2007 July

• Going to http://tinyurl.com/25tfb8 for Chris’ birthday dinner tonight… mmm delicious food there. Try it if you can! #
• Good Morning! 13 days to Gnomedex! #

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Chris, Happy birthday to you.

Love you Babe!

• @steverubel - au natural, baby! #
• Open sourcing New Energy is a wave we can’t afford to miss. http://tinyurl.com/2fo4a3 #
• @Jasoncalacanis Toro is so adorable! I still want a bulldog! This pic confirms it. #

Last night Chris and I had fun cooking live with his chatroom. Here’s a link to the video and a short list of the recipe in case you want to duplicate it. If people respond well we are going to start doing this show once a week! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did making and eating it!

(As many of you know Chris and I are opposites, which also translates to our taste in food! This is a pink combination sauce we both love, he says Alfredo I say Tomato we settle happily with Pink sauce a hybrid of the two!)

Pirillo Pink Penne

Ingredients:

1/2 lb precooked and seasoned ( salt pepper and butter) small penne

2 cups premade chunky veggie tomato red sauce*

2 cups of chopped shitake mushrooms

2 tsp capers (or more to taste)

2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream (slightly warmed - do not let it boil)

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method:

Have all items ready to dump in the pot as you’ll be cooking in a stir fry action. Use a wide base pot with high walls so when it splatters it doesn’t get all over your stove. :)

Olive oil and shitake in the pot and on med high until tender. Add in sauce and pasta (sauce will sizzle), pour on cream (must be warm or the fat will seperate), add capers and parsley will continuously tossing until well coated. Ready to eat!

* Homemade Chunky Red Sauce*

32oz can of pureed tomatoes

32 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 lg yellow pepper (bell)

1 lg green pepper (bell)

1 lg sweet onion (preferrably Vadalia or Maui)

6 cloves crushed garlic (or to your taste)

2 tbsp crushed Italian dried seasoning

2 tsp of Olive Oil

Secret Ingredient ( 1-2tsp of brown sugar) <– don’t skip this!

Dice all veggies. Sweat the onion in the olive oil until tender add garlic stir cook 1-2 minutes. Then add all ingredients and cook it on low until thick and delicious.  This is a main sauce that is usable in tons of recipes! Lowfat and low calorie but tastes full on flavor!

Note: If you want all day slow simmered taste but don’t have time to wait  add a can of tomato paste and it will act as a thickener and get your sauce thick and bubbly in half the time.

• Just got home from watching Harry Potter. I love Potter. :) #
• Good Morning! #

• Off to bubble bath city… ahhh #

Nigella Bites - homey food presented with an elegant flair that’s not fussy but sure looks like it. Today I saw her make a chili with a crunchy cinnamon cornbread cover. I ooohh’d and ahhhh’d at the easy but elegant recipe. And, any woman who isn’t afraid to say she uses paper napkins is a friend of mine.

Kylie Kwong: Simply Magic  this show is an in depth look at China and the cooking methods that millions eat from everyday.  Her first show Kylie Kwong cooking with heart and soul  is my favorite. Kylie tells stories when she cooks and on occasion brings different family members in to share her cooking methods and delicious dishes.  In one of my favorite shows her Mother comes on and they both cook mashed potatoes for her niece to judge whos are best. What a lovely family and lovely laid back cooking style.

Rob Rainford License to Grill - all his food is cooked on grills! Rob’s show is awesome because if it’s 100 degrees outside he makes you love it. If it’s 30 degrees outside you are wishing it was 100 and you can smell and feel summer. I swear I can smell the Hickory chips when he smokes brisket. MMMM…

Paula’s Home Cooking - This show plan reminds me of home and my Grandma’s cooking. I’m originally from NC, Paula brings the South back in my heart and fills up my tummy everytime I watch her. I also secretly love the accent, it just feels like home to listen to her talk- “Home made patata salad yaw, ain’t nuthin’ like it” - if I close my eyes I can see my Maw Maw saying those same words.

Thomas Hawk’s son Jackson reviews the iphone and SHOWS us just how easy and useful it can be. I have to admit I’m not thorough in any reviews where I join Chris in HIS office to talk about gadgets. I should do another in the style of Jackson. I’ve learned a thing or two from this kid and how to do reviews.

1.) Show the gadget up close.

2.) Enjoy showing off the gadget.

3.) Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, just do it.

Lessons to live by. A favorite part of the video is when he says buy “Google” over “Yahoo!”  Too cute Thomas, I hope to see more of Jackson and his reviews.

• Tylenol or Advil for a headache? #
• Dang it, I already took the Tylenol before asking, figures. #