The next morning I have enough wits to figure out the Internet, we actually find a menu for that pizza place in a drawer, and I whip up some eggs for breakfast. After figuring out the nearest grocery, we head out. I’ll address this more later, but let’s just say that driving on the opposite side of the road is like trying to sign your name with your off hand – you can do it but it ain’t pretty.

We get to the store and, like always, look for what’s freshest. We pick up some lunch meat for the kids, a few veggies and such and notice that chicken is on sale. Great – the kids love it and I can bake it. But wait, there’s shrimp for $15 a kilo (like $7 a pound) so let’s go with that. The rental house has a few pots so I can boil them. A bit of ketchup, some pasta with garlic butter for the kids and I’m done. When we get back to the rental I decide to roam around the backyard and low-and-behold find, tucked in the back, a small gas grill! Hurrah! Now it’s olive oil, garlic, balsamic, and some pilfered rosemary from a neighbor’s bush grilled shrimp!

And as I start to cook the first shrimp I realize – I’ve moved all the way to Australia and the first thing I do is throw a shrimp on the barbie. Australia, I apologize. Now, does anyone have a good recipe for a blooming onion?

So I got in a car accident today. Nothing big, just a fender-bender. Essentially, a driver decided to do a 3-point turn right in front of me on a busy street. I didn’t realize it until it was too late. As I went around them, their backup lights came on. I watched them to see if they were going to hit me and when I turned back to the front, saw the car stopped in front of me. Crash!

So I do the whole trade info thing and within a few minutes (maybe 15) I’m back on the road. The driver was cool and didn’t call the cops. No one was hurt and the damage was minimal (two repaired bumpers for sure though). So I have lunch with the wife (which is where I was going) and then went to pick up the kids. Punkalicious (5 years old) was first. I told him all about the accident. Then I asked him whose fault it was. He, of course, said it was the driver doing the 3 point turn.

Now all you adults know that legally when you rear end someone it is your fault. Your only hope is that your stupidity will cause the person behind you to rear end you and then it is their fault. But ethically… morally… whose fault is it?

Mine.

I explained to my son – No one can “make” you do anything. Even if they put a gun to your head, they can’t “make” you do it (I didn’t use the gun analogy but you get the idea). All they can do is influence you, make it easier for you to do a thing. They either put pressure on you or release pressure from a different source. But they can’t make you do it.

When that person turned in front of me, they distracted me. Had I been paying better attention, had I slowed down a little more or any number of different things, the accident could have been avoided (maybe). But I didn’t. Therefore, it is still my fault. My responsibility. A discussion a bit heavy for a 5 year old? Maybe. But maybe it’ll pop up at some time in the future when he’s blaming his friends for making him break the rules.

I do want to make a few comments about pressure. Everyone understands the concept of peer pressure. You’ve felt it, you’ve maybe dealt it, it’s pretty easy to recognize. But relieving pressure is a way of influencing people too. A long time ago, I was dating a girl. I probably would have ended up marrying her if I hadn’t met this second girl. Girl #1 was “pressuring” me to conform, to become a little less rebellious and a little more socially acceptable. Girl #2 comes along and tells me that she likes me just the way I am and that I’ll never have to change. Goodbye Girl #1, hello Girl #2.

Fast forward a few years and Girl #2 is putting the same pressure to conform as Girl #1.

That offer to release the pressure to conform was enough to entice me to leave a perfectly good relationship for a very, very bad one. It took me years to get myself right and in the end, I did conform (mostly). But as much as I’d like to blame Girl #2 for ruining that part of my life, it was all me (in the end, it was for the best because I met Tanel and lived happily ever after but that’s another story). It was my selfishness that led me to that led me to that bad decision. Sure, she dangled the carrot but I had to reach out and take it.

A bit much for a 5 year old, yeah, sure. But better to hear it too early than not at all.

Just when you thought it OK to go outside… The brothers are proud but just learning the rules of the baby. We are definitely tired but it is great to be home. Look for a podcast update soon.

-Sent from my un-iPhone.

Little baby Oops at about 1 hour old. It’s a boy, 9lbs, 13.5 oz, 21.5 inches long. Scored 9.5 on the APGAR so he’s plenty healthy. More to come here and on Twitter.

Source – Me

INGREDIENTS

• Meat from four mangos
• 1/2 medium sized yellow onion chopped (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
• 1 small clove of garlic crushed
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of grated ginger
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of cilantro
• Salt
• Habanero (fresh) to taste

Chop the onion into small pieces about 1/8 to 1/4 inch square. Sauté with one clove of crushed garlic and a pinch of salt in butter over medium heat until translucent. Add to blender.

Blend until creamy.

Taste and adjust the salt. Add a few small slivers of habanero at a time until the heat is just right. It should taste a bit sweet up front but finish with a small kick. You can adjust the sweetness up or down with honey or more vinegar/pepper. When you are sure you have it just right, add a tablespoon or two of fresh cilantro. Buzz the blender until the cilantro is just barely broken up and distributed. IMPORTANT – Don’t overblend at this point or you will end up with a greenish sauce. You should have a nice yellow sauce with flecks of green cilantro in it. Should keep in the refrigerator for a number of weeks (depending on how much vinegar you used).

Source – http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/002046carne_asada.php

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds flank or skirt steak

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño or a few Serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced (I use more)
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed (best to lightly toast the seeds first, then grind them)
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons champagne or white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

METHOD
1) Lay the flank steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. (Or just shove the whole thing in a zip-top bag.) This makes for a wet but not voluminous marinade. Make sure all surfaces are well coated. The recipe calls for 1-4 hours but I usually do it at least overnight but sometimes two. Also consider adding lime zest for that extra kick.

2) Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thin they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

(Optional) Serve with warm tortillas (flour or corn). Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable. Alternatively, you can warm tortillas in a microwave: heating just one or two at a time, place tortillas on a paper towel and microwave them for 15 to 20 seconds each on high.

(Optional) Serve with pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa) and chopped avocados. I also add lettuce, grilled onions, grilled bell peppers, and pickled jalapeños.

Serves 4-6.

Salsa

Tomatoes – Let’s say 5 plum tomatoes or 3 regular sized ones
Onions – 1 medium
Garlic – 2-3 cloves
Cilantro – ½ bunch, fresh, mostly leaves (though stems are OK too if chopped fine)
Jalapeño – one half small fresh
Lime Juice – ½ to 1 fresh lime
Salt – to taste (be careful)
Pepper to taste

Chop/food process/blend/whatever all of the above. The salsa will be hotter if you leave in the pith of the jalapeño (white part where the seeds connect, never include the actual seeds) though fresh peppers are very unpredictable in their heat level. The only way to know for sure is to taste beforehand. Make sure you don’t make the salsa too salty as people will be dipping salty chips in it. Better a too little than too much.

Guacamole

Avocado – Let’s say 5
Tomatoes – one medium
Onions – one medium
Garlic – 2-3 cloves
Cilantro – ½ bunch, fresh, mostly leaves (though stems are OK too if chopped fine)
Jalapeño – one half small fresh
Lime Juice –1 fresh
Salt – to taste (be careful)
Pepper to taste

Scoop out the insides of the avocado and place in a bowl. Chop the rest by hand. Mix together. Remember what I said above about the jalapeños and salt. Also, that “if you add lime juice it won’t turn brown” is crap. It’ll turn brown. Just scrap off the brown part and discard. Air does it so a tall thin container is best.

1) It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know
If you knew nothing else about grad school than the application process, you’d probably still have a pretty good idea what it was like. Getting into grad school is often a function of how well you kiss up and who you know than it is of how well your record looks. If you do any research on getting into grad school, you’ll find oodles of recommendations to “contact professors.” What they don’t tell you is this can be the single most important step. If you’ve studied under a professor (and have a letter of recommendation from them) that is respected or at least known by the professors at the grad school, your chances of getting accepted go way up. Is it fair? Hell no.

On the flip side, if you spend your time communicating with and “impressing” a professor (i.e. sucking up), they very well may be able to shepherd your application though the committee. Often, especially at smaller programs, the professors will sit down together and make application decisions. What do you think a committee like that will do if one of them says they like a particular applicant? If they say, “I’ve been talking to this one and they seem really on the ball?” Yeah, it smacks of a good ol’ boy system to me too.

2) Time is relative
I’ve found that there are two types of graduate programs. The Masters programs tend to be the big money makers for the colleges. They rush a group of students through in 2 years (or else) and make sure they constantly have a new group coming in every year. While the group of Ph.D. students may be 4 or 5 each year, the Masters program may be 10x’s that or more! That’s a lot of revenue for a college. And remember all those Ph.D. applicants that didn’t make the cut because they didn’t know the right people? Guess what? They suddenly get the, “You’ve been accepted… but into the Masters program that you didn’t apply for” phone call. Of course this is code for, “We don’t want you in our program but we still want your money.”

The Ph.D. student, on the other hand, is on no such fast track for a degree. While estimates range from 4-6 years to get a Ph.D., it is not uncommon to see people invest far more time. I’ve personally known people that have worked for 8, 9, 10+ years all without receiving their degree. And they spend most of that time in ABD land. ABD=All But Dissertation. This is the horrible time after you’ve completed all your classes, testing, and oral and written exams. All you have left is to write and get your dissertation approved. So this is just the doctoral candidate burning out or slacking off right?

Wrong.

3) Grad School = High School
Remember the bullies in high school? Now imagine that they have the power over your life like a professor. Imagine that those bullies have tenure and couldn’t get fired if they tried. Imagine that they’ve just landed a big contract for the university. Now imagine that their ego is so big that they can barely fit through the double doors to the auditorium. These are grad school professors. These are the people that are making decisions about dissertations.

I’ve known more than one Ph.D. candidate that had a year or more worth of dissertation work (a dissertation plan that was approved by their adviser) just to have it all discarded out on a whim by the same adviser. Can you imagine the frustration? The rage? These are people that have poured their hearts and soul into research just to have someone say, “You know what you should do? Completely change everything and start over again.” This is not only a year or more of your life wasted but a year of future work lost plus all the fees you paid to the college. Who do you complain to? What is your recourse? Nothing, that’s what.

Even if you have a supportive adviser, most programs require that your dissertation be approved in a committee. That means that even if you find one of the few sane professors, you’re still going to have to get it past your committee (which can require you to make changes) and also defend it to the entire department. What does this teach you? The only thing I can think is it is showing you how to deal with the most demanding and insane clients – times 2. I’m not sure grad school is exactly where you should be learning that lesson.

4) Like to read? Grad school is your place
You’ve probably heard about all the reading you need to do in grad school – this is mostly true. I’ve found that reading load generally has an inverse relationship with the ability of the instructor. The better the instructor, the less they make you read (mostly because they know how to teach) and vise versa. One of my favorite grad school instructors required almost no reading but lots and lots of thinking. The better thinker you were, the better you did in his class.

That isn’t to say that the reading doesn’t have value – it does. But unless you are a character in one of those primetime crime dramas, you’re never going to be able to recall all that on command. It will be there in the back of your mind, however, to inform future thought. But again, paying what you do for grad school, should you really only get a reading list? With grad school costing upwards of $50k a year or more, I’d expect a bit more for my money.

5) An advanced degree can actually cost you a job
Many of the people who are looking to hire often come from the “bachelors is all you need” era. You’ll find that not only is your Masters or Ph.D. not appreciated, but can actually keep you from being hired. The fact is that the male ego is a fragile thing. There are more than a few people out there that won’t hire anyone that they see as a threat to their position. A Ph.D. or Masters may very well fast track you to that group.

6) The “Ivory Tower” isn’t what you think
One of the things you hear is that professors get insulated from the real world in their “Ivory Towers.” The thought is that it is all theory and no practice in the universities. Well, that may or may not be true, but I personally think that theory has its place. If they don’t do it at the universities, it’ll never happen. The problem is when you hire a professor to do a “real” job, they tend to over-complicate and bog down what could be a fairly simple job.

The truth is that the Ivory Tower is not full of theory, it’s full of ego. When a professor creates a theory, they tend to get ego-invested in it. God help them if they get the theory named after them. It’s a rare professor (nay, human) that honestly welcomes having the theory named after them refuted (usually by someone that names the new theory after themselves). So what they look for in students is someone that first believes in their theory and wants to do research with it and second believes that the ground that the professor walks on is hallow. In some cases I’m being facetious with that second point but you’d be surprised how often that is an apt description.

I’ve met a lot of different professors from the totally sweet and lovable to the blackest of the evil. To a one, they haven’t had a problem asking a student to redo a year or more of work. The difference seems to be the delivery of the news, not the content. And that’s the damnable part of it. The Ivory Tower isn’t about theory or practice, it’s about being out of touch with reality. The best analogy really is high school. The university system seems to be filled with a bunch of cheerleaders fighting over who gets to lead the cheer. And God help whoever gets in their way.

I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that have stories contrary to the bleak picture I paint. But for every one of those, I’m willing to bet that there are 5 or more of mine. I’ve known people that just couldn’t take getting screwed any more and gave up. I’ve known people that have taken a year or more off after having their research throw out. I’ve known people that had to fly across the country to meet with a professor that had for some reason refused to sign their dissertation even though it had been approved and defended successfully. This same lack of signature was about to get the Ph.D. candidate thrown out of the country, and they still had to fly across the country to get the required signature! And this person had come to this country to work with the professor because they were so well known in the field.

The university system in general and graduate school in particular is deeply flawed. Way too much power is in the hands of people who have absolutely no incentive to do what is right for their students. Professors at grad schools have only need to get tenure and to keep the grant dollars flowing in order to have near unquestioned autonomy. When a professor has just landed a multi-million dollar contract for the university, do you really think the administration is going to lean on them because some whiny grad student doesn’t want to redo their data for the third time?

There is no question that you receive training in graduate school. There is no question that said training helps you become better in your field. But there is a big question as to whether or not graduate school is the most effective vehicle for that training. For the amount of money you spend, you should have rights. You should have the education you deserve. Most of all, you shouldn’t be subjected to the whims of egomaniacal professors with near unchecked power. And my graduate school wonders why I refuse their requests for donations.

1) Planning, planning, planning…
Know what you have ahead of you each day. Is it going to be left-over night at the parents or a big dinner at a steakhouse? Make sure you don’t “waste” your calories on a big breakfast when you could have eaten more moderately in preparation for a planned dinner with friends. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t enjoy yourself or what you’re eating. My motto – Eat for flavor or eat for health. If you are gonna eat something specifically because it tastes good, don’t worry about the amount of butter or bacon in it. Just eat it and don’t stress it. One or two or three meals won’t negate your months of hard work. But if you’re going to eat for health, go all the way. You may prefer the fried version of whatever fast food is your poison but you know it all pretty much tastes like cardboard. Go grilled. If you’re making breakfast, have an omelet with three eggs but only one yoke. The flavor difference is minor but the calories are much less.

2) Subway is your friend (corollary – Fillers are Your Friend)
When I go to Subway (one of my favorite restaurants) don’t be afraid to ask for extra veggies. I’ve been to places that feel like iceberg lettuce is worth its weight in gold. When there are fillers that are low calories offered with a meal, get the max. When I’m at home, I try to snack on carrots as I’m cooking rather than nuts or cheese. It fills me up, it lets me eat, and most of all, it distracts me from other snacky foods. If I’m feeling especially hungry, I’ll make sure I have a salad with a meal, even if it is lunch. Fillers can be a great way of managing your appetite between meals. BTW, kimchee is totally light on calories which is something I’ve been doing lately. Now, keep a toothbrush handy as you won’t be making any friends…

3) Make good decisions
Don’t be a pain but take advantage of every opportunity to cut calories. Take Chic-fil-A (a fast food restaurant that serves primarily chicken) for example. They have a grilled and a fried chicken sandwich. According to their website – the difference? 150 calories (260 vs. 410). Diet Coke/Pepsi might taste like ass but it is calorie free (plus it has caffeine). If you’re into tea, limit the sugar since that is where all your calories are coming from. Same with coffee which has only 2 calories per 8 ounces. What about that sandwich? Do you need mayo, oil, and cheese on it? What really contributes the most to your eating pleasure? For me it is the oil. For Tanel it is the cheese. For you it might be the mayo. Whatever it is, have it but eliminate the rest. You’d be surprised how much some of those little things (butter, cream, sugar, mayo, etc) contribute to the overall calories of the stuff you eat. It’s little things that sometimes make all the difference.

4) Offer to cook
By now, you know what you need to eat to maintain/loose weight. What better way to ensure you stay on your diet than offering to cook? If cooking isn’t an option, always have a restaurant recommendation on hand. Seafood (see below) and restaurants with wider menus should offer you more choices. More choices equate to more options for lower calorie fare. But again, that doesn’t mean you need to look for the “healthy choice” label on the menu. Just order the 8oz over the 12oz or grilled vegies instead of fries. Sure, that twice-baked potato with all the fixins looks fantastic but it probably has more calories than the rest of your entire meal including the desert.

5) Seafood is your best friend
Pound for pound seafood is low in calories, averaging fewer than 30 an ounce (versus chicken at 40 and beef at 60). Plus, no one thinks you’re on a diet when you’re ordering shrimp cocktail or boiled crabs. Fish is generally as good or better (less calories) than chicken as well. If you’re at a restaurant and you need to keep the pounds off, order seafood. Of course, if you’re planning on dipping it in drawn butter, forget it, but ketchup or cocktail sauce makes for a very light meal. If you are going to sushi, you are set but don’t forget that sushi rice is 75 calories per ounce! That’s more than steak! Sashimi is your friend.

6) Thirsty?
A full stomach is a happy stomach and I don’t really think your stomach cares what it is full of. I normally drink a lot anyhow but now I drink water, coffee, tea, or diet soda. Calorie-wise, they are basically nothing (depending on how much sugar/cream you add) but it keeps my stomach (and my mind) off being hungry. Of course, now I have to pee as often as a pregnant woman but it’s the price you pay I suppose. Also, when drinking alcohol, pay attention to your mixers. Drink diet mixers when possible or light beers. All you Corona lovers, all light beer tastes about the same with a lime in it so grab some Miller 64 and knock that back. You’ll be able to drink two to one of other light beers (just about) and 3 to 1 of regular beers. If you’re going to drink high calorie beer, you should be drinking Guinness anyhow.

For me, eating isn’t a problem. These ideas aren’t meant to keep you from eating a healthy amount of calories a day. The idea is to ensure you don’t overeat when you don’t have complete control over your environment. A few smart decisions a day and you’ll find your weight gain over a vacation kept to a minimum while you are still able to enjoy the same foods your friends and family are. In the end, though, a week of over eating (or not eating as correctly as you have been) will only translate into 1-5lbs. If you don’t mind putting it on just to take it off again when you get back, go hog-wild. Sounds like a great vacation to me.

This is something I make on a regular basis (the sauce, not the sausage) and it is the “simple” version of my red gravy (spaghetti sauce). It will still take a few hours but compared to the “hard” version, it is a lot faster. The sausage was something I decided to do on a whim. It is a very mild sausage (though you could spice it up with more cayenne or perhaps some hot sauce or red pepper flakes) though tasty. It really works well with the red gravy. I personally like a bit of a bite to my red gravy hence the red wine vinegar. If you don’t, leave it out and it’ll be sweeter. You could even add more wine or maybe honey if that’s your thing. Let me know how it works out for you.

Tom’s “Simple” Red Gravy
Source – Me

Ingredients
5 16 oz cans Tomato Sauce
1 can Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
5 shallots or 1 large onion
5-7 cloves of garlic
Red Wine
1 can chicken stock/broth
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Tbsp dried basil
Tbsp dried oregano
Tsp dried thyme
1.5 Tbsp dried parsley
Water
Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Directions
Chop the shallot or onions into thin strips or small dice (as you like). Rough chop the garlic (I like it a bit thin but larger pieces). Sauté the shallots (or onions) and garlic in a large stock pot with a little salt and fresh ground pepper until soft (don’t brown). Add about a cup of red wine (or more, doesn’t matter). Cook until wine reduces and thickens slightly (when you run the spoon over the bottom of the pan it should stay visible for a second). Add the chicken stock, basil, oregano, and thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce by at least a third. Taste for seasoning and add salt/pepper if needed. It should be a little salty at this point. Add red wine vinegar. Bring to boil and cook until the acidic smell is gone and it isn’t to sharp on the tongue. Again, check for seasoning and add salt.

Add the tomato sauce and paste. The tomato paste will thicken the sauce pretty quickly depending on the size of the can. If it is still pretty watery, don’t add water. If it is thick, add some water until it is fairly thin. Bring to a simmer and reduce until thickens. This will probably take at least an hour though you can’t really overcook it. Once you make this sauce once, you’ll recognize the taste difference from when you add the tomato sauce and when it is done. You may need to add salt/pepper at the end. If you want to add any fresh herbs (parsley, basic, etc.) do it right before you serve. I do it in each individual bowl. Fresh herbs loose their flavor quickly under heat so it is best to do it at the end. If you are going to add meat, do it once you are sure the flavor of the sauce is right.

Sun Dried Tomato Sausage
Source – me

Ingredients
1 lb Ground pork
1 lb Ground lamb
1 lb Ground beef
1 tsp Fennel Seed
20 Coriander seeds (whole)
10 Allspice berries (whole)
1/4 – 1 tsp Cayenne pepper (ground)
1/2 large onion grated
1 Tbsp – 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
8 oz bottle of julienned sun dried tomatoes in oil
2 tsp grated ginger
Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 head (10-15 cloves) of roasted garlic
2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley chopped fine

Directions
You can buy ground lamb/pork/beef if you want. Make sure the beef and lamb have a bit of fat (don’t get the lean stuff). I grind my own using lamb shoulder, pork loin (the dark side), and beef chuck roast. If you grind your own, you could substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for pork (I wouldn’t get the store-bought ground chicken because it is probably too lean). I just shove the roasted garlic in the grinder but if you buy the pre-ground stuff, you’ll have to mash up the roasted garlic. Toast the fennel, allspice, and coriander in a pan until fragrant and grind until well chopped but not completely turned to dust. Grate the onion with a cheese grater. Do the same with the ginger (freeze it first – I keep mine in the freezer and just grate it as necessary). Dice the julienned sun dried tomatoes and dice them up pretty fine. Reserve the oil.

In a large bowl (I put my bowl inside of a larger bowl with ice in between – sausage hates heat until it is time to cook) add all the ingredients and mix well. If the mix is a little dry, add some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes. Make a small patty and cook. Taste and adjust seasoning.

For adding to Red Gravy (spaghetti sauce) – You could theoretically make meatballs out of it but I like to brown it in a pan keeping it as much as possible in a marble-sized pieces. I drain the oil and add it when the gravy is done. You could easily add the entire recipe to the above sauce but I wouldn’t add any less than two-thirds (two pounds) of the sausage.

Note – I don’t have the attachment to the mixer that stuffs the sausage into the casing. If you do, use it. If not and you still want that “sausage” look, roll it up in wax paper and freeze for an hour or so. Then you can slice it into rounds and sauté or grill it. It will fall apart after it is cooked but if you are careful, you can keep it mostly in one piece.

Roasted Garlic
Source – me (though I’m sure I didn’t invent this)

Ingredients
Garlic (fresh)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Aluminum foil

Directions
Take piece of aluminum foil and form it into a cup that the garlic will sit in upside down (so that the root end is up). Form it right around the head of garlic. Remove the garlic and cut off the root end making sure to cut through all the cloves. Put the garlic back in its foil cup. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees until the garlic starts to brown and the cloves push up out of the paper.

When the garlic is looking really fresh at the market, I buy a bunch and roast them all. For storage, just remove the cloves from the peel and put them in a bottle. Cover with extra virgin olive oil and store in the fridge. Don’t worry if the oil gets cloudy – that’s normal because of the cold. Once the oil warms up to room temp, it will look (and taste) normal again.

1) I feel fatter now than when I was actually fat.

Back when I was young and svelte, I never noticed my stomach. When I got fat, I tried to ignore it. Now that I’ve lost weight, I can’t seem to stop noticing it. I swear, I feel fatter now than I did when I was 25% heavier. My stomach feels like it is still 40lbs heavier and weighing on me all the time. How can that be? It’s got to be some sort of psychological fixation thing.

2) I’m cold all the damn time.

Honestly, I thought this was a guy versus girl thing. I thought guys were supposed to be hot all the time and women were supposed to come to bed with ice cubes as feet and use our backs to warm them up. Apparently, not so. Since I’ve lost weight, I’ve completely lost my ability to cope with the cold. I’m always grabbing blankets during TV hours, I find that I need to wear sweatshirts all the time, and I’m constantly checking the thermostat to see if the kids adjusted it (not they they could reach it). At this point, I feel like I should put on a dress and call myself Shirley I complain about the cold so much.

3) Don’t kid yourself about the energy thing.

People love to say that they’ve got more energy since they’ve lost weight – what a crock of crap. I can buy that if they are losing weight by working out but honestly, think about it. If you are consuming less calories than you are using, then you are in a state of deficiency. By definition you don’t have enough fuel to run the engine of your body so it is forced to consume the reserves you’ve built up (aka – fat). How does that translate into “having more energy?”

More likely, it is a combination of two things. First, you’re carrying around less weight. When moving around, it’s a bit easier to go longer without getting winded. The most obvious example is stairs. Second, and in my opinion more significantly, people think they should have more energy. That’s all they hear from the people on TV or the personal trainers… “Lose weight and you’ll have all this energy!” It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Well, I don’t buy it. At least not for me. I’ve lost nearly the weight of my oldest son (who I wouldn’t want to carry around for an hour much less all the time) and I’m sleeping better and falling asleep more quickly than ever before. I want to take as many naps, I don’t have any extra spring in my step, and overall, I feel about the same. Just smaller.

4) Keeping it off sucks

They say (by “they” I mean Tanel) that you haven’t actually lost the weight until you kept it off for a year. I can totally buy that. Losing it wasn’t that bad but keeping it off is the pits. When I’m at parties or just out, I’m always doing the caloric math in my head. Invariably, at some point I’ll lose track and then just wander around willy-nilly wondering if I’ve eaten myself back into my 36″ waist jeans. Maybe I’ll get to the point where I’ll just be able to “know” when I’ve had enough but so far I’m not there yet. Right now I’m at the “Oh my GOD! Are those Cool Ranch Doritos?!?!?!?!?!?” stage. Chips. My kryptonite.

5) No one notices

I’ve lost over 40 pounds. I was at my heaviest 205 so that is nearly a quarter of me. Thats a lot. That’s like losing a leg and part of an arm. People should notice that.

They don’t.

Now it doesn’t help that I’ve grown my hair out at the same time so I think they can’t figure out if it is just the hair or if it is more. But damn, people, 40lbs! If growing your locks out a few inches could distract from 40lbs we’d all look like ZZ Top and I’d have a feed bag full of Cool Ranch Doritos strapped to my face.

I’ve run into a few people that have noticed and remarked that I shouldn’t lose any more weight. Excuse me? Is that your idea of encouragement? I’ve got two reasons why I know such people are wrong. First, there isn’t a chart/website/doctor in the world that will tell you that I’ve hit the ideal weight for my size and build. I just haven’t. I may be at the upper end of some of the ranges but that’s about it. I’m about 10-15lbs away from the middle/lower end of the ideal weight range. But second, and more importantly, I know from personal experience my ideal weight. Now I’m not talking about from my high school/college days or anything. I’m talking recently.

Right before we got married, Tanel and I traveled the world. I spent 3.5 months in foreign countries, mostly without a car, getting food poisoning and walking everywhere. I got hours of exercise a day and ate whatever I wanted. By the end, I was fit, trim, and about 150 pounds. That, friends, is my ideal weight. So whatever you are trying to say when you say I don’t need to lose any more, what I’m hearing is “Don’t get anorexic on us.” Um, did you forget I was once fat? Did you think that I just stopped liking food? Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. I love food. Hell, I cook all the food in this house (well, most). I’m one bad bacon binge from gaining all that weight back. So don’t worry, I won’t be wasting away any time soon.

Now, I’m off to see if I can find a bag of Doritos anywhere in this house. Or bacon. Or bacon wrapped Doritios. Or pretty much anything fried, crispy, or has pork fat incorporated into it.

By request – here is a before and after shot.

        
Before                    After

Source: Me

INGREDIENTS
1 Lbs Pork – 1 Inch Cubes (Pork Loin or Boston Butt)
1.5 Tbsp Sugar
1.5 Tbsp Salt
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1-2 Lemons
1/2 Bunch of Cilantro – Chopped Fine
2 Cups water
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1-3 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1-3 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2-4 Chopped Fresh Serrano or Jalapeño Peppers (Optional)

Thai Basil with Chicken

Source: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/baschi.html

• 2-3 Tbs. peanut oil for stir-frying
• 10-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I use a whole head)
• 2-3 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with 1/2 cup sliced onion) – optional
• 1-2 Red Bell Peppers thinly sliced
• 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped, or cut into small bite-size pieces (breast is fine though the texture isn’t quite as good)
• 12-20 Thai chillies (prik kee noo), cut into very thin rounds; or substitute 4-6 serrano, jalapeño or fresno peppers, cut into large slivers with seeds
• 2 small kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-gkrood), very finely slivered (optional)
• 2-3 tsp. black soy sauce (the semi-sweet kind), or to taste
• 2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam bplah), or to taste
• 1 cup fresh Thai holy basil (bai gka-prow), or Thai sweet basil (bai horapa) leaves and flower buds; or use 1/4 cup dried holy basil, soaked to soften plus 1/2 to 1 cup fresh Thai sweet basil (bai horapa)
• Dash of ground white pepper

Prepare the ingredients as instructed. Leave the fresh basil leaves whole; the flower buds may also be used. The dried holy basil will soften when soaked in tap water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pull off and discard the hard stems. Drain.

Heat a wok until its surface is smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface.
Wait a few seconds for the oil to heat, then stir in the garlic, followed a few seconds later with the shallots or onion.
Stir another 15 to 20 seconds before adding the red bell pepper.
Stir another 15-30 seconds and add the chicken.
Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the chicken has changed color on the outside and is no longer pink.
Toss in the chillies, slivered kaffir lime leaves (if using), and softened dried holy basil (if using). Sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for another 15 to 20 seconds.
Season to taste with fish sauce, then stir in the fresh basil.
Toss well. Stir-fry another 1/2 to 1 minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken cooked through.
Sprinkle with white pepper.
Stir and transfer to a serving dish, or spoon directly over individual plates of plain steamed rice.

Serves 6 to 8 with other dishes in a shared family-style meal.

Tom’s Notes – I’ve done this recipe three times and haven’t measured anything and I’ve never added too much or too little of anything so don’t sweat the amounts. Just eyeball it. The only thing I’d say is don’t skimp on the Thai basil – it’s the major flavor and as far as I can tell, you can’t have too much. (FYI – I have no idea with “holy” basil is – I’ve only ever used Thai basil. It has a normal basil looking leaf but with a purple stem. It has an anise (black licorice) like flavor with a bit of heat and a bit of sweet.) I never could find the kaffir leaves in town so I’ve left them out. From the original recipe, I’ve added some red bell peppers but you could add other vegis as well. Just make sure you add them at the right time (depending on how long they take to cook). As far as I’m concerned, the shallots are NOT optional. I’ve forgotten to add the white pepper at the end and it hasn’t affected the flavor too much. I’d suggest cutting the chicken as small as possible (you could use ground if you want) as it cooks faster and gives you a better sauce to chicken ratio.

When you add the fish sauce, you’re going to think you’ve done something horribly, horribly wrong. You haven’t, it just smells like ass. Once it cooks for a bit, it’ll start smelling right (the Thai basil leaves will help with this as well). Note – the other site says you can use any kind of fresh basil but I think they mean any kind of fresh Thai basil (there are more than one type). I’m not convinced it would be a good idea to use Italian basil. For the garlic, I just use a whole head. I mince it by hand but if you are using the bottled stuff, I’d estimate it is about 1-2 tablespoons. Just remember that at the beginning to keep the stuff moving. If you burn that garlic, it is all over and you’ll have to start again.

As far as the heat – this is a hot recipe. Now, understand that I use all the recommended chilies plus some. I guess you could leave them out if you wanted but I’d suggest at least one or two. It is Thai food after all – it’s supposed to be a little hot. Over all, the flavor of this recipe is outstanding and it goes great over rice or noodles. I love this stuff and you probably will too. It actually takes a lot longer to prep the vegis than it does the cook the dish. Just cut the stuff up before hand and stick it in the fridge for dinner. I like to place everything out on the counter in a row in the order they go in the pan. That way I have have about a 75% less chance of fucking something up. Enjoy.

Source – Morris Darby

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp honey
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (just the leaves)
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
1 lb meat (cubed) optional – lamb, stew beef, chicken, or pork
2 med. sized sweet potatoes (diced)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can quartered artichokes
½ cup black olives (sliced and rinsed)
2 cups chicken stock or broth (best to have more on hand just in case)

Add first three ingredients to stew pot on medium heat, sweat until clear.
Add spices and about a ½ cup chicken stock, mix together.
Add meat here if desired and sauté until a little brown.
Add the vegetables and rest of stock/broth. Salt and pepper to taste.
Let stew come to boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Served best over rice, but can be served alone.

Wonderful aroma and rich in vitamins.

Note: Give it a little kick and add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Source – http://www.soupsong.com/rpotato5.html

INGREDIENTS
3 large leeks, white parts only, washed well and sliced thinly
2 Tablespoons butter
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly (note – equal portions potato and leek)
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup whipping cream

Garnish: chopped chives

Return to the saucepan, add the milk and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, stir in the cream, adjust for seasoning (cold soups should be slightly over-seasoned), and chill overnight.

When ready to serve, ladle into bowls (nested glass cups with ice would be nice) and sprinkle with chopped fresh chives.

If you’re in to webcomics (and if not, you should be), check out Dr. McNinja. He’s a Doctor, he’s a Ninja, if he were real, he’d be my doctor. Funny, really well drawn, and now, in color!

Stick figures more your thing? Check out xkcd. Math humor that will have you googling at least once a week to “get” it. Funny, interesting, and sometimes poignant.

Want something a bit more professional? Try Zuda. Created by DC Comics, they hold monthly competitions between 10 different comics – the most votes gets a 60 page run. Entrants get 8 pages to make their case. Very, very interesting. Sadly, many great concepts get left by the wayside.

Perhaps you’re too cool to read a webcomic… check out John Dies at the End. It’s a comedic horror novel. I personally think it is uber-cool. The entire book can be read online but I suggest you buy it when you can. It is currently out of print (you might find a copy at your local Borders – I did) but pick it up when you can. I bought it and re-read it before I could justify reading the sequal online.

Maybe you just like to play games. When I get the urge, I visit Jay is Games. I’ve found such gems as Fancy Pants Adventures, Grow, and much more.

Maybe you just want to laugh. Well, if you have a sense of humor and a tolerance of juvenile humor, check out Real Ultimate Power. To see how NOT to react to an obvious troll, read the hatemail page. Pure awsomeness. I liked this site so much I bought the book.

Got a cool time waster? Let me know.

Source – http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_20358,00.html

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups diced onions
Small pad of unsalted butter (just enough to get the onions started)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
splash of Madeira or Marsala
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I picked this one as my first recipe to post because it actually has measurements. Most of my stuff just has ingredients.

Source Tacos and Sauce – http://home.pacbell.net/macknet/fishtaco.html
Source Slaw – http://www.recipezaar.com/107477

INGREDIENTS

Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer

Sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

The Rest
1 quart oil for frying
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas

1. To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don’t worry about a few lumps).
2. To make white sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeño, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.
3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.

Slaw
A nice, refreshing topping for your tacos. Adds a bit of tang, sweetness, and cool crunch.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 green cabbage
1/4 cup chopped white onions
1/4 cup chopped English cucumbers
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juice of
salt and pepper

My blogger blog has been mostly dead for a long time now. I occasionally feel like posting but never get around to it. I’m going to start posting here instead (when I feel like it). Mostly, I’ve decided to put some of my recipes up here as well as some thought from time to time. Look for that in the future.