Geek Tattoos

So last night I got a new tattoo. It's one I have been thinking about for awhile. A Harry Potter/ Hunger Games mashup, inspired by ones I found online and brought to life by the awesome Christina Harris at Donovan's Autumn Moon Tattoo in Anaheim.

I have been a Harry Potter fan since the get go, enjoying the midnight book releases as well as the midnight movie screenings (though I am getting old for those!) And since it is now our wedding theme it seemed doubly important to add it to my Buffy, Lord of the Rings, Celtic and spiritual tattoos I already have. Hermione was always an inspiration to me. A brainy girl with buck teeth who gets to be a heroine? Awesome.

The Hunger Games part is more specific in that I picked up Hunger Games after my fiance lost his job and I was feeling helpless and sad. Katniss reminded me of myself as a teenager I immediately felt for her. Buffy has been my love for the past 15 years, and this will never change, but Katniss brought out empathy and acknowledgement of my life in a way I didn't know possible.

Katniss and I both lost a parent at a young age and took it upon ourselves to keep our families together, even at the cost to our own life, and connection to others. We both shut down our emotions and found it hard to admit love. We both had sweet, blond, kind, and loving younger sisters, little ducks, to take care of. There are even male cats named Buttercup in both our lives. (Ours is from Princess Bride, another matter.) We were both alienated from our peers as a result of this disconnect because of the burden we both felt we needed to bear. (Oh, those boys who love you from afar that you can't see!)

But, as I have been learning since reading these books there are ways to find a path to reconnect and feel love and share it loudly with your family. It's okay to say it, even when you are afraid of losing them, that is when it matters the most. People die, but withholding your words of love isn't going to change that.

And that is my story of my most recent tattoo. You never know the story behind a tattoo until you ask.

Low Carb Chicken Piccata

In my quest to figure out low carb versions of things I am pleased when I stumble upon something great. And it's even better when I can share that accomplishment with a friend. Last night Rebecca and I topped ourselves with our low carb chicken piccata. And we want you to have the opportunity to enjoy it as well so continue reading. (Pretend it's a Monday since we are so off schedule.)
Ingredients (serves approximately 3 adults)
1 lb chicken breasts, butterflied and flattened
1/2 c almond meal
3-4 cups uncooked spinach
1 head cauliflower (smallish)
1/4 c goat cheese (we used peppered)
1 c chicken broth
1 c mushrooms (we used baby bella)
1/2 c white wine
1/8 c lemon juice
2-3 tbsp capers, drained
1/2-1 stick butter (We used a whole stick because...butter)
salt and pepper to taste
Rice the cauliflower in a food processor so it is small but not mashed. Heat a saucepan low-medium with 2 tbsp butter, and heat medium-high a large frying pan with 2 more tbsp butter. Add the cauliflower to the saucepan and let the butter melt, stirring occasionally.
While the pan is heating dredge the chicken in the almond meal. Add to the butter in the frying pan when hot, browning the chicken on both sides. Take the chicken out when done, add your mushrooms and another tbsp butter. Cook 5 minutes.
In a measuring cup stir together your white wine, lemon juice and chicken stock. Add 1/2 c to the cauliflower and the rest to the mushrooms. Add the chicken back into the pan and let simmer 7-8 minutes to finish cooking the chicken.
Once the liquid has been added to the cauliflower add the goat cheese, lowering the heat if you start to get air bubbles. The cauliflower should be ready once it starts to get creamy.
For the spinach we used a ready to microwave bag, but if you are doing it on the stove toss it with some olive oil and wilt in another frying pan 2-3 minutes.
For serving we laid a bed of cauliflower, then spinach, then chicken and covered with the mushrooms, capers and sauce. The goat cheese was offset nicely by the lemon in the sauce.

Bouquets!

Hello All, I know my last post made it sound like I was coming back and then I went dark again. Mostly because I have been sick and busy. But now that the next few weeks are slowing down and I am beginning to feel better I have a new post for you, wedding related.

My friend Rebecca has been tremendously helpful with ideas for wedding decorations and the like. We have spent many afternoons and evenings making interesting and sometimes laughable crafts. Lately we have been honing in on the exact ideas for the wedding. Since I don't care for real flowers and I know I am going fake (ribbon, paper, etc.s th) we have tried some of those. This weekend we went brooch shopping since I confirmed that I do want a brooch bouquet. We found a bunch of cool brooches and some that even fit right into our theme. Since finding perfect ones for Slytherin and Ravenclaw I actually thought it might be neat to try a fake flower one, using that as the centerpiece.
I picked up some fake flowers, stems, ribbon and floral tape at the local craft store today and began playing around.


What do you guys think a a subtle nod to our cunning cousins? They are a darker green in person, but my camera was washing out the color. But the overall effect is neat, no?

Love, Sex & Babies: A political rant

With all the craziness going on in America right now I feel like I need to add put my opinion out there. So read if you want, or don't.
I am disgusted with the supreme court repealing laws that protect vulnerable voters. Let's be real. Justice is biased. There's not much that can stop it from being that way and they stole away one of the few ways that our democracy is kept closer to just. (Not that it's close by any means.
I am happy that DOMA was repealed. I am sickened by the ongoing lunacy of those who are opposed to gay marriage. Get over it. Marriage historically has never had anything to do with being a man and woman, it was always about money, land, power and safety and there are many documented cases of men marrying men, or women marrying women for these other reasons. Gay marriage is much older than deluded opponents will ever admit to.
I am outraged over Texas and how it has culminated in some of the worst persecution of women since they were burned at the stake. Poor Wendy, I fear it will come to naught when the next special session vote happens on 7/1. I have never had to have an abortion but I would in a heartbeat if I got pregnant when I couldn't afford to care for the baby; emotionally, financially, or physically. And I wouldn't have a second thought. There are millions of actual children on this planet dying and uncared for that live and feel pain. Pro-lifers never give a second thought to the current needs and pains of these children. Why bring more children into this world who will end up the same?
If I believed in God I would think he would want to see these children cared for. As it is, I believe we only live one life and I am horrified at the way we treat our fellow man. I am fervently in the adoption camp and plan to adopt at least one child in the future. In the mean time I will fight to help those who are hurting and in pain, WHO ARE CURRENTLY ALIVE ON THIS PLANET.
Live long and prosper. May we see a world in our life times without poverty, cancer, and starvation.

Update and Musings

I have been absent from posting due to a lack of time and things to write about but since someone pointed out today (Which made me feel special) I hadn't updated and they had noticed. I hadn't realized people checked this blog enough to notice so I will try to squeeze in more posts. :)
To preface this post I was grumpy today, not much was working out the way I wanted,and being out of 'The Flow' can be infuriating at the best, and depressing at the least. And I was far from the flow today.
Anyway, most of my projects were on hold as we waited to decide on the wedding venue, but now it is official and the official theme is Classy Harry Potter. I could not be more excited. I did manage to work on my wool Lorax. He just needs eyes and eyebrows. I have to get some sew on googly eyes.

I wasn't cooking much recently but I did attempt my first lamb chops and I have to admit they came out tastier than I could have hoped. They were pretty simple. I marinated them in garlic olive oil, dried rosemary, salt and pepper for an hour at room temp, then threw them in my cast iron grill skillet for 2 1/2 minutes a side. Then I let them cool under foil while I finished the rest.

As I was sitting here enjoying the food I realized that I had finally relaxed. I couldn't control the customers who refuse to pay, the awful drivers and and freeway traffic, nor the neighbor in the trailer park with the shrilly barking dog while I tried to read outside, but I can control my dinner. For the most part it is all up to me and my skills to create something delicious. Occasionally we have an oven mishap or I lose track, or the ingredients just aren't up to par, but for the most part it's all my doing, and the Virgo in me finds that one of the most relaxing things on earth.
I am a controlling person, I know that, it's one of my faults, along with severity and impatience, things I am working on as a friend, sister, daughter and partner, and luckily for me I have been able to at least partially harness this fault and put them to good for me, like cooking.

Buffalo Bacon Chicken Salad

Today I dreamed up such a delicious recipe it almost ruined my dinner because I was picking at it while cooking. (A danger of recipe making.) But at least it means I get to share something new with you!
Ingredients
1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced (Boil or buy precooked for the quickest and easiest shortcut)
1/4 c diced carrots
1/4 c diced celery
1/4 c diced onion
2-3 tbsp Frank Red Hot Sauce
1/2 c mayo
2-3 tbsp ranch dressing
3-4 pcs crumbled bacon
1/4 c crumbled blue cheese (I use applewood smoked, delicious)
Mix your ingredients together, chill and enjoy!

Easy Low Carb Beef Stroganoff

Happy Monday. (As happy as a non holiday Monday be.) And tonight I made my new recipe Low Carb Beef Stroganoff which I would like to share. It's quick and easy and even Josh really loves it. (He can be picky about low carb dishes so I know this one is good.)
Ingredients (Makes 2-3 serving)
1 lb ground beef (I get grass fed).
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves garlic depending on your taste!
1/2 c beef broth
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c mayonnaise
2-3 large portabella mushroom caps
1 tbsp good yellow mustard
olive oil spray and 1 tbsp
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. While it is warming clean the portabellas and take out the gills. When the oven is heated spray a pan that fits all your mushrooms with cooking spray, then put your mushrooms in the oven for 15 minutes.
While the mushrooms cooked I browned the beef, onions and garlic in a pan with some olive oil.
When beef is close to done add the beef broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes drain the excess broth and add in your other ingredients. Stir to combine.
The mushrooms should be close to ready at this point (Partially cooked, not quite soft yet.)Take them out and spoon your mixture onto each of them. Put tinfoil over your pan and turn the temperature down to 350. Cook another 10 minutes. At this point take out of the oven, plate and serve. Voila. A total of 1/2 hour and you have a hardy dinner. Sometimes I pair it with my cabbage salad to add some brightness and green to the plate.