Joy Marie

Nov 21, 2009

Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

I got the original idea for this from a Vietnamese cookbook but I changed it completely, so I feel ok taking credit. ;)

This can probably feed about 4 people. Yum!

Ingredients for meatballs:

1 lb. ground pork

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp MSG

1 T finely ground lemongrass

2 garlic cloves, minced

About 1 inch of ginger, finely ground

2-3 mint leaves, chopped teeny tiny

1 T lime juice

Combine ingredients & form meatballs - I sized mine pretty large, see below

Oil in frying pan, cook evenly until brown -

When they're done, put them into a bowl with paper towel & pat lightly to remove grease

I served these with rice noodles and spicy peanut dipping sauce.

Side Salad -

Salad dressing ingredients:

1/2-1 cup oil (I just used vegetable oil - anything light would work but I would steer clear from Olive or Sesame)

1 handful of mint leaves

1 handful of Kaffir lime leaves

Juice from one lime

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 T lemongrass, finely ground

Blend in food processor

Salad:

I used endive & romaine (neither of which are Vietnamese, obviously, but we needed some leafy greens that day) - chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and white onion. I think a more traditional Vietnamese side would be iceberg or cabbage with carrots & cucumber. :)

This is really not hard to make and SOOO flavorful!

Nov 2, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Our little Halloween party - fun!
(These are out of order because I struggle with computers)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Wii!

Annnd halfway through the night he just looks like a drag queen.

"You can learn a lot of things from the flowers... but especially in the month of June"

The White Rabbit

The Bartholics

Danielle & Kyle as old ladies

No time to say hello - goodbye! I'm late I'm late I'm late.

The Baileys

Andy as himself

Shell as Alexandria from The Fall - best costume EVER!

Ian as a Ukranian... I'm not quite sure... from a movie? He looked cool and serenaded us on his accordian :)

Way-pregnant Anna as a roll of Lifesavers ;)

Shell!

Sep 17, 2009

Winter (but unfortunately not of my discontent)

Today a new chill is in the air - as if the gracious autumnal transition has bypassed us. It's not the shocking degree but the static slanting light that foreshadows the cold to come.
I don't feel this way about the weather alone; my life itself has a forecast which I refuse to call bleak but cannot call exciting. The prospect of living this version of life for years to come is unbearable. It makes me still - deeply still, which for me is the utmost manifestation of a violent resignation. I hate to resign myself to life as it is but know that I have no choice. I am doing what I must do and living how I must live based on my own choices.
It is a radical and immediately transformative revelation that the perpetuity of life's events happen in a cause & effect (decision & consequence) manner... inescapably.

I am living a straight line.
There are no curves and
No surprises...
No upcoming turns
Or tweaks to the plan.
I act correctly because I no longer retain the adolescent luxury of rebellion - this system is my god and I cannot escape its unbending rule.
This is a closed system of finite possibilities.
and I have no wonder anymore.
I feel like an ancient idiot who marvels at insipid, blithe youth with both envy and resentment.
What is left to enjoy?
The orange is sucked dry.

The hard part with this, as with any dismal season of life, is that I cannot grin and bear it and jump to a time when it will be otherwise... I am daily being formed by this... this work and repetition and boredom and cold. I want its filthy hands off of me - but that too is not a choice I have.

To quote Tobias, "And so I will toil on through this waking life."