Kitchen Magic

Q:What can you make
with left over veggies?

OK. I really wanted to expand that last "Things I love" post about food into something more substantial. I wanted to post about the simple things we cook when there isn't anything in the fridge except left overs. I wanted to ask about the simple things you bake when there isn't anything in the pantry except flour, sugar, and some baking powder. I wanted to write about the simple Magic We Make in the Kitchen when there doesn't seem to be any Magic at all.

A: Veggie Wontons!

I've been really into food bloggers lately. I've been smitten with this blog especially. I love looking up recipes and making something wonderful out of the bare minimum of ingredients. The less ingredients required or more ingredients I actually have in my reach that are required the better. I love the Magic one can make from the simplest things. Flour, sugar, water, and a little hot oil... funnel cakes, anyone? Don't know what I'm talking about? When was the last time you woke up an hour later than usual on a lazy Saturday morning and decided to make a breakfast for you and your loved ones? Is Pancakes a special Sunday morning tradition?

What I'm getting at is this: When do we take the time to make some Simple Magic? It's not that far away. Simple Magic is as close as the kitchen. But, when do we take the time and breathe and relax and make something that we usually don't make (a stack of blue berry pancakes, Nutella filled crepes, cheese and sausage biscuits, lavender and earl grey scones)? Do we keep ourselves busy, filling ourselves with cheep and easy and quick things to eat because they are just that? Don't get me wrong, I love me some Ramen. But, why don't we let ourselves indulge in simple kitchen Magic as much as we could?

Lazy Saturday Blueberry Pancakes!

My challenge for you, Spatulans, is this: Make something for yourself this week that you normally wouldn't make. Make something you either haven't had the time, the ingredients, or the will power to make or because the next episode of Alias is on and you'd rather watch that. Clear that schedule, buy those ingredients (or find a new yummy recipe that requires things you already have) and get to making some delicious Magic for you or someone special. Simple Magic is only 15 minutes at 350 degrees away.


Also This: It's a playlist of 16 songs for the 16th. The only thing is... I posted on the 15th thinking it was the 16th. So wait until Monday to play this. Or, you can play this while you are baking up some Magic this week.

Things I love/Good Eats/This Week In Photos

This Week In Photos: (L-R) New purse brought into the store,

Scully Cat suns himself, sewing with The Bear, Carrot Ginger Miso Soup

and Whiskey Ginger drinks, Baked Egg, Super Salad with rainbow carrots 

and homemade garlic croutons, homemade blueberry pancakes 

and a lovely lazy day

This week there were so many things to love. Actually, each week there are so many things to love but sometimes I just don't take the time to look because I'm too worried about something or because one of the various "Femotion" triggers has started me crying. This past week I took the time to notice and I'm continuing the trend of "Things I Love [This Day]" and posting mine... As a photo collage!

 What are the little things that made you smile this week? Are there things that happen every week that help you remember there are good things in life despite the crap that is all around you on an hourly basis.

My things I love list has a lot to do with food. Which brings me to a question: What are some of your favorite things to cook and then eat? This can be an extravagant three course dinner a simple egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. I have some favorite things I like to make and eat and cook for my other. This past week I made some simply extravagant things: Baked Egg with Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms; Fresh cut potatoes baked with chili powder and rosemary with homemade sesame oil and teriyaki vinegar dip.

What are your favorite "For One" simple recipes and what are your favorite "I'm Going To Wine and Dine You" recipes. My favorite Breakfast Sandwich to Make: Toast with melted cheese on one side, mayo on the other. Fried Egg and tomato in the middle. Salt Pepper and Fresh Dill all over. These recipes don't have to be fancy. I tried to make things with the things I had in the apartment. My aunt's favorite go-to dinner for one is: Canned tuna (drained) with sliced sharp white cheddar cheese on top. Stick the whole can in the toaster oven and let the cheese get all bubbly and golden on top. Let me tell you, she made this for me, and it's now on my list of "Favorite Things to eat when I'm by myself."

Also This:

Scully is a poof ball. He likes to sun his belly.

Better than Fiction

I guess you guys probably noticed a Dren shaped void in last weeks postings. Due to circumstances beyond my control I wasn’t able to write or post anything. Various computer catastrophes (which I am still experiencing) and visiting family members effectively shut down my creative processes and sucked up all of my time.


And you know what? I’m not sorry about it. I had a blast! All last week I was with my parents and my brother, who is home for the summer and that was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. My brother brought his Xbox with him and a variety of games including Fable II and Rock Band, which are my new favorites.

A good chunk of the week was spent playing the games and having everyone laugh at my horrible attempts to navigate the fantasy world in Fable. My character spent more time bumping into the townspeople as saving them. I actually shot a few of them by accident and I still feel terrible about it (and my family still teases me mercilessly). I also may have made my family slightly uncomfortable with my overwhelming glee at acquiring a steel war hammer, but then I ran into a wall and all was right with the world.

The rest of the time was spent around the table eating delicious suppers and talking. Yes, just plain old talking. Or rather, in our case, laughing so hard we all choked on our meals. That was something we hadn’t done in a long time (being together, not choking) and every minute was worth the empty Tuesday slot on Fantastic Spatula. Life gets in the way of art, and sometimes that’s ok.

I did miss writing about those poor people in Dren who seem to be in a balancing act between peaceful living and being torn apart by dark forces. I’ll return to them next week, but for now you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got to practice my fake guitar so I don’t butcher any more Beatles songs.

A Cure for the Common Blah

Greetings, folks! Once again I feel I must offer my apologies. My work is kicking my ass something fierce and as a result I’ve nothing terribly witty or profound to offer (not that I do usually but…).

You see, stress has been running a bit high. A new and particularly sneaky malware hit my work computer and I’ve had to do my job in a rather piecemeal way.

Isn’t it funny how a malfunctioning computer can effectively stop your life in its tracks? You don’t realize how much you depend on it until it’s not there. So, to escape to stress and strain of the digital world I went to visit my parents this weekend. That, in and of itself, isn’t unusual as I visit them quite a lot. The great part about visiting this time was that we all decided to trek down to my parent’s pond despite the ground being of a consistency akin to oatmeal.

So there we were, muddy and slightly chilled, watching my father skim algae off the surface of the pond, hoping to catch a glimmer or glow of orange from the (probably dead) fish. I can’t quite remember what led up to it, but I ended up with a large stick in my hand and, absent mindedly, began hitting it against a nearby tree. That action set off a chain reaction.

I know that all of the people who drove by that afternoon must believe that we are a family of lunatics. All three of us were down in the woods, by a muddy pond, hitting trees with pieces of fallen wood and having a right jolly joke at the expense of Bigfoot researchers. And all of us were laughing like maniacs.

And you know what? I don’t care. I was having a ball down there with my parents. We laughed at just about everything that happened, from my comedic attempts to split a piece of wood to the cat stumbling ungracefully while walking on the beams of the gazebo.

So what if everyone thinks we’re a bunch of freaks. Laughter really is the best therapy. And the cheapest, as long you don’t mind suffering a loss of dignity.

Speeding on a Sunday Afternoon

I said I wasn’t going to do it, but I must. I’m indulging in my inner anorak and I’m bringing cars into the equation. But don’t worry, I’ll not bore you with brake horsepower figures or acceleration times; I’ll not even mention my undying love for AMG tuned SLKs or the fantastic Gallardo Balboni.

No, I’m going to talk about my 11 year old Jeep Cherokee. More specifically, I’m going to talk about the amazing afternoon I had in it.

You see, last week I wrote about that little bit of magic that likes to hide in common, everyday things. This week I found a spark of magic that I had forgotten about over the winter. It was phenomenally nice outside on Sunday, my ideal weather. I had gone shopping in the next town over and decided that on the way back I should take the back road.

It is called River Road and there’s a stretch between that town and mine that is perfection. I don’t know when it was originally paved, but I don’t think it’s been touched since then. It is a winding, twisting ribbon of driving fun.

Fate had to have been on my side that afternoon. The windows were down, there was no traffic and, as the white lines of city maintenance disappeared, T. Rex came on my player. I floored it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here to tell you that there is nothing quite like driving very quickly on a road you know very well. And there you have it. In that 20 some mile stretch of road, I had found some magic. In those few minutes of driving, I didn’t care that I had work the next day or that I had bills to pay. I had no cares in the world; there was only me, my Jeep, an empty road, and T. Rex.

I will probably never get to drive an F430 down the Stelvio Pass, but for an afternoon, I came pretty close. That, in my book, is magical.

Tempus Fugit?

It's a little bit scary, isn't it? March is here. Where has all the time gone? Summer will be here before you know it. Blink, and there's autumn.

Indeed, time has passed so quickly that I've been caught off guard. I usually try to write my posts on Sunday so that I won't have to hurry to write something during the week when, as Kristi so astutely pointed out, the evening funk sets in after a tiring day at work.

Alas! Time conspired against me this weekend. A series of intertwining events have left me bereft of wit and something good to post. (In my defense, I was ill all weekend and my cat tried to kill me.)

So with my most sincere apologies, I will pose a query and let that serve as my post. I have said before that little everyday acts can be magical. Hearing a piece of music that touches your soul, reconnecting with childhood memories, the smile of a dishy man (well, for me anyway!); all of these stir emotions in us and impact our loves in small and completely powerful ways.

I've found another little bit of everyday magic. It may not be quite as profound as music or memories, but while I was feeling so very ill this weekend this little bit of magic helped me relax and recuperate. And that, ladies and gents, is the magic of a warm blanket straight from the dryer. There's nothing better.

Or is there? What little bit of everyday magic do you perform when you need a bit of happiness?

Charms to Soothe the Savage Breast

I have an important question for you, dear reader. When was the last time you listened to music? I mean, really listened?

I have been sitting here, dredging the very depths of my mind, trying to find something to write about; I've been waiting for inspiration to strike.
Now, I keep music playing in the background of basically everything I do. Cleaning, driving, playing games, and writing, everything. But its usually just that, background music. Something to keep the dreadful silence away.

I was sitting, waiting, hoping for something to spark my imagination, when my player shuffled from Seals and Croft (Summer Breeze!) to the Mad Song from the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor." If you've seen The Fifth Element, then you've heard it. It's the Diva's song, minus the techno bit.

As my mind was open and quiet, the music seeped in. I listened. Truly listened. The singing, the orchestra, all of it was suddenly indescribably beautiful. I don't mind telling you that I got a little teary eyed.

The aria ended, the next song cycled. The Universe had to have been watching me at that moment, because Chopin's Nocturne No. 19 began to play. I lost it. I wept. No, really, I did. (The Carrington women have a weakness for Chopin anyway. This piece in particular is my kryptonite.)

And then it hit me. A little bit of everyday magic had just occured. It had happened before but it never really occured to me how powerful the effect is.

So, as I wipe the tears from my eyes, I wanted to ask when was the last time you sat down and listened to music? When was the last time you let it sink in and move you? If that's never happened, then I highly recommend that you try it.

It's A Kind of Magic

Y’know, smiles are funny things. There are very few things in this world that can be so versatile.** For instance, a smile can be pleasant, or playful; charming and charismatic. Smiles can mislead and smiles can give the truth away. The good smile and so do the wicked. We smile when we are happy and when we are sad.
For being such a small and effortless thing, smiles have a tremendous power over us. If there is magic in this world, then it must surely exist in the act of smiling.

How else can it be explained that a quick smile turned a dreary Monday morning into a bright happy day?

Some dishy toff gives you the glad eye and you call it magic? Rubbish.

What he looked like is beside the point. The fact is it worked. His smile brightened my morning and put me in a pleasant mood for the rest of the day. And the funny thing is, smiles are contagious. I smiled as I walked into the store after work and the sullen bag boy grinned and nodded.

Wot? Some corker smiles at me, I’d girn like an idiot m'self.

Point is, Alonzo, that my smiling made him smile. And in turn, he made some other miserable soul smile. And in an age where everyone is so self absorbed and oblivious to others isn’t it nice that such a simple gesture can make such a big difference. Isn’t that what magic is about?

A Japanese proverb speaks thus, “Never trust the glory of the morning nor the smiles of your mother-in-law.

Well, you do have a point, Len.

**The only other one I can think of is chicken.