Sauce!

A few weeks ago I went to our local Trader Joe's and bought a few cans of whole peeled tomatoes for like $1.19 each and turned it into a gallon of sauce. HOLY. FUCKING. SHIT. Best sauce ever. Recipe follows:

Software:
3- 28oz cans of Whole Pealed Tomatoes
3 Cloves garlic chopped
some Olive Oil
some Dried Basil
some Crushed Red Pepper
some Dried Parsley
salt and pepper

Hardware:
1- Large stock pot
1 Potato masher
Baggies/Storage Containers for Freezing

Saute the garlic in the oil on a lowish setting until you can smell it. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC! If you burn the garlic, it will make the sauce taste REALLY bitter. Once you smell the garlic, add some of the red pepper to the oil and stir it for a few seconds until you can smell the peppers. Then add all of the tomatoes to the pot- be careful because they will splash a bit. Once they are in the pot, add in your seasonings to taste- at least 1Tbs each though- be careful with the salt though- you can always add it later. Use your potato masher to crush the tomatoes and mix the herbs in at the same time. Bring it to a boil, then take it down to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 4-5 hours uncovered or partially covered.

After the sauce is done, let it cool down a bit before putting it into the containers. I would say aim for a liter per container or so. Freeze. When you want to use it, you can defrost it either in the fridge or attempt to bring it to boil on the stove.

Enjoy!

A Fresh New Look

For the past six years, I have been playing Final Fantasy XI. At first, I only played because a few of my real life friends played, but I began to notice that actual people played this game. These people over time grew to be some of my best friends- whom I would trust my deepest secrets with. I think it may have to do with that strange barrier between us known as the internet. It allows everyone to express themselves how they would like to be without the pressures of society around them [...except in HNMLS, but that's another post :)]. It is because of this barrier I am able to start this blog and express myself, both my real life body, and my online persona.

To start off, in FFXI, I am a Tarutaru 75 Whm and Smn on the Asura server and my name is Miroku. Now before you go ahead and start making comments how that name is from the anime Inu Yasha, let me fill you in on something- When I made my character, I was 14 and the random names for Tarus are fucking insane. So rather than have my name be Mirokuboku or some crap like that, I figured, "Hay guyz- nobody will ever know that this name is from Yasha!!11oneone!" So I shortened it and ta da!

Obviously, I've gained some form of intelligence by comparison...maturity... eh maybe a little.

Anyway, this year, I graduated from high school and for some reason I think I have this amazing filter over my eyes that's allowing me to view the world in this strange new light... it apparently transcends into the virtual world as well. This could be a good thing or a bad thing as I am now starting to see people as I would not like to see them normally.

For example, I have seen that people are most selfish when they try to be the most selfless. Now, I'm sure that there are exceptions to the cases, but when I myself see that if I helped someone, that later down the line I may think that they owe me something is kinda scary.

Then there are the wonderful people who are just so amazing they're really hard to describe. As of this moment, I can think of maybe 5 people in both the virtual world and real world that fit this quality. There's Stephany (yes she spells it with a 'y' -.-), who is by far one of the best writers I've ever met.
Lauren who carried me out of a creek, tied her shirt around my leg after I popped it open resulting in (26 internal stitches and 14 staples), thus saving it from infection and amputation.
Sam, who's the easiest guy to talk to and I would take a bullet for.
Irene, who through countless hours I worked with on hundreds pieces of set for drama and am always able to talk to regardless of the hour, and is always there for me.
Last but not least, Serenseven- my best friend in FFXI. He started playing about 2 years ago now that I think about it and I don't think I've ever been in a fight with him ever. We're both strangely attune to the other's moods and feelings and it's kinda creepy- but in a good way. Now that I think about it, the only reason why I haven't left Asura yet is because of this schmuck :)

If I had a point to this wall of text, I think I've forgotten it by now- writing about my friends brought me a ton of happy memories and I don't think my point really matters much anymore.

Hope everyone has a good night, I've got assessment testing in the morning for college so wish me luck~

My name is Joe.