Jigsaw Puzzle Map

Stephanie and I like all kinds of puzzle. We play puzzle video games (she became addicted to Picross DS), watch puzzle game shows (we went to the Wheel of Fortune auditions in Rosemont), have puzzle books (Crossword, Sudoku, Kakuro, etc.), and have put together a good deal of jigsaw puzzles together. So, receiving a puzzle as a gift at Christmas came as no big surprise.

What was surprising was the type of puzzle. Steph's grandma (Grandma B) found a site online that custom prints a 400-piece jigsaw puzzle from US Geological Survey data. Through http://www.my-jigsaw.info, you can enter a US address that serves as the center of a 4 mile (north-to-south) by 6 mile (east-to-west) map. The centerpiece of the resulting puzzle is shaped like house. Now, even though we live in Chicago, we don't actually own a house yet (we're still in an apartment), so Grandma B gave Stephanie a puzzle to remind her of roots: Saint Paul, Minnesota. And after three months, we finally put the puzzle together :-)

As an interesting side note: having grown up in the area, Stephanie's approach to piecing together the puzzle was to identify the streets in each of the puzzle pieces to figure out the general location of where they go; while I relied solely on color and line keys to fit pieces together.

Gibson Melody Maker

The Guitar Hero franchise finally peaked my interest in music. So, for Christmas last year, I asked my parents for a Gibson Melody Maker. Unfortunately, I sent my dad a link to Guitar Center and a simple online purchase became a two-month in-store ordeal in which their order (for a Sunburst colored, Gibson Melody Maker) was delayed, deleted, re-entered with errors, corrected, and finally delivered (in Black). But, I now have my guitar and Guitar Center offered up a free Peavey amp, a guitar strap, a stand, and a box of Ernie Ball strings, so all is forgiven. :-)

My original plan was to teach myself guitar from books and miscellaneous sources online. After going solo for about a month now, I realize that when I get home from work, I'm not always that motivated to try and learn on my own. When spring finally gets here, I think I'm going to start looking for guitar lessons to help kick me into gear.

Until then, I'm going to keep at it on my own, slowly progressing through the books I have:

• The "First Stage" Guitar Book - Learn How To Play Guitar Easily & Quickly!
• Hal Leonard Guitar Method: Rock Guitar
• Learn to Play Guitar with Metallica

I'm also looking forward to the release of Guitar Rising sometime this year...

\m/

Recipe: Spicy Baked Fish

Serves: 4 - Serving Size: 3 oz

This spicy seafood dish will delight everyone.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Cod (or other fish) Fillet
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Hot and Spicy Seasoning Mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking oil spray.
2. Wash and dry fish. Place in dish. Drizzle with oil and seasoning mixture.
3. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until fish flakes with fork. Cut into 4 pieces. Serve with rice.

Hot and Spicy Seasoning

Makes: 1/3 cup - Serving Size: 1/2 tsp

Spices can make the ordinary extraordinary. Here's a great all purpose spice mix.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp White Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Basil
• 1 1/2 tsp Thyme

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Keep the Beat - Heart Healthy Recipes.

Recipe: Poblano Cream Soup

Serves: 32 - Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 8 large) Fresh Poblano Chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1 whole (1/8 teaspoon ground) Cloves
• 4 whole (1/8 teaspoon ground) Allspice
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1 medium White Onion, chopped
• 4 large Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 3-4 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Heavy Cream

Directions

1. Roast chiles on medium-high until blackened all over (4-8 minutes)
2. Transfer chiles to a large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes
3. Peel, stem, seed, and chop chiles
4. Heat spices in oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until fragrant and oil begins to simmer (1-2 minutes)
5. Add onion and garlic, cook until softened (5-7 minutes)
6. Add roasted chiles and cook, stirring for 1 minute
7. Blend chile mixture with cilantro and 3 cups (total) chicken broth in 2 to 3 batches until smooth
8. Add cream to chile mixture and simmer in cleaned saucepan
9. Serve in heat-proof shot glasses or espresso cups

Recipe provided by Scott Sipiora.

Recipe: Cayenne Toasts with Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

I got this recipe from a co-worker after a holiday party. Thanks Scott!

Cayenne Toasts

Serves: 12-18 - Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 3 French Bread Loaves
• 1 cup Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Onion Powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F
2. Mix ingredients (minus bread) and set aside
3. Cut French bread into 1/4 inch slices
4. Place slices on un-greased baking sheets
5. Lightly coat one side of each bread slice with a pastry brush, being sure to whisk the topping mixture regularly to prevent seasonings for settling
6. Dry in preheated oven until crisp, about 1 hour
7. Remove and cool

Store in airtight containers until served or up to 2 days. Cooled toasts can be packed in freezer containers and frozen up to 2 months. Re-crisp frozen toasts in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 5 to 7 minutes.

Recipe provided by Scott Sipiora.

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Serves: 8-10 - Cook Time: 45 Minutes, Prepare 2 Days in Advance

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounce Dried Tomatoes
• 1 cup Olive Oil
• 2 large Garlic Cloves
• 2 Parsley Sprigs
• 5 Basil Leaves or 1 teaspoon Dried Leaf Basil
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Pinch of Sugar
• 1 Green Onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 (4 ounce) Goat Cheese Rounds
• Cayenne Toasts or Crackers

Directions

1. Re-hydrate dried tomatoes by placing them on a steamer rack over simmering water until tomatoes are completely soft (about 45 minutes)
2. Place steamed tomatoes in a 2-cup air-tight container
3. Add all remaining ingredients except goat cheese and toast or crackers
4. Cover container and shake to blend ingredients
5. Refrigerate 2 days to blend flavors

To serve, blend mixture until almost smooth, leaving a little texture. Place goat cheese on serving dish and pour tomato spread over cheese.

Recipe provided by Scott Sipiora.