Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

I love you Andrew of Binging with Babish, but being sponsored by Hogwarts Legacy. Ouch.

I wasn't feeling well this morning, but it passed fairly quickly. Now just before I get ready for bed, I'm feeling nauseous again.

I kinda hate this, because it would happen to me all the time as a kid. I was sick with something in the morning, but I'd feel good enough after a half hour, I'd have to go school. Then I'd feel bad again just before bed.

I never had time to do cool stuff because I was always working. Now that I'm not working I can't do the cool stuff I have time for cause I'm rationing money.

That time of year again where I say "it's time to charge all the rechargeable batteries in the house" and other people say "I think you have a problem, Jenn."

Okay, I screwed up last night's "Music Before Bed" so it's time I posted it right. IT'S THAT IMPORTANT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0_udnkCNWQ&t=287s

Last Boost: Mom and I still have our challenges. A lot of them. But she's come around. It's a lot of work from both sides (and there's more work to be done - lots more), but it's happening.

Huh. Maybe this is the make-up routine that would work for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Zhcefsc48

METEOROLOGISTS!

When you say "Westerly winds" do you mean wings going to our coming from the west?

Woke up today after a twelve hour sleep, head pounding, body feeling like I ran a race and the left side of my face feeling like my sinuses have invaded their neighbors.

Not sure if I caught something or just over did it last night, but hopefully lots of water will fix me me up. If I'm still feeling bad before bed, Covid test....

Music Before Bed:

Please enjoy this earworm....

https://youtu.be/Q0_udnkCNWQ

This isn't a restaurant in the far reaches of the Texas Hill Country, it's the setting for an anime that takes place in the far reaches of the Texas Hill Country....

https://goo.gl/maps/2gELW56jpgUnr1nx7

It's funny how my handwriting has changed post transition. I didn't change it on purpose, but it's morphed over the years. I really slice the downstroke on the t, and something you don't see here is I really hook the crook on the letter "f."

It's kinda cartoony, but kinda cute, too.

Silly Jenn Fact: In high school, Steph decided my handwriting was so unfeminine, she made me practice writing like a girl. It didn't take at the time. Maybe it did decades later?

This Week's Meals (4/4): Chinese Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Yeah. This...I've had better. It's not BAD, but it's far more spicy than sweet, and certainly not sour. I have better recipes for this that I'll use moving forward....

Title: Chinese Sweet-And-Sour Pork
Yield: 7 servings
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: 3/5 stars
Source: The Ultimate Chinese & Asian Cookbook

---
Ingredients
---
12 ounces pork
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp dry sherry
4 oz bamboo shoots
2 tbsp flour
1 whole egg (beaten)
vegetable oil (deep frying)
1 tbsp vegetable oil (sauce)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
1 whole scallion (cut into short sections)
1 whole green bell pepper (seeded)(diced)
1 whole fresh red chili (cut into fine strips)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup water

---
Instructions
---

1 - Cut the pork into bite-sized cubes. Place the cubes in a shallow
dish.
2 - Add the salt, peppercorns and sherry to the dish. Marinate for 15
minutes.
3 - Dust the pork with flour, dip into beaten egg, then coat with more
flour.
4 - Heat the oil in a large preheated pan and deep fry the pork in
moderately hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring to keep the pieces
seperated.
5 - Remove the pork and drain.
6 - Reheat the oil and return the pork to the pan now with the bamboo
shoots.
7 - Fry for 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove and drain well.
8 - To make the sauce, heat the oil for the sauce in a clean frying
pan and add the garlic, scallions, green bell pepper and red chili.
9 - Stir-fry for 30-40 seconds, then add the soy sauce, brown sugar,
rice vinegar, tomato paste, and the water.
10 - Bring to a boil and then add the pork and bamboo shoots.
11 - Heat through and stir to mix.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

::looks up from cooking::

HOW IS IT 2AM?!

Given what happened to the comal (currently still in Intensive Care with Lissa), I've become wary of using my "working heirlooms," but this fourth generation cook needs to grind some Szechuan peppercorns.