goobers

skyward

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:09:38 -0700

clouds over kauffman

I've been looking upward for photographic inspiration recently. These are a few a my favorites.

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Vox Hunt: What I'm Reading

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:52:41 -0700

Show us the book you're reading right now.
Submitted by Strive2Be.

Everyone Worth Knowing

Lauren Weisberger

i loved the devil wears prada, and this one is good too

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QotW: My Commute

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:35:01 -0700

How do you travel to and from work - personal vehicle, bus, subway/train, pedal power? What does it cost you per week in gas or fares?
Submitted by Jan.

scoot

Unless its raining/snowing, or unless i have to transport a large load of groceries, i ride my scooter. I get 90+ mpg, and can travel almost anywhere (45mph or less). Its a ton of fun, plus I've found all sorts of backroads to travel as well.

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PePPers

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:01:17 -0700

peppers

I'm swimming in peppers, and have to do something with them!

This evening I made some hot sauce, an inspiration from www.PepperFool.com.

1 pound jalapeno or other hot pepper (i used serrano, plus two sweet peppers)
5 2" sprigs oregano -- remove stems
1 cup cilantro
1 large onion -- quartered
6 large garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon -- juiced (add lemon zest if desired)
1 cup water
2 cups white wine vinegar

Puree peppers, oregano, cilantro, onion and garlic in a food processor. Pour puree into pot, add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes*. Strain solids, cool liquid, and place in a sterilized jar.

*The hot sauce will be more of a liquid at this point. For a slightly thicker sauce, place strained liquid back into a pot and simmer for another 15 minutes to reduce the water. Cool and place in a sterilized jar.

-Save the solids in a food storage container and use for cooking. It will make a great addition to taco meat, chili, etc.

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dinner from the garden

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:44:52 -0700

peppers

Yesterday I picked my first batch of peppers from our garden. The small green ones are serrano chiles, the large ones are similar to banana peppers-- (my dad gave us the plants and can't remember the name of the pepper).

Since none of our 'maters are ready to make salsa, I had to come up with another use for these peppers. I did a quick scan of what we had in the pantry and garden, and came up with all the fixings for stuffed peppers.

10-14 sweet peppers
1 lb ground beef, browned & drained
1 cup corn
seasonings (as desired) garlic, oregano, cumin, cilantro
2-3 cups shredded cheese, half for stuffing
1 can enchilada sauce (homemade is better)
3 serrano chiles, if desired

Cut a slit down each pepper lengthwise, remove seeds and stem. Mix ground beef, corn, and seasonings. Add 1-2 chopped serrano chile to beef mixture to increase heat (remove seeds to lower heat).
Begin stuffing each pepper with a pinch of cheese, ground beef mix, and a spooful of enchilada sauce. Place in a glass baking dish that has a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce in the bottom. Once all peppers are stuffed, top the peppers with a few sprinkles of cheese. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the peppers and top liberally with cheese.
Bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Serve with rice as a side dish.

Stuffed peppers

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Vox Hunt: Happiness Is...

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:18:02 -0700

Show us something happy.
Submitted by L33tchica.

happy, dirty dogs playing in the marsh :-)

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worried

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:33:41 -0700

I might be losing my job. I've been on FMLA for migraines, but now its run out. In order to go back to work, I have to have a doctor's release approving me to return. Well, my doctor won't write it because nothing has improved with my condition, and he is afraid i will just get sick again.

My next option was to apply for a leave of absence from work until i get better and can return. I filled out this paperwork and had my husband drop it off on Wednesday. I woke this morning to a certified letter denying my request for leave. I was told I am required to return to work on Monday-- but without the doctor's note, I'm still not allowed to work. The director of my department has put me in a tough spot. I don't want to quit my job- i need the insurance; plus if i'm going to quit, I want it to be on my terms, not because I'm forced out.

I have an appointment with HR on monday morning, so we'll see how this goes. I'm really at a loss of what to do now.

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easy eggplant

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:53:53 -0700

i had an eggplant in the fridge that i needed to use ASAP. I found this easy recipe and it turned out amazing.

1	medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
	Cooking spray
1/3	cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4	cup bread crumbs (any flavor)
2	teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1	cup spaghetti sauce
1 1/2	cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

1.	Set oven control to broil. Generously spray both sides of each eggplant slice with cooking spray. Place on rack in broiler pan. Broil with tops 4 to 5 inches from heat about 10 minutes, turning once, until tender.
2.	While eggplant is broiling, mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; toss with oil.
3.	Heat spaghetti sauce in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
4.	Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over eggplant slices. Spoon bread crumb mixture over cheese. Broil about 1 minute or until cheese is melted and crumbs are brown. Top eggplant with spaghetti sauce and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

I served this with spaghetti on the side, and we ate all of it. The eggplant had great flavor, and the breading was so easy to do, that i thought i should share!

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diet food recipe

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:33:17 -0700

Since I've been on this diet, I've had to get creative with my meals so I don't get bored (and start to eat bad things). This diet is low fat, and i just have to keep an eye on my caloric intake.

My favorite lunch so far is tostadas. The secret is to use soft corn tortillas instead of pre-fried tostada shells, and then prepare them at home:

4- soft corn tortillas
splash lime juice (optional)
salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place 4 corn tortillas on a baking sheet, sprinkle with lime juice and salt to add flavor. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy.

To prepare the tostadas:

4- prepared corn tortillas (fresh from the oven)
1/2 cup fat-free refried beans
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, monteray jack)
Optional toppings:
salsa
fat-free sour cream
shredded lettuce

Leave oven at 275 degrees. Spread an even layer of refried beans on each tortilla. Sprinkle chopped jalapeno pieces (if desired) ontop the beans, and cover with shredded cheese. Place the tostadas back in the oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Top each tostada with salsa, fat-free sour cream, and shredded lettuce.

Since the tortillas are baked and not fried, they have no additional fat. The majority of the fat comes from the cheese, so use sparingly.

I would've taken a photo of this, but each time I make them they smell so good I eat them right away!

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i can do it (i think i can, i think i can)

nobody@vox.com(goobers18) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:52:04 -0700

[365] day 001

I have been inspired by Sarajea and her 365 day project on Flickr, so I decided to start my own 365 day project today. It only has the one photo so far (today's, duh), but if i stick with it, i think it will be pretty cool.

My 365

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