Dancing Around the Four Sides

*nods*

Not that I want to be in Fargo, North Dakota, where I think the actual temperature today (not including wind chill) is supposed to be 26 below, but still ...

And yeah, I'm still in my jammies and robe, just now having a waffle and a couple of slices of bacon. Hee.

From:

*nods*
I hear ya...sunny SW Florida here and we've got 70's here as well.

Are the cupcakes chocolate? hee

From:

pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com

I wrote Supernatural Christmas crack!fic this morning while still wearing my jammies. And now I'm having a cheese sandwich and grapes and wishing for a magic wand to get the housecleaning done.

From:

I saw that crack!fic, and liked it a lot! There was perhaps a bit of personal feeling shining through there? Hee.

Pass that magic wand to me when you get it, 'kay? ;-)

From:

pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com

Oh, yes! It was highly cathartic to write. :)

And you'll be first on the wand-me-down list.

From:

I'm about halfway through my laundry, planning meals in relation to when I'm going to go grocery shopping, and will clean my room in the near future. There might also be bread this week.

For some reason, the temporary housemate won't eat freely offered, freshly roasted and perfectly soft beets. Weird.

From:

I need to do some laundry and make a grocery list.

Perhaps the temporary housemate had a traumatic experience with beets. Or s/he's only ever had pickled beets and thinks they all taste like that. Or ... maybe s/he's allergic to beets.

From:

I think it's his guydom coming through - unless I force it on him, he doesn't eat fresh food. Just prefab burritos and take-out, that sort of thing.

Me, I ate the roasted beets, sliced up and tossed with olive oil, white wine vinegar, and a bit of peppermint extract, and it was fantastic.

From:

blackmare-9.livejournal.com

I've only ever had beets that came out of a can, and then only because my grandmother (the one from Chicago who didn't cook well, not the Southern one who did) brought them to every holiday dinner.

As a result, to the best of my knowledge I can't stand beets, because they taste pretty much like the dirt they came out of.

If you roasted them, though, I'd certainly give them a try.

From:

It's easy to roast them. Just wash them thoroughly, wrap them in tinfoil, and stick them in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees. When they come out, the skins are easy to peel off and the beets themselves are soft and juicy. They go well with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and also fresh mint leaves.

If you can, get them with the leaves on - those can be cooked like any other salad green, like kale or spinach. Preferably with finely diced garlic.

From:

I like beets but have never heard of nor tried "roasted" beets. How in the world is that done and what does that taste like. I've only had them pickled or plain from a can.

From:

I don't know if I've ever eaten beets out of a can. I'm sure I have, from dubious salad bars, but I've gotten very used to them fresh. Roasted beets taste like beets, I guess, but that's it - just beet.

To roast them, cut off the leaves and save those for later, wash the bulbs thoroughly, wrap them in tinfoil, put them on some sort of pan, and stick them in the oven for an hour at 400 Fahrenheit. They come out soft and juicy, and their skins slide off if you rub them firmly with your fingers. They go well with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and also fresh mint leaves.

The leaves can be cooked like any other salad green, such as kale or spinach.

From:

*smiles at you*
Thanks, hon!

I will see if I can find one and try that. I would never have thought of roasting beets on my own. But then the kitchen is not my favorite place to be. =D

From:

Knowing I had to cook for myself, or rely on local take-out, got me to overcome my fear of stoves pretty fast.

From:

*grins*
Oh, girl...it's totally not about fear. I'm a fairly profiscient cook. I just don't like doing it.

It annoys me that after spending an inordinate amount of time on a wonderful batch of food, it's gone in 15 minutes. And then? I get to spend more of my valuable time cleaning it up. There other things I'd rather do where the results don't disappear in a fourth of the time it takes to do them. Know what I mean?

Also, making the same decision three or more times a day just to put food in my face got very old. I actually skip eating meals because I don't want to be bothered with it. LOL!

From:

I like cooking very much because it's a chance for me to focus on nothing but what's right in front of me, and even though it can be a source of worry, it's worth it for me, when I'm kneading dough or chopping onions. And waiting for the kettle to boil, and the tea to cool, is a great way to spend time while doing the dishes.

I think it helps that I don't work full-time, so I can afford the luxury of spending three hours on two loaves of bread.

From:

My husband likes to cook for the same reasons you do.

I am not working at all due to my medical condition...see my icon. But I can focus on reading a good book or art or something else. Food just doesn't trip my trigger unless I'm hungry.

Once in awhile I'll get a hankering for something in particular and go nuts for an hour and then I'm done until the next blue moon. LOL!

From:

When people ask me if I like to cook, I tell them no, I like to eat.

And now I'm getting a hankering for this white wine onion bread...well, there's always tomorrow night.

From:

Sounds like yummy bread!

*grins wickedly*
Heh! If you bake it, I'll eat it. =D

From:

perspi.livejournal.com

Hello! Z is down for her nap, and we are having a pretty good Sunday--I have ALREADY been to the grocery store, NEENER NEENER. :)

I'm hoping, while Z is napping, to get some finances taken care of and some grading done. And maybe some Christmas shopping should happen today, too. Hm.

Anyway. *goes to make some tea*

From:

Yay for a napping Z! Is she mostly over her cold now?

I am ... still in my jammies and robe, going through the Sunday paper and watching the Buffalo/NY Jets game.

I have ALREADY been to the grocery store, NEENER NEENER.

ZOMG I H8 U!!!LLL!!! Hee.

From:

perspi.livejournal.com

Yep--she's obviously feeling a lot better, and she's sleeping better, too.

My tea is almost finished--I found these ginormous tall latte mugs at Target yesterday, and mine features a cheeky snowman--and I'm going to spend time on our 'new' couch in the family room. I will do my grading in front of the Christmas tree. :)

From:

phinnia.livejournal.com

oh yay! i'm so glad z is feeling better. *sends cuddles*

From:

phinnia.livejournal.com

good afternoon~! we've been busy since 9 AM this morning so it's only just now that I've been able to sit down and say hi.
We got the new enya album delivered with our groceries - our new place is served by amazon.com's food delivery service - and we're listening to it now (even Seaners) and eating shortbread cookies. it snowed last night - about an inch, maybe two, so I'm glad we don't have anywhere to go today. we listed our moving boxes on craigslist and now about 2/3 of them are gone, which is nice - we don't have to haul them down to the trash - although one of our cats got out last night when someone was here picking up boxes (they left the door wide open for about ten minutes ARGH) but she's since been returned after her wee adventure.
I'm also babysitting an amish friendship cake starter (which i plan to give to seaners' teachers and aides for christmas gifts) and slowly getting more of the boxes unpacked. My wheelchair should be coming soon so I don't want too many boxes cluttering up the place.

From: