renh's blog: April 2007 Archives

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April 30, 2007

informal

shaft: treat harshly and unfairly
eg he was shafted by the press.

trim: v. to cheat

Posted by renh at 06:25 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2007

berry strada

I tried berry strada.
omg, it is that tasty. I will make this again.

some notes on the ingredients:
i do not use OJ, because i don't have it.
i used ciabetta bread. fresh not stale.
i used frozen blueberry, blackberry and grapes as the berry. just to clean up the frizer.
i used half a pound of fresh ricotta.
others stay the same as giada's recipe.

Posted by renh at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2007

goat cheese salad & chicken wild rice soup

goat cheese salad (ultimate version)

1.thin slice fresh white mushroom (very thin), soak with sparkling wine.
2.combine spring mix from sam's club (including baby spinach, arugula, lettuce...) with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
3. heat up sauce pan and toast coarsely chopped walnuts. when the nuts are hot, coat with sugar. toast almond slices in oven.
4. lay the veggie on the plate, top with crumbled goat cheese, crasins, mushroom with sparkling wine and warm nuts.

I tried to add smoked salmon. it did not turn out as good as i expected.

chicken wild rice soup

I bought a roasted chicken from the grocery store. and i found it hard to consume the whole chicken by myself. i made up this recipe to finish up the chicken.

1. cut the chicken breast into cubes. sautee with good evoo and italian seasoning (sam's club). set aside.
2. use the same sauce pan. sautee celery, carrot and portabella mushroom cubes. set aside.
3. continue with the same sauce pan. add the wild rice, give it a quick stir, then add water to boil. (need about 40min)
4. important: the left-over chicken has been in the refrigerator overnight. scrape up the gel like stuff at the bottom of the container for the chicken, which came with the chicken from the store. cut some skin with good seasoning on it. put these into the boiling rice for flavor. after a while for take the skin part out.
5. add the chicken and veggie to the boiling rice. continue to boil, until ready.

Posted by renh at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2007

april 24th

insinuatingly
insinuate- 1 a. to introduce (eg a suspicion) slyly; b. to introduce (oneself) by sly and ingenious means. 2. to hint

audacious: 1. bold: daring 2. arrogantly impudent: insolent

sputter: 1. a. to spit out small particles in short bursts. b. to make a coughing noise characteristic of sputtering. 2. to speak excitedly or confusedly: stammer

straitjacket:
A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with overlong sleeves. The ends of these can be tied to the back of the wearer, so their arms are kept close to their chest with possibility of only little movement. Straitjackets are used to restrain people who may otherwise cause harm to themselves and others.

frantic: emotionally distraught, as from worry or fear

screech: 1. to scream. 2. to make a shrill, grating sound.

defy: 1. to face up to: challenge. 2. to withstand or resist successfully. 3. to dare or challenge something thought to be impossible. defier n. eg. defy the immutable law of timed stopped lights.

chagrin: n&v lack of mental ease caused by disappointment, humiliation, or failure

garrulous: talkative, esp. excessively so: chatty

Posted by renh at 01:14 PM | Comments (0)

my love -westlife

An empty street
An empty house
A hole inside my heart
I'm all alone and the rooms are getting smaller

I wonder how, I wonder why
I wonder where they are
The days we had, the songs we sang together
And oh my love
I'm holding on forever
Reaching for a love that seem so far

Chorus:
So I say a little prayer
And hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue
To see you once again, my love
Overseas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green
To see you once again, my love

I try to read
I go to work
I'm laughing with my friends
But I can't stop to keep myself from thinking

I wonder how, I wonder why
I wonder where they are
The days we had, the songs we sang together
And oh my love
I'm holding on forever
Reaching for a love that seem so far

Repeat chorus

To hold you in my arms
To promise you my love
To tell you from the heart
You're all I'm thinking of

I'm reaching for a love seem so far

Posted by renh at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)

April 22, 2007

what hurts the most

RASCAL FLATTS LYRICS

What Hurts The Most

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me

What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin' to do

It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I'm doin' It
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken

What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do

Not seeing that loving you
That's what I was trying to do
Ooohhh....

Posted by renh at 05:51 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2007

chicago delusion

last weekend i went to chicago (april 15-16th).
i like chicago, especially the shopping experience. long time no shopping like this.

Posted by renh at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)

berry strata

will try in the near future:

Berry Strata
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
See this recipe on air Saturday Apr. 28 at 7:30 AM ET/PT.
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Giada's Kitchen Basics

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup orange juice
4 slices of bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat, add the honey, and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and sugar. Using a fork, mix to combine and beat the eggs. Add the milk, orange juice, butter and honey mixture, and bread. Stir to combine. Gently fold in the berries.

Place the ingredients in a 10-inch round (2-quart) baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the strata until golden on top and baked through, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon into dishes and serve.

Posted by renh at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2007

new word - tic and tourette syndrome

started to read motherless brooklyn:

Tics are sudden, repetitive, stereotyped, nonrhythmic, involuntary movements (motor tics) and utterances (phonic tics) that involve discrete muscle groups.[6] Motor tics are movement-based tics, while phonic tics are involuntary sounds produced by moving air through the nose, mouth, or throat.
Tourette's is one of several tic disorders, which are classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) according to type (motor or phonic tics) and duration (transient or chronic).

Posted by renh at 11:50 AM | Comments (1)

April 18, 2007

magnolia soul

- in loving memories of the magnolia (my favourite flower) destroyed by the cold weather this spring

Let the good times roll, the bad times gone
The sun gonna shine, so get on your feet
Let the good times roll, the sad times gone
Let the good times roll pretty mama
Can’t stop magnolia soul

Dear Magnolia, What’s crackin?
Been a long time since I last saw your face
Never forgot the day out in the sticks
I saw your crescent smiling place
All the way from uptown-downtown-lakeside to river
Heard “W” don’t care about them
Gotta watch who you make your friend
Otherwise people come through and backstab you again
Just some advise to live, three times I’ve been
Through the dark, true light will win
And they say that this the end
But we’re fixin to make them saints march on again

A light little hurricane called, but she came
Officials new the deal, when they didn’t do a thing
New her every move, yeah Katrina was her name
Had the whole game in the palm of his aim
Hand in the pot caught cold and old
Should’ve fixed the damn levies long time ago
Yeah we didn’t take the chance to do it
Pretty happy old Prez and the mayor,
folks wad dying too
Gang members at the Superdome, we in the heat
Folks in wheelchairs, feet swoll, nothing to eat
So to the kids and families that lost, I rhyme for
Mangolia clap, show the world your soul

So everybody clap your hands
Just step into the “cela” band
Keep stomping to the Zulu drum
You can’t stop this native son
Let the good times roll
Pretty Mama, can’t stop Magnolia Soul

Posted by renh at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)

April 18th

effusion: an act or instance of pouring forth; an excessive or unrestrained outpouring of feeling, as in speech.
hark: to listen closely. hark back- to return to an earlier subject or circumstance.

Posted by renh at 12:45 PM | Comments (1)

April 11, 2007

good eats - basil

fresh basil No. 1 - italian flag
sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella slices, put fresh basil stripes on top. sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

fresh basil No. 2 - wheatberry salad modified version
1 cup of wheatberry boiled for about 45 min, drained and set aside to cool down. small dice 1 large red bell pepper, small dice/mince half of a red onion, combine with the wheatberry. add salt, suger, black pepper, champaign vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and evoo to taste. dice two apples (crunchy ones), chop fresh parsley (more) and basil (less). sautee the other half of the diced red onion with good evoo, flavor with italian seasoning, until the onion is transluscent. combine the cooked onion with the mixture.

I modified ina garten's recipe, because I like my salad to be on the fruity and sweet side.

For the monday lunch box, i put slices of avocado on top of the salad.

fresh basil No. 3 - penne pesto modified version
1 cup of penne pasta (from Trader Joe's). season with salt when boiling. mix evoo and basil pesto with the pasta. add chopped fresh basil and thin sliced strips of ham (boar's head rosemary and sun-dried tomato flavor).

i made these on ester sunday. there is something special about fresh basil. the aroma and taste brought spring to me.

Posted by renh at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)

edward norton

I had no idea of who is edward norton until i watched the painted veil. i became very interested in that particular movie when i saw its trailer in the theatre. I like how the story developed and enjoyed the performance by the leading actors. edward norton portayed a bacteriologist "walter" with little personal skills, ie a nerd. the movie did NOT impress me as a whole piece, maybe it is because i had known too much of it and anticipated too much of it before i went to the theatre. the stuff i read from its official site about its production lingered long in my mind. i could understand and imagine how difficult it was to make most of the movie in a remote village in mainland China. It was really couragous for them to take on this project. from the stuff i read on the web, it seemed that edward norton was the one who really pushed the project into production. i still did not know much about edward norton at that time.
"i think walter and kiti's story resonates, b/c it's a story that is timeless. it's a story about forgiveness, and, uh, two people coming to understand each other better. but on a political level, i think this film resonates or the story resonates b/c it's about clash of cultures and all the interesting things that happen when one culture is trying in an essence to shape another culture in its image." - youtube
"i think that's the challenge. the challenge is going from your romantic ideals about love into (what) realizing that nobody is going to have to work at it."

“If you’re going to make a film set in China during the period,” he begins intelligently. “I think there’s got to be a reason for doing it other than the inherent romanticism of the location. On a political level, it’s about a clash of cultures. It’s about the things that happen when one culture is trying to shape another in its image.”

then i remember i talked to pia about this film, and she asked me about the actors. she said she liked edward norton and his acting in American history X. I did not check out AHX right away. instead i only watched it about 10 days ago. the reasons could be: a, i saw part of keeping the faith on tv and did a bit research about EN, then i became interested; b, i got really bored and needed new stimuli.

AHX really impressed me. I was literally shocked after watching it. i think this movie defined what REAL movies should be like. it is a serious and kinda depressing movie without a happy ending. it tackled on a real and sensitive problems/issues - racism, affirmative action and illegal immigration. it wasn't like- preaching, atonement and harmonious happy ending. instead it is a tragedy. it is about hatred and the detrimental consequences associated with that. racism is something we cann't avoid here. people from different races have different looks, life styles, and religions, and sometimes it is hard to adjust one's mind to accept others from a different culture background.
the reason that i like EN is that he studies acting, treats it seriously, and guards his privacy. he takes on different projects rather than busy making news to feed the media. i admire his professionalism. i just watched american history x. it's a great movie. it made me think and ashamed of some of thoughts that i had before (something i saved as "future", but i'll never publish it here). i plan to watch fight club, 25th hour, illusionist, and primal fear in the future. also, almost equally important for me is that he made good and meaningful documentations. i like his interviews on youtube, however, i was somehow bothered by some of the "EN fans" comments. i guess most of those comments were posted by girls, and i just wanted to say that genuine appreciation for his art is much more important than infatuation.

You gave us a book you love, A Soldier of the Great War, by Mark Helprin. There is a quote from it: "The spark of life is not gain, nor is it luxury. The spark of life is movement, color, love, and furthermore... if you really want to enjoy life, you must work quietly and humbly and realize your delusions of grandeur." Does this apply to your life?

Yeah, um, definitely. I think it's healthy to admit exactly what is built into Helprin's quote, which is: Everybody has these dreams, everybody has these delusions of grandeur. Everyone has these aspirations and practices their Oscar speeches. Because those are your dreams. But the maturity comes in the understanding that you have to accept these feelings, embrace them, let them run through you and then put them to the side. And try to work from a more solitary place. A place that is more internal.

high line project-
"one of the most beautiful things about the whole story is that it shows you that the thing is that it ought to be and can be, if you just have the will to pursue them. I find that incredibly inspiring."

Posted by renh at 01:56 AM | Comments (2)

April 09, 2007

youtube

There is ipod, then there is youtube.
I love youtube.
It is a terrific way to express yourself.
I am definitely amazed by the technology avaible to the general public today.
I think in a way it promotes democracy so much better than, let's say, starting a war.

I looked it up for american history X, fight club and the painted veil.
I started by searching for the trailers that were no longer available from IMDB.
However, I was astrayed from the original aim and started web surfing on youtube.
I did not regret.
I admire the originality/creativity/imagination/thoughts that the authors put into these videos.
1) American history X. one video about the crime derek committed, it is so good that I watched it again and again. and the music just blended in flawlessly.
2) fight club.
3) I enjoyed one video made by valentine142 (can't remember exactly). The music and the video matched perfectly. I like the song, after some search I bought it from itune.
I like the editing talents shown by the authors, which demonstrated that how they understood the movies, how they would interprete the movies, and more importantly the escence of their impression and recreation of the movies.
In the end, I bought three songs from itune: where is my mind (pixies), ghost of you and me (BBMak), and this night (black lab).

Posted by renh at 12:59 AM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2007

this night

-- black lab

There are things I have done
There’s a place I have gone
There’s a beast and I let it run
Now it’s running my way

There are things I regret
Cause you can’t forgive
You can’t forget
There’s a gift that you send
You sent it my way

[ Chorus: ]
So take this night
Wrap it around me like a sheet
I know I’m not forgiven
But I need a place to sleep
So take this night
And lay me down on the street
I know I’m not forgiven
But I hope that I’ll be given some peace

There’s a game that I play
There are rules I had to break
There’s mistakes that I’ve made
But I’ve made them my way

Chorus

Some peace
Some peace

Posted by renh at 08:41 PM | Comments (0)