Mash-up

This is a mash-up from last year: Halloween, Thanksgiving, an autumn visit home, and a handful of other get-togethers. (I forgot to post it when it was originally written.)

Max Fischer from Rushmore and Maggie the Cat from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

At home over Thanksgiving

All Hallows' Eve

Day of the Dead Woman and Binder Full of Women

Pimpy the Clown admiring the Binder of Women

Incognito

Hey, kids. It was Halloween just a moment ago or...um...two months ago. So much for the timeliness of a blog. ;)

Coraline + garden gnome

A group of us ventured out to Mickey's and the Harmony for some incognito fun. Our group consisted of a sorceress, The Great Pumpkin, Frankenstein's monster, a garden gnome, and Coraline.

Frankenstein's monster + Coraline

There was also the eating of pizza and the watching of TV later in the evening, but that remains undocumented by photography.

Garden gnome + The Great Pumpkin

Trick or Treat?

On Tuesday night, I looked at a Sherman Terrace condo. It was cute, but a bit small and rough around the edges. And I need to assess if I can afford it and if I want to own something right now.

When I got home, I watched Glee and made braised bok choy with glazed tofu. It turned out very well, although I had to employ the fan to dispel the greasy scent filling my abode after the glazing. Here's the recipe:

Glazed Tofu over Braised Bok Choy
1 14-oz. package firm tofu (cut into 1/2-inch slices)
spray of olive oil
2 heads bok choy (~ 6 c. cut into 1-inch pieces)
3 garlic cloves (1 thinly sliced, 2 minced)
1 14-oz. can vegetable broth
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp. fish sauce or tamari
1/4 c. soy sauce
4 tsp. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Dry tofu with towels. (Wrap the tofu with the towels and press it with some heavy cans to extract a bit more moisture.) Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute bok choy and garlic in oil for about 4 mins. Add 1 1/2 c. of broth and simmer until reduced by half. Meanwhile, combine minced garlic, ginger, fish and soy sauces, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Heat oil in another skillet over high heat. Add tofu and brown, ~ 3 mins. per side. Add the soy mixture to coat the tofu. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is syrupy, ~ 4 mins. Stir the cornstarch into the reserved broth; add to the bok choy. Stir gently until thickened, ~ 2 mins. Divide the bok choy onto 4 plates and top with glazed tofu.

On Glee, they featured Rocky Horror Picture Show, which made me want to be one of the characters from it for Halloween. (It's now recorded on my list of potential costumes.)

My favorite article on NPR this week noted that Tom DeLay's trial starts in Austin on Monday. I hope they nail the bugger for illegally financing Texas state legislature races.

On Friday night, I hauled my exhausted bum to a Halloween costume party on the west side. I went as Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman's character from Pulp Fiction), and my accomplice played a garden gnome. It was a fun evening filled with tons of creative costumes. In attendance were bumblebees; several Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired pirates; Willy Wonka--the new Johnny Depp interpretation, not Gene Wilder's original version; Princess Leia; Snooky; The Situation; Cat Woman; Batman; crazy clowns; Go-Go girls; witches; and a simply marvelous man posed as a female sailor. Honestly, he nailed female mannerisms--casually brushing his blond locks away from his face, the coquettish side stance, and the entire party envied his up-to-there legs. The evening also included fun Halloween-themed food and drinks, a bonfire, and a few new acquaintances.

Prairie Home

Fall has arrived, and it's marvelous. I love the smell of decay in the air--the fallen leaves breaking down, the grass turning brown, the flowers dying back. When I walk by the small patch of prairie by the First Street railroad tracks, the smell of the prairie transitioning into winter mode reminds me of home. Rain has stripped some of the trees bare, but others still have leaves, often in more muted or wine-colored shades. (The notable exception being the bright yellow gingko outside of my office window, valiantly clinging to its leaves against wind and rain.) Drab skies have descended over the past few days, but I don't mind...yet. (Talk to me in February when it's been cold for ages and the landscape is nothing but endless brown and gray.)

We went hiking at Indian Lake a few weeks ago on a gorgeous, bright day. After tromping around for a few hours, we ate apples and granola bars and drank leftover coffee on the back bumper before heading back to the city. I'd definitely like to make a return trip.

And today was a lovely little Saturday. It included a little paper-reading, coffee, and a bacon biscuit from Batch Bakery, and then picking up a few more items for my Halloween costume (Mia Wallace, Uma Thurman's character in Pulp Fiction) from Mallat's Pharmacy.

In the evening, I cleaned my house, did laundry, and fell in love with Two Fat Ladies...and Bitchin' Kitchen... and Nigella Lawson and those crazy guys from Food Jammers. The Cooking Channel kicks ass! I may never leave my house again.