Your Sweet Bippy

Happy 2008

2008-01-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Yeah, it’s January 9, but I’m a little behind on everything.

My big announcement for the year is that I’m no-kidding-really vegan now, or at least trying really hard! It’s something I feel I’ve been working up to for a while, I just had to stop pretending that I’m kinda sorta a little ok with a little animal exploitation now and then, because I’m really not. I watched Earthlings on Google video yesterday. It was not an easy thing to watch, but now I am surer than ever that I really need to do this for my own peace of mind as much as for the animals and the well being of the planet. So far so good, I feel awesome about the decision. :)

The Wisconsin primary is coming up in 2/19 so I’ve been doing a little research. I knew I liked Kucinich, but the more I read the more I love him. Check out this abolitionist-online interview. Plus his wife Elizabeth is awesome too, check out her amazing accomplishments.

I should probably update on more stuff, and I have pictures to post, but I’m not in much of a bloggy mood lately. Maybe over the weekend.

Happy Chanukah!

2007-12-11T07:19:00.001-08:00

Talk about last minute, it's the last night! Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. Hopefully you're enjoing the weather where you are more than I'm enjoying the seemingly endless snow here. It's pretty to look at out the window, but driving 40 miles through mostly country highway to get to work in this crap sucks. Enough bithcing and moaning. Put on your yalmulka, here comes Chanukah, on to the latkes!

Autumnal latkes from Veganomicon.

Mmmmm... fried in greasy goodness, but at least the veggies are a little more nutritious than plain ol' white potatoes, right?

I really like these, it's a nice change from the traditional potato and onion latkes. Word of warning: I wouldn't add the 1/4 water, the vegetables have more than enough moisture and if your batter is too wet it will fall apart in the frying pan. I would even suggest adding some breadcrumbs (which I did for the last part of the batch) and letting it chill for a while before frying so they stick together better.

This dinner was very loosely based on the stewed tofu in miso gravy recipe in VwaV. As you can see I used red wine, making my tofu purple :) A la the 'nomicon cassoulet I baked some whole wheat biscuits on top. I'm considering baking biscuits on top of every pot of stew from now on, I see no reason not to. I love me some biscuits.

sorry the picture is crap

Butternut squash soup with sparkled ginger cookie (VwaV recipe). If you've never tried putting ginger cookies in squash soup I highly recommend it. It's a great way to get more cookies into your diet :P

pumpkin cheesecake pie

I brought this home for Thanksgiving. It went pretty fast, I will definitely make this again. So yum!

My sister and cousin with one of my aunt's dogs, the Great Dane pup Athena. Athena is about 30 pounds heavier than the last time I saw her, she's about 125 pound now. She's so sweet! She was found wandering in the woods a little over a year ago, she's lucky some deer hunter didn't get her.

Annabelle went to her new home on 12/1. Last Saturday we took Smokey home. He's a Basset Hound/Labrador mix, aka Bassador. He already has a nickname at our house, Giant Head.

Hehe, I heart him! :)

Hope you are all surviving the holidays and have safe travels.

Annabelle

2007-11-20T19:16:00.001-08:00

She's kind of a spaz...

but really sweet. :)

Weekenomicon

2007-11-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

My copy of Veganomicon arrived last week, so I tried out a couple recipes over the weekend. Hope your weekend was a delicious as mine :)

Chickpea cutlets

Of course I love chickpeas and seitan so this seems like a match made in heaven, but I only liked them OK. I think next time I'll add some more seasoning and bake them instead of pan-frying. I do like that you can whip these up in about half an hour.

With a little chipotle citrus BBQ sauce they made a yummy sammich.

White bean and leek cassoulet with biscuits (sorry 'bout the crappy pic quality)

Soooo good! Maybe my new favorite cold weather comfort food. I had some locally grown organic haricot tarbais from the farmers market that were just waiting for a vegan cassoulet recipe to come along, once I paged to this I knew those beans had found their purpose. I usually go all cheap and use dried herbs, but I highly recommend splurging and going with fresh thyme on this one, at least the first time around. The biscuits are easy to throw together and I love that you get to bake them right on top of the stew. Next time I might try them out with whole wheat pastry flour or spelt.

The dish was well received by all.

VwaV Gigantoid Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (with the addition of chocolate chips, because PB and chocolate should always live in harmony)

Mona went to her forever home on Saturday with a nice lady and her German Shepherd. Our new foster is coming home with us tonight. She recently gave birth to a littler of 9 and was spayed just yesterday so I imagine she'll be wearing one of those ridiculous lamp-shade collars for a while. Pictures coming soon!

Glorious Food!

2007-11-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of my Veganomicon. In the mean time I've sampled a couple of the recipes available on the PPK. Here's the Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh.

I've also used the marinade with tofu, it's excellent and easy to whip up with stuff I usually have on hand. I also made the Chickpea Noodle Soup (no pix sorry) and it's really perfect for this chilly weather.

Here's a couple test recipes from Melody that I made recently.

Seitan Turkey Breast

Served with mashed potatoes, gravy and steamed asparagus. I don't think I got the texture of the "turkey" quite right here, not a chewy as seitan I've made before. Flavor was still really good, and made for a satisfying meal.

This Black Bean and Quinoa Chili was a wonderful spicy dinner.

Both Woodman's and Trader Joe's were out of Quinoa so I settled for TJ's harvest blend, which is cous cous, orzo, baby garbanzos, and red quinoa. Very delicious.

I love the fall, it makes me want to cook again. :)

Country Life Garden

2007-11-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I went on a little road trip with my friend Teena up to Portage, WI to meet up with some other area veggies at Country Life Garden restaurant. They have an excellent salad bar. I had the Harvest Day Nut Roast

and the Simply Silky Cheese Cake

And this cute little dog greets you and walks you to your car after your meal.

Lovely rural atmosphere and nice folks. Hope we can make this trip again. :)

Mona

2007-11-11T19:06:00.001-08:00

Jason and I have volunteered to foster dogs for Shelter From the Storm rescue. This is our first foster dog Mona, she came home with us yesterday.

She likes to sit with her paws crossed like that, very lady like. Mona is about 6 or 7 years old, possibly a shepherd mix. The markings on her face look rottweiler-ish to me. She was picked up as a stray and taken to a shelter in northern Illinois where the rescue org picked her up. Now she'll be with us while she waits to be adopted. She is a little shy and withdrawn, but she's still pretty new here so hopefully we'll see more of her personality as she gets more comfortable. She seems pretty easy going, but does seem to be a bit of a resource guarder around other dogs, thankfully not with people. Today we learned that she likes to rush the door when you come home, I had to chase her down but thankfully we got her safely back without too much trouble.

Hopefully we'll have the chance to help out lots of dogs like this.

Picnic Point

2007-11-11T18:45:00.001-08:00

We have precious few days left where being outdoors will be this enjoyable. Picnic Point is a lovely little peninsula near the UW campus that is just perfect for jogging and enjoying the view. Here's a few pix I took last weekend.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

We went out for Madison's Halloween festivities last Saturday.

This was my costume.

I could totally take Soleil Moon Fry in a cuteness contest.

Little known fact: Punky had a drinking problem

These are our friends in their costumes. Wicked awesome.

These clever young folk are dressed as beer pong.

That's some scary shit!

Dexter keeps an eye out for ghosts...and trick-or-treaters.

Hope you had a great one!

Life ain't fair

2007-10-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

This past Monday my cousin's son suffered a horrible accident and they had to amputate his right arm. I don't know why the universe lets horrible things like this happen, but if you could send good thoughts for his recovery it would be appreciated.

Thanksgiving 2005 - I meet Bennie for the first time

Little Bennie's surgeries have gone well and they plan to bring him out of sedation tomorrow. He's a trooper like his dad, so even though life is going to be a little different for him I'm hopeful that he'll be just fine.

Thanks for lending an ear and sending your healing vibes.

I don’t think I like you very much anymore…

2007-10-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hey look, I actually have something to say today! This situation just irritates the hell outta me so I had to share. You might have heard about the Ellen Degeneres dog debacle in the news. Ellen delivered a sobbing diatribe in place of her usual monologue to open her show on Tuesday, all because she was feeling so sorry for herself and the dog that she adopted and failed to keep. Basically, she and Portia adopted a terrier mix puppy named Iggy from a rescue called Mutts and Mom and decided to re-home the dog with Ellen’s hairdresser after a couple weeks when things didn’t work out with the cats they already had. Like many animal rescues Mutts and Mom has a strict return policy that states in their contract (which Ellen signed) that if you can’t keep the pet for any reason you must return it to the organization so they can place the animal in another pre-screened home. So they violate the contract, and after the rescue finds out about it they re-claim the dog, which is well within their rights. So Ellen proceeded to go on TV sobbing about the little girls who miss their puppy and blah blah blah. Mutts and Mom has been forced to pull their listings from petfinder and I imagine is pretty much shut down for the time being due to the public anger and even death threats directed at them. This whole thing pisses me off. Ellen messed up, and instead of owning up to it like an adult and accepting the consequences she used emotional manipulation and her celebrity status to try and get her way.

If Ellen really loved animals she would take those girls to a shelter and show them the many other dogs who would desperately love to come home with them. She is doing so much harm by portraying rescues this way in a very public and emotionally charged manner. Some of her viewers may go out and buy a puppy mill dog from a pet store or from a backyard breeder instead of considering a rescue because they don’t want those crazy people coming back to steal their puppy.

Other things that bother me about this story:

She said she took the puppy home immediately (no holding period) and got him neutered. Why did the rescue allow a dog to leave their care without a home visit to ensure a proper environment (other pets included) and why did they let the dog go anywhere before it was neutered? Ellen also found it necessary to mention that she spent $3,000 on the dog during his brief 2 week stay with her. How is that relevant?

She also claims that she has adopted/rescued many animals over the years. Where are those other animals? As far as I’m aware she has just a couple cats. Rumor has it she has a history of adopting animals and getting rid of them because they don’t “work out”.

Also, if she loves animals so much, why does she eat them? Perhaps only cute animals that she personally knows are deserving of humane treatment and compassion, not to mention her tears and angst. Please, give me a break.

/rant.

What say you?

Random

2007-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Holy crap, bet you thought you'd never see me 'round these parts again. I'm popping in to do a little meme fun posting thanks to Kiki. I should promise to catch-up and start posting again regularly, but we all know how those promises end, yes in heartbreak. Well, maybe another photo montage is in order. Even if I don’t write I seem to have managed to keep taking pictures. Let’s see what’s new? My good friends B & T got married, I ran another 5k (the Zoo Run Run, fun to say fun to do), I’m still planning a wedding (it’s so much fun. I mean that…sort of), we went back east for our engagement party last Saturday and it was lovely, work is busy, it’s getting cold, Badgers broke our hearts last Saturday, and I joined the YMCA.

OK, on to 8 random things you may or may not have known… but first, da rulz:

1. Post these rules before you give the facts.

2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. (I kind of have a blanket policy about not tagging because I don’t like undue pressure, so if you want in say so in the comments. Also, do 8 people still read this?)

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. (See addendum to rule 4. Though I do hope to visit and comment on your blog soon!)

Random Thing # 1
I can fit my entire fist in my mouth.

I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

Random Thing # 2
I like to analyze and judge people by what they have in their grocery carts.

And not just, “must be single/a bachelor”/ “must have 8 kids”, etc. To be honest, in the running commentary in my head I become a total judgmental bitch. “Ew! Doritos, Mountain Dew, bacon, a gallon of milk, a carton of 18 eggs! They are so going to die of cancer if a heart attack doesn’t get them first.” I know it’s not nice, especially since my eating habits were not always so stellar and like, drinking a bottle of wine or a 6-pack is so healthy. But hey, it’s not like I say anything to them, it’s just check-out line entertainment.

Random Thing # 3
I used to be on my high school swim team.

And I used to be so happy every season when it ended so I didn’t have to spend 3 hours in the pool every day. Yes, I’ve always been lazy.

Random Thing # 4
I used to play the clarinet in band

'Cause I'm cool like that, yo.

Random Thing # 5
I went to a Catholic School K-8. (that’s 9 long years)

Still one of the worst experiences of my life.

Random Thing # 6
It takes me forever to finish books these days because I go to bed with the intention of staying up to read, them I fall asleep 2 pages later.

Random Thing # 7
I always wanted to be an awesome dancer.

When I was little it was ballet, but now I want to do ballroom. Or hip hop (which is weird cause I don’t like hip hop music. I just want to get down with the booty shakin!)

Random Thing # 8
I’m a total night owl.

In college I would miss 11am classes pretty often because I couldn’t drag myself out of bed. Maybe because I was up till 4 most nights. These days I get up at 5 or 6, depending on if I’m going for a run that morning. The universe should operate on my schedule, it would really just be better that way.

OK, so if that wasn’t totally riveting I know what is. See you 'round the blogosphere. :)

Summer Redux

2007-08-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have been so lazy, sorry I've posted next to nothing all summer. Here's some pictures of all the fun we've been having!

Hooray for veggie brats!

Hehe...

I find I am most attractive when stuffing my face.

Farmers Market Circa April

Dexter enjoys gazing at his new backyard

Beer Fest!

The Great Taste of the Midwest (aka Beer Fest) was yesterday, and as you can see a good time was had by all. Over 500 beers were available for tasting. I didn't get anywhere near trying all of them. :(

This summer I've also been riding my bike, rollerblading, and been to a whole bunch of baseball games. Mostly the Madison Mallards, we'll be going to see their last game of the regular season tonight. Oh, and last week Dexter and I were pursued by a coyote while jogging at the Owen Nature Conservatory. That was fun.

Hope all y'alls summers have been as much fun as mine. I'll be catching up on everyone's blogs soon!

Oh, hi! Didn’t see you there.

2007-07-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, I’ve been a bad absent blogger. I seem to go through these phases. I have been enjoying summer, and going places and busy with work and stuff and not so much with the bloggy lately. I have lots of fun pictures and stuff to share in the near future, so stay tuned.

In not so fun news I came down with a viral infection last week. "Luckily" the worst of it was on the 4th, which I already had off and didn’t have plans for anyway. And I had a golf outing to run on Monday so I didn’t really have the time to be sick. Anyway, after feeling better for a couple days and getting through my event I started noticing strange symptoms in the right side of my face and finally went to urgent care last night after I was having trouble closing my right eye. Turns out I have Bell’s palsy, which can often occur after a viral infection. Most cases are thought to be caused by a virus similar to the one that causes cold sores (I got herpes! heh.). So I’m on anti-viral and steroid meds and following up with an ENT doc next week and it should be fine. In the mean time I look pretty doofy ‘cause half my face don’t work quite right. Yay, fun!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer. My house with AC and the pool are awesome. Hope to post lot o’ fun stuff this weekend since I don’t have much going on for once. Ciao.

Home Free

2007-06-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

OK, as we all know homes are not free. Today we’re closing on our townhouse. GAH! (I don’t know what sound that is, but it’s really excited).

Last weekend I ran a 5k for the Komen Race for the Cure. It was pouring that morning, it was pretty muddy getting through registration, but luckily it cleared up by the time the race started. Great group of people to run with and plenty of cheerleaders along the route (literally, there were squads of little junior cheerleaders, they were freakin’ adorable). I didn’t finish in under 30:00 like I wanted, but I actually won something! I entered in a drawing at the New Balance sponsor table and won a free pair of shoes and a jacket. Now all I have to do is wait patiently for 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.

Jason’s mom is in town for the weekend, her birthday is tomorrow and I’ve got a work picnic to run, then we’re planning on moving most of our stuff on Sunday. Good thing I’m taking Monday off.

Happy Friday everyone!

LOL FUR REALZ

2007-05-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you Kiki for opening my eyes to the phenomenon that is Lolcat, and by association Loltapir.

I love you internet.

Sugar free, the way to be!

2007-05-21T12:53:00.001-07:00

In my never ending quest to eliminate the white stuff from my diet, I am always on the lookout for healthier non-chemical sugar substitutes. Enter: Brown Rice Syrup. I picked up a jar at Woodman’s. I am in awe of their extensive organic/veg/natural food isle and freezer section, massive selection with lower prices than standard grocery stores. Oh, how I love thee Woodman’s.

I modified my banana bread recipe to make pumpkin muffins with zero refined sugar. Results are tasty! Here’s the recipe.

Pumpkin Cranberry Nut Muffins (or quickbread)

2 T whole flax seeds (or 4 T pre-ground)
6 T water
4 T softened margarine (I use Earth Balance)
¼ c applesauce (I use unsweetened)
½ c soy milk
2/3 c brown rice syrup
2 T maple syrup
1 T molasses
1 t vanilla
1 c pumpkin (I use canned, I’m sure any cooked winter squash would work)
1 ¾ c flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
2 t baking powder
¾ t baking soda
¼ t salt
Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or ginger to taste
¼ c walnuts
¼ c dried cranberries (or any dried fruit you fancy)

Banana bread variation: Use 1 c mashed banana in place of pumpkin, decrease soy milk to 2 T. I haven’t tried this with the brown rice syrup sub yet, but it should work just fine.

If using whole flax seeds, finely grind in coffee grinder (I have one I use just for spices and seeds) or spice grinder or food processor and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the water. Mix on high speed until mixture becomes thick and glutinous

Add margarine, applesauce, soy milk, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, molasses and vanilla, beat until smooth, then add pumpkin (or banana) and beat 1 – 2 min more on high speed.

Combine dry ingredients and slowly mix into batter until just combined. Stir in your walnuts and dried fruit.

Bake at 350 degrees, 55 – 60 min if you make one larger loaf, about 40 – 45 if you make 2 shallower loaves and about 30 - 35 min for muffins.

Not as sweet as the brown sugar version, but still very good!

I had some VwaV seitan sitting around in my fridge, and I vaguely remembered Vivacious Vegan posting ages ago about some country fried seitan that I wanted to try (I remember the most random stuff). After looking it up I did up a quick lunch for myself. I rolled the seitan in flour, dipped in soy milk, rolled in Italian herbed bread crumbs (from a can) and browned them up in my cast iron just lightly coated with 2 t of olive oil. I didn’t really feel like whipping up any gravy since it was only me eating, but I ate it with some boiled purple potatoes from the farmers market and steamed green beans on the side. Delicious! As close to a fried chicken dinner as I’d ever want to get.

Sorry, no pictures. :( Jason took my point-n-shoot camera back east with him and I am scared to touch his fancy-pants camera.

How the other half lives…

2007-05-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I hang out on this forum for people (mostly women) trying to lose weight and be fit and healthy and so on, and it’s a really great site. Good moderators, nice folks to chat with and get advice, and they really try to make space for a variety of people with different interests, following different plans, etc. One part of the forums I never peeked in before was the “Low Carbohydrate Lifestyle” boards, because (no personal offense intended to anyone who’s into it) low-carb and Atkins sound like complete crap to me. I understand that some people lose weight on it, but I am not convinced that it’s healthy or safe, I’m pretty sure it’s non-sustainable for about 99% of people (Never eat bread or pasta again? Yeah right!), and there is not a single good reason to go to such extremes in any direction to lose weight. It’s just not necessary. I am glad most of the low-carb hype has died down, because if I heard one more person profess the Atkins diet as though it were gospel, I was gonna puke. /rant about stupid low-carb.

Anyway, back to the subject of the post. The title of this thread caught my eye because it just sounded like it would be kind of gross. Little did I know. So, after clicking to view the recipe, this is what I found. I swear I’m not making this up:

Chili Dog Casserole

2 lbs ground beef
1 pkg Williams Chili Seasoning for 2 lbs meat
8 oz can tomato sauce (look for no sugar added)
pkg of 8 hot dogs (I used Bryan Juicy Jumbos at 2 net carbs per dog - you might score some lower carb ones if you look harder than I did)
8 tbs sour cream (I use Daisy Pure and Natural - it's JUST sour cream)
2 cups shredded cheddar (look for real cheese - not cheese like substances)
1/2 cup fine chopped onions

1. Prehead [sic] oven to 350.

2. In large skillet, crumble and brown beef. Drain well. While cooking - cut hot dogs into bite sized chunks and get the onion chopped.

3. Add tomato sauce and chili seasoning to beef. Cook and stir long enough to get it mixed up good.

4. Pack meat into bottom of small square casserole or cake pan.

5. Layer dogs over beef. Thickly spread cheese over dogs.

6. Pop it in the hot oven for 10 mins or until cheese just starts to brown.

7. Serve - makes 8 - on top of each serving put 1 Tbs of onion and 1 Tbs of sour cream. If you scoop it out of pan carefully it should hold together.

Yeah, um. I don’t even know what to say. And do you know why this recipe is supposed to be a good idea if you’re trying to lose weight? Because there are only 6.16 net carbs per serving. I’m sorry, but only a crazy diet has you eating beef, hot dogs, cheese and sour cream all in one dish and thinking this is good for you. Hello, reality check? Sad thing I just realized: there are probably far more people on the Atkins diet than there are vegetarians :(

Welcome to the World!

2007-05-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

Jason's sister is now proud mother to a baby boy!

Yonaton Sol was born May 10.

Grandpapa's e-mail announcement reports:
"Happy & Healthy!
Mother & baby are bonding! Father is kvelling. Sister is happy to have a brother."

So exciting! I'm so disappointed I'm going to have to miss the briss. I probably won't be able to visit till fall. That is such a long time to wait!

Now I will have a fantastic niece and nephew. Life's grand, ain't it?

Edited 5/14 because I spelled the name wrong. (It's Yonaton, not Jonatan. I thought it was an odd spelling, but I don't speak Hebrew so what do I know!) Actually grandpa's e-mail had it wrong, that'll teach me to do my own fact checking ;)

Edited 5/15 to add adorable picture.

News flash: I am officially old

2007-05-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Because now I have a mortgage. If that doesn’t make you sound like a certifiable A-dult I don’t know what does.

Yes, Jason and I have taken the brave step forward into home ownership. I have to give J a lot of the credit for doing much of the legwork and research, and we ended up with a fantastic townhouse after a scant couple weeks of looking. And we got a kick-ass rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage (see? Me old.)

We are closing on June 8 and plan to move in the following week. We still need to rent our apartment to someone else, so if you know anyone in the Madison area looking for a great 2 bedroom on the west side, please send them our way.

This is a serious upgrade in living space, and the condo association pool and clubhouse are steps from my front door. I will probably post some pictures after we move. OMG, we’re moving in a month! SO EXCITED!

PS – Just so you know I’m using “old” in a figurative sense, not indicating that anyone my age or older is actually old old. Just indicating that to me it seems kind of crazy and surreal that I am about to own actual property. I’ve been a renting nomad for so long, it might take a while to adjust.

PPS – Happy birthday to T-Bone!

Say it with me…Frittata!

2007-05-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

Fun to say, no? Especially of you roll the "r".

Inspired by Urban Vegan, I dusted off the old VwaV and actally tried a new recipe. The frittata, p. 14.

I ended up making a few subs (sweet-hot mustard instead of Dijon, zucchini instead of asparagus, re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes instead of oil-packed, and frozen basil cubes + dried basil instead of fresh…I think that’s it.)

The verdict: delicious, easy, versatile and filling! This is a good recipe to use up whatever vegetables you might have around waiting to go bad. Reminiscent of tofu scramble, but even easier to make I’d say. Plus, squishing tofu with your fingers is fun. My own omnivore has yet to try it. I thought he might not like the mac n cheez, but he ate it up, so we’ll see.

It’s been said before...

2007-05-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

...and I’ll say it again. The Seitan O’ Greatness rules.

Word.

Meme madness

2007-04-25T13:21:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these here meme things, but this one promises to be fun because each participant gets 5 unique questions asked of them. Thanks kiki for the awesome questions.

1. I LOVE the photo you use as your profile image. But I have always wanted to know more about it. Not just where you were, but why, exactly, YOU love it.

Thanks! That picture was taken during my sister’s weeklong bachelorette party in Costa Rica last June. After a day of sunbathing, playing in the ocean and consuming local beverage delicacies (Imperial – la cerveza de Costa Rica!) we went to have dinner at this little place on the beach (our chairs and table were literally set in the sand). After dinner the waiter came around with boxes of Cuban cigars, so of course my cousin and I decided we must split one. I love the picture because it reminds me of that perfect evening, the sun setting on the ocean, that superb cigar, the start to one hell of a week. And you look at least 10 times sexier when you’re smoking a cigar ;)

2. Was just perusing your 100 things, and saw that you were a redhead for a while. (Me too!) I rather enjoyed it. Why did you do it, what did you like/dislike about it, and why did you let it go?

My fascination with red heads reaches far back into my childhood. My first Cabbage Patch Kid had red hair, as did every subsequent one. Strawberry Shortcake was my personal hero. I don’t know, I’ve always just loved red hair. When I went away to college it just seemed like the thing to do, so I got me some Feria magic. I liked it because having red hair in some small part fulfilled a sort of fantasy version of me that I always pictured in my head (you know where I’m also tall, thin, and have perfect skin?). I kept it up for about three years, but I am not a high maintenance gal and hate the fumes, so I let it grow out. Now I am marrying a true red head, coincidence?

3. I'd love to know your take on astrology. I poo-poo it but love it and think it's really awesomely cool. (I also like infomercials, though, so right.) What's the most seriously you've ever been about astrology?

Like most things, I like astrology when it confirms something I already believe. If I disagree, it’s a bunch of hogwash anyway, so who cares? I used to read tarot a bit, but that just really confirmed for me that you can make a bunch of stuff up and people will take it seriously if the cards tell them so.

4. What's your greatest fear about your wedding? Not your marriage, your wedding? Because if they haven't started yet, let me tell you -- BIZZARO WEDDING dreams will kick in soon enough. Perhaps venting some of your more ridiculous fears will help ease this phenomenon.

Sadly, I remember very little to nothing about my dreams. Um, I don’t know if I’ve really had time to get freaked out about anything yet. It’s still over a year away, so it’s a pretty low-pressure deal right now. I guess rain might become an issue since the ceremony is outside, but we’ll deal with that with the tent back-up plan if we have to. Also, I really don’t deal well with interpersonal conflict, and I know weddings can be very sensitive for some people, so I hope that everyone in the bridal/groom parties and families all get along through the whole thing.

5. If you could just randomly call up some celebrity and have their attention and actually get into a real conversation with them, who would it be, and what would be the gist of your conversation?

Um, this is a tough one. I don’t really spend any time thinking about celebrities I’d like to chat up. I guess I might call up one of the rich and powerful ones and see if I could get myself a job working for them that would make me famous/rich/and or influential by association. Tom Hanks? Sure, that sounds good.

That was fun. First 10 people who want 5 questions get them!

Nonukah in Santa Monica

2007-04-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a while ago, Jason and I got back to sunny LA last month for the annual Nonukah festivities. As usual, friends from all over the country converged to make for one hellava weekend of drinking, eating and general merriment.

Here’s some pictures of the legendary party.

It begins as every party should, with tequila!

Me and my bar buddies.

What's classier than an ice swan at a party?

Making a shot luge out of the swan. Nice work Yoni!

The joint is jumpin’!

Woooooo!

Well, it couldn’t last forever.

Yes, I actually fell asleep in that position. I am just glad I didn’t wake up with my bra in the freezer.

My friends are the best, wasn’t it nice of them to make sure I didn’t sustain any head injuries on my way to the floor?

Obviously I post these pictures because I have a good sense of humor about myself. Oh, and I have no shame. Hey, I’m not the only one who passed out!

The next day Jason’s dad held a lovely engagement party brunch. Here we sip from our individual size champagne bottles.

Hey, we’re not the only ones getting married! Ben & Tosha also do the honors. They are getting married in Madison September 2!

It was a lovely day for poolside sunbathing and a hot game of Taboo. Such a great weekend with our awesome friends. We love and miss you guys!

Photo credits go to T-Bone (aka Tosha) and Jason, since my camera was MIA most of the weekend at Becca’s house. But I did get it back!

Tomorrow is the first outdoor farmers market of the season on the capitol square, I am soooo excited! Happy holiday (you people know what I’m talking about) and have a great weekend.

The finish line!

2007-04-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

That’s me :) Official time of 32:31, that's 259th place baby!

Here's a few more pictures:

This looks says, "I'm so happy the running part is over!"

A special thank you to my sponsors and of course Jason and Dexter for being my personal cheering section.

Don’t look now, but I’m about to do something athletic…

2007-04-13T13:01:00.001-07:00

in public! The very nice lady who was kind enough to vacate her job so I could take it has also been nice enough to help me out and train me, for which I am very grateful. She has moved on to work with the American Cancer Society, so when she mentioned to me yesterday that there was a run/walk event in Madison this Saturday I went ahead and signed up. I’m going to run a 5k tomorrow! If you want to toss a nickel in my bucket or just view the very flattering picture of myself that I posted on my page, check it out: My ACS Run/Walk Page. Several of my friends, family and colleagues have chipped in, so a big thanks to them!

I’ll let you know how it goes. I know I’m not going to win any speed awards (not that there are any, it’s just a charity event) but if I finish in less than 35 min I will be damn proud of myself. Wish me luck!

Soup + Mac n Cheez + Impossible Pie

2007-04-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Photographic evidence that I do in fact spend some time in the kitchen these days:

Originally posted by Glory87 over on the 3fatchicks.com forums.

Spinach Chickpea Leek Soup

1 tbs olive oil
2 leeks, sliced thinly (circles)
1 zucchini, chopped
minced garlic (I use tons, about 5 cloves)
1 28 oz can tomatoes
small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 3/4 cup veg broth
1 14 oz can chickpeas drained
block of frozen spinach (thawed, drained)
1 tbs oregano
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add leeks and zucchini and cook briskly for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, vegetable broth, chickpeas and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.

Add spinach to the soup and boil for 2 minutes. Season to taste. The longer it cooks on the stove, the better it is, even better the next day. Remove the bay leaf, eat up!

One of the best soups I’ve ever made, and so easy! Next time I’ll probably add a can of red kidney beans as well.

Here we have New Farm Mac & Cheez (mac & cheez from the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook with modifications courtesy of Jess of Get Sconed!)

This is my first foray into cheez sauce. I gotta say, cheese it ain’t, but as I was eating it I was able to start appreciating it for what it is.

Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie from the FatFree Vegan Kitchen. I made this for a dinner get together a few weeks ago and was pretty impressed. I tinkered with the sweetening (combo of powdered xylitol and liquid stevia extract) and I liked the sugar free version as well. Practically fat free, sugar free pumpkin pie, who knew?

Looks like a lot of heavy, cold-weather comfort food, huh? Well, we’re under a winter storm advisory and there’s about 6 inches of snow on the ground. Um, hello spring? Where are you?

Warning: Adult Content

2007-04-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

I was innocently paging through pictures of bridal gowns when I came across this.

Am I out of the loop or something? Is there some sort of new trend in weddings where the groom no longer has to decide if he wants to wear a tux or a suit, and just get married in his birthday suit? Bizarre.

April Fools!

2007-04-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

Happy spring everybody! Nearly a month since my last post? Where did that time go? Just wanted to pop in and give y’all a holla since I finally have a little time to breathe now.

I have maybe been really busy. I went back to LA for Nonukah the weekend before last, it was great fun. Also, Jason’s dad was nice enough to throw us a poolside engagement brunch. I may write a post about the weekend and include pictures someday.

I’ve been pretty well swallowed by the work monster lately, yesterday I had my first major event for my new employer. Such a logistical circus I tell you! I’m an event planner now by the way, amongst other things. But everyone seemed to have a good time and no one got lost or hurt, so all in all a success. Now I just have to reconcile the financials :P

In wedding planning news, Jason and I have selected Allen Centennial Gardens on the UW campus as our ceremony site. May 25, 2008 is officially the big day! We will be using the English Garden on the grounds there (you can scroll down there for a few pictures. I love the gazebo!) Now we just have to decide on a reception site, caterer, dress, wedding bands, an officiant, and a million other things. :)

Shan can cook

2007-03-07T18:53:00.001-08:00

I actually made something new, so I thought I’d post. I’ve been cooking some lately, but mostly the same old standbys like pots of chana masala and sloppy lentils or tofu stirfry with rice or noodles, like so:

On the recommendation of Melody I picked up a bottle of mango chili vinegar at Trader Joe’s. I tossed a couple tablespoons of the vinegar with a couple tablespoons of melted Earth Balance, salt, pepper, and some whole wheat breadcrumbs I made with odds and ends of bread I had left in my freezer. I coated brussels sprouts (frozen, slightly thawed) and a chopped sweet potato with the mixture and baked at 375 for 50 min. Super yummy, I can’t wait to use this vinegar in more stuff.

Just to give you a taste of what’s been going on here with the weather, here’s a shot I took from my window a couple weekends ago.

That’s some neighbors playing snow football.

I prefer warmer, dryer activities.

Note to winter:

2007-03-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

OK, I get it, snow, ice, roads of death. Enough already! I understand that when you move your butt back to Wisconsin this is the norm, but that’s one thing when you live/work/go to school in a 10 block radius and walk or take the bus everywhere and another when you commute 30 some miles to and from work. Look what I did in my car on the way to work yesterday, all because I was silly enough to try and change lanes.

As you can see I miraculously landed on the shoulder, even pointing in the right direction. I was a bit worried I might still be stuck as the ice muck on the shoulder was pretty deep, but I made it. Both the Altima and me are fine. This morning I saw 8 cars in ditches, including a four car accident, and yesterday saw a school bus wedged in a snow bank. Now I have to drive home in this crap again. Screw you mother nature.

Like…all legitimate and stuff (or, a great love story)

2007-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well, there’s no way to just nonchalantly toss this news around, so I just tend to blurt it out. I’m engaged! Yes, to Jason, who else?

Everyone always wants to hear the story, so here goes. Last Friday night we were snowed in with no hope of going anywhere. As we’re passing in the kitchen Jason grabs a hold of me and we started slow dancing. No, there was no music playing, and no, that’s not really unusual for Jason. Then the box comes out and the “will you marry me” and it’s all surreal and after I shake myself back to reality I think I managed a “yes” and there was much hugging and kissing and staring at the pretty sparkly ring. And then I thought, “oh, crap, now I have to plan a wedding”. So there you have it, Jason’s gonna make an honest woman out of me yet. And Dexter will have legitimate parents.

So much more to catch up on posting, but that’s the big news of the day. New job is good, weekend with old exchange student buddies was a blast, and I’m sure lots of other stuff. Maybe I’ll put some pictures up soon. There’s a couple of the ring up on Jason’s blog, but they don't really do it justice. He picked it out all by himself, I’m so proud of him. Oh, and I love him dearly, and not just because he bought me diamonds :)

I love…cake?

2007-02-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

And all of you bloggy people, even though I haven’t rapped at ya in, oh almost a month. (Bonus points to whoever gets the sitcom reference in the title of this post.) How did that happen? Happy Valentine’s by the way, my next post will likely be about St. Patty’s. I blame the deep freeze for at least part of it, when the high temperature of the day is barely scraping the low single digits (if that) it’s really hard to do much of anything beyond the bare minimum. All other resources are devoted to preservation of a reasonable core body temperature and complaining about the cold. Well, ok that’s not entirely true, in the last few weeks I’ve gone out drinking, bowling, to open mike (Jason and I might actually participate next time), the gym a couple of times (literally a couple), karaoke, and attended 4 Badger sporting events at the Kohl center (1 men’s BB, 1 women’s BB, and 2 men’s hockey games) . Oh, and I turned 27. Oh, and I had a few job interviews, one of which resulted in a job offer that I accepted (YAY)! My last day at my temp job is this Thursday and I can’t wait because I am really burnt out on being the AP bitch amongst other things. So, that should pretty much catch you up to present on the exiting drama that is my world. Here’s a picture of yours truly in front of the state capitol during a post-game bar crawl. I look cold. Or drunk. Hard to say.

I’m really psyched for this weekend, I’m going on a road trip to Columbus, OH! No, I’m not really excited about Ohio for it’s own sake (no offense Ohioans, but your state is kind of lame) but rather because of who I’ll be seeing there. All because of the magic of MySpace, I will be reuniting with three exchange students that I was good friends with 10 years ago when I was studying abroad in Finland, so this should be quite a trip!

By the way, I have been visiting everyone’s blogs and catching up when I can but haven’t been so much with the commenting lately because I need all the bloggy time I have to read. I hope to have my blogging activity up to par again someday.

2007-01-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

So, outside...

Right Now for
Madison, WI (53711)

Cloudy

14°F
Feels Like
0°F

Updated Jan 17 06:25 p.m. CT

And I just got in from a 25 min jog with the dog. It's snowing a bit. And it's lovely. I think I just officially got my Wisconsin crazy back. :)

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year’s Even wherever you were and whatever you were doing. We had a very pleasant celebration at home with a few close friends, Chinese food, and plenty of champagne and other delicious refreshments.

Party Posse

I always feel like I should go out and make the big to do about NYE, but I find that most of the time that ends up being pretty disappointing, expensive, and let’s not forget trying to get your own drunk ass home while dealing with other drunken jackasses.

If I have a new year’s resolution, I guess it’s to lose the rest of the weight I meant to lose last year, starting with the three pounds I’ve gained by merely residing in the state of Wisconsin (It has something to do with beer, cheese, fried food, osmosis, and maybe cookies. Do not ask me how, I do not know). I bet that’s the #1 and most generic resolution, but a worthy cause nonetheless, so there it is. Also I need to find me a real job. The temp job is still working out fine for what it is, but I really hope the right permanent opportunity comes around soon.

Hey, remember when I said I was doing the couch to 5k running program? Well, I actually finished the nine weeks and was up to 30 minutes of jogging. That was around Thanksgiving, then it got cold and I started working again and I just sort of quit. It didn’t take long for deconditioning to set in, so I restarted at the week four level and will be doing week five (again) this week.

One of the Chanukah presents I got for Jason was a pair of tickets to the Badger Hockey game last Saturday. We had a great time and the Badger’s creamed the Providence Friars 5 – 0. It was a “free for all” game, which means all ticket holders get free ice cream from Culver’s when the Badgers score 5 or more points. Free ice cream tastes the best :) Here’s a few shots from game night.

I also took a couple clips of video. Little kids playing hockey is freakin' adorable. And much easier to record becuase they don't move so fast.

I just finished catching up on the Capital One Bowl on TiVo and wow, what a great game! I can’t wait for next season, especially since the opening game will be part of Ben and Tosha’s wedding weekend. I gotta say, it’s good to be a Badger. Our basketaball team is doing great right now too, ranked 4th.

I hope everyone has a blessed and beautiful 2007, I have a feeling it’s going to be a very good year.

Party Animal

VwaV Cookie Extravaganza

2006-12-20T20:40:00.001-08:00

Look at me go, two posts in one week! I baked cookies to share with the family over Christmas weekend. They’re not really Christmas-y cookies, but no one has ever accused me of being a traditionalist.

These are Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies VwaV p. 205. I selected raspberry jam for the filling. This was my first time making them and I will be making them again as they are yummy. Perhaps with orange marmalade next time. If you try these, for the love of god to not use “damp hands” to roll the dough into balls as the recipe suggests. It will turn into a sticky mud that will not conduce to the forming of balls (go ahead, giggle, I said it). Do what I did and spray your hands with cooking spray.

These are a smaller, chocolatier version of the Big Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter – Oatmeal Cookies in VwaV p.199. I made them gigntoid the first time I tried them out, but thought I’d make them smaller this time around to make them easier to put into tins. Soooooo good. I love this recipe, adding chocolate chips only makes it better, as you’d expect.

I hope to be by all your blogs for a visit in the near future, I need to catch up.

HAPPY CHANNUKAH!

2006-12-18T20:34:00.001-08:00

OK, I give in. Finally a post. Sorry I am so lame, my temp job does not allow me to while away hours a day on the internet. Not that that's what I did at my old job (ahem). As you may be aware this is the 4th night of the festival of lights, Channukah. To celebrate I made the traditional latkes and a cheese blintz soufflé. Yes, very not healthy and very not vegan, but this is Jewish holiday food we're talking here.

Here's a picture of the lovely latkes frying in my cast iron.

Traditionally served with sour cream and applesauce.

Here you can see the importance and symbolism of oil during this holiday. This bottle was full when I started up the frying pan. :P

That’s all for now. One of my many New Year’s resolutions will be to become a better blogger. Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night.

Still alive…

2006-11-21T09:11:00.001-08:00

…and kickin’! Writing to you live from Madtown it’s me. Y’all still remember me, don’t you? Well, we have moved and aside from some setbacks everything is okie-dokie. I would just like to point out that moving sucks and I will never again let my possessions out of my sight. We thought hiring a moving company to move our stuff and putting my car on a truck so we only had one vehicle would have made our lives so much easier. Why else would you pay so much for the services if they weren’t there to make your move more convenient for you? My car was picked up on Oct 30 and didn’t arrive until last Thursday. That’s 2 ½ weeks! And my car was so crusted will road salt I almost didn’t recognize it. The truck my car was on broke down in Denver, so there was at least a reason for the delay. The movers came and put most of our worldly possessions on a truck on Fri, Nov 3, and we were definitely given the impression that the 21 day allowance to deliver in the contract was strictly a legal formality for the moving company to cover their asses, and in all likelihood our stuff would arrive in a week, shortly after we did. We rolled into Madison on Nov 7. Long story short, our stuff left LA yesterday according to the movers. Oh, and one more point we missed initially, they technically have 21 business days to get our stuff to us. Luckily we were planning on buying a new bed when we got here anyway since we left the old crappy one back in LA, and our kindly landlady has given us a free couch. I really miss my stuff though. Ah well, live and learn.

Also, Jason had mistakenly given our new phone and internet provider the wrong apartment number. You would think a simple error like that wouldn’t make a huge difference in getting our services set up, especially since we called them on the planned start-up date. You would be wrong to think that though, because after many a frustrating phone call and being jerked around and being giving 3 different dates by three different reps, we didn’t get any service for over a week.

But despite it all, I am in pretty good spirits. Because I am at home and I love it here. I wasn’t born and raised here, my hometown is about a 4 hour drive north, but ever since my freshman year of college this place has felt like home to me and it’s good to be back.

I am still looking for work, my main job prospect was sadly not offered to me. Would have been nice, but there will be other opportunities. In the mean time I’m temping.

Dexter has adjusted fine to the cold and the snow (yes, we got snow once already! But it melted pretty quick) but he has been having some gastro-intestinal distress on and off since right before our move. He had vet visits before and after moving, but it looks like I’ll have to line up another appointment since it’s still going on.

I guess that’s all the news from Lake Wobegon. I will get up to speed on my picture posting one of these days. For now you can just enjoy this picture of me with a lollipop guild cow in front of the state capitol.

You can see a lullaby league cow in the background. There are more cow designs and info about the CowParade here. The cows are being auctioned off now, but they were fun to see around town while they were on display.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a super fun and freaky Halloween. Truly one of my favorite holidays, I love it. We're heading to West Hollywood tonight to party it up.

Sorry I've been so absent. I have a backlog of stuff to post about but no time. Hopefully I'll catch up after the move. We start our drive in just 5 days! Boo!

Filler

2006-10-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

Here’s one of those delightful memes or tags or whatever you want to call them. I received this in e-mail form and saw it over on C.A.P. so I must now complete it instead of being productive for the last 20 minutes of the working day.

Four jobs I’ve had:
* Baker
* Downtown Madison Ambassador
* Restaurant/catering manager
* Development Associate

Four movies I can watch over and over:
* Wayne’s World (I know, I am so old)
* Chasing Amy
* Ferris Bueller's Day Off
* Hairspray

Four places I have lived:
* Madison, WI
* Laitila, Finland
* Bethesda, MD
* Los Angeles, CA

Four television shows I love to watch:
* LOST
* The Dog Whisperer
* American Idol (shut up!)
* The Daily Show followed by the Colbert Report (it’s all one viewing session therefore counts as one show to me)

Four places I have been on vacation:
* Costa Rica
* Euro Tour ’97 (includes Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, and Austria as far as I can remember, which isn’t much)
* Orlando, FL (my first trip on a plane)
* NYC

Four of my favorite dishes:
* Vege chicken from California Vegan, good in nugget and sandwich form
* Chana Masala
* Pizza, I am an addict and need help
* Veggie burritos or tacos with a heaping of guacamole. Mmmmm, guac…

Four websites I visit daily:
* msn.com for the news
* gofugyourself.com – laughing at celebrities is like a sport to me
* craigslist.com
* 3fatchicks.com – accountability helps

Four places I would rather be right now:
* At the beach reading with maybe a cocktail
* Madison, WI drinking up fine local microbrews with buds (coming soon to a reality near you!)
* Curled up on the couch watching quality programming with my sweetie
* Taking a nap with the dog

Four bloggers I am tagging:
I tag one and all. Have fun!

Upcoming, pictures from AIDS Walk 2006 and maybe even some food. Stay tuned…

And then my life blew up

2006-10-14T15:53:00.001-07:00

As you may have noticed, I have been absent for some time. I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in my sister’s wedding back in Wisconsin and we took a little side trip to Madison. The wedding was so beautiful and everyone had such a great time, I’m really impressed with all the work my sis put into the whole thing. It was also really nice to spend some time with my family and introduce Jason to my hometown. Here are some pictures of the week’s goings-on.

Stacy's Wedding

Madison

Also, the time has come to share the big news. Jason and I are moving back to Madison! We were kind of talking about moving back in the spring perhaps, but then life happened and a pretty darn exciting job opportunity was offered to Jason. So he interviewed and was formally offered the job when we were in town, I interviewed for a couple positions and am waiting to hear back, and we looked at several places to rent and are in the process of signing a lease. Looks like we’ll start our drive on Nov. 4 or 5. We’re really excited to be going back, but also sad to leave our friends and the famously mild SoCal climate. So, that’s about all I have to say about that right now. There will of course be updates as this comes along.

On Wisconsin!

2006-10-02T11:01:00.001-07:00

A whole week since I’ve posted. Bad blogger, bad!

I had a pretty fun weekend. On Friday night we went to this sorority party in Brentwood that got busted by the cops, I felt like I was 17 again. I was pretty drunk off the Bud Lite keg by the time we were all getting shoo’d outta there, and I was laughing so hard at the absurdity of the whole situation. Even funnier: the party was on the 3rd or 4th floor, and on the way out from the stairwell there was another party going on down on the 1st floor so a lot of the party just relocated and didn’t actually leave. They were playing beer pong down there, talk about feeling like you were back in the day. Party 2 had a decidedly sketchier crowd so we decided to leave pretty quick.

On Satuday we hosted a little Badger party where we watched the TiVo’ed game against Indiana. No contest! We creamed ‘em 52-17. The only Hoosier in attendance (Becca, I’m looking in your general direction) seemed less than concerned. I blame her team’s pitiful performance on her lack of team spirit. We made mimosas and toasted to our good Badger friends Ben and Tosha on their recent engagement. The wedding will be held in Madison next September and the festivities will involve going to a game! They are so awesome.

Also, check it out! Our QB Stocco was named Big Ten Player of the Week.

Woooooo, Badgers!

Some of you may remember that I did the AIDS Walk last year.

Well, it’s that time again! Please clicky on the AIDS Walk icon over there in the sidebar to go to my personal fundraising page where you can learn more about this really important event.

I am leaving for my sister’s wedding in Wisco on Friday! I can’t believe this came up so fast, I have much to do this week.

Today is Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. As you can see, I am blogging, and eating and working today, so not so much observing. Which is probably ok since I’m not actually Jewish. But to those of you who are hope you’re having an easy fast and g’mar hatima tova.

Yadda, yadda, yadda…

2006-09-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

I’m still here, just not posting or getting around to people’s blogs too much because work is keeping me busy and there’s been a little personal upheaval that may cause some major changes in the next few months. Nothing bad, I just don’t want to elaborate right now since it’s the beginning stages and we have no idea how this will play out (could I be any more cryptic?) So all this will probably keep me from posting all that often for a bit. I do have some pictures to share so hopefully I’ll get around to posting those sometime this week.

I finished week one of the couch to 5 k running program and have week 2 downloaded and ready to go on my iPod. So far it’s been totally bearable, and I’m already starting to feel like I’m sort of accomplishing something. I still haven’t been able to do any lifting or my usual pilates or yoga classes due to the shoulder. This is taking much longer to heal than I anticipated.

Poor Dexter had a really inflamed ear and some other itchy sores on his belly, so he went to his dermatologist last week. He’s allergic to a bunch of stuff so I thought it might have something to do with the fall allergy season, but it turns out he had a fungal and bacterial infection in his ear and he had some flea bites, which he’s allergic to, so that explains the itchy red patches. We gave him some flea treatment and he’s got two pill prescriptions, ear drops, and ear wash that we have to administer in addition to his allergy shots. I stopped giving him the herbal anxiety relief supplements because they weren’t doing anything (as I expected they wouldn’t) so at least that’s one less thing. Man, talk about high maintenance. His ear and red spots are a lot better now and he should be all better within a couple weeks.

Hope everyone had a good weekend, shana tova!

Celebrate, good times! Come on!

2006-09-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Last night we picked up our good friends Ben (aka Virginia Slim) and Tosha (aka TBone) from the airport. Sounds like they had an amazing time in Israel, and we’re glad they’re back safe. Welcome back and Mazel Tov to the newly enfianced happy couple!

Sorry guys, I’m at work and don’t have access to all my photos. All I got is this cheesy picture of you with a novelty blow-up avocado. Mmmm, avocados…

Guess what I did this morning. No really, guess. OK, I’ll just tell you. I went running. Yeah, so what, big deal, right? Except I have always professed to be a hater of running, I just have never liked it. I always thought of it as right up there with doing algebra and licking toads as far as activities I’d rather not be involved with. I heard about the Couch-to-5K Running Plan some time ago and thought, if I ever attempt running again this seems like the way to go. I tend to throw myself into stuff and lose patience quickly if I’m not just brilliant at it immediately, thus most of my past running attempts burned out pretty much instantly. I recently came across these nifty podcasts designed to take you through the program, basically it’s music with a guy telling you when to run and when to walk – foolproof! With my bum shoulder keeping me out of my usual gym activities for a bit, I figured now is as good a time as any to conquer my biggest fitness foe – the running. So theoretically in 9 weeks I will be able to jog continuously for 30 min or 3 miles. I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m scarily optimistic about this.

Farmer's Market Friday

2006-09-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

1 bunch spinach
1 bag green beans
1 bunch asparagus
2 red bell peppers
1 smooth green avocado (Looks like a Reed avocado, but I don’t remember what the sign said)
2 Haas avocados
5 Fuji apples (yay, fall apple season)
1 cluster cherry tomatoes
2 yellow peaches
1 white peach
1 white nectarine
Total: $15.45

I just realized I am going to have to miss the California Avocado Festival this year because I will be in WI for my sister’s wedding. Too bad they conflict, I got a whole lot of avocados and ate a lot of avocado stuff there last year. This was my personal stash.

I looooooove avocados in case you didn’t know. Anyone who can make the drive should, it’s worth the trip.

I’m a little bummed about my shoulder today, I don’t think I’ll be going to pilates tomorrow. Guess I’ll just have to drink beer and watch the Badgers vs. San Diego State game and suck it up.

Enjoy the weekend everyone.

File under “WTF!?!”

2006-09-14T20:00:00.001-07:00

So I was out rollerblading with Dexter on the bike path near our apartment, just like I do ever day, and came across a man walking a GSD (that’s German Shepherd Dog to those of you outside the dog world). I’d seen this dog once the day before, and he let out a nasty bark when we passed by but that was it. Today the dog started acting up bit as we were about to pass so the man took him aside to he grass and let us pass. We met up with them again going to other direction and he heard us coming from behind, so he moved over to give us room again. Just after we passed something happed, and I’m not sure exactly what. All I know is I ended up on my ass and the shepherd was off his leash on top of my dog. It was pretty scary, and I have to say the guy was a little less than competent in retrieving his dog and getting him off us. He first thought to ask me if I was ok. Granted an “are you ok” is expected after something like that, but stopping the dog at large should probably be the first order of business. Probably. Cowering on the ground trying to pull my dog back to me and staring at this dog not really knowing what he was going to do, I was a bit in shock and a feeble “help” was about all I could manage. The guy took a hint and got his dog, explaining “he got off his leash”. Trying my best to stay calm I just answered “I can see that”. At that point I just asked him to give us some space so I could get up and get away. A concerned passerby checked to see if we were alright as well. Thankfully the other dog didn’t really want to kill me or Dexter, and no one is badly hurt. He was just putting on a big show of snarling and barking and Dexter got slobbered on pretty good. I did land pretty hard and my right bum cheek will probably get bruised, my right shoulder and wrist hurt a bit (probably be stiff by morning) and I have the tiniest bit of road rash on my wrist. Could have been a lot worse.

This is the second time in a week that out of control dogs have caused me to wipe out on my blades. The other incident involved a dog on an extendo leash (I fucking hate those things!) that cut us off so I had no choice but to do a face dive into the grass or I would have clotheslined it. That dude actually chuckled a bit after I stood up and checked out to be alright. Granted it was a pretty good face plant, I felt one of my blades fly up and hit me in the back, and I’m sure it was hilarious. But he could have had the decency to wait till I was out of ear shot before he started laughing. Asshat.

The irony is so thick, it’s getting hard to breathe…

2006-09-12T14:21:00.001-07:00

So I’ve finally been invited to sit at the cool kids’ table and upgrade to this beta thing. Still not sure what it’s all about, but I look forward to playing around with it when I have the time.

Some of you may have seen this floating around the internet lately.

No, you’re not reading that wrong. That is indeed an invitation to come to a political fundraiser and shoot a living symbol of peace in a canned hunt on the anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks. Not surprisingly PETA launched a campaign against this. Realizing their faux pas the Floyd campaign has moved the massacre of mourning doves to Oct., 4th. Phew, I feel so much better about that now! (Sarcasm and irony, oh happy day!) I went ahead and wrote a not-so-nice e-mail yesterday, feel free to do the same: Karen@karenfloyd2006.com, be sure to cc: Anna@karenfloyd2006.com; Mike@karenfloyd2006.com

And in other news:

Sydney - Australians are avenging the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin by killing stingrays, a friend of the wildlife documentary maker said Tuesday.

Ten stingrays have been found dead on Queensland beaches in the week since Irwin died after being jabbed in the heart by the venomous barb of the stingray he was filming. *click for the whole article*

I don’t know what to say. People just piss me off sometimes.

Farmer’s Market Friday

2006-09-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

I feel like I buy the same stuff at the market over and over again. I guess I know what I like, heh. If you all have any suggestions for excting produce items I should keep and eye out for let me know.

2 white nectarines
1 yellow nectarine
1 yellow peach
1 large globe eggplant
1 cantaloupe
2 lbs of broccoli florets for cheap! About $3 and they look super fresh and good too.
1 bunch asparagus
2 large cucumbers
5 lemons
2 haas avocados
1 basket jalapeno peppers
1 bag mixed bell peppers
Total $17.10

I almost never use a whole basket of jalapeno chilis before they go bad, so I find it works out nicely to half and seed them and stick them in the freezer. That way you always have jalapenos around on the odd occasion a recipe calls for them or you want to spice something up.

We’re going up to Neptune’s Net for a friend’s birthday celebration on Sunday. I’ll be packing a picnic to enjoy while everyone else eats deep-fried tref. While I’m not into the food you can’t beat the atmosphere and the beach right across the PCH allows dogs, so Dexter gets to come with.

Happy Friday y’all!

Cold Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan

2006-09-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight we welcome feature guest chef Jason to the program. Say "hi" Jason!

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I came home from the gym to the smell of peanut sauce cooking. This recipe is from VwaV p. 165. It calls for udon noodles but we didn't have any so we used flat wide rice noodles instead, worked very well with the sauce. We didn't have any bean sprouts for garnish, we opted for yellow pepper instead of red, used chunky instead of smooth peanut butter in the sauce (I enjoy chunks of peanuts, so I actually recommend trying it if you do as well), otherwise this is pretty much the recipe as is in VwaV. We took this opportunity to break in our new cast iron skillet. I don't know why we never had one before, this seitan fried up so nice! Overall, this dish gets a big two thumbs up.

All I did was chop the veggies and slice the seitan, the rest was all Jason's doing. A tip of the hat.

I have this tub of miso sitting in my fridge from the miso gravy I made a while back. I thought I’d try my hand at making some soup. It ended up being really bland so I added salt and pepper but added too much. I think I can save the rest of it by adding some more water and miso whisked together, definitely needs work. Also I think the miso paste I’m using is very mild, I might like a variety with stronger flavor better.

Yay, Friday once again! Enjoy your weekend y’all.

Final countdown

2006-09-07T12:13:00.001-07:00

Today is officially one month to go till my sister’s wedding. I am a little bit stressed out because I have yet to make flight reservations or rental car for our side trip to Madison. Oh, and I have to buy a gift. And get my bridesmaid dress altered. I did however just make a reservation at the hotel we’ll be staying at after the reception, so that’s one down. They’ll even have shuttle service going from the reception to the hotel so no one has to worry about too much champagne + driving. Nice!

Also, I told myself that I was gonna lose another 10 lbs by the wedding. I was doing great until last weekend when I gained back the 4 pounds I lost over the previous month. Stupid beer. Well, 2 of them are flushed out already and hopefully I’ll be back where I started by the end of the week, but still. Losing weight is a bitch.

My cell phone went through the wash over the weekend, so I had to go get a replacement.
I could have gotten a free phone since we renewed our contract for another 2 years (only extended the contract we already had by about 6 months, so whatever) but I wanted to get this nifty phone since it comes in pink : ) and it has an exterior display (that lights up pink!). It was still pretty cheap with the hefty discount.

Hope everyone is having a good week. I really need to get a bunch of stuff done this upcoming weekend, but hopefully there will also be sometime to relax and go to the beach while the gettin’ is still good.

Tagged

2006-09-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

by Carrie™ of the House of Simon. Without further ado, 5 things I think everyone should eat before they die (provided they’re over 21 for #1…ahem):

1. Beer! I like lots and lots of kinds of beer, being from Wisconsin I am partial to many of the brews of my homeland. For cheap beer I like Pabst Blue Ribbon, or “pibbers” as we like to call them. I am also fond of their old ad slogan “PBR me ASAP”. Miller products are pretty good too if you’re drinking on a shoestring. For higher quality stuff, I love a Hefeweizen served with a lemon wedge, or really any of the wheat brews. Hoegaarden makes a delicate white Belgian beer that’s very refreshing, Fat Tire is another good Belgian one. Pyramid Hefeweizen is decent enough and pretty widely available.

My favorite microbreweries are New Glarus (that Spotted Cow is outta this world) and the Great Dane (Crop Circle Wheat and seasonal Pumpkin Ale are yummy!) The Dane was one of my favorite watering holes when I lived a mere 2 blocks away in college. Ah, the memories.

You can get Leinenkugel’s (aka “Leinie’s”) in some states outside WI. I like the Red Lager and the Honey Weiss. I’ve been to houses where the dwellers had constructed furniture out of empty Leinie’s original lager cases, so multi-purpose.

OK, I think we’ve covered beer in some small part. Hmm, on to food you chew…

2. Pizza! I can’t help it, I just love it.

3. Fresh cherries. I will eat these till I turn purple during their brief season.

4. Indian cuisine. I know that’s a class of food and not one food in particular, but the more Indian food I cook the more I realize how much I love it. Chana masala, curried potatoes, dal, naan, rice, veggies, I love my food drenched in spice and color!

5. A good falafel sammich with all the fixings: tomatoes, cukes, chopped lettuce or spinach, olives, chips, hummus, maybe some tahina or tzatziki dressing. A good meal that sticks to your ribs.

It was hard to come up with just five, I really like food a lot! I like variety too, I would love to eat different foods every night if it wouldn’t be so expensive and time consuming.

I think everyone in all of the internets has done this already. If you haven’t, consider yourself tagged!

Falafel Follies

2006-09-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend Jason and I tried to make the falafel recipe from VwaV. This is the second recipe for homemade falafel we’ve attempted recently, sadly both were complete disasters. As you can see it just completely dissolved in the oil and formed this lovely pile of grease crumbs. What a waste of time and food, I hate it when things turn out like that. I even had to do the processing in small batches in my tiny 2 cup capacity mini chopper, took forever.

Jason waves his spatula in discontent.

Plan B: Stuff pita with hummus and veggies, drink beer and forget the incident ever happened. Stick with the box mix from now on.

This incident reinforced my need for a food processor, so we picked one up at Target. This is me with my new best friend.

We decided to break it in by making an extra large batch of hummus. Life in my kitchen will never be the same again. Now if I only had a KitchenAid…

I got these cute little Indian eggplants at the market last Friday so I decided to try out a new eggplant recipe. I ended up making Baingan Bharta, the following recipe is a modified version of this recipe

1 large eggplant or several smaller ones
1 T vegetable oil
1/4 t black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 to 3 t fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Spices: 1 t cumin, ½ t coriander, ½ t turmeric, ½ t paprika, ½ t garam masala, seeds of 2 green cardamom pods ground in coffee grinder, ¼ t fennel seeds ground in coffee grinder
1 tomato, diced (I used a pretty orange heirloom tomato, helped give the final dish a pretty color)
1/2 cup plain soygurt (I used Silk brand)
2 to 3 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place eggplant on a baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. I used small eggplants and halved them before baking, they were very soft by 20 min. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in mustard seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender. I personally like to caramelize and char my onions a bit, takes some patience but I think it really adds nice flavor.

Mix ginger and garlic, spices, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in soygurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. You might have to scrape the bottom of the pan to get some burnt bits loosened; I just say any burning in this dish adds more flavor. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

It was pretty much reduced to an eggplant mush, but it was very tasty. I ate it with some baked sweet potato.

Some neighbors decided to welcome the new neighbors to the building on Saturday by having a cookout in the courtyard. Three units in the building have new tenants. Jason and I joined everybody when we returned from Maloney’s where we watched the Badgers win their first game of the season (Woooohoooo! 35 – 14, take that Bowling Green!) Everyone seems very cool and understanding about our dog. They all have dogs too so Dexter even gets some new playmates. There was apparently still some beer leftover after the party so we helped out with that last night, and we even got breakfast cooked for us this morning. It kind of feels like I’m living in a college dorm now or something, but with more dogs and no one is actually in college. No complaints from me anyway.
We went to the produce market up the street and I found these beautiful juicy golden raspberries for just $1.99! I don’t often buy fresh raspberries because they’re usually so expensive, so these were a sweet treat.

Finally, here’s a little movie of Dexter and Sadie wrestling. They are so in love. :)

Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Farmer’s Market Friday

2006-09-01T13:01:00.002-07:00

I got lots this week. Good thing I’ve been working out, it was a lot of stuff to heft back to the office.

3 ears sweet corn
1 bunch baby carrots
5 Indian eggplant
2 large heirloom tomatoes
2 gigantic yellow peaches
3 nectarines
2 cantaloupe ($1 each, bargain!)
1 lb string beans
1 bag mixed bell peppers
1 bunch asparagus
2 bunches broccoli
Total: $18.75

Last night we helped our downers (the people who lived directly below us) pack up their moving van, they are now living in luxury in a condo twice the size of our apartment in Long Beach with a beach view from their balcony. They were very friendly and tolerant neighbors and I’m sad to see them go, especially since they were such good dog sitters and said our dog’s constant crying all day didn’t bother them. I doubt we can hope for as much from the new tenants. The apartment next to theirs was recently vacated as well, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that we get neighbors who don’t threaten to call the authorities over noise disturbances.

I have no real plans for the long weekend. A couple friends of ours just left for Israel where they will be for 3 weeks! So we are helping out by having their dog Sadie stay with us this weekend and checking in on their kitties and fishy. Other than that I’d like to get to the beach and maybe the gym a couple of times, and hopefully go over to Maloney's in Westwood to see the Badgers @ Bowling Green game tomorrow afternoon (season opener!), with lunch at Native Foods beforehand since it’s on the same block and all :)

Have a great holiday everyone! Going anywhere special?

Your hands and feet are mangos…

2006-08-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

I’m gonna be a genius anyway, because I made VwaV Mango-Ginger Tofu (p. 153). (Click on the title of this post if you’re confused and think I’ve gone crazy. I did not just make that up, I swear.) Here it is served on a bed of quinoa with a side of edamame.

I made the marinade last night and let it sit in the fridge for a full day. I liked it, but the sauce is a little too sweet for my taste. Next time I’ll try less maple syrup and OJ and more jalapeno and ginger, maybe even a kick of cayenne. How many VwaV tofu recipes involving tofu can I post in a row? Apparently the answer thus far is at least three. What can I say, I love me some tofu.

Miso in love with tofu

2006-08-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

Vegan with a Vengeance strikes again, this is the Stewed Tofu and Potatoes in Miso Gravy from page 147 over some mashed sweet potato. Not much to look at and this isn't really a great picture, but damn it’s good gravy. I am a little confused as to why the recipe suggests you serve this over mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, since there is a heavy potato component to the stew/gravy already. I think if I make this again I will leave the potatoes out if I’m going to put it over mashed potatoes and make it with the potatoes if I’m planning on eating it as a stew with crusty bread. This gravy is dynamite with the sweet potatoes by the way. Also, you will need to cut the potatoes much smaller than the recipe suggests if you want the potatoes to be ready after 25-30 minuets. We had to wait forever to eat because the potatoes were still too hard. Either that or I would just boil them for about 10 minuets before adding them to the stew. I also like the recipe because it calls for a healthy amount of white wine, and you can drink the rest of the bottle with dinner.

VwaV Brooklyn Pad Thai

2006-08-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. We had fun at the Knitting Factory on Friday night, good friends and good music. Saturday I made it to the beach for some playtime, sad to think that in a few weeks it will be getting too chilly to go in the water anymore. Oh well, better take advantage while I can!

We made this pad thai from VwaV for dinner last night. Nothing like a big bowl of refined white carbs now and again, yum! It was pretty tasty, but the recipe disclaimer that it is not authentic pad thai is right. I couldn’t find any flat rice noodles, just the really skinny kind. I even went to the Japanese market to try and find some, but to no avail. I made the recipe pretty much to the letter (half recipe, just the two of us eating), minus the lemon grass and I didn’t use all the oil called for. 3 tablespoons for two servings of noodles just seemed excessive. I took a picture of the noodle packaging because I thought it was cute and I love packaging that I can’t read. Look, it’s 100%...something!

I’ve been experimenting with making a pear vinaigrette salad dressing and think I’ve come up with a pretty decent one. The first time I made it I used fresh pears and pear juice from a carton, but it can be costly and difficult to find good fresh, ripe pears year-round, so I gave it a go with canned pears and it came out pretty well.

Champagne Pear Vinaigrette:
1 15 oz can pears in juice
2 T Champagne vinegar
2 T oil (any kind you like, I used soybean oil)
1/8 to 1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 t black pepper
Sweeten to taste, I used a few drops of liquid stevia extract

Dump it all in the blender and puree till smooth. I like this on salad with walnuts and mandarin oranges. It would probably go well with many flavors, but I would think primarily with salads involving nuts and fruit.

I was pretty busy in the kitchen yesterday, I also made a batch of VwaV seitan and a big pot of chickpeas for making falafel, hummus, and maybe some chana masala later in the week. I was buying my chickpeas canned, but last week I realized just how many chickpeas we can go through and figured it would be cheaper to buy dried chickpeas and they really don’t take that much effort. Plus you can avoid the added sodium of the canned beans.

Have a good week everyone. Badger football season opener is this Saturday, very exciting! We’ll be creaming Bowling Green at Cleveland Browns Stadium. I love college football season because it means I have an excuse to start drinking beer early on Saturdays.

I heart Russ Feingold

2006-08-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I had the honor of attending the ANGLE (Access Now Gay and Lesbian Equality) breakfast at the Wyndham BelAge Hotel in West Hollywood, with none other than Wisconsin Democratic Senator Russ Feingold as the key note speaker! Being from Wisconsin and pretty liberal in my politics, Senator Feingold is something of a political hero to me. He also holds the distinction of casting the lone dissenting vote in the Senate against the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act back in 2001. I got to shake his hand and speak with him briefly, mostly we just chatted about Hudson, my home town, and Madison, seeing as we are both Badger alums and his own daughter just graduated from the UW a couple years ago. He comes across as a very genuine and kind person, not something you see often in politicians these days! He inspires and he gets things done. He’s also quite a bit shorter than I imagined.

He spoke of course about marriage equality, given the crowd in attendance and the fact that Wisconsin is in the position to be the first state ever to strike down a ballot measure this November banning civil unions and same sex marriage (read the full press release here). He also touched on alternative energy, campaign finance reform, terrorism and the national security crisis, Katrina, the situations in Lebanon, Iraq, and Africa. A man after my own heart he is. I would love to see him become president, I would vote for him. He has such strong leadership and really makes an effort to get down to the grassroots level and connect with his constituents and their needs and positions. He holds town hall type meetings in every one of Wisconsin’s 72 counties every year to listen to the people and address their concerns, he said that over his tenure he has conducted close to 1,000 of these meetings! I could gush on and on. If you haven’t taken the time to get to know Senator Feingold I would encourage you to do so, he’ll be one to watch for in 2008. It’s not that I don’t like Senator Clinton, I’ve just gotta side with my fellow Badger, you know?

Happy Friday all, I’m off to market to pick up some goodies and heading home early so I can take a nap before the Phix show tonight at the Knitting Factory. Yay!

VwaV (finally) and an LA weekend

2006-08-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty busy and productive weekend. Most exciting of all, I finally got my hands on a copy of Vegan with a Vengeance! I don’t know how I lived without it. I started with the chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’ve been trying to lay off the baking because large amounts of baked goods in the house can only mean trouble, but it was Jason’s dad’s birthday. And it is just rude to let someone’s birthday pass by without baking them something.

The recipe begins with a disclaimer that these are not healthy in any way. And they aren’t, but damn are they good. The batter was a little too crumbly after it was mixed so I added a couple small splashes of soymilk at the end. There were so many chocolate chips that there were some left in the bowl that the batter just couldn’t hold, so I went and shoved them into the top of any cookies I could find an empty spot on (not easy!). I made some with walnuts and some without, because for some crazy reason some people don’t enjoy walnuts in their cookies. I gave away most of the cookies and kept a small stash.

For Sunday breakfast we made the tofu scramble. We didn’t have cremini mushrooms, so we just used the few white mushrooms we had as well as some squash and some frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained well. It was very tasty. I’m still having issues with the nutritional yeast, it by no means ruined the dish for me but I just am not fond of the smell.

I can’t wait to make more delicious food, this will be a well used cookbook for sure.

I managed to get plenty of exercise in this weekend. On Saturday I went to the gym for pilates ball and swam laps, and yesterday I went to the beach and boogie boarded and worked on my tan for a couple hours, walked my dog and a friend’s dog, and then practiced rollerblading with my dog. At first it was a little scary to be going so fast, but after a while we got the hang of it and I was feeling a little more in control. Dexter went for a 30 min run this morning while I bladed, hopefully he’s good and tired and being a good boy at home today.

Last night we went out to dinner at California Vegan. I tried a new dish, the California Orange Chicken, it was so good. I love that place. Afterwards our friend Becca came over and brought the L.A. Story DVD with her. I can’t believe I’ve never seen this movie before, if you live in or have spent any time in LA it is especially hilarious. It stars Steve Martin, and also has Sarah Jessica Parker and Marilu Henner.

I thought I’d share this picture of a particularly large and beautiful heirloom tomato, with Buddha for scale.

Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start.

Farmer’s Market Friday

2006-08-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

This week’s booty:

heirloom tomatoes (for $1/lb! unheard of)
1 cantaloupe
1 bag string beans
3 large white nectarines
1 bag yellow squash
1 bunch asparagus
2 pink grapefruit

I didn’t get too much this week, I have plenty of food at home at the moment. I just had one of the tomatoes sliced up on a whole wheat cracker with hickory smoked Tofurky slices. So yummy, I’m going to be very sad when heirlooms disappear from the markets again. Seems like they’re in season for such a short time.

I am having an awesome week at the gym. I went to yoga class on Sunday and on Monday, did my upper body lifting and 30 min on elliptical on Tuesday, took Wed as a rest day with just walking, and went to spinning last night. I even did abs and push-ups after spinning. I have no idea where all this motivation came from, but I hope it sticks around. Hopefully I’ll hit the pool over the weekend, or maybe just go to the beach for some boogie boarding. If I get really crazy I might go to pilates ball tomorrow.

This pooch is definitely doing his yoga, look how limber. And getting beauty rest at the same time. That’s talent.

Happy Friday!

Hottie Alert

2006-08-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

You know what I do when I have nothing to blog about? That’s right, take a quiz. Thanks Tabs! I love this one because it is about Johnny Depp and well, he’s yummy.

You Are Edward From "Edward Scissorhands."

You are very shy and often misunderstood. Innocent, sweet, and artistic, you like to pass your days by daydreaming and expressing yourself through the arts. You are a truly unique individual. Unfortunately, you are quite lonely, and few people truly understand you.

Take The Johnny Depp Quiz!

And I’m Edward Scissorhands! The very film that sparked my crush on both Mr. Depp and my girl crush on Winona Ryder. Yes, when I was 10 I found an anemic misunderstood freak with sharp objects for hands an ideal love interest. And I don’t care if you steal things, I still love you Winona. Speaking of which, have ya’ll seen Girl, Interrupted? Go Netflix it. Right now. I mean it. I’m not really into girls, but if I were I would be all over the chicks I this film. Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall who kind of looks a little like Claire Danes, who is also hot. If you have not seen My So-Called Life I order you to Netflix that as well immediately. It has Claire Danes and Jared Leto, another hottie. I regret to report that there are only 19 episodes and I curse the faulty Nielsen rating driven corporate network television machine that drove it off the air. Bastards.

That’s all I’ve got today. A report on the celebrities I had a crush on in high school and ordering you to watch DVDs.

Humpday out.

Farmer’s Market Friday

2006-08-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Pretty uneventful week so I’ve been pretty quiet around here. Just work and commute and gym and more work stuff and blah, blah, boring. No wonder produce shopping is the highlight of my week. I got lots at the market today. I could have bought more, but I can only lug so much back to my office.

1 cantaloupe
3 ripe tomatoes on the vine
1 eggplant
3 squashes of a variety I’ve never tried before (mysteriously labeled “white squash”)
1 bag mixed onions
1 bunch asparagus
2 ears corn
1 lb string beans
1 Haas avocado
2 yellow nectarines
2 white nectarines
1 bag mixed bell peppers
1 bunch carrots
Total: $15

I got my shipment from Robert’s American Gourmet this week. I’ve heard such wonderful things about their Pirate’s Booty and other assorted snack foods that I ordered one of these nifty samplers. I paid no shipping yay! I must say the caramel Booty was very good, it’s all gone now. I also received my order from The Better Health Store. I was somewhat less satisfied with the customer service from this place, some of the items I ordered were out of stock so they just sent me an e-mail saying they canceled part of my order. I did get my first bottles of KAL stevia and Bragg’s (which leaked a bit) so I’m pretty excited about that. I also got this product for my dog called “anxiety free” with St. John’s Wort and valerian and some other stuff. I keep hoping there is going to be this magic thing that makes him not crazy so I keep trying, but really after everything we’ve tried I go in with low expectations. If valium didn’t work I don’t see why valerian would, but I try anyway because maybe I am also a little bit of the crazy too.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Dal-licious food + Solstice Canyon

2006-08-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

I made the Three-Bean Dal from Vegan Planet as seen on VeganCore last week. It's so good I made it again tonight, but with chickpeas instead of red beans ‘cause I didn’t have any more. I also reduced the oil to 1 T, and I added a handful of fresh chopped cilantro toward the end in addition to the cilantro garnish, and served with a lime wedge to give just a little taste of sweet/sour. I will be making this regularly.

This is just some baked falafel patties (from box mix) on a bed of whole wheat cous cous, topped with hummus, avocado chunks, diced heirloom tomato, and a couple of olives. Easy and yummy.

These are the Guatemalan Insanity Peppers I picked up at the market last week.

Jason and I took Dexter hiking in Solstice Canyon this afternoon before his Canine Good Citizen test. You can see some pictures there. Jason is so happy that the crazy camera lady must take his picture repeatedly.

As for the test, well, Dexter got 8 out of 10 which I think is pretty respectable. Sadly, you need 10 out of 10 to pass. Good news is you can re-test as many times as you want. I think with a little work Dexter will nail it the second time around. We still love him anyways.

The unthinkable

2006-08-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

I got an e-mail from Care2, one of those activist lists I subscribe to telling me to sign petitions to stop horrible things going on all over the world. Today’s message centered on a supremely disturbing story.

This is sick. I mean really, really sick. I know some cultures are less sensitive to non-human beings than others, but this just goes beyond. How would you feel is someone offered you $.63 to kill your own dog, otherwise you would have to wait for the “killing team” to come and beat your dog to death? This should never happen. Sign the petition if you want. I did, but I am pessimistic as to how much good it will actually do.

So, where were we? Oh yes, all is wrong in the world and how can humans be so cruel, poverty, war, global warming, discrimination and hate, I’ve been on hold for 18 minutes waiting to talk to a representative…and oh yeah, produce!

As much as it seems like the whole planet is headed down the tubes, I managed to have another pleasant trip to the Koreatown farmers market today.

Farmer’s Market Friday

2 medium Haas avocados
1 large Green avocado
1 bunch asparagus
2 ears corn
3 uniquely colored bell peppers (I may even post a picture later, they’re pretty)
1 bunch broccoli
1 bunch sweet basil
1 cantaloupe
3 ripe on the vine tomatoes
4 large nectarines

I made some really yummy roasted eggplant last night. I used one of those long skinny Japanese eggplants, sliced, salted, sweated for about 45 minutes then rinsed and patted dry. Then I tossed the eggplant in a bowl with the juice of ½ a lemon, some soy sauce, a little olive oil, black pepper, Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute blend, and I added some bread crumbs to soak up the extra liquid and coat the eggplant a bit. I roasted the slices on a baking sheet alongside red pepper strips in a hot oven (400-450) for 20 min, turning halfway through. I ate the veggies over some leftover whole wheat couscous and pre-packaged “Madras lentils” (TJ’s strikes again). End result is very tasty, I just had leftovers for lunch. However, deemed not pretty enough to photograph.

Hope everyone has a smashing weekend.

In case you hadn’t noticed

2006-08-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

I’ve organized and updated my links. If you are a reader/commenter that I have inadvertently left out, please let me know and I will link you. Maybe someday I will even get around to updating my music links as well.

Happy Hump Day!

Looky-loo links

2006-08-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

I ain’t got much to say here, so I thought I’d share some fun links and nutritional research. Wee, fun!

Breakfast From HELL
I just don’t know what to say. I mean, can you imagine someone actually eating this? These people need help.

The Gallery of Regrettable Food
The anti-food-porn.

In the spirit of funwithyourfood, I thought I’d share a few things that I learned about my good friend xylitol. I’ve been using xylitol as a sugar replacement for some time because it’s natural, lower in calories than sugar, and has a low glycemic index score. Thanks to Harmonia’s link to this article I am now aware that GI isn’t everything, and thought maybe I should read up on this xylitol stuff to see if there’s really any benefit. (all these tidbits are just stolen from the Wiki article, so if you read the whole article just skip this)

Well, it turns out there is. First of all Finland is considered the “home country” of xylitol, so hey, sisu! This stuff must be good for you.

Xylitol can be produced from birch, raspberries, plums, and corn.

Xylitol, gram for gram, is roughly as sweet as sucrose, but contains 40% less food energy. (I think food energy is a fancy name for calories. Yay, less calories!)

It also turns out that xylitol is good for your teeth, for use by diabetics, may be a potential treatment for osteoporosis, may abate ear and upper respiratory infections, and may help control oral infections of Candida yeast.

Negative side effects: can have a mild laxative effect at high doses. Also very toxic and potentially fatal to dogs, so keep this stuff safely away from the pups!

I use xylitol to sweeten my coffee every day and have used it as sweetener in cake and quickbread recipes. However, since it interferes with the yeast micro-organism and others, xylitol is not useful for making bread, for instance.

Wow, wasn’t that so much more than you ever hoped to know about xylitol?

In other wikipedia news, it seems that their article relating to elephants has been locked for editing due to its mention in the Colbert Report’s “WØRD” segment last night. How are we to impart the Wiki with truthiness with this kind of censorship?

Good Tuesday to all.

My Civic Duty

2006-07-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

I was on call for jury duty all last week, and finally got called in to serve on Friday. I was a bit groggy from Thursday night (which was awesome by the way) and didn’t remember I still had to call in to see if I had to report until about 7:45. At which point I learned I had to report to the County Court in freakin’ Hollywood at 8:45. Needless to say I was late. I hate driving to Hollywood, most aggravating traffic in all of LA as far as I’m concerned. I’d rather drive downtown. And guess what I did all day? That’s right, absolutely nothing! Going on very little sleep from two nights in a row at the Roxy I was in no mood to sit next to a smelly stranger and wait for nothing to happen. Could have been worse, at least I didn’t actually have to serve on a jury and only one day of my time was wasted.

I finally saw Pirates of the Caribbean last night. I love Johnny Depp, I have ever since Edward Scissorhands. I enjoyed the movie, great CG animation and physical comedy as well. Can’t wait for Pirates 3! I also caught The Aviator on DVD this weekend. A bit long, but enjoyable enough.

So many people in my office are out of town this week it’s like a ghost town around here. I’m sleepy, it’s Monday, and food I left in the fridge last week is gone so I will be forced to venture outward and find lunch later. *sigh*

Happy Birthday

2006-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

to the one I love!

Hope your birthday is as sweet as you are.

We went and saw moe. at the Roxy last night and will be seeing them again in celebration of Jason's birthday tonight. I am going to be one pooped out girl on Friday, but it's so worth it. moe. rocks!

It’s Electric!

2006-07-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was the big to do party of the year for the non-prof I work for. It’s on the lot of Paramount studios, and it was so mad hot I thought I would melt right onto the asphalt before the party even got started. I shouldn’t complain too much, I didn’t have to show up until 4:30 in the afternoon and some of the event staff and volunteers had been there since 8am! I would have died.

I was stuck at the VIP red carpet area until about 9. There was some lightning going on, we were afraid it was gonna rain on our party but we lucked out. After I finished my shift I was free to roam the party with Jason and see the live music. So, the exciting part: I saw Deborah Gibson! (don’t you dare call her Debbie). Yes, the famed pop princess performed “Shake Your Love”, “Electric Youth”, and some other jazzy Broadway type numbers. This girl has still got the pipes and the spunk.

And now, the magic.

Deborah Gibson and Jordan Knight, yes that Jordan Knight, sing the duet “Say Goodbye” together for the first time ever. If I had my pick of any NKOTB member I totally would have voted Joey, but this was still exciting for the nostalgia factor if nothing else. I’m not going to say the performance was spectacular or anything, Simon Cowell would have taken Jordan down, but it was still fun.

Now give me some Sugar!

That’s Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. He was pretty hot…I mean sweaty of course ;) And seemed a little drunk. But this was a fun performance as well.

There was an auction, and dancing, and I did the “Smirnoff Experience”. A fun night, but I felt so sorry for the people that had to work all day on this thing, I got off pretty easy. I’m glad this only happens once a year because it’s exhausting.

My man is the best man

2006-07-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a few shots from the wedding last weekend. I have so much red eye removal to do it's not even funny, it's in pretty much every picture. Oh, the magic of Photoshop.

That's the beautiful bride, Ilene, and the dashing groom, Max.

Jason and me in the lobby of the reception hall

Jason looking muy caliente in his tux.

Mmm, cake.

And that's me and the groom hanging out (aka "drinking") at the hotel after the rehearsal dinner.

Much fun was had by all. Mazel Tov to the bride and groom!

Am I missing something?

2006-07-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

The weekend was just beautiful and Jason and I had a lovely time visiting his family back east and attending the wedding of his best friend since the tender age of 13. Jason looked so debonair in his tux (pictures are coming), and his toast was short, sweet and a big hit. I think the bride and groom will have many happy years ahead of them. L’Chaim!

A few conversations this weekend (with persons who shall remain anonymous) got me to thinking about a topic that seems to be one of those “big” decisions in life. That is, to procreate, or not to procreate, that is the question. I have always leaned more towards the “not” in regard to that question. I realize I am only 26 and I very well might feel differently about that at 46, but let’s just say I am firmly in the “no babies” camp for at least the foreseeable future with the possibility of extending that to forever. I find it very interesting how so many people find that position so incredibly odd, some even seem to think there must surely be something wrong with me. I mean, throughout much of human history having children may have been pretty much the sole aspiration for most women, but aren’t we past that now? I thought what with women being allowed out of the house to attain education and hold employment and own property and all that jazz, that maybe we could let go of that whole barefoot and pregnant thing. Of course I’m being tongue in cheek here and I certainly don’t begrudge anyone their right to have as many children as they want so long as they will provide and care for those children financially/emotionally/intellectually/spiritually/etc. In fact, I am glad so many people seem to find themselves up to the task because I find it so mind-blowingly frightening that I’m not sure it’s something I will ever want to attempt. If populating the world were up to me, extinction would be a distinct possibility.

I know there are positives to having children (from what I hear). The pride and joy you feel in nurturing this little being and seeing them grow, and reliving childhood through their eyes, and someone to look out for you in your golden years, and yadda yadda yadda. I know there are parents out there that seem to define their very own existence by their children, and who seem very happy about that. And to be honest, that scares the living crap out of me. Oh, and let’s not forget about the actual process where you have to carry another human being around inside of you and then it actually has to come out of you in the well known and none too pleasant ways of childbirth. It is safe to say if I ever do find my maternal instincts and decide I want to raise a little person, I will be adopting.

I am not ready to put someone else before me at all times, no matter what. I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Once you have a blessed bundle of joy, all that goes right out the window. I guess I admire people who seem so willing to give it all up, and I guess I don’t understand it either. Am I missing something? Perhaps I’ll never know.

When in doubt…

2006-07-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

Post one of these fun little quizzes. Thanks Val!

All-Around Smart

You are all-around smart. Essentially, that means that you are a good combination of your own knowledge and experience, along with having learned through instruction - and you are equally as good with theoretical things as you are with real-world, applied things. You have a well-rounded brain.

20% theoretical intelligence
20% learned intelligence

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

I’m so well rounded. Or as my father calls me, “multi-talented”. But I sure as hell am math stupid. Physics, chemistry, and population genetics were never my forte either, but that is mostly because of their involvement with The Math. Oh, except for Geometry, I got an A in that because there are pictures :)

We are taking the red eye tonight to BWI and driving up to Philly on Saturday to attend the wedding of Jason’s best friend from high school. He’s the best man! He’ll be wearing a monkey suit. Of course there will be pictures, silly! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. I will be fighting the humidity and hair frizz, eating and drinking too much, and making merry all around. Ciao!

YouTube

2006-07-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

I might be the last person on earth to get around to checking out youtube. Now I even have my own account and can post video on my blog! How exciting! Well, the content isn't really, so you'll just have to settle for Dexter as entertainment for now. This was taken with my digital camera so it's not top quality, but you get the idea. Enjoy!

You're my obsession

2006-07-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

Trader Joe's. I can't go in this place and not leave with more than I came for. Case and point, this is what I walked out with today after I went in looking for about 5 items. Mind you my last trip to TJ's was 2 days ago.

28 oz can organic diced tomatoes
tandoori naan curry bread
15 oz can garbanzo beans
quart nonfat plain yogurt
organic firm tofu
frozen organic broccoli florets
2 bottles champagne pear vinaigrette
4 pack of nectarines
2 1 lb packages of red cherries
5 organic bananas
dutch yellow potatoes
whole wheat english muffins
frozen tropical fruit trio (mango, papaya, and pineapple)
organic whole wheat rotelle pasta
shirataki tofu noodles
unsweetened applesauce
21 seasoning salute blend

I did all that damage in about only 10 minutes, and fit it all in one of those little baskets believe it or not. I just had one of the nectarines, it was pure nectar drenched heaven. My favorite find was the cherries at just $3.79/lb! That's less than the farmer's market. We skewered and grilled some of those baby dutch yellow potatoes a couple of nights ago, coated in a mixture of olive oil, fresh rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. The were very good, I love how things taste when you gill them. One product TJ's really needs to start carrying is soygurt, I'm not completely off the dairy so I prefer to just pick up yogurt at TJ's instead of making a special trip to Whole Foods for "just 1 thing" and leaving $30 later. I'll write them an e-mail and all you other TJ shoppers should do the same.

Here's a shot of the veg skewers from our 4th of July cookout. They were OK, but could have used some more seasoning, or perhaps should have been marinated before grilling. Just Morningstar Farms veggie dogs and burgers and chips and the like to go with these, nothing fancy or worth photographing.

Pancakes, stir fry, and produce, oh my!

2006-07-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

I made these flax berry pancakes for the first time in a while. I made them with whole wheat pastry flour and frozen blueberries since that's what I had on hand. Jason made his with bananas and chocolate chips instead of berries. They are super tasty and easy.

I like mine topped with a few extra berries, unsweetened applesauce and a drizzle of organic maple syrup.

This is just a super easy stir fry, but it was so photogenic I thought I'd share.

I sauteed some veggies in light oil.

I tried the tofu trick where you freeze it and press out the water while it defrosts. It makes the tofu spongy in texture and it really soaks up that sauce! I rather like it. I used a new flavor of Soy Vay sauce.

Over a bit of brown rice this is a quick and tasty dinner.

This orange reminded me of how naval oranges got their name. I think this one's a outie.

Cherries! Oh, how I love thee. I got these at the Koreatown farmer's market. They didn't last long after this picture was taken.

Dog Day Afternoon

2006-07-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Dexter is in training to get his Canine Good Citizen certificate from the AKC, so we decided to take him to the park last Saturday to work on his skills.

Dexter waited patiently for dad to get ready so we could go.

Until I saw this picture I didn't realize what a tool I look like when I'm out walking the dog. Maybe it's the treat bag thing hanging out around my crotch.

His little backpack has detachable saddlebags. It was pretty hot out, you can see he looked pretty happy to take the load off.

Other people and dogs serve as distraction.

Look at that heel, just gorgeous!

He was so good we let him have some free time to play with the other dogs as a reward.

In closing here's a couple of random shots of this adorable kid I saw at the beach last Sunday. He looked like he was having so much fun running around in his big floppy hat.

100 things

2006-07-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve finally gotten around to this “100 things” business. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be to come up with 100 things. You should try it sometime when you’re bored and in the mood for navel gazing. I’m linking this in the sidebar for posterity. Without further ado, way more personal information than you ever wanted to know about me:

1. I am from the great state of Wisconsin, town of Hudson (not so great).

2. I haven’t eaten animal flesh since 1994.

3. I secretly find most children annoying. Except yours, yours are great.

4. I started taking swimming lessons when I was 3 years old.

5. I love my dog more than is probably healthy.

6. One of my greatest wishes is for my dog to be cured of his separation anxiety. It really makes life difficult and I fear he will get us evicted and leave us homeless someday.

7. I appear very tolerant and polite on the surface, but I am very judgmental of stupid and ignorant people.

8. I’ve been a manager at two different DC area restaurants.

9. I love pizza more than any person should.

10. I feel guilty about loving cheese so damn much. I wish I could just let it go…

11. I wish I was a vegan, but I’m too lazy and I love cheese too much to be 100% vegan, so I settle for about 75%.

12. I settle a lot. With myself.

13. I am deeply afraid of failure.

14. I deal with my fear of failure by not trying very hard most of the time (see item 12).

15. I love being outdoors with the nature but I live in Los Angeles.

16. I love beer.

17. I will not apologize for my love of beer. It is my birthright (see item 1).

18. I was an artificial redhead in my college years.

19. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in December of 2002 with a BA; Major: Communication Arts, Concentration in Broadcasting and Film.

20. I currently work in non-profit development.

22. College really was the best time of my life. I will be surprised if anything in the future tops it.

23. I am already disillusioned by the working world.

24. My birthday is January 29, 1980.

25. I am an Aquarius.

26. I have no idea what my zodiac sign says about me or anyone else and I don’t particularly put much stock in astrology.

27. I was raised Catholic and was confirmed at the age of 17.

28. I went to a Catholic school K-8.

29. I deeply resent items 27 and 28.

30. I enjoy many Broadway musicals.

31. I have participated in several school/community/amateur musical productions.

32. I used to be able to sing really well.

33. I am kind of sad that I gave up singing (see item 14).

34. I used to play the clarinet.

35. I really wanted to play the cello but our schools didn’t have an orchestra program.

37. I am math retarded.

36. I have numeric dyslexia.

38. I am one of five children. I have an older brother and 2 younger sisters and a younger brother. The youngest girl and boy are twins.

39. I was a Star Trek geek in high school.

40. At one time in my life I weighed nearly 220 pounds (see items 9 and 16).

41. I weigh a lot less than that now.

42. I am 5 feet 4 inches tall.

43. My boyfriend (I guess you call them a “significant other” at some point? What’s in a name?) and I have been together since April of 2001. I love him lots because we are both the same brand of crazy.

44. I met my boyfriend sometime in 1999.

45. Neither of us clearly remembers when/which our first meeting was.

46. I had three successive disastrous relationships during my college years, each lasting just under a year. Live and learn.

47. I am bad with money/finances.

48. I love the ocean.

49. I wish I knew how to surf.

50. I love Los Angeles for it’s proximity to the ocean, the weather, the availability of Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

51. I hate almost everything else about Los Angeles.

52. I don’t understand why women still change their last name when they get married.

53. I hate flossing, and have the dental record to prove it.

54. I hate pickles more than any other single food item (excepting animal flesh of course). I also dislike pickled things in general and radishes and celery.

55. I love black olives but dislike green olives.

56. I think I should have had a career in some sort of biological sciences field, but I got too grossed out by dissection labs.

57. Sometimes it looks like I’m listening when I’m really not.

58. Sometimes I am just as surprised as the other person when it is evident I didn’t hear a word they said.

59. My mind wanders a lot.

60. I’ve never done any drugs that involve a needle or go up your nose.

61. I enjoy doing yoga.

62. I hate wearing heels so much that the closest thing I own is a pair of black boots with a 2’’ wedge heel.

63. I don’t wear those boots very often because they make my toes numb.

64. I love Teva sandals.

65. I dislike getting dressed up.

66. I can make really good “special” baked goods.

67. I am addicted to blogging and the external validation it brings.

68. My self esteem used to really suck.

69. My self esteem is much better now.

70. I studied abroad in Laitila, Finland my junior year of high school, it was one of the best things I ever did.

71. I love rollercoasters and thrill rides.

72. In June of 1997 I went on a three week tour of Europe with a 3 bus caravan full of exchange students.

73. I did some stupid and crazy shit on that trip and it is one of the most memorable experiences of my life (the parts of it I remember, that is.)

74. I have a problem with authority and being told what to do.

75. I took 21 credits of Finnish language in my freshman and sophomore years of college.

76. I never did have that good of a handle on the Finnish language.

77. At one point or another in my education I have also studied French, German, Swedish, and Russian.

78. I am only functionally literate in English (even that is questionable some days).

79. At least I can count to 10 in five different languages.

80. My surname is Finnish.

81. My family lineage also includes Swedes, Norwegians and Germans.

82. I am big boned (no really, I am).

83. I use profanity sometimes.

84. I almost never wear make-up.

85. I love watching shows on Animal Planet, National Geographic Channel, Discovery, and PBS. (Did someone say TiVo addict?)

86. My parents still live in the house I grew up in.

87. I will never buy expensive watches or sunglasses because I always lose or break them.

88. I am a messy slob.

89. I am torn between my materialistic desires and my hippy-dippy communist ideals.

90. Sometimes I think about all the unimaginable pain and suffering that is going on in the world at any given time.

91. Thinking about that makes me feel really depressed and helpless.

92. I stopped listening to the NPR news every morning because of items 90 and 91.

93. I listen to the Adam Carolla show instead.

94. I can’t imagine having children. I am just that selfish.

95. I have blue eyes.

96. I really want to play guitar so I can be a famous folk artist, but my left hand is retarded.

97. I feel like my friends know me better than my parents do.

98. I think Madison, WI is the most wonderful place to live and I fantasize about moving back there sometimes.

99. I went to the Phish festival in Coventry, Vermont in August of 2004. We hiked 15 miles with camping gear to get to a music festival after flying from LA to Boston, driving to Vermont and spending upwards of 20 hours in a car overnight sitting in traffic that moved a total of 3 miles while we were in it. There were extenuating circumstances I won’t get into. Yeah, we were hard core like that.

100. I think the world would be a better place if everyone would just do things my way.

Bitching and Moaning

2006-07-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am at work today. It sucks. I was having a lovely weekend and was not ready for it to end. And it doesn’t help that most people I know are not at work today and are having fun without me. At least I have yoga and Superman to look forward to tonight.

Farmer’s Market Friday

2006-06-30T13:06:00.001-07:00

I’ve decided to make this a regular installment, because I know ya’ll are as infatuated with fresh produce as I am. Kind of my own version of Midweek Munchies only it’s Friday and the only things included will be fruits and vegetables. Today was heavy on the fruit because I feel like I’ve been way under-consuming on the fruit this week. Ideally I try for at least 3 servings a day. So, this week’s picks:

1 lb red cherries
1 cantaloupe
2 heads broccoli
4 tomatoes
2 bell peppers – 1 orange; 1 yellow
2 Haas avocados
3 lb mix bag of peaches, plums, and mish mish (that’s apricots to you non-Hebrew speaking folk) they were all $1/lb, bargain!
Big bag of naval oranges
Grand total: $19

What am I eating at my desk for lunch today? So glad you asked. I’ve got some awesome spicy hummus with carrot and cucumber sticks and tandoori masala naan from Trader Joe’s for dipping. I also have a spinach, walnut and orange slice salad with champagne pear vinaigrette (also from TJ’s).

Kick-ass Spicy Hummus Recipe:
2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
¼ c H2O
¼ c lemon juice
½ c tahina paste
1 can (15 oz) chick peas rinsed and drained
½ t paprika
½ t cayenne pepper
1 t salt

Blend it all up in your food processor or mash with a potato masher if you don’t have one. It gets even better if you let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Happy weekend to all. :)

What should I order?

2006-06-29T11:55:00.001-07:00

I love eating (big surprise, huh?), and that includes eating out. When you are a vegetarian this can be a little tricky sometimes. Obviously when I’m choosing where to go it’s a veg friendly place, but often I end up going out with co-workers or other circumstances when I don’t choose the place. It usually goes like this: scan menu looking for items that do not involve dead animals, choose one of the 1 to 3 options in that category. When I am at an exclusively veg restaurant it takes me forever to decide what to order because suddenly the whole menu is available to me. It’s a nice feeling. So, Kleo posted today asking about our favorite local veg places to eat out, these are mine:

Real Food Daily
I’ve been to the Santa Monica location a few times. The burger is great, it’s a huge patty of grainy beany goodness, the soups I’ve had were all very good, all their dressings and sauces are amazing. The menu has a nice range of different cuisines from Asian influenced to American style comfort food. It’s a little on the spendy side, and when I requested ice for my iced tea I was told they don’t have ice in the restaurant (?) so that’s weird, but I’ve never had any food there that wasn’t delicious so I recommend it.

Native Foods
Westwood isn’t exactly my neighborhood so I don’t get to Native Foods as often as I’d like, but this place might even be my favorite of all time. They have everything, appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, salads, soups, bowls, pizza, tacos, and it’s all awesome and a darn good value to boot. The Mad Cowboy bowl and the Moby Dick sandwich are a couple of standouts in my mind. If there were one of these anywhere near my office I would be much fatter than I am.

California Vegan
Too bad I’m never there for lunch because the lunch specials are a great bargain at this place. I usually get a curry dish or the cowboy steak. The Vege Chicken Nuggets are not to be missed. I don’t know how they do it, but they are the best fake chicken nuggets I have ever tasted. I suggest BBQ sauce for dipping.

Venus of Venice
I’ve only been there once, and come to think of it I don’t know why I haven’t been back! It’s not far from my place but it’s also not en route to anyplace I go regularly so I guess it kind of slipped my mind. This is a fun and quirky little place. The interior décor is eclectic as it comes, everything looks like it was pulled from grandma’s attic or a thrift shop, plenty of stuff to peruse on the walls while you wait for your food. Our server was southern and sweet as pie. She was also dressed a bit eccentrically with a sequined costume, but in the context of the place it seemed to make sense. The sandwich and salad I had was very tasty, and the mint iced tea was so good and refreshing. Oh, and I remember the sweet potato fries were also great, but really when have you had sweet potato fries that you did not love? I must make a mental note to hit this place up for a weekend lunch sometime soon.

Bharat Bazaar
This is the Indian grocery I go to for spices and naan and the like. They also have a few tables and chairs set up and a little vegetarian food bar. As I mentioned in a previous post on my last visit they were kind enough to let me sample everything on the steam table and I was wowed! The chickpeas, the spinach, soy “meat balls”, everything was so amazing. I will be back there for a full meal in the near future.

What about your favorite places to dine out?

So simple you probably think I’m simple minded

2006-06-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

I love me some asparagus. I also love the way it makes your pee smell funny. Usually I just steam it up and maybe throw a sprinkle of salt and a bit of margarine on it. But last night we were having chana masala so I wanted to give it a bit of a lemon garlic kick to complement. This is so easy I wouldn’t even call it a recipe, but the asparagus turned out so well I thought I’d share my asparagus preparation. First I steamed the asparagus (woody stems trimmed off of course) in a pan with a tight fitting lid for 5 minutes. While the asparagus is draining in the sink melt a bit of Earth Balance spread in the pan, throw in one clove of finely chopped garlic and stir that around in the margarine on medium heat for about 2 min. Add the asparagus back to the pan and squeeze the juice of ¼ lemon over it and salt and pepper to taste. Mix up the asparagus till coated. I like my asparagus a bit softer than al dente, so I put the lid back on and turned on the heat for a few seconds till I could see the lid steam up a bit, turned the heat off and let the asparagus sit there for a few minutes to soften a little more. So that’s it, simple, quick and flavorful asparagus. No I didn’t take any pictures, I was too hungry. :)

More new stuff

2006-06-27T23:38:00.000-07:00

Jason got a sexy new laptop. You could watch movies in widescreen on this thing if you wanted to. Ooooh! Tidchadesh honey! Photoshop has yet to be installed, but Costa Rica: Extended Version will be coming sometime in the near future. In the mean time I thought I'd share a few of my favorite pics snapped by my sisters.

This is our view from the hammock lined patio of the condo. Not bad, eh?

This is Shmitty, the rottie pup next door. We had fun hanging in the pool with him.

Stacy and me on the snorkeling boat.

Monkeys!

Me trying to be at one with the monkeys.

More to come...

My new haircut

2006-06-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

New as in 2 weeks ago. Blogspeed ahead!

I rather like it. Thank you Mr. Fantastic Sam's man. I don't think I'll be letting my mani/pedi people do my haircuts anymore, too much language barrier issues and it never turns out quite right. If I owned a hairdryer my hair could look this good everyday.

Incidents Happen

2006-06-26T12:01:00.001-07:00

I had a great weekend. All the shows, the music, the dancing, the merriment. Lovely. I’m really unhappy about it being Monday, just for the record.

Disturbing and strange things have been afoot in the last 24 hours. First of all, on the way to the Greek yesterday afternoon in the middle of traffic on Culver Blvd we saw a guy getting the snot kicked out of him by three other dudes. Not pretty. We tried to give 911 a call to be good citizens, but they put us on hold forever. What if I were in a life threatening situation? Lot of good that would do me. Event that further shook my faith in basic human decency and my own security in this world: Jason’s iPod was stolen from his LOCKED car in our LOCKED underground parking garage overnight. Sometime between midnight and 8 am it was taken, and probably by someone in the building. Strangely the car was still locked in the morning and there was no sign of forced entry. I don’t get it. Third thing to make me very unhappy: dead puppy on Arlington Bl. on my drive to work this morning. Who’s got my ray of sunshine today, ‘cause so far Monday is kind of sucking.

Hope your week is off to a better start.

At long last

2006-06-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

My Costa Rica photos. I’ll post more once I get the photo CDs from everyone else.

Vegetable Korma

2006-06-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

The most wonderful thing happened to me at the Indian market last night. I was checking out and the cashier asked me if I’d tried any of their ready made hot food. I said no and she asked if I’d like to try some. I’m no fool, so of course I said yes. She then proceeded to spoon a little taste of about six dishes over some rice. It was all so good, made my mouth happy. Maybe I’ll go for lunch tomorrow.

The veg korma turned out to be a complete success! As always, make sure you have your helpers ready before you start cooking. These are my helpers:

The following is a modified version of this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/3 cup mixed nuts (I used cashews and almonds)
1 medium onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 in fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (I used yellow)
1/2 cup chopped fresh green beans
1/2 cup green peas (I used frozen)
1 cup chopped potatoes – parboiled for about 5 min
½ lb soft tofu cubed
1/4 cup soymilk
1/4 cup coconut milk
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place mixed nuts in the skillet, cook and stir until golden brown, and set aside. Stir onion into the skillet, and cook until tender. Mix in garlic and ginger, and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, cayenne pepper (note: if you like it pretty spicy you can go with the full 1 t cayenne, otherwise use your own judgment), turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Pour in water, and mix in nuts, carrots, green bell pepper, beans, peas, and your partially cooked potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
2. Heat remaining oil in a separate skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the tofu on all sides, until golden brown. Gently stir into the skillet with the vegetables.
3. Stir soymilk and coconut milk into the skillet. Bring to a boil, and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste, I found ½ t to be enough salt.

We served this up with some rice and naan. It’s so delicious, Indian food is pretty much my favorite thing in the world. Do yourself a favor and try this.

I got rhythm…

2006-06-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

…I got music, and lots of it this weekend! Saturday night we will be at the Wiltern for Béla Fleck and the Flecktone’s Acoustic Planet Tour with Yonder Mountain String Band and Keller Williams. As if that weren’t enough to make a girl die of happy, on Sunday we’ll be following that up with a SCI show at the beautiful Greek Theatre with RatDog (Bob Weir’s band) closing. I am so psyched I could explode!

Jason’s ‘puter is sicker than previously known, and needs yet another repair so it may be a while before I can post anymore pictures. :~(

I went to the WeHo Stitch ‘n’ Bitch last night and did some macramé with the knitting ladies. I’m a lot better at tying knots than I am at knitting. It was a certain someone’s birthday so there were cakes (yes, multiple cakes!) and cookies and lots of fun all around. It was wig night and many of the ladies had very lovely headpieces on, some creatively handmade.

Since I got out of the office a bit early yesterday I was able to hit up the gym before SnB and tried out the Abs and More class with Mike. More like Abs and Kick Your Ass! It was a pretty intense half hour and I’m feeling a bit wobbly on the legs today. Squats hate me, that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

I got my farmer’s market freak on as usual today since it’s Friday. This week’s catch:

1 head romaine lettuce
1 bunch asparagus
2 big cucumbers
2 gigantic yellow summer squash (really, like a foot long and fat!)
3 bell peppers – 2 yellow; 1 orange
5 ripe tomatoes on the vine
5 large lemons
3 avocados – 2 Haas; 1 Fuerte
Total: $14

I heart summer and the farmer’s market. I have plans to make vegetable korma tonight. I love trying new recipes, especially when they turn out yummy. Hope ya’ll have a great weekend and are enjoying the summer. Belated Happy Solstice to all!

La di da

2006-06-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Jason’s laptop is sick and in repair for a few days so I won’t be getting those vacation pics into an online album quite as soon as I hoped. However my sisters just sent out a CD with their pictures so maybe by the time I get around to it I’ll have a bigger better album. Stay tuned.

I had a really nice weekend, almost felt like I was getting back into my vacation mojo but that was all cruelly dashed by Monday.

Friday night we hosted Shabbat and used the new table set Jason got in China. Eating with chopsticks is fun, I’m getting much better at it. I am also happy to report that China seems to have cured Jason of his hatred of cucumbers. Really, what’s to hate? He even made a cucumber dish of his own accord, I was so proud.

On Saturday we went to Venice Beach where we met up with a couple of friends. Man, that place was packed! Lots of good people watching as usual. Becca and I went rollerblading for a bit, it was the first time I’d taken my blades out for a spin on the beach and it was really nice. I still don’t move too fast and I need to work on my braking but it didn’t go too badly, it was actually pretty relaxing. I took my boogie board out in the waves for the first time this season. It was a good time but I wish the water wasn’t so crowded, or cold. Too many speed bumps out there, I think they’re called “children”?

For father’s day we drove up to see Jason’s dad for a lovely late brunch and hit Runyon Canyon for a bit of a hike with the dog. Another lovely day to be outside.

I saw Dog Day Afternoon, a good flick and based on a true story. It’s got everything; a bank robbery, young Al Pacino, a transgendered man, and an actress that looks eerily like Ricki Lake. Netflix it up.

Is it really only Tuesday?

Veg'n out

2006-06-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Why I love the Friday Koreatown farmer’s market:

1 lb of green beans
1 bunch of asparagus
3 HUGE sweet maui onions
4 big ripe tomatoes on the vine
3 perfect Haas avocados
2 bell peppers – 1 gigantic red and 1 large orange
1 big perfectly ripe cantaloupe
Total: $13.50

I bitch and moan a lot about the neighborhood I have to commute to every day, but the Friday market almost makes up for that. Almost. It's tiny compared to most LA area makets but the variety is good, the crowd is as colorful as the produce, it's cheap, and I get to pretend I can speak Spanish with many of the vendors. Now I just need to pick up some Korean. Plus the lady there that plays the saxophone and a casio keyboard with her toes simultaneously is awesome.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Father’s Day weekend!

Your iPod astrologer…

2006-06-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

I found this little meme over on Vanessa’s blog and it looked like a good way to unwind a bit after playing catch-up in the office all day (yet another reason coming home from vacation sucks).

The way it works:
1. Put your iPod on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

How am I feeling today?
Do You Remember by Jack Johnson (no, I don't)

Will I get far in life?
Lady Freedom by Eddie From Ohio

How do my friends see me?
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan

When will I get married?
Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen

What is my best friend's theme song?
That’ll be the Day by Buddy Holly

What is the story of my life?
I Shall be Released by Bob Dylan (ooh, I like that one)

What was high school like?
Belle by Jack Johnson (um, HS was anything but beautiful, let me tell you that)

How am I going to get ahead in life?
Cocaine by Eric Clapton (AAAH HAHAHAHAHA! Better start networking with a different kind of business associate…kidding!)

What is the best thing about me?
And Your bird Can Sing by The Beatles (I do like to think I’m a good singer, thank you.)

How is today going to be?
Better Together by Jack Johnson (It would be better if I could spend today with Jason, we didn’t see each other for about 2 ½ weeks and we only got one day before it’s back to the grind :/ )

What is in store for this weekend?
Bend Down Low by Bob Marley and the Wailers (as long as I get to bend down by the beach it sounds good to me)

What song describes my parents?
Kodachrome by Paul Simon (I guess they could be described as “colorful”.)

What song describes your grandparents?
Blues Power by Eric Clapton (Yes, Midwesterners of German and Scandinavian background are well known for their love of the blues.)

How is my life going?
Space Oddity by David Bowie (here am I sitting in a tin can, oh wait it’s just my fluorescent lit gray cube…)

What song will they play at my funeral?
I Guess that’s why they Call it the Blues by Elton John

How does the world see me?
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon (I will have you know that I am in a very happy committed relationship. The world got me wrong on this I’m no love ‘em and leave ‘em type.)

Will I have a happy life?
Tambourine by moe.

What do my friends really think of me?
Dogs by Keller Williams (Randy Jackson is my dog.)

Do people secretly lust after me?
All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (I have a club of admirers at a supermax?)

How can I make myself happy?
Alone by Eddie From Ohio (I do like to be alone sometimes, but generally not.)

What should I do with my life?
The Wanderer by O.A.R. (Sounds like a plan to me.)

Will I ever have children?
Uncle John’s Band by the Grateful Dead (come on with me or go alone, he’s come to take his children home…)

What is some good advice for me?
We Are the Champions by Queen

What is my signature dancing song?
Loitering in the Lobby by Eddie From Ohio (that’s a terrible song for dancing)

What do I think my current theme song is?
Wrong Way by Sublime (ummmm…I’m no street whore, sorry.)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones (a song about a porn star? I’m starting to think my iPod is not so good at fortune telling.)

What type of men/women do you like?
Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd

What kind of kisser are you?
Another one Bites the Dust by Queen (should I be offended?)

What's your style?
Kinky Reggae by Bob Marley and the Wailers (it sure is!)

What kind of lover are you?
Friend of the Devil by the Grateful Dead (I’m just pure evil, aren’t I?)

What would be playing on a first date?
Breakdown by Jack Johnson

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
It Must Have Been the Roses by the Grateful Dead

Ok, so many of those were lame or not even answers to a question, but kind of fun anyway. Try it out for shits and giggles.

Pura Vida!

2006-06-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

Just a little taste of Costa Rica...
kind of tastes like coffee and coconuts.

First a group shot:
*click images for big*

That’s Sharon in the upper left. She was our host, we were lucky to have someone so generous and caring looking after us. Her daughter is one of my sister’s bridesmaids but she had to be in DC during the time of the trip. No problem, Sharon took us in and treated us like her own :)
Going clockwise from Sharon is my sister Alissa, maid of honor Magda, my cousin Lanae, me, my sister and bride-to-be Stacy, and visiting member of the groomsmen party (groomswoman?) Steph. These girls are crazy, I love them.

That’s my innocent baby sister smokin’ a cigar! Awesome I tell you.

Beautiful wildlife...

Aaaaahhhhh...

Back to work tomorrow. Vacation is always so fleeting. More pics and stuff to follow.

More food pics…

2006-06-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

…now new and improved, with recipes!

Because maybe all I do anymore is cook things featured on VeganCore. Maybe.

I give you, a big ugly pot of Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili:

Because I can’t leave well enough alone I also seasoned the chili with black pepper, cayenne pepper, fresh cilantro and the juice of half a lime. Needs more than “light” salting in my opinion. It’s definitely one of those taste and season along the way recipes, I would have found it quite bland without the extra spices. I thought it was too thick at by end of simmering time so that’s when I added the lime juice and some vegetable broth to thin it out a bit. Overall a tasty and hardy stew, not as good as chana masala, but then again what is?

I love this banana bread. This and the following pizza dough recipe are from 1001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes

Brown Sugar Banana Bread

4 T softened margarine (Earth Balance works great)
¼ c applesauce (I prefer unsweetened)
2 eggs or equivalent to veganize it. (Some ground flax seed and water works well.)
2 T soy or nut milk or milk or H2O
¾ c packed brown sugar (you can easily substitute in part or in whole with other sweetener like Perfect Sweet Xylitol, a lot of people like molasses, sometimes I put a little maple syrup in there for fun. Whatever floats your boat. The brown sugar does give a nice caramel flavor.)
1 c mashed banana (the more ripe the better. Mine are usually fresh from the freezer.)
1 ¾ c flour (I usually use some combination of all purpose white and whole wheat pastry flour. I used all whole wheat this time and it was quite good.)
2 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt
¼ c walnuts and/or chocolate chips, raisins, etc... whatever else you might like
Other tasty optionals: vanilla extract, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg

Beat margarine, applesauce, egg/egg equivalent, milk, and sugar until smooth, then add banana and beat 1 – 2 min more on high speed.

Combine dry ingredients and mix gradually into batter. Stir in your walnuts and whatnots.

Bake at 350 degrees, 55 – 60 min if you make one larger loaf, about 40 – 45 if you make 2 shallower loaves as pictured here (one has walnuts, the other chocolate chips), and maybe 20 - 25 for muffins.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 ¼ c flour (I usually use ¾ c whole wheat and ½ c white, combine before you begin)
1 packet yeast
½ t sugar
¼ t salt
½ c very hot H2O (recipe says 120 degrees, I just use really hot tap water)

Combine ¾ c flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add hot H2O and stir till smooth. Work in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Dump out onto floured surface, knead for about 5 min. Spray bowl with non-stick cooking spray or sprinkle with flour, cover. If you keep your covered bowl on top of a preheating oven that will help with the rising. Let dough rest for at least 15 min.

Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray, spread your dough out on a pan. It helps if your dough is in a nice round ball, then you can plop it in the middle and work the dough outwards. If you use a rectangular cookie sheet it will be a quite thin crust, a 12 in round pizza pan is ideal for crust thickness to my liking. Everyone is individual when it comes to toppings as you know, so I’ll leave that to you. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 min or until the edges are nicely browned.

As ya’ll know, I don’t know when to say stop when in comes to toppings.

There’s an Amy’s burrito under that salad. Honest, there is.

Oooh, shiny. Easily amused by pretty fruit.

I went to TJ’s to get some munchie foods for my trip and some AirBorne and I am ready to rock and roll. The next pictures you see from me will be of monkeys, tree canopies, beaches, and margaritas as big as your cabeza. See you on the flip side.

Vegan Food Porn

2006-05-25T23:29:00.002-07:00

My new obsession, Chana Masala.

I made a pretty kick ass vegan chocolate cake with peanut butter icing for TBone’s birthday. Happy Birthday TBone!

I had leftover icing so I made some healthy substitutions and baked some cupcakes. Believe it or not these cupcakes are whole wheat, sugar free, egg and dairy free, low-fat, and very delicious. There’s still no excuse for that frosting. So evil.

If veganmania.com is ever up and running again you can look up the recipe there.

Someone should call the toppings police on me.

I have an herb garden. Ok, there are only two herbs so far…but it’s a start. Dog is also growing in nicely.

My new favorite t-shirt, courtesy of targét boutique:

Jason left for China this morning! The airline bumped their flight up an hour earlier on short notice and didn’t notify anyone. I don’t understand how they can get away with that crap. They made their flight, but really who needs to deal with that? Traveling is stressful enough. My new passport came in the mail, I look like a total zombie in the picture. And really old somehow.

Three day weekend wooooo!

Shopping! Bye bye $$$

2006-05-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

OK, I’ve spent about a bazillion dollars on clothes in the last couple of weeks. I finally went to David’s Bridal in Torrance, which is kind of ghetto and not really all that fun to drive to. I fitted and ordered my halter top, skirt and shoes for my little sister’s wedding in October. I can pick them up in August, I have no idea why this takes so long, apparently this hot stuff is in demand and in short supply?

The dress is actually chocolate brown, not black, so use your imagination. The ribbons on those kicky little shoes will be brown to match. My cousin picked out the shoes, I am not a big fan for 4 reasons: 1) there is a heel 2) there is no ankle strap to keep them on my feet 3) bow – pretty self explanatory 4) so narrow I had to order a size 10 so I feel like a freakish bigfoot. But hey, at least the rest of the getup isn’t hideous! I just hope I don’t fall.

Last Saturday I spent 6 hours shopping for clothes for work and my vacation (less than 2 weeks away!) and a swimsuit. Why is it that when you go shopping with some specific things in mind all you can find are more of the things that you already have? At Target I found about 6 different cute skirts that I wanted to buy, but I have no shortage of skirts so I made myself buy only 2. I have the rather fortunate problem of having lost weight and not knowing what size I am anymore. Apparently my bottom is about 2 full sizes smaller than my top now. You can imagine what this translates to when you’re searching high and low for suitable swim wear. I finally did find a tankini that will do. I hope the top is as secure as I thought it was in the dressing room, otherwise I will have a hilarious/mortifying story to tell about playing beach volleyball or something.

Jason is leaving for China with his momma on Thursday! I’m going to miss him but I’m also very excited for him. All this traveling is pretty exciting, I can’t wait for vacation!

We need to talk about your TPS reports…

2006-05-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

…and your taste in music. One of my supervisors has been listening to Sarah McLachlan’s “Arms of an Angel” several times a day in his office, is it just me or is that a bit weird?

I am sick of being sick. I haven’t been to the gym in a week. And I still have a cough and a stuffy nose. I have to shop for a swimsuit this weekend (shoot me now). OK, I’m done whining. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

I will leave you with this picture of a baboon hugging a kitty:

Happy Friday!

This is not a weight loss blog

2006-05-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

A lot of people who are trying to lose weight write about it on their blogs. I guess that’s because it is hard and consumes a lot of your time and thoughts. I haven’t written much about it here for the simple fact that I feel like it is kind of boring, hell I don’t even want to hear my own thoughts about it some days.

I read this somewhere and I thought it summed it all up beautifully:
“Weight gain is unintentional and convenient, weight loss is intentional and inconvenient.”

That is pretty much how it goes. Oh, and it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

Anyway, I guess I have some good news to report. I am no longer obese. Yes, according to my BMI score I have proudly entered the ranks of the merely overweight. Awesome. 30 lbs and 5 BMI points down, half way there. I’ll let you know when the other half of this epic struggle is over, and I am “normal”.

Reason # 2957694 our consultants rock! (or like theirs on the rocks)

2006-05-04T11:39:00.002-07:00

E-mail exchange:

Me (in response to an actual work related question (yes I do actual work sometimes)): Thanks, that's fine if sustainers are getting tanked for gifts that are made in addition to their SP gifts.

Consultant: Don't you just hate it when donors get tanked? Just kidding. I liked your little typo... ;)

M: I know, I'm a riot. It must be almost Cinco de Mayo...Margaritas for all!

C: Excellent! I was thinking of getting tanked later this evening!
Margaritas would be good...

Hope you're having a good day.

I’ll be having a better day tomorrow, when it’s Friday and Cinco de Mayo. Is it just me or is the time between weekends actually expanding in some sort of office soul-sucking time vortex?

Because this is an educational blog, please visit this link to learn about the wonderful tradition of Cinco de Mayo. If you’re getting tanked, you should know why!

Freaky Friday

2006-04-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

You ever have one of those days where everything seems just a little off, strange? Today I’ve been feeling a little introverted, reflective. I don’t really like to get too deep and personal here on this blog, so bear with me if I’m being a little inscrutable. It’s a little hard to describe.

Like many of you I’ve been following the spell-binding drama over on Kiki’s blog. (in case you’ve been missing out start here and read forward). And the blogs and e-mails of other friends (IIF and real-life) have been a little heavy on the doom and gloom today. You know, terminal illness, job loss…*sigh*

Today is the birthday of one of my co-workers in my department. He’s retiring this year. We took him out to a very nice lunch, and at some point someone at the table asked him to share some sage advice from his 65 years of life. He started talking about his friend (10 years older than him) who had triple bi-pass surgery, and when you get older and see your health and the health of those close to you start to decline, you realize what a gift each day is. It sounds really corny, but you could tell he was quite passionate and sincere about this, a side of him I’d never seen. Then he started talking about retirement and how it’s really a different phase in life, etc. I don’t know, the whole conversation just got me thinking.

I am really bad at dealing with illness and death. Well, not so much bad at dealing with as just not dealing with. I live far from my family and see them rarely. When my great aunt Gladys passed last summer, I was able to just show up for 2 days to attend the funeral and then fly back to “normal” life. When my grandmother had a stroke three months ago, I just sat and heard the news over the phone. It didn’t really register, it wasn’t really real. I’ve called my grandma at the nursing home she’s been moved into, but our conversations never last long, I have no idea what to say. Half of her body is paralyzed. It’s so weird to even think about that. I don’t think I’ll even really believe that until I see her again, maybe then it will sink in. And then I feel like I might have done something wrong by not rushing to go see her. But what could I do? She has my mom, my sisters, my cousins, she is far from alone. And I really can’t afford the time away from work or the extra expense of travel what with the weddings and travel I have planned already this year. God, I feel like I sound so selfish when I say it like that. See, that’s me, not dealing. Denial, if I act like it’s not that big of a deal and someone else is taking care of it, than I can move merrily along with my life. This behavior goes back a long way. When my aunt passed unexpectedly the summer after my freshman year in college I was home for the funeral, sulked and avoided people for most of it, and went right back to campus for summer courses a couple of days later. You know, I might have been a little more supportive of my mom, my grandma, my cousin. But the whole death thing just makes me so damned uncomfortable that I would just assume let someone else deal with it. I’ll be over here in my bubble. Hell, even when my other grandmother passed when I was 8 and my grandfather when I was 10, all I have are memories of strange detachment. My mom’s cousin’s funeral was the first I ever attended. I was 7. I was pretty good friends with her daughters at the time, but I remember feeling strange seeing them at the funeral. What do you say to someone who’s mother is in a box?

To add to the strangeness of today, someone at my place of work just sent out a cryptic e-mail to all staff entitled “Goodbye”. The message simply read “Thank you all for the wonderful times that I work and interact with you. May God Bless You!” This guy has been here for a very long time, maybe 10 years? He’s the kind of guy who works really hard, doesn’t say much, but always has a smile and hello for you. If you need anything, he’s right on it. Everyone is pretty fond of him, thus far our reconnaissance mission to find out what happened has yielded nothing. Maybe we’ll dig up some dirt on Monday.

Sorry to get all heavy and morose and shit on you. I told you, it’s been a weird day…

I am so smart. S-M-R-T

2006-04-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

But I am not so smart that I can figure out how to get those weird spaces out of the format here…sorry ‘bout that. After all, I’m and English genius. That doesn’t mean I’m not still techno-tarded.

English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 92% Intermediate, 86% Advanced, and 93% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 65% on Beginner

You scored higher than 13% on Intermediate

You scored higher than 16% on Advanced

You scored higher than 81% on Expert

Link: The Commonly Confused Words Test written by shortredhead78 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

A story of pigeons, life & ambiguity?

2006-04-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sometime last month a pair of pigeons decided to build a nest in the ladder well to the roof of our building. I guess the landlady was pissed that the birds were shitting all over the halls and courtyard (we weren’t too fond of the birdpoo either) so she cleared it out. Well, it turns out these were some very resourceful pigeons.

You should try writing your own pigeon haiku, I don’t think we spend enough time meditating on pigeons.

Mama pigeon was very diligent and protected her eggys for a couple of weeks.

And then they hatched.

Less that 2 weeks after the nestlings hatched we found the nest abandoned. I don’t know what happened to the little birdies, but I’m afraid it might have not have been too nice. There are dogs in the building you know. Anyway, probably better I don’t know. Sorry if that depressed ya’ll, I just had to share these pictures.

Blog fodder

2006-04-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

It seems like nothing notable has come up to blog about in some time. I have some pictures I’ve wanted to post, but we all know how that goes. So, what have I been up to? So glad you asked. My dear boyfriend and some of our friends were out of town for Passover last week so I spent some quality time with the pets. That was fun. I’ve been spending some time at the gym too lately, trying out new classes. I went to Pilates Ball last Saturday (kicked my ASS! Or my abs actually) and tried out the more intermediate yoga class on Monday. All good stuff, I should so be ready for a bikini when I head out to Costa Rica in just over 6 weeks…not. But a new bathing suit of some kind that is not a Speedo is definitely in order.

I bought rollerblades on eBay last week they should be here any day now! Warm weather has finally decided to grace us with its presence (I know I live in freakin’ LA) so I can’t wait to get myself reacquainted with the wheels on the feet thing. Hopefully I’ll have myself up and rollin’ and ready for the Venice Beach boardwalk before too long.

I have a pretty busy weekend planned. We’re going to see Van Morrison at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night, I have tickets to see a shorts program at the Indian Film Festival on Saturday afternoon (my boss lady is involved so I’m being supportive, aren’t I nice?), and Saturday night we’re going to the House of Blues to see one of my favorite bands of all time, Yonder Mountain String Band WOOOOOOOO! On Sunday there’s this volunteer appreciation thingy that I should go to for work, but it’s at Griffith Park (read: far) and I don’t really want to go. I may not go even though I’ll feel a teeny bit bad about it, but dammit I obviously will need some downtime after all that other stuff.

TTFN, hope ya’ll are having a fabulous Humpday. Enjoy the Holiday tomorrow!

Your Sweet Bippy

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