Inspiration & such
Posted on | August 12, 2009 | 14 Comments
The rain falls hard, shaken from the heavy air, in spite of the sun. Rivulets run down my arms, the thin cotton of my t-shirt immediately soaked. Even though it has rained all summer I love storms like these. Flat-out rain. The sky impossibly blue overhead, clouds ripped apart like pillows after a bedroom romp.
I’m listening to Penguin Café this afternoon. Trying to mow through the heap of things that has accumulated this week. Filling out forms for kindergarten (Bean starts in a multi-age classroom in a couple of weeks), running to the post office for stamps and to mail packages, copy-editing, writing. Always that.
Of course the very day, yes, the EXACT SAME DAY, I posted about my enormous writing goals for this month, an unbelievably awesome freelance copy editing/writing job fell into my lap. I am beyond grateful. And excited. And happy and such things. But now of course there is really no way I’ll meet my 80K goal by the end of the month. Things are competing for my time. Big time.
I’m thinking 40K will be more reasonable. But I’m also discovering things about the writing process that I didn’t know before—straight up novel writing is so different than short story writing or memoir writing or anything else I have ever done. I’m learning how I can be effective with small chunks of time: to map out future sections—to think in terms of events and scenes. To get notes down on paper no matter what.
Speaking of organizing, on Tuesday I tried out putting a couple of my favorite images I’ve ripped out of magazines together, inspired by this blog.
It was fun. And I had the idea of clipping each successive page one on top of the other on the cork board by my desk—that way I’ll gradually accumulate a whole stack of images that speak to me, and one day, maybe, I’ll get back around to painting and drawing again, and I’ll have them all in one place, rather than in piles on shelves and in boxes.
Now, some lovely things for Wednesday:
A pretty little card.
These summertime pics, and these foodie pics.
Also, this movie. Meryl Streep is glorious, as always. And it’s a story that makes you want to grab hold of the things you love and want, and to pursue them tenaciously and with conviction. Julia Child was told repeatedly that she was a terrible cook and would never have any kind of successful career. It reminded me to not get to bent out of shape about rejections.
And finally, though this has no connection whatsoever to anything else in this post, what is your favorite salad dressing recipe? Please share.
Comments
14 Responses to “Inspiration & such”
Leave a Reply
I am Christina Rosalie
Hello. I'm so happy you've stopped by!
I am a multimedia storyteller, digital strategist, idea starter, stalker of wonder, finder of four leaf clovers, MFA graduate student, and mama of boys. My first book,
will be published by SKIRT! Books in September, 2012.
DAILY ART:
Follow:
Tags
Categories
Archives
ALWAYS:
August 12th, 2009 @ 7:58 pm
Oh what I’d give for rain. To feel the cool wet breeze and the sweet smell of wet asphalt and soggy grass all wafted into the open windows. Alas I live where it may not rain for the rest of the year. I can dream of it and sometimes that will just have to do.
August 12th, 2009 @ 7:58 pm
Thanks so much for the link to my card!
August 12th, 2009 @ 9:13 pm
I tried a fun buttermilk salad dressing recipe this summer and it was quite good. The recipe is on the blog Homesick Texan: http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/06/buttermilk-dressing.html
Also, I saw Julie & Julia too. Didn’t that bruschetta look glorious? I had to try and duplicate it. I wrote a post about it if you want to give it a try yourself. It’s easy and SO good!
August 12th, 2009 @ 11:20 pm
Salad Dressing recipe? Hmmm. I usually buy Kraft Free. Joythebaker had one for Caesar, but I haven’t made it. I love your images. I have been snipping today as well. Still not done, but snipping none the less.
August 12th, 2009 @ 11:35 pm
I know what it’s like to get great freelancing jobs at busy times. So grateful, but when it rains, it pours!
Also, can’t wait to see julie & julia! Going to do so with some great women in a week or so…
Favorite salad dressing recipe is for sure this one: http://www.cuizoo.com/2009/03/26/cuizoos-famous-balsamic-vinaigrette/
August 13th, 2009 @ 2:08 am
oh Penguin Cafe – our favorite!! Perpetuum Mobile is one that i wanted to have playing when porter came into the world. i also love steady state(?) … geniuses.
Salad dressing: I used to make it with my step-mother (who you remind me of so much – writer, photographer, painter, dreamer …) Green Goddess Dressing. It is fronm Joy of Cooking, but we change things around a bit. Perfect for a summer salad, and great with salmon.
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
3 anchovies chopped fine (or approx amount of anchovie paste)
1/4 cup green onions chopped fine
about a tablespoon of red wine vinegar
about a tablespoon (to taste) of fresh lime juice
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
(I am going by memory here) I usually whisk it up to get the bits all spread about, then refrigerate it for about an hour to let the flavors marry.
Enjoy!
August 13th, 2009 @ 2:08 am
1 small garlic clove (I use 2 medium. Must keep the vampires away!)
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar (I use balsamic)
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (I use spicy brown)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (I don’t use this, mainly because I never have it)
1.Prepare the salad first. Thinly slice the tomatoes, then halve the avocado, remove and discard the stone and skin and thinly slice each half of the flesh. Drain the bocconcini and cut these in half (or if you’re using a large mozzarella, cut it into thin slices). Now arrange the tomato and avocado slices on a serving plate in overlapping circles, starting from the edge, placing the whole basil leaves among the layers. Finally, place the mozzarella on top.
2.Make the dressing by crushing the clove (s) of garlic, together with the salt, in a mortar and pestle until it becomes a creamy mass. Work that into a paste, then add a good grinding of pepper. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the vinegar, mustard, and lastly the oil, whisking everything until thoroughly amalgamated. Stir in the chopped basil and tarragon and, just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Enjoy!
August 13th, 2009 @ 2:09 am
oh and throw some fresh avacado in the salad with it – yum!
August 13th, 2009 @ 4:03 am
I loved julie and julia so much even though I hate being in the kitchen…well, the kitchen is fine, it’s the cooking I can’t stand !
and salad dressing….
hmmm…..
olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar mixed well and served over spinach and anything else you have in the fridge…chicken, strawberries, feta cheese…and thrown in craisins and toasted almonds…..YUM !
August 13th, 2009 @ 4:49 am
This is my new favorite go-to, good on everything…
Salad Cream
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1 tablespoon pale ale mustard
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons of millk
Blend it all together, except the milk, and then add milk slowly while blending until the consistency of light custard (I’ve been greatly enjoying my new handheld immersion blender for this, it emulsifies everything so it doesn’t separate)
Made a new creation last night, mixed greens, golden beets, lemon cucumbers, mint, goat cheese and white peaches… I’ll be making that one again!
August 13th, 2009 @ 6:34 am
Smitten Kitchen’s Ceasar Salad Dressing (the option without egg and anchovy): http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/01/chicken-caesar-salad/
Or three parts olive oil, one part balsamic vinegar and as many crushed garlic cloves as you can handle!
August 13th, 2009 @ 1:40 pm
I am not the salad dressing maker in the family…I always love Paul Newman’s stuff, personally, and have never met a honey mustard I don’t like…yes, hello, I’m from the South…
So excited about opportunities for you!! How wonderful that it came when you’re feeling juicy, word wise…and whoa! Bean in kindergarten? Don’t make me cry.
I so want to see Julie & Julia…what a fabulous story. I read the book, of course, and learned a lot (I never watched Julia Child on TV). I adore both la Streep and Amy Adams, too.
August 14th, 2009 @ 4:39 am
Straight forward salad dressing:
Simple, uber-fresh greens + whatever fresh herbs are handy. Toss with a drizzle of walnut oil. Generously salt & pepper (sticks better to the leaves pre-vinegar). Drizzle with Reisling vinegar or wine. Toss again. Add chopped toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, etc. as desired.
August 15th, 2009 @ 2:11 pm
very simple for me- 1 or 2 lemons, a few tbsp. of olive oil, smushed garlic, and salt and pepper= yum.