+Iced Ambition+

his & hers lunches

2009-11-14T02:18:20Z

lunch from late last week but i was too lazy to post until now. i don't remember why, but i was craving the massive and delicious plate lunch we'd had in epcot's morocco. lucky for me, the recipe for their couscous is pretty easy to find in multiple places on the net. i would've gone so far as to even make the hummus myself, but resources are a tad limited so i just bought a container of one i know i like.

taste of morocco
couscous salad, grilled chicken, cucumber slices, roasted red pepper hummus, and pita triangles (huge grape halves in the box on the right)

not winning any awards for pretty here

2009-11-05T01:53:59Z

when i went home this past weekend, mom had included a can of sauerkraut in my goody bag she always has ready. i have no clue why she gave me something so random (maybe she remembers how i'd bemoaned the sad excuse for sauerkraut at disney?) but i sure as hell knew immediately what i'd do with it. i love me my pork chops and sauerkraut and haven't had it in awhile. works perfectly in the crockpot, too, so it's easy to throw together and put in the fridge until morning, when i can start it before i leave for work.

pork chops & sauerkraut
pork chops cooked in sauerkraut and caraway seeds. mashed potatoes mixed with butter, milk, sour cream, sliced green onions, and a dash of salt and pepper.

all for nothing

2009-10-26T23:42:45Z

not much to really say about this as i had a feeling while making all this last night that i wouldn't really eat it and i didn't. ate one piece of the vegetable roll and a few bites of everything else--brought the remainder home and it doesn't really even look like i ate anything other than the candy and the miso ball is gone. i apparently reeeeally have to be in the mood for sushi and, even then, i'm incredibly picky and likely really only want my godzilla and buddha rolls from sushi-x. -__-;;

first "real" bento
(t to b, l to r)
ball of miso paste with green onion and shiitake bits, tiny soy sauce bottle, two pieces of candy, and a packet of mayo.

diced peaches from a fruit cup, cold soba noodles with black sesame seeds and green onion.

vegetable roll (carrots, avocado, green onion, shiitake mushrooms, and a smidge of flying fish roe) and spicy tuna inside-out roll (canned tuna, sesame and chili oil, mayo, green onions, and panko crumbs)

lunchtime post cuz i'm lame like that!

2009-10-12T18:02:08Z

build-it-yourself tacos
taco meat stretched with black beans (made from dried beans and not a can this time!), romaine lettuce bits, mozzarella & cheddar cheese, homemade pico de gallo, taco shells, packet of toy story candy, and an apple.

* * *
so this is the meal that kinda fueled my desire for a nice bento box. something i could stash all my ingredients in so things wouldn't mingle and get soggy. i love me my tacos, but i've learned they're just not good made up the night before.

sure, i bought that one cute little box on ebay, but it was exactly that--little. it's too small for me to use for lunch so it's been a glorified candy dish/junk box sitting on my computer desk at home ever since. thought about using it for snacks, but i just don't usually need a whole other separate container for that kind of thing; all my snacks i keep in my desk here are pre-packaged or i bring whole pieces of fruit, which also come in their own "packaging".

instead, i wound up with this great little stackable box from jewel--not even $4 and it was on sale when i got it. it's big enough for my appetite (actually too much depending what/how much i fill it with) and it has a built-in divider in one of the boxes--something i just couldn't find in the cutesy stuff. while i've had it for awhile, this is the first time i've been able to use it for tacos since i typically use a different container i bought at the same time. wasn't able to find the silicon baking cups in stores so i just gave up for the time being and use plain old foil/paper baking cups. as for the cuteness, i guess i just have to settle with my chococat tumbler for now. found more chococat goodies where i got it (and in disney world), but didn't really need what was available.

when the gales of november come early

2009-10-11T01:35:56Z

butternut squash bisque
pureed butternut squash, onion, carrot, celery and apples in chicken stock, apple juice and chipotle tabasco sauce. finished with sour cream and smoked cheddar cheese.

you can't have my chain wallet just yet, friend

2009-10-10T03:29:04Z

i was digging through my jrock files, debating on which cds to sell, and i was reminded of that guy's bit.

just going through my cds i was able to separate them into three categories: refuse to sell, unsure and definitely sell. ones like b'z, dasein, smg, j and cloud nine were no brainers--refuse to sell. ones like bis, psycho le cemu, dear loving and feel made it into the "unsure" pile, primarily on the basis that i actually didn't remember how they sounded (former two now in "sell" pile). 808 and some buck-tick made it into the definitely "sell" pile (the latter primarily on the basis that i didn't care as much for their older stuff). i thought this would be an easier job than it is.

a luna sea *gasp* cd made it into the unsure pile on the basis i already had one i liked better. i barely skimmed through half the album before deciding i was crazy and promoting it to my keep pile. bis and plc struck chords of nostalgia with me, but that was about it. i was never much of a fan of either and their music just wasn't doing it for me; i have the cd rips, really don't need physical copies of their stuff. feel just killed me with nostalgia and i did like them back in the day so they get to stay (also because it's just an obscure album to own; who the hell even knows who they are?). 808 has always been terribly bad, i really only kept them on the premise of having something from all the solo projects of penicillin members. i don't know if i'll be able to find someone who even wants them...

what bugs me is i only pulled a small percentage of cds out of my collection to potentially sell. after digging through mp3s, an even smaller percentage of that group actually will be put up for sale. i just have such an obnoxiously strong emotional attachment to these stupid things that i can't bear to part with them despite rarely/never touching them after ripping. it bothers me because, if i was just a little more fickle (gods how i love getting rid of stuff i don't need), i could make a tidy sum rather than just sitting on this pile of useless cds i spent literally thousands on. hell, i still have a sid single i never opened.

i assume i'm still plenty young enough to rock, but the primary fanbase of jrock makes me think otherwise; that i'm also "that creepy guy". I pretty much gave up on jrock over a year ago and i honestly think it might have done me more good than anything, especially in terms of cash in my checking account. i don't really even listen to anything jrock at all for that matter--just doesn't hold my interest. songs don't even stick in my mind unless they did back in the day, such as "may" and "raging river" by b'z. i wondered if i'd ever "grow out" of jrock; maybe i finally have.

i've just picked up such a negativity to the hobby that i doubt i'll ever return to who i used to be--if i ever do at all. i see the cds and all the merch and magazines as a nuisance that i wasted money on. i can't sell most of it and i've tossed around the idea of just burning what's left of the magazines. over the years of collecting it all, it's made a handful of moves with me (pain in the ass, especially the cds), which finally stopped with this move as there was just no room. the stuff gave me joy back in the day so i guess it wasn't a total waste, but the nuisance factor seems to outweigh the joy. maybe this is all something bigger, though.

maybe i have hit a point where i'm struggling with the idea that i'm a full-fledged adult. i don't know if i'd consider jrock childish, especially when i really don't have much of a problem spending so much time on gaia these days... i'm torn between saying "screw it all" and gutting my collection on the basis i don't even listen to the vast majority of the cds--or the mp3s ripped from them--and saying it's ok to keep them stashed away for a later decision in a bin in my parents' crawlspace.

but i guess for now, the thing i have to ask myself is if i will be upset/regret getting rid of the physical cds should i lose the mp3s. i'm very strongly leaning toward "no" as i have for quite some time...

a piece of french bread with which to wipe my bowl, good for the body, good for the soul...

2009-08-23T02:18:52Z

a few weeks ago we ended an incredibly busy day running around up north with dinner at cheeseburger in paradise, since we just so happened to be in the area. i was sorely tempted by the chicken and sausage gumbo on the menu, but i was unsure of it thinking it would be super spicy, as much cajun food is. he ordered a bowl of it as an appetizer and i was hooked after the first bite. yes, it was spicy, but it wasn't the lingering painful heat of hot peppers. i ate as much of my popcorn shrimp and onion six-strings as i could, but by the time i was "done" it was more because of nausea from all the grease and less from simply being full. despite my upset stomach, i ordered a bowl of gumbo all to myself; it actually settled my stomach surprisingly enough. i swear that gumbo was the stuff dreams are made of--i vowed to replicate it.

the "holy trinity" of cajun cooking: onion, bell pepper, and celery

the roux is the absolute worst/hardest part of making this. it's a cup of cooking oil and a cup of flour whisked in once the oil is hot. and you cannot stop stirring it. gumbo recipes using a roux as the thickener say to cook the mixture until it's anywhere from a peanut butter color (new orleans style) or more of a reddish, dark chocolate color. cooking estimates vary and after about 10 minutes, mine had definitely acquired the peanut buttery color. everything to add must be at hand and ready to toss in to stop the cooking of the roux.

what all's in there? black beans, shredded chicken and smoked sausage, parsley, and a variety of veggies: the trinity as well as okra and lots of chopped garlic.

i don't think adding cilantro to the rice you serve with it is "traditional" but i swear that's what was in it at cheeseburger. if i'm mistaken and it was really just parsley, oh well, cilantro's always good. but they called it "island rice" so i highly doubt that consists of just rice and parsley. then again, just rice and cilantro doesn't really sound all that fancy either... not sure if black beans are used either but again, that's what was in theirs. i had to use brown rice as we somehow plowed through the giant 20lb.+ bag of rice we got a few months ago. i'm still under the impression there's some hiding somewhere; it's just not possible we ate it all already--or did we?

worth every damn bit of sacrifice

much too young to feel this damn old

2009-07-31T04:45:21Z

so my birthday is saturday (trying not to think how old i'll be...) and, as per standard behavior in the workplace, i have to bring goodies. i was going to go the easy route and get stuff at starbucks, like i did last year, but then i got the great idea to make blueberry scones. and so the adventure begins.

it first started with a trip to the grocery store after work. i needed a bunch of things to make the scones and picked up a rotisserie chicken for dinner (just sounded so good to go with ravioli). i questioned that the bagger put my 5lb. bag of flour on top of the chicken, but tied the bag tightly and figured it'd be too heavy to do much but maybe slide around--there's a reason i would've failed physics if not for the labs...

got home, opened the trunk and tada! my trunk has been marinated with chicken juice--as had the entire bag of flour. quickly open the bag and assess the damage. paper bag the flour is packaged in is completely damp but ok, still in one piece. gently lift it out and set it on the floor of the trunk. somehow a little hole opens on the top, probably from my finger. check the bag for any more damage and find an entire corner ripping open. shuffle things around and get the flour into a clean bag by itself.

once upstairs, i tear open the bag and scoop out as much as i possibly can. i probably lost at least a cup or so from avoiding flour right against the packaging (on the off chance it may somehow taste/smell like chicken) and any that may possibly have cross contaminated things from touching the floor of the trunk.

and i thought the pecan pies i made for my birthday two years ago was hell--turns out this task wasn't as easy as i thought it'd be. followed the directions to the letter and, well, frozen blueberries add a whole extra level of difficulty by adding even more moisture to the dough so it sticks to freakin' everything. supposed to cut the shaped dough into wedges and place them on the baking sheet separately--not happening... sooo now they take like double the time to cook completely through being one big circle of dough. burned my thumb on the oven rack. and i'm roasting in here and still have one more batch to make so i can make sure everybody can have a whole one if they want. *sigh*

after all that work and using a brand new recipe, i think they turned out perfectly. they taste great and are light and cakey (the perfect density because, after all, they are scones). and now i'm kinda nauseous from eating one of the casualties... XP

ain't it true

2009-07-20T03:13:28Z

i really need to come up with a mix album of my own personal theme songs. this one would definitely make the list.

Well this big city life is gettin' me down
There's just too many people around
There's dirt in the air and crime in the street
High-rise buildings and cold concrete
This rat race sure enough takes a toll
I wanna run off to my fishin' hole
Take me back take me back
Take me back to the country
Take me back take me back
Take me back to the country

Where the stars at night
Outshine those city lights
Take me back to the country
Where the eagles fly
And the treetops touch the sky
Take me back to the country

This traffic jam is makin' me mad
I miss the simple life I had
Peace and quite runnin' free
I wanna go home to my family
I'm sick of the clock, sick of the phone
Out in the country my time's my own
Take me back take me back
Take me back to the country
Take me back take me back
Take me back to the country

Where the stars at night
Outshine those city lights
Take me back to the country
Where the eagles fly
And the treetops touch the sky
Take me back to the country

Where the stars at night
Outshine those city lights
Take me back to the country
Where the eagles fly
And the treetops touch the sky
Take me back to the country
Take me back to the country

don't you love how bipolar my posts are?

2009-07-03T02:37:53Z

i didn't know what to get for dinner last night. by the time i finally decided on yummy yummy's incredibly awesome mongolian beef, it was past 8pm. while within walking distance, i didn't feel like going out that late for a roughly 10 minute walk over there. thought about the frozen pizza in the freezer but, eh, it was covered in pepperoni i'd have to peel off. instead, i wound up making something found on yummy yummy's menu that i order quite often.

chicken teriyaki and fried egg over rice
chicken, sliced onions, and green onions in a packaged sesame teriyaki sauce (not quite the same flavor, but it works). topped with a fried egg, yolk still a bit runny inside.

the jokes translate so poorly from planet to planet

2009-06-19T00:28:21Z

the man's away and i was hungry and lazy--this is what happens! i was so lazy i didn't really want to go out but it's just so nice right now and i could always use the "exercise". it was a bit on the pricey side, but i can guarantee you this will feed me at least three times so i'm ok with that. plus it tastes so great. shame i can't get like a gallon of that smoothie though...

coconut smoothie, pad thai, crab rangoon, and fried gyoza

buzz buzz buzz

2009-06-17T15:15:13Z

while at work yesterday, david told me his sister had found sirotan plushes on sale at macy's on state st., of all places. in hopes they'd have more than the bumblebee version she got him, i decided i'd run all the way down there and look myself.

this wouldn't have been much of an issue if it weren't for the fact it started to rain around 1 and did not want to let up. by the time i got out of work at 5, it was pouring. i didn't really notice how windy it was until i was about a block from home. so windy, everybody's umbrellas were turning inside out; i passed on messing with one. didn't seem that bad when i went to get the bus; getting off downtown was a different story. no sooner did i step off than i get hit with a blast of wind and pelted with rain. at least yesterday was warm...

found macy's but, much to my dismay, it turns out they only had two types--sirotan the bumblebee and sirotan the strawberry. the signs say 50% off the original price ($28) so i pass on getting one myself. i wasn't that crazy about the bee to begin with and the strawberry just looks kinda dumb; macy's buyer sucks. get a bee for alissa like i'd promised and go to pay.

turns out the little bugger was only $9.26 after tax! suddenly that strawberry one wasn't looking so bad. XD i consider the bee, but david's already getting one so there's no point in having two. i figure by not buying either one, i can save the money to get the one i really want from japan, if/when i get around to that. the only other stuffed animal i like is a tiny sting ray that's part of a $50 set, so i leave--soggy, kinda chilled, and disappointed. that's ok, though, i think somebody will really like him; he's all big and soft and squishy. ^^

Writer's Block: Get It to Go

2009-06-08T18:14:02Z

What's your favorite thing to order for takeout (or takeaway)?

View 500 Answers

pad thai, crab rangoon, and a taro boba tea from the asian noodle place down the street. *drool* now i want some...

one of the faster decisions i've ever made

2009-06-08T04:18:04Z

as a follow up to my previous post, the above is my brand new bento box--$5 and coming from hawaii. it's taken me a very long time debating and comparing and just looking, but i finally settled on this one. i liked it's pink counterpart, but lucked out finding someone who had the blue version. it's engrish is a wee bit odd, but for the most part it makes sense. XD not entirely pleased there's no dividers here, but i figure i'll get some kind of baking cups or something like i was planning on getting anyway. going that route also makes it easier to separate things if something needs reheated.

waaaant

2009-06-07T19:08:26Z

i saw this little bugger at target last night and want it so badly. at the time, the only problem was i didn't know when i'd really ever use a paring knife when i already have my beloved kitchen aid set. even worse is that the first review on amazon says the knife was pretty dull. :(

in other news, i've finally decided i'm going to get a little bento box for lunches. i love all the compartmentalization and variety and challenge. unfortunately, i'm having a hell of a time finding anything for it; kinda hard to make a bento style lunch without the box... i found some nice ones at mitsuwa, but they either don't have any separators/aren't cute/have embarrassingly bad engrish/wrong size.

i'm still debating getting a stitch one from ebay, but i worry it'll be too small. and can't find anything for frog style--found a single pic on flikr or somebody who has one, but that does me no good. likely having to buy from the internet creates a whole new set of problems, in addition to those already mentioned, primarily in that i can't see how big a box is in person. many pics/descriptions also don't allude to there being separators so when i see a box like this, it's automatically disqualified.

hell, even going to target and walmart yesterday and i couldn't even find the silicon baking cups frequently used in bentos (only ones i found were heart shaped...). my mom has some so i figured it'd be no problem to find them around here--wrong!

so weird

2009-06-07T18:29:32Z

at it again

2009-05-29T01:21:21Z

i am so happy with myself right now. i'm not sure how or why i was suddenly struck by a craving for lemongrass ginger soup of some kind, but i decided to try making it myself. really wasn't that hard to do, just time consuming--which is usually what happens when i cook. and i think it tastes absolutely fantastic given i just made this up. and seeing as how the weather has been cold and damp lately, soup was just the thing to warm me up.

as i had no clue how to make this beyond steeping chopped ginger and chunks of lemongrass in chicken broth, i did a bit of research on this kind of thing earlier today. i couldn't decide on an exact recipe as all either sounded too bland or had ingredients i didn't want to use/couldn't acquire on such short notice. probably the closest comparison, in terms of ingredients, i could find is an indonesian soup called "soto ayam". beyond kaffir leaves (which i have no clue where to get), turmeric (used for color), coriander seeds and cumin, mine has pretty much the same ingredients. and in terms of coriander seeds, i used fresh cilantro leaves (aka coriander) so i figure it's pretty darn close.

as i said before, it really wasn't hard to make--even guessing what to do the entire way. i brought a large pan of store-bought chicken broth and water to a boil and added the chopped ginger and lemongrass. just kept tasting it until it was flavored enough for me and pulled all the pieces out with a straining spoon...thing... threw in two chicken breasts and let them poach. while they did so, i got into my calming groove of washing and chopping up all the vegetables. by the time i was done with that, the chicken was done; pulled it out and went to work flavoring the broth further. added in my garlic, rice wine, and salt. once satisfied i tossed in the vegetables and shredded the chicken, which was also added. brought it all down to a simmer and added the lime juice and ground pepper. once everything had cooked down, i ladled it over a bowl of cold, leftover wheat fettuccine.

lemongrass ginger chicken soup
shredded poached chicken, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, bean sprouts and wheat pasta in a broth infused with lemongrass and ginger, garlic, lime juice, splash of rice wine, salt & pepper and cilantro.

crystal_talbo @ 2009-05-17T09:29:00

2009-05-17T14:30:17Z

wow

2009-05-14T21:35:06Z

i just found out that the frozen food that got delivered here (wrongly apparently) and confused a handful of people is from schwan's. seriously, you city folk have never heard of it?

schwan man, drop me off some chicken quesadillas and birthday cake ice cream, please!

you do not have testicular cancer--you don't even have testiculars!

2009-04-29T16:18:41Z

this whole swine flu thing has got me so out of whack--one minute i'm terrified, the next i'm not, and after that i'm just pissed off. just hearing about a potential case here in chicago doesn't scare me so much as tire me now. it really all comes down to pure confusion, though.

i don't like the idea of illness. i don't want to deal with it, don't want to feel like crap, don't want to worry about whether or not my body can handle it, don't want to die. all the fear mongering of the media obviously works--i try to avoid detailed things because of my hypochondriac tendencies, but i'm also morbidly curious and just can't help but look. all kinds of articles and supposed experts saying it's going to get worse and this and that--how can you not be even just a little concerned? but then you really pay attention to the statistics and you realize pieces are missing and things really don't sound that bad. or maybe that's just me saying that to ease my own fears?

for example, they're saying there are 60 some cases here in the states. the regular yearly flu puts something like 200,000 people in the hospital. all but one death has been in mexico but, out of 150ish, only 7 were confirmed as due to this strain while the regular flu kills roughly 36,000 a year and you never hear about it. everybody's gossiping how this strain targets otherwise healthy people (particularly those around the 25-50± age group), but isn't that really who usually gets sick from everything else anyway? you're fine and then uh oh--you feel a cold coming on, for example. all the cases i've heard the most from are about kids high school aged or less. majority, if not all, new york cases? high school students who went to cancun for spring break. kid that died? 23 months old--if your age is given in months, your body's probably not going to be able to handle a lot. kid that supposedly started it all? 5 years old and now recovered.

i'm not even sure anymore if these numbers include people who have recovered since this blew up in the media. take the previous example of the possible case here in chicago--the kid (12) has apparently already recovered. also have to remember that the media has blown all kinds of things out of proportion in the last decade or so: avian flu, sars, mad cow disease, anthrax, west nile virus... i feel like it's being blown waaaay out of proportion, but at the same time worry that this may be the "big one" we're due for.

on the plus side, i'd like to believe it would make people more aware of protecting themselves and others from communicable diseases. it's common courtesy in many asian countries to wear face masks, particularly if you're sick, to prevent spreading it. but over here, wearing a mask just isn't done. people just have such questionable hygeine practices the world over. and how many people go to work/school sick? unless you can't even move, you likely just go and spread the "love". but that's not our fault when we're only allowed so many sick days and/or time off in general.

2009 movies to see

2009-04-16T18:32:28Z

4/21 - Disney Nature
5/22 - Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
5/29 - Up
6/24 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
7/01 - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
8/? - G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (maybe)
12/11 - Princess & the Frog

everyone's got a song inside them

2009-04-10T17:28:02Z

like the doctor always does, this brightened my day.

too much to ask for

2009-04-08T16:06:20Z

i don't mind having an astigmatism, really, i don't. i do have a problem with trying to find new contacts and i'm sick and tired of it.

i've been messing around with this issue for something like roughly 2 months now. no problem with the eye exam and i got a trial pair of lenses that worked great except for the intense burning pain when they'd dry out. went back out to the suburbs a month into wearing them and decided i'd order them. talking to david, i realized i probably should try another brand. talked to the doctor and he agreed that if i wasn't comfortable, i should try another pair. still think he's somewhat confused how those didn't work well for me since many other people had no problems...

turned out to be a good thing i gave another brand a try--i absolutely loved them. they felt like my old contacts in that i didn't feel them at all and dryness resulted in minor annoyance rather than pain. made another trip out there, eager to order. when i do, i find out these have been discontinued and renamed. ok, fine, same product with different name--whatever. wait another week and have to make another trip out there on the weekend to pick up ordered contacts. leave boxes closed until april 1st, which is only a few days away.

getting ready for work on the 1st, i open my first pair and pop 'em in. vision seems a bit off but i think nothing of it figuring i just need to blink them into place/get used to them. apparently not. driving to work i can tell that my vision is blurry in my left eye, particularly noticeable when looking in the distance and peripherally. suffer the entire day and figure we'll see what happens the next day. next day is no better and i'm getting frustrated. switch back to that 2nd trial pair i kept just in case and talk to the doctor, scheduling another appointment to see him this past weekend.

when talking to him friday, i found out that i technically wasn't supposed to have been allowed to buy the contacts i did. he'd told the women working there they were supposed to give me a trial pair first before i wasted my money. because of this, it's not considered my fault and i can get all of my money back rather than half since 2 out of 4 boxes were opened. what confuses me is that the lady ordering the contacts for me called the doctor over about the discontinuation of what i was ordering. he essentially just shrugged and said "oh well, can't do anything about that" and took off. when did he supposedly tell them what i previously mentioned?

waited an hour to see him (they assured me saturday's are busy and would have a 15-20 min. wait...) and he gives me a trial pair of the contacts i bought. he figures the left contact i first tried was a manufacturing defect, which is apparently quite common as they can't test them all. pop those in and all is well. all continues to be well until yesterday when the blurriness issues occur again, just less troublesome than before.

i've never had this many problems with contacts and i'm frustrated to all hell at this point; all i want to do is see correctly! *cry* i'm really not sure if i should have this many problems even though toric lenses work differently to compensate for the astigmatism. i want to say "fuck it" and just go back to the first pair i'd tried even if they were painful every once in a great while, but what if i order them and suddenly they no longer work either? i can't keep going clear out to the suburbs every weekend trying to figure this out and apparently i can't tell if a pair will work until i've worn them a few days. i also can't keep opening new pairs of the ones i bought on the off chance that i can find another pair that behaves for an extended period.

something new every day

2009-03-05T04:54:43Z

in these rough economic times, only the rich can afford actual signs.

news to me

2009-02-22T03:22:21Z