Food, Glorious...Hey! This is Raw!

Just kidding. Lenore, Roland, Amy and I went out for sushi at our favorite joint to celebrate birthdays, so of course it had to be documented. I tend to not eat the actual raw genre of menu items, at least not knowingly. I suppose it's odd, but I like to document food when celebrating or traveling, and sushi is particularly photogenic. So without further ado...

Here is Roland's appetizer, Ika Maruyki, otherwise known as broiled squid.


I had my favorite (so far), Dragon Black, which is BBQ eel and who knows what else...I think there are scallops involved too.


This is Roland's Sakura (not to be confused with Shakira) with a side of 2 shrimp tempura sushi bombs (basically a sushi roll turned into a little rice cup -- they're awesome). I don't remember what was in this, other than the stuff on top had a hearty kick to it. Roland, if you remember, let us know in the comments.


Amy had Pink Panther, which seemed to involve smoked salmon and cream cheese and had a delightful texture.


Lenore had a custom chicken and vegetable teriyaki dish that got eaten before it could be photographed. I also had a maki roll with pumpkin in it (?!), which was delicious. For those who are local, the name of the restaurant is Kaminari, and it's in Lake in the Hills. Highly recommended!

And this concludes our epicurean adventure for now, thank you.

One (Hopefully) Last Snowfall

Much as I disliked the prospect of snow this late in the game, the 5" or so we got was very pretty, and since it came on Sunday, we were able to enjoy both walking in it and looking at it. Lenore's power was out for 5 hours, so we took a walk through Library Springs and also a short jaunt at Raceway Woods, except we couldn't find the right trail at Raceway, so we didn't get too far. (Click on photos to enlarge.)




This is just a stump, but it looked like a glowering eagle to me. Or maybe it was the snowflakes on my glasses.


Can you see Lenore?


Also, here is my windmill. I love my windmill.

Free Samples!

I've added a few sample recipes to the Pseudo Gourmet page, check 'em out!
You can now order your book online and pay by credit card.

Bonus Footage

Speaking of YouTube (weren't we?), thanks to Pat for telling me about this delightful little video series, "Depression Cooking with Clara." She's so cute! (Clara that is...though Pat's cute too.) Check out 93-year-old Clara's video series and enjoy the old timey kitchen too. All that's missing are some Perky Potholders...



I made this recipe featured here, except I threw in some small pieces of leftover corned beef. It was delish! I also made the breakfast cookies, because, well, it's COOKIES! For BREAKFAST! I added a little almond extract though. Apparently, I have problems following directions. At least that's what my report cards always said in grade school. Hey, can I help it if my way is better? No, I can't, Mr. 4th Grade Teacher, so don't be so bossy! (Thankfully, Mr. 4th Grade Teacher had a sense of humor when I said that to him.)

I Did All My Own Stunts

I finally finished my little bread-making video and posted it. If it takes too long to download through the blog, you can try the YouTube version here.



One minor detail I left out of the video (oops) is that you bake the bread at 400 for 15 mintues, then 350 for about an hour.

Golden Opportunity

Lenore's family got together in D.C. to celebrate William's birthday, so I sent along some potholders for Golden. Apparently, his home is PP-less, and that's just not right. Note: His name is really Gordon, but when he went to Taiwan with his Dragon Boat team, "Gordon" came out "Golden" amongst the natives, and, well, sometimes nickname opportunities like that just can't be ignored.

Golden endeared himself to me over Christmas when he loved my Cherry Bounce so much he was eating it on his pancakes. I've often found that a little vodka for breakfast gets the day going right.

Help a Sister Out!

I engaged in a little shameless self-promotion Saturday during the annual St. Patrick's Day parade. Lenore, despite having been sprung from the hospital that very a.m., followed in her Mini with the Visitor's Center signs, and in between we had walkers tossing candy and promoting the Farmer's Market. How's that for p-rade multi-tasking?! Vote early and often, people! Competition is gonna be tough this year for the election, and the ballots are totally fixed. All the republicans are listed first. WTF?! Believe it or not, ballot position makes a big difference in vote tallies. That and mistakenly running with a slate that, turns out, isn't so much interested in actually winning the election. Swell.

Here a few more parade shots.

This must be even better than being an Oscar Meyer Weiner!


The pimped out Minis pre parade. Ducky is only breaking one parking law in this picture.


I'm pretty sure we're below the weight limit, despite Bill's accessories.

This Just In!

Check out the new cover of my cookbook. I think this is the 5th printing by now. Do you need a new copy? Need a unique gift? Order yours today, operators are standing by! As an added bonus, I fixed the typos in this edition, no extra charge. Of course, when I'm famous, those older copies will be worth much, much more.

Here's the back -- it's purty too.



Click the link to the right for more information. A college friend I recently connected with on facebook gave me the idea to pair said cookbook with a potholder. Not a bad idea... Unless of course she's just trying to score a free potholder. Well, it's still a good idea that management will be taking under consideration. Thanks Addi!

"Mine!"

Understandably, even cats can get possessive about Perky Potholders.

That's about all I have to report as of late. Been busy with election stuff, Lenore stuff and of course napping whenever possible (a favorite pastime). Lenore goes for treatment #5 of 6 next week. She has to train a new admitting person to give her a preferred room with a front view so I can continue entertaining her with doughnuts in the restricted valet parking lot when I leave. Illegal driving activity looks so much cuter in a Mini Cooper. Here's Lenore in her room with a view keeping an eye out for security.



It's going to be in the 50s this week/weekend! I cannot WAIT to be doing this:
(but not 'til it's warmer!)



In election news, this weekend is the League of Women Voter's Candidate's Forum. I'm thinking I might wear my tattoo sleeves, just to shake things up.



I was going to set up a web site for my campaign, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort. We had less than a 6% turnout for the primary.

Did I mention I made my own pancake syrup?