Newly acquired art!

My pal Sergio did this:














He also writes stories & poetry.  He also has a Japan Club & he's asked me to join!  He will teach me how to count to 5 in Japanese and  we're going to write letters of support and raise money for those affected by the big tsunami in Japan.  

Fried green tomato po'boys

I've learned some new moves in the kitchen.


You'll need: 
A baguette (preferably from Boulevard, locals)
3 large or 4 medium green tomatoes (the best are at the produce market on McCain Blvd.)
1/2 c buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 c self-rising corn meal
1/2 c all-purpose flour (divided)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Lettuce, to dress sandwiches
Avocado
Frying oil


For remolaude sauce:
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 T Dijon mustard or any whole grain mustard
A few dashes of Louisiana or Crystal hot sauce 
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp horseradish
1/4 c sliced green onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced


Stir the above together & chill until ready to serve.



--------------------------------------------------------


Cut green tomatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices.



Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375 degrees over medium-high heat.

Whisk together egg and buttermilk. Combine cornmeal mix, salt, pepper, and 1/4 c of the flour in a shallow dish.  Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup of flour; dip in egg/buttermilk mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden.  Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt to taste.



Might as well...



Spread remolaud on both sides of toasted baguette, lay down a bed of lettuce, three piping hot slices of fried green tomato, avocado (we accidentally left our avocado at the grocery store), a few dashes of hot sauce & then TUCK IN!  Lotsa napkins...

Real quick...

I just finished a book about psychopaths.  It was both fascinating and frightening.  A drawback is that I walk around trying to figure out who in my vicinity is a complete psycho; I've only counted one thus far. You pretty much want to stay away from these people.  It's a quick read and I highly recommend it.  

We've made some progress around the house.  Put new summer plants into the bed & pots: sweet potato vine, geraniums,  petunias (which is a very odd choice for me as they aren't my type at all), and lavender.  We moved the sage out of the rosemary's way; need to wait a little bit longer for the basil seedlings to mature before we put them into the ground.  


ATM installed shades in the utility room, which is lovely because before the shades, anyone could see clearly into our home at night.  Frankly, it didn't stop me from being inappropriate at times --  you know, no pants wearing.


Having two jobs is pretty awful and there was one recent shift in particular where I seriously considered quitting, but finding another job would be more work.  I'm just going to stick it out until I've met my goal.  Or, most of it.  It's working with younger people where I struggle.  They are spastics & some are mean.  Also, they listen to terrible music and wear ugly shoes.   And managers.  What is their deal?  Don't ever become a manager, there's nothing noble about it.  I get along with them fine, but they don't really contribute anything.  They just boss people around and aren't helpful, which drives me nuts.  A common thing we all do is make rude gestures at them after they turn their backs to us or walk away.  You'd think that you could just report to work, do what you have to do and leave.  Alas, no.  Some people will front and you have to deal with it.  It's not all bad.  I love working the Tuesday night shift because I have cultivated friendships with that crew, but I NEVER get to work that shift.  I usually have to work with the assholes.  I think I'll just give myself a deadline.  Yeah, some time in September.  I miss my free time.


A planned trip to Memphis with my friends didn't work out, BUT IT DID!  I'll be going with KMHD & Brittany -- can't wait!  It's a dead weekend in Memphis, meaning that there aren't any shows, but I don't think we'll have a shortage of things to eat do.  


Am considering becoming a mentor.  My cousin in Seattle mentors TWENTY kids and she loves it.  She was bragging on one that very recently graduated high school.  She was beside herself when I told her I was merely thinking about doing it.  I'll definitely do some research on it.


I have new kitchen know-how to share.  Coming soonish!

Camping is in tents

I love camping, it's one of my things.  But, for whatever reason, I just wasn't into it when we went this past Thursday.  I went through the motions of setting up the tent, etc., but remained in a foul mood.  It took a long tent nap, some driving around the countryside, and dusk to fall for me to start enjoying myself.  It's so off-putting to not have fun at something that I love to do.  It worries me and makes me wonder things like, "Are you sad about something?"  I don't want to find myself in such a way again.  NO








Ouachita River:

Kilgores know how.

Collins + Lauren got hitched!  They had a seriously bangin' reception @ the Little Rock Country Club -- I got to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a good while, expats and otherwise.  Lots of free-flowing champagne and dancing, so you know I had the best time.  Too much fun, one might argue.  (Me, actually. The next day.)


ATM, Keiko:

ATM:

Collins, Natalie, Lauren, Hank:

Collins + Lauren:

By KMHD's

NWA

MaaaaaAAAAaaaaaay!

First of May, first of May...

TOP TEN

1.  Coming out on the sunny side of a weeks-long gloomy weather fest.  I had to keep reminding myself that you cannot have good weather without the bad, but, honestly, towards the end there.  Dreadful.

2.  Boulevard Bake House & Market on Main St.  I am officially a regular and Pearl takes extra good care of me.  So, delicious/quality food/drink and a nice friend.  And free wifi.  Little things.

3.  LR Cream ep.  Available here.

 LR Cream, track 2 by fear_ants

4.  ATM.  Again, little things, but they add up!  Changing bed sheets for when I get off work from job #2, DJing while I cook, taking me out to eat when I obvs feel blue, and just general "getting" me.

5.  Future May events include attending a lecture by HH Dalai Lama, CKIII's wedding, and Leigh's birthday!

6.  Tonight, I started a long cooking project, way too late on a Sunday evening.  It'll be 9:00 p.m. before we have our supper.  App: salt & malt vinegar kale chips, Entree/side: korroke drizzled with vegetable/fruit tonkatsu sauce & steamed broccoli with ginger-chili dipping sauce.  Yesss!

7.  Camping soon.  I desperately need this.  This world is crazy.  I need to spend time in the woods, inhale exorbitant amounts of campfire smoke, and sleep in a tent.  Possibly swing by my favorite green thumb and Hot Springs.

***I got interrupted by Pres. Obama's late-night address right about here.  All I gotta say about it is this:  People, don't be so disgusting.  No one won anything.  This world is crazy.***

8.  Izzy's vegetarian  tamales.  Those tamales are so good that we had to keep checking to make sure they were meat-free:

9.  Staying home to work on and putter around the house.

10.  First paycheck from second job.  Straight to the GOOD TIMES savings account.  Cheers.