Sugar Plum Fairies

Tchaikovsky rocks!

Oh, Nasal Irrigation Song, How I Love Thee!

I never get tired of listening to this song, to watching this video.



I'd like to thank Drew "Kompressor" and toothpastefordinner.com for some of the best laugs i've ever had. Oh, I can't forget you brought me Charles.

We can't forget Charles.



Whee!

Neverending Deep Freeze

It's been crazy cold here, folks!

Today was only a high of 8 degrees and the damn snow won't melt. Brrr!

You don't even want to imagine what tonight feels like. We went out and bought some weather stripping for the patio door in our bedroom and realized that it's too cold to install it tonight...we don't want the door open!

So, hot off the presses (or should I say cold?)

Here's a little picture I took tonight of the frozen windows in my dining room.

Looks like we won't be dining there for a couple of months.

Naked and Unadorned

I'm not quite sure why this long term blogging blockage has occurred and I think I've mentioned it before but it's been so long I can't recall what I've written. I always seem to feel lately, like I don't have the energy to make a huge story.

So, tonight as I sit here all melancholy, thinking of old friends who are no longer friends, friends who are friends still but live so far away and new friends who aren't quite friends enough, I decided to vomit all over this post here and just do it. So here I am. Naked and unadorned.

I don't think listening to The Good Life is helping things right now, but that's what I tend to do. Feelin' down in the dumps? Let's wallow in it for a little while. Get a little muddy. I can always shower later.

The holiday lights are on outside the window. The cars uturn on the streets looking for parking. The people all bundled up in their scarves are walking with candles. They carol, they sing, they drink their cider...and I am here. Here I am in this window on 10th St.

"It's my favorite Golden event!", I proclaimed.

...and I am here. Here I am in this window on 10th St.

Say Hello To Mrs. Schwartz!

Just in case you missed it...
It was the most beautiful day of my life, with the man of my dreams.

The China Clipper Inn

Ouray, Colorado

The Countdown!

19 days left until I get to marry my love in the beautiful San Juan mountains of Colorado.

I'm just so excited!

It Smells Like A Whore In Here And It's Makin' Me Hungry! (a recipe)

Tonight's feast was Spaghetti alla puttanesca - a.k.a. "whore's pasta."

Don't blame me! I didn't name it.

As we ate, Peter and I pondered the origin of such a name. Could it be because of the smell?
Ew! What a thought. Turns out it wasn't the smell so much as it was the "ease" of the dish, if you will.

Wiki says: To understand how this sauce came to get its name, one must consider the 1950s when brothels in Italy were state owned. They were known as case chiuse or 'closed houses' because the shutters had to be kept permanently closed to avoid offending the sensibilities of neighbors or innocent passers-by. Conscientious Italian housewives usually shop at the local market every day to buy fresh food, but the 'civil servants' were only allowed one day per week for shopping, and their time was valuable. Their specialty became a sauce made quickly from odds and ends in the larder.

So there ya have it. Canned spaghetti. You know...it's really tasty! And it can taste really fresh. I mean, even the whore's food in 1950's Italy is better than much of the convinience foods many of us eat today.

So, without further adieu, here's the stink:

Cook Time 15 min
4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained
1 /2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
20 oil-cured black olives, cracked away from pit and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers
1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
A few grinds black pepper
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente (with a bite)
Crusty bread, for mopping
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano, for passing, optional


Directions
Serving suggestions: a simple salad of mixed bitter greens dressed with oil and vinegar, salt, and pepper.



Add the pasta and cook to al-dente.



Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic, anchovies, and crushed pepper. Saute mixture until anchovies melt into oil and completely dissolve and garlic is tender, about 3 minutes: your kitchen never smelled so good!




Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley.
Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.

Toss sauce with cooked pasta. Pass bread and cheese at the table and serve with a simple salad of mixed bitter greens dressed with oil and vinegar, salt, and pepper.



Voila! Save some parsley and grab a lemon for your disposal after cleaning.
Your house will have a delicious yet stinky smell.