Get one of these, they are great
Look, from the IKEA website, it’s Blue Flat Bear. I have one at home.
Several cool sites to visit.
Courtesy my friend Melissa, I provide you with this link to a BBC quiz on how to identify when people are really smiling versus fake smiling.
MLK Weekend Update
Stephanie and I had a busy weekend; we did a lot of shopping and a lot cuddling up at home trying to stay warm. We went to see Finding Neverland, which was a much sadder movie than I expected, and had I known that, I might not have gone to see it. We bought a winter coat for Stephanie at Eddie Bauer, then when it turned out to not be very comfortable, we returned it and got an equally-cool looking but much more functional coat and less expensive one at the gap. I also got a nice wool coat at the gap for more dressy occasions. And we shopped at Target.
And I got the Trivial Pursuit Book Lovers Edition for 1/2 price. I’m really excited about it and want to play.
It’s really cold, and I’d like to note that I did NOT order this weather. Damn it.
Crate and Barrel comes to the Fashion Mall
I caught wind of this a few weeks ago, because my friend Jason works for the construction company that will be building the new store: the IndyChannel is reporting that a Crate and Barrel Store will be going into the location of the the recently vacated for new digs TGIFridays restaurant at Keystone at the Crossing. Because that mall (and that tiny little area) isn’t nearly crowded enough as it is.
Baked Half Potatoes
Note: This is a family favorite.
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoons parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 medium baking potatoes
Melt butter, combine cheese and seasonings in a small dish. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, dip each in melted butter, then seasonings. Place cut-side up in a dish. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and potatoes are soft.
Microwave: 10-12 minutes on High, or until tender.
Ginger Peanut Chicken Salad Wraps
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 6 chicken breasts
- 1 cup chopped and seeded cucumber
- 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp. sale
- 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 8 tortillas
- 4 cups lettuce
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium/high heat. Add chicken and
cook 5 minutes on each side until done. Remove chicken and cool.
Shred into bite-sized pieces. Place chicken, cucumber, bell pepper in
a large bowl – set aside.
2. Place sugar and next six ingredients (sugar through garlic) in a
blender and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and water,
process until smooth, scraping sides. Add peanut butter mixture to
chicken mixture and stir well. Warm tortillas. Place lettuce on
warmed tortilla, spoon chicken salad on top and roll.
Yield: 8 servings (1 wrap = 1 serving)
Deviled Eggs
- 6 eggs
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- paprika for garnish
I compiled this recipe from several online sources, then edited it to my tastes. I regularly make this for pitch-in dinners and it seems to be popular.
Put eggs in a pot of cold water, put on high heat to boil. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to a medium boil for 10-12 minutes. Take eggs off heat, drain hot water. Fill pot with cold water to ensure that yolks stay yellow, let cool.
When eggs are cool, remove shells from eggs, and halve lengthwise with a knife. Carefully remove the yolks, and place in a medium bowl. Mash yolks with a fork, and add remaining ingredients except paprika. Very carefully spoon mixture back into the egg white halves.
Garnish with a light sprinkling of paprika.
Hitler’s Hit Parade
A new documentary showing film of Nazi-era German pop culture, especially that directed and produced by the National Socialist party. Displayed without commentary over pop songs of the time, the film is disturbing when we remember the atrocities that were perpetrated by the same people who were producing these romanticized portraits of their time.
Some who’ve seen it have commented on another disturbing aspect of the film; parallels to today in George Bush’s America.
Wireless Hotspots in Indianapolis
Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. provides a list of 22 spots where you can get wireless internet access, some of it free and some for a fee. On the other hand, wi-fihotspotlist.com lists 36 wireless locations in Indianapolis. It’s not clear from this list which services are free and which are paid. So an IndyScribe wireless outing/control panel training session is in order! Woo hoo! We are such geeks.
Rain, rain, go the hell away
As another 1.5 inches of rain fell on Indianapolis yesterday, neighborhoods like Frog Hollow (I love that name!) and Ravenswood, which were already battling flood waters are hit hard again. The city closed 12 streets, mainly in these neighborhoods and along Fall Creek and in a neighborhood on the southside near Troy and Harding streets which are flooded and impassable. The river is expected to crest this afternoon. UPDATE: Emergency crews are evacuating people from 78th and Keystone area due to the White River flooding. 16 people were rescued by boat from their homes. The attached photo show the level of water in that area. Emergency personnel also evacuated people from the Ravenswood areas.
According to the Indianapolis Star:
Before changing to snow Thursday, 2.66 inches of rain had fallen in the Indianapolis area since Sunday. That’s on top of 6 inches last week. So far this month, 9.04 inches of rain has fallen; normal for the entire month is 2.48 inches.
Indiana rivers were already higher than normal due to the heavy snows in December and ice storms in January.