30 Kitchen Creations...

I did it!! 

Woo hoooooooooooooo!!!!

30 Days in June = 30 New Kitchen Creations!
(1/day...)

Boom ... check out the first blog post from this month to see everything I made ... or, better yet, check out - and follow - my other blog "A Stomach On A Mission" at:

http://stomachonamission.blogspot.com

I'm patting myself on the back right now, because this was a rather challenging challenge I set myself, and I did it! Go me!!!

#equality

Some days have really great news!

Here's just one of the many articles praising the fact that same sex marriage is now (FINALLY) a legal right in all 50 states!!! #equality 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/27/us/supreme-court-same-sex-marriage.html?emc=edit_na_20150626&nlid=65458398&ref=cta

Idiots abound ...

On my way to work I watched a "super intelligent" (please read that with as much sarcastic sass as you can envision me saying it) young mother (I hope - is hope the right word - it was her mother and not some babysitter/nanny being paid to watch someone else's babies) pushing one baby in a stroller, with two toddler's holding hands next to her, attempt to cross the street - at an already awkward intersection - but NOT in the crosswalk. The light turns green, at least (I'll give her this) she didn't just try to run across the road with the kiddos, and she backs up with the stroller. That's pretty good right? Ok, so then points her finger at her, maybe 2 year old, and yells are her to "back up, or stay put" or something like that (but not in a, "I'm going to save my baby from dying" way, more like a "you better back up you little shit" kind of way) ... because, you know, the cars started moving with the green light and the TODDLER didn't realize her mom had started backing up. I mean ... what is wrong with people? Of course your toddler wouldn't know what to do, she's a toddler!!!

How do some folks get to be parents ... ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Ok. 

Cat Stow Away...

YIKES!!! I think that if this cat wore pants, it would'a soiled them!

Motivational Penguin

 Motivational Penguin!

Also, YES!!! I don't know why, but yes!

Constant Rewards ... ???

No I don't have kids (yet -- I hope it's a yet ...). Yes I have seen many a young person's "graduation" from Pre-K, Kindergarten, Elementary to Middle School ... yes I have seen too many kids get "trophies and medals" for things that are not truly "award" worthy ...

A performance at the end of a year spent in drama class - or a production at the end of rehearsals - those are the rewards ... not some medal or trophy saying "good on you for sticking to something that wasn't a competition of any sort" ... am I right? Getting all gussied up in some pretty/sparkly/frilly/tutu'y outfit, and with your make up done to be in a dance recital at the end of the year taking classes and learning, is the award, isn't it?

Medals/trophies for an entire team finishing a year in soccer, basketball or some other sport ... what's that about? Isn't it - shouldn't it be - about learning to be a member of a team, learning athletic skills, and getting to play games with one another?

Why is an Olympic Medal something to strive for if you get one at the end of every year you finish a sport?

Trophies and medals are for "extreme" accomplishment -- the top three winning teams, the top 3 winners in a race ... not merely finishing the year in a program you wanted to participate in. At least that's the way I think it should still be. 

My MVP Trophy for best defense on my basketball team in HS means something to me because I worked hard to be the best defender on the team ... it wouldn't mean as much if I simply had a "you finished the year in basketball" trophy. I'm just sayin'! 

No I don't have children, but I do think that children need to grow up learning and growing, and knowing that not every accomplishment is reason for an award.  Every f'ing thing they doe does not need to be a celebration, it won't be in the real world, there's no party every time I finish a project at work, or run a mile to stay in shape. If they're rewarded for EVERYTHING it never lets them see, and experience, the moments when they are truly doing something outstanding ... perhaps I shouldn't speak "until" I have kids ... but ... we'll, I've spoken, so there. 

And here's a blog entry that I ran across on Facebook that pretty much prompted this post. There's at least one other someone out there who thinks along the same lines I do. LOL

http://www.xojane.com/family/i-hate-all-these-childhood-graduation-events

Age and Youth Together

This video is making the rounds on Facebook right now, and it's great!

A Nursing Hom and a Preschool co-existing in the same building ... brought tears to my eyes!

What a great thing, what these young kiddos can learn from the elderly, and what happiness they can bring them! :) Yay, there are some smart thinkers out there who then put those smart thoughts to great use!!!

And here's an article about it:

http://www.viralnova.com/elderly-preschool/?mb=fbko

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

RESPECT!

We should all put forth the fabulousness this little dancer does!

Dance like no one is watching!

Crazy Intense Balloon Animals

Check out this link ... there are some crazy balloon animal artists out there!

http://www.boredpanda.com/balloon-animal-art-masayoshi-matsumoto-japan/

An example...

I mean, come on ... who can do that? How many balloons did it take? How many different sized balloons did they use? How many times did that shit pop before a T-Rex stood there?

Phew ... and I thought some of the ones I did last month were difficult. That fish I made, still doesn't look like a fish to me ... and the two balloon horse was kinda funky, as was that three balloon shark ... however, the posts for each of the new guys I learned were usually the first attempt, and if it wasn't the first attempt than it was only my 2nd or 3rd ... so ... I mean, I could totally make that T-Rex! :o) LOL

My One A Day Challenge ...

It's proving an interesting adventure, this "one a day of a different thing" each month. Things like cooking (or creating something in the kitchen) every day can be rather difficult when other events within the day take a large amount of time...

All of the, non-cullinary, "...a day" projects over the past 5-months have been relatively easy to accomplish on a daily basis, even though some days were rougher to do the task I'd set myself than others.

Despite it's being a bit more difficult, I'm really enjoying it ... and though I know "Julie and Julia" already exists, I'm already thinking that 2016's year long challenge will be to cook my way through an entire cookbook ... or devote myself to one famous chef's style ... I'm thinking a year of Jamie Oliver. We'll see.

Now only if I had some followers. LOL

Cook A New Food A Day June

Chocolate Chip Cookie Smoothie 6/30

Butterbean & Tuna Salad with celery, capers, scallions and a lemon Dijon dressing. 6/29

Lady Fingers to make a Trifle 6/28

Zucchini Chips 6/27

Edamame Salad 6/26

Meringue's 6/25

Pancakes with a Nutella filing 6/24

Shrimp and Grits 6/23

Fried Ice Cream 6/22

A Traditional New Zealand Pavlova 6/21

A Father's Day Old Fashioned 6/21

Eggplant and White Bean Ragout over Wagon Wheel Pasta 6/20

(Technically, though I used the soffritto from the other day, and based it off of the White Bean Ragout from the other day, it is a dish I've never made before ... and one I made up, or adjusted ... I also added some more tomato paste to the dish. Yes it's a bit lazy for a new dish for the day, but it is in fact a new dish, so it qualifies! Tee hee...!!!)

Homemade Popcorn 6/19

(Top right photo is the Old Bay & Butter seasoning. Bottom right photo is salt and vinegar.)

White Bean Ragout with Toast 6/18

Open Faced Eggplant "Sandwich" 6/17

G'ma's Butterscotch Dreams 6/16

Open Faced Zucchini Sandwiches 6/15

(With soft garlic cheese and Black Forest ham)

Beer Can Bacon Burgers 6/14

(Top left: mom, me, dad - going clockwise from the bottom burger)

Beet-n-Cannelloni Hummus 6/13

(Made without tahini)

Edible Ladybug's 6/12

(Not bad for hotel room "cooking"... #travelingchef )

Zucchini & Black Bean Quesadilla 6/11

Stovetop Pizza 6/10 ... this marks my first ever true #FAIL in the kitchen... 

(check out my Stomach On A Mission blog for more details)

Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie 6/9

*another long day at work ... and this time, I took the really easy route for something new ... but it's delicious!!! Think I might use the yogurt next time, to make it a wee bit thicker ... 

Cucumber Salad 6/8

*I also made Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownies for a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at work today, they were a box mix, but it was the first time I'd even made that mix so ... At any rate, I made them at about 8:30am ... and then spent the whole day at work, to arrive home just before 9pm when I proceeded to make the salad above ... it's proving an interesting task to accomplish this "cook something new a day" challenge I've set myself this month. But I love it! :)

Green Bean and Almind Salad 6/7

Pasta with Sausage and Spinach 6/6

Beet & Onion Quinoa Salad 6/5

Strawberry, Blueberry, Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie (in my new blender)! 6/4

"Greek Hummus" 6/3

English Toffee (with chocolate chips) 6/2

Tabouli Stuffed Eggplant 6/1

*I am going to a bit more detail on the items I cook on my other blog, the one I write as a chef and foodie. If you're interested you can find it at: http://stomachonamission.blogspot.com