Not A Junker

Just bought new car and transferring a few items...from one car to the other.

*Maui Jim Sunglasses...oh, there they are!!
*Homemade bejewelled gumsaver from my niece
*Kindle...fully charged
*Freesia "nourishing" anti- bacterial hand lotion...

Interesting stuff you find in your car, when you think your car is clean.  One doesn't see stuff everywhere.  You believe you're not a clutter monger and yes...you have two tire guages and a fire extinguisher on board.

We threw all contents of car into a box at the dealership, to be sorted out later at home.  Couldn't believe the box filled so quickly.  We carefully transferred it to the trunk and propped it next to the new/ used shoe rack  for stability.

So happy to tetrieve my 5 fresh new books (real books)...thank you...to my Melrose Place library...one of note..."The Best Places to Kiss in Southern California."

*6 cd's...(compact discs)...in console
*albuterol inhaler
*gps
*KC and the Sunshine band cd cover
* 3 Lowes receipts, 1 rubios card, and a "Fresh and Easy" blueberry cereal bar.

Isn't it interesting to peel back the layers of what you didn't know about yourself?  This is deep stuff.
My car is not a junker nor junky inside.  How did so many things hide in there?

*A Vons receipt...thank you Jayshan...the snack artist veggie chips were almost as good as real nachos.

*Ice scraper...that's all hubby's doing.
*Johnny cash c.d. 

and finally...
*6 plastic gloves

Revenge Corn

I've redeemed my Spanish roots last week. I attempted a new recipe.  I unfortunately was never taught how to make certain related ethnic foods and hadn't made this before. This happens in a bi ethnic family. 

I made "posole" last week.  Say poh-so-leh.  It's a stew with pork, chicken or beef in it and yes...hominy (kind of a corn on steroids).  Hominy is made with a process called nixtamalization.  I won't go into it as you can also wikepedia it, as I did.

I'd never eaten posole, (nor had my husband) who'd been asking for it, wanting some.  Lots of local eateries here that specialize in certain authentic dishes.  Menudo is one of them and no I won't "go there."  I thought hubby had actually eaten posole before since he's mentioned it multi times lately and he has munched on menudo many times.

So I google "posole."  I take the top 3 and sort of work it out, mix it up, if you will.  One was actually called "Gringo Posole."  How could anybody go wrong if there is posole with such a name?

So I get a large pot and toss in the hominy, sautee some chicken with my secret spices. Sautee some red and green peppers y onion.  Throw in pot.  A few gobs of cumin and a dash of leftover chipotle salsa from B.E, crushed garlic and some chicken broth from TJ (Trader Joes).  S & P too, just a bit. Hubby thought a good opportunity and tossed in two jalapenos from our garden.  After a few hours of medium boiling it is done.  It was so deliciosa!! Maybe next time just one jalapeno.

Top with chopped cilantro.

Bien Provecho!!

Counter Offer

Working on the kitchen mini facelift.  We've buckled down and decided to replace our once lovely white 80's tiletops.  I'm sure they were very vibrant in their day.  Shiny, new and all those other top of the line adjectives.

I was really only going to just "stop in" to the shop for a quick idea of rock education (granite, marble, cesarstone..etc), and I assured the gentleman that it'd be a few months as I was only doing the research.  Well, crap!!  I guess I got a bit overzealous and the following day(s), we'd find ourselves in heaven (local stone yards)!!  While I've always enjoyed rockhunting (dad used to take us when we were kids), I've never totally considered myself a rockhound.  Well, maybe, just maybe I am like my good friend Daisy, maybe I do have "rockhound" tendencies.  This has nothing to do with Mr. Swift's college course either. 

Hubby and I peruse the two local stone yards.  Italian, Brazilian, swirls, "movement", grays, blues, need I go on?...oh heck...how do we choose? 

We write down the slab numbers and notes to remind us of description when we check on price and details, etc.  One reminded me of spilled milk, another, a nearby galaxy (which was beatiful but too expensive),  another was just too brown.  Beautiful, but we are trying to "brown down" our home.  Lot of dark furniture lately.

Did I just hear my husband say "We could really make a statement with this one"?  He ponders the green, ochre and white variations. Very unique, very "one arm and a leg" so to speak (pricey).

We finally decided on one whose name sounds like a musical instrument.  It's safe, clean and shiny.

Now, what to do with our cabinets??:)

Free Spirit

I've always liked hunting.  Some say it isn't for them.  I like the attire, the search and even the weather.  Living in SoCal, so the garb is very comfortable. 

The specific type of hunting I enjoy is the "bargain hunt!"  I enjoy the comfortable shoes, the over the shoulder sleek handbag, (for ambidextrous maneuvers), the search.  The "capture and kill" comes in another verbage.  Capture the moment of the killer deal!! 

Oh wait, I wasn't going to be writing of the thrift shop, second hand, "new to you" finds this time.  I was going to go on about on- line finds.  Craig's list and such.  Train back on track.

On occasional weekends I may find myself searching for something specific or possibly something that I didn't yet know I want.  I check a few places on craig's list.  Garden, Furniture, and "Free."  I may check other places too but for the "deal," these are my go to's.

I've acquired some gorgous free garden rocks on CL.  You haul (and we did) (okay, "he" did).  It took a few trips over a few days but it was a win/ win.  Giver didn't want them in their front yard and we wanted them in our backyard.  We still talk about this achievement at times.  Some items I've found in the free section of note lately:

• peanut oil- 3 gallons, used to cook turkey in...location...near the harbor
• dirt- You haul
• goldfish- Bring containers.  This seemed like a nice way to help out some fishies, but I wasn't about to drive to Van Nuys.
• Free chickens- Barred Rocks and Silver Laced Wyandotes.  (I never knew that there are so many types of chickens.)  Since we live in the burbs, this wasn't really appealing anyway.
• Palettes- We've used some a while back to make birdhouses.  There's a guy on CL that I see who makes patio furniture...repurpose!!
• Toilet- um, I guess this'd be good if one were very broke and so was their toilet.

The free list goes on.  It's quite entertaining and interesting.

Some of the item's I've given away on the free list are:

• trash compacter
• shell garden bordering (hideous)
• aluminum cans (once when we were moving and we didn't want to move them as well).  Received calls ons this one for days.
• Bed
• Futon
• Desk*

The desk* donation last year came with a great perk.  After listing it on line, curb alerting and un curb alerting, I received a phone call from a sweet lady.  The desk was a large corner unit with printer stand and computer hutch.  I also had a picture posted so folks could see what it looks like.  She politely asked me if it would fit in a Honda... (Civic). Goodness, long story, short...after our telephone bonding (not bondage), hubby and I delivered the corner desk to her near beach residence.  It wasn't far, anyway and she had such a nice voice.  She offered us wine and cheese and whether we'd like to watch sunset from her balcony (just kidding, she didn't...but she would have...had she know us longer).  We talked for about an hour during the desk drop.  It was very nice conversation full of fun, learning a little bit about each other. I've since learned from my Sacramento sibling that everyone from Oroville is nice.  With that being said, minus a few details from Hallmark...we have since become good friends.  Who would think that you could meet somebody on Craig's list and become friends, good friends?  Well, you obviously haven't meet Stella Raven.  She's the spirit!!