Cooking disasters and redemptions

Have I mentioned how much I love fall? I am completely thrilled it is now officially fall! As much as I love living in the south, it is hot and humid for way too long. It is nice to be a little chilly at night and be able to bundle up in a hoodie. This weather has inspired me to work on my epically amazing back yard so I can spend more time out there (more to come on the house).

The other day I tried to start my new cooking adventure, and it was an epic failure, which ended with the fire department at my house. Don't worry, the house just got a little smoky and I did not realize my alarm alerted the authorities, whoops! I was running out of the house to inform the three firemen with axes that there was, in fact, no fire. Talk about complete embarrassment. After this and on the verge of a breakdown, I threw my arms up in the air and made the bf grill the chicken, which was pretty much all we ate.

To redeem myself I made chicken lettuce wraps this week, which turned out much better. I've learned there are two issues I have with cooking. The first is multitasking. There is a flow to cooking and one must have a touch of finesse to do it well. I am good with limited things, but when there are many pieces coming together for a meal I get stressed. The second is the quantity of food you have to buy to make a meal. Sometimes it ends up being more money to cook than to go out, just because you cannot buy the amount you actually need.

For the wraps, I marinated the chicken overnight in a teriyaki sauce and grilled them that day. I cut up the chicken, added sprouts, almonds, carrots, sautéed onions and squash, chow mien noodles and put in the lettuce wrap, drizzled with teriyaki sauce. I had to use iceberg lettuce, although they are typically made with buttered lettuce. I would recommend having a mixed green salad with everything on top. That would be easier to eat and more nutritious.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

I find it hard to make myself cook, for so many reasons. It can be challenging for one with limited time and limited funds. However, with the right arsenal I believe anyone can be a good cook. Like most things in life, it just takes time and effort.


When I was living at home, I never learned how to cook things beyond the basics; I can make mean spaghetti and my chocolate chip pie is amazing. I greatly regret not learning more from my mother, because there are not many people who can cook better than her. She can look at her pantry and just whip up something without a recipe, which is amazing to me.


So in an effort to domesticate myself a little more, I am going to commit to cooking two meals a week. Below are some of the cookbooks I have selected for this project, however, I will be using many, many other sources. If you already have an idea of what to cook, the internet is a great place to go for quick ideas.

"Why yes, I do know how to clog"

First of all, apologies for being a horrible blogger. I have been so busy and exhausted these days it has been hard to find write. It is Monday, so it is time to change my lazy ways and start finding time to blog more! I had a great, but short weekend (they are never long enough!). Saturday I finally made it over to the High Museum to check out the Salvador Dali Exhibition. It completely blew me away. I could not believe how versatile Dali was as an artist. He did a little bit of everything, and he did it all very well. My favorite thing in the exhibit was illustrations he did for Don Quixote.

Sunday I went to the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain. Honestly, I was not too impressed with most of the vendors there. My favorite was Ms. Annette's Antique Ceiling Tins. She repurposes antique ceiling tins into beautiful pieces of art.

The highlight of the festival, and the reason I went, was the clogging stage. My roommate and her sister both danced, and they were amazing!

Decatur Book Festival

It's that time of year again! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this year's festival. The folks who put this on do an amazing job coming up with fascinating topics and amazing authors. The biggest problem I have is deciding what events and lectures I will actually go to, because they all sound amazing! I am still recovering from the moving last week and should spend the whole weekend doing work around the house and being productive, but I cannot resist spending a little time checking out the festival. It's all about a balance of work and play, right? I've gone through and picked out some of the lectures I'm interested in going to, but I will have to narrow down to just a few. If you live in this area, I would highly suggest checking out the festival, even if it is just to walk around and check out the scene downtown. Go here for all the info.

Saturday:
-The Allure of Historical Fiction
-The Art of Syntax
-The Influence of Flannery O'Connor and other Insights
-Low Country Cookin'
-The Backyard Homestead
-Romantic Realism, Realistic Romance
-The World in Your Teacup: Celebrating Tea Traditions Near and Far
-What I Learned about Writing from Listening to Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis: an Interactive Adventure in Language, Music, and Dance
-Celebrating Eudora

Sunday:
-Canning for a New Generation
-Edgar Allen Poe: A Puppet Presentation
-Finding Yourself In a Land Where You're Lost
-POE Slam

"I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create."

Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but I have discovered Google Reader. I felt completely unorganized and overwhelmed with all the blogs I was reading and I wanted a central place to go and get caught up, thus discovering Reader. My intent was to save time, but I believe I now spend more time being immerced in the blogging world. Reading other blogs completely inspires me. There are so many amazingly creative people out there. When things are slow at work, I spend my time perusing all the goodness they offer and imagine that one day I can spend my days making stuff instead of sitting at a desk. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for my job and in the scheme of things I am very fortunate, but I don't want to be doing this my whole life. Those bloggers who are making a living doing what they love inspire me to begin trying to do the same.

I decided to start following their lead and begin truly pursuing my passion. So, my goal for the rest of 2010 is to come up with enough pieces to do a show. I have a basic vision, and a lot of work to do. I have one lead and a few other ideas of places to contact. More updates as this develops, but I will have a show by the end of the year, even if it is just at my own house!

When I need inspiration, these are some of the places I get it from:

The Drifter and the Gypsy

Between the pictures she posts and her actual work, I never cease to be amazed by Micaela's eye for beauty. My latest bunting project was actually inspired by one of her posts.

Liebemarlene Vintage

Rhiannon is just one cool girl, who mixes her love of literature, fashion, and history to create a truly unique and inspiring blog. And she is possibly one of the nicest people I have ever met.

Ashley Meaders

I met Ashley years ago while she was doing graphic design at my old church. Now, she does a little bit of everything- from designing for Smilebooth and Our Labor of Love to guest blogging on Design*Sponge and Once Wed. She is absolutely talented and just adorable!

I also love Peccane Log, Hiking in Stilettos, Garment House, Tomorrows News Today, Dethrose Vintage, Asian Cajuns, Bring Your Own Vegetables, Pink Wallpaper, Joys of Home, and the list could go on and on.

I've been a bad blogger lately. I apologize! Starting a new job and being in the process of moving has left me with very little free time and because of this my blog has suffered. I will return soon and hopefully with better posts. I don't have a Mixtape Monday list for this morning, but I do have a new artist to suggest. If you don't already know him, please check out Matthew Perryman Jones. I saw him at a free show in Atlanta last night and he is incredible. I've had some of his music for a while and enjoyed it, but I was extremely impressed after seeing him live. Check him out.

A Day In The Life