Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

In case your friends don't send you silly spam emails and you haven't seen this one...

Don't leave beer near your pumpkins! (gross huh?)

We went to a fun Halloween party and I wore a sailor costume I had lying around. I look very tired and rumpled because we took pics when we got home - I forgot to take photos before we left. Next year I am determined to be a cavegirl!

This morning I'm going to the farmer's market to pick up some free range lamb chops I ordered and get some fresh fruits and veggies. Then it's time to watch football (GO TROJANS!) and hand out money instead of candy to the trick-or-treating kiddies.

Happy Halloween to you all! Boo!

Breakfast

Enjoyed breakfast on the front steps watching the squirrels in the trees. Chai tea with a splash of cream.  Scrambled egg with bacon and orange tomato. Nice way to start the morning!

This is my typical weekday breakfast except I often have coffee made in my mini french press. YUM YUM!

Have a fantastic day today! :)

Books

I absolutely love information. I don't know how I survived before the internet made knowledge readily available at all times with a few clicks on the keyboard. Since I got an iphone, this access has become even more awesome! Having a debate with a friend over what countries share a border with Greece? Look it up instantly! Trying to remember the spanish word for sweetbreads? It's at your fingertips.

I love it.

But do you know what gives me the information I crave along with a deep sense of tranquility and happiness? A used bookstore!

I LOVE used bookstores, always have. I love their dusty smells and their creaky floors. They are dinosaurs in this internet age. When I find one still in business I am so thrilled!

These are photos of one of my very favorite used bookstores in LA. I was there the other day and I got 10 books for $40. Good books too! Look how the floors have been worn down by years of shoppers wandering the isles in search of information.

I adore the internet, but you just can't get that same sense of quiet peace as you feel in an old bookstore.

Sorry this has nothing to do with food! Just rambling...have a great day!

Randomness chicken

Hey all!

Happy Wednesday!

Last night was another randomness from the refrigerator leftovers one pan meal challenge! Man, how can these random dinners be so darn tasty?

Sauteed red bell pepper with lots of chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Adding the red pepper flakes to the oil is a good trick instead of just adding them as seasoning at the end, it creates depth of flavor. When the red peppers were cooked a bit, added sliced yellow and green zucchini, shredded chicken leftovers, chopped olives, and fresh oregano. Easy, simple, done in 5 minutes. I sprinkled a little cheese on top for some salty yumminess.

This was meal #4 from a small roasted chicken. I think maybe there is one more left and then time for stock!

Punishment

I was supposed to be fasting today but then I just got really hungry and decided to go to the gross cafe in my office building to get something for lunch. Knowing how large the portions sizes are, I thought I'd just ask for a scoop of tuna.

This is what I got. It's not even the size of a golf ball!

I guess the insignificant size was my punishment? I should have just stuck with fasting as planned. haha! I'm still very hungry so I guess it didn't interrupt the fast that much...

Halloween and squash

I love Halloween! Dressing up is so fun and I especially like seeing everyone's costumes at this wild party we go to every year. Here was a funny one from last year!!!

Last year I was a beer girl (appropriate for my German heritage haha) - this year I haven't quite decided...any ideas?


In honor of upcoming Halloween, here is a yummy pumpkin recipe. Well, OK... butternut squash. A very simple recipe!

Dice up the butternut squash or whatever squash you like best. I have to say that this is definitely the hardest part of the recipe, especially if you peel it. What a pain! You need a big sharp knife and strong wrists.

Once you have your squash cut into cubes or slices, throw it on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until the squash pieces are softened and golden. Just before it is done you can toss in some chopped garlic and rosemary for extra yumminess. Or instead of rosemary, try adding a dash of cumin, and fresh cilantro on top with a squeeze of lime. YUM!

This is a great side dish or I even add it to salads. It is a wonderful thing to have in the fridge for making lunches, or eating with leftover meats. It's one of my staples in the fall months.

Do you like butternut squash, pumpkin or other winter squash? How do you cook them?

Lamb koftas - Gosht kae Kofta

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend!

I mentioned the other day that I wanted to make lamb koftas from 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra but I didn't have any cilantro handy. Well, I got the cilantro so I tried the koftas. Yum!

A very interesting recipe...You cook the meat with the spices first, then add egg and form it into meatballs and fry them. Hmmm. I had never thought to cook the meat first before making the balls. Ostensibly the cooking is supposed to help remove the moisture from the meat  - I think I screwed that part up. Oops!

I added a bit more spice in relation to meat than was called for in the recipe, so here is my adaptation:

1/2 lb ground lamb
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 dried red chiles (I used chile de arbol)
1 quarter size piece fresh ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt and black pepper
1 egg (recipe called for two egg whites - what is the diff?)
oil for frying - I used a mix of coconut oil and bacon grease
chaat masala for sprinkling on top

Saute the onion, garlic, ginger, chiles until the onions are mostly cooked - then add the meat, cilantro, garam masala, salt and pepper and cook on medium-low until moisture has evaporated. Let the mix cool, then add to food processor with 1 egg. Mix until spices etc are ground up into the meat and mixture is sticky.

Form into little balls and fry in the oil. You can deep fry them which would be super tasty, but I just kind of pan fried them.

OK so, these are supposed to be meat balls - they turned out to be meat "shapes". hahahaha!!! I think I didn't get the moisture out and my balls were not sticky enough. I've got balls, cylinders and disks, oops. Not the most photogenic food...

They were tasty though!!! I was going to eat them with a salad or some veggies but I got to eating so late and I was so hungry I just ate them with a little yogurt sauce - yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, mint, cilantro - my favorite lamb condiment. Leftovers too!

Thanks for reading!

Funny junk

Whew! My trip to Las Vegas was tiring! Between work and play I did not get very much rest at all. My feet hurt something awful!!!

I managed to not eat junk at the show, thanks for your words of encouragement! Well, I did try one super spicy dorito, it was delicious and so hot it made my tongue swell!

Lots of energy products and enhanced waters were showcased (one booth complete with a water slide and pool for the bikini clad models to slide into). Water to make you skinny, sexy or smart - energy gum, drinks, candies, mints, even chips! I am not a fan of energy stuff, but a colleague found this energy nasal spray thing that he loved and kept sniffing. I think it kept him going for 48 hrs haha!

Collecting free crap and eating/drinking the samples is very popular at the show and my coworkers always go crazy. Unfortunately this year they were not able to attend so they asked me to bring stuff back for them. I just did not have it in my heart to bring back bags of candy and snacks, so I collected other things that I thought might be useful or at least give them a laugh. You can see for yourself...hehe!

On a side note, there is something cool about Las Vegas that I hadn't really thought about until this trip. Most everyone there is traveling and out of their comfort zone and routine. They are a little more open and friendly than usual. So it is a really great place to meet people! I think I made some really fantastic new friends and have fresh enthusiasm for sin city. Good thing since I am back in a few months for another conference!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Have a wonderful weekend!

I'd like to start the weekend with a quote I heard recently, I think it is one of the most beautiful quotes I have ever heard.

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."
-Mark Twain

I hope you all have a terrific weekend!

Vegas...again

Well, I'm off to Las Vegas again! This time not for fun, but for work. I get to stand in the booth all day and repeat myself 10 million times like the good little sales person that I am! :)

The conference that I am attending is a HUGE one devoted to convenience stores. All the wonderful items that are sold in convenience stores are showcased at the convention: candy, beer, cigarettes, chips, soda, gasoline, hot dogs, pizza, porn, knickknacks, magazines, coffee, gum, ice cream, fried foods, and most of all - energy drinks! A bonanza of junk food sampling.

I'll report back from the front lines of the junk food battles, and promise to take some photos for you of the interesting "food items" at the show! Scary stuff!

Wish me lots of luck in avoiding the consumption of dangerous junk food temptations!