Addict.

Hello.

My name is A. Sandin and I am a sushi addict.

It started innocently enough, my first California roll in college. Move on to sashimi. Then Chirashi. Friends looking to go out for dinner and I suggest sushi 97% of the time. I live in a city and I can get it on nearly every corner.

The problem is that it can add up...money wise...what was once a little occasional treat somehow turns into the dudes at the Japanese restaurant down the street recognize you.

A problem.

Enter the solution:

Sushi Bowl

Alton Brown's sushi rice, crumpled up nori, chopped avocado, strips of smoked lox, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds to finish it.

Cooking the rice takes the longest time and the smoked salmon is the most expensive part (mine was just under $7 and I get 2.5 servings out of it). There are lots of variations if you look around online, it really just depends on what you can find in your grocery store and how nervous you are about eating things when you don't actually know what they are.

I might get bored and need to go searching for the better stuff eventually, but for now this definitely takes the edge off.

A Game of Adjustments

My Dad declares that baseball is a game of adjustments. Now he lumps life into that category as well and I for one agree with the good Dr.  

Work was all over the place with moving into our new space right before diving headlong into our busy season. Though I have to say spending an afternoon sanding or staining is a fantastic stress reliever!

I managed to get as prepared as possible for the post Thanksgiving rush before I headed home to Ohio for the holiday.

I love that silver grey Midwestern sky! And I tolerate the flatness until we hit the hills that mean I'm home. With quite a bit of snow too!

Dr K. played barkeep and made cocktails to kick off the holiday, which I was thankful for. Nothing like a few shots of gin to make you take a load off!

Meanwhile Miss Linda made one of our favorite holiday cookies, Grandma K's 'Russian Teacake' recipe which you may know as Mexican wedding cakes, Greek kourambiedes, or if you're Dr K Swedish nut balls.

I got off my ass to help roll them in powdered sugar, before heading back to the couch to watch Hallmark movies under the blankie.

But I did contribute for a breakfast...

....and D and I laid the table...

...and I suggested Miss Linda make Smitten's Green Bean Casserole.

I also gave the thumbs up to make this delicious slow cooked stew with fresh toppings for a lovely dinner party with dear friends.

I'm an invaluable help in the kitchen.

They'd be lost without me.

I did spend a lot of time talking Gear with Dr K.

And rocking out over new additions to our Twang/Okra Punk music collections.

Its always great to go home but I had a hard time fully relaxing knowing the chaos that awaited me once I got back to work. Don't get me wrong, it was freakishly organized and scheduled chaos and I totally kicked ass. But it was still all mine to handle so it had my total focus, pushing everything else to the back burner (that means you Mumbles).

I did make time to decorate for Christmas, bulbs, starts, trees, candles, and Dhalas. 

I have to buy candles to make up for the lack of smell, but I do love my wee tinsel tree.

It was nice to crash on my couch with a cup of cocoa to watch the snow fall in candlelight after busting ass all day. And now I can do it after not busing my ass all day! I survived (with gold star levels of awesome) my first Holidayz as Production Manager! Very few casualties and I didn't piss of Santa or any customers. Score!

I'm liking life going back to "normal", taking care of all the things I couldn't for about a month and since it's the New Year making choices about that habits to keep and which to drop for 2014. Like Dad said, life is full of adjustments. But I have to say all in all I'm very content with how things stand in my life, I just keep rollin'.