further derailed

i didn't confess to what we ate last night - it was gross. we ordered from dangerous dan's - which wasn't the same old revel-in-caloric-excess glut of expertly prepared fat-compounded diner riffs of yore. the fries in the poutine were your garden variety diner standbys (they used to use thick-cut, beefeater ones) and the onion rings were soggy. the burger and the rib sandwich were still a sloppy, fun, delicious mess to eat but they were made with their less than usual care.

either way, i felt a little guilty after. all i need is a solid week of home-cooking so that i can face take-out with impunity and my head held high.

i've added a new wreath concept - i want to do a felt leaf one, an ornament one, AND a yarn-wrapped one! inspiration from the ones made by this etsy seller, knockknocking:

pretty cool, huh? i'm going to raid michael's for styrofoam wreath forms and then see what kind of yarn i have to get rid of before i go looking for complimentary felt. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.

so, of course, the tree ornaments i love the most above all are the ones that whip ebayers into a frenzy of pre-auction expiration overbidding and merciless sniping as the clocks wind down. these are mercury glass bead icicle ornaments. aren't they beautiful, though? so delicate and colourful...i love them.

what i should REALLY be doing with my time is doing GMAT practice questions so that i can apply next year to start school in 2010-2011 - but that's assuming i still want to do this silly masters of public policy anyway. and seriously, if it impedes perfectly acceptable crafting time - why would i prioritize it?

tonight i made us a kale, ricotta, and mozzarella pie with a spinach salad with a warm bacon vinaigrette and pecans.

i forgot to post the recipe for the cheddar jalepeno drop biscuits last night, so they're at the end here - MAKE THEM. they're good! and the perfect accompaniment to beef up a weeknight soup dinner.

roll call of awesome:

i'm currently coveting these 2 prints to dress up lil' ugmo (available from lovelydesign):


aren't they dear? i love that late 70s, early 80s educational aesthetic. love the font, love the colours, love the subject, love the overall design. love them!

fin.

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cheddar jalepeno drop biscuits

adapted from gourmet magazine, makes 12 hearty biskweets

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
2 t. sugar
3/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 jalepeno, minced
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
1 c. shaken buttermilk

- preheat oven to 450F
- mix the dry ingredients together with the scallions, jalepeno, and cheddar
- cut in the butter (i rub it in with my fingers) until the butter is in small, pea-sized pieces
- stir in the buttermilk
- drop by 1/4 c. (i used a large ice cream scoop) and drop them on a silpat or parchment lined tray, spaced about 2" apart
- bake for 15-20 minutes until they're golden brown.