Rosemary Shortbread

As I'm getting ready to move to my new home this Friday, everything is really setting in. Packing is not going terribly well so far, but hoping to make better progress in that department tomorrow now that I have some bigger boxes. I also went out for some good local food tonight with a few friends.

Guy #3 is still pretty great. We spent the entire afternoon and evening together on Saturday walking around a holiday artists' market, then driving around to look at Christmas lights, and finally settling in to watch a Christmas movie on TV instead of going out to a couple of big events that were going on that night. It was nice just staying in and snuggling/kissing on the couch. Even after the movie was over, we just listened to holiday music and cuddled on the couch for a long time. It was nice just to be with him and rest my head on his shoulder. Even so, I did have a couple of panicked moments, worrying about what happens next, and my usual fear of commitment issues, but those subsiding, he really is great. He came out with me and my friends tonight, bringing boxes from his office to help me out, and we made semi-plans to get together again this week before I leave, and again when I'm in town for New Year's.

I think he is in it for the long haul, but I still have a couple of fears... he seems so put together, well-groomed, and polished.. it's slightly intimidating.. also, I am in general fearful of commitment and letting my guard down completely. Even though he is clearly a good guy and would never purposefully do anything to hurt me (hard to think of him even accidentally doing something wrong since he is so conscientious..), I am scared. I'm not really sure how to overcome this -- it has always been a problem for me -- but it is something I need to work on if I ever hope to be in a successful relationship. I feel guilty even having these feelings with him because he is so good to me. I have no reason whatsoever to doubt him. Everything he does is so automatically thoughtful and caring. Must make myself relax.

Before packing this week, I had to get some Christmas presents out in the mail to the extended family. For the more distant relatives, I generally send them a big box of goodies to share. This year I sent chocolate-dipped peanut brittle, coffee beans from my favorite local roaster, and a large tin of rosemary shortbread. The shortbread turned out great and was very easy!

Rosemary Shortbread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons mild honey
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and rosemary in a bowl.

Mix together butter, honey, and confectioners sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed, then add flour mixture and mix until dough resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Gather dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until it just comes together, about 8 times.

Form dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 20 minutes. Dough should be cold, but malleable. It can also be made in advance. Chilling the dough helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 300°F. Lay out a sheet of wax paper on the counter and dust with flour. Place disk of chilled dough onto wax paper, and top with a little more flour and a second sheet of wax paper. Using rolling pin, roll out dough to desired thickness into a square shape. Cut dough into 1-inch squares using a pizza cutter. Place squares onto greased cookie sheets, sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Worry

So I'm starting to worry. I'm worried about leaving my life in the city behind, leaving my friends, and Guy #3. I'm worried that I won't like my new small town. I'm worried that my family will drive me crazy from their new proximity. I'm worried that I won't find a good moving company, I won't be able to get my Christmas shopping and travel plans together, and nothing is going to work out. Sigh..

I'm pretty mad at myself for not giving Guy #3 a chance sooner -- if we had had any time, I think it could really turn into something, but I just don't know what will happen now since I'm moving next week. We continue to talk almost daily and go out on dates. We went out on Sunday and had such a nice time, despite the rather ridiculous concert that we attended. He and I had dinner at a nice restaurant first, getting a few dishes to share, which was fun. We then went to the concert -- a contemporary chamber ensemble that I've seen a few times and really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the concert was not exactly what I was expecting -- instead of the usual variety, mixing Mahler with Velvet Underground and other unusual combinations, they played all minimalist, mathematical, atonal compositions from the early 20th century. This type of music is for the pure academic, and yes, I've studied it as a music student, but it is completely unenjoyable to listen to, especially for 2 1/2 hours! Ugh. It was pretty awful actually, and I felt very guilty for having subjected him to this, but he was great through the whole thing (we had to stay since I know the people who lead the ensemble). Afterward, he took me home and we chatted a little longer before a shy peck on the lips and our "goodnights", agreeing that we should get together again soon.

Whenever we're together, time seems to go by so quickly, with never a lull in conversation, and always having a good time. His manners are impeccable; always thoughtful and looking for ways to make me comfortable, and he seems to remember everything I've ever told him -- he'll bring up some little thing I might have mentioned weeks ago, and remember that there was somewhere new I wanted to try, or my preference of something or other. He is so far the complete package. I'm not sure what will happen once I've moved, but as my friend Christine says, he knows that I'm moving, and he's definitely not acting like this is a fling.. Flings don't send flowers, open the car door for you, and remember everything you've ever said in conversation. Hm.

Moving Forward

So, it has been a pretty eventful past two weeks! After some consideration, I accepted the out-of-state job last Monday, and gave notice at my current job last Tuesday. Admittedly, they seemed a bit surprised (probably because they just promoted me the week before), but I actually had no trouble telling them at all. I have no regrets in leaving my job. Leaving my city, however, is harder. Guy #3 sent me flowers at work that day with a very sweet note attached. It made me cry. He is such a good guy. Aside from the recent developments with him, I'd just started to be really good friends with a whole group of other people that I really like. I will be sad to leave them behind, but I have to move in about 2 weeks, right before Christmas, so I'll be ready to start my new job in January. Somehow I feel slightly numb about the whole thing, like it hasn't sunken in yet, but I do think my new job will be really cool, and I'll be a lot closer to family.

In the next two weeks, I must: wrap things up at my job, find a moving company, finish my Christmas shopping and send everything off in the mail, move to my new town, figure out travel plans to my Christmas destination, and say goodbye to my friends! I will be very busy.

Meanwhile, I can still have something good for dinner. Tonight was parmesan crusted tilapia, baked potato, and crisp green salad with Goddess Dressing (love this dressing! it is the only dressing I ever buy from a store).

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

1 tilapia fillet

1 tbsp. parmesan

1/2 tsp. paprika

fresh ground pepper

few leaves of fresh parsley, chopped

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put a potato in to bake if you plan to have it with your fish. I usually microwave the potato for 2-3 minutes before baking to expedite the process.

Drizzle about 1 tbsp. olive oil in an ovenproof pan. Place fish fillet in pan, and turn it over in the oil so it is lightly coated. Choose the pretty side to be face up. Mix together parmesan, paprika, pepper, and parsley. Sprinkle mixture over top of fish to form a light crust. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet. Fish will be juicy and tender with a light cheesy flavor. Enjoy with baked potato and fresh salad.

Crossroads

So, I retract my previous statement. After months of speculation and finally deciding that Guy #3 was gay, I discovered that he actually is not. He called me up recently and asked me if I wanted to see a play -- which I thought nothing of, since we've hung out platonically before -- but when I agreed, he suggested also going to a wine bar beforehand and said he'd come pick me up. Hmm, I thought.. that sounds a lot like a date. So, I finally asked Guy #2 -- "is he gay?" -- and Guy #2 was like, "well, we've always been friends, but I've never been sure about that. In fact, it has been the subject of conversation, but we never figured it out. You should go with him and find out!"

So, I went. I mean, I do enjoy hanging out with Guy #3, so I thought I'd give it a shot. We had a really nice time. No awkward pauses in conversation, the play was great, and we went out for drinks afterward. The only problem is that I have the same problem that made me turn him down earlier in the year (yes, he asked me out months ago and I told him I was not interested in dating anyone, but also wasn't sure if he had meant it to be a date at the time or not) -- the reason being that I have been seriously thinking about changing jobs, and that might mean leaving the area, in which case, it would be stupid to get into a relationship that I'm just going to leave behind. So, I told him the truth -- that I was interviewing for another job out-of-state. I felt bad telling him this after we'd just had such a pleasant evening, but I think I would have felt worse if I hadn't told him. We are still "friends".

This week at work, I was unexpectedly given a promotion on Monday morning, which was pretty great, but then I was also offered this other job on Monday night. So now I have to make a decision, whether to 1. stay at my promoted job -- which, btw did not come with a raise :-( -- where I have not been happy in order to stay in the city that I love, or to 2. take the new job with an even better title and way better working situation in a less desirable location. I think I'm going to take option 2, but it is not without some pain in leaving the nice little life that I've built for myself here. Sigh. I guess you can't have it all, but I will miss it here a lot. The new job would be really cool though, I'd be working with some really nice people, and I'd be much closer to family (as in 15 mins vs. 4 hrs). The location issue is that the job is in a tiny little run down town and I'm worried that it will be hard to find friends and potential guys to date there. But I think I'm going to take the leap. AHH!

Pasta with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

Okay, so it has been a rather long time since my last post, but I see that I have had some readers in my absence, so that is great. I hope you are enjoying my recipes, if not the monologue on my personal life. Please share your thoughts when you get a chance (on either recipes or life)! I really started this blog so I could connect with other people, and even though I know people are reading, I still would like to have some feedback once in a while :0)

Anyway, so, back to my life. Things have been very busy lately, with a few major changes. Guy #2 has moved away, which makes me sad. He and I had gotten to be really good friends even though things never really worked out romantically. Now I miss him, but he still sends me funny messages and we talk on the phone sometimes. I have decided that Guy #3 is definitely gay, but we still talk and have fun together. So I'm back to being single with no major prospects, but I think I'm okay with that for now.

Me and my close friend of the past 4 years have also somewhat parted ways. We still see each other sometimes, but I think I've only called her twice since August. We were at a party and she got mad and said I was a big flirt and not a very good friend. We were both drunk. And yes, I can be a flirt, but not nearly like other single twenty-somethings. It's actually kind of a miracle that I've met 3 remotely interesting men in the past year. And I've been a really good friend. I don't think I should be punished for meeting a cute guy at a party, right? I know it's a stupid thing to fight about, but it made me realize what a wet blanket she's been lately and I just decided maybe she wasn't such a good friend for me anymore. I have been hanging out with a couple other lady friends lately and having fun with them.

I'm still at my lousy job, but looking for other options and am going on an informal interview this weekend. Should be interesting.

For dinner:

Pasta with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

1/2 lb. Spaghetti

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, minced

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

1 c. chopped greens (I used kale, but spinach or arugula would be good too)

Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Fresh cracked pepper

5 basil leaves, shredded

Red pepper flakes (optional)

1-2 small green tomatoes, chopped (optional)

Olive oil

Boil pasta as directed on box. Meanwhile, saute green tomatoes and onions in olive oil until soft (not brown), then add pepper flakes and greens. Stir until greens are wilted, then add garlic and walnuts. When pasta is done, add noodles to the saute pan, stir in the basil and gorgonzola, then add a little pasta water to round out the sauce. Season to taste with pepper. Eat.

Open House

Okay, so back to my numbered men. The arts organization where I volunteer on an advisory board had an open house on Saturday night. It was a really great event, with more people in attendance than I've ever seen there before. They had multiple performances scheduled, including avant-garde orchestral music in various ensembles, a circus-style sideshow act, a improv dancer who performed to live music while a painter simultaneously painted to fit the mood of the music and dancing. Neat. The artists' studios were also all open to the public, and there was a great exhibit in the art gallery. All in all, a pretty big success.

Another nice part was that my friend, Guy #3, attended the event (unlike any of the other friends that I invited -- boo to you!). We ended up hanging out and had a good time. I'm still not clear on whether he is gay or not, but perhaps we have surpassed the issue? He does stand rather close in some cases and taps my arm while we're talking sometimes, but he also just gives off a rather strong gay vibe that I can't quite shake. Hm. Oh well.

The only problem of it is that after he left, I ran into my ex -- Guy #1 (who I did not invite) -- and we ended up hanging out and going out for drinks after the open house was over. I felt compelled to lie about this fact when Guy #3 asked about what I did later that night. Not sure why.

When I dated Guy #1 last fall, things were pretty steamy for a while, but the real connection was never really there. I think that is why we finally broke up -- we just got bored of each other after a while because there was no connection.. but I still do think of him often since things were so steamy.. and because he should have been perfect for me. Really. He was the first guy I ever dated that really enjoyed going to the art galleries with me. In fact, it was often his own suggestion. He is good natured, relaxed, cute, artsy.. he's tall enough that I can wear heals and he's still taller.. For some reason though, the conversation just never really sparked. Weird how that just happens with some people. Anyway, on Saturday night, we had a few drinks, talked for a while, and nothing happened.. but he did confirm that we would see each other at another event that is coming up. It is an annual event; the event where we met last summer. Hm.

Eggplant and Tofu with Ginger, Cilantro, Basil Sauce

So, I totally just made up this recipe, but it was awesome!  It has a semi-Thai spin since it combines cilantro, 

basil and ginger. Delicious!

Eggplant and Tofu with Ginger, Cilantro, Basil Sauce

2 baby eggplants, sliced in large chunks

1 onion, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, in garlic press

1 medium green pepper, chopped

3-4 large mushrooms, quartered

1 carrot, sliced

2 tbsp. fresh ginger, diced

1 c. tofu, cubed

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

5-6 large basil, chopped

1 egg, beaten with a little soy sauce

flour

oil

rice

cayenne to taste

2-3 tbsp. soy sauce

Chop everything first. Place soy sauce and 1/3 of ginger in a bowl with the tofu cubes, add a little water so cubes are covered.

Allow tofu to marinate while you prepare everything else. Start rice cooking in a separate pot.  

Saute yellow onion with carrot and remaining ginger until softened. Dip eggplant pieces into flour, then into the beaten egg and 

add to hot pan.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until flour is cooked.  

Add green pepper, mushrooms, and green onion. Drain tofu from marinade (reserve liquid), and repeat the flour/egg procedure, 

adding the tofu to the pan. Cook a few more minutes, and add marinade liquid, garlic and cayenne.

Allow everything to get hot, then add cilantro and basil. Cook and stir a few minutes longer, adding a little water if needed. Serve 

over steamed rice.

Balsamic Chicken with Rainbow Chard and Brown Rice

This chicken was very easy -- basically pour vinaigrette on the chicken and bake -- the only difference with this vinaigrette is the ratio of oil to vinegar.  It needs less oil and more acid to bring out the flavor.  It might also be good with a little mustard mixed in.  The sauce is very good on rice.

Balsamic Chicken

4 large chicken leg quarters

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. olive oil -- the good stuff

3 tsp. dry oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place chicken into a large pan.  Mix together other ingredients in a measuring cup, and pour over top of chicken.  Use a pastry brush to make sure chicken is coated.  Bake for 20 minutes, then baste.  Continue baking until done (approximately 20-40 more minutes).  Serve with steamed brown rice.

Rainbow Chard

1 bunch fresh rainbow chard

1 garlic clove, smashed

salt to taste

oil

water

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil slightly in saute pan.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute (do not brown), then add chopped up chard stems and cook another minute.  Add chopped chard leaves and salt; stir.  Cook 1-2 minutes, then add a little water for steaming.  Cook until done.  Serve alongside chicken and rice.

Triumph!

As of today, I have completed my lame web class, and was informed by the dean that I will in fact be receiving a full refund for my tuition and fees since the class was so bad. Phew. That is a relief. They asked if I would be returning for the next class in the series... I said I was busy.

Tonight for dinner, we had baked boneless skinless chicken thighs with bbq sauce, roasted baby potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt, and fresh green beans and corn cut off the cob. Delicious. For dessert, we cooked apples with cinnamin and sugar, and ate them with vanilla ice cream. It was a total hit with my niece and nephew.

Vacation

I have been on vacation for almost a week so far - it is great. Yes, I knew I needed one, but it makes such a difference. So far I've spent most of the time hanging out with family. Tomorrow is my niece's 3rd birthday, so that should be fun.

The only damper on the trip so far has been the utter disappointment of my web design class. I am so glad that I did not quit my job for this. My professor is a hack. He has only spent 5 hours in the past week teaching (with 27 hrs of scheduled class time!), starting late and ending early each day. He also seems a bit sleazy, making excessive sexual references in class, and inviting several of us back to his home office (awkward!) "to see a few projects" -- he promptly left us there in his pot-scented house to do his job for him (ie -- redesign client websites with zero instruction or supervision). Great. I have written a strongly worded letter to the dean requesting a refund for the course. It has really been a waste of time and money. Ugh. Glad I took the low-risk vacation from work to try it out instead of making any major commitments.

Anyway, despite the fact that my professor is a total loser, I have had a good time visiting and relaxing for a while. It has been nice just to have a break, get some fresh air, and see my family. Today I taught my nephew a new song on the keyboard, ran around the yard with the dog, and had delicious and simple taco salad for dinner. Awesome.

Vegan Taco Salad
1 head lettuce (your favorite kind)
1-2 limes
1 can black beans
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ear corn, sliced off the cob (good use for leftovers in summer, or use canned)
1 tomato, diced
1 avacado, diced (optional)
Salsa
Sour cream (vegans can use the soy version)
Cheddar or vegan cheese, shredded (optional)
Corn chips
Spices to taste -- cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne

1. Pour black beans with juice into saucepan. Add garlic, onion, and spices, and allow to simmer until onions are cooked.
2. Wash and shred lettuce, then place in large salad bowl. Add tomato, avacado, and corn. Add shredded cheese, and toss salad with lime juice, salt and pepper.
3. Serve salad at table with chips, sour cream, salsa, and beans on the side so everyone can create his/her own salad. This was delicious with a fresh fruit salad accompaniment.
   

Coconut Lime Curry

This was my most successful curry to date. Delicious and very versatile -- I actually sort of made it up as I went based on what was in the refrigerator.

Coconut Lime Curry

1 can coconut milk

1-2 tbsp. oil for sauteing

1-2 onions, chopped

1-2 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

1 jalapeno, finely diced (remove seeds if you like less spice)

4 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. lime zest

2 c. vegetables (I used fresh green beans, carrots, and halved cherry tomatoes)

1-2 c. protein of choice (I cut up boneless chicken breasts, but this could also be good with tofu, fish, or mussels)

Jasmine rice

• In a large skillet (with high edges), saute onions, ginger, and any other longer-cooking vegetables such as carrots until soft.
• Add protein and cook until mostly done (will vary depending on what you use), then add spices and cook another minute.
• Add coconut milk, jalapeno, and lime zest. I also added a little cayenne since my jalapeno wasn't very hot. Salt to taste.
• Allow coconut milk to get hot, then add additional vegetables of choice. Pineapple chunks would probably be good with these flavors, or broccoli, peas, bell peppers, etc. As noted, I used cherry tomatoes and green beans.
• Continue to cook until vegetables and meat are done. Add lime juice just before serving, and stir. Serve atop hot jasmine rice.

Les Miserables vs Solo Computerized Marimba

This week, I went to see two completely different shows -- the traveling broadway production of Les Miserables, and a solo computerized, amplified marimba show. Though I am not a huge broadway fan, I felt the urge to see Les Mis because it has been so popular for so long, Bastille Day is quickly approaching, and because I was offered free tickets.

While I did not think that the performers were at their best, I can say that the music contains several very memorable melodies, and it avoids a lot of the usual cheesiness of broadway shows. Most of the time, they actually had something to sing about, though the best singers in the show were actually the more minor roles. Cosette was not good -- she had trouble carrying some of her solo melodies. Even though I was unfamiliar with some of the songs, I could tell she was missing her notes. Her mother, Fantine, was also off-key, however, Eponine (a side character) had a beautiful voice, as did some of the Marius' friends, and Javert, the police inspector who is after Valjean. In all, it was an enjoyable show, however, some of the leading roles could use some work.

The marimba show was completely contemporary -- the solo artist (Nathaniel Bartlett) had composed several of his own pieces in addition to the other two that he performed. I had never seen anything like it -- it was amplified and the marimba was hooked up with a computer and speaker system so he could control sound effects and other background noises to accompany the marimba. Part of his set-up included theremin-like sounds, but also other unidentifiable effects, and the speakers were set up at different places around the theater as well as different levels to create a complete surround-sound experience. Very unique. His work is clearly for a niche audience, but if you are interested in avante-garde marimba work, he's your man.

Grilled Corn

Corn on the grill is delicious and apparently pretty easy.  I just tried for the first time tonight with dinner, and it turned out great!

Grilled Corn

Corn on the cob, in husks

Water

Remove silks from each ear of corn, but keep husks attached to the cob.  Fold husk back over corn, and soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes before cooking to prevent burning on the grill.  Place ears of corn along outer edges of grill while you cook the rest of your dinner over the fiery center of the grill.  Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side -- husks will brown and/or scorch slightly, but the corn on the inside will stay moist with a great concentrated smokey, corny flavor.

I did not put anything on my corn, but it could be great with some butter and cumin or chili powder.  It was easy and delicious.  I served it with grilled sausages, zucchini, and onions -- for the vegetarians, instead of sausages, you could bulk up the veggies by adding some eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, and other easy grillables.  Yum!

4th of July Weekend -- What to bring to a BBQ?

Despite this summer being a little on the cool side so far, it was perfect bbq weather this weekend -- the type of nights when you wear a sweater after dark and don't mind being near a warm grill.  Whenever friends have parties, I always try to think of something unique to bring to the table -- partly just because I enjoy bringing something different, but also because they all know that I cook and expect something good!  In a pinch, I'll bring a bottle of wine, but for cookouts especially, it is fun to play with food.

Amongst all the hot dogs, bags of chips, and other cookout staples, you can stand out with dessert.  One thing I've made at cookouts before is grilled pound cake with fresh strawberries.  There is hardly any work involved since you can buy the pound cake at the grocery store, and everyone will love this for dessert.  Best of all, it makes dessert for a crowd for only about $6-$8!

Grilled Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries

1 pound cake, sliced (store-bought is fine for this purpose)

1 lb. fresh strawberries

Sugar to taste (amount of sugar will vary depending on the natural sweetness of your berries)

1- Slice up the pound cake and put slices back in the pound cake container from the store for transport to the party.  

2-Wash and cut up strawberries -- put in a container with a lid for easy transport without leaks.  Sprinkle sugar over top of strawberries to help draw out the natural juices of the berries.  Mash berries slightly with a potato masher or large spoon, and set aside for at least an hour before serving so the juices have time to come out.  

3-When it is time for dessert at the party, simply grill each slice of cake for 2-4 minutes on each side (cake can burn easily, so keep an eye on it).  Pound cake will have grill marks on both sides that bring out a caramelized sugar flavor.  Top with strawberries and eat.

Another dessert treat that everyone enjoyed at a bbq last night was my new recipe for Coconut Cookies.  Cookies are great for outdoor eating because they are finger food, and very easy to transport to the party.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 c. each of brown and granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cream butter, then add sugars gradually, beating well.  Beat egg into mixture.  Mix together flour, soda, and salt in a separate bowl, then add into butter mixture gradually -- beating after each addition.  Add vanilla and coconut.  Using two spoons, drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet -- allow space for cookies to expand while baking.  Bake for 9 minutes or until lightly browned.  These cookies taste best after they have cooled.

Life update

As a general update on recent events, I think we are going to book the people from the kirtan festival to play at an arts organization where I volunteer on the performance committee.  How exciting!

I have also decided to go ahead and try out the first course for the web design program next month -- fortunately for me, I figured out a way so I could try out the first class with basically no risk involved.  I plan to take some vacation time at work, stay with my sister (who lives close to the college) for 2 weeks, and take the class to see if I like it.  This way, I can try it out without risking my paying job.  If I like it, I can start making bigger decisions, and if I don't like it, then I can just drop the whole thing and try something else.  Somehow I feel like I should have a better idea of what I want to do by now (at the whopping age of 27), but I just don't.  Does anyone else feel this confused at my age??  How does one figure out what to do with oneself?

Strawberries and Milk

I made a simple dessert tonight -- sliced strawberries, slightly smooshed with a little sugar, then topped with milk (about the same ratio as you would have for a bowl of cereal).  Fresh and delicious.

Feeling French... Healthy Quiche

I was feeling very French on Sunday -- went out for brunch at a crepe restaurant (smoked salmon with creme fresh and chives -- delicious!), spent the entire day shopping for dainty lady clothes, and then made quiche for dinner.  I'm also going to see Les Miserables next week  :-)

I call this quiche "healthy" because I use 2% milk instead of the usual heavy cream.  It also contains vegetables, and uses a butter-free crust that only has 2 tbsp. oil in the entire crust -- in the world of quiche, I think this is pretty good, and it tastes just as luxurious.

Mushroom and Onion Quiche

4 eggs, beaten

2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

dash of cayenne

1 c. shredded swiss cheese

6-8 mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, sliced thin

1/2 tsp. fresh thyme

olive oil

1/2 recipe, butterless pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, and par-bake the pie crust (arrange pie crust in greased pie pan, and pierce crust thoroughly with fork before baking).  Bake crust until partly cooked, but not brown.

Saute onions, mushrooms, and thyme in olive oil until soft.  Add salt,  pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

Mix together first 5 ingredients in a bowl.  Sprinkle cheese in bottom of par-baked crust (this prevents the crust from getting soggy).  Layer the cooked mushrooms and onions on top of cheese, then slowly pour in egg mixture.  Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and cook 30 minutes longer.  When done, eggs will have puffed up slightly, and knife inserted in center will come out clean.

Other possible flavors besides mushroom and onion would be steamed broccoli, crispy bacon, spinach, arugula, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, chives, cheddar... there are a lot of options, and all of them are good, so definitely experiment to see what you like -- just make sure all ingredients are cooked before being added to the quiche.  I love quiche, especially alongside a crisp green salad with a tart, mustardy vinaigrette.

Mini Reunion

Last month was my 5-year college reunion.  I didn't go.  I don't have any major regrets about it, but there are 4 or 5 people I would have liked to see.. Anyway, one of them came to visit this weekend, so that was a lot of fun.  We hadn't seen each other since college, so I wondered if we would still have anything to talk about, but we did, of course.  It was a good weekend.  The weather was perfect, and everywhere we went, we stumbled upon cool and fun artsy things to do. 

On Friday, we went to a funky bar called Kelly's -- they make old-fashioned cocktails and play music like Johnny Cash.  I love that place.  We ran into two other people from our old alma mater (which is actually quite rare considering that my undergrad college has less than 1500 students total and is in another state), and ended up having drinks until 2am.  

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Saturday, we explored the exhibits at all the downtown art galleries, walked around the riverside park, saw a show called "Swing!", then hung out in a loungey bar with live music.

The galleries were great -- normally when I go, they are so packed you can't actually appreciate the art much, but we had them completely to ourselves, which was pretty cool.  My favorite was one where you could put on headphones and listen to a selection of music with which to enjoy the art.  Really neat.  Then, since it was such a nice day, we walked across to the other side of the river and looked at the view of the city for a while.

"Swing!" is one of those musical productions that doesn't have a plot -- they just go from scene to scene and throw in some one-liners here and there.  Had I actually read the description for the show, I probably would not have gone -- it's just really not my kind of show, but I had an offer for free tickets, and my friend thought it sounded good, so we went and I didn't even bother to look into it any further.  The main flaw of the show was that most of the numbers had no heart -- the dancers looked as though they were just going through the motions, and ended up just lo

oking like a bunch of robots throwing their arms and legs out every once in a while.  The second flaw -- the costumes were all wrong.  In a swing show, you'd think they would have a lot of fun with the costumes, but they were not right for the time period at all.  The dancers looked like they were in some 1980's show and doing swing moves.  And even worse, at one point they had a woman do this "sexy" dance coming out from behind the bass player (there was a live band on stage), and she came out wearing a brown skin-tight velvet body-suit with f-holes painted on the front.  Why would they pick such a hideous outfit for an otherwise half-interesting number?  Flaw number three -- one of the main singers was singing songs that were way too high for her vocal range.  They did a much better job in the second half of the show where she sang songs that were lower in her range -- sounded much better.  The band was pretty good when inspired, but in general the whole show just seemed a little too rehearsed.  I like to see a show where there is still artistry in it -- this means that every show is a little different because the artists are actually thinking while they perform, not just going through the motions.  This is not to blame the artists -- as a musician myself, I know that it can be very boring to play the same pieces over and over again, but if you're that bored, perhaps it is time to move on to something new.  There were a few moments where people broke out of their routine, and you could tell, but these moments were rare.  Too bad.

The musicians in the bar afterward were very entertaining -- you could tell they were having a good time joking around as they played.  They were taking requests from the crowd and my friend was an instant hit.

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On Sunday, without even having a plan, we ended up having an Indian cultural day.  We decided to go to the natural history museum, and since there is a good Indian restaurant over that way, we stopped for lunch there first.  After lunch, we headed for the museum and checked out the dinosaurs (side note, I frightened myself by actually busting out some knowledge from a museum visit out at the La Brea tar pits when I was twelve years old -- I had no idea that so much of that had stuck with me, but given the right surroundings, it came right out!).

After the museum, I gave the rest of the tour of the neighborhood, including my grad school campus, and a hike on my favorite trail in the park.  In the park, we stumbled across an Indian-themed festival -- they were doing henna tattoos, yoga, playing Indian music, and eating Indian food.  We walked around for a bit and realized that they were going to show "Slumdog Millionaire" that night (they do free movies in the park during the summer), so we decided to go get dinner, grab a blanket to sit on, and come back for the movie.  On the way back to our cars, we came across another Indian music concert -- it was a kirtan festival, but completely unconnected with the other Indian festival going on just 2 blocks away.. crazy coincidence -- I figured it must be some kind of special holiday to have all these Indian celebrations going on, but they assured me that it was just coincidence and it was not a holiday.

I really enjoyed the kirtan festival -- I had never really attended anything like it before, but it was a very communal experience.  The musicians play on and on for a long time, chanting.  It has sort of a call and response format, and the audience was singing back to the musicians.  After a while, people started dancing too -- and they were all wearing beautiful colorful saris and other Indian-inspired styles.  I have always thought the fabrics used for this type of fashion were beautiful -- so many bright and colorful patterns, vibrant, metallic, floral, geometric.. I just love it.  We ended up staying and listening to the kirtan music for about 2 hours, until they were done.  I really enjoyed it.  They also served some kind of little dessert cookie bars that were very tasty -- I think it was made of coconut and anise, but I'm not sure what else.  Perhaps I will do a little research

After the kirtan festival, we went back and watched "Slumdog Millionaire" on the hillside in the park, completing our weekend and our day of Indian culture.  The thing about this weekend is that all of the things we did are things I would normally end up doing by myself since I don't have many close friends in town any more.  It made them so much better to enjoy them with an old friend.  

Rainbow Trout

As a general update, I just found out this week that I have been accepted into a web design program where I can get a degree in one year!  I think I'm going to do it.  Then perhaps I can have a little more career freedom.  Ahh.. it feels good already.  I even may be able to continue with my paying job while I do so -- which, no, I don't really like my job at present, but I do like getting paid, so this will help for a little while.

Also, I have an old friend coming to visit this weekend -- he is arriving tonight.  I haven't seen him in about 5 years, so it should be fun.  We are going to see a show called "Swing!" tomorrow night -- I'll let you know if it's any good.

I did not do much cooking this week because I was so stressed about making a decision (to quit or not to quit), and was living off of my chicken and beans and rice leftovers, but I did make a very tasty rainbow trout for dinner one night..  I used a whole trout, and it was pretty easy.

Broiled Whole Rainbow Trout

Ingredients:

1 whole rainbow trout, cleaned

1 large sprig fresh rosemary

1/2 lemon, sliced in rounds

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Instructions:

Set oven to broil.  Season inside of fish with salt and pepper.  Place lemon slices and rosemary sprig in cavity of the fish, and fold fish closed (you may need more lemon slices and rosemary sprigs if your fish is large -- rainbow trout can vary in size quite a bit).  Brush outside of fish with olive oil.  Lay fish on a broiler pan and place in hot oven.  After a few minutes, the skin on the outside of the fish will start to look slightly burned.  Turn fish over and let it cook a few minutes on the other side.  It will take less than 20 minutes total to cook, depending on the size of the fish, so keep a close eye on your fish.  When it is cooked on both sides, you can check it for doneness.  The skin on the outside will be slightly burnt and splitting, but the meat inside will be moist and flavored with the lemon and rosemary.  Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.  It takes very little time to prepare, and is quite good.  It could also possibly work well on the grill.

My "Mexican" Food

I've been thinking about mexican food for days, so I finally decided to make some for dinner.  No, these recipes are not the "real thing", but they were delicious -- I guess it would be more accurate to call them "latin-inspired" dishes rather than claiming a nationality.  I wanted to try using dried black beans since they are cheaper than canned, and I've heard they are actually better when prepared this way.  These, like most of my recipes, are completely adjustable to your tastes -- I like to experiment in the kitchen, so I hope you will too.  Let me know about your variations!  Both of these would probably be good with lime juice instead of vinegar, but I didn't have a lime, so vinegar was good.  The chicken actually tasted like something I've had in a Peruvian restaurant.  Yum!  This is also a great excuse to use lots of cumin which has been my absolute favorite spice ever since I was about 12 years old.

Black Beans and Rice

1/2 lb. dried black beans

plenty of water for soaking, then about 4 cups for cooking (depending on desired level of soupiness)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 can diced green chilies

1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

green onion(s), chopped (optional)

herbs and spices to taste: chili powder, cumin, cayenne, paprika, dried oregano, salt and pepper

1-2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Soak dry beans in cold water overnight.  I drained the beans and added fresh water in the morning and let them keep soaking while I was at work today.  Drain and rinse soaked beans.

Saute onions, bell pepper, and garlic in 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add your herbs and spices of choice -- heating them in the warm oil helps to activate the flavors.  When onion and peppers have softened slightly, mix together with beans and 4 c. water in a saucepan, and bring to boil.  Add green onions, green chilies, cilantro, and vinegar.  Allow to simmer until beans are soft.  Taste during cooking to adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve on top of steamed brown rice.  This can be served as a vegan main dish, or as a side dish to other things.. like spicy chicken :-)

Latin-Inspired Roast Chicken

3 chicken quarters or other pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. taco sauce or salsa (a little tomato paste could have worked too)

herbs and spices to taste: salt and pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, cayenne (I did equal parts paprika, cumin and chili powder, dash of cayenne, 1/4 part oregano, 1/2 part salt, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a small bowl or mug, mix together oil, vinegar, garlic, and seasonings to taste -- it should be a thinnish paste.  Brush oil and spice mixture on both size of each piece of chicken, and bake for about 1 hour, or until done (for poultry, internal temp. should be 180 degrees F when done).

Omelette with Mushrooms, Swiss, and Thyme

For breakfast this morning, I made myself a great omelette, accompanied by homemade whole wheat toast, and pink grapefruit juice.  It was delicious, and made all the better because it was a beautiful morning out and I ate out on my deck and listened to the birds.  

Many of my single friends who do not cook say it is because they feel silly doing "all that work" for just one person.  I think that is a little sad.  Single people, why should we not have anything good to eat simply because we are single?  How unfair is that?  The way I see it: We still have to eat; therefore, we might as well make something good.  Why reserve this pleasure for the coupled people?  Live for to today and make something good to eat! (ha, yes, I know this last statement sounds ridiculous, but seriously, we might as well enjoy our food.)  

So, this is how I prepared my omelette -- the addition of white wine brings it to a whole new level.

Omelette with Mushrooms, Swiss, and Thyme

Eggs:

2 eggs, beaten

splash of milk (about 1-2 tbsp.?)

salt and pepper

nutmeg and cayenne to taste

Filling:

5-6 mushrooms, chopped (add more depending on size. keep in mind, they will shrink)

fresh thyme to taste, chopped (I used about 1 tsp.)

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

splash of white wine

2-3 tbsp. grated swiss cheese (or just finely chop a few slices of cheese if you don't feel like grating)

Warm up skillet to medium high with the olive oil. Add the chopped mushrooms and thyme, and saute. Add salt and pepper to taste, a touch of nutmeg, and continue sauteing until mushrooms are almost cooked. Then add wine, and allow the liquid to cook off. It will start to smell really good.

Remove mushrooms from pan. Add a little more oil if needed, and pour in egg mixture while pan is still hot. You may look at the addition of nutmeg as weird, but it is actually delicious -- just use a small dash (less than 1/8 tsp.) and it really brings out all the flavors.  i first saw this idea in a quiche recipe, and now I never make eggs without nutmeg.  As egg cooks, pull  the sides of the egg into the middle of the pan gently, one side at a time. This will allow the raw egg mixture to flow to the edges of the pan and cook.  Rotate the pan so the eggs spread and cook evenly. Once the edges are done (they will be dry), you can begin slowly adding the sautéed cooked mushrooms and swiss cheese.  Add them to one side of the omelette only.

Fold the opposite side of the egg mixture over the filling and lay it flat. It should look like a half moon. When done, lift the omelette from the pan and lay it flat on a plate.  

This technique can be used for all different fillings if you feel like experimenting with omelettes, but mushrooms are definitely one of my favorite fillings.  It only takes a few minutes to make an omelette, but it always seems a little luxurious.  Alternately, if this sounds tricky, you can just make scrambled eggs and mix in the cheese and mushrooms as you go.

Serve your omelette with buttered toast, fruit juice, fresh fruit, and/or a nice crisp salad for a delicious brunch.

Getting Starchy

Okay, so in my previous post with the recipe for fat-free vegan bread, I mentioned that I would like to try the recipe with whole wheat flour.  Reporting back: this was a good idea.   I switched out 2 cups of white flour for 2 cups of whole wheat, and it turned out quite nice.  It would also be good with a variety of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits added.  I think I will try this next time.  In the meantime, I have two loaves of delicious fresh bread.  The texture is smooth and works well with sandwiches or just for eating with butter.

I also wanted to give out my recipe for cornbread since it is truly one of my "signature dishes".  Seriously, if you're single and in your twenties, and your friends regularly request your cornbread at dinner parties, you know you're doing something right, but I relate this back to my childhood -- yes, in the south, we probably had fresh cornbread at least once a week.  Here is my recipe:

Cornbread

1 c. flour

3/4 c. cornmeal, preferably stone ground

1/3 c. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. oil

1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Put 1 tbsp. oil into a medium cast iron pan (yes, it makes a difference), and put pan into oven to get hot.  Meanwhile, mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Once oven has finished heating, add milk, egg, and remaining 1 tbsp. oil to dry mixture, and mix together.  The baking powder will begin to react as soon as liquid touches it, so just do a quick mix to make sure everything is incorporated, and act quickly.  Pull hot iron skillet out of oven.  Carefully make sure all sides of the pan have been coated with hot oil.  Pour batter into pan (it should sizzle -- this is how you get a good crust), and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until lightly brown on top.

I still make cornbread all the time, and actually just wrote down the recipe from memory.  It is a great accompaniment to just about anything, and the leftovers are also good for breakfast the next day.  I like it with honey on top.

Sometimes I vary the recipe by adding a little cayenne and/or corn kernels to the batter.  Feel free to experiment with the flavors you like.

Decisions and BBQ Chicken

So, I need to catch up on my culture posts... This past weekend, I attended a jazz concert, a community artists' event, and puppeteered at the zoo.  I also heard some jazz during lunch today -- much better than Friday night's concert, I think.

I just finished a book that my sister had recommended -- it is called "Bitter is the new black".  Not my usual selection from old classics at the library, but she kept bugging me to read it, so I did.  At first I did not like it -- I found the central character to be loud, self-important, and obnoxious; however, I continued reading, and she grew on me.  The book is basically about looking for a job in a recession, so I could totally relate.  It was written after the .com bust, and she gets laid off and can't find a new job.  Unlike her, I do not know what I want to do for certain, but I do know that I need a new job.

The more I think about it lately, I really do like me lifestyle right now -- I finally feel like I've worked my way into a variety of social networks, and I've become involved with a lot of different extracurricular activities.  The only thing that I can't stand is my job.  So, I've looked around at other things available in town, but there just isn't anything that sounds interesting to me.  I just don't know what to do.

Now, as I mentioned once before, one option I've always thought about has been additional education.  I've done a little research, and there is a web design program that I could start as early as next month if I so choose, but I'm just not sure if it is the right decision.  It is in another state, so that would mean moving.  And, what if I still can't find a good job then?  What if I find out I don't like it?  Is it worth uprooting myself to find out?  What would I do if I didn't go to school?  What other options do I have to maintain a steady income and get out of my current toxic job setting?  Ugh.  Very difficult decisions ahead, and I must make a decision soon so I can give appropriate notice at work if I am going to move.. Hmm..

In the meantime, I have mastered bbq chicken on the grill.  This is what I did:

Grilled BBQ Chicken

1- Light coals using a chimney starter -- allow coals to get hot and turn white, then dump into grill

2- Place oiled grill grate over top of hot coals, and allow to heat up for about 5 minutes

3- Salt and pepper chicken pieces (I used thighs) -- place skin side up onto the hot grill.  They should sizzle.

4- Cook about 10-15 minutes, then flip.  Cook another 10-15 minutes.  Test meat with a meat thermometer -- chicken should be 180 degrees F when done.

5- Brush with bbq sauce and allow to cook a little longer on both sides.

6- Eat.

Crappy Day at Work... Again..

I had dinner with Guy #3 last night just as friends – he was super nice (as expected), even though I was actually quite late (my own stupid fault!).  Yay for making new friends.  It was not awkward at all – somebody once told me that things won’t be awkward if you don’t make them awkward, so maybe it worked.  Hurray for *something* going well! What isn’t going well?  My job.  In short, it is killing me slowly and painfully, and I must find a way out pronto. When I first started my job 2 years ago, I thought I had hit the jackpot.  I was allowed to be creative, take on huge amounts of responsibility, and was promoted.  All my friends hated me because I gushed so much about how I loved my job.  Unfortunately, that was pretty short lived.  My manager (who had been on extended leave) retuned to work and suddenly started trying to squash me back down again – seriously, after having done a great job and having been promoted, my returning manager chose this time to pull back the reigns, start micromanaging everything I do, and finding little ways to discourage and keep me down.  Frankly, I think he/she felt threatened that things had gone so well in his/her absence, so he/she has done everything in his/her power to hold me back and make my job more difficult. (yes, staying gender neutral for fear of being identified.  but honestly, if you're reading this and recognize yourself, then you know what you're doing) Since then, I have exceeded my goals and made significant changes to improve operations of my department and save money, worked endless extra hours in evenings and weekends for meetings and events, and still get zero appreciation.  After a slew of layoffs earlier this year (which I thankfully survived), I ended up taking on a bunch of extra work because of the man-power that was lost – not only was I already working my butt off, but now I leave every day with a stress headache, and dread going into the office because I have so much to do, and no support.  I need to get out, and fast, but I’m not sure what to do with myself these days.. must figure this out soon. I know there must be a lot of people out there in similar situations, having trouble switching jobs because of the economy.. anyone want to trade??  Low energy dinner preparations tonight: Tuna melt on sourdough under the broiler with swiss cheese, bell peppers, and pickles Tossed salad with red wine vinaigrette Dessert: hot chocolate

Garlic Salt and Other Kitchen Horrors

Okay, so I know my friends laugh at me for being so adamant in my distaste for garlic salt, but really people, this stuff is gross!  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT ever purchase this nasty excuse for a seasoning.  Not only does it not have the delicious and versatile qualities of real garlic, but it quite literally leaves a bad taste in your mouth.  You end up using a lot of it because it has insufficient flavor to actually season anything, then everything turns out salty, with a rancid garlic flavor, ruining perfectly good food.  It is truly sad.

If you really want a hint of garlic, just use the real thing.  It is really cheap, lasts a long time in your cupboard, and is not much extra work, especially when compared to the delicious results.  Personally, I put fresh garlic in almost everything.  It is healthy, and adds great flavor  -- why, oh why, must people spoil their food with nasty garlic salt??  I equate the presence of garlic salt in the kitchen to people who keep ramen noodles stocked in the cupboard, eat canned peas, Kraft singles, and might heat up their beanies and weenies in the crock-pot.  In essence, they are the American processed food eaters and have not yet learned that fresh ingredients reign supreme! (this last statement should be read in the tone of Iron Chef, "whose cuisine shall reign supreme?!?") 

So, use fresh ingredients, please!!  Not only are they tastier, but they are better for you, and usually cheaper compared to prepared processed foods.  Rid your kitchen of these major offenders:

• Garlic powder
• Onion Powder
• Canned peas (frozen peas are great, but canned are gross!)
• American cheese singles
• Powdered beverage mixes
• Flavored cooking spray (cooking spray is a great convenience, but just go with plain)
• Vienna sausages or other similar processed links (why would you buy this when there are so many other more delicious options out there?)

I will probably add more to this list later, but in the meantime, to prove the deliciousness of real garlic, try out this roasted garlic recipe.  When I was a kid, we used to go to this restaurant that served roasted garlic with fresh crusty bread, and we practically could have made a meal of just that!  So, we figured out how to recreate it at home:

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

Several heads of garlic

Olive oil to drizzle

Salt and pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Keeping each head of garlic intact, peel away some of the papery skin from the outside of the bulb. (Don't go too crazy peeling them, or else they won't hold together)
   
3. Cut away the top of the head of garlic, exposing the tops of each clove of garlic in the bulb.
4. Place heads of garlic in a pan (muffin pans work well), with the sliced side facing up.
5. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired
6. Cover the garlic with foil or an oven-proof lid.
7. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until garlic is soft and brown.
8. When cooled slightly, you will be able to use your fingers or other implements to squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of it's skin.  It can be spread directly on warm crusty bread, or mashed and used in dips, sauces, and other recipes for a great rich garlicy flavor.

Kohlrabi Experiment

So, I was at the farmer's market yesterday (hurray for farmer's markets being open again!), and I decided to try out a new vegetable that I had never cooked with before: kohlrabi.  The farmer told me that it was sort of in-between a potato and cabbage in flavor, and could be served raw or cooked.  It was a good deal, so I brought some home to try.

I looked up some information about it online, and basically the name means "turnip cabbage".  It is a bulb, and the leaves can be cooked down like collards, while the bulbous part can be sliced and put in salads, used in curries, or roasted (which is what I tried).  You will want to peel the bulb a little bit because the green outer skin can get tough when it cooks (I probably could have done a better peeling job, but I did really enjoy the flavor of the roasted vegetable).  To me, when roasted, kohlrabi takes on a sweet turnip-y flavor -- it was very tasty. This is what I did:

Roasted Vegetables with Kohlrabi

1 Kohlrabi bulb

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion

other vegetables to taste -- I used mushrooms, carrots, and green peppers because that is what I had in the fridge

drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper

herbs or spices to taste -- I used a little paprika and chili powder, but would probably also be good with thyme or other herbs

Peel outer green layer off of the kohlrabi bulb, slice into uniformly sized chunks so they will cook evenly, and throw the chunks into a baking pan with an edge.  Prepare and chop all other veggies that you plan to use, throwing everything in the pan as you go.  Add the garlic, salt and pepper, herbs/spices, and a bit of olive oil.  Toss vegetables in the pan with the olive oil and seasonings.  Roast in 450(F) degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.   When done, the kohlrabi will be tender, but still hold it's shape (think of the texture of a turnip).  I served it with brown rice and baked tilapia.

Spring Awakening

I just saw the musical "Spring Awakening" with my friend Jean.  Everything I had heard about this show was very positive -- I believe it won Best Musical of 2008, and everyone has been talking about it as a controversial show, and as a good one to use for talking to kids about sex (not that I particularly care about the kids part, but more on that later).  I'm not ordinarily a big fan of Broadway shows -- I tend to go to more contemporary dance, opera, gallery openings, etc., but I took a chance with this one because it seemed a little different from the average broadway show.

My opinion?  I liked the dancing and the music, but the plot and moral of the story were very disconcerting.  Parents, do not bring your children to this show unless you plan to have a serious discussion afterwards!!  Basically, the story is about a bunch of teenagers coming of age in a provincial German town during the late 1800's.  None of them are educated about sex (because their parents won't talk to them about it) except for one boy who read about it in a medical book.  He tells his best friend about it, and the friend goes into a downward spiral, eventually commiting suicide.  He also has sex with one of the girls in the story (which comes off as date rape, by the way), unknowingly gets her pregnant, and he gets sent to a reformatory.   The girl later acts like it was some big romantic scene, after she had clearly screamed "NO" to him several times during the process -- this just did not sit well with me.  Seriously, date rape should not be portrayed as romantic, and if you take your son/daughter to this, you should tell them that it is wrong.  It is a non-violent scene, but she is clearly an unwilling partner.  No means no.

The girl's mother, having previously refused to answer her questions about where babies come from, cannot accept the pregnancy, secretly arranges for an abortion, and the girl dies during the procedure.  Meanwhile, lover boy gets a letter that the girl had written mentioning the baby, escapes from the reformatory, and finds out she is dead.  He nearly kills himself, but then everyone comes out of the woodwork, they do a little dance, and live happily ever after.

The morals of this story?

1- Don't have sex or talk about it; it will kill you.

2- Date rape is A-Okay!

3- Take no responsibility for your actions, and just dance off the bad times.

Yes, I'm being a little sarcastic here -- the real moral of the story is: teach your kids about sex so that they are capable of making smart decisions and protecting themselves!  And now I will seriously get on my soap box.  Why the heck do public schools in the US now teach abstinence only?  As if people are seriously going to stop having sex just because you do not arm them with information -- the only purpose the "abstinence only" programs serve is to render young people unprepared.  We figured out years ago that educating people in developing countries about safe sex practices was the solution to reducing the spread of AIDS, other diseases, and unwanted pregnancies, so why won't we provide that same education in our own country to avoid the same problems??  It just does not make sense to me.  (By the way, did you know that ever since they implemented the "abstinence only" program, STD's and unplanned pregnancies have been on the rise?).  I do not see why information is treated like the enemy here -- education is a weapon against society's problems, including health, politics, the economy, and everything else.  Okay, off the soap box...

Since I'm already talking about sex and relationships, I have an update on the relationship complications (noted in a previous post).  Guy #2, who I'm friends with, now seems to be making an extra effort.  When I was sick, he offered to do my grocery shopping for me, and kept checking in to see how I was doing.  This was really nice of him, but I hope that he is not getting any ideas.  I have really come to enjoy our friendship.  Meanwhile, Guy #3 (who is friends with Guy #2 -- guys, don't you talk to each other about these things?) has asked me out.  I didn't really know what to say because I've never been in the position of having to turn down a perfectly nice guy when I am single (usually I get jerks, or am already dating someone, making it a lot easier to say "No way!" or "I'm with that guy").  So, it was a hard response to write (he had sent me an email because he doesn't have my number), but I just told him I was taking a little break from dating and would love to hang out sometime just as friends.  I hope it works out because he really is a nice guy.  Can single people really be friends without this kind of misunderstanding?  I feel like this ends up happening with a lot of my male friends.  Ugh.