Blossoms

Tonight I went outside hoping to get some bird photos, but instead I came back with flower photos. Surprise! I know it's so weird for me to take pictures of flowers. I couldn't help it, though--birds are afraid of me, while flowers are strangely comfortable in my presence and rarely run away.


Oh I did get one bird photo, but it was mostly for the little blueish flowers in the background. Plus these aren't really birds.. they're more like neighborhood cats, roaming free and making a mess. I actually wish they were a bit more afraid of me.

Sidenote: I think I must be the most inefficient user of both Blogspot/Blogger and Flickr. I am sure I'm taking the most roundabout way to each screen that I need. I'll rant about those things another time, though.


There is an evergreen that has these blossomy branches growing around it, for some reason. I was taking these photos looking straight up, and I'm kind of surprised I was able to get any clear ones since there wasn't much light.


Hang in there, these are a bit repetitive.


I like this because it looks like stained glass.


Not the prettiest flower ever, but I saw it growing on the ground all by itself. Anyone know what it is?


I can't decide if I like this photo or if it just creeps me out. It sort of looks like ants are crawling all over the flowers. I'm getting itchy just thinking about it.


I have a thing for little blossom cluster photos. They're full of sprinkly goodness!


Okay, last one! For making it through, you should reward yourself with a delicious beverage.

Current Interests (continued)

This is continued from my first "current interests" post located here.


ANGEL

(Confession: I did not take that photo.)

So, my friend lent me his Angel DVDs, and up until a couple of years ago, I didn't even know the show existed. Is it the best thing I could watch? Nope--it has scenes and qualities that I'm not thrilled about, for sure. But I got hooked and have enjoyed watching it during meals (not always a smart idea with some of those monsters) and laundry. I thought I was almost finished with the series, but I just learned there's another season!


AVOCADOS

Awhile back I decided to buy an avocado (I tend not to buy them because they can be pricey and I didn't trust my ability to choose the right ripeness) because they are delicious and nutritious. Oh and they were on sale. :D It must've hit the spot, because I couldn't get it out of my mind and began buying them regularly and eating them with everything--sandwiches, salmon, chicken, scrambled eggs, etc. I was daydreaming about moving back to California and having an avocado tree in my back yard. They are the perfect addition to any meal--I even ate one on pizza the other day!


HERONS

(You can click on that small photo for a larger version if you want.)

My current nature photo goal is to take a decent (key word) photo of a heron. I see one every couple of days, but of course it always lands on a far off tree (that I can't get to without a boat). Today I saw this one and waited until it flew so I could get some photos, but of course it's hard to get anything decent at such a distance. One day.

Okay, this post is a little boring, but that's life.

Chicken Breast Cutlets with Artichokes and Capers

Chicken Breast Cutlets with Artichokes and Capers
Such a creative name.

I made this for friends a couple of years ago and we all liked it a lot, as far as I know. :) (Why haven't I made it since?) I used this recipe, but I did a few things differently based on some reviews, preferences and what I had, so I'll post it as I made it:

About 1 cup whole wheat or white flour (I just put some in over the raw chicken in a dish and tossed the chicken in it, so who knows how much I actually used)
salt and pepper
2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins or strips
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 can quartered artichoke hearts (unmarinated, drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup capers (drained)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus some sprigs for garnish
1 T cornstarch mixed with a bit of cold water (not sure if this actually helped once the chicken was in there, but I wanted to post it exactly as I made it :))

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine flour, salt and peppers. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour and shake off excess.
2. Heat canola oil and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on both sides, and no longer pink on the inside; set aside.
3. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve the caramelized bits. Add cornstarch mix. Add artichoke hearts and capers, return to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half.
(NOTE: I couldn't tell that it was half or not, it seemed to just be taking too long so I eventually just added the chicken which had that flour coating, so it helped thicken things a LOT)
4. Place cooked chicken back into pan, and simmer in the sauce for a few minutes to reheat. Serve on a platter sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley.

The recipes shows it with pasta, but I decided I wanted rice. I cooked the rice over the stove like this (it's sort of the beginnings of rice pilaf):

Rice

Heat large pot.
Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
Pour in 2 cups of rice, stir to coat with oil.
Add 4 cups of water and 2 cubes of chicken bouillon.
Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally (but not too much or it'll get too starchy and be more like risotto - yuck).
I had to add (about 1 cup) more water later, but I guess it depends on how hot you have it and how much it's kept covered, so use your best judgment. I'm not very "by the book" about cooking, so I tend to have to correct things like this. :P
When the rice is no longer crunchy inside, you can turn the burner to very low and leave it there covered for awhile to keep it hot, and it'll be fine.

Muy delicioso!

Spring

Yesterday was the first day of spring, and the weather was appropriately spring-like. SO NICE. I went a few places to get some photos, though I didn't really take all that many. Still, I can share a few here. Please excuse the vague descriptions...


Here's a blossomy tree.


The lovely cherry trees. I take the same pictures each year--some of you are probably bored right now. :P




Nothing special about this photo, but I like white daffodils (and most white flowers).


A nearby wildlife refuge has a nice trail. It's still a little early, so it's obviously not lush, but it was nice to get out in nature anyway. I'll probably go back in a few months when it's greener.




I'm not even sure I like this photo, but it's kind of springy looking. I had the wrong lens on when I took it, so it didn't really turn out as I wanted, but I was too lazy to switch lenses.

Is it springy where you live?

Current Interests

Like most people, I go through phases with what I prefer to eat, listen to, play, watch, etc. Here are some of the things I'm into right now. I'm not necessarily proud of this list, just so you know.


SCRABBLE

I recently re-found an old Scrabble computer game that I got years ago. I think the person who gave it to me got it free from their cereal box, which is pretty awesome. I've always loved Scrabble, but the problem with playing it with humans is that it can take such a long time for each turn. Playing at the computer means it's always my turn (except the 2 seconds while "Maven" is taking his/her turn), so I can finish a game quickly (and start a new one...27 times per night). I get a lot of practice and can exchange my tiles without waiting an hour before I can play another word. It's great--who needs people?

Since it's an old program, it kind of jumps out of Windows (that sounds weird) so that my task bar isn't showing, and I don't know what time it is or if I have new email. It's pretty dangerous, actually, because I tend to sink into a timeless, introspective bubble of smooth jazz (that's what the game has playing), where words like QAT, XI and OE are the norm.

The above photo was taken last night so I could show my friend how much the game celebrates me. That brought some human interaction into the game, so now you know I'm not a complete robot-snowman-loner.



STARBUCKS ICED TEA AND SAFEWAY SANDWICHES

The Starbucks iced tea (with Splenda, no "classic") is not so much a current interest as a lifelong pursuit of happiness, but I have definitely had my fair share lately. I can't seem to not crave one, no matter the day or the weather. LOVE. Send me gift cards so I can buy more overpriced goodness.

As for the Safeway sandwich, well I can't really explain this particular phase because it's not like Safeway has the world's best sandwiches. There are plenty of other great sandwich places, but I guess I got stuck on this one particular type that Safeway makes for me, and now I have been craving them very often (and giving in to said cravings more than I should). I think it started because I had one after a hike one day and it was so satisfying that I have had a nice association with it ever since. Ingredients: original split-crust roll, turkey, provolone, lettuce, and light on the mustard/mayo. It's really nothing special. Okay, yes it is.

I have more, but this post is getting pretty long, so it'll be continued later.