Need it!

Nickolas found this the other day when bored at work... I NEED one! It's a lamp, shaped like a pushpin, with a corkboard base. Whoever finds where to get one and buys it for me first gets a prize!!

An office classic...

I don’t remember how the conversation started because I started laughing so hard, but here’s a little back and forth between Tom and Matt about my favorite person around my office *note the sarcasm*

Tom: She called me a piece of shit because I was flashing a mirror in her face.
Matt: And she didn't like that?
Tom: Maybe she’s a vampire.
Matt: Yeah!
Tom: She does have pasty skin.
Matt: She is evil…

This is my blog…

Read it or don’t read it, I don’t give a damn. What I do give a damn about is when someone comments that not only doesn’t know me, but wrongs me in thinking I commented on their blog. (No, I am not talking about the two of you that sent me those lovely comments, I know who you are *wink*)

Yes, I understand people (yes, it was two different people, only once was it the person you thought it was) comment on other people’s blogs and I believe it’s more than welcome. Screen or don’t screen, fine. However, before you go around pointing fingers, blogging the commenter’s demise or posting unnecessary comments on other people’s blogs, let’s make sure you are pointing at the right person.

So to you (if you even read this other than when upset at random commenters on your own blog) – thanks for starting off my morning with that shit comment. It wasn’t me.

And to you – you were right the first time, but it wasn’t him the second time (nor was it me). Relax.

Why the two of you must come home and visit me...

So here's the deal. You (both) have been gone for quite some time. Not only have you been gone for a while, but you've been over the long enough where (whether you want to admit it or not) you know you would love a little break from the Mediterranean sun and would love to indulge in a nice Midwestern summer day. Not only that, but come on, you'd get to hang out with Lizzo -- that alone should be reason enough!

While I know one of you MUCH better than the other, I feel it is important for you both to make the trip, Why? Well, you Nathan, must come home and visit me. The apartment misses you. It gets lonely during the day. Leftovers don't go half as quickly. I could use a night of ass-raping rummy, too much wine, laughing until I cannot breathe... And if not for me, at least come home for the T-Rex. We have a T-Rex!

And as for Ilan, well, I have heard much about this Ilan fellow. I have seen picture upon picture, we're spoken on many an occasion, he's felt up Nathan (although many of us have) and he liked it, I've seen his credentials, and I do believe I (or my father, for that matter) owe him a dowry of 40 sheep and 800 hotcakes. You, Ilan, have to at least come home for the sheep and hotcakes!

You both owe it to me -- I mean, I'm Lizzo!!!

And anyway, how can I resist these faces?(Nathan and Ilan)

I mean look at you. With all that hair and headband (and from what I hear, ponytail) action... you can see why I am missing you BOTH so much and just need a little time with us all together.

So here's the plan. Take a long weekend, come visit me, I'll cook you endless amounts of deliciousness, I have enough liquor, beer (ok, lacking a little on the beer, but that can be easily fixed), and more wine than really necessary (is that even possible?), we'll have peanut butter and ice cream, wine, tickle wars until I can't breathe, wine, and a night of cuddling all together in my big bed. Allen will come down, you can smoke and blow it in my face, I'll even bring out the big guns and spring for Mesa!

Ultimately you have no choice. You must come home and visit me. You can go back, I promise to let you go back. But you have to come. And you have to stay with me. I miss you (both) to the point where there is no other option. There's just no way around it. Please oh please come! I'll make it worth your while. Oh, how I will make it worth your while...

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Are you on your way yet?

Giving credit where credit is due...

I cannot take ownership to the recipe I posted below (Almond Chive Salmon). Let me explain. Three of my girlfriends, all with whom I used to work at the U, and I get together about once a month to have dinner. We each make a dish (sometimes two or three, Melissa!) and bring it to one of our houses and eat and chat and just hang out. It's probably one of the best nights of the month.

Anyway -- a couple dinner groups ago, Emily made the salmon dish. I had to have the recipe -- which is something we planned on doing anyway but never really follow through on. So I harassed her for the recipe and voila -- there it is.

So, thank you Emily for the delicious salmon recipe!

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On a related note, we met tonight for a BBQ-themed dinner group. I made "the sauce", marinated some chicken tenders in it, and skewered them on the grill. "The Sauce" was, as always, delicious and the girls loved it. We had about three different salads, some homemade baked beans, sparkling peach iced tea, and delicious scone strawberry shortcakes. As always, it was amazing.

I love dinner group nights!!


PS. Katy: If you read this, we (and by we, I mean I) would love the scone recipe!

Oh what a feast...

It's been quite a while since I have had Molly and Joe over for dinner. It seems that with our busy schedules we've only been able to hang out on the weekends, which means we usually grill out in Molly or Joe's backyard. Don't get me wrong, there is NOTHING wrong with a nice night of grillin'. Molly has also made her fair share of deliciousness. But it had been a while since I cooked for them.

Tonight I made a feast. Almond-Chive Salmon (see recipe below), Cheezy Orzo, and Lemon-Scented Green Beans. For dessert, Oreo Cheesecake Bites. We toasted on a nice crisp bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. It was awesome. I might even say this salmon is almost as good as my mom's salmon on the grill. ALMOST.

In any case, it was nice to have them over and to get to cook a nice big meal. Though we were missing our fourth diner (yes, you), we had some nice conversation about prostitutes and bathroom stalls with hard-to-reach toilet paper.

Great success!


Almond-Chive Salmon

1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 (1-ounce) slices white bread, torn
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
4 lemon wedges

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender; add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until finely chopped.
3. Sprinkle salmon with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Top fillets evenly with breadcrumb mixture; press gently to adhere. Place fillets on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

A tidbit from the Polaroid News...

The three of us writers here at work all write for the Polaroid News -- a bi-weekly electronic newsletter. Tom created a section called "Pixels" - pretty much acknowledging fun and exciting bits of information about employees. Though we pulled this one because the VP thought it might be a little controversial (really?!), here's what Tom wrote about me:

Liz Orenstein, Minnetonka, visited Appleton, Wisconsin, her hometown, last weekend. While in Appleton, Liz went to a Bar Mitzvah for a family friend, and also attended a Memorial Day bar-b-que that included potato salad with bacon. Liz asks, “Who ever heard of potato salad with bacon?"