Creative Fat Grrl

Creative Fat Grrl was a name I invented for myself when I wrote a web column for Lockergnome. I was looking for something that felt like me, not one of the bright, trendy and excitable young people who create energetic YouTube video posts on the side. It was something I could live up to without feeling left out. I kept it going for a couple of years. The name still works for creative arts sort of posts. Most of the posts in this category will be written for that column or others.

There are 2,542 posts filed in Creative Fat Grrl (this is page 29 of 424).

Fried Pickles

I saw fried pickles on a Food Network show about food trucks in New York. One of them, Jen and Outlaws, was serving southern US traditional fare. I was surprised to see friend pickles, I’ve never heard of the idea before. It sounded pretty good with buttermilk and crispy coating on them.

This recipe from the Bick’s Pickles site isn’t the same but I didn’t see a recipe for the other:

Spicy Fried Pickle Sticks and Dip
1 jar Bick’s® Baby Dills – Garlic
or Bick’s® Baby Dills – 50% Less Salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder
2 tsp (10 mL) cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
Oil for deep frying
Dip:
½ cup (125 mL) Bick’s® Zesty Onion Relish
½ cup (125 mL) sour cream
1. Preheat oil in deep fryer to 375ºF (190ºC). Drain and rinse pickles, cut into quarters lengthwise and pat dry. Lightly mix eggs in small bowl with fork, until frothy. Combine bread crumbs and seasonings in separate bowl.

2. Dip each pickle stick in egg, then in breadcrumb mixture. Fry in small batches, 45 – 60 seconds, until golden brown and crispy. Serve with dip.

3. Dip: Combine ingredients in small bowl.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 minute per batch

Makes: 10 servings

Tip:
1. For a thicker coating, dip in egg, then breadcrumbs, then egg and breadcrumbs again. Cook as directed.

New Mousepad


I’m not a big online shopper. I can easily count the purchases I’ve made on one hand. If you don’t count a couple of ebooks, there are exactly two things I have bought online. Tonight I decided to get this mousepad. I like it cause it is about St. Patrick’s Day, coffee and I do need a new mousepad.

I’ve been putting off getting a new one for a couple of years. The one I have now was from my ex-husband. It’s a yellow smiley face. But, it’s been shedding the backing for a few years until it’s kind of bald around the edges (on the back). Sometimes my hand gets a bit numb from resting on it when I’m using the mouse awhile. So, it’s time for it to be retired.

I really need to put up a corkboard or something like that. I get bits of things I’m working on cluttered all over and lose track of things as they get buried. So, it is a sensible idea. I can also put old smiley up on it, give him a featured corner. You can’t keep a good smiley down.

Naked Angels

Why are women’s bodies still being used to sell stuff? Even angels?

Maybe I’m over sensitive or over thinking the whole thing… but maybe everyone else isn’t thinking enough or stopped noticing.

 

Welcome to the Day

I’m going to try writing Morning Pages (again). I haven’t looked up the official rules in awhile. I think it was intended to be written long-hand but I’m ignoring that rule. I’m such a rebel that way. This morning I’m too tired for long-hand.

My brother is coming over. So I got up early, even before the alarm clock went off. I scurried around to tidy up. Does anyone else have a brother who is actually tidier than they are? Not that I don’t like things tidy, I just keep putting off the actual doing of the tidying. Anyway, I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, got boots straighted at the door, made coffee, moved a pile of books, and assorted other stuff that keeps sounding pretty lame as I’m writing this list. Why do I now feel tired?

I felt pretty perky when I woke up. I began planning my day. Planning what I would write here. Then I began working, got dressed, stuck my hair out of my face. Now, I’m just waiting for Graham to get here, the men who are coming to photograph the renovations to the basement and the other men (I’m only presuming they are men) who will be picking up the bag of clothing for donations which I also scurried around with this morning.

Do you know how creative you need to be to have an X on a plastic garbage bag? You can’t draw it on with marker. I’ve been there before. I picked cardboard from a piece of junkmail out of the recycling and cut an X out of it. Then I taped it to the bag. Now, I’m not sure if they said to leave the bag at the end of the driveway or not. I don’t want it picked up as garbage. No, it’s not garbage day but there are a lot of people who come along and look through anything put out here. I think they mainly want glass and such which they can get paid for. Still, that bag is out there for a purpose and – I don’t want them phoning me to complain that I had nothing to pick up when I said it would be there.

I have this thing where I feel at fault for everything already. I don’t need more.

Anyway, the man is here to do the photos. My brother is here showing him the basement so I can have my coffee like a good working zombie. Maybe I can have a nap later, if I’m sneaky about it.

Colouring your Books

From Rookie Magazine: Annie’s Room:

I’m obsessed with rainbows, so my books are organized by color. It really brightens up the room! I just have to think for a second about whether the spine is blue or orange when looking for a particular title.

This is such a pretty idea. I think it would make me crazy cause I’d never remember the colour of the book’s spine. I have enough to remember the title of the book. I sort mine by subject and hope I don’t make that confusing enough.

But, this is such a charming idea. Maybe I could do it with one shelf. Too bad I stopped keeping all my fiction books. Those would have been great for this plan. Maybe it’s a great idea for people running secondhand bookstores. What do you think?