"Grab 'em in the biscuits"

Yes, I quoted Digital Underground.

An attempt to run more than 30 feet at a time without collapse is currently in the works. I know... I know... the motto is 'only run when chased' but I'm getting to the point where if chased, I'd just sit down and say 'Go ahead, I don't care'. I started about 3? weeks ago and at first I resembled a wheezing blob of dough staggering along and I've moved up to jogging wheeze blob.
Yay progress.
I will say that running outside is much better than running on a treadmill. There's more scope for the imagination. Currently, I'm running on a track that goes around a couple softball fields, tennis & basketball courts and in part of it is a big green field with high grass that birds skim over. I have a couple scenarios worked out where there are fairy riders and a rescue mission is underway.
I digress.
Running = good.

Went to the zoo last weekend, unfortunately no ADORABLE (and might I say, endangered) red pandas escaped while we were there.
Le sigh.
All day I found myself thinking, 'I just want to touch that *insert animal of your choice* it looks so fuzz-ay.' Of course it would probably rip my hand off but hey, that's a risk I'm willing to take.
Also:
The Aye-Aye is much bigger than I thought and it looks like a wet cat mated with a vampire but it's cute in a pug way.

Bats are also cute. (sorry Auntie P, I know you're not a fan but I heart them)

Penguins sound like vuvuzela when they all start yammering for food. They are also cute.

I couldn't do the bird house. Pardon, the Lorakeet encounter. Seemed cool and the birds are gorgeous... I think if Husband wanted to, I would've but I'm not a fan of birds on or very near my person.

People of Philadelphia have better public manners than those of Raleigh. One brief example of a typical occurrence: An 8ish year old child thanked Husband for holding the door for him and his Mother.
Of course, on the drive home some prick drove up the shoulder and cut in front of husband which lead to a shouted exchange of "NO. YOU'RE the A-HOLE here buddy." So you know, there's that.

There's a fantastic Korean market (H Mart which I think is a chain) near us so I've been able to re-stock on kimchi, red pepper flakes and cheater dumplings. I make dumplings once in a blue moon - too much work. The fish selection has also been good when I've gone, fresh and staring at you, but they'll clean the guts out if you ask. (If you've never cleaned your own meat, you should try it once. And then thank the stars you don't have to do it all the time. Barfo.)

Had a hankering for some biscuits over the weekend so here's a modified recipe. I have no shortening in the house, so I used butter only... you can substitute 1/3 cup vegetable shortening if that is your preferred fat. This may change the cooking time but I'm not sure...

Easy biscuits
2 cups flour
extra flour for dusting surface, rolling pin, cutter
2 and 1/2tsp baking powder
1/3 cup butter (cold, cut into small bits)
room temp butter for spreading on the tops of biscuit dough
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2-3/4 cup milk (depends on how dry dough winds up)

1. Stir flour, baking powder, salt & sugar together
2. Dump in the butter, with clean hands or however you prefer to cut in the butter, moosh the butter into the flour until it's pretty well incorporated or to use the baking term-coarse breadcrumbs (larger balls of flour butter=more layers)
3. stuff the bowl of flour into the freezer
4. Preheat the oven to 450, set up a floured surface to roll out dough, find a cutter (I use a glass or cookie cutter depending on what I find first)
5. Take cold bowl out of freezer, make a well in the center of flour and pour in about 1/2 cup milk and stir well, you might need slightly more to get everything to stick together and if you put too much milk in, you can always add a bit of flour
6. briefly knead the dough until it forms a ball 
7. roll out dough to about 1/2" thick (1/2" may be about 1/2 of the first joint of your finger, unless you have Truckasaurus hands)
8 . cut out your dough shapes (or just cut the bitch into pieces)
9. place dough blobs onto baking sheet so that they just touch, brush tops with soft butter and bake for 12-20mins or until tops are browned

I've made these a bunch of times now and the baking time has never been the same twice. So, I'd say set timer for 12 minutes, check them and go from there.

It's Thyme already?!

Looked at my posts today and realized I have put ZERO up since last year. Shame on me!

Update:
1. We moved from NC to PA. That's right Phillerdelphia, lock up your daughters, we're back.
2. Please buy our townhouse in NC. It's adorable, the neighborhood is nice and there's stuff nearby. Even if you don't want to live there, you could rent it out... think of it as an investment.
3. We're still married.
4. I'm still cooking dinner.

Mister got a new job in Philadelphia and I was able to get a transfer so we're back near the city again. It was rather dreary and stressful for a couple months (who the HELL moves in January) but now it's gotten warmer, the trees and flowers are all in bloom and we're getting more settled into jobs and apartment living.

While unloading a bunch of boxes from the moving truck I almost won a Darwin award. 45degree ramp + dolly +100lbs of crap = more than me
So, the dolly knocked me off the ramp, all the boxes smashed open and I came away stripped of dignity with rips in my pants and blood all over the place. Perfect ending to an horrible 2 weeks.

But, there is hope! I found some in a bottle and some in remembering the bastardized recipe for beef stroganoff which now that I think of it, uses part of the bottle so really- Hope is solely related to the bottle.

Speaking of hope, we're going to take a little trip to New Hope, PA this weekend, it's a really nice little community of artist types and tons of nice little shops.

BUT, that has nothing to do with this:

Sauced Beef over Noodles (serves 2)
2 cups cooked wide eggs noodles
1 tsp oil
1 small fillet Mignon cut into cubes
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (whatever kind you have)
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup beef broth mixed with 2 tsps of corn starch
2 TBspns red wine (that you like to drink)
pepper & salt to taste
1 tsp chopped thyme (if you only have dried use 1/4-1/2 tsp)
2 TBspn 1/2&1/2 or cream
chopped parsley
optional:
finely chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic

1. heat oil in pan and brown beef cubes (don't cook all the way through) transfer beef and accumulated juices into bowl and set aside
2. add mushrooms, onion and garlic, cook until softened and set aside in bowl with browned beef
3. add plain broth, red wine, spices to pan and scrape up any stuck bits
4. add the beef, mushrooms and any juices back into the pan
5. add broth with corn starch and mix
6. heat and stir until thickens and beef is cooked to your liking (if it thickens too much, add a tbspn of water at a time until you get the consistency you like)
7. add the cream and stir
8. serve over the cooked noodles