Success, Denial of Self, a Clean Kitchen, and Books

[holdouttrout]

I figure today might be a good day to talk a little about my offline life, considering it has been one of my most relaxing Saturdays in recent history.

Recent Successes:

1. Although going into work early and staying late on Thursday wasn't my idea of fun, it did allow me to have a pleasantly busy (not hellish) Friday in which I got CAUGHT UP. I love it when that happens.

2. I cooked vegetarian chili today (for the chili cook-off tomorrow) and despite a rather unfortunate incident involving tomatoes and my shirt, I now have (hopefully) award-winning vegetarian chili.

3. I fit all of the chili AND the previous occupants of the fridge into the fridge.

4. I found two possible recipes to help my use my still-good-but-not-good-enough-to-eat-plain cottage cheese and shall try one of them tomorrow.

5. I forgot to renew a library book last night, but it turns out that you can still renew on the date it's due! I love my library.

Denial of Self involves NOT watching the new Sanctuary episode, even though I really want to… I'm going to use this windfall to practice patience (hah) and also be able to watch on the actual night it airs rather than the next day! I'm so excited!

My Clean Kitchen probably isn't exciting to anyone except me, but after using half of the items in the kitchen to make chili, a clean kitchen is close to a miracle.

As for Books, I took a short break from reading Sherlock Holmes mysteries (which are still charming my socks off) and read One Con Glory, by Sarah Kuhn, which is a fun, frivolous, fanficcy novel about a journalist covering the con circuit who accidentally falls for the pretty boy star of a TV show based off her childhood comic-book fandom. The book is quite short, and was an absolute riot.

I also read a romance novel that didn't make me want to cite the protagonists for stupidity: Unveiled, by Courtney Milan. I mean, they sometimes acted stupidly, but it was in-character stupidity.

Now I just need to fold my (clean) laundry.

Comments

[thothmes]

I've made enough large recipes or dinners in my lifetime that the fact that you achieved #3 seems like a terribly exciting accomplishment of which you should be exceeding proud. Congratulations!

I'm envious of the Clean Kitchen. My 15 year old has the dishes as her chore, and of late she's been starting a full load, and then declaring that the cycle is so long that she can't finish the rest, and toddles off to bed. I remember the Clean Kitchen. I hope to see it again someday!

[holdouttrout]

Hee! I'm quite excited to have it to share today... and it's a large batch, too, so hopefully everyone will be able to eat it. :)

Clean Kitchens are awesome! I am trying to clean it to a relatively pristine state every night before bed... it really improves the next morning to have it clean and ready. Maybe you need to chain your 15-y-o to the sink or something. ;-)

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

I gave that whole "denial of self" thing a moment of thought...and then remembered that I had to post the newsletter tonight, and decided to go for it. But I admire your strength of...something or other. ;)

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

It's really more about... well, it's about my own quirks rather than a true denial of self. *g* And yeah, I think having seen it before doing the newsletter makes perfect sense. Spoilers ahoy!

[gabolange.livejournal.com]

I did not watch the new episode of Sanctuary. I think I might have, if it was still available to purchase on iTunes or whatnot, but I have lately been somewhat attached to the idea of coming by my television legitimately. Or something. And I'm weird? But good things come to those who wait! :)

If you wouldn't mind sharing, what is the recipe you use for award-winning vegetarian chili?

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of coming by things legitimately, too. I kinda got away from that for a while, but I have been trying to move that way. However, I actually do HAVE the ep, considering it downloaded automatically...

The recipe I used was this one (http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/the-best-vegetarian-chili-in-the-world/Detail.aspx). I used a little bit less tomatoes than called for as well as less veggie crumbles, but other than that I pretty much followed it exactly. I tasted a bit and thought it was pretty good, so we'll see!

[gabolange.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have cable so I don't do the season pass, which means that I'd have to get the episode from a MegaUpload site or something like that. I think if I were in your shoes, I'd be much more likely to watch it . . . but this way, I'm actually surprised at how not tempted I am.

And that chili looks yummy! *bookmarks*

[sholio]

... new Sanctuary ep? what what? Is there a leaked episode? *ears perk*

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

iTunes leaked it early. I'm not sure if it's still available on there or not. I have a season pass, so it downloaded automatically for me.

[sholio]

Aww, drat -- they seem to have figured it out, 'cause it's not there now. Oh well -- thank you! :) I guess I'll just have to suffer and watch it along with the rest of the world. *g*

[aquarius-1977.livejournal.com]

*high-fives you*

Question: if the chili is vegetarian, what do you put in there instead of meat?

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

This chili is made with the usual veggies (tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, etc), beans, and veggie meat crumbles, but I've seen chili that skips the fake meat altogether.