http://estrip.org The estrip.org Site Last 20 Journals en-us Copyright estrip.org Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:07:39 EST Elmwoodstrip paulsidekick@gmail.com http://estrip.org/elmwood/images/rss.gif http://estrip.org 88 31 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=paul&id=51191
Every year I wonder how long the total chaos will be allowed to go on for. It's not like any other holiday has so many people drinking in the street and I was under the impression it was illegal yet it makes me wonder why not as it clearly worked and the can collectors made a fortune.

I just found one pic on my phone. I was curious why this police man's baton was beaten raw at the end. None of the other ones were. It made me think ge us nit the dude to mess with.

]]> Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:13:38 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=paul&id=51191 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=vincent&id=51190




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]]> Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:27:07 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=vincent&id=51190 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=dragonlady7&id=51189 So I have this recipe, which I've never made, for "No-Guilt Chicken Pot Pie", which I copied down off the back of a soup can or something, and it involves both Reduced-Sodium Bisquick and Campbell's Lo-Fat Cream of Chicken Soup. I don't know why you would ever eat something like that; there's no nutrients in it and it's all processed shit. But I copied it down because I like chicken pot pie and didn't have the recipe.
I make chicken pot pie all the time. It finally struck me that I should probably write down, on the page in my cookbook* where I copied over the bullshit recipe, what I actually do, because I just use the bullshit recipe to remind me, but if, say, Z ever wanted to make my actual recipe, he'd be totally confused.
So I did.
And then I did it differently anyway. So I'll write down both versions here, the one I wrote and the one I did.

I like my meals to have a bit of meat and a lot of vegetables. (And a little fat and a bit of starch. They're all good for you.) I am healthier (i.e. my guts don't hate me so much) when I get a reasonable quantity of vegetable matter into my system, so I try to eat a lot of them. However I am so disorganized I always wind up throwing out rotten fresh veggies. So I rely pretty heavily on frozen. Maybe not as nutritious, but at least I'm getting the fiber. So you can vary the veggies you use in here; I'm writing it because of what I generally have on hand.

I made this in a Dutch oven, because I have one. (It was my grandmother's. I got it for Christmas. My mom actually mailed it to me. A cast iron Dutch oven. Yeah it cost more to mail it than it would have to just buy me a new one. But that's OK, this one is HISTORICAL. That's how my family operates.) You could do it in a casserole and make the sauce separately in a saucepan. Um you probably want to read this through before you start making it because I have just had rather a bit of whiskey (OK, 2 oz) and I tend to tell stories instead of write recipes. Not in my book though!! Oh you wish you had my book (it's plaid, which makes it better). But anyway. Maybe I'll publish it someday. Meanwhile you just get my rambly stories about food. Read it through first and write down the highlights and you have a real recipe. I promise.

Heat your oven up to like 400 Fahrenheit. Err on the side of too hot, a little bit. Well, it doesn't matter, you can always turn it up at the end if your biscuits aren't getting golden. More on that later.

Cook 1 large chicken breast. You can microwave it and then cube it, or do what I did and chop it up and stir-fry it in bacon fat or peanut oil or butter or whatever, with half an onion. (A whole onion if you have it is also fine. If you are using already-cooked chicken omit any raw vegetables because they won't get cooked, and just use frozen. The onion's not important, it's a bonus flavor.) You could probably use chicken thighs for this and cut down on how much fat you add, but like nobody carries chicken thighs anymore, it's annoying!!!!! You have to special-request it at the butcher, or get them at Weg's with the bones in, annoying as hell!! So anyway, chicken breast. Or whatever. Ground beef would probably work too, just then it's not chicken pot pie anymore. Tofu might work. Go nuts. It's your pie. And you're probably a grown-up and can do whatever the fuck you want. Enjoy that.

I also added two sticks of celery, chopped fine, and a carrot, diced, and let it all cook until the chicken was done through and the onions were softened. If you have half a green pepper or red pepper that would also be fucking amazing and I wish I had. I didn't, though. No biggie, it was still good. And carrots are good for your eyes and celery is good for your butt. So go for it. I did. It was awesome.

Make sure you have at least 2 Tbsp of fat in there, however you get it. Or, do it the way I wrote down, and cook the chicken separately and make the sauce separately. You just need fat for it to work and I don't understand how these bullshit recipes work without fat. That's no good because you need fat for your neurons. Julia Child told me that.

The bullshit recipe calls for a can of low-fat cream of chicken soup. The written-down recipe calls for my mom's cream sauce:
2 Tbsp fat (butter, bacon grease)
2 Tbsp flour
Melt fat, stir in flour.
Add 1 cup milk. Heat, bring to a boil, stir until thickened. (Lift the stirring spoon; the sauce should coat the back. That's "thickened".)
[You can use this sauce for anything. Apparently it's some posh French "Mother Sauce" thing. I add macaroni noodles, and cheese, and it's mac and cheese, that's all I know.]

I did this over the cooked chicken and onion and carrot and celery, though, because I do my own dishes and don't want extra, thanks. Just stir all your business around in the hot fat, coat it in flour (white or whole wheat, because it's your damn pie, did I mention, and you do whatever the fuck you want), then add milk. Except I used 2 cups of water and 2 chicken buillion cubes, plus about 1/2-3/4 cups of milk, because I was low on milk and had used a bit more flour than I'd meant to so I had a lot of thickener to work with, kinda. (Save some milk for your biscuits! More on that later!) And I wanted a lot of pie!! You need to do what works for the size of your casserole container. Err on a little too little, because if it's overfull it gets everywhere. Life lesson, there.

Once it was thickened I dumped in about 1/2c. frozen corn, 1/2 c. frozen broccoli pieces, and like way too much frozen peas because they'd frozen into a chunk. It was probably like a cup and I didn't mean to use that much. I mean, if it was just me, I'd use like two cups because I love peas. But Z isn't quite such a weirdo so... anyway. But I'd added too much liquid to the sauce so there was a ton of it, so that worked out OK. Basically you want enough solid stuff in there so that it pokes out the top of the sauce and you have... not-soup. So make it full of stuff so you can rest your biscuits on top of the solid stuff. More on that later.

Stir it all around until the veggies are not frozen. Meanwhile! Oh yes, meanwhile. (If you haven't read ahead and are just getting to this and are like oh damn, don't bother letting the veggies defrost: turn off the burner under the cream sauce and the residual heat while you do this next bit will melt them for you. Don't worry.)

Well, this is your later: Biscuits! Or dumplings. I have recipes for both. There is no difference, except that biscuits have a firm dough and dumplings have a sloppy dough. Because biscuits are rolled so they'll be flaky, and then cut out, and dumplings are dropped off a spoon. It doesn't matter one tiny bit. Biscuits are page 8 and dumplings are page 23. OH you don't have my book. Wait, I'll tell you. I'll tell you about dumplings because they're easier to get onto this bitch. And by bitch I mean pie.
Dumplings:
3 Tbsp shortening (which means any fat that's solid at room temperature-- butter, lard, Crisco)
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c milk
optional is a dash of salt
Combine flour and baking powder and maybe salt. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture-- with a pastry cutter or a fork or whatever-- until it's all in little chunks in there. ("Fine crumbs", says my mom's handwriting.) Stir in milk until all is wet. Drop by spoonfuls onto hot meat/vegetables in stew. (This recipe goes with my beef stew recipe which I'll probably share later.)

So anyway, do all that, and then put it onto your pie. Well, put it onto your casserole full of chicken and vegetables and stuff, and that MAKES it into a pie-- see how easy this is? No rolling out pie crust. That's why I went with this kind of pie. I love real pie but pot pie is waaaaay easier.
Spread it into a thin layer with whatever technique you innovate (I sort of stretch it out between a rubber spatula and a wooden spoon, then poke it with my fingers until it's even-ish. Don't worry, it gets baked, the germs get killed, lick your fingers if you want). It doesn't have to be even or perfect, it'll just cook faster if it's thin.

Then put it into your oven that's already hot, don't cover it, and wait about half an hour. Check and see if the biscuits are golden, and if they're not, your oven's not hot enough. So turn it up and do your dishes, and when you're done it'll be hot enough. (Well, I mean the dishes you dirtied making this thing; if you've got a mountain-ola of dishes from all month in there you'll burn the pie so don't.)

Pour yourself a beer, get yourself a big pasta bowl or something, and eat the hell out of that pie. Because it is tasty and it is made out of real food and that is good for you. (This is how I classify things as "health food"-- if I know what it's made out of, and preferably made it myself.)

________________ All good blog entries have a footnote or two.___

* My cookbook: it is a small blank book in which, in blue ballpoint pen, my mom wrote down a bunch of her favorite & most useful recipes when I was a sophomore in college. In the *mumbledecademumble* since then, I've written down recipes I really like in there. This fucking thing is priceless. But I have to remind myself to keep it updated.]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:47:39 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=dragonlady7&id=51189 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=pyrcedgrrl&id=51188
Bear was last seen on March 12th at 7:00 AM by a worker in Wurlitzer Park n North Tonawanda.

He is wearing a blue collar with a tag for the 24 PetWatch service and is chipped. If found or seen, you can contact the Erie County SPCA at (716) 875-7360, or take him to any vet to have his chip scanned.

He was adopted from the SPCA about a month ago, along with his sister Lily. They were said to be inseparable. She is okay, but has been pretty mopey for a few days and freaks out when left alone. :(

FB page: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=help+find+bear!!&init=quick#!/pages/Help-Find-Bear/393397330589?ref=search&sid=748685148.1231346222..1

Thanks in advance!

~Dana




Bear and Lily:



Bear:


Bear:
]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:55:24 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=pyrcedgrrl&id=51188 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=metalpeter&id=51187 (lilho) yelling was a blast she fucking rules. So far a great holiday hopefully pics up on monday I'm sure there is a lot of them.]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:43:38 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=metalpeter&id=51187 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=tinypliny&id=51186

And I don't even write about it so much. How did they know?!

-----
Caught (ladycroft)'s wordle - (ladycroft),50987 and I think it did a pretty good job there. :-)]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:57:21 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=tinypliny&id=51186 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=james&id=51184
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wouG4GpL1-I[/youtube]]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:03:12 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=james&id=51184 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=ladycroft&id=51183
I've got to do phone interviews almost every day with folks back in Doha and a lot of name changing stuff, but there should be some free time here and there.

Ya'll probably hate it, but I'm LOVING the rain right now. Gray skies actually feel so nice once in a while.]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:08:26 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=ladycroft&id=51183 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=lilho&id=51182
my flight was delayed over an hour... to be a traveller by plane is like asking for some sort of abuse/infringement of your rights...


i wish i was rich enough for a private jet... water please!!!!! oh wait, make that a mimosa!


looking for water...




]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:09:28 -0400 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=lilho&id=51182 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=libertad&id=51181
Her flight was most unfortunately canceled to DC to see her doctor. She got as far as Atlanta before finding out she had to go all the way back home. Now instead of seeing the doctor she has to pay $350 out of pocket to talk to him over the phone. There aren't many doctors who treat chronic Lyme. It is very complicated but her doctor lost his ability to practice in NC because he does treat Lyme patients. People travel from all over to see him and it is a shame he can't practice in Charlotte anymore. There are some in the medical field who think Lyme is all in the head, that the people who suffer it are just hypochondriacs. That is what happened to my Aunt and why she wasn't treated soon enough. When you don't get treated early enough it becomes very very difficult to get it out of your system.

If my Aunt becomes this sick again this year she fears she will be forced on to disability. It has been 13 years she has lived with this. Everyday she is sick but when she has a flare up it is like having the flu but worse. My grandparents will be there to help her in two weeks. They are going to stay for two weeks with her which is good. My Aunt's best friend and roommate died 6 years ago. Despite everything she really doesn't ever complain.

While I was there there was a news release about how researchers have found that papaya leaf extract may be able to reverse cancer and tumors because of the affect it has on the immune system. She might ask her MD about it. Interestingly, papaya leaf extract is also used to fight malaria and my Aunt is taking anit-malaria drugs as part of her treatment for Lyme.

The South has this fast food chain called Chick-fill-a. It is so funny because it isn't pronounced with a soft A but like fillet as in chicken fillet. I cooked every night and froze the left overs so she has plenty to eat until my grandparents get there. She just doesn't have the energy to do much by the time she gets home from work. It kind of perpetuates the illness because then she isn't eating healthy and it is harder for her to get better. ]]> Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:40:54 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=libertad&id=51181 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=heidi&id=51179 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=morris+run+pa&sll=42.899447,-78.874837&sspn=0.008284,0.01929&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Morris+Run,+Tioga,+Pennsylvania&ll=41.687528,-77.012572&spn=0.01689,0.038581&t=h&z=15 )

The chopped off bushes are blueberry bushes - so yummy!


Nisha walked out on the ice, luckily she trotted right back up on the shore when I called her. It would have been really difficult to rescue her if she had fallen in.








Nisha was muddy up to her knees by the time we were done.


Part of the water treatment facilities.



(Yea for autostitch: www.autostitch.com - now for iphones!)

The creek below the reservoir - Morris Run.


This is a classic saltbox-style company house built for coal miners who owed their souls to the company store. Uncle Dudley lived here when I was a kid. My other aunt and my grandparents lived in saltbox houses just up the street. My family lived in the company office. When my brother was born, we needed another bedroom, so Dad took out the double brick wall (about 12" thick) between the big and little safes and made a bedroom for me. He put in a normal door, but there wasn't anywhere to put in a window because the outside wall was connected to the garage so I lived in a windowless safe.



]]> Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:09:20 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=heidi&id=51179 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=jim&id=51178 ]]> Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:32:02 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=jim&id=51178 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=mike&id=51170 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:04:55 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=mike&id=51170 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=leetee&id=51169 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Kz8Nxb-Bg&feature=video_response[/youtube]]]> Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:22:29 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=leetee&id=51169 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=jacob&id=51168
























]]> Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:31:12 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=jacob&id=51168 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=zobar&id=51160 http://axecop.com/index.php/acepisodes/read/episode_0 to be the Best Thing of 2010.



It's written by a five-year-old and illustrated by his 29-year-old brother. I'm pretty sure something this nonsensical needs a special permit from the Pope to be this awesome.

- Z

_______________
ps. Don't listen to your music library sorted ascending by track duration. Bad juju.
pps. Coffee Crisp http://nestle.ca/en/products/brands/coffee_crisp tastes like a doughnut, if a doughnut were a candy bar instead.]]> Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:03:01 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=zobar&id=51160 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=mrmike&id=51156
http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1268261748577RA34]]> Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:15:22 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=mrmike&id=51156 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=janelle&id=51145
Our days are full of relentless "why?"s, silly statements, smiles and tears, laughs and whines, the bureaucracy of foster care and school paperwork, toys scattered in the house, long conversations about kids and short lived attempts at non children related moments.

]]> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:29:43 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=janelle&id=51145 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=jason&id=51141

This is the last guitar I own, an Epiphone Les Paul Custom. Black and Gold. I haven't played it in years. One of the lowest days of my life was when I had to sell my acoustic, as well as the Marshall amp for said Les Paul, so I could make rent. I had to put off my dream of learning how to play and it crushed me. I'm just now thinking of getting back into trying to learn.

It's weird for me to struggle trying to play music. Back in my trumpet days it was simple to get something from your brain through to the end of the horn, but with this it is learning from scratch so it is a little frustrating. But still rewarding and fun, and something I used to do to let off steam. I would actually like a bass as well. I'd like to learn them both to some degree, but I should stick to one thing first. And I really need to get another amp as I just have this little shitty mini one....]]> Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:27:10 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=jason&id=51141 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=deeglam2&id=51139
10. Eucerin Plus- Intensive Hand Cream

You can buy this at your local Walgreens or Rite Aid, and it's a great lotion- small enough to carry in a purse, but don't use too much as a time! It is thick and creamy- but does absorb quickly. It's great for very dry skin.

9. Clarins Hand and Nail

Clarins is a great skin care company founded on science and comfort- and I love the therapeutic scent of their products. This hand cream is a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way, and it just feels so good on your skin- non greasy and it feels like silk- and the scent just gives you a break from everyday stress. I love this stuff! It can be purchased at your local Clarins counter at Macy's or you can also get it at Sephora.

8. CrabTree and Evelyn- Rose or Lavender hand therapy

I love this cream so much I buy it for everyone. It's amazing. Seriously. Talk about a silky feeling. It was originally designed for gardeners dry hands, but is now and international hit. You can even buy it on Elmwood at Positively Main Street. It's a fairly big tube and it's lasts a while- and the Crabtree store in the Galleria sometimes has specials where you can get 2 for 1 and other deals. I love this stuff! It comes in a variety of scents, but Rose and Lavender are my favorites!

7. Body Shop Hemp Hand Cream

Okay, some people may argue this should be number one. It's awesome. I do love this product to pieces. My only grip about it though is that it does kind of leave you hands greasy for a bit till it absorbs, but it seriously is a great product. Body shop has a bunch of Hemp products (the lip balm being my favorite in the line). Hemp is actually the most moisture you can get out of plant and get into your skin- so soak up the moisture people!!!!

6. L'occitane Shea Hand

What would a hand cream list be without this gem? This stuff is awesome. You can get smaller tubes of it for $10 to try the product out- they have it in Cherry blossom and rose, but this is the classic. It's super absorbent, really smooth and just feels great. And it's French. From Provence! How quaint. You should try this stuff out. You can get it at Sephora or the L'occitane store in the Galleria Mall.

5. Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream

I have to admit, I just bought this over the weekend, and I can't stop using it. I got it at Sephora, and I love it. I have been contemplating purchasing it for a while, but I love all Bliss items that I have tried, and with no exception of this one. It smells great, and it really is a nurturing hand cream, making your hands feel renewed.

4. True Blue Spa- Look Ma, New hands!

This is MY all time hand classic. I have been using this product since it came out years ago, and it's awesome. I buy the spa size bottle for $20 at Bath and Body works, and it's just amazing. When all else fails, turn to Look Ma, New Hands!

3. Sally Hansen 18 Hour Protection

The bright orange bottle in the manicure section of your local drug store- I am sure you have seen it. You should really buy it though. It's a good deal and approximately $6 a tube, and it's fabulous. It smells like a fresh clementine, and it feels like cashmere and absorbs quickly. It leaves your hands looking youthful and pretty!

2. Philosophy Amazing Grace Hand Cream

As you have probably read in some of my previous entries, I am a HUGE philosophy fan. This stuff smells so beautiful, womanly (sorry dudes), and it's a great feeling to put on such a luxurious hand cream. I love this stuff with a passion, and I get sad when I run out :( This product can be purchased at Sephora (although it was sold out this weekend when I went to buy some) Philosophy.com, qvc.com, and ulta


And Number One!!!!


1. Aveda Hand Remedy

Honestly, this is the best hand cream in the universe. At $19 a tube, it lasts forever, smells absolutely phenomenal and it just feels so refreshing to put on. I could put it on and on and on. I love this product so much and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an awesome hand cream. It's hard to find places that sell Aveda- but there is a salon in the mall called Euphora that is an Aveda retailer. They are also a participating Pure Privilege Member so you can rack up points to get free stuff! There are a few salons in Buffalo, including Papillon on Delaware and Chippewa that are also Aveda dealers!

And there it is folks! Tell me what you think!]]> Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:43:11 -0500 http://estrip.org/elmwood/journals/index.php?u=deeglam2&id=51139