10-20-30 Meme October 31, 2007
Posted by Karen Joy in Memes, Memories.6 comments
I got tagged by my Uncle Steve at Careful Thought for a 10-20-30 meme. He said it has been floating around for a while, but I’d never seen it.
So, what was I doing 10, 20, and 30 years ago?
- 10 years ago: I had a four month old baby, my firstborn, Ethan. We were just figuring out that the job I had was not going to work. It was supposed to be just working from home, which was important because we only had one car. Well, it turned out that I had to go in to the office one day a week, then two, then my boss was asking for three. Also, it was supposed to be 10-15 hours a week, but it was more like 20-25+. Actually, I hadn’t wanted to work at all; Martin wanted me to. But, I found the job, in submission to my hubby. After a couple months of it just being a fiasco, Martin said, “That’s IT! This is awful! You’re never working again!!!” I don’t know if I wanted him to take it that far, but it worked out so just-right: Martin coming to the conclusion for himself that me working a job (other than raising our children) wasn’t right for our family. Never again has it been a point of contention: We’re both happy to have me at home, not working.
- 20 years ago: It was Fall of my freshman year in high school, by far the most hellish of my high school experience. For academic reasons, my parents had me change schools to a private school that was… upper-middle-class. I was low class. Low, low. We had no money, and I cannot fathom how my parents could have afforded to send we sibs to private school, but they did. So, here I was, with absolutely no money with which to be even remotely fashionable, and I had braces. And, I was a brainiac who didn’t realize it wasn’t “acceptable” to do things like raise my hand in class to ask questions of the dorky science teacher (who was actually a very good science teacher). I was such the outcast. On top of that, I had a nerdy older brother (whom I love so very, very dearly now, and I’m embarrassed that I was embarrassed of him, back then). Then, the sort-of saving grace was that the most popular girl in class took a shine to me, which was fantastic, because that meant I had one friend. However, it caused all the other girls to hate me more, because they wanted to hang around with Aimee, but there was no way they were going to hang around with Aimee when she was with me. So, they’d send me anonymous hate notes. Ugh.
- 30 years ago: I was four years old. I do remember being four. I was in Miss Polly’s preschool class, but I entered the schoolyear late — they were already up to the letter “P” and I didn’t even know the alphabet! I didn’t think it was a big deal, but the little girl next to me laughed because I didn’t know the alphabet song. Turns out that little girl was named Joellene, and we stayed friends past graduation from high school.
Golly. Whom to tag? How ’bout Mom Loves Being at Home, the lovely Mrs. Nicklebee, and Joy (the newest addition to my blogroll, who is another homeschooling mom with a worship pastor husband — how could I not add her??)
Odd coincidence October 31, 2007
Posted by Karen Joy in Books I'm Reading, Random Stuff.1 comment so far
So… this whole year, I’ve been glutting myself with Dorothy L. Sayers books, reading them chronologically, which I’ve written about way too much, most likely, for most readers. Sadly, though, I recently came to the end of her Lord Peter Wimsey series. Or, rather, I thought I had. Against hope, I perused a list of her books, thinking that perhaps, I’d missed one. Joyously, I found out that I had somehow skipped The Nine Tailors. However, when I checked at the library, all copies were out. So, I placed myself on a waitlist for the book.
In the meantime, my Mom and Stepdad came over for one of their weekly visits. In hand, my Mom had a book she thought I’d enjoy: The Case Has Altered by Martha Grimes. As I was not reading any other fiction, I went ahead and started it. Not that I found it to be a bad book, per se, but it wasn’t quite my cuppa tea. I did read the whole thing, though. Happily, as I was finishing it, The Nine Tailors became available, and I started that just yesterday.
What’s so odd is this: The two books are set in nearly identical locations. The Case Has Altered is set in the tiny villages of the marsh and fenlands of Lincolnshire, and The Nine Tailors in the tiny villages of the marsh and fenlands of East Anglia, possibly Norfolk, which is directly adjacent to Lincolnshire. Sayers invented the exact village and church in which much of her story takes place, but it is believed that it was modeled after the ”Cathedral of the Marshes,” St. Clement of the village Terrington St. Clement. That church is only roughly 12 miles from the village of Algarkirk, in which Grimes sets The Case Has Altered.
What’s up with that? When’s the last time you read two books by unrelated authors, and coincidentally found out that they were each set only miles from the other??
Ultimate Tacos Recipe October 31, 2007
Posted by Karen Joy in Cooking/Baking/Food/Recipes, Dairy-free, GF Recipes, GFCF Recipes.2 comments
There’s a lot you can do with tacos. It’s one of those meals, too, where you can be on a gluten-free, casein-free diet and not feel like you’re missing out on anything. Or, this is a meal you could serve to guests and not have them feel like you’re on some sort of weird, restrictive diet.
This recipe seems complicated, but truly, it’s not. Most of the prep work can be done while food is cooking, so you can fit in a lot of work in a reasonable amount of time.
If you have never softened corn tortillas with hot oil, now is the time to try it!! It makes the tortillas chewy, strong and pliable; they won’t fall apart like corn tortillas straight from the bag.
Note: If you don’t have Mexican oregano, you’re better off not using oregano at all. It imparts a very unique Southwest taste. I find mine in the bagged spice section of the Mexican foods area of my local grocery store, for about 89 cents.
Ultimate Tacos
Total prep and cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 6-8
Combine together, and crush in a mortar & pestle (if you have one) 
- 1 tsp. salt, kosher is preferable
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano (or 1/2 tsp. ground)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground red chile powder
- 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (or more, to taste)
Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over one side of
- 2 lbs. boneless meat (beef, pork or chicken)
Drizzle seasoned meat with
- about 2 tsp olive oil, then use a pastry brush (or your fingers) to spread the oil and seasoning evenly over the meat.
Then, turn the meat over and do the same (spice mix + olive oil) on the reverse. Grill the meat over medium-low heat until just done. (Time will vary greatly depending on what kind of meat you use, and how thickly cut the meat is.) When done, remove to plate, cover, and set aside. After a bit of cooling time, later (like while the veggies are cooking), slice the meat very thinly, place back on covered plate.
While the meat is cooking, prepare the corn tortillas:
- 20 thin corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup cooking oil (I use rice bran, since it has a high smoke point)
On the stovetop, heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. With metal tongs, dip the tortillas in, one at a time, frying for literally only 3-4 seconds, turning quickly if necessary to coat both sides with oil. Remove to paper towels to drain. Set aside. (I set a dinner plate up with 4-5 paper towels, folded over to make a thick “mat.” I then cook the tortillas, laying each completed tortilla in its own corner. After I’ve cooked four, I dab the tops with an extra paper towel to remove excess oil, then stack them on a small plate which has also been lined with a paper towel. Then I repeat with an additional four tortillas, and continue the process until they are all cooked.)
In a larger skillet, heat 2 tsp oil (you can use the leftover frying oil) over medium heat. Into the oil, place
- 1/2 - 1 onion, roughly chopped
Cover the skillet and cook until the onion softens and becomes somewhat translucent, about five minutes, stirring occasionally. After onion is soft, add
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 – 8 oz fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced
Cover again, and, stirring occasionally, cook until mushrooms and garlic are soft. The mixture should start to turn brown as the onions carmellize. If it has not browned after the mushrooms are cooked through, remove the lid and turn up the heat, cooking and stirring until the edges of the onions and mushrooms are tinged with a rich, golden brown. Then, add
- 1/2 – 1 red bell pepper, sliced
Cook only another 30 seconds or so, until the red bell pepper only slightly softens. (If you have not yet sliced your meat, remove the skillet of veggies from the heat and slice your grilled meat now!) Now, add the thinly sliced grilled meat to the skillet containing all your veggies. Stir over medium to medium-high heat until the meat is heated through, and the meat with its seasonings and your carmellized veggies are all nicely combined.
Bring the sizzling skillet to the table, and serve with the softened corn tortillas. With your tongs, place some of the meat & veggies in the center of a tortilla, fold it in half, and enjoy!
Additional garnishes may be used as desired. Personally, I don’t use any garnish other than salsa on these tacos. But, of course, you’re welcome to use shredded lettuce or cabbage, slivered green onion, sliced black olives, shredded cheese, or the kitchen sink. 
I serve these with beans and/or Spanish rice, and perhaps a green salad. Our favorite beans right now: Mix one 15 oz can of refried beans with 15 oz can of whole, drained pinto beans. Heat in microwave about 3 minutes, or until hot. Simple!
