Celebrity

Source: http://maqfirat.blogspot.com/2012/02/milad-un-nabi-birthday-of-prophet.html

The Daily Mail reports that there is a new, hot, Internet trend ... BREADING ... stick a slice of bread on your cat's head and take a photo.

Supposedly started by a Facebook page, picked up by Gawker, over, and over, and over again. Of course, it was Tweeted, Buzzed, tumblred, and buzzed again.

I have 3 cats.
I have bread.

I volunteered my cat Rusty to be my model.

The results?

Photo: Julie Corsi

Source: http://internet-pets.blogspot.com/2012/02/inbread-cats-really.html

This from the Fair Oaks Street Group:

On Friday, each of the survivors of last year's 24th Street corridor assaults received greeting cards with notes and messages of support, along with a $4,000 check from a fund established for their benefit by the Fair Oaks Community Coalition. Cards and checks were delivered by the District Attorney's office of Victim Assistance. One of the women, who has been aided since the attack by close friends in Noe Valley, asked those friends to share this message with the community:

Dear Fair Oaks Street Group and Other Generous Donors:

I was so moved by your most heartfelt card, good wishes and generous donations. Indeed, I am feeling better every day. I was both surprised and very happy to receive your many wishes for my recovery and huge amount of financial help. This has been especially important since I have been unable to return to work so far. I hope it will not be long before I am able to go back to work.

I am also very grateful to the paramedics, San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Recovery Center, Kaiser Permanente and to the San Francisco Police detectives who all have helped me to recover and feel safer and less anxious about going out when it gets dark. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me.

Best regards,
Your friend and neighbor from Noe Valley

The Fair Oaks Community Coalition is heartened by the public's generous gifts and good wishes for the survivors. Donations are still being accepted, and will be disbursed to all 3 survivors. Contributions (cash or check) can be made here:

24th Street Survivors Fund
c/o Sterling Bank and Trust
3800 - 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Source: http://noevalleysf.blogspot.com/2012/01/update-24th-st-assault-survivors.html

Source: http://hellokittycolouring.blogspot.com/

I don't know what has happened.  I am so unbelievable anti-anything that is restaurant-made.  I'm having major aversions to Chinese food and pizza at the moment.  You'd think I was pregnant! (am I? :).  Actually in hindsight, I am having a severe craving for My Thai and the pizza at Mama Santa's last weekend was absolutely the best I have ever had in my life.

I read recently that 75% of the salt intake of a typical American is from eating out at restaurants and eating processed foods.  Ever since I read that statistic, all I can think of when I eat out, is how salty the food is.  I think this, more than anything, is what is causing my aversions to restaurant food lately.

My biggest surprise meal this past week was Beans Puttanesca on Polenta, a black bean-Italian concoction that most definitely pleased my taste buds.  See below for my recipe.  Another favorite was Cincinnati Chili over homemade pasta.  This was our daughter's birthday dinner and those homemade noodles were absolutely fantastic.  I also made acorn squash ravioli.  A fried rice with some left over roast beef that I found frozen in the freezer (already cooked and cut into strips) made a delicious, simple and quick dinner and then made for fantastic lunches throughout the week.  There is something about Hoisin sauce that I just love.

After a quick mess up, I learned the importance of hanging pasta.

And then, my biggest pleaser and almost a total disaster...pecan pie!  I made this pie for my daughter's birthday dinner this week.  I followed the recipe in The Best New Recipe Cookbook, adding chocolate to the top as it calls for in the chocolate variation.  You probably know by now, I wouldn't be caught dead using a store-bought pie crust.  So of course, I made my own.  Now the pecan pie recipe called for a lot of steps for making my own pie crust as the authors of the recipe were quite concerned with soggy crust when it comes to pecan pie.  So I followed their suggestion except I did not have any pie weights.  Never underestimate the importance of pie weights.  I ended up with a side-less pie, which does not bode well for keeping the pecan pie filling in the pie. 

Happy Birthday!

Beans Puttanesca
1.  Cook one cup of dried black beans.  Drain and set aside.
2.  Sautee one medium chopped onion in a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add cooked beans, one tablespoon of capers, about 15 chopped green olives, one box of Pomi strained tomatoes and crushed hot red pepper.  I really just have to reiterate the importance of using Pomi tomatoes.  They are unbelievable flavorful and I bet its because they are stored in a box, not a can.  I have to thank Heinen's for doing the leg work and finding this product for their store.
3. Add a good pinch of oregano, basil, one bay leaf and salt to taste. Cover and let stew until dinner is ready to start.  Serve over polenta.

Source: http://drannaeaton.blogspot.com/2012/02/meal-suggestions-february-3-2012.html