Things I Eat: Roast Lamb

I believe I have lamb in my life. Not often thought. Meat in my family consisted of beef and chicken and sometimes pork.

So I was pumped to find a boneless lamb shank at Trader Joe's without any sauce on it.

First, meat is not the cheapest at Trader Joe's. I find fresh meat and canned food is not a deal there. But I like the quality. I also like their frozen meats. Just saying.

For sides, I did use Trader Joe's asparagus and then Hasselback potatoes.

What You Need

• Lamb: I got a boneless lamb shank, about 3lbs.
• Onions: Love.
• Garlic: Love.
• Bourbon: I was drunk at the time.
• Potatoes: You can use any type you like, I used Red Bliss because I like them. 
• Olive Oil: Woop!
• Smart Balance Butter: I can't have dairy or soy, so I use the Soy Free spread. It's not fantastic for you or for me, but, whatever. 
• Asparagus: You just nuke it.
• Thyme: I had some left so I put it in there.

What You Do
I roasted my lamb in my French Oven (dutch oven) with onion and lots of fresh thyme. I roasted it at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Then I reduced the heat to 375 and poured boubon over it. I cooked it per instructions, about 25 minutes per pound.

For the potatoes - super easy!

Hassleback potatoes are really just a style of potato. You cut these thin lines in them so you get this crusty, crunchy hard top and soft inside. It's really good.

I used a chopstick next to the spud - that kept me from cutting all the way through. I found it was easier to keep the chopstick on the far side of the potato so the knife touched it as I cut. That kept me from cutting all the way through. Then I drizzled them with olive oil and popped them into my toaster for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. After 30 minutes, I brought them out and seasoned with garlic, onion and the fake-butter since the taters had opened more. Then I put them back in for another 30.

Success!

I promise to do better with the whole. . .blog. .thing.

Maddy-Monster: Stronger

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Things I Eat: Pasta Gypsy Stew

What is a gypsy stew? I have made a couple - they are pretty much one pot meals with. .whatever. (You can read more in my Cook For Others post or even my Wonder Pot post)

Also, why can't I put green beans in my pasta? Why can't you? I can. You can. It's awesome!

What You Need

• Chicken thighs: I used about three chicken thighs because I like the flavor of dark meat. You could use white meat, sausage, anything, really. Or not use meat at all. Live!
• Onion: I used one whole onion. Sauted in some olive oil.
• Quinoa noodles: I like a good noodle, I got this Brown Rice & Quinoa Spaghetti pack from Trader Joe's. It's a good noodle. Even has a little flavor. I used about half a pack.
• Green Beans: Frozen and from the Joe's. I just throw in handfuls like a boss. Sometimes, I remember to snap them in half.
• Diced Tomatoes: I used the big can, I think it is 28 oz.
• Spinach: Spinach cooks down super fast, I used about half a 9 oz bag.
• Kale: Did you know we had kale? I threw that in there.
• Seasons: I used a ton of the following - Basil, thyme, sage, garlic, paprika, oregano

What You Do

I'm glad you asked! Very simple! First, I made my noodles because I don't know how quinoa noodles behave. I suppose I could have read the package, but. . .I didn't. I also only cooked them in water. If you have plain ol' noodles, cooking them in a broth is the best. 

While the noodles were noodling, I sauted my onions with some garlic and a mess of seasonings. When the onions started to get transparent, I added in my cut up chicken thighs so they could cook. Once they were pretty much done but still raw, since I have more cooking to do, I added the diced tomatoes and green beans. 

I let all that simmer and cook and all that until the noodles were done. Then I added in the chopping spinach by the handful and added more as it reduced. Then I added in the kale at the very end.

I only used maybe half of the noodles I made - I mixed them in, seasoned a little more to taste and. . VOLA!

Here, a piece of kale.

Me. At Work.

The Return of Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinner.

I did not grow up with some type of formal Sunday dinner. When I was much smaller, we would go to my grandparents for Saturday night dinner - maybe sometimes Sunday - but they lived 1.5 hours away and my brother and I are snots, so. . .

Now that I'm an adult, I decided I want to have Sunday dinner.

What is Sunday Dinner?

Sunday dinner is about coming together, reconnecting and sharing with the people you love. Since my husband claims he "can't cook" it's really up to me. That's ok because I like to try out stuff. Since I am cooking for two now, it's a little easier to make foods and try things. When it was just me, all that food would go to waste.

So, be prepared for some posts on Fridays that will reflect my previous Sunday Dinner.

Mmkay? I promise to take pictures on my new phone and be delightful.

Unless I don't have time, don't care or forget.

#honesty

Do Something With My Hair: 2016 Edition

Back in 2014, I wrote a post called "Do Something With My Hair." No reason I put that there. Just it's there.

My hair is getting longer since my last donation which you can read about in A Cut Above (The Ponytail) so I figured I should do something with it.

'Cause my relatives are always like, "Why don't you DO something with it?"

'Cause this is how I look - so I have a lot of area for adornment and improvement. Anything to distract from this personality.

I have always wanted to do a crown braid or side braid, but, my hair is very fine and it takes a lot of hair to make it work.You know, doing stuff like this in about 5 seconds while hung over - 6 Easy Braided Hair Looks.


I did recently figure out I don't have to do a three-strand braid, I can just do a two-strand twist. I don't know what the technical term is. I found I just started with my bangs, I just grabbed two strands just beyond my natural part and twisted as close to my hairline as possible.

Before I used a tiny claw thingy to clip it back, I ran my fingers under it to loosen up the twist and add some volume.

This was the result.

Here is a up-close-selfy look at how it looked. For the other side, I just pulled the hair back and used a few clips to hold it all up in a bun type thing. It did not look as good as this side since I did all of this without a mirror.

So sassy - right? Again, I did this without a mirror and while I was watching a Lethal Weapon marathon on TV. Probably drunk.

Here is a glimps of what I normally do to the back of it, just twist is up with little claws. You probably will want a mirror for this part. But, practice makes perfect!

Just keep trying. :)

Texts With Melissa: #Forever

Let's check in with my BFF!

Remember that time I wasn't feeling well and Melissa was like, "We don't have to hang out?"

How about a breakdown?

Maddy Responds to: Dumbing Down

A friend posted this on Facebook. . .'cause it's funny.

The video was filmed in Texas by a company called Gorilla Pig and had the description

Gorilla Pig
It's official: the dumbing down of America is a success!!!
“Politically-Challenged” produced by PoliTech. Posted by Gorilla Pig™.

OMG, they found some people who when put on the spot and asked questions that college kids totally should know but probably haven't had to access for years because they got a lot going on. . they say the wrong thing.

Goddamn motherf***ing idiots! Right?! Our world is doomed. So doomed. This is what happens when those people get elected we don't like and stuff we all know should have happened didn't happen and now we have this horrible situation that means we all suffer because everyone but us is dumb!

Break. The. Cycle.
I remember when my parents and grandparents said the same thing about me and my brother and my generation.

How I was dumb, ill-informed, lazy and was ungrateful for everything - also I wore pants, which was just disrespectful. And I didn't know who won the French-Indian War. I couldn't tell you the five major factors that led to World World 1 and until the end of High School, I actually have difficulty remembering the differences between WW1 and WW2. In college, I believe I once said Lyndon B. Johnson was known for flying around the world.

Look, folks. Stop this. This is bullying. This is making a statement for drama.

This is where we are all the same as long as we adhere to the tradition of highlighting how awful younger generations are to feed our own ego. They are not dumb or losers or vapid. They are people. Just like us. And they will do the same amount of great things and horrible things we have done and generations before us have done.

Maddy Responds: What Does This Mean?

Wait a minute. .wait a minute. What does this even mean?

So, when you start the journey you are someone who wants to become something and you need to unbecome something to become something because the journey is. . not about becoming anything.

This is BS.

Maddy-Monster: You are Important

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Writing Update!

I found a friend who shares the writing compulsion and we have formed a writing group. We came up with a name. Then I made us a logo. 'Cause I'm crazy.

As Safe As Horses! Yeah. The email is great "assafeashorses@gmail.com."

LOLZ!

Hopefully, new group will offer that. It's also really nice to be around someone else who shares the writing stuff. He does mostly poetry - which I tend to dislike - it takes a lot to move me. He recently sent me about 6 poems and I was surprised how many I liked.

Anyhow, writing update!

I have completed up to story 10 of 32? I might end up altering the final number of stories. At this point, stuff is still going good, I believe. I just need people to give me feedback and provide me some editing. Much harder than it seems.

I really was struggling with 10, until I just started another plot and that popped out fairly quickly. So, 11 is on deck while 10 was done. I just left myself with a fairly important and no-backies plot situation and I was unsure if I wanted it to continue the way it was. Morals. You know.

Writing is often talked about as if a book or piece is a "baby" - which is horrible because babies are people and not just completely controlled and creative-perfect constructs.

To me. . .writing is like throwing up. I feel it bubbling inside of me. It hurts inside. It dwells and mixes with whatever I most recently consumed. Then, in a fit of uncontrollable reaction, I puke forth this thing.

Or I take a lot of meds and the stories stay quiet inside of me.

But, they stories are always there. At middle-age, I didn't know people didn't have stories like this inside of them. There are always people and things waltzing around in there.

Oh well. Back to writing.

Maddy-Monster: Swimming!

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Face Mask - ON

My hubs went to get me some surprise treats from Blue Mercury - which was foot cream. Can't beat having a husband who gets your foot cream in order to rub you feet. It's pretty much the best thing ever - just saying.

Anyhow, with the cream were free samples. Since my husband is uber-hot, he gets a lot of free samples. I get like. . .no samples.

One of the samples was this Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque from Dermalogica. I love a face cream even though I never actually see any results and ultimately forget to use them or re-purchase them - so. . .that's kinda that. I was excited to try this one because it was there.

I'm pretty complex.

Anyhow, Dermalogica promises this product is:

Ultra-replenishing masque helps rescue stressed, aging skin. This revitalizing masque contains powerful, concentrated vitamins A, C, E and F to help skin recover from damage that leads to skin aging, while Vitamin A helps increase elasticity and moisture content, making it the ultimate remedy for dulling, dry, dehydrated, lackluster, photodamaged skin.

All sounds like good stuff! What the hell is photodamaged? Is that a problem that comes from a selfie-stick? What IS that. Oh well. I have sort of bad skin, In fact, in the last few months I have had an un-going white-bump attack. Sure, I love bursting those little sacks, but, be nice to not have them all up and down my jaw line and accenting my temples. Seriously.

Ok, so, the stuff is a whiteish-yellow. Dangerous choice - looks like pus.

It also sort of smells like new car smell and paint. I don't know how I feel about that - I like both those smells. I would think it would smell like. . .maybe. . .rose or something Watercrest?

According to Amazon, most people were favorable toward it. Other than maybe the smell and people breaking out or turning into zombies.

I am curious if I would notice a difference in my skin after a whole tube - for $30-$40, I am not sure I would do it. I think me drinking $30-$40 less alcohol might bring about the same results.

Anyhow, you apply this cream like stuff for about 10 minutes and then wash it off. Goes on and comes off super easy. This is what it looks like.

Yep - that's my review. I would want to try it, I just don't want to spend the money. No bad effects, that's for sure. Makes me want to paint.

Image Credits
Product from company's site.
Insides coming out from Carolinesmode.com/

Things I Eat: Orange Anise Chicken Thighs

I'm not sure I can eat olives. IDK, man. IDK.

Here was my out-of-the-box dinner since we have a lot of oranges. No survy here! All I really needed was the anise which is aka as fennel. It tastes great raw, like a light licorice. And I dislike licorice. I'm a complicated person.

What You Need

• 1 bulb fennel: Slice that into long stripes. Eat some. YOLO.
• 1 onion: I used a sweet onion  but other recipes say to use red onion. Whatever.
• Green olives: I got uncurred ones not package in vinegar because of the yeast thing.
• Garlic: Minced from my jar-stash. I used a healthy soup spoon full.
• Olive oil for coating
• 1 orange: Don't peel, just slice them into fourths or eights.
• A pack of chicken thighs. 
• White rice: You know, to serve with it

What You Do
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the fennel, onion, olives, garlic, in a baking dish and mix 'em all up - I think I used my dutch oven because it's how I live.

Season the chicken with paprika and onion powder - use a little oil. Just coat 'em a little with some nice seasoning.

Cook for about 30 minutes, rotate the pan if your oven is a gateway to Hell and unpredictable. Check it after 30 - cook a little longer if you have to. Chicken should not be raw.


Take out of the oven and mix up the onions, olives and orange with the chicken.

This is a delightful dish! I crushed up the orange a little over the chicken and make sure to spoon in some juices. The olives, mine were brine, so it added a punch of salt and sweet. Give it a shot!

This is more of how the artful people make it:Broiled Chicken Thighs with Oranges, Fennel and Green Olives

Maddy-Monster: Leaders and Followers

Just a message. . .

The 3rd Annual BP Winter Classic Hosted by Lake Placid & Whiteface Mountain

I spent about a week at Lake Placid in the beautiful Northern Light Lodge.

Things that I thought would happen included wendigo, flame throwers and a giant bathtub!

The group of us. . .yeah, it's from Until Dawn

What actually happened was more like skiing and looking at Olympic stuff.

I don't do winter type stuff - I did go skiing once - you can read about it in my post Go Skiing.

Things I Eat Tikka Marsala (Crockpot Style)

It's been a while since I have been foodcited. You know, excited about food. Then, I took FaceBook advice.

Thanks, FB friend!

This is the recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala that she had posted and I thought - I like Indian food. I don't like to really say "Indian food" because India is made up of many types and styles of food in different regions. I'm sure I don't like them all. But, let's face it. .curry.

Curry is the paprika of India.

Also, I suck at using a crockpot. So, extra victory.

To the details! By the way, this is how I made it because. . you know, I got issues.

What You Need

• Olive oil: For sauteing
• Onion: Delicious, delicious onion. I used one GIANT onion. 
• Ginger: I used Gourmet Gardens Ginger because it's delicious and easy. Use a couple inches.
• Garlic: I used my pre-chopped garlic which is in a giant jar in the 'fridge.
• Tomatoe puree or crushed tomatoes: 1.5 cups-ish of  or about half a 28 oz can - I skipped the diced tomatoes and tomato paste because it wasn't worth open a whole giant can.
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch: You could use flour
• Half tablespoon cinnamon
• Half tablespoon cardamon
• 1 teaspoon and some of cumin
• 1 Hungarian tablespoon of sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon of basil
• Hint of oregano
• .5 jar of 1 oz container of curry or maybe more. A lot. I used like 1 ounce. My favorite is McCormick.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 family sized back of chicken thighs - maybe 2lbs.I used boneless because I wanted it to fall apart. You could use bone-in.
• Coconut cooking spray
• 1 cup light coconut milk - If you do dairy, you could use cream or yogurt. 
• 1/2 a jar of dried cilantro (and then some)
• Spinach: I chopped up some to put into the crockpot at the end and to eat with it.

What You Do

The night before, you cut up your onion and saute it with the garlic and ginger. Don't be shy. Cook this until the edges of the onion start to brown a little AT MOST. Or just keep it transparent. 

Stir in crushed tomato and simmer everything for about 3 minutes. Add the cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add paprika, curry powder, salt, cinnamon,  cardamon, cumin, oregano, basil - Cook for about a minute. 

TASTE TASTE TASTE - add a little more of whatever! Don't be shy!

Take out your chicken thighs - dark meat is the best! Anyhow, spray those mo-fos with the coconut oil spray and stack them in your crockpot. Add the tomato mixture over the chicken. Maybe adjust some of the meat to make sure that sauce gets all over. 

Now, I did all this the night before and stored the pot in my fridge. Then in the morning, I put it in the base. Live as you would like, folks. You could probably make the sauce like a few days in advance, really. Mmm. 

Cook the awesome at love. . I mean. . low for 7 hours. It will look like this when you come back. It will also smell very, very delicious. Give it a stir!

Then, add the coconut milk, curry power and cilantro and put that pot on high. Give it a healthy stir. It's super nice if the chicken falls apart. It should maybe look like this. I used boneless thighs, might I add - so it fell apart and became all thick and meldy in the. . .*drool*

Make up some white, long-grain rice. I used a dash of chicken bullion in mine and a base of sauted onions. Spoon this joy over the rice, add some spinach. Top with a sprinkle of dried cilantro. 

Don't overeat and convince your husband there is nothing left.

Maddy-Monster: YOU

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Bump It

My fist. Bump it. 'Cause we're all in this together.

Maddy-Monster: Worry

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