the darkness has not overcome it

need to remember this link for recipes.

sore today.
sore in the way that ben gay doesn't help.(LOVE BEN GAY)
i learned a lot yesterday.
things like -even though i can reach the ceiling pushing the drywall up is REALLY painful and i am just a wee bit too short.
things like -100 year old houses have lots of 100 year old dust when you take bits of them apart. my neti pot saved me this morning, but i really should have used it last night as well.
things like -oh THIS is why we got the hot tub! this is why it is worth it in the cold ahhh yes...

instead of crashing out and nursing soreness when i get home, ross and i get to put up more drywall today. tomorrow i am going to the gym and hanging out with heather keiweg. wednesday well....i am hoping the drywall will all be up.
but before the inspector comes we have to have everything up that is going up (we don't have QUITE enough to do all of the stairs/entryway), everything mudded and taped (which takes several steps), and a primer put on. that way it won't look like it was under construction quite so obviously. this is important, because in minnesota you have to have a permit to do anything to your house inside or out. it is a real pain in the rear and this is a big state for DIY people. in my experience, people get the permits when they do outdoor work, but not indoor. because unless you have an inspector in your house, no one will know anyway. still, it is annoying that they want to dictate to you what you can do in your own house.

i did make up an awesome recipe last night. i am quite proud, although i think i will use less sesame and peanut oil next time.
asian chicken
2 large cut up chicken breasts
enough green beans for 3-4 people
1/3 bag egg noodles
1/2 cup hoisun sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 TBSP worceister sauce
3 TBSP soy sauce
1 8 oz can water chestnuts
1 TBSP sesame seeds
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 cup water

set the up the water for the egg noodles but don't start it yet. in a large tall-rimmed skillet, brown the chicken in the peanut oil (about 8 minutes). when a piece cut through the center is no longer pink, add water and continue to braise at medium-high heat. in a separate bowl, wisk together hoisun sauce, worceister, rice vinegar, soy, & sesame oil. wash and snap ends off green beans, cover with a little soy and let sit. somewhere in here you can also start the water for the noodles and add them when you have a rolling boil. when the water is almost gone, add the green beans, water chestnuts and sauce. stir these together for about four minutes. drain your noodles. sprinkle chicken mixture with sesame seeds and serve over noodles.
if you want things a bit spicer, you could add minced ginger and garlic to the sauce as well as 1 tsp pepper flakes).

maple pecan porkchops

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 2/3 cup maple syrup, divided
* 4 bone-in pork chops
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 cup unsweetened apple cider
* 1 cup pecan halves

Directions:
set the oven to 350 roast pecan haves for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, pepper and 2 teaspoons syrup. Lightly drizzle over both sides of pork chops.
In a large nonstick skillet, brown pork in butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Add apple juice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove chops and keep warm.
Add pecans and remaining syrup to the skillet; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until blended. Serve with pork chops. Yield: 4 servings.

okay so this is awesome.
i made it up last night.

6 small potatoes, sliced (enough to cover the bottom of one of those small, square pyrex pans)
2 large slices of onion
3 slices of garlic and onion cheddar
4 Tbsp fresh dill
3 hardboiled eggs, sliced
3/4 cup lowfat sourcream
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

layer in pan potatoes, broken up onion, egg, dill. add sour cream and butter on top. bake at 350 for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.
i might have gone even heavier than this on the dill...i've got a lot of extra dill in the house right now. but this was awesome. makes 4 servings.

2 cups cooked lentils (bring to boil and simmer for 20 min)
1 can chic peas
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 chopped avacado
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 chopped yellow pepper
2 small chopped tomatoes
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

combine all incredients in a large bowl. season to taste with season salt or regular salt if you haven't got season salt. toss. enjoy
makes enough for five meals or sides for 10.

x-posted to geekcooks

i have an amazing husband.
my folks brought us a broken boat. the mechanic said the part wasn't made anymore and he couldn't fix it.
monday we cleaned it. harder work than it sounds.
tonight my husband is an hour or so from having it fixed.
he COULD be working on his harley.
he does it cuz he loves me. :)

( 40-clove chicken )

( meme )

so i got this from an irish cookbook ross and i got in ireland.
so easy. so good.

5 small or 3 large zucchini (in the midwest zucchini are only about 3/4 of an inch wide and about as long as a checkbook)
farmhouse cheese (i used dubliner and have found a new love)
butter.

grease a baking pan and preheat to 350. cut the zucchini in half and cover with grated farmhouse cheese. put very small pats of butter on top and salt and pepper to taste. bake for 20 minutes.
so Incredibly good.

x-posted to domestic bliss

in other news. ross has been working 15 hour days and is still sleeping now that he has 2 WHOLE days off!!! *dances* maybe he will wake up and we can go to the park. in the meantime, i am going to get groceries and make some spicy black bean soup. it is a cloudy, rainy sort of day and i thought to go biking, but am scrapping that idea in favor of soup.
there was a place in annapolis, my favorite coffee shop, called 49 West. they always had a wonderful thick black bean soup served with onion bagel chips. i'm going to see if i can't duplicate it.

not as much done as i'd hoped today.
we didn't get any foaming or electrics done and we didn't hang the drywall. but we did tear everything out of the entryway and find problems that made the job bigger.
we had to tear out the ceiling in the kitchen over the refrigerator (which backs onto the hallway) because it is also uninsulated.
we made SUCH the mess.
anyhow we are finished, cleaned, showered, fed, and going out to see the movie.

also i made gingered honey and am halfway to making candied ginger as well.mmmmmmm.

made ham and potatoes and string beans the other night. and i am knitting like mad.
ross and i ordered a bunch of stuff off our registry with money people gave us and it came yesterday. yeah good knives! it was like xmas unpacking everything. and now i have a stocked kitchen to play in! problem is, we have more dishes than places to put them. going to have to do something about that.

i am entirely fascinated with the idea of pumpkin as a savory rather than a sweet food.
for anyone who is interested, i am including recipes for pumpkin foods.
( pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (makes 82) )
( morrocan pumpkin soup )
for more pumpkin recipes (i don't recommend the stew cooked in the pumpkin btw) check out http://www.pumpkinnook.com/cookbook.htm