Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

Welcome...to Jurassic Park. ::music plays::

Smokey skies....

That bat came back. This time it's in the car!

I've seen a few posts from friends talking about how it's getting harder and harder to relate to the younger generations. I worry about that myself a lot.

I don't think I've lost touch with younger generations, but the divide is there. But I do make the effort to keep in touch. Not by watching the latest shows, or listening to the latest music (although I tend to do the music thing), but by just talking and listening. And learning, specifically.

In becoming a "trans elder," something I'm trying hard to do is to allow myself to listen and learn from the younger folk. I don't want to end up like the folks in Boulton and Park who, when faced with an 18 year old in 1992, gave advice that was fine for a transwoman living in 1972.

It's not that I want to be a forty year old teenager walking around and saying "How do you do, fellow kids?" I just don't want to be the stuffy person giving bad advice to our younger folk who actually know better than me, learn from our younger folks, and be aware of the world around me as it is, and not as I remember. I may have the wisdom but they're living in the now, which is much different.

Also, I want to be the 2050s version of that awesome 1980s grandma who listened to death metal and genuinely enjoyed it.

Looks like we're going to get the worst of the smoke at 3 to 4AM. Just as I go to bed. We definitately had a smoke sunset, and the moon is blood red. I was smelling smoke when I left the girls' house this evening....

I'm gonna tell my kids this was The Borg.

Will it break 90 in the house?

It's hotter inside my house than outside:

Just walked past a window and got blasted with heat.

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Keema Curry

Oooh, this is a nice take on the Carne Picada I make. In fact, next time I make this, I'm adding some potatoes, as that would make this absolutely perfect for an Indian flavored version of Carne Picada.

# Keema Curry

Personal Trainer: Cooking

1.875 pound ground beef
1.5 large onions
2.0 pieces ginger root
6.0 cloves garlic
6.0 oz green peas (frozen)
3.0 tbsps cooking oil
1.25 cups tomato puree
1.0 tbsp salt
3.75 cups water
1.5 tsps turmeric powder
1.0 tbsp corriander
2.0 tbsps cumin
0.75 tsp chili powder

1 - First, peel the onion.
2 - Finely chop the peeled onion.
3 - Next, peel the ginger.
4 - Finely chop the peeled ginger.
5 - Now peel the garlic.
6 - Finely chop the peeled garlic.
7 - Heat the cooking oil in the frying pan over low heat.
8 - Sauté the onion gently over low heat until golden brown.
9 - Add the ground beef, ginger and garlic, then increase to moderate heat.
10 - Brown the ground beef, stirring it with a wooden spoon until it's broken up and no lumps remain.
11 - Add the tomato purée and the green peas.
12 - Pour in the water and stir well.
13 - Next, add the turmeric.
14 - Add the coriander.
15 - No add the ground cumin and salt.
16 - Add the chili powder and mix well.
17 - Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

Starting a Sunday off right. Wish I had some chopped onions and real salsa, but hot sauce works in a pinch.

I wonder if I could make that Gochujang Chicken Burger. Frying the chicken isn't a problem, it's finguring out how to make the Gochujang glaze myself....

Ten years I've been here and I've never felt an earthquake. And this one was down the street....

I wonder why that bat keeps hanging around outside my window....oh....

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

After a week of regrettable food, and a week of birthday indulgence, it's time to (1) get back on the diet and (2) eat something tasty.

This delivered. :9

# Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking

4.0 oz hot italian sausage
1.0 cup roasted red peppers (jarred)
6.0 cloves garlic
1.5 pounds broccoli
2.0 oz pecorino romano
0.5 cup water (brocolli)
1.0 pound orecchiette
1.0 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
0.5 tsp salt (brocolli)
1.0 tbsp salt (pasta)
4.0 quarts water (pasta)
0.5 cup pasta water (measurement)

1 - Squeeze the meat out of the casings and discard the casings.
2 - Rinse the roasted peppers and then cut then into thin strips.
3 - Use the side of a chef's knife to gently crush the clove. The skin should slip right off.
4 - Once the garlic has been peeled, we like to use a garlic press to mince it. A garlic press ensures that the pieces will be very fine.
5 - Place the head of the broccoli upside down on a cutting board and cut off the florets.
6 - Slice the larger florets into 1-inch pieces by slicing them through the stem.
7 - Square the stalks by cutting away the tough outer 1/8th inch from each side.
8 - Slice the trimmed stalks into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
9 - Grate the cheese on a rasp grater. The small sharp holes work well on hard cheese.
10 - Bring the water for the pasta to a boil in a large pot for the pasta.
11 - Cook the sausage in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces until browned, about 5 minutes.
12 - Stir in the roasted red peppers and the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
13 - Stir in the broccoli, salt for the broccoli and water.
14 - Increase the heat to high, cover the skillet and cook until the broccoli begins to turn bright green, about 2 minutes.
15 - Uncover and keep cooking, stirring frequently until the liquid's evaporated and the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes longer.
16 - When the water is boiling, stir in the pasta water salt and the orecchiette. Cook, stirring often, until almost tender but a little firm.
17 - Reserve the amount of pasta water listed, then drain the orecchiette and return it to the pot.
18 - Stir in the sausage and brocolli mix, Pecorino Romano, and olive oil, and toss to coat. Add reseved water to loosen the sauce.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

Thoughts Before Bed:

I didn't think cheese and chocolate would be a flavor combination I'd enjoy, but after 2020, all bets are off.

We had a visitor the other day. Animal Control wouldn't take him, and King County wouldn't either as long as he wasn't on the ground. So I named him Charlie. He hissed at me.

Once I came back from Canada, he dissapeared. Which I'm okay with as I'm allergic to rabies.

"Ah, good morning Jenn...I hope for a restful and slow day today and--"
::YOU HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT YOU FORGOT ABOUT::

And finally, the one thing I wanted to pick up on the way home, which is why I left Canada earlier than normal. Tin Roof Ice Cream from Edaleen Dairy, my favorite ice cream. :9

With the sheer amount of snacks and chips and candies and my food restrictions, I'm going to be set for snacks for a LONG LONG LONG time.