lindsaylou's Profile

I am intensely allergic to shellfish and just smell of them makes me nauseous. I can tell you from the smell of the parking lot if a restaurant serves them. I'm fairly sure this is due to my mom insisting I eat lobster or shrimp or something every few years while I was growing up to 'see if I had outgrown my allergy yet'.

Newly-single, large dog owner chick living in a funky old apartment building in Koreatown with assigned parking. Parking for guests can be rough, but it’s close enough to the Dog Park in Silverlake that I don’t hate my twice weekly treks, and not too distant from my friends on the west side. Since I work in downtown and can take the train, I don’t even really have a commute. The downside is that I wouldn’t exactly brand my area safe, but since the parking lot and building are secure, it’s not terrible. It also took a while to get to the top of the ‘waiting for a one bedroom’ list, and MAN those studios are teensy.

You asked for a place that’s safe for your 2 cats – and I assume you wouldn’t ask this unless you planned on letting them outside. You need to be aware that there are coyotes that will think your cats are snacks EVERYWHERE in LA, and especially in more wooded (and prettier) areas like Sherman Oaks and the valley. A friend of mine who lives in Sherman Oaks watched her dog get attacked by a pack of 4 of the in her fenced in back yard (the dog lived, thank goodness). I live in Koreatown, and while not incredibly safe, I’ll take it for the ability to take the train to work. Take a look at the Hancock Park / Koreatown border, it’s only a few blocks, but it’s close to public transportation and in the middle of the city. I would ONLY have indoor cats here though.

When my grandmother died I was the only one interested in the beat up old shoebox filled with stained recipe clippings. Most of them were well, used, handwritten (some by my great and even great-great grandmothers) and WAY too fragile to handle much, so I copied them out onto index cards for my own use and made a scrapbook of the recipes mounted like photos on acid-free paper in uv protective sleeves. I inserted pictures of the recipe’s authors where I could, and even had to have a few translated. It wound up looking really beautiful. I’m a genealogist, and I love having a family ‘food tree’ as well as one with dates and names.

When my boxer / pit mix was about a year old and a new rescue she annihilated a full size brown couch. She tunneled in through he back and reduced all 6 of the large pillows to 1 inch square bits of foam, which she spread (astonishingly evenly) throughout the house. The next day chewed on and destroyed a CD case full of software and a box of baking soda carpet freshener. Thankfully, the couch was ugly, she was totally fine, and is, 9 years later, totally over her separation anxiety.

I started friday night and made pickles all weekend. Watermelon rind, summer squash, dill, garlic and jalapeno. I think I used every pot I own at least twice. I don't have AC and it was perfeect weather to have all the windows open, and neighbors kept coming over. It was perfect.

I would suggest calling a few hardware stores and asking if they have floor models of the appliances you want for sale (with a hefty markdown), or any marble / composite countertops that were mis-cut or rejected, or extra tiles / lino / cabinets leftover from larger projects and on clearance. Try the library for books on renovations, most DIY flooring is really easy, and tile isn't beyond the realm of possibility if you have some good step-by-step instructions.

I save the dark green tops of leeks and use them (and cheese rinds, mushroom stalks, ginger, orange zest whatever else I have on hand) in wiht the chicken when I make both.

Suewanda, I tried salt port (inspired by yesterday's post) last night, and it was really good - I used a 2 pound bag of red beans (it didn't look like a lot in the bag, but once they cooked they filled my dutch oven) that was $5 and 1/3 of a package of salt pork that was $2. I used homegrown herbs, brown sugar, and 2 brown onions. I pre-packed lunches for the rest of the week, froze 8 cups (!!) of cooked beans, and have enough for dinner for a few nights.

I live in LA too and I’ve managed to do this with smaller potted plants by building a 3-tier plant stand that fits the size of my window, about 5’x 3’. Be sure you pick out plants that will handle the available light well. My window is on the south facing side and gets full sun for about half the day, so I have mainly succulents, azaleas, fig trees, and full sun herbs. I actually seared a philodendron by leaving it there for an afternoon, but I’ve found that the plants do a MUCH better job at reducing the heat than curtains. If you just want to use one plant they have larger trees at OSH or Home Depot. You will also want to learn how to prune it to shape it to the size of the window.

Best of luck!