Meh...

Due to having my, err, misconceptions brought to light, I'm posting this here. (In other words, I got my ass kicked by t! and the Tough Love Muse, not necessarily in that order, although in retrospect it was a Good Thing™, since it put some things into perspective).

So, yeah. Onto the actual topic. I have decided to change my personal goal for NaNoWriMo. Things aren't working out quite the way I'd hoped, and so, in order to minimize the amount of stressing out I'm going to be doing on this, I'm simply going to take the same goal the Ancient and Nameless Mackayhotep had last year, namely, the goal is simply to do better this year than I did last year. If all goes well, that means 50,000 words. If not, well, it'll still be an improvement.

In other related news, the novel refuses to behave itself. It keeps insisting on going off on tangents in my head, thus not letting me advance at all. Very irritating. Am going to try to beat it into submission this week.

Random cooking-related question

Okay, folks. I know a lot of you there are fans of cooking, a few of you are members of food_porn, and so forth.

So, I'm looking for good recipes that can be done relatively cheap. Y'know, for those fo us who are financially impaired.

Know any websites? Have recipes of your own that you want to share? Please?

I'm trying to get back into cooking mode these days, and some exciting new recipes will definitely help with motivation. :)

Help?

Score!

There was a sale on pork cutlets today at the store, which put me in mind of a kick-ass recipe I used to make. Of course, the only time I ever made it for other people I got wild complaints, but since they consisted of two bratty teenagers whose idea of food was ketchup on pogo sticks, I'm not too worried.

Since turnabout is fair play, here's the recipe.

Pineapple and mandarin orange cutlets

4 pork cutlets (medium to large)
1 small can mandarin orange slices
1 medium-sized can of diced pineapple bits (crushed pineapple will do in a pinch)
2 tbsp soy sauce (add or remove to taste)

Lightly dust cutlets with flour. Brown in pan. Lay cutlets flat in a baking dish. Pour pineapple bits together with juice over cutlets. Drain juice from mandarin orange slices, then add to the pineapple. Add soy sauce.

Cook in preheated oven at 350°F covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 45 minutes.

Voilà.

Serves 2 to 4 people depending on the size of the cutlets and your appetite. Serve with vegetable of your choice, or rice, or whatever you want, really. ;)

Minor grocery-related frustrations

Okay, there was the pork triumph (although it was kinda tough —probably why they had it on sale), but there were other small frustrations at the grocery store.

What self-respecting grocery store in Québec doesn't have lentils, I ask you? Hello? This is the province which made lentil soup famous! (Okay, maybe not, but still... it's a staple)

Also, Dear Local IGA, you get no love from me, because you had nothing remotely resembling flanken. Sheesh. Even if I wasn't going to get any today, you'd think that ribs would be available at some point. :P

Feh.

Will have to go look elsewhere for those things.

I do have lots of chicken though. It, too, was on sale. I shall be making casserole later on this week. Tomorrow or Tuesday at latest.

Rock on.

:::ETA:::

Ketchup has to be one of the world's best condiments. And no, I didn't put it on my pork, if that's what you were wondering. ;)

I am having Scary Leftist Pinko Commie Ketchup™, too, and enjoying every bite. ;)