Don't Waste Your Time, or Time Will Waste You

I recently had the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands...TWICE!

Muse was in the NYC area last week and through some luck I was able to attend to their Madison Square Garden and Izod Center shows.  Since the last time I saw them perform was Coachella 2010, this was extra exciting for me. 

As always, Muse put on an amazing show!  Bright lights, moving panels that made pyramid shapes, and Matthew Bellamy's sparkly jackets did not disappoint.  And I absolutely loved how they featured the bassist, Chris Wolstenholme, for "Liquid State" from their most recent album "The 2nd Law."  His voice has a completly different tone from Bellamy's, but you could still feel the MUSE energy.  So happy that I got to experience this twice.

Some other highlights include:

- They actually played a good mix of their discography, instead of focusing on most of their current album, which makes me very happy.

- During an interlude, there was a nice rendition of The Animals "House of the Rising Sun."

- I always find it funny how the U.S.A. National Anthem is played before "United States of Eurasia."

- Lots of Union Jack flags in the audience!

- Chris threw his harmonica after the "Knights of Cydonia" intro and Dom threw his drum sticks to the audience at the end of the show....I wish I was closer to the stage.

- From my observation, the oldest song Muse performed was "Stockholm Syndrome". I went nuts.

The one disadvantage of larger venues - Everyone looks like ants.

New Year, New Challenges

The year 2013 nearly two months in with some changes and new challenges.  I've been on a freelancing frenzy, traveled to two different states, and started a really awesome new years resolution.

I chose this year to retry some foods that I always avoided, because I "didn't like them."  Flavors that I didn't like as a kid, textures that I didn't want to touch have kept me from enjoying dinner parties and other outings were I was limited with choices.  I've started to order some items at restaurants, or nibble off of a friend's meal, but I figured 'What better way than to cook it myself!'

I tried oysters!!  They were actually delicious.  Can't believe I missed out all these years.

I hate oranges.  I've never liked the pulp, texture, and the flavor in orange juice, yet I somehow always order orange chicken at Chinese restaurants.  I know that the majority of restaurant orange chicken has 100s of added flavors to it, so I never noticed, so I opted for a healthier, striped down version.

Orange Ginger Chicken with Broccoli and White Rice

I stir-fried together a light Orange Chicken with Broccoli with a side of white rice and it was DELICIOUS.  I can totally handle the flavor of the orange juice and it blended well with the other ingredients without overpowering the dish.  Recipe below.

Serves 2

2           Chicken Breasts
1/2        Onion, chopped
1 Cup   Broccoli, in pieces
1 Pkge  Rice
1tsp      Canola oil

Marinade
1           Orange, rind grated and juiced
1Tbsp   Grated Ginger
1tsp      Honey
1/2 tsp  Sriracha Sauce
(or adjust to your liking)

Cut chicken into cubes and season with salt and pepper, set aside.  In a medium bowl add the grated rind and juice of the orange, grated ginger, honey, and sriracha sauce and mix well.  Set aside a small section of the marinade and add the chicken pieces to the remaining sauce and allow it to sit for a half hour to two hours.

Prepare rice according to the box instructions.

Place oil on a frying pan and set to medium heat.  saute the onions until slightly brown and translucent and add the broccoli and chicken and saute until the chicken is cooked through.  Turn to low heat and add the sauce that was set aside for a couple more minutes.

Serve the stir fry with some rice, enjoy!