Sherlockmas, Garden Pics, Coleslaw Recipe, & Miscellaneous Bitching

[apple_pathways]

First, some miscellaneous bitching: I need a faster computer. I see no reason why I can't have 10 different tabs open in Firefox, two Notebook pages, a Word document, iTunes, Spider Solitaire, a few different folders, email, and still be able to edit photos in GIMP. I feel a big 'ol sulk coming on.

Anyway. My frustration with my computer's inability to develop superpowers means that I don't have a shiny, pretty graphic to advertise that:

Posting for Spring Into Sherlock over at sherlockmas opens tomorrow! Super exciting, y'all: I'll have a banner eventually for anyone who wants to help promote, but in the meantime let me just say that I am very excited, and there are some fantastic submissions to the fest!

Now, since I can't edit the size of pics in GIMP at the moment, I'm going to resize these photos using the IMG tag. If it don't work in your browser: lo siento! (I'm sorry.)

"Oriental" Coleslaw with Peanut Sesame Ginger Dressing
(It's like cold sesame noodles, but with cabbage! And raisins...Mmmm...)

(I forgot to take a picture until it was almost all gone, so my apologies for the sloppiness of the presentation!)




As always, measurements are approximate: add more of what you like, less of what you don't, and play around the taste seems right!

Ingredients

Salad:

• Small head of cabbage, shredded or sliced thin into strips. (Use 1/2 to 3/4 of it.)
  
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and shredded.
  
• 3-4 green onions, sliced thin.
  
• A couple handfuls golden raisins.
  
• Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds--whatever you like. I used only sunflower seeds this time, because I couldn't find my sesame seeds to add in addition.

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• about 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  
• 1-2 Tbs peanut butter
  
• 2 tsp sesame oil
  
• A few Tbs soy sauce. (I prefer tamari.)
  
• 1-2 Tbs honey. (You don't need much, as the raisins add a lot of sweetness.)
  
• Big pinch red pepper flakes
  
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  
• black pepper

Directions: Whisk together dressing ingredients, and toss with salad ingredients. Best to make it no more than an hour or so in advance, or else the cabbage loses some of its crispness.





It was over 80 degrees today. It was CRAZY! I took the kitty out to explore while I cleaned up my perennial herb garden. Here are some photos of what's coming up. (No blooms yet--still too early for this clime!)

Hyacinths emerging:


Close up:


Daffodil:


CHIVES! (Had some in a salad: yummy!)




All right everyone: how was your weekend? Any miscellaneous bitching you want to get off your chest?

Comments

[javidan.livejournal.com]

How are your chives so big already??? Did you have them covered with something? I must be in a cold spot...

I planted some peas today! Woot!

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

You know what? They were covered with a nice thick layer of leaves! (Wish I could say it were my superior gardening skills that put them there, but no: I was just too lazy to sweep them out before winter. :P) I don't remember the chives being so large so soon before.

I LOVE PEAS! ♥ I never grow them, though, because I don't have room for vegetables at home, and grow them at a community garden plot. By the time I'm allowed access to the plot, it's too late for peas.

Snow, sugar snap, or shell peas?

[inkdancer.livejournal.com]

Bad news: I have strep throat again.

Good news: I finally found a dress to wear to Matt's brother's wedding, and got about $550 of clothing for around $200. Life is good.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Yuck! Ugh, bacteria. It's weird how you can get it and it can take ages to get rid of it. A couple years ago, I was getting monthly ear infections. Not fun. Feel better, my love!

Ooh, dress! What color? What's it look like? Let me live vicariously! :P And that sounds like an awesome sale. Good job, you shopping black belt, you. ;)

[inkdancer.livejournal.com]

I did a picspam for my Plurk friends, so I will link you to the pictures I took. Apologies for the terrible webcam graininess.

First, dress for the wedding: http://images.plurk.com/9e73774c242f9dc51291f5954cf36df9.jpg

Then a dress I've been lusting after for months: http://images.plurk.com/b4dd7fd5c68ff919d5373d79e7265667.jpg

New interview dress: http://images.plurk.com/9f8de4559f7fed5777cecbecd1987a5a.jpg

What says summer better than pink polka dots and denim? http://images.plurk.com/e23828408b1180066d726801d93a8ac9.jpg

And my first ever suit: http://images.plurk.com/45a0bcd6025d779a75462d80a18f09f5.jpg

I also found a push-up bra that actually fits. I have never had that happen before!

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Very nice! Quite professional-looking, too.

Ooh, finding a good bra is always a special treat. Nice one!

[inkdancer.livejournal.com]

That was the reason for the shopping trip- I needed professionally appropriate outfits as well as the dress for the wedding.

Having a nice bra always makes me feel extra pretty even if nobody is going to see it.

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

Awww, green things! The squirrels have been in my planters twice already today, which means The War has begun again, even though the only thing growing in them right now is the resurrected lemon balm and mint.

I'm doing my best not to think about computers right now... mine is turning four in the next month or so, and it's sort of showing its age. I can't run any add-ons with Firefox anymore, iTunes won't open unless I bring a video up in Hulu or on Youtube (yeah, I don't even know), the task bar freezes up when I try to adjust the volume... But I don't want to spent $1000 on a new one. (Have you tried upping the RAM in yours? If it's just being slow about multi-tasking that might solve your problem.)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I wish I had advice for squirrels, but they largely leave our plants alone. (My mother has a ground feeder set up, so they have much easier pickings to claim.)

I have no idea what they would want with lemon balm or mint. Most aromatic herbs are pretty pest-free due to the disagreeable (to animals) scent and taste.

I think my computer is about three years old. Really, it's in perfect working order: I just deleted a bunch of stuff and defragmented the harddrive last week, and it's running much smoother. I just need to remember that I CANNOT have 15 browser windows open, and expect to run memory-intensive programs like GIMP. (Patience: it's not my strong suit.)

I should look in to upping the RAM, and see if it's feasible. Although at the moment, I am also considering whether or not it's feasible to put gas in my car so that I can go to work for the two days before I get paid, so I have a feeling that it isn't. :P

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

The squirrels here are a special sort of nasty. Rumor has it they were trained by bored UofC physics students around the time of Chicago Pile 1, and they've kept learning since. I've seen them leap out of trash cans to steal people's food out of their hands, and they'll mess up any loose dirt they can find, apparently. The funny thing is up above 53rd they're not nearly as horrible. They didn't mess with my planters at all when I lived on 52nd, and I had sunflowers. I can't imagine those weren't tempting.

I think RAM is cheaper than a tank of gas at this point. The 2-gig stick I got a couple of years ago was about 30 dollars, so it might be even cheaper by now. Then again, a faster computer won't get you to work, and I can see where that'd be a problem. (-;

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Squirrels are odd creatures. I do kinda wish they were domesticated, though: I find them adorable, and want one as a pet. :P

What I love about the squirrels in southeast Michigan is that they change colors the further east you go. It's all red squirrels by me, but near my relatives on the east side, they have gray and black squirrels. Very diverse!

RAM is most definitely cheaper than gas. Oh, to be able to afford both! Perhaps I'll try and set some money aside. Did the new RAM make a big difference in your performance?

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

I love the technicolor squirrel transitions. Canada seems to be full of black ninja squirrels, we have nasty grey ones here, but to the south and back at home in my part of Ohio they're all red squirrels.

Before the other systems started failing, yes, the RAM made a big difference. Swapping in more RAM is one of the quickest/cheapest ways to speed up a computer (other than cleaning up crap software and background processes).

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

The black ninja squirrels are my fave--there's a ton of them on the east side of Metro Detroit. (They must have migrated in from Canada!)

Gonna look into this RAM prospect.

[tierfal.livejournal.com]

Personally, I blame GIMP. But GIMP and I have a rocky relationship, because it's AWFUL on the Mac, but it's not quite as bad on the PC at work… though I'm still irritated that if there's a text shadow function, I can't find it. XD

Anyway… I think colored text is almost as attention-getting!

And damn, want to come cook for me sometime? ;D You can borrow some of my California sunshine, lol. XD Although it stayed under 60 for most of the day today, so you might not want it this week… XD

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

You see, a text shadow function would be nice! The process of adding shadows to text is a little complicated in GIMP:

• With the text layer selected, choose the button at the bottom of the toolbox window that says "Path from Text".
  
• In the project window, go to "Select" and choose "From Path". This will select your text.
  
• Under "Filters", go to "Light and Shadow" and choose "Drop Shadow".

A text shadow function would certainly be convenient. :P

I would LOVE to come and cook for you! Let's see, if I start walking now... :P

[tierfal.livejournal.com]

WOW, thanks, GIMP. XD Honestly, though, thank you; that'll make life much easier if I ever attempt to use it for complicated stuff again. XD

Hahaha, there's got to be an Amtrak station out there somewhere that would help a LITTLE… XD

[jacknjill270.livejournal.com]

That salad looks delicious! I think I'm going to give it a try myself.

Yay for budding flowers! It's been really warm here too the past few days, so I've been outside as much as possible enjoying the weather. When it isn't storming like crazy, that is.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know--as soon as you start to get excited for warm weather, here come the thunder storms! Don't get me wrong--I love thunder storms! But DAMMIT, I want SUNSHINE! :P

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

Hey, I understood lo siento! Without the gloss! I'm much better with this 'comprehension' thing when it comes to the written word.

Yeah, I'll trade you computers. At the moment it can't handle opening Word when nothing else but Skype and Mathcad is open. Word. WORD. :(

For unrelated reasons, I have no advice on, whachamacallit, GIN? (Please is it gin? Been that sort of week.)

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Lo siento is an expression I use all the time, even though no one understands it! Other foreign expressions I use constantly include danke ('thank you' in German) and molto bene ('very good' in Italian. Borrowed from Doctor Who. :P).

No thanks! I had a seriously f'ed up computer for years, and I'll keep my slightly-less-than optimal one for now.

Do you mean GIMP? Lol. It's an open-source (free!) version of Photoshop. I use it to make icons and graphics, and also to re-size photos.

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

The Fugitive (movie) has made my favorite gratuitous foreign expression andiamo, bambini ('let's go, kids'). :D