kaellite's Journal

6:50pm: DRABBLES...

I have written drabbles.  Four to be precise.  True drabbles; as they each are 100 words exactly.

They will not be posted until 12/1/09 as they are for the Advent Drabble com, but they are written.  While it is doubtful the other 21 will be that precise word count, I will take my victories where I can find them.  I wrote them on my breaks and lunch.  Tonight I should be writing the smut portion of my fic (I did come up with perfect end line today as well) but my eyes are drooping as I type this.

Sigh.

So, it is bathtime, then dinner and a glass of wine.  If, and it is a big if, I get a second wind I will write more of the fic.  If not, I will stay up late tomorrow and finish.

 

Regardless, with the help of my wonderul and patient beta (and she knows who she is) I will make my extended deadline.

 

9:49pm: Oven Baked Chocolate Pudding
This is an unusual recipe for Chocolate Pudding, in that, you bake it in the oven rather than on the stove.  Doing so eliminates the need for cornstarch, and makes for a very silky pudding..

Oven baked Chocolate Pudding

 

 

( Click for recipe )

8:09pm: Recipe Post. Mustard Roast Chicken, Chai Latte, Braised Short Ribs

Saturday, I made baked chicken, hash browns, and a salad. For dessert we made and sipped a spiced chai latte

For dinner today, we made Braised Short Ribs…Recipes below

 

 

( Spiced Chai Latte )

 

For today’s dinner, I did short ribs in the oven.

 

( Luscious Oven Braised Short Ribs )

 

( baked chicken with honey-whole-grain mustard glaze )

5:46pm: They are naked!!!!!!

OMG, they are naked!

Finally I am writing fic where the boys are undressed in less than 5000 words. 

Kisses both boys soundly, and gives them chocolate and Firewhisky to share.  Kisses Muse too, even if she gives inspiration and whole paragraphs while I am in the shower and have 15 minutes to get to work after.

The boys are naked!!!!!!

10:04pm: Neville: Who should he sleep with?
Poll #4607 Neville: Who should he bed, or who should bed him?
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Coffee_N_Cocoa is gauging interest in a Neville Big Bang Fest. If it comes to fruition, which pairing should I write?

9:28pm: Advent Drabbles?
I have no idea if the Advent Drabble comm thingie is going to be hosted or run this year.  But I hope so. For once, and I do mean for the first time, I have an idea for the series.  Rather than trying to come up with something spur of the moment.

We shall see, I suppose.

Harry Holidays fic was sent off and, assuming the mods don't send it back as unacceptable or needing changes, the only fic I have left to write is for Yule Balls.

Then strictly fun...

But...

I do want to get back to the Charlie/Neville series I abandoned over 2 years ago: "You'd be so nice to come home too."

Then there is the list of ideas I want to write:

1 Harry/Dennis
2. Neville/Dennis
3. Harry/Neville (my first love)
4. Charlie/Neville (tied with Oliver/Dennis) for my OTP
5. AU Harry/Colin, Neville/Dennis

6:05pm: Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes...

I made these for breakfast this morning and topped with a makeshift combo of blueberries and strawberries (the frozen kind, thawed and warmed up).

 

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

¾ cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs beaten

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup water

 

1.        In a bowl, whisk the flour with the cornmeal, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs, olive oil and water.  Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, leaving small lumps.

2.       Set a griddle or small skillet over moderate high heat and spray with vegetable spray. When the pan is hot, spoon in about ¼ cup mounds of better and spread to form 4-inch rounds.  Cook the pancakes unit the bottoms are browned and bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook other side until browned on bottom (1-2 minutes more).

 

That was breakfast. For lunch we had cranberry bean soup with bacon, and cheese bread and a salad.  For dinner, we indulged and had pulled pork sandwiches (Teh Rock did the pulled pork in the crock pot).

1:28pm: Harry Holidays Done
And sent to Beta;

Yule Balls, in works, with new plot bunny, one I can actually work with.

Yay.

And Yay for extension.

But Harry Holidays done and sent to Beta.  It bears repeating. 

I deserve chocolate and a drink.

10:21pm: Roast Chicken with Tangerines

One 6 pound roasting chicken

2 garlic cloves thinly sliced

6 rosemary sprigs

3 tangerines, washed and halved

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup honey

1 ¾ cups chicken broth

 

1.       Heat oven to 425 F.  Set the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and stuff the cavity with the garlic, rosemary, and 4 of the tangerine halves.  Juice the remaining tangerine halves. Rub the oil all over the chicken. Pour the wine and juice over the chicken.  Drizzle on the honey and season with salt and pepper.

2.       Roast the chicken for 20 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the broth to the pan, cover the pan with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 375.  Roast the chicken for 40 minutes.  Add the remaining ¾ cup of broth to the roasting pan. Cover and roast for 50 minutes longer or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the inner thigh registers 165.

3.       Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes.  Strain the pan juices into a sauce pan and skim the fat.  Carve the chicken and serve with pan juices.

NOTE:  I have put the bones and fruit into a stock pot and it is simmering with water.  That stock is going to taste so good.

8:21pm: Roasted vegetable lasagna, tiramisu, smallville, spn and glee.
That is dinner tomorrow.  I have just put the tiramisu in the fridge.  I think Sunday I am going to braise a double batch of short ribs.  One will be for dinner and the other to fill ravioli with.

I had TV on but didn't have remote so ended up watching part of Smallville.   I know some drool over Tom, but I tend to go back and forth.  Sometimes I think he's quite handsome and the others I think he has chipmunk cheeks.  Tonight was a little of both.  But I have no qualms about Callum Blu who now plays Zod.  YUM

I did not like SPN last night, not least of which because they made a play on "Good Omens"  A word to Kripke:  Leave Neil Gaiman alone.  Got it?  Good.

GLEE!  I am looking forward to next week, even though Rachel gives me a pain.  Could they do an ep where she loses her voice? Pretty please.   But 60's ballads next week?  YAY>

I got a third of fic done today.  Tomorrow will be foreplay and courtship and Sunday I will write the smut.  Monday to Beta and Tues to Fest.  Yes, I am cutting it close but between 10 hours mandatory overtime a week and moving, the muse has not been cooperating.

Then Tuesday is my Bday as well...and a perfect present comes out the same day; the Star Trek reboot on DVD.  Weds will be getting work done on next fest fic.

After that is done, I swear, no more fest fics until Neville big bang (if that fest comes together).

7:27pm: GLEE PSA, also John Cho aka Sulu Squee
If, like me, you cannot tolerate Tyra Banks you may wish to temporarily push that distaste aside.  Especially is, again like me, you Love "GLEE".

The "GLEE" cast will be on the Tyra Banks show tomorrow.

So one time and one time only, I will be DVRIng that show.

Right now I am watching Flash Forward, and I must say the main reason for doing so is the hotness that is Sulu, erm John Cho.   My Lord that man looks good in a bullet-proof vest.

So as I am in a rambling mode...what else?

Oh.  This needs to be out now so I can see

6:48pm: Statement of belief...
Ok, a friend's post got me thinking and, well, maybe it is time to lay certain things on the table and if you chose to defriend I respect that decision.

So, for the first and last time here are my beliefs vis a vis religion and faith.

1.  I believe in God
2.  I believe in Christ the Saviour
3.  I do NOT believe that the Bible is the end all be all.  It is a selection of works (others were not allowed to be published or included as any historian knows).  That selection was based on many factors, not least of which was the desire to build an organized and unified church, as well as influenced by political/socio factors of the time the council lived in.  In other words, there was an agenda, and it wasn't all Gods.
4. I do not believe said Bible should be taken verbatim.  Said bible has been translated over the years, first orally (and we all know what happens when oral communication gets passed down the line) then through multiple languages
5.  I do believe that the Bible is a starting point to reflect and pray about things in the time we live in
6.  I do not believe that God gave us a brain only for us to let others (the Pope etc) do our thinking for us.
7.  I do not believe that Christ wanted his word and message manipulate to arouse hate, or inflict damage on others, especially those who are different.


To amplify or clarify my background, I was raised Catholic.  I have not stayed in that church.  I have visited Jewish Synagogues, Muslim temples.  I have attended meetings of "Friends" i.e. Quakers, and numerous other religious affiliations. While my 'Christian' status feels true and right, it is my belief, my faith.  And faith, by definition is a blind leap.

So who am I to say other's faith in different things is wrong, as long as it is not a means or a tool to damage others.  I could be wrong and they could be right.

Granted my Mother is not happy about my having left the Catholic church.   I have told her when the following occur I will consider rejoining:

1.  Women are allowed to become priests.   The collage of cardinals elects the Pope, you can't be a cardinal until you're a bishop, you can't be a bishop unless you are a priest.  In other words the Catholic Church is set up to systematically exclude women from participating in the governing body that effects them.  And the majority of Catholics are female
2.  Divorce.  If God can forgive me for a mistake, why can't the Catholic church recognize that some marriages are just that, and allow and sanction that it happened, it ended, and life goes on
3.  Own up to past misdeeds.  I .e child molestation, the denial of the Holocost etc
4.  Allow priests to marry.
5.  Recognize the benefit of birth control.

Until then, I will pray and honor my God in my way.

Feel free to defriend at will

9:41pm: Addicted to Glee and puppies..

I gave in and we are getting the beagle puppy, from the animal shelter puppy wash.  This will raise our household count to me, Teh Rock, cousin, his SO, 3 dogs, a cat and 2 turtles.

This is the last animal, I swear.

I am also addicted to "Glee", so much so that I now have the soundtrack.   What does it say about me that I have never really cared much for Diana Ross (even in her younger days she looked like a female impersonator IMO) but I LOVE the Glee casts version of "You Keep Me Hanging On."

And I have listened to "Somebody to Love" 5 times thus far in the last hour.

Need Glee icon

2:25pm: Maurader, anyone? WARNING, PIC SPAM

Um...If James had lived and worn contact...

GUH....

I needed this today...

Thanks to James Marsdencom





I swear she looks a decade older than him...

9:33am: Polanski and Richmond..
French sources say that Polanski will attempt to make a cash offer for bail. 

Herve Temime told France-Info radio Sunday the latest offer is in cash. He wouldn't say how much. He said Polanski would accept the extradition decision "whatever it is" and assured his client would never behave "like a fugitive."

Uh, hello?  He would never behave like a fugitive?  So skipping town 30 years ago and never knowingly setting foot since then where he could be caught in the last 3 decades is not behaving like a fugitive?  I'd like to hear Mr. Temime explain then what a fugitive does behave like.

And sadly, the world hasn't changed much.   We only have to look at Richmond and the police reports that the suspects and observers they spoke to show no remorse.

Because rape isn't the perps fault, the victim asked for it.  Right.

Excuse me while I vomit.

3:22pm: Attention "Tin Man" fans... And I is moving...

The Syfy Network (and you may already know this) is going to give the same sort of treatment to "Alice In Wonderland" come December.  Should be interesting.

The Box opens this coming Friday.  I will be there for James Marsden.   Even though Cameron Diza who plays his wife looks like she's 10 years older than he, and in RL she's only one.  

Got 600 words done this morning on one of my fest fics and have the next section outlined so that will get written sometime tomorrow.  But first, as the house we have been building is FINALLY done, we will be moving for the final time (I hope).  We start tomorrow, so I will not have AIM while I am there as we are not moving all in one piece.     But tomorrow, will be first night there and I cannot wait.

For starters we need to 'season' and break in the fireplace...
( Not ours but what it looks like, is by tulikivi )

Our bedroom, small by most standards (as it is big enough only to house the king-sized bed, a rocking chair and room to manuever,) has a screened porch off of it with a lovely cushioned porch swing.  So we will be able to sleep with the windows open.   And we have radiant heat under the bamboo and cork flooring throughout.  And since it got down to 47 last night (YAY), that will feel nice

I am off half a day Tues but that is not because of move.  That is completely selfish as I will be getting Barbara Kingsolver's new novel (The Lacuna) and reading.

Off Weds as well and that is to work in house and get writing done

Back at current domicile on Thurs for getting more stuff out of it, and cleaning.  Will also RPG hopefully if charries around to interact with mine.

Fri is "The Box" otherwise known as drooling over James who looks HOT and adorable and sexy all at the same time even in horrible 70's clothes.

Sat and Sun, work on moving and at new house.

Next Monday (11/9/09) modem and full internet and cable should be set up at new house and we will be there for good.

 

LOL thing is the 'new' house is back where we started after we demolished the old cabin we started to build the
'new' house where it once stood.   It will be wonderful to have the common garden to share with my cousin and his wife, and Aunt and Uncle (them on weekends).

Oh and V is on this Tuesday.  I will need to DVR and watch to see if it is any good.

10:57pm: A very merry unbirthday to me...
Needs Mad Hatter Icon..

Today is not my birthday. That is not until 11/17.  But the parental units as well as the favorite Aunt and Uncle have to be out of town starting Sunday until the 24th.  So they brought my pressies tonight and we are having an early dinner tomorrow at my favorite restaurant.

OMG...

New clothes.  You have no idea.  I don't remember the last time I bought new clothes.  And even if I could afford to shop where they did (and I can't) I wouldn't.  I'm too damn cheap.  But I'm grateful.

I got 3 new dresses, 2 scarfs, slacks, a shirt, a coat, boots and flats.

SQUEES..

Who needs anymore pressies..

Um..but if someone wanted to write Dom Charlie spanking Dennis...coughmalcough, or Oliver/Dennis, or Neville/Dennis, or Minister Kingsley/secretary Neville...I wouldn't complain...

6:22pm: Bitch? Me? Damn straight. And it's a good thing.

So regarding Typhoid Mary and Harry (not their real names).

Mary was at it again today.  Coughing all over the fax machine, down the hall.  Not even making a gesture towards covering her mouth.  Happily I was not within infection distance (I stayed more than 6 feet away) but I did wipe down the fax machine with disinfectant etc.

But then it got better, or worse

Went to the Loo and guess who.  Puking into the sink. Then she went right back to her desk without either cleaning it up, calling facilities to do so, washing her hands. Nothing,  Nada.

That was it.

I e-mailed facilities and...

She was sent home without pay, and will not be coming back.  The company posted about 2 months ago the CDC guidelines (i.e. wash hands, cover your mouth, social distancing) and we are expected to comply with that.  Facilities told me they will be sending an e-mail out tomorrow company wide reminding EVERYONE of that and if they don't comply we are to report them.

Of course Mary knew I was the one who reported her and apparently suggested that I don't do the same.  LOL, yeah I do. My co-workers in my immediate area know that I am extremely concious of covering my mouth with a tissue or napkin when I sneeze or cough and throwing it away immediately after along with sanitizing my hands (if I can't wash them) as well.

No, I may not be able to keep from getting sick but if that happens I will do my best not to infect others.  Which is what I expect from others in turn.

So the facilies manager walked by my desk (and while I don't have a cold right now ect..knock wood) I did cough as I swallowed wrong (or as my mom says, it went down the wrong pipe) and guess what?  I was covering my mouth with a tissue as I did so.

HA!

Then our supervisor called a meeting and stated that she had given some of us permission to LYSOL our area as others were coughing without covering their mouths and if the offenders had a problem with that they could just get over it and/or cover their mouths.

Take THAT Typhoid Harry.

Now 90 minutes more and I can go home and have chicken chili and cornbread.

9:28pm: RECIPE: Apple Cider Muffins

From the cookbook: “The Craft Of Baking” by Karen De Masco and Mindy Fox

 

 

( Click here for how to make/bake )

7:56pm: Apple Cider Muffins, Gingerbread Cupcakes, Brioche Baked In A Can, Hot Fudge Sauce
I have been up since 5:30.

I was at work by 6:30 and have just got home like 15 minutes ago.  During lunch I went and picked up my new cookbook, "The Craft Of Baking" by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox.

I have just put the Apple Cider Muffins in the oven and I can already tell I am going to be tempted to eat more than one.  I also have Hot Fudge Sauce on the stove, and am getting ready to make Gingerbread Cupcakes.

Saturday with Brioche Baked in a can.

I can tell you that, with the exception of rice pudding recipes and those with nuts, I will be baking my way through this book.

I already have a recipe I want to try for thanksgiving.  Pumpkin Ice Cream

I will post the recipes for the cider muffins this weekend, if anyone wants.

11:57am: Tom Cruise, Homophobic?
Is anyone really that surprised?

According to Bronson Pinchot (actor who worked with Cruise on Risky Business), Mr. Cruise repeatedly made homophobic remarks on that set.

As anyone shocked by that?  Really?

Because I'm not.

If you've managed to read anything by the so-called Church of Scientologly you know that they 'preach' there are tools to overcome anything negative, and one of those 'unnatural things' is homosexuality.

The thing is why would you need to overcome it unless it was something you feared in yourself?  Otherwise why not live and let live.

It is a cliche (but they are cliche's because they generally hold true) that there is nothing so closeted as a so called 'straight' man who makes homophobic slurs.    Anyone who is truly confident in his or her sexuality would not be threatened by the existance of gay people.  He or she would know it was not the way they were built but socializing, befriending and otherwise accepting gays as they are would not 'turn' them gay.

Nevermind that so many of Cruise's films contain blatant homo-erotic images.  Top Gun anyone?  Nor that the only truly believable relationships in nearly all of his movies are with a man or fellow men (Rain Man?)

9:27pm: Lobstor risotto, wine and chocolate...
Makes for a wonderful evening.

Today was a good day.

I slept late, till 8.  Then we went to the animal shelter and washed and brushed dogs for a few hours. I fell in love with a beagle, and told the shelter that if no one had adopted by Weds to give us a call and we would take him.

Then it was grocery shopping, a bit of laundry, some RP in AIM, getting caught up on all tags I owe in RP games.

 

And then dinner with Aunt.  She made Lobstor risotto and a chicory salad.  I ate double portions of each much to Teh Rocks satisfaction.  I am only 5'3 and in the past two years I have dropped from being 143 pounds to 110.  While my Dr says that is (barely) within a health range, he has said it wouldn't hurt to gain a few pounds back.

Now, for those who are going WTF about the weight loss, please realize that in the last 2 years I have had surgery (not cosmetic or anything that was related to inducing weight loss), started walking about 25 minutes every day except Sunday (on the treadmill when the temp is above 85).  On Sunday mornings (even when it's hot) we ride our bikes to the bookstore for the paper and coffee (for him, hot chocolate for me).

So this wasn't an overnight thing.  Also I cut out all sodas except for one a week.  And being prone to sinus infections and the subsequent antibiotic treatments don't help me eat 3 meals a day when I don't feel good.  Add in OT since June...

So, Teh Rock who was worried that I was getting too thin.  He is happy now since I ate major portions. 

Thing is, I do have a sweet tooth and indulge a lot but it's along the lines of 2 cookies, or a small scoop of ice cream.  I bake a lot but I don't eat the majority of it, the rest of them do.

Oh..speaking of baking.  I have ordered a new cookbook and when it comes the first thing I want to try is Apple Cider Muffins.

Tomorrow we are going to fry chicken, make southern biscuits, salad etc..   

That should be a good day as well.

7:47pm: Happiness is a clean puppy

Sigh

I have thus far made it through the week.  It was touch and go there for a while. Starting with Weds.  We were told via e-mail that morning that 15 hours of overtime was required of us by end of day Friday.  Blessedly, I had already put some hours in.  Other employees had to stay (and are staying ) till 10 at night.

 This is on through the first week of November.

And that is if I don't catch the flu.  We have Typhoid Harry and Mary who seem incapable of covering their mouths when they sneeze.  Mary, (not her real name) has called in sick 10 days in the last month and then when she comes back to work you can hear her tell her friends how late she stayed out partying at clubs the past few days. 

So, of course, when she really is sick, she doesn't call in.

Then we have Shirley (her real name) who must be a descendant of The Big Bad Wolf.  Literally, you can hear her sneeze 10 aisles away.  She also doesn't cover her mouth.

She was most perplexed as to why, after she sent an e-mail saying she brought cinnamon rolls for everyone that she had few takers. " Uh, Honey, logic would dictate that after you've sneezed all over you desk with no attempt to cover your mouth that we have no wish to touch said rolls that were on your desk"

SIGH..

Tomorrow, I shall have fun though.   The local no-kill animal shelter is having a doggy wash and adoption day.  I won't' adopt, we have two dogs and a cat already but I have volunteered to wash them.

Then, after laundry and a nap and a perfunctory house cleaning, we are having dinner at my Aunt's.  She has promised Lobstor risotto.  I am looking forward to that.

What else?

I have made the brine for the fried chicken, and said chicken is soaking in it.  It has to soak at least 12 hours, but really it makes the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. 

I am also trying a recipe for oven-roasted tomato sauce.  No stove top tending or stirring.  It looks good, we shall see.

7:19am: Christian Bale is Psychic
Based his "American Psycho" character on Tom Cruise..

Apparently Christian knew Tommy Boy was Batshit crazy before the rest of us.


http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/40311922.html

10:03pm: A Day In Bed...(and the pile on the nightstand still grows)
Sigh, working 9 to 10 hours overtime a week for going on 5 months now has taken it's toll, I believe. 

I was fine last night, honestly.  We went to see "Where The Wild Things Are" (I LOVED IT, it was truly like entering a dream), and dinner afterwards.

And, as I had done all the OT during the week, I didn't have to go into work today.  I had plans, as in RP ect, but was not to be.  Woke up with the headache from hell and a stuffy nose.  Parnoid me, immediately throught H1N1, then calmed down.  however...

Allergy meds knocked me out, 2 naps in the day, and still didn't help that much.  Talked to Mom and she said "why haven't you called Dr V?"  Dr V is in my reading group and is also the doctor for several of my family members.   I didn't call him but Mom did.  As he lives 5 miles down and knows both my paranoia and my history he came by the house (yes a Dr who makes house calls and doesn't charge for them).  Anyway, the upshot of all this is the dreaded sinus infection is back so antiboitics...

OH JOY.

And he agreed that probably 50-60 hour weeks since June have not helped my body fight it off.  Unfortunately, there is no way the Boss is going to excuse me from working OT for a non-contagious sinus infection.

So...

No RP done, and probably not tomorrow except maybe in AIM as drugged up, only one character is speaking to me and then only in regards to interacting with 2 specific charries, maybe 3. 

At least house is clean (we did that during the week), and I got a book read between naps.  I can read and comprehend in my dopey state, just can't write (except for the aforementioned exceptions). 

Not that I still don't have several  books on the nightstand...

1.  The Gate At The Stairs-Lorrie Moore
2.  The Childrens Book-A.S. Byattt (I am 150 pages in)
3.  Stardust-Joseph Kannon
4.  Birds of America-Lorrie Moore
5.  The Book of Daniel-E.L. Doctorow

And coming in the next three weeks...

6.  Altman: The Oral Biography-(out Tues
7.  The Craft of Baking-not technically 'reading' as I already know I will be baking from it, but still (10/27)
8.  The Lacuna-Barbara Kingsolver-11/03

And for the record, it does not matter what book I'm on come 111/03/09, it will get dropped for The Lacuna.  I have even requested and been approved to take 4 hours vacation that day.  They don't know why, but it's to read that book.

So as of 1:30-2 at the lastest that day...I will be home, on the sofa, takeout waiting to be eaten, "Away from my computer" on, phone off, and reading till it is finished.  If that means no sleep before work on Weds, so be it.