Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Post Reply, duck, pomegranate, Famous Amos Raisin-Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies

Note to self: NEVER click "Post Reply" when replying to journal comments via email at my parents' house. It doesn't work since they block pop-ups. Used to work on Yahoo, but not on Gmail for some reason. So now I have to click "View the thread starting from this comment" first before I can reply to any from the townhouse... that really slows down my productivity!

I spent some time with my grandma today, and we took the 410 to my cousin's place so she could pick up a comforter, which she decided was too cumbersome to carry on the bus. Heh, I had to restrain myself from activating the bell pull when the bus reached Cambie / Jacombs since that's where I meet Eric sometimes on Fridays. Grandma asked whether Harmony was pretty, and I had to say that I hadn't really seen a picture of her (except on Jon's laptop screensaver a while ago). She then thought that Jon had misunderstood her when she was trying to tease him about his girlfriend, but I later found out that he only pretended to mishear her since she always thinks he has no idea of what she's talking about most of the time anyhow! Then I joked that I wasn't there with her, and she asked about Eric and Jeremy. (she knows Eric as "white kid" and Jeremy as "the tall guy with the beard who had Pho with us that one time") Yes, Jeremy has a beard... no, he is NOT from Toronto even if he's from Jon's schooling. (that would be Harmony and other assorted people :P)

Getting into the house took ten minutes because Grandma mistook one key for the other, and had to enlist the neighbor's help! Aaron and Joyce knew we were coming over, and I had to restrain myself from actually taking some of their black-and-red Sour Keys candy / a bottled water, although Grandma gave me some candy from the cupboard. They have Bath and Body Works black raspberry and vanilla foamy soap in the washroom... I've been advised that the closest store is in Bellis Fair Mall in Seattle. Oh, well.

After that, we went back to the townhouse: all she ended up getting from her old place was a cellphone and an umbrella, heh. Jon was at a coffeeshop, and Steph was out with Vivian.. I thought they'd gone to the States, but they didn't want to risk the storm warning for that area. At least Steph got new Aldo work shoes since her old ones have had a big hole in them forever: not good if it's raining! We had dinner after everyone got back: lamb, duck, fish, guava, pomegranate, yogurt / coffee ice creams, shrimp, tofu, milk tea, coffee, red rice, veggies, and some other assorted stuff. Let's say that pomegranate seeds and juice are NOT what you want on your clothing, since purple stains are very hard to get out! (Vivian has Tide To Go since she's very clumsy... I try not to be, but I have an excuse too)

At least Vivian could eat SOME stuff, but not the shrimp and coffee ice cream since she's still on her modified allergy diet. She took a look at Jon's Hebrew stuff after he got a phone call from Harmony (and disappeared into his room with the door closed), and said that she could understand some of it because she was in Hebrew school from age 2-12... but the specialized squiggles for singing are something else entirely! My parents are surprised that Jon doesn't have a hard copy picture of Harmony, and wanted him to email a picture to Mom so Grandma could see... "I thought Jon would have a white girlfriend!" (then Mom thought that his friend Christine was STILL chubby... she isn't as fat as Mom thinks!) I also brought up that girl (Auntie Deborah's niece) who called a long time ago looking for Jon... good thing he was at violin lessons or something at the time! "Tell him that I like him," indeed...

It was a good time, and I even gave Jon advice when the topic turned to his election on the ESCC at church. "I wonder if he has TIME for a girlfriend, especially a long-distance one since those are more work! Trust me." He didn't say much about that, heh... but he better listen! Vivian said that the Spanish equivalent to "It's all Greek to me" is "It's in Chinese!" Hahaha. We also translated certain things in Chinese to English for Vivian, such as stuff about her allergies / stuff said to Grandma / stuff she said to her. ("Sit down at the table! Eat! Mother of my mother, come downstairs and eat oranges! Have gum!" etc.)

Later, Mom gave me ten dollars because she asked if Grandma had paid me for my time today: nope, because maybe she thought that the $20 she gave me on Sunday was good enough. Oh well, at least Mom says she'll compensate for the times when she doesn't, even though Mom's told Grandma about the payment thing. Later, Vivian drove me home... I should probably get her a Hanukkah card, even though it's not a BIG holiday like some people seem to think. (but she thanked me for her birthday card, and thanked Jon for also signing it) She's going to Mexico for Christmas, and loves the gifts at Hanukkah... I would too, if I got eight days of 'em in a row. ;)


Today's Tasty Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

A man and his two sons have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a neighbor and then eating parts of his body after he tripped over a woman relative at a dance. The three men are suspected of stabbing neighbor Benjie Ganoy to death last month in a remote village in the southwestern island of Palawan, Philippines. They ate his ears, tongue, and arms after roasting the body over a fire, provincial police chief Michael Garraez said. "They stabbed him repeatedly, cut off the man's ears, pulled out his tongue and ate it," Garraez said. He was quoting a sworn statement by a witness, who said he had been forced to eat some flesh taken from the victim's arms. Garraez said there was no tradition of cannibalism in the area. He said the father had apparently been angry after Ganoy accidentally tripped over his daughter during a dance party. Police said the victim disappeared after the dance party on July 17, 2004. The witness led them to the burned body almost a week later.

Culled from: Reuters
Generously submitted by: Ladyfreud

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Is it me, or does it seem like there has been an increase in the stories of cannibalism lately? You know how if rats are overcrowded, they'll start attacking and eating each other? I think that's what's happening to us. Just a hypothesis, of course...

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Morbid Trinket Du Jour!

The ever-wonderful Archie McPhee has outdone themselves with this nifty set of sideshow action figures:

Bearded Lady
Tallest & Smallest Man
Strong Man

And my personal favorite (and yours too, I'm sure): Frog Girl & Lobster Boy!

Well done. I'm looking forward to further entries such as Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy, Siamese Twins, and many many more!

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Morbid Link Du Jour!

Andrew sends us a link:

"You may have seen this one already, but Wonderbaby is an interesting recollection of one person's long-awaited visit to the T.D. Mütter collection, and includes links to sketches made by the author: a rare treat for the curious, as photography there is not permitted. Enjoy!"

Since I can't draw, I was forced - FORCED, I tell you!!! - to sneak some shots when I went to the museum a few years ago. My travelogue is available here.


Famous Amos Raisin-Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies

Categories: Cookies
Yield: 72 servings

2 cups Margarine; softened
3/4 cup Packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup Granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 medium Eggs
2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour; sifted
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Raisins
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
Recipe by: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11/27/95

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat margarine, brown and white sugars, vanilla, 1 teaspoon water, and eggs with electric mixer in large bowl until creamy and thoroughly blended. By hand, stir in flour / baking soda / salt until well mixed. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips. Spoon the dough by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Leave 1 to 1 1/2 inches between cookies. Bake 8 minutes or until cookies are browned to your liking. Yield: About 6 dozen.

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