Goodbye, My Dear Friend, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

Dear iPhone 3G,

First of all, I would like to thank you for all your hard work and dedication the last 3 years. You are a phone that has served me well. I know the last year has been difficult, especially with me upgrading you to iOS 4, which I really shouldn’t have. But like a trooper, you chugged along tirelessly despite the burden it put on your processor. And now you will be going to a new home where they will care for you just as I have. Never forget that you have been well-loved, my friend. Carry on.

Kristine

Weekend Project, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

I’ve been living without a dining set for some time now ever since Jabari and I spent a short stint cohabitating. So after much shopping around, I finally settled on a table and chairs from IKEA.

I’m no stranger to IKEA’s cryptic assembly instructions, but this one was particularly daunting. In fact, it was a sizeable booklet. It took me close to 2 hours to assemble this ginormous table, maybe even more. I lost track after a while. I started to assmble the chairs but only got as far as finishing one before I was spent the rest of the afternoon.

Unfortunately I have to make one more trip to IKEA. We weren’t sure if we could fit everything in Jabari’s car so I need to go back for 2 more chairs, possibly a chest of drawers, and a nightstand or two. The only thing left I have to buy is a new couch which I also plan on buying from IKEA, but possibly at a later date when I get some time off.

But even with just the addition of the table, my apartment is starting to look more and more like a home again and less like a storage unit. And that makes me happy.

Grill-Smoked Pork Spare Ribs, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

Wow, it’s been a while hasn’t it? I go through phases like this though where I’ll write and write for days, and then suddenly I’ll take an extended vacation. Life has been good lately. I can’t complain. I’ve lost 10 lbs. since July, but now I haven’t lost or gained anything for the last two weeks, which in some ways it’s good. I would rather stay at the same weight than gain, but overall I would rather be losing weight. I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that my workouts have kinda stalled. I’m still walking 20 to 30 minutes about 3 to 4 times a week. I haven’t bothered picking up the alternate workouts I discovered on Hulu, but perhaps that’s something I should reconsider.

Additionally, a lot of what’s stalling my Hulu workouts is the fact that I’ve really gotten hooked on watching TV again, which is surprising because I even cancelled cable just so I could spend LESS time watching TV (and save a bit of money). Yet since I’ve added the Roku box to the household, I’m back into watching quite a lot of TV. I’m considering moving my TV out of my bedroom and out into the living room. Lately I’ve found myself watching one program after the next on Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu. it’s even interrupting my bedtime.

Oh and another thing that’s taken up my weekends? Grilling! I’ve totally fallen in love with my new grill. I’ve cooked on it 3 times now and I can’t seem to get enough of it. This past weekend was the only weekend I didn’t spend any time out on the grill. Jabari and I had a bit of an indulgent brunch at Grand Lux cafe, followed by what I like to call my favorite kind of cardio (shopping) at the Galleria, and then an afternoon caffeine break at Coffee House Cafe. By the time we headed home, it was already so late in the day and I didn’t even have the necessary ingredients on hand for the grill recipe I wanted to try so I opted for vegetating the rest of the day watching movies and eating a light dinner of just a sandwich and apple.

However, pictured above is the last grill meal I prepared: grill smoked pork ribs. These are actually somewhat special for me because it was the first time I ever barbecued ribs. I’ve never had a grill this large so this is my first time being able to cook large slabs of meat. Needless to say, it turned out wonderful. In fact, I could’ve cooked 2 racks of ribs and given some extra to Jabari to take home. The funny thing is I’d checked the weather that day and knew there were thunderstorms in the forecast. I’d had the ribs on the grill for about 1.5 hours when the monsoon hit. In a frenzy, Jabari helped me get the ribs off the grill and into the oven to finish off for the last 30 minutes. The ribs had already attained that smoky, delicious flavor so I had no problems throwing them into the oven.

Grill Smoked Pork Ribs

1 rack of St. Louis-style pork ribs
1/2 cup John Henry’s Pecan Rub

First of all, prep the ribs by removing the flap of meat off the back of the ribs. This can be saved and grilled with the ribs. Then remove the paper-like membrane of the back of the ribs. You can keep this on, but it’s rather tough and unnecessary so it’s best to remove it anyway.

Rub the pecan rub into both sides of the ribs until well coated. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours.

Basting Liquid

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 large white onion
1 large jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup white sugar

Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan over medium low heat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and steep for 30 minutes. Strain through mesh sieve. Pour into spray bottle.

Start the grill and preheat to 400F. Get the ribs on to sear in direct heat, 5 minutes each side. Then move the ribs off direct heat and lower grill temperature to 350F. Cover and cook for 2 hours, bottom side down (membrane-side), spraying the ribs with the basting liquid every 30 minutes.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste the ribs with your favorite commercial or homemade barbecue sauce. Take off the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Hello, I Love You. Won’t You Tell Me Your Name?, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

I’ve cooked on my new grill twice and I must say, it hasn’t disappointed. Grilling is something I’m beginning to master, but barbecuing is my next challenge. Low and slow, baby

Progress, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

Can I let you in on a little secret?

A week ago I had a morbid thought. What if I died tomorrow? What if I was too late? What if my heart exploded from the stress and the poor diet choices and all that stuff and that there would be bits and pieces of me left everywhere and the only thing left to identify would be my hand, still clutching my iPad and my MacBook? post-mortem of course. Haha

Today I went back to my doctor for a follow up. He gave me good news: my blood pressure was going down. It still wasn’t low enough, but it was an improvement. “Don’t worry,” he said, “We’ll get you right in no time. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re on the right track.” He even was happy to report that I’d lost almost 3 lbs. since last week.

See? Progress. Sometimes it just takes a little reassurance to know you’re doing something good and to carry on.

He prescribed 2 more medications for me to help aid the other medication I was on, which now brought my total daily pills to about 6 including a multi-vitamin. Nevertheless, I was encouraged. I was feeling better. I was improving.

I had another great dinner tonight: poached salmon with a tomato and mozzarella salad and steamed brown rice. Poached salmon is quickly becoming my FAVORITE. Something magical happens when the onions mix with the white wine and the dill and the salmon. I let it sit in the poaching liquid on a gentle simmer for 5 minutes so that it’s still underdone when it comes out. The resulting fish is soft and buttery with that delectable fat still left intact, something that unfortunately melts away with oven baking.