tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38861012011-11-11T05:04:39.836-05:00My thoughts and observationsClownstylenoreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1169169429766937922007-01-18T20:14:00.000-05:002007-01-18T20:17:09.783-05:00

No Kitty, that's MY pot pie!

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1169001018941820942007-01-16T21:23:00.000-05:002007-01-16T21:30:18.956-05:00

Gnocchi with Pesto and Chicken Sausage, Garlic ToastLest you think I come home from work on a chilly January evening and start rolling the dough and grinding the basil, I must give credit to my friend Trader Giotto. Without him, this meal would not have been possible.As I'm writing this, I hear a commercial for the LIMITED TIME ONLY JUMBO SHRIMP SPECTACULAR at Red Lobster. Any takers? Lobster

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1168908341708445852007-01-15T19:38:00.000-05:002007-01-15T19:45:41.723-05:00

Since 2007 is THE WINTER OF COOKIES...These Molasses-Spice cookies are good, but not GREAT. They would make good "bread" for ice cream sandwiches.This vegetable-barley soup, on the other hand, was AWESOME. Dish it up with a dollup of prepared pesto, and it's good to go. Want to try some? There's a huge vat leftover in my freezer. And yes, Lobster Goddess, it contains ZUCCHINI. Mmmmmmm.

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1168480171965708852007-01-10T20:33:00.000-05:002007-01-10T20:49:31.976-05:00

Ok, www.fitday.com is just about the coolest website ever. Well, ok, it's no Chowhound, but it's good.After having a day of feeling semi-disgruntled at work, I was spending my T ride thinking about what my absolute ideal jobs would be. And here is what I came up with:1. Read manuscripts of novels and offer my thoughts to the authors. Of course I would do this in a cozy office outfitted with a

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1168397106925562112007-01-09T21:28:00.000-05:002007-01-09T21:45:06.940-05:00

So far in 2007 I've read two new books and eaten at two new restaurants.Year of Wonders, by an author whose name escapes me at the moment and I'm too lazy to get off my ass and look at the book, but she also wrote March, is a fictional account of a remote village in 1660s England that decides to quarantine itself when a case of the plague shows up via a bolt of cloth from London. The premise was

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1167236221197254592006-12-27T11:11:00.000-05:002006-12-27T11:17:58.183-05:00

Wondering what I've been up to for the past month? Take that, Martha. Chocolate-Candy Cane Sandwich CookiesGingerbread PeoplePeanut Butter BlossomsCookies in Boxes Completed Boxes

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1164078898297270332006-11-20T22:01:00.000-05:002006-11-20T22:28:27.666-05:00

Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl this year. Since I know you read my blog whenever the 56K connection up in the North Pole allows you to, I thought I would mention a few holiday gifts that I might enjoy.1. You can check out my wish list at www.amazon.com2. You can visit www.crateandbarrel.com and buy me some new wine glasses, since I seem to be on a rampage of breaking mine. I like the "

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1163990971033587752006-11-19T21:45:00.000-05:002006-11-19T21:55:09.323-05:00

Some fairly recent food pictures: above is Zardoz's 30th birthday cakes, from Coldstone Creamery. I'd like to offer deep insights on the cakes, but quite frankly I really don't remember whether or not I even tried either of them. (See my "retirement" post from 10/22). Below: Asian-spiced chicken served on a bed of mashed sesame red lentils. The lentils were interesting - it was the first time I

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1163980233428449302006-11-19T18:12:00.000-05:002006-11-19T18:50:33.443-05:00

Scenes from a MallWith the Holiday Season being forced upon us by retailers early this year, I decided to do a little shopping today.First I hit Michael's Craft Store, where I stocked up on ribbons, wrapping paper, and tape. Due to a brief moment of Marthanity, of the variety that one cannot help but experience when surrounded by ribbon, fake flowers, and cake decorating supplies, I was also

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1163554866721398712006-11-14T20:18:00.000-05:002006-11-14T20:41:06.733-05:00

This weekend I baked that fall classic, apple pie. I love apple pie. I've loved it since I was a kid. Being of the opinion that you shouldn't mess with classics, I've rarely varied my recipe: homemade Crisco-based crust, 7 thin-sliced Granny Smith apples, 1 thin-sliced Cortland apple, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, with an additional dusting of sugar on the crust.Well, this time I tried

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1162439787624665982006-11-01T22:45:00.000-05:002006-11-01T22:56:27.636-05:00

Tonight I saw "The Departed," the film responsible for my brush with celebrity in summer 2005. By brush with celebrity of course I mean Jack Nicholson's hand brushed against mine when he shook it just before filming a scene that took about 2 hours to set up for, and wound up lasting about 30 seconds in the movie. It's good overall, though, with a lot of familiar locales.In other news, I am still

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1161554651684446322006-10-22T17:40:00.000-04:002006-10-22T18:10:36.160-04:00

RetirementAs of 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time on October 22, 2006, I officially announce my retirement from drinking heavily in celebration of birthdays and other milestone occasions.I was happy to see Dusty Bottoms' 20s out in style. My own 30th birthday celebration was a higher-end affair...so it was only fitting that the Clownstyle household should officially say goodbye to their younger

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1160964655924639232006-10-15T21:58:00.000-04:002006-10-15T22:13:44.826-04:00

This weekend while visiting our father for his birthday, my sister happened upon a travel diary that my mother had kept for the first year or so of my parents' marriage, then picked up again for a trip or two a decade later.We had a great time reading the journal, and I think it inspired both of us to consider keeping such a log. Part of its charm comes from the fact that the writing was brief,

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1159407868529915422006-09-27T21:30:00.000-04:002006-09-27T21:44:28.566-04:00

My apologies for not blogging in so long. Does anyone even still read this?Since the last entry I have done some traveling. I spent a week in Silicon Valley for work, then a weekend in New Jersey when I got back from the East Coast.I had a little free time during my trip to California, and, as I have an uncanny way of doing, I happened upon a newish mixed use retail/restaurant/commercial/

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1157205028464855402006-09-02T08:58:00.000-04:002006-09-05T21:03:33.616-04:00

Well it's late September and I guess I really should be back in school....Just recently I was going through some boxes of old photos at my father's house. Which is an adventure in and of itself seeing as the years 1971 through 2002 seem are pretty much clumped together haphazardly. At any rate, I happened upon most of the "first day of school" pictures from my childhood. So here's where it all

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1155349589234232832006-08-11T22:02:00.000-04:002006-08-11T22:26:29.316-04:00

Tomorrow morning I leave for a week at a rental beach house on Cape Cod.Now, I realize that pretty much everyone likes the Cape. What's not to like? But to me Cape Cod is more than simply a land of nice beaches and tasty fried seafood that isn't terribly far away (well, depending on traffic). Having grown up spending a portion of each summer at friends of the family's complete ancient dump of a

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1155000251261118512006-08-07T21:21:00.000-04:002006-08-07T21:24:11.270-04:00

The Dread Pirate Roberts wants to let you know that you're on notice. (Since he does not have his own blog, he mooches off mine)

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1154656511946174892006-08-03T21:40:00.000-04:002006-08-03T21:55:11.956-04:00

When the reality TV craze hit it big time a few years ago, I think we all had brief visions of winning such a show. After the first Survivor, I imagined myself smarter, more cunning, more strategic than even Richard Hatch. After the first two Apprentices (Apprenti?) I thought "well, people who lived in my freshman year dorm have a recent track record here, maybe I could do this too). And who

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1154543100446568042006-08-02T14:23:00.000-04:002006-08-02T14:25:00.460-04:00

You're On Notice

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1154400649869929862006-07-31T22:29:00.000-04:002006-07-31T22:53:02.416-04:00

If you have not already read Lobster Goddess' most recent blog entry on the lack of a celebration for the 25th anniversary of MTV, you should do so now.pandakindergarten.blogspot.comIn reading both her blog and the yahoo article she links, I experienced the strong undertoad (for you John Irving fans out there) of crashing waves of nostalgia. And I think the list of notable moments in the yahoo

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1154135672712854562006-07-28T20:57:00.000-04:002006-07-28T21:16:27.206-04:00

Development Officers Gone WildI recently had the opportunity to spend five days at an intensive conference for professionals in the field of "Institutional Advancement"...aka "give us your money." It honestly was a great time, both in terms of the quality of the faculty and content of educational sessions, and plain fun of meeting people from all different types of educational institutions from

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1153503845758044642006-07-21T13:20:00.000-04:002006-07-21T13:44:19.856-04:00

I just checked the weather, and it looks as though tomorrow isn't going to be a particularly good beach day. It's a shame - I was hoping to hit the beach for the first time this summer. I've been craving it.It's only in my adulthood that I've come to the baffling realization that some people are just not "beach people." Growing up in a waterfront setting, it just seemed to be a given to me that

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1153270925268389942006-07-18T20:55:00.000-04:002006-07-18T21:02:21.740-04:00

In keeping with Lobster Goddess' current obsession with lemonade, I had a DELICIOUS version at a work picnic this afternoon. It was made by a catering company called "Peppers" which I'm guessing is somewhere in the MetroWest area, since the picnic was in Grafton, and it had the perfect balance of sweet and tart, clearly "real" but not overly pulpy. Way, way better than the jug of Crystal Lite in

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1152499727065959452006-07-09T22:40:00.000-04:002006-07-09T23:04:09.276-04:00

The Grass Is Always GreenerIt has occurred to me recently that when people comment on some aspect of my person that I consider a negative, they feel compelled to act as though they're jealous. A few specific incidents demostrate this.Incident One:I'm in a cute dress maker's boutique/factory store in Boston's South End, trying on dresses in the common dressing area. I try on a lilac linen sheath,

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1152150890718823372006-07-05T21:29:00.000-04:002006-07-05T21:57:02.233-04:00

Yesterday in the laundry room I got to talking with a neighbor about reading. Turns out she's a big reader too, and we both agreed that there are so few pleasures in life as good as finding yourself in the middle of a "can't put down" book.Along the reading lines, I recently came across a list of every book I read in 1994. Why that year I decided to keep a record of everything I read I don't know

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1150936826024095682006-06-21T20:23:00.000-04:002006-06-21T20:41:40.806-04:00

Chicken Lo Mein By now I'm sure you've noticed that I cook a lot of chicken, and a fair amount of noodle dishes. I think sometimes that cooking is like shopping. They say that people tend to buy basically the same clothes, with minute variations, over and over again. Well, I feel the same about cooking. It's not that I don't enjoy a wide variety of foods. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1150679865207961022006-06-18T21:02:00.000-04:002006-06-18T21:18:37.893-04:00

Brucshetta Chicken. Yum!I came to the realization while browsing in the Toy department at Target for a gift for a friend's child this afternoon that toys in general were WAY better in the 70s/80s. Everything now seems so big and chunky. The Fisher Price "little people" were so much better back in the day. I seem to recall each set coming with a bunch of people, animals, furniture, accessories,

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1150477232042761002006-06-16T12:51:00.000-04:002006-06-16T13:00:32.056-04:00

Friday Musings1. This candied ginger is really good. Trader Joes, baby.2. Maybe next week I will go grocery shopping and actually cook some more meals to take pictures of. It's been, um, awhile.3. Watching my neighbors' dog last weekend demonstrated that yes, a large yellow labrador is too big a dog to have in my tiny home. But couldn't I inject a lab puppy with some sort of hormone that would

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1150154343628688902006-06-12T19:10:00.000-04:002006-06-12T19:19:03.636-04:00

What's in a name?Overheard in CVS, between a mother and her four year old-ish daughter:"Come on, Tuesday, it's time to go. We've gotta pick up Johnny at baseball."Tuesday? An Addams family fan who was off by a day perhaps? And how do you wind up with children named "Tuesday" and "Johnny." Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum.

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1149817599195692962006-06-08T21:18:00.000-04:002006-06-08T21:53:58.880-04:00

Remember when you were a kid and you developed a crush on some random celebrity? Maybe it was David Cassidy, maybe it was Kirk Cameron, maybe it was Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, or a New Kid. At any rate, you used to sit around and fantasize that one day you would meet that person. Maybe you even wrote letters to their publicist's address, listed in TEEN BEAT magazine. Maybe they even

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1149694395232590802006-06-07T11:27:00.000-04:002006-06-07T11:33:15.243-04:00

I would like to post a picture of the tasty meal I cooked last night...Oven "fried" chicken breasts with cajun-spiced sweet potatoes, steamed asparagus, and cucumbers. However, photography was not the more foremost thing on my mind when I SLICED OFF A CHUNK OF MY FINGER WITH THE VEGETABLE PEELER.Ouch. That's pretty much all I can say. Perhaps I should sue Williams Sonoma for not printing a

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1149523020923684212006-06-05T11:22:00.001-04:002006-06-05T11:57:00.946-04:00

You're It!I've been tagged by Lobster Goddess, to talk about my own fun, zany, and downright disturbing habits.The rules:- You must post a blog with six weird facts or habits about yourself. These cannot be used against you later on :) - At the bottom name the six people you will tag next. - Leave them a comment to let them know they've been tagged and to read your blog.1. I've been known to stop

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1149522961368013242006-06-05T11:22:00.000-04:002006-06-05T11:56:01.453-04:00

You're It!I've been tagged by Lobster Goddess, to talk about my own fun, zany, and downright disturbing habits.The rules:- You must post a blog with six weird facts or habits about yourself. These cannot be used against you later on :) - At the bottom name the six people you will tag next. - Leave them a comment to let them know they've been tagged and to read your blog.1. I've been known to stop

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1149200351856322372006-06-01T17:36:00.000-04:002006-06-01T18:19:11.930-04:00

Yesterday Lobster Goddess returned from Africa and we continued our tradition of meeting for sushi following her return. This way I get a chance to hear about her trip right away, as well as collect whatever nifty souvenier she has brought back, and she has a reason not to pass out and fall asleep at 2:00 in the afternoon.After our meal, it occurred to me that I've not yet written about sushi on

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1149087001084912632006-05-31T10:00:00.000-04:002006-05-31T10:50:01.166-04:00

Lately I've felt somewhat uninspired when sitting down to write in this blog. I'd like to be intense and call it "writer's block." But then I realized, no, it's not writer's block. It's simply that my life just isn't that interesting. So to prove that, I thought I'd treat you all to a day in the life of Clownstyle. Let me know if anything jumps out of the mundane details as something I could

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1148953303161941592006-05-29T21:20:00.000-04:002006-05-29T21:41:43.173-04:00

When you really stop and think about it, WWE (the sports entertainment formerly known as WWF) is truly a mind-boggling phenomenon. Who would have thought its popularity would last?And more importantly, why didn't I think of it? Or why isn't my last name McMahon?This weekend I went to two separate back yard BBQs to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend. The latter of which included not one, but two giant

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1148435247748575922006-05-23T21:39:00.000-04:002006-05-23T21:47:27.763-04:00

Sesame Beef Stir Fry with Yellow RiceDoes anyone else find that "you had a bad day" song as annoying as I do?

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1148349142132736432006-05-22T21:23:00.000-04:002006-05-22T21:53:33.850-04:00

"South of the Border" Chicken with Spanish Rice and BeansI've been thinking a lot about nutrition lately, particularly things like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Oils, and the like. I'm not alone, obviously. This stuff has been in the news a lot.What I keep thinking about is just how different nutrition is from when I was growing up. Though a fabulous cook whose nightly

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1147830848542383692006-05-16T21:41:00.000-04:002006-05-16T21:54:08.550-04:00

Today while I was on the eliptical machine at the gym, the sun came out for the first time in a week and a half. It felt like a "morning after" scene in a cheesy disaster movie like Volcano. Ahhhh...sun...so nice.At the gym I also got caught up on some important celebrity gossip via the helpful photographers and editors at US magazine. Can I just say that US definitely didn't used to be AS trashy

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1147658207872481962006-05-14T21:33:00.000-04:002006-05-14T21:56:47.886-04:00

Chicken "Fried" RiceAs I type I am being forced to choose between one of my actual favorite movies of all time, and a favorite horrible guilty pleasure chick flick. The former being Working Girl, of course, and the latter being Where the Heart Is. Ugh. I shudder to even write that. But it's out there now. Stupid Lifetime for putting it on. Now I HAVE to watch it.You all have guilty

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1147317681206241572006-05-10T22:55:00.000-04:002006-05-10T23:21:21.216-04:00

Tonight Lobster Goddess and I went to Neptune Oyster in the North End to celebrate her upcoming birthday. Over a dozen oysters, a hot lobster lobster roll for me, a cold lobster salad roll for her, all washed down with proseco, I got to thinking about how the lobster roll could be the perfect food.It's so simple really. A nice toasty bun, piled high with lobster meat cooked in butter. Perhaps

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1146864090639765922006-05-05T17:12:00.000-04:002006-05-05T17:21:30.646-04:00

Random Musings...1. What a beatiful day!2. Why is it so F***ing hard to find a good bathing suit if you're not a size 2?3. Why, when I get 200+ channels of television is there still never anything good on?4. On one of the aforementioned channels, I recently caught a rerun of Kate and Allie. Why did I think this was a good show in 1986? Was there some mind control agent in fruit roll ups that made

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1146706888326748532006-05-03T21:28:00.000-04:002006-05-03T21:41:28.336-04:00

Tonight I had a work dinner with a few alumni involved in our council. The work part was fairly straightforward, and we completed it quickly. The conversation moved on to more social matters.Dr. T (in slightly grumpy 80+ year old man voice): Clownstyle, what about that Lookout Mountain? Did you see that?Me: Brokeback Mountain?Dr. T: Yeah, Blokeback Moutain, did you see it?Me: Oh, yes, I saw it

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1146533191864899672006-05-01T21:05:00.000-04:002006-05-01T21:26:31.873-04:00

Check out Cobra Commander's photography! Tonight's dinner was Sesame-Peanut Noodles. A few weeks ago I was convinced that Cobra Commander had a mild peanut allergy. Following a shower he noticed that his chest had broken out in a minor rash. Seeing as he had had a bagel with peanut butter just before the shower, I put two and two together and decided it must be an allergy. But he and I eat

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1146439975294271692006-04-30T19:17:00.000-04:002006-04-30T19:32:55.303-04:00

Today while shopping with Lobster Goddess, I found myself purposely messing up the neatly organized small sizes-to-big sizes stacks of merchandise. I found it irritating to have to go digging for my size every time, while the size 2s can just pick the first item off the top. A simple act, yet one that I found satisfaction in.On the subject of shopping, why does it seem that so many stores either

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1146100015553096222006-04-26T20:52:00.000-04:002006-04-26T21:06:55.566-04:00

Baked "Tandoori" Chicken with Coriander-Roasted Sweet Potaotes and Steamed Sugar Snap PeasI must share what could be the most amusing conversation I've ever overhead. So this afternoon after work I was in the communal dressing room at Filenes Basement. I was methodically trying on my allotted eight items, while teenage girls in search of the perfect prom gown more or less surrounded me. One girl,

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1146014585792896822006-04-25T21:15:00.000-04:002006-04-25T21:23:05.803-04:00

Taco Night!The "reduced sodium" taco seasoning got the thumbs down from Lord Helmet, but Lobster Goddess and I liked it. Shredded red cabbage was a nice addition as well.

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1145928920208258492006-04-24T21:21:00.000-04:002006-04-24T21:36:13.600-04:00

Spinach PizzaCheese Pizza When you make two pizzas for two people, you have a lot of leftovers to bring for lunch the next day!After waking up with extreme back pain every morning for the past year, Lord Helmet and I finally conceeded and got rid of our featherbed yesterday. Thinking back, I'm not sure why we held on to it as long as we did. I decided I wanted a featherbed after sleeping on

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1145585021131547282006-04-20T21:43:00.000-04:002006-04-20T22:03:41.143-04:00

Meatballs in wine sauce with egg noodles, spinach, and steamed carrots with dillI was thrilled last night when the film version of Rent arrived in my mailbox via netflix. After all, I LOVE the play. I know all the words to all the songs. I devoted hours of college time when I should have been studying to the deep contemplation of which role I'd rather play, Maureen or Mimi (Mimi, of course

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1145407838571865052006-04-18T20:38:00.000-04:002006-04-18T20:52:12.340-04:00

"Avgolemono": Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon and DillAn easy post-gym meal!In other news, I have discovered that it pays to procrastinate. This morning I decided that I would take a walk to the Eddie Bauer outlet store on Washington Street at lunch. I don't go to this store often; I'm generally not a HUGE Eddie Bauer fan, but they do have good sales and some good basic items like T shirts, so it's

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1145323240523576182006-04-17T21:08:00.000-04:002006-04-17T21:23:34.196-04:00

Barilla Plus Rotini with Chicken Sausage, Spinach, Garlic, Lemon, and EVOO.This is my once-every-couple-of-weeks REALLY easy, but tasty meal. Tomorrow night I'm making Greek chicken-rice-lemon-dill soup...I need something that will go well with the rest of the baguette pictured above.I did not watch the Boston Marathon today, even though I had the day off. It's silly, but I feel oddly guilty

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144975188061753722006-04-13T20:17:00.000-04:002006-04-13T20:51:01.736-04:00

Lobster Godess wrote about this week seeming longer than most...I couldn't agree more. I'm used to business trips lasting a whole week, so arriving back in my office today and having two more days just feels like an eternity, even though I have a pile of follow-up work to complete.But enough about work. Let's talk about weekends.Sometimes I think I'm missing a key personality element because I

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144808134667072912006-04-11T22:05:00.000-04:002006-04-11T22:16:11.763-04:00

I wish it was less expensive to live in New York City. I love the fact that great food of all types is available everywhere, at any time, but it's such a walking-oriented place. This balance seems to define "moderation" to me. It seems like it would be pretty hard to live in NYC and be totally sedentary, the way people are in many areas.Then again, it would also seem that chain restaurants

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144631615039887202006-04-09T20:59:00.000-04:002006-04-09T21:13:35.050-04:00

Today was a beautiful early spring day, so Zod and I took a ride up the North Shore (to Marblehead, specifically). Marblehead is one of those places where I know I would enjoy living, until I stop to think about what my commute would be like. I guess to enjoy living in any given local, you have to do more than sleep there, which is about the amount of time I would be likely to spend there. I

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144369573880268852006-04-06T20:15:00.000-04:002006-04-06T20:26:13.893-04:00

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple-Lime Slaw. It took me YEARS to like sweet potatoes, and now I make them all the time. In fact, Zod and I have sweet potatoes far more often than regular potatoes. And pork tenderloin has become a favorite as well. It's so lean, easy to prepare, and flavorful. Mmmm...the OTHER white meat.

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144285727202217002006-04-05T21:00:00.000-04:002006-04-05T21:08:47.213-04:00

Spicy Asian Noodle SaladIf you ever need a really easy, really versatile, really tasty dish to bring to a party, I highly suggest this. It's basically vermicelli, scallions, and a "dressing" made of rice vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce. You can add chicken, shrimp, vegetables, the sky's the limit. It's good warm, but even better after it's had a

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144204017193814092006-04-04T22:19:00.000-04:002006-04-04T22:26:57.203-04:00

Zod has returned triumphant, having parred his first hole on a difficult course in Utah, and pocketed $350 in blackjack winnings from Vegas.Tomorrow I have a Division-wide work meeting at the Museum of Science. We've had them there before; the VP likes to switch it up and have them in fun locations from time to time. The meetings can be a bit on the dull side...lots of presentations of numbers

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144122573040677292006-04-03T23:02:00.000-04:002006-04-03T23:52:42.383-04:00

Walking through Downtown Crossing these days makes me sad. I wasn't really prepared for the fact that the closing of the flagship Filenes store would bother me so much. The store had been in a slow decline for years, reminding me of a favorite Onion headline: "Suburban Shoppers Schocked by Grim Conditions of Urban Department Stores." So true. Still, I did still shop there, find things, and like

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1144022450525745282006-04-02T19:35:00.000-04:002006-04-02T20:00:50.536-04:00

Here is what I like to eat when Zod goes out of town. Chicken fried rice, Spinach stir-fried with garlic, and Peking ravioli. All lovingly prepared and delivered by the friendly folks at Eastern Pier Restaurant. And I now have about four meals worth of food. Anyone want to come over? I'll whup you in The 8Os Game after we eat.One would think that given where I work, I'd be a bit tired of

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143930993746602502006-04-01T16:44:00.000-05:002006-04-01T17:36:33.756-05:00

I heard a rumor that Kelly's Roast Beef is opening a new location at Wellington Circle in Medford, in the site of the now-defunct Krispy Kreme.According to Mapquest, it is exactly 3.87 miles from my place. In no way can that possibly be a good thing.And now that I think about it, that's maybe a mile tops from Ritchie's Slush in Everett.Mmmm...small roast beef with lettuce, tomato, and pickles,

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143816626899015892006-03-31T09:38:00.000-05:002006-03-31T09:50:26.910-05:00

Urban Cowboy?Today on the T I happened to notice a tall, slender, well-groomed man in full cowboy regalia. His ten-gallon hat was of a soft fawn color. His pewter and turquoise belt buckle sparkled. His pointy-toe boots looked ready to ride the range. His authentic Wranglers were a perfect fit.And on his belt he wore a well-worn leather holster...wait...no. That's a Blackberry. And is that a

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143688855407172082006-03-29T22:00:00.000-05:002006-03-29T22:20:55.423-05:00

Tonight I had a work dinner, so no pictures of food. The idea of a job that involves a lot of fancy dinners sounded great until I started the job and realized that I would be "working" at them.And I've had some nice ones. Dinner at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills (I KNOW I saw famous people in the bar, I just couldn't place them). Lunch on the waterfront in Long Beach on a glorious 70 degree

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143595122203815052006-03-28T20:12:00.000-05:002006-03-28T20:18:42.213-05:00

Yum! Bowties with vegetables and turkey in a light pesto cream sauce. The turkey was my addition, and it was a good one. This is not protein-enriched pasta, so I like to add a little. Such an easy recipe, and very tasty.The nutritional info on this isn't actually too bad...less than 500 calories per serving. Not a lot considering the pesto and cream. Of course the recipe is SUPPOSED to make six

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143516522660770532006-03-27T21:46:00.000-05:002006-03-27T22:36:14.350-05:00

They Don't Call it Whole Paycheck for Nothing:So this evening after work I decided to perform an experiment. I needed to go grocery shopping for the week, having abandoned it yesterday in order to take a walk with a friend, and decided that I wanted to switch things up a bit. Usually I do my shopping at Super Stop & Shop on Mystic Avenue in Somerville. I generally find it a pleasant, not terribly

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143418300202921742006-03-26T18:52:00.000-05:002006-03-26T19:11:40.213-05:00

Yesterday afternoon with Zod at the driving range practicing for his upcoming trip, I found myself with nothing special to do, and decided to check out Penzey's Spices in Arlington Heights. Now, before I get in to my experience at the store, I just have to point out that when Zod and I lived in Arlington this particular commercial space was occupied by the worst Boston Market I've ever been to.

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143218717424704172006-03-24T11:24:00.000-05:002006-03-24T11:45:17.436-05:00

March Madness Update:After last night's buzzer beaters by Texas and UCLA, I'm currently in (drumroll please) FIRST PLACE! If BC beats Villanofun I could possibly have the win locked up. I have NEVER won this pool, in the 11 years I've been participating in it. Although...I won't get ahead of myself. Let's just keep it fun.I didn't cook last night. I got home from the gym on the late side, the

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1143078217514224742006-03-22T20:21:00.000-05:002006-03-22T20:43:37.526-05:00

The Myth of the Crock PotI've been making an effort to use my crock pot more recently. "Get a crock pot," they say. "It's the working family's best friend. Just think - you pop a few ingredients in in the morning, plug it in, and come home to a perfectly-cooked meal! Your mouth will water at the smells the second you walk in the door." Well...maybe some of that is true...but there are a few

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1142993362052671542006-03-21T20:47:00.000-05:002006-03-21T21:09:22.063-05:00

Tonight's Dinner: Black Bean and Chorizo Chili with sliced Avocados and BreadI go through phases where I don't cook a lot, but overall I really enjoy it. My kitchen may be tiny, but it's very efficient and pleasant to work in. Not exactly the giant island-open- entertaining-center of the home, but it serves its purpose. I like to read food lifestyle magazines like Bon Appetite. Along with the

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1142908568627581832006-03-20T21:12:00.000-05:002006-03-21T13:41:58.976-05:00

Supermarket musings:Is it just me or is it rude to talk on your cell phone the entire time you're waiting/ordering at the deli counter? As I waited for my order to be filled tonight I got to hear all about the jackass guy next to me's life. "Yeah, I don't really care about a wedding...she claims she doesn't really care about a wedding either...but you know, families and shit. Yeah, dude it would

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1142814226526621532006-03-19T19:20:00.000-05:002006-03-19T20:19:17.940-05:00

Sunday evening:Figs "spicy chicken sausage" pizza + Sunday Globe sudoku puzzle + NCAA basketball + comfortable chair + large selection of freshly dry cleaned clothes to choose from for work tomorrow = One Happy Clownstyle

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1142696913662621072006-03-18T10:33:00.000-05:002006-03-18T10:48:33.673-05:00

March Madness update: I'm 24 for 32 coming out of the first round. I've only lost 2 Sweet Sixteen teams. Not too bad - but I'm sure this year won't be any different from usual, and I'll lose big in the end. What a year it would be if I won the Oscar Pool AND March Madness, though.I'm sitting in my living room looking at the massive construction project across the street. By now I've gotten used

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-1142610986752061872006-03-17T10:56:00.000-05:002006-03-17T10:56:26.770-05:00

How is it that I've had next to no interest in college basketball this year, yet am totally consumed by March Madness?In case you were wondering, I'm currently 12 for 16 after the first day of play. Damn Syracuse.So it's St. Patrick's Day, and something made me reach for the green sweater this morning. Truth be told, I'm not really that into the holiday...I really wanted to wear a white button

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-835193952002-10-25T15:20:00.000-04:002002-10-25T15:20:38.100-04:00

It's Friday, and I want to sleep.

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886101.post-835189962002-10-25T15:13:00.000-04:002002-10-25T15:13:43.870-04:00

Welcome to my Blog!

Clownstylenoreply@blogger.com0