Nothing with something in it...

Here we are. Saturday. I woke up this morning a little reminiscent of my trip to Madrid (years ago, one week that gave freedom a new meaning). And what better way to commemorate a week of pure debauchery than by making tortilla for lunch. The funny thing about tortilla is that i don't actually like omelet. I find it a jambalaya of too many ingredients, or maybe i just haven't had a decent omelet this far in my life. One thing i realized after having tortilla is that my omelet was missing potato for me to like it. Silly right? Well all it took was potato. bell pepper, onion, a jalapeno (for some heat), eggs and some 15 minutes in the oven. Voilà:

Tortilla with bell pepper

I never thought doing nothing all day would make me restless but this afternoon i had a sudden urge for peanut butter cookies. I remembered this recipe i wanted to try on Orangette for salted peanut butter cookies and this was a fine opportunity to break the monotony of my doing nothing. The beauty of this recipe is that if you don't feel like having 30-some cookies, you can breeze portion sized dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake some fresh cookies later when the craving hits.

Salted chocolate-chip peanut butter cookies

Nothing beats eating freshly baked cookies with a big mug of cold milk for dunking while watching a great movie. Just got Transformers: Dark side of the Moon, very impressive, although highly unlikely but then i was never a real fan of the cartoon so i don't think i can appreciate the depiction of the characters or the storyline for that matter. Shia LaBeouf did put on a spectacular show. He's so funny in an erratic sort of way. It is 2 and a half hours of pure entertainment though. Visual effects are amazing and i must admit i kind of regret not seeing it in theaters in 3D, that would have been quite the experience.

Numbers, Beets & Greens

It's been a while since i initially set out to do this... years, but i think i finally figured it out. I attribute the spark to a work colleague who mockingly made a comment about my food pictures i post on facebook sometimes. Every time i log on, there a picture of food posted by Ana she says. I must admit it is too tempting to photograph a finished meal especially when i am trying a new recipe. Ever since i hopped on the android train i want to be more involved and share everything. So, i take pictures of food with my phone. It's what makes me happy, i find it fulfilling. 


It all started last week, when i was out grocery shopping with my sister. I always wondered what hot beets tasted like (i can appreciate a good pickled beet you see), so i bought a batch of raw beets with leafs and all in the hopes of trying a new recipe. That's how i roll it seems: i buy an ingredient, then look at a whole bunch of recipes and then make my own take on what i've learned with whatever ingredients i have on hand. This time, i had found a tempting recipe on marthastewart.com and figured it would be a great way to test the beets. Et voilà:

Porc with Beets & Greens

Because the beets took an hour in the oven, i snacked on yogurt and cheese while they were roasting so i will probably NOT do this recipe again on a week night unless i have the day off. I was not hungry when i finished assembling the dish but on the bright side, i had 3 meals done. I usually give heads up at work during lunch when i know i am about to cook something 'unusual' and of course the criticism and complaining regarding the cooking/roasting of beets was plenty. The next day, when i was actually eating the said beets, there were no more comments and i even suspected awe at the success of my endeavor to try beets. The dish was good. I regarded it as healthy and surprisingly filling. I had also packed a salad to mix with the beets and drizzle with the hot (yes hot) dijon vinaigrette which also made the pork quite succulent. 


All in all i recommend beets as a side veggie and even if you suspect that they might be sandy or not sweet enough, rest assured they are as good as their pickled counterparts. I don't like Borsch though, never did and never will (East European/Russian soup made with beets). Maybe therein lied my apprehension at trying beets warm in the first place. At least i can say i liked them and am glad i can now make them part of my diet (when in season). 


What's your number, featuring Anna Farris and Chris Evans. In short, girl having slept with way too many men realizes that she might have missed her chance at true love with her exes so asks next door neighbor for help in tracking them down and revisiting the relationship issue hoping they've changed and that a second time around things would be different. Makes you wonder about relationships and change. Are people really different 10 years later? I mean who sleeps with 20 people? Must be that I'm from the burbs.... 

Nevertheless, this couple somehow worked. It might have been my emotional state at the time but i liked it. The plot was funny, although predictable but then all such movies are so you should go see this one if you want some very light weight entertainment. I was never a fan of Anna Farris, but her lack of an upper lip (literally, she's not that attractive) seems to be eclipsed by her quirkiness. Those faces she makes are priceless and she has a LOT of attitude in this role making it very pleasant to watch. Of course the fact that Chris Evans was half naked throughout the movie makes for much more enjoyment (if you're a gal, you'll appreciate the eye candy). He can sing.... Who knew.