The Sweatshop of Love Blog

Hyde Park OHMYGOD!OHMYGOD!

I love Harry Potter. I have ever since the 5th book came out and my friend Jeff lost his shit about it, lining up at Barnes and Noble to pick his copy up at midnight, then reading the whole thing by 6pm the next day.

I kept saying that there was no way Harry Potter was that good. Jeff told me to shut up and just read the first book, it was short, and if I didn’t like it then he would still love me, though he doubted it was possible.

So I read it in two shifts at the valet parking booth I worked at the Gerald R Ford International Airport; yet another job where I was employed to do nothing. I loved it despite myself. Jeff lent me the next four and I read them in about two weeks. Then I went through the movies, only two were made at the time, and it was over. It WAS as good as everyone said it was!

PT has not read the books and before dating me hadn’t seen any of the movies, so needless to say I was a little surprised when he said he bought tickets to THE HARRY POTTER EXIBIT AT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY OHMYGODOHMYGOD!

Ron's Car OHMYGOD!

We trekked down to Hyde Park (one train, one bus) Saturday for our 5pm tour. Upon entering the museum we were met by Ron’s flying car! It was so tiny! It would be really easy to parallel park, so I’m going to keep the Ford Anglia on my list of cars to steal someday.

Baby Chickens OHMYGODOHMYGOD!

We got there a little early so we had a chance to take a quick gander around the museum. I made a beeline to the chickens, my favorite part of the museum. I love chickens. We had chickens growing up and I even love them when they are big and smelly and pooping on everything and making eggs. Our chickens would beat the hell out of  Batly, my mom’s chihuahua! They would peck him right on the forehead until he ran away and left them alone.

PT Being an 8 Year Old

PT got excited whenever he saw a toy with a steering wheel.

Unfortunately you couldn’t take pictures in the exhibit, but it was pretty amazing. TONS of costumes and set pieces from the movies! The costumes were breathtakingly detailed. I have never seen anything like it. From Dolores Umbridge’s little pink suite to the fur lined cape Lucius Malfoy is wearing the first time you see him, it was all perfect. There were complete sets as backdrops for the costumes full of props, like the time turner Hermione uses in The Prizoner of Azkaban.

Ok, I geeked myself out a little there. Harry Potter exhibit? Cool. Promise.

Long Awaited Coconut Shrimp

Since neither PT or I ever go down to Hyde Park, we thought we would make an afternoon of it and find a place around the museum to eat. We had a restaurant all picked out! The Nile, a Middle Eastern restaurant recommended to us. Alas, The Nile was closed for the holiday, but right next door was Thai 55, which just happens to be the first restaurant PT ever went to in Chicago! He had actually been talking about the coconut shrimp there just this week, and we magically end up going on complete accident.

I was still full from Pieapalooza!, but I sucked it up like a champ and prepared myself for yet another holiday weekend stuff-fest. I was trying to add up all the miles I would have to run this week to make up for the pie and the Thai when in came the coconut shrimp.

PT was pumped. And for good reason! Anything deep fried and served in a glass is cool with me.

Pad Thai and Yellow Curry

I ordered the sea food Pad Thai, which was amazing! I usually don’t order Pad Thai because I don’t like when it is too peanuty, but this seafood version spoke to me from the menu. I’m so glad it did! It was full of shrimp and scallops and the whole thing tasted really fresh.

PT ordered yellow curry which was excellent, too. SO rich, though, I got full as soon as I started eating it. But I took a break, drank some water, and went back to my Pad Thai before I fooled around some more with the curry.

PT and I waddled back to the bus, then waddled from the bus to the train, then waddled from the train back home.

My tummy needs a break from the eating! And I need to get to the gym.

It rained and rained and stormed and rained some more. There are only two things to do when it storms, and I did a lot of both this weekend.

Best Pizza Ever

I’m prone to exaggerate, I realize this. I own up to it. I say a million when I mean 12. I say forever when I mean 20 minutes. I can safely say that this is the best pizza I have ever made. Teriyaki, shrimp, onion, spinach, and garlic pizza with mozzarella and goat cheese on wheat crust. PT and I split it and it was gone in 7 seconds. I mean, like 25 minutes.

After that pizza, though, I needed to cool it. I have gained three pounds this winter and I know that isn’t a lot, but you let three pounds slide one winter, two more here, four more there and you are on The Biggest Loser.

Breakfast Burritos

Saturday brunch was breakfast burritos. As you can see I only had one, but put the equivalent of a second burrito on the side, without the tortilla, saving me 200 calories. The burrito insides were potatoes, lentils, corn, fresh PT guacamole, tomatoes, and spinach. These were excellent! And I’ve never made them before.

Bread-less Sandwich

For dinner I dropped some bread again, making this not only open faced sandwich, but bottomless sandwich, too, saving me about 400 calories. I dug around in my freezer and found some fake chicken and bacon, so we made chicken bacon guacamole sandwiches…

Crock Pot Back in Action!

… and a side of Lentil and Spinach curry. It doesn’t look like much but it is one of my favorite crock pot recipes.

Avocado 4 Life

Sunday for dinner we had an avocado left over, so we made avocado egg salad, tuna salad with avocado, and carrot fries. I had mine open faced, using the mushroom part of my bread loaf because it wasn’t getting thrown away!

So I tried not to be a fatty, though it was hard to do since between eating I just sat and watched the first season of Lost while knitting.

Needle Holder Thing

For some reason the picture I took of my sweater dress progress didn’t work, but I did get this little gadget from Lucinda yesterday that holds your needles together so your yarn can’t accidentally fall off of them while traveling, or while your cats play with it when you are at work.

My sweater dress is coming along! I’m about to seperate the sleeves and I can’t wait for it. I have 366 stitches on my needles right now, and that is a lot. I’m going to get a picture to work for next time so I can show it off!

So I had to stop knitting my sweater and knit my grandma a hat. I had this hat in mind from the 2008 Holiday issue of Vogue Knitting that I really wanted to try. Very complicated looking and intricate with the cables and ribbing, and it will all be lost on my grandmother. In fact I can pretty much guarantee that she won’t like it. So what is the point? I want to knit it.

Grandma's Hat

I always say don’t knit for non knitters, and if you do keep it simple. I’m going against my own rule in this case because it is just a hat, it will be a beautiful hat, and I’ve never knit a tam before, but I don’t think I will look good in it, but I want to knit it anyway. I might as well have someone to knit it for, even if it is someone who won’t appreciate it, or even probably like it.

One Down, One to Go

I did finish a sleeve of my sweater, though, and it is turning out really beautifully. I also went ahead and bought the yarn for my sweater dress. More Carron Simply Soft in dark red. I am an idiot, though, and thought I needed 29 inch size 4s, but I already have them! I don’t remember ever using 29 inch size 4s before. I hate 4s! They are tiny! I thought for sure I would need to buy one.

While I was home I got to scope out my mom’s sweater. Please keep in mind that this is her FIRST sweater. First sweater ever! And I practically had to scream at her until she started it. I forced her to buy the yarn, I forced her to realize she understood the pattern.

Mommy Back

And now she has a beautiful sweater.

(cute cameos in that picture? Oliver my puppy, and PT in the kitchen)

Mommy Front

The left front still needs a button band, but look at how great that looks! My mom rocked it out! I’m exceedingly proud.

Mushroom Sandwich

On a completely different level I’m also exceedingly proud of this sandwich. I don’t like slimy veggies and therefore never order veggie sandwiches when I’m out at restaurants. Why can’t the veggies not be slimy? PT and I sauteed up some onions, mushrooms and green pepper and put it on homemade bread toasted in the oven with a few slices of melted pepper jack cheese on it, with sliced tomatoes. Not remotely slimy, ridiculously delicious and easy cheesy. So what the hell every restaurant in the world? Do this and watch the happy people line up to pay you $6 for it.

I can’t help but wonder, though, why everything that comes out of my crock pot ends up looking exactly the same?

Potato and Vegetable Curry (too much cumin seed)