Chili Mac!

A couple of weeks ago I was cooking up some dinners to take over to my brother and sister-in-law's house - they are the proud parents of Liam, the most beautiful baby boy on the planet. He is almost a month old, how time FLIES! Anyway, they are just a little tired, and I was cooking up a few things for them, including a batch of chili mac. When who should wander into the kitchen but my OWN baby, who usually only eats things that are perfectly plain and where the ingredients don't TOUCH each other. (Did I mention that my baby is 16 years old? I keep telling myself she will grow out of this. Maybe not.)

Anyway, she looked into the pot and said "Wow, this looks great! When's dinner?"

Hello? Who are you and what have you done with my picky child?

After I broke it to her that her new baby cousin was already getting the upper hand on her and this batch was going to his house, I promised that I would put it on the Jackson menu for the following week. There are about a million or so variations on this recipe and you can pretty much customize it the way you want to, but my approach is the non-bean/cheddar cheese variety: ground beef, tomatoes, cheese, spices...and creamed corn. There it is, my chili mac secret is out. It's all about the creamed corn.

I was describing this elegant meal to a friend and he said, "so it's basically Hamburger Helper, right?" Well, um, yes. Without all the chemical additives. I am pretty sure he meant that as a compliment...because who doesn't love a little Hamburger Helper every once in a while? Here's mine:

CHILI MAC

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 diced onion
• 1 17 ounce can creamed corn
• 1 16 ounce can stewed tomatoes
• 2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound elbow macaroni, freshly cooked
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar

1. Cook beef in heavy large saucepan over medium high heat until brown. Remove meat and drain.

2. Cook onion in same pan about 5 minutes. Return beef to pan and stir in everything except macaroni and cheese. Stir until heated through.

3. Add macaroni and cheese and stir until cheese is melted.

4. Serve immediately. Serves approximately one army.

Disney G-Force Experience revolving logo...

G-Force was the first live-action Disney movie to be filmed in 3D and the family comedy follows the exploits of a special FBI team of trained secret agent animals, primarily guinea pigs.

For a limited time if you saw the movie at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, you could go across the road afterwards and continue your adventures with the G-Force Experience in the Hollywood and Highland Center.

Revolving G-Force logo in The Kodak Theatre foyer

This revolving G-Force symbol was part of the promotional display for the Disney movie.

G-Force movie billboard

Buy the movie in the USA: G-Force (Three-Disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo +Digital Copy)

Transparent Aluminum

I watched Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in the movie theater when it was first released in 1986. I enjoyed the movie because it was humorous, smart, and didn't take itself too seriously while at the same time included time travel and the issue of whale extinction. One of my favorite moments in the movie was when Scotty needed transparent aluminum to build a tank for the whales they were going to transport on their spaceship. That sounded like such a interesting idea: transparent aluminum!
Much to my delight I was reading today about experiments being conducted to create transparent aluminum.
From the article at Science Daily:
Oxford scientists have created a transparent form of aluminium by bombarding the metal with the world’s most powerful soft X-ray laser. ‘Transparent aluminium’ previously only existed in science fiction, featuring in the movie Star Trek IV, but the real material is an exotic new state of matter with implications for planetary science and nuclear fusion.

And further along in the article:

Whilst the invisible effect lasted for only an extremely brief period – an estimated 40 femtoseconds – it demonstrates that such an exotic state of matter can be created using very high power X-ray sources.


What an exciting and interesting line of study into different exotic states of matter!
Once again, what seems unusual and unlikely in science fiction may be a thought or line of study that is going on or may go on in the future and the creativity of scientists can be used by science fiction writers to open our minds just a little into the great possibilities that exist in the world.
HERE is the entire article and a clip from the movie.

A Walk

A patch of clear day between rainstorms.

A walk between 11th and 8th Avenues.

A Moto Guzzi looks wonderful.

The very name is wonderful.

A fire hydrant newly painted silver.

Not sure by whom.

Shiny new metal delights.

I'm not interested in motorbikes, fire hydrants or construction,

except sometimes they look good.

Richard Woods has had an art show for some months.

This is probably the third set of pictures I've taken of the window.

Then, when I get home, I hear a pitiful cheeping sound.

A very young American robin on a ledge outside the nail parlor.

He looks quite self possessed. I hope he's all right.

Hollywood movie vehicles on display at The Petersen Automotive Museum...

The Pertersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has a fantastic array of vintage cars, motorcycles and also famous vehicles featured in Hollywood movies. 

It also has exhibits featuring cars owned by Hollywood stars, take for example this 1956 Jaguar formerly owned by Steve McQueen.

I visited the museum on July 28, 2009 and photographed some of the marvelous autos on display including the Volkswagen Beetles featured in Disney's Herbie films.

I was also able to capture images of vehicles from the latest blockbusters like the Can-Am Spyder Roadster from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and classics like Raul Julia's Ferrari from The Gumball Rally, Jack Lemmon's Professor Fate Hannibal 8 car from The Great Race, Steve McQueen's Winton Flyer from The Reivers and even comic geniuses Laurel and Hardy's Ford Model T Touring car from Hog Wild.

More contemporary cars on show included the Batmobile from Tim Burton's 1989 Batman and 1992 Batman Returns, the Mach 5 based on the animated 1967 cartoon Speed Racer and even the VW Transporter from the quirky comedy Little Miss Sunshine.

There are even cars like the 'Black Beauty' from TV series like The Green Hornet to discover.

Be sure to check them all out and also other vintage cars from America's history.

If you like these movie vehicles you may also like the racing cars from the Fast & Furious films.

Shrimp Salad with Baby Red Potatoes

By now you are probably catching on that shrimp is something we have a lot at the Jackson table. Besides the fact that they are Delicious and Nutritious, I've psychoanalized the reasons why they show up on my menu as much as they do and here's what I've come up with.

They are quick and easy and versatile and they aren't as fickle and unreliable as other fish. They won't fall apart on you, they won't stick to the pan, you can pretty much tell when they are done but not OVERdone. And they are just so pink and adorable.

COSTCO. They always have them and they are always great. I know I sound like a broken record, but I am a true believer and there you go.

But I think one of the main reasons is a sentimental one. My romantic Southern husband grew up in Georgia, and if you ever catch him on a day when he is a little tired (like YESTERDAY, when we stayed up until 2am waiting for a certain teenager to come home from the Green Day concert) his alluring Southern accent comes through loud and clear...but he was actually born in Jacksonville, Florida. (Isn't that perfect? Jackson? Jacksonville? Yes, I am easily entertained.)

His grandfather was a shrimper, and I have heard stories that sound like they are straight out of THE PRINCE OF TIDES (the happy parts!) about when he was a kid on his granddad's boat, and the many different shrimp dinners his granny would make from the day's catch. I just get this great picture of a little tan barefoot trouble-maker with the same grin he has today, tracking sand into the house and eating a shrimp supper that his granddad brought home and his granny cooked up. And so maybe that is one of the other reasons shrimp shows up on the menu so often.

Okay, now I feel all warm and fuzzy about my amazing Southern husband, and so here is a song that is one of my favorites because it reminds me so much of him.

There You Are

Sigh. Where was I?

This particular recipe comes from one of the many "community cookbooks" my father-in-law was always giving me when we came to visit. He was an enthusiastic cook, heavy on the hot sauce, and he had a whole collection of those comb-bound cookbooks that church groups are famous for -- the ones where everyone contributes a recipe. All of them were packed with variations on recipes for grits and okra and crayfish (man, do I wish we had good crayfish up here in Yankee territory)....and shrimp, in every possible configuration. This recipe is a great one to put together on a muggy summer evening -- just make sure the shrimp are good ones, and that both the shrimp and potatoes are chilled down well in an ice bath before you mix it all up.

SHRIMP SALAD WITH BABY RED POTATOES

• 1 pound shrimp, boiled, peeled and cut into pieces
• 3 boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons relish
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups boiled baby red potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size

Cool down both shrimp and potatoes in an ice bath. Combine all ingredients. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Can be made 6-8 hours ahead and chilled before serving.

Inside and Outside

Black-Eyed Susies: the spirit of the season.

On the street: young people reporting on a film which was part of revolutionlatina.org

Tomorrow we're heading to Brooklyn for an art opening.

Robert has three small pieces in the show.

Look in the background of the flyer.... the strange magic clouds

of some weeks ago. Photomontage by John Holt.

Beef Stir-Fry with Sugar Snap Peas

This recipe falls into my "life is short so always use the best ingredients, even if that is not what the recipe tells you to do" bucket. This is a delicious stir-fry with just a handful of ingredients, and front and center is the beef. Obviously. The original recipe, found in Everyday Food Magazine says to use sirloin, which I am sure would be perfectly okay. Just fine. Totally acceptable.

However.

In a dish like this where the meat can make it or break it, I always choose to use a tenderloin filet. Yes, I know how much they cost. But in the great scheme of things, I think an amazing-tasting dinner is always a worthwhile investment. And trust me, using the filet will take this from a perfectly okay dinner to an amazing one. And you're worth it!

So, now that you have your tenderloin, make sure you get really nice sugar snaps -- none of those frozen ones. The original recipe calls for white rice but I actually like it even better with brown rice. And of course with brown rice, you get that lovely, angelic feeling of being incredibly and responsibly HEALTHY too. Last but not least, I serve this one with some lime wedges on the side. I think the lime juice is one of the things that makes this dish stand out from the pack, and it's nice to have a little extra dash of lime to squeeze over the top just before you dig in. After all, if you have splurged on the tenderloin, might as well go all the way, right?


And with that, here you go...delicious AND nutritious. Yum.

BEEF STIR FRY WITH SUGAR SNAP PEAS, adapted from Everyday Foods

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (or white, if you prefer)
• 1 pound tenderloin steak, thinly sliced crosswise
  
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 12 ounces snap peas, strings removed
• 5 to 6 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)

1. Ten minutes before rice is done, place steak in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook half the steak until browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes (steak will cook further in step 3); transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
2. Add snap peas, white part of scallions, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and 3/4 cup water to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook until snap peas turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Return steak to skillet until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and mix in green part of scallions and lime juice. Serve with rice and lime wedges on the side.

Original recipe link: Beef Stir Fry with Sugar Snap Peas

Inspiration

I've cheated and read Weaver and Willowmanor and Titus's posts about inspiration.

I'll admit, nothing inspires me nearly so much as looking at what other people have done.

So, first of all, family. The date on this photograph is September 1939.

My father's brother Maurice, who hated school

 and was good at tennis in an erratic sort of way.

Look how his hair has been flattened down for the photo.

He died, of course.

One of Claudia's first photographs when she was taking photography in high school.

A pumpkin grown from one we had kicked off our porch.

I've learned everything I know about taking pictures from her.

Something magic and fairy tale about pumpkins always.

West Square in London, near the Imperial War Museum Film archives.

Why do the mossy steps lead nowhere?

What possibilities in the quiet window.

Colors in Morocco. A life saturated with visual delights

but all sorts of other things too.

I hope no one finds this last image offensive.

David Shrigley captures so exactly how I sit at my desk

and get distracted all the time.

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Other Half o' Fun

When last we left Treasure Box Wednesday, my thrifty bud Scoobie and I had had an exciting adventure down Route 30 here in Pennsylvania. And like one of those excellent shopping dreams you just don't want to wake up from, so many things ended up being 30%-50% off!

Well, I'd shown you a number of items from that trip last week. And I have just a few more to share with you now.

One of my absolute favorites is this delightful hand-tinted bubble-glass photo of a brother and sister reading together...


Sorry about the glare! Because of the bubble-glass, it's a little hard to film without getting a reflection.

I'm guessing because of the style of the frame, the kids' clothes, and the big bow in the sister's hair, the photo is from around 1910-1920-something.

You can see my new li'l chillins here...


Don't they remind you a little of Darla and Porky from The Little Rascals?

One other thing discovered on this trip was... okay... brace yourself for the not-surprise...

A second lamp.

Yes, yes, I know. My friend "Da Old Man" of "Crotchety Old Man Yells at Cars" has already informed me I need a 12-step program for lamp addiction.

And he said that last week before he even saw this one, I'm almost embarrassed to admit...


But I do make room for them. And I give some to other family and friends. So, it's not solely pure lamp greed...

Please don't stage a lamp intervention for me. I need them! :)

In much smaller finds, I uncovered this nice vintage Valentine's hankie at the Salvation Army Thrift Store...


And last, for a whopping $1, I got this pastoral scene tin plate at the Good Samaritan Thrift Store...


Now, before we go today, I thought you all would enjoy seeing the mantle shelf I'd gotten a while ago at Denise's Antique Mall, all cleaned up and polished...


It was going to go on the mantle you currently see it sitting on. But I'm afraid the way the lip of the mantle comes up, the logistics are wrong. I need to rethink where this will go.

• And that leads me to share a few laughs with you if you click here... It's a little humor piece I'd done regarding some, erm.... problems... I experienced this weekend in trying to hoist it in a case of Shelf-Awareness and Shelf-Shabotage.
  

It wasn't a pretty scene, but I guarantee you'll get a chuckle. (My absurdity might as well at least entertain others.)

Anyway, that's it for today. Wishing you, er, shelf-shatishfaction in all your decorating projects this week! See you Sunday!

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Other Half o' Fun

When last we left Treasure Box Wednesday, my thrifty bud Scoobie and I had had an exciting adventure down Route 30 here in Pennsylvania. And like one of those excellent shopping dreams you just don't want to wake up from, so many things ended up being 30%-50% off!

Well, I'd shown you a number of items from that trip last week. And I have just a few more to share with you now.

One of my absolute favorites is this delightful hand-tinted bubble-glass photo of a brother and sister reading together...


Sorry about the glare! Because of the bubble-glass, it's a little hard to film without getting a reflection.

I'm guessing because of the style of the frame, the kids' clothes, and the big bow in the sister's hair, the photo is from around 1910-1920-something.

You can see my new li'l chillins here...


Don't they remind you a little of Darla and Porky from The Little Rascals?

One other thing discovered on this trip was... okay... brace yourself for the not-surprise...

A second lamp.

Yes, yes, I know. My friend "Da Old Man" of "Crotchety Old Man Yells at Cars" has already informed me I need a 12-step program for lamp addiction.

And he said that last week before he even saw this one, I'm almost embarrassed to admit...


But I do make room for them. And I give some to other family and friends. So, it's not solely pure lamp greed...

Please don't stage a lamp intervention for me. I need them! :)

In much smaller finds, I uncovered this nice vintage Valentine's hankie at the Salvation Army Thrift Store...


And last, for a whopping $1, I got this pastoral scene tin plate at the Good Samaritan Thrift Store...


Now, before we go today, I thought you all would enjoy seeing the mantle shelf I'd gotten a while ago at Denise's Antique Mall, all cleaned up and polished...


It was going to go on the mantle you currently see it sitting on. But I'm afraid the way the lip of the mantle comes up, the logistics are wrong. I need to rethink where this will go.

• And that leads me to share a few laughs with you if you click here... It's a little humor piece I'd done regarding some, erm.... problems... I experienced this weekend in trying to hoist it in a case of Shelf-Awareness and Shelf-Shabotage.
  

It wasn't a pretty scene, but I guarantee you'll get a chuckle. (My absurdity might as well at least entertain others.)

Anyway, that's it for today. Wishing you, er, shelf-shatishfaction in all your decorating projects this week! See you Sunday!

Summertime Tuna Salad

Got tomatoes?

Yep, me too. It's July in New Jersey, and they have us surrounded.

If you don't grow them yourself, they practically tackle you whenever you walk into your local farm market. They are gorgeously red and shiny and alluring, and they are only sold in giant bushels-full around us, if you want the home-grown New Jersey ones. Which you do, trust me. So this is not the season of using one tomato at a time - right this second I have a multiple-tomato bolognese sauce cooking away on the stove (four tomatoes!), and I am planning a tomato mozzarella salad for later this week (three more tomatoes!). This tuna salad is only a one-tomato number, but it all helps.

We all know and love the tuna/mayo/celery salad, but this one is a little different. First of all, you MUST use tuna packed in oil. Must must must. Don't worry, you get to drain most of it off, but it is essential for the flavor (and you are not using the mayo, remember, so they cancel each other out. Isn't it great how that works out?) This is also not a sandwich-filling type of tuna salad, although I guess you could if you really wanted to. It's more of a salad-salad, just mounded on a plate and served with bread or crackers or something else bread-ish. We had ours with flatbread -- our favorite kind is the rosemary and sea salt flatbread from Margaret's Artisan Bakery. Until recently I have only been able to find it at JK Adams in Dorset, Vermont (don't get me started on JK Adams. That will be its own post after I make my next visit late next month). But recently I saw that Fairway has started stocking it. (Love you, Fairway. Will you marry me?) Here is the website for this great flatbread - if you don't live in Dorset Vermont or near Fairway, maybe it will tell you where you can find it in a store near you:

Margaret's Artisan Bakery Flatbread

Anyway. This salad is quick and lovely, and so long as you use the tuna in the oil you have my permission to mess around with the other ingredients, especially the herbs. And don't forget the tomato, of course.

Uh-oh, here comes my mom with a giant bag of string beans from her garden.

SUMMERTIME TUNA SALAD

• 1 six ounce can of tuna, packed in oil.
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped herbs (basil, parsley, thyme are all good -- mix them up!)

Drain the excess oil from the tuna and mix up with all other ingredients. Serve with crackers, bread, flatbread, etc etc etc. Happy summer.

Transformers 2 NEST Can-Am Spyder Roadster...

In addition to the fantastic transforming Autobots and Decepticons in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, there are also some amazing looking vehicles used by the special NEST military taskforce.

2008 BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster

With its unique three-wheel arrangement, referred to as the 'Y-Factor', the Cam-Am Spyder can be described as part motorcycle and part convertible sports car.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen film poster

Built by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), the Can-Am Spyder is the company's first 'on-road' vehicle. The roadster features anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control systems and is powered by a Rotax 998cc, V-twin engine.

Can-Am Spyder featured in Transformers 2

Its sleek design and technologically advanced systems made it a perfect fit to be used by the NEST military taskforce in the sci-fi based movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

This Spyder Roadster was photographed at The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on July 28, 2009.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen movie poster

Visit Jason in Hollywood for a movie review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Don't forget to check out original movie costumes from Transformers 2 (including NEST taskforce uniforms) and actual Optimus Prime and the Autobot vehicles on display.

Buy the DVD in the USA: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Buy the poster in the USA: Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen Movie Poster Double Sided Original 27x40