end of an era

Friends, I have some sad news (for me). This evening I will be concluding the final season of QAF, which will leave me in the depths of despair from which I may never recover. Although, Kramer did send me this site, and that helps. A little.

Although, on the bright side, after I finish watching, and don't have to be concerned about spoiling myself with spoilers, then I can start ravenously reading all the online chatter and slash whilst I lick my wounds.

Oh, Brian, how I will miss you! How I will miss you all!

Okay, I'm gonna try to pull myself together and get through this blog post. Pray for my soul.

...

Okay, to follow up on my O.B. rant the other day, my friend Dra emailed me and suggested that maybe I was putting it in the wrong place (!) or that I hadn't removed the plastic wrap. Um, no. O.B.s were obviously created as miniature torture devices to keep me down. If you like them, then I will just have to pray for your soul. And, your delicate lady-parts.

Down with O.B.!

And, in other news, I stopped by Whole Foods yesterday to get the China-Bear her Hip Action treats, and guess who I ran into! The Hurd!


Hurd was filling her little basket to the brim with fresh veggies and other delicious ingredients. It warmed the cockles of my little ol' heart! She was going home to try her hand at the Butternut Squash a la Gooch. I can't wait to hear how it turned out! And, it was just fun to have a hurd to tool around the grocery store (and then liquor store) with.

Also, Karen sent me a list of places to check out for cooking clases! Karen, you are a peach! Here's it:

Passionate Food
Sweetwater Cooking
Food, Glorious Food
A big list of places from the library!

Sweet! (Jess, and any other of you dear readers who are interested in taking classes, lemme know if anything strikes your fancy!)

monday, monday

It was a good weekend! Kicked it off with a Hurday.2007 hurdabration. Kramer and I made vegan red velvet cupcakes (aka "hurdcakes") on Thursday night (couldn't talk about them then, 'cause then the Hurd would've known that we were making hurdcakes). We used a recipe from the Christian Vegetarian Association. The recipe was a little effed up (it called for "vegan sugar" twice, but not the flour--which Kramer eventually figured out. freakin' christians trying to mislead us...). We'd originally wanted to decorate them in the style of butts with small black heart tattoos, but the icing just wasn't the decorating kind. And, Kramer's kitchen was...well, she told me to just pretend like it was a cooking show challenge, a la "Dinner: Impossible". They still tasted good, though! I wish I'd thought to take some pictures... I wish I had a tiny spy camera that took excellent photos. Mine is nice, but it's big and heavy and bulky-ish. A spy camera would hit the spot.

Anyhow, we hurdabrated on Friday with a dinner at Abay. I love this place. Not only did they not blink when I came in wearing a dick-in-a-box, but the chef came out and serenaded Hurd with the birthday song and chatted us up a bit.

Then there were sparklers, Hurd wearing the dick-in-a-box, a dis from Kelly's (not giving them a link, 'cause they can suck it) by the rudest waitress in Pittsburgh, a Hurd social-worker style intervention with a poor homeless guy having a hard time on the sidewalk, drinks at 5801, and after I left, it seems that the party continued for some time. Glad you had a good birthday, Hurdcakes!


Saturday E-dawg and I took a bike ride over to the farmers market. I hadn't ridden for a while--since it got hellishly hot this summer--and, the short ride (about 3 miles each way) kinda, like, totally kicked my ass. In the Strip we hit up the Firehouse Farmers Market (where has Mushrooms For Life been??), Reyna, Mon Amiee Chocolat, Penn Mac and Cafe Richard. Good stuff. I got my first winter squash of the season (butternut; I think I'm going to make this Squash Spice Cake recipe from the current Vegetarian Times) at the farmers market, the Best Flour Tortillas In The World from Reyna, and the best quiche ever at Cafe Richard (mushroom and goat cheese).

We also got approached by some little old man selling raffle tickets for his church. When we passed we goaded me, "Aren't you going to buy a ticket for the pretty lady?!" (meaning E-dawg). Since he kinda-acknowledged we were lesbionic, I bought two--one for me, one for the pretty lady.

Saturday evening I went to a Dining For Diversity dinner with the lovely Ms. Leslie Fleisher at the home of Lee Fogarty where Louise i-don't-know-her-last-name cooked up some delectable grub (two kinds of pasta, two salads, appetizers, and lotsa wine). It was really nice. And, I ran into Sue and Ledcat from PghLesbian, and had a nice chat. We skipped out on the Dessert Reception downtown, but I heard it was a good time, too.

Sunday, I just kicked it with Zeke all day (my dog-sit job and #1 pal). I made a tasty lunch of an omelette with red peppers, onion and goat cheese, along with a spicy fig salad (riffed from a recipe in the current VT), and some warm tortillas and fresh tomato slices. Yuh-um. That fig salad was the bomb. The recipe had you sear the figs (slice in half, cut side down) in a skillet with a little oil and some chili powder. It was bomb. For reals. The original recipe called for artichoke hearts sauteed with onions and garlic and some roasted red peppers. Instead (since I forgot my artichokes), I just sauteed some onions and red peppers (small dice) in a little evoo. I used half for the omelette, and half to make a vinaigrette for the salad (just the onion/pepper mixture, a dash of chili powder, the juice from half a lemon, a splash of red wine vinegar, evoo, and some sea salt and freshly ground pepper).


Tomorrow I start a pet-sitting gig (one dog, two cats and an iguana) for two weeks, but the oven doesn't work! I think I'm going to make a bunch of soup and salads. And, maybe that spice bread when I'm visiting my pad.

Also, tonight is the "Queers: They're What's For Dinner!" dinner. Want info? Email me, or comment or whatever. It's at the Gypsy Cafe. Should be tastiriffic.

Ooh! We had our weekly weigh-in today. Down two more pounds (five pounds total)! Sweet!

.....................
here's some good local food stuff that I just got in an email from Slowfood Pittsburgh:

silver eye exhibition programs
Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Southside

What’s for Dinner? Photographs by Diana Shearwood
This exhibition, on view September 26 – November 24, 2007 features large-format color inkjet prints by Québec photographer, Diana Shearwood. She documents trucks and the huge advertising photographs that embellish them as they travel cross-country to deliver food miles away from where it has been grown. Once the viewer realizes that the images of delicious, mouth-watering food are wrapped around 18-wheeler trucks, it sets in motion a thought process about the food we eat, how it is delivered to us, and more. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. New Gallery Hours: Wednesday, Noon – 6:00 p.m., Thursday, Noon – 8:00 p.m., Friday, Noon – 6:00 p.m., Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or by appointment. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Why would anyone photograph trucks?
Artist’s Talk and Opening Reception
Saturday, September 29, 3:00 p.m.
Reception of freshly harvested local foods will begin immediately after Diana Shearwood’s talk from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Refreshments and flowers kindly provided by Blackberry Meadows Farm, Davis & Davis Gourmet Foods, Emerald Valley Artisan Cheese, Le Pommier Bistro Français, Mediterra Bakehouse, Paul’s Orchard, and Pisarcik Greenhouses & Cut Flowers. Silver Eye members and students, free; Non-members, $5.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Produce Paparazzi: Grow Pittsburgh Reception
Tuesday, October 16, 7:00 p.m.
Six interns from Grow Pittsburgh have photographically recorded their experiences with two Pittsburgh Public schools as they planted and harvested an edible schoolyard garden. Join us for a reception to enjoy and support the fruits of their labor. Refreshments will be served. Silver Eye members and students, $3.00; Non-members, $5.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Longing to keep it local? Food for Thought…
Saturday, November 3, 10:00 a.m.
Join us for a panel discussion on the ways and means of this new trend. Distinguished panelists: Donald Gibbon, Photographer and Consulting Naturalist; Miriam Manion, executive director of Grow Pittsburgh; and Marlene Parrish, food writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Moderated by Erin Hagan, Director of Farm to Table Wellness Program. Panelists will answer questions following the program. Reservations recommended. Refreshments will be served. Silver Eye members and students, $7.00; Non-members, $10.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

FOOD Book Signing
Saturday, November 10, 4:00 p.m.
Published by Alphabet City, Toronto and MIT Press, Cambridge, 2007Book-signing with Editor, John Knechtel, and featured photographer, Diana Shearwood. Admission is free. Co-sponsored with Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Alice Waters and Her Delicious Revolution
Wednesday, November 14, 7:00 p.m.
Screening of American Masters PBS documentary. 60 minutes. Admission is free. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org
Funding for What’s for Dinner? Photographs by Diana Shearwood is provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation, Peg and Ernie Harris, The Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation, Québec Government Office, New York. Media sponsorship kindly provided by Pittsburgh City Paper and WYEP/91.3 FM.


Longing to keep it local? Food for Thought…
Saturday, November 3, 10:00 a.m.
Join us for a panel discussion on the ways and means of this new trend. Distinguished panelists: Donald Gibbon, Photographer and Consulting Naturalist; Miriam Manion, executive director of Grow Pittsburgh; and Marlene Parrish, food writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Moderated by Erin Hagan, Director of Farm to Table Wellness Program. Panelists will answer questions following the program. Reservations recommended. Refreshments will be served. Silver Eye members and students, $7.00; Non-members, $10.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

For more information or reservations go to www.silvereye.org or contact Education Coordinator Sylvia Ehler, 412-431-1810, ext. 11 or sehler@silvereye.org.

new and improved!

I'm in, like, a billion times better of a mood today. I think there are several factors involved. I got real sleep last night. Was asleep by 10:30-ish, and overslept this morning (no walk, but still). I'd been waking up for the past few days at 4:20 a.m., 3:59 a.m., etc. So, a full-full night's sleep was both overdue and delicious. Plus, it's Friday! TGIF! Also, I got coffee this morning and something to eat (a bagel with egg and cheese and a pear from Eat Unique). I got a bus this morning on the first try, and even got a seat (which hasn't happened since the students came back). Ahhh, much better.

And! And! And! It's Hurday!! What's a hurday, you ask? Well, it's the day that celebrates the Birth of a Hurd! I'm sure that's probably the real reason that everything's a-okay again today. I will be hurdabrating tonight. Wish me luck!


On the docket this weekend are: dog-sitting my old pal Zeke, a Dining For Diversity dinner, maybe some farmers market action, maybe some bike riding action, definitely some QAF action (although I was sure I'd have two discs for the weekend, but it seems I'll just be getting one tomorrow. that's sad). That's how this guy rolls.

And, maybe some cooking this weekend, too, but I'm not sure what yet. Maybe some soup. Is it soup weather (I mean hot soup here, people) yet?

For your viewing enjoyment, here are a couple more pictures of the wildlife...

Mangy (running for apples):


Kramer and Mangy:


duck butt:


a turkey:


Kramer petting Pup (I didn't have the heart to tell her...):

oh, it's gonna be that kind of party?

Hurd once asked me why she hardly ever made the blog while it was "Ellen-Ellen-E-dawg all the time". I replied that it just so happened that what we got up to when together wasn't always fit for public consumption. She had no choice but to agree. In fact, she pretty much has to agree with me on everything from now on because I have some hilarious photos of her escapades. Here's a sample. These are the ones that are sorta fit for public consumption (after much editing and censoring).

She and Jen came over to Zeke's house while I was dog-sitting this weekend to soak up some central air and have dinner (I made Eric Gower's crispy tangy tofu and edamame salad again--such a great summer dinner). Seems pretty innocent, eh?

Ah, yeah. Good times. The weekends are where it's at!

Now, to back up a bit, Friday evening I met the Hurd, E-dawg and Lareese out at Spice Island Tea House for a little java fried rice feeding frenzy. So good! I also ordered up some fresh bean sprouts with basil (on Jen's recommendation), which was also taste-a-licious. And, we split a couple desserts. E-dawg and I went with chocolate samoosas with pomegranate sauce and coconut ice cream, and Hurd and Lareese went with coconut cake with mango ice cream. Yuh-um. I love you, Spice Island!

Speaking of E-Dawg and Lareese, on Saturday night they ran into Sue and Ledcat from the Pghlesbian.com blog, and got a shout-out as "characters" from this blog! I love it!

Anyhow, Saturday (prior to the debauchery mentioned above), E-dawg, the Hurd, Emily, Oisin and friend-of-Emily and I met up with my pal Karen. We did a little trade-off of some goods. I brought her a batch of sprouted garbanzo burgers with a tangy tomato sauce. I did this batch of burgers with onion, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and green pepper for a kind of italian flair. The tangy tomato sauce was:

Tangy Tomato Sauce
(serve with your sprout burgers for good times)

-1 c. greek yogurt (used Fage 0% Total)
-fresh lemon juice of one lemon (use the zest in the burgers!)
-1/4 t. dry yellow mustard
-sea salt, to taste
-1/2 t. crushed toasted fennel seeds
-1/2 t. dried parsley
-8 sundried tomatoes, soaked in hot water for ten minutes
-a couple dashes of chipotle powder
-a big pinch of crushed red pepper
-a clove of garlic

Put it all in the food processor, and process until smooth, and adjust seasonings to taste.

I hope she liked them!

After the pool, we rolled over to The Vault, and had some snacks and some iced tea/coffee (free refills!), listened to some good music, perused the magazine selection, flirted with the coffee-boy (I'm serious. I think we all flirted with him. Yes, we are all dyke-tastic, but still. He was a doll-pie.), and had an impromptu dance party. All seemed well until a couple hours later, and we all realized that we were burnt to a crisp. What the hell was I thinking with the not putting on of the sunscreen? Saturday night you could feel the heat radiating offa me from six inches away. Not good.

But, Sunday my burn had mellowed to a lovely bronze, and that made me think, "hey, maybe I shouldn't ever wear sunscreen...?" But that's the kind of thinking that can get you in trouble. But also, tan.

Guess where Ellen and I hit yesterday afternoon? I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with Mita's Mitalian Mices.

mutherhumper!

Dang it! I've been so absurdly busy that I haven't been able to post a blog, and it's killing a Hurd*.

*Hurd is actually my friend Amy's last name, but I love it so much that I also like to refer to myself as "A Hurd"--especially when I'm talking to her. As in, "A Hurd is feeling a Hurd. I totally know what you're saying." Plus, it's just really fun to say stuff like "it's killing a Hurd". "Hurd" also goes really well in nearly all popular music songs: ex. 'All I need is a miracle...All I neeeeed is Hurd!' or 'I'm bringin' Hurdcakes** back, Ow!'.

**Hurdcakes is another variation and a real good time.

A Hurd and a half a Hurd (new years in Toronto, which i will not discuss other than to say: down with Canada).


Anyhow, yeah, I didn't even get to do a rant about Mondays yesterday, as is my custom. Too bad, too, 'cause I was on a roll with hatin' yesterday (my uterus made me do it). I even forgot my mantra about hatin' being so last year.

But, the weekend? Oh, the weekend. How I love thee. I had a great one. The weather could not possibly have been better. And, I was out and about biking around! You know I mentioned that a few weeks ago my friend Marsha hooked me up with a (FREE!) bike from a woman she works with? Well, it was awesome, but a little big for me, and it has a boy-bar, so that I was terrified of having to stop suddenly and damaging my delicate lady-parts, so I worked out a trade with Mags. She's a little taller than me, and liked how light and fast that bike is. I like how hers (now mine) has a girl-bar (girls rule, boys drool--fyi) and just feels more my size, and I feel more stable on the seat, and like that it came with a WVU Horticulture milkcrate. I just got it a few days ago, and have made good use of it so far!

I rode down to a meeting for the Northside Co-op on Friday. Riding down Troy Hill was thrilling! I had big plans to ride it back up, but there was no way. I'm pretty out of shape, so I gotta ease into this thing. Luckily, Sandra and Jessica were also at the meeting, and gave a Hurd* a ride back up the hill, and let me store my bike at their place for the night.

Saturday Ellen and I rode over to the farmer's market (so fun!) from the Northside (to the Firehouse Farmer's Market in the Strip) and back. I'd met the manager of the market, Megan Cook, at the co-op meeting on Friday, and that made it even more fun 'cause I got scoop on stuff (well, really just that it was the first week for sweet corn, but still. she's a peach).

Sunday I went swimmin' at the Bloomfield Pool and then rode over to the Quiet Storm to meet up with The Gooch for our weekly Scrabble Fight To The Death. I totally kicked her ass. Just sayin'.

And, today? Today is my crowning achievement thus far. I drove to Bloomfield this morning and parked, then rode my bike to work. And, rode it down into Oakland to meet Roya for lunch (java fried rice and Dave-n-Andy's. don't blame me--the uterus made me do it) where she GAVE ME HER BRAND NEW COPY OF THE NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK (thank you, Roya!!!)!

I feel like a badass. For real. I bought a bike rack on Sunday, and so I'm going to take my bike everywhere I go, park a few miles away and ride so that I can gradually build up my stamina and tackle hills.

Also, I'm totally giving up the back-sliding smoking 'cause it makes my lungs want to bust through my chest when I'm biking. So, smoking: 0, biking: 1.

look! i'm so far ahead 'cause i'm so fast!


bike-n-me photoshoot (all my farmer's market goodies are in the back):


farmer's market


I got a bunch of stuff at the farmer's market because I was going to the 2nd Annual Pittsburgh DYKE MARCH & Picnic on Saturday afternoon. It was a real good time seeing all the ladies and marching, and I loved the addition of after-picnic. I made some tomato-bean-potato salad (based on a recipe from Chef Lon in a Whole Foods class. i couldn't find the exact recipe, but I think it was close), some of the white bean dip with basil drizzle with baguette, and a Blueberry Crisp (based on this recipe from Heidi's site).


The salad was a breeze to make, and is super-tasty.


I just quartered a bunch of new potatoes (I used a mix of red, gold and purple for cuteness' sake), and boiled them until tender. And, meanwhile blanched the green beans. I quartered a bunch of small tomatoes (plum? the ones from the farmer's market picture above). I julienned a handful of basil, and tossed all that stuff together, and added the dressing:
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. vinegar (i used a mix of white and apple cider)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 rounded teaspoon of whole grain mustard (i used Double C)
salt & pepper to taste
I just put it all in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake it-shake it. I didn't use all of it for the salad, just add enough to coat everything well, and then use the rest for salads. It'll keep for a week or two in the fridge. Yum.

For the crisp, I followed Heidi's recipe exactly, but substituted blueberries for the peaches and plums and rosewater for the orange blossom water. I probably could've cut the sugar in half, too. But, it was tasty!


In between the farmer's market and the Dyke March, E-dawg and I went to the pool (Jack Stack), and then stopped by The Vault. We'd tried to check it out a week or two earlier, but were there on Sundays, and they're closed that day (I hate when coffeeshops are closed on Sundays!). But, it was worth waiting for. It's the cutest place ever! they have a bunch of hilarious signs, friendly staff, a great magazine selection, cute decor, and possibly the best pb&j sandwich Of All Time!



Mark my words, I will be back!

I went out to Operation Sappho and got my dance party on late Saturday night, so I was ready for a hearty breakfast again. I had to do the Shirred Shittake Eggs and fried potatoes again. So good. Thank you, Eric Gower!

Last night was the "Queers: They're What's For Dinner!" dinner at the Gypsy Cafe, and it was some good eatin'. My favorite thing was the crostini with this creamy veggie spread. Yuh-um.

Phew. Okay. I think I'm caught up. Just in the nick of time, 'cause a Hurd* needs to ride a Hurd's* bike over to Bloomfield to get a Hurd's* car.

why do mondays always come so quick?

Okay. I have realized that this blog is turning into a 10% celebration of weekends and a 90% bitchfest about the weekdays. I would like to say that this will stop, but I cannot. Weekends are where it's at and way too short, and it makes me wanna squeeze someone's face in anger when they're over. I just read on Wikipedia that Mondayitis is a real disease! Well, something like that:

Many people claim that the "condition" is in fact a diagnosable illness based on the human circadian rhythm being incompatible with a 40-hour work week. However, the medical credibility of the condition is a matter of debate.

Anyway. Yeah. Boo for Monday.

But, the weekend was freakin' lovely, wasn't it? Friday evening I was finishing up dog-sitting with Zeke. I got off work early to go pick up my car (now with all four windows functional!), and shopped at the co-op--which took forever because I was on the phone with the Hurd, and her scintillating conversation was distracting. And, then went to the Citiparks farmers market and got some cherries, a slice of raspberry pie (dear lord. delicious. Sand Hill Berry Farms.), some basil, and potatoes. Then, I got Zeke, and we met Sandra and her little doggie-gal Talulah in the park for a nice little stroll and dogstravaganza. Good times. Then, I went home and watched Music and Lyrics. Whoa. Real bad. My uterus has horrible taste in films. But, a lazy night in with some bean-n-cheese-n-avocado soft tacos was a good time (and, I like a good time).

Saturday morning Ellen and I walked over to the Strip to hit up the Firehouse Farmers Market, Reyna, Penn Mac and La Prima. Now, that is totally my idea of a good time! At the farmers market I got some mushrooms (1/4 lb. of shittakes and 1 lb of criminis), some mint and cilantro, and some fresh horseradish. Those fluffy, beautiful flour tortillas and some mango salsa from Reyna. Some Breemster cheese, saffron, fresh pasta and dried fava beans from Penn Mac. A latte from La Prima.

I did the same baking of the mushrooms that I did last week, but this time I had what Ellen called a "mushroom off". I wanted to see if I could use other (less expensive) mushrooms and still achieve the deliciousness that the shittakes gave me. So, I went with 1/4 lb. of shittakes and 1/2 lb. of criminis. Brushed off any dirt, removed and discarded the stems, sliced them thinly, tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and ready, set, go'ed them at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes (flipping/shaking after ten minutes, then every 3-5 minutes after that) and tasting along the way, as per Doggie's instructions.

before (criminis on the left, shittakes on the right):


after:


I declare the winner to be....shittakes! Yes, they were just smokier, saltier, crispier and just had more depth of flavor. However, that said, the criminis were good, too. Just not as good.

But, the criminis still had a chance to redeem themselves, and they did! I'd been wanting to bake something since the weather had cooled down to a manageable temperature for having the oven on. I wanted to do some kind of savory tart. So, I dug around through some recipes, and found a recipe for Onion Tarte Lyonnaise with pastry brisee crust in The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas, the old skool edition. I added potatoes and mushrooms and forgot the cheese (d'oh!), cut down the amount of cream and increased the milk, but otherwise stuck closely to the original. It was simple and rustic and freakin' delicious (even without the cheese). It made enough for a 9" pie pan and two individual tarts in small ramekins. So, here's what I did:

2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced
butter and olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. milk
nutmeg, salt, pepper

pastry brisee:
2 c. flour
2/3 c. butter
salt
1 T. sugar

Okay. So, first I made the pastry crust. She describes it as the "shortest of the short crusts", and it is. It's very flaky and crumbly. I put everything in the food processor and cut it until it resembled a coarse meal. She suggested forming it into a ball and chilling in the fridge for about an hour, but I just pressed it into the pans, poked it with a fork, then chilled it in the pans for about a half-hour. It's too crumbly to roll out, you just have to work it with your fingers to press it into your pans. Easy, peasy.

For the tart filling, I sauteed the onions until translucent with a little butter and olive oil and s+p, then added the potatoes, and cooked on low with a cover for about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, I sauteed the mushrooms in a separate pan with a little butter and olive oil and s+p for about 5 minutes. Then tossed them all together, and spread them out over the bottom of the crust (it filled most of the pan). While they'd been cooking down, I combined the eggs, cream, milk, nutmeg (maybe 1/2 t.?), salt and pepper. After the potato/onion/mushroom mixture was in the crust, then I poured the egg mixture over them to fill them up. Sprinkled with a little more nutmeg and s+p. Anna also had called for some grated gruyere (3 oz?) in with the eggs. I had planned to add an equal amount of chevre in little dollops, but just spaced it. Luckily, it was still tasty without.

Next time I think I will cook the potatoes a little longer over higher heat to get them a little crispy, and add the cheese, of course.

before:


after:


Saturday night I went to Cattivo. Someone (I think it was Lisa Campbell) put an idea out on the queer events mailing list to have a meet-up there for "The List", so I had to go, right? It ended up being a heck of a good time! Tons of ladies there! I'm bad with guessing how many jelly beans are in a jar, but maybe 150? maybe more? I don't know. Lots. And, I wore my fancy new dress that I'd gotten at the beach and was unsure if I'd ever wear. I liked it. This is how cool I looked. So cool that I had to pose with my sunglasses on.


Sunday I slept in, then got a call from Ellen for a coffee quest. We tried to hit up Beleza and Amani, but both were closed. And, right after we'd been talking about how righteous it is to have two coffeehouses in the North Side! Dang.

Actually, it ended up being a-okay. We went over to La Prima again in the Strip (and Ellen suggested that we pick a place each weekend to make it our hangout, and hang out there a lot, but only for that weekend. This was La Prima's big chance!). We ran into another local lesbian and had some coffee and chatted and eased gently into our Sundays. Good times. Then I went by Bobcat's new digs (super cute!) briefly to drop off some tart for her moving-in sustenance, then on to the Quiet Storm to meet up with my pal The Gooch for a Scrabble Smackdown. Unfortunately, I was the one smacked down. D'oh! But, it was still relatively respectable. 307 (The Gooch) to 301 (The Me). Still, dang. I was even wearing a Scrabble-themed outfit to inspire fear and intimidation. I was imagining myself to be some exotically plumed bird of paradise and was planning to freak her freak with my mere Scrabble-esque presence. So much for that. Then I was just left being a nerd. Ah well.

Then I got a call from The Hurd who suggested that I come over and join she and Ellen for yardening (sans yardening). Now, Hurd recently posed a question in the comments asking why our joint adventures rarely show up in the blog. And, the answer was that our shared adventures are seldom fit to print. This is not an exception, but here goes. We had a little wine, smoked cigarettes on the deck (I have to start the freakin' Chantix and quit again), had a kitchen dance party, smoked more, had an upstairs dance party to "Dick In A Box", may have engaged in some borderline illegal activities, then wrapped it up with a trip to Giant Eagle for Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We both wanted Willie Nelson's peach pie thingy, and there were two pints left. However, one of those pints was shoved all the way to the back. Hurd's solution? Have me climb into the freezer case with a package or Pringles to use as a reaching aid. Classy. (You like that Hurd?)