Stuff

[badseed1980]

1. Rossum's Universal Robots? Fairly interesting. Stilted and somewhat awkward though. I'm not sure if that was the fault of the playwright, the translator, or the actors. Anyway, I got out to see a play!

2. Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake with the Cheesecake Grand Canyon running through the middle of it has been covered in rich chocolate ganache (1 cup cream, 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips), and looks gorgeous. Can't wait to try it. OM NOM NOM.

3. I have to set my alarm for 5 on Fridays so pierceheart will get up in time to go to work. Then, mostly asleep and in the dark, I have to re-set it for 6 so I can get up in time. This morning, I fucked that up: I apparently changed the time on the alarm to 6 but forgot to actually turn on the alarm. I also apparently set my clock forward an hour. I woke up with no alarm, thought, "gee, it's bright in here," and looked at the clock. It said 8am. I freaked: I'm at work at 8:20, ordinarily, and have to leave the apartment at 7:30 for that to happen. I started running around like a headless chicken getting ready. I went to the kitchen to grab an energy bar to eat on my way as breakfast...and saw that both the oven clock and the microwave clock said 7:18. NOT 8:18. Ah. Good. I managed to get out on time, fortunately, with an extra hour of sleep which was sorely needed. So: more sleep = good, frantic rushing = not so much

4. There is a venison steak in the fridge for my dinner. Leg, not loin, alas. Still, I will do what I can with it. I'm thinking a couple hours marinating in red wine, maybe, and portabellos to go with it. That will mean a late dinner, but I'll be getting food this afternoon at our office party, so no big deal.

5. Busy, busy day tomorrow! Fortunately, taking the later of 2 trains to my destination means I will have time to make and drink coffee, and make and eat a real breakfast. Yay!

6. Somehow, somewhere, at some point, the joy started seeping back into my life. Good. I'd missed it. It took me a while to realize it had started to drain away, but now it's coming back.

7. Moby Dick is bubble-nesting again. Aww. He's so cute. I need to get a real camera with a flash in here to photograph him.

Comments

[leenah.livejournal.com]

i've got a spare clock radio - would having two be helpful? one set for the guy, one set for you?

if i haven't thrown it out yet you can have it. i replaced it because i've had it for YEARS and started worrying that it would stop working. and knowing how hard it is for me to get to shopping, i wanted it replaced before it needed to be.

i think my logic may be whacked, but still, spare clock radio if you want.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm considering getting a new one, actually. I got rid of my old one with a broken volume control and awful radio reception and replaced it with M's. I might get a second one, so he can set his for 5 and I can set mine for 6.

[tiltedsideways.livejournal.com]

They make them with the option to set more than one alarm now!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Oooh.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I will have to find one of those with an easy-to-find-and-operate snooze and off switch so you can do it when you're half asleep and in the dark. That sounds like a good thing to have.

Venison

[mizdarkgirl.livejournal.com]

I have been craving it since I saw this Lydia Shire creation...
http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/galleries/holiday_recipes?pg=12
http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/galleries/holiday_recipes?pg=13
http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/galleries/holiday_recipes?pg=14

But here is a much simpler recipe to play with
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/clay66.html

Re: Venison

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I might do something like that. I want to make sure whatever I do tenderizes the meat (or leaves it very rare), without adding much fat or cooking it all day in a crock pot (no time). I may marinate for a couple hours and sear, or I may sear and simmer for a couple hours without marinating.

Re: Venison

[elissa-carey.livejournal.com]

Marinating sounds good. Maybe toss in a few peppercorns as well? :)

Re: Venison

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

And juniper berries, whether I go with a marinade or a simmer.

Re: Venison

[elissa-carey.livejournal.com]

Yum! I'd love to hear how it turns out.

Re: Venison

[mizdarkgirl.livejournal.com]

I can not find the source of these...

Barbequed Venison Crock Pot Recipe
2 -3 pound venison round, leg or rump roast
1 can (12 ounces) beer
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
2 onions, sliced
3 bay leaves
2 cups Barbecue Sauce

Trim excess fat from venison. In a large bowl mix beer, garlic, salt, pepper, onions and bay leaves; add venison. (Marinade should cover meat) Marinate in refrigerator for 12 - 24 hours, turning occasionally. Remove venison and onions from marinade and place in slow cooker/Crock Pot. Pour 1 cup barbecue sauce over the top. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 - 12 hours. Serve with remaining barbecue sauce.


Harry's Crock Pot Venison
4 venison chop/steaks
1 onion, sliced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 (28oz) can tomatoes

Place venison in Crock Pot & sprinkle with herbs. Add onion & cover with tomatoes. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.
Serves 4

Re: Venison

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Thanks--no time for crock pot.

Re: Venison

[mizdarkgirl.livejournal.com]

See what happens when you skim? I missed the part about "no time", so sorry about that!

Re: Venison

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

No problem! I do think that next time I get venison other than backstrap/loin, I will defrost it for a time when I can make it in the crock pot. That will probably be for a wild rice/mushroom/venison stew of some kind.

Re: Venison

[mizdarkgirl.livejournal.com]

Saw this today
Pasta With Venison and Porcini
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/dining/041prex.html?_r=1&ref=dining

[cuddlycthulhu.livejournal.com]

2. Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake with the Cheesecake Grand Canyon running through the middle of it has been covered in rich chocolate ganache (1 cup cream, 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips), and looks gorgeous. Can't wait to try it. OM NOM NOM.

Oh my god...did you buy this somewhere or did you make it?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Made it!

Here's (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Irish-Cream-Chocolate-Cheesecake/Detail.aspx) the recipe for the cheesecake. I made the following modifications at the recommendation of others who've made it: I used 1/2 cup of Baileys in the filling, and put a big pan of water in the oven while baking it. I overbaked it, I think--should have only left it in for the time suggested, maybe a LEETLE longer. I was worried it wasn't cooked (there was liquid on the toothpick I stuck in, not creaminess, but liquid) and put it in for too much longer, so it cracked. You could do a water bath instead.

For the ganache, I just heated up a cup of whipping cream with a couple capfuls of Baileys, and when it was hot, I poured in a bag of Trader Joe's semisweet chocolate chips. I stirred until it was all melty, and poured it over the top of the cheesecake while it was still in the springform pan. This wasn't necessary except for aesthetic purposes, but more chocolate = good, am I right?

Venison

[frauholla.livejournal.com]

Here is a really good thing to do with venison:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Sauerbraten-318610

Sauerbraten was created with wild meats in mind. It can reduce or remove the gamey favor from some meats.

Re: Venison

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I like some gaminess in meat. :) I don't really have the time for sauerbraten, since that includes marinade time as well as slow cooking time, but I might try it at some other point.

[saffronrose.livejournal.com]

Karl Capek's book on the foibles of gardeners, whose name I forgot, was screamingly funny for gardeners, and had a great translator, I assume.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Some of the wording suggested (to me) Karel might have been a Freemason, but I find only a little support, and no direct confirmation, for that idea, online.