Hi. It's been awhile. Not much has changed, except that life seems to be moving faster and faster everyday. So quickly in fact that as I watch my girls I am torn between immense pride in their daily growth and a nagging feeling that maybe the four of us should just hide out in a cabin in the woods for a few years... In between all these ordinary and extraordinary occurrences of life, I have developed a few new little obsessions; namely tea, my iPhone4, and Pinterest. These new habits have mainly been positive, and often very interconnected. For example, a recent Saturday had me dragging my husband to a tea house, ( with the promise they sold beer there as well)that I had found with my Yelp app. I had obtained directions from Suri, and also the information that it just so happened to be near a much loved home decor store, where I hoped to find a few items that would help a few of my pinboards come to fruition.
While we sat enjoying our beverages (Oolong & IPA), my hubby, ( who is not a big fan of Facebook) brought up the notion that before people were allowed to post on Facebook, something should pop up asking the user " are you sure?" or " do you really want to post this?" , maybe " would you want your grandma to see this?" , etc. The idea was meant partly in jest, but rooted in seriousness. I mean how much of our time is spent getting way too much information otherwise known as TMI most of it from people you wouldn't have coffee with, yet they are your Facebook "friends"? I got to thinking about how nowadays anybody can just google you and find out half of your personal business. I mean, the internet is a stalkers dream! Or how your boss can send you an urgent email on a holiday or at midnight and you can't just ignore it or pretend you didn't get it because he made sure that one of your company perks was a paid for Blackberry and data plan! I continued to digress into why the Internet SUCKS but then I stopped myself. It's true, the Internet , like everything , has its faults, but it also has its virtues. The power of information for one, and the spreading of ideas and creativity that has only been possible through the Internet. The very personal function that the Internet provides in keeping us connected to each other. Like your friend from grade school whom you haven't seen in over a decade but somehow you have been able to interface with one another through blogging, Facebook, and "pinning" together. All of that makes you realize why you were friends in the first place, and you just know that you would be sharing a pot of tea or pitcher of beer together if you were to actually live in the same city, state, or country. That's the magic of the Internet, it keeps friends from becoming strangers.
Food also brings people together, which is why every culture has celebrations that focus on eating and drinking. Personally, I can not think of a holiday that I do not associate with a specific food or beverage! One of the great American cultural events is the Superbowl. You may not care or even know what teams are playing but you better believe you showed up at the party expecting buffalo wings and jalapeño poppers! This past Superbowl it was a given that those items would be served, but I also wanted a great main dish to wow my guests with. Not finding quite what I wanted on food blogs or pinboards, I appealed to Facebook. Quickly, I received a response from my friend Chad, a Major in the United States Marine Corps. He was overseas serving our country in the Middle East. Being the sports enthusiast he is, I should have known he would possess a killer, crowd-pleasing recipe for game time. Chad may have been thousands of miles away, watching the Superbowl at 3am, but it felt like he was in Oregon watching it with us because we were eating his food. And that I think, is the real power of the Internet.
CHAD'S MARINATED FLANK STEAK
2 Flank or Skirt Steaks
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Medium Onion, diced
7 Cloves of Garlic, diced
3 Tablespoons Honey
5 Tablespoons Powdered Ginger
Combine all ingredients in large pan or bowl. Marinate steaks 24 hours, turning every few hours. About 2 hours before serving, remove steaks from refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Grab your grill master (in my case, my hubby) and grill steaks on each side, 4-5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. I served these steaks with flatbread and pickled vegetables.
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