Temporary Shift

due to technical difficulties...or the simple fact that my computer and all my recipes and pictures are sitting in the repair office of my local apple repair shop, tasty tuesday has been temporarily moved to wow thats yummy wednesday.

i promise its worth it.  and please excuse the horrible punctuation. blogger doesnt like my droid.

Tasty Tuesday - Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Here at the Diaries of Eugene, we love sharing.  And by we, I mean the singularly solo person who writes this blog and posts adorable pictures on tumblr (shameless plug alert).  One of the things I really love sharing is recipes.  If I have something incredibly yummy, whether at a friend's house or at a restaurant, I immediately have to have the recipe and will probably go home that night and try to recreate it.  It's a compulsion that I just can't (and quite frankly don't want to) stop.

With that in mind, I'd like to share one of my favorite, and most requested, recipes.  It's the famous Spinach and Artichoke dip recipe.  It's a combination of a couple different recipes that I found online (allrecipes.com) and one that my aunt made.  While all the recipes I tried were good, there was always something missing or just slightly off from making them GREAT.  It took me two years to finally get the right combination of ingredients and voila!  Perfection has been achieved.

Eugene's Spinach & Artichoke Dip
10 oz pkg chopped frozen spinach, cooked and cooled
13 oz can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
4 oz can diced green chiles
1/2 pint heavy cream
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup asiago cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly coat 13x9 inch baking pan with a non-stick spray.
2. Cook the spinach as normal, let it cool.  Take small handfuls and squeeze out the extra water.
3. Roughly chop the artichokes, then add to the spinach.
4. Add in the chiles, heavy cream, sour cream, asiago, romano, and parmesan cheeses, then stir until thoroughly until well-combined.
5. Spread evenly into prepared pan, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
6. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.  Stir and serve immediately.

For me, it's all about presentation, which I why I'm a big fan of the bread boule.  Slice off the top, hollow out the boule, toast it and the top in the oven until just before crispy, then let it sit out so it hardens.  Not only does it make for easy clean-up, but when you bring out a boule into a roomful of hungry party people and remove the top top to reveal a delicious pile of awesomeness...I believe the "Glee" kids call it "Theatricality."  To put it simply, that's a big, giant win right there.

What's your favorite recipe?  Why?  How did you come to find it?

*I know it's not a great picture but the dip is usually gone before I can actually take a good photo of it.

Can This Just Be Mine?

When you meet new people, one of the first natural inclinations is to ask about their hobbies, what they like to do for fun, their social habits.  I jokingly tell people I'm an old lady because the things I like to do are akin to the habits of the blue-haired beauties you see at the pharmacy counter every Wednesday afternoon. I like to knit and crochet, I scrapbook with pizazz, I watch "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy," and I like to bake.  These are things I like to do for me.  The fact that most of these hobbies (television programs not withstanding) usually result in a product that benefits someone else as well, that's just an added bonus.

I gave almost all of my cousins hats and scarves for Christmas last year (still working on Devon's blanket, my goal is to have it done by December 23rd).  It gave me something to do instead of staring at my phone and email inbox, impatiently waiting for job interview requests that I knew would never come.

I have made a scrapbook for every year of college (and I actually might finish my senior year by the end of summer...five years after graduation).  It's fun to look back and see photos not just haphazardly shoved behind a piece of plastic, but arranged with flare and decorative purpose atop of colorful background.  Because of this natural inclination towards unnecessary paper accessories (and a whole lot of time on my hands), a friend asked if I could turn her wedding guest book into a scrapbook, something she might actually look at more than once after her actual wedding day.  I accepted the challenge, with enthusiasm and excitement, of course.

I started baking because Food Network made it seem so fun (and easy).  One thing that I loved most about it was you had to be precise.  Everything had to be measured out otherwise your cake will fall, your dough won't rise, or your cookies will taste like molasses instead of gingerbread.  You can't force your dough to rise before it's ready.  Cook the bread at too high a temperature because you think it'll cut the baking time in half, and you end up with a loaf of hard, burnt, charcoal.  Yuck.  You have to take your time, it forces you to relax, breathe, and just enjoy the process of turning many seemingly innocuous ingredients into one delicious piece of flavorful comfort.  And because of the joy I take in this, and I guess a modicum of talent, my cousin asked me to make the cake for her wedding day.  No pressure.  While I wasn't entirely pleased with the final product, my cousin and her (now) husband were overjoyed.  I don't think I'll ever forget the look on my new cousin-in-law's face as I showed them their cake, the pastillage toppers I made to represent them, and the porcelain figurine (bearing an uncanny resemblance to their puppy) that was theirs to keep.

But if this last forray into the world of pastry arts has taught me anything, it's that I would not last one day in a professional cake baking/decorating setting.  While I will be more than happy to offer my cake-making services to anyone who asks, it's something I do for me.  Taking that pure love of a craft and turning it into a money-making task would ruin it for me.  I wouldn't find the fun in it anymore.  I wouldn't get excited by my finished product.  I'd just box it up, push it aside, and start on the next one, like an assembly line automaton.

Which brings me to the Question of the Day: If you love something and/or you're good at it, does that mean you should/would make it your job?

Oh Come On, It's Not THAT Bad

I think today qualifies as a big giant poop stain on my week.  My car is STILL in the shop despite being told at 11am that it would be ready in an hour.  My computer is hanging out in the back of a store, waiting impatiently to be fixed because it somehow fell off my bed in the middle of the night.  While it turns on and works just fine, the casing is precariously clinging to only three of the four corners of the screen.  My family have all left the area, leaving me by myself, singularly alone.  Work was, to put it simply, four hours entirely devoid of reason and sanity.  I spent the hour immediately following the end of my work day eating my feelings and, quite frankly, I don't feel guilty about it. 

Since I was using a borrowed car and my brother was originally going to take my car camping, he is now taking my borrowed car and I'm left without transport.  Thankfully, my family has stepped up, as they always do, and made sure I knew they had my back.  Hopefully, my car will be fixed and ready to go tomorrow morning, my computer will be an easy and cheap fix and will find her way back into my life by the weekend, and my family enjoys their respective vacations (none of which I am a part of).

A day like this sends me directly over the edge, clinging to whatever semblance of normality I can get my hands on.  But I have to remind myself, it's not really that bad.  I've had conversations with several friends recently who are dealing with much bigger issues.  While the combined trifecta of no car, no computer, no family may feel like too much to handle, Car RamRod will eventually get fixed.  My Dear Prudence computer will eventually be repaired.  And my family will eventually come back home.  Work will probably always be a little crazy, but some of my coworkers feel my pain and rise above and beyond what they should ever be asked to do.  I will eventually find my sanity.

It will, eventually, be ok.  In the meantime, there's wine and beer and the anticipation of the new season of "Dexter."

Exploring the Great Art of Abbreviated Blogging

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I Think I'm the Only One Who Finds My Quirks Endearing

I think my toes look naked without nail polish on them.  When the polish chips, its like a nipple slip in my mind.

I say, "Seriously?  We're doing this?" way too much, I know that.  You don't need to point it out.  It's either that or awkward silence.  Take your pick.

I get it, I'm little.  I'm a tiny human being.  Yes, I have been tested for dwarfism and no, I'm not a dwarf.  Thanks for bringing it up, jerkwad.

The disney version of "Cinderella" is my all-time, 100%, absolute favorite movie.  "Boondock Saints" and "Full Metal Jacket" are tied for second place.

I don't consider myself pompous or poser-ish when I say The Beatles are my favorite band ever.  I enjoy at least 98% of their music.  I can't say that for any other band, group, or artist.  It's just basic math.

I get annoyed when I see everyone posting that they have the "best" or "most wonderful" <>.  Quite frankly, everyone thinks their own people are the best.  Your complete disregard for subjectivity is kind of obnoxious.

I am not exaggerating when I say I'm afraid of everything under the sun.  You name it, I will probably tell you that it scares the ever-living bajeezums out of me.  Normally, I'd list examples, but I don't want anything to feel excluded or prioritized so I'd have to list everything and if I listed everything, well, frankly, it would just take too long.

While having the face and body of Channing Tatum may make me do a double (or triple) take as you walk by, having the humor and personality of Jack Black or Justin Long will most likely make me fall in love with you.

I have selective OCD.  I don't mind if my house is a complete and total mess, but if my closet and jewelry are not organized in a very specific way, I can not do anything else until everything is in its proper place.

Following in the footsteps of the above quirk, if the volume on my tv offers numbers to indicate how loud or soft it is, it has to be on a multiple of five.

I feel sad for pennies when people talk about them becoming obsolete.

Sometimes I like the "Glee" version of songs than the original.  Hate the show all you want, but Lea Michele and Chris Colfer can belt that shizz OUT!!

I'm not offended by the word "cunt" and can't figure out why other women are.  I mean no disrespect, but I am actually baffled by it.  If someone could explain it to me in a non-condescending manner, I'd really appreciate it.

I have no idea how to act like an adult.

I'm an anxious, paranoid, hypochondriac with an over-active imagination.

I will work out the tip at a restaurant down to the last penny so that the total comes out to an even dollar.

I still enjoy cartoons.  Not just the age-appropriate ones (ie "Family Guy," "American Dad," etc) but "Tom and Jerry," "Looney Toons," "Recess," "Dexters Lab."  Animated movies meant for kids are like crack to me.

Even numbers make me happy.  Odd numbers make me uncomfortable.  Multiples of ten calm me down.

To Veggie or Not to Veggie

I've been toying with the idea of going vegetarian for a while, not because of any moral inclination but simply just to live a healthier lifestyle.  But since I don't have any strong opposition to eating meat, I'm wondering if I'm actually going to be able to maintain the eating habits.

A couple years ago, I decided to give up red meat (and pork) for a year and actually completed it.  I felt like I was eating burgers, beef, and bacon every other day and it just wasn't healthy.  During that year, I really didn't crave what I was missing except for the times when I could actually smell the bacon cooking.  My mom makes this AMAZING potato pizzas (it tastes better than it sounds, I swear) and she tops some of them with bacon, so to wake up to that intoxicating aroma and not be able to partake...THAT was brutal.  I was fine not having burgers when other people were eating them around me.  But for some reason, bacon was a weak point for me.  But, I was able to resist and at the end of the year, I did feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment.  But this would be bigger than just seeing if I could do it for a year.  I'd like to make this a permanent change.

Then, of course, there's the issue of what kind of vegetarian I'd be.  Would I eat fish?  How can you justify which animals are worthy of avoiding consumption and which ones are ripe for the killing?  And if you're going so far as to just not eat any animal meat, why not just go a step further and leave out animals products altogether?  Essentially, eggs are just unborn baby chickens.  And if the cows aren't being fattened up for the butcher, they're kept stationary in their stalls while their mammary glands are sucked dry.

The options for vegetarians and vegans are ten times more abundant than they were in years past.  There's stores like Whole Foods and (in my town) The Green Grocer with selections specifically offered for those looking for alternatives to meat and animal byproduct.  The vegetarian/vegan cooking section and Barnes & Noble gets significantly larger with each passing year.  The options are there, if you're willing to consider them.

But now the questions is if I'm able to follow through with them.

Finding the Funny in the Unfunny

Sometimes, you just have to laugh. Life, in all its ups and downs (the latter featuring more prominently as of late), is so outrageously unfair that it borders on the ridiculous, so you just can't help but laugh. Maybe this laugh is immediately followed by a cry, but still, you're laughing, and that's a good thing.

I've found myself wallowing in the negative lately and am scrambling to push my way back into the positive. I've had some serious battles in the past to find my happiness and I won't go back without a fight. One of the biggest lessons I had to learn was to be aware of when I felt myself slipping into what my parents have affectionately called the "dark place." The past week has definitely been a challenge, but I'm proud to say I'm finding the humor in my humorless circumstances. Of course I haven't heard about that full-time job that I applied to three months ago, because naturally, the person in charge of hiring someone has gone on vacation the day before I submitted my resume. Yup, that would happen.

Rather than retreating into a darkened room with chocolate and tequila, I'm going for walks on the beach with my cousin and her four month old puppy (legit, one of the most adorable digging puppies I've seen in FOREVER). Instead of removing myself from society and ignoring my friends when they ask me to join them for a weekend fiesta, I put on my cutest sombrero and shout, "Ole!" I can joke about how I've needed a planner now more than I did when I actually had a job (it's the truth, you should see my months-at-a-glance, nutso).

Instead of dwelling on the unnerving ratio of resumes-submitted to response calls-received, I laugh hysterically with my Nana after she asks if I can take her to the "Calrus and the Warpenter" as opposed to the "Walrus and the Carpenter." I jokingly give my Popi a high five when he tells me he didn't fall today. You just have to laugh because, quite frankly, the alternative just isn't all that appealing.

I Want to Be a Unicorn When I Grow Up

Every time I think I've figured out what I want to do with my life (read: career), five minutes will pass and I'll change my mind. I feel like I'm in kindergarten and it's career day. After each person explains what their job entails, I immediately want to do what they do. I want to be a teacher, a chef, a doctor, a lawyer, a writer, an actor, a medical examiner, join the Peace Corps or some branch of the military. After careful consideration, each job seems about as likely as me actually becoming a unicorn, and I find myself back at the starting line.

One of the truly interesting things about being unemployed is the never-ending supply of advice. People have always told me to do what I'm good at, something I love. I don't know what I'm good at, I have no clue what I love, so how am I supposed to know what to pursue. And just because I enjoy something doesn't mean I want it to be my job. Whenever I watch "Office Space," I fall short of raising my palm in the air and saying, "Amen! Preach on!" when Peter talks about the question the guidance counselor asks him and how it's supposed to determine what your job path should be. He explains that while other people knew exactly what they would do if they had a million dollars (they'd fix old cars, ergo they should be mechanics) , he had no idea. He didn't have an answer, and neither do I.

My introverted side begs to be locked away in a cubicle or corner office (the dream: work from home), never having to actually interact with the public, minimal contact with other employees if I can avoid it. I just want to do my work and be left alone. The social butterfly side wants to be friends with everyone in the office, smile politely at random people who come in, actually make an impact on someone's life each day. Currently, the introvert is winning. Whenever I have a customer-service related job, I want to be a hermit. When I'm tucked in the corner, I beg for human contact. The grass really is greener and I feel like I'm never fully satisfied.

Right now, I want something that I can maintain for a few years, something that actually offers health insurance (a luxury these days), and someplace where I actually get along with the other employees (I've been lucky in most of my jobs where I enjoy going to work simply for the inter-office exchanges with my colleagues). I know the universe will provide the "perfect" job when it sees fit, and I like to think I've maintained a pretty positive attitude thus far, but sometimes it feels like everyone else has it figured out and I'm stuck back at the beginning. So, until I find a real career, whenever anybody asks what I do for a living, I'm just going to tell them I'm a professional unicorn.

Some Beauty Hype...Unhyped

Being unemployed gives me the opportunity to watch a LOT of commercials. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is yet to be determined. But there's been a couple products that have definitely been getting a lot of attention and I wanted to see if they were worth the hype (and the cash). First, let me just say I am in no way affiliated with the companies that make these products and I purchased them on my own, they were not sent to me, I didn't have a coupon for a free sample. Now that the legalities are out of the way, let's just jump right into it:

The first product is one that I was really skeptical of. Anyone who knows me knows that, until recently, my sleeping habits were anything but ordinary, because of that, I have definitely noticed an increase in those horrible dark, puffy circles under my eyes. Thankfully, I seem to have remedied the sleep problem (10 years of exhaustion fixed in two weeks, without medication, I might add). But even though I'm sleeping more, or just plain sleeping, the puffiness and the dark circles are still there. So when the Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff eye roller came out claiming to help eliminate those problems without any sort of surgery, "too good to be true" immediately popped into my head.
But, I gave it a try and I have to say, it actually does work. My skin is not totally perfect, but the dark circles are definitely lighter and the puffiness is minimized. It's incredibly easy to use, you just roll it across the skin under your eyes from the inner corner to the outer corner. That's it. They have different formulas of the same style (ie the roller instead of a cream) you can use. There's another Skin Renew specifically for dark circles, and an Ultra Lift one for wrinkles. But even though the one I tried is formulated for puffiness, I did notice a positive effect it had on the dark circles (and I don't have a serious problem with wrinkles...yet). The cost is a bit high, averaging around $10 to $11 but it will last you a long time, so I think it would be worth it to invest. And it's available just about everywhere, you can get it basically anywhere skin and beauty products are sold, Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Target, your local grocery store, etc.

Product: Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller

Ave. Cost: $11

Eugene's Vote: Must Get It!!

I think every other commercial for the past few weeks has been touting the awesomeness of Tresemme's new line of dry shampoo. Since I'm not fortunate enough to have my mother's hair, which only needs to be washed once or twice a week, a product to help save my hair from dirt and oil and return its 'first day shine' would be WONDERFUL!! Suffice it to say, I was pretty excited to try it.

But sadly, I can't say I was terribly thrilled. It definitely hid the appearance of oil and grease, but my hair felt heavy and the amount of time I spent styling my hair equaled the amount it would take to dry and straighten it, had I just washed it in the first place. I had posted my discontent on twitter and the wonderfully entertaining Tabayag posted how much she liked it, "But I go for the grungy rockstar look." I will say that if I overslept and didn't have time to shower, this would save me for an extra day, but I would definitely put my hair up. The cost was relatively low, averaging around $3 to $6, depending on where you buy it, but again, it's available everywhere. And from the looks of things, Tresemme is pushing this product pretty hard, so you could probably find a coupon pretty easily, either in your weekly Sunday paper or in a store circular.

Product: Tresemme Dry Shampoo for Straight Hair*

Ave. Cost: $4

Eugene's Vote: Nice to have in a pinch, but not a necessity.

This next product, I will say, has been flying low on the radar, but the concept is picking up some serious steam. You talk to any hair stylist or watch any video on Youtube from an experienced guru, and I guarantee they will mention a heat-protectant spray. Since my hair has been dyed and blowdryed up the ying-yang in the past year, I'm looking for any way to get it back to its 'virgin hair' health. Now, I will be honest, I picked Suave because when I was in the grocery store, they had the lowest price, but I have used Suave products before, from shampoos to body washes, and been very satisfied.
The satisfaction continues! I LOVED LOVED LOVED Suave's Heat Protection spray. It was lightweight, didn't way down my hair, it smelled great, and it was hugely affordable. Sometimes hair products try too hard to have a distinctly yummy smell that they just become overpowering and you smell like you bathed in your grandmother's perfume. Not pretty. And I will say this, I use a LOT of hair products: leave-in conditioner, hydrating cream, styling cream, shine-boosting oil, and either a finishing wax or hairspray. So the idea of loading on another product was a little scary, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Product: Suave Heat Protection Spray

Ave. Cost: $4

Eugene's Vote: Must Have (if you use heated styling tools)

The last product is not a new find for me, but I've definitely noticed it's harder to find than last year. Burt's Bees is a pretty well-known brand these days. They're all-natural, which is a HUGE selling point, and they offer a wide variety of beauty products from lip shimmers to bath oils and body washes. My personal favorite is the Mama Bee Body Oil. It has literally changed my life.

For those not 'in the know,' I have a skin disorder called ichthyosis which causes my skin to be, among other things, beyond super dry. I have the mildest and most common form, so most of the time, it's not a hinderance, but when the winter months rolls in, my skin gets so dry that it actually hurts. When I was a baby, my ankles would get so dry it would actually crack open and bleed. When the weather gets colder and dryer, I usually have to slather on lotion five or six times a day. Not just any lotion, because scented ones that actually smell good cause my skin to have an uncomfortable reaction. But then, last winter, my mom found this lovely little product and I'm back to having normal, hydrated skin (well, sort of). Immediately after you turn off the water in the shower, rub a little bit of the oil on your legs, arms, back, anywhere that gets really dry, then pat yourself dry. Then apply lotion like normal. With this lovely, wonderful, magnificent bottle, I only have to put lotion on in the morning after my shower and at night before I go to bed. My skin doesn't feel like it's going to rip open, which, if you ask me, is a REALLY good thing.

Product: Burt's Bees Mama Bee Body Oil

Ave. Cost: $6

Eugene's Vote: ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE IT!!!

These are just a few products that I thought I'd share my opinion on, nothing too earth-shattering, but if you're curious about a product but hesitant to try it, isn't it better if someone else can tell you if they like it or not?

Happy Living!!

*I also tried the dry shampoo for curly hair, since that's my hair's natural texture. I wasn't impressed. It's essentially a mousse that wets your hair and then you're supposed to 'rub' a towel through your hair. This only caused my hair to frizz, at which point I said screw it and just went ahead and washed my hair like a normal person.