drum roll, please

well, you have all been very patient through the silent din of my stagnant blog. how long can this go on? 
i don't know the answer, but it will probably seem like forever.




for now, however, i can tell you that it is time to reveal the answer to our last puzzler, "where's the pea?"


and to help us for the big reveal, i would like to ask  the hand of an annonymous omnipotent being to give us some assistance.  are you there, being? it's me, jeanette. if you would, please reveal for us the place of the pea! 








whew! that was close! 
all right everybody, pay up!

next>

the pea

since we're on the subject of peas and shells, and since no kitchen activity is still the theme of the day, i thought i'd give a nod to our friend the pea. i think this is especially appropos since this blog is about the kitchen and sometimes food and sometimes princesses trying to get some sleep. 

 i invite you to take the "where's the pea" survey on the side bar. and good luck to all! now, on to the good pea news...

first, the USA dry pea and lentil council has lots they want us to know about their favorite food, like, "why choose legumes?"  well, i think it is obvious why legumes, but let's look at a few of their reasons, shall we:

USA legumes are the world's standard for quality.

Legumes  have many qualities that make them attractive to food manufacturers.

 

Composition

• High protein, dietary fiber, starch, amylose, and amylopectin     

      (really? i did not know that)

• low fat; low cholesterol 

Nutrition

• high protein (20 to 30% on dry weight basis)

• low calorie

• good complement of B-vitamins and some vitamin A

• good complement of minerals, especially calcium and iron

• high lysine

 

Functional properties

• varieties of colors—green, yellow, red, orange

• minimal non-enzymatic browning and oil absorption during frying

• neutral flavor; excellent flavor carrier

• crisp, crunchy texture potential [texture potential?]

• protein functionality provides: good water holding capacity (WHC), good solubility, good emulsifying properties, good lipid affinity and foam stability, promising expansion/extrusion potential

now personally, i find this last item especially fascinating. i never really thought about peas having a good water holding capacity (whc), but i guess they do.  and i never thought water holding capacity needed an abbreviation [whc] but i guess it does. and i never considered their promising expansion/extrusion potential [e/ep?], but i guess it's been there all along.  so much potential being overlooked! i hope i haven't been treating people this way...

and another interesting thing about peas: they make excellent cars [tmec]:

talk about green!*

here's another interesting fact about our good, water holding friend, the pea: in 2005 a poll of 2,000 people revealed the pea to be britain's 7th favorite culinary vegetable [for cars?]. 

and in the mid-1800's gregor mendel's observations of pea pods led him to create the principles called mendelian genetics, which are now ruining real food as we know it. how fascinating!

so now, in tribute to our friend, pea, i give you a reci-pea. bon appetite!

1. if possible do not shell the pea until just before it is time to cook it. when ready remove tires, headlights, license and rear view mirror.
2. add boiling water to just cover the pea; add salt, half a pint of water, and let the contents of the saucepan simmer until the pea is genetically modified.
3. it will take about... forever!
4. when the pea is cooked the water should be reduced to a few spoonfuls.
5. add a quart of oil, a little black pepper and serve at once.

(* car courtesy of Asylum Models and Effects)

next>

that awkward silence

i think we have reached that awkward silence. nothing happened today in the room, so i have nothing to report. it is that moment at the party when you find you have nothing to say to anyone around you so you just stand there, trying to look cool and occupied and interested when in fact you feel like none of those things. 

so here i am. what shall we talk about?

hmmmmm......ummmmm.......errrrr.....how 'bout those red sox?

see any good movies lately?.....

fifi got a new 'do. what do you think? she seems to have a whole new confidence...

i am thinking of joining the circus. maybe i can learn what she's doing...

okay, which shell has the pea under it?........

hopefully, more news tomorrow... what's going on with you?

next>

beige day

walls have been painted! mostly ceilings, actually, since much of the walls will be covered with laminate. but what does show will be tapestry beige.   ooooohhh. can you believe people get paid to think of these names? what would i have called it?  maybe ooo la la. something hard to say in public, perhaps. what would you have called it? 

the paint may not show well here, since it is a bit light but i will give it a shot:

can you tell? this is another run at giving you the palette. still can't get it right. it is a beautiful combination, and i guess the only real way to know is to come over. you are now officially invited.

this is a mistake. somebody finally made a mistake and i even saw it.  i have since cleaned it up, but it surprised me they didn't catch it. it was huge! 

i'm thinking about what to do in my new kitchen. how will i entertain you?  so i will begin practicing shortly.  i will order one of these:

i will also have that same look on my face when i serve you something. kind of happy, kind of devious-mad-scientist. you won't mind, will you? and just ignore that warning on the box about the choking hazard. i doubt that will be a problem...

many of my friends have already had the pleasure of trying my latest wonderful creation... they are writing that it was excellent!

next>

oops!

ha, ha. just kidding. nothing broke, not accidently, anyway. in the never-ending search for perfection, it was found that some tiles had to be redone. so to get there required smashing a few. they showed me how to do it, in case i ever had to fix one on my own. and then he left me another hand-written love note (actually recycled from the other day). i think he really cares.

warning signs are everywhere... i get the idea!

here's a closer look at the correction. the tiles had to be sure to slip far enough under the drywall to create a little shadow line. these are the little details that ultimately add up to something big.

nate continues to write on the walls. 1/8" seems to be his favorite, either direction. 

hey! what happened to my whack-a-mole?

things keep coming and going around here. the stove has been moved back and forth 4 or 5 times by now. this is the sink's 2nd trip. maybe he pulled it out to make room for nina's alarm clock. 

beyond the tiling and plastering, measuring the counters and moving the sink around, and, oh yes, the games of twister and whack-a-mole, it was a quiet day. painting begins tomorrow. see you then!

next>

on the go

yes, it is true, as ed points out in his last comment, my kitchen grout lines are perfect for "ants on the go." see?

i plan on having everything clearly marked for them. this is, after all, california. 

the counter tops have now been all prepped and are ready for templating tomorrow. a bit of plastering will also be corrected, as well as some tiles. i wonder if all four guys will be here at the same time. maybe you should all come over as well. let's pack the room! twister party in the kitchen!

excellent job on the substrate, by the way. nice and level. very smooth and screwed down just perfectly. 

see for yourself: it really is level!

I have decided to have a whack-a-mole game installed in the kitchen/game room/great ant highway. i think the catch phrase for this space is.... 

multi-functional! 

i hope i am not forgetting anything for this room. twinkies, twizzlers, chickens, ants, spaghetti and sauce, tall thin guys, furring, alarm clock, harrison ford, doorbell, heisenberg's uncertainties, secrets in the soffits, vented space, tacky paper carpeting, gas shut-off valve, electrical panels that make me appear, well, you know, and lemon meringue pie.  so far so good. let me know if i'm missing anything.  

next>

wet tiles

someone around here is getting a lot of work done. thank you, santos!

i came home to this lovely, hand-written note, written just for me. he really cares. well, actually, he may be writing these for all the people he does work for. he may actually be carrying this one sign from site to site, for all i know. he may have been using this one for eight years. but no matter, i was very touched when i read it, so i will not step on wet tiles until tomorrow when, apparently, it will be ok. 

today was floor-guys day number 2 and now the floor is almost done. just some grout and then i officially have a new floor. it looks a little like leather. it also looks like steel. will you please make up my mind?

the blue lines are to help me know which tiles are still wet and where i might be able to step. and those little white things are spacers. here, have a closer look:

santos asked me how much space i wanted between the tiles, 1/8" or 1/16"?  so here we have spacers setting the 1/16" gap between tiles. ingenious. 

this is a bug's-eye view of the kitchen. to an ant, my kitchen will seem especially huge and a little intimidating. now i feel bad for being so big. i really would have gotten my money's worth if i was only 2 mm tall. 

perhaps now would be a good time to field some of the many questions sent to me every day. 

Q. my husband loves lemon meringue pies, but every time i make one, the meringue drops. it looks great when i first take it out of the oven, but then it just flattens. what's the secret to a high, fluffy meringue?

A .  don't  you mean insulation? 

click!

Q. can flour explode?

A.  yes.   

click!

Q. when will we have another opportunity to see madly-coiled blue thing?

A.  click!

that's all for now. have a great weekend!

next>