Festivious

This morning was a break from routine. I took the dog out a little earlier and then went back to sleep. Two hours later, it was as though I woke up on my own without an alarm and a care in the world. The feeling was very calming and comforting. Maybe it was that feeling that engendered a need to cook early.

There are two versions of spaghetti sauce I make but both require hours of simmering to infuse all the flavors together. I made the lesser complicated one. My apartment had the lingering smell of fried dried anchovies and garlic from yesterday. (Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and cook the whole bag then light fragrant candles to diffuse the scent. Oh, opening the sliding glass doors helps, too.) This new melange of Italian flavors would certainly do the trick of replacing one with the other.

During my second IM conversation of the day with Tab, he described me as festivious. By this time I had already enjoyed some of my spaghetti sauce and I was about to make some mini cheesecakes for the Asian mafia the next day. I replied that he always makes this kind of stuff up. He said it was his word combo of festive and fastidious. I couldn't believe he said, The exact meaning is: requiring or characterized by excessive care or delicacy; painstaking while creating a festive mood. Tab clarified it for me by saying It is the painstaking attention to detail that give you joy.

I may be more crazed than most when it comes to experiencing joy. I guess I don't want to miss a single part of it...almost like drinking it within my being. You can probably tell already by the way I describe things which is what earned my description. I was lost in describing how I made my sauce and how I was going to make the mini cheesecakes.

My simple day ended with me in bed still the smelling vanilla from the cooled cheesecakes confections that were now resting covered in the refrigerator.


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Festivious

Almost Spaghetti

I saw this on apartmenttherapy.com and it simply amazing:


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Almost Spaghetti

Mangia, Cara Mia!

Received a happy call from Trish in San Francisco today. She had a wonderful going away party from her old job last week and her new job was going well. Her boyfriend Dave got a new job, too and has been making arrangements to have Trish formally move in with him in the city. Singing gigs for Trish were also coming in. I was thrilled that she was finally living la vida loca again.

I updated Tawny via text that I was declining her invite to her pool party with a couple of our other friends. My sociable mood was nowhere to be resurrected and the rain was off and on all morning. It decided to make its presence very known in the afternoon instead. Luckily, I was able to walk Cabal around and enjoy the lush greenery before the downpour...

I've not bought eggs in several months for two purposes: 1) I don't eat eggs enough to make buying a half dozen or a dozen worth it before it goes bad and 2) It is a deterrent to easily baking pastries and cakes. With the weather, today was a perfect Baking Day and I was compelled to cook something that took time. The next thing I knew I was making Sunday Gravy (as some Italians call it) with meat. Cooking can be a hedonistic activity if approached correctly and I was game today.

I left the canned whole tomatoes mostly in tact instead of crushing them further and added it after browning the lean ground beef in some raw olive oil, onions and lots of pressed garlic. Mincing doesn't extract all the garlic oil goodness. Added tomato paste to deepen the flavor, mixed dried herbs (fresh ones were not an easy option today) and some spices. I left out the wine today.

This was reducing nicely. I adjusted the taste by stirring in some crushed hot pepper. Later the secret ingredient (blowing a kiss!) because it has to be made with Love. Kinda hokey, I know, but that's how this AGOL does it.


Can you tell I am showing my Filipino side in the pic below? If you don't get it, good for me! I like to boil the dry pasta unbroken so that the long strands are kept. It makes it easier to twirl on a big spoon. (Ran out of spaghetti so had to settle for angel hair.) The pasta water must also be well seasoned with sea salt and the pasta cooked al dente. No wimpy strands on my fork.

Sprinkled some grated Romano cheese and more of the crushed hot pepper over this garlicky goodness. Just missing some of my famous garlic bread and a nice glass of Shiraz.


The sun shone again when this was served. The dish was tasty and the good food aroma inside intoxicating. Steam had built up against the sliding glass doors thanks to the condensation from the coolness of my apartment to the steam bath outside. In between bites, I remembered that tomorrow is a holiday.

Mangia, Cara Mia!

Spaghetti and Gentle Rain. Perfect.

Surprisingly found myself zooming to work at 70mph with traffic until we all hit downtown Trampa. It wasn't too bad there either. Got to work early enough to accompany Bridget downstairs to buy some breakfast or starter fuel.

Was looking forward to having lunch with Tawny, but she had plans to visit her doctor to clear up some prescription issue. IM'ed Lisa to see if she had plans and ended up driving us to Macaroni Grill for some tasty spaghetti with meat sauce. There is nothing like satisfying a craving you've been having for days. It hit the spot just right.

Lisa needed to share some of her life-changing plans she is set to implement after the first of the year so it all worked out. Our waiter, Christian, provided nice eye candy while we dined, but we both felt our ages drooling over this much younger cutie. Sad.

Received an e-mail reminder from my dad in Chicago to me and my-sisters-who-I-don't-talk-to letting us know that my stepmother's upcoming birthday in September will be her 65th. Now the pressure is on to get a very thoughtful gift. I am usually great at thoughtful gifts...but...I am drawing a blank with my stepmother. Some crystal with engraving? Funny "hot senior mama" shirts with a Floridian flavor? Jewelry? That will stump me all weekend.

The pleasure of leaving work later than everyone is that you get to miss the torrential downpours and the effects on traffic. Drove home in light rain. I love the rain. Gentle drops blending with one another in a hypnotic pattern on my windshield during stops. Electric spiderwebs strobed their way across the dark gray sky along the way home. It was very calming and strangely comforting.

Spaghetti and Gentle Rain. Perfect.

Spaghetti Strands

With lower lip quivering, I found myself fighting back tears as I drove into work this morning. Even an AGOL is not immune to mortal feelings of loss of a relationship especially when it was with a man she thought really special and still does though he is not very deserving at the moment. I think other feelings are permeating the wall of disappointment. It took several deep breaths and determination not to crumble before arriving at work.

I've told my closest friends and only one family member, Angie in LA. Those who know have expressed how much I am loved. Even Cabal, my Pretty Boy Dog, seems to understand. He's got a hidden agenda: no longer having to share his mistress with the familiar voice of MEBFKAY. They both were not exactly fond of each other.

Busy today as the designated buyer, but still posted midday blog stuff below. Expressing myself has been helping, but...sigh.

Bridget suggested doing something wild like attending this fetish night being held in Ybor City this weekend. While intriguing, I can keep my freak side more private without sharing with a ballroom full of fetish friends. Being part Asian guarantees a little freak going on. Besides, I'm fresh out of talcum powder. I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying.

Ate spaghetti for dinner. Made me think of the plate piled with a serving of noodles as an analogy. Life might be a plate of spaghetti sometimes, but if you pick one or two strands at a time, the plate will eventually be empty.

PS If you have any words of wisdom, please e-mail me from my profile.

Spaghetti Strands