New Favorite

I went out for a three hour dinner tonight which included two beautiful glasses of merlot, a mushroom lasagna that made me drool, a tasty tiramisu, and some absolutely incredible dinner conversation. My friend and I met at 6 and were still talking as we walked out the door at nine. The only reason we called dinner over was that she had somewhere to be at 9:15. Otherwise we'd still be there. Thanks Christina, for an amazing dinner!

So I have no real time for an actual post. That doesn't really matter though because I've been wanting to share this image from Joey Remmers that I found last week. I want a print of this. This might have to be my birthday present this year. He's selling them as part of a show he's doing at the Corey Helford Gallery. This print is called A Sheep Amongst Wolves. I really like the rest of Joey's work but it was this image that made me instantly take notice. I just love the colors and the lines. It's just gorgeous. Joey has a rather nice website filled with his painting and the tattoos he's inked. I love both. His ink work is a bit out of my price range but I bet you it is worth it. Perhaps when I finally have the money to get my ink done, I'll fly out to him. But until then, I think this print will tide me over.

My Thanksgiving Dish

I'm heading to my parent's house for Thanksgiving this year. It will be a day filled with food and family. I'm looking forward to it immensely. For the last couple of years, we kids have been allowed to bring a dish to dinner.

I've brought a few dishes but my favorite is Frog Eye Salad. I first had Frog Eye when I was working back at Heartland. I was more than skeptical the first time I was offered some of the dish. Not only did it have a bizarre name but it had a weird looking texture. I hesitated the first couple of potlucks until I finally tried my first taste. Then I was hooked.

I've made this dish so many times now I don't really need the recipe. The salad isn't what it sounds like. The name comes from the tiny pasta, called Acini de Pepe. The salad has a Cool Whip base and is filled with mandarin oranges and pineapple. It's a pasta salad and a dessert all in one. I'm excited to make it again for another Thanksgiving although I'm sure my family is probably tired of it. I thought I'd share the recipe here.

Frog Eye Salad

1 C. Sugar

2 T. Flour

2 eggs, beaten

3 qts water

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1 3/4 c. pineapple juice

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. cooking oil

3 cans mandarin oranges, drained

2-- 20 oz cans pineapple chunks, drained

1-- 12 oz carton Cool Whip

1-- 16 oz pkg Acini de Pepe pasta

2 c. marshmallows

In a saucepan mix flour, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly add pineapple juice and eggs. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Allow to cool completely.

Bring water, remaining salt, and oil to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until done. Drain. Mix egg mixture and macaroni. Refrigerate (I normally allow it to cool overnight).

When finally cool, mixed in the rest of the ingredients. I normally start with the Cool Whip to loosen up the pasta and then add the rest of the fruit and marshmallows.

This recipe is huge. I often cut it in half even for a large family gathering. It is a heavy salad although leftovers are still good for up to three days. I also tend to go heavy on the Cool Whip and often use more than just the one carton. More than anything, enjoy. This sweet salad is guaranteed to satisfy.

A Perfect Night

If it seems like I've been distant from the internet lately, it's because I have. I haven't been on Facebook in days. Haven't checked email since we got back in town. And really haven't been online most of the day except for my brief lunch breaks. Work is ganging up on me and I haven't had a ton of time to spare.

So last night after working late again, I had planned to go home, make up a salad, and sit on the couch mindlessly watching TV. Jeff had other ideas. As I brought out my salad fixings he meekly suggested going out. And of course I couldn't pass that up. We headed over to one of the local sports bars and found a table outside on the patio. It was beautiful yesterday but we had the patio completely to ourselves. It was heaven. I ordered a beer and their amazingly tasty (and possibly good for me) taco salad. Then Jeff made me an offer I simply couldn't refuse. His deal was that we would go to the library as long as I walked around the nearby lake with him. Okay so I get to go to my favorite place in the world, and I get to go on a beautiful walk. Sign me up!!!

After dinner we headed over to the library and walked the lake. It's not a huge lake and we took our time in the walking. Jeff and I tend to get distracted by interesting bugs, pretty flowers, birds or animals of any sort...well pretty much everything. It was just nice to be out. I'm working on walking on rough terrain to strengthen my ankle even more. I'm still not 100% but I'm getting better. After the walk we went to our own different sections of the library. I picked up the second book in the Bone series by Jeff Smith. I've been loving this graphic novel series but have been taking my time reading them. The series follow Fone Bone and his cousins Phoney and Smiley who, after being kicked out of Boneville, find themselves being chased by rat creatures, saved by a dragon, and befriended by a young girl and her ultra tough grandmother. The characters are all unique and the plot has me both intrigued and confused. I need to pick up the pace with this series.

I picked up a graphic novel called Wonderland written and illustrated by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew. This is the first in a series of graphic novels following the exploits of Wonderland's characters without Alice. This one followed Mary Ann, the housemaid for the White Rabbit and her adventures with the Queen of Hearts and the Queen of Spades. I'll be curious to pick up the next book. I love take-offs on Alice in Wonderland and these are inventive and downright beautiful. The story is a wonderful reinvention of the world and is very much in the spirit of the original book. The book's artwork is stunning, a great mix of detailed and surreal landscapes with well created characters. I'd seen the artwork before and had been meaning to check out the book.

I also picked up a biography of Edward Gorey and a book on the making of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder version). After the library Jeff and I stopped for ice cream and I went home to read. I finished the two graphic novels and started the "making of" book. I'll be through it before the weekend is up. As I sat on the couch last night, surrounded by books and finishing up my ice cream, all I could think was that last night was a perfect night. I feel completely refreshed today. It's amazing what unplugging does for me.

Sushi for Vegetarians

I had a fantastic weekend of writing, reading, and relaxing. Other than dinner on Friday and breakfast out both Saturday and Sunday (a rare treat) I never left the house. It was a rainy weekend and I was quite content to stay in. We slept with the windows open and I fell asleep both nights listening to the rain. I wrote four blog posts, read three books, and pretended to do some real writing and drawing. Overall it was a productive weekend that ended up being incredibly relaxing.

On Friday I had plans with my little sister to go out to dinner. We had some family things that we had to talk over and what better time to do that than over the dinner table. She'd left the choice of location up to me and I spent most of Friday wracking my brain as to where to go. Finally that afternoon I texted her with my answer, Miyabi 9, the best sushi place in Des Moines. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's within walking distance of my office. She loves the place too and responded back quickly with something that sounded to me like Yum!! Of Course!

My always thinking little sister got there early and snagged us a table (not always possible without a huge wait on a Friday night). We ordered beers and started studying the list of rolls. Now I know what you have to be thinking right now. Yes I'm a vegetarian. No that doesn't mean that I can't have sushi. What it means is that I can't have any fish. What my limited four year Japanese education taught me is that sushi is vinegared rice with seaweed. Properly done it is possibly the best dish on the face of the earth. Raw fish, which often goes with sushi, is called sashimi. I'm welcome to eat sushi, just without any sashimi.

My sister sweetly agreed to go vegetarian with me that evening and gave me carte blanche to order. And apparently order I did. What seemed like just a couple rolls on paper turned into an entire tableful of rolls. The count we took before diving in was 48 pieces. I wish I could tell you that we finished everything on the table. I know we both gave it an incredibly valiant effort. But that is a lot of rice, a lot of cucumber, and way more avocado than anyone should eat in one sitting. It was amazing. Emilie found her new favorite vegetarian roll (avocado-cucumber) and I gorged myself on tempura yam rolls. Mmmm. A to go box was in order and we promptly packed up the leftovers for her to have as dinner the next day. After dinner we headed out to my favorite coffee house in the city, Rituals for a little decaf and some continued conversation. It was a wonderful night and I have to thank my sister for it. Love you little sis. Thanks.

Give it to us raw and wriggling

Okay well maybe not wriggling. But definitely raw. (By the way, big points if you can identify the title quote). Over the last five years I have become a sushi fan. I realized when I started to become a vegetarian that eating out would be nearly impossible for me if I didn't eat at least fish. Most of the issue I have with meat is a taste and texture issue but fish doesn't pose that problem. So when people ask I say I'm not a vegetarian, I'm a pescatarian. 

Now texture is a big thing for me when eating. I have problems with some forms of eggs just because of the texture. My first attempt at an anchovy was comical and disgusting because of texture. So everyone assumed I'd have an issue with sushi. Then I tried it. No problem. In fact it's something I've started craving. Something about a thin slice of raw fish draped over rice simply makes my mouth water. Tonight I went to Taki, one of the local sushi places, for salmon nigiri, eel nigiri, and a spicy tuna roll. Mmmmm. 

This of course compares with Friday night's dinner. Jeff and I went out to celebrate Independence Day at BoneFish Grill. This place just opened near us and I've been meaning to try it. Everyone says it is good. I had the ahi tuna. The meal had a nice piece of fish, but it was the thickest cut I have ever seen on a tuna. It was more like chunks of tuna. The interior was pink and the outside was seared but the restaurant committed an unforgivable sin. I had to bring out my knife to cut my fish. That, for me, is simply not acceptable. The meal was still good. We drank wine and enjoyed the food, but I probably won't be back. If I want good fish, I'll make sure it isn't cooked. 

Disgusting Dinner Discussions

Warning: If you are squeamish you might want to pass this entry up. Or if you would still like to think of me as a normal sane person. :-) 

I grew up in a family of doctors so it takes an awful lot to turn my stomach. Dad would come home from work and tell us about all the organs he cut up that day. We'd listen attentively to the sometimes gruesome details while chewing on dinner. I remember the night he brought home pictures of the baby born without a skull. We looked at them right after dessert. Kind of icky but interesting in a bizarre way. My brother John would tell us all about his cadaver that he was working on in med school and my mother would tell us interesting serial killer stories. Needless to say I have a fairly strong stomach. 

My problem though is that I often forget how strong a stomach I have when eating with others. Jeff has gotten used to me. But others make strange faces at some of my dinner conversations. If you eat with me often enough eventually you will be grossed out by something I say. So I try really hard to remind myself not to talk about anything too terrible. Most of the time that helps. 

I went out for dinner tonight with a friend from my previous place of work. We try to get together once a month to have dinner, talk books, and share stories. She and I have some of the most interesting discussions about religion and family and children (she's childfree too). And then she brought up decomposing bodies. And I was shocked. She and I have talked a little about death before but this was a hard core what happens after you die talk. As we worked on a plate of Mexican food and beers, we discussed cremation versus burial, donating bodies to science, and the length of time needed to completely decompose a body. I was in my element. 

We tried really hard to talk quietly but I feel bad for any of the tables sitting near us that heard our conversation. Very few people can handle discussions about the Body Farm and embalming without at least getting a little green. And all I could think was here was a friend where I didn't have to pull any punches. I didn't have to censor myself. It was almost freeing. We sat at the restaurant and talked for 2 and a half hours (not all of it was decomposing bodies). The waiters probably hated us by the end. But the conversation was just too stimulating to leave. And it reminded me of growing up...well growing up and Chas Addams.