on the move!

Dear readers, I'm on the move once again! I've got my domain up and running, and over time you'll see the new site getting more and more personalized! I'm gradually working on adding and updating things like ring code, better themes, etc. I hope I don't lose too many of you in the move!

Here's the new blog: http://www.hungryknitter.com

Please update your links, feeds, etc!

i should definitely be a graphic designer

Wow, check out the amazing banner I made for my new website!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

That's me in the cardboard t-rex. Age 4. You can see my little eyes peering out between the teeth!!!

procrastination reaches new heights in my apartment

I just registered my own domain name. And got hosting. Why would I do that??? Stay tuned for updates. I'm keeping the URL a secret for now because there's nothing there yet...

Thursday knitblogging: terrier edition

Okay, terrier/knitting post TAKE TWO! Take one involved blogger opening a new post that I couldn't type in. Thanks, blogger! Why do I bother anyway? If I had that elusive thing known to some as FREE TIME, I would make myself a better blog. But alas, I don't even have time for this blogging. I need a blog that does most everything for me.

Anyway, I would love to post a Rusted Root update, but to tell you all the truth, I haven't knit that much on it lately. I just got past the armpits (you start at the top and knit down) so I was able to try it on last night and it fits GREAT. If I wasn't totally procrastinating right now I'd try it on again and take a picture, but I'm the only one home and we all know those digital camera in front of the bathroom mirror shots are decidedly un-cute. And also, the length of the sweater is about mid-boob right now, and it looks really weird. Trust me. It'll be worth the wait. I whipped it out for Lost last night and did some work on it, but now that it's just straight knitting down the body it's not so exciting.

The good news is I've been cruising right through my second Jaywalker sock! I attempted to take pictures of those, but it was HARD because Cato really wanted to be all up on me at all times, and then I got trapped under him on the couch while trying to photograph my feet (not easy, let me tell you) and the batteries in my camera died.

And OH! I got a new camera! So expect more pictures, very very soon. I got the camera on my fantastic trip to Minnesota (Hi Jenny! Hi Baby Curry!) at fantastic Target. I love Target. And Minnesota is like the Promised Land of Targets. They're amazing. You can get things you can't get at other Targets, I swear to God. In this case, I got a display model clearance digital camera, which came out to about half of its original price. Sure, it came in a manila envelope instead of a box, but this thing ROCKS. Perhaps soon I will be able to take pictures that don't suck! But I'm guessing as long as I remain semi-blind (thanks, repeated eye infections and shitty glasses) and the dog remains not-semi-clingy that crappy photo situation will continue. At least they'll be better in focus now, though!

(Oh - a note about previous photos. Whenever I had photos that didn't suck before, that's because I was using Becki's camera. Her camera is fantastic.)

And without further ado, my (uh, or Ali's, rather) Jaywalker socks:

I wish there weren't little "peaks" where I've started the zig zag pattern on the toe. Perhaps They'll come out in the wash?

Avec terrier, and a slightly more accurate representation of the colors:

And, for everyone's amusement, here's a picture of what I typically find in the living room each morning:
"HI. I'M CATO. HI. I'M ALL RILED UP. HI. WANNA PLAY? WANNA CUDDLE? I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU ILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOU!!!!!!!!!!"

Yes, he IS possessed. And yes, that IS one of my bras hanging in the background. Oh well.

sometimes a new perspective can really clear things up

So a long time ago I went on a weekend "retreat" with some friends to one person's childhood home in Indiana. I say "retreat" because his family lives on the edge of a forest preserve and the house has giant windows and lots of wood beams so it's hard to tell where the house ends and the forest begins. The place is amazing. Anyway, we were playing one of those games where one person pretends they're someone else who's in the room and everyone asks that person questions to figure out who they're pretending to be. Questions such as, "if you were a food, what food would you be?" "if you were a color, what color would you be?" That kind of thing. And not surprisingly, this devolved quickly. We were all interrogating Ross, whose house we were at, and someone asked him "if you were one of the seven deadly sins, which sin would you be?" Well, it took us a while to remember all the sins, and then Ross finally says, "I'm not really sure if I'd be lust or gluttony." And of course everyone knows he's talking about me. And for the past couple years this will come up occasionally, and I never really know. Which one am I? Lust or gluttony???

And now I have finally received the answer. The other day Steve told me he was fasting. Of course, my reaction was to yell something along the lines of "OH MY GOD THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE WORST THING ON EARTH YOU MUST HATE LIFE SO MUCH RIGHT NOW." He said he'd had some juice, and he was only going for a day, and it wouldn't be that bad. He said had a friend in college who would go for three days, and which point my yelling trailed off into inhuman shrieks of horror. Steve asked, sounding genuinely curious about which of my vices is most powerful, "which is worse for you - abstinence or fasting?" I didn't even have to think before shouting back, "OH FASTING, DEFINITELY." I mean, having sex and then not having any sex sucks, don't get me wrong. And I may get a little cranky and start acting inappropriately. But taking away food .... I can't even function on a basic level. First I get cranky and irrational, and then I just fall apart, and then whole thing culminates in a spectacular fit of screaming and crying and sweating, on a rare occasion vomiting (yes I realize this makes no sense, but trust me, it's happened), that can only be solved by giving me something to eat and putting me immediately to bed. In college Ali was really into juice fasting, and as I recall she had a juicer and could make all kinds of delicious things, and I thought, "hey, I'm a toxin-ridden college student, I should give this a try to kind of clear things up." So I tried it with her one time. We were in scenic Appleton, Wisconsin, and as I recall we were driving in her car to go someone out by that beautiful mecca of midwestern civilization, the Fox River Mall. Or is it called the Fox Valley Mall? (I think I may have sustained mild brain damage in college. Probably some detox really was in order.) Anyway, I only made it to about 11AM before breaking down and yelling "OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CAN WE JUST GO GET SOME BURGERS OR SOMETHING." I got my burger, and I think she finished out the day of fasting.

So now we all know. I'm gluttony first, THEN lust.

Rusted Root progress!

Yes, I am knitting a sweater that's called Rusted Root. I didn't name it, and no, I don't like that band. Here's what I have so far, 33 rounds in:


And a close-up of the lace panel:

I am a tower of fuzzy wool.

Here is the pattern - on Zephyr Style. I'm using Inca Wool, which is 100% wool, and I can't tell you much about it because the label is in Russian... All I know is that it was in my yarn stash, and it's green, and green seemed appropriate for a sweater with a panel of leafy lace down the front.

bwa ha ha!

Studying is hilarious when you get to read medieval beastiaries! Today I'm working on this one. I just keep giggling and thinking, "wtf?" (Yes, I think "wtf," not "what the fuck." My mind is hip like that.)

For anyone who isn't aware, my initials are L.E.O. Also my sign is that of a Leo. Oooo. My parents claim this was an accident. You'd think that by the age of 27 I'd be sick of this, but it's still just a source of constant amusement. Also, whenever you read ANYTHING about Leos it fits me to an alarming degree. Anyway, I was amused when I read this in the bestiary (the one I linked to above): "Also it is to be noted that ‘leo’, ‘leonis’ (a Lion) is derived from ‘Leo’, ‘les’, ‘lere’ (to wipe out or destroy), in simple form, which form is not now in use." (page 58 in that electronic edition from the link...) Wipe out or destroy??? COOL. I'm going to go crashing around my apartment knocking things over and making roaring sounds now!

all gussied up and ready to blog

I'm back from spring break and I managed to wash all the NYC dirt off myself. Yes people, I even SHAVED MY LEGS for this blog post. Trust me, I was overdo for getting shorn (ha HAAA GET IT! SHORN. Like a sheep. And I KNIT!). That's how much I love my reader(s). I'll even shave my legs for you, as if this is a date. And I'm going to put out.

So while I was in NY I finished the first in a pair of Grumperina's Jaywalkers for Ali, the world's best composer/music theorist/spinner of yarn. They're Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy, in Lemongrass, knit magic loop-style on a 40" US1 Addi Turbo. I'm going to have to have some words with those needles, though. Mainly because I HATE THEM. The stumpy tips drive me insane, the cord is too $*$(&^#@ long even for magic loop, and I BENT THEM. Apparently I have fingers of steel, because these suckers are severely warped. I'd say at their worst they were bent at about a 30 degree angle. I kept trying to bend them back, but that's HARD and it hurt me. I started the second sock on the plane on the way back from NYC, but I think I'm still going to order new needles from Knit Picks (does anyone make bamboo needles in a US1 I suppose? Or would I just snap those like twigs?!!) before I stab something out of anger.

Oh wait, you couldn't even stab a bowl of mashed potatoes with these needles they're so fucking stumpy.

Anyway, the yarn is great - I can't say enough nice things about it. The socks feel so amazing and sproingy! And being cotton and all they won't roast poor Ali's feet in Eugene, the land where wool socks aren't really necessary...


My main modification to the pattern was that I knit these socks toe-up. I used these tutorials on toe-up sock knitting as rough guides and mostly followed my instincts, which, as it turns out, is a good way to go. I used the provisional cast-on as described on knittinghelp.com (here - scroll down - I love these videos. SO. helpful.), a short-row toe and heel, using this tutorial on Misocrafty so as to avoid holes. (By the way - Misocrafty?!?! That's the best craft blog name EVER. I so wish I had thought of that.)

Well, I'm through cursing like a sailor about socks. Here are some more pictures of my finished sock:


And another:


Agh, is it me or do these photos look better in flickr than on my blog? Why IS that?!?!!

And, because it's SO HARD to blog without including a dog photo of some kind, here's me wearing my sock and Cato wearing his socks, so daintily:

spring break blogging!

Dear faithful reader(s),

I'm writing from Brooklyn, where I'm staying with two of my most favorite people in the whole world, and one of the bestest dogs ever. Aaaaand hanging out with another favorite person! This morning I wandered up the street to get a bagel with lox (oh dear God I wish you could get bagels like this in Chicago) and a latte (soon to be 2 lattes...) to do some work (yes, even though it's spring break), use some wireless (free! I love Brooklyn.), and scope out a couple of destinations for my afternoon. I think I'll wander up Atlantic to find this enclave of Middle Eastern stores, including this one - Sahadi's!, and possibly visit this yarn store - Brooklyn General, although Brooklyn General is kind of far off my path, so if I'm short on time I probably won't make it. Although I do love yarn (as anyone who has ever seen my bedroom can attest) this won't break my heart. I have more than enough, and I can always use some fine Middle Eastern coffee a little bit readily.

Tomorrow will be my first foray into Manhattan, where I'll hopefully visit Purl Soho (ahem, more yarn), and probably wander aimlessly around Soho some, check out the Museum of Arts and Design (where this is an exhibit called Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting!!!!!!), and eventually meet an old college prof that I haven't seen in four or five years.

I miss Chicago and some people (and a dog) in Chicago, but DAMN I love New York.

ATTENTION LOGAN SQUARE HIPSTERS!!!!

Okay, I'm aware that my being a young white woman who moved into a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of Chicago I am thereby participating in Logan Square's getrification. And also, I do other things like take pictures with a cell phone camera, and write on a blog, and go to shows, and bla bla bla bla blaaaaaaaaaa. So what I'm saying is, I'm not working with a clean moral slate with which I can criticize people for being hipsters and all.




HOWEVER.

That's the building across the street from me. It's ugly. It's old. Lots of people live there, and from the looks of the building they're probably kind of poor. They have presumably been in this neighborhood for a lot longer than I have. I live in the nicer (but also old) building across the street.

BUT AT LEAST I'M NOT GETTING DRESSED UP ALL HIP AND TAKING PICTURES FOR WHAT IS PROBABLY MY BAND'S INDEPENDENTLY RELEASED ALBUM IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING, IN MY RIPPED DIESEL JEANS AND CAREFULLY MUSSED UP HAIR IN FRONT OF THE PAINTED OVER GRAFFITI ON THE UGLY OLD BUILDING SO I CAN LOOK ALL URBAN AND COOL, BUT WITH A REALLY EXPENSIVE DIGITAL CAMERA.

COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If only I could have moved fast enough to capture them while they were actually taking the picture.

I eat well while writing papers

This morning I made some very simple, very tasty brunch-pasta. It's only brunch pasta because it was brunch time. But I suppose fatty potatoes are also reminiscent of brunch... This one features fried unboiled gnocchi. I learned about this from this recipe on 101cookbooks and ever since I first made her spring gnocchi, frying without boiling has been my favorite method of cooking those little buggers. I love the way the butter seeps through the whole dumpling, and they're soft on the inside and cripsy on the outside.

Nameless Brunch Gnocchi

1 lb. fresh gnocchi (I love the non-refrigerated kind they have at Stanley's, but I'm sure other ones are good too. Just stay away from the crap in the fridge at Whole Foods.)

butter
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

7 roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped (a couple of handfuls of halved cherry or grape tomatoes would be good, too)
2 c. sliced shiitake mushrooms
white balsamic vinegar

fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
fresh sage - about a tablespoon of each of these, finely chopped

parmesan cheese

Gnocchi: Melt about 3T butter with about 2T olive oil in a large pan. Add gnocchi (unboiled!) and saute with a sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper until they are all cooked through and golden and crispy on the outside.

Veggies: Melt about 2T butter and 1T olive oil in another pan, preferably not a non-stick one. Add the mushroom slices and some kosher salt and pepper. I like a put a lid on to cook them on all sides evenly. When they're tender, pour out the liquid that has accumulated in the pan and drizzle some white balsamic vinegar over them. Continue cooking until the vinegar has cooked off. Add tomatoes and cook for about 30 seconds, until they are warmed through, then add the herbs and cook for about 30 seconds more.

Pile veggies on the top of the gnocchi, grate some parmesan over the top, and eat!

Serves about 3-4, depending on how much you each and what other things you may be eating...

someone's helping me with my homework

so i hear papers just write themselves if you blog incessantly...

Becki and I were just observing that the quality of our conversations has really declined since THE DOG arrived a couple weeks ago. Whereas before our conversation was totally all, "Well Rebecca, the thing about globalization is........" now we only say things like, "WHO DID A BIG POOP!!!! DID YOU DO A BIG POOP!!!! GOOD POOP!!!! WHAT A GOOD POOP!!!! WHAT A GOOOOOOOOOD POOOOOOOOOOOOOOP POOPY POOP MCPOOPERTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Shit, I don't even use words most of the time. Now I just run around the house making a serious of spastic arm and leg motions and weird barking/chirping sounds. And the worst part of it is, I think Cato might even be smarter than I am. He made an impressive display of ignoring Becki after she yelled at him this morning by staring at a blank wall as if there was something going on in his fuzzy little dog brain, and this made her even more angry! When Becki yells at ME, I usually just throw myself onto my bed and cry.*

*just kidding. Becki doesn't yell at me. But if she did, I promise I would be paralyzed with fear and couldn't possibly pull off any move so thoroughly infuriating as staring at a blank wall with a strangely intelligent expression on my face.

bejeweled!

Alas, what with being in school and all I have very little time to knit. I finished my bejeweled scarf a few weeks ago, waited a couple weeks before blocking it, and now I've been wearing it all over town for a little while and just took the photos today.



Here are the specs:

Pattern: Bejeweled Scarf, by Lisa Shobhana Mason, as part of the informal Bejeweled Knit-Along

Yarn: 200 yards of 100% alpaca from Almost Paradise Farms in Oregon, from Beneta and Rose (presumably these are the little buggers this yarn was shorn from) As an aside, this is the most deliciously buttery yarn I have ever knit with! They really aren't kidding about alpaca being the poor man's cashmere. I love it. Also, there's no way (for me at least) to capture the depth and range of these colors in a photograph, either. This isn't just a gray scarf - you can distinguish individual bits of fiber ranging from black to white and every shade of gray in between.

Needles: Addi Naturas US8, I forget the length of the cord and it's not really relevant anyway.

Mods: I didn't make the scarf as wide as the pattern calls for since I only had 200 yards of yarn. (The pattern calls for 270.) I forget how many stitches I ended up increasing to... But I'm happy with the width, although every time I wear it this sucker gets longer and longer. I wrap it around my neck three times and tie it in a knot now, and it still hangs down to my belly. I may block it again. I may even shell out for blocking wires, because pinning this thing down was a complete son of a bitch.

Pictures taken with a Panasonic DMC-TZ1 (Becko's camera!)



And, because I am now one of THOSE PEOPLE, here is a crappy cell phone picture of Cato laying on the scarf:

thanks for the blog fodder, CTA

So I'm an irresponsible citizen and I let my vehicle registration expire. Sue me. While I'm waiting for my new stickers to arrive (in the next couple days, according to a shockingly nice and helpful employee of the Illinois Secretary of State) I'm back to taking the CTA from Logan Square to Hyde Park. Every day. And while this takes a long time, it's not that bad when you go at rush hour and things are running really frequently. And I get a lot of work done. But I don't really wake up early in the morning any more, and so I'm getting on the blue line around ... ohhhh 10:30 or so every morning. And you get a really strange mix of people at this time. Some students. Some vagrants - such as the young men tagging the train car this morning and talking loudly about their latest experiences with excrement (I kid you not) as confused suburban families stare at them and Chicago residents stare down at their shoes or absently out the window hoping not to be the target of harassment. Lots of old rich women, and I'm not sure why. Don't old rich women take cabs? That's what I always thought. But in the mid-late morning hours they're all over the blue line in their fur coats (seriously. fur coats on the el.) and cashmere scarves. Then on the red line I was treated to the very strong scent of urine. Someone recently told me that they saw a woman get on the red line and sit down on the urine-soaked seat. Now whenever I smell pee on the train I can't stop thinking: "whereisthepeewhereisthepeewhereisthepeewhereisthepeewhereisthepee OH GOD I HOPE I'M NOT TOUCHING IT" until I get to school and wash my hands under the hottest water I can stand so that my knuckles are cracking open and bleeding. But the best part of all, and always the most entertaining, is the 55 bus. Oh, 55 bus. Yesterday afternoon I got on the bus leaving campus around 3:30, which was stupid of me because at this time it's general overrun with horrible loud school children. A group of girls who looked to be in about 9th grade got on and sat in all the seats surrounding me, yelling across me. No big deal. Then one of them pulled the stop request cord (whatever you call that thing...) to get off, but was still yelling to her friends from the back door, and missed the stop. When one of her friends realized she'd missed her stop she started tugging on the cord and screaming "BACK DOOR ACTION! BACK DOOR ACTION! BACK DOOR ACTION!!!!!" while her friends (and I, actually) erupted in hysterical shrieking laughter. That is the funniest thing I've heard all week. Back door action girl, I love you.

Oh, here's the full story of my Secretary of State experience - I called Springfield to find out when my new tags would be arriving, since I sent away my renewal a couple of weeks ago and I now have expired stickers on my car. After 8,000 menus, being on hold for about a half and hour, being transferred, and being on hold some more, I got the most pleasant Illinois drivers' services employee I have ever heard of. I explained the situation to the woman, acknowledged that I should have sent my renewal request weeks earlier, yadda yadda, and the woman looked up my information, and told me that according to the computer my registration is up to date and I can expect my sticker in the next couple of days. I asked if, since I am current according to the computer, I would be okay driving. She sort of beat around the bush for a minute before saying, "well, it really just depends on how much of a jerk the cop is." BEAUTIFUL. I love you as well, anonymous civil servant. Way to provide pleasant, reasonable, and realistic service. I'm totally blown away.

my life = suddenly more fulfilling

Today my roommate (this one) got a DOG. I am so. excited.

Coming soon: CUTE PICTURES OF THE DOG. Name TBA.

Here is THE DOG:


He is the sweetest, chillest dog ever. I love him. Already. He comes home tomorrow after a little hormone test to see if he needs an ........ adjustment of any kind.

I stopped shoving food in my face just long enough to write this blog post

Behold, naysayers!

I had a fantastic dinner tonight. I’m busy as all get out, and although I finished my latest knitting project (again: behold, KNITTING naysayers! I have completed something. Soon it will be blocked and in action, keeping me warm.) I have a shitload of homework to do. Like both Chef Yum Yum and ER, I eat every day. Sadly, I don’t knit every day, and those there are the two primary topics on my blog. That and … NOTHING.

This pasta is amazing. It’s nutritious and comforting. It’ll keep you warm. Especially when combined with red wine… And the seasoning is very simple, with satisfying results. It requires dirtying many pans, but it’s worth keeping those veggies separate from one another so things don’t get soggy. Also, if you start the squash a little bit ahead of time, each component on its own takes about the same amount of time, which is neat.

A warning, if you balk at excessive quantities of butter, this isn’t for you. Also, my blog may not be for you, either. I might not be for you.

1 butternut squash, diced
A handful of fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed

1lb mushrooms, sliced

1 lb linguine

a handful of grated parmesan (the nice kind)

Olive oil
butter
Kosher salt
Pepper

Squash:

Spread the diced squash evenly over a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for about 10 minutes, or until tender about halfway through each piece. Don’t overcook the squash! It will turn into baby food. Heat a generous drizzling of olive oil and about 3-4T butter in a large non-non-stick pan over medium heat. Toss the squash chunks with a small handful of kosher salt, generous crackling of pepper, and sage. Brown the squash mixture in the pan. This will take about 10 minutes – spread the squash evenly throughout the pan and leave it alone for a few minutes, turning it a couple of times.

Pasta:

Bring salted water to a boil, add linguine, and cook until al dente – about 12 minutes.

Onions:

Heat another generous helping of olive oil and a couple more tablespoons of butter in another non-non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and the garlic and allow them to brown for about 10 minutes.

Mushrooms:

Heat olive oil and butter in yet another pan (non-stick or otherwise), add the mushrooms with some salt and pepper, and allow them to cook until soft.

Drain the pasta. Toss the vegetables together and layer them over a plate-full of pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and savor every bite. Or cram it into your face. Either way, it’s great.

Serves 3

[edit: serves more like 6 if you eat less than I do. I eat a lot.]

Alas. Back to the school work.

coming soon: content!

I am allegedly (according to Chef Yum Yum, that is) a bad blogger. This is probably true. Or at least it has been true for the last month or so. But I'm happy to say that now that I have more than -2 seconds per week to myself, a SUPER sexy new computer, and a completed (but not blocked) knitting project and another cute one started, I may actually have some things to say. Photos (and words that aren't content-free babbling) coming soon.

a new year's eve menu for you and your roommate

I'm not a big fan of new year's eve as a holiday. I'm like a new year's scrooge. I don't like holidays where everyone gets the I HAVE TO GO OUT AND ACT REALLY DANGEROUSLY AND LIKE I DO NOT NORMALLY ACT idea (see Halloween for adults, and increasingly St. Patrick's Day as well), and everything costs a million dollars. Also, I just don't think January 1st is more different from December 31st than any other day is to the one before it. Need to change something in your life? Decide the next day is a fresh start and just do it. There is nothing special about January 1st in and of itself. Is it your birthday? Then it's special for that reason. Is it the day you decide to quit smoking / eat healthier / exercise / lose weight / whatever - then that's what makes that day special. This "first day of the new year = big special fresh start" ... I'm not buying it. Maybe that makes me a crabby bitch. So be it. New year's eves that I have enjoyed included, but are not limited to: being a kid, when staying up to midnight is exciting, attending a small dinner party where everyone wore pajamas, and last night's - sitting on the couch, eating a fancy dinner with my roommate, teaching her to knit, and watching a CSI marathon.

Our menu consisted of smoky mustard greens with chicken drumsticks, barbecued pork loin, and potato-corn hash. Becki was in charge of the (delicious) pork, so I'll only blog about my contributions. Here's what we did:

1/3 lb. bacon

8 medium-sized red potatoes
1/4 onion, diced
2-3 T butter
2 c. frozen corn, thawed
kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. mustard greens (really, any hearty coarse green thing will work here. I just wouldn't use spinach. But kale or something like that would be good.)
3 chicken drumsticks (or another kind of dark meat chicken)
1/3 c. dry white wine (or vermouth would be nice)
a few drops liquid smoke
1 T "better than bouillon" (this is a bouillon mix that comes in a jar and many flavors. I used vegetable last night because that's what I have, but any flavor would be great here. I've found it at Dominick's and the (evil, crappy, and over-priced) Hyde Park Co-op. If you can't find better than bouillon some regular old broth would be fine, but maybe add a little less wine so things don't get too sloppy.)
kosher salt and black pepper

Boil the red potatoes until they are about halfway done (so you can stick a fork in, but with difficulty). Strain them, and dump them into a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking more. When they are cool enough to touch, chop them (with skins!) into bite-size chunks. Set aside.

Chop the bacon into strips about 1/2" wide and fry them over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When they're done to your liking, take them out of their grease with a slotted spoon and set them aside for later. Pour half the grease (carefully!) into another large skillet.

One of these skillets is for the potatoes, and one is for the greens.

Potatoes:
Cook the onions in the bacon grease over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the chopped potatoes and season heartily with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. My potatoes sucked up that bacon grease pretty fast, so I ended up adding a couple tablespoons of butter to help prevent sticking and make the outsides nice and brown and crispy. When the potatoes are nearly done, add the corn, just so it gets heated through. Sprinkle with bacon pieces when done.

Greens:
Cook the sliced onion over medium-high heat until golden. Add the chicken pieces with the skin side down in the bacon grease and cook until nicely browned. You may turn them to brown other sides as well, but the middle should be remaining uncooked. Add a generous sloshing of white wine, a sprinkling of liquid smoke, the bouillon, and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. When the chicken is browned to your liking but not fully cooked, add your greens and cover the pan to cook them down. No need to dry them after washing - the water will help cook them. When the greens are about half cooked, remove the lid and allow them to cook the rest of the way as some of the remaining liquid evaporates.


Share with roommates, get comfy, and enjoy! Fyi, the left-over potatoes make GREAT hash browns in the morning.