Recipes

General Tso's Tofu, Mint Pesto, and Baked Peaches posted tonight.

I highly recommend the baked peaches as a treat for your summer evening! :)

A short break

I realize it's been awhile since I last wrote. I took a short break to get the virtual recipe box I mentioned last time up and in order - and I'm really proud of how it's coming out! I'm enjoying having a cataloged process, as well as pictures of the dishes I've made. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making any attempt to be a food stylist or photographer, but it's nice to have a sort of photo index card to remind myself how much I enjoyed a dish. Knowing that other people will see the results has also helped keep me on a healthy and nutritious track with my shopping. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun shopping for or drooled so much over groceries! Here are the results of my latest run:

It was something to be proud of as it went down the conveyor belt - and rang up at just over $90, which for the quality (all from Whole Foods), is great. There's basil, ciliegine mozzarella, shiitake mushrooms, dried cranberries, and, my new favorite, Yummy Bears, which are gelatin free! I'm loving my meals, and losing weight! :-D

Just today, Mike and I had melt-in-your-mouth pancakes for breakfast, hummus (the results of my Friday morning efforts, which was delicious! I like it thick, and it took quite a bit of messing with until I got it how I like it.) for lunch, and a summery fusilli alla caprese with four styles of crunchy sweet potato fries for Sunday dinner. As I write this, I'm enjoying a blood orange walnut sugar cookie, fresh out of the oven. You can find all the recipes (and pictures, of course!) in the vegetarian recipe box. Except for the pancakes - that you'll find on the back of the Bisquick box, haha.

I'm responsible for bringing the food for Tuesday night's small group meeting, and I've gotten very excited about it. I'm bringing the homemade hummus and chips, plain and blood orange walnut sugar cookies (mentioned above), and Thai vegetable lettuce wraps. I love that I have an excuse to try out some new recipes, and we all get to enjoy a meal and discussion with friends and loved ones. I'll be sure to post some pictures when I get them!

I hope you're all enjoying the start of your summer as much as I am! I'll have to catch you up on the summer of science before too long. Til then...

Decidedly done with finals

So far the only grade to roll in is Soil Chemistry -- and I got an A! Oooh my goodness I haven't made an A in a chemistry class since high school, and I think that was an A-. Yeehaw! Now keep me out of soil science. ;)

I finished my GIS project early this morning, the results of which can be found here. I have put a lot of time and effort into that class, and am proud of the knowledge I have gained, as well as my final project, the topic of which (Identifying Subsoil Carbon Sequestration Sites in North Carolina) was chosen as a gift to my Soil Chemistry professor, Dean Hesterberg.

I was so inspired by the ease of Google Sites that I decided to make my own little personal portfolio, in the form of a recipe box! I mean, why should the world not have access to what I cook and eat? Virtually everything else I do is available in one online forum or another - Facebook, SparkPeople, Twitter, Blogspot, Xanga, Myspace... shall I go on?

Anyhow, if you're looking for a yummy recipe (or, more likely, you're Leslie seeing what I'll subject you to in four months, or my parents, making sure that I'm not kept alive by a Chinese takeout box), check out my new site, Southern With a Twist! Many updates to come, I'm sure!

Crayon Art and DWTS

How neat is this? Carved Crayons My favorites are Rind, Honey and Diamelle.

And now... time to vote, ladies. Which one revs your engine more - the stud or the cowboy?

Gilles' rumba or Ty's salsa Oh my stars...

A Family Tradition

Unless you've known me for a while, you're going to find this a strange revelation.

A few weeks ago, just before Easter, I mailed my father a package of Easter Peeps, pictured to the left. Look at those innocent little birds! Very sweet, right?

However, if you're observant, you'll notice something strange about that picture. Check out the same box of Peeps on the right from a different angle. Notice that little red dot on the throat? That is a first time error on my part, which Mike and I spent a long time trying to paint over with a mixture of yellow food dye and excess Peep sugar from the bottom of the package.

Let's take a closer look. Flip those suckers over!

RAWR!








This was my first attempt at being an "Easter Grinch", a tradition begun by my father several years ago to antagonize me about choosing to be a vegetarian. At least I assume that's why it was, as I don't remember either of my siblings getting "grinched".

My favorite Easter treat was Peeps, had been for years. While celebrating with my Easter basket one year, I performed my ritual slaughter: eyes, beak, *chomp!* - whole head! on one after another innocent Peep. My Dad had left a whole new pack on the counter - oh most glorious of days, more marshmallowy goodness!! *chomp eyes off* Mm... *chomp beak off* delicious... *CHOMP - the head* ... I felt something run down my chin. I looked down at my beheaded Peep, to discover that it was bleeding profusely. My loving father had managed to inject the Peep with a large quantity of red food dye. Imagine your Easter turning into something Dracula-inspired. It's really quite amazing I'm not more warped. Ever since, the blood soaked Peeps have shown up - in my Easter basket, in my dorm room, at my house, with nary a return address except that they are from the "Easter Grinch".

Anyway, this is less a tale of Peepicide on my father's part, than an homage to his handiwork. Just before Easter, I received my own package. Take a look.

Excuse the missing Peep. These things are really delicious. Note the careful bite out of the left-most one.

Note the lack of incisions on the bottom.




Still don't see anything suspicious? Neither did I. For a moment, I questioned my father's commitment to the tradition.

But let's take a closer look...

My Dad is an artistic and surgical GENIUS. I will never question again.

New life goal

I watched a piece on ESPN before the Cal State v. U Conn women's game today that gave me an idea for a new long term fitness/life goal. I want to participate in next year's Krispy Kreme Challenge. The tag line for the event is "4 miles, 1 hour, 12 doughnuts, 2400 calories". It's a charity event at NC State benefitting the North Carolina Children's Hospital. The goals is to run downhill two miles from the Belltower to the Krispy Kreme, eat a dozen doughnuts, and run back uphill two miles... in under an hour... without puking. Anyone who wouldn't want to do this is crazy... right?!

Laurel (one of the other grad students in our lab group) had asked me the Friday before if I wanted to join her this year, and I remember thinking with some shame "I don't know that I can run four miles." I was housesitting during the event, so I couldn't have gone even if I wanted to. But next year? I'll be ready. I'll train. And I'll eat. Anyone want to split a box?

Sport's Illustrated "102 More Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate": #85

A Starting Point

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius

I got an e-mail from my racquetball coach tonight saying that class was canceled tomorrow due to a death in the family. My prayers are with his family, but I know that means that I won't be pushing my body through the fourth round of our single player ladder tournament. [In a ladder tournament, you move up a court if you win, down if you lose; the highest court is the challenge court, the lowest court has been dubbed "Siberia" - definitely want to stay out of that one.] I've recently set some fitness goals for myself, including running a 10 minute mile. When better to get a read on your cardiovascular health then after a veggie burger, fries and two Shirley Temples?! (Forgive me, it's Sunday.) Anyway, the result? 11:31, and I KNOW I can do better! I did a 5 minute warm up, and ran for another 15 minutes afterward at a 3 mph pace.

Thoroughly pumped, and listening to some of the kickin' tunes Anna put on my I-pod, I came back to my apartment, grabbed my garbage and recycling to take down. I sorted to the beat, and started to run back. Two steps in, I turned my ankle and ate concrete, which was almost as delicious as that Shirley Temple.

Gotta love it.

P.S. HI MOM!!

Public Indecency and A Fear Overcome, Part 2

Today I enjoyed what felt like a very public shower, while singing "Apples and Bananas" and "I have a lovely bunch of coconuts". Well, the chorus of the second one at least - I never did hear more than the Lion King version 'til tonight (if you don't know what I'm referring to, click here).

"I said... Mu-mpfx, que pasa?!"

Public Indecency and A Fear Overcome

[[Warning: This is a true, dramatic, and PG-13 rated story. No names have been changed to protect innocent booty. Roughly specific times are given for dramatic effect.]]

Back in January, I went to my first Racquetball PE class. Since all we did was go over some basics, I opted to get on one of the ellipticals for 20 minutes and work up a real sweat. Afterwards, I adjourned to the locker rooms for a shower. To my surprise, the showers I found were... open. Six shower heads, one open doorway. Opposite the showers is a mirrored wall for us sassy girls to do our makeup and blow dry our hair. From the mirrors, you can see almost straight into the showers. Fortunately, no one else was around that morning - so I hopped in for an approximately 25.7 second scrub down. Comfort with my body has never been my strong suit.

That night, as I was reflecting on the first day of my second semester of graduate school, I thought of Leslie's experience in Japan going to the baths with one of her former students and that student's mother. These baths are a relaxing place to be experienced in the nude. I thought of my own experiences with my high schoolers. I love them dearly, but I'm hard pressed to imagine a situation with which I'd be less comfortable with them. Impressed by Leslie's confidence and (in my personal opinion) epic bravery, I shared with her my frightening public, very UNrelaxing, "bath" experience, and promised to pluck up my courage, sing a show tune and enjoy a longer shower.

Every day after Racquetball for the past 2+ months, I have hiked up my canary yellow towel and grinned as I choose a Broadway-inspired selection on my march from my locker down to the showers. Amazingly, it wasn't until this Wednesday that anyone was actually in the shower with me. As I turned into the recessed chamber, another girl followed after me and took the shower head across from mine. "Bring it on!," I thought to my self-consciousness, like a poker player raising the stakes in a bluff. I turned on the water, flung the towel over the rail, hummed my Broadway tune... and beat my previous 25.7 seconds stand. 93.2 seconds in, another girl game in and took the shower head down from mine. Both of them stayed in their bathing suits, though one did pull hers down to rinse off. "Ha!" I laughed, humming faster and keeping my huddled body turned to the wall. "They don't have a naked best friend on their side to give them confidence!" (Yes, I'm aware of how perfectly lesbian I sound. I don't care.) I finished, toweled off, and carried on with my day.

Friday, I had some extra time in my day after a meeting with my Soil Chemistry lab group and professor, so I stopped by the gym for 35 minutes on the elliptical (score one for increased cardiovascular fitness!). When I went back to the locker room, I noticed a scale down the hall (this is a large place, mind you). "What the heck, no one's around," I decided, and traipsed my way down to weigh in. Down 9.5 pounds from that first day of Racquetball. Humming whitely something about how good it feels to be a gangsta, I turned and noticed something white fluttering down another hall. "That's odd," and, for the second time in a minute, "What the heck, no one's around, I'll check it out."

There's a row of personal showers with shower curtains.

For the exposure and confusion of the women who have witnessed my self confidence build at their eyeballs' expense, my profound apologies.

6928 miles

I lost my passport and only discovered it Friday night, when I was supposed to leave Saturday morning. Just 6928 miles and a passport separate me from Leslie and Tokyo. It would be difficult to describe the 'missed connection' that I would have to post on Craigslist to sum up the emotional disconnect I've been having this week. I have started the process of getting my government issued identification back, which should all arrive within the next two months. That's put me up for Japan in...May! As Mr. Gartenberg told Mom, I'll get to look forward to it twice.

I've decided that, past my own irresponsibility for not checking on my passport a month ago, there is a reason for me not going to Japan this week. I'm convinced that there is some experience that I am supposed to have here, or not to have there, this week. I don't know if I'll be able to recognize it, or if it is one of those "butterfly effect" sort of moments that I will never be able to put my finger on, but I am convinced that it will happen.

That said, my Spring Break so far? Sleeping, working on GIS assignments for after the break, cleaning up from the frantic tearing apart of my apartment with Mike looking for said passport, getting lunch and spending time with Jaimie and the twin girls she nannies for, Thursday is craft night at An's, and on Friday, I'll be spending all day in "Mrs. Junior's" kindergarten classroom playing 'teacher's assistant assistant'. If anyone has any insight, or added ideas for what to do with my time, I'd love to hear them!

Coincidence

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous."
- Albert Einstein, "The World As I See It"

Ash Wednesday

"The only antidote for the temptations of life is a constant turning to God, as Jesus did in the wilderness, grounded in a constant recognition that apart from God, even the greatest gifts can become demonic." From Lenten Meditation Guide, Higher Education Ministries

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40 days before Good Friday, when Christians begin making spiritual preparations for Easter. During the season of Lent (from the Old English: Lenten, meaning 'spring'), the traditional spiritual practice is to give up a vice that stands as a roadblock in your faith, and to replace it with something that brings you closer to God.

Candice R. led a thought provoking activity at youth group Sunday night, and got us to really think about what we would be replacing our vices with. She talked about a friend at Duke who gave up drinking anything but water. The purpose of this was, every time she took a drink of water, she reflected on water in the Christian faith - from the story of the Great Flood, to the sacrament of baptism.

I think there is something wonderful about this practice - every time you have a craving for a regular part of your life (e.g. coffee, for the coffee addict), you are turning your mind instead to God, your eyes to the heavens. Of course, on day 3, those eyes may be accusatory and your mind may well be dreaming of all the things you could do if only you were caffeinated.

I bring this up because, though I have never regularly given something up for Lent, I disappointed to be unable to think of something that I'm truly addicted to this year. I considered caffeine, but abandoned that in light of the fact that, most days, it's the only thing able to keep me awake long enough to pray.

I've decided that, this year, I'm giving up time. Not having enough of it on any given day drives me crazy, whether it's for homework, reading papers, teaching, grading, responding to e-mails, or even getting time to myself. So I'm going to take 15 minutes of each day for forty days to be in silent prayer and meditation. This is not an "obvious" temptation, like alcohol, drugs or sexuality, but socially-acceptable one. While there is nothing wrong with striving for understanding of the world around us, there is something wrong (and ironic to a scientist) with bypassing the miracles for the mundane, getting so involved in the minutia of our lives that we miss the "big picture".

Like the smoker trying to quit, it is going to take a lot of practice to be still in the middle of a busy life. Isn't that the point of Lent, though? To remind us that, sometimes, life is tough, for good reason. We were so unwilling and unable to give up our sinful ways that the Son of God had to die in order for us to truly live. Isn't it only right to give up a bad habit, and try out a good one, with the new life we have been given?

My question for those of you reading is this: What are the obvious temptations in your life? What are the socially acceptable ones? And what are you doing about them?

Ages and Angels

At the head of a tearful throng gathered at Lincon's deathbed, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton reportedly remarked, "now he belongs to the ages." Or did he say "angels"? Witnesses never agreed, and historians have turned handsprings searching evidence for one view or the other. Beyond mere antiquarian interest lies a philosophical problem: was Stanton offering an orthodox and sentimental prayer, or a knowing paean to Lincoln's own deist fatalism? - from Matthew Battles' review of "Angels and Ages: A Short Book about Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life", by Adam Gopnik

Which would you choose to be lamented during your eulogy - do you belong to the ages, or the angels? Do we each belong to one, or do we all belong to both?