Try · to · Praise · the · Mutilated · World

Weather: Yesterday it snowed! And a bit today, too. The bit today hardly counts, since it lasted about ten minutes tops and was mixed with rain (is the term for that 'sleet', and if so why do I keep thinking it's something different?) the whole time. But yesterday it was entirely snow, for about fifteen or twenty minutes, before it became mixed and then turned into rain, and the snow came back again for a few more minutes later in the day (the first was at 11:00). Oddly, today post-precipitation is oddly warm, considering snow fell the day before and cold rain fell in the morning. I didn't even bother with the...

heat: which is provided by a wood-pellet-burning stove that has to be lit about half an hour before warmth is desired; until five minutes ago. I think I've almost got down the art of lighting it, though, which is good. :) Just have to remember to open the door a smidge when starting the burn. Although part of my not-starting-the-heat-till-ten might be a lingering warmth in the apartment, since I left the thing on "turbo" setting all night long... onestly, though, when I did the night shift a couple hours ago it wasn't really all that cold outside, either. So I suspect it's a bit of both.

I should insert some internship-related stuff here, but it's all minor stuff so it can wait; I'm just feeling vaguely chatty. Appropos of which...

skype: I will be on tomorrow night! Finally, a day off. Working four days, then four days again does not make Moony happy; more to the point, it doesn't make Moony's shoulders and back happy (though I am pleased and proud to report that the feet don't particularly seem to care -- quite a change from my first days here!).

Plans for tomorrow involve baking shortbread, so I must go to the store and buy butter, along with soy milk and pastry filling (not, actually, for the shortbread; though come to think of it I could totally use a bit for that...). Must also call mother and obtain 1. biscuit recipe, since I lost mine, and 2. plead for the sending of The Last Unicorn posthaste, since my roommate really wants to watch it and she leaves the 24th. In the meantime I have attempted to soothe my cravings by checking the book out of the library; they did not have the movie. (Much to my unsurprise; though remind me to post about the library sometime soon!)

Carrying my little obnoxious charges (five baby opossums) back downstairs this evening after feeding them, I saw movement over by the small sink (the one in the outer room). I paused. Keep in mind, it's nearly 10 P.M, and I'm standing in a dark room with only a red-bulb headlamp; movement isn't what I'm expecting and my vision isn't at its peak.

It was a flying squirrel! He must have gotten out when I was cleaning, an hour earlier! He'd gone all the way from the cage in the back room to the small sink!

Thankfully I grabbed him and carried him back to his cage, where I spent an anxious five minutes counting and recounting squirrels (they're small, the room is dark, and they move fast), and only reaching five. Finally I peered into the lower nest box, and the count reached six... but all night long I've been having these... proactive half panics, thinking what if he hadn't just happened to pop up as I was walking by?! What if no one tomorrow noticed he was gone, since I'm not working? What if he got stuck somewhere, or ate the cleansers, or Ternie got him, or he starved? What if days later we found a body, not a healthy, curious little adorable flying squirrel? What if more get out and don't pop up conveniently when someone has a spare hand to grab them, slightly awkward or not?

No wonder I'm still awake at 1 AM. What if the cutest thing in the world died because I didn't notice he had slipped away? It would be all my fault, and the world would be short a small but amazing life, an irreplaceable creature. Not to mention one that I love on an insane level, one that only lives now because I saved it and lavished patience and all needed things on it as well as affection. What a waste, and what a horrible undoing of a labor of love.

I am going to watch those little guys with hawk's eyes, from now on! Count on it.

You will need:
frozen cooked shrimp
brown basmati rice
one medium zucchini, one med. yellow squash
half a lemon
butter
cumin
ground cayenne pepper
cilantro (1/2 cup??)
ground black pepper, salt

Start the water for the rice. Squeeze the lemon into a skillet; make several pieces of zest. When the rice water boils, add a dash of salt and the zest from the lemon. Add rice, bring to boil, stir, then reduce heat and let simmer for specified time.

Chop the vegetables into matchsticks/twigs (mine were a bit large for matchsticks, due to the less-than-awesome knife I was using). Put them in the skillet with the lemon juice; add butter and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. (I also added a small amount of zest.)

Take the shrimp and run under warm water or microwave till no longer frozen through; remove tails if necessary. In a bag or small container, mix cumin and peppers in desired proportions; then toss the shrimp in the mix till both sides are spiced. Add cilantro. When vegetables are nearly done, add shrimp (and extra butter if necessary) and continue cooking till shrimp are hot.

Presentation: (optional, obviously) make "bowl" of rice, fill with vegetable/shrimp mixture, top with three cilantro stalks as garnish.
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Notes to self:

Steam the vegetables over zested water next time? For better color.
Shrimp on skewers, cooked separately, would make a nice presentation, too.

Do not serve to people who dislike lemon! :) I might have overdone it a little, but honestly I liked it.

Wish my roommate could have seen this meal!

Current Mood:

cheerful