Fantastic idea: making your own tarot cards. I've been breaking out my watercolours and yesterday I started painting in some ink sketches, I think this might be my next big project.

I AM GOING TO SEE FEIST IN CONCERT. It's okay. I almost wet my pants with excitement, too. Also, I am going to see Radiohead as well. I am a concert-lovin' fiend this summer.

Upcoming road trip: CATHEDRAL GROVE. This is great because it's on my list of places to revisit. I went here when I was 12, but I was so full of angst and riding up overall short combos that I couldn't truly appreciate the fact that I was surrounded by trees large enough to like, live in.

Wishlist: Canon EOS 40D.

I am on a mission to learn all I can about horticulture. The different plant names are fascinating and anything said in latin instantly becomes mysterious and magical. Even if you're saying the latin equivalent to "Poop". (I don't know what that would be, but I'm sure it would sound nice enough to put on wedding invitations.) The above picture is of a flowering onion. I love these plants because they look so terribly Suessian.

Dinner: Jamaican Jerked Chicken. Add a little more jalapeno if you like it spicy, and a little bit more of everything to make a touch more marinade. Serve with Mango Salsa.

Side dish: Herbed Roasted Potatoes. Cut potatoes up into bite size pieces. Drizzle with olive oil. Cut up a ton (bunch) of Cilantro (chopped) and sprinkle on top. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic (minced). Lots of salt, lots of pepper, and some lemon juice. Mix it all together. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour - hour 1/2, or until the potatoes are soft.

Agatha Christie: Interestingly enough, she thought Hercule Poirot was "creepy". Listening to BBC radio plays of her works is what I do with my spare time. I'm damn productive.

Cheeseburger Phone: We all knew this was coming.

Labels: Recipes and Projects, Shopping, Wishlist

1. I went to visit a career counsellor. What was interesting is that I went in there and said, "I was kind of thinking I might want to be a teacher." and she gave me this look like, "Like hell you do, Sovereign." We worked through a ton of things -- what makes me happy, what I love to do, what I do with my spare time and even addressed how much I suck when I procrastinate, and the end result is that I will be applying to university in the Fine Arts program. On a related note, I've decided that I would really love to take up pottery. The career counsellor also suggested I start a vision board, so I started plastering things to the previously boring furnace room doors:



2. I have plants. They are named Harold and Rosemary, and they are currently soaking up as much sun as possible on my art table. Harold is a mysterious plant who looks like he might one day be a tree, and Rosemary is, well, Rosemary. Pretty soon I intend to start a herb garden. The awesome thing about my room is that it looks out onto a patio, so I'm in the process of cleaning things up out there so I can set up a reading / planting / art spot out in the sun.



3. Speaking of the sun, there has been a steady stream of beautiful days over here in Chilliwack. My mom and I went for a walk along a river trail whose name I can't remember and I saw a heron. I think. I don't know. It was bird shaped. I also saw this old abandoned PMQ style house whose property I want to trespass on so I can photographically capture it in all it's creepy beauty.

4. Tonight I am making dinner, greek style. There are tons of Greek restaurants here, and all of them are amazing. I never realized before how much greek food rocks my world, but tonight I've decided to attempt something edible. We're having Grecian Pork Tenderloin, Greek salad, and Greek roasted potatoes with lemon , and for dessert, Greek Lemon Cake. Pictures and updates to follow, as I attempt to not destroy the kitchen with dinner.

Labels: Musings, Recipes and Projects

I am making dinner tonight, made especially appetizing by the fact that earlier I was painting and my fingers are now stained with Tahiti Blue acrylic paint which I just can't seem to Lady Macbeth off. Everyone likes a little bit of paint mixed in with their Chicken Surprise.

Or, rather, Chicken Fettucine with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, thanks to All Recipes. I'm deviating from the recipe quite a bit, considering I'm pretty sure we don't have any fettucine and I think I used the last of the diced tomatoes in an unfortunate pasta incident a few weeks ago. I'm also thinking about using up the rest of the mushrooms in the fridge (thinly sliced) and then baking it all in cheese because.... come on. I am fairly certain you could smother anti-freeze in cheese and it would still be halfways edible. Blindingly edible, but .... honestly. How delicious.

In the meantime, I am going to go hunting for nickels and dimes to support my coffee habit. We live right by a Tim Hortons, staffed by people who are always angry and wearing too much eyeshadow, and lately I haven't been able to stop myself from half-jogging over there to grab super large coffees, watching while the woman at the drive thru yells at people for adding things to their order at the window.

Labels: Recipes and Projects

As you may have noticed, I am right at this very moment redesigning Sarah, the Pirate. Please bear with me as I ruin a perfectly good template to the soundtrack of Journey's "Open Arms".

Suggestions are more than welcome... I realize this layout is pretty immense.... things might change drastically between now and several hours from now when I realize I hate it all and nothing ever works out and storm off into the night in dramatic protest.

I need to leave things as are for a few hours because I promised myself I would drop off resumes and temporarily adhere to responsible adult behaviour by brushing my hair when I step out into public.

I am just really not sure what to do about this table, though. RGHHSHGHH.

Labels: Projects, Recipes and Projects

I am trying these tonight, with a side of Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist II. He is sure to teach me a thing or two about high calibre acting.

Churros and Hot Chocolate!

Check out the rest of the site... it's possibly one of the greatest places ever.
______

Later,
I made them! They pretty much taste exactly like elephant ears. I covered mine in both cinnamon and sugar because I am awesome. As you will note from the photograph as well, I
A) Worked real hard on aesthetically pleasing presentation. Carnations go real well with churros.
B) That is one green table cloth.

C) I've got some time on my hands.

These were super super super easy, except that I almost burned the house down because I put the oil on too high. So... watch for that. You probably shouldn't set the oil at 9 the first go around. Also, I only used one cup of oil because my ass is fat enough these days.
AS WELL, dear Internet, I am at this minute working on a new design for the entirety of this website. It needs quite a bit of tweaking, but it should be up eventually, give or take a nuclear apocalypse.

Labels: Recipes and Projects

This is one of my favourite recipes, the one that I always chose when I could have anything outside of chocolate cake for my birthday dinner. I got the recipe for it last night from my mom, and wrote it out in my Vintage Duluth recipe book (I will one day pass this on to my grandchildren, despite the fact I have written things like, "FUCKEN AWESOME" in the margins of the recipes, and made an impressive attempt to blaspheme on every second page.) (I mean, when / if I have grandchildren. We have just established, after all, that I am an unloved spinster with hairy, bushwoman legs.) (Actually, Internet, this isn't entirely true... because I couldn't stand it anymore and shaved away. I even bought lotion. Sigh.)

I love the name of this recipe, because really, if I can be classy why can't my poultry be classy, too? It's entirely possible poultry could actually surpass me in classyness, actually, considering I'm the type of girl who wantonly flings her food around at fancy restaurants and manages to walk around all afternoon with vomit in her hair (Uhhhm... ) and I'm like, 70% sure that no chicken has ever done that. All afternoon. Even at the grocery store.

But back to food, because .... that's appetizing after the above paragraph.

(I am making this in the next hour actually... I'm currently cooking up a batch of Best Fucken Ever Banana Muffins, and then I'll try my hand at the chicken. I will let you all know how it goes, and what I manage to burn down. I already half ripped the oven door off with my Hulk strength, so.. things can only get better.)

YOU WILL NEED:

• Chicken
  
• Broccoli
  
• 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
  
• Half cup Mayo
  
• As much or little cheese as you want. Chubby girls are hot, so I'd swing like, half a brick.

Cook the chicken until the outside is white -- it doesn't need to be fully cooked at this point. Boil broccoli, again they don't have to be completely cooked through.

Line the bottom of a casserole dish with as much broccoli as you want, usually about a layer.

Put the chicken on top.

Now you are ready to rock the world with your cream sauce.



SAUCE:

Mix the chicken soup together with the mayo.

Add a tsp of lemon juice. (Or be like me, and completely forget this.)

Cup of grated cheddar cheese.

Pour over top the broccoli and the chicken. Cover the entire thing with yet more cheese. Bake uncovered in the oven @ 350 for a half hour.

Serve with rice, because that is how it should be.

*Update: This was awesome, except that I was talking to Brad on the phone when I was making the sauce, and I got distracted, and before I knew it I had put like, half a jar of mayo into the sauce. Which is kind of gross when you think about it, however, the classy chicken still turned out ... well. Edible.

Labels: Recipes and Projects

Whilst Gen was down we went for a short, short hike in the rainforest. We couldn't find the a particularly clear path so we just sort of climbed upwards. I am not the best climber in the world, so I like to do the hands and knees approach. It's pretty graceful. On the way back down I like to slide down, thereby ensuring that my pants are totally and completely covered with mud, sand and random rainforest goodies by the time I reach the bottom. Then I like to go out and try and get dates.

I took a series of photos while we did our brief hike of Melissa running up a portion of the hill, and because I'm super cool, I've made it into an animated gif.

I think I might make everything into a gif from now on. Or you know, really awesome JPEGS and just call them gifs, because "I made an animated gif" just sounds funnier way, way cooler.

Labels: Recipes and Projects

This is not just any banana bread recipe. This is like, the banana bread that God would eat if he was all like, "Jesus, I am staaaarrrrvving." and Jesus was all, "HOLD ON. WAIT A MINUTE. HAVE I GOT A TREAT FOR YOU."

Anyways. My mom has been making Best Ever Banana Bread for years, so I took her recipe and just kind of added little extras to it. I totally suggest any and all of you make it for your nearest and dearest, or perhaps just for yourself, if you are a loaf-loving social reject, during this glorious holiday season. Better yet, cook some loaves or muffins, attach this recipe to it, and give it out as a present, or possibly as a donation for a church bake sale.

Those church ladies, they will fucken love the Best Fucken Ever Banana Bread.

Le Recipe:
(everything in italics is stuff I added on to the recipe. I am way too proud of my time spent on concocting this culinary marvel.)

1 cup butter or marjarine (you can substitute 1/4 cup marj + 3/4 applesauce)
2 cups sugar
3 cups mashed ripe bananas (roughly 6)
4 eggs, well beaten
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice or whatever feels right. Don't be the retard who dumps half the container in. WE ALL LEARNED A LITTLE SOMETHING THAT DAY.
1 dash of cinnamon
1 cup of frozen blueberries
1 half cup of chocolate chips
1 cup frozen raspberries

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the rest, mix it all in. Don't be shy.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to an hour, may be slightly longer if you make loaves.

It makes two loaves, or one loaf and 12 muffins, or 24 muffins. You can also mix up the amounts of blueberries, raspberries and chocolate chips you put in.

Labels: Projects, Recipes and Projects

How To Dance Like A Sovereign : Part One



It's best to ball your hands into fists and keep your arms close to your body. If you're not sure how to do this, just try imitating a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Make sure you're mouthing the words to your favourite song with your eyes closed, even if that's not the song that's currently playing. Remember that belting out selections by the following bands are not only acceptable, but nay, should be shared with the entire dance floor: Stevie Nicks, Twisted Sister, Dr. Hook, that song Jamie L. sang really loudly with his guitar that one night when he was wasted, Donny & Marie Osmond, that kicky 1996 song by Donna Lewis.

How To Dance Like A Sovereign : Part Two



Take every oppurtunity to check out the rack of the girl you're dancing with.

If you are a girl, carry on. You will be too busy doing "the Lawnmower" to notice anyways.

Make sure you clap your hands and yell "WOOOOOOO" every now and again, just so others know you're having "A REALLY GREAT TIME, OMG."

When the time is right start to shimmy down towards floor level, pretending that you can't really get up, and then surprise concerned on lookers by jumping up with your arms in the air, throwing one fisted hand up to emphasize your infamous Sovereign vitality. They will laugh, realizing it's all just a hoax, while you nurse your aching kneecaps with the OINTMENT OF RHYTHM.

How To Dance Like A Sovereign : Part Three



After you've done the Lawnmower and shaken your ass sufficiently you will want to take things to the next natural step: disrobing.

Start to ease out of your clothing, knowing, as all Sovereign's do, that pants are always optional.

Make sure you're singing along to something as you do it, preferably with your eyes closed. If you don't have a drink, get one, and make sure you throw it around and get it all over yourself.

Likewise, if you have a cigarette, smoke it from the wrong end and tell everyone that you did it.

If you're wearing hammer pants, do at least one Running Man before whipping them off and throwing them in the face of super impressed onlookers. Most likely these onlookers will be relatives, and Grandpa will definitely appreciate getting a sweat stained 1990's throwback all over the sweater your mom got him from you for Christmas.

How To Dance Like A Sovereign: Part Four



You can never go wrong with putting your arms up, behind your head and gyrating your hips a little.

If this doesn't seem to work well enough just flail your arms in the air. If you can't quite visualize this, think in terms of being a drowning person, but rather than drowning in water, you are DROWNING IN HOTNESS.

Labels: Projects, Recipes and Projects