So, as I mentioned yesterday, the new (yet to be monikered) roommate moved in this weekend. During the process of packing/cleaning, I learned some things:
1. I own (gulp) 14 black dresses. Now, I knew I had a bit of a problem, but I was always able to ignore it. Well, while packing, I had to stare it right in the face. And black shirts? I stopped counting at 20…At least I am predictable and have a “look”. Yes, that is what I will tell myself.
2. Apparently, I have a limit when it comes to clutter. I don’t think I have ever felt anxious about mess, ever, but living in chaos for the past two weeks has me on edge. I keep stubbing my toes, I cannot find anything, and if I have to break down one more box, I will scream. Fret not; this recent discovery of my clutter threshold has not spurred any real change in me. I have merely sat around lamenting the mess and trying to think of new ways to ignore it.
3. I am now officially frightened to share a bed with anyone whom I am not romantically involved. Annie Birdie and I dismembered her bed Friday night and dragged mine in to her old room/my new room. This meant we had to sleep together that night. I slept horribly. After spooning both Foxy Moron and KassyK within the course of one summer, I have developed a phobia. Annie repeatedly reassured me to relax and if it happened, it happened. Our friendship could survive this. Alas, there were no sneak attacks, so maybe there is hope for me yet.
Also, thanks to you lovelies and my desire to cook healthier for you and for me, I gave scallops one more shot. I have always been pretty ambivalent regarding scallops, finding them a touch slimy. Yet, I also know they are very filling and super healthy. I’ll try anything twice, so I gave the recipe below a spin…and boy am I glad I did. The recipe doesn’t have a ton of liquid so that helps with the whole slimy situation. As tomatoes are still in season, everything tasted super fresh and clean. These were really quite good. Scallops don’t smell very fishy, so this is the perfect seafood to prepare at home. I slammed this down without and ounce of guilt, feeling very pleased I forced myself to try these one more time.
See how much you can learn on one weekend?
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Oh, and it is Wednesday, so do mosey on over to So Good and see what I am assaulting my palette with this week.
Sauteed Scallops with Cherry Tomatoes
Adapted from YumSugar
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
4 large sea scallops, rinsed and pat dry
Salt and pepper
2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts seperated)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cleaned
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, divided in half
Add oil to non stick pan that has preheated over medium heat. Salt and pepper cleaned scallops and place in pan. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove scallops from heat and cover with foil.
Add white parts of green onions to pan and cook about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and green parts of onions and cook for abut 5 minutes, until tomatoes begin to blister. Add lemon juice, paprika, and 1 TBS parsley and stir. Add scallops back to pan, along with any juice on the plate and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Salt as needed.
9:05 am on September 3rd, 2008
I always think the secret to non-slimy scallops is getting good ones – remember that Top Chef where Spike gets in trouble for using the frozen scallops? And the ones floating in a bath of goo in Safeway and Harris Teeter aren’t really where it’s at, either. But the Eastern Market has a great seafood stand with dry scallops and there’s a good fish market in your ‘hood if you go north on Conn towards the Safeway.
Oh, dear. How do you know where I live?
But yes, non slimy scallops essential.
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9:23 am on September 3rd, 2008
Oh, I love scallops. When we have our cooking lesson, that’s what I’m going to request assistance with.
I have more black dresses and black pants than a party of widows, but I’ve recently branched out and bought a pair of brown trousers. That’s progress!
I am not a fan of the brown. I think it would look awesome on you though. When I “branch out”, I go grey.
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9:27 am on September 3rd, 2008
Only 14? We’re doing fine. If you want me to help you throw shit away, however, I’ve gotten reallllly good at it- it helps when you have a man who makes it work with 4 pairs of pants and 9 dress shirts looking over your shoulder constantly, asking, do you need that? I’ve never seen you wear that. Why do you need 5 pairs of black pumps? These all look the same to me.
I miss my gay boyfriend…
I think my gay boyfriend convinced me to buy half of the stuff in my closet. Such enablers.
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9:28 am on September 3rd, 2008
I have at least six pairs of black patent leather shoes. You are not alone!
Patent leather is so sexy, though!
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9:40 am on September 3rd, 2008
OK, I’ll be the first guy to chime in and say that the whole “23 of X, 17 of Y” (where X and Y are similar articles of clothing) thing sounds a little crazy to a man. I felt weird when I bought a second pair of jeans (I loved the pair I’d just bought, out of crotch-hole-in-my-old-pair necessity, but they were a little fashionable, and I needed a pair that I could wear to do manly work) recently; I’d feel really weird to be buying my fifteenth pair, or something. Still, I don’t pretend to think that you’re unusual; ‘A’ just realized (while literally throwing out most of her wardrobe in her big ‘Escape from Manhattan’ move last month) that she had a dozen of the same green J-Crew t-shirt. So I know that it’s not just you.
Well, you know I would never shop at J Crew so I don’t have to worry about that. (Sorry, B, I had to rib ya on that…you asked for it.)
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9:48 am on September 3rd, 2008
I hate spooning. My distaste for it was the result of a particular night, a threesome in fact. One girl elbowed me in the face while I slept but the coup de grace came from the other girl pissing
on meherself. Classy. Thank gd it was not my bed. Because aromas make memories that moretraumatizingpowerful I now associate spooning to the combined stench of cigarettes, alcohol, and urine.Now on to a more healthy subject matter. I like the simplicity of this recipe.
Thank goodness spooning has not been sullied for me.
And welcome back, DF. Missed you.
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9:58 am on September 3rd, 2008
I can’t imagine what problem you could have with J-Crew. Their catalog does definitely have a WASPy pall to most of it, but they have a wide range of styles, from very casual to semi-formal. Make fun of me for shopping at Brooks Brothers (I don’t often), but don’t make fun of my girlfriend for shopping at a fairly innocuous store! (Note: I’m not really getting upset here …)
But seriously: where do you shop? From your criticisms of my wardrobe over the years, I’m guessing it’s either at custom boutiques or at some ‘urban boutique’ called ‘Uptown Flavaz’ or ‘New York Stylee’ (note that those names are not made up, they are actual stores).
How did you know “Uptown Flavaz’ was my store?
I don’t criticize your wardrobe that much…it has more just become an ongoing joke. I shop everywhere…Zara, H and M, Banana Republic for some work stuff, Consignment Shops, online…
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10:08 am on September 3rd, 2008
A largely black wardrobe? Your DC is showing.
A tad, maybe…but I like to think I am riskier than the average DC woman.
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10:14 am on September 3rd, 2008
DF managed to ruin spooning AND threesomes, all in one post. That’s impressive.
I love J. Crew’s pants, because they’re the only ones that fit me without a godawful amount of tailoring.
He is a talented dream killer, that one.
J Crew is great for some people, but just not my personal style. I also find them to be horrifically overpriced.
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10:45 am on September 3rd, 2008
I knew a guy who was notorious for soiling a bed with urine whenever he got drunk, to the point where he actually would put on “Depends” before hitting the town, because, in his words “I don’t know where I’ll end up sleeping tonight”.
I would always wonder how he would explain that if he ever hooked up w/ a girl?
Well, at least he was prepared! One might think this would tell him to maybe not drink so much…
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11:25 am on September 3rd, 2008
I’m a black-clothing culprit as well. I try to introduce color each season, but nine times out of ten, I fall back on the tried and true. There’s something to be said for sticking with what works, right??
I’m also mid-move, and I hear you. It’s hellacious. At least you still have a functional kitchen. Mine’s being torn apart to put in a new tile floor. Meaning dinner has been an odd mixture of PB&Js, bread and cheese, fruit, and wine. Interesting, to say the least…
Good luck with the rest of the move!
But wine for dinner sounds pretty awesome.
I tell myself black is ok bc my accessories are all fabulous.
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11:38 am on September 3rd, 2008
Scallops = hospital but the tomatos look yummy
Oh, that stinks…sorry, Zip.
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11:45 am on September 3rd, 2008
First of all, ♥ scallops.
B of all, if you’re not a fan of the brown, I’m not sure how we’ve remained friends to this point.
and III of all, I’m certain that at least 75% men would take getting peed on if it meant participating in a threesome.
Oh, I am totally down with your kinda brown, dear. Fear not.
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11:50 am on September 3rd, 2008
This looks great, but I put the wife in a family way again, so no shellfish cooking in my near future.
Congrats, SD!
Isn’t the “no shellfish” thing a bit extreme, though? I didn’t know it was that hardcore, but then again, I am luckily not pregnant nor plan to be pregnant anytime in the near future. Feel free to school me.
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12:19 pm on September 3rd, 2008
You may be right.
I am right sometimes.
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12:22 pm on September 3rd, 2008
I admit I like the black too, but I do like to dress it up and give it some extra zip. Black, white and red is one of my favorite color combos! Teal and black, pink and black, rust and black….I could go on forever.
I cannot abide by rust and black. Sorry, Ma.
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1:58 pm on September 3rd, 2008
I’m certain that at least 75% men would take getting peed on if it meant participating in a threesome
Some men would pay good money for the privilege with no threesome involved. There was this man in The Happy Hooker who paid over a thousand dollars (in the 1970’s, so today it’d be equal to $3K or more) to have a dozen hookers … you can figure out the rest.
OK, I cannot believe I am going to admit this (look away Mom, LOOK AWAY): I once said if someone really wanted me to pee on them, I would. I am really not in to it, but hey, if it floats someone else’s boat, why not? It doesn’t seem that big a deal, but I got a TON of shit for it.
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2:35 pm on September 3rd, 2008
I once said if someone really wanted me to pee on them, I would. I am really not in to it, but hey, if it floats someone else’s boat, why not?
You’d have to drink GALLONS of beer to be able to float a boat!!
Yuk, yuk.
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6:46 pm on September 3rd, 2008
i hate sharing beds with other people, i can’t do it. when i get married i’ll need three beds. one for each of us and one to share together for those needed moments.
Wow, a third bed for baby-makin’ time? That is hardcore.
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10:54 pm on September 3rd, 2008
That’s a lot of black clothing! How many closets do you have?
I adore sea scallops. They actually seem less slimy than the tiny ones. They go so well with tomatoes, too. I could picture some crumbled Feta over the top. But then, I could eat Feta straight out of the container…
I am a lucky girl with a lot of closet space.
Oh, I adore feta. Salty, cheesy goodness.
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4:39 am on September 4th, 2008
While I normally need my bed space, you are a divine spooner.
Trying this recipe for dinner tonight, I love scallops and since I’m not much for full tomatoes (besides in sauce or ketchup–yummm!), do you think subbing maybe steamed broccoli and cauliflower would be as tasty?
Divine! You flatter me.
Honestly, I don’t think it would be as good. You need the acidity of the tomatoes. I cannot even really think of a great sub, to be honest.
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9:20 am on September 4th, 2008
I loved scallops growing up, and these look delicious. But I have developed a scallop-phobia of sorts over the past few years. i don’t like them any more and I don’t know why! I think in part because I can never tell when they are DONE. And OMG OMG, what if they are RAW and I DIE???!!!!
I think that is part of my aversion as well. They are so soft and what if that means they aren’t cooked! But then I tell myself that I eat scallop sushi which is RAW. Maybe a false sense of security, but I am sticking to it.
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8:22 am on September 7th, 2008
So you had a rommmate move it. I’ve never had a roommate before. Outside of when I lived at home all those moons ago, I’ve never lived with anyone. Now I have a dog…LOL
But a friend of mine is looking for aplace to leave and she at the time said as a joke she should move into my house. I said maybe…and every 2 or 3 days she asked about it, so I’ve been racking my brain if I want a roommate…
I just don’t know…
Just make sure it won’t ruin your friendship. That always scares me about living with friends.
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10:22 am on September 7th, 2008
Oh and how the hell could you get a phobia from spooning Kassy? I’m pretty sure I’d make that down as one of the greatest things I’d ever done if that was me
You are not the only man that feels that way.
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1:39 pm on September 8th, 2008
The scallops look so fresh and perfectly toasted, perfect complement to the tomatoes
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We would like to feature your scallops on our blog. Please email sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if interested. Thanks
You can view our blog here:
blog.keyingredient.com/
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