t r a c y r u s s o

I’ll be home in less than 24 hours! Woot!

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:10:06 -0500

I’ll be home in less than 24 hours! Woot!

"Do not waste yourself in rejection; do not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good."

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:12:28 -0500

“Do not waste yourself in rejection; do not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Books & Books & Books (via Tracy Russo)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:09:54 -0500

Books & Books & Books (via Tracy Russo)

A gorgeous combination of my two favorite things… Via...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:42:43 -0500

A gorgeous combination of my two favorite things…

Via newsweek:wearethedigitalkids:hostelcolonial:punkyj:

El Ateneo. Bueno Aires, Argentina.

This is a world famous theater built in 1919 which housed many operas and tango dance performances and has now been converted into a bookstore. Gorgeous.

When they film that Borges story, they will film it here.

Michaelangelo’s Rebellious Slave (via Tracy Russo)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:41:23 -0500

Michaelangelo’s Rebellious Slave (via Tracy Russo)

Never Trust a Skinny Cook

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:36:00 -0500

In a mood for popovers? I was. I’ve been seeing them mentioned throughout the foodie blogosphere and thought, “Hey, I can make those…”

So I tried this recipe, from Giada de Laurentiis. Food Network’s most annoying personality. (Note: I really haven’t ever trusted her - I mean who can trust a skinny Italian cook who over-pronounces half her ingredient list? Hence the title of this post…)

The verdict? Well, they popped, came out of the oven looking fine, but in the end didn’t taste so great. Too eggy. Too much like a quiche - except bad, since I was going for bread item not egg pie. I definitely would put this in a “do not recommend” category.

That being said, I have kept my cook something/bake something every night resolution for another night - I’m shooting for a week straight of baking and cooking as a way of getting back into the swing of kitchen things. Really the baking is the key to this resolution. I am not a great baker - mostly because it is much too precise for my liking. But, I figure if I force myself to turn on the oven and turn out some sort of batter often enough, I’ll get better at it, and possibly learn to love the tangle of measuring spoons.

My other attempt tonight was a simple mushroom pate recipe, courtesy of tasty kitchen. It was simple and good. I made a much smaller amount than is suggested, as I was just cooking for me and didn’t think a whole bowl of mushroom pate was the best idea for dinner. But I like a good sauted mushroom. Add onion, garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar and you pretty much have a winner.

What both of these recipes had in common was their simplicity - which is nice on a school night. The popovers were only in the oven for about 20 minutes. The mushrooms browned in under 10. However, they were really side dishes, and if I’d had more of an appetite it would have been lacking as a meal.

Luckily, feeling a tad under the weather today has left me without a real appetite for solid food, and so I was happy to fiddle about in the kitchen, stir the mushroom concoction on the stove, and nibble on a few bits when I was done.

We’ll see what tomorrow will bring, in terms of inspiration and appetite. I have a load of fresh parsley still that I am planning on throwing into a pesto recipe. I also have an acorn squash, a spagetti squash, and half a head of cabbage left to work into something.

Dinner = win, courtesy of Nigella.

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:58:53 -0500

Dinner = win, courtesy of Nigella.

Pancakes from scratch! No box mix and no burnt pancakes this AM....

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:15:02 -0500

Pancakes from scratch! No box mix and no burnt pancakes this AM. Today may very well be a good day!

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:59:50 -0500

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

- Aristotle

"We’ve instituted an 8 p.m. laptop shut. You have to."

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:37:11 -0500

“We’ve instituted an 8 p.m. laptop shut. You have to.”

- An awesome idea. And an awesome interview with the amazing, Jessica Valenti. Questions for Jessica Valenti - The Blogger and Author on the Life of Women Online - Interview - NYTimes.com

I quite agree with Nigella on this and much, much more....

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:20:51 -0500

I quite agree with Nigella on this and much, much more. (Interview via NPR)

Friday night dinner with friends!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:06:58 -0500

Friday night dinner with friends!

Ashleigh Banfield Joining ABC News: TVNewser

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:20:29 -0500

Ashleigh Banfield Joining ABC News: TVNewser:

She is amazing. ABC would be lucky to have her. Also her coverage from Ground Zero is the only news coverage I have specific memories of from September 11, 2001. It was raw; she was intense.

(via Flickr) More blurry bits! I was psyched to finally...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:21:08 -0500

(via Flickr) More blurry bits! I was psyched to finally comprehend this concept. Here, we focus on the bunny, so deep in thought that the rest of the world fades away.

(via Flickr) Practicing for my photography class in the...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:19:03 -0500

(via Flickr) Practicing for my photography class in the sculpture garden. See how the bench is in focus and the path is blurry? That was on purpose! Usually when I acheive that, it’s sheer luck. But, my friends, I have discovered how to manipulate aperture - i.e. make the blurry bits.

Photo

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:31:48 -0500

Mad Men Mondays (My Version)

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:20:05 -0500

Note: This is a whole heck of a lot less deep than the truly amazing commentary offered up by Feministing. But it’ll have to do.

WARNING - SPOILERS…

OK. You’ve been warned…

A lot happened. It was like a fantastic movie montage near the end. And it was good payoff after a season that had some weird arcs. But this totally tied them together in a way that only good storytelling can truly do.

Favorite exchange:

Peggy: “If I say no, you’ll never talk to me again.”

Don: “If you say no, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to hire you.”

2nd favorite exchange

Stirling: Peggy, can you get me some coffee?

Peggy: No.

What both have in common: A deep everlasting hope that stupid Duck is gone for good. Loser.

Most adorable scene: Roger and Joan! How adorable were they sitting around that table, strewn with papers as he tried to read her list? It was just so marital. He needs to ditch the trophy wife. She needs to ditch the rapist. And they need to live happily ever after.

And, speaking of Joan…YEAH! She’s back and it is going to be awesome. For everyone.

Now, deep feminist reflection: Why do I hate Betty for breaking up the family and only feel mild irritation at Don for his philandering ways?

Not so deep reflection: Why does the sight of Don Draper holding his children make my ovaries flutter? First with Sally when she was sleeping, then Bobby during the living room scene? Hello, biological clock.

Bottom Line: Matthew Weiner, I forgive you for destroying all that was good and true at Stirling Cooper, as it led to this.

Deep dark and depressing note: Now we’ve got to wait a long while for the next season. Damn you AMC and your stupid 13 episode seasons!!!

"Girls, if a boy says something that isn’t funny, you don’t have to laugh."

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:02:00 -0500

“Girls, if a boy says something that isn’t funny, you don’t have to laugh.”

- Amy Pohler, at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards (Via JessicaWakeman on Twitter)

Whose health care victory? - Feministing

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:52:16 -0500

Whose health care victory? - Feministing:

This one too. It made me cry. Especially, this part:

This also sets apart women’s rights from the Democratic/progressive/whatever agenda. As something expendable. But fundamental rights for women are not peripheral. They are core.

Ann is amazing. And awesome. Amazing and Awesome.

Will the Stupak Amendment Affect Insurance Coverage for Miscarriages? I Think So | RHRealityCheck.org

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:50:07 -0500

Will the Stupak Amendment Affect Insurance Coverage for Miscarriages? I Think So | RHRealityCheck.org:

Another must read. Thoughtful and compelling.