FidgetyBudgie

Just swimming in the nice

ok I'm just gonna gush for a sec here, so if you're grumpy today, like I am sure I will be before the day is through, look away now.  ok.  now that we're alone, can I tell you how nice knitters are?  And how nice portlanders are?  Seriously.  And portland knitters - don't get me started!  nicest.  people.  ever.  I'm truly amazed.  I went looking on Ravelry for a shawl for my dear friend Meredith's mom, and have received a flood of generous beautiful responses from talented knitters with finished shawls they are willing to part with.  I also got a reply from a portland knitter who's husband has celiac, and she's steering me to all the good stores and ethnic grocers in our neighborhood.  Our new landlord directed the Budgie to the local cable guy who made us a much better deal than his corporate office could make.  One of last year's Radiography students at PCC is going to sell me many of her books.  People, I am overwhelmed by the nice. 

My Last Monday...

...well, this is my last Monday as an employed person for the next two years.  ACK!  I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I am freaking out just a bit over that.  It's a control thing, and anyone who knows me, knows I just might have control issues (shut up, Curt).  But I'm excited, and overwhelmed with all we have to get done in the next 14 days.  In two weeks we will be in our new place, in two months I will be in the thick of school and clinicals, in two years I will have a new career.  This weekend we're having a yard sale - I'll be doing that while the Budgie and a friend take our furniture and book boxes and other heavy stuff to Portland.  I can't believe that what started as an idea and a wish just a year and a half ago is actually happening!  I'm glad I am not doing this alone, but at the same time, knowing I'm taking someone else on this adventure with me feels like a huge responsibility.  If it were just me, whatever shit hits the fan along the way only affects me and it's my own fault - that I can deal with.  But it's a whole different game when someone else's life is on the line too.  The comforting variable here is that he loves Portland, and I am hoping that we can live within our very tight budget enough for him to be able to enjoy it the way he should - like being able to afford a night out for him now and then, or tickets to a show at the Doug Fir.  I know that this will all work out.  I just want him to be able to have a life while I'm in school, and not have to give up everything just for me and end up being bored out of his mind while I follow my own crazy ideas again. 

Simple Tasty Baked Egg Ramekin Dinner

Entirely too much work to do here right now, so I whipped up a really simple dinner that I wanted to share with you.  No, I didn't take a photo before I devoured it, but then as I was telling the Budgie about it I realized I should write it down before I forget about it forever.  Not that it's complicated, but I often whip up something simple and lovely and then never remember to make it again.

So, I had a little apricot tart baking in the oven at 350F, and figured I'd use the oven to bake dinner too.  I was in the mood for eggs, but not in the mood to cook them.  So, I got an oval single-serving ramekin, buttered it a little, buttered two pieces of GF bread, chopped them into chunks and put them in the ramekin.  Topped that with about a tablespoon of minced onion, about 1/4 of a ripe tomato cut into chunks, and three fresh basil leaves, julienned.  I added a little cheddar we had in the fridge, and topped it all with two fresh eggs, placing them carefully to keep the yolks in the middle.  A little salt, a lotta pepper, and threw it into the oven with the tart for about 20 minutes.  It's delicious! 

Gluten Free Travel

I just discovered a new (to me) Gluten Free blog out there that is a welcome addition to the fold.  Gluten Free Guidebook is written by travel writer Hilary Davidson, and she has stories and recommendations from all over the world.  If you're planning to travel anywhere, from Newfoundland to Peru to Hungary to the Swiss Alps, she's been there, and may have posted about it.  Check out her blog, and bookmark or subscribe to keep up with her travels across the globe.

On another note, I've added a new gluten free category, and one of these days I will go through my food entries on the blog andadd them all to this category as well.  If you're looking for my recipes, they're usually in the Gustatory Delights category, although some older ones may be in Food and Drink.  And any recipes posted after about April of 2006 should be gluten free.  That was about the time I knew for sure this was what I was dealing with.

The Omnivore's 100

I've seen this on a few blogs lately, and since I can't seem to get a thought or time together enough for a real post, I've got this.  It came from Very Good Taste, and if you want to play yourself, just:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5.Crocodile (same as Alligator?)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (unless this was the horrid cheese Curt brought once)
17. Black truffle (only truffle oil.  :(  )
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns(and i'm still trying to find a gluten free recipe for the bun dough so I can make a veg version....god I loved these as a teenager on Guam)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepperI am not stupid.
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters(at least 6 times. and i hate them)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda (not yet but omg do I need to try this!!)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar(but ew)
37. Clotted cream tea (no, but again, I must. esp now that I have some real english tea at the house.
38. Vodka jelly (oo, cool idea!)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (only if was starving)
43. Phaal(see scotch bonnet)
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin(it made me barf)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (I'm not entirely sure.  that might be an indication that i have, huh?)
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin(um...why?)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian(I'll leave that to Tony Bourdain)
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis(well, unless it came with a hot Scotsman in a kilt and hikers)
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost (The Budgie's dad loves the stuff)
75. Roadkill (it would depend on what it was, how hungry I was, and it would have to be fresh)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong (it sounds really interesting though)
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa (again, I must have this!)
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor (waste of a perfectly good lobster, imho)
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Some of the things on this list seem to be there just because the name sounds exotic, but it's interesting to see how many of them I have tried - 58 if we're counting the alligator as crocodile.  Some of the ones I haven't tried are either news to me, or just out of my price range.  And truthfully, my "never consider eating" items all have disclaimers.  In the right circumstances, I will try just about anything once. If I were a guest in a mongolian yurt (god that would be so cool) I would eat whatever they put in front of me.  But given the choice, I don't eat organ meats, painfully hot food, insects (that I can see), or things that smell like they've been dead too long (durian & roadkill).  But if this guy hands me a plate of haggis you can bet your ass I'm gonna eat it and enjoy it.

Exterminate!

I am SO learning to do crosstitch now!  I received this in a swap on Ravelry from another knitter in the UK.  It was part of a gluten-free swap that also included some fun gluten-free foods including chocolate-filled croissants, and Prawn Cocktail crisps, which I am going to tell you right now are the boss.  But this?  This make me squee like a first-grade girl in a baby rabbit store.  I cannot wait to make this tiny crossstitch dalek and frame it and put it in our new house,  on the wall behind my desk, where I can look at it while I'm studying.  And yes, I am definitely going to make more than one. Perhaps a set of three or four in different colours, all lined up nice and proper-like.
 And yes, you know I am SO going to make a red one. 

Hurray!

No Stress Here.

nope.  not even a little.  I have a freelance project well overdue, a house to pack, a garage sale to prepare for, an online class to finish, an apartment to find long distance in a town that demands proof of employment for rentals, the Budgie still doesn't have a job offer...nope, not a little stress here.  Of course not.  Well, at least this time I have an excuse for the sporadic posting!  News when we have it, but keeping my head down for now.  I get to give my notice on Monday.  I am fighting the SecondGuess demons in the back of my psyche pretty hard right now, although I do know this is the right thing to do.  Once it's all in place, I'll be better.  Right now, I'm almost glad for the distractions of being so busy.  Send good thoughts if you've got any extra.

Twist Collective Launch!

OOO, a new online knitting magazine has joined the universe today, and I am here to tell you it is good!  Twist Collective launched today, and I already must have bought the pattern for Bonnie  and I think I also must have Jaali!  I can totally see myself this winter, in Portland, wearing Bonnie everywhere.  I have to see which neglected yarn in my stash wants to be made into her.  I have a gorgeous deep blue Eco Wool, and some chocolate brown sierra aran, and a bag of deep red cascade 220 - I gotta get gauge with ONE of those, right?  Of course, I have to finish the Budgie's Cobblestone first, which I will do in the next few weeks.  Oh, and yes, we have to move.  (And no we haven't found a place yet so send good thoughts ok?)  And if new sweaters aren't your thing right now, how about some lovely, and fun, new sock patterns?  Or maybe lace is your thing?  How about this for starters?  Or this?  Anyway, do go check out Twist Collective!  There are great articles and so many beautiful patterns, the layout is gorgeous and professional - if all of their issues look this good,  I'd say we have a winner! 

Let's have a more uneducated nation!

One of my coworkers is adamant that degrees in history, english, and literature are useless.  She says people who get those degrees just end up working retail and it's a waste.  I ask her if it's better for us to have more people in this country who don't know what happened 50 years ago, or who will teach her children history and english, and she just laughs and sticks to her fundamentalist guns.  Of course, she makes 80 grand a year, so who cares if people below her on the food chain are uneducated?  She votes the way her church and f*x news tells her to anyway.  She's one of the folks who thinks battered women are stupid and just make poor choices...  Truly I cannot get out of here soon enough.  She and my boss are all sorts of pissed off today because of the housing bailout.  Because they think that people who get their homes foreclosed are also just stupid and make poor choices.  Which yes, maybe some of them are.  But I wonder how they'd feel when all the houses in their oh-so-affluent block sit empty for a few months and their property values plummet?  They are right now working on a budget that demands cutbacks, and it doesn't seem to occur to them that those cutbacks will mean some of their neighbors may lose their jobs...and send them on the road to foreclosure.  The inability of these two people, who's combined income is more than triple my own, to grasp how one aspect of the economy affects another is truly astounding.  Made even more astounding by the fact they are accountants.  Apparently their publicly funded educations didn't prevent them from being ten shades of ignorant, so maybe they have a point.

We always knew...

Via BoingBoing, one of the best Batman panels of all time.