blue artichoke

My love for Wal-Mart is legendary (well, I suppose there aren't actually any legends, but my affinity for Wal-Mart is well-known among those who know me), so it is with great sadness that I realize that my Wal-Mart browsing days are pretty much over. First, the closest Wal-Mart is far away from where I live. Second, I have to get on the beltway to get there, which makes it take even longer; idling in inches-per-minute traffic to save a few bucks is not a sound financial decision. Third, it's depressing. I'm used to bright and cheery Wal-Marts where an old fellow greets me warmly as I enter and the check-out clerk calls me "honey" or "sugar." The Wal-Mart here has an unfamiliar culture. It's dingy and crowded with grumpy people who don't considerately move out of the way to let other people pass through the aisles. Each trip feels like a battle. Instead of leaving satisfied and happy, I leave surly and disappointed, and then have to face traffic jams on the way home. Nope, not worth it. And, unfortunately, Sam's Club is even worse. Somehow, I leave there feeling like I've been picked on.

There is a lovely Target right across the parking lot from the Wal-Mart, which has been a bright refuge for me. It serves the same geographical area and attracts a similar demographic, but it never seems crowded and I leave feeling better than when I entered. Too bad the distance and the traffic problems remain. I do, however, think there is a Target closer to where I live, but even it isn't very convenient and requires a special trip.

This is a new facet of city life that I'm discovering: a convenient location trumps lower prices. I suspect that I'll be a frequent shopper at the Rite Aid, CVS, Office Depot, Container Store and Ace Hardware that fall along my daily path. It might be money-expensive, but it is time-thrifty, and in a city like this, time is a more valuable commodity.

Getting to Know All About You: What store do you frequent most often?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With all of the commotion of moving, I sort of lost sight of my 31 New Things project and my New Month's Resolutions. In April, I devoted myself to oral hygiene. I didn't do much of anything consistently in May. What a waste. June, though almost closed, has been a month of belly dancing! I'm progressing nicely and know the difference between a hip shimmy, a twisty shimmy and a straight-leg shimmy. The belly dance lessons will continue on through August (and beyond), but I wanted to make it a priority at the outset so I won't be tempted to skip class.

There has been little progress on setting up the apartment. My kitchen is still mostly in boxes, with the exception of the essentials (plates, silverware, glasses, a skillet and a blender). I spent far too many hours shopping for new household things yesterday evening. I need to keep reminding myself that I want Scandinavian sparseness and a zen home. You can't buy that at Target. I'm feeling the need for another Not Buying It project!

Getting to Know All About You: What have you learned this week?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Okay, okay, there is no place called Saladhouse or Saladhouse Rocks, but wouldn't that be cool?

I was going to say that the salad my friend Purple Jambalaya made the other day simply rocked. But then I thought of Schoolhouse Rocks and thus the subject line was born.

I figured I would let you all know this recipe, which came from her cooking magazine (which was NOT Southern Living but something very similar... Gourmet?). If someone finds it, I will gladly correct and post proper authorship. For now, it is simply:

PJ's Spicy Salad

Dressing:
1/2 cup picante sauce
1/4 cup italian salad dressing
1/4 tsp cumin

Salad:
4 c spinach
15 oz can (rinsed, drained) black beans
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 med sweet red pepper
1/2 c sliced red onion
8 strips crumbled bacon
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Mix the dressing well. Keep separate from salad and allow people to serve themselves.

Totally not kosher, by the way, as you'll notice the bacon above. Kasher the meal by leaving out the bacon.

What you're probably wondering is "what's the difference between picante sauce and salsa?" Well, easy. Picante sauce says it's picante sauce on the label. Oh, and it's typically more pureed than salsa, so you don't have as many chunks in it.

I have to say I am NOT a salad person nor am I a vegetable person, but this salad was so incredible I had three helpings and totally picked at the rest of my plate of meat. Seriously. It was sooooooo good.

Obviously it would be best if paired with a strongly-flavoured Mexican-style dish. It's pretty powerful.

And making my mouth water thinking about it.

Getting to Know All About You: In other news, does anyone need a roommate or know someone that needs a roommate or knows of a place in DC that's cheap yet nice and close to the Metro or American University?

Posted by Red Momo, aka the Kosher Gentile at 07:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Finally, the longest move in my history is complete! It began almost three months ago when I started getting rid of a bunch of our stuff and packing up what I could in anticipation of our move from MO to DC. I moved, with what fit in my car, into my brother's basement in MD while I started working. GC and Fat Larry stayed behind in MO. I found a place for us to live. GC found a new job. I went back to MO to pack up what we wanted to bring with us and sell the rest. Our yard sale went well. We put out over half of our belongings at closeout prices; 2/3 of what we put out sold. The rest we put on the curb and it was gone in a day or so. Even though we successfully found homes for everything, I was absolutely disgusted by how much crap we had. And most of it was mine! I'm really good about throwing things away and getting rid of things I don't want or use, and yet I still had a LOT that I could let go of.

The most difficult thing to sell was my hammock. I paid $200 for it several years ago, but it was worth so much more to me, as a symbol of lazy, carefree days spent outside napping, reading, and enjoying the sounds of my neighborhood. I really can't complain, however, because GC sold his car. That is an even greater symbol of the lifestyle we're leaving behind.

I like living in the city. I like our apartment. I like our neighborhood. I like living between a busy street and a park with a playground. I do miss having a front porch, and neighbors who stop by to chat and enjoy quiet evenings. But I also enjoy watching commuters dressed in a range of business attire on my way to work in the mornings. (I especially like men in business suits on bicycles). It's just different, living in the city.

We're in the midst of setting in, buying and arranging furniture, coming up with creative storage solutions and falling into new habits. My work hours are more regular and I hope to make time for more frequent blogging. My new kitchen is only slightly bigger than my tiny Missouri kitchen, and it will take a while for me to settle into it. My new lifestyle doesn't allow for as much experimentation and elaborate food preparation, but instead lends itself to a faster and simpler way of cooking. I feel good about this change.

Getting to Know All About You: What's up with you guys? It's been so long...

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)