handful is enough for one serving), and peel the skins off if they are still on. If it's frozen, just run it under warm water.... not hot, cuz you don't want it to cook in your hand...that's kinda creepy... After they are thawed and you take the shells off, set them aside in a bowl or something. Dispose of the shells, or put them under your annoying room mate's pillow, it's completely up to you....
2. Take your fresh parsley (one sprig is enough for one serving) , and wash it if it is not already. Then grab a cutting board and a sharp knife (watch your phalanges and make sure your cheating boyfriend isn't around) and chop your parsley almost fine.
3. Get your one clove of garlic out and peel the skins off. Then chop your garlic fine as well.
4. If you are using a lemon, get that out now! Roll it on your cutting board to get the juices going (that's what she said) ...sorry I had to....
Then just cut the lemon in half, set that aside for now...
5. Take out your uncooked baby spinach(a handful or two, is enough for one serving),. You can also used baby spinach mixed with other leafy greens like mediterranean style lettuce. Wash that if you need to. Set it on a small plate, do not add dressing! You will be using the juices from the frying pan as your salad dressing.
Ok now comes the fun ! :-)
Wolfgang Puck that shit:
1. Grab a small frying pan, and set the heat to low. Coat the bottom of your pan with your extra virgin olive oil and let that heat up a bit. Once that looks like it's a -sizzlin', throw in your chopped gah-lic. Once that starts smellin amazing, you know it's time to add your main ingredients before the garlic starts to brown ( you DONT want your garlic to brown, that means it's burnt.)
2. Throw in your shrimp, and add a splash of your white cooking wine (one capful should do). Also add a pinch of seasalt, and black pepper at this point. You can also add your chopped parsley now.
3. By the time you have added the wine, salt, pepper, and parsley, the first side of the shrimp should start turning pink so you want to stir that up a bit now. Cover the pan with a lid, make sure the heat is medium to low, and let that steam a bit.
4. Get your plate of fresh raw baby spinach salad at this point! By the time you get your plate and get back to the stove, your shrimp should be done. Shrimp cooks fast... Make sure no shrimp appears clear or blue still. If all appears pink and cooked, it is time to serve!!
5. Take the small sauce pan, and just dump that good shrimp goodness onto your salad! Make sure all the juices from the pan don't go to waste, this is your dressing!
Give that a light tossing.
Optional
6. Take your lemon half, and just give it a little squirt over your salad for some tang. Also add additional black pepper for more of a zest. And there you have it ! My homemade , last minute, thrown together lovely spinach salad!
I did eat the whole thing...minus the one shrimp that didn't make it from the pan to the plate and fell on the floor. Fredo was a happy pup :-p
ENJOY!!!!!
-Justina xoxo
I think Chopped Salad is my favorite.
You remiend me of Chopped Salad.
Probably the most awesome salad ever.
yeahyeah it's spendy too.
mmm how i wanna eat you
yumyumyum i want more
salad, you stupid whore
<3
On the other hand, in what might be an unrelated incident (hard to tell exactly what's unrelated, but this seems to be), I've found a new Good Place to Be.
I have a list of these. I am prone to mischief and messiness in a rather general fashion. Good Places to Be are things that keep me from those proverbial idle hands, better balanced, and usually either being more productive or doing something good. One fine example is a particular practice room. Another is the skating rink at certain hours. Similar to the kid who wants to stop partying but needs something else to turn the hours to, I need to find something good for these hours when I want to engage in what I know is not particularly helpful. It's not precisely destructive, but, y'know, those instincts are warning me off again, and I've found that this particular bundle of instincts usually knows what it's talking about.
I have also encountered a wonderful salad. One of the other Well-girls works at kind of a healthy deli in town (hard to describe, but my sister worked at another one back home where I love to grab lunch with my Mom), and recommended a particular salad. Definite case of not normally what I'd go for, but I'm now very happy to be munching on it. It has cranberries and walnuts and golden raisins and goat cheese and leafy stuff and they all blend delightfully. I would say something along the lines of, "Y'all should try this!" but I think I'm just one of the later ones to stumble upon a something that everyone else knows and enjoys. But, in the event you've not, run by Breckenridge, have a New England salad. In fact, bring it back here, I will make you tea, or cocoa (although I don't think cocoa and salad really go together), we will watch the swirling snow and the pretty Christmas tree and share stories of adventures.
I'm doing a bit of ye olde online shopping for Christmas, as I won't really be able to do any proper shopping until a few days prior (and the pennies must be managed most carefully over the next month). I do enjoy living in this little town, but there's not so much in the way of shopping. I could get everyone cowboy duds - that'd be pretty sweet. I actually rather want to have a cool cowgirl hat and sweet boots that may or may not go with it, but I have difficulty justifying this, as I'm not sure where I'd wear them. My sister got me a pretty nifty fedora last year (I heart fedoras) and I almost never wear it.
Although that might just be because it's a size too small. You thought you were insulted when your guy got you a garment too large? Try when your sibling manages to inadvertently suggest that your head's too small. :P Seriously, though, it's a freakin' cool hat. K, it should be noted, thinks it's a freakin' ridiculous hat, which is why he does not get to wear it. :D But my sister knows me well, knows my tastes, and rocks for managing to find it and gift it to me. I heart her immensely.
And I have change with which to do laundry!! This is exciting for me - I ran out of quarters earlier this week, and hadn't had time to stop anywhere and get change. I can have clean jeans for church tomorrow!!!
I may go back to regular posts at some point, but man, writing about good stuff that's going on is just too much fun. :D
Showing 1 - 5. [ Next ]
