Monthly Archives: June 2010

All Dressed Up

My favorite salad dressing in the whole history of the world.

dressing in a jar

I like that you can get reusable lids for Ball jars.

Mustard Vinaigrette
(fits in an 8oz jelly jar)

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 t. honey (look for local)
1 T. prepared brown/spicy/dijon whatever is in the ‘fridge mustard
2 t. minced garlic
1/2 c. vegetable oil – check the taste, you might want more

Dump everything in a jar with a nice tight lid and shake it shake it shake it. Chill about an hour and enjoy on pretty much anything.

Pehyay Pehyay Pehyay

How about something more cheerful above the fold?

chicken in action

Itty Bitty Action Shots. The Rooster is surprising the chicken. “BOO!”

Ellie is a baby of few words. She’s said Important Words (“mama” “cheese” “algahyahyah”*) for a very long while, and employes a wealth of gestures and sounds to get her point across. Each new English word added to her vocabulary is a surprise and a treat. She added “play” (pronounced “pehyay”) a few weeks ago. Now the chorus of my day goes something like this:

“play mama play mama mama play play mama play”

Heh.

*aligator

Speechless

I haven’t said much about the rig explosion (I’m sure you all know the one I mean). It’s because I am so far beyond furious that I really just don’t have the words.

I am furious because the people in charge have wasted so much time trying not to ruin their well that it’s going to be empty by the time they get around to nuking it. I am furious because the economic climate down here can already be described as “delicate.” I am furious because it’s hurricane season and one storm is going to make a big mess bigger. I am furious because the slick can be seen from space. I am furious because apparently the “ocean can take care of itself.” You don’t have to be even remotely environmentally aware to see the problems with that one.

Most of all

I am furious because of things like this.

People will lose jobs, money, homes because of the ruined fishing, ruined beaches, ruined tourism and myriad of other ruined things that no one has even thought about yet. But no people will wash up helpless on beaches because they are slick with oil. No people will be surprised, dismayed and out of luck because all their food is coated in a mousse of oil. No people will suffocate, suffer or starve slowly surrounded by all the oil. The birds, turtles, sea creatures and wildlife that make their homes in and near the Gulf get to do that. Because of the oil.

The oil that people spilt.

The oil that continues to spill.

So screw you, dudes who blew off safety measures, killed 11 people and will stress an ecosystem and economy that are already struggling. And screw you, guys who have no plan for a worst case scenario or how to clean it up. And screw you, folks in charge who thought it was a good idea to just let it gush while you tried a cap and a straw and a whatever all so you could keep drilling later.

Look at that. I have the words after all.