Sarcomical

new dependency, but oh so sweet...

This has become my daily multi-daily necessity:

I am completely and hopelessly addicted to the MatéVana loose-leaf tea from Teavana. It has helped to reduce my coffee intake a bit (yay?) but this obsession has perhaps grown to almost as large a monster as I was trying to (sort of) free myself from. Honestly, it's a beautiful monster. It's a comforting, snuggly, warm, pep-talking monster.

This stuff is so sweetly aromatic and full-flavored and makes me feel awake & alert but not shaky no matter how much of it I drink...also it is supposedly NOT technically "addictive", and maybe it's not...yet here I am freaking out (FAH-REAKING) because my next shipment hasn't arrived yet and I don't  have enough for tomorrow! I am trying to will it here with my mind, but if it didn't work when I was five trying to make my stuffed animals fling across the room, I'm pretty sure the telekinesis thing isn't going to just suddenly start working for me now.

You can also get multiple infusions with each serving, so while it's more expensive than some teas, I feel like it's completely worth how happy it makes me two to three times every day. Plus, it's a bit of a calming ritual in itself to watch the scrumptious bits float slowly toward the bottom of my cup. Oh tea, I swoon over you so...

easing, easing...

Sparse...Our backyard, a sheet of ice the neighbor kids skated across during the recent winter blast which turned us into a HouseSicle for two weeks.

I know, that is what my space here has been for quite some time. I don't feel guilty about that, because in case you don't believe the rumor, pulling away from Internet Land can be quite a soul-nourishing experience! Kind of like a dip in a calm pool or a breath drawn in a forest. Seriously, not caring a wit about whether or not the world knows what is happening in your life is more fun than you may remember. You know, back in the Sad, Slow, Tweetless, Blogless, Pen and Paper, Crack-Open-an-Encyclopedia, Dark, Scary World. (And if you are too young to have had to ever open up a QRS encyclopedia to do research on quails or Russia or supernovas for class, I'm going to pretend for this brief moment that people your age do not yet exist to keep my brain from exploding and also ARE YOUR PARENTS MONITORING YOUR INTERNET USAGE, YOUNG'IN? Also, damn, damn, damn. So old I am feeling. So...so old.)

The thing is, I soooo love my sweet, funny, moving, intelligent, creative, inspiring friends across the InterSphere that staying connected is still important. Through virtual land I've met several of my real-life lovelies who I get to SEE and TOUCH and LAUGH WITH and SOAK IN just in the past year or two alone. Not to mention the many I admire and get wrapped up in sometimes from afar, feeling incredibly connected to people I am pretty certain don't have any idea I am in a little relationship with them...reading ...laughing ...crying ...empathizing ...SUPERFAN-ING ...adoring ...coveting ...learning ...clickety-clicking through their lives and thinking "IF I COULD JUST SMOOSH THE WORLD TIGHTER...you and I would be the closest of souls." Or at the very least, you could teach me how you do that thing with your hair or how you capture such ghostly beauty in your photography or how you keep consistent with your home yoga practice or how you deal with fertility complications with such grace or how to make those evil evil cupcakes or how you sit down and write things that are so wonderful.

And that is why I choose to share again, perhaps with slightly altered motivation. I think this year will be full of a lot of changes and struggles and victories and annoyances and deliciousness...and I want to remember every bit of it. Plus, I have so much that's been collecting dust, heaving at the seams to be talked about! LIKE HOW I MET TONY BOURDAIN. And...um...well, now I can't really think about anything else, so...ahem. I know the many who used to visit here may not remember to check back in (it's been so very, very long since I've been consistently here and talkity-talky), but that's okay with me. I'll just be over here making stuff with words and photographs and maybe a few other things...and geekishly (yes that's right) and quietly fawning over some of YOU.

What I Didn't Do in 2010 (...it's Anti-Resolution time)

Whew. That was one delicious blog hiatus I took during December! I'm not going to lie, it felt fantastic. I let myself fully be in the moment during the holidays, and it was soooo relaxing. I got together with tons of my real-life friends, entertained at home, met new people, made some cool gifts for Christmas (I'll try to share some of those here) and I really must admit ate a large amount of cheese. But I also focused intensely on doing more yoga/exercise and Mr. S. & I even got into the practice of meditating a bit, which was yummy. Overall, December was stellar.

But now holiday time is over, and just like every year here on Sarcomical, it's time for the Anti-Resolutions List!

What?? Huh?!? What is that, you say? Well, the Anti-Resolutions are things I can confidently say I will be able to NOT do throughout the next year, and feel really glad at the end that I successfully accomplished. (Oh, don't worry, I have a private list of POSITIVE goals. So we're not all cynical here, you see my dears?) The list for 2011 is below, but first, here is what I absolutely did not do in 2010, and am rather proud of, to be honest:

(Last year's list) My Anti-Resolutions for 2010:

1. Gain 12 pounds in one meal.
2. Get rid of my cell phone and communicate solely via telegram.
3. Ship myself to the White House in a crate full of hope.
4. Single-handedly resurrect the Dorothy Hamill haircut.
5. Become a roadie for a traveling production of Jersey Shore: The Musical.
6. Bring a pie to the gym once a week and eat it on the recumbent bicycle.
7. Take up professional Etch-a-Sketching.
8. Write iCarly fan fiction.
9. Design a bra made out of safety pins.
10. Slowly and subversively train my husband to bring me a cheese platter every time the neighbor's dog barks.
11. Become President of a local Jon Gosselin fan club.
12. Build a fire pit in the bathroom.
13. Throw a botox party.
14. Write a play about the perils of toe socks.
15. Create a candle that smells like rotisserie chicken.

..AND NOW, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

My Anti-Resolutions for 2011 (These Things I Shall Not Do):

1. Champion the local Palin 2012 campaign. (God, that one hurt to type.)
2. Bring vodka to a baby shower.
3. Institute Masquerade Taco Night Dance-Off Thursdays here at the SarcomiHaus.
   
4. Train heavily for roller disco.
5. Sign my dogs up on Match.com.
   
6. Set the Guinness World Record for longest pinky toenail.
7. Drink a deep-dish pizza smoothie every  night.
   
8. Learn to type on an upside-down keyboard.
9. Invent a toilet paper made from cashmere.
   
10. Fully embrace the philosophies of Glenn Beck.
11. Knit a face mask.
    
12. Build a panic room out of cereal.
13. Deface a national monument with puffy stickers.
    
14. Wear a bustle during runs.
    
15. Endorse fur.
    

TRY THIS: (low-calorie, low-carb and soooo good!) Southern "Fried" Chicken Fingers with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I tried this recipe out a little while ago as another experiment in the search for good and balanced food that works for my needs as someone who is trying to eat more organic & vegetable-oriented, and for Mr. S.'s needs as someone who is working hard to negate diabetes and maintain optimal health. This ended up mostly a success, since we both LOVED the chicken fingers (they really were fantastic), though Mr. S. politely smiled through the sweet potatoes (to be fair, he isn't a huge fan of them in general). I liked them better reheated the second day with more salt & pepper and thought they were pretty good. We are DEFINITELY going to do chicken that way again.

Here, if you're interested, is the recipe for you to try and some of my prep photos:

•   1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, cute into 1/2" chunks
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 5 Tbsp ground flaxseed (I used Hodgson Mills whole ground golden flaxseed meal, which I'm thinking may have been a tad too fine, though it tasted amazing)
• 1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg white (I used Better 'n Eggs)
• 1 Tbsp water
• 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders (I used Just Bare chicken, a cage-free, vegetarian-fed, hormone-free brand at Target)
• 1 Tbsp white whole wheat flour (I substituted some regular whole wheat flour I already had)
• 1 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp hot-pepper sauce
• 2 scallions, sliced (I did not use these, as Mr. S. would have run away if I had) 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Coat with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes and garlic in 8" round or square microwaveable baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving small vent. Microwave on high (not my favorite way of cooking vegetables but hey), tossing mixture occasionally without removing plastic, 10 minutes or until very soft. (Continue below while they cook.) Remove and set aside, covered.

2. Combine flaxseed, poultry seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt on large sheet of waxed paper. Mix with fingers. (Yes, this really is the best way!) Beat egg white and water with fork in shallow bowl.

  3. Lay tenders in single layer on flat surface. Place flour in small, fine sieve and sprinkle evenly and lightly on both sides of tenders. Dip each tender into egg white mixture, shaking off excess. Dip into flaxseed mixture to coat evenly. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press any remaining flaxseed mixture evenly on top of chicken. (I didn't have any extra.) Drizzle evenly with oil. Bake 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. (I had to add more time to this, because we wanted them somewhat crispy like the photo in the cook book, but they didn't even brown that much. I also broiled them for a few minutes at the end to get them to the desired crunch level.)

 

  

4. Remove plastic from potatoes. Add dry milk, nutmeg, hot-pepper sauce, and remaining salt. Smash potatoes with potato masher to reach desired smoothness. For softer mash, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water. (I wish I had done that!) Sprinkle chicken and potatoes with scallions.

     
Servings: 4 / Per Serving: 319 cal, 26 g protein, 37 g carb, 8 g fiber, 8 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 452 mg sodium

haze

“Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.” -Carolyn Gold Heilbrun

One-Word Sarcomical Sunday 20: Short, Sweet & Seasonal Edition

*If you're new here, this is how to play:

• After reading my answers, copy and paste the list into your comment.
• Change my one-word responses with yours (that's right - ONE word only).
• Submit your comment and eat some cheese. Post your answers on your own blog, too if you feel so inclined. Now send me some of that cheese.

1. Your holiday decor:  Minimalist
2. The weather where you live this time of year:  Sporadic
3. Your favorite smell of the season:  Spice
4. Your favorite beverage of the season:  Latte
5. Something you wish you could avoid during the holidays:  Germs
6. What you typically bring to the potluck:  Rice
7. What you wish people would stop bringing to the potluck:  Eggs
8. A word to describe how you feel about the word 'potluck':  Icky
9. What is on your feet right now:  Boots
10. How many layers you are wearing right now:  Two
11. Where in the world you would rather be right now:  Manhattan
12. Something that makes you feel invigorated this time of year:  Creativity
13. Something that makes you feel challenged this time of year:  Dreariness
14. A cold weather comfort food you crave:  Soups
15. Something you wish you were doing right now:  Yoga
16. Something you SHOULD be doing right now:  Planning
17. Your opinion of snow:  Overrated
18. Your opinion of those big furry-looking hats with earflaps:  Cute?
19. A tradition you'll be sure to keep this season:  Films
20. A tradition you'd like to start this season:  Donating

mild obsession. ...it's a mild obsession.

I am in love love love with these arm warmers & mittens from the Etsy shops of ZenandCoffee, annawoz, formydarling, Jon Loz Design, heiditheartist, inkyspider and LoveandKint. See? Drool? Want? I'll bet there are at least one or two here that you'll fall in WANT with.

Click the pics to go to the product pages.

OWLZZZZZ!

pink. spiral. snakes. (!!!)

simple * sweet * super versatile

muted. mellow. magnificent.

oh you have got to be kidding me...eeeeeeeep the cuteness.

oh so wintry!

deliciously mossy!

Olive & Peppermint? SCRUMPTIOUS. Who knew?

Thin but Thoroughly Yummy

my favorite shade of blue...

Perfect for seriously chilly days...these can not go wrong.
I

love I love I love I love!

I have absolutely no place to wear these that I am aware of, but am DYING over the Victorian-ness of it all.

bright AND cheery AND fluffy. :)

Vintage Sarcomical, four years ago today: Conversation

(This was a post from the original Sarcomical blog, from November 26, 2006. Kind of funny to look back, isn't it?)

My tea is talking to me.

I think my tea knows about my tendency toward being anxious.

My tea must be reading my mind.

I don't know if I can drink something that is reading my mind.

That creeps me out.

Thanksgiving at the mother-in-law's so far...

Number of bars of service on both of our cell phones: 0

Pounds of turkey prepared: 18

Number of inappropriate dinner conversations: 4

Number of "disagreements" about Sarah Palin: 2

Varieties of potatoes: 4

Number of times Grandma Bonnie has asked me where we live: 9

Number of times Grandma Bonnie has asked Mr. Sarcomical if I'm his first wife: 2

Varieties of stuffing: 2

Number of Christmas trees in this house: 8

Number of dogs in this house: 7

Number of canine scuffles resulting in broken skin: 1

Number of times I've had to turn down pistachio pudding: 5

Approximate number of hours I have spent in my cozy, cozy sweats: 10

Half-Week Haiku 52: Thanksgiving 2010 Edition

turkey day they say
i don't like that phrase so much
why not gain five day

Can you haiku? Feel free to throw down your most creative 5-7-5 about Thanksgiving, my dears.

oh, purrrrfect.

Ombré. ...Hombre?

Today I went to the salon and for the first time in a long time let someone else change my hair color. When I called Mr. S. from the car afterward and told him what I ended up asking for was an ombré look (dark at the roots, gradually lighter toward the ends), he laughed. When I got home, he laughed again. I mean, he oohed and ahhed and said he liked it, but then he laughed some more. But...I already knew why.

"Heh heh...you know what I'm thinking, don't you?" he asked.

"Unfortunately I do. JOEY."

You see, he was thinking of the Friends episode where Joey worked as a department store men's cologne sprayer, and got into a rivalry with "the Hombre Man", a guy who walked around in cowboy garb spraying Hombre cologne on passers-by, saying "Hombre" in a Clint Eastwood sort of way. So that is what he will be thinking every time he sees my hair for a while.

 

 

 

I kind of love that about him.

ALAS!

me:  either my water pillow is leaking or someone peed on the bed.
him:  what?!?
me:  look! ...that's not pee, right? does it smell like pee?
him:  uhhhh... ...no? wait, do you think ricky might have peed on the bed?
me:  not unless he peed under my pillow in a perfect circle. [sad frown face] water pillow has died.

(p.s. yes, water pillow. do not judge. i got it from a chiropractor supply place. it makes my neck feel happy. i have had it for 4 years. BUT ALAS!)

Flickr Eye Candy

Here are a few of my most recent Flickr favorites. Enjoy and give love to the photographers...

1. _DSC0055, 2. Untitled, 3. Daniel and Susanne, 4. quadtych, 5. La réalité est lente, changé de direction, 6. Tattoo Pioeuvre

 

1. City Lights from Window, 2. A stranger Trois-Rivières, 3. Masked Face, 4. Hezekiah Jones Promo Shoot, 5. Liz, 6. candace

 

1. day three hundred thirty nine. from the bottom of my sole(s)., 2. Circus Freaks, 3. Silver Screen, 4. Candace, 5. Desi, 6. Michael Spear & Jonathan Stark

1. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ce28nn/3573507166/in/faves-sarcomical/">_DSC0055</a>, 2. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/unfulanoasturiano/3576232214/in/faves-sarcomical/">Untitled</a>, 3. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlg/3682842006/in/faves-sarcomical/">Daniel and Susanne</a>, 4. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/talkingheadphotography/3798958269/in/faves-sarcomical/">quadtych</a>, 5. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/benoitpaille/3746590483/in/faves-sarcomical/">La réalité est lente, changé de direction</a>, 6. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/benoitpaille/3546029822/in/faves-sarcomical/">Tattoo Pioeuvre</a>

Sarcomical Some Things Friday #75: Coffee, Lips & Sharks

Some Things I Love:

1. Sniffing bags of coffee
2. Handwritten mail
3. A really soft fake leather bag
4. Being the first to crack open a magazine
5. People who let you in on the highway

Some Things I Hate:

1. Chopping onions
2. Being talked down to by someone who thinks they're always right
3. Chapped lips
4. Ponytail elastics with the no-slip rubber bands inside that basically rip your hair out - PAINFULLY
5. Feeling incredibly unorganized

Some Things I Just Don't Get:

1. Sister Wives
2. How the cat manages to slither under the entertainment center
3. Shark Week
4. Why "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was on television tonight
5. Bieber fans

1. Being the first to crack open a magazine

10 reasons I am not ready for Thanksgiving to be a week away:

1. I sometimes still think it's September.
2. I know THE INFLATABLES are due to appear on neighbors' lawns shortly after, and I'm not mentally prepared for giant ugly plastic snowglobes and Spongebobs and snowmen.
3. I had a fantasy about being in much better shape by Thanksgiving. pbbbbtt.
4. FIVE HOUR DRIVE TO IN-LAWS' WITH THREE DOGS IN THE CAR.
5. I'm still waiting to do that Fall picnic on the museum grounds.
6. I'm not ready for t-shirt weather to be over in the midwest.
7. I didn''t set the DVR for the Macy's Parade yet.
8. I'm going to the stylist to have someone else color my hair for the first time in over a year next Monday, and that only gives me 3 days for emergency recon if necessary.
9. I don't think I've soaked up enough Autumn to carry me through dreary Winter.
10. FIVE HOUR DRIVE BACK FROM IN-LAWS' WITH THREE DOGS AND LEFTOVERS AND LIKELY SOME RANDOM ITEM FROM MOTHER-IN-LAW'S CLOSET SHE DOES NOT WANT BUT DECIDED TO GIVE US THAT WE DO NOT ACTUALLY WANT IN THE CAR.