Melody's creation du jour--Sea Bass Putanesca with Mediterranean Couscous

After a long day of clearing the yard, I made a light dinner from my imagination and pantry stock:

Sea Bass Putanesca (that's what I'm calling it)

2 sea bass filets

Mix basil, minced garlic, salt, oregano and olive oil into a paste, then add chopped olives and capers (I would have added an anchovy but didn't have any, sadly). Place each sea bass filet in the center of a foil square, then spoon a portion of the mixture on top. Now, place 2-3 spoonfuls of diced tomatoes (from a can is fine) and their juices on top of that, and seal up the packets. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, and voila! Makes a really nice brothy base--I served it in a bowl. You could use crusty french bread to mop up the liquids--maybe next time.

In the meantime, prepare 1 cup dry couscous, then raid your fridge. I added: garbanzo beans, feta cheese, pine nuts, basil, pimientos, olive oil--stir, refrigerate until the fish is done cooking. There's your side dish! You could add diced cucumbers, bell peppers, olives, whatever you have around. Yum!

Okay, took all of 10 minutes of actual hands-on time, and David's response? "I hope you're writing all your creations down--"

Sadly, I don't think I'm the next Rachael Ray, but this clicks in at right around 30 minutes total.

Message in a Blog-gle

bottles just aren't much use any more in this technology age...

I can not believe that we have been invited to see The Police when they stop in Dallas in June! Yes, I was one of the sun-kissed crowd in Rochester, NY in 1983 (I think it was '83--could have been '82) when The Police played, with Flock of Seagulls opening...they were so young then...I was so young then...

UPDATE: Yes, it was July 8, 1983, the Synchronicity Tour, at Hollender Stadium! Love that Internet...

I wore my Police turquoise muscle-t for years after that show...

I know all the words to just about all their songs by heart, STILL.

We're all alot older now, but the music still ROCKS.

I can't wait.

{DRUMROLL.......} AND HERE IT IS!!!!

The new and improved upstairs hall bathroom!!!!!


This is the tub tiling. The little different colored bits are a river-green glass tile. The same large tile is on the floor. The towels are lime green, although they are washed out in this photo.

The basis of the color scheme/design: a painting of "catfish" we acquired in Maui. It holds a place of honor.




Melody's special touch (well, special in that she knew exactly what she wanted and didn't rest until she found them): bamboo looking water faucet (I love it so much), bamboo mirror frame, hibiscus appliqued washclothes (thanks to Tar-jay for putting out the Hawaiian theme bath accessories right when I needed them!--washclothes, shower curtain and rug). Granite countertop--YAY!!!



I looooove the granite countertop!


We were able to add some storage by putting in a "linen cabinet", replacing the humongous sink vanity with a smaller one. We gained a TON of storage space!



Pretty, huh? It is currently the best bathroom in the house! All that's left is to seal all the grout, then I'm movin' in, baby...

In memoriam

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

---British statesman Edmund Burke

April is Grilled Cheese Month

..or so says Monkey...

and just for kicks, Monkey has instructions for making grilled cheese with your iron and ironing board at http://www.himonkey.net/cooking/IronGrilledCheese/index.html

I'm working on my ode to cheese haiku even as we speak...er...type...

(Yes, I realize this website is rapidly turning into a repository of very weird cooking stunts, but I find them to be very CHEESY!....HAHAHAHAH)

Meatcake is the new Cheesecake?

http://www.blackwidowbakery.com/demo/meatcake/



I don't know...really...I don't even know how I came across this monstrosity...it is really bothering me, thinking of the hunks o'meat that people are decorating all over the world (if you look at the submitted photos on this site)...what was that movie with Richard Dreyfuss & the Devil's tower sculpted out of mashed potatoes...Close Encounters of the Meatcake Kind?

The big reveal

of the bathroom remodel will occur very, very soon. it looks charming. 1 down, 2 to go...