ZOMBIES!!!

Tonight in Memphis:

1. Memphis Zombie Massacre, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Friday, 6:30 p.m., free

Get all gored up and meet at Earnestine & Hazel’s at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night for Memphis’ annual Zombie Massacre. It’s a flash mob that features the undead ambling from South Main to the corner of Beale & Fourth. If you don’t know how to do your makeup get there early- the event organizers will have makeup artists on hand behind the train station.

2. Zombie Prom, Nocturnal, Friday, 8 p.m., $3 for Zombies, $5 to be turned at the door

Don’t wash off your makeup from the Zombie Massacre – go to the Zombie Prom at Nocturnal. It’s going to be just like a regular prom, just with more brains. The cover is $3 for those who are dressed as zombies and $5 for those who get made up at the door.

Very cool, don't you think? There's a trolly tour downtown tonight (art, drinks) and Zombies are going to attack unsuspecting art goers. If you'd like to be eaten by the zombies, place a duct tape on your shirt and stand along the zombie route... click the links for details. 

Info and graphic via i love memphis

Need?

It's really too bad I don't have a couple thousand dollars lying around to get a new summer wardrobe. More specifically, I suppose, I've been day dreaming about one that would be appropriate to take along on our trip to Curacao... If I did (sigh), I'd probably start at Need Supply and work my way out from there....

Library Lust?

Maybe the answer lies in bookshelf wallpaper?

No way! Although, it's definitely a cheaper solution...

It's still neat... found at International Contemporary Furniture Fair via D*S

(I know, I know... I need to quit posting things from D*S)

Color Me Mine

Pretty shelves on D*S

Dyes & Info, via the newest bibliophile blog I've started to read, Erik Heywood

(he's really got a keen eye and some great finds)

DETAIL

DYED TOP EDGES


In a time when books weren't kicked out of presses by the millions, books made to last were traditionally covered in gold leaf at the top, bottom and side edges of the pages. Not only did this communicate the importance and handcraft of the book, but it also created a metallic finish which protected the pages themselves from corrosive dust. Later, this practice was often confined to where the dust actually settles, on the top edge of a book. The tops of books gilded in this way can be dusted. Then came the purely decorative practice of dyeing the top edge of a book, adding a bit of color to communicate the artfulness of the volume.  I occasionally find a paperback with color around the whole edge, but no-one (that I've seen) does it as beautifully as J&L Illustrated, with their heavily saturated edges that soak well into the page.

Victim Wants Her Snake Back

Ball Python

Okay, I stumbled across an article I ripped out of The Commercial Appeal  (the big paper in Memphis) I found when we went to our first Tigers basketball game. Lord knows I don't need to keep paper clippings in a stash somewhere but the story is just so bizarre that I wanted to write it down before throwing it away. I think Memphis gets a lot of bad press, I do. But Memphis definitely has bigger issues than the weirdness that gets published around here. Bad articles, bad writing ... I don't know... That's my answer, I read it and was pretty much rendered speechless. So weird.

 Victim Wants Her Snake Back

Burglar slithers off with python, bypasses boa constrictor

Two years ago, Leonia Sanders confronted her fear of snakes by buying one. 

Now someone's stolen Heather, her companion, a 3-foot ball python. 

Sanders, 35, left her home in the 2300-block of Daywood in Frasier Feb. 9 for no more than 30 minutes. 

When she returned, a burglar had kicked in her door, taking a Dell computer monitor, her son's Sony gaming system, and her snake. 

"They stole the whole cage, the water bowl and everything," she said. "I automatically started crying because my snake was gone."

Perhaps wisely, the thief left Sanders' other crawling critter, a 60-lb, 8 1/2 foot, Colombian boa constrictor named Tigger, alone. 

Sanders bought Heather after watching an episode of "Maury" in which people confronted their phobias.

Snakes made her squeamishe, so she looked her fear in its reptilian eyeballs.

"She's just like a family member," said Sanders, who conquered her ophidiophobia so thoroughly that she added Tigger to the family. 

Memphis police told Sanders they beilieve someone she knows must hae taken the snake. 

"The police said, 'Miss Sanders, this is very odd, because ain't nobody going to steal no snake, not knowing whether it was poisonous. 

Meantime, Sanders is losing sleep because Heather doesn't have the lamp she needs for heat. She also needs a steady diet of a rat a week.

"I love my snake, and I miss my snake. All I'm asking is whoever took my snake to return it."

Anyone with informaiton on Heather's wherabouts shoudl call Crime Stoppers...

Homemade Honey Chai

via 

If you prefer your chai to be a bit (not crazy) on the sweet side, you should really consider taking the next 30 minutes and make a batch at home. I found a really great, easy recipe (I had every ingredient in my pantry, who knew?) that's ridiculously delicious. I made a batch this weekend that was poured over ice and married to a little soy milk... ooh ee! Delicious and near perfect for a cool weekend treat. No joke, I'm planning on upping the recipe and making a vat of it to keep in the fridge for instant gratification:

Homemade Honey Chai

Ingredients:


2 cup water
2 black tea bags (I used a basic English Breakfast)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (I didn't have allspice but mixed equal parts clove, cinnamon, nutmeg)
1/2 cup raw honey
Milk or Soymilk


Directions:  To make Chai Tea Base, in a medium saucepan, combine water, tea, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and honey. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags. Cover and refrigerate.


To serve hot: combine equal parts of Chai Tea Base and milk. Heat on stove top or in microwave.


To serve cold: combine equal parts Chai Tea Base and milk over ice cubes.


Recipe courtesy of the National Honey Board via the Savannah Bee Company

Fin

Hooray! Congratulations Darling! You've worked incredibly long, hellish hours. It's been a really hard year. You need to take a break, you've definitely earned it. I love you. I do, and if we can make it through your first year of teaching, I think we're weatherproof!

So I guess a few drinks and some good food is in store for the weekend... I've got a long list of things I would like to make for a delicious, lazy(ish) weekend (we'll see how far I actually make it down the list). Indian food and naan, granola, crusty bread and hummus, loads of veggies and summer salads, you know, official "summer's here" dishes and foods that are easy and quick to grab "when you feel like it" which, I'm going to go ahead and guess, for Darling, is going to be between naps and reading sessions.

Also, I met Little Sister yesterday!! No, not some long lost step sibling, but my Little through the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. (Finally! I had my original interview in January!!) She's adorable, we're going to officially hang out sometime next week.

So, that's all exciting news, no?


Happy Weekend
xoxo

Awesome

Via FFFFOUND!

5...4...

Darling has 3 teaching days left. Holy moly, first year is (for all intents and purposes) O-V-E-R. Is that crazy or what???

Crazy adj. 2. unrealistic, fantastic
Synonyms: absurd, balmy, bizarre, cockeyed, derisory, eccentric, fatuous, foolhardy, foolish, goofy, half-baked, harebrained, idiotic, ill-conceived, impracticable, imprudent, inane, inappropriate, insane, irresponsible, loony, ludicrous, nonsensical, odd, out of reason, outrageous, peculiar, preposterous, puerile, quixotic, ridiculous, senseless, short-sighted, silly, strange, unworkable, weird, wild.

Recounting the past year from May 2009 until now is {please insert adjective from the list above}. But who knew? It's totally possible to finish your first year of teaching (even without training!). Yay Darling! I'm so proud of you.

To celebrate being alive and well after it all we're taking a break in June. One filled with color, dutch colonial influences, water, coral, sand, sun, sunscreen, music, straw hats, cotton, citrus, underwater animals, bicycles, and hopefully (if all goes according to plan) nothing else.

Right around here>>

Book Break

I haven't yet decided what to read after the epic Executioner's Song so I brought along Fantastic Mr. Fox to work with me so I could have a screen break (my poor eyes just can't take it for 8 hours). Unfortunately, it took a lot less time to finish than I had anticipated. Oh well, it was a whimsical few minutes that would have otherwise be spent staring into space... it's one of those days. And, if you haven't already, please see the movie. I was totally enchanted with it and have now spent part of this afternoon watching youtube features...

This one is my favorite, featuring Dahl's wife and Gipsy House:

45 Books

Book 15

The Executioner's Song - Norman Mailer

At 1072 pages, The Executioner's Song is the longest novel I've ever read. It took me all of 12 days to take it down, which, if you were to ask me, I would say is respectable. Earlier this year I read Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and really enjoyed it. The Executioner's Song is very much in the same realm of "creative non-fiction" and has a very similar premise--the account of small town murders and the legal processes leading to the execution of the killer. Mailer tackles the execution of Gary Gilmore in the state of Utah.

I would never hand this book to someone with the expectation they would actually read it, despite any recommendation or glowing praise I could give it. I do however, know many folk I would love to recommend this book to. The story takes place in Utah. Chapter 4 is titled "The House in Spanish Fork."

Now, here is where I really diverge from reviewing and tell you about my experience while reading this... Spanish Fork, UT happens to be the town I grew up in. It also happens to be pretty off the charts as far as publicity and cultural relevance go-- In the 1994 blockbuster hit 8 Seconds (you know, that bull riding movie? oh wait you didn't see it??) they mention (in an offhand comment) going to the Spanish Fork rodeo and, I'm telling you, my dad insisted on rewinding it over and over (did you catch it? did you hear him say Spanish Fork??). It's one of the very few times Spanish Fork has had recognition--So imagine my surprise to see this rich story (although I knew it was set in Utah) weaving intricately (remember it's 1072 pages, that's a lot of detail) in and around an area I am so profoundly familiar with. I don't know how to explain it, what a trippy feeling, what an amazing connection to a book that I have never been able to make before. Reading the dialect, geography, culture, ideology, etc. of my hometown bottled up in these pages so eloquently (it won the Pulitzer) was hypnotizing. Even crazier still was reading it outside of Utah where I have spent damn near my entire life. The distancing element + the accuracy to which Mailer recounts the geography and culture of the story = for me, a once in a lifetime feeling.

Throughout Book 1 of The Executioner's Song, I was absolutely captivated by the narrative of Gary, Nicole, and the story of their relationship. Book 2 delves more heavily into the legal proceedings of the case, the sentencing, and mayhem that followed--at times Book 2 felt a bit exhaustive. Interestingly, however, Book 2's exhaustive detailing is giving the reader exclusive insight to how the book has come to be, self-consiously. All of the aspects: transcribing, the handling of letters and information, the selling of information, media outlets and story rights, etc., all of it manifests itself -- and you hold it's pages in your hands. By reading the book you complete the unspoken third leg of the story and bring profound relevance to hundreds and hundreds of pages. It's pretty neat.

Movie time? I'm really curious to see how it looks on film... 



Loved it.

What's Everyone's Deal With Rhubarb?

It's Everywhere.

Magazines, Blogs, Websites, Everywhere.

is it just me? am I just not hip-to-know? It strikes me as strange.

Just Sayin.

Happy Friday

(Cash and Miss Lucy, the cougar)

Tonight my friend La and her sweet pitbull (Cash's girlfriend) Lucy are coming over for dinner and a good catch-up session. It's been awhile since the girls or the pups have gotten together. I'm going to make my favorite chicken enchilada recipe from Cooks Illustrated. La and I were talking about chicken enchiladas awhile back and she mentioned she could never get into cooking them because she had yet to find a recipe sans sour cream. This one is titled "lighter" chicken enchiladas but I've never felt like I was skimping on anything. It's always been one of those sure-fire meals when you need to impress company with your cooking skills (this and Makhani Chicken, mmmm hmm!)

It's very easy to make, I just always end up dirtying quite a few dishes in the process. If you're feeling adventurous and try this, I'll tell you my secrets: 1. Add 1/2 - 1 teaspoons of cinnamon (depending on your taste) to the sauce, or sprinkle with cinnamon just before serving (trust me). 2. Reserve some of the onion mixture after straining and add to shredded chicken.

 Darling is going to be so sad he's missing it...



LIGHTER CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Serves 6.   Published July 15, 2008.   From Cook's Illustrated.

Make sure that the cooked chicken is finely shredded, or the edges of large pieces will tear through the tortillas. Serve these enchiladas with lime wedges, low-fat sour cream, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, and hot sauce.

Ingredients

1	medium onion , chopped fine
1/2	teaspoon vegetable oil
	Salt
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3	tablespoons chili powder
2	teaspoons ground cumin
2	teaspoons sugar
	2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1	cup water
1	pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), trimmed of excess fat
	Ground black pepper
8	ounces 50 percent light cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)
	1 can (4 ounces) pickled jalapeños , drained and chopped
1/2	cup minced fresh cilantro
12	(6-inch) soft corn tortillas
	Vegetable cooking spray
1	lime , cut into wedges (for serving)

Instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to cool. Strain the sauce through a medium-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the onions to extract as much liquid as possible. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces. Toss together the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of the cheddar, the jalapeños, and cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Stack the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40 to 60 seconds. Spread the warm tortillas out over a clean work surface. Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each tortilla around the filling and lay them seam-side down in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
5. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with vegetable oil spray. Pour 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the enchiladas to coat them thoroughly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar down the center of the enchiladas. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes longer. Serve, passing the remaining 1 cup sauce and the lime wedges separately.
   
   
   
   
   Happy Friday
   xoxo

Poky Puppy

Speaking of the Poky Little Puppy, I don't think these iconic illustrations could be any more perfect or sweet. 

The Poky Little Puppy: a preview:

You forgot, didn't you? So precious.

My poky puppy (Cash man, the one constantly ho-humming around with his nose in everything) seems to be doing better. His face looks great and he's not as disoriented after a good night's sleep! A note worth mentioning: the vet named his wart "Davey Jones" after the tentacle faced monster in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I'm going to go ahead and guess that the vet, generally, doesn't take time to name things as common as puppy warts... apparently his was astonishing, an exemplary text-book specimen.

Ideal Bookshelves

Beautiful paintings, prints and postcards by the talented  Jane Mount represent the ideal bookshelves of her friends all over the country. (Found via Smarts & Crafts)

So, what would be on your ideal bookshelf? It's really hard to say...

I would probably include: East of Eden, Lolita, To Kill a Mockingbird, Leaves of Grass, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Frankenstein, The Diversity of Life, Housekeeping, Sons and Lovers, Betsy Tacy and Tibb, The BFG, The Runaway Bunny, The Little Fur Family

...

Sometimes I feel so predictable.

I think there are some fantastic children's books littered throughout these illustrations, love the two Little Golden Book spines. So cute. (Pokey little puppy!)

Blu-Ray

Darling and I have upgraded our video technology by nearly 15 years in the last month. The changes have been drastic.  Last night we got our blu-ray player setup and began watching the BBC series Planet Earth, on blu-ray. Astounding. Sorry folks, I'm totally booked this weekend...

Darling is leaving for Atlanta tonight to supervise 70 sixth grade students until Sunday night... and then returning to school on Monday for a full week of classes. That's working 14 days in a row, 4 of them 24 hours, with 11 and 12 year olds ... yikes.

Cash is at the vet today. He's had this gigantic wart on his face (canine papiloma) and it's wrecking havoc a daycare (other dogs picking on him, trying to chew on it, and then, it bleeding all over the other pups potentially spreading the virus...) so he's on his way to be sedated and have the fleshy cauliflower bulb crushed, hopefully, not to return.

I heard back from Big Brothers Big Sisters yesterday. Hoping to meet a little sister soon!

eMPHasis on Blue

The show's coming up real soon. 

Check out Sparkle: Motion (aka. Project: Motion) here

Louisiana Coast Protects Itself From Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Images via The Guardian

{turtle}

It's horrific. 

It makes me feel sick to my stomach.

What if it's not stopped before hurricane season hits?

 What happens to the ecosystem?

What happens to the gulf coast?

to families?

to jobs?

to accountability?

my heart hurts. it makes me crazy.

When oil collides with wildlife, oil wins

Tip of the Year

 Image Via Real Simple

I love Real Simple magazine. I have a subscription and love a lot of their advice, recipes, tips, photography and whatever else comes in magazine articles... So, in my browsing of the latest issue, I saw a snippet of advice concerning asparagus:

How To Buy

Choose firm, bright green asparagus stalks with plump, tightly closed tips. Fading color is a sign of deterioration. Check the stem ends to make sure they look freshly cut, not shriveled or dried out.

How To Store

Uncooked asparagus will stay fresh for three to four days in the refrigerator. The secret is to keep the vegetable cool and damp. Store spears upright in a container with the stems wading in an inch of water, then cover loosely.

Hello.

It's brilliant! It works brilliantly and saves me from having to toss out half bundles of wilty, wiggly stalks. I love asparagus, but rarely want to eat it two days in a row... I don't know. I was impressed. I definitely thought it was worth sharing. Maybe someone who reads this blog also feels guilty throwing unused vegetables away...

And since I've got firm squeeky delicious asparagus in my refrigerator, tonight for dinner I'm going to make this Asparagus-Gruyere Tart from Martha Stewart:

 Image Via Martha Stewart

Serves 4

• Flour, for work surface
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• 5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sounds delicious, no?

Query:
I had no idea that frozen puff pastry was so expensive! $12 for one sheet at Whole Foods last night. It just wasn't what I was expecting to pay for frozen dough. Pizza dough costs around $2.00 and is enough to make two pizzas. Hmm, is this a Whole Foods phenomenon, or is puff pastry generally the most expensive item in the frozen foods section? Are there any alternatives for puff pastry that are decent?

I feel like I've seen a resurgence of tarts as of the last 2 months or so (Ready Made's cover story May/10) and they all recommend using puff pastry as an alternative to spending hours making tart crusts. I'd like to experiment and for less than $20/pop preferably.