Ode to Left Overs

Oh leftovers.
How you sit in my fridge.
My belly is where you need to be in.

Oh leftovers how you mock me.
Sitting and staring.
SITTING AND STARING.

Perhaps I am lazy.
Perhaps I can't wait.

I am hungry now.

First the leftovers are cold.
So you have to heat them up!
Then the leftovers are too hot!
So you have to let them cool off...

Oh LEFT OVERS how I wish you could be LEFT in the fridge.
But if I leave you too long, mold will grow on you.
Which will decrease your eatability dramatically.

So I will eat you.
After I heat you and seat you.

Oh Left Over!
Now You are Left NOvers.

Pasta? Pizza? What's for dinner?

Last night Marine made dinner! (That would be me, she who is writing this post, which, oddly enough, I thought referring to myself in the third person would make more sense for the reader but now I've just gone and confused myself because I don't know whether to continue the post in third person or not... though it seems I've already decided against it.) Anywho, yes, I made dinner, for once, as Shawn kindly noted.

It's not that I never cook, I just choose to do so rarely. I can cook three things really well: grilled cheese sandwiches, basic pasta, and I can make eggs any way you want them. All of my other food skills rely on fairly exact measurements and the oven. So I guess it's not really a surprise that I can make a damn good pizza every once in a while. I've just never made such a fancy one before. I give you... Chicken Alfredo Pizza.



Chicken Alfredo... pizza?? Yes, it tastes just as amazing as it sounds. The pictures don't do it justice because the pizza was very drippy while hot, but you must. try. this. pizza. Please!





It is super duper filling too, so make sure you have an appetite! And finish the meal off with some homemade chocolate chip cookies too!



P.S... did you notice Shawn cut his hair? He's going for the classic American cut, by his standards; I like it :)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I am extremely aggravated.

I am sick of being ripped off!

Companies charge way to much for their services!

COMCAST knows that you want cable tv and internet.

VERIZON knows that you want a cell phone.

They offer so many friggin add on bullshit HD things and music stations that I DON'T NEED!

AND my VERIZON bill changes monthly depending if they wanna jack up my fees or taxes.

FUCK YOU CORPORATE AMERICA!

You are stealing my money because you are a bunch of greedy fucks.

Why don't you offer your services for prices that make some sense!

Not $99 for a year. then $119 for the next year of a two year contract, that you didn't know you were getting. THEN they charge you a fee for canceling after the promo period because you don't wanna pay $129 a month for tv/phone/internet.

These fucking companies have MILLIONS of customers.

Even if they just charged $75 dollars for the # services. TIMES 1 million!

That's 75 million Dollars.

THIS IS AMERICA!

OFFER your fucking services for a reasonable amount.

STOP spending so much money on advertising. ( your stupid names sell them selves)

or you force people into getting your service when you move to an apartment complex that is already hooked up by you company.

So I don't even have a choice to get anything else??????

THANKS for eliminating my ability to make decisions and chose the product that I want!

I thought this was AMERICA! NOT RED RUSSIA! you friggin Commies!

WHAT kind of marketing idiots do you have at your companies?

WHY would you create a price structure that is so confusing?

WHY are you trying to be shady? I am trying to have a business relationship with your company and you treat me like a friggin moron.

COMCAST! when I call you later today. I hope you are ready.

That poor person on the other line is not gonna know how to handle my onslaught of crazy questions fueled by my disdain of the hype machine.

I AM SICK OF BEING FUCKED IN THE ASS by the BIG BLACK DILDO that is the AMERICAN CORPORATE HYPE MACHINE!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Garden Style

Last week we drove back to Jersey for a day to visit a few friends and say hello to our families. One of our stops was at this beautiful property that Shawn's friend helps maintain. They have over 30 acres of luscious land, a greenhouse filled with all sorts of orchids, and a pond-like swimming pool with a little bathroom shed at the bottom of a hill. It was a beautiful place to be for a few hours, despite getting caught in a short mid-afternoon downpour. Unfortunately I didn't think to take any pictures inside the greenhouse, but here are a few around the pool area.

Shawn Hill presents : THUMBS UP! AMERICA

I want to give a thumbs up to several American Institutions today.

These companies have impressed me with their amazing patriotism and ability to inspire!

Thumbs up you guys! Great Friggin Job!

These companies offer a great service at an even greater price.

That's two things for one!! (which merits plenty of exclamation marks!!!!)

And like Mr. Joseph Foglia, my color blind high school chemistry teacher, I love a Two-Fer.

AND! There is no better Two-Fer than GREAT SERVICE at a GREAT PRICE!!

First off I would like to give a Thumbs UP! to TIME Magazine.

Product Description : GOOD, CLEAN, Infotainment. News, Facts, Figures, Opinions and Global Happenings delivered to your door step 56 times a year in an easy to read package.

AMAZING PRICE: $29.95 thats 53 CENTS an issue!

How can TIME offer a savings of $247.25 !!??!!

I'm pretty sure we only payed $19.95 for our subscription though....

I will have to confirm with Marine. I do remember being amazed at the fact it was only 20 bucks to get a subscription.

My second thumbs up goes to Ben and Jerry.

Yes, I do mean the creators of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. Not only do they offer delicious varieties of premium Ice Cream at a great price but they have also held true to their values.

I was unaware of their amazing efforts to maintain a small piece of common sense and humanity in Corporate America. My whole mindset was changed when I watched a BIO feature on Ben and Jerry. I suggest that you WATCH the DOCUMENTARY. You can find it available on NETFLIX. It is extremely informative and touching.

A bonus thumbs up goes to BIOGRAPHY for providing amazing information to Americans for years. !!

My Third and Final Thumbs up goes to Trader Joe's.

Another Company that has held on to Common Sense.

Thank you for offering a splendid variety of Vintage Sodas.

This Orange Cream particularly quenched my thirst these past few hot days.

Satisfaction for under a DOLLAR a bottle! Awesome.

THUMBS UP! ! ! !

(thumbs up logo comings soon)

Brownies, S'mores, and Wookies, Oh My!

Normally, when it comes to brownies, I have one recipe I use and one recipe only - it's the recipe for the brownies at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco that they have so conveniently provided in their amazing cookbook. That recipe yields brownies that are so incredibly fudgey, chocolatey and rich and just all around amazing - I've never known anyone to turn one down. Thank you, Tartine Bakery, for your use of science and your generosity; your brownies make my taste buds happy.



Now, I wouldn't consider myself a brownie purist (come on, I like a little somethin' besides chocolate in there on occasion) but the Tartine brownie is definitely a brownie for purists. It's so incredibly delicious all on it's own, it would almost be blasphemous to tamper with it. Which is why, when I felt a craving for s'mores brownies come on, I decided to turn to another recipe.

Thank David Lebovitz for this one; it's similar to the Tartine brownie, but with a little less chocolate and a little more sugar so this one was perfect for what I intended to do with it. Make brownie batter as instructed, throw in some graham crackers and hershey's chocolate, top with marshmallows, and what have you got? S'mores Brownies, Chewbacca approved.

Chewy Brownies/S'mores Brownies

adapted from David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 oz semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

for s'mores brownies you'll also need:
a handful of marshmallows, cut in half
three Hershey's bars
four graham crackers



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare an 8x8 pan however you prefer; either with foil, or butter, or both.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly with a spatula over very low heat until the chocolate is melted.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla. Stir in the flour and the salt. Beat the batter vigorously for 30 seconds, until it begins to form a smooth ball. Stir in the chocolate chips.

For brownie purists: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30 minutes, until the center feels just about set. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For s'mores brownies: Scrape half of the batter into your pan, lay graham crackers down in a single layer on top of the batter, then layer the hershey's bars on top of that, and spread the rest of the batter across the top. Once your batter is spread pretty evenly and covers the layers underneath, sprinkle marshmallows across the top of the batter, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once completely cool, I recommend leaving the pan in your refrigerator overnight; believe me, it makes cutting through those brownies so much cleaner.

mmmm, chocolate :)

Money - It's a crime

MONEY DOESN'T GROW ON TREES!!

We have all heard this before from our parents.

Come to think of it. YES IT DOES!

where the hell do you think we get paper from??

TREES!

and what is money printed on???

PAPER!!!!.

So Money does grow on trees.

The government just doesn't want you making your own money. You have to earn it. And that is easier said then done in most cases.

In a world with too many people. and too few jobs, what did you expect when the need for industry finally dropped out.

THEY told us to buy the house.

THEY told us to buy the car.

THEY told us to buy the new plasma screen tv.

THEY told us to put it all on credit.

THEY told us that we would still have a job in 6 months.

I realized what THEY say, isn't always right.

These people which we shall call THEY, just wanted you to buy things. To support the cause. To keep the giant hype machine going.

And now I find myself caught in THEIR little game of supply and demand.

I need supplies and THEY demand I get a job to earn money to buy these said supplies.

As you can tell I have been thinking about money. I need more of it.

but these asshole people in the world want to work you to the bone for little to no pay.

I am worth way more than what THEY want to pay me.

I am sorry if you can't afford good help.

Maybe if you had good help, your business might make more money.

Call me crazy, but what happened to that ideal world picture THEY painted for us.

As of now I can pay my bills, but I can't save any money.

What's the point of being alive if I have to work three jobs just to save money and have a place to live? I will end up with all this money (barely) and nothing to do with it.

Because I will be working ALL the time.

I just don't get it.

It's hard to crawl out of a pile of shit, when there are so many other people ahead of you trying to crawl out of that same bag of shit. WHY IS THERE SO MUCH SHIT??!

And once people crawl out of the shit, it's like there is some secret club, with a secret code, that says you can't help the people in the shit.

Why won't THEY tell us THEIR secrets!

UGHGHGH.

Bottom line, I need money.

Freelance Design work here I come. I will Finally put my training to good use I suppose.

Now to put an online portfolio together.

If only I took things a little more serious when I was younger, maybe I wouldn't have so much to catch up on doing.

I guess that's just who I am. Some Silly Scatter Brained Artist human, that gets distracted by his own brain.

Our first recipe post!

Shawn and I have a go-to recipe for our pizza dough, and you're about to find out what it is! Making your own dough from scratch really isn't as complicated as you might think: the key is fresh yeast and a little patience.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1.5 tablespoon active dried yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
pinch of sugar
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup whole wheat flour


Place yeast, water, and sugar in bowl & stir with fork to dissolve. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.

Use a wooden spoon to mix in the olive oil, salt, and all-purpose flour. Mix in about 1/2 of the whole wheat flour, stirring until the dough forms a mass and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Sprinkle some of the remaining whole wheat flour onto a smooth work surface, and transfer the dough onto it. Begin to knead it, working in the remaining flour a little at a time. Knead 8-10 mins, or until the dough feels elastic and smooth.

Form into a ball, then place it into a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk; about an hour or so. (If indentations remain after the dough is poked with 2 fingers, it is ready.)

When you're ready to make your pie, punch down the dough with a fist and knead 1-2 mins. Divide dough as desired. Pat out a dough ball into a flat circle on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll it out about 3/8-1/4 inch thick. It should be about 1/4" larger than the pan you are using.

Place the dough on a lightly oiled pizza pan and fold the extra dough under to make a rim. Top with your favorite toppings, bake, and enjoy!

Bake for about 20 minutes in a 475 degree oven.

Things you've missed!

Silly business isn't all Shawn and I have been up to these days... we've been keeping busy in the kitchen, as always - trying new recipes and fine tuning old ones. This week we made two things that our kitchen has never seen before: homemade caesar dressing, and we cooked up some beautiful Chilean Sea Bass! The pictures don't do this fish justice.



Caesar salad with homemade dressing, and homemade whole wheat onion pizza.




A blurry sausage and peppers with broccoli and homemade cheese sauce.




Chilean Sea Bass from the local Farmer's Market in Ardmore; baked with lemon and butter, and served with a side of baked paprika french fries.


...

Enough savory! Where's the sweet stuff?

...



Chocolate cookie dough layer, graham cracker layer, peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough layer, and topped with marshmallows. The most awesome cookie layer bars made yet.




Fresh watermelon! Look at that color!


And...

The newest addition to our home: two new gnome friends! One day we'll have a beautiful garden in which they can play.



Check out more photos on our Flickr!

:)

The Most Epic Battle of Cuteness Ever!!

Usually this type of post would be done by Marine.

But today, I am being the corny one.

I stumbled across this adorable little video on the inter webs.

BABY vs KITTY (cutest battle of all time)

After I watched the video a few times. I realized that there is a pair free standing legs on the wall in the background. YES. just a set of legs. LOOK. You will see what I'm talking about. They legs are dressed in shoes and pants and a tacky belt. But there is no upper half!

I would consider this video. A 2fer. 2 things seen in 1 moment. 2 birds with one stone. or 2 stones with 1 bird (if your my old buddy Evan.)

HAAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AMERICA!!!

There are very few things in the world that make me happy.

Celebrating America is near the very top of that list.

Patriotism makes me smile.

It should also make YOU smile.

If you are not smiling today,

You must be a Russian Commie. (or french like Marine)

In honor of America, you should head on over to our FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM and check out the photos from the TINY parade our LITTLE town has each year. The parade started at 10 in the morning at the firehouse right down the street. They walk up (or down) Montgomery ave and end up in a park apparently. (at least thats what the locals have been saying.) At this park festivities are had. I am not sure what sort of festivities, because i was still in my pjs snapping photos of the parade. So sadly I did not join the townsfolk.

What is rather funny is that I had completely forgotten that it was going on this morning. Marine had to go into work early at 8. Me in my groggy state, having my coffee and working on music, heard a rumbling of sorts coming from outside.

Mind you, I had my headphones on. So the sounds were all muffled. After my brain kicked in, I remembered that the FOURTH OF JULY PARADE was happening.

The band struck up that classic tune. and made their way past our apartment complex. followed by old classic cars, clowns and various other patriots.

what smiles i saw!!!!!!!

for effect, head on over to youtube.com and listen to :

John P. Sousa - The Stars and Stripes forever

while looking at the photos from the parade!

I rather like that video because of the conductor and the bitchin' flute and piccolo breakdown.

~Shawn!!!

Shawn Hill's Guide to: Proper House Keeping

Recently I found myself cleaning the apartment. I was cleaning things in a way I had never done before. I made the bed. I vacuumed the couch. I also try my best not to leave dishes in the sink.

I felt like a crazy old lady. the type that end up putting the plastic lining on the couch and still wont let anyone sit on it.

I suppose it took a while, but I finally understand why my mother made such a fuss about certain things. I was just too dumb, young, and naive to understand. I guess that IS growing up.

So in honor of the good old times and the propaganda pamphlets the American government use to put out to promote Patriotism, I have written my own little guide. (the first of many)

The American Government presents:

Shawn Hill's Guide : Being A Better American

Proper House Keeping

3 Steps to Success!

Dad is in the driveway cleaning his brand new American Made Motor-Vehicle. Mother is in the kitchen cleaning her beautiful KitchenAid appliances and utensils. Junior is upstairs tending to his studies and chores, while Spot, the dog, barks at squirrels in the back yard.

This is your typical American Family, Doing what typical Americans do everyday.

It is the American Way to keep your humble abode clean and orderly. Heck! It is your American duty to keep your home spic and span!

Today's Blog Post brought to you by:

As an American you are entitled to certain freedoms. These freedoms define you from the rest of the world, they separate "US" from "Them". The "Good" from the "Bad". The "Clean" from the "Unclean". Only in America do we hold dreams to be self evident!!

In a country filled with hard working Men and Women, a good American is only as good as the House they keep. Proper House Keeping is the Key to the American Success.

If a family keeps their home clean and happy, That clean and happy attitude will carry over into the work place. With a happy and clean attitude, you can accomplish more and be 110% effective in executing your daily duties.

First step is to Vacuum throughly.

That means even vacuuming the couch. It would be very embarrassing to ruin the new clothing of a neighbor, co-worker, relative or friend.

Second is to Make the Bed EVERY morning.

A welcoming, plush, fluffy bed is the first step to a successful night of sleep.

Third is to Do The Dishes at night before Bed.

Waking up in the morning to a clean sink will put you in a better mood to prepare breakfast.

A better breakfast means a better energy. Which means a better day.

Just implement these 3 Simple Steps into your daily routine and you will be on your way to a better home. A better home gets you closer to being a better American!

- Shawn Hill

Pancakes on my plate!

There's no substitution for real maple syrup and homemade chocolate chip pancakes...

Reader question time! How do you like your pancakes?
Fluffy and chocolatey like us? Perhaps a little fruity? Topped with whipped cream? How about tiny silver dollar pancakes versus huge plate sized ones? Flat or big and fluffy? Real maple syrup or the corn syrup loaded fake stuff? We want to know!!!

Lazy Dinners

... a friendly game of pick-up sticks on the kitchen floor?
... or last night's dinner mishap?

That's what happens when the pasta box gets wet and you lift it from the wrong end.
No problem - we'll still eat it!


How about some black beans and rice for dinner tonight?



We're making the most of what we have on hand - the lazy-man's dinner. I've been working odd shifts so we haven't bought any meat for the week! And now it will be even longer because my car is temporarily out of commission :( but more about that in another post!