I JUST CAN'T BE HAPPY TODAY

MILD THING

CAN'T CHEAT KARMA

LOVELY + SOFT

I made peace with Winter and have come to appreciate + even like it.  I really loved walking around in the snow the other night.

Critters:

Birds only:

SO FAR TO GO

GOSSIP FOLKS

LOVE AND HAPPINESS?

This past weekend, KMHD, Britt, and I went to Memphis for a much needed gal's trip.  A little bit of eatin', a little bit of day-drinkin', a little bit of hockey.  It was mostly fun, but there were a couple of alarming moments --  one being that Britt and I witnessed a woman being thrown into a wall down the hall at our hotel.

To be honest, after our trip, we three scattered to the wind and haven't really discussed it, but I wouldn't be surprised if KMHD and Britt felt similarly to me.  I feel a little off and weary.  To witness violence, well, it reminds you of some things; to be aware of your surroundings and to surround yourself with good people who love you.  Even when you do all of those things you need to expect, on some level, crazy shit to go down.  Stick together, call upon your wits and use common sense.  

Britt and I were on the opposite end of the hall, totally mean-muggin' the perp, calmly trying get into our room. The woman was screaming, so people were coming out of their rooms.  Perp ran off.  We tried calling the front desk multiple times, but the line was busy.  I assumed that we weren't the only ones trying to phone it in.  Thankfully, the situation was quickly handled after that.  You better believe we slept with a chair jammed under the door knob.  Before I settled into bed, I checked the peephole to make sure the hallway was clear and I saw the victim walk by, talking on her mobile.  She seemed alright, but it was hard to tell through the door.

The other distressing event was attending Al Green's Full Gospel Tabernacle for Sunday morning service.  To be honest, our intention was to simply enjoy the choir and the band.  I've been before and it was so sweet and uplifting.  Everything was going so well -- great, really -- until it got instantly bad.  Al went on this amazingly hateful tirade against LGBTs, calling them S-I-C-K, SICK to a very enthusiastic congregation.  They could barely contain their disgust, and frankly, neither could I.  All of a sudden, I felt so damn uncomfortable, unwelcome, and a little bit unsafe.  I could feel my face getting so hot because this felt really fucking personal, like I was being poked right in the chest.  I did my best to remain cool and calm for the sake of my companions.  Sanctuary, my ass.  What a dump! He condemned all other churches for their tolerance of LBGTs because it came down to them just wanting to fill their coffers with money.  So much shit talking!  Eventually, I stopped listening.  I tuned out.  Understandably, visibly pissed off people were leaving en masse to which Mr. Green replied, "I don't care, LEAVE!"  Unfortunately, the gals and I were situated pretty much front and center, and we were in no position to slyly slip out of there.  So, we waited it out and then booked it out of there.  All we could say to each other as we sped away in the car was "I love you."  I so wish that the issue of sexuality wasn't even a thing, but here we are.  Some folks are obsessed about it and they're so loud, obnoxious & cruel.  I try to put as much distance between me and them as possible.  We quit Al Green cold turkey that day.  SIGH

Some days, I really just want to say to old-ass fartknockers to cut the shit.  Seriously, cut it out, you're harshing my mellow!

Despite all of that, we still managed to have a good time.  Because of who we are, we looked to each other and came out of it a little more...cognizant.

Packed:

Day-drinkin' (or "daysted", per KMHD) @ the Peabody:

Going to the game with these two is one of my favorite things:  

Shootout clincher:

The quiet before the shit storm:

Full stop on I-40 W:

As far as food goes, standouts include:

The gouda mac and cheese at South of Beale is worth popping in for.  I thought the rest of our food was just alright.

A Tan serves a killer lo mein made with ramen noodles.  I shamelessly ate my entire entree.  And I'd do it again and again and again and again.

We were really sorry to discover that our favorite restaurant to get pho was shuttered.  It looks like our search for favorite Memphis pho is ON.

MUSTARD GREENS

This past week, I made two dishes with mustard greens.  I've never cooked them before and now I'm a super big fan!

The first dish, spicy pork and mustard green soup (sans rice noodles), became an instant classic around here.  ATM deemed it his new favorite.  The greens turn a beautiful, silky, dark emerald green and the flavors are so complimentary, savory, and fresh.

Last night, I made sauteed mustard greens.  It was, in my opinion, the best thing on my plate!  Here's the recipe:

1 lb. mustard greens, washed and cut into strips

2 T olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

S + P, to taste

*Up to 1/4 c heavy cream (You could use broth, but trust me on this one. I learned this from Chef Bell)

1 T ground mustard (I used Creole mustard as that's what I had on hand)

Heat oil in a large pan with sides.  Add garlic, but don't let it burn.  Maybe 30 seconds?  You don't need bitter, burnt garlic bits.  If that happens, just...start over.  Turn down that heat to medium high.  And keep an eye on it this time! Add the greens (they'll smallen) and S + P to taste.  When they wilt, add and mix in the cream.  When you feel it's cooked through, stir in the ground mustard.  Voila!  Best thing on your plate.

*to veganize, sub cream for veg broth