KAREPMU OPO SE

The Sunset

This is for the Hubs. He is so frustrated with where we live and most of the time I don't blame him. We moved to this condo thinking it would be a great investment opportunity and a nice starter home. It is a revitalization area and because of the nationwide economic turndown, it has taken a little longer to become a nice area that either of us anticipated. They are still building in the area, which is a good sign, but some of the bad parts have not turned around as quickly. I still believe that this home was a good investment. It is close to the Metro and close to DC. Those things are always a plus. But the Hubs is not impressed. And he is getting frustrated. But sometimes when I look out the window I do not see all of the negatives. I see this.

Yes, I know if the nasty building outside my window was gone the view would be 1000 times better. But it was still a beautiful site. Watching the sun disappear behind the trees, ah, you just know that something so beautiful did not happen by accident. And yes if I were a better photographer the true beauty of the scene could have been captured. But this reminds me that sometimes life isn't as bad as we think. Because I did not "plan" to view this sunset. It was just a beautiful night and I happened to look out the window and there it was. It was just what I needed right at that time. I will have to remind the Hubs to take a look up sometimes and not always look down.
And it just happens to check off another item on my list.

#22: Make 10 new recipes

Shrimp Scampi with Linguinitaken from the Food Nework recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence
I love seafood and I love easy recipes. Something about spring has brought me back to life. While I do not love cooking I just feel like doing things in general. So for dinner I decided to pull open my Food Network recipe box and try something new. Hopefully this will be as successful as my last new recipe. I want to have a couple of easy go-to recipes in my arsenal.Ingredients1 pound linguini4 tablespoons butter4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling1 large shallot, finely diced5 cloves garlic, slicedPinch red pepper flakes, optional20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail onKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper1/2 cup dry white wine1 lemon, juiced1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leavesDirectionsFor the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.My edits:I used whole wheat linguini and I forgot to get some parsley so I just used some dried. I also followed the pasta instructions on the box because I knew the Hubs would complain about al dente pasta. The verdict: It was good. When something does not taste as great as I thought it would, I have no idea where i went wrong. Was it the wine I chose? Did I cook it too long or not enough? I know one thing, I had leftovers and it tasted better to me than it did after it was immediately cooked. So maybe the flavors needed to settle. I know I will make the shrimp scampi again because that was delicious and flavorful.
To check out the rest of my 101 in 1001 click here.

#4: Get educated with books and documentaries

You gotta love Netflix. I was on a documentary kick, so not only did we watch Food, Inc., we watched Good Hair. Every time I hear those words together I cringe. I have been natural since 2004, so I am used to hearing the stereotypes. I also have learned how to do my own hair (which is actually not common in the black community). And for the most part I make my own hair products. So nothing said in this documentary was new to me, but it was interesting to see the billion, yes that is with a "B", dollar industry at its finest. It is amazing to me that people will go without food to have their hair looking good. It was sad to see black children and teens thinking that they had to look like the white people on tv to look "good". And to see how this idea carries over into adulthood. But delivered by Chris Rock, you have no choice but to laugh.

#30: Watch 5 documentaries on eco-friendly living

A couple of weeks ago, the Hubs and I watched the Academy Award nominated documentary Food, Inc. I told the Hubs I would not send it back to Netflix unless he watched it with me, so FINALLY i got him to. I had already heard a lot of the information presented in the documentary, but I really wanted the Hubs to see it so he could get a better understanding of why it is important to me that we eat better. I think his eyes were opened a little, but I think he is still skeptical. I also think he feels that eating conventionally is just more convenient. But since I do 98% of the grocery shopping I am not worried.

He was convinced that I was trying to turn him into a vegetarian, but that is definitely not the case. I just wanted him to understand where the food he buys from the grocery store is coming from and what is actually done to the food to get it from the "farm" to the store. I call it a "farm" because if you see the documentary you will realize that it is not a farm in the sense that most people think of a farm. I will admit that something like this is what turned me vegetarian, but that honestly was not my intention.
I just think everyone has a right to know where their food is coming from and whether or not it is truly safe to eat. Once you have the information, what you decide to do with it is up to you. To find out more about this documentary, go here.
To view my 101 in 1001 click here.

I didn't even know I had a...

CROCK POT.

How long have I had one?? No idea. I think my mother-in-law got it for us when we moved in, so that would be 2007. Yeah, that long ago. I was recently telling the Hubs that I wanted to get one so we could start having more home cooked meals. And everyone was telling me how easy it was. I was about to go buy one. Then I come home the other day and apparently the Hubs found it in the closet. Then he asks if I knew it was there. Um, no. So I am off to find some recipes.
Another great thing is I have been wanting to get away from canned beans. I have been reading that a great way to cook dried beans is in the crock pot and then freezing them. So yeah, I am excited. On my way to being a domestic wife...well, maybe.