Cooking Spree

 So this last week hasn't been so great after ice fishing. The machinist had a major surgery to clear up the blockage in his femoral artery and I just learned Friday that he will be out the next two weeks. Work was pretty boring, going through the paperwork and writing documents. I plan on doing some prep work machining this coming week. Anyways, I have been thinking a lot about comfort food and most of the dishes I have been making lately are things I remember having or making at some point:

Scalloped Potatoes (CO) with Tiff and Davis
Memphis Rub Pork (NY/CT) with Noel, Tiff, and Davis
Some Kind of Lamb Shanks (CO) with Tiff's In-Laws
Sausage Medley (CO) with Tiff's In-Laws
Scrambled Eggs Vic's Style (SF) the one thing I remember my sister request of me growing up
Baked Brussel Sprouts (SF) with Mom and Dad
 Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (CO) with Tiff and Davis

Things I still want to make:
Fried Rice ( New Shanghai in Daly City, but they closed down :( )
Oily Noodles (Literal translation of a traditional burmese dish)

White onions, red bell pepper, olives, spinach, mushroom, sausage

Yummy, fluffy, buttery, eggs

It was all eaten up before noon at work when I brought it in the next day

My banana chocolate bread, scrambled eggs, and delicious stir fried sausage with vegetable medley

I had to suffocate my smoke detector so the building fire alarm wouldn't go off...

I had to pry it off..

I burned my laundry card on the stove top

Japanese food is good in Chicago compared to Chinese food :)

Mustard Rosemary Lamb and Baked Asparagus

Delicious!

Had some leftover scalloped potatoes

Ice Fishing in Wisconsin

Fireside Lake near Lake Wissota, Chippewa, WI and Potato Lake:

This weekend I was invited by my coworker the machinist to join his family and friends up in Wisconsin at their cabin for ice fishing! It was a lot of fun. I had the futon by the wood burning oven which was the warmest place in the cabin. As I spent time with their family and friends I heard lots of stories about the 50s, 60s, and 70s in Chicago. These folks have been friends growing up in Berwyn in Illinois when the Mafia was around. Now, these people are in their 60s and still hanging out doing things they love and reminiscing about the past like it was yesterday. I was very grateful I got to hear what life was like back then because honestly, I think being alive during their time would have been the most interesting century you could spend on this earth. It was when industrialization was under way through today's computerized, technological age.

Spending time seeing how these couples interact, and how friendship can last for a lifetime, made me think more about the things I want to have in my own life. Friendships that last a lifetime, and to love someone despite knowing their flaws and shortcomings. Even though it can be frustrating, they always manage to communicate, forgive, apologize, and want to talk to each other. Their marriages have ups and downs everyday, and it seems that 80% of the time it is great, while 20% of the time it is drive each other crazy or up a wall. I am very grateful that they were very welcoming, and I hope I get a chance to hang out with them again. I had a lot of conversations I don't think I could have at work with the machinist about work, and I got to ask the older folks about marriage and love and friendship. It was very insightful.

Frozen Potato Lake- I can't believe I was standing on it.

You can drive on the ice lake and park there.

Scenic shot

Shoveling snow after drilling holes in the ice for fishing.

My first keep! It was a Crappie fish!

Fish I caught next to my boot.

My crappie.

I think my crappie was the prettiest.. compared to the other two that were caught.

Barbara's Birthday Cake!

Carol and Hank's Wife Linda

I didn't get the money shot :(

Carol, Linda, Barbara, Hank, and Jerry

Take two!

I am in there too!

See!

Day two of fishing! the catch was better...

Setting up/ packing up gear.

I caught a perch day two. It's the tiny fish in the middle.

New Friends in The City of Wind

Life is getting better each day here in Chicago. It is starting to feel like a place where I can live again. I made some new friends, two in particular, who make my days better. Work is still a scary battlefield, and I am seeing more scary things happen, but I am keeping busy outside of work trying new things, hanging out with people, being semi-productive.

I have been in Chicago for about 5 months now and managed to lose 10lbs in that time. It is mainly because my kitchen is small that I don't enjoy cooking lots of stuff, and because I don't know where are good places to eat outside. I therefore have been increasing my vegetable and fruit intake and decreasing my grain intake. I am not trying to follow a diet of any sort because I haven't looked into any of it. It just so happens to by my own preference. On top of that, I like stopping by the gym for a swim class and a good run on the treadmill.

I have new goals that I think are pretty defined and have been doing my best to keep to it.

1. Decrease time spent on the computer. Dedicate 1 day to just reading, 1 day to artistic projects, or combine the two in one day.
2. Drecrease watching tv show. That was easier that I expected.
3. Experience new things.
4. Seek professional help to work on things that are issues deeply ingrained in me.
5. Spend more time with Flavio and Akiyo :)

Here is Akiyo at Intelligentsia. She is really pretty!

Machiato?

I like brussel sprouts so I baked some and then made some pasta.

More brussel sprouts and potstickers

A cartoon gig