Metatalktail Hour: Hot-Weather Recipes May 26, 2018 6:40 PM Subscribe
Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! I'm a little slow to post this week because MY AIR CONDITIONING DIED so there was all the drama of working over a hot computer in 90 degree heat while waiting for the repair guy. ANYWAY, not that my house is cooling back off, I desperately want to know your favorite hot-weather recipes -- things that taste good in the heat, or things that you don't need to turn on the stove for, or things that just taste like summer. Go!
Watermelon and pepper.
posted by Fizz at 6:44 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Fizz at 6:44 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
"TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA AND BASIL"
That is an all-time favorite at our house with the kids, we call it "bruschetta" and it's like the lazy-man's version -- french bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomato slice, salt & pepper, mozzarella slice, basil leaf. We set the ingredients out and let the kids build their own and they go to town.
Also whenever they get asked what their favorite food is by teachers or pediatricians, they answer "bruschetta" in the summer and "cassoulet" in the winter and they're both like the lowest-effort meals imaginable but I get MAD PARENTING POINTS because my kids sound like they like fancy healthy food!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:46 PM on May 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
That is an all-time favorite at our house with the kids, we call it "bruschetta" and it's like the lazy-man's version -- french bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomato slice, salt & pepper, mozzarella slice, basil leaf. We set the ingredients out and let the kids build their own and they go to town.
Also whenever they get asked what their favorite food is by teachers or pediatricians, they answer "bruschetta" in the summer and "cassoulet" in the winter and they're both like the lowest-effort meals imaginable but I get MAD PARENTING POINTS because my kids sound like they like fancy healthy food!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:46 PM on May 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
My favorite way to eat strawberries is to slice them up, dress them in lemon juice and some water, sprinkle with sugar/sweetener, toss thoroughly, and put in the freezer a few hours. Pull out and let thaw, eating while they're still a little crunchy with ice.
So good. When I make it, it's a battle with my son to get my fork in the bowl because he loves it so much.
The best thing about preparing strawberries this way is that the lemon juice, sweetener, water, and thawing strawberries make pink lemonade in the bottom of the container and you can finish by slurping it down. Mmmmm.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 6:47 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
So good. When I make it, it's a battle with my son to get my fork in the bowl because he loves it so much.
The best thing about preparing strawberries this way is that the lemon juice, sweetener, water, and thawing strawberries make pink lemonade in the bottom of the container and you can finish by slurping it down. Mmmmm.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 6:47 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
(Oh, see also this AskMe and cross-pollinate with it!)
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:47 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:47 PM on May 26, 2018
Also, I just like a little fresh lime/lemon juice and ice and water. I know I'm already half way there with lemonade. But I'm not a huge fan of sugar. And I find the lack of sugar actually makes the drink more refreshing and some how it feels more cool and chilling this way.
posted by Fizz at 6:51 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 6:51 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Thank you for posting this while it's still Australian weekend! Yay!
I just fell on the Instant Pot bandwagon (well, not the brand name one, but basically the same thing) and it strikes me that although it's great for cooking wintery food, which is what I want right now, it will also shine in summer when I don't want to heat up my kitchen by using the actual oven.
I really like cold soups in summer, like I once had a great one that was basically lettuce with some dill and yoghurt, and I keep trying to replicate that. Something like this seems pretty similar, but I'd use yoghurt instead of half and half for more tangy-ness.
posted by lollusc at 6:52 PM on May 26, 2018
I just fell on the Instant Pot bandwagon (well, not the brand name one, but basically the same thing) and it strikes me that although it's great for cooking wintery food, which is what I want right now, it will also shine in summer when I don't want to heat up my kitchen by using the actual oven.
I really like cold soups in summer, like I once had a great one that was basically lettuce with some dill and yoghurt, and I keep trying to replicate that. Something like this seems pretty similar, but I'd use yoghurt instead of half and half for more tangy-ness.
posted by lollusc at 6:52 PM on May 26, 2018
I have usually exceptional tolerance for heat but during a terrible heatwave a few years ago I concocted a simple drink of sparking water + ice + mint + lemon + table salt, refrigerated and stored in a thermos bottle, for use during commuting and at work.
posted by runcifex at 6:53 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by runcifex at 6:53 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh, and 80 Cats in a Dog Suit reminds me that one of my favourite snacks in summer is frozen blueberries. Just buy the pre-frozen ones and keep them in the freezer and pour out a handful when you want a snack, and eat them one at a time while still frozen. They taste extra sweet when they are frozen, and very refreshing. Plus they feel like actual candy that you'd eat one piece at a time instead of by the spoonful like you tend to when they are fresh.
posted by lollusc at 6:54 PM on May 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by lollusc at 6:54 PM on May 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'm a big fan of antipasto in the summer. Buy yummy fresh bakery bread. Italian meats and cheese. Arugula and/or basil or pesto. Some balsamic vinegar. Jarred peppers. Make delicious sandwiches or just eat it all seperately. Serve with some olives and salad and strawberries or watermelon.
posted by gatorae at 6:55 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by gatorae at 6:55 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Gazpacho is my go-to hot weather dish!
It’s very easy and forgiving and I never measure—I just keep adding ingredients until the pot is full! Bonus—no oven or stovetop needed!
I use V8 or tomato juice as a base, add diced tomato, celery, cucumber or zucchini, red and green peppers, red onion, cilantro. Add a couple of glugs of red wine vinegar and olive oil, season with some garlic, pepper,maybe some Worcestershire, and a little tobasco to give a little kick.
Some people purée some or all of it, but I never do because I like the texture of the veggies.
Serve it chilled—it’s so refreshing and healthy! Sometimes it’s all I eat all day.
posted by bookmammal at 6:56 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
It’s very easy and forgiving and I never measure—I just keep adding ingredients until the pot is full! Bonus—no oven or stovetop needed!
I use V8 or tomato juice as a base, add diced tomato, celery, cucumber or zucchini, red and green peppers, red onion, cilantro. Add a couple of glugs of red wine vinegar and olive oil, season with some garlic, pepper,maybe some Worcestershire, and a little tobasco to give a little kick.
Some people purée some or all of it, but I never do because I like the texture of the veggies.
Serve it chilled—it’s so refreshing and healthy! Sometimes it’s all I eat all day.
posted by bookmammal at 6:56 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Frozen grapes! It's not really a recipe; just get a bag of grapes and toss them in the freezer. There's enough sugar and whatnot in a grape that it won't freeze completely hard like an ice cube. They're a little sweet and a lot cold.
posted by egregious theorem at 6:56 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by egregious theorem at 6:56 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Sliced cucumbers and tomatoes with just a drizzle of Paul Newman's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette. Deviled Eggs. Lemonade. Strawberries right off the bush.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:01 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:01 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's always nice to get the parenting points for no effort right? I think my parents got a lot of parenting points by accident because as an un-diagnosed as of then autistic kid with texture issues the few foods I'd eat were stuff like plain grilled chicken breast, pasta with red sauce on the sides (no touching) and bizarrely, broccoli. I loved broccoli so much and it was basically one of 4 things I'd eat so in public people would be amazed (how do you get your 4 year old to eat broccoli, and so much of it?) and my parents would BS techniques to get your kid to eat broccoli, when they were fully aware that I was just weird and liked bitter tasting things that looked like trees. Now I eat everything, mostly, and textures only bother me sometimes- still fucking love the broccoli. God I should buy some broccoli. Tomorrow I'm going to buy some broccoli. yeah.
I would grow broccoli- if it weren't for the fact that I've sworn off members of the cabbage family after the many worms in the turnips disaster. I am growing beans (doing well) zucchini (had to replace first plant got weird but this ones a better variety anyways) carrots (yeah wrong season but I'm growing them to the baby stage so they should be fine,) spinach (gonna bolt soon) peppers (hatch and sweet red pls let it be more sunny in SF PLEASE) and my usual riot of herbs. I have the usual suspects as well as some oddities. Odd herbs include rue, shiso and lovage. also African blue basil which loves my garden and is well on the way to becoming a perennial (PLEASE) I also have mint thunderdome (5 mints enter WHICH WILL LEAVE?) and a couple of succulent pots for variety. I just made my second succulent pot by clipping some that we grow in the strip of dirt by the driveway and putting it in some cactus mix soil. fingers crossed they take! I did have swiss chard and pac choi but I ate all of the latter and the swiss chard decided it was getting too warm.
In all seriousness If anyone in the SF area wants a jade plant clipping- I've got that. As far as summer foods I like to pickle everything. Pickled dilly beans are my fav right now- and then you have crunchy garlic dill beans (which can be spicy if you want) (I want.) that are nice and cool in the fridge to snack on whenever. I find homemade pickles best for the summer, even easy stuff like pink pickled onions, because it jazzes up a sandwich nice, and sometimes when it's hot all you want is a sandwich so you don't have to turn on the stove.
It's getting closer to my June surgery, which isn't such a big deal- just loping off the head of (or totally removing fingers crossed) an errant screw in the mess that is my fused ankle. I'll be walking the same day, and it should get rid of the weird nerve pain I've been getting because the head of the screw is right across the saphenous nerve. The surgery in July though... I'm trying not to think about it yet. It's been a long time coming... but I'm pretty scared.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 7:04 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
I would grow broccoli- if it weren't for the fact that I've sworn off members of the cabbage family after the many worms in the turnips disaster. I am growing beans (doing well) zucchini (had to replace first plant got weird but this ones a better variety anyways) carrots (yeah wrong season but I'm growing them to the baby stage so they should be fine,) spinach (gonna bolt soon) peppers (hatch and sweet red pls let it be more sunny in SF PLEASE) and my usual riot of herbs. I have the usual suspects as well as some oddities. Odd herbs include rue, shiso and lovage. also African blue basil which loves my garden and is well on the way to becoming a perennial (PLEASE) I also have mint thunderdome (5 mints enter WHICH WILL LEAVE?) and a couple of succulent pots for variety. I just made my second succulent pot by clipping some that we grow in the strip of dirt by the driveway and putting it in some cactus mix soil. fingers crossed they take! I did have swiss chard and pac choi but I ate all of the latter and the swiss chard decided it was getting too warm.
In all seriousness If anyone in the SF area wants a jade plant clipping- I've got that. As far as summer foods I like to pickle everything. Pickled dilly beans are my fav right now- and then you have crunchy garlic dill beans (which can be spicy if you want) (I want.) that are nice and cool in the fridge to snack on whenever. I find homemade pickles best for the summer, even easy stuff like pink pickled onions, because it jazzes up a sandwich nice, and sometimes when it's hot all you want is a sandwich so you don't have to turn on the stove.
It's getting closer to my June surgery, which isn't such a big deal- just loping off the head of (or totally removing fingers crossed) an errant screw in the mess that is my fused ankle. I'll be walking the same day, and it should get rid of the weird nerve pain I've been getting because the head of the screw is right across the saphenous nerve. The surgery in July though... I'm trying not to think about it yet. It's been a long time coming... but I'm pretty scared.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 7:04 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour a small amount of dry vermouth over the ice.
- Add gin. Good gin. Like from that blue bottle or one of those fancy ones what had cucumbers in them. I dunno how much. Count to ten while you pour it or something.
- Oh yeah, I forgot, about an hour ago you put a glass in the freezer. Take it out.
- Throw three olives into the glass.
- Shake the shaker. Or stir it. Ignore anyone who tells you one way is better than the other.
- Strain the liquid concoction into the glass.
- Drink it while sitting on the porch with your laptop and find a MeTa thread where you can brag that you're drinking a martini on the porch. Be subtle about it.
Good quality raw tuna, watermelon and avocado, sliced up, with generous salt and lime juice on them! I used to live across the street from a grocery store with a fantastic fish department in New York City, and this was a frequent hot weather dinner. And iced hibiscus mint tea, and tamarind agua fresca, and salted limeade. Suddenly wishing it were hot out, yum.
posted by centrifugal at 7:07 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by centrifugal at 7:07 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Today was our first really hot day. Turned on the A/C for a bit too. Sorry yours is not working EB. I'd share mine if I could. We had beer and samosas, family was visiting from out of town. It was good times. And family also left early enough that it didn't feel like too long, so that makes it doubly better.
posted by Fizz at 7:19 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by Fizz at 7:19 PM on May 26, 2018
Over at Canon City, there's a little park with a bridge over the Arkansas River, and you can sit on these big stone steps along the riverside under the tall trees and take off your shoes and jam your feet in the water, and as hot as the day is, the river water still has the chill of mountain snowmelt and your feet go numb in minutes. So you spend a lazy four hours or so cycling between numbing your feet and warming them on the stones again, and watching kids splash in the water, and sometimes your dog falls in the water and climbs back out with a grin, and then you pick your way across the blazing pavement of the parking lot and drive the hour back home strangely waterlogged even though you only went in up to your knees. It's the best.
Menu: Cold roasted chicken, slabs of watermelon, strawberries lightly drizzled in balsamic, cold cucumber salad, mozzarella, iced coffee.
posted by mochapickle at 7:20 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Menu: Cold roasted chicken, slabs of watermelon, strawberries lightly drizzled in balsamic, cold cucumber salad, mozzarella, iced coffee.
posted by mochapickle at 7:20 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Watermelon, feta, mint.
Cucumber, feta, mint.
Maybe a little lemon juice or vinegar and salt and pepper.
Eat until you're sick of chewing.
posted by Grandysaur at 7:35 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Cucumber, feta, mint.
Maybe a little lemon juice or vinegar and salt and pepper.
Eat until you're sick of chewing.
posted by Grandysaur at 7:35 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Gin and Tonic, Pimm’s Cup, and my take on the Frenchie (gin, St Germaine, grapefruit juice, and club soda). At separate times, not mixed together.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:41 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:41 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Tortilla chips and homemade pico de gallo, along with a good cold Pilsner. I recognize this may not be appropriate for everyone.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:41 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:41 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Pimm’s Cup
Maybe about five years ago, I was in a madrigal society with an awesome lady, an English-born mathematics professor and sailboat enthusiast in her sixties who had sung with me in other ensembles over the years. One July evening, she invited us all out to her place on the lake - she called it her "shack," but it felt more like a cross between Bag End and a dollhouse - for potluck. Her mother was there visiting, one of those spry, grand old dames straight out of central casting. We sat around on the porch, singing raucous and/or bawdy camp songs and drinking songs, with Mother leading some of the best. A few of us went wading. And then the professor made us all Pimm's cup, which I'd never tasted before. It was absolutely perfect for that summer night.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:19 PM on May 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
Maybe about five years ago, I was in a madrigal society with an awesome lady, an English-born mathematics professor and sailboat enthusiast in her sixties who had sung with me in other ensembles over the years. One July evening, she invited us all out to her place on the lake - she called it her "shack," but it felt more like a cross between Bag End and a dollhouse - for potluck. Her mother was there visiting, one of those spry, grand old dames straight out of central casting. We sat around on the porch, singing raucous and/or bawdy camp songs and drinking songs, with Mother leading some of the best. A few of us went wading. And then the professor made us all Pimm's cup, which I'd never tasted before. It was absolutely perfect for that summer night.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:19 PM on May 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
"Tastes like summer" means crab cakes to me, so I made some Maryland-style ones this week.
The method (I can't call it a recipe bc I don't have precise amounts) involves only three ingredients, really, if you make 'em the way my grandmother did.
You get yer crab meat (buy a can or pick it fresh, if you want to smash up some steamed crabs, but opening up a can of crabmeat won't heat up your kitchen so much), and you mix it in a bowl with a little Miracle Whip, then crumble up some saltines and mix those in. You don't need too much of either.
Then you fry them in a pan on fairly high heat. Be careful when turning them, though. They will be a little crumbly.
You can get four burger-sized crab cakes out of a can of crab meat.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:21 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
The method (I can't call it a recipe bc I don't have precise amounts) involves only three ingredients, really, if you make 'em the way my grandmother did.
You get yer crab meat (buy a can or pick it fresh, if you want to smash up some steamed crabs, but opening up a can of crabmeat won't heat up your kitchen so much), and you mix it in a bowl with a little Miracle Whip, then crumble up some saltines and mix those in. You don't need too much of either.
Then you fry them in a pan on fairly high heat. Be careful when turning them, though. They will be a little crumbly.
You can get four burger-sized crab cakes out of a can of crab meat.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:21 PM on May 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Another taste memory - June at Walt Disney World, trying to eat up your pineapple Dole Whip before it dissolves in the heat, but not wanting to bolt it all down at once before you get to really savor the taste.
and forbidding everyone in your group to take a picture of you eating a frozen banana in EPCOT
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:26 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
and forbidding everyone in your group to take a picture of you eating a frozen banana in EPCOT
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:26 PM on May 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
My 11 yr old son is teaching himself to cook, and apparently having a growth spurt, so he prepared and consumed SEVENTEEN EGGS today. And we went out for sushi. Not a hot weather recipe per se but DAMN. Seventeen eggs.
posted by selfmedicating at 8:26 PM on May 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
posted by selfmedicating at 8:26 PM on May 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
My favourite summer dish is either cold soba noodles mixed with mild chinese vinegar, cucumbers, sesame oil, garlic, soy and tomato, or poisson cru - basically ceviche with coconut milk. I prefer a white firm fleshed fish, and I use a shit tonne of chilli - the contrast between cool coconut fish and hot chilli is just delightful.
posted by smoke at 8:32 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by smoke at 8:32 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Mint and lychee smoothies!
Carpaccio! (My fave combo is either torch-seared rare beef or salmon sashimi slices, with ponzu dressing, garlic, onions...)
Hiyashi chūka! (Google for pics. Chilled egg noodles topped with pork, egg, cucumber, tomato, ginger...in sesame dressing)
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 8:38 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Carpaccio! (My fave combo is either torch-seared rare beef or salmon sashimi slices, with ponzu dressing, garlic, onions...)
Hiyashi chūka! (Google for pics. Chilled egg noodles topped with pork, egg, cucumber, tomato, ginger...in sesame dressing)
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 8:38 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
The Irma la Douche cocktail (though I detest Shirley MacLaine and can not watch Jack Lemmon ithout being too annoyed by the of-his-timeness. Have not revisited any Billy Wilder for years, though, and would be crushed to learn I could not love Ninotchka anymre)
posted by crush at 8:40 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by crush at 8:40 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
My 11 yr old son is teaching himself to cook, and apparently having a growth spurt, so he prepared and consumed SEVENTEEN EGGS today. And we went out for sushi. Not a hot weather recipe per se but DAMN. Seventeen eggs.
"My boy says he can eat fifty eggs, he can eat fifty eggs!"
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:40 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
"My boy says he can eat fifty eggs, he can eat fifty eggs!"
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:40 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Oh oh I also made a disgustingly sweet summer beverage last night!
Half milk, half orange soda, a tablespoon of vanilla extract, and voila! Dreamsicle drink!
I don't think I would want more than one, but one was refreshing.
I didn't have it alongside the crab cakes, don't worry.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:42 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Half milk, half orange soda, a tablespoon of vanilla extract, and voila! Dreamsicle drink!
I don't think I would want more than one, but one was refreshing.
I didn't have it alongside the crab cakes, don't worry.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:42 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
If you can manage to boil some pasta when it's cool out, then add all the crunchy fresh vegetables and some feta or goat cheese and a vinaigrette. Also, if you're into it, you can cut up rotisserie chicken from the market for a full meal.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:48 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Sophie1 at 8:48 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Too early in the season quite yet but I'm also looking forward to gazpacho, and I always use this recipe because it's got texture and it's just the right amount of spicy. I often have a grilled cheese (with dijon mustard) on the side, and then it's like the summer equivalent of winter's grilled cheese and hot tomato soup, though I don't tend to like hot tomato soup so I don't eat the winter version.
This weekend's inadvertent hot-weather cooking was smoking a pork butt yesterday while it was 60 degrees and rainy (which made using the electric smoker interesting...), and figuring that since I was stuck in the house I might as well go ahead and make baked barbecue beans and homemade barbecue sauce. All of which I'm serving tomorrow as pulled pork sandwiches with blue-cheese cole slaw and probably some corn on the cob, for a friend who's coming to dinner when it's supposed to be 80-something degrees. I had not looked at the weather forecast and my intent was only to save myself having to do a bunch of cooking the same day I'm hosting (which means the same day I'm cleaning), but it seems like that worked out nicely. Though I'm still going to have to clean when it's hot, so there's that.
I said last week that I set an arbitrary goal of walking/hiking 100 miles between 5/19 and 6/20. And I'm not counting normal daily activities, just hikes/walks-on-purpose. As of today, I have done 32.65 miles, and I have climbed 2041 feet in elevation gain (I have no total elevation goal, but I figured I'd track it). Working toward this goal is serving the dual purpose of battling my anxiety by tiring me out physically and keeping my brain occupied obsessing/tracking something that's positive, so it's feeling successful so far.
posted by lazuli at 8:50 PM on May 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
This weekend's inadvertent hot-weather cooking was smoking a pork butt yesterday while it was 60 degrees and rainy (which made using the electric smoker interesting...), and figuring that since I was stuck in the house I might as well go ahead and make baked barbecue beans and homemade barbecue sauce. All of which I'm serving tomorrow as pulled pork sandwiches with blue-cheese cole slaw and probably some corn on the cob, for a friend who's coming to dinner when it's supposed to be 80-something degrees. I had not looked at the weather forecast and my intent was only to save myself having to do a bunch of cooking the same day I'm hosting (which means the same day I'm cleaning), but it seems like that worked out nicely. Though I'm still going to have to clean when it's hot, so there's that.
I said last week that I set an arbitrary goal of walking/hiking 100 miles between 5/19 and 6/20. And I'm not counting normal daily activities, just hikes/walks-on-purpose. As of today, I have done 32.65 miles, and I have climbed 2041 feet in elevation gain (I have no total elevation goal, but I figured I'd track it). Working toward this goal is serving the dual purpose of battling my anxiety by tiring me out physically and keeping my brain occupied obsessing/tracking something that's positive, so it's feeling successful so far.
posted by lazuli at 8:50 PM on May 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Oh, and yes, also spicy pickled green beans! Preferably in martinis!
posted by lazuli at 8:51 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 8:51 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
"Also, I just like a little fresh lime/lemon juice and ice and water. I know I'm already half way there with lemonade. But I'm not a huge fan of sugar. And I find the lack of sugar actually makes the drink more refreshing and some how it feels more cool and chilling this way."
This was almost the only thing I could keep down when I was pregnant (along with a salad of romaine lettuce, feta cheese, and cold rotisserie chicken which is technically VERBOTEN but I was going to DIE otherwise). ICE ICE ICE cold water, with lots of ice, with a squeeze of lemon. Fresh lemon is best but since it was the only fluid I could keep down I just bought a bottle of ReaLemon and used that because you can't fuckin' squeeze a lemon 15 times a day. And I bought 100 of these little lemon juice packets so I could carry them in my purse and lemonize water wherever I was.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 8:58 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
This was almost the only thing I could keep down when I was pregnant (along with a salad of romaine lettuce, feta cheese, and cold rotisserie chicken which is technically VERBOTEN but I was going to DIE otherwise). ICE ICE ICE cold water, with lots of ice, with a squeeze of lemon. Fresh lemon is best but since it was the only fluid I could keep down I just bought a bottle of ReaLemon and used that because you can't fuckin' squeeze a lemon 15 times a day. And I bought 100 of these little lemon juice packets so I could carry them in my purse and lemonize water wherever I was.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 8:58 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
And good thoughts to you on the surgery, Homo neanderthalensis. Sounds like the end results will be worth it. (Also one of my cats LOVES broccoli and begs and begs and begs for it if I'm cutting some, so my kitchen is currently strewn with broccoli bits from his feast earlier this afternoon. I wish he didn't make such a mess, but watching the joy with which he devours stalks of broccoli makes me happy.)
posted by lazuli at 9:17 PM on May 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 9:17 PM on May 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
Heirloom tomatoes, as ripe as possible and as local as possible, cut into slices with the guts scooped out, laid on a piece of a nice thick slice of toasted country bread that’s been spread with homemade mayo, all topped with kosher salt and lots of cracked pepper. If I had a death row meal, that’d be it.
posted by stellaluna at 9:27 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by stellaluna at 9:27 PM on May 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
I had a broccoli cat. Slinky little orange number. She'd jump up and have it off your plate and across the room before you knew what happened.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:31 PM on May 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:31 PM on May 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
Sliced up cucumbers and onions with balsamic vinaigrette. I also just do cucumbers and balsamic vinaigrette. A couple nights last week I had a bowl of chopped up cucumbers as a side dish.
I'm also doing a lot of baked bbq chicken breasts right now. (Would normally grill these but the propane ran out last week and I have been too busy to exchange it...even though technically I could go do that right now at the 24 hour convenience store that is right down the street...I've also got poison ivy and don't feel like doing anything, though.)
I hate cooking when it's hot because this house was built in the late 1800s and has never gotten fitted for central ac.
I always go through an adjustment period where I hate everything when it starts being hot out everyday.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:45 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'm also doing a lot of baked bbq chicken breasts right now. (Would normally grill these but the propane ran out last week and I have been too busy to exchange it...even though technically I could go do that right now at the 24 hour convenience store that is right down the street...I've also got poison ivy and don't feel like doing anything, though.)
I hate cooking when it's hot because this house was built in the late 1800s and has never gotten fitted for central ac.
I always go through an adjustment period where I hate everything when it starts being hot out everyday.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:45 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
OH! and my absolute favorite hot weather salad is cukes, sliced generously, with red onion, yogurt, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Its basically tzatziki but in chunky salad form instead of sauce form.
posted by Grandysaur at 9:50 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Grandysaur at 9:50 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Team gazpacho. Crushed and/or diced tomatoes, grated cucumbers, chopped cubanelle and jalapeno peppers, red onion, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, pepper and parsley or basil or cilantro. Food processor is a big help.
Watermelon.
I grew up in the Midwest, and jello salads could get pretty weird, but as long as you avoid anything with marshmallows, you can end up with something tasty and refreshing. My friend used to make plain jello with white wine and add celery, walnuts and I forget what else. It was very pretty and tasted great. There are artisanal jello shots; I have made some basic ones.
posted by theora55 at 10:20 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Watermelon.
I grew up in the Midwest, and jello salads could get pretty weird, but as long as you avoid anything with marshmallows, you can end up with something tasty and refreshing. My friend used to make plain jello with white wine and add celery, walnuts and I forget what else. It was very pretty and tasted great. There are artisanal jello shots; I have made some basic ones.
posted by theora55 at 10:20 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Fellow gin drinkers:
In a shaker: ice, three parts gin, 2 parts pineapple juice, dash of bitters. Shake. Serve. If this is too strong for you (it is for me) top off with a little coconut lacroix or whatever sparkling, tasty thing you have on hand.
posted by greermahoney at 10:35 PM on May 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
In a shaker: ice, three parts gin, 2 parts pineapple juice, dash of bitters. Shake. Serve. If this is too strong for you (it is for me) top off with a little coconut lacroix or whatever sparkling, tasty thing you have on hand.
posted by greermahoney at 10:35 PM on May 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Please flag any carb free ideas for me, damn this keto thing but it seems to be working.
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:39 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:39 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
I put a bunch of these in my freezer then devour a whole bag on the middle of the night
That counts as a recipe, right
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:31 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
That counts as a recipe, right
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:31 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
I live in Phoenix and it's been hot for a while and my two secret summer weapons are: really good sparkling water (Topochico if you can get it, check Food City if you have those!) + fancy bitters (celery is my favorite, but grapefruit and cardamom is really good too) + ice for something as refreshing as soda but lower sugar and actually hydrating and much more interesting-tasting; and fuck Gatorade, miso soup is delicious and even better than a stupid sports drink when you've sweat so much you're considering just upending the saltshaker directly into your mouth.
posted by WidgetAlley at 11:56 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by WidgetAlley at 11:56 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Recent favorites: Cheap rose or blush + soda water or flavored spritzer + ice. Best in large thermoses. Ends up being a very light, crisp spritzer sort of thing.
Chopped kale + apples + beer cheese dip + salt + pepper. It's like a cold, savory version of broccoli and cheddar. It tastes like AMERICA and may actually be alarmingly good for me.
Pickle juice over ice. Sometimes with bubbles. I'm fuckin serious, here. I need a pickle soda or spritzer in my life, especially if it actually has salt/electrolytes in it.
Also, try a slice of watermelon in a cheeseburger. It's actually better than a pineapple burger.
Personal update:
Alternative prom at work was today. I DJed and did many things. We did dad joke open mic. Many people showed up and stopped in.
Very, very tired. Just getting home. Good tired. Sleep good tired. Face hurt from smiling and laughing. Many people fed. I get paid for this? Uhm, ok self, don't self-sabotage this good shit. (Haven't, not even close. Won't. Would be hard to, anyway, the bar is high (low?))
First time sheets submitted, too. Funding available for paychecks. First real paycheck in about a year and a half. They love me, they really do.
I also just learned the position isn't just 20 hours/week, it's "just short of full time if you can justify the hours" so as much as 39.9 hours a week. That's a significantly larger paycheck than I was expecting to be available. (And, err, again, as available.)
(Which, holy crap, means I might be able to afford some laser work and other stuff. Or, crap, buy clothes I actually like!)
TL;DR: Well, I sure found somewhere to put all this enthusiasm and energy I didn't know what to do with. The gig is essentially the work equivalent of a particle beam dump or target for enthusiasm and energy. Almost every time I tell someone about my new job the response has been 9/10 "Oh, you're perfect for that."
It's been a month, and it's already paying off. I work hard, I hang out, I laugh, I smile. I light up the room, put on some peppy tunes. I listen and offer shoulders and great hugs. I say thank you a hundred times a day, and then some. We're already staying open more and more. Older volunteers are coming back. People who haven't been hanging or being patrons are stopping back in and hanging out more. People who have stayed away because of low energy and staffing are making us their stop for their daily again.
Good stuff. This is a good job that one can pour a large heart into.
And, heck, part of my job mission is to "keep downtown gritty/weird/real".
My next work related musical event is to officially "renegade" the town's make music day and bring DJ/dance music workshops and sounds and bring something different! Are you fuuuuucking kidding me!??! You want to pay me to be a (ok, sober) raver for a bunch of youth and townspeople and show 'em how to DJ and play with synths and MIDI?
And you're going to give me coffee and feed me? AND BE NICE TO ME!? AND ACCEPT ME!?
I died and went to heaven, right? This is all a nice dream, right?
Seriously, so far my job duties involve me just naturally being me, and more and more me.
On the health front: Super awesome fun times. Support network is growing.
Oh, and I finally can check off the "Uhm, excuse me! You're wrong, here's why and there's a trans person right in front of you, and it's me!" spot on my trans bingo card and it was in front of a bunch of my friends in response to a very rude tourist drunkenly telling some dumb, pointless drunkard's personal story about being in a jail or prison and dealing with someone shitty, whom this rude and ignorant older person called an "it" in her story, blithely expecting the people present to support her choice of words against this person. (I'm sorry, but goddamnit, boomers, why the fuck do you say such awful, entitled things all the time like everything you say is a gilded fact!? IE, shit like "I hope you're not going to play any of that rap stuff" at our prom for teenagers. Yeah, just for you I played some very uplifting rap.)
I firmly and very loudly but politely corrected her and told her it was the same thing as calling someone the n-word because they happened to be both a jerk and PoC.
She was stunned, sat down and listened to me. I let her have it. She won't ever forget it, and she'll tell her friends about the very well spoken human that made her see things differently.
The only downside was fending off all my friends that witnessed it after as they found me later and/or in private with all the "That was fucking awesome!" and "I'm so happy for you omg no wonder you look so happy!" and all that good stuff. Hell, I made two of my friends cry and I'm just like staaaaaaahp ok you can hug me.
Sooo... that cat's kind of out of the bag I guess.
And my doc is worried about my support network! Oh, man, I'm so lucky and blessed and so glad to have learned the things I know now about emotional labor and how to build and maintain friendships.
And that's before I even start counting you guys and all my MeFi friends, or my other internet friends.
I love that I have this life in this cool, funky small town where it's like Sesame Street, but even weirder and more friendly and musical and artful. I love that I've lived my life well, and that you could go around town asking about me and everyone who knows me would be just like "OMG they're awesome and a total sweetheart..."
This is essentially what has paid my free rent for the past two years and why my host won't take my money. I guess it's my retirement plan, in a sense. Somewhere in my future I probably end up queer/trans auntie/uncle on some community somewhere.
You guys, it was just like 4-5 years ago I was so acutely, morbidly depressed that my whole body and soul ached like someone worked me all over with a bunch of hammers, like I was constantly getting stoned by an invisible, indefatigable angry mob.
I've never had life so sweet. This is starting to make up for a few really, really awful decades.
Oh, I also did something else I've been meaning to do for a while. I rarely buy shiny or frivolous things for myself, if ever. In celebration for submitting my first time sheets and my self-work over the last few months, I went to the bead store and managed to put together a safety pin charm for just a few dollars without buying a crapton of beads or full tubes I didn't need.
The beads/code: Large dark amethyst faceted crystal, two small square frosted pink japanese glass, black speckled moonstone cylinder (substituting for white), two pink squares again, then another dark amethyst faceted. The size breakdown is almost exactly thirds. It looks fantastic on my hat. Subtle, a little sparkly, yet also unambiguous to the informed.
Proud.
Love and hugs to those who want them. Sometimes it gets better.
posted by loquacious at 12:49 AM on May 27, 2018 [50 favorites]
Chopped kale + apples + beer cheese dip + salt + pepper. It's like a cold, savory version of broccoli and cheddar. It tastes like AMERICA and may actually be alarmingly good for me.
Pickle juice over ice. Sometimes with bubbles. I'm fuckin serious, here. I need a pickle soda or spritzer in my life, especially if it actually has salt/electrolytes in it.
Also, try a slice of watermelon in a cheeseburger. It's actually better than a pineapple burger.
Personal update:
Alternative prom at work was today. I DJed and did many things. We did dad joke open mic. Many people showed up and stopped in.
Very, very tired. Just getting home. Good tired. Sleep good tired. Face hurt from smiling and laughing. Many people fed. I get paid for this? Uhm, ok self, don't self-sabotage this good shit. (Haven't, not even close. Won't. Would be hard to, anyway, the bar is high (low?))
First time sheets submitted, too. Funding available for paychecks. First real paycheck in about a year and a half. They love me, they really do.
I also just learned the position isn't just 20 hours/week, it's "just short of full time if you can justify the hours" so as much as 39.9 hours a week. That's a significantly larger paycheck than I was expecting to be available. (And, err, again, as available.)
(Which, holy crap, means I might be able to afford some laser work and other stuff. Or, crap, buy clothes I actually like!)
TL;DR: Well, I sure found somewhere to put all this enthusiasm and energy I didn't know what to do with. The gig is essentially the work equivalent of a particle beam dump or target for enthusiasm and energy. Almost every time I tell someone about my new job the response has been 9/10 "Oh, you're perfect for that."
It's been a month, and it's already paying off. I work hard, I hang out, I laugh, I smile. I light up the room, put on some peppy tunes. I listen and offer shoulders and great hugs. I say thank you a hundred times a day, and then some. We're already staying open more and more. Older volunteers are coming back. People who haven't been hanging or being patrons are stopping back in and hanging out more. People who have stayed away because of low energy and staffing are making us their stop for their daily again.
Good stuff. This is a good job that one can pour a large heart into.
And, heck, part of my job mission is to "keep downtown gritty/weird/real".
My next work related musical event is to officially "renegade" the town's make music day and bring DJ/dance music workshops and sounds and bring something different! Are you fuuuuucking kidding me!??! You want to pay me to be a (ok, sober) raver for a bunch of youth and townspeople and show 'em how to DJ and play with synths and MIDI?
And you're going to give me coffee and feed me? AND BE NICE TO ME!? AND ACCEPT ME!?
I died and went to heaven, right? This is all a nice dream, right?
Seriously, so far my job duties involve me just naturally being me, and more and more me.
On the health front: Super awesome fun times. Support network is growing.
Oh, and I finally can check off the "Uhm, excuse me! You're wrong, here's why and there's a trans person right in front of you, and it's me!" spot on my trans bingo card and it was in front of a bunch of my friends in response to a very rude tourist drunkenly telling some dumb, pointless drunkard's personal story about being in a jail or prison and dealing with someone shitty, whom this rude and ignorant older person called an "it" in her story, blithely expecting the people present to support her choice of words against this person. (I'm sorry, but goddamnit, boomers, why the fuck do you say such awful, entitled things all the time like everything you say is a gilded fact!? IE, shit like "I hope you're not going to play any of that rap stuff" at our prom for teenagers. Yeah, just for you I played some very uplifting rap.)
I firmly and very loudly but politely corrected her and told her it was the same thing as calling someone the n-word because they happened to be both a jerk and PoC.
She was stunned, sat down and listened to me. I let her have it. She won't ever forget it, and she'll tell her friends about the very well spoken human that made her see things differently.
The only downside was fending off all my friends that witnessed it after as they found me later and/or in private with all the "That was fucking awesome!" and "I'm so happy for you omg no wonder you look so happy!" and all that good stuff. Hell, I made two of my friends cry and I'm just like staaaaaaahp ok you can hug me.
Sooo... that cat's kind of out of the bag I guess.
And my doc is worried about my support network! Oh, man, I'm so lucky and blessed and so glad to have learned the things I know now about emotional labor and how to build and maintain friendships.
And that's before I even start counting you guys and all my MeFi friends, or my other internet friends.
I love that I have this life in this cool, funky small town where it's like Sesame Street, but even weirder and more friendly and musical and artful. I love that I've lived my life well, and that you could go around town asking about me and everyone who knows me would be just like "OMG they're awesome and a total sweetheart..."
This is essentially what has paid my free rent for the past two years and why my host won't take my money. I guess it's my retirement plan, in a sense. Somewhere in my future I probably end up queer/trans auntie/uncle on some community somewhere.
You guys, it was just like 4-5 years ago I was so acutely, morbidly depressed that my whole body and soul ached like someone worked me all over with a bunch of hammers, like I was constantly getting stoned by an invisible, indefatigable angry mob.
I've never had life so sweet. This is starting to make up for a few really, really awful decades.
Oh, I also did something else I've been meaning to do for a while. I rarely buy shiny or frivolous things for myself, if ever. In celebration for submitting my first time sheets and my self-work over the last few months, I went to the bead store and managed to put together a safety pin charm for just a few dollars without buying a crapton of beads or full tubes I didn't need.
The beads/code: Large dark amethyst faceted crystal, two small square frosted pink japanese glass, black speckled moonstone cylinder (substituting for white), two pink squares again, then another dark amethyst faceted. The size breakdown is almost exactly thirds. It looks fantastic on my hat. Subtle, a little sparkly, yet also unambiguous to the informed.
Proud.
Love and hugs to those who want them. Sometimes it gets better.
posted by loquacious at 12:49 AM on May 27, 2018 [50 favorites]
I used to live with a Greek woman who taught me how to make an appropriately Greek salad: combine chopped cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, and tomato, plus kalamata olives. Toss with lots of salt and some olive oil (and maybe some red wine vinegar). Top with a slab of feta (a thick slice of a block). The whole thing is sprinkled with oregano. You serve it by scooping out some chopped vegetables along with some of the feta.
It’s very good, and it’s just about the only thing I’m willing to prepare for myself on the odd day that the temperature goes above 85 degrees.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 1:10 AM on May 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
It’s very good, and it’s just about the only thing I’m willing to prepare for myself on the odd day that the temperature goes above 85 degrees.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 1:10 AM on May 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
In the summer I basically just live off guacamole.
posted by supercrayon at 2:27 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by supercrayon at 2:27 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
My favorite summer salad is tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and avocadoes. Salt and pepper liberally. Add a heap of chopped fresh dill, a glug of olive oil, and some lemon juice.
I also adore potato salad--that's what summer tastes like to me, even though it takes some cooking. Potato salad with anything grilled is absolutely wonderful. Potato salad alone is something I can and will eat as a meal if left to my own devices. This is the best recipe I have ever found. It has the mild sweetness from the pickle relish, the acidity of the onions and mustard, and the umami from the egg. It doesn't have too much of any one ingredient so that when you mix it up at the end, it isn't mushy, it has that perfect creamy texture...
posted by heatvision at 3:35 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I also adore potato salad--that's what summer tastes like to me, even though it takes some cooking. Potato salad with anything grilled is absolutely wonderful. Potato salad alone is something I can and will eat as a meal if left to my own devices. This is the best recipe I have ever found. It has the mild sweetness from the pickle relish, the acidity of the onions and mustard, and the umami from the egg. It doesn't have too much of any one ingredient so that when you mix it up at the end, it isn't mushy, it has that perfect creamy texture...
posted by heatvision at 3:35 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
lazuli—
Blue cheese coleslaw???? Details, please!
posted by bookmammal at 3:42 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Blue cheese coleslaw???? Details, please!
posted by bookmammal at 3:42 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Chłodnik - a cold beet soup with buttermilk or kefir. The recipe is quite correct, although I prefer cucumbers fresh, not pickled. And "beets with greens" means that beets must be young. And it's vegan as eggs are entirely optional.
posted by hat_eater at 4:13 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by hat_eater at 4:13 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Not a recipe as such, but the thing to eat in hot weather is figs as you're coming home from the beach - bought from a roadside stand if driving, stolen off your neighbors' trees if walking.
posted by each day we work at 4:28 AM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by each day we work at 4:28 AM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
And it's vegan as eggs are entirely optional.
Oops. It most definitely is not and can't be. I forgot about the buttermilk/kefir. Sorry about that.
posted by hat_eater at 4:32 AM on May 27, 2018
Oops. It most definitely is not and can't be. I forgot about the buttermilk/kefir. Sorry about that.
posted by hat_eater at 4:32 AM on May 27, 2018
Like some of you, I'm in this bullshit Chicago 90+ weather , and we only have one window A/C unit in the bedroom. The worst part about it is that things like watermelon, decent tomatoes, etc etc aren't in season yet. So far, beer, ice cream, iced coffee and lazing around watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (it's so good! If you have Amazon Prime and like shows where there's a lot of fast talking a la Gilmore Girls, watch it!) has been my strategy. Oh, and waking up v early to get outside before it gets swampy. My dogs seem to love it though, I let them out yesterday and they sprawled on the concrete, and had the happiest little sunbathing faces.
I bought some greens and a whole bunch of veggies and cheeses, intending to chop them up and have a salad bar at the ready. I also got some other veggies (broccolini, asparagus, mushrooms) to throw on the grill at some point, today or tomorrow. And some good ciabatta bread, which is fantastic after grilling. Oh! And! Frozen pizza is great on the grill too!
My new job is going very well - I had a little bit of imposter syndrome ("am i really ready for a manager title??") , but after a week or so, and seeing where they are at, I have a lot to offer them. My manager and my assistant are both awesome, and I feel like we will be a great team, and this job is actually a really good fit for me.
Not to end on a downer, but my home life has been very tumultuous as of late. My friends and family have been the absolute best, but it's still hard. I am a planner, and currently there are a lot of unknowns lurking in the future (both short and long term), and that causes a lot of distress. One (hot, sweaty) day at a time, using all of my mindfulness skills to let go of what isn't in my control.
I really appreciate the community-building Metatalktail Hour and venting threads, and the openness and honesty Mefites bring to them. Thank you.
posted by Fig at 4:54 AM on May 27, 2018 [16 favorites]
I bought some greens and a whole bunch of veggies and cheeses, intending to chop them up and have a salad bar at the ready. I also got some other veggies (broccolini, asparagus, mushrooms) to throw on the grill at some point, today or tomorrow. And some good ciabatta bread, which is fantastic after grilling. Oh! And! Frozen pizza is great on the grill too!
My new job is going very well - I had a little bit of imposter syndrome ("am i really ready for a manager title??") , but after a week or so, and seeing where they are at, I have a lot to offer them. My manager and my assistant are both awesome, and I feel like we will be a great team, and this job is actually a really good fit for me.
Not to end on a downer, but my home life has been very tumultuous as of late. My friends and family have been the absolute best, but it's still hard. I am a planner, and currently there are a lot of unknowns lurking in the future (both short and long term), and that causes a lot of distress. One (hot, sweaty) day at a time, using all of my mindfulness skills to let go of what isn't in my control.
I really appreciate the community-building Metatalktail Hour and venting threads, and the openness and honesty Mefites bring to them. Thank you.
posted by Fig at 4:54 AM on May 27, 2018 [16 favorites]
I make a delicious and refreshing watermelon and cilantro granita (like a sorbet, but not quite as smooth). You don't even need an ice cream machine to make a granita, though I prefer to use one.
Here's the recipe--it makes a gallon (two quarts):
6 cups pureed watermelon
⅔ cup sugar (depending on the ripeness of the watermelon, adjust to taste)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves, firmly packed
1 tbsp booze--optional
Generous pinch of salt
Literally just put all that in a blender and liquify. That's it.
If you're using in ice cream machine, cool the mixture down in the fridge until cold, then churn in the machine. Voilà, you're done.
If you're not using a machine, pour the mixture into a flat-bottomed pan and stick it in the freezer. Every 30 minutes for the next 4 hours, remove it from the freezer and mix it thoroughly with a fork--be sure to scrape down the sides. Boom, you've got a delicious and refreshing granita!
posted by duffell at 5:05 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Here's the recipe--it makes a gallon (two quarts):
6 cups pureed watermelon
⅔ cup sugar (depending on the ripeness of the watermelon, adjust to taste)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves, firmly packed
1 tbsp booze--optional
Generous pinch of salt
Literally just put all that in a blender and liquify. That's it.
If you're using in ice cream machine, cool the mixture down in the fridge until cold, then churn in the machine. Voilà, you're done.
If you're not using a machine, pour the mixture into a flat-bottomed pan and stick it in the freezer. Every 30 minutes for the next 4 hours, remove it from the freezer and mix it thoroughly with a fork--be sure to scrape down the sides. Boom, you've got a delicious and refreshing granita!
posted by duffell at 5:05 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
ayran! doogh! tan! SO COUNTERINTUITIVELY REFRESHING.
posted by mdonley at 5:07 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by mdonley at 5:07 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Fig—sending warm thoughts your way and a hug/hand squeeze/arm around the shoulder if you want it.
posted by bookmammal at 5:14 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bookmammal at 5:14 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
In the summer I basically just live off guacamole.
This reminds me, avocados recently went on sale at crazy end of the world prices at my local store. Crazy end of the world prices... for WA state.
I've been here for almost ten years now and until last week I've never seen any normally sized avocado with a price of less than a dollar. They were 88 cents. I remember walking in the store and actually whispering "Oh... my... god!" longingly as soon as I saw the display front and center.
There was one time the QFC had weird-looking ones for 2 for a dollar. Turns out they had freakishly large pits and weren't a Haas or anything similar, as though someone found some paleo-avocado. Like a Kinder Surprise, just a hard core in a thin shell of edible material.
So I have eaten more avocados in the past week then any time in the past 10 years. This number is... really quite pitiful. I've definitely had less than, say 10 of them in the past 7 days.
I've also found my backpackers salt/pepper shaker and I keep it filled with good pepper and salt and keep it in my lunch/snack bag or bike bag, and it's been great for helping me remember to get salt with my water and food on bike rides to keep the leg cramps away.
OH, and I think I have discovered the absolute best way to salt and pepper an avocado half for out-of-hand eating:
Pepper and season before salt. Pepper has a larger flake size, and has trouble sticking to the avocado of you salt first. Salt has a smaller grain size and falls right between the pepper and then sticks between it, and you get a less "sweaty" avocado half.
Try it and tell me if it tastes better than salt first. It's a small thing, but it somehow makes a huge taste and texture difference.
posted by loquacious at 5:21 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
This reminds me, avocados recently went on sale at crazy end of the world prices at my local store. Crazy end of the world prices... for WA state.
I've been here for almost ten years now and until last week I've never seen any normally sized avocado with a price of less than a dollar. They were 88 cents. I remember walking in the store and actually whispering "Oh... my... god!" longingly as soon as I saw the display front and center.
There was one time the QFC had weird-looking ones for 2 for a dollar. Turns out they had freakishly large pits and weren't a Haas or anything similar, as though someone found some paleo-avocado. Like a Kinder Surprise, just a hard core in a thin shell of edible material.
So I have eaten more avocados in the past week then any time in the past 10 years. This number is... really quite pitiful. I've definitely had less than, say 10 of them in the past 7 days.
I've also found my backpackers salt/pepper shaker and I keep it filled with good pepper and salt and keep it in my lunch/snack bag or bike bag, and it's been great for helping me remember to get salt with my water and food on bike rides to keep the leg cramps away.
OH, and I think I have discovered the absolute best way to salt and pepper an avocado half for out-of-hand eating:
Pepper and season before salt. Pepper has a larger flake size, and has trouble sticking to the avocado of you salt first. Salt has a smaller grain size and falls right between the pepper and then sticks between it, and you get a less "sweaty" avocado half.
Try it and tell me if it tastes better than salt first. It's a small thing, but it somehow makes a huge taste and texture difference.
posted by loquacious at 5:21 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
My new job is going very well - I had a little bit of imposter syndrome ("am i really ready for a manager title??") , but after a week or so, and seeing where they are at, I have a lot to offer them. My manager and my assistant are both awesome, and I feel like we will be a great team, and this job is actually a really good fit for me.
This is ringing me like a bell, are you me?
Ok, my stakes are probably a lot lower, but I've had a few good chats about this with my boss and manager and how the position is essentially a blank (if careworn) canvas for me to use, and how the "fake it till you make it" is inherently part of the job because of this and how unique the job is.
And so there's been this sort of self-reckoning and realizing going on that I'm not... just some curious and wet behind the ears person. That I have earned a lot of experience, knowledge and skills that's valuable and essential to my job. That compared to many/most of my charges, I (theoretically) have a lot of things figured out.
And, yeah, I'd rather be questioning and insecure than overconfident. For all my bragging here about my recent life, I'm just a mote. Part of my job is real service, and as a good manager that means never being too good for dirty work and getting down in the trenches with my volunteers and staff.
I make this clear in words and actions that I'm there to help and I am technically their employee, not the other way around.
And I'm learning that that humility and effort makes me approachable.
And so it's been VERY WEIRD trying to integrate imposter syndrome with realizing that simply being myself and doing the things I do best and instinctively do anyway aren't things that I need to hide behind anything, but are actually job requirements.
posted by loquacious at 5:45 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
This is ringing me like a bell, are you me?
Ok, my stakes are probably a lot lower, but I've had a few good chats about this with my boss and manager and how the position is essentially a blank (if careworn) canvas for me to use, and how the "fake it till you make it" is inherently part of the job because of this and how unique the job is.
And so there's been this sort of self-reckoning and realizing going on that I'm not... just some curious and wet behind the ears person. That I have earned a lot of experience, knowledge and skills that's valuable and essential to my job. That compared to many/most of my charges, I (theoretically) have a lot of things figured out.
And, yeah, I'd rather be questioning and insecure than overconfident. For all my bragging here about my recent life, I'm just a mote. Part of my job is real service, and as a good manager that means never being too good for dirty work and getting down in the trenches with my volunteers and staff.
I make this clear in words and actions that I'm there to help and I am technically their employee, not the other way around.
And I'm learning that that humility and effort makes me approachable.
And so it's been VERY WEIRD trying to integrate imposter syndrome with realizing that simply being myself and doing the things I do best and instinctively do anyway aren't things that I need to hide behind anything, but are actually job requirements.
posted by loquacious at 5:45 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Chop up a ripe mango. Chop up an avocado. Divide into two bowls. Add a handful of raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries to each. Pop in freezer for 10-15 minutes. Eat. If you're not sharing, eat the other bowl yourself.
posted by halation at 5:49 AM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by halation at 5:49 AM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'm also assuming everyone knows about the thing where you freeze bananas and then you whip them in the blender and it's banana ice cream! to which you can add peanut butter or cocoa or anything else your heart desires. We know about this, right? This is my primary calorie delivery medium in summer, because I am basically a class A1 server and am designed to operate within a fairly narrow temperature range and if you get me much above 80F things start to go poorly for everyone.
posted by halation at 5:53 AM on May 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by halation at 5:53 AM on May 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
And, yes, I'm up at like 5 AM on a Sunday.. leg cramp, argh. For most of my life, I often get crazy pro bike racer grade leg cramps sometimes where almost every major muscle on one or both legs suddenly wants to knot up or do conga-line dances.
There's no surefire trick to make them stop. Sometimes standing up and walking around makes them stop. Sometimes standing makes them worse and I fall over. Sometimes water and a pinch of salt works. Sometimes they get so bad I have to basically punch my own legs or whack them with a stick. Sometimes stretching works, and sometimes it makes it worse.
I used to also get them really bad as a kid while surfing or body boarding with kick fins.
I'd be kicking/paddling back out after a wave and suddenly both cantaloupe sized calf muscles wanted to see what it felt like to shrink down to the size of a peach pit in the cold water, leaving me immobile right in the wave breaking zone ready for impact.
That was always a fun, wild ride. All I could really do is take a few deep breaths and hang on. I'm sure the experience would be a gourmet delicacy to a masochist, like getting flogged in the spin cycle of an industrial washing machine.
posted by loquacious at 5:56 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
There's no surefire trick to make them stop. Sometimes standing up and walking around makes them stop. Sometimes standing makes them worse and I fall over. Sometimes water and a pinch of salt works. Sometimes they get so bad I have to basically punch my own legs or whack them with a stick. Sometimes stretching works, and sometimes it makes it worse.
I used to also get them really bad as a kid while surfing or body boarding with kick fins.
I'd be kicking/paddling back out after a wave and suddenly both cantaloupe sized calf muscles wanted to see what it felt like to shrink down to the size of a peach pit in the cold water, leaving me immobile right in the wave breaking zone ready for impact.
That was always a fun, wild ride. All I could really do is take a few deep breaths and hang on. I'm sure the experience would be a gourmet delicacy to a masochist, like getting flogged in the spin cycle of an industrial washing machine.
posted by loquacious at 5:56 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Seventeen--egg-boy is awake. He just prepared a 3 egg omelette for me and is making toad in the hole for himself.
posted by selfmedicating at 6:04 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by selfmedicating at 6:04 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Sometimes water and a pinch of salt works.
Try adding half a lime! In summertime most mornings I have a cup of cold water with half a lime squeezed in and 1/4tsp non-iodised salt and it seems to help prevent the thing where your toes all bend off in different directions painfully because of your calf muscles' strange permutations. The lime is part superstition and part taste-improvement but it does seem to work better than just plain salt.
posted by halation at 6:13 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Try adding half a lime! In summertime most mornings I have a cup of cold water with half a lime squeezed in and 1/4tsp non-iodised salt and it seems to help prevent the thing where your toes all bend off in different directions painfully because of your calf muscles' strange permutations. The lime is part superstition and part taste-improvement but it does seem to work better than just plain salt.
posted by halation at 6:13 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's actually not all that hot here, but it is muggy, and we've got a week solid of thunderstorms on the horizon, and I kind of want to cry. I should not be having to worry about my SAD in MAY. But, the last week of predicted thunderstorms turned into mostly sunnish with the occasional rain break, so maybe this week will do the same. Mr. Puppy and I have already been out for two medium length walks this morning, trying to wear out his fussiness.
Recipe wise, we are being ridiculous (today: high of 84, thunderstorms) and making lasagne tonight, because my cousin is coming over for dinner and Deadpool 2 and lasagne is one of the things everyone will eat and I've got noodles and a freezer full of cheese and canned tomatoes that need to get used before we move, and it will make good leftovers for the housemate while we're gone this coming weekend. Still. I feel ridiculous, making lasagne in this weather. I probably won’t when I’m eating it, as mine is killer. :)
The rest of the week, we're doing cold noodles with veg and fake crab, and fish tacos, before we head out of town. And leftovers or breakfast for dinner Wednesday. I think I’m doing tuna fish for lunch all week. So that will be better.
I have a question to tack onto Eyebrows': does anyone have any good mocktail recipes to share? There's a couple threads on Ask, and I've read through things, but nothing sounds super interesting for some reason.
We’re going on vacation this weekend with friends, one of those weekends where you rent a cabin and eat food and play board games and stay up late and drink copiously, and that last part will be easier if I have interesting options when everyone else is on their 20th gin-and or screwdriver or whatever.
I’m taking the stuff for virgin mimosas, and “mango mules” (honey syrup, lime juice, mango puree, non-alcoholic ginger beer), and I’ll grab a sixer of some kind of nice dry soda. I’m already drinking all the fizzy water (thank you Aldi, for being half the price of anywhere else) and rose’s lime/grenandine/etc. I like sweet and sour and super dry stuff and super sweet stuff. I should probably just suck it up and order a bottle of Seedlip (something super tasty, if you drink: OJ, sprite, gin, in equal parts, lots of ice, grenadine. Watch out, it will sneak up on if you measure gin like my friends do), but I didn’t spend what they wanted for a bottle of Seedlip when I was drinking actual gin. I’m sure that, eventually, I’ll just drink a ton of Diet Coke and lemonade these weekends and be fine with it, but this first weekend is not that (my friends are super supportive! They’re amazing. Circle of Death/Kings with water is totally fine. It’s just me.)
posted by joycehealy at 6:19 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Recipe wise, we are being ridiculous (today: high of 84, thunderstorms) and making lasagne tonight, because my cousin is coming over for dinner and Deadpool 2 and lasagne is one of the things everyone will eat and I've got noodles and a freezer full of cheese and canned tomatoes that need to get used before we move, and it will make good leftovers for the housemate while we're gone this coming weekend. Still. I feel ridiculous, making lasagne in this weather. I probably won’t when I’m eating it, as mine is killer. :)
The rest of the week, we're doing cold noodles with veg and fake crab, and fish tacos, before we head out of town. And leftovers or breakfast for dinner Wednesday. I think I’m doing tuna fish for lunch all week. So that will be better.
I have a question to tack onto Eyebrows': does anyone have any good mocktail recipes to share? There's a couple threads on Ask, and I've read through things, but nothing sounds super interesting for some reason.
We’re going on vacation this weekend with friends, one of those weekends where you rent a cabin and eat food and play board games and stay up late and drink copiously, and that last part will be easier if I have interesting options when everyone else is on their 20th gin-and or screwdriver or whatever.
I’m taking the stuff for virgin mimosas, and “mango mules” (honey syrup, lime juice, mango puree, non-alcoholic ginger beer), and I’ll grab a sixer of some kind of nice dry soda. I’m already drinking all the fizzy water (thank you Aldi, for being half the price of anywhere else) and rose’s lime/grenandine/etc. I like sweet and sour and super dry stuff and super sweet stuff. I should probably just suck it up and order a bottle of Seedlip (something super tasty, if you drink: OJ, sprite, gin, in equal parts, lots of ice, grenadine. Watch out, it will sneak up on if you measure gin like my friends do), but I didn’t spend what they wanted for a bottle of Seedlip when I was drinking actual gin. I’m sure that, eventually, I’ll just drink a ton of Diet Coke and lemonade these weekends and be fine with it, but this first weekend is not that (my friends are super supportive! They’re amazing. Circle of Death/Kings with water is totally fine. It’s just me.)
posted by joycehealy at 6:19 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I just start living on smoothies - frozen spinach, yogurt, whatever frozen fruit I've got. I've also been known to add nut butters and/or silken tofu.
posted by pemberkins at 6:39 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by pemberkins at 6:39 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, d'oh, my granita recipe above makes a half gallon. Not a gallon. That would be too much.
posted by duffell at 6:48 AM on May 27, 2018
posted by duffell at 6:48 AM on May 27, 2018
Fig, *hugs* if you want them.
lazuli—
Blue cheese coleslaw???? Details, please!
It is one of those wonderful things that sounds and tastes super-fancy but is basically straight from the store shelves. I use a thick-cut bagged coleslaw blend, Marie's brand coleslaw dressing, and a hunk of good, not-too-mushy blue cheese (I've been using Salemville Amish Blue, because it's just the right amount of crumbly and it's pretty easy to find around here). One should also have chives, but the friend I'm having for dinner doesn't like chives, so I'm skipping them this time.
Add as much dressing as seems good to you to the coleslaw salad mix, and mix them together (I tend to find that one 12-oz jar of dressing goes with two of the 14-oz salad mixes). Use a fork to crumble as much blue cheese as seems good to you into the coleslaw. Add chopped chives, salt, and lots and lots of pepper, because good coleslaw should have a lot of pepper. Serve in pulled-pork sandwiches, or as a side for any barbecue.
I'm sure one could make this much more from scratch, but I like the level of minimal effort involved in this version.
posted by lazuli at 7:21 AM on May 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
lazuli—
Blue cheese coleslaw???? Details, please!
It is one of those wonderful things that sounds and tastes super-fancy but is basically straight from the store shelves. I use a thick-cut bagged coleslaw blend, Marie's brand coleslaw dressing, and a hunk of good, not-too-mushy blue cheese (I've been using Salemville Amish Blue, because it's just the right amount of crumbly and it's pretty easy to find around here). One should also have chives, but the friend I'm having for dinner doesn't like chives, so I'm skipping them this time.
Add as much dressing as seems good to you to the coleslaw salad mix, and mix them together (I tend to find that one 12-oz jar of dressing goes with two of the 14-oz salad mixes). Use a fork to crumble as much blue cheese as seems good to you into the coleslaw. Add chopped chives, salt, and lots and lots of pepper, because good coleslaw should have a lot of pepper. Serve in pulled-pork sandwiches, or as a side for any barbecue.
I'm sure one could make this much more from scratch, but I like the level of minimal effort involved in this version.
posted by lazuli at 7:21 AM on May 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
ayran! doogh! tan! SO COUNTERINTUITIVELY REFRESHING.
Reading the Ayran wiki and thinking, this seems very familiar:
It's also a really great way to find yourself passed out on the couch 10 minutes after consuming. It's like instant nap fuel.
posted by Fizz at 7:34 AM on May 27, 2018
Reading the Ayran wiki and thinking, this seems very familiar:
Yogurt drinks are popular beyond the Middle East region—ayran has been likened by some to the South Asian lassi.And boom, yep, this is pretty much Lassi, another yogurt/milk based drink. My dad likes to make it with mangoes but I prefer strawberries. It's super sweet and not something I can have on a regular basis because of my intolerance for a lot of lactose/yogurt based things, but I'll endure a partially upset stomach for this drink at least once every 3-4 months.
It's also a really great way to find yourself passed out on the couch 10 minutes after consuming. It's like instant nap fuel.
posted by Fizz at 7:34 AM on May 27, 2018
Sixty comments and not a single mention of chocolate? Iced Chocolate! Basically start with hot, if doing it quick a bit of sugar and a spoon full of a nice cocoa (Trader Joes mixes well, hersheys is, well, a fallback) with a few drops of boiling water to make a paste so it all gets mixed nicely then add more water and a bit of milk then pour over a tumbler full of ice. Cool, not too sweet and chocolate!
posted by sammyo at 7:43 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 7:43 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Get you some really good kosher dill pickle spears, some Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese you've cut into strips, and some slices of ham. Now wrap up the spears and cheese in ham blankets, and poke a toothpick through 'em every so often and cut apart into bites. Little cups of mayo and mustard if that's your thing, for dipping. Refrigerate before serving; serve very cold.
The sharp bite of the cheese, the cool smoothness of the ham and the sour snap of the pickle. An explosion of flavour, and so refreshingly brisk in the heat.
(Also, no carbs and gluten free.)
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:44 AM on May 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
The sharp bite of the cheese, the cool smoothness of the ham and the sour snap of the pickle. An explosion of flavour, and so refreshingly brisk in the heat.
(Also, no carbs and gluten free.)
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:44 AM on May 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
The sharp bite of the cheese, the cool smoothness of the ham and the sour snap of the pickle. An explosion of flavour, and so refreshingly brisk in the heat.
This sounds fucking amazing. I like how simple it is too.
posted by Fizz at 7:45 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
This sounds fucking amazing. I like how simple it is too.
posted by Fizz at 7:45 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
One cup of hot tea after another.
posted by pracowity at 8:39 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by pracowity at 8:39 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
@joycehealy -- maybe you would like cold brew and tonic: 2-3 oz cold brew coffee to 6 oz of tonic water (I like Fever Tree, but really, to your own taste).
posted by platitudipus at 9:34 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by platitudipus at 9:34 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Chia seed pudding! Blend banana + coconut milk + mango (optional); stir in chia seeds and refrigerate for a few hours. Top with more fruit, nuts, sorbet, etc. and serve.
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 9:35 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 9:35 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
My now adult kids have inexplicably fond memories of the sweet corn they bought from the "corn man" during Chicago summers. He ("they" actually) sold corn-on-the-cob-on-a-stick from a cart that resembled the pedaled carts used by sno-cone venders—the insulated body kept things hot, rather than cold. Iirc, $1 bought an ear of corn that had been steaming for literally hours* and, unless you specified otherwise, was coated with Miracle Whip and rolled in canned parmesan cheese. Food made to be eaten on a dare, right?
He also sold whole mangos, which he peeled, scored, and impaled, wielding the knife like a chef at Benihana, and cucumbers, sliced and sprinkled with either red pepper or paprika.
*I grew up downstate, surrounded by cornfields, where everyone knows this is the proper way to cook corn:
posted by she's not there at 10:05 AM on May 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
He also sold whole mangos, which he peeled, scored, and impaled, wielding the knife like a chef at Benihana, and cucumbers, sliced and sprinkled with either red pepper or paprika.
*I grew up downstate, surrounded by cornfields, where everyone knows this is the proper way to cook corn:
Bring a pot of water to a full boil.Does anyone know if there are still "corn men" in the city?
Go out in the field and pick the corn.
Run back to the kitchen, shucking as you go, and drop the ears in the boiling water.
Remove when done - a couple of minutes or so - you can tell by looking.
posted by she's not there at 10:05 AM on May 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
With this morning's neighborhood walk, I'm now up to 40.5 miles since 5/19. Woo!
posted by lazuli at 10:37 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 10:37 AM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Y'all need the couscous salad trick in your lives. It goes like this:
- put couscous in a bowl, together with the same volume in boiling water
- wait for couscous to soak up all the water
- add frozen peas (almost the same volume as the couscous now has)
- mix
Now the couscous is defrosting your peas and the peas are cooling your couscous. Give it a few minutes and add your other ingredients, such as fresh chopped vegetables, olives, tuna, feta. Add a dressing of your choice, toss and enjoy.
Very fast and tasty result.
posted by Too-Ticky at 11:03 AM on May 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
- put couscous in a bowl, together with the same volume in boiling water
- wait for couscous to soak up all the water
- add frozen peas (almost the same volume as the couscous now has)
- mix
Now the couscous is defrosting your peas and the peas are cooling your couscous. Give it a few minutes and add your other ingredients, such as fresh chopped vegetables, olives, tuna, feta. Add a dressing of your choice, toss and enjoy.
Very fast and tasty result.
posted by Too-Ticky at 11:03 AM on May 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
Yesterday I finished nine of my 10 MeFi Card Club assignments for the month of June. I'm going to try not to send them all out at once, but if you get your card early, I'm sorry; I suck at being patient.
Now I'm trying to figure out what to write on a couple of postcards -- for a niece (almost 5) and nephew (almost 8) who I don't know very well -- that isn't exactly the same (e.g. "Dear Name, it was so fun to see you last week! *something personal here* I'm going come back and visit soon! Love, Auntie Elsie").
I'm also getting another new niece in two days so I'm looking forward to hearing about that (even though I never finished the moccasins I was making for her...oops).
Last week I had my final dentist appointment (not forever, but for the $25k of work I had to have done after years of no dental insurance) and I built a couple of hoop houses for my mom's vegetable garden. This week we're going to go out to the Mennonite greenhouse and get vegetable starts and plants for my patio.
I also put in a few more job applications, so if anyone's into thinking positive manifest-y thoughts for strangers, I could use them right now. I really really need a job, and soon.
posted by elsietheeel at 11:06 AM on May 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
Now I'm trying to figure out what to write on a couple of postcards -- for a niece (almost 5) and nephew (almost 8) who I don't know very well -- that isn't exactly the same (e.g. "Dear Name, it was so fun to see you last week! *something personal here* I'm going come back and visit soon! Love, Auntie Elsie").
I'm also getting another new niece in two days so I'm looking forward to hearing about that (even though I never finished the moccasins I was making for her...oops).
Last week I had my final dentist appointment (not forever, but for the $25k of work I had to have done after years of no dental insurance) and I built a couple of hoop houses for my mom's vegetable garden. This week we're going to go out to the Mennonite greenhouse and get vegetable starts and plants for my patio.
I also put in a few more job applications, so if anyone's into thinking positive manifest-y thoughts for strangers, I could use them right now. I really really need a job, and soon.
posted by elsietheeel at 11:06 AM on May 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
the thing where you freeze bananas and then you whip them in the blender
Yeah, I've done that for years as a basis for a smoothie, and added orange juice or mango or just about any kind of berry. When my son was younger we'd add a tablespoon of spirulina powder, which in addition to being healthful turned the smoothie an amusing green color.
I discovered blue cheese slaw years ago at a BBQ festival. I wasn't into blue cheese at the time but that slaw tasted so amazing that I had to figure out how to make it myself.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:07 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I've done that for years as a basis for a smoothie, and added orange juice or mango or just about any kind of berry. When my son was younger we'd add a tablespoon of spirulina powder, which in addition to being healthful turned the smoothie an amusing green color.
I discovered blue cheese slaw years ago at a BBQ festival. I wasn't into blue cheese at the time but that slaw tasted so amazing that I had to figure out how to make it myself.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:07 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Chocolate Mousse.
posted by Going To Maine at 11:35 AM on May 27, 2018
posted by Going To Maine at 11:35 AM on May 27, 2018
On days that I know are going to be super bad from early in the day, I get up early and throw a couple pounds of chicken (either frozen b/s thighs, or my usual grocery sells b/s leg quarters) in the Instant Pot with a generic set of seasonings (garlic, onion, smoked paprika, chili powder or red pepper flakes, cumin) and a scant half cup of water (or water + orange juice and/or soy sauce and/or canned tomatoes or salsa).
This then goes on to be salads, cold tacos, cold ramen, sandwiches, etc. I keep a lot of sauces and sauce components on hand in summer - sesame dressing, honey mustard, curry, BBQ, teriyaki, tahini, sour cream, lemons/limes/oranges. And then lots of lettuce, tomatoes, feta, cucumbers, ramen noodles (microwave or kettle), tortillas, bread/buns.
My super fancy rice cooker is my second best investment after the IP. I can throw rice or quinoa in it with some chicken and vegetables and seasonings and it only vents a bit of steam. I also bulk-cook rice or quinoa for salads and microwave meals, because even when it's hot out sometimes I want a hot meal, I just don't want to heat up the whole house to get it.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:43 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
This then goes on to be salads, cold tacos, cold ramen, sandwiches, etc. I keep a lot of sauces and sauce components on hand in summer - sesame dressing, honey mustard, curry, BBQ, teriyaki, tahini, sour cream, lemons/limes/oranges. And then lots of lettuce, tomatoes, feta, cucumbers, ramen noodles (microwave or kettle), tortillas, bread/buns.
My super fancy rice cooker is my second best investment after the IP. I can throw rice or quinoa in it with some chicken and vegetables and seasonings and it only vents a bit of steam. I also bulk-cook rice or quinoa for salads and microwave meals, because even when it's hot out sometimes I want a hot meal, I just don't want to heat up the whole house to get it.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:43 AM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
This is the week that I'm switching from hot coffee to iced coffee, so I have cold brew cold-brewing on my counter right now. I got sweetened condensed milk at Aldi yesterday, and I will probably be getting most of my sustenance from Vietnamese iced coffee until the weather gets less oppressive. I haven't figured out what else I'm going to eat, but things are about to get hectic for me, so I'm going to spend tomorrow doing some cooking and freezing. Although I have to say that Trader Joe's has kind of changed my life, in the sense that it's a lot easier to deal with fooding during busy seasons since it opened.
Penne with basil, tuna and lemon requires boiling water for pasta, which isn't very appealing this time of year, but it's otherwise super easy and takes advantage of the basil bumper crop that we can all expect very soon.
So the state legislature, in its infinite wisdom, has slashed their higher ed budget, and we're all in massive cost-cutting mode. And one of the knock-on effects is that my office is taking a thing that in the past we've spread out over two months, and now we're doing it all in one month. My bosses are trying to pass this off like it's a good thing, because we can all supposedly relax in July, but June is going to be hairy. I am trying to maintain a positive attitude and can-do spirit, but check back in about two weeks and we'll see how that's going.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 11:47 AM on May 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Penne with basil, tuna and lemon requires boiling water for pasta, which isn't very appealing this time of year, but it's otherwise super easy and takes advantage of the basil bumper crop that we can all expect very soon.
So the state legislature, in its infinite wisdom, has slashed their higher ed budget, and we're all in massive cost-cutting mode. And one of the knock-on effects is that my office is taking a thing that in the past we've spread out over two months, and now we're doing it all in one month. My bosses are trying to pass this off like it's a good thing, because we can all supposedly relax in July, but June is going to be hairy. I am trying to maintain a positive attitude and can-do spirit, but check back in about two weeks and we'll see how that's going.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 11:47 AM on May 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Eyebrows McGee: whenever they get asked what their favorite food is by teachers or pediatricians, they answer "bruschetta" in the summer and "cassoulet" in the winter and they're both like the lowest-effort meals imaginable but I get MAD PARENTING POINTS because my kids sound like they like fancy healthy food!
Parenting high five! My kids like raw broccoli for some crazy reason, which impressed another father who was in the grocery store, when my younger one happily stated we needed more broccoli.
Raw veggies are also a good hot-weather snack. I'm now fond of broccoli dipped in McDonalds hot mustard sauce (we had some in the fridge, and it was handy). Lightly salted and peppered cucumbers and plain carrots (especially fresh carrots, or if you can't get fresh, Trader Joe's organic carrots of many colors are a decent stand-in) are also pretty swell.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:48 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Parenting high five! My kids like raw broccoli for some crazy reason, which impressed another father who was in the grocery store, when my younger one happily stated we needed more broccoli.
Raw veggies are also a good hot-weather snack. I'm now fond of broccoli dipped in McDonalds hot mustard sauce (we had some in the fridge, and it was handy). Lightly salted and peppered cucumbers and plain carrots (especially fresh carrots, or if you can't get fresh, Trader Joe's organic carrots of many colors are a decent stand-in) are also pretty swell.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:48 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
One of the nice things about living in the south is that grilling is a perfectly reasonable and normal thing to do almost year-round; the best excuse against it are the couple weeks that qualify as "winter" each January or February, and the occasional torrential rain. And if you're sufficiently Serious and have the Money to throw at the problem, you deal with those by building partially enclosed back decks (yeah, plural because you're Serious and Have Money) with permanently installed grills so that you can move your cooking and dining activities as needed to address changes in the weather without having to go inside; if you have even More Money Than That your deck has a motorized roof or something, but maybe that's the point where you have household help doing the work for you.
I'm not that Serious and Moneyed -- I can't yet justify to myself buying a gas grill -- but I have a nice Weber grill and I know a secret: Grilling charcoal goes on sale for crazy cheap at the 24 hour grocery stores late in the evening on July 4. Last year I got up early on July 5 and bought half a dozen bags for somewhere less than $3/bag, and at my current pace of outdoor cooking I should be about halfway through the last bag just in time for the next July 5th.
So cooking out is cheap and even though summer here is intolerably hot, I can cook what I like without worrying about warming up the house. I haven't gotten as far as buying a pizza stone (although it's getting tempting now that competition has driven prices down), but pretty much any variety of meat and veg are going on the grill; anything too small to safely lie on the grate is put on aluminum foil. I even use it to thaw frozen veggies: Take out an appropriately-sized bowl, drop a sheet of aluminum foil over it, push the foil into the bowl, dump frozen veggies in until you have enough servings. Add salt, olive oil and whatever dry herbs you like, and toss to coat. Pick up the corners of the foil and loosely pinch them together. Drop that on the grill; the veggies will first thaw and sweat (wetting the dry herbs) and the moisture will eventually evaporate from the dry heat. Perforate the bottom of the foil with a fork or skewer if there's too much moisture; a small hole is about as effective as a large hole and will make less of a mess when you're picking up the finished result. Depending on the veggies you're using, a garnish of lemon or lime juice after cooking is pretty effective, or balsamic vinegar if that's how you'd rather roll.
Current favorite is this lamb skewer recipe, which is blessedly versatile. Dinner yesterday was beef prepared using this recipe, and substituting herbes de province for the parsley. It was pretty crazy with a mint sauce prepared using homemade yogurt, fresh mint from the garden, a couple pinches of cayenne, a pinch of salt, and lemon juice.
But, basically, pretty much anything from hot dogs on up qualifies for grilling now. The hardest part is usually set-up (getting charcoal out of the waterproof container into the starter then getting the charcoal started), but even that's not actually difficult, it's just time-consuming and a little messy. The only month I haven't cooked outdoors in the past year, I think, has been February. I still cook most dinners indoors, among other reasons being that it's still easier at times to make large casserole, stew or sauce dishes which provide the leftovers that allow me to avoid cooking every day. But grilling is just not as big a deal or special an occasion as it was when I lived up by the Great Lakes, and when the options are slaving over a hot stove and warming up the whole house, or slaving over a hot grill and keeping the house cool, the choice is pretty easy.
posted by ardgedee at 12:31 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'm not that Serious and Moneyed -- I can't yet justify to myself buying a gas grill -- but I have a nice Weber grill and I know a secret: Grilling charcoal goes on sale for crazy cheap at the 24 hour grocery stores late in the evening on July 4. Last year I got up early on July 5 and bought half a dozen bags for somewhere less than $3/bag, and at my current pace of outdoor cooking I should be about halfway through the last bag just in time for the next July 5th.
So cooking out is cheap and even though summer here is intolerably hot, I can cook what I like without worrying about warming up the house. I haven't gotten as far as buying a pizza stone (although it's getting tempting now that competition has driven prices down), but pretty much any variety of meat and veg are going on the grill; anything too small to safely lie on the grate is put on aluminum foil. I even use it to thaw frozen veggies: Take out an appropriately-sized bowl, drop a sheet of aluminum foil over it, push the foil into the bowl, dump frozen veggies in until you have enough servings. Add salt, olive oil and whatever dry herbs you like, and toss to coat. Pick up the corners of the foil and loosely pinch them together. Drop that on the grill; the veggies will first thaw and sweat (wetting the dry herbs) and the moisture will eventually evaporate from the dry heat. Perforate the bottom of the foil with a fork or skewer if there's too much moisture; a small hole is about as effective as a large hole and will make less of a mess when you're picking up the finished result. Depending on the veggies you're using, a garnish of lemon or lime juice after cooking is pretty effective, or balsamic vinegar if that's how you'd rather roll.
Current favorite is this lamb skewer recipe, which is blessedly versatile. Dinner yesterday was beef prepared using this recipe, and substituting herbes de province for the parsley. It was pretty crazy with a mint sauce prepared using homemade yogurt, fresh mint from the garden, a couple pinches of cayenne, a pinch of salt, and lemon juice.
But, basically, pretty much anything from hot dogs on up qualifies for grilling now. The hardest part is usually set-up (getting charcoal out of the waterproof container into the starter then getting the charcoal started), but even that's not actually difficult, it's just time-consuming and a little messy. The only month I haven't cooked outdoors in the past year, I think, has been February. I still cook most dinners indoors, among other reasons being that it's still easier at times to make large casserole, stew or sauce dishes which provide the leftovers that allow me to avoid cooking every day. But grilling is just not as big a deal or special an occasion as it was when I lived up by the Great Lakes, and when the options are slaving over a hot stove and warming up the whole house, or slaving over a hot grill and keeping the house cool, the choice is pretty easy.
posted by ardgedee at 12:31 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
@platitudipus - that's good! Rich. Sweet. Sour. Different. Thank you!
posted by joycehealy at 12:40 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by joycehealy at 12:40 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Flashback to cramming every free cubic inch of my checked luggage with free avocados, returning from an agricultural education conference in SoCal.
My default summer salad:
Canned chickpeas
Red onion
Cucumbers
Cherry/grape tomatoes
Chopped boiled egg
Sliced black olives
Crumbled feta or bleu cheese
Maybe a handful of cooked pasta, but just enough for a little texture. Spinach pasta is best.
Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
Tastes better if left in the fridge for at least a couple of hours for the flavors to mix. Is good served over lettuce leaves.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:22 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
My default summer salad:
Canned chickpeas
Red onion
Cucumbers
Cherry/grape tomatoes
Chopped boiled egg
Sliced black olives
Crumbled feta or bleu cheese
Maybe a handful of cooked pasta, but just enough for a little texture. Spinach pasta is best.
Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
Tastes better if left in the fridge for at least a couple of hours for the flavors to mix. Is good served over lettuce leaves.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:22 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
elsietheeel, good thoughts to you!
posted by lazuli at 2:33 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lazuli at 2:33 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Does anyone know if there are still "corn men" in the city?
Elotes! Classic street food! There are still elote men/ladies in Chicago, and in lots of big cities. It's even better when it's grilled, not steamed, and it's better with cotija cheese than parmesan, but any elote is a good elote.
posted by halation at 2:42 PM on May 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Elotes! Classic street food! There are still elote men/ladies in Chicago, and in lots of big cities. It's even better when it's grilled, not steamed, and it's better with cotija cheese than parmesan, but any elote is a good elote.
posted by halation at 2:42 PM on May 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Glad you like it @joycehealy!
posted by platitudipus at 3:00 PM on May 27, 2018
posted by platitudipus at 3:00 PM on May 27, 2018
I make my New Year's resolutions on my birthday, and summer officially starts for me the first time I hear DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's Summertime on the radio. That day was today. I didn't hear that song AT ALL last year, and we had, what, eight months of winter, so, look, I'm not saying that Will Smith controls the seasons, but I'm also not not saying that Will Smith controls the seasons. Anyway, this brought me great joy, even though summer is my least favorite season, because I wore my puffy winter coat within the last two weeks to walk the dog one night, so maaaaaaaybe I can put that away now? I have no recipes to share, but I wanted to let you know that the radio gods have spoken.
posted by Ruki at 3:04 PM on May 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Ruki at 3:04 PM on May 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
YAY loquacious! I am so, so delighted to hear about ALL the good news in your life - and ESPECIALLY all the great stuff with the job!
It is SO GREAT to have your talents and skills and SELF recognized and appreciated. You are awesome, and I'm glad you have people around you telling you they see it - and paying you for the fantastic work you're doing! YAY!
posted by kristi at 4:15 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
It is SO GREAT to have your talents and skills and SELF recognized and appreciated. You are awesome, and I'm glad you have people around you telling you they see it - and paying you for the fantastic work you're doing! YAY!
posted by kristi at 4:15 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Get a can of chipotles in adobo. Blitz it up with the juice of two limes. Marinate skirt steaks with the result. Grill them quickly and serve with a salad and/or tortillas.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 4:16 PM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by the duck by the oboe at 4:16 PM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
You are awesome, and I'm glad you have people around you telling you they see it - and paying you for the fantastic work you're doing! YAY!
This is me beaming, blushing and smiling, still learning how to just accept compliments.
ELISETHEEEL. YOU CAN DO IT. YOU KNOW I'M HERE FOR YOU AND YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME.
DOOOO IT! DO THE THING! I'M RIGHT HERE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
posted by loquacious at 4:22 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is me beaming, blushing and smiling, still learning how to just accept compliments.
ELISETHEEEL. YOU CAN DO IT. YOU KNOW I'M HERE FOR YOU AND YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME.
DOOOO IT! DO THE THING! I'M RIGHT HERE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
posted by loquacious at 4:22 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Halation: appreciate the info re elotes and I will forward the recipe to the kids. I had no idea that the mushy, slime and salt (canned cheese) covered corn the kids sucked of the cob was related to something adults would choose to eat.
However, if the corn of my kids' childhoods is elote, I take issue with your claim that "any elite is good elote". Have you tastes Miracle Whip?
posted by she's not there at 4:37 PM on May 27, 2018
However, if the corn of my kids' childhoods is elote, I take issue with your claim that "any elite is good elote". Have you tastes Miracle Whip?
posted by she's not there at 4:37 PM on May 27, 2018
the duck by the oboe: Get a can of chipotles in adobo. Blitz it up with the juice of two limes. Marinate skirt steaks with the result. Grill them quickly and serve with a salad and/or tortillas.
*slaps forehead*
That's brilliant.
Also, "the duck by the oboe: Get a can of chipotles in adobo" is totally a food poem or something.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:46 PM on May 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
*slaps forehead*
That's brilliant.
Also, "the duck by the oboe: Get a can of chipotles in adobo" is totally a food poem or something.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:46 PM on May 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
elsietheeel - Here are my positive manifest-y thoughts for you - lots of them!
I have this weird thing where everything always works out for me, and I like to share that around, so I hereby bestow upon you my everything-always-works-out-for-me thing for as long as it takes you to find a great job.
* closes eyes tight, beams good thoughts at elsietheeel *
posted by kristi at 4:56 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
I have this weird thing where everything always works out for me, and I like to share that around, so I hereby bestow upon you my everything-always-works-out-for-me thing for as long as it takes you to find a great job.
* closes eyes tight, beams good thoughts at elsietheeel *
posted by kristi at 4:56 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
I made this a while back, mostly because I live in Maine and I can't wait for summer, but it's an easy semifreddo recipe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN6yWdGaB_g
Basically, mixing a jar of lemon curd with a pint of whipped cream, and layering ladyfingers dipped in raspberry puree in the middle, into a loaf pan. I've seen this recipe with other fruits, cranberry sauce, etc. Swirled in, with chocolate, Nutella, nuts, etc.
I imagine you could spoon it into a lined cupcake tin as well, to have individual treats. Like ice cream but no ice cream maker required. Just whip some cream and blend with lemon curd and some other stuff. Pour into a plastic-lined loaf pan and freeze overnight.
I've done the same with Key Lime bars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRfSIHqL_gE
The only hazard is that the frozen cream desserts have to be eaten up within a week or two or they get a little old, but otherwise, it's wicked good stuff.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:58 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN6yWdGaB_g
Basically, mixing a jar of lemon curd with a pint of whipped cream, and layering ladyfingers dipped in raspberry puree in the middle, into a loaf pan. I've seen this recipe with other fruits, cranberry sauce, etc. Swirled in, with chocolate, Nutella, nuts, etc.
I imagine you could spoon it into a lined cupcake tin as well, to have individual treats. Like ice cream but no ice cream maker required. Just whip some cream and blend with lemon curd and some other stuff. Pour into a plastic-lined loaf pan and freeze overnight.
I've done the same with Key Lime bars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRfSIHqL_gE
The only hazard is that the frozen cream desserts have to be eaten up within a week or two or they get a little old, but otherwise, it's wicked good stuff.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:58 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Fresh pineapple - preferably eaten a pineapple at a time. Like, if your mouth isn't bleeding by the end, you probably haven't eaten enough of it to be truly satisfied.
I had a long, rough week at work that culminated in a weekend running an encampment about wildlife biology for girl scouts. Normally, this is something I'd be really excited about, but having been told this was my only priority (research output be damned) and I should plan to spend at least a hundred hours working on it last week (my research be damned).
Anyways, I was at this camp for a total of 14 hours (6 AM-8 PM) yesterday and taught 84 girls of various ages about mapping and navigation and home ranges and it went OK but DAMN I just wanted to spend today doing things I wanted to do. So I gave myself an Ideal Erin Day. I woke up at 8:30, I wore my favorite dress, I got steamed buns and bubble tea for breakfast, I drank fancy coffee and read a novel (We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves), and then I went to the ballet to see three short works by Balanchine. I didn't talk to anyone except for the woman who sold me my ticket and the bartender who sold my my champagne. I just luxuriated in the music and the ballet.
Then I went and got more fancy coffee and a fruit tart and when the ladies sitting next to me said "These young women just need to get over their victim mentality - they're not really being harassed, they just don't have the self-respect to tell men to stop," I audibly snorted, said "You're wrong," and walked out. Got home, took a nap, and now I'm watching Alien for the first time.
I hope everyone who needs an Ideal Them Day is able to have one soon!
posted by ChuraChura at 5:18 PM on May 27, 2018 [21 favorites]
I had a long, rough week at work that culminated in a weekend running an encampment about wildlife biology for girl scouts. Normally, this is something I'd be really excited about, but having been told this was my only priority (research output be damned) and I should plan to spend at least a hundred hours working on it last week (my research be damned).
Anyways, I was at this camp for a total of 14 hours (6 AM-8 PM) yesterday and taught 84 girls of various ages about mapping and navigation and home ranges and it went OK but DAMN I just wanted to spend today doing things I wanted to do. So I gave myself an Ideal Erin Day. I woke up at 8:30, I wore my favorite dress, I got steamed buns and bubble tea for breakfast, I drank fancy coffee and read a novel (We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves), and then I went to the ballet to see three short works by Balanchine. I didn't talk to anyone except for the woman who sold me my ticket and the bartender who sold my my champagne. I just luxuriated in the music and the ballet.
Then I went and got more fancy coffee and a fruit tart and when the ladies sitting next to me said "These young women just need to get over their victim mentality - they're not really being harassed, they just don't have the self-respect to tell men to stop," I audibly snorted, said "You're wrong," and walked out. Got home, took a nap, and now I'm watching Alien for the first time.
I hope everyone who needs an Ideal Them Day is able to have one soon!
posted by ChuraChura at 5:18 PM on May 27, 2018 [21 favorites]
CURRY SO HOT YOU CAN SEE THROUGH TIME
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:23 PM on May 27, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:23 PM on May 27, 2018 [13 favorites]
(((Fig))) from someone who is also in a multiple variable blender. I'm trying to stay open to what the universe shines on me.
posted by yoga at 5:34 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by yoga at 5:34 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have this weird thing where everything always works out for me, and I like to share that around, so I hereby bestow upon you my everything-always-works-out-for-me thing for as long as it takes you to find a great job.
Sharing some of the same.
Also, we should consider joining forces and organizing our kind for the good of humanity.
posted by loquacious at 5:43 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Sharing some of the same.
Also, we should consider joining forces and organizing our kind for the good of humanity.
posted by loquacious at 5:43 PM on May 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
loquacious - YES! Stronger together!
( ... any chance we've ALREADY joined forces? I think?)
...
Okay, since I haven't yet talked about The Non-obligatory Topic, let me offer my famous summer fruit salad, which isn't really even a recipe, just take
fresh peaches
fresh bananas
fresh strawberries
lemon juice
Slice the fruit. Try to have roughly equal amounts of each.
Add lemon juice. (The juice of one lemon for 1-2 peaches seems about right.)
Let it sit for at least an hour or two. (The lemon juice helps keep the banana and peach from browning too much.)
Stir.
Serve.
This kind of thing ("slice fruit, add lemon juice") is really too obvious to even post here, and it's the easiest thing ever, but several people asked for the recipe at a party I brought it to once, so there you go.
Now I want some. Too early for decent fresh peaches here, though.
posted by kristi at 6:54 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
( ... any chance we've ALREADY joined forces? I think?)
...
Okay, since I haven't yet talked about The Non-obligatory Topic, let me offer my famous summer fruit salad, which isn't really even a recipe, just take
fresh peaches
fresh bananas
fresh strawberries
lemon juice
Slice the fruit. Try to have roughly equal amounts of each.
Add lemon juice. (The juice of one lemon for 1-2 peaches seems about right.)
Let it sit for at least an hour or two. (The lemon juice helps keep the banana and peach from browning too much.)
Stir.
Serve.
This kind of thing ("slice fruit, add lemon juice") is really too obvious to even post here, and it's the easiest thing ever, but several people asked for the recipe at a party I brought it to once, so there you go.
Now I want some. Too early for decent fresh peaches here, though.
posted by kristi at 6:54 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I like to do a bruschetta with:
- Roma tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Habaneros/jalapenos
- Strawberries
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
Dice all the obvious ingredients as finely as you care to. Add other ingredients to taste. Refrigerate for at least a few hours so all the flavours can get to know one another, or overnight if you can. EAT DIRECTLY WITH A SPOON or, y'know, pile it onto some good crusty sourdough. THE STRAWBERRIES ARE CRITICAL. Also you can ferment this.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:06 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
- Roma tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Habaneros/jalapenos
- Strawberries
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
Dice all the obvious ingredients as finely as you care to. Add other ingredients to taste. Refrigerate for at least a few hours so all the flavours can get to know one another, or overnight if you can. EAT DIRECTLY WITH A SPOON or, y'know, pile it onto some good crusty sourdough. THE STRAWBERRIES ARE CRITICAL. Also you can ferment this.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:06 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Well, if you mix something like 1/2 to 1/3 coffee to 1/2 to 2/3 strong black tea with some sugar and whole milk or light cream you get the basis for decent milk tea. Pour over ice and tapioca pearls. Don't let primitive beliefs of not mingling tea with coffee hold you back from a strangely seductive beverage with lots of caffeine. Working up to my next 20 ounces, now.
posted by jadepearl at 8:11 PM on May 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by jadepearl at 8:11 PM on May 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
Pretty much everything in the "salads" portion of this book.
A week ago I made batches of their "French pasta salad" and "French Barley Salad", both of which are similar in their construction:
* Cook up either a pound of pasta or about 1/2 cup's worth of pearl barley.
* Make up a viniagrette dressing from scratch.
* If you're making the pasta salad, blanch a half pound of green beans and chop up 2/3 cup of roasted red peppers. If you're making the barley salad, blanch a quarter pound of green beans and a cup of diced carrots, then dump that in a bowl with about 4-5 quartered mushrooms.
* Drain either pasta or barley when done, dump it into a bowl with the other vegetable ingredients, add the dressing and chill.
Then later in the week I made their Sichuan noodles, which I've had to fend my roommate away from eating them all up because some of that is for my lunches dangit. (I've also eaten through them quickly so I'm already planning to make double the batch next time.)
--
There's also a pasta salad I got from another cookbook that mixes cheese tortellini with a mayo dressing, and uses leek, carrot, and bell pepper; the recipe technically also calls for broccoli, which I can't eat, so I throw in "whatever other vegetable I feel like this time". Usually some kind of snap pea.
--
I also made a half-gallons' worth of cold brew iced coffee - and realized that with that much cold brew, I could also pick up some coffee ice cream to make cafe liegois as a dessert. But I'm also planning to recreate a dessert I had when I visited Paris in the summer of 2016 - a cafe I went to in Giverny had a sundae they called "trois fruits rouge" - one scoop each of strawberry, raspberry, and red currant sorbet, with whipped cream. Yes, I want that again please.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:19 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
A week ago I made batches of their "French pasta salad" and "French Barley Salad", both of which are similar in their construction:
* Cook up either a pound of pasta or about 1/2 cup's worth of pearl barley.
* Make up a viniagrette dressing from scratch.
* If you're making the pasta salad, blanch a half pound of green beans and chop up 2/3 cup of roasted red peppers. If you're making the barley salad, blanch a quarter pound of green beans and a cup of diced carrots, then dump that in a bowl with about 4-5 quartered mushrooms.
* Drain either pasta or barley when done, dump it into a bowl with the other vegetable ingredients, add the dressing and chill.
Then later in the week I made their Sichuan noodles, which I've had to fend my roommate away from eating them all up because some of that is for my lunches dangit. (I've also eaten through them quickly so I'm already planning to make double the batch next time.)
--
There's also a pasta salad I got from another cookbook that mixes cheese tortellini with a mayo dressing, and uses leek, carrot, and bell pepper; the recipe technically also calls for broccoli, which I can't eat, so I throw in "whatever other vegetable I feel like this time". Usually some kind of snap pea.
--
I also made a half-gallons' worth of cold brew iced coffee - and realized that with that much cold brew, I could also pick up some coffee ice cream to make cafe liegois as a dessert. But I'm also planning to recreate a dessert I had when I visited Paris in the summer of 2016 - a cafe I went to in Giverny had a sundae they called "trois fruits rouge" - one scoop each of strawberry, raspberry, and red currant sorbet, with whipped cream. Yes, I want that again please.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:19 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Ah, I just spent the day at the beach (yes, Seattle has beaches and only Seattleites can go to them because goddamn we earn these sunny beautiful days).
I think the recipe you are looking for is:
Bourbon, mostly a full cup
A little simple syrup
Crushed ice.
When you realize you’ve had too much to drink (and smoke), switch to Canadian manhattans:
2 ounces Canadian whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
4 whole ice cubes
Cherry or orange slice
After this, it totally doesn’t matter what you eat. A neighbor’s probably grilling salmon or they serve oysters everywhere. Anything will do.
Then, pass out and wake up early to go assure your spot at Golden Gardens or Alki again.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:03 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I think the recipe you are looking for is:
Bourbon, mostly a full cup
A little simple syrup
Crushed ice.
When you realize you’ve had too much to drink (and smoke), switch to Canadian manhattans:
2 ounces Canadian whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
4 whole ice cubes
Cherry or orange slice
After this, it totally doesn’t matter what you eat. A neighbor’s probably grilling salmon or they serve oysters everywhere. Anything will do.
Then, pass out and wake up early to go assure your spot at Golden Gardens or Alki again.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:03 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Cook chicken thighs on the weekend -- 3 lbs chicken thighs, juice of 1 lime, teaspoon pickling salt, tablespoon chili powder/seasoning, 2 tablespoon brown sugar. Mix the seasonings, rub on the thighs, let marinate in the fridge overnight. Cook the chicken on cookie sheets @ 350 for 25 minutes -- probably two batches, unless you have impressive cookie sheets. When you get home in the evenings, slice up a couple of the thighs and toss with salad greens. Goes well with precooked onions & mushrooms, as well. You can use the same rub mix for tofu, if you'd like to keep it vegan. Just fry the tofu (extra firm) in a skillet right before serving.
Brown rice (rice cooker will keep the kitchen heat down) mixed with fresh-cut cantaloupe, fried tofu (something spicy works well as a seasoning), nuts (walnuts or brazil nuts are good), can add a crumbly cheese like feta. Other "ancient" grains (bulgur wheat, spelt) also work well with this. You can serve this in half-cantaloupes if you can't be bothered with bowls.
And as always -- zucchini or other summer squash pesto. Make strips out of the squash with a vegetable peeler, toss with pesto & oil & veggies. Whatever meats or other proteins you have in the fridge go great into this.
posted by curious nu at 9:26 PM on May 27, 2018
Brown rice (rice cooker will keep the kitchen heat down) mixed with fresh-cut cantaloupe, fried tofu (something spicy works well as a seasoning), nuts (walnuts or brazil nuts are good), can add a crumbly cheese like feta. Other "ancient" grains (bulgur wheat, spelt) also work well with this. You can serve this in half-cantaloupes if you can't be bothered with bowls.
And as always -- zucchini or other summer squash pesto. Make strips out of the squash with a vegetable peeler, toss with pesto & oil & veggies. Whatever meats or other proteins you have in the fridge go great into this.
posted by curious nu at 9:26 PM on May 27, 2018
loquacious and halation, I was having a terrible time with muscle cramps, and made a concerted effort to get more magnesium in my diet, and now I don't have cramps while dancing. I mostly get it from daily apricot walnut muffins and try to eat leafy greens.
posted by theora55 at 9:38 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 9:38 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
house too hot? order a damn pizza! pizza gigi with pepperoni, sundried tomatoes and green olives, ask for it well done. So salty and tangy!
in other news, I'm in the middle of revamping my home office - about to buy a new computer that can handle the 4k projects that are becoming more common these days (yea, they look great but are a beast to work on! each damn frame of film is now 4 times bigger, and at 24 frames/second, that adds up!) Getting ready for this I have finally let go of my old tiny computer desk, which was awesome when I lived in a teeny apartment, but it has an upper shelf that kept me from being able to fit 2 monitors on it. So I've painted a new big desk, and left the old one outside with a "free" sign on it, in case someone in the neighborhood needs a desk. (you in toronto and need a small computer desk with a keyboard drawer? it's on Manning ave just south of Harbord. Could use a lick of paint, but it's great for small spaces) The thing I am actually excited about is that I'll be able to use my old computer for gaming! whee!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:23 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
in other news, I'm in the middle of revamping my home office - about to buy a new computer that can handle the 4k projects that are becoming more common these days (yea, they look great but are a beast to work on! each damn frame of film is now 4 times bigger, and at 24 frames/second, that adds up!) Getting ready for this I have finally let go of my old tiny computer desk, which was awesome when I lived in a teeny apartment, but it has an upper shelf that kept me from being able to fit 2 monitors on it. So I've painted a new big desk, and left the old one outside with a "free" sign on it, in case someone in the neighborhood needs a desk. (you in toronto and need a small computer desk with a keyboard drawer? it's on Manning ave just south of Harbord. Could use a lick of paint, but it's great for small spaces) The thing I am actually excited about is that I'll be able to use my old computer for gaming! whee!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:23 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Awww, loquacious, I knew you could do it. Find your groove and shine the light of humanity on everyone around you. Seattle’s kind of changing for the worse with all the influx of money but it still retains a welcoming heart. I mean, the Amazon people have made it impossible for normal people to move into my neighborhood, but fortunately there were enough normals who moved here 20 years ago for all the right reasons (to raise chickens and bike to work) that Seattle is still a lovely place to be. I mention it just because, from my perspective as a community health doc, I see far more people moving here because it’s a relatively ok place to be trans , than I see Amazon people. Almost every day I see people who’ve moved here from Alabama or wherever because trans care is covered by Apple Health and they are relatively welcomed into the community, most people don’t bat an eye at them, they get jobs as school teachers and baristas and whatever else they want to be and it’s just great to see them come out of their shellls and become themselves. It totally makes up for all the douchebag Ivy League grads that are moving here because of jobs and money. Not that being trans is easy here, just possible.
I wish it was the same for people of color here, but we know we need to work on it.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:37 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
I wish it was the same for people of color here, but we know we need to work on it.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:37 PM on May 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
My friend of the pulled-pork sandwiches dinner just left, and it was very nice. We had a stupid-expensive bottle of rose with dinner (this friend and I have a thing where she brings expensive wine to share and I do all the cooking and hosting, which I'm good with) and a nice bottle of sparkling rose for dessert, with local strawberries. She also brought over barbecue sauce that her friend makes and bottles, and it combined quite nicely with my barbecue sauce -- mine was spicy but lacked depth, the bottled sauce had a lot of depth and not too much spice -- and, as always, blue-cheese coleslaw is the bomb.
Now I have large portions of leftover pulled pork and barbecue baked beans.
posted by lazuli at 10:56 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Now I have large portions of leftover pulled pork and barbecue baked beans.
posted by lazuli at 10:56 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Carnival food! Hot buttered corn! Salt potatoes! Funnel cake! Caramel corn! Loganberry! Frozen lemonade!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:26 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:26 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I know this doesn’t really count because I had to turn on the oven, but it was so delicious!!
On a flatbread or pizza crust: sliced spring onion, ricotta, thinly sliced lemon (with peel,) salt and pepper. Bake for 8-12 at 450. Top with sliced zucchini, arugula, olives, and chili flakes.
It was amazing and if I grab another zucchini tomorrow I’m making it again.
posted by greermahoney at 11:27 PM on May 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
On a flatbread or pizza crust: sliced spring onion, ricotta, thinly sliced lemon (with peel,) salt and pepper. Bake for 8-12 at 450. Top with sliced zucchini, arugula, olives, and chili flakes.
It was amazing and if I grab another zucchini tomorrow I’m making it again.
posted by greermahoney at 11:27 PM on May 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
I wish every week was just tell me something cool that happened to you this week. I'm not much of a cook.
I'll wait.
posted by bendy at 11:53 PM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'll wait.
posted by bendy at 11:53 PM on May 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Not many cool things happen to me. That pizza was definitely the highlight.
posted by greermahoney at 11:58 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by greermahoney at 11:58 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Hot, Summer, melons. Cantaloupe/mush-mellon/the orange ones. Slice in half, scoop out seeds, hold like a bowl devour with a spoon.
Summer is the time when nutrition is spread out from a balanced meal into -- well it's balanced over the week. Ice cream -- fat day. Melon -- fruit day. Yogurt -- dairy day. Awake at cool time - cook meat morning/night. I'm pretty much bachelor chow quick, which tends to be low energy, which tends to be low environmental heat.
On last week's front...
Some mod deleted (evidently) some ranty... I filed a bug report wishing for actual notification of moderation because it's just freaky weird to have something you're sure you did vanish. No biggie.
I'm trying to get a handle on my laptop which seems to be slowly failing. That's all Dirk Gently my laptop lover which I lovingly caress exhibited unexpected phenomenon. It irks me. But without the ranty special snowflake OMG STOP TELLING ME ABOUT REBOOTING. I'm already down into Black Mirror / Zardoz territory where I would/will throw her away and replace her consciousness into a new frame at the drop to the proverbial hat. The point is that I care about my laptop lover and I'm intrigued and somewhat motivated to keep her happy.
The She there is coincident... I have a set of 5-ish 3 letter names (because you will learn that short 3 letter names are awesome) that I cycle through. My desktop is a he and there are VMs that are he/she/it that boils down to three letter names. But ATM she's my laptop lover.
I made myself burst into Hysterical laughter yesterday. Almost curled up in a ball on the floor Hysterical laughter.
It was the AI thread. Which I've been interested/following/layman for decades and have many thoughts about. I'm bad at it because (layman) and I'm sure I get terminology wrong. Mathy things... I probably have a decent grasp but no nomenclature.
This devolved into infinite-dimensional tiny cramped cold dark boxes with infinite unreachable corners which I assume some mathy will totally grok. The porcupine/hedgehog. That turned into sort of a Starfish in projection.... and the regular smooth center is a hole... and it sorta reminds one of a cat butts....
I LOST it at Starfish Cat Butts. That's almost a basilisk. Tears. Stuffy nose. Starfish Cat Butts. OMG stop. Pulled a muscle. Starfish Cat Butts.
Anyway, consciousness is the pointy. Sands through the hourglas making a mound of random border. It's the temporal that's missing which is just another dimension what wraps to e to the minus pi i. It's all circles (an no I haven't actually figured all that out. Just more BS).
Starfish Cat Butts.
posted by zengargoyle at 1:00 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
Summer is the time when nutrition is spread out from a balanced meal into -- well it's balanced over the week. Ice cream -- fat day. Melon -- fruit day. Yogurt -- dairy day. Awake at cool time - cook meat morning/night. I'm pretty much bachelor chow quick, which tends to be low energy, which tends to be low environmental heat.
On last week's front...
Some mod deleted (evidently) some ranty... I filed a bug report wishing for actual notification of moderation because it's just freaky weird to have something you're sure you did vanish. No biggie.
I'm trying to get a handle on my laptop which seems to be slowly failing. That's all Dirk Gently my laptop lover which I lovingly caress exhibited unexpected phenomenon. It irks me. But without the ranty special snowflake OMG STOP TELLING ME ABOUT REBOOTING. I'm already down into Black Mirror / Zardoz territory where I would/will throw her away and replace her consciousness into a new frame at the drop to the proverbial hat. The point is that I care about my laptop lover and I'm intrigued and somewhat motivated to keep her happy.
The She there is coincident... I have a set of 5-ish 3 letter names (because you will learn that short 3 letter names are awesome) that I cycle through. My desktop is a he and there are VMs that are he/she/it that boils down to three letter names. But ATM she's my laptop lover.
I made myself burst into Hysterical laughter yesterday. Almost curled up in a ball on the floor Hysterical laughter.
It was the AI thread. Which I've been interested/following/layman for decades and have many thoughts about. I'm bad at it because (layman) and I'm sure I get terminology wrong. Mathy things... I probably have a decent grasp but no nomenclature.
This devolved into infinite-dimensional tiny cramped cold dark boxes with infinite unreachable corners which I assume some mathy will totally grok. The porcupine/hedgehog. That turned into sort of a Starfish in projection.... and the regular smooth center is a hole... and it sorta reminds one of a cat butts....
I LOST it at Starfish Cat Butts. That's almost a basilisk. Tears. Stuffy nose. Starfish Cat Butts. OMG stop. Pulled a muscle. Starfish Cat Butts.
Anyway, consciousness is the pointy. Sands through the hourglas making a mound of random border. It's the temporal that's missing which is just another dimension what wraps to e to the minus pi i. It's all circles (an no I haven't actually figured all that out. Just more BS).
Starfish Cat Butts.
posted by zengargoyle at 1:00 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
I did have an impromptu grilling party on my porch. Six people came - they're all dudes so there was a competent grill-master and so much meat. Many many jokes about it being a sausage party. There was also a 2.5 YO little boy so lots of blowing bubbles and jumping on the bed while singing "ten little monkeys." Also he had a popsicle and freaked the fuck out while sugar-high. His dad ran him around the block a few times and then they left. I hope they both sleep well tonight.
The room of random crap in my basement coughed up a big box of Allagash beer from Portland, ME so that happened too.
posted by bendy at 2:05 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
The room of random crap in my basement coughed up a big box of Allagash beer from Portland, ME so that happened too.
posted by bendy at 2:05 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
bendy: they're all dudes so there was a competent grill-master
*raises one eyebrow since it's too hot to raise both*
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:23 AM on May 28, 2018 [11 favorites]
*raises one eyebrow since it's too hot to raise both*
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:23 AM on May 28, 2018 [11 favorites]
zengargoyle has a set, no two, no four sets of stitches/scars from ten little monkeys. GAH I think it's more like five or six depending on your definition of ten little monkeys. KUDOs to the little tyke.
posted by zengargoyle at 3:18 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by zengargoyle at 3:18 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is me naturally awake at 5 AM, very well rested and excited about work.
I mostly get it from daily apricot walnut muffins and try to eat leafy greens.
Did you see my kale and beer cheese "salad" up there? :) One benefit to being trans and in treatment is that I get my bloodwork done regularly with full chem panels because I have to, so I know it's not any particular deficiency. I eat so healthy these days most of my food has edible wrappers.
For me when I get leg cramps it's been happening since I was a teenager and seems to be genetic and possibly related to the oversized size tree trunks I stomp around on as legs. When I do get cramps it's usually a hydration and exertion issue, and, well, it's the utter chaos of barista/cafe service that will reliably wreck my shit because I drink too much coffee, not enough water and I forget to eat. Usually about 15 minutes after trying to go to sleep.
The solution is "don't do that" but it's not as easy to practice IRL, even though there's a large, friendly sign behind the counter that reads "HEY BARISTA! DRINK WATER! IT'S AWESOME" in handwriting that looks suspiciously like my own.
Awww, loquacious, I knew you could do it. Find your groove and shine the light of humanity on everyone around you.
Thanks, Slarty! See, this illustrates one of the reasons I love MeFi, and how my habit of being open (if not oversharing) can be a good thing. It's just fantastic I have this metric and I get to compare and contrast my progress.
I guess I've already had some practice shining, which has definitely helped my own psychology and attitude here, but now it feels like the shutters (and shackles) are off.
posted by loquacious at 5:44 AM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
I mostly get it from daily apricot walnut muffins and try to eat leafy greens.
Did you see my kale and beer cheese "salad" up there? :) One benefit to being trans and in treatment is that I get my bloodwork done regularly with full chem panels because I have to, so I know it's not any particular deficiency. I eat so healthy these days most of my food has edible wrappers.
For me when I get leg cramps it's been happening since I was a teenager and seems to be genetic and possibly related to the oversized size tree trunks I stomp around on as legs. When I do get cramps it's usually a hydration and exertion issue, and, well, it's the utter chaos of barista/cafe service that will reliably wreck my shit because I drink too much coffee, not enough water and I forget to eat. Usually about 15 minutes after trying to go to sleep.
The solution is "don't do that" but it's not as easy to practice IRL, even though there's a large, friendly sign behind the counter that reads "HEY BARISTA! DRINK WATER! IT'S AWESOME" in handwriting that looks suspiciously like my own.
Awww, loquacious, I knew you could do it. Find your groove and shine the light of humanity on everyone around you.
Thanks, Slarty! See, this illustrates one of the reasons I love MeFi, and how my habit of being open (if not oversharing) can be a good thing. It's just fantastic I have this metric and I get to compare and contrast my progress.
I guess I've already had some practice shining, which has definitely helped my own psychology and attitude here, but now it feels like the shutters (and shackles) are off.
posted by loquacious at 5:44 AM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
On barbecue -
Current roommate is from North Carolina. We are roommates thanks to a couple Mefites (waves!) who had moved up here before he did, and have been urging him to try a barbecue place in Red Hook. One of my friends lives in Red Hook, and is big on Supporting Neighborhood Spots, so the three of us met up for lunch there.
The place has counter service; you wait in line, place your order, and then take everything to a random free table. When we got there, the line was very nearly wrapping around the entire indoor perimeter; but this just gave us a chance to contemplate what we would order, and for everyone to get acquainted. We were in line for nearly an hour, but when we finally got to the counter they got the food quickly - quarter of a chicken and the Texas Queso Mac and Cheese for me, mac-and cheese, slaw, and potato salad for my friend (he is vegetarian), and the roommate got a big ol' slab of the brisket.
We'd been in line for an hour, we were totally done with our beers by the time we sat down, and we ended up having to jam ourselves into a table by the kitchen where a guy was refilling sauce jars; but one taste of the brisket and my roommate got a look on his face like he'd just tasted Nirvana in meat form. (The chicken was excellent too.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:20 AM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Current roommate is from North Carolina. We are roommates thanks to a couple Mefites (waves!) who had moved up here before he did, and have been urging him to try a barbecue place in Red Hook. One of my friends lives in Red Hook, and is big on Supporting Neighborhood Spots, so the three of us met up for lunch there.
The place has counter service; you wait in line, place your order, and then take everything to a random free table. When we got there, the line was very nearly wrapping around the entire indoor perimeter; but this just gave us a chance to contemplate what we would order, and for everyone to get acquainted. We were in line for nearly an hour, but when we finally got to the counter they got the food quickly - quarter of a chicken and the Texas Queso Mac and Cheese for me, mac-and cheese, slaw, and potato salad for my friend (he is vegetarian), and the roommate got a big ol' slab of the brisket.
We'd been in line for an hour, we were totally done with our beers by the time we sat down, and we ended up having to jam ourselves into a table by the kitchen where a guy was refilling sauce jars; but one taste of the brisket and my roommate got a look on his face like he'd just tasted Nirvana in meat form. (The chicken was excellent too.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:20 AM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Anyone else here like raw corn? I cut the kernels off the ear and put them in salads, omelettes, salsa, everything. They have a delicious milkiness that is lost in cooking.
posted by aws17576 at 9:44 AM on May 28, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by aws17576 at 9:44 AM on May 28, 2018 [6 favorites]
I can't actually remember the last time I cooked corn on the cob. When I do have it, I've usually picked it up fresh from the farm stand or food bank, sometimes so freshly picked it's still warm from the sun.
While I might have plans to grill or steam them, I usually end up just eating it plain and raw, sometimes with a bit of salt. Fresh sweetcorn on the ear really doesn't need cooking and, yes, it's more flavorful if you don't.
And really fresh corn is juicy and tender and is practically more fruit than grain or vegetable.
posted by loquacious at 10:15 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
While I might have plans to grill or steam them, I usually end up just eating it plain and raw, sometimes with a bit of salt. Fresh sweetcorn on the ear really doesn't need cooking and, yes, it's more flavorful if you don't.
And really fresh corn is juicy and tender and is practically more fruit than grain or vegetable.
posted by loquacious at 10:15 AM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
zengargoyle you are way too cool for this place but I'm glad you're here anyways. kudos.
posted by some loser at 2:49 PM on May 28, 2018
posted by some loser at 2:49 PM on May 28, 2018
Watermelon salad is something I got introduced to a few years ago at a nice semi-fancy restaurant. I'm a big fan of savory/sweet and it's a good no-cook way to hit those bases. There's tons of recipes if you're into googling but my go-to is cubed watermelon, balsamic vinegar, crumbled feta, and a drizzle of honey plus whatever extra stuffs I may have on hand: walnuts, sliced strawberries, sliced green onion, basil or mint...
posted by drlith at 4:43 PM on May 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by drlith at 4:43 PM on May 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
I’m planing to go downstairs and check in on how the Capitols are doing and eat a good cheddar and sausage and crackers dinner. Our air con has been on the fritz this whole holiday weekend so there has been a lot of sweating and going to movies but it’s not bad right now.
Everything else is eh. Just learned that in nine months our university is switching insurance companies to what word on the street says is a vastly worse one. Husband is trying out a new medication and fluctuating between deeper than usual depression and some edgy grumpiness. Our last little boy rat just died.
On the other hand the zinnias and butterfly weed look like they’re going to do well, and I just got a new summer haircut I like.
posted by PussKillian at 6:34 PM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Everything else is eh. Just learned that in nine months our university is switching insurance companies to what word on the street says is a vastly worse one. Husband is trying out a new medication and fluctuating between deeper than usual depression and some edgy grumpiness. Our last little boy rat just died.
On the other hand the zinnias and butterfly weed look like they’re going to do well, and I just got a new summer haircut I like.
posted by PussKillian at 6:34 PM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
I just bought some watermelon, and picked up some Trader Joe’s chili lime spice, which I’m pretty sure someone here recommended. I’m excited to try it!
posted by greermahoney at 6:54 PM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by greermahoney at 6:54 PM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Fresh sweetcorn on the ear really doesn't need cooking and, yes, it's more flavorful if you don't.
Of course I’ve had raw corn, so I don’t know why it never occurred to me to eat it right off the cob that way!! Genius!! My main complaint about corn is I’m too lazy to cook it right away, and two days later when I finally get around to it, it’s nowhere near as good as if I had eaten at that day. But raw, on the cob? That sounds just my speed.
posted by greermahoney at 6:58 PM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Of course I’ve had raw corn, so I don’t know why it never occurred to me to eat it right off the cob that way!! Genius!! My main complaint about corn is I’m too lazy to cook it right away, and two days later when I finally get around to it, it’s nowhere near as good as if I had eaten at that day. But raw, on the cob? That sounds just my speed.
posted by greermahoney at 6:58 PM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Popsicles. Do you know why I’m eating so many popsicles during a chilly New York City late spring?
I keep getting throat infections and I’m pretty mad about it. I’m at the beginning of a third one in three weeks. It hurts so bad that if I had the energy and/or it hurt any less, I might cry.
In happier news I was surprised last week with a surprise trip to Europe. I leave in 10 days and have promised not to have sepsis on this trip. Will the security theatre police let me through with a cooler full of popsicles?
posted by bilabial at 7:05 PM on May 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
I keep getting throat infections and I’m pretty mad about it. I’m at the beginning of a third one in three weeks. It hurts so bad that if I had the energy and/or it hurt any less, I might cry.
In happier news I was surprised last week with a surprise trip to Europe. I leave in 10 days and have promised not to have sepsis on this trip. Will the security theatre police let me through with a cooler full of popsicles?
posted by bilabial at 7:05 PM on May 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
Just got back from the neighborhood BBQ/block party; there were so many babies and small children. A few years ago there were very few kids in the neighborhood; it's fun to see so many small ones running around now.
It's been so blazingly hot here in Pittsburgh; I think it hit 90F today and I was working outside for five hours this morning and then spent four hours at a BBQ in the afternoon evening so I'm just baked. What happened Spring; we had Winter, then three weeks of rain and now right into full Summer.
posted by octothorpe at 7:08 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's been so blazingly hot here in Pittsburgh; I think it hit 90F today and I was working outside for five hours this morning and then spent four hours at a BBQ in the afternoon evening so I'm just baked. What happened Spring; we had Winter, then three weeks of rain and now right into full Summer.
posted by octothorpe at 7:08 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
I grew up downstate, surrounded by cornfields, where everyone knows this is the proper way to cook corn
My dad (Ohio) loves corn on the cob more than just about anything in the world. He eats like four ears with his dinner. Several nights a week, all summer long. But only if it's right. He's tried and tried to grow it himself, never with much success. So the poor man has to settle for corn from this one farm stand that picks it same-day. (A lot of places will put out yesterday's corn as if it were fresh, like nobody will know the difference--ha!)
I'm not such a corn fiend as my dad, but I think I will be forever fearful of substandard corn. I was horrified once when we had reasonably fresh corn on the cob at my in-laws', and they wanted to serve everybody one ear, then leave all the other ears in the hot water until we were ready "to keep them warm." Shudder.
posted by gueneverey at 7:14 PM on May 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
My dad (Ohio) loves corn on the cob more than just about anything in the world. He eats like four ears with his dinner. Several nights a week, all summer long. But only if it's right. He's tried and tried to grow it himself, never with much success. So the poor man has to settle for corn from this one farm stand that picks it same-day. (A lot of places will put out yesterday's corn as if it were fresh, like nobody will know the difference--ha!)
I'm not such a corn fiend as my dad, but I think I will be forever fearful of substandard corn. I was horrified once when we had reasonably fresh corn on the cob at my in-laws', and they wanted to serve everybody one ear, then leave all the other ears in the hot water until we were ready "to keep them warm." Shudder.
posted by gueneverey at 7:14 PM on May 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
I had wanted to go hiking today but when I got up, I noticed my Achilles' tendon doing a thing -- it didn't hurt, but it felt like someone was brushing the back of my ankle with fabric intermittently when I... did something? I couldn't consistently re-create it -- so I rested today. Which meant I spent 8am until 3pm on my porch, sometimes with my cats on harnesses and leads, drinking tea and eating leftover barbecue and mostly delighting in the baby bluebirds who cheep cheep cheep every time one of their hardworking parents brings food into their nestbox. There was a moment of simultaneous turkey-flock/hawk/crow consternation, which was very loud, but otherwise it was a lovely day watching birds do their thing, and trying to get into cat rhythm of alternating between "I have nothing I need to do" and "I am concentrating hard on this one thing." I really like four-day weekends; I think this is the first day in a very long time where I felt like I had done all the things and could just relax.
posted by lazuli at 7:30 PM on May 28, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 7:30 PM on May 28, 2018 [5 favorites]
Oh! I started that comment meaning to share my dinner recipe, which is good for hot weather. Tuna steaks braised with radicchio, chickpeas, and rosemary. That link is a total plagiarsization (?), even when she attempts to say "adapted from," of the recipe in Molly Stevens' All About Braising, which is one of the best cookbooks ever. Obviously a lot of braising is more appropriate for cold weather, but the quick-braising stovetop recipes (mostly fish and veggies) would work in summer. The tuna's nice because it's good at room temp.
posted by lazuli at 8:31 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lazuli at 8:31 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
The plagiarized recipe is correct, however, in using canned chickpeas. I have made the recipe with carefully cooked Rancho Gordo dried chickpeas, and there is almost no discernible difference from using good canned chickpeas.
posted by lazuli at 8:39 PM on May 28, 2018
posted by lazuli at 8:39 PM on May 28, 2018
Cold noodles and sauce! Somen, or soba, or hiyashi chuka, or reimen, but yeah. There is boiling involved but it is good stuff.
It gets really hot, the husband starts making noises about wanting to eat eel. One of those things.
posted by sacchan at 12:03 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
It gets really hot, the husband starts making noises about wanting to eat eel. One of those things.
posted by sacchan at 12:03 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Mefi user Elsa's lemonade with lemon peel syrup, which merited its own post eight years ago and which I still try to keep around every summer.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:33 AM on May 29, 2018
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:33 AM on May 29, 2018
It's really not worth mentioning in the wonderous thing that is this thread but in my keto-driven rage I've finally found an artificial sweetener (maybe two) that I can handle nay enjoy a bit. Swerve (that's the marketing name for Erythritol and some fillers) and MonkFruit are actually decent at mimicking sugar in a way that I can stand compared to Aspartame, Sucralose, Splenda and even Stevia, which was the most tolerable.
Anyway, that's that. I'm drinking fake cocoa sweetened with that and made with Almond/Cashew/Walnut milk these days (and also Earl Grey tea with heavy cream and same) and trying to lose the poundage. Fat bombs are also a thing in Keto and do a surprisingly good job at approximating cookie dough for late night cravings.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:22 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Anyway, that's that. I'm drinking fake cocoa sweetened with that and made with Almond/Cashew/Walnut milk these days (and also Earl Grey tea with heavy cream and same) and trying to lose the poundage. Fat bombs are also a thing in Keto and do a surprisingly good job at approximating cookie dough for late night cravings.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:22 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
There's another big reason why I go with the Moosewood salads in the summer - that's when my CSA kicks up. Nine times out of ten, if I'm not having a salad, then "dinner" is "a melange of the vegetables I need to use up, over pasta".
(11 days until the first box w00t)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:00 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
(11 days until the first box w00t)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:00 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Things we ate this weekend, in the heat:
deviled eggs
BLTs with A
bean salad (1 can pintos, sliced carrot & red pepper, green onion, mustardy dressing)
tbone steaks
potatos in foil on the grill with oregano and lemon juice
ceboillitas
rhubarb pie (the kitchen got too hot, but we had it a la mode)
watermelon
many many popsicles
hot dogs and ice chips (for the toddler)
tonight is taco night.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:24 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
deviled eggs
BLTs with A
bean salad (1 can pintos, sliced carrot & red pepper, green onion, mustardy dressing)
tbone steaks
potatos in foil on the grill with oregano and lemon juice
ceboillitas
rhubarb pie (the kitchen got too hot, but we had it a la mode)
watermelon
many many popsicles
hot dogs and ice chips (for the toddler)
tonight is taco night.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:24 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
No food recipes to share since I've had frequent queasy feelings... but accomplishments to share. Monday was my first day off work this year. Yay! And, what did I do?
I fixed the bed. The bed slats kept falling out, so I decided to spend the very rainy day fixing it. I took the thing apart (much fun moving mattress solo) and found there were multitudes of dust bunnies under the bed along with the stuff stored under there. So, I moved all of that out of the way and then decide, may as well move around some furniture in the room. Much vacuuming was had. The room is almost completely rearranged. The bed slats are screwed into place so no more falling. I am feeling the muscles that don't get used regularly as a result of moving all of the furniture yesterday. It's a good feeling (mostly.)
posted by mightshould at 9:58 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
I fixed the bed. The bed slats kept falling out, so I decided to spend the very rainy day fixing it. I took the thing apart (much fun moving mattress solo) and found there were multitudes of dust bunnies under the bed along with the stuff stored under there. So, I moved all of that out of the way and then decide, may as well move around some furniture in the room. Much vacuuming was had. The room is almost completely rearranged. The bed slats are screwed into place so no more falling. I am feeling the muscles that don't get used regularly as a result of moving all of the furniture yesterday. It's a good feeling (mostly.)
posted by mightshould at 9:58 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm in the final stretch for track selection and set planning for my DJ gig friday. And now I'm getting butterflies.
Man, it is insanely difficult to select, oh, 15-20 songs out of the 220 I'm working with. (out of, oh, 25k tracks in my main collection?) I've spent the last two weeks practicing and jamming with WAY TOO LARGE of a playlist. I want to play all he songs, but, no, that's currently a 28 frickin' hour playlist. Maybe 25 hours when mixed.
Need to get it down to about 2 hours. Time to get brutal with the cuts.
posted by loquacious at 10:44 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Man, it is insanely difficult to select, oh, 15-20 songs out of the 220 I'm working with. (out of, oh, 25k tracks in my main collection?) I've spent the last two weeks practicing and jamming with WAY TOO LARGE of a playlist. I want to play all he songs, but, no, that's currently a 28 frickin' hour playlist. Maybe 25 hours when mixed.
Need to get it down to about 2 hours. Time to get brutal with the cuts.
posted by loquacious at 10:44 AM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
also I have hives and am taking prednisone and hiding indoors. fun!
posted by Lawn Beaver at 12:36 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 12:36 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have a brand new niece!
This is not a surprise though... scheduled c-sections are so weird (to me).
posted by elsietheeel at 1:11 PM on May 29, 2018 [4 favorites]
This is not a surprise though... scheduled c-sections are so weird (to me).
posted by elsietheeel at 1:11 PM on May 29, 2018 [4 favorites]
Just did a solid 2 hour run through and practice session and managed to pretty much nail the theme and arc I'm going for and hitting my planned time points. A very melodic, orchestral opening that shifts into uplifting, driving house, then at midnight shifts into much darker synthy stuff for a few songs, then dives into deep, dubby house as an apertif and closer.
And it all has a really good key match, too, which is one of the hardest parts of DJing is being able to shift and curate through the major key of a given track, without selecting tracks that are all in the same key, which gives you a monotonous sounding set.
There's so much emotion packed into this I might make people cry, and that's kind of the point. I've seen it happen on a good dance floor where someone dances long enough to have a breakthrough and just starts weeping with joy. Some of the vocal themes have really psychologically profound themes or stories about self-discovery and progression in life.
Nervous, but very excited. The technical side seems to be locked down. At this point it's more a matter of if enough people show up and I can capture them and take them with me on a journey and story.
posted by loquacious at 1:29 PM on May 29, 2018 [4 favorites]
And it all has a really good key match, too, which is one of the hardest parts of DJing is being able to shift and curate through the major key of a given track, without selecting tracks that are all in the same key, which gives you a monotonous sounding set.
There's so much emotion packed into this I might make people cry, and that's kind of the point. I've seen it happen on a good dance floor where someone dances long enough to have a breakthrough and just starts weeping with joy. Some of the vocal themes have really psychologically profound themes or stories about self-discovery and progression in life.
Nervous, but very excited. The technical side seems to be locked down. At this point it's more a matter of if enough people show up and I can capture them and take them with me on a journey and story.
posted by loquacious at 1:29 PM on May 29, 2018 [4 favorites]
Nauseated by heavy antibiotics. Can’t subsist in applesauce alone. Don’t want popsicles. Trader Joe’s harvest tea with the fox on the box is usually amazing when I’m sick but right now it tastes like licorice flavored sadness (I usually like licorice).
What should I request from the person who is going to the store for me? (On my way to search precvous ask.me questions on the topic of sick foods)
posted by bilabial at 3:43 PM on May 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
What should I request from the person who is going to the store for me? (On my way to search precvous ask.me questions on the topic of sick foods)
posted by bilabial at 3:43 PM on May 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh, bilabial...
Could you eat sherbet? Maybe melted sherbet?
Flat ginger ale or 7Up?
Pudding?
Jello?
Chicken or beef broth?
I know you don’t want to have to eat more applesauce, but what about flavored applesauce—you can often find it in single serve cups.
Could you manage scrambled eggs?
(And, not to make light of your situation, but “Licorice Flavored Sadness” would be a great name for a band)
Feel better!
posted by bookmammal at 3:56 PM on May 29, 2018
Could you eat sherbet? Maybe melted sherbet?
Flat ginger ale or 7Up?
Pudding?
Jello?
Chicken or beef broth?
I know you don’t want to have to eat more applesauce, but what about flavored applesauce—you can often find it in single serve cups.
Could you manage scrambled eggs?
(And, not to make light of your situation, but “Licorice Flavored Sadness” would be a great name for a band)
Feel better!
posted by bookmammal at 3:56 PM on May 29, 2018
Pudding sounds divine. And stuffed grape leaves sounds good too.
posted by bilabial at 4:07 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bilabial at 4:07 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Mashed potatoes are good, bilabial.... and hugs are good.
(((Bilabial)))
posted by mightshould at 4:34 PM on May 29, 2018
(((Bilabial)))
posted by mightshould at 4:34 PM on May 29, 2018
I just found out that new niece's middle name is going to be Austin but the first name is still being debated.
Taking bets on whether my Perry Farrell-loving cousin is lobbying to name her Kimberly...
posted by elsietheeel at 5:49 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Taking bets on whether my Perry Farrell-loving cousin is lobbying to name her Kimberly...
posted by elsietheeel at 5:49 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
I love tabouli in the summer - when I make it myself I get all the proportions wrong and I add cucumbers to stretch it a bit, but the magic is really in the mint/parsley to deal with the summer heat.
I've gotten out of this habit, but I also like freezing ripe banana chunks dipped in chocolate. Super cooling and delicious.
posted by invokeuse at 6:07 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've gotten out of this habit, but I also like freezing ripe banana chunks dipped in chocolate. Super cooling and delicious.
posted by invokeuse at 6:07 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Homo neanderthalensis, ugh, I'm at the beginning of the type of ankle journey you've been on, it seems.
So as mentioned, I both broke and dislocated my ankle on Sunday, and I just got surgery to screw and plate it back together and put a cast on yesterday. This has been a time of firsts: first broken bone, first true dislocation, first hospital admission, first IV pain meds, first prescription pain meds period, first surgery, first cast.
If it had to happen at any time, this might have been the best one, since it's at the very beginning of my summer travel schedule and right at the beginning of my return to a previous role at work, in addition to the role I took on in a promotion a year ago. So I'm just at the beginning of team formation on some projects, and I'm still able to cancel speaking at one conference and postpone travel for training I need.
The story of how this happened goes like so: I spent Saturday solo hiking/light bouldering and then canoeing, got a ton of amazing photos I have yet to post most of, fed fish, ate tons of delicious local food that I burned off immediately, saw a movie, etc. I was super careful while solo hiking, making sure I didn't end up a statistic with a snakebite or something broken. Nah, I was saving that for the next day. On Sunday, I was exhausted and went for a low-key day: visit to a local sculpture park, long nap, chicken lunch where I got a solo table, reading by the pool, chatting with the same couple whose family photo I'd taken at the sculpture park earlier... Well, I should've kept napping or zoning out by the pool. Instead, at golden hour, I again scaled the spiral staircase of this state park water tower, and on the way back down, a mere 6 steps from the bottom, my feet slipped out from under me and within seconds, I was almost at the bottom, foot turned at an unnatural angle. I looked down, said, "Oh no," and got out my marching-band voice to yell for help.
About a half dozen sweet people stopped to help: Tyler, his girlfriend, Jenna, and their tiny dog, Peaches, came down from the platform, and Tyler held an ice pack on the scary part of my ankle, and Jenna got me water from their car, and Rob called an ambulance, and his friend took my keys and got my bag out of the car, then brought the keys to the lodge front desk, and Jim from the front desk came over and helped coordinate giving the keys to my husband so he could follow the ambulance when a colleague dropped him off (I had been slated to pick him up, which was another reason I went up the tower when I did, to get out ahead of that)... A guy named Tristan and a woman named Cassandra were my EMTs. A guy named Josh was my ER nurse and helped when the doctor, Eric, relocated my sheared ankle bones. Everyone. was. so. nice.
But yeah, I'm currently lying in my hospital bed, on heavy meds, after surgery yesterday to put my broken ankle bones, which were snapped clean across, back together with titanium screws and plates. I was in a ton of pain after the surgery, so they put in a nerve block, which is only just starting to wear off overnight. So everything under and around the cast has feelings, like itching, tingling, pain... If anyone has any tips on how to get through the first 4 weeks of this without going too stir-crazy, I'd love to hear it.
I also discovered, through X-rays of a couple other spots that didn't feel great, that I have degenerative disc disease in my neck. This makes all the pain I was in before going on vacation, whenever I was sitting at my desk, make so much sense. I'm definitely going to be relearning a thing or two about how to live my life in the next month!
posted by limeonaire at 3:01 AM on May 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
So as mentioned, I both broke and dislocated my ankle on Sunday, and I just got surgery to screw and plate it back together and put a cast on yesterday. This has been a time of firsts: first broken bone, first true dislocation, first hospital admission, first IV pain meds, first prescription pain meds period, first surgery, first cast.
If it had to happen at any time, this might have been the best one, since it's at the very beginning of my summer travel schedule and right at the beginning of my return to a previous role at work, in addition to the role I took on in a promotion a year ago. So I'm just at the beginning of team formation on some projects, and I'm still able to cancel speaking at one conference and postpone travel for training I need.
The story of how this happened goes like so: I spent Saturday solo hiking/light bouldering and then canoeing, got a ton of amazing photos I have yet to post most of, fed fish, ate tons of delicious local food that I burned off immediately, saw a movie, etc. I was super careful while solo hiking, making sure I didn't end up a statistic with a snakebite or something broken. Nah, I was saving that for the next day. On Sunday, I was exhausted and went for a low-key day: visit to a local sculpture park, long nap, chicken lunch where I got a solo table, reading by the pool, chatting with the same couple whose family photo I'd taken at the sculpture park earlier... Well, I should've kept napping or zoning out by the pool. Instead, at golden hour, I again scaled the spiral staircase of this state park water tower, and on the way back down, a mere 6 steps from the bottom, my feet slipped out from under me and within seconds, I was almost at the bottom, foot turned at an unnatural angle. I looked down, said, "Oh no," and got out my marching-band voice to yell for help.
About a half dozen sweet people stopped to help: Tyler, his girlfriend, Jenna, and their tiny dog, Peaches, came down from the platform, and Tyler held an ice pack on the scary part of my ankle, and Jenna got me water from their car, and Rob called an ambulance, and his friend took my keys and got my bag out of the car, then brought the keys to the lodge front desk, and Jim from the front desk came over and helped coordinate giving the keys to my husband so he could follow the ambulance when a colleague dropped him off (I had been slated to pick him up, which was another reason I went up the tower when I did, to get out ahead of that)... A guy named Tristan and a woman named Cassandra were my EMTs. A guy named Josh was my ER nurse and helped when the doctor, Eric, relocated my sheared ankle bones. Everyone. was. so. nice.
But yeah, I'm currently lying in my hospital bed, on heavy meds, after surgery yesterday to put my broken ankle bones, which were snapped clean across, back together with titanium screws and plates. I was in a ton of pain after the surgery, so they put in a nerve block, which is only just starting to wear off overnight. So everything under and around the cast has feelings, like itching, tingling, pain... If anyone has any tips on how to get through the first 4 weeks of this without going too stir-crazy, I'd love to hear it.
I also discovered, through X-rays of a couple other spots that didn't feel great, that I have degenerative disc disease in my neck. This makes all the pain I was in before going on vacation, whenever I was sitting at my desk, make so much sense. I'm definitely going to be relearning a thing or two about how to live my life in the next month!
posted by limeonaire at 3:01 AM on May 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
Oh, limeonaire and bilabial , my sympathies! God, both of those sound horrible. Speedy recoveries!
posted by Fig at 4:08 AM on May 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Fig at 4:08 AM on May 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Limeonaire I’m so sorry! I wouldn’t wish ankle issues on anyone they can be tricky. The good news is your issue should be solved by this surgery, that kind of break is pretty easily fixed, it just necessitates a shit-ton Of down time to fix it. My problems were congenital and mysterious. Fracture (maybe) that needed a cast when i was 14- reoccurrence of fracture at 19 that needed very minor surgery and then at 21 the discovery that the cartilage flap that healed wrong was concealing a 2 cm round hole of rotting bone in my talus. So yeah- what the hell right? Bone graft then the failure of said graft- finally a fusion (which worked very well) and now it’s just some basic bullshit to nip a nerve issue in the bud. So this will be surgery number 7- a number of surgeries you will hopefully never need. Ironically I never really “broke” the damn thing, and it probably would have gone easier if i had. Apparently my case was so fucking weird that my surgeon presented my case at a conference and everyone was amazed. So you should be fine don’t worry!
As for recovery tips- take your pain pills! You won’t heal right without them. If you need take a Benadryl at night so you can sleep through the itching do it (clear with doc first) something like an Advil PM can work well too. Try to avoid alcohol for a while, as a vasodilator it can sometimes make the incision site feel weird even as it takes away other types of pain. Try to have something to do- anything! Reading is fine but like take up crochet or anything that you have to do with your hands that keeps your mind off of things. Video games count! I was in agony after my bone graft and silly as it sounds Warcraft took my mind off of things. If you can just distract yourself it helps- also counter intuitively try to take brief walks- crutch around the block once you’re up for it just to keep the blood flowing, also if the itching won’t stop after a few weeks or if it gets worse it can be a reaction to pain pills- I developed an allergy to Percocet that started with itching and a rash under bandages. But try a Benadryl first- and good luck! Ankle problems suck!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 6:10 PM on May 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
As for recovery tips- take your pain pills! You won’t heal right without them. If you need take a Benadryl at night so you can sleep through the itching do it (clear with doc first) something like an Advil PM can work well too. Try to avoid alcohol for a while, as a vasodilator it can sometimes make the incision site feel weird even as it takes away other types of pain. Try to have something to do- anything! Reading is fine but like take up crochet or anything that you have to do with your hands that keeps your mind off of things. Video games count! I was in agony after my bone graft and silly as it sounds Warcraft took my mind off of things. If you can just distract yourself it helps- also counter intuitively try to take brief walks- crutch around the block once you’re up for it just to keep the blood flowing, also if the itching won’t stop after a few weeks or if it gets worse it can be a reaction to pain pills- I developed an allergy to Percocet that started with itching and a rash under bandages. But try a Benadryl first- and good luck! Ankle problems suck!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 6:10 PM on May 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Thanks for the advice and well wishes! Today I learned how to use a walker and crutches! I've also learned this week that 1. I really do have decent upper body strength after months of tennis and weight training and 2. I'm actually decent at planking—good for moving around in bed and using a walker, heh. I think this interim phase of fitness is gonna involve a lot of core and upper-body work, and yeah, I'm here for it.
I also think that yeah, pain meds and antihistamines will be my friends for the next month-plus. Among the weirdest things I discovered this week is that hospital beds are actually comfy as hell for my body shape. I'm a little anxious about returning to a normal bed tomorrow. But we'll see how it goes! As ever, it kind of helps to just see this as the next adventure I happen to be on—adventure liked me so much, it didn't want to let me go home. I also will say, it's helped a lot to have already been a caregiver myself, as I went into this with an already good understanding of hospitals and their ways. In a lot of respects, the hospital part of this has been easier than what comes next, I think.
Oh well, tomorrow I get to look forward to chilling in my mother's back seat for 2 or 3 hours as I'm driven home. I'm thankful for everyone who's been so supportive this week!
posted by limeonaire at 9:09 PM on May 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
I also think that yeah, pain meds and antihistamines will be my friends for the next month-plus. Among the weirdest things I discovered this week is that hospital beds are actually comfy as hell for my body shape. I'm a little anxious about returning to a normal bed tomorrow. But we'll see how it goes! As ever, it kind of helps to just see this as the next adventure I happen to be on—adventure liked me so much, it didn't want to let me go home. I also will say, it's helped a lot to have already been a caregiver myself, as I went into this with an already good understanding of hospitals and their ways. In a lot of respects, the hospital part of this has been easier than what comes next, I think.
Oh well, tomorrow I get to look forward to chilling in my mother's back seat for 2 or 3 hours as I'm driven home. I'm thankful for everyone who's been so supportive this week!
posted by limeonaire at 9:09 PM on May 30, 2018 [4 favorites]
Happy healing, limeonaire! Go you!
posted by mochapickle at 9:33 PM on May 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by mochapickle at 9:33 PM on May 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Remembered another one:
Rice Paper Wraps (aka fresh spring rolls)!
They're quite refreshing and require no intense cooking--the only cooking you need is to boil some water and maybe cook the fillings to your preferred doneness. All you need to prep the rice paper sheet is to soak it in lukewarm water for a moment until it turns transparent. Lay it on a plate, place filling, and roll it up. (Do one sheet at a time because it sticks to itself when wet.) Enjoy.
Some of my favorite filling combos:
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 6:35 AM on May 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
Rice Paper Wraps (aka fresh spring rolls)!
They're quite refreshing and require no intense cooking--the only cooking you need is to boil some water and maybe cook the fillings to your preferred doneness. All you need to prep the rice paper sheet is to soak it in lukewarm water for a moment until it turns transparent. Lay it on a plate, place filling, and roll it up. (Do one sheet at a time because it sticks to itself when wet.) Enjoy.
Some of my favorite filling combos:
-Smoked salmon, avocado, fresh bell pepper, lemonI'm thinking of trying a garlic chicken and cucumber one next...
-Roast duck, mango, sweet chili sauce
-Shabu shabu beef (=really thin slices of beef, boiled), enoki mushrooms, ponzu dressing
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 6:35 AM on May 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
I make a lot of "kitchen sink" salads, which basically involve me dumping whatever's in the house into some buckwheat soba, and then chilling it in the fridge. The stove only needs to be on for about ten minutes, to cook the soba. Here is last night's (I like to use heirloom ingredients mostly because of the interesting colours; you eat with your eyes first, etc.):
-heirloom cherry/grape tomatoes
-roasted cashews
-yellow bell pepper
-striped holland bell pepper
-minced shallots
-fresh mint
-fresh basil
-empire apple
-heirloom carrot (both shredded and chopped)
-peas
-scallions
-toasted sesame seeds
-sauce made from: sesame oil, soy sauce, organic mirin (no sugar in the organic stuff, which is why we use it), maple syrup, minced garlic, minced ginger
My go-to summer drink (other than a bracingly cold cider) is what I call a Gentleman Loser. It's simple, but quite refreshing: in an old fashion/rocks glass, combine: 3 ice cubes, 1 shot Alberta Premium rye, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 4 dashes of angostura bitters, fill with ginger ale
Hpnotiq & white cranberry juice shaken with ice is also really nice on a hot day, though not something I would normally recommend.
Adding to Sockin'inthefreeworld's recommendation of spring rolls, I can say that spring rolls with jicama, fresh basil, carrot, cucumber, and red bell peppers are quite good if you want to avoid meat (my gf is vegan, so I've had to veganize many of my favourite dishes).
posted by Fish Sauce at 7:25 AM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
-heirloom cherry/grape tomatoes
-roasted cashews
-yellow bell pepper
-striped holland bell pepper
-minced shallots
-fresh mint
-fresh basil
-empire apple
-heirloom carrot (both shredded and chopped)
-peas
-scallions
-toasted sesame seeds
-sauce made from: sesame oil, soy sauce, organic mirin (no sugar in the organic stuff, which is why we use it), maple syrup, minced garlic, minced ginger
My go-to summer drink (other than a bracingly cold cider) is what I call a Gentleman Loser. It's simple, but quite refreshing: in an old fashion/rocks glass, combine: 3 ice cubes, 1 shot Alberta Premium rye, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 4 dashes of angostura bitters, fill with ginger ale
Hpnotiq & white cranberry juice shaken with ice is also really nice on a hot day, though not something I would normally recommend.
Adding to Sockin'inthefreeworld's recommendation of spring rolls, I can say that spring rolls with jicama, fresh basil, carrot, cucumber, and red bell peppers are quite good if you want to avoid meat (my gf is vegan, so I've had to veganize many of my favourite dishes).
posted by Fish Sauce at 7:25 AM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Oh my darlings...bilabial, I've heard that plain rice and toast are also easy to keep down if you're queasy. And mint tea - make sure that the only thing in the tea bags is mint leaves. You can sweeten it if you want, but I personally like it just straight. Mint tea is also a really refreshing iced tea in summer; I just get a quart-size jug, dump four bags in, fill it with water and stick it in the fridge. Within an hour it's ready enough, although the longer you can wait the better. If you've been having cooler weather like we're having here in NYC it's good hot too.
(Mint tea was wonderfully soothing for a "let's help EC feel better" move the morning after my getting food poisoning while visiting a friend's house in Ireland. It was a rough night and she wanted to baby me the next day.)
And limeonaire: I went calcium-heavy when recovering from a broken foot (in winter, in my case, which was its own realm of not-fun). My orthopedist assured me that it is not possible to overdo it on calcium, because it's water-soluable (or, as he put it "you'll pee any extra right out"). Believe it or not, kale and collard greens are calcium-heavy, as well as white beans and clams. All of which are ingredients in a lovely seafoody soup I sometimes make in summer; it's got a tomato-and-clam-juice or tomato-and-fish-stock broth, and has cooked greens, cooked white beans, and chopped seafood. You can make it for one person (I found it in a "cooking for one person" book, in fact), and it uses about half an onion, a big handful of chopped greens, a cup or so of the white beans and about a quarter to a half pound of seafood (I'd go with a half pound of fresh clams or a 6-oz can of canned). Steam the clams first if you're using fresh and save the water to use as stock, but otherwise this is a quickly-assembled "throw things together in a pot and give everything about 10 minutes to get to know each other" meal. Which is good for someone who probably won't want to be standing in front of a stove.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:47 AM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
(Mint tea was wonderfully soothing for a "let's help EC feel better" move the morning after my getting food poisoning while visiting a friend's house in Ireland. It was a rough night and she wanted to baby me the next day.)
And limeonaire: I went calcium-heavy when recovering from a broken foot (in winter, in my case, which was its own realm of not-fun). My orthopedist assured me that it is not possible to overdo it on calcium, because it's water-soluable (or, as he put it "you'll pee any extra right out"). Believe it or not, kale and collard greens are calcium-heavy, as well as white beans and clams. All of which are ingredients in a lovely seafoody soup I sometimes make in summer; it's got a tomato-and-clam-juice or tomato-and-fish-stock broth, and has cooked greens, cooked white beans, and chopped seafood. You can make it for one person (I found it in a "cooking for one person" book, in fact), and it uses about half an onion, a big handful of chopped greens, a cup or so of the white beans and about a quarter to a half pound of seafood (I'd go with a half pound of fresh clams or a 6-oz can of canned). Steam the clams first if you're using fresh and save the water to use as stock, but otherwise this is a quickly-assembled "throw things together in a pot and give everything about 10 minutes to get to know each other" meal. Which is good for someone who probably won't want to be standing in front of a stove.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:47 AM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
So. my bosses current out of office email auto responder is set to a lovely tired about non-profit work, moving mountains and the fact that she's away at a Flaming Lips concert cavorting with unicorns spraying confetti.
So that's a thing I have going for me, hehe.
Also, my knees started hurting when I walk, but not when I bike. Hrm.
posted by loquacious at 12:16 PM on May 31, 2018
So that's a thing I have going for me, hehe.
Also, my knees started hurting when I walk, but not when I bike. Hrm.
posted by loquacious at 12:16 PM on May 31, 2018
So. my bosses current out of office email auto responder is set to a lovely tired about non-profit work, moving mountains and the fact that she's away at a Flaming Lips concert cavorting with unicorns spraying confetti.
This is reminding me of something my roommate's been saying about a "company-wide team-building exercise" that his new job is going to be sending him on; he's with a company that recently got bought by WeWork, which has this two week thing called "summer camp" sometime in July in London. But it looks like it's about 40% business meeting, and then 60%...music festival, so he's been muttering "so wait, are they sending me to a business conference or to Coachella?"
meanwhile my own job is sending me to a conference room in Rochester for 2 days next week to listen to people talk about Myers-Briggs communication styles and concrete, kill me now
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:25 PM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is reminding me of something my roommate's been saying about a "company-wide team-building exercise" that his new job is going to be sending him on; he's with a company that recently got bought by WeWork, which has this two week thing called "summer camp" sometime in July in London. But it looks like it's about 40% business meeting, and then 60%...music festival, so he's been muttering "so wait, are they sending me to a business conference or to Coachella?"
meanwhile my own job is sending me to a conference room in Rochester for 2 days next week to listen to people talk about Myers-Briggs communication styles and concrete, kill me now
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:25 PM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Myers-Briggs communication styles and concrete
How does one communicate with concrete?
Other than throwing it in anger or burying someone in it, both of which I'd consider clear but...shall we say, limited messaging not likely to promote further communication.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:20 PM on May 31, 2018
How does one communicate with concrete?
Other than throwing it in anger or burying someone in it, both of which I'd consider clear but...shall we say, limited messaging not likely to promote further communication.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:20 PM on May 31, 2018
You can overdo it on calcium. Too much and you get super constipated and you get kidney stones. Also Calcium is not water-soluble- it's a fat soluble mineral that you absolutely don't pee out. Your orthopedist is shockingly misinformed.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 1:42 PM on May 31, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 1:42 PM on May 31, 2018 [2 favorites]
How does one communicate with concrete?
You can overdo it on calcium.
I realize these two comments aren't related. But their juxtaposition, and the knowledge that cement does contain a significant amount of calcium, caused me to laugh and think "Yeah, I'd say getting hit with a chunk of concrete could certainly be considered 'overdoing it'!"
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:50 PM on May 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
You can overdo it on calcium.
I realize these two comments aren't related. But their juxtaposition, and the knowledge that cement does contain a significant amount of calcium, caused me to laugh and think "Yeah, I'd say getting hit with a chunk of concrete could certainly be considered 'overdoing it'!"
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:50 PM on May 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
How does one communicate with concrete?
....If the Myers-Briggs portion actually were going to be combined with the concrete portion that would actually make for a much more entertaining experience than the one I am facing.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:33 PM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
....If the Myers-Briggs portion actually were going to be combined with the concrete portion that would actually make for a much more entertaining experience than the one I am facing.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:33 PM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Weeeee DJ gig! Rested and hydrated! Looking Sharp and weird!
posted by loquacious at 4:43 PM on June 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 4:43 PM on June 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
Well, that was just a lovely day. Hit all my planned prep cues, had a lovely friend dinner date, was able to treat us to some really amazing vegan sushi rolls and put on a totally professional grade show.
It was also a lot of fun going around town in my totally sharp/fun "stage outfit". I described this before but all black: jacket, silk shell, slacks, black suede boots and hot pink laces, and my hair in pigtails with matching hot pink hair ties.
I got on the bus as usual and the driver was just "Daaamn" and I'm just like "What, rock stars can't take the bus? Shiiiit." with a sly grin.
Dear readers, even my bus transfer matched my hot pink laces. It was fierce.
I also had a cool cupid locket pendant that I wrote paper inserts for reading "Hello Friend!" one one side and "I love you!" on the other, and then I went around pretending it was drugs and saying stuff "Hey, did I give you a hit of the really good shit yet?" and make them decide if they wanted it or not before telling them what was in the locket.
Most everyone said yes before I opened it and let them read it, and then gave them a hug. So much fun. :)
A bunch of people showed up thanks to my word of mouth promoting. We never really got fliers up around town, so considering the packed house we did something right.
I even started with a very tired, chill crowd. Two tracks in, packed floor, and a bunch of people I know (and literally every active DJ in town) going "Uhhh... they're FUCKING KILLING IT and and having fun and relaxing, this is REALLY new."
Like, jaws dropped and people screaming and hollering good. My housemate (who has been loving my practice sets for the last two weeks, no really, he and his girlfriend like EDM and apparently like sleeping (or, err, *not* sleeping) through me bumping deep house music, so lucky me) stood behind me the whole time just going "Holy shit." and he's not unfamiliar with being on stage.
Things got so hectic the bartenders actually had to call both of the owners in to jump in behind the bar.
So there's kind of a smoking crater where that dance floor used to be. I didn't get the whole place jumping and the sweaty "dance yourself clean" church I wanted, but getting any continuous dancefloor going here on a slow night is a major, major thing.
I also made about 3x the money I spent on dinner and drinks on my split on the door take, which was just a $3 cover, sooo I just got paid to eat awesome food, listen to some of my favorite music on bigger speakers, and make a whole bunch of people feel real good.
Also made three work contacts and scheduled a new volunteer for training tomorrow, so, weeee, I get to go to work tomorrow. Thankfully they'll be in the same rough shape I am in.
Oh, and I also pre-emptively told my friend to take his controller home and not even think about letting me hang on to it, 'cause I need to get to work and stop having musicbrain for a bit.
2-3 weeks of planning, probably 20-30 solid hours of practice, 10 hours of planning/negotiation, another 10 ish of casual promo, 3 hours on the flier design, about 1-2k songs browsed. 200 selected. Maybe 3 hours of outfit selection.
All for 20-something tracks played in two very time-dilated hours.
Mission accomplished. House burnt the fuck down. Love spread. Sleep now. Work in as few hours as possible.
posted by loquacious at 2:52 AM on June 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
It was also a lot of fun going around town in my totally sharp/fun "stage outfit". I described this before but all black: jacket, silk shell, slacks, black suede boots and hot pink laces, and my hair in pigtails with matching hot pink hair ties.
I got on the bus as usual and the driver was just "Daaamn" and I'm just like "What, rock stars can't take the bus? Shiiiit." with a sly grin.
Dear readers, even my bus transfer matched my hot pink laces. It was fierce.
I also had a cool cupid locket pendant that I wrote paper inserts for reading "Hello Friend!" one one side and "I love you!" on the other, and then I went around pretending it was drugs and saying stuff "Hey, did I give you a hit of the really good shit yet?" and make them decide if they wanted it or not before telling them what was in the locket.
Most everyone said yes before I opened it and let them read it, and then gave them a hug. So much fun. :)
A bunch of people showed up thanks to my word of mouth promoting. We never really got fliers up around town, so considering the packed house we did something right.
I even started with a very tired, chill crowd. Two tracks in, packed floor, and a bunch of people I know (and literally every active DJ in town) going "Uhhh... they're FUCKING KILLING IT and and having fun and relaxing, this is REALLY new."
Like, jaws dropped and people screaming and hollering good. My housemate (who has been loving my practice sets for the last two weeks, no really, he and his girlfriend like EDM and apparently like sleeping (or, err, *not* sleeping) through me bumping deep house music, so lucky me) stood behind me the whole time just going "Holy shit." and he's not unfamiliar with being on stage.
Things got so hectic the bartenders actually had to call both of the owners in to jump in behind the bar.
So there's kind of a smoking crater where that dance floor used to be. I didn't get the whole place jumping and the sweaty "dance yourself clean" church I wanted, but getting any continuous dancefloor going here on a slow night is a major, major thing.
I also made about 3x the money I spent on dinner and drinks on my split on the door take, which was just a $3 cover, sooo I just got paid to eat awesome food, listen to some of my favorite music on bigger speakers, and make a whole bunch of people feel real good.
Also made three work contacts and scheduled a new volunteer for training tomorrow, so, weeee, I get to go to work tomorrow. Thankfully they'll be in the same rough shape I am in.
Oh, and I also pre-emptively told my friend to take his controller home and not even think about letting me hang on to it, 'cause I need to get to work and stop having musicbrain for a bit.
2-3 weeks of planning, probably 20-30 solid hours of practice, 10 hours of planning/negotiation, another 10 ish of casual promo, 3 hours on the flier design, about 1-2k songs browsed. 200 selected. Maybe 3 hours of outfit selection.
All for 20-something tracks played in two very time-dilated hours.
Mission accomplished. House burnt the fuck down. Love spread. Sleep now. Work in as few hours as possible.
posted by loquacious at 2:52 AM on June 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
Watermelon, feta, mint
I was just perusing this thread and thinking about dinner. I realised I had these 3 ingredients although the watermelon really should have been thrown out a few days ago. Anyway I cut out the squishy bits and made this up. Delicious. Thanks Grandysaur.
posted by night_train at 10:04 AM on June 2, 2018
I was just perusing this thread and thinking about dinner. I realised I had these 3 ingredients although the watermelon really should have been thrown out a few days ago. Anyway I cut out the squishy bits and made this up. Delicious. Thanks Grandysaur.
posted by night_train at 10:04 AM on June 2, 2018
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posted by Melismata at 6:42 PM on May 26, 2018 [14 favorites]