No, I am not some sort of vampire hunter.
BBQ corn on the cob
Here’s my first recipe featuring corn.
Stuffed cherry tomatoes
Looking for a fun appetizer to serve at a party? Try stuffing cherry tomatoes with bacon.
There’s a glitch with the audio at the end, so just sing the theme song to yourself.
Good as new
It’s always fun to get something new, but there are many things that can’t be replaced very often. Here are some ways I’ve found to get that same feeling of excitement in the interim.
A brand-new car!
I feel pretty good when I take my car through a $5 gas station car wash. But I feel great when once a year or so, I splurge for a full detail—polish, wax, and shampooed carpets. It can be a bit pricey depending on what you get, but it’s cheaper than a new car. Or, if you have a garage or other area where you can work on your car, you can do it yourself.
New apartment
One of my favorite things about a new house or apartment is the freshly installed carpet. Even though I try to vacuum regularly, any carpet can get grungy over time. I recently discovered the joys of owning and operating a steam cleaner, and it’s a lot easier than moving to a new apartment. Steam cleaning takes longer than regular vacuuming because you have to do multiple passes and refill/empty the tanks, but I actually found it kind of fun.* It reminded me of what my stage crew teacher used to say about sweeping the stage. He liked doing it because it was like a form of meditation.
New computer
I can get a good six years out of a computer. To get that “new computer” feeling, I recommend a clean install of the operating system (make sure to back up your data first!) and the addition of some fresh RAM. Don’t forget you can also physically clean your machine.
* Disclaimer: I really did enjoy it, but I also enjoy sitting in front of a front-loading washer and watching my clothes spin around. Seriously. So, I hope that sets the right expectations.
Jogging
Sometimes when I see joggers hopping around at an intersection, I want to get out of my car and dance next to them so they don’t feel awkward alone.
Water
Okay, so yesterday I blogged about how I was unsubscribing from a mailing list for charity: water. Just a few minutes ago, I came across this post by Matt Cutts on the Official Google Blog as part of Blog Action Day. I didn’t know about Blog Action Day, so the timing of yesterday’s post was just a coincidence. However, now that I know about it, let me get in on the action.
Obviously, water is important and good stuff. So it’s pretty shocking to learn that there are still many people in this world, in 2010, who don’t have access to clean water. charity: water works to help out these people. You can donate here. My favorite part about donating to charity: water is that I know 100% of my money is going towards a water project, and not towards sending me return address labels.
A creative approach to email marketing
I clicked “unsubscribe” on a recent email from charity: water and was given this offer:
I ended up choosing both options, but I appreciate the effort. 🙂 Nothing against the organization; I just get too much email.
I drove a new car today
Today at work I had the chance to test drive a Chevy Volt, GM’s electric (or plug-in hybrid, or whatever you want to call it) car. I’m a big fan of electric cars, so this was a lot of fun for me as it’s the first time I’ve actually driven one.
In terms of a review, there’s really not much to say, as it’s not much different than what you’d expect any car to be like. It felt like it had more torque than my Accord, so that was fun, plus I just like the sound of an electric motor. The only part of the driving experience that felt different than what I’m used to was during the regenerative braking, but it wasn’t distracting. You can also throw it into low gear which will also try to capture some energy when you let off the gas, which I suppose you could get used to and only engage while driving in a hilly area.
Up next: I’ll be test-driving a Nissan Leaf on Halloween.
Omelette
It’s been over two years since the last episode of Chicken and Ketchup, so I’m pleased to announce the release of my latest cooking adventure: an omelette:
As you can see, my first attempt didn’t yield a perfect product. I kept at it though, and got a better result with my second attempt:
And here’s my third omelette:
I’ve made several more since, and my latest thing is adding more sauces at the end to enhance the flavor. In addition to the ketchup and Tabasco sauce, I now add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
Know what you’re good at
Text from my sister:
Haha so Mom’s kids had to write a story about their happiest moment. One kid wrote: “when my sheets smell good.” And then about what they’re good at, he wrote “sleep.” You two would get along.