The Puppet Home Channel

Subject says it all. HOUSE!

Anyone up to a quilt block swap?

No set pattern or number. 12.5 inch blocks. You send me however many and I send you however many back. Hand sewn, machine sewn, drawn on fabric with paint and markers, screen printed, mixed media, ect all welcome. (Yes yampower you can bedazzel the hell out of them). You don't need to sew much or at all! However the base must be fabric with at least a quarter inch space all around so things can theoretically be sewn together. This will be a great opportunity to make a discussion piece d'art for your home.

Lemme know if you are down with this.

BTW this post is unfiltered, which you know is rare for me, so link away and lets get a lot of people in on this.

If you need ideas go to

www.quilterscache.com
www.dharmatrading.com
www.michaels.com (painting and papermaking give good fabric ideas)
www.joann.com (click on the projects tab)

I have beer! Home made beer! Hurray!

Nothing really all that interesting going on right now to be honest.

I was at the doctor's this morning and for the first time got the "lose weight" lecture. I've not been getting to the gym nearly as often lately and my diet seems to consist of "avoid soda and fried food" which is not necessarily the healthiest way to do things. I resisted the urge to tell the doctor that I could quite easily throw her over my shoulder and walk down the many flights of stairs. So yeah. I do have to lose some weight. Just a bit sad to hear it from the doctor for the first time you know? Also kind of odd when you consider that it seemed every orderly was checking me out at the office...maybe they were all thinking "omg fatty!" but I doubt it. Having 2 boyfriends and a girlfriend does not leave me with the normal motivation of being lonely, feeling fat and ugly that drives a lot of people to both hagendas or the gym.

On a completely different note, I can now change my own brakes! Yay! The only completely sucky part about changing the brakes was getting the bolts for the calipers loosened. Reverse threaded, alan key, had to hit it with a hammer to start it pains in the asses. The first brake took forever and a run to Home Depot to get a rachet set for hex and a rubber mallet. The second one I had done in a jiffy because I knew from the last one.

And now off to garden before it gets too hot and work on some photoshop homework.

Bike fairings, 50$. Nothing wrong with them, the guy just needs to make room for his next project.

1) Apparently a sushi roll is not enough food for me to take my pill on.
2) When my stomach is churning nothing can keep it from doing so.
3) As soon as I let my body eject my stomach contents I can sit down all cheery and eat a gourmet dinner, as well as finish Wes'
4) That was probably more info than you wanted about my digestive system and hormones.
5) I have no clue why I made this a list.
6) Really, no clue.
7) I blame the twittering on my friends page.
8) Seriously people WTF?

This is amusing me a bit right now. It isn't the most accurate thing out there but 2 Buddhist faiths and Taoism in the top 10 isn't far off. NO I AM NOT A SCIENTOLOGIST. YES YOU CAN HAVE A FREE MOVIE TICKET! *smacks self on head to reboot*

1.  Unitarian Universalism (100%) 2.  Theravada Buddhism (89%) 3.  Liberal Quakers (88%) 4.  Neo-Pagan (87%) 5.  Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (82%) 6.  New Age (82%) 7.  Mahayana Buddhism (81%) 8.  Taoism (81%) 9.  Secular Humanism (80%) 10.  Scientology (76%) 11.  Reform Judaism (75%) 12.  Sikhism (72%) 13.  New Thought (71%) 14.  Nontheist (64%) 15.  Jainism (62%) 16.  Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (60%) 17.  Hinduism (58%) 18.  Orthodox Quaker (54%) 19.  Orthodox Judaism (50%) 20.  Bahá'í Faith (48%) 21.  Islam (41%) 22.  Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (41%) 23.  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (39%) 24.  Seventh Day Adventist (33%) 25.  Eastern Orthodox (30%) 26.  Roman Catholic (30%) 27.  Jehovah's Witness (13%)

Also, I will be participating in a Chili Cook Off Saturday. It is beer week here in Philly and the chili must contain it. I'm thinking a honey based beer to offset the heat of the peppers and a rye beer for body...

ceaser's put in a peir in atlantic city last year. i've been meaning to get this video since last year and finally got it today. they do two shows, this is the day time version of it. i'll get the night version of it eventually.

this started out as being white flannel and a pile of black walnuts i picked up off the ground. i'm pretty happy with it :)

Flannel and Black Walnuts I felt like playing with fabric today

The Speech

     I had to give a speech at my graduation. I was valedictorian, it was a requirement. I had gone to

the graduation the year before and heard what that valedictorian had to say about his classmates.

He obviously liked his, and I hated mine. Getting in front of my classmates and telling the truth

about them, to their assembled parents, would not be a bright idea.

     I thought about my classmates and wrote down how they had treated me throughout our

thirteen years together. I recalled how in fourth grade they started calling me fat and ugly. By fifth

grade poor was added to the list. I remembered how I was never invited to the birthday parties and

sleepovers that everyone else went to. In eighth grade I was called dirty because I was a farmer's

daughter and by the ninth grade I was accused of sleeping with the baseball team. Which,

incidentally was also the soccer and basketball teams. Going over how they had treated me was not

giving me any ideas or a pleasing speech about my classmates.

     I switched tracks and started to think about how my classmates treated one another, thinking it

would be more productive. I listed how they would have parties at which someone was almost

always drugged to alleviate the boredom of the others. I wrote down how they would steal

everything from one another be it boyfriends, clothes or CDs. I tried to write about my classmates

relationships and stopped at “Brandon raped Casey when he was sixteen and she was fourteen”

because at that point they were engaged and she wore long sleeves to hide the bruises.

     I couldn't stand it. I could think of no glimmer, sliver, ounce, pinch or dollop of good in these

people that I had grown up amongst. So, I wrote my speech. It told the truth and included every

foul thing my classmates had ever done to each other and myself. The parents would be unhappy

with being forced to see the truth. The school probably wouldn't be too happy with me either.

     Graduation night came. My classmates and I were all lined up in our polyester gowns, caps

firmly in place. We walked down the aisle formed out of folding chairs occupied by proud parents.

A projector ran photos submitted by the parents of us growing up. We all sat and listened to the

speeches from local government officials and the school superintendent's reading of  The Places

You May Go, by Dr. Seuss. The salutatorian broke down in tears giving her speech and a few of

my classmates quietly jeered.

     Then my turn came. I stood up and futilely attempted to smooth my wrinkled gown. I looked at

the already bored assemblage in the hot gymnasium and noticed them turning off camcorders or

deciding to take a smoke break rather than listen to what I had to say. Approaching the podium I

deliberately tore up my speech in full view of the audience.

     “We are the Class of 2000,” I spoke clearly and firmly into the microphone. After a brief pause I

continued, “We are the Class of 2000 and We are the future. Our actions, hopes and dreams will

shape it. We are the Future, and I am not afraid.” The parents stood and clapped. They had heard

what they wanted to in my vague words. I had said what I wanted to say and honestly didn't care

anymore.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Note, I hate writing, but not nearly as much as my former classmates. As far as I know writing has never beaten anyone and the dirtiest it makes you feel is like you need to wash your hands afterwards and drown your shame in intoxicants.

wow.  i had almost forgotten what a godsend handheld shower heads are.  hurray for uber clean hair!

the semester is done! yay!

i've been cooking alot lately, also yay!

and for your perusal my latest batch of recipies

Jalepeno Hamburgers

1lb stew meat (best from an actual butcher because then its just bits and peices of lean trim from good cuts) or your prefered cut
2 cloves garlic
2 small jalepenos (serano chiles work as well)
pinch of salt

process in batches in a food processor until the meat is roughly chopped.  to me it kinda looks like a good pie crust coming together.
Divide into 4 patties and allow to rest 10 minutes then fry or grill until done.

Good thing about doing it this way is you have control over the condition of your grinding equipment's sanitation - this means that you can eat a medium rare hamburger if you want.  It also has a better mouth feel to me.

Garlic Basil Pizza Crust

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
Pinch salt
Flour (2 to 2 1/4) cups

Mix the yeast, water, sugar and a 1/4 cup flour together and let proof for about 10 minutes.  If it doesn't get a nice thick head of foam on it your yeast is old, start over.

While the yeast is proofing mince the garlic and the basil real fine.  Add to proofed yeast in a medium bowl along with salt.

Slowly add flour to the mixture taking care to incorporate each addition, stop when it starts to come away from the edges of the bowl.

This is a sticky dough so you want to use a well floured surface and floured hands to knead the dough about 10 minutes until it is good and smooth. Flour the dough ball well and place in a clean glass bowl, cover it and let it rise in a dark place for one and a half to two hours.

I use about 2/3rds of the dough ball to make a 12" pizza with a crust a bit thicker than a ny style pizza, the rest I cut into chunks and turned into garlic knots.  Cook at 400 degrees.  Texture should be light, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

is what today is.

While alot of people within my age group are going to be using it as an excuse to get absolutely schnookered I'm using it as an excuse to cook!

And what kind of stuff will I be making?  Not a traditional Irish, or even really Irish-American menu thats for sure.

Cranberry White Chocolate scones (for munching throughout the day and tommorrow)
Mashed Red Potatos
Baby Carrots
Beer Braised Corned beef
Fresh Baked Bread
Banana creme Angelfood Trifle

I  of course have guiness and bailey's on hand but  the idea here isn't going to be one of  "drink till you die!" but more of a  "mmmm good food and beer"

I also plan on spending part of the day quilting.  Hurray!

So...Whats on your menu?

Poll #929084 The most pressing question of our time!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

What sounds like a cooler drink?

seriously.  anyone who thinks they look good with a lump on their head is fantastically stupid.  the cone head ponytail.must.die.
also - chubby girls in sequins look horrid.  i'm chubby.  i can say this.
and high contrast abstract graphic print jackets should be abolished.

sadly i saw one person that was the culmination of all three annoying fashion trends. and for some reason i was gettting looks of "omg i can't believe she's wearing that?" from this eyesore when i'm in a ribbed turtleneck sweater, nice slacks, comfortable moccasins with black earings.  the whole outfit is black really.  its wonderful black is.  i love it. NINJAS love it.  PIRATES love it.  if ninjas and pirates can agree then i am a fashion diva in my color choices.

but yeah, sequined stomach chub looks like glittering cellulite. cone head ponytails show the world how tall you wish you were apparently and graphic print jackets draw attention to the whole eyesore.

cool sockings discovered. american apparel thigh high socks.

on me they are ladybits high socks cause i'm so short. they are stretchy enough go to round the thighs of doom. they are warm and survived a nap.

and they are only 15$ so comparable to our sock dreams site :)

dinner was delicious today. chris got gourmet cooking on my mind and i ended up giving in and doing some.

homeade bruscetta - 5 roma tomatos, 3 cloves garlic, 2 handfulls chopped basil, glug of olive oil, glug of balsamic vinager, salt and pepper to taste

roast butterflied boneless leg of lamb

hollindase sauce with tarragon

saffron risotto

vanilla cake with caramelised banana and whipped cream

wine was merlot, bread was a baguette and everything was good