gourmet chef

I love fall vegetables. And I love cooking them, gluten-free style.

Did you know this.....

can turn into this.....?!?!?!

Neither did I.

Yes, you can call me Martha Stewart/Oprah. And yes, you can subscribe to my monthly magazines where I tell you how awesome I am. :)

Skunked, part 2

Firstly, thank you for all those who have been following the drama of the outdoor wilderness that is immediately outside our apartment. You will be glad to know that it has not yet ended. This past weekend I spent 4 hours in the laundromat cleaning off our "Skunkfected clothes." This meant 4 cycles in the super duper hardcore laundry machine while others stared and sniffed, asking "what's that smell?" as I hogged the laundry machine. I got many stares, shakes of the head, nose holding, as I put my first load in, and then as I proceeded to make the skunk smell concotion in a little mixing bowl in the middle of the laundromat to wash my hands in. The laundromat owner in fact put a sign on my laundry machine that said, "Do not use", so the person who used the machine after me (At one point, I thought I would be there all week and that person would never exist) wouldn't get skunk on their clothes. I was so traumatizingly embarressed, I couldnt even read my book without thinking about the inevitability of being there forever.

So, this is where the skunk clothes are now.



I put them out on a clothesline - I craftily made myself!- to let them dry and get in some fresh air, and of course it rained twice this week, in the middle of the night when I couldn't run out and rescue them, so they are still there, one week later, soaking up toxic rain and slowly losing their skunk smell (maybe).

Please note and mourn with me that my favorite Halloween socks have in fact been skunked and are really hanging on for dear life.



AND as if that's not bad enough, my favorite article of clothing, my raincoat, has been skunked. I suppose that's what happens when you wear your favorite item of clothing every day. Beware, everyone-it could happen to you too.

Skunking aside, Who is so grateful for thanksgiving? And 3 day weeks!

Skunked.

I recently had that moment of transitional shock, the moment where I knew I no longer lived in Capitol Hill anymore. On the walk down from the car to the apartment last night, I thought I saw the neighbors cat cut in front of my path. As I continued to walk closer, I realized it was not AT ALL the cat, but a black furry thing with a white strip.



I didn't have enough time to move at all when I heard this "HSSSSSSSSS" sound. (Noel told me later that he heard the hsssss from inside the apartment. ) I smelled it instantly, and fled running into the street wailing and screaming for Noel. I am pretty sure I woke up the entire neighborhood with my blubbering yelling.


SKUNKED.

The smell was horrible- on my phone, my hair, my keys, my jacket, my pants. I could feel it seeping into my skin before I had to strip naked outside of our apartment and sit isolated in the bathroom until Noel came back with some potion concoted with hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, baking soda, and bleach for me to bathe in.




Noel saved the day, and now I know we no longer live in a safe place away from attacking rodents (I must interject here that Julia did remind me about the mouse we named Mickey who lived in our apartment. She did say a skunk is 50 times worse than a mickey, anc I completely agree, especially with the 50 times worse.) I didnt think I would miss the concrete jungle as much as I did in that moment. I thought I moved to a nice quaint college town. In the midsts of my bubbling and hysteria, Noel did remind me that UVA had a rabid fox roaming campus for a while.

It was more than just a traumatizing experience. I still smell skunk everywhere I go...it has implanted on the inside of my nose(or my hurting and traumatized heart), and I cant get rid of it.



This was my favorite cartoon when I was a child, and now I know better. I later learned that there are some crazy people out there who have skunks as pets. Don't be fooled, these are not cuddly creatures. May I just say, what in the world.

Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills

Tonight I went to see Finding Nemo on Ice with my co-worker and her 4 year old son.
It was the highlight of my week.

I especially loved the papa turtle with its flock of baby turtles.



And how incredible is it that there is a giant ice skating roller whale that is ultimately going to eat Marlin and Dora, all on the ice rink in front of thousands of little children.



I think I liked the whole experience more than my 4-year old friend.
Disney, you are brilliant. Apparently swimming and ice skating are more similar than I could ever have imagined.

The Jewel

This weekend the Jewel came to visit.

Need I say more.



She joined us for a magical weekend of apple picking.

This is disgusting, and I refused to participate, but bobbing for apples is apparently appropriate in many more places than just your middle school halloween parties. All I have to say is the Jewel is hardcore ( Rose and I were not.)




The Jewel also filled in as our weekend clergy. (I had a flash of the Jewel on the steps of tucker peforming sunday service.) Since Noel and I lost our "unity salt" that we performed in our unity salt ceremony at our wedding, the Jewel offered to re-perform the salt covenant ceremony. We then placed our "new" salt in a little baggie like this, placed it on our mantle, and are officially re-married with salt. Here are some post salt ceremony pictures ( with bouquet). Noel even wore a fancy sport coat.

Invention Convention

We have a raccoon problem. While I am asleep in the middle of the night, Noel claims that he is outside with a broom beating away raccoons. Today was the last straw for him, however. While my back was turned for maybe 2 minutes,Noel had hoisted our trash can mid-air.

Sorry, rodents of the backyard,
get your trash from somewhere ELSE.
Love, Noof and Noel.



Since I can't reach the trash can anymore, it looks like I am exempt from trash duty permanently. (Noel says that must mean I am about the same size as a raccoon.)

Volcano Cupcake

I tried to make a giant cupcake for my work pot luck. This is how it came out.






So much for opening up my own cupcakery. Noel referred to it as the volcano cake incident, which is a good description. There is still cake underneath the carpet. Needless to say, I brought a bag of apples to the potluck. Thanks to our new friends Sarah and Cody, who graciously ate the entire volcano cupcake.