Word of the day:

cathartic
adjective
1. emotionally purging

I've been having these dreams almost every night that are very cathartic. Dreams are good because they let you work out the things you need to work out, and say the things you need to say but aren't able to in person.

However, cathartic can also mean:
noun
1. a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels.

I never knew that meaning of the word. That is funny! Maybe i should start saying to people when they have an upset stomach.
"Man you just need to have some cathartic!"

Permanent Bad Hair Day

When I was 22 I cut all my hair off! Every other day a few more inches would come off. My BFF and roommate Rachel, would just shake her head and say, "You cut more off! I thought you were growing it out?!" Man I hated my hair then! I felt like a boy! I LOOKED LIKE A BOY! I was just so afraid it would never be long again... so very afraid! This picture is actually on the longer side of the shortest version. I think at one point it was probably only 2 inches long! It was just so bad.

Hey Mr. DJ

Someday when I am sitting around embroidering dish towels and decorating cupcakes, my kids will say to me, "Mom, you are such a nerd!" and to that i will reply, "True, but beleive it or not your old mom used to see shows like DJ Shadow at First Avenue! Who's the nerd now!"
Who you say is DJ Shadow? Glad you asked. He is simply a DJ who knows how to transform a few sampled tracks into a something of beauty. I was introduced to him about 12 years ago by a boyfriend who had great taste in music. And about 6 years ago I saw DJ Shadow live at First Avenue. AMAZING. Hands down this is still my favorite track: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt.

Nori in the Hizz-ouse

I was fortunate enought to go to a baby shower today for the Amazing Nori! (sounds like a circus name for the person they shoot out of the canon ball!) Megan and Norelle are the cutest mother daughter duo evah!

And a big thanks to Melissa for not making us play any silly baby shower games!! Bravo!

P.S. The writer's strike is over? Can life now be complete with all NEW shows of The Office?

Dishtowels~

I have this thing for embroidered dish towels. I had a grandma Betty who I have never met, but rumor has it she was the original Martha Stewart! Wish I could've met her, everyone said she was sweet and wonderful. She died a month before i was born. :(

Anyway, she would make these really shnazzy dish towels with cute embroidered pictures on them. I have one she did of a girl sitting on a blanket in her bikini!

So now, I have been thinking about making my own. Ones that i can give away too... I found a blog Posie Gets Cozy who just made some dishtowels and posted the directions on her blog! I am so excited to get started on these!

Help IS around the corner...

What you may not know about me is that i am a huge Coldplay fan. I have been ever since "look at the stars, look how they shine for you" floated into my ears. I have seen them in concert a few times. The first time was at First Avenue... where i practically\literally almost ran into Chris Martin when he was just walking around amongst the crowd (this was before they were big and pre-Gwyneth) any way... I was just saying to a friend today that you never know what is right around the corner. And every time I think or say that... I think of this little Coldplay song, Help is Around the Corner.

I know what I am doing tonight!

The great thing about the internet is that at my fingertips are recipes galore! Some of my favorite places to get recipes are other people's blogs, and also some great food related websites. I have a whole list of links under 'food' that i recommend you just take a look at. And not only are there great recipes, but articles about food and everything culinary. I think right now if I had the money, I would go back to Paris and take a cooking class by some mastor chef! Then he would yell at me in French and make me do trivial tasks like whisking egg whites to a glossy peeked perfection... Almost like Mr. Miyagi did with Daniel Son, wax on-- wax off! And right when i would want to give up and say, "What's the point Chef?"... I will have then created the most light and airy souffle ever made! Sweep the leg Johnny!
Tonight i am making soup from a recipe I found on Culinate. Pasta and Bean Soup. Sounds hearty and heart warming. Then I will watch LOST. Perfect Night.

Pasta and Bean Soup (Pasta e Fagioli)
By Carrie Floyd, from the Culinate Kitchen collection
Serves 10
Introduction
This makes a large pot, perfect for tucking a container or two into the freezer. Just don’t add the pasta to the soup pot; instead cook it to order. I adapted this from Rogers & Gray Italian Country Cook Book.
Ingredients
1½ cups borlotti (cranberry) beans
~Extra-virgin olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
3 cups chopped celery, leaves included
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1
small dried red chile pepper, crumbled (or a large pinch of red chile flakes)
1 large sprig rosemary, leaves removed from the branch and finely chopped
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 to 3 slices smoked bacon, diced
1 large can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice
~ Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 oz. dried pasta (use any small shape, such as penne or orecchiette, that cups sauce well)
~ Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Steps
Soak the beans overnight in a large saucepan. When ready to cook pour off the soaking liquid then cover the beans with fresh water, two inches over the top of the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered until the beans are done (tender but not mushy). Turn off the heat and set aside.
In a large soup pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Sauté chopped onions, celery, and carrots over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, chile pepper, rosemary, parsley, and bacon. Sauté, stirring, until the bacon is cooked through. Add the chopped tomatoes with the juice and continue cooking, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender purée half of the cooked beans with a little of the cooking liquid. Add this purée along with the rest of the cooked beans to the soup pot. Adjust the liquid — adding bean broth and/or water — to the consistency you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta — a handful per person if you are not serving the entire amount in one sitting — until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain.
Serve by scooping a large spoonful of pasta into each bowl, then covering with soup. If you like, garnish each soup bowl with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes