Author Archives: j

saved!

i killed my computer. i mean *really* destroyed it. deleted stuff i shouldn’t have, couldn’t access any of my adobe apps, and couldn’t get it to restore from time machine backup. i had a blank blue screen. but i was able to boot into safe mode and boot from the os disk. so i started from scratch and hoped for the best. worst case scenario is that my time machine drive/backup file was corrupted and i’d lose all my apps for which i don’t have the original discs. i was less worried about the apps than i was the files but i was pretty sure i could retrieve my files from some time machine backup. and even if i couldn’t, i had a backup from a couple months ago of most of my stuff. it would be painful to recreate, but not impossible or life-ending. yes, i would lose my lightroom library and its database of changes i made to various photos, but i keep diligent backups of photos (2 backups; used to be 3 (!)). itunes wasn’t a great loss either, but all those custom playlists and ratings would be painful to redo, for sure.

first, reinstall the os and then the upgraded os (didn’t know if i had an upgrade disc or the whole os). then update that os to the most recent version. then update all the software under software update. then connect to time machine and use migration assistant to restore my docs, apps, and settings. i left for the middle part of the day and was greeted with a “system restored successfully” message when i got home. *whew*

iced chai

brined grilled chicken

omg. brined a whole cut up fryer and grilled the chicken bone-in. so needs longer on the grill but amazing flavor. we chose to add the optional lemon – should try adding the other optional spices. best. chicken. ever.

Brined Grilled Chicken Breasts
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (preferably organic)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Brine:
½ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
¼ cup kosher salt
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. red chili flakes
3 cups ice

Optional Add-ons to Kick Up Your Brine:
4-5 peppercorns
3 juniper berries
2 whole dried chilis
1 lemon or orange, halved
1 bay leaf

Procedure:
Begin by preparing the brine. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat combine brown sugar, salt, water, garlic cloves and chili flakes and any optional ingredients. Heat until the sugar and salt have fully dissolved and simmering, but do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the 3 cups of ice, stirring to fully melt.

In a resealable bag place chicken breasts and pour the cooled brine mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in case there are any leaks. Refrigerate chicken for 1 ½ hours.

Preheat grill to medium high heat (375°) and clean and oil grates.
Remove the brined chicken from the bag and throw away brining liquid. Thoroughly pat dry the chicken with paper towels and let rest for about 10 minutes while the grill is preheating. Lightly sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Grill the chicken 4-5 minutes per side on an oiled grill, rotating ¼ turn half way through on each side to achieve crosshatched grill marks. Remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

growth

i have my fair share of failing my plants, so let’s take a moment to appreciate what is thriving (and gently ignore that which is dying…grass…shhhh).

: squash blossom

: there’s a fresno chili growing back there, too

: this little beauty has never been happier than in the kitchen window

oops i did it again

donated my hair to locks of love, this time. and i look constipated because i haven’t yet mastered the iphone self-portrait. these photos are just for documentation purposes anyway…

catching up

yesterday, i called the financial institution where i have a retirement account and asked them if i needed to do anything now that my beneficiary is my spouse and not “other.” he congratulated me but then hemmed and hawed a bit and stammered something about how they simply follow federal law but with all the changing laws…they will check with their legal department and get back to me. they returned my call today to notify me that they do indeed follow federal law and IRS guidelines and the IRS hasn’t yet updated themselves to recognize my california marital status. oh, don’t worry – they will. they definitely will.

unfortunately, i was distracted today so i didn’t even mention or begin to address the “DOMA has been rendered unconstitutional and if you were holding ms. windsor’s finances you would be well aware that she is no longer taxed 50% on her spouse’s (not ‘other’) assets.” but i’m not kicking myself too hard for a missed opportunity because my mentioning this doesn’t really change anything at the molecular or global level. in this particular situation, all that really matters is that piece of paper and i understand and even accept that bureaucracy takes a while to catch up. and it will. it definitely will.