Phenomenal Popcorn

 

Spicy Curry Popcorn

 

you will need:

 popcorn kernels

oil

a small brown paper bag

a microwave

 curry seasoning

 hot sauce

salt

 

Throw 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels into a small paper bag (such as the kind that are wrapped around a wine bottle). Pour 2 teaspoons of oil into the bag and shake. Curl the top of the bag up and cook in the microwave for around 3 minutes, or until the popping noises are two minutes apart. Once the popcorn is cooked, add curry powder, salt, and sriracha. Shake the bag and then serve in a bowl. A cold beer makes the perfect accompaniment.

 

 

In other news, the delightful Botanical Knits book came in, written by Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting. These patterns are so beautiful and I cannot wait to start knitting a few of them. I've had the ecopy for a few months now, but nothing compares to holding a well-made book. The little extras that Alana threw in are really sweet: some cute leafy stickers and a lovely printed hat pattern.

 

Also....I finally broke down and started knitting the Beekeeper's Quilt. This is such a fun project. And, though I completely recognize the insanity of this venture, I have decided to knit a 7 foot by 7 foot quilt...I know... But, I am fully prepared for this quilt to take several years to complete. I am hoping this will make a family heirloom or something. Mostly this decision stems from the fact that I think blankets are less versatile if they don't fit on a bed. And, rather than do the sensible and economical thing by making the quilt out of various sock yarn scraps, I am sticking to a very strict color theme. You can see my project here.

 

 

So far I have 20 little knitted hexipuffs. And here they are having a party:

 

 

 

So, as you can see, I have my hands full. Which is nice because I am about to have some time off for the summer. I don't think I have any other knits to work on, besides socks, so everything is portable and light- perfect for the sweltering weather we are having.

The Hunger Monster

Today was one of those days. The kind of day where everything went wrong. I lost my phone, I woke up grouchy, I had to go to work earlier than anticipated, work was particularly tricky, etc. Oh, and to make matters worse, I hadn't eaten.

Anything.

All day.

(a baby bell cheese orb and a few crackers does not count as food).

I got home rather late, with a headache, starving, practically in tears from the stress of it all. I have a very inconvenient personality quirk in that I become a more picky eater the hungrier I get. So, I came home to an assortment of odds and ends in the pantry and fridge and nothing looked edible. Now, normally in a situation like this I exhibit my creativity and throw things together to make tasty happen. But we were far, far past the hour when positive thinking and imagination are options for me. So I sat and whined to my boyfriend via facebook chat for a while, secretly hoping he would magically understand that I wanted him to appear on my doorstep with food (sometimes I am a pathetic person who wants to be taken care of but I don't have the guts to step up and communicate what I want- which is a habit I find excessively annoying in other people). So, rather than become irrationally irritated with him for not being the sort of mind-reader I desired in my deranged mental state, I got on the internet for inspiration. And, just as she always does, Smitten Kitchen saved the day.

I saw that she had made toast, spread it with a thin smear of mustard, topped it with some sautéed spinach and onion, and for a stunning finish, a single soft boiled egg. It was gorgeous, cheap, quick, and met my criteria for hitting the sweet spot between decadent and healthy. I had to have it. However, since my spinach looked worse for wear, I used some kale. I grated the onion because it was faster than chopping, and I heated up some black-eyed-peas with jalapenos for the added stick-to-yo-ribs factor. It was amazing.

Lessons learned:

When breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all in the form of a midnight snack, go for quick and filling.
When it seems as though there is nothing to eat, SK will prove you wrong.
When you are wanting someone to just know what you want without having to ask for it, you are being dumb and should go feed yourself.

The Hunger Monster has been vanquished. The villagers may now go about their usual activities.