Getting to know more about you.

Here’s a new edition of MannLand5’s Getting To Know You –

1. what’s something you’ve eaten and liked, but didn’t think you would?
~ I’m not sure that there’s anything on this list. I consider myself to be an adventurous eater so nothing is “off the list” of items to try.

2. plastic surgery..yay or nay?
~ No thanks. Unless I had a (God forbid) disfiguring accident or something that needed a plastic surgeon’s expertise.

3. 2 things you love about spring are…..?
~ Certainly not the allergies! But the weather – absolutely! And getting to swim outdoors again (although I haven’t been yet) is a great thing about spring.

4. when’s the last time you went on a picnic?
~ A few weekends ago, Brad & I packed a picnic lunch and the dog and went to Zilker Park. It was a very nice day. Other than going camping with him last fall, I can’t remember the last time I had a picnic like that.

5. what’s your favorite app?
~ Just one? Maybe Facebook and/or Twitter are ones I use the most. Other than that, I enjoy game apps like Words With Friends and Angry Birds. Can you believe that only 4 years ago, we wouldn’t know what this conversation meant???

6. who does the grocery shopping in your house?
~ Brad and I go together when we can.

7. would you rather take a spin class or zumba?
~ Seeing as though I don’t belong to a gym nor do I plan on it, neither.

8. how often do you go out to dinner?
~ With the state of our household economy, we rarely go out to eat. It’s a good thing I love to cook!

Getting to know all about you…

I follow my former student Ann’s blog and her latest post was inspired by an Austin blogger’s post about getting to know other bloggers. So, why not?

1. do you watch/read the news?
~After 911, everything was so dismal, I stopped watching to keep from becoming depressed. Slowly, I started watching the weather then local fun stuff then morning news. That was about it. Then I learned that most (if not all) news is glorified gossiping. Especially local news. So I stopped again, except the occasional bit trying to catch morning weather forecast.

2. how would you describe your “look”?
~Convenient. I’ll wear a dress to work and people ask me what’s the occasion. My answer? “I didn’t feel like matching a top to a bottom.” I teach high school band so there are unexpected time of hauling stuff and I need to be able to help out and not risk my “nice” clothes. I’m also on quite a budget being that I’m a high school teacher and trying to get out of debt.

3. did you play sports in high school or college?
~I was in the marching band. It is a sport, I promise.

4. would you rather give up lipstick/gloss or high heels?
~I think as long as I have lip balm, I’m good. I hate flats so I can’t give up high heels. No way.

5. what’s your favorite show to watch on tv?
~At what time slot? I’m addicted to TV and I’m not ashamed.

6. would you rather bake or cook?
~I leave the baking to my sister and I love to cook. Keep reading more of the blog and you’ll find some of the things I’ve cooked on here.

7. shorts or skirts?
~I prefer dresses to skirts, first of all. But shorts v. skirts? Gosh, I think that depends on the occasion.

8. what’s your favorite scary movie?
~NONE, thanks.

A little poetry

I’m not much of a poet. In fact, I don’t GET most poetry. My boyfriend doesn’t understand how I can’t like or even get most poems but he doesn’t like jazz so I guess that balances us to some degree.

Several years ago, we were either at a dress rehearsal or performance of our school’s production of South Pacific and the phrase “open the Blue Shades” wouldn’t leave my brain. After pondering it a bit, I realized that Blue Shades is a title of a wind band piece composed by Frank Ticheli. The next day, I went online and looked up his other titles and realized a nice poem could come by combining the titles of the works he’d written up to that point. It doesn’t contain all his titles up to that point but most of them and I’m not sure that I actually ever finished it. I hope you enjoy my little poem. There’s no title to the poem itself since it contains so many in it. 😉

I have Gaian Visions
of the Proud Vesuvius
as it takes is Wild Nights
lit by Nitro.

Don’t live locked in your Fortress
like your Portrait of a Clown.
Open the Blue Shades
and let the Sundance.

When you are off
in your Sanctuary,
send me a Simple Gift.
Even if it’s just a Postcard.

From the Shenandoah
to the Pacific,
I sing a Fanfare,
my Second Symphony
as the Amazing Grace
of The American Elegy.

So, that’s it – my first “published” poem. Yes, some of it is a little forced but again, I’m not a student of poetry by any means. I hope you enjoyed it!

Chef Antonia Lofaso’s Braised Pot Roast with Kale and White Beans

Ever watch Top Chef? This is All Stars season and Chef Antonia Lofaso is one of my favorites. I was so very excited when they announced she’d be on All Stars and to see that she’s done so well. I’ve recently started following her on Twitter and this is her latest twoted recipe (yes, twoted is past tense of tweet, as defined by Twitter creators).

Antonia is great on Top Chef.Braised Pot Roast with Kale and White Beans
6 lb pot roast
1 carrot
1 stem celery
1 yellow onion
fresh thyme
3 bunches kale
1 can white beans
1 bulb garlic
chicken base/bouillon
tomato paste

Season brisket generously with salt and pepper and sear in a deep pot until golden brown on all sides. Chop carrots, celery and onion. Add veg (mirepoix) to pot and continue to brown, add 1 TBS tomato paste, the thyme and bloom (cook for just a bit to open its flavor), cover with chicken base or water cover pot. Bake at 375 for about 3.5 hrs, strain and allow to rest.

Rough cut and clean kale, chop 2 cloves garlic, in deep pot heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add kale and season with salt and pepper, sautee uncovered for 5 min, then cover and braise with garlic for 10 minutes, add bean and serve.

I may just have to try this recipe today!

Oprah & Moscow Mules

I’m learning a lot by watching Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes on the OWN. For example, Oprah’s favorite new drink is the Moscow Mule. It contains:

Vodka
Mint
Lime Juice
Ginger Beer

Oprah says you can squeeze the limes with your teeth if you don’t have a juicer. AND, Oprah drinks like Martha Stewart. That’s awesome!

Love you, mean it!
~C