Creative Writing!

This is my first entry for my Creative Writing class!


Sinful Sweets 1/24/2011 9:34 AM (Laura Latterman)


On Saturday, I stole a pastry. No, I take that back. I stole two pastries. Now, this is not like a morning cartoon show where the rascally rabbit steals a cooling pie from the window sill. Instead, this was me liberating two frozen and forgotten Butter Braid pastries out of the freezer at work. I would love to say I cooked them and gave them to a homeless man, but I really just served them to my friends for Sunday Brunch.

One of the brokers in my office played a prank on a fellow broker by signing him up on a coworker’s school fundraiser form for Butter Braids. So, when time came to pay for the pastries, the prankee was caught completely off guard, but paid for them anyways. But, since he was not expecting the pastries in the first place, they then sat in the freezer at work for six months.

My theory is that I was really doing him a favor. His forgotten sweets were taking up room in the freezer with no hope of rescue from permafrost. And, if by chance, someone were to have reminded him about the Butter Braids, then he’d sorely remember being the butt of the prankster’s joke, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth instead of the sweetness of pastry.

All that being said, I know that it was technically wrong to take and enjoy that which was not mine, yet I feel no remorse in savoring and sharing those tasty morsels of pastry goodness with my friends. As the saying goes: waste not, want not. The pastry was going to waste, and I wanted it.

Jambalaura

Day 81

10-31-10

Today, decide what skill to pass onto your relatives

Cooking!  I’m not a chef, but I certainly can whip up something yummy.  I intend to pass down a collection of Laura-ized recipes and meals.  As you can see, I’ve already included some recipes in my blog.  :0)  Here is my version of jambalaya that I made on Halloween.

Jambalaura

1 package smoked polish turkey sausage - 1/2” chunks

1/2 white onion - 1/2” chunks

1/2 red bell pepper - 1/2” chunks

1/2 yellow bell pepper - 1/2” chunks

1/2 orange bell pepper - 1/2” chunks

1/2 package sliced mushrooms

1/2 jar tomato sauce - not too sweet

1 cup white wine - not too sweet

4 green onions - chopped

1 cup cilantro - coarsely chopped

6 garlic cloves - crushed

8-ish overripe vine tomatoes - quartered

Worchester sauce - 1 tea spoon

Extra virgin olive oil - 1 table spoon

Salted Butter - 2 table spoons

Yellow mustard - 2 table spoon

Sriracha - 1 table spoon

Montreal steak seasoning - Several shakes

Mrs. Dash - Several shakes

2 cups white rice w/ 2 & 1/2 cups water - Cook separately in rice cooker

Add all the above to a large pot and simmer until flavor is to your liking.  This is a taste as you go dish, so you’ll need to keep tasting the sauce until you like the flavor.  Add a little more of whatever you think is missing until you get the desired taste.  Also, as long as it is hot and tastes good, then it is ready to serve (as the sausage is precooked).  If you’d like, this is a meal that can sit in a slow cooker/crock pot and left on low all day.  When you’re ready to eat, just mix in the rice that you cooked separately, and voila!  Dinner is served.

Spork It All!

Found this and thought it was hilarious.

In other news, I chatted with a nice lady I've seen in the building but never spoken to.  We were in the elevator and talking about how much we hate it when people either don't hold the elevator at all, or when they try to hold an already quite full elevator for you...  It's like a no win.  Technically, chatting with a stranger was Day 11, but Nancy and I agreed to swap Day 8 and 11 around.  I need coffee on week days.

Dinner went okay last night.  Dessert was a bit of a dud, but the artichoke came out amazing!  So, here's my recipe:

What ingredients and supplies you will need:
1 artichoke
1 lemon
1 garlic bulb
3 bay leaves
thyme
yellow mustard
mayonnaise
ranch dressing
salt
pepper
1 large pot
2 bowls
tongs
garlic press
spoon
fork
plate
kitchen sheers

Artichoke:
In a large pot, add enough water to mostly cover the artichoke, 4 whole garlic cloves, 3 bay leaves, and half a lemon - Set to a boil.
Rinse your artichoke and take a knife to cut off the top inch of the head and the bottom half inch of the stem.
Next, use sheers to cut all the points off the exterior leaves.
Now add your prepared artichoke to your pot and let it boil for about 45 minutes turning it over occasionally with tongs, or until you can easy stick a fork in the tougher leaves.

Dip:
Mix all of the following together in a small bowl and chill.
1/3 cup mayonnaise (or Vegannaise)
1/2 tablespoon ranch dressing
1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon olive oil
juice from 1/2 a lemon
4 fresh crushed garlic cloves
1 solid pinch of thyme (dried is just fine)
salt & pepper to taste

When the artichoke is done, place on a plate with the sauce on the side and remember an empty bowl for the discarded leaves.  Trust me, this is both simple and awesomely tasty!


~ Laura

Menu and a "Moment"

I'm having Andy over for dinner tonight...  I'm really looking forward to trying my menu out on him:
First we'll start with a steamed artichoke with dipping sauce, then move onto baked chicken with zucchini and yellow squash, and finish with lemon cream served with port-soaked dried fruits.  No starches, and the dessert is Vegan!  Take that diet!  ;0)  Wish me luck...  I have a bit of a shopping list, my apt is a disaster area, and I'm still not wearing make-up!

As for Day 7...  I had to fudge the timing, but I'm hoping to get my self-pleasuring "moment" in before Andy comes over.  If not, maybe before I go to bed...  Something to lull me to sleep?  This book certainly has its moments!

~ Laura

@ Nancy's

Painted my toes and fingers last night. Currently very full from Nancy's yummy cooking. We're watching The Lovely Bones.

~ Laura

Testing Mobile Blogging!

Chicken alfredo pasta prima vera a la Laura.  Dinner from last night!   :0)

Next up, the opening to my debut novel...

~ Laura