&WhatMakesYou(happy)?

Janet Fiiiiitch!

I was really sick at work today, and it happened to be the day when I was in big dog camp and all the dogs wanted to jump up and punch me in my queasy little tummy… Then I came home and promptly got rid of my $5 turkey sandwich and scared the bejesus out of my cat… And this is after a weekend where I was so anxious about my boyfriend because of how sick he was. So all in all, I wasn’t in a fantastic mood, and if I have the same sickness as the boyfriend did, I’ll have to call off of work for the next few days… Which I can’t do because I can’t afford it, and we don’t have enough people to cover someone calling in sick.

So… I felt like crap.

Then I logged onto myspace, and found that my favorite author, one Janet Fitch, had responded to my message! YAY! She takes so much time out of her life to respond to her fans, it amazes me. She even writes whole blog posts responding to people’s questions, and they’re extremely helpful (especially for those of you who are aspiring writers/storytellers/artists, or even successful writers/storytellers/artists). If you’d like to take a look, you can find her myspace at www.myspace.com/paintitblackbook.

Seriously, she defined my life for a few years with the book White Oleander… Not that I was a foster child shuffled around from home to home, but that I used that book as my bible. We are the Wands, and we hung our gods from trees. It probably wasn’t the healthiest thing for a typical angsty middle-child to do, but it certainly fed my creative soul. I found her next book, Paint it Black, while I was on a long train ride, and finished it before I reached my destination. I shelled out the twenty some dollars without hesitation (odd, because I’m a total cheapskate and I usually wait for books to come out in paperback, and then I wait for it to go on the bargain shelf) and was very very very happy with my purchase :D. If you haven’t read either, I suggest you run over to your local library or bookstore immediately. And don’t watch the movie White Oleander before you read the book. The book is so much better it’ll melt your face with it’s awesomeness. So here’s the “interview.” I hope you enjoy it! (Oooh, does this mean I’m a real blogger now? XD)

What makes you happy?
When I’m writing and the angels sing. When it just comes, like a jazz riff, where you’re not playing the horn, something’s playing you.
Sitting by a stream
Having a really great conversation with someone who’s firing on all eight cylinders

When you’re feeling sad or stressed out, what do you do? How do you deal with it?
Sad, I use the feeling. Listen to music, read poetry, sing.
Stressed out, I try to laugh. Try to think, you’re taking yourself too damn seriously. You’re not in Iraq in 130 degree heat with no electricity. This is nothing.

When you were a child/young thing, what was your dream?
I wanted to be a horse. Growing up to be a human being seemed absolutely atrocious. I also wanted to be invisible so I could spy on everybody.
How about now, is it the same?
No, the human thing has caught up with me. But I’m still a spy.

What do you believe in?
The true over the beautiful.

Do you have a quote that inspires you, that you keep coming back to? Like a line from a song or a book?
Footfalls echo in the memory
Down the passage which we did not take
Towards the door we never opened
Into the rose garden. My words echo
Thus, in your mind.

(blogger’s note: In case it vibes with you too, this poem is by TS Eliot, who is very famous and probably has a whole shelf to himself at Barnes and Nobles.)

Thank you, thank you thank you, Janet, for sharing your time and thoughts with me and this lonely corner of the web.

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&no responses yet...

No one’s responded to my last blog entry, but that’s ok! I just have to spam more people… XD

I learned how to make tasty chinese foods, so we had a very asian weekend. Yesterday I made pepper steak and beef in lettuce cups, and today I made salad and gong bao chicken. Want the recipe for the Gong Bao chicken? Ok, only I’ll give it to you the way I made it… With very approximated measurements.

Dice up as much chicken as you’ll be using. 1/2lb will serve two people with leftovers. In a medium sized bowl, pour rice wine and an equal amount of soy sauce. Stir in about a tablespoon of corn starch. Stick the diced chicken in there. For best results, let it marinate overnight. For still-really-good results, let it marinate for 30 minutes or however long it takes you to clean up the stove and frying pan, and dice up a bell pepper. What color bell pepper? That’s up to you. Green is cheap, red looks better. How much? If you’re using 1/2lb of diced chicken, I’d say half the pepper. However much you want, really. Did I mention you should be making some rice right now? You should be. Now cut up a hot pepper (same idea as the green pepper, 1/2 pepper for 1/2 pound) into tiny little pieces, or grab your bottle of dried chili pepper flakes. Throw the chicken into the frying pan (marinade too!) with some cooking oil, along with the hot pepper, about a tablespoon of chopped garlic, and some ginger. Dried or fresh, to taste (about a teaspoon, maybe?). Cook it pretty slowly. When it’s almost completely cooked, throw in your diced pepper. In another bowl, mix some rice wine, an equal amount of soy sauce, a tablespoon or so of vinegar, and a teaspoon of cornstarch and sugar and salt. Cut up some green onions reeeaaal fine like, and throw them in with the chicken. Pour the bowl of sauce that you just made into the frying pan, and simmer it until your rice is done, or until it’s warm enough to suit your fancy. If you’re nuts, add 1/2 c-3/4c dry roasted, salted peanuts.

Did you want the salad dressing recipe too? Equal amounts of rice wine and soy sauce, twice that amount of oil, and a little bitta sugar.

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While I'm logged in... My newest misguided plan!

If you have a little business (selling jewelry or totes, lets say) or are famous or potentially famous, or even if you’re a reg’lar Plumber (lol) I’d like to feature you on here.


You can choose which one to do. There’s no limit to how long or how short it has to or can be. Want to include pictures? Do it (include them as links, please have permission to use them). Please try to avoid being vulgar or swearing. If you can’t, I might still include it. I do want my site to be family friendly, but if it’s really neat, I will post the SHIT out of it.


1) What makes you happy?
This can be interpreted in any way you want, and can be responded to in any form you like (list, essay, picture, song, poem, etc).


2) What do you believe in?
Again, whatever you want. I have an example on the first page of the blog, but you don’t have to follow the same template. NPR features essays on the subject, and if you want to do an essay and need help, you can check out that site (http://www.thisibelieve.org/).


3) Inspiring quote?
Is there a line from a song that makes you want to go out and Do? Or a paragraph in a book that makes you wanna find the author and hug her SO HARD? Send it to me!

4) Whatever you want.

Seriously, whatever you want. If you think my site would benefit from it’s existence, I want to post it.


Include in your entry your name (or pen name), and anything you’d like me to mention about you (site URL, email, sexual orientation, whatevs) so I can cite you properly. You can send your entry to me on myspace or facebook, or email it to me at sjoyce87@yahoo.com. Check the top of the site for contact info. :D


Want to help, but can’t think of anything to say? Then look at what’s posted already, and comment on the entries with YOUR opinions. <3

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&What is Your Dream?

I have a lot of little dreams. I don’t follow most of them, as they DO seem very unlikely… Like my desire to start a punk rock bakery where no one uses tools or measuring devices, just hands… Probably not going to happen on my own steam, especially not with my income. But my art and my writing? I have no doubt in my mind that, in a few years if I continue working at it, I will be a great artist and I will have fans and I will be able to sell prints. :D The dream that is most important to me, though, is starting a family. I want some happy little dumplings running around pulling the cat’s tail.

That last bit was a little off subject… Anyway. As for dreams. One of my favorite authors (one extremely talented Janet Fitch, who has written such books as White Oleander and Paint it Black) has a myspace blog where she answers questions people ask her, especially about writing and making it in the Biz. I found her latest entry to be positively inspiring… I’ll be posting some of it as a quote in a moment.

As always, please let me know YOUR dreams! And if you have something to say about Janet Fitch’s blog, say it! I’d love to know your opinions. <3

-S

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In one hour and twenty minutes

It will be 2009.

The brain thrives on symbolism. If you think about it, your birthday is just a day in the year. But it comes with feelings that you attribute to it- joy, sadness, confusion, etc. So this holiday is no different. If you’re feeling apprehensive, think of it as a fresh, clean start. A chance to make a change. If you’re feeling joyful, I’ll toast to you.

I drank a beer while I was in the shower. It was a pretty interesting idea I thought, but turned out just ok. Tasty beer, though. Magic Hat’s Lucky Kat.

I love how when I leave work, I’m covered in hair. The way I figure it, when you’re working in a doggy day camp/boarding facility, the more dog hair you have on you, the better you are at your job. But I really should invest in a lint roller, it’s getting kind of out of hand. Winter coats and all that.

I got a hair cut a few days ago. The hair dresser, like all hair dressers, could not resist the urge to part my hair in the middle and poof it up on the top… So the boyfriend didn’t like it. Then I parted it on the side and poofed out the bottom, and everyone loves it. It’s a little too much like a bob for my taste, but it’s fun. It’s nice to get a change in appearance for the new year.

AND SOMETHING CUTE MY CAT DID. She took all her toys under the bed last night and talked to them. I think she was having a meeting… delegating tasks and stuff. Also, my mom sent me a package of christmas presents, including a stuffed lamby for Fanta. I had just set it aside to continue unpacking the box when she ran up and stole it. She knew it was for her! And she covered it in catnip by rolling it on her carpet square. She’s a clever duck.

HAPPY NEW YEAR YOU GUYS. How did you celebrate? Do you have any new year’s resolutions? Any worries? Any joys?

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Some delicious November dessert recipes!

Apple Cranberry Pie, or Apple Pomegranate Pie [could be vegan, if you use a different crust recipe]

Crust, makes enough for two pies (9in pie pan):
4 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 c butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 TB    white vinegar
1 egg
1/2 c ice cold water (I used 2/3 c instead)

Mix flour and salt. Cut in the butter. It’s fun to use your hands. It should look crumbly when you’re done, in case you were wondering.
Whisk the vinegar and the egg into the water. Mix that into the flour/butter mixture. Chill for 1 hour. While you’re chilling, why don’t you use the foil from the butter to butter the pans? K? K. Once the dough’s chilled, you should probably also preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut the dough in half, then cut those in half. Roll one flat and circularishly, and lay it into the pan. Trim the excess, and return that to another ball of dough. Do that for the other pie pan too. In case you only wanted to make one pie, either halve the recipe or triple wrap the excess dough and freeze it.

Filling!
For the cranberry pie, pour about a cup of cranberries (can be dried, can be fresh) into the pan you prepared. For the pomegranate pie, put the seeds from one pomegranate into the pan. Then slice half an apple (whatever size slices you like) on top of the berries or seeds. In a mediumish bowl, mix one sliced apple, 3/4 c sugar (or 1/2 c sugar and the rest brown sugar, which I did), 1 TB lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, a dash or two of allspice, and 2 TB flour. Put that on top of the other fruit in the pan.

Roll the other half of the half of dough into a big flat circle, and lay that on top of the pan. Roll up the edges and crimp them with a fork. You can egg wash the crust if you like. Sprinkle 1 TB or so of sugar on the top of the pie. Bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes, then let cool before serving.

Crancocoa Cookies!

1 c flour
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sugar
a little bit of brown sugar, for kicks. Maybe two tablespoons?
3/8 c oil (the recipe I found called for 1/4 c oil, but I added a little more). Try using coconut oil. I used canola. Butter would work nicely, too.
1 tsp vanilla extract (I accidentally added half a tsp more, I think it’s better with the extra half)
1/4 c milk, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, whatever you like.
1/2 c cranberries (or raspberries, or chocolate chips, mint chips, grated coconut, toffee bits, or whatever you want!)

In one bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, blend the sugar, oil, vanilla, milk, and whatever you’re adding (fresh cranberries are delicious). Slowly mix in the flour mixture. Make balls about 1 inch big with the dough, and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Because of the oil, you won’t need to spray the pan with Pam or anything. It won’t stick, I promise. Let it sit on the pan for 10-20 minutes outside of the oven, and then gently take them off and transfer them to a plate.

The pie is great. I haven’t tried the cranberry one yet, but the pomegranate seeds are delicious. Also, I can’t stop eating the cookies. The cranberries burst in your mouth with tasty flavors!

If you have any tasty recipes for me to try, email me (linky at the top of the page)! I’d love to hear them, and I’ll probably post them!

Peace, love, cookies and all that. XD

-S

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