Capstone

I started off Spring Break this year with good intentions.  I was going to get a whole bunch of stuff done.  I was going to blog my cooking adventures, my gardening forays, my spackling pursuits (not really on that last one).

It didn't end well.  

In short, I planned too many things, procrastinated on about half as many, and took no account whatsoever of the weather forecast.  My last huzzah was my mid-break progress report.  It's been a week now since.  My break fizzled out with a nasty head/body achey cold thing that dragged into this week.  Sniffle, I think I'll live.  Nah, my real pursuit here is to capstone my break and bid my second to last spring break of my undergraduate career adieu properly.

I did make that list, and I stuck to it; as much as possible.  

1.  Cooking marathon!

Last episode, in the realm of cooking, I had created a splendiferously (I am amazed that the spell check didn't flag that) Irish meal of pot roast and potato cakes, topped off with a chocolate cheesecake.  I am proud to say that I made good on my list of foods to create over the week.  In addition to the meal I just described, there were enchiladas (c/o Pioneer Woman, who else?) and an Irish version of chicken pot pie.  Naturally I waited until later in the week for any more cooking creations as I was full for a solid three days after the pot roast meal.  I'm still eating leftovers, too.  Don't judge me, it's what's freezers are for.  And microwaves.  I'm a college student, what can I say?  

2.  Vegetable garden! & 3.  Compost box!

Sadly my out of doors plans were foiled by the weather.  That pesky thing, especially here in St. Louis, it's never dependable.  It rained most of the week, which caused my already mud pit of a backyard to turn into a wasteland of quicksand.  I seriously can't find my boots I wore out there the previous week.  That bad.  The gardening/composting activities are on hiatus, hopefully in a more suitable region for now, until my yard becomes walkable again.  And I find those boots.  

4.  Amiga time!

"Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold," is a cute little ditty I learned in Daisy Girl Scouts (it was a dark time in my life).  In any event, I enjoy spending time with old and new friends.  I had a wonderful movie date with my new friend, Amanda - cheers Amanda! - and spent plenty of time with my gal Lakota (we go way back, her and me).  California Pizza kitchen, the recent "Red Riding Hood" film, and shopping was involved.  I would say it was a splendid way to relax, indeed.  

5.  Writing time!

Lastly, yes I did get (some) writing time.  Not as much as I'd like, but then again that's one of my own fallacies anyway.  I probably couldn't do all the writing I'd want to even if I gave it my 110% because, well, I doubt I'll ever stop writing.  Did you see what I did there?  

Do you get my joke?  Because your head, it's... it's in a tuba.

Yeah yeah, I won't quit my day job.  Wait, I don't have a day job.  Well I'm hosed.  

Thus endeth the spectacular week of the spring break and now it's back to the grind.  Naturally it's pushing 3 A.M. and I'm still up.  Glad to see old habits die hard.  Speaking of old habits, I feel another list is in order.  

1. I am currently 1 (one!) DVD away from owning every movie Michelle Rodriguez has appeared in.  I'm cool (or crazy) like that.   
2. 3 A.M. is, coincidentally, one of those films I own.  
3. My dad, either through his appreciation of action flicks, or because he knows how much I love a certain aforementioned actress, (or both) took me to see Battle: Los Angeles the last day of break.  Great film. I may post more on it at a later date.  Suffice it for now to say, I will most likely go back and see it again.  
4. I recently learned that the plural of colloquium is colloquia.  I love words whose plural form is irregular and funky looking.  It adds intrigue.   
5. I recently also learned (finally) how to pronounce colloquium (kuh-low-qwee-uhm).  
6. I know of about five of my friends who are engaged and will be getting married within the next year.  I feel old.  ish.  
7. I have a milestone birthday coming up in less than a month (very excited).  
8. There is a Princess and the Frog theme in this post.  
9. I watched Princess and the Frog last week.  
10. I tried making beignets (it took me forever to find out how to spell that word) once.  On a whim.  At 11 at night.  With Lakota.  Without the proper ingredients.  It didn't end well.  My brother, on the other hand, recently made beignets and they were amazing.  What gives?

Cheers,

RF

Spring Break Progress

I can't believe I'm already halfway through my spring break.  The time you want to go by quickly never does, yet the time you want to slow down winds up zipping by like a mayfly's life cycle.  Stupid bugs.

I kicked my week off with a fancy schmancy dinner for my family Sunday evening.  The menu consisted of "Perfect Pot Roast" from The Pioneer Woman, and a few selections from the Irish Pub Cooking book I scored from B&N recently, potato cakes and a chocolate cream cheesecake!  Yum.

I was fully prepared to chronicle my cooking extravaganza, but thought a few snapshots would suffice instead.  Cue snapshots!

Despite its commercial appeal, the recipes looked fabulous.  And so far have proven to be just as tasty.  

P-dubs' Pot Roast- thyme, rosemary, carrots, onion, and a chuck roast was involved.  Oh and love.  Sheer love.  My house has never smelled so amazing.   

I count this a major success in my book- it's the first roast I've made el solo, and I didn't burn the house or the meat to cinders.  Win.

Perhaps the source of my feeling like it was me who immigrated from Ireland rather than my great grandfather- potato cakes.  Curiously delicious.  

The dinner ensemble

... Never forget dessert... 

It might not look like much but it tasted... well... how to describe?  

Close enough.  

I'm still recovering from the sheer deliciousness of it all.  Unfortunately, due to a series of poorly timed events, I haven't been to karate yet this week which isn't helping me feel any less sluggish after such a rich evening.  But I digress.  

With this beauty from California Pizza Kitchen, Hawaiian BBQ!

Monday proved just as fabulous when Lakota and I indulged in some of that amiga time I spoke of, and what better place to do that than CPK?  

Status quo?  I've eaten some fabulous food and spent time with even more fab friends so far.  More amiga time tomorrow with my girl Amanda!  Not too shabby!  

I really have been filling in the holes with productive activities, I promise.  I'm just highlighting, well, the highlights.  Spackling isn't exactly a highlight.  Nor is a puppy watching.  

Due to the copious amounts of wet weather I've experienced lately, my outdoor plans will unfortunately have to be put on hold this week.  Le sigh.  

Happy midweek to one and all,

RF

Spring Break 2011

With each passing semester, my graduation draws closer.  I've come to appreciate how few spring breaks I have left.  That would be two, to be specific.  Now I don't have the money to take a fabulous vacation to some exotic beach, but that's not the only way to spend a spring break. 

Au contraire, not every college student is programmed to seek sex and alcohol at every chance he or she gets.  No, I plan to make the most of my spring break doing the things I want to do.  

I'm not a compulsive list maker or anything, but this is what's coming up in the world of Running Fish.  
1.  Cooking Marathon!

I've got my eye on a couple of recipes from my Pioneer Woman cookbook I got for Christmas.  I also added an Irish Pub cookbook to my repertoire recently care of a Barnes and Noble St. Patrick's Day themed display.  I couldn't resist the delicious looking recipes it contained. 

This week I plan to make a couple of recipes from these books and, of course, chronicle them in the Closet Cook section.  

2.  Vegetable Garden!

Last season I tried my hand at gardening, container gardening that is, and loved it.  This year I have come into a forlorn corner garden that has seen better days, and I have many plans.  As much as I wish I could start my seedlings, alas I cannot.  I can, however, get the garden prepared.  

This week I plan to work through my sad little garden and, as it's on a slight hill, tier it into segments for optimal vegetable planting.   
 
3.  Compost box!

This is just one more nail in my geek coffin, I suppose.  I've had lumber waiting to become a compost box since last fall.  It will become one this next week.
 
4.  Amiga Time!

This is the best part of my week!  There will be much amiga time!  

5.  Writing!

I haven't done a whole lot of personal writing in a while.  I have quite a few stories and their characters who've been relegated to the extended history space on my hard drive, probably wondering if they'll ever see daylight again.  I plan on bringing them out for a bit this week. 

Happy Spring!

RF