Not Perfect

Whip It Up IV: Spanish Tortilla aka the time I burned my boob

For this week's Whip It Up I was a little stumped. While I am a member of the Meat is Tasty, Tasty Murder club (I also have a doctor's note saying that I have to eat meat for protein!) I did eat tofu already this week in my standard tofu, spinach and peanut sauce dish that's a staple in my kitchen. So, in my usual procrastinatory way I went to the store after work tonight to try to figure something out. I happened to be on the phone with my mom because I'm one of THOSE people and she suggested a fritatta. I rejected her idea because she's my mother and not allowed to be right and decided to go with a Spanish Tortilla. My aunt lived in Spain and I've seen her make this before so I decided to try it and improvise a bit by adding onion and spinach.

Small Spanish Tortilla
4 eggs
1 large potato
1 small onion
1/2 package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Slice onion thinly and cook in olive oil until transluscent - don't let them get brown. Slice potato thinly and cook in olive oil in batches but be careful not to let the slices brown. Between batches drain potato on a paper towel-lined plate. (This could also be achieved by boiling the potato slices.) Once the onion and potato are cooked through, pile them back into the skillet with the spinach, it should be close to the top of the pan. Whisk four eggs together and pour over the vegetables. Shake the pan a bit so the egg covers the bottom. Cook on medium high until the middle of the tortilla begins to set. Then comes the tricky part, you need to flip it. Cover the pan with a plateand flip the tortilla on to the plate, the soggy side will be down. Once it's flipped, put the pan back on the stove and gently slide the tortilla back into the pan. There's a nice demonstration here at Taunton.com. Allow to cook through and then slide onto a plate and serve.

Now, I havd a helpful additional tip for you. When you're cooking the potato and you want to take one out and test it on your spatula, be very gentle and don't try to touch it with your finger too soon. If you do and it's hot, you might accidentally launch that hot little bastard right down your v-neck shirt and into your cleavage. You may even get a blister.

Was the recipe easy to follow?
It couldn't be easier!

Did it taste good?
Yep, although seasoning wouldn't hurt anyone here.

Will I make it again?
Sure! It's very easy and versatile.

It's not rocket science

A little letter to the person who woke me up at 2:00 AM.

Dear Derfwad,
One of my favorite things about driving is the silence and the subsequent isolation from the world. I like being able to sing along to ABBA or anything on any easy listening station. It's lovely. I can listen to whatever music I want and not apologize if I do know all of the words to Hit Me Baby (One More Time). All of my shame is sealed tightly within the car. You see, the music stays inside of the car.

Last night I was a bit puzzled around 2:00 AM when I could hear this awful music blasting. I had been sound asleep so I wasn't exactly pleased. I looked outside. A pick-up truck was parked outside with its doors open. It had the two regular doors and two of those little half-door things. They were all open. The music was blasting. THE CAR WAS PARKED.

Now, I think the first lesson here is that you shouldn't leave your doors open on a busy city street. Why? Because a person several stories above you is probably wishing pretty hard for a bus to drive by while they're open. (Sadly, said person was disappointed.)

The second lesson is very important. You see, at some point every day a change happens where you can't really see the things around you anymore and you have to turn on some lights. The change happens when the sun sets and the moon rises. This is known as NIGHT. During the night, people do mysterious things: some stalk people under the cover of darkness, some howl at the moon and others, well, others sleep. People go to sleep at different times, but it is a safe bet that on a Monday night, after the date has changed, the majority of people are going to be asleep. When people are asleep, they aren't very fond of waking up. You never hear people talk about how much they love their alarm clocks, do you? There's a reason for that.

The third lesson seems to be pretty simple: the radio is inside of your car, therefore the music should stay inside of your damn car.

So, all in all, I was pretty annoyed. I do not take well to obnoxious things from outside waking me up in the middle of the night. When your damn car woke me up last night I was really annoyed. However, unlike the car alarm incident where some poor, unknowing person's alarm went off, you were intentionally acting like a jack ass. So yes, I wished for a bus to come raring down the street and clip your door and pseudo-door right off the hinges. However, in the grand scheme of life that would really be a minor inconvenience and wouldn't exactly show the anger and hatred I have for you, so I want to be clear that I also wished other physical ailments on you: a perpetually runny nose, incurable ingrown toenails, persistent ear ringing and of course, since you're a guy, an embarrassing balding pattern on your head.

But then... Well, then it appears that your passengers spent too much time inside the bar and you determined that the best way to summon them would be to lean on your horn. That was a very bad idea. Those MINUTES of you honking your horn over and over and over again made me feel quite strongly that the ills I wish on you were far too superficial. So here's this: I hope you live in fear for the rest of your life that your junk just fell off completely and that women are going to laugh at you. Because they will.

Just think, all of this could have been easily avoided if you closed the damn doors and kept your music inside of the damn car.

The truth.

Apparently I'm a really bad liar because I got e-mails and messages from people who know me generally noting, "really? You wrote that?"

1. I actually dated 50% of the guys in my high school class.
   This is totally true. But... it's not quite as dramatic as it sounds. You see, I graduated in a class of five. There were two boys. I dated one, hence the 50%. The only time class size is moderately helpful is when I note that I was the valedictorian. But the school didn't honor the valedictory position because they like screwing with me it wasn't exactly fair.
   
2. I had a very, very brief foray into illicit drugs when I was seventeen.
   This is totally false. Not even an iota of truth. My choice substances have always been carbs and cheese.
   
3. I'm an avid recycler and advocate for the green movement. My interest started during a weekend environmental summit in high school and hasn't waned.
   Not so much. I believe in reducing and reusing. I think a lot of the green stuff is a fad. I did go to an environmental summit in high school and was completely miserable for three days. COMPLETELY MISERABLE. It was touchy-feely; I fell into a canal and friends laughed at me; the group cried over a dead bird, holding it and wishing it peace, also apologizing for man causing its untimely death; and then they started in on the evil property developers of the world putting shopping centers and parking lots everywhere. Coincidentally, shopping centers, parking lots and property development are exactly what paid for the private school tuition and my fees for the weekend. I felt pretty strongly that those people aren't bad people. I may have been biased.
4. My dad's ex girlfriend once bet a bar full of people she could get me to go camping. Everyone bet against her, including both of my parents.
   This is completely true. She lost.
5. I was a bonafide safety nut in high school.
   Embarrassingly, this is completely true. I was even a Child Passenger Safety technician and I worked with the state police. I may, uh, even have pulled over my car several times when my friends were getting too rowdy or leaning out of their shoulder belts. Aren't you glad to know that I have the propensity to be an amazing asshole?
6. I have a slight addiction to ABC's daytime soaps.
   Nope, this is a lie.
7. I go to church every Sunday and read the Bible every day.
   This is true though it doesn't accurately reflect the entire situation. I do go to church every Sunday. I really like my church. The new assistant pastor is my age and completely awesome. Plus last Sunday there was a party with wine after the morning service. Why wouldn't I go if there's free wine? As for reading the Bible, technically, it's true. I'm reading it with a group. It's called The Bible in 90 Days and makes it seem very manageable. However, I can't lie that my main motivation is to be able to say to evangelists who are quoting different passages "Have you even read the Bible? I have. COVER TO COVER." (I live in a city... there are people on the streets who like to yell things and tell me that I'm going to be saved.)
8. I once saw someone I met on TMZ... and thought TMZ was way too nice.
   This is true. I've actually seen a couple of people that I saw at weddings, but in one instance, I saw a family member of a bride. I had loved the bride and this family member was awful. The person died and it really made me think. Sure this person was lauded by the media, but does that matter if they were resented by their family?
9. I have seen every single episode of According to Jim. This shouldn't surprise you considering I've seen every episode of The Nanny.
   This is not true. I have seen every episode of The Nanny, but not According to Jim.
10. I like reminiscing about infomercials of yore.
    This is, of course, completely true. Does anyone remember what the name of the one was where they set the car hood on fire and just wiped the damage away? Of course nothing really stacks up to the Miracle Thaw.

In other news about me, I had a doctor's appointment today and he grounded me to the exam room for five minutes without making any jokes so he could get an accurate blood pressure reading. I really think he was off to Google exactly what I was making fun of: Sports Gynecology.

Truths and lies

I'm going to shamelessly steal from Ali today and post ten items, six of which are true and four of which are false. It's up to you to figure it out. Now, a lot of people who know me in real life know the actual answers to these questions so I'd prefer that you all not blurt out what's true but leave some speculation in place so there's an element of surprise. Thanks muchly. (This is of course the big reason that you should not speak of your blog at work, with family or put it in your facebook profile for all of your friends to see. Am an idiot. Let's face it, no one is surprised by that.)

1. I actually dated 50% of the guys in my high school class.
2. I had a very, very brief foray into illicit drugs when I was seventeen.
3. I'm an avid recycler and advocate for the green movement. My interest started during a weekend environmental summit in high school and hasn't waned.
4. My dad's ex girlfriend once bet a bar full of people she could get me to go camping. Everyone bet against her, including both of my parents. 
5. I was a bonafide safety nut in high school.
6. I have a slight addiction to ABC's daytime soaps.
7. I go to church every Sunday and read the Bible every day. 
8. I once saw someone I met on TMZ... and thought TMZ was way too nice. 
9. I have seen every single episode of According to Jim. This shouldn't surprise you considering I've seen every episode of The Nanny.
10. I like reminiscing about infomercials of yore.

Whip It Up! Week Three Wrap-Up

Wow, you guys are really going strong with all of these recipes. We have 45 recipes for this week, plus some week two entries that didn't make the wrap-up last week. So, what do you say? Shall we get started?

Beef

• Jess took a break from her usual (really awesome) Weight Watchers recipes and made some really yummy looking Beef Fajitas.
• Kim whipped up dish that's both easy and yummy with her Shortcut Italian Beef.
• Sarah made a very tasty meal with her Barbecue Burger Deluxe.

Beverages

• Audrey experimented to make her Blueberry Yogurt Smoothies just right.
• Bren introduces us to Lime Rickeys. I will now introduce us all to fears of my impending alcoholism because my very first thought was ADD VODKA.

Bread and Breakfast

• Brandi took some time away from her busy life of moving to make some tasty Banana-Walnut Muffins.
• Lacey tried her hand at a family recipe for Matzoh Brei. 
• Jane had great success with a remake of one of her favorite childhood recipes, Whole Wheat Popovers. 
• Stephanie is tempting me to make homemade pizza dough and making me crave pizza with the pictures of her recipe for Pizza. 

Dessert

• Darcey made one of my favorite things in the entire world: Lemon Curd.
• Susan tried something really cool with her Pluot Sorbet.
• Lacey is taunting all of us with her Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies. (Did you get all of that? DOUBLE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE BROWNIES!!!)
• Janelle tries a new version of an old favorite with her Ice Box Dessert.
• WhichBox has learned that clipping recipes from magazines and saving them for years on end has its benefits when she tried out a Saucy Pudding Cake.
• Emily must know that one of my favorite flavors in the world is lemon. Emily should also know the directions to my house so she can bring her Lemon Meringue Cupcakes to me.
• Zandria - who is always keeping it healthy - makes exactly what I should be eating for dessert, a High Protein Dessert.
• Proactive Bridesmaid experienced a rite of passage when she made her first attempt at Marshmallow Treats.
• Kelly made two different types of cookies, her Grandmommy's Peanut Butter Cookies and Monkey Tree Oatmeal Craisin Cookies.
• Emily changed a traditional brownie recipe up a bit with her Chocolate Brownie Cookies.

Lamb

• Andyrea tried a new recipe for Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with great success -- even for a non- enthusiastic meateater.

Pasta

• Meredith got a little inventive with her leftovers and came up with a Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Casserole.
• RA loved her Skillet Chili Mac so much that it will now enter into the regular dinner rotation in her home.
• Vanessa had both success and disappointment in her kitchen as she tried out both Spinach Fettucine with Sundried Tomatoes and a lean Chicken Noodle Casserole.
• Nikki used her mom as inspiration for her Pasta with Spinach, Feta and Pine Nuts.
• Heather made some Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti which was great, though she'll tweak it if she ever makes it again.
• Nancy Pearl Wannabe undertook making fresh pasta! and homemade ravioli! And she didn't invite any of us to dinner! Check out her Butternut Squash and Pear Ravioli.
• Darcey made a Quick Gnocchi which was wonderful. I will most definitely be attempting this dish.
• Erin dove as far from diet-friendly foods as she could when she prepared Triple Cheese Macaroni. Seriously, what could possibly be wrong with that?
• Meredith recreated a restaurant favorite with Lo Mein. (Meredith, you're also welcome to cook this for me when I come visit.)

Pork

• Kelly needs to invite me over to her house to try her Pork Fried Rice and Potstickers (I may have a potsticker problem.)

Poultry

• Sheri tried a Polynesian Chicken recipe on an whim with great results.
• Meghan was able to add a delicious new recipe to her permanent rotation with Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary and Potatoes. This sounds like an excellent staple dish for any kitchen.
• Sarah may not have been having a great day, but she did find an excellent recipe in Parmesan Encrusted Chicken Breasts.
• Jennie made Chicken & Dressing which looks awesome and I would totally want to eat, but the bigger issue for me is the dressing vs. stuffing issue. What do you call it?
• RA found a yummy tasting but somewhat taxing dish in her Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore.
• Julie tried out an old, fabled family recipe to see if she could recreate it's excellence with her Great-Grandpa's Chicken.
• Anna made some Chicken Lettuce Wraps which I can't access at the moment :(.
• Erin really enjoyed her Sweet and Sour Chicken.
• Audrey is making me long for cold weather with her rendition of one of my favorite dishes of all time: Shepherd's Pie.

Sandwiches

• Merrick made a Ligurian Panini, a yummy sandwich that's open to lots of adjustments and enhancements.
• Janssen spiced it up with Adobo Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

Side Dishes

• Bren liked her Citrus-Pineapple Salsa she already has plans to make it again.
• Sherry prepared another batch of her Honey Roasted Red Potatoes the next day for lunch!
• Lacey prepared Israeli Salad which is the perfect side to any meal.
• Daisy Yellow added a healthy side to her repertoire with Quinoa Taboulleh.
• Andyrea gave a new twist to her recipe for Lentils.
• Sarah created the perfect summer side with Oven Steak Fries.

Vegetarian

• Noelle  is making all vegan recipes for Whip It Up and tried out Vegan Mac & Cheese. Since I'm a devout cheese person, I'm really intrigued by this and am itching to try. She also made some Vegan Hungarian Goulash - a recipe I'm sending to a good friend who loves Hungarian cooking. 
• Ross had double success with his Open-face Summertime Dinner and his Black Bean Veggie Burgers.
• Janet pays tribute to the awesomeness of the crock pot with her Vegetarian Chili.
• Laurel is hell bent on clogging my arteries and enhancing my ass with her Crispy Scallion and Gruyère Potato Pancakes. Also, I would like to demand that she come here and make these for me right now!
• Jane tried a new recipe that sounds pretty interesting, a Pizza Fritatta. I'll admit, my interest is totally piqued.

And now for MY recipe. Bwahahaha.

This week I made Blue Cheese Pistachio Grapes. I also made numerous stinky cheese ball, bleu ball, etc. references serving to amuse only myself, but what can I say? I AM FUNNY. I took them to a potluck tonight and they were devoured. People loved them. They loved them before I could take a picture of them. I couldn't take a picture when I was making them because I really and truly was covered with cheese. They could not be simpler to make, they tasted great (people were talking about them and I gave out instructions) and there is no doubt that this is my new bring-to-a-party dish.

Next week we'll have the (very timely and organized) wrap up over at Definitely RA. And the theme is *drumroll* VEGETARIAN! Happy cooking, peoples!

The Whip It Up Wrap-Up is on its way

Sorry folks, got sidetracked earlier today and am headed out for a little bit. It will be up tonight! Promise!

Giving advice

I love to give advice and tell people what to do.

I realize this is really freaking obnoxious.

I can't help it. Okay, I can and I try, but sometimes it just pours out of me and I really can't help it. The most common topic? Weddings.

It's hard. People are planning this one special day of their lives. They want it to be perfect. So they plan "perfect" things. But it's hard to do this because it's a one time thing, they can't speak from experience and are not experts in the area. They shouldn't be, but they're lured by pretty, pretty pictures from TheKnot and the pressure to make things perfect and beautiful.

I've seen many, many weddings (in the two-hundredish realm). Things aren't always perfect and beautiful. Things are often stressful. There is no innocence of a first wedding for me. None. Having an outdoor wedding? I'll tell you to wear wedges or flats and NOT stilettos because they will get caught in rocks and dirt. Thinking about not having place cards because you want things to be light and casual and let everyone sit where they want? Well, I might jump and yell DON'T! People are very, very bad at finding their own place to sit. People like order. When I hear that someone wants to switch things up or change something because they want it to be different, I do roll my eyes.

I've told many a wedding horror story: People who want the lawn to be blow dried because it had rained; the Catholic bride who surprised her Jewish groom and his family with a Christmas themed wedding; the bride who planned an elaborate perfect wedding and switched grooms and still had the same wedding; a bride who bought her wedding dress, got new boobs and then her designer gown didn't fit; brides and grooms not speaking at the end of the night, or the next day; the bridesmaids get into a no-holds-barred fist fight complete with their skirts above their heads and hair pulling; couples screaming at each other in the middle of their cocktail party; a bride who yelled "this is all a big joke" at her groom ten minutes after the ceremony; the bridesmaid who punches her boyfriend; the groom's cell phone ringing in the middle of the ceremony; the groom passing out drunk; the bride's mother being 90 minutes late to the wedding; and MAN this is only the tip of the iceberg. This doesn't include pissed off crying bridesmaids, burning centerpieces, a couple who has invited nearly 400 people with only 90 who RSVP'ed yes, speeches that last an hour (no one likes them), really awkward planned silences during a ceremony, and any of a myriad of mini problems.

Yes, guests do get pissed off. Rarely do they tell the couple about this. (Sometimes they do...) But it's true, often things happen that keep people talking forever about this wedding they went to once...

I usually only talk about the bad ones. They're the ones that stick out in my mind. I have some really good, favorite weddings too. The truth is, most weddings are nice and they slip under the radar -- and that's totally okay.

The awesome wedding? You know, the fabled wedding that was so much fun people can't stop talking about how amazing it was? Those happen too, but they're far rarer. What is it that makes a wedding awesome? It's the level of fun and the attitude of the couple. It doesn't matter how much money is spent, it's all in the people (and, uh, the booze.)

It's funny, I've seen so many brides with lists of their must-have, staged, "candid" pics that they've seen on the internet that they want to duplicate. Here's the key to getting good pics of your own: find a good photographer and ENJOY your day. That's where the perfection and awesomeness comes from. Perfection isn't what's color coordinated, some ridiculous favors (by the way, half of the guests will not take them home!), bridesmaids having matching shoes, or all of your guests participating in a sing-a-long (they will talk about you, it will not be flattering). Perfection comes in being YOU, loving your spouse and enjoying the damn day. I've seen weddings put on for hundreds of thousands of dollars and I've seen weddings put on for under five thousand -- the price tag is just a number.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that my advice giving on the topic of weddings isn't going to end any time soon. My old job called today, they need my help for a big wedding in a few weeks. Can you say my self-esteem is sky freaking high right now? Because it totally is. 

Also, if this post lost coherency after the first sentence or so, I've had a lot of wine. I was on a date. My lips are sticking to my teeth. Yay.

The Whip It Up wrap up will be posted at some point on Friday. I WILL be posting.

Capellini with Fresh Ricotta, Roasted Garlic, Corn and Herbs - Whip It Up week 2

Since I'm on vacation this week I decided to be a little adventurous and attempt something from Bon Appétit.I flipped through my June and July issues and came upon one I had marked. After a trip to the specialty cheese store and the farm stand, I was ready to go.

Capellini with Fresh Ricotta, Roasted Garlic, Corn, and Herbs
Bon Appétit, June 2008

1 large head of garlic with the top 1/2 inch cut off
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 ears of fresh corn (still in husks!)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approximately 3 lemon's worth)
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
8 ounces capellini
2 cups of loosely packed mixed greens
2 cups of torn radicchio leaves
1 cup of fresh ricotta (7 - 8 ounces)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus shaved Parmesan for garnish
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. You're going to roast the garlic by drizzling with olive oil and wrapping in foil and then baking for about forty minutes (Pioneer Woman has a nice tutorial on this). Put the ears of corn, still in their husks, onto a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 25 minutes. Once they're based, allow the garlic and the corn to cool a bit so you can handle them.

Set a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.

Take the garlic out of its foil packet and squeeze the ooey garlic out of its skin into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, lemon rind, and two tablespoons of olive oil to the garlic, mash the garlic up with a fork and whisk it all together.

Shuck the corn and then cut the kernals off the cob. (Cover everything in a 10 foot vicinity with plastic because those damn kernals will fly.) Add the corn to the lemon and garlic mixture. Set it aside.

When the water is briskly boiling, add two or three generous pinches of salt (not before it boils because you don't want it to pit the bottom of your pot) and throw in your pasta. The recipe calls for capellini, I used spaghetti. Once it's al dente, drain it and rinse with cold water (this is not a step you'd do if you were serving it with a red sauce because the starch that the cold water rinses off helps the sauce to stick. In this case the ricotta cheese does that well!). Put the pasta into a medium sized bowl. The recipe then calls for you to toss with one tablespoon of olive oil - I omitted this. Then take your kitchen shears and cut the pasta noodles several times.

Add in your greens, herbs, cheeses, and corn mixture. Toss everything to coat. Season with salt and pepper, add some shaved Parmesan to the top and serve.

So, onto the questions:

Was the recipe easy to follow?

Yes. It was easy, but the prep work was long and annoying.

Did it taste good?

Yes!

Will you make this again?

Um. Maybe? If I had to? The truth is that it's not complicated, but it's a lot of prep work for a fairly simple dish. Also, I don't typically have herbs on hand, nor do I have radicchio. The dish used all of the chives and parsley I bought and I have a tiny bit of basil and dill left. I substituted high end regular ricotta because I didn't feel like spending nine bucks on the fresh stuff. It was an expensive little dish that just required too much work to make it into my repertoire. If I were to do it again, I would certainly use fresh frozen corn, because I would NOT do that part again.

I used the dish as a side to my salmon for the evening. I'll make the salmon again. That part is simple: take a fresh salmon fillet slather with mayo, plain yogurt or sour cream (I used reduced fat mayo), toss some fresh herbs (I used dill) and lemon slices on top, wrap in parchment and bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.

That's not bad all all.

Oh yeah, I had a topic in mind

However I washed that topic away with several glasses of sparkling pinot noir. (Yes! SPARKLING PINOT NOIR. It is my very bestest friend ever.) Mind you, the glasses of sparkling pinot noir were served over lunch... It's amazing how quickly days pass when you're on vacation. The to-do list is currently at 79 items with 31 checked off. Two of those items were handled today with "get pedicure" and "go to chiropractor" because I already had appointments scheduled. Lunch with Veronica was thrown in there with post lunch shopping (hello new Herve Chapelier bag from the thrift shop! And um, three plants, lightbulbs, extension cord, part of a birthday present for Aunt Nan, Rubbermaid totes and lavendar AHA body lotion) and then, before I knew it, the entire day was gone!

Tomorrow I have a craniosacral massage and nothing else scheduled so I will complete my Whip It Up Meal and *gulp* engage my closet in battle. It's going to be very messy and feelings will be hurt. You see, I recently broke up with JCrew. Thier prices are getting higher and their quality is sucking tremendously. Over the past year I have spent such an exorbitent amount of money there I can't even mention it without the masses redubbing this The Materialistic Whore blog, but suffice it to say, not one, not two, not three, not SIX but MANY items that are less than a year old have holes in their seams, including 4 month old Wellies, a cashmere sweater and multitudes of t-shirts and tank tops (purchased at both their outlet and their boutique stores in Boston and in Philly AND online.) H&M is holding up better.

But for the rest of the closet... I went to IKEA on Monday. There are new hangers. There will be color-colding. There's another set of drawers (gotta love the Antonius collection!). THERE WILL BE ORDER. There will also be order found under the kitchen sink and in my dining room cabinets. Order has previously been found in my hall closet.

Since I'm on my quest to be more organized and orderly, I have three questions for you all:

1. Do you remember to send birthday cards and birthday presents? Do you have a special system for remembering? I would like to stop being a complete dillhole in this arena and obviously need some help.

2. Does every home have a junk drawer for all of those little things that just don't have a home or do the most organized homes have spots for everything?

3. What on God's green earth do you do with those spare buttons and pieces of string that come attached to clothing? Do you ever use them? Do you have a collection? Do you meticulously attach them to the item's hanger so they're always available and where you need them? Do you have a card catalog of them?

What makes you interesting? Audience participation required.

I'm home, I have a post about being home and jumping on my furniture in joy coming soon. But, right now I have a two page long to do list staring me in the face and I'll be damned if it wins!

So, I pose this question to you: What makes you, as a person, interesting? Do you have unusual hobbies, life experiences, goals, dreams? Are you exceptionally passionate about something? What do you want people to talk to you about?

I'll explain my reasons for asking this question tomorrow.

Until them, I'm off to check things on the list off, and blog posting was one of them! Yay me!