Because It's Fun To Say

In my efforts to lose weight, and still enjoy life, I have been seeking alternatives to foods I generally rely on. Pasta has always had a strong presence in my home as a single person. Pasta is quick and easy to make. It goes good with most things, and can be served hot or cold. It is very kind to your budget.

Unlike many out there who believe that carbs are from the devil, I think there is nothing wrong with them. At least not in moderate amounts. Unfortunately, I tend to enjoy pasta in amounts that are far from moderate.

The major challenge of letting go of my love for pasta is its convenience. Let's face it, pasta doesn't exactly have a strong flavor. It's just a tasty filler. So what could I use that is still quick, easy, and actually has a nice taste?

I thought about brown rice. I actually like brown rice. But I am not so skilled in the art of making rice. I often undercook it. Or burn the bottom. Brown rice seems to elude me further, and takes a decent amount of time to cook.

So I discovered this magical thing called couscous. It is a good source of fiber, and it cooks in 5 minutes. You boil water (a spoonful of olive oil in the water will give it a nice flavor, or you can boil it in a broth of your choice), throw in the couscous, take it off the heat, let it sit for five minutes, and that's it. You're done.

I have been using it instead of white rice with stir fry type dishes and it is really yummy. It just soaks up all the flavors of everything else. The texture is cool too.

This is the latest way in which I plan on trying it (recipe time!)

4 spring onions – finely chopped
5cm (2 inches) cucumber - unpeeled and chopped (I love how it tells me how many cm)
3 medium tomatoes – skinned and chopped
half a red or yellow pepper – deseeded and finely chopped
1 red dessert apple – unpeeled, cored and chopped
25g (1oz) walnuts – chopped
200 g pack (almost 8 oz) feta cheese cut into squares
salt and freshly milled black pepper to season
about 60ml (4 tablespoons) balsalmic vinegar and olive oil mixture
lots o' couscous

Like pasta salad, except without the evil pasta. Yum.

Try couscous. You will like it. Say couscous. You will like it even more.


I should have eaten breakfast this morning. All I can think about is food.

Current Mood: HUNGRY
Listening to: Somebody Told Me by The Killers

Giants

Because I am too tired/busy/lazy, you get another useless photo post.

I took this in Washington at the tulip festival they have every year in Skagit Valley (I think that's where it was.) It really is very beautiful, all the different colors and textures. This is my favorite picture, not just because I think it looks cool, but because I had to practically lay on my stomach to get it. Pictures taken in abnormal positions always come out interesting.

Musical Admission

I have something to tell you all. Most of you know of my fondness for music of all kinds. My musical collection can sometimes be not only varied, but obscure. So what, you may ask, is currently in my CD player? Some little known band off of some even lesser known label?

No.

Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway.

Yes. Kelly Clarkson. The product of the first American Idol. I am here to say it's ok to like someone who gained their initial fame from this show. Or at least this is what I keep telling myself.

But seriously, before you all start to judge me, this is a really good cd. Do not be misled by the cheesy adult contemporary stylings of the title track Breakaway. There is more to Ms. Clarkson than sappy balladeering. (is that a word??) The second single off of the album, "Since You Been Gone", aside from being grammatically incorrect, has accomplished something very difficult - it's one of the few songs that is on the top of the charts that doesn't make me want to shove a pointy object in my ear. Plus, we all know how I love a good break-up song. And this cd is full of those. As is the case with most quality cd's, the singles that get airplay aren't the best songs of the bunch, and being that I actually like the singles (except Breakaway) that says quite a bit.

Another thing that makes this a must have in the car, is they are the perfect songs to sing along with very loudly. You know you all do it. Driving down the highway, suddenly we all become accomplished musical artists. Since many of these songs are vocally very powerful, they are perfect for singing/screaming along to. Great for de-stressing. (Sidenote: When having an in-car concert, be sure that your phone is locked/closed, so that no accidental dialing can take place. My former roommates had a very long clip of my own personal rendition of "On My Own" from Les Miserables. Not cool. Fortunately, my roommates love me, so it wasn't too tragic. But that kind of material in the wrong hands...I shudder to think.)

So when thinking over your next musical purchase, you may want to check her out. I think you may be pleasantly suprised.

And to those of you continuing to shake your head and cluck your tongues, first of all, stop, cause you look silly, and two, at least I didn't say I had Ashlee Simpson in my cd player.

Current Mood: Chill
Listening to: Cry Me A River by Diana Krall (you were expecting me to be listening to Kelly Clarkson weren't you? Nope. Launchcast in the office - random makes the day go faster.)

Sepia Is So Hot Right Now

Signing the Marriage Certificate
I was having fun with the sepia feature.....old photo from our wedding.

The Cheese Stands Alone

Life gets busier as Lindsey's wedding moves closer. It is less than a month away now. I spent part of yesterday taking the infamous red bridesmaid dress to a seamstress to be altered. I believe that there are somewhere around 100 pins now residing in my dress as it awaits time at the sewing machine. The lady at The Golden Needle decided that the dress should look like it was made specifically for me. Sounds good.

The business with every day running around is making it hard to think of interesting things to tell you all on the blog. But I feel bad just leaving it alone for a long period. So I may post some random photos, so the blog doesn't get lonely.

Next weekend is the bachelorette weekend in Boca, so I am sure there will be something interesting to tell when we get back from that.

Listening to: Purple by Gus Gus
Current Mood: nauseous (not really a mood, but that is what I am currently feeling)

My favorite part - the kitchen. We are replacing the old fridge with a black one to match the rest of the place. 

Living room with Fireplace (yes, we have them in Florida)