April 19, 2003

Doo Be Doo Be Doo

This is what I do when I'm bored. I write nonsensical entries about nuthin' much of nuthin'.

It's 9:00 on a Saturday (the regular crowd shuffles in...), Calvin's killing people and saving the world (translation: playing a video game), and we have to pick Marie up at the mall at 10:30. I'm listening to Launch, having just perused my regular journal and 'blog "reads". Then I saw Sarah's Lemon Meringue Yellow hallway and recalled that we did a little home improvement project of our own this weekend:

Damn. I feel so growed up, putting curtains in my bedroom. But it really does add character to the room. Now, if I can convince Calvin to paint the bedroom the same color as Sarah's hallway, I'll consider myself successful.

And while I had the camera out...

You guys haven't had a gratuitous Oz photo lately. Here he's nice and calm, submitting to my shutter-buggedness. Then...

Nervous Kitty, followed by...

Departing Kitty, retreating to the other side of the bed as I toppled over, trying to keep him in my lenses. Hence, this result.

Calvin, bitching because a) I took his picture; and 2) I distracted him from his game.

Calm dogs, expecting to be let in to get fed, followed moments later by...

Psycho Dogs from Hell! "Aarrg, me hearties! I glare at you with my glass eye! Aarrg!"

Marie's Easter Basket. I break with traditional tooth rotting, now that she's older. Incense, bath stuff, nail polishes, make-up, a picture frame, candles, and yes, a little bit of candy.

We're having a very, very nice weekend. I worked from home on Thursday, and had Friday off. Originally it was in order to visit with Michael and Lilly, who were going to come home for Easter. Some stupidity on the part of someone in their company revoked leave for *everyone*, though, so their trip was cancelled.

We were pretty disappointed, and I guess they were even more so. We were looking for a good ol' fashioned family bonding weekend, but it wasn't to be. Ah, well, hopefully they'll get another chance soon. (Oh, hey, and Lilly? If you're reading, let me know if it's okay for me to post your pictures on the site. And then, send me some pictures! :)

Friday night Calvin, Marie and I went to see "Bulletproof Monk", which was juvenile and silly, but entertaining enough if you weren't looking for believability. Then we relaxed for a happy hour at Kona Grill, where I satisfied my craving for edemame and even got Marie to like 'em. I had my first Mai Tai ever, and now realize that I'll be far from miserable when I'm surrounded by all the free Mai Tai's in Hawaii. Mmmmm... Ruuuum...

Our activities arrangements are all reserved and confirmed and whatnot. I spoke with Marie's best friend's mom and extended the invitation for Marie's friend to come with us to Hawaii. That's pending while she figures out if the cost is swing-able. I cautioned Marie not to get too excited about her friend coming, yet, but that didn't stop the shrieks at the "mere possibility!". Marie will have a lot more fun if she can bring a friend along, so Calvin and I are hoping that things work out.

Tomorrow's plans include brunch and a visit to the Butterfly Pavilion at the Desert Botanical Garden. Dinner will be the tried-and-true roast recipe... which I just realized I've never written up and posted. Hey, now!

Laura's Soon To Be World-Famous Roast

One sirloin tip roast (or other roast of your preference)
2 beef bullion cubes dissolved in 2 cups water, or two cups regular beef broth
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
1 TBSP paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sweet yellow onion, in chunks

For gravy:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup corn starch

Rub top, bottom, and sides of roast with crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour broth into crock pot, place onion chunks in bottom of crock pot. Place seasoned roast into crock pot on top of onions. Sprinkle top of roast with Worcestershire. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours (that seems to be the perfect amount of time for a really moist roast).

If you're making potatoes to go with the roast, you can peel and quarter them and add them into the crock pot with the onions (add about a half-cup to a cup more broth). My family doesn't happen to like the taste when the potatoes cook with the meat, so I leave them out. The roast is also good served over rice.

Gravy

After removing the roast and onions (and potatoes or other veggies, if you added them) from the crock pot, pour the broth into a large sauce pan. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Meanwhile, combine milk and corn starch until smooth. Gradually add mixture to boiling broth, stirring constantly. Broth will thicken into gravy very quickly.

There you have it! Now, it's almost 10:00 and I need to go peel Calvin away from his video game. Have a happy Easter, all of you who celebrate it!!! Otherwise, happy Sunday to you!

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©Laura Charon 2000 - 2003.