I've Been Through The Desert With A Blogpost With No Central Point

I haz a grumpishness. For a while now, couple weeks. Eh, forgive me, I feel like cleaning out some psychic garnage.

Yes, garnage. Portmanteau of garbage and carnage. Or, paleo kant tipe or spel.

Lot of factors. Work, I'm trying to get ahead, the old fashioned way, p'raps, performance, asking for responsibility, as opposed to shining up a pair of kneepads to the point that I could blind the Upper Midwest. The windmill, it is being tilted at.

The competing schedules between Sweetie and me. The actual date of Valentine's Day involves supper (friggin incredible, BTW, sun-dried tomato, onion and garlic in Alfredo with chicken and green beans) at 9:00pm before bed as she works in the morning. I say this often, but mean it every time - I adore my wife, and my favorite activity is spending time doing anything or nothing at all with Sweetie.

The basement remodel. I have long ago come to the conclusion that man was not meant to live underground. Hobbits, sure. CHUDs? Hell, it's right in the name. Germans, not so much.

Politics too. I am aware I focus too much on the political scene, but it gets old, being driven to distraction every morning as I drive to work. The level of stupidity, bloodlust, misogyny, hell, misanthropy, is incredible, nearly unbearable, and I believe that no-one can truly take the Pubs seriously - it has got to be performance art, or a two-bit grift - they can't be for real, can they?

Good things too, though, gotta focus. I got to spend a couple days with some of my best friends, Sweetie finally was able to meet them and be sociable sans time constraints. Ate, drank, and was merry (awesome recipe after the jump). Camping plans were tentatively made - to be more accurate,

"Well, the boys can work on the fence and we'll sit by the campfire and drink wine..."

We have a full weekend (almost, probably), to goof off, to try to get near to finishing the bloody stupid basement, at which point it is likely my searing atmospheric pressure headaches from going that far below the earth may ebb. We are doing Valentines surf-n-turf on teh grill tomorrow night - W00t!!1! Admittedly, to me, lobster is a butter delivery system, but I'm from Wisconsin - sue me!

I had a pleasant music break this afternoon - Pharcyde, Jurassic 5, Ugly Duckling, changed station and got My Chemical Romance. I've told before of the occasionally tenuous grip Pandora holds me in, but since I went into every playlist and banished Drops Of Jupiter to teh hell whence it came, we are on better terms. I need music, constantly if possible, and I abhor repetition. I don't collect much anymore, (have to have my Barenaked Ladies, Beatles, and Iron Maiden - those are my defaults when I dither), but webstations... 

My visiting college friend suggested Rodriguez

I've been GrooTubing it, great stuff.

And, as far as tilting at windmills, I am making slow, steady progress at the job. Emphasize slow, but I'll get there.

Just have to strap 'em up and keep going!

Vegetarian Jambalaya 

I skipped the squash and tomato paste, and it was great! I am not a vegetarian by trade, but I was cooking for a group that included one, and everyone liked it. BTW, when it says "12 generous servings", that would be accurate. I also suggest rinsing the hell out of the rice, so it's a bit fluffier.

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups yellow onions, small dice
• 1 cup red onions, small dice
• 1 cup bell peppers, small dice
• 1 cup celery, small dice
• 2 cups eggplant, diced
• 1 cup yellow squash, diced
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cups long grain rice
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup chopped green onions

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, shallots, bell peppers and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, squash, and zucchini, and saute until they're tender, ahother 5 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt, Creole seasoning and additional cayenne if desired. Add the bay leave, then add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.If you're making this Creole-style, heat the tomato paste in a non-stick pan and stir, making sure it doesn't stick or burn, until the sugars in the paste begin to caramelize, and the paste begins to turn a deep mahogany color. Deglaze with some of the stock, stir and combine thoroughly, then add the tomato paste to the rest of the stock and stir until well-blended.
Add the vegetable stock/tomato mixture, stir and cover. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir the jambalaya while it's cooking. Remove from heat and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Add the green onions and mix thoroughly.
Garnish with some fresh long chives, and serve with a salad and good beer.
Yield: 12 generous servings  

Oh, and Fluffy...