Olive You

The countdown until I move to Arkansas has begun.  In 2 weeks I'll be boxing, packing, taping, sweating, hauling, and cussing my way over the Mississippi River to Small Town, Arkansas.  This will be my fifth move in two years, so I'm hoping to stay in one place for awhile this time.

Since I'll be leaving Memphis, I've put together a list of "Memphis" things I want to do before moving.  Seeing a show at the Orpheum was close to the top.  Lucky for me, Rock of Ages was here last weekend.  Holt and I had a fantastic dinner at McEwens on Monroe, popped in for a cocktail at our favorite downtown haunt, and strolled down Main Street to arrive at the theater by showtime.

Date night on the town.

I was a little nervous Holt wouldn't find the show as entertaining as I would because like a friend put it, "he doesn't seem like the theater type."  My hesitations were forgotten as the lights came on for intermission and he turned to me and asked, quite honestly, if we could come back tomorrow night.  We laughed out loud, sang along, and danced in our seats (okay, I danced in my seat). With a great, big check on my Memphis to-do list, I spent the rest of the weekend preparing for the big move. Part of this process is consolidating and reducing accumulations from the past year spent in the commune.

I realized I have a big bag of bread flour in the pantry that needs to be used up.  As promised in a previous post, I made olive bread, aka best bread ever.

 

Olive Bread 
from Jim Lahey's My Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

3 cups Bread Flour

1 ½ cups pitted, drained, roughly chopped Kalamata olives

¾ teaspoon active dry yeast

1 ½ cups cool water

My fancy scale that all the serious bread bakers insist on using.

In a large bowl mix flour, yeast, and olives together.

I didn't have quite enough Kalamata olives so I threw in some
garlic-stuffed and jalapeno-marinated.  Yum!

Add your cool water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until combined.  You should have a moist ball of dough with a lot of olives in it.  The dough will expand and the amount of olives will be perfect.  Cover your dough and let sit at room temperature for at least 12, but preferably 18 hours.

The dough will have expanded quite a bit and be bubbly. 

Sprinkle a tea towel liberally with flour and corn meal, or just flour if you don’t have corn meal. 

Scrape your dough out onto a floured work surface.  Mold it into a ball with floured hands to avoid sticking. 

Turn your ball of dough onto your floured towel, seam side down.

Cover the loaf and let it rise another two hours.  Thirty minutes before the end of this rise, preheat your oven to 475 with your cast iron pot inside the oven. 

After 2 hours, poke the bread gently.  If the impression holds, the second rise is complete.  If the dough springs back, let it rise another 15 minutes. Use pot holders to remove the cast iron pot from the oven.  Carefully roll the dough into the pot so the seam side is up. 

Cook bread at 475 with the lid on for 1.5 hours.  Take the lid off the pot and cook another 30 minutes.

I haven't mastered the art of making a "pretty" loaf yet, but
it tastes divine!

When the crust is chestnut brown carefully place the bread on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing (about an hour).

Slice and enjoy.  This bread is perfect by itself, as a sandwich, or dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Fried Wild Turkey

Did you know that the water bear, or tardigrade, is the first known animal to survive in space? Or that they are the most complex of extremophiles, withstanding temperatures from almost absolute zero (-459 F) to 304 F? They can live through solar, gamma, and ionic radiation at a strength that would kill a human, survive unimaginable pressure, and go without food or water for almost a decade. The largest of these extraordinary creatures reaches only 1.5 mm long and can be found on common mosses and lichens.  

Filling my brain with these exciting and awe-inspiring facts about the natural world around us is what I've been doing for the past few weeks. I haven't been doing a lot of cooking or blogging because I've been spending most of my free time studying for the Praxis II Biology Content test. Which looks less like the adorable water bear above and more like this...

But I love studying a subject matter that I'm interested in, and I've met few people that are as captivated by biology as I am. I've spent all this time studying to get certified to teach high school biology. This has long been a career choice in the back of my mind, and looking back, I think I've been preparing for it for a long time. My bedroom pretty much looks like a science classroom. Some of my most prized possessions are my Ernst Haeckel Siphonophorae print, preserved butterflies and sunset moth, framed antique Periodic Table of the Elements, geode, fossilized trilobite, and butterfly identification poster. Anyway, what this potential career change means for me is a lot studying, testing, applications, and interviews, which translates to LONG to-do lists. One of my Monday morning rituals is making my to-do list for the rest of the week.  Here's a glimpse of the last 3 week's lists...

Throw in the weekend trip to Natchez, a trip home to Auburn, and a weekend of dog sitting, and I've been a busy bee.

The three precious dogs I was taking care of didn't really appreciate
all the time I was spending with my study books instead of them.

Luckily, I've had a lot of support from friends and family.  My mom always knows just what to say.  I thought the card she sent me in the mail summed up how the last few weeks have gone:

With two tests down and two more to go, I took a weekend off from studying and relaxed for my first weekend at home in a month. Holt has been cleaning out the game freezer and brought over venison, duck, and wild turkey. Friday we made venison burgers and Saturday we cooked the turkey. I've never eaten wild turkey so I was skeptical, but this was the best wild game I've ever eaten. No gaminess, no masking natural flavors, just pure, unadulterated wild bird (dipped in batter and fried, of course). I was shocked at how good this was. Turkeys are big birds and we had plenty to share with my roommates, all of whom were impressed as well. We cut the breast into strips, dipped in egg wash, batter, then fried and they looked like chicken fingers but tasted better. Trust me on this one.  

Better yet, wake up way before the sun, put on you warm camo, and chase one of these illusive and intelligent creatures around the forest all morning.

Chicken Fried Wild Turkey

1 turkey breast, deboned and cut into strips across the grain

1 16oz bottle of Italian dressing

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

Dash of Worcestershire sauce 

2 eggs beaten

2 cups buttermilk

Salt as needed

2 cups flour

Peanut or vegetable oil as needed

Marinate turkey strips in Italian dressing, lemon pepper, and Worcestershire for 8 hours or overnight.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs into buttermilk

In a second bowl, mix salt, pepper, and flour.

Dip turkey strips in egg wash, then batter

Deep fry in oil until golden brown

Drain on paper towels.

Dunleith Historic Inn

Snowflakes were falling as we loaded up the truck and headed south.  Holt and I were embarking on another weekend adventure.  On this occasion we were going back in time.  Well, that’s what it felt like, anyway.  Five hours and a Lee Child book-on-tape later, we were arriving at Dunleith Historic Inn in Natchez, Mississippi. 

                                                                     

The majestic home was built in 1856 and sits on 40 immaculate acres.  Also on the property are an original 1790’s carriage house, dairy barn, poultry house, greenhouse and a three-story brick dependency.  The carriage house is now home to the fantastic Castle Restaurant & Pub.  The charming dairy barn is a 3 bedroom cottage available to overnight guests, and the dependency has been recently renovated to hold 8 additional guest rooms.

                                                                      

                                        

We were lucky enough to stay in the main building, which was built in the Greek revival design, is supported by 26 Tuscan columns, and offers wide, wraparound porches lined with rocking chairs.  Our room was breathtaking.  The furnishings reminded me of Downton Abbey and the Biltmore Estate, but we were allowed to touch them!  Floor to ceiling curtains hid antique glass windows, and a beautiful wooden free standing mirror reflected our sheepish grins.

                                                                        

We were so enamored by the room, it took a while for us to notice the wine and chocolate-covered strawberries awaiting our arrival.  We sipped Chateau St. Michelle Riesling and dined on the strawberries.  Ok mostly, I dined on the strawberries. 

                                                                              

Our gracious bellhops Aaron and Ronnie drove us downtown and recommended the Magnolia Bar and Grill for a late dinner.  Holt had the shrimp and grits, and he laughed as I ordered the fried shrimp po'boy.  We split a decadent fried green tomato.  It was a truly Southern evening.  The restaurant was located directly on the Mississippi River in an area the locals call “under the hill.”  We learned the meaning of the phrase as we trudged up a gigantic hill to get to Bowie’s Tavern.

                                                               

Bowie’s is located in historic downtown Natchez where the restored cotton warehouse looks out over the Mississippi. We sat at the hundred-year-old mahogany bar, had a drink, listened to the band, had a few more, and I finally got Holt out on the dance floor.  We swing danced and swayed until the bar closed down about 12:30.  I thought it was the perfect ending to an evening, but Holt was determined to paint the town. We followed the crowd to Andrews, a dive bar up the road.  Three hours later, with hugs all around from the locals we had met, we were calling a cab.  Unfortunately, the two cabs in all of Natchez weren't answering their phones at 3:30 in the morning, so we walked.  We got an intimate, albeit eerie, tour of the old homes surrounding downtown Natchez as we walked the mile back to Dunleith.  

                                                                   

Resisting the urge to spend all of Saturday in the rocking chairs on the porch, we headed off to downtown Natchez (this time with a car).  We peeked in some antique stores, checked out Bowie’s Outfitters, and visited a few eccentric stores—one had the largest collection of rubber ducks I've ever seen.  We sampled Darby’s almost famous fudge and splurged on malts from the appropriately named Malt Shop.   

The original wrought iron still lines the porches at Dunleith

All of this shopping and eating ended with a perfect afternoon nap surrounded by down pillows and incredibly soft sheets.  Holt woke me up just in time to have drinks and hors d’oeuvres downstairs in one of the parlors.  After meeting some other guests and enjoying a conversation with Dustin, the bartender, we strolled to the Castle in time for our 7:00 reservation.  The host and our waitress were incredibly warm and accommodating.  A feast ensued.  We had scallops served over apple and fennel salad, a jumbo lump crabcake with jalapeno hollandaise, and stuffed oysters as appetizers.   I had the sautéed malple leaf duck breast, Holt devoured the mixed grill (tuna, scallops, and shrimp), and we split a blue cheese salad. Everything was perfect.

             

                                Fresh flowers were EVERYWHERE, including our bathroom                                    

Sunday came too soon.  The fresh coffee from the Keurig and smiling blooms in our bathroom eased my sorrows.  We strolled down the path to the Castle restaurant admiring the live oaks that arched over the drive.  By the time we had brunch I was all smiles.  The buffet of bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, cheese grits, potatoes, scrambled eggs, breakfast casserole, fruit salad, and an assortment of muffins and scones was extraordinary.  We spent the morning exploring the grounds, admiring the snapdragons and other flora, and taking photos.  Terry, the house historian, shared the history of the home and some of its furnishings.  

                                                                                             

By the afternoon, we were packing up and boarding our time machine to return to Memphis. We were reluctant to leave this little piece of paradise but cheered by the certainty that we would return.  

Thai Shrimp Curry

If you've ever wondered what the National Wild Turkey Federation National Convention is like, I can explain it: camouflaged cacophony.  Holt and I traveled the 3 hours to Nashville last weekend to attend the  NWTF expo at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. We spent Saturday afternoon wandering around the dizzying maze of vendors decorated with taxidermy creatures, camouflage, and decoys. Between Holt's line of work and mine, you would think I was pretty well prepared for all the hunters and Duck Dynasty bandwagon fans, but I was overwhelmed.  

After passing the first mile marker, I found myself zoning out, complaining of aching feet, and visiting the adult beverage booth. Holt was in the zone, meeting people, taking mental notes, and picking up promotional material.  Sensing my boredom, he pacified me by visiting a vendor selling lab puppies, which I cooed over for awhile.   After seeing a great horned owl and bald eagle at the National Forest Service's booth, our trip through Redneck, USA was complete.  We headed downtown to drown out the sound of turkey calls ringing in our ears with some good country music at a local honky-tonk.  

Waiting in line for Tootsies, on Broadway

We experienced the local music and of course had to hit up some local restaurants.  We had dinner at the hip and packed Tavern in Midtown with some friends.  I had their Mahi sandwich and Holt thoroughly enjoyed their burger.  On a recommendation, we had lunch at the 12 South Tap Room and were very pleased.  The spot is small and eccentric but homey and delicious.  We had the queso, jerk chicken sandwich  and steak quesadillas.  Everything was excellent, including our barkeep Nancy and our brews.

Another whirlwind weekend has come and gone and left us feeling as if our weekend break was busier than our work week.  It's tempting to pick up dinner on the way home or order pizza, but thank goodness for our wok!  A few stock ingredients and you can have dinner on the table faster than Pei Wei can deliver.  

This Thai shrimp curry had carrots, shallots, garlic, and bell pepper. 

I've been posting some Asian-inspired dishes because, lucky for me, Holt is slightly obsessed with the wok.  He's my "wok-master" and thoroughly enjoys flipping its contents dangerously high in the air.  I don't mind eating curries and fried rice more frequently in exchange for a helping hand in the kitchen.

                                        

This curry was made with Gulf shrimp and a prepackaged red Thai curry paste.  I'm sure it would be even better with a homemade curry paste, but again I was taking the easy route for a weeknight meal.  This isn't a spicy curry, but sriracha sauce is a good accompaniment if you want some kick.   

Thai Shrimp Curry (modified from Emeril Lagasse's recipe)

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 medium carrots, trimmed and shredded
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons thai red curry paste
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 chopped Thai basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Add the shallots, bell peppers, carrots, and garlic and stir-fry until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add sugar, then coconut milk, and bring to a boil.  

Simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. 

Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until pink, about 2 minutes

Remove from heat and stir in the basil and cilantro.

Serve over jasmine rice.  

                                       

What will we WOK up next?  Just kidding, I promise I'll reach for something besides the wok soon!

Carnival's Fattened Calf...I Mean Cookie

When I hear "Mardi Gras" images of giant, brilliantly decorated floats lined with masked men tossing beads and moonpies come to mind.  And rain.  I think of rain because the last time I attended a Mardi Gras celebration was two years ago with some college buddies in New Orleans.  We drove down on Friday and fought ridiculous traffic trying to get to the hotel.  Hotels are really strict about the number of people they allow in rooms during Mardi Gras.  Since we were broke college students and all sharing one room, some of us (yours truly included) had to sneak up to the room through a service entrance.  After finally arriving in our room, we were ready to hit the streets of New Orleans.  That evening we pranced around the city meeting people, having rabbit stew at a quaint local spot, and enjoying ourselves.                                                   

Saturday it poured buckets and buckets of rain.  I think we saw part of one parade, but we were soaked to the core and basically miserable.  Saturday night the rain finally stopped, and we headed to Bourbon Street to see what all the fuss was about. Incredibly packed and chaotic, we lost track of some of our group members and our phones weren't working because of the thousands of people in the area.  The night turned into somewhat of a search-and-rescue mission as a few of our group members were lost and a few were over-served.  Sunday rolled around and we ate some Cajun food and headed home.  That weekend in New Orleans was a check off the bucket list and something I'll be happy if I never do again.  

My more fonder memories of Mardi Gras are weekends spent in Mobile with friends and family enjoying the parades and festivities.  For most people Mardi Gras is a cause to celebrate, have a great time with friends, get dressed up to attend a ball, and eat King's cake.  

                                      
                                              

It's interesting how much the media can warp the meaning of things.  That's not to say that the history of Mardi Gras isn't muddled with revelery, it is, but it's also distinctly grounded in Christianity.  

Mardi Gras literally translates to "Fat Tuesday."  Historically, Fat Tuesday is a day of indulgence in which Christians would slaughter and eat the fattened calf.  This celebration took place at the end of Carnival and just before Lent.  Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, "meaning farewell to flesh"or carnelevarium meaning "to take away or remove meat."  Carnival likely originated in pre-Christian times, but the reason for the celebration is debated.  Some believe these days were added to the lunar calendar to make it coincide with the solar calendar, and because the days were outside the calendar, people ignored rules and customs.  Another theory states it was a celebration of the coming spring.  Regardless of its original purpose, today, Carnival marks the period of time between the Epiphany (January 6th) and midnight on Fat Tuesday, in which Christians and nonbelievers alike feast on King's cake and ask strangers to throw them beads.  

                                
                                                              

The Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas, celebrates day when the Wise Men visited the baby Jesus.  This day is when King's Cake is traditionally served.  The cakes are made in a circle, which represents the circular routes the Wise Men took in their travels to Bethlehem in order to confuse King Herod, who was plotting to kill Jesus.  The cinnamon-swirled and icing-covered treats are an indulgence before the season of Lent, which is characterized by self-denial in preparation for Easter.  Lent is one of the oldest Christian traditions, and naturally it's different today that it was in 325 AD.  It began as a time of fasting to encourage self-examination and penitence.  Observers ate one meal a day in the evening, which did not include meat, fish, or animal products.  Gradually the rules became more relaxed and now Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only days on which observers fast.

Lent has become even more mainstream and many observers don't fast at all, but give up something, instead.  Giving up chocolate or sweets is very common.  I've heard of people giving up fast food, Facebook, wine, lying, and being lazy.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday when many people attend church services and get their foreheads marked with ashes.  The ashes symbolize repentance (sackcloth and ashes) and mortality. (You are dust, and to dust you will return Gen 3:19)  For the next 40 days, not including Sundays, observers part with something they enjoy, until the season ends on Easter Sunday.  

So whether you're celebrating Fat Tuesday at the bar with a hurricane, eating a moonpie at the last Mardi Gras parade, or devouring chocolate for your last night for awhile, enjoy yourself.  Tomorrow, put on your sackcloth and fast, or if you're into the mainstream stuff, part with a habit or indulgence for 40 days of self-denial.

OR you could make these awesome cookies for your sweetheart for Valentine's day.  I wanted to post these today so as not to tempt the Lent observers.  These are pretty awesome.  They're chewy and bursting with chocolate-ly coconut flavor.  They've got a little bit of everything: chocolate, coconut, nuts, oatmeal.  It may not be covered with green, purple, and gold sprinkles but it's a decadent cookie worthy of Fat Tuesday! This recipe is modified from

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

3 cups flour

1tbsp baking powder

1tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups butter, room temp

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt

In a second bowl, beat the butter on medium until smooth

Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat another 2 minutes

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition

Mix in the vanilla

Stir in the flour mixture, blending until just combined

Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut flakes, and walnuts and stir until incorporated

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a parchment-lined baking sheet

Allow plenty of room between cookies because they spread

Bake 10-12 minutes until the edges are brown and set

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack

Building character, one wok at a time

We made it! Remember 60 days ago when I posted about the beginning of waterfowl season in Arkansas? Well tomorrow is the last day of duck hunting season, and I'm sure I'm not the only gal ready to spend more time with her avid waterfowler, who has been missing the last 2 months.  Tomorrow, not only marks the end of the season, it's shaving day!

Holt, like a lot of men, doesn't shave his beard during duck season. I'm not sure if it keeps him warmer, completes his camouflage, or when one wakes up hours before daylight for 60 days straight, hygiene habits tend to get triaged, and shaving gets pushed to the back of the line. At one point in time, he wouldn't even trim it, but thankfully I've talked him out of that nonsense. So tomorrow I get to see my boyfriend's clean-shaven boyish cheeks and I, for one, am thrilled!

Looks like a new man!

I think this was an excellent season. While there aren't a lot of ducks in Arkansas right now, the earlier hunts of the season were fantastic, and I got some major crafting done. From the seashell mirror to the lamp makeover, I have made my free-time worthwhile. I squeezed in one more project before the end of the season.

I've had these ugly but very useful storage bins since living in a dorm in college. They're perfect for t-shirts or craft supplies and move easy. They have accompanied me to my home in Memphis and serve their purpose well, but they still scream "dorm room" and "unsophisticated young adult".  

                                             

While I'm not ready to purchase more furniture and part with these, I can handle purchasing fabric on sale at Hobby Lobby. I had a vague idea in mind to somehow construct a slip cover for my storage bins that would make them a little less tacky. I had no pattern or detailed plan, but I saw some fabric I liked and decided to go for it. I always dread the inevitable question from the fabric attendant while he or she is cutting it: "So what are you going to make with this?"  

"Umm, ugh, you know those plastic storage bin things you see at Walmart..."

You can guess that she was rolling her eyes by the end of the explanation of my plan. I laughed it off with a "this may be a trial-and-error thing." With a knowing smile, she replied, "I call those character-building activities."  

Threading the bobbin

                                        

And I did build character. I underestimated how much fabric I needed, and I sewed one portion upside-down. It took a Sunday afternoon and rogue ice storm to complete it, but all in all I think it turned out alright. The front panel of fabric is Velcroed to the sides so I can easily lift it up for access to my t-shirts and craft supplies.

                                           

After my storage bins got a make-over, I needed to start creating some storage space in my freezer again. The duck gumbo cleaned out most of my duck, but I still had some venison inner tenderloin. I hit up one of my favorite blogs to see what fun things I could do with this prime cut of meat. Venison stir fry caught my eye.  

                                        

This recipe was fast, easy, didn't require many ingredients, and definitely went down in the books as a "keeper". The meat was very tender and the flavors were fabulous. It was perfect and I honestly recommend giving it a try.

Holt was my kitchen helper during this adventure. So no, those
are not my enormous, man-ish hands.

Heat 1 1/2 cups of cooking oil in a wok or large, heavy-bottom pan. I debated whether I should go out and buy a wok or use a pan that I already had. Holt talked me into getting the wok, but I was a little nervous about cooking with it because I worried it wouldn't distribute heat evenly. I thought this would be another character-building activity and we might end up ruining the meat, but we didn't. Looks like my New Year's resolution luck is turning around!

Cook 1/3 of sliced, marinated venison in the oil for 30 seconds to a minute. Don't over cook! Fish out the pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Cook the rest of the venison in batches.

Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of the oil. Heat the remaining oil over high heat until it begins to smoke.  Add 4 sliced red chiles and 1 sliced bell pepper and stir fry for 90 seconds.

Add 3 cloves of silvered garlic, and cook another 30 seconds. Add the venison and stir fry 90 seconds.

Add 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and stir fry a final 30 seconds, just until the cilantro wilts. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Serve over steamed rice.

                                     

Sharpen your razors and lather up.  Tomorrow's going to be a great day to build some character!

Hank Shaw's Venison Stir Fry
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Marinade
2 T dry sherry
1/2 t salt
3T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch mixed with 2 T water

Stir Fry
1 lb venison, trimmed of all fat and sinew
1 1/2 cups peanut or other cooking oil
1 to 4 fresh red chiles (I used 4)
1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 garlic cloves, slivered
1 bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped
1 T soy sauce
2 t sesame oil

Directions

1. Slice the venison into thin slivers of about 1/4 inch and anywhere from 1 to 3 inches long.  
2. Mix with the marinade and set aside while you prep all the other ingredients.
3. Heat the oil in the wok or a large, heavy pot until it reacher 275 to 290 F.
4. Add 1/3 of the venison into the hot oil, and use a butter knife to separate the meat when it hits the oil. Sizzle for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Remove venison with a slotted spoon.  Set aside and cook the remaining venison one third at a time.
6. Pour out all but about 3 tablespoons of the oil.  Save the oil for the next time you cook Chinese food.
7. Get the remaining oil hot over high heat.  When it starts to smoke, add the chiles and bell peppers and stir-fry for 90 seconds.
8. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. 
9. Add the venison and stir fry 90 seconds.
10. Add the cilantro and soy sauce and stir fry a final 30 seconds, just until the cilantro wilts.
11. Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
12. Serve with steamed rice.

The pursuit of happiness...up a mountain

With such a successful resolution last year, I needed to pursue another this year.  I saw an inspiring quote on Pinterest.  It didn't seem all that inspiring at the time and I didn't bother pinning it, but it stuck with me for a few days.  Naturally, I can't remember the exact words, nor can I find it, but the gist was life is too short not to be happy.  It sounds pretty generic and obvious but I was thinking about all the time I spend frustrated, stressed, worrying, or just blah.  It's totally and completely in my power to be happy all of that time.  

On my journey of choosing happiness, I am trying new things.  I'm being a "yes!" person.  Mom and I recently returned from visiting my brother in Colorado.  While snow skiing isn't exactly new to me, I put myself out there and I learned something new...

But not this.
This is the equivalent of my brother's talent on a snowboard

Cool, right?  Well that's not me.  That's about the skill level my brother is at.  So in the name of trying new things, when he asked me to ski some with him, I said "heck yeah"!  The little nugget of knowledge I learned was not to blindly follow my brother up a mountain...

This isn't me, either.  This is Madonna, poor gal.  Luckily my
brother didn't snap any photographic evidence of my little mishap.

Even though I was shaking in my ski boots and it took me about 24 times as long to get down as it should have, I'm better for it now.  At least that's what my brother said, but I think he may have been nursing his own conscience.  On the ride home I literally laughed so hard I cried trying to explain to my mom what happened.  My brother joked about how he thought he was going to have to call ski patrol.  After waiting for me at the bottom of a particularly steep slope, he took off his snowboard to walk back up the mountain to find me.  It had been so long since he'd seen me, he was convinced I had fallen and broken something.  He came trudging up the hill and spotted me standing by the trees alone, just hanging out.  The fear was so bad I had to psyche myself up every once in awhile to keep going.  But I made it down the mountain with only a wounded pride.

Just happy to be alive...

Since my adventures in trying new things have been so successful thus far... I decided to try something new in the kitchen.  Guess what?  It kinda sucked.  Now that I think about it, my resolutions for 2013 aren't off to a great start.  Anyway, I attempted to make homemade tortillas because I've seen blogs and recipes that make them look so delicious and worth the effort.  Ummm...they're not.  A more experienced cook or blogger may tell you otherwise, but I won't lie, mine weren't very good or pretty.

I don't have a rolling pin, so I used this big bottle of beer one of
my roommates had.  Looking back, this is probably the first red flag.

This is the recipe I used.  I'm sure it's a great recipe.  It just didn't really work out for me. My first three were  total duds because I blew it trying to place them on the hot skillet.  They wrinkled and folded up on one another.  

On the fourth, I finally mastered the technique for placing them in the skillet.  Unfortunately they were too thick, broke easily, and became stale quickly.  I did eat one in the fashion it was meant for that evening.  The rest I dunked in soup for several days.  

The one homemade tortilla that was eaten the way it was designed to be.
For the record: not worth it

While I can't try new things without a failure once in awhile, I have to say I was hoping for a better track record than 0-2 half way through January.  But being happy is a lot about being positive.  The happiest people I've ever met weren't brilliant skiers or chefs.  The women stayed home and swept their dirt floors, the men sold food at the market, and the children carried water.  The happiest people I've ever met were positive despite their circumstances.

School children in Buloba, Uganda

                                     

So be happy, be healthy, and don't eat the leftover tortillas in the kitchen...                                                  .