Wednesday 27 October 2010

All Ablaze

There have been a few storms in my life as of late (personal and literal). As I continue to try and figure out my path the weather seems to be telling me, "Be prepared for anything."

On Sunday a huge wind storm blew through the Salt Lake area and when I got home late in the evening I found the wind decided to topple a portion of the fence that blockades my little duplex from the neighboring apartment. I wasn't too excited about this as there is one man that I find to be a bit crazy that lives in that apartment area, and I try to distance myself from him. But then last night the first snow storm hit and as I was cooped up in my bedroom at midnight when the annoying sound of my doorbell shock the whole house in multiple pounds.

Not knowing who would be ringing my bell that late at night, I tentatively walked down the stairs and sneakily looked out my doors window: Crazy man on my porch with cigarette in hand and I backed away, not wanting to open the door, wanting him to leave and leave me alone, I tried to pretend I didn't hear. But then the bell rang through the house again and I had to open the door.

What I saw was his face echoed in all his wrinkles and maddening eyes by the burning fire that was coming from the tree right next to my home. His comment, "You might want to move your car the tree is on fire." This was an under statement, as I ran to get my keys the light of the fire stretched through the windows and was flickering it's light to hit the surrounding houses and make the blanket frosted sky glow as if lightning bugs had overtaken the area.

My thought--get the cats, move the car, and hope for the best.

The snow storm helped and quickly put the fire out as the firemen sat in their truck staring at all of us watching the embers continue to fall from the tree and cascade upon the toppled fence. Power company arrived and it seemed all had passed, and as I woke this morning to the sound of chainsaws chopping the poor tree to pieces, I have to say I guess the crazy guy isn't that crazy after all.

Tasty Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
1 Clove Garlic (Large)
1/2 c. Italian Bread Crumbs
1 6oz can Tomato Paste
1 egg
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (lean)
salt and pepper

Chop pepper, onion, and garlic, add to a big mixing bowl. Add ground beef and tomato paste and mix together. Top with bread crumbs and egg and use hands to form together. Place the mixture into bread pan and squash down to fit. Place in 350*F oven for 1 hour or until fully cooked.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

One of my favorite desserts is cheesecake! I am always looking for new ways to adapt the classic recipe. So here is one that I came up with that my coworkers and I couldn't even wait for it to cool before eating. Sadly, no time to take a photo.

Crust:
1/3 c. Almonds (crushed)
2 c. Chocolate Graham Crackers (crushed)
3 T. butter melted

Mix together ingredients and press firmly to the bottom of a 9 x 2 3/4 spring form pan that has been greased. Allow the crust to cover a small portion of the sides of the pan. Bake in a 325*F. oven for approximately 10-15 minutes. Pull from oven and allow to cool while preparing cheesecake filling.

Filling:
3/4 c. white chocolate chips (melted)
5 8 oz. cream cheese packages
1 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1 T. vanilla paste (you can get this any cooking store and it works wonders, a bit bolder than extract)
1/2 c. sour cream
4 eggs (add one at a time when blending)

Center:
1/3 c. Raspberry preserves
1/4 c. white chocolate (lightly melted)

Begin filling by slowly melting the chocolate chips. With and electric mixer blend cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla paste. Slowly added cooled melted chocolate while blending, then add sour cream and eggs one at a time). When the mixture is blended well add half the mixture to the crust in the spring form pan.
Take the Raspberry preserves and melted white chocolate and blend together. Dollop this mixture into the half of the filling poured into the spring form pan, top with remaining filling.
Place in oven at 325*F. for 45 minutes to an hour. Allow to cool and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours (or over night). Cut and serve.

Friday 1 October 2010

Odd Drive Home

I usually end up coming home late on Friday nights, seeing as I work late. Tonight I actually thought I left early enough to by pass the crazy people on the road. Only to find that odd people are around at every hour of the day. So what did I see on my short 10 minute drive home tonight.

1. Passenger in white car throws a nice puffy black jacket out window on 200 S. and 200 E. Car in front of me swerves to by pass it hitting the windshield, I swerve to not run over it. Car behind me also makes to not tire tread the sad coat.

2. Car that passenger threw coat out of pulls over only to not see the wonderful coat anywhere.

3. Pull up to 700 E. and the guy in the car next to me at the red light begins staring over at me. He looks like a gentlemen with a bit too much fashion since and for some reason I feel he is out of place in Utah and should be driving around in Italy. This may be because I feel he had a mix of Mafia and Oscar de la Renta style that seemed to shine off his curly mid length hair and was placed in a spot light from his huge bling of a watch.

4. By 900 E. this gentlemen and his red car are now in front of me, and I see the wonderful black puffy jacket, the sad white car was currently still looking for, attached to the Italian-Mafian, who lives in Utah cars muffler, which proceeds to speed up the hill at around 50 miles an hour in a 30 miles an hour zone.

5. At the top of the hill the man, his car, and now his coat turn to never be seen again. But then to my left a young man decides to possibly try and run across the street only to stop at the corner and begin dancing as if he is at a rave. Questioning his sanity, and also laughing and enjoy the fact that men feel comfortable making fools of themselves in the attempt to woe the two girls in the car in front of me, the light turns green and the car in front of me proceeds to dance inside their car.

6. Near The Pie a man walks a women across the dark lit streets as if there was a threshold on the other side.

All this in 10 minutes. I was entertained to say the least.