REVIEW on WEEK 12

Monday
- finished freelance
- cooked meal from last week

Tuesday
- Pilates Fusion
- Lunch with Shoshana
- Final playwriting class (acted out a scene from our play so we can hear it and make adjustments.)

Wednesday
- cleaned house

- SUPPER: IRISH BEEF STEW
I used Guinness AND red wine for the stew. So yummy! This recipe's a keeper!

Thursday
- writing



Friday
- Tried to make bacon chocolate cupcakes but failed in deliciousness, but the peanut butter frosting I made was tasty!
- Flew up to SF


Saturday
- Out and about near the Golden Gate Bridge
- Lunch at the Club
- Dinner at Ko - mmmm.... so good! :)



Sunday
- stayed in for brunch
- walk/hike near Protrero Hill

REVIEW ON SUPPER (MONDAY)
- Been wanting to make rataouille but we've run out of ingredients or the ingredients go bad. So I just made chicken.

WEEK 12 - Epicurious

I've become obsessed with finding recipes online!

WHAT: Irish Beef Stew (in honor of St. Patty's Day!)
WHERE: My place
WHEN: Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
(pushed up due to our upcoming trip to SF this weekend)

My own FLAVOR of the WEEK - Guacamole

Deane and I love guacamole. It's one of those foods we love and cherish equally, and one which promotes our happiness, or so I believe. We often argue about whose guac is better, challenging each other to a "Guac Off!" He likes to puree all the ingredients in his CuisineArt, making it thin and almost to the consistency of a bisque. I like to do EVERYTHING BY HAND! Mine is thick and has the consistency of a thick and creamy clam chowder.

Lately people have been asking me how I make my guacamole. I will share this simple recipe with you, so long as you promise me you'll make EVERYTHING BY HAND!

Rochelle's Heavenly (Holy) Guacamole!

1. Mix all of these in a bowl:
- 2 large ripe Avocados, shell removed (I usually use Hass avocados and keep seeds with avocados)
- 1 large Tomato, finely chopped (I usually use Roma because they're cheaper than Vine)
- 1/2 large Onion, finely chopped
- 1 large Lemon (remove the seeds first)
- 2 small Limes (optional)
- 2 tbs Cilantro (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste

2. With a spoon, mix all the ingredients together, making sure you scrape all the avocado off of its seed. After a couple minutes you'll get the consistency you want, which is thick, but juicy.

3. Eat with your favorite chips.

Note: Lasts up to three days in the fridge. The lemon/lime and the avocado seeds help to keep it from browning too fast.

Enjoy!
:)Ro

REVIEW on WEEK 11

Monday
- designed biz cards and spreadshirt t-shirt design

Tuesday
- pilates
- playwriting class - critique of my 10 minute play "White Horse"

Wednesday
- discussed acting reel with client


- Breaking Bad at the PaleyFest
- Hokusai for dinner


Thursday
- Deane's bday - dinner at Alibi Room - Kogi tacos

Friday
- finished freelance

Saturday
- shipped all the items I sold this week (typewriter jewelry and bottle cap earrings)



- Deane's bday dinner at STK

Sunday
- Mom's house - errands and Panda Inn for dinner



SUPPER TUESDAY REVIEW:
I thought I'd have a harder time with the chicken than I did, though I'm not aching to try it again anytime soon. This is the first time I cooked a whole chicken. I loosened the chicken up by getting my fingers under its skin. Then I rubbed it with butter and herbs, and stuck it in the fridge over night. Deane said to make sure to discard the innards. Gross. I pulled out a heart, liver, kidneys, and whatever other gross organs the chicken has. I had a helluva time picking it up. It was so slippery, and though only 3 lbs. I could barely grip it with my one hand. Sort of a disaster. I didn't have any string to truss the chicken, so I just "winged" it. I had to improvise because I didn't have roasting pan, so I used a cookie sheet and placed Deane's grilling rack over that, and placed the chicken on top. I then squirted some lemon over the chicken because lemon, butter, salt, and pepper make anything taste better. I found a recipe in one of the cookbooks that explained at what temperature and for how long to cook the chicken. It cooked for about an hour at 450, with the apple pie I had in there. I took it out just before I left for class, and it was actually really tasty. Yay!

WEEK 11 - Epicurious

WHAT: Roasted Chicken
WHERE: My place
WHEN: Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
(pushed back due to Deane's final review)

REVIEW on WEEK 10

Monday
- Write ACT FOH duties and photographed "Coffee Club"

Tuesday
- playwriting class - I was surprised that the class actually loved my play! Hooray!



Wednesday
- Visited Mehu with Peanut and Clover - shopping at 99 Ranch



Thursday
- Dentist
- lunch with Calvin at Umami Burger

Friday
- FBB freelance

Saturday
- Welding workshop with Deane at UCLA
- Supper Saturday!

REVIEW ON SUPPER: I used wheat penne pasta. The healthier I can be, in even a small way, the better. I got some chicken breasts and only cooked up one because it was just the two of us. It was tasty, with the added chicken broth, white wine, capers, mushrooms, and onions! And a great way to satiate my craving for chicken and pasta. Yum! I allowed beer into the meal - not that I refuse - but I actually bought some Guiness and George Killian's Irish Red in honor of St. Patty's Day (and to get some more bottle caps to make into earrings!) We ended the meal with some Girl Scout Cookies and Taiwanese Pineapple Cake (yummy!) And consumed all of this while finishing "Breaking Bad" and starting "Deadwood." Great series, both of them!

Sunday
- gym
- R&R

WEEK 10: Epicurious

There is a reason I love finding recipes online. For one, they have a "search" engine, which allows you to put in key words. This week I typed in "chicken rosemary mushrooms" because the latter two ingredients are those in the fridge which I need to use up. Another great reason to use online recipes (my favorite being Epicurious) is that you can sort your findings by relevance, ratings, etc. And I always sort by ratings... that way I only choose the really good, really worthwhile recipes. Below please see what I've found.

WHAT: Penne with Chicken, Shitake Mushroooms, and Capers via Epicurious (Bon Appetite 9.02)
WHERE: My place
WHEN: Saturday, March 6th, 2010

EXPERIMENTAL MONTHLY 3: BINGO NIGHT AT HAMBURGER MARY'S, HOLLYWOOD

I'm donating some jewelry to help fundraise for Write Act.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 7:00pm
WHERE: Hamburger Mary's

Suggested donation of $20 for ten games.

REVIEW on WEEK 9

Monday
- Dr. visit
- Freelance


Tuesday
- met with Alen - we have known each other since '97, but this was the first time we actually "met" in person. I thought I was dreaming... I thought this friend would remain a mystery to me for all my life. But he's real and I've come to understand that the internet is a crazy social network, even back in its genesis during the '90s.
- playwriting class

Wednesday
- freelance
- Write Act to pick up a new freelancing editing project - actor's demo reel

Thursday
- taxes - first time going with my mom. Hooray for a big refund this year! :) I love that I work in the entertainment industry and can essentially write off anything! It's pretty awesome!

Friday
- ultrasound - I found this lump in my right breast. I really thought it was cancer and I thought, "I don't want to die.... not yet." And I thought of the time I was going through depression back in junior high and high school, a time I actually prayed that God would take my life away right then and there... and how differently I look at the world now... Fortunately I only have a cyst - benign - but I was scared shitless. Women - do self-breast exams. You just never know...
- walking in the park in burbank with my work hubby...
- movie night - "brothers"


Saturday
- knott's berry farm chicken dinner



Sunday
- Supper Sunday!
This was my first supper of the year that I actually went out of my way to invite people. It was an exclusively small group so there was enough food. Plus it was 3 courses so I wasn't worried I'd run out of food. The first course was the tomato and onion tart. I used pepper jack for the cheese, and since I couldn't find a 12" tart pan (or any kind of tart/quiche pan) anywhere, I used a pie dish instead, which worked just as well; just no fluted edges. The second course was "the best steak I've ever had," according to Meredith. The marinade was phenomenal. It was a mixture of soy sauce, olive oil, honey, garlic, and rosemary. Grilled to perfection by Deane! Pretty outstanding! The third was a big disappointment (for me, anyways, the others liked it.) I had eaten the one my brother made for his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. That one was perfect. Mine... I don't think I mixed it thoroughly. I think we need a blender or something because when I baked it, it was bubbly and liquidy... not at all like it's supposed to be. But luckily some guests brought over vanilla ice cream, so that disguised it as a warm brownie. Pretty yummy overall, though! It was nice to see people and catch up! I do have to make the good rendition of the chocolate molten cake for them though. I need redeeming on that one. But two out of three ain't so bad. :)