Wednesday, January 30, 2008

thumbs up, thumbs down

thumbs up:
1. Eragon, leant to me by a former student
2. having the third issue of the school newspaper printed and distributed
3. a clean apartment
4. dinner and heady conversation with good people

thumbs down:
1. make-shift hot chocolate of cocoa powder, cinnamon, melted ice cream and soy milk... clumpy and gross
2. being forced to use half a personal day because my car doors were frozen shut even after trying to melt them open with most of my delicious coffee

What have been the high/low moments of your day?

Monday, January 28, 2008

not a big fan of "zest"




I think Zesty Orange Air-borne should be titled Pureed Moldy Sock.


I'm just saying, if I get sick after this, I'll be peeved.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

On the lunch menu:

One of these things is not like the other
three of these things are kinda the same.
Can you tell me which one just doesn't belong here?
Now it's time to play our game.
It's time to play our game.

Nachos
Stuffed Crust Pizza
Chicken Petals
Potato Soup

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Veggie Sandwiches

For some time, I've been a self-styled "social meat eater," like lots of people are social drinkers. This means that I pretty much never purchase or prepare any meat. There are lots of reasons for this, ranging from the ecological and economic to philosophical to physiological to unadulterated laziness, but I will spare you this. I'm not evangelical or dogmatic about it all at this point, though nor am I ashamed of it, at least partly because the transition for me has been so gradual and natural.

That's not my point.

This is: it is tricky, tricky to eat out. Most menus have at most one meatless item, and some of those are awfully anemic in both appearance and flavor. Thus, I've been making mental notes of some of the better veggie sandwiches I've sampled in the Fort Wayne area in the last year or so, some from local restaurants and some from chains. All (relatively) easily duplicable at home.
In case any of you are in my boat, I'll share my findings:

1) Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (inspired by Panera)


Ingredients:
bread - sundried tomato or other, preferably homemade
herbed hummus - parsley, perhaps?
cucumber, sliced
tomato, thinly sliced
canned red pepper slices
feta cheese, crumbled
dark leafy greens

Directions:
Spread a layer of hummus on the top and bottom slices of bread. On the bottom slice, place a layer of greens, followed by feta cheese. Next, add tomato slices and red peppers. Top with cucumber and the second slice of bread.


Others to follow in my little series:
- Henry's Southwestern Something-or-Other
- Jimmy John's Avocado/Provalone Concoction
- The Firefly's Grilled Cheese
- The Firefly's Veggie Sandwich
- The Brickhouse Cafe's Veggie Wrap with Cream Cheese

desert island singles

If I knew that tomorrow I would be taken to a desert island where I would live out the remainder of my days, I would pack very carefully. And these are the top five songs I'd make sure I had with me at present:
5. Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe - Okkervil River
4. Sinister in a State of Hope - Loney Dear
3. Failsafe - the New Pornographers
2. The Temptation of Adam - Josh Ritter
1. Green Gloves - the National

They are pretty, pretty magic carpets for the emotions. 
What five songs would you take?

Edit: I almost included another song by the National because I thought one of the main lines was, "Your mind is racing like a pronoun," which I found puzzling and whimsical. Then I realized it actually said, "Your mind is racing like a pro, now." Forget it.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

100 Things That Make Me Happy: 11-20

11. the warm yellow light from the midmorning sun and the way it renders clementines and beads and books and skin magical
12. the way my friend’s voice gets very shrill when she’s excited about something
13. looking around my living room and realizing I’m surrounded by my own artwork
14. having a whole Saturday stretch out before me with boundless creative possibilities
15. waking up early on a Saturday when everyone else is sleeping and feeling like I know something secret
16. stacks and stacks of books I want to read
17. the smell of rosemary
18. Japanese fabric
19. staying within my budget
20. feeling hopeful about a church