Monday, February 28, 2011

Honey, Badger

While I was away, Tylden sent me this with the comment, "You Will Die Laughing [smiley face] XO." Oh, how right you were.




I could watch a bunch more nature shows if this guy narrates all of them. Those poor cobras.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Shrimps Have Eyes!

I ate them. I couldn't be rude. Singapore!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

High Culture, Singapore Style

Fish&chips with Ginger ale at the Raffles Hotel. It's too hot for a Singapore Sling.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Live Blogging, Australia Style! DONT MOVE!

Oh we Americans are so smug with our mnemonic devices.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Baby Update

This warms my cold Australian heart.

"zach, what are you painting?"
"a green uncle Chris!"

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Chips, Ahoy!

Foreigners eat the darndest things. These are what I encountered at the food mart near my hotel in New Zealand.

Mmm, Lemon Moroccan Chicken.

Roast Lamb & Mint! I love that they remembered the mint, and not just 'cause I have that "mint" tag.

These ones did not actually have the Full On Flavour of Burgers (or Penguins).


Thank you, New Zealand, for your fun tasties.

Monday, February 14, 2011

You Know You're In New Zealand When...

Top story in the Business section.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Clap, Slap

How do you improve on Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson? With percussion.



Brian sent me this. Genius.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Sprouts Dreams (Are Made of This)

So last weekend Brian and I decided to get up to some cookery adventures. A friend of his is working on a cookbook, so we were testing a recipe for ease and tastiness.

We started with INGREDIENTS.

Also, we started with BRIAN and INGREDIENTS.

As you can see, there are brussel sprouts, one of those butternut squashes that I always assumed were just for decoration, 2 kinds of cheese (Brian specified NOT the parm that comes in the green can and never expires), some spices, lemon, and wine for drinking. Also Brian made a "galette" the night before, which is a bready thing. The recipe is called "Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Galette," so it appears we have everything and are ready to start.

First up, chopping the decorative gourd.

One must chop carefully with the new sharp knife I got.

Look inside! It smelled like Hallowe'en in my kitchen.

Next, chopping brussel sprouts. I like the sprouts, but have oddly never cooked them before.

Brian started shredding the gruyere.

I guess we forgot to photograph all the steps. We steamed the sprouts, then dunked them in ice water to arrest the cooking process. I don't really have ice but some frosty Amstel Lights came in handy.
We mixed up the sprouts & squash in a bowl with some spices.

Mix mix mix.
Popped them in the oven for a spell.

And then took them out. Cooked!

Brian carefully unwrapped the galette that he had brought with him. It was a little frozen from the commute. Winter is cold!
Time to roll it out. I don't have a rolling pin, but Sapporo comes in hand. Never use Amstel for rolling galettes, the cans are too small. It's important to always use the correct tools in the kitchen.

Roll roll, mix mix.
See how the squashes and sprouts look different now that they've been in the oven? That's the science of cooking.
Mmmm, gruyere base for the galette.
And now some vegetables.

And top with parm.
Pinch pinch, like a baby.
Yum. And yet, not cooked yet.
Voila! Now it's cooked.
Cut it in half evenly, so there are no fights.

And, eat!
And eat and eat.
So now you know, that's what cookery with friends, and vegetables, is all about. And that's a delicious way to spend a Sunday evening.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Special Bonus Tiger

Baby boys keep swinging.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Baby Eyes Of The Tiger

So I dropped a bunch of green on Christmas presents for the nephew, which I was glad to do.

The favorite present? Well he video-called to tell me about it.


It's a Tiger Hat, which also come with Tiger Mittens. It was a last minute grab at the store.

Apparently, he wears them all, day, every day, and cries when they come off. This baby, who was shy around strangers before, now goes up to everyone and roars, and if he forgets to roar at someone, insists they go back.


Here's a vid of him in action.



God Bless, this little man.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Tubes, Wires

This has made the rounds, and the amusement is based on a smugness we feel here in the 2010s, but it's still worth checking out.



Who knew?

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Doodles, Bugs

So my favorite doodlebug is, of course, Doodlebug from Cleopatra Jones. Also, I like drawings in marginalia.

My Nana used to doodle, I wish I had one of those still. She would draw Veronica Lake again and again. Her TV Guide was filled with Veronicas Lake.

Other famous doodlers? I found some on this site here.

Here's Sylvia Plath doodling away in her diary. The site points out the marshmallow chasing the hot dog, I was mostly fascinated by her girly handwriting. Not at all what I expected the penmanship to look like under the bell jar.


My favorite of course is this one by Vladimir Nabokov. Of course he would draw a cockroach in his copy of Metamorphosis. And also of course, he would take issue with the translation. What a mind.


And speaking of our dear friend Franz, here's Kafka's doodlings. A whole story library here in just a few scribbles.
Thanks, doodlers. And God, Bless.