It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe, but my various versions of fried rice have been well received lately, so here is the latest recipe.
You will need:
1 packet of imitation crab
1 individual serving packet of frozen peas
1 large shallot
1 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs
1 tbs sesame oil (or thereabouts)
1 cup of uncooked rice (and cook to instructions)
1 tbs sesame seeds
Pepper to taste
1 packet of frozen mahi mahi (3 fillets or so)
Teriyaki sauce
Soy Sauce
Saute your garlic and finely chopped shallot in the sesame oil until the shallots are transparent, then scramble in your egg, add the peas and crab, and heat it all up.
While that is cooking, toss your mahi in the teriyaki sauce, and throw it in the oven. Bake at 400 for about 18 minutes or so. Then, add your rice into the skillet, pepper it, add the sesame seeds, and put in soy sauce to taste. Let that cook over a medium-high heat, stirring now and then. I like my rice kind of crispy.
That’s it. How easy is that?!
Serve up your rice and fish on your finest paper plates and enjoy:
Mikey and Jenifer will see their haul in the mail soon. I’m waiting on a backordered item, then I’ll be mailing out their win from the Subscriber Giveaway. In the meantime, I have a new giveaway ready to go. All you need to do is “Like” my Pure Romance Facebook page. Once it gets to 50 “likes”, I will give some lucky someone (drawn at random from those who have “liked” the page) 20% off anything in my store.
A few times a year, we try to take 4-day weekend roadtrips to get out of town. Let me begin by telling you that the only thing I enjoy more than roadtripping with my family, is sitting at home with my family. My husband and my son are both excellent travelers, and you couldn’t ask for better travel companions. This trip, we added in Hoo, and he was surprisingly good–save for his having minor meltdowns when it started to rain, and when he saw cows for the first time ever. He lost his mind over the cows.
Hoo’s view.
We usually get down to Corpus Christi at least once a year, and spend a day in Port Aransas, on Mustang Island, where the beaches are nicer. This year, we decided to skip to the chase, and just stay in Port A. Following are reviews of some of the products I bought specifically to take on our trip, and of some of the places we visited while we were there.
Since we were traveling with Hoo, we knew we needed a good kennel for him. He has totally outgrown the one that came home with him, which seemed massive at the time. Since he’s clocking in over 40lbs now–help me–I went with the Dosckocil Pet Taxi, sized 36W x 25L x 27H. This is made for pets between 30–70lbs. It was great! Perfect for him. We put it in the trunk unassembled, and just put our suitcases in it. It traveled well, was simple to assemble when the time came, and there was plenty of room for Hoo to stand up and move around when it was time for him to go into Puppy Jail in the condo. 5 out of 5 stars.
This blueberry muffin dry shampoo was perfect for our Hooberry muffin.
I was worried about that wet dog smell, and that wet dogfish smell that Hoo might bring home from the beach, so I made an impulse buy of Pet Head Dry Clean, blueberry muffin waterless spray shampoo. You can spray it on wet, damp, or dry fur, then towel it off, or brush it in. This was another amazing purchase because Hoo never smelled better! When we would leave the beach, I would hose him down to get the saltwater off, then give him a towel rub, spray him down with the Pet Head, and give him a quick brushing. He never stank. In fact, he smelled quite nice. The bottle was easy to manage with one hand, and Hoo didn’t seem to mind it. 5 out of 5 stars.
Fun in the sunshade!
We planned to spend as much time as possible at the beach, and unless we were going to get a vat of sunblock to dunk ourselves in every 15 minutes, we were going to need some shelter. Also, I thought Hoo might need a place to rest between barking at seagulls. I spent a couple of weeks trying to decide between the Coleman Beach Shade and another shade without a floor. The deciding factor was that the Coleman Beach Shade could be zipped up to make a changing cabana.
For about five minutes, when I was taking the thing down, I wished I’d gotten the floorless model, but outside of those few, sandy seconds, this was perfect! I was able to put it up by myself (with the help of our next tent neighbor’s loaned hammer) on an extremely windy day (the trick is filling up the included sandbags first, and using those to hold the thing down, or getting a 7 year old to put his foot in a strategic spot), and it came down just as easily. I even got it back into the tiny bag that it came in!
We fit 2 beach chairs, a 27 can cooler, a dog, and other beach stuff in comfortably, and when we got hit by a sudden storm, the three humans and the dog just zipped up inside until it had passed. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend a night in such a small space, but it worked out really nicely for what we needed. Oh, and none of us got sunburned, so mission accomplished. I kind of can’t wait to take it out again. 5 out of 5 stars.
Those 2 beach chairs were also an impulse buy. I was shopping for the cooler and Target had the chairs on sale for $10 each, so I bought them. These worked out well because of the high back. We could actually sit and relax, and there was room enough for Thor to sit on my lap through the storm.
Me getting my Norma Desmond on in my beach chair, in the cabana. No sunburn + Wicked awesome turban = Great day
While in Port A, we ate at a few different places worth note. My absolute favorite was Seafood and Spaghetti Works. The name of the restaurant pretty much sums up the menu. B had shrimp tacos, and I had spaghetti, Thor had a kiddie pizza, and Hoo got my meatballs. We were all very happy. 5 out of 5 stars. We ordered in from Port A Pizzaria on Saturday night because Thor had gotten a little too much heat during the day. We had pizza, calzone, and fried ravioli. It was all fairly good. Nothing special, but nothing bad. 3 out of 5 stars. We also ate at Castaway’s Seafood Grill and Beaches Cafe & Bakery which were 3.5 and 2.5 out of 5 stars, respectively.
My absolute favorite place to go in Corpus is Pier 99. I love, love, love their food, and am all about their fried oysters. They do a really light, cornbread coating, nothing is greasy, and everything is as light as fried food can get. It doesn’t hurt that they are on the water, right next door to the USS Lexington (which we did not visit this time), and just down the block from the Texas State Aquarium (which we did.)
Thor and a dolphin friend.
Thor had a good time at the aquarium. I don’t think it is a patch on the Dallas World Aquarium, but you can’t argue with its view of the Bay. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
We wanted to stay as close to the beach as possible, and the best price we found was for a condo/motel combination called The Beachcomber. I am putting a picture of the sign here so that you can see it, remember it, and then avoid it.
Now, I’m not high maintenance when it comes to lodging. I do love luxury, but I also have a deep, abiding fondness for dives. I don’t expect a lot from a beach condo in the first place. When I stay at the beach, I don’t want to worry that I am tracking in too much sand, or that I sat down on furniture in a wet swimsuit. I just want relatively clean, with a decent bed, and a door that locks.
The best thing about the Beachcomber is its location. It took about five minutes to walk from the front door into the water. You can’t beat that. The worst thing was everything else. It smelled funny, the sheets were stained, the doors were broken–like pieces of the door were coming off–the carpet was outdoor carpet that looked like large rodents might have given birth on it, and it was impossible to close a door without lifting and slamming.
On Sunday morning, the toilet quit working. We weren’t able to contact anyone to come fix it, so we used the shower in the best case, and drove to Whataburger in the worst. Like I said, I’m low maintenance on lodging, but I do require plumbing. Otherwise, why wouldn’t I just go sleep on the beach in my tiny cabana?
.5 out of 5 stars.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip. I was with all my favorite boys, and we had a lot of laughs. Nothing is better than being with my family.
We rarely see anything in the theater anymore, so I am just catching up on last year’s movies. Recently, I have watched This is 40 and Les Miserables, and that is what I am going to remember when I start to feel huffy that I only get to see new releases in theaters when there are Marvel comics characters involved. Iron Man has never let me down. Judd Apatow? Hulk needs to smash.
I watched This is 40 and found myself actually squinting at the screen in consternation. Who were these horrible people? Horrible, useless, vapid, whiny, irresponsible, awful people. You’ve got Pete and Debbie, a couple who are turning 40 years old, their kids, Sadie and Iris (13 and 8ish), and their assorted family and friends.
Pete owns a failing record label. It is failing because he only wants to sign musicians he likes, and he appears to have terrible taste in music. We find out that Pete has missed a mortgage payment and rental on his office. He paid $30k for a neon sign to hang inside his office, though, and he appears to be paying for his father’s living expenses? Oh, and he is hiding all of this from his wife, who he appears to hate.
Debbie owns a retail store incongruently staffed by Charlyne Yi and Megan Fox. If you are going to hire one of those women to represent your brand, you are not going to hire the other, lest you cause great brand confusion. She is utterly useless. She thinks one of her staff has stolen $12k from her but does absolutely nothing about it, other than to take one of them out for dinner to discuss it. She seems to hate her husband and her children.
If Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann had any chemistry, (or if Leslie Mann could act) it might work, but this was just bad. You can pretty much see every moment when Action was called, and Cut brought blessed relief–especially, and most strangely, in the scenes between Mann and her real life daughter, Maude Apatow.
Those children in the movie? Is that what other people’s kids are really like? If so, how did they make it out of childhood? Actually, it was the terrible teenager who made me really hate the parents.
To sum up, this movie is a masturbatory exercise in middle-aged ennui. Two bored, pretty, white people, who can’t manage their money, who refuse to take responsibility for themselves, and who are leaving their children to be raised by Apple, have problems because neither one of them can act like an adult for longer than 10 seconds in a row. I hated them, and kept hoping worse things would happen to them. That’s not how a movie is supposed to make you feel.
No stars out of 5–there was nothing redeeming about this movie. Not even the costuming. John Lithgow was redeeming, but he was wonderful and Lithgowian, and did not belong in the movie, so I don’t give any points for him.
I had higher hopes for Les Miserables. It’s been a long time since I read the Victor Hugo novel, and I’ve only seen the play in bits and pieces, so I was excited. Maybe if I’d seen it before Oscar season, it would have played better to me, but by the time I sat down to it the other night, all I could see was Anne Hathaway’s acceptance speeches.
If you aren’t familiar with the plot, the movie opens on Wolverine, who is serving out the end of a prison term for having stolen “a mouthful of bread.” General Maximus Decimus Meridius is his jailer, who reminds him he got 5 years for stealing the bread, and 15 for running from jail. But, he hands Wolverine his walking papers and they sing to each other the equivalent of, “I’ll be watching you.”
Wolverine has to choose between good and bad, he chooses good and goes on to become mayor of a slumtown. Princess Mia Thermopolis works at one of his factories, where she has nicer hair and teeth than anyone else because she pays attention to her hygeine. She is also hiding a baby back home, and for some reason this pisses off the other factory women who insist she be fired. Since she’s refused to put out to the factory foreman, he fires her. Wolverine is too busy hiding from Maximus to save her.
Princess Mia sells off all her worldly possessions, including her hair and teeth, before finally selling her vagine. Blah blah singing about dreams and tigers–
Do any of you have trouble getting into a show if it is overly dramatic? I mean, there is drama, and there is wank. Les Mis, the movie, is wank. Maybe it’s because of the extreme closeups, and because you can see the actors working so hard to emote, whereas in a stage production you are taking in the whole of the actor and the actor’s surroundings? I don’t know. But rather than being impressed and touched by the strings of saliva in Hathaway’s maw, I was just a little bored.
Don’t get me wrong, I feel for Fantine. I felt for all the prostitutes in the scene–I feel for the other prostitutes more. Maybe that’s it? Why Fantine? Surely she wasn’t the only girl out there who was working it because the rent was due. But she was the only one out there weeping over how much her life sucked. And since she pretty much sings about what a party girl she was before becoming Teen Mom, I’m not sure where my sympathy is supposed to lie? Maybe if she’d been nicer to her coworkers, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a mess? Maybe if she’d just embraced the role, she could have released her own sex tape and gotten a reality show?
Anyway… Wolverine adopts Karen Smith from her caretakers, Borat and Mrs. Lovett, and tries to make a new life for them where Maximus can’t find them. Karen’s weather-telling tatas fall in love with a cute spare who sings like Kermit the Frog, who is loved unrequitedly by an actual Broadway performer with amazing pipes.
Then it’s all confusing with singing and pining, and fighting, and who cares because Fantine was actually the best part of the show. And, Anne Hathaway did an incredible job, and deserved her Oscar.
3.5 out of 5 stars. I gave it an extra half star because I enjoyed how uncomfortable Russell Crowe looked the whole time.
Bonus mini-review: Silver Linings Playbook. What was that? That was it? That won Oscars? Dang. 2 out of 5 stars.
I hope they vote yes because no matter what the vote, there will be gay scouts, and those scouts should have the peace of mind that all other scouts do. Being gay doesn’t preclude being a child, being a male, or being interested in the various experiences open to Boy Scouts. Being gay doesn’t make you a threat or a liability. Being gay doesn’t make you a better or worse person, a less or more moral person, or have anything to do with how well you tie knots, set up tents, or start fires. It has nothing to do with the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
It has nothing to do with the Boy Scout Pledge.
On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God, and my country, and to obey the Scout law; to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, and mentally awake, and morally straight.
I suppose you could argue about “duty to God” and “morally straight”, but again, I would tell you that being gay has nothing to do with your morals–it has to do with your sexual preference, and it is just as possible to lack morals and be as hetero as they come.
And anyway, the scouting handbook defines that morality segement of the oath as meaning that a scout should: “be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.”
What that says to me is that there shouldn’t be any open Frat Boys in the scouts.
So with that out of the way, here’s why I really hope the organization votes to allow gay scouts to be open: because no one should have to hide who they are, least of all a kid. If you’re gay, you’re gay and that’s fine. It shouldn’t, and doesn’t matter.
“But, Lane, what if some gay kid tries to hit on my son?” You teach your son to turn down advances politely and respectfully. You teach your son to be flattered that someone thought he was attractive and engaging, and to feel comfortable saying, “Thank you, but I don’t share a similar interest in you.” You teach your son that being liked by a boy is no reflection of weakness or reason to fear. Being liked by anyone is a compliment.
“But, Lane, what if my kid turns gay?” Well, what if he does? I’m not going to get into the Nature vs. Nurture, Chance or Choice argument. I’m just going to ask you this, “Would you love your kid any less? Would you think your kid was damaged? Would you think your child had lost value?” And if your answer is yes, then you are the one with the problem, not your gay son.
“But, Lane, what if my kid is raped?” Then you go after the rapist with a Louisville slugger. Rape has as much to do with being gay, as rape has to do with being straight.
Listen, I think the Boy Scouts stand for something good: Teaching boys to be self-sufficient and considerate, contributing members of society. I know a couple of scoutmasters and think the world of them (and they live in other states, which is too bad because I would let Thor into their packs.) I think all boys should be allowed to take part in that. Gay boys need to know to help old ladies across the street and make tourniquets, too. It’s not like Granny is going to slap Jim’s hand away because he’s got a crush on Joe. If you need Jim to apply direct pressure, it’s not going to matter that he wants to take Hank to the prom.
I won’t let my child be a Boy Scout because I am afraid of the pedophiles who are attracted to groups like that. I do think that having a ban on gay scoutmasters fosters an atmosphere where pedophiles can prey on boys because the boys think they are in a “safe” sexual environment, and then end up victimized and traumatized, and unable to trust or ask for help because everyone knows Mr. Frank is a married man with kids, and married men never hurt little boys.
I’d prefer an openly gay scoutmaster who was genuinely interested in my son’s well being, over a straight jackass any time. Dumbledore over Voldemort, y’all.
We all just need to be up front about who we are. Lay out the cards, play our hands, and enjoy each other for qualities other than how we like to go bump in the night. I’m straight, so I live in that privilege. It’s time that privilege was extended to everyone else.
(I always feel I need to add this caveat, lest you think I’m down with NAMBLA: I am 100% okay with whatever consenting adults consent to do with other consenting adults. I am not okay with adults preying on children, the mentally disabled, the elderly, the chemically incapacitated, or animals. If it can’t say yes within legal age limits and a reasonable understanding of what yes means, you shouldn’t be trying to nuzzle up on it.)
The Outside Lane 