Words to Live By

 

 

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.”

Robert Bresson

 

 

 

 

 

Whole Foods Recommendations

In their latest newsletter, they say "Foods you didn't know you could grill" and prominently feature brussel sprouts.  They don't answer my question, "Why would you WANT to?"

Grilled peaches, on the other hand, another recommendation, are fabulous.  Halve and pit them, grill them skin side down and sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar where the pit was.  Turn.
See some here.
 Divine.

Do the Rooster

  
 I struck up a conversation with my seatmate.  An exceptionally young looking great grandmother, she was flying from her home in Phoenix to participate in the bowling nationals in Reno.  After a lively discussion regarding Arizona's and Arpaio's strident worker policies (did you realize Jan Brewer was NOT elected by the Arizona public, she stepped in after Napolitano was tapped by Obama?) she shared that a member on her bowling team needed two shots before each game.   Yeah, the member who regularly bowled in the three hundreds.  And then she shared her current favorite drink:

The Rooster;
One shot silver tequila
followed by
One shot orange juice
followed by
One shot tomato juice
followed by
lime and salt.

I was sitting next to a party girl.  Cock a doodle doo!

Keep it simple

 


When the heat hovers at 100 degrees, and the rest of us keep low to the ground, most of us do not want to cook.  It's time for salads, chilled fruits, cocktail shakers filled with lemonade or iced coffee, made frothy with the shaking.

Shrimp, defrosted in your fridge or counter top or drained in a colander is best for this.

Shred lettuce (iceberg, romaine, clumps of arugula), peel then grate a healthy carrot, scatter green onions, dice a tomato.  Salt,  toss, add a splash of vinegar, dress with olive oil (someone gave me a wonderful bottle of lemon infused olive oil, perfect for a salad such as this).  Add the 8 ounces or more of shrimp you've defrosted, and serve.  Want to kick it up futher? Add avocado and some freshly made pico de gallo (diced onions, tomatoes, jalepenos, cilantro).  It keeps the heat at bay.

Momma said there'd be days like this.

Check out the artist's page here.
Now why didn't MY daughter post that?

Plans for the day? Game of Thrones marathon with my daughter, fast forwarding through the uncomfortable bits.

Swing By, Say Hi

I'll be with Petrea Burchard and Kat Ward in lovely Central Park, Pasadena, Saturday, May 11th, 10ish to 5ish.

Can't make it? Visit a post in honor of some personal issues I've been facing, right here.

Taco Bell's Demographic

At college I was lost in New Mexican food for two years, so I comforted myself with Taco Bell.  The beans were soul-satisfying. Later at a park with my kids and fast food one young mother years back commented "How do you get them to eat that kind of food?"  I replied, if my kids didn't eat rice and beans they'd starve.  I still occasionally swing by Taco Bell for a burrito supreme.  Sour cream and ground beef, yeah!

Last night mindlessly watching a terrible action movie (you may have heard of it, Iron Man II)--so mindlessly I was actually tracking the commercials--- this little gem pops up. Probably one of the most diverse commercials I've seen on mainstream tv.  A delight.
 Except.

Guess which demographic is missing?

I suppose we're still relegated to the servant entrance of  the Spanish language channels.

On another note, one of my students was annoyed that now that the GOP has discovered the need for the  Latino demographic  those Republicans were going to start pandering.

Pander away, baby, but I'm not waiting for us to be in the national spotlight.  I'm waiting for us to simply be visible.

Desert Skies

I came to camping later in life--post childhood yet pre-children.  It's been a terrific way of seeing the least seen: Anza-Borrego, Bryce Canyon, King's Canyon, Joshua Tree.  And now that we're almost post-children, there's so much more space in the car for firewood and food.

Lamb kebobs:

2lbs cubed lamb, sized for a skewer
(preferably from the leg, as it will cook more quickly and tenderly)
Place cubed meat in a ziploc bag.  Add two cloves minced garlic, a teaspoon of dried rosemary, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a quarter cup of olive oil. Marinate for at least an hour before placing onto skewers.  Grill 4 minutes a side, or until meat is medium rare.

While the meat is marinating and the grill hot, skewer red onions and chunks of red peppers. Grill until slightly charred on each side.  I like warming them up on the grill a bit just before serving.

To serve:
Scatter arugula over your plates.  Top with your skewered meats and vegetables.

Afterwards gather round the campfire and sing U2 hymns.