One year later...

Are blogs still a thing?

Perhaps You'd Better Start From The Beginning

When I discover a book series, television show, comic book, and musical act that's new to me but has been around for a while, I like to start from the beginning.

This goes back to when I was a child and loved to read but I wouldn't buy X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman or Superman comic books because their story was already in progress. When Marvel started the New Universe I collected several of the title since I could start at the first issue.

When I hear a song from a band or artist, I check their discography and start from their first album. Thankfully streaming services let me listen to the album in full before I decide to buy. For my birthday and Christmas, I ask for iTunes gift cards to expand my collection. It's frustrating when I hear an awesome song then discover it's on the artist/band second or third album. Even more so when I listen to the first album and don't like any of the songs on it.

Books are forgiving because most of the authors I like rarely do sequels or trilogies. When I was a younger geek and a Dragonlance fan, two bookshelves were dedicated to the world of Krynn.

In The Cucina With Seamas

The other day I had a craving for fried rice so I went searching for recipes. The one common ingredient from the results was day old rice. This gave me the idea to cook one cup of rice when making my Spicy Rice which inspired me to try something new when making black beans and spicy rice. When I next made Spicy Rice, and the rice was finished cooking I scooped a cups worth into the skillet with the cooked black beans. Then I added a 1/2 cup of salsa, mixed everything together until the rice absorbed the salsa. This way got more of the liquid out of the salsa.

Puddle Deep Thought

Blogs are like dreams, they're only interesting to the person who has them.

In The Cucina With Seamas

On my last grocery trip I got Dr. Praeger’s Kale Veggie Burgers. They're delicious but mushy and fell apart as I tried to eat them with roasted red pepper as a topping. However it gave me the idea to try them mixed into brown rice or pasta.

Which I tried for tonight's dinner using small shell pasta, 2 tablespoons of vegan butter and a dash of garlic. After draining the water from the pasta, I mixed in the butter while it was still steamy so it would melt then added the garlic. The burgers were placed on top of the pasta and another spoon mix and dinner was ready.

It was delicious, and next time I'm in the mood for it I'll try rice.

In The Cucina With Seamas Life Hack

 To get that little bit of tomato sauce out of your jar, pour 2 tablespoons of water, close the lid, shake it up.

To thicken that tomato sauce, add a quarter cup of instant potato mix once its heated up.

The Need For Change

I wasn't able to get the bread and milk on my last grocery pick up because I went at 3pm on a Sunday before a snowstorm. So when I ran out of milk on Wednesday morning it meant I'd have to take my coffee black for the first time in a long time.

While the first cup on Thursday morning was bitter, it had a nutty taste (which the milk covered up in the past). I tried putting vanilla ice cream in the second cup but it didn't work out as well as I hoped. By the third cup I was enjoying it plain.

On Friday morning, I was enjoying the full rich bean flavor more.

Hopefully I'll get milk today and can go back to enjoying my morning cup of motivation the way I have for the past 30+ years.

New Look, Same Puddle Deep Thought

 Thought I'd try a cleaner look for the blog by increasing the width, moving the search and archive to the bottom and removing links.

Thanks to everyone who keeps checking in for new content.

Life Hack

If you use paper towels to dry your hands after washing them, you can hang them to dry and reuse them as;

makeshift pot holders

clean up spills

wipe up stove top splatters

clean up messier accidents

clean mirrors and windows

In The Cucina With Seamas

Seamas's Quick Mexican Rice

3 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 cup of uncooked rice
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup of salsa

1. Pour oil into saucepan, heat over medium flame
2. Add uncooked rice, stir for 2 minutes
3. CAREFULLY add vegetable broth
4. Bring to a boil, cover saucepan, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes
5. Add salsa, cover and simmer for 5 minutes

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

Or in this case a lifehack.

I realized I didn't have enough milk for my morning cups of coffee after pouring it for my cereal. As I carried my bowl and mug to the living room an idea struck, use the milk leftover from my cereal for my next cup. The bonus to this idea was I was eating Trader Joe's Crispy Quinoa Stars which makes the milk a little sweeter and ergo the coffee as well.