Ethiopia, Gossip

Last night, the grad school girls went out for Ethiopian food, got smashed on wine, and gossiped until almost 2 in the morning. We put in a lot of hard work, tackling such topics as broken hearts, engagement stories, professor gossip, and even future goals and current frustrations. Somehow, everyone found room to eat cheesecake after the restaurant. Over twelve hours later, I am still full and can't even imagine eating a single thing. Drinking this water makes my stomach want to burst. Why would I still be full of delicious food after so long?

I was really interested that Llana was really interested in how Corey and I could quibble yet still live together. I was sharing the story of the soy milk lid, how it likes to live on the counter for up to thirteen weeks. I shared how I build around it, certain he will notice and then dispose of it until I go crazy and just shove it in his shoe. Llana could not imagine being able to stand things like that. I suppose it's kind of a trade off for how I hate changing the toilet paper roll. I just can't bear to pop off the plastic holder, throw the empty cardboard in the trash, and stick on the new roll. Cannot stand it. Corey always yells. But then I throw the soy milk lid at him and all is well.

I had intended to go for another super long walk this morning, but I feel too full. I'll have to postpone it until just before I put my chicken in the over. Yesterday, I explored Highland Park. It was really, really neat. Full of pedestrian staircases, playgrounds, tunnels with icicles. I love this city! Oooh, if I walk today, maybe I'll make my way all the way to the river and walk along that. Could happen if my stomach fullness goes down.

Mastering Poulet

I'm working through Masting the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. I'm not trying to be like the Julie/Julia girl. I just received Mom-mom's old copy and want to be like her instead. Today I made really awesome chicken breasts. I sauteed leeks and garlic in butter and added celery and carrots for a minute or two. Then, I stuck the pan in the oven with the chicken breasts and baked and basted with butter. Let me tell you how good the gravy was that I made afterward.

It was the most amazing gravy in the entire world. As Julia suggested, I did not use a whisk to make it. I only used a wooden spoon to get up the scrapings and then added stock and more butter. This gravy was so freaking amazing. Smooth, leeky, heavenly. Corey said the following things about the meal before silently devouring it: Wow. This is really good. This is good.

ALSO, when I went upstairs to invite LeeAnn to my Sunday rendition of MtAoFC, she presented me with my very own library card! She totally registered me on her own with no official mail or anything. I love having a librarian in the building. She knows everything about online research, electronic journals and databases. She is just so darned resourceful. I am excited to serve her some chicken with a different gravy.

Black Balled

I have now tried two separate times to get a library card from the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. The first time, they sent me away because I had no proof of a local address. Then, when I went back with a magazine sporting my printed address, they said that was not official mail and was therefore no good. Official mail would be a utility or other bill. Only I pay all mine online, so I get no official mail.
"You can come back with your lease or you might go to the bursar's office and have them print your student record!" suggested the bouffant at the desk. Wait in line at the bursar's office? No thank you at the beginning of the semester.
All I really want to do is rent the first season of Lost and not have to pay for it. Is that such a huge wish? I suppose I shall have to trek in there tomorrow with my lease, which I have to renew by January 19, complete with the signatures of Herb and Nancy. Exciting times at the fax machine lie ahead!

Whole Paycheck

$60 worth of Produce from Whole Foods.

I'm sitting at my kitchen table surrounded by $60 of organic produce from Whole Foods. Since I got the produce at Whole Foods, I am not so much surrounded as spaciously circled with my scant bounty. Corey will probably kill me when he sees the entry on our credit card statement. I can't decide whether I should wait until he has a mouthful of delicious mushroom champagne risotto (made with $12 worth of fungus-dried porcinis and $6 of hand-picked Spanish saffron threads) or let him discover it on his own.





Fungus-dried porcinis and the fabulous risotto they make.





As soon as I unloaded my bags, I picked up Julia Child again. It's really a pretty interesting book. I can't decide if I'm so fascinated because it was Mom-mom's book with her notes and book mark or because I really want to learn how to blanch bacon. I think I am most interested in the descriptions of how common food items like butter are prepared differently in France than America. Or how to use vinegar to clean copper pots. It feels like science/social studies class when I read Julia. I think I just miss high school.

So whenever I finish munching on my $7 hunk of imported Gruyere, I am off to soak leeks and make a fabulous feast.

Stuffed zucchini and fabulous mushroom stew.

Orange Bowl Winners!

Corey and I stayed up till 1am watching football last night. But it was ok because Penn State won the Orange Bowl!! Such a dramatic game! I can't believe the missed kicks in that game. Those 2 guys will never forget or forgive themselves, either. Amy Manidis is still upset about missing a kick to lose nationals in 2002 for rugby.

We were SUPPOSED to have an Orange Bowl party, but Corey uninvited all his work friends. I was pretty bummed because I wanted to meet them. It turns out classes did not start yesterday, so I found myself with a free afternoon after an accidental arrival on campus. So I made soup and cleaned up some filth and even folded our couch blankets. But then Corey got home and there was no party. Now I'll never meet his work friends! Who wouldn't want to meet these strange folks who roll cigarettes with little machines at their desks?

Since classes don't start until today and I only have Monday/Tuesday classes, I pretty much have nothing to do until Monday. That means I will be Julia Child today and make use of one of the 2 French cookbooks I got. Also, I'll be making wild mushroom soup or corn chowder from Sami's vegetarian cookbook. Literally every recipe in that book is amazing and contains something Corey won't eat. I have decided to buy him 15 bags of rice-a-roni and make myself yummy things like potatoes au gratin and black bean soup. I could actually consider vegetarianism with a cookbook like this as my friend. Mmm! Wild mushroom risotto!

I'll be walking to Whole Foods later today to buy groceries. I hope our organic produce delivery starts soon or else Corey gets a job where he can take the bus. This walking business makes me feel complainy.