until i become a normal, functioning part of society again. grad school SUCKS. but in a weird way, i kind of like it.
but, to be completely frank, i haven't really cooked much of anything (with the exception of some deeelicious thanksgiving dishes) for about a month. it's really quite terrible. i've made meals here and there, just to remind myself i still know how to cook, but the majority of my dinners over the past couple of weeks have been out in restaurants.
monday night, for example, i made what is seeming to become a weekly trip to the local moroccan spot, where the owners are friendly and know us because we come in so much. this is great for several reasons: they (and we) pretty much know what we want to eat as soon as we sit down. this is also great because the time before i went, in a bout of stress-induced absentmindedness, i left behind my water bottle. they saved it for me and promptly brought it over to me with our delicious fattouch salad (something that is on the top of my to-cook list once the semester ends...in one week!!!) the only reason it's not great is that i want to COOK MY OWN FOOD for a change.
so, in short, i'll be back in action next wednesday, in much better spirits and much more motivated to cook.
12/3/10
11/5/10
autumn earth dinner
when life gives you sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, onions, apples, raisins, quinoa, goat cheese and broccoli...
make this!
preheat oven to 450.
wash all veggies. peel potatoes and carrots. roughly chop all veggies and apples.
in a roasting pan, put carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and onion. coat with a light layer of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 10-15 minutes.
while veggies are roasting, cook 2 cups quinoa according to the method you prefer. during the last 3 minutes of cooking, toss in some raisins so they get plump.
after the veggies have roasted 10-15 minutes, remove the pan and add the roughly chopped garlic. roast for another 10 minutes.
remove pan from oven, mix in the raw apples, quinoa and raisins in the same pan, and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
plate and add a little smathering of goat cheese*, if you feel so inclined. drizzle with a little lemon juice, and enjoy autumn's bounty.
*optional.
make this!
preheat oven to 450.
wash all veggies. peel potatoes and carrots. roughly chop all veggies and apples.
in a roasting pan, put carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and onion. coat with a light layer of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 10-15 minutes.
while veggies are roasting, cook 2 cups quinoa according to the method you prefer. during the last 3 minutes of cooking, toss in some raisins so they get plump.
after the veggies have roasted 10-15 minutes, remove the pan and add the roughly chopped garlic. roast for another 10 minutes.
remove pan from oven, mix in the raw apples, quinoa and raisins in the same pan, and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
plate and add a little smathering of goat cheese*, if you feel so inclined. drizzle with a little lemon juice, and enjoy autumn's bounty.
*optional.
10/27/10
happy 100th post!!
one hundred is kind of a big deal. willard scott honors century-old folks every morning on the "today" show. the best cards for graduation gifts are the kind that are tall and skinny with a pocket that fits a crisp $100 bill. you can stack 100 pennies on a countertop at walgreens and buy yourself a #2 pencil. so, naturally, a 100th blog post is a pretty good thing, too.
some exciting things are on the horizon from this milestone forward...here's what's coming up very very soon:
restaurant reviews!
as my spare time is waning, so is my desire to prepare elaborate meals every night of the week. because of this, jordan and i have been patronizing some new restaurants and have found some real gems so far! be on the lookout for picks and pans...but probably mostly picks, because i am nice.
sexy pictures!
but not the kind you might be thinking of. christmakkuh is going to come early this year, as i'm about to take the plunge into digital slr camera land. that means no more blurry cell phone food pictures, but high quality photos that will make you almost try to take a bite out of your computer screen.
new (other) blog!
my tumblr blog is up and running! its theme is a little bit different, but it lets me get my blogging ya-yas out when i'm too exhausted to cook. be sure to check it out: threethanks.tumblr.com
so, happy 100th post, blog! and thanks to all of you for reading! i'm always happy to discover friends new and old who take the time to read what i write...it makes it worthwhile.
xoxo,
mtr.
10/17/10
weekend debriefing...
what a beautiful, perfectly autumn weekend we had! the sky was blue and crisp and the leaves around here are just starting to turn firey colors. i just love fall.
however, with the combination of being a grad student with approaching deadlines, and having a sick roommate/boyfriend with a mutant strep infection, i was left with little time to actually go outside and enjoy the weather. but i got the chance to do the next best thing...cook! a lot!
here is a glimpse of the adventures i had in our little purple kitchen this weekend:
get-well-soon soup.
i made this on friday. we ate it for dinner that night, lunch on saturday, dinner on sunday, and lunch today. needless to say, i made a lot. and it was delicious.
the best part of this soup was that it was all organic. most of the vegetables i used came from this week's CSA box. perfection!
so baaaasically, i sauteed an onion, some garlic, carrots and celery with some olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. i added peeled diced potatoes, a generous amount of black pepper and herbs de provence, and continued to cook until the onions were soft.
then i poured in 2 quarts of vegetable stock and a large can of diced tomatoes. brought everything to a boil, then added some frozen corn, salt, red pepper, more black pepper and herbs de provence and let it simmer until the potatoes were soft. also i added just about a tablespoon of butter to the soup, just 'cause.
finally, i brought another pot of water to a boil and added half a package of egg noodles. they cooked for about 3 1/2 minutes, then i strained them and added them to the soup. served up with some saltine crackers with a little bit of butter (a favorite comfort food of mine introduced to me by my grandmother), this was the perfect remedy to a fever and a sore throat.
amaretto chocolate chip cookies.
i made them this afternoon using semi-sweet chocolate chips this time instead of milk chocolate like i did here. also, i omitted the hazelnuts, but i added amaretto again for two reasons: 1) we don't have vanilla in the house and i needed a substitution 2) i used amaretto before and it was DELICIOUS. if it ain't broke...
i needed to halve the recipe, as we only had one egg left (when the recipe calls for 2). additionally, i broke both my legs and couldn't walk to the store to get more eggs. (the preceding statement is a lie...but in all honesty, i just didn't feel like going allllll thhhheee waayyyyyyy to the store. plus, i didn't want to make a recipe that yielded 4 dozen cookies, because then i would have ended up eating all 4 dozen cookies mostly by myself. not ok.)
results: the cookies were really really good! and math is hard because i had to not only halve the recipe, but i had to figure out how to measure out 3/8 cup of sugar when i only had a 1/3 measuring cup.
puff pancake (FAIL. miserable fail. sad.)
i tried to re-create a breakfast dish i had made once before. here, actually. unfortunately, i think it might have been too long since the last time i made it, because i ended up dumping the entire greasy, burned mess into the garbage can.
it was upsetting. i don't want to talk about it right now.
all was not lost, however, with the invention of tonight's dinner...
pan-seared rockfish with red pepper coulis and coconut rice.
this afternoon jordan was voluntarily ambulatory for the first time in almost a week! to celebrate, we went to a local orchard to get pumpkins and apple cider, then the fish market to pick up something for dinner because he had an appetite!
we got about a pound of rockfish (filet, not whole). using some really beautiful purple, green and red peppers we had in our CSA box, jordan made a coulis with them, adding plenty of garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar and sugar. we added some halved grape tomatoes, some corn and a little bit of water to make the sauce less chunky and more, well, saucy.
in a pot i combined 4 cups of coconut milk with 2 cups of jasmine rice. then i cooked it how i would withe regular rice. i was not disappointed with the results.
next, i rinsed the filet then dredged it in some flour mixed with salt, pepper and paprika. jordan heated up some oil in the cast iron skillet and seared the filet until the outside was crispy and the inside was flaky.
i served my filet on a bed of the coconut rice with the coulis spread over the top of the fish. it was absolutely delightful!
boy oh boy. after all this cooking and eating, it is going to be a chore to drag myself to classes next week. why do anything else when there is always food to be prepared and enjoyed?
however, with the combination of being a grad student with approaching deadlines, and having a sick roommate/boyfriend with a mutant strep infection, i was left with little time to actually go outside and enjoy the weather. but i got the chance to do the next best thing...cook! a lot!
here is a glimpse of the adventures i had in our little purple kitchen this weekend:
get-well-soon soup.
i made this on friday. we ate it for dinner that night, lunch on saturday, dinner on sunday, and lunch today. needless to say, i made a lot. and it was delicious.
the best part of this soup was that it was all organic. most of the vegetables i used came from this week's CSA box. perfection!
so baaaasically, i sauteed an onion, some garlic, carrots and celery with some olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. i added peeled diced potatoes, a generous amount of black pepper and herbs de provence, and continued to cook until the onions were soft.
then i poured in 2 quarts of vegetable stock and a large can of diced tomatoes. brought everything to a boil, then added some frozen corn, salt, red pepper, more black pepper and herbs de provence and let it simmer until the potatoes were soft. also i added just about a tablespoon of butter to the soup, just 'cause.
finally, i brought another pot of water to a boil and added half a package of egg noodles. they cooked for about 3 1/2 minutes, then i strained them and added them to the soup. served up with some saltine crackers with a little bit of butter (a favorite comfort food of mine introduced to me by my grandmother), this was the perfect remedy to a fever and a sore throat.
amaretto chocolate chip cookies.
i made them this afternoon using semi-sweet chocolate chips this time instead of milk chocolate like i did here. also, i omitted the hazelnuts, but i added amaretto again for two reasons: 1) we don't have vanilla in the house and i needed a substitution 2) i used amaretto before and it was DELICIOUS. if it ain't broke...
i needed to halve the recipe, as we only had one egg left (when the recipe calls for 2). additionally, i broke both my legs and couldn't walk to the store to get more eggs. (the preceding statement is a lie...but in all honesty, i just didn't feel like going allllll thhhheee waayyyyyyy to the store. plus, i didn't want to make a recipe that yielded 4 dozen cookies, because then i would have ended up eating all 4 dozen cookies mostly by myself. not ok.)
results: the cookies were really really good! and math is hard because i had to not only halve the recipe, but i had to figure out how to measure out 3/8 cup of sugar when i only had a 1/3 measuring cup.
puff pancake (FAIL. miserable fail. sad.)
i tried to re-create a breakfast dish i had made once before. here, actually. unfortunately, i think it might have been too long since the last time i made it, because i ended up dumping the entire greasy, burned mess into the garbage can.
it was upsetting. i don't want to talk about it right now.
all was not lost, however, with the invention of tonight's dinner...
pan-seared rockfish with red pepper coulis and coconut rice.
 |
| yougetinmymouthrightnow |
this afternoon jordan was voluntarily ambulatory for the first time in almost a week! to celebrate, we went to a local orchard to get pumpkins and apple cider, then the fish market to pick up something for dinner because he had an appetite!
we got about a pound of rockfish (filet, not whole). using some really beautiful purple, green and red peppers we had in our CSA box, jordan made a coulis with them, adding plenty of garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar and sugar. we added some halved grape tomatoes, some corn and a little bit of water to make the sauce less chunky and more, well, saucy.
in a pot i combined 4 cups of coconut milk with 2 cups of jasmine rice. then i cooked it how i would withe regular rice. i was not disappointed with the results.
next, i rinsed the filet then dredged it in some flour mixed with salt, pepper and paprika. jordan heated up some oil in the cast iron skillet and seared the filet until the outside was crispy and the inside was flaky.
i served my filet on a bed of the coconut rice with the coulis spread over the top of the fish. it was absolutely delightful!
boy oh boy. after all this cooking and eating, it is going to be a chore to drag myself to classes next week. why do anything else when there is always food to be prepared and enjoyed?
10/15/10
matzo ball whaaaaa? *updated*
jordan is on the verge of death with some mystery illness. actually, he's probably going to be okay, although i wasn't so sure last night while he was sweating to death and yelling out frequently in some kind of fever-induced, hallucinatory nonsense language.
i thought i would make him some matzo ball soup today, but since i am both a vegetarian and a shikseh, i have no idea how to go about it.
i googled some recipes, and most of them sounded pretty similar, except for this one:
a 4-6 pound hen? how do i prepare it? should it be a live hen? what do i do about feathers? do hens bite? any specific color? does pathmark sell hens, or just chicken? the recipe did not answer any of my questions.
maybe i'll just get some take-out soup.
*update*
so, after i initially published this post, i thought i ought to fact-check a bit. i stand corrected. it turns out that "chicken" is just a blanket term for your general, feathered clucker. "hens" are lady chickens, and "roosters" are guy chickens. i feel like i should have known that growing up in poultry country, but it is refreshing to find out that i don't know everything.
ALSO...did you know that a castrated rooster is called a "capon", and that it is necessary to castrate animals like pigs and chickens because the meat tastes spoiled from the pheromones from non-castrated animals? gross. weird.
vegetables don't need to be castrated. just sayin'.
10/14/10
soup-stitute
remember this soup?
last week, as the weather had turned colder and the tips of the leaves began to brown, i craved this soup. but i was sad to think of potentially sacrificing this, one of my most favorite things to eat, in pursuit of my own personal moral enlightenment (read: not eating aminals). and i knew that the guilt that would consume me for cheating and making the soup with sausage wouldn't justify its deliciousness.
THANKFULLY, jordan with his keen, ninja eyes spotted soy italian sausage during our last trip to trader joe's! naturally, we bought a couple of packets, made the soup with soy instead of pork, and consequently devoured two entire batches of the soup like crazy people.
personally, i think it tastes BETTER with the veggie sausage! hooray for better-than-original substitutions!
last week, as the weather had turned colder and the tips of the leaves began to brown, i craved this soup. but i was sad to think of potentially sacrificing this, one of my most favorite things to eat, in pursuit of my own personal moral enlightenment (read: not eating aminals). and i knew that the guilt that would consume me for cheating and making the soup with sausage wouldn't justify its deliciousness.
THANKFULLY, jordan with his keen, ninja eyes spotted soy italian sausage during our last trip to trader joe's! naturally, we bought a couple of packets, made the soup with soy instead of pork, and consequently devoured two entire batches of the soup like crazy people.
personally, i think it tastes BETTER with the veggie sausage! hooray for better-than-original substitutions!
10/13/10
addicted: #1
nature's path envirokidz organic peanut butter crispy rice bars.
OMG. YUM.
 |
| i love you, little panda bear. |
veg-giving
it's still over a month away, but as soon as the first fall chill gets into the air, i begin to get excited about the arrival of my most favorite holiday ever in the whole entire universe, THANKSGIVING.
this year will mark the first year that i am completely vegetarian for the holiday. i've been a quasi-veg in the past, breaking my anti-carnivore vows in favor of savoring a generous helping of gravy-slathered turkey and turnip greens cooked with ham. as my appetite for meat has dwindled and left me almost grossed-out at the thought of ingesting an animal, i am left wondering how i am going to enjoy a holiday centered around a giant, plucked and roasted dead bird (and its various accoutrements).
luckily, i'm not alone in this dilemma; i won't be the first person who strives to have a veggiegiving amidst a sea of turkey-loving friends and relatives. and i'm glad to know that many of my favorite thanksgiving recipes can be altered to be (or already are!) kind, and veggie friendly.
roasted shallots
the weeping and ruined mascara that comes with the prep is so worth it...the shallots get sweet and creamy on the inside and deliciously brown and crispy on the outside. purple is such an unexpected color on the thanksgiving table, but it works, and it is a delight!
carrot souffle
something new to our table last year, but it was a smash and we were all left licking our fingers, and the souffle dish.
cranberry chutney
a rue/jones holiday classic, that always has, and always will be, deliciously meat free!
quinoa stuffing
i'm thinking something with all the regular stuffing flavors, minus the chicken broth part. oregano, maybe some nuts and raisins thrown in there, and some bread crumbs for varying texture.
greens with veggie broth
no holiday meal where i come from is complete without a generous helping of greens of any variety...collard, turnip, or what have you. they're usually cooked with ham, which gives them their unmistakably salty flavor. my grandfather used to cut the saltiness (or maybe enhance it?) by pouring some vinegar over his greens. i think if i cook mine with veggie broth instead of pig juice, i'll feel better about myself and not like a schmuck for shirking family tradition.
mashed potatoes
pretty straightforward...any ideas for a good gravy substitute?
i also stumbled across nava atlas' in a vegetarian kitchen website, filled with amazing, creative ideas to celebrate the harvest the kind way. instead of substituting the meat with the infamous tofurkey (which skeeves me out a little bit, in all honesty...i'm not a huge soy fan), i think i might try out the butternut squash stuffed with wild rice!
what the holiday all comes down to is that you get to spend time with people you are glad to have in your life, and that you get to share a meal surrounded by them. thanksgiving doesn't have to be a preachy holiday, and i don't intend to espouse a "veggier-than-thou" attitude when i sit down at the table this year. as long as you are thankful for the meal in front of you, and as long as you appreciate the labors of nature to provide for you and the labors of those who prepared the meal, you can have a kind thanksgiving.
this year will mark the first year that i am completely vegetarian for the holiday. i've been a quasi-veg in the past, breaking my anti-carnivore vows in favor of savoring a generous helping of gravy-slathered turkey and turnip greens cooked with ham. as my appetite for meat has dwindled and left me almost grossed-out at the thought of ingesting an animal, i am left wondering how i am going to enjoy a holiday centered around a giant, plucked and roasted dead bird (and its various accoutrements).
luckily, i'm not alone in this dilemma; i won't be the first person who strives to have a veggiegiving amidst a sea of turkey-loving friends and relatives. and i'm glad to know that many of my favorite thanksgiving recipes can be altered to be (or already are!) kind, and veggie friendly.
roasted shallots
the weeping and ruined mascara that comes with the prep is so worth it...the shallots get sweet and creamy on the inside and deliciously brown and crispy on the outside. purple is such an unexpected color on the thanksgiving table, but it works, and it is a delight!
carrot souffle
something new to our table last year, but it was a smash and we were all left licking our fingers, and the souffle dish.
cranberry chutney
a rue/jones holiday classic, that always has, and always will be, deliciously meat free!
quinoa stuffing
i'm thinking something with all the regular stuffing flavors, minus the chicken broth part. oregano, maybe some nuts and raisins thrown in there, and some bread crumbs for varying texture.
greens with veggie broth
no holiday meal where i come from is complete without a generous helping of greens of any variety...collard, turnip, or what have you. they're usually cooked with ham, which gives them their unmistakably salty flavor. my grandfather used to cut the saltiness (or maybe enhance it?) by pouring some vinegar over his greens. i think if i cook mine with veggie broth instead of pig juice, i'll feel better about myself and not like a schmuck for shirking family tradition.
mashed potatoes
pretty straightforward...any ideas for a good gravy substitute?
i also stumbled across nava atlas' in a vegetarian kitchen website, filled with amazing, creative ideas to celebrate the harvest the kind way. instead of substituting the meat with the infamous tofurkey (which skeeves me out a little bit, in all honesty...i'm not a huge soy fan), i think i might try out the butternut squash stuffed with wild rice!
what the holiday all comes down to is that you get to spend time with people you are glad to have in your life, and that you get to share a meal surrounded by them. thanksgiving doesn't have to be a preachy holiday, and i don't intend to espouse a "veggier-than-thou" attitude when i sit down at the table this year. as long as you are thankful for the meal in front of you, and as long as you appreciate the labors of nature to provide for you and the labors of those who prepared the meal, you can have a kind thanksgiving.
10/11/10
weekend update...
is it too early to start looking forward to the weekend already?
this saturday i'm heading down south for the first time in over a year to my old college town to celebrate the 44th annual st. mary's county oyster festival!
it sounds hokey, silly, and weird, but it is really the best. i can't wait to share it with you all!
have a great week!
10/8/10
farm surprise!
yesterday we picked up our first box from our local CSA farm, Calvert Farms. last year we had volunteered there on Saturday mornings, exchanging a few hours of labor for a beautiful box filled with delicious organic fruits and vegetables (and sometimes even flowers!)
this fall our schedules are too packed to be able to make the drive into maryland to get our farm on. but luckily we were able to join the cooperative another way. by making a donation to the farm, we get to take home one giant box of farm-fresh goodies every thursday from now until thanksgiving!
yesterday's box was stuffed with fresh, crisp apples; a HUGE butternut squash; 2 eggplant; a bundle of swiss chard; baby red and yellow peppers; fresh salad greens; and string beans. it was hard to decide what we should make with this bounty of autumnal treasures.
we sauteed a ton of garlic in some olive oil, threw in the swiss chard and cooked it down in the cast-iron skillet. then i added some garbanzo beans, a little white wine, and cooked quinoa. at the end i sliced some beets and mixed everything together. DE.LICIOUS.
jordan, the bread-meister, had made a beautiful loaf of french bread a couple of days ago. re-heated in the oven, it was perfectly crispy, and a great complement to the roasted garlic and green beans and salad he made to go with our quinoa.
the most memorable part of this first farm meal was when we had an unexpected dinner guest drop in!
as we were savoring the remaining morsels of our meal, jordan picked up his fork, ready to enjoy the last few leaves of fresh lettuce. all of a sudden, he emitted a loud (yet manly) yelp and jumped back quite dramatically from the table. it appears he wasn't the only one enjoying the delicious salad. this little guy was noshing away at the lettuce, not even seeming to mind the lemon juice and olive oil he was almost drowning in at the bottom of the dish.
we scooted lonny (as we dubbed the worm) onto the leaf, picked it out of the dish, and took him outside to relish his natural habitat. obviously, we didn't continue to eat the salad, but i would much rather find a bug in my food once in a while than eat something that i know has been drowned in pesticides! we'll just have to be a little more vigilant in our vegetable inspection and washing. i'm glad i didn't eat lonny, or else i would have felt i had betrayed my vegetarian sensibilities.
can't wait to pick up next week's box!!
this fall our schedules are too packed to be able to make the drive into maryland to get our farm on. but luckily we were able to join the cooperative another way. by making a donation to the farm, we get to take home one giant box of farm-fresh goodies every thursday from now until thanksgiving!
yesterday's box was stuffed with fresh, crisp apples; a HUGE butternut squash; 2 eggplant; a bundle of swiss chard; baby red and yellow peppers; fresh salad greens; and string beans. it was hard to decide what we should make with this bounty of autumnal treasures.
we sauteed a ton of garlic in some olive oil, threw in the swiss chard and cooked it down in the cast-iron skillet. then i added some garbanzo beans, a little white wine, and cooked quinoa. at the end i sliced some beets and mixed everything together. DE.LICIOUS.
jordan, the bread-meister, had made a beautiful loaf of french bread a couple of days ago. re-heated in the oven, it was perfectly crispy, and a great complement to the roasted garlic and green beans and salad he made to go with our quinoa.
the most memorable part of this first farm meal was when we had an unexpected dinner guest drop in!
as we were savoring the remaining morsels of our meal, jordan picked up his fork, ready to enjoy the last few leaves of fresh lettuce. all of a sudden, he emitted a loud (yet manly) yelp and jumped back quite dramatically from the table. it appears he wasn't the only one enjoying the delicious salad. this little guy was noshing away at the lettuce, not even seeming to mind the lemon juice and olive oil he was almost drowning in at the bottom of the dish.
 |
| meet lonny, the inchworm. |
we scooted lonny (as we dubbed the worm) onto the leaf, picked it out of the dish, and took him outside to relish his natural habitat. obviously, we didn't continue to eat the salad, but i would much rather find a bug in my food once in a while than eat something that i know has been drowned in pesticides! we'll just have to be a little more vigilant in our vegetable inspection and washing. i'm glad i didn't eat lonny, or else i would have felt i had betrayed my vegetarian sensibilities.
can't wait to pick up next week's box!!
10/6/10
to your health.
when i was in the 8th grade, i remember spending a weekend at a friend's house. it was something i, like every other 13 year old girl, always did. but this particular sleepover wasn't my choice, but rather, my parents arranged it so i would have some company while they were gone for the weekend.
i spent 2 sleepless nights away from home while my mom and dad spent the weekend at mercy hospital in baltimore, where my mom underwent a biopsy for a suspicious lump in her breast. i remember getting sick to my stomach that whole weekend because i was so scared. my mom was a symbol of my life, my strength, and she was my best friend. the thought that she might succumb to something bigger than me or than any of us was terrifying.
thankfully, she emerged from the surgery just fine, the doctors proclaiming the happiest word in the cancer lexicon, "benign". we all breathed a happy sigh of relief, but, unfortunately other families don't always receive such good news.
we all want to find some way to cope with the devastating effects of breast cancer. my strategy is to be preventative. i believe that being conscious of what you put into your body, how you treat your body, and what you do with your body can affect its health. eat delicious, nourishing food. go for a walk or do yoga. STOP SMOKING. (it's been almost a year since i've quit, and it's been the best thing i've ever done for myself!) go to your ob-gyn every year for a check up. i know women my age who have never been! it's a daunting thought, but what's worse: having to put your legs up in some stirrups for a couple of minutes, or having chemotherapy, losing your hair (or worse, a breast) due to putting off preventative, maintenance checkups? the latter, natch. tell your sisters, moms, moms-in-law, best friends, cousins, wives, grandmothers, aunts, EVERYONE to be vigilant, be smart, and be healthy.
love your body, love your boobies, and take care of yourself.
xoxo,
m.
i spent 2 sleepless nights away from home while my mom and dad spent the weekend at mercy hospital in baltimore, where my mom underwent a biopsy for a suspicious lump in her breast. i remember getting sick to my stomach that whole weekend because i was so scared. my mom was a symbol of my life, my strength, and she was my best friend. the thought that she might succumb to something bigger than me or than any of us was terrifying.
thankfully, she emerged from the surgery just fine, the doctors proclaiming the happiest word in the cancer lexicon, "benign". we all breathed a happy sigh of relief, but, unfortunately other families don't always receive such good news.
we all want to find some way to cope with the devastating effects of breast cancer. my strategy is to be preventative. i believe that being conscious of what you put into your body, how you treat your body, and what you do with your body can affect its health. eat delicious, nourishing food. go for a walk or do yoga. STOP SMOKING. (it's been almost a year since i've quit, and it's been the best thing i've ever done for myself!) go to your ob-gyn every year for a check up. i know women my age who have never been! it's a daunting thought, but what's worse: having to put your legs up in some stirrups for a couple of minutes, or having chemotherapy, losing your hair (or worse, a breast) due to putting off preventative, maintenance checkups? the latter, natch. tell your sisters, moms, moms-in-law, best friends, cousins, wives, grandmothers, aunts, EVERYONE to be vigilant, be smart, and be healthy.
love your body, love your boobies, and take care of yourself.
xoxo,
m.
9/30/10
mexicali blues
ok. so this just happened:
then, this happened:
aaand then, this happened.
here's how you, too, can make this happen.
equal parts red and white quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, alfalfa sprouts, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, lime juice.
and that's it. and then you eat it and it tastes really good and you feel happy. the end!
ps
anyone want to get me a sweet new camera for xmaskkah? thankssssss.
 |
| mexicali red and white quinoa |
then, this happened:
 |
| plated with organic blue corn chips, fresh avocado and organic salsa |
aaand then, this happened.
 |
| clean plate club!!! |
here's how you, too, can make this happen.
equal parts red and white quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, alfalfa sprouts, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, lime juice.
and that's it. and then you eat it and it tastes really good and you feel happy. the end!
ps
anyone want to get me a sweet new camera for xmaskkah? thankssssss.
9/26/10
what to make when the cupboard is bare, part II
i spent the weekend at my parents' house in maryland. i enjoyed a much needed break from thinking about, talking about, and being around all things grad school related.
when i came home late this afternoon, i was so high on my wave of weekend serenity that i dreaded the thought of having to go shopping for dinner ingredients. feeling the frugal fairy on my shoulder, i suggested that rather than spend 25 bucks on takeout to first assess the items already in the pantry and fridge to see if we couldn't invent something ourselves. here's what we came up with:
ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
1 can chick peas
raisins
1 apple
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper
cinnamon
method:
combine quinoa and water and cook according to method you're using (we use the rice cooker, so it's just 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa.)
while quinoa cooks, mince 3 cloves garlic. set aside. core and dice one medium apple and red pepper and set aside. drain and rinse chick peas and put in serving bowl. add handful raisins, apple, and garlic to bowl.
rinse cooked quinoa quickly, drain and add to bowl. stir to combine all ingredients. season with juice from one lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste.
the addition of cinnamon was a very last minute idea. i was searching through the spice rack for something "green", but i knew basil, oregano or dill might taste weird. the cinnamon kind of spoke to me, and it was a delicious decision, albeit one that was unexpected.
next time, if we have a little more green-age in the crisper, i would think of adding sprouts, arugula, or even some sauteed kale or spinach. i'm starting to really love using quinoa, and i'm sad that we ended up devouring all of this dish, so now there is none left over to have for lunches this week!
p.s.
for part one, go here.
when i came home late this afternoon, i was so high on my wave of weekend serenity that i dreaded the thought of having to go shopping for dinner ingredients. feeling the frugal fairy on my shoulder, i suggested that rather than spend 25 bucks on takeout to first assess the items already in the pantry and fridge to see if we couldn't invent something ourselves. here's what we came up with:
ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
1 can chick peas
raisins
1 apple
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper
cinnamon
method:
combine quinoa and water and cook according to method you're using (we use the rice cooker, so it's just 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa.)
while quinoa cooks, mince 3 cloves garlic. set aside. core and dice one medium apple and red pepper and set aside. drain and rinse chick peas and put in serving bowl. add handful raisins, apple, and garlic to bowl.
rinse cooked quinoa quickly, drain and add to bowl. stir to combine all ingredients. season with juice from one lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste.
the addition of cinnamon was a very last minute idea. i was searching through the spice rack for something "green", but i knew basil, oregano or dill might taste weird. the cinnamon kind of spoke to me, and it was a delicious decision, albeit one that was unexpected.
next time, if we have a little more green-age in the crisper, i would think of adding sprouts, arugula, or even some sauteed kale or spinach. i'm starting to really love using quinoa, and i'm sad that we ended up devouring all of this dish, so now there is none left over to have for lunches this week!
p.s.
for part one, go here.
9/20/10
my seestor has joined the blogosphere!! yayyyy!!!
emma sue.: 1.: "'I should write that down' How many times has that particular thought run through your head? For me, all day, e'ryday. I have always aspir..."
new issue of vegetarian times!
i was excited to receive the latest edition of "vegetarian times" magazine (one of my most favorite and most useful x-mas presents i received last year...thanks, jbl!)this month's issue is the best yet since i've started receiving the monthly collection of delicious and innovative recipes for myriad vegetarian chefs. here, the first flavors of fall are presented, and i can't wait until the temperature drops a few more degrees to try out the veg spin on comfort foods like chicken pot pie and hearty soups and stews!
we stopped by the sunday farmer's market and the natural foods co-op to stock our fridge and pantry with everything we need to make some of the meals suggested in the magazine.
in case i don't get around to blogging about them, go pick up the latest issue and see for yourself how delicious and satisfying a meal without meat can be! your body and the earth will thank you.
9/8/10
once upon a time...
...there was a maiden who liked to cook all sorts of delicious foods to share with others. as this passion developed, so did the idea to create a blog to document her favorite things.
she blogged for months and months, spending hours in the kitchen creating and re-creating triumphant culinary treats, and even more hours diligently recording her process, successes and failures.
as the second summer season drew to a close, so came the advent of a new and exciting chapter in this maiden's story: the chapter about how she will be in graduate school for the next two years.
yes, reader[s]...as you may have gleaned from this fractured fairy tale, i have sadly let my blog fall by the wayside since august to prepare myself, mentally and temporally, for my first year of graduate school.
it's going to be an insanely challenging two years (if these first two weeks are any prediction of what is to come). but i hope to continue to explore the creative outlet i've found through cooking, blogging and sharing, even while up to my elbows in papers to grade, books to read, and essays to write.
i promise to be diligent in my notifications of any updates, of which, at least until thanksgiving, i fear might be few and far between.
in the meantime know that i still care about all things culinary, delicious, and kind...and that absolutely NO kind of graduate or post-doctoral program will force me to ever consume anything that only requires microwaving. and the same should go for you.
yours truly and scrumptiously,
m.
ps...
look what i just got!!!!
she blogged for months and months, spending hours in the kitchen creating and re-creating triumphant culinary treats, and even more hours diligently recording her process, successes and failures.
as the second summer season drew to a close, so came the advent of a new and exciting chapter in this maiden's story: the chapter about how she will be in graduate school for the next two years.
yes, reader[s]...as you may have gleaned from this fractured fairy tale, i have sadly let my blog fall by the wayside since august to prepare myself, mentally and temporally, for my first year of graduate school.
it's going to be an insanely challenging two years (if these first two weeks are any prediction of what is to come). but i hope to continue to explore the creative outlet i've found through cooking, blogging and sharing, even while up to my elbows in papers to grade, books to read, and essays to write.
i promise to be diligent in my notifications of any updates, of which, at least until thanksgiving, i fear might be few and far between.
in the meantime know that i still care about all things culinary, delicious, and kind...and that absolutely NO kind of graduate or post-doctoral program will force me to ever consume anything that only requires microwaving. and the same should go for you.
yours truly and scrumptiously,
m.
ps...
look what i just got!!!!
8/2/10
friendship!
once upon a last weekend, three friends hopped in a car and embarked upon a thirteen hour journey to the sleepy little village of frienship, maine.
the trip started out strong as the friends powered through the first half of the drive with some beer (for the passengers), a bag of chips, plenty of string for friendship bracelets, an atlas, and a copy of "the adventures of huckleberry finn".
as the hours progressed and the miles ticked away on the odometer, the three delawarean travelers were quite literally on their way to becoming maniacs (no pun intended), battling terrible traffic, drizzly weather, and archaic windshield wiper blades. however, as soon as this came into view, they knew it was well worth the 13 hour journey in the car:
SO worth it.
the trip started out strong as the friends powered through the first half of the drive with some beer (for the passengers), a bag of chips, plenty of string for friendship bracelets, an atlas, and a copy of "the adventures of huckleberry finn".
as the hours progressed and the miles ticked away on the odometer, the three delawarean travelers were quite literally on their way to becoming maniacs (no pun intended), battling terrible traffic, drizzly weather, and archaic windshield wiper blades. however, as soon as this came into view, they knew it was well worth the 13 hour journey in the car:
SO worth it.
a sampling of the weekend's beautiful sights:
 |
| the poole's |
 |
| periwinkles and pebbles |
 |
| expert navigation to seal island |
 |
| friendship jam |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| blustery sunday morning |
 |
| rachel |
 |
| exploring the tide pools |
 |
| handsome birthday boy! |
 |
| seahorses. forever. |
7/31/10
slip sliding away
i am a little bit shocked that it is the last day of july already...how did this happen?
i admit my blogging has fallen to the wayside, but i want to get back on the wagon! my lack of a camera keeps me from posting pictures, and therefore recipes, of all the fabulous summer meals i cooked and adventures upon which i've embarked, but never fear. there is still the entire month of august left.
this weekend we are headed up to new york to visit jordan's family. my parents are away in canada and left us with the dog, max. he is a very well-traveled and cosmopolitan canine, as he feels equally comfortable on the front porch of my parents' home in maryland as he does taking over the streets of alexandria, virginia when he visits my mom there. i am hoping he is as calm in new york as he is in his other homes, that he makes nice with the leitner's cat and doesn't go pee somewhere that isn't on a bush...
have a great weekend!
i admit my blogging has fallen to the wayside, but i want to get back on the wagon! my lack of a camera keeps me from posting pictures, and therefore recipes, of all the fabulous summer meals i cooked and adventures upon which i've embarked, but never fear. there is still the entire month of august left.
this weekend we are headed up to new york to visit jordan's family. my parents are away in canada and left us with the dog, max. he is a very well-traveled and cosmopolitan canine, as he feels equally comfortable on the front porch of my parents' home in maryland as he does taking over the streets of alexandria, virginia when he visits my mom there. i am hoping he is as calm in new york as he is in his other homes, that he makes nice with the leitner's cat and doesn't go pee somewhere that isn't on a bush...
have a great weekend!
6/15/10
monday night meal.
i have noticed that lately the direction of my blog has strayed from its original intention: to share all things about food: recipes, tips, mishaps in the kitchen. this is partly due to my eagerness to share other happenings in my life, and also due to the fact that while pursuing other avenues, i honestly haven't had much time to cook a whole meal, take pictures, upload pictures, blog, etc. etc.
i know, blah blah blah. but the point is, i'm BACK. with a RECIPE. that you should make immediately because it is DELICIOUS.
israeli couscous with pine nuts and portobello mushrooms.
ingredients:
-1 package israeli couscous (rounder and fatter than traditional couscous...they look like tiny pearls)
-1 large shallot, diced
-2 tbsp butter, plus maybe a little more
-1 3/4 c. water, chicken or vegetable stock, plus more for mixing
-2 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
-handful raisins
-handful pine nuts
-cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste
-pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, grated to taste for serving
-1 large shallot, diced
-2 tbsp butter, plus maybe a little more
-1 3/4 c. water, chicken or vegetable stock, plus more for mixing
-2 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
-handful raisins
-handful pine nuts
-cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste
-pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, grated to taste for serving
method:
in a large saucepan, slowly melt about 2 tbsp butter. once the butter is melted, add diced shallots and saute until wilted. add the couscous, cinnamon salt and pepper (and perhaps a bit more butter if most has been absorbed into shallots) and saute one to two minutes, stirring attentively, until the couscous is golden brown.
add water (or any kind of stock, either vegetable or chicken...just know it will increase the sodium content) to saucepan, bring heat to high, allow to come to a boil, then reduce heat and cover until the liquid is absorbed. (it is good to do a few taste tests during this part of the process, to ensure that the couscous is not overly dry or overly mushy).
when the couscous feels like it is getting there, add the box of raisins, the pine nuts, and the sliced portobellos. continue to mix until the raisins are plump and the mushrooms have begun to lose some of their firmness.
and that's it!! serve with some freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano, and a salad of field greens, figs, and goat cheese.
we ate outside, on a glorious summer night, with no humidity, no mosquitoes, and no rain! rare for the east coast in june, but perfectly enjoyable.
buen provecho!!
6/7/10
tattoo you
so i accomplished one of the things on my list that i posted back in january.
and it was one thing i never, ever, evereverever envisioned myself doing. but, whaddayaknow, i up and got a tattoo last month, and i am already designing my next one. my tattooed friends and co-workers were right when they said that once you get one, you can't stop!
it all started back in january when my boyfriend and i were in costa rica visiting a friend. we were closing out a two week adventure with a two night stay in montezuma, a really hippie-dippie beachside town on the west coast of the country. while sipping a couple of pilsens, listening to terrible reggaeton and people watching, my gaze became fixated on a group of guys sitting on the benches at the table in front of ours who were absolutely covered in tattoos. i mean, their skin was completely lathered with ink, mal'ahk from the lost symbol style.
"that is so WEIRD," i said out loud.
"what?" asked jordan and justin.
"do you see all those tattoos on those guys? i mean, what are they, crazy? i would never do that."
welp, three or so months later, i find myself eating my words. delicious words at that. i got a tattoo, and i just LOVE it.
while we were talking, i surmised that i might want to get something one day, but i would have to think about it so that it would be something that was meaningful, mature, and not a cartoon character on my lower back, a fairy, or any type of tribal symbol/asian lettering. since i consider myself classy and soft-spoken, i definitely wanted a tatto to match (read: no ex-lover's names scrawled along my arm).
suddenly, very suddenly, i was struck with my tattoo idea. simple, small, and hidden, it would not be in everyone's face (i'm thinking of my grandmother giving me the stink-eye if, say, on my wedding day, she happened to catch a glimpse of some kind of inky design peeping out from behind a strap). a tattoo is very personal business, as i discovered while watching an entire season of "l.a. ink" to psych myself up.
and so i came up with the perfect little tattoo for myself. i thought of the musical symbol of a fermata.
when you come across one written above a note in a piece of music, you are to hold the note out for longer than its written value. i like what the fermata means symbolically, though: when i see it on my body every day it reminds me to be still, to hold on, to absorb what is around me and to take a moment to breathe for a little bit longer than i might normally let myself do. fermatas are signs for flexibility, for serenity, for composure. and aesthetically they are simple but beautiful!
mine sits on my right hip, about the size of a silver dollar. you can't see it unless i show it to you, so it's not in your face. it's just for me, and i like it that way.
and it was one thing i never, ever, evereverever envisioned myself doing. but, whaddayaknow, i up and got a tattoo last month, and i am already designing my next one. my tattooed friends and co-workers were right when they said that once you get one, you can't stop!
it all started back in january when my boyfriend and i were in costa rica visiting a friend. we were closing out a two week adventure with a two night stay in montezuma, a really hippie-dippie beachside town on the west coast of the country. while sipping a couple of pilsens, listening to terrible reggaeton and people watching, my gaze became fixated on a group of guys sitting on the benches at the table in front of ours who were absolutely covered in tattoos. i mean, their skin was completely lathered with ink, mal'ahk from the lost symbol style.
"that is so WEIRD," i said out loud.
"what?" asked jordan and justin.
"do you see all those tattoos on those guys? i mean, what are they, crazy? i would never do that."
welp, three or so months later, i find myself eating my words. delicious words at that. i got a tattoo, and i just LOVE it.
while we were talking, i surmised that i might want to get something one day, but i would have to think about it so that it would be something that was meaningful, mature, and not a cartoon character on my lower back, a fairy, or any type of tribal symbol/asian lettering. since i consider myself classy and soft-spoken, i definitely wanted a tatto to match (read: no ex-lover's names scrawled along my arm).
suddenly, very suddenly, i was struck with my tattoo idea. simple, small, and hidden, it would not be in everyone's face (i'm thinking of my grandmother giving me the stink-eye if, say, on my wedding day, she happened to catch a glimpse of some kind of inky design peeping out from behind a strap). a tattoo is very personal business, as i discovered while watching an entire season of "l.a. ink" to psych myself up.
and so i came up with the perfect little tattoo for myself. i thought of the musical symbol of a fermata.
when you come across one written above a note in a piece of music, you are to hold the note out for longer than its written value. i like what the fermata means symbolically, though: when i see it on my body every day it reminds me to be still, to hold on, to absorb what is around me and to take a moment to breathe for a little bit longer than i might normally let myself do. fermatas are signs for flexibility, for serenity, for composure. and aesthetically they are simple but beautiful!
mine sits on my right hip, about the size of a silver dollar. you can't see it unless i show it to you, so it's not in your face. it's just for me, and i like it that way.
5/21/10
food for thought
more from eckhart tolle:
imagine the earth devoid of human life, inhabited only by plants and animals. would it still have a past and a future? could we still speak of time in any meaningful way? the question "what time is it?" or "what's the date today?"- if anybody were to ask it- would be quite meaningless. the oak tree or the eagle would be bemused by such a question. "what time?" they would ask. "well, of course, it's now. the time is now. what else is there?"
:)
imagine the earth devoid of human life, inhabited only by plants and animals. would it still have a past and a future? could we still speak of time in any meaningful way? the question "what time is it?" or "what's the date today?"- if anybody were to ask it- would be quite meaningless. the oak tree or the eagle would be bemused by such a question. "what time?" they would ask. "well, of course, it's now. the time is now. what else is there?"
:)
4/12/10
best recipe ever
a most delightful birthday
ingredients
-one sunny, spring weekend
-three cartons of firewood to burn
-two families laughing together
-one slice of raspberry almond tart
-ninety minutes of relaxing massage
-three belts and one pair of vintage shoes purchased from goodwill
-two hours of reading in the backyard sunshine
-four mad-sweet pangs
-three hours of boot-scootin' boogyin'
-two breakfast mimosas
-30 minutes of driving somewhere that seems like you're a million miles away
-six friends, a dog, a wiffle ball and bat, and an open field
-one bottle of prosecco
-three candles to wish on
method
combine all ingredients. let simmer. inhale the aromas and all their layers, and be thankful for beauty happiness and warmth that is always present around you everywhere, but most obvious on days like this.
ingredients
-one sunny, spring weekend
-three cartons of firewood to burn
-two families laughing together
-one slice of raspberry almond tart
-ninety minutes of relaxing massage
-three belts and one pair of vintage shoes purchased from goodwill
-two hours of reading in the backyard sunshine
-four mad-sweet pangs
-three hours of boot-scootin' boogyin'
-two breakfast mimosas
-30 minutes of driving somewhere that seems like you're a million miles away
-six friends, a dog, a wiffle ball and bat, and an open field
-one bottle of prosecco
-three candles to wish on
method
combine all ingredients. let simmer. inhale the aromas and all their layers, and be thankful for beauty happiness and warmth that is always present around you everywhere, but most obvious on days like this.
4/9/10
brace face
eight years ago today was a most historical and monumental day in my formative teenage years. on a sunny april morning, a mere two days before my sixteenth birthday, i got my braces removed. i got my groove back. it was, like, the best day of my life.
i had been cursed with orthodontia for a combined three and a half years. the FIRST (yes, first...apparently i needed braces twice because my teeth were fubar) time i had braces, i was too young to really care. i even thought they were, like, a little bit cool. granted, i only had them for about six months, and they were only on my top four teeth. i was in the 4th grade, before it matters what you look like.
but oh how things changed the second time i was condemned to the most medieval and barbaric punishment of teenage orthodontia. take a kid whose self confidence is already shaky, then slap a set of wire on her teeth, forcing her to talk funny, refrain from eating popcorn and gum, to have terribly sore gums and lips, and to not smile, like, ever. i took the worst pictures then. i adopted the "i-am-not-going-to-show-my-teeth-when-i-smile-so-instead-i'll-just-awkwardly-cover-my-teeth-with-my-lips-so-they-puff-out-all-weird-like-a-fish" picture face. attractive. not.
i grew a strong and spiteful hatred for my orthodontist each time i lay back in the slippery, yellow vinyl chairs, hoping to high heaven that it would be the day that they would decide to take my braces off. but each time, my hopes were demolished as the ditzy assistant would open a tiny drawer, remove a packet of colored chains and ask me in an annoying southern accent, "which colors d'ya wanna pick this time?" i hated her, with her stupid pink and purple aquatic life-themed scrubs. as she snipped off each little ring, holding it out to the torture master, er, doctor, i wanted to cry. no, i actually wanted to reach up and grab his little face mask and hold it out and let go so it would snap back into his face. i hated him, too.
looking back, though, there are some things to laugh about that came about as a result of my epic journey in braceland. like the time i wore so many rubber bands that i actually moved my teeth too much, resulting in another six months of unnecessary appointments before they were able to be removed. or the time that i elected, for some unknown reason, to get navy blue and black bands around my teeth. it looked like i either had a worse grill than flavor flav or had lost some major teeth in a championship fight. plus, navy blue and black don't even match.
but one story really burns a hole in my brain because of its positive correlation between humiliation and hilarity. one particularly blustery weekend in january my mother and i took our yearly weekend trip to new york. we'd catch a couple of broadway shows, explore the lower east side's galleries and boutiques, and always go to our favorite bakery to have tea and black and white cookies. as we were exiting the bakery, a gust of wind ripped the paper bag out of my mittened hand and blew it down the city block. "grab it!" my anti-littering mother wailed. "run! pick it up!!" immediately i took off after the bag, tumbling down the street. i ran, hunched over like quasimodo trying to reach down and pick the bag up, dodging the booted feet of annoyed pedestrians. i found myself stumbling, a few times actually stepping on the bag, only to prematurely pick my foot up before my hand grabbed the bag, and have the wind blow it further away again.
finally, after about a block and a half, in slow motion, i grabbed that stupid paper bag for good. i held it aloft in the air, while my mother, a few buildings behind me, was doubled over in hysterics. my eyes were watering from the cold air blasting into them, my nose was running, and seeing my mother's contagious reaction, i too began to laugh. only, the laugh of a brace wearer is different from one who is virgin toothed. instead of exhibiting the carefree, jocular, open-mouthed guffaw as i was accustomed to, as a braceface i was forced to adapt. my laugh morphed to include the hand-to-mouth barrier, ensuring no impressionable children or weak-stomached beings would be shocked and offended by the hideous sight of my laughing open braces mouth blindingly glinting in the daylight.
only problem was that i was wearing the world's thickest, fuzziest mittens. as i raised my hand to cover my teeth, the yarn became trapped in the cruel collection of wires on my mouth, and it wasn't going anywhere. i tugged and tugged my hand away from my mouth, to no avail. my eyes widened with fear, a-la-David After Dentist ("is this gonna be for forever??") my hand simply would not detach itself from my mouth. "what's wrong?" my mother asked. "my miththens thtuck!" i desperately tried to convey. "i canth geth my mitthten offh!!" i tugged furiously. my mother laughed even harder. a small crowd was gathering. i was mortified.
finally, with one swift rip, i managed to release my mittened hand from my mouth. out of breath, i wanted to collapse onto the pavement after such a calamitous ordeal. my own mother could not contain her hysterics. tears were streaming down my face as a combined result of humiliation, laughter, and sheer cold. i was picking white mitten fuzz from my brackets for days after.
every time i think of this story, it gets funnier than the last time i thought of it. i really hated myself when i had braces. but those years of self-consciousness and embarrassment were important to make me realize now that those feelings are really unfounded, and that i don't want to think of myself in that way every again. and as much as the whole experience was just really awful, stories like this remind me of the ironic awkwardness of it all.
and now, my teeth are pretty, and i can laugh as much as a i want.
i had been cursed with orthodontia for a combined three and a half years. the FIRST (yes, first...apparently i needed braces twice because my teeth were fubar) time i had braces, i was too young to really care. i even thought they were, like, a little bit cool. granted, i only had them for about six months, and they were only on my top four teeth. i was in the 4th grade, before it matters what you look like.
but oh how things changed the second time i was condemned to the most medieval and barbaric punishment of teenage orthodontia. take a kid whose self confidence is already shaky, then slap a set of wire on her teeth, forcing her to talk funny, refrain from eating popcorn and gum, to have terribly sore gums and lips, and to not smile, like, ever. i took the worst pictures then. i adopted the "i-am-not-going-to-show-my-teeth-when-i-smile-so-instead-i'll-just-awkwardly-cover-my-teeth-with-my-lips-so-they-puff-out-all-weird-like-a-fish" picture face. attractive. not.
i grew a strong and spiteful hatred for my orthodontist each time i lay back in the slippery, yellow vinyl chairs, hoping to high heaven that it would be the day that they would decide to take my braces off. but each time, my hopes were demolished as the ditzy assistant would open a tiny drawer, remove a packet of colored chains and ask me in an annoying southern accent, "which colors d'ya wanna pick this time?" i hated her, with her stupid pink and purple aquatic life-themed scrubs. as she snipped off each little ring, holding it out to the torture master, er, doctor, i wanted to cry. no, i actually wanted to reach up and grab his little face mask and hold it out and let go so it would snap back into his face. i hated him, too.
looking back, though, there are some things to laugh about that came about as a result of my epic journey in braceland. like the time i wore so many rubber bands that i actually moved my teeth too much, resulting in another six months of unnecessary appointments before they were able to be removed. or the time that i elected, for some unknown reason, to get navy blue and black bands around my teeth. it looked like i either had a worse grill than flavor flav or had lost some major teeth in a championship fight. plus, navy blue and black don't even match.
but one story really burns a hole in my brain because of its positive correlation between humiliation and hilarity. one particularly blustery weekend in january my mother and i took our yearly weekend trip to new york. we'd catch a couple of broadway shows, explore the lower east side's galleries and boutiques, and always go to our favorite bakery to have tea and black and white cookies. as we were exiting the bakery, a gust of wind ripped the paper bag out of my mittened hand and blew it down the city block. "grab it!" my anti-littering mother wailed. "run! pick it up!!" immediately i took off after the bag, tumbling down the street. i ran, hunched over like quasimodo trying to reach down and pick the bag up, dodging the booted feet of annoyed pedestrians. i found myself stumbling, a few times actually stepping on the bag, only to prematurely pick my foot up before my hand grabbed the bag, and have the wind blow it further away again.
finally, after about a block and a half, in slow motion, i grabbed that stupid paper bag for good. i held it aloft in the air, while my mother, a few buildings behind me, was doubled over in hysterics. my eyes were watering from the cold air blasting into them, my nose was running, and seeing my mother's contagious reaction, i too began to laugh. only, the laugh of a brace wearer is different from one who is virgin toothed. instead of exhibiting the carefree, jocular, open-mouthed guffaw as i was accustomed to, as a braceface i was forced to adapt. my laugh morphed to include the hand-to-mouth barrier, ensuring no impressionable children or weak-stomached beings would be shocked and offended by the hideous sight of my laughing open braces mouth blindingly glinting in the daylight.
only problem was that i was wearing the world's thickest, fuzziest mittens. as i raised my hand to cover my teeth, the yarn became trapped in the cruel collection of wires on my mouth, and it wasn't going anywhere. i tugged and tugged my hand away from my mouth, to no avail. my eyes widened with fear, a-la-David After Dentist ("is this gonna be for forever??") my hand simply would not detach itself from my mouth. "what's wrong?" my mother asked. "my miththens thtuck!" i desperately tried to convey. "i canth geth my mitthten offh!!" i tugged furiously. my mother laughed even harder. a small crowd was gathering. i was mortified.
finally, with one swift rip, i managed to release my mittened hand from my mouth. out of breath, i wanted to collapse onto the pavement after such a calamitous ordeal. my own mother could not contain her hysterics. tears were streaming down my face as a combined result of humiliation, laughter, and sheer cold. i was picking white mitten fuzz from my brackets for days after.
every time i think of this story, it gets funnier than the last time i thought of it. i really hated myself when i had braces. but those years of self-consciousness and embarrassment were important to make me realize now that those feelings are really unfounded, and that i don't want to think of myself in that way every again. and as much as the whole experience was just really awful, stories like this remind me of the ironic awkwardness of it all.
and now, my teeth are pretty, and i can laugh as much as a i want.
4/8/10
BLOGOVER
i am so freaking excited that blogspot has super neato templates that are stupid easy to use to make your blog look sweet-ass!
(i apologize for using such crass, middle schooler language, but sometimes, when i get very excited, all my grown up words simply won't do justice to describe the level of pure, unabashed glee i am experiencing.)
it reminds me of back in the day when i used to have a crappy, html'ed out free webpage, which basically looked like hello kitty and all her friends drank some surge, played truth or dare, jumped on a trampoline, then threw up everywhere. my layouts were always pink in some fashion, with mondo-animations and with far too much information on display about myself. thank god the server i used had a policy that the pages needed to have a certain number of hits per week before they were automatically deleted. oh, 1999...
so, now that i won't be sick and tired of looking at my blog anymore, you can expect many more posts and probably a few more makeovers until it finds its sea legs.
yippie!!!
(i apologize for using such crass, middle schooler language, but sometimes, when i get very excited, all my grown up words simply won't do justice to describe the level of pure, unabashed glee i am experiencing.)
it reminds me of back in the day when i used to have a crappy, html'ed out free webpage, which basically looked like hello kitty and all her friends drank some surge, played truth or dare, jumped on a trampoline, then threw up everywhere. my layouts were always pink in some fashion, with mondo-animations and with far too much information on display about myself. thank god the server i used had a policy that the pages needed to have a certain number of hits per week before they were automatically deleted. oh, 1999...
so, now that i won't be sick and tired of looking at my blog anymore, you can expect many more posts and probably a few more makeovers until it finds its sea legs.
yippie!!!
4/7/10
swimsuit complex.
it happens every year. i carefully peruse page after page of catalogs, websites, and scour racks for swimsuits as soon as the first warm day comes around. and, every year, as soon as i make a decision, and a bit of a splurge, on the suit that tickles my fancy the most, some other little numbers creep in and are all like "hey! excuse me! what about me?" then i huff and puff and wring my hands until i can't stand it anymore. i'm definitely not monogamous when it comes to swimsuits.
i'm DYING over this cute modcloth suit that's straight out of a 1960's surf movie. my fingers are literally itching to push the "add to cart" button. ugh. so cute. just look at it:
and then i start daydreaming about how this one will look on me (and try to convince myself that no matter how cute it is, i will inevitably end up with some weird tan lines):
unfortunately, i have discovered that one pieces don't suit short torso-ed gals like myself, so this little number just goes right out the window (and also, $198??! eeeeesssshhhhhhhh....):
i just will have to settle for this j. crew baby that is on its way to me already:
which is a good thing, for us of little disposable income. actually, i think i might give the ups man a hug when he drops it off this week.
4/6/10
4/5/10
crunchy
i am straight up craving granola, but reluctant to buy a box from the store, since the majority are simply loaded with sugar (see: eat this, not that!, the scariest/best book i've come across in a while.)
so after work i think i'll venture to the local co op and pick up some ingredients to try to make my own. am thinking spicing it up with some candied ginger, perhaps...?
will keep you posted...
so after work i think i'll venture to the local co op and pick up some ingredients to try to make my own. am thinking spicing it up with some candied ginger, perhaps...?
will keep you posted...
3/16/10
three cheers...
...for mourning dove coos gently waking you in the morning, longer hours of daylight, balmy breezes, and sixty three glorious degrees fahrenheit!
happy spring!!
3/11/10
what to make when the cupboard is bare
last night we began cooking dinner at 9 pm, and neither of us had the motivation to take a trip to the gro sto. were forced to be creative, since we were running low on a lot of things, except a few staples we had stocked in the pantry and two whole red peppers. the result of our iron-chef level of creativity was delicious!
stuffed red peppers with rice, raisins, and cashews
ingredients:
2 whole red peppers
1 1/2 c. rice
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
hadful cilantro
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. cashews
olive oil
juice of 1 lime
salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder to taste
method
remove caps from red peppers. slice in half lengthwise and remove seeds. brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill on grill pan, about 5 minutes on each side. (put a lid on top of the pepper to push them down and get some nice lookin' grill lines as well). remove from heat, set aside.
cook rice. in large skillet, saute diced onion in a little bit of olive oil. add garlic when onion becomes soft and begins to brown. add rice and continue to saute, adding lime juice to pick up any rice or onion that might have become stuck to the bottom of the pan.
add spices, more lime juice, raisins and cashews. continue to saute another 5 minutes. toss in a handful of chopped cilantro (we have a ton that we needed to harvest from the aerogarden! yum... fresh herbs!!!)
fill each half of the pepper with a generous amount of the rice. serve immediately, with one more squeeze of lime juice. add crumbled feta on top, if you're feeling frisky (and you're not vegan).
3/9/10
after work DIY!
my itch to diy anything and everything is starting to wreak havoc on my house. because our house is small, my boyfriend and i are slowly but surely being driven out by crochet hooks, fabric scraps, spools of thread, skeins of yarn, and hot glue guns. i want a place to relax and get out all of my diy ya-ya's that doesn't make my living room look like a catastrophe, but a tiny house with little extra space forces me to be creative.
after work this afternoon, i zipped over to lowe's to pick up some supplies to make a makeshift sewing/craft/diy area... in the basement. for under $100 dollars i got everything i needed to spruce up a space that doesn't necessarily have to be for laundry and cobwebs.
materials:
-1 14x4 piece of pegboard, cut in thirds (mostly so i could fit it into my car... about $15)
-1 quart eggshell finish paint (i chose valspar 3002-2B- "peach tickle"... about $10)
- 2 packs of assorted peg board hooks (about $10)
-paint brush (which i already had)
-a sunny, warm march afternoon (free!)
i put 2 coats of paint on the boards, but in retrospect i wish i had some primer... the compressed wood absorbs paint kind of streakily. nevertheless, they are outside drying as we speak. i can't wait to put them downstairs and continue the project! more, including pictures of the finished product, coming soon...
3/5/10
spring thoughts
...and these lovely spring things:
how ADORABLE is this one piece from j. crew? delightfully retro, sweet little polka dots, perfect for lounging in the backyard on a 75 degree afternoon with some lemonade and a good book! (my spring read? the help , by kathryn stockett).
sip cool drinks during lazy spring weekends from mexican glass tumblers:
imagine a bunch of freshly cut daffodils smiling at you in this pretty anthropologie vase! delightful.
open windows!! and new, light curtains to billow in the breeze.
spring cleaning is nice. and it is even nicer with all-natural, chemical free products. thieves all-purpose household cleaner from youngliving.com is 100% natural, made from a blend of essential oils that smells fresh, and best of all, won't make you feel like your throat is closing up from chemical fumes!
disfruten en la primavera, chicos!
quinoa... not just a new "q" scrabble word.
recently, i discovered a possible culprit in my seemingly never-ending bouts with exhaustion and sluggishness: wheat. after doing a lot of research into my condition, i found that lots of people deal with the same symptoms that i do when they lead an otherwise healthy lifestyle. despite exercising, getting proper beauty sleep (i need at LEAST 8 hours), and, of course, eating all non-processed foods, wheat allergies can still affect lots of different people in different ways. some complain of indigestion, others of weight gain or loss. still others, including me, experience an inconvenient lack of energy.
speaking of inconvenient, many of the things i love to cook, and subsequently eat, contain wheat. from the joe's o's in my cereal bowl in the morning to the homemade bread from jordan's new breadmaker with dinner in the evening, i can't get enough wheat. what's a girl to do?
start cooking with quinoa, that's what. it's my new favorite. tastes like cous cous, only nuttier. and i just love its texture, especially the little white squiggles that show up when it is finished cooking!
to prepare, simply combine water with rinsed quinoa in a 2:1 ratio, bring to boil in a cooking pot over high heat, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. this is your base: from here you can let your imagination run wild with this oh-so versatile whole grain.
last night, i made a batch, let it cool to room temperature, and mixed in some fresh feta, diced grape tomatoes, cucumbers, snipped basil, and thin strips of red onion. i whisked together some orange muscat champagne vinegar from t.j.'s with some olive oil and poured it over everything.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. i don't think i'll miss wheat too terribly after all.
speaking of inconvenient, many of the things i love to cook, and subsequently eat, contain wheat. from the joe's o's in my cereal bowl in the morning to the homemade bread from jordan's new breadmaker with dinner in the evening, i can't get enough wheat. what's a girl to do?
start cooking with quinoa, that's what. it's my new favorite. tastes like cous cous, only nuttier. and i just love its texture, especially the little white squiggles that show up when it is finished cooking!
to prepare, simply combine water with rinsed quinoa in a 2:1 ratio, bring to boil in a cooking pot over high heat, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. this is your base: from here you can let your imagination run wild with this oh-so versatile whole grain.
last night, i made a batch, let it cool to room temperature, and mixed in some fresh feta, diced grape tomatoes, cucumbers, snipped basil, and thin strips of red onion. i whisked together some orange muscat champagne vinegar from t.j.'s with some olive oil and poured it over everything.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. i don't think i'll miss wheat too terribly after all.
2/18/10
hats for haiti
we all have been shocked by the news of the devastating earthquake that rocked haiti last month. but how many of us have done anything about it? as the images and correspondence from the wreckage are slowly being replaced by winter olympics coverage, celebrity scandal and automobile recalls, it is easy to forget about the long road towards recovery the nation of haiti is still facing.
as i was fortunate enough to be sitting inside my warm house one cold winter evening, i got to thinking about how i wanted to do something to help the earthquake survivors and families of the victims. then, i caught a glimpse of my basket of yarn and crochet needles in the living room, and hats for haiti was born.
so. your head happens to be cold in this freakishly snowy winter we've been having. and it just so happens that i like to crochet. i will custom make a hat just for you. you send me a check for 12 dollars made out to the american red cross, and and additional three bucks (if you want) that can go towards the cost of supplies so i can keep the project going. so for fifteen dollars you get it all: you'll know your check will go to good use to help others, and you in turn get a boost of good karma, on top of a sweet warm hat for your head.
your donation will be sent immediately to the american red cross to aid their efforts in helping the haitians.
send me an email (mollyrue@gmail.com) specifying your color choice, name, and contact info. and then we can get started!
hats for haiti: get them while they're hot (and while it is still cold!!)
2/10/10
amaretto choco-chip hazelnut cookies.
for the second time this week, we are being pounded by a blizzard. the obama-weather forecast for our area looks grim.
before the flakes started falling last night, i got inspired to bake some cookies to while away the hours i would be spending indoors. i picked up a bag of hazelnuts during our 2-hour long emergency stock-up trip to the grocery store, and the rest is history.
the verdict? they taste like ferrero-rocher chocolates in cookie form.
and if that doesn't convince you, there's always this:
ingredients
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 c. each of brown sugar and white sugar
2 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
amaretto
1 c. chopped hazelnuts
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
method
in a bowl, cream together softened butter and sugars with an electric mixer. add one egg at a time, beating into batter with mixer.
in another bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. mix in 1/4 c. increments, by hand, into the wet ingredients until just combined.
pour a little amaretto (maybe about a tablespoon) into the batter, and mix in along with the choco chips and hazelnuts.
bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 6-10 minutes.
2/5/10
ANOTHER BLIZZARD OMG.
i never thought i'd hear myself say this, but...
I AM SO SICK OF SNOW.
seriously.
this is the third major storm to come our way in two months, and where i live, the town infrastructure does not know how to deal with a light dusting, let alone an angry, powerful blizzard that all the forecasters are buzzing about. the roads will be deplorable for at least three days after the snow stops falling, rock salt will be haphazardly strewn on parts of sidewalks, and there will most likely be riots at the supermarket.
how am i preparing for the storm? ha. this coming from a girl who doesn't own a proper sever winter weather jacket. i have a couple of unopened netflix dvds, a whole bag of yarn that is screaming to be crocheted, and a healthy supply of wine stashed away in the basement. and a burly, hunky guy who will happily shovel sidewalks, scrape car windshields, and brave the crowds pre-blizzard to get bread, milk, toilet paper and batteries.
all i need is a yule log (or a real fireplace) and i'll be ready for the whiteout.
2/1/10
friends+dinner=...frinner.
last night we had a couple of friends over for a sweet, relaxing dinner get-together. with a never-fail pot of recipe-less chili simmering on the stove (read: no frenzied kitchen activity hindering me from socialization), conversation was effortless, stimulating, and enjoyable.
aaand i must exercise a little bit of self-congratulation for selecting the ripest, most succulent avocados at the local co-op. bonus points for them being on sale for $0.79 a piece!! homemade guac in an authentic mortar and pestle never tasted, or looked, so good.
frinner is my new favorite.
1/30/10
no more wrinkles
newest obsession? dermalogica multivitamin power firm. smells like sweeTarts, and protects my eye skin from wrinkles.
to-do list
as of about 25 minutes ago, i will never have to take another GRE again. in celebration, here is a list of things i want to accomplish between now and april when admission decisions come around.
-make curtains
i was given a sewing machine for christmas...which would have been quite useful about three months ago when i sewed, by hand, curtains for our living room. they turned out quite well, but were definitely a labor of love. now that i have a sewing machine, coupons for fabric stores, and time to spare, i can not only mend the crooked stitches my hand made, but dress all the remaining windows in the house!
-FINALLY get my shop up on etsy.
i've been talking about it for a year now. it's time to cut the crap and get it going. more to come. buy something.
-get effing organized
closets, drawers, shelves, painting, everything. i've got vision AND a gift certificate to the container store.
-run 3 miles/day
i did it in college. now, i don't have the excuse of hours of studying the library to hinder me from doing so anymore, so, honestly, there is no excuse. plus, all this cooking, and subsequent eating, is starting to show since my pants are just a teensy bit tighter than they used to be...
miscellaneous things i am potentially doing in 2010:
-getting a tattoo*
-getting into graduate school**
-becoming a full-blown vegetarian
-driving across the united states of america
*mom, please don't panic. it will be very small. and it will fall under the 7-year rule, so you actually won't get to see it until i am 29. and i probably will have gotten it removed by then.
**and stop changing my mind so damn much. the third time/school's a charm...
sincerest apologies.
last night, my boyfriend, in his casual, loving way, gently inquired, "isn't your blog due for an update?"
i paused, and had to stop and think a moment. blog? what's a blog? do i even have one of those?
and then i remembered, why, YES, i've had one for a year now, and YES, it is painfully overdue for an update. think of all the wonderful meals i've eaten, cooked, and shared over the past two months that have not been photographed, documented and acclaimed on my humble little share of the internet real estate.
i am sorry.
now i have a zillion excuses, all of which are valid, and all of which lead me into a new direction with my vision for this blog. i like cooking, i like writing, and i like lots of other things, too. rather than starting a whole entirely different blog (which would make me feel bad about updating one and not the other; i was the kid who slept with 76 different stuffed animals in the bed because i couldn't pick just one without thinking that the others would get their "feelings hurt"), why can't i just write about ALL the things i like...recipes, traveling, theater, music, clothes, diy projects, jewelry, yoga, everything?
and blogging about everything means more blogging in general. i say, that's a brilliant idea if i ever heard one.
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