Procrastination = Apple Cinnamon Muffin Recipe

Hi.  It's almost midnight.  Rehearsal today was productive, so this is a leftover smile from that.  Drinking some chardonnay, procrastinating on typing out the final version (with Downey High School references & blocking) of the script from the original.  Slow going, but mostly because of the procrastination.

Lower back hurts.

Been eating terribly the last few days.  Thought about having veggies tonight...for about 3.5 seconds.  Then ate about 3 of the apple-cinnamon muffins I had made this morning instead.  On Sunday, I was up in the little apple tree in our backyard, getting the fallen, beginning-to-rot (some were definitely rotten) apples off the ground and salvaging what apples were still good from the tree...as well as beginning some major pruning.  Well, two of those apples went into this morning's muffin recipe, which I got from Recipezaar & which I quite liked.  Here it is:
APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups finely chopped tart apples
Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375.

2) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix together.

3) Add all remaining ingredients and stir until flour mixture is moistened.

4) Spoon batter into 2 greased or paper-lined 12-cup muffin pans.

5) Bake at 375 for 19-23 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.

It filled the kitchen with a cinnamony autumn aroma and the muffins were deliciously (even now, 14 hours later) moist and the apples (Granny Smith) had baked down to a perfect texture.  Make 'em.  You'll love 'em.

A Wish List

It may sound odd, from a person who is attempting to keep a blog, to say that I do not like publicizing my birthday because I do not like the concentration of attention on a single day...but that's the truth.  It is bizarre and at times discomfiting to have that much attention and apparently undeserved well-wishing given to me in a single day.  Now, that's not to say that I don't love celebrating other people's birthdays...I just get a little squeamish about my own.  Gifts kind of freak me out...odd, but true.

However, were I to wake up on my encroaching birthday and have my most recent desires granted, they would come in these forms:

A round-trip ticket to NYC for at least a week in January.
A gym membership to In-Shape City.
Two new pairs of jeans, one in dark grey & one in dark blue.
A car.
A second job.
A set of three graduated mixing bowls, new measuring cups, a new Teflon skillet, a large soup pot & new dish towels.
New sheets & pillowcases.
Paint for each room in the house.
Shelves.
A workstation in the garage.
A Playstation and Guitar Hero.
A $1000 wardrobe from J. Crew.  (as in clothes, not the furniture piece called a wardrobe.)
Patti Smith concert tickets.
A road trip with Virginia.

Finishing Breakfast.

Breakfast this AM: Ode to an NY Egg Sandwich

Two slices Ororwheat Double Fiber bread, toasted

One egg, fried semi-hard.  (Pan greased w/ Country Crock Light)

Two slices smoked turkey, fried next to the egg.

An ounce of sharp cheddar, sliced thin.

Yummy.  But not nearly the same as from the deli on 45th & 2nd.

Remedy for Anxious Frustration: Bourbon & Pork Chops.

Currently have a pork chop cooking in the skillet on the stove top.  One side has been seasoned with black pepper & Tony Chachere's Seasoning, the other with black pepper and Chipotle "Salsa Shaker."

The latter is from a seasoning set my dear friend Kevin brought back for me when he was in Mexico with his family for spring break.  There's a Chipotle, a Habanero, and a Jalapeno -- which is more than just an appropriate gift for someone who enjoys cooking.  Kevin is one half of MyMK47 -- he and his best friend Mike Soviero (also my dear friend) have been writing and creating together for about two years now, and I was honored to be able to perform with them for a combined 11 months in New York City -- first a hilarious sketch show which played at the Under St. Marks Theatre -- then a 9-month run at The Broadway Comedy Club, with new sketches every other week, all written by Mike & Kevin.

One of the sketches was called "Are You Hot?" in which I played a uptight woman, sunning herself in the backyard, when suddenly she hears a voice from beyond the fence call out...."Hey lady...Are You Hot??"  Part of the sketch was Kevin, Mike & our friend Eric asking me, if I were a pepper -- what kind would I be?  Was I "jalapeno hot?  Habanero hot?"

And so, the spices are a reference to a sketch that was a constant crowd-pleaser, and also to my love for cooking (and for Mexican food, which, being from CA, I of course love).

At any rate.


Today got really frustrating near the end.  I had called rehearsal from 5:30-7:30 -- a full cast run-through of Act One.  At 5:45, the main character and two of the larger supporting roles weren't there.  I couldn't work.  I looked through the script, trying to find a scene that didn't have one of those three characters...nothing.  So we waited.  And at 6:35 we finally started the run-through.

Yes.  A FULL HOUR after the run-through had been scheduled, we finally started.

Needless to say, we did not get through the first act.

HOWEVER.

I feel responsible for this in some ways, and let me tell you why:
1)  I am too lenient.  I don't show my nearly-non-existent iron fist enough.  These kids should know by now (three weeks into it) that when I mean business, my attitude and actions should tell them they too better mean business, or ELSE.
2)  All this week, we've been working only Act One...we probably should have tried to work the whole show.  That way we could have a few stop/start run-throughs of each act next week, before full-show run-throughs start.
3)  I told them they didn't have to be off-book for Act One til Oct. 19th (Mon.) and for Act Two til Oct. 23 (Fri.)  That leaves them only TWO WEEKS working off-book...which is really not enough.  Here, again, I was being too lenient.  See--these are all really good kids at heart, who, for the most part, have A LOT on their plates (quite a few seniors, four water polo kids, two mock-trial kids, multiple people in choir, a girl in marching band, etc...they have a LOT of plates spinning.  Some of them leave their house at 6:45am and don't get back until 9:30pm) -- and I didn't want to push too terribly hard, and I know that--for me, at least--rehearsal is what helps one learn lines.  It's the muscle memory tied into the cues -- you can sit and read lines at home, or with a friend, but once you get on your feet & are worrying about others, it changes.  So the repetition of rehearsal really helps to cement it.......anyways...

So, we only got through half of Act One.  And I was pissed off.  But I was also aware that these are teenagers, who are doing this as much to have fun and experience it as they are anything else.  And the lessons I've learned in the past 10 years---well, they haven't learned them yet.  Being professional is more of a concept and less of a tenet for them -- not because they don't care, but because they are still far away, in some aspects, from "the big picture."

I don't know.

All I know is, it frustrated me and made me ask "what was in MY power to prevent this from happening, and what do I learn from this?" and it also made my not-having-eaten-since-12:45 hunger more intense.  So I came home and began cooking the pork chop, and mixed some bourbon in with sugar-free black cherry soda.  And now....now I feel better.

Bourbon & pork & blogging....cures all that ails ya'.

Good Morning, 10.12.09.

5 hours of sleep?  Check.
Worrying about this week's rehearsal schedule til midnght?  Check.
Desperately need to wash hair?  Check.
Brownie & two cups coffee for breakfast?  Check.
Wondering how in the world I'm going to get around in today's forecasted rainy weather with no raincoat?  Check.

Tiiiiiimmmmmbeeerrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

We were sitting at the breakfast table on Friday when Jack turned to look out the window.  I looked and saw what had grabbed his attention -- the fruitless mulberry whose branches extend no less than 20 feet in any direction had split on one side and was quickly encroaching upon the house!  The branches overhanging the deck/patio area, which were usually a foot above the roof, were now only 2 feet off the deck -- and still sinking! We called the landlord, she called the tree service, and within two hours (yes -- two hours does seem rather long when half a tree is coming into your yard) we had two guys here with multiple chainsaws and one of those HUGE wood chippers.  Here are some before-the-tree-crew photos...

When Birnam Forest came to Dunsinane...

If you look at the left-most limb of the trunk, you can see the split...which had quite a lot of branches coming off of it!

Another view of the mild disaster...

San Francisco. 10.10.09

It was absolutely wonderful to meet up with a New York friend in San Francisco -- seeing Kat and comparing displacement stories was certainly a highlight of the week.  Plus it was just so nice to get out of town and to have a nice, relaxing drive with Jack.  He always takes "the back route" (Highway 132) getting to San Francisco, which means driving past some of the prettier rural parts of the Central Valley.  And there's always a little thrill, getting to the Altamont, seeing the rows of windmills for electricity generation.

We're not the photo-taking kind, but we did take one photo each.

I know I look pissed off here, but I wasn't.  I was having a nice time reading the SF Chronicle and drinking a latte.  I am side-mouth smiling, but the light makes me seem scowly.

After dinner with Katharine, walking her back to the Golden Gate Theatre, I spied this "jack's" sign & decided it was a perfect photo op...Jack pointed out the presence of the 666 behind him and so we got both in the frame.

Veggie Lasagna...

Laura's Veggie Lasagna

This is a photo (thanks to Jack's iPhone) of the veggie lasagna I made a few days ago.  Molly had the last piece of it yesterday, and it was pronounced yummy.

Egg Substitution.

So, "Side of Capers" main focus is not to be a cooking blog...but as you may know, I absolutely LOVE to cook...and I especially love baking.  A couple weeks ago, I was making cookies and I realized I had started making them without actually having eggs.  Some research online led me to this "vegan egg substitution" -- which worked really well, I thought -- the texture of the cookies were just as they should be, the dough consistency was correct -- and I'm about to try it again with a batch of brownies.  I'll let you know about the brownies (and post the recipe) after they're done.  But here's the egg substitution:

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp water

RECIPE: Best Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

I bought some buttermilk to make Jack's birthday cake (a buttermilk spice cake with cream cheese frosting), and, in an effort to be frugal, I bought a half-gallon carton, because it cost less per ounce.  Needless to say, a half-gallon of buttermilk...is a LOT of buttermilk.  But it's fun to use in baking -- I bought skim buttermilk (health-conscious reasons, I suppose).

And so, I've been using it in a couple of recipes -- and this one that I found for Buttermilk Drop Biscuits is SCRUMPTIOUS.  Flaky, puffy little mounds just waiting for you to slice them in half and spread on some butter & jam...or even just a slice of cheese...

Best Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Yields: 12 biscuits, if you’re careful about apportioning out the dough
Time to make: ~25 minutes

You need:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 stick + 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• parchment paper

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Melt the 1 stick butter and let cool about 5 minutes.
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and the buttermilk, and stir until clumps form.
5. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients until just incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Using a ¼ cup dry measure, scoop out and drop 12 balls of dough onto the baking sheet (this is easier if you spray the measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray).
8. Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 14 minutes.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.
10. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter before serving.

Notes: This recipe is from the November-December 2007 issue of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine.

Something She Has To Do.

I'm making a lasagna (thanks Man, for the idea!) for dinner.  Took the last of the ripe tomatoes off the plant outside & I'm about to sautee some garlic in oil & then cook down the tomatoes in the sauteed garlic to use to muscle up a canned tomato sauce...and I'm thinking it'll be a veggie lasagna -- broccoli, zucchini, ricotta, mozzerella...

...and watching the special features for "The Hours" and it never ever fails to make my soul swell up to hear these brilliant artists (Stephen Daldry especially) discussing this exquisitely beautiful work.

VIA.

...also, I am currently drinking a cup of Starbucks' new "Via" coffee -- their instant coffee, which comes in little foiled plastic tear-top narrow packets -- and it is GOOD!  Waaaaaaaaaay better than any other instant coffee, and better than the brewed Folgers 100% Columbian that we've had at the house for the past couple weeks.

I recommend it.

Hair-brained.

Good morning.  Don't mention the hair -- I'm about to fix it.  Although goodness knows I need a haircut.  Mine is getting TOO long and I'm pretty sure that not only do my split ends have split ends, some of the secondary split ends are splitting.  But honestly?  The only good haircuts I've had in the past 7 years were the two I had at Astor Place Hair -- catti-corner to Warehouse Wines & Spirits -- and they were so cheap, I'm loathe to find a more-expensive place here in Modesto, only to be disappointed with the cut.

:::SIGH:::

Little knots of twinging tendons.

It is 1:00am.  I am going to bed.  The nine main characters for "The Servant of Two Masters" now have a costume plot, and I can't even begin to name how many of my joints, tendons and muscles have little epicenters of discomfort/exhaustion in them.  And Jack is up at 6:00am again tomorrow for work.  Luckily, I've no commitments tomorrow, other than being the recipient of a box of plays, so I'm going to go on a long walk to get my bike back from Downey High where I left it (nearly 4 miles, round trip) and I think I'll see about visiting my momma.  And cooking a lovely simple supper for me and my man.

Any suggestions about what I should cook?

Photographic Proof of the Rumples.

Chilled Naughty Boy Merlot in Mason Jar.

Tuesday Night Rumples (AKA: Class)

ATE FOR DINNER (at 9:15pm)
Sliced Gala Apple
One whole carrot
Cup of rice
2 oz. beef (leftover from Jack's grilling Sunday)

CURRENTLY EATING (at 10:15pm):
Honey Nut Cheerios, dry. On a fancy Pottery Barn square plate.


CURRENTLY DRINKING:
Chilled Naughty Boy Merlot. Out of a 12 oz. Mason Jar.




ME=CLASSY, PERSONIFIED.

My Basic Schedule.

Mondays:
1:15-1:30pm -- ride bike 2.4 miles to work
2:00-6:00pm -- tutoring at Kumon Center
6:00-6:30pm -- ride bike 4.3 miles to Downey High School
6:30-9:00pm -- direct rehearsal for "The Servant of Two Masters"
9:00-9:15pm -- ride bike 1.9 miles back home

Tuesdays:
1:15-1:30pm -- ride bike 2.4 miles to work
2:00-6:00pm -- tutoring at Kumon Center
6:00-6:30pm -- ride bike 4.3 miles to Downey High School
6:30-9:00pm -- direct rehearsal for "The Servant of Two Masters"
9:00-9:15pm -- ride bike 1.9 miles back home

Wednesdays:
6:00-6:30pm -- ride bike 4.3 miles to Downey High School
6:30-9:00pm -- direct rehearsal for "The Servant of Two Masters"
9:00-9:15pm -- ride bike 1.9 miles back home

Thursdays:
1:15-1:30pm -- ride bike 2.4 miles to work
2:00-6:00pm -- tutoring at Kumon Center
6:00-6:30pm -- ride bike 4.3 miles to Downey High School
6:30-9:00pm -- direct rehearsal for "The Servant of Two Masters"
9:00-9:15pm -- ride bike 1.9 miles back home

Fridays:
1:15-1:30pm -- ride bike 2.4 miles to work
2:00-7:00pm -- tutoring at Kumon Center
7:00-7:15pm -- ride bike 2.4 miles back home

Good Morning!

This is how I look after waking...well, and after a necessary cup of coffee.

You know how, in movies, the girls always look up with makeup on, still looking smoking hot? And that seems like such a fraud -- because, really, who looks that good? Well -- the makeup part is easy enough: just don't wash your face before or after waking up.

The still looking smoking hot part I haven't quite mastered.

Welcome to this new blog.