March 10, 2010

Nothing to see here, move along!

Busy, busy day ahead. This morning in the shower I started stressing out about the time change coming up because I can't take losing an hour! No! I will not go quietly into the daylight savings!

I don't know why we still do this time change thing anyway. Why can't we have one time and keep it all year? I realize we have larger issues facing us as a planet and all, but I am very stuck on the weird time change rules. Everyone has a cause. Apparently this is mine.

I like this guy's cause:

Amen, brother!

Posted by laurie at 09:13 AM | Comments (53)

March 09, 2010

Truckin' like the do-dah man

Seen on the 101 today:

See that guy on the left?

Yep.

Posted by laurie at 09:47 AM | Comments (38)

March 08, 2010

I'll take a Jeremy Renner-George Clooney sandwich, please

On Sunday I watched the Oscars, including way too much of the seventeen hour pre-show. It's like tailgating for couch potatoes. I love watching the stars chitchat awkwardly on the red carpet and pose and try to say profound things even though most are already two sheets to the wind.

On Sunday I also made the alleged Kale Chips I have been hearing so much about and I can assure you, they won no awards. You can search online and find all kinds of variations on the recipe but it's basically kale, oil, seasonings and a hot oven.

I used Lacinto kale (also called black kale or Tuscan kale) because I prefer its flavor over curly kale. I am always and forever trying to sneak kale into my food to make me feel healthier and I like the Lacinto kale best. It's great mashed in with potatoes or in my favorite chickpea stew.

This is what kale looks like washed and patted dry:

Here it is with the big leafy stem removed and cut into pieces:

Below is a picture of it on the baking sheet. I used reader Rachel's tip and sprayed mine with olive oil rather than tossing in oil since I am not much of a drizzler, I tend to be a pourer (which works well on Brussels sprouts, but maybe not on leaf bits.)

And here they are at the end, cooked and crispy and seasoned with sea salt:

Awful. Really awful. But listen, you may find this is right up your alley. I think it's a tastebud issue, because this tasted just like toasted nori to me and I hate toasted nori. I can't stand the taste of nori, no matter how many times I try to like it. I took one bite of one of these kale chips and gagged. I took another bite to be sure, because I am a slow learner and I always like to give food a second chance, then I threw the rest of the cooked leaves away.

I still had a pile of uncooked kale left so I chopped it and added it to my everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pasta sauce that was simmering away on the stove. Every few weeks I make this sauce, you just start with a little garlic and some shallots and sautee them in olive oil. Then add in chopped tomatoes (I like cherry tomatoes best) and whatever else suits you. For this one I put in finely chopped zucchini and carrots, some cured black olives and some balsamic vinegar.

Then I added in kale and later basil:

You can see the steam coming off it! It's a good sauce. I serve it over corn pasta and add a little goat cheese and some pine nuts to the top. It's yummy and re-heats well for lunches.

I'm glad I tried the kale chips because I was curious about them and because it satisfies my goal of making new recipes this month but I won't be making that again. Yuck. I know a lot of people rave about them though, so you may find them just tasty as can be. I guess I prefer my kale sneaky and finely chopped into sauces or stews ... more of a supporting actor than the main event!

Posted by laurie at 09:16 AM | Comments (59)

March 05, 2010

You see the hood's been good to me ever since I was a lower-case G

The city of Los Angeles is gearing up for its Super Bowl ... Oscar night! We know this because Hollywood Boulevard is closed and so the traffic is ... oh, I was going to describe it, but instead here's a picture I took yesterday:

Yep. That's what traffic is like.

On Oscar Sunday I am making these alleged kale chips people have been telling me about... if you've made them and have a specific recipe you like, let me know! I'm skeptical at best that a pile of leaves can turn into anything worthy of the name "chip" but I am going to try it and hope to be very pleasantly surprised. Luckily I will have real chips on hand in case the leaf thing doesn't work out.

- - -

Last night's Idol eliminations were pretty much what I expected except I thought the red-haired gal would go before the pretty curly haired girl (who I thought was very gracious when she got booted). Does anyone watch the whole results show? It's like Chinese water torture to me! I just forward through to the kiss 'n cry parts and it's a total of about six minutes of TV viewing. I can't imagine having to sit through the whole thing. I love fast-forwarding ... sometimes I think I am dating my Tivo and it's the best relationship I have ever had.

- - -

Tortie action shot! So ready for the red carpet.

Posted by laurie at 08:08 AM | Comments (58)

March 04, 2010

Le kittycat vase

Posted by laurie at 09:56 AM | Comments (73)

March 03, 2010

Oh happy day, when the rain came and washed our smog away...

Apparently it rained last night. I went to bed early as I had to be up at the armpit of a.m. and I must have slept through it. When I was driving in this morning on the freeway the air was fresh and you could smell the blooming jasmine, it's incredible. I love March in Los Angeles.

This bumper sticker might be saying "Do not take pictures of my bumper!" but I don't know since I don't speak Hebrew:

Recently a reader asked how I am able to take pictures while driving a stick shift. This question implies that I am actually driving. Is idling along in neutral for hours a week considered driving? But I only take pictures when I'm at a standstill because I'm all about the safety dance... except when I see something so momentous or on fire that it MUST be captured on camera and even then I keep my eyes on the road and just generally aim the camera in the direction of the on-fire thing. Or the momentous thing, like this LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICE TALKING ON HIS HANDHELD CELLPHONE WHILE DRIVING:

It is against the law in California to talk on a handheld cell phone while driving and there he was, an officer of the LAW, tooling up the 101 just yammering away and laughing and having a good old time talking. I gestured at him, I waved out my window, pointing, making a big to-do and he didn't see me right next to him gesturing madly to please hang up and drive because he was just blind to the world, chitchatting away on his handheld phone.

I see people all the time obviously flouting the cellphone law (and the texting law) but of all the people to break the law you wouldn't think it would be those sworn to uphold it. Jeezfreaking Louise.

Wow, it was hard to get up on my high, high horse so early in the morning but somehow I managed.

Moving on.

Over the weekend I went to Chez Nous in Toluca Lake for a birthday breakfast for my friend Christine. Here she is smiling with the lovely Ellen Bloom:

We met up there with another friend, Liz, and had a fantastic lunch. Now as you know I am not someone who thinks a salad is a real meal. I never knew anyone who thought a salad was a meal until I moved to Los Angeles (also where I am from "salad" is usually describing potato salad, and it is accompanied by meat and something fried.) But the salad I ordered at Chez Nous was really great and was definitely a meal, mainly because it had a whole chicken on it and was the size of Rhode Island:

It was so much fun being a Lady Who Lunches for a day. Happy birthday Christine!

Posted by laurie at 08:27 AM | Comments (49)

March 02, 2010

Me & Rachael at the Knitter's Studio March 21 (Or: "Me and Julio down at the schoolyard...")

Why is it that my brain works song lyrics into every conversation, thought or idea and yet I myself cannot carry a tune in a bucket? I was singing "Happy Birthday" in a group recently and someone turned to me and said, "I am so glad you chose writing instead of singing!" Heh.

First, thanks for all the interesting and thought-provoking comments yesterday. I read each and every one and appreciated them all. You gave me a lot to think about and it is incredibly reassuring to know I am not the only one who gets flummoxed in conversations about weight. It's just so tricky a subject for me, and for so many folks.

Also I loved the people who pointed out there is so much more in the world to discuss that is far more interesting, exciting and scintillating that weight. Amen, people. Amen.

Like, for example, today being the day that my friend Rachael Herron's brand new book is finally available!

How to Knit a Love Song:
A Cypress Hollow Yarn

Rachael and I will be doing a little reading/talking/signing thing together at the lovely Knitter's Studio in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 2 p.m. The Knitter's Studio is located at: 8118 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles CA 90048. I'm going to bring my knitting and hope you will join us for a fun afternoon of knitting and chatting and book-reading.

Congrats, Rachael!!!

Posted by laurie at 07:43 AM | Comments (31)