The Happiness Thread

Ohmygod that looks fucking awesome

 

I've got a two-pound pork butt in the smoker, along with two racks of tomatoes, onions, and paprika peppers to try a smoked soup recipe I read about last week, and the missus won't be home for quite some time.

Let's go crazy and do some essay grading!

 

Holy shit, and I was proud of myself when I roast three small garlic cloves for the first time.

WEll, at least we know where Dinner is.

 

Learning to cook is the work of decades. As long as you didn't screw up the garlic irrevocably, you're off to a good start because you've learned how to do something. If you did screw up the garlic irrevocably, you're off to a great start, because you now know one of the many ways not to roast it. If you managed to damage or destroy some cookware in the process, well, read the directions a bit more carefully next time. If you managed to damage or destroy an appliance...


Well, I've done all of the above in the course of my chef's journey, so don't give up.

 

The Garlic came out pretty good (though I'm not fully sure, since it's my first time, ) I smashed it into a spread and put it on some toast.

 

Roast Garlic is quite possibly literally one of my favourite foods of all time. If you had me over for dinner, you could probably get away with giving me nothing but roast garlic and gin tonic. Unless you've burnt it black and bitter, you've probably done it right.

 

Very pleased person here! I finally got my kitchenaid stand mixer and decided to buy the ice cream maker attachment. I let my daughter create cookies and cream ice cream and just video taped for her. It was delicious! Even my super doubtful husband was more than satisfied. He was very surprised because he said almost all homemade ice cream he has had was gross but we aced the texture and flavor. Yaaay

 

I'll Keep that in mind.

 

A two-pound pork butt? You, sir, are making a LOT of soup. Better have a big family!

 

Yeah, that sentence was phrased badly and inaccurate to boot. It's a two-kilo, not two pound, pork butt, and that bit is for pulled pork BBQ sammiches. The vegetables are for the soup to be served as a side dish.

And it's all for ME!

And back to my "learning to cook" thing: The first time I tried to make candied almonds, a couple weeks ago, they came out...not quite right, but pretty okay. The second time I changed a few things and they came out professional level-perfect.

So I just tried to make them again, and I'm not quite sure how I screwed up this time, but.....

 

Turns out an old university friend used to live in this same exact apartment I just moved into!

I knew she used to live around here - but it looks so different now that one could never believe it's the same place! I've partied here lots of times!

 

My platonic love fest friend group came over yesterday (a guy & a girl).

They brought me a space heater & toaster oven along with Marie Calendar's Chocolate Satin Pie & Martinelli's Sparkling Cider.

We drove out to a nice freeway overpass, shot a few photos of the three of us drinking the martinelli's from plastic champagne glasses up underneath it, and posted about how they really like my new digs.

Then we explored our way back to my actual flat, getting a lay of the land as we took random streets that felt good, then all three snuggled on my couch & watched a Korean drama from last winter.

It was amazing and I feel uber blessed for the two of 'em.

To top it all off, my family (mom, dad, sister, obaasan) are all heading up with a bit more of my furniture then for us all to go out for Korean BBQ.

 

I am home alone, which rarely happens these days. I guess I'm happy, but it calls up a memory of being about five years old and left home alone while Mom ran a quick errand. I immediately took my big chance to snoop through the medicine cabinet, since it was forbidden. Um, guess I could do it again now?

 

If you feel like sharing the pills, well, this is the happiness thread

 

Finally figured out how I want to end this book.

Ending is so bittersweet, I wish I could write it now. But, no... I'll progress through each chapter and by the time I get to that final chapter, the idea will be fully matured, and the vision of how I want to write it, as clear as day.

But I am excited. I will say that.

 

I guess it's OK if he doesn't mind.

 

Then surely you've heard of IWKOHFAW.

I was kind of having fun as well

 

Booze free for one week!

 

Bwhaha, that was good.

 

Nah, splashed out on a digital MES30. A bit of a cheat, but my balcony is too small for anything larger like an UDS, and the security of being able to set the temperature and know it's going to hold is worth it.

 

All in, I paid about double what I would have in the states for the MES, but it's already been worth it, I spent several years fighting against an ECB (which was also double what it would have cost back home). The problem is, Japanese smokers are made for quick tableside hot smoking only, they are designed to sit on a single burner gas or electric stove and have volumes typically under a gallon or two (eyeballed measurement).

We need more jargon to confuse the uninitiated...